Kill the Light

Chapter 1

Violet eyes looked up at the huge building as she slowly walked toward the entrance, doing exactly what Vince McMahon wanted.  Angeni didn't question hardly anything, though she was very observant and quiet.  Vince had shown up at her front door step, explaining who he was and said he'd found her resume on some kind of career site. 

Angeni had been looking for a job since she was recently released from her secretarial position, so Vince couldn't have come at a better time.  He told her the basics of the World Wrestling Federation, which was a professional wrestling organization and she would be a valet for his group known as the Corporation.  The pay was mind-blowing and Angeni couldn't turn down the job offer if her life depended on it, hating that she had to live on unemployment for the past few months. 

So here she was about to embark on this new journey into the WWF. 

She wore a simple white sleeveless dress that had a sweetheart neckline and the bodice gathered in the front, shirring in the back for comfort.  It had a beautiful deep purple, almost a royal shade, design splashed on it that were hand printed trees.  It went to her knees, hugged her curves and Angeni decided on wearing white two inch pumps since it was winter outside, a white fur coat she'd gotten from a yard sale a few months back wrapped around her. 

Her black hair was piled up on top of her head, a few tendrils framing her face and she had black eyeliner on with a deep purple lipstick that contrasted beautifully with her pale complexion.  Walking up to the guard, Angeni flashed the special pass that Vince had given her, smiling when he immediately let her in. Stepping inside the building, her heels clicked against the concrete floor with every step she took.

Shane McMahon was waiting for her just inside the building as per Vince's orders, knowing he was the McMahon that most people didn't pay that much attention too. He was the Prince, but right now all eyes were fastened on the Princess. This made him perfect for running errands that required discretion such as this.

“Angeni?” He asked when she walked in.

Remembering Vince's description of the woman, Shane knew this was her, just by her violet eyes. Even though he technically knew that violet colored eyes were impossible and they were just that deep a blue, they were violet nevertheless and the only other woman he could ever recall seeing eyes like those were on Elizabeth Taylor. Very rare and definitely memorable.

“I'm Shane McMahon.” He held out his hand to her, a cell phone clipped to his side, always in constant communication with the 'team', just in case they needed to move quickly, or something had happened.

“Ah yes, Vince told me all about you.  It's a pleasure to meet you, Shane.  You're his son, yes?” When Shane nodded, Angeni flashed a tentative smile, taking his hand to shake it and noticed how nervous he was. “I do apologize if I'm late, traffic was horrendous.”

She blinked when he merely waved her off, releasing her hand and began guiding her down the hallway.  Angeni looked around, taking in the surroundings and saw there were some people that looked downright...interesting.  That was the best word to describe them, especially when they passed a man who had something written on his forehead and was holding a chopped off mannequin head. 

What kind of organization was this?

Now that was surprising and he actually blinked down at her, wondering why Vince apparently hadn't told her more about the company. “The World Wrestling Federation,” Shane began automatically, his tone slipping into the one he used for business. “We're a wrestling company, but we also provide entertainment. We're innovative, edgy and-” He cut himself off, realizing how he had been talking and flashed a tight, apologetic smile. “Sorry about that. We deal with entertainment and sports at the same time. That guy with the mannequin head is one of our performers. He's Al and the head is...Head.”

“Vince did explain to me what kind of organization this was, just not in depth.” Angeni said, wondering if Shane could read minds because she hadn't said her thought aloud. “He called it professional wrestling, but didn't go into much detail.” She admitted, the smile never leaving her face and stopped when Shane did outside of a door that read 'CORPORATION' in black lettering.  Shane opened it and gestured her inside, closing the door almost in a panic behind him.

Everyone looked up from what they were doing, eyes on the woman who had stepped through the door with Shane and Vince beamed at her. “Angeni, so glad you made it safely, my dear.” He walked over, taking her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. “May I take your coat?”

“Of course.” She turned around and felt the fur leave her body, watching him hang it up and wondered who all of these people were. “Thank you; I'm not late am I?”

“No, of course not.” Vince reassured her, walking over to gently take her by the arm, looping it through his before turning her towards the other people. “Before we get to business, I'll introduce you. Gerald Brisco, Pat Patterson, Boss Man, Big Show, Chyna, Ken Shamrock, The Rock, Test, Triple H.”

Vince pointed each of them out as he said their names, aware that they were all staring at Angeni intently. The only one he did not introduce was a man sitting in the corner farthest away. A man who was taller than any of them, wearing red and black, his knees drawn up to his chest and his face buried in them.

“Everyone, this is...Angeni.”

Chyna was the first to stand up, greeting her with a smile. “Nice meeting you, honey.  Welcome to the Corporation.” Everyone was acting weird, though they had a very good reason to.

Angeni returned the smile, nodding and shook the woman's hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“Come sit over here.” Test patted the seat next to him, which was vacant and now he understood why.  It was right beside Vince.

Chyna rolled her eyes. “Don't hit on the new girl, Andy.”

He scowled. “Don't call me that, Joanie.”

“Knock it off both of you.” Triple H ordered, not even bothering to extend his welcome to the woman because he knew why she was here and what her purpose was.

Angeni was confused by the sudden name changes, but didn't say anything, sitting down beside the man known as Test/Andy.  She couldn't help letting her eyes stray to the man in the far corner, dressed in red and black and apparently had some sort of mask on, wondering who he was.  Remaining silent while Vince started the meeting, Angeni tried to listen to what he said, but something kept pulling her in the direction of the masked man.

Shane noticed almost immediately and couldn't honestly blame her. She had obviously known nothing about the WWF before Vince found her, and now she just knew next to nothing. To people who didn't know who Kane was, he was probably intriguing and frightening.

For the rest of them, the man was just frightening. Or would have been, if not for the fact that he knew Vince was playing dirty to keep the big man in line. It was a tough break for Kane, but right now, all cards were being played and no one was exempt from being used.

“Angeni, am I going too fast for you, dear?” Vince asked, his eyes moving to her.

“No Vince, I'm fine.”

Angeni had heard everything he said about some group known as the Ministry of Darkness.  She had the uncanny ability to be able to focus on multiple things at once, though she couldn't just simply stare at the masked man without others noticing.  So Angeni just snuck quick glances at him while paying attention, wondering what exactly her role in all of this was. 

Apparently, this group known as the Ministry of Darkness had run rough shot throughout the company for quite awhile now and the Corporation wanted to knock them down several pegs.  So they had a match -Angeni assumed that was where the wrestling aspect actually came into play- tonight against the Acolytes.  What kind of names were these?  Angeni hoped she could simply stick with her name, nodding when Vince told her she would be accompanying Test and Ken Shamrock to ringside for the match.

“Forgive me if this is a stupid question, sir, but what exactly am I supposed to do out there?”

“Stand there, look pretty and interfere if we start losing.”

Ken rolled his eyes and smacked Test upside the head. “Way to be subtle, asshole.”

Angeni blinked, wondering what they meant by interfering.

“By interfering, they mean...get involved. Distract their opponents, distract the referee.” Joanie said, taking pity on Angeni who quite obviously had no idea what she had walked into, wondering just what exactly Vince HAD told the woman.

“Joanie's idea of interference usually involves a shot to a man's genitals.” Shane said, having been on the receiving end of a low blow and was hoping he'd never have to suffer another. He had sworn up and down he had tasted his own ball sack in his throat. “Do you have any athletic training?”

“If you mean working out and track running, then yes.  I'm a runner, have done a few marathons so I can pound pavement when the situation calls for it.” Angeni had a feeling running would definitely be a part of the job description, watching Shane nod his approval.

“What about in-ring training?” Ken asked curiously.

“To be honest, until I took this job, I did not know what a ring was.  I've heard of wrestling, but apparently it’s way different from what high schools and colleges do these days.  The only ring I've really seen is boxing, I went to a match a few years back...” Angeni had actually gone on a date, a very memorable date, because the man she'd been with at the time loved boxing. “I could learn I suppose...if I have to...”

“Just focus on being a valet for now, like we discussed.” Vince stated, glaring at both Ken and Shane for those asinine questions. “Your match is next, take care of her out there boys.”

“You got it, boss.” Andy stated, extending his hand to Angeni. “Come on, sugar.”

“I'll hit him again for you if you want.” Ken offered in a murmur.

Joanie really hoped Angeni hadn't been kidding about that pounding pavement comment because the situation was eventually going to call for it. She felt bad for Shane, who had shut the hell up under his father's glare, knowing he had been trying to figure out just what Angeni could do out there besides simply walk out. She was going to eventually need to know how to protect herself, though...running fast enough might save her the trouble of having to protect herself. Emphasis on might.

“Hit me and I'll feed you to Red over there.”

Red growled, not raising his face from his knees.

His name was Red, Angeni mentally stored that away as she walked out of the dressing room with Test and Ken, finding their idle threats back and forth amusing.  She kept quiet, not really knowing what to say and suddenly heard a thunderous roar from what sounded like a crowd, her mouth going dry.  There were other people here?  Angeni hadn't researched the WWF because she didn't think it was necessary, so when she walked up a small set of stairs and through a black curtain, her eyes nearly widened at the sight of all the people surrounding the ring.

“What the-”

Andy looped her arm through his while Ken simply walked ahead of them, smirking at the fans.

Angeni didn't feel very good, but managed to plaster on a smile, hoping she didn't faint from stage fright...if she could even call this that.

Now Test genuinely felt bad for her because it was crystal clear that she hadn't been told about this aspect of the business. About performing live in front of thousands of people, not to mention the thousands of viewers watching it live. It could all be rather overwhelming and she had pretty much been tossed out into it.

“Just smile, breathe and you'll do fine.” Andy whispered down at her.

Vince's eyes were on the monitor, sharing a brief look with Shane.

“Thank you, Andy.” She whispered in return, releasing his arm and walked up the steel ring steps before slipping through the bottom rope that Andy held open for her. 

This was more than overwhelming...this was surreal.  There were so many people and the atmosphere was electric.  She stood in between Ken and Andy, her arms at her side and fought back jumping when the lights suddenly went out.  The tolling of bells sounded moments after and Angeni watched as a purple light suddenly shined on the ramp entrance, a lump suddenly forming in her throat.  She was immediately pushed behind Andy, almost out of sight and Angeni fought the urge to run.

The Acolytes...a brutal team and Ken had to wonder if Vince was insane for sending her out here. She hadn't even been in the building for an hour, knew next to practically nothing and Vince was already feeding her to the wolves, which was technically the point. He had to wonder if the boss had officially gone mad, sharing a concerned glance with Andy.

“If either of them comes at you, run.” Ken ordered, both men nodding in unison.

They did not have to tell her twice, Angeni was prepared to pound pavement right out of there if necessary, nodding silently.  The Acolytes weren't alone, being accompanied by a pudgy looking man that had a pale chubby face and huge black eyebrows that looked painted on.  Angeni followed Andy as he opened the rope for her, helping her out of the ring just as the Acolytes entered it.  She stood on the opposite side of the ring that the chubby man did, wondering what his deal was and watched as Test and Ken instantly went on the attack. 

What in the hell had Vince McMahon gotten her into?

Chapter 2

Paul Bearer was one of His aces in the holes; the man missed nothing and would no doubt be reporting the newest Corporation addition to his master, providing He wasn't watching already. Vince was rather banking on all this, knowing this mental game he was playing could fall apart around him at any given moment and he couldn't afford that. He was already losing, but hopefully, tonight things would start turning around.

“Looks like we got a pretty new playmate.” Bradshaw commented, letting his dark, southern voice carry to where Angeni stood after shoving Test away so hard, the man did a backwards summersault.

Angeni cringed when she both heard that and witnessed what happened to Test, trying not to let the other team get to her.  She moved away from the ring when the man with the short cropped black hair reached for her over the top rope, violet eyes slightly wide.  She remembered what she was supposed to do as far as 'interfering' went and took her heel off, clocking the man right in the face.

“WHAT THE HELL?”

Andy had managed to roll the black haired man up for the victory, thanks to Angeni's heel and didn't even bother with retrieving it.  Both Andy and Ken immediately slid out of the ring just as other men came flying out from the back. Each of them did not look happy and Angeni could only assume it was the Ministry.

It was the Ministry and they were royally screwed because there was seriously pissed off Texan behind them in the ring cursing up a blue streak from getting clocked with a high heel of all things, as well as his partner Farooq, who did not look at all happy at the moment either. Then there was the rest of the Ministry, sans Taker, coming down.

“I really, really hope our team comes out...” Andy muttered, looking back and forth between the Ministry on the stage, along with the ones behind them before glancing down at Angeni then to Ken. “Through the audience?”

“Toss her over your shoulder and get ready to haul ass.”

Angeni wasn't waiting for that, already knowing what she'd done had royally ticked that short black haired man off, and had already taken her heel off.  She wasn't going to run yet, waiting to see if the Corporation did come out to help them.  She thought they were supposed to be a team and Vince had said something about the Ministry coming out in the meeting.  As soon as her eyes landed on the monstrous man with the long beard that looked like Satan, Angeni immediately jumped over the barricade and ducked one of the Ministry members who tried grabbing her, flying as fast as she could right through the crowd toward the back.

Andy blinked repeatedly. “Holy shit she wasn't kidding...”

“No, she was not!” Ken managed to get out before ducking a swing aimed at his head. She had stood her ground before suddenly apparently saying 'screw this' and took off.

When Vince seen Angeni had taken off at getting one look at the leader of the Ministry, he signaled for the rest of the Corporation to go out. “You stay.” He ordered, looking at Red, who had gotten to his feet. “We need you here.”

That and he didn't need Kane trying to defect, or get his head toyed with. His mind was racing, knowing the next move was Taker's. Joanie had taken off the long route; steering clear of the ring, knowing Angeni was probably going to get lost or snagged up by security and figured the other woman could use a semi-friendly face.

Somehow, Angeni managed to find her way back to the Corporation locker room and tossed open the door, not even breathing heavily.  She wasn't lying when she told the Corporation she could pound pavement and proved it, bolting out of the arena away from the Ministry.  Those men were frightening, Angeni wanted no part of them and figured if she didn't want her head knocked off from the stunt she pulled; booking it was her only option.  The only person in the locker room at that moment was the masked man and, somehow, Angeni felt instantly safe.

“Hi Red...” Angeni jumped when he growled, frowning. “Sorry...”

Maybe just leaving and heading back to the hotel was her best option. When Angeni moved to leave the room he was up and over to the door, shutting it firmly and shook his head. Vince and Shane had gone off to locate her when Joanie had sent a message that she couldn't find the woman and left him here with instructions to 'keep her there and safe' if she managed to find her way back.

“No.” He said, his voice low, raspy and sounding rather...unused.

He pointed to the benches, indicating she should just get comfortable. Blinking, Angeni was surprised the masked man had actually spoken and nodded, walking past him to sit on the bench.  She had a feeling Vince had instructed him to stay back here to wait, there were a lot of Corporation members that could easily overpower the Ministry of Darkness...or so Angeni thought.

“Since your name isn't Red, do you mind me asking what it is?” She asked softly, kindly, looking up at him with violet eyes that were filled with pure curiosity, no fear in them.  She was safe; there was no reason to be scared of this huge masked man because he was part of the Corporation. “Or simply tell me what to call you.”

His head tilted to the side as he considered her. He seen absolutely no fear in her eyes, just simple curiosity and that was...different. It was nice, but different. Everyone else already knew him, his history and his...issues, so they were afraid of him, and rightfully so. If he ever got the chance, he would dismantle the entire Corporation just out of sheer principal. And he'd tear the McMahon family apart, twice, for being the ones to trap him here.

“Kane.” He said finally.

Angeni smiled and extended her hand to him, watching as his uncovered one swallowed hers completely whole, shaking it gently but firmly. “Nice to meet you, Kane.  I'm Angeni.”

If he hadn't heard what her name was earlier, which judging by his earlier stance he probably hadn't.  She slipped her hand out of his and looked up when the door opened, seeing Vince and Shane standing there along with Chyna and Hunter, who were busy helping a beaten Andy and Ken into the room.  Angeni frowned and stood up, hoping Vince wasn't angry at her for running away, but she simply listened to what Andy said.

“Andy, how many fingers am I holding up?”

“Mommy, I don't wanna go to school today…” Andy rambled, sounding completely insane.

“Vince, he has a serious concussion and needs to be treated.”

“Fine, Chyna and Hunter go with him.  If you see the Ministry, you know what to do.” Vince looked at Angeni. “Are you alright, dear?”

“I'm fine.” She was more concerned about Andy and his mother issues.

“Ken should probably go too...he was busted open under his eye...”

“I can walk on my own, thanks.” Ken muttered, not about to be carted away talking about HIS mommy.

“Mommy, I don't want to wear the plaid jumper...”

Beneath his mask, Kane was smirking.

“Did Kane frighten you?” Shane asked Angeni, frowning. “You look pale.”

The smirk was gone.

“No, I'm worried about both of them.” She gestured to Andy and Ken, glancing over her shoulder at Kane with a small smile. “I’m not frightened, Vince, I promise.  Though, would it be alright if I headed back to the hotel now?  Or do we still have more work to do?” Angeni was naturally pale and the makeup she wore just brought it out more.

“Sure, but you will be accompanied.” Vince still couldn't believe she'd actually clocked Bradshaw in the face with her heel. “And we'll need to get you some other shoes...”

“He's lost his mind.” Ken grunted when Andy started talking about plaid shoes to go with his jumper, shaking his head as he followed them out.

“I'll escort her Dad.” Shane offered.

“Good idea, keep your cell on at all times.” Vince ordered, nodding.

Angeni wanted to ask Vince what this was all about, but decided against it.

Placing a hand on the small of her back, Shane gently nudged Angeni towards the door, halting long enough to take the fur coat Boss Man passed him and draped it over his free arm. “Ken and Andrew will be fine.” He reassured her, nodding back at his father to let him know the cell phone was on. It was ALWAYS on. He wasn't an idiot, not a total one at least. “We'll stop by wardrobe first and see if they have anything your size.” He said, glancing down at her bare feet, knowing they had to be freezing, the arena wasn't exactly the best heated.

“Thank you.” She whispered, taking the fur coat away from him and wrapped it around herself, her blood no longer heated from her sprinting. 

She knew she was safe with Shane, at least she hoped, and simply let him guide her toward wardrobe.  Her feet felt like two ice cubes, they hurt to walk on, but she would run if she had to, even barefoot.  She started thinking back to the man that looked like Satan and had to assume he was the leader of the ministry.  He looked downright deadly, dressed in all black, though that was pretty much all Angeni got to see before she bolted.  She stopped short when Shane froze, jolting her out of her thoughts and looked at what he was staring at.

“Shane...”

“Now...gentlemen...” Shane held out his hands placatory, eyeballing the Acolytes. Including Bradshaw who was holding onto the heel he had been clocked with. “We don't want any problems, the lady was simply doing her job...”

Snorting, Bradshaw set the shoe down on the table, hard enough to make Tiffany jump with a whimper. “Next time we see each other little woman, I'm going to show you how I do my job.” He informed her before turning to walk away with Farooq.

Shane let out a sigh of relief, aware his heart was trying to escape his chest and waited until they had gone before turning to Tiffany. “She needs a pair of shoes.”

Nodding shakily, Tiffany gestured Angeni to follow her into the small room she kept her extra clothes and accessories in. “Here.”

While the two women were in the room, he had silently walked up behind Shane. A pinch to a nerve later, the McMahon Prince lay crumpled on the tile floor. Emotionlessly, he stepped over the prone man and headed towards the room.

Angeni found a pair of simple white boots that probably didn't go with her dress, but at the moment she didn't care.  She accepted a pair of socks and sat down to slip them on, shivering slightly.  Tiffany had left her alone to pick what she wanted, thankfully, so it gave Angeni a chance to sift through things without someone looming over her shoulder.  Her back was to the door as she unzipped the boots and slipped one on, slowly looking up when she felt as though someone was watching her.

“Shane?” Angeni stood up even as his name escaped her lips and turned around, feeling her heart stop at the sight of the Satan looking man from earlier, violet eyes widening.

The upper half of his face was cast in shadow from wearing the hood of his cloak. He hadn't minded the cold, and now he didn't mind the heat. His body seemed to naturally acclimate itself to surroundings and temperature.

He could see her plainly, even though the light bulb in this dingy little room was casting a sickly yellow glow, sputtering and would probably give out at any moment. It definitely would not have been his first choice for housing these items. His acid green eyes dropped down to the white boots she had selected before returning to her face, a hint of a cold smile appearing on his thin, sensual lips.

Her breathing increased due to how fast her heart currently pounded in her chest and Angeni could only take a step back from him.  She wasn't pleased when he took one forward, wondering what happened to Shane.  Angeni could take her chances and throw the boot at this monster, but he was literally taking up all ways for her to escape. Vince had a lot of explaining to do or else Angeni was going back to her home collecting unemployment again.

“W-What do you want?  Where's Shane?” Angeni managed to ask, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice. 

Now this was just amusing and he knew he was sick in the head for finding it so, all things considered. She obviously didn't recognize him, though...given his changed look, and the hood, he supposed he shouldn't be surprised. He was hidden in the shadows and, even in full blown light; she still wouldn’t be able to see him.

“Shane is currently taking a nap.” He said in his deep dark baritone, watching as her violet eyes widened even more, looking about ready to roll right out of her sockets and flashed a small, teeth baring smile. “Are you afraid, Angeni?”

He took a slow, deliberate step towards her, watching as she promptly took a step backwards. That voice...it sounded so familiar, where had she heard it before?  Angeni knew in order to probably get out of this situation alive and with her head still attached; she would have to cater to him. Angeni wished he would remove the hood so she could see his face, frowning thoughtfully.

She knew him, but how? 

How the hell would she know anyone from the Federation? 

“Yes.” She whispered, though there was no more fear in her eyes because Angeni was too busy trying to place him in her mind. 

“Smart girl.” He said, his tone both patronizing and condescending at the same time. “I doubted your intelligence because of who you chose to align yourself with, it pleases me to know you do possess some small measure of brains.”

When she scowled, and her grip on the boot tightened, he snorted. Slowly, he reached up, his pale hands reaching for the hood. The sleeves of his robe slumped down his muscular, heavily tattooed arms and he wasn't surprised when she instantly stared.

A moment later, the hood was down.

Her jaw instantly dropped as soon as he removed the hood, Angeni covering her mouth with her hand, gasping.  His voice had sounded familiar and for a very damn good reason.  Angeni did know him, better than probably anyone in this company and suddenly regretted her answer as far as being afraid of him.

“My god, Mark?”

Chapter 3

The last time she saw him, he had a teardrop etched in his skin under his eye, his hair was a deep dark auburn that looked almost black and he had a goatee instead of a Satan looking beard.  It'd been two long years since they last saw each other. Angeni honestly didn't think she ever would again.

“You work here?”

“Thank you for observing the obvious.” He said flatly, openly taking her in from her sock covered feet, the white and purple seasonally inappropriate dress and then her face and hair. “And I go by Taker, for future reference.” The last person to call him Mark had been thrown through a glass window. He would make an exception for her, this once. “Put your...boots...on and let's go.” He ordered gravely.

“What?” Angeni swallowed hard when he growled down at her, trying not to be intimidated, but in truth Mark had always had that factor about him.  It's one of the things that attracted her. “You don't see me for two years and now you're ordering me around?  I'm not going anywhere with you, Mark.” Angeni flat out refused to call him Taker and winced when his arm shot out, his hand wrapping around her upper arm, yanking her against his black velvet cloak. “Ouch!  You're hurting me!”

“Yes, I know.” Everything he did he was aware of. If he hurt her, it was on purpose and this was rather...gentle for him, she'd probably only have some light fingerprint shaped bruises on her arm. “Now, you can listen and come with me of your own volition or kicking and screaming.” Either way worked for him. “I do believe we need to talk about your current associations, Angeni.”

Her reaction was to kick him in the shin, through the velvet cloak and shrieked when he lifted her over his shoulder in one swift smooth movement. “Let me go, you brute!!  PUT ME DOWN!!” She was going kicking and screaming, hitting his back with her tiny fists and jumped when he smacked her ass with authority. “Mark, this is no way to treat your wife!!”

“I didn't hear anything!!” Tiffany squeaked and ran away when her table suddenly flipped over, courtesy of the Undertaker.

“I don't care what the hell this is about, you put me down THIS INSTANT, MARK CALAWAY!!”

“I.” He slapped her ass, open handed. “Told.” Another one. “You.” And another. “That my name is Taker, wife. Address me by it or shut the hell up.” Just for good measure, he slapped her ass again, a low rumble of approval emanating from his chest. “I am pleased to find that your ass is still as pert as ever.” He informed her callously, ignoring her shrieks of outrage.

“What the hell is a Taker?  I'm NOT calling you anything except an asshole!!  And stop touching my ass!” Angeni ordered in a growl of her own, trying to squirm out of his grasp and huffed indignantly when he just tightened his grip on her. “I hope you trip and fall on your face.  Maybe breaking that big nose of yours will knock some sense into your thick skull, MARK!” She squealed when he slapped her ass again, knowing the first opportunity she got she was kicking him square in the balls.

He simply kicked open the door to the Ministry's dressing room and deposited her right there on the floor, in the middle of his Ministry. “Someone...tape her mouth shut.”

Bradshaw retrieved a roll of duct tape, grinning wickedly, a bruise right where her high heel had clocked him.

“You realize it'll hurt her to take it off, yes?” Paul asked with a yawn.

“Since she insists on disobeying me, that was part of the point, imbecile.”

“No, stay away from me!!” Angeni scrambled away from all the men, even Mark, not believing he was doing this to her.  He was letting the man she'd clocked in the face with her heel earlier come at her full force and Angeni couldn't stop it from happening. “I'm your wife, you son of a bi-”

Her words were cut off by a slap of duct tape across her mouth, but nothing else.  They didn't touch her, just left her sitting there with her mouth taped shut.  Angeni folded her arms and leaned back against the wall, deciding it would be best not to remove the tape and keep her mouth shut.

“Ah...silence is indeed golden.” Taker sighed, closing his eyes, his face a mocking picture of peace before opening them and staring down at her.

Her being here had come as quite the surprise. When he had seen the woman out with those idiots from the Corporation, he had been curious, wondering why Vince would be so dense to bring someone who was obviously weak into his little club. Then when she had bolted at the sight of him, that had made him more curious. Now...knowing who she was, he mentally applauded McMahon's balls.

“Wife?”

Paul scratched his chins. “Why is she here?”

Why indeed, but he wasn't asking because then she'd have to remove the tape and he knew she had nothing sweet, pleasant or wifely to say to him at the moment. No she did not, her violet eyes shooting daggers at the man she was forced to call her husband.  She couldn't believe he worked for this company. 

What else hadn't McMahon told her? 

Angeni was a highly intelligent woman and it suddenly all made sense to her.  How the rest of the Corporation members had been quiet as soon as she walked in the door, how Vince had tracked her down.  He knew she was Mark's wife and wanted to use her against him.  If Vince only knew that they hadn't seen each other in two very long years and their marriage had been a total sham, a very big mistake, he probably wouldn't have bothered with her.  Nevertheless, here she was back in Mark's clutches and Angeni was already plotting how best to make her escape, wanting no part of whatever was going on with this company.

“It seems that Vince has gone snooping around in my own personal life.” Taker drawled slowly.

Settling himself down in a chair after shedding his robe, Taker ignored Mideon as the man immediately scurried to pick it up off the floor. His steely gaze was firmly fastened on his darling wife, who he had not given much thought too... he had had other things on his mind. Of course, not seeing someone in a few years also tended to make one forget as well.

“Angeni, precious, I'm going to ask you one question and I want you to either nod your head for yes or shake it for no.” His acid eyes glittered when she scowled at his condescending tone. “Have you signed a contract with Vince?”

Her answer was to flip him off, defiance burning in her eyes and watched as a slow eyebrow rose at her.  He wanted an answer, she gave him one.  Angeni wasn't telling him anything, no matter what he did to her.  If he didn't watch his step, she would end up sending him to jail for domestic violence. 

This was not Mark, at least the man she married had respect for her and would never think to do something this...degrading.  When the man who had picked Mark's cloak up came over, Angeni cried out when the tape was ripped off of her mouth. Tears stinging her eyes, she didn't say a single word.

“Angeni, don't try my patience.” He ordered, drumming his fingertips on his thigh in a bored fashion as he watched her trying to soothe her mouth from the tape being ripped off. “Because I can promise you, you won't like what I do if you provoke my temper.” Or what he'd let someone else do, he wasn't about to harm his wife. No, he would let someone do it as a proxy for him.

“Look, I have no idea what the hell is going on here okay?  I thought this was a job offer, nothing more.  I had NO idea you worked here.  Vince tracked me down, said he found my resume on some career site and said I would be good for his company.” Her voice remained monotone, deciding it would be best to listen to her husband because he looked downright deadly and would make due on his promise. “All he told me was this was professional wrestling and I would be a valet for a group called the Corporation.  I was...in need of a job so I took it.  He NEVER mentioned you.  If I had known, you can bet your ass, I would've never accepted his job offer.  And no, I haven't signed a contract with him.  I was supposed to do that tonight, but that's shot to shit now.  So just let me go back home.  I don't want anything to do with what's going on between you and Vince.  I don't even care.  We agreed to leave each other alone, to go our separate ways and, by the way, when the hell were you planning on sending me the divorce papers like you said you would?”

She did NOT want to be married to this asshole any longer than she had to be. He smiled at her rather thorough answer, knowing he had indeed scared her with his threat. Though, technically, it wasn't a threat because he never made threats. He always made promises and he had gotten quite good on delivering on those promises.

“Paul?”

“Yes, Taker?”

“Go see Vinnie, I want her contract brought here.” He ordered with a lazy wave of his hand.

“May I ask why?”

“Because, my darling wife is going to sign that contract.”

“W-WHAT?!” Angeni sputtered, watching as the pudgy man waddled out of the door to do as her husband instructed, violet eyes wide. “What the hell are you doing?!  Didn't you hear anything I just said?” She tossed her hands up in the air when he merely shrugged, wanting to clock him right in the face. “I'm not signing anything!  I did not come here to be intimidated and degraded by my lousy husband!”

She had no idea about Mark working here and felt like so used, blinking tears away since they would do no good.  When Angeni watched him stand up to walk over to grab his bag, she made a beeline for the door, the rest of the men having gone out to do his bidding or something, she couldn't remember.  She flew as fast as she could right out of the arena and into the falling snow, not stopping for anything. Knowing her bare feet would pay for this later, right now all she cared about was getting as far away as possible.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Taker merely shook his head. She was really going to make him hunt her down? Then again, if the woman actually knew him...she probably would have just signed the contract, just so he wouldn't hunt her. Not bothering to change out of his ring gear, he simply tossed his bag over his shoulder and walked out of the room. When he seen Paul coming back as fast as his rather…chubby…legs would allow him, he held out his hand and accepted the contract he was passed.

“Paul, she's decided to run. I want you to make sure she has nowhere to run back to.”

“She is your wife…is that-” Paul shut the hell up and ducked when a heavy backhand came his way.

“Speaking of my wife...” Taker walked away, tucking the contract in his bag.

When Angeni arrived at the hotel, -she was freezing from head to toe, pretty sure her toes were about to fall off along with her fingers- she was pleased to find that Vince did indeed have a room set up for her.  She took the keycard they handed her, not even needing an ID, which confused her to no end because most hotels did need some sort of identification.  It hurt to walk, but at least Angeni was away from her husband for the moment. 

She barely made it to her room before collapsing, the door closing behind her, tears pouring down her frozen face.  Her ears felt like they might crack and break off at any given moment.  Every part of her body hurt as it unthawed slowly and all Angeni could do was curl up in a tight ball, trying to warm up again so she could move.

“You know, the second best way to warm up would be to stand under hot water.” He said from where he sat behind the bar, taking a healthy swallow of his liquor, not flinching as it burned a trail down his throat and into the pit of his gut. “The best would be to strip and let another's body heat warm you.”

The woman had run here…obviously, in bare feet and a dress that was more suitable for spring or summer. He did not recall Angeni being daft, but...apparently times had changed. How the hell did he get in her room?  Angeni was completely helpless at the moment, knowing running had been useless.  Had Vince given up her whereabouts?  She was going to kill that old man for putting her in this situation.

“D-Don't e-even t-think a-about i-it, M-M-Mark…” She stammered out, chattering uncontrollably and hissed out when she tried moving, the tears not stopping. 

Angeni was positive they had frozen to her face and tried stopping them, but that wasn't happening either.  What the hell was he doing here?  She wasn't signing that contract, she wanted nothing to do with this company, not after finding out exactly WHO worked for it.

“P-Please g-go away…” She whispered, closing her eyes tightly shut and tried to will this stabbing pain to go away, knowing it was simply her body unthawing and warming back up, her purple lips blue beneath the lipstick she wore.

His response was to drain the rest of his tumbler and set the glass down on the bar top before standing up from the stool he had been perched on. The woman was going to lie there, freezing to death while she unthawed and wind up ill. Shaking his head, he pulled off the top half, the 'shirt' of his wrestling attire, tossing it to the side before walking to the bed.

The room was dark save for the light coming in from under the doorway, but his skin was pale enough to be seen. He lifted her up, ignoring her chattering protests before pulling down the bedcovers. Then, with deft, nimble fingers, he divested her of her dress before laying her down and joining her. He pulled the blankets around them before trapping her against his body.

He had to be the most overbearing prick on the planet!  What had Angeni been thinking actually agreeing to marry him?  Even though it was in Vegas...at a cheap chapel...and lasted for all about three seconds.  Angeni thought she'd been in love with Mark, but the marriage remorse kicked in for both of them after their lust had been sated. 

Chapter 4

Mark explained he wasn't ready for marriage and basically left her without giving her much of a chance to say anything, promising he would leave her alone.  Look how well that promise turned out!  However, the moment her freezing body touched his, Angeni instantly snuggled against him and buried her face in his chest, soaking the warmth in as much as she could, her cold hands splayed on his sides near his back.

“W-What are you d-doing here?” Her chattering was slowly diminishing, but it was still going strong, Angeni trying to get it under control. “I-I'm g-going home, M-Mark…”

Considering he had made good on his promise and left her alone for two years, Taker figured she should treat him just a little bit nicer. Or else. “No, you're not.” Taker informed her, letting the fact that she used his given name slide, for now. She'd eventually learn to mind her tongue and listen to him. “You're going to sign your contract and work for the Corporation, just like you wanted too, pet.”

Vince was probably shitting bricks right about now, wondering what he was going to do and a very evil grin flickered across his lips. It didn't matter if she was still cold or not, Angeni wasn't about to tolerate this and shoved away from him, falling out of bed with the cover, immediately wrapping herself in it.  She was strong enough to do that, but not much else, knowing she would probably end up sick from running in the freezing snow.

“No I'm not.  Who the hell do you think you are telling me what I'm going to do?  I hate breaking this to you, Mark, but you don't own me.  You never have and you NEVER will.” She leaned against the wall, needing some kind of leverage and glared hatefully at him. “I'll sign that contract when I'm dead and you have to force my signature, which is illegal if you didn't know.  So get the hell out.  I'm going HOME, fuck the Corporation, fuck whatever issues you have with Vince and fuck the WWF!”

She really did not know him at all and he began laughing openly at her, the sound dark and booming, much too loud for the relative quietness of the dark room. “I don't think so, Angeni.” He said when he was done, cutting the laughter abruptly, his venom green eyes glittering coldly as he rolled off the bed. “You will sign the contract, you will work for the Corporation and you will mind,” At this point he was directly in front of her, pinning her body to the wall with his, trapping her legs. “Your tongue unless you want me to cut it out.” He traced a finger along her jaw, not surprised at how cold her skin still was. “And if I remember correctly, you were always rather...talented, with that tongue, so it would be a shame to remove it.”

Angeni looked completely disgusted by that tongue remark, but didn't comment on it, shaking her head. “Go ahead, do it then.” One thing Angeni did not appreciate was idle threats, her eyes narrowed to slits. “If you're going to hurt me, might as well get it over with because I am not, I repeat NOT, signing it.”

Her eyes closed when his finger went from tracing her jaw to his hand wrapping around her throat, though he didn't squeeze.  It didn't matter what he did to her. Angeni was not working for this company that had reunited her with her apparently psychotic husband.

“Fine.” He said, suddenly stepping away from her, letting go of her throat. “Go home, Angeni, run away my darling little coward.” He retreated, giving her space. “Just what is it you think you're running back to though, hmm?” Taker folded his hands behind his back, studying her in the darkness. “What do you think you will have left to run back too?”

He already knew the answer to that. Nothing. He would take everything away from her. Bar all doors that might open. She would have no choice but to return and then deal with his annoyance, which was steadily growing though he was a master at controlling his emotions, revealing nothing to her.

“Y-You're breaking your word, I don't understand.  Why do you want me of all people to work for this company and get involved in your issues?  Work for your apparent enemy?”

Angeni was completely confused and slid down the wall, feeling her legs giving out because the harsh reality crashed over her.  He had enough power to make her come back, even if it meant getting rid of everything she had right now, which wasn't much. Just a small cottage in the middle of the woods away from the world that had a small waterfall for her backyard.

“Why are you doing this to me, Mark?  I haven't bothered you, I haven't done anything to you.  So why are you trying to force me to do this?” There had to be a reason and Angeni wanted to know what it was, swallowing hard when he bent down to be eye level with her.

Taker reached out to take a strand of her hair between his fingers, finally letting go and just stared at her. “All you need to worry about, my precious angel, is doing your job and never mind my reasons.” Of which he had several and none of them were her business. “Now why don't you go get in the shower while I have something warm brought up for you to sip, and then you can sign your contract and I will leave you be.” For the night at least.

“I'll sign the contract under one condition.” Angeni stated, after mulling it over for a few seconds, knowing she really didn't have a choice in the matter. “I want your word that your men won't hurt me...NONE of them.  In return, I promise not to strike any of them like I did tonight or interfere in the matches.” It was a pretty fair deal considering what she was willing to do and that was link herself to this godforsaken company that had brought her past back to bite her in the ass. “Either that or you can torture me by taking everything away from me, but I want insurance that I won't be harmed.  I'm willing to do what you want, so you have to do this one thing for me.  My safety is not a bargaining chip, Mark.”

“Of course not.” He agreed readily, already walking over to his bag, which he had left behind the bar pulling it out, setting it on top of the bar before pulling out the contract and a pen. “You have my word.” He reached for the small, generic lamp that rested to his right, flicking it on and smiled in grim amusement when she blinked. “Now come sign this.” He ordered, extending the pen towards her.

Sighing resignedly, Angeni stood up from the floor and tightened the blanket around her as she padded over, taking the pen from him.  Her black hair now hung in rivulets all around her, loosely curled and somewhat wild, though a few pins were holding some strands in place. Angeni wasn't stupid, she wasn't signing anything without reading the fine print first and nodded.

“I want to read it first.” She murmured quietly, taking the contract from him and walked over to sit on the bed. “It's for a year, that'll work.”

The pay also more than made up for any discomfort she would feel...hopefully.  It took her around twenty minutes and Angeni finally scrawled her signature on the dotted line, closing her eyes as a few tears slid down her face.  She just signed her fate for the next solid year, it was going to be the longest three hundred and sixty five days of her life.

While she had been perusing the contract, he had cranked the heat up as high as it would go in the room as well as ordered her some broth. It would definitely not do for her to wind up sick because she wouldn't be getting any sick leave. Vince was a bastard about that kind of thing and probably would be rather paranoid about her now that she had signed the contract, especially after Paul had taken the contract from the man. Which, he made a mental note to ask his mentor just how he had gone about doing that, knowing Paul wasn't exactly the world's best fighter.

“Chin up, angel, it won't be quite that bad.”

“Oh yeah sure, it's going to be peachy, especially since I was forced into doing this.” She muttered, wiping the tears away and looked down at her lap, clasping her hands together tightly. “Can't you tell my excitement, Mark?”

Angeni snorted and looked up when there was a knock on her hotel room door, wondering who it was.  Mark rolled a tray in moments later with the steaming bowl of broth. Angeni didn't even need to guess what it was because he'd told her what he was going to do.

“I don't want to be called pet either.  If you don't want me calling you Mark, then don't use that term of endearment with me.” She looked at him as he set the bowl of broth in front of her, locking eyes with his. “Deal?”

She was definitely both amusing and annoying at the same time. An amusing nuisance, he wondered when the novelty of that would wear off. “Deal.”

He much preferred the Christian version of her name anyway…Angel. Though, she was anything but an angel, angels were kind and sweet, and didn't run off at the mouth. Maybe a fallen angel; that was what she looked like at any rate.

“Angeni, if you go into this with that kind of attitude, you'll never enjoy the job satisfaction the rest of us do.” He then informed her, knowing from the look she was giving him that she thought he was a complete ass and he was.

Her opinion would soon change because she'd discover that he was just pure evil.

“Oh don't worry, I'll plaster on a smile in front of the crowds.” She assured him with a snort, taking a sip of her broth and let out a sigh “So, you want me to call you Taker?  Is that what you said?” When he nodded, Angeni knew that would take some getting used to, but as long as he didn't call her pet, she would keep her word about not using his birth name. “I like Mark better.” She added, ignoring his look of disdain and flashed him a sweet smile that did not reach her violet eyes. 

She started devouring the broth because it felt good on her stomach, not to mention sent warmth rushing through her to warm her up even faster. Angeni just hoped she didn't get sick. She could like whatever she wished, so long as she went by his personal preference. Ignoring her slurping her broth, he shed the rest of his wrestling gear, not minding being stark naked.

She had seen him nude, on many occasions, though…if she wanted to refresh her memory after a two year absence, he had no problem in her taking a peek or two. That and the room was warm enough where it wasn't uncomfortable to be nude. He took his time in pulling out street clothes, ignoring the sudden silence.

“Your ass is still pale white.  Some things never change.” Angeni commented after surveying him for a second or two, not devouring him or anything. 

She wanted to see if there were any changes, noticing he'd gotten a few more tattoos.  Pulling her eyes from him, Angeni finished up her broth and set the empty bowl on the tray before standing up, the room toasty warm and made her extremely tired.  She really wanted to take a shower in the morning, but knew it would help her even more if she took one now.  Walking past him, Angeni started for the bathroom and sighed when he stopped her, his arm shooting out blocking her path.

“What now?”

She sounded drained, but at the same time somewhat annoyed because she had done everything he asked of her, staring into his acid eyes that used to remind her of emerald stones. Those emerald stones glittered down at her for a brief moment before he crushed her against him, the rest of his body just as pale as his white ass. He bent down and captured her lips in his before she could even open her mouth to say anything.

Though, he did not try to even attempt sliding his tongue in her mouth, not about to have her remove it. That would be a touch to ironic for him. His hands moved down her back, over the sheet until he was cupping her ass, pulling her against him tighter. When she was breathless, he broke the kiss and stepped away.

“Enjoy your shower, wife.”

If she wasn't completely warm from the broth and his body heat earlier, combined with the room temperature, Angeni sure as hell was now! “Thanks hubby, I will.”

She smirked when he cringed at the term of endearment and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.  Flipping the lock on it in case he tried joining her, which wasn't happening, Angeni started the shower sprays.  No matter how hard she tried, Angeni knew she still loved him and was about to go through pure hell for the next year with the WWF. 

She hated him for what he forced her to do, but still loved him regardless.  It was good to see him again, though Angeni would've preferred it to be on different terms.  Sighing, she pulled the blanket away before removing her garments and stepped under the sprays as instant relief flowed through her.

Smirking to himself, Taker dressed, having no intention of being in the room when she emerged. While the idea of claiming his marital rights was appealing, there were several factors to consider first. There would be plenty of time for them to reacquaint themselves, on several levels, but...tonight, he would leave her alone. Once fully dressed, he pressed his hand against the bathroom door, listening to her showering and closed his eyes.

“See you tomorrow night, pet.” He murmured before exiting the room.

This game had just gotten much more intriguing and he wondered if Vince was aware that whatever his little game was, it had backfired. Angeni sighed with great relief when she stepped out of the bathroom and saw her husband was gone. He did say he would leave her alone and Angeni was glad he kept his word. Changing into a pair of pajama pants with a long sleeved shirt, -Angeni did pack for the weather, contrary to popular belief- Angeni slipped into bed under the comforter and fell asleep before her head hit the pillow.

Chapter 5

The following night, Angeni had reluctantly decided to go to the next area WWF was at, not surprised that Mark had set up a rental for her.  He was very confusing to say the least, but Angeni wasn't going to question it anymore.  He left her alone and she appreciated it, knowing that would soon change.  She wore a sky blue dress that was long sleeved and went to her ankles, not about to take any chances tonight in case she did have to make a run for it.  Surprisingly, she didn't wake up sick from running into the snow, knowing part of that reason was thanks to Mark.

“Asshole.” Angeni whispered, turning the radio on and decided to push him in the far recesses of her mind, not wanting to think about him.

Meanwhile at the arena, Vince was pacing a hole in the floor of the Corporation’s locker room. “I just don't get it…what's his game?” Vince demanded, pacing back and forth and threw a glaring look at his son.

Shane had absolutely no idea what was going through the Undertaker's head and really wished Vince wasn't looking to him for the answer. “How should I know? I'm not about to ask him.”

“He actually WANTED her to sign the damn contract. He didn't want to amend it, change it, nothing! He wants her to work for the Corporation, what the hell is he planning?!”

“Dad, I don't know…”

“Well figure it out!”

Shane rubbed his temples and closed his eyes, doing some mental exercise to soothe his now throbbing head. He knew just as soon as Vince's rage had passed the man would come up with something new to run with, and he sincerely hoped whatever it was, it actually worked out properly.

“Alright…this can be salvaged…it'll still work…” Vince was desperate now.

A knock sounded at the door and Angeni stepped inside, not even waiting to be told to come in.  She was part of the Corporation after all, deciding to leave her hair down for the evening.  Vince explained to her that they did three or four house shows a week, depending on the circumstances and holidays.  Not to mention he was also in the works of creating another show called Smackdown!, but that hadn't gotten off the ground yet.

“Good evening gentlemen.” She greeted softly, taking her own coat off and hung it up before walking over to sit next to Kane. 

The others hadn't arrived yet and Angeni didn't want to sit alone, hoping Kane didn't mind the company. Kane simply stared down at her, not too surprised that she had opted to sit next to him. Just like he wasn't surprised that Vince had thrown his little fit in front of him. Apparently Vince tended to forget that he existed. Someday, that was going to come back and bite the McMahon Patriarch in the ass.

“Angeni, I must apologize for last night.” Shane said, frowning as he stared down at her.

He had woken up in a snow bank, not remembering what had happened or how he had gotten there. He had watched her disappear into the wardrobe room with Tiffany and then...nothing. To say he was still feeling the aftershocks from being plunged in the cold snow was the understatement of the century. Instead of wearing two long sleeved shirts under his dress shirt, Shane opted for four along with thermal underwear, not taking any chances in case it happened again.

“Yes well, it wasn't your fault Taker took you out, Shane.  So no need for an apology.” Angeni folded her arms in front of her chest, looking at Vince expectantly. “I think it's time you tell me exactly what's going on here and why you REALLY brought me here, Vince.  I don't appreciate being kept in the dark, especially when it comes to my husband.  How you found out about us is beyond me, but let me lay this out for you: I was forced into this by HIM.” It's not that she didn't appreciate the job opportunity, because under normal circumstances she would have, but after finding out that her husband worked for this company, Angeni knew she'd been used. “And I also don't appreciate being used.  So the least you can do is shoot straight with me on what's really going on.”

Vince ignored the 'well what are you going to do now, genius' look his son was shooting him and instead smiled his pleasant, everything is alright smile. “I wanted you to work with your husband.”

Shane had to turn around, his snort still very audible.

Kane's head was down but he was listening very closely.

“Or more to the point, I want you to distract him. Does he seem anything similar to the man you married?”

“Distract him?  Have you met my husband lately, Vince?” Angeni stood up from the bench she sat on, placing her hands on her hips, the fire erupting in her violet eyes. “Let me tell you who my husband is okay?  He is the type of man who will TAPE his wife's mouth SHUT because she uses his real name.  He is the type of man who will allow OTHERS to hurt me if I DON'T do what he says.  He is the type of man who will break into my hotel room, force me to sign a contract to a job I no longer want and then leave without another word.  Do you honestly believe I would marry someone like that?  So NO, he is NOT the same man I once knew and thank you very fucking much for bringing me here under FALSE pretences!  If I wanted to work with my husband, don't you think that would've happened a long time ago, like oh say two years ago, when we first got married in a sham of a wedding?  Oh, but you were just doing it out of the KINDNESS of your heart, right?” Angeni snorted, not caring if she was giving the boss attitude.  She was pissed and had every right to be. “So tell me then, Vince, how do you want me to DISTRACT him when HE'S the one who forced me to work for this company and, more specifically, this group?”

Shane was now standing behind his father, shaking his head no at Angeni, eyes wide. The woman apparently had bought that sugary image Vince had originally fed her and could only pinch the bridge of his nose when she paid him no mind and continued reaming Vince a new asshole. Vince wasn't as evil as the Undertaker was, but the man was a prick when he wanted to be.

“Angeni, you're mad and that's understandable, but you need to mind your tone.” Vince said gently, though his eyes were growing cold.

Shane just bit back a groan.

She wasn't apologizing to Vince for anything she just said because he deserved it and a lot more. “Distracting him is out of the question.” Angeni said in a monotone voice, flat out refusing to use a sweet one because she was still livid that she'd been forced into this situation. “So whatever you were planning on doing with me to use against him, it won't work.  He wants me in this group for a reason and I have no idea why.  I asked him and he simply said not to worry about his reasons, just do my job.  So now I'm asking you, what exactly IS my job?  Is it valeting the Corporation to the ring?  Oh and I feel I should warn you that I made a bargain with my husband in exchange for not getting my head knocked off.” When Vince merely raised an eyebrow Angeni took that as he wanted to know what it was. “If I don't interfere in the matches the Corporation has with the Ministry or strike any of them, they will not harm me.  So I'm not interfering anymore, I nearly got my head knocked off last night by one of them after your son was incapacitated.”

Kane snorted and shook his head at that.

“Do you have something you want to add?” Shane demanded hotly.

Kane just looked at Shane and cocked his head to the side.

“Your job, is whatever I tell you to do and, right now, you will valet.” Vince said flatly, already foreseeing problems with her little deal and wondered what else she had promised her husband. “And in your deal with him, I really hope, for your sake, that you included him in your little stipulation of the Ministry not being allowed to harm you.” He added, knowing damn well how sneaky Taker could be.

“He is the leader of the Ministry of Darkness, correct?”

“Yes, but…”

“Then he IS technically apart of the Ministry.” Angeni wasn't going to do everything Vince told her, not if it included getting her head knocked from her shoulders.

Shane decided to step in, having an idea. “Dad, why not have her accompany Kane to ringside?”

“WHAT?”

“Just hear me out, she obviously gets along with him and she's not afraid. Not to mention it'll give Red a little more personality.”

Angeni wanted to scream 'I LOVE YOU' to Shane, but refrained for several reasons, a slow smile spreading on her lips.

“Would you mind being Kane's new valet, Angeni?”

“Not at all.”

Shane really didn't like the look that came over his father's eyes, knowing that Taker and Kane hated each other.  This was Taker's wife.  He just put Angeni in quite the pickle, but it was better than doing whatever his father said, right?

Probably not, Vince was a devious man and he already had ideas in mind for Angeni. He wasn't sharing any of them. He did feel bad for her on the grounds that Taker made deals, and yes, he usually did stick to them, but he also managed to find ways around them, loopholes.

Of course, Kane got absolutely no say in this and could already see a lot of pain heading his way in the near future, reaching down to adjust his leather glove. Taker would simply LOVE this one. He eyeballed Angeni, more specifically, her dress, and hoped she was wearing her running shoes.

“You will have to change though, Angeni.” Shane stated, gesturing to her light blue dress and then pointed at Kane. “Red and black only now.”

“Right, of course.” She hoped Kane didn't mind having a woman by his side during his matches, deciding she would ask him once they were alone.  If he truly didn't want her out there with him, Angeni would find a way to valet someone else. “I suppose wardrobe then?”

“Do you need an escort?”

“Thanks, but I can handle it.” Angeni walked out, closing the door quietly behind her and headed down the hallway, feeling a little better about this situation now that she was valeting Kane.

“Think it's a smart move for her to be going alone?” Shane asked hesitantly, tilting his head.

“Hmmm...Kane, follow her, but don't let her see you.” Vince ordered, deciding Angeni would have an escort regardless if she wanted one or not.

Kane's body language clearly said 'are you kidding me?’.

“And don't get any bright ideas either.” He added as an afterthought.

No, he would leave that to Vince, the man with the plan. Snorting, Kane stood up, his damp hair falling over his masked face and walked out of the room.

Tiffany nearly jumped at the sight of Angeni, her green eyes wide.

“I'm sorry about last night, Tiffany.” Angeni apologized softly, walking toward her almost cautiously. “I just came here to see if you had anything in red...or black.  I prefer red though.”

“Just go in there and pick whatever you want.” Tiffany squeaked out, not really wanting to associate herself with the Undertaker's wife, wondering how the hell any woman could marry HIM.

Sighing, Angeni stepped inside and found what she was looking for almost instantly.  Ten minutes later, she stepped out in a long dark red velvet cascade dress that hugged her curves, flaring at the hips.  It had a ballet neckline, long tapering sleeves with ending points over her hands and a long, right-side kick pleat design.  The material was spandex velvet, so it wasn't that heavy and the dress could be lifted if she had to pound pavement again.  Angeni chose black flats for that specific reason, deciding they would cover her feet mostly so she wouldn't freeze right away and the material would also keep her warm.

“Thanks Tiffany.” She walked away from wardrobe, deciding to just leave her hair alone, wearing simple black eyeliner with clear gloss, staying very simple.

Tiffany watched her walk away before crossing herself, just in case.

“Black is much more your color, Angel.” Taker stepped directly into her path, his Ministry flanking him and folded his arms over his chest. He was dressed in his tights, minus the robe, his black hair cascading down around his shoulders as he hadn't pulled it back yet. He looked her up and down openly. “What do you think Paul?”

“Red brings out her eyes.”

“That it does...” Taker stroked his goatee.

“I've never been fond of black, you know that.” Angeni smiled sweetly, but it did not reach her cold eyes, folding her arms in front of her chest. “I happen to like red and actual COLOR.  Thank you...Paul?”

When he nodded, Angeni flashed him a warmer smile, her eyes turning back to her husband.  She couldn't help thinking back to what Vince said about Mark not meaning himself in harming her when it came to their agreement, wondering if he would.  Of course, she kept that well hidden and simply stood there, the rest of the Ministry keeping silent, which was probably a good thing.

He just continued to stare down at her, wondering idly what was going on behind those violet eyes. Taker knew quite well she didn't wear black, she was very much the opposite of him. Well, what 'they' said about opposites attracting had been very true in their case.

“So, precious...” He watched a hint of flare showing in her face, knowing she had been expecting 'pet'. “Care to enlighten your husband as to what your duties for the Corporation are?”

Viscera's pale blue-white eyes blinked slowly as a leer spread across his fat lips.

Violet eyes narrowed slightly, wishing she would've added the term of endearment ‘precious’ to their agreement because that too was getting on her nerves. “Nope, I don't think you need to know, hubby.  After all, it is MY job, not yours.  Though I will tell you this much, I am valeting still.  Make of it what you will.” She sighed almost wistfully, eyes gleaming. “Toodles. *Angeni walked away from her husband and his Ministry, heading back to the Corporation's locker room and never knew that Kane had watched the whole exchange go down.

“She's feisty.”

“That she is.”

“One day, you'll have to tell me whatever possessed you to marry her.” Paul said, sounding bored.

His voice was not quite as shrill when they were backstage. He mostly used his stage voice for when they were out in the ring or on live TV. Or when he wanted to irritate people.

“Enough about my darling wife, we have…plans…to attend.”

Paul smiled wickedly.

Plans Angeni was going to become part of.

Chapter 6

Later that night, Kane had a match against Viscera of the Ministry and they currently stood behind the curtain, waiting for his pyro to go off.  They each kept quiet, though there was a mutual respect somewhere between them.  She knew for a fact Kane would do everything in his power to protect her, he seemed like the type who would come to an innocent woman's aid. 

She felt terrible for him, having a feeling he didn't want to be in the Corporation and felt his pain because neither did she.  They were one in the same.  She jumped slightly when his pyro went off and followed him out, her dress flowing with every step she took, thankful for the flats she wore.  It was much easier to walk in and since the dress was so long, nobody could see her feet.

Having someone, a woman no less, coming out to the ring with him was...actually disconcerting, and it made Kane nervous, though he would never show it. So far, Angeni was alright, much better than the other Corporation members. She didn't gawk and stare, treat him like a mental inferior, or like a damn slave.

And she wasn't afraid of him, which were major points in her favor. He climbed into the ring, watching her and wondered if he should have helped her through the ropes. It was a bit late for that now and he went to stand in the center of the ring, raising his arms over his head. A moment later, flames shot out of the four ring posts.

“Bravo McMahon…”

Taker lazily applauded his hands three times before gesturing for the volume to be turned up, his eyes turning ice cold. Now this was just low and dirty, he was actually rather proud of Vince for sprouting a set. A set he was going to rip off.

Angeni had managed to step through the bottom ring rope and stand beside Kane before the posts exploded with fire, not able to stop jumping slightly.  She smiled tentatively up at Kane, letting him know she was alright, hoping everything went smoothly tonight.  She doubted it as the lights went out, the Ministry of Darkness music flowing through the speakers. 

Viscera was not a small man by any means and Angeni decided to take her leave, slipping through the rope and hopping down on the ring floor in Kane's corner.  She knew he wouldn't appreciate her cheering for him or acting like his cheerleader, so she merely stood there, watching as Viscera slid through the ropes and the bell rung. She could warn him, shout encouragement somewhat and hit the mats to rouse the crowd if she wished.

However, if Angeni screamed like a banshee, jumped up and down like Sunny tended too, or otherwise made a spectacle of herself, Kane would be left with no choice, but to choke slam her ass to hell and back. There was no way in hell Angeni would ever act like Sunny or any of the other WWF women, having more dignity than to flash her assets for the world to see. Viscera was heavy and very rotund, so winding him wasn't a problem. It was keeping the larger, waistline wise, man from squashing him that was his only concern. Viscera was testing the waters, walking around Kane, looking down at Angeni and licked his lips, revealing his filed teeth.

Kane was not amused at all.

Nor was Taker.

If Taker had been a woman, he would have found that incredibly disturbing. Angeni shivered involuntarily and did find it disturbing, immediately moving away from the ring whenever Viscera came toward her.  She sincerely hoped her darling husband informed his Ministry members of their agreement and wrapped her arms around herself, feeling cold suddenly.

“Come on Kane!” Angeni shouted out, hitting the mat and ignored Viscera's glare, standing by her man wholeheartedly. 

‘Come on Kane.’ He echoed in his head nastily, though Taker did wholeheartedly approve of her covering outfit.

If she had gone ringside in something…revealing, he probably would have done something…rash. That was his wife for all intents and purposes and regardless of the fact that they hadn't seen each other for two years until last night, she was not going to be showcasing her body. Unless it was for him.

“Farooq…Bradshaw, give Viscera a hand…and a slight injury.”

“And the lil lady?”

“Don't touch her.” Taker ordered sternly and then added, “Unless, of course, she touches you or interferes.”

Angeni's head snapped to the side when she saw the man with the short black cropped hair and his partner come rushing down to the ring.  Oh that bastard!  Of course he wouldn't do this fairly!  Angeni scowled because she couldn't interfere or touch any of them, which meant Kane was about to get a beat down unless the Corporation came to his rescue.  She highly doubted that was going to happen.

“Damn you, Mark!” Angeni cursed under her breath, only loud enough for her to hear and rushed over to the side of the ring as Kane began fighting off the three Ministry members. “Kane, get out of there!!” She shouted, wanting to reach in and at least try to help him some way, but knew she couldn't. Immediately backing away when the man with the cropped black hair jumped through the ropes, landing right in front of her, Angeni began backtracking. “You're not allowed to touch me; I have a deal with Taker.” Angeni stated weakly, watching the smirk spread on his lips and knew she was in trouble.

“I am well aware of that lil darlin'.” Bradshaw drawled with a wicked grin, stalking her slowly, not moving to attack or anything.

He might've wanted to knock this little bitch's head off for what she had done to him the night before, which he would never, ever live down, but he wasn't a complete fool either. Taker would disembowel him if he laid one finger on Angeni's head, and he would do it slowly. That didn’t mean he couldn’t taunt her though, his grin turning into a cocky smirk. “So, tell me, how're you likin' your job? They got you workin' with Big Red, huh? You got a thing for big men, don't you?”

“Where are YOU going?” Viscera demanded when Kane tried to go help Angeni, working with Farooq to keep the big man trapped in the ring.

Taker stood up, figuring he would make an appearance after a few moments, just to stir the pot and send Vince a message. And Kane...Kane looked like he needed several messages. Perhaps Angeni would learn something or two as well.

“Fuck off.” Angeni growled, really wanting to kick this man in his balls, but knew that was against the agreement. 

Where the HELL was the Corporation?  They were going to let Kane get dismantled, one of their own?!  Angeni kept backtracking and finally hopped up on the ring apron before rolling beneath the bottom rope, right in the middle of the fire.  What the hell was she going to do with these three behemoths? 

Angeni didn't know, but she wasn't about to stand by and let them hurt Kane, tossing herself on top of him when Viscera went to the rope, ready to do a splash on top of Kane.  She wasn't interfering technically because the bell had already rung and she hadn't touched any of the Ministry members.  If they touched her, the agreement would be broken and then she would have the permission to retaliate.

“LEAVE HIM ALONE NOW!!”

“Clever girl...” Farooq rumbled, all three men exchanging looks. Now this was...unexpected. And technically, while they could touch her in the terms of being gentle and not harmful, that would still pose a problem because she was clinging to Kane.

“I could splash them both.”

Kane growled at that, gingerly reaching his arms around Angeni. Ignoring the pain, he rolled so she was underneath him, sheltering her with his back and arms the best he could. Agreement or not, he wouldn't put it past Viscera to do it.

All three of his flock stepped away when the lights went out. When they flickered back on, he was towering over the pair on the canvas, eyes venomous. Vince could barely contain himself, the entire Corporation ready to go out and help, but…he had been waiting to see what Taker would do, if anything, and held his breath.

If she was harmed, that was the deal breaker so whatever Mark was planning on doing, Angeni knew she was protecting Kane the best way she could.  She could feel Kane trembling slightly and didn't dare look up at her husband, knowing this looked incredibly wrong.  Somehow, Kane had maneuvered to where he was on his feet, with her in front of him, and Angeni refused to let him push her behind him because of the deadly flash in Mark's eyes.  She had put that agreement in stone for a reason and this was one of them. Angeni could in her own way protect the Corporation, which was both a good and bad thing.

“You promised.” She reminded, holding her hands up breathing heavily, Kane's arm still wrapped around her waist.

“I did. Now step away from my precious baby brother so I can-” Taker took a threatening step forward. “Remind him why he is inferior.”

Kane knew Taker would pull her away if given the chance so he could attack without violating the messed up arrangement they had. He didn't know if Angeni knew about the relation thing, and couldn't see her face. So he did the only thing he could think of, he scooped her up in his arms, cradling her tightly against his chest and felt her wrapping her arms around his neck. If they attacked him, he could wind up hurting her, which would be the same thing as them hurting her.

“You are pushing your luck, Kane.”

“Go.” Vince ordered, seeing Taker's face growing steadily colder and calmer, which was never a good sign. He let out a small breath when the Corporation literally stampeded out of the room.

“Baby brother?” She pulled back enough to stare into Kane's mismatched eyes, blinking.  Kane was technically her brother-in-law…Shane was about to get a kick to HIS balls for suggesting her to valet him. “Goddamn it Shane.” She muttered, loud enough for Mark to hear and clung to Kane, knowing it was the only way to protect him. 

He was her family, this was seriously messed up.  What ELSE hadn't Vince told her?!  Angeni was going to get answers and looked up when the crowd erupted, looking past Mark to the Corporation members finally rushing out to 'come to their aid'.  Her violet eyes moved back to Mark's face, seeing he wasn't moving and knew his Ministry members could probably handle the Corporation while he handled them.

“I-I didn't know…” Even if she did, Angeni would still be valeting Kane ringside.

“Of course you didn't.” Taker said in an acid tone. “Why would you? He's of no consequence.” His acerbic eyes moved to Kane, back to Angeni, and then back to his 'brother'. “Put her down so I can put you down.”

Kane shook his head, knowing better. He would face the Undertaker one on one, in a ring, but not with Angeni right there. He knew she was shocked, and wasn't surprised in the least that she hadn't known about him.

When he had discovered she was Taker's wife, he had kept his mouth shut wisely. Technically, he usually kept his mouth shut anyway. Though now Kane was wondering if Shane had realized the connection between him and Angeni when suggesting she be his valet.

“Fine.” Taker had spotted Chyna on the titantron, trying to sneak attack him and whirled around, catching her by the throat and lifting her in the air. “Your call, Angeni.”

Her eyes widened in horror when he slammed Chyna down to the mat in a one arm choke slam, trembling slightly against Kane.  What happened to her Mark?  He used to be so quiet and kind...thoughtful...this monster was not her husband. 

He was an animal. A man hell bent on domination and it showed clearly in how he carried himself.  She couldn't look at him anymore and buried her face in Kane's neck, silent tears rolling down her cheeks, hoping he didn't mind that she was crying on him.

“Get me out of here, Kane, please.” Angeni whispered in his ear and felt him nod silently as he carefully straddled the top rope and jumped down with her still in his arms. 

She was Kane’s safety net and Angeni planned on not leaving his side for a very long time. Growling under his breath, he stormed to the opposite side of the ring, stepping over Chyna without even bothering to give her a second look. If she wanted to play with the men, then she would be treated like any other enemy. He gestured for a microphone, snatching it out of the shaking official's hand with a snort.

“Vince…” He said in his dark tone, effectively stopping the brawling going on around him as all eyes turned towards him. Not that it mattered. His Ministry had for the most part dismantled the Corporation, which was not surprising. “It's. Not. Working.”

Kane kept on walking, not looking back.

Vince felt the hairs on his neck standing up.

“I haven't forgotten about your little…Princess.”

“Princess?” Angeni looked up at Kane, confusion swimming in her eyes and watched as he just shook his head back at her. 

What the hell was going on?  First Shane gets her and Kane together and now Mark was talking about a princess?  Vince's princess?  Angeni felt her head spinning as Kane carried her back to the Corporation locker room, still not releasing her.

“Angeni…”

“BACK…OFF…MCMAHON…BEFORE…I…BURN YOU ALIVE!!”

Kane was PISSED and watched as Vince nearly pissed himself, grabbing his bags and hightailed it out of there with Angeni. She definitely wasn't complaining and knew she could trust Kane even more now that they were technically family.  Though when they finally got to a safe environment, she planned on asking Kane a lot of questions regarding this Princess Mark mentioned.

That was probably the longest sentence Kane had actually said in awhile and he had no idea where it had come from. Vince could very easily send him packing back to the mental hospital, which was something his sister-in-law didn't need to know about. He wasn't…crazy. Kane just had a temper issue sometimes. Of course, there would probably be retaliation eventually, but…it had felt damn good to see his boss cowering like the little coward he was.

If Vince thought for ONE second that he was going to nix his plans and forget all about little Miss Stephanie, then he was wrong. Dead wrong. By bringing Angeni into this, and then pairing her with his mentally challenged, physically retarded brother, all he had done was piss the Deadman off.

“Find them.” Taker ordered through gritted teeth as he pushed through the curtain, sending Paul Bearer scurrying away.

Chapter 7

“Where we are going?” Angeni didn't have a room to her knowledge and knew she would have to start traveling with Kane in order to protect him.  She was his shield and Angeni still couldn't believe she had a brother-in-law. “You know, I never really asked Mark…” She ignored Kane tensing, deciding she would drive since he'd taken a beating by the Ministry before she stopped them. “About his family when we eloped.  If I would've known…” Hell things probably wouldn't be any different, so Angeni stopped herself from elaborating on that subject. “What did Mark mean about Vince's princess?  You know, I know you do and I need to know what the hell Vince has gotten me involved in.”

“Might be safer to not know.” He said after a long moment of silence, wording that in his head before saying it.

Most people assumed he couldn't talk very well. Mostly because when he DID talk, it was one or two words at a time. He preferred gestures. His voice sounded…wrong. He didn't require a voice box, Vince just made him use it on TV to 'add to the aura', and because he was a bastard. When Angeni just shot him a look across the seat, Kane sighed, reaching up to adjust his mask.

“The princess is Vince's daughter.”

“Vince's…daughter…” Angeni echoed slowly, her eyes turning to pure ice and felt her jaw tighten.  Her hands gripped the steering wheel so hard, her knuckles turned white and Angeni was fighting back tears of pain, heartache, anger, hurt, hate…all wrapped up into one.  So Mark was going after Vince's daughter. “That's why Vince tracked me down isn't it?” When Kane just nodded, Angeni let out a bitter laugh and wiped her tears away that fell, nodding. “Right, of course I would be used to try to dissuade him away from the princess.  And it backfired because Mark is STILL going after her.”

She turned down a street that Kane directed; knowing he probably had a hideout somewhere in the city that Mark didn't know about.  Angeni was busy trying to decide how much she was willing to fork over to a lawyer to send divorce papers to Mark. Kane didn't even know where to begin the explanation, because most of it made absolutely no sense to him.

He had no idea what Taker wanted with Stephanie. He hadn't even met the girl, though he had seen images of her modeling WWF gear in one of the company’s old magazines. She looked…innocent and, considering Angeni also looked innocent, he was wondering just what the hell was up with his half-brother's taste in women.

“Park here.” Kane ordered, gesturing to the side of the street, a few other cars parked beneath the dim street lights.

Angeni did as he asked and cut the ignition on the car, stepping out with him and didn't mind when he immediately grabbed her hand, guiding her across the street into a rundown looking building.  She waited while Kane checked in with the elder woman, who handed him a rather old looking key and followed him up the stairs, having to lift her dress so she didn't trip on it.  She figured that Taker wouldn't look for Kane in grungy places like these because he was part of the Corporation.

Apparently Kane was smarter than Mark gave him credit for.  Once they were inside the room, Kane immediately began searching and scouting it, finally relaxing when it appeared nobody was in the room besides the two of them.  Angeni just sat in a nearby chair, her bag in front of her and buried her face in her hands, wondering what other secrets were being kept from her.

After making sure nothing had been tampered with, and that the phone was unplugged, doors and windows locked, Kane finally stopped and just stood there, staring down at her. Now this was…strange. Hesitantly, he kneeled down so he was eye level with Angeni. Slowly, a bit unsure of himself, he reached out to gently take her hands, prying them away from her face.

Kane was startled to see the tears brimming in her violet eyes and let her go. Having no idea what to say or do to make things better for her, Kane didn't even know what her exact problem was. Did she love Taker? Did she hate him?

What Angeni wanted more than anything was to forget Mark Calaway ever existed; to turn back the clock so she'd never agreed to marry him.  What the hell had she been thinking?  Was she really that alone and desperate to agree to a sham marriage, which never ended?  Granted, she'd dated other men, but none of them compared to Mark, which wasn't really that hard to believe.  He was six foot ten of pure muscle with a bad guy image and now he really was a bad guy. 

And now she was in here stuck with her brother-in-law because Mark would hurt him the first chance he got if she wasn't there.  The agreement had been purgatory for her and she knew Mark was regretting agreeing to the terms of it.  The first paycheck she received from this horrible company, Angeni was breaking her contract and running far away to where Mark would never be able to find her again.  She wondered idly if Kane would join her, just so he wouldn't get his ass handed to him by the Ministry and this company.

Kane had several aliases and a perk to renting from these low rent places, he could sign whatever name he wanted so long as he paid cash.

~!~

“Well?”

“There are no rooms…registered under her name. Married or Maiden.”

“What about YOUR son?”

“N-nothing…” Paul squealed out when a chair came flying at him.

~!~

For the next several days, Kane and Angeni stayed out of sight, not attending the house shows.  They didn't really talk, though Angeni had gone to the store to buy a board game when she thought she might die from boredom and forced Kane to play with her.  It was Monopoly, a strategy game and he had kicked her ass to hell and back.  It didn't matter; playing the board game was a way to pass the time by and not go stir crazy from the silence that constantly ensued between them.  When Kane told her that they had to leave to go home, Angeni couldn't have been happier, knowing Mark had no idea where she lived.

“Why don't you come home with me, Kane?” Angeni suggested while driving to the airport, wearing a simple pair of blue jeans and a fleece darker blue long sleeved top with a white hooded sweatshirt over it that was also fleece. “We can play more games and I'll cook for you, a home cooked meal.  How does that sound?”

Kane looked down at her startled, wondering if she had a death wish. When not going to work, he tended to wear black jeans, t-shirts and black hooded sweatshirts with his own hood up. Generally to help hide the fact that he still wore the mask, minus black make-up around his eyes.

“Why?” He asked finally, tilting his head to the side. Kane didn't mean to sound rude but she had caught him off guard with that. She wanted him…HIM…to go home with her?

“I don't want you being alone and I honestly don't want to be alone right now, not with everything that's gone down.  I like hanging out with you, Kane.” He was her brother-in-law, though soon he was going to be an ex-brother-in-law because she planned on calling a lawyer while home, wanting to get the ball rolling with the divorce. “Come on, are you honestly telling me you didn't have a good time the last few days playing Monopoly, watching movies and having someone there who actually listens to you?  And you'll get a home cooked meal out of it, whatever you want.”

What Angeni wasn't telling him was she also wanted to protect him from Mark, knowing her husband was very angry that she defied him in order to save Kane. Considering that they had mostly been quiet, he found the 'listens to you' thing a bit amusing. Unless she was counting the fact that she seemed to be able to read his body language rather well, then sure, she listened great.

“Can you actually cook?” Kane finally asked, not knowing what else to say. When she just nodded, he considered it. Well, at least he knew she'd be protected; he did not trust Taker to not follow her home at all and finally nodded. “Alright.”

Beaming, Angeni was happy he agreed to go with her or else she would've had to convince him another way.  If food and company wasn't enough, well...Angeni had another thing in mind, but was thankful she didn't have to go that far.  They arrived at the airport and an hour later, they were on their way to the east coast where she currently resided. 

Sometime later that night, they arrived at her small cottage, which was far in the woods.  She had a small pond with a waterfall in her backyard and she knew Kane would have to duck to get through her front door, trying not to giggle when he actually did after she unlocked the door.  The ceilings were thankfully tall enough for him so he didn't have to keep ducking repeatedly.  It was a two bedroom cottage and she hoped Kane could fit in the guest bedroom, which did have a queen sized bed in it, but not a lot more besides a small dresser.

“I know it's small, but it's home...” Angeni commented, setting her bags down and headed into the living room to check her messages on the answering machine, only to find she had none.

Kane took one look at that queen sized bed and knew he was going to have to buy her new one when he broke it, which was a definite given. Actually, he might just flip the frame against the wall and sleep with the mattress on the floor, knowing that his legs would be hanging off of it. He was just too tall.

After setting his bag down, he followed her curiously. Taker had basically married Snow White and he found that…on some inane level, enchanting. Though technically, the princess was supposed to wind up with the prince, not the evil wizard from the next fairytale over. He studied the cottage, finally nodding his approval.

“I like it.”

“Thanks, it was cheap and I enjoy the tranquility.”

It was very peaceful at her home, Angeni loved it, especially the small waterfall in her backyard that went into a pond, which she'd swam in a time or two during warmer weather.  Right now, it was winter, though spring was right around the corner.  She could tell by the buds on the trees that slowly began sprouting and the water wasn't completely frozen.

“My home is your home, Kane.  Make yourself comfortable.  There's a television in the living room.  I'll start dinner since I know we're both hungry.” Angeni gently pushed him toward the living room when he just stood there, giggling at how timid he was. “I don't know what you're into, but I do have a movie collection too.”

Kane was genuinely afraid to sit or touch anything in her cottage, worried he might break it. His own furniture was comprised mostly of strong, reinforced oak or solid steel, he didn't take chances. That and while she said it was his home too…there was always that awkwardness that accompanied being in a new place, doubly so for him. He was a giant in a mask, with his newly found sister-in-law, who he hadn't known until a few days ago, and basically in hiding from his twisted and demented brother.

“I can help.” Kane offered, idly scratching the back of his for once ungloved hand.

Shrugging, Angeni wasn't about to deny that request and handed over a bowl of potatoes with a peeler. “Have at it then.” She went back to banging the chicken against the counter, trying to unthaw it a little more before popping it in the microwave to defrost. 

She'd turned the heat up as well so they both didn't freeze a small light on over her stove in the small kitchen.  When Kane finished peeling the potatoes, to the best of his ability, Angeni popped them in the pan of boiling water before handing him a cake mix next with the ingredients, explaining how to mix it together.  She went from playing Monopoly with the gentle giant to letting him help her cook.  Angeni fought back a giggle at the thought that she was probably completely ruining his 'monster' reputation.

Kane's monster reputation would have remained firmly in tact even if he had shown up for a RAW wearing a pink, flowery apron and a chef's hat with a daisy pinned to the side. Mainly because after people got done laughing him to hell and back, he would set several of them on fire. That seemed to shut people up right quick. He didn't mind cooking, or learning, his idea of making dinner was either stopping somewhere and getting it to go or using a microwave for a lot of TV dinners.

He was a big man with a big appetite.

Angeni took his size into consideration and ended up making two different casseroles -one chicken and one seafood- not sure what he would like along with mashed potatoes, corn, green beans and macaroni & cheese.  She wasn't a traditionalist by any means and also made two different cakes, one carrot and the other chocolate.  If Kane didn't like what she made, he didn't have to eat it.  Angeni took her plate and sat at the small kitchen table, shaking her head when Kane eyeballed it somewhat cautiously.

“You won't break anything, trust me.”

Angeni kicked the chair at him lightly while eating some of her seafood casserole and stared out the window in thought, letting the peacefulness wash over her. Kane felt a bit like he was a child sitting down for tea. The chair was sturdy, he found that out quick, but he was simply too big. He looked at her, finding the amusement in the situation though he doubted she could tell since his face was hidden by the mask.

The mask.

Kane stood up and retreated from the kitchen, going back to his room. Ignoring her concerned calls, he shut the door firmly behind him and rifled through his bag. When he came back out, he wore a new mask, but one that exposed his mouth and chin.

“Ah okay, I was wondering what you were doing.”

Angeni smiled and continued eating, the silence wasn't again forming between them.  Surprisingly, Kane ate and Angeni found he enjoyed her cooking, even the dessert she'd made.  She missed being home in her little cottage, in her sanctuary.  She loved this place and would never get rid of it, no matter how much money the WWF gave her for putting her through miserable hell. 

When dinner and dessert finished, and the leftovers were put away, Angeni wished Kane a good night, retreating to her room.  The guest room was upstairs while hers remained downstairs, hoping he didn't mind being up there alone.  She didn't know why the cottage was set up that way, but Angeni also never thought she would use the guest room in general.  Shedding her clothes, Angeni padded to the small bathroom that was connected to her room and started the water in her white garden tub, another reason why she'd bought this place.  She absolutely loved her bathtub and sank down into the water a few minutes later, closing her eyes.

Chapter 8

She would live out in the middle of nowhere, in the enchanted woods, complete with attached pond and waterfall. And never forget the charming little cottage. Taker stared in disgust at the sight before him, clothed in all black, blending in with the darkness that surrounded him.

Acid eyes moved from the light in the small second story room and then to the faint glow downstairs. His question of 'which is which' was answered when he spotted Kane's overly large red ass in the window upstairs before the light flicked off. Smirking, he leaned back against the tree to wait, knowing baby brother would probably take his time in falling asleep since he had paranoia issues.

An hour or so later, Angeni stepped out of the tub and wrapped a towel around her body, drying off since it was cold outside.  She then slipped into a white floor length silk nightgown that had spaghetti straps and a hoop neckline.  She brushed her teeth and hair, slipping white panties beneath the nightgown along with a white bra, not able to sleep without one. 

Shutting the light off to her bathroom, Angeni padded out to her small bedroom and slipped into bed under the comforter, reaching up to shut the lamp off on her nightstand.  Snuggled into her pillow, Angeni turned over to stare out the window into the darkness, the moonlight being the only light that shined very dimly into her room since it was mostly blocked by the trees.  This was home and Angeni never wanted to leave, curling up.

He gave it another hour after her bedroom light went off, using that time to familiarize himself with the area surrounding her cottage. As best he could anyway. Taker could see fairly well in the dark thanks to having been out in it for several hours, but he wasn't about to risk breaking his neck or something either.

After that hour was up, he approached the door, studying it for signs of an alarm, having already checked outside the house for fuse boxes, or anything else. He sincerely doubted she would have one, not this far out of the way. His theory was proved right two seconds later and he was stepping inside quietly, ducking his head, and quietly replacing his lock picking kit back inside his black, denim jacket.

Angeni wasn't asleep though, too many things on her mind, the main thing being Mark.  She remembered when she first met him at a coffee shop of all places.  She'd worked for an elderly woman named Dominique, who gave her as many hours as she wanted because she thought of Angeni as a child of her own.  It was in Vegas and he'd walked in, immediately catching her attention and captivating her. 

They started talking and for the next solid three months, once a week he would come into the coffee shop, asking for the same order.  It got to the point where he finally waited for her to get off one night from the shop and took her home on his motorcycle.  Angeni could still remember how the wind whipped through her hair, clinging to him and his smell.  Gas, leather and sandalwood, it intoxicated her. 

She asked him inside against her better judgment and they'd slept together.  When he came to visit her again, he asked her to marry him, said he couldn't live without her and she completed him...everything she wanted to hear.  They were together for exactly two weeks and Mark had left to go back to his job, which Angeni had no idea was at the time. 

Only to come back a month later, told her he couldn't do this and their marriage was a mistake. That he'd send her divorce papers and promised to leave her alone.  She hadn't heard from him in two years and Angeni knew, without a shadow of a doubt, if Vince hadn't tracked her down she probably would've never seen Mark again.

Taking his time in surveying the house, it was tiny and he sincerely hoped that Kane was sleeping upstairs, all twisted and torqued uncomfortably because he didn't fit the bed. He was tempted to go up and give baby brother a rude awakening, but…No. He had a better idea. A cruel smile gracing his thin lips, he headed for Angeni's bedroom, placing three fingers on the door and gently twisted the knob, slowly pushing it open. He watched as she turned her head towards him and was across the floor and on her within seconds, hand clasped over her mouth.

“Quiet now, angel, don't want to wake your guest.” Taker whispered warningly.

Angeni wasn't listening to him and began thrashing against him, her screams muffled completely by his huge hand, violet eyes wide with terror.  She thought of Kane instantly, hoping he was alright and closed her eyes tightly shut when he applied more of his body weight against her.  What the hell was he doing here and how did he find her?!  She wasn't listed, as far as she knew nobody knew this place existed!  She calmed down when he wrenched back on her damp black hair, whimpering out a little and fought back tears, her heart beating faster than a jack rabbits.

“Woman…” Taker cautioned through gritted teeth, not amused by her struggling though when Angeni ceased, he relaxed his grip on her, somewhat. “Now…I'm going to uncover your mouth, and if you even think about screaming, I'll be forced to do very bad things to Kane.” Such as finishing the job he had already started, tempted to anyway. “Why is he here?” He demanded, first things first after all, slowly pulling his hand from her mouth. “Bringing your work…home with you, hmm, precious?”

Her reaction was to slap him across the face as hard as she possibly could, gritting her teeth angrily with tears burning in her eyes that she refused to let fall, breathing heavily. “None of your business, asshole.” Angeni whispered harshly, refusing to wake Kane up because she really didn't need these two behemoths completely destroying her home. “What I do outside of this job is no business of yours.  And in a few short months, hopefully, I'll be rid of you for GOOD.” Mark could take that however he wanted, but Angeni felt obligated to warn him ahead of time.

“Not likely…” Taker spat, his cheek a bit warm from her slap though…it didn't hurt. Actually… “Do it again, honey.” He leered, smirking when she did and then bent down to brush his lips against hers, ignoring her muffled shrieks of outrage. “I fucking love it when you're rough, Ange.” He growled, nibbling on her bottom lip before kissing her again, ignoring her hands coming down on her shoulders.

Shoving against this man's shoulders wasn't doing anything except making her exert energy, which she knew he wanted.  So instead of fighting him, Angeni simply went as stiff as a board, her arms at her sides and pursed her lips tightly together, not moving a muscle.  Though her eyes remained open, simply staring at him and telling him blatantly she was not interested. 

This wasn't Mark, this wasn't the man she married, the man she fell in love with in the short span of three months.  When he finally pulled back and looked down for a split second at what she wore, Angeni took her chance.  She had reached over and grabbed her lamp, smashing it over his head as hard as she could.  Angeni watched as he roared out in pain, stumbling back out of her bed and hopped up on her feet in a flash.

“GET OUT OF MY HOUSE RIGHT NOW, YOU SELF-CENTERED EGOTISTICAL SELF-RIGHTEOUS BASTARD!!!!!!!!!!!”

Kane shot upright in bed. He was usually a light sleeper and those screams had come right up through the damn ceiling. Not bothering with his mask, or any additional clothing, he was in a pair of cut off sweats, minus a shirt since he was usually a pretty toasty guy all year round.

“You are going to really regret that…” Taker snarled, shaking shards of the lamp out of his hair, very much aware that some was actually embedded in his skull. He heard Kane coming and launched himself over the bed, ignoring the throbbing in his head and wrapped an arm around her waist, dragging her against him. “Trust me, you will pay.” He promised before planting one last violent, brutal kiss on her lips, smashing out her window.

Kane skidded to a halt when he seen Taker was already outside, growling angrily and went to follow.

“Kane no, stop!”

Angeni grabbed his arm, tears flowing down her cheeks, trembling from head to toe.  Her lips were incredibly swollen and probably bruised from how vicious he kissed her.  Angeni knew she was going to pay for what she did, but there was no way in hell she was submitting to that heartless prick.  No chance in hell!

“Kane please…” She had to sit down on the bed, not even caring about the lamp shards and started sobbing violently, feeling sick to her stomach.  The agreement was null and void now, Mark had been the one to break the agreement! “Oh god…” Angeni rushed past him into the bathroom and vomited violently, her dinner and dessert, possibly even lunch, coming up.

As far as Taker was concerned, he hadn't broken the deal. She hadn't mentioned him at all in her little plea bargain. Her exact words had been ‘I want your word that your men won't hurt me’, emphasis on his men. He made his way back to his waiting motorcycle, cursing fluently under his breath.

Kane almost jumped when he heard the sounds of a Harley revving, almost snarling and bent down, beginning to pick up the shards of the lamp. He noted blood on them through the moonlight coming in and smiled viciously. He felt a surge of admiration course through him for his sister-in-law, knowing it was her that struck Taker with the lamp.

~!~

Angeni wasn't going back on the road, not after that attack from her husband, but she knew Kane did. “Don't worry about me.  I'll be fine.”

Already taking the money from the WWF out of her bank account, Angeni closed it, so now she lived solely on cash.  She remembered Mark's threat about taking everything away from her.  Well, if he even ATTEMPTED taking her cottage, she would fight him tooth and nail for it.

“Just be careful, Kane, please.”

She reached up and hugged him around the neck, closing her eyes, hoping she was doing the right thing by not going back.  Hell, she had to escape and fast, but there was nowhere for her to go.  She had no parents, no siblings, no family of any kind, they were all deceased or long forgotten.

“Go on before you miss your flight.”

Kane shook his head, obviously very hesitant about leaving her. “He'll be back.” He cautioned softly, staring down at her. “He's not going to let you run away.”

Angeni thought she could run and didn't understand it yet. There was nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. No one who could help her, not outside of the WWF anyway. Authorities? Money talked and things tended to get magically explained away as 'storylines gone a little too far'.

“I know and I don't understand it.  Two years and nothing.  No contact whatsoever.  And then Vince tracks me down and brings me into the WWF without telling me the real reasoning.” It didn't make any sense and Angeni had been mulling it over in her head repeatedly. “I just…I need a few days.  I need a few days alone to reflect and figure out what I'm going to do.  You look like you don't understand him either, so…looks like I'm on my own with this one.”

Somehow, Kane's warning about Mark being back didn't surprise Angeni, but she was going to take her chances.  She watched as Kane walked out of the cottage and got in the rental, driving away out of the woods down the dirt road.  Angeni couldn't leave her cottage in the condition it was in, having called a repair guy to come replace her bedroom window that Mark had broken, along with replacing locks, making them deadbolts this time. Kane simply shook his head, shifting from one foot to the other. He had to go, if he no-showed, he already knew what would happen to him just as soon as the McMahon's finally tracked him down.

“Be safe.” Kane said finally, reaching out to awkwardly pat her on the top of her head.

He didn't do kisses of any sort, for obvious reasons. Shuffling to the rental, Kane shot her a dubious glance over his shoulder before finally driving away. This wasn't going to end well. Angeni could only nod back at him and talked back into her cottage, the repair guy just finishing up in her bedroom. 

She made sure to install locks on all of her windows as well, deciding an alarm system was in order as well.  If she was going to be trapped in her own house, then Angeni was going to be completely comfortable.  She thanked the repairmen, paid them in cash and sent them on their way. 

Setting the alarm on her cottage, Angeni was thankful that it wasn't too old to be installed and shut some of the shades.  She had her cell phone shut off as well, having already changed her number.  She didn't know if that would help any, but Angeni took all the necessary precautions that she could think of.

Cell phones were actually fairly easy to trace numbers too. Though when Angeni not only switched numbers but also her service provider, that would take a little time and greasing the wheel. Taker was more than aware that she had remained behind while Kane had gone back on the road, as a good puppy and loyal employee should. He couldn't exactly take time off himself, but could rotate with his Ministry to ensure that Angeni was watched around the clock.

It had been Mideon who informed him that she had had servicemen out to her little cottage. The woman hadn't even bothered moving. Either she was smarter then she looked and realized it would be a complete waste of time, or she was really ballsy. New window, new locks, and an alarm.

Mideon had reported back the name of the company, he had immediately started Paul on the research for what type of systems they did. He was always prepared and, with it being the house show portion of their work week, Taker was going to pay his dear wife a visit.

When Mark didn't show up for several days, Angeni was starting to wonder if maybe he'd given up and left her alone.  Four solid days of no contact with anyone, she'd kept the cell off just in case.  She wished it was spring so she could actually open some of her windows, but that was fine.  She currently had a nice fire going in her fireplace while reading the documents her lawyer sent her overnight.  Mark would be getting them too and if he knew what was good for him, he would simply sign the dotted line and move on with his Princess Stephanie he wanted so damn much.

However, she was never alone, ever.

Mideon, Viscera, Farooq, and Bradshaw had all been keeping tabs on her until he was ready to go pay the little woman a visit, which was today. Bradshaw had been warned that if ANYTHING happened to Angeni, he would be a dead man. He figured she'd be expecting him to arrive during the night, which under normal circumstances, he would.

Chapter 9

As it was…Taker pulled up to her little fairytale cottage on his black Harley, sporting black jeans that hugged him in all the right places and a black leather vest that was left open, revealing his pale, muscular chest. His black haired was tied back at his nape and he wore black shades over his eyes, black biker gloves covering his bruised hands. Kane had been welcomed back to work properly.

Angeni was floored to see Mark actually come to her in the daylight, wondering what the hell he was up to.  She slowly set the book down she'd been reading and stood up, wearing a lavender long sleeved shirt with a pair of matching fleece pants, her hair down.  Kane warned her he would return, but...not under these circumstances.

Maybe she could pretend not to be home and he would go away?  No that would be cowardly on her part and it was one thing Angeni refused to be was a coward.  When a deliberate knock on her front door sounded, Angeni moved slowly toward it, chewing her bottom lip.

“What do you want?” If he thought for a second she was opening the door and letting him in, after cracking him over the head with a lamp, he was out of his mind.

“Little pig, little pig, let me in.” Came his darkly amused drawl through the door, followed by another sharp rap. “Open the door, wife, we have something to discuss. Namely your desire for a divorce.” His voice dropped an octave. “Which I'll never grant you.” When Angeni didn't come back with anything, or open the door, Taker rapped once more. “Don't make me ask again, Angeni.”

That was the only warning she was getting before he kicked the damn door in and if that didn't work, he had brought tools. Mark was serious and she knew it, cringing at his divorce comment, knowing she would have to take drastic measures to make it happen.  He hurt her last time and he broke in.  This time he was here rapping at her door and scaring her just with words.  A person who could do that had a lot of power and it made Angeni shiver involuntarily.

“Fine.” Angeni hoped she wasn't making a mistake by doing this and unbolted the door, slowly opening it as violet locked with acid green. “Why won't you give me a divorce?”

“Because I don't want too, and smart decision.” Taker said condescendingly, walking in past her and took in the cottage for the second time, this time with the advantage of daylight. “I'd forgotten what a romantic you are.” Taker said, finally dropping his duffel bag down onto the floor after procuring the divorce papers from inside of it. “Why on earth would you want a divorce? I am the best of husbands. I leave you alone for years at a time, I'm incredibly rich, relatively famous…astonishing in bed.” His eyes raked over her lavender clothing.

Angeni looked at his bag on the floor and then back at him, wondering what the hell he thought he was doing. “You're also overbearing, self-centered, self-righteous, manipulative, arrogant, egotistical, cruel…do I need to go on?  And when has money EVER been a factor to me?  Hell, I didn't even know what you did for a living until a week ago.  I don't care about money, I have my own and have gotten by without you for the past two years.  I don't care about your fame, your fortune or anything you have to offer.” She took his bag and tossed it right back out the door, pointing. “This is MY cottage, hubby.  Now get the hell out.”

“You only have your own money because of Vince fronting you your first paycheck. Without this job, you wouldn't have had a pot to piss in much longer.” Taker informed her callously. “And please, go on, extol my virtues. You forgot narcissistic, callous, cold, devious, highly intelligent…” He smiled grimly down at her, then pointed to his bag. “Go get it, and hope you haven't ruined anything inside of it. I was nice enough to even bring you a gift, my darling wife.”

“Don't you get it?  I don't want anything from you!  I was happy the last two years without you in my damn life!  It shows you how desperate I am because I would rather live without heat, water and electricity rather than come to my own husband for money.  And go get your bag yourself, asshole.” Angeni snorted, wondering if he actually thought she would cater to his every whim, want and need, thinking he might have a few screws loose in his head. “I'm not your servant and I meant what I said, I want you out.  You broke one of my goddamn windows, you forced me to smash an antic lamp over your head because you forced yourself on me and broke in here.  No, you are not welcome; I don't give a damn who the hell you are!”

“Which makes me want to be here all the more. And Angeni, you threw my bag out the door, it's only right that you go retrieve it for me.” Taker pointed out, lips curving into what was a decidedly wicked smirk. “I'm not leaving until tomorrow morning, when we both go back to work. You can suffer me for one night or…have you lost your sense of hospitality?” His voice dropped an octave. “Do you recognize the motorcycle? It's the same one I drove you home on that night you asked me in…”

“A decision I will regret for the rest of my life.” Angeni remarked coldly and reluctantly walked out the door to grab his bag, tossing it right back in at his feet. “There, don't ask me to do anything else for you either.  The bed upstairs is the only one I have available, take it or leave it.  You're not sleeping with me in my bed.” She slammed the door shut behind her, not even bothering to lock it because Mark was here. “How's that for hospitality, precious?”

She stalked away from him toward the living room, trying to get her blood to stop boiling and sat down to resume her reading before he so rudely interrupted her.  Angeni would pretend like he didn't exist, at least she hoped she could. That was very unlikely.

Taker didn't even bother going upstairs, having no intention in sleeping in the room, the very bed, she had given to Kane. It wasn't happening. He eyeballed her furniture, wondering if it would hold him. If not, she'd be out a chair because he sat down, cautiously and then set his bag at his feet.

“Are you not even the least bit curious about what I brought you, darlin’?” He asked, knowing full well she wished he had probably brought her a gun, to use on him.

“My name is Angeni, Ange or Geni.  Take your damn pick or I swear I will start calling you Mark again.” She promised through gritted teeth, leaning back against the couch and knew she wouldn't be getting anymore reading done, tossing it on the table. 

How was she supposed to deal with him for an entire night?  What if he tried forcing himself on her again like last time?  She missed her lamp, it couldn't be replaced because of how old it was.

“The only thing I want from you is a divorce.  If you've got that, I'll be the happiest woman in the world and we can both move on with our lives as if this marriage never happened.”

“Like I said, not happening. We've been unhappily married for quite some time now, I see no reason to alter that…” Taker informed her without looking up from the bag. “Yet.” He added in a dark undertone, well aware she hadn't remarked on the Harley comment.

Now that was just cold. Finally, he pulled out a small, velvet jewelry box and held it out, opening the lid to reveal a rather old-fashioned wedding ring. Angeni caught that 'yet' and raised an eyebrow, ignoring the ring for a second.

“Why not now?  You can't be happy with this arrangement.  So what does that yet mean exactly?  That you'll eventually give me the divorce; that you'll eventually stop being an arrogant prick?” Angeni finally looked at the ring and wanted to chuck it out the window into the snow, trying not to let her temper flare again. “Why don't you focus on the princess you want and just leave me alone?  Give it to her.  Give it to anyone else.  I don't want it.  This finger has been JUST fine without a ring on it for two years, no reason to alter that either.” She promptly snuggled up against the big pillow on her couch, looking completely miserable.

“Because the ring I have for darling Stephanie is a chain that'll go around her neck.” Taker informed her darkly, really not appreciating that one being thrown at him. She didn't need to worry about Stephanie, or mention her. That was his business. “And I'd like for you to wear this, Angeni.” He said, his voice oddly sweet, with a hint of menace behind it. “I actually went through a lot of trouble picking it out for you.”

“And I'd like for you to leave me alone while you're here, but you're not so I guess we can't get what we want.” It was exhausting being this cold to another person and Angeni hated it because, unlike Mark, she did have a heart. “So sorry you went through all the trouble to pick that gaudy looking ring out for me.  Maybe give it to your next wife because one way or another, I am going to get that divorce granted, with or without your consent.” She would have to pay her lawyer more money and inwardly sighed, knowing this was going to be a very long process since he refused to sign the damn papers.

“Your lawyer is rather expensive…” Taker commented, leaning back in the chair and stroked his beard, surveying Angeni thoughtfully. “Very expensive…” When she didn't even look at him, Taker stood up, quicker than most would have assume he could, and moved so he was sitting beside her on the couch. “I will not ask you a second time, Angeni.” He informed her, extending the ring. “You can either wear it willingly or...” Or he could consider putting it on her and then breaking her finger so it stayed on.

“Is that all you know how to do is intimidate and threaten?  What that blow to the lamp didn't teach you anything?  I'm. Not. Wearing. It.” Angeni punctuated each word with a jab of her finger and stood up from the couch, heading into the kitchen for something to drink and some aspirin.  It was going to be a very long night.  Of course he followed her, but that wasn't stopping her from getting her beverage, glaring when he slammed the refrigerator door. “Go ahead, try to put that damn thing on me because I'll just yank it off and flush it down the toilet.  Or better yet, I'll drop it down the damn sink so it's lost in the sewer.  Here, put it on, show me your power oh Lord of Darkness.  Force me to do something that I don't want to do, again.  It's all you know how to do.” For a fraction of a second, hurt flashed through Angeni's eyes, but it quickly vanished and was replaced with resentment.

Slowly, he set the ring down on the counter. “Do with it what you wish.” Taker said finally, his tone flat.

He had actually picked the ring out for her himself. It was ancient, had what could be called a 'romantic' look to it. It seemed like something she would appreciate. Taker had even remembered her finger size, but that came from having a rather…interesting…habit of memorizing women's sizes for multiple reasons and purposes.

“I don't understand you.  First, I don't hear or see you in two years and then I end up being tricked into working for the same company you do all to be used as a distraction.  Then you force me to work for the company in the group you're trying to bring down with your Ministry.  And now, you won't give me a divorce like you said you would.” Tears began falling down her face as Angeni slowly picked the ring up, remembering how he'd said he'd get her one the next time he came to see her.  That was the same time he told her the marriage was a mistake and that he would leave her alone and send divorce papers. “You wanted out of this back then and now suddenly you're changing your mind?  Mark, I don't like mind games, I don't like being played with and I damn sure don't appreciate how you've treated me since our reunion.  So why not just give me the divorce and let me get on with my life so you can get on with yours?  I'm not asking for much.  Hell, I don't want anything from you except a signature on a piece of paper.”

She really wanted a divorce that damn badly…and he actually needed Vince to think he was getting one or in the process of. A figurative light bulb flashed over his head. “You sure?” Taker demanded, arching an eyebrow down at her. “You are absolutely sure you don't want to give this-” He gestured between them, indicating an 'us'. “Another try?” When she shook her head, Taker sighed, running a hand down his face.

“Why would I want to give it another try with you when you've completely changed from the man I once loved?” Angeni wiped her tears away, hating that she showed weakness in front of him and suddenly felt completely drained. “You don't want to be married to me, you made it clear two years ago when you walked away and never looked back.  And now I know why.” Mark had put up a front with her, made her think he was good inside, but underneath all the layers he was pure evil. “I'm going to bed.”

Angeni walked past him and toward her bedroom, the pain radiating from her body from holding her emotions in.  When she was alone she would let them out, but not before then. Taker turned to watch her walk away, folding his arms over his massive chest. The wheels were already turning in his mind, and knew if he decided to play this game, it probably wasn't going to lead anywhere good.

Had he forgotten about Angeni?

Yes, and no.

At first, Taker had thought about her a lot and had intended on sending her the divorce papers, but there had never been time. He had always been so busy. Then…as time went on, he thought of her less and less, other things occupying his mind. He had told her it was a mistake, them marrying, and he had meant it.

Sort of. Taker had never explained his reasons, or what he meant by mistake, and now…it was way too late to even consider it. Not that he was considering it. Scowling, he stormed out of the kitchen and realized she’d taken the ring with her.

Chapter 10

No sooner had Angeni shut the door and locked it -she didn't trust Mark, not after what happened when he broke in last time-, tears began flowing and she finally let her pain out.  She sat on the bed and simply clutched the ring between her two fingers, not even realizing she'd taken it…until now.  It was a beautiful piece of jewelry, not gaudy at all. 

It looked old and ancient, two qualities she really loved.  It was a deep dark silver with a swirl design going all the way around it that looked almost like a flower with an amethyst oval shaped stone right in the center.  Amethyst was her favorite and her birth stone, had she told him that all those years ago? 

For a moment, Angeni slowly slipped the ring on her left hand, crying harder when it actually fit.  The perfect fit…for the worst marriage.  She immediately took it off and set it on her nightstand before crawling into bed, staining her pillow with tears, her heart breaking all over again like it had two years ago.

Refusing point blank to use the room Kane had, Taker stretched out the best he could on her couch, folding his hands beneath his head. He had stripped down to just his jeans, though they had been unbuttoned -it was a guy thing- and lain down. He wasn't tired in the least, night time was his time. He came alive in the darkness, he embraced it.

He was a part of it, and that was where the mistake in their marriage had become clear. She was his polar opposite. Now that he had fully embraced the darkness inside of him, he knew their spectrums were never going to touch. A purely evil smile spread across his sensual lips. Just because their spectrums were at opposing ends didn't mean he couldn't...sample the light.

Angeni had cried herself to sleep and currently lay beneath the comforter, though her top half was completely uncovered, the ring sitting on the nightstand.  The only light in the room was from the moon outside that shined through her window, illuminating her pale skin in a soft almost white glow.  Her raven hair pooled around her in waves, one hand on her stomach and the other tossed over her head, chest rising and falling slowly, steadily.  When the bed slowly dipped, Angeni didn't move, too exhausted to awaken from her deep slumber.

His precious wife was out cold, emotionally drained most likely, and even he knew that that was the worst kind of tired. It took everything out of a person and all one could do was close their eyes and succumb. He lay on his side, elbow on the bed, head in his palm and simply stared down at her.

She looked like…he didn't know, probably a character from one of those damn fairytales he remembered she was so fond of. Taker reached out and traced a fingertip along her collarbone down her arm, finally resting his hand on top of hers. As soon as his hand touched hers, more tears ran down her face beneath the closed lids, Angeni still very much asleep.  She was dreaming of that night Mark came to visit and told her the marriage was a mistake, how he'd shattered her without any regret or remorse in his voice.

“Mark…” Angeni whispered, trembling slightly and could see the look in his green eyes, which had been forever burned in her memory. “I love you…” Of course she waited until after he left before whispering that while staring out her bedroom window if her apartment, crying her heart out to the silence. “Don't go…”

Taker heard every whispered word that came from her trembling lips, watching as her eyes moved rapidly behind her closed eyelids. She was sound asleep, dreaming about him and the day he had left her apparently, and she still spoke in her sleep. Some things never changed.

Though this was something he probably could do without ever hearing. Frowning, Taker bent down, brushing his lips against hers gently, feeling her body shudder before relaxing. He mouthed the words 'I won't', knowing his luck if he said it aloud, she would wake up.

Her tears stopped falling almost instantly as soon as his lips brushed against hers and Angeni physically relaxed, sinking further into the bed.  Though when he kissed her again, this time a little harder, Angeni woke up but didn't pull away like she normally would have.  There was no strength left in her body and, honestly, he felt too good against her to ever think about pulling away. 

She poured everything she felt into this kiss, all the love, heartache, pain, happiness, sadness, aggression, passion...all of it, not holding anything back.  Her hand gripped the back of his neck, delving in his black thick hair, and felt his arm curl around her waist, pulling her closer against him to where he practically crushed their chests together.  It didn't matter, Angeni didn't break the kiss because she knew, as soon as she did reality would come bringing her crashing down.

Now Taker was going to be a gentleman and leave her alone. He had every intention of going back to that miserable couch and attempting to sleep. But then she had to wake up to the last kiss and…well now she was going to have to forcibly push him away. Though it definitely did not feel like she wanted him to stop.

In fact, the way she was kissing him, was as if she were telling him something and it was moving by too fast for him to fully grasp everything. He didn't stop returning the kiss, not even when he couldn't breathe, knowing she probably couldn't either. If this was going to be their last kiss, he wanted to make it last all night.

Angeni had to breathe or else she was going to pass out, wondering if that might be the better option at this point.  She finally, very reluctantly, broke the kiss and stared into his acid eyes that were cloudy, the desire clear as it was in her now royal blue eyes.  Not saying a word, Angeni sat up and removed her shirt, licking her swollen lips.  She loved this man and couldn't help how she felt, what she wanted. 

Deciding this one night she could give into what she wanted and pretend they actually weren't in a loveless marriage, Angeni reached behind her and took the ring, slipping it on her left ring finger before kissing him again.  She could deal with having just one night with him, Angeni hoped anyway and while kissing him reached around to remove her bra, breaking the kiss long enough before going right back in for the kill.  Mark would use this against her no doubt, but all Angeni cared about at that moment was being with him.

Taker hadn't missed her sliding the wedding ring he had presented her with only hours ago onto her finger, surmising what it symbolized and knew this was her offering him a one night only deal. He guided her back down to the bed, deep forest green eyes roaming over her bare torso before bending down. He traced his tongue down from between the valley of her breasts to her naval. His large, calloused hands skimmed lightly up her ribs, feeling goose bumps breaking out over her flesh and smiled slightly, nipping at her stomach.

It felt incredible being in this position with him again, feeling devour her everywhere with his tongue, teeth, hands, any part of his body he could use, Mark did.  He was an incredible lover, Angeni would never admit that to him directly because of his already huge head.   Every kiss, touch, lick, thrust...everything he gave her reminded her of their first night together ever. 

Somehow, it had gotten better after two solid years of not seeing or speaking to each other.  By the time both were sated and satisfied, the sun barely peaked over the horizon, both of them falling asleep with Mark's arms wrapped around her, his nose buried in her hair.  Angeni lay in his arms and had a content smile on her face, knowing when she woke up later on it would vanish, especially after coming to terms with what she did.

Taker woke up sometime much later and automatically went to sit up when his eyes opened and he seen a ceiling he did not recognize right off the bat. He felt something, someone, on his chest and it all flooded him. He looked down at his sleeping wife, who was sprawled against him. Her beautiful, lithe limbs splayed over him in a way he would term as graceful. Settling back into the pillow, he adjusted his arm, which was pinioned beneath her, and ran his hand up and down her spine, contemplating the night's events and what it meant for their future.

Stirring slightly, Angeni sighed softly at the feeling of a hand running up and down her back in a gentle caress, snuggling further into the warm chest her head currently laid on. Her violet eyes slowly fluttered open, even though she didn't want to get up and it took Angeni a few seconds to figure out not only where she was, but who she was in the arms of. The smell of leather and sandalwood instantly surrounded her and Angeni could tell just by the feeling of their bodies pressed together that it was skin on skin.

They were completely naked.

Once the realization hit her, memories of the previous night came rushing back to her intensely. She had completely surrendered to the one man who had broken her heart two years ago, the one man she vowed to never sleep with again. Not only that, but Angeni had also slipped the ring on that he'd bought for her on her left ring finger, which currently laid on his chest, sparkling in the dim sunlight that managed to seep through her windows. Angeni didn't move and just stayed there for awhile, letting him continue to caress her. 

She knew as soon as she looked up into his acid eyes, that's when the regret would set in.  That’s when she would realize she was in the arms of the devil, the personification of evil she’d heard someone call him in the WWF.  The name fit him perfectly. Not ready to face the harsh reality yet, Angeni closed her eyes again, drinking in this moment as long as she possibly could before it was destroyed, not saying a single word.

Angeni was awake. The way she moved against him at first followed by just a very slight tensing of her nude body informed him that she had opened those beautiful violet eyes and had the same morning realization issues he had had. Not breaking the silence, he just continued his gentle stroking, his fingers now moving up her spine, back down and then to circle her hipbone before trailing the path all over again.

“What time do you have to leave?” She finally asked in a whisper, her heart already breaking, but Angeni couldn't pretend anymore. 

When he didn't answer her, Angeni sighed with a heavy heart and pushed herself up from him, running a hand through her haphazard black hair, not able to look him in the eye.  What the hell had she done?  She basically gave this devil all the ammunition he would need to keep her wrapped around his finger and she hated herself for it.

“Wow it's already two...” She blinked, standing up to retrieve her silk robe.

Technically, they were leaving. He had mentioned that last night, though she had probably just attributed that to him being his usual arrogant, jackass self. She was a new employee and already had been given some personal leave. Not a great way to kick off her year long term with the WWF, Taker wondered idly when Vince was going to just let the entire nice guy facade slip and reveal himself for the evil bastard he was. He smirked at the irony, she was trapped between her vindictive boss, who had brought her in to use against her very evil husband.

Angeni tied the robe tightly around her before retrieving the clothes that were tossed all over her bedroom floor, tossing his on the bed beside him before heading into the bathroom.  He could do whatever he wanted, but Angeni had to get the morning taste out of her mouth and try not to think about what she did with her husband.  Taking the ring off, Angeni stared at it for a full minute before setting it down and ran the water, splashing the cool liquid on her face before starting to brush her teeth.  Once he was gone, she would jump in the shower to scrub his prints off of her and hopefully the memory of their sexual encounter. 

That was highly unlikely though.

If she thought she was getting rid of him, she was dead wrong because Taker walked into the bathroom after her, not bothering to shut the door behind him again or minding his nudity. “We're going to have to leave soon.” He informed her, looking down over her shoulder at the ring on the bathroom counter before moving to get the shower running.

It was too late for coffee and he was not a day person, needing cold water.

That caught her off guard and Angeni rinsed her mouth out before turning to face him, raising an eyebrow. “What do mean we?  I'm not going with you.” Angeni wasn't ready to go back to the company that had made her life miserable, not yet and definitely not with him. “What happened last night doesn't change anything between us.  I still want a divorce.” She decided that it was just sex and nothing more, a way to get each other out of their systems so they could move on.

“That's all well and fine, but your vacation time is up.” Taker informed her, hunting around for towels and set some out, after eyeballing them. Just on the side of caution, he added two extra to the pile. “Or didn't Vince tell you? Oh wait, that's right, he couldn't because you changed your cell phone number. I'm sure the return-to-work order is waiting in your mailbox.” After adjusting the temperature, Taker pulled back the shower curtain and then grinned down at her, his acid eyes glittering. “Want to join me?”

“You know if you would've just let me come back here and gone on with your damn Ministry, I wouldn't be in this situation being forced to return to a job I do NOT want.  And no, I'm not joining you in the shower.” Angeni knew part if her anger was at herself for letting her guard down and having sex with Mark. “And I changed my number for a very good reason because somebody decided to break into my home and attack me in my bed.” Only for her to screw the same man in that same bed…Angeni face palmed herself and had to turn around, gripping the sink tightly with her hands. “Last night was a onetime deal, I hope you realize that.”

“Your remark on still wanting a divorce gave me a general idea.” Taker said, stepping into the shower and under the lukewarm spray. He adjusted the shower head, but still had to stoop a bit, it was manageable. However, he was going to go home on his next day off and revel in the open space, the loft ceilings, and generally enjoy not feeling like a giant in a dollhouse. “I didn't attack you, I kissed you. YOU assaulted ME.” With a damn lamp of all things. “What the hell is this?” He then demanded, staring down at her bottle of shampoo and opened it, sniffing its contents.

He was the Lord of Darkness; he didn't need to be smelling like flowers or something.

Chapter 11

“It’s called shampoo and conditioner.  You should try it sometime.” Angeni shot back sarcastically, rolling her eyes. “No, you broke in here.  I did not give you permission to enter my home.  So therefore, I had every right to smash that damn lamp over your head.  Which I loved, so thanks for making me ruin it.  It's not replaceable.” He would love hearing that and she knew it, scowling. “I'm not arguing with you about this anymore.  Just go away and leave me alone, please.”

“No, and for the record, I didn't make you do anything. You chose to break your antique, irreplaceable lamp over my skull. Which required stitches, does that make you feel any better?”

Taker ignored her comment about using shampoo and conditioner; his hair was gorgeous and he knew it. Vanity was definitely one of his many…character traits. Ignoring the fact that he was going to have to overdose on cologne to regain some masculinity points back, he used her shampoo and conditioner, but drew the line at the pink body wash. He used shampoo for his body as well.

“If we're going to have more overnights, I might have to leave a bag here.” He announced while finishing up rinsing off, knowing that would irritate the hell out of her.

“No if about it, there won't be any more overnights, not with me.” Angeni stated with finality, hearing the cold amusement in his tone and wanted to punch him in the face.  She wanted to take his long black hair, wrap it around his neck and choke him with it until he turned blue. “And yes, knowing you needed stitches makes me feel tons better, though I would've preferred it to be staples.”

Snorting, Angeni vacated the bathroom and slammed the door shut before he could utter another word, needing to get dressed before he emerged.  She decided on red fleece pants with a matching long sleeved shirt, knowing the color would irritate him to no end because it was in reference to Kane.  She brushed her hair and pulled it up in a messy bun before heading out to the kitchen, starving. 

He could eat on his way to the airport because she wasn't catering to him anymore than she already had. When Taker finally came out of her bathroom, he was dressed in black jeans and a long sleeved, black thermal shirt, his damp hair hanging down his back. Getting a little inquisitive, Taker examined the contents of her bathroom cupboards and regretted it upon finding the feminine products, something he did not miss when it came to living with a woman.

“No late breakfast?” Taker asked pleasantly, which did not sound quite right coming from him, since his idea of pleasant was…much different from the normal persons. He then stopped and took in her colors, not finding that as amusing as she did.

Was he seriously asking her to make him breakfast now? “You really enjoy humiliating me don't you?”

Angeni gritted her teeth when his arms suddenly circled her waist from behind, not realizing the color she'd chosen had gotten under his skin more than she thought.  She just kept pulling apart the bacon from the package and put it in the fry pan, finally turning around when she felt his hot breath on her neck. Why couldn't his touch make her skin crawl instead of light her blood on fire?  If Mark didn't release her, she was going to haul off and smack him with her current hot skillet, sizzling bacon included.

“Let go of me right now.”

It was like that thought traveled from her mind and directly into his, because Taker's eyes dropped down to the skillet, her hand gripping the handle and decided discretion was definitely called for right about now. He let go of her and walked around until he was out of smacking range. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that Angeni wouldn't hit him with a hot skillet filled with bacon and bacon grease.

The woman had clocked his with a very heavy, antique lamp. She was…violent and he grinned maliciously, the wheels beginning to turn. Now they just had to direct her violence away from him and everything would be alright.

Surprisingly enough, Mark didn't touch her again while she cooked and Angeni thanked him by setting down a plate of eggs, bacon and biscuits with honey butter and strawberry jam.  She didn't say a word to him and just dug into her food, looking out the window, her supposed wedding ring on her right middle finger now.  She refused to wear it on her left ring finger because they would soon be divorced anyway.  But it was hers, he bought it for her and she wasn't about to destroy it because it was a breathtaking piece of jewelry.

Taker didn't care which finger she currently wore it on. The fact that she was actually wearing it signaled to him that he had won one of the battles many they were already fighting, knowing there would be plenty more. Battles meant nothing in the long run however, history always remembered who had won the war. Just so they didn't give each other indigestion by fighting, he remained silent and simply ate, knowing she was probably feeding him in hopes he would vacate. Which he would, with her in tow. He really hoped she remembered how to ride.

Once they were done eating, Angeni took the plates into the kitchen and set them in the sink before starting to wash, hoping and praying Mark left soon.  She just wanted to be alone, to be able to let her emotions out without him around to witness it.  She'd made a huge mistake by sleeping with him and wondered if he even cared how it made her feel.  No of course not, he was a heartless bastard after all with any conscience.  When she finished, Angeni hung her towel up on the rack and headed into the living room, sitting down on the couch.

“I fucked and fed you, now leave.” Angeni ordered, opening her book to continue reading.

“Now that was just vulgar, Ange.” Taker drawled, leaning against the door, his bag now setting against the wall near him since he had gone to retrieve it, while she did the dishes like a good little housewife should. “But yes, you did feed me and you did fuck me...rather well, I thought.” He could be vulgar and callous, too. In fact, he was rather good at it, green eyes flashing vindictively. “But maybe you haven't heard my previous mentions of: You are coming with me. How and in what condition are solely up to you.”

“What part of I'm not going with you did YOU not understand?” She shot back, slowly lowering her book and tossed it on the table, folding her arms in front of her chest. “You didn't hear it apparently, let me repeat it for you then: I. Am. Not. Going. Back. With. You.  Get it through your head, you are not going to force me to do things I don't want to do.  And if you touch me, I will fight you off like I have previously and I'll end up hurting you...AGAIN.  Just leave.  Leave my home and leave me alone.”

She was really going to make him knock her pert ass out, wasn't she? Yes, yes she was and Taker could only pinch the bridge of his nose, letting out a mock pained sigh. “I did give you warning…” He said flatly, crouching down without breaking eye contact from her. He reached for his bag and pulled out a small bottle and a cloth from the inside pouch. Ignoring the fact that she was now getting to her feet, he poured some of the liquid onto the cloth and then stood up. “And no, Angeni, I promise you won't feel a thing.”

He grinned, baring his teeth at her as he advanced. Catching her wasn't the problem, it was holding her still without seriously injuring her. The woman fought like a hellcat and she wound up pinned with her back to his chest, one of his muscular arms around her waist and the cloth inches from her mouth and nose.

“I would offer to let you change your mind, but…I don't really trust you to behave yourself.” He informed her almost conversationally.

Tears poured down her face as she tried not to breathe in the ether, knowing that's exactly what it was.  Her violet eyes stared into his in both heartbreak and disbelief before slowing starting to fade.  She couldn't let this happen!  She couldn't let him take her forcefully like this!  With one more stitch effort, Angeni took her leg and brought it back, nailing him right between his legs. 

Mark roared out in pain and managed to release her, the cloth leaving her mouth and Angeni gagged and coughed violently, trembling from head to toe.  Oh god she felt sick to her stomach, knowing she did breathe some of that ether in.  This was the man she had slept with willingly, what the hell was she thinking?! Her head was dizzy while he writhed in pain on the floor, scrambling as far away from him as she could

“S-Stay away from me…STAY AWAY FROM ME!!” Angeni managed to scream out, only to start coughing harder.

He was holding himself and coughing at the same time, the air driven from his lungs and pretty sure one of his balls was lodged firmly in his throat, which would explain the coughing. His body was trying to dislodge it. Growling, he pushed aside the pain, knowing if he didn't, she was going to get up off that floor and attack him again and he had had enough.

“That was very stupid on your part, Angeni.” Taker informed her in a tone that promised retribution.

Bending down to grab her by the hair, Taker jerking her upright, the look in his eyes pure murder. Before she could kick him and lodge the other ball up with its twin, he slapped the cloth he had been gripping in a very tightly clenched fist against her nose and mouth, peering into her violet eyes emotionlessly. The moment she was out, he let her drop back to the floor and then fell himself, right onto his back.

“SON OF A BITCH!”

~!~

When Angeni woke up several hours later, it was in a dark room in a bed, feeling sick to her stomach.  It was the effects from the ether, she remembered exactly what happened.  She managed to push herself up halfway on the bed, coughing and collapsed back down, tears sliding down her cheeks.  Angeni had never felt this weak in her life and suddenly felt a gurgle in her stomach, barely grabbing the trashcan that was conveniently on the side of the bed before vomiting.  Her hair was a curtain around it and all Angeni could do was cling to it crying, knowing she'd been forced back to the WWF.

“That is an unfortunate side effect.” Came Paul Bearer's voice, and a moment later, a very dim light was flicked on.

She was in a hotel room and had slept for quite some time, probably not helped by the fact that the Undertaker had judiciously dosed her. Paul had enquired why he felt the need to keep the woman around the clock sedated so to speak for a simple ride and then once back at the hotel. He had gotten a very nasty look in return.

“You have exactly…two hours before the show.” Paul announced after glancing at the clock on the wall. “Vince has been notified of your arrival and will send a car since your husband refuses to see anyone at the moment.”

Mainly because Taker had locked himself in his own bathroom, sitting in a tub filled with ice.

“If he knows what's good for him, he'll stay the fuck away from me or I'll castrate him next time.” She growled, managing to pull herself away from the trashcan and set it back on the floor, laying back on the bed again with a spinning head. 

How the hell was she supposed to work under THESE conditions? 

Angeni felt like a mach truck ran her down going a hundred miles an hour or more. “And you can relay this message to Mark too: I'm not going to the arena tonight.”

As a matter of fact, Angeni was on the first plane ride out of here and coughed more, curling up in a tight ball as more tears fell.  He had forced her hand to sign that contract, forced her to be in the Corporation and now had forced her to come back to the WWF.  He could go straight to hell if he thought he was controlling what she did a second longer.

“Hmm, it's not Taker I would be worried about in those events but Vince. You do realize he will drag you through the courts and you'll simply wind up back here again, where your husband will be waiting?” With open arms and a sneer, no less. Paul had been busy while she was regaining her sense of self, finally settling down a glass of ice water and two Tylenol. “It's not drugged.” He said flatly when she stared at it. “Hydrate yourself, it'll help you recover faster.”

“One year…I have one year on my contract and then I am gone.  And he'll never see me again.” She whispered forlornly.

Reluctantly taking the glass of water and popped the two Tylenol, doing as Paul requested. Angeni decided since Mark was going to make her life a living hell, then she would return the favor.  A second later, Paul was on the floor knocked out due to her smashing the glass over his head. If she was going to get out of the Federation faster, then drastic times called for drastic measures.

“You can tell Mark this too: Our deal is OFF.”  Grabbing what she presumed to be her bag, Angeni stumbled out of there, making it to the elevator and sighed with relief when the doors closed.

When the elevator stopped at the third floor -she had been on the fourth-, Bradshaw basically jumped on, ignoring her as he pressed the damn button. “Come on, come ON!” He leaned back against the paneled wall when the doors closed, closing his eyes in relief and then realized who the hell was in there with him. Frowning, he stared down at her. “You are supposed to be…in bed.” He said slowly, taking in her bare feet and disheveled state. “Oh, Taker warned us about you bein' a flight risk.” Grinning, he approached her.

When the doors opened on the first floor, a very pissed off, slightly red-faced Stone Cold Steve Austin was waiting, blood trickling from the side of his head. Nothing serious, but he wasn't amused. He grabbed Bradshaw, jerking him out of the elevator and away from the woman, who hadn't looked too pleased with the big moron having his hands on her, and stunned him right there on the marble floor.

“Next time ya decide to try takin' me out, jackass, you best be damn sure I'm down for the count!”

Angeni stared at the blue eyed bald man and smiled with relief, actually hugging him around the neck quickly. “Thank you.”

She hurried away from him and opened her bag, pulling her black flats out before heading out of the hotel.  She wasn't waiting for the damn car from Vince, needing fresh air to clear her head and keep her from passing out again.  Angeni heard bellowing sound behind her and groaned, knowing she would have to start running and did just that, leaving a rather disgruntled Bradshaw in the dust.  That jerk had broken the deal and all bets were off now. She was going to make sure made the Ministry's life a living hell too, especially being in the Corporation.

Well now that was just…messed up. Steve had actually chased after her, watching as she booked it down the street. That woman could run. He whirled around in time to find the rest of the Ministry coming out, having no idea what the hell he had just stunned his way into and wasn't asking questions. He stunned Mideon right there on the icy sidewalk, rolling out of the way before Viscera could trample him.

Paul had called to alert Taker that Angeni had fled when he came too long enough to think coherently. Then he had passed right back out again.*

She was really beginning to piss her husband off.

Chapter 12

Angeni made it to the arena unscathed and kept looking over her shoulder, making sure none of the Ministry and, more importantly, Mark were following her.  She didn't go to the Corporation locker room, deciding since she was being forced into this, she might as well make the best of it.  Tiffany just directed her to the rack of clothes and Angeni smirked when she found the perfect dress. 

It was black -Angeni never wore that color, but under these circumstances she really had no alternative- with red lining, which looked like a spider web laced design.  Only the design itself looked flowery with ribbon swirls and it went two inches above the knee, just past mid-thigh.  The hem was cut in a flower leaf design as well, gently laying against her legs, but showed them off at the same time and it was spaghetti strapped. Angeni could run in pretty much anything and decided on black open-toed heels that strapped up her calves, the heel design matching the dress. 

Black and red - Kane's colors, it worked. 

When she emerged from the dressing room, all Tiffany could do was gape at her and Angeni kindly asked her to do her hair.  Tiffany ended up leaving it down because her black hair contrasted beautifully with the dress, though Angeni decided to do her own makeup.  She had thick black eyeliner on with deep red eye shadow that was made into a flame design on her lids and deep red lipstick, foundation to hide any blemishes. 

She also picked a red choker that had a black onyx stone dangling from it along with matching earrings that went with the dress perfectly, only they too were red.  Angeni finished with her nails, painting them pure black, finally starring into a mirror.  Mark was going to regret bringing her back on the road and tonight was just the beginning.  Walking back to the Corporation locker room, people merely stared at her and Angeni knew they didn't recognize her.

Actually one person recognized her and that was Kane. Though recognizing her right off the bat didn't mean he didn't simply stare at her in shock. She was wearing…his colors, not surprising, but what she wore, how she looked…that was…wow. He had worried about her, but she looked…wow. Kane was having a hard time thinking and it wasn't due to the concussion his brother had gave him the week prior for daring to spend the night with her.

“…Angeni?” Vince finally asked, sounding uncertain.

“Hello Vince.” She greeted softly with a ruby smile, extending her hand to him. “I want to thank you for letting me have those few days off, considering I wasn't fully prepared for everything that's happened.  But I want you to know I'm back now and I won't be taking any more time off until I leave this place once my contract is up.  Also, the deal is off.” She glanced over at Kane, wanting to make sure he heard that, before her cold violet eyes turned back to her boss. “So whatever the Corporation needs, I'll do, sir.  I apologize for the way I reacted the last time we spoke and it will not happen again.  You've given me a hell of an opportunity and I intend to see it through till the end.  So, is it alright if I still accompany Kane to the ring?”

“Wait, what deal?” Shane demanded, confusion in his tone.

He had completely gone off whatever thought tracks he had been on when she walked in and had yet to catch back up. Shane could not for the life of him keep himself from looking her over from head to toe. Kane let out a soft warning growl.

“Of-of course you can.” Vince said, wondering just what had happened during those days off, but wasn't asking…not yet anyway. “And the deal if off? So that means...” That meant she was going to be much more active in the Corporation.

“That means interfering, distracting, clocking those bastards with my heels if necessary…” Angeni smirked at the memory of dazing Bradshaw with that shot to the face, slowly looking over at Shane. “My eyes are up here, boy.” She stated, watching as his head snapped back up to stare back into her eyes, turning her full attention on Vince. “That also means we're going to need the Corporation's backup a lot more now that I won't be able to invoke my 'no touch, no harm' deal with Undertaker.” She flat out refused to call him her husband, already slipping her 'wedding band' off and put it in her bag for safe keeping. “So, who are you facing tonight, Kane?”

Joanie coughed.

“Undertaker.”

Vince cleared his throat. “Think you'll be alright to go out there still?” He asked gently.

“I just want to see her throw a heel at the Deadman's face.”

“Shut up, Andy.”

“She'll be fine.” Kane said confidently.

Standing up from the bench, Kane ignored the surprised looks he received from them all. If she didn't want to go out, he didn't blame her. If she did, he smirked under his mask. Taker would probably suffer some distractions and he owed big brother some payback.

“Only if you want me too, Vince, but I trust that Kane will do everything he can to protect me.” She walked over and stood beside her brother-in-law, smiling up at him. “Besides, why deprive the Deadman of seeing his usually conservative wife in an outfit like this?” Angeni gestured to the dress she'd chosen, smirking when Shane and Test could only nod in agreement. “It will be quite the distraction, which is what you're aiming for, right?  And we'll try to get his mind off of your daughter, but it is going to take a little time and effort.”

So she knew about Stephanie, of course she would, but he wondered how much. Vince couldn't help feeling relief coursing through him at her words, reaching out to take her hands in his. “You will be protected.” He informed her.

Knowing with her new attitude and with the apparent deal being off, -this was going to turn brutal- Vince glanced at Kane. Kane was wondering just what exactly had made her want to dress like that to begin with. Her comment about the Deadman seeing his wife in an outfit like that had just seemed odd to Kane, but he couldn't put a finger on why exactly.

“How?”

“How what?”

He was dealing with idiots. “Distract him.”

“Just because you don't have the working parts Red doesn't mean other guys don't, ya get it now?”

He was going to kill Andy and actually went to do it.

“Andy, mind your tongue if you don't want Kane to remove it for you.” Angeni ordered gently but firmly, her eyes moving back to Kane. “And his name is Kane, not Red.  Learn it quickly.” Did they not realize he was a monster and could decapitate all of them within the blink of an eye?  Apparently not. “Now then, getting back to my darling husband, you just let me worry about the distraction.  Don't worry Vince, I'll make sure Mark doesn't get what he wants.”

Andy blinked. “Mark?”

“Yes Mark.” That deal was broken too, Mark could call her whatever he wanted as far as Angeni was concerned.

“Uhhh...”

Angeni smiled sweetly.

Kane had definitely been right when he told her before leaving her at her cottage that the Undertaker would come back. The man had and whatever had happened between them, this was apparently the result. Kane wasn't sure if he approved or not, finding her newfound attitude both…interesting and maybe a bit reckless. He then wondered if Taker would actually put his hands on his wife, then scratched that, yes he would.

“Mark is his given name, idiot.” Hunter said when Andy continued to blink, popping his gum noisily. “You didn't really think his mama called him the Undertaker from day one or something, did ya?”

“Gotta be honest, I can't picture him even having a mama.”

While Hunter and Andy argued back and forth about Mark's family tree, Kane excluded, Angeni walked out of the dressing room with Kane.  Vince and Shane assured her that they would be ready in case the Ministry interfered and no doubt they would.  Angeni knew Kane was curious to know what happened with her and Mark when he came to see her, but she was never speaking of that again. 

It never happened. 

It was a dream. 

When Kane's pyro exploded and his music began, Angeni took a deep breath before stepping out on the stage with Kane, following him to the ring.  He did his usual in-ring stance and exploded the flames from the four ring posts before his opponent came out.  Angeni vacated the ring right before the lights went out, already knowing Mark was about to make his presence known and felt a shiver rush down her spine. Kane was not surprised in the least when the Undertaker came out accompanied by a very disgruntled looking Paul Bearer. He was a bit surprised by the nasty look the fat, waddling man shot Angeni, glancing down at her.

“What'd you do to him?” Kane asked curiously, not entirely sure if he wanted to know. “Careful, he keeps ether and other things on his person to use.” He cautioned, giving her no time to answer his question as they vacated the ring, allowing the Undertaker to climb in through the ropes.

Black. She was wearing black. Taker was already not very happy with his wife, who had nailed him in the balls earlier in the day, then struck his associate over the head and bolted. This was not helping his anger issues.

Angeni nodded at Kane and then proceeded to dig under the ring, pulling out the first thing she saw…a fire extinguisher of all things, smiling sweetly at her husband.  She waved three fingers at him with her black nails and held the weapon close-by, glaring daggers across the way at Paul.  If the fat man was smart, he would keep his pudgy nose out of this and away from her.  She loved the look of pure anger in her husband's eyes and grinned wickedly when Kane attacked him from behind.  He was such a fool for turning his back on his baby brother and, with the fire extinguisher next to her, Angeni started pounding on the mat shouting encouragement.

“Destroy him, Kane!!”

He hadn't even been able to remove his damn robe and already Kane was on him like a wild dog. Of course, Taker should have been expecting it after tormenting Kane while Angeni had been on her days off. Him taking his own little time off to go visit with the darling wife had probably allowed Kane time to recoup. He should have left orders that the Ministry beat his big red ass around on his behalf. As it was, he managed to get his arms out of the robe, letting it drop to the canvas in order to start exchanging blows with baby brother, his head ringing.

“Come on get him!!”

Angeni couldn't help feeling the adrenaline course through her, clapping when Kane side slammed Mark almost through the mat.  That's how hard the impact was, it literally shook the ring.  Though, when Angeni saw Paul pull something out of his jacket pocket, she reacted the only way she knew how, especially when the sick smell of ether permeated the air. 

That was NOT happening to Kane.  She took the fire extinguisher and held the hose up, turned it on and proceeded to blast Paul with it, sending the bottle of ether and rag flying into the fans due to the force of the blast.  She looked up when Mark started yelling at her and simply pointed behind him at Kane, who caught him in a choke slam.

Kane was going to laugh his ass off later, when he wasn't in the middle of the ring, or surrounded by Corporation idiots. The image of Angeni, this tiny woman, hosing down Paul Bearer with a fire extinguisher, and the fat idiot landing on his ass, only to scramble getting up, would be seared in his mind forever. It would definitely give his normal nightmares a run for their money and Kane mentally reminded himself to thank Angeni later on.

Dead, Angeni was dead. Maybe she was holding a bit of a grudge after earlier, but he had warned her, and this…wait a minute, since when did she interfere in his matches? They had a deal and she had broken it.

When Kane bent down to grab him, Taker reached up, a hand clasping around Kane's throat and squeezed mercilessly, grinning like a lunatic. Angeni saw what was happening and decided Kane could handle himself because the rest of the Ministry members had rushed to the ring.  She stopped them dead in their tracks though, still holding the fire extinguisher, knowing Paul was out for the count right now.

“You know Bradshaw, had you NOT laid your hands on me, as per the agreement, I wouldn't be doing this to you all right now.”

She let loose and proceeded to spray all of them down, violet eyes flashing and got Bradshaw directly in his face. Knowing if Mark paid any attention to what she said, he would know that his minion had broken their agreement. That’s why she was currently hosing his Ministry down, making them look like snowmen came on them.

Given all the noise surrounding them and the fact that he was now on his feet working at beating the hell out of Kane for even daring to think he could win this match, and venting his frustrations about Angeni out onto his personal beating post, he didn't hear that. Taker was still under the mistaken impression that she had jumped the fence and broken their deal. When Kane was done for a moment, he walked over to the ropes, leaning over and yelled at his Ministry, who looked like a bunch of morons right about now.

“Get up!” Taker bellowed, hiding the pain he was feeling at the moment. Two choke slams never went over easily, especially from Kane, but he had a high pain tolerance level.

“What the fuck, Bradshaw?!”

“You broke the deal?”

“GODDAMN IT, SHAW!!”

While Mark decided to lean over the rope, Angeni decided to turn around and blasted him in the face, grinning evilly when he roared out in pain.  So not only had she lodged his balls in his throat, but now practically blinded him.  The Ministry was too busy slipping and sliding from how much froth came from the fire extinguisher.  Angeni watched as Kane choke slammed Mark for the third time and pinned him for the victory, thanks to her interference.  She then started spraying the Ministry down again, looking up when the Corporation members started running out from the back while Kane continued pounding on Mark.

“Fuck you, Mark!” She shouted in the ring, having walked around to stand on the other side of the ring so she didn't get in the way of the fighting, giggling madly.

Chapter 13

All Taker could do was lay there in the center of the ring with his eyes closed and breathing through his nose, which wasn't working out too well. Kane had gotten the victory because Angeni had…had sprayed him down with that damn thing…total and complete humiliation. She had just made a fool of him in front of all these people.

She had singlehandedly taken out his entire Ministry of Darkness. He was going to murder people tonight as soon as this shit stopped burning his eyes. Growling, Taker sat upright, wiping the foam off his face with his arm, knowing he needed to flush his eyes immediately.

Kane appeared behind Angeni, his mismatched eyes alight with humor and placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently to let her know it was just him.

“Hey Lord of Darkness?” She snorted, tossing the fire extinguisher in the ring, knowing he couldn't see her but hear her. “Next time you decide to break our agreement by having one of your goons come after me, make sure you're ready for the consequences, DICK!” Angeni shouted before vacating with Kane.

Wrapping an arm around her waist, the Corporation had taken out the Ministry of Darkness for the night.  They both turned back around to see Mark getting to his feet in the ring and Kane raised his arms up in the air, the posts exploding with fire as his theme music thundered throughout the arena.  Giggling, Angeni blew a kiss to Mark before turning right back around with Kane, both of them heading through the curtain in the back.

Taker snatched the bottle of water a ring official brought him, using it to rinse his eyes out and opened them gingerly, not surprised by how bad they burned or how watery and blurry everything was. It took several moments for the scene to come into view and all he could think was: She's going to die. I will strangle her with my bare hands.

“Well that was fun.”

“He let one of them come after you?” Kane demanded, not overly surprised.

This was the Undertaker. The man made promises and usually kept them but…there were also promises he found amusing to break. But with Angeni, he had been expecting Taker himself to be the one to break the deal, not send someone to do the dirty work.

“Who? Did he hurt you?”

“Bradshaw and he would have if not for Stone Cold Steve Austin stunning him into next week.” Angeni grinned at the thought of Steve inadvertently saving her. “You asked me earlier out there what I did to fatty.  Mark brought me here against my will, not a huge surprise.  He knocked me out with ether.  When I woke up, Paul was there and…he pissed me off with what he said.  So I smashed my glass of water on his head and hauled ass out of there.  That's when I ran into Bradshaw, he touched my shoulders and that was it.  My agreement with Mark was simple: NONE of the Ministry of Darkness was to lay a hand on me and they did, so they paid that price tonight.”

No doubt Mark would be hunting her down and Angeni was going to do everything she could to stay one step ahead of him.

Kane considered that, nodding and squeezed her shoulder gently, pulling her into his side. “I think we better get you out of here before he starts to look for you.” He said after a moment, knowing this wasn't going to be left alone.

“Good idea, let me grab my bag.”

Angeni had HUMILIATED the UNDERTAKER; there was going to be a price to pay for that. She wasn't going to argue with Kane because he knew Mark probably better than anyone in the WWF, herself included.  Kane grabbed his things along with hers before they headed out of the arena, knowing their job was done with the Corporation for the evening.

“I have to admit, watching him show weakness on national television was amazing.” Angeni commented, looking up at Kane who simply shook his head. 

Kane tossed their bags in the back before slipping behind the wheel while Angeni took the passenger seat, still a little woozy from both being knocked out and her adrenaline high. Amazing but they had to go now or else Kane was going to wind up with another concussion and Angeni was probably going to wind up in a pine box. There wasn't a doubt in Kane's mind that Taker would unleash hell on her, or anyone who protected her. He was definitely going to get another concussion in the future.

~!~

“Who touched her?”

Paul was still cleaning his eyes, not believing Taker was doing this out here, at the top of the ramp, refusing to let his Ministry go backstage until he had his answers.

His eyes were swollen, red and he had just been made a fool of; the Undertaker was not a happy man by any means. “Which-” He arched an eyebrow when Bradshaw raised a hand.

“I was trying to stop her from runnin’, she was in the hotel elevator. I didn't hurt her, just grabbed her shoulders!”

“Which is perfectly acceptable.” Taker said flatly, watching as Shaw sighed in obvious relief. The man was doing his job, keeping Angeni from running off.

They all winced when he threw Bradshaw right over the edge of the stage. “Except you TOUCHED her!” Taker stalked to the back, leaving his Ministry to trek behind slowly, keeping their distance smartly.

No sooner had Taker stepped through the curtain, Stone Cold Steve Austin was waiting for him, a grin on his face. “Deadman, gotta admit seein' you and them jackasses cultists of yers all laid out by the little lady…made my damn night.”

He hated Steve Austin almost as much as he hated Kane.

“‘Course, the way she got you with that shit, it was like watchin' really bad porn…how'd ya like that facial?”

Nearly as much as he disliked his wife as well. “Find her.” Taker ordered Farooq, since his partner was currently on a gurney, watching through narrowed sore eyes as Steve maintained his distance astutely.

~!~

For the next several nights, Angeni attended the house shows and accompanied Kane to ringside, only interfering whenever the situation called for it.  He had faced Val Venis, The Rock and Steve Blackman, all who suffered at the hands of the Big Red Machine.  Indeed he was.  She went out in scandalous outfits, each one a little more revealing than the next. 

Whenever Taker or the Ministry went out to the ring for either matches or promos, Angeni would interfere in some capacity.  Chairs, fire extinguishers and even a baseball bat was used, knocking some of the members out enough to lose their matches.  She booked it out of the arenas every time she interfered, Vince making sure Kane's matches were always on before the Ministry's. 

It was another house show, Thursday night and Mark was currently wrestling Ken Shamrock.  She'd snuck out without him knowing during his entrance, taking advantage of not only what she was wearing, but also the darkness and slid beneath the ring out of sight before the lights came back on.  Halfway through the match, Angeni suddenly appeared and ended up handing Ken an ether soaked rag, after knocking Paul out from behind with a bat, grinning maliciously. 

A second later, Ken had knocked Mark nearly unconscious with the soaked rag and, the match being no-disqualification, Ken had won the match.  With the Corporation all on the same page, that gave Angeni a chance to escape from the arena yet again, this time without Kane. A getaway car was already waiting for her to take her to a motel on the outskirts of town under a false identity that Mark would never know.

She was driving him fucking insane! The wench interfered in matches she had no business in interfering with! And each and every time, she managed to get away. Vince was playing along with her, purposefully ensuring that she was gone before anyone could reach her and Taker was no longer amused.

When he came too, he was in the Ministry's locker room, surrounded by his men, all who looked grim and somber. This was definitely a low-point in the Ministry's career and it had to stop. They were being bested, humiliated, by his WIFE! HIS WIFE!

“I don't care what it takes, find her…Angeni's little games are over.” Taker growled, sitting up and ignored the throbbing in his head. It was time his wife learned her place. “And if by chance, any of you run into members of the Corporation, in or out of the building…send them to the ER.” He was going to pop something for his head, take a quick cold shower to help clear the cobwebs and start hunting as well.

Angeni made sure to keep her shades closed and didn't leave her room, having everything she would need for the night.  She knew she was pushing her luck with Mark, but it honestly felt great to humiliate him the way he had humiliated her.  Sighing, Angeni currently wore a pair of dark pink fleece pajama pants with a long sleeved shirt, her normal wear, though she'd gone shopping for her 'WWF clothes' as she liked to call them. 

As she sifted through her bag, Angeni suddenly came across her 'wedding band' and sighed, pulling it out to examine it before slipping it on her middle finger.  She would wear it for tonight, with nobody around to see her.  Sinking down on the bed, Angeni turned the television on for background noise and pulled a book out she'd bought, beginning to read.

Finding her turned out to be a bit easier tonight then he had thought. Apparently Vince had let dear Shane handles Angeni's car arrangements and Shane was nowhere near as careful as his old man was. Tracing her rental was easy, obtaining the description and license number, that was handled with cash.

Then it was a matter of locating the damn thing, which meant making phone calls to every hotel and motel within a fifty mile radius and hope she hadn't already booked a flight out or even driven herself out. It was early AM when he finally hit pay dirt. Early AM meaning around two-three in the morning, the perfect time. No one else was out, the streets were mostly empty and even if they weren't…he still would have rode his Harley through them like a bat out of hell the way he was currently.

Angeni had fallen asleep with her book on her chest, snuggled against the pillow with the comforter pulled up over her, chest rising and falling evenly.  She was exhausted from all the traveling she'd done, not to mention the extensive work at making her husband's life a living hell.  It took a lot of out her.  So when her door opened, Angeni didn't wake up or even flinch. 

Her black hair was fanned out all around her, face devoid of the thick makeup she'd worn since her forceful return to the WWF.  There was no red and black anywhere, she enjoyed her colors outside of work too much to give them up.  Currently though, a dark figure loomed over Angeni's sleeping form and, if she wasn't this exhausted, she might've been a bit more alert and had heard the motorcycle roaring into the parking lot or her door opening.  But she didn't.

The very first thing he did was remove everything within reach, refusing to let her bash another damn lamp on his head. He was quiet, moving stealthily though the way she was sleeping, she'd probably sleep through anything. Or, just about anything. Then, once he had done that, Taker pulled the length of black cord he had brought out from the back pocket of his jeans, staring down at her. Smirking wickedly, he moved to her side and a moment later, was sitting astride her thighs, trapping her beneath the comforter with his body.

“WAKE UP!” He roared down at her, watching as her hands came flying up and caught them, quickly binding her wrists together.

Angeni's eyes FLEW open when she was literally screamed out of her slumber, immediately beginning to struggle. “GET OFF OF ME!!” She screamed out.

He was straddling her, putting all of his weight and nearly crushing her, panic quickly setting in.  This was not good.  She couldn't even kick at him because he'd taken a smart position to where his balls were safe.  Angeni went to say something else and immediately shut her mouth at the deadly look in her husband's eyes, her heart rate increasing.  He was going to hurt or possibly kill her, Angeni wasn't sure which one yet.  She wiggled her wrists and cried out when he yanked on them roughly, stopping her from trying to get loose.

Taker had given serious possibility to killing her. It would save him time and money on the divorce front. Not to mention it'd probably be less of a headache in that she would be dead and buried instead of alive, away from him and probably still fucking his nights up. However…being the good husband that he was, he was going to give her one more chance to rectify these little…mistakes…she had been making. She was still going to get hurt. Nobody pulled the shit she had on him, ever.

“Now, Ange, if you start screaming like that again, I might lose my temper…and could quite possibly…harm you.” Taker informed her, raising one of his large hands, studied it and then looked pointedly at her. “Let's talk. About you. And just what the HELL you think you're doing with these antics of yours, shall we?” He let go of her wrists, not caring if they were rope burned or not and planted his hands on her shoulders, bending down so his face was nearly touching hers. “If I didn't know any better, wife, I'd say you were trying to piss me off.” It had worked and his voice had dropped several octaves, ending the sentence in a near hiss.

Before she could even open her mouth to respond to him, Mark hauled off and slapped her across the face, causing her head to snap to the side.  Angeni cried out and could instantly feel the tears beginning to fall, her face feeling as though it was on fire.  No doubt her cheekbone was either fractured or possibly broken. 

It would be a miracle if it wasn't.  Her bottom lip had split open too from the blow so blood currently ran down her chin in little droplets that he swiped away with his tongue.  She nearly got sick right then and there, feeling her dinner already coming up.

“You wanted me in the Corporation, what did you expect me to do?”

That got her another backhand across the opposite side of her face, though it wasn't nearly as hard of a blow as the first time, but still left a mark. Angeni saw stars, but still managed to be defiant and spat blood right in his face, almost hyperventilating by now because of how much fear and pain coursed through her. Taker wasn't going to hit her in the same place twice, that would definitely cause something to break and he would rather her not have to go to a hospital. Anything he did to her here tonight, Paul would be able to take care of. Growling, he wiped the spit and blood off his face, hardly believing she was still defying him.

Chapter 14

“I expected you to do your job of valeting Kane.” Taker spat down at her, tracing a finger along her bottom lip to catch the blood there and stared at his finger for a moment, before finally running it down her forehead, leaving a bloody streak between her wide tear-filled eyes. “This does not entail interfering in MY matches or my Ministry’s! It does not mean popping up from beneath the ring! Or sneaking up from behind with a goddamn chair!” He had to forcibly restrain himself from backhanding her again. Her face was already bruising and swollen, but there was still the rest of her body however.

“You wanted me in the company.  Your little follower decided to break the agreement, so I retaliated.”

Along with getting a little much needed revenge for all the shit he'd put her through lately, including signing a contract to a company she did not want to work for and then knocked her out to bring her back against her will.  She cried out when he hit her arm and then her side, open-handed because his fists would probably kill her.  He was prolonging the agony and Angeni knew there was no way out of this as she closed her eyes.

“I'll keep doing it until you're out of my life completely and pay for what you did to me.  You wanted me in the Corporation, you got what you deserved!”

“Did I? Is that what you think? You think you deserve revenge because I made you sign a contract and then uphold it?” Taker sneered down at her.

That was technically what he had done. He had made her sign it, which was probably in retrospect not the best of ideas, but rarely let a poor idea stop him. Then he had made her actually abide by that contract when she thought she was above it and could run. Women were rather odd creatures and he wondered why he sometimes bothered.

“If you keep provoking me, Angeni, you're going to wind up in a full body cast.” Taker informed her gravely, her shooting off at the mouth not doing anything to help his mood. “You're going to stop with your petty little revenge kick and you will be leaving the Corporation.” Green eyes were filled with cruelty when violet hesitantly met his. “You'll be joining the Ministry of Darkness.”

“NO!” She practically shrieked out, shaking her head and began struggling against him even more. “NO!  I REFUSE!”

Another slap to the face shut her up instantly. Angeni was starting to welcome the darkness she was slowly slipping into, but apparently Mark wasn't going to let that happen either.  She was yanked up by her upper arm, his hand wrapped firmly around it and Angeni could only keep shaking her head, whimpering.

“I'll never join you willingly!” She cried out when he squeezed her arm, almost to the point of cutting off circulation and Angeni slumped against him, crying harder. “Mark...” He squeezed tighter, Angeni finally just shut her mouth, every part of her feeling as though it'd been through a war.

“You don't have a choice, Angeni. Any freedom I gave you, was revoked the minute you started your crusade for vengeance.” Taker said harshly, ignoring the tears beating down on his t-shirt covered chest, soaking it through. “You have humiliated me and made my Ministry look like fools. Not just to the world, but to the people we must suffer.” Their co-workers. “And I cannot, will not, allow you to continue, you will not destroy me nor what I have built.”

“Then let me go home!  Let me out of this hellhole!!” That was the whole reason why she decided to go on her revenge kick because Angeni wanted OUT.  She wanted out of the WWF. “I don't want to be here and I damn sure don't want to be around you!!”

Her cottage with the woods and waterfall…that's what Angeni wanted, her sanctuary and tranquility back.  When he just shook his head, Angeni hung hers, knowing she had no choice in the matter as he yanked her up by the same upper arm, never releasing it.  She was dragging on her knees in front of him, whimpering because it hurt so badly.  Joining the Ministry of Darkness would mean one thing: Those men were probably going to be able to exact their revenge on her and Angeni knew Mark wouldn't stop them from doing so.

“Just kill me now.  Please just put me out of my misery, Mark…”

“Oh no.” Taker said, grinning wickedly down at her, his teeth gleaming in the darkness. “I don't think I will, not just yet, Angel. I think I'll drag you through hell first, and then consider the possibility of letting you go.” He emphasized consider, which was his way of giving her false hope. “The next time you get an idea in that beautiful little head of yours…” He moved away from her abruptly, watching as she toppled onto her side and fell halfway off the bed. “Just remember that there are consequences.” Snorting, he leaned over to place his hand on her thigh, sending her to the floor. “And the name is Undertaker, don't make me say it again.”

Up until a few weeks ago, Angeni never did anything to him and now she was about to experience a world of hurt and pain, she simply knew it. There was no way out either, no escape.  Vince couldn't stop him, the police wouldn't be able to.  Angeni could only watch as he packed up the things she'd brought out that night after arriving, not even wanting to look at her face because she was certain it was hideous. 

And she was right.  On both sides, both of them started turning black and blue with a little purple mixed in ironically enough.  How could she sleep with this monster?  Angeni curled up in a tight ball, crying silently with her back facing him, her forehead pressed against the wall.

Once he had packed her things, Taker turned to stare down at her, not surprised in the least that she hadn't moved. Rolling his eyes, Taker walked over to pick her up only to unceremoniously drop her on the bed. His interest peaked upon spotting the wedding ring on her middle finger and arched an eyebrow.

“If you despise me so much, why are you wearing it?” Taker demanded, sliding the ring off her finger before replacing it on the finger it should've been on all along.

“I don't know.” Angeni whimpered when he buried his hand in her black tresses, forcing her to look up at him with a bruised swollen face, not able to meet his eyes. 

When she refused to comment further, he released her hair and Angeni just curled up on the bed like she'd done on the floor, closing her eyes tightly shut.  The first chance she got, she was removing the ring all together and possibly destroying it, not caring if it was beautiful or not.  She wanted nothing to do with this monster.

If he had known what she was thinking, he would have broken her ring finger, then immediately set it, with the ring still attached so it would heal in a way the ring would never be able to be removed. As it was, he sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled out his cell phone. Ignoring her, he called Paul and instructed the man to call off the hunt for her and then passed along orders that Vince was to be…apprehended, so a contract amendment could be made.

“My wife and I will be joining you in a day or so…she's going to need time to…” He glanced over his shoulder at her. “Recover.”

Angeni heard that and hoped he knocked her out with ether for those two days so she wouldn't have to deal with him.  Hell, she was about to see him every single day of every single hour until either he released her or her contract was up with the WWF.  Either way, Mark had complete control of her and Angeni knew if she didn't mind her attitude and mouth, she was going to end up seriously injured or possibly dead. 

She didn't say a word when he hung up with Paul and began trembling from head to toe, wishing she'd never agreed to this job.  Also, Angeni knew Kane wouldn't be able to help her, not from his psychotic brother who had a band of followers behind him doing his bidding.  When he pulled her up by the bounds on her wrists, Angeni could only sit there with a heartbroken dead expression, not having anymore fight in her at the moment.

He studied her face, running his fingertips over her cheeks gently and checked for breaks. Pretty sure she was going to be just fine minus in serious pain, swollen and rather ugly for awhile. Taker then ripped her pajama top clean off of her, ignoring her gasp of pain as the material bit into her skin before giving. That was followed by the bottoms. He flicked on the lamp, studying the areas of her body he had slapped, mainly her side, not surprised by the bruise there as well.

She sat there completely still and didn't say a word while he applied some kind of special salve he pulled from his bag, starting with her side and upper arm before moving up to her face.  He would have to do her wrists once he decided to undo the binds.  Angeni hoped he did soon because she could feel her hands growing numb from poor circulation. 

Angeni knew she had brought this on herself and had nobody to blame except Vince McMahon who had encouraged her to keep going with her revenge.  She didn't pull away when he gripped her chin to make sure he rubbed the salve into her skin, wanting it to soak in faster. Though she couldn't help wincing, cold from head to toe since she was just in her white bra and panties.

Taker had every intention of telling anyone who asked that she had been attacked by a mugger. No one would believe him. They would all know the truth, but no one would question it either since most people seemed to instinctively know he wasn't someone to be trifled with and those who did know him, didn't usually cross him. She was the exception and that exception had been stopped.

“I'm going to unbind your wrists.” Taker informed her, his tone low and dangerous. “Do not try anything. Unless, of course, pain is something you enjoy.”

Nodding, Angeni watched as he cut the binds off and immediately cradled one of them to her chest because the rope had cut into her skin, making her bleed.  So the wound was very fresh and it hurt badly.  She let him take her hand that was less injured and applied the salve before handing him her other one, biting back a cry of pain as tears slid down her bruised face, which also hurt. 

Though the salve was slowly starting to numb the injured areas of her body, her face was taking longer due to how much damage she sustained.  When he finished, Angeni drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around herself, trying to warm up since she didn't know what Mark had planned next for her. What he had planned for her next was sleep. He began stripping, letting his clothes fall to the floor without a care.

“Now, here's how this is going to play out, Angeni. You can either be tied to the bed or…I can put you to sleep.” This would involve a nerve and a quick pinch. “Either way, we're both getting some rest because tomorrow is going to be a very long day and, for obvious reasons, I can't trust you to stay in bed, not run or try to kill me.”

“I-I won't run or try a-anything.  Please…” Angeni buried her face in her hands, shaking so hard her teeth began chattering, scared to death of her husband right now. “You have my word, I promise.  J-Just let me fall asleep on my own.” Being tied down didn't sound pleasant and Angeni hoped he believed her because she meant what she said. “Y-You're getting what you want, my word is concrete.  I swear to you I won't try anything.  Just please don't hurt me anymore…” She wanted to call him Mark, but stopped herself, hoping he took some kind of pity on her because she was his wife and they did love each other at some point or else they wouldn't have gotten married.

“Yes, you give me your word. You also gave me your word you would not interfere and yet you did.” Taker raised a finger to her lips when she opened her mouth, no doubt to protest that one with the Bradshaw incident. “Now we're not going to argue over technicalities, Ange. All he did was grab your shoulders, he didn't harm you, but you took it all very literally and ended our original deal. As was your right. But…it was petty on your part, as well as cunning and sly. Two traits I would admire if not for the fact that you hate me and would love nothing more than to permanently injure me.”

“Y-You don't understand!  He wasn't going to hurt me!  The look in his eyes…”

Mark wasn't going to listen to anything she said and Angeni knew it, looking down at her wrists that had been bound.  She lowered her head and knew he was going to do whatever he wanted, sniffling and tried to stop crying because it wouldn't do any good.  He probably wouldn't even let her get dressed again and that just made her shiver with pure dread, her bottom split lip trembling violently.  She was officially his property to do with whatever he wanted and Angeni only hoped he would eventually grant her freedom so she could be rid of him for good.

Just because he wasn't totally evil, Taker tore his bandana in two, his now freed hair cascading down around his shoulders and back. He loosened the bindings enough to wrap her wrists individually and then retightened the cord. He laid down and pulled her against him, her back to his chest before pulling the comforter around them and then snaked his hand around her, settling his palm on her abdomen, fingers gently caressing her silky skin.

“Go to sleep, angel.” He rumbled, kissing the back of her head.

It took her quite awhile before the trembling ceased, Mark's volatile mood changes petrifying her.  Angeni hardly slept that night, simply laying there staring straight ahead at the wall, trying to figure out how to get out of this.  There had to be a way.  What sickened her was the fact that she would've enjoyed being in this position with him if not for the fact he'd just basically beat the shit out of her.  Her bruised face was tear-streaked when she finally did manage to fall asleep and that was only due to exhaustion and the trauma her body had sustained at the hands of her husband.  She could only hope someone from Corporation came to her rescue before she was fully initiated into the Ministry of Darkness, silently sending prayers.

Chapter 15

“Is it cracked?”

“No. She's fine, just…beaten up.”

“That much was obvious.”

Paul stepped away from the bed when Angeni began to stir. Taker had been up much earlier then he normally was and called Paul, with a list of things to bring. He had not been surprised that he had been followed either. Though the Corporation was probably not happy that he had first led them to a fancy hotel and then right into a room occupied by the Ministry, leaving them there to get their asses handed to them. He wasn't an idiot, obviously, or Taker would have never worked with him for this long.

Angeni slowly opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder, immediately regretting it at the sight of her husband and Paul Bearer standing at the foot of the bed, staring back at her.  She managed to pull the comforter up to cover her body more, her face already turning red beneath the bruising, and closed her eyes when Taker ripped it off.  He informed her Paul was checking her side and ordered her to stay still, which Angeni surprisingly did. 

She just had a bunch of bruises, which was also surprising considering how hard Mark had struck her.  Mark then proceeded to walk over and took her bound hands, slowly pulling her up.  She just waited for instructions, slowly looking up into his acid eyes and winced when he started pressing against her cheeks, wondering briefly if he was trying to hurt her on purpose.

Considering this woman had broken a water glass over his head, Paul could have been seriously vicious in his examination, but he wasn't. Mostly because he knew if he hurt Angeni, the Undertaker would gut him while he was still conscious. Then also, because he was a professional.

“Nothing broken. Open handed slaps?”

“I would have killed her if I were to hit her with a closed fist, what kind of monster do you think I am?” Taker demanded, letting her drop again after unbinding her wrists. “You can get dressed by the way, Angeni. And I've removed the bathroom door, just in case you get any bright ideas.” He threw a thumb over his shoulder, the door now leaning against the wall.

Angeni nodded and grabbed her bag, walking into the bathroom to get dressed.  She sat on the toilet, flat out refusing to look at her reflection and pulled out a pair of blue jeans with a long sleeved orange shirt.  She didn't bother brushing her hair, there was no need for it and she simply pulled her white sneakers out with some socks. 

The first chance she got, Angeni was running, hence the reasoning for picking her sneakers.  Mark didn't have to know that, but there was no way she was being part of the Ministry of Darkness.  With the abuse she'd sustained, she could sue Vince McMahon for a lot of money because of his employee. 

She was already planning on doing that anyway, once she was in a place safely away from her abusive husband.  Looking down at the ring on her left ring finger, Angeni decided to just leave it on, not wanting to piss Mark off anymore than she already had. Zipping up her bag, Angeni walked back out with her head lowered.

Paul had watched her openly, arching an eyebrow. “If I were you, I would seriously considering binding her legs with chains.”

He stared down at his mentor then looked into the bathroom at Angeni, suddenly nodding. The woman could run. Angeni had demonstrated that her very first night in the company as well as several nights afterwards. She could have been a professional sprinter if she had decided too.

“Good idea. Go get some chains, but nothing too heavy.” She wouldn't need them on the motorcycle…unless they came to a stop, but the idea of her managing to get off his Harley before he could stop her was…only slightly plausible. “And duct tape.”

Angeni heard that and didn't say a word, swallowing down any anger she felt because it would only expel more energy. She was going to save it, wait for the opportune moment and then run for her life.  Of course, she would have to lull Mark into a false sense of security first, which would take some time to accomplish in itself. 

When he came toward her with the duct tape, Angeni could only stand there while he started the process of treating her like an animal, her head lowered.  Running now would be pointless. Angeni made a mental note to slit the fat man's throat the first chance she got for opening his mouth about her running ability.

He let Paul carry her bag, he was busy with her. Taker kept an arm firmly wrapped around her waist, just in case she toppled, be it on accident or purpose. He was putting nothing past this woman. She had shown him a devious streak he had definitely not thought his wife capable of. Rather proud of her on some level, but since it was HIM she had unleashed that streak on…the pride had been shunted to the backburner in favor of his rather damaged pride and reputation.

Taker was going to have to maim a few people, sacrifice someone, and then probably hang Vince by the balls from the top of Titan Towers just to salvage said reputation. He had used the duct tape on her ankles, with about six inches worth of give. When she was on his Harley, he would separate her legs and then probably duct tape her flighty ass to the seat. No chances at all. He was borrowing Austin's 'DTA’ phrase and applying it solely on her.

There had to be a way out of this, someway, but Angeni couldn't come to a conclusion. She just kept her head down and kept twisting her wrists as much as she could without Mark or pudgy noticing.  Once they were at the next arena, Angeni knew she could sneak away or else Kane would come to her rescue, either way she wouldn't be with Mark much longer or his Ministry. 

Kane…Angeni didn't want him getting hurt, but she needed help, her face incredibly sore from Mark's slaps.  She still couldn't believe he struck her, tears instantly stinging her eyes at the memory, her heart breaking with every blow he delivered.  Angeni stayed silent in the backseat, mulling things over in her head and hoped she could get away before he changed his mind and ended up killing her.

Angeni had been surprisingly well behaved for the day and that automatically made him suspicious. He could always attribute it to the fact that she was saving her ass from getting it beaten to hell and back but he didn't. After everything this woman had put him through, he knew she was conniving and looking for her chance to escape. He be damned if he gave her that opportunity.

“Are you going to behave yourself tonight, precious?” Taker asked once they were parked, turning to look back at her.

“Yes Taker.” Angeni whispered softly, not looking up at him, though she had felt the car stop. 

Mark stepped out and grabbed her arm in a vise grip, causing Angeni to wince slightly as he pulled her out of the car.  They were at a hotel, though he'd chosen to park in the underground parking lot.  Smart man.  He didn't want anyone seeing her bound the way she was, her ankles taped and wrists bound like a criminal. 

He looped her arm through his and they slowly began walking, Angeni keeping her head lowered, still mulling things over in her head on ways to escape.  She would bide her time and wait it out because right now he wouldn't be letting her out of his sight for quite some time.  But the first chance she got, Angeni was running for the hills and never looking back, even if that meant breaking her contract.

“Now if I could trust you, you wouldn't have to walk in like a prisoner going to death row.” Taker said conversationally, dragging her right across a pot hole in the lot's pavement, keeping her on her feet when she stumbled. “But since I can't…”

Taker decided this was too slow and tossed her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, one hand coming down lightly on her ass. And her using the name he preferred wasn't doing her any favors, it just made his 'bullshit' radar go off more. He also had Kane on the mind since the man had proven to be elusive in being captured, apparently deciding Angeni either wasn't worth another concussion or biding his time. Knowing Kane, and how he would attach himself to anyone who was kind to him like a damn dog, he was biding his time.

Angeni didn't respond to him, though her ribs felt like they would cave in from how hard he'd tossed her over his shoulder, blinking back tears.  She was doing exactly what he wanted and he was STILL being a brute!  It just proved to her that no matter what she did, he would still hurt her, breaking her heart even more. 

Hell, at this rate, she wasn't going to have much of a heart left.  She kept her eyes closed so she didn't end up dizzy from the head rush she currently suffered, finally being set down once they were inside the elevator.  Apparently, Paul wasn't coming with them and that was a good thing because Angeni didn't know if she would be able to restrain herself from trying to attack him.

Paul wasn't with them because Taker needed someone to be his eyes and ears. Paul was a sneaky son of a bitch. Now that Angeni was firmly…restrained and the likelihood of her destroying anything else he was working on had passed, Taker had other projects to get back to. Or at least Paul could get back too, he had his wife to contend with.

“When we're in the room, I'll let you free. You'll need more salve.” He said, looking down at her face critically, gauging how much longer those bruises had before she could be seen in public without looking like the poster woman for domestic violence. “Hungry?”

Her husband had to be bipolar to go from the abusive psycho from last night to actually being nice to her.  She also knew better than to say no to his question, having a feeling he would simply force her to eat if she didn't do it willingly. “Yes.” Angeni whispered, leaning against the wall of the elevator and kept her head down, not able to look at him. 

When the ding sounded and the doors opened, Mark once again lifted her up and carted her to their room.  Angeni was sure she'd have bruises on her midsection from how he was carting her around.  The door opening and closing signified they had arrived and Angeni was set down on the bed while Mark dropped their bags in the corner.  She would survey the room and search for a way to escape once Mark wasn't present, not wanting to give him any indication what she was thinking.

Ignoring her, Taker began unplugging all the lamps and stuffing them into the closet, along with anything else she might whack him upside the head with. Furniture, not so much, he doubted she could lift one of these heavy chairs. Then he used a small toolkit he had taken from Paul that morning to remove the bathroom door at her cheap motel, removing this bathroom door's handle so she couldn't lock it. Windows…nothing he could do about, but if she was smart, she wouldn't even think about it. Feeling pretty sure of himself, Taker walked over to the bed and dropped down on it, reaching out to drag Angeni towards him.

Angeni didn't flinch like she normally would have and watched as he lifted her legs up to rest on his thighs, beginning to cut away the tape on her ankles like he said he would.  Then he proceeded to start unbinding her wrists, causing her to sigh with relief and immediately rubbed them as soon as they were freed.  When he reached out to lift her face so he could examine it, all Angeni could do was let him run his thumbs across her cheeks, but kept her eyes closed.  This mother fucker could keep her captive and force her to do some things she didn't want to do, but she'd be damned if he forced her to look at him. 

That was probably the only piece of freedom she held was the ability to decide when to look at something, suddenly wishing she was blind so that option would be eliminated. Sighing, he then gestured for her to raise her arms, reaching out to pull her shirt up over her head. The sight of new bruises forming greeted him and Taker wasn't very thrilled with himself for that one, it meant more recovery time. Though they didn't look to be too deep.

“Lay down.” He ordered gruffly, rolling off the bed to retrieve his bag and the salve. “You can breathe, Ange.” Taker then said, watching as she let out a slow exhale before perching on the edge of the bed.

Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around her upper body, looking away while he applied more salve to her freshly bruised stomach, thanks to his shoulder digging in when he'd carried her none too gently in here.  Of course he didn't care, he was only doing this so she would heal faster.  She breathed in and out slowly, trying to keep the tears in, deciding it was no use showing him more weakness than what she had already. 

Angeni wasn't pleased when he let his hands linger on her body longer than necessary, but didn't push him away because she didn't want to be punished for saying 'no'.  Though if he so much as tried having sex with her, Angeni would force him to kill her.  There was no way she would ever give herself to him again willingly, not after this.

Even with the bruises, Angeni was still an incredibly beautiful woman, and Taker bent down, kissing her stomach in the places that were not blemished by the bruising. He felt her suck her abdomen in, probably in an automatic reflex to avoid him touching her and smiled slightly. His beard scratched gently against her skin as he kissed his way down to the waist of her pants, finally pulling back and simply looked up into her face. Her violet eyes were still shut and her lips were a grimly compressed line.

Chapter 16

“So…what're you hungry for?” Taker drawled, pulling himself away from her for now.

Angeni felt absolutely disgusting, her stomach churning and wondered how the hell she was going to eat after being forced to endure that.  He was lovingly kissing and caressing her, acting like a husband should to his wife.  Angeni wasn't falling for it, refusing to and kept reminding herself what a monster he was every time she felt her face throb just a bit.  She was tempted to answer his question with the word food, but decided being a smartass right now wouldn't do her any favors.

“Chicken strips is fine.”

Angeni figured that was something she could force down, though it would probably come back up later.  Not moving and keeping her arms crossed to cover most of her upper torso, Angeni felt the bed rise a little and knew Mark had gotten up to retrieve the phone. Chicken strips, something he could remember her eating before, with some kind of sauce.

It never failed to amaze him just what kind of information Taker retained, some of it useless, some surprisingly not. Though…it was usually that attention to detail that kept him one step ahead in the game. Usually. He kept his back to her, showing he felt he had the upper hand and she wasn't a threat to him while he placed the order, which was rather extensive as he was rather hungry. When asked if he wished to order dessert, he considered it.

“Strawberries…” Taker turned to study his wife. “And something sweet to dip them in…”

Angeni had turned on her side, her back facing him while he placed the order, staring straight ahead.  This was pure hell.  She had no freedom and knew if she reached for her shirt to put it on, there would be hell to pay.  Hell, she couldn't even piss in private anymore.  The more she thought about the current situation she was in, the more determined she was to get out. 

Biding her time would be hard, but Angeni was a patient woman and good things came to those who waited as the old saying went.  She didn't move an inch after he hung up the phone, wishing she could at least cover up with the blanket and closed her eyes again when the bed dipped once more.  Why couldn't he just leave her alone?

Taker wanted to take a shower while they waited on the food, knowing it would be a little bit, but there was one problem with that. Her. He considered it, having already reached the logical conclusion and finally shrugged one massive shoulder. Taker kicked off his boots and then peeled off his shirt, walking around so he was standing in her line of vision, but out of punching or kicking range.

“Get up, we're going to take a shower.” Taker informed her, looking like she could use one too. They'd been in a car all day and hot water would probably even help her a bit.

“No.” Her violet eyes flew open and looked at him the first time, scrambling away from him, shaking her head. “You can keep me captive and take away my freedom, but I'll be damned if you see any more of my body than you already have!” The fire had erupted back in her eyes and Angeni rolled over to stand on the other side, breathing heavily. “I'm not taking a shower with you.  I'll sit on the goddamn toilet if I have to.  You can keep an eye on me that way and even bind me down if that's what it takes.  But I am NOT showering with you, you'll have to kill me first.”

He stared at her out of narrowed, acid green eyes, not overly pleased with this sudden outburst. She was worried about him seeing more of her body and he was worried about her taking a leap out of a window. Knowing Angeni, instead of falling to the ground like a normal person who followed the laws of gravity, she would simple Road Runner her ass down the side of the building.

“Fine.” Taker said finally, retrieving the duct tape. “Have it your way.” Within ten minutes, he had duct taped her to the inside of the bathroom door, literally taped her to the door. “You hang tight, I won't be long.”

He sounded cruelly amused as he surveyed his handiwork before shedding the rest of his clothes. No matter how much pain she was in, Angeni thought it was better than having to endure a shower with Mark.  She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, trying to wiggle her wrists free of the thick tape, her ribs throbbing. 

He'd put the tape right over her bare stomach to attach it to the door, along with her wrists, ankles, knees and neck.  It was going to hurt really bad when all of this came off, but Angeni would take this any day over her other option.  However, it didn't stop the tears from pouring down her face as she looked toward the front door, praying someone, anyone, saved her from this misery.  Deep down though, Angeni knew it wouldn't happen and lowered her head, her black hair hiding her bruised face.

Not taking a very long shower, Taker was perfectly aware of how he had strung her up, which was probably petty of him, but her little tizzy over him seeing her body had irked him. Taker openly admitted to being a cruel bastard. Still, he kept the shower short. Gravity had a funny way of working.

He knew that while the tape restrained her, eventually gravity and her body weight were going to loosen some parts of it and probably making her even more uncomfortable then she already was. When he got out, he took his time in drying off, staring at his wife, the bathroom steamy since his shower had been a bit on the scorching side. The steam would also help with the tape issue, the issue being pulling it off of her. After pulling on his black, drawstring pajama bottoms, he walked up to her.

“This is going to hurt.”

Angeni cried out when he ripped the tape off of her neck and stomach, having left those for last.  The ankles and thighs didn't hurt because of her jeans, but her wrists had stung a bit from the rope burns.  Her neck was a crimson red and looked as though she'd got burned along with her stomach.  Angeni slid down the door and curled up into a tight ball, crying openly because that had really hurt.

“DON'T TOUCH ME!!” She screamed when his hand planted on her shoulder, feeling him immediately pull back, not caring anymore and trembled so hard her teeth started chattering again. 

Angeni could barely breathe because the searing pain of ripping that tape off had been almost more than she could bear, combined with her other injuries she'd sustained at the hands of her husband.  Her crying turned to heart wrenching sobs that tore throughout her whole body and, even though Angeni was showing weakness, she honestly didn't care. The woman who had spent the last few weeks making his and his Ministry's life a living hell was having a serious crying jag on him and all he could do was stare at her.

She had done so many things, really inventive, twisted things to destroy him for her revenge, that he had virtually stopped looking at her as a woman. A woman who was tiny, fragile…and now crying. Taker finally, hesitantly reached out towards her again.

“I mean it Mark, don't fucking touch me.” Angeni ordered, not caring that she'd called him by his birth name and hoped he destroyed her so she wouldn't be in pain anymore.  She was currently on her hands and knees, one arm wrapped around her waist to try to soothe the burning pain. “You've touched me enough to last us both a lifetime.”

She would be mentioning this to her lawyer as soon as she found a way to escape, wiping her tears away with her free hand.  He could've ripped her carotid artery with how hard he'd torn the tape off, her pulse currently racing.  No matter what Angeni did to him and his Ministry, she did NOT deserve this and knew it.  She did not deserve to be beaten, battered and bloodied like an animal.

“Go ahead, hit me again for defying you.  It's what you're good at.  It's all you're good at doing and all you know how to do to make someone submit.”

Never fully submitting to him, Angeni would fight until her last dying breath, coughing while holding her abdomen even tighter. Angeni had just inadvertently presented him with a challenge and, if the Undertaker loved anything, it was a challenge. Her words about him only being good at beating her, using violence to make someone to submit…that was a challenge and he was going to prove her wrong.

Growling, Taker got to his feet and leaned over her to push open the door before bending down picking her up gently, carrying her back out to the bed. He put her down, dragging the comforter up over her. She looked…weak. Damn it…he was going to have to call Paul to come play doctor again.

Angeni wanted a shower to scrub his prints off of her, but not tonight, not with her current burns because they would only hurt worse.  Angeni was surprised Mark hadn't hit her again after defying him, but nothing was going to change her mind about him being a monster.  She wasn't going to push him either, not yet, not until she was fully healed at least. 

Curled up tightly with the comforter, Angeni tried to block out the pain, her pale complexion looking ghostly white beneath the bruises.  Of course she was weak, she was heavily bruised and now burned all at the hands of her heartless husband.  Silent tears flow down her face and stained the pillow as Angeni shut her eyes, trying to breathe in and out evenly, but a few breaths came out in shudders.

“What on earth did you do to her?” Paul demanded when he finally arrived, not pleased at being called in when he had been several hours away handling other business of the Deadman's. “She was…relatively fine this morning!” He listened as Taker flatly recounted what he had done and face palmed himself, not caring when he got growled at. “If you want her to heal, then you have to be gentle with her!” He snapped, opening his medical bag and pulled out a syringe. “Angeni, are you allergic to any medications?” He asked, having every intention of giving her morphine, she looked like she could use some.

Slowly, she turned on her back and looked up at pudgy, the tears never stopping, shaking her head.  Her eyes moved to the needle with the syringe and knew he was going to give her something for the current pain she was in.  Maybe he wasn't so bad after all, though she was still going to get him back for pointing out to Taker that she was a runner. 

For now, she'd play nice though and slowly pulled her arm out from beneath the comforter.  She watched as Paul flicked the needle before tying a band around her arm, patting the vein in the crease of her arm, not pulling her gaze away when the needle injected into her arm.  She didn't even flinch.  After all the trauma she sustained in the past twenty four hours, this felt like a bee sting and didn't hurt nearly as bad as her other injuries.

“Thank you.” Angeni breathed out, already feeling the morphine working its way through her system, the pain diminishing as her eyes slowly closed again.

Paul simply snorted. He felt no love for Angeni, the woman had sprayed him down with a fire extinguisher and smashed a glass over his head the first time he had tended to her, automatic animosity. But…he wasn't overly thrilled with seeing her looking like this, being in this condition. Women always made him feel that way and he knew it was conditioning to think that they were the weaker sex.

“Alright, let's tend to the damage now that she's not going to feel anything.” Paul was great for making him feel like an asshole and Taker promptly whipped back the comforter. “Dear Mother of God…”

Angeni could feel fingers touching her, but the pain was gone and that's all she was concerned about at the moment.  She wasn't completely out of it, Paul hadn't given her that much morphine to where it would knock her out thankfully.  Though Angeni was well on her way, not even caring where she was at the moment. 

This stuff was great and Angeni wondered if Paul had anymore, slowly opening her eyes just a fraction watching as he applied a burn cream against her abdomen.  The cream instantly cooled as soon as it was applied and felt amazing. Angeni didn't flinch when Paul did it to her neck and wrists, everything felt numb.

He applied an antibiotic spray to her wrists before topping that with the cream, the burn having opened the newly formed scabs from her wrists having been cut open by those cords Taker had used to bind them. Correction, the duct tape being ripped off had done that, the burn was just an added bonus. He tried to remember the last time Taker had treated someone so brutally and the automatic answer was Kane.

The man was considered merciless to his enemies when that wasn't the actual truth. It was his own family, those closest to him, that he showed no mercy. Proof was right here in the form of the man's battered and bruised wife.

“Well…” Paul said when he had finished, already knowing he would be staying in the hotel just in case. “That's the best I can do, touch her again though and she'll have to go to a hospital.” He placed another syringe full of morphine in Taker's hand. “For when that wears off, right now she needs to REST so her body can recover.” He emphasized rest.

Taker nodded, fingers curling around the syringe.

Chapter 17

Not remembering falling asleep, Angeni slowly opened her eyes the following morning, knowing it was morning because of the sunshine peaking through the shades.  She felt a warm arm around her bruised burned waist and knew it was Mark, wincing when she moved even a fraction of an inch.  She remembered what he did to her and Paul giving her something for her pain, but that was it…Angeni had fallen out after that.  Very carefully, Angeni grabbed his wrist and lifted his huge arm from her waist, slowly sitting up in bed in just her bra.  She gasped when his arm suddenly slammed her back down on the bed with force, scaring the hell out of her.

“Jesus, I was just sitting up!” Angeni whimpered, trying to get her equilibrium back on track and was glad he hadn't pressed down on her injured stomach or else she might've elbowed him.

He had been laying face down on the bed, his arm over her waist and when Angeni had moved, it had been a gut reaction. Taker's head flew up, his hair hanging wildly over his face as he stared at her, blinking sleep out of his drowsy emerald green eyes and then realized what he had done. Cursing under his breath, Taker pulled his arm away and rolled off the bed, not bothering to hitch up the bottoms that now hung a bit too low on his hips.

“Paul said you're not supposed to move today without help.” He informed her with a yawn, reaching down to scratch his lower abdomen as he considered her.

“Well I need to piss and I really don't think I need assistance in pulling my underwear down.  That and I really need a shower, if you don't mind.” Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Angeni carefully ran her hands around her now bandaged abdomen, sighing heavily. “I'm fine.”

She moved away from him when he went to touch her, waiting for him to yank her up by her arm.  Only he didn't.  Slowly, Angeni stood up from the bed and leaned against the nightstand, taking a deep breath.  The morphine hadn't fully worn off yet, but Angeni could do it on her own, not wanting this monster touching any part of her body. Taker didn't touch her, but he did hover close-by, his eyes searching for any sign she was going to fall, or needed help.

“If the morphine has worn off, I could give you another dose.” Taker said, leaning against the wall when she made it into the bathroom after what seemed like an eternity, letting her close the knob less door behind her. “You don't have to take a full dose, it can be broken down to smaller doses to keep the pain at a minimum.” He had been the one to do this to her and now he was offering to drug her so she didn't have to be in pain.

It was too damn early for irony.

Of course he would have to stay there watching her every move, even though she could barely walk on her own.  Angeni didn't look at him and just shrugged at his offer while she emptied her bladder, scrubbing hands down her face carefully.  Her wrists looked awful and Angeni hoped they didn't scar because then it would look like she cut herself.  Once finished, Angeni used the counter to stand up slowly, breathing in and out evenly because she was in some pain.

“I-I don't think a shower…would be in my best interest right now, so I need to take a bath.” Angeni said quietly, walking over to the tub that was by the shower and pressed her forehead against the cool wall when a stab of pain shot through her abdomen. 

A cool bath it would have to be. There was no way she could let hot water engulf the burns on her neck and stomach, that would just be stupid on her part. It would have been so much easier if Paul had left a list of instructions on things to do or something instead of just saying 'don't beat her up anymore', that was helpful…NOT!

Taker folded his arms over his chest while she rested against the wall, wondering if she was really going to be that stubborn over him helping her. Of course, him being the person to inflict those injuries…shaking his head, Taker walked over to the tub and began drawing cool water. Trying to at least make it somewhat room temperature so it wouldn't totally shock her freshly woken up system, Taker racked his mind, trying to figure out what he could put in the water for burns. Baking soda…baking soda worked with burns…it was too early for this.

“Do you want to put anything in the water?” Taker then asked cordially.

She leaned down and checked the temperature, turning it just a little warmer, nodding when that would suffice. “No, I don't think we should put anything in until we talk to…Paul.”

Angeni didn't push him away when he unclasped her bra for her, though she did hold the material bunched up against her breasts, still not wanting him to see her.  Slowly, she slipped the ring off of her left hand and turned to set it on the counter. Frowning when he stopped her by grabbing her forearm, Angeni finally looked up at him.

“I don't want to ruin it and water will do that, Taker.” Angeni explained patiently, violet eyes completely serious and truthful “It will go back on as soon as I'm out of the tub and dried off, not to mention I don't want it getting caught in my hair when I go to wash it.  It's a…strange shape.”

She trembled slightly against him, waiting for the abuse to come because she'd taken the ring off and lowered her gaze from his. Oh dear god, she was trembling and her lower lip was actually jutting out just a little, like she was waiting for him to backhand her into next week. Which, honestly, he probably would have without even thinking twice. Letting go, Taker stepped back, gesturing towards the bath, wondering if she'd be able to get in and out without splitting something open.

“I'm going to go order coffee.“ Taker grunted, running his fingers through his tousled hair before storming out of the bathroom. If she needed help, she'd…probably ignore that fact. “Damn.”

When he didn't strike her and left her alone to bathe, Angeni instantly became suspicious of what he was doing, her eyes narrowing slightly.  She would've preferred the abuse over this sudden…change in demeanor.  Sighing, Angeni set the ring on the counter and carefully stripped out of her jeans and panties, the bra dropping to the floor and slipped into the slightly warm water, biting back a cry of pain as soon as it washed over her burned stomach. 

Angeni didn't dare touch the area and simply lay back, though she did reach for her lavender bubble bath.  Mark had unpacked all of her things he'd packed for her and thankfully he'd brought that with.  Her eyes closed as the smell of lavender filled the bathroom, bubbles covering her and Angeni fought back the little stabs of pain from her stomach, wrists and neck, already feeling cleansed.

He dressed out in the main room after ordering up coffee and tea, followed by something mushy for her to eat, since chewing would probably be a bitch with her cheeks still bruised and undoubtedly sore. He had to work tonight, and taking her wasn't looking to be the most viable option. His temper had really put him in a dilemma and he browsed through his mental list of who could watch her without her getting away or beating the Hell out of her.

Paul, no. Bradshaw…nope, he was still recovering from the stage incident. He was going to have to do it himself, smirking slightly. Vince would probably love another night Undertaker free. He'd have to send a present to the man to remind him he was still lurking and possibly even doing horrendous things with the impromptu time away.

It took her over an hour, but Angeni finally emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel, her hair already towel dried.  She felt much better and had replaced the ring like she said she would, not wanting to provoke Mark's temper anymore than she already had.  She bent down and immediately regretted doing that, hissing out and squeezed the handle of her bag, breathing through the pain. 

A second later, Angeni was lifted in her husband's strong arms and deposited on the bed while he retrieved her bag for her.  She smelled food in the air and felt her stomach growl, sighing with inner relief that he'd ordered food because she was starving.  Rifling through her bag, Angeni pulled out garments and a simple long sleeved outfit.  She slipped the panties on with a little effort before clipping her bra on, doing it all with the towel managing to cover everything. 

It was a gift.

“Do you have that cream?” She asked softly, knowing she had to keep the burns saturated, not to mention it would cool them off since they were currently on fire.

Taker simply nodded, reaching into his own bag to pull that and the antiseptic spray out. “For your wrists.” He said flatly, sitting down on the bed bedside her and reached out to take her hand, gesturing for her to extend her arms.

He studied the burns and the scabs, which the water had softened up and rather hoped they didn't scar. It'd look like she had tried to kill herself. Which actually might be better than the truth of: my husband tried to kill me with a cord. Then came the salve, and he looked pointedly at the towel.

“That's going to have to come off.”

Sighing resignedly, Angeni reluctantly nodded and removed the towel from her body, wearing a pair of soft light purple bra and panties. She was mindful of her wrists and didn't brush them against the bedding as she slowly laid down, her wet black hair splayed around her while he applied the cream to her stomach. His hand slowly and carefully massaged the cream into her burned skin and Angeni tried not letting his touch effect her mindset.

He was a monster, he was only being kind to her because he didn't want her going to a hospital or get authorities involved. His touch felt amazing and dripped with sin because it was wrong to make her body feel this way, especially after everything he'd done to her.  When his hand moved from her stomach to her neck, Angeni sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes closed because the cream first burned and then cooled.

Now that he was woken up a bit and had even ingested some coffee, -black, of course- Taker was more alert and aware of the way she had sucked in a breath. He was assuming it was due to the salve he was applying, knowing firsthand how it burned and then cooled, not exactly pleasant initially when one was already on fire. He then did her face, his fingers gentle as he rubbed the salve into her cheeks before moving back down, this time to her side, which was still somewhat bruised from his open-handed slap from yesterday.

“Did I miss anything?” Taker rumbled, his thumb caressing slow circles against her hip now.

“No, I don't think so.” She whispered, not trusting her voice at the moment because of the hot coil that formed in her stomach, fighting it back from springing. 

Slowly, Angeni opened her eyes and looked up at him, baffled at how cruel and abusive he could be one minute and completely tender and almost loving the next.  It made her very confused and Angeni hated feeling like that, slowly pushing herself up on her elbows since he was practically hovering over her right now.  She wanted to punch him or do something, anything to make him feel the same amount of pain he caused her, but knew that wouldn't be a smart decision regarding her well being.

The desire was in her eyes and he strategically retreated. She had every right to feel the way she did, but if Angeni made an attempt on those thoughts, he was going to snap her head clean off her neck with one of his deadly backhands. Taker pulled a hair tie off his wrist and bound his hair back, walking over to the trolley with the food on it. Not saying a word, he simply pushed it over to her. She could pick and choose as she wished, he was interested in just the coffee at this point.

Smart man, Angeni thought, as she slipped on a pair of tan fleece pants that hugged her curves and molded to her beautiful legs nicely.  She started putting the long sleeved shirt on, then looked down at her stomach, sighing heavily.  There was no way she could wear a top right now and figured since Mark wanted to see her so badly, he could deal with her walking around in her bra.  Not to mention he would have to stare at her injuries openly, which he deserved. 

Angeni tossed the shirt back in her bag and shoved it to the floor by the bed before reaching for the tea, pouring honey in it along with squeezing the lemon it came with.  She slowly slid from the bed with her cup of tea and walked past him over to the window, setting her tea down long enough to open the shades, the sunshine fully engulfing her.  She sighed softly and sipped her tea while staring out into the current city they were in, the skies crystal blue.

That seemed to set the tone. Taker couldn't decide if she was trying to punish him or not by displaying her body. It was both beautiful and distracting in a sensual, sexual way. It was also heavily bruised and battered at the same time. She was showing it off as if wishing to remind him of what an asshole he was. Of course, clothing would irritate her healing, the salve, and he really hated her at the moment.

“What the hell woman?!” Taker cursed when she opened the curtains, having been quite content with the dim morning light the room had possessed moments ago.

“What?” Angeni turned her head to see him shielding his eyes and fought back a smirk, knowing he hated sunlight. “It was too dark in here, need some light to make the place at least somewhat livable.” If she was going to be stuck with her husband and the Ministry until she made her escape, Angeni refused to let him take away her way of life. “It's beautiful outside.”

She then opened the screen door with a little effort and let some of the fresh breeze inside, knowing she couldn't step outside in just her bra.  So she did the next best thing and dragged the chair, which wasn't that heavy, over to the screen to breathe in the fresh air. Curling up in it, Angeni sipped her tea thoughtfully.

“You're insane.” Taker growled tetchily.

Tempted to walk right over and rip the curtains back closed, though in his current agitated state, he'd probably just rip them down permanently. Cursing under his breath, Taker walked around the sunlight and back to the bed, rubbing his face as he sat down. This was turning out to be…not what he expected. Hell, he couldn't even go down to the gym just to escape her.

Escape her, he snorted at the irony.

A few minutes later, Angeni had taken the radio that came with the hotel room and turned it on, trying to find a station.  She actually smiled when Bryan Adams came flowing through the speakers and turned it up, setting it on the table that was beside her.  She had her own little area set up by the door with the fresh breeze and sunshine, refusing to live in secluded darkness like her husband did. 

It really was interesting how such a person who loved color and light could marry someone who was the total opposite and enjoyed the darkness.  Maybe this would work out because she would sleep mostly during the night while Mark was up and then...Angeni would keep him up during the day just to spite him, fighting back a smirk as she began moving her head gently to the music.

Hell. He was in HELL and other than some violence, there wasn't much he could do about it since he was virtually stuck in the damn hotel room with her until nightfall. And then he might actually go to work just to get away from this…HELL.

Finally, he simply dragged the desk into the corner that was least tainted with her damn sunlight, trying to block out the Bryan Adams and retrieved some documents he had been reviewing. Who listened to Bryan Adams this early in the day to begin with? He had to focus on something besides her, before he lost his mind.

Chapter 18

After a cup of tea and the sunlight combined with great music, Angeni was feeling much better, actually eating something.  She actually ended up devouring half of the tray of food, which gave her a spurt of energy while Mark did whatever he was doing in the corner.  So, she began sorting through her bag, seeing exactly what he packed for her.

Knowing he really didn't have much of a choice when it came to her love for colors, that pleased Angeni on some level because it was out of his control. She pulled out a pair of white socks and slipped them on, tilting her head slightly at the book she'd been reading before he came to visit her the second time.  Pulling it out, Angeni zipped the rest of her bag up and leaned back against the chair before beginning to read the day away, never turning the music down.

When Celine Dion came on, that radio went flying right through the damn screen and over the railing. Taker ignored Angeni's sputtering as he stalked around her and right out into the sunshine just to peer down at the sidewalk. He felt satisfaction at the sight of that radio in pieces, turning back to go inside. Bryan Adams, fine, but that woman…he had just drawn the damn line.

Angeni shook her head sadly and frowned, simply going back to reading.  It was definitely times like these that Angeni missed the tranquility of her cottage.  She could listen and do anything she wanted without someone taking it away from her, like her brute husband.

“I would've turned it off had you simply asked.” She muttered, ignoring his glare and slowly lowered her book when he bent down to be eye level with her, both of his hands gripping the arms on the chair. “I'm just saying there's no need to be so...volatile.  You could've hurt someone with that stunt, though I'm sure you don't even care about anyone's well being except your own.  You've made that quite clear.  Now if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to my book and don't need you in my face.”

“Do you WANT me to strangle that beautiful neck of yours?” He demanded in a near whisper, reaching out to trace a single finger along her collarbone and then up along her pulse point. “Because if you do, no need to provoke me, just simply ask.”

Taker then wrapped his hand around her throat, not squeezing or anything, just held it there, green eyes flashing. When she simply stared at him with those damn violet eyes of her, he let go of her neck in order to cup her head, pulling her face forward to meet his in a harsh kiss. Angeni cried out in pain against his lips because of how hard the kiss was, her nails digging into his bare chest, almost to the point of drawing blood, because of how much it hurt. 

With all of her strength, Angeni managed to shove him away from her and nearly toppled in the chair, breathing heavily, her lips swollen almost as much as the rest of her face. Christ, her face was throbbing again and all Angeni could do was stare back at him with wide eyes, not expecting him to do that.  The fact he had lit her blood on fire just angered her further because she didn't WANT to feel anything for this monster.

“I-I wasn't trying to provoke you, but you've just proved my damn point by doing that!!” She shouted angrily.

Taker slowly moved his gaze down to his chest, arching a black eyebrow at the sight of the angry red. She had damn near broke skin with those nails! With a thoroughly wicked grin, he brought his own rather sharp fingernails up and dragged them slowly across the same place her nails had raked, finishing the job.

“I like pain, Angeni.” He rumbled, his dark baritone low and husky.

She looked at him completely appalled, especially when he took some of the blood from his chest and tasted it. “Stay away from me, you sick bastard.” Angeni whispered, deciding she would not be sharing a bed with him again. 

That was disgusting and made her stomach churn, knowing she would probably have nightmares about him doing that.  When he came at her again, Angeni ended up reacting instinctively and had her feet up, shoving him back with so much force, it actually slammed him back against the wall and forced her chair to topple backwards, making her do a somersault and hit her head on the wall.  Her legs were powerful from all the running she did and Angeni knew she was a dead woman when he looked ready to kill her. 

Angeni had two options. Either stay and suffer more abuse or make a run for the door.  If she made it out by the time he got to her, Angeni would be free, but that chance was slim to none.  So she just stayed there against the wall and waited for the abuse to come, knowing she surprised him by how powerful her legs apparently were.

All he could do was stare at her, wondering if she had lost what was left of her damn mind. Slowly, Taker pulled himself upright into what was definitely a more dignified position. “Are you insane, woman?” He demanded angrily, stalking over to pick her up from her turtle-like position, knowing she had just cracked her head. She was now abusing herself! “Are YOU?!”

“No!” She cried out and swung her foot while he held her by her upper arms in mid-air. 

Not meaning to, Angeni's foot lodged right between Mark's legs and she was instantly dropped, a roar of pain echoing from him seconds later.  Angeni groaned at the pain that rushed through her body, scrambling away from him and knew this was her chance.  He was on the floor, curled up in a fetal position, cupping his lower region where she'd just lodged her foot accidentally.  Not thinking twice about it, Angeni got to her feet, grabbed her bag and didn't bother with shoes since she didn't have time before racing to the door, tossing it open. 

She managed to arrive at the elevators and then said screw it, opting for the stairs instead, running as fast as she possibly could.  She managed to pull a shirt from out of her bag and yanked it over her head, black hair flying behind her. In so much pain, Angeni had found her chance regardless and took it without thinking twice, knowing if Mark caught her again she would be dead.  She would rather run away from him and risk having her life ended than be abused and dominated a second longer.

Taker wasn't moving, he couldn't move.

He was afraid if he did, he'd find out that something was broken and remembered one guy actually suffering a penile fracture. Angeni wouldn't get far, she was practically crippled, and if she was running, which she was, then she was setting her recovery back. Not that he cared at the moment. All he cared about was the white hot pain that was emanating from his balls.

“Angeni?” Kane wasn't entirely sure, the woman was running too damn fast.

She skidded to a halt at the sight of a masked man, tears flowing down her cheeks. “Kane!!” She practically sobbed out and ran toward him, jumping into his arms, wrapping her own tightly around his neck, trembling from head to toe. 

Angeni was terrified right now and hoped he could somehow help her, feeling his grip tighten on her even more as he hugged her back.  This was her brother-in-law, but Angeni thought of him as an actual brother and felt him beginning to walk somewhere with her clinging to him for dear life.  She was away from Mark for the time being and would have to take extra precaution to make sure she didn't wind up back in his clutches.

“G-Get me o-out of h-here please...H-He'll c-come a-after me...Please Kane, please...”

Kane scooped her up with one arm behind her back, the other under her knees, having noticed her odd state of dress and the bare feet. He glanced down at her while walking out of the building, people naturally making way for him. Angeni was in a bad way and looked like she’d gotten the hell beaten out of her.

“Did HE do that?” He demanded, referring to her face, not surprised when she simply nodded, closing her eyes as tears streamed down her bruised cheeks. He didn't even want to know about the rest of her, spotting what looked like a hint of a burn on her wrist, but wasn't sure how bad it was, there wasn't time to check. “Hospital?”

“No, he'll find me there!!” She sobbed out, burying her face in his neck when he held her like this. “P-Please just get me out of here!  Please!”

They were on the road moments later in Kane's rental, Angeni flat out refusing to leave his side crying silently and clinging to his arm. 

~!~

When Kane pulled up to a hospital a few hours later, Angeni looked up at him and knew he wanted her to get checked out, merely nodding.  They were far enough away to where it would take some time for Mark to track her down.

“What is your last name?” Angeni asked, knowing his real name wasn't Kane as he helped her through the doors of the hospital.

“Jacobs.”

The nurse rushed up to her as soon as she saw the battered looking woman walk in with the masked man. “Oh dear, get me a wheelchair someone!” She called over her shoulder, guiding the woman into it moments later. “What's your name sweetheart?”

“Angel Jacobs.” She lied, hoping Kane didn't say anything and sighed when he merely followed them to the back, never releasing his hand.

Kane had no idea what to do with the paperwork he had been handed as Angeni was examined, refusing to move from a chair at her side. He knew how to fill it out, but he knew nothing about her medical history, finally just going with what seemed likely and then came the actual personal information. Which was all false and if they questioned anything, he was paying with cash so that'd shut up administration rather quickly.

“She really should be admitted for overnight observation.”

Kane shook his head no. They were already chancing the Ministry finding them if Taker had sent them out, overnight would be begging to be caught. After signing a waiver that stated she was going against medical advice, Angeni was treated for her burns, the bruising they couldn't really do anything about. 

She didn't have any internal injuries, though she did ask about her wrists scarring.  The doctor told her she had a good chance of recovering with no scaring because the rope cuts and burns weren't that deep surprisingly enough.  A few hours later, Angeni was discharged from the emergency room with strict instructions to take it easy for the next week so she could heal up.

“Thank you, Kane.” Angeni whispered, leaning against him while he drove away and popped a Vicodin for her pain, her arm looped through his. “Thank you for helping me…”

“Welcome.” Kane said gruffly, having used the hospital pharmacy to get her prescriptions filled.

That had been interesting as he didn't have her ID or insurance card, finally using a thinly veiled threat and a wad of cash to cover everything. He had also…stolen some extra medical supplies, just in case. It was amazing how people would gawk at him because of his sheer size and the mask and then forget about him when he remained quiet and relatively still.

“Where too?” Angeni couldn't go back to her place and Kane wondered what she would say about going to his.

“Somewhere I can fully recover for the week without him finding me.” She murmured quietly, slowly looking up at him and wondered briefly if there was such a place. 

Watching Kane mull it over while he drove before finally taking an exit that lead to the highway, Angeni smiled softly. Wherever he was headed, Angeni would gladly go, knowing her cottage was definitely out of the question.  That would've been the best place for her to recuperate, but that would be one of the first places Mark would look for her. 

Angeni ended up dozing off due to the Vicodin and slept throughout the night that Kane drove, being nudged awake sometime the next day.  Her violet eyes slowly fluttered open and Angeni shot up, breathing heavily and started crying with relief at the sight of Kane, hugging him tight around the neck again.  She was scared for her life and it clearly showed, especially since the Vicodin had basically given her a nightmare of being buried alive at the hands of Mark.

“Hold on, almost there.” Kane said quietly, turning off the dirt road they were on and shifting the rental into a gear more appropriate for the steep path they were now climbing.

He lived in Tennessee. He had lived on the outskirts of Knoxville, but when Taker had sent people there, Kane had relocated to the mountains. The cabin wasn't associated with him through any legal names and if anyone managed to find them, then that person would have to be a bloodhound. Normally he would've enjoyed the view of the dark forest surrounding them, but not today. He kept his eyes on the bumpy, rough path.

They were literally in the middle of the woods and Angeni could only look around, thinking back to her cottage and how similar her and Kane's tastes were.  It was too ironic and surreal at the same time.  When he parked the car and helped her out, Angeni grabbed her bag, smiling when Kane took it from her, guiding her inside the house.  The cabin was beautiful and big enough for a man of his size with four bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, four bathrooms - one connected to each bedroom- and a huge backyard obviously.  This was the perfect place for her to recuperate and Angeni couldn't help feeling safe for the first time in days.

“I love your home, Kane.” Angeni finally said, heading into the living room and sat down on the couch, which was much bigger than any of her furniture at the cottage combined. “I'm starting to wonder if maybe we weren't separated at birth.” She half-joked, trying to make light of this situation.

The idea of her being related to him through Paul made him shudder because there was no way in hell Paul could produce something like her. The idea of her being related to him from his mother was another shudder because then she would be married to her brother. He liked his things simple, but the cabin had come with all the bedrooms, three that he never planned on using since he normally didn't have guests. The furniture was all mostly strong sturdy wood, large enough to accommodate him, with cushions that tied to the posts.

His was the masculine version of her cottage.

“I'll take your bag.” Kane said, fidgeting slightly.

It was one thing for him to be in her home, new ballgame in the reversed roles.

“Do you mind if I lay here for awhile?”

She watched Kane shake his head before retreating to the back, the entire cabin one story, which was perfectly fine with her.  Angeni felt safe and comfortable here, two things she didn't with Mark.  Sighing, Angeni stretched out on the couch, snuggling against the pillow and closed her eyes, tranquility washing over her.  She knew Mark was going to be irate, once he dislodged his balls from his throat, but honestly Angeni hadn't meant to kick him. 

He'd picked her up, scared her nearly to death and her feet had flailed of their own accord.  She would eventually have to feel his wrath again, but in the meantime, she would enjoy what freedom and peace she had left.  Angeni fell asleep at some point and didn't feel Kane lift her up to carry her to her bedroom, where she would be more comfortable, tucking her in.  She knew Kane would have to go back on the road and leave her here, which Angeni was perfectly fine with because she had a sinking feeling Mark had no idea about his brother's cabin.

While she slept, Kane walked the length of his property. Paranoia had caused him to rig up some old-fashioned mountain man traps and lines. That last home visit from big brother really not doing anything to help his confidence levels about the safety of his home. Kane knew he couldn't stay with her past a night or two because he had to get back on the road in order to keep Vince from committing him, or something else probably equally evil. He also knew Angeni's contract was in dangerous legal waters at the moment if she didn't show up soon.

What none of them realized was, at that moment, Taker officially owned his bitch wife’s contract.

Chapter 19

Angeni paced back and forth in the cabin a week later, all of her injuries healed up for the most part.  She rested for the first few days and then became restless, deciding to clean Kane's already pristine cabin.  She knew he wouldn't mind and she even opened the windows to air the place out since it smelled a little musty. 

She knew she had to go back and Kane had called to inform her she was no longer in the Corporation, which wasn't a huge shock.  But what did shock her was the fact that Taker officially owned her contract.  Her husband owned her contract and Angeni knew she officially worked for him.  She could always stay at the cabin until her contract was up, but at the same time, she didn't want to impose on Kane either. 

Angeni lifted her shirt up and ran her fingertips over the slightly bruised area of her stomach, which was a very pale yellowish color.  Her face was also the same way, though with some foundation she hid her husband's abuse fairly well.  Then there was the option of a restraining order, which would involve the authorities and Angeni immediately cancelled that out, knowing Mark's Ministry could dismantle any authority figure.  There was also the option of just walking back to him with open arms and hoped he took mercy on her.

“I'm screwed.” She groaned, jumping slightly when her cell phone rang, having finally turned it back on after a week straight of having it turned off.  Kane called the house phone to relay the information about Mark to her.  Hesitantly, Angeni flipped her cell phone open and put it to her ear, taking a deep breath. “Hello?”

“Out of the kindness of my heart, I have refrained from hunting you down...” Came her husband's dark baritone. “I have also refrained from putting Kane in a coma.” Which would be very justified in his opinion since he had found out that Angeni apparently also had an identity under the name of Angel Jacobs. Jacobs. “You will return to work for RAW or one of two things will happen. You will either find yourself in a court room without a dime to your name and still under contract to me or…I'll drag you back with broken legs.” His voice had dropped an octave. “Show up Angeni, because right now, I haven't decided on which option I'd enjoy more.”

“You have no heart.” Angeni shot back, running her fingers over the burn mark on her neck, which had faded almost completely. “I know what happens if I return to you and I'd rather take my chances in court.  That way, I can show them the pictures I've taken of my battered body that you inflicted on me.” She wasn't stupid; she needed some kind of collateral against him since he now owned her contract with the WWF. “You really hurt me.  I realize what I did to you and your Ministry wasn't smart, but I did NOT deserve everything you did to me.  I did not deserve to be treated like an animal!  Don't bring the authorities into this because I will make sure you go down for battery against your wife.  So come on, break my legs and hurt me some more.  Kill me why you're at it.  Because it's the only way I'm coming back to you and, even then, I'll fight until my last dying breath, you bastard.  So you won't be seeing me on Monday or any other day because I intend on staying hidden away from you until my contract runs out and our divorce is finalized.”

“Angeni…you're not thinking clearly.” Taker said, patronizing her with his tone and actually clucked his tongue over the line. “Must be all that Vicodin they loaded you up on and that Kane stole for you. Let me rephrase my earlier statement: If you do not come back to RAW and quit with your games, I will kill Kane and then find you, even if I have to burn down every house in Tennessee to do so.” He fell silent, listening to her breathing through the phone. “And as for your pictures, have fun with that. Evidence you were abused, my poor darling, who did it?” He was mocking her now, not worried in the least.

“Burn down every house in Tennessee?  You really think you're invincible don't you.  And I'm not worried about Kane, he can handle himself.” She grew quiet, staring out into the woods, tears stinging her eyes. “You're going to hurt me again and tie me up like an animal.  I refuse to be treated like that.  I'm not some possession of yours that you can do with as you please.  I'm a human being, a woman, and what you did is...You crossed a line far greater than the line I crossed with you.  So you can make all the threats you want, it doesn't change the fact that I'm not coming back to you, not when I know what's waiting for me.  I'm not going to be slapped around by you.  So do what you gotta do and I'll do what I have to do, Mark.”

“If you would behave yourself, you wouldn't get -why hello, Kane.” Taker set the phone down so she could hear. “Why don't you just tell me where she's at so I don't have to hurt anyone else, hmmm?”

Kane shook his head no, restrained by a straitjacket.

“Not even if I beat it out of you?”

Another no.

“How about a trip back to the padded room, hmmm?”

“No.”

Taker mockingly sighed in disappointment. “Have it your way then. Bring me the gasoline, Shaw.”

“Kane!  You monster!  Let him go right now!”

Angeni was panicking by now, tears already falling from her eyes and sank back down on the couch.  She was going to get her ass beaten black and blue when she went back to him, but Angeni had no choice.  She had to save Kane.  She owed him after what he did for her the past week.

“ALRIGHT!” She finally shouted, already packing up her things. “Let him go and you can have me.  I-I won't fight you.  I-I'll hand over the pictures and anything else you want.  Just don't hurt him anymore please!  PUT DOWN THE DAMN CAN, BRADSHAW!!”

“You sure lil lady? Red here is all doused and ready for a barbecue!” Came Bradshaw's laughter right back at her. “Want to say somethin' now, son?”

“I think you may have broken him, Shaw...” Taker drawled coldly. Kane was rocking back and forth, his head looking as though it would pop right off his shoulders. “Angeni, I will see you at RAW, pet.” He chuckled darkly before hanging up. “Alright gentlemen, haul him into the shower but keep him restrained.

Kane was his new way of controlling his wife.

The entire time packing, Angeni cried her heart out, worried sick about Kane.  She wished he could call her or something to let her know he was alright.  Bradshaw's nuts were about to be lodged in his throat as well, Angeni was already planning on it. 

She looked at the ring on her right middle finger and decided to change it back to her left ring finger, knowing Mark would end up doing it for her.  Looking back at the cabin, Angeni headed out with her bag slung over her shoulders, wearing a cream colored short sleeved top with jeans, tossing her bag in the front seat.  Kane had left the keys for her to one of his trucks in case she had to go into town for anything. 

The entire drive to the airport, Angeni contemplated what this meant for her future and decided she wouldn't run from Mark again.  He would only end up hurting people and she couldn't have that on her conscience.  But if he thought he was going to beat her down like an animal again, he was deadly mistaken.  She would hurt him back and they would end up killing each other, though her death was much more believable to happen.  When the plane landed hours later, Angeni stepped off of it and walked through the terminal, seeing Paul was waiting for her at the entrance.

“Hello fat man.” She thrust her bag into his arms, smirking almost viciously, her hair pulled up in a tight bun. “My darling hubby didn't want to pick me up eh?  Whatever.  Lead the way, should you chain me up to make him happy?  Here, let me make it easy for you.” Angeni pulled out a pair of handcuffs from her back pocket and tossed them at him. “Go ahead, lock me up, I know that's what he wants.”

“While you and your husband may share similar…perversions, I do not.” Paul said flatly, depositing them in the first trash can he passed by. “I have no interest in chaining you up, Angeni.”

Providing she kept her hands to herself. First time she touched him, Paul was going to knock her obnoxious ass out with a very high dosage of a sedative. Just by her attitude, he could already see that she was about to make the Ministry's lives a living hell, again. The woman really did have a death wish and he was wondering if he had enough vacation time to go to Aruba for awhile.

“I'm sure he won't condone that kind of attitude from you, since you are in the Ministry.  But I'll keep that a secret from him for you, since I do owe you one for the glass.”

She walked out of the airport ahead of him, not running and simply slipped inside the awaiting limo that would no doubt take her back to her hell.  The entire ride there was made in silence, though Angeni had decided on wearing steel toed boots in case her husband decided to try abusing her again.  She wasn't taking it line down this time, she would end up hurting him if he laid a finger on her that was brutal.  When the limo stopped, Angeni stepped out and grabbed her bag, seeing her husband waiting for her at the door.  She smiled sweetly at him and headed in his direction, breathing in the air as much as she could.

“You know, it's rather rude having your servant pick me up from the airport.  What's the matter, Mark baby?  Don't even have time to pick up your wife yourself?  Oh wait, wait!  I got it.  You only enjoy abusing your wife and forcing yourself on her.  My mistake.” Snorting, Angeni went to walk past him and slapped him across the face when he grabbed her arm, using her ring to make sure she cut his face. “I will NOT take your abuse again, mother fucker, do you hear me?  I am your WIFE, you will treat me with some SORT of respect or I swear to god I will make your life MISERABLE.  And I can do it because I've done it already.  You will not hurt me again or I will go to the cops, I will go to the fucking president if that's what it takes.  And if you think I can't do it, WATCH ME.” He wanted her back, here she was in the flesh, but Angeni wasn't about to follow any orders he gave her.

Taker reached up and traced a finger along the cut, licking the blood off his fingertip before snapping his fingers. “Hello to you too, darling.” He leered, accepting the gag he was passed.

He wouldn't use duct tape or beat the shit out of her even though he really wanted too. But she was going to learn her damn place. Viscera and Mideon grabbed her from behind while he adjusted it over her mouth, locking it behind her head.

“Humiliating, isn't it? If you want to avoid being treated like a bitch, then I suggest you mind your mouth and learn your place.”

Her response was to kick him in his balls again, struggling against the Ministry members as they gagged her before she could start screaming.  She took pleasure in watching her husband writhing on the ground for the third time, dropping him like a sack of potatoes.  This time with her steel boots.  She was dragged away toward a nearby car and tossed in the backseat, after her wrists were tied together. 

Where the hell was Mark taking her now? 

Angeni slowly managed to drag herself up, only to be shoved back down and twisted her wrists against the binds, grunting through the gag.  The car took off moments later and all Angeni could do was lay there, hoping wherever Mark took her it didn't involve her death. Angeni was sitting in the backseat, wedged between Mideon and Farooq while Paul was driving with Taker in an odd curl beside him, breathing heavily through his open mouth.

“Do you need to ah…be seen?” Paul hesitantly asked.

“Shut up and drive…” Taker managed to choke out, having a serious time breathing properly since everything was now…really blurry and he was pretty sure his dick and balls were permanently damaged.

She hoped he could never have sex again, that would do her a world of favors as she leaned her head back, closing her eyes.  He was doing it again, he was treating her like an animal and he deserved being slapped for grabbing her upper arm the way he had!  Not to mention kicked square in the balls.  Angeni saw the huge building they pulled up to and grunted when she was pulled out none too gently by a guy with a TX symbol on his forehead, having seen that before. 

It was her husband's symbol, the symbol of the Ministry of Darkness.  She glared daggers at Mark, violet eyes flashing coldly and was dragged inside by her upper arms, knowing she would more than likely have bruises.  Once they were inside, she was pushed into a corner on her ass, her hands bound in front of her, growling through the gag.

All the Ministry members took their cue from him and ignored her. Taker was ignoring her because right now, all he could do was focus on controlling the pain between his legs. Steel-toed boots…At this rate, he was never going to heal down there properly. Didn't that woman know how delicate those parts were? Of course she did, that's why she kept going after them.

“Remove her boots.” He grunted before disappearing into the bathroom, locking the door behind him.

“Someone needs to go get him some ice too.” Paul added in a whisper, watching as the boys debated on who was going to get close to Angeni to take her boots off.

Bradshaw gritted his teeth when no one would get close to her, finally deciding to man up. If she nailed him, he'd punch her right in the face. He wasn't going to let that shit slide like the Deadman apparently was.

Chapter 20

The moment Bradshaw bent down to try to remove her boots, he got a kick right to the face, Angeni actually sending him flying through the air landing on his back with a sickening thud.  Blood gushed from his nose as she managed to work her way up the wall, standing on her feet, snarling with deadly violet eyes.  If she was going down, she was taking someone with her and decided since Bradshaw wanted to be the one to step up, she would send him crashing.  Angeni had powerful legs for a reason and she would use them to her advantage if necessary, having put full force into that blow directly to his nose.

“You dirty little bitch!” Bradshaw snarled, climbing to his feet and gingerly touched his bloody nose, cursing when it panged with pain.

It was most likely broken and he couldn't even breathe out of it, knowing it was not only bleeding but rapidly swelling. Tears watered in his eyes, Bradshaw was officially pissed. Ignoring Farooq's cautioning words, he stormed right up to her, sidestepping the next kick and pulled his fist back.

“HE'S GOING TO KILL YOU!”

Paul whirled in time to see the fist go flying forward, his mouth dropping open.

Taker came storming out of the bathroom, feeling a bit better now that he had used some of Paul's pain killers gratuitously.

Angeni was too quick for him though, barely missing his huge fist plowing forward toward her face.  She was tiny and used that to her advantage, not believing Mark was letting this happen to her.  When Bradshaw charged her, not realizing Mark had already stepped out of the bathroom, Angeni did a kick up and kicked Bradshaw in his nose again.

Making him fly even farther this time, Angeni knew she probably could've killed him with that blow.  It also caused her to stumble back against the wall, hearing Bradshaw bellowing out in pain as he held his crushed nose.  Her heart was hammering vigorously in her chest, breathing extremely erratic through the gag and knew it would take Bradshaw several minutes to get up from that blow.

Coming out to the sight of Bradshaw swinging at full force at his WIFE had caused Taker's blood to start boiling. He knew damn well there was no way he could get there in time to stop the impact but then Angeni darted and…he watched as she then proceeded to take the large man DOWN. Bradshaw then remained down while she slumped against the wall, looking like she was about to faint or maybe have a panic attack.

Looking much calmer then he felt, he walked, without doing it bowlegged since he wasn't feeling anything at the moment besides numbness and rage, straddling Bradshaw's chest. The only one allowed to put a hand on Angeni was HIM, and even he had been rather gentle with her tonight. Paul winced as 'Taker began pounding what was left of Shaw's face with closed fists.

Angeni stayed on her feet and just watched in sick satisfaction as her husband obliterated one of his minions, her eyes looking over the rest of them.  If ANY of them came near her, she would use her steel toed boots to do some damage, a killer look in her eyes.  She stayed against the wall though, refusing to turn her back to any of them and wished she could take this damn gag off since it was hard for her to breathe.  Angeni was probably going to be punished for that, but at the same time, Bradshaw had deserved being kicked twice in the face and she hoped his nose lodged up into his brain permanently.

“Go get the EMT's to take him to the hospital.” Paul ordered when Taker finally stepped away from the unconscious Bradshaw, taking in the bloody mess that was no longer a face, pretty sure he was seeing…flesh. “Definitely going to need x-rays…”

Taker's hand was covered in blood, his face glistening with perspiration and his long black hair disheveled about his face and shoulders. He looked demonic at the moment, his eyes wild, glittering jades that were darting from face to face as if to take on a new challenger before finally landing on Angeni. Deadly violet locked on those acid green and Angeni was tempted to kick Mark when he stalked toward her, but decided against it. 

Angeni didn't want to press her luck too much with him, not so soon anyway.  When he ripped the gag away from her mouth, Angeni was shocked when he yanked her roughly into his arms, coughing a little since the gag hadn't tasted that great.  He was going to hurt her, she simply knew it and would accept the abuse.  Shock flooded her when his lips suddenly crashed against hers, pressing her against the wall, her bound hands flying up to be trapped against both their chests.

Paul began ushering the boys out, making way for the EMT's that were wheeling in a gurney as well as leaving Taker and his wife to their very disturbed, violent marriage.

Taker did make sure to trap her legs to the wall with his own, not about to get those damn steel toed boots to any part of his anatomy again. Seeing her taking out a man that size…was hot. Plain and simple. She was a hellcat, but she was HIS hellcat.

Angeni struggled against him as tears slowly slid down the sides of her face and managed to rip her lips from his, trying to use her bound hands to shove him away.  That was like shoving a brick wall, it wasn't happening.  She felt him trap her legs to the wall with his so she couldn't kick him, her husband was definitely a smart man.

“Get away from me.” She ordered in a harsh whisper.

Pulling away when he went to press his forehead to hers, Angeni whimpered as he buried his hand in her hair in order to press her against his rock hard body.  His bloody hands had left bloody handprints on her upper arms when he yanked her against him and now she had Bradshaw's blood in her hair. Taker wanted to let her arms loose, wanted to feel her hands touching him, but knew the only way she was touching him of her own volition was to inflict physical injury on him.

If she was worried he was going to rape her in the actual sense of intercourse, the odds of that were very slim, below the belt needed time to recover and for the swelling to go down. But there were other things he could do, if she'd just let him. His mouth moved down her chin to her throat, nipping and licking at her pulse point.

Sandalwood and leather instantly surrounded her and Angeni just let more tears fall, hating that she still felt love for this monster who had abused her.  She hated how his touch made her body light on fire and craved for him to do more. Hesitantly, Angeni reached up and ran her fingers across the cut on his cheek in a gentle caress, fighting back her building desire.

She loved him. 

She loved this heartless monster and Angeni hated herself for it because he treated her like an animal.  Why couldn't he always be this way?  Affectionate, kind and perhaps even sweet…why did he always have to show her his dominance with physicality that made her hate him.  When he moved across her throat to the other side of her neck, Angeni just rested her head back against the wall, her hands once again resting against his chest, drifting her eyes closed.

Angeni was sort of touching him, tentatively, though when she simply rested her hands on his chest, Taker's own moved down to her wrists. Unlacing them, Taker knew the odds of him regretting this were rather high. Not stopping his administrations on her throat, he guided her arms around his neck, then let one of his large, calloused palms gently skim her side, feeling the heat from her flesh searing through her shirt.

The memory of submitting to him the last time flashed through Angeni's mind and she couldn't let it happen again.  Nothing would ever change.  He was who he was, Angeni had accepted that the moment he laid an abusive hand on her.

“No, not again...” She whimpered out, ignoring his soothing voice for her to relax and shoved her hands against his chest. “I said NO!” Angeni managed to barely shove him back a step and that was all she needed as she ducked under his arm, putting some space between them. “I told you it would never happen again and I meant it.  I'll stay in your little Ministry and be forced to work for you, but that's where it ends.  You can force me to share all the hotel rooms with you that you want, it doesn't change how I feel and what you've done to me.”

He wasn't taking no for an answer however and stalked towards her, his stormy green eyes half-closed in an almost predatory fashion. Bending down to catch her leg before she could nail him, his hand reached out to her hip, steadying her so she didn't topple. Taker then lifted her up and dropped himself down on a chair, pulling her so she was straddling his lap, locking her arms at her sides. He didn't give her time to rail at him again, just captured her lips with his again.

Angeni whimpered because this kiss was nowhere as brutal or violent as the first.  It was soft and tender, almost loving with a hint of passion mixed in.  He was so confusing, did he regret what he did to her?  Was this his way of apologizing? 

Angeni shoved her hands against his chest, but he wasn't budging.  Finally, she did the only thing she could do to make him release her and that was to box his ears, doing it as hard as she could.  She flew off his lap and to the floor as he cursed, scrambling back up to her feet.

“I SAID NO!” She shouted, picking up a chair and hurled it at him, the tears never stopping. “WHAT PART OF NO DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?” She tossed another chair, nailing him right in the arm and finally folded one up, holding it as a weapon. “Come near me and I'll knock your goddamn lights out!!”

Now who was the violent one?

His assaults totaled one for the night and Bradshaw had had it coming, hell, it had been in HER defense. So far, she was definitely beating him and his mouth curved downwards into a grim line. He advanced on Angeni, catching the chair tightly when she swung it, the chair now held by the both of them.

“Don't.” Taker cautioned in a whisper, his eyes warning her he didn't want to hurt her, but if she didn't back down, it was going to happen.

“I-I hate this! I've NEVER been this violent before!” She released the chair and backed up against the wall again, sliding down it, burying her face in her hands. “What have you done to me, Mark?”

She literally turned into this raging bitch and Angeni hated it because she was never one for violence.  The WWF had changed her into someone she didn't want to be, someone who had to keep fighting or else she would get stomped on.  Being beaten and battered the way she was, it made Angeni develop an animal instinct, a thirst for blood and it showed in her recent actions. 

Hell, she sent a man to a hospital with a crushed nose and he hadn't even touched her!  Granted, he tried punching her, but never physically touched her and she fought. She felt Mark pull her into his arms and ended up burying her face in his chest, sagging.

“Let me go...”

Taker simply wrapped his arms around her and held her against him, feeling sobs wracking her body as she broke down on him, of all people. After a moment, he began running his hand up and down her back in a soothing gesture, something he hadn't done for anyone in quite some time. Though, even after all she had done to him, and after all he had done to her, it felt natural.

“You win, I can't fight anymore, Mark.  I can't do it.  I'm so exhausted…” Angeni murmured after what seemed like hours of silence with him just holding her, her voice sounding drained. “I just don't want to be hurt anymore.  I feel like all I can do is keep fighting and protect myself, but I can't do it anymore.  I'm not strong enough for this.”

She didn't look up at him, deciding there was no point in fighting him anymore.  Whatever Mark wanted, he got and what he wanted right now was his wife in the Ministry of Darkness.  She would behave, but if any of his men decided to try touching her the way Bradshaw had, they would be sent to the hospital.

No questions asked.

“I'm not going to…hurt you.” Taker said finally, slowly, meaning physically. “You have my word that I will not lay another hand on you.”

It went without say that he wouldn't allow his Ministry to harm her, if him finishing what she had started with Bradshaw after that incident hadn't been evident enough, he would gladly demonstrate all over again. Taker couldn't promise her mental or emotional state, but he knew he couldn't be laying his hands on her anymore. He would wind up killing her.

“You have my word too.  I won't run and I won't…fight you anymore.”

Angeni slowly looked up from his chest into his green eyes, so much relief washing over her face as well as his.  There was a lot of damage between them, but maybe it could be mended with time.  She slowly stood up and dusted herself off, arena floors weren't that clean, sighing when he pulled her against him, his hands on her thighs.

“So, I'm going to assume your colors are purple and black.  Dark purple I mean.”

Angeni watched him nod and decided she could deal with that, running her fingers through his black hair gently while his forehead rested against her stomach. Why the hell she was asking about his colors at this exact moment was beyond him, but Taker wasn't about to try to fathom the inner workings of her mind right now. The shift from breakdown to colors was mind-boggling to him in the least. Though, he was pleased with her promise, knowing so long as they both abided by their words, things had a chance to work out.

The moment was disrupted with Paul walking back inside with a huge white box, breathing a little heavy. She walked away from Mark and took it from him, seeing how red his face was.  He looked ready to keel over, what the hell was in this box?

“T-That is your outfit for tonight, Angeni.”

She nodded and opened the box, sifting through the paper a bit and tilted her head slightly. Pulling out the dress, it looked like it was a corset and skirt attached together, purple and black.  The laces were black while the rest of it was purple, all velvet.

“I'm going to go change, is that alright?”

When Taker nodded, Angeni managed a small smile and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.  The outfit also matched the ring on her finger. Angeni immediately shed her clothes before jumping in the shower, finally noticing the bloody handprints that were on her arm from Bradshaw.

“Why are you out of breath?”

Paul glared at his protégé. “If you must know, I ran.”

Taker arched an eyebrow, looking down at the dried blood on his hands and hid a smirk. “I wasn't aware you could run, Paul.”

Paul wheezed something that sounded suspiciously like 'go to hell'.

Chapter 21

Mark was out of his mind officially. 

Angeni looked in the mirror and gaped, swallowing hard, hoping he realized what exactly he just made her wear.  Or rather gave her to wear since she really didn't have anything in his colors right now.  The corset top pushed her breasts up so the top of them showed and the skirt part of the dress went two inches above the knee, everything clinging to her like a second skin.  Her wet hair hung haphazardly around her in wet waves, knowing she would need to get her makeup and hair done by the girls. 

Mark also had two inch black heels that looked like they could stab someone if provoked and strapped up her calves.  They looked dangerous, though Angeni liked them because she could use them if provoked by any of his minions.  She walked out of the bathroom, tossing the box to the side and cleared her throat, gaining her husband's attention.

“I don't mean to question your…uh judgment, but are you SURE about this?”

Green eyes started at the top of her damp head and slowly worked their way down, feasting on the visual delight that was before him. Really regretting it that, in his current state, there was nothing he could do. Actually, he was suddenly very glad for his pain killer attempted overdose before because if by chance there was a surge of blood flowing down there, he couldn't feel it.

He knew if he could, it would probably be very painful due to the swelling and bruising. Then his gaze landed on the spiked heels, not so sure about that, but…benefit of the doubt. Taker was already cursing himself for being a fool, though she did look enticing in them.

“Does it not please you?”

“No, no of course not.  I didn't mean it like that, I like it, skirt could be a bit longer, but it's fine.” Angeni assured him with another smile, liking the heels even more as she looked them over once more, heading over to her bag to put her other clothes back in it. “Do you want me to head down to Tiffany so I can get my hair and makeup done?” The outfit alone told her she was going down to the ring with the Ministry tonight, her officially debut with the group.  Angeni saw the hesitation in her husband's eyes and sighed gently, knowing they both had to gain trust for each other. “Who is going with me then so I can get it done?”

“Don't look at me.” Paul groused when Taker shot him a look. “I just ran, from the Corporation…” Because he had delivered a lovely little packet to Vince and the man hadn't been thrilled. “You're all drugged up, you go.”

Paul really must've been in a 'mood' to actually be ordering him around like that. He pushed himself out of the chair and nodded, looking down at Angeni. The rest of the Ministry had yet to return, so Taker had no alternative and had to be his wife’s escort, not trusting her flighty ass.

They walked out and Angeni didn't pull away when Mark took her hand, lacing their fingers together.  She would definitely need to get used to wearing this heels, but they did go perfectly with the outfit.  She wondered who picked it out, glancing up at her husband and instantly bit her tongue from asking.  She could be mean right now if she wanted to, deciding against it.  When they arrived at the makeup/hair area, Tiffany turned three shades white, fear instantly entering her eyes.

“It's okay Tiff, I'm just here for my hair and makeup, I'm with the Ministry now.”

“W-What?” She blinked, slowly looking up at Taker and then immediately moved her gaze back to Angeni. “What do you want done then?”

“Curled, left down and just do the normal makeup, only changing it from red to purple.” She requested, leaning back in the chair, feeling Tiffany begin working her magic, tapping her black painted nails on the arms.

Taker had absolutely zero interest in this process. He did his own hair because, quite frankly, having someone else do it tended to distract from the whole Lord of Darkness thing and he wasn't having that. He simply leaned against one of the tables, arms folded over his massive chest as he watched Angeni settle back into the chair.

Tiffany really wanted to ask what was going on, but with the Deadman right there, no chance in hell.

“Contract switch, wanted to be with my husband instead of against him.” Angeni had read Tiffany's thoughts apparently because the woman turned red in the face, smiling sweetly, sighing. 

Of course that was a blatant lie, Mark owned her contract so Angeni was stuck with him for a year and decided to make the most of it.  She didn't know what the future held for them, but they had come to some sort of reconciliation and agreement, keeping the peace between them.  When Tiffany finished, Angeni was transformed into a gothic goddess with thick black eyeliner around her violet eyes with dark purple eye shadow that fanned out a little past her eyes in an Egyptian style. 

Her lips were painted the same color of purple as her outfit, her face covered with foundation, which still had a yellowish tint to it.  It would be gone within a day or two though.  Her hair was dry and hung around her in loose raven curls that looked soft to the touch, reaching the middle of her back.

“Ready to go?” Angeni asked her husband, extending her hand to him willingly.

Taker snapped out of his thoughts and took her in, taking in the transformation the makeup had done. Her face was no longer yellow and sallow, but...and it was rather amazing to see the difference makeup made in a woman. She was always beautiful, with or without, in her usual or this gothic style. But…considering who he was, Taker was very vain.

Tiffany turned her back while the Undertaker devoured his wife with his eyes, only turning around when she heard their footsteps going in the opposite direction.

Angeni figured he approved of her appearance and headed back to the Ministry's locker room with him.  They were stopped on the way by the rest of his followers, who didn't look that pleased with Angeni.  She merely waved three fingers at them and flashed a sweet smile that did not reach her eyes, almost baring her teeth.  Bradshaw was a message to each and every one of them not to screw with her and they were not allowed to touch her.  Only Mark was and she wasn't afraid to break their noses or any parts of their anatomies if provoked.

“Excuse me gentlemen.” She walked past them and inside the Ministry locker room, the door closing behind her.

“Taker…”

“We know she's your wife…”

“But the attitude thing…We do have to WORK with her.”

“I'll handle it.”

Taker sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. They all needed to be on the same page. This was his baby, he wasn't about to let the Ministry fall apart because of his wife. She'd have to learn how to co-exist with them and vice versa.

“Word of warning, anyone even looks at her wrong and what happened to Shaw will seem very minor compared to what I'll do.”

When Taker came in and explained to her that they all had to be one unit, to get along without the attitude, Angeni nodded in understanding. “No problem.” She could play nice with them and be a team player, there really was no choice for her.  When he lifted her chin up with his hand gently and stared into her eyes, Angeni sighed softly, knowing he didn't fully trust her. “I promise I won't cause anymore tension, unless provoked.”

That was the best she could do, refusing to become the Ministry's beating post and accepted a soft brush of his lips against hers. As long as Mark continued treating her this way, Angeni would have no problem sticking with him through the duration of her contract.  She pulled out her book from her bag after he walked away to handle business and began reading, crossing one leg over the other.

“They've been warned.” Taker informed her gravely.

He hadn't needed to verbally paint them a picture of the hell on earth he would unleash if they overstepped themselves. They already knew. He let the three Ministry members in, wondering if he should replace Bradshaw since lately the man had been spending more time in the hospital for his stupidity then actually doing his damn job.

She just nodded up at him and went back to reading, trying not to pay attention what they were talking about.  When Stephanie came up however, Angeni had to stop herself from getting angry, knowing it was strictly business.  Mark wasn't really marrying her, he was already taken in that aspect by her. 

Though the princess didn't know that, but her father did...this could definitely pose as a problem.  Deciding to let Mark handle it, she just continued reading her book, flipping to the next page while the Ministry strategized.  They had two matches tonight, a tag match and then Mark was facing Ken Shamrock in a one on one contest.

“Pardon the interruption boss, but Vinnie knows you're married, he's not going to-” Mideon accepted the papers he was passed by an eye-rolling Paul, whistling through his teeth. “These real?”

Taker snorted. “Do they look real?”

“Uh, yeah…”

Paul knew a very good forger. “Good.”

As far as the world was going to think, he was divorced. Paul's connections had come in handy. Of course, the fact that anyone thought Taker would actually marry Stephanie was just ludicrous. He had met the girl once when their paths had crossed for a WWF photo shoot. Him an actual subject, her a model for the clothing. No, definitely no real marriage to that banshee, not when he already had a hot number on his arm.

Angeni was on her feet and took the papers from Mideon, looking over them with scrunched eyebrows, slowly looking up at her husband. “Sorry, didn't mean to snatch those out of your hands.  If you're going to do this, then this ring can't be on this finger, not when I'm accompanying you to ringside.” She held up her left hand as if to emphasis her point, already planning on somehow getting a copy of those divorce papers as soon as possible without Mark knowing.

“She has a point, boss...”

“Vince won't believe it if she's sporting the proof you're still married.”

Angeni promptly moved the ring from her left ring finger to the middle one on her right hand, nodding. “Thanks for the back-up, boys.” She truly meant it, winking at them, deciding playing nice would be easier now that she was technically 'single'.

Paul studied her thoughtfully, taking the papers when Taker took the papers from Angeni with a less than amused expression. He couldn't decide if she thought these were real or not. They did look real, that was the point.

“Angeni, you're a valet.” Taker informed her, as politely as he could. “So let's not do that again, shall we?” Considering her original reason for being hired into the company, he didn't need her in on all his current plans.

Angeni kept her mouth shut for the rest of the night, getting up silently when it was time to go out to the ring with him.  She was to accompany him only for the time being until she proved she could be fully trusted not to rush off.  She walked behind him, thankful she hadn't snapped her neck on the ramp and didn't bother getting in the ring with him. 

She just stayed on the outside looking in, wondering why he even wanted her in the Ministry of Darkness if this was all she was good for.  Angeni gave seriously thought to sabotaging her husband's plans, but decided against it, not wanting to cause friction between them again.  If he took things too far, she would step in, but not until then and watched as the match began.

If the woman honestly didn't have a clue as to why he wanted her in his Ministry, then she was dense. Taker wanted her where she couldn't fuck with him. He had wanted her to remain in the Corporation originally to use as a way to mess with Vince since Vince thought he was going to mess with him.

That and also, now that his lovely wife had come back on the radar, he was in no hurry to see her go. He still wasn't. But as far as her and the Ministry went, right now, until he knew for a fact that were on the same page -a few hours did not make it a fact-, she was nothing except eye candy.

Angeni decided the heels were killing her and walked over to sit in a chair, folding her arms in front of her chest, looking completely bored out of her mind.  She didn't cheer or him or anything the way she had with Kane, not seeing a need for it.  When Mark won his match, she merely walked over to where he flipped over the top rope, landing on his feet like a cat on the outside.  He wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her to the back, after surveying his beautiful damage done in the ring and a decimated Ken Shamrock. 

Once they were back in the Ministry's locker room, Mark packed up their things before leaving for the evening with Angeni in tow, telling Paul to take care of their plans and deliver the papers to Vince.  Paul had nodded like a good little dog and went to do Mark's bidding.  She slipped into the rental car that they came in, this time taking the passenger seat and buckled up, keeping her mouth shut.

Chapter 22

Taker was in a great mood.

Simply because his match had been against Ken and it was also Angeni's first technical night back. The last time he had faced Shamrock, she had come up out of the canvas and ethered him into unconsciousness. Now it was Ken who had been pounded there.

“Shoes hurt your feet?” Taker asked, glancing over at her, having noted she had removed them and when she nodded he nodded as well, in an amicable mood. “I'll order something with less heel.”

He was definitely in a good mood. Shamrock decimated. Vince about to piss himself. Angeni here with him and they had called truce.

Definitely the start of a promising night.

Still not understanding why Mark wanted her here, Angeni was finished trying to figure him out and rubbed her sore feet.  She wasn't used to heels quite that high, wondering if he made her wear them on purpose just so it would be harder for her to run away.  She looked out the window and leaned back against the seat, knowing Kane was safe from harm as long as she stayed put. 

She would until her contract was up with Mark. 

There was no way she would renew it, deciding not to think about that until the time came, which wasn't for quite awhile.  They arrived back at the hotel and she walked inside bare foot, the cool ground feeling wonderful against her aching feet, Mark carrying their bags while she dangled the heels from her fingers.  She was ushered inside the room a few minutes later and Angeni instantly went to sit down in the nearby chair of the living room area of the suite.

No radio, thank god, Taker couldn't handle another round of Bryan Adams and Celine Dion. Though…he could have went for some rock and whiskey. His wife looked like she was tired, but he wasn't, even though he had been up since a very ungodly hour. It was night, his time and…inwardly smiling, he kneeled down before Angeni, pulling her leg onto his knee before rubbing her foot, knowing a thing or two about how to give a proper foot massage.

“No more spiked heels.” Taker promised, though he had loved the look…they had made her already beautiful legs taut and…longer.

She nodded with a small smile, leaning back against the chair as her body melted, more importantly her foot, in his hand.  He definitely knew what he was doing and decided to enjoy it.  If he didn't want to do it, he wouldn't be over here taking the initiative and who was she to deny him the job?  Angeni didn't even mind when his hand ran up her calf and back down again, his muscular hands working all the kinks and aches out.  She slowly pulled her foot away from him when he was finished and wasn't surprised when he took the other one, beginning to work his magic.

“Mmm oh god that feels good...” She finally moaned out, lulling her head back, this foot hurting more than the other.

“This one...feels different from the other.” Taker remarked, carefully skimming his fingertips along the area that felt different. “Did you break it?”

If she had, he wouldn't of been surprised, the way she could run was bound to put some wear and tear on her feet. Taker considered offering to rub any other aching spots for her, but she had told him no earlier. That and there were other ways to skin a cat. “You can help with your next outfit by the way.” He added, eyes roaming over that corset top appreciatively.

“A long time ago, back in high school.  I ran track, was going too fast around a corner and ended up rolling my ankle, snapping it.” Angeni shuddered, recalling the hospital visit and how her foot had to be in a cast for eight very long grueling weeks. “So yeah it should feel weird from the other one.  Even though it was my ankle, everything is connected.  It's always been that way.  And thank you, even though whoever picked this outfit out has great taste.” This was Angeni's way of testing the waters, noticing he was practically devouring her with his eyes and slowly pulled her foot out of his grasp, standing up and stretching. “I'm gonna go change into something more comfortable, definitely not used to this…tight feeling.”

“It suits you.” Taker drawled, pleased she had acknowledged his great taste.

He had painted a very detailed image of what he wanted her to wear and Paul had placed the order with a private retailer, who specialized in fast costume design. He would definitely be using them again. That top was doing wonders for her breasts, Taker was seriously considering insisting they be a mandatory part of her attire. Taking her place in the chair, watching as she walked away, Taker began removing his own top.

Angeni saw him do that and figured she owed him for the awesome foot massage, slowly heading back over to him. “Lean back.” She murmured, placing her hands on his shoulders and began kneading the knots out of them. 

She smiled when he groaned out in satisfaction and applied a little more pressure. Looking down at him when his head leaned back far enough to stare at her, Angeni just focused on the task at hand, always loving how broad his shoulders were. One of the many features she found attractive on this man.

“You are very tense, relax.  You are knotted up from hell to back.” Suddenly having an idea, Angeni walked around to stand in front of him and extended her hands. “You need your back done too and my feet are killing me.  So you laying on the bed is a much better idea and more comfortable for me.  Come on.”

His first thought, honestly, was did he take away all the lamps? He got up and moved over to the bed, sitting on it in order to begin unlacing his wrestling boots, then stared at them. Maybe they'd put her in boots like his, only tailored for a woman. Lift for height, comfortable…and if she ever got interested in interfering, on his behalf of course, then they'd also provide protection. Taker looked up when he felt her climbing on the bed beside him, turning so he was looking at her and bent forward, lightly brushing his lips against her jaw before laying down.

Big leap of faith here.

“I know you don't trust me right now, but I gave you my word not fight you anymore.  And I won't break it.” She said in his ear, her voice honey-filled.

Running her nose over his ear, Angeni moved his hair out of the way, beginning the massage on his shoulder blades first and moving down his muscular arms as far as she could reach.  Angeni had straddled the middle of his back, after hiking the dress up a little, knowing she would have to move down the further the massage went.  The feeling of his muscles rippling beneath her soft touch sent little sparks igniting throughout her body, but also relaxed her as well.

“Tell me if you're enjoying it or if you want me to apply more pressure.”

“No, that's perfect darlin'.” He murmured, a slight intonation seeping through, both wanting to remain tense and alert. Then again, Taker also wanted to just melt into her touch, hissing when she came across a problem area he had been working through for awhile. He raised his head off his now folded arms to peer back at her. “It wasn't you, it's an old, nagging injury.”

“How long have you had it?” Angeni frowned, sounding genuinely concerned and felt his shoulders shrug, moving her hands over the area gently. “Have you had it examined?”

When he shook his head, Angeni sighed heavily, not about to berate him for letting an injury go for a long period of time.  He was an adult capable of making his own decisions and why Angeni was suddenly worried about him bothered her.  She moved away from the area and continued further down, scooting in the process, her silk panties brushing against his bare back since the dress was too tight to straddle in so it was bunched around her hips.

Taker felt the change in material, along with her bare thighs hugging his lower back, groaning as he buried his face into the pillow. The Vicodin had worn off, and he wasn't feeling overly damaged, probably thanks to copious amounts of Paul's miracle salve. Taker still wasn't going to chance looking at the boys then smirked, wondering if he could get her to massage those for him too.

When she seemed to finish with the massage, he rolled suddenly, hands shooting out to catch her hips so she didn't topple. Angeni wasn't expecting that and held on because it was a rather long way down from being astride Mark.  She now straddled his lower stomach and had her hands pressed against his chest, violet eyes slightly wide.

“Umm…I think I will go change now…”

She went to move off of him, only for Mark to push her to where she hovered over him, her hands catching herself so her face didn't smash against his, staring down into his eyes.  His lips looked so red and soft. His skin felt amazing against hers and Angeni knew she would need a change of panties from how soaked they suddenly became, his eyes captivating her like always.  Just as their lips touched, a knock sounded at the door, effectively destroying the moment and Mark growled while Angeni took the distraction for all it was worth. 

She hopped off of him, took her bag and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her that Mark hadn't taken off surprisingly. Whoever the hell was at the door was going to get their head ripped off, Taker was not a happy man right about now. That woman had been more than ready for him. He had been able to tell by the way her pulse had picked up, her scent…the look in her eyes.

“WHAT?” Taker bellowed, ripping open the door without checking to see who it was first.

Kane clocked him with a can of gasoline out of sheer spite before stepping over the now out for the moment Taker. “Angeni?” Apparently the Ministry had forgotten all about him and, since he had spent more than his fair share of time in a straitjacket, he had learned how best to get the bastards off.

“Kane?” Angeni rushed out of the bathroom, holding the corset against her chest since she'd just unzipped it, eyes wide. “No!  What have you done?!  Have you lost your mind?  He was going to leave you alone!” When Kane came toward her, Angeni backed away, shaking her head. “No Kane, I'm not leaving.  I gave my word to him and I'm not breaking it.” Mark was going to be all shades of pissed off when he got up, she simply knew it and hoped he didn't take it out on her. “Get out of here.  Go right now before he wakes up!” She groaned when she heard yelling coming down the hallway, knowing it was the Ministry. “GO!!” Angeni began shoving his big red ass toward the door, panicking “Kane please go!!  I'm fine, just go please!!  They're coming!!”

Kane stared down at her like she had lost her mind, which she probably had. That or 'Taker had somehow drugged her because, after everything that bastard had put her through, there was just no way she would willingly stay with him. Something was keeping and forcing her to stay with his big brother, which didn’t bode well with him.

“Geni, come on!” He urged, tugging gently on her arm, the confusion crystal clear in his mismatched eyes. “Geni?” She was serious! “No! Come!” He was panicking and in shock, reverting to using one word at a time, ignoring the Ministry that was getting closer.

“No, I can't!!” Tears instantly swelled in her eyes as she stared at the betrayal in Kane's, feeling her heart break. “Please Kane, I don't want them to hut you!  I'm here with him, you're safe!  He won't bother you anymore!  Now GO!” She shoved him harder, her heart beating rapidly in her chest, knowing he only had an ample amount of time before not only the Ministry arrived, but Mark woke up. “PLEASE GO!” She practically sobbed, tears sliding down her face. “Don't hate me.” Angeni managed to whisper out before Kane took off reluctantly out the door.

Slumping on the floor beside a knocked out Mark, Angeni trembled violently and managed to hold the dress against her just as Paul and the Ministry ran inside. They had all seen Kane bolting down the hallway and at the sight of the passed out Undertaker, the discarded gasoline can and the sobbing Angeni, it was not hard at all to surmise what had happened. What was hard to understand was why she hadn't taken the chance to run.

Hell, Paul wanted to know why Kane just didn’t outright kill Taker. He had enough reason and hatred to do so. On that thought, he kneeled down to check for a pulse, finally nodding and gestured to the Ministry.

“Get him on the bed.” Paul ordered gravely.

Mideon let Viscera and Farooq do it, gently helping Angeni up onto her feet as well. “Did Kane hurt you?” He asked softly.

“N-No…please don't hurt him!  H-He was just trying to help me and didn't realize…” Angeni slowly walked over to Mark and sat on the bed on the opposite side, looking at Paul worriedly. “Is he going to be alright?”

Paul nodded, checking Taker's pupils. “Yes he will live.  What happened, Angeni?”

Angeni told him that she'd just finished giving Mark a massage, leaving out the part where they were close to falling in bed together again, when there was a knock. “I-I went to go change thinking it was one of you coming to see him, mainly you Paul.  Only it wasn't.  Kane was trying to get me to go with him, but…” Her eyes drifted back to Mark, heaving a sigh. “I gave my word.  I gave my word that I wouldn't run and I would stop fighting.  And I meant it.  I'm a woman of my word, so unless he sends me away then I'm here until my contract is up.”

Well that was going to go in her favor, Paul thought, knowing nothing could be done until Taker woke up, then they'd know how badly his eggs had been scrambled. “Definitely a concussion…and a lump.”

“What'd Kane get him with?”

All their eyes moved to the gas can, ironic.

“Get that thing out of here now.” Paul ordered. “And bring back a damn bag of ice!” He looked at Angeni. “Mind pouring a few tumblers of whiskey?” There was a bit of a cut from where the edge of the can had gotten and he was going to have a quick drink and then use the rest as a disinfectant.

She shook her head, walking over to the bar and then looked down at herself, groaning. “Let me go change really fast.”

Angeni watched him nod and wave her off, zooming into the bathroom. 

Chapter 23

Dressing in record time in a pair of white cotton shorts with a matching spaghetti strapped tank top, Angeni went to the bar and poured three tumblers of whiskey, handing two over to Paul while she had one, needing it.  Kane had scared the living hell out of her and Angeni hoped Mark woke up remembering what happened, paling.

“P-Paul?  W-What if he thinks I had something to do with this?  I swear I didn't, I sent Kane away!” Oh god now she was having a panic attack and Angeni felt more tears flowing down her face.

“Calm yourself woman.” Paul ordered, sipping his whiskey before setting the tumbler on the nightstand. He moved so he was standing with the other tumbler, procuring a handkerchief from his unbuttoned blazer. He poured a liberal amount of the alcohol on the cut, catching it before it hit Taker's eyes with the cloth. “He was hit from the front and, chances are, he seen Kane before he was clocked. Not to mention you didn't run. Nor could you jump that high to get him with a heavy can.”

Angeni shakily reached out and helped him anyway she could, then proceeded to take the tumbler and poured another shot for herself, wincing at the feeling of the liquid burning down her esophagus. “Thank you, Paul.” She whispered, pouring him a tumbler of it and handed it back over, gently running her fingers across his forehead. “What should I do when he wakes up?” She asked finally, not wanting to be on the receiving end of a backhand, slap or possibly being choked to death. Angeni shuddered at any of those possibilities, touching her neck as a reminder of what he did to her just a little over a week ago.

“I'll stay until he comes too. I'm going to need to examine him while he's conscious, make sure nothing was knocked loose.” Paul sighed, hoping Taker's ability for healing quickly and pain tolerance level kicked in. He shrugged off his jacket, staring down at the man he had worked with for years. “I should probably take advantage of him being out to make sure his…to make sure everything else isn't…broken.” Because if that was, he knew damn well Taker would NEVER come to him about it. “I hope you didn't want children…” Steel toed boots…ouch.

That was just inhumane.

Angeni didn't say anything to him, knowing procreating with Mark would be a huge mistake. “I-I'll leave you to it then.” She muttered, slipping from the bed and walked over to lay on the couch nearby. 

It was a good thing Paul was here because he could probably calm Mark down far better than she could.  She snuggled against the couch and closed her eyes, suddenly feeling exhausted.  Angeni knew without a doubt that if Kane hadn't shown up to clean Mark's clock, she probably would've slept with him again.  The thought made silent tears slide down her cheeks, wishing she could control her body and desires more diligently.

Bruised definitely, not so swollen thanks to that salve and Paul used gloves to apply more, really hoping Taker wouldn't notice. Nothing broken, and nothing disfigured. When he was done, he put…everything back the way it had been, he turned towards her and simply headed for the bathroom. He scrubbed his hands, repeatedly. Being a trained medical physician was a great thing, and then again…there were times like these. Ones he would drink away and pretend never happened.

“I take that back, he's perfectly capable of children, providing you don't nail him there again.” Paul announced, draining what was left of his whiskey. “He'll probably come too anytime now. Um…don't mention…this…to him, alright?”

Angeni was tempted to make a deal with Paul, one that involved procuring her a copy of those divorce papers that either were or were not phony.  She still didn't know.  Mark hadn't taken her ring off her right hand so Angeni could only assume he'd gotten the divorce handled without her.

“No prob-” The word died on her lips when a loud growl sounded throughout the room, Angeni's eyes widening along with Paul's, peeking over the couch.  She was more scared of Mark now than she had been when he battered her.  How messed up was that? “Uhhh...”

Taker kept his eyes closed, knowing the moment they opened, he was going to regret it. He simply held up his hand, a moment later feeling a glass being slid into it and sat upright, much as he did in the ring, swallowing it down in two large gulps. That probably wasn’t the smartest move on his part because now his head was pounding.

“Was he caught?” Taker demanded, his voice remaining that low growl.

“No…I'm assuming you know what happened then?”

“Where is she?”

Paul gestured Angeni to come over.

Angeni slowly walked around the couch toward Mark, chewing her bottom lip hesitantly. “I'm right here, Mark.” She said softly, stopping just at arm's length of him because she wasn't sure what he'd do.  Being clocked with a gasoline can couldn't have felt pleasant. “I-I gave my word I wouldn't run.  He tried taking me, but...I sent him away.  He did it just to protect me.” The panic was slowly setting in again and Angeni felt Paul's hand gently on the small of her back, trying to take a deep breath to calm her racing heart.

“What'd he get me with?”

“A uh, a gasoline can…the same one you ah…threatened him with, if I'm not mistaken.”

“Yeah, to protect you alright Ange.” Taker snorted derisively. “And to also send a message.”

It had been received loud and clear, leaving one hell of a migraine. He finally opened his eyes, narrow slits to ward off the light that would no doubt irritate the migraine more and extended his hand to her. Angeni held her hand up in a one second gesture and walked over to turn the lights off, leaving just a dim lamp on in the far corner, already hearing Mark sigh with relief. 

Then she walked over to slip her hand into his, hoping he didn't take this out on her because she had nothing to do with Kane's attack.  She carefully ran her fingers along the small cut on his forehead, glad the gas can hadn't busted him open.  Worry shined in her violet eyes and Angeni knew Mark would go after Kane, wishing there was something she could do to stop him.

Hell yes he was going to go after Kane. Taker was going to set the rest of that crispy bastard on fire and finish the job this time around. He was, however, mildly surprised that Kane hadn't snatched Angeni up and ran with her. Knowing Kane's mindset could be very unstable, he wondered if Kane would view her opting to stay behind as a betrayal or as her saving his big red ass.

“Thanks.” He grunted, pulling her onto the bed with him and into his lap.

Angeni didn't know what else to say to him and looked over at Paul, who decided to take his leave.  She could always hold the fact he'd checked out Taker's junk over his head regarding those divorce papers, giving it serious thought.  Would he take her threat seriously though or would he simply laugh in her face?  Angeni would have to think about it more, feeling a possessive arm wrap around her waist, knowing Taker was still feeling the effects of what Kane did to him.

“Do you need anything?” She asked quietly, clasping her hands in her lap, slowly looking up at him.

If she ever asked him, she'd find out. Paul would laugh in her face. Taker would break his hands for daring to touch the gems, he'd outright commit murder over handing over a copies of those papers.

“I think I need to lie back down.” Taker admitted, his head spinning as he pulled her down onto the bed with him, pulling her into his side and closed his eyes again.

Kane was toast.

~!~

“Do you mind if I just stay here tonight?” Angeni asked a week later, sighing when Mark raised an eyebrow at her. “Look, I've been with you a week and I haven't ran off.  I haven't fought you.  I've been pretty good.  I didn't run when Kane attacked you even after he tried making me.  At some point, you are going to have to trust me to be alone…and tonight, I don't want to be there when you dismantle him.” Angeni was being honest as she searched through her bag, trying to find something.

Finishing pulling up the shirt to his wrestling outfit, Taker preferred to dress in the hotel room since the idea of a sneak attack while nude at the arena no longer appealed to him after an incident only a few days ago. Frowning, Taker considered Angeni's request, beginning to brush his hair back over his shoulders. She was right. She hadn't tried to run, stir the pot, nothing. They had been getting along rather well, all things considered.

“What is it about Kane that you like so well?” Taker asked finally.

“Everything.  He's a great listener and I was actually comfortable with him.  Everyone else in the Corporation had their own agendas, but he accepted me being his valet and protected me the best he could.  He's like the big brother I never had…” Angeni stood up from her bag, finally giving up what she was looking for and walked past him to sit on the bed, not dressed for the arena yet. “He took me to his home and he didn't have to when I needed to recuperate from what happened.  He took care of me.  I have to feel something for a guy who does that for a woman who is supposed to be his sister-in-law.” Angeni didn't look up at Mark, knowing this was probably pissing him off to hear, but he'd asked and she wasn't going to lie to him.

“Other than those lovely, redeeming qualities, do you actually know anything about Kane? About who he is? His history?” He asked, not surprised when she shook her head no. Taker didn't have time to tell her right now, and perhaps he never would. She could remain happily in the dark. “Fine.” Sighing, Taker finished with his hair and then walked over so he was standing in front of her, staring down intently into her violet eyes. “If you wish to remain here…then…fine.” He ended abruptly, really hoping he didn't regret this lenience.

“I know Kane was burned…and that you did it.”

That made Mark freeze in his tracks. She'd spent over a week with Kane. They did some talking and he'd come clean about some of his history just as she came clean about how her and Mark met.

“He trusted me enough to tell me some of his history, but not all of it.” It just proved to her that Mark had a vicious sadistic streak, his little brother definitely being an example of that. “You told me to come back and you wouldn't hurt him.  I know he hit you with a gasoline can, but…you deserved it.  You deserved it after what you did to him just to get me to come back here, just to get me out of hiding.  The way I see it, you two are even and you need to just focus on your OTHER plans and not worry about Kane.”

One thing about Angeni was that she spoke her mind and didn't sugarcoat much, looking at Mark the whole time she said that. A week ago, he would have backhanded her into next week for even daring to say half of what she had just said. As it was, he growled warningly, not about to hit her but not really appreciative of her dressing him down about Kane.

“You don't worry that pretty little head of yours about my other plans, or what I may or may not do with Kane.”

As far as he was concerned, that idiot had destroyed whatever leeway he had been given when Angeni had basically given herself up for his freedom. When she opened her mouth, Taker reached down to pull her up against him, shutting her up with a passionate kiss. Those lips were much better suited for this then trying to talk him out of things, or scolding him. Angeni wasn't having it though and ripped her lips away from his, shoving away from him, landing back on the bed.

“I HATE it when you do that!” She growled, not amused and wiped her lips off with her arm, scowling. “Don't patronize me, Mark. I was stating several points, I already know you're going to do whatever the hell you want.” Snorting, Angeni scooted back on the bed and folded her arms in front of her chest, hating that she was being kept her against her will for no reason at all.

“Dear god in heaven, woman!” Taker threw his hands up into the air exasperatedly, staring down at her broodingly. “I won't lay a hand on him.” He promised, even throwing in a very sarcastic 'cross my heart' gesture. “And just what exactly do you hate? Me kissing you or the fact that you like it?”

“You arrogant, egotistical son of a bitch.” Angeni shook her head, not believing the audacity of him to actually ask her something like that. “All the times you have kissed me have been by FORCE.  What am I supposed to do?  Push you away to piss you off more?  Don't delude yourself into thinking I like it either because I DON'T.” Her violet eyes flashed and Angeni was tempted to attack him, but decided against it because she had given her word she wouldn't fight him. “Better get going, you have a princess you don't want to disappoint, yes?”

Ouch, blow to the ego, or would be. Maybe he had been the one to…initiate the kisses, but Taker knew damn well she was still attracted to him. Not that he blamed her; he wasn't some women's cup of tea, but the majority... well, he knew exactly how much his ever growing female fan base adored him. Sick bitches.

“This is very true, and Stephanie would undoubtedly be very disappointed if her Dark Prince wasn't there to sweep her off into Hell.” He folded an arm across his chest before bowing to her. “I will see you in a few hours, Ange.” Which was his polite way of saying: Be here or else.

“More like a Dark Nightmare. You're not Prince, in any capacity.” Angeni remarked, ignoring his bow to her and simply rolled her eyes at his idle threat. “I gave my word, so I have no choice except to be here.”

She didn't care if she hurt his ego, the bastard deserved it after everything he did to her over the past few weeks.  Forcing her to stay in this sham of a marriage for his own twisted amusement, forcing her to endure watching him go after another woman, forcing her to sign a contract she did not want to…and all to make her life miserable.  Angeni heard the door shut and curled up in the bed, finally letting the tears fall and took the pillow, screaming into it.  He was right in what he asked with both questions and she hated him for that too.

Chapter 24

Three hours later, Taker was back, showered and in street clothes, in a very good mood. He was not surprised by the sight of Angeni sitting up in the bed, reading one of her many books and automatically shucked his boots. When she didn't look up at him, he walked over and dropped himself right on the bed, laying down with his head propped in the palm of his hand.

“Well, darling, I didn't touch him.” He informed her cheerfully, reaching out to take away the damn book when she still didn't look at him.

He had, however, kidnapped Stephanie McMahon, and that reminded him to remove the cotton from his ears. That girl screamed like a banshee. When Angeni finally gave him just a sliver of her attention, he moved to a kneeling position and leaned over her.

“I'm going to kiss you, Ange.” He informed her, for once letting her know so she could prepare herself to co-cock him if she wished.

At the slight widening of those violet eyes, Taker let out a low rumble of laughter before reaching out to grip the back of her head, slowly moving his face towards her. Their lips inches apart, he stuck the tip of his tongue out, tracing her full bottom lip for a brief moment before pressing a kiss there, drawing her lip gently between his. Since his wife hadn't hit him yet, Taker then moved his hand to the back of her neck, fingers caressing her nape as he kissed her properly. The fact he had informed her of what he was going to do had definitely shocked Angeni into silence, which didn't happen very often.  He was teasing and tormenting her, testing her to see how far he could push her before she completely went ballistic on him.

“You're testing me, I'm not playing your game, Mark.” She informed him after the kiss broke, staring deep into his green eyes and had to pull away before she became lost, hating the effect he had on her. “I'm sure Stephanie needs attention, why don't you go kiss on her and leave me alone?”

Angeni wasn't in the mood, having cried for a straight hour and just wanted to read her book in peace.  She didn't want her body ignited on fire to the point where she threw away her morals and downgraded herself by sleeping with him again!  How she could even still love him was still beyond her, but he would never know that. She wanted him, it was there in her eyes again, though Angeni was resisting it. But it was there, and that was all Taker needed to know.

“I don't want to pay that girl attention.” He growled, taking the book from her again when she went to pick it up, letting it fall over the edge of the bed before grabbing her, mindful not to bruise her, and dragged her down until he was straddling her. “I want you. All goddamn week I've been sharing a bed with you, but never touching and do you have any idea what that's doing to me, Ange?” Taker demanded, watching her slowly shake her head in response.

Taking her hand, he guided it to his abdomen, which was revealed thanks to his open leather vest, feeling her fingertips automatically splay against his flesh. He moved it further down to the front of his jeans, where his erection was straining against the material. The hardened bulge took Angeni’s breath away, though she didn’t show it.

“That is what you're doing to me…” He hissed, his eyes half-slits, glittering slits of dark forest green.

“And whose fault is that?” Angeni tried injecting some kind of malice into her tone, but couldn't, her body going against what her mind and heart were both screaming at her.  It didn't matter what they said, which was no don't do it because he would hurt her and use it against her like he had before. “Mark, my body may want you, but my mind and heart don't.  You've been forcing me into staying in the same room as you and causing your own problems.  Deal with them with your hand because I refuse to submit to you again.  I did it once and I ended up getting hurt.  It's not happening again, so just stop while you're ahead.  You can read all the desire you want in my eyes, but it does not change how I feel.”

Angeni was lying through her teeth, but she managed not to show him the truth, knowing it was the only way to possibly get him to back off.  The reality of it was he had all of her, every single speck and Angeni couldn't do anything about it. Taker stared at her, studying her eyes intently and finally nodded, letting her pull her hand away. However, before Angeni could slither away from him, he grabbed her wrists and held them over her head, inserting a knee between her legs, pressing his thigh against her, the denim contrasting against the material she wore.

“I will have you, Angeni.” He informed her in a dark whisper, running his nose along her cheek before trailing a few open mouthed kisses, until he reached her pulse point and then nipped her skin lightly, a low groan of pure desire escaping him. “All of you.” He vowed, abruptly pushing himself up and off of her, getting to his feet.

Angeni cringed at the bathroom door slamming shut harshly, causing the walls to vibrate and couldn't help doing a full body shiver.  Why was she being so stubborn?  She was ticking Mark off and that wasn't in her best interest if she wanted to get out of this alive.  Maybe sleeping with him would improve the chances of his attitude toward her. 

Sex with Mark could be used to her advantage, what the hell was Angeni thinking denying him? 

Angeni touched her neck and closed her eyes, looking back at the bathroom door, knowing what she had to do.  Just sex, it was just sex and if it made Mark happy and less tense, then that also went in Angeni's favor.  She slowly opened the bathroom door and stepped inside, knowing this was border lining being a whore, but if it kept Mark from knocking her head off, Angeni would do it. 

Desperate times indeed called for desperate measures.  She silently shed her clothes and padded toward the shower, the steam engulfing her.  Before she lost her nerve, Angeni pulled the shower curtain back and stepped inside, not giving Mark a chance to say anything as she reached up to pull his face down to hers, passionately kissing him.

Taker was not expecting that at all, especially after she had just turned him down in no uncertain terms. So this sudden change of heart had him literally stunned into doing nothing. His body was registering the fact that she was kissing him, really kissing him, but his mind had gone blank. After that temporary loss of cognition, his arms wrapped arm Angeni's slender frame and he hauled her right off her feet, pulling her so she was pressed against him tightly.

The hot water beat down on their nude bodies, her softness contrasting against his hardness though they fit together perfectly. He was soon taking control of the kiss, his tongue coaxing her lips open, soon tasting her. He automatically adjusted his position so they didn't slip, upper body leaning back against the wall. His feet firmly braced, Taker adjusted her, hands moving to cup her firm ass, squeezing and molding the flesh to his palms.

Why did everything about him have to feel so incredible and wonderful?

Just a simple kiss right down to feeling him inside of her, Angeni loved it all. This wasn't about love though. She was going into survival mode and it helped that she was actually attracted to this man. Mark turned to where her back was against the shower wall this time, never breaking the kiss, moans spilling from her as her legs wrapped around his waist as far as they could go.

She had powerful legs so it wasn't hard to hold herself up against him, clinging to him as her nails lightly ran down his muscular chest, the water pouring over both of them.  His lips left hers to travel down her jaw to her ear, making Angeni turn into molten lava. Angeni leaned her head back as Mark began his slow exploration, suckling gently on her neck while brushing against her.

He was firmly ignoring his now recovered brain asking him what had changed her mind? Several answers were readily available and, in his current state, he was going with the 'she wants me and is tired of denying it' option. He'd ask her about it at another time. He hadn't been looking forward to handling his problem on his own.

Sharing the bed with her all week, laying beside her, very aware of her, and she was now offering herself to him, Taker wasn't about to turn it down. One hand slid from where it had been palming her ass to in-between their drenched bodies, a long finger slipping between her wet folds. When Angeni let out a soft moan, he smiled against her throat, beginning to tease her with his finger, having every intention of driving her just as insane as she had made him.

The feeling of his finger slipping in and out of her wet sex made Angeni's head spin out of orbit, every part of her body scorching.  She knew his body was feeling the same way, especially when he pulled away from her throat to lock eyes with him.  Hers were a deep royal blue while his were forest green, almost black, both of their minds in a passion cloudy haze.  Taking a chance, Angeni slid her hand down his stomach, the muscles rippling and flexing, beginning to gently stroke him. 

She smiled at the groan that erupted from him and ran the pad of her thumb across the tip, already feeling his pre-cum and knew he was ready for her. More than ready for her, and her soft hand torturing him, he arched his hips in time to her strokes and had to force himself to stop, not about to cum anywhere but inside of her. Gritting his teeth, he withdrew his finger from her in order to gently but firmly remove her hand from his pulsating cock, instantly regretting it.

“Bed.” Taker rumbled, not giving her time to say anything before carting her out of the shower.

The cold air that assaulted him didn’t do a damn thing to cool the raging flames coursing through his body. Not giving her the chance to feel even a fraction of doubt, or lose any of her own desire, he carried her to the bed. His lips attacked her throat all over again as he deposited her in the middle of the mattress, his large body hovering over hers.

~!~

The following morning, Angeni was up before Mark, sitting out on the balcony of their hotel suite staring out at the skyline.  She had her crying jag in private and was just sipping her coffee now, curled up in the seat.  She wore a pair of dark blue fleece pants with a matching long sleeved shirt, white socks on her feet since it was chilly. 

The sun was rising and Angeni closed her eyes as soon as the sun touched her, somehow trying to make it cleanse away the evil deed she did last night with Mark.  What the hell had she been thinking?  Not that she didn't enjoy it because having sex with Mark was definitely incredible in every aspect…physically. 

Emotionally and mentally, it destroyed her.  She was nothing but a whore, Mark's personal whore, and she would have to cater to him whenever he wanted sex now or else he would become suspicious of why she'd changed her mind in the first place.  Just one year…one year she would have to live in his dark shadow and then be free to go back to her light-filled, heart-warming cottage that she missed a great deal.

He slept in, for the first time in awhile, totally content with the world. When Taker did finally rise, he was not surprised by the empty cold, or the fact that the spot next to him was cold. Though he did roll onto his stomach, inhaling the faint scent of his delicious wife, a wicked smile curving his lips.

Yawning, he pushed himself up and off the bed, heading for the bathroom. He halted when he spotted Angeni out on the balcony, soaking up her damn sunlight and shook his head. When Taker was finished with his morning business and had pulled on a pair of bottoms, he went out to join her with sunglasses.

“Morning.” He murmured, dropping a kiss on her head before easing himself down next to her.

“Morning.” Angeni was surprised he actually joined her out here, having seen him coming through the screen door so he didn't startle her. “Technically it's after noon so it's not morning anymore.  Did you sleep well?” She asked softly, setting her book down so he didn't end up tossing it over the railing because she wasn't paying attention to him. 

She loved her books too much to let him destroy them like he did the radio. As far as he was concerned, since this was when he had woken up, it was morning. Sun was out, thank god for sunglasses and he wasn't sitting out here very long because he was pale skin. He didn't do sunburns.

“Slept fine.” Taker yawned, reaching up to push his hair out of his face, ignoring the snarls his fingers encountered. “How about you?”

He tilted his head to look at her properly, wondering what was going on behind those violet eyes. His gaze then dropped to the book, not surprised in the least. Taker was going to have to take her to a bookstore or something, she had to be running low on fresh reading material. This was the third time she'd read the same book, Angeni loved reading because it gave her an escape from reality, something she really needed at the moment.

“Good.”

Angeni didn't sleep at all. How could she after what she did with him?  Every time she closed her eyes, visions of their sexual encounter would flash through her head and Angeni finally gave up after her third attempt at sleep.

“What time are we leaving today to head to the next area?” She asked, taking a sip of her coffee, which was her third cup.  Caffeine was her friend today.

“Good question, no idea.” He shrugged his massive shoulders. He hadn't bothered checking the time so he had no idea. “Soon as I get some coffee in my system probably.” Taker might have considered stealing her mug but chances were she had put shit he wouldn't like in it. Like an ungodly amount of creamer, his teeth aching just thinking about it. “So…about last night,” He began, watching as her shoulders tensed ever so slightly. “What happened?”

By that, he meant why'd she change her mind.

Why couldn't he just leave it alone and enjoy what she gave him?  There was no way she could tell him the truth. Angeni would end up going flying over this balcony and Angeni wasn't ready to meet her maker yet.

“What do you mean?” She decided to go the acting stupid route, raising an eyebrow. “We had sex.  Unless you got clocked in the head, developed temporary amnesia and don't remember?” When he growled, Angeni looked away from him to take another sip of her coffee. “Did you not enjoy it or something?”

Oh now she was just being sly and Taker stood up, heading back inside. No doubt she was sitting out there now, smirking, thinking she had annoyed him into leaving her alone, but that was not the case. He came back out a few minutes later, wearing a long sleeved shirt that he hadn't bothered buttoning to protect his shoulders and carrying a mug of coffee. If they were going to engage in some verbal judo, he was going to have his caffeine first.

“You made it abundantly clear you did not want sex with me prior to attacking me in the shower.” Taker pointed out once he was settled, staring directly at her, daring her to deny it.

“And what I'm not allowed to change my mind?” She shot back softly, slowly looking back at him with unreadable violet eyes. “I was stupid for denying what my body officially wants.  I wanted you, you wanted me.  Sex is sex, it releases tension and we both had some tension to get rid of.”

Taker couldn't deny that fact and Angeni knew it, wondering why he was so curious about why she'd changed her mind.  The point is she did, wasn't that enough?  Why did he have to analyze it?

“I gave you what you wanted, Mark.  Why can't you just be happy with that and stop questioning it?”

Angeni looked away from him, knowing that wasn't the smartest thing to say, but honestly he was starting to irritate her.  Standing up, Angeni walked past him and back inside the suite to get more coffee. Taker had to analyze it simply because that's who he was.

One minute she didn't want sex with him, the next she was practically raping him in the shower. Not that he overly minded the assault. If Angeni had simply stopped at the tension thing, he probably would have let it go. Since she hadn't and had continued on, that just roused his curiosity. Taker followed her inside; draining what was left in his mug.

Chapter 25

“Now darlin', you should probably learn when to stop talking.” He drawled, helping himself to another cup from the coffee urn, eyes never leaving her, now analyzing her body language.

“Or maybe I shouldn't talk at all.  I'm sure you'd love that.” Angeni had to get control of this situation before it exploded, not really in the mood to fight with him.  She'd done that the last time they had sex at her cottage and this was starting to feel a little bit like déjà vu. “Now that you're up, I ordered breakfast and it should be here in a few minutes.” Angeni informed him, having every intention of eating out on the balcony while reading her book. 

She was trying to forget about last night's events and he wasn't letting her.  She didn't flinch when he moved to stand behind her, one arm snaking around her waist and just leaned back against him.  It was all she could do, even though Angeni was begging to push him away like she normally would have. 

It finally made sense to her why Mark wanted her on the road with him.  She was his personal toy, his personal whore.  So long as it was just him, Angeni could tolerate it, refusing to sleep with the rest of his followers.

If he had any inkling what she was thinking, Taker probably would have laughed her to hell and back for being vain enough to think he would pass her out like a toy. If she was a toy, it was his toy. Though…he hadn't actually considered her in those terms. He thought he had been pretty damn nice this past week all things considered. He dropped another kiss on the top of her head, deciding that for now, he would let this slide.

“We're going to a bookstore, find one in the phone book.” He then ordered, lightly slapping her ass as he stepped away. “How many times have you read that one?”

That caught her off guard and Angeni slowly turned her head to stare at him, blinking. “I'm sorry what?” She walked over with her fourth cup of coffee, watching him pull out a phone book and planted it on the bed.  Angeni nearly dropped her coffee. “You're serious.  You want to take me to a bookstore.” She sounded almost in disbelief and then glanced out at the balcony at the book she'd been reading repeatedly, chewing her bottom lip. “There's a Barnes & Noble down the street that we passed when we drive into town yesterday.” She loved that place and hadn't been to one in ages. “Are you feeling okay?” Angeni actually walked over and pressed her hand to his forehead, checking his temperature. “You don't have a fever, hmm...”

“Get the hell off me, woman!”

Was she out of her mind? Yes he was feeling okay! Just because he offered to take her to a damn bookstore! Taker ducked away from her, half expecting her to pull start checking his pupils or something, shaking his head.

“I was trying to be…” Now what was the word… “Nice. You've probably got that damn book of yours memorized by now, and I'm getting sick of seeing the cover.” There, much better. There would be no more temperature taking, not because she thought him trying to do something that didn't have hidden motives meant he was ill.

“Just checking.”

Angeni grinned, not letting his comment about the cover of her book bother her and went to get dressed.  It had warmed up quite a bit so she decided on wearing something a little out of the ordinary, heading into the bathroom to change.  She pulled a wine colored jersey tank dress on that zipped up the side and it went an inch above the knee.  She thought about how she wanted to do her hair and put two pieces of it up in small ties on either side of her face, leaving the rest down and decided she wouldn't wear makeup today. 

There was no need for it and she wasn't broke out that badly, so no foundation either.  Brushing her teeth, Angeni emerged with her bag in hand and put it on the bed, pulling out her black flats, sitting down to slip them on. While she was in there, Taker had pulled on some clothes, skipping a shower, which he would probably regret later. When Angeni came out, Taker realized something was missing, staring at her with a frown.

“You're plain faced.” Taker said finally, ignoring her look of surprised. He had gotten used to seeing her with the gothic makeup, or makeup period, unless it was first thing in the AM or at the end of the night. “Suits you.” She had a pretty face naturally and he slid his glasses back over his eyes. “Ready?”

They had to go now because she was probably going to keep him in the store for hours. She nodded, grabbing a white sweatshirt that zipped up in case it was too cold for what she chose to wear. They walked out of the hotel with clasped hands and Angeni instantly soaked up the sunlight, the breeze making her sigh in contentment.

“It is gorgeous out here!” She crowed, releasing his hand to twirl in a circle, the biggest smile on her face. 

They arrived at Barnes and Noble about twenty minutes later and Angeni was officially in heaven, violet eyes sparkling.  Here she was in all color while this man who looked like Satan with his beard and dressed all in black accompanied her.  People were indeed staring, but Angeni didn't care as she went to her favorite section and began searching for several books she already had in mind that she'd wanted to buy for awhile now.

Taker didn't care that people were staring at him; he was more then used to it at this point. If not for his height and size, it had been because of his flaming red hair when he was younger. Then it was for his tattoos…and now it was because of everything. Black hair, black clothes, tattoos, size…probably the disdainful look on his face as he followed Angeni.

Then he halted, deciding he did not need to follow her to wherever she may go because he wasn't hitting the romance section. Taker towered over everything in the large room, he could see her. He began trailing along the aisles, only stopping when something would catch his eye, which wasn't a lot.

“MOM!” A six year old boy spotted him and immediately pissed his pants. “MOMMY!”

“Tommy, Tommy what's-” The mother stopped talking when she looked up at the monstrous man before them, swallowing hard.  She immediately wrapped her arm around her little boy's shoulders, scowling when the man flashed his teeth at her son. “Shame on you!!” She scolded before stalking away with the boy in tow.

Angeni hadn't saw what happened, her eyes fixated on the line of books, already having four in her arms.  She wasn't done, she would get a book for every day that would last her at least two weeks. Raising a brow when a woman stalked past her with her crying son, Angeni frowned slightly before going back to add more books to her pile.

Taker hadn't even done anything to the damn brat! And his attempt at what was probably a very distorted, meant to be reassuring smile had obviously not gone over well. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Taker headed for Angeni.

“Oh dear God! Miss, behind you!”

“He's the one who scared that poor little boy, did you see him?”

What the hell was wrong with these people?!

“Hey, don't touch her!”

Taker growled when some young man with an apparent Boy Scout streak jumped on his back after reaching out to pat Angeni's shoulder, more than annoyed when scrawny arms wrapped around his neck. “Angeni, would you kindly tell this…boy…to get off me?” Before he smashed the punk down on a shelf.

Her violet eyes widened and Angeni dropped the books that were in her hand, yanking the boy off of Mark. “Son, I appreciate your heroism, but you might want to leave now before you're squashed like a bug.” She cautioned, managing to push him away from Mark, feeling a massive tattooed arm wrap around her waist. “We're done here.  We'd better go before we cause more of a scene.”

Angeni didn't even bother picking the books up that she was going to buy and extracted herself from him before walking out of the store. Well that wasn't exactly how he had figured this trip was going to turn out. Sighing, Taker eyeballed the books she had already stacked and picked them up.

Ignoring everyone, he walked straight to the counter and set them down. His venomous green gaze DARED the cashier to refuse him service. The middle-aged woman simply rang them up, not saying a word. When the giant stormed out of the store, she let out a long sigh of relief.

“That woman is INSANE!”

“Here.” He grunted when he caught up with her outside, holding out the bag.

Hesitantly, Angeni took the bag from him and opened it, seeing all the books she had picked out in it, finally looking back up at him. “Thanks.”

She wanted to cry because of how embarrassing that was, but decided against doing it in front of Mark.  He opened the passenger door for her and Angeni slid inside, placing the bag down at her feet and buckled up. Staring out the window in thought, Taker drove off back to the hotel or wherever else he wanted to go.

He was never setting foot in a damn bookstore ever again. Paul could take her out or something the next time, if there even was a next time. Taker didn't even feel like going back to the hotel to retrieve their things, finally just calling Paul and ordering him to grab their stuff, ignoring the older man's demands of 'is there any other little pissant errands I can do for you, my Lord?'

Apparently Paul was having a less then pleasant day. It could have been worse, he could have made the man deal with Stephanie. In fact, he might yet, that'd drive Paul up the damn wall. When they were back on the road, he turned the car towards the highway.

Angeni overheard Mark's conversation and knew they were heading to the next area, sighing softly.  Oh well, at least he was nice enough to buy her books for her.  She wouldn't be bored out of her skull. 

Angeni knew Mark was perturbed from the bookstore experience and decided to just leave him alone. That combined with their conversation earlier…yes she was definitely keeping her mouth shut.  Pulling out the first book she reached in the bag for, Angeni kicked her flats off, propped her feet up on the dash and began reading.

Driving until the car beeped at him, alerting him to the fact that they were running on close to empty, Taker eyeballed the gauge. They had been driving for the better part of the afternoon, early evening now on them and he sighed, glancing over at her. Angeni had already tilted her body towards the window to adjust to the dimming light and he shook his head.

“We're going to have to stop.” Taker announced, reaching over to tap her thigh, getting her attention. He hadn't minded the quiet with her lost in her book, rather enjoying it actually. “You're going to read those books in only a few sittings, aren't you?” She was going to need a mobile library at this rate, he shook his head at the thought, turning off into an Oasis.

“Oh thank god, I really have to pee.” Angeni groaned with relief, closing her book after folding the page in so she didn't lose her spot, setting it down beside her as he pulled up to the oasis gas station. “Be right back.”

Kissing his cheek, Angeni jumped out and flew barefoot into the place like her ass was on fire.  Angeni didn't want to be a nag when it came to pit stops so that's why she didn't say anything.  She'd never felt so relieved in her entire life to go to the bathroom and washed her hands, looking up to stare in the mirror for the first time in what seemed like ages.  Her skin was still pale, the bruises fully gone from Mark's abuse. 

The burns were also gone and, miraculously, her wrists were not scarred from the rope burns.  She was changing, her violet eyes didn't hold the same light as they once did and...She just felt different.  Maybe it was a good thing, maybe it was a bad thing, Angeni didn't know.  Drying her hands off, Angeni walked out and headed back to the car, feeling much better now that her bladder wasn't crying out for a release.

“Women...” He snorted, shaking his head as he pumped the gas, leaning against the car and looked around, surveying the rest of the people who had stopped for whatever reasons.

Taker was not in an immediate hurry to get back on the road, figuring after this he would handle his own personal business. He had to piss too; he just wasn't flying off like mad to do it. Walking around, Taker stretched his legs and the rest of his limbs, groaning. After paying and answering nature's call, he washed up and strolled out of the restroom, stretching his arms over his head before going off to find Angeni.

Angeni wasn't surprised when Mark came toward her, obviously coming to see what had taken her so long. “Still don't trust me eh?”

She didn't blame him, but there were so many open opportunities where she could've run off and didn't.  It was only a week though, he would need more time just like she would to trust him.  Walking past him, Angeni headed back to the car with him following to go read more of her book.

Engrossed in it when she was ignoring her screaming bladder, Angeni had been too addicted to the story to care. Before she could get too far, Taker reached out and gently grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her back until she was standing right in front of him. He let go of her wrist in order to place his hand on her waist, staring down at her intently.

“Actually, I was coming to find you because I wanted to know if you'd walk with me.”

Taker gestured towards the open grassy area for picnics, smokers and people who were just wanting to stretch their legs. Their whole relationship started out with a simple walk. Mark had asked her outside of the diner she worked at to go for first a ride and then a walk.  Angeni hadn't been on that motorcycle since and knew it was only a matter of time before she experienced it.  Mark loved his motorcycles.

“Sure.”

Chapter 26

She slipped her hand into his and began walking with him over to the grassy area.  The feeling of the grass slipping between her toes felt amazing and the night was perfect, not a cloud in sight with a full lit moon.  It was one of those nights that was perfect for a bonfire now that Angeni thought about it.

“Do you remember the night you asked me to take a walk with you?” She asked softly while they walked, lacing her fingers with his, chuckling. “You came in every Friday night for Dominique's famous apple pie and a glass of milk.  And somehow I would always be there to wait on you.  I thought you were coming back for the pie and, not that I blame you, because Domi's pie was amazing.  Domi told me it was because you wanted to see me and I just blew her off, thinking she was insane.  Only I found out she wasn't when you asked me for that walk…and the ride to get to the walk…and inviting you inside my place.”

Angeni stopped walking, looking up at the full lit moon and closed her eyes, remembering that night because it was unforgettable and definitely memorable. He remembered that quite well, though there were times he acted like he didn't. Taker had originally come in for the pie; it had been recommended to him by a guy he had gone too for tattoo work. Gone for the pie, stayed and returned for the waitress with the most amazing eyes he had ever seen, the softest voice with the most honest smile. He also remembered her asking him inside, both of them knowing the implications, and the rest of it…well, now look at them.

“I remember.” Taker said quietly, turning to study her profile in the moonlight.

“There's something I've wanted to ask you for awhile and now that you're acting like the Mark I know, I'm going to ask.” Angeni turned to look at him, the moon reflecting off his green eyes and squeezed his hand. “Why did you ask me to marry you?” Angeni had wanted to ask him that question ever since he decided it was a mistake and left her. “I mean, granted we hadn't known each other very long and it was a rushed decision, but…I knew what I wanted.  That's why I said yes.  So what made you ask me to make a commitment like that if you weren't sure yourself?”

Now that was definitely a mood killer and his first honest instinct was to pull away from her, along with what would undoubtedly be a cold and cruel remark. He curbed that instinct and instead regarded her thoughtfully. “Because I wanted you to be mine in every way possible.” Taker said finally.

Knowing most women would prefer something sweet, romantic and gushy, that wasn’t him. He was giving her the honest truth and knew the next question would be why did he walk away from her, bracing himself for it. That was her next question, but Angeni wasn't going to ask it. 

What was the point honestly? 

Mark gave her the answer and now she knew.  She was a possession to him and why he walked away from her was probably because he didn't want to hurt her like he was now.  Angeni chalked it up to that, leaving it alone and started walking with him in silence again.  Mark was definitely not the man she thought he was, remembering how incredibly sweet he used to be. 

He actually brought her flowers at one point to the diner, saying he saw them and thought of her.  It was all a front, he was never a sweet thoughtful man...he was a controlling, manipulative monster who had played one hell of a game on her and sealed her to him permanently by marriage.  And yet, Angeni STILL loved him even after all of that.  She was going to see a shrink as soon as her contract with him was up.

The longer, more detailed answer would have been that he’d never seen eyes like hers and wanted to wake up every morning next to them. He wanted to come home to her each and every night like a normal husband would. He had wanted to walk with her at night and talk like they had, so easily and openly. He had wanted her and everything she could give him.

The problem had been him and what he couldn't give her. Two years later, nothing had changed on his end, Taker still wanted her, but there was no way in hell he could give her anything but this. The darkness that had started to totally consume him. That darkness was surfacing right now, not pleased with the moment of contemplation and he turned abruptly.

“We've wasted enough time, we're leaving.” He ordered gruffly, eyes narrowed.

Not surprised by his sudden mood change, Angeni sighed heavily and nodded, stopping though since he hadn't released her hand. “I'm sorry.” She whispered, tears burning her eyes. “Mark, I'm sorry that I brought it up.  I never should've asked, it was stupid.  You are who you are, I just always wondered what you saw in me...what made me so special that you would want to make such a huge commitment like that.  I didn't mean to upset you.”

Releasing his hand to press hers against his chest, Angeni tried to make him understand why she brought it up and was left standing there as he walked away from her, breaking her heart again.  Part of her really wanted to run away from him, but Angeni knew she couldn't break her word and shuffled after him, keeping her distance. Taker waited by the car as she walked slowly towards him, green eyes cold as they took her in, not revealing anything he was thinking or feeling.

Once Angeni was inside the car, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This woman was going to destroy him on some level and he recognized that, he knew this was a dangerous game he was playing but that only made it all the more appealing. Finally, Taker slid into his seat, slamming the door shut and looked straight ahead, not saying a word.

Angeni flinched, picking her book up and curled up against the window again, leaving him alone.  She never should've brought that subject up, not realizing how sore it was for him...until now.  It was a simple question.  Didn't Angeni feel like she deserved SOME answers regarding their sham of a marriage? 

Apparently not. 

She had tried puzzling this out, trying to figure out how Mark could change from who he was back then to who he was now.  She just wanted to understand and came to the conclusion she would never fully understand Mark Calaway.  Losing herself in her book, Angeni pushed him the far recesses of her mind and kept the rest of the tears that had stung the back of her eyes from falling.

Once again silence reigned, only this time it wasn't comfortable. It was a stony, almost bitter and festering. He didn't look at her once. He didn't have too. Taker knew damn well she was probably attempting to read that book again, in the dark no less with only whatever moonshine she could get from the window. When he finally came to a halt, it was because they were outside a large brick building that was technically a hotel, of sorts.

“Come on.” He ordered brusquely, finally looking at her.

Nodding, Angeni closed her book and put it in the bag with the rest of them, stepping out of the car following him inside.  What she wouldn't give to be able to have her own room just one night.  Angeni just wanted to be alone so she could cry her heart out and get it over with, deciding she would have to do it in the shower.  They walked into the room and Angeni set the bag down against the wall, looking around, having a sinking feeling this was a hotel that the WWF was not staying at.  She also tossed her flats to the side as well and took the ties out of her hair, putting them around her wrists for now.

Indeed it was not.

This was a hotel where rooms were rented out to people of…shady natures. Drug dealers, poor people who lived week to week but didn't have legal jobs, gang members…it was a place no one in their right mind or with a proper paycheck would ever come too, which made it perfect. Leaving the door to their room open, he walked across the hall and knocked. When the door opened, he smirked.

“Bring her over.” He ordered gravely.

Farooq nodded, deciding to also bring the cotton balls for his ears in case the gag was removed.

When Mark walked back into the room, he was not alone.  A terrified brown haired girl was dragged inside behind him by Farooq moments later, a black scarf around her mouth preventing her from screaming for help.  Violet eyes widened as she looked up at Mark and then at Farooq, seeing the tears pouring down the girl's face, feeling her heart break for her.

“Stephanie.” Angeni murmured, ignoring Mark and walked over to the girl, knowing this had to be Vince's daughter. 

She had promised Mark wouldn't get his hands on her.  Look how well THAT turned out.  The fact her big blue eyes were pleading with Angeni to help her just tore her apart even more.  He kept her around to witness THIS?

“So, what do you want to do with her?” Farooq asked, ignoring Angeni completely as he was currently holding this little pistol still.

“I'm going to take some pictures, just for Vince.” Taker said wickedly. An amused smile crossed his face as Stephanie's blue eyes grew impossibly larger and then looked at his wife, who was a bit too close to his captive for his comfort. “Angeni, get away from her.” He ordered, not about to have her messing this up. He had no intention of hurting the girl, or doing anything to her, physically. Taker could probably rape her soul and mind with words if he so desired however.

“Y-You kept me around here…for THIS?” Angeni demanded, not moving from Stephanie as she stared at Mark in bewilderment. “No, I can't do this.  This is…This is too much for me.  I can deal with your overbearing ways, I can deal with being your toy and whore, but I WILL NOT let you do this!!”

Angeni was backhanded for not obeying his orders and flew to the floor, causing Stephanie to cry out against the gag.  Immediately scrambling away from him while holding her face, tears also fell and Angeni was in shock. Fuck her word.  She was running the first chance she got, Angeni had already decided, feeling stupid for not going with Kane or running when she had the chances.  This place didn't have the type of security that the other hotels did, Angeni was already thinking, deciding tonight after Mark fell asleep she would run.

She had been backhanded for the whore remark, not for disobeying orders. His whore?! Is that what she thought she was? What? She was now going to fuck him to keep him pleased? Not saying a word, he stalked over to Angeni and ripped her up onto her feet by her hair, shoving her down into a chair in the farthest corner of the room.

“Sit still and keep your mouth shut.” Taker hissed dangerously, taking in the already forming bruise before gesturing for Farooq to let Stephanie go. “Get the camera.” He ordered, simply staring at the little McMahon bitch.

He was tempted just to destroy her as a twisted way of hurting Angeni. Stephanie screamed through the gag as loudly as she could when he simply took one step forward, not even aware Farooq was already snapping pictures. Angeni curled up in the chair, sitting sideways on it with her knees drawn up to her chest, trembling from head to toe.  Her face throbbed just as much as her head, her hair nearly being yanked out of her skull not feeling very good. 

All Angeni could do was watch as they tormented poor Stephanie by snapping pictures of her on Mark's lap.  She felt sick when he ran his nose against Stephanie's cheek, his hand splaying on her stomach and all the poor girl could do was tremble against him with terrified blue eyes, her muffled screams penetrating Angeni's soul.  He didn't care about anyone except himself, that much was painfully clear.  She had to get away from him before he permanently destroyed her mind, heart, body and soul.

When he felt he had done enough damage to ensure Vince remembered who the hell was in charge here, as well as to guarantee Stephanie would be in therapy for several years, Taker shoved her off his lap, snorting. “Get her out of my sight, before she pisses herself.” He ordered remorselessly.

Stephanie was actually dangerously close to that point, no longer screaming but sobbing hoarsely. Farooq took the camera with him, dragging Stephanie along behind him. He'd develop the photos himself and send them out first thing, a sick smile crossing his face.

They were alone again.

Standing up from the bed, Taker began shedding the robe he had pulled on before 'posing' with the Princess, revealing his bare chest beneath it. “So, pet, you didn't like my little photo shoot?” He asked condescendingly, draping it over a nearby chair that wasn’t occupied.

Angeni refused to say a word to him, not making a single sound, her mind and heart racing. Mind racing with the possibilities of how to escape and her heart racing because Mark had struck her again, breaking the agreement they both made a week ago. They were back to square one and Angeni closed her eyes when he towered over her, his hands moving to rest on the arms of the chair. He was so close she could feel his hot breath against her ear, even through the curtain of black hair.  Angeni whimpered out when she was suddenly grabbed by her chin roughly, bloodshot red swollen eyes forcing to meet acid orbs.

“Do you want to know why I slapped you, pet?” Taker rumbled darkly, leaning in and traced the outline of her quivering lips with his tongue. “Do you have any idea why I did it?”

When she was a smart girl and remained quiet, his grip on her loosened just a little bit. Her reprieve was only momentary because his lips were on hers, kissing her brutally with the anger that had been simmering from that whore remark. Ignoring her gasps of pain, he sucked her bottom lip between his teeth and then pulled away.

“Whore, hmmm? Would you like me to really show you what a whore is, precious?”

“Do what you have to do, Mark.” She bit back a cry of pain when he wrapped his hand around her throat, yanking her up from the chair and dragged her to the bed, shoving her full force on it.  Angeni ended up doing a full somersault over the bed and landed on the floor, whacking her head on the wall again. “Please stop!” She cried out, holding her head as she crumpled up in a tight ball, shaking so hard her teeth chattered.  She had to do something to get away from him before he really hurt her, beginning to sob. “Please, I'll give you what you want!!  Just don't hit me again!!”

“Whore, remember? Damn right you'll give me what I want!” Taker snarled down at her, stepping onto the bed and walking across it, landing on the floor with a purposeful thud. Everything in the room, including the walls, vibrated and shook when his feet hit the thinly carpeted floor. “So, Angeni, what on earth makes you think you're my whore, hmm?” He asked conversationally, gripping the back of her neck and pulling her back on her feet. This time he planted her on the bed, keeping her there with his hands and then his weight as he settled astride her. “Let's hear your logic.”

There was no way out of this and Angeni knew it, the side of her face already bruising again.  It didn't feel like her cheekbone was shattered, thankfully.  It was hard to breathe because Mark was putting his weight on her lower abdomen and knew her wrists would be bruised from how tight he held them down.

“T-That's all you want from me.  That's all you wanted at the cottage.  That's all I am…the Undertaker's personal whore, personal toy, personal PROPERTY.” A surge of anger flashed through her violet eyes as Angeni began twisting her wrists in his grasp, turning her face so she wasn't looking directly in his eyes. “I want to go home, you won't let me.  I didn't want to be in this company, you forced me.  I didn't want anything to do with you and you FORCED your way into my peaceful life and took me away from everything I've ever loved!!” She knew bucking against him was useless, but that didn't stop Angeni from kicking her feet, fighting against being restrained. “That's all I am to you is a goddamn possession!!  Hell, I'm surprised you haven't raped me since you like smacking me around so damn much!!”

“Ah pet, I don't care about your little 'I want to go home' issues and I sure as hell didn't ask you to run your mouth about my little love taps. We're discussing your new profession.” He clucked his tongue at her, adjusting his weight so her legs were forced to remain still. “Angeni, given my current temper, do you really want to provoke me?” He demanded, eyes flashing angrily before raking over her body, his upper lip curving into a sneer. “And for your information, a whore cannot be raped. That's what you are, right? MY FUCKING WHORE!” He bellowed, his face directly in front of hers. “That's why you came to me last night, you were selling yourself for mercy, wasn't it?” Which was rather pathetic considering if she had wanted to play THAT card, the time to do it would have been when he was actually beating her and not treating her decently. “My how that has backfired.”

Chapter 27

He was livid and Angeni didn't understand why, thinking she'd  made several good points.  When he bellowed right in her face, her heart leapt in her throat because it scared the hell out of her.  She was feeling the aftershocks of it, trembling from head to toe and kept her mouth shut.  She knew better than to say anything right now, especially with the rage swirling through those green eyes. 

Even if he asked her a question, Angeni wasn't answering him and closed her eyes as silent tears flowed from them down her cheeks.  Why had she let her feelings spill out when Stephanie was brought in?  Never mind the McMahon princess, she had cost Angeni possibly her life and destroyed anything that had been built between her and Mark in the span of an hour.

He was physically shaking with his anger, holding her wrists in one hand and the other, trembling hand moving to grip her throat. “Look at me.” He ordered, somehow not surprised when she didn't and that just made it worse. “LOOK AT ME!” A hint of violet, swimming in tears and he squeezed her throat warningly. “I want you to answer my question, Angeni. Is that why you came to me last night?”

After Angeni had shot him down, she had probably had a 'he's going to kill me' moment and that wasn't doing anything for his temper issues. Though…at the same time, he felt like he could kill her, forcing himself to remove his hand before he snapped her neck. Either way, he was going to snap her neck more than likely, and if he wanted the truthful answer, she would give it to him.

“Yes.” She rasped out, chest rising and falling rapidly. 

He was angrier than when he captured her, after she had screwed with his him and the Ministry's matches for a solid week straight.  Angeni was in trouble, deep trouble, and had no idea how to get out of this alive.  Maybe he would be merciful and end this for her quickly, but Angeni highly doubted it, not daring to shut her eyes again because that would only piss him off further.  She couldn't stop the tears though, that was impossible right now.

Now he was disgusted with her and disgusted with himself. He had ignored the 'whys' last night in favor of just enjoying her being in his arms, willingly, and now he knew why she had been there. Angeni had been afraid of him, even after a week, afraid that her refusal of him would what…lead him beating her? Raping her?

Taker pushed himself away from her, wiping his hands off on the front of his jeans, staring down at his palms. Hands that had held her last night, held her hand tonight during their walk…hands that had just physically harmed her. Angeni sobbed violently when he didn't strike her again, relief flooding her body and it was almost too much for her to take. 

She curled up in a tight ball right in the middle of the bed and didn't move, feeling like if she did she would end up vomiting.  Her face was killing her and swelling up; pretty sure she might also have a black eye because of Mark's backhand.  It hurt to cry, but she couldn't help it as sobs tore her completely apart, her insides probably nothing except grated cheese by now.

Dropping down in a corner of the room, Taker rested his wrists on his parted knees, still staring at his hands. He would tend to her face, or give her the stuff to do it, unable to touch her right now, in any way at all. His hair was hanging over his bowed face in a black curtain.

Between that and the dim lighting and shadows hiding his eyes, they slowly moved to her. She was laying there in the fetal position, her entire body quivering and he felt…nothing, knowing that wouldn't last very long. Though, it was a welcomed reprieve from the disgust. Finally, he inhaled through his nose and cleared his throat.

“Come here, Angeni.”

She knew if she didn't go to him, Mark would end up hurting her again and forcefully pulled herself out of the fetal position.  It hurt her because of her body's position, but somehow Angeni managed to shakily sit up and stood up from the bed, her legs wobbly.  She pulled the tank dress down and slowly walked toward him, seeing he was staring at his hands with his hair in his face, so she couldn't really see his eyes.  Obeying her husband right now was definitely in Angeni's best interest, especially with how angry he was.

He watched her through the veil of hair as she gingerly, hesitantly, finally sat before him and held up his hands towards her, palms out. He wasn't surprised in the slightest when Angeni flinched. If it were him in her position, Taker would have probably done the same exact thing.

“Do you know…how much destruction these hands have caused?” He asked in a low-pitched voice. “How many they've hurt? I've lost count…” He snorted, the action sending his hair forward briefly, revealing a glimpse of green. “And I've never thought of them being dirty, stained…tainted…until now.”

Those hands had hurt her so Angeni was definitely in the count that he'd lost track of, not daring to touch her face though, her head lowered.  She was afraid to say anything for fear of being struck again, so many things flowing through her mind.  Why was he telling her this?  Why was he showing her hands that had probably destroyed more lives than Angeni cared to think about, Stephanie McMahon's included? 

Did he want her hating him more? 

Being smart for once and doing what he'd warned her of so many times, Angeni did not say a word, wrapping her arms around herself since she sat on her knees before him, cold from the aftershocks of her sobbing. She didn't say anything, he had expected that. Taker had just backhanded her so hard, her face was already bruised, swollen and her left eye had been gotten part of it. Her head was probably sporting a lump on the back and who knew what else he had done in his rage. Finally, he flicked his hair out of his face and bent towards her, reaching out with both hands to gently cup her cheeks, examining the damage.

“Bathroom. I'll bring you the salve.” She could tend her own wounds and was probably inwardly screaming like a mad woman just because he was touching her now.

Angeni reached a shaking hand up to cup his face, seeing how much regret and sadness swam through his eyes, frowning. “I-I'm sorry.” She whispered, pressing her forehead against his and started crying all over again. “T-There's another reason why I came to you last night…the same reason I slept with you at the cottage…” He was going to find out and as messed up as this was going to sound, Angeni had to say it. “I love you.  I-I still love you, Mark.  I don't know how you feel about me, but that's the other reason for me changing my mind.  Because it physically hurt to deny you, and I also hate it because you can use this against me.  You can shatter and brutalize me and I will still love you.  I came to you for mercy, yes, but I also came to you because I love you.”

Pulling away, Angeni managed to get to her feet and stumbled to the bathroom, her head slightly dizzy from his backhand and how much emotion she currently felt. Letting her walk away, Taker slumped back against the wall and actually felt…dazed. She had called herself a whore earlier and set something off inside of him and now…now she admitted she still loved him after everything he had done to her. When he heard her body hit the floor, he was up and on his feet in a heartbeat, in the bathroom seconds later. Taker kneeled down beside her, checking her head to make sure she hadn't hit it on the counter on her way down.

“Angeni?”

“Y-Yeah, just dizzy.”

Angeni smacked her head pretty hard on the wall when she did the somersault over the bed earlier, after being shoved full force by her husband. She felt Mark's arm slide beneath her thighs, his other arm supporting her back and lifted her from the floor, carrying her back out to gently lay her on the bed. Angeni closed her eyes while Mark went to retrieve the salve, nodding when he asked her if she wanted him to do it. 

As long as he was touching her munificently instead of violently, Angeni didn't mind his hands on her.  Wincing, Angeni hissed out when he applied the salve, slowly opening her eyes to stare up into his, wondering what he was thinking.  She told him she loved him, the man's mind was probably spinning right now combined with treating her wounds that he gave her…again.

She probably had a concussion, her head had cracked the wall pretty hard and he was tempted to call Paul to come check on her. Of course, that meant explaining what had happened and dealing with the old man's not so subtle digs about being a woman abuser. He was eventually going to have to use that fat, mouthy bastard as a stepladder and remind him of his manners. Taker met her gaze and bent down to kiss her forehead before resuming tending her. She loved him and he couldn’t help wondering how that was possible.

“Why?” Angeni whispered, bringing Mark out of his deep thoughts and grabbed his wrist before he could pull away from her, violet eyes confused. “You never told me what you meant by the statement regarding your hands.”

Didn't he think of her as nothing but a possession, a toy, his personal whore?  And he'd never told her how he felt so Angeni was assuming naturally that he didn't love her.  He was simply using her.  She was probably pushing her luck by asking him to explain what he meant, but Angeni's curiosity had gotten the better of her.

“Please help me understand, Mark.”

He shrugged one massive shoulder, looking down at her hands on his wrist. Both of her tiny hands, wrapped around his wrist, pale skin with bruises from him grabbing her contrasting against his tattooed skin. “I promised you I wouldn't hit you, or lay a violent hand on you. We had an understanding.” Taker said evenly. “I broke my promise because-” Because his temper had shot right out of his control. “Because you called yourself my whore and it made me feel disgusted with MYSELF.” That was definitely a first.

“I-I'm sorry…I-I honestly believed that's what you thought of me as.” Her eyes lowered from his, not releasing his wrist because she didn't want him walking away from her. “I'm just trying to figure out why exactly you want me on the road with you.  Why you're so hell bent on keeping me in the WWF and in the Ministry.  There's gotta be a motive, a reason, SOMETHING.  If I'm not your whore, if you don't think of me as a possession or property, then what AM I to you?  Why am I here, Mark?  And don't say because I'm your wife because that'll be the lamest excuse ever, especially for you.” Her voice remained quiet the whole time she spoke, gripping his wrist tighter when it felt as though he might try to weasel his way out of this conversation. “I told you how I felt.  I deserve to know how you feel about me.”

“Because I want you here with me.” He informed her. “Originally, I wanted you in the Corporation because Vince wanted to use you against me. I thought it would be amusing to turn that against him. Then I wanted you in the Ministry to keep you where I could watch you since you were hell bent on destroying everything I was working on.” Angeni wanted the truth; she could have it all and make of it what she would. “Now I want you here because you ARE my wife, and I am not ready to let you walk away from me just yet. I told you…I want all of you and I will have all of you.” Though, he had definitely set back his progress on the having her willingly a bit.

“That sounds like possessiveness to me, Mark.  And I already told you, I only did that to you and the Ministry because I wanted some sort of revenge.  You made me sign a contract I did not want to sign.  You made me do things I did not want to do.  What did you expect to do, take it line down, bow down to you?” They were just talking and laying all the cards out on the table because Angeni simply had to get on the same page as Mark.  She had to or they were going to end up destroying each other. “You're not the Lord of Darkness to me and you never were.  You're Mark Calaway, the man who came to that diner a little over two years ago and swept me off my feet.  You walked away from me, I did not walk away from you.” She slid from the bed, feeling the dizziness subside and released his wrist in the process. “I told you I wouldn't mess with you or the Ministry anymore because all I wanted was for you to feel what it was like to have someone fuck YOUR world up for a change.  Make you vulnerable for a change.  And I did it.  And you took it personally, which is what I wanted you to do.  The fact that you're keeping me here against my will all because you don't want me to walk away from you just yet, what does that mean?  Does that mean in a year when my contract is up, you're going to finally let make my own decision?  And you do have all of me already, if you didn't I wouldn't have admitted what I did earlier.  So you get everything you want out of this.  Possession.” She started naming things off on her fingers. “Property.  Toy.  You just basically told me I'm those three things to you and nothing more.  I am your wife, you don't want me walking away just yet and you want me to control me.  Possession, property, toy.  And when I finally do break, then you'll toss me away and go find another woman's heart to mangle.”

“Not likely, I think I'll just keep mangling yours, pet.” For someone who professed to be afraid of him and what he could do to her, Angeni liked to give long winded speeches about her feelings and her opinion on his and his mindset. “Possession, maybe, we'll find out in a year.” His thin lips spread into a slight leer when she looked at him out of narrowed eyes. “Regardless of your regret for telling me you love me, the fact is, you did.” Now it was going to be even harder to let her go, if he ever did. “For better or worse…” The wedding phrase rolled off his tongue in a silky caress. “Till death do us part, or…your contract, we'll have to see which one comes first.”

“How does it feel knowing you already have mangled my heart and torn it into pieces? I bet it makes you feel like a real man, doesn't it? I bet you enjoy causing your wife physical, emotional and mental pain.” Angeni didn't care anymore if he hurt her, she was fed up with everything and it clearly showed in her dead eyes. “Sooner or later, I will get away from you, Mark.” Her voice was a mere whisper now, tears subsiding because Angeni was pretty certain all of her ducts were completely dried up. “I'd rather be dead than be married to you at this point.”

“You're not leaving yourself with a lot of options then, Angeni.” He informed her, standing up to begin shedding what remained of his clothing. When her eyes narrowed even further as she watched him, he snorted. “You're not that damn appealing woman and besides, I don't have to rape you.” His voice dropped an octave to a low, husky pitch. “Especially since you're more than willing to give yourself to me.” Low blow, yes. “Get in bed.”

He was actually tired, at night. This had been a rather draining day and if she didn't shut up, he would break out the duct tape once more. He was absolutely right and she hated him for it, but Angeni had nobody to blame except herself.  She didn't say a word and sat on the bed, refusing to meet his eyes as he slid the zipper down on her dress, ordering her to take it off. 

Angeni let the material fall to the floor and was shoved to lie down forcefully, instantly rolling on her side with her back facing him.  At least her face was numb from the salve, but come morning it was going to really smart.  When she felt his arms wrap around her, pulling her against him, Angeni closed her eyes and fought back tremors that threatened to overtake her body, not wanting to be anywhere near her husband. Draping his thigh over her legs, completely nude, Taker was kind enough to not insist she remove her underclothes. Taker ran his hand up and down her arm before finally letting his hand splay against her abdomen.

“Go to sleep Angeni, we're going to have a...wicked time tomorrow.” He murmured in her ear before burying his face in her hair, inhaling deeply.

Very wicked indeed.

Chapter 28

It was Monday night Raw, which marked a month since Angeni was forced to work for this hellhole of a company.  Only eleven more to go unless she found a way out before then.  Angeni walked inside the arena behind Mark, having kept her distance from him for the past few days…as much distance as he would allow anyway. 

She kept her mouth shut, deciding her words didn't mean a damn to him anyway and they would only get her in trouble. So she went mute, reading her books and let him do whatever he wanted with the McMahon princess.  He continued snapping pictures and even did a videotape that was...disturbing, to say the least. 

Angeni actually had to step outside for some air, with her husband's permission and Mideon watching over her, while he videotaped himself with Stephanie.  She didn't even want to know what went on up in that room, knowing her heart couldn't break anymore than it already had.  That was the night Angeni had taken her ring and smashed it repeatedly with her steel toed boot, which earned her another backhand courtesy of her husband. At least it was one piece of him that was gone, that's what motivated Angeni. 

Tonight, she wore a dark purple strapless dress that had plisse pleating and a structured bodice with black crystal embroidery.  It went two inches above the knee and had a rose design to it on the top and ruffled bottom.  She wore two inch black heels, not the spiked ones that had nearly killed her feet, and left her hair down because Tiffany would end up doing it along with her makeup for the show, which had already begun.  She was sent to Tiffany straightaway to get her makeup and hair done, while Stephanie was dragged in a black wedding dress to a secluded part of the arena with the rest of the Ministry.

With his delectable wife looking…distracting in that little dark purple dress of hers, Taker really wasn't looking forward to dealing with the Princess. Who in their right mind would want a girl when they had a woman? Unwilling woman perhaps, but....same difference.

“Tighten the gag.” Taker ordered when Stephanie actually started working the current one free.

Aware his Ministry was all sporting plugs in their ears to keep them from bleeding and sane. That was just how shrill she could be. Turning his back on her, Taker closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. This bit with her was almost over. The photos and video had been sent, he fully expected Vince to cave into his demands.

Angeni came back about twenty minutes later, her hair curled at the ends and left down, just simple black eyeliner on with clear gloss, refusing to look like a gothic whore. It was bad enough she was already Mark's whore, she didn't need to look like it too.  This dress was border lining it, but she honestly liked the style and since sex sold to the crowd, she figured it was one thing Mark couldn't control about her. 

When Stephanie turned pleading blue eyes on her, Angeni just looked away from her, foundation covering the faint bruising on her face.  Though she did notice a member of the Ministry had finally returned and that was Bradshaw, wondering if he would be stupid enough to screw with her again.  She blinked when he actually walked over with a black rose, violet eyes narrowing suspiciously, folding her arms in front of her chest.

The rose was entirely his own idea and the apology had been suggested by Bearer. Bradshaw figured this would be a good way to redeem himself and avoid anymore hospital visits. Not to mention he didn't fancy her taking his ass out again with steel toed boots, or high heels.

“I am sorry for touching you, threatening you, and trying to harm you.” Bradshaw said sincerely, extending the rose towards her. “And you have my word that it will never happen again.”

Or else…was what everyone else was pretty much thinking.

After considering him for a full minute straight, Angeni slowly took the rose from him and nodded. “Apology accepted.” She whispered, tapping the rose gently against his chest before bringing it to her nose, inhaling. 

It was the first genuinely nice gesture any of the members had shown her and made Angeni feel good for the first time in weeks.  Though she was not apologizing for breaking his nose, he deserved it and sighed when Stephanie started struggling more.  It was pointless, didn't she understand?  They hadn't really spoken that much during the week, but Angeni had warned her that if she didn't stop fighting, it would only goad Mark on more.  Of course, she hadn't listened, though she was a sweet girl.

“Welcome back, Bradshaw.” Taker drawled, having watched the entire thing from hooded eyes. When Bradshaw kneeled before him, he made a lazy gesture, motioning the other man up and clapped a hand on his shoulder, leaning forward. “You ever touch her again and I will send you to meet your maker.” He said in a low voice only Shaw could hear.

Bradshaw nodded, surprised he hadn't been sent there already.

Not able to take it anymore, Angeni walked over to where Stephanie continued struggling, violet eyes meeting terrified blue eyes. “Stop.” She whispered, slowly gripping her chin in her hand, shaking her head, not wanting Stephanie to suffer the same wrath she had. “If you don't want him to harm you, stop fighting.” She said in Stephanie's ear, to where only the woman could hear her, feeling her struggling cease for the moment. 

She then took the gag off, taking a chance and pressed her finger to her glossy lips when Stephanie opened her mouth to start shrieking, shaking her head warningly. Stephanie snapped it shut, seeing the warning clear in Angeni's eyes and just dropped her head as silent tears flowed. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Angeni guided her over to sit in a corner with her, letting Stephanie rest her head on her shoulder and stroked her hair soothingly, trying to calm her down, not saying a word. 

Stephanie surprisingly didn't try breaking free or uttered a sound, much to the Ministry's relief. Simply observing that, alongside Paul, both men exchanged looks. Well if he would have known Angeni could actually keep the Princess subdued and more importantly, silent, he would have put Stephanie in her care several days ago.

“Any word from McMahon?”

Paul checked his pager, shaking his head. “Not yet. I would imagine he's…holding off till the last minute. You know how he is.”

“Very foolish.”

Just as Taker said that, Paul's pager went off, signaling Vince had the necessary papers that would give him what he wanted. “How's Stephanie?” Vince asked as soon as Taker called him, breathing a little heavily.

Angeni shuddered at the evil tone of Mark's voice and continued soothing the young girl, wishing there was some way for her to get Stephanie out of this. There was none though, especially when Bradshaw came toward them, Angeni up on her feet blocking Stephanie. “Don't hurt her.”

“I won't.” Bradshaw murmured, bending down to take the trembling girl in his arms and lifted her up on her feet.

“Remember what I said, Stephanie.” Angeni whispered, hoping for once the girl listened to her.

Stephanie swallowed hard and nodded, trying not to panic like Angeni instructed her to. Angeni watched as Farooq took Stephanie's other arm gently and they began guiding Stephanie out of the room toward another unknown destination, Mark having finished his phone call with Vince.  She didn't say a word and walked out after the Acolytes, Mark and Paul following, wondering what he had planned now.

What he had planned was a variety of things. He had already placed a courier lurking around Vince all day long in anticipation of this event. Soon, he would have what he wanted. He was in a very good mood now, watching in amusement as Bradshaw was ever so delicate with the Princess. His eyes strayed to his wife, dropping to her softly swaying hips and a purely evil smile flickered across his lips.

Tonight would cement his legacy, as well as begin a new era in the WWF.

Stephanie's cool demeanor flew out the window when Bradshaw and Farooq forced her on one of Mark's huge symbols, a shiver rushing down her back.  She couldn't believe how evil her husband could be and wrapped her arms around herself, immediately stepping away from him when he came toward her, walking on the other side of the symbol, putting it between them.  She did not want him touching her right now and closed her eyes painfully when Stephanie began screaming. 

The music hit and Stephanie was carted out with the rest of the Ministry following and a very reluctant looking Angeni.  What the hell did Mark want that would force him to do this to an innocent girl?  She walked down the ramp and climbed the stairs, slipped through the ropes while the symbol rested against the ropes, bouncing slightly with every movement made.  She stood off to the side, farthest away from Mark and simply kept her head lowered, as if mourning this moment for poor Stephanie McMahon.

Angeni looked like she was at a funeral instead of a wedding and Paul idly wondered if Taker had ever bothered to fill her in. He watched as the symbol was propped up on the ropes, stepping forward to make sure it rested securely, ignoring Stephanie's cries and pleads. Then he entered the ring. Stephanie was breathing heavily, watching him with wide, terrified eyes that would often shoot towards Angeni as if to plead with the other woman to help her. Paul held up a microphone for Taker, starting the ceremony.

Not looking up once, Angeni thought about her cottage and how her life had been before being forced into this.  The beauty of the woods, the small waterfall and pond she would swim in during the hot summer months, the birds chirping and the sunlight bringing her small home to life.  She was all about color and sunshine, only now she had the dark shadow of Mark slowly destroying her light little by little.  And yet she loved this man who was all about darkness. 

How could Angeni love someone like that who was her polar opposite?  Now he was actually performing a gothic wedding ceremony right in front of her when they never had a ceremony of their own.  How cold and heartless could one man be?  Did he even have a soul? 

When first the Big Show and then Ken Shamrock tried intervening to stop the ceremony from happening, Angeni stayed far away in one of the corners opposite of where Stephanie was, still inside of the ring.  That's when the sound of glass shattering echoed throughout the arena. The crowd exploded as Stone Cold Steve Austin came to the rescue, Angeni's violet eyes shooting open.

Steve came barreling down the ramp, meeting Farooq and sent him to the steel. Whirling around, he slid and caught himself, turning and continued to the ring. He dived under the ropes and automatically went for the Undertaker.

Robes and all, Taker began throwing blows with Austin, fire raging in his eyes. How dare this worthless waste of air interrupt! Austin wasn't throwing soft punches though, and the robes only served to impede him. When Mideon came up from behind, Taker hesitated before turning towards the ropes.

Steve went to town on the Ministry.

Was Mark actually running away from Austin?  Angeni couldn't help finding that amusing and a hesitant smile curved her lips when Steve began nailing the Ministry members with the chairs, especially Mideon.  He rung the man's bell no doubt with the lethal shot, putting his full force into it.  Angeni swallowed hard when Steve's ice blue eyes turned to her and all she could do was stay in the corner, her hands on the ropes, hoping he didn't hurt her.

“Don't!  She didn't do anything!” Stephanie cried out to Austin, getting his attention and sighed with relief when he walked over to untie her from the symbol.

This was the chance she'd been waiting for with the Ministry at bay and Angeni was taking it. “Thanks again, Stone Cold.” She whispered, remembering when he saved her from Bradshaw and took her heels off, tossing them to the side.

“Oh no...”

Angeni kissed Steve's cheek, slid through the ropes and took off through the crowd as fast as she could, the dress giving her plenty of room to do the sprinting.  Mark had broken his word about hurting her.  She was breaking hers about running, not able to take anymore of her heart being torn apart.

From the place he had strategically retired too, Taker watched her run, eyes narrowing until they were nothing but venomous slits in his pale face. He had NOT run, Taker simply made a prudent decision to delay the fight until a later time.

Damn that woman could haul ass! Steve's attention was pulled down to Stephanie who was clinging to him like a lifeline and he held his hands away from her. He watched as Vince dived under the bottom ring rope and immediately got to his feet, catching Stephanie as she flew into his arms.

Vince closed his tear-filled eyes as he held his precious baby girl close, mouthing ‘thank you’ to Stone Cold Steve Austin. He had gone to Austin earlier in the night, after Taker specifically ordered that Austin deliver the papers he wanted, only for Austin to deny him. So when Austin came out to save his daughter, Vince was in shock and knew he owed the man for helping.

Stephanie couldn’t believe Angeni had actually made a run for it and honestly didn’t blame the woman. She felt sorry for any woman that was married to a monster like the Undertaker. When Vince kept asking if she was alright, Stephanie just nodded her head and slid out of the ring with her father’s arm firmly around her waist. Wherever Angeni was going, Stephanie prayed the woman stayed far away, where she was safe and sound, if such a place even existed.

Well…the night wasn't a total loss, Taker thought, as the courier found him, taking the documents silently before whirling and punching the man right in the face, watching impassively as he crumpled to the floor.

Chapter 29

Heading straight for the arena exit, Angeni was suddenly yanked into a pitch black dressing room and immediately beginning to fight. ‘NO!’ She thought it was Mark, wondering how the hell he'd made it back here so fast, breathing heavily as tears stung her eyes. “LET ME-” The scream died on her lips when the light flipped on, a very dim red light and saw Kane standing before her, holding her upper arms in his huge hands. “Kane…”

Relief flooded through her and Angeni reached up, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck as she began crying.  She hadn't seen him since that night he clocked Mark with the gasoline can. Wishing she would've just gone with him instead of suffered all the abuse she had, Angeni just cried harder, clinging to him for dear life.

“I-I'm so sorry…” She whispered brokenly and felt his arms wrap around her, lifting her up as her bare feet left the concrete floor.

Kane held her tightly against him, relief coursing through him. When he had seen her taking off on the monitor, he knew she had definitely regretted not going with him when he had clocked his brother with that gasoline can and tried taking her away. When she finally pulled her head away from his neck, he stared down into her face, able to make out the tears in the dim lighting and simply nodded, bending down to touch her cheek with…well, his mask, but it was the gesture that counted.

“Come on.” He whispered, knowing right now the entire arena would be in chaos and they could make a break for it.

Nodding, Angeni felt him maneuver to where he held her with one arm under her thighs, the other supporting her back with her face still buried in his neck.  Soon, she felt the cold air hit her skin and knew they were outside of the arena, but Kane's body heat was keeping her from freezing.  When he set her in a car, Angeni immediately scooted next to him while he blasted the heat, driving away from the arena. 

She knew Mark was going to punish her for this, but Angeni had to get away from him, hoping Kane didn't suffer for her insolence.  It didn't even matter because she already felt at ease being with Kane than she ever did with Mark, even during the two times they had sex.  Kane was comforting and gentle, two things that Angeni could only dream of Mark giving her. She was barefoot and in a dress that definitely wasn't appropriate for tonight's cold weather. Kane kept one arm around Angeni, holding her snugly against him and used the other to steer.

“Sweatshirt in my bag.” Kane said finally, nodding his head in a gesture indicating the backseat. Where he had left his bag for the night since changing in the arena wasn't a very wise move on his part, even if he wanted too.

“I'm warm enough right now.” She whispered, breathing him in as her eyes closed, for once not being scared that he would fly off the deep-end and strike her.

Angeni was completely safe with Kane and she knew it, her arm wrapped around his midsection to soak up more of his warmth. Kane drove for a little while and finally pulled up to a building that looked extremely rundown. These were the type of places he had to stay though so the Ministry couldn't find him.

Slipping out of the car, Angeni smiled when Kane insisted on carrying her since there was snow on the ground.  So she carried his bag on her lap, compromising since he had his hands full with her.  Once inside, Kane set her down gently on the bed and took his bag from her before turning the heat on and draped a blanket over her shoulders.

“I didn't mean to betray you that night, Kane.” She finally said, breaking the silence between them and lowered her eyes in shame. “I-I didn't want him hurting you, that's why I stayed…”

Kane's shoulders tensed at the memory, recalling that at the time, he could not believe it. That she had WANTED to stay with her abusive, twisted, psychotic husband. When he had finally gotten out of the building, his disbelief had turned to rage and he would never admit it to her, but he had…gone a little berserk. Nobody had been hurt, but he had had a moment.

“I know.” Kane said quietly, pulling away from her.

She reached out and grabbed his gloved hand, frowning when she felt how tense he was, a few tears slipping down her cheeks. “I wanted to go with you that night.  So help me god I did, Kane.  But then I thought about what he did to you and…I was trying to protect you!  You don't hurt me the way he does, you don't break my heart constantly.  Why wouldn't I want to go with you?”

His hand slipped out of hers again as he continued walking away from her, Angeni wondered if she would ever feel loved again.  Everywhere she turned, there was constant fighting and arguing, darkness…she wanted OUT of the darkness for just a little while.  Walking back over to the bed, Angeni sat down on it and buried her face in her hands, slumping in defeat.

Kane disappeared into the bathroom with his bag and came out after a brief shower, dressed in light grey sweat pants and a white tank top that hugged his muscular chest snugly, also hiding the scars that chest sported. He had removed his glove, but kept on the mask, his long wet brown hair hanging over it. When he seen that Angeni hadn't moved from her place, her face still buried in her hands. Frowning, Kane walked over to gently settle on the edge of the bed. Hesitantly, he reached out to pull her hands from her face, bending down so he could see her better.

Angeni stared into his mismatched eyes and hesitantly reached up, running her hand over the mask gently.  She didn't know what to say to him, knowing he understood why she hadn't gone with him that night.  Mark would've just dragged her right back, just like he was going to do once he found her again. 

She wasn't going to make it that easy though and decided she wouldn't be leaving Kane's side.  Angeni may have loved Mark, but he wasn't the man she married and never would be again.  He would continue treating her badly and Angeni couldn't handle it, she didn't deserve to be abused simply for speaking her mind.

“I just want to feel loved.” She whispered heartbrokenly, leaning into his touch when he wiped her tears away. “Is that so much to ask for?  To be loved?”

“No.” Kane whispered back, shifting so he was sitting on the bed properly and hesitantly pulled her towards him, cradling Angeni against his chest.

He stretched his long legs out on either side of her, bent awkwardly at the knee and finally, slowly slid his arms around her slender frame. Out of anyone, he knew what she meant, what she was asking, and it was something he had asked himself time and time again. Hearing it coming from her, so sadly, just seemed wrong.

It was wrong.

Leaning back against him, Angeni closed her eyes at the sound of his heartbeat, which is where her head came to his chest.  His arms felt so warm and comforting, yet held power that could destroy her if he so desired.  Somehow, Angeni knew Kane wouldn't harm her and felt his chin rest on her bare shoulder, moving her hair to the side so his face wasn't buried in raven.  She went from being in the arms of the devil to the devil's brother, his opposite brother who was a gentle giant and probably wanted the same thing she did.

“Have you ever loved, Kane?” Angeni asked in a soft voice, running her nails lightly across his forearm soothingly.

His eyes widened behind the mask, darting down first to his arm, which was breaking out in goose bumps as she gently raked her nails back and forth. Kane couldn't really see her face, mostly her profile and cleared his throat. “Once.” He slowly, cautiously splayed his palms against her ribs since his arms were wrapped around her, instead of keeping them in the fists he had adopted.

Angeni felt a wave of warmth rush through her at the feeling of his hands on her ribs, melting further against him.  Nobody else had made her feel this way besides Mark, though it wasn't as intense.  She didn't love Kane the way she did Mark and didn't understand why. 

It just made her want to die because Mark didn't love her.  She was in love with a monster and in the arms of his brother, her brother-in-law…and she shouldn't be feeling butterflies erupt in her stomach at the feeling of his hands on her body.  What the hell was wrong with her?

“Do you mind me asking what happened?” Her curiosity was going to get her in deep trouble one day, Angeni simply knew it.

Kane chuckled quietly, his lips, revealed thanks to the mask he had switched to, turning upwards into a sardonic smile. “I'm a man in a mask, Angeni.” He said softly, no anger or underlining of malice in his tone. It was a fair question and one he, surprisingly enough, didn't feel awkward answering. “And sometimes…it is hard to…remove it.” Remove the mask, which was also a metaphor for letting someone in, behind the mask and the monster he supposedly was.

Angeni read between the lines, nodding. “You let me in though.” She gently extracted his arms from her to stand up, turning to face him with heartwarming violet eyes, moving to stand between his legs, his arms once again wrapping around her waist. “Let me in, Kane.” She pressed her forehead against his, her hands splayed on his broad muscular shoulders, feeling her mouth go dry. “Let's love each other for one night and have what we both want.” Her voice dropped to a whisper and, with a trembling hand, took one of his to move it to the zipper on her dress, her eyes never leaving his. “Love me, Kane, please…”

His heart stopped for the briefest of moments, unsure if he was awake or dreaming. It was when she began guiding his hand down, pulling at the zipper, that he shook off the semi-trance he had slipped in. His long, nimble fingers gently tapped her forearm, feeling her letting go of his hand and took the zipper between his fingertips.

Pulling his head back, he stared down at her, watching her face as he slowly slid the zipper down. His eyes dropped lower, watching as the dress began to slide down her body agonizingly slow. Stepping out of the dress, Angeni moved her hands from his shoulders up to his mask, bending forward to brush her lips softly against his, barely touching them.  Her hands moved from his mask to the straps that kept it on, feeling him instantly stop her, a frown marring her face.

“Trust me, Kane.  I want to see all of you.”

The honesty in her violet eyes told him all he needed to know and Angeni kissed him again while continuing to undo the buckles.  Her head fell back when his lips moved to kiss down her chest, his hands moving to the clasps of her bra. Undoing it with a flick of his wrist, the strapless material fell to the floor along with her dress.  When she pulled back, Angeni took the mask with her, also dropping it to the floor before kissing him again, this time a little deeper.

Kane's eyes remained open throughout the kiss, surprised that hers were too, meeting his. When he felt her hands moving up his chest and to his face, he tensed again, only to feel her holding his head in place, never breaking the kiss. She didn't care about the scars, and that realization swept through him, unlocking something he hadn't even known had been locked.

Tightening his hold on her a bit, he lifted Angeni right off the floor, feeling her legs wrapping around his waist. A moment later, he had her on the bed, lying right in the middle of it. He pulled away long enough to peel off his tank top, muscles flexing with every movement, before bending back over her. Trailing his lips down her throat, over her collarbone and further down, his muscular hands caressed her skin.

Everything he could reach he touched, palms skimming flesh hungrily. Angeni arched into his caressing, drinking all of it in completely, not believing this was happening.  She was about to have sex with her brother-in-law, but Angeni didn't care. 

Feeling loved the way Kane was making her feel now was incredible and Angeni never wanted it to end. 

His lips trailed fire from her neck to her chest, taking one of her nipples in his mouth. After he paid attention to both of her breasts, Angeni pulled his face back up and moved his hair out of the way. The dim lighting of the room showed her the man behind the mask.

“You're beautiful.” She whispered, trailing her fingertips over the scars on his face, which weren't that bad and added to his character.  She smiled and passionately kissed him, feeling him remove her panties and Angeni used her feet to start pushing his sweatpants down. “Oh god Kane, love me, make me yours…” She moaned out uncontrollably, completely surrendering to him in every way possible.

A hand between her legs, caressing her intimately, told him that she was more than ready for him to take her, to make her his. But Kane didn't, not immediately, wanting to prolong this, make it last. He planted a trail of spaced out, open mouthed kisses down her body, smiling against her warm skin.

When he felt her trembling before settling himself between her legs, his strong hands spread her thighs, baring her to his view. He tossed his hair back from his face before bending down, running the tip of his tongue along her slit. He would make her his after he had tasted her first.

The things Kane did to her body that night would be forever etched in Angeni's mind, something she would always treasure. How he made her feel, how she made him feel, what she did to him in return.  Scars or not, Kane knew exactly how to please a woman and proved it repeatedly that night with Angeni, taking her to heights not even Mark could. 

He made her scream out his name and made her forget Mark temporarily, the only man on her mind was Kane.  By the time they finished, it was dawn and Angeni finally fell into a content sleep wrapped up in Kane's strong arms, his face in her neck, their perspired bodies completely spent.  They didn't even need to cover up, their combined body heat was more than enough to keep each other toasty warm.

Chapter 30

Kane was up before she was, always an early morning riser and simply lay in the bed. He was on his side, head resting on the pillow with her also on her side, facing him. He lightly skimmed his fingertips along the curve of her hip, watching her sleep.

His eyes took in the faint bruises on her face, something he had not noticed last night due to her makeup, the dim lighting and then…passion. But in the sunlight that was streaming through the thin curtains, along with the fact that most of her makeup was probably staining the other side of her pillow, he could see them now. Big brother was going to pay for laying a violent hand on her, even if he had to give his life up to do so.

It wasn't morning though, considering they hadn't gone to sleep until the early morning hours, now sometime in the afternoon.  Angeni slowly fluttered her eyes open, smiling at the feeling of his hand gently running up and down her side.  She reached up to move some hair out of his face, accepting his soft kiss and rubbed her nose gently against his.

“Thank you.” She whispered, snuggling against him with her head resting on his chest, her arm wrapping around his torso with her leg draping over his, his chin resting on top of her head. 

Lightly, she ran her nails up and down his back, hearing him growl and smirked when she felt him come alive again.  Eventually they would leave to get on the road, but right now all Angeni wanted to feel was what she experienced the previous night and pulled her head away from his chest to lean up, kissing him again.  Kane rolled over on his back, making her straddle him and melted as soon as he slipped inside her aching receptive body again.

Kane would be perfectly content with his lot in life if they never had to leave the hotel room, ever. He would gladly live on room service, mail order anything they might want, and just stay in this room locked away with her. Not having to worry about the WWF, or his brother, her husband. He never let the thought that this was his sister-in-law linger in his mind for too long, or the fact that if and when Taker eventually found out about this, he would probably die a very painful fiery death.

It would all be worth it, just because they had had these moments together.

When they did leave the room later that night, Angeni felt like a new woman with the fire back in her eyes and heart.  She held Kane's hand, their fingers laced together, wearing the dress she'd come here in since that was all she had right now.  Though Kane had somehow procured her a pair of black boots and made her wear his sweatshirt.  There was a sparkle back in her eyes, a light that shined brightly from her very core and it was all because of Kane. 

She slid into the passenger seat of the car and buckled up while Kane tossed his bag in the backseat before sliding behind the wheel, driving off.  She immediately scooted close to him, his arm wrapped around her shoulders and sighed in contentment.  Angeni wasn't even thinking about all the consequences and repercussions that would happen from her almost two day passion fest with Kane. 

She wouldn't worry about that until she had to.

They hadn't discussed where they would go, or what they were going to do. If they'd try to run and hide or return to work, the company that was making both their lives a living hell. They’d also go right back to the man who WOULD make life hell on earth or possibly shorten the span of their lives.

At the very least, Kane felt she definitely needed to stay as far away from the WWF and the Undertaker as she possibly could. Without a doubt, Kane would do his best to protect her, but one man only went so far against a group. When he opened his mouth, he felt her hand coming up to gently stop him, sighed and pressed a gentle kiss to her palm.

One moment at a time then.

Knowing exactly what he was going to say, Angeni stopped him before the words could come out of his mouth. “Don't worry about it until we have to.” She whispered quietly.

Snuggling further against him, Angeni breathed in his scent, which reminded her of pine trees and burning wood.  It was intoxicating and refreshing, something definitely different from Mark, though they were built somewhat the same.  Kane was bigger though without a doubt, but not by much.

“Just go to the next area.” She tenderly said when he looked down at her again, not a worry or care in the world right now.

He nodded, knowing that was a bit of a drive since they had missed a show, or two, he had lost track of time during their stay in the hotel. His attention had been on her, nothing else and he had unplugged the clocks, the phone…not wanting any distractions from the outside world. The closer they got, the more Kane dreaded it and it seemed like the minutes began flying by, closer and closer until he finally pulled off onto the side of the road.

“We could run.” He said quietly, coming up with the best idea he could.

“No, there is nowhere to run to, Kane.” Angeni knew what she had to do and hated it, but there was no way Mark could know about her being with Kane last night. “I want you to drop me off before we go to the arena.” She pressed her finger to his lips, violet eyes pleading with him to trust her. “I won't let him hurt you and he will if he finds out about what happened between us.  I have to go back to him or he'll just simply hunt me down.  You know it to be true.  He will not stop at nothing until I'm back with the Ministry and in his clutches.  I have less than a year left on my contract with him, he owns it.” She slowly pulled away from him, her heart breaking at the look in his eyes. “I have to go back or he will destroy everyone and everything in order to hunt me down until he gets what he wants.  I'll be fine, I'll take the beating he'll give me with a smile on my face because of what you did for me last night.  So just do what I say and trust me, okay?”

Trust her? She was talking crazy! Angeni was talking about getting beaten; she knew she was going to walk right back INTO a beating, and was smiling about it, saying she would smile about it. That was a whole new level of messed up and Kane began shaking his head repeatedly.

“No, no, no, no, no, NO!” Kane roared, bringing his palms down on the steering wheel before gripping it so tightly, his knuckles turned white. “You are not walking back into…into THAT, being his…beating post, Angeni.” He stated heatedly, turning to face her again, reaching out to run his fingers down her cheeks.

“Kane…” She covered his hand with her own, tears swelling in her eyes and knew he saw the faint bruising on her face since the foundation had been wiped off during their night of love making. “I have to go back.  If I go back willingly without him having to hunt me down, he'll take it easier on me.”

Angeni knew how Mark worked and if she went back to him without fighting, she would suffer less.  When Kane kept shaking his head, Angeni knew what she had to do and softly kissed him, letting her lips linger on his for a moment or two. She didn’t want to do this, but it was the only way to protect him and possibly save her own skin.

“I'm sorry.”

Stepping out of the rental, Angeni began running away from the car down the street, knowing they'd made it to the next city where the WWF would be.  She would have to find the hotel in which Mark was located, hoping it wouldn't be too difficult. Kane didn't even think twice about getting out of the car and chasing after her, calling her name in his rasping voice.

He couldn't keep up with her though. While his legs were definitely longer and he was in great shape, his body was conditioned for wrestling, not long term fast as hell running. Soon he had to stop, and it didn't really matter because she was already disappearing from his sight.

“Angeni…” Kane whispered harshly, dropping to his knees.

Tears flowed from her eyes as she ran in the wintery cold, her legs numb and heartbroken over the fact she'd hurt Kane again.  She hoped he would stay away and just let her get through these next eleven months so she could finally be rid of her husband, already having the divorce in the works.  She'd found a lawyer that would be paid under the table for their services and without Mark finding out.  The beauty of trust…Mark gave her enough time alone to do it and right now the lawyer was biding his time while figuring out how to get her out of her marriage. 

It wasn't going to be easy either.  Angeni arrived at a pay phone and, with freezing hands, dialed the number to the Marriott hotel, asking for Mark Calaway.  When it was confirmed he was there and what room number, Angeni thanked the woman and hung up before running in that direction.

By the time she arrived, which was twenty minutes later, Angeni was frozen solid, her lips slightly tinged blue because she had discarded Kane's sweatshirt in a dumpster before even coming into the city.  Walking inside, Angeni took the stairs and went up to Mark's suite, coughing something fierce.  She was definitely going to get sick from running in winter weather in just this skimpy dress.  That was for a fact.  Knocking three times, Angeni stood there shivering from head to toe, waiting for him to answer.

“If it's not room service with that first-aid kit, I will-” Paul's words died on his lips when he opened the door and seen her, blinking twice. “You. Get in here.” He ordered, reaching out and dragging her into the suite, noting she was frozen to the touch. He put a finger to his mouth, indicating silence and looked towards the other room, the bedroom. “Have you lost-”

“IF YOU'RE GOING TO LET ME BLEED TO DEATH, AT LEAST RETURN MY GODDAMN WHISKEY BEFORE I SLIT YOUR FAT THROAT!”

“Mind…Hold the sheet to it!” Paul shouted back, paling even more under the caked on make-up he wore for the shows.

Taker was…beyond enraged over Angeni's disappearance, her running off and nobody had been able to find her. He had then taken his 'match' against Austin up from 'match' to 'fight to the death'. The good news, both were alive. The bad news, Austin was in the hospital for the night and Taker had gone flying forward through a window when the brawl had been moved from the ring. Glass…everywhere.

“You…bathroom, get in the bathroom and…take a hot shower, you're freezing!” Paul was going to lose his mind; she was ready to drop from cold and probably was already well on her way to being sicker than a dog while Taker was in a bad way currently.

“Who the hell are you talking-”

“Shit.”

The demonic look already on Taker's face twisted into something else entirely, something worse at the sight of his wife. He stood bare from the waist up in just his tights, gashes and bleeding cuts all over his shoulders and chest. Austin had surprised him, but Taker had ultimately won the fight because the man was lying in a hospital bed while he was in the comfort of his hotel suite.

Violet eyes shot open at the current sight of her husband, slowly bringing her hand up to cover her open mouth.  There were lacerations all over him, including his face, though they weren't as bad as the ones on his shoulders and chest.  And he did NOT look pleased at all to see her, the fire in his already demonic eyes sending more shivers throughout her freezing body.

“Now before you go hitting me like you normally do whenever I do something to piss you off, you should take into consideration that I came back to you of my own accord.  I didn't have to.  I could've run away and made you hunt me down.  But I didn't.” Her back was to the wall, pressed against it while he slowly, deliberately made his way toward her, her eyes closing waiting for the first blow that was sure to come.

“Pet, one of these days, you are going to learn to just keep that mouth of yours shut.” Taker informed her, already raising a hand to slap her, only to halt. He took a step back, keeping his arm in that position and looked down. “Paul…” He growled, using his other hand to grab the piece of glass his idiot mentor had missed. “You're losing your sight, old man.” His teeth gnashed together as he pulled it out, holding it up to his face and then looked down at Angeni. “So, precious, how was YOUR night?” Taker demanded, flicking the glass at her, watching as it bounced off the front of her dress.

Thrilling, fantastic, mind-blowing, passionate…No those were definitely not the words to use when answering this question. “Tiring.”

It was the truth on both accounts, though Mark would never know just what she meant by it.  She ran because he broke his word to her, to show him she wasn't afraid of doing the same thing to him.  Angeni hoped some of that glass embedded in the black dead heart he had, maybe it would get it pumping again with life.  She doubted it though since ice ran through his veins.

“Go ahead, hit me and get it over with.  I know you want to.  Go ahead, right here.” She tapped her cheek, egging him on and shoved him against his lacerated chest. “Come on, show me what a big man you are, asshole.  DO IT!!”

Paul was already disappearing back into the bedroom at this point, his medical bag empty. He hadn't had time to refill his supplies, but he knew he had at least enough morphine left to knock them BOTH out.

Chapter 31

She had just shoved him, her fingers and heels of her hands against the cuts on his chest causing a hiss to escape him, blood staining his chest, trails of it down his abdomen. “Go ahead, do it again.” Taker snarled, not surprised when she did and caught her wrists, bringing her hands to his chest, backing her against the wall and trapped her legs. “Again.” He ordered, letting go just so she could hit him again, feeling her nails getting him this time. Sneering at her before catching her now mildly bloody hands, Taker held them in front of her face.

She had Mark's blood on her hands and felt sick at the fact he was actually ENJOYING her causing him pain. “Let go of me.” She whispered in a hiss of her own, feeling him do just that and started shoving him again right against his chest. “I hate you!  I hate you so damn much for everything you've done to me!  I'm not your goddamn beating post!” Screw shoving, Angeni started pounding on him as hard as she could with closed fists, trying to warm her icy body back up again. “I'm not afraid of you anymore!!  I'm not going to let you break me down, you piece of shit!!”

Angeni started crying while continuously beating on him until all the strength drained out of her body, dropping to her knees in front of her, bloody hands pressed against the dark carpet at his feet.  She hoped she hurt him a sliver of the amount he'd hurt her, doubting it though highly. Snorting, he stepped away from her, letting her have her little time out while he walked over to the bar, beginning to sort through the bottles. They each hit the wall behind him as he threw them over his shoulder, not caring about the breaking glass or the liquid that splashed everywhere.

“Paul…where's the whiskey?” Taker called out in an almost sing-song voice that would have made Satan shiver because it sounded so damn wrong, so evil.

“Uh…bottom shelf, way in the back…”

He stooped and retrieved it. One very long swallow later, he was pouring the rest all over his chest and shoulders. Angeni watched him and knew that had to really sting because liquor sterilized more than regular peroxide.  She shakily got to her feet, after taking her boots off and rushed into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her. 

Running the water in the sink, Angeni started scrubbing her hands as hard and fast as she could, making the water as hot as she could stand it as the tears kept falling.  What the hell had she been thinking returning to him willingly?  Had she lost her mind?  He wanted to be hurt, he wanted to feel pain and she gave it to him!! Angeni splashed the hot water on her face, trying to warm up because hitting Mark like that had made her own blood run cold. 

When she looked up and opened her eyes, Angeni stared back at him in her reflection, fighting back the fear that threatened to rise within her. Reaching around her so their arms were pressed together, Taker took the soap, lathering his hands up, the suds tingeing pink from the remaining blood on his hands. Then he took her hands in his and began scrubbing both his and hers.

“Wash it away, Angel.” He whispered in her ear, his eyes never leaving hers. “Wash away how dirty and disgusting that made you feel. Wash away the knowledge that you enjoyed it…you liked hurting me.” Taker traced the shell of her upper ear with his tongue. “You can scrub until your skin cracks…it'll never, ever come off.”

Shuddering at the feeling of his tongue against her ear, Angeni slowly pulled back to stare in his acid eyes, shaking her head. “No, but I will enjoy this.”

Angeni promptly raked her nails down his already bleeding, lacerated chest as hard as she could, making sure to do more damage, violet eyes flashing. A second later, Mark yanked her up and planted her on the counter. Standing between her legs with fresh blood running down his chest, defiance coursed through her eyes.

“I want to hurt you as much as you've hurt me.  So you're right, I did enjoy it.” Then she did something that wasn't very angelic and gripped the back of his neck, yanking his face down to hers and brutally kissed him, her head pressed back against the mirror, gripping his hair as hard as she could.

Within seconds, it was him controlling the kiss, her face cupped in his steel grip as his lips ravaged hers. Taker sucked her bottom lip between his teeth, splitting it and let out a growl of pure desire at the metallic taste of her blood. He let go of her face, moving a hand to her parted legs and beneath her purple dress. A moment later her panties were on the floor and her skin bore the marks of the material digging into her flesh before finally giving.

“Already wet…” Taker chuckled darkly, sliding a large finger into her dripping sex. “My, my we do have a dark side, don't we?” He added a second finger along with the first, pumping them in and out of her. The moment her hips arched, his free hand was at her throat, pinning her back against the mirror.

“Not…that…dark…”

Angeni managed to press her bare feet against his chest, not caring that they were now also coated in his blood, and shoved him as hard as she could…right through the glass shower. Her eyes widened, breathing heavily from him touching her to so intimately without her consent.  Glass sprayed everywhere and Paul rushed inside while she simply stayed there, ripped panties on the floor, shaking from head to toe. 

Mark was now in a shower stall full of glass shards, adding lacerations to what Steve Austin had already given him earlier that night in their match.  She was a dead woman. Angeni knew she should be running for her life, but all she could do was sit there frozen solid with wide eyes, not blinking.

Taker was down and out, Paul felt more than a hint of panic at the sight of blood smearing the tiled wall. Taker's body slumped awkwardly further in the shower, joining the rest of the blood that was now trickling from the additional damage he had just taken. The sight was very gruesome and it really looked as though Taker was viciously murdered with all the lacerations and blood.

“What have you DONE?” Paul bellowed at Angeni, knowing there was no way he could pull Taker out of that tub.

The man needed medical treatment immediately before those shards of glass were embedded deeper into his flesh. Scurrying as fast as he could, Paul went to ring the Ministry. All hell was going to break loose on an even grander scale when the Deadman woke up and he had every intention of making sure he was in Aruba by then. That vacation was looking better and better by the day.

Angeni couldn't speak or move an inch even as the Ministry filed in, just staring straight ahead, blood on her feet from Mark's chest, tears coursing down her cheeks.

“She's in shock.”

Angeni didn't even realize Stephanie McMahon was standing right in front of her, waving a hand in front of her face.  She didn't feel Stephanie touch her knee or anything. Angeni had literally gone into full blown shock over what she just did.

“John...”

“Paul, we're taking Angeni back to our room for the night while you tend to Taker.” Bradshaw stated, stepping forward and slowly looked down into Angeni's glazed over violet eyes, frowning. “Angeni, it's Bradshaw.  I'm gonna move you now, honey.  Can you hear me?”

Angeni didn't move or speak a word.

Stephanie frowned up at her new boyfriend, wearing a black silk robe that was tied tightly around her waist. “Is she-”

Bradshaw took a chance and very carefully slid his arms beneath Angeni, lifting her up in his arms and felt her go limp against him, but her eyes were still open. “Paul?”

Paul nodded at him, waving the man off, too concerned about Mark at the moment. The lacerations on Taker’s chest were still open and now he had glass from the shower door embedded in his back and along his shoulder blades. The man was not going to walk away from this without scarring and Paul really hoped Taker's vanity looked at this as battle scars and not imperfections. Of course, there was also the fact to consider that it had been his WIFE who had done this to him. Aruba, he was on the first flight out in the morning.

“Tea and brandy, Steph.” Bradshaw requested quietly as he stared down at the still in shock Angeni, hardly believing she had just done that to Taker.

It was pretty obvious what Angeni had done.

Stephanie nodded and went to make her boyfriend's request, blue eyes wide in disbelief. She never saw so much blood in her life and hoped Taker would be alright, even though she secretly despised the man.  She knew there had to be a reason for Angeni shoving him through a pane of glass…She still couldn't believe it happened.  Stephanie walked back over with the tea and brandy, handing it over to her boyfriend before going into their own bathroom to retrieve a bucket with water, soap and a washcloth. Angeni's feet had to be cleaned off, they had dried blood all over them.

Angeni didn't take the tea and brandy Bradshaw handed her, simply staring straight ahead and suddenly slumped to the side.  Her body had been through a lot that night from running in the cold wintery weather to hitting Mark until she had no more strength left...to sending her husband through a glass shower.  The shock had diminished and Angeni passed out, her body literally giving out on her.

“Well…he's still unconscious, and will remain so for the better part of tonight and tomorrow.” Paul announced when he had finally plucked all the shards of glass out of Taker's body and then treated the man for all the lacerations, as well as his head. Now that hadn't been fun, plucking glass out of the man's skull without having to resort to cutting or shaving hair. “She pass out or did you…?”

Angeni passed out on her own, I didn't touch her. You drugged him, didn't you?”

Paul nodded solemnly.

~!~

Violet eyes slowly opened sometime the following late morning and Angeni felt like she'd gotten ran over by a bus. Her whole body ached from head to toe and Angeni could barely move, managing to push herself up from the sofa she slept on. Her head pounded and felt extremely heavy, thankful there wasn't a lot of light in the room at the moment.

“Here.” Stephanie murmured softly, walking over with a cup of tea and some crackers, blue eyes full of concern. “It'll help.” She also had an ibuprofen eight hundred for whatever pain Angeni was currently having.

It took Angeni a moment or two to clear her vision. “Stephanie?” She reached for the cup of tea, feeling just a little relieved that she wasn't with Mark at the moment. “W-Where am I?”

Stephanie smiled tentatively, sitting down beside Angeni. “You're in my hotel suite. You passed out last night.” Stephanie chewed her bottom lip nervously while Angeni sipped her tea. “Do you remember anything from last night?”

“Honestly, the last thing I remember was being in a bathroom with Mark…” Her eyes suddenly shot open and Angeni nearly dropped her cup of tea, beginning to tremble. “Oh god, did I run away again? I have to go back to him. He'll find me, he always does. What the hell was I thinking running away AGAIN?”

“Angeni,” Stephanie took the tea from her and set it aside, taking both of her hands in hers. “Breathe, you didn't run away.  We took you from Taker after…well…” How the hell was she supposed to say this without upsetting Angeni further? “There was an accident and…”

“You put Taker through a pane glass shower.”

“WHAT?!”

This woman didn't remember doing it and all Bradshaw could do was attribute it to the shock or perhaps trauma and blocking that memory out. He stared down at Angeni, his arms folded over his chest as he considered her. She could be cunning, so he wasn’t putting it past her to lie in order to save her own ass.

“We found you…catatonic and he was in this…slump in the bathtub, glass and blood everywhere.” Fortunately for her, Taker was still sedated thanks to Paul's morphine.

“I-I did what?” Angeni whispered, covering her mouth with her hand and winced when her head began throbbing even more. 

It was almost like a tsunami wave crashing over her and Angeni suddenly remembered everything, tears falling from her eyes.  Mark had wanted pain and she gave it to him, only for it to escalate too far.  Angeni grabbed her throat, swallowing hard and slowly stood up from the couch.

“I'm going home.” If they tried stopping her, if anyone got in her way, Angeni would kick the hell out of them, Stephanie included.

“John…” Stephanie shook her head, pleading with him to just let Angeni go because right now it was for the best.

Sighing heavily, John reluctantly handed over her bag that had all of her information in it, his dark eyes meeting hers. “Don't tell him I gave this to you.”

“I won't.  Thank you.”

Angeni quickly changed in white fleece pants and a long sleeved shirt with her white tennis shoes on, not caring about how she looked at the moment.  She left and was thankful her cell phone was still in her bag, whipping it out to make a flight home.  If Mark wanted her, he would come find her, but she had to give him time to both heal and let his temper simmer so he didn't knock her head off her shoulders.  Tempted to call Kane, Angeni decided against it, knowing she had hurt the man enough and he had to stay away from her.

After she had left, John sank down onto the edge of the bed and buried his face in his hands. If Taker ever found out about what they had just did, letting her go, him and Stephanie would find themselves in a shallow grave. John was now giving serious thought to them running as well, just in case.

Chapter 32

A straight week passed and Angeni heard absolutely nothing from Mark.  No phone calls, no visits, no threats, nothing.  The first few days she locked herself up in the cottage, windows, doors and stayed up at night since that's when she knew Mark liked making his entrances.  After day four, she slowly started opening the cottage back up, but still had her guard. 

Then when a week passed by and still no contact from him, Angeni started wondering if maybe he had given up and was leaving her alone again.  She had cried for two days straight when she arrived home, not eating, just crying because she'd used Kane and really hurt Mark.  Granted, Mark hurt her far worse by using her as his personal beating post, but nevertheless, Angeni still couldn't believe what she'd done. 

Then there was Kane, her gentle giant, who she used as a way to feel loved since Mark refused to give her that.  Kane gave her something Mark couldn't, but she knew Kane had thought their almost two day passion fest was more than just sex.  That made her feel worse. 

The snow was starting to melt slowly and it was actually unseasonably warm out, so Angeni decided to spend the day outside planting flowers. It was in the middle seventies and she had on a simple blue and white pants and long sleeved shirt outfit, the sleeves currently rolled up, her hair pulled up in a bun.  Smears of dirt were on her face as she continued digging at the ground, which was still hard from the harsh winter. She was determined to get this done while she had the chance, especially with the weather changing so drastically.

Watching from behind as she dug at the ground, green eyes narrowed. He had woken, drugged out of his mind and it had taken Paul two days to finally explain what had happened before he stopped raging about halfway through. He had stayed away after finding out she had taken off, giving himself time to heal up a bit and allowing her time to stew over what was coming.

“Digging yourself a grave?”

Freezing for a few seconds at the sound of his voice, Angeni went right back to digging, not even looking up at him. “I was wondering when you were going to show up.” She said softly, pulling a hunk of dirt out of the hole and tossed it to the side before continuing again.  Surprisingly, there was no fear coming from her and Angeni refused to run away because there really was nowhere to go.  She also refused to apologize for what she did to him because he'd asked for it. “If you're here to punish me, might as well get it over with.  Damn it.” Angeni cursed, hitting a hard spot and took the jug of water she'd brought out from the cottage to pour on the soil, trying to soften it.

“Why on earth would I punish you, Angel? You only did as I wanted. Though, I will admit, you did it on a scale even I hadn't thought you capable of.” Taker clapped his hands together three times. “Bravo.” Taker stepped out of her line of sight in case she decided to hurl her gardening tool at him. “We might make a killer out of you yet.”

“You wanted me to push you through a pane glass shower?”

She stopped digging to finally look up at him, seeing the damage she did because some of the pieces had cut his face.  He was healing, but it didn't make her feel any better knowing it was because of her that he had to heal in the first place. Angeni had nightmares over the past week over what she did to him, not able to get the image of his broken bloody body in that shower out of her mind.

“No you won't because I'm not like you.” Angeni reached behind and took some seeds, dropping them into the hole before starting to cover the hole with dirt, packing it down. “We can't keep doing this to each other, Mark.  I didn't mean for that to happen, I was just trying to get you away from me.” She slowly stood up after watering the seeds and wiped her hands off on her pants, violet eyes finally meeting acid green, violet eyes full of regret, sorrow and pain.

“Hmm, get me away from you? Now why on earth would you have wanted to do that. You're the one who pulled me into you.” Taker reminded her, folding his arms over his massive chest as he watched her.

She was planting her garden. His head tilted to the side, wondering just how she could be so gentle with a green thumb and then also be the same woman who had sent him flying backwards into what could have been his death. Taker still couldn’t believe he could’ve died at the hands of his own wife, deciding to never underestimate her again. She may have been a small woman, but size didn’t mean anything with those powerful legs of hers.

“You're right I did, but I didn't expect you to slam me back against the mirror by my throat either.” It had scared the hell out of her, combined with being angry at what he said about her having a dark side.  That had lit a fire inside of her that Angeni didn't know she had, which was also unsettling. “I love you and all you ever do is hurt me.  So I wanted you to feel what it was like to be hurt, but…I never meant to nearly kill you…”

Every time she thought about it, Angeni felt sick to her stomach because, until she reunited with Mark, she'd never had a killer instinct.  There was no need for it.  She didn't move from standing a few feet away from him, remembering how he'd ordered her to shove and hit him and had his blood on her hands and feet.

“Why are you here?  Haven't we hurt each other enough?”

“Not quite yet, pet.” Taker rumbled, stroking his beard thoughtfully, well aware of his appearance.

Under the long sleeved, forest green thermal shirt he wore, it was worse. His shoulders, arms, chest and back were covered in healing wounds, some deeper and longer than others. Steve Austin and his wife, both putting him through glass in the same night…ironic.

Angeni groaned and tossed her hands up in the air, shaking her head. “You are a piece of work.  How I can love someone like you is beyond me.  I deserve better, someone who shows me love in return instead of just takes and takes and TAKES!” Storming past him, Angeni went inside the cottage and heard him follow her, going straight to the kitchen sink to wash her hands off.  She could feel him behind her and didn't even flinch, turning the water off to dry her hands, slowly turning to face him. “Can't we come to SOME sort of compromise, some sort of agreement, to where we're not fighting and hurting each other?  PLEASE?”

Considering that, Taker stared down at her with no expression on his face, nothing showing in his green eyes. “Didn’t we try that once, Angeni?” He asked finally, knowing he had been the one to break that deal after she had declared herself his whore. That had lit something in him and the fuse had been very short. “What compromise do you think we could reach?” Over a week ago, the idea of her hurting him was fairly laughable, unless she managed to get a ball shot in.

This week, he was ready for her, not about to go through anymore glass.

“I don't know, but this has to end somewhere, Mark.” Angeni sighed heavily, running a hand through her hair, feeling very frustrated. “I ran away from you because you broke your word to me.  I am not a beating post and I don't deserve what you've done to me.  All I've ever done is love you and, granted, what I did to you and the Ministry was wrong.  But how long are you going to keep punishing me for that?  You don't love me, I know you don't.  You can't after what you've done to me.” Her eyes finally lowered from his as tears stung hers, swallowing hard. “What's it going to take?  My death?  Because if you keep going the way you are, one day you will cross the line and end up hurting me to the point of killing me.”

“Highly unlikely.” Taker snorted, giving one firm shake of his head. “Given your recent outburst, it is much more likely that you will be the one to kill me. You could have succeeded if Paul had not been in the next room.”

If not for Paul and his tweezers, there had been a lovely chance of glass literally embedding itself in his skull deeper than it had already been. He could have died from the concussion. His brush with death had been at her hands, which he found morbidly amusing.

Closing her eyes painfully shut, Angeni knew Mark's words were the truth and it scared the hell out of her.  How could she literally send a three hundred plus pound man into a pane glass shower wall with her legs and nearly kill him? It still baffled her that it actually happened, that she had incapacitated her husband to the point of nearly killing him.

“I didn't mean to do it…” She wasn't a killer, it was an accident. “I just meant to shove you away.  I-I never meant to…nearly kill you…”

If Angeni had killed her husband that night, she would be sent up the river for murder.  Angeni paled slightly at the thought and had to take a few deep breaths before she started hyperventilating, her mouth suddenly dry. He immediately caught onto that, the way her breathing changed, the sudden look in her violet eyes and the change in her complexion color.

“Bit worried suddenly about what murder entails?” Taker asked in a conversational manner, leaning back against her wall in what appeared to be a relaxed posture. “The problem with murder is that you have to plan it, right down to the slightest detail. When. Where. What do you do with the body afterwards? Did you make sure you've left no DNA evidence? Providing you want to get away with it.”

“You've thought about murdering someone before.” She wasn't asking, Angeni simply knew and slowly looked back at him with turmoil filled eyes.  He didn't care about anything she said.  This man had no feeling, no heart and his soul was tainted no doubt. “I am not discussing the topic of murder with you, that's just…” Angeni didn't even have a word for it and began pulling out pans, needing to get her mind off of this before he drove her completely insane. “I'm going to change and then make dinner.” Angeni announced, walking past him out of her kitchen to her bedroom, peeling her dirt covered sweatshirt off and tossed it in the nearby hamper. 

She removed her pants as well and could fee his eyes on her from the doorway.  He was watching her dress, but didn't advance, which really troubled Angeni because he was planning something.  She could feel it right down to her bone marrow.  Pulling out a yellow nightgown that had short sleeves and went to her ankles, Angeni pulled it over her head and redid her hair, needing it pulled up so she could cook.

What was truly sick was the fact that, after she had determined he had given thought to murdering someone before, she had then announced she was going to change her clothes and then start dinner. That was sick and insane. The woman was losing her mind. Suffice to say, if he ever did plan on murdering someone, Taker was confident enough that he would get away with it.

Angeni was losing her mind. She just nearly sent her husband to his demise, of course she was losing her mind.  She slept with his brother, Angeni was PAST losing her mind. She was border lining homicidal.

“Since you insist on staying, I'm making spaghetti.” She informed him evenly, padding over to the doorway that he blocked, refusing to touch him. “Please Mark, I've been outside all day, I'm hungry and tired.  You probably are too.  You look like hell.  Just let me make something to eat, we'll rest here tonight and then you can drag me back to the WWF tomorrow okay?” Angeni wasn't asking for much, violet eyes pleading with him. “I will go willingly with a smile on my face if that makes you happy.  I just don't want to go anywhere tonight.”

“I have no intention of going anywhere until the morning.” Taker informed her, not in the mood to drive anymore today.

He had practically driven across the damn country to get here. Flying would have been much faster, but…he had wanted the time alone and without people gawking at him for a change. His height, dress, size and now FACE were attention drawers. Angeni nodded, refusing to touch any part of him and watched him slowly back out of the doorway so she could get by.

“Why don't you relax in the living room and watch television while I cook?” She suggested softly, sighing when he merely followed her right back to the kitchen, completely unnerved. 

Angeni admitted it. 

Mark was making her incredibly nervous with his demeanor and she knew this was the calm before the storm.  Deciding there was no point in worrying until that time came, Angeni started her sauce and put the necessary ingredients in it, becoming lost in her cooking.  Even with him watching her no less.  She put the sauce on a medium flame before starting the noodles and preheated the oven for the garlic bread, pulling it out of the freezer.

Eventually, Taker moved to sit at her table, or at least in one of the chairs drawn back away from the table against the wall. His long, denim encased legs were stretched out in front of him, hands resting on his upper thighs as he watched her. He occasionally watched sports, mostly boxing or if he could pull in one of the lesser channels, the mixed martial arts that wasn't quite popular enough for a regular slot. Yet, he was banking that it would eventually. This was probably a much better program then anything he would find on her television and it smelled delicious.

While the sauce simmered and the noodles boiled, Angeni walked over to where he sat and set the table with silverware.  This reminded her of the time Kane stayed with her, a man who actually appreciated her.  A man who could give her what her husband couldn't.  She was choosing the wrong man, but Angeni couldn't help how she felt.  Angeni wasn't perfect.  Hell, maybe Mark was right.  Maybe she did have a dark side she simply refused to accept or embrace. 

Dinner finished a half an hour later and Angeni set a huge bowl in front of him and a medium sized one for her, knowing he would eat far more than her given his massive size.  They ate in silence and Angeni stared out the window, not able to look at her husband or else she would lose her appetite.  His face didn't look that bad, but she could only imagine what the rest of his body sported and immediately stopped that thought process while eating.

“I always forget that you can cook. Taker said appreciatively after he had cleared half the bowl.

He was just like any other man in the aspect of appreciating a delicious, home cooked meal. That and given his job and the travelling thing, he would never turn down something made in a proper kitchen. Though, he had watched her partly just to watch her and partly to make sure she wasn't going to try to poison him.

“Maybe if you'd leave the road behind and bring just us back here once in awhile, you'd have more home-cooked meals.” Angeni countered, standing up and took her dish to the sink while he finished eating. “Do you want seconds?”

When he shook his head, Angeni took his bowl away and cleared off the rest of the table, once again dealing with him just watching her.  She did the dishes and put them away before finally heading out to the living room. Completely exhausted from gardening, cooking and dealing with the overwhelming guilt of her husband's presence, Angeni was spent.

“Is there anything I can do for you?” She finally asked, scooting over so he could sit down beside her, wanting to reach out to touch him, but Angeni was scared to death of what he might do to her. “Mark please…you don't know how sorry I am for doing that to you.  If I could change it I would.  I-I would change so many things…” Her head lowered, hands clasped in her lap since she sat on her knees currently in front of him, a few tears sliding down her cheeks.

“There is…something.” Taker said finally, reaching out to catch a tear on his forefinger, studying it thoughtfully.

Her comment about leaving the road behind and coming back here every now and again lingering in his mind. He wondered if she knew what she had said, the implications that could be read in it, or if it had just been an off-the-cuff remark. Well, they would very soon find out. When she looked questioningly up at him, Taker shrugged, gesturing to his back.

“I have a salve for the cuts…some of them, however, I cannot reach.”

“Okay.” Angeni whispered, knowing it was the least she could do after sending the man to his near death. 

She stood up to get the salve out of his bag while he removed his shirt, opening it and set the lid on the table.  However, when Angeni sat back down on the couch with Mark's back facing her, she dropped the salve and gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. This was ungodly and Angeni felt as though she might lose her dinner, her breathing turning heavy.

“Oh my…”

She didn't do this.  She COULDN'T have done this!  His back was deeply lacerated, the healing wounds still looking very fresh, some of them looking as though they were stitched.  How could she do something this…barbaric?  Angeni reached out with a trembling hand and ran her fingertips very gently down the cuts on his back, immediately pulling back.

“I-I need a...minute…”

Angeni pulled her gaze from his back and proceeded to sit on the floor by the couch, burying her face between her legs and gripped the back of her hair, hot tears falling.  In this position, she wouldn't fully hyperventilate and it would also stop her from fainting, which is what she wanted to do right now. Twisting on the couch so he could see her better, he arched a black eyebrow at the sight of her sitting there with her face down…in what looked like a very odd version of a crash position.

“What is it?” Taker demanded, then comprehension dawned in his eyes.

Considering how strong her legs were, and the amount of force and spring she had put into getting him away from her, he was actually a bit surprised he hadn't gone through the damn shower tile and wall as well. He had seen the mess when he came too, Paul refusing to clean it, but also refusing to allow the maids in to clean. He had wanted Taker to see just how close he had tempted death apparently. And now here he was, in her presence, he must've been suicidal.

“If it disturbs you that much, Angeni, you don't have to do it. I can manage.”

It more than disturbed her, Angeni's heart shattered as soon as she saw the extensive damage she did to her husband and it made her feel sick to her stomach.  If she wasn't careful, dinner would be coming up.  Mark needed her right now and Angeni couldn't let him down, holding her hand up in a one second gesture, hoping he was patient enough with her to wait.

“I'm…I can do this…” She wasn't going to say she was alright because that would be a flat out lie, not even bothering to wipe her tears away. “C-Come with me…” She shakily got to her feet and picked up the salve, heading into the bedroom with him following. “Lay down on your stomach.” Angeni softly requested, hiking her nightgown up to straddle his lower back once he was face down and finally took in the damage once again. 

Angeni leaned down and gently brushed her lips against each cut on his back. Wishing for them to go away, Angeni was very careful not to open any of them up.  She pressed her forehead against his back right between his shoulder blades, taking a deep breath and reluctantly pulled back to start applying the salve very slowly and carefully.

The memory of the last time they had been in a position very similar to this sprung to the forefront of Taker's mind. Hell, she had been wearing a nightgown that night too. He could vividly remember the feel of the change in material as she had adjusted her position on his back, the change from the nightgown to the silky warmth of her thighs and the satin of her panties. Folding his hands under his chin, Taker stared at the wall, feeling every little kiss she pressed to his back and then his head before finally applying the salve.

“Paul says they'll scar.” He announced thoughtfully, knowing a few definitely would.

Angeni didn't respond that and continued putting the salve on, finally finishing as she reached over to set the jar on her nightstand.  There was nothing she could do to change what happened.  Angeni could only feel so much guilt over something that couldn't be changed. Maybe he wouldn't force himself on her again, though Angeni had a feeling Mark wouldn't learn a lesson from this.  He was just the type that had that thick of a skull and a stubborn streak.

“Finished.” She whispered, sliding off of him to sit beside him, leaning her head back against the headboard, drawing her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. 

He had absolutely no intention of ever forcing himself on her again. Taker wouldn't have too. His wife loved and still desired him, even if she didn't want to admit it. Angeni would come to him and, like the patient spider waiting for the fly, he would ensnare her in his web then. Sitting up, wanting nothing more than to reach back and begin itching at those scabs, Taker refrained. He shifted so his feet were firmly planted on the floor, but didn't get off the bed, his back to her.

“Thank you.” He rumbled quietly, meaning it.

Reaching out, Angeni grabbed his arm gently, not wanting him to leave and moved to sit up on her knees, trying not to look at the deep scabs on his back. “You need to rest.” She stated, sliding her hands up his upper arms to his neck, beginning to gently massage it while not touching his back.  She wanted that salve to soak in, maybes somehow the scabs would heal fully and there wouldn't be that much scarring. “You can stay in here with me.”

He was her husband. No matter how violent their marriage was, Angeni couldn't deny that she had missed him over the week they'd been away from each other. His head turned, revealing his profile, a slight crease between his eyes and his lips curving downwards for a moment.

“Are you sure?” He asked in a low rumble, muscles flexing under her soft touch. “Angeni, don't…don't do this because you feel guilty.” Taker said after a moment. “Or because you think I may hurt you.”

If Taker wanted to do that, he would have done it outside when she had been tilling up her garden. When she said nothing, he turned so he was facing her, catching her hands in his. He wasn't going to hurt her, not tonight anyway and Angeni did feel guilty, but that's not why she wanted him to stay with her.

“I'm not, I love you, Mark.”

Even if he didn't love her back, Angeni couldn't stop herself from saying it.  Maybe one day she would get him to say it, but right now it didn't matter.  Squeezing his hands gently, Angeni scooted and leaned forward, brushing her lips tenderly against his.  It wasn't animalistic like her last kiss had been, but this one was simply a brush, letting him know she understood what he was saying. 

He pressed her hands against his chest, which was also scabbed up. Though most of those cuts would heal without scarring thankfully as Angeni felt the wounds beneath her fingertips along with his skin. His eyes were locked on hers, and he bent forward to brush his own lips against her forehead and then each cheek before lightly kissing her mouth. Taker guided Angeni down on the bed, lying on his side because he couldn't sleep on his back at the moment, pulling her against him.

“I don't know about you, but this has been a long day.” Taker murmured exhaustedly, wrapping his arms around her and inhaled her scent.

Chuckling softly, Angeni couldn't help agreeing with him, nodding. “Yes it has, though it also has been peaceful.” She murmured, lacing their fingers together and snuggled further back against him, inhaling his scent just the same as he was her. “I'm going to probably regret saying this later, but I did miss you this week.”

Her eyes closed, enjoying the feeling of her husband against her, contentment washing over her.  Within minutes, Angeni was fast asleep, wondering what was next for them and if they would survive whatever was to come. He knew where she had been the entire week thanks to be a rather…nosy…person and wealthy.

Money had perks and could buy the majority of the human race. What he was a bit curious about was where she had been those two days away from him, where she had gone, who she had been with. She obviously had been with someone; she had made it to the city for the show.

However, finding that information out would have to wait until later.

Chapter 33

“Against the wall.” Taker ordered the next morning, actually up and alert, before Angeni. He was directing the moving people he had hired to haul some of his personal assets from his house to here. “Just stack the damn boxes.” They were going to have to add-on to her cottage; it wasn't going to be big enough.

The commotion woke Angeni up out of her peaceful slumber, frowning at the sound of Mark's voice outside the bedroom.  She slowly slipped out of bed and stretched, staring out the window and blinked at the sight of...a moving truck...and men bringing boxes in. What the hell? Fully awake now, Angeni walked out and froze at all the boxes that cluttered her once cleaned cottage, eyebrows furrowing together.

“Mark, what is going on?” She blinked when he began signing off paperwork, more boxes being hauled inside and maneuvered around them until she stood beside her husband. “What are all these boxes?”

He began pointing to each neatly labeled box. “Books. Movies. Music. Clothes. Clothes. Clothes. Toiletries. Trophies. Random stuff. More random stuff. More random stuff.” He turned to look down at her, wearing just jeans and a pair of sunglasses, his feet and chest bare, hair pulled back into a braid. “Also household items, such as new blankets for your bed. Which, by the way, is too small.”

Angeni was completely flabbergasted as he pointed out the boxes with the labels on them, suddenly realizing this was HIS stuff. He was moving HIS things into her cottage?!  Angeni had no idea how the hell they were going to fit all of this in here and felt lightheaded, running a hand through her haphazard black hair.

“I uh…”

“Miss, do you mind?” The mover asked impatiently, needing to get through to put more boxes in the living room area.

Angeni could only allow Mark to pull her against his side, out of the way, trying to decipher what exactly what was going on. “Y-You're moving in here?” She finally managed to ask, watching him nod stiffly and wondered what had possessed him to do this. “I-I need coffee…”

Numb, Angeni walked away from him and inside the kitchen, once again maneuvering around the boxes in order to get to her damn coffee pot. In the kitchen, on the table, was another box, this one partially unpacked. A new coffee machine had replaced hers, this one nearly brand new and made more cups.

The coffee was already brewed and two mugs were set out, one already in use. Her mug was…hers from her cupboard. The other was a large, black mug with a Harley Davidson decor on the side. Taker followed her into the kitchen, leaning in the doorway and arched an eyebrow when she simply stared at the pot.

“I also brought you my cookware.” Taker informed her, knowing damn well this was a shock.

She LIKED her things though and he was taking them away from her!! It didn't matter if these were newer and better…Angeni couldn't believe this was happening and could only watch him pour her a cup of coffee.  This was her beautiful cottage and he was transforming it!  Angeni took the cup from him and walked almost zombified to the fridge, pulling out her creamer.  She then reached into the cabinet and pulled out her special sugar cup that looked like a teapot, an antique she'd gotten at a garage sale a few years ago.

“I-I don't know…How are we…?”

“Sir, when do you want the construction crew to start the add-on?”

Coffee spewed out of Angeni's mouth upon hearing that. “WHAT?!”

“Not today, they can start when we leave.” Taker said, turning to look at the contractor he had hired. The man had come out to appraise the house and make notes about what he wanted done. He waved a hand in dismissal, flashing the man a knowing grin as he chuckled before walking out of the room. “That was disgusting, Ange.” He informed his wife, pulling her dish towel off the counter and handed it to her. “And it's nothing major. I noticed you have a…shed, which is nice…really.” He sounded bored and uninterested, just making with the nice. “But so we don't drive each other completely insane…I need a garage; nothing big, just something to house one or two of my motorcycles.”

Taker liked to tinker with them and he had already decided that the garage would be set away from the house, so it didn't ruin her picturesque scene. Ignoring his rude comment about her spewing coffee, Angeni could only listen to him about how he was adding onto her cottage, swallowing hard while cleaning up her mess.  She wanted to ask him didn't he have his own place, his own garage to put his own things in?

“I-I don't understand…” She let him guide her to sit down at the kitchen table, still trying to both take all of this in and wake up fully. “Y-You're moving here?  Don't you live in Texas or somewhere more…you?” Angeni eyeballed the boxes that surrounded her and suddenly realized what he was doing. “Some warning would've been nice, Mark.”

There was no point in fighting him on this, he was coming here because he knew the cottage made her happy.  At least that's what she was assuming. He actually owned a ranch in Texas, several houses in a few cities in Texas, one house and a penthouse in Florida, and several properties in various other states that were used for…random things or nothing at all. She didn't need to know all that.

He wasn't moving in…really; well yes, he was in a way. It wasn't a permanent move though, he would still maintain his other residences. Taker thought he had been extremely nice in not having ALL his things brought here, his furniture or having someone come in to completely redo what he considered the house from fairytale hell.

“I thought this would please you, I am compromising.” Taker said gently, reaching out slowly to place his hand on her shoulder. “And not just about work.”

Her assumption was correct and Angeni got the biggest smile on her face, reaching up to hug him tightly around the neck, not surprised when he merely lifted her to be eye level with him. “Thank you.” She whispered, kissing him softly before burying her face in his neck, his arms tightening around her. 

Her cottage meant everything to her. However, when they were here alone, somehow they managed to get along besides the one night he broke in and attacked her.  Angeni didn't even want to think about that and slowly pulled back, rubbing her nose gently against his.

“This does please me immensely.  I just didn't expect it.” She was feeling fantastic as he set her down on her feet, violet eyes sparkling. “I'm making breakfast, anything in particular you want?” Angeni was definitely in the mood to cook something big, French toast for starters, the movers finishing up and leaving.

“No. Whatever you- French toast is fine.” He said when he seen what she was gathering from the refrigerator.

He made a mental note to start restocking her cupboards, having peered through them this morning when nosing about and decided she definitely needed a few new foodstuffs. Sipping his coffee, Taker leaned against the refrigerator, watching as she practically danced her way around the kitchen. The woman was completely insane, and he actually found it quite charming. He was even smiling, not even realizing it.

It was moments like these between her and Mark that made Angeni genuinely love him and reminded her of why she did.  He didn't have to move his things here, he could've easily forced her to Texas at his ranch or one of his other places.  But no, he was compromising and trying to make things work between them, which Angeni appreciated. 

She ended up making French toast with eggs, bacon, sausage links and patties, hash browns and biscuits with honey butter and strawberry jam.  The spread looked amazing and Angeni was even nice enough to serve Mark first, making sure to put sugar powder on the French toast before taking her own seat, beginning to pile on her own plate.  She couldn't stop smiling, even with her cottage completely full of boxes with his things because her heart was slowly mending from all the damage he caused. Taker had noted the vast spread and made a mental note to keep this woman extremely happy when there was a kitchen around.

“We're going to need a gym...” He stated after he taking a few bites, groaning in sheer pleasure at how delicious it was. “Or else you will make me fat.” He eyed her, wondering why SHE wasn't fat.

“Probably a good thing we'll only be here a few days out of the week then.” She remarked, spreading some honey butter on her biscuit with jam, not able to remember the last time she had made such a big breakfast.

As long as Mark didn't mess with her overall cottage foundation and simply put a huge add-on to the place, Angeni would be in heaven. She still couldn't believe how this day started out, but so far it was promising and she hoped it continued on this route. They ate in silence and Angeni cleaned up while Mark started moving boxes out of the way to form a path so they didn't trip and break their necks.

“Hey what time are we leaving?” Angeni called out from the kitchen, jumping slightly when his arms encircled her waist and leaned back against him instantly. “You should wear bells or something, I thought you were in the other room.”

He smirked at that. Taker knew a man his size wasn't usually thought to be able to move so quietly. He had an advantage and used it frequently. “We're leaving tonight.” He informed her, having no intention of driving during the day. What he did plan on was staying here with her, awake for part of the day, and then catch a late nap since he had been up at a very ungodly hour. Beating Angeni in the waking up department was not something he planned on doing often. “Why?”

“Just curious when I should start packing up my stuff and get ready to leave.” She said softly, rinsing a plate before putting it in the strainer and felt him peck the side of her neck. 

Now that they were actually getting along, Angeni was looking forward to going back on the road with him.  She was also very nervous because Kane would also be there, lurking in the shadows and watching her every move.  She didn't want to leave Mark's side, not when he was like this, though Angeni knew better than to get her hopes up that it would last.  All good things did come to an end sooner or later.

“Whenever you wish.” Taker said, waiting until she was finished with rinsing the dishes before gently turning her around so she was facing him, reaching down to take her hands in his.

He looked down at their joint hands, not minding that hers were damp, and took note of just how tiny her were. Everything about this woman seemed fragile, at first. He knew better than most just how strong she was.

“Tell me the truth, are you upset that I did this or truly glad?”

“I'm glad you did it.” Angeni said truthfully, reaching up to gently run the pad of her thumb over one of the cuts on his face. “I mean, you could've easily taken me back to Texas or wherever you live, but you didn't.  You're compromising and taking into consideration just how much I love this place.  Whatever your reasoning for doing this, I love you for it.  Just don't mess with my cottage, you can add-on whatever you want though, but I want my place to stay the way it is.” He could build a mansion attachment for all she cared, but this place held a sense of purity and light that she didn't want tampered with. “That's all I ask and we can even get a bigger bed for the bedroom since you think my bed is too small.”

He wasn't taking her to any of his houses, Texas or otherwise, for a variety of reasons. Him being here made her happy, which made her less of a flight risk and also less likely to put him through another pane of glass. Secondly, he didn't need her knowing where he lived until he knew for a fact she wasn't going to make an attempt at divorcing him. Taker would not be very pleased to come home and find legal documents petitioning for divorce in his post.

“I'm only adding a garage, and it will be set away from your cottage…” He looked up at the ceiling, which was…almost touching his nose and then at the doors he had to duck through. When she said 'stay the way it was'…he considered it. “Bigger bed will be here when we return.” He then added bluntly.

“Whatever you want to add on, I don't have a problem with it.”

Angeni was going to leave it at that, nodding to acknowledge what he said about the bigger bed.  Gently tugging on his beard, Angeni smiled as she brought his lips down to hers in a soft burning kiss. Giggling when he growled before lifting her up to be eye level with him, Angeni draped her arms around his neck.  She broke the kiss and pressed her forehead to his, perfectly content with staying in his arms like this and never moving again.  Angeni just hoped when they returned to the road things stayed this peaceful between them, not wanting to fight anymore.

Carrying her into the bedroom, Taker disregarded the fact that he hated her bed and simply lay her down on it. He had been planning on carrying his boxes upstairs just to get them out of the way until he figured out where he was going to actually put his stuff. Well, now that he thought about it, he might just take over the upstairs period. Kane would not be spending anymore nights and he nearly growled at the thought.

“Do you ever have…people…over?” He asked, seemingly out of nowhere.

“No.” Angeni didn't have any friends out here, keeping to herself mostly, especially since she lived out in the middle of the woods. “Just that time with…Kane…” She hesitantly said his name, knowing Mark was not fond of his brother because of their past history. 

If Mark ever found out about her night with Kane, she would no doubt be buried six feet under in her flowers.  Pushing that thought out of her mind, Angeni snuggled up against Mark when he joined her on the bed, both facing each other with his arm wrapped securely around her waist.  Their noses were practically touching.

“You look exhausted.” Angeni commented, reaching up between them to run the pad of her thumb over his lips before softly kissing them again. “Get some sleep, we have a long trip ahead of us later.”

Taker was going to have to burn the bed Kane had slept in, knowing she wouldn't need it anymore and smirked at the thought of Kane trying to sleep in it. Hell, it had probably felt like home, home being his old padded cell with the too short bed in the mental hospital. He simply nodded, catching her hand in his once again, shifting so his leg was draped over her.

“You might consider sleeping too…” He suggested, having every intention of turning her into a night owl.

Angeni wasn't tired, but decided she would stay in Mark's arms until he fell asleep.  Then she would get up and clean a little, maybe move a few of his boxes and then pack her things.  However, the feeling of his body against hers combined with his heat and the sound of his steady heartbeat was very soothing. 

She did end up falling asleep against him, her head lulling to rest on his chest.  It wasn't often Angeni got moments like this with her husband so she wasn't passing any of them up.  That and it didn't help that Mark had ran his fingers gently through her hair, lulling her to sleep even more.

Chapter 34

He did not want to get out of the bed.

Taker knew it was late afternoon/early evening simply because there was no light coming through the material of the blankets. He had pulled them up around him and Angeni, trapping them in a type of tent because of the light factor. It was rather warm in here and he wasn't in any hurry to officially wake up. Instead, he let his eyes adjust to the darkness, focusing on his wife's face.

“Angel…” He murmured huskily, leaning forward until his nose was brushing against her cheek. “Time to get up…”

“Mmm five more minutes…” She groaned out softly, snuggling further against the warm body of her husband, not wanting to move. “Mark…” She heard him chuckle and felt her eyes fly open when he started tickling her sides.  It was the fastest way to get her up and Mark knew how ticklish Angeni truly was. “Not fair.” She grumbled, kissing his lips quickly and reluctantly pushed the covers off of them as she slowly sat up, stretching her arms in the air.  Angeni couldn't remember the last time she slept during the day and knew it was just another way of her husband changing her. “I still have to pack and everything.  Shit.” She cursed, not meaning to sleep for so long and slipped out of bed, letting out a long yawn, heading into the bathroom.

“It won't take you that long.” Taker said, sitting upright and reached out with his long arms to drag her back into the bed, right on his lap. Ignoring her half-protests, he trailed his lips down the side of her throat, palms skimming up and down her sides. “Alright.” He let her go and nudged her until she was on her feet, smirking devilishly. “You can go get around now, wench.”

“Evil man.” She muttered, suddenly tackling him to the bed, straddling him and kissed him breathlessly. 

Angeni knew she wasn't hurting him and hadn't done it hard, just enough to push him down on the bed.  She returned the favor by tracing his lips with the tip of her tongue before lightly nibbling on his Adam's apple. Squealing when he first let out a growl, Taker smacked her ass, the sound reverberating off the walls.

“If you don't stop messing with me, we're never going to get out of here.” She chastised in a sultry voice, continuing her exploration and lightly ran her nails down his sides, moving to the side of his neck where one of his tattoos trailed up, beginning to trace it with her tongue.

“Would that really be such a horrible thing?” Taker shot back at her huskily, his voice tinged with both sleep and the beginnings of something else. When she just softly laughed, he growled, hands on her hips and slid her down his body until she was straddling him properly, arching his hips as well as an eyebrow. “You're right; we may not get out of here.”

He sat up, feeling her legs going around his waist and kissed her. Giggling against his lips, Angeni knew they were on a deadline, especially with the company and Mark's appearance was vital.  He was one of the biggest stars the company had to offer and fans wouldn't be happy not to see him.  But Angeni couldn't help wishing they could just stay here forever, where it was peaceful and no other nonsense surrounding them to taint what they currently had.

“We have to go back, as much as I don't want to.  I don't want to lose this.”

Angeni pulled back to stare into his green eyes, hoping he understood where she was coming from.  He didn't love her, but Angeni knew he felt something for her or else he would've killed her for what she did.  There had to be something deep inside of him that treated her like he had the past twenty four hours and she didn't want that to go away just because they had to return back to the chaotic world of the WWF.

Taker knew exactly what she was saying and simply closed his eyes, leaning forward until his forehead rested against hers. He couldn't promise anything, but he knew she wasn't asking for a promise. She was telling him what she wanted. On some level, it was what he wanted too.

“We have to go.” Taker finally said softly, tracing a large finger down her cheek before kissing her lightly once more.

“I know.” She whispered, hugging him tightly around the neck for a few minutes, and finally pulled away before sliding off of his lap. 

Maybe it would be alright.  Maybe he wouldn't treat her like he had recently since they got along so well here away from everyone.  Sighing, Angeni changed out of her yellow nightgown and pulled on a pair of dark pink fleece pants along with a long sleeved matching shirt, knowing it was still cold outside. 

Even though they had a few days where it was unseasonably warm, Angeni wasn't going to be fooled.  She then packed up what she wanted and needed, deciding two bags would have to suffice.  Mark had brought her books that he'd gotten for her so Angeni definitely took those. 

It took her about an hour before she was finally ready to go, looking around one final time while Mark took her bags out to the rental car he came in.  Closing her eyes, Angeni pulled on a white zipped up jacket before heading out, locking the door behind her.  She slid into the passenger seat and buckled up, holding one of the books in her lap while Mark adjusted himself.  A few minutes later, they were pulling away from the cottage and heading on the road back to what Angeni could only deem as hell.

She was lucky. Taker had almost brought his motorcycle, and that would have royally sucked to be her given that while warmer weather was here, nighttime was still cold. He loved it and cracked his window, bending down to rifle in the dashboard for a moment before procuring a small pack of Lucky's, an unfiltered cigarette along with his silver lighter. A moment later, he was blowing a stream of smoke out the window, ignoring the fact that she was now looking at him.

“Do you want to try one?” He offered cordially.

Bradshaw smoked these. As punishment, Taker had confiscated the pack when he had found Bradshaw taking a smoke break when he was supposed to be making sure no one tried getting into his damn hotel room to finish off the job Angeni had started. An example would be Shane, Vince and their Corporation, who were really not happy with him these days.

“I-I wasn't aware you smoked…” Angeni blinked, chewing her bottom lip and shook her head, smiling. “No thanks, never was interested in smoking.”

Drinking yes, Angeni didn't mind having an alcoholic beverage or two every once in awhile, which lately had been quite a bit. Angeni looked up at the stars and moon, leaning her head against the window, not surprised she wasn't tired. She slept most of the day away with Mark. Opening her book, Angeni snuggled into her seat, putting it back a little and began reading while Mark smoked his cigarette, listening to soft classic rock on the radio.

He was smoking because he had them. He didn't actively go out and buy himself cigarettes. Taker chewed usually if a nicotine fit struck, and those were rather rare these days, his vise being usually whiskey and women -namely his wife since she had made her reappearance in his life. Shrugging, he turned his attention fully back on the road, shaking his head.

“You're going to go blind, reading in the dark, you know that right?” Taker pointed out and was going to buy her one of those bands that went around a person's head with a flashlight attached, snickering at the mental image.

“I can see.  I'm not going to go blind.” Angeni chortled softly, waving him off and continued reading, getting lost in the story. 

That was until Mark decided he wanted to talk to her about a few things that would be happening once they returned to the road.  He pointed out the power her legs and didn't want it going to waste, to which she started feeling guilty all over again. Then, Angeni froze and closed her book, slowly looking over at him, a light bulb clicking in her brain.

“Wait, you want to train me how to wrestle?” She blinked, getting it after a few minutes of silence between them, not expecting to hear that. “Mark, I don't know if I can…” Meaning, Angeni wasn't sure if she literally could fight someone else in the middle of a ring.  She wasn't a fighter, only when she had to be and couldn't stop the frown from crossing her face. “What about Stephanie?  Is she going to be trained how to wrestle too?”

Taker smirked at that question. “She is. I will not have two females in my Ministry who cannot protect themselves. It would mean constantly watching over you both and that is a waste of my time and resources.” Of course, Angeni's muscular strong legs technically counted as a lethal weapon, but if they were trapped…she needed to be able to use her entire body to defend herself, just not against him. He really hoped this one didn't come back to haunt him. “Why can't you?”

“I-I'm not a fighter.” She muttered, though it did make her feel a little better that Stephanie had not only joined the Ministry, but was going to also train how to wrestle as well. “Now wait a minute, speaking of Stephanie, what the hell convinced her to join you?” After everything Mark did to the poor girl, for her to willingly come back into the Ministry, Angeni couldn't help wondering if Stephanie had flown off the deep-end. “I mean…I don't know exactly what happened in the video you made with her, but...I have a pretty good idea.  And now she's in the Ministry.” When Mark just smirked wickedly at her with evil eyes, Angeni's jaw dropped, the realization dawning on her. “Are you fucking kidding me?  She was in on it the WHOLE time?!”

“You needn't look so surprised; she IS a McMahon after all.” Taker said reasonably, reaching over to tap her chin with his fingers until it was properly hinged again. “The McMahons, as I'm sure you know by now, are a devious lot and they all specialize in backstabbing, ego trips and generally fucking things up for everyone else.” Like his plans, for example. Not anymore! “About the only one of them who is semi-decent would be Linda and, even then, piss her off and she is worse than the rest.”

“So…was she dating Bradshaw the whole time?”

Angeni felt completely foolish now and looked away from him to stare out the window. Stephanie had acted as though her world was coming to an end, especially when Mark started doing the videotaping. She actually CRIED! And it was all a hoax!

“I really thought she was scared for her life.” Angeni whispered in disbelief, loud enough for him to hear and suddenly wondered what else had been kept from her.

What else had Mark neglected to enlighten her on?

Stephanie had played her part perfectly, making their ears bleed in the process and it was all a scam. If she would've known, Angeni would've never acted the way she had, remembering how jealous and hurt she was, especially after running away the first time with Kane. Taker simply shrugged his massive shoulders, glancing over at her quickly before looking back at the road, which was fairly dead in terms of traffic.

“We were taking no chances.”

That and he hadn't forgotten Vince's original intentions when bringing Angeni into the World Wrestling Federation. She had been meant to distract him, to keep him from Stephanie as well as divert his attention from his quest to obtain control of the Federation. That, factored with the issues between him and Angeni, he had played everything as safely as possible, just in case.

If she had known the truth, she might have gone out of her way to mess everything up, just to prove a point. The woman was rather good about doing that, which pissed him off. No, better for everyone involved, all the way around, if they were left in the dark. Even the rest of his Ministry had been kept in the dark about it.

“If it makes you feel any better, the only ones who knew the truth were I, Paul, Bradshaw and Stephanie.”

“It's fine.”

Angeni glanced down at her left hand and immediately closed her eyes briefly, chewing her bottom lip.  All because of her jealousy, Angeni had a fit of rage and had destroyed the ring Mark bought her.  She remembered how she smashed it with her steel toed boot until it was in shambles, unable to be repaired. 

Mark had slapped her for it, but now, looking back, Angeni deserved it.  She felt terrible and more guilt ripped her insides apart.  What the hell was she going to find out next?

“You did what you had to do, I understand.”

Angeni managed to flash a small smile at him before going back to her book, needing a distraction of some kind away from reality. It wasn't fine though, at least not for her, and Taker didn't know what there was that he could do about that. He had done what he needed too and, eventually, she truly would understand, also getting over it. He turned the volume up on the radio when a song came on he was fond of, frowning at the lyrics and immediately changed it.

Angeni frowned as well, looking up from her book and over at her husband, chewing her bottom lip, somehow knowing those lyrics to the song rang true.  She suddenly missed the cottage when it was just the two of them, having a feeling she would be fighting with him again before long.  That's what the WWF did; it killed relationships and tried destroying lives.

Chapter 35

“This is absolutely insane.”

Angeni couldn't believe she was doing this, wearing a sky blue sports bra with matching jersey shorts, her black hair pulled up in a tight neat bun, white sneakers on her feet.  She gave it serious thought to becoming a wrestler and decided Taker would eventually force her into it, so there was no point in fighting the inevitable.  Currently, she was stretching with Stephanie, who had been trained over the past couple weeks by Bradshaw secretively.

“Remind me again why I'm doing this?”

“Come on Geni, it won't THAT bad.  Come on, if we're in the Ministry, we have to be able to defend ourselves.”

“You're starting to sound like Mark.”

Stephanie shrugged, taking that as a compliment and stood up, wearing black shorts with a black sports bra. “It won't be that bad and, besides, kicking ass is fun.”

“You've been corrupted.”

“Eventually, Angel, you're going to learn that a little corruption can be delicious.” Taker said from behind the women, having come out with Bradshaw in tow.

Bradshaw was a decent wrestler when he wanted to be, and he definitely had brawling down to an art form, but it was Taker who was the certified trainer, not that he had ever felt the need to train anyone. However, this was his wife...and Bradshaw had been regulated to role of assistant. He wore black shorts that came down to his knees and a black beater, which simply served to make his skin look even paler, his black hair pulled back tightly.

Shaw smirked when Stephanie nodded her agreement about corruption being delicious.

“Right.”

Angeni stood up and cracked her neck, blinking when he tossed her knee and elbow pads. Knowing she would no doubt be taking quite a few bumps since Mark was training her, Angeni took a deep breath.  She slipped them on, Stephanie helping her with the elbow ones, already having black fingerless gloves on, courtesy of her husband.

“Okay let's see if I can do this.”

She squared her shoulders; having made sure her hair wouldn't fall out since it was pretty long.  She didn't want it in the way.  Once inside the ring, Angeni ran her fingers over the ropes, trying to get a feel for it since all she ever did was valet for Mark.  When he instructed her to bounce back and forth off the ropes in an exercise, Angeni began doing it, picking up speed after a little while.

Meanwhile, Stephanie had been carted off to the showers by Bradshaw, leaving Taker to train his wife privately.

She was definitely picking up speed, but the way Angeni kept hitting those ropes, she was going to wind up pissing blood come morning. He really did not want to have to explain to her that it wasn't a menstrual cycle gone insane that caused her insurmountable pain but bruised kidneys. Landing was one of the major keys in order to make it in this business with longevity.

“Stop.” Taker ordered, stepping directly into her path and catching her by the arms. “You're hitting here…” He used his hand to show her. “This is going to bruise your kidneys. Like this.” He began throwing himself off the ropes, finally coming to a halt besides her. “Do it again.” He ordered, stepping back.

Taker would admit, watching her run on the mat was making all the right places of her body bounce. After being stopped three times, Angeni finally got the hang of it, nodding when it felt much better and hurt less.  She smiled when Mark told her she was doing it right, thankful she was conditioned for this thanks to her running. 

After getting running the ropes down, it was time for her to learn a move and Angeni was actually looking forward to this.  Mark explained to her what a cross-arm bar was; nodding as she soaked up the knowledge and watched him lay on the mat so she could apply it.  It took her a couple of tries, mainly making sure her knees weren't bent and she was flat on her back, pulling on his arm to give it the ample treatment.

“Am I doing it right?”

“No.” Yawning, Taker purposefully raised a hand to his mouth, shooting her a bored look. “You're not applying enough pressure Angeni and you need to fix the positioning of your-” He rolled his green eyes when she frowned. “I showed you, talked you through it and…” He grunted when she began applying the move properly. “Submission hold.”

Taker grunted, tapping her leg with his hand, ‘tapping out’. He wondered why the hell he hadn't kept Shaw and the Princess out here to be his damn dummies for this. He rolled his shoulder, refusing to admit that had hurt more than he was letting on.

“Did I get it that time?” When he just nodded in a grimace, Angeni smirked and stood up, placing her hands on her hips.  He wanted to teach her how to wrestle, he could suffer the consequences of being the dummy she tried moves out on. “You have no patience.” Angeni commented, hopping up on the top turnbuckle and stared at him through slightly narrowed eyes. “I'm not perfect; I can't get a move down right off the bat, your royal highness.  If I did, I wouldn't need to be trained.  Maybe you should have someone else train me.” She didn't want to fight with her husband, but he'd gotten really impatient with her when she couldn't apply the cross-arm bar correctly right away. “You don't have the patience to be a trainer and I need someone who will be patient with me or I might as well just go back to valeting.”

“Angeni? Shut the hell up.” Taker ordered flatly, ignoring her when her violet eyes widened. “Hate to break this to you, but the trainers here all work for Vince, who hates you almost as much as he hates me. That and you might actually discover I am a rather NICE trainer.” He smirked at the disbelieving expression on her face. “I could tell you horror stories about trainers who like to 'prove wrestling isn't fake' with what they do to people, or how on your first day, you'd feel like you were at a boot camp. Time is short, options are limited, and now you're going to learn how to take a fall.”

There was the asshole Angeni knew and hated.  It was only a matter of time before he surfaced again.  Angeni just nodded silently and hopped off of the turnbuckle, watching as Mark showed her how to take a fall properly without injuring herself.  Just the look of it sent tingles down her back and Angeni knew this was going to hurt. 

Closing her eyes when he asked if she was ready, Angeni felt him lift her up in a scoop before slamming her down on the mat.  Pain instantly shot up her spine as Angeni lay there, trying to not let the tears sting her eyes.  He hadn't lightened the blow by any means, but Angeni managed to get up, only to take another slam and several after that.  It was all about conditioning and Angeni knew this was going to get worse before it got better simply because she had to harden her body.

If he was an asshole it was because he knew how the other trainers would treat her, which was like a whipping bitch simply because she was his wife. Sure, they might act nice at first because of who he was, but…he also knew they'd screw with her at the same time. That and when it came to the ring, Taker didn't mess around. By the time he called an end to their training session, he knew she was going to be feeling those falls for a day or two.

“I'll give you a massage.” He offered, helping her up off the canvas. With the salve, she was going to need it definitely.

Angeni fell to her knees on the mats, the pain a little too much for her to handle, silent tears falling.  Her nails dug into the mats, a few tendrils of black hair having escaped from her tight bun from all the scoop slams she suffered.  Her back had to be bruised because right now it felt like it was on fire.  Angeni was almost tempted to tell her husband to beat the hell out of her instead of enduring another wrestling training session. 

Mark lost his mind if he thought she could handle being in the ring. Her legs were the only powerful thing on her body, the only thing she had already conditioned and strengthened. However, that didn't count the rest of her body.

“Give me a minute…please…” She whispered out painfully, pressing her forehead against the mats, wishing the pain would disappear.

He gave her two.

She was also going to have to start working out, working on strengthening the rest of her body and not just those legs of hers. That would help her with wrestling, not to mention it would also help toughen her ass up a bit. When the second minute passed, he crouched down so he was on knee before her, reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder gently.

“Need some help?”

Nodding, Angeni wasn't above accepting Mark's assistance and felt him wrap her arm around his neck, very slowly standing up.  Though, he had to stay hunched over because of his massive size.  She hissed out as they headed to the shower room, the pain mostly in her lower back and shoulders. Angeni wiped her tears away and breathed in and out evenly; knowing tensing would only make the pain worse, hoping this shower helped.

“Thank you.” She murmured as he guided her to sit on the bench while starting the shower sprays. 

Angeni was going to have to learn to absorb the punishment with all her back, not just her lower back and shoulders or else she was going to wind up a hunchbacked cripple before she even had the chance to learn to wrestle properly. However, he wasn't going to tell her that right now, he'd save it for their next session. While the water heated up, he retrieved two ibuprofens for her, along with some salve. Tonight it would be ice packs.

“Here.”

Taker held them out and then a bottle of water from his bag, knowing she was also probably going to want to wear button up shirts for a day or two, just so she didn't have to stretch her arms. Being as this was her first day training to wrestle, Angeni thought she did pretty well.  If she would've heard what her husband was thinking at the moment, she would've kicked him square in his balls without a second thought. 

Angeni took the pills and popped them before removing her shoes, shorts and panties, kicking them to the side in a pile.  She then took a deep breath and went to remove her sports bra, only for Mark to step in to help her.  Angeni didn't push him away and winced as she reached up to remove the band in her hair, letting it pool and cascade down her back and over her shoulders. She stepped inside the sprays and wasn't surprised when Mark joined her moments later, the shower definitely bigger enough for both of them.

He reached for her loofah sponge and used her liquid body wash, pouring it. Lathering it up before beginning to run it gently along her shoulder blades, Taker took in the red and swollen flesh, knowing it would bruise overnight. Just because her legs were strong and conditioned enough to literally take a man his size out didn't mean the rest of her was. In fact, she was looking very soft at the moment, soft and beaten.

“Maybe I was a bit hard on you.” He conceded finally, frowning slightly.

This was his payback for what she did to him, at least that's what Angeni thought anyway, and just pressed her hands against the shower wall while he ran the loofah further down her bruised back. “Part of the…process…”

She had to breathe that last word out because the pain in her lower back when he touched it nearly stole her breath away, closing her eyes tightly shut.  The hot water helped a little, but Angeni had a feeling she would be in some serious pain over the next few weeks until her body hardened on its own.  When Mark told her she had to start working out along with training, Angeni just nodded and felt him slowly turn her around before softly kissing her lips.  He was even kind enough to bend so she didn't have to reach up, the pain suddenly diminishing since he currently distracted her.

Distracting her maybe, however he wasn't going to do much besides kiss her. Mostly because…it would aggravate her already tender back. Though…she could stand up and he could do…other things to her for distraction. Slowly, he began kissing his way down, lowering himself as he went until he was kneeling before her. One hand on her hip, his thumb rubbed slow circles against her skin and brought her loofah down with him, beginning to run it slowly up her calf towards her thigh.

Such a sweet distraction it was as Angeni lifted her leg up to drape over his shoulder when the sponge came in contact with her, eyes drifting shut.  It was a natural reflex and Angeni wasn't about to deny him a taste if that's what he wanted.  She witnessed that long tongue of his on more than one occasion and wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to feel it intimately. Maybe Angeni was a whore for submitting him so willingly and easily, but she was his wife so technically she could have sex with him whenever she wanted.  Soft moans spilled out of her mouth as Mark devoured her, the hot water spilling over their bodies and the pain in her back was no longer there.  Her nails buried in his thick black hair, holding on for dear life and squeezing as he brought her to the edge of insanity and back again, making her world spin out of orbit once again.  Only he could do it, no other man took to the heights Mark did.

Now that she had been thoroughly distracted…Another perk to sexual release was the chemicals the body released during, they worked as a natural relaxant, which would also help with her sore factor. He was simply a marvel, he amazed himself sometimes. Of course, there was now the issue of his own problem and Taker was sorely tempted to bend her over in the shower and just have his way with her. His eyes trailed up and down her body as she leaned back in the sprays, her skin flushed a lovely pink color, chest rising and falling in her aftermath.

Licking his lips, Taker tasted her sweet essence.

Chapter 36

After thoroughly having his fill and making her release several times, Angeni decided to return the favor. “I can't have my husband unsatisfied.”

Bending down to capture his lips with hers before he could start protesting, Angeni slowly lowered herself against him. “Stand up.” She whispered against his lips, hoping he just did what she wanted without questioning it.

Smiling when he did as she asked, Angeni lightly ran her nails down his upper thighs. Once fully on her knees in front of him, Angeni ran her tongue along the tip, her nail running up his hardened length and her other hand sliding up his stomach across his BSK Pride tattoo.  Licking her lips, Angeni proceeded to return the favor the only way she could and took him in her mouth, feeling him instantly grip her own black locks in his hands.

At first, he was mindful of the fact that he was gripping her hair, not wanting to yank it out of her skull. But as Angeni started getting into her…activity, he found that control slipping. His fists tightened in those ebony tresses as he stared down at her through half-lidded, forest green slits, exhaling through gritted teeth.

When she raked her teeth gently along the underside of his cock, he let out a low curse. The moment those teeth were out of play and she was swallowing him, he began rocking his hips, forcing her to up her tempo…or choke. Eyes rolling into the back of his head, he moved one hand to grip the back of her head, fisting her hair again.

Tremors rushed through every part of Angeni's body as he forced her to swallow him completely whole. Angeni knew it was him silently telling her that she shouldn't command him to do anything, but she couldn't help it. She wanted to repay him for what he gave her, but Mark also wanted to be in complete control of the situation.  Somehow, Angeni didn't mind having her hair yanked on, it increased the desire within her body and made her want to bring him to his end that much faster. 

Pretty soon, her head was literally bobbing up and down; driving his massive cock in and out of her mouth, knowing later on her jaw would hurt from doing this.  Right now, nothing else mattered as she reached her hand up to start massaging his balls before very lightly pulling them. Whimpering out when he let out a growl that reverberated off the walls of the shower, Angeni shivered against him.

Taker was close, so damn close, and her handling his balls was only spurring him on, well aware of what this woman could do to him if she ever decided to really kill him. Maybe it was the sense of danger or the fact that Angeni was letting him now fuck her face, but everything was tensing. His breathing came harshly and it was moments away…seconds, he somehow pried her mouth off his dick without damaging either of them and pulled her up onto her feet. Ignoring the glazed look in her eyes, Taker turned Angeni around and bent her over, taking in how beautifully soaked she was from her own juices.

“Mine.” Taker growled harshly, a hand on her hip.

In a second, he was buried to the hilt inside of her, the sounds of flesh smacking flesh reverberating in the shower as he pounded into her, keeping one arm around her waist to support her. Angeni did not expect him to stop the blowjob, but she definitely wasn't complaining, crying out as he penetrated her repeatedly.  He didn't want her to swallow his seed, that was fine with her. 

Angeni would never admit this to her husband, but she hated giving head.  She did it with him though because she felt she had to return the favor whenever he gave it to her.  It was only fair.  Splaying her hands on the shower wall, Angeni cried out as he slapped her ass while gripping her hair again, forcing her head back.  She knew she would regret doing this with him later, but that was the farthest from Angeni's mind at the moment, busy focusing on releasing for a third time.

“Oh god Mark!! Give it all to me…” She managed to choke out, meeting him for every thrust he produced and her cries suddenly turned to screams as the hot coil sprang free within her, soaking him completely.

He gave her what she wanted, what she had begged him for, and was pretty sure he was going to have to send a search party in after his dick because of how deep he was penetrating her. Palming her rosy pink tinged ass, Taker delivered a few more slaps. When she came for a third time, he cursed, burying himself balls deep in her receptive body, gripping her hips so hard he was going to leave fingerprint bruises as he came.

Slumping, all of Angeni's energy was gone as she felt him pull her back against him, slipping out of her.  Angeni could barely breathe and had to close her eyes to try steadying her racing heartbeat.  That was intense, probably the most intense sexual bout they ever had.  Angeni felt him kiss the side of her neck and reached up to rub the back of his neck gently, her head resting on his chest.  There really was nothing they could say to each other, a comfortable silence settling between them. 

Finishing the shower, Angeni stepped out and took the towel Mark handed her, already feeling the pain returning now that the distraction was gone.  She would be alright, Angeni could handle anything that was thrown at her and this was just another obstacle.  After drying off, Angeni pulled on a pair of black stretch pants with a black tank top, not wearing black often, but it was the first thing she grabbed from the hotel suite they currently stayed in.

Following suit, Taker toweled himself dry before simply pulling on a pair of black, cut-off sweats, walking out with Angeni as they headed back up to their suite. He slept nude, the clothes were simply because he had no intention of going to bed just yet. Once inside, Angeni headed straight for the main room of the suite and Taker followed, he set his bag down in a chair.

“How's your back?” He asked quietly, knowing bending her over the way he had probably hadn't done her any favors.

“It's sore and hurts.” Angeni answered truthfully, refusing to lie to him about it, grimacing when he lifted her tank top to survey the damage done. “I'll be okay, nothing ice and your special salve can't fix.” Winking, Angeni groaned when he very lightly pressed his fingers against the bruised areas, turning her head when Paul walked in. “I'm gonna go lay down.” She lightly brushed her lips against his before heading inside the bedroom, knowing sleeping on her back tonight was out of the question entirely.

Paul had come with an ice bucket, things to make ice packs, more salve, more pain killers and a hot water bottle for after the ice. “She took quite the beating out there today from what I heard.” He observed, setting the stuff down.

“Heard from who?”

“Stage hands.”

Now there would be rumors he was purposefully beating his wife in the ring…Taker pinched the bridge of his nose. “Anything else?” He asked, mildly annoyed.

“Paperwork regarding your new…acquisition.”

A soft knock sounded at Taker's door at that moment and Stephanie walked in, grinning. “Paul, you asked for me?”

“Yes my dear, it seems as though your father neglected to sign these papers and, since you are a McMahon and own part of the company…”

Stephanie promptly walked over and signed on the dotted line without a hesitation. “How is she doing?” She asked quietly, looking up at Taker, who looked annoyed.

“Nothing ice won't fix, come on darlin'.” John stated from behind, having come with Stephanie and guided her out of the room, kissing the top of her head.

“I was just asking…”

No sooner had Angeni's head hit the pillow; she was out like a light, exhausted from both of her workouts.

When Paul handed him the papers, Taker began looking through them, accepting the tumbler of whiskey he was handed. “Go tend to my wife.” He ordered, settling down in a chair and rested his feet on the coffee table, a smirk curving his lips with each page he reviewed.

Paul was not surprised that Angeni was asleep; though that was probably a good thing as slept would help her recover faster…just so she could do it all over again.

~!~

Over the next several weeks, Angeni was put through pure hell and it didn't help she was more tired than normal.  Her workout sessions started early in the morning and ended with a five hour wrestling training session that battered and bruised her body.  Mark was really pushing her and they'd gotten into a few heated arguments, but nothing too damaging.  Mostly Mark shouting at her whenever she didn't hit a move correctly and Angeni defending herself. 

It'd been five straight weeks since she started training and Angeni's body had finally started hardening enough to where it didn't hurt to take a fall.  She had started working on her stomach and torso as well, which Mark wanted, so those weren't as soft as they used to be either.  Currently, she was scrapping in the ring with Mark, dodging him every time he came at her.  She had speed and agility on her side, not to mention her tiny frame.  Her hair was up in another bun and she wore hunter green shorts with a white and green sports bra, completely focused and intent on her current workout, sweat beading on her body.

His dodging was a test for her because, if he wanted to actually run her over, he could and would. As it was…no. Taker was impressed with the improvement she had made these past five weeks and, not to mention, he was rather fond of the way her body had toned up…could take some punishment....He had already scheduled a tag team match for her and Stephanie against Ivory and Luna, just to really give her a test run.

“Break.”

Angeni groaned when he knocked her down, hitting the mat with a perfect landing, staring up at the lights. She wasn't feeling like herself for about a week now, having dizzy spells and figured it was just a stomach bug her body was currently battling.  Currently, she just felt extremely tired and smiled when Mark extended his hand, pulling her up on her feet.

“Thanks.”

Mark had already informed her of the tag match she was having with Stephanie that night against Ivory and Luna, wondering if she was ready so soon.  He had pushed her relentlessly and Angeni decided if he thought she was ready, she probably was.  It was a dark match, so it wouldn't be on national television.  There was always a couple matches prior to Raw going on the air and that would be one of them.

“We should probably head back so I can get ready for my match tonight, hubby dear.”

The match was his way of seeing what needed to be worked on, improved, basically to see how far she had really made it other than his own opinion. Which, was usually accurate, but…he could be biased. She was his wife after all.

“Probably. *He grunted, staring down at her. “You feeling all right? You've been…different, lately.” And he had caught her catching hold of stuff every now and again; looking like the world was spinning. As far as he knew, he hadn't jostled her head…much.

“Yeah I'm fine, just a little tired.”

Angeni smiled at him, keeping the fact she'd had dizzy spells away from him because it was from her vigorous training.  She could do this and didn't want him taking it easy on her just because she was his wife.  In order to gain respect in the locker room, she had to pay her dues and her training had to be intense in order to prepare her to get in the ring. 

They left and headed back to the hotel so Angeni could grab her things, wanting to shower before going to the arena.  They had to be there earlier due to her match and Mark was accompanying her and Stephanie to ringside.  She was a little nervous about her husband watching her perform, hoping she lived up to his expectations since he'd put forth a lot of time and effort to train her over the past five weeks.

Honestly, Taker was hoping she lived up to his expectations and didn't embarrass him. It was no secret that he had trained her, so…how she did was going to come back on him. He was a proud man and didn't apologize for it, nor would he apologize for thinking the way he did. He just wasn't going to voice it out loud.

Proud yes, stupid no.

After showering at the hotel and arriving at the arena, Angeni immediately went into the bathroom to change into her attire she'd be wrestling in. She hadn't shown Mark yet; she and Stephanie went shopping together since they were tag team partners and the only women in the Ministry.  Stephanie fell in love with the same top as Angeni, but their colors were opposite.

Angeni pulled on a dark purple stretch satin chemise top that had mesh on each side and it had a princess seam with black eyelash lace trim on the cups and hem, hooking in the back, spaghetti strapped.  Looking in the mirror, Angeni couldn't help feeling a bit nervous and pulled on black vinyl pants that fit her like a second skin.  Her hair was curled loosely and angled to the side, left down. 

She had black eyeliner around her violet orbs, the top making them pop even more than normal along with dark purple lip gloss, foundation to hide any blemishes.  Angeni pulled on her black knee high wrestling boots, tucking them under the vinyl pants and then pulled her black elbow pads on, no jewelry on since this was a wrestling match.  Satisfied with how she looked, Angeni went to step out of the bathroom and stopped, another dizzy wave hitting her. 

It was more intense this time and she had to actually lean against the wall, closing her eyes, waiting for it to pass.  When she felt it was gone, Angeni shook herself mentally and stepped out, smiling at her tag team partner.  Her top was the same exact one, only it was mostly black with purple lace trim on the cups and hem.

Chapter 37

“We got this.” Stephanie said, thinking the slight paleness in Angeni's face was due to nerves. “You were trained by the Undertaker and wrestling is in my blood.” Along with a healthy dose of insanity, which…technically, Ange also possessed…she was MARRIED to the Undertaker. “You ready to do this?” She asked, glancing back over her shoulder towards the open hotel room door, where Taker and Shaw were. The men had gone out to the hall to discuss something or other, she wasn't asking.

John would eventually tell her.

“Ready as I'll ever be.”

Angeni began doing her stretches with Stephanie, both of them needing to warm up before going to the ring.  They had wrestled against each other as practice quite a few times, their styles almost locked down to where they wanted them.  Mark had really helped with that along with Bradshaw, who was also a certified trainer within the Ministry.  Once they were warmed up, Angeni took one final deep breath before stepping out with Stephanie, knowing it was nearly time.

‘Breathe, just breathe Ange.’ She mentally coached, finally looking up at her husband, hoping he approved of her wrestling attire.  Bradshaw definitely enjoyed Stephanie's, but Angeni was never sure how Mark would react to certain things. “You about ready to head to the curtain?”

Even though it was a dark match, he was still in full Lord of Darkness attire, wearing his wrestling tights and boots with his velvet cloak over it, hood up so his upper face was cast in darkness. He studied his wife's choice in attire, arching a black eyebrow and simply nodded, gesturing with a pale hand for her and Stephanie to proceed. He and Bradshaw followed behind, both of them eyeballing the vinyl. Angeni would find out later that she definitely had his seal of approval.

“Oh before I forget.” Stephanie pulled out something from her back pocket, handing over a pair of black lace fingerless gloves. “I picked these up for us to wear.”

Arching a brow, Angeni looked down at them while they walked and shrugged, slipping them on, her fingernails painted dark purple.  She wore enough black, especially with the fingerless gloves added. “I like these, where did you get them?”

“Some Goth store.  Me and John went browsing and I spotted them on a mannequin in the window.” Stephanie beamed, excited about their tag match. “Pretty cool eh?”

Angeni nodded, deciding it would be better not to talk anymore or she might toss her cookies, fighting back more dizziness. ‘Not now!’ Her mind screamed, stopping at the curtain and could feel her husband's hand on her shoulder.  She reached back and grabbed it, letting him know she was alright just as the Ministry's music hit. ‘This is it.’ She thought before stepping through the curtain with Stephanie, both of them heading down the ramp where Luna and Jackie were waiting.

She had another of those damn dizzy spells and Taker made a mental note to get her in to see his physician, one who was not Paul and actually did his job without the sarcasm. He could just imagine the disaster it would be if she had a spell while in the ring, trying not to envision her getting injured. Then he made another mental note to start blocking Stephanie out whenever she spoke. She sounded like a teenager who was having way too much fun. He trailed behind the women, aware that Luna and Jackie were two of the very best in the WWF in terms of the women. This was going to be…interesting.

The match started out easy enough with a lock-up with Luna -Angeni was stronger than Stephanie- and broke away when neither woman would give an inch.  Angeni smirked and as soon as Luna dodged for her, she did a drop toehold, wrapping her arm around Luna's neck and began squeezing as hard as she could.  She remembered what Mark said about leverage and applied it, arching up just a little, gritting her teeth. 

Luna managed to escape and bounced off the ropes, only for Angeni to deliver a standing dropkick, the power of her legs coming into play.  She lifted Luna up by her braided hair and bounced her off the ropes, only to be knocked down, hitting the mat with perfection.  She rolled over on her stomach as Luna bounced off the ropes and leapt over her. Rolling backwards, Angeni got to her feet before kicking her in the stomach and delivered a few successful elbows. 

Ending up getting the upper hand, Luna went to the top rope, ready to deliver an elbow right to her heart, but Angeni managed to move at the last second, which left both women down.  Angeni was in a lot of pain, thanks a DDT, currently seeing stars.  She tagged Stephanie in while Luna tagged Jackie in, letting them go at it and pulled herself up with the ropes, managing to get back to her feet. 

Close to the end of the match, Stephanie had Jackie on the outside of the ring while Luna was down in the ring, positioned perfectly in the middle of it.  Wiping blood from her mouth -Luna had elbowed her right in the face-; Angeni climbed the turnbuckle and arrived on the top, balancing perfectly as the lights shined down on them.  With all of her strength, Angeni leapt off of it and did a perfect moonsault in the air, landing right on Luna. 

Upon impact, pain exploded throughout Angeni's abdomen, but she didn't move and managed to pin Luna, gaining the victory.  Angeni instantly curled up in a fetal position, tears leaking out of her eyes. She shook her head when Stephanie rushed up to her in the ring, asking her if she was alright.

“No…” She whispered, feeling a gush of something below the belt and closed her eyes tightly shut, trembling violently.

Stephanie's blue eyes were growing wider and wider as she stared down at Angeni, her mouth dropping in surprise when blood began gushing from the bottom of Angeni's vinyl pants. Luna was getting to her feet, waving at Jackie who was now waving for the EMTs. Taker slid into the ring, the hood falling back as he took in the scene before him. Dropping to his knees, he reached for Angeni but didn't touch her, simply staring.

“Darlin'…” Taker whispered, finally laying a hand on her shoulder, hearing the medics coming and Stephanie screeching at them to hurry up.

“Mark…” Angeni whispered out painfully as the EMT's arrived and rolled her very carefully on the gurney, placing her on the stretcher before rolling her out of the arena. 

Left behind was a rather large pool of blood…blood from Angeni, the bottom of her vinyl pants completely soaked in it.  The EMT's didn't even wait for the trainer to arrive, just loaded her up into an ambulance and Stephanie joined her while Bradshaw and Mark followed them in the rental they all came in.  Angeni couldn't even say anything and squeezed Stephanie's hand, tears silently sliding down her cheeks as another dizzy spell overtook her.

From the back, Kane had witnessed everything on a monitor, the camera crew working already even though the match hadn't gone live on air. He hadn't spoken to Angeni since her return, knowing better. She was his big brother’s now, but this he simply couldn’t ignore.

Bradshaw drove, Taker couldn't. He was physically shaking from head to toe as his mind replayed what it had seen over and over, as well as threw out explanations for what had just happened. All he could think to do was hope that his wife was going to be alright, that she wouldn’t die.

“Follow the damn bus through the light!” He roared when Bradshaw actually made to stop at a red light while the ambulance merely slowed a bit.

Bradshaw did, doing a little shaking himself.

Stephanie was forced to stay in the waiting lobby, pacing back and forth with wide blue eyes, tears falling. “John!” She cried out as soon as he walked in with Taker, hugging him tightly around the neck.

“Steph, what the hell happened out there?” Bradshaw asked, pulling back to stare into her tear-filled blue eyes. “Talk to me, honey.”

“I-I don't know…W-We followed everything right…” Stephanie couldn't talk right now and had to take several deep breaths, slowly looking up at Taker, her heart breaking. “S-She was fine…She was fine backstage, wasn't she?”

As far as Bradshaw knew, Angeni was perfectly healthy. “Has there been a doctor or anyone?”

“N-Not yet…” Stephanie wiped her tears away, grasping John's hand tightly. “Oh god, what if she…hit Luna wrong and…”

“Don't talk like that, she'll be fine.” Bradshaw hoped, glancing up at Taker, who was staring straight ahead at the doors where eventually a doctor would come update them on Angeni's condition.

Taker had shed the robe quite some time ago, and simply stood there, staring at the doors, hands clasped behind his back so he didn't grab the nurse and shake her until her teeth rattled. Instead of sitting there gawking at them, she could be doing something useful, like finding out what was going on with his wife. It seemed like hours before a doctor finally emerged, calling for Angeni's family and he automatically stepped forward.

“I'm her husband.” He said, studying the other man's face intently. “What happened to her?”

The man looked up at the giant, wearing a long white coat with a stethoscope around his neck, his blue eyes full of sorrow and he had short gray hair that was cut military style. “Your wife suffered a miscarriage, Mr. Calaway.” The doctor informed him softly, seeing the giant's face turn pale white and cleared his throat. “Surprisingly, nothing was damaged and she should make a full recovery from this.  I am terribly sorry.”

Stephanie covered her open mouth with her hand, fresh tears falling, but didn't say a word, eyes wide in shock.

“She was sedated due to how much pain she was in and the trauma she sustained.” When the giant asked to see his wife, he gave him the room number.

The closer he got to Angeni's room, the more his steps slowed. She had been pregnant. Pregnant. He had made her go out there for a match. He had made her work out, train…and she had been pregnant. Now the dizzy spells made sense.

That had probably been her body's way of warning her to slow down…and then her moonsault, her perfectly executed moonsault…Bracing himself, he stepped into the room, taking in her pale, sedated form out of solemn sad green eyes. Taker walked over to stand by her, reaching for her hand and then kneeled down by the bed.

“I'm sorry.” He whispered, resting his forehead against the top of her hand.

“I swear I didn't know, John.” Stephanie whispered from outside the room, neither of them daring to walk in, giving Taker time alone with Angeni. “Did he know she was…?”

“No definitely not, it shocked him when she started bleeding in the ring.” Bradshaw stated, holding Stephanie close. “He wouldn't of made her train and workout as hard as he has if he knew she was pregnant…” Pregnant, Angeni was with child and had…John felt ill and closed his eyes, thankful it wasn't Stephanie.

“How could she not know though?” Stephanie murmured in thought, frowning. “Do you think she did and…didn't say anything?”

Bradshaw honestly didn't know and was afraid to answer that question, deciding silence was better for the moment. Taker remained in his kneeling position until the doctor finally came back to check on Angeni. After pressing a tender kiss to his wife's forehead, he followed the doctor out into the hallway, closing the door gently shut behind him.

“How far along was she?” Taker asked finally, knowing it was a bit morbid but…he couldn't help it. He had never truly given much thought to having children, always figuring there would be time for that when their relationship wasn't…complicated or influenced by the WWF.

Now he found he was regretting his nonchalant attitude.

“About six weeks, give or take, but that is just an estimate.  We can't pinpoint the exact time frame.” The doctor said truthfully, seeing the different emotions crossing the giant's face and decided to make himself scarce. “If Angeni needs anything, just have her page me.” He walked away to check on his other patients.

Stephanie and Bradshaw had gone back to the hotel to get some rest, drained after what happened to Angeni.

The doors opened and Paul walked inside, carrying a bag for Taker and handed it over without a word. “They told me already.” He said quietly before Taker could even open his mouth, blinking when the man actually dropped to his knees in front of him. 

Angeni had officially ruined and broken the Phenom, not even realizing or meaning to do it.

His brother, the Undertaker, on his knees in the hospital hallway with his face buried in his hands, shoulders hunched was the scene that greeted Kane when he walked through the doors, having told the receptionist he was family. Which, technically, on a twisted level, he was. Taker was only vaguely aware someone was behind him, not really caring at the moment.

He was sure he had attracted his fair share of stares from nurses, doctors and whoever may have passed him by. None of that mattered. She had been around six weeks pregnant, which meant she would have conceived when they had 'reconciled'.

Turning, Paul's eyes widened at the sight of his son, knowing now was not the time to provoke Taker in this vulnerable state. “What are you doing here?” He demanded quietly.  As far as he was concerned, Kane had no place here and slowly backed away when Taker finally realized his brother was in the room, swallowing hard.  Why hadn't he taken that vacation to Aruba when he had the chance? “Just remember, she needs you right now, Taker.” Paul reminded him, standing beside Taker while the brothers eyed each other up and down tensely.

“I'm here for Angeni.” Kane said just as quietly, in his street clothes of black jeans and a black long sleeved shirt, the only thing odd about his appearance being his mask. “Not him.”

Taker was not in the mood for this and it showed in the flashing of his eyes. “MY wife just lost our baby, this is a private matter so see your way out.”

Kane's eyes widened at that. “How far was she?”

“Far enough, you have no business-”

“I think I DO.” Kane growled menacingly.

“Kane, there's nothing here for you…” Paul had to diffuse this situation before it escalated, holding his chubby hands up. “You-”

“She is my sister-in-law; I have a right to know.” Kane argued, mismatched eyes narrowing behind the mask and went to say something else, when a nurse walked out of Angeni's room.

“S-She's asking for-”

Kane rushed past his brother and inside the room before they could stop him, nearly losing his breath at the sight before him.

Looking up, Angeni looked over at the doorway, the sight of Kane making her eyes widen slightly, resting her head back against the pillow. “Hi…” She whispered, still incredibly weak and waking up from the mild sedative they gave her, at least she was pain free at the moment. 

Her eyes left Kane to look over at her husband, immediately closing her eyes, tears instantly streaming down her cheeks.  She had lost their baby and now Angeni knew the dizzy spells had been warning signs from her body. Behind the family bullshit he had just spewed, Kane's mind was racing and he automatically took a step backward as Taker moved forward to take his wife's hand.

Was there…could there be any chance at all that that had been his baby?

Kane shook his head slightly, knowing even dwelling on it would make everything hurt worse, especially after she had left him to 'save him'. Turning, he stared down at Paul out of narrowed eyes, watching his father back off before walking out of the room. Kane wasn't even on Taker’s mind anymore, he was more intent on calming his wife down.

Angeni could only lay there on the bed while Mark held her hand, refusing to release it and was thinking the same thing Kane was.  Whose baby was it that she had been carrying?  Her and Kane hadn't used protection during their two day fling, though Angeni had been on birth control.  Apparently the being ninety five percent effective applied to her and somehow one sperm managed to find her damn egg. 

But whose was it? 

Her heart broke at the thought of losing either man's baby, though Angeni had regretted sleeping with Kane because it was obvious how much she hurt him.  Angeni eventually fell back to sleep holding her husband's hand, wondering if she would ever know the truth because it could only be determined by an estimate.  She'd slept with both men within two week spans around the day or night she conceived.

Stephanie took over for Taker when Paul finally managed to coax the big man down to the cafeteria for coffee the next morning. She had seen his face, how pale it looked, with slight streaks of black down his cheeks. That told he had cried sometime during the night and odds were, not even realized it because that was makeup smeared on his face. He looked like he hadn't slept at all and she wasn't surprised. The Undertaker…looked like a shell of who he was…and Angeni looked so fragile right now…Stephanie's heart broke all over again for them.

Chapter 38

After leaving the hospital and taking time to heal from the miscarriage, Angeni delved right back into her training, working twice as hard as she did.  Her and Mark never discussed what happened, both pretending as if it never occurred.  That was the way Angeni preferred it, not wanting to be pitied.  It wasn't meant to be, she chalked it up to that and got back to business. 

Though she'd worn a lot more black lately, her color slowly diminishing along with the light in her eyes.  It was replaced with coldness, the fire burning within her a way of releasing her pain over losing her child.  She started becoming a night owl with her husband.

However, she would disappear in the middle of the night from their bed to go down to the hotel gym to kick box until she could barely feel her legs, blasting loud music in her ears.  Tonight was one of those nights as she kept hitting the bag with her feet and fists, her lips in one firm grim line, putting all of her effort into the kicks and punches.  She was definitely conditioned enough to be in the ring and had improved tenfold since the miscarriage.

Angeni was becoming the woman he had planned on making her, and he did not like it at all. The light was fading from her eyes, the hardness sometimes making them appear a deep icy blue instead of the radiating warmth violet color he had come to enjoy gazing into. Her habits were changing, her tastes, and it was because of what they had lost, what neither of them would acknowledge. He knew where she went at night and he let her go, remaining in the hotel room. Drinking his whiskey and handling business that came with his new position of power, anything to keep his mind off what was happening in his personal life.

The guilt was slowly eating away at Angeni about sleeping with Kane, knowing it could've been his baby she lost.  She hadn't spoken to him about it either, not knowing what to say.  What was there to say honestly?  She had been pushed and ignored the signs of her body telling her to slow down. 

It was her fault she lost the baby, nobody else's.  She could've come clean to Mark about her dizzy spells and gotten checked out, hell even took a pregnancy test.  She was a week late on her period now that Angeni thought about it, but she'd been so focused on training and working out it hadn't crossed her mind…until now. 

Now she knew the truth. Angeni finished her workout when she was physically drained and headed out of the gym, having kicked the hell out of the bag, taking her fingerless gloves off. Taking her hair down as it cascaded down her back and over her shoulders, Angeni wanted a shower and bed.

Kane had been watching her, a very bad habit he had picked up over the past few weeks. He had to know, he just had too. Quietly, he walked up behind her and tapped her shoulder, stepping back when she whirled and was not surprised when her foot was where his chest had just been.

“I'm sorry.” Kane apologized, fingering his key room card as he looked down at her. “Can we talk?”

Knowing what he wanted to discuss, Angeni nodded silently and walked past him to the stairwell, refusing to go to his room. Angeni leaned against the wall and folded her arms in front of her chest, staring up at him with unreadable violet eyes. She could see the turmoil in his eyes and had to look away, knowing they had to make this quick because she never knew when Mark would come hunting her down.

“What do you want?” Angeni asked quietly, even her voice not sounding the same as it once did and for once it had nothing to do with Mark.

He'd left her alone for the most part, barely saying a word to her and Angeni honestly had no idea what to say to him in return.  He probably hated her for not taking better care of herself and paying attention to the warnings her body gave her.  Angeni didn't blame him either, she hated herself.

Kane had been noting the changes in Angeni and the lifelessness in her violet eyes. The flatness to her quiet voice just made the concern he felt heighten. He shifted from one foot to the other, wanting to pull her into a hug, she looked like she needed one. But things were different between them now and the easy open affection they had once shared was long gone. After having that thought, he gently pulled her against him anyway, just simply hugging her and dipped his head so his mask brushed against her hair.

This was the first affection anyone had shown her since the miscarriage and it was from Kane, not her husband.  Sighing, Angeni didn't push him away and hugged him back, wrapping her arms around his neck, pressing her forehead against the side of his neck.  She trembled slightly against him and it wasn't due to fear, but she'd been holding in all of her emotions regarding the loss of her baby…potentially their baby.  It didn't matter whose baby she was carrying because she would've loved it regardless, not regretting her night with Kane. 

It happened, there was no changing it.

“I'm sorry.” Angeni whispered, not knowing what else to say as he held her tighter, blinking tears back because she hadn't cried since leaving the hospital and wasn't going to start now.

Kane didn't say anything right away, feeling the way her body was trembling. He didn't even know what Taker had done, if anything, to comfort her. That simply wasn't his brother's way. The man might've had a breakdown the night in the hospital, but emotionally; well, Kane was fairly certain Taker had the emotional range of a teaspoon.

Finally, he pulled back enough to look down at her, gently tipping her face upwards so he could see her properly, and noted she was trying not to cry. Which she probably needed to do. He ran his hand down to her stomach, the questions coming back and felt something clenching inside of him. He wanted to know the same thing she did and placed her hand over his on her flat stomach, letting out a shaky breath.

“I don't know whose baby it was.” Angeni finally spoke, the anger welling up inside of her again and it showed in her eyes, but she didn't pull away from him.  All she could really say was sorry and knew that didn't even come close to being acceptable.  It was all she could offer though, feeling her heart harden just a bit more. “The doctor said six weeks or so, but they couldn't pinpoint the exact timing.  If it was six weeks, it was yours.  If it was eight weeks, it was Mark's.” Angeni explained in a monotone voice, gritting her teeth when more tears threatened, refusing to let them fall because she didn't deserve to cry over what happened. 

It was her fault and she would carry the guilt with her, not wanting to be pitied or felt sorry for because she'd murdered her baby. There was a bit of a gap between six and eight; Kane wanted both to believe it had been his baby and deny it at the same time. The denial part was because if he denied it, then it hadn't been his child that had been lost.

That wouldn't have been lost if 'Taker hadn't pushed her and pushed her, forcing her to become this…this thing of darkness that he had wanted. Kane wondered how THAT was working out for him. She was still fighting back the tears, he could see guilt swimming in her eyes and knew that emotion well.

“It is not your fault.” He said quietly.

“Don't.” Angeni pulled released his hand abruptly, shaking her head. “I don't…I don't need sympathy.  It is my fault.  My body was telling me to slow down with dizzy spells and I didn't pay attention.  I kept it from everyone, even Mark, simply because I wanted to keep going with my training and workouts.  It IS my fault, Kane.  It's my fault that I will never have that baby and it's my fault I have no idea whose baby it is!” She was crumbling and had to stay strong, clearing her throat, her hands going to his shirt covered chest. “It IS my fault, nothing or nobody can change that fact.”

“You didn't know.” Kane said calmly, letting her have her breakdown.

Angeni needed it. She needed it or else she would never be able to start healing. It would fester and eventually turn to something dark that ate away at her soul. She had too much light, too much love and warmth in her for that to happen. He refused to allow it. Kane picked Angeni up until her toes left the ground and just cradled her against him, silently consoling the best he was able.

It didn't matter that she hadn't known she was pregnant, the signs were clear as day and she blatantly ignored them.  Angeni didn't breakdown like Kane wanted her to and simply let him hold her for a few minutes, knowing he needed to be consoled because he'd just potentially lost a baby as well.  It was getting late, Angeni had to get back to the suite before Mark came looking for her, which wouldn't be good if he caught her with Kane like this.

“I have to go, Kane.” Angeni whispered, sighing when he refused to release her and managed to squirm out of his arms, landing on one of the stairs in the stall.  Reaching out, she cupped his masked face with her hand and ran the pad of her thumb over his lips.  He was wearing the mask with the mouth cut out and she leaned over to brush hers against his lightly. “I don't regret what happened between us, I just wanted you to know that.  Good night.”

Picking up her gloves she dropped, Angeni took off up the stairs as fast as she could, heading back to her husband. Kane simply watched her go, watched as she walked away from him, and out of his life again for the moment. To return to her husband, who probably didn't even appreciate or truly understand just what he had in Angeni, or what he had honestly lost. Shaking his head, Kane waited until he no longer heard her footsteps on the stairs before slinking off, knowing he would need his own private breakdown.

Neither of them saw the pair of eyes watching them part ways, the individual slinking off with this newfound information.

Trudging into the suite, Angeni closed the door silently.  She knew Mark was up, but just in case he'd fallen asleep since it was two o'clock in the morning, she didn’t want to disturb him.  Walking into the bedroom, Angeni wasn't surprised the bed was empty and kicked her kickboxing shoes off before tossing them to the side along with her gloves, sinking down on the bed trying to calm her racing heart.  The run-in with Kane nearly crushed her because the heartbreak in his eyes shattered her own and there was nothing Angeni could do to take away his pain.

Taker knew she was back.

He had heard her. He had listened to her shedding her clothes, her shoes hitting the floor, somewhat aware that he was staring at the words on a piece of paper but not actually reading anything. Sighing he shoved it away before finishing what was left of his glassful of whiskey before standing up. This silence, this tension, could not go on any longer.

They had to talk.

Angeni desperately needed a shower and was currently in the bathroom, her clothes shed and checking the temperature of the water.  She didn’t even feel Mark behind her or hear him, grabbing her loofah sponge from the sink, hanging it on the handle of the shower door.  That’s when she stopped, noticing him standing in the doorway watching her and wondered what he wanted.  They hadn’t made love or barely touched each other in weeks. Angeni missed him, but Angeni wasn’t going to force him to sleep with the murderer of his potential baby.

He just stared at her, eyes raking over her body disinterestedly. Toned, fit and beautiful, but Taker found he didn't care. He had forced her to work out, forced her to train and take those falls, and forced her into that match. He had known she had been having those dizzy spells and still pushed her through everything. He had murdered their baby and wouldn't be surprised in the least if she hated him for it. Taker had definitely given her enough cause to hate him with everything he had done to her.

This was just icing on that putrid cake.

“We need to talk.” Taker said finally, meeting her eyes.

“Okay, do you mind if I shower first?”

When he shook his head, Angeni turned and stepped into the sprays, washing away her intense workout.  Her legs felt more powerful if that were possible, along with the rest of her body.  Washing her hair and body quickly, Angeni stepped out twenty minutes later in a black spaghetti strapped nightgown, shutting the bathroom light off. 

Chapter 39

Mark sat on the bed with his elbows resting on his knees, his head lowered with hunched shoulders.  Angeni simply sat on the bed beside him, clasping her hands in her lap and took a deep breath before finally breaking the silence between them. Her body was chilled to the touch since she hadn't exactly taken a warm shower, needing to cool her muscles off from her workout.

“What did you want to talk about?” Angeni asked quietly.

At that, he couldn't help snorting. “What do you think, Ange?” Taker rumbled, not bothering to raise his head, his hair hanging down over his face in a morbid, raven curtain. Considering their conversations these days were usually short and clipped, both of them having their own personal inward battles they were fighting. “We need to talk about what happened.” He said finally, tilting his head to regard her out of veiled eyes. “About the…the baby.”

“What about it, Mark?” Angeni sighed resignedly, standing up from the bed and raked a hand through her wet hair, wrapping her arms around herself. “I already told you everything.  I didn't know I was pregnant.” She sounded almost dead while speaking, tired from her workout and the emotional turmoil from her run-in with Kane.  Now Mark wanted to add to it and Angeni wasn't sure how much more she could take. “I-It's my fault that I didn't pay attention and lost it.  There's really nothing to talk about, what's done is done.”

His eyes widened ever so slightly. She thought it was her fault, he should have anticipated that. Frowning, Taker stood up as well and reached out to take her wrists, unfolding her arms from the self-hugging she had done.

“We will talk about it.” Taker said firmly, cupping her chin and gently forced her to look up at him, running the pad of his thumb across her lower lip. “It is…my fault, just as much as it is yours. Perhaps more.”

“What?” Confusion entered her eyes as she took his hand away from her lips, shaking her head. “No it's not.  How can you think that?” She gently touched his chest with her hands, her heart breaking all over again at the amount of guilt in his eyes. “Mark, listen to me.  None of this is your fault.  This isn't your body and you had no way of knowing.  I was a week late on my period. I was having the dizzy spells and ignoring my body's warning signs.  I kept it from you…” She pulled away from him, trembling slightly and swallowed hard to keep her emotions in check. “It's my fault, I…killed it…”

She shut her eyes painfully, suddenly wanting to go down and hit the bag until she passed out. Taker didn't allow her to pull away too far, catching her hand and simply pulled her back until she was pressed against him. He wrapped his arms around her to keep her still, shaking his own head.

“I knew about the spells, I should have stopped everything and…had you seen, something. Instead I pushed you.”

Taker hadn't known about the period thing, but…there were other factors that a woman's cycle could be late. Such as the changes in her body from the working out and training. He had also noticed how she called the baby 'it', frowning slightly.

“You're not the only one who pushed though.  I pushed myself because I wanted to...I wanted to prove I could do it.” She buried her face in his chest, her nails gently digging into his bare back where only minimal scars remained from when she sent him to his near death. “You didn't push me any harder than I pushed myself.” Angeni ignored his dizzy spells comment, knowing she had tried keeping it hidden, but apparently she wasn't as sneaky as she originally thought. “I don't blame you at all for this.  I'm just sorry I wasn't…smart enough to take the signs seriously…” The tears were begging to be released, but Angeni still held back, simply standing there in her husband's arms while he held her close against him for the first time in weeks. “I'm sorry…”

“Quit saying that, quit blaming yourself…just quit!” Taker growled, feeling her beginning to tremble against him. “I want my wife back, Angeni.” He admitted after a moment, the growl gone replaced with a quiet sadness.

She was lifeless. All of her intensity going into her training and working out. He would be content just to have her trying to kill him again. That would be much preferable over this.

“What can I do to bring the light back to your eyes?”

All of her intensity had gone into her training and workouts because it was the only way she knew how to cope with the loss of her baby.  Didn't he understand that?  He hadn't been there for her, too busy delving into his own work now that he was partial owner of the WWF. 

He was busy with his own thing and Angeni refused to just lay in bed depressed and crying her heart out alone.  She felt some kind of comfort in her music and workouts, especially since she could vent without needing to say a single word.  Now he was suddenly coming at her with sad eyes and wanting his soft weak wife back; it wasn't happening.

“Nothing.” She extracted herself from his arms, stronger these days so it wasn't as difficult. “I'm going to bed.” That was her way of ending this conversation before she completely broke down, refusing to do it. “We have an early flight tomorrow since Steph and I have the re-match against Luna and Jackie.”

“Ah yes, your match.” His tone was flat, voice changing from sad to its usual dark timbre.

Ignoring the look she shot him, Taker returned to his paperwork. If she wanted to barricade herself off from him, then he could easily do the same. It was easier that way anyway. This was the first time he could ever recall Angeni not having a damn speech to rattle off at him, recalling all the times she had rambled on and on about her feelings…he had hated it.

Now he hated her silence.

“Sweet dreams.”

Angeni fell asleep alone once again, starting to get used to it, even though it hurt not to have her husband beside her.  He'd forced her to share a bed with him and now he wanted nothing to do with her.  What Angeni wanted more than anything was for him to take her in his arms and force her to submit to him again. 

Mark had changed since the loss of the baby as well, she wasn't the only one.  It was almost as if he didn't even care if she ran away from him again, Angeni having given serious consideration to it, just to see what would happen.  She loved him with everything inside of her, but she was hurting and he was pulling away from her at the most crucial time when she needed him the most.

If Taker had known what she was thinking, if she hadn't pushed away his attempt at trying to break this barrier between them, he might of not stepped away from her. As it was, their relationship was filled with missed opportunities and moments, communication issues and, as always, too much hiding what was going on in their heads. By the time he did finally come to bed, he had drained the rest of his fifth and simply stripped off his clothing. Sliding under the sheets, Taker pulled her roughly against him, not caring if she was asleep or not.

Heat.

It felt like she was in a sauna.

Angeni slowly opened her eyes, sweltering and looked down at the tattooed sleeved arms that were wrapped around her waist. Mark was…holding her, actually touching her. He hadn't held her since the miscarriage. Angeni chewed her bottom lip, not sure what to do or even think, relaxing back against him. 

She didn't go back to sleep and simply traced the ink on his arms with her nail very lightly. Remembering the first night they made love, she ended up doing the very same thing she was now. He was pretty much dead to the world at this point, though his eyes darted back and forth beneath his lids, in the deeper stages of his sleep, dreaming. His hold on her tightened almost to the point of cutting off circulation, draping his leg over hers.

“Angeni…” Taker sighed, dreaming of his wife.

“Yeah?” She whispered, frowning when she didn't get a response and looked over her shoulder, grunting a little since his hold was pretty tight. 

He was sleeping…and apparently dreaming of her.  Even after everything they'd been through together, Mark still wanted her and this proved it.  Twisting in his arms until he faced her with their legs tangled together, Angeni cupped his face in her hand, admiring him for a moment.  He had such a handsome rugged face, especially when he was completely relaxed like this.

“Mark…” She whispered before pressing her lips to his tenderly.

Asleep or not, he instantly responded, his hands splaying against her skin as he held her against him. It was almost as if he were trying to meld their bodies together until they were one. Taker rolled onto his back, taking her with him so she was sprawled on top of him, one hand burying itself in her long, ebony hair, the other keeping her in place on him.

As soon as he began responding to her, something ignited deep within Angeni that she simply couldn't ignore.  She pulled away from him long enough to remove her nightgown, wearing just a pair of black panties and kissed him again, this time deeper.  He was fully awake now, she could feel and the feeling of him was everything she needed and wanted for weeks. 

Weeks without him touching her had hurt badly. 

This was the way for her to heal, for them to get back to the way things were partially, and Angeni wasn't pulling away from it.  When he went to protest, Angeni pressed her finger against his lips, her forehead against his and trembled at the possibility of him being the one to stop this. If he wanted the light back in her eyes, if he wanted his wife back, he would help her heal by showing her through actions.  If he pushed her away now, there would be no second chances for reconciliation and they would never be able to move on from their loss.

“I need you, Mark…”

Taker wasn't going to turn that one down, drawing her finger into his mouth and bit down gently. He had woken to this, to her on top of him; it was the closest he had gotten to a dream coming true, and he did pinch himself just to make sure. No, he was quite awake. Moving his hands to her bare hips, his lips met hers when she kissed him.

After several hours of loving making with her husband, Angeni lay on top of him running her nails up and down his side gently, her head resting on his chest, looking at the wall. “I thought you hated me.” She whispered and suddenly the flood gates opened as tears poured out of her eyes, coursing down her cheeks.  Weakness or not, Angeni hadn't cried since leaving the hospital and finally released everything she'd been feeling for the past several weeks. “I-I love you so much.  I'm sorry…I'm so sorry, Mark…”

This was probably going to disgust him that she was actually crying on his chest, but Angeni didn't care, not holding anything back. Taker didn't care that she was crying all over him or totally breaking down. It was actually…a relief to know that there was still the woman he cared about beneath the hard exterior she had been presenting over the past few weeks, ever since leaving the hospital. He held her against him, feeling her warm tears soaking him and caressed her soothingly.

“There is nothing for you to be sorry over, Angeni.” He rumbled softly, knowing they both were at fault, but it was time to put this behind them and move on.

Angeni didn't move for awhile and cried the whole time with Mark comforting her, something she desperately needed.  She knew this was his own way of beginning the healing process.  What relieved Angeni was the knowledge he didn't hate her. 

Mark hating her was something she couldn't deal with and that's why Angeni had locked herself into a shell of her formal self.  It was the only way to deal with her pain of Mark hating her for losing the baby.  She ended up crying herself right to sleep on top of her husband, her ear right over his heartbeat, which both soothed and lulled her into the welcoming darkness.

When Angeni was out, and he was sure she wouldn't wake up, Taker gently moved her so she was lying on the bed and then pulled the blankets up over her. Carefully, so he didn't wake her, even though he was fairly certain nothing short of a foghorn being blown in her ear was going to rouse her, Taker turned to stare down at her, considering her. If she had known she had been pregnant…she would have stopped the training; he would have stopped it. Taker would continue rebuilding their relationship, the healing process started tonight, but he now had a new goal.

Chapter 40

It'd been about three months since the miscarriage and Angeni had slowly but surely gotten back to her normal self after the breakdown with Mark.  They never mentioned the baby after that, just moved forward with the Ministry.  It was the most powerful faction in the WWF, Vince having disappeared into the shadows since he had to be partners with the more entity in the company.  Though one thing did change and that was Mark's insatiable appetite for sex. 

Angeni didn't go a day without her husband wanting her and she definitely didn't push him away, enjoying the attention and figured he did it because of the healing process.  She was half right in her thought process.  They currently walked inside the arena for Monday night Raw, a few fans spotting them outside and Angeni was popular with the crowd due to being a part of the Ministry. 

She signed a few autographs along with Mark before they headed fully inside toward their dressing room.  Mark had a match that night against Steve Austin -they'd been feuding for several months now ever since Steve stuck his nose in the Black Wedding- and she had a match against Ivory for the Women's Championship.  It was going to be a great night.  Angeni was dubbed Angel from the crowd, thanks to her name, which she didn't mind even though that was Mark's pet name for her.

While he definitely wanted his wife, there was also other motivation for the constant sex. Taker had every intention of getting her pregnant again and monitored her closely, though without her realizing it. Or if she did, she probably was attributing it to the fact that her miscarriage had shaken him and he was just being overprotective. That was sort of right.

The minute he suspected she was pregnant, Angeni was done wrestling.

“You do realize, you have the power to at the very least suspend Austin?” Paul drawled, waddling up to meet them as they approached the dressing room.

“Then I wouldn't have the pleasure of snapping his neck in the ring.”

“Very barbaric.” Angeni commented, wearing a purple and black corset dress with boy cut black bottoms beneath so she could wrestle in it.  Tonight, she was bringing the Women's Championship into the Ministry while Mark took back what was rightfully his…The WWF Championship. “I have to go get my hair and make-up done.” She tapped her lips and smiled when Mark kissed her soundly, making her toes curl before pulling away. “See you in a bit.” She walked away from him and headed down the hallway toward Janet and Tiffany's station, ready to kick Ivory's teeth in tonight. “So Austin tonight…” Paul's voice tapered off when none other than Sean Waltman walked up to them, arching a thick black eyebrow. “Do you need something, shrimp?”

“Yeah, I wanna talk to Taker.” Sean said, halting just out of reach; he wasn't a total idiot. He bounced from one foot to the other nervously, eyes darting between Paul and the Deadman before clearing his throat. “I have some info about your wife.”

One black eyebrow slowly rose.

“But it's uh, gonna cost you.”

Paul shook his head when Taker simply took one step forward before grabbing Waltman by his scrawny throat, raising him right off the floor and squeezing threateningly. “Boy, you really are retarded.”

“How about you tell me this so-called information and, in return, I'll let you live.”

Sean began spilling instantly.

Stephanie ran up to the hair and make-up booth, blue eyes wide in pure fear. “Angeni, something's wrong with Taker.”

Her eyes opened, Tiffany just finishing with her makeup and looked at Stephanie questioningly. “What do you mean?”

John had filled Stephanie in on what happened and what Sean Waltman told Taker, making her pale even more, grabbing Angeni's hand. “He KNOWS.” She emphasized the word knows, hoping her friend cottoned on.

“Knows what?” Angeni thought Stephanie had officially lost her mind, walking away with Stephanie down the hallway. “What's going on, Steph?”

“You and…Kane…” Stephanie watched as Angeni visibly paled, nodding frantically. “Get out of here NOW.  There's a car outside waiting for you to take you to the airport.  Run, Angeni, before he really hurts you this time.” She cared far too much for her friend and didn't want to see her end up six feet under.

Angeni's mind spun and did as Stephanie said and sprinted out of the arena toward the getaway car, tears falling down her cheeks. “Oh shit, oh fuck, oh my GOD!!” She screamed, peeling out of there and headed straight for the airport, her bags already in the backseat thanks to Stephanie and Bradshaw. “NO!!”

Stephanie had saved Angeni's life because Taker had every intention of killing her. Pure, unadulterated rage coursed through him. She had…fucked Kane. That baby could have been Kane's! He didn't even plan on hearing her side of the story; Taker was simply going to snap her deceitful neck.

Taker tore the arena apart looking for her, ignoring the Ministry who followed him. Paul tried to calm him down and eventually was sent flying as far as his bulk would allow. When he couldn't find her, he then went hunting for baby brother, his green eyes wild and demonic.

Tonight, someone was going to die.

Angeni hoped for Kane's sake that the man stayed away from the arenas and possibly left the WWF altogether because she knew Mark was beyond livid.  He would end up killing both of them.  Just when they were finally getting along…why would Kane tell him?!  Was he really that desperate to get her killed?!  Knowing she couldn't go back to the cottage, Angeni didn't go to the airport, simply driving as far as she could from Mark. 

After driving for ten hours straight, Angeni finally pulled over into a rest stop to freshen up. Changing out of her corset dress into a pair of blue jean shorts with a red tank top, Angeni pulled her hair up as the spiral curls were still very much intact, putting it in a high tail so it was off her neck.  Mark was going to kill her. She could not go back to him and had to keep running away, knowing she wouldn't be getting a lot of sleep for awhile.

Kane had gotten word of Taker's current desire to finish the job and put him six feet under when he made the mistake of stepping out into the hallway and found both wrestlers and stage crew running for the hills. Someone had shouted something about Taker losing his mind, followed by a 'Kane, get the hell out of here'. He had no idea what he had done now, but he wasn't waiting to find out.

“FIND THEM!” Taker roared when neither Angeni or Kane could be found, not even waiting for any of the Ministry to say anything as he stormed out of the building. He would not stop until he found either one of them. This was the worst betrayal he could ever envision.

His wife…with his brother.

Deciding it would be safe to stay close-by, but hidden in the shadows, Angeni reluctantly went to the next area where the WWF was.  She watched through black shades as her husband walked into the hotel with Paul trudging behind him and the rest of the Ministry.  Chewing her bottom lip, Angeni pulled her cell phone out and sent Stephanie a text message, letting her know she was nearby.  She hadn't seen or heard from Kane, figuring he was staying out of the line of fire from Mark.  Sipping Starbucks coffee, Angeni leaned back against her seat and wondered what the hell she was going to do now that the truth was out.

Stephanie did not return the text immediately because she was surrounded by the rest of the Ministry and then John. She knew John would be in a lovely pickle if she was caught communicating with Angeni in any capacity without reporting it to Taker. When she was finally able to excuse herself to the restroom, she returned the text message. Are you insane?!. Stephanie wondered why Angeni would be anywhere NEAR the WWF right now, frowning.

Better than running and not knowing where he is. Angeni texted back, heaving a sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. 

She could disappear and let her contract with the WWF run out, but honestly she loved Mark too much to just run away again.  Staying away from him for awhile was the smart thing to do. Though, because she enjoyed life too much, even if it was filled with constant fear, she couldn’t give it up.  Angeni would simply trail the Ministry and stay out of sight, it would be easy enough, though she was contemplating changing her hair.

Don't let him catch you. Stephanie texted back, wanting to add something along the lines of 'you'll be dead if he does', since that was Taker's current mindset, but…She didn't. She deleted the texts and stuffed her phone back in her purse when John knocked on the bathroom door.

This was just bad all the way around.

Angeni hadn't returned to her cottage or anywhere else Taker knew she had connections too. The only solace he did have at the moment was the fact that Kane WOULD be at the show tonight. He would definitely get his revenge on baby brother and send him to his fiery grave once and for all.

Angeni didn't go inside the arena, she wasn't that stupid and definitely didn't have a death wish.  Though when she spotted Kane headed into the building, Angeni let out a loud whistle, gaining his attention.  She watched as he froze in his tracks and spotted her arm waving him over, sighing with relief when he did just that.  She had made sure none of the other Ministry members had spotted her before doing that.  Once Kane was in the car, Angeni drove away from the arena, not wanting to chance being caught.

I just have one question for you before I shove your big red ass out of my car.” Angeni practically growled, deciding to go to the next several towns over. “Just what the hell were you THINKING when you decided to tell Mark about what happened between us?!”

“Me?! Wait…WHAT?”

Kane had stayed low to the ground these past few days. Since he really didn't have any friends in the company so to speak besides her, there was no one to tell him just what the hell had set Taker off this time. Now he understood why he had stayed low and why big brother wanted him dead.

“He knows?” That explained so much…like the fact that his mountain cabin had been burnt to the ground along with his normal residence.

“Yes he knows!!” Angeni practically cried out, slowly registering the fact that Kane did not tell Mark about their sexual encounter. “You didn't tell him?” When Kane shook his head, Angeni tapped her fingers on the steering wheel, raking a hand through her hair. “Who the hell told him then?” Stephanie came running at me and forced me to leave the arena last night because someone told Mark about what happened…” Then she thought back to those several months, the night when her and Kane last spoke in the stairwell of the hotel, groaning. “Shit that night…Kane, do you think someone overheard our conversation?” But why would they wait THREE months before coming clean to her husband?  What was the motive? “Whoever told him is going to die and you're going to set their corpse on fucking fire.”

Kane racked his memory.

As far as he knew, they had been completely alone, but then again…other then the cursory check to make sure no one was on the stairwell… “Why would anyone wait so long to tell him?” He asked, basically reading her mind and nodded his agreement at the dying and fire thing. Providing they weren't murdered first. “You haven't spoken to him at all since last night?” He asked quietly, assuming that was a no and wondered if Taker would actually kill her for this.

Yes, yes he would.

“I like living, Kane.” Angeni snorted and finally pulled over, pressing her forehead against the steering wheel, trying not to lose the small dinner she managed to force down earlier. “I love him.  I know it's stupid with everything he's done, but I can't help how I feel.” She wanted him to understand that she didn't feel anything for him besides friendship, closing her eyes. “I love you too, but not the way I love him.” Tears leaked out of her eyes at betraying her husband by sleeping with his brother, who was technically her family. “He's going to kill both of us…”

At this point in their odd relationship, Kane was more than aware of the fact that Angeni did not love him in the way he would prefer her to. He was also aware that for some reason, that he could not for the life of him fathom, she was in love with her insane demonic husband. Not that he wanted too, ever.

“Yes, he is.”

Probably not what she wanted to hear but it was the truth. Kane looked around at where they were, arching an eyebrow. He was supposed to work tonight, but given what he now knew, he was considering mailing in his resignation.

“I'm going back to the cottage.” She announced after a few minutes of silence between them, slowly looking over at him. “I highly suggest you run as far away from the WWF as possible.  Because if he gets his hands on you…” Angeni shuddered at all the cruel possibilities of what Mark would do to his brother and placed her hand on top of Kane's, squeezing.  If she was going to die, it was going to be in her cottage, her sanctuary, that Mark had changed a little. “Do you want me to take you to the airport?” There was no way in hell she was taking him back to the arena, deciding she would be driving back to the cottage, which would take her several days to achieve.

“You are NOT going back there.” Kane growled, wondering if she really had lost her damn mind. The woman had absolutely no sense of self preservation and it was beginning to drive him mad. She was going to go calmly wait for death to come knocking and was practically asking for it! “You may not even have a home to return too, Angeni.” He then added, not putting it past Taker to burn down her home. “I know I don't.” He snorted bitterly.

“He's going to find me one way or another, Kane.  I'd rather have him kill me in a place I love, a place I've always felt safe…Home.  I want to go home.  I'm tired of running away from him when there's a bump in the road.” She wiped stray tears away that continued falling, refusing to look over at him. “I'm sorry about your home.  If you want, come back with me.” Angeni shrugged when Kane looked at her like she'd completely lost her marbles. “If he's going to find us, might as well be together and you have no place else to go.  So you can come with me, the upstairs is still open…” Mark's boxes were all over the place, but that could be easily handled, especially with Kane around to carry the heavy things. “He has a lot to handle with the WWF right now so he won't be able to come to the cottage right away.  By then, maybe he'll be cooled off enough not to just jump right to killing us.”

Well, if they were going to die, she had a point. They could die together. Though, Angeni had worded it differently…She had also used the term 'bump in the road' and Kane was pretty sure she either did not understand just why Taker had lost it in terms of the lover being him, or was…who knew. He nodded, reaching over to gently squeeze her hand. Maybe cooled down to not kill her, Kane was pretty sure he was toast. But, if Taker tried laying one hand on Angeni…Kane would kill him, no questions asked.

Chapter 41

During the three day drive, Angeni and Kane talked and got to know each other a lot better. She didn't understand why Mark hated his brother so much besides the fact that she'd slept with him.  They only stopped for rest, swapping driving every twelve hours and finally arrived sometime late Thursday evening. 

Angeni trudged inside the small cottage, not overly concerned with the boxes strewn all over the place or the add-on that was being currently built outback.  Mark hadn't gotten rid of the mattress upstairs thankfully so Kane could sleep there again while she went into the bedroom, where the new king sized four poster bed stood.  She kicked off her shoes, after locking up the place from top to bottom, and handed Kane some blankets and pillows before calling it a night.  She was out before her head hit the pillow.

Kane wasn't sleeping.

He had only gone upstairs to reassure her, but when he figured she was asleep, he returned back to the living room. He placed himself on the couch, eyes fastened on the front door. Kane had been a bit surprised by all the boxes, spotting the labeling and gathering it was Taker's stuff.

So he had moved in, that was…weird. If Taker had been here since finding out about 'them', he couldn't determine it. But he would not be surprised in the least if Taker wasn't having the place watched.

Of course, he was.

~!~

“I'm going to start calling you Glen.” Angeni stated while serving her brother-in-law a plate of pancakes with bacon and eggs, wearing a sky blue sundress, all the windows open to let the fresh warm summer breeze in. “I refused to call Mark by his wrestling persona and I'm not going to do it to you too.”

She sat down on the other side of the table and began eating, both of them on edge ever since coming back here.  They hadn't seen any sign of Mark and it was starting to unnerve Angeni.  Why couldn't just come and get it over with?  In the meantime, they had to keep their strength up because sooner or later he'd turn up.

“And the scars on your face aren't that bad.  I don't know why you were that mask, you can hardly see them.”

“The last time you seen my face, it was in a dark room and then in a dim room.” Kane pointed out, remembering quite well her removing his mask and caressing his scars, like they weren't even there. “This is…bright…and well lit.”

Kane looked around the kitchen and then at her. When she just stared pointedly at him, he sighed and hesitantly undid the straps to his mask, slowly removing it. He leaned his head forward automatically letting his hair fall over his face and shrugged.

“Habit.” He grunted, resuming eating, wondering just when the hell 'Taker was going to show up. The man probably knew they were both here by now.

Taker was going to show up all right, he was just letting them sweat it out, worry about what he may or may not do.

Angeni reached across the table and smoothed out the hair from his face, smiling when she saw him clearly for the first time. “Much better.”

She nodded before finishing up her breakfast, giving Glen seconds and then started cleaning up the place, having stacked Mark's boxes along the wall as much as she could.  Glen had moved a couple for her, but Angeni did the majority of it. Deciding it would have to do, his things still took up a lot of room in her small cottage.

“I'm going outside to water my plants and flowers.”

She headed out the front door, shaking her head when he followed and proceeded to give him the tour of the grounds, even showing him the small lake that the waterfall poured into. Kane was rather impressed with the outside of her house, the grounds, and definitely liked it outside better than in, where he felt like a giant in a midget world. The waterfall and lake were especially nice, and if not for the fact that she had 'Taker issues, he could definitely see them in the water together.

“How do you keep them from dying when you're on the road so much?” Kane asked curiously, gesturing to her garden.

Now this was just sick, Taker thought, gritting his teeth.

“Do you see this?” She raised her hand up to where it looked like a showerhead was above them, smiling. “Some of them do die, but I have it timed when this goes off to water them.  A little invention of mine.” She showed him because, five minutes later, the thing went off as water began spreading throughout the garden and flowers, running on a silver bar, nodding when it worked perfectly. “I had a lot of time on my hands.” Was her explanation before guiding him over to where she recently planted some more roses. “Mark always said I had a 'romantic' theme in everything I do and wear.  I'm far from romantic, I just do things from the heart and don't really think about anything else.” Unraveling the hose that was connected to the cottage and turned it on, Angeni started to water the plants and flowers that didn't get enough water and looked a little dry.

Kane contemplated her, smiling slightly, which felt rather odd since he didn't feel the mask and it wasn't hindering the smile. “From the heart?” He echoed with a soft chuckle, the smile broadening when she smiled. “He was right, Geni, you are a romantic.”

Kane moved to stand by her, gently wrapping his arm around her waist frivolously. Though, he didn't pull her into him, watching as she watered her flowers. Then he asked her to start naming them and listened as she did, in both their common names and their genus names. Angeni smiled and did so, even telling him some history regarding the different flowers and plants she picked out specifically.

If it weren't for the fact that his heart was nothing but a solid block of ice, this warming scene might have…no, nothing. It just made Taker want to vomit.

When Glen started making fun of how she pronounced one of the flowers, she squirted with the hose, laughing when he actually stumbled back in surprise. “That's for making fun of me, Big Red.”

Angeni squealed when he yanked the hose away from her and began spraying it at her. She dodged from one side to the next, rolling before snatching the hose away from him, using her speed to her advantage. By the time they were done, both were soaking wet and had laughed harder than they had in years. It was also the most fun they'd had too, she'd never done something like this with her husband.  Though the night of their walk that had changed both of their lives. Mark had shown her he had somewhat of a romantic fun side to him.

“Come on, we need to go change clothes, big guy.”

Kane shook his head, soaked from head to toe and was rather glad he had come outside barefoot. Peeling off his tee shirt, Kane revealed his muscular chest and the faint pink scars that marred it. He wrung the excess water out of it easily enough, not about to trek through her house and leave a bunch of water behind him.

“You look like a drowned rat, Geni.” He informed her as she began wringing out her hair.

Kane was going to be dry relatively soon. Fire was great for that sort of thing, Taker thought, smiling maliciously.

“Oh shut up, you're not looking much better over there, Curly.” She shot back with a snort, finishing up before walking into the cottage, heading straight for her bedroom. 

She got some towels and tossed some toward Glen, peeling her dress off before wrapping one around her body.  He was in the other room so he couldn't see her as she towel dried her hair with another towel, unable to help smiling.  She pulled her panties off along with her bra while keeping the towel on, changing into a fresh dry pair, deciding on light blue cotton shorts with a tank top since she would be making lunch soon.

Retreating upstairs, Kane decided on just a pair of denim shorts with a white beater tucked into the back pocket to eventually pull on. He had to towel his hair dry before pulling it back, knowing thanks to the impromptu shower and subsequent toweling, his already unruly locks were going to do some serious curling. Hence the reason he usually kept his hair wet when it came to work. Monsters with curly sue hair weren't monsters.

“I don't remember your legs being quite THAT toned…” Kane observed, tilting his head to the side when he came back down.

“Training and workouts with a lot of kickboxing.” Angeni explained, busying slicing up some cucumbers to go in their salads.  After the miscarriage, Angeni had kickboxed every single night for three weeks straight and had really toned her legs.  She could probably run several marathons if she wanted to. “Salad for lunch with sandwiches.” She announced, finished with the huge bowl of salad before starting making the sandwiches. “What do you want on yours?  Everything?” She smirked when he walked over to survey what she was doing, raising a brow. “I better make you at least three, possibly four…”

Kane surveyed the toppings she had set out for sandwiches. “Why don't I just make my own sandwiches? I'm not-” He stepped back when she raised a knife in his direction. “Or not. Bread, mayo, mustard, lunch meat…” He began rattling it off, watching in amusement as she simply built sandwich after sandwich. “You are definitely the perfect woman…” He sighed, eyeballing the food.

“No such thing as being perfect.” Angeni argued softly, setting the food down in front of him before getting the dressing and croutons for the salad.  She loved cooking and baking, definitely baking was a specialty of hers that she had neglected or the past almost six months. “I think I'm gonna make a cake tonight for dinner.” She said randomly, remembering when Glen first came to stay with her.  That was the last time she had baked anything, not even when Mark was here. “Red velvet since that's the only mixture I have left.  Need to stock up again, probably go to the store tomorrow.”

Kane simply nodded, not talking since he was busy eating his food and actually had manners unlike some men. His mind strayed to Taker, swallowing down a piece of bread rather hard. What game was he playing?

Taker was playing the cat and mouse game.

There would be no going to the store tomorrow because he had cut the brake lines of their only vehicle this morning before either of them were even awake. Reception to cell phones would also be rather…spotty, thanks to an interesting device called a scrambler. Hard to come by, but very worth it. They wanted to run and hide together, then they could be frightened and suffer together.

Night came before either of them would've liked and Angeni did as she said, making a red velvet cake with a steak dinner.  They were currently watching a movie with stuffed bellies and were having two glasses of wine.  Angeni started wondering what Mark was doing and why he hadn't come to end their lives yet. 

She knew Glen was thinking the same thing, but neither of them were voicing their concerns.  She snuggled up with Glen, her back against his chest, using his muscular arm as a pillow and his arm wrapped around her waist, a blanket draped over both of them.  Angeni felt comfortable and safe with Glen, but her feelings for him would never change.  Though she was thankful he kept his mask off.

Them being snuggled and so comfortable together on the couch, lying there so sweetly, did not do anything for his already fragile mental state. Taker had to walk away before he ripped the damn door off its hinges and strangled them both. Kane first, just to make Angeni suffer as he murdered her lover before her very eyes. Taking a deep breath of the night air, he leaned against a tree and looked back at the cottage.

Kane and Angeni…another layer of ice formed around his heart.

Halfway through the night, Angeni slowly extracted herself from Glen, having fallen asleep since he was a damn furnace and pulled the blanket over him.  He could stay here as long as he wanted, Angeni didn't mind the company, but she did miss Mark immensely.  Padding silently into her bedroom, Angeni closed the door and let the sadness overtake her.  She sat on the bed and stared out the window, not even bothering with turning the light on.

“I didn't mean to hurt you, Mark.” At the time, she'd meant to, but not now that things were finally great between them and building into something more. “I'm sorry.” Lying on the bed still facing the window, Angeni closed her eyes and let a few tears fall, snuggling up with his pillow, which still had his scent on it…sandalwood and leather.

Not yet she wasn't.

She had cheated on him with Kane of all people, his own BROTHER. Now it made sense as to why Kane had come to the hospital, his reaction to finding out Angeni had miscarried. Kane thought that had been HIS baby and there was always the chance it had been.

Taker now knew when she had cheated on him, thanks to Sean's lovely information. Sean, who was now in a coma, being fed his breakfast, lunch and supper through IVs. Messengers were usually the first to go. He stalked around the side of the house, coming to a halt when he spotted her precious garden, eyes narrowing.

Chapter 42

“The brakes are out on the car.” Angeni announced, walking into the cottage and had to sit with trembling legs, trying to calm down.

Her heart nearly leapt in her throat when she started the car up, needing to get some groceries. As soon as she began driving away from the cottage, accelerating a pretty decent speed down the grassy dirt road, Angeni had to roll to a stop because the brakes had gone all the way to the floor board when she pushed on them. The brakes had been cut. Angeni had to run the two miles back to the cottage once she got the car to stop, trembling the entire time.

“He's been here.” She whispered, loud enough for Glen to hear and put her head in her hands, gripping her hair. “Why can't he just come and get this over with?”

Scaring her to death, is that what he wanted to do to her?  Is that what his revenge was going to be, mind games?  Angeni swallowed hard, sniffling slightly, really shook up from what happened.

Kane hesitated, sitting down besides her. Obviously she hadn't been outback yet today because she hadn't seen her garden. Or what had been her garden…He had, having stepped outside just to enjoy the morning air, and regretted it.

“Because he's going to make us suffer with games, that's who he is and how he operates.” He said softly, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulled her against him, feeling her trembling violently.

The very knowledge that Taker was lurking around out there, watching them, stalking them…the hairs on his arms stood up.

“Games…” Angeni stood up from the couch, anger flashing in her violet eyes and stalked toward the front door when Glen stopped her. “I'm not into games!  He needs to show himself instead of screwing with us like we're TOYS!!” There was no way to get to the store now unless she walked, Angeni deciding she would probably have to do that. “Alright, I'll be back.  I'm running to the store to grab a few things, I should only be two hours or so.”

Depending on how fast she could run, nothing was going to stop her from going to the grocery store.  Angeni walked into her bedroom and started changing from the jeans she wore into tangerine colored shorts that matched her current tank top. Pulling her hair up in a high ponytail, Angeni slipped her running shoes on, taking a deep breath.

“I would ask you to come along, but…you're not a runner like me.”

She really was insane, Kane thought, shaking his head as he reached out to gently but firmly grab her upper arms, well aware she could probably kick his ass if she really wanted too. Mostly because he would let her. Kane wasn't Taker; he had no desire to physically harm a woman or restrain her by violent means.

“Angeni, there isn't anything that we need that badly.” Kane said gently. “And you aren't going anywhere alone, I don't care how slow I am.” He began guiding her towards the backdoor and opened it, revealing the still smoking embers that had once been a beautiful garden.

Mark had destroyed her garden. It was nothing more than ashes along with her heart.  She didn't feel the tears slide down her cheeks as she slowly walked down the three tiny steps, dropping to her knees right in the burnt soil.  Everything she had been planting, vegetables that she'd had since she moved here and bought this tiny cottage.  They were gone, so many hours of hard work and dedication…up in smoke.

“Please don't touch me.” Angeni whispered when Glen placed his hand on her shoulder, shrugging it off instantly. 

Angeni wanted to be alone, not caring that her knees and legs were covered in burnt soil, bending over until her tears fell into the ground. Kane gave her space and walked away from her, but not too far, not trusting Taker at all. He merely stood a respectable distance away and folded his arms over his chest.

She had had such pride in her voice yesterday when she had been naming the plants to him, explaining her watering device for when she wasn't home, telling him about her garden. It was obvious it meant a great deal to her. Taker had obviously known that and that was why he had done this, to hurt her as deeply as he could.

And from the looks of it, Taker had done a damn fine job.

Angeni stayed out there until the sun went down, not caring about eating or anything, slowly going back into the shell she had when she lost the baby.  Standing up, Angeni walked numbly into the cottage and went into the bedroom, slamming the door shut so hard, it nearly broke off the hinges.  She took every single picture of Mark she could get her hands on, ripping them to shreds and smashing photos in their frames.  This was taking it too far, destroying everything she held dear to her and most precious. 

If he wanted her heart, he just ripped it out and had it on a platter for him to devour.  Once her bedroom was destroyed, Angeni stormed into the bathroom and slammed the door shut, flipping the lock so nobody could come in.  She started the garden tub and shed her clothes, her arms cut up from the broken frames.  Pouring the whole box of bubbles in the tub, Angeni slipped into the water and closed her eyes, letting the bubbles completely cover her whole body, even her head, scent of lilacs in the air.

He had heard her raging in the bedroom, heard her breaking glass and left her to it. Kane had his fair share of rages and knew it could actually be quite therapeutic. Sighing, Kane let out a slow breath when he heard another door slam followed by running water.

Quietly, he walked out of the house, going out to the garden and stood with his bare feet in the now cooled ash. From his perspective, he was glad it had been the garden and  not them, knowing damn well Taker had absolutely zero problems with lighting people on fire. He was living testament to that.

“How are you enjoying my darling wife?”

Kane turned in a slow circle, the new moon casting no light, nothing but a round, black circle in the sky. “Come out, quit with your games.”

“Afraid?”

Of course he was, Kane wasn't stupid.

Staying in there for over an hour, Angeni didn't move except her foot, which kept turning the water on to warm her water.  Her face was tear-streaked and the light had once again flamed out in her eyes.  This was what Mark wanted, to slowly break her down into nothing until she either ended her own life or begged for death. 

Nothing mattered, he could burn this cottage down with her in it as far as she was concerned.  When she heard banging on the bathroom door, Angeni didn't acknowledge it, just staring straight ahead, not even realizing that her husband had finally made his presence known. It was Kane banging on the locked door frantically.

“ANGENI!” He roared, blood trickling down his face thanks to a particularly vicious punch aimed at his eye. Taker's knuckle had caught him on the brow bone, splitting it open. “Get out!”

Kane whirled around when he heard dark, rumbling laughter echoing throughout the house followed by the power being cut. She heard Glen say that and immediately felt her eyes shoot open, sitting upright in the bathtub.  Wrapping herself up in a white terry cloth robe, Angeni immediately rushed over to open the door, only for Glen to stumble in.

“You're…bleeding…” She was lucky she hadn't slipped and cracked her own skull because some of the bubbles had overflowed out of the garden tub. “He's here…” Angeni whispered, grabbing the nearest towel and pressed it against his temple, not able to shed anymore tears. “Glen, come on…” She guided him slowly and carefully out of the bathroom, sitting him down on the bed. “Stay here.” Angeni ordered, holding her hand up when he went to follow her. “Sit down and keep that pressed against your head.”

Shutting the bedroom door, Angeni had adjusted her eyes to the darkness, her heart pounding fiercely in her chest. She really was a stupid, foolish woman. Most people who suffered from those idiotic conceptions of 'bravery' and 'honor' were. Then again, her sense of honor was definitely questionable.

“Protecting your lover, pet?” Taker asked almost affably.

His voice seeming to come from every dark corner in the room, every shadow throwing glittering green eyes at her. His presence dominated and infected the cottage. What was usually a charming, cozy home had become infused with his darkness, seeped in his anger and was now his playground, as small as it was.

“I'm  not surprised…you two are so very, very close…” It was a hiss, malice lacing every word.

“He is not my lover, Mark.” Angeni stated, refusing to be scared of him as she folded her arms in front of her chest, her hair dripping wet from jumping out of the bath to deal with this. “And I will protect him because he's my friend.  Don't blame him for this, blame me.  I'm the one who asked him to show me love because you wouldn't!  So don't take your anger out on him, take it out on me.” She was blocking the door where Glen currently was, having locked it with a special skeleton key that was currently in the pocket of her bath robe.

“It's Taker…” He whispered menacingly, noting how she hovered before that door, his lips curving into a snarl. “And I will take it out on you, pet…on you both…Though dearest Kane is probably bleeding out as we speak…” He chuckled wickedly when he seen her eyes widening, hints of white around the violet irises. “He didn't show you the lovely wound I left in his ribcage?”

A flash of silver, followed by a whistle as the dagger he suddenly threw flew towards her, embedding itself in the door. The minute she turned to look at it, he was on her in another second. Pushing her face first against the door, Taker pinned her arms behind her back, between their bodies, using a leg to block hers.

“Now really, Angeni, do you honestly think I would KILL him?” Taker murmured in her ear.

Taker hadn't stabbed Kane, yet. Angeni didn't struggle against him, knowing she deserved everything that was coming to her and more.  She had no more fight left in her.  He had destroyed her heart, Angeni was pretty sure she no longer had one, wincing when the wood dug into the side of her face.

“Yes I do.” She whispered and groaned when he slammed her against it again, though not hard enough to knock her out yet. 

She was conditioned to take a little more abuse than she normally could before becoming a wrestler.  Angeni knew she was going to regret this and brought her head back, since his head dipped and nailed him right in the mouth, causing him to release her.  Angeni felt dizzy from that blow and ducked when he lunged at her, jumping over the couch and took the glass vase that was on the table, throwing it at him as it crashed against some part of his body.

“You can kill me, but I won't go down without a fight!!” Angeni kicked a chair in his direction, causing him to topple over it, knowing this cottage better than him before racing out the front door. “COME ON MOTHER FUCKER!!”

Taker began laughing, the laughter following her ass out the front door and into the yard, echoing throughout the night. He began throwing everything out of his way, not caring about destroying her furniture or belongings. But he didn't follow her outside. No…he had something more…entertaining…in mind.

Several long, stretching moments later, there was a scream of pure terror renting the air. Kane came flying out the bedroom window in a heap, howling like a terrified child. His left arm was completely ablaze and he began rolling on the ground to put it out.

He came out the window next, slithering much more gracefully and watched his brother, rolling around like a dog with pure hellish glee on his pale face. Tossing aside the now empty pint flash of gasoline he had had in his back pocket, Taker advanced dangerously. Fortunately for Angeni, he had put out the fire on her curtains…it wouldn't do for the cottage to go up in flames and attract attention.

“GLEN!!”

Angeni rushed over to him, watching as he instantly dropped and began rolling, the fire on his arm going out, thankful he had pulled on a long sleeved shirt.  The material would have to be peeled off of his skin and Angeni had a feeling he would need a hospital.  Angeni bent down to place a hand on Glen's shoulder, hearing his muffled crying and felt her heart for what seemed like the millionth time. 

Then she witnessed something that was totally unexpected. Glen stood up and tackled Mark to the ground.  She saw the surprise flash across Mark's face as Glen started pounding him with his good arm right in the face.

Chapter 43

“STOP IT!!  BOTH OF YOU STOP!!” Angeni didn't get too close, knowing there was no way to get these two behemoths off of each other. “Please stop fighting!!”

Kane ignored her, just pounding on his brother, Taker throwing up his arms to protect himself and simply began battering the other man's arms. He had set him on fire…AGAIN! Fire, the one thing that had the power to make Kane turn into a frightened little child, to render him completely helpless…He couldn't stop, breathing heavily as he continued throwing punches.

“That's right! Do it!” Taker taunted with a dark laugh, spitting blood as he spoke. “Kill me Kane, you know you want to.”

Kane did, but that also made him stop, his fist freezing midair, eyes narrowing. “He won't stop, Angeni.” He panted, wincing as the pain in his arm forced its way through the adrenaline.

“Probably not.” Taker agreed, turning his head to the side.

Spitting out more blood, Taker ran his tongue along the inside of his mouth, his nose bleeding as well. Blood running down over his lips and chin, into his beard. As he met her violet eyes, the fire seemed to diminish a bit.

“Why, Angel?” He whispered heartbrokenly.

A heartbroken, jealous Undertaker was definitely a mentally unstable, dangerous one.

“Glen, stop!” Angeni rushed over and placed a hand on Glen's shoulder, tears pouring down her own face. “Please don't kill him.  I love him…” She ignored his incredulous expression and sank down on her knees in front of Mark, bowing her head in shame. “Because you hurt me back then.  You didn't show me love…and he did…I needed to feel love from someone because I felt like you were suffocating me, forcing me to do things I didn't want to do.  I didn't mean to do it, it just happened and I'm sorry.” She wanted to reach out to him, the blood running down his face causing fresh tears to sting her eyes. “I love you so much, I just wanted it returned instead of having my heart broken repeatedly…”

Kane stumbled away from them, dropping a few feet away in the grass and hissed in pain as he began pulling the shirt off away from his arm. Knowing leaving it would just increase his already great odds of infection, Kane hissed out as searing pain shot up his arm. Taker pulled himself up into a sitting position, drawing his knees up so his legs were bent and rested his arms on them, leaning forward, ignoring the blood that now dripped into the grass.

“And so the circle comes to a close…” He muttered, his hair falling around him in a dark curtain.

“Give me your keys.” Angeni whispered, extending her hand to him and looked into his eyes even through the curtain of black hair. “I'm not leaving, but he needs to go to a hospital to get treated.  He can go, we'll stay here and…talk.” When he handed them over, Angeni rushed over to where Glen was, seeing the flesh of his arm still sizzling. “Can you drive or do I need to call an ambulance?”

“I can drive.” Kane still had one good working arm, his eyes narrowing* I'm not leaving-”

“Stop being stubborn and GO before that gets infected even more.” She tossed the keys at him, spotting a dark black car that looked really fast, nodding. “Over there, get moving and come back here when they release you.  Call me if they don't, understand?”

Kane muttered something about her being a mother hen before reluctantly heading in the direction of the car, his arm feeling as though it was still on fire.

Turning, Angeni walked back over to where Mark still sat and extended her hand to him, taking a chance that he wouldn't hurt her. “Please come in the house with me.  I need to look at your face and the damage to see if you need a hospital.  For once, don't argue with me and just listen.”

“A minor cut on the inside of my cheek and a bloody nose.” Taker informed her gravely, having already assessed the damage.

Along with perhaps a pounding headache since one of Kane's blows had caught him in the temple. It had been poorly executed however so he was lucky in that or else he might've been unconscious, possibly dead. He took her hand however and pulled her down into the grass before him, staring into her face intently.

“Do you love him?” He asked, already knowing she loved HIM, but he had to know if he was sharing that love with Kane.

“Not the way I love you, no.” Angeni answered without hesitation, not releasing his hand for an instant. “I do feel love for him though in a purely platonic way.” He was her brother-in-law after all, Angeni knew it wasn't incest because they were only related by marriage when they had sex. “Are you okay?” She reached out slowly with her free hand and wiped some blood off of his bottom lip, tears burning her eyes.

“No.” Taker whispered, the anger and rage draining from him, being replaced with a melancholy that he hadn't felt since the days before he had met her.

He was the Undertaker, the Lord of Darkness, the most feared entity in the World Wrestling Federation. He did not feel pain, or sadness, or…heartache. But he did. He was a mere mortal after all and laughed humorlessly. So this is what she must have felt like…this despair, knowing that no matter how much one tried, one couldn't stop loving someone who could so easily rip out one’s heart. And one would suffer it, again and again, because love was all-consuming and devoured one until there was nothing left.

Mark was the only man she ever truly loved and gave her complete heart to, which is why she married him.  There was no thinking about it or mulling things over, the moment he asked her to marry him, she instantly said yes.  There was no marriage remorse for her and when he walked away, he'd broken her heart. 

When they reunited and he'd forced her to sign with the WWF, he broke her heart.  When she screwed with his Ministry by interfering in their matches and he'd beaten her, he broke her heart.  And now he broke her heart again by torching her garden and sitting there before her with the saddest emerald green eyes she ever saw.  Angeni didn't know if he loved her or if he just cared deeply for her...he never told her how he felt because Mark didn't believe in revealing his feelings.

“Please forgive me because, no matter what I do and what you do to me, I can't stop loving you.  You could walk away right now like you did those two and a half years ago, divorce me, take me for everything I have and I will STILL love you.  And I can't stop it from happening and I don't want it too.  God help me, I don't want to lose you…not again…”

“I love you, Angeni.” Taker said, watching as her trembling lips parted in surprise, knowing he hadn't said it. He had let her think what she wanted about him in regards to his feelings towards her.

Care. Possession. Passion. Desire. Want. Need.

Never love, never the words. “But I will only keep on hurting you…I could promise you I won't, but…we both know how that usually ends up.”

Angeni loved him and would never stop, but time healed all wounds. He was only going to poison her, more than he already had. Closing her eyes, Angeni's heart went from mended to broken all over again in the span of just a few short seconds, knowing he was walking away from her again.

“Okay.”

There was nothing she could say to change his mind, he had said almost the exact same thing he had when he left her the first time two and a half years ago.  She released his hand and stood up, thankful her terry cloth robe hadn't come undone, not even bothering to wipe the tears away.  She wanted to beg him to stay with her, to tell him it didn't matter if he killed her because she would die without him, but it wouldn't do any good. 

Once Mark's mind was made up, there was no changing it.  She headed back into the cottage and left him sitting out there, every part of her body hurting physically while her emotions were completely shot to hell.  She would not have a heart after this or open up to another living soul because all that ever seemed to happen when she did was it ended up being ripped out of her chest and stomped on.

Taker remained in his sitting position for who knew how long. His mind was throwing all the facts at him. Their relationship. The abuse he had heaped on her. Little choice reminders of his dark personality. His violence. His rage. The way he could verbally rip out her heart and present it to her on a silver platter, coated in sweet words he would later use to soften her again. But then his heart was telling him otherwise, and that was unusual. For once, the Undertaker was at a loss.

Did he stay or did he go?

Her place was destroyed, but Angeni honestly didn't care right now and just went straight to her bedroom, unlocking the door with the key in her robe and pushed it open.  Glass was on the other side of the bed and it was too dark, Mark had cut the power.  She would have to get that fixed as well come morning. 

Silent tears fell from her eyes as she crawled into the king sized bed and stayed on her side, her back facing the half-open door and closed her eyes.  This pain was unlike any she'd ever felt before and Angeni had to curl up in a tight ball, trembling violently as her crying turned to heart wrenching silent sobs that tore her body and heart apart.

Sighing, Taker finally pushed himself to his feet, standing there indecisively, looking at the road, since Kane had his car, and then back at the cottage. The cottage he had had every intention of burning to the ground because he knew how much she loved it. At the last minute, he had changed his mind and set Kane on fire instead, deciding that was more appropriate given what his anger was over.

Finally, he headed inside, telling himself that it was because he wasn't walking into town, and not because of his wife, who he had just shredded again. Taker was in her bedroom because her couch was destroyed and he would not sleep in Kane's bed. He was holding her now, and there was nothing coming from his mind. It had finally shut up. The moment the bed dipped and Angeni felt his arms wrap around her body, pulling her against his chest, the sobs instantly subsided, though she didn't stop crying.

“I-If you're l-leaving, y-you'd better do it n-now…” She stammered out in between heaving breaths, her chest hurting from how violent the sobs had been and felt his arms tighten around her.  It just made her cry harder. “Mark please…p-please I-I can't t-take it…I-If you're n-not s-staying for g-good then l-leave…”

He'd been so sure of what he wanted outside and now he was in here, torturing her, refusing to let her heart mend without knowing exactly what his intentions were. But Mark hadn't been sure. Even as he had said those words, the words that were meant to drive her away and end this thing between them. This parasitic feed he had on her and she had on him, he hadn't been sure.

“I'm not leaving.” Taker rumbled, kissing the top of her head, feeling how violently she was shaking and the rasping sobs escaping her made something inside of him twinge violently. “I love you, Angel. I love you.” Taker whispered, over and over, giving her the words he should have been saying all along.

Just like that, her tattered shredded beaten heart had somehow mended right back together, stitched since it'd been through countless broken ordeals.  It was almost as if she could feel the pieces slowly coming together again to form as a whole.  Angeni slowly rolled over until she faced him, looking up into his eyes and cupped his slightly bruised face before kissing him.  Even with a broken window and her destroyed living room, Angeni still wanted him through hellfire and brimstone, every part of her aching for him.

“I love you too, Mark.” Angeni whispered, once she broke the kiss to stare into his eyes, every ounce of feeling flowing out of those tear-filled bloodshot violet orbs.

“I love you, Angel.” Taker murmured softly.

Running his hand up her back until he was gently cupping the back of her head, Taker trailed kisses over her tear stained face, nose, mouth and cheeks, then each eye, tasting a faint hint of salt and finally pressed his forehead to hers. He wasn't going to make her any promises, knowing he tended to break them. Taker was simply going to use actions to prove that he meant those words.

Chapter 44

Slowly opening her eyes the following day sometime, Angeni was in the arms of her husband and frowned at the damage Glen caused him.  His face was heavily bruised, especially on his forehead near the temple.  Glen hadn't been soft with his blows either, meaning to kill him and Angeni hadn't blamed him because he'd been set on fire.  His cheek looked slightly puffed out and his nose was definitely bruised, but not broken. 

He was still handsome through all the damage and Angeni knew she'd really hurt him by sleeping with Glen.  They were finally even and hopefully they could move on from this since he wasn't leaving her.  She very lightly ran her finger down his face and brushed her lips against his, not surprised when Mark didn't even stir, breathing very deeply.  Extracting herself from his arms, Angeni was careful not to step on any glass before walking out into the living room, her eyes widened at the damage.

“Wow…”

“Yeah wow.” Speak of the devil. Kane stood amid the mess, looking around with his mask on, so his face was unreadable as he surveyed her. “Your cell isn't working.” He said when she arched an eyebrow at him, knowing he was supposed to call. Kane had been released and he had come back here, his arm wrapped in gauze and slathered in burn cream beneath the gauze. “Is he in there?” He asked, nodding his head towards the bedroom.

“Yeah, are you okay?” Probably a dumb question on her part, but Angeni was more or less asking just how bad the burn was.  She cringed when he said second degree, thankful it wasn't third because at least it wouldn't scar nearly as bad. “Help me with this.” Angeni requested softly, both of them lifting the tipped couch up and righted it, placing the pillows back on it. “I don't want you to leave.” She said, seeing his bags were already packed, frowning. “Your place isn't rebuilt yet and the upstairs is yours as far as I'm concerned.  Just stay.” If he asked her to choose between the two of them, Angeni was going to hurt him, eyes pleading.

“You want me to stay…” Kane repeated slowly.

He had lost track of how many times he had mentally called this woman insane. She truly was. It was charming, almost, in a slightly strange, possibly dangerous sort of way.

“Do you know why he set me on fire?” Kane asked quietly. “Because it's the one thing I am honestly afraid of. *She had seen his scars, he had cause. “It wasn't the first time he's tried to burn me alive either, that is how much he hates me.”The feeling was mutual. “Do you honestly want me to stay, Geni?” Because Kane couldn't promise anything but an effort at making the attempt to not finish what he started.

Angeni thought about it for half a second before nodding, managing a half smile. “He won't set you on fire again, not here anyway.” Angeni wouldn't allow it to happen, placing a hand on his arm. “Besides, you need to talk to him about who the hell told him about what happened between us.” She still hadn't gotten to ask Mark that and it was slowly festering inside of her, wanting to kill whoever the big mouth was. “You two are family and it's about time you started acting like it.” Holding her hand up when he went to protest, Angeni didn't want hear any excuses. “Let's just take one day at a time and if it gets too bad, then I'll let you leave.  Now take your bags back upstairs please.” She wasn't asking, picking one of them up and handed it to him. “I'm gonna start breakfast and then…clean this up…”

Definitely insane if she ever thought THEY were going to act like family. Angeni really was going to have to hear their little history someday because obviously the woman didn't realize just why they hated each other. And he wasn't entirely sure if bringing up the affair, even in regards to who had been stupid enough to tell Taker, was all that bright an idea. It could possibly set Taker off into another spiral of insanity. Sighing, he headed upstairs, shaking his head. He loved Angeni, but he was beginning to question her survival instincts.

Surprisingly enough, both Mark and Glen did co-exist with each other at the cottage and didn't fight.  The tension was thick in the air and Angeni had waited for them to tear each other to shreds, but it never happened.  She cooked, cleaned and started going through some of Mark's boxes to set things up.  Glen didn't help for obvious reasons, but he did keep Angeni company while Mark was busy handling business with the WWF. 

Being a co-owner was definitely a lot of responsibility, probably more than Mark wanted, but with every action there was a consequence.  Another week passed, Angeni wondered when they would have to go back on the road, but Mark hadn't said anything about it and wasn't about to mention it.  She loved her cottage and had gotten it back in order for the most part, besides her torched garden outback, but that could easily be redone.

They hadn't fought because Taker and Kane -he pointed blank refused to call Kane by Glen and Kane refused to call him Mark, which was what he preferred- had come to an agreement. When they weren't here and finally back in the WWF, they'd settle their shit in the ring, where everything was legal. It was a tense agreement, but it worked and they were keeping Angeni in the dark about it because one thing they mutually agreed upon was that they didn't want her to be upset, worry or perhaps attempt to kill them both.

Kane arched an eyebrow as he stared out the window, wondering what the Hell 'Taker was doing now. “He has…a backhoe out there?” That explained the rumbling noise from earlier he hadn't bothered trying to understand.

“What?” Angeni stood up from the couch and walked over to where Glen stood, tilting her head slightly at what her husband was doing. “What is he…”

A big smile spread on her face when it dawned on her why he had a backhoe, violet eyes sparkling.  It just made her fall in love with him even more.  The weather had turned exceedingly warm and Mark was sweating profusely, wearing black in the sun.  She got some lemons out of the fridge and started chopping them up. Whipping up a batch of ice cold lemonade before taking a huge glass out to him, Angeni stayed on the porch while he continued working.

Kane stepped outside with her, less idiotic than his brother in terms of clothing and the weather. He wore cutoff denim shorts and a white beater, his mask off since Angeni liked to badger him about it and his hair pulled back. He didn't care about Taker seeing the scars, he was the one who put them there to begin with. He arched an eyebrow. Technically, the ash would have been great for the dirt, save for the fact that Taker had used copious amounts of gasoline, which wasn't so good.

“Is he going to replant it…himself?” He heard a truck rumbling in the driveway and looked down at her. “Are we expecting company?”

“Surprise!” Stephanie shrieked when she came running around the side of the house, looking hyper and happy, John right behind her. John was also carrying a tree, not very big, but it was an apple tree, the roots wrapped in a burlap sack. “Wait until you see what we brought…Ron is here too! And Paul!”

“Under protest.” Bradshaw smirked, eyeballing Kane for a moment. “So…where are we starting your orchard?”

Taker was going to give her a really big garden paradise apparently. “Well…” Kane said slowly, staring down intently at Ange to see how she would react to this. “He definitely goes above and beyond when he fucks up.”

“O-Orchard?” Angeni looked at the huge apple tree and barely hugged Stephanie back, who clobbered her, glancing back at Glen. “Did you know about this?”

“Does it look like I know ANYTHING Taker does?  Or even want to for that matter?”

“Good point.”

Angeni couldn't argue with that and could only watch as Taker instructed Bradshaw to put the tree in the center of what used to be her garden. It was beautiful with red apples dangling from it already.  She turned to Stephanie and Paul, who looked ready to keel over since his face had gone red.

“C-Come inside, I have lemonade made.” Angeni would need to make a lot more now that they had three other people apparently staying with them.

“I really like your place.  It reminds me Snow White.” Stephanie pointed out, looking around with sparkling blue eyes.

“Thanks…”

Taker had shut down the backhoe, smirking when Ron came trudging around the house with a cherry tree. “You might as well just bring the flatbed around. Did you get everything?”

“If by everything you meant all those damn fruit trees, the flowers and rose bushes…the hedges…yes…” Ron grunted, setting down the tree carefully before wiping sweat off his brow. “This wasn't in the work contract, boss.”

“And yet…I'm still paying you to do it.” Taker snorted, glancing towards the porch, not surprised to find Angeni taking Stephanie and Paul inside, ignoring the look on Kane's face.

“So uh, how's that working out? Kane being here and all…”

“He's alive.”

“There is that.”

Angeni immediately sat Paul down in the living room with a big glass of lemonade and water, her smile convincing him to do it.  He wanted to help Mark and the guys, but she told him they could handle it and he needed to relax.  She even handed over the remote control so he could watch whatever he wanted, dropping a kiss on his forehead. 

The fat man had helped her a lot since she came into the picture and had somehow wormed his way into Angeni's heart.  Once Paul was settled, Angeni and Stephanie went into the kitchen to start making a few pitchers of lemonade, all the windows open with fans going to help the air circulate throughout the cottage.  Mark was having an AC installed as soon as possible, even though it wasn't that warm yet.

“So…are you okay?” Stephanie asked, carrying a tray with glasses full of lemonade while Angeni carried another, both of them heading out back again.

“Yeah, I think everything is going to get better now.” Angeni was thankful Stephanie hadn't asked her about sleeping with Glen because really it was nobody's business. “Glen said I need to work on my survival instincts when it comes to Mark, but I disagree.”

Ron and John both fell silent when Kane finally made his way off the porch and ambled towards them, both men trying not to stare into his open face. The scars weren't as bad as they would have thought, but they were definitely there. “I, think I'll uh, go get the flatbed and bring it around.”

“I'll help.”

Kane sidestepped them as they hurried away. “Cowards.”

“I hired them for their brains and muscles, not their inability to see us face to…ah, face in an outside setting.”

Stephanie followed John and Ron to the front of the house to grab the flatbed with the tray of lemonade, leaving Angeni alone with Mark and Glen.  She set the tray down on the porch and grabbed two glasses, walking over to her husband first and handed it to him before handing Glen one, the feeling of the fresh soil squishing between her toes amazing.  Angeni still couldn't believe Mark went through all this trouble, her eyes landing on not only the apple and cherry tree, but everything else he apparently ordered John and Ron to bring.

“You are something else.” Angeni murmured, accepting a kiss from him and leaned into his side, his arm wrapped around her waist. “As much as I love all the company, I have to ask you where are they all staying?” Glen had upstairs, the only other available room. “Poor Paul can't sleep on the couch…”

He smirked at the thought of Paul trying to fit his fat ass on the couch comfortably. Taker had a hard time with his legs overextending past the arm. Paul's problem would be his bulk overextending past the side of the couch and probably right onto the floor.

“Stephanie and Shaw have a tent, Ron has a tent…and Paul…”

“If he can get upstairs…he can have that bed.” Kane said finally, sharing a look with Taker, both men trying not to laugh.

“There's always the flatbed…”

“Think he'd fit?”

“Tents?”

Angeni frowned, not liking the sound of that because they were technically their guests.  Before she could protest, Mark pressed his finger to her lip, letting her know silently they would be fine.  That still left Paul though and she wasn't sure if he could make his way upstairs, knowing Glen could deal with sleeping on the couch for a night.

“We really need a bigger place.” She sighed, wishing Mark would've at least told her about the company so she could've been more prepared. “I'm going to start dinner.  Behave now, both of you.” Angeni eyeballed both brothers, eyes clearly telling them there would be consequences if they didn't get along and walked back inside to start the menu.

“She's pissed at you, you know that right?”

Taker watched his wife's pert little backside swaying gently back and forth as she headed back inside, finally looking at his brother when the screen door shut behind her. They were actually talking and it wasn't annoying him. Granted, it wasn't a deep brotherly conversation -he sincerely doubted that would ever happen, not that he really cared in the scheme of things-, but it was probably a step towards whatever Angeni thought they were capable of reaching.

“She hates it when I keep her in the dark.” Taker rumbled, smirking slightly.

“I think her main problem is the fact that they are guests and they're sleeping in tents.”

“That was Princess's idea. Apparently, she's never slept in a tent before. She thinks they're…cute.”

Luckily enough, Angeni had gone shopping a few days ago and stocked up on food.  Having two behemoths that had very healthy appetites, it was a necessity.  She tapped her chin in thought, trying to decide on what to make and decided barbeque ribs would suffice.  She pulled the ribs out and started seasoning them up while humming to herself. 

Then she set those aside to let them marinate for a little while and started peeling corncobs, rinsing and dropping them in a huge pot full of boiling water.  Ribs, corn on the cob, garlic cream cheese mashed potatoes and buttered vegetables...It would have to do.  Angeni almost felt ashamed since she would normally go all out for cooking for guests, but...given she didn't know company was coming, she had to pull a menu out of her ass. 

Opening the backdoor, Angeni walked past the hard working brothers and started the grill, putting four huge slabs on.  The grill was another addition of Mark's and Angeni loved it, having done a lot of grilling over the last few days since getting it.  They hadn't had ribs yet though.

Chapter 45

“What can I do?” Stephanie asked cheerfully, following Angeni around, her blue eyes wide and sparkling.

She had thoroughly examined the cottage. It was so tiny and quaint. John liked to tease her about her little 'thing' with the new surroundings she had been exposed to since getting with him. She didn't mind and wanted to help.

“You look pissed, don't you want us here? I know we showed up out of nowhere…” Stephanie bit her bottom lip hesitantly.

“I'm not pissed, just wish I would've been notified so I could've come up with a decent menu.” Angeni smiled back at her, wrapping an arm around Stephanie's shoulders while flipping the ribs on the rack and ignored her friend's bewildered look. “The potatoes need to be peeled in the house, you can do that.” When her blue eyes shined, Angeni chuckled as she watched Stephanie walk into the house to get started while continuing to work on the ribs.  A pair of arms encircled her waist and Angeni closed her eyes, leaning into the muscular chest of her husband. “I'm not mad, are ribs okay for dinner?  I didn't know what else to make and I figured it would be filling enough for everyone…”

“More than enough.” Taker hoped because, between him, Kane, Shaw and Ron, not even factoring in Paul, they could probably eat her out of house and home within hours. He nuzzled her neck, having overheard her 'decent menu' remark and snorted. “Darlin', considering what you normally make is better than most people's usual meals, I'm pretty sure you're fine on the menu.” His hands caressed her sides. “Mad at me?”

“How can I be mad at you?  You're giving me an orchard for crying out loud.” Angeni heard him chuckle as she turned another slab of ribs before setting the tongs down and closed the grill to let them cook faster, turning around to stare up into his green eyes. “I'll make something better tomorrow, though that does leave dessert…”

She tapped her chin in thought, wondering what she hadn't made in awhile and saw the predatory gaze in her husband's eyes. Barely having time to open her mouth, his covered hers and Angeni melted instantly. Taker had his dessert right here and the others could go burn in hell for all he cared.

Though…when he heard John and Ron begin to catcall, he reluctantly broke the kiss, turning to find the flatbed trailer by the garden. Smiling, Taker turned Angeni around so she could see all the flowers, bushes and everything else. He had practically brought her a flower nursery.

The flowers he had burned along with her fruits and vegetables…Mark had replaced everything and added a lot to it.  It was so beautiful, especially the trees.  Those were her absolute favorite and she never even had them until now.

“Thank you.” That was all she could breathe out, reaching up to wrap her arms tightly around his neck and felt him lift her until her feet no longer touched the ground, a few tears falling. “I love you.”

Angeni had wrapped her legs around his waist as soon as he lifted her to make it easier for him to hold her, refusing to let him go.  The divorce proceedings with her secret lawyer had been cancelled and Angeni paid him for the services he did do for her.  She wanted to be with Mark as his wife and nobody could tell her differently or change her mind.

“He's not going to make us do all the work is he? I'm not being paid enough to sweat and plant flowers…”

“You go right on ahead and tell him that.”

“Want a trowel up your ass?”

“You want a spade up yours?”

“If you two don't shut up, I will shove these roses down your throat and let you choke on the thorns!”

Taker broke the kiss, still holding Angeni against him and cocked an eyebrow. “Woman, I need to go supervise…” He lightly slapped her ass before giving it a firm squeeze. “Stop tempting me with dessert before dinner.”

Giggling softly, Angeni nodded as she rubbed her nose gently against his. “I need to get back to dinner.  Later, you're mine.” She whispered, kissing him one more time before he reluctantly set her down, her bare feet feeling wonderful against the cool soft grass.  She absolutely loved this place. “Get moving with your green thumb.” Winking, Angeni walked back into the house and saw Stephanie still peeling potatoes, only halfway through the bag. “I'll help you, sorry, got tied up with something…” Angeni blushed when Stephanie smirked at her, both women catching up on what had been going on in the WWF and their lives. “You and Bradshaw make a very cute couple.”

“I am definitely the better looking one.” Stephanie said with a grin so arrogant it was definitely a McMahon expression, then she burst out giggling. “I'm joking. But thank you, we are…happy.”

She sighed contentedly, not believing that she could be so happy with him, with…this crazy situation and how it was turning out. Not so crazy. Well…the Undertaker planting flowers was definitely insane, but Stephanie had witnessed worse things in her days.

“What about you? How are things with you and Taker? And Kane? He's living here too?! With you both? They seemed to be getting along pretty well.”

“I'm happy too.  Believe it or not, even after everything that's happened, I'm very happy.  Things between me and Mark are…progressing.  We have a lot of healing to do still, a lot to make up for on both of our parts.  And yes, Glen is living here until his place is finished in Tennessee.  It was…destroyed…” Angeni was going to leave it at that, not really wanting to go into detail about how her husband destroyed Glen's house all because of her...because of what she'd done with Glen. “Think that's enough potatoes?” When Stephanie shook her head, Angeni chuckled. “Thank you for your honesty.  I think I'll need to peel more corn too and then I'll start the vegetables after that.  Those won't take long…”

Kane –Glen- was living here because his house had been burnt to a crisp, both of them Stephanie figured, since Angeni wasn't saying that, that she didn't need to either. Either Angeni assumed she didn't know or…who knew. She only knew because Taker had ordered it done and Mideon had done it. Dark days. She was still trying to forget them.

“Hey, you can teach me how to cook while we're here!” Stephanie then exclaimed eagerly, followed by an immediate frown. “John says he appreciates my ability to order takeout, but…” She shrugged. “He can't cook either…at least, not without burning everything.”

“Cooking is easy!” Angeni grinned, patting Stephanie on the back. “You peeled those potatoes good, all you really need to do is follow recipes and even make adjustments to your liking.  Just watch, I'll show you.”

Paul finally came outside, though he wasn't moving from the shade of the porch, surveying everyone, hearing the women chattering away in the kitchen and felt rather bad for Angeni when Stephanie made that comment about learning to cook. He had tried teaching her and she had set the kitchen on fire, three times. Ron and Bradshaw were now digging where the hedges were meant to go to line the orchard while Taker and Kane were walking along the property, Taker gesturing while Kane simply listened.

“I need a camera…” Paul suddenly announced.

“You're going to plant HOW big an orchard?”

“As big as she wants or I want. I bought the property surrounding hers…she can have as large a garden as she wishes.”

“Does SHE know you did that?”

“Not yet.”

Angeni had a new goal and that was to teach Stephanie how to cook. She swept her hair up on top of her head so none got in the food.  While dinner cooked, Angeni started dessert, deciding on cheesecake since it was easy enough to make and showed Stephanie what to do.  She even gave Stephanie a pad of paper and pen, ordering her to write down step by step instructions on what to do. 

Then she took Stephanie outside and showed her how to flip the ribs on the grill, explaining what temperature, for how long and even had her write down her special sauce recipe.  It was a delicious honey barbeque, hating anything spicy, and began slathering the ribs with it while they still cooked.  The smell was mouthwatering and it made both women's stomachs growl with need to be fed.

“About ten more minutes and they should be done.  Come on, let's go check on the cheesecake.”

Taker had called a halt to the activities, or 'fucking manual labor' as Bradshaw had so eloquently put it, ordering them to go scrub down with the hose since they were filthy.

“We're slaves, that's what this is…”

“You are a-”

“Say it, I DARE you.”

“Well, you're…an African American,” Bradshaw began, putting distance between him and his best friend, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “And you just called yourself a slave…” He took off running when Ron started chasing him.

Taker was going to have to remind them why they were a part of the Ministry of DARKNESS and not the Saturday morning children's lineup.

Eventually.

“If you kids are quite finished chasing each other around, dinner is ready!” Angeni called out, shaking her head when John skidded to a halt and Ron ended up slamming right into him, both of them toppling to the ground in a heap. “Fools.”

She giggled along with Stephanie, both of them heading back inside to get the plates and silverware out, setting them on the table.  They couldn't all sit at the small table, so they would have to occupy the living room as well as the kitchen.  The food was on the table, but Angeni would move it once everyone loaded their plates.  She smiled at Mark when he walked inside, pointing directly to the bedroom and smirked while taking her apron off.

“Steph, mind checking the cheesecake?” Not waiting for a response, Angeni followed her husband into the bedroom to change her tank top since she'd gotten food on it while cooking.

“We're going to need a bigger house.” Taker informed her once they were both in the bedroom, shutting and locking the door behind her. He watched as she peeled, slowly and teasingly, that tank top off. Before she could even drop it, he was pouncing her, pinning her back on the bed. “Tease.” He growled just before capturing her lips in a fiery kiss, his hands skimming the bare skin she had just revealed.

Why would he want cheesecake when he had angel cake right here in his arms?

Angeni instantly returned the kiss with equal fire and want, her hands gripping his shoulders before one slid up to entangle in his beautiful black hair.  He took it down after coming in from working outside all day and that was a tease to her in itself.  Company or not, she refused to push her husband's attention away, but had to break the kiss when both of them needed air to breathe.

“I said that earlier.” She whispered, running a single nail down his rugged handsome face, violet eyes sparkling. “And I'm not the only tease in this room.” Mark had also removed his shirt and that just about killed her because her husband had the most amazing chest.

“I'm pretty sure you are, darlin'.” He murmured, bending his head down to nip at her throat.

His hand skimmed down over her stomach and to the waistband of her shorts. Totally contradicting himself on the being a tease thing, he slid his hand beneath the fabric of her shorts until he was cupping her mound, smirking slightly at his wife's parted lips. A gasp escaped her and Taker knew there was no turning back, dinner would have to wait because he was having dessert first, lowering his head after removing her shorts.

“I think I'll eat outside…” Paul stated, those walls being rather thin and that had been an exceptionally loud gasp.

“Me too.”

“Cheesecake is done, outside we go!”

Kane exchanged looks with Paul before they also followed.

Hours later, Angeni lay in her husband's arms, trying not to laugh because they had basically skipped dinner and went right to their own dessert. “We are terrible hosts, you realize that right?” When he shrugged, Angeni giggled softly and brought his lips to hers again, never wanting to leave this bed. 

Suddenly, she broke the kiss and jumped out of bed like her ass was on fire, holding a hand over her mouth as she raced into the bathroom, slamming the door shut.  Barely making it to the toilet, Angeni emptied the contents of her stomach and trembled from head to toe, tears stinging her eyes.  She absolutely hated vomiting, it was the worse feeling in the world.

Puzzled, Taker sat upright in bed and frowned, staring at the door before raising a hand to his mouth and doing a breath check. No…it wasn't him…Then his green eyes widened and he was on his feet, walking over to knock gently on the door. She had been fine up until just now and he really didn't like the idea of her vomiting after having sex with him.

“Ange, darlin'…” He gave the handle a jiggle, pushing the door open and stared down at her.

Angeni was bent over the sink and had just splashed cool water on her face, trembling slightly from getting sick.  That came out of NOWHERE.  She was feeling great, terrific after getting sex from her husband.  Where the hell had that wave of nausea come from?

“It wasn't you.” She murmured, the first words out of her mouth, not wanting him to think having sex with him was nauseating. “I'm sorry, I don't know where that came from…” She sounded confused and splashed more water on her face before brushing her teeth, rinsing her mouth out with water just wasn't cutting it. “And now I'm hungry, what the hell?”

Taker began doing the mental math, and then bent down to open the cupboards beneath the sink. Not saying a word he pulled out a small brown paper sack and placed it on the counter, staring down at her intently. He had sworn up and down after her miscarriage, he was not going to be brushing off any signs of illness or pregnancy.

Since she now seemed all right, that just fueled his curiosity even more. Angeni dried her face off and slowly looked at the box before her, violet eyes widening. Her gaze slowly moved up until they met her husband's emerald green eyes.

“Mark…” He picked the box up and opened it, dumping the contents on the counter before her, causing Angeni to swallow hard. “Honey, I don't think…” He pressed a finger to her lips, stopping her from talking and fresh tears swelled in her eyes. “It's only been a couple months.” Angeni said once she pulled away from him, afraid to take the test because of what it would tell her.  She wasn't sure if she was ready to be a mother yet, her and Mark had a lot more mending to do in their marriage. “I'm not pregnant.”

Denial would work.

Chapter 46

“Angeni, you already know I will sit here, tickle you until you piss yourself and then simply hold this…” He held up the wrapped…stick. “To your leg if I must.” Denial wasn't working and he was going to eliminate pregnancy before moving onto a life-threatening illness. “Spare us both the humiliation and take the test.”

“I don't have to piss right now.” Angeni grumbled and sighed when he actually filled the plastic cup with water that they normally used to rinse their mouths out after brushing, handing it to her. “Seriously?”

Deciding to do it just to shut her husband up, Angeni took the cup and downed it.  After five cups and nearly a half an hour later, Angeni had to go and made Mark wait outside of the bathroom while she took the test.  She pulled the stick out from beneath her and stared at it, waiting.  When it turned, Angeni stood up from the toilet and cleaned herself up before padding out, where Mark sat on the bed still naked.  Chewing her bottom lip, Angeni walked over to him and simply handed over the stick, sitting down beside him with her hands clasped tightly in her lap, head lowered.

“In case you can't read it, the two lines mean I'm pregnant.”

Considering when he had made Paul buy the damn thing, he had read the information on the back of the box, three times to commit it to memory, he knew exactly what those lines meant. Taker set the stick down on the floor, still staring at it before finally turning to look at Angeni. Seeing the way her hands were folded in her lap, the bent head, Taker frowned slightly.

“This…upsets you?” He tried to make that sound as understanding as possible, a bit upset that she looked upset.

“I don't know.  I mean, I never got to really feel what it's like being pregnant because of the accident the first time.” Slowly, Angeni pressed a hand to her flat stomach, hardly believing a life was growing inside of her at that moment. “I've never really thought of myself as the mother type.” She looked up into his eyes. “What about you?  How do you feel about this?”

It'd only been around four months since her miscarriage. What if she lost this one too?  It was Mark's this time. There wasn't a doubt in her mind because he'd been the only one she slept with.

“Overwhelmed.” He admitted gruffly. “But, at the same time, very happy.” He said both of those things with a straight face, carefully masking his emotions, since she still looked very unsure of how she was feeling at the moment, besides worried. Taker reached out to place his own hand on top of hers, his gaze dropping down to her stomach. “Your miscarriage was an accident, Angeni.” He said quietly, correctly interpreting some of her concerns. “It will not happen again.”

“What if it does?” Tears instantly slid down her cheeks and Angeni began trembling against her husband, rubbing the back of her neck with her free hand. “W-What if I end up losing this one too?  What if my body isn't ready for this?  So many things can go wrong, Mark!  I don't wanna go through it again!!” Angeni sounded both panicked and completely heartbroken because she'd already lost a baby. “I-I'm happy, I am, but I-I don't wanna get my hopes up in case something happens…”

She was terrified right now and it showed, her violet eyes mirroring her current feelings. His first reaction was to sedate her with a pressure point applied to her neck, where he could see her pulse point going a mile a minute if he looked hard enough. Second was to simply hold her against him, knowing her miscarriage had definitely left some lingering issues.

“Would you like to talk to Paul?” Taker offered after a few moments of simply letting her have her panic.

Paul was a doctor, of sorts. Paul could probably reassure her that she would carry fine…and if he couldn't, Taker would use him as compost for the garden. Angeni slowly calmed down, not answering him right away and had her arms firmly around his neck, sitting on his lap sideways with his arms around her.

“Sorry.” She whispered, slowly pulling back to stare up into his eyes, brushing away a strand of black hair from his face. “Didn't mean to lose it like that.  Guess I was shocked.” Even though she shouldn't have been considering how much sex they had recently. “We're having a baby.” She pressed her forehead to his, caressing his face and let more tears fall. “OUR baby.”

Meaning he was without a doubt the father, there was no doubt in her mind about it. Damn right THEIR baby. Taker knew without a doubt it was indeed his child because he was the ONLY man she had been with since their reconciliation. That was a damn good thing for everyone around him as his psyche would never recover if she had betrayed him like that again. Kane was probably going to have to be removed from the house…who knew how the man would react to this information? He shunted all that aside and simply focused on his wife, then smirked.

“We're definitely going to have to add-on.”

Angeni nodded, jumping slightly when both of their stomachs rumbled at the same time and laughed. “We need to eat something.” She stated, watching him nod as she slid off of his lap.

Both of them reluctantly dressed, her in a blood red nightgown while he just slipped his black skintight jeans back on.  They walked out of the bedroom and stopped at the sight of Paul on the couch watching television.  Angeni sighed when Mark forced her to sit down while he went to get them two plates.

“I'm not helpless you know.” She muttered good-naturedly, knowing why he was doing it.

Well he could fix that, especially if she decided she was going to be doing anything she shouldn't…like working outside in the heat in her condition and 'Taker frowned suddenly. There were a lot of things Angeni liked to do that she was going to have to give up…at least in HIS opinion and he could already see between that along the fabled hormonal imbalances. Taker was going to need to invest in a cup and a mild sedative, already envisioning some future rows.

“I like to take care of you.” He said finally, grinning broadly when she smiled at him.

“What's going on?” Paul asked hesitantly, looking at Angeni and then Taker, wondering if he missed something.

“We just found something out and he's already being overprotective.” Angeni ignored the look her husband shot her, practically glowing.

“W-Which is?” Paul knew he was probably sticking his nose where it wasn't wanted, but he was curious.

“We're pregnant.”

Paul spit the water out he'd just taken a drink of, eyes bulging out of his already chubby face, coughing. “W-W-WHAT?!”

Angeni giggled at his reaction and took the plate of food Mark handed her, scooting over so he could sit next to her on the loveseat. “We're going to have a baby.”

“Oh…”

“We just sounds wrong. She is going to have our baby. She is pregnant.” Taker corrected after a moment, reaching over to once more rest his hand on her stomach. “Though I will definitely take the claim of getting her in this condition.”

Paul was mopping water off himself, scowling. “Of course you will, you arrogant jackass. How far along are you, Angeni?” He asked, looking at her and ignoring the very satisfied smirk on the Phenom's face.

“I don't know, I just took a test about an hour ago…” Angeni placed her hand over his and sighed when Mark handed her the fork, urging her to eat. “I-Is there a way for you to find out, Paul?” She remembered Mark's offer for her to talk to Paul about this and decided to take him up on it, leaning against her husband while he ate. “I-Is there a way to find out if…if my body can handle this?  My accident…I don't want it happening again…”

Angeni hated feeling unsure about this, but after what happened and not even realizing she was pregnant, no chances could be taken lightly. Paul nodded immediately, aware that Taker was simply staring down at his own plate, but not touching it and not moving. Taker was listening. Paul wasn't surprised in the least by her question, it was only natural for her to have concerns after her miscarriage. After how that had occurred with her moonsault and subsequent landing.

“Of course, Angeni, you can see your personal physician or-” Paul arched an eyebrow when Taker began shaking his head no. “I am always at your service.”

Taker was going to reassign Paul's duties to solely that of tending to his wife permanently.

“You've taken care of me since Mark and I reunited, I trust you the most, Paul.” Angeni smiled tentatively at him and started eating, feeling as though she was starving.  Within minutes, the whole plate was devoured and Angeni was on her way to get a second plate, ignoring the bewildered looks of both her husband and Paul.

“D-Does she eat like that all the time?”

“No.” Taker shook his head, recovering much more quickly than his mentor and finally began eating his own food, at a much slower pace. “Definitely pregnant…and just think, my baby is in there, she will be hu-”

“I don't care if you are the Undertaker, the Deadman, the Phenom, the Lord of Darkness, you will be a smear on the floor if you finish that sentence and she overhears you.”

“What was that, my dear husband?”

“He simply said you're even more beautiful now that you're pregnant.”

Angeni frowned, tilting her head. “But-”

“More beautiful because of your glow.” Paul corrected smoothly, knowing he just saved the Deadman's ass and smiled warmly. “Finish eating and then we'll do a quick examination to make sure everything is fine, which I'm sure it is.”

Grinning, Angeni nodded and sat down beside Mark, kissing his cheek before beginning to devour her second plate.  She'd never ate this much in her life. This kid definitely took after its father.

That was Taker's first lesson in how to avoid dying by a pregnant woman. It had taken him several moments to understand just why the hell Paul was lying to her, not that she wasn't beautiful because she was. Pregnant or not. He had seen this woman without make-up, looking like shit and had still found her gorgeous.

Taker was pretty certain when her hands and feet were the size of his, her stomach poking out like a balloon and all crazy with hormones, he was still going to find her beautiful. Though, at Paul's 'learn from this' look, he got it. Death by a pregnant, hormonal woman for saying 'huge' and probably any other related words wasn’t in his best interest.

Kane had overheard everything as he sat on the stairs, closing his eyes and knew there really was no chance for him and Angeni.  He had to let her go.  He had to move on and knew falling for his sister-in-law was the worst mistake he could've possibly made.  Silently, Kane made his way back upstairs and went to bed, deciding he was leaving tomorrow, not caring if his place wasn't ready yet. 

He would stay in a hotel until it was, unable to stay here anymore. Though, big brother had given him some valuable information regarding who told him about his one nightstand with Angeni. Sean Waltman’s days were numbered officially, he would die for his treachery.

~!~

It turned out that Angeni was perfectly healthy and was seven weeks along in her pregnancy. Paul did a thorough examination and became her official obstetrician, she trusted no one else. Throughout the next seven and a half months, a lot of things changed. Stephanie and John ended up eloping to Vegas, asking Mark and Angeni to be their witnesses.

Mark surprised Angeni by getting down on one knee and properly asking her to marry him again, presenting her with a beautiful Amethyst stone cut in the shape of a teardrop with little diamonds surrounding it. He wanted to make their marriage work, especially now that she was pregnant and said he refused to let her go. Angeni accepted and they were married in the same chapel as the first time, only Angeni actually went out and purchased a wedding dress to make it feel more official.

They had renewed their vows and Mark promised it was forever this time, that he wasn't walking away from her ever. Glen and Mark slowly began building a friendship, but they still didn't trust each other and Glen ended up meeting a woman named Dyana. She was a beauty with honey blonde hair, sky blue eyes and the warmest smile he'd ever seen on a woman. Angeni was very happy for him and became fast friends with Dyana. She was simply that easy to get along with and heart-warming.

Mark did indeed add on to the cottage and raised the ceilings a bit, changing a few things to his liking, which Angeni didn't mind. It still had the same beauty as it always did, only it was bigger now with the same style. The cottage had blown up into a two story house when it was all said and done with four bedrooms, two upstairs and two down.

When the men were on the road, -Mark refused to let Angeni join him on the road until after the baby was born and also forced Paul to stay with her- Dyana and Angeni busied themselves with work around the house and especially the baby nursery. It was a safari theme since they were having a boy, Paul had told her during one of the ultrasounds he'd conducted. He turned one of the bedrooms into his medical office with all the necessary tools, ready to deliver the baby at a moment's notice. Angeni refused to go to a hospital and Mark had given Paul all the money he needed to literally change the room into a delivery/medical room, even going so far as getting monitors for the baby and mother.

On Thanksgiving morning, a beautiful baby boy was born weighing nine pounds, seven ounces and was twenty-three inches long. After thinking long and hard about it, Angeni decided on the name Julian Marcus Calaway. Neither parents wanted to name him after his father for different reasons, mainly wanting the baby to have his own identity and life instead of being tied down as a junior.

He was perfect with beautiful deep emerald green eyes that mirrored his father's and raven black hair from his mother. As Angeni held her beautiful son, all she could think about was everything that happened to get to this point. How just shy of a year ago she'd reunited with her husband and now here they were, one big happy family.

Mark never struck or abused her again, vowing to protect her and Julian with everything he had inside of him. However, his dark side never faded away, Mark never changed as far as his attitude went, still having the edge. It was as if he'd tried to kill the light inside of Angeni, but instead she had sparked the light inside of him, changing him into the man he always wanted to be.

The End