Felicity

~Sequel to Perversity~

 Chapter 1

Finding her happiness turned out to be harder than Brinley thought possible.

Betraying Jon after everything they went through together wasn’t easy for her to do.  In fact, she had gone back and forth about doing it, simply because he had her trained to believe, for so long, he would destroy her family if she didn’t stay with him.  Brinley had no idea what to do now that the deed had been done, the die had been cast and all Chris told her was he had taken care of it.  What did that mean exactly?  They had left the arena in a hurry and jumped on Tony Khan’s private jet that flew them directly to their destination.  Brinley just stared out the window the entire time, the diamond ring that had felt like a weight for so many years no longer on her left ring finger.  It should’ve felt like the biggest weight was lifted from her shoulders, so why did she constantly feel this dread looming over her?

“Everything is going to be fine, Brin, I’m going to keep you safe from that lunatic, no matter what.” Chris had whispered to her on the plane, taking her hand to squeeze it and all she could do was stare back at him with those haunted emerald eyes.

“I wish you would just tell me what’s going on, Christopher.  Please tell me you didn’t do anything too drastic…”

Oh he had and zero fucks were given because desperate times called for desperate measures.  The bottom line was there wasn’t a lot of places his sister could disappear to where Jon wouldn’t find her.  Chris had to think outside of the box quite a bit with this one, but once it came to him, there was no turning back.  Looking at his distraught, traumatized baby sister, even if she was 41, he had zero regrets about what he’d done and could only hope she complied with his plan to keep her safe.

~!~

Pacing back and forth, Chris had been in his hotel suite with a fifth of Jack Daniels in his hand, shaking from head to toe from how pissed off he was.  Brinley had just come to him and told him everything, dropping bomb after bomb about the trauma and abuse Jonathan Good had inflicted on his sister, his family.  He wanted to destroy the punk for it all, tear him limb from limb, but Chris also knew that wouldn’t solve the problem either.  No, Brinley had a plan to not only get even with her psychotic husband, but also leave him once and for all.

Each ring of the cell phone in his ear felt like an eternity apart and Chris closed his eyes as soon as he heard the rugged, deep voice of his old friend and mentor. “Deadman, it’s Jericho.  I really need to talk to you, got a minute?”

Mark pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering if by chance any of the rumors already circulating were true. He paid attention to the competition so to speak not only because it was smart to see what the ‘other side’ was doing but also, a lot of his friends had jumped the shark. He didn’t blame them, things had gone a little sideways time and time again but at his age, he wasn’t doing a damn thing but staying put where he was at. He was also from a different time, a relic of a different era, where loyalty meant something and regardless of what was happening now or had happened, the McMahons had been good to him, this company had been good to him. “Got plenty of minutes, baby,” he drawled that term of endearment playfully, hearing a soft chuckle from Chris, he was teasing his friend and his usage of the damn word on everyone, man or woman. “What’s goin’ on?”

Where the hell did Chris even start?  How much should he divulge to the Deadman about what was going on with his sister?  This was such a mess! Damn it Brinley, I can’t believe you suffered this long and didn’t come to me sooner! “My sister is in trouble, Mark.” The wrestling monikers had to be dropped because this was a serious situation involving his flesh and blood. “So much damn trouble and…I need your help.  I wouldn’t ask this if it wasn’t dire and you know that.  But I need to…fuck…” Mark ordered him to slow down and calm down, the concern obvious in the big man’s voice. “Brinley…do you remember her?  She was a producer in WWE a long time ago, back when you were there fulltime and…long story short, she’s in a really, REALLY bad marriage right now.  She wants out of it, the bastard is abusive and has hurt her…a lot.” Tears filled his eyes at the memory of how broken Brinley was while conveying to him everything Jon had put her through. “I have to protect her, she needs to stay somewhere safe where this psycho won’t find her…and I thought maybe you would have an idea where that could be.”

Did he remember Brinley? Did he remember the very sparse fling he had had with the younger woman? Did he remember those few, rare nights when they had come together in such a way that both Heaven and Hell probably took notice? Not at all. He murmured something about sort of remembering her in relation to Chris at an appropriate pause, not about to tell the big brother about the positions he had put baby sister in, how he had made her cry out for him. Wow, he was way too old to have those kind of thoughts but then again, maybe it was his age that made him look back at certain things that he had taken for granted and realize now just how important they had been. “I have a place.” He said without hesitation, masking the fact that his blood had started to simmer during the course of Chris’ teary, rambling confession of what had happened to his sister. It had started as a simmer and now it was just at the boiling point, one wrong word at this point would have set it off. “I have a guest house out on one of my properties,” he dabbled in real estate, it wasn’t a secret but it also wasn’t widely advertised. “The one I’m currently staying at, plenty of security on the property.” There was no hesitation in his offer, and he knew Chris would assume it was due to their friendship, which it was. Mostly.

Breathing a HUGE sigh of relief that Mark felt down to his bone marrow on the other line, Chris actually collapsed on the couch in his suite and scrubbed a hand down his face, willing the tears to stay in his eyes. “A guest house on your property, huh?” He nodded, trying to think if there was ANY reason Jon would make his way to Dallas, Texas, where Mark currently resided.  No, Chris could not think of a single reason why this wasn’t a good idea.  Now, if he knew the past history Brinley had with his mentor, Chris would’ve definitely changed his mind and gone a different route. “Thank you, Mark.  I mean it, you have no idea how much this means to me, to my family, man.  I’m…I’m making arrangements with my own family and our parents to get the fuck out of Florida for a while until all of this blows over and she’s divorced.  We’ll probably be coming out by you sometime in the middle of January because what Brinley has planned is going to be public and live on Dynamite.” Now a cruel smirk curved his lips, blue eyes icing over at the thought of what his sister wanted to do to Jon Good. “This is also one of the reasons she needs to hide because of what we’re going to do the prick on Dynamite.  If he knows what’s good for him, he’ll leave her the fuck alone once this all goes down, but something tells me the stubborn bastard won’t…”

Now most people wouldn’t think it of him, but he was very savvy when it came to technology. Truth be told, it came hand in hand with his side hobbies and passions, keeping up with technology and how it shaped the landscape, how it shaped consumerism and public opinion, stuff he sometimes paid attention too when he needed too. He was also appreciative of the fact that he could now have a massive security system spread throughout his various properties that blended in his with the natural scenery and didn’t ruin the view but gave him 365 access of his properties and who or what may be intruding. Perfect place for an old, sort of flame and friend to hide out from a psycho.

And, to be fair, if said psycho managed to slip all that technology, shotguns still held up to the test of time.

“Just how bad is he, Chris? Outisde of the rumors and shit.” Because he liked to know what he was up against. “She has a place with me, at this guest house, but still… lay it all on me.” He fell silent as Chris sort of explained just a fraction of the atrocities the man had committed, eyes widening with each word. He thought he had been bad, no… there was a different between him and flat out insane. “Jesus Christ… that poor woman…”

“Tell me about it.  I’m sure there’s more to it than what she told me tonight too.” Chris sounded heartbroken and frustrated that he hadn’t been able to do a damn thing for her.  Brinley had kept this all bottled up, all to herself, for over 6 goddamn years!  SIX YEARS!! “It’s going to take a very long time for her to get over what that bastard did to her…and I don’t even know if she can mend fully from it.  You know what she fucking told me after she poured her heart and confessed what he did to her?” He had to take a swig of Jack Daniels from his tumbler, gripping it tightly in his hand. “Despite everything Jon has done to me, I still love him and I would’ve gladly stayed with him if he hadn’t cheated on me.  My sister is NOT right in the fucking head to stay with a psychotic prick that DRIVES them both into the goddamn Atlantic Ocean to scare her into going back to him after she left his ass!  The ONLY reason she came clean to me is because he cheated on her and now she wants to make him pay for it.  And I’ll gladly help her do it, but I’m worried about the retaliation and that’s where you come in.  I trust you and I know you’ll do whatever it takes to protect her should the bastard somehow find her.  I really appreciate this and don’t worry about money, I got it all covered just tell me how much I owe you and it’s yours.” Anything to help Brinley escape Jon Good’s clutches at this point HAD to happen.

Throughout all of that, Mark had to wonder, why hadn’t Brinley reached out for help? Why hadn’t she said anything, to anyone? Why did she wait until it was almost too late? He immediately dismissed those thoughts. He was divorced now but he had learnt a thing or two from his younger ex-wife and those lessons had opened his eyes. Sometimes, it was just hard to leave your abuser, the isolation and fear factor was very real, along with the victim shaming. He supposed that line of thinking, why hadn’t she, fell in line with the shaming thing, sort of. It didn’t help. Also, it sounded like she had loved the guy in the end, until he broke that one rule.

Side thought, and he knew it was wrong of him, but if he had been Jon, he would have obeyed that one rule. The woman had caved to all his demands and fallen in line, all she had asked in return was one simple thing and the psycho hadn’t been able to do it. And people thought he, Mark, had an ego. No, not compared to that bullshit.

“Don’t you worry about money, I don’t need it,” and that was God’s honest truth, he was loaded thanks to wise financial decisions. “Let’s just get her safe and let everything else start falling in line. I’ve got your back, Chris,” because it sounded like Chris needed to hear that, hear that someone was going to help him carry this burden. He could only imagine the dark, tangled mess that was Brinley’s mind and heart right now, knowing better than most how badly love could fuck a person up. God didn’t he know it.

~!~

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are making our final descent into Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.  Please fasten your seatbelts and mind the slight turbulence we may experience on the landing.  Thank you for flying…” Brinley blinked when she heard that over the intercom, obeying the captain’s command and buckled up along with her brother, who STILL hadn’t told her where they were going.

“Some place safe where that bastard will never find you.”

Those were the only words Chris had told her and Brinley couldn’t imagine a place existed, heaving another sigh.  Chris heard that and took her hand, squeezing her fingers gently to let her know he was here for her and she was safe.  What was going through her mind right now?  What if Brinley balked at the idea of staying on Mark Calaway’s property for safety?  Closing his eyes, Chris could only hope once they arrived, she would listen for once in her life and trust in her brother to take care of her.  Their parents were beside themselves, already in hiding, along with Jessica and the kids…Chris wasn’t taking ANY chances when it came to his family.  They were currently in upstate New York and it was a property Jon had no idea about.  He could’ve taken Brinley there, but…something told him she didn’t need to be smothered to death by their parents at the moment, not after everything that happened.  Why he called Mark was beyond him, but Chris had made the plan and would not go back on it, no matter what.

Within an hour, they were out of the airport and slipping into a rental to head off to Mark’s residence.

“Will you please tell me where we’re going NOW, Christopher?  We’re in Dallas, Texas and I have no unearthly clue why…” Who the hell lived in Dallas, Texas that would keep her safe?  Did they know anyone personally that lived here?  She was confused, trying to wrack her brain on it and nothing was coming up.

“Just trust me with this, Brin, okay?  For once, TRUST IN ME to protect you and remember I’m doing this for you.”

“That’s not ominous at all.” She deadpanned, folding her arms in front of her chest tightly while staring out at the scenery flying by, leaning back against the headrest of the seat. “Fine…I deserve that, I suppose.  I should’ve trusted you from the beginning, so I guess this is my penance for not coming to you sooner, right?”

Chapter 2

To be fair, if Brinley wracked her mind, the information was all there.  She traded in information as a writer and had done it in WWE.  Then, she had taken those skills to AEW, even if scripts weren’t necessarily a thing like they had been in the other company.  She had still kept sharp and on her toes, knowing her fair share about a lot of people simply because it was her job to write stories about them.  Brinley knew of several people Chris did, in Texas, but in her current state of mind, with everything that happened, she wasn’t firing on all cylinders.

“It’s not a penance, I know why you did it, Brin.” Chris notified her quietly, not all gussied up and garishly dressed.  

He was muted today, his hair pulled back, the grays peeking in his hair and facial fuzz because he hadn’t bothered with any of that this week.  His vanity had taken a backseat for once.  Maybe Chris didn’t agree with why she had done it, but it didn’t matter anymore.

“Until we know it’s done and it’s over with him, I’m not risking a thing.  Not my family and not you.”

Looking back at her brother, Brinley’s heart shattered at the sheer worry on his face, even with the shades covering his blue eyes.  She could hear it in his voice, he was nervous and worried about her.  Her state of mind wasn’t in the greatest place at the moment, so she couldn’t blame him for that.  It wasn’t as if she wanted to go off and slit her wrists or end her life…no.  Jon had taken enough away from her and it was time to live the rest of her life, to find that happiness and true freedom now that she was away from Jon.

“All right, brother, whatever you think is best I’ll do and I won’t fight you on it.” 

The divorce proceedings were underway and Jon had already been served with the papers, but something told her it would be a fight on his end.  That was one of the main reasons Chris wanted her to hide out for a while in an undisclosed location until all of this blew over.  Brinley did not want to upset her brother any more than she already had, so whatever he wanted her to do, she would without any fuss.

A little over an hour later, Chris had pulled up to a black iron gate and input a code that Mark had given him before driving through once they swung open slowly.  State of the art security indeed, Brinley had no idea where they were, but one thing was certain, Jon would have a VERY hard time finding her wherever this was.  It never occurred to her that the black iron gates had the initials MC on them, though she was also running on fumes right now from sheer exhaustion and adrenaline.  There was no sleeping on the flight here and this car ride had caused her heart to start pounding vigorously in her chest. 

Where the hell had her brother brought her?

As much as it was about her, it was also about his family.  Jon had, and this was confirmed, set fire to their family home.  And that was IN his ‘right’ frame of mind, if such a thing could be claimed.  Given what he had done, and what he had purposefully waded into, made known, as much as Chris wished Jon would be smart and disappear to avoid any actual criminal scrutiny, he didn’t trust that wish.  Chris wasn’t risking his CHILDREN’S safety on a wish and a prayer.  Yet another reason Brinley couldn’t stay with him; Jon would come there first, or scout there, and if he knew Brinley was there, he’d wage war.  No, this was the best bet for everyone.  She and those kids alike.

“You figure it out yet?” Chris asked quietly, wishing he was still a smoker or something because he felt like fidgeting.  They had passed security and now it was like…nothing, just country setting and country buildings.  If not for the fact that he trusted Calaway, he wouldn’t have believed a goddamn word the country man had said because this place did NOT scream security once past that gate.

Speaking of the man, he had stepped out onto the massive wraparound porch that surrounded his ranch, dogs at his heels.  Massive dogs.

Chris shuddered.  He wasn’t a fan.  He did not care how old the Undertaker got, it was the Undertaker.  With dogs.  Huge dogs.

HE BROUGHT ME TO THE FUCKING UNDERTAKER?! Brinley was having a mental meltdown while her emerald eyes remained wide as saucers, not believing where they were.  More importantly, WHO they were with!  Christopher had brought her to Mark Calaway, of ALL people?! “I…” What the hell could she say at this point? 

Her brother asked, no begged, to trust in him and assured her this was safest place she could be at the moment.  What made him think for a second it was a good idea to leave her with one of her ex-lovers?!  Granted, they were nothing more than flings back in 2007, but that was beside the point!  To her knowledge, Chris had no idea about that happening and Brinley had an inkling Mark didn’t bother telling her big brother about those trysts between them either.

“Brinley, are you okay?” Chris snapped his fingers in her face, breaking her out of the temporary shock she’d fallen into. “Look, I know you weren’t expecting this, but…”

“Uh huh…”

“It won’t be forever, okay?  Just until we can get this divorce underway and taken care of, and that psychotic bastard out of your life forever…”

“Uh huh…”

Chris sighed heavily, putting the car in park and shut the ignition off. “Come on, let’s go greet him and then get your stuff out of the back.”

Silently, Brinley opened the door and stepped out of the car, swallowing past the lump that formed in her throat at the sight of Mark Calaway and his very large, beautiful dogs. “Bet we’re the last people you expected to find on your doorstep, eh, Taker?”

Mark had no interest in telling anyone about those flings because quite frankly, it wasn’t anyone’s business.  What happened between a consenting man and woman was between them, that was where it ended. “Maybe,” He replied after a long while, his dogs sitting nicely at his heels, where they would remain unless he flashed a hand signal.  

Mark took part in their training, but he had also paid a trainer, letting the professionals do their work whereas he had stepped in as needed to assert the owner aspect as it were.  He was arrogant, but not enough to assume that he knew better than others.  That was something he differed from Jon.  He was stubborn and set in his ways, to a point, but he knew when to shut the hell up and sit down.  There was always someone out there who knew more and he wasn’t so old or set in his ways, or arrogant enough, to think he was better or knew more.

“You know Brinley, right?  You two must have met once or twice…”

Sure, once or twice, but Mark stepped down anyway, hand outstretched to take hers. “Pleasure seeing you again, darlin’,” Nobody would think twice about that word, it was default for women with him; it was the inflection that mattered. “Sorry about the circumstances.”

Brinley knew this man very well, especially intimately, but that was a secret she planned on taking to the grave. “Good seeing you again, Taker.” Her small hand slid into his, shaking it gently and firmly before releasing it, two sets of emerald orbs staring into each other’s souls.  Or that was what it felt like to her.  How much had Chris told Mark about what happened with Jon?  Hopefully, not everything, but then again…her brother could be a huge blabbermouth when he wanted to be. “Thank you.”

Chris was busy getting her luggage out of the trunk of the car, which was two bags and then the bookbag on her shoulders at the moment. “You don’t look too worse for wear, Deadman.” He complimented, walking over after setting those bags on the ground by his sister to shake the man’s hand. “Thank you again for this.  I don’t know how we can ever repay you for the help.”

“So…” Brinley rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly, her eyes turning from Mark to her brother questioningly. “Am I staying here then?  This was what you didn’t want to tell me?”

“Not exactly…”

“You mind enlightening me then, Christopher?  I already told you I’m on board with whatever you want me to do…” Brinley was in so much trouble with her brother and family right now, but they weren’t ridiculing or berating her for her stupid life choices.  Not yet anyway.

“You’re staying here, but not HERE.” Chris directed his attention back to Mark. “I’ll let Mark explain what’s going on and where you’ll be staying.  I wanna see it too.” Chris still couldn’t believe how HUGE this place was.  There would be a time and a place for ridicule, hopefully many years down the road at Thanksgiving or something, when this would all be nothing except dust in their past.

“Gonna need to go on the ATVs.” Mark responded, having them prepared and waiting, gesturing a hand around the side of the porch.  

He had been expecting this, knowing he sure as hell wouldn’t leave his own kin alone for any longer than he had to in this situation.  Chris was a better man than he was, but then again, Chris still had children living at home.  Mark did not.  Maybe that was the difference.  The second he thought that, it was affirmed.  If ANY of his kids lived at home, this would be an entirely different scenario.  As it was…they didn’t and he was able to do things with a little more leeway.

“Brinley, if you’re okay with it, we’ll leave your stuff here and go on along the back.” In case she didn’t want to stay, her stuff would be ready to go right back to that car.  

Chris had asked his help and Mark agreed to it, but he would NOT force her to stay if she didn’t want too.

He wasn’t Jon.

Choices. 

She was being given choices and didn’t have to stay here if she didn’t want to.  Honestly, after everything Brinley put her family through, she would not go back on her word to her brother.  He wanted her to stay here for protection and she would obey, knowing it was for her own good. “I’m staying, no matter what.” Swallowing her pride would be difficult to do, but she could not get Chris’ words out of her head.  TRUST IN ME. “I trust my brother’s judgment and…it’s not like we’re complete strangers.” Granted, it had been YEARS since she last saw Mark Calaway, but that wouldn’t dissuade her decision either. “You asked me to trust you, Christopher, and I do.  If you truly believe this is where I’m safest right now from…from Jon,” It was hard to say his name, even after all the time of knowing what that bastard did to her. “Then I leave everything in your hands, so we might as well bring my stuff to wherever it is we’re going.”

Chris couldn’t help pulling his sister in his arms, hugging her close and cradled the back of her head gently, knowing that was incredibly difficult for her to say. “You ARE safe here, sis.  And I won’t let anything happen to you ever again, neither will Mark.”

Nodding, Brinley clutched onto him a moment or two longer than necessary and slowly pulled back, blinking tears out of her eyes. “Anyway, lead the way to the ATVs, please.”

Unlike Jon, who had forcibly seduced her more times than the psychopath cared to count, Mark prided himself on ALWAYS allowing a choice.  Even before it was a ‘thing’, a new type of consent deal that was touted across social media these days.  Men with genuine chivalry had existed way back when, they’d just remain quiet and relics of a forgotten age and he was fine with that.  He had never been one for the spotlight outside of his ring persona, it all ended there.

His private life was just that – private.

He guided them to the ATVs, not surprised at all when Brinley decided to take her own as opposed to riding with him or Chris, though she waited until he took lead.  Mark whistled once for his hounds before taking off after swinging a long leg over his own vehicle.  There was no set path to the cabin, which followed his first pasture before diving into the wooded lot his owned on this multi-hundred acre stretch of land.  He’d explain it all to her at a later date.

“Beautiful…” Brinley breathed out as soon as they came up on the cabin a few minutes later, barely able to see Mark’s house from where they were. 

It was an actual log cabin and she shut the key off on the ATV to slip off of it, the sun glinting off the redwood that had been used to make this structure.  Inside must’ve been just as breathtaking as the outside, Brinley didn’t have a doubt in her mind and she couldn’t help smiling a little.  Was this where she would be staying?  By herself?  Granted, at first she thought she’d be staying with Mark in his place, but the fact that she had her OWN place on his secure property…it truly meant the world to her.

Even Chris was impressed, letting out a low whistle and dismounted the ATV himself to stand beside his sister, nodding his head in approval. “You’ve outdone yourself, Mark.  This is really something.” However, he wouldn’t be the one living here temporarily, it was Brinley. “What do you think, sis?  Are you okay with this?”

More choices. 

It was so foreign to her.  Granted, Jon did give her SOME choices, not taking them all away, but the majority of them wound up being what he wanted anyway. “Of course it will, but…” Now her eyes turned to the man in charge, the one who owned this beautiful log cabin. “How much would you want to stay here, Mark?” There was no way he’d allow her to stay in here for free.  Brinley didn’t realize her brother had already spoken to Mark about that and blinked when Mark repeated what he’d said to Chris during that phone call. “But…god, are you sure that’s okay?  I mean, it’s not like I don’t have money and…I feel like it’s wrong to stay here for nothing…” Now her hands were wringing together, the nerves setting in a little more as the realization crashed over her and it showed in her emerald orbs.

Chapter 3

“Darlin, you planning on running up the electric bill or something?” That was a trick question because one of the things he had invested in was self-renewable energy. 

This cabin hadn’t been used it quite some time outside of him dusting it recently, and making sure it was guest ready.  It had a surplus of solar energy and other things to use.  Brinley wasn’t costing him a dime and instead, she was actually finally making his security earn its money he’d invested into it, truth be told.

“Don’t you worry about a damn thing here, Brinley.” Mark wanted to convey that with force, with a bit of what she knew of him, but he also wasn’t trying to make issues with her brother, who looked ready to go crawl somewhere and die.  That was new, Jericho never looked like this.  If Mark had been a bit younger, meaner, he would have snapped a picture. “I mean it.” He reassured again, when it looked like she was about to argue, his tone shifting into something that was serious and maybe a hint dark, not used to being debated with. “I’ll let you know if you’re an imposition.” She should know him well enough to know that and, even if Brinley didn’t, or if she was purposefully forgetting, it was there for everyone to read.

Just being here was an imposition, though Brinley didn’t say that aloud, not with the amount of authority in Mark’s voice.  There was a finality to it.  Shivers coursed down her spine at the tone of his voice and Brinley found herself nodding, much like she had back in 2007 when he approached her for those trysts they had.  That was one thing about Mark, he commanded respect and it was given because of the aura he exuded to others.  It was powerful and it cemented why he had been a locker room leader in WWE for so long, even though he was on his way out and on the verge of full retirement from professional wrestling.

“All right, I concede, Mark, and I really appreciate this.” One thing about Brinley was she knew when to throw in the towel, to surrender.  Being in her 40s, after everything she endured from Jon, had put a lot of things into perspective for her.

Chris was just grateful that his sister hadn’t fought this idea, breathing another silent sigh of relief, and watched Mark nod in return before heading up the steps to unlock the door to let them inside.

Needless to say, Brinley was instantly in love all over again the moment she stepped foot into the log cabin that would be her new, safe home for the foreseeable future.  It had a warmth to it that reminded her so much of her lost home in Tampa, the home she thought Jon burnt to the ground.  Naturally, there wasn’t a lot of décor due to it being vacant for so long, but it still held charm, regardless.  The colors were rich, deep neutrals, and there wasn’t dead animal heads on the walls either, thankfully.  Most log cabins had those, right?  Or maybe that was a stereotype for this type of housing.  The cabin was an open floor plan with the dining room on the right, kitchen on the left, and living room straight ahead. 

The wall had a huge 60” television screen mounted right over a fireplace that wasn’t on presently, the furniture consisting of two couches and two very comfortable chairs with a table in the center, all cherry oak.  Mark proceeded to give them the tour since he knew Chris had another flight to catch to head to New York, where the rest of his family was and Brinley followed, finally arriving at the master bedroom.  The log cabin itself had three bedrooms and Mark had shown her the two smaller ones before this one, which had its own master bathroom complete with garden tub and shower.  There was also a television in the master bedroom, unlike the others, which Brinley was grateful for since she did enjoy falling asleep watching television, especially being alone.

There would be a lot of lonely nights ahead of her now that she was on the verge of being divorced and had left her psychotic husband once and for all mere hours ago.

Most people, when they heard guest house, would assume something small.  Given his size, he never went with ‘small’, just because it had been his luck a time or two, he’d wind up sleeping here, or had.  He was divorced; there were no more nights out of his bed for him anymore. “All yours, darlin’.” He offered quietly, once the tour was over, noting the look on her face.  She visibly wore her gratitude and it was almost humbling, that in the myriad of things going on in her life, she was able to appreciate something like this. “For however long you need it to be.” Mark knew she was hoping it would not be long, not that he blamed her.

Half of him wanted Jon to show up here, just to feed him to the hounds.

Maybe she would treat Mark to a meal every so often as repayment for staying here.  That was always an option and Brinley also loved baking too.  Ever since she left AEW and had lived in Vegas on her own, while Jon was on the road, she had to find hobbies to occupy herself.  Baking was definitely one of them.  Granted, she wasn’t the best, but had never gotten any complaints…from Jon.  The more Brinley thought about it, the more she started realizing just how much she had alienated everyone around her. 

Her friends and family.

To protect them from him.  I had no choice. Complete surrender was the only way to ensure everyone she loved and cared about stayed safe. 

Why wasn’t that enough?  Jon had put her through so much hell and he had every piece of her as his…and it wasn’t enough because he had slept with all those other women behind her back.  Didn’t she make him happy and sexually satisfied in every way?  The countless lingerie, sex whenever he wanted it and she had initiated quite a bit of it herself.  Her sex drive was right on par with his, so she had plenty of stamina to give.  Give…that’s all she ever did when it came to Jon and all he ever did was take.  It wasn’t a give and take relationship and marriage at all.  Not only that, but Brinley was in her 40s and her body wasn’t anywhere near as taut and tight, fit, as it used to be, which she had been seriously contemplating changing…all for his sake.

“Brin, I gotta head out, sis.” Chris cut through her deep thoughts, seeing the different emotions splay across her face and once again pulled her against him for a tight embrace. “I’ll come visit you as often as I can…and I’ll be careful doing it.  I’ll call and text too.  If you need me for ANYTHING, and I mean ANYTHING, you call me, got it?”

Nodding, Brinley could hear the trepidation in her brother’s voice and pulled back to look up at him, tears already sliding down her cheeks. “I-I’m so sorry about all of this, brother.  I made a mess of everything and…I don’t even know how to begin fixing it…” All she could do was apologize profusely, soaking her brother’s shirt while gripping it in two fistfuls, her entire body shaking. “I just…I was trying to protect you all and…”

“Ssshhh…” Chris shared a look with Mark while holding her close, his eyes iced over and the acid had filled the big man’s at the words coming out of her mouth. “I know, Brin, I know, okay?  Mom and Dad aren’t mad and they’re just glad you’re safe and alive.  That’s all that matters is you’re still here with us.” That stunt Jon had pulled with driving them into the ocean for example could’ve killed her. I’m going to fucking kill him for doing this to her!  I’m going to make him regret ever laying eyes on my sister! “I love you, sister, and none of this is your fault.  It’s his and ONLY his, you got me?  Stop blaming yourself, please…” Before he ripped what was left of his heart out of his chest…Chris had been put through the wringer with this entire situation and hated the broken sobs escaping his sister currently. ‘He’s dead.’ Chris mouthed to Mark, watching the man nod in agreement and didn’t let Brinley go, wondering if leaving now was the right thing to do. “Do you want me to stay with you a few days until you get settled here?”

Brinley shook her head, aware Chris had to get back to Jessica and the kids, not to mention their parents. “I’ll be fine here.  Sorry, I just…I had to get that out and I’m okay now.” She murmured quietly, trying to convince both her brother and herself of that fact.  No, she was FAR from okay and wouldn’t be for a long time to come. “Get going, Christopher, I’m only a phone call, text, and plane ride away.”

Yeah only his fault, Jon would have died laughing.  That hysterical, maniac laughter that he’d get going into, rolling in a fit like a hyena.  Sure, he had scared her, but cutting everyone off, that was ALL Brinley and her choice.  He had gone OUT of his way to charm her parents; she had gone out of hers to alienate them.  Of course, that was the abuser’s mentality, blaming the victim for their poor choices.  Choices they felt like they had to make because there was no other recourse.

Jon was a cocksucker.

Mark nodded when Chris turned towards him, looking miserable. “I’ll ride back to the front with you.” He glanced down at Brinley. “I’ll come back when he’s gone and check in with you before getting out of your hair.” Probably not entirely true, but big brother was very close to having an aneurysm or something, and he wasn’t about to needle his friend into an early grave.

One final kiss on her forehead, Chris was out the door with Mark following, closing the door behind him to leave her in the solitude of silence.  Brinley walked over to the window, watching them hop on the ATVs and take off away from the log cabin back towards the mansion Mark lived by himself.  She had read about his divorce from Michelle online and had been shocked by it, wondering briefly what happened.  It was none of her business, of course, but since it was splattered all over social media for the world to see, it made her curious what caused the split.  Turning away from the window once they were out of sight, Brinley grabbed her luggage and wheeled it to the master bedroom before finally lowering onto the bed, staring at the floor.

The dam finally broke now that she was completely alone and Brinley never cried so hard in her life, her entire body trembling from head to toe.  Did it actually happen?  Was she finally free from that monster?  Was her family finally safe from his wrath and wicked ways?  Everything they had gone through, all from staying by his side on his deathbed, to losing their two babies, to nearly being killed by being driven into the ocean on purpose, her parents carbon monoxide poisoning…Brinley gritted her teeth as the hot tears poured down her cheeks like two rapid streams.  Granted, she had broken completely down upon discovering Jon had been cheating on her with all those different women.  It was much worse than what she was doing now; she had screamed until her voice gave out and her heart had grown cold, the walls around it pure iron.

Still, playing the part of good, obedient wife hadn’t been easy and she nearly caved when Jon asked her to try again.  To try for another baby.  Brinley had nearly called the entire plan off with her brother, wanting nothing more than to just forget everything Jon had put her through and be happy with him.  However, every time she had sex with him, all she could picture was him with those other women she’d found in his phone, in all those positions…and as he fucked her, the hatred for him had grown stronger and stronger. 

Thank the stars she had found out about the placebos he tried giving her and Brinley had made the secret appointment to get the birth control shot instantly, along with STD testing to make sure she didn’t have any nasty diseases.  What was worse was the fact when he came home from the road, prior to getting the luxury bus to travel in, Brinley had to constantly get herself tested since cutting Jon off from sex wasn’t an option.  Every time he stuck his dick inside of her, she worried about contracting some vicious disease that wouldn’t be curable.

“I hate you so much, Jon.  I hate you so much for doing this to me…all I ever did was love you and gave you exactly what you wanted.  Why wasn’t I enough for you?” Brinley whispered to the silence of the room, clenching her fists tightly on her lap, and ignored the droplets splashing against her skin from the unstoppable tears. “I won’t let you win.  I won’t let you take my happiness away forever.” First, she had to heal and in order to do that, letting out the hurt and pain had to happen. 

Everything would get worse before better, but there was finally a light at the end of this never-ending dark tunnel her life had been stuck in for the past 6 years.

Mark’s last divorce had been the most amicable out of them all, which was good because at his age, he was tired of fighting women over stupid things.  Or over stuff he had busted his backside to obtain.  Not that they were going to go out for coffee just because or anything, but they were on decent terms.  Once Chris had been seen off, he put away the extra ATV, knowing the third would stay with Brinley out at that cabin, which had a shed attached to it just to park the vehicle.

Brinley.

She had been his fling for that year and it had been casual sex, but they had also remained on good terms.  Mark had the utmost respect for her then and he still did, though he was now concerned that this situation would either make or break her.  She’d either come out of it a shell of her former shelf or with an iron spine and a will of solid steel.

Sighing, he rubbed his aching backside before mounting again, heading back to her.   They’d go over some stuff real quick and call it a night.  Right?

Except after knocking and waiting for her to answer the door, the sight of the tears she was still shedding broke his heart and all Mark wanted to do was hold her.

Chapter 4

Iron will. 

She had survived way too much and come this far to simply throw in the towel.  Jon had done everything in his power to break her, but now it was time to piece herself back together.  Her head snapped up upon hearing not only the front door open to the cabin, but the deliberate footsteps of the only man who was capable of having a presence like him.  Bloodshot, watery emerald orbs looked up from the floor to meet concerned jade and Brinley took a deep, shaky breath, forcing herself to stand from the bed.

“Is Christopher gone?” Mark nodded and she did the same before heading into the bathroom, after raising her finger in a one second gesture. Damn it, I don’t want anyone to see me breaking down over that piece of shit! A few splashes of cold water on her face did almost nothing for her blotchy complexion, but there was nothing to do be done about that.  It was obvious Mark wanted to talk to her about something and Brinley stepped out of the bathroom, following him into the living room. “I’ll admit, I didn’t expect to run into you again quite like this, Mark.” Not in her wildest dreams. “How’ve you been?”

If she didn’t have tears to cry or little breakdowns, Mark would have been worried.  It was a human reaction, a natural one, and a lack of those things would have been cause for concern.  Such as a potential psychotic break or something similar, and he wasn’t equipped to deal with that here, or just mentally, though he’d probably give it a good try for her. “Better than you, darlin’,” There was no right answer really to that question and he sighed, running a hand over the top of his head. “I’m not going to ask you, Brinley,” At this point, it would be redundant. “I figured if you had any questions, I’d try to answer them, while showing you the smaller things you may have missed.” Such as a stocked pantry, the closet full of feminine sorts in the bathroom, things like that.

She smiled at him softly, her guard down for the moment, and hearing that he wouldn’t question her about Jon made relief course through her body.  It would’ve taken a very long time to tell him absolutely everything that unfolded between her and Jon.  Truth be told, when those dressing room rendezvous started happening, the first time only since Jon and Mark had very different body builds, Brinley thought it might’ve been Mark.  He had been off the road though, only coming back for special appearances at that point and after the first encounter with Jon, she knew instantly it hadn’t been Mark she had sex with.  Not only that, but she vividly could remember how Mark was in the bedroom and the man blew past all expectations, whereas her secret lover had a certain intensity Mark didn’t…or rather Jon hadn’t been nearly as intense as Mark.

“I’m probably going to want to work the fireplace at some point.” She admitted, gesturing to it and Mark nodded, grabbing one of the remotes from the coffee table to show her how to turn it on and off.  Right now, it was chilly in Texas due to it being in the middle of January. “I haven’t really looked around a lot, so are there other things I should know about this place?”

With him, she didn’t need to have her guard up.  Mark wasn’t trying to hurt her in any way; he wasn’t out to bed her in her current state and situation either. “Most everything has a remote, it’s not a classic type of cabin.” He admitted with a slight shrug.  Everything was now smart technology and, while he had always thought he’d be for the old school way of doing things, set in his ways, he had embraced technology because it made life so much easier.  Most of the time. “Here,” He led the way to a control panel, which included a small built-in monitor. “Cameras around the area and in the cabin,” If Brinley got paranoid, she could check as much as she wanted. “I won’t lie, I also have access to the same views you do, but I won’t use them.  Not unless I absolutely need to.”

The monitor staring back at her kept flipping from one screen to the next every few seconds, including the inside of the cabin.  Every room except the bathroom had a camera in it and Brinley should’ve immediately balked at the thought of being watched.  However, this was for her safety and security because there was always that slim chance Jon would find her here.

“This makes me feel better, believe it or not.” Her eyes peered up at Mark, that smile never leaving her face. “I trust you, Mark.  I don’t have anything to worry about when it comes to you.” Unlike Jon, she didn’t feel the danger exuding from him, not even back in 2007 when Mark was in tip-top shape and in the best condition of his life.  Then again, the man didn’t look bad at all for 55 years old and Brinley hoped she looked half as good as him at that age when the time came. “Feel free to come see me whenever the mood strikes you too.  I wouldn’t mind the company from an old friend.” In other words, Mark didn’t have to stay away or think she needed space and time to herself.  Some was fine, great even, but constant isolation would just make Brinley dive further into despair and she refused to do that.

“You can text or call, and if you press this button,” Mark showed her on the screen. “It’ll send an alert straight to my phone.  I’ve got the information for you to add the app to your own cell, so you can have that monitoring everywhere on the property.” He’d visit her, Mark knew better than to allow her to have too much time to dwell on things because it’d probably shred her otherwise. “Come on, darlin’,” Leading the way to the kitchen, he reached out to wrap his arm around her when she looked like she might start crying again, pulling her into his side. “I know you’re scared, Brinley, but I’ve got you, okay?  Nobody but us,” Them and her brother. “Know where you are and he can’t drag this out.”

Nodding, Brinley swallowed thickly and fought the tears that were burning her eyes, soaking in as much of Mark’s warmth as she could. “I did this.  I caused this chaos not only for my family, but now you too.” She had no idea what would possess Chris to call up Mark Calaway to ask for his assistance with keeping Jon at bay, of all people, but Brinley was thankful.  All the monitoring on this property would no doubt come in handy and be a lifesaver in the days to come. “I never meant for this to happen and escalate as much as it did.  I should’ve fought harder and gone to Christopher A LOT sooner than I did.  I can spout all the bullshit I want about Jon manipulating me and threatening me and my family, but there were ways out.  I just didn’t bother looking for them because, after he poisoned our parents with carbon monoxide fumes, I lost all my fight and just surrendered to whatever he wanted, and I truly believed I was doing the right thing by simply giving him all of me.  And it wasn’t enough in the end.  I’m so stupid and I should’ve known better.  Not all the blame can go on him; Christopher was wrong when he said that.  A huge chunk of the blame has to be on me because of my cowardice.  And it probably seems trivial to finally grow a damn spine and leave his ass high and dry all because he cheated on me, huh?  Never mind everything else he did to me, but my breaking point was cheating.  It’s pathetic, isn’t it?”

“No,” The reason being she had gone into survival mode for her family and Jon had proven that he wasn’t afraid to commit a murder to get his way.  He had tried, or at least made it look like he had.  Hadn’t Chris said he had driven himself and Brinley off a pier into the ocean or something like that? “It’s not pathetic and you can’t let yourself fall into shaming and blaming yourself, Brinley, because then he’s won half the battle without even trying.” Mark was aware it was easier said than done, but she needed to hear it anyway, and she’d probably hear it repeatedly while being here. “And you don’t have to fight this alone, we’re here…you’re not the one who dragged me into this.” Her brother had.

Yes, yes Chris had told him that unbelievable story and he STILL didn’t understand why Brinley hadn’t come to him sooner with all of this.

“Oh Mark…” Despite what was going on, that brought a small smile to her face and she nodded, knowing deep down he was right in everything he said. “Thank you for…for not judging me.  And I won’t let him win.” Now the determination was back in her voice and flashed through her emerald eyes, refusing to let Jon break her down. “I promise I will try not to blame and shame myself from here on out.” What Brinley needed right now, more than ever, was someone on her side, a true friend, who would listen to her bitch, moan, and complain.  For so long, she had alienated herself from everyone until she only had Jon to rely on, to converse with, and when she was in Vegas by herself, the loneliness was palpable. “I just realized I’m going to need to start looking for a job because I want absolutely nothing from that prick from the divorce, whenever it goes through.” It would, she would see to it, no matter what. “An at home job since I know Chris wants me to hide out here until everything blows over with that lunatic.”

This woman was going to give him whiplash. “You sure you want to do that?  A background or credit check could pop you at this address if you’re employed.”

Sadly, any dickhead could pay for that information, as long as they knew enough of one’s personal information and Jon had hers, there wasn’t a doubt in his mind.  He moved over towards the living room, dropping down on one of the massive couches.  Whether he was staying here or not, when Mark had something built that was technically for himself, it was with his size and weight in mind, meaning it was a sturdy piece of furniture.

“What happened to your money?  I know you didn’t blow through everything from your job with AEW.” Not unless her husband had access to it or something.

“No, I have money and a nest egg to live on for a while, but…it won’t last forever and I don’t want to dwindle it too much.”

Brinley had to look towards the future because she was coming up on the second half of her life and she wanted to enjoy it.  One day, she would leave here and have to start her life over, which meant buying another house and paying her own bills.  Sponging off Mark for the rest of her days wasn’t an option.  Walking over, she sat next to him on the couch and folded her hands in her lap, looking thoughtful.

“I do have some investments as well that not even Jon knows about, so that’ll help too.  I just wish I could find a job that…and I hate saying it this way, but a job that pays me under the table would be perfect for my situation right now.  I don’t think I’ll be able to find something like that though and using a false name is against the law, so that’s not an option either.”

“Getting paid under the table is also against the law.” Mark informed her, though there was no judgment in it.  He was too busy thinking and, honestly, he had done some shady things in his younger years.  Nothing totally psychotic like her husband, but his hands weren’t exactly pristine either. “I’ll see what I can dig up to help you, darlin’.  I’m sure we’ll find something.” He employed a small workforce, all following the work-from-home model, which was saving him a lot of money in regard to office space and all the headache that came from that.  She looked almost overwhelmed and he felt his heart ache for her. “One step at a time, Brinley, you don’t have to rush everything just now.” She had just literally gone into hiding and was already thinking about money; the woman was a different breed entirely.

One step at a time…Brinley had to keep that in mind and took a deep breath, knowing everything would take time.  She didn’t realize just how right she was in that statement with what the country was about to endure.  A pandemic unlike any they’d ever seen was about to turn everybody’s worlds upside down.  However, neither her nor Mark knew about that yet, even though it was on the horizon and the announcement would be made in the coming days before January ended.

“I think I’m going to take a shower and then unpack my things.  Maybe take a nap.”

It had been a very, VERY long day and Brinley was finally starting to feel the effects now that she was in a safe haven.  The sun was setting on the horizon and nightfall would come soon enough, even though it was just a little after 3 PM at the moment.  It was too early to go to bed, but Brinley let out a loud yawn and stretched her arms in the air, feeling as if the biggest weight was finally lifted from her shoulders.  Nodding, Mark pushed himself up, figuring now was a good time to head home and fix himself something to eat, along with feeding his mutts.

“If you need anything, you can call or text, anytime.” Mark wanted her to know he was available.  It would be a little odd since he had enjoyed not being tethered to his cell after his semi-retirement, but this was important and he was taking her safety seriously. “Or use the security panel.” He imagined she was exhausted because today had been mentally draining for her.  Brinley looked like she was ready to call it a night. “You going to be okay out here?” The implied by yourself hung there in the air between them.

“I’m gonna have to be.”

Chapter 5

All Brinley could do was stare at the television screen with wide eyes a few days later, covering her mouth with her hand.  The president of the United States, Donald Trump, had declared a national emergency and they had a pandemic on their hands regarding a deadly virus called Covid-19.  People were wearing facial masks to protect themselves whenever going out in public and the stores were in chaos, being bought out by the truck loads.  Chris had called to tell her that, due to the pandemic, AEW was shut down for the time being and even WWE did too.  That surprised the hell out of her considering it was WrestleMania season and everybody was probably scrambling trying to figure out what to do.  He also informed her that the divorce proceedings would have to be put on hold until further notice due to the national emergency.

“Sis, I know you haven’t been watching AEW lately, but there’s something you gotta know.  Something I did…and I don’t regret doing it.”

Brinley was in the process of folding her laundry, trying to wrap her head around this while the news played in the background about the pandemic, which was spreading like wildfire throughout the nation. “What do you mean, Christopher?”

Chris rubbed the back of his neck, cracking open a cold beer and had already told Mark what he planned on doing to the son of a bitch that hurt his sister. “I jumped script and took one of Jon’s eyes out with a spike on my jacket.  And if you hate me for it, so be it, but that assclown had to pay for what he did to you, Brinley.”

One of Jon’s eyes were gone? “W-What do you mean?  You STABBED him in the eye on national television?!  Christopher, how could you do something like that?!  Do you realize you could go to jail for assault?!”

She couldn’t see it, but Chris had a shit eaten grin on his face that did not quite match the ice in his eyes. “Don’t worry about that.  Tony covered for me and…accidents happen, sis.” That was the official story was it was an accident, even though Chris meant to do it intentionally. “Do you hate me?”

Blowing out a large breath, after sucking it in through her nose, Brinley shook her head and had to sit down on the couch. “No, of course not, but…don’t do anything else to him, okay?  Promise me, Christopher!  I don’t want anything to happen to you and Jon is psychotic, capable of ANYTHING.”

“Don’t worry, Brin, I covered my bases and only a select number of people, now including you, know what really happened that night on Dynamite.  Now, let’s talk about something else.”

“Fine.”

Chris made sure that Mark had footage to see what happened and Mark had to applaud the other man; that was brutal and he approved.  He couldn’t begin to imagine the satisfaction Chris had felt doing that on national television, AND getting away with it, no less.  That had sort of taken a backburner when this pandemic had hit, however.  Everything shut down, absolutely everything.  Hospitals except for serious emergencies and Covid patients, all closed down.  Travel bans were in place.  Courthouses…closed until further notice.  Mark never thought he’d live to see something like this, his eyes wide while watching the news as everything unfolded.

Currently, Chris was trying to think about what to talk about besides Jon with his sister.  He knew she had been looking for a job, but with the entire world basically shut down, that was going to take a backseat too. “I’m not sure how this travel ban is going to work long term, but until we know more, there’s not going to be much visiting, sis.” It sucked because with all this downtime…it would have been to go see hers since she was probably getting lonely.

Mark wasn’t exactly the best company.

Also, the Deadman had a lot going on regarding WWE and his real-estate agency, amongst other things.  Brinley didn’t bother him, keeping to herself and didn’t mind the tranquility too much. “It’s okay, I’m fine here.”

At first, Brinley thought she’d feel incredibly lonely, like she did whenever Jon left her in Vegas to go on the road to wrestle.  However, now that she had left the psycho and wasn’t worried about catering to him all the time, it felt nice to just…be.  To do whatever she wanted whether that was reading a book, watching a movie, baking, taking a nice soothing hot bath with the fireplace in the wall – that was definitely something she hadn’t expected her first time experiencing the garden tub here – going for a walk on the premises, whatever she wanted to do.  Mark hadn’t come to see her since the day of her arrival and Brinley didn’t bother him since she had everything she needed here for the moment.

“I’m really sorry, sis.  I know I promised to be there for you and visit…”

“You also didn’t see a pandemic on a national scale fucking that up either, brother.  Don’t worry about it, I told you I’m FINE.”

If not for the fact that this had originated from outside the country, Chris would have probably tried racking this pandemic up to Jon just trying to screw their lives up more.  At this point, he wouldn’t put nothing past the man.  He had a detective eyeballing Jon, trying to dig up dirt or something to expediate the now postponed divorce proceedings, but Covid had jacked that and turned it sideways.

“You sure you’re fine there?” He couldn’t help it, hearing what she said, but needing to know she was telling him the absolute truth.  

Chris was aware about the cameras and security system because Mark had been honest with him about it.  Mark hadn’t said much one way or another about whether he had seen anything worrisome either, which in turn made Chris wary.  The reason being Mark had done what he said and turned off the cameras to the house; there were other security measures in place that would alert him if need be.  He wasn’t try to invade the woman’s privacy.  Though he was on his way to invade her space today, not wanting to leave her isolated too long and…he needed a distraction from what was going on with the world.

“Yes, believe me if anything was going on, I would tell you.” There are just some things you don’t need to know, brother. Brinley smiled at the worry in her brother’s voice, not wanting him to worry about her so much. 

It was easier said than done and she refused to tell him she had cried herself to sleep on an almost nightly basis.  Then there were the nightmares that plagued her too.  Nightmares of Jon finding her, raping and murdering her, mostly.  There were a few here and there where her dead children haunted her as well, but it was mostly Jon.  Chris didn’t need to know anything about that or the inner hell and turmoil she was suffering at the moment.  Brinley wasn’t on any of her pills either for anxiety or depression either, having detoxed the moment her and Jon tried having a baby, only to lose it anyway.

“I like it here.  It’s peaceful and Jon-free, what’s not to like?”

As far as he was concerned, Brinley had spent YEARS hiding things from him, so now he was entitled to worry all he wanted.  Chris was, in fact, catching up on YEARS of worrying.  He had known something was up and he had been right.  He hated being right sometimes.

“I don’t know, it’s Texas…what’s there TO like?” Chris was all for sunshine states, but give him some humidity and luxurious beaches.  Texas had…cows, lots of cows, and it was a dry, gross heat. “I know you’re stuck on the property, but are you getting out of the house at all?” Being cooped up was not good for her.

“Yeah, I go for a walk at least once a day to get some fresh air unless it’s bad weather.” Texas did have rain in January, which wasn’t uncommon since they were in the south. “Mark has a really nice place here and a LOT of land.”

Way too much for a divorced man that was by himself, that was for sure.  Though, his kids did visit and Brinley noticed the backyard had a pool with a playground and a trampoline with a net around it.  The only reason she knew about that was due to the security system and she’d noticed it on one of the monitors that flashed to the backyard for a few seconds.  Brinley had finally shut them off and only monitored around the log cabin, not wanting to invade Mark’s privacy the same way he didn’t want to with her.

“I really like Texas.  When all is said and done with the divorce, and Jon stops his bullshit, I might consider moving here for my new beginning.”

“To Texas?” For the life of him, Chris could not keep the disbelief out of his tone. “Why?” There was literally nothing interesting there.  At least Vegas had some things going for it, even if it was a weird cesspool during the day, but sinful magic at night. “Actually, don’t answer that,” He clicked his tongue and then cleared his throat. “Jess and the kids are coming back.” Since they weren’t allowed to go anywhere, they had taken to short strolls, doing the social distancing, but still went outside for fresh air.  He was glad they had a little property or they’d go stir crazy from being cooped up inside. “I love you and I’ll call soon, okay?”

The rumbling of an ATV could be heard, even by him.

“Mark there?  Tell the old prick I said hello.”

“Christopher, oh my god!  Don’t call him that!” Brinley hissed, not believing how disrespectful her brother could be at times and Chris laughed on his way off the phone. 

Shaking her head, she set her phone on the coffee table and started folding her laundry again, the screen door open.  She was letting some fresh air in since it had rained earlier that morning and Brinley enjoyed the smell of it.  Currently, Brinley had her honey blonde tresses up in a messy bun on top of her head to keep it off her neck and a baby pink spaghetti strapped tank top on with tan capris.  It was in the low 60’s in Dallas and hot flashes had been kicking her backside lately with pre-menopause, which was another thing Brinley had to come to terms with.  Her chance to become a mother had been stolen from her twice and she had mourned the fact she would never be one, not at her age.

“Come on in, Mark!” She called out over her shoulder while continuing to fold her clothes and flashed him a smile as soon as he entered. “What’s up?”

That was not the worst thing Chris had called him, and Mark would have taken it good-naturedly and returned it with an insult of his own.  They had been friends for a long time, some things were perfectly acceptable, insults included. “Figured I’d come see how you’re doin’.” He’d given her time to adjust to the area, her new lodging, and honestly, with this pandemic happening, he had gotten seriously sidetracked, much like the rest of the world, he supposed.  It was a weird time to be living in. “I’m putting in a grocery order,” It was going to cost him an arm and a leg, but Mark wasn’t going into any town or city and risking those crazy lines since stores were now limiting how many people were allowed inside at a time. “And I wanted to know what you needed to put on it, darlin’.” Eyeballing around them, he took note of the small changes she had made, most likely for her own comfort and he approved.  

Mark wanted her to be comfortable here.

These were indeed crazy times and she never thought they would have to do something like having groceries delivered. “Oh really?  Okay, let me get some paper and a pen and I can give you some money too.”

She had a wad of cash that she had stashed in Vegas and started doing it right after discovering Jon’s cheating.  It was her emergency fund stash and she started heading for the kitchen, when a huge hand planted on her shoulder to stop her.  It wasn’t hard, but firm and Brinley looked up from the hand all the way to meet jade eyes.

“Come on, I know you said I didn’t have anything to worry about regarding the utilities and stuff here, but…do you really wanna pay for my…personal items that I should be buying myself?” Tampons, for example, which had to go on the list because she was LOW on them, along with pads, just in case she didn’t feel like wearing tampons during her monthly one month.

Mark began laughing because she had paused right before saying ‘personal items’, as if wording it delicately was going to be…who knew?  He knew that it was a stereotype that tended to be true about most men being squeamish about periods, but he had daughters and had been married more times than he probably should’ve.  He had no fucks to give and no embarrassment about a woman’s period or anything associated with it.

“Brin, darlin’, I’m sure you noticed there were a few types of pads and tampons, and different pain meds,” Some women liked Pamprin, some Midol, and some just preferred regular aspirin or Advil. “And all that good stuff.  I’m too old to be shy about something that’s just life.  Besides, I keep that shit in every house.” Because he entertained friends and family on occasion, let people crash over, and again…he had girls.

“Right…I get that, I do.  And I noticed and thank you, but I use a specific brand, or rather I prefer a certain brand of tampons and pads and they can be kinda pricey, so…” Also, she didn’t use Pamprin and Midol, preferring Advil Liquid Gels because it worked a hell of a lot better than that crap. “Are you sure you don’t want any money for my list of items?” Mark firmly shook his head and she had to accept it, not having a choice. This man is something else.  He won’t let me pay for a damn thing!  Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned needing to find a job. “All right, fine, you win.”

Brinley started jotting a few things down, tapping the pen on her chin and then nodded before adding a few more.  Mostly baking items were needed since she was blowing through the ingredients with all the baking she’d done.  Having extra wouldn’t hurt, especially since she didn’t know when they would be able to get groceries again.

I’ll have to cut back a bit, but that’s okay. “Oh, I wanted to ask you if I could possibly buy a treadmill and put it in here somewhere.” Brinley had to stay in shape with all these baked goods and fatty foods she’d been ingesting over the past week since coming here.

Chapter 6

Now, maybe he hadn’t been visiting her since she had come to stay, but Mark was very aware that she took daily walks, simply because it triggered the silent motion sensor alarm every time she did.  Brinley didn’t look out of shape or anything, not that he was about to stare at each curve, pretty sure he was familiar with a few of them.  However, if she was anything like him, staying in shape was a habit, one he definitely tried maintaining because the body did not bounce back in a person’s 50s like it did in their 30s.  He had learned that the hard way.

“We can…but I have a gym you can use, if you want.” Mark had one in the basement beneath his mansion, only it wasn’t a typical basement, it was properly furnished and done, no cement walls or grunginess. “Want to come check it out?  And then you can go over the list I already got, add your stuff, and we can send it out.  It’s all digital anyway.”

Her eyes lit up upon hearing that, excitement actually exuding from her.  Why was Brinley surprised that Mark had his own gym?  That house was huge, so of course he would have something like that! “Yeah, let’s do it.”

Mark looked to be in amazing shape and now she knew why.  There was no way this man would go out to a gym every day when he could have anything he needed right in his house.  What DIDN’T Mark have at this point?  Brinley hadn’t stepped foot in his house, having come straight here upon arrival, so something told her Mark was about to give her the grand tour of Casa Calaway.

“Let me grab a hoodie really fast since I know it’s a little chilly outside.” It would be on an ATV, especially. “Gotta get the ATV out too unless I can just ride behind you?  Either way is fine with me.”

Frankly, Mark had moods.  Sometimes he liked to travel, but as of late, he was a homebody and as long as he had everything he needed at home…he didn’t have to go out.  Not that he could right now anyway.  Mark didn’t have the heart to inform her that if she was freaking out about groceries and paying for those, she’d lose her mind if she seen the prices online for a bunch of items.  He had heard from a friend that a lot of things were going up, which was price gouging at its finest.  A treadmill would cost ten times more than it should’ve, he’d bet any amount of money on it.

“You can ride with me.  I promise to bring you back, eventually.” He teased, wondering if maybe she’d stay for dinner, get her out of that cabin for a bit and he wouldn’t mind the company either.

“Can I be honest with you about something?” Brinley had slipped her hoodie on and zipped it up, slipping on her tennis shoes before grabbing her cell phone from the coffee table, slipping it in her pocket and zipping it up. “I don’t feel comfortable riding the ATV by myself.  I was so afraid I’d lose control when we rode it out here and that’s why I haven’t really been going near your house or anything.  Oh!  I have some baked goods I made yesterday and I wanted to give them to you.  Hang tight!” Running back into the house, Brinley grabbed the container of cookies and brownies she’d made before coming back outside. “If you’ve got a golf cart or something like that, it’d be better for me than the ATV, or maybe you can show me how to properly ride it sometime?  I just don’t wanna crash into a tree out here.” That made both of them chuckle together.

It was a bit surprising that Brinley didn’t know how to drive an ATV.  Didn’t she go out in the rocks with Jon?  He could remember hearing something about that idiot babbling on about the Red Rocks or something when he worked in WWE.  Or maybe it was on a podcast.  Either way, he just nodded, guiding the way towards the waiting ATV with the goodies in his hand.

“Never rode a four-wheeler or anythin’ growing up?” Mark asked curiously, because it was almost the same thing and cocked a brow at her head shake. “I’ll have to teach you because the golf cart is in storage.” It was something he used at his place in Florida, not here as a general rule. “Here.” Mounting first before gesturing her to get on, admittedly, he wasn’t opposed to having her arms wrapped around him.

“We had golf carts and didn’t live on a huge stretch of land like you do, so there was no reason for ATVs in Florida…or Vegas.” Brinley explained quickly before he fired up the ATV, her arms instantly tightening around him as Mark took off away from the log cabin towards his place. 

The wind whipping over her was exhilarating and another thing she’d never done was ride on a motorcycle.  Now she knew Mark had quite the collection and they were all very beautiful bikes.  Resting her cheek against his broad back, Brinley could already feel herself relax against him and couldn’t recall a time she was nervous around Mark.  So many people were in the WWE, but Brinley always treated him with the utmost respect, even when they slept together during their flings.  It didn’t take long to make it back to Mark’s place and Brinley released him before he helped her off the ATV, both heading inside with the big man leading the way.

Oh wow…

Mark wouldn’t lie, it was nice having her clinging to him.  That was just the man in him enjoying a fine woman’s touch.  If Brinley wasn’t here for such vile reasons, and her mental health potentially precarious enough, he might have gone a little faster or something, just to get her to hold on tighter.  This was how he knew he was getting old because, back in the day, there wouldn’t have even been a second thought about it.  He would have just done it as soon as that thought had flickered through his mind.  If Brinley thought the cabin she was staying in was something, this was ten times that because he LIVED here.

“Gym is this way.” He stopped when he realized she wasn’t following, instead looking around and cracked a smile. “Unless you want the tour?”

“You know, I thought this place was huge from the outside, but it’s nothing compared to the inside.” It had a very rustic, homey vibe to it that made her instantly relaxed. “I wouldn’t mind if you showed me around.  The gym’s not going anywhere.” The way Mark smiled at her did something to her insides, turning them to mush and Brinley mentally slapped herself as hard as she could, refusing to go down that road. Don’t even start with that shit.  He’s not interested and neither are you.

After admiring the spiral staircase in the middle of the foyer, Mark took a left and they were in a huge open living room that had brown furniture, the colors a very rich brown and red ambiance.  Again, rustic, and Brinley followed him into the kitchen next, where Mark set the containers of goodies on the counter before showing her the dining room.  It lead to where the deck was for the pool, which was covered at the moment, along with the backyard that she’d seen on the monitor.  Kids, Mark had kids, and Brinley could already tell what a fantastic father he was, even if he was divorced three times in life.

He was a fantastic father NOW, but in his younger days, when things had been different in the wrestling world, he had not been the best.  Mark was very fortunate that he was able to amend for some of that with his oldest child, his boy.  His girls, they had gotten the best of him for the most part.  However, that was neither here nor there at the moment, and he then led her to the other side of the house.  There was an office, a recreation room, or a rumpus room as he called it, to the chagrin of his children, who found it to be a weird term.  The best part was everything was designed with his size in mind.  There was no squeezing through doors or smacking his head on ceilings, it was fantastic.

“That’s my room.” He pointed out once they were upstairs, the door wide open so she could see in there.  

One of his lazy mutts was dozing on his bed.

Brinley smiled at the dog, having seen the other two walking around as well and they were beautiful creatures.  One reminded her of Blue, only he was pure black with bright blue eyes.  A little twinge pierced her heart and quickly vanished, almost as if reminding her she had abandoned that poor animal to the likes of Jon.  Then again, Jon loved Blue and would never do anything to harm him since that was his baby boy.  Jon treated him like a king unlike his own wife, who was nothing more than a sex slave to him. 

Memories sucked sometimes and Brinley continued on with the tour, keeping a smile on her face.

“This really is a magnificent house, Mark.  Did you have this built or did you manage to find it?” She wasn’t surprised when he informed her it had been built from the ground up and he helped with the design of it, made sure everything was custom to his liking because of his sheer size. 

Mark was not a small man, standing at 6’10 and weighing close to 300 pounds, though it looked like he’d slimmed down quite a bit.

“There really aren’t houses built like this, not in terms of development companies and shit.  It’s most often done by buyer request.” Companies dealt with cookie cutter design, popping them out and getting them filled by the general population.  The general population wasn’t freakishly tall and big like him. “And places that were more my size are usually ugly as hell.” They were giant, weirdly shaped mansions with horrible landscaping.  Mark didn’t mind all that space, but he wasn’t doing marble either since he wasn’t a Kardashian. “Furniture too, cost me an arm and a leg, but it was worth it, I think anyway.” He planned on living the rest of his life here, probably dying here too. It was that expensive, so he was getting his money’s worth out of the deal.

“I don’t doubt it.  You can tell this wasn’t a manufactured house, that it was designed and built with so much attention and love.  And it fits the owner to a T.” Brinley winked as they continued on before finally heading downstairs to where the gym was located. 

Mark was not lying when he said he had a full-sized gym equipped with everything, treadmills included.  Everything was state of the art too and incredibly expensive.  Weightlifting, running, and it looked like there was an area for CrossFit too, probably to help with agility and speed.  In the middle of all this was a 20x20 wrestling ring with different pictures adorning the walls surrounding it.  Why wasn’t Brinley surprised this man had a damn wrestling ring inside his mansion?

“I have a feeling I’m going to be spending a lot of time here in the future, or as much as you allow me to.” Working out and running on the treadmill would also keep her mind preoccupied since the nightmares would not leave her alone. “And if you wanna work out together sometime, just let me know.  I could spot you too, if you want.”

With this equipment and setup, there was no way she’d lose her figure, and maybe Brinley could avoid getting plastic surgery, if she worked hard enough.  It wouldn’t be anything drastic, but she thought maybe a tummy tuck or a lift in her backside would help her feel more confident and beautiful like she used to be before meeting Jonathan Good.  If Mark had any idea what the hell was going through her mind right now, he would have probably lost his temper because there was nothing wrong with this woman, at all.  

She wasn’t that old and she still, even though he was viewing through clothes, had a body that would make most twenty years pray they could look even a quarter as good on any day.  She had a backside that made him want to just grab a handful of each cheek, maybe get down on his knees and…that was not the right train of thought to be having while standing behind her.  However, if she ever voiced those concerns out loud, she was getting an earful.  The woman was perfect just the way she was.

“Not to be rude, darlin’, but spot me?” He cocked a brow down at her before pointedly looking at the weights.  His tone almost made it a challenge, just because it was a cute idea.  Last he knew, she was fit, but not exactly about to be pulling some heavy weights off of him if he screwed the pooch.

“Well yeah, I used to help Christopher out whenever he worked out and he asked me to spot him.” Jon had too, but she refused to talk about that dickhead estranged husband of hers right now. “I’m stronger than I look, though…hmm…yeah, you’re right, he definitely doesn’t lift as much as you, I’d wager.” He nodded in affirmation and she shrugged, walking over to take a look at the treadmill. 

Honestly, Brinley didn’t know why she cared so much about her body image, given she had nobody to impress. 

At first, it had been for Jon’s benefit, to keep him happy and to hopefully stop him from going to other women, which had been a huge failure on her part.  Now, she knew it wasn’t her fault Jon made those choices; he was a grown man capable of making his own decisions, but…after everything she had done to keep herself beautiful and fit for him…it messed with her mind.  Hell, now that Brinley was free from the bastard, she should’ve taken great pleasure in gaining 300 pounds with sweets and not giving zero cares about what others thought.  However, that wasn’t who Brinley was and losing her youth now that she was in her 40s was a very hard pill to swallow.  Going through a divorce, especially a volatile one, and being in an abusive marriage, also factored into her current mindset.

“I’m going to learn how to ride the ATV properly too, so don’t worry about bringing out the golf cart.  I don’t need it.  I’ll be coming here often to use the treadmill, so I’ll get plenty of practice with the ATV.” Mark couldn’t always come get her and bring her back to the log cabin.  He was a busy man and she understood that, wanting to do things on her own. 

Her independence had been stripped away from her for so long and now that Brinley finally had it back, she wanted to do everything on her own.

“We can go out and go riding the property, that’ll get you some practice in.” Mark knew this property like the back of his hand, so he knew where to take her to make sure she was learning properly on even terrain.  ATVs were fun to go messing around in, not if one was afraid of them, however. “There’s a shower over here,” He gestured, leading the way to a door and pushed it open, revealing a shower room.  Massive shower, seats lining the wall because it also did this steam type treatment too. “I’m not going to lie, I come here a lot when these old bones start achin’.” Never would he have pegged himself for a steam bath kind of guy, but here they were. “Best part is…the floor is heated too.”

Chapter 7

“I can imagine.”

His own shower and steam room?! 

Christ, the Deadman was living in a lap of luxury and rightfully so, he had earned it after putting his body through hell for 30-plus years in professional wrestling. “Hell, my body has aches and pains too all the time.  I might have to start using this too.” Mark didn’t just have a pool outside either, he had an eight-man jacuzzi hot tub as well with all the bells and whistles.  Pulling her eyes away from the steam shower to look back up at him, Brinley raised a slow brow at his suggestion about the ATVs. “Are you sure you have time to do that?  I don’t want to be a nuisance or anything…”

Unfortunately, that’s exactly how Brinley felt when it came to Mark and she couldn’t help it.  Her self-esteem was in the toilet, thanks to Jon and everything he had done and put her through.  Time is what it would take to build that back up again, along with her confidence and fiery spirit.

“I appreciate it, really, and if there’s ANYTHING I can do for you, don’t hesitate to ask me.  I don’t care what it is, it’s the least I can do after you opened up your home to me like this.”

“Darlin’, we just entered a lockdown and I have nothing BUT time to spare, so might as well give it you.  Beats watchin’ the news all the time.” Mark chuckled, trying to make her feel more at ease, but he knew it was going to take time.  

She had spent years being conditioned and training herself to be whatever it was Jon wanted from her, on top of living in all that fear.  He understood Brinley had loved him as well; Chris had sort of explained that too, though Chris seemed to chalk all that up to Stockholm Syndrome.  Mark didn’t have an opinion on that because he wasn’t an armchair psychologist.  However, he did know there was no explaining the heart sometimes, it did some crazy things.

“Besides, if I was going to open up my home to anyone, it’d be you.  Come on…let’s go back upstairs and you can add to my list and we’ll order.  And I’ll ruin my figure,” Mark snorted, patting his midsection. “With those sweets.”

Brinley giggled softly, raising a brow at his comment and shook her head. “I don’t think you can ruin your figure.  For your age, you’re in tremendous shape and you look really good.  Don’t ever doubt that, Deadman.”

Though, she wouldn’t mind watching him devour some of her sweets, just to see the look on his face.  Maybe Brinley did have Stockholm Syndrome when it came to Jon because, honestly, she would still be with him trying to have a baby, if he hadn’t cheated on her.  She didn’t have a doubt in her mind about that and, with this lockdown happening in the country…she would’ve been locked inside with him for however long this pandemic lasted.  As they headed up the stairs, Brinley nibbled on her bottom lip until they reached the top before going to the kitchen. 

It wasn’t until Mark had cracked open that container and bit into a cookie that she said what was on her mind. “I’m glad it’s you I’m going through the pandemic with, Mark.  I’d rather be locked up with you than anyone else.” The implication of ‘Jon’ was in her tone and she hoped it conveyed to him what Brinley was really trying to say.

She had no idea how much he struggled sometimes with maintaining his physique, especially at this age.  The body did NOT bounce back like it used too; maybe he should have had a few less beers and a couple more salads as a younger man.  As it was, nothing to be done about it now and he had died and gone to heaven, that cookie practically melting in his mouth.  If she was going to bake like this, he couldn’t visit her anymore.  Mark would get fat as a cow and destroy his knees again.  Staring down at her, running his tongue along his bottom lip to get the rest of the cookie taste before nodding, Mark reached out to brush his knuckles along the side of her face, hoping to be reassuring.

“Same, darlin’, and we’re going to get through this, got me?”

The pandemic.  Her baking and making him fat.  Jon.  All of it.

Her insides warmed the moment he did that, touched her, and Brinley believed him wholeheartedly.  She knew he meant more than just the pandemic; Jon was included in there too and all she truly wanted was to be free of him for good.  Her last name would be changed back to Irvine because she refused to go through her life with a psychotic’s.

“I believe you.  I really do.”

Moment over, Mark pulled out the list of items that were on the grocery list and she sat on one of the stools at the island in the middle of his kitchen, jotting down what she needed and wanted.  More baking ingredients were a must, along with the tampons and pads, and other things that she was running low on.  He walked around to glance down at the paper, towering over her and she could feel his heat radiating into her body as she continued writing.

“I think that should do it.” Once again, Brinley had to fight the urge to ask if this was all right, aware once Mark had his mind made up, there was little that could change it. “Thank you again.”

If worse came to worse, they could just kill the bastard.  

Mark had a very large property, so they could easily find a place to hide the body and given they didn’t have ties, him and Jon, not really, he doubted too many people would think to look here. “No problem,” He absentmindedly dropped a kiss on the top of her head after she handed him the list, still standing behind her while he skimmed it. “We’re definitely going to need that gym, darlin’.” Half of it was just bulk baking ingredients and this woman was going to make him fat.

Well, if he seen her more often, Mark mentally amended, because it wasn’t like they lived together.

“I will try not to bake too much, but it does ease my mind.” She admitted in a softer voice, feeling his arm wrap around her shoulders to pull her against him, hugging her close.  Once again, Brinley soaked in that warmth and safety, already planning on spending a lot more time around here now that the ice had broken between them.  Mark had everything and then some, so at least she wouldn’t be bored since there was always something to do. “Some of the things I make can be frozen too, so they don’t have to be eaten right then and there.” He nodded, letting her know it was perfectly fine and hated that she felt like she had to explain herself. “You should let me cook for you sometime.” That could be a way to start repaying him for his incredible generosity.

“I’m gatherin’ you like cooking and baking.”

Brinley had seen his kitchen at a mere glance, but she hadn’t seen the pantries that had doors built tastefully into the walls.  Mark had an entire walk-in freezer and fridge.  He wasn’t sure WHY, but at the time, it had seemed like a great idea.  Cooking he could do quite well, if he did say so himself, so he liked having all these options available, but…sometimes there wasn’t a point in whipping up a giant meal for just himself.

“Here, let me go add this and put the order in quickly.” Heading for his office, aware she was following, Mark dropped down into his massive leather computer chair while she eyeballed the room. “You sure you got everything?” At her nod, he paid for it and grinned, twirling to look at her. “SO…about that dinner you’re cookin’…”

Every room just seemed to be bigger and bigger in this house. 

That was Brinley’s first thought while he put the order in.  She grinned at him, stepping up to place her hands on his desk and leaned over, the mirth sparkling in her emerald orbs. “What are you in the mood for?  I can make anything from pasta, to casseroles, to tacos, to meat like steak,” While she listed them off on her fingers, Brinley paused briefly and then backtracked. “Actually, I’ll leave the grilling to you since something tells me you’re better at that than me.” It was a very sexist statement and thought, but men were just better grillers than women, in her opinion, unlike women who put in the effort and time to learn how to do it properly. “How about you tell me what your absolute favorite meal is and I’ll do my best to whip it up, hmm?”

“Don’t have anythin’ in particular I like the best.” Contrary to the stereotype, steak and all that wasn’t his main favorite.  Nothing beat a perfectly grilled meal on a hot summer Texas day, but that was a preference. “Don’t like to grill?” She just pulled a face and he shrugged, moving to stand up, which had her backing up since he took quite a bit of room. “Let me show you my, uh…store, as it were.”

Probably seemed silly to grocery shop, but there were certain things he was out of, and basic necessities.  Mark had also noticed the toilet paper rush and felt a little miffed about paying out the backside for butt fluff.  A store was exactly how Brinley would describe Mark’s pantry…more like a pantry store.  Why were they shopping when he had ALL of this?  Mark explained about the toilet paper and she suddenly understood, especially with her own feminine products she needed.

“You have everything I need to make fettucine chicken alfredo…” She responded thoughtfully, looking over the ingredients and nodded, more to herself than at him.  Mark informed her he already had some boneless skinless chicken breasts unthawed in the fridge that needed to be used and Brinley felt as if it was meant to be to make that dish. “You okay with that or did you already have an idea with the chicken, big man?”

“Didn’t have anything planned, darlin’; it was literally the first thing I grabbed when I thought about dinner.”

Mark wasn’t a fortune teller, but even he could see what was going to happen with this pandemic.  Humans as a whole were panicky, idiotic creatures.  They were already panic buying and he’d bet money there were people already reselling those items at a markup.  He wasn’t going to buy a bunch of stuff in serious bulk, but he would make sure they were fine for a few weeks, which was usually his normal habit anyway.

“Want a beer?” He opened his main fridge, pulling himself out one and then eyed the fridge. “Or a glass of wine?  I have red.”

“Yeah, sounds good.” Brinley started familiarizing herself with Mark’s kitchen, looking into the cabinets to gather everything she needed.  He poured her that glass and she tasted it, nodding at how delicious it was.  It had just enough of a flavor that wasn’t bitter, but not sweet either.  Perfect blend. “Mmm, I like that one a lot.”

Mark told her it was some kind of Merlot and she took another sip before beginning the task of making dinner.  First, she had to make the sauce and started pulling out the ingredients for that, while Mark began chopping up the broccoli and sipping a beer himself.  Once the sauce was simmering, then Brinley started cooking the chicken, deciding to cut it up after it was cooked through thoroughly instead of cutting it up in cubes from the start.  Seasoning was a must too and they made small talk while she did all of this, soft music playing in the background.

There was one of those radios that attached beneath the upper kitchen cupboards and it was connected to his music app on his phone.  Basically, he had a Bluetooth speaker in every room in the house.  Mark liked his comforts and, to be honest, this kind of simplicity made him happy.  Walking into any room with his favorite music still playing, loud and clear?  Or soft and nicely in this case?  Sign him up!

“You like cheesecake?  I got a New York style one in here your brother sent, before all this shit went down.” It had come in frozen, along with a note saying, ‘Thanks for the help, Baby!’ and Mark had been unthawing it today.  Apparently, Chris found his personal tastes in desserts atrocious or something, literally flying him out a dessert. “Given how I got this, it better be better than sex.”

Now normally, that would’ve made Brinley cut her finger or something, but she was too old to be shocked by what came out of Mark’s mouth and just snorted, rolling her eyes while continuing the task at hand. “New York style, eh?  I mean, it can’t be THAT bad, but it really depends on who the bakery is.  And I highly doubt it’ll be better than sex.”

After all, she’d had it with Mark several times, because those flings had gone on for the months he was on the road with the company.  On and off.  Nothing serious, no strings, just straight fucking and fun.  Mark didn’t wine and dine her, there was no need for that.  Whenever he wanted her, he paid her a visit and Brinley had fallen under his spell like so many other women.  It had to be the eyes, but then again, the hair was also sexy and she always did appreciate a man with tattoos too.

“I’ll share the cheesecake with you, I love it.” Once the chicken was done, Brinley took the pieces from the pan and set them on a cutting board to be chopped up and then stirred her sauce, which was starting to thicken to her liking. “Come here, I want you to taste this and tell me if you think I need to add anymore seasoning to it.” Meaning the sauce.

“That depends on who you’re havin’ sex with, darlin’, you know that.” Mark drawled, winking at her as he bent down to sample the alfredo sauce.  Could be the worst cheesecake a person ever had, but they’d still eat it anyway.  Or it could be the best and made a person cross their toes, moaned and closed their eyes because it took over everything.  Kind of like sex, on both accounts. “Tastes fine to me.” It tasted way better than the storebought skillets he sometimes indulged when he didn’t feel like cooking from scratch. “Want me to chop the chicken?” Another flick of his tongue, this time to the corner of his mouth, catching that last drop of sauce. “Mmm…”

Why was watching him taste the sauce lighting her on fire?  What was she doing?  Cooking for another man and being flirtatious with him so soon after leaving her husband, was that allowed?  Brinley had spent so much time being miserable in her marriage, more often than not, and constantly in fear for what Jon would do if she didn’t comply with his wishes.  It’d been so long since she was truly happy in her life and there’d been this void, this hole, inside of her for years she couldn’t explain. 

Nothing with Jon happened organically like it had with Mark, even back in 2007.  There was nothing forced with him and there’d always been this sexual tension with Mark she could never explain.  Even after their flings stopped, because of his relationship with Michelle, Brinley thought of him frequently, even while she was stuck with Jon.  Hell, she had even told Jon she thought about other men she’d been with just to get off with him at one point! 

Mark had been at the top of that list because he truly was the best sex she’d ever had in her life.

Chapter 8

“Still didn’t get it all.” Reaching up, the pad of her thumb slid across to swipe what was left of the sauce from the corner of his mouth, feeling his goatee, and Brinley popped it in her mouth without thinking, tasting it herself. “You’re right, tastes just fine.”

They both cleared their throats at the same time and she turned back to the sauce while Mark went to start cutting up the chicken.  Brinley also finished off what was left of her wine, really needing to take the edge off somehow and started humming to the song playing under her breath.  Just what he needed to see, her licking creamy sauce off her finger after swiping it from his mouth.  He had to think of something disgusting to talk down the idea of an erection, just in case, giving his attention to the chicken he may have accidentally mutilated because he had gotten lost in thought.

There were no hard and fast rules for anything when it came to men and women outside of what society tended to set.  It was why he had taken on the brunt of the ‘marrying younger women’ stereotype he had been subjected to when he married Michelle.  There was no law saying Mark had to marry someone his own age, just a human who was also of legal age.  Society rules could kiss the darkest part of his backside!  

Brinley had been 28 and Mark was 42 when they first shacked up together in 2007.  Granted, they were both consenting adults, but they were 14 years apart, regardless.  The age difference didn’t bother Brinley one damn bit either.  If anything, her age difference with Jon bothered her more because Jon was younger than her.  He had called her a spinster earlier in their forced marriage too, which she had never forgotten.  Always taunting her about never being able to find a young, hot stud like him due to her age.  Of course, she always knew he did it to hurt her, to try to put it into her head that she was ‘lucky’ to be with someone like him.  No, it was more like Brinley was lucky to be AWAY from him once and for all, finally free of the threats and fear he bestowed upon her. 

As far as the mutilated chicken, it wasn’t too bad and wouldn’t matter since everything would be stirred together anyway. “Thank you for your help with that.” Mark walked over with it and she stirred the sauce one final time before allowing him to add it to the pan.  Then went in the broccoli and then the noodles before being all stirred together thoroughly.  Was she out of line for that move she made on Mark? You’re such an idiot, Brinley.  Of COURSE he doesn’t want you, that was years ago and you’re a hot mess with everything going on in your life! “Dinner will be ready in about 10 minutes or so.”

The fact that Jon had gone out of his way, drastically so, to seduce her with those trysts in dark rooms, should have told Brinley all she needed to know.  For revenge or not, no man was going to pull that act over and over again, unless he desired the woman.  She was attractive then, just as she was now; Mark personally thought she was more attractive at 40 than she had been at 28.  If she had been making a move on him, he hadn’t thought about it being blatant so much as an innocent comment.  The way he figured it, she wasn’t ready to dive back into that world, or he could have been wrong.  Either way, Brinley tended to make things known when she was ready to do so.

Slow the hell down, old man, even when she’s ready, she’s not going to want your old ass.  You’re a shell of the man you used to be. Another failed marriage, a few more kids, and more years packed onto an already aging frame.  Mark wasn’t an idiot, aware what he had to offer these days was his name and not much else.

After that moment, the rest of the time spent with Mark that evening was incredibly awkward and quiet.  Brinley thought she upset Mark and vice versa, wanting to ask him if everything was all right, but she stopped herself, not wanting to upset him in any way.  Mark was her safe haven from Jon and if she pissed him off in any way, shape, or form, he could boot her out of here in a millisecond.  Even the ride back to the log cabin was tense and awkward, both not knowing what to say to the other. 

Brinley wished him a good night and headed inside with a bag of containers in her hand, immediately putting the food in the refrigerator, including half of the New York cheesecake. “Damn it, I shouldn’t have done that.  I shouldn’t have touched him…what the fuck is wrong with me?” She spoke to the silence, slamming her hands down on the island and could feel her body tremble slightly.  Happiness was very far out of her reach and now she’d made things awkward with Mark. Way to go DUMBASS! It was time for a bath and bed…and probably another nightmare.

It wasn’t that kind of tension, not on his end anyway.  He didn’t blame her or anything for what happened because it had been a passing gesture.  It was his own thoughts that were messing with him right now and his reaction to them.  Mark was still attracted to her; any man in his right mind and wasn’t blind would be.  Brinley was hiding here from her abusive, soon-to-be ex-husband, and their first time seeing each other since the day she had arrived on his doorstep, he wasn’t thinking about bedding her.

It was time for a cold shower and maybe a session with Rosy Palm.

~!~

Before long, two months had passed by and springtime had arrived, which meant a lot warmer temperatures in Dallas.  Brinley hadn’t made Mark dinner again since that night and had pushed the awkwardness in the far recesses of her mind, focusing on healing.  Every day, she went to Mark’s and used his gym, alone, running on the treadmill and using the amazing shower with the steam.  It really was a luxury and she had zero complaints since it was the perfect way to end her workout session. 

Mark was currently on the road for WWE at the moment and he’d told her about the Boneyard Match he’d be having with AJ Styles at this year’s very weird WrestleMania.  It would be a cinema type match since fans were not allowed in arenas and everyone was staying home due to the pandemic.  This was also his final match; Mark was officially retiring after this and Brinley didn’t know what to really say about it. 

The WWE without Undertaker…she couldn’t fathom or picture it, even though he’d been gone except around WrestleMania time for the past several years.  Maybe an appearance here or there, but other than that, Mark wasn’t on the road with the company these days.  An even weirder part of the whole gimmick was Mark had changed from the Original Deadman back into the American Badass for his final match because of the drastic changes the pandemic had made to the organization.

He'd still be sort of contracted with the WWE, but not like he had been in recent years.  Mark really didn’t see a reason to put his body through this anymore.  He wanted to continue enjoying his kids and probably eventual grandkids, and he couldn’t do that with busted knees and a broken spine.

Then there was Jon, who had spent his time suffering being bored and annoyed because the pandemic was annoying.  There had been talks at one time of a travel ban and one of his buddies had told him about being issued a travel pass, just in case it really happened.  Well, a ban had occurred, but not on the scale people had assumed.  He had spent a good chunk of his time putting out feelers for wifey, who couldn’t divorce him just yet because Covid-19 wasn’t allowing it.  If he couldn’t find her, he could find her brother.  He owed the bastard, or more like the bastard owed him an eye.

Brinley did not watch wrestling anymore, wanting nothing to do with the business as long as she lived.  Though, she would watch Mark’s final match against AJ Styles because they were friends and she wanted to support him in whatever endeavor he undertook.  Currently, she was at the house with the dogs to feed them, having told Mark before he left they would be well taken care of.  She had experience with dogs and they had come to know her, so they trusted her and she felt safer with them around. 

Mark told her not to bother riding back and forth from his house to the log cabin and hunker down at his place while he was gone, assuring her it was fine.  So, Brinley did exactly that and chose one of the guest rooms to stay in until he returned.  Deciding to take care of odds and ends around the house while he was away, Brinley made sure to clean up after herself completely. 

This wasn’t her house, after all.

Jon was out of luck with his ‘feelers’ due to the fact that Chris made it abundantly clear NO ONE was allowed to find out Brinley’s whereabouts.  Mark wouldn’t allow it either.  They were teaming up to protect her against that abusive piece of trash that had damn near ruined her life.  Mark had been really skeptical to leave her alone at his place until Chris assured him that Brinley would be fine with all the state of the art security the man had at his disposal.  Without Brinley realizing it, Mark currently had the cameras on his phone watching for any signs of disturbance and it had flashed to the living room, where she was curled up on the couch sleeping.

It was another nightmare and her scream echoed throughout the living room as Brinley bolted upright, sweating profusely and buried her face in her hands crying her eyes out.  When would they stop?

Mark knew he shouldn’t be snooping on her while she was asleep, but he couldn’t help it since it bothered him to leave her there by herself, even with the dogs. The world was topsy turvy, going to hell in a handbasket, and he was out touring for a show that wasn’t being shown before a live crowd.  That was just weird, even for him, and he’d had his fair share of weird.  Feeling his heart breaking, knowing he should look away and give her privacy, even though Brinley didn’t know he was watching, Mark couldn’t.  Instead, he swiped his finger along the screen, his frown deepening, aware he needed to go home as quickly as possible to be with her.

One of the dogs, Hades, came up to her and she immediately encircled his huge neck to hug him, her tears soaking into his fur.  All the dog did was sit there while she cried, not moving an inch and then once she pulled back, he licked her face, along with the tears on her cheeks. “Thanks boy, I appreciate you being here for me.” Brinley murmured softly, kissing the top of his head and stood up from the couch to get a glass of water from the kitchen.  That nightmare had been a doozy and she clutched her throat, trying to get her heart to stop racing. “He’s not here…I’m okay.  I’m okay…” She kept saying repeatedly while taking sips of water, doing everything in her power to stop trembling. “Leave me alone, you cocksucker…”

It was springtime indeed and thunder rolled in the distance, followed by lightning fields away.  A gust of wind rattled the patio sliding doors before another round of thunder sounded.  Texas was beautiful, but the spring storms could be very serious, hence Mark’s basement.  Unlike so many of his fellow Texans, he believed in an underground shelter to take refuge in.  Mark didn’t like the idea of playing chicken with god or mother nature.  Not that there was a tornado warning or anything, it was just a common storm.

However, the house phone rang a second after that bit of thunder, causing Brinley to jump.

“Shit…” Mark cursed, watching her spill water everywhere and knew that glass was probably shattered.  Maybe he should have used the sound system, but he figured THAT would have startled her more, his voice coming out of nowhere.

“Damn it!”

Mark never should’ve let her stay in his house because she was breaking his stuff now!  What the hell?  The lightning flashed again through the patio doors, the wind whistling outside to let her know it was ripping hard.  It was just a thunderstorm, nothing to worry about and Brinley knew she was shaken up from that nightmare still.  The house phone was nearby, so she went over to pick it up, having stepped over the shards of glass to make sure she didn’t get cut.

“Yes, hello?” She answered, sounding a little breathless from being scared from the ringing phone, as well as breaking one of Mark’s drinking glasses.  She would have to replace it somehow without him knowing, not realizing he’d already seen it through the monitoring system. “Mark, is that you?”

“Please tell me you didn’t step in that glass.”

Mark had seen her do a hop, not sure if she had skipped over it or wound up with a shard in her feet.  Her intake of breath had him puzzled at first, but then he realized what he had said.  She now knew he had been watching her and he felt like he had been caught doing something naughty.  That was out of kilter because this was the first time he had ‘checked in’ on her, and it was only due to the fact he was concerned.  That counted for something, right?

“I swear, darlin’, I haven’t been spying.” She did not need that in her life; he had put his foot in it and was inwardly cursing himself, tempted to slap his own foolish self silly. “I was worried about you and checked in, got an alert that something triggered a motion sensor…looks like wildlife slinkin’ off because of the storm.”

For some reason, it didn’t bother Brinley that Mark was keeping an eye on things, on her.  She knew about the system he had and all the monitoring, having snuck a few glances here and there of him.  Not that Mark knew it and she was taking those moments to the grave with her.

“It’s fine.  It’s your house and I don’t blame you for checking in on things.” Then a deep realization dawned on her and her eyes closed, willing the tears to stay in them. “I take it you saw my, uh, harsh wakeup on the couch then?” A sharp intake of breath in her ear told her all she needed to know and Brinley chewed her bottom lip, aware she’d been caught and there was no talking her way out of it. “It was a nightmare, happens to everyone.  I’m fine.”

Chapter 9

“I don’t care about everyone, darlin’.” Just her and that was implied in his soft drawl, aware maybe that was wrong of him to say, but it was the truth.  Mark didn’t have everyone and their brother living with him, suffering the way she did.  He imagined that she was not fine and it was not the first nightmare she’d had. “I feel like a shit, scarin’ you the way I did.  I’m not going to be out here, on the road, much longer.” Thankfully, he was getting too old for all the traveling and whatnot. “Just gotta make it a few more days.”

Her heart did a funny flip in her chest at his words and Brinley closed her eyes, knowing it was easier to talk to this man over a phone than face to face. “You shouldn’t.  This is the end of your career, Mark.  I know this can’t be easy for you, but I want you to know that I’m here for you.  And I care about you too.” I miss you so much. They hadn’t really been avoiding each other since she’d come and workout, but there wasn’t any flirting or playful banter going on either. “And uh, I’ll replace the glass, sorry about that.” That got a chuckle out of him and she smiled, wiping some more beads of sweat from her forehead.

“Don’t worry about it, darlin’, it’s only glass and truth be told, that was the least you could have done being startled like you were.” Brinley could have gone through the patio doors or something.  Probably not, she would have likely knocked herself out on them and then he’d really be in a pickle. “You know,” His voice changed, became a little bit more reflective.  Mark had gone down this semi-retired road before and always kept coming back.  Maybe this time was it, for real, because it sure felt like it.  However, the other times had too. “I’m really hopin’ I’m done this time.  I keep coming back and it feels like this time, there’s nothing to bring me back once I step away.” If that made any sense.

Thirty years in the same company, doing the same routine…Brinley didn’t know how he did it for so long without getting completely burnt out.  Even though Mark only made one year appearances, that meant he had to keep up with his body working out and practicing his craft, honing it.  Not that he needed to, he was the most feared entity in the WWE for a reason, and that would never, ever change.

“You sound almost…at peace when you say that.  Almost like you want this to be the end, so you can live the rest of your life the way you want.  Not that you don’t already, but…I also know you’re loyal to the McMahon’s and whenever they call, if you can do it, you’ll do the match, appearance, or whatever they need.  If you want my advice, I think you should be done after this because you have nothing left to prove or to give to the WWE, Mark.  You’ve more than earned your place, your status, I’m sure your fortune…you don’t need them anymore, you know what I mean?” Sometimes, Brinley had no problem speaking her mind and she sounded confident in her words in what felt like forever, like she had back in the WWE before Jonathan Good flipped her life upside down.

Wrestling was never boring, that had helped with his lengthy career.  Granted, there had been some seriously low points, but it had never been boring, and that had probably made all the difference.  On top of the rush Mark had gotten from hearing the audience react to his presence; new generations experiencing it for the first time while older fans still shuddered at those tolling bells.  

Well hell, he was getting nostalgic. “Yeah, I hear you darlin’, but sometimes, it’s hard to say no when you’ve been sayin’ yes almost all your life.” He supposed she would get that, on some level. “But saying no sounds like a plan.  I guess if I start to sway the other way, you can put a boot in my ass.”

“Now why would I do that?” Brinley teased, not expecting to be around for the rest of Mark’s life because, eventually, she’d have to leave this place.  She would have to start over her own life once Jon was completely subdued and out of it.  The divorce would see to that, but thanks to the pandemic, it was unfortunately a waiting game. “As a fan myself, I could never dissuade you from doing what I know you love and what you’re passionate about.  My only concern is your health and safety, I just don’t want you to wind up in a wheelchair or something, big man.”

She had no idea that was one of the reasons why him and Michelle divorced because Michelle refused to support his decisions when it came to his career.  There were other issues, but that was one of the primary ones and yet Brinley was completely fine with whatever choices Mark made.  After all, it wasn’t her career or her body at stake and Mark was a grown man capable of making his own decisions.

“But hell, if that’s what you wanna do, far be it from me to deter you from it.  I’ll cheer you on no matter what anyway.”

He hadn’t realized what that sounded like, saying her putting a boot in his backside, sounded like he was thinking long-term and honestly, he wasn’t thinking about that at all. He just knew she was there for however long it took to ensure her divorce and then safety from the psycho. Who had been pretty damn quiet by all accounts. Mark wasn’t sure if that was due to the pandemic, losing an eye, or interest.

Pandemic, it was definitely the pandemic. Jon thought he looked pretty damn awesome with a pirate patch, gave him an even more rugged, dangerous look.

“Good, I need my own cheerleader,” then a naughty thought popped into his head, envisioning Brinley in a little cheerleader outfit, complete with pompoms. He cleared his throat, glad she couldn’t see him.

That made her frown, her back turned to the monitor so Mark could not see her face at that moment.  Brinley had no idea where the monitors were within the house and closed her eyes at the thought of dressing up in any kind of costume for another man. Never again will I do something like that for anyone! Jon had ruined that for her and Brinley knew it wasn’t Mark’s fault, so that sour look on her face immediately was replaced with a smile. “Anyway, it’s getting late and I’m sure you have another busy day ahead of you tomorrow.  The storm looks like it died down, so I’ll hopefully be able to go back to sleep.  Sorry again for worrying you and I’ll see you when you get home in a few days, Mark.  Pleasant dreams.” She waited for him to say the same before ending the call, then proceeded to clean up the shards of glass.

From here on out, if he wanted to check on her, Mark would just listen to the audios in real time.  That’d let him know if she was fine or not.  Those things could hear an ant fart from a mile away; he’d know if she was crying or screaming, or sleeping.  It felt wrong, invading her privacy, even though Brinley knew she was staying in basically a smart house, which meant there really was no privacy.  That was all sacrificed for security.  Mark scrubbed a hand down his face after the call had ended, heaving a sigh.  

He felt like he had screwed up tonight and he no idea how.  

Also, these three days were going to drag on, he could feel it.

~!~

WrestleMania would be a two-night event with Mark and AJ Styles being on night one.  Why did they have to split it up into two nights?  Wasn’t that incredibly hard for the wrestlers and everything?  Now granted, Mark and AJ Styles had filmed their match prior to the actual match and all WWE had to do was air it.  Still, Mark felt he had to be at WrestleMania to see both nights through with Vince.  His last match was really well done for a cinema, but it didn’t feel like an Undertaker match, even with the quality and the match being done at night.  Still, watching Mark ride up on that Harley Davidson, dressed in leather with the vest and pants, the bandana around his head…Brinley was practically salivating at the television and couldn’t believe how much the man lit her on fire with his performance. 

The way the match ended with him getting on his motorcycle and flying down the road away from the carnage he caused didn’t help her issues either.  Needless to say, she took an ice cold shower after that match and had to use her fingers to quell the inferno inside of her, something she hadn’t done since leaving Jon.  It wasn’t Jon’s name she cried out either in her climax, it was Mark’s.

Mark had never been so happy to be home.  He wasn’t sure if he had ended his career on a high note or not, still torn on how he felt about it.  On one hand, he had his say in how he wanted it to go and always did.  On the other, when they had planned this all out, there hadn’t been a pandemic taking away one of the key points: The fans.

Either way, it was over and done with and, while maybe it wasn’t the high note he had envisioned, it was still a note, one that was now faded.  He was looking forward to going home, already enroute, and called ahead to let Brinley know, not about to scare the hell out of her by just popping up.  Hopefully, this would be the last time he came home from the road.  What really messed with him, though, was the fact that when he thought about going home, he thought about who he was going home to.  

As if Brinley was a permanent fixture already.

Where the hell had THAT come from?

Brinley contemplated if she should even be at the house when Mark came home that day since she didn’t live here.  Her ‘home’ was the log cabin, which she hadn’t frequented in a week due to the fact she promised to take care of the dogs for him.  There was no reason for her to be here, truthfully, and she wasn’t sure if Mark wanted to be bombarded by her presence.  Still, Brinley wanted to see him and deep down, she knew why.  She WANTED to welcome him home, for someone to be there for him when he returned instead of a lonely, quiet house.  Not only that, but she had made dinner for him too along with dessert, wanting to share a meal with him after being alone for so long. 

Chris called and checked up on her, but it wasn’t the same as having physical companionship, even though she knew Mark didn’t think of her intimately.  She was Chris’ little sister who needed help and Chris was one of his friends – that was the bottom line.  Brinley had on a cute lavender tunic with black shorts on beneath, her hair braided back to lay over her shoulder, since she was cooking and baking.

Even if he doesn’t want me here when he gets home, I at least want to welcome him home properly with a homecooked meal.  I won’t stay for it if he doesn’t want me to.

Brinley was out of her mind if she honestly thought that was all he viewed her as.  One couldn’t have a fling with someone and just view them as another man’s ‘little sister’; it didn’t work that way.  Mark had seen her naked on multiple occasions and been balls deep inside of her; he’d never see her as someone’s little sister, ever.  Not expecting much when he walked in his front door except to be trounced by his dogs, Mark figured Brinley would have probably made sure they were good before heading back to the cabin.

She’d been a loner at first when she had gotten here.  He was NOT expecting to hear country music playing, his kitchen smelling like heaven, or to remain upright because there was no mutt in sight.  Mark dropped his bag on the floor before heading towards the kitchen, a smile flitting across his face as he took in the sight of Brinley cooking and dancing to the music, the dogs laying on the floor not far from her.

It was King George on the radio, currently, since she really enjoyed the classic country music station Dallas offered.  They played all the oldies and the song was ‘Carrying Your Love With Me’. “West Virginia down to Tennessee…” She crooned while checking on the pot roast in the crockpot, stirring the vegetables and checking them to make sure they were tender. Just a little longer and it’ll be ready. Hades popped his big head up upon seeing his owner and caught Brinley’s attention, her eyes first widening and then softening with a big smile crossing her face at the sight of Mark. “Hey there, Deadman, welcome home!  Dinner will be ready soon, I figured you could probably use a hot meal after all the traveling and whatnot.”

“Beats all the Denny’s.” Fast food was fine and all sometimes, but he was at the age he wanted a meal.  Mark just didn’t want to spend all night in a fancy restaurant or something waiting for it.  Denny’s fit both needs on the road. “It smells delicious, darlin’.” Walking over to drop a kiss on the top of her head, without thinking twice about it, it just felt natural for him to do it. “All right, all right,” His dogs were clamoring for some loving now and he gingerly lowered himself to one knee, giving them each some attention in turn. “They didn’t give you any grief, did they?” Mark asked, looking up at her with a smile.

“Not at all.  They are really good boys and we went for walks together on the property.  Hades kept the others in line and I quickly learned he’s the alpha of the pack.”

Mark chuckled with a nod, agreeing with her and Brinley checked the greens on the stove, asparagus, which was dripping in butter.  It was the only way to eat them, but she liked them a little crunchy and hoped Mark did too.  Once he finished with the dogs and stood up to his full height again, she turned to face him after putting the lid on the asparagus, letting them simmer a bit longer.

“Want me to get you a beer?  You look like you could use one, no offense.”

“Not gonna say no to that.” Mark laughed, watching her sashay her sweet, pert backside to the fridge before heading to the sink to wash his hands.  Taking the beer gratefully, Mark popped the top on it before enjoying that first, cold swallow.  He listened as Brinley told him about her days, glad at least those weren’t filled with fear and sorrow like her nights had been. “I’m surprised the dogs didn’t try sleeping with you.”

His sometimes did, but they knew when he said no, they were to go sleep elsewhere.  Mark had trained them that way because, unlike some pet owners, he did not need an animal watching him while he was trying to get laid.  Or have a wet nose in his own hindquarters.

“Well…umm…” Brinley looked down at Hades, who had taken quite a shine to her and she had no idea why.  It was almost as if the animal could sense something was wrong with her or knew she needed comfort. “Hades did.” Mark raised a slow brow and Brinley started busying herself around the kitchen, not able to meet his eyes.  Would he be angry she had gotten closer to one of his dogs? That’s fucking ridiculous, Brinley Anne! “I need a beer too.  You don’t mind, right?” She grabbed one out of the fridge, popped the top and took two long swallows herself, setting the can on the island. “You saw my nightmare and how I woke up.  I think I worried Hades because my first night here, I had one of those and he hasn’t left me alone since.  He slept with me every night and let me hold onto him whenever I woke up from one.  I’ve…been having them since I came here…and I don’t know how to stop them from happening or make them go away.  And I don’t wanna go back on sleeping pills or any kind of medication to ‘help’ because I’ve done that before and it didn’t end well.  I’m okay, I’m not losing my mind or anything over it and they don’t happen every single night like they used to.”

Mark was losing count of how many times his heart had broken because of this woman.  It was way too many ever since Chris had dropped her off here.  He almost reached out for her and instead took another drink of his beer though his eyes never left her face.  Brinley looked both worried and maybe a little embarrassed, but there was cause for neither. 

“When you finally feel safe, Brin, the nightmares will stop.” Mark assured confidently, aware for all the security measures in the world, until she knew for certain that this was over, she’d never feel safe.  

She’d always watch over her shoulder, be waiting for that moment that spider known as Jonathan Good would strike.

Chapter 10

Brinley smiled sadly at him because the harsh reality of her situation was she didn’t feel safe. 

Not entirely. 

Not completely.

“I’m still married to that monster…and I know it’s safe here.  I want to believe he’d never find me here, but…there’s that SLIM chance he will.” Being alone didn’t help matters either, though Brinley would never admit that outside of her own head.  It wasn’t Mark’s responsibility to help with her loneliness; he’d done more than enough for her and there was no way she’d ever be able to repay him for everything. “He kills me in every nightmare I’ve had.  My family too.  Everything he promised and threatened me with, he does and…I wish they would stop.  I wish I felt safe and secure enough to make them stop, but I have a feeling it won’t happen until I’m divorced from that son of a bitch and he’s gone forever.”

Mark already knew all of this, well…the safety and chance she’d be found, it’s why she was having nightmares all the time.  Figuring once safety properly set in, and even long after this was over, the nightmares would lessen.  He doubted they’d ever go away completely simply because that monster had put her through too much, but at least, hopefully, it wouldn’t be a nightly occurrence.  Mark also knew, not that he would say this to her, that a divorce wouldn’t solve all her problems.  It didn’t meant Jon would just disappear; it might actually enrage him further.  ‘Gone forever’ might just wind up being something permanent…like dead.  Keeping all of that to himself, Mark simply reached out with one long arm and pulled her into him to hold her.  His silence was deafening, but the way he held her against him made the tension in Brinley’s body evaporate. 

Her arms went around him as her face buried in his chest, breathing him in, his scent washing over her. “I’m really glad you’re back.” She murmured, feeling his hand glide up and down her back soothingly, trying to comfort her.  Truthfully, Brinley dreaded going back to that log cabin and being alone again, to have more of those nightmares.  That was why she wanted to make Mark dinner and possibly ask him if she could stay in the mansion instead of at the log cabin, just so he was close-by in case anything happened. That’s not the only reason, but I can’t tell him that.  He doesn’t see me that way anymore. “Oh shit, the food!” Breaking away from him abruptly, Brinley turned the heat off on the stove and checked the asparagus, sighing with relief they hadn’t burned and were crispy to her liking. “All good!  Let’s eat!”

Given the dogs had probably gotten used to her presence and he could see Hades was protective of her, – no doubt due to those nightmares – he was foreseeing an issue with her returning to the cabin.  Mark wasn’t doing shared custody of his mutts.  However, that was something to bring up after they had eaten this delicious dinner, his stomach was reminding him that it had been awhile since they last shared a meal together.  If the scent was anything to go by, he was about to be a very happy man.

“Looks great, darlin’.” Mark complimented, once they were seated at the table, the dogs taking their leave.  If he was on the couch, they could stay and maybe beg.  Table meant they weren’t allowed. “Now…” His eyes sparkled wickedly. “Let’s see if it tastes as good as it smells.”

“I sure hope it does.”

Pot roast with carrots and red potatoes, cut up to perfection, along with crispy buttery asparagus and mashed potatoes for the sides.  It smelled divine and Brinley took the first bite, not believing how the meat just melted in her mouth.  It was also seasoned to perfection too, she had used her own instead of the packet the pot roast came with.  She had stuck with her beer, sipping it while eating in amicable silence with Mark.  It wasn’t awkward this time at all, in fact it was pleasant and they were both so hungry, neither wanted to talk due to how delicious the dinner was.

“Oh my god I’m stuffed like a turkey!” She groaned, once she finished her plate while Mark had gone to get seconds, offering to do it for him, but he insisted on her continuing to eat. “So, should I make this again for you sometime?”

“I will never turn down your cookin’, Brin, and if I do, you should probably get me into the doctor stat because there’s something very wrong with me.”

Mark would never understand why Jon had cheated on her.  From his understanding, they had traveled together sometimes and even then, the woman was the total perfect package.  He supposed he couldn’t say anything because he’d had his unfaithful moments in the past when he was younger and thought he was god.  

That had backfired spectacularly on him. “Jesus…” He moaned around the bite full of his second bowl; he could cook, but this was another level.

Grinning at his reaction, Brinley started cleaning up the table while he took his time with that second serving, the music still playing softly from the radio.  It was so nice here, comforting and warm, compared to that cold lonely log cabin.  It was beautiful, no doubt, and Brinley didn’t want Mark thinking she didn’t appreciate everything he’d done for her.  Sighing softly to herself, she started rinsing the dishes off before pulling out the tubber ware to start putting the mashed potatoes and asparagus leftovers in the fridge.

“We’ll have to let the crockpot cool down a bit before we can put the food away.” She had turned it off and it would take several hours to completely cool off since putting hot food away wasn’t the best idea.  Something she learned from her mother growing up. “Did you want another beer?” Brinley noticed his other one was empty as she took it to toss it away in the garbage can.

“No, I’m good.”

Mark was tired and, while alcohol could help him sleep, he didn’t need it.  He always forgot how he almost felt like he was jetlagged, or whatever the non-flight version of it was, when coming off of the road.  Imagining it had something to do with beating his own body up brutally, then traveling hundreds of miles.  Wrestling was not for the weak…or wholly sane.

“I need to get my bag unpacked and laundry in the hamper,” There was no way he was leaving it to stink up his duffel. “But that can wait a moment or two longer.  Sit down, I want to talk to you.”

“Hmm?  Are you sure you don’t want to take care of your stuff first?” He nodded, gesturing her to follow him into the living room and Brinley suddenly got butterflies in her stomach. 

What did he want to talk about?  Brinley shut the water off to the sink since the pot with the potatoes was soaking and dried her hands off with a towel before following him into the living room.  Maybe she did something wrong.  Maybe he was pissed about the broken glass?

Stop freaking out and breathe, Brinley!  You did nothing wrong and what’s wrong with him wanting to talk to you?  RELAX! Together, they sat down on the couch and Mark immediately pulled her against him, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and she leaned her head on his chest, both of them content after the hearty meal they had. “What’s on your mind, Mark?”

Mark had to actively focus on not being affectionate with her.  It had been easy that first day, and then the first time seeing each other a week later after she had settled in.  As time had gone on, obviously not so much because it just became natural to hug her, or pull her into him.  That familiarity came from their past together.

“You should just stay here, at the main house, darlin’.” Mark had been planning on easing into it, maybe using the dogs as an excuse, but he was too tired for finesse and decided raw bluntness was in order.

The biggest wave of relief crashed over her at his words and Brinley relaxed further against him, not turning to look up at him.  Mark had always been blunt, since the day they met, propositioning her the way he did.  She respected Mark for simply saying what was on his mind instead of beating around the bush with situations, such as this one.

“Okay.” The response was so natural, not a hint of question in her tone, and this time he looked down at her the same time she looked up at him, the surprise registered on his face. “It’s not that I don’t like the log cabin, but…” He was blunt with her, so Brinley would be blunt with him and tell him how she truly felt. “I feel safe and secure when I’m here and I don’t want to be alone.  I really appreciate what you’ve done for me and letting me use that log cabin, and I don’t want you to think I don’t like it because I do.  But I just feel better when I’m around you, Mark, and I don’t want to live in insolation anymore.  Sounds like you don’t either and maybe you’re lonely too.”

“I don’t know about bein’ lonely…” Mark drawled, only half serious since he never really thought about it.  

Given he was divorced and used to having people around him all the time, or had been prior to the divorce, he hadn’t really been lonely so much as enjoying the silence.  He loved his kids, but he loved some peace and quiet too.  Did that make him a bad father or an honest man?  At her look, he shifted.  Maybe he missed the noise a little more than he liked admitting, after all.

“It’s nice having you around, especially with the way you cook,” Mark couldn’t help adding that last part, chuckling when she lightly slapped his forearm. “Rude.”

“No, you’re rude for that comment.  So the only reason you want me around is for my cooking, huh?” She tried to keep a straight face and failed, snorting out a laugh when Mark just stared at her knowingly.  Brinley was messing with him, or trying to, and she started laughing harder when he began to tickle her sides lightly. “No don’t!  Stop!” Severely ticklish, she recalled a time when Jon did the same thing to her and wound up with a foot lodged in his nutsack.  Brinley REALLY did not want to do that to Mark and jumped up off the couch, but he was far too fast and strong, yanking her right back down against him. “I won’t cook anymore if you don’t stop tickling me, Mark Calaway!  GAH!!” He knew that was a flat lie and kept doing it, finally stopping a few minutes later to let her catch her breath.

It wasn’t exactly like he could tell her about some of the other reasons he wanted her around.  Reasons he had thought about on the road, in the privacy of his hotel room bed.  He may have been in his 50s, but everything still fully functioned the way god intended, thankfully.  Given how much he had screwed up his body, it was probably a modern medical miracle that his cock worked still.  Once Brinley had caught her breath, he started again, only stopping when Hades came up and took his hand via those teeth.

“Well…he really is protective of you,” It was a gentle warning and Mark shook his head. “Okay, okay buddy, you win.”

“It’s okay, boy.  He’s not hurting me.” Brinley kissed the top of his big black head, petting the side of it and pecked his nose gently, a soft giggle escaping her when the dog licked hers in return. “Good boy.”

Winking over at Mark, who was shaking his head with a small smile on his face, Brinley could already feel her heart mending.  Truthfully, there had been several times throughout the past few months since she stayed here where Brinley had to take care of herself intimately and she thought of Mark while doing it.  In the shower, in bed…HOPEFULLY, he did not see one of those moments through those monitors since they were linked to all rooms, besides bathrooms, in every house on this property. 

Hades trotted off a few minutes later, after making sure everything was fine between his Master and her. “We can move my stuff tomorrow or the next day, so you have a day or two to rest from being on the road.”

Mark wasn’t too worried, aware once Hades got used to their play, he’d recognize it as just that, and not him threatening her.  Hades was a smart dog and Mark didn’t show violence around him, unless absolutely necessary, so he didn’t think it’d take too long and was probably the reason for the gentle warning. “That’s fine, we got time, and it’s not like you don’t already have a room sort of setup.” This would just be more convenient all the way around. “I should warn you, tomorrow I’ll probably be a sore, grouchy prick.” He always was the first proper rest back from the road. “Slap me if I get too out of line.”

“I’ll never do that to you.  Not unless you REALLY deserve it.” Like calling her a cum guzzling whore, for example.  Brinley would NEVER forget when Jon said that to her while she was giving him head. Ugh, why did I have to remember that NOW of all times? Sometimes, Brinley really hated her mind and the memories that popped up randomly, seemingly out of nowhere. “I’ll just stay out of your way and try not to bother you too much when you’re grouchy.  I know we only got together for sex back in the day, whenever the mood struck us, but I consider you a friend, Mark.  A close friend, so you don’t have to worry about being yourself around me, okay?” Tweaking his nose gently, he growled playfully and she was up off that couch and into the kitchen, her giggles floating back to him.

Now WHY, oh why, would she throw that out there randomly?  There was factually no reason for this woman to mention that at all, even casually, unless Brinley was assuming that they hadn’t been on friendly terms until now.  That was a very sobering thought, and now Mark knew he needed bed because he was the one overthinking things.  He ran both hands down his face with a sigh, slumping back on the couch.  Sex sounded fantastic, however.

“Down boy…” He muttered under his breath, cursing a second later when all three hounds decided now would be a great time to get more loving in by jumping up on him. “SON OF A BITCH!”

Brinley heard the commotion in there, not realizing she’d just given Mark a bunch of other mental problems, as well as physical, while finishing cleaning the kitchen.  The pot roast was still a little too hot, so she put it in the container and set it on the counter to let it cool off a little more before it could be popped in the fridge.  Staying here was either going to be the best or worse thing for Brinley, she wasn’t sure which one it would be. 

Honestly, her and Mark weren’t friends back in the day because they never hung out like friends normally did.  They were secret lovers, at best, and were friendly with each other, but that was it.  They didn’t converse hardly in the arenas, unless it was making plans to meet up and that was done via their cell phones, away from prying eyes.  This was the first time she felt that Mark was an actual friend to her, someone she wanted to hang out with and not just have hot sex with.

The way Mark figured it, a person generally started on friendly terms with someone before you bedded them, unless it was a one-night stand and Brinley had been a fling, not a one and done.  Not to say they had been good friends, but enough that he was comfortable falling into bed with her a fair few times.  A lot of women had a hard time separating sex and emotions deeper than just friends with benefits; she was not one of those women.  It made her intriguing and dangerous; it meant a man was more likely to fall in love before she did.

“Need any help before I call it?” He had recovered from the massive dogs deciding to test the bending capability of his now flaccid and thankfully not broken junk.

“I just finished up, so nope.”

Brinley didn’t mind cleaning up after dinner since it was a crockpot meal and she didn’t put a lot of effort into it.  Even if she had, she still would’ve done the cleaning because she was so used to doing it.  Jon did not help her at all whenever she cooked, not bothering to ask if she needed help either.  It was just a routine for her that she’d fallen into, but unlike Jon, she WANTED to do it for Mark.

“Go take a hot shower and get some rest.  I’m pretty bushed myself and…” Sighing, her eyes lowered from his until Mark lifted her chin to meet his again. “If I have a nightmare, just let me ride it out until I wake up.  And I’m sorry if it wakes you up too.” Obviously, she couldn’t control them.

If she was having a nightmare, and Mark knew about it, then obviously it woke him up.  Unless Hades decided to treat him like a panic button and wake him if he heard Brinley’s whimpering. “Hmm,” He wasn’t making any promises or agreeing to anything simply because he couldn’t guarantee he was going to listen to her.  Was it really kinder to let her ‘ride it out’?  She’d be in for a long haul then with these nightmares and that was a lot of bad sleep, and he couldn’t condone that. “I’ll see you the morning, Brin.  Thank you for dinner.” Dropping a kiss on the top of her head before walking out of the kitchen, Mark yawned as he stretched.

It would be good to sleep in his own bed.

At least until her screaming woke him up.

Chapter 11

Something felt different.

That was the first thought that entered her mind as her eyes opened, staring up at a ceiling she didn’t recognize.  What was going on?  Brinley looked down at herself, seeing her body was wrapped in a sheet, but that was it.  It did not take long for her to realize she was naked under it and her body started trembling instantly.  Another nightmare with the monster.  They all started off weird, but ultimately, her death is what woke her up.  She braced herself to see his face and felt her eyes widen when a very scrumptious Mark Calaway stepped out of the bathroom instead, with a towel draped around his neck and another around his hips.  His hair was black, his body looked to be chiseled out of stone and…there was absolutely no pudge on him whatsoever.  The man had an incredible body and those fathomless jade eyes bore into her instantly, her insides turning to mush at the smile slowly spreading on his lips.  Then a light bulb went off in her head and Brinley quickly realized that one, she was in a dream and not another awful nightmare and two, this was from the past.

It was the morning after their first encounter.

Brinley was younger, 28 years old, and had long, waist length golden blonde hair that currently looked haphazard from the countless hours of sex she had with this gorgeous man.  She recalled the night before when she had to visit Mark’s dressing room since she was the producer for his match that night on Smackdown! against one of the rookies on the show.  She couldn’t remember the name off the top of her head, but it was a squash match.  Mark had opened the door, bare from the waist up, and he pulled her inside his room to have the conversation, only for his mouth to finds hers before she could utter a word. 

They had been flirting with each other subtlety for the past few months since he returned from an injury, but she had never expected he’d do something like that.  Needless to say, the match wasn’t talked about since their mouths were busy doing other things, like tasting each other’s tongues.  Naturally, they had to stop before things had gotten too heated, but Brinley wound up giving him the keycard to her room, which is where they were at.  The moment she heard her hotel room door open, wearing just a silk robe with nothing on beneath, both knew what would happen.

It wasn’t the first time this would happen either since Brinley and Mark started their fling after that first unforgettable night.

~!~

The flirting had started off innocently enough.  He had made a smartass remark one night to her and instead of just rolling her eyes and walking away, she had shot off a zinger of her own without hesitation or fear.  Naturally, that had amused him, and things had kept going from there.  Eventually, the little quips turned into flirting and…he had meant to just talk to her, but those beautiful, pouty lips had quirked at him, probably ready to say something sarcastic or amusing, maybe both, and he had found himself kissing them.

Mark was having a hard time sleeping, which was new for him.  He knew why too, rolling over to grab his tablet off of his nightstand.  He began swiping through the cameras, cocking a brow when he seen Brinley was moaning.  He was waiting for Hades to start barking or something, alerting him to her nightmare.

Wait…was that a nightmare?

No it was not. 

She was in bliss with a man she longed to be with for so long instead of a monster that forced her into submission for six years.  That morning had been something very special because Mark had come back to bed and Brinley had given him a good morning properly.  She loved how his fingers buried in her hair and the taste of him was exquisite, unlike other men she’d been with.  Although, Mark was the ONLY wrestler she had shacked up with on the road too.  Brinley was very careful about doing that because she didn’t need a reputation for sleeping around with all the wrestlers.  That wouldn’t look good for her reputation and when Brinley needed an itch scratched, she simply went to a bar in Tampa and found someone to bring home for the night.  That was before she hooked up with Mark, then it was ONLY him until he stopped calling and texting her, or sexting, and all of his attention went to Michelle McCool.

Soon, Brinley settled back into a deep sleep, not moving or whimpering, not making any sounds, but she did have a smile on her face that was peaceful.

If anyone had known about them, Brinley would have been just another notch in Mark’s extensive belt because that was just how it worked.  She, on the other hand, would have been dubbed a ring rat and a ladder-climbing slut within the company like Sable had been.  Only Sable had actually slept her way to the top, Vince McMahon included.  People would assume Brinley was trying to further her career by knocking boots with one of the top guys.  It was a man’s world in that company, there were no two ways about it.

Well, she was smiling in her sleep, so maybe it had been an entirely different kind of dream and now he had a new problem.  Grunting, Mark put the tablet down and then smacked himself. “Go to bed, mother fucker,” He cursed, rolling his eyes when his dick just bobbed right back up, standing and waiting for attention. “Fuck…”

~!~

Moving her belongings from the log cabin into Mark’s mansion didn’t take too long since Brinley only came with two luggage cases.  Her room was much bigger than the one at the log cabin, with a bigger closet and two dressers instead of one.  She had her own master bathroom too, so that was nice as well.  Brinley didn’t understand why, but the nightmares had ceased for some reason and she was not looking a gift’s horse in the mouth.  If they were gone because she’d moved into Mark’s actual residence and she wasn’t alone anymore, so be it.  Before long, two more months had flown by with them enjoying each other’s company immensely. 

It was now May and the hot summer months were upon them with Brinley walking around in shorts and tank tops or summer dresses.  Nothing sexy or revealing, though she couldn’t wait to test out the pool Mark was currently cleaning out.  She was in a stringed red bikini with a pair of blue jean shorts on while standing on the deck and watching Mark work, sipping some ice cold lemonade she’d made earlier that morning.

“You want me to take over, so you can take a break, big man?” One thing about Brinley was she didn’t mind helping out with any chores in the house, always offering to assist Mark with one thing or another.

“Nuh uh, I got this.” Maybe it was silly of him, but he was very finicky about his pool.  Everything had to be absolutely right or else he’d end up starting all over again and that got pricey.  She had a bad habit of trying to do way too much around his house and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it; it was definitely telling that Brinley had been a housewife.  Mark figured she was comfortable that way and had also said something about her not needing to do so much around the house, but she had shut him down.  He supposed, however, if Brinley ever started trying to wait on him, they’d have to have a serious conversation.

“You just stand there and look pretty, darlin’.” He teased, peering at her over the top of his sunglasses.

Raising a brow back at him, Brinley chuckled softly with a shrug, not realizing how much it bothered Mark that she always offered to help him do things around the house. “What am I, your eye candy now, Deadman?”

“If the shoe fits.”

Brinley wasn’t sure how to respond to that since they had been quipping each other back and forth for the better part of two months, ever since she moved in here.  It made her wonder if he actually thought she was attractive.  Granted, she had the blonde hair that Mark usually went for with women, – his three ex-wives attested to the fact the man liked blondes – but she wasn’t boney like Sara and Michelle were.  Brinley had some junk in the trunk, so to speak, some meat on her bones, though she was skinny enough to be called skinny.  Toned was more the definition, Brinley didn’t look anorexic.  Honestly, she had started eating more greens and salads, trying to eat a little healthier to maintain the figure she had now, which wasn’t all that impressive in her eyes.

God, I must look like a cow compared to his ex-wives. Still, she would not slim down any further than she was now, though toning herself up a bit more wasn’t completely out of the question.  For some reason, Brinley felt the need to tease Mark a little and slid the shorts down her legs before walking over to dip her feet into the cool water, grinning back at him. “Want me to do some poses for you since I’m your eye candy?” She did one that made them both laugh with her hand on her head and the other on her side.

Michelle and Sara has been muscular, with weird angles if he thought about it, so apparently, Mark had a type.  Emphasis on HAD.  Or maybe it was their forceful personalities, because they had those in spades as well.  Brinley wasn’t forceful in that way, but she definitely had a presence that made a person pay attention.  If he were honest, there was a serenity about her that he just wanted to bask in, even with all the drivel going on around her, thanks to the psychopath who had basically dropped off the radar, outside of his wrestling schedule.  At least, that was what Chris told him.

“Not if you want this pool up and runnin’ anytime soon…and maybe when I’m not at risk of drowning.” She was all curves and there was nothing scrawny about this woman.

Her thighs squished together as she ran her feet back and forth in the water slowly, just enjoying the coolness of it.  Her blonde hair was currently up in a messy bun on top of her head, keeping it off her neck since the Texan sun was unforgiving.  It was only May and this hot already, but thankfully, they were both used to heat since they grew up in it.  Mark was from Texas and Brinley was from Florida, so they were both used to the humidity and heat. 

Maybe if Brinley had just opened her mouth and told Mark how she felt back then, they could be married right now with a child, like he had been with Michelle.  There was no used thinking about the past because it couldn’t be changed, but now…now that she was with Mark again, Brinley was afraid he didn’t look at her that way anymore.  Not to mention, she was still married to Jon and, until the pandemic let up, which wasn’t happening anytime soon, she would stay that way for the foreseeable future.

I missed my shot with him and I only have myself to blame for it.  It’s not his fault, it’s mine.  It’s all on me. Unlike other women, Brinley took responsibility for her actions and even she admitted to being partially at fault for what happened with Jon too.  There were ways out of the marriage, ways to get away from him, but all she wound up doing was playing the martyr and it had bit her in the biggest way possible. “Please, you drown?  You’re damn near seven feet tall and you’re in the shallow end right now.”

“Ma’am,” Mark’s tone was so serious, that if one didn’t know him, they’d honestly think he WAS being serious. “I’ll have you know that all it takes to drown is a half inch of water.” He was being anything but genuine.  

While that was true, mostly in regard to infants and little ones, he wasn’t at risk of drowning, unless something knocked him the hell out.  Then he had his hounds, Panic had dragged him out once.  That story involved beer, a bonfire, and some friends over during his single days.  Mark wouldn’t be telling that story, ever.  The only saving grace was there was no footage of it or else he knew Jacobs would have plastered it online somewhere.

“Oh, I better watch out, he just busted out the full ‘ma’am’ on me!” Brinley did the whole wiggling fingers at him and everything, her voice full of sarcasm with an eyeroll behind her shades.  Mark snorted, making her laugh harder and she moved to where he was at in the pool, this time sitting in front of him while he continued working on vacuuming it out. “I think it would take you a BIT more than a half an inch of water to drown, just saying.”

It was times like these Brinley wished they could’ve always been like this.  How different her life could’ve been.  Michelle had been a very lucky woman, even Sara too.  What was wrong with those women to let this incredible man slip through their fingers?  Then again, people did fall out of love just as quickly as they fell into it.  That was just how life went more times than not.

“Your shoulders are starting to get a little red from the sun.  Do you burn or tan automatically?”

“You’ve seen the drapes, I’m a ginger.  I’m going to burn like a mother fucker…” Mark deadpanned, aware he should probably be putting on sunblock because he’d be terrible looking with skin cancer, but he was also someone who had never bothered and sported a tan after that initial, painful burn.  He seen her worrying her bottom lip and shook his head. “Don’t you start.” He could already see the sunblock spiel coming on and contemplated taking the vacuum to her bikini top, smirking wickedly as the thought played itself out in his head.

“I’m not starting anything.” He can read me like a book! “You’re a grown man, so I know you’d put sunscreen on if you wanted.  Just let me know if you want me to grab it for you and I’ll put it on you since you’re still busy doing what you’re doing.” She smiled innocently at him, finding a loophole and he growled playfully, threatening to hold the vacuum up to her.  Her emerald eyes widened and Brinley was away from him in a jiffy, dancing away on the deck to let him get back to the vacuuming. “I’m gonna take Hades, Pain, and Panic for a walk while you continue doing that.  I’m bored and need something to do since you won’t let me help you with the pool cleaning.” That got another growl from him and she rolled her eyes in response, sticking her tongue out. “Yeah, yeah, I know and don’t YOU start with the whole ‘you don’t have to do everything’ spiel on me, Deadman.  Come on boys!” Brinley whistled out as all three followed her off the deck to the backyard, grabbing a frisbee on her way to play with them.

Off she went, and he just shook his head and went back to work.  Maybe about ten minutes had passed and he realized he wasn’t doing jack except the same thing he had been doing when she left.  He was STILL vacuuming the filter and it was done, had been done! “Fuckin’ distraction!” Mark growled, well aware she might fall back on her quips and maybe even some flirting, but Brinley was nowhere near ready for anything remotely sexual or even relationship.

WHERE in the hell did THAT come from?  This was what he got for playing house.  Muttering under his breath, and ignoring the old man mental spiel his brain was spewing for THAT, Mark went to get another cold beer.

Chapter 12

It was a pool on top of the roof of a hotel in Las Vegas, in the middle of summer.  There were different colored lights within the water and it made Brinley smile as she looked up at the stars, floating on her back in the pool.  It was just her, nobody else, until she heard a throat clear above her and opened her eyes to look at Mark upside down.

“Hey Deadman!” She greeted with a warm smile, moving to where she was standing up in the water and the orange bikini clung to every curve of her body. 

He was in black trunks with a towel over his broad shoulder and she grinned at the fact he would be joining her.  Mark had texted her earlier asking what she was doing that evening and she told him exactly where she’d be.  And here he was.  They hadn’t really spoken all that much since waking up together in his hotel room and it hadn’t been awkward or anything, like always.  She had simply kissed him, thanked him for a great time, and left without any conflict or drama.  It had been a week and now he was here swimming with her, and Brinley could already feel that fire igniting inside of her at the mere sight of him.

There was nothing to be awkward over, it was consensual sex among adults.  Fantastic consensual sex.  There hadn’t been any hemming or hawing this morning either, if any woman was perfect or close to it, she was there.  Mark had done flings before and they usually ended bitterly, and he had gotten pretty good over the years at spotting that first morning after, if things would go south.  Brinley wasn’t that way.

“You look all nice and relaxed, darlin’,” It was a dark drawl, a hint of something in it only a lover would possess. “Any particular reason for that, hmm?”

“Well, this water feels fantastic and it’s a beautiful night out.  It’s almost the perfect way to unwind after a long night.”

They had just finished with another pay-per-view event for WWE and would be rolling out in the morning, but for now, she was taking full advantage of using this pool.  Of course, there were OTHER ways to unwind and Brinley wondered briefly if Mark would be in the mood for a little outside fun with her.  Having sex in a bed was great, but there was something erotic about doing it in a place a person normally wouldn’t.  Maybe she had some voyeuristic tendencies deep down and that made her cheeks redden slightly.

“I have a feeling you’ll agree with me once you’re in here.”

“Woman…” His tone made it very clear that was not the answer he was looking for, but Brinley already knew it.  She was giving him a hard time; it was just her way of teasing and gently prodding at him.  Now she was aware doing that led to him rocking her world in bed.  Her cheeks had gone pink and he raised a brow, slowly making his way into the water. “Oh really?” Now it was a soft, seductive voice he used, a hint of something dark in it as he made his way towards her. “You may be right,” One large hand settled on her waist, loving how her curves were made just for his palm. “I’m feeling relaxed already…”

A lot of people in the company feared Mark for one reason or another.  He had this aura about him that was intimidating, but not to Brinley.  If anything, she found him alluring and it just made her want to unravel every piece of him, piece by piece.  Her hands skimmed down his chest, lightly dragging her nails and her eyes did not leave him, though she felt him pull her closer to him, both hands on her curvy hips now.

“Mmm, that’s good to hear…” That dark timbre in his voice just made her blood turn into molten lava, not frightening her in the slightest. “I think I have an idea on how to relax you even more, if you’re interested?”

People feared him because on-screen he had done some legendary things and off-screen, just as much.  Hell, in his younger years, he had told a pornstar he was going to make her his wife, she had recounted that, and he had never denied it.  Mark hadn’t made her his wife, but he may or may not have pounded her perky cheeks good enough to warrant a mention in her biography.  Of course, the other things she had mentioned about him, not true.  However, books had to sell so…whatever.  It had never affected him one way or another.

“If I ever turn you down, put me in a coffin.” It was both a joke, he was the Undertaker after all, and the truth.  Because if he turned her down, something was wrong with him.  

Before Brinley could shoot off a smartass remark, he kissed her, swallowing any words those sultry lips had ready to go, one hand snaking up the back of her neck to fist her thick, blonde hair.  One thing about Mark was he never hurt her and was the perfect amount of rough that she liked in the bedroom.  Not too soft, not too hard.  Perfection, or damn near close to it.  Brinley moaned, kissing him back with equal fire and felt Mark lift her from the water to wrap her legs around his waist, her own arms encircling his neck as he went a little deeper into the water.  Brinley trusted him completely, even though they’d only slept together once.  Mark would never hurt her and she didn’t plan on doing anything to piss him off.  Finally breaking the kiss for air, Brinley was breathing heavily and so was Mark, their foreheads resting against each other before she captured his mouth again, their tongues dancing together perfectly. 

Then his lips left hers to start traveling down her neck, making her head instantly lull back and she felt her back collide with the edge of the swimming pool with his body shielding her. “Mark…” She breathed out, caressing his shoulders and chest before burying her fingers in his black hair.  Gasping when he captured a nipple in his mouth to swirl it around his tongue, after untying her bikini top. “Oh fuck…” If anyone came up here, they’d get a hell of a show and Brinley did not care, her eyes drifting closed to thoroughly enjoy what this man was doing to her under the moon and stars on the roof of this hotel.

Granted, the smell and taste of chlorine was never a good thing, but somehow, this woman managed to make it worth it.  That spoke volumes and like an idiot, he’d not think about it until it was too late.  Mark did move her, however, until he could park her up on the cement, with her legs still in the water, spread just for him, so he could stand between them.  She didn’t complain that he was too broad for her, only accommodated him, arching her hips into his, purposefully brushing up against the erection the cool water could not prevent.

“Tease…” He hissed against her lips, right before drawing her bottom lip between his teeth.

“I beg to differ, I think you’re the one teasing me this time…” Brinley’s voice was lower and had a seductive tone to it, without her realizing. 

She did not think she was sexy and knew she was way out of Mark’s league.  However, if he wanted her, she would gladly have him in her bed as many times as he wanted.  Because of his height and the fact they were in the shallow end, along with his 6’10 height, Mark slid between her slick, hot folds and Brinley clung to him instantly, stretching to accommodate his size instantly.  It was almost as if Mark was made especially for her and she had no idea Mark thought the same thing about her pussy.

“Ohhh Mark…oh god…” She’d never felt so damn full in all her life and began moving with him, his face burying in the crook of her neck, their rhythm in perfect sync with each other…

~!~

The pool definitely was the trigger for that particular memory and suddenly, Brinley felt overheated, her face flushed since she’d been running around with the dogs…and recalling that incredible night with Mark.  She never thought he’d want to sex her up on top of a hotel rooftop in a pool, but it happened.  Also, it was one of those memories she had used in order to get through sex with Jon more than she cared to admit.  Glancing over at him still in the pool, his back to her, Brinley longed to feel that body of his ripple beneath her touch again, groaning under her breath and threw the frisbee again, forcing her eyes away from him.  What was she supposed to do about this?

Nothing, there’s nothing to be done about it and I hate it.

His body wasn’t the same as it had been back then because he wasn’t working out constantly, none of that.  Mark was older and a little more broken these days.  He was probably still good for giving her the ride of her life because that wasn’t something that came and went, that was a skill, and one he excelled at.  Not ashamed to admit it either, aware there was no woman who would have a complaint about him in the bedroom.  Currently, while she was fantasizing about their prior affair, he was trying to forget it because he was sporting an erection he couldn’t talk down and the beer had done nothing to help.

“Christ, c’mon…” It wasn’t as if he could jerk it in the pool, not with her there and not after getting it ready. Please…don’t come this way…

Why wasn’t the pool ready?!  She’d give anything to just dive into that cold water and swim all the way to the bottom until she had to surface for air.  This heat wasn’t helping matters either!  Brinley wondered if she could maybe sneak off somewhere to relieve her problem without Mark knowing.

Not a fucking chance!  He’d come hunting you down to make sure you were all right!  Damn it! Scrubbing a hand down her face, Brinley had never been this sexually frustrated in her life and she had no idea Mark was experiencing the same dilemma, let alone thinking about that particular time in the hotel rooftop pool.  Would he get pissed at her if she just jumped into the pool, even though it wasn’t fully ready yet? Cold shower, I could go in and take a cold shower and do it there.  He won’t suspect anything if I tell him I’m overheated and need to cool off, right? It was worth a shot at this point as Brinley made her way to the house, not realizing Mark was currently jerking off in the pool to try to get some relief himself and pretended like he was working on the pool.

The pool was beyond ready, there was nothing more he could do to perfect it.  However, if Mark didn’t talk himself down, he was going to ruin it and have to start from scratch, after lying out his backside about why the water was ‘cloudy’.  He was pretty sure that he’d rather die.  Then, like brakes squealing in his head, as she began approaching with the dogs, he felt his mind just kind of snap in place.

“Don’t come in, I’m trying to talk my cock down, darlin’.” If she came any closer or around, Brinley was going to see it anyway.

“Oh.  Okay.” She wasn’t sure HOW to respond to that and let the dogs into the house to grab some much needed water, having walked up the steps to stand on the deck. “I’m overheated from the sun baking me alive out here, so I’m gonna go take a cold shower.” Might as well be up front with him about it.  I would offer to help him out with that cock problem, but…he’d turn me down flat more than likely. “When we’re both done with our issues, I’ll start on the potato salad for the cookout.”

Mark had invited a few friends over for the night and one of them was none other than Stone Cold Steve Austin, who didn’t live too far from Dallas.  He was in San Antonio, but he was in Dallas for family reasons and had contacted Mark.  Of course, Mark had asked if it was all right with Brinley, not sure how she felt about others knowing her whereabouts and she assured him she trusted any of Mark’s friends.  Steve and Mark had been friends for years, while beating the hell out of each other, and made history in the WWE.  They were both absolute legends.  Steve’s wife, Kristin, was coming with him since they were here in Dallas for her family, so at least Brinley would have another woman in the house.  They wouldn’t be here for a few more hours though since it was still morning and hotter than Hades already.

To be honest, there really wasn’t any responding to it because it wasn’t a question.  Mark was able to get rid of his ‘problem’ by simply wondering how that would have gone down in a locker room.  Probably a lot of gay jokes, he was snorting, now trying not to laugh.  Inviting people over had not been on his menu, but when Steve had called and there had been that implied ‘invite me over you piece of shit’ in his tone.  Mark naturally ran it by her simply because, even though he trusted Steve, it was still risky.

“Pass me my towel, darlin’.” Mark called from outside the patio doors, eyeballing it, which he had left lying on the counter like a moron.

Brinley did as he requested, grabbing the towel and stepped back out onto the patio where he waited, extending it to him.  The sexual tension between them was thick in the air and Brinley wasn’t sure how to diffuse it or if she wanted to.  Much like that night on top of the hotel rooftop, her eyes scanned him, noticing right away the erection he had and remembered how it felt and tasted in her mouth.  Mark wasn’t as chiseled out of stone as he used to be, but Brinley still found him incredibly attractive and it showed in her eyes.  He stopped drying himself off with the towel, their eyes locked and Brinley started moving towards him without realizing it while he reached for her. 

That was until Brinley’s cell phone went off, which was on the kitchen counter and it snapped both her and Mark back to reality. 

More than likely, it was her brother calling to check on her and Brinley immediately answered it, leaving Mark out on the patio to finish drying off. “Hello?”

“Brin, I can’t talk long, but I need to tell you something.”

“O-Okay…Christopher, what’s going on?”

“It’s Dad, Brin.” Chris closed his eyes, hating that he had to relay this to her over the phone. “He’s got Covid and they don’t know if he’s gonna make it because of his age.  We’re…in the hospital right now and he’s on a ventilator helping him breathe.  W-We can’t see him…nobody can go in there and…” He didn’t mean to, but he started crying while standing outside of the hospital with a mask on, his voice sounding muffled.

Chapter 13

All Brinley could do was sink down on the living room couch and put her head in her hand, listening to her brother openly sob to her on the phone, something Chris NEVER did.  Their father, one of their rocks, was more than likely going to die and she couldn’t be there to say goodbye because of the pandemic. “H-He’s strong, the strongest man we know, and I’m sure he’ll be okay…” The shock had developed her and she looked up when Mark walked in to place his hand on her shoulder, the fire inside of her diminished due to the news from her brother as she relayed it quietly to him.

Maybe.  Covid seemed a little weird.  Some people, it wasn’t much different from a cold.  Others, it hit so hard that they knew things weren’t getting better.  Mark gently squeezed her shoulder, moving so he was sitting beside her and put his arm around her.  She leaned into him and he could feel her entire body was quivering, gathering those were from tears she was struggling to hold back while she talked with her older brother.

“Maybe…have you seen some of the reports on this shit?” Chris sniffled, needing to stop crying because doing it in a mask was messing his nose up and he walked away from the building, ripping the mask off, inhaling deeply.

“Yes, it’s dangerous I know that, but…but…I…” The dam broke the moment Mark’s arm tightened around her and Brinley handed the phone to him, burying her face in his bare chest, her tears soaking into his skin. “Daddy…”

She’d lost so much time with him already and this was supposed to be her opportunity to get some of that back.  Why was fate this cruel to her?  Mark murmured to Chris what was going on and promised to call them back, immediately hanging up the phone to fully embrace Brinley while she sobbed.  What would they do without their father in their lives?  Granted, she had alienated him, along with the rest of her family, to keep them safe from Jon, but the harsh reality was everyone eventually died, nobody lived forever. 

Mark grabbed the nearby tissue box and handed her some, letting her pull back to blow her nose away from him, though his arms never left her.  She needed him more than ever right now and Brinley wound up crying herself into exhaustion in his arms, not realizing Mark had pulled her to sit sideways on his lap to hold her closer to him.  There was nothing sexual about it; he just wanted to comfort her the best way he knew how and Brinley was thankful for it, clinging to him like a lifeline.

Mark was thinking the same thing.  She had isolated herself from her family for the better part of a decade, was in hiding now, and couldn’t see her family…and now this.  Now she might not have that chance to reunite properly with her parents, both of them.  He wasn’t a specialist or anything, but even he knew that when something ran so rampant that it backlogged hospitals, there was a problem.  Mark didn’t know what to tell her, what to say to make this better; he wasn’t going to tell her that her father was going to pull through this because that was in god’s hands, not his.  Simply sitting there, he held her against him, beginning to rock her back and forth while rubbing her back gently like she were a small child.

Jon never did anything like this for her, even when she lost both of their babies.  Well, one of them might’ve been Bray Wyatt’s, but that was beside the point.  Jon had been her husband at the time, regardless of what happened, and he refused to comfort her in any way after the deaths.  It was almost like they didn’t faze him at all and it made him look inhuman to her.  Hell, he was inhuman for everything he’d put her through.  Mark was the complete opposite full of warmth and comfort, two qualities Jon would never possess.

“Thank you, Mark.” She murmured, breaking the silence between them after what felt like hours and slowly pulled back enough to look up at him through red-rimmed eyes. 

This also taught Brinley something crucial, something she would carry with her from this moment until the end of her days.  Life was too damn short and she would not waste another second of it wallowing in misery.  Of course, if her father died, she would grieve him like a normal daughter would, but Brinley would not let grief swallow her whole either.

“Thank you for…for being here with me.  Fuck, I’m such a mess right now…”

Jon had the emotional range of a stunted lizard missing half its brain and that was a fact.  Bedbugs had more emotional maturity than that piece of garbage.  It actually explained a lot about him and why nothing was really damaged when Chris had taken out his eye, part of that brain back behind that socket was obviously missing.

“You have every right to be a mess, darlin’,” Mark leaned over to pluck some tissues from the box on the stand next to the couch, holding them up for her to take. “This is a shitty situation you’re in.  Do you want to try going there?” It’d be a risk, but sometimes, one had to take it. “They might let you guys see him if they think…there’s a chance he’ll pass.”

Her eyes widened at his suggestion, not expecting Mark to say something like that considering the situation she was in.  Would it be all right? “Isn’t everything locked down right now?” Mark quietly explained to her how the airports were still running and he could call in a favor to Vince to have him use their private jet. “Mark…” The tone of her voice left little room for what she wanted to do, but Brinley was also in disbelief at how GIVING this man was.  She reached up to stroke his face with her hand, feeling the little hairs from his goatee against her skin. “You would do that for me?”

It would be a huge risk they’d take to go out into the open, aware Jon was still out there lurking in the shadows.  If ANY pictures were taken of them together, he would find out where she’d been all this time and that would be the end of her staying in hiding.  Was it worth the risk to go see her dying father and her family?

“Please come with me then.  And it’s not just for protection either, I WANT you there with me to help me through this.” Now wasn’t the time to kiss him, to make a move, and Brinley knew that, but she had to convey to him somehow he was more than just a friend or a bodyguard to her. “I need you there, please…”

Sometimes, some things were worth the risks and this was one of them.  Brinley had already lost so much time with her Dad because of Jon.  If Mark could help her from losing possibly one last moment with him, he would.  If she didn’t at least try to see her father and he DID pass, she would never forgive herself, and he knew that.  Mark had a feeling she did, too, deep down.

“Not a damn thing on this earth could keep me from comin’ with you, Brinley.” Obviously not COVID and, if Jon found out about where she was clearly staying, so be it.  Jon would not cost her the chance to say goodbye if it came to that. “I’ll make the arrangements.” He kissed her forehead, hugging her again. “Hopefully, we can leave tonight.  Let your brother know.”

“Okay.”

Only Chris didn’t answer due to the fact he was with his mother, consoling her.  Their father was still hanging on, but it didn’t look promising and he didn’t know what to do for his family.  Brinley left him a voicemail, letting him know what she and Mark decided to do.  Then, Brinley made a beeline upstairs to start packing a bag while Mark did the same thing.  Mark had gotten a hold of Vince, agreeing to do one more appearance for him in the future in exchange for letting them use his private jet.  Vince thought of Mark like a son and jumped at the offer, wishing Brinley and her family well. 

Within two hours, they were on the road with Mark dropping the dogs off at a friends that lived about two miles away from him down the road.  He also had to call Steve and cancel their dinner plans, which the man completely understood and wished them well too.  They could always get together at a later time, this was far more important right now.  Without realizing what she was doing, Brinley grabbed his hand on the way to the airport and laced their fingers together, staring out the window.  Just holding his hand right now gave her the comfort and strength she needed to get through this ordeal.  He already knew the private jet was going to catch flack on the McMahons, not him, and Mark honestly didn’t care.  Even with there being a global pandemic, lockdowns were happening, and weren’t they involved in politics now?  Hence that’s why Mark offered to come back for another appearance because Vince could explain the potential fallout to his wife that way.

That wasn’t a Mark problem.  Brinley was. “Won’t take much time, darlin’.”

He’d wager they cleared TSA and everything else pretty fast too since airlines were only operating for critical situations, and obviously for people with money.  Mark had booked them a suite at an out of the way, top notch security hotel, relatively close to the hospital.  Chris obviously wasn’t going back and forth to his place every night since that drive was too far for a man concerned with losing his father.

“We can visit your brother and his family while we’re here too.” Once things were somewhat decided, one way or another.

Saying ‘thank you’ had started becoming redundant at this point when it came to Brinley.  She needed a distraction, something to take her mind off her dying father. “I’d really like that.” There was no deadline to get back to Dallas, and the dogs would be safe and well taken care of while they were gone.  Mark had assured her of that, even though Brinley didn’t question him.  There was no reason to. “I haven’t been having nightmares lately, you know.  Ever since I moved out of the log cabin into your house, they’re gone.  Maybe you have some magical power that’s like a dreamcatcher or something.” That was ridiculous to say and she grinned when Mark just raised a brow at her. “Maybe I should start referring to you as my Dreamcatcher.” Now his eyes were narrowed and she giggled softly, squeezing his hand. “Oh come on, I won’t say it in front of people, only when we’re alone.” Brinley wanted him to know, to believe, that she was fine mentally and emotionally, that she was strong enough to handle this with him by her side.

There was nothing to thank him for.  This was just basic human decency and he was in a position where he could go the extra mile for her, thankfully. “You are NOT callin’ the UNDERTAKER…Dreamcatcher…” Mark could already hear Dustin Rhodes laughing his backside off and using that if the eccentric blonde ever heard it, shuddering.  When she just smiled at him, he felt himself smiling back against his will, and heaved a mocking sigh. “Fine, but only in private.  First time I hear you say it in public, I may have to punish you.” He then wiggled his eyebrows, letting Brinley know he was just teasing her.  It was good having moments like this, given the serious situation looming over them, or over her more to the point.

“Oooh promises, promises, maybe I’ll do it just so you DO punish me, Deadman.” Now she was wiggling her brows back at him, laughing at the small quips back and forth. 

Dreamcatcher Undertaker. 

That made her giggle and Brinley wondered what Chris would think about that if she told him.  No, that probably wouldn’t be a good idea on her part.  The man would heckle Mark to the ends of the earth and she rather enjoyed having a living, breathing brother.  Brinley only witnessed Mark lose his temper once and that was when he was literally set on fire during his entrance at Elimination Chamber 2010.  They had long since stopped their fling, but she would never forget the severe burns the man had during the match and the officials had to keep giving him bottles of water to douse himself in.  Needless to say, the pyrotechnician for his entrance had fled and was fired for not listening to Mark, who had warned him the pyros were too close to him on the stage when he walked out.

“I’m curious, what kind of punishment would you give me anyway?” This was the perfect distraction and she was rolling with it.

He had some scars from that incident; if she would have brought that up, it probably would have pricked his temper because that was something he was never letting go…EVER.  It STILL raised his blood pressure just thinking about it whenever the topic was brought up. “Hmm,” Mark eyed her, finally quirking a brow.  She did have a plump, pert backside and he could just envision turning those cheeks a rosy red. “Nothin’ tops a good, old-fashioned spanking, Brin.” He could just imagine her tossed over his knee, squirming as he teased her, massaging those cheeks before delivering light-handed smacks, followed by more caressing.  Clearing his throat, Mark realized he had become a little lost in his fantasy, but the look on her face was amused, however, so there was that.

Christ, there were SO many things she could say right now, but Brinley had to bite her tongue.  She did not want to start something they couldn’t finish since he was driving them to the airport at the moment. “You won’t hear me complaining about that type of punishment, just so you know.” Sometimes, her mouth ran away with her and Brinley had zero shame, remembering a time or two when Mark had bent her over at the arenas. 

There was one time he actually took her up to the nosebleed section of the arena, she couldn’t remember which one, and while the fans were trickling in slowly, he had taken her right there.  Smacking her backside and all to get her motor revving further and boy did her pussy tingle that night!  She had been wearing a skirt that night, it was summertime, and Mark had to hold his hand over her mouth to muffle her cries of pleasure while thrusting in and out of her.  Then there was another time outside of the arena, in between the trucks, where he had taken her…and all of this happened AFTER they had sex on that hotel rooftop. 

Brinley hadn’t complained about any of it, going with the flow, and enjoyed being sexed up in different areas instead of a bed all the time.  Now that she thought about it, they even had sex in a truck just like this one in an arena parking lot after a show one night.  Yes, their past history was full of sexual encounters, lots of delicious sex, but if Brinley were to build something with Mark, something new, it couldn’t just be about sex between them anymore.  It had to be something more and, without realizing it, they’d been on that path since she started hiding out with him in Dallas.

Wait, I need to slow down right now.  He’s doing this because we’re friends and friends do things like this for each other, right?  That’s all it is.  He just wants to be my friend and here I am already thinking about building something with him.  Knock it off, Brinley!  Stop putting the cart before the horse, he’s not interested in you or he would’ve made a move by now!  He’s probably fed up with women at this point after three failed marriages, hell I would be too! Scolding herself into a peptalk was the perfect way to get off the topic of spankings and sex in general. “I feel bad that we couldn’t do dinner with Steve and his wife.  Hopefully next time they’re in town, we can have the barbeque.”

“Nothing to be done about it.” Brinley was steering the conversation back into safer, neutral territory, and he didn’t bat an eyelash.  Everything was at her speed.  She had a lot on her plate without adding him to the mix, though Mark wouldn’t complain if that’s what Brinley wanted to do. “Steve understands these aren’t normal times, so it’ll be fine.  It’s not like we can’t do it another time.” They had all summer to do it and Texas was mostly summer year round anyway.  Threading his fingers through hers without thinking about it, Mark caressed the top of her hand with his thumb. “Let’s just focus on your Dad, and him getting better.  We’ll worry about all the rest later.” Always with the ‘we’.

Brinley noticed that too. 

Mark always included her in the decisions and it was making her believe they were together, as a couple, when they weren’t.  Talking about it was pointless because she couldn’t be with him until she was divorced from Jon.  What they were doing was a huge risk because no doubt Jon would find out.  He was probably having the hospital watched from the moment Chris and his family came out of hiding to take their father there.  Still, Brinley was sick of living in fear and she’d finally started finding her true happiness with Mark.  Damn it, now wasn’t the time to come to terms with her feelings for him!  This was bad timing all the way around and yet, as she looked down at their linked hands, Brinley felt hope stir in her heart.

“Yeah, we’ll deal with one thing at a time.  Together.” Any obstacle that stepped in their way would be mowed down, including Jonathan Good.

Chapter 14

The problem was it was very easy to fall into something comfortable, even if not defined, with Brinley.  Also, she lived with him and Mark wasn’t rude; he wasn’t making decisions that affected her without talking to her about them.  He lapsed into silence and shut his eyes, figuring he’d lightly doze until they got there.  They’d go straight to meeting up with Chris, get the updates and go from there.  Mark knew there wasn’t room at any hospital to get private rooms and private physicians were probably out of the question, given there were no real specialists.  

He scrubbed a hand down his face once they had landed, glancing at her. “You ready?”

Brinley nodded without hesitation and let go of Mark’s hand long enough to grab her carry-on bag from the overhead compartment, immediately taking his again since hers wheeled behind her.  Mark lead the way off the plane, dressed in capris and a light pink tunic since it was warm here too in New York.  They weren’t in New York City, thankfully, or else it would take forever and a day to get to the hospital, even with the lockdown in effect.  People still had to go to work such as nurses, doctors, and people that could not stay at home or else the country would be in trouble as a whole.

We’re here and on our way to the hospital.  How’s Dad doing? Brinley texted her brother once they were inside the rental vehicle and Mark took her hand again while navigating out of the parking lot, both taking their stifling masks off to breathe properly.

Same as before.  They’re still not letting anyone inside.  They have triages outside along with administration people, but getting through the lines is insane. He and Jessica had been taking turns for an hour holding their spot in line, switching out for drinks and bathroom breaks. Also, got to submit to a covid check.  Hope you don’t mind being mummified. Unless you have proof you had one recently.

They did, having to do it at an on the spot testing at the last airport and their little clearance passes were good for so many days.

We already got it done, so no worries.

That wasn’t a surprise they couldn’t visit their father, who was in quarantine at the moment, but the fact Brinley was here was all that mattered.  That test sucked majorly and it felt like her brains had been touched with the tip of the stick, but it was worth it.  Anything to get on that private jet and Mark had suffered as well, all for her sake.  He really was a one of a kind man and Brinley couldn’t lose him again.

One thing at a time.  Focus on Dad right now, just like Mark said. “Chris said nobody is allowed in to see him, but I still want to go to the hospital to see them anyway.  Maybe they’ll let me in since I’ve come all the way from Texas, even if it’s for a minute.  If not, at least I’m here for…whatever happens and I can help my brother with whatever is needed to be done…and see my Mom too and everyone else.”

From his understanding, hospitals weren’t allowing jack right now, but Mark wasn’t above bribing someone if he had to.  A lot of these workers were desperately tired, hadn’t seen their families in days, or longer, and he bet several of the hundreds he had brought along just for this purpose, would go a long way.  Not that he was telling her that; he was hoping to keep her out of it, just in case the potential bribery went sideways, then only Mark would go to jail.

“One step at a time, darlin’.” There were those hopeful stories out there as well, of people who did survive.  He was hoping they had arrived in time to see that scenario.

Arriving at the hospital, everybody was wearing masks and Brinley immediately went to her mother, tears welling up in her eyes.  She hadn’t seen her Mom in person in several years, ever since she made the decision to cut herself off from her family in order to protect them. “Mom…” She whispered, wrapping her arms tightly around the older woman that looked a lot like her.  Chris looked more like their father. “I-I’m so sorry…”

“Ssshhh, none of that now, sweetheart.” Brianna murmured, stroking her daughter’s hair and held her close, almost breathing her in.  It’d been so long since she saw her baby girl and, after what Chris told her and Charlie, she had argued the safest place for Brinley was with them instead of a stranger.  The stranger in question was standing off to the side, the one who was watching over Brinley, and Brianna could tell instantly he was MUCH better than Jonathan Good. “You’re here now and that’s all that matters.  I’m glad you were able to make it.”

Pulling back, Brinley owed her mother one hell of an apology, but that would have to wait until later. “Have they said anything about Dad’s condition?”

“No change, I’m afraid, but he’s fighting and that’s what counts.  I will never give up on my Charlie.  I know he’s going to make it and come home with us.”

“Well, Mark and I are here for however long you need us, no matter what.”

“Mark, huh?  Why don’t you introduce me to your new man then?” Brianna needed a distraction, patting her daughter’s cheek gently.

“H-He’s not…”

Brianna walked past her daughter to the giant Brinley came in here with, extending her hand. “Brianna Irvine, and what’s your name, sir?” Her guard was UP and it would remain there until she was convinced this man wasn’t like Brinley’s soon-to-be ex-husband.

“Mark Calaway, ma’am.” He took her hand in a firm, mindful grip, aware that she likely already knew who he was, given her son’s career, but he didn’t blame her for the formalities, or the guard.  To be fair, he also didn’t have to impress her, but didn’t need to alienate her either.

“And you’re her new man, hmm?”

“No, I’m her friend.” That would have caught him off guard if he hadn’t heard her say the same thing to Brinley.  Would Mark mind being Brinley’s new man?  

No, not that this was a good time to be thinking about that, but that was the honest truth.

“I see.  Well, thank you for bringing her here and protecting her.” Behind the mask, Brianna was smiling because she could tell right way this man cared a great deal for Brinley.

Chris was eyeballing Brinley quietly while standing with Jessica, his arm wrapped around his wife’s shoulders.  The kids were back at the secure hotel suite resting and relaxing since there was no reason for them to be at the hospital when they couldn’t see their grandfather anyway.  What was going on with Mark and Brinley?  Was he missing something? 

Brinley was still married to a psychopath and…no, there was no way Mark thought of his sister that way. “Yeah, thanks, man.” It was his turn to hug his sister and was glad she didn’t look too worse for wear.  In fact, she had a nice tan going and he knew it had to be from the Texan sun.  He did not miss the fact Mark and Brinley were holding hands when they walked in here either, though he wouldn’t reach too much into it for now. “Anyway, how was the flight?  I can’t believe McMahon let you use his private jet.”

“Yeah, me either, but Mark set everything up, so we could get here quickly.”

Brianna smirked behind her mask, having a feeling there was way more than just friendship between her daughter and Mark. “You are taking a risk by coming here.  You know that, Brinley.”

Her head lowered, eyes closed. “I know, Mom.  I know I was supposed to stay in hiding until the divorce is finalized, but…I couldn’t NOT be here for Dad…”

Brianna wasn’t angry at her for what happened, only concerned and hurt her daughter felt she couldn’t come to them with what was going on with Jon. “I know sweetheart, I’m glad you’re here too.  I just hope Jon stays away from us and…”

“And why would I do that when my lovely wife is distraught and needs me, Mom?”

Every part of Brinley’s body tensed upon hearing that voice as she whipped around to see none other than her estranged husband, Jonathan Good, standing in front of them.  What the HELL was he doing here?!  How did he know about her father already?  Jon had a black eyepatch over his right eye, so she could only see the one ice blue orb staring daggers at her and a smirk curved his lips when Brianna immediately stepped in front of her.  Brinley began to tremble, not wanting her mother to get hurt and tried to push her mother aside, but Brianna was steadfast, refusing to let this monster hurt her daughter a second longer.

“Mom…”

“It’s all right, Brinley.  You’ve protected us long enough and now it’s time for us to protect you.” Brianna squared her shoulders, setting her jaw firmly and folded her arms in front of her chest. “I’m only going to say this once, Jonathan Good, you are NOT welcome here.  We don’t want nor need you here.  And if you don’t comply, I will have you escorted out of here by security.  You will not cause a commotion in here with all of these sick people and make more trouble for my daughter.  We can do things the easy way or the hard way, it’s your choice, BOY.  Just know, I have the police on speed dial since we expected your arrival and they will haul you off to jail if you step a TOE out of line.” Her voice remained calm, cool, and pleasant with a certain chill to it, the ice in her eyes evident while staring at this monster that nearly destroyed her daughter’s life.

Even Chris was taken aback by the tone of his mother’s voice and was right there standing beside her, keeping Jessica back to stand with Mark, and Jessica proceeded to pull Brinley away to be with them, feeling her trembling. “It’s all right, it’s all right, Brin, he won’t hurt you or any of us.”

Yes he would.  Jon didn’t care about anyone except himself and she felt the overwhelming urge to simply go to him, to stop him from whatever he was about to do.  Brinley did NOT expect her mother to react the way she did or stand up to her estranged son-in-law, feeling Mark’s hand plant firmly on her shoulder.  Silent tears slid down her cheeks as she looked up at him and placed her hand over his to let him know she was all right.

“In, uh, here, mom?” Jon looked around the parking lot they were all standing in.  Most major hospitals didn’t have room for people; they were doing outside lines like this, and Jon would love to see some spare manpower to get him out of here.

Mark was thinking the same thing, his eyes narrowed to gleaming acidic slits as he took in the other man.

Jon wasn’t fazed a bit by it either, sizing up the old man in return.  He bet one good whack on the knee and the Deadman went down hard.  Any kind of fight here would draw attention and the last place any of them needed to be was in jail, except maybe for psycho stick over there.  However, Jon knew he’d be fine in jail.  Maybe he’d even catch Covid and put everyone out of their misery.

“Leave.” Brinley ordered, refusing to let her family defend her when this was her problem in the first place. “Sign the divorce papers and leave me alone because I am never coming back to you.  Not even after this pandemic is over with.” His good eye flared upon hearing those words and she smiled serenely in return. “And nobody wants you here, isn’t it obvious?” Even though it was public knowledge what city Mark lived in, only a select few knew his exact location since he had a house within the city that was currently vacant, just to throw off the scent of pursuers, so Jon wouldn’t find them easily if he did come to Dallas.

“Haven’t you made my family suffer enough, Ambrose?” Chris ignored the one-eyed glare shot his way, moving to blatantly block his sister from the man’s sight. “She told you what to do, so I suggest you do it if you know what’s good for you.” Before he blinded Jon completely and ended the man’s wrestling career.

Brianna was already on her way to inform security of the nuisance that had shown up and wanted Jon removed from the premises since he had no other business being here.  However, minutes later, Brianna sent back with a ‘as long as there no violence’, we can’t help response.  Their resources were stretched thin as it was and with the current events and everything else going on, nobody was sparing the time to evict someone who apparently was just a pain in the backside.

Jon was dying, beginning to cackle like a hyena when his dearest mommy-in-law came back and relayed that to everyone except him.  He could still hear, however, Chris had blinded him, not taken out his hearing. The bastard. Chris was also on his hit list; Jon was a very firm believer in an eye for an eye. “Sorry mommy, I’m here for my Covid testing,” He pulled out a slip of paper. “Course, I’m in for a very, very long wait.”

LYING SACK OF SHIT!! Brinley gritted her teeth and felt warm hands on her shoulders, already knowing who it was. 

Mark was silently telling her to remain calm and he was here for her.  If she lost her temper here, of all places, things would get very ugly and that was the last thing she wanted.  Of course, Jon was lying and had scheduled the Covid testing for when she arrived because that was how the man worked.  That told Brinley one thing: He’d been searching for her and had feelers out for her whereabouts.

I hate him, I hate him so goddamn much!!  Though I have to admit, it is satisfying seeing that eyepatch on his eye.  Chris really did a number on him. “Mom, why don’t we get out of here for a while and go get something to eat?  Chris and Jess can check on the kids too.” She spoke quietly in her mother’s ear, not wanting Jon to overhear anything she said.

Chris was in agreement with his sister, aware Jon was here to play mind games and nothing more, nothing less. “I agree, they’ll call you if there’s any change and you can’t be by his side anyway right now, Mom.  Brin and Mark need to settle into their room too.” They were all staying in the same hotel suite that had strict security that not even Jon could get through.

What royally sucked was they were working.  Brinley still had nightmares about this sack of garbage and Mark knew what she had deduced.  The man had still been searching for her, probably paying people off in key areas to watch the Irvine’s and any comings and goings, all because he was obsessed with this woman.

Jon LOVED her and, sadly for everyone involved in her life, his love was very dangerous.  There was the small matter of her shacking up with another man.  Of all the men in the world, she domiciled with a washed-up, has-been, who was too fucking old for wrestling, for her, and for life in general.  Like the upstanding person that he was, Jon was going to help the senior citizen off into permanent retirement if he didn’t get his old, wrinkly hand off Brinley.

“Brin, babe, you should probably think about the repercussions here, especially when all I’m trying to do is fix things between us.”

Chapter 15

“Everyone knows, Jon.”

Didn’t he understand that? 

Didn’t he understand that he was OUTED and being watched even as they spoke? 

The police were all informed about him and the ONLY reason he wasn’t behind bars was due to the fact there was no evidence from the Tampa fire and the carbon monoxide poisoning. “Everyone knows what your ‘repercussions’ are and they’re not afraid of you anymore, just like me.  I’m only going to say this once, so pay attention: I NEVER loved you.  I NEVER wanted you.  My heart was NEVER yours and it NEVER will be.  You stole my happiness away from me for six years and I’m telling you right now, you’ll have to KILL me first before I ever come back to you.  There is no fixing us.  There is no US anymore.  I love someone else and it’s NOT you, so sign the papers, get out of my life, and stay away from me.” That was all spoken in a cool, quiet tone because Brinley did not want to cause a scene and have her family kicked out of the hospital. “Goodbye, Jon, enjoy your miserable life alone.  It’s what you deserve.” All it would take was Jon stepping a TOE out of line and he would be arrested immediately.  It also didn’t help Jon that not only was social media even more active these days, but also technology had advanced to the point where he really had to be careful with what he did being a B-celebrity as a professional wrestler and all.

“Last warning, Ambrose, stay away from my family or else I’ll take your other eye, assclown.” Chris pounded his back none too gently, having uttered that right in the man’s ear, and left the hospital grounds with his family.

Keep your head on a swivel and don’t look behind you, don’t show him you’re scared out of your mind right now.  Mark is here, Chris is here, he can’t hurt you anymore or control you. Brinley was giving herself a peptalk, trying like hell to keep herself from having a full-blown panic attack and continued walking towards the rental with Mark’s hand firmly clasped in hers.

Well, looked like his wifey was in bed with the Deadman and that just wasn’t happening at all.  Technology had always been a thing; Jon had always been a step or two ahead.  If she thought for a second he still couldn’t be, Brinley was out of her mind and he bet she knew that deep down inside.  He walked away from the hospital, lighting up a cigarette and stood on the sidewalk, just barely off grounds as he stared at the building where his poor, sick father-in-law was housed.  Probably on an oxygen machine if he had to guess.

“Hmm…” Jon went crossed eyed, not that it showed since he only had one eye, focusing on the tip of his cigarette.

The problem for Jon was nobody was allowed inside the ICU rooms, not even loved ones, due to the quarantine.  It was very strict and with only one eye, he would stand out like a sore thumb.  There was no way to bribe the nurses or doctors either to let him inside.  Everybody was extremely tired and working around the clock to watch out for the Covid patients.  He would have to find another way to end Charlie’s life because it wouldn’t be messing with his oxygen machine or anything of the sort.  In a way, the pandemic was Jon’s worst nightmare and stopped him from doing whatever he wanted.

Brinley was silent on the way to the hotel, which wasn’t far away from the hospital and could already feel the overwhelming urge inside of her to go back.  What if Jon did something to her father?  What if he found a way and killed him?

Daddy…please be safe.

Killing her loved ones would not make her go back to Jon, didn’t he understand that by now?  Didn’t he grasp that concept?  The man she loved, who she longed for all these years, who was currently driving them to the hotel…that was who Brinley wanted to be with. 

It wasn’t until they arrived in the safety of their room that Brinley finally spoke, turning to face Mark while setting her luggage down on the bed. “I don’t regret coming here…nor what I said to him.  And I won’t let him chase me away from here either.  But I would be lying if I said I wasn’t terrified right now and not for me, but for everyone else…including you, Mark.” I can’t lose him, not after all this time!

“I am not worried about that little pissant, darlin’.”

Mark might have been on the straight and narrow these days, but there would always be that darkness within.  The darkness that had served him well all those years ago in the creation of the Undertaker character.  What was that saying?  The best characters were those that were their true selves in reality, just amped up to ten?  Needless to say, if that moron even popped a toe over Mark’s property line, he’d be fertilizer or dog food; it just depended on the mood Mark would be in at the time.

“I’d be more concerned about the hospital.” Jon had already done some seriously erroneous activities and he wouldn’t put it past the other man to do something to a hospital; he was just that deranged. “I don’t know if tellin’ him you loved someone was a good idea though, that’s just going to fuel him.  Why’d you say that?” Mark figured she was needling her husband, which was not smart.

Brinley shut her eyes, heaving a sigh and walked over to stare out the window, resting her forearm against the glass above her head. “Because it’s the truth.  He needs to know there’s no chance in hell I’ll ever go back to him, no matter what he does.  He scares me, but I won’t let that fear control me either.  It probably wasn’t the smartest thing to say to him, given the type of maniac he is, but it just kinda…popped out.  I wasn’t really thinking and just let my emotions override my mouth.” It happened a lot.  She was only human and made mistakes like everybody else on planet earth. “And you should be worried about him because now he knows I’ve been staying with you.  That puts you danger, Mark.  And the hospital should be okay, I don’t think he’s stupid enough to pull something there, not with the lockdown, security, and everything.”

Mark wasn’t sure he had been expecting her to say, finally focusing on the final bits. “I’m not worried about him, I already told you that.  He doesn’t scare me.” Maybe that was arrogant, but he hadn’t survived some of the things he had by living in fear and he also wasn’t a dumbass either.  Mark knew how to play the survival game with the best of them. “And I don’t know about the hospital…we know what he can do on a smaller level already.  With the pandemic going on, shit could easily be brushed aside as an accident.” They had all seen where the focus was these days, which was on Covid-19. 

Never mind anything else going on in the world.

Brinley swallowed hard, wondering if Mark was right in that assumption.  Luckily, he didn’t push her on the whole ‘love’ topic and she was thankful for it.  There was no way she could tell him she loved him, not now, not with everything going on. “Fuck, you’re right.”

What could she do though?  Go crawling back to Jon on her hands and knees, begging his forgiveness?  Would the police do anything?

“And he would too.  He would…hurt others just to teach me a lesson.  He threatened to kill everyone at my parents’ 35^th wedding anniversary party me and Christopher had for them, all to keep me in check as the perfect wifey.” Wiping her tears away angrily, Brinley didn’t look away from the window and continued ranting quietly. “I’m so sick of this, I just want him to leave me alone and he won’t until he’s fucking dead at this rate.” Jon was a cockroach, capable of outliving her and everyone else and he would burn the world to cinders if it meant making Brinley pay for her insolence against him. “I don’t know what to do anymore.  I don’t want to be responsible for people getting hurt and killed because of me…” Please Jon, please stop this nonsense and just leave me alone!  Let me be happy with the man I really love.  If you loved me as much as you claim, you would do that for me.  You would walk away and let me live the rest of my life the way I want to.

Scrupulously, Mark didn’t want to be right and he was praying that he was being overly cautious, over the top in this whole paranoia.  However, if everything they had said Jon had done was true, and he believed them, then usually with psychos, smaller acts of insanity eventually escalated into larger acts.  Driving a car into the ocean with his wife in it, on top of the other actions, definitely counted as acts of insanity.

“Well, either he’s going to wind up dead or we need to get his ass caught and sent to prison.” Those were basically the only options and he moved to take her by the shoulders, pulling her back into him. “And you’re not the one responsible for anyone bein’ hurt, darlin’, that’s all on him and it’s how he thinks he controls you.” Obviously, she couldn’t give in.  

Did Brinley really say that she loved someone else just to needle the man?  Everyone could make a mouth mistake, but that was a big one.  Mark needed to stop going back to that, unsure why it bothered him so much.

“I will never go back to him, I promise you that.” Just like Brinley had promised her brother when she confessed everything Jon had done to her. “I’d rather die than go back to him and that miserable life, if you can even call it that.  I’m happy where I am now.  I’m happy living with you in Dallas and the life I’ve started to have there.  And I won’t give that up just because he’s a psycho, who can’t take no for an answer.” Brinley leaned her head back against his chest, feeling his big hands begin to massage her shoulders gently, trying to ease some of the tension out of her body. I love you, Mark.  You’re the one I told him about.  I just wish I had the courage to tell you.  It’s not right being in love with you when I’m still married to that lunatic. The pandemic was suddenly both a blessing and a curse as far as her situation was concerned.

“Tell you what, how about I draw you a nice, hot bath and you can relax, hmm?  I’ll see what I can order up for dinner too.”

It had been an emotionally and mentally exhausting day for her, well…he was assuming that.  Mark was probably right because her entire body was still a little tense and her face looked pinched.  He’d bet his left nut that she had night terrors tonight.  He wasn’t Hades, but he’d do his best to help her through them regardless.  Brinley liked the life she was starting to have, she liked living with him in Dallas, so would he be an old fool if he suddenly started thinking about the future they could have together?

“Mmm, you’re too good to me.” She murmured, melting into his hands as he moved from her shoulders down her arms and Brinley knew this was a crossroads moment.  They had sex before, so it wasn’t like this was new territory for them.  Would it be out of line if she made a move on him?  Did Mark even want her? “I’d relax a lot more if you joined me.”

Turning, deep emeralds looked up into jade and she reached up to caress his face with her hand.  Suddenly, they were back in 2007, standing in the middle of his hotel room, and his hands were on her hips, hers on his face, and Brinley had accepted Mark’s kiss.  This time, it was her turn to kiss him first, so Brinley leaned up and softly kissed him, every part of her body warming from the inside out when Mark began reciprocating it.  She was still a married woman, but at that moment, Brinley had gone back in time and she was a single woman with a single gorgeous man and they both wanted each other.  However, at the same time, it was different all these years later because it wasn’t just a fling anymore...it was something much, much more.

“Darlin’…” His breath was harsh, his body informing him Mark was being a stupid cock block, who hadn’t gotten laid by anyone except Rosy Palm and her five daughters in quite some time. “You don’t have to…” Feel obligated to me or anything, he finished in his head.

Aware she did given he had provided her with a safe place to live, along with everything else he had done for her, very recently at that.  Searching Brinley’s eyes, seeing the confusion turning into amusement, it then clicked for him.  He had his very own ‘oh’ moment, normally reserved for chicks in romance movies and it all just clicked. 

Without another word, Mark captured her lips again, pulling her up tightly against his massive frame.

That was the beauty with them. 

No words had to be said when eyes conveyed what they were truly feeling inside.  Brinley didn’t have to be romantic and say the words and the same went for Mark.  As long as he knew and he wasn’t completely oblivious to how she felt, that was all that mattered to Brinley.  There was zero obligation to him, Brinley didn’t feel obligated with Mark the way she had with Jon because she WANTED to be with Mark unlike Jon. 

Another flashback entered her mind as Mark lifted her to be eyelevel with him, the kiss not breaking and her legs encircled his waist, his hands moving beneath her backside to hold her against him.  Only when they both needed air did the kiss break and those sparks between them from back in 2007 were stronger than ever, two different colors of green swirling together while their eyes remained locked.

“Fuck me, Mark.”

Things were different now compared to what she’d said to him all those years ago during their first encounter in his hotel room.  Was a bath together too soon?  Maybe Mark wanted to take things slower since they already had their fling back in 2007.  What if that was all he was looking for though?  Would Brinley be able to do just a fling with him after everything that happened?

If that’s all he wants from me, I’ll take it and live with it.

It felt like taking two steps back, which would sort of be what they were doing, if they totally backed off where they were in this exact moment, was stupid since they had been together several times intimately.  However, things were a lot different now.

Fuck it.

Scooping her up, Mark carried her to the massive bathroom, complete with a giant tub that would easily fit them both.  He had spared no expense on this suite, wanting the security as well as privacy it afforded, and now it seemed to be the best money he had ever spent.  Setting Brinley down on the massive counter before turning to get the water going, he adjusted the additional taps that added relaxing oils, his voice rumbling back at her.

“Undress.”

Chapter 16

Without hesitation, Brinley pulled the tunic over her head and dropped it the bathroom floor before unfastening her bra from the front, pulling it off as well to let it join the tunic.  She had to slip from the counter and didn’t try to cover herself or anything because he had seen her naked.  It had been over a decade, but for some reason, Brinley didn’t feel the least bit self-conscious when it came to Mark compared to Jon.  With Jon, she felt like she had to look perfect at all times and it had gotten to be exhausting. 

With Mark, she could just be herself, imperfect body and all.  The shorts were gone seconds later, along with her panties, and Brinley was silently thankful she had groomed herself a few days prior, so she didn’t have a full bush going on below the belt.  She could’ve grabbed a towel to cover herself up, but what was the point?

“Now you undress.” She ordered, hopping back up on the bathroom counter and smirked at his raised brow. “Unless you want some help with that?”

Simply holding up a finger, Mark was too busy drinking in the view she had presented to him.  He was long past, long out of the phase of wanting a ‘perfect’ woman.  What had maybe been his ideal of perfection a decade ago was no longer what he looked for.  She wasn’t out of shape, but she was soft, with curves, and he could tell she wasn’t in her 20s anymore, but Brinley didn’t look her actual age either.

“Sorry, had to admire the view,” He chuckled when she fidgeted, shaking his head as he peeled his shirt off, tossing it aside. “I can undress myself.  Get in the tub, woman.”

The trick would be not killing himself joining her, providing Mark didn’t kill himself taking down his jeans, which had been stifling the erection he was proudly sporting.  Chewing her bottom lip, Brinley slid off the counter again and glided her hand right across his bare backside since he had dropped his jeans, always going commando.  That hadn’t changed about him and he still had a backside any woman would admire and worship.

“Mmm, just as I remembered.” She purred teasingly before leaving him to finish undressing, stepping into the hot liquid. 

One thing about Mark was he loved hot baths and showers as much as she did, though Brinley didn’t make them scalding hot.  She had no reason to cleanse herself of Jon’s touch anymore, which was the only reason why she’d made them borderline boiling.  The jacuzzi tub was huge and she scooted back to give Mark plenty of room to join her as the jets continued bubbling the water, though there were no bubbles.  Mark could still see her body through the water and Brinley couldn’t take her eyes off him.  They’d never shared a bath before, but there had been plenty of shower sex in the past – delicious shower sex quickies usually in the morning that left her feeling tingly all over for the rest of the day.

“You still look as sexy as hell, even at your age.  I hope I look half as good as you do when I’m in my 60s, Deadman.”

“Ain’t nobody in their sixties yet, woman, let’s not go pushing it.”

Mark wasn’t far off and did not need any more reminders, narrowing his darkened green eyes at her even as he settled himself properly in the tub, draping his long arms along the side.  He was tempted to tap her with his foot when he heard her chuckling, huffing and dropped his head backwards to let the steam engulf him.  How they went from that phone call that had her in tears and panic over her father and Covid, to her confrontation with Jon in the hospital parking lot, to this moment right now, was beyond him.

Sometimes the universe worked in mysterious ways and he found himself grinning. “In love with someone, huh?”

Mark was 55 and didn’t look a day over 30 in Brinley’s eyes.  Others would judge him for sure and had.  She saw the horrible things fans said about him online, especially during his last match against AJ Styles.  People were brutal about the cinema of it all and hated that they couldn’t perform in front of a live crowd.  Brinley had to stop herself from crucifying some of those people online and closed out of her laptop because she was 41 and needed to act her age, instead of reacting like a child to keyboard warriors. 

Another crossroads moment – did Brinley play coy or flat out tell him the truth? “Yeah, you might know him.” Coy and playful it was. “He’s around your height and is incredibly sweet and kind with the biggest heart, though he doesn’t want anyone to know that.  Might ruin his badass reputation and all.” And I’m hoping he feels the same way about me.

“Hmmm… sounds like a good man.” She was playing with him now, so Mark could return the favor and let his head drop back again. 

Closing his eyes to enjoy the heat of the water doing wonderful things for the tension in his body he didn’t even realize he had been carrying around today.  He supposed he should have, given the circumstances that had brought them right here.  It was insane, almost, how today was ending.  Mark liked to say that things never really surprised him anymore, but right now, her with her in a giant jacuzzi tub and naked as the day they were born…he was a bit surprised.

“That he is.” Brinley could feel the tension leave her own body and a huge weight lifted from her shoulders. 

Was it wrong that the weight had nothing to do with Jon’s appearance at the hospital?  Probably.  She didn’t care because the man in the bathtub with her was the one she wanted to be with.  Moving to crawl up the length of his body, Brinley sat right on his lap straddling him and slid her hands up his muscular chest while leaning forward, brushing her mouth against his.  Those tingles and sparks instantly flew all over again, much like they had out in the other room.

“The best I’ve ever met in my life.” His arms tightened around her since she was laying on top of him now and Brinley pressed her forehead to his, their noses touching.  “I tried, Mark.  I tried so damn hard not to fall in love with you.  We made that agreement not to fall in love with each other, no strings attached back then, and I fought it with everything I had.  And I honestly thought those feelings were gone when Chris brought me to you, but I was wrong.  The moment I saw you again, after all this time, I slowly realized I was still in love with you after all this time.”

Her ‘love’ for Jon wasn’t real, it was an illusion because Brinley’s heart had always been in Mark’s iron grasp and now at least he knew.  Whatever happened from here on out, even if Mark didn’t feel the same way about her, Brinley would accept and live with it.  The only thing she refused to be was a fling; she would not subject herself to being friends with benefits, not with a man she was in love with.

“Why didn’t you say anything back then?” He knew the agreement, but also had known then that feelings came into play.

At the time, it was one of the reasons Mark had considered her the perfect woman, because she supposedly hadn’t let emotions become part of the fling.  It had indeed been no strings attached.  He understood now that she had hidden them, and in the end, here they were anyway.  Mark knew, as much as it disgusted him, that at that time in his life, he would have maybe walked away from her.  Maybe.  Brinley had always been something special to him, so maybe he wouldn’t have.  Either way, now it didn’t matter and he wasn’t going anywhere.

“Never mind, I know why, darlin’.”

“I was scared to tell you back then.  It was the fear of losing you.  And then you started dating Michelle, after ending our arrangement, and all I could do was wish you well and watch you walk away.  I just wanted you to be happy, Mark, even if it wasn’t with me.” Brinley never thought they’d be having a conversation like this in a jacuzzi tub in a hotel suite, of all places, while her father was on his deathbed, fighting for his life. And I lost you anyway to another woman because I was too scared to tell you how I felt.  I’m such an idiot. “Just so you know, it had nothing to do with your career or your status in the company.  I didn’t care about that.  I wasn’t fucking the Undertaker, I was fucking Mark Calaway.  I didn’t care if the whole world found out about us and what we were doing because I was happy.” That included her brother finding out as well; Brinley had never been scared of that happening either. “I screwed up, I made one of the biggest mistakes of my life not telling you back then, and I planned on telling you after I was divorced from that psycho.  I guess I’m really bad at timing, huh?”

He couldn’t bring himself to regret his marriage to Michelle because he had loved her and he had gotten some beautiful children out of the package.  He also knew, better than most people, that sometimes, timing was everything and there was a very strong possibility that they – he and Brinley – wouldn’t have worked out at that point in their lives. “No, it’s perfect timing because everything happens at its own pace, in its own time.” Mark very firmly believed that some things just couldn’t be rushed. “Maybe we just had to go through our own paths before they came back together, darlin’.”

That was true too. “You’re right, can’t argue with that logic.  To be honest, I didn’t think you’d want me after all these years.”

Brinley would never want Mark to regret any of his marriages or his children.  Sometimes, people just fell out of love with each other and they had to go their separate ways.  At one time, Brinley did love Jon, which was messed up in itself, but she wasn’t in love with him, not the way he wanted her to be.  Her heart had already been stolen long before they met and she could never love someone who threatened her loved ones.

“I’m glad I was wrong in that assumption.” What would Chris think about them let alone her mother, after she made it clear at the hospital Mark wasn’t her new man? They’ll have to deal with it because I refuse to lose him or let him go again. As much as she loved her family, Brinley would be selfish this time and put her happiness above everyone else’s for a change. “I love you, Mark, I always have and I always will.  Sorry it took me so long to tell you.”

He was shaking his head at her with a gentle smile, leaning forward to brush his lips against hers while tightening his hold on her in a brief hug. “I love you too, darlin’.” Mark had been coming onto that realization for a while now, especially when moments would hit him back home where he found himself envisioning their future together.  It was hard to ignore the truth when a person began slipping into those kind of fantasies, they were stark slaps to the face.  Then he began snickering, pulling back to look at her. “Your Mom is going to shit a brick, you know that?”

The hole that had been inside her heart all these years finally filled upon hearing those words from him.  Never in her wildest dreams or fantasies did Brinley think she’d hear those words from Mark’s lips.  Yet here they were and she couldn’t wipe the smile off her face, not wanting to.  Mark made her happy.  Mark was her home and her happiness.

“I’m more concerned about my brother than Mom, honestly.” Brinley chuckled softly, finding it amusing and could see the evil gleam in those jade eyes. “They’ll be fine with it and if they’re not, as much as I love them, nothing is stopping me from being with you.” I really need to find a new lawyer and try to get this divorce finalized as soon as possible.  I don’t want that hanging over our heads for the rest of our lives.  Also, there’s the matter of Michelle and how she’s going to react to this too.

Given how Michelle was dating again, Mark seriously doubted she was going to care.  Her only concern would be if the kids were fine with it and he had no intentions of letting his kids come into play until this situation with Jon was settled.  Mark had been going out for visitations since Brinley had come to stay with him, making time for his family off the property.  He had barebones explained that he had a friend living with him, who was in a bad way and that had been it.  Now, if Michelle knew about the psycho’s actions, she would have flipped her lid, but…that wasn’t exactly widely known information.

“Your last man set a pretty low bar, so I bet Chris is happy as shit you decided on me.” Probably not, Chris would perhaps want her to be single and a nun for the rest of her life.  He supposed he didn’t blame the man since Mark would likely feel the same way if it was his sister this was happening to. Sucks to be Chris.

“I don’t even consider Jon as my last man, considering he threatened my family and forced me to marry him.” Brinley snorted, feeling Mark rub her back and snuggled further against him, just enjoying being this close for the first time in years. 

Granted, he had comforted her back at his house, but it wasn’t intimately like this, the skin contact and everything that came with it.  She also knew about Mark’s visitations to his children that he’d done while she was living with him and hadn’t questioned it.  That was another thing about Brinley, she didn’t question anything Mark did because she fully trusted him.  With Jon, it had been a completely different story, there was zero trust.

Is it wrong to feel this happy and content with everything going on with Dad and now Jon being here? “I trust you’ll protect me, Mark.  I won’t do anything to betray your trust and I’ll follow your lead with this situation, no matter what.”

About the only thing he could see becoming a problem between them was if this situation with Jon either dragged on or escalated because he couldn’t keep his kids from coming to his house for months on end. It had already been a couple and they were used to spending half their time there.  However, Mark wasn’t exposing them to this danger either because then he’d wind up in prison and he had way too much to lose because of one deranged sociopath, who couldn’t no for an answer.  

He refused to think about that right now; he had other things, immediate matters, right here in his arms and on his lap. “Well, no matter what could be a steep order, Brin.  I don’t want you to be mindless, darlin’.” Mark wanted an equal.

“I’m aware of that.  I just want you to know that I trust your judgment and I won’t be a martyr, not like last time.” Brinley really hoped they could solve this issue with Jon sooner rather than later.  She didn’t want the last name Good anymore.  She wanted to be Brinley Irvine and maybe even Calaway later down the road.  A last name she could be proud of. “This bath was a great idea, but I have an even better one.”

“Oh yeah, what’s that?”

Brinley slid off his lap and stepped out of the bathtub with Mark following suit moments later, wrapping a towel around her with his strong tattooed sleeved arms. “Mark…” She sighed out as soon as his mouth connected to her neck, on the spot that turned her to jelly and her fingers instantly delved into his semi wet black hair, her towel disappearing as well as he pulled it from her body.  She was dry enough and wet in all the right places, a soft gasp escaping her as his fingers began to play with her bundle of nerves. “D-Don’t you wanna know what my idea is?” He lifted her in his arms and carried her out of the bathroom to the nearest bed, the one designated for him at the time, and planted her on it before immediately joining. “Mmm, great minds think alike.” They had always been in sync with each other in that way, especially now that she’d moved in with him. “Much better…”

To be fair, she wasn’t hard to read and the moment she had brought her delicious backside to him in the tub, Mark had known she wanted more than just a chat.  Some things, one just knew about a person, especially when they had been intimate with them in the past.  They had been intimate quite a few times, her body language was something that had been seared deep into the deepest parts of his ‘man’ brain.  Mark also knew right where to go and how to touch her, rather enjoying the familiarity of her body as he purposefully manipulated her.  He had deposited her on her back and he was on his side, just so he could see her entire body, eyes darting from his fingers working their magic and then back to her face, enjoying the way her cheeks were beginning to flush.

Getting reacquainted with each other’s bodies had taken some time and Brinley had never felt so much ecstasy in her life, from her head all the way down to her toes.  They had only done foreplay up to this point with Mark tasting her and her trying to reciprocate, but he had stopped her from doing so.  The first push past her slick folds made Brinley instantly cling to him for dear life and it felt as if she was truly home.

“Oh god, Mark…oh fuck…”

It felt perfect, just like it did all those years ago and it was like they’d never stopped having that fling.  Their bodies molded together, the unity between two people who had found their way back to each other and the intensity of it off the charts.  It wasn’t just sex between them though, this was something much more now that they’d both confessed to each other how they felt.  Love made all the difference as Mark lifted her, showing her age was just a number and captured her mouth in a hot, searing kiss that left her breathless.

Needless to say, neither had gotten much sleep that night due to both making up for serious lost time.

Chapter 17

“Your father passed away last night, Brinley.”

In the morning when Brinley woke up, she got a call from her mother.  Her father had passed away due to the ventilation system going haywire, which had been breathing for him.  Jon had actually done it.  All Brinley could do was sit there in bed, still naked, silent tears pouring down her cheeks while her mother sobbed to her on the other line.  There was no doubt in her mind who was responsible for this and Brinley suddenly felt sick to her stomach, bolting out of the bed, dropping her phone to empty the contents in the toilet.

“No…NO!!” Gripping her hair between her fingers, she shook her head and knew this was Jon’s way of punishing her for embarrassing him on national television, as well as trying to divorce him. “No…Daddy…” I HATE YOU, JONATHAN GOOD!!!  I FUCKING HATE YOU!!!!

There would be no proof or any ties to anything because Jon had been shacked up all afternoon after that parking lot confrontation and night with his buddy.  He had an airtight alibi and security camera timestamps proving it if anyone even said a word.  Of course, levying those accusations against him would have been a pretty big deal and require proof.  

Not happening.

Now…the homeless, drugged out of his mind addict, who had gone wandering a little too close to some important looking machines inside the hospital, when nobody was looking…if he survived, he was in a world of trouble.

Jon watched the morning news by himself, since his buddy had just finally left.  He was sitting on the hotel room floor, a bowl of cereal in his hand, in just his sweatpants while taking in the disaster.

Huh.  Poor homeless fucker.  He had died too.

~!~

“It was Jon, Christopher, it had to be!” Brinley was yelling while smoking a cigarette, something she rarely did these days, but after the death of her father, nicotine was needed.  She was on the hotel suite veranda while Mark was on the phone with Michelle, explaining where he was and why.  Of course, leaving out the fact his new girlfriend’s psychotic estranged husband had been the real reasoning behind Charles Irvine’s death.

“Brin, don’t you think I fucking know that?  But there’s NO PROOF and without it, we’re fucking sunk!” Chris was beyond emotional, the amount of turmoil and defeat in his voice distinctive. “Don’t even think about going back to him, you hear me?”

Brinley had thought about it, aware all of this would end if she just went back to Jon and became his sex slave wife again.  Mark was also in danger and so was Michelle and his children too.  All because of her.  This all happened because Jon had become obsessed with her in a way that Brinley never fathomed could happen.  Her father had paid the price for her insolence and now…now she didn’t know what to do.

“I know…”

“Brinley Anne, I will have Mark LOCK you up in Dallas, to where you can’t escape, if you don’t promise me right now you won’t go back to him!  We lost you for all those years and Mom has suffered ENOUGH!”

“I KNOW THAT!  I KNOW SHE HAS!  I KNOW WE ALL HAVE!” She bellowed back, her voice trembling as she took another deep drag from her cigarette, her entire body shaking from head to toe. “I won’t do it.  I won’t go back to him.  I made a promise, didn’t I?”

“Damn right you did, and if you break it, I’ll never forgive you or speak to you again.  We’ll find a way out of this and we’ll expose that bastard for what he did, somehow.” Chris wasn’t sure how yet; he had to first console his grieving mother, bury their father and that all took steps.

One step at a time was all they could do now.

Are you happy now, Jon?  Are you happy making me miserable? “I’d rather die than go back to him, Christopher.  It will never happen.”

Chris was a little concerned that it could come to that, his mind racing every which way in his grief.  His mind was actively seeking ways to avoid that pain that kept threatening to drown him.  His mother was in bed, sedated, with Jessica sitting with her.  He would never, ever forget those wails in his life, his mother screaming for the man who had been her partner for the majority of her life, just ripped away from her.  They had known it was likely with Covid, but this was something else entirely.  This had torn all hope from them.  Their Dad wasn’t the only one who had died either; he didn’t even want to think about that.  There had been at least a dozen and if not for the fact that it was being blamed on some random homeless man, this would have been classified as a mass murder.

“I love you.” He murmured quietly, running a hand down his face to wipe away the tears that hadn’t stopped at all since the news broke.

“I don’t know how you could after everything that’s happened…” Brinley was in agony, staring out at the skyline and gripped the railing with her shaking hand. “He’s never going to stop, brother.  He’s going to keep coming after me, even after our divorce is eventually finalized.  That means Mark and everyone I know and love is in danger…and I don’t know how to stop him.  I don’t know what to do…” She couldn’t put Mark at risk anymore or his own family, it wasn’t right or fair to him. As much as I love him, I can’t be with him right now.  Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be… Christ, her chest felt like it would burst from how much pain she felt and Brinley knew it was her heart splintering down the middle all over again. “Tell me, truthfully, do you think it’s as good idea for me to go back to Dallas with Mark or should I stay with you and the family?”

“You’re going back to Dallas,” Mark’s was about the only place that Jon probably couldn’t find, not immediately anyway.  Chris knew he was already going to have to relocate his family.  Jessica was sitting with Mom on her cell phone, probably already working on it. “For now.” He added in amendment, unsure what to do right now outside of the obvious: Grieve and probably panic.  The man had used a proxy to commit a mass murder during a pandemic!  He was in the same boat as Mark; Chris had kids to think of, to protect.

Would Jon really go that low, though?

Who said he already hadn’t?  They hadn’t released the information of the deceased to the public, just immediate family so far.

“I’m sorry, brother.  I’m so, so sorry…” I’m going to make him suffer as much as he’s made me suffer.  I’m going to make damn sure Jon feels the same pain he’s made me feel.  And to do that, I have to do things my own way.  An eye for a fucking eye.

Brinley knew exactly who to target, who meant more to Jon than her, and an evil smile crossed her face at the thought of taking someone precious from her estranged husband.  Sometimes, a person had to do what they had to do, to be a villain, in order to get their point across, in order for them to find happiness.  Ending the call with her brother, Brinley made another phone call and the necessary arrangements, under a false name, to get the job done that she wanted.

I’m going to take the same thing you took away from me, you piece of shit! 

A few hours later, Jon received a call that his mother had been raped and killed on her way home from work.

There were no ties that would link Brinley either and what Mark and her family didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them.

If Mark would have known, he would have probably washed his hands of the entire situation.  There was going after one’s abuser and going after innocent bystanders, and he wasn’t a firm believer in going after the bystanders.  There was that fine line.  That was probably what differed psychopaths from good guys doing bad things.  

As it was, he was simply there with her, trying to console Brinley as she grieved her father. “Darlin’, you’re going to make yourself sick.” Mark whispered, sitting on the edge of the bed with his hand on her back while she cried.

Jon was well aware Brinley didn’t have the stones to do something like this, already abandoning New York to head back home.  Was this karma?  No.  He didn’t believe in that.  This was just horrible luck and Cincinnati wasn’t called the Nasty ‘Nati for the hell of it, it really was nasty, cruel, and unforgiving.

Of course Jon would never think she’d do something as heinous as having his mother raped and killed.  The rape part she didn’t mean to happen, but Brinley also didn’t feel an ounce of guilt or sympathy either.  Her father was probably scolding her from the great beyond and then she immediately pushed that thought out of her head.

No! He was dead and gone, all because of Jon! “I’m okay.” She whispered, leaning against him as his arm wrapped around her body to hold her close, her face burying in his chest. “Just gotta get it out, you know?”

No funeral could be held due to the lockdown for the pandemic, so they had no alternative except to have her father cremated.  It just cemented the fact in her heart that Brinley did the right thing and she would never think about it again now that the deed was done.  The hitman had contacted her to let her know, she had sent him the money for the job, and he would be nowhere near Cincinnati by the time Jon arrived.  They would never speak again, it was done, and now Brinley could go back to Dallas, knowing Jon would be preoccupied with his mother’s death, while Chris relocated everyone.

“I want to go home, Mark.  Our flight leaves tonight, right?”

“I delayed it.” Mark thought she would want to spend some time with her Mom, a little curious when she made a face. “Darlin’, you need your family right now.  Your Mama needs you, all her kids.”

He didn’t want to imagine that kind of pain, losing a partner of so many years the way she had.  Without a goodbye or anything, it made his heart do some painful clenching in his chest.  He had absolutely no idea that Brinley had even bought herself time to do that, to stay with her family, since Jon had gone flying straight back to Cincinnati, where he would be occupied for days with his mother’s death and funeral arrangements.

“You did?” Brinley looked up at him with wide eyes, not wanting to keep him away from his own life and family any longer. “No wonder I love you so much.  Thank you, Mark.” She hugged him tightly around the neck, squeezing her eyes shut because a little niggle of guilt surfaced. He can never find out what I did.  He’ll never look at me the same way again and won’t want me anymore if he knows I hired someone to kill my mother-in-law. “I want to go see my Mom and check up on her.  Will you come with me?” She asked softly, pulling back to stare into his jade eyes and felt his lips caress her forehead. 

They could leave in a few days once everything was finished being arranged with Chris and her father’s ashes were picked up as well.  They would have a celebration of life at a later date for Charlie, once the pandemic blew over and life returned to normal.  Mark was fully expecting her nightmares to resurface with a vengeance, on top of dreaming about her Daddy, and he was prepared for that.  It might have been different if he knew her nightmares were now going to include her guilt over what Brinley had done out of grief.

Or maybe he would have told her she should have just sent the hit on Jon himself and be done with the entire thing.  To not include the families, the bystanders.

“Of course I will.” Mark smiled, bending down to kiss her forehead again, brushing hair off her damp face. “Wash up and we can head out, okay?  I’ll let your brother know we’re coming.”

He waited until she nodded and got herself out of the bed before letting out a slow sigh, shaking his head.  When he had gotten them here, to see her family, to be with them while her Dad was in the hospital…Mark had not been expecting any of this.  After everything Brinley had been through, he only hoped she could be strong for a little while longer.  It couldn’t go on forever, right?

It wouldn’t because Brinley would make Jon’s life a living, miserable hell until he did what needed to be done.  Signing the divorce papers and freeing her of him was all she wanted in her life, along with her loved ones safe.  Jon had forced her to do this, to go after one of his loved ones, and pushed her over the edge.  Maybe Brinley was a little insane deep down – he was lucky she didn’t send the hitman out after him after she discovered he had cheated on her with all those women.  Her hatred for him outshined and won over rationality and Brinley would not crumble from this at all.  About twenty minutes later, they headed out to go see her mother and family, so they could all continue grieving together.

Next will be his house if he doesn’t leave me and my family, my loved ones, alone.  I won’t stop until he loses EVERYTHING if he continues fucking with me.  I’m DONE being nice. Her resolve hardened at the sight of her poor grief-stricken mother on the couch in the suite she shared with Chris, Jessica and the kids.  Brinley went to her instantly, wrapping her arms around her in a tight embrace and let her cry on her shoulder, both sinking further into the couch as silent tears slid down her own cheeks. I’m so sorry, Mom.  I’m so sorry this happened because of me.  Daddy, please forgive me for bringing Jon into your lives.  Don’t hate me for what I had to do.

Mark simply remained back, knowing this wasn’t really his place.  He and Chris were friends yes, but not that close.  Now, if it had been Jacobs or Steve, whole new ball game.  As it was, he didn’t know what to do with himself outside of ease himself in a chair out of the way, letting the Irvine family grieve together and try not to feel like an intruder on their misery.  They had literally just retrieved Brinley back from her semi-self-imposed exile, only to turn around and lose the patriarch of the family.  Situations like this was why it was sometimes hard to have faith, because this was way too much for someone, for anyone, to have to shoulder and bear.

Now wasn’t the time or place to tell her mother and family about her relationship with Mark.  Another time was definitely better.  Her tears were gone for the time being and Brinley just listened as her mother recounted to her how she met her father for the first time when they were younger.  It broke her heart knowing her mother had lost the love of her life, her soulmate, because of a despicable human being.  That was fine because Jon was suffering now too.

Wouldn’t surprise me if Christopher went after his other eye for killing our Dad. Glancing over at her brother, who was on the phone, the look on his face told her it was AEW, probably Tony Khan. 

Yes it was, and Chris had just found out that Jon’s mother had died suddenly and he would be gone for a month or two to take care of family business.

“Karma, fucking karma!” Chris spat, once he was off the phone.  He had made his reservations about Jon clear, though without any real detail because how did one explain without evidence or anything?  They didn’t, not without sounding like a crazy person.

“What’s karma, Chris?” Jessica asked quietly, all eyes on him.

“Christopher!”

Chris looked at his Mom almost defiantly, well aware she wasn’t from the eye for an eye school. “If anyone deserves that pain, it’s-”

“Maybe, but she didn’t deserve it.  Just like your father didn’t, like Brinley doesn’t.  Don’t darken your soul because of this man, Christopher, that’s a dangerous slope.” Not to mention, their father would definitely not approve.

Chris had to swallow everything down, not about to argue with his mother.

Chapter 18

Little did Brianna know, her loving daughter, who she thought could never hurt a fly, had darkened her soul already. 

There was no turning back either. 

Brinley knew deep down her mother was right, but she agreed with her brother too. Karma is a bitch and he deserves to feel the way we do right now. She remained quiet while her mother and Chris went back and forth, stealing glances over at Mark to make sure he was all right.  Now that her mother was fired up again over what her brother said, she took the time to walk over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, rubbing it gently. “We won’t stay much longer.  I appreciate you coming here with me, big man.”

“Darlin’, you’ve been separated from your family for years,” As if she really needed the reminder, but there it was. “A few hours ain’t gonna kill me.  Take all the time you need, that they need.” There was a time for grieving with family and loved ones, and a time for doing it alone.  Given how much time she had kept them at a distance because of her sadist husband, Brinley had a lot of it to catch up on.  Mark reached up, simply resting his hand on top of hers. “I’m fine, Brin. I’m worried about you.” The fact that she hadn’t cracked yet was amazing and he felt his admiration for her increasing tenfold.  This woman had some broad shoulders, that was for sure. “I don’t know how you do it, Brin.”

Maybe she was immune to emotional pain because of everything Jon had put her through.  That was a huge possibility.  Maybe Brinley was numb, even though it did hurt to hear of her father’s passing.  Somehow, she wasn’t surprised by it and naturally, Jon would get away with it like he did with everything else he’d done.

That’s fine, just like I’ll get away with having his mother killed.  Fuck you, Jon.  FUCK. YOU. The bitterness inside of her was slowly starting to harden her heart, but Mark would be there to soften it.  Brinley needed him now more than ever, squeezing his hand gently before going back to sit on the couch by her mother, who had finally stopped ranting at her brother.

Chris had to walk out of the room to take a break before he wound up screaming at his grieving mother and Jessica had gone with him for support.

“Brinley, do you really have to go back to Dallas?  Why can’t you just stay with me and the family?” Brianna sniffled, resting her head on her daughter’s shoulder while blowing her nose with tissue.

Because it’s where I belong and I’m with the man I love now. No, she couldn’t say any of that and rubbed her mother’s back gently. “It’s best if we’re separated until this issue with Jon is dealt with, Mom.  Hopefully, it won’t be too much longer and…”

“You two are together, aren’t you?”

It was a mother’s intuition and Brinley simply nodded with a half-smile. “Yeah, we are.  I didn’t want to tell you today of all days, but I guess the cat’s out of the bag now.”

“I’m tired of us always being separated.” Naturally, Brianna wouldn’t blame Brinley for the time lost over the years because she knew her daughter had only acted out of love for her family.  However, that did not mean it hadn’t hurt, having such limited contact, and now here they were about to do it again. “I don’t think your brother agrees.”

Chris personally thought anywhere Brinley resided was probably the safest for everyone because she was the one person Jon hadn’t actually tried to kill.  Scare the hell out of yes, but not legitimately murder.  Everyone else seemed to be fair game.

“I know that, Mom…I…”

“What if she came to stay with us?”

Brinley’s head whipped around to face Mark, her emerald eyes wide. “What?”

“The log cabin, darlin’.  Nobody’s using it since you moved in with me several months ago.  We can get it all ready for her and she can stay on the grounds, where you know it’s safe.” Mark made it sound so simple and could see the gears in Brinley’s head turning, the realization dawning on her on why he was suggesting this.

“You don’t mind?  You’re really okay with that?”

“Wouldn’t have suggested it if I didn’t wanna do it, darlin’.  Besides, your Momma needs you right now.  You can even stay with her for a few days until she gets acclimated or bounce between the log cabin and our house.” Again, he was using the words ‘our’ and ‘we’ like it was the most natural thing in the world, which it was to Mark.

“I…” Brinley turned to look back at her mother, wondering what she thought about this and knew it would be a temporary stay until Jon was taken care of. “Mom, what do you think?”

Brianna only had to think on it for a tick or two before nodding. “I think I’d like that.” She even managed to crack a small, watery smile.

“Whoa, wait a minute, time out,” Grief and rage had just been put on the backburner for Chris, and the grief one was welcome because he didn’t want to feel that pain.  He’d rather just ignore it for as long as possible. “How’s she going to get back and forth?  She’s not going to want to be by herself right out the gate?”

“I’ll have the golf cart brought in, and I have plenty of spare rooms in my house for her to use if she’d prefer that.” Mark wouldn’t prefer it in the long term, but while Brianna got used to being in a new place, he didn’t mind.

“See, Christopher?  It’s settled.”

“But-!  And did I just hear Brinley say that she moved into Mark’s house?!  What about the log cabin?”

“It was lonely there.  And…look brother, I’m just going to come right out and say it,” Walking over, she took Mark’s hand and laced their fingers together, standing strong next to him. “Mark and I are in a relationship now.”

“SINCE WHEN?!”

“Since the night before Dad passed away.”

“BUT YOU’RE STILL MARRIED!!”

Brinley shrugged, looking up at Mark, who did the same thing and released her hand to wrap his arm around her waist, leaning against his side. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but…I knew Mark before you took me to Dallas for his protection and security.  He was…a good friend of mine in WWE and it was nice to be reunited with him after all this time.” More like a good fuck buddy, but that wasn’t the right thing to say at the moment.  Even Brinley knew how to read a room. “We got to know each other a lot better since I’ve been staying with him and I’m sick of being miserable.  He makes me happy and I love him, end of story.”

“Yes, end of story, Christopher,” Brianna stood up from the couch, drying her tears and knew she had to start packing her belongings for the trip to Dallas. “I’m going to Dallas with them.”

Jessica was the only other person who knew about Brinley’s fling with Mark Calaway and she had been sworn to secrecy. About time you put yourself first, Brin. She winked at her sister-in-law while her husband looked ready to pop a vein in his forehead. “Come off it, Chris.  Mark is a good guy, you said it yourself and I think he’s good for your sister.”

“Ugh, you know what?” This was way too much for Chris as he walked over to the bar and fumbled behind it for a minute.  He hadn’t bothered to walk around like a normal person, no…he just leaned over, finally pulling out a bottle of whiskey. “I don’t care.” He announced to his family, and friend, toasting them all after popping the top and took a long swallow.

Everyone who knew him was aware he drank, sometimes excessively, which was normally on the road with Fozzy.

Jessica wasn’t saying a word.  If any day was a day to drink, today was it.

“I don’t fucking care.  Anyone but Ambrose.”

Mark cocked a brow, wondering if this was grief or something else talking.

It could have been, but honestly, right now in this instant, Chris was exhausted and didn’t have it in him to add one more thing to his plate.  Sighing, he just slumped back against the bar, holding the bottle out to Mark.

Shrugging, Mark went over to join his friend, taking that drink.

“Today sucks, man.”

“I know,” He wrapped an arm around the smaller man’s shoulders. “I know.”

Brinley took a swig of that whiskey, as well as Jessica, even their mother, everyone joining Chris in a much needed alcoholic beverage. “I’m sorry, Mom.  I didn’t want to tell you guys like this, especially with everything else that happened.”

“It’s probably not the best time, but it’s nice to know I can still read you like a book.” Brianna planned on spending some quality time with her daughter, who she’d been away from for so many years. “Just remember, I love you no matter what, Brinley.  Daddy did too.”

“I wish I could’ve explained to you guys what happened in person instead of over the phone.  Chris was adamant about me going into hiding, though, after I humiliated Jon on Dynamite.  I had no choice.” Brinley sniffled, both of them resting their heads together and letting the whiskey do its job. ‘I love you.’ She mouthed to Mark while holding her Mom, who was already relaxing because of the alcohol.

Jessica walked over to sit on Brinley’s other side, hugging them both as well. “I’m happy for you, Brin.  You finally told him.”

“You knew?” Brianna asked quietly, looking at her daughter-in-law.

“Yeah, I was sworn to secrecy, that’s why I didn’t say anything back then.”

Brianna nodded in understanding, wondering what other secrets her daughter had and decided that would be discussed another day.

Some secrets were meant to be left buried and never revealed, such as the hired hitman on Jon’s mother.

While they were now chatting, and it did make Mark smile to see such a moment of simple normalcy during a very terrible storm, he was sipping the proper tumbler of whiskey Chris had poured him, one for everyone, basically splitting the bottle between them all.  He was also on his cell phone making arrangements for the golf cart to be delivered, having a feeling Brianna knew how to use one, given she had nodded when he had made that suggestion.  Also, he ordered a restock and clean on the cabin, aware it was probably clean anyway since Brinley had resided there and she wasn’t messy, but it was likely dusty.  Mark didn’t expect the older woman to use it right out the gate, but soon enough.  

He looked up in time to hear Brinley talking about his dogs. “Hope you don’t mind them, they’re big.”

“I like dogs.” Better than cats, Brianna wasn’t a fan of felines.

“Hades is my favorite, then there’s Pain and Panic.  They’re goofballs and I love them, but Hades is my special boy.” Brinley had already adopted him and bonded to where he slept in her room, instead of Mark’s, while Pain and Panic stayed with him. “Here, I have some pictures you can see, Mom.”

“Oh my, they are gorgeous babies.” Brianna gushed, looking more forward to getting out of this place where her husband died and somewhere new and fresh.

“The pure black one is Hades.  I miss him.” She nodded when Mark assured her they’d be going home as soon as her mother was ready.  He made it clear to take their time too.  Looking up at her brother, Brinley left her mother’s side to walk over to him, really hoping he wasn’t too angry with her. “I’m sorry.”

“I don’t want to hear those words come out of your mouth again.  Jesus, stop apologizing, Brin.  None of this is your fault.” Chris grumbled, pulling her in for a side hug and took another swig from his tumbler. “Mark is a good guy and I do trust him.  I know he’ll keep you safe and…look, anyone who is around you is probably safe because it seems like that lunatic only targets people you’re not around that you know.”

“Then why don’t you, Jess, and the kids come with us?  I’m sure Mark can find somewhere for you guys to stay on his property.  His house and the log cabin aren’t the only ones I saw out there.”

Now that one had Mark doing a doubletake at Brinley, wondering she had lost her mind.  He had a massive bit of land, sure, but if she was thinking he had mini houses set up all over the place, she was sadly mistaken. “Darlin’, those aren’t cabins.  They’re sheds and stuff like that.” So many people, that felt like a giant target.

Except the others were warming up to the idea and Chris now felt like this was the perfect time to announce what he had been thinking earlier. “Not to rain on the parade we got going here, but…I kinda feel like wherever Brinley is, that’s going to be the safest place for anyone to be.” Because now his kids and wife were targets.

Jon would have actually agreed with Chris if he wasn’t busy crying out of his one eye over his now dead mommy.

After discussing it a little more with Mark and everyone, it was decided that Chris, Jessica, and the kids would take the log cabin since there were four bedrooms there.  Brianna would be staying at the mansion with them, and everyone would have the ultimate security and safety, with Chris even offering to help pay for the bills and whatnot.  Anything to keep his family safe he was willing to do.  Brinley knew it was a lot to ask of Mark, but at the same time, it was also the best case scenario since Chris was running out of safehouses to escape to with his family.  With everyone in one spot, there was no way Jon could target them and it would only be a matter of time before the divorce was finalized. 

Mark was already setting her up with a brand new lawyer, who would not sit on his hands and wait for the pandemic to magically disappear.   Not with the money he got paid from his clients, especially Calaway, who was a close friend. 

As Brinley sat on the private jet, she stared out the window and couldn’t believe everything that happened in New York. I love you Daddy and I will protect everyone this time, with Mark’s help.  Please watch over us. She sincerely hoped Jon thought twice before screwing with her again. 

Maybe he would finally move on with his pathetic life and find another woman to wreck like he nearly did her.

The problem was that divorce was just that, a divorce.  The only thing it ended was their marriage, not Jon’s psychosis or anything of that nature.  The man could take it even more personally than everything else he apparently had, or walk away.  Nobody really knew what was going to happen.  However, to assume that this was all over once the divorce finally happened, that was just outright naive.  Mark and Chris had both discussed that while the women sorted out sleeping arrangements and Brinley described the cabin to Jess, both men hoping Brinley herself realized that.  Personally, Mark was just hoping that Jon figured karma had paid him back for what he had done by wiping his mother very brutally off the face of the earth and the man would just go crawl under a rock and die.

“Few more hours and we’ll be home.” Mark murmured in her ear, squeezing her hand gently.

Brinley had been quiet all day; it was a little unnerving, but whatever was going through her mind, he figured she’d tell him when she was ready.

Unlike Jon, he’d never pressure or bully her into anything, not even talking to him if she didn’t feel like it.

Chapter 19

There was a LOT on her mind and Brinley wasn’t even sure where to begin. 

It had nothing to do with her estranged mother-in-law’s death either. 

She didn’t give a flying rat’s backside about Jon or his family, really hoping he was suffering as much as he made her and her family suffer. “I know this isn’t over even when the divorce is finalized.  I’m not that stupid or naïve to believe he’ll simply walk away just because we’re not married anymore.” Brinley had been mulling it over in her head and came to the conclusion that she needed to live her life without fear.  Fear is what lead her down the road she traversed with Jon and it didn’t end well.  She brought Mark’s hand up to her lips to softly kiss the back of it, their fingers remaining laced. “I love you and I don’t care what he throws at us or what obstacles come our way.  We’ll face them together, head-on, and win.  Sound good to you, Deadman?”

“Eventually, he’s going to come to Dallas if he doesn’t walk away from this after what happened to his Mom,” Mark pointed out slowly, having been thinking this over and had reached the only logical conclusion.  The only logical ending. “And he’ll eventually find out where you are, where we all are,” Mark owned guns.  He liked to hunt and the right to defend himself and his loved ones, by extension her loved ones, in this case as well. “And then I’ll kill him.” He wasn’t having anything he considered his threatened or harmed. “And in Texas, I’ll get away with it.” Some things his home state was screwed up about, when it came to self-defense; the law would be on his side and he’d sleep just fine at night after the fact.

Brinley wasn’t disturbed upon hearing that because she too believed Jon’s death was the only way out of this situation.  He had to die.  Maybe she should’ve sent the hitman after him instead of his mother, but what was done was done.  It couldn’t be changed and she didn’t regret it.  Jon dead wouldn’t be able to feel pain and despair the way she and her family felt with her father’s murder, after all, and she wanted to suffer.

“And I won’t stop you or stand in your way.  Hell, I’ll just wish I was the one to pull the damn trigger.” If that surprised Mark to hear, he didn’t show it as Brinley watched him raise her hand to brush his lips against the back of her hand. “I love you, so do whatever it takes to keep us all safe, so we can get back to our lives and be happy.  I’m sure my brother will help you too, if you want.” Chris would probably love to blind the fucker once and for all after what happened by taking out his other eye with another spike.

She had lived a life of terror and fear, emotional gaslighting, some Stockholm syndrome, abuse of all varieties, Mark would have been surprised if she DIDN’T want the other man dead, to be honest. “I don’t need help with pulling a trigger, Brinley, and right after, I’d call the cops.”

There were cameras everywhere, so he was sure there’d be footage of the psycho doing stupid antics before being blown to Kingdom Come.  Mark wasn’t worried about it.  It had hit him last night right before he fell asleep, that one day, sooner rather than later, once he was done grieving his mother, Jon would come to Dallas.  That would be where this all ended; the finality of it should have worried Mark, but instead, it was almost a relief, knowing what had to happen and that it would all be done.

Honestly, Brinley would be fine if Jon just left her alone and moved on with his life.  He didn’t have to die like his mother did if he just disappeared and found another woman to ruin.  Jon claimed he loved her, but what he was doing wasn’t love, not even close.  Not in Brinley’s eyes.  Maybe in some weird, twisted way Jon thought what he was doing was love, but all it did was make his wife want to run in the opposite direction.

“I hope it doesn’t come to that, but I’m ready if it does.” She would not lose Mark because of Jon; Brinley would have to stain her soul again before she allowed anything to happen to the man she loved. 

Again, what Mark knew wouldn’t hurt him and Brinley was done being a damsel in distress, deciding to take control of her life once and for all.  Really, honestly, Mark didn’t feel shooting the man was staining his soul.  It was self-defense and keeping the ones he cared about safe, including his own children.  He wouldn’t lose any sleep over it and he was 100% certain he would be able to defend himself at the pearly gates over it as well because that was just how bad of a person Jon was.

“It will,” He assured with a quiet certainty. “But we’ll be ready, when the time comes.” It likely wouldn’t be anytime soon; they weren’t thinking years down the road, more like months. “For now,” Mark squeezed Brinley’s hand, bringing it up to his mouth to drop a kiss on the top of it. “Don’t worry about it, darlin’, we got time.  Whoever pulled that in Cincy, they bought us time, so let’s enjoy it.” They, she, and her family all deserved that.

Maybe now they could finally have some peace in their lives. 

Chris would have to return to the road for AEW, but that was fine.  His family, his wife and children, along with their mother, would be safe here with her and Mark in Dallas.  Brinley would visit them daily since it wasn’t that far of a ride from the mansion to the log cabin either, unless it was bad weather.  The log cabin also had a basement for tornados since they did live in tornado country.  Just like in Florida, it was always a possibility.

“I’m not worried.  And is it wrong of me not to feel bad about what happened to Jon’s Mom?  I just…don’t.  I felt nothing when Chris announced it.” Technically, the woman had been her mother-in-law, though she never really got along or knew the woman either, due to Jon keeping her away.  They’d gone to Cincinnati frequently throughout her and Jon’s WWE and AEW careers, and that was where Brinley had met the hitman that took Jon’s mother’s life on her dollar.

“Did you know her well?” He wasn’t surprised at the negative headshake. 

From his understanding, Jon and his Mom had been estranged for a long time.  Also, why would Jon want Brinley to form relationships and attachments outside of him?  Even with his own mother?  That was attention diverted from him and narcissists didn’t like that.

“Probably not, then.  I’m sorry she met her end that way, no one deserves that.  Well, almost no one.” Mark amended because he wouldn’t mind Jonny boy getting the prison wallet violent treatment before meeting his maker.

“Jon kept me away from everyone he knew because he didn’t want me getting froggy and trying to get help from someone to get away from him.  He wanted me to focus solely on him, nobody else.  And I stayed away from my family to keep him away from them.  He wanted it to where it was just me and him and nobody else in our lives.  He wanted to isolate me and make me completely dependent on him, which is why he burned my house down.  I left him one night, just needing some space from him, and I wound up staying away for a week…and that was my punishment for defying him.”

Brinley still couldn’t believe that one.  Here she thought Jon hadn’t, especially when he’d talked in his sleep after his life-saving surgery due to MRSA.  Brinley remembered hearing the words come out of his mouth, but come to find out, Jon hadn’t done the deed, but had paid someone to do the dirty work.  Just like she had done with having his mother killed.

“Believe it or not, I thought about calling you to ask for help, but I didn’t want to involve you and your family in my mess.” Look how well that turned out, he was involved anyway! “I’m sorry you have to deal with this, Mark.” I’m not worth the trouble, you should be sending me and my family away to deal with this on our own.

None of that was surprising about Jon keeping her away from people; it basically tracked with what he had already assumed about the situation. “I’m not going to lie, darlin’, I would have tried to help you with resources, not personally…” Due to his marriage and his children, of course. 

Mark would have believed her, without a doubt.  There had always been something about Jon that had rubbed him the wrong way from the first day he met the man in WWE.  What had he said before?  The best characters were the ones that were really just the person themself amplified to ten.  He could easily believe Jon was that crazy and a certifiable lunatic.

“Things were a lot different back then.” He felt like a jackass saying it, but it was the truth.  The important thing, though, was they were here now and he was in this with her, all of him, without reservation.

“I know and I was in too much of a martyr state, thinking only of protecting my family from him.  I didn’t even care about myself as long as they were safe.  Even if I could go to you for help, I wouldn’t have.” That was why she didn’t because it would mean his safety being put in jeopardy, along with his family, and that wasn’t an option. “If it hadn’t been for Christopher bringing me to you, I wouldn’t have made that decision on my own.”

The last thing Brinley wanted was to involve more people in her problems and put them in danger, on Jon’s warpath.  If anything ever happened to Mark, Brinley would’ve probably killed herself and joined him in the afterlife; that was how much she loved him.  That mindset hadn’t changed after all this time; losing Mark wasn’t an option because she’d be right in the grave with him.  He had her heart and she didn’t want anyone else to have it, only him.

Where would I be if it wasn’t for my brother setting this up?  Would I be as happy as I am now?  Would I meet someone else or spend the rest of my days alone, hiding away like a coward from Jon?  Maybe Daddy would still be alive if I hadn’t gone to see him…

Mark eventually fell asleep as he was prone to doing on flights.  It was a habit he had developed early on in his career simply because he didn’t care for flying.  He had trained himself to sleep almost anywhere, aware sleep was a precious commodity, as well as a better way to pass time in specific situations, as opposed to dreading a potential problem.  Such as spontaneous human combustion in a flying tin can.  Once they landed, it was navigating everyone to the property in as few vehicles as possible because they weren’t trying to attract attention.  There were still bans on large gatherings, though this was more of a commune at this point than a gathering.

~!~

Spending time with her family again, along with Mark, made everything Brinley had gone through with Jon worth it.  To get to this point in her life, this blissful happiness and serenity she couldn’t explain.  It was almost as if fate was throwing her a bone and giving her a break, along with her family.  Everyone settled in quite nicely on Mark’s property and Brianna spent a lot of her days out by the pool, soaking in the sun knitting or reading a book.  She missed Florida and it was obvious Texas was right up her alley with the heat.  Brinley made sure not to alienate anyone, especially Mark, giving him as much attention as he wanted.  The man wasn’t clingy the way Jon was and gave her breathing space when she needed it without any repercussions. 

It was like night and day being with Mark compared to Jon.

Chris wasn’t home a lot do to his obligations with not only AEW, but also Fozzy as well.  Of course, travel was very restricted with the pandemic, but he still made it work with both wrestling and his band.  Jessica didn’t mind it since she had not only her children to keep her occupied, who had started being homeschooled, but Brinley and Brianna were here too.  Mark was part of the family as well, having some deep conversations with Jessica that nobody else knew about.  He was a fountain of knowledge and had wound up hiring Jessica as a real-estate agent, after she had acquired her license.  The kids were happy as larks, gallivanting everywhere they could within the property and always made sure one of the dogs went with them.  They were not only pets, but protectors and Mark had trained them all very well.

There was a reason why Jon hadn’t come to Dallas right away after his mother’s passing and Brinley finally found out six months down the road.  It was one week before Thanksgiving when she was informed that Jon had checked himself into a rehabilitation center.  She had avoided social media and the internet for a while, just enjoying her time with her family and Mark, but her curiosity burned as she pulled up the article Jessica had found and sent to her.  She was also working for Mark’s real-estate company as his secretary, doing the books for him to give her something to do.  Brinley had been going stir crazy wanting to find an at-home job and Mark finally gave her one, where he knew she would be safe.

“Oh my god…” She covered her mouth with her hand, eyes widening as she read the article about Jon.  The excuse for him doing this was his excessive drinking habit, but Brinley had a feeling it was due to his mother’s untimely death.

“Do you know what this means, Brin?  This means you can probably push the divorce proceedings since he’s in there!  They could file him as mentally unstable and irreconcilable differences, and you’ll finally be free of him!”

Granted, the divorce proceedings were underway and running smoothly, but the pandemic had slowed everything down.  Mark’s lawyer was working as fast as he could, but it was the government that had put a stall on it.  Or so they thought.  Jon had pulled some strings, having some friends in high places he never told Brinley about, and paid good money to keep the divorce from being pushed through.  However, those funds had stopped since Jon was in rehabilitation and Brinley didn’t know it, but she would be divorced within a week’s time.

Chapter 20

Sure enough, one week later, Brinley had gotten the call she longed for and could not stop jumping up and down like a little kid, especially since her 42^nd birthday was on the horizon.  She thanked the lawyer profusely for his hard work and hung up before heading into the kitchen to make something delicious for dinner that night.  Mark was currently visiting his children off the property and wouldn’t be home until late, which was fine.  She’d have dinner waiting for him, along with dessert, and the news that she was officially divorced from Jonathan Good.  Once dinner was done, along with some conversation and Brinley telling her family the great news, Brianna offered to stay with Jessica that evening since Chris was on the road.  She wanted to give her daughter and Mark some alone time together and Brinley beamed, hugging her mother close and thanked her.

When she left Jon, Brinley swore she’d never put on another set of lingerie again, but now that she was finally free of her ex-husband, she didn’t feel dirty wearing it anymore.  However, she had gotten all new pieces, having them delivered to the house and currently wore a dark green number with shimmers of gold throughout it.  It was a baby doll and still left plenty to the imagination, complete with a matching thong.  Brinley stared in the full-length mirror, smoothing the material down her stomach and had to admit, she didn’t look half-bad going on 42 in mere days.  What would Mark think about it, though?  Did he even like lingerie or did he prefer the good old birthday suit?  Brinley heard the dogs start going crazy and knew he was home, letting her hair down from the clip it was in before fluffing it out to make her way downstairs.

“Welcome home, Deadman.”

Now, when he had walked in, Mark was exhausted.  He had made the mistake of allowing his girls to pick where they went and like the little cheeky brats they were, they had decided on some activity that wore him out.  Leaning against the door, face first, Mark was petting Panic’s head when he heard her voice.  One brow raised because that tone of voice was different; it was sultry and seductive, and he woke up quite a bit.  Mark was completely awake when he turned around, now his back to the door, and his cock was instantly at attention, causing him to groan because tight jeans were not in his favor.

“Not that I’m complainin’, darlin’,” Good goddamn he was not!  His voice had dropped to a husky timbre, his eyes devouring her. “But what’s the occasion?” He had not once seen her in lingerie; as far as he knew or could remember, she didn’t even own any.

“Do I need an occasion to welcome my man home?” Brinley retorted cheekily, slowly making her way down the steps and could tell instantly he was tired out. The girls must’ve worn him out. She walked over to him and took his hands in hers with glittering emerald eyes.  That was fine; they could have a nice, relaxing night together and even go to bed at a decent hour if he wanted to. “Mom is staying with Jess for the night, so we have the entire house to ourselves.”

Oh boy, those jade eyes were suddenly alight and Brinley felt her heart start to race, like it always did whenever Mark looked at her the way he was now.  No other man had been able to send her heart racing quite like him and no man ever would, not if she had anything to say about it.  It had been six months since they had the house to themselves because of Brianna staying there, which Mark did not complain about once.  Brinley made sure to show her gratitude to him by keeping the house clean, having a hot meal on the dinner table almost every night, and helping him with anything he asked for around the house and premises.

To be fair, he didn’t ask for hardly anything around the house and outside because he was used to doing it himself, and she wasn’t his housewife or any such nonsense.  Of course, he appreciated everything Brinley did and made sure she knew he wasn’t taking it for granted. Sometimes, though, Mark had to make her sit her backside down and breathe because the woman just didn’t know when to slow down and let someone else take over.

“I’m betting there’s an occasion, unless we’re just celebratin’ having the place to ourselves?” He kicked off his boots, eyes never leaving her.  She wasn’t wearing anything scandalous, but it was still sexy, in a classy way, and he felt almost bad about what he was planning on doing to it.

Almost.

“It’s not so much an occasion as news I have to share.  Great news, by the way.  Nothing bad.” Brinley wanted to ease his mind right away because normally, a person saying they had news was nine times out of 10 a bad thing. 

Not this time. 

She waited until he got out of those boots before taking his hand, starting for the kitchen.  That was until Mark stopped and lifted her over his shoulder, making her squeal out in surprise. “Mark!” Brinley figured he’d be hungry and want to eat dinner first, but that wasn’t the case at all. 

No, they were going to skip right to dessert and she had zero complaints as he made his way into the living room.  She wiggled a little since her stomach was digging into his shoulder and a smack on her bare right cheek made her tingle from head to toe.  Being manhandled by her beast of a man only turned her on, didn’t scare her at all, and Brinley loved when Mark’s dominate side showed.  Maybe wearing lingerie more often would be in the cards if she got a response like this.  Her back hit the bedding of their bedroom after Mark took two stairs at a time to make it up here quickly, her blonde hair fanning all around her.  It was down to her waist now and she didn’t plan on chopping it off any time soon. 

Watching him remove his shirt, Brinley pulled him down on top of her to capture his mouth with hers, knowing they could be as loud as they wanted tonight. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Mark had eaten prior to coming home, taking the girls out for a massive dinner that he had to make a reservation for because only so many people were now allowed in a building at a time.  A lot of states were opening up, especially in the south, refusing to let businesses die any more than they already had.  Covid-19 was here to stay, so it was time to start living with it seemed to be the general opinion.  

He had to pull himself up, straddling her tiny frame and just enjoyed the view for a minute. “Almost sad, takin’ this off of you,” Mark murmured absentmindedly, tracing down along the strap of the negligee until he reached the cups, running that finger along the swell of her breast.  His grin turned a little wicked. “Almost.” He had seen it all before; it wasn’t like they had stopped having sex once her mother moved in.  They had just been quiet about it.  However, there was something about unwrapping a present, even if one knew what the gift was, that made it even more enticing.

Considering this house was huge and her mother was on the other side with her own space, they didn’t have to be too quiet, but Brinley definitely had muffled her screams whenever they had sex a time or two. “Mmm, I can leave it on while you fuck me, though the thong will have to go.”

No way she was having sex with that riding up the crack of her backside, that would be very uncomfortable.  He chuckled huskily in her ear, sending shivers down her spine and Brinley didn’t know if now was the time to tell him.  She recalled Jon accusing her of manipulating him with the lingerie and that was a very sour taste that just formed in her mouth.  Why did THAT memory suddenly pop into her head?

“Mark, wait…oh god…” His mouth had latched onto her nipple through the thin material of the baby doll before pulling back to uncover her breast completely, making her moan out for him. “I-I need to tell you something…” There went his mouth on the other nipple and Brinley was reeling, drowning in ecstasy and gasped when he tore the thong right from her body, fondling her bundle of nerves.  Wasn’t the first time he’d done that and Brinley loved his animalistic side, deciding her news could wait until after they sexed each other up thoroughly.

There you go again, using that lingerie to make him ignore the situation.  Manipulating whore at her finest. Jon’s voice crooned in her head. You always did love to do that, distract me with that pretty package all wrapped up in something sexy.

Mark was not Jon and if there had been urgency in her voice instead of desire, he would have waited.  Not to mention, any sane person with BAD news wouldn’t have been waiting in lingerie and a smile designed to lure and entice.  At least, not in his experience. “So, darlin’,” He rumbled, busy working his way down her tiny body, his fingers never stopping with those ministrations.  Brinley was soaked for him. “What was that?” He was already lowering himself between those parted thighs, seeing wetness glistening just for him.

“N-Nothing…oh god, nothing…” I only wore it for you to keep you happy, you fucking monster!  Get out of my head! “Ohh Mark…” This wasn’t the first time it happened, but it had been a while since he heard Jon’s voice in her head. 

Any particular thing she did that she had done with him, that voice popped up.  Brinley didn’t realize how much she despised lingerie until that very moment, deciding she didn’t care if Mark shredded it from her body.  Was it wrong to do similar things with Mark that she’d done with Jon?  This was the first time since they started dating that she’d worn something like this to entice him.  Now she was second-guessing herself and felt her eyes roll in the back of her head nearly at the way Mark’s tongue feasted on her dripping sex.

Focus on Mark, focus on what he’s doing to you and making you feel.  Jon could never make you feel this way, only Mark, and Mark loves you in this.  Ignore the voice…ignore the voice…ignore… “OOOOOOH YEAHHHHHHH!!!!” She bellowed out as her first climax crashed over her and Brinley was not surprised when Mark kept going, fisting his hair, grinding her pussy right against his mouth. “A-Another…oh fuck, I need a-another!”

You thought the sammmmeeeee things about me, Brin baby, how I was the only man who could make love to you in just the right way…whore.

“As you wish, darlin’…” Mark purred it right over her clit, holding her thighs tightly, so she didn’t knock him in the head or something.  He liked being gripped by those thighs of hers, not when she was bucking like a madwoman, which was a pride booster and a testament to his oral skills.  Pride stoked. “As many,” He purposefully, slowly swiped his broad tongue right up her gushing slit. “As you want.” Brinley could drown him for all he cared since she tasted like the finest ambrosia; he could feast on her every night for dessert…maybe he’d start now that the thought was there.

I also thought about other men I was with whenever I fucked you, did you forget that, asshole?  You could never fuck me the way Mark does, not in a million goddamn years!  You sucked in bed with your pencil dick, so go cry over your Mommy’s grave and leave me the hell alone already! Brinley was having mental issues at the moment, but that didn’t stop her from enjoying what Mark was doing to her.  She just couldn’t get lost in it and it was frustrating her to no end. “I-I’ll never…ever…get tired of cumming for you, Mark…not ever…” Not even when she was old and gray, wrinkly from head to toe, she would STILL want this man to make her cum buckets for him and never stop. “Nobody has ever made me cum the way you do…oh god, there!” That was it, she couldn’t take any more of his tongue on her sensitive nethers and luckily, Mark had stopped to hover over her, capturing her mouth to let her taste herself on his tongue. “N-No other man c-compares to you…holy shit…” Never had she felt anything like that with Jon.  Brinley brought his mouth down on hers, needing to feel his weight, his tongue against hers, everything Mark was willing to offer tonight. “Before we continue, what I needed to tell you was I got the call from Roger today.  I’m officially all yours, Deadman, ONLY yours for however long you want me…” FUCK YOU, JON!

That explained the celebration and the lingerie, she had gotten that great news and this was her sharing and celebrating with him.  She really was all his.  Jon would have been annoyed she had withheld information until after sex, but Mark saw it all as one giant package and he grinned down at her. “Good, because forever is on the menu,” He informed her, brushing his lips against hers, capturing what little breath she had managed to regain while he was sliding inside of her, properly claiming her.  Since Brinley had shown up on his doorstep and they had gotten together officially, she was now officially his in all ways. “I love you, Brin.” Lacing his hands together with hers, entwining their fingers together as he coaxed her back from that point of orgasmic exhaustion, Mark was aware all those orgasms would be nothing compared to what she was about experience and give him.

All his. 

Brinley relished in hearing that and if they weren’t in the middle of making love, she would’ve started crying tears of joy. “I love you so much, Mark, forever.” That was something she never meant with Jon, even if she did say it. 

Forever wasn’t optional for her because she always thought Jon would let her go once he was done playing with her.  He tried breaking her repeatedly, even nearly killing her by driving her into an ocean, but none of it had worked.  She was a lot stronger from the horrible experiences she had with him and now she’d finally found true happiness and love with Mark.  Together, they moved as one and she squeezed his fingers while their eyes remained locked, that inner Jon voice in her head gone.

“Ohhh you feel so damn good…yes oh yes…” They seemed to fall more and more in love with each other as the months passed by and now that she was finally a free woman, it was almost as if that love between them exploded and soared to new heights. “Harder…just a little harder, my heart, please…” There it was, that perfect tempo between them and Brinley met him for every thrust he produced inside of her, her breasts bouncing at how hard he was pounding her in this position and their fingers never left each other.

Aware this position was stimulating her sweet spot, as well as applying just the right amount of friction against her throbbing clit with every brush, Mark purposefully angled just right to add a little more.  He loved feeling her getting off from either way, but together, it was guaranteed to cause them both to experience soul-shattering, orgasmic bliss.  His eyes were now flitting between those beautiful, bouncing breasts and her face, trying to enjoy the best of both views, and the closer they got to their ends, the more Mark found himself looking into her eyes, loving watching that dawning pleasure building in those emerald orbs.

“I can feel you tightenin’ around me,” His voice was nothing except a ragged growl. “Fuck, Brin!”

“Mark!  Fuck!”

Her eyes slammed shut as another climax washed over her, one of many that night thus far, and her body arched into him, her toes curling.  That was how she knew the sex was amazing was when her toes curled.  Jon never made them curl, only Mark had.  Brinley had other sexual partners besides Jon and Mark, but nobody compared to the man making love to her, claiming her.  This was the beginning of their lives together, officially, and it had taken too damn long to get to where they were.  Nothing would ruin it or take it away from her either.  Lifting her leg a little to drive deeper inside of her, their bodies remained connected and he stimulated her further by taking a nipple in his mouth to swirl it around his deliciously long tongue.

One more, just one more… Brinley was breathing just as raggedly as him and her nails dug into his shoulder blades as another climax hit her harder than the last, this time triggering Mark’s.

They bellowed each other’s names before collapsing on the bed in sweaty, satisfied heaps, his arms remaining around her, but Mark was careful not to crush her.

Chapter 21

Once it felt like he could again without turning into a blob of jelly and crushing her, he managed to move his shaking body and collapsed on his side.  Just because Mark wanted that after-sex physical contact, he left one hand resting on her belly. “Free woman, huh?” He chuckled when she flashed him a brilliant smile, aware Brinley had been waiting on this day for a long time now.  Honestly, it felt like it would never come yet…here they were. “About damn time.” Well, she wasn’t ‘free’ because she was stuck with him until the day one of them died.

“I don’t want to be free, Mark.” Scooting closer to him, Brinley softly brushed her lips against his and rubbed their noses together, that smile still on her face. “I want to be yours and even though we’ve been together for a while, it didn’t feel complete until my divorce was finalized.  Now – NOW I’m fully yours completely and officially.” She squealed out when Mark yanked her to roll her on her back, blowing raspberries on her neck.  He knew how ticklish she was in certain spots and one of them was her neck when he blew those raspberries.  It was weird how she could be turned on and a giggling mess at the same time. “I’m also officially Brinley Irvine again too.” Roger had taken care of her last name change at no extra charge, since Mark was a very good friend of his.  Never again would she be called by the last name Good and Brinley couldn’t have been happier. “And it feels so damn liberating.” Piece by piece, I’m erasing him from my life and one day, I won’t even think of him and that annoying voice will be completely gone.

“I bet.”

Brinley wasn’t his officially, not yet anyway, but there was plenty of time for that down the road.  She had just literally gotten divorced from a mass murdering psycho and Mark wasn’t in any rush to walk down the aisle yet again.  He wanted to see if they were still like this once the actual threat of Jon was gone.  While it had been peaceful these past few months, Mark almost felt like it was a calm before the storm type situation.  He prayed he was wrong.  Nevertheless, those were worries for another time; tonight was about her, about them, and the future that they were going to build together.

“Hmph,” Rolling onto his back, he pulled her onto his stomach and chest to lounge lazily. “I’m happy for you, darlin’.”

If Mark asked her to marry him, Brinley would’ve accepted because she already knew she would be with him for the rest of her life.  However, she was glad he didn’t and they were taking their time.  Granted, time wasn’t on their side since they were getting up in age, but she also didn’t want to rush anything either.  There was no reason for it. 

The fact Jon was in rehabilitation meant he would not be coming to Dallas anytime soon, if ever.  Maybe he would finally come to terms with his life, as well as what karma truly meant, and finally let her live in peace with someone she actually loved.  Would that mean Chris and the family would be able to resume their lives and go back to Florida?  Brinley already decided she was staying in Texas with Mark, having fallen in love with the state from what little she’d seen of it.

“Do you think it’s over now that he’s in rehabilitation?” She asked quietly, looking up at him while stroking his chest affectionately, both basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking. “Or do you think that’s too optimistic?”

“I think only time is going to tell.”

Who knew with that man’s mental state?  Sure, alcohol played a strong part in some of it, but there was no way Jon had spent all those years married to Brinley completely lit.  He was pretty sure Brinley would have mentioned that at one point or another.  No, Mark believed that Jon was just evil, that there was something fundamentally wrong with him.  Maybe rehabilitation would help him; maybe he’d learn some techniques to calm him down, chill him out, but again, maybe not.

“You know him best, darlin’, what do you honestly think?”

“Honestly?  I don’t know, but I DO know that since it’s been six months and we’ve heard nothing from him, I believe in my heart he’s not coming for me anymore.  And somehow, those papers were signed by him too.”

Nothing would’ve deterred Jon, not even his mother’s death, not for six months.  He’d only been in rehabilitation a little while and it didn’t take that long to bury a loved one.  She knew from experience with her father and what they had to do, especially with the pandemic going on.  They hadn’t heard a peep out of Jon and Brinley was tired of hiding out, wanting to live her life again completely with Mark instead of being holed up on his property all the time. 

Granted, the pandemic was still in full swing and she did work for the real-estate company as his secretary, but there was more to life than this, right?  Brinley knew what the problem was and hated herself for thinking it, but she missed producing matches…she missed wrestling.  She missed the traveling and hanging out with her friends, her life BEFORE Jon went and wrecked it all.  Would she ever get that feeling back of satisfaction back?  Tony Khan had been begging her to return, but that was out of the question with Jon working there and there was no way Mark would allow it.

Maybe he’d be okay if I went back to the WWE.  I mean, granted, we wouldn’t see each other that often, but I don’t want to be tied down either.  I finally have my freedom and can do whatever I want.  And I have a lot of friends that still work in the WWE too, so it’s not like I’d be alone there.

Happiness really was hard to find in life.

“Maybe he’s just tired of everything.  It’s been a long past few years.”

It seemed nothing ever just sat still for a minute in this world anymore and it was a constant struggle trying to keep up with everything.  Factor in a global pandemic and personal tragedies…hell, maybe even a beast like Jon had finally decided enough was enough.  Naturally, Mark would always be on the alert simply because he knew what that man was capable of.  Just because a beast decided to bunker down and wanted some peace didn’t mean it wasn’t a beast and wasn’t capable of shredding anyone who got too close, or just because it felt like it.  Now if he knew what she was thinking, right after it had been all ‘all yours, forever,’ and telling each other they loved each other again, Mark may have been a little salty.  

After sex wasn’t really a good time for those thoughts to be peeking.  

Since he wasn’t aware, blissfully ignorant, Mark just held her tighter against him. “That was a good celebration, darlin’,” He chuckled, kissing the top of her head with a bit of a rumbling noise. “And I definitely appreciated the lingerie.”

“I wasn’t sure how I’d feel wearing something like that again.” Brinley snuggled against his warm chest while his fingers glided through her hair, relishing this feeling, this moment, with him. “I used to wear it all the time for Jon…and not because I wanted to.  Not because it made me feel sexy.  It was to make him happy, so he didn’t do something to my family.  When I bought that online, I questioned if I even should because I thought putting it on would bring back all those bad memories of when I forced myself to do it for him.” The things she had done still haunted her and probably always would. “I’ll be the first to admit, I used sex as a way to keep him grounded and occupied.  He warned me that if he ever got bored, he’d kill one of my family members to ‘spice things up’.” This was the first time Brinley came clean to Mark about some of her past history with Jon and she was finally comfortable enough to talk about it. “But when I came down those stairs tonight and the way you looked at me,” Lifting her head from his chest, their eyes locked and that smile was back on her face. “It made me feel so beautiful and desired.” Something she’d never felt with Jon in all the years she was stuck with him. “That’s how you make me feel, Mark.  Beautiful, desirable, loved, and wanted…” Pressing a soft kiss to his chest, Brinley scooted up a little more to where his chin rested against the top of her hair.

Mark had to keep his immediate thoughts to himself because, even though he had been in a comfortable, hazy aftermath from their passionate experience, now his blood was on fire for an entirely different reason. “You’ll always feel that way with me, Brinley,” Mark promised in a low voice, once he was sure the anger wouldn’t seep into his tone.  The last thing she needed was to hear that in his voice, especially tonight of all nights.  This was her night, her moment to bask in a long time coming victory. “I promise you that, darlin’.” God help that son of a bitch if by chance they ever crossed paths, because Mark couldn’t promise that he wouldn’t choke the life out of that psychopath.

In fact, he could promise that he WOULD.

Maybe it wasn’t the right time to talk about her experience, but Brinley felt better afterwards and it also showed how much she trusted Mark.  He said that when she felt completely safe and secure, the nightmares would stop and they did.  The same with talking about what happened to her…Jon had done a number on her throughout their sham of a marriage and Brinley had emotional deep scars from it.

“You mean everything to me, Mark.  Not a day went by I didn’t think of you.  It was the time we shared together, those memories, that kept me from giving up completely and just letting Jon have his way.” Mark saved her in a way that he didn’t know was possible.  Moving to where she straddled him, Brinley captured his mouth in a soft, searing kiss, cupping his face in her soft hands. “I think we’ve talked long enough…” It was time for round two with the love of her life.

“Mmm,” Raising a brow, Mark tucked his hands behind his head. “I think you may have to work for it, darlin’,” He wasn’t a young buck anymore and, while his equipment all worked the way it was supposed to, it still took some time to get back to full mast.  She cocked her own brow back at him and he took that as she was up for the challenge, letting out a soft hiss when he felt her lips attacking his neck. “Or…maybe not…” Mark was already beginning to throb back to life, her heated breath against his skin sending shivers down his spine.

He felt her nails sliding down his chest, then down his sides, only amplifying those shivers.

~!~

“Wait, we can go home now?” Jessica stared at her sister-in-law in disbelief, not believing the words coming out of Brinley’s mouth.

“Yes, I don’t think Jon will be coming after us anymore.  He’s out of rehab as far as I know.” Brinley tried to keep tabs on him for safety purposes, wanting to know what he was doing at all times. 

Recently, Jon had returned to AEW and had a whole new look and style to him.  Brinley could not believe the transformation she’d seen online, how shredded and in shape he was.  Rehabilitation had been good for him and they hadn’t heard a peep from him since New York…since he murdered countless people, including their father, and got away with it.

“And I just think now is the time for you and Chris to take the kids and Mom back home to Florida.  If Jon was going to do something, he would’ve done so by now.”

Time had flown by and WrestleMania season was upon them in just two and a half months.  Mark was being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, per Vince’s favor, and Vince was the one who would inaugurate him.  He had no choice in the matter, though at this point, the Deadman was ready to solidify his legacy by taking this next and possible final step in his career by going into the Hall of Fame.  Brinley was ecstatic when he told her the news and felt her heart nearly leap in her throat when he asked her to be his date for WrestleMania weekend.  Of course, Brinley accepted and had gone online to purchase a dress for the occasion, wanting to look her best on the arm of Mark Calaway, a true legend in the wrestling industry. 

“I mean, unless you guys wanna stay here?  We don’t mind at all, but I figured you were missing Florida and I can tell Mom does too.”

“Oh we’re leaving!” Jessica laughed, shaking her head with mirth when Brinley raised an eyebrow. “Sis, we love you to death and the kids are having fun here, but it’s not the same.” It had been a great time, considering the circumstances that had brought them all here, but…like all things, it’s time had passed. “They miss home and they’re friends, and I miss it too.  I know Chris does.”

Texas was nice and all, but they missed their beaches and everything else.  Honestly, a lot had changed since those early pandemic days.  People were very quick to aim a cell phone and broadcast it live on social media, on top of drones and everything else.  Jon would have a very hard time doing anything ever again, if he were so inclined.

Brinley had the same thought process and she had deliberated with Mark over it, both coming to the conclusion that the time frame for him to try something had long passed.  It was time to get on with their lives, the way they wanted to live, and that sounded like a fantastic idea to her.  That was why she was at the log cabin now talking to her sister-in-law and they embraced tightly, shedding a few tears in the process.  The kids were hooting and hollering, also reiterating what their mother had said. 

Texas was fine and all, but NOTHING compared to Florida and they missed it dearly. 

Without preamble, for the next five hours, Brinley helped them all pack their things, along with her brother’s.  Chris was on the road currently, so it fell to Jessica to get everything of his packed up.  They had also bought a bus due to his tours with Fozzy, so they would be driving that bad boy all the way back to Tampa, Florida.  Now, it was time to go talk to her mother, who had no idea that Chris, Jessica, and the kids would be on their way to Florida as soon as Chris came off the road.

Chapter 22

Mark was currently on the phone with his girls.

They had resumed their normal visits for the most part.  Once things seemed to settle down, they had enjoyed having other kids around, even if Chris’s were a bit older.  However, the girls also seemed ready to have things mostly back to normal, Brinley being their new normal.  They had taken to her very well, accepting her into their lives fairly easily.  Of course, Mark had to talk to them privately, just like he supposed Michelle had too when she started dating again.  He figured he’d give Brinley time to make the arrangements with her family and they’d all share one last meal together, which he had been preparing while on the phone, wondering how it had all gone.  Mark imagined well since she had sent him a thumbs up text with an emoji.  He wouldn’t lie, it would be nice it just being them for a minute or two, even with all the space between the houses.

It really would be. 

Brinley was looking forward to having some alone time with Mark and to actually going on a proper date with him.  It was redundant considering they had been together for a while and had countless sex on top of it, but she still didn’t want to build this relationship purely on sex.  No, she wanted something more with Mark, something more distinct and everlasting.  His girls were adorable, she loved them almost like they were own and she couldn’t believe they accepted her so easily.  Maybe it was because they wanted their father to be happy, they weren’t exactly toddlers or anything like that.  Still, Brinley made sure to give them time alone with their father whenever they visited since she usually worked, setting up appointments and whatnot with the real-estate agents for Mark’s company. 

Humming as she stepped off the ATV, Brinley headed inside the mansion and smiled at the sight of Mark in the kitchen before heading down the opposite hallway to talk to her Mom.  Knocking on the her bedroom door, Brinley waited for her to respond and stepped inside once she did, seeing her mother was already packing. “Mom?”

“Chey messaged me, I’m guessing she wasn’t supposed too?”

Brianna was very fortunate to be close to her grandchildren, though they had a hard time keeping secrets from her.  She missed having grandbabies though, aware it was very likely she wasn’t getting anymore little ones until Chris’s children started having children of their own.  Every night, she prayed that was still quite some time off since they were too young yet.  Brinley was just getting up there, past safe childbearing age, and she didn’t blame her daughter at all for not having children, especially not with her now ex-husband.  

She would have been trapped with that man for life. “I’m sure you and Mark are excited to have everything back to normal.  Well,” She smiled slightly. “Or maybe learn what’s normal for you.” Since they hadn’t gotten together in a normal way, but were rather forced together due to Brinley’s circumstances and the pandemic.

“Oh, Mom…” Brinley sniffled, walking over to wrap her arms around her and felt emotional all of a sudden, hating to hear the resignation in her voice. “You can stay here with us, if you want…”

“No darling, it’s time for me to go home and…start packing things up.  I don’t know what I’ll do with your father’s things, but I’ll figure it out.” Brianna smiled softly while stroking her daughter’s hair, thankful for the time she got to spend with her while it lasted. “You better call your mother at least a couple of times a week, young lady.  Do you hear me?  And you are to come see me at least once every three months.”

Brinley’s chuckle came out watery, nodding at her mother’s orders, and pulled back to kiss her forehead softly. “I could come with you to help you settle in and help you pack up Dad’s things?  I’m sure Mark wouldn’t mind.”

Brianna was tempted at her daughter’s offer, but shook her head gently. “I won’t do it right away.  It’s still too soon for me, too fresh, but once I decide to do it, I’ll tell you and you can decide if you want to come help me or not.  Sound good?”

“Okay, Mom.” Brinley hugged her again, looking up at the ceiling and said a silent prayer to her father to watch over her mother. “I love you and I’m going to miss you so much.”

“Me too, darling, me too.”

Brianna knew she couldn’t stay here forever because all it had done was postpone her properly grieving Charles.  She was ready to grieve, finally, and then get on with her life because she knew that’s what a person did, they moved on.  They never forgot their loved one, but learned how to get on without them.  Honestly, she very firmly believed they’d be reunited one day when it was her time to go.

“But this isn’t goodbye, you’re going to come see me in Florida.” She would be repeating that up until she left, wanting it ingrained in her daughter’s head that there would be no years of separation this time.  Life was too short and precious not to make time for loved ones. “And he’s a good man.” He being Mark.

Brinley couldn’t agree more, beaming at how much her mother really liked Mark. “I promise, I’ll be there with bells on every three months or as often as you’d like.”

She had a job and money stashed away for a rainy day.  Jon didn’t care about her finances, surprisingly, always banking on his threats to her family being enough to keep her in check.  The man was devious with his thinking and completely stupid in others.  Then again, every time Brinley threw in his face she was set well, financially, Jon didn’t take that very well and she knew it had been a blow to his ego.  He wanted to pay for everything, even letting her keep her house in Tampa, only to destroy it because she had defied him.

“Do you want me some help to pack or anything?” For the next hour, she helped her mother while they conversed and spent time together, soaking in as much time as they could.

Mark eventually appeared in the room, though saying the doorway would have been more accurate.  He didn’t mean to intrude or interrupt their time together because they were obviously bonding.  Not trying to eavesdrop, he just didn’t want to stop them either.  Brinley and Brianna needed this moment, needed private time together, and while they had been closer now than in the past several years, there had usually been kids or someone else around because Brianna was a very hands-on grandmother.  He was about to tell them dinner was ready, but when they both began giggling like schoolgirls, still unaware of his presence, he just smiled and stepped out.

Dinner could wait a few more minutes, this was their time.

“Oh my god, are you serious, Mom?”

“As a heart attack.  Your father was stunned and I don’t regret doing it because it broke the ice between us and we were married for over 40 wonderful years.” Brianna sighed wistfully at the thought of her husband, looking down at the diamond ring on her finger.  A beautiful, simple diamond that she’d never taken off, not even while doing dishes or showering, not even baking.  This ring had stayed on her finger, faithfully, for over 40 years and she would never take it off and planned on being buried with it.

Brinley envied her parents so much for the true, irrevocable love they had for one another. How could you, Jon?  How could you take away the love of her life like that?  All because I refused to come back to you, so you had to spread your misery to everyone in my family. It just solidified how much Brinley truly hated the man and hoped she never saw him again as long as she lived. “I know I said this before, but…I’m so sorry, Momma.  If I would’ve spoken up sooner, maybe Daddy…”

“Ssshhh, none of that now, Brin.  This is NOT your fault and I really want you to stop blaming yourself.  The past is the past and…your father would say the same thing.” They both were crying now as Brianna held her daughter tightly, knowing Brinley blamed herself for everything Jon did to them. “My poor, sweet baby, I should’ve known something was going on.  I should’ve known you weren’t acting like yourself, but…I figured you were happy with the man you loved.  I’m so sorry I didn’t catch on sooner, sweetheart.”

That just made her cry harder as Brinley clung to her mother, both of them grieving for a loving father and husband that was no longer here, thanks to a Brinley’s psychotic ex-husband.

Mark gave them fifteen minutes.  Then he popped his head in.  Both women were red eyed, but otherwise looked all right. “Dinner’s ready.” He informed them, wondering how things had gone from giggling to crying, but then again, it was an emotional day.  

Well, later afternoon.  

After supper, it’d be time to take Brianna into town, so she could make her evening flight.  On her end, she had already made arrangements for a friend to pick her up and take her to the house that she hadn’t been to in who knew how long. “Just give me a moment to wash my face, I’ll be right there.” Brianna was already waving them out.

Chuckling, he took Brinley’s hand, lacing their fingers together as he guided her out of the bedroom and towards the kitchen. “Everything okay, darlin’?”

“Yeah, just had a moment with Mom, that’s all.  I’m really shocked she’s already leaving tonight and made all the arrangements and everything…”

When was her mother going to tell her?  What if Brinley didn’t come to her with the suggestion about going home now that Jon was out of the picture?  Jessica didn’t seem all that surprised either, now that she thought about it.  The scent of the kitchen brought her out of those thoughts as Brinley’s stomach rumbled gently and she realized she had forgotten to eat lunch. 

No wonder she was starving. “It smells heavenly in here, Mark.” He grinned at her, pulling her against him and they shared a soft, sweet kiss with their hands over his heart. “You really are a good man, you know that?  The best.”

To be fair, Brinley was usually so worried about other people that, sometimes, she overlooked what said people were doing.  Like her Mom, who seemed to like Texas, but to be fair, most older people wanted to be active.  It helped stave off that mental and physical decline.  This was not the active Brianna had been looking for, wandering around the countryside day in and day out.  She had mentioned several times she missed tennis and the beaches, golfing with her girlfriends and apparently, margarita brunches.  Mark could see why she didn’t look her age, she had been living it up in Florida while married to a wonderful man.

“I try, darlin’.” He chuckled, bending down to brush his lips against hers again. “It helps when you have a good woman.”

If only that were true.  You have no idea just how horrible of a person I really am, Mark.  And I hope you never find out. “After dinner, I’m going to drive Mom to the airport to meet up with her friend.”

She had convinced her mother to at least let her do that much, not wanting her friend to go out of her way to come all the way out here.  It would give her more time with her mother too.  Brinley had gone out into Dallas a few times for meetings with Mark’s clients with Jessica, refusing to let her go alone.  Dallas was a huge city, sure, but Brinley was getting the hang of it and navigating wasn’t that hard to do either.

“I see that look in your eyes.  You want to come with me, don’t you?”

“Darlin’, it’s dangerous drivin’ around here at night…” Mark knew he was being overprotective of her, but at the same time, he couldn’t help it.  Jon could still be lurking out there and he felt they were letting their guard down too soon. “I just wanna make sure you’re safe.”

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Brinley eyed him playfully with a bright smile and pressed her forehead to his. “Let’s do something after we drop Mom off then.  We could always come back here and enjoy ourselves now that we’ll be alone again, but…I was thinking you and me, a motorcycle ride under the stars and moon…maybe parking it somewhere, laying a blanket out…going crazy on each other, hmm?” While she spoke, her lips traveled from his down his jaw to his neck, his arms tightening around her slightly.  Even though it was wintertime, Dallas hadn’t gone below 50 degrees and Brinley thoroughly enjoyed the weather they were having lately, along with the clear crisp nights.

“Daddy, we’re here!”

That put a kibosh on the idea as Mark smiled apologetically down at Brinley, explaining that the girls wanted to come over to say goodbye to Brianna and everyone before they departed.  It was sweet and she simply told him they’d do that idea another time, pecking his cheek before the girls made their way into the kitchen and she greeted them with open arms.  Part of her was a little disappointed, especially when Mark also informed her the girls would be staying overnight, but Brinley squashed it immediately, looking forward to more family fun time and getting to know them better.  When they begged her for manicures and pedicures, she couldn’t say no and her nieces would be joining in on the fun, including Jessica.  It was their way of coping with the fact they wouldn’t have their grandmother around anymore until they went home in another week, once their father came off the road to fly back to Tampa.

So, they’d eventually be getting the place to themselves, but not tonight.  Mark had meant to tell her sooner, but he also hadn’t been expecting her to be holed up with her mother for hours in the bedroom either.  He had been on the phone when she had originally gone in that room, which was when the plans had been made.  He felt sheepish right now, a little bit like an asshole, but it couldn’t be helped because he wasn’t telling his daughters no either. 

Not after how odd things had been over the several past months.

Mark was so glad he had made enough to feed an army because that’s exactly what he was doing, feeding an army of women.  Chris’s only son, Ash, hid in there with him as they finished prepping the meal.  Tonight it was all being served in giant aluminum trays.  Four lasagnas, four trays of salad, and four trays of breadsticks.  The lasagna was homemade, not the breadsticks because, while he had patience for days, Mark also liked convenience.

“Manis and pedis, AFTER dinner.”

“Yes, Daddy!”

“Yes, Uncle Mark!”

All four girls had said that at the same time, making both Brinley and Jessica laugh, along with Brianna.  Everybody sat down at the huge table while Mark and Ash carried everything out, ordering the women to sit when they tried to help.

“We got this, ladies.” Ash grinned, looking the spitting image of his father and Brinley shook her head at her nephew.  He was very tall for his age, played in all kinds of sports, and could not wait to get back to normal life, to those sports, since they’d been homeschooled for the better part of two years.

“He’s such a handsome, young man, reminds me so much of Charlie.” Brianna murmured softly, proud of her grandson and felt Brinley take her hand to squeeze it gently.

Mark’s girls, Sophia and Sasha, knew all about what happened to Brianna’s husband, Brinley’s father, and they remained quiet, not really knowing what to say.  Sophia was 10 and Sasha was 5, though they were a lot more mature than girls their age needed to be.  Sophia understood about the death more than Sasha, which was perfectly fine since she was still a toddler.  Once everything was out of the kitchen and on the table, it was time to dig into the delicious lasagna and breadsticks.

“Don’t forget the salad!” Jessica added, eyeballing her kids, who were not helping themselves to the greens.

“Dad says it’s rabbit food and only should be eaten when there are no other options.” Ash teased, something Chris did say a lot, but he also helped himself to the salad when both his mother and grandmother gave him a ‘look’ that only came from being a parent used to smart mouths.  He grinned sheepishly, adding a bit more ‘rabbit food’ to his plate. “Better?”

“Better.”

Sasha and Sophia both giggled, Sophia adding her own food to her plate while Mark made up one for Sasha.  Given they had spent two years of their very young, in Sasha’s case, lives living during a global pandemic and lockdown, he thought they were pretty well adjusted.  Mark had read some horror stories about people just losing their minds because of the isolation, so he felt they had all gotten off lucky.

“Daddy, did you buy this from the store?”

“Nope, made it here at home.” Mark had done that ONCE and never lived it down.

Chapter 23

Brinley couldn’t believe all the trouble Mark had gone through for her family’s sake and could feel herself fall even more in love with him.  It was such a conundrum for her because, as much as she loved Mark and wanted to be with him, freedom was finally hers.  After all the years being stuck with Jon, and hiding from him for the last almost two years, Brinley could finally start living life the way SHE wanted for a change.  She was 42 now, not getting any younger, and the road was calling to her, just like it did to Chris.  Now she understood what her brother felt whenever he left the road to come home.  It was fine for a while, but that itch to travel and perform came roaring back sooner or later. 

Her passion, both of theirs, had always been professional wrestling, but there was no way for Brinley to work for AEW ever again.  She did have a steady job with Mark’s real-estate company and it was boring, not at all what she wanted to do.  As grateful as she was, Brinley also felt like being selfish and wondered what Mark would say to these thoughts that had plagued her over the course of the past few months.  With WrestleMania on the horizon, she was going on the road with him to escort him as his date for the 2022 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony, where Undertaker would take his rightful place amongst the legends.

Truthfully, the last thing Brinley ever wanted to do was hurt Mark in any way and she was happy for the most part, but she didn’t feel fulfilled either.  Was this what a midlife crisis felt like?  Maybe that was what this was.  The women ordered Mark and Ash to go relax and watch television with the kids in the living room while they cleaned up.  Since Mark’s girls were here, he couldn’t go with her to the airport, so Jessica volunteered to go with her instead.  Mark would be at home with all the kids, though Ash, Sierra and Cheyenne were a lot older than Sophia and Sasha.  Brinley dropped a quick kiss on Mark’s lips, thanking him once again for dinner, and then let him give her mother a goodbye hug before they were out the door, headed for the airport.

“Okay Brin, what’s on your mind, girl?” Jessica demanded as soon as they were on the road, folding her arms in front of her chest. “You were quiet at dinner.  Too quiet.”

Brianna was in agreement, having noticed it as well, and wondered if Mark did too. “You can talk to us, you know.”

“I know, I know that, I just…it’s complicated and I’m not sure how to say what’s been going on in my head lately.  I think I might be going through a midlife crisis or something…”

“A midlife crisis…” Jessica echoed, not entirely sure what that meant and spared a quick look at Brianna.

Brianna was reflecting, considering her daughter. “She’s got her freedom.” She realized Brinley was probably feeling the way she herself felt.  

Like she had to get back to ‘it’, to her life.  Only, it was something a little different with Brinley.  She had spent most of her adult life being held captive virtually by Jon, trapped in a monstrous marriage because she felt she had no choices available to her except to remain, and now…now she had her life back.  However, she was already starting to settle down, establish new roots with Mark, without even sowing off her seeds or however that saying went.

“What’s on your mind, Brinley?” Brianna asked, no judgment in her tone, just understanding.  At this point, there really wasn’t much Brinley could say that was going to upset her or cause her to render a damning verdict.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Brinley flipped on the turn signal to switch lanes since the truck in front of her was going too slow.  Granted, he was in the right lane, so he had every right to do that, but they were already crunched for time getting to the airport. “I miss wrestling.  I miss what I used to do for both WWE and AEW, before my life got cocked up by Jon.” It wasn’t most of her adult life, but a good chunk of it for sure. “I loved what I did, producing matches and…look, I love Mark.  You both know I love him with all of my heart and he’s the only man I want, but…”

“He’s not enough.  You want more than just to be home with him.” Jessica finished for her, placing a hand on her sister-in-law’s shoulder gently. “There’s nothing wrong with feeling the way you do, Brinley, not after everything you’ve been through.  It’s natural to feel that way.”

“Is it?  I mean, I told Mark I wanted to be with him forever, which I do, but…I also want to live my OWN life, be my OWN person again.  I don’t want to be completely tied down, not yet, not when I finally am free to do whatever I want.” Her mother had nailed it on the head. “The problem is Mark is retired now and no longer on the road, and I just don’t know if our relationship can survive me going back to work for a wrestling organization.”

“Not AEW, though, right?”

“Of course not!  If I went back, it would be WWE since Vince is no longer running the show now.” They knew about what happened with Bray Wyatt and how Vince had ‘taught her a lesson’, which ultimately made her quit. “Paul and Stephanie are running the ship now, and a lot of things have changed since the last time I was there.  I just don’t know how to tell Mark any of this and I’m scared of losing him.”

“Honey, I think if any man would understand, it’s Mark.” Brianna assured, after a brief silence.  Brinley’s frustration was practically permeating the truck and she wished she knew what to say or do to ease her daughter’s mind.  All she had were these words, and she believed them wholeheartedly after spending all that time with the man. “He’s fairly older than you, and he seems very patient, so I’m sure if you explained this all to him, he’d get where you’re coming from.” Obviously he had had the wrestling bug in his blood too.

It was bad timing, but Jessica giggled. “Undertaker as a housewife…”

“Oh man…” Brinley couldn’t help laughing harder when Jessica started describing Mark in an apron and her coming home to him from the road. “Stop!  STOP!  Oh my god, I’m gonna piss myself!”

“Can you imagine coming home and that man has cookies baked and waiting for you?  Or better yet, waiting for you in his birthday suit with the cookies?”

“Or the apron and NOTHING underneath!”

“MOM!”

Jessica was dying laughing, loving her mother-in-law even more.  Brianna wasn’t the typical mother-in-law and reminded her so much of Chris.  Now she understood more than ever where both Brinley and Chris got their sense of humor from. “Seriously though, in all seriousness, you need to sit down and have a talk with him when you two are alone.  Maybe wait until after me, Chris, and the girls leave, and when Mark’s girls aren’t there.  Have a few beers and then tell him how you feel.”

Maybe Jessica was right. “I’ll think about it.” She would also never get the image of Mark in an apron, naked, out of her head either. Thanks, Mom!

“Just remember,” Brianna waited until she was about to board, not about to head home to Florida in tears or leave her daughter and daughter-in-law feeling sad and depressed.  She wrapped them in a hug, an arm around each girl. “When you see him…apron and cookies, bare-assed.” She whispered that last bit dramatically, squeezing one last time before kissing Brinley’s forehead. “I love you.” Then she turned and disappeared down the terminal. “No tears, Bri, no tears…” Not until she was in her seat, anyway, then she could cry all she wanted.

Jessica was torn between feeling sad and not pissing herself, struggling not to do either of those things. “Damn it!”

After running to the bathroom to relieve their bladders, Brinley and Jessica headed out and stopped at Starbucks on the way back home.  She would miss her mother a lot, but Brinley would not go more than three months without paying her a visit.  Even though her mother had friends, they didn’t replace family and it would be a lot easier once Chris, Jessica, and the kids were back in Tampa with her too.  They lived separately, but Jessica and the kids could keep an eye on her and check-in. 

Small talk was all that was made between Brinley and Jessica and when they arrived home, everything was set up for the manicures and pedicures.  Sophia batted her big green eyes at her Daddy and begged him to join in on the fun, which Mark could not resist.  So Mark and even Ash had gotten manicures and pedicures, along with the girls and women.  By bedtime, with Jessica and the kids heading back to the log cabin, it was damn near 10 o’clock at night and Brinley was dead on her feet.  She helped put the girls down for the night, yawning incessantly, and finally collapsed on the bed to stare up at the ceiling, not remembering the last time she was this exhausted.

So, this was what being a parent was all about and Brinley was suddenly thankful she didn’t go through with motherhood, not sure she could handle it.

Being a parent was hard; it was challenging and sometimes a parent just wanted to say, ‘fuck you, demon spawn’, but naturally…they didn’t.  They just thought it and kept that to themselves.  However, the good outweighed the bad, nine times out of ten, and honestly, Mark wouldn’t trade anything in the world for his kids.  Sometimes, however, he felt like a royal asshole given he had not been an ‘equal’ Dad to all his children.  They all got different versions of him, different periods in his life, which had influenced his patience.

Or lack of it.

“Fuck,” Mark was exhausted too, rolling onto his side and rested his hand on her stomach, a habit he had fallen into early on when they had struck up a proper relationship. “You gonna be okay without them here, Brin?”

Turning her head to look up at him, she smiled tiredly and nodded, placing her hand over his to lace their fingers together. “Of course.  I know their hearts are in Tampa and mine is here.  And I promised my Mom I would come visit her once every three months, so I’m going to make damn sure I keep that promise.” There was no way she would ever alienate her family again, not for anyone or anything.  She opened her mouth to say something, but Mark had other plans and softly kissed her, arms instantly encircling his neck to pull him closer to her. Would you hate me if I tried to get my job back with WWE?  Would you wait for me, Mark?  Could our relationship survive my selfishness? “Mark…” Brinley melted against him while he kept loving on her and she was once again swimming in ecstasy, her brain in a thick passion haze. “I figured you’d be too tired for this, not that I’m complaining…” I just need to be happy with him and stop this nonsense.  I don’t need to have it all, I can settle down with him and it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. She was desperately trying to convince herself of that fact while Mark undressed her, as well as himself, every other thought flying out of her mind the moment he slid home inside of her to start making love. Yes, this is enough for me.  This right here…with him…is all I need in my life. “Oh god, yes…” I love him and he loves me, and we’re happy and the last thing I want to do is ruin what we have.  I can’t lose him, I refuse to lose him!

Brinley had made it clear when she wasn’t in the mood and he had always backed off.  Mark had done it to her a few times too since sex wasn’t the end-all, be-all in a relationship.  However, some languid lovemaking, especially after her trying to set them up for a romantic time this evening, and that going south almost as soon as she had said it, was definitely in the cards.  If Mark would have known that while he was making love to her, she was trying to talk herself into staying with him, continue building this life with him, he would have stopped immediately because he did not believe in using sex as a distraction or a way of dealing with things.  He'd learned that lesson the hard way early on in life.

Drawing her leg up over his hip, he then snaked that hand down between her legs, adding more pleasure on top of what he was already giving her. “So fuckin’ wet, darlin’,” Mark rumbled, lazily circling her clit with his thumb. “All for me?”

In her eyes, Brinley was not using sex as a distraction because Mark had initiated it and she was not ready to talk to him about what was going on in her head.  They were exhausted, it was a very long, emotional day and this was the perfect way to end it.  Some nice old fashioned slow, lovemaking was something they both needed and she would never turn Mark down unless she simply wasn’t in the mood.  Tonight, she was.

“Yes, all yours…only yours…” Brinley moaned out, hearing that dark tinge to his voice and it sent shivers throughout her body as he continued thrusting in and out of her at a slow, methodic pace.  They had to try to keep it down because of the girls being there and Brinley bit her bottom lip to keep from crying out, only for Mark to suck her bottom lip between his teeth.  He wanted to hear her and had assured her plenty of times they were fine to be as loud as they wanted. “You feel so good, Mark, so damn good…I need you closer, come closer to me…”

About the only way those girls were going to hear any of this was if they came strolling into his room.  These were thick, well insulated walls, and both his daughters knew not to just barge into his bedroom.  That was how Sophia had learned that knocking was not only the polite thing to do, but also the safest for her eyes.  She had learned that lesson at six years old when she just waltzed in and seen Mommy riding Daddy.  It could have been worse, it could have been the other way around.  Then she would have been traumatized for life as opposed to just curious as hell.

“Any closer, darlin’, and I’ll be under your skin.” Figuratively speaking, of course, but he did as she wanted, hearing her moaning her appreciation even as Mark began properly covering her tiny body with his, though he was mindful not to crush her either.

“Mmm, perfect…”

Chapter 24

Before they knew it, the 2022 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony had arrived.

Brinley looked in the full-length mirror of the hotel suite, surprised by her appearance and now beautiful she looked.  Sexy and elegant, it was the perfect blend she’d been going for.  The dress was black and strapless with a black beaded floral design from the breasts to the waist before pleating from the waist and gradually smoothing out down the legs.  One leg was almost completely bare, the slit stopping at mid-thigh with a black ivy lace design to enhance the design.  It had a fishtail split in other words and made out of pure satin.  Mark was wearing all black, so as his date, she felt the need to match him and the moment she saw this dress, she fell in love instantly with it. 

Mark hadn’t seen it yet and she accompanied it with two inch silver open-toed heels that strapped around the ankle. 

Diamond earrings dangled from her ears and she had a diamond choker with matching bracelet and even an ankle bracelet for jewelry.  Her hair had been done professionally earlier that day and was swept up on top of her head with a diamond clip that matched her jewelry, tons of bobby pins, hairspray, and a crown of golden spiral curls with just wisps of silver throughout it.  Brinley thought about dyeing her hair and decided against it, knowing sooner or later mother nature would inevitably take its course.

This is as good as it’s going to get.  I don’t look half bad, I guess. Her makeup was very lightly done with warm tones and thin black liner, just enough to bring out her emerald eyes with clear gloss on her lips.  The door opened and Brinley had to learn how to breathe again at the sight of Mark standing there in a full black tuxedo, looking stunning. “Wow…you look incredible tonight, Deadman.”

“Yeah, I clean up okay,” Mark chuckled, his eyes sweeping up and down her own attire. “You look beautiful, darlin’.” They kind of matched and he walked up to stand by her in the full-length mirror that adorned part of the wall.  They looked good together, her better than him, obviously. “I feel a little weird, not going to lie.” This suit had cost him a fortune because tailoring and creating a suit for someone his size did not come cheap at all, but given what tonight was, it was worth it. “I’m nervous as hell, Brinley.” Mark admitted quietly, taking a deep breath.  For years, he had been called a living legend; he wasn’t being egotistical when he said he was a legendary cornerstone of this company, a huge reason for its now stable success, and yet…being properly recognized for it was messing with him.

“Now why doesn’t that surprise me?” Brinley turned to take his hands in hers, staring up into his beautiful jade eyes and brought those hands up to press a soft kiss to the back of them. “You, above all others, MORE than deserve this honor, Mark.  For years, the fans have never really seen the real you, not like I have or your other ex-wives and children.  You have put in over 30 years of loyalty to this company, to Vince, and it’s my honor and privilege to be here with you tonight to watch you take your rightful place into the Hall of Fame.” Reaching up, she caressed his face tenderly with the back of her hand, wanting to look her absolute best for him on this very special evening. “You have every right to be nervous, but I also know you’re going to knock this out of the park too.  You always do, no matter if you’re doing one of your Deadman shows or giving an inspirational speech somewhere…you have a way with words that is amazing and tonight, the fans are in for a treat.” She had helped him with his speech a little when he asked her opinion on it and read it, not really telling him to change anything.  It sounded damn near perfect to her. “And I’ll be right there cheering you on, along with the girls, and everyone else.” Michelle would be there too with their children and they would join him on the stage, after his speech was over with, which Brinley didn’t mind.  It wasn’t her place to join him on the stage with them quite frankly. “You got this, Mark, I love you and I’m very proud of you.”

He had been working on his speech ever since they had been set in stone.  Mark had no idea how many nights he had climbed out of bed to go down to the kitchen and work on rewrites, sipping whiskey, and reliving the glory days.  Sometimes, it made him want to return to the ring, but the fact of the matter was, The Undertaker was long gone.  He was an older man now, not capable of delivering even 80% except maybe a few nights a year, not without probably setting himself back even more than he already had health wise.  No, it was better to finally close the door on the Undertaker and step into the legitimate legendary, the stories, step onto that side of the coin.  Taking her hand, squeezing it gently, Mark turned to look at them again in the full-length mirror together.  Finally, he heaved a sigh and glanced back towards the door he had come in.  

Out on the bed, his duster and hat waited for him, calling him to wear them one last time. “Alright darlin’, let’s do it.”

Brinley followed him out of the house, with his duster and hat draped over his arm, though Mark didn’t put the hat on.  He wouldn’t do that until at the end of his speech, when he would don them both one last time.  That would be the cherry on top of the sundae for the incredible speech he was about to give.  Since WrestleMania 38 was in Dallas, Texas, they didn’t have to sleep in a hotel room or anything.  Tonight, after all was said and done, they would be able to come back home to the mansion and sleep in their own bed together.  That was why Vince had chosen Dallas for WrestleMania 38 because it had been one of Mark’s stipulations to be inducted in his backyard, so to speak.  Helping her into the limousine waiting for them, courtesy of Vince, Brinley scooted over gently as Mark stepped inside next, her hand immediately reaching for his.

The ride to the venue was made in amicable silence, each in their own thoughts, and once they arrived, Mark was whisked away backstage to get prepared.  Brinley made her way to the front row seat with her name on it, which was right next to Michelle, Sophia and Sasha.  They looked amazing in their dresses and she greeted each of them with a soft kiss on their cheeks, grinning from ear to ear.  Michelle and her embraced as well, not at all tense around each other because Michelle just wanted Mark to be happy at the end of the day.  Brinley had a talk with Michelle, explaining how she felt about him, even back in 2007 when their fling started, and the woman was very understanding.

“It’s in God’s hands, I believe that wholeheartedly and I support you and Mark together.  The girls love you and as long as you treat them right, that’s all I care about.”

“Brinley!”

She knew that voice anywhere and turned just in time to be clobbered by a hug by none other than Stephanie McMahon-Levesque, not remembering the last time they saw each other. “Hey, Steph.”

“I missed you so damn much!” Stephanie could not believe Brinley was dating Mark, still trying to wrap her head around how THAT happened when the last time she saw this woman, she was married to Dean Ambrose, who was now Jon Moxley in AEW. “How’ve you been?!  We need to catch up after the ceremony at the afterparty.”

“We will, we will.  There’s been…a lot happening and I’ll need a few drinks to tell you all about it.”

Stephanie nodded in understanding. “Don’t flake out on me now.”

Brinley chuckled softly. “I won’t, scouts honor.” She watched Stephanie bounce back to her seat where Paul was waiting, waving at him before taking her seat along with Michelle and the girls to wait for the ceremony to begin.

Paul could already see the gears in his wife’s head turning, raising a slow brow. “What are you plotting, Steph?”

“Ohhh nothing, just can’t wait to catch up with a dear old friend.” Stephanie’s blue eyes were glittering mischievously, however, and Paul could only shake his head, taking her hand to kiss the back of it.  Whatever she had in mind, he would support it like he always did.

Just then, the lights went down and the spotlight was on the stage as the 2022 WWE Hall of Fame started.

Given that Stephanie was turning out to be the lesser evil of the McMahons he had to deal with, Paul usually did support her.  Although, he also tended to speak out and not back down on certain issues and things.  Those things tended to work out in the company’s favor, which was why his wife had stopped having her mini meltdowns a long time ago.  He loved the woman, but damn did she had a temper.  He kept looking back from Mark to Stephanie.  Stephanie was watching both Mark and then she’d look at Brinley and he swore he could hear the audible wheels turning, just cranking along.

If the idea involved Brinley, it probably wasn’t a bad one.

Mark was going to need a few stiff drinks after this, especially when emotion made him choke up several times throughout his speech.  It always seemed to be worse when he’d hear the fans cheering and chanting for him, his eyes a bit watery as he scanned the crowds surrounding him.

Brinley was on her feet clapping with tears of her own in her eyes.  A few fell when Michelle joined him on stage with their girls and he lifted Sasha in his arms while wrapping his arm around Michelle’s waist to hold her against him.  That was his family and Brinley supported them wholeheartedly, not feeling the least bit jealous.  Michelle then walked down the steps and took Brinley’s hand, making her blink in shock. 

What was she doing?! 

Before she knew what was happening, Brinley had joined them on stage and Michelle was beaming while Sophia grabbed Brinley’s hand, all of them staring out into the sea of people.  There was no way Michelle would share this moment without Brinley since she was a huge part of Mark and their children’s lives.  Brinley wasn’t expecting this and waved along with Mark, Michelle and the kids, his theme song playing through the speakers as they all made their way out of the ring up the ramp. 

When they got to the back, Brinley was trying desperately to hold the tears in and Michelle hugged her instantly, knowing that had been a shock to the poor woman. “You deserved to be up there with us, Brinley.”

“Thank you.” It was incredible how much Michelle accepted her as Mark’s girlfriend and she was grateful they got along so well. “That just caught me off-guard, but I really do appreciate it, Michelle.”

“Well, I asked Mark ahead of time if it would be all right to include you in that moment and he was all for it.  I just feel like it’s the right thing to do since you’re in his life now and he loves you.” Michelle had a heart of gold and that was one of the many reasons Mark had fallen in love with her, but unfortunately, their love had snuffed out for whatever reason.  They had gone their separate ways amicably, co-parenting to damn near perfection. “He deserves to have EVERYONE on that stage he loves and cares about tonight, you included.”

“Thank you.” Brinley didn’t know what else to say, feeling Mark pull her against him to softly kiss the crown of her head. “You did very well out there, big man.  I’m proud of you.”

Michelle being up there was a simple fact: She had been with him during the last part of his career for the most part, was the mother of his last children, and he and Brinley hadn’t really gone public.  Also, there was that part of him that was concerned if she was aired with him in any capacity, at this event, it would trigger whatever was lying dormant in Jonathan Good.  And then Michelle pulled her up anyway and that worry would have to wait for another time because this was his family, maybe not all of it, but a big chunk of it.

He kissed the top of Brinley’s head again. “Thanks, darlin’.” Mark murmured, bending down so she could hear him.  Sasha was cupping his face, making him pop up to kiss her too, not giving a good goddamn what anyone thought.

“Daddy’s crying.”

Daddy was crying.

There wasn’t a dry eye in the entire crowd after the incredible speech Mark gave out there.  The Undertaker was laid to rest and they had seen the man, Mark Calaway, a Texan, a father, and an unforgettable legend in this business.  There would never be another like him, not in their lifetime and possibly the next.  Michelle congratulated him, giving him a purely platonic embrace and then lead their daughters away because Mark had to take some pictures with his Hall of Fame ring.  Brinley would be with him too since she was his official date and then she stepped away after a few shots, while Vince got in there to take pictures with him as well.

About an hour later, everyone was on their way to the afterparty, which was held in a different venue that had crystal chandeliers and the like.  Some of the WWE Superstars couldn’t stay up too late since WrestleMania night one would be tomorrow, followed by night two.  Brinley still couldn’t believe they had split WrestleMania into two nights, not thinking it was smart business wise at first, but then again, the event was sold out both nights, so obviously WWE was doing SOMETHING right.  Walking into the afterparty, Mark was immediately greeted by Glenn Jacobs, who was known as Kane, Undertaker’s baby brother on-screen, and she let them have a moment while she went to grab some much needed champagne.

“You son of a bitch!” Glenn was taller, younger, and fatter than him, and that did not stop the big lug from snatching Mark up like he was a tiny toddler and spinning around in a circle with him.

“You did it, big man!” Glenn did have to put his friend down, chuckling and mimed holding his back. “Retirement has your ass getting heavier.”

That was all muscle, maybe some of Brinley’s brownies since those things were irresistible, and he hoped Glenn’s retired, political self had pulled something in his back.  However, he was smiling as he drew his friend in for another hug.  Glenn truly was like a brother, one couldn’t work as closely or as well with someone for so long and not make them family, not in their case.

“Maybe…” Mark conceded, patting his rather trim stomach. “She bakes, and her sweets are addictin’.”

“Sure, her, uh, sweets.” Glenn followed Mark’s gaze to the woman in question. “Should I take bets?”

“Only if you want to eat your teeth.” He’d be the first to admit his track record sucked.

“Brinley, have a drink with me, girl!  We need to catch up as you promised!” Stephanie had not forgotten and handed over a flute of champagne, winking over at where Mark and Glenn stood.  Others were coming over to greet him and she let him know with her eyes that she was sweeping Brinley away for a while.

Looking back at them, Mark was chuckling and waved at her and she returned it before being guided away by Stephanie, answering questions the woman had.  There was no point in lying about anything and she summarized what happened with Jon, deciding it was best not to mention the fact he had murdered not only her father, but countless other people in New York during the pandemic during the lockdown.  Stephanie listened while they sat at a nearby table, paying close attention to what she said and then the inevitable question spawned.

Chapter 25

“So, what are you doing now?”

“I work for Mark’s real-estate company as his secretary.” Brinley answered, taking a sip of her third glass of champagne and crossed one leg over the other, gliding her finger around the rim thoughtfully. “It’s work and something to do, so I can’t complain.  It’s a great company.”

“Just not what you want to really do, right?” Stephanie had read her like a book, her body language and could hear the resignation in the woman’s voice.

“What do you mean?”

“Oh come on, don’t feign ignorance with me, Brin.  We’ve known each other for too long and I know you too well, even after all this time.” Stephanie smirked, leaning back in her chair with knowing eyes. “You’re just like your brother, I swear.  We miss Jericho around here, you know.  Just sucks that things didn’t pan out with my old man and him when it was time to renew his contract.”

“Yeah well, no offense, but your old man is WAY out of touch with a lot of things.”

Stephanie couldn’t disagree with her on that statement. “Things have changed here though and I think you’d be happy working for us again now that Paul and I run the show.  Dad is just here for show tonight because of Mark’s induction, but he’s pretty much on his way out the door.”

“What exactly are you saying, Steph?  Or more importantly, what are you offering?”

“Your old job back…with interest.”

Brinley’s eyes about bugged out of her head and she just sat there for a minute, digesting what Stephanie said. “You want me to come back and produce matches for the WWE?  Really?”

“What can I say?  When I see talent, I’m like a shark that finds the blood in the water.  And you’re not happy simply being a secretary for Mark, that much is obvious.  You love him, but…you also love this business and you miss it, I can see it in your eyes.” Stephanie wasn’t one to beat around the bush and folded her arms in front of her chest, taking another sip of her own champagne. “One year.  Give me one year and see how it goes.  If it works, we’ll extend your contract, but if not, you can leave with no repercussions.”

Brinley had to admit, this was an offer she really did not want to refuse and could feel the excitement flow directly to her heart.  It was a feeling she hadn’t experienced in quite some time and Brinley NOW understood why Stephanie was brilliant at what she did in this company. “I need some time to think about this, Steph.  I can’t just say yes tonight.  I need to talk to Mark about it and see how he feels…” Their relationship would be put to the ultimate test if she decided to do this and Brinley, deep down, wanted to with everything inside of her.

Paul was watching the pair, shaking his head when he seen the word ‘shark’ coming from his wife’s lips.  She was that indeed and she was also a McMahon who knew exactly how to target a person.  He almost felt bad for Brinley, but the other woman also looked pretty excited by whatever it was Stephanie was saying to her, so…he just ambled over to Mark, figuring he should congratulate his old friend.  Friends yes, but not have a beer at the house and a fire buddies.  No.  He didn’t drink, leaving that to the wife.

“Of course, it’s a big decision, especially with him finally retiring for real this time.” Stephanie nodded her head in understanding, wondering how that conversation would go over.  

Mark had been pretty vocal to her father about wanting to be done with the ring, about having ‘both feet at home’ as he had worded it.  She’d like to say she understood that, but she didn’t.  Stephanie loved her home life, but this business was embedded into her; it was just part of her core DNA.  Honestly, that was how Brinley felt and she didn’t know how Mark would react to this offer. 

Would he support her?  Would he demand her to stay home with him?  No, that wasn’t who Mark was at all. He’s nothing like Jon.  Jon would’ve demanded me to stay home with him.  Mark will support me, I know it. However, their relationship was blossoming into something stronger and permanent too.  Brinley could honestly say she’d never felt more torn in her entire life and looked over at Mark, keeping the smile on her face that didn’t quite reach her eyes. What am I supposed to do?  Losing him isn’t an option, but I’m not happy with the way my life is right now either, not completely.  I’m happy with HIM, but not with my job or anything else.  The girls are fantastic, I love them, but…I miss this.  I miss wrestling and I’d be a fool if I continued denying what I want.

For so long, Brinley had to do that because of Jon. 

Her mother and Jessica had both told her to tell him how she felt, but Brinley didn’t want to stress Mark out with everything else going on, regarding WrestleMania and his Hall of Fame induction.  The poor man had been stressed to the max trying to write his speech and she didn’t want to contribute to that. “I need some air.” She stood up from the table and headed out onto the veranda, where it was quiet and away from everyone, staring up at the stars in thought. What would I do if the roles were reversed?  Would I wait for Mark to come home to me just like he would have to do?  Will our relationship be able to survive if I decide to do this?

“Brinley.”

Turning, her emerald eyes widened at the sight of the last person she expected to talk to her here. “Hello, Colby.”

On TV, Seth Rollins was pretty flamboyant, but Colby Lopez was a bit more muted in his off-screen life, though just as handsome.  His beard and mustache were trimmed to perfection, his long hair pulled back, not slicked down, and he was dressed to the nines like everyone else here.  He looked handsome if he did say so himself, and he did.

“It’s been a long time.” Way too long, Brinley had moved to AEW when she had been married to Jon, who he hadn’t spoken with in a long time.  

Jon had basically cut ties with a lot of people and Colby didn’t feel that was a bad thing because Jon had some issues, mostly involving his alcohol use, but apparently he had gotten help for that, finally.  It evidently only took losing this beautiful woman, on top of what had happened to his Mom, – Colby had sent his condolences and all that naturally – to get him into rehabilitation.

“You look fantastic.”

“Thank you, you don’t look so bad yourself.”

Brinley had no idea how Colby would feel towards her since he had been Jon’s friend and former comrade in arms with the Shield.  The Shield…the three upstarts from developmental that had come up and Brinley’s life had been changed forever due to one of them.  In the worst way possible.  She smiled at him tentatively, wondering why he was out here and held her half-drank flute of champagne in her hand while resting her other arm at her side.

“And yes, it’s been a long time.  You’ve been doing well for yourself in the company and I’m glad to see that.” Recently, there had been rumors swirling around about Colby and Becky Lynch, one of WWE’s women wrestlers, going strong, but maybe that was just a rumor and nothing more. 

Brinley hadn’t paid much attention to WWE news, truthfully.

Becky Lynch ‘The Man’.  Jesus that was enough to give a man a complex, now wasn’t it?  Colby just shrugged one shoulder, knowing he was finally getting his time to shine in the spotlight.  In the Shield, it had been easy to be overshadowed by Joe, – Roman Reigns – who had been shoved down throats John Cena style, and then by Jon.  Jon was just a larger than life figure.

“I was sorry,” Was that the right word? “To hear about you and Jon; you two seemed great together.” At least Jon had seemed happy and Brinley had as well. “I don’t talk to him anymore…we drifted apart.” That was being nice, he supposed.  Colby had sent some texts, tried doing a meet-up a time or two, but Jon always declined, making up some excuse not to.

Jon may have been busy destroying people’s lives on and off-screen, so there hadn’t been time for old friends.

“Did we now?” Brinley could not help scoffing, her voice dripping with sarcasm and felt something hard form in the pit of her stomach. “Considering the man destroyed my life for the better part of six years, I’m not sorry at all to be away from him.” Just like with Stephanie, there was no point lying to Colby and she could see the shock fill his eyes at her words. “Surprised, eh?  Well, I don’t blame you there, considering we put on the picture perfect marriage in front of everyone.” Finishing the rest of her champagne, Brinley set it on the veranda and inhaled a deep breath, resting her arms on it while staring up at the sky. “For six years, that man tortured me and forced me to stay with him, to also marry him.  He threatened my family, my brother, to kill them if I didn’t comply with his wishes, so I stayed.  I stayed and endured…I endured his abuse for six years and that includes nearly being killed at his hands.  Two miscarriages too, can’t forget about those.  And would you like to know why he did all of this to me?”

Colby was having a hard time talking while listening to her, hardly believing what she was saying. “Why?”

“Because of my brother trying to stop you, Roman, and Jon from making it to the big leagues in this company.  He was angry and decided to make Christopher pay by targeting his sister, by targeting ME.  He wanted my brother to suffer for what he tried doing to the Shield and…then it just became a sick game to him that he never wanted to end.  Your buddy is a psychotic bastard and the moment my divorce was finalized, I’d never felt so happy and relieved in my entire life to be away from him.” There, now Colby knew just what a bastard his ex-Shield comrade was and just a sliver, a SLICE, of what he put Brinley through. “I’m sorry for what my brother did to you guys, or tried to do, but it had nothing to do with me and I hope you understand that.”

That was a lot to digest and Colby’s first reaction was to legitimately laugh at her because there was NO way all of that was true.  However, he didn’t react at all on that first instinct, instead taking a long pull from the bottle of beer he had snagged off the table on his way out, just staring down at her out of wide eyes. “I can’t-” Colby stopped, swallowing a few times as his tongue fumbled over words…words he had no idea were coming out because he honestly didn’t know what to say. “I want to say I can’t believe that.  Joe and I know, well knew, him pretty well.  But I guess, maybe I can.”

Now that he was thinking about it, if Colby really wanted to mull it over, he could remember a few times when he had questioned Jon’s mental state.  Just things and situations Jon had done that had been…borderline insane and illegal.  At the time, it had been awesome because they had been young, on the rise bucks, but now that he was older and a little wiser…maybe not so much on the awesome part.

“Your brother has always been a bastard.” It was stated with a half-grin since Colby was having a hard time controlling his face, still reeling over what she had said about his old friend. “A legend, but a bastard.” A lot of people would say that, Chris was Chris, larger than life and arrogant to boot.

Chris would be the first to admit it too.

“Of course he is, but that doesn’t mean he can’t make mistakes in his thinking either, Seth.” It was just easier to call him that as opposed to his real name since she was used to Seth more than Colby. “And ultimately, it’s the WWE’s call, Vince’s at the time, to bring up new rising stars from developmental and you know that.” He nodded to affirm what she said, agreeing with her. “So why the fuck would my brother have any sway in whether or not the Shield was brought up or not?  To this day, it STILL makes no sense to me why he was adamant about making my brother, me, our family, suffer all because of Christopher voicing his opinions on you guys.  He thought you were too green, not ready for the big leagues, and at the time I agreed with him.  Until I saw your first match together at TLC 2011, then I knew instantly we had three major stars on our hands and you guys would be a force to be reckoned with.”

That was during the time Jon had started pulling her into dressing rooms for their romps too, now that Brinley thought about it.  Wow, had it really been so long since that happened? “I get it if you don’t believe me because a lot of is pretty unbelievable, but for what it’s worth, I am telling the truth and there is a reason I’m with Mark now.  It’s not all black and white when it comes to Jon, he’s psychotic and charming and knows how to win people over like THAT.” She snapped her fingers to elucidate her point, rubbing her arms a little since a chill had flowed over her. “I’m heading back inside, have a nice evening, Seth.” Walking past him, Brinley was back inside before Seth could say anything and was left out there to ponder over everything she’d just told him.  The smile was back on her face as she went to go pluck some food from the table littered with all kinds of snacks and whatnot. I shouldn’t have told him all of that.  There’s no way he’ll believe anything I said.  And what does it matter anyway?  He’s friends with Jon and I need to stay away from him.

It felt like she had totally disregarded what he’d said in regards to Jon.  It took Colby a full three seconds to realize why.  Because she wasn’t expecting him to believe a word that came out of her mouth, which totally explained her ignoring him basically agreeing with her.  That was actually kind of rude of her, not giving him a proper chance on anything.  Unlike a totally normal person, who would have brushed her off and continued on with their lives, Colby instead followed her inside and said Brinley’s name to alert her he was right behind her, before gently grabbing her hand.  

The purpose of that was to pull her back towards him, his eyes serious as he looked down in her face. “I once saw him curb stomp a homeless man.” He admitted to her quietly. “I got the guy help and shit, but I couldn’t stop it from happening either.  Jon just…did it.” Jon had been inebriated as hell, and so had Colby, but he remembered the man asking for money and Jon had cackled like a damn hyena, then just…stomped the hell out of the man. “So yes, I do believe you, I believe everything you just said, Brinley.”

Chapter 26

Why didn’t that surprise her to hear a story like that about Jon? 

It shouldn’t have because that was the type of lunatic the man was.  Hurting others just because he could. “I’m assuming that happened before he started pulling me into dark dressing rooms to have his way with me?”

Of course, Colby and Joe knew about what Jon had been doing to her.  It had been the cornerstone of how they’d ‘met’ and fell in love with each other.  What a joke!  The tension in her face faded a little and her guard lowered some while he continued holding her hand, those chocolate eyes showing complete truth.

“Thank you.  That…means a lot to me, Seth.” Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Michelle and Mark heading to the dance floor, along with their daughters, who were dancing with each other beside them.  Brinley didn’t know why, but it made her heart splinter slightly at the sight of mother and father, with their children dancing together, side by side, and Colby suddenly pulled her onto the dance floor as well. “What are you doing?”

“Dance with an old friend, Brinley.” Colby wasn’t done talking to her and figured they could continue with the conversation while dancing together.

Brinley didn’t know why, but she let Colby pull her into his arms to start slow dancing with him, keeping a respectable distance since she was a taken woman. “I’m sorry for dismissing you out on the veranda earlier.  I truly didn’t think you’d believe me, that I was full of shit in what I told you.  I don’t even know why I did either.  It just sorta all came out when you said me and Jon looked good together.  Felt you had the right to know the truth for some reason.”

Naturally, Mark seen it and didn’t think overly much about it.  She had worked in the company before and had been married to a cornerstone of the Shield.  It made sense she was on friendly terms with one of the other members.  Also, he wasn’t her psycho stick ex-husband, who was jealous and controlling.  Mark knew where she came home to every night and whose arms she slept in.  

His.

“No, you’re fine.” Colby grasped why she was apologizing, though, deciding to be straight up and honest with her. “At first, I was shocked and offended, thought you were rude as shit, to be honest.” He chuckled when she made a face, as if agreeing with that line of thought. “But then it kind of hit me, I get it.  Who really is going to believe you, outside of people who know you best or really know Jon?” Nobody, and that was just the sad truth.

Thankfully, Mark believed every word that Chris told him when he dumped everything that happened to Brinley on him during that phone call a few years ago.  Man, time really did fly and Brinley hated it because she’d missed out on so much, thanks to Jon.  Lost two very important jobs that she loved because of him too.

“Well, I can be a shit just like my brother at times, so my apologies for jumping the gun.  I’m glad you understand where I’m coming from though.” He twirled her gently and pulled her back into his arms, once again both being completely platonic with each other.  Colby would never dare make a move on the Deadman’s woman; he did not want to commit career suicide, so Brinley wasn’t worried about it at all. “Never thought I’d be back in WWE for an event, let alone dancing with you, of all people.  This feels surreal to me.” Why can’t I get that vision of Mark and Michelle looking happy with the girls out of my head?  He loves me, he wants to be with me, not her.  God, I respect her.  I have no issues with Michelle.  Damn it, why is it bothering me so much? Because deep down inside her heart, Brinley knew that Mark and Michelle looked far better together as a family than she did with him, and it broke her heart.

That was maybe because, once upon a time, they had been a family and unlike a lot of divorced couples, including him and an ex or two, they had remained amicable.  Michelle had known straight out the gate that things worked best with both parents involved and cordial and Mark had to learn that lesson the hard way in the past.  Now, they were friendly, but with the understanding that the past was the past and there was no love involved, no passion between them anymore.  Just mutual respect and understanding.  Michelle had a man and he had a woman, both very happy and content in their new lives.  As long as the girls were happy and cared for, at the end of the day, that was what was important.

Colby caught Brinley looking over him a time or two and finally glanced back, realizing what had her attention. “You know he loves you, right?” He said quietly, not sure if that was true, but the woman needed to hear it.

Looking back at him, Brinley tried in vain to hide the turmoil she felt inside, but Colby had picked up on it instantly. “I love him too very much.” Mark saved her in more ways than one because Brinley never thought she’d give another man the time of day after everything Jon put her through.  Even though she had always loved Mark secretly, she never thought he’d feel the same way about her. “He’s the best man I’ve ever been with and I’m lucky to be with him.” She meant that with every fiber of her being.

Honestly, after everything that had transpired with her family having to stay on his property, along with Jon’s psychotic tendencies, he could’ve easily told her to kick rocks.  Instead, Mark embraced her and her family, showing her what it meant to truly be loved, wanted, respected, and treated like a real woman should.

Colby was a brilliant villain on television and he’d admit it; it was an extension of his natural self, the more obnoxious, arrogant side.  However, he wasn’t that way twenty-four hours, seven days a week, he wasn’t that way in his personal life and, even if he was in a mood, he wouldn’t have had the heart to kick this woman while she was down.  Not after everything she had confessed to him and the look on her face right now.

“I can tell,” He murmured after a moment, before quietly adding the obvious. “And he is very lucky.  I know we’re not as friendly as it probably looks to everyone,” Colby had noticed a few raised brows at them dancing together. “But even I can tell, you’re not a normal woman, you’re…a diamond in the rough.” After everything she had been through, after everything Jon had put her through, Brinley was still capable of empathy and obvious love for a man, when she had every reason in the world to despise and hate them all.

“You are quite the charmer, Mr. Rollins.  Thank you.” That’s all she could really say, not sure how else to respond and could feel her cheeks flame slightly at the compliment. A diamond in the rough, huh?  Brinley had a very hard time believing that and wondered if she was just blowing smoke up her backside. 

It didn’t matter, she was with Mark and that wouldn’t change tonight or any other night, not if she had her way.  Granted, the offer Stephanie presented to her was in the forefront of her mind, but tonight was NOT the right time to talk to Mark about it.  She wanted him to relish in his victory, something he worked incredibly hard for, and enjoy it for all it was worth.  The dance ended and she curtsied to Colby, receiving a kiss to the back of her hand in return.

“Thank you for the dance.” He nodded to her and released her hand before she made her way off the floor to grab some water, wondering how much longer Mark would want to stick around. 

Honestly, it’d been a very long day and Brinley was tired, wanting to call it a night since they still had WrestleMania to attend both nights.

Colby watched her walk away from him, noticing it wasn’t straight to Mark like one would have thought.  He had seen her talking to Stephanie earlier, a bit curious about what had gone on there because the Princess had that ‘look’, the one everyone who became something in this company was familiar with.  They all called it ‘The McMahon’ because every single one of those bastards got that look when they were after something, and he meant that in a loving fashion.  Oh well, if there was anything to come of it, he would find out in due time.

Mark was nowhere near ready to go, well aware tonight was going to probably be one of the last he was with his wrestling family in this capacity.  Not to mention, he had a steady stream of people now coming up to him, wanting to rehash those days, those fun times, and it was basically a giant retirement party that had him living in nostalgic times.  Even with a mini on his hip.

Brinley would never ask him to leave either, seeing him enjoying himself and took a seat at a nearby table as other people came over to talk to her.  Michelle was gelling well with the women wrestlers, talking about her glory days with her Sophia at her side while Mark had Sasha in his arms.  All Brinley could do was sit there, watching, and contemplating what to do about Stephanie’s offer.

Wait, why should I have to talk to Mark about this anyway?  We’re not married, we’re just in a relationship, boyfriend and girlfriend.  This is MY life and I should be able to live it however I please after everything I’ve been through.  It’s time for me to be selfish.  It’s time for me to start living my life again the way I want. If Mark honestly couldn’t understand where she was coming from, that was on him, and Brinley suddenly headed over to where Stephanie and Paul were with their own girls, staring down at the McMahon Princess. “I’ll do it.  Sign me up for one year.”

Stephanie blinked, not expecting Brinley to make a snap decision and the biggest smile crossed her face as she stood up, taking the woman’s hands in hers. “Really?  You don’t wanna discuss it with Mark?”

“No, this is my life and it’s time I start living it the way I want for a change and I miss producing  matches.  I miss the traveling and the road.” Brinley was more like her brother than she realized and Stephanie was beaming from ear to ear.

“I’ll draw up the contract and send it to you tomorrow.  I’ll give you two weeks and then I want you on the road with us to start.” Stephanie informed her, seeing Paul’s incredulous face, and both women ignored him as they shook hands firmly. “Welcome back to the WWE, Brinley.”

Closing her eyes, Brinley felt the biggest weight lift from her shoulders and she felt as if she’d come full circle. “I have to call Christopher right now!” Stephanie laughed as Brinley headed out with her purse and pulled her phone out to dial her brother, barely waiting for him to answer before she practically shouted. “I’m working for WWE again!”

Paul was blinking, shaking his head while Stephanie chortled. “You know that isn’t how a relationship is supposed to work, Steph.” He chided, wondering how he, a founder of DX, was the voice of reason in this relationship.  When did he trade in crotch chops and sex jokes for being the mature, responsible adult?  It was mind-boggling sometimes. “You’d have my balls if I did that, not talk about something that big over first with you.”

“Yeah, but this isn’t us, it’s them…And that’s a ‘them’ problem.” Stephanie adored Brinley; there was no two ways about it, but she was a businesswoman first and this was best for business.

“Wait, you’re doing what?” Chris’s first instinct was to tell her hell no because wrestling hadn’t done her any favors.  His second was to wonder WHY she was working for the competition.  The third was excitement for her.  He splashed some whiskey down his throat and decided the third option was the most appropriate. “Congrats, sis!”

“Thank you!  Christopher, I know you’re probably not happy about this deep down, but you have NO idea how much this means to me.” Wrestling didn’t take everything away from her and ruin her life, only one man did.  Jonathan Good did.  Wrestling had nothing to do with him, he was just a professional wrestler and a psycho at that. “I’ve missed wrestling so much.  I’ve missed producing matches and being on the road and…just being ME.  For the first time in forever, I feel like the real me again and…and I’m selfish.  I’m being very selfish right now because I’m finally free and can live my life however I choose.”

“And what about Mark?  You didn’t talk to him about this, did you?”

Brinley felt a niggle of regret at that, but quickly pushed it away. “No I didn’t.  I love him and I have a feeling he’s going to understand where I’m coming from.  I got bitten by the wrestling bug again, just like you do, even though I don’t perform in the ring.  And being a secretary for Mark’s real-estate company isn’t for me.  It’s not the job for me.  Producing matches and feeling the satisfaction from that…I miss it so much.  Stephanie offered me the job for one year, to test things out, and I’m taking it.  I’m not getting any younger and I’m not going to be a mother, so I need SOMETHING to fulfill me.  Being at home with Mark is great and all, but I need MORE than that, just like you can’t just stay home with Jess and the kiddos.  You’re always on the road while they wait for you to come home because you can’t stand not being on the road wrestling and being a rockstar with Fozzy.” Pulling out a much needed cigarette, Brinley lit it up and leaned against the veranda again. “I’ve been feeling like this for a while, brother.  I tried to push it away, I tried so hard not to want to go back, but the moment Stephanie offered me the position, I felt like I was piecing back together again, if that makes sense.”

Chris legitimately didn’t know what he felt deep down because it was all a bunch of confusing, contradictory malarky and, at the end of the day, it was her decision.  He was done making decisions that affected Brinley’s life in any way, shape, or form because he was the one responsible for the worst years of her life.  Jon had only done what he did because of Chris’s arrogant actions during the Shield’s early years.  If he knew then what he knew now, he would have pushed them and maybe spared his sister some pain.  That could have been the whiskey talking.  Being on the road with FOZZY usually meant he drank more than usual.

Chris listened to her explain her passion, knowing better than anyone else what she was talking about.  Even when everyone told him it wasn’t happening, that bug, that feeling, had never left him and now here he was, widely acknowledged as the GOAT.  Granted, he’d had a hand in that label, but…it had spread without him. “It does, and he’ll understand.  Out of anyone, he’s going to understand.” She had spent years being a prisoner virtually, so Chris understood better than anyone where his sister was coming from.

Chapter 27

After talking to her brother a little longer, Brinley hung up and slipped her phone back into her purse, looking up at the sky with tears glittering in her eyes. You didn’t beat me, Jon.  You didn’t win and you NEVER will.  I’m going to live my life the way I want and there’s nothing you can do about it.  You tried to take it all away from me and, piece by piece, I’m taking it all BACK.  I’m getting back to who I used to be before I met your slimy, psychotic ass!  And if you ever come after me again, don’t think for a second I won’t fight back because I damn sure will.  I’ll do more than have your mother killed, I’ll have your dog gutted in front of you or maybe blow your fucking house up like you did mine! Heading back inside to join the rest of the afterparty, Brinley felt like a million dollars and started dancing with Sophia, who asked her to.  Of course, she couldn’t turn the little girl down and dropped a kiss on top of her head while they had hands clasped together, moving back and forth gently.

Michelle had to admit, Brinley was very good with her children and she could tell Sophia had a bond with Brinley, unlike Sasha, who was still a little wary of her due to her young age.

If I didn’t win, Angel, why are you still arguing with me in your head after I’ve left you and your family alone all this time?  Why do you STILL care?  You do, or else you wouldn’t be trying to prove yourself so goddamn hard, trying to convince yourself. Jon’s voice was a faint echo in her head, but it was still there, something she may have to live with the rest of her life. Fact of the matter is, Brinley, I’m in your blood.  I’m in your mind.  I’m in your heart.  For all the bad moments, we had our good ones too, the love was there from both of us.  You can call Calaway the love of your life all you want, but if that were true, you’d give up EVERYTHING for him.  Just like you did for me.  It wasn’t all fear that kept you with me, there were times you knew I’d let you walk and you didn’t.  You wanted me as much as I wanted you, as much as I’ll always want you.  You know it’s true…you know it was always about you.  Chris was nothing to me.  You know that now, don’t you?  If he was, I would have gone for him directly and I never have.  It’s always been you, Angel, and you’ll always be mine, even if you can’t admit it, even to yourself.

You killed my father and so many people at that hospital.  You HURT my family, you HURT me, and I decided to pay you back for all that hurt by taking the ONE person I knew you loved more than wrestling, more than me.  An eye for a fucking eye, Jonny boy!  And no, you were NEVER in my heart, not once, only Mark was.  I thought about him while I fucked you, he was the one I was seeing every time we had sex and I told you that countless times.  Maybe I didn’t mention the name, but that was my business, not yours.  I’ll never, ever want you, and I never did!  Fuck you, Jon, fuck you and I hope you die, so I never have to deal with you again! Brinley kept the smile on her face, laughing as Sophia tried to spin her and she had to torque her body in order to do it, very flexible for her age.  Then she twirled Sophia in turn and felt a tap on her shoulder, turning to look up into those beautiful jade eyes of the man she truly loved.

“May I cut in, darlin’?”

“Think me and your Daddy can have a dance, sweetie?”

Sophia grinned and nodded, feeling her Daddy kiss her forehead before skipping over to where her mother was, who was holding a sleeping Sasha against her.

Brinley immediately placed her hand on his shoulder, feeling his arm around her waist and started moving with her to the slow music, their eyes locked. I never felt this way with Jon, not even when we danced at Mom and Dad’s anniversary party.  This feeling with Mark…I never want to lose it.  I never want to lose him. “I love you, Deadman.” Not caring who was watching, Brinley leaned up to softly kiss him and wrapped her arms around his neck, only breaking it when they needed air and continued dancing together. Tomorrow I will tell him about the offer from Stephanie.  Not tonight – tonight is all about him. “You seem a lot more relaxed and I like that.  Having fun with everyone talking and reminiscing?”

If you’d given me the chance, if you hadn’t pulled your bullshit with the lingerie, and distracting me when you didn’t want to deal with reality, you would know how much I loved you, and STILL love you.  Be happy with him, but it won’t last, you’re already planning your escape, Angel. Nevertheless, it was fading, his voice as Brinley danced with Mark. Besides, if you didn’t love me, would we even be having these conversations? At the end of the day, it was all in Brinley’s head and nobody was controlling what she heard.  Jon hadn’t developed that ability yet or, honestly, he would have probably tried it by now and they all knew it.

“It’s nice,” Mark admitted, though he had noticed her absence. “You seem tired though, darlin’.” She did too; Brinley had that smile, but he seen something else in her eyes. “Stephanie wear you out?” He may have been distracted and busy, but not that much.

“No, just had a talk with her and we caught up with each other.  Then I’m sure you saw me dancing with Seth Rollins earlier.  We had a talk and that might’ve worn me out a little bit because of who we discussed.” Brinley stroked the back of his neck gently with her fingers, her nails perfectly manicured and painted black because of her dress, along with her toes. “Nothing you need to worry about, Mark, I promise.” She was really hoping they could leave soon though because the adrenaline she felt earlier from accepting Stephanie’s WWE offer was starting to wear off.  That voice, Jon’s voice, was gone and Brinley couldn’t have been happier, hating that she had those conversations with the psycho in her head every once in a while. Must be because of guilt for what I did to his mother.  I’ll get over it eventually, but right now, I need to focus on my man and enjoy the rest of the night with him.

Now in their time together, Mark had never known Brinley to be a liar and he wasn’t thinking it now, but he knew better about her chat with Stephanie.  The Princess had ‘The McMahon’ splashed all over her face, but he wasn’t going to push.  Mark would let her sort out whatever the other woman had said to her and then wait for Brinley to come to him.  She would in time, of that he had no doubt.

“I can see that.” He murmured quietly, agreeing with what she said about her chat with Rollins.  Kind of figuring Jon would be the focal point of that one, given the shared history.  He had no idea what kind, but it was there. “Do you want to head out?  Michelle is taking the girls back soon, so I just need to say goodnight to them.” Brinley looked exhausted and it made sense; she had been out of the scene for a long time, in any capacity, when it came to traveling and the wrestling world.

“Sounds good to me, after this dance is over.” This was the first time they had gotten a chance to talk and dance all night, and Brinley wanted to relish it. 

Tomorrow, everything could change and she wouldn’t be with him anymore, depending on how Mark reacted to her news.  Granted, they were together for just shy of two years now and their relationship was still going strong, but she could not get the image of how picture-perfect Mark and Michelle looked with the girls earlier out of her head.  It shouldn’t have bothered her nearly as much as it did, but then again, Brinley didn’t have the greatest self-esteem to begin with.  While she looked stunning on the dance floor with Mark to everyone else there, in her eyes, there were others that looked far better, Michelle included.  Jon had torn her down so many times by calling her an ugly spinster and always threw their age difference in her face, aware it bothered her.  With Mark, Brinley didn’t have to worry about that since she was younger than him and she didn’t want to be with anyone else. 

Once the dance ended, Mark went to kiss his girls goodbye, wished Michelle well, and then headed out with Brinley on his arm, bidding people on his way out good luck that he knew would be performing at WrestleMania.  That included Seth Rollins, who had shaken Mark’s hand and nodded to Brinley, wishing her well and thanking her once again for the dance.  Brinley merely smiled at him, wished him good luck in his match, and talked out hand in hand with Mark.  The moment they were in the waiting limousine to take them home, Brinley immediately snuggled against him and Mark pulled her to sit sideways on his lap, his mouth capturing hers in a searing kiss.

“I love you, Mark.” She whispered against his lips, never too tired to show affection towards her man and kissed him again, this time a little deeper and more passionate. I’m so sorry I’m selfish, please understand.  Please stay with me through this.  Just one year…maybe I’ll have it out of my system after a year and I’ll want to settle down completely with you.

Damn it, the guilt was weighing heavily on her and Brinley didn’t realize her thoughts were seeping into the kiss, not until it broke and their eyes locked with questions swirling through his.  Brinley could not remember ever keeping something hidden from Mark and it was eating away at her, knowing it was wrong to accept Stephanie’s offer without first talking to him about it.  The amount of sadness in her eyes could not be missed and she rested her forehead against his, breathing him in, never wanting to let him go, even though she felt him starting to slip through her fingers.

Please don’t hate me, Mark.  Please…please understand why I have to do this…

“Eventually, darlin’,” Mark spoke up, after a long heavy silence, having sensed it before and now he was more certain than ever.  Something was off with her. “You’re going to have to tell me what’s weighing on your mind.”

Everyone was privy to their own thoughts and Lord knew she was also due her own share of whatever she wanted after that living hell of a marriage.  Although, when it started to creep in like an unspoken conversation that nobody could hear, but they could feel it weighing them down, something needed to be said.  Mark wouldn’t push, but now she knew he was aware something was wrong.  He’d be a fool if he hadn’t noticed since it was written throughout those beautiful eyes of hers.

“Tomorrow, okay?  Please?  It’s nothing bad.  I’m not…I’m not ending things with you or anything like that, if that’s what you’re thinking.” I’m scared, Mark.  I’m scared I’m going to lose you.” Even her voice sounded shaky now, though Brinley tried like hell to reign it in, not wanting to talk about this on his night. “Tonight is about you and I want to celebrate you.” Taking his hand with the Hall of Fame ring on it, she softly kissed it and felt him cup her face, trying to convey through her eyes how much she loved him.  Why couldn’t she just tell him?  The hesitation in his eyes broke her heart and she hated seeing that, wrapping her arms around his neck to hold him close. “I’m scared, Mark.  I’m scared I’m going to lose you with what I have to tell you.  And I don’t want to ruin tonight for you, so I’m begging you please let tonight be all about you and tomorrow, it can be about me.”

There, she had voiced her inner thoughts out loud and waited for him to push her away, to berate her, to demand her to tell him now instead of waiting.  Instead, Brinley felt his arms tighten around her and he nodded, pressing a soft kiss to her neck that made her toes curl instantly.  It also told her silently he understood and they would wait to talk about it tomorrow like she wanted, making her pull back this time to softly kiss him, no urgency in it this time.

He really is too good for me, I’m such a scumbag.

However, he wasn’t really in the mood for sex, just down for cuddling and kissing, but that was as far as things went.  He wasn’t upset with her, he was just tired and regardless of her reassurances, he was concerned about whatever it was that was tearing her up.  It was hard to let that go, especially after seeing all that stuff written in her eyes and on her face, and then want to immediately have sex.

“Let me hold you tonight, darlin’.” He requested quietly, once they were out of the formal wear, back home in their room, walking up behind her to wrap his arms around her, burying his face in her now loose hair and inhaled her scent.  Brinley was stunning all gussied up, but she was beautiful like this, more so, all soft and natural. “I love you, Brinley.” It felt like he was losing her, even though Mark had heard what she said, about not leaving him.

However, he had also heard the other part that she was scared of losing him with what she had to tell him.

Truthfully, she wasn’t in the mood for sex either and this was absolutely perfect, exactly what she needed.  To hear those words from him was also what she needed. “I love you more than anything, Mark.” She stood there in just a black thong with no bra since the dress had a built-in one, leaning back against him.  Loads of bobby pins were on the bathroom counter and her hair still had a ton of hairspray in it, but it was down and curled wildly all around her.  As much as she wanted to take a shower, Brinley needed to feel Mark consume her tonight, to feel his warmth and kindness. “Hold me as long as you want, big man.”

Mark was also naked, which is how he usually slept, so it wasn’t out of the ordinary for him, unless the girls were staying over.  Then he wore some pajama pants to bed, even after they had sex, just to be on the safe side.  Lest they were having sex, Brinley usually slept in a nightshirt or tank top with panties, but tonight the thong alone would have to be enough.  Together, they slid into bed and Mark immediately pulled her into his arms to spoon against her, wanting her as close to him as possible. 

The exhaustion from the day and night forced Brinley to sleep almost instantly.

Chapter 28

“Stephanie offered me my old job back as a one year trial run and…I accepted.”

Brinley and Mark were having coffee in bed the next morning, her eyes remaining on the milky liquid since she liked a little coffee in her creamer.  Neither were hungry and Mark had been patient enough.  It was time for her to come clean to him about how she’d been feeling ever since getting the news of her divorce from Jon. 

Her freedom.

“I miss wrestling, Mark.  I miss the traveling and I loved my job with the WWE and even AEW.  I know it’s the same thing as performing in a ring, but producing matches meant everything to me.  Ever since I got that call about the divorce being finalized, I’ve felt like…like I need my old life back.  I love you, and I love the life we’ve built here together for almost two years, and I don’t want you to think I don’t.  But I need more and I’m finally starting to feel like the old Brinley again after so long.  Being your secretary is fine and everything, but…and I hate saying this, but it doesn’t fulfill me or make me happy.  YOU make me happy, you and the girls, and the last thing I want to do is ruin everything because of my selfishness.” Sniffling, Brinley wiped a few tears away that had started to fall from her eyes. “Please don’t hate me for feeling this way.  I’m so sorry, I tried so hard not to want to go back, to be content here with the life we have…and I’m not.” Please understand…please understand and don’t leave me, Mark!

Exactly as Brianna had predicted months ago, Mark was understanding.  As soon as she mentioned the job, right out the gate he had seen where this was going.  Honestly, it did break his heart because he wanted her here with him, but that was his problem and he’d deal with it.  It wasn’t fair to ask her to stall her life any more than it had already been done because HE wanted to finally settle in and down, here at home.

“Darlin’,” His voice was already rough from being early morning, maybe a little rougher than usual because his throat felt thick. “You lost years of your life, and your passion, I’d never deny you that.  If this is what you want,” Mark took a very slow sip of his coffee, hoping it’d make his tongue feel less heavy. “I’ll support you.  I know how much you love wrestlin’.” It had been one of the things that had attracted him to her to begin with. “I get it, I do…and I want you to be happy.”

“Really?  You’re not just saying that for my benefit, are you?” Mark shook his head, reaching over to take her hand to lace their fingers together, her eyes finally meeting his. “I’m so scared of losing you over this.  I know it won’t be easy for you to stay here waiting for me to come home to you every week.” Reaching up, she caressed his face tenderly with her hand and scooted closer, feeling his arm wrapped around her tighten just a little. “I’ll come home every week as soon as Raw is over with because they’re going to have me work on that show only and the pay-per-views.” Stephanie had already told her Smackdown! wasn’t an option and she was fine with that during their discussion. “And I can still be your secretary, I can balance both jobs and…” He pressed a finger to her lips, quieting her and shook his head.  Brinley wasn’t going to be silenced though and pushed his hand away to continue. “I can work on the road, it’s not that different from working from here.  And it’s not like I have to work all the time either and I will have downtime on the road.  And of course, I’ll be on the phone with you as much as I can…” The girls didn’t come over nearly as often as he liked due to their school schedules and whatnot, the sports they were involved in.  Luckily, Michelle wasn’t too far away and lived in the actual city whereas Mark was out here in the middle of nowhere, just the way he liked. “It’s just for a year and then I’ll see how I feel.  I’m not getting any younger, Deadman, so this may be a huge mistake on my part wanting to do all this traveling at my age.  I could go back and despise it and beg to get out of my contract just to come back here to you.”

“Darlin’, first of all, you’re fired.” That was NOT what she was expecting and her jaw had hit the figurative floor, which had him laughing despite the situation not really being all that hilarious.  Her reaction was though and he had to cover his mouth when she scowled; Brinley looked so cute, almost childlike, with the way her lips pursed at him. “Seriously, you don’t need two jobs and it’s not like I can’t find someone else.” To be fair, he had given her the job because she had needed something to do and Brinley also had felt like she had to help earn her keep.  She didn’t need either of those anymore because she had gotten her dream job back and that’s where her professional focus needed to be. “Secondly, it’s not a huge mistake, you loved your job and you were damn good at it.  So stop, Brin, you’re trying to make this ‘better’ when it’s already fine, darlin’.” Mark knew why she did it too, because of how her life had been with Jon.  It was something he had learned to try defusing, try helping her work through. “You don’t have to justify anything or promise stuff, I want you to do this.”

This was why she loved Mark so much and the biggest smile crossed her face as she tackled him to the bed, after removing their cups of coffee to set them on the nightstand.  Raining kisses on his face, Brinley was the luckiest woman in the world to have a man that stood beside her, supported her dreams, and would wait for her as long as it took. What was I worried so much for?  This is Mark, of course he would support me and want me to have my dream job again!  I’m such an idiot. “I’m an idiot, this has been tearing me up for a while and I thought you’d be mad that I made the decision to go back without talking to you about it first.  I know we’re supposed to be a team and I don’t want that to change.  Next time, I’m just going to come right out and tell you when something’s bothering me.” More kisses rained on him, this time on his chest, and Mark pulled her back up to capture her mouth with his, both naked as jaybirds since they’d had a shower prior to coffee in bed and this discussion. Everything will be okay.  Everything will work out how it should. “I need to be back on the road in two weeks with the WWE and she’ll be sending the contract over at some point today for me to sign.”

At that moment, Stephanie was already on the ball and sending the contract over, really hoping Brinley didn’t back out of it.

After some much needed lovemaking and more talking with Mark, Brinley finally opened her laptop and saw the contract, immediately starting to read over it.  Everything looked standard and Mark read it over her shoulder, wanting to make sure the McMahon princess didn’t try to sneak anything in it.  Kissing Mark, Brinley signed on the dotted line and sent it back to Stephanie, feeling like another piece of her had slid back into place.  Mark then informed her it was time to get ready for WrestleMania and Brinley decided on a simple black halter dress that had a keyhole in the back.  Her long golden tresses were left down to cascade over her shoulders and down her back, resting just above her waist.  Minimal makeup, just enough to enhance her beauty, and black heels on her feet, they were on their way out of the house.  Michelle and the girls would be meeting them there and they were all sitting together like they had last night.

He'd be on television, addressing the fans again and all that for the Hall of Fame, so once again, he got himself gussied up. “Not going to lie, I’ll be glad when this is over,” Mark admitted, yet again in the back of a limousine. “It’s exhaustin’.” On a mental and emotional level.  

It was understood why the McMahon’s had broken everything down; it meant more money and more time to do everything they wanted to do.  In a way, they had created their very own Hollywood event, but good god…he was too old for this and wasn’t sorry to leave it to the younger bucks.  Most of the time anyway.

“You look beautiful.” Even more so than last night since this seemed a bit more ‘her’.  Mark reached out to finger her hair, careful not to muss it up.  He bet it felt better as well, without a million pounds of hairspray in it. “You ready for tonight?”

“Thank you and I should be asking you that.  Still nervous?” He was wearing the same tuxedo he had on last night since they would be announcing the Hall of Famers to come out on the stage for one final presentation.  It happened at every WrestleMania with the Hall of Famers, so Mark had been expecting it to happen. “You got through the speech, it’s smooth sailing from here on out, Deadman.”

She leaned her head on his shoulder, something she wasn’t able to do last night, though Brinley had slipped the diamond earrings, choker, and bracelet back on to accent the simple black dress she had on.  Black also hid any pudge and unsightly areas of the body, though Brinley had been keeping up with her workouts and still had a great body, even though she didn’t see it.  Others did, however, like the man seated beside her and Mark often told her as much that she didn’t need to worry so much about her figure.  She was perfect the way she was.

Once they arrived at the stadium, Mark stepped out and helped her out by the hand, the cameras once again flashing as they made their way inside.  Mark was immediately guided to a secure dressing room while Brinley, along with Michelle and the girls, were taken to a skybox that was designated specifically for them.  However, Brinley wanted to go talk to Stephanie and excused herself before they made it to the skybox, promising to return before the show started.  The hustle and bustle of the backstage area was in full force and Brinley could feel the electricity in the air, that familiar feeling washing over her.  She could not wait to get started with the WWE again and was all smiles, waving at a few Superstars that immediately recognized her.  This was where she belonged and she did not feel awkward in the slightest walking backstage at WrestleMania, still trying to locate Stephanie.

She was enthusiastically greeted by old faces, people who knew her, and then there were the newer faces who knew of her and just nodded respectfully.  Everyone knew she was the Undertaker’s new woman and, even if the man was retired, nobody was messing with her, even if they had been inclined to.

“My nuts are going to fall out of these…”

“Not with the trunks, but yeah, I can totally see your balls popping free.”

Colby was seriously contemplating co-cocking his buddy, though he was also smiling good-naturedly.  Flamboyant to a tee, but contrary to what his attire suggested, he was also very straight. “Brin, looking good!” He complimented when he spotted her coming down the hallway, well aware she wasn’t looking for him or her man because Taker was probably in that fancy skybox waiting. “Steph’s office is down to the right, that way.” He grinned broadly when she blinked at him and shrugged. “I spotted you talking to her last night and she had that ‘look’.” The McMahon.

“Are you a mind reader now, Rollins?”

That getup he had on was…insanely flamboyant and she wondered why Colby would agree to wear something so…bold.  Was bold the right word?  Brinley didn’t know, but it definitely was completely different from the Seth Rollins she remembered, which wasn’t a borderline crossdresser.  Then, her eyes moved to the person Colby was talking to and Brinley covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes wide.

“Oh my god, CODY?!”

Cody Rhodes beamed back at her and immediately took her in his arms, hugging her close. “What’s up, Brin?!” He laughed, twirling her around before setting her back on her feet, releasing her. “Man, you look more beautiful than ever!  How the hell have you been?”

“Good, great, actually, but I didn’t know you left AEW.”

Wasn’t he the reason why that company got off the ground in the first place?  Brinley hadn’t been keeping up due to her own personal issues and the fact her now psychotic ex-husband worked there.  She didn’t even know Jon was the current AEW World Heavyweight champion, carrying the company on his back for the third time.

“Yeah, it was time to come back home and end my career where my old man did.  This is where I belong and I’m gonna face this joker out there for my debut.”

Brinley giggled, knowing Colby and Cody were close friends, wondering if Brandi was lurking around here somewhere. “Is Brandi here?”

“Yeah, with our daughter.” Cody was one proud father, laughing at the look on Brinley’s face. “You really have been out of the loop these past few years, eh?”

“Yeah, something like that.  Listen, we need to catch up, but good luck to both you tonight on your match.  I need to find Steph.” She winked at them both on her way down the hall to find Stephanie’s office, trying to get over the initial shock that Cody Rhodes was back in the WWE now. Wow.

A lot had changed while she was away.  Naturally, some things would be the same, same company, just new faces.  Stephanie, for example, was the same, except maybe a little more in charge than she used to be.  She was overseeing a lot tonight, pacing the floor in her high heels as she eyed the several screens she had mounted on the wall.

“Steph?”

She glanced at her assistant, who nodded at the door, and turned. “Thank God, coffee—you’re not coffee,” Stephanie laughed, shaking her head as she briskly walked over to give Brinley a quick hug. “However, you’re a great pick-me-up!  You look good.  I didn’t expect to see you back here, though.” Not during this circus, it was a total cluster bomb and she loved it, and wouldn’t have had it any other way.

“Steph, we have a problem!  Sam has the flu and we still have to finalize things with the women’s match tonight!” Her assistant had come barreling through the door, breathing heavily and handed over the coffee, sweat forming on his brow. “Everybody else is busy with the other matches, what are we gonna do?”

Chapter 29

It was almost as if the heavens opened up and sent Brinley to her for this very reason, a smile spreading on Stephanie’s face. “Poor Sam, send her back to the hotel immediately and don’t worry, we have the perfect replacement…right here.” She gestured to Brinley while sipping her coffee. “She just signed a contract to become a producer again with the company and what better way than to start her tonight?”

“WHAT?!” The universe was screwing with her, Brinley simply knew it, and before she could utter a word, she was being whisked away by Stephanie’s assistant, Andy, towards none other than Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes.  They were right in the same spots they had been prior to running into her and Brinley looked like a deer caught in the headlights. “Are you kidding me?  She wants me to…” Groaning, Brinley had no idea how Colby and Cody would feel about these sudden turn of events and quickly explained to them what was going on. “Stephanie said there were just a few minor changes that had to be made before it’s signed off on, but since the producer that was going to do your match is sick, she asked me to fill in.  I – um, signed a contract this morning to be a WWE producer again.  If you guys don’t trust me with this, I completely understand…”

Cody shook his head with a grin, waving off what she just said dismissively. “Are you kidding me, Brinley?  You were one of the top match producers in AEW when I was there.  Of course I trust you and I’m sure Rollins here has no problem with it either.  Right, man?”

This was where things got a little hairy because Brinley had stayed away from the Shield matches during her WWE tenure. “Seth, are you okay with this?  If not, I’m sure Stephanie can find someone more qualified since I haven’t done this in a long time.”

Colby was already shaking his head with an easygoing grin. “Nah, it’s cool, I trust you.” Given back then the Shield had been up and comers, and she and Jon had been together, he knew why she hadn’t been in their business.  This was literal years after the fact and there was no reason for her not to be involved at this point, Jon could suck eggs. “Got the papers?” He and Cody shouldered together to read over them when she handed them over, both men nodding almost in time.  Colby knew how this was going to end and he was fine with it. “You’re so lucky I’m a team player.”

“Eat lead, Rollins.  I’ve seen your bodystocking, you’re beyond a team player.”

“First of all, this bodystocking is hot.  Tell him, Brin, I look GOOD.”

No – no, he did not and she bit her bottom lip, refusing to agree with him, but Brinley also didn’t want to be rude either. “It’s unique.” That was the best she could come up with and Cody laughed at Colby blanching at her.  Tiptoeing around the truth wasn’t exactly in her forte these days and she decided it was time to start being more honest with people. “I’m sorry, but you look like a crossdresser on a bad day, Seth.” Now Cody was ROLLING in laughter, holding his stomach and Brinley giggled at his jaw dropping. “The lace is a little out of control with that getup.  The fur coat too.  No offense or anything.”

“Oh, plenty of offense has been taken,” Not really, but he was playing it up, rolling his eyes dramatically. “Besides, I took my inspiration from his brother.” Colby tossed a thumb at Cody, who was probably going to piss himself if he didn’t stop laughing.

“Hey, leave my brother out of this!” Cody couldn’t deny that Dustin had his own…uniqueness, however. “You’re just following in his footsteps.”

Only in way better shape and Colby just smirked, shrugging one shoulder. “Maybe.” He was going to keep those thoughts to himself. “Okay, give us the pen to sign, we got a show to put on.”

“And an ass to get kicked.” Cody singsonged, taking the pen to sign first. “Ah yeah, signing away your dignity, go for it, Rollins.”

“My nuts are one cha-cha slide away from making their own WrestleMania debut, I have no dignity.”

Brinley was dying laughing, having to lean against the wall while they signed off on the match after going over the few bullet points.  Seth would come out, do his little song and dance, soak in the moment with his ungodly arrogance and then the crowd would come unglued with Cody’s entrance.  They would have a great match together, Brinley was excited to see it and wished them both well, giving each of them a hug.  Then, she was off to find Stephanie to turn in the signed papers for the match that would probably be the match of the night.  Brinley didn’t do much, though she had tweaked a few things that both Cody and Colby agreed on.  Nothing major.  She was basically finishing up someone else’s hard work, but it still felt wonderful to be able to contribute to the match, nevertheless.

“Here you are, Steph.  Signed, sealed, and delivered.”

“You work incredibly fast.  I forgot about that.” Stephanie chuckled, taking them and looked over everything, nodding at the slight changes. “This is going to be a masterpiece.  Thanks again for the help, you still have two weeks until I want you on the road.  Did you talk to Mark about this?”

“He’s fine with it; we talked it over this morning and he supports me.”

“Just like I knew he would.” Stephanie hugged her again, grinning from ear to ear. “That’s Mark for you.  Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you only work Raw and pay-per-view events, so you can make it home to him every week.  We’re not nearly as strict as we used to be around here with schedules, so if you need time off for a family matter or something, don’t hesitate to ask.  We’ll accommodate you, I promise.” Mark was practically a family member to the McMahon’s and Stephanie would never do anything to disrespect or ruin his relationships, after everything the man had done for them for over thirty years.

That was a relief to hear. “Thanks Steph, if you don’t mind though, I’m going to head out and enjoy the show, unless you need something else done?”

“Nope, enjoy and see you at the afterparty?”

Brinley nodded, making her way out of the office with the biggest smile on her face that could not be wiped off.  Or so she thought.  The moment she turned the corner, she stopped at the sight of none other than Roman Reigns walking down the hallway and immediately lowered her head, really hoping he didn’t spot her since there were other people around as well.  Colby was one thing, but she was well aware Joe A’noai would never believe anything she said in regard to Jon.  They were far closer than Jon and Colby had been, practically brothers, and she knew Jon still spoke with Joe every now and again while they were married.  Something told her that hadn’t changed much either.  The more distance she created between her and Joe, the better.

“Hey, Brinley.”

She had absolutely no luck because he had spotted her, developing a habit of narrowing in on unfamiliar faces.  It was a practice because sometimes, one wound up with someone backstage who did not belong.  That usually ended badly or in hysterics.  Joe knew she and Jon were divorced; Jon had talked to him a little about it since the man had gone through a LOT of hard times over the past few years, it seemed.  Nevertheless…at the same time, he was coming out on top because he was the top dog over in AEW now, and Joe was happy for his friend.

“Long time.” Nobody would ever claim he and Brinley were friends, cordial yes, but that was pretty much it. “You visiting or back?”

“Yeah, it has.” Brinley could be cordial with him, really hoping he didn’t bring up Jon like Colby had.  She wouldn’t spout off at the mouth to Joe like she had with Colby, not fully trusting him.  There was something always shady about Joe that she couldn’t quite put her finger on.  Then again, he was a loving husband with beautiful children and a wife that more than satisfied all of his needs, a true family man. “I’m back, actually.  I signed a contract this morning to be a producer again.” SHIT!  Why did I just say that?!  What if he goes back to Jon and tells him? “You look good.  I hope everything has been well with you and yours, your health too.” The cancer remission had worked wonders for him, though Joe also took off a lot of time due to his health as well. 

He wasn’t shady so much as fiercely loyal to his friends, which sometimes meant he pissed off other people because he had no problem in picking a side and sticking with it.  For example, if Jon had asked him not to speak to Brinley, Joe would have ignored her.  However, Jon had never mentioned Brinley again after that one conversation, not that they chitchatted every night because they didn’t.  They did text or talk at least once every few weeks, playing the catch up game.

“Thank you, I feel great, and congratulations, it’s good to see you back.” He nodded his head at her, indicating this conversation was over. “Nice seeing you.” Joe stepped around her and continued on his way, idly wondering if Jon knew about this.

That went better than she hoped and Brinley could only hope and pray that Jon didn’t come after her after all this time.  No, he wouldn’t.  She was with Mark and he hadn’t come to Dallas or anything since they last saw each other in New York nearly a year ago.  Had it really been almost a year since her father passed away?  Brinley pushed that in the back of her mind and kept heading down the hallway, finally arriving back at the suite.

“Brinley!” Sophia shouted, running to her and wrapped her arms around the woman’s legs. “Where have you been?!”

Mark had returned and she smiled at him before looking down at Sophia, stroking her hair gently. “Sorry about that, you guys.  I got a little sidetracked talking to people and…Stephanie had me do something for her.” More like finished producing a match and signing off on it, but they didn’t need to know that right now. “I should’ve sent a text or something, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, Daddy see she’s okay!”

Mark had concern written all over his face combined with relief and Brinley felt him pull her into his arms, holding her close. “I didn’t mean to worry you, I’m sorry.” Time had gotten away from her and Brinley suddenly realize why Mark had been concerned. Jon.  He’s still waiting for Jon to pop up out of nowhere and try to take me away. She rubbed his back gently, comforting him while he held her close.

“Daddy okay?” Sasha asked, yanking on his pant leg to gain his attention as the hug broke between him and Brinley.

Brinley stepped back to let him pick her up, his arm wrapping around her shoulders to keep her close to him. ‘Sorry about that.’ She mouthed to Michelle, who held her hand up with a smile of her own in understanding.

“Next time, darlin’, definitely send a text.” Mark chuckled, knowing he was being overcautious, but there it was and there was really nothing he could do about it.  Just like Brinley was still struggling with some of her issues from her marriage, like apologizing for things she didn’t need to or how she saw her body.  Eventually, time would be the cure that healed those issues, but enough of it hadn’t passed yet.

“I’m going to go say hi really quick.” Michelle had spotted some girlfriends, nodding when Mark simply waved her off.

Sophia was looking between her Dad and Brinley, smiling broadly. “He was worried.” As if it wasn’t obvious, but it was amusing seeing her Daddy having a bit of a problem. “But he’s fine now, right, Daddy?”

“Right as the rain, lil darlin’, let’s head back to the box.”

“I’m really sorry, I was only going to go visit Stephanie and…” Mark had told Sophia to play on her tablet she had brought with and pulled Brinley into the bathroom of the skybox, passionately kissing her to cut her off effectively. “Mark…” She moaned out, feeling him lift her to plant her right on the sink and stood between her thighs, heating her from the inside out.  Brinley scared him, she could feel it in the way he kissed and touched her, so she was doing her best to calm him down.  Even his heart was racing rapidly the moment her hand pressed against his chest and she broke the kiss to stare into his now darkened forest green eyes. “I’m here, I’m in one piece.  I got stopped by Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins, and once I finally found Stephanie’s office, she coerced me into helping her finalize their match.  Apparently, the producer on it got violently sick and they didn’t have anyone.  So please, calm down, your heart is beating faster than a jack rabbit’s right now.” There was no way she’d tell him about her encounter with Joe.  That would just heighten his worry because of Jon. Will he ever stop haunting us?  Fucking jackass!  I really hope Roman doesn’t tell him I’m working here again. “I love you, I won’t do that again.”

“Appreciate it.”

His heart was going pretty fast, though that might’ve been because of the kissing too.  Either way, his rate was up.  There was no time and this wasn’t the place, not with the girls in the next room and he wasn’t explaining anything to Michelle when she wandered back in.  That was an awkward conversation he never wanted to have with his ex-wife.

“Did you like it though, being back to work?  Even for a short time?” Mark wasn’t surprised when she broke out into a smile and nodded, smiling back at her.  For him, it was bittersweet, wanting her with him, but wanting her to be happy as well, which meant being away from him. Getting sentimental in my old age. This woman had a dangerous way of bringing out his softer, tender side, there was no denying it.

“You know, you being worried about me like this really turns me on.”

Sasha was with Michelle, but it wouldn’t be right to have a quickie with Sophia directly behind that door.  They needed to go back out to watch over her like good parents.  Well, Mark was the parent and Brinley just helped out whenever he wanted her to.  She wasn’t even a step-parent since they weren’t married.  Still, she thought of Sophia as her own and would never do anything to hurt the little girl, who was a lot smarter than her parents thought or realized.

“Tonight, you and me, Deadman, when we get home, I’m all yours.”

Maybe they could skip the afterparty and head straight home to get their fuck on.  Granted, they had made love earlier in the day before coming here, but that wasn’t nearly enough for Brinley and she could tell it wasn’t for Mark either.  They were hungry for each other, it was obvious in both of their body languages and, if Sophia wasn’t here, there wasn’t doubt in her mind Mark would be banging her in this bathroom.

Chapter 30

Together, they headed back out to where Sophia was sitting playing on her tablet and Brinley sat next to her, nodding at what the child was telling her.  Mark was sitting on the other side, his arm draped across the back and kept playing with the back of her neck gently, which Brinley didn’t mind.  Before long, the show was underway and Michelle had returned with Mark leaving to go get ready to be introduced in the Hall of Fame lineup.  They clapped for him in the skybox, cheering him on when his moment finally came up and Brinley couldn’t have been prouder of him.  Mark rejoined them just as the main event came on, after being detained for more pictures and media. 

Brinley held his hand while they watched night one of WrestleMania come to a close, every match on the card spot on, including Cody Rhodes’ amazing return and the match they put on had been spectacular.  Michelle had informed Mark she was going to the afterparty and asked if he could watch the kids for the evening, wanting to live it up with her friends again after all this time.  Mark obliged, winking down at Brinley and she grinned back up at him, knowing the girls would be exhausted from the day’s events and would be out like lights.  They’d still be able to get their fuck on and the best part, it was the perfect excuse not to attend the afterparty too.

He was hoping the girls would be exhausted.  Kids were very weird and sometimes they’d conk right out after a very long day and they had just had two back to back long, exhausting days.  Then there were other times they went beast mode and were so tired, they’d get that weird, cranky hyper attitude going.  Mark had dealt with that a handful of times and he wasn’t above slipping them each a melatonin, if that was on tonight’s agenda.  He was very much down for skipping the afterparty; one was enough and he really didn’t need another one, nor did he feel like being overly emotional himself.

“Should we leave now and try beating the traffic?” These days, Mark wasn’t as invested in the matches as he used to be and Sophia was starting to yawn, a lot, so it was bedtime for the littles.  When Brinley nodded, he let the girls know it was time to get their stuff together and bail.  He had a feeling it was conk-out night, especially when they both dropped their little heads once in the limousine. “That was quick.”

“I had a feeling that was going to happen.” Brinley chuckled, moving to lay both girls down and kissed their foreheads softly. 

She was surprised Mark wanted to leave WrestleMania since it was the biggest show of the year, the WWE’s Super bowl, but he looked completely content while they rode home.  Once there, Mark carried Sasha and Brinley carried Sophia into the mansion straight to their bedrooms.  They were tucked in by their Daddy and Brinley, sleeping soundly, and she stifled a yawn, gasping when Mark suddenly lifted her over his shoulder to head to their bedroom.

“I can walk you know.”

She sounded amused that he was going caveman on her and felt her back collide with the back moments later, with him hovered over her stealing her breath away in a searing kiss.  Mark had even kicked the door shut and Brinley relished in the attention he was giving her, moaning as her fingers delved into his hair to start unraveling the braid it was in.  Something told her over the next two weeks, they would be sexing each other up a lot, whenever the kids were either not here or sleeping, and she was perfectly fine with that.

~!~

“Is THAT right?”

“I know man, I couldn’t believe I saw her either.” Joe was on the phone with Jon, tossing back a beer in his hotel room after attending the WrestleMania afterparty with his wife currently stroking his chest.  The kids were back in Pensacola, Florida with family, but Galena was with him on the road for the event and they were enjoying some much needed kid-free time. “I didn’t know if you knew, but I had to call and tell you.”

Oh my little spinster Angel, what do you think you’re doing now?

Last Jon checked, Brinley was happy and content in the state of Texas in Dallas with the Undertaker.  He could not believe his ex-wife had actually hopped into bed with the Deadman and Jon had thought twice about going after someone like that.  It wasn’t that he was scared, but…he also knew Calaway had guns and dogs…and apparently, according to some resources, a HUGE ranch that was gated in.  It was Fort Knox out there in the middle of nowhere, on a golf course, of all things. 

Of course, he’d kept tabs on his ex-wife for the better part of two years and had cleaned himself up good.  His mother’s death had put a lot of things into perspective for Jon, along with going through rehabilitation and only drinking non-alcoholic beers now.  He was currently the AEW World Heavyweight champion, carrying the company on his back, and now he was dealing with a Punkass, who didn’t know his place and Jon was about to put him back in retirement if he didn’t back down.

“Do me a favor, Uce, keep an eye on her and make sure she’s all right.  Anything happens, let me know?  You know I still love and care about her, even if she refuses to see it.”

Joe nodded with a heavy sigh, still not believing Brinley wouldn’t give his boy the time of day and was currently screwing the legendary Undertaker. “Yeah, I will, but I hope you move on sooner or later, man.  You deserve better than her after what she did to you on live TV.”

Jon snorted, aware he had pulled the wool over Joe’s eyes completely and it was hilarious.  This idiot didn’t know his head from his backside, yet the company had put all their chips in his basket all because of his size.  What a joke! “It is what it is, as long as she’s happy and safe, that’s all I care about.” Not really, Jon was just biding his time and waiting…waiting to see what his spinster Angel would do next. “Gotta go Ro-Ro, keep me posted and thanks for the call.”

“You too, man, take care and keep up the great work with the rehab shit.”

Jon hung up the phone and laid back in his hotel bed, staring up at the ceiling with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, his eyes closing.  Brinley should’ve been there riding him instead of the ring rat he’d picked up at the arena, just for shits and giggles.  She was blonde with green eyes, looked somewhat similar to Brinley, and she could ride a cock well too.  She was also a Moxley fan, even had his logo tattooed on her in a tramp stamp.  Still, she wasn’t Brinley, so he made her turn around to ride him reverse cowgirl and smoked his cigarette while talking to his good old buddy, Joe A’noai.  Joe didn’t even realize he was screwing a woman while on the phone either and Jon found that comical, hissing out when the whore started bouncing on and off of him.

“Oh fuck, Brinley, just like that…” As long as she didn’t turn around to look at him, Jon could envision this was his delectable wife all he wanted, the sounds of flesh smacking flesh echoing around the hotel room.

“My name is – AH!” The whore gasped out when his hand gripped the back of her hair, squeezing. “B-Brinley, you said?”

“Yeah, it is.” Jon had slid right out of her and had her on all fours now, bent over the bed. “You’ve been such a bad girl, Angel.” The whore bit her lip as Jon swatted her backside repeatedly until it was cherry red before slamming back inside of her, gripping the back of her neck. “Stay just like that…just like that, oh fuck yeah…”

“Oh Mox!  MOX!!”

“SHUT UP!” He roared, his tone dangerous and she whimpered while being pounded harder, her nails digging into the sheets of the bed. “That’s it, don’t talk…”

An hour later, after bellowing out his ex-wife’s name and sending the ring rat packing, Jon was alone once again while staring out the window, a newly lit cigarette between his lips.  Sure, he stopped drinking, but now he was burning through cigarettes like there was no tomorrow.  So, Brinley was working for the WWE again, eh?  How would that work out with the Deadman now in retirement?  They wouldn’t see each other that often and a sick smirk curved his lips, his eyes icing over.  He would wait, see how this all played out, because if her relationship with the Deadman failed, due to her always being on the road, she would need someone to comfort her…someone like her ex-husband, who still loved her spinster form.

~!~

Saying goodbye to Mark at the airport wasn’t as painful and hard as Brinley thought it would be. 

The reason for that was because she would be home the following day since she was only flying out for Raw.  Turns out, she had to wait a little while until she started with the WWE, so it was a little more than two weeks before she officially started.  Stephanie had neglected to mention the overseas trip the company took every year straight after WrestleMania – they called it the European tour.  With a pair of shades on, she headed inside the Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee.  Mark had laughed when he found out she would be in Glenn’s backyard for a night and offered her to stay with him and his family, instead of at a hotel.  Brinley politely declined since she didn’t know Glenn very well and didn’t want to impose on him, but appreciated the offer, nonetheless.  The moment she stepped foot inside the arena, nostalgia flowed over her and Brinley was all smiles as she headed off to start her first official night on the job.  Granted, technically it was WrestleMania, but tonight would be a match ALL of her making and she could not wait to get started.

Stephanie guided her to her office, where the wrestlers and Divas would come to see her for meetings and whatnot.  Brinley thanked her once again for everything and Stephanie waved her off, ordering her not to disappoint.  She wouldn’t and started looking over the matches for that night, which was a women’s match that pitted the current Raw Women’s champion Bianca Belair against Sonya Deville.  Then there was Akira Tozawa and Tamina against Dana Brooke and Reggie in a Mixed Tag Team match with the special guest referee being none other than R-Truth.  Akira Tozawa…that bothered Brinley just a little because she knew he was also a friend of Jon’s.

Fuck it, this is my job and I’m going to do it to the best of my ability, no matter who it is.  I don’t care if Jon is best friends with them, I won’t let my personal feelings interfere with my work. Before she got started, Brinley sent a text message to Mark to let him know she had made it to the arena, she loved him, and would talk to him after the show on her way to the hotel. 

Her flight back to Dallas didn’t leave until 9 AM the following morning.

Brinley was going to have to learn to cope with the simple fact that she wasn't going to escape Jon, be it in a passing thought or someone he knew.  There might have been separate companies, but most wrestlers knew each other on some level and if they didn't, they knew of each other.  It was just how the wrestling circle worked.  Naturally, the people Jon was ‘friends’ with were curious about her.  They had all seen what she had done to him on her last night in AEW, not to mention what her brother had done by destroying one of his eyes.  However, Jon had made it clear he still cared about her, so…nobody was saying a word.

Or rather, to her.

Jon got to read about it in text messages.  He basically had his ex-wife’s travel information, along with notes being given to him about what she was doing.  It was almost like he was stalking her without having to put in any of the work or effort.

One of the things Brinley had feared when coming back was the fact Jon would find out and know her exact location.  She wasn’t stupid enough to believe Joe wouldn’t tell him she was working in WWE again.  Colby…she was 50/50 on, but there was zero trust with Joe.  That was fine since the Samoan was on Smackdown! and she didn’t work on that show, only Raw.  What Brinley DIDN’T know was there were others that were loyal to Jon she worked with, who kept their distance, but still relayed the information back to him.  Not her exact travel arrangements or anything like that, but Jon knew what city the WWE was in for every Raw and pay-per-view event and she’d be at those locations.

Everything was smooth sailing with Brinley spending time with Mark and the girls whenever she came home from Tuesday to Sunday, always flying out on Sunday evenings to make sure she was in the city for the show the night before.  Turns out, it wasn’t as bad as Brinley thought it would be…for the few months anyway.  Then Stephanie came to her one night, pulling her into her office, and begged Brinley to work on Smackdown! as well.  They had to fire a few of the producers and they were short-handed on the show, needing her brilliance and intellect.  Brinley couldn’t turn it down, hating that she had to choose between her career and Mark, again, but Stephanie sounded desperate for the help.

It’ll be okay.  Mark will understand.  He knows how this business runs and works.  Right?

Later that night at the hotel, Brinley had him on speakerphone and was trying to find the right time to tell him the change in her work schedule. “Stephanie pulled me into her office tonight and told me they need me on Smackdown! because they had to fire a few of the producers.” She was slathering lotion on her legs, fresh out of the shower and had on the terry cloth robe the hotel provided, hearing his heavy sigh on the other end. “I’m sorry, Mark.  You know how Steph is and I couldn’t turn her down.  She’s done a lot for me giving me this second chance.”

Instead of flying out now on Saturdays or Sundays, depending on whether it was a pay-per-view weekend, Brinley would now only be home on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, flying out on Thursdays to make it for the Smackdown! shows that aired on Friday nights.  Things were going really smoothly since she only had Raw and the pay-per-views to contend with, but now this was throwing a wrench into her travel schedule and homelife.  Brinley didn’t realize it, but she was slowly starting to jeopardize her personal life and relationship with Mark.  Depending on where the WWE was at the time, Brinley would have to decide if flying back to Dallas for a day would be worth it or if it would just be better to stay on the road and only come home on Tuesdays and Wednesdays every week.

Mark knew that too, it was the reason for the sigh.  Damn right he knew how this business worked, he had lived it for over thirty years.  He also knew she felt beholden to Stephanie and would bend over backwards for the woman.  Mark wanted to point that out to Brinley, that sometimes it just wasn't going to be worth the flight home, but…he didn't.  She was happy, working her dream job again and he didn't want to ruin that for her, given everything she had already given up thanks to her ex.

“I know, darlin’,” He shook his head when Sophia asked if Brinley was coming home yet. “You're supposed to be in bed.”

“I need a story first, Daddy.”

Brinley smiled at the sound of Sophia’s voice and set her lotion down on the nightstand. “Hey sweetie, I’ll be home soon, okay?”

“Okay!  Miss you, Brinnie!”

She grinned at the nickname from the little girl and felt her heart melt. “Go on and take care of her, big man.  I love you and I’ll see you tomorrow.” He returned the sentiments and Brinley hung up with him, letting out a soft sigh of her own.  Mark wasn’t happy.  She could tell. “There’s nothing I can do.  I could’ve turned it down, but…they need me.  I need to give them my best, especially if I’m only going to be here a year.” Something told Brinley that wasn’t going to happen and she stood up to walk over to pour herself a much needed glass of wine, opening the balcony door to step out to light up a cigarette. “I’m such a selfish bitch…”

She wasn’t though and that was the truth.  

Her life had been stalled for years and Mark knew it; she deserved this, this chance to be truly happy and he knew he couldn’t give her everything she needed.  After he was done reading to Sophia and got his sometimes angelic daughter to sleep, he went down to the kitchen to pour himself a drink.  He just stood there at the counter, sipping it as he considered the situation they were in.  Mark had to wonder if they had made moves for something more back in the day, besides just a fling, if things would be different now, if they’d be more on the same path.  No, and there was no point dwelling on it either because they couldn’t change the past or anything. 

Fucking McMahon’s. Mark imagined those producers had been on the fine line for a while.  Stephanie was a parasite sometimes, preying on people she knew wouldn’t say no to her.  Hell, he’d know that very well since her Daddy had done it to him a time or two. “Fuck…” He groaned, downing the entire tumbler of whiskey before heading upstairs.

He was going to bed.

Alone.

Again.

Chapter 31

It was just shy of her six months in WWE when Brinley and Mark called it quits. 

It was an amicable split, no animosity from either side and Mark admitted that he’d been spending a significant amount of time with Michelle lately and the girls, though it was completely platonic.  He explained that Brinley was on the road too much for him and apologized profusely for not being able to wait for her at home.  All Brinley could do was smile through unshed tears, hearing the anguish in his deep voice because he genuinely loved her.  She did the best she could for them and it just wasn’t meant to be.

For once, Brinley was choosing her career over everything else, including the man she loved.

“I hope you find happiness, Mark, I truly do because you’re a great man and you deserve it.  Take care of yourself and those girls.”

Once again, her heart was broken over a man and this time, it was her fault.  She lost Mark because of her selfishness, because she wanted to go back to wrestling and her dream job.  There was no point going back to Dallas, so instead, she booked a flight to Tampa, Florida and wound up on her mother’s doorstep with tears sliding down her cheeks.  Mark had the majority of her belongings and promised to keep it for her until she found a place to live.  That place was currently with her mother, though Brinley knew it would only be a matter of time until she got her own place again. 

Not a house, she’d get a condo or an apartment, something small since it was just her now.

Drinking became a thing with Brinley, though she didn’t go overboard with it.  Natayla and the other women wrestlers were taking her out for nights on the town, due to her heartbreak, to keep her from getting depressed and Stephanie even joined in a few times too.  Brinley delved into her work with the company too, even adding more to her pile than necessary just to stay busy, and she was flawless at it.  The matches went off without problems and the only time she was truly miserable was late at night, in the confines of her hotel rooms, when she was alone and had nobody to talk to, nobody to tell about her day.  She often wondered what her life would’ve been like had she just told Mark how she felt back in the day, if they would still be together right now, retired, fulfilled, and blissfully happy in Dallas.  So much regret tainted Brinley and she wound up drinking herself to sleep on a nightly basis, doing everything she could to numb the pain within her battered, shattered heart.

Before she knew it, a year had gone by and it was WrestleMania week once again. 

Brinley didn’t know if Mark and Michelle would be there, but regardless, there was no hard feelings with them anyway.  Dressed in a simple floor-length, emerald gown, with a teardrop cut in the middle, Brinley did her makeup, caking on a little more than usual since she was older and some wrinkles had started forming, including crow’s feet.  Not fun to deal with, but there was nothing she could do.  Her hair was also freshly dyed with some strawberry blonde streaks throughout to give it a little flare.  Brinley left it down, having cut her hair to the middle of her back, and the ends were curled with a simple emerald clip on either side in twists.  Nothing over the top.  Emerald earrings, choker, and bracelet and she was out the door with her purse in hand, headed to the 2023 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

No date, just her.

“Holy shit, I am so sorry!” Colby had been scurrying because he was late for the Hall of Fame and had to catch the woman in green before she toppled.  He had been hauling his cookies around the corner to catch the elevator and bam, almost ran her over. “Shit, I- Brin?  Oh damn,” Now he really felt bad because he knew her and worked with her. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

She looked beautiful and the man in him was going ‘daaaammmmnnnn’ in his head, while the other part was reminding himself that he about sent her flying through a vending machine.  She looked a little dazed, but none too worse for wear, which he was eternally grateful for.  When Brinley nodded, even smiled and told him she was fine, he wasn’t sure he believed her.  She was so damn tiny and Colby was not.  He wasn’t the biggest boy in the yard, but he still dwarfed her.

“Here, let me…” Colby bent down to pick up the little purse she had dropped, holding it out.

“Thank you, Colby.  And no harm done, I promise.”

Brinley had been through way worse with Jon than a simple shove like that.  She had gained a little bit of weight with the alcohol, nothing too significant and still had a great body for her age.  That was what Natalya and the others told her whenever she mentioned going on a diet or something.  She took the purse from him and put it back over her shoulder, keeping the smile on her face that didn’t quite reach her eyes.  Brinley wasn’t happy these days, but she tried not to show it to others, leaving her breakdowns for her hotel rooms at the end of each night when she drank herself into a stupor. 

Right now, however, she felt good and didn’t want to take up any more of Colby’s time. “Well then, see you later.  I need to get to the venue for the ceremony as I’m sure you do too.”

Turning, she headed out of the hotel in the warm breeze of Los Angeles, California and made her way to her rental vehicle, pulling her keys out of her purse.  Within minutes, Brinley was pulling out into LA traffic on her way to the Crypto.com Arena for the ceremony, lighting a cigarette up to calm her nerves a bit.  If Mark was here…no, she didn’t want to think about it and pushed him in the far recesses of her mind, wanting to enjoy herself tonight.

The ceremony was frankly boring, the inductees not at all interesting, and Brinley had to wonder what Paul and Stephanie were smoking with these choices.  Then again, it wasn’t her company, so she sat there with a smile on her face next to Natayla.  Mark was nowhere to be found, but she did see Michelle here without the girls.  There was no reason for them to attend.  After the ceremony was over with, that was when Brinley received her answer whether Mark was here or not.  He was and his date for the evening was the mother of his children, Michelle.  So, they were back together and that numbness had returned, along with the overwhelming desire to drink.  They were standing near the entrance and there were no other exits, so Brinley made her way towards it and pretended not to notice them, already pulling her keys out of her clutch. 

She’d cried so much since Mark ended things with her, but Brinley had nobody else to blame and she wasn’t surprised he was giving his relationship with Michelle another chance. Good for him, I hope they’re happy.  I had my chance with him and I blew it sky-high because of my selfishness. The moment she was in her rental vehicle, alone, Brinley didn’t immediately leave and instead sat there staring straight ahead, a waterfall of tears cascading down her cheeks. I’m such a fuckup, such an idiot…and I have nobody else to blame for this. Alone, she was truly alone in this world, a spinster, just like Jon claimed she would be one day. “Pathetic…” She muttered, fixing her makeup after the tears stopped and made sure she looked fine, even putting droplets in her eyes to get the redness to go away, before heading off to the afterparty.

Tonight, Brinley was getting rip-roaring drunk and determined to have a great time with her fellow colleagues.

On the contrary, Mark was not here ‘with’ Michelle in the way most people were thinking.  He was here as her date, sure, because he was also her designated driver, if she decided she wasn’t going out partying with her friends after the event.  Michelle was still in her own relationship, but Carter couldn’t be here tonight.  Also, Mark was invited and he wasn’t turning it down, not when he knew Brinley would be here.

“Girls are fine.” He informed his ex-wife quietly, putting his cell phone away.  They were with Michelle’s mother for a few nights in Florida since there was no reason for them to attend this event, not like the last WrestleMania they had been to. “Go, do your thing.” His eyes were on his ex-girlfriend dripping in emeralds.  He had broken things off and had no business eyeballing her right now, and he knew it, inwardly groaning.

He suddenly needed a drink.

“Hey,” Michelle touched his arm, making him look at her and smiled. “Why don’t you go talk to her?  There’s no law saying you guys can’t be friends, Mark.” They managed to make it work and they had been married and had kids.

“Nah.”

“Mark, seriously.” She hugged him, tempted to mess up his hair or something, but she didn’t. “Just go talk to her.”

“I really did not think they’d get back together.” Natalya murmured, watching as Michelle pulled herself out of Mark’s arms and flitted over to the bar.

“Well, they do have children together, so there’s gotta be some lingering feelings.” Brinley ordered a shot of Jack Daniels with a Vodka martini, immediately slamming it back. “Oh man, that burns!” It’d been a hot minute since she had consumed Jack Daniels and tonight called for it with everything she was feeling. 

Natalya joined her, taking a shot as well since her own husband was back at the hotel, not in the mood to attend the afterparty with his wife.

“And it doesn’t bother you at all?”

“Why should it?”

“Because you loved him.”

Still do. “He ended it, Nattie, not me.  And it’s fine, we’re friends and he had every right to feel the way he did.”

Brinley had confided in Natalya quite a bit since returning to WWE, including telling her all about what happened in her marriage to Jon.  To say the woman was pissed and wanted to cut his balls off was an understatement.  Ever since that night they stayed up all night drinking and talking, having a sleepover, Natalya had stayed by her side and dared anyone to screw with her.  They were best friends and if people wanted to think something more, that was on them.

“Mmm this martini is hitting the spot.  I think I’m gonna need to call a cab though, no way am I driving after this.”

“No worries, TJ will be our DD.  Now come on, time to dance!”

Brinley joined her, after taking another long swig of her Vodka martini.

Mark was trying not to eye stalk her, but it was hard.  Brinley was drinking like a fish and he couldn’t remember seeing her ever do that.  Then again, he knew better than most that this life, on the road all the time, it could lead to some seriously terrible habits.  He wasn’t saying anything.  He was, however, there at the table when she flitted back for a refill, having gotten himself his own whiskey and Coke, not about to hit straight whiskey or too much because he may be the designated driver for his ex-wife.  When the hell had he become so old?  He was now the designated driver and it used to always be the other way around.

“Hey, Brinley.” Mark greeted quietly when she halted a little bit away from him.  He had a feeling he was blocking her and sidestepped, so she could move past him if she wanted.  She looked good, gained some weight, but definitely not in a bad way.  Mark had to mentally check himself; he had broken up with her, so he had no right to eyeball her the way he was.

“Hey Mark!  Enjoying the party?” Brinley had a very nice buzz going on, it was obvious, but she wasn’t tripping over herself.  Not yet anyway. 

Natalya was staying away while she talked to him and they were friends, so there was no harm having a chat.  Why wasn’t he with Michelle, though?  She moved towards him, stepping out of someone’s way and leaned against the bar, nursing another Vodka martini.  Since her alcohol intake had increased, Brinley could consume more without feeling it right away and had to admit, he looked extremely good.  The way he was eyeing her definitely made her insides turn to mush and a warmth spread throughout her body.

He’s with Michelle, stop eye-fucking him already! It had only been a year since they’d been here together, dancing and happy.  Now here they were with him back with his ex-wife and her completely alone. No, I don’t wanna think about that right now.

He wasn’t a total idiot, well aware people probably thought he and Michelle were back together.  For the most part, Mark didn’t care because he knew the truth.  Right now, he cared, but what was he going to say? By the way, I’m still a single pringle? One of the girls had called him that recently, he flinched at how that even sounded in his head. “It’s okay, been to one WrestleMania party, you’ve been to them all.”

She hadn’t wanted to be here last year, for either night.  Not really.  Brinley had only tolerated it because of him.  It made him wonder what had changed.  Wait, she worked here now, so naturally she’d want to be here.  Suffer it for him, because seeing the world she wanted to be in had hurt her.  

Or maybe he was overthinking everything. “You look good.” She looked gorgeous, actually. “Changed your hair.”

“Yeah, Nattie convinced me to put some highlights in it and I said why the hell not?” She was still blonde – just a strawberry blonde now.  The red was very light throughout her hair and she’d gotten complimented a few times. “You don’t look so bad yourself, Deadman.” Fuckable, downright edible. Nope, she couldn’t say that to him and could never remember a time she felt awkward around Mark. 

Did a relationship really change that much between them?  There was a veranda much like the venue they’d been to last year and Brinley was in dire need of a smoke break.  However, she didn’t want to be rude and simply blow Mark off, so she stayed and took another sip of her martini.

“I’m surprised you’re here since you retired last year.  Or did you change your mind again?”

A smirk curved her lips because she knew Mark missed the ring more than anything in the world and was in the process of launching his new podcast adventure titled Six Feet Under.  The first episode would be debuting sometime in June and Brinley hadn’t decided if she wanted to listen to it or not.  Just hearing his voice was enough to make her panties wet, like they were now, and she had to stop herself from flirting with him.  Michelle wouldn’t like that very much and she didn’t want to cause friction between them or make things more uncomfortable.

“Heard about the podcast coming out soon, are you excited about it?”

“I was invited.” Mark shrugged, not about to admit the two reasons he had actually come.  

The ‘main’ reason, the official reason, was Michelle and he knew that the rumor mill had them ‘back together’, which definitely wasn’t happening.  The second reason, the true one that nobody except him and god knew about was her, Brinley.  He had wanted to see Brinley, to see her badly enough that he had flown here just to get himself kicked in the nads by his own emotions.  Mark had to keep reminding himself that he had done this.  He had ended things, so she could have the fulfillment she had been desperately seeking and emotionally killing herself over.

“It’ll be different, but yeah, I’m looking forward to it.” This wasn’t stilted, awkward conversation at all.  What he wanted to say was ‘I miss you’ and ‘come back to me’, and what came out was something totally different. “Already got people lined up for it.”

“That’s good, I know it’ll be a success.  You’ve got one of those voices that people can listen to for hours and never get tired or bored of.  It’s got a certain ‘oomph’ to it.  Just like when the arenas would go silent whenever you spoke because you have that type of presence.” He still did, even if Mark was dialed down quite a bit in his older age.  In the words of Natalya, age was just a number and Brinley had to keep reminding herself of that. I miss him so much, I just want to taste his lips against mine, just one more time. “How about doing a shot with me, hmm?  You like Jack Daniels, right?” They both needed a drink to get through the awkwardness and Mark took his shot she ordered him, both toasting each other before slamming them back. “WOO, DAMN!” Hopefully, Michelle wouldn’t mind if he did a shot or two with her, as friends, of course. “Come with me outside, I need a smoke and we can catch up some more.”

“Since when do you smoke?” Mark asked blankly, that shot wasn’t sitting well and he knew why, because she wasn’t really acting like the Brinley he had known.

He supposed he hadn’t really known her as a single, free woman and well aware everyone acted differently when they were in a relationship versus when they were single.  It was weird now that he was thinking about it, but there it was.  Following her outside, Mark cocked a brow when she did indeed light up a cigarette and took a long inhale, shaking his head when she offered him one.  A cigar every now and then, he indulged in those, along with some chew, but he was passing on the cigarettes.  

New hair, new habits…was this what she had been missing with him?  She seemed happy, but looks were very deceiving.

“I’ve always been a smoker.  I stopped while I was with you because I know you don’t like it, but old habits die hard, I guess.” Brinley kept away from him while she blew smoke in the air, leaning against the veranda to let the wind gently flood over her. 

It was hot as hell in there and it felt great out here now that it was just the two of them.  It wasn’t Jon that got her into smoking, it was herself and she’d done it most of her life, ever since she was a teenager.  Her parents hadn’t been happy about it, but they also couldn’t stop her from doing it either.  Brinley had been a bit of a rebellious child and she looked up at the sky, hoping her father would continue watching over her and their family.  It wasn’t the same without him and never would be again.  The question she really wanted to ask him burned on her tongue and Brinley had to hold back because it wasn’t her business. 

His personal life wasn’t her business anymore. 

She was going to ask him anyway because the buzz was strong and Brinley needed to know for her own peace of mind. “How long have you been back with her?  No judgment, I’m just honestly curious and if you don’t want to tell me, I understand.” You deserve happiness, Mark, even if it’s not with me.

Chapter 32

Mark felt almost like he had no idea who the hell this woman before him was and he didn’t like it. 

This woman who was puffing away on that cigarette with an ease that told him she wasn’t lying.  That was stupid.  He was being stupid.  It took him a few seconds to process what she was asking him. “With who?” Then she gave him a look and it clicked. “Michelle?  We’re not back together.” He could have easily lied because he knew it did look that way, at least tonight since they had come together, but… he wasn’t lying, not to her, the woman he still loved.  Mark was such an idiot sometimes. “She’s still with Carter, but he couldn’t make it.  I had an invitation and so did she, so we came together.  And tonight, if she needs a driver…that’d be me.” Because she was the mother of his children and the last thing he needed was to explain to them that Mommy had died because Daddy told her to piss off.

“Shit, I’m sorry and I just bought you that shot too.” Then again, Mark was a huge man and it probably took a lot more than a shot or two to get him even the least bit drunk.  The fact him and Michelle weren’t together…made something warm inside of her.  Flicking ash over the balcony, Brinley wasn’t sure how to respond at first and felt sheepish for assuming anything when it came to him. “That’s…that’s so like you.  Of course, you would be a designated driver for someone you care about.” That was too bad because Brinley wanted to do a few more shots with him, a memory taking over her as she stared back at him.

~!~

“Mark!  Mark, what are you doing?!”

He chuckled darkly, tilting her back with his hand on her back between her shoulder blades and there was the shot of Jack Daniels between her breasts.  She had on a black and purple corset top that was perfect for a body shot, according to him. “Relax darlin’, I won’t let you fall.  Trust me.” He murmured in her ear, wrapping his mouth around the rim of that shot glass and immediately pulled back to tilt his head back, swallowing the liquid.

Brinley slid her tongue out to wet her suddenly dry lips, her cheeks pink from watching him do that to her and decided she wanted to reciprocate. “I wanna do that to you.”

Needless to say, they had both done quite a few body shots off of each other and once they were back at the hotel, clothes flew in all directions with Brinley singing his praises until they both passed out from utter exhaustion.

~!~

“Reminds me of that time in Chicago, I think it was?  Can’t remember the city, but you invited me out for some drinks and you wound up doing a body shot off of me.” Brinley heated up at the memory since she never expected to do something like that with him, of all people. “We got sloshed that night.  Good times.” Finishing her cigarette, she stubbed it out against the veranda’s edge and dropped it in the nearby can designated for butts, not wanting to litter. “Too bad you’re a DD, I wouldn’t mind having a few more drinks with you tonight, big man.” Wouldn’t mind a repeat of what happened after the bar that night either, but something tells me he’s not interested anymore.

That had been a long time ago and Mark knew exactly what night she was talking about, his own body growing heated under the suit he had on as he allowed a few memories from that wild night to run rampant through his mind. “You really think that’s a good idea, darlin’?”

Given how Brinley had been during those two years and how she was tonight, he felt like his head was spinning.  He supposed, in retrospect, it shouldn’t be surprising because she had been a bit of a wildcard before Jon had gotten his hooks into her and destroyed her life.  This was just her getting back to who she had been, a little later in life, but Brinley was obviously catching up for lost time.  Mark suddenly wondered if she had been to bed with anyone since him, hating the very idea of it and now, he couldn’t get it out of his head.

“I’m only DD if she doesn’t go off with the girls.” From the way she was dancing with her friends, he bet Michelle did.

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

Brinley popped a mint in her mouth, something she always did after smoking a cigarette and slipped the box back in her purse, her breath now minty fresh.  Before she met Jon, she enjoyed the occasional drink and party, it wasn’t unheard of for the WWE Superstars and employees to go out for a night on the town.  Hell, drinking was a huge part of this industry and it also helped numb emotional and mental pain very well.  Sleeping with someone else had indeed crossed her mind a few times, but honestly, Brinley didn’t want a one night stand and had substituted sex with alcohol and her fingers.  There were a few nights she had rented a porn to help her get off, envisioning Mark putting her in certain positions definitely helping with that.

“Come on, cut loose a little and have some fun.  Or maybe we could get outta here and find a bar that’s a bit more our style instead of here?” He wasn’t with Michelle, single as far as she knew, unless Mark had met someone else already.  Brinley didn’t like that thought at all and walked up to him, feeling bolder than she usually was, and slid her fingers down his chest slowly while staring up into his jade eyes. “Or you can take me back to the hotel and have your wicked way with me, Deadman.  Wouldn’t mind that either.” Nothing would change, not her job or her schedule, but they could have tonight with each other if he wanted. “What do you want to do?”

“I want to make sure Michelle doesn’t need me before I do anything else.”

What he wanted to do was bend her backside over that railing and take her right here out on this balcony, but Mark wasn’t going to jail for indecent exposure either.  He imagined that’d be a great publicity article for WrestleMania.  As much as he just wanted to go off with her, he had obligations he had to see to first.  She just nodded and he slipped inside, running a hand over his head.  Was this a good idea?  He had broken things off with her, and she was obviously living her life to the fullest.  Getting her kicks and everything else, and he was about to dive back into bed with her.

“Idiot.” An idiot who was still in love with that woman; Brinley held his heart in her hands and he doubted she knew it.

Michelle was beaming from ear to ear and hugged Mark tightly around the neck, kissing his cheek. “Go, go!  I’m fine, really!  I’ll hitch a ride with them.  Go get your woman back!” She whispered excitedly in his ear, knowing the girls would love to have Brinley back in their lives again.  They missed Brinley and often asked about her, especially Sophia.

Was this a good idea? 

Brinley was questioning herself now, still buzzed, and somewhere in her slightly cloudy mind, her brain was reminding her that Mark ended things for a reason. We had a fling back in the day, so we could just have another one. The only difference was she was completely in love with Mark and love complicated things.  A lot of things.  Groaning, Brinley decided she couldn’t do this and sent a quick text message to Natalya to let her know she was taking off.  When she turned around, there was Mark staring back at her and Brinley couldn’t stop her feet from moving towards him. No, no we can’t do this… It was almost as if she’d lost control of her body and before Brinley knew what was happening, Mark’s mouth was on hers, kissing her with a fiery passion only she felt with him.

~!~

“Mark, oh fuck yes!” Brinley was bouncing on and off him an hour later, neither wanting to go to a bar and that kiss on the veranda had lit her blood on fire. 

His as well. 

Mark had taken her back to his hotel room and the moment they were inside, his lips had sealed to hers while beginning to undress her.  It was done frantically, both couldn’t get naked fast enough and Brinley pulled him down on the bed with her, completely lost in each other.  Her lips glided over his chest, tongue flicking his nipples and her hands pressed against his sides to gain leverage, hips gyrating.  Damn this man and his addicting cock!  Brinley did not think the night would end up like this by sleeping with her ex-boyfriend and there were zero regrets, their fingers lacing together.  The emerald choker was still around her neck and her body was slick with sweat, along with his, refusing to stop until she was physically unable to ride him or he took control, which ever came first.

They BOTH knew this was a dumb idea.  They BOTH had the same thoughts and hesitation.  Yet here they were, screwing each other’s brains out, taking each other to heights they could only reach together.  It was stupid, beyond stupid, because he knew they couldn’t do a fling again, not when their hearts were involved.  At least his was, because sex with love added to the complications flings normally didn’t have.  Nothing in this situation had changed.  

Mark was still pretty much a homebody and she had her life on the road.

It didn’t matter in this exact moment because the sight of his beautiful goddess riding him, still in that choker, looking like a wildcat had him out of his mind.  Mark had been celibate since they had ended things, minus his hand; he hadn’t been with another woman.  Honestly, he was a bit surprised he hadn’t popped his cork, especially when she began purposefully slamming herself down on him, like she was trying to impale herself.

“Careful, darlin’…” They both knew that he didn’t want that either, in fact, Mark wanted her to keep doing it until she gushed around his throbbing cock.

“No, I don’t want to be careful with you.” He sat upright as soon as those words came out of her mouth and she kept riding him, feeling his tattooed sleeved arms around her body to pull her closer to him. “Lose control with me, Mark.  Just like you did back then.”

Brinley didn’t want to be treated like a porcelain doll, begging him to release the animal inside of him.  The darkness still laid dormant inside and she wanted that part of him to come out to play, to fuck her like no other man ever had.  He growled, his hand moving down to start rubbing her already sensitive clit and boy, did she gush for him, crying out his name in the intense climax.

“Again, make me cum for you again and again…” Her back hit the bed moments later and he was on top of her, sliding home once more and Brinley met him for every powerful thrust he gave her, gripping his arms tightly. “Harder!” This was wrong on so many levels, they were exes for a reason, but how could something so wrong feel so amazing and right at the same time? “Mark!”

Sliding his hands beneath her hips, Mark drew her up, so her lower body was angled on his knees, opening her even wider for him, allowing him to penetrate her deeper.  This angle meant he was getting her sweet spot every time and if he really wanted to torture her, which he did, he’d also be able to brush her clit. “I’m gonna split you in half, Brin!” She wanted it, he could see it in those darkened orbs, hear it in every breathy pant, and the way her lips parted, both sets actually.  

Dropping his gaze down, Mark relished the view of her tiny body bouncing with each thrust forward and he decided to up the pace even more, purposefully pulling her into him each time he snapped his hips forward, the sounds of their flesh colliding echoing around the room.  Brinley didn’t care if the whole world heard them at this point, her mind in a thick passion haze and she was drowning in ecstasy from this man.  Always.  It was always like this, even when they were going easy on each other.  It never failed to amaze her just how compatible and perfect they were together, both in and out of the bedroom. 

Why would she give this up? 

Why didn’t she fight harder to keep him? 

Brinley knew the answer – she had asked herself this question so many times since they split up.  The truth was she thought Mark didn’t love and want her anymore.  If he would’ve given her an ultimatum to quit the road after her year was up, she would’ve done it.  There was no way he’d let her break a contract with the McMahon family, but after that year…he could’ve tried to compromise with her and he didn’t.  Now here they were, back in the saddle again, after finding out he wasn’t really back with Michelle.  Brinley was in heaven in his arms with his cock inside of her, shattering her piece by delicious piece.  Mark was the only man she wanted, the only man she trusted, and the only man who had her entire heart in the palm of his large hands.

Another hour later, Mark was spooned up against her, after both took a small breather from the intensity.  Their tongues were in a dance with him thrusting in and out of her body slowly, methodically, his arm wrapped tightly around her with her fingers buried in his hair.  They’d gone from fucking each other silly to making slow, passionate love and Brinley moaned continuously in his mouth, not wanting to be anywhere else.  The way he felt sliding in and out of her, filling and emptying her at the same time…Brinley never wanted this to end and felt his mouth pull away from hers to seal to her neck, his name once again spilling from her lips.  His fingers were playing with her swollen clit as well, driving her closer to that fine razor edge and he had yet to explode inside of her, holding himself back while making her cum buckets for him.  She brought his mouth back to hers, softly kissing him and begged him not to stop, to keep going for as long as he could, their tongues dancing together once more.

Considering it had just been him and his old flame Rosy Palm for six months, Mark had gone above and beyond what he probably should have.  They’d gone from having sex almost every day to a few times a week, and then nothing when he had ended it with her.  During a moment for water, he had contemplated telling her the real reasons why he did it, he had wanted her to be happy.  She had been torn between her life with him and her career, stressing over not putting them first, especially once Stephanie had made that call asking her to be a producer on Smackdown!.  Mark made the logical choice or, at least, at the time, it had seemed logical.

Right now, balls deep in her velvety pussy, hindsight was telling him he was an absolute moron.

“I can…” His voice had hit new levels of roughness, a rumbling growl as he focused on making her climax again while keeping his own orgasm at bay. “Feel you tightening around me again, Brinley.” Her pussy was getting a workout tonight, it was like being trapped in a massager that kept trying to choke him in the best of ways.

“Cum for me, Mark.  Cum deep inside of me, handsome, please…” He slid out of her, only to thrust all the way inside again once he had her in the perfect position for them both.  Instantly, she began tightening around him, her thighs trembling harder than an earthquake at his sides and he was right on top of her, his warmth seeping into her skin. “Closer…” Always she wanted him closer whenever they were in this position as Brinley wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him for the umpteenth time that night and meeting him thrust for thrust.  He was once again making love to her and it was overwhelming how much emotion she saw conveyed through his darkened, forest green orbs. I love you, Mark.

God help her, she still loved him and was completely in love with him too.  The way their tongues glided against each other, the way their bodies moved as one…never was there a connection stronger than with Mark.  Why couldn’t she say the words?  The emotion in her own eyes hopefully told him all he needed to know as they started kissing harder and deeper. 

The kiss only breaking once he finally reached his end, both bellowing out each other’s names. “Ooohhhh Mark!!”

“BRINLEY!”

The neighbors, if they were in their room next door, definitely heard all of that and he didn’t feel an ounce of guilt.  All he felt right now was utter completion, like he was finally home again.  Mark also was flooding her, six months without her was too long, and by the look on her face, he could tell she felt the same way.  Even if they couldn’t say the words, they were still there for the other to see.

“Fuck, fuck!” He literally could not stop cumming, this was the longest orgasm of his life and her hot cunt was encouraging it, still trying to milk him dry as she continuously spasmed around him. “Jesus Christ, darlin’!” If Brinley wasn’t on protection, she was getting pregnant because he had just overfilled her with his seed.

Chapter 33

That wasn’t happening. 

She was in pre-menopause and was told by her OBGYN her time had more than likely passed to be a mother.  Of course, Brinley hadn’t broached the subject with Mark during their two year relationship, not wanting to add more stress to his plate.  Maybe if she did get pregnant, she wouldn’t have wanted to come back on the road to work for WWE.

“Holy fuck…” She breathed out, trying to get her heartrate to slow down at least a little because it felt like her heart might fly out of her chest at any second. 

Resting their foreheads together, Brinley didn’t want to move and felt his dick finally deflate inside of her, both groaning the moment he slid out of her trembling body.  Mark moved to lay on his side and pulled her against him instantly, her leg draping over his leg and they shared some cool down kisses, her head resting on his arm while caressing his long black hair, gliding it through her fingers. “I needed that so much…” She too had been celibate for the last six months and snuggled closer to him while Mark draped the sheets over their heated bodies.

“Same, darlin’.”

Mark could have been shooting blanks for all he knew; he just knew he was still shooting something and it was leaking out of her overly filled body and onto the bedding beneath them.  They’d have to put down a blanket or something to sleep on top of, or at least Brinley would since he wasn’t sure what happened next.  Kissing the top of her head, his eyes focused on the ceiling while he was mentally coaxing his dick to stop twitching, his legs to stop shaking, and his heart rate to come back down because he wasn’t dying from a heart attack tonight.  Not after that reunion.

“What happens now?” He asked quietly, after a long period of silence had ensued, and they could both breathe normally again.

“I don’t know.” It was an honest answer as she also stared up at the ceiling, not caring about the bedding at the moment and shut her eyes, the reality of what just happened beginning to sink in.  She really wanted a cigarette and had to shut that craving down because Mark wasn’t a smoker.  That kind of sex warranted one.  It had been mind-blowing and she didn’t want to move, her legs also incredibly shaky. “Didn’t really think it through, to be honest.” Sex was sex, however, when it came to Brinley and Mark, it was so much more than that and they both knew it.  There was no going back to just having a fling; it wasn’t possible to do that when they both had each other’s hearts. “I missed you.  Not a day has gone by I haven’t thought about you and wished to be with you.” Looking away from him at the wall, Brinley could feel the walls crumbling around her heart once again and tears stung her eyes. “But I know it can’t happen as long as I’m on the road and working for WWE.” That was the reality of their situation. “I hurt you when I took this job and then added more to it, and I won’t keep doing that to you and the girls.  If I can’t be in your life fully, then I have no place in it…and I’m not ready to settle down yet.  I still want to work and travel for the WWE.  I love my job and what I do here.  I’m a selfish woman and I want what I want.  But I also know I can’t have my cake and eat it too either.  I just signed a two year extension to my contract with the company, so I’m not leaving anytime soon and my schedule is still the same.”

Nothing had changed and nothing would – another harsh pill to swallow.

Letting out a long breath nodding, on some level, Mark been expecting that.  What she said about missing him, thinking about him and wanting to be with him, didn’t mean a thing when nothing had changed in the situation, though.  She wasn’t ready to settle and he still didn’t blame her.  It hurt, there was no denying that, more than he ever thought something could, but Mark couldn’t blame her.  Sighing, he sat upright and swung his long legs over the edge of the bed, reaching for his pants.  A two year extension…Brinley really had wanted this life she had now.  

He stood up, slipping the pants on and turned to look down at her as he zipped them up. “Have your cigarette, darlin’, I don’t mind.” He said quietly, seeing her drumming her fingers almost anxiously.

“Why can’t you just…just wait for me?  I know that’s asking a shit ton, but I would do it for you!  I would wait for you and I did, Mark!”

For YEARS, she waited for him and Brinley hated how they came together because of her psychotic ex-husband’s actions.  What would’ve happened had Jon not been in the picture and she didn’t come to Dallas?  Would Mark have tracked her down or even wanted anything to do with her?  She didn’t want the answer to those questions.  Brinley was out of bed as well, wrapping herself in a robe and tying it around her waist, wiping tears away from her eyes.

“I love you!  I still love you!  And I’m in love with you!  That’s what you want, isn’t it?  You want me to quit the road and come be with you in Dallas, to settle down, and I’m not ready to do that.  I settled for so long because of Jon, I refuse to do that to myself again until I’M ready for it.”

Signing that extension was an easy decision because Brinley had to make a living and support herself.  She had to pay for the new condo she resided in Tampa now and she had obligations and responsibilities.  Didn’t he understand that?  Lighting up the cigarette, she walked past him to crack open the window and sniffled, taking another long deep drag.

“Why is it that every time I find a shred of happiness, no matter what it is, it’s ripped away from me?  I must’ve really done some fucked up things in my last lifetime to deserve every bit of pain I’ve been through.  I can’t believe you won’t wait for me or at least try to make this work with me.  It’s your way or the highway and I never thought I’d say this, but you’re being selfish too, Mark!”

Nothing she just said about his way or the highway was true, but he let her scream it at him.  Brinley didn’t get it, did she?  She had agonized over this decision to take the job, nearly making herself sick, because she had worried about the impact it would have on them.  She had then worried herself sick once she took the job because she was dividing her time between him and her career, and he didn’t want her doing that to herself.

“I want you to be happy, darlin’.” Mark wouldn’t stand here and argue with her, busy putting on his shirt, keeping his expression and tone very neutral, though, his hands started trembling. “And you weren’t happy with me, and you’re not happy now and that’s not on anyone except yourself, Brinley.  You deserve the world, and if I thought it’d make you happy, I’d give it to you, but it wouldn’t be enough.” She had lost so much time and had her way of thinking twisted because of that bastard mentally and emotionally screwing with her mind her so badly.  Her mind was her own worst enemy sometimes. “And yeah, I am selfish and that’s not fair to you.  Just like you needing this isn’t fair to me.” Sometimes, things didn’t work and it sucked, but that was that. “Never said I wasn’t selfish, we all know what a bastard I am.”

“But…you’re the world I want to live in.  You make me happy and…”

It wasn’t enough. 

It was never enough – not for Mark and not even for Jon when she tried making the marriage work.  When Brinley felt she had no alternative except to accept the marriage for what it was and live with it because Jon would never let her go.  Or so she thought.  So far, he had left her alone since his mother passed away and she was very thankful for that.

“You’re wrong, Mark.  I WAS happy with you, very happy, and I thought you would understand where I was coming from needing to do this, needing to get back to the person I used to be!” Her mother had been dead wrong about Mark and that revelation just shattered her further. “You’re not a bastard, you just want a woman who is ready to completely settle down with you and that’s not me.  And I’m sorry I make you miserable because of my life choices.” She stepped back when he went to touch her, shaking her head and opened the screen door to step out into the cool night air. “Let yourself out, this conversation is over.  I love you, I will always love you, but it’s not enough and it never was, and I accept that.” At least now, she had closure with him and couldn’t face him, hating the tears that were falling from her eyes. Goodbye, Mark.

On the bright side, she had some serious issues that she needed to work through, but at least she was voicing what she felt, even when it was a little jacked up.  He walked out without looking back.  In all honesty, Mark was pushing sixty, he had little girls at home, and yes, he needed a partner who was ready to settle down because he was running out of time to spend with the people he wanted to be with.  And why was that?  For the same reason she was here, in that room, having signed an extension on her contract: Because he couldn’t walk away from that job, that life, and while he loved it, he also knew what it had cost him.

“You okay?”

Colby hadn’t been able to sleep and, apparently, Brinley was staying right beside his room.  He had kind of figured that when he heard her name being bellowed through the walls, which was why he was out here on the balcony.  Not that it made much difference when she approached that screen door because he could hear all their business, whether he wanted to or not.

Brinley didn’t care who was staying in the room next door, her hands shaking and the moment, the second, that door shut behind Mark, signaling his departure, she was on her knees with the cigarette still between her fingers, clutching her stomach tightly.  She couldn’t even speak due to the tears cascading down her cheeks and Colby was witnessing all of it.  Her silent pain.  It was so intense, she went to take a drag of her cigarette and immediately tossed it aside, burying her face in her hands to sob her heart out.  She didn’t see Colby vault over from his balcony to hers until she felt his arms around her and she turned her head to immediately bury in his warm, bare chest, her tears soaking his skin. 

Why? 

Why couldn’t she find happiness after leaving Jon? 

Why was it so hard to just be HAPPY?!

Colby wasn’t going to ask that again because no, she was not okay and from what he had heard, he doubted she would be for a while.  He didn’t say anything, just held her against him and let her cry on his chest, gently stroking her hair and back.  Brinley was in a robe and he knew exactly who and what she had been doing, and that seemed wrong.  Having apparently mind-blowing sex only to get her heart shattered into a million pieces immediately afterwards.  Mark Calaway was a giant moron.  Colby didn’t even know the story, but the man was a moron.  When she finally pulled back, he peered into her face.  

She was a hot mess.  A devastatingly, beautiful hot mess.

Cause you ain’t ever going to be happy unless it’s with me, Angel.

That voice in her head, his gritty, raspy voice, was the LAST thing Brinley wanted to hear right now. FUCK YOU!!  FUCK YOU, JON!!  I HATE YOU!!  I’LL NEVER BE HAPPY WITH YOU!!  EVER!!  LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!!

Brinley hated that Colby was seeing her this vulnerable, but she couldn’t stop the tears, her battered heart shattering all over again in her chest.  Repeatedly.  Here she thought there was a chance her and Mark could reunite and make things work with her still working for WWE.  She had set herself up for failure, after giving herself completely to him once again.  Never again.  Brinley went to stand up and her legs gave way, making Colby lift her in his arms to carry her back into the room.

“I-I can’t…sleep here…” She stammered out, taking one look at the bed her and Mark had fornicated in for hours and started crying all over again, burying her face in Colby’s neck. “G-Get me out of here…please, Colby…”

He grabbed her keycard she handed him and went next door to his room to gently set her on his bed, letting her know he was going to retrieve her belongings.  She could stay with him tonight.  Nodding, Brinley simply lay down on her side and curled up in a tight ball, clutching a pillow to her chest and burying her face in it, soaking it with her tears.

Let’s be honest, Angel, it seemed his voice only peeked when she was emotionally distraught or at her lowest, times when she was most vulnerable.  Even now, several years after the last time they had been together, that was a testament to just how deeply embedded into her psyche Jon was. You threw yourself at him.  You’re the one who propositioned him, not the other way around.  How did you think that was going to go down?  He’s old, he’s almost 100 at this point, he doesn’t want his hot little piece of ass running around the country.  He wants you there at home, baking him brownies in his old age while he starts popping Viagra like it’s crack just to fuck you until those old knees of his give out.

Colby was thorough and quick, returning with everything she possessed out of that room.  He had searched all the rooms, carefully and quickly putting it into her luggage.  He was quiet as he set everything down by his door, minus a long nightgown he had found draped over a chair.  With that in hand, he went to sit on the edge of the bed, gently placing his hand against the small of her back, rubbing soothing circles.  

Heartbreak was never fun, he knew that personally.

Was that true? Jon, please stop… Brinley felt Colby rubbing her back and she couldn’t move, simply staying there rooted to the bed. “T-Thank you.” She stammered out in a whispered hiccough, trying to catch her breath and closed her eyes.  That voice in her head was right.  She did throw herself at Mark at the afterparty like a little bitch in heat! I thought maybe, just maybe, we could reconcile and get back together and he would wait for me.  He won’t though. Michelle had left professional wrestling, shoved her career aside, in order to be with Mark and gave him a family.  Was that what Mark expected her to do as well?  Give up her career for him?  Just be happy and content and settled with him in Dallas for the rest of her life? That’s not me and I don’t think it ever will be. Eventually, exhaustion settled in and sleep claimed her with Colby moving her just a little to get her more comfortable, but nothing more than that.

Mark wanted her to be happy and find that fulfilment she had been desperate for.  So desperate for that it had started affecting their relationship.  Then once she got it, it still affected them when she began worrying about them.  He wasn’t going to lie and say it didn’t suck because it did.  That little voice wasn’t wrong; he wasn’t getting any younger and he did want someone who was with him, who was content to be at home with him, or at least off the road.  However, he also wanted Brinley, and he was waiting for her.  Or had been.  

He had just been doing it from afar, trying to be patient and let her live her life.  She had bounced from Jon to him; she hadn’t taken a breather from relationships or explored her options, so to speak.  Sometimes, Mark did wonder if she didn’t love him because he had come into her life when she needed someone the most, unconsciously attaching herself to him.  He had taken care of her and treasured her after what she had been through, something she had desperately needed at the time.

Mark was also getting rip-roaring drunk while she was asleep in Colby’s bed.

Chapter 34

“Goddamn it, Colby, you blew me up AGAIN!”

“Hey, it’s a free for all, little mama! Oh fuck, sniper at one o’clock!”

This was a nightly routine for Brinley these days instead of going out to bars and drinking herself silly in hotel rooms at night. Ever since Colby had vaulted over from his balcony to hers, they had developed a close friendship and bond that was unbreakable. They traveled together and always made sure to get connecting rooms or rooms next to each other, so they could do stuff like game until the early morning hours. Six months had gone by in a flash and photographs of them together had surfaced online. Brinley worked out with Colby, doing CrossFit, and he was helping her eat a lot better while on the road, getting her into fitness quite a bit.

Drinking was a thing of the past; Colby wasn’t a huge drinker, though he had a few beers every now and again. Brinley still hung out with Natalya and the girls of the company, not neglecting them, but when she went out, she barely drank any alcohol and just enjoyed herself. Colby did the same thing with his group of buddies, but ultimately, they both preferred staying in, playing video games or watching movies, going to the gym, grabbing Starbucks, things of that nature. Another thing Colby helped her stopped doing was smoking – Brinley had quit and it was solely for herself, nobody else.

Colby’s nickname was CrossFit Jesus, and while he never proclaimed to be Jesus, he wasn’t going to deny the name fit either. He knew smoking was way worse than an occasional beer and, given what he did for a living, he needed maximum lung power. He also knew it prematurely aged a person and Brinley had seemed worried about her looks, not that he had pointed that out to her. Instead, Colby just gently encouraged better habits, knowing getting the body on track to healthy also tended to encourage that healthier mindset.

“You- suck!” She had just returned the favor and nailed him at point blank range. “Not cool at all, bro!” People assumed they were dating and Colby did nothing to dissuade that either since it was nobody’s business. When she tossed a ‘sucks to suck!’ at him, he growled and reached for her Starbucks, taking a healthy swallow, ignoring her laughing protests. “Oh yeah, fuel for days, mama!”

“You asshat! That’s mine!”

Colby had already drank all of his and Brinley couldn’t stop laughing at his antics, wearing a Seth Rollins t-shirt with a pair of shorts. It was actually his shirt that she stole from him, which he didn’t mind. Not like he couldn’t get another one from the company. She snatched the Starbucks from him, taking a swig of it and barely put it down before he grabbed her from behind to start tickling her. No, they weren’t dating, but if people wanted to think that way and assume, more power to them. Brinley honestly didn’t care what others thought; Colby had helped her in ways no other man had before, not even Mark. And it wasn’t sexual either. There were some nights she’d have nightmares and crawl into bed with him to be held, but again, it was all purely platonic.

If anything, Colby was a younger brother to her, family, and Chris thanked him profusely over the phone for helping her get through the rough patch in her life. Even her mother liked Colby and Brinley made it clear to her family he was a friend and nothing more. However, to everyone else, including the fans, they had made up their own minds and even colleagues within WWE thought they were together too. Not only was she getting over her heartbreak over Mark, but Colby was getting over his recent heartbreak losing Becky Lynch, who had left him for another man. That happened shortly after WrestleMania, so they were coping and healing together.

Unbeknownst to them, Jon had also seen the tabloids and dirt sheets, even though he stayed offline, but he had received tons of messages from various people about Brinley and Seth Rollins being together. And he was NOT a happy man.

“If you blow me up one more time, I’m gonna – COLBY!!” Now she tackled him, making him laugh as the controller went flying across the carpet and put him in a headlock. “You fucker!”

Sure, if brothers woke up with a boner buried in their sisters buttcheeks, they were siblings. Colby wasn’t apologetic about it because that was just how a man’s body operated and she was a beautiful woman, but right now, he was staying single and focusing on himself. His own last relationship hadn’t ended well at all; he needed to learn how to be single and yes, sometimes lonely, because he couldn’t love someone else if he wasn’t loving himself first. Brinley seemed to have the same issues and they were helping each other work through them one day at a time.

“I have so much regret right now,” She had taken up weights, not to really bulk up, but to maintain her strength, something about getting old, and he had squawked at her about that. Brinley was not old; she was still forever young and proof was currently having his head in a lock. “For taking you to the gym…” Colby began tapping, laughing when she finally let him up. “Rude as SHIT, Brin.”

“No, rude as SHIT is you drinking my Starbucks and blowing me the fuck up. That’s RUDE, Rollins.” She stuck her tongue out at him with a grin, standing to walk over and pick the controller up, handing it to him.

It didn’t happen often, them sharing a bed together, but when it did, Brinley ignored the boner issue. She would never see Colby as anything more than a brother type and she made that clear to him from the beginning. They had tried kissing, deciding maybe using each other for sex would be a good way to get over their exes. Nope, kissing him felt like kissing her brother and it never happened again. Zero spark, zero chemistry. Nothing there at all. Brinley had been relieved and so was Colby, both treasuring the friendship they had built together after all these years of being cordial and distant.

“Ready for another round?”

“Sure, sure, lemme spend my monies first.” Colby was already in the shop, upgrading his stuff and buying more ammunition, snorting when she made a comment about him needing it for the next ass kicking he had coming his way. “You talk a lot of mad shit for someone who was just blown to hell and back.” Naturally, he was going to gloss over the fact that she had done the same thing to him because it never happened as far as he was concerned and he grinned, finally glancing at her. “Let’s go, Brin, time to go to school.”\

~!~

It was absolutely disgusting.

No loyalty.

Whatever happened to the bros before hoes code? Jon was not amused that his supposed buddy Colby was screwing his ex-wife. It had been all over the dirt sheets, on the Internet, even TMZ had footage of them walking out of a coffee shop together. The pair had been leaning into each, all laughing and giggles. He had no idea what had been said, but there was no denying the obvious closeness between the pair. Colby hadn’t messaged him in…well, it’d been over a year, actually, and if Jon did the math, he bet the time occurred around when Brinley had started back up in the WWE. Had she been screwing around on Taker with the young buck?

“What a beautiful whore you are, Angel…” HIS beautiful whore.

Jon could think whatever he wanted. Brinley rarely thought of him these days, too busy with producing incredible matches for the world to see on both Raw and Smackdown!, as well as working out and hanging with her friends. She had a one bedroom condo in Tampa, Florida, all hers, and her address was NOT listed because of Jon. No chances taken. She would never be put in another position as he put her in all those years ago. Never again would she feel helpless and broken, deciding she was swearing off all men entirely. Mark had broken her that night after the WrestleMania afterparty and her heart hardened to the point of steel. Nothing was breaking through, not this time, and Brinley was perfectly fine with going through the rest of her life alone without a companion. Why did she need one when she had friends and her family? She had a great support system and didn’t need to bow down and surrender to a man just to find happiness. There was more to life than a woman finding a man and settling down with him!

Currently, it was Raw and a life-changing meeting was about to take place. Something nobody thought would ever happen. There had been rumblings throughout the company about it and they’d even had another huge meeting like this prior to inform everyone what was going down. WWE was merging with TKO Group Holdings, which was the UFC. It was no longer just WWE, Vince had sold most of the company to TKO, refusing to hand over the business to his daughter and son-in-law. He was forced out of the company because of his erratic behavior, amongst other reasons, and decided to stick it to his family in the worst way possible.

Stephanie had left the company completely after allegations surfaced about her father being involved in rape and sex-trafficking years ago in the business. She wanted nothing to do with it and handed everything to Paul, all of her power, just wanting to be home to raise their three daughters. She was also doing some side content such as starting her own podcast up and doing a television show called Stephanie’s Places, which hadn’t aired yet. Paul cleared his throat and announced that one week from today, the merger of WWE and TKO Group Holdings would be finalized. Brinley knew what that meant – people were about to lose their jobs because it happened with every company that merged with another.

There simply weren’t enough jobs to go around with a merger and everybody was on the chopping block.

They had been able to salvage some things. Paul had busted his backside and probably risked another heart attack in doing so. He pointblank refused to let this company go to hell in a handbasket because the old man was a cocksucking, life ruining son of a bitch. Paul had given his life, his health for this company, so it wasn’t happening while he still alive and kicking. At the same time, however, the sad reality was some people had to go. So, he had started going through the roster, the staff, and everyone was being evaluated. Those he couldn’t envision selling seats were gone. Those who were mediocre in their jobs were gone. The writing and production staff had to be halved, and he had to start at the bottom and his way up, just because TKO would be bringing in its own staff as well.

People with tenure were pretty much guaranteed their jobs. Brinley WOULD have been one of those people if she hadn’t left all those years ago. Paul felt like a villain with the news he was going to have to deliver to her.

Fired.

Brinley felt numb while listening to what Paul told her, explaining why they had to let her go and she simply nodded, thanking him in a stoic voice for the opportunity. Leaving his office, she simply stood outside of it and pressed her back against the wall, willing to the tears filling her eyes to stay put. Crying at work wasn’t an option and she knew she wouldn’t be the only one feeling this way tonight. Her contract with WWE was null and void; her job was gone and she’d just signed off on that new condo recently, not expecting this at all. Life threw curveballs left and right, constant obstacles, and this would have to be another one she overcame. She pulled her phone out once she was outside and sent Colby a text to let him know what happened, wishing him well since she was on her way back to Tampa.

I was fired tonight due to the merger. Thank you for everything you did for me these past six months, Colby. You are truly one of my best friends and I’ll keep in touch. I’ll let you know when I make it home.

Another was sent to Nattie. I was fired due to the merger. Love you girl, thanks for everything and I’ll talk to you soon. Looking back at the arena, Brinley barely made it to her rental car before the tears started falling, holding the breakdown back. There was one last person she needed to text to let them know what happened.

Her brother.

I got fired tonight because of the merger with TKO. If you know anyone who is hiring in the business, let me know. I’ll go anywhere since I just got that new condo and I need to keep paying my bills. Don’t tell Mom any of this, I’ll let her know myself. Love you. Blowing out a huge, shaky breath, Brinley had to get her mind straight and pulled out of the arena parking lot, praying to god something came her way soon.

Naturally Chris DID know of somewhere that was hiring, but he hesitated to even send her back a message. When he had heard about the merger, he had been worried about this happening, knowing very well what happened when the WWE merged with other companies. It had happened before, he had seen it, and it had naturally happened again. Because she had ‘started over’, Brinley didn’t have the job security she would’ve if she hadn’t left WWE when Jon did. Jon…it seemed like that cocksucker had screwed his sister over at every turn. Chris had been hoping that her friendship with Stephanie would save her job, but Stephanie had stepped out of the light. He didn’t blame her given what her father was being accused of since all McMahons were now under scrutiny. Shane leaving so many years ago to start over in China with that media company made a lot more sense now.

AEW would take her back and he knew it. However, Chris also knew if she came back, she was running the risk of letting that madman back into her life.

At first, Brinley was completely against the very thought of working for AEW again. She tried applying everywhere else, every Indie company, including Wrestling Revolver with Sami Callihan. That was a risk in itself due to the fact Sami and Jon were best friends. Nothing was working. She was either overqualified or they weren’t hiring. She even tried applying for a boring 9 to 5 position as a secretary, but due to not having a college degree, that wasn’t in the cards for her either.

When another six months rolled by, with her unemployment running out that she received from the state, and her savings dwindling…Brinley was at another crossroads in her life. She was now 44 years old, jobless, about to be homeless if she didn’t find a job somewhere soon, and alone. Completely alone. It was now the year 2024 and Brinley had no alternative left unless she wanted to go work at a strip club and earn money flashing her old assets. That thought had crossed her mind and she immediately nixed it, deciding to finally give her brother a call to see if the position with AEW was still open.

“I don’t have a choice anymore, brother. I’ve done everything in my power to find something else, applied everywhere I can, and…I need a job.” She shut her eyes, knowing what this meant and could feel her hands already beginning to tremble. “You’ll be there with me. And when you’re not, I’ll handle it. He hasn’t come after me in years and I’m out of options at this point. So, if Tony Khan wants me back, I’ll be there with bells on.”

Chris had tried to offer her money, he made enough between wrestling and his music, his other ventures, but Brinley refused to take it. Well, any more of it since she had taken some recently just because she was running out of choices, but she had bawled and sworn she would pay him back as soon as she was on her feet. He groaned quietly, running a hand down his face and knew there were no other options. Brinley was too damn proud and stubborn to take any more help from him and if he wasn’t the one to do it, to bring her back, he knew she’d reach out to Tony herself.

“I’ll talk to him,” Chris said finally, feeling something in his stomach beginning to sink, like he was personally signing her death warrant. “I’ll call you back shortly, sis, okay?”

“Thank you, Christopher. Don’t worry, I’m never going back to that psycho again. He’ll never manipulate and threaten me again and if he does, I WILL fight back this time.” Brinley assured and they hung up with each other with her leaning back against the couch, staring up at the ceiling.

There was one other thing she could do, one other person she could go to, but after their falling out, that wasn’t happening. Brinley hadn’t spoken to Mark in over a year and even though she still loved him, probably always would, she had made her choice. She made her bed and now she had to lay in it, even if she did end up homeless on the streets. Her pride and stubbornness would not allow her to beg anyone for help and it was bad enough Brinley had taken some money from her brother. That in itself had taken every ounce of willpower to accept.

I just need a job. I need to work, regardless of who is in the damn company I’m working for!

It wasn’t her going back to that psycho that had Chris worried because he knew she’d never do it again, not even if Jon went after the rest of her family. When he had committed a mass murder, something had changed in Brinley, and honestly, it would have only been a matter of time before it was her dead because obsession that ran that deep, that violent, eventually turned on the object of the obsession directly. Chris was worried Jon wouldn’t give her a choice. However, it didn’t matter right now because she needed a job and she had exhausted all other options outside of prostitution. There was definitely a market for naughty MILFs, but he wasn’t telling his sister to sell her body. Instead, Chris would sell her soul for her.

Within the hour, he had texted her. All set. He’s sending the docs now to your email.

Thank you.

Brinley had also taken up vaping instead of smoking since cigarettes were outrageously expensive these days. Vaping not so much, even though it was horrible on her lungs. She didn’t care, it took care of the craving and that was all that mattered to her. Opening the documents in her email, Brinley cried her eyes out, the screen blurred. She didn’t want to do this. She didn’t want to go back to AEW. She loved WWE and hated that because of a merger, because of Vince McMahon’s selfish ways, her job was gone.

I swear to god, if he comes near me, I’ll do more than have his mother killed. Swallowing hard, not having thought about what she’d done in so long, Brinley quickly signed the documents and sent them back before she changed her mind, closing her laptop. Back into the lion’s den I go. All to survive in this overly expensive, messed up world. Just leave me alone, Jon. Leave me alone and everything will be fine.

Chapter 35

Jacksonville, Florida wasn’t too far away from Tampa, which was where Dynamite was located for tonight’s show.

Chris had warned her ahead of time that Jon was there, after being absent for the past few weeks, and it just so happened she was returning to the company on the night Jon returned from his trek overseas in Japan. He was the current IWGP World Heavyweight champion in NJPW and facing Powerhouse Hobbs in the main event for the title. Brinley had received several text messages from Colby and Nattie, wishing her well and if she needed them, they were just a phone call away. She had support this time, she had friends she could rely on…and she was alone.

Stepping out of her rental, Brinley took a long drag from her vape and put it back in her purse, blowing the smoke out and let some of it filter out of her nostrils. Dressed in a black tunic with black capris, her hair was left down, the strawberry highlights nearly gone out of it, and it was down to her backside again. Definitely time for a haircut as soon as she had the funds to afford it, along with her nails and anything else she’d let go due to not having a job. Another deep breath later, she made her way towards the entrance and flashed her pass at the security guard, who let her pass through.

It was almost as if she’d gone back in time and felt just like it did when she went back to WWE, only she wasn’t nearly as happy here as she was there.

Jon knew instantly when she was in the building. It was like something had shifted, the energies within the atmosphere. He had caught Chris giving him the evil eye a time or two, and now he knew why. Brinley had come crawling back to AEW after the WWE shitcanned her. Had she been surprised when that happened? She shouldn’t have since she was expendable to everyone, hadn’t she learned that yet? Companies, people…most people. He was in a bathroom with the air fan on, ignoring the law about smoking inside and taking a few hits from his cigarette. He had given up drinking, so cigarettes…were a little harder, but on the bright side, they didn’t make him fat and flabby. He’d have to deal with the trade-off he supposed. His ex-wife…was in the same building as him and if Jon closed his eyes, he could almost smell her perfume, her own sweet scent bolstering it, and he snaked his tongue out to lick his lips. He had left her alone all this time and it was her choosing to do this, to walk back into his playground, his life on his turf.

It wasn’t his playground, this was a wrestling organization and her brother had helped make it what it was today. Granted, AEW was going through a bit of a rough patch lately, but that was fine, all companies did, even WWE. They would get back on their feet in no time, she had no doubt about that. Colby warned her about AEW being a sinking ship and she ignored him, not wanting to believe that. If her brother believed in AEW, so would she. Brinley cautiously made her way down the hall, eyes widening at the sight of her and she ignored it all, relief filling her eyes and face at the sight of her big brother coming towards her.

“I’m okay.” She whispered as he hugged her tightly, already knowing what he was about to ask. “Where is Mr. Khan’s office?”

“Tony, please, Brinley. We’ve known each other far too long for formalities!” Tony grinned from behind, giving her a friendly embrace and welcomed her back to the company. “Now then, let’s go meet up with the other producers and they’ll let you know what match you’ll be working on.”

“Okay sure.”

She had made it ABUNDANTLY clear she wanted nothing to do with Jon Moxley or his career and he was fine with that. That included the Blackpool Combat Club as well, though she was still friends with Brie and Bryan. Tony lead her away from her brother, talking to her and getting to know her again since it’d been years between them. All she could do was listen, nod her head with a smile that didn’t touch her eyes, and was thankful when he finally left her alone to go focus on some other matters. The match she would be helping produce tonight was a women’s with Mina Shirakawa against Anna Jay. She remembered Anna from back in the day, but Mina was new and she sounded Japanese. Either way, it was time to go meet the ladies and start her first official night on the job, taking the paperwork along with her.

Chris had warned her that if she started talking about what Jon had done to her, how Jon had been, not many people here were going to believe him. Jon had wormed his way into a lot of people’s good graces and that had helped along by the fact that the man had carried this company several times, and he had gotten himself pretty sober. Jon was a charmer and didn’t usually show his psychotic tendencies in public. Instead, he saved them for the ring where people just thought he was an exceptional storyteller. Basically, if Brinley told people here like she had told Colby, who had seen Jon at a bad moment so he had believed her, she’d be labeled crazy and bitter.

It wasn’t right or fair, but it was also the way the world worked. Especially since everyone knew she had jumped from Jon, to the Undertaker, and then to Seth Rollins. The world, gossip and slander, were vicious and unrelenting.

Brinley was keeping her mouth shut, not trusting anyone in this company besides her brother, not even Tony Khan. She knew Jon had really built himself up in AEW and he was the top dog here. Just like Mark had been the locker room leader and top dog in WWE for so long, that was where Jon was in AEW. It was a very bitter pill to swallow, but Brinley had no choice except to endure it and deal with the gossip. Whispers behind her back, people talking about her, even though they didn’t know anything. The truth didn’t matter and she knew it. Luckily, the women she worked with were kind and listened to her suggestions on the match, changing a few things to make it flow better. When Brinley was on her game, she was brilliant and flawless in her work, and she would have to show that all over again here in AEW just like she’d done in WWE.

I’m fine, Seth, stop worrying. She texted him on a break since the show had started and she was standing outside the arena, taking another pull from her vape pen. Seth wasn’t happy that she was vaping, but at least it wasn’t cigarettes and she chuckled at the meme he sent her in return. You’re an ass. Then Nattie texted her next to check up on her, making sure she was all right. Brinley sent the exact same answer to Nattie and leaned back against the building, starting to scroll through social media to pass the time.

All she had to do was walk the straight and narrow and keep Jon and her business from spilling out of those pretty lips. Jon was a bit curious how she hadn’t noticed him out here, tempted to make his presence known, but decided against it. He’d rather just look her over, take in the new changes, and there were a lot. She looked a little less…put together, that was a good word, than she had six months ago when she had been photographed with Seth. Were they still together? He still couldn’t believe she was knocking boots with his supposed old buddy; the disloyalty hadn’t made him very happy at all.

I’ll worry all I want and there ain’t shit you can do about it.

Oh, she noticed him and pretended not to, her heartrate skyrocketing the moment those doors opened. Brinley did not dare look up or at them, instead keeping a laser focus on her phone and cracked a small smile at Colby’s response. Christ, she could feel her pulse quickening too and her anxiety was up, her hands beginning to shake slightly. PULL IT TOGETHER! Don’t let him see you scared! Don’t acknowledge him!

Taking another hit from her vape pen, she sent Colby an emoji with the tongue sticking out before going back to social media. Mark’s latest podcast was up and she still hadn’t listened to any of them, knowing just the sound of his voice would send her back into a dark place she didn’t want to be in. Brinley didn’t want to feel that pain and anguish, or remind herself what a colossal mistake she made that night by not choosing him over her career in WWE, which was now non-existent.

Breathe, just keep breathing, you got this.

Her hands were shaking, he could see it, which told him she was aware of his presence and a second later, the sound of his lighter flicking followed by the telltale light of a cigarette, officially announced it. Her phone hit the ground, he heard her let out a soft curse and before she could reach for it, he was there with his lightning reflexes. He didn’t even try to look at the screen, his thumb caressing the screen, no cracks so there was that going for her. He was looming over her now and she slowly looked up over the white, V-neck shirt he was wearing, which hugged his ripped body in all the right ways, finally meeting his intense blue eyes.

“Here.” His voice was as low and raspy as ever as he held it out to her.

Her heart was going to stop. She simply knew it. It was going to give out and she was going to have a stroke or a heart attack right here and now. Brinley was frozen solid and somehow managed to move her shaking hand out to grasp onto the phone, their thumbs brushing together in the process. His eye was fixed…she remembered Chris telling her how he had stabbed and took Jon’s eye out for real with a metal spike. Yet as she stared into his icy eyes, it didn’t look like anything happened. She didn’t realize Jon had an eye transplant a few years back, sick of the eyepatch, and that had cost him a pretty penny to have done. He had taken time off from wrestling and took some more therapy in order to get used to having his full eyesight back.

The intensity in those eyes staring back at her made Brinley nauseous, her stomach twisting almost violently, and she took a tentative step back, trying like hell to slow her racing heart. So many nightmares about this man…and she knew it was inevitable to run into him since this was essentially his company. Tony Khan may have written the checks, but it was the wrestlers who really ran the show here and she knew it, and Jon was at the top of the food chain.

“T-Thanks…” He was blocking her path to head back into the arena and Brinley knew he was doing it purposely, just to draw this out since her back was planted against the building. “I-I need to head back inside, so…”

She was terrified of him, as she probably should be, but right in this moment, he didn’t want her to be afraid of him. Not unless she gave him a reason to anyway. He moved aside, opening that door for her to go in without a word. Her voice was giving her away, on top of her hands and through the outside lighting, he could see the pulse point on her neck going a million miles a minute. At her age, Brinley could have a heart attack if she didn’t chill out.

“Welcome back, Angel.” Jon murmured when she finally, obviously reluctantly, moved past him and went inside the building. Her shoulders tensed at the old term of endearment that fell so easily from his mouth. Welcome back, indeed.

Brinley did not stop moving down that hallway, coaching herself to breathe and calm down, heading for the nearest women’s bathroom she could find. She barely made it inside one of the stalls before emptying the contents of her stomach, thankful her hair was braided over her shoulder. One of the hair stylists had recognized her, Pascal, and asked if she could do something with her hair to keep it off her neck. It was getting warmer outside and her hair looked like it was a hassle, so Brinley let her do it while they chitchatted and caught up with each other. At least she had one friend, maybe two, in the company, but nothing compared to her friendships with Colby and Natalya.

The man who killed her father and so many others during Covid…the man who had nearly killed her and destroyed her life…had welcomed her back to the company acting as if he was talking about the weather. What the hell was wrong with him? Too many fucking things to list, he’s a psychotic bastard! Brinley finally pulled back from the toilet and took some toilet paper to wipe her mouth off, tears sliding down her cheeks. She didn’t want to go back out there, she didn’t want to face and deal with him. Please just leave me alone! Maybe it was time to stop smoking all together, that way she didn’t have a reason to go out for smoke breaks anymore and could stay confined to the arenas at all times. The vape pen went into the garbage at that moment and she rinsed her mouth out with water before popping gum, after fixing her makeup, heading out to continue doing her job. Angel my ass, he wouldn’t call me that if he knew what I fucking did to him and his precious momma!

Maybe he would have amended it to Dark Angel. At one point, Jon would have snapped her neck without thinking twice if he had known what she had done to his mother. Raped and THEN murdered, that was just cold. At least he had made her suffering Daddy’s death quick and relatively painless. His Mom had suffered, intensely. Now, maybe he would be pissed and tempted to snap Brinley’s neck, but…then again maybe not. She couldn’t hide or run from him, not anymore. AEW wasn’t WWE, they weren’t going to sellout and consolidate, fire people, especially not Chris Jericho’s sister. That made Jon smirk, knowing very well it had to stick in Jericho’s craw that Brinley was here, within his sights again. Whistling cheerfully, he flicked away what was left of his cigarette and headed inside.

His night was looking GREAT!

The moment, the SECOND, the women’s match ended and Jon made his entrance for his match, Brinley was out of there. She didn’t tell her brother or anyone about her run-in with Jon, there was no reason to. Why fan the flames of gossip even more? Getting in her rental, she fired up the engine and knew Jon was already wrestling by the time she was on the highway headed back to Tampa. There was no reason for her to stick around, not when she’d done her job and the match she’d produced was done.

All the paperwork signed, sealed, delivered. Finished.

Brinley was in dire need of a smoke and instead popped another piece of gum, smacking on it. The further away she got from Jacksonville, the better she felt and her anxiety began to taper off. Jon had NO idea where she lived, only her family, not even Colby or Natalya either. Once she arrived home a few hours later, Brinley wasted no time stripping out of her clothes and dove into the scalding hot shower, scrubbing herself raw like she did years ago when she was stuck with Jon. Even though she was no longer stuck with him and they were divorced, she needed to get the FEELING of him off her immediately. That was what her plan was from now on since she only worked on Dynamite and it wouldn’t be main event matches she had to produce either. She would wait until Jon’s match started and hightail out of the arenas to avoid him as much as humanly possible.

To be fair, it made sense that she would go back to Tampa, her family was there. Really, it wouldn’t be hard to find her either if he really wanted to. The digital age was interesting, both exposing personal information as well as predators. One could find out so much on a person, thanks to new technologies and could also be exposed, thanks to the ability to share things instantaneously across social media and news networks. It was a double-edged sword that one had to be careful with since it was too easy for the hunter to become the hunted. Still doable, hunting, but…one had to be doubly careful.

However, Jon wasn’t going after her, not yet. He wanted to see what she was going to do. Brinley couldn’t avoid him forever, that was a fact, even if she wasn’t coming anywhere near his matches on an official level. Given how things had ended the last time she was in the company, for him on live television, no less, he was a little surprised she had been allowed to produce anything opposed to scrubbing toilets.

Then again, he wasn’t. She was talented at what she did. He sang along with AC/DC after the show, on his way out of the parking lot. She was long gone as expected, but that didn’t bring his mood down at all. It felt like the game was back on.

This was not a game!

Brinley would not do a goddamn thing when it came to her ex-husband. She wanted nothing to do with him – NOTHING! What part of that did not he not understand or grasp? He had everything and she had nothing and she was perfectly fine with that. Tony Khan knew she had an IT factor when it came to producing matches, she had even helped Jon with his character development in both WWE and AEW. Nobody knew that though, they kept it under wraps, just like she’d helped her brother a time or two with his character development. She had a ‘gift’ and it was also a curse because it was the only thing Brinley was good at in life. Her personal life was in shambles, her love life non-existent, but at least her career was starting to flourish in AEW.

Chapter 36

A month passed by in a flash and Brinley was starting to get more comfortable with the atmosphere in the company, and the gossiping had dwindled down little by little. She hadn’t had another run-in with Jon either, thankfully, just keeping her nose to the grindstone, doing her job to the best of her ability, which was mostly women’s matches, and then hightailing it out of there. Jon wasn’t on every single show and that surprised her, so those nights were a little more tricky to get away. However, the first pay-per-view event, Forbidden Door, was on the horizon and Brinley was hard at work, finalizing a few things to go over with the match she was in charge of. This was a big deal since it was a collaboration with AEW and NJPW, so they could not screw this up. There were two matches she was in charge of – one women and one men. Tony Khan told her they really needed all hands on deck for this event and she promised to deliver…until she got the matches placed in her hands.

Bryan Danielson against Shingo Takagi in the Men’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament first round match.

Brinley couldn’t remember the last time she had a conversation with Bryan, but she knew where he would be located. The Blackpool Combat Club locker room. Why? Just why? Why was the universe out to get her? She made it clear to Tony Khan she wanted nothing to do with Jon Moxley’s matches…and immediately cursed herself to hell and back. Jon wasn’t part of the match, he had nothing to do with Bryan’s at this pay-per-view event. Brinley thought about asking to switch with someone and stopped herself, knowing that wasn’t an option. This was her job and this was one of the two matches assigned to her. She was new here, bottom of the barrel, and would have to suck it up and deal with it. Bryan was friendly, she had no problems with him and Brie was still a friend of hers, even though they hadn’t spoken in a very long time.

Before she changed her mind, Brinley headed down to the Blackpool Combat Club locker room, finding it easily since the logo was on the door and brought her hand up, knocking. Luckily, Jon wasn’t the one who answered it, it was Wheeler Yuta and she kept a smile on her face, not having introduced herself to him yet. “I need to talk to Bryan, is he here? It’s about his match at Forbidden Door.” Brinley congratulated herself for keeping calm when she spoke, though her anxiety was through the roof at the moment.

To be fair, Jon didn’t even usually bother with the writers or producers except to tell them what HE wanted and what he wanted put backsides in seats, so he got that leeway. It was one of the things he loved about this company, the creative freedom, unlike the other, now in a stupid spot company that he would gladly tell to kiss the darkest parts of his bare backside. After a match, because the WWE didn’t deserve a nice, clean one. He heard his ex-wife’s voice at the door, shrugging one bare shoulder when Wheeler glanced back at him and watched as that door was pushed open, revealing him sitting there on the edge of a metal folding chair.

“He’s in the can,” Jon informed her, tossing a thumb over his shoulder towards the bathroom door. “Bry, wipe your ass, you got company, man.”

“Fuck you, Mox!” Bryan laughed, busy washing his hands and he popped the door open. “Hey, what’s up?”

“I’m here to talk about your match at Forbidden Door, if you have some time?” They were on a time crunch with this, so she sincerely hoped he didn’t give her the cold shoulder because of her ex-husband.

“Oh yeah, yeah sure no problem. Give me a minute to finish up.” Bryan had no hard feelings towards Brinley and shut the door to finish what he was doing.

Brinley nodded, stepping back from the door and moved out of Jon’s line of vision to press herself against the wall, staying out of people’s way. She didn’t want to be plowed over by one of the wrestlers, man or woman, and looked down at the paperwork, already feeling better about this situation. Bryan used to be a friend of hers and she had worked with him on his matches in the past when he wrestled for WWE. That seemed like a lifetime ago.

A shadow fell over her and Brinley thought it was Bryan, so she began talking. “Why don’t we head to my office and-” She jumped at the sight of Jon staring down at her with those same intense blues and swallowed hard, hating being this close to him. “My mistake, I thought you were Bryan. Something I can help you with, Moxley?” Cordial, she had to be cordial and even forced a smile on her face while speaking to him, remaining completely professional. Fucking heart, please slow down!

“Nah, just wanted to say hi, Angel, we don’t need to go to your office for that.” His icy eyes did a slow scan over her, narrowing in on her throat again, her pulse point. “Gotta calm down, Brinley.” He advised softly, trying to mask the concern that was suddenly in his tone. She didn’t need any weakness from him, not that it would matter, he knew exactly how Brinley saw him and what she thought of him. There wasn’t any changing that, not overnight at any rate. “Need a smoke?” He knew what she needed, for him to get the hell away from her, but here she was, after all this time, right before him and he was finding it hard to move his feet.

HOW THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO CALM DOWN WITH YOU RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME LIKE THIS?! “I quit, so no thank you.” That surprise on his face wasn’t missed as she took a step to the left away from him, putting at least a little distance between them. Her long hair was once again braided and hanging over her shoulder, courtesy of Pascal again. The woman really loved her hair for some reason and she didn’t mind it since there was some downtime at the beginning of the night. What she also wanted him to do was stop calling her that damn pet name too! “And I’m fine, calm as a cucumber.” Please hurry the hell up, Bryan!

She was lying through her pearly white teeth and Jon reached out suddenly with two fingers, making her jump before they were even on her racing pulse. “No, you’re not.” Jon argued calmly, pulling away just as quickly. “If you’re going to work here, around me, Angel, you might want to think about getting on some blood pressure pills.” He was being serious right now, knowing she couldn’t help her reaction to him and that was fine, it was smart. She knew what he was capable of and she’d be a damn fool not to be scared, the total opposite of ‘calm as a cucumber’. Those pills would likely prevent her from a heart attack or stroking out since Brinley wasn’t a spring chicken anymore. “And here our boy is.” Bryan had shown up, rescuing her as it were and Jon excused himself, leaving them to it.

Oh, you smarmy, egotistical, no good SON OF A BITCH!! Brinley was livid at the mere suggestion of getting on blood pressure medication. “Hey, Moxley?” Her temper was up, those emerald eyes of hers nothing more than acid pools. “Thanks for the health advice, but since you’re not a doctor, I think I’ll just stick with what my ACTUAL doctor tells me to do. Bryan, follow me to my office and we’ll get started.” Bryan nodded at her with slightly wide eyes as they headed down the hallway, her anxiety already lowering considerably now that she was away from Jon. That cocksucker actually wants me to believe he cares about my wellbeing after everything he’s done to me? He can get FUCKED! The spot on her neck was inflamed and she could not wait to get back to the hotel that night to scrub herself raw once again. It’d been a month since she’d had to do that, sticking with warm showers, but now maybe it was time to start the scalding ones again. “Now then, have a seat and look this over for me, tell me what you think of it.” She handed him the papers and sat down behind her desk, waiting patiently.

Bryan had to wait a moment because he could still hear Jon laughing hysterically, the laughter eventually fading as the man disappeared wherever he was going. He wasn’t saying a damn thing. He liked Brinley, but Jon was his friend; he was in a stupid spot and smiled awkwardly at her, having no idea what any of that was about.

It was hilarious and true. Jon knew because he had been on the medication in rehabilitation due to being so stressed out coming off his alcohol addiction and his mother’s death. Strokes and heart attacks were no joke; he wasn’t going to be half a vegetable because of his pride.

“Looks good, minus this,” Bryan pointed at what he was talking about and then began explaining what he was thinking. The amount of control wrestlers had here was amazing; he loved it, but he was never rude like some of the others could be. “Thanks,” He grinned when she nodded her agreement and made the change. “Love it. You glad to be back?”

“I’d be lying if I said yes.” Brinley took the papers from him and made that change with ink, knowing she’d have to retype it, but at least it was saved, so it would take no more than a few minutes. “I miss WWE. I know it’s more ‘free’ here, but I don’t think I need to tell you the reason why I feel this way. And I’ll leave it at that. I am glad to work with someone like you though and I will get this faxed over to New Japan by the end of the night, so the producer on their side can make changes if they so desire. Then we’ll have to go over it again with their changes and hopefully, that’ll be the end of it. Looking forward to your match at Forbidden Door.” Now that Bryan’s match was done for the moment, she could focus on hunting down Saraya, who was a friend of hers from WWE, and Mariah May, another new face she wasn’t familiar with.

That was kind of a curt dismissal and almost rude, but Bryan excused himself, figuring she was a little frosty with him because he was friends with Jon and he couldn’t help that. One didn’t toss away a buddy because his wife left him. Maybe she wasn’t being frosty or rude; he was just overthinking it. He realized as he walked away that she probably just hated having to work around said ex-husband since that’d probably be hard on anybody.

“Hey Brin,” One of the EMTs had popped their head in right after Bryan had walked out, flashing a blood pressure cuff. “You needed us to check your blood pressure?”

That’s why Jon had been laughing when he walked off, he had had that funny little idea. She had said a medical professional…he was just obliging!

Oh, her blood pressure was up all right! “That stupid mother…” She had to stop herself, knowing losing her temper because of this would land her in hot water. No, she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. “No, I don’t, thank you anyway.” Brinley spoke between her teeth, tossing her water bottle at the wall as soon as the EMT shrugged and left, closing the door behind her. I fucking hate him, I fucking hate him, I FUCKING HATE HIM!!

Jon needed to mind his own business and stay the hell out of her life or else she would make him regret it. There was a reason why her heartrate skyrocketed and she began trembling every time she was around him, and it had NOTHING to do with her damn blood pressure! He terrified her and she was trying her best to stay as far away from him in this company as possible. Popping some gum, she snatched the papers off her desk and took several deep breaths to calm down before heading out to find Saraya and Mariah to go over their Forbidden Door match.

Jon knew exactly why her anxiety went skyrocketing when he was around and it was because of him. However, that was hilarious, even funnier when the EMT gave him a serious dressing down for being part of a ‘prank’. “It wasn’t a prank, she really-”

“Mox, c’mon, man…” She was whining almost stomping her foot at him. He was cute, but he was also a pain in the ass sometimes. “Just don’t do it again.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Jon winked down at her, aware if he had asked any other EMT and this had happened, he’d be getting his backside reamed out. He had picked the dumb blonde for a reason. He was just WAITING for Brinley to send big brother after him, heading outside because, unlike her, he wasn’t trying to quit smoking.

Brinley had never been so happy in all of her life to walk inside her hotel room, slamming the door shut behind her with authority. DAMN HIM! Jon got under her skin again – AGAIN – and Brinley’s hatred for him just grew further. What business was it of his if she had high blood pressure? He was her EX-husband for a reason. EX! They were not together and he needed to get that through his thick bald-headed skull! Tossing her bag on the bed, Brinley cranked the AC up because her blood was boiling after that incident with the EMT. Growling under her breath and cursing him to the moon and back, Brinley undressed and went to the shower to scrub her skin raw. An hour later, after turning the water from scalding hot to cold, she finally stepped out and wrapped herself in a robe she brought with her, feeling a lot better.

“God, why can’t he just leave me alone already?!” Sitting down on the bed, Brinley pulled out her laptop and suddenly shut the lid, not in the mood to go on it, instead burying her face in her drawn up knees, grumbling.

How’d it go? Colby was going to ask her that every night she worked, worrying about her a little more than he would like.

He was too young, too beautiful, to have these gray hairs that were threatening to come in. He didn’t like it. He was a little surprised when he didn’t get an immediate answer, tempted to call her, but he wasn’t going to do that. She was fine, just FINE. He’d give her an hour. Maybe she went out to dinner or something.

Jon was humming an hour later, hanging out on his balcony and smoking a cigarette, wearing nothing except a pair of boxer briefs that hugged his muscular thighs and his backside very well if he did say so himself. It was tempting, finding her, maybe dragging her into a dark closet or something, wondering if he could ignite that old spark. Maybe not tonight, she was likely to try murdering him after the stunt he pulled with the EMT.

Fine as usual. Brinley really hated lying to Colby, but she also didn’t want to worry him either. They were in different companies, still great friends, and they even played Call of Duty together through their PlayStations. Sometimes she brought it with her and other times, like now, she didn’t. Going to bed, got an early flight. Stop worrying about me, everything is fine. “No, no it’s really not. He doesn’t need to know that though.” Staring out the window at the full lit moon, she wondered how long she’d be able to endure this before calling it quits. Brinley was already looking for another job, having only signed a one year contract with AEW and that year would fly by in the blink of an eye just like it did in WWE. “Once I’m out of here and away from him, everything will actually be fine again.”

Chapter 37

It was Forbidden Door.

Brinley was dressed up a little for the pay-per-view event in a red little number she had brought with her on the road for the occasion. This was a very big event for AEW and would hopefully generate even more interest from wrestling fans throughout the world. Her black heels clicked against the flooring of the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, which was one of the island hamlets of Long Island. Her hair was down, curled at the ends and makeup caked her face, though it wasn’t over the top. Just enough to hide the fact she was aging and the dark circles under her eyes since the nightmares had started again. She wasn’t telling anyone, not even her brother, deciding to handle her ex-husband by herself with no one’s help. Not Mark, not Chris, not Colby, nobody except herself. She nodded to a few people on her way down the hallway, papers in hand, and decided to first visit Saraya and Mariah May, saving Bryan for last to make sure no other changes needed to be made to the matches on the card that night.

It was definitely a big night.

Jon had mulled over the thoughts in his head, weighing the pros and cons, before finally deciding what he was going to do. This was just fate, as far as he was concerned. He had left her ALONE; he had given her what she had wanted and just let her and her family be. He had let her date the Undertaker, she had dated Rollins, and while it had pissed him off, he had let it be. For years, he had stayed away and not messed with her or tried to interfere in her life. However, then she had come waltzing back into HIS, threatening to shatter his already tentative grasp on sanity. He hadn’t made this decision, it was his Angel who had done it.

She had personally signed, sealed, and delivered herself to him.

After Saraya and Mariah both signed off on the match and thanked her profusely for her help, Brinley was all smiles as she headed towards the Blackpool Combat Club locker room. Now it was time for Bryan and finally she would go speak to his opponent to finalize everything. Bringing her hand up, she knocked on the locker room door and this time, Jon was the one who answered it, staring down at her. “Good evening, Moxley, is Bryan around?” Cool, calm, and collected, that’s it just keep your heart steady. No need to be afraid. He’s not going to hurt you here. Her emerald eyes were lined in thin black liner with a neutral shadow on the eyes and clear gloss painted her lips, a diamond choker around her neck along with matching hooped earrings and a bracelet completed her accessories and they were glittering under the lights in the hallway.

Jon did not say a single word. His eyes were raking over her, noting she was wearing her makeup heavier than she used to, but…she was still beautiful. That dress, holy hell, it hugged her curves in all the right places, and he was so glad for the tight jeans because he hadn’t popped an erection like this in quite some time. It kind of hurt, actually, he had totally forgotten about that and how it felt. A hard on was not meant to be repressed, at all.

“You have no idea,” His filter, that he had worked very hard lately to keep in check, had just vanished without even giving him a courtesy warning. “How much I want to grab you by the choker, pin you to the wall, and fuck you until we both see stars.”

That was the courtesy warning, what had just come out of his mouth. All rough and raspy, coated with lust, and his brain was informing him that if she stroked out, it was all his fault. Jon had a lot of blood on his hands, but he didn’t want hers, not right now anyway.

A huge lump formed in her throat at his words, in that tone, and Brinley found herself taking a tentative step back, her guard always up around this man. “Keep dreaming because that’s the closest you will ever get to actually doing that. In your dreams.” There was no way in hell she would ever fall into bed with this man again, not willingly, and the sooner Jon accepted that, the better off he’d be. He needed to move on like she did. “Aaaaand it’s obvious Bryan is not here, so I’m going to go find him and be anywhere else except here.” Turning, she started to walk away from him, but his hand snapped out to wrap around her upper arm and the next second, she was yanked into the Blackpool Combat Club locker room and pushed against the now closed, locked dressing room door. Now her heartrate was up along with her anxiety and the fear in her eyes was pouring forth, her entire body beginning to tremble. “J-Jon…p-please don’t…” He cut her off with his finger against her lips and Brinley couldn’t stop the tears from welling in her eyes, that finger moving down to glide over the choker she had around her throat and then back up to tilt her head back against the door.

“I. Said. No.” Her willpower was back and she shoved him away from her, turning to where her back was facing him while trying to open the locked door. “I’ll never be with you again and I damn sure will never fuck you. I’m not the same Brinley I used to be, I’ve changed and I’ll never, ever forgive you for what you did to me and my family, for taking my father away from me.” A few tears dropped from her eyes and she didn’t bother wiping them away, the pain of what Jon did to her, everything he put her through, radiating off her. “Find someone else to obsess over. I’m nothing more than an old spinster, just like you said all those years ago.” And my heart belongs to someone else, it will never be yours and it never was. It’s in Dallas where I should’ve been all along and yet I’m here, dealing with the likes of you all over again because of my selfishness and stubbornness!

“You don't think I've tried, Angel?”

He wasn't touching on what he had done to her Daddy or the other people who had been nothing more than collateral damage in that hospital explosion. One he hadn't even started, no less; it had been cleared by authorities that some homeless crackhead had done it, trying to get to the drugs or something. Either way, Jon wasn't saying anything because he didn't trust her not to have something recording her. He could get sexual harassment charges dismissed easily enough, but murder was a whole new ballgame and one he wasn't interested in playing.

“I've tried finding someone else, moving on, but I can't because your here,” He rapped the side of his head with his knuckles, staring down at her with an intensity usually reserved for the ring. “And here.” His tone has dropped to a whisper as he clenched his fist over his heart.

Just like she would never admit or tell him what she had done to his mother. As far as he knew, his mother was jumped while walking in the streets of Cincinnati, raped and murdered in an alley. Brinley had nothing to do with it, her hands were squeaky clean just like his. Only they weren’t. They both had blood on their hands when it came to their families and she didn’t regret what she did to him because, at the time, Brinley was vindictive and cold as ice. Hell, part of her still was, which was why she had chosen her career, the WWE, over her relationship with Mark. Jon’s words swept over her and it made her eyes slam shut because he’d been in her head all these years too, taunting her. Telling her she’d never be happy with anyone else except him and Brinley wondered if that was true.

“Of course you did, you fucked all those other women, remember? Because your spinster wife wasn’t enough for you.” He had cheated on her with countless women and that above all else, above everything he’d done to her, had been the final nail in the coffin. “Don’t try to bullshit me, Jon. It won’t work.” Brinley gave him everything – EVERYTHING – and she would still be with him and married to him today if he didn’t cheat on her. She wouldn’t have been with Mark or even gone to Dallas after humiliating Jon on national television if he would’ve stayed FAITHFUL and loyal to her.

Cheating was the last straw for Brinley and Jon had done it anyway.

“If I could take all that back, Angel, I would!” Jon hadn’t touched another woman in quite some time; he had decided he was going mostly straight. Emphasis on mostly. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he knew his wife was away from Taker finally, and then she had jumped in bed with Seth, which hadn’t felt so good for him. Ex-wife, he mentally amended, that didn’t feel so good either. “I’d take a lot of shit back if I knew it’d mean that we’d still be together, still be happy.” Because regardless of what she told people, what Brinley refused to admit to herself, there were times when they HAD been happy, insanely happy, and insanely in love.

That was a part of her she denied for so long because of the hurt and pain Jon inflicted with his cheating. It wasn’t just one woman either. It was COUNTLESS women. She lost count after 30 that she found on his cell phone that night and would never forget how she felt. Brinley hadn’t told her brother about the good times at all or the fact at one point she did love Jon and he did have part of her heart. Not her whole heart, but part of it for sure. It was hard not to fall in love with him, regardless of the threats and insane things he’d done to her. They had lost two babies, one of which she knew Jon wanted more than anything and her body rejected them both. Even when she was with Mark, Jon still haunted her, his voice in her head, and one particular line had stuck with her, had been in her nightmares of him.

You will never find happiness with anyone else except me, Angel.

“I love Mark, not you, and that’s never going to change, Jon. You can’t take back anything you did just like I can’t. I was happier with him than I ever was with you because he treated me the way a man is supposed to treat a woman. And even though I lost him because of my selfishness, I will never stop loving him. He has the one thing you never did in all the years we were married – my heart.”

Just like that a wall slid in place in his very frosted blue eyes, all the love and apologies that had been there only moments ago hidden behind the sheet of ice now staring down at her. She knew him, was she trying to paint a bullseye on Calaway’s back? Trying to get him brutally murdered or something? She knew the things he'd done and what Jon was capable of. “Does he now, Angel?” His tone was still soft, but there was a dark current underlining it, something that hadn't been there only moments ago.

Turning to face him, her back against the door, Brinley recognized that tone in his voice instantly and folded her arms in front of her chest, the fear in her eyes gone. She would NOT let this man intimidate her ever again and she knew Mark could more than handle his own. There was a reason why Jon did not go to Dallas while she was there and something told her Jon didn’t want to mess with the Deadman. He was smarter than she gave him credit for.

“Damn straight. He’s always had my heart, ever since we first slept together back in 2007. Didn’t know about that, did you?” No one did, not even her brother at the time. “Now if I were you, I wouldn’t go after him, not unless you wanna be buried six feet under.” She secretly hoped that happened, just so Jon would be gone and out of her life for good. “That’s your business though, not mine. I have nothing to do with you and I never will again. We are coworkers and nothing more, nothing less. For the last time, Jonathan, find someone ELSE and leave me the fuck alone, or I’ll make you regret it.” Just like she did when she had his precious mother killed. His dog. His house. There were other possibilities and things she could rip away from him if he didn’t leave her alone. “Now, unlock the door, so I can go do my job.” Brinley was done with this conversation.

He did as she wanted with an amused smile. He had no fucks to give what she thought about him and fearing Taker. The only issue there was the fact that killing the Deadman was going to attract more attention than killing her loser Daddy. It wasn't beyond his reach, it was just something that required a little more planning and some patience, which he had in spades when it came to some of his more…deadly endeavors.

“Be seeing you, Angel,” Jon sing-songed softly after unlocking the door, just in time to find Bryan right there poised to knock to be let in. “You got a visitor.” And he had a cigarette to go smoke.

No, he wouldn’t be seeing her again, not unless it was in the arenas when she had to deal with one of the Blackpool Combat Club members. Never him. Brinley quickly put a smile on her face that did not touch her acid eyes and shook herself mentally, needing to focus. “Just here to have you sign off on the final paperwork and then I’ll be on my way.” She didn’t bother telling Bryan what Jon had done, what good would it do? None.

“Oh, okay.” Bryan wasn’t sure why Brinley was in the locker room with the door shut, but then again, her and Jon had history and it wasn’t his business. He was staying out of it. “There you go, all good then?”

“Yes, have a great match tonight.” Brinley walked past Bryan and headed down the hallway, immediately turning the corner and pressed her back against the wall, letting out a very shaky breath while closing her eyes. That confrontation with Jon had scared the hell out of her, far more than she’d ever admit outside of her own head. Mark will be okay. I can’t worry about him right now or else I’ll be right back in the same predicament with Jon. That was NOT an option. Once she felt her heartrate return to normal, she headed off to locate Saraya and Mariah May to sign off with the final plans for their match and get what happened with Jon off her mind.

Yeah, exactly, the second she gave an inch, Jon would swoop right in to take advantage of it. He’d rather not, wanting to win her back the good old-fashioned way: through charm, but Brinley wasn’t having it. So, he had screwed some sluts behind her back, that was just life on the road, and a man had needs. Okay, that wasn’t fair, and he knew it; he had given up those things as well, aware the cheating was the big thing with her. Brinley would have stayed with him if he hadn’t gone and dipped his dick elsewhere.

Totally glossing over the part where he may or may not have had insider knowledge about how her Daddy had died and everything that happened during that time with the pandemic. If they skipped that chapter in their history, he was relatively sure he could fix things between them. If not, there would be swooping, he’d just fall back on old habits. Speaking of old habits, he had slipped outside to have a cigarette and contemplated just how badly she’d spaz out if he revisited the glory days with her, those trysts in dark rooms in different arenas. She’d probably have a heart attack the way she got going whenever she was around him.

Brinley needed to chill the hell out, he decided, taking a long pull. Make some friends, boost some endorphins, all that good, mental health crap and suddenly, he began grinning.

Chapter 38

Jon was gone.

Nobody knew when he would be back, but he was off the road for the foreseeable future. Right after dropping the IWGP World Heavyweight title at Forbidden Door, he left and didn’t say anything to anyone. Only Tony Khan and a select few knew what was going down. Things were about to change in AEW, flipped upside down, and nobody would be able to do a damn thing about it. The fact of the matter was AEW was struggling to compete with WWE, so they needed something to hook the audience again. Mediocre matches, mediocre storylines, wasn’t the ticket and not what fans wanted to see – TRUE professional wrestling fans wanted carnage, violence, blood, all the good things that went along with professional wrestling as a whole.

Ever since coming to AEW, Brinley had barely slept, always on edge looking over her shoulder, waiting for Jon to strike when she least expected it. He was waiting for that guard to come down and it never would. The moment she found out from her brother that Jon was off the road for a while, taking time for himself for whatever reason, and not realizing the man was plotting something huge in the process, Brinley breathed a little easier. Her sleeping was better too because Jon wasn’t anywhere near her, not even in the same city they performed in.

She had also started working out with the girls of AEW, including Marina Shafir, who was a beast in the ring and had an MMA background. She reminded Brinley a lot of Chyna, only she was prettier and those muscles weren’t just for show, the woman was insane in the gym. They were all currently doing CrossFit, her, Marina and Saraya, who had befriended her as well. They were laughing at something Marina told them regarding her last match and Brinley hopped up on the bar, wearing a black sports bra with spandex shorts, pumping herself up and down the way Colby taught her.

“Oh my god, that had to be so embarrassing, Marina.”

“You’re not kidding. You talk about having a damn wedgie from hell, ugh!”

Saraya laughed, her English accent carrying to them from her own CrossFit bar. “Yes well, we can’t be all perfect in the ring, dearie.”

Jon figured she’d of panicked and called Mark, but then remembered she thought that old motherfucker was ten feet tall and bulletproof. He wasn’t. Jon was aware of the general location the old bastard lived, but he wasn’t making a visit. Not just yet anyway, that would be around option E or so. He had a few others to burn through first before he went after the ‘love of her life’.

Eventually though, Calaway was definitely going to get it simply because Brinley had dug that grave herself by throwing him in Jon’s face. Considering she knew him and what he was like, one would think she’d be a little more discreet about the man she supposedly loved with all her heart, but no, she had used him like a bullet with the intent of piercing Jon’s black little heart.

And it worked, somewhat.

“I don’t want to be perfect, I just don’t want to pick my ass like that ever again! Back me up here, Brin.”

Brinley was trying so hard not to laugh and failing while pulling herself up on the bar again, nodding her head in agreement. “Wedgies are never fun, maybe if you wore thongs on a daily basis, like I do, you wouldn’t have that problem.” Now Saraya was rolling and Marina looked disgusted at the mere thought, making her giggle almost nervously. “What? Thongs are comfortable!”

There was a very good reason why Brinley did not call Mark. They had a horrible falling out and he more than likely never wanted to talk to or see her again. The thing was Mark didn’t love her, not the way she needed him to. She needed someone who would support her, no matter what, including the job she had. He wanted a housewife, someone to stay home and wait on him hand and foot, just like Michelle had when she quit her career in WWE for him. To have a family with him. Brinley wasn’t that type of woman to just settle, not after everything Jon put her through. For so long, she had settled and endured because she was keeping her family safe and secure, she’d been a martyr and that would NEVER happen again. The reason she told Jon how she felt about Mark was simple: It was the truth and hopefully, he would leave her alone and let her live the rest of her spinster life in peace.

“Thongs are nothing BUT giant wedgies, ugh no.”

“Yeah but you rarely have panty lines with them, so you got to weigh the pros and cons.”

Marina did the whole ‘scale thing’ with her hands, making a joke out of weighing the pros and cons and ended it by reaching back and digging in her ass mockingly. “Nope, cons outweigh the pros, I can’t go around the rest of my life like that.” She was laughing though, knowing how ridiculous she was being, but that was all right. It was good to laugh at oneself every now and then.

Saraya was dying right now, wiping tears off her face. “I wish I had my cell out… I’d upload that so fast, you rooting around in your ass crack!”

Brinley had to drop from the bar and hold her stomach from laughing so hard, tears in her eyes. Holy hell, she did NOT expect Marina to do something like that and Saraya was doing the same thing, both now leaning against each other. “You know what, ladies? We should go out and paint the town red tonight. Just the three of us, go to a club and get our dance on! We’re three single ladies, why not, right?”

Truthfully, Brinley had not been to a club since the night Jon raped her in the bathroom all those years ago. She recalled how she hadn’t worn panties and a short dress that barely covered her backside. Fun memories…she wished she could douse her brain in bleach and forget Jonathan Good ever existed. Still, that was years ago and Jon wasn’t on the road…and why was she once again planning her life around that jackass anyway?

“I’m game! I’ll get my dance on!”

“Maybe even find someone to bring back to the hotel for a little tumble in the sheets?”

Brinley turned red, shaking her head. “Probably not, no.”

“You said probably!”

“No!”

“Probably means there is a definite chance of it and I don’t know about you two,” Saraya wrapped an arm around each of them, drawing them in with a chuckle. “But I could use a good dicking.”

Marina buried her face against her friends shoulder, laughing her ass off all over again. “Thongs optional?”

“Thongs not required, panties are not a requirement either.” She had no idea about Brinley’s past with a club, no panties, and an angry Moxley nor did she realize Brinley had tensed up from all that. “Okay, so maybe no men, but I’m sure we can find a sex shop because again, dicking! Real dick totally optional, I’m flexible. I’ll take silicone too.”

“You’re so bad, you know that?”

“Hey, sometimes no panties is fun too!”

“Brinley!” Marina gawked at the blonde with wide eyes and watched her shrug her shoulders nonchalantly. “Okay – okay you guys convinced me, let’s go party it up after the show tonight.”

The past was the past and Brinley refused to let it run her life, wanting to live to the fullest. She had that red hot number she wore at Forbidden Door and decided that would be what she wore tonight, along with the same jewelry. It would be perfect with her silver heels, especially since they were in Chicago and it was the 4^th of July on the horizon. Granted, the country was in shambles at the moment, but she was still proud to be an American and wear the red proudly.

“Great, I’m looking forward to cutting loose with you both and letting my hair down.”

“If I were you, I’d put your hair up or you’re gonna be sweltering.”

“Already planning on it, Mar. Gonna have Pascal braid it for me at the arena again, but I’m thinking a French braid this time.”

“Oohh something for someone to yank on, maybe?”

Brinley giggled, shaking her head again. “I’m not looking for a one night stand, Saraya!”

“Uh huh, so you say now, just wait.”

All she was saying was that sometimes, a girl needed an old-fashioned, one night stand to clear out the cobwebs, as well get a woman back into that saddle. As far as Saraya knew, Brinley hadn’t been with anyone since she had joined AEW. Naturally, there were rumors about her and Seth Rollins, but Brinley had literally just said she was single, so that was apparently not a thing anymore. She was curious, but at the same time, she wasn’t going to ask. Sober. She wasn’t going to ask sober. Maybe once she had a few shots in her, she’d get nosy or something. Brinley had been attached to some big names and it wasn’t like she was ugly; she was still banging, respectfully of course.

~!~

“So, you were with the Undertaker, which blows my mind by the way,” Saraya was about four shots in with Brinley and Marina later that night at the club, deciding to start asking questions. “How was he in the sack?”

Brinley smirked, also a few shots in and feeling really good and tipsy, so she didn’t mind divulging a little. “Let’s just say the man knows what the fuck he’s doing in the bedroom. He’s the best sex I’ve ever had in my life.”

Saraya’s jaw dropped. “REALLY? Even more than Seth Rollins? I figured Rollins would be an animal in bed, personally.”

Now Brinley was laughing, neither realizing Marina had gone quiet during this conversation. “I never slept with Colby.”

“What?! What do you mean?! The pictures online and everyone was saying you two were dating!”

Brinley wasn’t surprised by that and had heard the gossip about her and Colby. “Nope, he was dating Becky at the time, but they split up and we did kiss once, but it felt like I was kissing my brother. He’s a brother figure to me, family, and that’s it. Mark is the only one I was with.”

“And what happened with him?”

“He wanted a housewife, someone who stayed home and settled down with him, and I wasn’t ready for that.” Saraya snorted, agreeing with her and Brinley took another shot when they were brought over by the waitress of the club, immediately downing it.

That was not true at all and Brinley knew it. He had hated her waiting on him and had gone out of his way to remind her of that. His biggest crime was the fact that he wanted an equal, a partner, who was at home with him. Not a housewife. If Brinley ever got over her sour grapes, she would remember that one day.

Then there was Moxley, but neither of them were going to ask about that one because they worked with both Brinley and Mox. Also, Mox was pretty private about his divorce, just saying that she had initiated and that was that. Nobody was really going out of their way to ask him for more details.

“You know what, we’re not gonna do that, screw all those men who lost us, and let’s just focus on getting ours!”

“I will drink to THAT!”

It wasn’t sour grapes, it was the truth and Mark refused to support her, so Brinley was done with him. He walked out on her after getting what he wanted from her that night at the WWE Hall of Fame. And she gave him her heart, wishing there was some way to take it back because, even though he was a good man, he wasn’t the one for her and she accepted that.

“Hell yeah!” Brinley slammed another shot and dragged Saraya and Marina onto the dance floor, the lights above flashing brilliantly.

It was an upscale club, the music thundering out of the speakers and Brinley lost herself in the beat of the music. She had no idea the storm that was brewing on the horizon and what AEW was about to become. Right now, in this moment, she was just focusing on having fun with her newfound friends, not believing how fast she clicked with Marina. Saraya and her had been friends back in WWE, when Saraya’s name was Paige, so they had just picked up where they left off. She was a beautiful, strong woman and had been through a lot in her career, including a neck injury that forced her into retirement, but she fought her way back and that was very admirable.

A pair of strong hands gripped her hips from behind and Brinley started dancing with whoever it was, thinking it was some random stranger. Saraya had a man she was dancing against, her back to him, and so did Marina, all three feeling amazing and borderline drunk. It wasn’t dirty dancing either, just regular carefree movements with their arms raising in the air and back down again, hips moving from side to side. Brinley could not remember the last time she had this much fun and had the biggest smile on her face, loving the escape this was giving her.

The last person he expected to see in this club was Brinley, but here she was. He had noticed she was drinking with her girlfriends and now she was dancing with some random guy who had literally just come up behind her. Why was he here again? Oh yes, his eyes moved from his spot in a corner booth to his buddy, who was out there trying to get some. He was playing wingman, being used for his C-list celebrity status, whatever. It was what it was, he wasn’t impartial to helping out a friend. He had taken the downtime to just breathe, knowing he was damn close to doing something stupid with her, so close to him, taunting him whenever he tried talking to her.

Then the random stranger stopped being a casual dancer and grabbed two handfuls of that delicious, pert, red clad ass and squeezed. He heard her squeal in surprise and maybe a bit of pain in there, followed by a ‘what the fuck?!’ and he was up. That wasn’t her shouting ‘what the fuck?!’, it was the guy who had crossed a line.

“Don’t you touch her!” Saraya was already moving in to intercept the young buck who obviously had no idea how to treat a woman because his hand was raised.

Raised yet never went anywhere because another hand had shot out of seemingly nowhere and gripped that wrist in a hold that could easily snap something.

Marina blinked because that was Jon Moxley, in a dance club, and he looked PISSED.

Jon didn’t say a word, just flicked his hand a bit and a second later, the punk was spilling out apologies. He glanced down at Brinley, assessing she was all right, and began walking the little bastard towards the bouncers.

Chapter 39

“Oh my god, are you okay?!” Marina went to Brinley instantly, seeing she was a little shaken up and looked at Saraya, both of them guiding her off the dance floor back to their table.

“I-I’m fine, I’m fine…” WHAT THE FUCK WAS JON DOING HERE?! Even slightly drunk, her alcohol tolerance had increased tenfold and it showed because five shots of Jack Daniels and she was still able to walk mostly a straight line. “Was that-?”

“Yeah, it was Mox. I’ve never seen him move so fast in my life!” Saraya was friends with Jon, who had helped her get into AEW and gave her advice on what to do with her neck, along with her situation in WWE. She looked up to him, he was a mentor of hers and she didn’t know what happened between him and Brinley, but it was obvious the man still loved her deeply.

“Christ…” Wasn’t he supposed to be off the road? Isn’t that what Chris told her? Maybe he had been misinformed or something. Last she checked, he lived all the way in Vegas and didn’t realize he had moved about two years ago to Cincinnati, Ohio. He was done with the City of Lights and City of Sin, apparently. “I need some water…”

“I got it, sit down.” Saraya pushed her gently down into the booth and knew Marina would keep an eye on her, heading to the bar to grab a bottled water.

“Hey, you okay?” They hadn’t drank THAT much; maybe the shots had been overkill, but it wasn’t like they had invited that kind of attention. There were so many other people dancing, casually like they all had been, and one idiot had ruined it. Marina hadn’t been felt up or anything, but her dance partner had apparently been one of the respectful ones. It was a good thing that Mox had been there, but why was he there? Marina wasn’t going to question it, just be grateful for small favors. She was too pretty to go to jail, so was Saraya and that’s where they would’ve ended up, if not for Mox intervening.

It was this punk’s lucky night because in the past, Jon may have done something really violent over that offense. As it was, he turned him over to the bouncers, explained the situation and watched him get bounced right out of the club. He needed a beer, not an alcoholic one; he wasn’t setting himself back, so he got himself his ‘beer’ and glanced over towards the girls, spotting Saraya with a few waters.

“She okay?”

“Just shaken I think, thanks.” Back to the girls she zoomed.

Brinley was also trying to wrap her mind around the fact Jon was here and not at home, or wherever he had gone to after Forbidden Door. Nevertheless, she knew she owed him one for saving her from that punk that decided it was perfectly acceptable to grab her backside while she was dancing. No, no it wasn’t and she hadn’t been grinding against him or anything. Sure, she didn’t mind his hands on her hips, but that was it. Nothing else. Her dress wasn’t slutty either and she had a thong on this time as opposed to none the last time she’d been in a club.

“Where is he?” She asked in a low tone, her emerald eyes following Saraya’s gesture and Brinley took a deep breath before standing from the booth. “I’ll be back, I need to talk to him for a minute.”

“You sure you don’t want one of us to come with you? I know you and Mox have a history together…” Marina frowned, hating bringing it up, but she also didn’t want her friend to feel obligated or anything.

Brinley smiled at her reassuringly. “I got it, but thank you. I won’t be long.”

Saraya and Marina watched her walk through the crowd towards the bar, where Moxley sat on one of the stools with his own non-alcoholic brand of beer. The bouncer knew him, so he allowed him inside. Jon was very well known in the Chicagoland area, he had a lot of history here with his career and friends too. It didn’t take long for Brinley to spot him at the bar and she almost turned right back around to go be with her friends, but…her pride wouldn’t allow it.

Instead, she moved until she stood in front of him, her hands clasped in front of her. “Thank you, you know, for what you did to that guy. For protecting me.” What she really wanted to ask him was what was he doing here in Chicago, but that wasn’t her business. What he did in his personal life had nothing to do with her anymore. “I appreciate it.”

“Hm,” Jon didn’t look at her right away, raising that bottle to his lips and took a long swallow.

He had realized early on he didn’t really miss getting drunk, it was the taste. One of his ‘straight edge’ buddies had once called it sour bread soda or something, he loved it. Finally, he turned on the stool and gave her his proper attention, keeping his eyes on her face. She was in that red dress and the jewelry again, the choker he had told her he wanted to use to pin her to a wall before fucking her until they were both blind. Jon already knew there was nothing he could say outside of ‘you’re welcome’ because he'd be a hypocrite given his history with her and they both knew it.

“Welcome.” Another swallow, she didn’t look like she was freaking out right now; that was either the alcohol or he had made some progress. Probably the alcohol. “You all right?”

“Yeah, he didn’t hurt me or anything, just got a little rambunctious for his own good. I shouldn’t have let him touch my hips, but it didn’t bother me until he grabbed my ass and squeezed hard.”

That had hurt and she was sure her cheeks would have small bruises on them from the jerk. Her eyes landed on the weird looking bottled ‘beer’ he was drinking, wondering when he fell off the wagon, and then saw the non-alcoholic label on it. Wow, it seemed like rehabilitation worked wonders for him and Brinley suddenly felt a little guilty for what she said to him at Forbidden Door.

“I shouldn’t have said what I did at the pay-per-view in your locker room. I was out of line and I got defensive because you yanked me in there and scared the hell out of me. Still didn’t give me the right to say what I did, so I’m sorry and I hope we can just forget it ever happened.”

They were not only exes, but they were also coworkers and Brinley had to find a way to coexist with him because she wasn’t going anywhere. He wasn’t either. Throwing Mark in his face wasn’t a smart thing to do and Brinley did not want him put on Jon’s radar, really hoping to somehow smooth things over.

“I owe you one for what you did tonight, so,” I can’t believe I’m doing this right now. Brinley extended her hand to him, emerald eyes soft and a little glazed over. “Truce?” It was more than he deserved considering this man had killed her father, along with others, but her hands were just as dirty as his. Not that he knew that and Brinley would make sure Jon never discovered what she’d done.

Jon was not a complete idiot and he just stared at her hand, aware this moment would never be happening if not for the fact that she was drinking. Maybe, most likely. Brinley hated him and it felt like she was covering her backside with Mark because she was afraid he’d target the motherfucker next. He was tempted, he couldn’t deny it; he had even gone as far as scouting out the situation. Hadn’t pulled the trigger.

Sighing inwardly, because he knew this moment would never happen again, especially when she was sober, he slowly slid his hand in hers, shaking firmly with her. “Truce.” That felt like a dirty word because he didn’t want a truce, he wanted her to cave to him. He wanted her to want him again. Jon wanted a lot of things and, while he was a very patient man, sometimes…he wished he wasn’t. “I’m sorry for the locker room incident,” He should probably clarify because he seen the look on her face. “Not for what I said because I meant it,” About fucking her blind. “But for scaring you.” That part.

Believe it or not, Brinley was only a little tipsy and in her right frame of mind while doing this, offering this. “Thank you. Try not to make a habit of doing that and we’ll be fine. We’re coworkers, that’s all we can be.” She released his hand and stifled a yawn, not realizing how tired she was until now. The dancing and then the incident with the idiot, followed by making a truce with her psychotic ex-husband… a lot had happened tonight and Brinley was at her limit. “Enjoy the rest of your evening, Moxley.”

Even if he hadn’t killed her father and those other people at the hospital, even if he hadn’t burnt her house down or tried to kill her parents with carbon monoxide poisoning, or drove her into the ocean with him…the fact that he cheated on her with countless women was something Brinley would never forgive or forget. It told her one thing, she wasn’t enough for him and never would be. She gave him far too many chances and he had broken his word not to ever cheat on her. The amount of sex she gave him – it still mind-boggled her as to why he had gone to other women when he could’ve had sex anytime he demanded. Calling a cab, Brinley bid Saraya and Marina good night and headed out of the club into the sticky hot air, making her groan out.

She hated humidity and it was dead in the middle of summer, though fireworks were lighting up the sky at the moment. Happy Birthday America.

Grinning, Jon turned back towards the bar, draining the rest of his bottle. Maybe because she had made it feel like he HAD to demand it, Brinley had never shied away from reminding him that she had been coerced into everything, including sex with him, whenever he pissed her off. For someone who said she was coerced, she sure had a fearless tongue on her. It was one of those things that he had both loved and hated about her. Either way, that was all in the past and tonight…tonight had signaled some fresh starts. All they could be, coworkers…okay, she had drawn her line.

He’d just start there and move it, inch by inch.

~!~

August 28, 2024 – State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois.

Jon returned tonight to the company and had a rather eerie promo in the ring with Tony Schiavone. Brinley hadn’t seen him since that night at the club in Chicago two months ago. Summer was dwindling and the fall was rolling in rather quickly, though there were spouts of Indian summer here and there. Brinley had on a simple flower design sundress with all different colors, her hair braided over her shoulder. Slowly, without realizing it, she had been designated as the Blackpool Combat Club’s personal producer for their matches. With Jon gone, Tony didn’t see a problem with it…and he may have been threatened by Moxley to leave if he didn’t do what the man ordered.

There was always a method to Jon Moxley’s madness and Tony Khan rarely questioned it because, honestly, he was the one AEW relied on the most. After the CM Punk fiasco, Jon had taken the AEW and threw the company on his back, carrying it for Khan and everyone. Every single time a catastrophe struck within the company, Moxley was there to put the fire out and set things right. Carefully, Saraya and Marina had been mentioning all the terrific things that happened with Moxley in the company and they couldn’t wait to have their locker room leader back to guide them.

Tonight, nobody in the BCC had a match, so Tony had given her the women’s match, which was Jamie Hayter, another fantastic women wrestler, against Harley Cameron, who would be accompanied by Saraya. This would be easy as pie to deal with as Brinley walked down the hallway with the paperwork in hand, not at all feeling anxious about Jon being here tonight. She didn’t know why either, maybe it was because the gossiping had dwindled down and she was considered one of the AEW family now. Just as she went to turn the corner, a hand came out and covered her mouth to prevent her screaming, her body dragged into a dark dressing room. Brinley didn’t hesitate and hauled off, smacking whoever it was right upside the head with her clipboard, forcing them to release her as she stumbled further into the room instead of near the door for her escape, her breathing erratic.

“Shit, shit, I’m sorry!” The light flipped on and one of the ring technicians was rubbing his head. “I thought you were Sarah…” This was NOT Sarah at all. This was Moxley’s ex-wife, everyone knew who the Hell she was, and he paled, shutting that light off so she couldn’t see him. He was so dead. “Please, don’t tell…Mox, okay, it was an honest mistake,” And he had paid for it with that clipboard upside the head. He already had the door open. “Okay? Mox doesn’t need to know about it.”

“Know about what?”

“Oh, sweet Jesus, take me now.” He was GONE, shoving past Jon and took off like the hounds of hell were on him.

Curiously, Jon stepped into the room, bare from the waist up and a cigarette tucked behind his ear. “Who’s in here?” What the fuck had that been about?

He caught the item that came flying his way, tossing it aside instantly and went for his would-be attacker. A second later, his arms came down around a very soft, curvy body and the scent alone had him stopping. Jon had her in his arms, crushed to his firm body, and loosened the bear hug.

“Brinley?” Well, this brought back some memories.

“J-Jon?!” Brinley swallowed hard at the feeling of being against his much more muscular body again, after all this time, and felt her body start to slowly relax. At least it wasn’t a complete stranger or someone trying to hurt her. “I-I hit that technician upside the head with my clipboard because he dragged me in here. He covered my mouth and…Christ, I need to breathe…” Her heart was about to fly out of her chest from how hard it was pounding, feeling Jon’s arms loosen a little more, but they hadn’t left her body yet. “H-He said he thought I was Sarah and then begged me not to tell you. Probably because I’m your ex-wife, if I had to guess.” Now she was rambling, leaning her head back against his chest to try to slow her racing heart and lower her anxiety. “It was an accident, I guess other people have the same idea you did all those years ago, huh?”

“Must’ve not been a bad thought then if I’m not the only one who had it.” Jon chuckled softly, rubbing his hands up and down her back soothingly. She was still trembling, but it wasn’t as bad as it had been a moment ago, and it occurred to him that she had relaxed because it was HIM. That sent something he should’ve ignored coursing through him. “And he’ll be fine, you probably startled him more than you hurt him.”

Though, that throw she had made when she had flung the clipboard HIS way could have probably screwed his face up. There had been a lot of strength in that toss, that was for sure. When she turned around against him, the words he’d been about to say, or ask, because he was going to check on her, went flying out the window. Through the light coming in from the hallway, he could see the outlines of her face.

“I’m so sorry, Angel.” He murmured, knowing she was about to feed him his balls, but he couldn’t stop himself, he was already there, his lips brushing against hers for the first time in years.

Brinley was confused why he was apologizing to her and then quickly figured it out, tensing at the soft kiss he gave her. No…no she didn’t want to feel what she was feeling right now! The dark dressing room with him standing over her, his lips against hers after so long, so many years…and it’d been a very long time since a man kissed her. The last time a man kissed her had been Mark and that was over a year ago. It reminded her of the first time Jon had pulled her into a dressing room back when they worked for WWE and how he had softly brushed her lips the same way he did now.

Why did she feel butterflies and why did warmth course through her entire body instead of dread? Why did she want more than just a simple brush? Staring into each other’s eyes, Brinley suddenly shoved him back against the door, forcing it shut and her mouth was on his hungrily, gripping the back of his neck. They had both met each other with the fiery kiss and now they couldn’t get enough of each other, the sparks between them flying and igniting.

Now THIS he hadn’t been expecting and Jon would have been lying it he said he wasn’t expecting that knee at any second now. He knew, above all others, how vicious this woman could be when she set her mind to it. How she had announced she was divorcing him, on live television, no less, definitely was springing to mind. Also springing was his cock, making a very visible target if that was what she wanted to do, but logic and everything else were disconnected the moment her lips parted, so he could swipe his tongue along hers. It was almost like they picked up where they had left off, his hands going straight to her waist to pick her up and whirl her around, pressing her to that door. Her legs wrapped around him, bunching that summer dress she was wearing around her hips and he groaned, purposefully grinding against her, letting her feel what she was doing to him, what she STILL did to him.

It was almost if they had rewound 12 years ago and Brinley gasped at the hardness rubbing up against her thong covered sex, knowing it wouldn’t take much to move that thin material to the side. They were still passionately kissing each other, tasting each other, and Brinley moaned in his mouth, just like she’d done all those years ago. The way he tasted was addicting and it was one of the many reasons why she had fallen for her secret lover. Jon held her close to him, flipping the lock on the dressing room door and kept her planted against it while reaching down to unzip his pants. If Brinley did this, there was no turning back and she couldn’t stop kissing him, didn’t want to stop what she knew was coming.

Chapter 40

“I don’t know who you are, but damn are you a great kisser.”

“Mmmhmm, glad you approve, Angel, should I continue?”

“Yes, I want more.”

He chuckled in her ear, nuzzling her neck. “What more do you want from me? Tell me, Brinley.”

“What do you wanna do to me?”

“Wrap my hand around your throat while I fuck you until we see stars.”

Brinley’s eyes glittered through the darkness and she pulled back enough to remove the blouse she had on, bringing his mouth back to hers. “What are you waiting for then? Fuck me until we see stars together, my secret lover.”

“Are you sure you want this?” The sound of his zipper gliding down echoed around the locker room and he felt her hand grip his cock seconds later, stroking it.

“Yes, wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t.”

“You really are cheeky and I like that. You got quite the mouth on you, Angel. I wanna hear more of it.” With one fluid motion, he slammed inside of her and enjoy the sound of her cry echoing around him, feeling her thighs trembling. “Fuck, you’re so damn tight!” His voice was low and raspy, and Brinley didn’t recognize who this was at all.

“Oh god, baby, oh god yes!! Don’t stop, keep going…”

~!~

That memory flooded over her, rocking her intensely, and Brinley wished she didn’t know who this was with her. She wished they could turn back the clock and redo everything all over again, to do it right. There was no mystery anymore, Jon was no longer her secret lover that pulled her into dressing rooms to have exciting impromptu sex sessions with him. They were much older, had grown a little more mature, but some things truly never changed and Brinley knew she had initiated this.

“Jon, wait, stop…” Reaching over, she managed to flip the light on and the cold reality crashed over her.

The man who killed her father.

The man who blew up her house in Tampa.

The man who tried to kill them together by driving her rental into the ocean.

The man who cheated on her with countless other women, ring rats, whores, and god only knew what other types.

“This is what you gave up when you fucked those other women. This right here, this connection, this fire, you gave this up when you decided to cheat on me, after I gave you everything. And you have the audacity to kiss me after all of that, after I made a truce with you and told you we are JUST coworkers. I wanted to remind you of what you missed out on and what you’ll never have again. You did this to us, not me, and I meant what I said, I will never forgive you or forget. It’ll be a cold day in hell before I let you ever fuck me again. Now put me down and let me go.”

See, he had known something was coming because Brinley never did anything the easy way. She couldn't, she just wasn't wired that way. She was soaking wet and they both knew it, her eyes glossed over with desire, and he could feel her body arching into his, everything physically was screaming the exact opposite of what was coming out of her mouth. He was a lot of things, but a rapist wasn't one of them. Not yet anyway, but if she tried teaching him another lesson, he might reconsider his stance on the entire thing.

“You say all that, Angel,” Jon rumbled, his voice dripping with lust as he stared down into that frigid, hard eyes. There was that defiance and smugness, but there was lust there too. He smirked and kissed her lips before letting her down. “But you're going to be thinking of me all night long.” With a quickness that startled some people, he had her back against the door and his palm was beneath her dress grinding against her, feeling that wetness seeping through her panties. “Have a good night, Brin.” And off he went, not caring who saw him as he adjusted himself in his pants. What a tease…

The moment he was gone, Brinley had to compose herself and dropped to her knees, knowing she’d taken a huge risk by doing that. Jon could’ve easily raped her and she would’ve deserved it for initiating anything in the first place. Honestly, she didn’t know if she would’ve let him fuck her until that memory swept over her of their time together in WWE. If that memory hadn’t hit, would Brinley have actually let her ex-husband sex her up in here? The taste of him was still on her trembling lips as she brought her fingers up to touch them, staring straight ahead into the darkness. The way his rock hard body felt against hers had been exquisite and the smell of him still the same. Sandalwood and cigarettes. Jon was right, she was drenched and had nobody else to blame except herself.

Brinley couldn’t go crying to her brother about what happened since she had been the one to kiss Jon, not the other way around. “Fuck, what am I doing?” She whispered, finally rising to her feet and had to straighten up, heading out grabbing her clipboard in the process before continuing on with her night as if nothing happened.

She was playing with fire, that's what she was doing. Brinley could tell him she was ‘teaching him a lesson' until she was blue in the face, but that wasn't the entirety of it and they both knew it. It was also the reason Jon had walked away, grudgingly, with a case of blue balls coming his way for sure, because he knew she'd wind up regretting her actions and replaying it, rehashing them and her motivations. She was the one who had planted this seed, watered it and then set it ablaze. Jon was just the fire she had brought to life and he was planning on consuming her.

~!~

His promo was weird.

Cryptic.

He was looking for Darby Allin.

What the hell was going on? She’d never seen Jon so calm and composed in the ring during a promo, his voice stoic, but those eyes were full of intensity the likes of which Brinley had never seen. Granted, she hadn’t watched AEW programming in years prior to returning, so she had no idea what Jon had been up to until recently. Being the IWGP World Heavyweight champion for NJPW, only to lose it on a huge stage like Forbidden Door, then disappearing for two months. He was completely bald now with a slightly longer goatee and he looked…evil. Menacing. Mean. Vicious. Brinley tried ignoring it while going on with her duties, trying to push Jon out of her head, but that all changed the following week on Dynamite.

How did she not notice any of this while they were locked in the dressing room earlier?

“This is not your company anymore.” Jon stated to Tony Schiavone cryptically before exiting the ring, leaving everyone with question marks swirling over their heads.

Brinley just stood there, staring at the monitor shellshocked, wondering what that meant. What does he mean by that?

Pretty much that. Jon had decided on his little vacation that if he was going to be the guy they kept coming to in order to save them whenever things went south, then he was just going to take over and do what he should have done years ago. He was going to run the company his way. When they had slapped that responsibility on him for a third time, saving the business, it had triggered the initial thought and he had let it fester, let it grow. Now here they were, needing him again, but this time, he was going to do it his way.

Jon was grinning broadly as he walked the hallway, his steps filled with purpose. He had some immediate changes to make. Hope you're ready, Angel. The fire is coming…

If Brinley knew what was headed her way, she would’ve left AEW and told Tony Khan to stick his contract up his backside.

~!~

September 7, 2024 – All Out – Now Arena – Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

For the past week and a half, things had been silent from Jon. No run-ins or more cryptic messages. However, Brinley had been pulled into Tony Khan’s office and was informed she would now be the exclusive producer for all of the Blackpool Combat Club’s matches going forward in the company. All she could do was sit there, listening to him explain his reasoning, which was a bunch of lies. Not that she knew it, but they were words fed directly from Jon Moxley himself. Jon was not lying when he said this was not their – Tony’s – company anymore – Tony Khan signed the checks and let the man do whatever he wanted since he had pulled this company out of the fire several times now. It was obvious he knew how to run a wrestling organization unlike the actual boss, so Tony would just be the frontman with Jon playing master puppeteer in the background.

“They specifically requested you, my dear. They said your production with their matches is the best they’ve ever seen and they don’t want any other producer. Of course, I know you don’t want to work with Jon and that’s fine, we can still keep that end of the deal we made.”

That was because Jon produced his OWN matches, having full authority and creative control over everything he did in this company.

“So that means if they’re in the main event…”

“You will be producing main events if the BCC is involved, yes. Isn’t that exciting?!”

Tony Khan was definitely on something with the level of excitement the man possessed, though Brinley kept those assumptions to herself. “When does this take place, Tony?” She asked resignedly, not looking forward to being around Jon more than necessary.

“Tonight.”

The main event on Dynamite had been the Blackpool Combat Club – Claudio and Yuta – with PAC against Will Ospreay and the Conglomeration in a six-man tag team match that was extremely difficult to put together. Brinley pulled it off beautifully though, making sure to take every man’s suggestion into consideration. She was running around like a chicken with her head cut off that night and passed out in her hotel room before her head hit the pillow from utter exhaustion. Jon wasn’t in the building that night and if he was, he kept himself scarce, not making an appearance that night. It was unnerving to Brinley the more she thought about it, especially with the pay-per-view on the horizon.

Chicago was very friendly to AEW as Brinley traversed the hallway, keeping her head on a swivel with clipboard in hand, her hair pulled back in a tight bun in the back of her head and she had on black dress pants with a simple amber short sleeved blouse that shimmered. Pants were the way to go since it was getting chilly outside and she could tell fall was on the horizon. Her matches for that night were all revolved around the Blackpool Combat Club as well as the main event, which would be Bryan Danielson against Jack Perry. That was a joke of a match and she knew Bryan would destroy the little man if he had his way in the ring, so they had to come up with a way to prolong it enough to entertain the fans. Then there was the Young Bucks against the Blackpool Combat Club’s Claudio and Yuta she had to produce as well. Brinley had about three cups of coffee in her currently and was like a machine, going from one side of the arena to the other, wearing tennis shoes instead of high heels from all the walking she had to do.

Chris tried to stop his sister, who looked like a woman on a mission and she shook her head. “Can’t talk now, busy! Love you bro!” She zoomed right on by him, making him blink.

She was being run ragged under some of these new directions and Chris was so confused. He couldn’t say anything either. Things were running a lot better lately, it was almost like Khan had gotten his head out of his backside or something. “Seriously, even producers get breaks, sis!” He wasn’t around as much as he would like, but that was what happened when one was the lead singer of a successful band, on top of things like his other wrestling ventures and cruises…he had his hands in a lot of pies. Chris groaned when she just waved him off again. “Roadrunner!”

No, that would be Jon, who had pulled Khan’s head out of his backside, who Khan now had to run everything by. Jon loved wrestling; he would be the first to admit that wrestling had saved his life, given the way he had been heading as a youth. If he hadn’t become a wrestler, he’d be dead and he knew it. It was hard not letting that power go to his head, but he also knew what would happen if he did, if he didn’t look at the big picture instead of his own personal little one. It would be bad experiences to the company. However, he had made one little change, one little thing, just for himself and he smirked, stroking his beard as he contemplated what he had done. He’d put his wife right in the middle of the frying pan and he was turning up the heat.

Roadrunner was how she felt at the moment, bouncing from one room to the next and finally, she was outside of the Blackpool Combat Club’s dressing room, taking a few deep breaths to slow her racing heart. Good thing she was in shape or this would be incredibly difficult to do. Thank you, Colby. Bringing her hand up, the door suddenly opened with Yuta nearly bulldozing her, a sour look on his face as he stalked down the hall. Great, he was one of the two members she had to talk to regarding their match that night.

“Don’t mind him, love. Just a little partner spat, no reason to worry.” Claudio assured her with a tight smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, bare from the waist up. “What can I do for ye?”

“Well, I came here to finalize your tag match with Yuta against the Young Bucks, but…” Her eyes moved from Claudio to a disappearing Yuta, a frown marring her face. “I guess that’s not going to happen right now?” Bryan had his own dressing room since he was the current AEW champion, so he wasn’t sharing with the BCC at the moment.

“He’ll be back, Angel.” Came that rough, gravelly voice of the man who took up too much rental space in her head, which was how he liked it.

He was sitting in the corner of the room, the same side the door was on and he grinned when her head whipped around. Jon was tipping back in the metal folding chair, hands clasped behind his head as he studied her. Smart on the shoes, he noted, she looked professional minus the shoes, which was practical as hell because he bet she had run her little backside off all night.

“You can run it over with me.” Claudio ordered flatly, though the smile was still there, still just as tight. He wasn’t quite as relaxed as Jon was and shot the other man a look when Jon let out a snort. Moxley was one of a kind and that was probably a good thing because the world wouldn’t have been able to handle two of them running around and fucking things up.

“But…”

“It’s all right, Brinley.” Claudio placed a hand on her shoulder, nodding his head. “He’ll agree with whatever I say.”

Why did those words sound ominous coming out of his mouth? “Okay, well here you go. Let me know if you want to change anything on it or if he does.” She handed over the paperwork to him and headed inside the BCC locker room, walking past Jon while Claudio took a seat to read over everything. “If um, if you don’t mind…”

“I do, hang on.” Claudio cut her off, continuing to read and held his hand up.

Chapter 41

Brinley could’ve easily gone and dealt with Bryan while Claudio did this, but she was almost scared to defy the larger man and swallowed hard when Jon took her hand to guide her to sit on the nearby couch. Why was there tension in the air? Even in the hallways she’d been running down for hours now, back and forth, there was something thick in the air, a tension she couldn’t explain or describe. It made her nervous, her anxiety was up and she could not stop her knee from bouncing up and down, only when Jon’s hand reached out to plant on it.

“Don’t.” It was an order as she stood up from the couch abruptly, moving to the other side of the dressing room, which was unfortunately away from the exit. Claudio pointed out something on the paper and she walked over to look at over his shoulder, pulling the pen out of the clipboard. “Got it, okay I’ll let Matt know about that spot change. Anything else?”

“No, that’ll do it, just…” Claudio had noticed that exchange with her and Moxley, rubbing the back of his neck. “It wouldn’t kill you to be nicer to him, would it, love? It would do me a favor as well as others since he’s been a bear lately…” He was smiling more charmingly at her now, the tightness gone.

“Not my problem, he’s yours, now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go inform the Bucks about this change and then go see Bryan. Thank you for your time, Claudio.” Brinley was out the door before neither man could stop her, living up to the nickname her brother gave her.

Jon just shrugged when Claudio gave him a look, already on his feet. “What can I say, she wants me.” He chuckled as he slipped through the door to go after her. “Angel, would it kill you to be nicer to people?” He easily fell into step with her, his legs were a lot longer. With as fast as she was going, he bet she was glad she had quit smoking as she now had the lung power to keep on trucking. As if he wouldn’t notice after that first night back when he had surprised her outside, she hadn’t smoked once at an arena since. The only logical explanation was she had quit. “You get all brisk and curt with people, it hurts feelings.” He was trying not to laugh at the look on Claudio’s face if he could hear him now.

“Can’t talk right now, too busy. Go bug someone else, Moxley.” Brinley gasped when she was suddenly pulled into a dressing room, this time completely lit, with him staring down at her with those intense blues. “I REALLY don’t have time for this right now, Jon.” She groaned when he merely stood there with his arms folded in front of his bare chest, blocking the doorway purposely. “I didn’t think I was being rude or anything to Claudio. In fact, I think I was pretty fucking polite considering what he said to me. It’s no secret what happened between us, and you’re not helping the gossip and bullshit by doing shit like pulling me into dressing rooms and kissing me. And yes, I did kiss you and I shouldn’t have.” Blowing out a breath, Brinley held her clipboard tightly against her chest, really wishing he would just leave her alone. “What do you want from me? Why can’t you just leave me alone? Look, I’m sorry I kissed you, is that what you want to hear? I’m sorry I…teased you like I did, it was uncalled for and unprofessional and I don’t even know why I did it.” Well yes, she knew why, but Brinley was trying to make peace with this man in some way.

“You’re lyinggg…” He drug out the word, so it was almost sang at her, his blue eyes sparkling in wicked amusement. “You did it to teach me a lesson, and I’m sorry Angel, but I was never good about learning them.” He was going somewhere with this and it was taking her a bit to catch on, he could see the gears turning in her head, trying to figure out where he was leading her. Straight to hell, dancing all the way, that’s where. She looked like she was getting worn out, that may or may not have been his fault, but she wanted to work here and she was the best so…she would have to deal with it. “What I’m, uh, saying, Brinley, is I may need another lesson.” She had done more than kiss him, she had grinded against him, soaked the front of her panties and his pants, and he knew because he had discovered the wet spot after the fact.

The realization dawned on her with what he was saying and Brinley could feel her anxiety shoot up instantly, along with her heartrate, and neither in a good way. “Not in a million goddamn years!” She hissed, eyes filling with acid and would clock him right in his skull with her clipboard if he tried anything. “I don’t need to teach you shit. You got the message loud and clear last time, and I meant what I said. I will NEVER love you. I will NEVER want you. I will NEVER be with you again! Maybe you’ve scrambled your brains with too many chair shots and can’t comprehend or understand the words coming out of my mouth. Maybe you need to me to tell you them in a different fucking language, hmm? You broke us, Jon, not me. And the body reacts physically, but my heart and mind are different and they don’t want anything to do with you. You can make me wet because the body will physically react, but that doesn’t mean shit when my heart and mind aren’t in it. Now MOVE, I have a JOB to do and don’t have time to deal with the likes of you.” She stepped up to him, gliding her fingers down the side of his face. “A pity, truly, that no matter how hard you try, you won’t get what you want from me. Jon Moxley doesn’t always get what he wants after all, does he?” She sounded almost sympathetic for him, an evil smile curving her lips and the tone of her voice lowered. “Just remember, my brother is still here and he’ll have NO problem taking out your other eye if you continue fucking with me. For the last time, leave me the fuck alone, loser, and get your kicks somewhere else.”

Instead of being pissed or looking anywhere near remotely upset, he was genuinely smiling down at her. Granted, it was probably a little bit on the malevolent side, but it was a smile and he reached out to grab that clipboard when she raised it as if threatening to nail him with it. “You sure about that, Angel, hmm? You really, REALLY sure about that?” Her brother didn’t scare him one bit and never had, so why she was using that drunken fucker, who still thought he could squeeze his backside into leather pants and not look like a moron, was a threat was beyond him. He could wave a bottle of whiskey under Chris’ nose and win a fight by default. “Your brother couldn’t find a chair to sit in if he didn’t have a million people around to help him stumble over to it first.” Whereas he was in the best shape of his life and not out having a midlife crisis on a nightly basis.

Granted, Christopher had let himself go in recent years and he didn’t look the best in those leather pants either. In fact, Brinley had pointed that out to him since she was somewhat of a health nut these days, trying to get him to do CrossFit with her, and they had gotten into a spat over it. “You didn’t look that great from what I remember back a few years ago when you were drinking yourself into stupors on a nightly basis. Probably why you couldn’t get me pregnant for the longest time and you looked horrible then too! So you shouldn’t throw stones in glass houses, Jon. That could EASILY be you at my brother’s age and for his age, he can still move pretty damn well in the ring. And don’t think for a second he won’t destroy you if I ask him too. He did it once, how’s that fake eye of yours treating you, hmm? If you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave me alone. And as far as my brother’s drinking is concerned, well…he didn’t have to put himself into rehab in order to get over it, he deals with it like a fucking man, little boy.”

Just like that, Brinley was up against the wall and Jon had kicked the door shut behind him in the midst of snatching her up. He used one hand to pin her there, pressing against her collarbone while his other hand moved to cross her eyes, pinning them in place. She had her hands, that clipboard was long gone now, and the fire had turned into shock and a dash of fear in those beautiful green eyes. “Can’t help yourself, can you?” He asked conversationally, shaking his head and made a tsking sound when she opened her mouth. “Daddy’s talking now, Brinley, so shut that mouth of yours for a minute.” Given his history, targeting all those weak points, namely the pregnancy one, hadn’t been a smart idea. He had wanted a baby so badly with her and it would have been easy to throw it in her face that she couldn’t even CARRY a baby, her body just couldn’t do it, but he didn’t. “You like your job, hmm? Your condo in Tampa? You like having money for your bills and hair and nails?” Because she had been a broke, ragged bitch when she had come back to AEW. “Because if you do, you’ll really think about the shit you say to me. Your brother may have made this company, but I AM the company.”

What did that mean? Brinley immediately looked away from him, knowing exactly what it meant. All it would take was Jon going to Tony Khan and she would be history. Maybe that would be for the best. Even though she was brilliant at her job and knew what she was doing, unlike other producers that didn’t know their head from their backsides, none of that mattered. Jon was the king around here and he had established himself, rooted himself, in AEW. He truly ran things, he was the locker room leader just like Mark had been for so many years in WWE.

“I don’t want to meet like this again, Jon. I don’t want you dragging me into dressing rooms and kissing me and putting your hands on me anymore. I admit, I crossed a line with what I just said to you.” So did he, but that was irrelevant since Jon could do whatever the hell he wanted while others had to bow down to him. “I hate you. If I had any other choice,” Her voice cracked from the intense emotion flooding through her body, mixing with the fear and anxiety and a single tear slid down her cheek she quickly swiped away. Brinley still refused to meet his icy intense gaze while she spoke. “If I didn’t rely on this job to survive in this world, I wouldn’t be here right now. I’d rather be anywhere else except where you are and I refuse to apologize for that. Now are we done here? We both have jobs to do and the clock is ticking, if you even care.”

He let out a low, frustrated growl, aware he couldn’t force her into submission. He wanted too, he COULD, but it would only be a bodily submission. Brinley hadn’t been wrong when she had thrown that at him. The body COULD and often did respond even when everything else was screaming at it not to and he didn’t want that. He wanted all of her.

“I wish,” He hissed it, blinking his eyes quickly when it felt like moisture had appeared. Fuck this dry ass building! “That I could rip you the fuck OUT,” Like an infection, that was what she was. She was a disease destroying him from the inside out and he had tried to purge himself of her, hadn’t he left her alone? If she hadn’t come BACK into his life…snorting, he let her down, watching as she began to smooth herself out, noting her hands were shaking. So was his. “You’re a fucking disease, Angel…” It was quiet and he was already heading for the door.

The moment he was gone, Brinley immediately grabbed onto the wall to steady herself and covered her mouth with her hand, knowing she couldn’t break down. Not here. She couldn’t show weakness in AEW to anyone, especially Jon. Brinley had to get it bottled up inside until she returned to the safety and security of her hotel room. Only then would she let the tears fall that welled up in her eyes. Not now. There was too much work to do as she grabbed her clipboard from the floor, picking up some papers that had scattered and took a few more deep breaths before exiting the room to head to the Young Bucks locker room. They signed off on everything needed, then she headed to Bryan’s locker room, rearranging her face into a smile while staring at Bryan.

“Everything okay, Brinley?” Bryan noticed she was a little out of sorts and smiled when she nodded.

“Yeah, never better.” Once Bryan signed off on everything, letting her know he didn’t have any changes to make, she left the champion to warm up and finally had a minute to breathe.

Jon himself was not in the best of moods either, knowing he shouldn’t have snatched her up. He wanted her to love him again, but he had a feeling, one he had been brushing off ever since that night at the bar when he had seen that guy squeeze her backside and intervened, that it wasn’t going to happen. He idly wondered, as he inhaled his cigarette he was abusing with his mouth, if it would matter if he told her his little secret. Well, it wasn’t a secret, not really. But would it? Would she care? Hell, she wouldn’t even believe him, he wouldn’t either. If he had to resort to plan E, she was going to hate him for the rest of both their lives, more than she already did and he crushed his palms to his eyes, inhaling deeply as the cigarette fell to the concrete before him.

All of this had started out as a stupid, petty grudge because of her brother.

He had NOT expected to fall in love with her.

Chapter 42

What the hell was going on?

Brinley and Saraya were sitting in front of a monitor, watching the horrific scene unfold before their eyes. What was Marina doing out there with Jon and the rest of the Blackpool Combat Club? Jon had embraced Bryan in the ring, kissing his forehead and everything with Bryan’s hand raised in victory with the rest of the BCC. Everything looked fine, but it felt anything but and Brinley finally got her answer when Claudio delivered a shocking upper cut to Bryan’s chin moments later. Jon had a clear, plastic bag in his hand and he suddenly covered Bryan’s head with it, squeezing it tightly to where the man couldn’t breathe. Brinley was horrified, tears in her eyes and watched as Jon literally tried to suffocate the man, his best friend, in the ring. Yuta was being held back by Pac, screaming and crying, begging Jon to stop this. And Marina was kicking and shoving at Yuta, shouting at him to stop it. Who was this monster? Jon had done some pretty horrific things in wrestling, and especially in real life, but this…was on another level entirely.

Minutes seemed to tick by very slowly and Brinley watched as Bryan was carted to the back with an oxygen mask on, after having his neck snapped by the steel chair, courtesy of Claudio. That had been AFTER Jon had suffocated him with the plastic bag. Everybody cleared the way when the BCC returned to the backstage area, one could hear a pin drop at the silence surrounding them and Brinley immediately ran towards the back of the building where an ambulance was waiting to take Bryan to the hospital.

“I’m going with him!” She didn’t care about anything else at the moment, knowing Brie had to be beside herself at home watching this devastation and held Bryan’s hand just as the doors closed, silent tears sliding down her cheeks. “It’s okay, Bryan, it’s going to be okay…” No, no it wasn’t. Is this because of me? Because of what happened in the dressing room earlier tonight? Did he hurt Bryan because of me? Damn it, Jon, why? Why would you do this to your best friend?!

Naturally, Bryan’s wife was called to let her know what was going on. Nobody had any clue what was going to go down that night. Well, nobody except the people who had planned it. Jon had plenty of time to think things through during that two month hiatus and while he had reached the conclusion that the only logical choice was that he would run the company, he also reached the other conclusion that his buddy, who had some goody two shoe tendencies, was likely not going to allow Jon to do what needed to be done. He was already anticipating an uprising, a rebellion, once it sunk in what was going on, and how he was going to respond to that.

Time for that later.

He had showered and cleaned up before promptly visiting his best friend. Naturally, this was all shown as something that had been scripted and went south. He even had signatures to prove that this was all signed off on.

Brinley was in the waiting room, pacing back and forth with Brie on the phone, crying her heart out for her husband. She didn’t blame the woman for being full of anguish and pain, trying her best to assure her that Bryan was all right. He was breathing and being worked on while she was forced to wait in the lobby to hear word about him. “I don’t know, Brie, I don’t know anything right now, but I’m not leaving until-”

“Until what? Brinley, what’s going on?!” Brie was beside herself, already calling a close friend to take her daughter and son, so she could hop on the first redeye flight to Chicago.

What the HELL was he doing here? Jon had just walked into the waiting room and Brinley’s words died on her lips instantly with Brie shouting through the phone to gain her attention. “I-I’m sorry, Brie. I have to call you back.”

“What? No, Brinley, BRINLEY!!” Brie had to get to Chicago NOW!

Brinley wanted to yell and scream at him, not believing what he’d done to Bryan tonight live on the pay-per-view event. This wasn’t scripted either! NOWHERE in her notes stated that Bryan would be suffocated with a clear plastic bag over his head by Jon Moxley! So if he even THOUGHT about trying to spew that lie at her, Brinley would call him out instantly. She sat down, texting Brie to let her know why she had to end the call abruptly and WHO was here in the waiting room with her.

DON’T LET THAT MOTHER FUCKER NEAR MY HUSBAND!! I’M ON MY WAY RIGHT NOW!! HE HAS SOME SERIOUS EXPLAINING TO DO!!

I won’t. I’ll order security to throw him out if he causes a scene and tries to see Bryan. I got your back, I promise.

Thank you, Brinley, I don’t know what I’d do without you right now.

Just get here as quickly as you can. Don’t worry, I’m not leaving and I’ll keep you updated on everything. Brinley kept her eyes glued to her phone while texting Brie and ignored the way Jon stood over her, having absolutely nothing to say to him. Leave Jon, nobody wants you here, you psychotic PRICK!

Except she couldn’t have him tossed out; he would instead have her escorted out the second she tried that. He was listed as Bryan’s emergency contact and the reason for that was they had traveled together and were the bestest buds ever. Until tonight. To be fair, he had changed his contact point, aware if he ever wound up in the hospital after tonight and Bryan was able to do it, he’d wind up smothered in a hospital bed sometime during the night. It was something HE’D do to someone, so naturally, he expected that in return.

“Sure you don’t wanna get your blood pressure checked while you’re here?” He asked when she didn’t say a word for a solid five minutes, nodding when a nurse came to ask if he was the contact. “Yeah, I got his medical info right here.” Jon handed over the folder that he came in with, winking down at Brinley when she gaped up at him, her jaw on the floor.

Jon has Bryan’s medical history and he just handed it over to a nurse.

WHAT?! What do you mean?! Brie was his emergency contact secondly, but Jon was the first because they had agreed since Bryan and Jon traveled together, it made more sense to have someone actually there in case something catastrophic happened. FUCK! I’m coming as fast as I can!

Calm down, Brie, I don’t know what I can do given he’s the emergency contact, but I’ll keep an eye on things and let you know. Brinley sent back, completely ignoring Jon’s presence and his question about her blood pressure. He could go fornicate with a cactus for all she cared! Her health wasn’t any of his business and she started thinking back to his threats earlier in the dressing room. Did Tony Khan know this was going to happen? Did he give the green light to Jon to suffocate a man in the AEW ring?

This is no longer your company.

Those words echoed in her head from Jon’s promo with Tony Schiavone and she thought it was all storyline, but what if it wasn’t? What if Jon truly meant those words? Did he suddenly own AEW, and by extension, her? Her brother? How would Chris take that? Jon squatted down in front of her and Brinley refused to meet his eyes, not giving him the satisfaction of a single word from her lips. She said all that needed to be said to him that night and nothing more had to be said. She hated him, that would never change, and he needed to come to terms with it and leave her the hell alone.

“Now, I already know it’s crossed your mind to try having me tossed out of here on my sweet ass, Angel,” He said it quietly, though he popped his gum at the end of the sentence, just to watch her flinch. “But if you attempt it, it’ll be you out there waiting for the wifey to get here and let you back in.” That would be a few hours, plenty of time for him to mess things up, if he were so inclined. Jon could literally see the gears turning in Brinley’s head and he would bet money she had reached that conclusion too. He bet she had a lot of questions and he would gladly give her answers, all she had to do was ask.

No, she had nothing to say to him.

Sure, there were questions burning on her tongue, but more than likely, Jon wouldn’t answer them. Not really. He would do it in a roundabout way and not be completely honest and truthful with her. Brinley continued ignoring him blatantly, acting as if he didn’t exist and switched to social media, heartbreak filling her eyes at the videos and pictures surfacing already from All Out. Blackpool Combat Club’s betrayal of AEW World Heavyweight champion, Bryan Danielson. That was just one headline and it broke her heart because she really thought Bryan and Jon had an unbreakable bond and friendship. Brie would no doubt toss Jon right out of here the second she arrived, after slapping the hell out of him for good measure. If Jon was smart, he wouldn’t be here when Brie arrived because hell hath no fury like a woman, especially a married woman, a wife, scorned.

Tony had personally reached out to Brie, explaining that things hadn’t gone as rehearsed. He had the papers, proving Jon and Bryan had hashed all this out, but something had gone wrong. Bryan had been fine after the ‘suffocation’, Jon hadn’t really suffocated him, of course not. However, the chair was not supposed to be a real chair, none of that was supposed to go that way. Technology allowed them to have better, ‘fake’ chairs that looked real, 3D printing and all that. The chair had been real, so when Jon went to do the move they had rehearsed several times already, to make it look bad…someone would be fired over all of this.

“You know, I think the last time we were at a hospital together, was when your dad had Covid.” Now THAT got her attention, but his tone wasn’t mean, it was just reflective. He remembered that night very well. She had been with Mark and he bet he had taken the fall for her Dad’s death. Or maybe the guy hadn’t felt a thing because of Covid.

He was pushing her buttons now, mentioning her dead father. Her father that HE killed! The murderous bastard! Don’t lose your cool, don’t show an ounce of emotion to him. Pretend he’s not even here. Her eyes immediately went back to her phone, showing she had the willpower and mental fortitude to ignore him.

Whatever Jon had planned in AEW, she wanted zero part of it. Maybe it would be best to just quit. Her mother had already said she could move back in if she needed to and Brinley was seriously contemplating doing that. Jessica had offered as well and she still worked as a real-estate agent for Mark’s company, not to mention the kids would enjoy having their Aunt Brinley around for a while. The more she thought about it, the more Brinley had already made up her mind and she didn’t realize it yet. Hell, there were other wrestling promotions out there, so maybe she could even hook up with one of the locals and just help them out or something. There was no luck on the new job front, she’d already checked her email and sent out a few more applications, but nothing had come back yet.

Oh, she had clenched, she had visibly clenched, and that wasn’t surprising, but it was. Jon was almost disappointed that hadn’t gotten a reaction out of her. Something. Anything was better than this silence. Hell, he’d even take her vicious, hateful tongue. Ah no, not here, she’d wind up banned from the hospital or something, that’d probably piss off Brie when she got here.

“I didn’t have anything to do with what happened at the hospital in New York.” Jon leaned back in the chair, his eyes on the doorway to the waiting room, knowing soon a doctor would be coming to apprise them of Bryan’s situation.

“Liar.” She whispered under her breath, clenching her teeth to the point of gnashing. How DARE he sit there and say such lies? LIES!! Jon was doing everything possible to a rise out of her and it was slowly working. “Just like what you did tonight to Bryan, huh? It’s not your fault, right? You didn’t put the bag over his head and try to SUFFOCATE your best friend, right? RIGHT?” Brinley was losing her temper fast, swallowing hard and knew she was about to break her promise to Brie because of this smarmy mother fucker in front of her. “I can’t do this. I can’t sit here with you because you’re never going to fucking stop needling me and needling me and poking and prodding until I explode. So you know what? You’re his emergency contact, fine, have fun by yourself. I’m leaving and flying home far the fuck away from you and Tony Khan and you can take my contract and shove it UP YOUR ASSES! I FUCKING QUIT!” Storming out of the hospital, Brinley was halfway to her car when she felt him come up behind her and the second he touched her arm, she hauled off and PUNCHED him as hard as she could right in the mouth. “DON’T FUCKING TOUCH ME!! DON’T YOU DARE EVER FUCKING TOUCH ME AGAIN, YOU WORTHLESS SACK OF SHIT!!” She kicked him in the balls for good measure and hightailed it to her car, tears rushing down her face like two rapid streams. Never again! She would never lay eyes on Jonathan Good again as long as she lived!

Brinley was REALLY lucky Jon declined pressing charges because hospital security had seen that. They had seen him touch her arm and she went ballistic on him. Cops were called, he had even let them check out his aching balls, declined the shot of pain killer, but took up the offer of ice. He hadn’t even been lying, that was the best part. He may have, or would have, claimed it back then, but he had also been raging pissed and then his own Mom…no. Brinley was definitely laying eyes on him again because he had decided right then and there, he wasn’t letting her quit, he’d have her sued for breach of contract.

Jon didn’t HAVE to press charges, he’d get her elsewhere, where it really hurt.

Chapter 43

“I’m sorry Brinley, but you have to finish out your contract.” Tony was even apologetic as he said it, refusing to take the resignation she was holding out to him. She had come to turn it in, obviously not dressed or prepared to work by the way she looked, she looked like she was having a rough day. He was too. He frowned when he heard the ‘get on with it’ cough from the chair behind his desk, the chair had its back to the door. “With us needing to get rid of some of the other producers, we can’t afford to let anymore leave. Unless you think you can buy it out?”

“She caaaa-aaannn’tttt…” Because fuck her and her intent to destroy his balls.

“Sue me then. Seriously. Go ahead and sue the fuck out of me, take me for everything I’m worth because I REFUSE to work for your dumbass and especially him.” Brinley pointed at her ex-husband, her acid eyes flashing and daring Tony to cross her. “You have NO idea what you’ve done, Khan. Handing over your company to him, what the fuck do you think is going to happen? What the fuck do you think he’s going to DO to your damn company?! I hope WWE DESTROYS you and they will. I have no doubt about that. Seth Rollins amongst others will make sure you fucking TANK and I can’t wait to see it. It’s already being done, don’t you see your crowds dwindling before your eyes? Or are you too busy snorting coke to really give a damn?” That had gotten her instantly fired and Brinley left the arena with a cackle, two middle fingers in the air on her way to her rental vehicle. “Fuck youuuuuuu, AEW!!”

“Wait, wait, wait!” Tony had coming running because Jon had informed him he had exactly 60 seconds to retract that firing. “You’re not fired and you need to come work!” He personally thought she needed to be let go because she looked like she had lost her mind, her hair was screwed up, her eyes were wild, and he didn’t even want to know what was going through that head of hers. “Please.” He added, just in case she went totally feral and attacked him or something. “Mrs. Good, I’m sure we can-” He let out a scream when she grabbed something out of her rental and hurled it at him, pretty sure that was one of her high heels. “Mrs.- Miss-”

“Oh Jesus fuck Tony, you pussy!” Jon caught the next high heel, chucking it over his head and smirked. “Back inside you go, boss.” That was sarcasm at its finest and he smirked when Tony scurried back inside. “You don’t wanna do this the hard way, Brin, trust me.” Because it would involve Marina scrambling her eggs.

“MY NAME IS NOT FUCKING MRS. GOOD!! EVER, YOU PRICKS!!” Brinley screamed, not giving a DAMN about this job or this company, especially the man standing in front of her. “SCREW YOU!! I’M NOT YOUR FUCKING WIFE ANYMORE AND I NEVER WILL BE AGAIN!! STOP!! JUST STOP SCREWING WITH MY FUCKING LIFE!!” She was in pajama pants and a long sleeved shirt, her hair tied haphazard on top of her head in a fan. “And what exactly is that supposed to mean? You gonna hurt someone else and make it look like an accident?” The look in those intense blues actually made her take a step back, even though Brinley was more than capable of defending herself. Thank you, Colby! “Do it then. Do it, hurt everyone in this godforsaken company because I don’t give a SHIT! Burn it all to the fucking ground because that’s exactly where AEW is headed anyway!! You won’t manipulate me and you won’t force me to do something I DON’T WANT TO FUCKING DO EVER AGAIN!! You got away with it for 6 goddamn years and I gave you EVERYTHING and you ripped my heart out! You used me, abused me, nearly killed me, killed my father, threatened my family, CHEATED on me, all because of your goddamn EGO!! Your threats are WORTHLESS and I don’t care anymore, Jon. I DON’T CAAAAAAAAAAAARE!” Now she was singsonging to him, like he always did to her, laughing maniacally. “You know, that feels damn good to say. Very liberating, I don’t give a fuck. Yeah! I don’t give a fuck! YEAH!” She was even snapping her fingers now to a beat being made up in her own head. “I’m gonna dance my happy ass right to the airport, get on a plane, pack my shit up in my condo, and go somewhere you will NEVER find me! Goodbye, Moxley, enjoy your power trip or whatever the hell this is, or maybe I should call you my ex-boss now? It doesn’t matter, I’m outta here and you can’t fucking stop me, JACKASS!!”

See, Jon had sort of figured she would do something like this, the quitting part, not losing her mind. He had plan E ready to go and sure enough, he caught his partner in crime quietly approaching from behind the rental, chair in hand. He shook his head, ignoring the confused look Marina gave him, but she slunk back into the shadows. Brinley was still snapping her fingers, looking absolutely deranged.

“Brinley, you shouldn't drive like this…” Genuine worry was in his tone, after everything he had done over the years, THIS is what drove her over the edge? “Let me call you a cab, Angel.”

“I’m perfectly fine to drive, thank you very much!” Suddenly, Brinley became serious again from the deranged, finger-snapping person she’d been only moments ago. “Stop acting like you care about me, lunatic. Go back and start destroying the company because that’s the only thing you know how to do is DESTROY everything you touch.”

Opening her car door, it started to rain as Brinley slid behind the wheel and slammed it shut, firing up the engine with a shaking hand, locking all the doors. Flipping him the bird, showing him his IQ, she sped out of there as fast as she could with tires squealing and all, not caring what happened after this. As long as she was far away from Jonathan Good, that was all Brinley cared about. She made a vow years ago to NEVER allow this man to manipulate her or force her into situations again she didn’t want to be in. Feeling the tears pour down her cheeks, Brinley could barely see the road and it began to rain harder, blurring her vision temporarily.

“Brinley!” She never seen or heard him chasing after her, only halting when she peeled through the gate that surrounded the parking lot and he groaned, running both hands over his head in agitation. She WASN’T fine to drive and he could not believe that out of everything he had put her through when were together hadn’t cracked her, but THIS had. Naturally, she didn’t believe him about her Daddy, he got that, but he had NOT expected her to lose her mind over it either. “FUCK!” Jon wanted to go after her, but he couldn’t, he had a show to run. Contrary to her opinion on destruction, there was always destruction when the fire came, but the beautiful thing about fires was that the regrowth afterwards was always healthy and better.

Brinley’s vision wasn’t the only one blurring. A lot of drivers were having issues with the unexpected rain that poured down on them. One young man in particular, a newly licensed driver, who was playing his music too loud and missing one headlight. “Fuck…” He fumbled with his cell phone for a moment, trying to see through the windshield. “Oh, FUCK, FUCK!”

The sound of vehicles smashing echoed throughout the sky in Lexington, Kentucky, followed by Brinley flying through the windshield. Screaming sounded as well, both from the young man that just t-boned the woman, as well as other bystanders, who were walking in the pouring rain. Brinley lay on the ground, blood seeping out of her head and little cuts marred her arms and face from the glass. She hadn’t been wearing her seatbelt, too busy worrying about getting as far away from Jon as possible. All she wanted to do was go to Tampa and start packing up her condo since she had officially quit her job. Now here she was, splattered on the road with the rain drenching her and the sirens were heard in the distance from both an ambulance, police, and the fire department.

Brinley Irvine was dead for eight long minutes before finally being revived and taken to the local hospital for treatment while the young man had been arrested for reckless driving.

Jon literally said screw the show on his way out the door once word reached him via Tony Khan, since her job was listed in her medical information. How like her not to travel without all that, she had always been so organized. So kept together. However, Tony had said she hadn’t been wearing a seatbelt, that was what the hospital had said, and it had probably saved her life because the front of her car had been totaled. Authorities had tried reaching Chris, but…he hadn’t answered his phone and Jon didn’t even think about getting big brother. He just booked it to the hospital. He had KNOWN she shouldn’t drive, not in her mental state at the time and he felt guilt rolling over him because it was his fault. He had done this to her.

“FUCK!” No seatbelt, she had flown out of the car, his mind was racing as he peeled into the hospital parking lot, wondering if she was even going to live the night. “Don’t you fucking DARE die on me…” He hissed, staring up at the building before squaring his shoulders and heading inside.

Upon arrival in the emergency room, Jon had to wait for two excruciating hours before the doctor came out to finally talk to him. Brinley was somehow stable, after having to be revived on the scene for eight minutes straight. Broken arm, cracked cranium that somehow didn’t require surgery, though they were watching for bleeding on the brain, and she’d have a hell of a concussion, lacerations from the glass, and miraculously, her neck wasn’t broken. Honestly, it was a lot of bumps and bruises, all things considered, and the doctors still couldn’t figure out how her body withstood the impact of what happened. This woman was incredibly lucky considering how the car had t-boned hers and her flying through the windshield upon impact.

The doctor relayed all the information to him since he was one of the names on her emergency contact list. Jon had forced Tony Khan to change it, to put him on there right below her brother and also had her personal address and contact information too. All Jon could do was stand there with wide blue eyes and the doctor placed a hand on the man’s trembling shoulder as he sank down into the chair, obviously overwhelmed from everything he heard. In a nutshell, Brinley was currently in a coma, sedated, and breathing on her own, so a machine wasn’t required to help her breathe.

They had no idea if she’d ever wake up, truthfully, and it was all in god’s hands now.

Jon and god did not have the best relationship all things considered. Jon was in all likelihood going to hell for all the evil things he had done, even if there were his random acts of good. Probably counter against him, like he was trying to buy his way in through those pearly gates. He didn't care, he was praying now, not for himself, but for her. He had been allowed in the ICU and he had prayed all the way up here, finally stepping into the room.

The second he saw her there in that bed, with everything hooked to her, he hit his knees.

Chris was laughing with his buddies about something when he was informed by one of the technicians what happened to his sister. The color completely drained out of his face and he booked it out of the arena as fast as he could, not caring about the show at the moment. Tony didn’t blame him, already switching the show up with both Moxley and Jericho gone. He was NOT happy to see Jon Moxley in his sister’s ICU room, after informing them he was blood family, her brother, but he refused to cause a scene in the ICU either.

“Brin-ley…” What the hell happened and where had he been? His baby sister was in that hospital bed, hooked up to various tubes and wires, the heart monitor beeping slowly and her chest was rising and falling steadily. The nurse had informed him what happened, the car accident, and he ignored Jon while going to her other side, holding her hand with silent tears rolling down his face. “Sis, I know you miss Dad, but I don’t think the old man would appreciate you joining him just yet…” He pressed his forehead to hers gently, sniffling, and refused to leave her side. “I love you, sis, and I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

Even in deep sleep, Brinley’s fingers twitched slightly and that was her way of responding to him, somehow letting her brother and Jon know everything would be fine.

Jon was ignoring Chris in return, he no longer cared about the other man or his worthless, no longer relevant opinions. All he cared about was lying in this bed, looking like hell had beaten her black and blue before spitting her out. He had never seen her like this and he felt his stomach churning, realizing a small fraction of some of the pain he had caused. If this was a come to Jesus moment, he didn't want it. He didn't want this pain and anguish, he’d rather not have a heart at all. Even with the twitch, he didn't feel hope. He hadn't spoken once since he had walked in, terrified he'd get a really bad response.

Or worse, nothing at all.

Chris had a million and one questions to ask Jon, but his eyes would not leave his sister for a second. Why was he here? That was the first question Chris wanted to spout off. Brinley wanted nothing to do with him and made it crystal clear she hated him. Why was Jon even bothering to show up here? Then he saw it, clear as day and he mentally cursed violently in his head, the silence between them deafening.

He fucking loves her. He loves Brinley. The tears silently falling down Jon’s face, even as he tried wiping them away, spoke volumes and Chris could not deny what he saw in those watery blues. His next question would have been did he kill their father? Did he kill all those people? Was he responsible for it or did he want people to THINK he was?

“I’m not going to ask you to leave, but…when she wakes up, she’s probably not going to want you here.” Did he call Mark? He knew Mark and her had a falling out last year during the WWE Hall of Fame, but Brinley hadn’t told him why. Was it worth calling the Deadman? Probably not. He’s not in her life anymore. However, he did already call their mother and Jessica and their mother was on a redeye flight here to see her baby girl.

Jon just nodded, not saying a word. Even if he wanted to be, he wouldn't have been able. He couldn't get this lump out of his throat, it was threatening to choke him every time he breathed. He figured he'd stay until she started waking up and then he'd go somewhere else and wait to hear what the news was. Jon already knew seeing him was going to trigger another panic attack on her, or more of that brief psychosis she had experienced earlier in the night. He wasn't trying to harm her any more than he already had. It was his fault she was here like this in the first place.

Fate was about to give Jon a gift he wouldn’t soon forget and he didn’t even realize it yet.

Chapter 44

Two days later, Brinley unexpectedly woke up in the middle of the night, her eyes slowly opening and she had one HELL of a headache. No, it was more like a migraine. The first thing she noticed was the smell as her eyes adjusted to the different dimmed lights in the room, having been moved out of ICU into a regular hospital room. The doctors were astounded at how fast she was not only healing, but responding to treatment and she was no longer in critical condition. The second thing she noticed was the beeping of machines and her eyes lowered to the IVs in her arms, on both sides, a frown marring her face. A hospital? What was she doing here? The last thing she remembered…Brinley knew she worked for AEW currently, but everything else was really foggy and disorientated.

Her hazy emerald eyes finally moved to the person laying at her bedside, his head on her lap with his hand in hers and she smiled at the sight of her brother, reaching out to gently glide her fingers through the top of his hair. Then she looked to her right and raised a slow brow at the sight of none other than Jon Moxley at her bedside. What was he doing here? They were coworkers, but that was it and she couldn’t recall having any contact with him besides the Blackpool Combat Club members – or wait, they were Death Riders now, right? The fourth thing she realized was she was EXTREMELY thirsty and her mouth felt as dry as a desert, a soft groan escaping her when she could barely swallow.

Jon was awake, the second she had moved, the stupid machines that beeped all the time, had changed. It was the change in her brain waves, she was awake, along with her heart rate and everything else. He didn’t even remember falling asleep, he just had finally; he hadn’t slept it seemed like since he had gotten here after hearing about the accident. His body was a traitor, against him, and he was pretty sure seeing her upright was him hallucinating because of that lack of sleep.

“Angel…” He breathed, his voice coming out husky from the sleep he had just snapped out of.

All because of that little change, he was that on edge and alert when it came to her right now. He had started reaching for her, then hesitated, clenching his fist midair and pulled it back. Jon was probably going to send her into a stroke or a heart attack once her mind caught up with who she was seeing.

“A-Angel?” She started coughing the minute she tried to talk and that startled her brother awake, his bloodshot blue eyes looking down at her. Their mother was back at the hotel getting some much needed rest after flying here and the jetlag hadn’t been kind to her. “W-Water…” Damn, Brinley’s throat was on FIRE right now and she watched Jon Moxley pour her some from the pitcher that was in the room. He had requested it for him and Chris, both refusing to leave her side and Tony had given them as much time off as they required. “T-Thanks…” There wasn’t a hint of fear in her tone, just confusion as she took the cup of water from him and sipped it, groaning at how good the coolness felt against her esophagus. And then she finally realized her arm was in a cast and felt her eyes nearly fall out of her head, her jaw dropped. “What the hell happened to me?”

Chris started to explain only for the door to open up and nurses came rushing in, telling both men they had to vacate. He was ushered out along with an obviously reluctant Moxley, both men standing in the hallway. Chris was staring intently at the EX-husband whereas Mox had his gaze fashioned on that door, as if he could will himself to see what was happening in there. Chris already knew they were going to run vitals and do basic cognizance tests, see what the what was. He imagined a doctor had been paged and would be in soon too, but the nurses were the frontline workers. He had learned that early on in his career, he trusted a nurse more than he did a doctor at this point.

“She’s going to want you to leave.” He wanted Jon to leave. She was awake now, he got it, the man loved her, but she had made it very clear she didn’t want him anywhere near her.

Jon simply nodded.

“Are you going to fucking say anything?” After listening to this psycho run his mouth every week at work, this silence was infuriating. Even more infuriating was the almost hint of a smile on that jackass’s face before it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.

“Once I know she’s okay, I’ll go.”

An hour later, after being asked a lot of questions, her vitals taken and everything, the doctor finally walked out looking a little…stunned, to put it mildly. “In all my years doing this, I’ve never seen a case quite like this before.” He was 50 and had seen A LOT in his career too. “First of all, Brinley is coherent and knows what happened to her. We told her about the accident and how she sustained her broken arm because she was adamant to know.” That made both Chris and Jon smile with soft chuckles. “She remembers her name, her age, her birthday, everything she needs to know to function as an adult and she even passed all of our cognizant tests too. She recognized you,” He pointed at Chris with a smile. “Instantly, big brother.” That made Chris sigh a breath of relief and then the doctor turned Jon, who had been here from the beginning. “You, however, she’s a little confused about.”

“What do you mean, doc?” Chris was staring at the doctor with laser focus now, swallowing hard.

“It seems she knows who you are, Jon, but…she doesn’t know why you’re here. She told us you’re a coworker of hers at a company called AEW that you all work for and that’s pretty much all she knows.” The doctor wasn’t sure what to make of this, rubbing the back of his neck. “She did have a severe concussion from the accident, and I hate saying this gentlemen, but she may have lost some memories with it.”

Memories of Jon and their past, Mark and their past, Seth and her days in the WWE…it was all a blur to Brinley and just gone in the blink of an eye. She remembered her family, there was no worries on that front, but her work and personal history was spotty at best. She remembered working in WWE, but not how she made it to AEW, only that she remembers she worked for them. It was weird how the brain worked and with a concussion of her grade, it wasn’t surprising either. The doctor did say that one day the memories could return and reminding her of certain events in her life may very well trigger them, but it wasn’t a guarantee.

Chris was thinking that her brain had used the car accident and concussion as a way to erase traumatic events. WHY her brain felt the need to do that to begin with, at this point in time, was beyond him. She’d had enough trauma to last her at least four lifetimes, it should have done a total reset way beyond now.

Jon had a feeling her psychological break that night may have had something to do with it, but the only people who had witnessed it were him, Tony, and Marina. Hell, HE had been the sole witness to the break in all its glory before she had taken off; it had been just them in that parking lot, her singing and snapping her fingers while he had realized that he had pushed her too far this time. Marina hadn’t gotten close enough to really hear anything, he knew that. He brought a hand up over his eyes, squeezing them shut tight and hissed through his teeth.

The more Chris thought about it, the more he liked this. Jon Good was GONE outside of a coworker. That meant Brinley could move on and live peacefully now, a fresh start from everything this man had inflicted on her. Chris swore right then and there that if Jon even thought about putting his sister through hell ever again, he’d kill the man and be done with it.

“Can I go see her?”

“Of course.”

Brinley looked up when the door opened, seeing only her brother and not Jon Moxley, wondering where he was. A few seconds later, he followed suit, after asking the doctor another question about trauma, though Chris hadn’t stuck around for it. “This is so embarrassing, I can’t believe I got into a car accident and broke my arm.” And her brain, not that Brinley really understood that, only that she had a very bad concussion and was still suffering from it. “My head feels like a weight is on it too.” Leaning her head back, she smiled in spite of everything and looked over at Jon Moxley with confusion in her emerald eyes. “So I know why my brother is here and my Mom is at the hotel right now, according to what the doctor said, but…what brings you here, Moxley? Or should I call you Jon? You’re in AEW now, so I’m sure you don’t want to be called Ambrose anymore.” She sounded amused, eyes twinkling despite the headache she had.

It was like Brinley was a whole different person.

“Because I took responsibility for you when you were admitted, Angel.”

“Brinley.” Chris corrected since she didn’t know who ‘Angel’ was or her past with the monster sitting across from her.

This was probably the fourth happiest day of his life. Granted, there were public records and images of them from when they had been married, but unless she went digging or this idiot shoved all that down her throat, she’d never remember. She’d never relive the trauma again.

“Brinley,” Boy, did that leave a sour taste in his mouth. This was like a catch .22. On the one hand, she didn’t know about HIM as her ex-husband or anything from their very complicated history. Other hand, their history hadn’t been all bad and now she didn’t know about that either. “I’m working really close with Tony,” Sort of, more like Tony was his personal puppet these days. “And when he heard about what had happened…I volunteered to come.”

This son of a bitch was lying through his teeth, but Chris really didn’t see a reason to call him out on it, trying not to frown.

“Oh, well that was very nice of you. You didn’t have to do that.” They didn’t really know each other outside of the business, but Brinley appreciated the thought, nevertheless. “I can see why you’re the locker room leader in AEW.” For some reason, she didn’t mind being called ‘Angel’, though there was a very little niggle inside her brain trying to get her to remember something. That was an interesting feeling. It was gone as fast as it disappeared and she sipped some more of her water. “Next question, when can I get out of here and does Mom know I’m awake?”

“Yeah, I called her and she’s on her way up.” Brianna did not like the fact Jon was here when she first arrived, but Chris begged her not to cause a scene since it was the ICU at the time.

“Well, my family is here, so I’m sure you have better things to do, Mr. Moxley.” She had no idea what to call him and Jon didn’t seem right for some reason, so Mr. Moxley it was. “Thanks again for sticking around and I’m really sorry about this. Will you let Tony know that I’ll be back to work as soon as I’m better?”

The hospital would kick Jon out when Brianna arrived and honestly, he had paid off the nurses to let him know, so he could vacate. He doubted she’d handle seeing him very well since she blamed him for the loss of her husband. Jon could tell them the truth until the day he died, they wouldn’t believe him and, given his history and the other things he said he had done, even if he’d been lying, he didn’t blame them.

“You’re off for a while, Brinley.” Jon felt like she was dismissing him and he probably could use a shower anyway.

He had been here in the same clothes for a few days and bathing in the private bathroom sink here had only taken him so far. A shower, some clean clothes and a proper bed, he needed that desperately and he could let his own broken mind attack him afterwards. There was a LOT he needed to think on and…he didn’t know, sighing as he simply stared at her.

“I’m glad you’ll be all right, you scared…us.” Me, you scared me. He had never been more terrified in his life. Jon bet if he divulged what he knew about that night, her memory loss would make a LOT more sense to the doctors.

It wasn’t that she was dismissing him, but there was also no reason for him to stick around here. They didn’t know each other, they weren’t even friends from what she remembered. Then again, maybe they were? She would have to ask Chris more questions later after Jon Moxley was gone.

“Sorry about that, didn’t mean to, but I’ll be right as rain in no time and back to work before you know it.” Brinley winked at him and let out a yawn, wincing as soon as she did that because her body was still incredibly sore. She was a go-getter, an energizer bunny, and what did Chris call her? Roadrunner? She remembered that, giggling to herself and Chris raised a brow, chuckling when she recalled the nickname he gave her. “I didn’t have smoke coming out of my tennis shoes or anything, right?” Another wince from laughter and Chris ordered her to lay back and stop laughing, kissing the crown of her head. “Don’t leave, brother. I hate hospitals and I don’t wanna be alone.”

“I’m right here, Brin. I’m not going anywhere and Mom will be here in a few minutes.”

“Okay…” Another yawn. “Okay…” She was out like a light just before her mother arrived and Jon had already left the premises.

Chapter 45

Jon had a million thoughts racing through his head after he lay down finally in a clean bed, with a cleansed body, and not a stitch of clothing on him. On one hand, he could do the right thing and leave her and her family the hell alone. He could let her have a happy, panic free life, away from him, blissful in her own ignorance. Or, this could be his second chance to rekindle what they had when they hadn’t been looming under the cloud of his own creation, when they had been truly happy. They could have that again, minus the other problems, minus his coercion, minus his hate and abuse. Minus the pain. He liked that idea, a lot more then he probably should, given he was praying the other night for her recovery and safety. Was this his prayer’s being answered? That was a pretty screwed up way of answering them.

Then again, Brinley hadn’t been receptive to his advances, the things he had done to show her that he wasn’t the same man. Well, he was, but he wasn’t, or he wasn’t trying to be that man, that villain that had hurt her so badly. He had intervened at that club on her behalf, hadn’t he? Jon hadn’t even thought about it, just done it, gone to rescue her like she was a damsel in distress, even though he knew better than most that his ex-wife was a fire-breathing dragon. He closed his eyes, seeing her snapping her fingers manically in the parking lot, singing at him that she didn’t give a fuck, and wished he could turn his brain off.

Saving her in a club did not make up for the years of torment and abuse inflicted by him. It did not excuse his behavior and his threats towards her family, killing her father and all those people. It did not excuse the fact he had her house in Tampa blown sky-high or her parents’ poisoned by carbon monoxide, nearly killing them. Or sending her brother into thousands of thumbtacks during a match, embedding them into his skin and hurting him. Or careening her rental vehicle right into the damn ocean, nearly killing HER! Forcing her into submission to be his sex toy, his sex slave, and making her marry him on top of it! Forcing her to miscarry their first baby that she still didn’t know if the father had been Jon or Bray Wyatt. Cheating on her with COUNTLESS whores and ring rat sluts that only wanted the wrestler, Jon Moxley, and not the man himself.

Brinley had given him everything inside of her, complete and total submission, and her ONLY demand of him was to never cheat. Now granted, she had tried pushing him to do it several times throughout their marriage, even giving him the green light to do it, but when they were FINALLY happy and settled, trying to have a baby to start their family…those pictures had surfaced on his phone and it had put the final nail in their coffin. All he had to do was keep his dick out of other pussy – that was all Brinley asked of him, along with the obvious in not hurting and killing her loved ones. Cheating was the final straw for her and if Jon wanted her back, to win her heart, that could never happen again.

I hate you, Jon.

I hate you and I will never love you!

You broke us, not me, you did!

I love Mark, not you.

This would either turn out to be the greatest thing that ever happened to Jon or the worst.

Jon was hoping the greatest.

They could have a fresh start, a clean slate. As far as he knew, she was coming back to work, and he was also hoping her family hadn’t messed things up for him. There was any number of ways they could have done that. They could have told her all about their sordid little past, he knew Brinley had told Chris each and every little detail. They could have poisoned her against him before he even got the chance for that fresh start. They could have called in Seth, which would suck because he'd bet money Brinley herself had told Seth, and he really did not want to go to war with his former little buddy. Then there was the last potential issue: Mark Calaway. If she really did, or had, loved that old bastard and he came hunting her up, Jon was going to legitimately bury the Undertaker and NO amount of fanfare would bring him back to life.

Basically, every option was something he could work through, minus her own family screwing this up for him.

Fresh start, they were going to have a fresh start!

~!~

After talking it over together, against their better judgment, and because they didn’t want to upset Brinley or traumatize her, both Brianna and Chris, mother and son, made the decision to keep the truth from Brinley about her sordid past with Jon. There was no reason to bring it up and Chris was hoping, PRAYING, that Jon stayed away from his sister. Something told him the bastard wouldn’t though. Brianna felt the same way, they had seen the pure love and worry in Jon’s eyes while he sat by Brinley’s bedside in the hospital, refusing to leave, refusing to release her hand, and praying. He had actually prayed for her to wake up and it had been the longest 48 hours of their lives.

It was the Wednesday after the AEW pay-per-view event, WrestleDream, where Bryan Danielson had lost the AEW World Heavyweight championship to Jon Moxley. It was also the man’s retirement as well. Everything had gone perfectly with the match and they beat the snot out of each other before Bryan finally submitted, handing over the prestigious title into the hands of Jon Moxley and the Death Riders. Now even though the Death Riders weren’t on the card this night, they were still backstage and had other business to handle behind the scenes.

Brinley had made her return to AEW with a big smile on her face, her arm fully healed along with every other injury she sustained. The concussion was also gone and she’d gotten a clean bill of health from her doctor in Tampa, ordering her to call if she suffered any dizzy spells or anything. Tony had been hesitant to let her back so soon, but Brinley assured him having over a month off was more than enough time to heal and she was ready to get back to work. It was warm outside in San Jose, California, so she had on a pair of jean capris and a simple burnt orange blouse, her golden blonde hair braided over her shoulder.

Jon had been worried about her returning so soon, almost dreading it, because he had spent a LOT of time Googling and researching memory loss. What caused it, different types, how memories could recover via certain triggers. He was really hoping that coming into an arena didn’t trigger anything, or her seeing Tony for that fact. Tony definitely hadn’t forgotten that night, how she had lost her mind and screamed at him before storming out of the office. Tony was also under orders to never bring that incident up to her; it was all in the past and considering she could have died, he had to let bygones be bygones.

Also, Jon would choke him to death with his bare hands.

Currently, Jon was outside smoking, watching each rental come in and then he seen her emerging from a car, a smile on her face. His heart may have stopped. She looked like she had never been in an accident, and there was none of the stress and anxiety she had worn before from him.

“Yes, Mom, I know. Yes, Mom, I got it.” Brinley had an ear piece in her ear while talking to her mother, making sure to stay hands free at all times while driving. Granted, she hadn’t been on a cell phone during the accident, the kid that struck her had, but Brinley was taking zero chances. That accident had changed her life, in more ways than one. “Listen, I gotta go I’m here. Love you and I’ll see you tomorrow sometime. Uh huh, bye.” Ending the call, she looked up after tucking the ear piece in the purse over her shoulder and smiled brightly at none other than Jon Moxley. Her heart might’ve skipped several beats too since the man was chiseled out of stone, shirtless, smoking a cigarette. “Good evening, Mr. Moxley.” She greeted with absolutely no fear or trepidation in her voice, an extra kick in her step since she was finally back on the road to work and away from her overbearing, overprotective mother.

Brianna had every right to be concerned and overprotective. Her daughter had already been through so much only to come out of it a survivor, stronger for it, and a stupid kid had about taken her off this earth! Brianna had gotten her daughter back after she had finally left Jon; she was NOT losing her now, even if she had to insulate Brinley in a plastic bubble.

“You know, doll,” Maybe using ‘Angel’ was not a good idea. He let the word roll off his tongue, he liked it the way it rasped. “That’s not my name, it’s Good.” Just as hers had once been. “I’m the welcome wagon, Tony was worried you might not remember how to navigate the backstage areas.”

“Oh really? Well, do you want me to call you Mr. Good then?” She didn’t have a problem with that and he shook his head, requesting to be called Jon or Mox. Either way worked for him. Since they didn’t know each other very well, Brinley decided ‘Mox’ was the way to go for now. “Well, you can tell Tony not to worry, I remember how to navigate an arena. Don’t mind the welcome wagon though.”

She had no idea she used to smoke cigarettes either since Brinley had quit prior to her accident. Chris had explained to her, in a summarized version, that Jon Moxley had taken over AEW in order to help turn things around with Tony Khan. Viewership was down, ticket sales were down, and hopefully the company wasn’t on its way going down the tubes. Brinley wasn’t worried, having all the faith in the world in this company and fixed her purse strap on her shoulder.

“You don’t have to wait on me, Mox. I can head inside and find my way.”

“And disappoint the bossman, nah.” She just shrugged at him, flashed another one of those smiles, and inside they went, with him tossing that cigarette over his shoulder on his way through the door.

Not surprised that the work ethic was still there, or that independent streak of hers. He had been a little concerned that some of her core traits would be gone, along with her memories. Jon had also wondered, and was eventually planning on testing out, if the body had its own memory system, like physical memories. He knew muscle memory was a thing, one did something enough and it just became an embedded action. He was wondering how that would work if he were to kiss her, snatch her into a dark room.

No, no, that didn’t end so well the last time.

Due to her memory lapse with those memories, more than likely, nothing would trigger if Jon did something like that to her. Brinley was back to who she used to be PRIOR to all the trauma Jon caused her, prior to meeting him in those dark dressing rooms in WWE. This was who she was, an absolute gem with a heart of gold, who would give the shirt off her back to anyone in need. She wasn’t full of anxiety, fear, and stress, always looking over her shoulder to make sure nobody would attack. That was how she felt prior to the accident and now…all of that was gone.

Did Jon even bother getting to know the REAL Brinley?

No, he didn’t because all he’d given her was four months of fiery passion in those dressing room rendezvous and then the moment he revealed himself, he decided to turn into a complete monster. Instead of giving her the benefit of the doubt and working his way into her heart, taking the long way, Jon had reverted to threats and instilled fear inside of her. “I wanted to thank you again.” She looked up at him with sparkling emerald eyes while they walked down the hallway together. “You didn’t have to stay in the hospital with me when my accident happened and I appreciate it, Mox.” For some reason, calling him Mox didn’t feel right to her, but Jon was out of the question for now.

Jon had decided he was going to do this the old-fashioned way. As tempting as pulling her into a dark room and fucking her senseless, into submission, sounded, he wanted to try doing this right this time around. There WOULD be another ‘time around’, of that he had no doubt, but he didn’t want to give her any reason to use the words ‘coercion’ or ‘force’ or ‘threaten’ against him ever again. Granted, if her family or anyone else got involved, he might slip back into some old habits because he wasn’t allowing anything to screw this up.

“No problem, you know, we worked together a bit,” That was sort of true and he needed something to keep the conversation going. “We were both in WWE at the same time. I don’t know if you remember that.” Because videos weren’t going to lie, that was also public knowledge.

“Oh yeah, I remember you being with the Shield.” That was pretty much all she remembered when it came to Jon in the WWE, None of the locker room sexual encounters or anything she’d had those four months with Jon. All gone. Wiped clean. “My brother didn’t like you very much, but you did what you had to do to make it and now you’re both in AEW. Funny how life works, right?” She laughed, moving out of the way when Darby Allin came skating by on his skateboard, waving at her. Brinley waved back at him while she kept walking with Jon, feeling completely at ease with him. “By the way, congratulations Mr. four time AEW champion.” That made him smirk and she giggled in response.

He nearly bristled at the mention of her brother. It was like she had been mind-wiped prior to him, Jon, waltzing into her life and that was both a blessing and a curse. “To be honest, he still doesn’t really care for me,” That was a little white lie. No, it was a big fat lie, but she didn’t really need to know that, now did she? “But he tolerates me now. I’ve grown on him.” Kind of like cancer, Jon was Chris’ personal cancer and he liked it that way, liked the idea of slowly killing the older man, especially if he ran his big, fat mouth. “And thank you.” Four time champion, savior of this company, her soon-to-be husband again, if he had his way.

“Yeah well, let’s be honest, my brother doesn’t like a lot of people and he’s got a bit of an ego problem. Still love him, but he needs to be knocked down a peg or three with that ego.”

Brinley had noticed it in the hospital and during her recovery, not believing her sister-in-law had actually slapped the hell out of him. Chris’s excessive drinking was starting to get out of hand and the family was starting to see it. If he wasn’t careful, he’d end up drinking himself right into a grave and Brinley had even pointed that out to him. Needless to say, her and Chris didn’t talk much after that.

“Don’t take it personally, Mox, I don’t.” She touched his arm gently, wanting to assure him that she understood where he was coming from when it came to her surly brother.

What in the actual hell? Jon would be the first to admit that he was not the same person he had been all that time ago. He was not as…impetuous. He had let his balls and anger guide him early on and it had taken him several years to gain the patience he now possessed. It was what made it so he could carry this company whenever they tried doing things the stupid way and started floundering, patience. If he had gotten to know her, properly, instead of going about things the way he had…would this be the stuff she would have said back then? Jon just stared down at her, his blue eyes finally crinkling at the corners as he smiled down at her. Or maybe she and Chris had had issues and he hadn’t been aware. Either way, she was touching him willingly and he was enjoying it. A lot.

“Nah, doll, I don’t, don’t you worry about that.” He tapped the door they had stopped in front of. “I think you’ve reached your destination.” Tony knew to keep his trap shut or Jon would rip his tongue out through his throat.

“Thank you again for being my personal welcome wagon and bringing me here. See you around, Mox.” Brinley winked with another stunning smile before walking into Tony’s office, closing the door behind her.

Chapter 46

“Brinley! Welcome back, sweetheart!” Tony was always full of energy and he knew better than to mention anything that happened the last time she was in his office. Clean slate just like Moxley said. “You look absolutely beautiful and healthy! Are you sure you’re ready to come back? You could’ve taken more time off…”

“Oh trust me, I was more than ready to come back. I love my Mom to death, but she was driving me crazy. I get it, I’m her only daughter and baby girl, but I’m also 44 years old and being coddled got old after a while.” Brinley assured him, giving him a thumbs up and Tony had to admit, she sounded raring to go. “I’m not gonna load you up with a lot tonight. The Black – sorry, the Death Riders are not in a match tonight, just a segment that was already filmed. I’m gonna give you the women’s match and work your way back up to the Death Riders.”

“Do they still want me to be their personal producer?”

Good, she remembered that much. “Yeah, I hope you’re okay with that. I know their matches were running you ragged before…”

“No worries, Tony, I got this. You can even give me another match on top of this one if you want.”

Tony was told explicitly by Moxley NOT to overwhelm Brinley her first night back on the job and shook his head. “No, my dear, that will be all. Just the women’s match tonight.”

“Okay, and thank you for everything you did for me while I was in the hospital. I really appreciate it and if there’s anything I can do to repay you or Mox, please let me know.”

For her sake, he really hoped she hadn't said that to Mox because the man was crazy. Tony knew business wise he was gold, he was probably one of the main reasons AEW hadn't floundered yet, but on a personal level, psycho. He just smiled, trying not to remember the very explicit description of what was going to happen to him if he screwed up and even thought about mentioning THAT night. Something about triggering trauma and no, they did NOT want that. Tony's name was still the one that would be in the court papers if that went south. He had none of the power, but all of the liability.

Just because Jon and god were apparently talking again did not mean Jon had given up ALL his wicked ways. He was whistling as he studied himself in the mirror. He had no reason to really be here tonight, but…Yeah, she was here.

Brinley had no clue just who Jon Moxley/Good was and was blissfully in the dark about all of his evil ways and deeds. However, she really wasn’t a huge fan of Mercedes Mone, who had been Sasha Banks in WWE. The woman was full of herself, thought the sun shined out of her backside, when she wasn’t that great in the ring, nothing like DMD Britt Baker. It was amazing how Brinley remembered all of these things, yet there were parts of her brain that had completely wiped certain memories, fogging things.

The match was for the AEW TBS championship tonight with Mercedes defending against Queen Aminata, another wrestler she didn’t know. Shortly after starting back in AEW, Brinley had been taken off the women’s matches and directly put on as the Blackpool Combat Club’s. They were now known as the Death Riders and it was sad since she really liked that name better than Death Riders, personally. Once she spoke to Queen Aminata, who was a sweetheart, it was time to go pay Mercedes a visit and she raised a brow at the guard standing outside of the woman’s private locker room.

Wow, even too good to dress with the other ladies, eh? “Hi, is Mercedes in there? I need to have a word with her about her match tonight and have her sign off on this?” One thing about Brinley was her professionalism was on point and she stepped back when the guard opened the door, letting Mercedes know she had company.

“Tell her to give you the paperwork and I’ll sign it IF I like how the match goes down.”

Even her tone of voice was haughty and Brinley did as requested by the guard, watching the paper slip past the little crack in the door.

“Brinley?”

Turning, or barely starting to, she was clobbered by Saraya and immediately hugged her back, laughing softly at the woman’s elation seeing her again. “Hey Saraya, let up I can’t…breathe…”

“Oh – OH, sorry! Sorry, I just…my god, I can’t believe you’re here already! Are you all right? Do you feel okay?” Saraya hadn’t heard anything from Brinley since her accident and was a little peeved about it, until she found out the woman had amnesia. “I’m so glad you’re okay and you remember me!”

“Of course I do, silly! And I’m right as rain, mostly. Lost some memories, but hey, price you pay when you’re t-boned and sent flying through a windshield, right?”

Saraya frowned, hugging her again. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you.” She had no idea about the falling out between her, Jon, and Tony Khan. “Listen, you, me, and Marina are going out tonight and having a few drinks to celebrate your return and I won’t take no for an answer!”

Brinley didn’t see the harm in it, grinning. “I’m game.”

That eventually would get back to Jon and he wouldn't be happy about it because it wasn't like he could threaten the entire back room to not tell her things, that was only going to go so far. On the other hand, if Marina went this could work out in his favor. She could maybe work in something about how he had intervened the last time they went clubbing to defend Brinley’s honor. No, no, that was a horrible idea. He probably should put a bug in Marina’s ear about not mentioning him or their marriage, best not to overwhelm her. Marina, he could trust. She had been on board scrambling Brinley’s eggs and he was so thankful he hadn't gone that route, glad he had a change of mind and heart.

“Awesome, we can bunk up together and get an Uber, make it a total girls night!”

“Hell yeah!”

“Umm EXCUSE ME? Hello? Don’t you have a job to do right now?” Mercedes was annoyed by this chatter outside of her dressing room, handing over the paperwork to her guard, who pushed it towards Brinley. “Just because you’re Jon Moxley’s EX-wife doesn’t mean you can just drag your fucking feet around here!” Snorting, she slammed the door shut with authority and left Brinley and Saraya standing there with dropped jaws.

It was almost as if Brinley’s mind was short circuiting and she grabbed her head, feeling a zip of pain shoot through it. “Brinley? BRINLEY, are you all right?!” Saraya wrapped an arm around the woman’s shoulders, guiding her away from Mercedes’ locker room and leaned her back against the wall. “Do you want to go to the trainer’s?”

“No, I’m fine. I’m fine, it’s going away.” Blinking several times, Brinley looked over at her friend with confused eyes, trying to wrap her mind around the bomb Mercedes just dropped on her. “I was married to Jon Moxley?”

“Umm…” Why hadn’t Chris told her about that? There was no way they could hide that fact from Brinley, even with her amnesia! “Yeah, yeah you were. It was a LONG time ago though, from my understanding.”

“A long time ago? Like how long ago exactly?” Brinley had so many questions now, wondering why her family didn’t tell her anything about this. Was that why Moxley was in the hospital room with her when she woke up? “I need to sit down.”

“Let’s go to the cafeteria and get something to drink, sweetheart.” Saraya guided her away from Mercedes’ locker room towards catering, going slower than usual since Brinley was rubbing her temples with her fingers.

Married? She was married to Jon Moxley, of all people? What the hell? How could she forget something like that? Then Brinley had another issue – Mercedes called her his ex-wife, not his wife, so that meant they were divorced. Why did that happen? Why didn’t their marriage work out? She had no idea there was video footage in AEW during his feud with her brother on Dynamite several years ago that revolved around their marriage coming to a bitter end. What else had Brinley forgotten?

Fortunately, everything. She had forgotten about the rooms in the dark they had fucked in across the country when he had merely been her secret lover and not her tormenter. Brinley had forgotten about the bad things he had done, claiming misdeeds for when tragedy had struck her family repeatedly, even though he hadn’t done anything. His cheating on her. Their happier moments in Vegas, in the Red Rocks where they had fallen in love. The babies they both had wanted.

She had also forgotten Mark Calaway, the man who had just wanted her to be happy, whether it was with him or not. She had forgotten the cruel things they had said to and about each other the last time they had seen each other, when they had reconciled for a tumble, only to walk away from each other hours later.

Jon was totally fine with her forgetting that jackass.

“Wanna see some clips? You two did a storyline about it to end things here in AEW.” Or at least, that was what everyone was told officially and nobody really questioned it because they had no reason to. Chris had kept everything under wraps and it wasn’t like Brinley or Jon had gone around blabbing about the reasons behind their divorce. Jon had always said sometimes things didn’t work out.

“I’m sorry, what?” They found a table in catering in the back and Saraya took her phone out to pull up the video on YouTube, showing it to her. Brinley pressed play and felt her eyes widen, trying to make out some of the things she said to him. What the hell?! Brinley tilted her head, trying to figure out how she wound up on AEW television in a storyline with her brother and Jon Moxley, who was supposedly her husband. “This is just…”

“Fucked up? Yeah, nobody knows if it was storyline or not and I’d ask you, but the look on your face is telling me you don’t remember any of this.”

Saraya was right. Brinley didn’t and handed the phone back to her friend when she was done watching it, looking down at her left ring finger. Married. She was married at one point to Jon Moxley. Mrs. Moxley? No, his last name was Good, so she was Mrs. Good? How long were they married for? Was it back in WWE? Jon had made that cheeky comment about them knowing each other in WWE while they’d been walking and talking to each other on the way to Tony’s office earlier.

“I need to talk to him.”

“Wait, what?”

“I’m sorry, Saraya, I may not be able to do girl’s night tonight after all. Raincheck!” Brinley called out over her shoulder while making her way out of the cafeteria, heading towards the Death Rider’s dressing room.

Then Brinley suddenly stopped, something inside of her making her freeze in her tracks, and she didn’t understand what this feeling was. Something told her if she confronted Jon about being married and started asking questions…it wouldn’t end well. Why was she feeling this way? What was wrong with asking her ex-husband questions about their marriage and time together that she had forgotten?

What good would it do when I don’t remember anyway? We’re divorced for a reason, so obviously we fell out of love with each other or something. Her words were very quietly said on that video, so Brinley couldn’t hear what was being said, only watching Jon being beaten down by the Inner Circle lead by her brother. Whipping out her cell phone, she sent a quick text to Saraya. Hey, don’t tell anyone I know about this, okay? I’m not going to bring it up to him. Maybe he’ll come to me when he’s ready and then we can talk about it. I’m just going to pretend I don’t know we were married and have a history for now.

Maybe. He plays things close to the chest and if he knows you don’t have a memory, he might not bring it up at all.

There was no denying that Mox still carried a torch for his ex-wife. Everyone who had heard about that car accident knew he had been at the hospital for days with her, he had left here like hell hounds were chasing him that night. Did she tell her friend that or not? No, maybe not right out the gate, Brinley was already struggling to process everything. She didn’t need to throw her ex-husband back into the mix.

You sure you don’t want to go out? Take your mind off of it?

Saraya had no idea how she’d react in that situation, having little memories but finding out she had been married to a guy she’d worked with now. That was a lot to process, she’d probably go get herself good and drunk. Maybe find the ex-husband for a romp because Mox was a fine piece of slightly deranged backside too.

Sex was the absolute last thing on Brinley’s mind. Getting drunk as a skunk and hitting Moxley up for sex sounded like a recipe for disaster. Not that she knew Saraya had been thinking that because Brinley was far from a mind reader. All she knew was she had a LOT to catch up on and her brain was trying to do it at warp speed, giving her a headache again. The doctor did tell her she might not be completely over the concussion, but there was really no way to tell that. There might be lingering after effects from it for a while, but they would gradually taper off.

I’m going to pass on tonight. I just wanna go back to the hotel and relax, get my mind off things. Raincheck, I promise! Maybe looking up some more videos on YouTube might jog my memory a little more. That sounded like a plan as Brinley made her way back to the producers office to grab a seat to watch the show, though her mind was a million miles away. Married. I was married. I wonder how long we were married for. Was it before his tenure in AEW or were we married when he left WWE to come here?

Fortunately, the Internet only held good things about their memories, in the videos she would find if she decided to go that route. Jon very rarely showed his true nasty side for other people, not she had known him, so he was very careful about what he said and did, how he acted when he knew there were cameras or cell phones when out and about, unless it was for the ring.

Then it didn’t count.

Chapter 47

Towards the end of the show, most of the others had cleared out, they weren’t really required anymore, and it was just her in there. Jon knocked once before walking into the room, eyeballing the emptiness minus her. “Everyone abandon you, doll?”

Not surprising, Brinley had been in charge of a LOT before that concussion and this newer group of people didn’t have her former dedication. He didn’t blame them, he supposed for the newer generations, work-life balance was a thing. He was a little old-school, he supposed. This WAS his life. Or had been. Jon was looking directly at the life he wanted, who seemed bemused as she realized she was by her lonesome.

“I love watching the shows, what can I say?” Brinley smiled back at him and stood up from the desk that she had settled in, turning off the television provided for them. “And I wouldn’t say they abandoned me. They don’t have to stay if they don’t want to.”

For years, ever since she started doing this job, whether it was in WWE or AEW, the thrill and satisfaction of watching a match she produced come to fruition on-screen was amazing. Everything had went off without a hitch between Queen and Mercedes and Brinley had gotten that same rush all over again. However, it was time to start heading out herself.

“Oh, did you need something from me, Jon?” The way she said his name just flowed out naturally unlike Moxley and she didn’t even realize what she called him while gathering her belongings.

Hadn’t she been calling him Mr. Moxley, Mox, or she had tried Mr. Good…either way, Jon was pleased at how natural it sounded, her rolling that out, and he grinned at her. “Nah, doll, I was just coming to check up on you, make sure you’re okay. Tony took off, problem with the family, I guess.” That was a lie, Tony had a headache and Tony was also a little afraid. Jon couldn’t imagine the two things went together, not when he was such a delight to his ‘boss’. “I’m about to head out though, grab some dinner at this diner down the way.”

He hesitated, wondering if this new ease he felt from her was just because she was glad to be back to work or something else; he was an idiot sometimes and he knew it. All night long, he had been hoping nobody or nothing triggered anything bad. It seemed like he had gotten his wishes because he didn’t see or sense any of the tension and anxiety she had possessed prior to the concussion.

“They have some pretty bad ass cheesecake, if you want to join me.”

Emerald eyes lit up at the mention of cheesecake, which was her favorite dessert and Brinley looked a little sheepish, especially after finding out they’d been married in the past. “You’re sure you want to hang out with me? Don’t you have someone else you’d rather spend time with or…?” Those intense blues of his were making her insides quake and it wasn’t fear in her eyes, just pure curiosity. There’s no way he doesn’t have a girlfriend. Right? He’s gorgeous and those eyes are melting me. Shit! Look away, Brinley! Clearing her throat, she decided it was time to take a leap of faith and broke their eye contact, really hoping she didn’t make a mouth mistake. “I do admit, you got me curious about this cheesecake, so lead the way, Jon.” That stunning smile was back on her face instantly as she followed him out the door. Maybe Saraya is right. Maybe he’s afraid to mention the fact we used to be married and he won’t bring it up. If we were married, we’re definitely not strangers and know each other very well. Or well, he knows ME, but I don’t know a thing about him anymore.

Jon had no idea what he would ever say to her if she asked about their marriage. Maybe some of the truth. He had been unfaithful and that had been the straw. No. NO. He wasn’t telling her that.

Brinley HAD loved him, even after everything he had done to her and her family, and the final straw for their marriage had been him stepping out on her. Memories or not, he had a feeling that would end anything with this version of Brinley before it even got started and he didn’t want that. A very small part of Jon was informing him that if he did confess it and was honest, there was also that very, very small chance that she might forgive him and look past it.

Jon didn’t trust that voice, it was a stupid voice. “You want to follow me or we can walk, and I can walk you back to your car?” It really was just down the street and the weather was clear, so he didn’t feel too apprehensive about her driving. He had a feeling anytime there was rain, he was going to have anxiety and Jon didn’t like that. When she said they could walk, he extended his elbow to her with a smile, staring down at her intently. “May I?” He grinned when she rolled her eyes, but hooked her arm through his anyway.

“Hang on, let me put my bag in the back of my car.”

Jon nodded, leading her to her rental vehicle and tossed it in the back before locking the doors, her arm instantly looping through his again. All she had on her was her purse, which had her wallet, car keys, and hotel keycard. There were so many thoughts rolling through her mind, but all of that was pushed aside as her and Jon started talking on their way to the diner about the show that night. Nothing too serious, it felt so easy to talk to him. It really was a gorgeous night, though the city prevented them from seeing the millions of stars in the sky. Good thing she was wearing tennis shoes instead of heels tonight, even though the walk wasn’t that far away.

They arrived in the small diner and was told to choose whatever seats they wanted, so Jon lead them to a booth to sit across from each other. Her arm slipped out of his and Jon let her sit first before he did the same, both perusing the menu while sipping their complementary water. A greasy cheeseburger with fries sounded amazing, so that was what Brinley ordered and she grinned when Jon joined her as the waitress took their order before walking off to get it started.

Jon would admit, if only to himself, he liked this version of Brinley. She wasn’t obsessed with her weight obviously like she had been in the past. That cheeseburger and those fries were proof of that, especially when she asked if she could add toppings to her fries. If was also a bit of a quick in the balls because he COULD have had this Brinley from the start. To be fair, to himself, because he was tired of beating himself up over the past, he hadn’t PLANNED on falling for his spinster bitch. That had just been a byproduct of him being a royal cocksucker with the intent of using her to inflict massive pain on her interfering, career stalling, know it all, brother.

Young Jon hadn’t been as thoughtful as older Jon.

However, because he didn’t need her remembering the past anytime soon, he wasn’t going to discuss their marriage, and he was going to try like hell not to do anything to trigger memories. That meant maybe cheesecake had been a bad idea, since he knew it was her favorite. “Hey, add a chocolate milkshake to mine, please.” He informed the waitress when she came over to let them know the order had been put in. He was having a cheat day, he felt good, and his Angel was smiling at him genuinely. Today was definitely that kind of day. “You want one, doll?”

“Hmm, are they that good?” His nod made her chuckle and she ordered one for herself, popping a fry in her mouth and closed her eyes at how delicious the food was.

The accident had really put a lot of things into perspective for her. Life was too short not to enjoy everything it had to offer and that included delicious food. There would be no more diets, no more worrying about her figure, no more stressing about wrinkles and cellulite. It wasn’t worth it. She was beautiful just the way she was, inside and out, and Brinley would continue keeping that positive mindset.

The chocolate shakes arrived and she took the first sip, groaning at how delicious it was. “Okay, you were right, I’m sold. This is so damn good! Thank you again for inviting me out. I was just going to go back to my hotel room and grab some room service, so this is a treat.” Does he take out other women like this and have shakes and cheesecake with them too? The smile did not leave her face while she continued eating and sucking that chocolate shake down, having quite the appetite.

Go ahead, have another slice, Brinley. Go on and get fat, you’re how old now, spinster bitch? That shit ain’t coming off like it used to and it doesn’t matter how much ‘cardio’ you put in fucking me. That ass will look like cottage cheese before the year is out.

Jon HATED that memory popping up for him as he watched her happily dive into her food, not saying a word as he ate his own. This woman was gorgeous and he couldn’t even remember now WHY he had spewed that hatred at her, other than he was a cocksucker. Maybe it was after that baby, the one they hadn’t known who the father was. That had just been bad all the way around. She had been raped and he hadn’t called it that for a while; he had accused her of cheating when she hadn’t. He had fucked around countless times.

“Hotel food starts tasting the same after a while.” Jon avoided that, still preferring the budget inns, stuff that wasn’t hard on the wallet as it were. He preferred her in better hotels since it was safer, at least until she was with him again and then she’d have him to protect her.

She didn’t cheat with Bray Wyatt, though. She was raped, violently, by the man and impregnated by him, after being drugged. There was a HUGE difference between cheating and flat out rape. So honestly, Brinley had not cheated on him at all and had been completely faithful and loyal to her volatile husband.

“There are some hotels that have better food than others, but yeah, I usually grab something after the shows, depending on where we’re at. This diner is becoming a fast favorite though for this area.” She winked at him, taking another bite of her cheeseburger and took the napkin to wipe some ketchup from the corner of her mouth. Apparently, she didn’t get it all because Jon reached over, making her chew slower while the pad of his thumb wiped it away, her tongue snaking out to wet her lips after he pulled away and the roses in her cheeks bloomed. “Thanks…” What is he trying to do here? It never occurred to her for a second this was a date. “How’s your food? This cheeseburger is heaven.”

“Heaven,” Jon winked at her, echoing her statement. “”But I already knew that since I’ve been here a few times before.” Every time they came here, he was a creature of habit on certain things, tending to frequent places he felt comfortable at. This was one of those places. Bars also used to be those places, bars were now hotbeds of temptation because of the alcohol, he tried to avoid going to them these days. “I’m surprised,” Speaking of bars, he popped a handful of fries in his mouth, studying her thoughtfully. “You didn’t go out with the girls.” At her confused look, he shrugged. “Marina and I work together, and she mentioned it. Something about going out to celebrate your return.”

“Oh. Yeah, I started having a small headache and didn’t feel up to dealing with loud music and drunks.” Jon instantly looked concerned and she reached over to take his hand, squeezing it gently before letting it go. “I’m okay. The doctor said I could have headaches every now and then from the concussion, it’s nothing to worry about.” There was no reason to tell him what happened with Mercedes because that would just open up a can of worms that didn’t need to be opened. Brinley would not mention their marriage until Jon did, bottom line. “I told Saraya a raincheck and she understood.” Marina and Jon were friends. Brinley would have to file that away to think over later. Maybe they were dating and Jon just didn’t want to say anything, which was understandable if that was the case. “Oh man, I’m stuffed and we haven’t even gotten to the cheesecake yet. I might have to pass on it this time.” Not like they wouldn’t come back here in the future.

“You can take it back to the hotel with you, you know, for breakfast or something.” Jon was planning on devouring his since he had an appetite tonight. “Concussions are no joke.” He knew all about the side effects because he had had numerous over his career. Vomiting, headaches, dizziness, there was a bunch of side effects that could happen afterwards, and the worst part was, concussion effects could last weeks after the fact.

“They got you checking in regularly with the EMTs?” They had those at every show and he didn’t see it as a bad thing being monitored. He remembered him suggesting the blood pressure pills when she kept showing signs of stress, remembering how her pulse would go skyrocketing whenever he even got within her auditory range.

Brinley hadn’t taken that well.

“No, I go see my doctor on Thursday though for another checkup. I’m going to check in with him once a week for another two months whenever I fly home. I got the appointments lined up already, so no worries.”

Her blood pressure was perfect, along with her cholesterol and everything else. The headaches weren’t uncommon when recovering from a concussion and her doctor even told her the plane rides would probably cause them too. In Brinley’s eyes, it was worth it and she was looking forward to going home to her condo instead of to her mother’s for a change. Her mother refused to let her stay by herself until after she returned to work and got the clearance from her doctor, so she hadn’t been home in over a month.

“Anyway, I think I’ll take you up on that offer and eat it for breakfast since I have to be up early for my flight to Tampa.”

Tampa made sense and he knew where she lived, thanks to having access to all the personnel files, but even he knew creeping around her residence was a bad idea. It had been something he HAD been planning on doing prior to her accident, figuring at the time, if she wouldn’t give her the time of day any other way, he’d just have to make her. Now, he didn’t really have that problem.

“We’re gonna need her slice to go.” Jon murmured apologetically when the waitress appeared with their cheesecake. “Wrap mine too, please.” He made sure to lay out a large bill on the table to make up for the trouble, nodding when the waitress smiled and instantly began gushing about how it was no trouble at all.

He liked the way money worked sometimes.

The waitress was also openly flirting with him as well and Brinley tried her best not to pay attention to what was going on. It felt like forever before the woman sauntered off and she also didn’t miss the slip of the paper she gave Jon with her phone number on it either. Not my business, we’re divorced and I don’t even know him that well. He can be with whoever he wants. Brinley had already decided she would be keeping Jon in the friend zone from here on out, carrying her cheesecake with her back to the car as they made the trek back to the arena. Once again, they made small talk and finally, they arrived back at her car with Brinley pulling her keys out. “Thanks for dinner, do you need a ride back to the hotel?” She didn’t know he wasn’t staying in the same one as the rest of the AEW personnel and wrestlers, and raised a brow when he shook his head, pointing at his own rental just down the way. “Ah okay, well see you later and take care.” Extending her hand to him in a purely platonic way, she waited for Jon to shake her hand.

Jon didn’t feel like the woman was flirting until she had popped that slip of paper in his hand and then he realized that she had misinterpreted him paying her for service, as well as a monetary apology, was also apparently an advance on her. He cocked a brow down at her as he studied her hand, tossing that crumpled paper from the waitress aside instantly. He had only carried it out to avoid being a complete dick since he DID go there fairly often when he was in town. Jon may have to change his dining habits for a while since he definitely wasn’t calling the number he hadn’t bothered reading past the first three digits. She had gone from chatty to suddenly they were…he didn’t know, but he wasn’t pushing it. Brinley was probably tired from her first night back and he didn’t blame her.

“Take care, huh?” Jon teased, but he took her hand in his, squeezing gently rather than shaking.

“Yeah, you’re the champ, so gotta take care of yourself.” Brinley recalled he also wrestled for other wrestling organizations too, on top of the Death Riders taking over AEW recently too. She wasn’t sure how much was storyline and how much was real. All Brinley knew was Jon had his hands in a lot of pots throughout the wrestling industry and he worked his backside off, the grind was definitely real. “Have a great night, my friend.” Before he could say anything more, she was in her car and pulled out of there, waving with a big smile on her way to the hotel. Jon had just been officially friend zoned and Brinley didn’t know why, but she didn’t feel great about doing it. It’s the right thing to do. We’re divorced for a reason and I honestly don’t need any drama or distractions in my life right now. The moment she arrived at the hotel and put the cheesecake in the fridge, Brinley showered, changed, and was out cold the moment her head hit the pillow, making sure she set her alarm to get up to head to the airport on time to grab her flight home.

My friend? He had lit a cigarette almost as soon as her taillights were out of the parking lot, his blue eyes narrowing and he cocked his head to side, considering that entire thing. Friend? Why did it feel like she had just tried friend zoning him?

She had made a point to say ‘my friend’, when earlier she had been basically all business with him when he had met her at the building door, then warmed up, now it was ‘my friend’. Or maybe this was just what baby steps were when it came to her in a natural setting. Jon didn’t like that, he felt like he had used up a lot of patience already, trying to wriggle his way back into her life prior to the accident.

NO, she deserves it slow, and real this time, jackass.

He hated himself sometimes.

Chapter 48

Brinley had been home, enjoying her solitude and away from her mother’s overly smothering backside, for maybe a proper day when the motorcycle pulled straight into her driveway. It wasn’t a loud neighborhood, not a lot of vehicle traffic, thanks to it being a nicer, little more posh area, so when that motorcycle had turned down this street, everyone heard it.

Who the hell was pulling up into her driveway on a motorcycle?

Brinley had just sat down with a glass of iced cold sun tea, after spending the majority of the day cleaning, when she heard that rumble. Why did that send a jolt right through her? A warmth she couldn’t explain. Wearing a pair of black cotton shorts and a light pink racerback top, Brinley’s hair was piled on top of her head and she had zero makeup on since she was home. The inevitable knock sounded at her front door and she set her glass down, already moving towards it, her heart starting to pound furiously against her chest. Her doctor’s appointment was earlier that morning and she’d got another clearance before coming home to clean, having nothing better to do and the condo needed it with all the dust it accumulated. The moment she opened the door, Brinley came face to chest and then her emerald eyes traveled up the length of a massive chest until they met unreadable jade.

It took her a minute to remember who this was and a confused smile formed on her face, her brow raised. “Mark Calaway?” What in the world was the Undertaker doing here?

She didn’t get a chance to say much of anything else because a second later, that jolt had turned into several strands of electricity coursing through her simply because the giant had lifted her up into a hug, his face burying in her neck, inhaling her scent. “Jesus, darlin’, you scared the shit out of me!”

He had heard about her accident that had made the news, and he had reached out to Brianna. Mark had stayed away when he learned Jon was there, aware he would probably lose his mind and start a problem in the hospital if Mark went there. Brianna had told him about the concussion, about the memory loss, about how they were just going to let Brinley either recover her memories ‘on her own’ or live a new, fresh life. He wasn’t so good with the ‘on her own’ idea at all. Mark had given her time, aware he wasn’t supposed to be here, but if she had gone back to work, around all those people she knew, he didn’t see the harm in being here himself. He set her down when she didn’t hug him back, frowning at the awkward look on her face.

She really had forgotten him, hadn’t she?

It had been years since she last saw Mark, so this reaction from him had her a little startled, if she was honest. “Umm…it’s good to see you too?”

The last time she saw him was back in 2009, when they ended their on and off again fling and he had stopped it to pursue Michelle McCool. His wife. Granted, Mark had made other appearances, but they were sporadic once 2010 rolled around and Brinley honestly avoided him as much as possible. Why was he here now? Brinley was so confused, stepping back and tried to get her bearings back in order, not wanting to be rude to one of the best legends in the industry. Last she knew, Mark and Michelle were still married with two kids and…that was all Brinley remembered.

“Do you want to come inside and sit down for a minute? I just made some iced tea and it’s obvious there’s something on your mind.” He nodded somewhat stiffly and stepped inside with her shutting the door behind him, following him into the living room and, while he took a seat, she went to retrieve a glass for him, pouring him some fresh sun tea. “I’ll admit, this visit is quite a surprise, Mark. We haven’t seen each other in quite a while. What brings you here and how did you know where I live?” She hadn’t lived here long, according to her mother and brother’s information they relayed to her.

It took him quite a moment to realize that she was acting almost like she had when he had ended their affair YEARS ago, when he realized he wanted Michelle and broke things off to pursue her. Brinley had been fine with it, but she had also stopped with the flirting and little sarcastic quips that had drawn him to her in the first place. She had been cordial and polite, impersonal. THAT was what he was getting from her right now and he took a slow sip of the tea to gather his bearings, eyeing her intently as he tried sorting out what he wanted to say. He’d deal with what he was feeling later, stuffing down the pit of despair that she had forgotten their two years together, their MOSTLY happy years.

“Darlin’, you know me, I always find a way,” She did know that about him; he had been sly back in the day and it had worked in their favor for their flings. “And I wanted to see you in person, after that accident.”

“No offense, but why would you care about my accident? It’s been well over a decade since we last spoke.” Brinley took a seat on the opposite side of the couch, sipping more of her tea and recalled the last conversation they had together.

Mark was honest with her, telling her that he had feelings for Michelle and they’d been hanging out together. They weren’t in a relationship, Mark wasn’t a cheater and he wasn’t a scumbag. He was a good, honest man and he wanted what he wanted. Brinley had been hurt at first, but when she saw Mark and Michelle together, it all made sense. They were meant to be, they were soulmates. She had no idea her and Mark had shared a home together, had a full-blown relationship for two years while she hid from her psycho ex-husband, Jonathan Good.

All of those memories had been wiped clean and Brinley kept a tentative smile on her face while staring back at him. “You didn’t have to come all the way here to see me. I’m perfectly fine as you can see. How’s retirement treating you?”

“Pretty good, most of the time.” Up until stupid moments occurred just to defecate on his life.

Such as the day he had left her, setting her free so she could be happy and not feel obligated to him. Or the day they had reconciled for some steamy sex only to break their own hearts again because they had been idiots. If he’d just swallowed everything down and they had gotten back together, she wouldn’t be like this now. A reset Brinley. Drumming his fingers on his kneecap, he considered her, reflected if he really cared about the Irvine’s allowing her to either remember everything if it came back on its own or let her live her brand new do-over life.

“You know, we’ve seen each other since those times.” He figured maybe he’d just see if he couldn’t jog it a little bit. “Michelle and I divorced years ago.”

She’d just taken another pull from her tea and it went spewing all over the place, right out of her mouth, her emerald eyes wide in shock. Brinley sputtered apologies and stood up from her couch, going to grab a towel from the kitchen to try to mop up the mess she just made. “Fuck! Didn’t mean to do that!” She had snorted some up her nose too and coughed more, groaning. That didn’t feel great either. “I’m sorry, what are you talking about, Mark? What do you mean we saw each other since those times? You’re talking about when we had sex, right?”

Him and Michelle were divorced?!

That also just registered in Brinley’s brain as she got down on her knees to start wiping the coffee table down. She had spewed that tea all down the front of his t-shirt and it came right off immediately because he couldn’t stand a wet shirt, unless he was working out. He wasn’t going around in a spit on shirt, eyeballing her when she stopped wiping the coffee table to look at him.

“Got a dryer we can toss this in, darlin’?” He didn’t need it washed, just not to be wet and uncomfortable. Florida was already humid enough, he wasn’t adding to that misery. He loved Texas, it was a drier heat. “And yeah, we seen each other a time or two after those times, after my divorce. She’s dating a guy named Carter, been seeing him for a few years now.”

When he said that, something warmed inside of Brinley she couldn’t explain and that warmth spread throughout her body when she noticed this man was bare from the waist up. Mark had taken that shirt off quickly and he was still as chiseled as he had been all those years ago. Did this man ever age?!

“Sure…” Brinley slowly rose to her feet and took his shirt, brushing their fingers together and a jolt of fire immediately slid up her arm. “I’ll wash it, it won’t take long. I’m really, REALLY sorry about spewing that shit on you. Didn’t mean to.” Needing a minute to get herself together, Brinley tossed the shirt in the washer, poured some detergent in it, and slammed the lid shut while taking several deep breaths to calm her racing heart. Why was her heartrate up? What did he mean by they had seen each other a time or two after his divorce? Why can’t I remember any of that? Goddamn accident!

He followed her slowly, smirking just a little wickedly. So maybe he shouldn’t jog too much of her memory, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t have their own little, what did her family call it? A reset? That didn’t mean he and Brinley couldn’t have a reset of their own and this time, he’d do it right. Mark wouldn’t let her walk away from him thinking that he wanted her to be his stay at home housewife, at his beck and call or whatever she thought, because he had never wanted that. He had wanted her to be happy and gone about all that the wrong way.

So, basically, Mark was almost as bad as Jon, in his own, less murderous sort of way.

“Brin, it’s gonna take like two hours just for a shirt.” Mark was exaggerating, more like an hour and some change. However, he was amused, leaning in the doorway to her laundry room, folding his arms over his muscular, bare chest.

“It’s fine, there’s no way I’d just dry a dirty shirt. Tea stains, too. My washer is pretty fast, around 30 minutes and then the dryer doesn’t take much time either. You’ll have it back relatively soon. Sorry I don’t have anything for you to wear in the meantime…” She was rambling and had looked at him while doing so, recalling those memories where they had been together.

Brinley thought for a second she might have fallen for Mark at one point, but those feelings had been stuffed away the moment he told her he was going to be with Michelle McCool. There were no hard feelings. She didn’t hate the woman or anything and thought they were cute together, once her hurt subsided.

“You said that we saw each other a time or two after your divorce.” She reiterated, waiting for him to affirm it with a nod and continued speaking. “What exactly do you mean by that?” Did they have sex again? Oh Christ…why would I think that NOW with this man shirtless in front of me?!

“What do you mean, darlin’?” He was well aware what she meant, but if she wasn’t going to come out and ask him directly, Mark could play coy too.

It almost felt like old times, BEFORE Jon had ruined her for everything and everyone else. Hell, maybe this concussion and memory loss would turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to her, providing that scumbag could stay away from her. If anything had happened after the hospital, if Jon had been in the picture, he didn’t know and he was assuming since Brinley was here in Tampa and not with that psycho bastard up her backside, she wasn’t back with the moron. Thank god for small favors. Mark took a small step towards her, tipping his head to the side almost quizzically, but his green eyes were beginning to sparkle, a grin quirking the side of his mouth.

Instinctively, she stepped back when he took that step forward, her eyes not leaving his and the laundry room was very small, so there wasn’t anywhere for her to go. Mark stood at 6’10 and weighed close to 300 pounds, most of it muscle with tattooed sleeved arms and his hair was currently black and braided, hanging down his back. “I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking you.” Her voice had lowered a little, her breathing kicking up a notch because of how fast her heart was beating in her chest.

Mark took another step and her back pressed against the washer, which was going with his shirt inside, cleansing it of that tea she spewed all over him earlier. Suddenly, his hands reached out to grip her hips and lifted her to plant Brinley on top of the washer with him standing between her thighs. Her hands were now on his bare chest, that heat engulfing her and he towered over her, which should’ve scared a woman of her size. No, it didn’t. All she felt was unbridled desire for him and knew it was because they had a history together, a very fun, sexual history.

“Were those times as fun as the ones we shared back in WWE? Care to try to jog my memory about them?”

“I’m about to, darlin’.” It was a low rumble, almost a predatory purr, the words coming out even as his head ducked down to meet hers, claiming her lips in a fiery kiss.

It was exactly as he had anticipated, an explosion of things all at once.

Lust and desire. Want and need. Sparks everywhere.

Mark was surprised the electricity between them didn’t short circuit her washer because she responded with a fierceness that almost did surprise him. Jesus, hadn’t she been touched since the last time they were together? That pleased him actually, the idea of it, aware no man would ever compare to him, and he couldn’t keep the low growl from escaping him when he felt those tiny hands snaking up along his shoulders until they were clasping his neck. His own hands moved to her lower back, down to her hips and backside, and pulled her forward on the machine until her body was flush against his so tightly, not even a piece of paper could pass between them.

There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that those times they had been together after his divorce had been of the sexual nature. How did THAT come about? When exactly had she been married to Jon? Did she cheat on Jon with Mark? Brinley didn’t think she would do something like that, but at the same time, she didn’t know. Currently, all she could focus on was the inferno inside of her this man caused and she knew in her heart he was the only one who could douse it.

Soft moans spilled from her mouth, which were somewhat muffled by him as their tongues danced together in a fiery, searing kiss, her hands moving to his shoulders and gliding down his tattooed sleeved arms and back up again, moving her head from side to side. Her body vibrated from the washer as well and it just intensified the moment between them, the taste of him exquisite and it was almost as if she’d suddenly gone back in time to 2007. “Mmm, yes…yes, I DEFINITELY remember this now…” Brinley murmured once the kiss reluctantly broke between the two of them, her fingers caressing his face and side of his goatee, their eyes locked. “What else happened between us, Mark?” Brinley spoke against his lips now, caressing his chest and trembling slightly. “Tell me, jog my memory some more, Deadman…”

Chapter 49

Did Mark tell her about how she had moved into his house?

Having nightmares that only finally subsided once she felt safe?

Wrapped in his arms, sleeping on his chest, knowing he and the hounds that had fallen for her, would protect her with their last breath from anything that might come to harm her? Did he tell her about the times in the kitchen where they had cooked and baked together, where Brinley had teasingly taught him the secret to her brownies? Or the times and the places they had both made love and fucked, bringing each other to heights they had never and would never reach with anyone else? No, he wasn’t going to tell her. Mark was going to show her and that was conveyed in his eyes as his hand moved to the back of her neck, to her nape, slowly sliding up until he was fisting her hair, holding her right there.

“How about I show you instead?” While he had been doing that, his other hand had been trailing lazily down her body, going for areas that spoke volumes about how well he knew her.

“Mark…” Brinley was on shaky ground, not remembering the last time she had sex.

It had to be with him, right? Well, her and Jon had been married and she had no idea what year they had gotten divorced. Maybe it was Jon and not Mark? It didn’t matter. Her body was CRAVING attention and the mere touch of him made her melt into a puddle, the way his lips and tongue, his goatee, gazed her neck, hitting the spot that made soft moans pour out of her.

“Yes, yes show me…I like that idea…” Mark kissed her harder and broke it long enough to remove her racerback top, her hands instantly going for the belt of his jeans to unfasten it. “Right here, on this washer…I want you to show me…”

He growled, sending shivers throughout her body, goosebumps forming on her heated skin and lifted up enough to remove her shorts and thong, letting them drop to the floor at his feet. What was it about this man and his touch that completely set her ablaze? Why did it feel so familiar and RIGHT? Almost as if she was meant to be with him and the moment he slid his cock inside of her receptive body, Brinley couldn’t believe how perfect they fit together, her breathing ragged.

“It’s been so long…so damn long…” Not as long as she thought, but damn sure long enough by Mark’s calculations. “Oh, Mark!”

The last time Brinley had sex was indeed with Mark, she wasn’t wrong about that. The only detail she was missing was the ‘when’, which wasn’t as long ago as her memory was telling her. Her mind was telling her YEARS, it had been just over a year, her body itself knew his physical touch and was responding, her mind just had to catch up. He had to bury his face in her hair, needing to breathe a minute. Year, years, it didn’t matter, Brinley hadn’t been properly sexed up in a long time and it showed. She was wrapping around him like a glove, all heat and velvet, suffocating his cock, trying to make him explode already.

“Fuck, darlin’…” Mark had years of experience under his belt, flat out refusing to pop his cork like a little boy. He breathed through it, feeling her pussy almost vibrating around him and grit his teeth as he pulled back. He felt more in control and slammed home inside of her once he had withdrew to the tip, hearing her let out a breathy moan, which was all the encouragement he needed.

Best sex of her life.

Mark had shown her once again, for the past two hours, why she had believed that with every fiber of her being. They were currently on her carpeted floor in front of a fireplace, which wasn’t on because they didn’t need any more heat between them. Mark had made her climax on top of that washer and then carried her, with his cock still pulsating inside of her, to the living room to continue on the carpeted floor. The bedroom was down the hallway, the living room was closer and Mark opted for closer. Brinley was currently sprawled on top of him, having ridden him like the stallion he was and their bodies were coated in a fine perspiration, their hearts thundering in their ears. Once she caught her breath, glittering emerald eyes looked up at him as Brinley leaned forward to brush her mouth against his, rubbing their noses together.

“That was a hell of a throwback you just gave me, Deadman.” She injected humor into her tone, snuggling further against him and felt his hand rub her back up and down while they both came down from the intense sexual high only they could reach. “I’m sorry I can’t remember our time together after you got divorced, but I’m really glad you came to see me and reminded me how fucking incredible being with you like this is.” Hopefully, this wouldn’t be a one and done with him, but if it was, Brinley would cherish the memory for the rest of her life.

Every room of this condo, she WOULD remember. There was no chance in hell, to borrow an old phrase from some old friends, that she WOULDN’T remember this. He would bet his children on it. Mark was feeling pretty smug up until she mentioned not being able to remember their time together after his divorce, then almost all the wind went out of his sails. Maybe he had been hoping the body would do the remembering for her…no, he HAD been banking on it. He masked that though, simply smiling down at her. The rest after that soul-crushing sentence hadn’t been bad and he knew for a fact, Brinley was worth taking the table scraps for.

“Darlin’,” Mark chuckled, kissing the top of her head and hugged her tightly against him for a moment before letting go, so she could resume breathing. “If I got too, I’ll take you everywhere we were and fuck you at each and every spot.”

“Oh really now? You mean that, don’t you?” He nodded without hesitation and Brinley couldn’t wipe the smile from her face, pushing herself off of him enough to roll on her side to snuggle against his side. Mark rolled and her leg draped over his, her fingers caressing his face tenderly with her hand. “I may very well let you take me away wherever you want, Mark. I missed being with you.” Brinley meant that with her whole heart, even though she didn’t have all the memories with them. “I see the sadness in your eyes and I don’t want you to be sad for me. We can always make new memories together, if you want. This is a perfect start.” Softly kissing him, Brinley couldn’t get enough of him and slid her fingers through his unraveled hair, feeling his large hand cup the back of her head gently. “I just have one question before we continue with this. Was it just sex between us or were we more than that?”

“Far more than sex, Brinley. Far fuckin’ more.”

“We were in a relationship then?”

“Yes, for two years.” Mark wasn’t holding back anymore and since she was asking him questions, he would not lie to her. “We were happy, darlin’. So fuckin’ happy.”

Brinley gazed into his eyes, believing every word that he said and continued caressing his face. “Two years? So were we together when I had my accident?”

Where was he if that was the case? Why was Jon there instead of Mark? She frowned, watching him shake his head and pressed her forehead against his, already feeling as if this man already had her heart. How was that possible?

“You know what? It doesn’t matter. You know what matters? Us, here, now and if you want more with me than just sex, I’m yours, Deadman.” In a way, Brinley would simply fall in love with him all over again without all the trauma and drama involved because she was a single woman instead of stuck in an abusive marriage this time. “You tell me what you want.”

“Before, I was selfish. I thought that by giving you everything you wanted, I’d make you happy.” Mark finally admitted it. He had made that decision without her. He hadn’t told her his fears or what he was feeling or what he had thought. Truthfully, Mark had dwelled on it alone and then taken action. He had been selfish and it had taken him way too long to realize it. Hell, he had known it during that bout they had the last time they had seen each other, their very brief yet sexually charged reunion during WrestleMania weekend, the night of the Hall of Fame ceremony. “I thought you wanted,” He stopped and cleared his throat, shaking his head. “I thought I was giving you what you wanted, darlin’, but I never stopped and asked. We were happy, until then, until I let all that sink in and ruin us. You say we could have a do-over, a clean slate, do you really mean that?”

“Of course I do, as long as that’s what you want. Mark, I’ve always liked you.” Brinley admitted openly, not at all afraid or full of anxiety like she had been before. She slid the pad of her thumb across his soft lips while continuing to talk. “I wouldn’t have had fling after fling with you all those years ago when we worked in WWE if I didn’t. And I remember every single time, every moment, from back then.” Those memories had been washing over her one at a time with every thrust Mark gave her, making her feelings for him return that had laid dormant for so long. “I’ve always wanted to be with you too. When you came to me and told me about Michelle, I didn’t want to force you to choose who you wanted to be with, so that’s why I didn’t say anything. I just wished you well and all the happiness, and that’s probably one of the biggest regrets of my life. I should’ve fought for you and told you how I felt back then. But we can’t change the past, just like we can’t change the fact I lost all of these memories of us being together in a relationship. All we can do is move forward and make new memories together. And I’m sorry for whatever happened between us that split us up, but I promise you, I will do my very best to make sure whatever happened doesn’t this time. And sometimes, it’s okay to be selfish, especially with those you care about. You came here to see me for a reason and something tells me this is what you were really looking for, not just a conversation. This connection I feel for you is…new and yet familiar at the same time, and the more you fucked me, the more my body recognized you and I believe every word you’ve told me. And I want to be happy with you again.”

“Don’t get it twisted, darlin’,” A little of that growl was back as Mark pulled her back into him, beginning to drop open mouthed kisses onto her shoulder. “I definitely came here for conversation.” Well, mostly.

Honestly, Mark had come here to find out if smoke was being blown up his backside, if Brinley had really forgotten everything. It was both a yes and no answer, because she had forgotten ALMOST everything, except for that spark between them. That spark had been something strong enough that she was offering him another chance and he’d be a fool to pass it up.

He'd be a fool to take it. Jon had eyes on this condo, knowing better than to show his face right out the gate. However, the second week of working together, that wouldn’t be so bad, right? Providing his contact didn’t fill him in about Brinley’s motorcycle riding, giant visitor.

There would be no hiding this time around either. Not that Brinley knew about that part, being hidden on Mark’s secure property with his three beautiful dogs and cameras everywhere. “Mmm, I don’t know, Deadman. I think you were looking for a little more than just a talk.” They were talking, pillow talking, or in this case after sex talking, but that still counted, right? She laughed softly, feeling him hold her closer and another round between them took place moments later, both getting lost in the ecstasy.

Another two hours later, Brinley and Mark were walking out of the house with the biggest smile on her face, their fingers laced together. Mark was hungry and so was she, so he suggested going out on a proper date, getting a good hearty meal in them, and then ending the night with more lovemaking. Who would turn that down with this gorgeous man? Brinley was excited, wearing blue jeans and a red short-sleeved blouse with knee high black boots, letting Mark help her mount his beautiful motorcycle.

Mark kissed her soundly, both feeling as if the world was back in their proper place before he mounted in front of her, her arms instantly wrapping around his waist before they sped out of there to head out on their impromptu date. Brinley could honestly say she’d never felt happier or more exhilarated in her life being with Mark and enjoyed the breeze flowing through her braided hair. It was like no time had elapsed, she was riding behind him, her arms wrapped tightly around him and Mark would purposefully take the corners a little sharper than usual, just so he could hear her squeal and tighten her grip on him.

No, Jon did have eyes on the place, so when Brinley walked out of that house hours later with that freshly fucked look he knew so well, he crushed his cell phone in his palm. Huffing, he tilted his hand and opened his palm, watching the pieces fall to the ground. Maybe going slow was the wrong idea, she had been so quick to pick things up with Calaway. Maybe her pussy was the way to her heart.

There was a very good reason for that. Brinley had kept the memories of her and Mark together prior to Jon joining the WWE. She didn’t even know he existed back then when her and Mark had their hot flings together in the company. Those feelings had only grown with time and that was something Jon never had with her. Brinley never felt that fire with Jon because he had started out being her secret lover, pulling her into dark dressing rooms for four months, and then reverted to the monster she had been forced to marry. Mark was nothing like Jon and treated her with respect, even when they had their flings. It was always mutual and he never had to seduce her because Brinley wanted him and wasn’t afraid to be with him just because he was the Undertaker. She wasn’t fucking the Undertaker, she was fucking Mark Calaway, the man, and that was the biggest difference.

Jon wouldn’t see them coming back to the house hours later and Mark carting her inside over his broad shoulder, with her laughing and complimenting what an incredible backside he had in the process. He wouldn’t see the clothes fly in all different directions with Mark lifting her to cart her to her bedroom, planting her on the bed, and rocking her world with some more delicious, unforgettable sex either. This time, Mark took his time to properly pleasure her in every way, starting out with foreplay with that long, delicious tongue and working his way slowly up the length of her body. Dinner had been incredible with great conversation, flirting, and sharing a cheesecake together, feeding each other in the process. Mark remembered her love for cheesecake and they had steak dinners together that melted in their mouths.

For the next five days, Mark stayed with her in Tampa, taking her out for nights on the town with amazing dates that consisted of dinners, plays, walking on the beach as the ocean waves flowed over their bare feet while holding hands, and reconnecting in every way possible. By the time it was time for Mark to head back to Dallas, Brinley was sad and didn’t want to see him leave, but promised she would come see him on the weekend. It was Tuesday, she was packing for the airport and Mark had waited for her to finish before deciding to give her a ride there.

They stood outside kissing for a good twenty minutes and she finally had to pull away, promising to call and text him when she arrived. Looking back at him longingly, Brinley felt her heart crack a little the moment she was on the plane headed for the next Dynamite and leaned back against the seat, staring out the window. Mark Calaway had swept her off her feet and she looked down at the beautiful bracelet he bought her that was tied around her wrist, holding it right against her heart.

Jon was very aware of who she had spent so much time in Tampa with. One couldn’t have from the stalkerazzi. Or the security cameras, once he had gotten everything reconnected again. He knew the likelihood of losing Brinley was right there on the horizon, he had known it the second that big bastard had come rolling up on his Harley. Why the hell couldn’t Calaway just stay in Texas, dry humping his cattle or whatever the retiree did for kicks these days?

Brinley made it about sixteen feet inside the building before she was pulled into the first room she passed. She was against the wall, even as the door was shut behind her, nothing but black surrounding her as lips that were not Mark’s descended on her. Jon had won her once this way, he would do it again. He wasn’t like Mark in his kisses either. Mark’s had been respectful, letting her drive so to speak. Jon wasn’t like that, his kiss asserted that he was in control, his lips demanding hers part for him, just like his knee between her thighs and high enough to brush her crotch demanded her attention as well.

Chapter 50

This wasn’t passionate at all.

It was full of desperation and vicious, not at all turning her on.

Brinley was terrified, not kissing whoever this was back at all. She finally managed to rip her mouth away from them, trembling from head to toe while her hand was feeling on the wall to try to find the light switch. “Get off of me!!” She cried out, feeling the strength from whoever had her trapped against the door and suddenly felt panic consume her. Even in the darkness, Brinley could feel that mouth coming towards her again and she slammed her forehead against the person, making them curse out violently, stumbling back from her. That was her opening and when she flipped the light on, watery emerald eyes went wide as saucers at the sight of Jon Moxley staring back at her. “What the FUCK do you think you’re doing to me, Jon Moxley?!” Her bottom lip was slightly split from his brutal kiss and Brinley ignored the blood gushing out of his nose since she cracked it good with her forehead. “Have you lost your damn MIND?!”

“YES!” He roared, pacing with a hand pressed against his forehead, between her and the door, his eyes clenched shut and his teeth also clenched. “I have!” He had already lost her, he knew it. That motherfucker Calaway just couldn’t stay away! He had to screw everything up! Jon was in panic mode and suddenly, he was in her space, not touching her, but still there, taking up every inch of space before her. “Goddamn it, Brinley!” He was rubbing his forehead STILL, glaring at her, though there was no real anger in it, just sadness and desperation. “I thought we had time, Angel…” There was no point in NOT using her nickname, Calaway was back in the picture now. Now that he thought about it, he should have just killed Calaway, then he could have been there for her during her grief. “Did you know we used to be married?”

Instead of snapping on him like she would’ve back in the day, worry filled Brinley’s eyes and she had to take a few deep breaths to try to calm her racing heart. He had scared the hell out of her dragging her in here and then yelling at her didn’t help anything. However, she was more levelheaded since she had been reset to her old self, before she met and chewed her bottom lip, wondering if she should be honest with him.

I’m not a liar and I have nothing to hide at this point. “Jon, please calm down, okay?” Her head was throbbing from that headbutt, which she still had no idea what possessed her to do it. It was almost as if she felt she HAD to and Brinley didn’t know why. “Yes, yes I know we used to be married. I heard it from someone last week and I was waiting for you to bring it up. I didn’t really know how to…to talk to you about it without making things weird and awkward. So I guess now is the time and I’m guessing it’s true, right?”

“Wouldn’t have said it if it wasn’t.”

“Okay well, we’re exes for a reason. We got divorced for a reason or else we’d still be married. I do appreciate you being there for me in the hospital when I woke up and everything. But I’m seeing someone now and I don’t remember anything about our marriage. I don’t remember us.” Her voice remained calm, no shakiness or anxiety, the fear slowly gone because she didn’t think for a second Jon would hurt her. “I think the next time you want to talk, maybe do something a little less frightening than what just happened. I really thought I was being attacked by someone.” In a way, she was, but Brinley firmly believed she was safe with Jon, ignoring the alarm bell ringing in her head slightly. “Is your nose okay? I really didn’t mean to do that…”

“No.” Jon couldn’t stop himself, he really couldn’t, and she was back against the wall again. He was yet again reminded of the stark differences between the Brinley prior to the accident versus the one who was between him now. “I cheated,” He just said it outright. “That was the end of us. I didn’t have a reason then and my reason now is I am a weak, pathetic son of a bitch. I didn’t know how good I had it until I fucking lost it, Brinley. I wanted to see if I could still get some and keep what I had at home, because I was an egotistical bastard. I wanted to hurt you, Angel, because at the time you had hurt me too, and by the time I was done being stupid, it was too late.” This was him at his most honest and he hated feeling so vulnerable because he KNEW she was about to shred him. “I’ve loved you for so goddamn long, Angel, and you have no idea how much it fucking kills me to know that my stupidity, my ego, is the reason we didn’t work out.” That was actually true honesty.

Her hands shot up to rest against his chest gently, not pushing him away, but Christ he was taking up all of her space and she could feel how fast his heart was beating against her palms. His confession made her breathless for different reasons and she was damn glad she didn’t remember him cheating on her. He wanted to hurt her? How had she hurt him? Was that the reason he had cheated in the first place because she hurt him?

There were so many questions she wanted to ask this man, but first thing she needed to do was try to calm him down. “Okay – okay, please calm down and breathe before you give yourself a heart attack. You’re breathing really hard and you’re worrying me. There’s a lot I want to ask you, but now isn’t the time or place. Obviously, cheating would cause a divorce to happen, but you said I hurt you and you did it to hurt me, so I know there’s more to this story.” A lot more. The fact he also confessed how much he loved her was making her heart do funny things – things Brinley wasn’t sure if she liked since she was with Mark now. “Jon…”

She had hurt him, he had thought she had screwed around on him with Bray Wyatt. He had taunted her over it, tormented her, even though that knowledge had devastated him, that she would do that to him. By the time he had learned the truth, finally believed her like he should have all along, it was too late, the damage had been done.

“There is more, Angel,” Doll had been okay, but it wasn’t her. She was his Angel and always would be. Maybe he should have forsaken that word, just in case, and did this right, this whole restart thing. He took another deep, shuddering breath, feeling her hands on his chest and brought his own up to rest over hers. “But it doesn’t matter because I’m the only one who remembers and that’s not a bad thing. We loved each other.” Couldn’t she feel any of that? That passion that had been between them when things had been good? That tenderness he had shown her once he realized the truth of his feelings? “Things weren’t always good between us,” Technically, no marriage was perfect, he just wasn’t elaborating. “But when they were…we were unstoppable.”

There was definitely something there, hidden beneath the surface, but Brinley couldn’t feel it because she had no memories of her and Jon together. At all. Not like she had with Mark, which was a base to build on. The feeling of his hands on hers did send warmth flooding her body, but she was too frightened by him to really notice it at the moment.

“Okay, I believe you.” Her mind kept reverting back to what Mark said, meeting up a time or two, and her eyes filled with unshed tears at the possibility that she would hurt her husband by sleeping with another man. Was Brinley capable of that? “Did I…cheat on you, Jon? Am I the reason we…we divorced?” No, she wouldn’t do something like that to a person she loved! Would she? Brinley didn’t know who she used to be, but she damn sure would never do that NOW and her heart ached, bringing one of her hands up to touch the side of his face. “I’m so, so sorry for whatever I did, for hurting you. I don’t remember, but I can tell it really hurt you. I must’ve been a horrible person and a horrible wife…” No wonder we got a divorce!

Wait, what? Jon legitimately heard brakes screeching in his head because that was NOT what he had said, at all. He had literally just told her it had been on HIM, not her and she had…totally flipped it onto herself. “No, no, Angel…” He brought his hands up to cup her face in his palms. A single tear rolled down her face and he leaned in to kiss it away, his thumbs moving to caress the next few that fell. “It wasn’t on you, it was on me.” Jon whispered, feeling like maybe they were moving in the right direction after all.

There was a part of him, the side of him that was a vindictive and cruel son of a bitch, who found that amusing though. She thought she was the reason why their marriage had ended. Technically, she wasn’t even wrong because it had been her who had filed for divorce.

Why didn’t she believe him?

Brinley sniffled a little, hating that she was getting so emotional over this and cleared her throat, pressing a hand over his mouth when he went to kiss her. “The past is the past, Jon. It’s obvious you still love me and…maybe if you’d come to me sooner with this, we could’ve tried again, but…I’m with Mark Calaway now. I’m sure you’ve seen it all over social media and the dirt sheets.”

Even she had and the world now knew who Brinley had been with for the past five days. The Undertaker was a huge name, a celebrity, and with his podcast Six Feet Under, which Mark told her about, he was garnering even more attention than in his wrestling career. She listened to a few episodes of it with him and laughed at how carefree he was, open and honest.

“The only thing I can offer you is friendship. I won’t cheat on him, that’s not who I am, so please…please don’t do something like this again, okay? I’m not mad at you for it, but now you know and we both can move on with our lives.”

She was with Mark Calaway. Of course he knew it, even without the dirt sheets, simply because he had been keeping an eye on her, from a distance naturally. Jon had hoped that this moment would rekindle things, remind her that it was HIM she was supposed to be with and, for a second, he had thought that was where it was going. Then, then she opened her mouth and confirmed what he had already known. It was kind of amazing, how he had known, but it hadn’t felt REAL until she confirmed it.

Jon nodded, not believing how FAST this had happened. Brinley had been back to work only a few times since that month off and, over the course of her days off, that motherfucker had swooped in like a vulture. “Yeah, of course, doll.” She was not his Angel and he gave her a grin, shrugging one shoulder. “You got it.” The solution was really simple.

The Undertaker had to go.

She smiled at him tentatively, thankful he had finally calmed down and he wasn’t pressing her into the wall anymore with his huge body. Jon dwarfed her, towered over her with his 6’4 muscular frame and she was a measly 5’5. Nearly a foot more than her, Brinley was tiny compared to him and he could’ve squashed her like a bug if he wanted to. She had no idea Jon was planning on going after Mark or else he would’ve seen a different side of Brinley – the side he never wanted to see again. Her more evil, vindictive side. Brinley already knew she was falling in love with Mark and if she wouldn’t let anyone come between them again, not after her accident.

“Thank you, Jon. And I’m sorry we didn’t work out, but I hope you find happiness. You deserve it.” He nodded back at her stiffly and she walked out of the dressing room to go start her night and to shake off the residual tremors in her body from being scared. Should I tell Mark about this? No, there’s no point in doing that. I don’t want him thinking something’s wrong when there’s not. However, she did whip her cell phone out to text him that she made it to the arena. Made it to work and missing you already. What have you done to me, Deadman? I can’t wait to come to Dallas tomorrow. Excited to see where you live. She was flying straight from Utah to Tampa early in the morning, meeting with her doctor, and then hopping a redeye flight straight to Dallas to spend her days off with him at his ranch.

Would a motorcycle accident be out of the question? Would it seem suspicious given her own car accident? Granted, Jon had nothing to do with that one, that had just been horrible luck on her end and a distracted teenage driver with a cell phone, totally out of his hands. Motorcycle accidents happened all the time, the statistics were there. Never mind the fact that Taker had been driving them for decades, things just sometimes happened.

Yeah…Jon liked it.

She was in for a bit of a surprise given she had lived here. Hell, in his bedroom, he still had a picture of them on his dresser. Mark bet the dogs, especially Hades, remembered her. Miss you too. You’ll love it here. She had before, she would again and he smiled, glancing over at his daughters. He hadn’t mentioned Brinley to them, not yet, and they wouldn’t be here for her visit, which was why he had them now.

Even though Brinley knew about his children, they decided it was best to keep them away for the time being due to her amnesia and slowly reintroduce her to them. Maybe three or six months down the road. Mark was very hesitant because of how their relationship crashed and burned last time, wanting to make sure this lasted before bringing them into the fold again. Brinley understood and apologized several times for what happened between them, even though she didn’t remember. Mark assured her it was water under the bridge, he didn’t hold a grudge and he just wanted to be with her happy, like they had been for apparently two years. It still boggled Brinley’s mind that she’d been with Mark for two years, shared her life with him, though Mark had neglected to mention the fact she had been in hiding as well from her now ex-husband.

Later on that night to close the show, the Death Riders finally struck and bulldozed over everyone, causing absolute chaos and anarchy. Brinley blinked, looking down at the paperwork on her clipboard and didn’t recall anything about this in the meeting she’d had with the other wrestlers. Then she realized what was happening – this was unscripted. She knew AEW did things very differently compared to WWE, but watching the carnage firsthand made something hard form in the pit of her stomach.

Jon came from the back, wearing all black and dragged a wrestler with him that had been in the match. It was Daniel Garcia and Private Party against The Elite, Matt and Nick Jackson with Jack Perry in a six man tag team match. The locker room suddenly spilled out with various wrestlers and Chuck Taylor wound up with a chair wrapped around his head and it was stomped on by Claudio, breaking his neck. Orange Cassidy had tried to stop it, tried to save his friend and he failed while the Death Riders left through the crowd, with Orange Cassidy and the others staring them down and in shock by what just transpired.

What Brinley didn’t realize was all this carnage was done because of her, because of how pissed off Jon Moxley was at her being with another man other than him. Of course, he played it off to Claudio and the others, including Marina, explaining why they had to wreak havoc in AEW and destroy wrestlers he considered nobodies. There would be casualties, their blood on her hands, until Moxley got what he ultimately wanted – Her.

Even Saraya had to admit this was over the line as she watched them wheel a broken, bloodied Chuck Taylor to the back, hearing his spurting of breath. His trachea was more than likely shattered from that attack and she looked down at Brinley, wondering what was going through her friend’s mind. All Brinley could do was pray and hope that Chuck Taylor would be all right, not saying a word and looked down at her cell phone, seeing a text message pop up that made her nauseous.

Mox did this because of you.

What the HELL? What did that mean? Why would Jon hurt people like this who were supposed to trust and looked up to him as a leader? The number was anonymous and she immediately deleted the message, heading off to the producer’s office to grab her belongings. It was definitely time to leave.

You should run.

She deleted that one too.

Had he done it because of her? Yes, yes he had. He had been planning something big anyway, something with a ‘bang’, and he knew that this was perfect. A perfect combination of giving the audience a bloody story they’d eat up, they’d love it like the animals they were, on top of venting a LOT of rage he had. Brinley was BACK with Mark Calaway. He had tried playing nice, doing things the right way. Slow, easing his way into her heart properly, so they could have that happiness again, and she hadn’t thought twice about jumping into something with that pencil dick old man right out the gate.

He was JUST getting started. His carnage would not end here. He SHOULD have killed her Daddy, he should have went through with every threat he had ever made because, in the end, doing the RIGHT thing had gotten him friend zoned.

Chapter 51

This place was HUGE.

Brinley’s eyes were wide as the Uber she had taken to get here pulled up to the gate, not believing she’d actually been here before. Mark told her about how she lived here for nearly two years with him and she had a hard time believing it. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe HIM, but this place was gigantic.

“Wow…” Even the driver was stunned as he waited for the iron black gates to swing open, driving past them and Brinley looked out the windshield, her eyes alight at the sight of Mark waiting for her in his roundabout driveway. The car had barely come to a stop as she handed him so bills and jumped out of the Uber, making a beeline for him to jump in his waiting arms.

Mark caught her with a low chuckle and Brinley didn’t hesitate as she plundered his mouth with hers, her legs wrapped around his waist. It’d been two days since they saw each other, thanks to a delay with her flight, but being in a newfound relationship, the honeymoon phase was still alive and kicking full force. It may have also contributed to the fact that Brinley spent the majority of her night in the hotel room sexting with her man, which ultimately lead to straight phone sex between them, so they were both a little riled up. The driver cleared their throat while the couple continued kissing passionately and he bowed his head before getting back in his car to drive off, leaving them there with her luggage a few feet away on the ground.

“Darlin’, I’m gonna give you the grand tour and then you and I are leavin’ again. Hope you’re not jetlagged yet.”

“What are you talking about?” Brinley didn’t bother scooting out of his arms, loving how he could hold her against him and felt the power he possessed.

Mark chuckled wickedly, his green eyes glimmering with mischievousness and softly kissed her. “You’ll see soon enough. We gotta flight to catch, so let me set you down and put your shit in the truck.”

They weren’t staying here? Brinley was a little disappointed since she’d been looking forward to it, but as long as she was with Mark, she didn’t care where they went or did. “Whatever you wanna do, Deadman. You know I’m game.” It wasn’t like this would be the only time she’d be here either.

Mark wasn’t wasting any more time when it came to Brinley, setting this up for one specific reason. Before she went back on the road to AEW, everyone would know without a shadow of a doubt she belonged to him. He loved her, he was in love with her, and after nearly losing her in a car accident, no more chances were being taken. He’d already talked this over with Michelle and his girls, who were ecstatic to have Brinley back in their lives and Michelle couldn’t have been happier for him. She had prayed that they would somehow find their way back to each other and god had answered her prayers, like she knew he would. Holding her hand and lacing their fingers together on the way to the airport, Mark brought the back of hers up to brush his lips against her soft skin, relieved she was back with him in one piece. Truthfully, he was worried about her working in the same company as Moxley, though so far the man had minded himself and Mark knew it was due to the amnesia.

The destination was in a rain forest in Mexico next to Boca de Tomatlan, only 30 minutes from Puerto Vallarta’s city centre. It was called the Villa Lala and each room had a private pool overlooking the rain forest, rain shower, hammock and an outdoor swing that one’s feet could go right into the water while swinging back and forth, amongst other incredible views and things. Mark had searched for hours online and finally found the perfect place where he wanted to take Brinley to properly propose marriage to her, something she’d never experienced before, not even when she had all of her memories.

The flight wasn’t too bad, she dozed on it, which was great because he had already blindfolded her a few times, just to try hiding as much as possible. It was going to be near impossible on this last stretch, their landing, because even if she couldn’t see, she could hear the new sounds, the accents, she’d know something was up. Either way, he was grinning like a little boy when he woke Brinley up, that ring was burning a hole in his pocket, figuratively, something he had made for her during their relationship before everything had gone south. Everything was going right this time, even if Mark had to knock some skulls together to ensure it.

“Ready for this, darlin’?”

“Born ready.” Brinley grinned back at him, the curiosity burning inside of her and the moment they stepped off the plane, even just walking into the airport, she knew instantly they weren’t in the States anymore.

The flight was horribly long, so she was guessing somewhere in Mexico, definitely somewhere tropical. They were greeted by a limousine driver, who spoke English with a heavy Spanish accent and Brinley was in awe at everything she was seeing. This was the LAST thing she ever expected from Mark and there were zero complaints from her, keeping hold of his hand the entire time.

The resort or villa they were staying at was absolutely stunning and took her breath away, the sun beginning to set on the horizon already. They were directly on the ocean, or a huge body of water, and there were waterfall surrounding this place. Where on earth had Mark taken her and what was the occasion? Now normally, in a newfound relationship, what Mark was about to do would’ve been borderline nuts and psychotic. However, him and Brinley had a past together, including memories she had forgotten about, and the fact she hadn’t forgotten about him completely was enough for Mark to pull the trigger on this.

They weren’t going to be just engaged, she was leaving here as Mrs. Mark Calaway before all was said and done.

“Oh my god…” The moment she stepped foot in the room they were staying in, Brinley had a very hard time forming words and felt Mark’s arms wrap around her waist from behind, their luggage being brought in by the personnel of the villa. “Mark, this is…beautiful doesn’t do this justice, sweetheart…” This was beyond even paradise and heaven, she was sure of it.

Room was kind of an understatement, it was an entire type of bungalow, treehouse style with all the modern amenities and comforts, the ladder thing was totally optional for which he was grateful for. “You like it?” He chuckled, his hot breath caking against her ear, causing her to squirm back against him.

Mark had spared no expense on this, having decided exactly what he was going to do. He wasn’t letting this opportunity go, they had been given a second chance and he was aware Jon had probably considered taking a shot. What man wouldn’t? He had friends in AEW, they had informed him that the man had been sniffing around her since she returned to work. Not happening. She’d never be with that psychopath ever again.

Chris, Jessica, and Brianna already knew about this going down too.

~!~

Mark had contacted them, after getting the call from his friends in AEW about Jon and Brinley being spotted together. He could recall the conversation he had with them in a three-way call, a tumbler of Jack Daniels in his hand, bare from the waist up and staring into the fireplace he had going in his living room, all the lights off. “I need to protect her.”

“What do you wanna do then, Deadman?” Chris was in his own house with some scotch, his flavor that night and wrapped his arm around Jessica, who was listening in. “We can’t tell her the truth because it’ll be too much for her and I don’t wanna traumatize my sister again. She’s been through enough.”

Brianna sniffled, hating what her daughter was going through and really wished Jonathan Good would leave her baby alone. “I’m scared for her, Mark. I’m so scared he’s going to try something and hurt my baby girl again. I want to protect her too, but…I don’t know how.” She’d never felt more powerless in her life, wiping tears away.

“Oh, Mom, it’ll be okay.” Jessica soothed, hating hearing the pain in the older woman’s voice. “We’ll figure this out. We’ll find a way to protect her.”

Mark closed his eyes, hating hearing the anguish from Brianna and Chris sounded clueless too, nobody knowing what to do. The Deadman knew what to do though. “What if I marry her?”

All three people he was talking to shouted at the same time, “WHAT?!”

“What if I marry your daughter, Brianna? She would have my protection even more than she does now and I love her. I’ve been in love with your daughter since the moment I found out how she felt about me back in the day.”

He still didn’t regret choosing Michelle, but Mark had often wondered what would’ve happened if he knew how Brinley felt back then. Would things have been different? Would they have two daughters together right now instead of him and Michelle? One couldn’t change the past. Those were Brinley’s words and he seared them into his mind.

“It’ll be her decision, but I know she loves me. I can feel it and I know she’ll say yes.”

Jessica looked down at Chris, his head resting on her chest and he didn’t know what to say, both wondering what Brinley would do. “She loved you so much, Mark. It killed her when things didn’t work out between you two and…her job isn’t going anywhere. Are you okay with that? Are you okay with her still working for AEW while being married?”

“Yes. I won’t make the same fuckin’ mistake twice. I just need your blessings and I’ll get the ball rollin’ with this. The sooner the better, I don’t want her without protection any longer while working for that company, being around that psychopath.” Mark was determined, the conviction in his tone speaking volumes to her family.

In the end, Brianna, Chris and Jessica all gave him their blessings and Mark didn’t waste another second, getting to work on finding the perfect place to both pop the question and marry her all in one fell swoop.

~!~

“Are you kidding me? What kind of question is that?” Brinley turned in his arms to hug him tightly around the neck, feeling him lift her to where her feet dangled off the floor. “This is beyond anything I could’ve imagined and the best part,” Pulling back, she stared into his jade eyes with so much emotion and intensity, brushing her lips against his. “We’re here together and I never want that to change. I’m falling for you, Mark, so damn fast and I can’t stop it. I don’t want to stop it. Life is too short and I’m sorry if this is really forward of me and it’s too fast. I can’t help how I feel though and I won’t hold it back.”

To be fair, Mark had every intention of getting her job back at WWE, well aware if her last name was Calaway, Paul would take her back on principal alone. Those budget cuts weren’t an issue anymore and Mark’s word, his name, still carried plenty of weight. “Is it really that fast, darlin’?”

They had loved each other in the past, had a real relationship, so to him this was almost like picking up where they had left off, minus the trauma and for that, he was overjoyed. Mark remembered her nightmares, the anxiety and tenseness. Brinley no longer carried any of that with her and he prayed she never did again. He was teasing her, picking her up and carried her over to the balcony, setting her down and turned her around.

“That’s ours.” For as long as they were here anyway.

“Well, to me it is, but I’m sure to you it’s not since we were together for two years.”

There were no words to describe how spectacular this view was and she looked down out the window, seeing the huge limbs that helped stand the treehouse suite up. They were literally in the sky, in a tree, in the middle of a gorgeous rain forest. She could hear the wildlife out there and leaned her head back against his chest, sighing softly at the kisses he peppered the side of her neck with. They walked through the rest of the suite, which consisted of a shower that had its own small waterfall inside of it with the water cascading directly on top of a person as soon as the sprays were turned on. It wasn’t hard water either, it was the perfect consistency. The bedroom was beautiful with reds and oranges, the flooring a shiny wood and Brinley laughed when Mark scooped her up to plant them both on the very comfortable king-sized bed, instantly rolling to press against him. There was a sliding glass door that lead out to a swing with a pool of its own and the water cascaded down into another round pool of sorts, which was also part of their suite.

“I love you, Mark.”

“I love you too, Brinley.” Mark murmured, hovering over her, partially laying on his side, so he didn’t crush her with his big frame. “I have every intention, darlin’,” He knew how lucky he was, to get this second chance, not many people did and he wasn’t wasting it. Yes, marrying her would give her protection; if something happened to either of them, that wasn’t something that would be brushed under the rug and everyone knew it. “Of making sure you remember this time around. All of it.” There would be none of the bad that had ruined them the last time.

“Good, I never want to forget any memories with you, Mark. I want to remember you and every moment we’re together forever, no matter what.”

Not remembering what happened between them and what split them up was a godsend for Mark. Brinley hadn’t been a very good headspace back then because of everything she’d been through with Jon. She had nothing to fear because all of those horrible memories were gone and she could be happy with the man she loved. In the back of her mind, she did wonder what would possess her to marry someone like Jon Moxley though. Marriage was a very serious matter and Brinley didn’t see herself just diving into it on a whim. It was supposed to be with the person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with and currently, she was in his arms, kissing and caressing him, every molecule in her body molding with his.

Even though Mark was a giant compared to her, he didn’t treat Brinley like she was made of glass and she loved that about him. She was her own woman with him and made her own decisions, having her own independence outside of their budding relationship. She didn’t know that her independence had been part of the catalyst that lead to their destruction, along with her selfishness. This Brinley here and now didn’t have a selfish bone in her body, she was all about compromising, working as a team, and wanted to make Mark the happiest man on the planet. They could’ve easily sexed each other up right then and there, but instead, Mark pulled her from the bed to guide her outside, down some steps and showed her the rest of the treehouse suite.

It was amazing, there were no other words. The amenities, the luxuries…this place was already paying itself off just because he could feel the tension leaving his body. Not to mention the look on her face, the sheer wonder and enjoyment. His eyes kept moving back to her, loving the continuous delight he found there as they explored their own little personal paradise. By the time they had finished, he had already decided they were coming back here every year on their wedding anniversary, he didn’t care how old they were.

“You’re beautiful.” Mark rumbled softly, guiding her back around to the balcony. He had spent at least ten minutes watching her at the waterfall while she had cupped her hands beneath that water, surprised that it wasn’t unbearably cold and then played in it a little, her laughter still in her eyes. “And all I want is for you to be happy, Brinley, it’s all I ever wanted for you.”

“You make me happy, Mark. Being here with you makes me happy too. We could be back at your house and I’d be the happiest woman ever.” He pulled her back against him, not able to get enough having her in his arms and Brinley knew he was making up for lost time. They had lost a lot of time, over a year, from what he told her, and she did not mind being coddled and pampered by her man. “Why don’t we go back upstairs, get into our bathing suits or birthday suits, whichever you prefer, and go for a late night swim? Order some food up from room service too since I’m hungry and I know you have to be too. Eat, swim, and then spend the rest of the night making love.” This truly was their slice of paradise and she laughed again when he lifted her over his shoulder to cart her back upstairs to the master bedroom.

Swimming was suddenly the last thing on their minds as Mark and Brinley proceeded to make love to each other, taking a break after the first session to eat, and then went right back to making love again. It wasn’t just sex between them anymore, it was intense lovemaking that made Brinley’s toes curl and completely breathless. Eventually, they fell into a deep slumber entangled in each other’s arms, the sound of the water outside extremely soothing or maybe it was the wildlife they could hear mixed with it.

Chapter 52

The following night would be one Brinley never forgot as long as she lived, not even if her brains were scrambled all over again.

Mark told her they were going out for a romantic candlelit dinner and dancing, something the villa offered. He had rented out the space to where it would just be the two of them and told her to get a little gussied up. The dress she had on was a soft amber wraparound dress that showed off some leg and had a little golden broach hooked to the hip. It was something she always traveled with, just in case she needed to dress up for AEW. Anything could happen and she always wanted to be prepared.

Her hair was down and she had curled the ends of it, minimal makeup on her face and gold hoops dangling from her ears with a matching glittering gold necklace that matched the broach. She had gold heels on as well, having fallen in love with them and they were two inches, so she’d be just a little taller than normal with Mark. Perfect. Walking out of the bathroom, Brinley didn’t see Mark in the bedroom and her heels clicking against the flooring announced her presence, her heart nearly stopping at the sight of him standing in the sitting room of the treehouse suite.

Dear sweet Jesus, this man is going to be the death of me.

Mark had cleaned up himself, a pair of khakis and a white button up shirt, a local blend that was light and airy, but still looked pretty classy. Because he was just that kind of guy, he had not buttoned it up all the way, refusing to be choked to death by a piece of cloth. He was leaning where he could see outside, with his profile to her, enjoying the view, the sounds of the waterfall and the wildlife.

“Ready, darlin’…” The words trailed off as he took her in, remembering suddenly their first WrestleMania together and how she had taken his breath away that night too. She was even more beautiful than that night, if it were possible, more relaxed actually and that was probably the difference. Her skin was glowing, her smile radiant, he was tempted to cancel everything and just hide in here with her. Almost tempted. “Goddamn, you’re beautiful.”

The roses in her cheeks bloomed at his compliment and Brinley didn’t know if she’d ever get used to it since he said it quite a bit. He wanted her to know how beautiful, wanted, and desired she was. “And you’re delicious and handsome as ever.”

Mark looked really good in white with the khakis and it fit him, even with his tattooed sleeved arms. Granted, black was more his color, but hell, this man could wear a burlap sack and still look positively edible. Moving toward her, Brinley accepted the softest of kisses from him and he took her hand, gently turning her around to get a gander at the entire package laid before him. The dress dipped low, but still hid her cleavage and left plenty to the imagination, even with an open back. No bra obviously, the cups were built in and she was fine with it since it didn’t look sleazy or slutty.

“Nuh uh, Deadman, come on now, we have a reservation to keep and I want you to sweep me off my feet with your dancing. You told me to get all dolled up, so I did, and both of our hard work isn’t going to waste tonight.” It was almost as if she read his mind and Mark chuckled, leading her out the door of their treehouse with their hands clasped together. “This place really is breathtaking.”

This was not the place for black, he already stood out like a sore thumb with his height alone, so he was enjoying his attempts to blend in with everyone else. Not that he ever planned on sporting a tropical shirt or anything like that, not unless it was for a joke, that’d be about it. “I’ve done it before, darlin’.”

Because he could dance, that was something he had picked up over the years, thanks to wrestling. Mark had once told her a story about the guys in the locker room all practicing together once they realized that Vince was serious about this entire WrestleMania thing being a serious event, with a proper formal party afterwards. She had nearly died laughing when he even showed her a video of Glenn teaching some of the guys how to formal dance.

“You did?” Another memory she had forgotten, including the dancing story about Glenn Jacobs. So many memories with Mark were gone, but the ones that mattered, at least to her, had remained. Maybe one day I’ll get them back. Stupid brain. Stupid accident. If Brinley knew all the trauma she endured at the hands of Jon Moxley, her ex-husband, she wouldn’t have wanted any of those horrendous memories back. “Well, looks like you’ll have to show me just how smooth you are on the dance floor.” She grinned, refusing to let anything lower her mood and kept the smile on her face as they rode the elevator down to the lobby of the resort.

“Mr. and Mrs. Calaway…”

Brinley kept quiet, not correcting him, and noticed Mark hadn’t either, wondering if that was how the people here saw her. If only I was married to Mark, that would be amazing.

“Right this way, please. Everything is set up and ready for you.”

Together, they headed through a double doorway that lead outside. Through another set of double doors, they were in a private room with a table set up, two long stemmed candles not yet lit in beautiful silver holders. They had a perfect view of the ocean and there was a huge veranda that could be used for dancing purposes or anything else. Soft music played from the speakers that were set up in the room and it was Mark’s choice instead of what the resort had to offer. The gentleman left them alone as Mark pulled her chair out for her and Brinley took it, accepting a kiss he dropped on her glossy lips before taking his own seat, reaching out for her hand. Her left hand that would soon sport a gorgeous ring on that important finger. Everything was going according to plan for Mark thus far, but ultimately, it would be up to Brinley if she wanted to take this very big step with him in their relationship.

“Did we do stuff like this when we were together for those two years?” She asked almost wistfully, staring out at the ocean before her gaze moved back to Mark, trying not to feel sad about forgetting these memories.

“No darlin’, this is the first getaway we’ve had together.” There was a very good reason for that, but Mark couldn’t tell her without opening up a whole slew of problems.

“I wish I could remember us. Those two years we had together. It bothers me that I’m missing pieces of us that only you have.” Brinley watched Mark lift her hand up to brush his lips against her knuckles, assuring her everything worked out for the best. Why didn’t it bother him that she couldn’t remember those two years? Or maybe it did and he was saving face in front of her. That was definitely a possibility. “I want to do more of this with you, Mark. These getaways and we can even invite the girls next time. I’d love to get to know them better since we’re together and they’re a huge part of your life.” Her eyes lowered from his and then looked back out at the ocean again. “I’ve never told anyone this, I don’t think anyway, but…I regret not being a Mom. I don’t know why it never happened for me.” Those memories were also gone, the two babies she had lost via miscarriage. All gone. “I guess it just wasn’t in the cards for me.” She would have to learn to live with that regret since she was too old to get pregnant, not to mention the man in front of her more than likely didn’t want any more kids. Not that she blamed him.

There was a reason he hadn’t bothered correcting them when they had used Mr. and Mrs. Calaway upon arrival. If he had his way, they would be leaving this island under those names. Brinley had felt that connection between them, that had been clear the second he had shown up on her porch, the way she had looked at him. It was good to know that even if her memories were mostly gone, that love was not, that it had somehow managed to transcend her accident and the aftermath of the concussion.

“If you really want kids,” More kids because he knew she’d be a great stepmom to his girls, once he had explained to the girls what had happened because they’d have to get to know Brinley all over again, just like she would then. “We could try.” Granted, at her age it was harder, but not totally impossible. “Of course, you may wind up chasing them on your own when my knees finally go.” Mark was teasing, mostly, since he was also older than she was.

His kids were now all at ages where they could wipe their own backsides and tell him where it hurt, which was fantastic. However, running around after them, some days was harder than others, which was his own fault because he had chosen his career.

Her heart melted at his words as Brinley took a sip of the wine that Mark poured for them. “That’s very sweet of you to offer, Mark, but I’m not a spring chicken anymore. I’m going to be 45 in a couple of months and I know there are women out there 50 years old that are having kids, but…I should’ve had them years ago if I was going to. I just don’t think my body would be able to withstand a pregnancy and with my job right now, it’s just not possible.” Not to mention, she didn’t want to be the oldest mother on the playground and there was already silver developing in her golden locks, though she had gotten it dyed prior to joining AEW. Still, little wisps were starting to show again and she didn’t bother covering them up, not wanting to anymore. “Besides, you’ve had your babies already and it wouldn’t be fair to make you start over again. I’d rather spend the rest of our lives together, going to beautiful places like this, and doing whatever we want without being tied down by a screaming baby with a loaded diaper.” That got a chuckle out of them. “You know I’m right.” An appetizer was brought out moments later, which was all seafood and she put one of every piece on her plate, wanting to try everything this place had to offer.

“If you say so, darlin’.” They would be revisiting this subject at a later date, but Mark decided to drop it for the time being.

Once the seven-course, five-star meal was completed, besides dessert, Mark stood up from the table and extended his hand to her, asking Brinley to dance with him. She smiled and slid her hand into his, letting him guide her out onto the veranda with the stars glittering in the sky, the sunset on the horizon breathtaking and bathing them both in a warm, golden glow. It made her dress shimmer and Mark pulled her gently into his arms to start swaying with her, the music able to be heard out on the veranda. He showed her exactly how much of a great dancer, twirling and even dipping her, stealing soft kisses in the process. Brinley was in heaven, not able to imagine being anywhere else at that moment and leaned up to kiss him a little deeper, murmuring how much she loved him.

This was it. This was the moment and Mark waited until the song ended before stepping back to take both of her hands in his. “I love you too, Brinley, and I don’t want to ever lose you again, darlin’. That accident scared the shit outta me, but it also made me realize something else, something I should’ve figured out over a year ago. I love you, I’m in love with you, and I want to be with you for the rest of my life – forever, if I have it my way.” Pulling something out of his pocket, Mark dropped to one knee in front of her, holding it behind his back.

“Mark?” What was going on? What was he doing? And why was her heartrate accelerating at an alarming rate.

“Brinley Anne Irvine, the love of my life and the woman I refuse to live without a second longer, will you do me the honor of being my wife and sharing the rest of our lives together?” Popping open the black velvet box, a magnificent three stoned diamond ring set on a platinum band stared back at her, which signified the past, present, and future, the stones princess cut.

It was absolutely stunning and her emerald eyes filled with tears, her free hand reaching up to cover her open mouth with her hand. Mark was actually proposing to her and they hadn’t even been back together that long, a little over a week! Was this too soon? His words from earlier filtered through her mind and Brinley believed him with every fiber of her being. Whatever the reason for their first split, it would not happen again and she blinked as huge tears slid down her cheeks, nodding her head.

Her voice wasn’t working at the moment, too overwhelmed with emotion and she held out her shaky left hand to watch the stunning ring slide on her left ring finger, so much happiness engulfing her. There was no sense in asking him if this was what he wanted, if he was sure, because Brinley already knew the answer. Mark lifted her in his arms, hers encircling his neck as he spun her around in circles and planted the most searing kiss on her mouth, melting her from the inside out.

“I love you, Mark.” She murmured against his lips, loving the feeling of his arms around her and rested her forehead against his. “I can’t wait to be your wife and spend the rest of our lives together. You’re it for me, Deadman. You always have been and you always will be.”

“You mean that, Brinley?”

“With all of my heart and soul. All of me is yours, every piece of me belongs to you.” If he wanted her to quit AEW, Brinley would do it in a heartbeat and would do anything to make him happy. She no longer needed that independence, that vindication of being free, because those sordid memories of how she felt were history.

Mark took another deep breath, knowing he was probably going to overwhelm her, but he couldn’t turn back now. He had to get this done. “Tonight then.”

Staring into his eyes, Brinley was sure she had heard him wrong until he repeated himself. “Y-You want to marry me tonight? But we’re not in the States…” Would that count if they did get married here?

Mark chuckled with a nod and brushed his lips against hers, gently setting her down on those gorgeous golden heels. “I have it all set up, all you have to do is say yes and we’ll be on our way. There’s a car waiting outside to take us to the chapel.”

“You’re crazy!” Brinley laughed out, looking down at her ring and then back up at him, her eyes widening at another box Mark procured to show her the wedding ring set he’d picked out for them. “I say it again, you’re crazy…”

“About you, yes. Marry me tonight, darlin’. Come back to the States with me as Brinley Anne Calaway. I don’t need a big ceremony, I just need you.”

“Those are gorgeous…” They were platinum bands, hers outlined in diamonds and his had a simple diamond in his own. “You really thought of everything, didn’t you? And you’re sure you don’t mind the kids not being here or any of our loved ones?”

Mark smiled sheepishly, brushing his lips against hers. “Your brother, Mom, and Jess already gave me their blessing to do this. Your Momma said that we’ll have a wedding reception of some kind at a later date, but she’s happy about this. She loves us together and she told me how broken up you were when we split up over a year ago.” He had been too, feeling as if his insides had been ripped right out of his backside, his heart included. “Think of this getaway as our wedding, wedding night, and honeymoon all wrapped up in one package.”

Bringing his mouth down on hers, Brinley poured everything she felt into that kiss and Mark had to hold her tightly against him, both of them trembling from the intense emotions they felt for each other. “Yes,” She whispered against his lips, nodding her head. “Yes to everything, Mark. I’ll marry you tonight, I’ll leave here as your wife and I’ll be Brinley Calaway for the rest of my days.”

Within 20 minutes, they were on their way to the chapel, exchanged vows, and left another 20 minutes later to head back to the villa as Mr. and Mrs. Calaway. The second the limousine pulled away from the chapel, Mark and Brinley were not able to keep their hands off each other, her dress lifted and panties shoved to the side with Mark shoving his Khaki’s down halfway, freeing his hardened cock. They couldn’t wait to get back to the villa, to their treehouse suite, wanting their marriage consummated immediately. It wasn’t just Mark, it was Brinley too, both of them attacking each other with their newlywed rings on, the privacy window completely up, so the driver had no idea what they were doing.

“Mark, oh fuck…oh fuck…” Brinley was riding him, working them both into a frenzy and cried out, burying her fingers in his hair as he thrust up inside of her receptive body. “So good, so fucking good…” For the rest of her life, this was the kind of sex she would experience and Brinley smiled at that thought, making her go a little faster and harder. “Make me cum, my husband…”

Mark growled upon hearing that, burying his face in the crook of her neck and nipped her skin, loving the sound of her calling him her husband. “As you wish, my wife…” He rumbled in a low, dark tone, sending shivers throughout her body and neither cared they weren’t in a romantic setting to consummate their marriage. This was them, they weren’t completely traditional and Brinley loved that about her and Mark. “Cum for me, all over me, Brin…”

By the time they arrived at the villa, Mark and Brinley were a little sweaty and breathing heavily, but they had managed to straighten themselves up long enough to step out of the limousine. They were officially married and there was no turning back. Mark swept her up in his arms, carrying her off the elevator and opened the door to step over the threshold of their treehouse suite and captured her mouth in another heated kiss, far from finished with her. Instead of going straight to the bedroom,

Mark ordered her to get undressed and they would be going for a swim to cool themselves down. Within minutes, both were out of their clothes and Mark once again carried her down the steps that lead to the pool that had lights on the bottom of it, giving off a beautiful blue ambiance that reflected off of them. Their rings stayed on their fingers and slowly, leisurely, Mark and Brinley made love to each other under the stars and moon, once again consummating their marriage.

Hours later, in the early morning hours, Brinley was spooned up against her husband and studied the rings on her left hand, the biggest smile on her face. “I love you, Mark Calaway.” She murmured, feeling his arm tighten around her and she turned her head to receive a soft kiss from him. “Forever.”

“Ditto, Mrs. Calaway.”

Chapter 53

The next three days were spent doing various activities besides sexing each other up in the treehouse. Scuba-diving, kayaking, going for a ride on a yacht that was exhilarating and gave a tour of the entire island they were on, sailing on another boat, going out for meals, and definite sightseeing. Pictures had already surfaced online of Brinley and Mark with their hands clasped and they even took one that Brinley posted on her social media account, with Mark’s blessing. He also posted it as well and it was them with their heads together and holding up their hands, telling the world in the caption with a heart emoji they were Mr. and Mrs. Mark Calaway. They had the biggest smiles on their faces and then took another one with them kissing, up close and it was outside of a beautiful cave they had traversed in. Brinley never thought she’d have sex in a cave, of all places, but Mark was a lot more adventurous than she thought he’d be. That picture had been taken right after their cave romp, so they had glows to their skin, their eyes full of happiness.

Chris, Jessica, and Brianna, amongst other friends of the newlywed couple, immediately started commenting, elated for them and welcoming Mark to the family instantly.

Some poor jackass had gotten what Seth had once told Brinley was ‘Jon’s curb stomping’ treatment. Jon had no idea who the unlucky bastard was, begging for change in that little alley near the gym he had attended to work out some aggression, but he wouldn't be begging for anything for a while. Hell, he’d get a week long hospital stay and three meals a day. Jon had UPGRADED that guy’s life as far as he was concerned. He had just finished showering when he got the alert on his phone. Jon had put a Google alert on Brinley’s name, along with that old man of hers she insisted on being with. He had broken the cell phone the second he clicked the link.

Married.

Brinley had married that old man.

Jon saw red. Something deadly had immediately coursed through him.

Now there was one less beggar on the streets. He wasn't even close to being done, beginning to laugh as he walked to his car, breathing heavily as he stormed across the street. No. This was the beginning. He was waging war.

~!~

“Mark, what is this?”

“Your new bus, darlin’.”

Would this man ever stop surprising her? Probably not. Brinley couldn’t believe the beautiful bus staring back at her, slick black and inside it was all leather interior. A 1.5 million dollar traveling bus with all the bells and whistles, but the most important thing was it had a state of the art camera system that would be able to monitor her while she was on the road. Mark didn’t want his wife staying in hotels anymore, they weren’t safe, and he had done some research. Her contract with AEW would be up in another 9 months and he had already spoken to Paul about rehiring her in WWE, if she still wanted to work. Mrs. Calaway never had to work again if she didn’t want to, but something told him Brinley would.

That was just the type of woman she was.

Mark would’ve been correct in that assumption as he guided her onto the new bus, showing her it had a kitchen, dining area, two bathrooms, all the shelving and storage she could possibly want, the security system, and even the king-sized bed in the far back that she’d sleep very comfortably in. Mark had also hired the driver, so Brinley could relax while driving across the country to work, no matter how long it took to get from point A to B. Now if she had to fly, the bus would simply stay on the ranch until she was in an area where she could make it to the town or city in 10-12 hours. Anything more than that and she’d probably want to fly, which unfortunately meant staying in hotels, but at least this gave her another option.

“This is…Mark, you didn’t have to do this…” Brinley turned to face him, her skin a golden glow and tanned from their unforgettable getaway and she was leaving to head back on the road in the morning.

“Think of it as an early wedding present to my beautiful wife. And if your husband wants to come on the road with you, we’ll have someplace comfortable and safe to stay.” Mark reasoned with a grin, wrapping his arms around her and softly kissed her, still not believing Brinley was his wife now after all this time.

Once again, her heart melted at his words and she found herself agreeing to whatever he wanted to do, draping her arms around his neck as the kiss deepened a little more. “You can join me any time you want, Deadman.” Though, it would probably be best if he stayed on the bus unless he wanted gossip rags out there claiming he was joining AEW and other nonsense. “I’m going to miss you so much.”

“You’ll be back with me before you know it. Cleveland ain’t that far away and while you’re gone, I’m gonna have your stuff moved to Dallas like we talked about. I also got the ball rollin’ on selling your condo.” Mark informed her, having gotten her permission to do all of this while they were in the rain forest. “Sound good, my darlin’ wife?”

“Sounds perfect, but you know what sounds even MORE perfect?” Brinley’s eyes glittered mischievously as she began to slowly unbutton the shirt he had on. “Breaking this bed in with my handsome husband.”

Mark wouldn’t deny her anything and growled, her squeals filtering the room as he lifted her to plant her on that bed, proceeding to christen it with their lovemaking for the next few hours.

~!~

Since Dallas to Cleveland, Ohio took around 21 and a half hours, depending on traffic and whatnot, her new bus had to stay put for the time being. Also, Brinley had a plane ticket already and a hotel reservation booked, which she couldn’t cancel, but she had a new beautiful watch on her wrist that had a built-in alarm system on it. If anything happened to her, Mark would know about it and immediately send the authorities to her location. He was tracking her, not taking any chances when it came to Moxley and Brinley was left in the dark about everything.

It was better that way.

Mark trusted his wife wholeheartedly, it was others he didn’t, especially in a company he wasn’t familiar with.

Given what Brinley had been through with her ex-husband, the woman needed to be protected and Mark would spare no expense to insure she was. Her beautiful rings glittered under the sunlight as Brinley made her way out of the airport to head towards her rental, driving off towards the hotel moments later to drop her belongings off. Then, she’d head to the Wolstein Center for Dynamite to do her job, sleep for a few hours, and then get up to fly right back to Dallas to be in the arms of her husband.

The moment she walked into the arena, however, there was a feeling of tension in the air that made Brinley somewhat nauseous. She couldn’t put her finger on why, but she didn’t like this feeling at all and tried to brush it off, busy texting Mark to let him know she had made it safely and she would call him as soon as she was at the hotel later that night. Slipping her phone back in her purse, Brinley headed towards the producer’s office, only to be told Tony Khan wanted to speak with her. What was this about?

Only it wasn’t Tony Khan’s office, not really. No, it was Jon Moxley’s office and he was the one to greet her when she arrived, sitting behind the desk and everything. “Oh, hey Jon, where is Tony? I was told he wanted to talk to me about something?”

“Yeah, he'll be back shortly.”

Jon was sitting behind the desk, much like he had that night she had lost her marbles and gone peeling out of there in the pouring rain, the night of her accident. Maybe it would have been kinder if she had never woken up. Because now he was going to have to traumatize her new life, her second life, and given how quickly she had dived back into a relationship with Calaway, he didn't feel overly bothered by it. Brinley had brought this on herself.

“So, I hear congratulations are in order.” His tone was warm, friendly even, at odds with his glacier blue eyes…eyes that had immediately narrowed in on her wedding ring.

Calaway had messed up there, allowing this information to be made public. It would come back and bite him in the backside.

“Yeah, thank you. It was a shock and totally not expected, but the heart wants what the heart wants and I couldn’t be happier.” Brinley was all smiles while talking, glancing down at her beautiful rings and felt as if she was on top of the world. Then she remembered quickly that this was her ex-husband and Brinley kept forgetting that fact, the smile melting off her face instantly and replaced with what most would be akin to sympathy. “I’m sorry, Jon. I know we were married at one time and this has to be really awkward for you.” She even put her left hand down at her side, chewing her bottom lip nervously. The last thing she wanted to do was rub it in his face, given the last time they spoke, it had been rather intense and uncomfortable. He still loves me and I have to remember that. Shit, probably wasn’t a smart idea to rub my marriage in his face either.

Awkward was a way of saying it. Totally livid and borderline off his rocker was another. However, that pleasant smile never left Jon’s face, even after she had blurted about how the heart wants what the heart wants. He really hoped she remembered that in the future, when he followed his own heart and what it wanted. The fact that she was now looking at him with sympathy, almost pity, just made his simmering blood begin to boil and he had to inhale deeply through his nose.

“Yeah, well, that's my problem, ain't it, Angel?” His gaze moved to the door when it opened, Tony had arrived. Here came the fun times, he leaned back in the chair and folded his hands behind his head, just so he didn't throw something.

“Oh Brinley, wonderful to see you, dear!” Tony was nervous as hell because of the pitch Jon had given him. “Congratulations on the marriage, definitely unexpected, but happy for you all the same. I haven’t had the pleasure to meet the Undertaker, but hopefully, that will change in the future, Mrs. Calaway...”

Jon cleared his throat, making it clear to the ‘boss’ to get on with whatever he needed Brinley for.

“A-Anyway,” Tony had shared a look with Jon and regretted it instantly, clearing his throat. “So, I wanted to pitch something to you. We’ve been receiving fan mail since the news broke about your marriage and fans recognized you from back in the day.” This was all a lie and Jon’s words specifically. Tony was doing a masterful job with being a parrot. “I told Mox about this and he actually pitched an idea to bring you into the fold with the Death Riders, kinda like Marina Shafir. Only, you wouldn’t be wrestling right away, you’d have to be trained…by the Death Riders.”

Brinley blinked at the boss, wondering if he was serious and started laughing a little nervously. “Umm…Marina Shafir is a fighter and has been doing this her whole life. Tony, I’ve never been a wrestler and I’m going on 45 years old.”

That made Tony’s eyes almost bug out of his head. “Really?” Christ, this woman didn’t look a day over 30! She was gorgeous! “Well…okay, forget about the wrestling part, what about simply going out to the ring with them?”

“Umm…” Brinley didn’t want to do this and it was written all over her face, knowing Mark would not like this one bit. Hell, she didn’t either. “You mean as arm candy? How would that contribute to the Death Riders though? This just doesn’t seem like a very good fit for me with them…” Why was this coming about all of a sudden?

“Well, what if I told you that in the future, the Death Riders will be feuding with your brother, Chris Jericho?” Jon was flipping the script in the entire company and even Tony didn’t think this was a great idea, but he couldn’t go against Moxley. “You were on-screen with your brother and the Inner Circle at one point.”

“So, wouldn’t it make more sense for me to do this with my brother instead of the Death Riders?”

This was not going according to plan because Brinley was a lot smarter than he realized. “What if you started out with your brother, working on-screen, but then you’re brought into the Death Riders?”

“How exactly?”

Tony suddenly had a light bulb turn on and he knew Moxley would go for this. “What if the Death Riders kidnapped you? Kept you in their fold, their CLUTCHES, you know? We could bring it to the fans in a soap opera type of way with violence. Jon has that basement at his home in Cincinnati that we could film you in with them…”

“Have you talked to my brother about this at all?” Brinley had a hard time believing Chris would go for this and glanced over at Jon, who had remained silent all this time. “Jon, what do you think about all of this? Do you honestly want me to be on-screen with you guys? I’m a team player and I don’t mind doing it, but I don’t know how my brother is going to feel about this…”

“It’d be an interesting story,” Jon said after a moment, appearing to consider it. “And maybe even reopen a can of worms since we were on-screen before.”

It hadn’t ended well for him at all, the fans had eaten it up since they had thought it was a story. A story alright, it had been the night Brinley had ended their marriage and done it on live television. Jon had lost an eye not too long after that, thanks to her brother, who was definitely not filled in on any of this.

Because if those assclowns had brought this to his attention, it would have been a resounding ‘no’, along with him removing Jon’s other eye, then the fucker could have TWO eye replacement surgeries.

“There was never any real closure after all that, so this could bring it to an end after we, you know, run it for a while.” Tony looked back and forth between them. “And I am talking to Chris, but you know he’s overprotective of you.” He HAD been talking to Chris, just not about this. “I haven’t mentioned you at all because I wanted to talk to you first. This is about you, not him. But I understand if you want his permission first, dear.”

For some reason, that ruffled her feathers a bit and her emerald eyes narrowed, the acid beginning to fill them. “Permission? Tony, I don’t need my brother’s permission to do anything in this company. This is MY career, not his. I’ll be working with him on-screen, so the ONLY way this goes down, since it’s his career and his character, is if he gives the approval. Something tells me he won’t, but that’s your issue to deal with, not mine.” Brinley refused to step on her brother’s toes in AEW. “If he doesn’t and you still want me to do this storyline, maybe you can put me with someone else the Death Riders are feuding with. Again, that’s what you need to figure out. In the meantime, do you still want me to produce matches or what?”

“Actually, let me get back to you on that. For tonight, you can produce the women’s title match since we’re short-staffed and, once I figure all of this out, I will have a meeting with you, Mox, and Chris. Sound good?”

“Okay.” Brinley headed out of the office down the hallway, only to be gently, firmly dragged away by Jon by the hand instead of the arm this time towards the Death Riders locker room. “Jon, where are we going?”

Meanwhile, Tony had called Chris Jericho into his office to talk about the upcoming storyline involving Brinley.

Chapter 54

“I want to show you something, doll.”

Jon wanted to show her how things had ended, when she had turned on him, helped beat him down. Now, she wouldn’t remember the circumstances that led to that moment, but it would show she had been involved in a ‘line’ before and maybe motivate her. Brinley didn’t want him to motivate her because she wouldn’t like his motivation.

“And for the record, I don’t blame you for not wanting to do this without your brother’s input, it’s kind of a big deal.” He was amused that Tony had fed her that, it had lit a fire under her backside. To be fair, if she didn’t do it willingly, he was going to have to just drag her into it and that wouldn’t be fun for her. Him sure, her not so much. “Course, it’d be a bigger paycheck too, but you don’t need the money since you’re married now.”

“Just because I’m married doesn’t mean I don’t want to work and provide for my family.” Brinley kept up with his stride, slightly jogging since Jon was a fast walker and before she knew it, they were inside the Death Riders locker room. Did she tell Jon she’d already watched this, courtesy of Saraya showing her? Just do what he wants, it’ll be easier that way. Jon sat her down in front of the television and had a tablet in hand, setting it in her hands while he crouched down beside her. He instructed her to press the play button and she did, fighting back the urge to roll her eyes since she knew how to work a tablet. What is going on with him? What is this attitude towards me all of a sudden? “Oh…oh wow…” Brinley pretended to be shocked by what she saw, even widening her eyes to make it believable and finally looked at Jon when the footage ended. “Care to explain why I did this? Was this my only appearance on-screen with my brother?” These were the real questions she had wanted to ask Saraya, but felt it wasn’t prudent at the time.

It was now.

“Tony thought we’d be able to go somewhere with it, but…we got divorced and you left the company. I guess life imitated art a little too much in our case.” That was both a truth and a lie, his eyes on her thoughtfully.

He had been married to this woman for years, known her tells, and Jon was guessing this wasn’t new footage to her because her reaction was on point, but…muted. He stroked his beard, considering her, wondering if she was actively playing with him. That wasn’t very smart, not that she knew that and so far, he hadn’t had to resort to teaching her those lessons all over again. That was coming in time, that ball had already been set in motion.

“It’d be fire, providing Chris says yes.”

It was cute, she acted like she didn’t need big brother’s permission. Chris wasn’t going to give it, but up until that point, Jon was playing nice. He already had Plan B ready to roll. Plan B was revisiting the past, in a manner of speaking, maybe paying homage to her brand new hubby.

“Fire, huh?”

Did she tell him the truth? Brinley hated lying, sighing softly and handed the tablet back to him, her eyes moving to the floor away from that intense gaze of his. Why did that intensity knot her stomach up?

“Confession time, Jon. I already saw this footage you just showed me from Saraya.” She took a deep breath, really hoping she didn’t just throw her friend under the bus. “Mercedes shouted at us because we were talking outside of her dressing room, while I was waiting for her to sign off on her match. She basically told me we were married and that shocked the hell out of me, as you can imagine. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to cause problems and I wasn’t even sure if she was trolling or what…until Saraya showed me that footage you just watched with me. I asked her why I did that and she had no idea.” It had happened before Saraya came into AEW. “Please don’t be mad at her, she was just trying to help me figure out what Mercedes was talking about.”

Well, that explained those all to perfect reactions from her and Jon shrugged one shoulder, wondering why she hadn’t bothered to come to him. “I’m not mad at her.” He was a little frosty towards his still a bitch ex-wife, however, because even though she had lost her memories, she apparently had not forgotten how to be a little sneak. “Why didn’t you say something then, doll? Once you knew.”

Because if she had, Brinley wouldn’t be married to the Undertaker, that was for sure! Jon would have thrown it all to the wind if he had known that she knew they had been married, he would have declared all he had told her in that locker room and his apology then, the second she came to him. However, she hadn’t. He didn’t like that. Jon felt like she had cheated him out of his proper chance, his second chance. Instead, she had given it away to an old man who was probably going to die really soon.

“I didn’t want to complicate things any more than they were, I guess. I mean, I don’t remember us at all, Jon. I don’t remember our marriage, however long it was and…”

“Six years.”

“What?”

“Six. Fucking. Years.”

Six years?!

She was married to Jon for that long?!

Why didn’t her brother and mother tell her this?

Did Mark know that too?

“What the hell?” She whispered more to herself than him and stood up from the chair, trying to make sense of why she was irrationally angry right now. Why were people keeping and hiding things from her? “That’s a long time.” She winced when he remarked with ‘no shit’ and looked down at the diamond rings on her finger. “Fine, I pose the same question to you, Jon. Why didn’t you tell ME about the fact we were married for six years? Granted, we were divorced by then, but I still have a right to know about my past! You could’ve easily told me last week when you yanked me in that dressing room and kissed me and then poured your heart out to me. Why didn’t you? Because you know everything, you have all the pieces, all the memories, and I have NOTHING.” Amnesia was such a bitch and Brinley had to calm down, scrubbing a hand down her face and didn’t realize she began trembling. “Six years…so what year did we get married and divorced?”

“Because, Brinley, your family asked me not too,” That was the honest truth. “They were hoping you’d get a fresh start because of how hurt you were by what I did, it fucking destroyed you.” That was also the honest truth, so he hadn’t lied about either of those things, just omitted the truth about the other tragic events. “I destroyed you, I destroyed us, and…” Because he knew she wouldn’t buy just that one excuse, Jon continued. “And a wrestler from the WWE,” Who had PAID the price for what he had done. “He…hurt you, he hurt you bad, doll.” Bray Wyatt had raped her and Jon’s fists clenched tightly at the memory of finding out that truth. “That was another thing nobody wanted you to have to relive anymore.” When she asked him ‘how bad’, he sucked in a shaky breath, his entire beginning to tremble. Jon hadn’t made that an easy time for her either; he hadn’t believed her until it was too late and he felt that familiar wave of regret wash through him. “He raped you.”

Brinley covered her mouth with her hand, staring at him with wide eyes and tried to wrap her mind around what he just said. Raped? She was raped? “But I…I…I don’t…remember that…” She wasn’t upset with her family over not knowing that information. Honestly, Jon could’ve omitted that completely and not told her anything. However, there was a reason he brought it up and it didn’t take a genius to piece together why. “You thought I cheated on you. Right? That’s why you…cheated on me.” Thank god it wasn’t with Mark! Thank god I didn’t cheat on him with Mark! That was what she’d been afraid of and honest relief flooded her face, confusing Jon, and she smiled despite what he told her. “I thought I cheated on you with Mark. I didn’t ask him about it, he just said that we got together a time or two after his divorce from Michelle.” That had happened before the pandemic started, right before Chris called him asking if Brinley could hide out with him. “Not happy about the fact I was raped, but I don’t remember it happening, so that’s probably why it doesn’t bother me as much as it should. Anyway, sounds to me like we didn’t have a great marriage and we’re better off where we’re at now. Nine years is a long time, but it’s obvious we weren’t meant to be for whatever reason.”

Right there had sealed her fate. Jon shrugged one more time, moving away from her, so he didn’t do something stupid. Like snatch her heartless backside up. “Apparently not, can’t blame your family though. It was a pretty traumatic experience and they didn’t want you to suffer through it all over again.” Instead, he was planning on giving her some new traumatic experiences since she had just ripped his heart out and curb stomped on it for the very last time. “Let us know when Chris has decided what you’re doing.” Brinley was dismissed, she needed to get out of his breathing space before he lost his mind and he was dangerously close to that edge. One way or another, she was doing what he wanted, whether willingly or not was up to her. “Sorry, doll, need a smoke.” He was already vacating the room because she wasn’t moving fast enough and his temper was rising.

Jon knew if he didn’t get away from her, he’d finally become a proper woman abuser.

“Sure thing…”

~!~

“Brinley…”

“No, I don’t want to hear it right now, Christopher!” Brinley was pissed because he flat out refused to do the storyline, not wanting her near Jon Moxley. Her ex-husband. He tried to feed her some line about Jon being dangerous and Brinley sort of…snapped.

“You don’t understand!”

“What is there to understand?! You lied to me and kept the fact I was married to him for SIX goddamn years a secret! You and Mom both! Jessica too! Hell, my own husband probably knows too, huh?” The way Chris’s eyes lowered just boiled her blood further. “You’re unbelievable! All of you! Don’t you think I had a right to know about all of this? Let’s not forget the fact Jon had to be the one to tell me I was raped! That’s why he cheated on me because he thought I did it first! I am SICK and TIRED of being lied to! I’m sure our marriage wasn’t all wine and roses, but damn it, brother…”

Chris could tell she was losing steam and walked up to her, wrapping his arms around her to press her into his body for a warm embrace. “I’m sorry, Brin. I’m so sorry we didn’t tell you, but the doctors said it might traumatize you further. We didn’t want you to suffer any more than you already have, sis.”

“Was Jon really that bad? I mean besides the cheating shit, did he do anything else to me?”

It was too long of a list for Chris to go into and it wasn’t exactly warm in Cleveland either. “That’s complicated and I don’t think you want to know. What I DO know is you need to stay away from him, Brinley.” Pulling back, Chris stared down into her eyes hardening, the serious reflecting in his blues. “I mean it, he’s bad news and he’s dangerous. Please, we’re all just trying to protect you the best way we know how. Don’t do this line with him. Tell Tony Khan no, please.”

Nodding, Brinley trusted her brother and could feel in her heart he wasn’t lying when he said Jon was dangerous. She had felt that when he pulled her into that dressing room last week and kissed her, the desperation and intensity had scared the hell out of her. “I don’t want to be on TV, I just want to stay backstage as a match producer. I honestly don’t want anything to do with Jon Moxley. I’m a married woman and I love my husband with all my heart.”

Chris couldn’t have been happier to hear those words, nodding and kissed the top of her head. “Hey, I’m damn happy you finally married someone I am proud to have as a brother-in-law. Mark is a great man and I only wish you would’ve married him from the beginning instead of that jackass.”

“Yeah, me too. OH! Did I tell you what Mark bought me for the road?” Brinley proceeded to tell her big brother about the multi-million dollar bus he’d surprised her with and laughed at the expression on his face. “I couldn’t believe it either, but look here are some photos.” Whipping out her phone, she started showing him with a big smile on her face, not able to wait to bring this bad boy on the road to the arenas.

Chris really wished that Brinley would just leave AEW because he had this sinking, terrible feeling in his gut that things were not going to get better. He wanted to tell her that, knowing she might steer clear of Moxley, but somehow, he doubted the man would stay away from her, he couldn’t. In his own sick and twisted way, Mox loved her and that was a dangerous kind of love from a very dangerous kind of man. He didn’t think she’d listen though; she had listened now, but when it came to her career…that had always been a different story.

“It’s really great, Brin.” It was, he smiled broadly at her, the worry in his eyes clear as day though. “You should see if Tony will release you early from your contract.”

Which he wouldn’t, because then he would be released early from his life.

“What? Why?” He gave her a knowing look and she rolled her eyes, putting her phone away. “Look, you say Jon is dangerous, but he hasn’t done anything that has sent me running for the hills.”

“Yet.”

“He won’t.”

“How can you be so sure? How do you know he won’t go psycho and do what he did last time?”

“Which was?”

“Damn it, Brinley, this isn’t a game! This is your LIFE and I don’t want to see you crash and burn again like last time! Please, just quit AEW and go home and be with Mark.” Chris had placed his hands on her shoulders, wanting to shake some sense into her and could see the defiance boiling in her eyes. “You know Mark doesn’t want you working here either.”

“That’s not his choice and it’s not yours either.” Brinley removed her brother’s hands from her shoulders, squaring her own. “This is MY career and do you really think Tony Khan will just let me out of my contract like that?” She snapped her fingers at him, making him roll his eyes now.

“Not like Mark can’t just buy it out for you. The man is loaded.”

“You’re a prick. This conversation is over.” Brinley felt nauseous at her brother’s words and stalked away from him, shaking her head. I didn’t marry Mark for his money, you asshole! I married him because I LOVE him!

Chapter 55

“Oh, Mark…” Brinley moaned, riding her husband as he welcomed her home properly, the way a husband was supposed to greet their wife from the road.

They had a nice steak dinner with all the trimmings and then Mark had shown her one of the guest rooms that had all of her belongings from Tampa piled into it. She had thanked him with a soft kiss and it had lit them both on fire with Mark carrying her to their bedroom, the same room he had shared with her during those two years they were together. Brinley had gone to Tony Khan and told him she would play ball and do the storyline, just not with her asinine brother, who thought she needed to be protected.

He was thankful to her and told her to go home for a few weeks to be with her newlywed husband, enjoy her time with him, while AEW figured out how to incorporate her into the mix. Brinley hadn’t told Mark anything about the change to her AEW career, wondering when would be a good time to bring it up. She meant to do it after dinner, but one thing lead to another and now they were in the throes of passion with Mark’s hands gliding over her body while she rose and fell on and off his throbbing cock. Brinley responded by raining kisses all over his massive chest and sat back up again to use him for leverage, taking her time to thoroughly pleasure her husband.

Jon Moxley was the last thing on her mind.

Without realizing it, Jon no longer had the means of spying on Brinley since she was in Mark Calaway’s Fort Knox again.

“I’ll never…get tired of this…of riding you…” Brinley panted out, leaning down to capture his mouth with hers and buried her fingers in his hair while popping her hips up and down, her pussy gliding up and down his cock smoothly while they kissed hungrily.

Jon was fine with that because from what she had let slip to Tony, she and Chris weren’t getting along so well these days, which was what had led to her agreeing to do this line. He was a happy camper and it was no surprise that alcoholic asshole had managed to alienate his sister all on his own.

“Goddamn, I hope so…” That would suck to be him and at her wicked smirk, he clapped both her cheeks with his massive palms, hearing a soft gasp escape her swollen lips. “Mmm,” Mark did it again, feeling her pussy clenching around him and once more, careful not to do it overly hard. “Turn that ass around, darlin’, ride me the other way.” The second she did it, he groaned in pure pleasure, not only was the view delicious, so was the new angle.

Brinley knew they were in the newlywed phase and eventually, the sex would taper off a little, but for now, she was fully enjoying all the attention Mark wanted to give her. Even at his age, and hers, they had a very high sex drive and she couldn’t think of a better way to welcome her home than this. “You like that, Deadman? You like watching my ass bounce on and off your cock?” She deliberately slowed down, giggling wickedly and gasped when she was suddenly on all fours with him slamming in and out of her, showing her his dominant side. “Yes, oh fuck I love it when you dominate me like this…” Her pussy was gushing already and she hadn’t even fully climaxed yet, the sounds of their flesh colliding echoing around them. “Harder, fuck me harder!”

That had been a risky move on his part, given the angle his dick had been bent when she had been on him reverse cowgirl, but Jesus Christ did it pay off because the way she was dirty talking had him pulsing inside of her. “Such a naughty girl…” Mark ran his massive hand up his wife’s back, feeling her trembling beneath his palm and then slid it around her throat, gently squeezing. “Alright, darlin’,” He let go, those shudders intensifying from her, but he knew they were pleasurable ones. Brinley had no problem in letting him know her limits and when she wasn’t feeling something. “Deep breath.” She did as she was told and he squeezed again, cutting off her air, which he knew amplified the intensity of sex, when it was done right. He released again, hearing her intake and sweet mercy she was clenching around his cock like she was possessed.

Memories flooded through her mind of their romps together in WWE, their scorching flings, and they paled into comparison to what they were doing now. How much passion and fire between them back then couldn’t hold a candle to who they were today, married, in love, and completely consumed with each other at the moment. When Brinley climaxed, she came harder than she ever had in her life, even more so on their wedding night in Mexico. It felt like that anyway just because of how intense Mark was being in the bedroom and she didn’t know what spurred him on, but damned if she was complaining.

Chris had called Mark after his argument with Brinley, informing the man what was going on and what Tony Khan had pitched to him. To say Mark wasn’t happy would’ve been an understatement, but at the same time, there was nothing he could do if she decided to go through with the storyline. He wasn’t going to bring it up either, that was all on his wife if she wanted him to know about her career in that godforsaken place. Because her contract wasn’t up for another year, his hands were tied and Mark would have to bide his time and wait patiently until he could get her fully out of AEW and away from Jon Moxley. When Brinley was home, in the safety of his arms, Mark was content, but when she was gone for that one day, which would now end up being longer due to her involvement in the company, he could only pray she came back to him in one piece.

Two hours later, Brinley was sprawled on top of her gorgeous husband, caressing his chest and gently told him about the pitch Tony Khan gave her. She was surprised at how supportive he was and assured him that everything would be fine. The company believed this was the best spot for her, though she didn’t realize it was her ex-husband pulling all the strings. If Brinley had an inkling as to what Jon had in store for her, she would’ve quit AEW instantly and stayed in the safety of her husband’s arms.

“Do you know how much it means to me to hear how supportive you are?” She softly kissed his lips, rubbing her nose against his gently with a smile. “When my contract is up in one year, I’m done. I don’t need the wrestling industry and I would leave now, but I don’t want to breach my contract and cause problems. In one year, I will be yours completely and home and we can go on however many getaways and vacations, do whatever we want. And I don’t care where the storyline is at that point, I already made it clear to Tony I’m not re-signing once my contract is up.” That was a stipulation she had given prior to signing with AEW, another thing she hadn’t forgotten about in her amnesia, thankfully.

“Are you sure that’s what you want, darlin’?”

Honestly, Mark wanted her out of that place just as much as Chris did, but his feelings about her career were what had driven them apart the last time. He wasn’t making that mistake ever again, even though there was the smallest of chances it would cost him dearly. Mark knew Chris would be keeping his eyeballs open, as would Chris’s friends, and that was just going to have to suffice. That and the tech he had in place for her to wear. When she nodded, he just hugged her tightly, praying that this year would pass quickly and without any problems. He couldn’t lose her again, he just couldn’t.

“I love you, Brinley, you know that, right?” He murmured as he pulled away, reaching up to brush a strand of her honey blonde hair back behind her ear.

“I know you do, and I know you’re worried because of Jon, but you don’t need to be. And there’s nothing more than I want in my life than to be with you, Mark. Here with you in this beautiful home and I want to make as many memories with you as possible. You mean everything to me and I’m ready to settle down with you, to be completely yours.” Brinley caressed his face with her hand, gliding her thumb across his lips and had no idea the lengths Mark had gone to in order to protect her. “I don’t need wrestling anymore. I don’t want to be anywhere you’re not. It kills me being away from you just for Dynamite and I know with this line coming up, I’ll have to do Collision too.” Death Riders were on both shows. “I’m really hoping they just…drop this line and let me work Dynamite only. And don’t forget you can always come on the road with me, thanks to that snazzy bus you bought.” Passionately, she kissed him and felt him tilt them to where they were side by side, snuggled against each other. “Come with me, Mark. I don’t want to be anywhere without you.”

“You sure?” Surprise was in his tone.

Hadn’t she asked that before? Maybe. Mark had probably denied her then, he had been so tired of traveling after all these years. It had been a minute, he didn’t really see a reason to deny her this time. He had spent plenty of time at home and the girls were back in school, so he’d still be home for their time with him. At her nod, he grinned, leaning forward, capturing her mouth with his in another passionate, love filled kiss. This would also allow him to keep an eye on her, which would probably make him and Chris both feel better, especially since she had agreed to do this line with Jon. This just wasn’t going to end well, he could feel it in his bones.

“You talked me into it, I’ll come with you. Be an interesting change for me.” Mark was used to having someone with him, not being the accompanying piece.

Her emerald eyes lit up like gemstones and she began raining kisses all over his face, hugging him tightly. “I’m the luckiest woman on the planet.” They proceeded to make love again, falling asleep entangled in each other’s arms with content smiles on their faces.

~!~

The scene was horrific.

There was blood everywhere.

Brinley’s screams echoed around the ranch as she watched her husband be stampeded by the bulls that he had. Mark assured her he would be fine doing this job by himself, tending to them, and one had gotten rambunctious enough to cause the others to start moving. There was nothing Mark could do and he had tried to jump up to get out of the pen they were locked up in, but it had been too late. She was trembling from head to toe while calling 911, begging them to come help her husband, who was down and bleeding from what looked like every part of his body. His face was bruised and cut as well, blood seeping out of his mouth. If Brinley went into the cage, the bulls would rush her too and Mark ordered her to stay out, even though she wanted to go with him to help. Now she understood why he’d been adamant about her staying out of the cage.

“Mark, please wake up!! PLEASE!!” She cried out, reaching her hand in, even though he was too far away for her to touch. “PLEASE STOP!!” He was going to die. HE WAS GOING TO DIE! She was going to lose the love of her life to a bunch of bulls! “I love you, please get up!!” Mark wasn’t moving an inch, his eyes closed and his body still, stiff as a board, his chest barely rising and falling, which was the only way she could tell he was still breathing.

Eventually, when their target didn’t get back up, the bulls moved on, now taking their aggression out on each other opposed to the carcass they had left behind.

“Brin, honey, where’s that dirty old bastard husband of yours?”

Steve Austin had brought the beer, his wife dropping off the pie she had baked in the house. It took him a moment to realize the noise he had heard and thought was some of the wildlife Mark was trying to raise was HER. That godawful noise wasn’t from the loons out on the pond or something, it was her screaming bloody murder. He followed what she was screaming at, paling beneath his Texas tan. Without thinking, he ran as fast as he could, given his bum knee, and was in that pen.

“Open the gate!” He bellowed, dragging Mark’s unconscious frame as quick as he could, his eyes on the bulls who hadn’t noticed him yet. “You son of a bitch, you best be alive!”

“S-Steve…h-he…and I-I…” Brinley had already called the authorities and clutched her stomach tightly, immediately crawling to be by his side while Steve whipped his phone out to call an ambulance.

“Brinley, where is the first aid kit?!” Kristin demanded, rushing over and could see Mark had a gash on his side, knowing they had to stop the bleeding now.

“I-I’ll go get it!” Brinley was on her feet and running towards the mansion as fast as her feet could carry her, her face a mess of tears.

Somehow, someway, Mark held on as the EMTs arrived about 20 minutes later, since he lived so far out on the outskirts of Dallas. Steve helped his wife with the major wounds while Brinley helped where she could as well, praying her husband survived this. Those bulls had gone stir crazy seemingly out of nowhere and she had no idea why! Hopping into the ambulance, Brinley was covered in Mark’s dry blood as she grabbed his bloody hand, clutching it for all she was worth and prayed over him.

“Please, please don’t leave me, baby…please Mark, please I love you so much and I can’t lose you, not again…”

Steve and Kristin, who were also covered in Mark’s blood, followed right behind the ambulance to the hospital.

It wasn’t a huge surprise when they arrived at the hospital and Mark had to have emergency surgery, being immediately rushed inside to start saving his life. Brinley was beside herself, burying her head in her hands and silent tears cascaded down her cheeks, not believing what just happened. They had planned on having a BBQ with Steve and Kristen to celebrate their marriage with them and this happened out of nowhere. What would happen if she lost Mark? What would Brinley do? Her heart shattered in her chest at the thought and she looked down at the diamond rings on her left ring finger, crying harder.

MARK!!!!!!

Steve, after washing himself up as best he could once Mark had been rushed into surgery, took Brinley in his arms, hugging her tightly. He stared at his wife over Brinley’s head, tears in his own baby blues. This was all in the Lord’s hands and he hated it because he knew those kinds of injuries, the things those bulls had put his friend through, killed a man. A single bull could kill a man and Mark had been attacked by several.

“He’ll be alright, honey,” Steve didn’t believe a word coming out of his mouth right now, but they both needed to hear it, to have some of that hope. “He’s a tough son of a bitch, he’ll…he’ll be fine.” He guided her over to the chairs, gently putting her into one besides Kristen before sitting down himself to bury his bald head in his hands, beginning to cry himself.

Brinley had nodded against Steve’s shoulder and all they could do was pray and cry together, all three of them. Kristen held her hand and Steve had the other, all three closing their eyes and waiting until the surgeon came out to tell them if Mark was alive or dead. They hadn’t been married a month yet, together a month, and Brinley was so scared she was about to lose the love of her life. So much regret washed over her, so many years wasted and then her accident had taken away all the memories of their 2 years together. The memories she wanted to make with him had just been ripped away from her and Brinley felt for the first time what TRUE despair felt like while sitting there, feeling completely helpless.

Mark was in a coma.

That was the official diagnosis and the doctors had no idea when or if he would ever wake up.

There was so much damage, that even if he survived the coma, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t be a vegetable. Right now, he was hooked up to a million machines, including ones to help him breathe because one lung had been punctured by a broken rib. The physical trauma alone would have been enough for his brain to shut down the body, he had gotten a hoof to the skull. Most people would have probably died. Mark was stronger than most people and his body uniquely adapted to damage, so that was something to factor in as well.

“Brin?” Steve hadn’t slept a wink since coming here. He had made the call to Michelle hours ago, Kristen staying with Brinley because honestly, he was afraid for her mental state right now. “Honey, Chris is on his way up.” He had called her brother, not sure what else to do for her. She had no family here in Texas outside of Mark and she needed a loved one right now. “Brin, you hear me?”

“She hears you, Steve.” Kristen had felt Brinley’s nod against her shoulder, aware that nothing was going to help.

There was NO helping this kind of pain.

Chapter 56

“I’m not leaving him.” Brinley was seated right beside Mark and kept a hold of his hand, afraid if she let go, if she left, she would never see him again.

He would die and she would be alone. The tears wouldn’t stop, though she felt numb while staring at him, not believing this happened. Why? Why would god bring this man into her life, after her accident, only to rip him away from her? It made no sense! She couldn’t make sense of this situation, no matter how hard she tried, and wouldn’t take her eyes off him.

“Brinley, there’s nothing you can do for him right now and you can’t keep staying here.”

“Yes, I can. Tell Tony Khan I’m not leaving my husband. Matter of fact, tell Tony Khan I officially resign from AEW. I’m not leaving Mark. He needs me.” Brinley didn’t bother looking at her brother, her back to him and pressed her forehead to Mark’s hand, the same hand his wedding ring sported, silent sobs tearing through her body. Mark please, please wake up…I can’t, I WON’T live without you! Don’t leave me please!!

Chris raked his hands through his tousled hair, staring down at his baby sister intently. It had nearly killed him, walking in here and seeing the living legend like this taken out by a steak, no less. It wasn’t right and his mind had rejected what he was seeing. Then he had turned his attention to his sister, who looked like hell warmed over. Brinley was in a bad way and he had never seen her this desperate, this broken. Not even Mox had managed to destroy her in this way.

“Brinley,” Chris crouched down by the side of the bed, right before her, searching her face intently. “There’s nothing you can do. I’m sorry, but there isn’t. There isn’t a thing ANY of us can do, but pray. This is out of all our hands.” The slap she gave him left an instant red, raised spot, but he didn’t flinch. “Hit me all you want sis, but you know I’m right. He wouldn’t want you sitting here wasting away and you are.” It hadn’t even been that long and she was already looking gaunt, like she had dropped five pounds.

“I don’t fucking care!” She shoved him away from her, not leaving the chair she had fallen asleep in for the past week, not caring how she looked.

Nothing mattered anymore.

All she could do was sit there and stare at the love of her life breathing with the help of a machine. Mark couldn’t even breathe on his own and if that machine turned off, for any reason, he would die instantly. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for slapping you. I just…don’t care anymore, Christopher. He’s my everything. He came to me when I was lost after the accident and rekindled feelings in me I didn’t know I still had. He IS my life and I won’t leave him, I won’t do it. Fuck my job. Fuck AEW. Fuck everything and everyone. Until he wakes up and I can take him home and nurse him back to health, I am NOT leaving his side. He would do the same thing for me, he wouldn’t leave my side for a second!”

“Goddamn it, Brinley, just because he’s gone doesn’t mean you have to go too!”

If she had been sorry for slapping him a second ago, she was going to feel a lot of guilt because she was now beating the hell out of him. Chris wasn’t even sure he had seen her move, one second she was in that chair, telling him and everybody and everything in the world to fuck off, and then she was up punching and hitting him with her balled up fists. All he could do was stand there and take it. He had screwed up and he knew it; he hadn’t meant it the way it sounded, he could hear her crying all over again, cursing him to hell and back.

“GET OUT!”

“Brin-“

“GET. OUT!”

Groaning, he did, reluctantly. She HAD to leave this place. Brinley was going to die here long before Mark did if she didn’t get up and out of here. She would waste away from grief.

He needed help.

“Don’t worry, Deadman, I’m not leaving you. I’ll NEVER leave you. We’ll go together, okay? We’ll die together because I refuse to live without you. I REFUSE!” Brinley sobbed brokenly, dropping to her knees and buried her face in her hands, curling up in a tight ball on the floor as the pain tore through her from head to toe. “I refuse…I refuse…I refuse…”

~!~

Chris had no idea what possessed him to do it, but he stood outside of the Death Riders dressing room, staring at the words. Why was he doing this? He knew deep down there was only ONE person who could help his sister through this right now – the second love of her life. Even though Brinley hated him when she had her memories, Chris also knew she loved him like no other and now she was broken, shattered to pieces. For the first time in his life, in his 50 plus years on this earth, Chris needed help from the LAST person he ever thought he’d go to.

His ex-brother-in-law.

Before he changed his mind, Chris banged on the door and didn’t bother waiting to be told to ‘come in’ or any kind of response, he merely stepped inside. “Mox, we need to talk. If you still love my sister, you’ll fucking listen to me. Something happened…”

Resisting the temptation to put the blonde’s head through the cement wall, Jon simply listened, showing no emotion, though on the inside, he was as giddy as a boy who had just gotten his first hand job from an actual female. “Why should I fucking care?” He cared, but also enjoyed toying with Chris.

“You’re saying you don’t love her?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Jon shrugged his broad shoulders, deciding since this was so satisfactory, almost orgasmic, he was going to have a cigarette. He purposefully turned his back on Chris and procured a cigarette, lighting it right there in the building and let out a soft groan of pleasure. “She made her choice.” It was obviously the WRONG one. Beaten to near death by bulls…that was an ugly way to go. Jon smirked, staring ahead at the wall; he bet up until Calaway passed out, it had hurt like nothing else too.

“She’s going to let herself waste there, die there, if someone doesn’t snap her out of it and you’re the only person who has ever driven her to extremes.” Good and bad, and they needed that now.

“Say please.”

Chris gnashed his teeth.

“Pretty please, say that instead, I’m real close to cumming.”

“You know what? Fuck you, Mox! No, fuck you, Jon! You think it was easy for me to come here and ask for your damn help after EVERYTHING you did to my sister? To our family?! You killed our fucking father and you have the audacity to stand there saying that shit to me! Fuck you, assclown! I was always right about you, you’re NEVER going to be as great as you think in this business just like you weren’t as GREAT of a husband as you thought you were to her! Fuck you, I know who to call and it’s NOT. YOU! Stay away from her or I’ll take your other eye out!” Slamming the door shut behind him, Chris stalked down the hallway and whipped his phone out, calling the only other person he could think of that could help Brinley right now. “Seth, Jericho here, got a second?” He didn’t realize Jon overheard him calling Seth Rollins either.

Chris didn’t even get to finish any other sentence his alcoholic brain was considering saying because Jon had just shoved Chris headfirst into a doorway. Whistling once the older man dropped to a knee, along with dropping that phone, Jon danced to the phone and brought his boot down on it, just as Chris reached for it. “Ah yeah, right there, princess,” He hissed through his clenched teeth, that cigarette still in his mouth. Jon did not care who saw him, this was HIS kingdom. HIS yard. He grinned at that, listening to Chris’s soft curses of pain. “I’ll handle your sister and get her back to the living.” He bent over to pat Chris’s head. “Thanks for the sex, it’s been a while.”

“Stay the fuck away from her…”

“Nah, you asked so sweetly.” Fun and games were over, he became serious. “I’m not going to let her fucking waste away and calling Rollins ain’t going to do shit. If YOU can’t get her up, neither can he.”

“What makes you think you can?” Damn his hand and head hurt.

“I think we both know I can.” Jon wouldn’t ask her, he was just going to do what he always did. Take.

It was a mistake to go to Jon and Chris knew it, having started the voicemail with Seth, but Jon had put an end to that. “Don’t you dare hurt her…I’ll kill you if you do.” He stumbled to his feet, ignoring his pounding head and shook his hand, holding it at his side while leaning against the wall. “You are the last person I wanted to go to, but you’re also the only person than can snap her out of her despair. And remember this, Jon, she may tell you to go fuck yourself the same way she did me. And you won’t get away with HALF the shit you used to when it comes to her. Tread carefully, you’re not a god.” He had nothing more to say to Jon and swiped his phone from the floor, walking off and cursing, needing to go get a new cell phone immediately. Brinley, you forced me to do this, sister. Please don’t hate me for this.

~!~

Chris’s warnings fell on deaf ears because honestly, what did Chris think he was going to do? Jon was not known for his subtle tactics; Chris was a total idiot if he really thought that Jon cared about getting away with anything, or whatever the hell the dumbass had said. He made his way up to the private room that Calaway was being kept in, leaning in the open doorway to eyeball the old man who had taken HIS woman. Karma was a bitch and that’s what the old prick deserved after swooping in the way he had. People called HIM a predator, no…the real predator had been Calaway, not even giving her a chance to relearn anything. He had just come in and swept her off her feet before Jon had a moment to do anything.

Then, he finally turned his attention to his ex-wife, the façade cracking at the utter despair on her face. Damn this woman and her ability to mess with him in ways no one else could. Quietly, he made his way to stand before her, she was dozing in a chair and she looked like she needed a spa day, and a few good meals. Maybe a brush for her hair. Sinking down into a crouch, Jon reached out to gently touch her knee, not surprised when those bloodshot eyes flew open.

“Angel.”

“J-Jon?”

Brinley was sleepy, not meaning to fall asleep and had wound up crying herself to sleep for the umpteenth time. She didn’t even realize tomorrow was Thanksgiving because she’d been here for the past few weeks, not leaving Mark’s side. There was a staying area within the hospital and she had a room to shower in, to sleep, but Brinley took very quick showers and came right back to Mark’s side. She didn’t smell at least and Kristen was kind enough to go to the mansion to bring her clothes to the hospital, so she had fresh ones on too. Right now, she had on a black Undertaker t-shirt that Mark gave her because it was too small for him and a pair of black pajama pants with white stars on them. Her honey blonde hair was haphazardly on top of her head, dark circles marred her eyes and she’d barely eaten, only enough to survive and nothing more.

“W-What are you doing here?” Instinctively, she pulled away from him and still had a hold of Mark’s still warm hand.

No change happened and the more he slept, the less likely he would ever wake up. Michelle and the girls visited every few days and that was when Brinley went to her room in the hospital to clean herself up, never leaving Mark alone for long. Steve and Kristen and others had come to visit as well, including Glenn Jacobs, who had flown in all the way from Tennessee.

The longer one remained in a coma, the less likely they were to ever pop their eyes open again. Jon didn’t feel bad at all for the Deadman. However, there was no denying the concern he was feeling for his ex-wife at the moment. He knew instinctively that Brinley had no intentions of ever leaving this hospital. She would stay here until this man either died or she did, whichever came first.

“I’m here because of you,” He said quietly, the softness in his voice a first for some time. “I’m here to get you out here of, Brinley.” She was shaking her head already and he reached up to capture a tear that slid down her face. “Angel, you can’t stay here, you just can’t. He wouldn’t want it and you know it.”

Hell no, he would not. Mark would be PISSED if he knew his wife was languishing away at his bedside. She had not survived everything she had just to give up now.

“Please no…Please d-don’t make me l-leave him…” Brinley pleaded through fresh tears, her voice shaky and remembered when her brother had come to see her, how she had beaten on him.

That would not fly with Jon.

She didn’t know why, but the feeling of dread washed over her at the thought of doing something like that to her ex-husband. An ex-husband she had no memory of, but if she did, she would’ve instantly had security remove him from this room. Slowly, she looked away from Mark to stare into Jon’s eyes, more tears falling as he kept brushing them away and she pressed her forehead against his shoulder, the wetness from them soaking into his bomber leather jacket he had on.

“J-Jon…” The very man her husband tried like hell, tried everything in his power to protect her from, was probably the only one who could heal her at the moment. “I-I can’t…abandon him…”

“Angel,” Jon moved his arms around her, beginning to rub up and down her back in a soothing motion, feeling her body trembling from her crying. “You’re not abandoning him. If anything changes at all, you’ll be the first to know.” Because she was the wife and the hospital would call her immediately.

It wouldn’t be like she’d be able to stay there if he woke up anyway. She’d be rushed out, so they could start all those tests and everything else, like the doctors had done for her when she had her concussion. Only his would be more intense and with different tests just because of the coma and the very traumatic injuries the old man had suffered. Jon idly wondered if prior concussions from his wrestling career had somehow contributed to this coma in the first place.

“Come on, you’ve been here since day one, you need to at least go outside, okay?”

Chapter 57

Why was she listening to him?

Why wasn’t Brinley fighting him off like she had with her brother? With Steve? With Kristen? Michelle and the kids hadn’t bothered trying to get her to leave the hospital, bringing her what she needed and she had given them time with Mark, but other than that, this hospital was the only place she’d known for the past couple of weeks.

“Okay.” She whispered, seeing the small smile on Jon’s face and looked back at Mark after he helped her stand up, moving to stare down at him, stroking his face tenderly with the back of her hand. “I’ll be right back, Deadman, okay? I promise I’m not leaving you, I’m just gonna go get some air.” Leaning down, she kissed his forehead and said another silent prayer for him to wake up, tears welling in her eyes. “I love you.”

No response. No movement. No words. Nothing.

All she wanted to do was hear his deep, southern accented voice again, to look into his jade eyes and feel his lips against hers. Would that ever happen again? Brinley felt Jon pulling her away from him by the hand, guiding her out of the room and her eyes immediately lowered the moment Mark was out of eyesight as they headed outside.

She was listening to Jon because, at the end of the day, he was the only one who was really left for her. She could have avoided this pain if Calaway had just stayed away, there wasn’t a doubt in his mind. Now, she was heartbroken and in so much pain. He kept hold of her hand as they walked out of the hallway, nodding when a nurse flashed him a thumbs up. They were all worried about Brinley, about how she had so rapidly become a shell of the woman who had arrived, hysterical and in tears over her husband. They stepped out into the sunshine, in the relatively fresh air, and Jon simply watched as she tipped her head back to let those rays caress her face. It was November, but still warm in Texas, though he removed his leather coat to wrap it around her shoulders, hating how fragile she felt.

Don’t worry Brinley, I’m going to make sure you get better…and that things wind up how they were meant to go.

“Thank you.” She whispered, clutching the leather coat around her and moved when Jon’s hand pressed against the small of her back, guiding her over to sit down on one of the nearby benches. He lit up a cigarette since this was a smoking portion of the hospital grounds and Brinley could only look down at her hands, the diamond rings breaking her heart all over again. Mark, why? Why is this happening to us? We were so happy and finally found each other again. I love you, please don’t leave me, don’t leave us…FIGHT, DAMN IT!! Brinley felt Jon’s arm wrap around her and she was desperate for the warmth and comfort, immediately leaning into it while she started crying again. She thought all of her tear ducts were dried up by now from how much she’d cried over the past few weeks. “I’m not leaving him, Jon. I’m not leaving this hospital until I can take him home and nurse him back to health. I don’t care about my job. I don’t care about the contract. I don’t care about AEW. So if you’re here to try to get me to come back to work, if this is about the storyline, you’re wasting your time and your breath.”

“I’m not here to talk about AEW.” That was true and not his biggest issue at the moment. “I already know you’re not going back, Angel.” Not yet anyway, but they had to tackle things one step at a time. Jon had already done more than her family had, getting her up and outside of the hospital. He inwardly smirked, aware that would stick in big brother’s craw, just the way he liked it. “What if you can’t take him home?” He asked quietly, knowing that that kind of thing required a LOT of money and a LOT of around the clock care. “Brinley,” He stared down at her, watching as she sucked air through her clenched teeth. “The longer he stays in that coma, the less likely he is to wake up. You know that, don’t you?” It wasn’t said in an unkind tone, but one full of sympathy and sadness, kind of like the tone of voice she had used on him when she had told him about marrying Calaway and him being the love of her life.

“He’s strong. He’s going to make it through this. He’s going to wake up!” Brinley shouted that last part, standing up from the bench and swayed a little, making Jon plant her right back down again. She was weakened due to barely eating and taking care of herself properly. She knew Mark would be angry with her for allowing herself to dwindle like this, but what was she supposed to do? “H-He has to.” She finally whispered out, trembling from head to toe and wrapped her arms around herself, rocking back and forth.

Deep down inside her heart, however, she knew the words Jon spoke were the truth. Cold, hard facts. Mark had been in a coma, unresponsive, for almost three weeks now. Tomorrow on Thanksgiving would actually be three weeks since he’d been attacked by the bulls on all Hallow’s Eve. They had plans to go take the girls trick-or-treating with Michelle the following day on Halloween and even made plans to have a festive Thanksgiving and Christmas together. So many plans all gone up in smoke because of those damn bulls! Brinley ordered Steve to get rid of them and he had sold every one of them off, never wanting to see a bull again as long as she lived.

“He just needs more time, that’s all…”

“Time isn’t on your side, Angel.” It was soft, but laced with truth and they both knew it. “Time is your enemy in this case.”

The old saying that time healed all wounds was a lie. Jon would know that better than most, and it was a lesson she was learning all over again in the worst way possible. In this case, time was the bringer of destruction, all that neuro and physical decay that would set in. The nurses had already begun the process of moving Mark around every so often, just so the man wouldn’t get bedsores, but the muscle deterioration was setting in. An IV feed of the nutrients he needed wasn’t going to save his looks, his physical peak; instead, he would wither down to something, someone else, someone unrecognizable, even to her.

“He’s not going to want you seeing him the way he’ll become, the way he’s becoming.” Because there was no way she hadn’t noticed the minute changes already taking place. “I know you love him,” That hurt Jon to say, almost as much as it hurt him to see those tears. He procured a bandana from his back pocket, offering it to her. “But you need to love who he was and remember that man.”

“No…no, no, no, no…I can’t…I CAN’T!! Don’t say that! Please don’t say that!! No, I can’t…” She was starting to hyperventilate and Jon was there, holding her tightly against him with her face buried in his shirt, soaking it with her tears, her fingers gripping his leather jacket. “Mark…Mark no, please…god…NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!”

The harsh reality began crashing down on her of what had happened to her husband of not even a month, her pain and anguish pouring forth like a raging river. An unstoppable tide. Wave after wave crashed over her and she had no idea how long she sat there for, clutching and holding onto her ex-husband, but eventually, Brinley lifted her head with bloodshot eyes.

“W-What do I do? What do I do now, Jon? I-I can’t…I won’t give up on him.” There would be no divorce – if Mark died, she would remain his widow for the rest of her life and Brinley squeezed her eyes shut at the very real possibility of that happening. “I-I won’t pull the plug on him…I won’t do it…” If Mark was going to die, the machines would stop working eventually and she would let nature take its course, flat out refusing to end her husband’s life.

“You don’t have too, Angel.”

Progress, they were making progress and he wasn’t about to push her into anything that extreme. Who the hell knew what medicine and technological strides would be made in the coming years? Granted, Calaway was already on the old side, so it wouldn’t really do HIM much good, but…there it was.

“Nobody is asking you to pull that plug,” That would definitely kill him and was it wrong for Jon to wish it was tornado season, so the hospital would go down? Probably, because there were hundreds of other patients in that building and contrary to what Chris thought, he wasn’t a MASS murderer. Just…single digits. “And nobody is asking you to give up on him,” Jon tipped her head up to study her face intently. “What I’m asking is that you don’t give up on yourself, Brinley.” He wouldn’t watch her waste away, die slowly, REFUSING to watch it happen.

Sniffling, Brinley’s hands slowly released his jacket and her arms fell at her sides, feeling completely defeated and numb. Those intense blues bore into her, the plea in Jon’s eyes clear as day and she could also see the love for her in them too. Why does he care so much about me? Why does he still love me? I hurt him, I know I did, and I don’t remember anything about us. I don’t have those memories. Six years is a long time and…I can’t, I won’t love another man ever again. I won’t love ever again. My heart is up in that hospital room and it will remain there until the day I die. If she said all of that, there was no doubt in her mind it would’ve pissed Jon off and that was the last thing Brinley wanted to do.

Giving up on herself wasn’t an option either.

Mark wouldn’t want that for her and Jon had been right. Her brother too, though for some reason, she didn’t want to hear it from Chris. Jon was different for some reason and Brinley found herself agreeing with what he said, her heart and mind at war at the moment. Maybe it was because they were married for nine years and maybe the old Brinley, the one before the amnesia, trusted him regardless of their divorce. That couldn’t have been further from the truth, however.

“What do you want me to do, Jon? I can’t…go back to the mansion without him…and I don’t wanna go to Tampa either. There’s nowhere else for me to go right now except here, right?”

“We can go to Cincy.” He suggested, after a long moment, definitely not wanting to go back to the…did she say mansion?

That old man lived in a country mansion? That was sickening. Jon had a nice place, but it wasn’t a mansion. He had remained true mostly to his roots, knowing he didn’t need a big place that he wouldn’t even use all the rooms in. However, staying in Texas was off the menu, definitely the ‘home’ she had shared with that breathing carrot stick up in that building. If he seen the place they had been so happy, so in love, he would probably burn it to the ground and dance around the ashes.

“It’s Thanksgiving, I wasn’t doing a big thing, but…maybe it’d be good for you. Some normalcy?” Maybe clear some of the grief out of her head, so she could start thinking clearly about going forward and what came next. Wallowing in her misery wasn’t helping her mind any and Brinley had been stewing it in long enough.

Brinley had no idea why, but she reluctantly agreed and left the hospital that way with Jon, hopping on Tony Khan’s private jet that had brought Jon here in the first place.

~!~

Brinley had slept on the plane and felt a little better upon arrival, sleeping through most of the night in Jon’s room. He was adamant about her sleeping in there with him so he could keep an eye on her, the worry in his eyes forcing her into submission. There was definite guilt too. Honestly, Brinley didn’t want to be alone right now and didn’t feel Jon’s fingers gliding through her golden blonde hair while she slept harder than she had in weeks, his eyes drinking in every inch of her. She was here with him, once again, in his new house in Cincinnati, Ohio, where their new beginning would start.

Las Vegas was a thing of the past and Jon smiled as Blue hopped up onto the bed to join them, reaching out to pat the old boy’s head. He sniffed at Brinley and then looked up at his master, who nodded silently and he whimpered a little while nudging her hand until she touched him, licking her fingers a little. Blue recognized who she was immediately, a woman he hadn’t seen in years, and burrowed himself right between her and his master, settling down with them.

Their ‘baby’, the puppy they had raised together once it started becoming obvious that a real baby was not in the future for them, no matter how desperately they had wanted a child. He dozed lightly, and it was the most restful sleep Jon had in a long time, since maybe Brinley’s own accident that had reset her personal ‘timeline’ as it were. He was up before her, however, making his way to the kitchen to get started on Thanksgiving. He hadn’t been kidding; Jon had no plans of going all out and didn’t have anyone to celebrate with anyway. His mother was dead and his ex-wife had been in Texas. He was smiling to himself as he worked, amazed at how the universe always seemed to come through for him in a pinch, his blue eyes moving to the ceiling when he heard a soft thump.

She was up.

The first thing Brinley did was shower to get all the travel gunk off of her and also so she could cry her heart out without Jon hearing her. Hades. She missed Hades so much, having instantly connected with Mark’s dog the moment she met him. It was almost as if the dog knew her and come to find out, he did. Mark told her all about how she’d bonded with Hades, Pain, and Panic, all of them very good boys. Hades was her special boy though and it was almost as if no time had passed by. The moment she woke up and saw an English bulldog she didn’t recognize, Brinley was out of bed instantly and didn’t want to have anything to do with another animal. Animals took people away, loved ones away, and she hated them all now.

“Mark…” She sobbed, dropping to her knees in the shower and stayed there for a while, even after the water had turned cold on her.

Chapter 58

Eventually, Brinley managed to pull herself out of the shower, shivering from head to toe and dressed in a pair of orange pajama pants and a long sleeved shirt, brushing her teeth and hair. That was all she did though, not caring how horrible her reflection looked staring back at her. Dark circles were still under her eyes, forming bags, emeralds were bloodshot from all the crying she’d done in the shower and she was pale, her tan gone that she’d gotten from Mexico.

Ignoring the English bulldog, she headed down the stairs of the unfamiliar house, looking around and stopped at the sight of a picture hanging on the wall just as she turned the corner to walk into the living room. It was her, younger, and Jon together on the steps of what she could only assume had been their home with a bulldog in front of them, smiles on their faces. Her eyes moved back to the English bulldog and then the picture, not having the heart to really care about it at the moment and padded into the kitchen.

“So, I can’t imagine how awkward this must be for you having your ex-wife in your house a distraught, broken mess, huh? I need coffee.”

“On the counter.” Jon grunted, gesturing towards the waiting, fresh pot with everything she used to use set out. He noticed Blue was trailing her around like a little lost puppy, even though he was an old man in dog years and she was ignoring him. Made sense, she didn’t remember him, poor little Blue. He bent down to give his ‘baby’ some loving, looking up at her as she made herself that cup. “And no, it’s not awkward. We never shared this place.” They would be from here on out, but that was information she didn’t need to know just yet. “I got rid of our old place in Vegas.” He didn’t need the memories coming back to haunt him, good on that front.

No, she would not be sharing this place with him because Brinley planned on going back to Texas, after she found a place near the hospital. Jon didn’t need to know what she was planning, however, since he would have to go back on the road with AEW. While he was gone, she would make her way back to Texas or even leave the same day. She wouldn’t bring any of that up today, however, since it was Thanksgiving and he was kind enough to bring her here in the first place.

“We lived in Vegas?” That was surprising to Brinley as her head snapped up upon hearing that, putting a little coffee in her creamer, no sugar and stirred it with a spoon. “Did we live there the full six years? Are you originally from there or here?”

“From here, I loved Vegas though, so as soon as I made some money, I moved.” Brinley had known it before in the past. He considered her as he moved back to the counter to wash his hands and continued on with dinner. The turkey breast he had bought, because he wasn’t stuffing a bird, was already in the oven. “And yeah, we did, we had a house on the outskirts of the city and you could see the Red Rocks.” Jon had loved that area because of the mountain biking and hiking there. He had also loved taking her out in the back of his truck to make love in the bed beneath those expansive, starry skies.

Cincinnati didn’t have skies like that.

“Got it.” Brinley didn’t really know what else to say and just sipped her coffee, not at all interested about her past with Jon.

Truthfully, she didn’t care and didn’t want to be here, wishing he would’ve left her to rot back at the hospital with Mark. Nothing he said or did would stop her from wallowing in misery over what happened to her husband. This felt wrong – all of it – and Brinley looked down at her phone, seeing she had countless calls and text messages, ignoring all of them. The only call she wanted was from the hospital telling her that Mark was awake, breathing on his own, and he was going to get better.

“I’m gonna go lay back down. I’m not feeling good.” She walked out of the kitchen and went backstairs to Jon’s room, then thought better of it and instead grabbed a blanket and pillow to sleep on the couch downstairs. What the hell was she thinking sharing a bed with her ex-husband while her current husband was in a coma?!

He let her go without a word, though his blue eyes narrowed to icy slits once she was out of the room. Jon retrieved one of his non-alcohol beers from the fridge, popping the tab and took several long swallows. The only thing that was preventing him from doing anything else stupid – curb stomping that homeless guy hadn’t been one of his finer moments, but it wasn’t like he could take it back, or would if he could – right now was the fact that, whether she liked it or not, there was progress being made. It was only day one since Brinley had left the hospital and, unlike her Veggie Tale hubby, Jon DID have time on his side.

Maybe not patience to match it, but the time was there.

As soon as Brinley was on that couch, Blue was up on her, licking the tears from her face with a soft whine. Brinley looked at the dog with those big blue eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his fur crying her heart out all over again. Blue didn’t move, just sat there like the good boy he was and brought his paw up to try to hug her in return.

“You’re a good boy, huh? You’re a good boy just like Hades.”

He was beautiful, old but beautiful and she had no idea she had been the one to surprise Jon with him. She had no idea that she had bonded with Blue before Jon and that was why Blue was so adamant about getting her attention. She had been the first human he had bonded with and dogs seldom forgot that. Snuggling down on the couch, she wrapped her arm around Blue since he joined her and fell asleep with him, completely dead to the world. Jon wound up eating Thanksgiving dinner alone that night because she slept throughout the day and night, not moving an inch from the couch.

When she woke up the next morning, the hospital had called to let her know that Mark had died and not even the machines could keep him alive.

~!~

Over the next couple of months, everything was a blur.

Brinley was numb while planning the funeral arrangements and everything that needed to be done for Mark. The funeral itself was beautiful, but she rarely remembered any of it, her brain shutting down due to the trauma of losing her husband. They were married just shy of one month and that was all god gave her…and she hated him for it. She hated god, she hated the word faith and she handed everything over to Michelle and the girls, wanting nothing to do with the mansion or anything Mark had.

Without thinking twice about it, Brinley moved everything she owned into Jon’s house in Cincinnati and she had been there for the better part of four months now. She still wore her wedding rings from Mark, refusing to ever take them off and made it clear she would never marry or fall in love again, her heart pure stone after what she’d been through. The tears at night subsided, though the hole inside of her remained and Jon did what he could to help her, eventually just leaving her alone. Blue was a huge help and she took very good care of him while Jon was on the road with AEW, raising hell and causing Tony Khan more chaos than necessary.

Cincinnati had gotten a lot of snow this winter, so Brinley was currently outside with Blue, sipping a cup of coffee and looked down at her phone to see a text from her brother. Mom misses you, when are you going to come home, Brinley?

The day after never. Tell her I’m fine where I’m at and I love her.

Jon had been there for her through everything, the funeral, her grief, and let her cry on him more times than she cared to admit. Granted, she had her own room in the house, but still, it was her ex-husband’s house and Brinley knew eventually Jon would want her gone. She just couldn’t find it in herself to leave, not yet, not when she finally settled and somewhat at peace with everything.

Her stage of grief had finally hit the final point – Acceptance.

Jon knew it and was playing the long game. If she wanted to stay with him, he had no problem with that. If Brinley wanted to leave, he had a basement that was soundproofed and had no problem with that either. Either way, this had all worked out in his favor and there was NO more competition, not living anyway. He would have to probably share some head and heart space with Calaway, but he’d take it.

Calaway was dead, he wasn’t.

You can’t stay there forever. It was truly twisted how, in the end, Brinley was right back to where she had started, with Jon. Maybe not WITH him in the way the man definitely wanted, but still with him, and Chris was concerned she’d never escape this time.

If Jon wants me gone, he’ll let me know. I’m comfortable here, Christopher. Maybe I’ll come see Mom in the spring or something.

Her 45^th birthday was rapidly approaching in March and Brinley was a grown woman capable of making her own decisions in life. Honestly, why would she leave this place? It was tranquil and Cincinnati had beautiful sunsets and sunrises over the skyline where Jon’s home was located. She often went outside, no matter how cold it was, and just watched it while sipping coffee.

Copious amounts of coffee.

She was somewhat of an addict and she had picked up smoking again, currently lighting a square up to take a long drag off it. There might’ve been a little bit of Bailey’s dropped into her coffee as well, though she made sure to only drink whenever Jon wasn’t home since he was a recovering alcoholic. Picking up the ball, she tossed it in the snow while Blue ran to grab it, digging in the snow and it made her smile.

She could drink it in front of him and he had told her so the second he had realized she had taken up drinking. If he hadn’t relapsed yet and he had a LOT of chances and times he had definitely wanted to, – when she had remarried for example – so he wasn’t going to relapse now. He had even told her that when he had started adding Bailey’s to the weekly groceries he picked up, including a carton of smokes because two of them were going through those bad boys very quickly. Maybe it was time to take up vaping. However, it was also nice knowing she was trying to be considerate of him.

Jon was never going to tell her to leave and Chris groaned, hating how this had all played out in that psycho’s favor and HE only had HIMSELF to blame for going to him! You could come stay with us. The girls miss their Auntie B. Jon was not the only one who could play dirty. Chris was not above using his daughters.

No thanks, love you guys, but I don’t want to see your happy family and marriage, brother. Did you forget I recently lost the love of my life or do you just not fucking care? Don’t answer that.

Brinley was very bitter at the world, even though she had accepted Mark’s death, the grieving would never fully go away or taper off. She barely talked to Jon when he was home, letting him do his thing and he had the basement with his own personal gym and workout rooms. There was even a sauna down there, which reminded her of Mark’s gym back in Dallas. Brinley did not go down there, not having a reason to and spent her days watching television or reading books, writing in her journal whenever the mood struck her.

Mark had left everything to Michelle and the girls, not having time to really change his will or anything, and Brinley was fine with it since she hadn’t been married to him very long. Michelle had and they’d had beautiful girls together, so of course they deserved it far more than she did. Jon assured her money wasn’t an issue, but she was becoming restless and figured maybe it was time to finally rejoin the land of the living in AEW to resume her job. No storyline, she told Tony Khan to stick it, she wasn’t interested and she wasn’t doing it.

No, it was time for her to get mobile. Jon had stepped outside, a cigarette dangling from his bottom lip and enjoyed the cold raking across his bare chest. “C’mon, Angel,” He smiled when she twisted her head back to look at him, spotting that coffee and no doubt Bailey’s, in her hand. “You’re going to work out with me today.” Naturally, Brinley began shaking her head at him and he just shrugged. “I told you, I’m not watching you waste away, Brin.” Then he had bent down to pick her up, taking that mug and tossing the coffee out of it as he carted her back inside. “It’s time for you to get mobile…” A second later, he felt her hitting his back and he flipped her properly so she was over his shoulder, bringing his palm down on her squirming backside. “Woman, you’re never too old for a spanking!”

“What the hell is the matter with you, Jon Moxley?! Let me go! Put me down right now!” Brinley squirmed more, hating the fact his hand on her backside felt good because she enjoyed being smacked there. “Don’t put your hands on my ass again! Who do you think you are?!”

Her world was upside down for what felt like forever and the light began to disappear, the stairs coming into her line of vision. A few minutes later, she was on her feet again and glaring at him through acid-filled eyes. She didn’t have dark circles under her eyes, her complexion was the right type of pale instead of gaunt, she had gained some weight in all the right spots, she wasn’t wasting away!

“You ever put your hands on my ass again and I’ll BREAK your fingers, Moxley, you hear me? I am your EX-wife, EX for a reason, asshole!” First her brother and now this neanderthal who thought he knew what was best for her! Men SUCKED!

“Woman, if you don’t want hit, don’t hit first!”

Brinley had slapped him on his back first and he was laughing because this was the most fire she had shown in quite some time. A second later, a slap had rang out in his gym, echoing around them almost and he brought his hand up to his now red, raised face, feeling where she had struck him. His nostrils flared as he took her defiant frame, his eyes beginning to change from amused to something else, something he knew she probably wasn’t ready for.

“You’re going to get up off your ass, EX-WIFE, and out of your Bailey’s, and you’re going to get on that fucking treadmill and at least pretend like you’re alive and you care about the people who are worrying themselves sick over you.” He got it, she was grieving, but she was also being self-destructive and if she hit him again, he’d pin her to the wall and give her a million reasons to slap him.

“Fuck you, Jon! You’re not going to tell me what to do and how to live my life! You and Christopher and anyone else who doesn’t like it can kiss my ASS!” Maybe it was time to start looking for a new place to live because it was obviously Jon had reached his breaking point with her. “If you didn’t want to watch me grieve and waste away, you should’ve LEFT me in that fucking hospital to die with my husband!”

Tears stung her eyes at the mention of Mark, even though she hadn’t said his name. It still hurt. It still physically hurt her everyday not being with him. She was breathing heavily, her hand stinging from slapping Jon and Brinley took a tentative step back when his eyes were nothing more than blue fire at her words.

“I’ll get out of here, okay? My Mom wants me to come visit her in Tampa, so I’ll just go there. You’ve dealt with me long enough and you don’t need to anymore. I’m fine, I don’t need to exercise or anything. I just need to be left the fuck alone.” Could she get a redeye flight to Tampa tonight? Brinley started heading out of the Death Riders dungeon or whatever Jon called this place, heading up the stairs a little shakily.

Right back downstairs she went and he dropped down onto a weight bench, his strength keeping her firmly on his lap even as she struggled. Brinley was really building up steam and she needed too, she needed to let it out. She had gone through grief, been mad, but not this mad and she needed too. She needed to let it all go and if she wanted to lose her temper on him, he was ready for the brunt of it.

“You’re not going to your mother’s like this!” Jon growled in her ear, wishing maybe she’d hit him instead of the thrashing, his dick wasn’t sure if it should be scared or aroused. “You’re not going to go there and let her watch your slow death! She doesn’t deserve that and neither do you!” She was still raging and he took a deep breath. “MARK wouldn’t want that either, do you fucking hear me? MARK,” She refused to say the name and he had noticed. “Would have wanted you to fucking live your life RIGHT, healthy! You think he was so goddamn selfish he’d want you to join him so fucking soon after everyone almost lost you once?!”

Chapter 59

Her small fists balled up as she slammed them on his shoulders, not believing he just said her late husband’s name, or rather shouted it. Brinley was trembling from how much anger was inside of her, how much built-up emotion and she didn’t know how to release it, if she even could. There was so much pent up rage inside of her from what happened and she suddenly deflated, remembering how she’d woken up in that hospital room to him and her brother. The relief on their faces was something she hadn’t forgotten and Brinley had sworn she would live her life to the fullest from that day forward.

“God gave me a second chance. I should’ve died in that car accident and he spared me. HE FUCKING SPARED ME, SO WHY COULDN’T HE SPARE MARK?! WHY COULDN’T HE GIVE MARK A SECOND CHANCE?! WHY?! I HATE HIM!! I FUCKING HATE GOD FOR TAKING HIM AWAY FROM ME!!” She screamed at the top of her lungs, hitting him again, his chest, with her fists still balled up and she started crying all over again. “I’m so angry…I’m so mad, Jon!! I wake up and I just want to feel numb and I can’t because the pain is always there!!” It’d been a while since Brinley broke down like this, only she wasn’t snapping her fingers and singsonging like a lunatic. This was real, raw pain and she didn’t care that she was straddling her ex-husband at the moment. “I don’t want to live without him…but I don’t want to die either. I’m not ready yet…”

“Of course you’re not, Angel.” Jon rumbled quietly, ignoring the small bits of pain from those tiny, yet lethal fists. He had to wonder if that dead prick had taught her boxing or something because those had been some jabs. He had asked for it though because Brinley had NEEDED it, and Jon was the perfect person for her to take all that anger out on, not that she really knew or understood why. “I’m sorry he’s gone.” For a moment, he was, but only because it had hurt her so badly and Jon didn’t like seeing her like this. It did some weird things to his heart. “But you’re not, and you have so many people who love you, who want to be here for you right now, like you were there for them.” Her mother, for example, Chris had told him, reluctantly, about how Brinley and Calaway had moved Brianna into the mansion, refusing to let her be alone after the death of her husband. There had also been some reference to his psycho tendencies and a murder he hadn’t committed, but he was cherry picking right now.

“I know, and you’re one of them.” Brinley already knew how Jon felt about her and she didn’t want to hurt him, knowing she’d never be able to give him her heart. She’d never be able to love him the same way he did her. Her heart was closed off and in that six foot deep grave with Mark, where it would stay for the rest of her life. “I meant what I said, I’m going to get out of here. You don’t need to be there for me anymore, I’m okay now.” Sniffling, she moved off his lap to put space between them and wiped the rest of her tears away. “Thank you for letting me stay here as long as I have. I promise I won’t waste away, but I think it would be best if I gave you back your life completely and go stay with my Mom until I can find my own place. I’m thinking about returning to work soon too, so…yeah. I should probably go look up flights and pack my stuff. Thanks again for everything, Jon. Blue too.”

Jon let her walk away, remaining seated on that bench with the red marks all over his arms and shoulders, and his very confused cock finally deciding it was safe. She wasn’t getting it, was she? Brinley was his life, if god hadn’t intervened on his behalf, it would have only been a matter of time before Jon lost his mind completely and handled that problem Calaway had presented. Growling, he pushed himself up, needing to get a handle on the problem he hadn’t had in months. Jon hadn’t let himself think sexual thoughts about his ex-wife because she hadn’t needed that. There was no stopping it right now, still feeling her squirming backside against his dick as she struggled against him, not doing him any favors.

“I’m fucking going to hell…” He hissed, leaning against the wall with one arm, his head resting on his forearm and the other snaking down the front of his shorts. It wasn’t like she was coming back down here, now was it?

While Jon was jacking himself off in the basement, Brinley was busy packing her bags, deciding she’d only take two to go to her mother’s. “I know Mom, I know. I don’t want to see Chris and Jess or the girls right now. I just need a place where I can be alone and at peace.” Somewhere her ex-husband, who was still in love with her, wasn’t. “I’ll see you soon, my flight leaves in a few hours.”

She had enough time to pack two bags, slip her shoes on and call an Uber to take her to the airport. Jon was nowhere to be found and maybe it was for the best when she came downstairs, setting her bags by the door. Blue walked up to her and she bent down to press her forehead to the top of his, fresh tears stinging her eyes.

“You’re a good boy, thank you for everything you did for me. I love you, Blue.” I don’t belong here. Jon deserves better and to find happiness instead of dealing with his emotional ex-wife.

Opening the front door, she saw the Uber pull up in front of the house and headed out to it, thankful no more snow had fallen so the pathway was mostly clear. Looking back at the house, she spotted Jon staring out the window and waved at him with a small smile before disappearing into the Uber, heading to the airport. Goodbye Jon. Once she found a place of her own in Tampa, she would send for her belongings and knew Jon would keep everything for her for however long she needed. Or he’d send her things to her mother’s, which would be fine too.

Jon had no idea where her family lived because he hadn’t gone out of his way to look and Chris hadn’t volunteered that information. The man may have come at great personal cost to himself to get Jon’s help in rousing Brinley, but he wasn’t a total fool. He’d of been an idiot to trust Jon with that information. He wasn’t surprised when about twenty minutes after she had left, his phone went off.

I don’t know what you did, but thank you. You’ll never get that from me again.

Jon snorted. Don’t worry, Princess. I screenshot this for my wall of fame already.

~!~

For the next two months, Brinley didn’t hear a word from Jon and she didn’t bother contacting him, trying to pick up the pieces of her life. The talk they had in his basement had put some things into perspective for her. Living with her mother wasn’t in the cards, however, and Chris had helped her find an apartment, one bedroom, since she couldn’t afford much more at the moment. Tony Khan didn’t fire her, but she wasn’t working either and she didn’t have any life insurance or anything from Mark either.

Brinley was on her own and as she sat down on her newly bought bed, her head dropped as the stress began to overwhelm her. Bills had to be paid. She couldn’t wallow in self-pity or grief anymore. Making the call, Brinley told Tony Khan she was ready to come back to work as a producer ONLY. Tony immediately accepted, asking her if she was all right and Brinley brushed him off, letting him know he’d see her on Wednesday.

Alone. She was alone again.

Closing her eyes, the memory of Mark showing up at her doorstep at her condo flooded over her and she looked down at the diamond rings on her finger, feeling the tears already pouring down her face. God I miss you. I miss you so much, Mark. I swear, I’ll never be with anyone else as long as I live. You were and are IT for me.

No sex. No relationships. No intimacy.

Brinley was going completely celibate and didn’t even have a sex drive anymore ever since Mark passed away. Granted, when Jon had carried her down to his basement and he smacked her backside, that was the first time in a while she had felt anything remotely close to intimate. It was gone quickly though.

“Better start unpacking.” Jon had been nice enough to send her belongings from Cincinnati to Tampa and Chris had paid him back for the expenses, according to what Brinley was told. Either way, she had everything here and she hated that this was her life now.

Alone, 45 now, and a widow.

~!~

She had moved into a one bedroom apartment, not in the nicest of areas, but not in the worst. Jon was whistling as he surveyed the information he had been delivered, cocking a brow. She was coming back. Tonight. Made sense, if that was her living situation, it was a serious downgrade from her former condo, from the mansion she had lived in with Calaway. Brinley was probably struggle-bussing to pay her bills, he idly wondered if Mark had made her a beneficiary, which was something he hadn’t known about.

It wasn’t like Brinley had really spoken about her dead husband to him, or her financial affairs. To be fair, she hadn’t spoken to him much until the end there when he had forced her to get off her backside and back into the land of the living. Jon was glad to know that these past two months hadn’t been nothing, but her wallowing some more, and it sounded like she had been busy getting her life in order. There was an extra kick in his step as he headed into work. How to welcome his EX-wife, as it was now firmly ingrained in his head, extra emphasis on the ‘ex’, thanks to her pointedly saying it, back into the fold.

If Jon knew what was good for him, he would just leave her alone.

Brinley was nowhere near ready for any kind of intimacy in her life, not only six months after losing the love of her life. Things would never be the same again between her and Jon. No matter how hard he wanted it, no matter how hard he tried, it wasn’t going to work. She didn’t have a smile on her face when she walked into the arena that night, trying to ignore the little whispers and gossip flying around about her. Married to the Undertaker for not even a month and now the man was dead. She was a black widow, wasn’t that irony at its finest? Fine, a black widow she was, who didn’t give a damn what others said about her. She was here to do a job, not be friendly with anyone or get too close to people. Chris was with her, staying by her side quietly and glared at anyone who spoke a word out of turn to her.

“I’ll be outside of the arena waiting for you when it’s time to leave, sis.”

“Yeah, okay.” Brinley accepted the kiss from her brother on her forehead and walked into the producer’s office, immediately grabbing the clipboard to see what match she would be doing tonight. Women’s. Great. I need to stay away from Jon and the Death Riders. She had specifically told Tony she would not come back unless she was put back on mid-card and women’s matches only and he conceded, giving her what she wanted. Once again, Brinley was putting wrenches into Jon’s plans left and right without realizing it and pushed everything else out of her mind to focus on the match she was producing that night.

Nothing happened in AEW without his say so, that was just how it worked when one was the king, and Jon was. Triple H NEVER had this kind of power, without having to marry for it anyway, and Jon smirked as he obnoxiously chewed his gum. How’s she looking?

Grim and pissy.

Sounds about right. Thx. Marina was still his little snitching spy.

Not that Brinley had ever known that, befriending the other woman easily. He had a feeling Brinley had every intention of shelving all those friendships because no matter what, she was going to be sad and mourn all her life, even if her husband wouldn’t have wanted that. He figured he’d let her settle in, just enough to get comfortable tonight, and then maybe they’d have a visit. Catch-up. That sort of thing. If she got froggy, maybe even another spanking.

Saraya was not on the road right now, having some personal issues going on and people were keeping their distance from her. Brinley didn’t mind, used to being alone by this point and managed to choke down a salad before getting back to work. Six months. Six months without Mark. It felt like a lifetime and Brinley knew she was worrying her family, that she needed to snap out of this, but she couldn’t. Even her mother had begged her to smile and Brinley forced herself to. What was there to smile about? Her depression was at an all-time high and Brinley was starting to wonder if maybe coming back to wrestling had been a mistake.

A huge mistake.

I don’t want to be in wrestling anymore. I hate it. I hate anything that reminds me of Mark. Mexico. Wrestling. Bulls. They could all go straight to hell!

“Brin, do you just wanna go home? I’m sure you can find something else to do as far as a job goes…” Chris just wanted his sister to be happy and it was obvious being here in AEW was the last thing she should be doing.

“A regular 9-to-5? Don’t you think I’ve tried looking already, Christopher? There’s nothing, not with the economy as fucked as it is.” They were sitting at a bar together doing shots and Brinley enjoyed the burning down her esophagus. “I need a job to pay my bills and keep a roof over my head.”

Chris still didn’t understand how his sister didn’t get a dime from Mark’s life insurance policies or anything, narrowing his eyes slightly. They’d only been married not even a month, but Mark promised he would protect Brinley and he failed. Miserably. Because he fucked around and found out with bulls. That wasn’t fair to think about the man, but Chris was pissed that this happened to his sister, more trauma added to her already very traumatic life.

“I’ll drive you to the airport. Go home. You don’t need to be here right now and you’re miserable.”

“Fine, I’m gone. I’m sorry.”

Tony Khan was informed by Chris Jericho the next day that his sister was not in the right state of mind to work here anymore and requested her release, which was given.

Jobless and depressed, Brinley made her way back to Tampa, Florida, back to her apartment, and drank herself into a stupor for a week straight before finally pulling herself back together to look for a new job.

Chapter 60

“I was very close to ending my life. Extremely close. But I realized that if I did that, I would be hurting those that love and care about me, and that was enough to make me stop.” Brinley stated in the microphone, seated in a radio station booth and smiled as her partner, Derrick, had been talking about one of their listeners, who felt as if they were drowning and there was no getting out of their despair.

Brinley had gotten this job six months ago, after leaving AEW behind completely, having a drunken stupor, and she somehow now found herself hosting a radio show. Derrick had contacted her, finding her resume online, and decided to take a chance on her by granting her an interview. One thing lead to another and they were going six months strong, having a segment on the station entitled Stronger Together. It was an inspiration-type segment where they helped people that were in a bad way in life. Talking about what happened to her and losing her husband had helped Brinley tremendously, it had been a form of therapy for her, and she was slowly starting to get back to her old self again. Every once in a while, that sadness would creep up and she’d cry, but it didn’t happen too often these days.

“Sounds to me like you found your reason for living, Brin.” Derrick smiled at her warmly, both friends only and he was married to a gorgeous woman named Kate.

“Yeah, I did.”

The segment ended shortly after that and Brinley took the headphones from her ears, setting it down on the stand before grabbing her purse. Derrick wished her a safe journey home and she nodded, waving at him on her way out of the building. She had a black pencil skirt on with a tan blouse, her hair braided over her shoulder with makeup and jewelry on, her wedding rings still on her left ring finger, where they would always stay.

Love you, Mark, it’s been a year, Deadman. It’s not the same without you, but I’m doing okay. I’ll be okay. Lighting up a cigarette, Brinley headed towards her car, smiling at the text message her brother sent her and sent an emoji in return, flicking ash to the side.

“So, Angel,” She whirled around at that voice she hadn’t heard in months and there he was in all his chiseled, handsome glory, in a pair of painted on blue jeans, a white t-shirt with a deep V-neck, and a black and blue checkered flannel with the sleeves rolled up over his muscular forearms. “I’m not sure how much I like this Stronger Together stuff when one of its main speakers didn’t even give me a fuck you and goodbye after you decided to leave AEW.” Considering HE was the one who had pulled her out of that slump and set her on the path back to the living, he kind of figured he deserved a pat on the head or something. A thank you card. Maybe a ‘leave me the fuck alone but thanks?’ text. Jon grinned when she looked uncertain. “Nah, I’m just fuckin’ with you.”

Brinley had rebuilt her life, her health, and yet again left him in the dust. That was about to be rectified because Jon was getting tired of waiting on her to stop ignoring the truth. No matter how she felt about Mark, the legitimate Deadman, Calaway, there was a part of her that still belonged to him and always would.

“You look good.”

“Yeah well, I wasn’t exactly in the right state of mind back then, so you’ll have to forgive me for that, Jon.” Brinley remarked softly, ignoring his compliment about how she looked and wondered what he was doing here.

They hadn’t spoken at all in eight months because she had left AEW the night she returned to start her life completely over without wrestling. She wanted nothing to do with professional wrestling ever again. It was a balmy 70 degrees outside tonight, though the humidity was gone and a gentle breeze from the ocean blew over her.

“But now that you’re here, I do owe you a huge thank you for what you did for me, for making me pull my head out of my ass. You were right, I was killing myself and it wasn’t fair to people who love and care about me. And Mark would’ve been disappointed as well, so…I pulled myself together. I could do a shoutout for you on the radio, if you want?” That was a joke, of course.

“Nah, nobody I run with would listen to it.” Jon only knew about it because of Roman Reigns, of all people.

She had dropped off the radar and he had to focus his attention elsewhere, trying to just get her out of his mind. Obviously, that hadn’t worked out very well for Jon because here he was, staring down at her. His eyes searched hers intently, wondering if any of her memories had ever come back, given she wasn’t running and screaming away from him and he was guessing not.

“Buy you dinner?” He offered after a period of silence, aware she hadn’t acknowledged his compliment, getting a sinking feeling that was her trying not to encourage him. Jon had tried the nice guy act, making her love him the proper way the last time and Calaway had swooped in and messed that all up. Jon was basically here doing ground zero all over again and if that didn’t work, his rental had a comfortable trunk, just for her.

After all this time, he was STILL wanting to be there for her, even though they hadn’t spoken in eight months. Would dinner really be that bad with a friend? Brinley made it clear she would only ever be friends with Jon and nothing more. No, her memories of him had never resurfaced and it was probably a good thing they hadn’t or else she wouldn’t be as calm as she was.

“Sure, I was just about to head out and grab something. Do you have a place in mind? If not, just follow me and I’ll take you to a little place with delicious food down the street from here.”

It was her go-to and he shook his head, suddenly taking her hand and guided her to his car. Brinley went with him willingly, no fear or anxiety, and she felt those little sparks rush up her arm the moment he grabbed her hand. Where had that come from? Once they were inside his rental truck and buckled up, Jon pulled out of the parking lot and Brinley turned her head to look outside, sighing heavily.

“Why are you really here, Jon? I can tell there’s something on your mind and you didn’t come all this way just to ask me to dinner. So, what do you want?”

Now there was a loaded question if he ever heard one and he kept his eyes on the traffic, navigating easily. Jon was familiar with a lot of big cities, thanks to his job, including out of the way spots to grab some good food at. Places he wouldn’t be bothered, places where he could sit and enjoy her company as long as she was willing to be amicable.

“Same thing I’ve always wanted, Brinley.” The ‘duh’ was implied in his tone, but he had felt those sparks, on his end, it was like wildfire and he hated it. Hated that no matter how much time had passed, no matter how much had happened, he still couldn’t get her out of his head or his heart. She was like a disease and there was no cure except the one she refused to give him. “And how do you know I didn’t come all this way for dinner? I’ve done some really weird shit over the years.” To him, it all made sense.

“Pull over.”

Jon raised a brow at her and she didn’t look at him, shutting her eyes when he just kept driving. The moment he was at a red light, she hopped right out, even though he tried to hit the locks and Brinley saw they were by the ocean. Taking her heels off, she made a beeline down the hill of sand and started running, hating that she’d actually gone with him.

I don’t want a relationship! I don’t want to love anyone again! “Oh damn it, DAMN IT!!” Her side was killing her suddenly as she clutched it, not remembering the last time she ran like this and tried to catch her breath. “Shit, I’m too old to do this…” She groaned out, looking over her shoulder and could see Jon was starting to park the truck after getting out of the heavy traffic. “Gotta keep moving, just keep moving…I won’t do this again…”

Oh, but HE was insane? Jon easily caught up with her, both of them going tumbling down the sand a few seconds later. “Brin!” He snatched her into his large body before she could get hurt, curling around her and taking the brunt of the thumps and hits they made before they finally splatted at the foot of the dune. He lay there, with her dazed on his chest, groaning and shifted until the rock under his shoulder was now elsewhere. “Woman…goddamn it, how many years are you going to make me chase you?!” He demanded when he could finally breathe, raising his head out of the sand to look into her wide, green eyes. She looked startled and breathless, but not hurt and he decided to throw all caution to the wind.

A second later, he had rolled them so she was beneath him away from the rock and captured her mouth in a kiss that told her everything she really needed to know about why he was here.

Brinley shook her head, refusing to give in, refusing to submit to him and broke the kiss almost violently, tears in her eyes. “NO!” Jon kissed her again, harder and deeper, pouring the passion into it and the tears slid down her cheeks as she struggled beneath him, once again breaking it. “F-FOREVER! I-I’ll make you chase me…because I…” Another kiss, a third one, Brinley trembled beneath him, not wanting to betray Mark this way.

Why was she enjoying this kiss? Why did her body suddenly engulf in flames? A flashback hit her suddenly, something with a dark room and these lips felt familiar. What the hell was that?

“D-Damn it…” She gasped out once he broke the kiss that time, breathing heavily with her chest rising and falling at a rapid rate and it was due to have fast her heart pounded. “I can’t, Jon. I can’t love anyone else. Don’t you understand that? I can’t betray Mark…” No matter how turned on she was at the moment, which hadn’t happened in a very long time, Brinley could already feel the guilt creeping in. “Stop chasing me. It’s useless, I can’t give you what the fuck you want and I never will…”

“No.” Was this woman an idiot? He didn’t want just sex from her and he sure as hell did not believe a word she had just spit at him. Jon had FELT her body responding to him and he began kissing down her face, to her ear, then along the column of her throat. “You CAN. You didn’t fucking die with him, Brinley.” She bodily flinched at that. “You’re just going through the motions,” She hadn’t nailed him in the head yet, but he bet it was coming and that didn’t stop him from loving on her. Smelling her unique scent beneath her perfume, inhaling deeply as his nose brushed up along her pulse point. “But are you really living, Angel?”

“Jon, it’s been over a decade…right?”

Who the hell pined for someone THAT long? Was Jon insane? She had no idea just how crazy her ex-husband was due to her memories being erased. However, Brinley couldn’t get her mind off that little snippet that happened while kissing him, or him kissing her. The dark room, kissing, his lips…why did that feel so familiar? Why did HE suddenly feel so familiar and why was her body responding to him? His lips, his touch, his hands…it all felt oddly familiar.

Pulling his face up to stare into his eyes, those intense blues, Brinley wondered if she would get another flashback by kissing him. Was he the key to unlock her memories? There was only one way to find out and this time, she brought his mouth down on hers, tasting him for the first time in what felt like forever. Familiarity…warmth…intensity…no flashback though and she pulled back to stare up at him, her breathing ragged.

“I think…I just…I remembered something. A dark room and…it feels so familiar kissing you, but strange at the same time. Did we kiss in a dark room or something when we were married?”

“No, Angel,” She was having memories resurface and he was really hoping only the good ones. He had been GOOD for a while, hadn’t curb stomped anyone since that one time, and it shouldn’t count! Please, let the trauma keep those bad ones gone. Didn’t the brain do that? Protect itself that way? He remembered reading something along those lines after they first learned of her memory loss, due to the accident and concussion. Please… This was potentially the second time in his life he could remember praying. Jon had prayed when she hadn’t woken up immediately after the accident. “Before we got married,” His lips were just barely touching hers as he spoke, his voice low and raspy, desire lacing his tone. “It was before we got married…and we did a lot more,” His strong hands moved down her sides. “Then kiss.”

“A second chance, huh?”

For a second, sadness flashed across her face because she had that with Mark. A second chance. They were cheated out of that and now another man, her ex-husband of nine years, was begging for it. Life was too short and she had learned that lesson the hard way, but why was there still hesitation in her heart? It’d been a year since Mark passed away, but then again grief did not have a time frame or limit. There was also her family and the fact they did not like Jon at all.

Her mother and brother, even Jessica, had begged her to stay away from him. Even her marriage to Mark had been based a lot around her safety and security, keeping her away from Jon. Mark also loved her deeply and wanted her to be his wife, but he rushed the marriage because he wanted her to be protected. It had all gone up in smoke the moment Mark passed away and now Brinley was in the arms of the man who had both loved and hurt her more than any other.

“Something tells me if I don’t agree to this, you’re just going to keep chasing and hounding me until I finally cave in.” He nodded, making her chuckle as she continued caressing his bearded face. “Then you need to make amends with my brother. My mother too. They don’t like you and I know you don’t like Christopher, and I don’t know why, but they mean a lot to me and I won’t lose my family over a man.”

Chapter 61

This came with stipulations?

Jon kept all of that in his head and out of his eyes, refusing to let her see that small flash of irritation along with panic. There was NO way anyone was going to forgive him for anything. They all thought he was an uncaught mass murderer and he knew if Chris could have found any way to tie him to anything, the man would send him packing for the rest of his life with a song in his heart.

“Hmmm, might be a little hard with your brother, Angel.” Especially after Chris had come asking for his help, Jon didn’t see the older man returning the solid, not without some persuasion. “But I’ll see what I can do.” He was going to have to figure it out, but that was a problem for future Jon and he turned his head to kiss her palm, closing his eyes as a rare wave of contentment washed through him.

It wasn’t a stipulation so much as a request.

This was a different Brinley he was dealing with, unless Jon wanted to revert back to his old ways by forcing her to be with him through threats and intimidation. “All I ask is that you try. If it doesn’t pan out, that’s fine. I’m not trying to say I’m not going to be with you if my family doesn’t approve. That’s not it at all. I’ll be with whoever I damn well please.” She was a 45 year old grown woman capable of making her own decisions in life and Brinley had more than proven that. “Same with my mother. This is MY life and I will choose how to live it.”

There was the situation where she lived in Tampa and he resided in Cincinnati and Brinley was not giving up the job she had now. She loved the radio station, the segment her and Derrick did, and it paid decently. If Jon wanted to make this relationship work, he would have to make the sacrifices this time, not her. Also, she would not tell this man she loved him, not until she felt it in her heart and those diamond rings on her finger were reminders that her heart was still in the grave with Mark.

He had every intention of pulling her heart right out of the grave, refusing to let her give up on loving him again. She just didn't know it yet. What she did know was that Jon was a very persistent man and hopefully, for both their sakes and sanities, she never learned about what other kind of man he was. He smiled at her words, feeling a lot better now and nuzzled his nose against hers. He had charmed her mother once, if they could establish he hadn't killed her husband, he might be able to do it again.

“Alright, Angel, I will try.”

Would it work between them this time?

Nothing was holding them back or stopping them and Brinley would not just hop into bed with Jon right away either. Not like she had with Mark. They had to build trust and stability before thinking about falling into bed together. At least, that was what Brinley should’ve done, but she was the type of woman who went with her gut instinct. Actions spoke louder than words. Look what happened with Mark when he came to visit her at her condo shortly after her car accident. She slept with him right out the gate and it lead to a whirlwind romance that lasted just shy of a month before it all came crashing down.

Those flashbacks of the dark rooms and the man she’d been with, her secret lover, who was her ex-husband had lit her on fire. She hadn’t sex in over a year, ever since the morning of Mark’s accident that took him away from her. Kissing and touching him on the beach like this, even though he’d somewhat tackled her to stop her from running away, made all those feelings and desire rise to the surface. Having sex on a beach under the stars sounded romantic on paper, but she really didn’t want sand in places that had no business being. The sun was gone and since it was fall, it was starting to get rather chilly outside since the humidity wasn’t here at the moment.

“Come home with me, Jon. I want to be with you, just not here.”

“You sure?” At her nod, he smiled and kissed along her jawline before pulling himself off of her. He held out his hands, helping Brinley up from the sand and chuckled when she began brushing it off herself. “You didn't get hurt, did you?” That had been quite a tumble for them both though he had done his best to keep her safe and secure wrapped up in his limbs. “I guess we gotta get back up there, huh?” He shifted to look up, sighing and shook his head in amusement.

Leave it to Brinley to run down a sand dune.

She didn’t plan for it to be a sand dune and had a moment of panic, just needing to breathe and get out of the car away from Jon. “No, I’m fine. Come on, you telling me the big bad Jon Moxley can’t handle a little trek up a sand dune? Don’t you remember all those times you hiked and mountain biked through the…desert…” Brinley stopped walking, another memory had just washed over her and she clutched her head, this one hitting her harder than the others. It was nighttime and they were in front of some rocks… “The Red Rocks…fuck…” Oh this was hurting badly and she felt Jon’s arm wrap around her to hold her steady, her eyes squeezing shut…

~!~

“You like getting dirty with me in the desert, don’tcha, Angel?”

“Yes, oh fuck yes…I’m such a dirty girl…” Brinley whimpered out, gasping when Jon began to smack her cheeks and pounded into her even harder, growling at her words. “I’m YOUR dirty girl, Jon…only yours…” THIS was the type of dirty talk she could handle, not being called a cum guzzling whore and the other things Jon had said to her that night at the hotel. “Harder…I wanna scream…break me, baby, please!”

“Holy FUCK, Brinley!” She was SQUEEZING his cock, so sure she was going to break him instead.

“JON!!” She screamed out, doing exactly what she wanted him to do and was on the verge of tapping out, knowing she couldn’t hold back much longer.  Or now.  Right now. “OH GOD JONNNNNNNN!!!” Brinley had never climaxed harder than she had in this moment, her entire body trembling from head to toe while milking her husband’s cock that refused to submit and surrender. 

~!~

What in the WORLD was Brinley thinking saying something like that during sex?! Who was this woman? Flashbacks hit her harder and she actually dropped to her knees in the sand, more flashes taking place…

~!~

“I fuck you like no other man does or ever will, Brinley.  Remember that, Angel!  You’re MINE forever.”

“Yes, Jon, oh god you’re the only man I want…please don’t stop…”

“Mmm, I do love it when you beg for me…do it again!”

“Jon, please…please make me cum for you, baby…”

“That’s right, only me.  Say it again!”

“Only you!  Jon, ONLY YOU!!”

~!~

The intensity of that last one actually caused tears to slide down her cheeks and finally, her head stopped hurting as she sat back on the sand, trying to make sense of everything she just seen. It was like a movie she was watching was short-circuiting, showing her glimpses of the past, but not completely. “I’m okay, I’m okay…” She assured him, trembling a little and tossed her arms around his neck, caressing the back of his bald head gently. Pulling back, she searched his eyes and saw the same intensity she always did mixed with concern, a smile crossing her face. “Don’t worry, I haven’t changed my mind and I’m not going to run. In fact,” Her hand slid up his chest to rest over his heart, brushing her lips softly against his. “I wanna be your dirty girl and feel you break me into pieces…” The Brinley Jon knew was slowly beginning to meld with the Brinley of today, due to the memories that kept surfacing every time she kissed him.

The more time she spent with him, the more the memories would surface, Brinley was sure of it.

Scooping her in his arms, he kissed her back before heading for the wooden stairs that connected the sidewalk by the road up there with the beach down here. Jon was silent as he walked, letting her think he was focusing on carrying her and getting up the stairs since she had kicked off her heels. However, now he was a little worried, thinking along the same lines she was. What if her memories came back the more time she spent with him? ALL her memories because this would all go right down the toilet and he couldn't lose her, not when he had just gotten her back.

“Not going to make me pull over again, are you?” He teased once they were up there, setting her down gently so she could put back on the shoes.

“Nope, I’m fine now. Really.”

This was a risk Jon would have to take if he wanted to truly be with her again. Some of her memories had come back with Mark, though they were little snippets here and there of their two year relationship. Brinley did not know the reason she had gone to Dallas in the first place, which was to hide out from her psychotic ex-husband, who currently had her in his arms. She saw the worry in his eyes and took his hands in hers, feeling as if something else was sliding into place for her deep inside.

“Look, I don’t know what all the past holds or how many more these memories will surface, but the past is the past. It can’t be changed. It can’t be fixed. All we can do is move forward and if you want to tell me everything, fill in the blanks for me about it all, about our history, I’ll listen and I won’t run.” Six years was a very long time to spend with someone and she could see all the hesitation written on his face. “Or we can just tackle it as it comes up, if it does.” Leaning up, she softly kissed him, lacing their fingers together as Jon pulled them to press against his chest, a soft moan escaping her. “There is one thing I will say – you better never cheat on me again. You better be done with those wild days because I’m too damn old to play games, Jon. If we’re doing this, I’m the ONLY one for you from here on out, got it?”

“Angel, I've been done with my wild days for a long ass time.” That was mostly true minus the carnage he raged in AEW, but did that really count?

It shouldn't. Nobody except him and that homeless guy knew about the other things and he'd never tell her about them. There was a lot of things he should probably tell her, but he didn't want to. Jon wanted her to love him, not be scared of him, not hate him and she would if she knew the truth.

“Let's just see if I can't get your family to approve of this first and go from there.” Because if he could get her Mom on board…or at least to believe him when he told her the truth about the hospital all those years ago, then he could keep this woman.

~!~

It was all coming back to her.

The love, the passion, the desire, the need, the intensity…it was still there after all these years.

The second Brinley and Jon stepped foot inside her apartment, he immediately pressed her back against the front door, flipping the lock on it the same time his mouth captured hers, their clothes were soaked. It had started downpouring on the beach and they had to run back to Jon’s truck, both laughing hysterically. Lightning flashed outside the window, illuminating the living room since there were no lights on and Brinley was completely consumed by Jon, the fire inside of her raging powerfully.

For years, she had denied how she felt about him and with this new reset that happened, thanks to the car accident, her thoughts of him weren’t skewed and tarnished. Jon was full of intensity and powerful, dominant in every sense of the word. Brinley had a type, she loved being dominated and that hadn’t changed, though there were times she did enjoy taking control. Wet clothes piled on the floor and Brinley wrapped her legs around Jon the moment he lifted her, pointing in the direction down the hallway to the only bedroom in the small apartment.

Her bed was more than big enough for him, king-sized, and Jon sat down with her straddling his lap as they kept kissing, touching, exploring each other’s mouths and becoming reacquainted with each other. The smell of rain and nicotine infiltrated her and it made Brinley heady, craving more of her ex-husband and now new boyfriend. However, she opened her eyes with her left hand on his broad shoulder and for a split second, a pang of guilt shot through her, but Jon immediately took that hand to brush his lips against the back of it.

This was their new beginning.

She didn’t need to wear these anymore and Brinley could already feel the hole inside of her that Mark left behind filling again. There would always be a piece of her heart with Mark in that grave, but Brinley could no longer deny Jon also held a piece of it too, possibly a bigger one with their long history. “Hang on, baby…” She murmured and proceeded to take the rings off and handed them to Jon to put on the nightstand, since he was closer than her. That right there signaled to Jon that she was fully ready to commit and be with him, by removing those rings, and he growled pulling her tightly against him to capture her mouth again in fiery, searing kiss that stole her breath. “Jon…”

Given how long it has been since he had had her, Jon wanted nothing more than to go balls to the wall with her and do what he had told her before at one of the arenas. Fuck her until they were both blind. By the end of the night, the way she was responding told him that was very likely to happen. However, right now, she was exploring his body, a body she had known very well once upon a time. The fact that she had taken her rings off after telling him not too long ago that he would never have her heart… well, that was a lie. He had always had it, he just had had to share it.

“Fuck, you're killing me, Angel…” He took her hand and guided it down to his rock hard cock, which was straining against her hand.

“Mmm, break me into pieces, Jon, don’t go soft on me now, baby…” Brinley wrapped her hand around it, stroking it to get even harder in her palm and then stood up at Jon’s request, settling back on him to ride reverse.

Within seconds, they were joined together, his cock sliding right inside of her, which followed by a ton of blood splattered everywhere due to Jon slitting her throat, her blood pouring all the way down her body, the life draining out of her.

“I told you, Angel, I would kill you if you were with anyone else and I meant it. Enjoy hell with your Deadman, you little slut!”

Chapter 62

Emerald eyes snapped open, the heart monitor going crazy and Brinley had no idea where she was, what had happened, tears sliding down her cheeks. She couldn’t breathe and heard commotion from the side of her, trying to get her brain to operate properly. A woman’s face she didn’t recognize leaned over her and Brinley had no idea what was happening, but before she knew it, the tube down her throat had been removed. Intubated? What the hell? She felt weak, dead, and couldn’t even lift her hand or anything, only able to nod her head at the questions being asked.

“Brinley, you’ve been in a coma for the past six months, my dear.” The doctor explained a few hours later, once his patient was fully awake and her vitals had all looked normal, not to mention she was breathing on her own.

Head injury due to a head-on collision had cost her six months of her life in this hospital bed and it was a miracle she had woken up. Her honey blonde hair was longer, nails had been kept up and trimmed, and she didn’t have bedsores or anything, due to the amazing care this facility gave her. It wasn’t just a hospital, she was in a rehabilitation center for coma patients.

Six months?

Brinley couldn’t remember what happened, only a flash of light and then that was it. She had flown through the windshield, due to not wearing her seatbelt and suddenly, it all came flooding back to her. Jon. She was running away from Jon, again, from AEW and had told Tony Khan to shove her contract up his backside. She was not working in the same company as her psycho ex-husband, wanting absolutely nothing to do with him after everything he’d done to her and her family. All of her memories were miraculously intact and Brinley sipped some more water, her throat incredibly parched and sore for obvious reasons. Nobody else was here with her and Brinley was told they would call her family immediately to inform them of her recovery and that she had woken up.

“Thank you…”

Jon had heard about the accident and the coma. He had to give a statement about her that night as police did their investigation, which was pretty cut and dry. She had been hit in a collision, it had nothing to do with anything work-related. All routine. Given the state of her mind that night, Jon figured a coma was probably a mercy. He still sent flowers every week, nowadays more out of habit then anything. He had moved on, it was sad, but…Brinley had made it clear she wanted nothing to do with him. Given what he had been planning on doing to her sweet backside with that storyline and stuff…this was definitely kinder.

Brianna was called. Chris was called. Mark received a message from Chris. All three of them having the same thought: Brinley had woken up.

Jon could sit and spin because he was not notified of Brinley’s awakening and Chris did not bother contacting Tony Khan either. His sister’s health was the most important thing to him and Jon had no part of her life anymore. They were exes for a reason. He immediately booked a flight from the city AEW was in at the time, which was coincidentally not too far away from Tampa, Florida. Brinley had been moved to Tampa once she was stable enough, so her mother could visit her every few days and make sure her daughter was well taken care of. A gentle finger brushed against her cheek, stirring her awake, and hazy emerald eyes opened to stare up at her brother, who was openly crying at the sight of her.

“Christopher, don’t cry…” She murmured weakly, feeling him take her hand and he kissed the back of it, dropping to his knees. “Ssshhh it’s okay…I’m okay…” Physical therapy was definitely in her immediate future, but first Brinley had to regain her strength and durability, which would take time. “It’s good to see you again, brother.”

She was still beautiful, but the coma left people looking different. Moving her body around and basic exercises had prevented bedsores, but Brinley was now a little gaunter, a little leaner from her liquid diet, and he didn’t care. All Chris cared about was the fact that she was awake and she knew who he was. Every day, he had dreaded getting a phone call that she had passed or something, or that it was definitely permanent. He hadn’t let himself dare to hope he’d get the call he had received today.

“It’s good to be seen, sis.” Chris whispered harshly, his voice choked with emotion. “Mom is on her way, okay?” Mark had wanted to come too, but Chris had told him no, not just yet. They were exes after all and there would be time, maybe.

That made her smile and she nodded, trying to get her brain back on track. Now that Chris was here, she had some questions that needed to be answered immediately. “Jon’s…not here, is he?”

Chris could hear the fear in her voice and shook his head immediately. “No, sis, nowhere near here. He doesn’t even know you’re awake.”

“Okay good, that’s good…” Brinley swallowed hard, wondering if it was a good idea to tell her brother about the nightmare that had finally woken her up out of her coma. Her eyes moved to her left hand, where the diamond rings had been from Mark…and speaking of Mark… “Mark…is he…is Mark dead?” Her voice cracked as soon as his name came out of her mouth, tears stinging her eyes.

Now Chris was really concerned, wondering why she would think that. “No, Mark is fine, Brin. Just fine. He wanted to come see you, but I told him not to because, well…you’re exes and the last time you saw each other…wait, why did you think he was dead in the first place?”

“I had a really, REALLY long dream while I was out and he died in it.” To bulls, of all things. She could already feel her hatred for the animal in her heart and it never happened. “It seemed so realistic, I would’ve bet anything everything that happened was real.”

Pulling a chair up, Chris wanted to hear about this dream, just so his sister would keep talking. He had longed to hear her voice for six months and took her hand again, wanting her to know that he was here for her. Jessica had been beside herself upon receiving the call from him that Brinley was awake and alive.

“Tell me all about it sis, every last detail. I’m not going anywhere.”

For the next two hours, with Brianna arriving halfway through the story, Brinley told her brother everything. The accident that claimed her memories, her marriage to Mark, Mark’s death, and finally Jon killing her during what was supposed to be their union. He had slit her throat and Brinley had woken up right afterwards, almost wondering if the trauma from her dream had snapped her out of her coma somehow.

Chris could only stare at her, drumming his fingers on his kneecap as he studied her with pursed lips. He had heard some rumors about Brinley losing her mind. Apparently, she had gone running out of the building laughing and cursing AEW, a lot of ‘I don’t give a fucks’ were tossed in there as well, and he idly wondered if any of that was true. Given that she had been forced to deal with her psycho ex-husband all that time, he wouldn’t be surprised at all if Jon wasn’t the catalyst for a mental breakdown, on top of a car accident. Basically, Mox was the source of every trouble in Brinley’s life as far as Chris was concerned.

“The doctors did say you could dream…and that they could feel real, sis.” That was a horrible thing to be dreaming of, that kind of life and that kind of death.

“I’m just grateful your brain didn’t register it as real.” Brianna said softly, squeezing Brinley’s other hand, sitting on the side of Brinley opposite of Chris. “They warned us that could happen too, and it could…hurt your system.” Kill her more likely.

“That’s probably why I woke up, when my throat was slit by that mother fucker.” Pure disdain dripped from her voice for her ex-husband, emerald eyes turning acid and she recalled the last time she had spoken to him.

Those middle fingers in the air, singsonging to him the same way he did to her on occasion…and then the accident. She’d been so upset and scared of being forced to do something she didn’t want to that when she peeled out of that parking lot, Brinley didn’t bother worrying about her seatbelt. Truthfully, she didn’t care what Tony Khan and Jon did to her at this point because Jon had torn everything away from her. And if he didn’t do it, Brinley had wrecked everything that ever mattered to her because of her selfishness and insecurities.

“I hate him…I hate him so much…I knew it was a mistake to go back to AEW with him there, but I had no other choice…I needed a job, but it’s not worth it. I don’t want to be anywhere near that psychopath as long as I fucking live.” Brinley started crying, burying her face in her hands and truly despised what her life had become, all because of Jon.

Yeah, that explained it. She had died in that coma dream and her brain had reacted by waking her the hell up, making sure all systems were a go. The human brain was a very scary thing and Chris made a mental note to start getting regular cat scans and MRIs, just in case.

You sure about that, Angel?

“What’s wrong, sis?” Brinley had been crying with Brianna moving to console her and then she had jolted, like she had been shocked or something. “Do you want me to get the doctor, does anything hurt?” She probably was tired, which seemed stupid considering she had just woken up from an extended nap, but comas weren’t like regular sleep. He had no idea that she had a lingering side effect from all that trauma, the coma life, everything.

You SURE you don’t want anything to do with me?

YES! I DON’T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOU!! LEAVE ME ALONE, JON!! “I’m fine…I’m fine…” She clutched onto her mother with everything she had, not wanting to be alone right now. She was alive, but her mental state would be shaky for a while and Brinley needed time to heal everything – mentally, physically, and especially emotionally. “Why can’t he just leave me alone? He killed Daddy, isn’t that enough?” Then again, she had taken his mother from him, not that the psycho would ever find out about that. Brinley was taking that to the grave with her. “Oh god…” A horrifying thought swept over her and she pulled away from her Mom, looking up at her brother with watery eyes. “He can’t know. Nobody can know I’m awake because it’ll get back to him and he’ll come here. He’ll come for me and…and he’ll hurt me again, brother. Please, you have to make it seem like I’m still in a coma here!”

Chris and Brianna both exchanged looks, both of them nodding helplessly at her because they knew she was getting worked up. Sure enough, her monitors started going haywire as her blood pressure spiked and her panic increased. They both were shunted out to the hallway as the doctor and nurses swarmed, wanting to make sure she was all right, and Chris simply looked at his Mom.

“How are we going to do that? There’s no way…”

Brianna had no idea to be honest. “We still have a house in Canada…”

“Mom, that is so isolated, you think that’s a good idea right now? She just woke up.”

“Maybe just until she’s back on her feet, and her mental state is okay. Mark could take her. You know he would.”

Chris shut his eyes, remembering the last time he sent Brinley to Mark’s and the falling out they had. She would be safe there, no doubt about it, but at the same time, he didn’t know if Brinley would go for it. Could Jon get to Canada? The pandemic ceased to exist these days as far as travel went, but he knew Canada was still a bit strict regarding Covid. Was that the right thing to do? Isolate her after she’d just woken up from a coma?

Jon Moxley just needed to die.

He just needed to be wiped off the face of the earth and it would solve everyone’s problems, especially his sister’s. “Even if we did send to that place in Canada, there’s no guarantee he wouldn’t find her. He’s a slick son of a bitch and she needs somewhere she can rest and recover without stress and having panic attacks.” Whipping his phone out, Chris went to dial and then stopped, looking inside the room and remembered what Brinley had said about her dream, what had happened. Mark and she had reunited, got married, and then he died. Well, if they got rid of the bulls, there wouldn’t be problems, right?

“No.” Mark said after considering the proposal Chris had just laid on him, along with everything else.

Chris had started off strong, had told him that she was well and fine, that doctors were so far expecting a full recovery, and then Chris had told him about the dream. Mark got the impression that Chris was leaving out some details, he wasn’t prying, not just yet. The man sounded like a nervous wreck.

“No?” That was NOT what Chris was expecting.

“No. Chris, I want too, more than anything, man, but I can’t upend my girls’ lives like that again and that’s what would happen.”

“Oh…” That made sense and as a father, Chris could see and understand it.

“And if she’s that terrified he’s going to do something, then he did something the night of her accident.”

That had already occurred to Chris. That also explained why Mark wasn’t willing to risk his girls. If Jon really wanted to, and he knew Brinley was alive, the first place he was going to start hunting was family and then Mark, looking for her. Seth Rollins was also on that list and Chris inwardly sighed. Jon maybe didn’t know where Mark lived, but…it probably wouldn’t be too hard to find out either.

“How do you feel about Canada?”

Mark grunted, he hated snow. “Beautiful country. Very…wet.”

“Also, isolated.”

Chapter 63

Canada.

It took a good month before Brinley was able to leave the rehabilitation facility and she had no idea about the phone call her brother made to Mark. He had put his daughters first, wanting nothing to do with Brinley’s drama when it came to Jon. He’d already been down that road and had gotten burned badly because of her selfishness, he wasn’t delving back into that again. Brinley was also on anxiety medication, as well as blood pressure medication, just because every time her ex-husband was brought up, they both rose exponentially.

Chris had told her about the house in Canada, but she would have to stay there alone, which was why they wanted to make sure she was capable of living on her own, functioning on her own, before sending her there. Chris had to go back on the road and Brianna had decided to stay with Brinley in Canada, deciding she would go back to Tampa once she was sure her daughter was safe. There was nobody here upon entry and Brinley could already feel relief flooding her body, really hoping Jon hadn’t found out she’d woken up from her coma yet.

“Brinley, are you all right, sweetheart?”

“As good as I’m going to get, Mom.” Brinley smiled back at her sadly, rolling her luggage inside the house and went down the hallway to find a room, pushing open the door. Sitting on the bed, Brinley put her head in her hands, wrapping her arms around herself, and could only pray Jon never found her here. Please don’t let him find me.

Also, Chris was a liar because she wasn’t staying alone. Mark WAS coming, he still cared about Brinley and loved her, but wasn’t admitting it to anyone. He just didn’t want this situation near his daughters again. They weren’t little girls anymore, they were on social media, and if his instincts were right about Moxley being involved in whatever had happened that night at the arena, and Brinley’s accident and alleged breakdown, he wasn’t risking his kids. Himself, sure, but not his kids. Chris figured he’d just get her there and semi-settled, then Mark would arrive later in the day once he had left.

Brianna wasn’t in on it because she was trying to be supportive of her daughter.

Chris would admit, he was a sneaky piece of work, but he didn’t want anything to happen to his sister. He also knew if anyone would bring her back to life, as it were, and out of the scared shell she was in, it was Mark, the love of her life.

I always find you, Angel, don’t you know that? Nice room, a little plain though.

Get out of my head. Go away, you’re not here.

Brinley shook herself out of her misery and lifted her luggage to place on the bed, looking around the room. It was plain, but she liked it. It wasn’t a pure white house like they had lived in back in Las Vegas. She did miss Mark’s mansion, the warmth and comfort it had, but that was the past and she had to look towards the future. Mark wasn’t her future, no matter how badly she wanted him to be.

I fucked up with him. I was selfish and it nearly cost me my life.

Never again would she return to professional wrestling. She was done with it and started pulling her clothes out to put in the dresser, giving her something to do. Honestly, Brinley wasn’t near one hundred percent, maybe sixty percent better, but the weakness was still present and it would take time to build the rest of her stamina up.

“Hey honey, are you hungry?” Brianna had left her alone a little bit, but she couldn’t help it.

She didn’t care how old her children got, they were her babies and all she had left in this world. Well, she had her grandchildren too, but…these were HER babies, the ones she gave birth to and raised. She wasn’t surprised when Brinley shook her head since she was still eating small meals, still not used to regular food after being fed through an IV drip for six months.

“I’m going to make soup, something easy on the stomach, and I’ll even use the little star noodles you liked when you were a little girl. Hmm?”

Be a good girl and tell Mommy yes. You don’t want her to worry and join Daddy, now do you?

“Thanks, Mom.” Brinley walked over and hugged her, vowing right then and there to protect her at all costs. You won’t ever hurt anyone I love and care about again. Keep it up, Jon. Keep it up and I’ll have Blue killed in front of you! Or your house destroyed! STOP SCREWING WITH ME!! She slowly pulled back and kissed her mother’s forehead, taking a deep breath and winced since a pain began stabbing her side. “I wouldn’t mind a sandwich too, if we have the stuff here for it.”

“Chris made sure the placed was cleaned and stocked with groceries, so no worries there, sweetheart.” Brianna could tell her daughter was already tired and she hadn’t gotten through half of her luggage. “Why don’t you rest and I’ll bring you the food when it’s done?”

“Okay, thanks Mom, I love you.” Brinley was already laying down on the bed and closed her eyes, her hand moving to her throat and prayed no nightmares plagued her. He won’t find me here, we’re safe and secure.

I’ll always find youuuuuuuuu and you knowwwww itttttt. Jon singsonged in her head, but when she didn’t respond to the trauma voice, said voice lapsed into silence. The only noise in the house the sounds of Brianna in the kitchen, making her baby girl soup and sandwiches.

Mark hated snow, had he said that? Naturally, the Irvine’s owned a cabin in a remote area, surrounded by woods, and filled with the white substance. “Too old for this shit.” He grunted, putting his rental truck into park and stared through the windshield. How was she going to react to seeing him? So much time had passed and he remembered their parting words to each other, inwardly cringing.

That had gone all wrong.

Brinley snoozed for about a half an hour before her mother came to get her for the soup and sandwich. “I’ll eat in the dining room, it’s okay, Mom.” She murmured, pulling herself up from the bed and really wished she had more energy and strength.

Little by little, she’d get it back. It would just take time and the flight had taken a lot out of her. It wasn’t exactly a short flight either. Walking over to sit at the table, Brinley had just taken her first sip of soup when a knock sounded at the door. The spoon instantly clashed against the bowl and Brinley’s head snapped up, her emerald eyes wide. NOBODY knew they were here, so who the hell was at the door?

“Brinley, relax, sweetheart…”

“NO!” Moving faster than she should’ve, Brinley stopped her mother from answering the door and hated how scared she was. Was Jon here? Did he somehow find her? “No, Mom, don’t answer it…”

“Brinley, nobody except us and your brother know we’re here.” Brianna soothed gently, having a very sinking suspicion she knew exactly who was outside that door because Chris was a sneaky little jerk sometimes. “Honey,” She peered out the window, moving the curtain and sure enough, that was a very big man. “Sweetheart,” She moved to take her daughter by the shoulders, shaking her gently. “Open that door. It’s all right, okay? I promise.”

It's me, I’m here, pucker up, Angel.

Nodding her encouragement, Brianna watched her daughter take a deep breath before slowly unlocking the door. She stepped back, both of them did actually, once the door opened revealing Mark Calaway standing there in black jeans, boots, a heavy jacket, and a duffel bag in his hand.

ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS?!

Tears had already welled up in her eyes since the knocking had scared her and the moment Brinley opened that door to stare back at Mark, they instantly began cascading down her cheeks, her hand coming up to cover her open mouth with her hand. Mark was here? He was alive and well, the leather duster he had on molding to his huge body perfectly. Silently, she stepped aside and instantly let him inside, closing the door to lock it back up again while he shrugged the snow off of him since it had started snowing outside. She looked back at her mother, who just shrugged her shoulders with tears of her own, happy of course, and then Brinley looked back up at him. That voice inside her head was pissed and she didn’t waste a second as soon as he dropped that duffel bag, tossing her arms around his waist to bury her face in his chest.

Thank god, thank god he’s okay! Thank god he’s not dead and it was just a horrible dream! She couldn’t help it and started crying harder, clinging to him for dear life. Please don’t leave me again! I love you, Mark, I don’t need anyone or anything except you!

Mark didn’t know about the fact that he had died in her coma dream, the life she had in her coma either. Chris had told him some of it, framing them as dreams when, in reality, fake memories might have been better because to her, it had been very real. A very real construct her mind had created to protect Brinley while it healed itself from the accident and years of trauma. He knew there had been horrible things in it and everything else, but he hadn’t realized it had done this to her.

“Darlin’…” He rumbled, not expecting this kind of response considering they hadn’t been very kind to each other the last time they had seen each other. The eve of WrestleMania on the Hall of Fame ceremony night when everything had been going so right, only to wind up ending so wrong. He wrapped his arms around her, stooping so he could hug her tightly against him, his green eyes locking on Brianna.

She just shrugged, having a feeling she knew exactly what Brinley was sobbing about, but that was up to Brinley if she wanted to tell him.

Her arms immediately encircled his neck to hug him close, breathing him in and closed her eyes, just relishing the feeling of his arms around her again. His warmth, his strength, his power, all of it she had missed more than anything. “I-I’m sorry…” About so many things. There were too many to count and she slowly pulled back enough to stare into his beautiful jade eyes. Her hands rose to touch his face, memorizing every contour she could and pressed her forehead to his, never wanting to let him go again. You died. You died in my coma dream. I’m just glad that wasn’t my reality and this is…that you’re here alive, Mark. Brinley missed Dallas and all she wanted to do was go home with him, to pick up where they left off, to never break his heart again because she was done being ‘free’. Look where it had gotten her! Six months of her life was taken away from her before of those selfish decisions, because of her stubbornness and pride. “I’m so happy you’re here, alive and well, Deadman. I really missed you…”

He hadn’t changed too much, minus some extra lines on his face, maybe a grey hair or two was new, but that was about it. She looked…not like she had the last time they had seen each other. Brinley had shown signs of wear and tear then, partying it up, smoking and drinking, now she looked…well, like she had spent a long time in the hospital.

“I missed you too, darlin’.” Alive and well? Now he had a new concern, that her mind had broken and never healed itself, his heart lurching at the idea because that meant any chance of HIS Brinley was gone.

“Come on, Mark, we’re setting down to supper now. Soup and sandwiches, you like grilled cheese? Of course you do, everyone does. I’ll go make you up a few really quick.” Brianna was already retreating to the kitchen to get him a bowl and those sandwiches, giving the pair a bit of alone time.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I sound insane, I know. I’m sorry, I just…I know I need to explain and I will.” His Brinley wasn’t gone because she had all of her memories, none of them gone, and the doctors had said that was a miracle in itself. “You died, Mark. You died in my coma dream and…it was really bad.” She would not tell him how because, honestly, Brinley didn’t think that information was prudent since it was all in her coma dream. “And the reason I’m so shaky right now is because, well…I thought it might’ve been asshole at the door. I thought he found me already. But he didn’t, it’s you and…” She could already feel her heartrate slowing down, along with her anxiety, and took his hands in hers. “I quit AEW the night of my accident. Jon took over the company and Tony is just the parrot now, doing whatever he wants. I couldn’t do that, I couldn’t work in an environment like that. I was stupid to go back there in the first place, but after I got fired by WWE, I was left with little options. It doesn’t matter though because I’m never going back to pro-wrestling again. I’m done with it now.” I lost you because of it, along with six months of my life. “I think I’m finally ready to settle down, to relax and be at peace.”

No more drinking, no more smoking, no more partying.

It was her personality he was worried about, that fire and determination, the sharp wit, that he had been concerned he had lost. Mark knew he had to be patient, give her time since she hadn’t been out of the coma for more than a month and there wasn’t exactly a load of research on former coma patients out there. Then she informed him about his coma death and it made sense, making Mark inwardly send a prayer upward.

“Wait, wait, what?” He knew things in AEW were weird, according to rumors from friends, but Moxley was running the show? That might have explained why it was doing better than it had before, he would grudgingly admit. “Darlin’, you really think he’d come after you again? What makes you-” He believed her, but he wanted to know whatever Brinley knew, or felt.

“Dinner! And we’re not talking about that – that THING at the table.”

“To be continued.” Mark kissed the tip of her nose, smiling as he stared into her eyes and then cleared his throat when her mother shouted again. “I see where you get it from.”

Brinley chuckled softly, not releasing his hand and moved back to the dinner table, where her mother graciously had warmed her soup up again. “Thank you, Momma.”

“You’re welcome, baby, now eat.” Brianna ordered, feeling much better now that Mark was here with them and sat down at the table with them.

Chapter 64

Together, they shared a meal of soup and delicious grilled cheese sandwiches, making small talk about anything other than the THING her mother had dubbed. Brinley actually liked that nickname for Jon – The Thing. It fit him perfectly because that’s all he was – a thing. A scum on the bottom of her shoe. She had the man she wanted sitting next to her and she couldn’t stop smiling, the light slowly returning to her eyes. That fire and spunk, the determination, sharp wit, all of it would return in time, it would just take one day at a time to accomplish it. Once dinner was finished, Brinley insisted on cleaning up and kissed the top of her mother’s head, carrying the dishes to the sink. Doing menial tasks like this would help her with her recovery and she turned the water on to start scrubbing the dishes, stifling a yawn.

Scum in your fuckin’ head, the voice that sounded so much like the ‘Thing’ spat sourly while she was doing those dishes. You couldn’t get rid of me even if you tried electroshock therapy and you know what? I bet as soon as I do find out about you, about you being out of the coma, I do come for you. You know why, Angel? Because you’re MY FUCKIN’ WIFE!

Mark joined her after saying goodnight to Brianna, who definitely wasn’t a spring chicken, no matter how much she insisted she was. “I’ll rinse, Brin,” He offered quietly, not wanting to startle her and moved to stand beside her, glad this wasn’t a tiny sink. “You look ready to crash.” It was amazing how tired she seemed, even though she had been ‘asleep’ for so long.

I haven’t been your wife in a very long time, THING. So go fuck yourself and find some other spinster bitch to torture! “Yeah, I probably won’t be much company tonight. I’m still recovering from being asleep for so long.” Coma sleep and regular sleep were not the same thing and her therapist had explained that to her. If Jon came for her, Brinley would fight him with every fiber of her being, flat out refusing to ever be his again. “I still can’t believe you’re here. I know there’s a lot more we need to talk about, but it might have to wait until tomorrow.” She dropped a fork in the water and reached down to get it, pulling it back out to hand it over to him after she washed it. “Can I…Will you hold me tonight, Mark? I-I don’t wanna be alone and I feel safe with you…”

Yeah, go ahead, let him hold you and make you feel safe…knowing I’m right here in your head. You’ll open your eyes, you spinster bitch, and it’ll be ME looking back at you. If you don’t run him off again like you did the LAST time, or did you fucking forget I, uh, I have allllll your sweet, sweet mem-o-ries to browse, now that voice was singsonging again, just like Jon liked to do.

“Of course, I’m beat, darlin’. That was a long trip.” Mainly the driving part once he had reached the airport, which was quite the ways from this place. Mark dried his hands once the last dish had been finished and put in the rack, reaching out to pull her gently into him, burying his face in her hair. “You have no idea how relieved I was when I found out you woke up.”

“You have no idea how relieved I was to wake up and find out that you dying was just a dream. Or more like a nightmare. A horrible nightmare I never want to relive again.” Brinley closed her eyes, soaking in the scent of him and his warmth was seeping into every portion of her body with just this embrace. “I’m so sorry, Mark, for everything. For what happened between us, for the night of the Hall of Fame…I was so stupid. I thought I needed more in my life to feel fulfilled and free, but I don’t. I was happy working for WWE, but once I lost that job, I should’ve just…stopped. This never would’ve happened if I didn’t go to AEW. I wouldn’t have lost six months of my life and…you. I wouldn’t have lost you and what we had together in Dallas.” Pulling back, she looked up into his eyes and held him tighter, or as tight as the little strength in her body would let her. “Please forgive me, I never meant to hurt you. And I never will again.” You’re the only man I need and want in my life, the only one I love. “And fuck it, I’m just going to come right out and say it. I still love you and I never stopped and I never will, no matter what.” Life was too short to hold back her feelings because Brinley had no idea how long they had on this earth.

“It’d take a lot to take me out before I’m ready to go.” Mark informed her, though he was grinning like a fool as he stared down into her earnest eyes. Then the grin lessened just a little and he began shaking his head. “And it wasn’t just on you, you know that, it was on me too. I shouldn’t have ended things with you. I thought I was giving you what you wanted but I never stopped to ASK.”

Something he should’ve done from the start. Mark had no right to make that decision FOR her and it had taken him a long time to accept that. Maybe Michelle and Kristen putting their respective feet up his stupid backside once he had gotten lit and confessed it at a bonfire helped bring things into perspective as well. Carter and Steve had both nearly died laughing and he had just not had a good night all the way around.

“I love you too, Brinley, I never stopped and I probably never will.”

He meant it.

Those eyes did not lie and Brinley felt her heart mending instantly, reaching up to touch the side of his face before leaning up on her tiptoes, his head dipping to meet her the rest of the way as their lips met in a soft kiss. “And no, it wasn’t your fault. I shouldn’t have let you walk out of that hotel room. I should’ve chased after you and forced us to talk things out. I was stupid for letting you go and I’ll never do that again. You’re stuck with me this time, Deadman.” Kissing him a little deeper this time, Brinley knew they couldn’t do much more than this due to her recovery. “You’re my heart, Mark.” No amnesia this time, she had all of her memories from everything they’d been through, their two year relationship, their falling out, all of it and Brinley was thankful for both the good and the bad. “Come on, time to go lay down and get some much needed rest.”

He shook his head, letting her win this round, but at the end of the day, it had been on them both. Mark wouldn’t argue with her, not right now anyway, because it did his heart good to see that spark coming through. Brinley had a way of arguing without arguing, when she wasn’t lashing out in anger and hurt, but who didn’t do that? He couldn’t claim he was innocent of it.

“How about you let me get out of these jeans and into something your Mom won’t have a fit about?” Mark wasn’t sleeping nude with Brianna in the house since this was NOT his mansion. He scooped her up, chuckling when she smiled at him and stooped to grab his bag. “Point the way.”

Brinley giggled, leaning her head on his broad shoulder and pointed to where he needed to go, arriving in her room moments later. She had chosen the room with a queen-sized bed, not nearly as big as Mark’s king at his mansion, but they would deal with it. Besides, she wanted to be as close to him as possible anyway, to snuggle and sleep. Mark kicked the door closed and immediately captured her mouth in a searing kiss, his bag dropping on the bed.

“When I’m better, mister, you and I are going to be properly acquainted.”

Now that he was here with her, for however long, Brinley could already feel her spirit lifting and rubbed her nose gently against his before he set her down on the bed. Mark dropped his pants in front of her and Brinley bit her lip, already in a pair of pajama pants and a long sleeved shirt since it was freezing outside. Mark pulled his shirt off, his muscles flexing with every movement, and her eyes devoured him whole before watching him pull those black pajama pants on, not bothering hiding the fact she was only ogling him.

“Better quit that shit before you set my ass on fire.” He warned, amusement lacing his tone as he watched her settle herself under the blankets.

There was definitely no love making right now. Brinley was exhausted and it showed from the dark circles beneath her eyes. He’d get her back to better health, properly, along with Brianna and then they’d reconnect physically. Right now, Mark wanted to do exactly as she asked, he wanted to hold her and just be near her. He carefully joined her, listening as the wood creaked and let out a sigh of relief when it didn’t do anything stupid.

“C’mere…” It was a soft rumble, followed by a yawn as he raised his arm, another smile flitting across his lips when she instantly snuggled into him, feeling her wrapping herself around him. “I love you.” He had so much time to make up for, so much that had been lost between them, and he finally felt whole again.

He loved his girls, his friends, his life, but something had been missing until tonight.

Her.

“Love you more, Mark, forever.” Brinley breathed out, already feeling the exhaustion overtaking her and his warmth completely relaxed her, the voice inside of her head non-existent. It was gone and it would stay that way if she had anything to say about it.

~!~

“You’re such a jackass for surprising us like that.” Brinley grumbled while on the phone with her brother, who was laughing and she rolled her eyes while cutting up a salad. “You almost gave me a damn heart attack because I thought the THING had found me.”

“The THING?” Now Chris was curious, raising a brow. “Ohhh, you mean Moxley?”

“Don’t mention his name, it’s THING, Christopher!” Brianna chastised, cutting up the vegetables beside her daughter while Mark was outside shoveling the sidewalk. He offered to do it since they had gotten quite a bit of snow the previous night.

Something told her Mark would not want to stay here secluded for very long since he was a Texan at heart.

Chris was laughing harder, shaking his head at two out of the three women he loved with all of his heart in his life. His baby girls, his twins, were his babies and he would NEVER think of them as women – ever. “Look, I didn’t wanna get you all upset and tell you he was coming just in case you didn’t want to see him, sis. I was looking out for you.”

“Well, you were wrong on that assumption because I couldn’t be happier he’s here and we’re back together.”

They had spent the majority of the morning in bed talking, mending broken fences between them and each making it crystal clear they were it for each other. Brinley wanted to settle down with Mark, to be his partner, his equal, and Mark had kissed the breath right out of her, forcing her to remove herself from him before she jumped up on him. Not yet, she wasn’t healed enough, but the dark circles under her eyes were already starting to disappear after a great night’s sleep in the arms of her love.

“Yeah well, you can’t hold it against me, not after everything you’ve been through and us, by extension.” Her family had been through the wringer with her.

Chris was hoping that hard times were behind them now and they could move forward once she was fully healed. If Moxley was smart, he’d stay away because Chris was done playing with that little bastard. There was a line of men who were ready to pulverize that prick and send him to meet his Maker if he didn’t tow that line and leave Brinley alone.

“For the record, nobody knows about you being out of the coma.” He knew because the hospital had called him asking about what they should do with the weekly flowers dickbag sent to her ‘room’. He had told them to just donate them to other patients or something. Anything except a ‘return to sender’ message would work for the time being.

“Good, the longer we can keep him in the dark, the better off we’ll be.”

Eventually, Jon would go visit her at the facility, she was sure of it, and that was when he’d discover she wasn’t there. She was long gone. Hopefully in Dallas with Mark, in the security of his home. They wanted to stay here until she was fully recovered before venturing back to Dallas, even though he hated the snow. Mark despised winter and she poured a cup of cocoa for him as he trekked through the door, cussing about how cold it was out there. His nose was red and he had on winter wear, looking more gorgeous than ever.

“Here, this will warm you up, Deadman.” She walked over and handed him the mug after he took his gloves and coat off, kicking his boots off too, accepting a kiss from him in the process.

“You did well, Christopher. I’m proud of you, my son.”

Eventually, Jon would get curious about why the alcoholic Princess seemed a little more chipper these days. It wasn’t like the prick had anything to be happy about, not unless he finally figured out his dick worked better sober. It wouldn’t be hard to put two and two together, he might’ve acted like a raging lunatic, but the people who knew him best knew better and Brinley definitely knew him.

“Thanks Ma, your balls fallen off yet, Calaway?”

“Left them out on the drive…” Mark loved Brinley enough to suffer the snow, however, even if the cold made his knees ACHE. Getting old sucked, there was no two ways about it.

Chris was laughing now. “Pussy.”

“Come on, I told you not to worry about the walkway and you were adamant about doing it, stubborn ass.” Brinley was smiling though, guiding him over to the couch and sat him down in front of the roaring fireplace, kissing his lips softly. “Thank you for doing that. Want me to get you some cream for your knees?” She knew this weather was not conducive to Mark’s body, especially with all the hell he’d put himself through in pro-wrestling and moved back into the kitchen, which wasn’t too far off. “He hates the snow, hush up. You’re not here to do the walkway and he was kind enough to do it. Show my man some respect, Christopher.”

“Bite me, Brinley. He knows I’m fuckin’ with him.” Chris was very glad his sister was happy and everything had gone well with Mark. “Just let me know when you guys are ready to head back to Texas and I’ll get that place closed up and shit.”

“It’ll be a while, I want to make sure that I’m fully healed and better first before even thinking about getting on another plane. We’ll be fine here.”

Brinley went back to chopping up the vegetables for the salad her and her mother whipped up for a healthy lunch. Lots of healthy and hearty meals for Brinley, along with exercises to help build her stamina and strength again. She was still going through therapy, just not at the facility anymore since she could do everything they showed her at home.

Chapter 65

Then there was the matter of making sure Moxley didn’t get nosy and start snooping.

Mark preferred not to have to shoot the motherfucker, but he would and he had a LOT of land to hide a body. He just didn’t want to have to traumatize Brinley, who had been through enough or his daughters. He was trying not to leave scarred children behind when he passed, generational trauma could become a thing and he’d damned if it started with him.

“We’re in no rush, Chris.” No, he didn’t like the cold, but he did like it here. It was beautiful in its own way, and there was no denying that the women hadn’t made it comfortable, homey, and it was a lot different from what he was used too. It felt almost more personable, maybe that was because it was smaller. “Thank you, darlin’.” She had gotten him the cream and he waved off her offer to do it for him. “I got it, Brin.”

“Yeah, stop coddling the geezer.”

“Christopher…you’re how old now?” Brianna chided, rolling her eyes when he just laughed and said something along the lines of still being twenty. “Maybe in the head, son, but last I checked, you were getting more wrinkles than me.”

“Oh, ouch, Mom!”

“Not to mention saggy tits too!”

“BRINLEY!!”

She giggled wickedly, sticking her tongue out at the phone and rinsed her hands before putting the cut up vegetables in the container. They would add it to the lettuce later, along with the croutons, boiled eggs, and shredded cheese. It was going to be a gourmet salad and she was adding spinach to it too, at the insistence of her mother.

“Mom is going to stay here with us until we’re ready to leave too.”

That shocked Brianna to hear, her eyes widening. “Brinley, are you sure? Mark is here…”

“Mom, if the THING finds out that I’m awake and I’m hiding somewhere, who the hell do you think he’ll come after first to find me?” Brianna understood what she was saying suddenly, a frown marring her face. “I will do whatever it takes to protect my family and I know Mark agrees with me on this. We talked about it this morning and you’re not going anywhere until we leave here together.”

“Mom, she’s right. Tampa isn’t going anywhere and you can spend some quality time with your future son-in-law.”

Mark promptly spat out his cocoa, coughing up a lung.

“I’M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS, CHRISTOPHER!!”

“PAYBACK IS A BITCH, BRINLEY!!”

“Oh my children…”

Chris was huffing on the phone, wishing she hadn’t mentioned the Thing, but there it was. However, then the jokes were back on and he was huffing for another reason. “It’s only a matter of time and besides, set the date for a while off, so I can work on my SAGGY TITS.”

Brianna wasn’t entirely sure where she had gone wrong with raising her children, but here they were and she was passing Mark a towel, so he could mop himself up. “Are you alright?”

“Fantastic.” Mark made the A-Okay gesture with his hand, deciding he was done with drinks until this phone call was over with. There was no denying that the mood had lightened a lot and it did him good to hear the three, and see the two women all having a good time chatting with each other. He leaned back on the couch, stretching his feet towards that fire. “Might as well head to Brazil, get yourself an ass lift while you’re at it.” Chris was vain, everyone knew it.

“MY WIFE LIKES MY ASS!”

“She’d have too, son, you’re all ass.”

Brinley was dying and had to go sit down, clutching her side while laughing so hard, tears were streaming down her cheeks. It felt wonderful to laugh like this, she hadn’t done it in a long time and the smile on her face lit up the entire room. Mark was chuckling himself, wrapping an arm around her and Chris had sputtered some incoherent nonsense that Brinley couldn’t hear. Their mother had taken over, letting her rest and Brinley looked up at him, finally tapering off with her laughter. Thank the lord Mark didn’t take what Chris said to heart and she rested her head against his chest over his head, his hand stroking her back up and down.

“For the record, I wouldn’t change a thing about you and I love your ass, especially in a pair of jeans like they are now.” This was home, in Mark’s arms, and this is where Brinley wanted to spend the rest of her days.

Marriage or not, Mark was her home.

Oh they’d be married, eventually.

Mark wasn’t letting her get away from him a THIRD time. However, now wasn’t the right time, even he knew that. This was them being psyched and insanely happy over their reunion. Once things settled a bit and she was back to full health, then he’d be popping that question and whisking her off down the aisle. It would be within the next six months, he decided, staring down into her face. Brinley looked so happy and content, he kissed the side of her head lovingly. Three months, probably the next three months. Life was too short and everything could change in the blink of an eye.

“My ass is still cold, woman.” Mark teased softly, his lips brushing against the shell of her ear. “It’s a good thing he isn’t here, because I about ate pavement.” Slip proof boots, that was indeed a lie.

That made her laugh all over again, giggling uncontrollably and Mark started tickling her, growling at her to stop laughing at him. She couldn’t. It wasn’t possible! “Mark, stop!” He yanked her right on his lap and continued tickling her lightly and stopped to wrap his arms around her, her lips caressing the side of his neck, “I’m glad you didn’t fall, but if you did, I would’ve nursed your ass back to health.” She murmured in his ear, making sure only he could hear her and nipped his lobe, making him growl again.

Every time he did that, it vibrated her body from head to toe. If Mark popped the question today, she would’ve immediately accepted and eloped, refusing to have a big fancy wedding. Mark was already starting to plan what he wanted to do, the gears in his head turning, but first things first, she needed to be healed completely. Brinley was unaware of what her man was planning within the next three months and it would be a getaway because they were not taking the chance of having the THING interrupt their wedding ceremony. It would be done secretively with just her and his family knowing, along with their closest, most trusted friends.

That was a small list, fortunately for both of them, and Mark was laughing by the time the phone call finally ended. Chris apparently had to go work on his ‘glutes’ and ‘pecs’, the man was getting up there too. Working out was only going to do so much. Because he was a bit of a jerk at heart, Mark made himself a mental note to message his friend later on, remind him that they did indeed make bras for men. Snorting because he could already see the indignation on other man’s face and it’d be great.

“All right, lovebirds, I’m wrapping up lunch and then we’re eating. You hungry, honey?” Brianna addressed that last bit to her daughter, smiling when Brinley nodded without hesitation. Chris might’ve been obnoxious sometimes, but he had done a very good thing here, sending in Mark.

Even if he had done it behind their backs.

As soon as Brianna’s back was turned, Mark gently turned Brinley’s face up towards his, claiming her mouth in a brief, passionate kiss. “I love you.” He rumbled, nipping at her bottom lip when he pulled away.

“I love you more.”

Brinley pecked his lips before sliding off his lap and lead the way into the dining room where Brianna set out the gourmet salad she had made with the delicious Peto bread. It was the type of bread that one could get from Panara Bread, insanely delicious and very healthy too. Brianna had tossed the salad, added everything, and everyone served themselves before pouring the vinaigrette dressing on top. It was delicious dipping it in the bread and Brinley groaned at how good it was.

~!~

Another two months passed by in the blink of an eye and the snow had finally vanished from where they were at. It was going into early summer and the snow had melted finally, the grass green along with the woods surrounding them. Brinley was flourishing, currently outside planting some flowers and Mark was mowing the lawn since it really needed it. Brianna was beside her, also digging up the dirt and both mother and daughter were teasing each other, dirt on their knees, hands, and cheeks. Brinley had on blue jean capris and a short sleeved dark blue top, her insanely long hair braided over her shoulder.

Her hair, when it was down, went past her backside and she thought about cutting it, but instead all Brianna did was convince her to trim it. Brinley had amazing beautiful hair and she didn’t want her daughter to regret getting rid of it. Honestly, Brinley was attached to her hair and she smiled over at Mark, who was whistling while mowing, knowing he was getting restless being here. He had flown home a few times to visit his children, refusing to leave them out in the cold, but always made sure to take a different route there and back, just in case. They were still wary of Jon, even though the THING hadn’t made a move yet and thought she was still in a coma.

He had talked to Chris, letting his friend know he wanted to propose and Chris had reminded him of something. Marriage was a matter of public record. If by any chance, Jon had an alert out on any of them, he’d know as soon as they did it. That just made Mark decide they’d be getting married out of the country; she was a dual citizen, she could get married here in Canada and that was NOT going into the USA census, right? Chris had promised to look into it, which was great because he had a ring burning a figurative hole in his pocket. Mark cut the mower and pulled his spare bandana from his back pocket to mop up the sweat on his forehead, the other bandana wrapped around his head to keep his hair out of his face. He was getting pale here, deciding to remove the shirt, muscles flexing as he did so and sighed at the warm sunshine beating down on bare skin.

A whistle had him looking over his shoulder, winking at Brinley who was now staring at him.

Brianna elbowed her daughter gently, playfully. “I will turn the garden hose on you.”

“Come on, Mom…I can’t help it…” Brinley practically whined softly, making Brianna laugh and splashed some of the hose water on her daughter’s face. “Mom!”

“Go bring your man some fresh iced cold lemonade.” Brianna did it again, laughing when Brinley took the hose and started spraying her mother, the older woman cursing her while laughing. “See how you like it?!”

“I’m not the one who’s all hot and bothered over my boyfriend, Brinley Anne!”

Brinley gaped at her smirking mother, shaking her head. “You are so evil! Now I know where Christopher gets it from!”

“Your Daddy was worse than me.” Brianna sighed wistfully, smiling at the mention of her Charlie and decided to go inside to grab the lemonade. “I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

Brinley grinned, knowing her mother did that on purpose to give her and Mark some time alone and didn’t waste any of it, heading over to him. “The yard looks amazing, handsome.” She had started calling him that instead of Deadman, wanting to get away from his wrestling moniker since they were normal, everyday people. They were out of pro-wrestling and she wanted to keep it that way. “And I wouldn’t mind giving you a tongue bath.” They still hadn’t had sex and Brinley was fully healed and healthy, looking better than she had in a very long time and feeling it too, the happiness radiating off of her.

“Well, tell your Mama to go take a nap and I’ll let you.” Mark drawled, the idea didn’t sound half bad and he considered her, staring at her over the rims of his sunglasses. He knew Brianna would be back shortly, wondering what she’d think if they weren’t here. “Wanna take a walk?” He gestured towards the woods, having trekked them a few times, taking note of the path and gathered it was something the family had made with their own walks. He hadn’t noticed any animal tracks or dens, figuring it was too close to the now occupied house for them to venture near.

When she nodded, he took her by the hand, threading their fingers together, and guided her around the side of the house.

Given the kitchen overlooked the woods, Brianna just shook her head when she seen them approaching that tree line. She raised a hand to her mouth to cover her smile when her definite future son-in-law picked Brinley up and carried her through the trees.

“Mark!” Brinley squealed out, not expecting him to hoist her up over his broad shoulder and slid her nails up the length of his sweaty back, popping a digit in her mouth. “Mmm, yummy…” That made him growl and it vibrated right down to her nethers, which were in dire need of attention from this man.

Mark had held her in his arms every night for the past two months and neither had made a move, only sharing kisses and touches, but nothing else. He wanted to make sure she was completely healthy and now that she was…and the way Brinley teased him…had obviously lit something inside of her giant love. Eventually, they came to a clearing and it was a small flowing creek that was in the middle of the woods, some deer seen in the distance. This place truly was beautiful and Brinley enjoyed it here, but Dallas would always hold a special place in her heart and she knew Mark felt the same way.

If Brinley wanted to divide her time between here -in the nicer, albeit shorter seasons- and Texas, Mark would do it. Hell, if she wanted to LIVE here, he would do it and he’d fly his girls to see them every weekend and on holidays, summers, whatever it took. He would make it work because she hadn’t been wrong about some things before. Mark hadn’t wanted to give up his house, his retirement, or his time with people. He hadn’t been willing to compromise, but he was willing to do it now and do it all right this time. It wasn’t about who had more, who had what, it was about what they had together, what they could make together. He balanced her carefully as he sat down in the grass, arranging her, so she was straddling his lap and caught her face between his large, calloused hands.

“You’re marryin’ me, woman.” He informed her, right before kissing her and pouring everything he felt in it, letting her know with that kiss that she was IT for him.

Brinley always had been, he’d just been a moron about it, and he wasn’t doing that ever again.

Chapter 66

“What?” Brinley blinked, not expecting those words to come out of his mouth and watched as he dug into his jean pocket to pull a beautiful ring out to hold up to her. The shock wore off and all she could do was smile, holding her left hand up to offer it to him. “Yes I am and I don’t want to wait to marry you, Mark.”

The ring was a beautiful princess cut diamond with two black diamonds set on either side, representing him and her coming together. Brinley meant what she told him when he came here two months ago, she was ready to settle down with him for the rest of their lives. This wasn’t a beautiful getaway in Mexico, but they were in just as beautiful of a place, even more so, because of the nature surrounding them, the water from the creek resonating around them. They had both been stupid about their relationship and had found their way back to each other, getting a second chance to do things right.

“I love you, Mark, more than anything and anyone in my life. I want you, all of you, and I can’t wait to go home to Dallas to that beautiful house and do whatever we want, when we want and how we want.” First, they needed to get married and she wondered if there was a chapel somewhere in their area, not realizing Mark already had everything planned out, thanks to her brother.

He wouldn’t have proposed otherwise.

He hadn’t proposed, only flat out telling her she was going to marry him. Mark had just said what he was thinking, his filter apparently not working after seeing the way she had been looking at him when he stopped mowing the yard. That ring that he had kept in his pocket almost at all times, just in case he found the perfect moment. This was the perfect moment, though the proposal maybe wasn’t. This woman loved him in ways and with more heart than he had ever been loved before. The fact that after everything thrown at her, they always somehow managed to find their way back to each other spoke volumes. If another wave of drama came her way, they’d face it together as husband and wife.

“Doesn’t have to be Dallas, darlin’, it can be anywhere, even here.” He informed her, dead serious and seen the light in her eyes shine brilliantly. Brinley was realizing what he was doing; he was willing to COMPROMISE properly this time and the look on her face was worth it and had him mentally kicking himself for being a stubborn fool.

“It’s beautiful here, I won’t deny that, but I miss Dallas. I miss being with you there with the dogs and the girls. We can always make this place a little getaway or something.” It was considered a safe house at the moment because of what was going on with Jon, but that would change eventually. The fact he was willing to compromise, even if it meant moving far away from his children to be with her…that meant everything to Brinley. “I’d never take you away from your girls either. They need their Daddy.” Not to mention, she knew how hard this man worked to acquire the property he had, the land, along with everything on it. Brinley had nothing, thanks to Jon, so wherever Mark went, she would gladly follow with two middle fingers in the air and all. “And speaking of needing you…” Her mouth suddenly captured his and Brinley poured everything she felt into this kiss, pressing her body to his and wrapped her arms around his neck, not holding anything back anymore.

She was done holding back.

They would revisit this conversation because he hadn’t been kidding about anything and, truth be told, it wouldn’t be like the girls would be away from him. Mark would still see them all the time; he’d just be racking up the frequent flier miles. However, feeling her tongue against his, tasting her, had all those thoughts fleeing from his mind and there was nothing except Brinley and this exact moment, this kiss, taking over. Never breaking the kiss, his hands skimmed down her sides until he reached the hem of her top, beginning to slowly pull it up. She had to raise her arms and they both groaned when the kiss broke, just so he could peel it off of her, but as soon as the shirt was off, he was attacking what bare flesh he had just exposed, tasting her skin.

There were a few scars from her accident. She hadn’t completely gotten out unscathed, but they didn’t bother Brinley. Would they bother Mark? She wasn’t perfect anymore, not like she used to be, gasping at the feeling of his tongue and goatee combined on her flesh. Heaven, she was in heaven in this man’s arms and reached behind to unfasten her bra, pulling it from her body as well to expose her breasts. The groan he gave at the mere sight made her flood with heat and the little sparks inside of her had started congregating into a giant forming inferno. There was no rush, she had a feeling her mother saw them take off through the woods and they wouldn’t be back for a while.

“Mark, oh god…” She moaned out openly as soon as he took a nipple in his mouth to swirl it around that deliciously long tongue of his.

Her body melted into him and watched as he proceeded to give the other one the same treatment. They were now rosy peaks and she brought his mouth back up to hers, passionately kissing him and then slid her mouth and lips down his strong jaw to his Adam’s apple, her nails gliding gently down his muscular tattooed sleeved arms. His chest was still glistening with the sweat from mowing the lawn as her tongue began swiping away at it, moaning at the taste and flicked his own nipples with her tongue to harden them into pebbles.

As far as Mark was concerned, Brinley was the textbook definition of perfection.

Before, that night after the Hall of Fame ceremony, her harder lifestyle had shown. Now, she was soft and supple, healthy again, and those scars were a reminder that his now fiancée was a survivor. Again, perfection. Brinley was lavishing the same attention on his chest he had given her, his head tilting back when she moved up the column of his throat. Mark wasn’t a passive participant, however, he was working on getting her out of those capris, feeling her moving with him just so he could get them off of her, leaving her in nothing except her panties.

“Mmm…” It was a rumble of appreciation and he smiled wickedly, his hands clasping her still bouncy backside, purposefully grinding her against his denim covered cock. The shiver that elicited from her made the smile grow broader. “I bet you’re soaked, darlin’…” Sure enough, when he tested that theory out by slowly sliding one lone finger up along her panty covered slit, Mark could feel her juices had already dampened the material.

“I’m always wet for you, Mark. Only you.” It was the truth.

Granted, with Jon she had to force herself to get wet for him and memories of being with Mark, her true love, had helped in that department. Brinley never desired Jon of her own accord though, only before she knew who he was. Jon wasn’t a slouch in the bedroom either, but he was NOTHING compared to the specimen currently making her gasp and moan for him with just a simple finger on her pussy. The last person she had sex with was him, nobody else. Brinley couldn’t fathom sleeping with anyone else after their last encounter and the falling out that took place.

Never again, I will never lose him again. The ring on her finger was proof of that as she felt her back hit the soft grass, smiling at him hovering over her and she immediately went for his jeans, unfastening and pushing them down his long, muscular legs with her feet. She loved that he went commando and immediately wrapped her hand around his throbbing cock, already spreading her legs for him. “Mark please, I need you inside of me right now…it’s been too long…” Far, far too long.

Oh you little fucking liar…back of the truck, all those times I ate you out and had you gushing for me… The voice of Jon wasn’t amused with her inner thought process, silencing again when there was nothing in return except more thoughts and feelings about Mark.

Her entire mind was wrapped around the man who was physically wrapping around her.

“You sure?” Mark didn’t usually skip on the foreplay unless it was a quickie or a ground and pound session, but her nod and incessant stroking had him sliding into her tight, little body for the first time in what felt like decades. “Fuck!” He had to stop once he was inside of her completely, feeling her inner walls tightening around him and shook his head. “One second, darlin’…”

Her thighs were trembling, along with her entire body, and she didn’t even hear that THING in her head because she was too busy drowning in pure ecstasy. Her head was nothing more than a thick passion haze and the only thing she saw was Mark, the world evaporating around them. It was just them here in this moment in time. Brinley didn’t even need to tell him to go slowly, that was how in sync they were as Mark began to stroke in and out of her at a slow, gentle pace. It’d been well over a year for her and she had to stretch to accommodate his massive size and girth, her body arching a little off the grass. Foreplay was incredible with this man, but that could wait until they were properly reunited.

Her legs wrapped around him as Mark held her close while thrusting in and out of her, claiming her for his own once and for all. For good this time. “I love you…oh fuck, I love you, Mark…” Even though they were breathless, they were kissing each other, sharing each other’s oxygen and Brinley broke it to rest their damp foreheads together, their eyes locked and their hearts thundering as one. “I’m close, so fucking close…god don’t stop, please don’t stop…” Brinley needed this, she needed this climax with him more than the air she breathed and she knew it was be the first of many.

No other man could make her cum this hard and fast or make her absolutely shatter the way Mark Calaway did and nobody ever would.

“Never, darlin’!” Mark promised, kissing down along the side of her face, to her earlobe, then further down as he continued with his pace, aware he could draw this out if he wanted to, but he also knew she needed this.

Hell, he did too. He needed to feel her spasming around him, crying out his name as she came apart for him. Mark needed it almost as much as he needed air to breathe, same as her, which he was struggling with right now because her body was doing some interesting, insane things right now. Apparently, remembering just how good this could be between them was incredibly overwhelming.

“Fuck, Brinley!” He wasn’t climaxing just yet, his teeth gritting together as her back bowed, arching right up into him as she came, singing his praises while she did. Her velvety pussy was trying, Jesus Christ, was it trying to coax him into whitewashing her, gripping and squeezing around him, trying to milk him. “Again!”

Euphoric.

That was the only way to describe how she felt with that first climax as it rocketed through her, almost as if she had an out of body experience. Just for that split second as the feeling washed over her intensely. Her hands gripped his upper arms tightly, her body trembling from the aftershocks and Mark kept going, sending her body spiraling all over again, reaching that fine razor edge once more.

“Y-Yes – YES!!” I’ll cum as many times as he wants me to, I never want this to end! “Mark, oh god!!” Her voice was strained from how amazing it felt, the sounds of their flesh colliding echoing around them and they stayed in the same position, which she was perfectly fine with. In the past encounters, they would roll around and do different positions, but this particular moment was so intimate and intense, neither wanted to move or switch positions. Brinley wanted, needed, him as close as possible to her, bringing his mouth back to smash against hers, “Harder, just a little harder, handsome, please…” One thing she loved about Mark was he never treated her like a porcelain doll, always an equal, and knew when to be rough and when to be gentle, knowing exactly how she needed to be sexed up. The bond they had was incredible and the one she had with Jon, which was forced for most of their marriage, couldn’t hold a candle to what her and Mark had and never would.

Altering their current position, spreading his legs out, Mark bent at the knee, just so he could have more leverage as he began working her body when she went into lethargy mode after several orgasms. He was pretty pleased with himself, loving how flushed her body was, how raspy her voice had gotten after crying his name out to the heavens, and how relaxed her body was now. All that cumming had released so many endorphins. He began bringing her down harder on him, their bodies pressing against each other’s just right, just enough to stimulate Brinley even more. There was NO wildlife in this area, at all, not anymore, not with the sounds of their flesh crashing against each other filling the air along with their scents, their sounds.

“Fuck, fuck, darlin’, I’m close!” Mark warned her, another trickle of sweat running down the side of his face as he fought against his own body, needing at least one more from her.

Just one more and then he’d explode.

Did she have one more in her? Brinley didn’t know if her body was capable of another climax and naturally, Mark had proven her wrong. The moment another climax crashed over her, that was it for him. And her. She screamed out his name in both pain and pleasure, giving Mark exactly what he wanted and gripped him as the explosion erupted inside of her, shaking her body’s very foundation. Brinley had nothing left and collapsed back on the grass since her body had bowed up again with that last intense orgasm, barely able to breathe and her body covered in a fine sheen of perspiration. Mark did not collapse on top of her, thankfully, and left her body to roll onto his back in the cool grass, hearing him groan out.

Brinley couldn’t help it and started laughing, placing a hand over her thundering heart, feeling at peace for the first time in years. “I really, REALLY needed that…holy fuck, handsome…”

“Apparently,” Mark was breathing just as erratically as she was, running a hand down his red face as he stared up at the sky through the trees. “I did too…”

Given how much he had just unloaded in her, she was likely knocked up since he hadn’t come like that in quite some time. Maybe that night after the Hall of Fame ceremony party. That felt like another lifetime ago. Finally, he worked up energy to roll onto his side, reaching out to lazily run his fingers up along her stomach to the valley between her breasts, smiling as goosebumps broke out along her skin.

“So, darlin’, think your Mama has that lemonade ready?” It was said innocently, but he broke out in deep, from the belly laughter at the exasperated look Brinley gave him, moving to hover over her and kissed the tip of her nose. “Say it, tell me you love me, Brinley.” He would never get tired of those words coming from her lips.

“I love you, Mark Calaway.” Brinley said it without hesitation, reaching up to caress the side of his face while staring into his eyes. “I love you more than anything and I can’t wait to be your wife and spend the rest of our lives together.” They would get to that point because she was fed up with running away and hiding from Jonathan Good – the THING. Now that Brinley was completely healed and healthy again from her accident, her near death experience, and that coma dream she’d had put a lot of things into perspective for her. “I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you forever.” Each time she said it, she pecked his lips, cheeks, nose, and lips again, making that last kiss count and she couldn’t stop smiling.

She didn’t realize at that moment, while they were making love in this gorgeous meadow by a stream, in the middle of the woods in northern Canada, Jon was just finding out that his ex-wife was long gone from the facility and had woken up three months ago.

Contrary to what Chris had told the nurses, they were nurses, and there weren’t enough of them. Covid had seriously done some harm to the medical field and nurses were in short supply still across the country, a lot of them having stepped down during the pandemic. His instructions to donate hadn’t been passed along, instead, one nurse had called the florist and requested a cancellation on the flowers as the patient was no longer in residence.

Which in turn led to Jon learning what he now knew. He had gotten a text alert that his order had been cancelled, made that call, and then went to visit the coma facility. He had been charming, sweet, and signed a few autographs for the nurses as well as some of the visitors. His ex-wife had woken up, she had been discharged, she was fine, all her memories intact…it had been a miracle.

Now, he just had to find her sweet little recovered backside and make her his for good.

Chapter 67

“Brinley, he knows.”

It was only a matter of time until Jon did find out and it was a miracle it took him over three months to figure it out. “Okay and?”

That wasn’t a reaction Chris was expecting to hear from his sister. “And what do you want to do about this?”

“Well first of all, I want to forget the THING ever existed. I’m engaged now to the love of my life,” Mark’s arm was around her waist and she leaned back against him, the ring sparkling on her left ring finger. “And I want to marry him as soon as possible.” They’d already decided to elope, not wanting a big fancy ceremony. “I’m done running from him. I’m done being afraid of him. I’m done living in fear of the THING.” Brinley really loved her mother dearly for nicknaming Jon that and felt Mark kiss the top of her head. No more anxiety pills either, just her blood pressure medication, which wasn’t uncommon for people at her age anyway. “I want to live my life freely, out in the open, and he can go fuck himself for all I care.”

There was no way Jon would rip away her happiness, not ever again. Her contract with AEW was null and void because of her coma, so she had no ties to that company or Jon anymore. They had all been severed. She looked up at her fiancé and snuggled against him, wanting his input in all of this.

So did Chris. “What’s your take on this, Deadman? What do you think we should do going forward?” Hiding out forever wasn’t an option, they all had lives to get back to and live, just like his sister said.

“I think we should go on with business as usual and if he comes, we handle him.” It had been how long? Years at this point? “He’s had chance after chance after chance,” Brinley and him had been separated for a while and she had worked in AEW, so if that psychopath really had wanted to do something, he had the perfect opportunity back then and he hadn’t taken it.

Did he trust the Thing? Nope, not one bit, but at the same time, even wild animals gave up on the chase and that was what Jon was – a wild animal. Brinley’s attitude today was a stark change from when he had shown up at the door months ago, when she had been terrified out of her mind that Jon was coming for her, and he wasn’t about to set her back.

Jon was actually going to do that himself. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to realize who she was with when he found Calaway’s residence. All mail was being held. Hounds weren’t there. He wasn’t stupid though, he hadn’t gone on the property. It had basically been shut down.

He was going to torch the place instead.

There was no way to do that, however, because Mark had Fort Knox security. He had cameras that was linked to his phone and the moment Jon stepped a toe near his property, the alarms had sounded. This was while they were on the phone with Chris and Brinley watched wide eyed as none other than her ex-husband, who was on camera, was caught red-handed.

“Oh my god…” Jon, you stupid, stupid son of a bitch…

That was no doubt Mark’s home in Dallas and she could see the panic written all over her ex-husband’s face, especially when Mark pressed the next button on his phone and that was the authorities being called. The best part was just up the road about a mile was a sheriff that had his own ranch and he was the one on his way to see what the commotion was about on Mark’s property. In this day and age, Jon couldn’t just go around exploding properties, not when technology had expanded to the point where anything could be controlled remotely, even all the way from northern Canada.

Jon was out front by the time that sheriff pulled in minutes later. He had caught the hint of a light, almost laser like, and realized that the hick wasn’t entirely stupid. The Deadman had this property protected with a rather impressive security system. Jon was at the gate in his rental, hitting that buzzer and grinning into the security camera.

“C’mon, Mark, I know you’re up!” He blinked when he seen the party lights, putting his hands up as soon as he heard it being ordered.

Mark could only watch as the Thing charmed the sheriff, convincing him they were friends from their WWE days, and he was in town visiting. His jaw clenched tightly and he nearly crushed his cell, looking down at Brinley when Jon was sent packing with a warning to skip the midnight visits.

“Yeah, I got it, thanks,” Jon grinned into the camera again. “Catch you tomorrow, Mark.”

Mark crushed the cell.

He’s never going to stop. He’s never going to leave me alone.

Brinley closed her eyes, remembering the last time she had to do something catastrophic in order to for Jon to leave her alone. The psycho didn’t know she did it, but maybe it was time he did. Looking up at her husband-to-be, Brinley could see the anger written all over his face and reached up to cup his face in her hands, softly kissing him.

You pushed me to do this, Jon. Just remember, this is all on you. She would wait it out until after they were married and returned to Dallas, but in the meantime, Brinley had nothing except time on her hands. I won’t let him hurt any of us ever again. I’m going to fix this, Mark. I’m going to get rid of him once and for all so we can be happy. Leave it to me.

It was time to contact her old time friend, who had gotten rid of Jon’s mother for her. She had more than enough money to pay him off for what he needed done and this time, Jon would never come after her, her family, or anyone she cared about again. She thought about asking her brother to help her with this, but no…Brinley brought this problem into their lives and now…she was going to get rid of it for good.

When the time was right, Brinley had the perfect plan to make Jon rush home and the evil glinted in her eyes for a moment before vanishing.

~!~

“You’re still going to get married?” The doubt in Chris’s voice could not be missed, not even via speakerphone.

“Yeah,” Mark had to get himself a new phone and set everything up all over again. He had seriously considered hiring guards to patrol his property, but…given that Jon had almost been busted, he doubted the Thing would do it again. “Brinley won’t let him control our lives.” Her words, not his. His had been more violent, involved more blood. She had been perfectly calm and he knew she was doing it for his sake. Mark knew she had to be terrified beneath that serene expression she was putting on as a brave front.

“You know what he could have done if that cop didn’t live just down the road?” Mark wouldn’t of HAD a home to go back too.

Mark groaned, glancing out the window at his soon-to-be wife, who was talking to Brianna out front in the sunshine. He knew…he knew all too well and he hated that this had happened, especially after they had all been so sure she was safe. They had been wrong. Dead wrong.

“I’m fine, Momma, I promise.”

Brianna was worried sick about her daughter, waiting for the breakdown to happen, but all Brinley had done was assure them everything would be fine.

Nothing was stopping her from marrying Mark. The end of the world could happen, an apocalypse could hit the earth giving everyone just hours to live, and she would STILL marry the love of her life. The call had been made and the plan was set in motion. The man had been hesitant to work with her again, until she forwarded him half of the money to assure him that she had no second guesses. Nobody would tie it to him either and she also thanked him for a job well done with Jon’s mother. As far as she was concerned, Jon got what was coming to him and his mother had paid for his sins. Now…now it would be Blue who paid the price, his beloved old English bulldog, which was being cared for by the neighbors at the moment.

Not for much longer and she felt zero remorse for what she was about to do to that dog.

“Baby, I know you’re scared…”

“That’s just it, I’m not.”

Brianna had a hard time believing that. “Brinley, don’t lie to your mother.”

Brinley’s cool emerald gaze landed on her mother and she leaned forward to press a kiss to her forehead with a soft smile. “I’m not lying to you. I’m not scared. I have Mark and something tells me everything is going to work out as it should soon.” She walked back inside the house just as Mark ended the call with her brother, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind to kiss the middle of his back. “So, when do you wanna get married and make me Mrs. Calaway, big man? I’m ready when you are, wherever you want to go to do it. Just…not Vegas, that’s all I ask.”

“Here in Canada, Chris has it all arranged, thanks to you having that dual citizenship.” He just had to get the license and do all the paperwork. “We’re not leaving this country,” Mark turned so he could pull her into a proper hug, burying his face in her hair. She smelled of sunshine and the outdoors, and that distinctive scent beneath it, her own unique scent. He swore to god sometimes, it was a pheromone or something because it usually drove him wild. “Until you’re my wife.” He point blank refused to step in the States at all until they were married. “You say when and it’ll happen.” Chris wouldn’t be flying in for it now, not when they now knew the Thing was watching, but… he could watch a recording or something.

She’d have her mother here to witness it, at least.

“Today.” Brinley didn’t want to wait a second longer and pulled back to look into his eyes, showing him how serious she was. “Make me your wife today, Mark. Let’s just do it.”

It was probably a good thing they were staying here because her alibi would be iron-clad if the authorities came after her to question about what happened to Jon. The man was not living much longer. His life was about to come to an end and he had nobody else to blame except himself for screwing with the wrong woman.

“I love you and we’ve lost so much time together as it is.” Once Jon was gone out of their lives forever, they could go back to Dallas and finally be happy, secure, and safe. “We can go back out to the meadow and make love under the stars in a tent, so Mom can have the house and won’t hear me scream your name.” They were consummating their marriage too, there would be no waiting on that front. It was warm enough out these days, even in northern Canada, so they wouldn’t freeze at night and they could even build a fire too.

“Can’t be today, darlin’, we’ll have to go file for the license, and you gotta get copies of your divorce. Chris said a digital should be fine, but there’s a mandatory three day waiting period.”

Could she wait that long? They could catch a flight to Vegas and get married ASAP if she really needed to and he would compromise. If push came to shove. He just didn’t like the idea of marrying in the States, simply because that information would become public really quick and Jon was already hunting. Learning of them being married might send him into doing something more drastic and all things considered, he’d rather not. Mark already had Michelle and the girls out of the state, off on some vacation for a break with Carter.

“Can you wait that long?”

“Of course.”

Copies of her divorce? How was she supposed to get those? Could she contact the lawyer she used, Mark’s friend, in order to get them faxed over? The cabin they were staying in had an office with a fax machine and she kissed him quickly, getting to work.

“No Vegas, I refuse to get married there.”

Three days. Brinley had three days and her eyes flashed, deciding the night Jon died would also be her wedding night. She would sex her husband up thoroughly to the point where he passed out and then make the call, a smirk curving her lips. You pushed me to this point, Jon. Remember that. This is ALL on YOU.

~!~

The day they got married, exchanged their vows to each other in front of Brianna and a priest at a chapel, Jon was receiving a phone call that his dog had been butchered, found in front of his house in Cincinnati. Brinley passionately kissed the love of her life, her new husband, as soon as they were declared man and wife, pouring everything she felt for him into it. This was their new beginning and the diamond band added to her engagement ring was beautiful and another platinum band. His was platinum as well with a simple diamond in it, simple just the way he was. Brinley wore a simple white vintage dress she found at a thrift store and she fell in love with it instantly, knowing she wanted to marry Mark in it. Nothing overly complicated, nothing over the top, and she’d gotten her hair and nails done, along with her mother’s, for the occasion. Mark had worn a white buttoned up shirt and tan Khakis, looking gorgeous as ever with his hair braided back and smooth.

“Ohhh, oh Mark…”

A roaring campfire was beside them, far enough away to not get burnt and Brinley was riding her new husband like the stallion he was, plundering his mouth with hers. This was their third session and she could tell Mark was getting tired, smiling against his lips while leisurely making love to him. The tent wasn’t far away and they were on a blanket, under the fully lit night sky with a million stars and even the moon was full shining down on them.

Chapter 68

Two hours later, Mark was snoring away in the tent and Brinley looked back at him, finally sneaking off with her burner phone in hand and walked away further into the woods to make the call that her partner was waiting for. “I’m going to call him now. You have ten minutes and then you are to press the button.” Her voice was low and determined, wearing a white robe that she’d brought from the house with her.

“Got it. You sure about this?”

“Yes, I’ll wire the money to you as soon as the job is completed. Is the dog dead?”

“As a doornail and he came home wailing and crying like a little bitch.”

That made her smirk wickedly. “Good, he deserves it after everything he put me through over the years. Now stand-by, I’ll text you when it’s time to finish this.”

“You got it, Mrs. Calaway.”

Brinley hung up with him and then made the second call, having the number memorized and waited for her ex-husband to answer the phone, which he did on the fourth ring. “Hello Jon, it’s been a long time.” Right now, she knew for a fact he was drinking in his house, having fallen off the wagon, and from the sound of his voice, it sounded like he was crying. “What’s wrong? Everything okay? I heard you’ve been looking for me.”

Even drunk as a skunk, Jon knew enough to know that Brinley was NOT calling him after all this time to check on him. It took him longer than usual to get his drunken thoughts in order. All this time, he had stayed sober. Even when Brinley had been in that car accident, the coma…when she had woken up and disappeared. Sober. However, when he had come home and found his baby boy, THEIR baby boy, Blue, dead and stiff…he had lost his mind. Everything he had been through, he had maintained his sobriety, but not his sweet baby Blue.

“You did this,” He sniffled, wiping at his nose before taking another swig of his beer, tossing the empty can to join all the rest. He had a serious mountain load delivered, they had thought he was having a party. “You fucking did this, you SPINSTER WHORE!”

“What are you talking about? What did I do exactly?” She relished in hearing the cracking of his voice screaming at her about Blue being dead, blaming her for it. “Ohhh poor Blue, I’m sorry to hear that.” No, she really wasn’t and could feel the anger, the hatred, filling every portion of her body. This monster had put her through pure hell for over a decade of her life and she was DONE with him. Finished. “You have no proof and I don’t know why you think I’d EVER hurt poor Blue. My hands are pristine, Jon, clean as a whistle. Just like what happened to your poor, defenseless mother.” Now there was silence on the other hand and Brinley stared up at the starry sky. “I tried, Jon. I tried SO hard to convince you that I wanted nothing to do with you, that I didn’t love you anymore. Hell, I never loved you and you refused to accept that. Even when I told you, point-blank, I hated you and I was thinking about Mark while fucking you, you STILL refused to accept the truth. You refused to listen to me. You refused to leave me alone, leave my family alone, and you KILLED my father. So, I did what I had to do to make you feel an OUNCE of the pain you’ve inflicted on me. Again though, my hands are pristine and I didn’t kill her, but I DID hire it to be done. And now you know how far I will go to protect those I love and care about. Now you know how FAR you’ve pushed this spinster whore. You did all of this, you caused this pain and misery on yourself, NOT ME. You have nobody else to blame except yourself, Good.”

Jon’s already ruddy face had gone pure red with rage, his breathing getting more heavier and ragged as she kept on taunting him. He was holding the phone so hard he could hear the casing cracking because of his grip tightening. “Oh you bitch, you fucking soiled cunt rag, ancient fucking WHORE!” His voice was dangerous now, even with the slurring, from both the alcohol and the sheer hatred tearing through him. “You tell that old man how you’re nothing, but cum guzzling, cock hungry slut? That you’d bend your fucking saggy ass over for any man who batted an eyelash at you? Wyatt never raped you, YOU FUCKING BENT OVER AND TOOK IT LIKE YOU ALWAYS DO!” He began laughing, driving his free hand straight through the nearest wall, iced over blues staring at the blood now coming from his knuckles. “You think this is over, slut? No, it’s not, not by a long fucking shot. I’m going to fucking kill EVERYONE you love. Your old man. Your fucking mother. Chris, oh I’m going to really, really fucking enjoy killing him. Then maybe I’ll take his old lady for a ride before I fucking choke her to death in front of those fucking kids.”

“You won’t get the chance to hurt anyone ever again. Goodbye, Jon, say hello to your mother for me in hell.”

Brinley had already sent the text message while he raged at her, giving the order to press the button. Not even ten seconds later, the dial tone was heard, after a BANG echoed out of the phone, and Brinley didn’t shed one tear for her now dead ex-husband. He had just been blown to smithereens, pieces of him all over that destroyed house, along with his dead dog. She sent one last message to her partner, letting him know the rest of the money had been transferred and it was a pleasure doing business with him before dropping the burner phone, crushing it beneath her foot.

Instantly, the weight lifted from her shoulders and a few tears fell, praying that her father understood, that god understood, why she had to do these terrible things. Brinley was finally free and turned, hurrying back to her husband before he woke up to start searching for her. When she arrived, Mark was still sleeping soundly in the tent and she shed her robe before crawling back into bed with him, snuggling against his chest. Suddenly, she felt the overwhelming urge to make love to her husband again, kissing along his chest and moved up to brush her lips with his, her hand moving down to stroke his cock to life. Mark had gotten a good hour nap and when those eyes slowly opened to look down at her, Brinley was already in position and lifted her leg to drape over his, feeling his cock probe her.

While Jon was burning to death, she was busy making love to her newlywed husband with zero fucks to give.

~!~

Chris had the BEST news ever the next day.

Well, in reality, it was technically a tragedy and the entire wrestling world was in mourning. He’d have to hang his head on the AEW tribute and try his best not to laugh. It was going to be really hard though. However, the people who knew the truth about Jonathan Good knew what a sick sociopath he was at his core, so it was a very happy day. Chris had called his sister as soon as he knew she would be up and mobile, but not too early because he liked to sleep in, and demanded to be put on speakerphone.

“You can come home, all of you!”

“Too early for your shit, Chris,” Mark grunted, winking at his wife, who had woken him up several times during the night to keep on consummating their marriage. He passed Brianna the creamer when she gestured for it, all of them sitting at the table having morning coffee, with the cell phone in the middle so they could all hear.

“He’s fucking dead! The Thing is fucking dead!” Chris was practically dancing around his private office with the news, not about to let his kids hear him celebrating this. They’d been traumatized enough. “He got LIT, fell off the sobriety wagon, and blew himself up!”

Brianna spat out the drink of coffee she just ingested, sputtering because went all down the front of her nightgown and was NOT expecting to hear that out of her son’s mouth. “WHAT?!”

Brinley played the part to perfection, her eyes wide and mouth hanging open, staring at the phone in shock. “What do you mean he blew himself up, Christopher?” Keep a straight face, don’t give anything away.

“I mean he BLEW himself UP! His house exploded last night and he was inside of it! They found his remains, what was left of him, and there were no signs of murder at all! He’s GONE, Brinley! He’s fucking DEAD AND GONE!!”

“Oh my god…what?!” Brinley looked up at her husband, who was blinking at the phone and she forced the tears to start sliding down her cheeks. “I-I never have to worry about him again? He’s really, truly dead? You’re sure, brother?”

“As a fucking heart attack! Dynamite is having some kind of fucking bell tolls for him on the show and shit next week!” It was now Saturday morning and he couldn’t keep the smile off his face even if his life depended on it.

Brianna came walking back out with a fresh shirt on, immediately hugging her daughter close. “It’s over, baby, he’s finally gone and I don’t know how this happened, but I’m not gonna question it. I can finally go home to Tampa!” She really missed the Florida sun, beaches, and her friends fiercely.

Brinley chuckled watery at her mother and then looked up at her husband, her hand resting on his chest over his heart making those jade eyes look down at her. “We can go home, Mark. Home to Dallas.” Where they belonged and could finally live the rest of their lives together happily.

All Mark could do was sit there, wondering if this was a prank or something because there was just no damn way they could be that lucky. Dead? The motherfucker had managed to blow himself up? He could see it. He remembered that punk kid being a piss poor drunk in his early days, picking fights and doing stupid antics with his friends. It was easy to see the more ‘mature’ version falling off the wagon and losing what was left of his marbles.

He pulled Brinley up into his arms, lifting her right off the floor so he could kiss her, pouring everything into it. Hope, right now there was a lot of hope. They’d finally get their chance to be properly happy, without any threats looming over them or their families. That brutal chapter of her life had FINALLY, thank the Lord, been closed and she could officially open a new one.

“I love you.”

“PACK YOUR SHIT, YOU’RE COMING HOME!”

“I love you more, my husband.” Brinley was crying happy tears, kissing him again deeper and harder as he spun her around in circles, her legs wrapped around his waist. “I miss Dallas, Mark. Take me home. Take your wife home.”

Within two hours, with flights booked to Tampa, Florida and Dallas, Texas, Mark, Brinley, and Brianna left the cabin behind to head to the airport. They said their goodbyes to Brianna, wishing her a safe journey and promised to call and keep in touch. Brianna wished her daughter well, hugging Mark and he promised he would take very good care of her. Brianna wasn’t worried, dabbing her eyes and headed down the hallway towards her terminal while Mark and Brinley went in the opposite direction.

Driving down the gravel road that lead to the mansion, Brinley was beaming from ear to ear, holding Mark’s hand with their fingers laced while staring out the window. The black iron gates came into view and she watched him input the code before driving through them, the smell instantly infiltrating her senses since the windows were down. She missed this place so much and now she was returning as the queen of this place. Mark was her king and always would be. Her one and only. Pulling up and stopping the truck right in front of the double front doors, Brinley hopped out right into Mark’s arms and he proceeded to carry her over the threshold, welcoming her home the right way.

Was this really happening? Were they really here, happy and married? Brinley pinched herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming and Mark helped out by doing it to her backside, making her smack his chest lightly before sharing another passionate kiss. Happiness. Sheer felicity. It had taken forever for her to find it, but being in his arms, there was no other place she’d rather be in her lifetime or the next.

The End.