Truth

Chapter 1

Working for the WWE was definitely something Rajani never thought she would do, especially the job she currently had: Stephanie McMahon's personal assistant/mole. Anything the woman needed, Rajani did without question.  Stephanie was easy enough to get along with, but for some odd reason her husband, Paul Levesque -Fans knew him worldwide as Triple H- didn't care for her. He didn't cause her too many problems, only when the situation really called for it.  Rajani took it with a grain of salt and had started her internship just over six months ago, only butting heads with Paul 3 times.  Stephanie had intervened the last time they didn't see eye to eye, making her husband promise to let her handle her mole and not get involved. Other than that, Rajani didn't have any problems with anyone in the WWE, mostly keeping to herself and just doing her job, which fluctuated on a nightly basis. Stephanie had informed Paul behind closed doors that if he didn't stop messing with her assistant, she was going to mess with HIM and not in a way he would like. She liked Rajani because the woman was a smart hard worker, who was also easy to get along with. Those were qualities she had found lacking in previous assistants.

“I'm sensing tonight is going to be a headache.” Stephanie said aloud, after reviewing the script, wondering if it would really be a bad thing for her to just return to the hotel. She was the boss; she could do that, right? No, of course not, someone had to make sure things didn't get completely out of hand. “What else is on the agenda?” She sighed, glancing at Rajani.

“Umm besides the battling between Cena and Kane, that's the only thing you should have to worry about.” Rajani bluntly answered, glancing down at her notes and nodded firmly.

Stephanie currently had her helping out with the scripts because, since it was WrestleMania time, everything was more hectic.  The writers were pressured a lot more, which meant the bosses had even MORE to worry about.  She smiled weakly when Stephanie let out a groan, actually having sympathy because the ratings had been fluctuating as of late.  They had to do something to bring the ratings back up, especially during the first few months of the year, because it was considered their highest grossing time due to WrestleMania.  Being this was Rajani's first Road to WrestleMania, she was being extra careful and critical when it came to her job. Nodding when Stephanie pointed something else out on the sheet she held, Rajani changed it.

“No, he hasn't.” Stephanie growled, her blue eyes narrowing slightly.

She had been pressing him to make a decision about it for weeks now and Paul still wouldn’t give her a definite answer. That was one major headache, the ratings were another, and the third was the Kane/Cena feud. This was actually great for both men's careers, except for the fact that since Glen or 'Kane' had decided now would be a great time to totally go mental and live what was supposed to be a gimmick, everyone backstage was on edge.

“Alright…” She took a deep breath and pushed herself away from her makeshift desk. “Let's go make the attempt to lay down some ground rules.”

Rajani did NOT like the sound of that at all, knowing exactly what Stephanie was planning on doing.  Had she completely lost her mind?  Maybe the pressure of everything had finally gotten to her.  Rajani could only follow Stephanie out of her office, both of them heading down the hallway toward one of the two men's locker rooms.  Kane refused to use locker rooms, enjoying being in the bowels of the arena, so they went to John Cena's dressing room first.

Wearing an off the shoulder long sleeved black shirt with black dress pants, Rajani had a silver chain around her waist for style.  She had dangling silver earrings that had a weird design and matched the necklace.  Her long ravenous hair was pulled back in a French braid, a few tendrils framing her face.  Black eyeliner brought out her deep dark brown eyes that looked nearly black, which went well with her tanned complexion. 2 inch black knee high boots finished her outfit off and Rajani had to admit she looked good tonight, always looking professional whenever she worked.  She tapped her acrylic nails against the clipboard she always carried with her nervously while Stephanie knocked on John Cena's dressing room door, hoping this went well.

John opened the door wearing nothing except his shorts, fresh out of the shower and in the process of getting dressed. He wore his trainers, but hadn't laced them up yet. His blue eyes narrowed when he spotted Stephanie, knowing she rarely made visits unless it was important. John had a feeling he knew what this was about, folding his arms in front of his still drying muscular chest.

“What's up, Stephy?” He greeted, the corners of his mouth curving upwards into the barest hint of a smile, his gaze straying to her gopher and nodded.

“Kane.” Stephanie said flatly.

John rolled his eyes heavenward. “Stephanie-”

“Script, Cena, we follow the script.”

Rajani nodded back at him politely, immediately adverting her gaze from his, while Stephanie started going into the whole speech about why following the script was important for business.  The whole time Stephanie was giving him the third degree, Rajani couldn't help noticing John looked thoroughly amused and just nodded his head, agreeing with whatever the boss said.  Though, she knew that John would end up doing whatever he wanted because that's just how Cena worked.  If Kane provoked him, he would fight back, it was pretty simple.

John just let Stephanie say her piece, figuring she needed to feel in control of the situation when the truth was: She had no control. He did like Stephanie, for the most part, so he let her have her moment. Though, when he noticed her assistant, Rajani, was looking anywhere except at him, his little half-grin turned into a half-smirk. He leaned against the door frame.

It took Stephanie a full minute to realize John was no longer paying any attention to her, following his gaze and scowled. From day one, ever since Rajani started her internship as Stephanie's assistant, things between her and John had been...interesting.  He asked her out the first night he saw her and she shot him down because Rajani fully believed in not mixing business with pleasure.  She was single and enjoyed it, not wanting any drama in her life.  Ever since she shot him down, John had done everything in his power, short of actually forcing himself on her, to get her to change her mind.  This was just another night on the job and Rajani knew how to handle this situation, smiling at Stephanie.

“I think we should go find Kane now so Mr. Cena can finish getting ready…” Not to mention Rajani had to fight everything inside of her NOT to watch the water rivulets slowly slide down his perfectly sculpted chest.

“I think-”

“You should go out with me after the show, Rajani.” John interrupted, his eyes glimmering with wicked intentions that only intensified when Stephanie sighed in sheer exasperation.

“Really John?”

“She could try to convince me to follow the script more often.”

Stephanie arched an eyebrow at that, glancing back at Rajani thoughtfully, considering what John said.

Rajani remained calm, cool and collected, one of the many reasons why Stephanie had given her the internship. “I'm not interested, but thanks for the offer, Mr. Cena.”

She knew John HATED formality and smiled sweetly, not letting him ruffle her feathers, especially in front of her boss.  Though, the look that Stephanie was giving Rajani made her a little nervous, wondering if the woman would actually order her to go on a date with an employer.  Being a boss that would be bad for business, so Rajani hoped Stephanie was smarter than that.

“Do you have to call me Mr. Cena?” John ignored the warning look Stephanie shot him, stepping away from the doorway and towards Rajani, returning her smile though no one in their right mind would call his sweet. Mischievous maybe, but not sweet. “You can call me John you know, your boss does.”

Low blow Cena, Stephanie thought, knowing that Rajani was all about being professional and John was taunting her. “I mean it John, one toe out of line tonight and I'll fine you to hell and back.”

John saluted her, still never taking his eyes off Rajani. “Sure you won't rethink dinner, hmm?”

“Hold on one sec.” Rajani stood there pretending to think it over, tapping her chin thoughtfully, before locking her eyes on his. “Nope, I'm just not interested enough to reconsider it.  But thank you anyway, Mr. Cena.”

Stepping away from him, Rajani knew she would definitely need a new change of panties once she got back to the hotel tonight, standing beside her boss patiently.  Why Stephanie thought she could control John Cena was beyond her, but Rajani would stay along for the ride, writing something else down on her clipboard. She always kept notes and was vigilant when it came to her job, not missing a step, which she knew Stephanie very much appreciated.

“Taking notes? Writing down the things you'd like to do to me?” John teased, holding his hands up when Stephanie actually growled at him, stepping back into his dressing room, obviously trying not to laugh. “Alright, take the rookie and go see Kane.” For a brief second, concern flashed through his eyes. “Actually, I wouldn't go see him.”

“Even Kane knows better not to touch us.” Stephanie said calmly, though she did make a mental note to take along security, just in case. “Remember, one toe...”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”

Rajani ignored him for the most part, simply yawning right in his direction with the same sweet smile on her face. “Wouldn't you like to know?” She shot back over her shoulder before walking away with Stephanie, smirking when her boss merely smirked, shaking her head. “Sorry, I hope that wasn't out of line...”

“I was wondering when you were going to stand up to him.  You can't let the guys intimidate you, no matter how big they are, remember that.  Or they will walk all over you.”

Rajani decided against telling Stephanie that John had overstepped his boundaries on more than one occasion and Rajani had stood up for herself the best she could.

“And to think, John used to be such a sweetheart too.”

Stephanie shook her head, gesturing for security to fall into step with them. Deciding there was no way she was going to venture down into the bowels of the arena to see Kane without protection. Technically, the guy worked for her company, but...she doubted that would stop him if he decided to go mental on her.

“This whole line has...changed him or maybe just reverted him. He was cocky back when he first started, but he mellowed out. Maybe he's just following Mark's example and 'being in character'. Now if only I could get him to stop hitting on you...”

“Believe me, it would be heavenly working here if he got the hint and took a hike.”

There were other more personal reasons why Rajani refused to go out with John.  She was the adoptive sister of a very famous WWE alumni superstar, but nobody in the company knew about it besides her bosses.  In her contract, Rajani made sure they had to vow never to mention or utter a peep about it unless she decided to come out with the truth.  If John knew who she was related to, he probably would take the flirtation one step further and Rajani wasn't taking the chance of that happening. Stephanie was right, he had changed and some backstage didn't think it was for the best. Stephanie prayed every night that John never found out about Rajani's associations because she knew exactly what he'd do. He'd use it to his advantage. She never thought she'd think that about John, but...these days, who the hell knew.

“Glen?” Stephanie called as they entered his 'territory', scowling when he corrected her. “Fine…Kane?”

“And what...” He stepped out of the shadows, towering over everyone present, behind the mask his eyes were scanning them all, finally landing on Rajani before flickering back to Stephanie. “Do I owe the honor, Prin-cess?”

Rajani immediately lowered her eyes from Kane, this man crept her out in more ways than she cared to think about.  She simply stood there and had to really talk herself into not showing fear.  Kane fed off of it; he was the main reasoning for John's change in attitude lately and everyone knew it.  Why he specifically targeted John nobody understood, only that it had something to do with him always being happy and comfortable in his own skin.  Kane didn't like that apparently. Rajani just let Stephanie do the talking, not even daring to write notes on her clipboard and hoped they had enough security. Kane was just like John in the aspect that he wasn't listening to a word Stephanie was saying, though he did catch the general gist of it. He was more focused on Rajani, who was looking at the floor like it was the most interesting thing in the world. He found that amusing.

“Do I scare you, Rajani?” He asked, effectively cutting Stephanie off, his voice low and husky in a rasping sort of way.

“Kane...”

He continued ignoring the boss.

“Sorry?”

Rajani made the mistake of looking up when she heard her name, completely missing what Kane asked her.  She swallowed when he repeated the question, tightening her grip a little on the clipboard that was pressed against her chest.  What kind of question was that?  Of course he scared her!  He scared a lot of people!  But Rajani was smart enough to know what answer to give Kane and managed a small smile.

“Not at all, Mr. Jacobs.” Rajani immediately backed up against the nearest security guard, when he let out a growl, knowing that was out of line, but she had to stand up for herself somehow against this behemoth.

Stephanie was all for Rajani standing up for herself to the boys, but...perhaps not right now with Glen being in his other state of mind opposed to the sane one. “Alright, let's just calm down here.” She said, trying to refocus his attention back on her. “I want you to follow the script.”

He snorted at that.

“Which means no crossing any lines and-” Stephanie swallowed hard when he finally gave her his full focus. “And sticking to the script, word for word. I've warned Cena, I'm warning you.”

“And what did he have to say?”

“That's neither here nor there, we're talking about you.”

His lips curved into an evil smile. “I'd rather talk about your assistant.”

Why the hell was so much attention suddenly directed on her?  Rajani couldn't figure it out and clearly shot Stephanie a 'what the hell' look, watching her boss shrug.  There was nothing really to discuss about her, Rajani wondered if maybe staying in the office would've been a better idea while Stephanie handled this business.  But she was Stephanie's assistant, which meant she had to follow wherever her boss went.  The internship had certain qualifications and that was definitely one of them.  She didn't dare open her mouth while Stephanie tried gaining Kane's attention again.  Unlike John, Rajani knew for a fact this man could squash her like a bug if he wanted to. Stephanie knew she wasn't getting anywhere with Kane, just like she hadn't with John, but she had felt obligated to try. She also felt obligated to go drink away this migraine. Sighing, she gestured for Rajani to follow her, more than ready to get the hell out of this dank room.

Kane watched them walk away, one hand moving up to stroke his chin thoughtfully, eyes narrowing under the mask.

Chapter 2

“Why did I bother?”

“You're just trying to restore order and I don't blame you.” Rajani said and could feel Kane's eyes boring into her back as they all retreated hastily out of the bowels of the arena.

Once they were back in light and around other Superstars, Rajani let out a full body shiver, hoping Stephanie ignored her.  She couldn't help it.  She was chilled to the bone and wondered why the hell Kane suddenly had an interest in her.  That thought did NOT bode well with her at all, especially since Eve had to have an on-the-road fulltime psychiatrist in order to get through this storyline with Kane.  He had scared her that much. Stephanie imitated Rajani a moment later by doing a full body shudder, not caring who saw her. One of the perks to being the boss, they couldn't say shit and she didn't really care what anyone thought. Kane gave her the creepy crawlies.

“Something like that.” Stephanie said dryly, reaching up to massage her temples with her fingertips. “Why don't you go inform the writers to be ready to start any changes regarding the Cena/Kane line? Then inform the EMT’s that they'll probably be used for real tonight.”

Stephanie was just getting a feeling that tonight was going to be one of those nights. Rajani nodded and headed down the hallway without a word, having the same feeling Stephanie did regarding tonight.  John seemed to be in his cocky state of mind while Glen/Kane was in his psychotic mindset.  Tonight wasn't going to be good at ALL.  Sighing wearily, Rajani headed to the writer's office first and knocked on the door before entering.

Felicia looked up when the door opened, smiling at the sight of Rajani. “Hey girl, what's up?”

She was the lead script writer for the Raw roster and one of Rajani's closer friends.  Because of her job and what she did, Rajani didn't have a lot of friends, but then again neither did Felicia.  They had the hardest jobs, in her mind, of the company because if they screwed up it caused massive chaos.

“Do I even have to say it?” Rajani remarked with a sigh, causing Felicia to laugh, and headed over to sit down in a chair to take a small breather.

“Stephanie sent you in here to tell us about changes that may or may not happen with the Cena/Kane feud.” Felicia rolled her eyes when Rajani nodded, snorting. “I swear, why do we have to change the scripts just because these guys constantly have their thumbs up their asses?” Felicia spoke her mind and sometimes it got her in trouble, but she was also respected by a lot of the superstars and Divas of the roster. “What else is new?”

“Besides wanting to castrate a certain rapper wanna-be who refuses to leave me alone, nothing.”

“I would prefer you to not castrate me and, for the record, I haven't been a rapper wanna-be in quite some time.” John said as he walked in, obviously having heard that last bit of Rajani's sentence. He flashed a smirk before looking to Felicia, now fully dressed and ready for the night. “I'm here for my script.”

As if she didn't already know. Apparently Stephanie had sent his original one back earlier in the day for revisions. John had to admit, he wondered why she even bothered sometimes. Felicia felt sorry for her friend and didn't say a word, simply sifting through the scripts in her hand and handed it over, wondering what Rajani was thinking.

“You really do have a huge ego, don't you?” Rajani shot back, though there was no malice in her voice, just sheer amusement. “What makes you think I was talking about you, Cena?  I have better things to do with my time, honestly.” Another reason why Rajani had been hired was her ability to lie smoothly, which Stephanie admired.

Rajani definitely had a fire about her, there was no doubt about that. “She has a point, Cena.” Felicia added, draping an arm around her friend's shoulders. “So if you don't need anything else, you can exit the way you entered my office.  Thanks.”

Just shaking his head, John took the script, laughing openly on his way out the door. He had no idea who these women thought they were fooling, but it wasn't him. John might have acted stupid on occasion, however he was anything but. The laughter faded when he spotted Kane, or Glen, whoever the hell the man thought he was at the moment, emerging from the stairwell. Kane just stared right back at John, slowly tilting his head to one side as a slow, evil smile spread across his lips, his new mask revealing his lower face.

“Girl, you've lost your mind talking to him like that!” Felicia whispered, after poking her head out the door to make sure John was out of earshot this time, staring back at Rajani with wide eyes. “What are you thinking?”

“I'm sticking up for myself.  I'm not going to let him intimidate me.  He doesn't scare me.” If anyone scared her, it was Kane and a few others on the roster who were bigger and badder than John Cena. “I should go, gotta go inform the EMT squad on possible changes tonight.”

“Tell Michael I said hi and be careful.” Felicia had no idea what John was capable of and hoped Rajani knew what she was doing.

“Will do, talk to you later honey.” Rajani walked out and headed toward the back of the arena, where they always had an ambulance on standby, in case something went wrong or a Superstar botched a move.

“No, not happening, back off both of you!” Stephanie ordered, having been informed through her walkie-talkie that Kane and John had come face to face in the hallway, hauling her ass and security's to the scene. “I will SUSPEND you both.”

“Bullshit.” John challenged in a growl.

“For once, I agree with Cena.” Kane sneered, not backing or looking away from the other man.

Flashing a disarming smile, John threw his hands up and stepped back, his eyes pure ice.

She was going gray, Stephanie just knew it, wondering if Rajani would be opposed to going out and buying her a box of hair dye, just in case.

Luckily, Rajani had gone in the opposite direction of the Kane/John confrontation, doing what Stephanie instructed by going to check on the ambulance for tonight’s show. “Hey Raja, what's crackin'?” Michael greeted with a smile, seeing the look of annoyance on her face and chuckled. Rajani’s short nickname was pronounced just like the tiger’s name off of the Disney movie Aladdin. “Let me take a wild guess...”

“You would probably nail it.” Rajani muttered, hopping up to sit beside Michael in the back of the ambulance, her legs dangling freely. “Stephanie...”

“I already know and I wish those guys would get a grip.” Michael snorted, running a hand through his cropped black hair.  He went to say something else when the walkie-talkie went off, informing him that Eve, one of the WWE Divas, was on her way to talk to him about that night's script. “Duty calls, I already know Stephanie is sending you to warn us about possible changes.”

“Thanks Mike, talk to you later.” Hopping down from the ambulance, Rajani reluctantly headed back inside the arena, passing by Eve on the way. “He's waiting for you.”

Eve didn't look happy and simply nodded, murmuring a 'thank you' in response.

“Rajani, there you are...” Stephanie said, walking towards her assistant, then halted, frowning. “I sent you out, didn't I?”

She was actually flustered and felt like she was losing her mind. WrestleMania time was always hectic and she had seen more than one person have to take a 'break' due to stress, she had never figured on being one of those people. Rajani simply nodded, frowning at her boss and hoped Stephanie didn’t have a breakdown.

“God, between Cena and Jacobs, I am losing my mind. Talk to Felicia?” She wasn't surprised at the nod and nodded in return. “Good. I feel so bad for the writers, I really do.” Dirt sheets would criticize the writing, but what they didn't seem to realize was that the writers had to work around insanity, literally.

“Luckily though, you have a brilliant lead script writer who works with the insanity that surrounds us daily.”

Rajani knew Stephanie had to hear something positive and managed to get a small smile out of her boss.  It was better than nothing.  She decided against telling Stephanie about her encounter with Cena in the writer's office.  She had so much on her plate already, Rajani wasn't going to pile it on further.  She would deal with John Cena on her own without anyone's help, he was harmless, or had been so far.

“This is true.” Stephanie didn't bother bringing up John and Glen's little encounter in the hallway, knowing there wasn't anything Rajani could do about it so...why tell her? “Let's just get through tonight and hope,” She crossed her fingers, flashing another small smile, pausing briefly. “Things don't go completely...”

“Apeshit insane.” Alex said as he walked by, a box of bandages and wraps in his arms, just in case.

“Yes that, thank you.”

They headed back to Stephanie's office, where they would be out of the crossfire and Rajani got to work on some papers that Stephanie simply didn't have time to go through filling out.  She sat down and began the tedious work, knowing her wrist was going to ache from writing so much after tonight, but this job was worth it. Honestly, Rajani couldn’t see herself doing anything else with her life and career choice, owing Stephanie McMahon-Levesque a lot for giving her this opportunity.

“Hey I'm gonna run down to the cafeteria really fast and get something to eat, do you want anything?” Rajani was starving and all the running around she'd done had increased her appetite, sighing when Stephanie shook her head. “Not even a fruit cup?  You need to keep your strength up, boss.”

“I will eat like a hog when I get back to the hotel room.” Stephanie promised with a wan smile, also sorting through paperwork, looking up from the desk. “Right now though, I don't think eating would be a great idea.”

Considering her stomach was doing back flips and sideways rotations, eating would probably be a really bad idea, especially if something went wrong. She did, however, promise herself that, as soon as Rajani was out of the room, she was going to pop a Tums or two. Hopefully that would help her tumbling stomach, waving her assistant off.

“Go on, go get something to eat.”

“If you're sure...”

Rajani was worried about her boss and knew there was a ton of pressure because it was WrestleMania time.  Every show counted.  Every rating mattered.  That was just the way it was, Rajani knew Stephanie was probably thinking her father was some force of nature that managed to balance all of this out, without losing his mind.  That didn't mean Vince didn't have his moments where he lost it on his fellow employees, but for the most part he glued everything together.  Rajani felt her phone vibrate and ignored it, already knowing who it was, deciding answering any texts or phone calls at work was strictly prohibited.

“Hey Raji.”

Phil -Most knew him as simply CM Punk- called out from behind Rajani, smirking when he seen her shoulders do a slight shrug that indicated she rolled her eyes at him. He couldn't help it, he loved her name and thought it was amusing. He curbed his inner mirth, remembering what he wanted to ask Stephanie's gopher.

“Is Steph in a decent mood tonight or should I tread cautiously?” He asked, falling into step with her.

“You know I hate it when you call me that, Philip.” She smirked when the smirk fell from his lips, knowing he hated having his full name used. “Stephanie is in a great mood so you might want to catch her before it goes away.” She suggested with a sweet smile, knowing Stephanie was anything BUT in a decent mood, but Phil could find that out for himself.

Phil did have a reputation as a loud mouth, occasionally opinionated jerk, but...only with people he disagreed with, like the higher-ups, minus Stephanie when she wasn't in 'Vince Mode'. He did get along with others, however, most of the time. He genuinely liked Rajani, in a purely platonic sense, because she was so far a straight forward type of person which he respected.

“Now you know, Raji-” He paused, circling her once. “I'm just picking on you. You're my favorite gopher.”

Before she could whack him or something, Phil took off, really hoping Stephanie was in a good mood. Rajani laughed softly because Phil either didn't care that half his ass was hanging out due to his tights riding up his crack or he simply didn't care.  Phil was definitely one of a kind with a quick wit and mouth that most couldn't stand up to.  She liked him, but just as a friend, not thinking he was that attractive.  Of course she would never tell him that, Rajani wanted to keep the peace between them and didn't want to damage Phil's pride.  That didn't mean she wouldn't feed him to the proverbial wolves if he deserved it, like now.

“What a character.” She chuckled, heading on her way to the cafeteria and sighed when a headache suddenly came on.  The French braid her hair was in would have to be taken out immediately or the headache would turn into a full blown migraine.

Sometimes it sucked having long thick hair.

“Nose down, Cena.” Randy Orton instructed, smacking his best friend upside the back of his head when John looked up.

It reminded him of a bloodhound, not exactly something he would have ever attributed to his friend until this line with Kane had started. He wasn't sure if it was the line, or maybe John was finally cracking under all the pressure on his shoulders on top of the fans less than nice attitude towards him, maybe both. It was like John just knew whenever Rajani was around and, sure enough, the moment she walked into the cafeteria, he had noticed it.

“Seriously man, leave her alone, she's not your type.”

John disagreed, but didn't move from his perch on top of the table.

“Hey Raja.” Beth greeted with a friendly smile, busy piling some food on her plate. “How's it going?”

Beth was a sweetheart off camera and Rajani couldn't help befriending her either. “Going okay, Stephanie is just under a lot of pressure and I'm trying my best to try to take some of the pressure off her shoulders.  It's not easy by any means.” She grabbed a wrapped sandwich along with a green apple, chewing her bottom lip thoughtfully. “God my stomach feels like it's in knots right now and my head is pounding, would you mind doing me a favor?”

Beth frowned, nodding. “Sure, what is it?”

“Please help me undo this French braid.  I really don't care if my hair is all over the place right now, it’s better than getting a migraine.”

“No problem.” They sat down and Beth pulled the band out of Rajani’s hair before beginning the unraveling of her ravenous locks. “Damn, I wish I had hair like this.  You have incredible hair, Raja.”

“Thanks, I'm glad one of us thinks so.  I'm seriously considering cutting it off.”

All Randy could do was shake his head, wondering if John realized his observation of Beth taking Rajani's head down looked like borderline stalking. Intense, was the word that came to his mind. “You're embarrassing yourself, and me.”

“You're the only one who's noticing me noticing her.” John replied with a smirk, turning his head to glance at his friend before looking back at Rajani. “Damn her hair is thick...” He could imagine wrapping it around his fist, tilting her head back and...and he really needed a vacation, and a cold shower. “Fuck...”

“You are my lifesaver, thanks Beth.”

Rajani groaned in relief and ran her fingers through her hair, knowing it was really wavy due to being up in the French braid all day.  It went to her waist, but when it was straightened, it went past her ass.  As much as Rajani complained about her long hair, she was attached to it, which is why she hadn't chopped it yet.

Chapter 3

“No problem...” Beth glanced over at the table where Randy and John Cena were sitting, groaning softly. “Don't look now, but I think you have an admirer.”

“What?”

Rajani made the grave mistake of turning her head wherever Beth was looking, instantly regretting it. Sighing, Rajani turned back to open up her sandwich. Ignoring John was the best thing she could do at the moment and she would do it, no matter how hard it was. John wondered how heavy her hair was and if Beth was planning on stopping shooting him 'fuck off' looks anytime soon. He waved exaggeratedly at her, smirking when she scowled and turned to sit down on the bench, aware Randy was doing the same.

“What are you thinking, John?”

“I'm thinking Rajani really needs to relax and have fun. Look at her, that woman is stressed and tense.”

“I don't think you'd really help relieve those situations so much as make them worse...” Randy sighed, knowing he wasn't getting through to his friend so instead began occupying himself with his food.

“No, I'd relieve them...frequently.”

Randy groaned, pushing away the tray.

“Christ, he has a fucking staring problem.” Beth growled, not amused in the slightest and couldn't help getting perturbed by the way John was looking at Rajani. “How do you put up with that?”

“Put up with what?” Rajani asked, looking at Beth with a raised eyebrow and then looked over her shoulder at John again, shrugging. “Him?  He's not that hard to ignore contrary to what people believe.”

“You have one hell of a thick skin on you, girl.” Beth commended, taking a bite out of her pasta salad.

“Yeah I suppose I do.” Rajani began eating with gusto, knowing Stephanie would want her back at the office.

When John got up and strolled out of the cafeteria, Randy didn't know whether to let out a breath of relief or feel worried. Hell, forget that, John was his best friend, but he was definitely glad that he was on Smackdown! for the most part these days. He did not need to put up with his friend’s drama. Shaking his head, Kane slinked back from his rather concealed place, stowing away everything he had just observed. Chuckling darkly, he headed back to his locker room to prepare for the night’s festivities.

Once Rajani finished eating and promised to meet up with Beth tomorrow for lunch in the next town, she headed out of the cafeteria toward Stephanie's office, feeling a little better.  Though, Rajani made a quick stop in the women's bathroom to check over her hair to make sure it didn't look too wild.  Luckily, her hair was thick, but it didn't frizz often, so at that moment it had loose wavy curls throughout it, which actually gave it style.  Rajani fixed the part in her hair so it was angled before heading back out, feeling a little better and made sure to drape it over her shoulder.  It was official. She was having Janet cut it to the middle of her back as soon as possible, even if she had to be strapped down to the chair. Stephanie blinked when Rajani walked back into the office, taking note of the change in hairstyle, arching an eyebrow. She had always been aware that Rajani had extremely long hair, but she was very used to seeing it pulled back.

“That is...different.” She said after a moment, flicking her own shorter hair, behind her shoulder as an unconscious afterthought. “You feel better now that you've eaten?” She glanced at her wristwatch, aware the show was getting ready to kick off soon. “Because game time is in ten.”

“Shit, sorry Stephanie.  I ran into Beth and got this horrible headache from having my hair pulled back...”

She hoped Stephanie didn't mind because there was no way Rajani was putting it back up, not unless it was in a low ponytail. Her headache was slowly diminishing. Rajani wanted to keep it that way since they still had the show to get through. It wasn't wild looking so it would suffice for the time being.

“It's fine.” Stephanie waved her off absentmindedly, too busy looking over paperwork, not caring what Rajani’s hair looked like at the moment.  “I need you to look this over and figure out how much we owe that vendor while I take care of a few last minute details for tonight.”

“Gotcha.”

Rajani took a seat and began her work, slipping in some earplugs and kept her IPOD on low so she could clearly hear everything that was going on around her.  Music helped her configure numbers and that's what Stephanie currently had her doing, so Rajani needed to zone out.  It was the only way for her to do so as she began using a calculator, fingers flying over the keys as the music blasted in her ears.

Kane listened as the show kicked off, busy reviewing his 'script', mentally making changes to it. He smirked slightly at the segment with Eve, knowing that would just make her night totally complete. Skimming the part at the end of the show with Ryder, Kane read and then reread that part. Make sure he goes down the ramp...nah that was too boring. Off the stage, now that...that would much more interesting and lord knew Stephanie was constantly getting her ass grilled about the ratings. Well, he would just have to help her out on that now, wouldn’t he?

Surprisingly enough, the show went smoothly...up until the segment that involved Eve and Kane.  Rajani felt bad for the Diva having to work with that lunatic, but at the same time, ratings had picked up extensively since they began this whole Cena/Ryder/Eve/Kane angle.  Her eyes widened slightly when Eve jumped out of the ambulance and planted a mean lip lock on John.  He'd just saved her from nearly being carted away in the ambulance by Kane, but Rajani never recalled Eve kissing John being in the script.  She glanced over at Stephanie, who looked surprised and knew her suspicions had been confirmed.  Eve had jumped script and added even more fuel to the fire with this feud, as if it needed anymore.  The show continued as it should've...right up until the end when Kane came out and attacked Ryder once again, unscripted. Pushing him off the stage in his wheelchair with the crowd gasping in shock, her dark eyes widened as Stephanie cursed and immediately rushed out of the office. Leaving Rajani sitting there looking stunned at the monitor, her heart instantly went out to the injured Zack Ryder.

Kane was smart enough to retreat, knowing that John would eventually come out of his shock and guilt and be looking for a fight. Not to mention Stephanie would probably be ready to fine him to hell and back. Not that either one of those situations mattered, but...he had other plans to make. Being detained in a fight, one he knew he could and would win, or by a McMahon shrew, just wasn't in the cards, not tonight. John's blue eyes were wide and wracked with guilt when he made it backstage, alongside the stretcher Zack lay on.

“Bro, I am so sorry...” He whispered, knowing Zack couldn't hear him at the moment. He heard Stephanie's heels clacking rapidly and looked up at her, all traces of arrogance and cockiness gone.

“You're not to blame for this, John.” Stephanie stated, knowing tonight it was all Kane's fault, though she did glare at an approaching Eve. “What the HELL were you thinking jumping script like that Torres?!”

Eve lowered her eyes to the floor, swallowing hard. “H-He said if I didn't do it...I would regret it...” She whispered, trembling slightly and looked up when John placed a hand on her shoulder, looking up into his eyes. “I didn't want to do it...”

Stephanie rubbed her temples, knowing Kane had been responsible for that fiery kiss Eve gave John, scowling. “Alright fine, you're off the hook.  Does anyone know where the hell Kane went?” Everyone shook their heads. Stephanie rushed off, ready to fine Glen Jacobs to hell and back for the stunts he pulled tonight. “Mother fucker...”

“He's gone, he left already...” John muttered, unable to do anything but watch as Zak was wheeled towards the waiting ambulance.

Groaning in frustration, he turned and ran his hands over his head, feeling his short, damp hair. A second later John had hauled off and slammed his fist into the steel post that was used to help support the Titan tron. Of course Kane would be gone by now! It wasn't his style to stay around and watch the carnage; Kane would already know what was happening. Eve was already backing away, not wanting to be around as it looked like John was ready to start tearing the set apart.

“Is he...”

“He'll live.” Stephanie muttered, brushing past her assistant to gather up her things, having quite enough for one evening. “Time to pack up, Johnson.”

There was no way Rajani could stay in the office and not try to do something to help her boss, noticing that John had lost his temper once again. Rajani could only nod, knowing when Stephanie called her by her last name it was not a time to question the boss...at all.  She helped Stephanie gather her own things so she could get out of the arena. Packing up her own things, Rajani was not in as much of a hurry as Stephanie.  Once she was packed up, Rajani locked up Stephanie's office and headed out of the arena, letting a yawn escape.  Tonight had been tiring to say the least and it would only get worse the closer WrestleMania came.

John sat near the employee exit, which led to the underground parking lot they all used. He was sitting on a folding table, still wearing the same clothes he had wrestled in, his bag sitting on the floor at his feet. He saw Stephanie on her way out and gotten a clipped 'we'll let you know' about his questions concerning Zack. It was technically scripted that Ryder get 'hurt' every night Cena didn't 'give into the hatred', but it was supposed to be SCRIPTED, not real. This was all real. He was pretty sure he was feeling the hate right about now, but it was mostly directed at himself.

When her cell phone vibrated against her side for the millionth time, Rajani finally pulled it out to answer the text message, rolling her eyes.  She answered it and knew the person wouldn't appreciate her attitude, but Rajani was too tired to give a damn at the moment.  Rajani pushed open the door to the underground parking lot and jumped nearly a foot in the air when a crash echoed throughout it.  It sounded like a damn gun had just been fired!  Rajani's dark eyes widened slightly when she looked to her right and saw Cena, who had just thrown a chair against the wall.  The chair was now bent and dented, there would be no fixing it. John picked the chair up again, preparing to hurl it and whirled around, stopping himself before letting it fly. It registered that someone was standing right there looking at him like he had lost his mind, which he probably had. Then it hit who he had almost thrown the chair at.

“Rajani.” He said, sounding hoarse and dropped the chair. The twisted steel hitting the floor sounded louder than what it was and John looked down at it. Knowing he could have seriously injured her, John met her eyes, his own wide as saucers. “I'm sorry...”

“No problem.” She quickly replied, keeping her distance from him because honestly Rajani had no idea just how unstable John was at the moment, not wanting to find out. “I'm just gonna go dislodge my heart from my throat now.  Good evening.”

She began walking away from him toward her car, trying not to seem like she was in a rush to get out of there, when it reality, that had scared the living hell out of her.  Rajani had no idea John had a temper of that magnitude and tried getting her heart rate to slow down before it leapt right out of her chest. Cursing under his breath, John snatched up his bag and chased after her.

“Rajani, wait!” John called, groaning when she didn't stop and ran ahead of her, blocking her path.

In any other situation he probably would have grabbed her wrist. At the moment, he was hyper-aware of his actions and of the fact that she would probably both scream bloody murder and give him a brutal knee shot to the balls. That wasn’t about to happen, so John was being a little more cautious just for tonight. Not to mention, he honestly felt terrible for scaring the hell out of her with that steel chair.

“I'm sorry, I- I didn't mean to scare you.”

Rajani had to stop herself from smacking into John because of how fast she was walking, almost on the verge of jogging. “It's fine.”

She instinctively backed away from him, barely stopping herself from colliding into his body.  Under normal circumstances, this would've been the time for Rajani to tell John to get out of her way, but she didn't want to fire up his temper any more than what it was. The character he portrayed on television wasn’t always the fun loving John Cena behind closed doors and Rajani knew better than to push his buttons right now, not after what happened with Kane.

“No reason for you to apologize.  Excuse me.” Rajani went to step around him, sighing when he stepped in her way, stopping her. “Something you need, Cena?”

John realized he was still standing there, staring at her like an idiot and swallowed, smiling weakly. “Um, yeah, actually...” He looked around the mostly empty lot, knowing the stage hands and the rest had parked at the loading entrances with the semis. “Randy left without me, could I hitch a ride with you?” He must have really irritated Randy for him to just leave him like this, of all nights. “I promise not to be annoying.” John held up a hand, doing a very poor imitation of a Boy Scout.

Did he really just ask her for a ride back to the hotel?  Rajani wondered if she'd heard him right, tilting her head slightly.  He had harassed her right in front of Stephanie and now he was asking her for a ride?  This man was definitely unstable and...hot as hell.  Rajani wanted to slap herself for that last second thought, not believing she actually found a man of his caliber attractive.  Of course she would never admit that to anyone, not even Felicia.  Truth was, Rajani had a crush on John Cena ever since the night he asked her out, her first night on the job, and she turned him down for one very important reason.  If he found out…no, that wasn’t going to happen ever.

“I suppose I have no choice, but if you mention one syllable regarding me going out to dinner with you, I'm ditching you on the side of the road.  We clear?” When John nodded, Rajani couldn't believe she was actually doing this and guided him toward her rental car, a black Lexus with tinted windows.

The idea of taking Rajani out to dinner was honestly the last thing on his mind at the moment. John quietly got into the car, adjusted the seat back to accommodate his large, long frame and stared out the window. Of course, at a later time, when he wasn't feeling totally guilty over a co-worker being hospitalized because of him, he would probably use this against her somehow, but...not tonight. Or at least, not until the car was parked and he was sure he wouldn't be hoofing it.

“Now that,” Kane murmured, pausing and stepped out from behind a pillar he had been leaning against, his own ride parked in the back with the stage crew. “Is interesting...”

Chapter 4

The silence was deafening, so Rajani turned the radio on, smiling at the country station.  She was a country bumpkin at heart, loved everything about the genre of music, though Rajani also had other musical interests.  Right now however, she was in a country mood and currently her favorite, Jason Aldean, was playing through the radio, mouthing the words while cracking her window to get some air into the vehicle.  She was surprised John wasn't talking to her, but Rajani wasn't complaining, knowing he probably had a lot on his mind after what happened tonight.

John was gradually pulled from his admittedly disturbing thoughts -they involved him, Kane, and a lot of weapons at his disposal, such as a chain- when he realized there was background noise and it was...god awful... “What the hell is that? “ He demanded, staring down at the radio like it was diseased. When John got a clipped 'Jason Aldean' he frowned, having come to the conclusion that this was Satan's favorite brand of music: country.

“If you don't like it, plug your ears with your fingers.” Rajani suggested sweetly, glancing over at him briefly and stopped at a red light before reaching over and pulling John's visor down.

She tapped her chin 3 times before pulling out a CD, deciding she needed more Jason Aldean instead of a mixture.  Popping it in, Rajani pushed the visor back up just as the light turned green and continued driving.  So John didn't like country music eh?  Rajani was going to use this to her full advantage. It was her way of getting some kind of retribution on him for what he did to her earlier in the night and blasted it as loud as she could stand it. Wasn't her fault if he didn't like her choice in music, maybe it would make him stop asking her out to dinner every night.  Rajani could only hope that happened, especially under her circumstances.  She had to figure out SOMEWAY to get him to back off before WrestleMania arrived or else everything she'd worked for these past six months was going to blow sky high.

Now this was just petty, she was doing this on purpose and thoughts of Zack and Kane were slowly being pushed aside in favor of plotting revenge. Revenge would have to wait, obviously; John wasn't about to walk back to the hotel. One, it was cold. Two, he'd wind up mugged by crazy fan girls or by haters; seriously not something he was in the mood for tonight. Gritting his teeth, John looked back out the window, really hoping this crap didn't get stuck in his head; he could imagine no worse fate. Actually, if the cosmos had a sick sense of humor, this would get stuck in his head and he'd find himself singing it later. Perfect way to cap his evening off.

“Before leaving, did Steph have an update on Zack?” John asked, already having asked Steph directly, but figured this might be a good way to distract him from the mental warfare she was playing against him.

Rajani wasn't making it easy on John to talk to her and merely shook her head in response, tapping her fingers against the steering wheel to the music.  She knew John LOATHED country music, but that wasn't her problem.  Though she had to figure out what else made the man tick...and fast.  Even going so far as to make him hate her would suffice.  It wasn't going to be an easy task, but Rajani had to at least try...and time was not on her side.  Why she even agreed to give this man a ride back to the hotel in the first place was beyond her and it wouldn't happen again...ever. When they reached the hotel, John turned in his seat and smiled at her.

“Thanks for the ride, Rajani.” He said sincerely, then his smile turned into his infamous smirk. “If you'd let me, I'd like to repay you...with dinner.” She had to of known it was coming, it just wouldn't be normal if he didn't. “Or possibly...dessert...” His eyes roamed her hair, narrowing slightly as he considered it. “How do you wash it?”

“Excuse me?” That last question came out of left field and Rajani hadn't expected it, her dark eyes narrowing slightly at him when he gestured to her long hair. “It takes a lot of time, effort and patience.” She answered in a clipped voice, cutting the ignition and opened the door to step out. “And for the millionth time, I'm not interested in dinner...or anything you have to offer, Cena.” Rajani added, shutting the driver's door and opened the back one to gather her things.

Would this man ever get the hint and just leave her alone?  No matter how much she may have wanted to, Rajani couldn't do anything with this man.  He was not making it easy for her to turn him down either, but Rajani refused to let her willpower break.

“Doesn't it get really heavy?” John asked, easily keeping up with her.

Focusing on her was much easier, and less stressful, then the other thoughts that were currently circling. All of them threatening to overwhelm him with darkness and hatred, just like Kane wanted. He almost reached out to test just how heavy her hair actually was and then settled on visually gauging it, determining that when wet, she was probably risking snapping her neck.

“I mean, when it's wet...”

“You get used to it.” John had invaded her personal space and Rajani could already feel her heart accelerating with him being this close to her. “And I really don't need you visualizing anything about me, that's just gross.” Rajani shut the door after pulling her bag over her shoulder along with her purse, pressing the remote on her keys to lock the vehicle. “Good evening, Mr. Cena.”

Turning, Rajani started for the hotel, needing to put distance between her and John before something happened she'd definitely regret. How the hell did she even know he was visualizing anything? It wasn't like he had come out and said 'Yo, I wanna touch your hair, but you might rearrange my genitals, so I'm going to imagine it instead'. Frowning, John followed her towards the door and reached out to place a hand on her shoulder stopping her. He then let go and backed up a couple of steps, just in case.

“Other than my constant asking you out, is there any other reason why you don't like me, Rajani?” He demanded, his mood doing a 180 again.

Rajani had tensed up the moment he touched her, feeling her shoulder turn to liquid fire and slowly rush down her arm. “If you know what's good for you, John,” She paused, her voice neutral instead of sugary sweet like normal. “You will stay away from me and just leave me alone.”

Maybe simply telling him flat out to leave her alone would work, but Rajani highly doubted it.  If anything, it would only pique John's interest, which was the last thing she wanted to do. Shaking his head, he hoisted his bag back up onto his shoulder, looking up at the night sky for a moment before back at her.

“Highly unlikely.” John said flatly, arching an eyebrow at the look on her face, which seemed mostly indifferent. “You never answered me.” He reminded, not really expecting her too and started towards the building. “Have a good night, Rajani.”

“Yes I did, you just don't listen.  Night.” Rajani remarked coolly.

Shaking her head, Rajani watched him walk inside the building before doing the same thing.  She didn't want to follow him right away, using the cool night air to calm her racing heart and body temperature.  Sighing when her cell phone rang, Rajani flipped it open, pressing it to her ear.

“You're very persistent, you know that?”

“Maybe if you'd answer your phone and texts, I wouldn't have to bug you, Raja.”

“Funny.” She snorted, heading inside the building. “What do you want?  I've had a long night and want to go to bed.”

“Just letting you know your dear big brother is joining up with you sooner than expected.”

That stopped Rajani dead in her tracks, dark eyes wide. “How soon?” She tried keeping calm, but it was extremely hard to do.

He smirked, feeling his sister's tension through the phone. “In a week.”

THAT was not good.

Why hadn't he caught it sooner? It was right there in front of his face and he had been focusing on the wrong woman. Granted, Eve was only Ryder's kayfabe girlfriend, but he had thought there was a spark between her and Cena, which worked out quite well for him, until now. He had also known that Cena and Ryder were actual friends off-screen as well as on, hence the...additional rough treatment. Now Kane had a new target and she was quite the delicious one if he did say so himself.

After a quick shower, Rajani lay in her hotel room staring at the ceiling, unable to get any sleep.  How the hell could she with these new turn of events?  Her brother was coming on the road with the company sooner than she wanted, which meant she was more than likely out of time.  This was going to be one colossal disaster, Rajani simply knew it.  Standing up from bed, she walked over to stare out the window and suddenly stepped out on her balcony, needing some fresh air.

“I am so fucked...”

Kane watched Rajani from his own balcony, two floors down and across the courtyard. He was fresh out of the shower, wearing nothing except a towel wrapped around his waist, contemplating his next course of action. From where he was, it looked like Rajani was having a sleepless night and he wondered how often that occurred. Well, that didn't matter, he knew how many sleepless nights were coming up.

~!~

A grueling 6 hour drive later and Rajani was in the next city, ready to start another day, running on only an hour of sleep with a load of coffee.  She met up with Beth for a late lunch and then headed to the arena, always arriving early like Stephanie did.  This was the Smackdown! taping that happened every Tuesday, so it was once again going to be a hectic night.  Smackdown! and Raw were separate brand shows, but Raw had recently changed into being called a Super show. That meant all the Superstars from BOTH rosters were allowed to compete on it...and to extend feuds.  Pulling into the underground parking garage, Rajani couldn't help wondering what was in store for them tonight before stepping out, heading inside.

“Ryder won't be back for two weeks, John.” Stephanie said the moment John stepped into her office, not surprised to find him here this early.

John had always been one to arrive early. Even now with his bi-polar mood swings, he was still one of the earliest to arrive. She already knew what he would ask about Zack’s condition.

“He's suffered a broken collarbone, severely bruised ribs and the obvious concussion.”

“I want Kane.”

“I'm sure you do.”

Knocking once on the door, Rajani stepped inside and stopped at the sight of John Cena, knowing she had just walked into a rather heated conversation between him and the boss. “Oh, didn't realize someone was in here. Stephanie, the vendors are here waiting for their payments.  Should I cut the checks for you while you finish up with Mr. Cena?” Rajani avoided eye contact with John, smiling when Stephanie merely handed over the company checkbook.

“Thank you, Rajani.  Also on your way back, please stop and get me some coffee.”

“Of course.” She nodded once and bowed out of the office, heading down the hallway to run her errands.

“So...you're more worried about your damn gopher getting you coffee than Kane? Which even I can see is a total waste of her talents; get her a personal assistant of her own to handle that bullshit.” John demanded, blue eyes flashing angrily. “You know as well as I do that Kane is going to do something tonight and I want him before he-”

“You work for me John, not the other way around.” Stephanie said coldly, standing up and bracing her hands on the desk, leaning towards him. “And you are this close to finding your ass on the first flight back home where you are very likely to remain until after WrestleMania, got me Cena?”

His eyes were nothing but icy slits at this point. “Yeah.” He said finally. “Yeah, I got you.”

After cutting 3 checks for amounts of money that made Rajani's head slightly spin, she headed to get Stephanie and herself some coffee.  She was Stephanie's assistant and did whatever she was told...within reason.  Rajani did have standards and given who her big brother was, she knew the McMahon princess wouldn't overstep boundaries.  Rajani had that much power at least, which wasn't much because nobody knew who she was related to.  She hoped when big brother came on the road he would keep it that way or else she would probably end up forfeiting her internship with the company.  Her deep thoughts suddenly crashed when Rajani turned the corner and smacked right into a brick wall...or so she thought...and landed flat on her ass, grunting.

Kane regarded the woman who was now sitting in a rather ungainly position in front of him and grunted, bending down to look in her face. Not saying a word, he reached out and gripped Rajani by the waist and pulled her upright onto her feet. “You should really watch where you're going, Rajani.” He said in his low, dark voice. “You might run into the...wrong person next time.”

“S-Sorry Mr. Jac-I mean Kane.” Rajani corrected, knowing the man loathed being called by his birth name for whatever reason.

Her chest felt like it was going to cave in and Rajani knew she would have several bruises.  She'd been walking rather fast when she rounded the corner.  These deep thought sessions had to end because Kane had a point...she would end up running into someone who wouldn't take it line down.

“Have a...good night.” She quickly walked around him, never taking her guarded eyes away and hauled ass down the hall away from him as fast as she could, rubbing her sore chest. “Damn that hurt...”

Kane, despite his size, was a very quiet man for his rather large size. He followed Rajani, watching as she rubbed her chest. He had, obviously, felt how hard she had walked right into him, it just didn't bother him because he was conditioned to take bumps and bruises. To him, her colliding into him the way she had didn't qualify as either a bump or a bruise.

“You should go see the trainer.” He suggested from behind, hiding a smile when she jumped, though his amusement showed in his eyes, already wearing his contact.

“I'm fine, nothing they can really do for bruising.”

Rajani didn't like the fact Kane/Glen was following her, finally stopping.  She slowly turned to face him, not surprised when he stopped with her.  This felt like stalking and Rajani suddenly felt her hair standing on ends, leaning back against the wall.

“I'm still walking and talking without trouble, I'm fine.” She insisted, staring at him with a raised eyebrow and wondered if he would keep following her until she did go see the trainer.

“Well if you insist.” Kane said, uncertainty inflecting his tone. “I'll go let Stephanie know about it however, just in case.”

Because Stephanie would make her go see the trainer and probably also throw in a lecture about her being more careful backstage with the guys or she’d get ran down. It was a simple fact that all women had to abide by because there were just some cocksuckers, like him, in this company that didn’t care who they mowed down. Not exactly something an intern really wanted to be told when it was pretty much palpable in this business.

“Whatever makes you feel better.”

Rajani walked away from him, already knowing Stephanie would be giving her a third degree about keeping injuries secret.  She would have to fill out a worker's comp sheet, even though Rajani would never sue the WWE. There was too much family history involved when it came to this business and, more importantly, this particular company.

“Christ on a bike...” Rajani muttered, walking into the cafeteria and stood in line for coffee behind Randy Orton.

As if Kane would say anything to Stephanie, rather finding the little gopher amusing and idly wondered if she would be bruised. He could just imagine what parts of Rajani would be bruised and didn't have to imagine very hard how said body parts would look...black, blue, and then a lovely shade of purple. Smirking slightly, he continued on his way. Kane had been right, this was going to be fun; he was already tingling with anticipation.

Chapter 5

Rajani got 2 cups of coffee, along with a shot of espresso since there was an espresso machine and headed right back out with a donut hanging out of her mouth.  She grabbed Stephanie a bagel with cream cheese because the woman inhaled so much coffee, Rajani was afraid a hole would burn right through her abdomen.  Rajani sighed with relief when she arrived back at the office, Stephanie nowhere to be found. Setting the coffee down with the bagel on her desk, Rajani got started on her daily duties.

“Raja, where's the boss?” Phil demanded, walking in with a smirk, having seen her strolling into the office with that donut hanging out her mouth. He wouldn't lie; he was tempted to crack off a joke, or several, but managed to restrain himself, storing it away for another time. “I didn't see anything in the line-up for myself, so…You know, it's odd that Stephanie's not here, but you are…you two are normally attached at the hip...” He scratched his beard, frowning. “She's not sick, is she?”

“I don't know.  She was arguing with Cena when I arrived and asked me to run a few errands for her.”

Rajani figured Stephanie was probably on the warpath trying to track Kane down since she hadn't been able to find the man...yet Rajani had...since the night before.  Ryder was out of commission for two weeks. That much Rajani had overheard before walking in on her boss's argument with John.

“Let me look at the script and see if I can help you out.” She set her paperwork down and walked over to look down at Stephanie's desk, finding tonight's line-up a few seconds later. “Ah, you have a promo with Jericho and that's gonna end with you giving the GTS to him.” She handed over the paper without looking back at Phil.

“That's freaking awesome!” Phil cheered, really liking it when he got the last word in, so to speak.

“Rajani, we got a problem. Stephanie was found in a chair, out cold.” Alex announced, poking his head in the room, frowning. “They're saying stress shut her down so...”

Phil cottoned on rather quickly, his eyes widening. “Wait, you mean...no way, no way!”

“She knows Steph's plans inside and out and Vince is dealing with issues on the pay-per-view so no one can contact him.”

Phil didn't know whether to grin at how interesting this was going to be or feel bad for Rajani, settling for grinning.

“She's...I'm sorry what?” Rajani blinked, her mouth suddenly forming the shape of an O when Alex nodded at her. “You mean I'm...”

“In charge for the night, yes.  Stephanie is being carted back to the hotel by her husband so he's also out of commission.”

“I uh...Thanks Alex...” Rajani was in shock as she slowly sank down in Stephanie's chair, swallowing hard, trying really hard to keep her composure. “Okay...alright...” This was what the internship was about, learning everything about this type of company behind the scenes. “I can do this.  How hard can it be...right?”

Everything was laid out for her, all Rajani had to do was settle problems that came up and Stephanie was pretty consistent when it came to them. Phil walked out with an extra kick in his step, knowing Chris wasn't going to be happy with tonight's script. News about Stephanie having a 'personal issue' spread throughout the locker room very quickly and, when John heard, he began smirking. Technically, Rajani was de facto in charge, which meant any decisions she made only applied to this night and she would probably follow whatever schedule Stephanie had already laid out. Whistling, and in such a better mood than he had been only minutes ago, John picked up a metal folding chair and headed down the hallway.

Rajani's head snapped up when Alex came rushing into the office an hour later, announcing that John had been spotted with a steel folding chair. “Seriously?” She groaned when Alex nodded. “Fine, I...”

A scream echoed moments later down the hallway.

Rajani raced out of the office past Alex, running as fast as her two inch heels would allow and stopped short at the sight of a crying Eve. “What happened?”

“K-Kane...” Eve couldn't even speak, pointing over to where an unconscious Beth lay prone with a dented steel chair beside her.

“She's in shock.  Alex, call the EMT's down here and take Eve to see Larry please.” Rajani ordered, scowling when the Superstars began circling around to witness what was going on. “There is a show to go on so everyone needs to clear out of here NOW.” She ordered, taking charge while slowly helping Eve up from her crouched position.

Stephanie picked the WORST night to be out of commission.  Once the crowd slowly dispersed, Rajani watched Alex cart Eve down the hallway to Larry's. Then she went on the hunt for John Cena, knowing Kane would stay in the shadows for a while. John didn't make it easy for anyone to find him, too busy staying the hell out of the way while he stalked Kane, who also seemed to be doing the same thing he was: stalking and staying out of sight. He heard about Beth, wondering what the hell the reasoning behind that attack was. Now if it had been Eve, it would have made sense. Beth, however...that just didn't add up. To Kane it made perfect sense. Beth was Rajani's friend. She was gone now just like Stephanie.

Both men were nowhere to be found and Rajani had searched the entire arena for both, mainly John. He had the steel chair so he was the number one suspect in Beth's attack.  She finally trudged back to the office; feeling exhausted and suddenly knew what Stephanie must've felt like on a nightly basis.  Was this really the type of business she wanted to get involved in?  Rajani shook her head and sank down in the chair, planting her head forehead first on the desk, closing her eyes.  If she survived this night, it would be a miracle.

“What am I supposed to do about this?” She whispered, trying to make sense of everything and knew Stephanie wouldn't take Beth's attack lightly when she returned. “Writing both of them up is pointless because they don't listen!  What am I supposed to do?” Rajani was very tempted to call her older brother, but decided she had to figure this out on her own, slowly looking up when a knock sounded at her office door. “Come in.”

“I heard about Beth.” John said, finally coming out of his stalking mode since Kane was being a total cock-knocker and refused to show his ugly ass. “Is she going to be alright?”

He seen the look on Rajani’s face, right before irritation with his presence flashed across her features. He almost felt bad for her, getting stuck with all this shit. Almost. John had his own agenda to worry about.

“Cut to the damn chase, Cena, what do you want?  I have countless problems going on without you being in here up my ass.  Oh wait...you ARE one of those problems, so what the hell do you want?” She ignored the question about Beth, practically snarling her words as she slammed papers down on the desk, taking a few deep breaths. “My apologies, I didn't mean to snap at you like that.  Beth was found unconscious with a steel chair beside her and I was told you were stalking around this building with one.  If you attacked her, Stephanie is not going to take it line down and you know that.  So just tell me the truth, did you attack her?  Eve isn't speaking and she was the only witness.  All she said was Kane, but he was nowhere to be found and you were the one with the chair...”

“First you bite my head off and then you ask me that? Dear lord woman, when the hell is Stephanie coming back because you are obviously not suited for this job.” John shot back.

Many things John was, but a woman attacker, hell no. This woman obviously hadn't bothered with brushing up on 'sports entertainer' profiles. Not bothering to state the obvious, he didn't do it, John walked right back out. He was going to find Kane and beat the truth out of the monster.

“Well, speaking of the very son of a bitch I was looking for…”

“Congratulations boy, you found me.”

When Rajani heard fighting going on outside of her office, she stood up and let out a small scream when John came CRASHING right back through her door. “What the hell?!  Kane, no!!” She hopped over the desk, after pressing the security button that was underneath the desk, and shoved her hands against Kane's rock hard chest. “ENOUGH!!  Both of you have to stop this!!” Rajani shouted, having a hard time breathing because Kane was crushing her trying to get to John, who had already gotten to his feet. “You guys can't...” Rajani grunted out, only to end up being sandwiched between them, her sides aching from the pressure.

As much fun as tormenting Rajani was turning out to be, the last thing Kane wanted was for her to wind up hurt, yet. He wasn't finished with her, just getting started. Kane stepped back long enough to pull her out of the way and was just barely able to catch John's fist before it connected with his jaw.

“Almost hurt your girlfriend, Cena.” Kane whispered, watching in amusement as John's eyes widened.

The minute John looked at Rajani to undoubtedly make sure she was alright, big mistake on his part, Kane lowered his shoulder and drove John across the room, crashing into the wall. John let out a groan of pain, but didn't stop swinging his fists, pretty sure he was going to be feeling that to come for a few nights. Rajani was too busy holding her side to hear what Kane said, tears stinging her eyes while they continued fighting and damaging the office.

“Stop...it...” She wheezed out, scooting away from them just as security burst in to separate the two Superstars.

“Whoa Rajani, you alright?!” Alex rushed to her side, having heard on the walkie-talkie that there was a problem down in her office.

She nodded, not trusting her voice at the moment and knew she would undoubtedly have bruised ribs, hoping nothing was cracked.  If her brother found out about this... “Alex...we have to keep this...between us...” Rajani held her hand up when he went to help her up, doing it on her own slowly.  Kane had been shoved out of the office by ten security guards, while the others checked on John, who was down for the count at the moment. “Please...”

John had slumped down against the wall, helping the EMT’s remove his shirt and trying not to wince as he stretched his undoubtedly bruised back, looking at Rajani. What made the fact that he had been instrumental in hurting her was that Kane had been the one to move her out of further harm's way. Kane. Kane had been the one to do that, when it should have been him. He was the good one, right?

“She's going to be alright?”

Why did it seem like John was constantly asking that these days?

“I'm fine, let them inspect you, John.”

There was no malice in Rajani's tone, just pure concern, knowing the show had to still go on and already chaos had started.  She brushed the medics off when they tried looking her over, pointing over to John while she made it to her chair, fighting back the pain.  Nothing two Tylenol 3's couldn't take care of later at the hotel.  She sighed when they said John had a minor concussion and bruised ribs, which meant one thing.

“He can't compete tonight.”

“I'll have someone replace him in the tag match then.”

“He also needs to go to the hospital for x-rays to make sure his ribs aren't cracked.”

Rajani sighed when John growled an affirmative 'NO!'

“I'm not going to the damn hospital and I'm not being replaced.” John insisted, pushing away everyone who was trying to help him up. “Wrap my ribs, I'll keep my damn shirt on.” John wasn't going anywhere except to the ring, knowing the minute he was to go to the hospital Kane would take that as a sign of even more weakness. That was not something he needed on his plate right now. “Just tend to her.” He growled, holding out his arms and trying not to wince when they began wrapping bandages around them.

“Would you stop being stubborn and just do as they say, Cena?” Rajani growled, not in the mood to be checked over as she waved the EMT’s away. “You could have cracked ribs and WrestleMania is around the corner!  You can't afford a serious injury.  Now go to the damn hospital, you're being replaced tonight.  I've already got it taken care of.” She'd sent Alex to inform Phil he was going to be in the tag match because Chris was being added to it, replacing Paul Wight AKA Big Show. “You're not on the show tonight so if you don't want to go to the hospital, then just go back to the hotel and rest.”

“No, I've worked through worse than this, if you knew anything about me then you'd already know that.” John said, more heat in his tone then he had intended. “I'll be fine for WrestleMania, but you're not replacing me.” When she opened her mouth to tell him off no doubt, he shook his head. “That's the job, Rajani, we get hurt; we still go out there and put on a show. If any of us took the night off because of a slight concussion or hurt ribs, there would be no WWE because this shit happens.” Rajani either accepted that fact now or...well, he'd just have to make sure Phil didn't make it to the ring.

“And what YOU need to understand, Cena, is that I'm doing what I feel is in the best interest for this company and what I feel Stephanie would do.  You know damn well if you have cracked ribs or any kind of injury of that caliber, she would NOT allow you to compete tonight.  So don't give me that high and mighty attitude about how shit happens.” Rajani refused to back down from him, her dark eyes flashing with hidden anger. “Now if you insist on not going to the hospital as directed, then get the hell out of my office.  I have more important things to worry about, like Beth's attack that I still don't know if you did or not.”

Rajani was fighting back pain and the anger she currently felt was a perfect mask as Rajani sat back down in her chair, daring John to defy her.  He would regret it if he did. She would make sure Stephanie saw to it.

“You are a damn idiot Rajani.” John informed her, shaking his head and wondered if she really thought for a second Stephanie would send him home because of bruised ribs and a concussion.

Yes, Stephanie could be a sweet woman, but when it came to the business she was Vince's daughter through and through. Which meant working through the injuries. Snorting, he walked out of the room, having no intention of leaving the building and thanking God she was 'in charge' for only one night. Rajani took that with a grain of salt, too busy trying to breathe because the anger had diminished along with her adrenaline.

“I'm fine.” She whispered when Alex asked if she needed anything, slowly shaking her head. “Thanks for your help, but I got it from here.”

When Alex nodded and walked out, closing the door behind him, Rajani finally leaned back against the chair and turned around, letting the tears spill down her cheeks.  Her side was absolutely killing her.  Pulling her shirt up, Rajani could already see the deep bruising forming, the color of her tanned skin turning into purple mixed with blue.  Pulling her shirt down, Rajani took a couple deep breaths before slowly turning back around, knowing she had to finish paperwork.  Stephanie wasn't going to walk into a mess when she returned. Rajani couldn't let it happen.

Chapter 6

“Cena, heard you've been replaced...by me. Kane beat your ass?”

John stopped, contemplating Phil and his options. He could walk out with his tail tucked between his legs. Or he could beat the shit out of this idiot, take the fine and then go out to the ring anyway.

“Nothing to say, champ?”

John was pretty sure there was a temple throbbing in his forehead.

~!~

“Rajani, come quick!!  Punk is down!!”

Her eyes closed because Rajani knew exactly who did it, sighing. “Damn you John.” She whispered, standing up from the chair and hurried out as fast as she could after him, which was slower than usual.

She arrived on the scene, the EMT's already looking over Phil and Rajani knew there was no way he could compete. What was she supposed to do now, Rajani thought, wishing this night from pure hell would end.  Why was John making this harder for her?  First Beth and now Phil...Stephanie was going to terminate her on the spot and Rajani wouldn't blame her.

“What do you wanna do now, Rajani?  The main event needs someone else...”

“Just...give me a minute to think please.”

“What about Kane?” Alex suggested, shrugging when she looked at him. Kane was scheduled to do a promo aimed at John, but since John had yet again gone M.I.A. and was apparently on a 'taking people out' streak… “Sorry Rajani, it was just a suggestion and he's another big name.” He groaned, running a hand down his face, really glad he wasn't in her spot. That would royally suck. “Just…any decision you make, don't let anyone but that person know, just in case Cena decides to swing another chair or something.”

“Right.” The only wrestler she could think of that Rajani knew John wouldn't attack with a chair...at least she hoped anyway...was Kane, but he was nowhere to be found and had probably already left the arena by now. “Big name, need a big name...” She suddenly snapped her fingers, knowing Mark Henry was in the heel tag team of the main event and there was someone who had unfinished business with him that would fit the build. “Undertaker.  It makes sense, have him replace Phil.”

“Y-You want me to...” Alex grew a pale white, the color draining out of his face.

Sighing, Rajani knew she would have to deliver the news on her own and headed down the hallway toward the Undertaker's dressing room while Phil was taken to the hospital to be looked over. Taker sat in his dressing room, having a moment of 'catching up' with Glen/Kane. When he heard the knock on his door, he rumbled out a 'come in', both men looking up when the 'boss/gopher' walked in.

Kane had to turn his head to hide his smirk.

Taker didn't bother hiding his. “Can I help you, darlin'?” He asked in a low, husky voice.

So this is where Kane/Glen hung out on his downtime...Rajani would have to remember that for the future and nodded. “Actually, I need to speak with Kane for a second.”

Screw it, Kane made more sense instead of Taker, he would have to suffice for the main event that night. Alex had a great idea. Rajani would make sure to give praise to Stephanie about him at a later date.

“It's regarding the main event for tonight.” Rajani felt her stomach tightening slightly and immediately swallowed it, smiling tentatively. “Please?”

“Need a replacement for Cena?” Kane asked, bored.

Though everyone in the room already knew the answer. Word traveled fast and Taker always kept his ear to the ground, so did Kane for that matter. When she simply nodded, he nodded as well. Taker suddenly arched an eyebrow, looking over at his friend.

“What exactly happened to Cena?”

“Probably a broken rib.”

“Your doing?” Taker shook his head when Kane simply shrugged, his hair falling down into his face, which hid the amused look in his eyes.

“Actually, he refused to be examined by the doctors so I took him out of the main event to prevent further injury.  WrestleMania is coming up, can't take any chances.” Rajani quickly explained, refusing to have her feathers ruffled considering Kane had attacked John earlier by tossing him through her office door, which had already been replaced. “The main event is in 30 minutes, Kane.” Her eyes moved to Taker, keeping the smile on her face, though it didn't reach her eyes. “Have a good night, gentlemen.” Turning, Rajani walked away from the door, breathing in and out evenly.  She handled that better than originally planned.

“You're a sick bastard, you know that right?”

“I did learn it from you. Besides, if I'm sick, you're sick as well for knowing what you do and not speaking up.”

“Hey, I openly admit I'm twisted and, besides, it's amusing.” Taker leaned back in his chair, flicking his hair back out of his face. “So...Cena has taken out Stephanie, Beth and Phil...Surprised the boss didn't bother mentioning that...”

“The official story is he has bruised or cracked ribs.” Kane smirked, shaking his head. “What a crying shame...”

No sooner had Rajani stepped out of Taker’s dressing room, she was approached. “Rajani?”

She turned to see Eve coming toward her, blinking when the woman practically shoved her into the nearest dressing room, shutting the door behind her. “Eve, I really don't have time for this...”

“Yes you do.” Her shock was gone and Eve refused to let another one of her friends get hurt. “It was Kane.”

“Sorry?” Her head was beginning to pound from everything that happened tonight.

“Tonight.  Beth's attacker.  It was Kane.” Eve hoped she didn't regret telling Rajani this information, tears in her eyes. “Please don't say...”

“Thank you and don't worry, you won't be mentioned with this.”

Rajani hugged Eve and walked out of the room, wondering what the hell Kane was plotting.  Would he hurt someone else just on a whim or was there a motive for each one of his moves?  John was innocent and Rajani couldn't help feel a sense of huge relief wash over her as she headed back to her office.  Maybe replacing John with Kane for the main event was a bad idea.

Eve figured she should start writing her will, knowing if Kane ever found out, -he probably would, the creep- he would send her to the hospital next. So, with that thought in mind, she point blank refused to leave the Diva's dressing room and had already made arrangements to leave with the other girls just so she wouldn't be alone. Maybe she was being paranoid, but...maybe she wasn't.

Kane was too busy prepping for his match to worry about anything, except John Cena showing his face at the last minute. He knew the boy hadn't left like he had been ordered too but instead locked himself in his room. He fully expected Cena to crash the tag match. Kane couldn’t have been more right. When John found out that Kane, of all people was taking HIS place in the match, he was livid. When he next heard that he was being blamed for Phil…well, he wasn't really surprised, because he had insinuated he would do it. Talk about fucking himself over.

“Hell...” He cursed, locked in his dressing room, examining his sides and wondering when all this craziness was going to just stop. “Not tonight, that's for damn sure.”

~!~

“Beth has a grade A concussion and they've put her in an induced coma to let her brain heal.  It was a massive blow to the head, according to the doctor. Whoever attacked her meant to do some serious damage and put her out for a while.” Alex frowned, hoping John Cena wouldn't be capable of this type of cruelty.

“Jesus...” Beth was the WWE Women's Champion right now and she'd been brutally and viciously attacked by a lunatic...all on Rajani's watch. “D-Did the doctors say when they would wake her up?”

“They don't know right now, her brain has swelled a lot though.  It's just going to depend on when the swelling goes down...”

Beth was one of her good friends. Rajani rushed past Alex into her private bathroom to empty the contents of her stomach and bit back a cry of pain as a ripple raced up her side. Throwing up was definitely not professional, but Rajani couldn't help it, the amount of pressure and stress she felt completely overwhelming.  Alex made sure she was alright before leaving, having other duties to do before he could head back to the hotel for the night.  Rajani had the monitor on so she could listen to the main event while getting back to the mountain of paperwork stacked on her desk.  She contemplated what to do about what Eve told her, trying to figure out what Stephanie would do.  Sighing, Rajani closed her eyes before beginning to write Kane up for abusing a fellow employee, which was against regulations in the company.  Phil's attacker still hadn't been revealed and until that happened, she wasn't writing John up until either someone stepped forward or she spoke directly to Phil.

Alex had sort of taken it upon himself to be Rajani's gopher throughout the night, which was kind of funny when he thought about it. Gopher for the gopher, he'd have to remember to chuckle about it later. He could not recall Vince, Stephanie or even Shane having a night like this before. Two people down to backstage attacks that WEREN'T scripted, a boss who stressed herself into a fainting spell or something…Rajani was having the night from hell.

“Cena, you-” Alex stepped into the man's now open dressing room, having been heading for his area to finish up his own work and then spotted the open door. Cena wasn't in there. “Oh...damn it...”

Mark Henry was currently in the ring, moving slower than a turtle while Kane pounded on him with his huge fists.  This man had really lost his mind since returning to the company.  Mark Henry had been partially responsible for putting him out of commission, so he knew Kane had a lot of pent-up aggression in his system.

“Damn it...” He grunted when Kane booted him in the face, dropping him and making the ring shake.

Randy's eyes widened when Sheamus hopped down, stopping Wade Barrett in his tracks, distracting the referee. “What the...?”

One second Henry was in the air with Kane's leather glove wrapped around his throat, the next he was on top of Kane for the pin, thanks to a chair shot to Kane's skull from...Cena. “COME ON REF!!” He bellowed out.

Randy and Sheamus both cheered when they got the pin, Mark Henry's hand raised in victory.

“GODDAMN IT, CENA!!” Rajani roared from the back, completely livid with his actions.

Honestly, who thought for one second, that John wasn't going to do this? If Rajani had really wanted to stop him then she should have either one, made sure he had been escorted from the building and two, kept security posted along all access points to the ring for when he managed to get back into the building. That or she was just too trusting, or probably a bit preoccupied with all the backstage attacks, that he was probably suspect number one for. Ignoring the celebrating Randy and Sheamus, he continued his assault on Kane, finally throwing away the chair when it literally broke over the other man's back.

Kane shielded his throbbing head and laughed through the pain at the same time. Security rushed out to the ring to stop the carnage, pulling John off of Kane while Randy and Sheamus just looked on in bewilderment.  Rajani as pacing back and forth backstage, chewing her thumbnail and knew she was screwed if Kane was injured badly.  That would be three Superstars who were down for the count while she was in charge.  Did she quit now or try putting her two week notice?  There was no way in hell she would be keeping her job after a night like this.

“Escort him out of the building.” Rajani ordered as soon as John came backstage, security surrounding him. “Where's Kane?”

“He shoved us away and went another route to get back here.” The security guard answered.

“Christ, he needs to be checked out after those brutal shots...” Rajani muttered, not really caring, but had to remain professional and unbiased.

“I'm sure he'll get himself checked out.” Taker said from behind, having emerged in order to watch Cena be brought backstage, his brilliant emerald green eyes narrowed to half slits. He was considered a locker room leader, his more...brutal sicker tendencies...not as well-known. “You fucked up, Cena.”

“Yeah, piss off Calaway; I didn't see you telling him he fucked up when he went after Ryder!”

Taker arched an eyebrow and took a threatening step forward, freshly showered and in his street clothes. Black skintight jeans and a long sleeved black thermal shirt with black steel toed boots, perfect clothing to deliver an ass kicking in. Rajani’s eyes enlarged and she shook her head, knowing this couldn’t happen, not with everything else that had gone down tonight.

“PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF FUCKING GOD JUST STOP THE FIGHTING!!” Rajani erupted, not caring who heard her because, at this point, Rajani was at the breaking point. “ENOUGH!!  You are NOT fighting, not after everything else that has happened tonight!!  Beth and Punk have already been sent to the damn hospital, Kane is off god knows where with a bleeding head and you are at each other's throats now?!  WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON WITH EVERYONE?  This is NOT good for the company or for business!!  Cena, you and Kane have stressed Stephanie out so much that she literally COULD NOT do her goddamn job because you and Kane SENT HER OVER THE EDGE!!  Just like you're sending ME over the edge!!  There cannot be any more casualties tonight, especially with 2 of the top stars in this company who should be setting examples for others instead of trying to rip each other's throats out.  Think before you act, you're supposed to be locker room leaders, not acting like 5 year old children!!” Rajani stormed away from all of them, knowing security would take care of John while Taker just stood there silent and still as a statue.

After a second, Taker shrugged and threw the punch anyway, catching Cena in the mouth. “Mind yourself.” He warned, watching as John felt his now bleeding lip. It took weeks for Stephanie to lose her mind and only hours for Rajani, Cena and Kane had really upped their game tonight. “Now get the hell out of here and go have those ribs checked.”

John simply nodded stiffly and walked away, the tips of his ears burning red.

“Did she really scream 'fucking god' or was I hearing things?”

“Nope, not hearing things, she screamed it.” Alex informed him evenly.

Taker started laughing.

“I'm quitting, I can't handle this type of business.  What the hell was he thinking getting me into this?!” Rajani mumbled while stalking back to the office, needing some aspirin and refused to let the tears that filled her eyes fall.

She couldn't handle it, these men didn't give a damn about authority or anything of the nature.  No wonder Vince had finally handed over the reins to his daughter and son-in-law, Paul Levesque.  If anyone could handle what happened tonight, it was him.  She was going to kill her big brother when he came on the road with the company for convincing Rajani it was the best internship for her to take.  He'd lost his damn mind!

This was a night Taker doubted he would ever forget. He could not remember a night in recent history where things had been so...messed up. He knew back in the Attitude Era, a lot of screwed up things had gone down backstage when the cameras weren't rolling, but...that was then and this was now. It was interesting to say the least. Dear Princess Stephanie was going to have a heart attack when she came back and found out about all this...and he grinned wickedly at the thought. Knowing that even if she been there, she probably wouldn't have been able to prevent it. Whistling, Taker walked down the hall towards the exit.

Chapter 7

Stephanie was stunned when she found out everything that happened to Rajani, not believing how many attacks had gone down and they were all at the hands of Kane and John Cena.  She wasn't surprised to find out that Rajani took the night off from the house show, honestly not blaming the woman. Though, when she tried faxing over her resignation, Stephanie decided she had to speak with Rajani, which ended her up standing outside of her intern's hotel room door.  Rajani was not a quitter and, with everything that transpired at the Smackdown! taping, Stephanie honestly thought Rajani handled it the best she could.

Rajani looked up when a knock sounded at her door, busy packing her bags while trying to stop crying, wondering who it could be.  She had to hurry up or she would miss her flight back to Miami.  Sighing, Rajani zipped one of her bags up and walked over, looking through the peephole and blinked at the sight of Stephanie McMahon-Levesque staring back at her.  She unlocked the door and opened it, not bothering to plaster on a smile, the dark circles under her eyes telling the entire story.

“You're not quitting or resigning, I refuse to let you.” Stephanie informed her, taking in Rajani’s appearance with a frown. “You can, however, take a few days off to rest because you look like the living dead. May I come in?” When Rajani pushed open the door, she stepped inside, eyes narrowing in on the luggage that was being packed. “I will be fining the hell out of Cena and Jacobs for this, Rajani, and after WrestleMania, they're both facing suspension. With WrestleMania looming, I can't suspend them right now.”

At least that's what her father said. If they pulled another night like the one Rajani had suffered through, she'd do her best to see that those idiots didn't make it to the biggest event of the year. Rajani understood that because Kane and John were two of the company’s top stars, there was no way WrestleMania could go on without them.  It was all about business right now.

“Stephanie, will all due respect, I'm not sure sticking around here is in my best interest, especially after last night.  3 superstars ended up injured, 2 hospitalized and I ended up hurt too.” Rajani slowly sat down on the bed, her eyes adverted to the floor. “The show was a complete disaster, I'm just not sure I'm cut out for this type of work...” Not to mention Rajani hadn't slept a wink due to having nightmares about Beth and Phil being murdered by Kane and Cena. “I let you down Stephanie, I'm sorry...”

“No, you didn't let me down, Rajani. You shouldn’t have been put in that position to begin with, there were others who could have taken over for the night.”

However, there was no precedent for something like this happening so...everyone had panicked and gone to Rajani. Which made sense, she spent a lot of time with Stephanie and was learning quickly, not to mention her...background. She knew this business pretty well. Knowing and then running it, however, were two separate ballgames.

“The injured superstars are not your fault, it would have happened on my watch too.” Stephanie smiled gently, reaching out to place a hand on Rajani’s shoulder. “At the very least, stay until after WrestleMania.”

Stephanie was overwhelmed and Rajani knew it, how could she leave this woman alone with WrestleMania just weeks away? “Alright, after WrestleMania I will reassess the situation and make my ultimate decision if I want to stay on, fair enough?” When Stephanie beamed, Rajani cracked a very small smile that did not reach her tired eyes. “I'll have to call and cancel my flight, do you mind if I do my work from my hotel room for the next few days, just until I can get my mind back on track?  Whatever you need, any errands, I'll run them for you.  I just need to be away from the arenas, if that's alright.”

“No, that's fine. I'll have Alex do any on the spot errands or work for me at the arenas. You definitely need a few days away, I can see that.”

Stephanie was seriously considering suggesting that Rajani fill out a statement, just based on how she looked. However, there had already been enough paperwork filed on the situations and she was pretty sure the board wouldn't appreciate anything more. She still had to handle Cena and Jacobs yet, and possibly speak to Taker about getting Kane back in his right frame of mind, since the man knew Kane better than anyone else in the company.

“I know you and Alex both mentioned Mark being there at the end of the show, could you go over that one more time?”

Stephanie knew Taker had punched John. John had needed stitches on the inside of his lip from where it had cut on his teeth. Rajani visibly paled as the memory swept over her, screaming at the Undertaker of all people and John Cena, refusing to meet Stephanie's eyes.

“I uh...I sort of lost my temper with both of them.  Undertaker walked up and said something to Cena about what Cena did to Kane, which I'm assuming you already know what he did.  I umm...” Rajani blushed furiously, completely embarrassed. “It was very unprofessional of me with what I said.”

“What did you say to them exactly?”

“Please for the love of fucking god just stop the fighting.  What the fuck is going on with everyone?  This is not good for the company or business and you are supposed to be locker room leaders, 2 of the top stars who should be setting examples for others instead of acting like 5 year old children.” If Stephanie didn't want to fire her earlier, she would probably want to now. “I'm really sorry, I don't know what came over me...”

Stephanie was quiet for a full minute, just staring at Rajani before finally slowly blinking. “Is that, word for word, what you said?” She asked curiously, arching a perfectly groomed eyebrow when Rajani nodded sheepishly and could not, for the life of her, keep the amused smile from spreading across her lips. “How on earth did you manage to remember all that?” She demanded then began giggling, trying to picture Rajani screaming that at the Undertaker of all people. Trying to fight back the giggles, Stephanie managed to get out. “I can just IMAGINE Mark's reaction...oh my god, Raja...I really wish I had been there...”

Her dark eyes shot open when Stephanie began openly laughing at her, wondering if her boss was in the right mind frame “He just stood there...and didn't move a muscle...I stormed away and didn't give either man a chance to speak because I was fed up with everything else that had happened.” Now that Rajani thought about it, she couldn't help letting small laughter echo along with Stephanie's. “I don't even want to think about what he did after finally moving, but...I guess maybe I shocked him into silence a little bit?” Both women laughed harder at the thought of Mark Calaway, the almighty Undertaker, speechless.

“God, that would have made a great YouTube clip...” Stephanie wiped away the tears of mirth, staring at Rajani with a silly grin on her face. “Of course, it would have completely ruined the Undertaker's credibility, but damn...I'm sure if it pissed him off I'll hear all about it. Mark's not one to just sit back and keep his mouth shut, never was.” Sometimes that was a good thing, most of the time actually, and at others...well, not so good.

“That doesn't sound promising...” When Stephanie waved her off and assured that everything would be fine, Rajani could only hope for the best and trust her boss. “I really didn't mean to say what I did, but...” Rajani decided to change the subject. “So what all needs to get done or what all can I do in the hotel?  Oh and by the way, Alex deserves a lot of praise for what he did for me last night.  He did my running around and was really helpful.  He put up with a lot, I wasn't the only one. I just thought you should know.”

“I just have forms you can look over, you can do this in your sleep.” Stephanie said automatically, reaching down into her rather large purse and pulling out a folder, extending it. “I'm more concerned with you resting then working.”

The forms were mundane things like requests for time off, performance reports, things that were easy to go over, but also tended to be boring because of the lack of much brain power required. Not that she was trying to insult Rajani, she just figured rest was more important than work. Those circles under Rajani's eyes were rather alarming.

“And yes, I know Alex is great. That's why I'm making him my assistant at the arena while you're here and, when you come back, he'll be YOUR assistant. He can get the coffee and donuts while we sit in the office.”

“Really?” Working alongside Alex would be great, but Rajani didn't want him to be her gopher.  She would treat him well, especially after all the help he'd given her the previous night. “Thank you Steph, for convincing me to stay and checking up on me.  Not a lot of bosses would do that.”

She took the paperwork from Stephanie and set it aside, both of them discussing a few other things that were going down in the upcoming meeting with every employee of the company.  It happened twice a month.  Rajani had to be informed of everything going on being Stephanie's assistant and whatnot.  Stephanie stayed for a few more minutes and then left Rajani to rest, making her promise to get rid of the bags under her eyes.  Hopefully that would be easy to do.

Stephanie almost popped off a quip about how the WWE was one big family, but refrained. Sure, one big family, if one's definition of family meant: dysfunctional, violent, drama to the max... “I'm not just your boss, Rajani.” She said sincerely. “I hope I'm also your friend. I think you can really go far in this business. Not to mention you are a total lifesaver for me when things get hairy, so of course I'm going to talk you into staying. But as your friend, if you really think you need to step back and out of the WWE, then I would accept your decision.”

“Like I said, let's see how things progress on the road to WrestleMania and after the pay-per-view, I'll make my decision.  I don't want to leave, last night was just...horrible.  I thought you were gonna fire me because of the injuries and everything else.” When Stephanie shook her head, Rajani smiled, hugging her boss. “I consider you my friend too, Stephanie.  Thanks again for...understanding and hearing me out.  Means a lot.”

“That's what I'm here for, and to sign paychecks.” Stephanie joked, her eyes catching the bedside clock on the nightstand and groaned. “I have to go. I have fines to go personally deliver along with threats of castration. Get some rest and, if you need anything, anything at all, don't hesitate to call.” Stephanie met Rajani’s eyes. “I mean it, call. Just don't call me asking for more work or something, because that's all I have for you.” She gestured to the folder, already backing towards the door. “Rest!”

“I will, you have my word.” Rajani chuckled when Stephanie gave her a look that clearly said if she didn't follow orders, there would be hell to pay. “Enjoy giving away those fines and threats.”

They both laughed before Rajani shut the door, letting a sigh of relief escape her.  Now that she decided to stay, Rajani had unpacking to do because they weren't leaving for the next town for two days...appearances and whatnot happening.  After she unpacked, Rajani jumped in the shower, refusing to take a chance falling asleep in the tub.  Just as she walked out of the bathroom, wrapping herself in a robe, a knock sounded at Rajani’s door.  Who the hell was it now?  She went to investigate, thinking it was Stephanie once again checking on her to make sure she was resting.

It was a bellhop with a tray of food.

“Mrs. Levesque ordered for you.” The bellhop called through the door, stepping back so she could see the cart through the peephole. Stephanie had ordered a little of everything, so the top of the tray as well as the second shelf were full. When she opened the door, he carefully pushed the trolley into the room. “When you're finished, just place it outside your door and someone will collect it, miss.”

Taker arched an eyebrow when the bellhop jumped upon turning around, leaning in the open door with his arms folded over his bare chest. He wasn't scheduled for the night so he had seen no reason to dress in anything but his jeans. “Hungry, darlin'?”

Rajani was shocked by the amount of food Stephanie ordered her and couldn't help jumping slightly at the sight of Taker outside her hotel room door. “T-Thank you...” She handed over some money to the bellhop, sighing when he said it'd already been taken care of and took his leave. “I guess I am...”

She didn't meet Taker's eyes, pushing the tray into her room a little further and was glad she'd tied her robe tightly because she was completely naked underneath, her long hair wet and hanging over her shoulder.  Rajani knew Taker hadn't forgotten about what she did the previous night. Wondering if it would be smart to apologize to him now or just leave it alone, Rajani suddenly just wanted him out of her room, period.

“My apologies for my outburst last night...Taker.  I was completely unprofessional and shouldn't have said what I did.  I hope you're not too upset with me over it?”

Taker had to step inside the room in order for the bellhop to get past him. Aware the other man was pulling the door shut behind them, it left him standing in Rajani’s room with just her. It took him exactly .001 seconds to note that one: she had obviously just gotten out of the shower. Two: that robe might've been a color that wasn't see-through, but it was also made out of a fabric that reminded him a lot of silk. Three: she had very luscious curves, the silk clinging to her damp skin. Four: she was either cold or completely unaware. Taker felt the corners of his lips turning upwards.

“No, I'm not upset. Steph asked me to come talk to you about last night, darlin'. If I'd of know you were...occupied, I would've waited a bit longer.” His voice had dropped from its normal pitch to a low rumbling baritone.

Taker was in her room instead of the doorway. Rajani hadn't even noticed because the smell of food had distracted her.  Now she was regretting that distraction and turned around to face him, her throat going slightly dry.

“S-She did?”

Why hadn't Stephanie told her about that when she visited earlier?  Something wasn't right here. Rajani was highly intelligent, but decided to just play the game Taker was for the time being.

“She came to see me earlier, didn't mention it.  Have a seat, I need to finish up and then we can talk.”

Grabbing her bag, Rajani began walking past him toward the bathroom, surprised at how composed she was. Taker settled himself comfortably in one of the armchairs; they were built sturdy so they held his weight. As far as he was concerned, she could have remained in the robe, but...rolling his eyes, he began keeping track of the time, wondering how long she would bar herself up in the bathroom. He did a cursory sweep of the room; it looked like...nothing. It was plain, which meant she was either the type of person who didn't personalize their hotel room and unpack their things or she had been packed to leave.

Chapter 8

10 minutes later, Rajani walked out of the bathroom, wearing a pair of Hello Kitty fleece pajama pants with a matching tank top. It was black with the white kitty embroidered on the front.  Her hair was pulled back in a low tail, teeth brushed...she felt refreshed.

“Sorry about that, you caught me at an awkward time.” Rajani set the bag down and padded over to where Taker sat, taking a seat on the bed since he took the only other chair in the room, sitting Indian style. “So, what did you want to talk about, Taker?”

She knew better than to call him anything else. This man did NOT condone being called Mr. Calaway or Mark. She found that out the hard way her first night on the job with the WWE. She had gone from unintentionally sexy to...little girl and it was still somewhat...sexy, so Taker decided he was going to schedule himself a cat-scan in the morning. Clearing his throat, Taker leaned back in the chair, folding his hands behind his head as he surveyed her, muscles flexing with every movement.

“Stephanie wanted to make sure I wasn't pissed off at you for screaming at me...” His eyes narrowed, having distinctly heard her snickering over the damn phone. “And then wanted me to reassure you personally since you apparently seemed worried...”

“Yes well...” Rajani cleared her throat and leaned over to pull something out of the dresser drawer by her bed, a bottle of lotion.  She had really dry skin after getting out of the shower. “Like I said, it was unprofessional and I've never...snapped like that.” She poured some in her hands and began running it up her arm, trying to avoid contact with this man at all costs. “I'm not worried anymore though, now that you've accepted my apology.  We can move on and pretend it never happened.” That's what she hoped for anyway. “And I wasn't just screaming at you, Cena was just as much to blame as you were for my outburst.” The only difference between Taker and John was that Rajani wasn't apologizing to John, only Taker, because she respected the man a hell of a lot more.

“You have never, from my understandin’, been in that position before, so...” Taker shrugged his massive shoulders, watching her applying the lotion with an arched eyebrow. “And technically, I didn't accept your apology.” He informed her, unable to resist himself, an impish smile spreading across his sensual lips. “I'm just here to reassure you and Steph that I'm not mad. Amused, though. Every time I look at you, I'll probably see you standin' there screaming 'for the love of fucking god'.”

Rajani felt her cheeks burning a deep crimson red and it was noticeable even through her tanned skin.  She definitely couldn't look him in the eye now and the fact he hadn't accepted her apology unnerved her to say the least.  She wasn't going to let him know that it bothered her though, finishing with the lotion.

“I'm glad you find my humiliation so amusing, Taker.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm as Rajani rolled the tray of food over next, not caring if she had company or not.  She was starving, eyes widening when she lifted the lids to see what Stephanie had ordered her. “Holy cow!”

Holy cow was right, and holy chicken, and holy seafood. This woman must've had one hell of an appetite because this was more food than even HE ordered when he was starving. It looked like Rajani had the entire menu right there on the trolley, his green eyes moved down to the second tray at the bottom and arched an eyebrow.

“How the hell do you stay thin?”

“I didn't order this.  I could never eat...You actually thought I could eat all of this?” Rajani couldn't help laughing at the bewildered look on Taker's face, raising an eyebrow of her own. “This is Stephanie overreacting and making sure I'm eating and taking care of myself.” She took a plate off the trolley and extended it to him with a soft smile. “I could never eat all of this by myself and you look like you have quite the appetite.  Mind helping me polish most of this off?”

Maybe he would accept her apology if she fed him well. Taker considered it, finally shrugging and took the plate, gesturing for her to take what she wanted first. He wasn't a total jerk after all; he could occasionally be a gentleman.

“Stephanie reminds me of Linda, overreacting and motherin'...with a hefty dash of Vince thrown in for good measure.” It was like an angel and Satan had had sex and Stephanie was the outcome.

“She means well and I'm definitely not complaining.”

How could she?  The woman had ordered her mostly seafood with a huge steak, lobster and shrimp with some oysters.  Living in Miami, Rajani had a love of seafood because that's what her parents mostly ate throughout her childhood.  Rajani finished piling her plate and then pushed the trolley over to where Taker sat, which wasn't far away, letting him have whatever he wanted.

“I also think she's trying to put me in food comatose, so I'm forced to get a good night's sleep.”

“This is definitely a great way to go about doin' that.” Taker conceded, now fixing his own plate.

Having noted that she seemed to really have a thing for seafood, which worked out great for him because Taker was a steak and chicken kind of guy. Leaning back, he rested the plate on his knee and took stock of her. Noting that while she looked a little rejuvenated, Rajani still had circles under her eyes and looked tired, not surprising.

“You quittin' or takin' a few days off to recover?”

“I was going to quit and actually sent my resignation in.” There was no reason to keep it a secret from the man, it was a legitimate question. “But Stephanie convinced me to stay on until after WrestleMania.  I was shocked, I thought she would've been thrilled to be rid of me since I let her down last night...” No matter what Stephanie or anyone said, that's how Rajani felt and nothing would change it. “Anyway, I'm staying on until after WrestleMania and then I'll make a decision if I want to stay or not.”

Taker snorted, swallowing the bite he had taken before saying anything. “Last night could have happened to anybody and there wouldn't have been anyone who could have prevented it, except maybe Vince, emphasis on maybe. Definitely not Stephanie. You coulda had one or both of them thrown out of the building and they still would've found a way back in, darlin'. It's not your fault.”

“Thanks, that's what Stephanie said.” Rajani smiled, tilting her head slightly while eating a piece of lobster, chewing thoughtfully. “You know,” She paused briefly, swallowing first before speaking, not having bad manners. “You're not as bad as people make you out to be.” Rajani was always one to speak her mind, she got that from her big brother and sometimes it came back to bite her in the ass.  Rajani hoped this wasn't one of the cases. “Is the chicken good?”

“It's delicious, darlin'.” Taker replied, hiding the amusement that coursed through him at her 'not as bad' comment. She obviously didn't know him very well, which was probably a good thing or she would have rang for security by now. “I'm as bad as I need to be.” He said after a moment. “Usually when the boys get a little too...rowdy or their egos inflate past the point it should be, then I sometimes step in. Not very popular during those times.”

“You do what's best and right for business though and that's what matters.  You don't let your own ego run away with you like a lot of others do.”

John suddenly popped into Rajani's mind and she stabbed a piece of shrimp with her fork. Dark eyes flashed momentarily before Rajani pushed him in the far recesses of her mind.  Even when she was trying to relax and enjoy a meal, John intervened and it annoyed her to say the least.

“I'm glad you're enjoying the meal, I really didn't want all of this food going to waste.”

Taker had a feeling some of it was going to go to waste because neither of them would be able to eat all of this. They hadn't even made it to the halfway mark. Stephanie had really pulled overkill on this food thing.

“You looked annoyed for a minute there, somethin' on your mind?” He asked, totally ignoring the ego thing.

Taker didn't have to worry about his ego. He knew his worth and the weight he carried, it was simply a fact. That and he didn't need to stir up the pot with that ego crap. He preferred his more subtle, sneaky ways of handling things.

“Nothing worth discussing.”

There was no way Rajani could tell Taker about her annoyance with John.  She had to keep everything about John a secret, or as much as possible.  Everyone knew that John had been harassing Rajani ever since she came into the company six months ago and it didn't take long to spread like wildfire of their encounters.  There were other encounters though that nobody knew about, ones that she didn't want to think about, because she knew that train of thought would only lead her to trouble.

“Can I ask you something, Taker?” When he just stared at her, Rajani knew that was stupid to ask, but she was hesitant about asking this. “Is umm...Kane alright?  He was bleeding pretty badly from Cena's attack last night and I just...I wanted to make sure he got it taken care of...”

One black eyebrow slowly raised at that. “Is he alright?” He echoed, pretty sure no one who didn't have an interest in Kane financially had asked that one recently. About his physical health at any rate, everyone was always asking what the hell had happened mentally. “He's fine, got stitched up and took off a few days; he's at his place in Tennessee, I think.” Double emphasis on think, because Kane had made an insinuation he might hang around for an odd reason or two.

“Oh good.” Rajani breathed a sigh of relief as far as Kane getting himself stitched up went, not meaning to ask about how he was mentally.  She didn't want to know what he was thinking because the man was scary enough with his recent attacks on everyone. “Tennessee is a beautiful state, Nashville especially.  Home of country music and all that.”

Taker snorted at that, preferring classic rock over country, and his opinion of Tennessee wasn't that high either. Then again, a lot of places didn't compare to his home state of Texas. “Texas is better.” He grunted, smiling slightly. “Where is it you're from? I'm sure Steph probably mentioned it, but...” He tapped the side of his head with his knuckles. “Old age.”

“Miami, Florida.” There was no harm in telling him where she lived because a lot of people, Superstars included, lived there. “Not a big fan of it, but I guess I can't complain either considering it's constantly warm.” Rajani pushed her plate away, which was only halfway eaten and leaned back against the headboard, needing a breather.  She felt more stuffed than a Thanksgiving turkey. “And Texas is a beautiful state, though it's a little too dry for my liking.”

“And Florida is a bit too humid for mine.” Taker shot back playfully, also storing the Miami fact away for a later time.

He had a side business involving real estate. Not to mention Taker also had a few part-time residences in Florida and had been browsing new properties, looking to expand said business. He couldn't wrestle forever; he needed something to fall back on, sort of.

“Finally full?” Taker had emptied his plate a while ago, but wasn't in the mood to give the still rather full trolley another tackle.

“That's probably the only thing I don't like about it is the humidity.  I know Texas is just plain dry, don't like that either.  Someday, I'm hoping to move to one of the Carolinas.”

Rajani didn't bother answering his question about being full because just the look on her face told him she was.  She also looked more tired, it was the food induced comatose setting in.  Stephanie was an evil genius, sneaky too.

“Feel free to eat more if you want, there's no way I can eat another bite.”

Rajani hadn't even bothered looking at the dessert, deciding to save whatever Taker didn't eat for later...if she could. Shaking his head, Taker stood up and set the now empty plate down on a clear space of the trolley. Not that there was much in the way of free space. Rajani was going to fall asleep with him right there if he didn't get the hell out. This woman was ready for some serious sleeping.

“No, but thanks. I should probably be leavin', you look ready to pass out and sleep for 7 years or more.” Food induced coma, he had experienced a few of those and Stephanie was a devious woman. “Thank you for the meal.”

“Thanks for keeping me company and helping me at least put a dent into it.” Rajani smiled weakly up at him and slipped under the comforter, not even caring if he was standing in the room still.  Rajani's body was shutting down quickly, her eyes drooping. “Good night, Taker.” She whispered, rolling over on her side curling up a little and closed her eyes.

Her black hair was still damp and pooled around her, the pillow covered with it.  Stephanie's plan had worked like a charm. Rajani was out for the count before Taker could turn the light off for her and leave. Taker took the trolley with him when he went; knowing the chances of Rajani waking up in time to start eating more of this stuff before it began going bad was rather slim. He headed down the hallway towards his own room, knowing he had a lot of new interesting information to sort through and decide just what he was going to do with it.

There were so many options and all of them promised to be entertaining.

Chapter 9

After sleeping for 12 hours straight, Rajani finally woke up sometime in the late afternoon the following day.  She glanced over at the clock and couldn't believe it read four PM.  She was more tired than she thought that was for damn sure.  Yawning loudly, Rajani pulled herself up from the bed and padded into the bathroom, needing to do her business before deciding a shower was in order.  It definitely woke her up.  She dressed in just a pair of black cotton shorts with a white and black tank top, pulling her hair back in a braid that went to the middle of her back.  She ordered something to eat, starved and then got to work on the small folder that Stephanie gave her.  It wouldn't take her long; Rajani decided she would have to go hunting for a Laundromat since the hotel they were currently at didn't provide that type of service.

Information was a valuable asset and, even though it was from a friend, it was still expensive. Over a decade of friendship or not, Taker rarely gave out anything for free, not even to him. In this case, he had demanded a favor that he could call in at any time. Kane added that to his list of favors he owed to Taker. The information had been something he could have figured out on his own, but came with the confirmation of Taker knowing it personally. Rajani hadn't quit, she was just sticking to the hotels.

After a quick bite to eat and getting 90% of the work completed, Rajani changed into a pair of blue jeans that had a maroon flower design embroidered on the right thigh. Her top was off the shoulder maroon and had flowing see-through sleeves.  She grabbed a bag full of laundry and headed out along with her laptop, wearing her favorite pair of tennis shoes she always brought with her on the road.

“I hate laundry.” She grunted, stepping on the elevator and then decided to opt for the stairs, heading toward the parking garage.

John had been told, by Vince McMahon no less, he was to take the week off until Raw to get his head on straight. He still followed the circuit though, just in case. In case meaning: he was called back to work and in case he seen Kane out in the street. All bets were off then. Since he had this time off, John figured catching up on his laundry would be a great idea, since he was wearing his last pair of clean boxers and a pair of shorts he had worn the day before.

“Fuck!” He grunted out, not watching where he was going.

Peering around the double stacked baskets in his arms, John suddenly ran into someone. The basket of Rajani's clothes went flying as they sprawled out everywhere.  Rajani also ended up on her rear again. Remembering briefly when she'd run into Kane at the arena, Rajani hoped he hadn't run into her this time. It felt like a brick wall just slammed right into her back, so knowing her luck, it was someone from the company.  When she looked up, after clearing the cobwebs, Rajani wondered if fate was out to really screw with her as she locked eyes with John.

“Watch it!” She growled, not amused that he hadn't been paying attention to where and what he was doing.

“This is the universe having a laugh at my expense.” John muttered when he seen who he had knocked over, his own laundry safe and sound in his arms. Sighing, he set the baskets down and began picking up her clothes. “Sorry Rajani.” He apologized, wondering how many times this week he was going to say those words. John quickly stuffed what looked like a black pair of panties into the bag, knowing she would not appreciate him ogling her panties at the moment.

“Of course it would be you.” Rajani grunted and stood up from the dirty parking garage, dusting herself off the best she could.

Rajani had gone an entire day without seeing John and it had been one of the most peaceful times of her life.  Of course, she also slept halfway through it.  She noticed John was going to do his laundry as well, wondering what kind of message the universe was sending them, besides having a laugh at his expense.

“I think that's everything.” She picked up her basket again and walked away from him toward her car.

John cocked his head to the side, watching her walk away and his attention was pulled from her, gently swaying hips, to the pair of white panties that were clinging to just over her ass and partly on her shirt. Contemplating what to do, he followed her, managing to balance his baskets in one arm. Watching as the panties did a half fold down, over her ass, John reached out and swiped them away.

“Uh, you forgot these…”

Turning around, Rajani's dark eyes shot open at the sight of John holding her white lace panties, immediately snatching them away from him.

“Thanks...” Her voice was laced with malice and Rajani tried not gritting her teeth, but it was incredibly hard.

The man had just touched her panties for Christ sakes!!

With a reddened face, Rajani shoved the panties back into her basket, avoiding eye contact with John. He had caught that undercurrent of malice and wondered idly if he should be worried. John could have just let her walk around with the garment attached to her ass looking like a retard, but he hadn't. He hadn't even ogled her for more than a few seconds; didn't that earn him any brownie points?

“You're, uh, welcome.” John said finally, knowing she probably didn't mean the polite gesture with ‘thanks’, but...he'd take it.

Rajani went to say something when the door to the hotel opened, her eyes widening at the sight of Taker stepping out. “You know, I think we need to discuss this further.” She took John's arm and looped it through hers, thankfully their baskets hiding who they were for the most part, at least face wise. “Just keep walking and do what I say.” She ordered in a whisper.

Knowing if John saw Taker there, he would end up attacking, no questions asked. Taker had punched him in the mouth. Stephanie had informed Rajani of the events that happened after she both called them five year old children and told them to stop fighting.

“So laundry day, eh?  Me too.”

Rajani practically shoved him toward her car, going as fast as she could, given the circumstances. It would be the understatement of the year to say that John was totally lost. Either she was bipolar or…John tried to turn his head, only to find her demanding his attention.

“What the hell, Raja?” He demanded in an undertone, wondering who she had seen to make her change from 'bye' to 'let's roll'. His blue eyes narrowed when he realized she was now trying to get him to put his laundry in her car. “Are you-” John nearly dropped both baskets when she stomped on his foot, more surprised than anything.

“Oops sorry!  I didn't see your foot there.” Even though he had HUGE feet, they were almost impossible to miss, but Rajani had to do something to keep his attention on her. “Now come on, we don't have time.” She took one of his baskets and shoved it in the back of her car along with hers; noticing Taker had walked over to his Titan and was ready to fire it up. “John, if you don't stop screwing around, we'll never get this done!” This wasn't good, John's attention wasn't on her anymore and Rajani had to do something...anything. “Fuck it.”

Suddenly, Rajani grabbed his face none too gently and pressed her lips against his, knowing she had his undivided attention now.  Kissing John Cena wasn't a smart thing to do, but Rajani was desperate and knew she would ultimately regret this.  But if it meant keeping John from getting into another fist fight with one of the Superstars, she would do whatever necessary...within reason.

John's poor brain did try to stay on the 'what the hell?' track, but this woman, the woman he had been hounding for a while now to no success, was kissing him. His brain finally just shut the hell up with the 'what is she doing?  She hates me' bit and focused on the moment. He recovered from being startled rather quickly and took over the kiss, turning so her back was against the car, his massive body bent over hers as his lips unfroze. What started out as just a simple distracting kiss exploded into something so raw, powerful and indescribable, it stole Rajani's breath away.  Every nerve-end of her body suddenly sparked, ignited and it all lead up to explode into an amazing inferno that enveloped her entire body.  From the top of her head, to the tips of her toes, Rajani felt desire course through every inch of her due to this man's lips on hers.

It was so wrong to feel what she currently did, but Rajani couldn't help it.  She'd had a secret crush on this man ever since she came into the company and knew it was forbidden.  Maybe that's why it was so enticing, Rajani had pushed him away and declined him so many times she'd lost track.  All because any contact with him was forbidden...and she'd never been more attracted to a man in her entire life.  When neither of them could breathe, Rajani released her grip on John's jersey, not even realizing she'd taken hold of it in two huge fistfuls and broke the kiss.  Her lips were swollen and somehow, in the middle of that heated moment, John had taken her braid out so her hair was now over her shoulders and down her back in raven waves.

John kept his eyes closed for a moment longer, rolling his forehead against hers. He didn't remember taking her hair out, but…he had fantasized about it enough to not be surprised that he had. He had been right; it was thick and heavy, silken to the touch. After a moment, John pulled away and opened his eyes, knowing they were probably darker than normal, but that couldn't be helped. All he could do was stare down into her slightly flushed face, taking in the way her own eyes had darkened and her swollen lips. Mentally jolting herself back to reality, Rajani looked over John's shoulder and sighed with relief that Taker had left.  Her plan to distract John had worked like a charm.  But now she had a bigger problem to deal with and she knew it.

“Sorry about that.” Rajani cleared her throat, trying to get her voice to stop shaking due to the aftershocks of that intense kiss. “You're uh...You're a very hard man to distract, you know that?” She didn't dare touch her swollen lips in front of him, not wanting to give him any more ammunition than what she just did.

That instantly snapped him out of the after kiss haze he was experiencing. “Distract me?” He repeated, arching an eyebrow down at her. That had to be the most ego deflating thing John ever heard. “And just what was it you were distracting me from, hmm?”

John bent down so they were face to face, watching her eyes dart to his lips and fought back a smirk, trying to not let anger overtake him. When she opened her mouth but didn't say anything, he kissed her. Distraction? He was going to show her the meaning of distraction. Rajani reacted instinctively and pushed her hands against his chest, shoving him back as hard as she could, which wasn't far, but it did break the kiss.

“No.” This could not happen, what the hell had Rajani been thinking using kissing as a distraction tool?  Especially with John Cena of all people? “Someone walked out and I didn't want you getting into another scuffle.  So I...I did the only thing I could think of since stomping on your foot wasn't good enough apparently.” Rajani said in a rush.

Trying to slow her racing heart, Rajani attempted to duck under John's arm, only for him to block her in.  If he didn't step back and give her space, Rajani would have to take drastic measures to force him and she really didn't want to stoop to that level. Because he now no longer trusted her on any level at all, John took the precaution of making sure she couldn't knee him in the jewels. He did this by pressing his body quite firmly against hers, his legs entangling with hers.

“So your immediate answer is to kiss me?” John demanded, all signs of arousal gone and replaced with something cold, his tone pure ice. “To keep me from getting into a fight...you throw yourself at me? What are you, a prostitute?”

There was the asshole Rajani had grown to despise over the past 6 months.  Rajani's dark eyes flared, not believing he just called her a prostitute! “I did NOT throw myself at you by ANY means, Cena.  It was a kiss to distract you, don't read too much into it.  Now if you don't mind, I was on my way to do laundry before you nearly plowed me over because you're too wrapped up in yourself to actually watch where the hell you're going.” When he didn't move away from her, Rajani suddenly took her hand and, with the heel of it, plowed it full force into his nose, forcing him to stumble back several feet away from her. “You're so ungrateful, if anything you should be thanking me because, had I not distracted you, you would've ended up in jail more than likely.  Arrogant prick!”

“Sounds like a hooker to me.” John taunted, sounding a bit nasally as he checked to make sure his nose wasn't broken, not believing what a self-righteous bitch she was being. “You hooked yourself out on that kiss to keep me from jail time? I'm not your pimp, Raja, I don't need your 'get out of jail free' services.”

In the back of his mind, John knew this was a line that there would be no coming back from, but damn if he could stop himself. Well, one thing he had going for him, he hadn't smacked her. Not that he wasn't tempted, especially now.

“Believe me, you would have to be the last man on the planet before I'd be your hooker, asshole.” Rajani replied coolly, the heated moment with him completely forgotten and she regretted kissing him. “Don't worry, I won't be offering my services to you again, ever.”

Opening the car door, Rajani proceeded to toss both of his baskets right at him, one clocking him right in the face, knocking him on his ass.  Smirking viciously, she stepped into her car, locked the doors and started it up before peeling out of there. Leaving him there with his clothes strewn all over the pavement, Rajani floored it to the nearest Laundromat, berating herself for what she did with John.

“That went well, didn't it, idiot?”

Of all the people to witness THAT, Kane was the last one John would have wanted. “Piss off, Jacobs.” He growled warningly, shoving the dirty clothes off of himself, the tips of his ears burning.

Clucking his tongue, Kane stepped out from behind his truck, leaning against the hood. “That was the most painful thing I've seen all year, Cena.”

“Seriously, you need to step off.” John was pushing himself to his feet, knowing that the only thing that could make this night worse would be either Taker showing up or Rajani coming back.

If she did, it would probably be to run him over.

Chapter 10

Eve still couldn't believe she was still alive, especially after outing Kane the way she did to Rajani.  She couldn't let the man get away with what he did to Beth though.  She was their friend and, as terrified as Eve was of Kane, women of the WWE had to stick together, especially the Divas  Mildly surprised at finding a distraught looking Rajani at the local Laundromat, Eve ventured over to her, carrying a bag of clothes herself.

“Hey.”

Rajani looked up, finishing sorting her clothes. “Oh hey Eve.” She couldn't even muster up a smile, hoping her lips weren't still swollen from the kiss with John. “Laundry for you too eh?”

“Yeah...” She began sorting her own clothes at the table right next to Rajani's, frowning. “Everything okay?”

“Far from it, but thanks for asking.”

Eve was not normally a timid woman, but all this stuff happening with Kane had her on edge and acting more reticent than usual. She figured the only reason she was still alive was because Kane was just biding his time. What she was hoping was that he had bigger fish to fry and she was a little minnow who managed to escape his radar. That would be fantastic. She had been traveling with the other Divas for the most part and, the only reason she had come here by herself, was the fact that it was well populated. Public places were good. They were safe, at least that's what PSA's said.

“Um, is there anything I can do to help?” She offered softly.

“Besides killing a certain rapper wanna-be who claims he's a thug?  No.” Rajani shot back, staring down at the pair of white panties he pulled off of her clothes and gritted her teeth.

“Uh oh...Cena again?”

“Ding, ding, ding.”

Eve chuckled softly. “What did he do to you now?” She asked, tossing a pair of jeans to the side. “Or do I even want to know?”

Rajani waved her off dismissively, having more important things on her mind. “Never mind, have you heard anything about Beth's condition?”

The smile fell from her face as Eve shook her head, both of them worried for their friend. “No, as far as I know she's still in that induced coma.”

Rajani made a mental note to ask Stephanie about Beth. Silence reigned as they finished sorting their respective laundry and then put it in washing machines. Eve returned to her table and hoisted herself up on it, dangling her feet and kicking them back and forth almost nervously. She watched the machines going in circles, deep in her thoughts and decided to talk to Rajani about what she was thinking.

“There's a rumor going around...” She said slowly, glancing at Rajani before back to the machine, chewing on her lower lip nervously. “That Stephanie's body didn't shut down on her, but...that someone, well…knocked her out or something.” That speculation had started after people had begun coming up knocked out.

The only problem was, there was no sign of injury to Stephanie.

“That rumor is null and void, I spoke with Stephanie in person yesterday.  I was going to quit after everything that happened and she paid me a visit, convinced me to stay.” Rajani explained, not surprised that the rumor mill had already started regarding what exactly happened to Stephanie. “She didn't have one mark on her that I could see unless she hid it really well, which I doubt. She was under too much stress and pressure, which forced her body to completely shut down and, after those events, I don't see how she's back so soon.”

She was also very thankful to her boss and friend for returning quickly because Rajani wasn't sure if she could handle another night in charge. Eve didn't mention the second part of the speculation. Gossip was continuous in the WWE; they could literally do a gossip magazine a week based on some of the stuff that tended to go around. She supposed it was a normal part of any workplace, just amped to the max for them. When the fact that there had been no obvious sign of injury to Stephanie, there had been a few meekly voiced suggestions about chemicals, or things like ether. That had made everyone automatically think of the Taker, who had been quite notorious for that sort of thing back in the day. Shoving it out of mind, she idled towards the vending machines, her throat suddenly parched.

“You look troubled.” Rajani pointed out, following Eve with concerned eyes. “What's on your mind?  Is there something else?”

“No, just thirsty is all.” Eve lied, trying to keep the shakiness out of her voice and decided on some water. “I'm fine Raja, really.”

Of course Rajani could read between the lines and knew Eve was anything but, however she wasn't going to push her for answers.  It wouldn't be fair to do so, but Rajani would end up doing her own investigating to find out what else had gone around the company.  Whatever it was had Eve standing on edge, which wasn't normal for the woman. Nothing had ever shaken Eve like this. This storyline had transcended past 'script' and right into reality, and her worst nightmares. Every horrible rumor about messed up things in the WWE, or the Attitude Era, seemed to come rushing back to her. A lot of things were being repeated now as everyone speculated on what might come next.

John wasn't as sick in the head as Kane was, which was a small relief, but the fact of the matter was John wasn't acting like John either. She flashed Rajani what she hoped was a reassuring 'I'm fine' smile before collecting her bottle of water and skirting around the other woman, heading back to the table. For the first time ever, Eve was not looking forward to returning to work. Once laundry was finished, Rajani parted ways with Eve and headed back to the hotel, hoping she had no more run-ins with John.  She still could not believe she kissed John...big brother would have a FIELD day if he ever found out!  Rajani groaned, knowing she had royally screwed herself and had no idea how she was going to fix this.

She had a feeling she would never be rid of John now, not after that explosive moment between them.  Surely he knew she felt something from it just from the way they kissed alone.  Trudging into the hotel with her basket of clean clothes, Rajani suddenly felt sick and wasn't sure if staying on as Stephanie's intern was a good idea. When Rajani finally made it up to her room, there were roses in all shades scattered about the room. Vases covered every available surface, loose stems on the bed and chair. In her bathroom, the sink and bathtub had been filled to literally overflowing with petals. There was no card, no note, nothing to indicate who had sent them.

“Oh my...”

The smell of roses permeated the air as Rajani stared from the doorway in shock, the basket of clothes slipping from her grasp.  It looked like a giant rainbow of roses exploded in her room!  Rajani slowly made her way further into the room, looking around wearily while the door closed gently behind her.

“Who could've done this?” She wondered aloud, wrapping her arms around herself and briefly wondered if this was John's doing.

He was the only one who had pursued her relentlessly for the past six months, but was he slick enough to pull something like this off? Whoever had done it had probably cost a small fortune and a hefty tip to get the staff to do this, not to mention the price of silence. But there were also other ways to obtain someone's silence. The rainbow effect gave no indication of who had done this. No specific colors stood out, though all the roses were thorn less. Eventually, Rajani would find out who had sent them, but...not tonight.

Roses weren't Rajani's ultimate favorite flower, but they definitely gave off an incredible scent.  She slowly ran her fingers over the rose petals on the bed before jumping down on it. A few of them fluttered in the air before slowly coming down again on top of her.  If Rajani was in a relationship with someone, this would definitely be the most romantic gesture she'd ever experienced.  But she wasn't in a relationship and that's what unnerved her about this entire situation.  Laundry had drained her and, pretty soon, Rajani fell asleep on the rose petals. The aroma was intoxicating, inviting and relaxing all wrapped up in one marvelous feeling.

~!~

Stephanie didn't know whether to question the fact that Kane was voluntarily agreeing to stop his real life feud with John or just be happy for it. Of course, she didn't trust him, but...at the same time, there was that small chance he was serious. If she didn't take it, she might regret it.

“No tricks?” Stephanie demanded, staring up at him out of narrowed blue eyes.

“No tricks.” Kane promised in a gruff voice.

Letting out a shaky breath, Stephanie just nodded.

~!~

A few nights later, refreshed and no longer had sleep deprivation, Rajani walked into the arena with a smile...and with a new haircut.  It wasn't that massive of a change, but something Rajani desperately needed done.  Her hair now went to the middle of her back, still long, but not impossible to maintain anymore and she could keep it down without it looking crazy.  The lady put a few layers into it for style as well; it looked incredibly healthy and soft to the touch.  She also had her bangs angled, loving that look and knew Stephanie was going to freak out when she saw it.  Rajani wore a simple black skirt that went to her knees along with a soft pink, almost white, halter top that went around her neck and left her back bare along with her arms.  2 inch black open toed heels were on her feet, knowing her boots wouldn't look good with the outfit, as Rajani walked down the hallway, waving to a few people on her way to Stephanie's office.

“I am so glad you're back, I didn't realize fetching coffee and editing scripts was such a pain in the ass.” Alex greeted her, emerging from the cafeteria, carrying a...cup of coffee. He was capable of the job, obviously, but Stephanie did drink a shitload of java. “Is it healthy for her to live on this stuff?” He was personally a green tea sort of guy.

All the energy without any of the ulcers.

Rajani laughed softly and leaned over to kiss Alex's cheek, taking the coffee he handed her. “Believe me; I've tried telling her that since I started here and all she told me was caffeine is the only thing keeping her sane.”

Alex touched his cheek, eyes widened slightly. “What was that for?”

“If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have made it out alive the night I was in charge.  You really helped me out and I appreciate it. “Rajani took a sip of the coffee. “And I promise, I won't give you meaningless jobs to do.  Not that Stephanie gives them to me, but I know how some people are with assistants.”

“Oh yeah, I'm YOUR gopher now.” Alex joked, pushing his hair out of his eyes. His hair was brown and he wore the front a bit long, cheeks tinged pink. “Stephanie said the assistant needed assistance. And I'm glad I could help you out, that was just a bad night all around. I can't imagine someone dealing with it alone.” Especially someone who had never even ran the show on a normal night, Alex looked at her and blinked. “Did you do something to your hair?”

Beaming, Rajani nodded as she ran a hand through it, loving the feel of it because it no longer felt like she was carrying dead weight on her head. “Yeah, I had it cut while I was...recuperating.  I had a lot of dead-ends and got a few layers put into it.  My hair stylist wanted to streak it, but I refuse to ruin my hair with dye.” Rajani had always kept her hair its natural color and would never change it, not seeing the point in doing so. “Do you like it?”

Sometimes Rajani wondered if Alex was gay or straight. She could never tell because he had both mannerisms, enjoying style and fashion too. Alex was aware that some people were confused over his sexual preference, which he never disclosed because he didn't think his love or personal life had any business being in the workplace. He dressed well, loved fashion and usually kept his own hair styled in ways that wasn't considered typical male.

“Yeah, I like it.” Alex said honestly, tapping his chin. “You know, if you wanted to change the color without dying it, you could just do some colored extensions. They have the clip-in kinds that'll blend right in.” He suggested helpfully.

“Why are we talking about hair clips?”

“Because Alex was asking me about my new haircut.” Rajani answered, turning to face Stephanie and smiled when the woman embraced her.  She laughed when Stephanie said it was great having her back and a lot had to get done. “Good to be back and, as for the extensions, I'll think about it.  Never really thought about my hair being different colors cause I've always been attached to it.”

“I love what you did to it.  I was starting to wonder when you were going to have it cut because you kept complaining of headaches whenever you pulled it up.”

“Yeah, not anymore.”

Rajani grinned, walking with the boss and listened as Stephanie filled her in for the night's events.  It was once again Monday night Raw, Rajani had exactly five days off due to Stephanie's orders. Alex followed behind the women, carrying a clipboard and jotting down notes when Stephanie began giving Rajani a list of what needed to be done. He was taking notes on the notes, considering them reminders, just in case she forgot or something, which she wouldn't.

“Um Steph?”

“Yes?

“Here comes Cena.”

Stephanie looked down the hallway, arching an eyebrow when she spotted him. “Good, I have something to tell him anyway.”

Oh great, Rajani thought, as soon as they spotted John, really not wanting to see him, even after 4 days of no contact.

It was very strange...and somewhat nice.  Rajani decided pretending the kiss never happened was her best option, hoping John didn't push the issue.  She hadn't seen him in the past days so she safely assumed the hotel room full of roses hadn't come from him.  He would've followed that up with something, she was almost sure of it.  As soon as they were face to face with John, Rajani kept silence, not even greeting him while Stephanie took care of business. John listened as Stephanie informed him that Kane had come to her offering to end the feud they had going, the real life aspect of it at any rate. There was no way they were going to call off the WrestleMania storyline, not this close to the event, that he had set up a year prior with Dwayne The Rock Johnson.

Chapter 11

“So...let me get this straight,” John began slowly, aware of Rajani's presence though, for the moment, he ignored her. “Kane said he wanted to call off all this bullshit? What's the catch, Steph?”

Alex had been wondering that himself, though he wisely didn't voice it.

“There is no catch, John.  I asked Glen and he simply said that after what happened at Tuesday's Smackdown! taping, it's in the best interest for the company to end the feud.” Stephanie stated, though in the back of her mind she wondered if Kane truly meant what he said. “All we can do is take his word for it and see what happens.  I hope he means it because we cannot have another disastrous night, not this close to WrestleMania.”

Rajani couldn't stop herself from doubting everything Stephanie said about Kane. Wondering if this was just another mind game he was playing with everyone, though like Alex, Rajani didn’t voice her opinion, keeping her mouth shut. John was pretty much thinking the same thing Rajani was, only he wasn't shy about saying it out loud.

“Kane's probably messing with your head, you know that right?” John snorted, shaking his own head, remembering the other night when Kane had appeared after he had been literally knocked down by Raja's palm to his nose.

“Cena, until he does something that contradicts what he said, I want you to leave him alone, unless it is directly related to the storyline. Do you understand me?” Stephanie demanded icily.

When John nodded stiffly, Rajani couldn't help feeling somewhat relieved because that meant he wouldn't end up going through another door or wall.  Why she suddenly cared about his wellbeing after calling her a prostitute was beyond her.  Just because the man was a dickhead didn't mean her crush went away apparently.  Rajani hated her feelings and wished she could just lock them up tight to where they could never escape.  She didn't look at John the whole time they stood there, busy having her nose in the clipboard along with Alex. Both pretended to jot notes down when in actuality they were simply waiting for Stephanie to finish.

John finally turned his attention onto Rajani, who was looking at that clipboard like it was the most interesting thing she had ever seen. “Hello Raja.” He said, watching her shoulders tense for the briefest of seconds. “Did you get all your laundry finished?”

Idly wondering if she was wearing those white panties tonight, John knew voicing that one aloud would get him another palm thrust to the face. He really wanted to do this in front of Stephanie and Alex.  Rajani simply plastered on a smile before looking up at him, raising an eyebrow.

“Of course I did.  Did you?” When Stephanie and Alex were looking back and forth between them, Rajani wanted to hit John in the nose again, pressing the clipboard against her chest. “Or were you simply looking for another...prostitute...to plow over and aggravate?” She couldn't help tossing that word in the mix, eyes darkening with anger.

“Only if she decides to come at me like a bitch in heat.” John snorted, knowing that Alex and Stephanie were looking back and forth between him and Rajani.

“Alright, I'm so glad to see that you two have apparently reached a new level of-”

“What the fuck?”

“Yes, that. Cena, go see the writers for your script.” Stephanie ordered, not entirely sure she wanted to know and just shot Rajani a questioning look.

John stared at her a second longer before snorting and walking away.

“Such class, Cena.  Now I know why Stephanie took the title away from you, a champion has to have CLASS.” Rajani smirked when John froze in his tracks before turning on her own heel, stalking away.

“What the fuck?” Alex couldn't help saying it again. “Did she just...?”

Stephanie's curiosity was burning as she pointed at John to go in the opposite direction while she followed her Rajani. Rajani was busy calling John every name in the book mentally, knowing her professionalism with the man had effectively been tossed out the window. Now if John wanted to show her some low class, he could have informed the wrong people of what had happened, just to see them try pulling some messed up scenario to get her to kiss them. But...John wouldn't, mainly because he knew this little love/hate/off the wall sexual chemistry thing they had going was just getting started. He came to a halt when he seen Kane leaning against the hallway wall. That was...not normal. Kane had his arms folded over his chest, wearing his mask as usual, watching Cena approach with a half-smirk.

When Stephanie finally cornered Rajani in the office, while Alex was out running errands that she normally did, she had no choice except to tell Stephanie what happened.  The run-in with John, which followed her spotting Taker coming out of the building and distracting John.  Of course...she didn't mention the kiss, nobody could ever find out about that happening and there had been no witnesses, to Rajani's knowledge. Rajani didn't know how to stop this chemistry from building between her and John, it was almost like a force that was too powerful to overcome.

“He had the nerve to call me a prostitute all because he thought I was throwing myself at him!  Can you believe that?” Rajani was angry and currently unleashed it at her boss. “I wouldn't throw myself at that asshole if he was the last man on the planet, in the universe!  I'm just glad my brother isn't on the road with us yet, Steph.  He needs to leave me alone before things get really bad...”

Stephanie decided to not say anything, decided not to ask how Rajani had managed to distract John and decided that those two had serious issues. “You need a boyfriend.” She said out of the blue, smiling sweetly when Rajani stopped pacing in order to stare at her with an open mouth. “Just listen...if you had a boyfriend, then John would know you're not...available.” Or for hire, whatever. “And he would probably stop bothering you so much. So...who do you want? Alex? It could be Alex. I'm pretty sure he's metrosexual...”

“I am not getting a boyfriend just to make a guy leave me alone, Stephanie.  If I get a boyfriend, it will be on my terms.” Stephanie had gone off the deep-end officially if she thought for a second that would work. “If he doesn't leave me alone by the time my brother comes on the road, then I'll have him deal with Cena.” She stated simply, hating to use her big brother for...protection, but Rajani would do it if it meant not crossing the line with John.  That kiss would forever be etched in her memory and that was the only memory she would ever have with him. “Can we talk about something work-related now, please?  And for the record, I don't think Alex would want to date me.”

“Uh, what?” Alex asked, having obviously walked in at a very bad time, holding out a stack of papers. “Medical forms, everyone signed so...” He cleared his throat.

“Would you date Rajani?”

“Uh...” He looked at her, obviously not enjoying being put on the spot like that. “Sure, I guess...maybe...why?”

Stephanie then explained her theory to him, ignoring his suddenly shrewd look. Yes, sometimes, she did enjoy arranging matches. Matches referring to hookups. That quality she got straight from her mother.

“Everyone thinks I'm gay, I don't think that would work too well.”

“Are you gay?”

Alex just shrugged. “I think Raja can handle Cena on her own without a...um, boyfriend.”

“Thank you, Alex.” Rajani smiled at him, knowing she really owed him for everything he had done for her. “Though that's not going to stop me from taking this man out for a drink at a later time.  As JUST friends.” She made that point crystal clear to Stephanie, eyes telling the woman this idea was officially null and void. “Now, back to business...”

Before Stephanie could press the issue further, Alex began passing out the forms he had just gathered. “Everything is filled out and signed, so they need to be processed.” Annual physicals, the Superstars always loved the accompanying paperwork they and their private physicians had to fill out.

Stephanie decided to let it slide for now. “One more question...” As soon as she got this out of the way. “Metrosexual?”

Alex simply shrugged again.

The majority of the night, surprisingly, went without any problems and zero attacks.  Rajani kept waiting for the storm to hit, but nothing happened and they were already halfway through the program.  Rajani finished all tasks Stephanie gave her and they made small chatter regarding the upcoming shows, including meetings and whatnot.  Her thoughts had drifted from John to the room of roses again, the smell still fresh in her memory, wondering who had sent them to her.  Rajani couldn't tell anyone about that, especially Stephanie.

“Taker's been attacked Steph!”

Stephanie had actually managed to relax once it appeared the show would go off without a hitch and the night without a problem. So much for that. “Taker has been attacked...” She repeated, wondering who the hell had been ballsy enough to do that. “Where's he now?”

“Right fuckin' here...” Taker growled, ignoring the official who dodged out of his way as he managed to make it into the office without dropping, a hand on his head.

“Sit down!” Larry ordered, following behind with a medical kit. He arched an eyebrow when Taker just sat on the floor, his long legs splayed out in front of him. “Okay then...”

Who would attack Taker of all people? “Stephanie, it wasn't...Kane, was it?” Rajani really hated asking that question in front of Taker, but given the current and recent events, he was the number one suspect. “I'm sorry, but after what happened to Beth and Phil...”

“No, it's fine.” Stephanie held her hand up, knowing Rajani had valid points. “But I don't think Glen would do this to Mark.” Her blue eyes focused back on the injured, looking at Larry worriedly. “What happened Mark?  Do you remember anything?”

Rajani nearly jumped out of her skin when Kane's voice boomed throughout the small office, paling slightly. ‘Oh shit.’ She thought, hoping he didn't overhear her accusation.

“Sure, I remember walkin' and then hearing someone coming up behind me. Before I could turn…WHAT THE HELL, LARRY?”

Larry flinched at that. Taker had a high pain tolerance level, but getting a needle where he had just stuck it had to hurt, no matter if he was the Deadman. “Sorry, it's to numb your head before I fix this...”

“Who did it?” Kane demanded angrily.

“When I find out, you'll be the first to know.” Taker growled, acid green meeting his best friend's eyes as Kane crouched down in front of him.

“I was wondering why you didn't make it...”

“Some-”

“Um...we found this, Mrs. Levesque...” Another official walked in, carrying a pipe with a smear of blood on it.

“I'm sorry...” Rajani whispered, lowering her eyes from everyone in the room. “I didn't mean...”

“Don't worry about it, Raja.” Stephanie murmured, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and gave a gentle squeeze. “Why don't you go get some fresh air?  You look pale.”

“Are you sure?”

Stephanie nodded, gesturing toward the door. “Take a break, you deserve it.” She also wanted to speak with both gentlemen alone. “Go on, don't make me force you.”

Nodding, Rajani took one last glance at Taker before exiting the room, hoping he was going to be alright and headed outside for some needed fresh air.

So much for a peaceful night.

“What the fuck was she apologizin' for?” Taker demanded the moment she left. “Unless she clobbered me from behind...”

“How amusing that would be though.” Kane commented with a smirk.

“Shut it.” Taker ordered, not amused.

John was sitting outside, sort of. He was perched on the overhang that jutted out from over the door, keeping an eye on who was coming in and who was going out. He had come out here after hearing Eve screaming something about Taker being attacked, not wanting to stick around for that one.

The door opened as Rajani stepped out, the cool night air instantly enveloping her.  What the hell was going on?  First Beth, then Phil and now Taker?  Who was doing this and what was their motive?  It all had to be linked somehow and the only person who had been attacking randomly lately was Kane.  But why would Kane attack Taker and then come check on him?  It didn't make any sense.  Nothing did.  Rajani didn't see she wasn't alone outside, her brain running wild with all the possibilities of who could've attacked Taker, looking up at the starry night sky.

John spotted her, but didn't say anything. Even though she had gone total bitch-mode on him earlier and he may have...gone a bit...prick on her; he wasn't in the mood to continue it. Actually, he was in the mood to go home and wait for someone else to get attacked at work. He would be gone when it occurred so then obviously...he wouldn't be guilty. Beth, Phil and now Taker...that kind of eliminated Kane since the two were practically brothers.

“Fuck...” John cursed, running a hand over his head.

Rajani jumped when she heard someone behind her and bit back a groan at the sight of John Cena, immediately turning back around.  He looked...agitated and Rajani knew it was partially her fault, but didn't care.  He had no right calling her a prostitute and a bitch in heat.  Who the hell did he think he was?  He had no appreciation, Rajani wished she'd never kissed him and let Taker beat the hell out of him.  Maybe it would've knocked some sense into John's tiny egomaniac brain. Considering that she had seen him and not started screaming for help, John assumed that maybe he wasn't the prime suspect.

“They find out who clobbered Taker?” He asked gruffly from his perch, staring down at her.

Of course, odds were quite high that she wouldn't answer him, but...maybe she would. He'd rather know what he was walking back inside too eventually. Sooner than later because it was a bit nippy out here and he wasn't wearing a shirt. When she didn't even look his way again, John lowered himself over the ledge and dropped down, landing just behind her. His body heat radiated right against her bare back and Rajani couldn't help doing a full body shiver, wrapping her arms around herself.  She'd heard his sneakers hit the pavement and knew he wouldn't leave her alone until she answered his question.

Chapter 12

“They don't know yet.  It's not Kane...People are saying it might be...you.” She slowly turned around to face him, staring into icy blue eyes. “Did you?” If he wanted to snap at her or call her more names, Rajani could handle it. “Because everyone thought you attacked Beth and Phil.  And we both know you've been...violent lately and Taker did punch you in the mouth after I snapped on both of you.  So did you attack him?”

“No.” John said firmly. “Yes, he punched me in the mouth, but I didn't attack him. I didn't attack Phil either and I would never attack a woman, let alone Beth, who I happen to get along with rather well.”

That was in a strictly platonic sense. The ice faded for a moment, being briefly replaced with worry. Worry for the people who were being taken out without any rhyme or reason. Worry for himself too because he was suspect number one.

“The only person I've been violent towards is Kane.”

Rajani searched his eyes for a minute, trying to decide if he was telling the truth and couldn't find any deceit in them. “Alright, I believe you.”

She didn't know why, but somewhere deep inside Rajani knew John wasn't capable of attacking people like this.  Suddenly, Rajani realized how close they were standing together and swallowed hard, knowing there was no way for her to put space between them due to a safety railing.  So instead, she turned around so her back was facing him, draping her arms over the railing and tried to learn how to breathe again. John was tempted to place a hand on her shoulder and apologize. Apologize for everything that was happening, for being a total dick, for everything, but...chances were, sometime sooner rather than later, they would be back at each other's throats. So...he'd rather not make an empty apology.

“Thank you.” He said instead, his voice lowering almost gruffly as he stuffed his hands in his shorts pockets. “For believing me.”

“No need to thank me, I just hope I have a good judge of character.” She replied in a soft voice instead of the sickly sweet tone she normally used with him.  Then she wondered if John was capable of filling her hotel room with those roses, frowning and suddenly turned back around to face him. “Did you pay the hotel to fill my room with colorful roses?” Rajani could tell that question COMPLETELY caught John off guard, immediately regretting asking it and decided it was time to head back inside. “Never mind, I have to go.”

She walked away from him, feeling as though she was losing her mind now. All John could do was watch her walk away, wondering what the hell that was about. Did he pay to have her hotel room filled with colorful roses? Shaking his head, he gave her time to get inside and away from him before following. He wasn't surprised when security instantly spotted him and mockingly raised his hands over his head.

“Alright boys, you caught me.”

“Let's go Cena, you need to see Stephanie.”

“And Taker.”

Well, that checked John off the list of possible people who could've sent her all those roses. ‘Did I envision it?’ Rajani thought, wondering if maybe her exhaustion had taken its toll and she actually dreamt up those roses.  The smell was so real, everything was real...Rajani sighed as she arrived back in Stephanie's office, where Taker sat alone, Kane nowhere to be found nor the boss. “Where's Stephanie at?” She asked, trying not to cringe when Taker turned to face her with his bandaged forehead.

“No idea. She got a text and took off.” Taker replied, shrugging one massive shoulder, bare from the waist up since he shoved the straps of his tights down, a habit of his. “You look like you're havin' issues.” He observed, his head tilting to the side. “What exactly...did you apologize for earlier, before you took off for some fresh air?”

That had piqued his curiosity. Did she think this was her fault? How in the hell would she have reached that conclusion anyway?

“You caught that huh?” Rajani heaved a sigh when he nodded and walked over to take one of the available chairs. “I made the mistake of...suggesting to Stephanie that it could've been Kane that attacked you.” There was no reason to lie to this man when he was bound to find out eventually, someway. “I didn't mean to accuse him.  I just...after Beth and then Phil and now you...and with the way he's been acting lately...I don't know.  But Stephanie assured me that he wouldn't and I trust her, so...” She had just signed her death warrant by rattling all of that off to The Undertaker.  It was the truth though! “And yeah I am having issues, but nothing I can't handle.  How's your head?”

“Pleasantly numb.” Taker replied, considering everything she had just said. “All things considered, it's sort of a logical conclusion. On Kane's behalf: you're forgiven.” He said, rather imperiously. “But...what would be his motivation for taking out Beth?” He asked, considering it. “And motivation for Phil?” In Beth's case, her brains had literally been scrambled. As for Phil, well...sadly, the little bastard would live to mouth off another day.

“See that's what I'm trying to figure out and there is no reason for him to attack her, but I know for a fact he did...”

Rajani immediately regretted saying that when Taker's eyebrow slowly rose, lowering her eyes from his.  Eve was going to kill her!  Rajani sometimes let her mouth run away with her, like now, but Taker was so trustworthy that it was hard not to confide in the man.

“Someone told me that they saw Kane do it.  As far as Phil goes, that's still up in the air and Phil said he was attacked from behind.” Rajani wondered if maybe she was in the wrong line of work, playing detective gave her quite the adrenaline rush. “And now Kane told Stephanie that his feud with John was finished.  So I have no idea what's going on.  You're his best friend, do you honestly think he's capable of attacking...a woman?”

“Someone told you that Kane attacked Beth?” He echoed, letting skepticism seep through his tone. Leaning his head back against the leather couch comfortably, Taker sprawled out on it in a sort of upright, semi-slumped position. “Are you sure they saw what they thought they saw, darlin'? Because I have a hard time believing something like that. Yeah, the man's off his rocker these days, but...to attack a woman for no reason...” He trailed off, green eyes narrowing thoughtfully. “Of course he's capable of attackin' a woman, so am I. Doesn't mean he did it though.”

“I don't know then.  I'm just reiterating what I was told.”

Maybe Eve was hallucinating and thought she saw Kane do it.  Lord knows the woman had been having issues with him lately due to the on and off-screen feud with John.  She looked really scared and paranoid at the Laundromat, so there was a chance she wasn't in her right frame of mind. Rajani actually moved to sit down on the couch beside him, finding it more comfortable than the chair.  She normally sat on the couch to do her work so it was kind of her spot so to speak.

“Maybe you're right. I ran into Cena outside during my break and he said he didn't attack you.  Just thought I'd let you know.”

“Hmm.” He murmured, not saying on the Cena score, still busy working on his own theories on that account. “So, you've told me what everyone else has said but you haven't said what you think.” Taker pointed out after a quiet moment, turning his head slightly in order to look at her, taking in the obvious change to her hair. He hadn't noticed it earlier because he had been a bit blinded from pain. “What are your thoughts on all these things? Do you believe Cena?”

“Honestly?  Because of who told me it was Kane that attacked Beth, I do believe he did it.  I'm just not sure why he would though.  As far as Cena goes...” Rajani looked down at her lap, clasping her hands together. “I believe he wouldn't attack you.  I asked him straight out if he did and he said no.  All you can really do is take a person's word and hope they're not lying, right?” When Taker asked who the person was that told her it was Kane that attacked Beth, Rajani decided to trust him. “It was Eve.  She was there and witnessed the whole thing apparently, but she was in too much of a shock to say anything until later on that night.  I believe her, there's no reason for her to lie about it and Beth is our friend.”

“Hmm...” Taker stroked his chin, tilting his head back again. “Eve's been under a lot of stress lately with this angle.” And the fact that it had gone from angle to actual day to day life. “Stephanie should probably send her home for a few days to get herself back together. She's going to make a mistake out in the ring or on camera eventually if things keep going the way they have. Not to mention she's probably going to worry herself into an early grave.” That part, he did mean literally.

“I agree, I did laundry with her during my few days off and she didn't look good at all.” Rajani couldn't deny it even if she wanted to.  Poor Eve looked like death warmed over, or possibly worse, and no amount of makeup would cover that up. “Hopefully Kane meant what he said regarding this feud with Cena being over with so Eve can move on to something else.” She knew that would definitely ease some of Eve's fears.  Rajani frowned and looked at the clock, wondering what was taking Stephanie so long and glanced over at Taker. “What kind of person would fill a hotel room up with colorful roses?” She asked out of left field, looking thoughtful and staring straight ahead now, sighing heavily. “Do you think it's something to worry about?”

“Someone who wanted to send a romantic gesture I would assume.” Taker said, taking that left field comment in stride without missing a beat. “And no, I doubt it's something to worry about. Sounds like you have a secret admirer. Was there a note?” When she shook her head, he arched a black eyebrow. “Well, did you call down to the front desk and ask them? They obviously had to let someone in the room, so...logically, they would know who had done it and be obligated to tell you.”

“Of course I did and all they told me was that a note had been left with instructions that all roses were to be delivered to my room and placed everywhere.  Even the manager didn't know.  It's so frustrating not knowing who did it.” Rajani grumbled that last sentence, unable to stop herself and rubbed her forehead with her fingers. “I think it's pretty cowardly.  You know, I made the mistake of just blurting out to Cena if he did it and he looked at me like I'd grown a second head.  So he definitely didn't do it.  It's almost as if this person doesn't want me ever finding out and it's not fair.”

“Well how do you figure it's not fair?” Taker asked, sounding more than just a hint amused, openly flashing a broad grin when she just shot him a look. “It wouldn't be a secret admirer or whatever he or she is if they had left a note or a message or something. Sounds like you're just going to have to wait it out and see. Why do you think it would be Cena? That idiot’s idea of romance usually involves a ‘You wanna catch some dinner or just go to the dessert?’.” He snorted derisively.

Rajani heard that and bellowed out in laughter, not believing Taker just mocked John like that.  She could barely breathe she was laughing so hard, wrapping her arms around her stomach and doubled over.  That just made it worse, tears beginning to run down her face.  It took her a good 10 minutes before Rajani finally calmed down enough to sit up straight again, wiping the tears away from her cheeks, though she still giggled.

“You definitely don't talk...street...very well.” That was the only word Rajani could think of to describe how John talked, even though the man was from West Newbury, Massachusetts. “And I thought it was him because he's been pursuing me ever since I started working for this company and I've turned him down every single time.  He just doesn't get it...so of course he would be the only suspect.”

The very idea of him, Mark Undertaker Calaway, having anything to do with 'street', let alone being able to talk it well, was enough to make him laugh, though not as hard or as long as she had. The woman had had a fit for 10 minutes. She definitely wasn't right in the head either.

“Yeah...even with him chasin' your tail, I don't think he'd be smart enough to figure out how to seduce a woman properly. You've probably got more fans back here then you know.” Taker closed his eyes, the pain medicine Larry had given him finally wearing off. “Where the hell is Stephanie?”

“I don't know, I'm starting to get worried.” Rajani stood up from the couch, knowing Taker was right as far as the roses went. “Well whoever it was, I wish I could properly thank them because they were spectacular.”

She had a picture of them on her phone. Having snapped several, including the bathroom, Rajani wanted to make sure she hadn't dreamt it up.  She'd remember taking them on her walk back to Stephanie's office.

“I'm gonna go look around and see if I can find her.  You stay put, you look like you're in pain again.” Before Taker could say anything, Rajani was out the door and went on the hunt to find Stephanie, hoping she was alright.

Shaking his head, Taker clucked his tongue, closing his eyes once again.

~!~

“Who else would knock him upside the head with a pipe John?”

“Anyone but me.” John had been standing in his dressing room arguing with her about this all this time. What wasn't going in his favor was the fact that the pipe had apparently been found in his damn duffel bag.

“You're on probation John.” Stephanie sighed, wanting to believe him, but...the evidence, as well as his own attitude lately, were against him. “I'm not going to suspend you, but until I can get to the bottom of these attacks...”

When Rajani couldn't find Stephanie anywhere, she resorted to asking around, which lead her to John's locker room.  Fate was really out to bite her in the ass, Rajani simply knew it.  Staring at the door, she brought her hand up and knocked, hearing Stephanie and John both call 'come in' at the same time.

“Hey Steph, Taker was asking for you.  I think he's ready to leave to go back to the hotel.”

“Alright.” She stared at John, seeing how angry he was, but being the boss definitely wasn't easy. “If I find out that you didn't do this, I will lift the probation, John.  Just...watch yourself and be on your best behavior.” She walked out past Rajani, heading back to her office.

Rajani barely shut the door to follow Stephanie before something crashed against it, causing her to jump back slightly.  John was livid.  Rajani made a mental note to stay out of his way for the next few days, hoping she could achieve that and headed back to the office.

“He says he didn't do it, which was what I was expecting.” Stephanie said as they walked down the hallway, sighing wearily. “Even if he did do it, he wouldn't confess, no one would.” It was the Undertaker. When he was recovered and knew who did it, Taker was going to make that person really wish they hadn't been born. “But the thing is, that pipe with the blood on it was found in his duffel bag. Of course, there is always the chance that someone planted it there, but...other than Glen who would do it? And I don't think it was Glen, Mark vouches for him for one. Two: he said he was done with the feud and, three: nobody recalls seeing Glen in that part of the building when the attack happened.”

“Something definitely isn't right about this, Stephanie.  It's almost as if someone else is behind closed doors wanting to frame Cena and make him fight Kane at every turn.” Rajani couldn't stop going back to those roses, wondering if they really were from a secret admirer or maybe they were for a completely different reason.

“That's a good point too.  I have no idea, but all I know is we only have one suspect and it's John unfortunately.”

“Are you going to tell Taker about the pipe being planted in Cena's bag?” Rajani almost felt sorry for John and cringed when Stephanie nodded. “Do you mind if I head back to the hotel and leave you to handle that?”

“Not at all, try to get some more rest, Raja.” She smiled tentatively before walking inside the office, closing the door behind her.

“Night.” Rajani whispered, heading off toward the exit with a million thoughts swirling around in her head.

Chapter 13

“Leaving us so soon?” Kane asked when he seen her heading for the exit, leaning in Taker's locker room doorway, using his friend's room for the moment. “Did they find out who knocked Taker out or is Cena still suspect number one?” He might've called off their little feud, but...that didn't stop him from finding this all amusing and showing it with a mocking smile, his eyes raking over her from behind his mask. When Rajani stepped away, he stepped forward. “Do I scare you, Rajani?” He asked, tilting his head to the side, the question sounding almost innocent.

“Of course not and, as far as I know, yes he is.” What she really wanted to say was she knew he was the one that attacked Beth, but that wouldn't be very smart. “Taker is in Stephanie's office, as I'm sure you know, so whatever questions you have can be directed to him.  Have a good evening, Kane.” Before she could walk away, Kane moved to stand in front of her, causing Rajani to frown slightly. “What do you want?” Rajani asked immediately, knowing showing fear would only fuel him.

Suddenly, she wished her big brother was on the road with the company because this wouldn't happen if he was.

“To talk. You never really talk to me, why is that?” He wondered, his tone still sounding casual, innocent. Though his mismatched eyes, thanks to the one contact he wore to change one of them, were darkly amused. “You talk to everyone else, even Cena.” Though that probably didn't count since, from his understanding, she did nothing except cut Cena's genitals off verbally, like...earlier tonight. Kane wondered if security cameras had picked that up and if he could get a copy.

“But never me. You don't like me, do you?”

“I wasn't aware you wanted to talk to anyone besides the Undertaker.” Rajani stated truthfully, feeling her heart accelerating slightly, hoping she made it out of the arena with her head still attached to her shoulders. “Cena and I have issues that are between us and will be settled in due time.” She left it at that, refusing to go into detail because of recent history between him and John. “And I'm not sure how to answer that question.  I don't really know you, Kane...” Her dark eyes narrowed slightly, maintaining her composure for the most part against this...monster of a man. “What is this really about?  I don't peg you as the 'talking' type.”

“I didn't ask about your issues with Cena.” Kane pointed out, wondering why she was volunteering that information to him of all people.

He HATED Cena. Everyone knew that and, considering she worked with management, she should have known that better than most. He filed that away, wondering if she had Mr. Cena on the mind right now.

“And you're wrong about the 'talking' type. Just because you see the persona doesn't mean the man,” He removed the mask, revealing his face with long dark curly hair. “Doesn't like to talk every now and then.”

“The only problem with what you just said is that you and your persona are one in the same.  You can't fool me, Kane - Glen, whoever you are right now.  I have enough problems in my life right now than dealing with your bipolar ways.” Once again, Rajani was letting her mouth write checks her ass couldn't cash, but couldn't help it. “So why don't you come clean about hurting my friend, since you want to talk so badly?” Rajani suggested coolly, raising an eyebrow. “There, I think our conversation is over.  Now please move out of my way.”

“Now that was just plain out rude, Rajani.” Kane rumbled, shaking a finger at her. “Even you are not dumb enough to think that anyone's persona is one and the same, as you so eloquently put it. And, as for hurting your friend, be a bit more specific because I have hurt a lot of people over the years.”

His eyes were narrowing dangerously. When she went to move around him, he dodged forward, using his forearm to pin her back against the wall and didn't bat an eye when an automatic knee came up to his groin. Kane wore a cup; he was not a total idiot.

“The next time I make the effort to be nice to you, Raja, I suggest you play nice back.” He informed her, bending down so his mouth was right next to her ear, his breath hot against her skin. “Understand?”

“Let go of me, Kane.” She hissed out, struggling against his forearm and closed her eyes to keep the tears in, breathing extremely hard. “I refuse to play nice with anyone who hurts people I care about.” Rajani coughed when his forearm applied more pressure, knowing she had probably crossed several lines with Kane.  Rajani wasn't backing down though, a fighter at heart and always had been. “If you know what's good for you, you will let go of me.” She merely whispered, having gripped his forearm with her hands to try to alleviate some pressure, but it wasn't working.

“Why?” Kane asked conversationally, acting like he wasn't slowly but surely choking the life out of her. Though...he did let up, letting her breathe properly. His face was right in front of hers a second later, his nose brushing against hers. “As far as I know, I haven't hurt anyone you care about, I would check your facts before throwing them at people who are obviously not operating at full mental capacity. You'll live longer.” His lips were almost brushing against hers, almost. Suddenly, Kane pushed away from her, laughing and mockingly stepped away while bowing towards the door. “Your escape, my lady.”

“You hurt Beth and you can deny it all you want, but I know the truth.” Rajani flat out refused to answer his question, though she trembled slightly, her hand instantly going to her throat. “Stay away from me, Kane.” She ordered before fleeing away from him as fast as her heels could carry her, not stopping until she made it to her car and all the doors were locked. “Oh god...”

Her vision was blurred by tears that she refused to let fall as Rajani searched through her purse shakily, pulling the keys out. Cursing when she dropped them on the floor board, Rajani reached down to retrieve them.  She screamed out when a tap sounded at her window, her head snapping up, the keys once again in her hand. Because the Universe hated them both, it was John, who had seen her running through the parking lot like a bat out of hell. With his new probation status had also come the order that he wasn’t working tonight, mainly because it was the night of the attack. He was suspect number one and people didn't want to work with him now apparently. His reputation was in shambles and, when he found out who was behind it all, there was going to really be hell to pay. His suspect number one was Kane. He didn't care WHO vouched for him. John held up her cell phone, which must have slipped from wherever she had it while she was running. He frowned when he seen the tears streaming down her face, his eyes then landing on her throat, which was all red and looked like it might possibly be bruising.

“Rajani? What happened?”

Rajani had never been happier to see John's face than at that moment, tears rushing down her cheeks in two rapid streams.  Her eyes landed on her cell phone he held and immediately Rajani unlocked the door, opening it.  She didn't step out because Rajani was sure her legs weren't working at the moment, the tears not stopping.  When John bent down to be eye level with her, Rajani just cried harder, burying her face in her hands and managed to take the cell phone from him when he extended it to her, tossing it in the passenger seat.

“I-I have to get out of h-here...” She shakily whispered, reaching for her seatbelt while still holding the keys, which were rattling from her quaking. “Damn it, not now!!” She cursed when her cell phone began vibrating, knowing it was her big brother and reached over to press the ignore button.

It was more than obvious that she wasn't able to even work her car, much less try to drive it in this condition, and John reached out gently plucking the keys from her trembling hand. “Raja, you can't drive like this.” He said gently, wondering what had happened to scare her so badly. “What happened? Who did this to you?”

He used his free hand to gently trace what was definitely becoming a bruise. Rajani shook her head, knowing she couldn't tell anyone about her run-in with Kane.  It would just create more problems and issues, especially with John.  Her hand reached up to grab at her throat, trying to cover up the bruising and hoped there was a way to cover them up before Stephanie noticed them.

“I-I'm fine...I just need to g-get out of here...” She tried to speak normally, but Rajani was still too shook up. “I-I need my keys...I need my keys...”

John wasn't handing over the keys though; she was still just too shaken up. Though, he fully expected that when she recovered, she was going to kick him in the nuts or bash him in the nose again for withholding the keys. “Raja, you can't drive like this.” He repeated patiently. “And you need to report this, you can't let whoever did this get away with it or it could happen again.”

John watched as her eyes widened at that, his own darting back down to the bruising. It was like a car accident; he just couldn't keep from staring, even though the sight of it disgusted him, filled him with an anger he was admirably containing. When her cell phone began vibrating again, Rajani reached over and shut it completely off before tossing it in her purse, the tears never stopping.

“No, I-I'm not reporting anything!” Rajani practically cried out, wincing since her throat was still very tender from Kane's forearm.

If she told John who attacked her, there would be no stopping him from breaking his probation.  Once again, Rajani was protecting him the only way she knew how, even after all the nasty things he called her.  Her eyes slowly moved to where his hand held her keys and all Rajani did was reach hers out, staring into his blue concern-filled blue eyes while slowly calming down.

“I'm fine now, really.  I can drive and I need to get back to the hotel, John.  Please.” That last word was a mere whisper, her other hand never moving from her neck.

John hesitated, wondering just why the hell she wouldn't report this. He knew the woman had brass balls. Look at how she talked to him in front of people! Not to mention the other night and everything that had happened -the kiss, the jacking of his nose-, so he knew she wasn't a chicken shit, but whoever had done this had her scared beyond...well, John didn't know because he had never seen her this way.

“How about I drive you instead?” He offered softly.

“No, I don't need to be driven.  I can do it myself.  I had a momentary freak-out, but I'm fine now.” Rajani plucked the keys away from him while he was still fixated on her neck, slowly pulling her hand away and slipped them in the ignition, firing the car up. “Forget everything you saw tonight.  This never happened because, if you breathe a word to anyone, I will deny it.  And given what's happened tonight, nobody will believe you.  Now please move so I can get the hell out of here.” Glancing in her rearview mirror to make sure Kane wasn't coming to finish the job, Rajani did a full body shiver of dread. “I have to go, John.” If he would only move, Rajani could shut the driver's door and peel out of there.

“And there's the bitch I know and love so well.” John muttered, suddenly thinking of two morals: The road to hell was paved with good Samaritans -no idea why he thought of THAT one- and no good deed goes unpunished.

Talk about a low blow, John was genuinely concerned for her and she had pulled an underhanded card on him. Apparently she was scared enough of someone to mess up his already tarnished reputation even more. Sighing, he stepped away from the car and went to retrieve his bag, half expecting her to run him over just to make sure he kept his mouth shut or something. Rajani put the car in reverse and pulled out of the parking spot, making sure she didn't hit John, before hammering on the gas speeding out of there.  The entire ride back to the hotel, all Rajani could think about was her encounter with Kane, once again touching her bruised throat.  What was she supposed to do?  Was she on Kane's radar now?  The mere thought made the trembling start up again.  Then something occurred to her and Rajani nearly hit the brake, her dark eyes widening.  Had John really said the L word regarding her?!

“Oh my god...”

Poor Rajani wasn't aware that she had been on Kane's radar for a while now and things were only going to get more...entertaining.

John had decided now would be a great time to vacate the parking lot and head to the hotel, where he had every intention of enjoying some malt liquor, before he got blamed for something else he hadn't done. Not to mention, he needed to do some serious thinking about what had just happened and who might've done that to Rajani. Kane automatically came to mind, but then again, John knew he had a serious problem in that he assigned Kane as the guilty party whenever any bad things went down. Though...with good reason.

Rajani was about to find her room covered in flowers again and perhaps a surprise or two.

“I'm fine, I promise.  My cell phone died, what was I supposed to do, bro?”

“How about keep it charged?”

Rajani rolled her eyes, wondering what possessed her to call her big brother back and chalked it up to needing to hear his voice after what she endured. “Well I'm so sorry I'm not perfect like you.” She snorted, heading inside the hotel and pulled her hotel keycard out, just wanting to get to her room. “I'm at the hotel now and I just want to crawl in bed. It's been a stressful night.”

“Everything alright?” He became concerned for his little sister, frowning. “Raja, if something's happened, you know you can tell me...”

“Nothing's happened, I'm just tired.  I love you and I'll see you in a few weeks.”

They ended the call just as Rajani stepped into her hotel room, the door closing behind her.  As soon as she flipped the light on, the phone slipped from her grasp as dark eyes could only stare straight ahead, trying to keep from hyperventilating. What in the hell was going on? If Rajani had thought the scent of roses had been almost overwhelming, then that was nothing compared to what she had just walked into. Lilacs came in shades of purple and sometimes a purple so pale it was white, but those shades were what greeted her, along with the scent. Lilacs had a beautiful soft scent, but in this volume...it was overpowering. As before, they were everywhere. Only this time they had also been spread on the floor, creating a lilac carpet for her to walk on. The last time this had happened, it had only been roses in her room. Now, sitting in the center of her lilac coated bed was a cream colored envelope. Inside of it was a cream colored, unlined, single sheet of paper with the word SOON printed on it in bold lettering.

This was starting to get scary.

Rajani no longer found this romantic, not after what happened with Kane.  There was also no way she was staying in this hotel room tonight, the smell of lilacs doing absolutely nothing to calm her down.  If anything, she was on high alert more than ever, deciding she would be getting a can of mace and a few other weapons to carry with her daily.  Rajani packed all of her things and managed to find her phone that was dropped in the carpet of lilacs petals.  Before she left though, Rajani paid a visit to the hotel manager, who told her the same thing as the other had with the roses.  They had no idea who was doing this.

There were advantages to doing everything from a computer screen or a telephone. The wonders of modern technology had the ability to turn a person from a telephone into either a man or a woman, voice changing technology at its finest. All management knew was that someone must have paid one of the staff members to do this and promised to look into the situation. But it would lead them nowhere because the staff members who did these things for the mysterious person had never actually met that person. They were just promised a great payday and did as they were told, all without knowing who was actually doing the telling.

With no answers to who was doing this, Rajani headed to another hotel in the city, trying to keep from shaking.  Her throat was killing her and Rajani knew she would have to ice it to bring the swelling down when she finally got settled in.  It took her about an hour, but Rajani finally found a small motel that looked deserted for the most part.  She checked in with her own credit card and made sure to lock up everything with her rental.  Grabbing her bags and purse, Rajani headed up to her room, kicking the door shut behind her.  She locked the door and made sure the windows were secure as well, keeping the shades drawn before finally kicking her heels off, tears spilling down her cheeks.

“If this keeps up, I'm definitely not staying after WrestleMania.” She whispered, collapsing on the bed after getting some ice for her throat and fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Chapter 14

Stephanie had gone into full-blown 'mother' mode when she had tried calling Rajani and it had gone directly to voice mail. Then, 'mother' mode had been pushed into 'seriously panic' when she went to Rajani's hotel room the next morning to take her friend out for breakfast, knowing how stressful things were on her intern right now. Panic mode had been initiated when she was informed that Rajani had checked out the night before and that the hotel staff had no idea where she had gone. So...she spent the better part of her morning blowing Rajani's cell phone up and leaving at least a solid dozen voicemails.

“You call me as soon as you get this! Why did you check into a different hotel? Why aren't you answering the phone? Raja, are you alright? Call me!”

Rajani woke up around noon, but didn't check her voicemail until after a shower.  Her throat was heavily bruised, a mix of purple and black.  She wasn't sure if she could cover it up with makeup, opting to wear a turtleneck shirt for the next few days.  When she heard Stephanie's panicked voice, Rajani sighed as she dialed Stephanie's number, waiting for the woman to answer.

“I'm fine...”

“WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?  DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED I'VE BEEN?  WHY DID YOU LEAVE YOUR HOTEL ROOM?”

Rajani cleared her throat, her attire a sleeveless black turtleneck shirt along with a cream skirt that went to her knees, black pumps on her feet.  Her hair was pulled back by two black clips with cream roses on each.  Luckily, the only bruised area of her body was the neck and that was easily covered up, but Rajani hadn't realized she'd sound somewhat hoarse.

“I'm fine, Stephanie, calm down.  Everything is fine.  I met up with a friend that lives around here last night and fell asleep at their place.” Rajani lied smoothly, hoping Stephanie believed her and looked in the mirror one final time. “I'm on my way to the arena right now and, fair warning, I think I'm coming down with a small cold.  That's why I sound a little hoarse, my throat hurts a bit.”

Stephanie was quiet for a long moment, considering all that and when she replied, she sounded just a little bit suspicious. “I'm going to send Mark for you. He's not supposed to be driving today because of his concussion, but he's been ignoring it. He might let you drive instead and has a truck. Or at least, you can keep an eye on him.” That was partially true. “I'm going to call him right now, give him your number and have him call you. Don't ignore his call.” Stephanie ordered, hanging up.

5 minutes later, her cell rang again.

Knowing who that was, Rajani contemplated not answering it and ignoring Stephanie's order, but knew that wouldn't bode well with her boss/friend. “Hello Taker.” She greeted in a soft voice, fixing the collar of her shirt a little, nodding when he asked where she was.

Rajani gave him the directions and ended the call, noting how gruff Taker sounded.  Why would Stephanie send him of all people to retrieve her?  Shaking her head, Rajani waited outside in her rental car, having already checked out of the room.  Suddenly, her thoughts reverted back to last night with John and what he said, a frown marring her face.  Was she reading too much into that or did John actually mean it?  When a huge Chevy Silverado black truck pulled up, Rajani stepped out of her rental car with bags and purse in hand. Busy looking down at a text message she received from her brother, Rajani didn’t realize who else was in the truck.

Taker found it just a little bit amusing that Stephanie had told him that Rajani had told her she was staying with a friend, but Rajani had given him the address of a different hotel then what most of the superstars and WWE folks were staying at. Apparently, Rajani had lied and he was sure she had her reasons, not that Taker would say anything to either woman. He just found it amusing was all. He opened the door and peered down at her through black shades.

“Climb on up, you're drivin', my head is killing me.” Taker scooted across the seat, watching as she set her bag in first before climbing into the cab. Once she had settled herself in the seat, he took her bag and deposited in the seat behind them, extended cab, ignoring the soft growl. “Shut the fuck up and go back to sleep.”

“What the hell is this?”

“What's it look like?”

“You're such a damn comedian...” Kane's voice was low, husky from sleep and a soft drawl had seeped into it.

He was doing a rather comfortable if not physically awkward hunch in that back seat, trying to sleep. Rajani's eyes shot open when she heard Kane in the backseat, freezing behind the wheel.  Every part of her body filled with fear. Rajani could only stare straight ahead, slowly moving her hand to the collar of her turtleneck again. Buckling up, Rajani put her cell phone in her purse and nodded when Taker asked if she was alright, even managing a smile.

‘You can do this.  You can't let anyone find out what happened.  Now get it together before Taker starts noticing!’ She mentally coached herself and took a deep breath, knowing Kane wouldn't do anything to her while Taker was in the truck...she hoped anyway. “Never better.”

She put the truck in reverse and pulled out on the road, trying not to think about anything except getting to the next destination. The next destination was going to take a while because they were in the mid-afternoon rush hour and traffic sucked. Taker settled back as comfortable as possible in his seat, draping one arm along the back of the seat, his fingers right behind Rajani’s neck. Kane had given up trying to sleep and sat upright; stretching his arms the best he could and then smoothed down the unruly curls his hair was naturally cursed with. Growing it out had seemed like such a good idea at the time.

“Best call Steph and let her know we're going to get caught in a jam.” Kane suggested in a rumble, stifling a yawn.

“Sure, get right on it.”

The universe was against her, Rajani simply knew it as she finally came to a dead halt on the highway.  What had she done to be caught in a situation like this?  Rajani didn't dare look in her rearview mirror because Kane would be staring right back at her.  Her throat was really stiff so, while they were at a standstill, Rajani reached into her purse for some ibuprofen, popping three of them.  It would get rid of the swelling and that in turn would deteriorate the pain.  The silence in the truck was deafening; Rajani needed a distraction and reached over to turn the radio on, keeping it very soft because she knew Taker's head was killing him.  She decided on a mix station, thankful that the traffic was slowly starting to move again.

Taker and Kane both recoiled when the alternative rock song went to something that was by Celine Dion. “What the hell?”

Kane leaned forward over the seat, his shoulder brushing against Rajani's as he changed the station. “Classic country?”

“Anything but the other...”

“You cold, Raja?” Kane drawled as he slowly moved back. “You got goose bumps on your arms.”

Taker arched an eyebrow. “Steph said you were comin' down with something...so...why are you wearing a sleeveless turtleneck, kinda defeats the purpose don't it?”

“No, I'm fine.  I told her I thought I was coming down with something because my throat was a little scratchy this morning.” Rajani really hated lying, but thankfully Rajani did it well enough when she needed to. “I have a cardigan I can slip on if I need to.”

The way Kane brushed against her made Rajani's skin crawl and she felt sick to her stomach, hoping she could make it through this without losing her nerve.  When Jason Aldean came on the radio, she decided to focus on that. Beginning to mouth the words, Rajani tapped her fingers against the steering wheel lightly. Obviously Kane knew the reason behind the turtleneck and the scratchy throat; he had been the one to give her those conditions. Smiling a little, he adjusted himself on the seat. The only way he could really sit without attempting to break his long legs was with his back pressed against the cab wall and his legs stretched out on the rest of the seat. Kane sat behind Rajani, draping his arm on the front seat, forcing Taker to move his own hand. At this point, Taker didn't care; his eyes closed and let his hand drop to the seat between him and Rajani.

“Wake me when we get there.” He murmured softly, drifting off.

“Of course.”

If Kane touched her again, Rajani was going to pull the truck over and walk the rest of the way to the arena.  The hairs on the back of her neck stood up on end and it took all of Rajani's willpower not to freak out.  Why had she returned Stephanie's call?  Maybe she should report what happened with Kane because he was simply taking pleasure in her discomfort now.  If he thought for a second she was talking to him, Kane had more screws loose than she thought.  There was no way she was uttering a word to him, not wanting to end up dead in a ditch somewhere. Kane was a bit surprised she hadn't reported him, so far, but that was always subject to change. One simply never knew with women, they capricious beings.

“So...Rajani,” Kane drawled, not touching her, but he was watching her, monitoring her profile for facial changes, knowing she was probably listening to him and really hating him about now. “Why didn't you stay with the rest of the WWE?” That was a bit odd considering he knew for a fact she generally did stay at whatever hotel the majority of the WWE was.

He was not going to make this easy and just leave her alone. “Stayed with a friend of mine I haven't seen in a while and drove to the hotel to meet up with you guys.” Rajani answered in a low voice, not wanting to disturb Taker and kept her eyes straight ahead.

That explained why she was at the hotel, even though it was a complete lie.  She didn't know if Taker was fully asleep yet and didn't want to take the chance to say something to Kane that would get her in trouble. She was lying through her teeth and he knew it. Kane just knew when people were lying to him, probably because he relied on body language to provide him with information. Glancing at his friend out of the corner of his eye, he leaned forward.

“Liar.” Kane whispered, his face brushing against her hair before sitting back again.

Taker's eyes FLEW open when the truck suddenly did a halt and lurch. “What the HELL?” He roared, glaring at Rajani before noting the stopped car in front of them. “Damn...” He growled, rubbing his head, which was now un-bandaged though the lovely stitches were there for all to see.

“Nice driving, jackass!” Rajani growled angrily, really wanting to just haul off and backhand Kane for doing that, gritting her teeth. “Sorry Taker, that jackass decided to swerve right in front of me thinking he had room.  Asshole.” She was directing that at Kane, but couldn't exactly look at him in order to say it.  When her cell phone went off, Rajani answered it, slipping her Bluetooth in. “What do you want bro?”

“Geez, someone is cranky.  Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?”

“Something like that.  Look, I really can't talk right now.  I'm...driving with a few of the guys from the company and...”

“Who?” He demanded, eyes narrowing.

“That is for me to know and you to find out.  You don't need to know, stop being overprotective.” When he began ranting at her, Rajani rolled her eyes and ripped her Bluetooth out, ending the call.

Now it was both Taker and Kane who were interested opposed to just Kane, both men looking at her with unhidden curiosity. “Brother huh?” Taker drawled, a mischievous glint entering his green eyes. “You should call him back and let me talk to him, sounds like he's a bit...protective of you.” He did have a devious streak and laughed softly when her cheeks flushed a light shade of pink.

“Quit it, you're making the poor thing blush.”

“Mmmhmm... looks good on her, don't it?”

“I don't think that would be a very good idea.”

Actually, that would be catastrophic considering who Rajani was related to.  Rajani moved her seat up a little more since the chair didn't feel right, nodding when she was satisfied.  She was also trying not to turn into a cherry in front of Taker and...Kane.

“And he can be protective all he wants of me, but I can take care of myself.”

Rajani had put up a hell of a fight with Kane and popped John in the face. She wouldn't hesitate to hurt anyone, Taker included, if it meant her wellbeing. She was from Miami and had a brother, who was probably older than her. That assumption was based on the way she had spoken to him. Thoughtfully, Taker looked her over; storing that information with all the rest he was accumulating.

“Why wouldn't it be a good idea, darlin'? Afraid he'd shoot off at the mouth?” Taker teased gently.

“You might.”

“Probably.”

Shaking his head, Kane bit back a smirk at how arrogant Taker sounded.

“Something like that.” Rajani flashed him a quick smile before returning her eyes back to the road.

They could pry all they wanted; Rajani wasn't telling them anything else regarding her brother.  What Taker didn't know...Rajani almost found it amusing because her brother would do MORE than just shoot off at the mouth if he found out who she was currently chauffeuring.  Her thoughts suddenly went back to the previous night with those lilacs and the note that had 'SOON' written on it in black lettering.  What the hell was going on?  Who was doing this to her and what was the point?  If someone liked her that badly, why not just come forward instead of being a coward?  When she finally did find out who it was, Rajani was going to beat the hell out of them and began to bob her head gently as another great song came on.

Chapter 15

Taker and Kane both lapsed into silence after that, Taker drifting back off while Kane played with his cell phone. Kane figured playing with the cell phone was a bit safer at the moment then bothering her because he knew she hadn't hit the brakes earlier on account of another vehicle. It was because of him. While Kane liked torturing other people, that didn't mean he was in any hurry to die at the hands of a pissed off woman behind the wheel of a truck. Smirking slightly, Kane scrolled to the Angry Birds application, clicking it. When Kane left her alone, Rajani became suspicious, wondering what he planned on doing next.  Needing coffee and a bathroom break, Rajani glanced over at Taker, knowing he wouldn't be happy to be woken up.

“Taker?” She called out, blinking when Kane popped him in the shoulder and cringed when Taker growled. “Uhh do either of you need to go to the bathroom or want refreshments?” When they both nodded, Taker glaring at Kane, Rajani took the oasis exit, parking the truck a few minutes later. “We're going to need gas too.” She pointed out, not realizing they were nearly on empty before slipping out and stretched her arms in the air.

“You're shorter, you can have the back seat.” Kane informed his friend, throwing his fists up the moment he got out of the truck and Taker took a swing at him. “Prick!”

“Payback's a bitch, son.” Taker chuckled, his own fists up, weaving around Kane before sending another jab his way, connecting with Kane's shoulder. He didn't lighten the blow.

Snorting, Kane rubbed the spot, peeling off his t-shirt to examine the spot, nodding at the bruise that was already forming. “Good hit.”

“I know. I need coffee...” Taker yawned, glancing at Rajani who was looking at them like they were crazy. “What?”

“Nothing, I'll be back…”

Rajani hurried away from them, after reaching into the cab to grab her bag, wanting to change her shoes and check her neck.  She had some cream that was supposed to help make the bruising go away faster.  Once Rajani was in the bathroom, she locked the door and pulled down the collar of her turtleneck, carefully running her fingertips over it, sighing.

“Please get me to the arena and far away from him.” She softly prayed, knowing she was completely alone and ran the cream around the bruised area.

She followed that up with pulling a pair of black flats out of her bag, slipping them on and put her pumps back in the bag.  Relieving herself after that, Rajani washed her hands and took one last look at her throat before heading out. Making sure it was covered completely, Rajani went to get herself a cup of coffee and something quick to eat. Both men had used the restroom and gotten cups of coffee, though now Kane was debating on if he was hungry, whereas Taker was debating on punching him again for dicking around.

Probably doing it on purpose because he was just annoying that way.

“There you are, wondered if you mighta ran off without us.” Taker commented when he seen Rajani coming.

“Which would suck to be you, Deadman.” Kane snickered, having watched as one fan already tried literally climbing Taker like some crazy monkey.

“Shut it.” Taker hadn't found that amusing and had almost tombstoned the rather hefty broad on sheer principal. She had launched herself at his back with a squeal.

“I thought about it, but I know Stephanie wouldn't appreciate me ditching my job.”

Smiling sweetly, though it didn't reach her eyes, Rajani walked past them to toss her bag in the cab again while sipping her coffee.  Rajani didn't want to know what happened while she was taking care of business.  She read the text messages from her brother and rolled her eyes, deleting them.  He was angry at her for hanging up on him and not telling him who she was currently traveling with.

“You going to get somethin' to eat?”

“Nah, I'll wait for fast food or vending machine options...”

“We need an Outback...” Taker glanced down at Rajani, wondering just how pissed off Stephanie would be if he kidnapped her little intern for the rest of the night. It wasn't a televised show, so...he smirked slightly. “You like steak, darlin'?” He asked innocently enough.

Kane had to turn away, his shoulders hunching as he snorted.

Rajani's dark eyes narrowed slightly, knowing what that reference meant and rolled her eyes as she pulled herself up into the driver's seat. “You already know the answer to that question, Taker.  We did share a meal together or did that shot to your head give you temporary amnesia?”

She didn't wait for him to answer and shut the door, buckling up.  What kind of question was that?  If Rajani didn't know any better, she knew they were purposefully screwing with her and it was getting old already. Snorting, Taker climbed in the cab, getting into the backseat.

“I seem to recall you eating mostly seafood, darlin'.” Taker drawled, his green eyes still shining with humor, not being able to resist.

Shaking his head, Kane took the front seat, turning to look back. “You're a jackass.”

Taker simply nodded, leaning forward, resting his arms on the seat and placed his chin on his wrist, staring at Rajani. “Come on now darlin', it was a joke. I promise to behave.”

“You're also a liar.”

Why was Kane in the front seat suddenly?  Rajani didn't want to sit next to him!  It was bad enough she had to deal with him messing with her earlier by brushing her hair and whispering in her ear!  Looking back at Taker, Rajani eyeballed him suspiciously and finally nodded. They were halfway to their destination and Rajani already knew she was going to be very late, sighing.

“Alright, you're forgiven.”

Smirking, Rajani turned her eyes back to the road, pulling out of there and heading back on the highway.  They had switched because Kane was a bit taller than Taker. He purposefully stretched his long, denim clad legs out in front of him, laughing when Taker simply growled and folded his hands behind his head.

“How's that concussion?”

“Why don't I give you one and we'll compare?”

“Hmm, tempting but no. Some of us actually have to work.”

“If not for Jani bein' right there boy, I'd fuck you up. You know that right?”

Kane glanced over at Rajani contemplatively. “Hmm, my personal protector, I like that.”

“Don't drag me into your bromance fighting, please.” Rajani requested, not looking at either of them and wished she could blast the radio so she didn't have to hear them, especially Kane.

Somehow, Rajani knew Kane hadn't told Taker about what happened and she wondered how long that would last.  Would he tell Taker or simply keep it to himself?  Rajani suddenly wished John was here with her and immediately blinked, wondering where that thought came from.  It was simple really.  He'd be better company than these two Neanderthals and Rajani wouldn't constantly have to swallow down fear because she wasn't afraid of John in any capacity.

“What the-”

“Fuck, did you just say?”

“Bromance.” Kane echoed, thoroughly disgusted.

He knew what that term meant and she was the very first person to EVER apply it to him and Taker. Or, at least, the first person to ever say it to their faces. Both of them, at the same time...this woman had a death wish.

“Stephanie should put you on TV, you got brass balls...” Taker growled, leaning back in his seat.

Not knowing what came over her, Rajani started busting out laughing, leaning back against her seat and ignored her aching throat for the time being.  It was so nice to finally shut them both up.  Rajani couldn't stop laughing for a good ten minutes, the expressions on their faces one she would never forget.

“Don't worry,” She rasped out, stopping since they were once again in rush hour traffic. “I won't...ruin...your images...Your faces...”

Rajani started laughing again and drinking more of her coffee, trying to get her mind on something else before they both decided to kill her. Both men weren’t amused and it showed as they glowered at her. Taker scooted down until he was sitting directly behind her, once again leaning forward and rested his head on her shoulder.

“Now Jani, you're going to make me change my mind about not doin' something evil to you.” Taker warned her in a whisper.

Watching as she stopped drinking the coffee, Taker thought she did it to keep from swallowing wrong, spilling it or spewing. He tilted his face, just a little, his nose brushing against her cheek. It was better than having Kane do it so Rajani didn't mind it as much, even though Taker still unnerved her a little.

“Just remember who is driving and who isn't, Taker.” Rajani remarked, looking at him out of the corner of her eye, wondering if he would try doing something to her like Kane had. “I had to say something because the two of you were going at it like...lovers.” She bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing again, her cheeks tingeing red. “It was annoying, you shouldn't annoy your driver.”

“Well darlin',” Taker said, green eyes flashing at that lover's remark, though he had other ways of getting her back, his breath hot against her cheek. “You could always switch spots with Kane and come back here with me, then you won't have to worry about distractions, would ya?” His drawl had gotten rather deep.

More importantly, the husky note to it was unmistakable. Taker wasn't too concerned about the implied threat of an accident. He was in the back seat; they'd go flying before he did. Rajani pulled her face away from him, though his hot breath on her neck sending shivers down her spine.

“Nope, Stephanie told me I have to drive you to the arena.  Gotta follow orders.  And I'm going to say the same thing to you I've told Cena countless times: not interested.” Rajani wasn't sure it was fear either, what the hell was wrong with her? “Not to mention, I don't think your lover over here would appreciate you cheating on him. That would just be plain mean, Taker.”

Taker growled softly and then buried his face in the crook of her neck. The only thing protecting her was that damn turtleneck. It was probably a good thing it was there or else Taker would have made her really regret that 'lover' crack.

“If you change your mind...he can drive...” Taker murmured, moving his lips up to her ear for a moment before moving away and leaning back against the cab wall, piercing green eyes regarding her intently.

All that got stored away for later, though Kane simply kept his face averted to the window, watching the scenery. Rajani really had to fight back the pain from her throat when Taker did that, knowing Kane had noticed.  She was surprised no tears had stung her eyes because that had really hurt.  It was still incredibly tender, the ibuprofen not really doing anything besides getting rid of the swelling.  Rajani didn't respond to Taker and rubbed her ear against her shoulder, feeling disgusted after he licked it.  The rest of the drive was made in silence besides the radio and Rajani wanted to scream out when the arena came into view, pulling into the parking lot.

“Well this has been LOADS of fun, see you guys later.”

Darting inside with her bag and purse before they could think to stop her, Rajani choosing to wear flats definitely had perks. John caught Rajani before she could plow into him, though he did stumble backwards into the wall, holding her away from him so she didn't jar or anything. Taking in the turtleneck sleeveless top she wore, John knew exactly what was underneath it. It must have bruised pretty badly for her to be wearing that.

“Nice to see you too.” He greeted flatly. Frowning, John reached out and ignored her hand slapping at his before pulling the material away from her neck, just enough to see the bruising. “Damn.” He muttered, letting her fix the shirt. “Change your mind about telling Steph?”

“Who the hell do you think you are?  I swear, you men just don't lay off, do you?” Ripping away from him, Rajani stormed past him, the tears in her eyes slowly beginning to seep out and stopped to turn facing him. “No, I'm not telling her or anyone.  I swear to god Cena, you better keep your mouth shut about this.  I don't need your help.  Just back off and forget about what you saw.” She whispered in a hushed voice, quickly fixing the collar of her shirt. “Worry about your own problems and let me handle mine.  Go find Eve; she's the damsel in distress type, not me.” When Taker and Kane walked inside, Rajani made herself scarce, heading to Stephanie's office.

“Bothering her again Cena?” Kane demanded.

“Fuck off Jacobs.”

“Alright boys, let's play nicely.” Taker ordered, eyes narrowed.

John rolled his eyes when Taker stepped between them, holding his hands up. “Hey, no problems here, right Glenie?”

Kane's eyes narrowed, a low growl escaping his throat as John walked away without waiting for a reply. “You know I'm going to kill him, right?”

“Yes.” His own green eyes were narrowed from that crack.

Chapter 16

“Finally!” Stephanie breathed a huge sigh of relief when Rajani stepped inside her office, smiling. “I take it the drive wasn't pleasant?”

“You could say that.” Rajani wasn't going into details, grunting when Alex hugged her before handing over a cup of coffee. “Thanks Alex, I really need this.  Only can you spike it?”

Alex blinked. “With...what?”

“Anything with a high volume of alcohol.”

Alex turned to look at Stephanie worriedly. “Are you alright, Raja?”

“Never better, just had to deal with the company of Taker and Kane for the past 8 hours, then ran into Cena as soon as I walked through the door.  I need a drink.”

Stephanie's eyes narrowed. “Glen was with Mark during your drive?” Why hadn't Taker mentioned that to her?

“Yeah, it was a gas, lemme tell ya.  Remind me to never ride with them again. I need a nice blow to the head to give me amnesia, so I can forget about it.”

“Wait, Kane AND Taker? What'd they do?” Alex asked curiously, unable to help himself.

He knew they were both broody bastards and that it could get annoying. However, how did brooding cause someone to want to drink or take a blow to the head? Stephanie knew the two could be bastards when they wanted to be and just shook her head.

“Let me guess, they were obnoxious and overbearing?”

“They were acting like lovers.” Rajani said bluntly, blinking when Alex and Stephanie both spewed their coffee out at the same time.  Thankfully not all over her.  That would've just been icing on the messed up cake. “I finally shut them up by saying they needed to keep me out of their bromance fighting.” Luckily, Stephanie was still cleaning herself up while Alex did the same, otherwise they would've spewed again. “And then Taker tried intimidating me by inviting me into the backseat with him so Kane could drive.  Told him I wasn't interested.  Men around here just don't back off, besides Alex of course.” Rajani rubbed her throat a little, wincing slightly. “I'm surprised they didn't kill me for some of the shit I said to them, but hey it was better than hearing them bickering back and forth about who was going to fuck who up.”

“Do you mean intimidating or seducing?”

“It's Mark, she meant seducing.” Stephanie muttered, retrieving more Kleenex and daubing at her shirt. “So they were being typical Mark and Glen when not acting like their alter egos?”

Alex snorted at that and instantly regretted it, having already done a spit/snort of coffee only moments ago. “You really told them they had a bromance going on?” He then asked, rather easily able to picture their faces and could not keep the grin off of his face. “I would have KILLED to be a fly on the wall for that moment...”

“It was epic if I do say so myself and pretty much shut them both up.” Rajani wasn't sure what to think about what Stephanie said, sighing tiredly. “It was a very long day and I'm ready to do my work and get some sleep at the hotel.”

She still hadn't told Stephanie about the flowers, figuring the woman believe her story about staying with her friend.  Rajani was thankful for that and immediately got to work. Alex and Stephanie continued asking her a few more questions about the drive with Taker and Kane.

“Promise me I never have to do that again.”

Stephanie nodded directly. “I thought it was just going to be Mark.  I'm sorry, Raja.”

Rajani just nodded and began going through paperwork, knowing she would have to ice her throat again when she was alone.

Alex studied Rajani thoughtfully. “Why don't you put her on TV?”

“I'm sorry, what?”

“Well, think about it, the woman has no fear and the shit she says...could you imagine her saying bromance and lovers fight about the Undertaker and Kane in front of a live audience?”

Rajani's head snapped up so hard, she actually cried out in pain, completely forgetting about her bruised throat. “Alex, I really like you, but I will cut your tongue out if you say that again.” She promised darkly, nodding when Stephanie asked if she was alright. “Pulled muscle.” Rajani lied, going back to her paperwork again.  Stephanie knew better than to even THINK about putting her on television for one very important reason: Her brother. “I think Stephanie prefers me back here instead of out there dressed as a bimbo.”

“Who said you had to dress like a bimbo?” Alex demanded, sounding offending. “Lillian doesn't, Stephanie doesn't...anymore.” He added under his breath, smirking when Stephanie sent a playful glare his way.

“Sometimes, as a woman...in a male dominated business, I have to use...my advantages.” Stephanie said smoothly, giggling outright when he just scoffed. “Just get to work and stop. Rajani is too valuable to be sent out to the ring, she'd become famous out there and then I'd be up to my ears in paperwork.”

That's what Rajani loved about Stephanie, the woman knew when not to push an issue.  Taker had said the same thing about Stephanie putting her on television, but Rajani ignored it.  It took nearly three hours to catch up on the paperwork before they finally began tonight's work load.  Alex was even helping because there was so much to do and not enough time, especially with Rajani being over an hour late.  By the time Rajani left the arena, the show was long over with and she opted to stay behind since she came in late while Stephanie and Alex left.  Not only that, but Rajani was actually somewhat scared to go back to her hotel room, not wanting another attack of flowers and message. Taker was waiting for her minus Kane, leaning against the truck, looking much more awake then he had earlier.

“I thought you might need a ride, darlin'.” Taker drawled when she slowed down at the sight of him. “Since you left your rental back at your hotel.” Because it had been her hotel, not a place Rajani had just met them at, not that Taker cared, but he wasn't feeding her lie either since it was just the two of them. “Unless you want to call a cab or maybe hoof it?” John Cena was still in the building he had also noted, spotting the other man's rental and had been mildly curious just what was keeping that idiot so late.

“Why so you can play some more games with me?” Rajani couldn't help looking around, waiting for Kane to jump out at her or something, absentmindedly grabbing her throat as she fingered the collar. “Or was that seducing me?  Because according to Stephanie, that's what you were doing when you invited me in the backseat earlier.” Rajani still looked around, her free hand wrapped around the can of mace she promised to grab before Taker and Kane picked her up. “I'm not in the mood for games tonight.  I've had enough games being played with me lately, Taker, and I really need a break.”

“Games? Woman, I was teasin' you earlier and maybe givin' a piss poor attempt at seduction.” Taker snorted, noting the way she kept playing with the neck of her shirt, frowning slightly. “You were doing that earlier, something wrong with your neck?” She looked like she was losing her mind. “Rajani, I apologize if I really upset you and what the hell are you lookin' for?”

“Nothing, no my neck is fine.” Rajani lied, not caring if it sounded smooth or not, she just didn't care right now.

She was exhausted both mentally and physically. Someone was screwing with her and Kane didn't help by attacking her the previous night either.  And then she had to endure that grueling eight hour drive with the man who attacked her and this man who she somehow...befriended...if that was even the word to use.

“No I'm sorry, I've been on edge and you didn't deserve that, Taker.” She really was losing her mind and slowly slipped the can into her purse, walking toward him. “You actually stayed behind until you knew if I needed a ride or not?”

“Yes.” Taker flashed a slight half-smirk. “Like I said, you didn't have a rental and I didn't know if you had called for one or somethin'. In case you haven't noticed lately, the locker rooms haven't been the safest lately.” Rajani looked like a scared rabbit or something and he wondered where the woman with the brass balls from earlier had gone off to. “So, if you need that ride...”

Opening the door to the truck, this time Taker was driving and there would be no Kane. Rajani physically relaxed when she noticed it was just the two of them, no Kane, really not wanting to be near that man after everything that happened. She smiled and hopped up into the truck, being mindful that she wore a skirt as Taker shut the door.  Just to make sure this wasn't a trap, Rajani looked behind her in the back, sighing with relief and buckled up as Taker slid into the driver's side.

“Thank you, I didn't even think about the fact I wouldn’t have my own rental when I decided to stay late tonight.”

“I can tell.”

Taker chuckled, hardly believing Stephanie had actually left Rajani by herself at the arena, especially with everything that was going on. That did not seem like the mother-hen he knew and occasionally adored. As they pulled out of the parking garage, he glimpsed in the rearview mirror. Spotting Cena coming out, another half-smirk, a little on the wicked side this time, graced his lips.

John could only stare down at his rental car, more specifically, the slashed back tires. “Great...just great.”

They made small talk throughout the ride back to the hotel, Taker stopping at a local mart that was open twenty-four seven to grab some alcohol.  Rajani wasn't a big drinker, but she did ask him to grab her a bottle of wine.  She just really needed a drink after walking into two hotel rooms full of flowers and then dealing with her attacker for eight hours today...it all was getting to her.

“Do you remember me asking you about the roses and how my room was completely filled with them?” Rajani decided to put some more trust into Taker, genuinely scared to go back to her room alone and watched Taker nod. “It happened again...only this time they were lilacs...and there was a note this time.  All it said was SOON in big black bold writing.” Her eyes moved to stare out the window, frowning. “I'm starting to get a little...nervous about this whole secret admirer crap.”

Taker shot her a look across the seat, one black eyebrow slowly rising. “Soon?” He echoed, having to admit, that did sound a bit...ominous. “Was it the same situation as the first time? Hotel staff didn't know anything?” When she shook her head, he scowled. “Well that's bullshit, obviously darlin', someone on the staff has to know something. Either someone is somehow gettin' keys to your room and plantin' all those flowers by themselves or they're hiring a maid or something to go in and do it.”

“I know, but apparently all they got was a phone call from whoever is doing this.  I don't understand it.  Why not just come out and tell me?  Why be cowardly about it?  If this person really likes me or whatever, then just fucking tell me.  I have enough going on without having to worry about being stalked by someone who has a fetish with flowers.” Rajani snorted, folding her arms in front of her chest as she bounced her foot up and down. “The hotel manager couldn't give me any answers besides that it was orders from a phone call and they were paid a lot of money to do it.  The flowers were delivered and the hotel staff delivered them to the rooms.” Rajani finally looked over at him, seeing he didn't look happy. “What would you do if you were me?”

“I would start informing hotels when you make reservations that NOTHING is to be delivered to the room unless you specifically request it. I don't give a fuck how much money is being paid. What if there was somethin' slipped in with those flowers that’s not so nice?” Taker shook his head, wondering what the hell was wrong with these people. Of course, he had talked a desk clerk or two into giving him a keycard to someone else's room a few times, but still that wasn’t the point. “And if they still did it, I'd sue them for the damn hotel.”

“I already did that with this hotel and even went as far as giving them a false name.”

Rajani wasn't taking any chances right now and if she had to stay in the same hotels as the WWE, then Rajani was taking every precaution she could.  Then Rajani went back to Kane's attack, wondering if she should tell Taker what happened.  Would he overreact like John or simply keep it to himself?  Rajani decided not to find out as Taker pulled into the hotel underground parking lot.

“Whoever is doing this, I hope they realize that all they’re doing is freaking me out instead of romancing me.”

“How about I go up with you?” Taker suggested, raising his hands in a placating way when she just shot him a look. “If there are any flowers up there, I want to see. That and it sounds like your...admirer...is getting ready to change up the routine.” That soon bit seemed to suggest that. “And if by chance, there are flowers up there, I'll go down and have a chat with the manager for you.” His voice darkened at that.

“Now who's being protective?” Rajani smirked and slipped out of the truck, having her bag and purse in hand, shutting the door with her elbow. “If you want to come up, I won't stop you.”

Rajani wasn't about to deny the fact that this admirer crap had definitely scared her.  Having someone with her to inspect the room was a smart thing to do, even if it was Taker.  Together, they headed inside, Taker holding the door open for her and even taking her bag.  He was definitely a gentleman, there was no doubt about that.  She checked into her room and received the keycard, waiting for Taker to do the same for his room, before they both headed toward the elevator. He waited for her to open her door once they had reached her floor, seeing her hesitate and reached out to gently take the key from her, shifting the bags back further on his shoulder.

“Here.” Taker murmured, sliding it through the slot and turned the handle when the light flashed green. “Holy shit...” He cursed softly as he stepped into the room, his eyes taking in all the carnations. Looking down at the floor, Taker realized he was walking on the things and groaned, beginning to kick them out of the way. “Carnations...means fascination. Did you know that, darlin'?” He asked conversationally, checking her bathroom and eyed the carnations in there as well. It was like someone had set up a flower shop in her room, a flower shop of one flower type. “Someone's apparently fascinated by you...” Taker trailed off, spotting the card perched against her pillow.

Chapter 17

“Then what do lilacs and roses mean?  Roses have all kinds of meaning, don't they?”

When he nodded, Rajani began kicking the carnations as well, gritting her teeth.  Who the hell was doing this and why?  It wasn't John, it wasn't Taker...was it Kane?  Was Kane doing all of this?  Is that why he cornered her and attacked her last night?  Sitting on the bed, Rajani reached for the card on her pillow and opened the envelope it was in, taking a deep shaky breath.  Even with a false name and direct orders of the hotel staff, whoever this was STILL found her room. He wasn't going to state the obvious and say that obviously someone was keeping some extremely close tabs on that. Rajani had registered under a false name, apparently that hadn't been a deterrent at all.

“What does it say?” Taker asked, walking over to stand behind her, reading over her shoulder. “JUST DAYS NOW.” That wasn't good. “Come on.” He ordered gruffly, pulling the card from her hand and tossing it back onto the bed. “You can come stay in my room and I'm going to go rip management a new asshole...”

“Wait a minute, what?” Rajani blinked when Taker practically yanked her out of the hotel room of carnations, dark eyes wide with both fear and confusion.  She had no choice, Taker wasn't leaving her alone that much was obvious. “I'm not sure this is a good idea...”

She was shoved on an elevator and taken down a floor, the doors opening with a 'DING'.  Before Rajani knew what was happening, she was in Taker's hotel suite. Looking around while he set the bags down, Rajani was guided over to sit on the bed. She grabbed his hand before he could walk away, swallowing hard and knew he was definitely going to find out about her throat eventually.

“Taker wait, I have to show you something...”

Folding his arms over his chest, Taker simply stared down at her. Watching as she rolled down the neck of her top, green eyes automatically narrowed in on the bruises. A full-fledged scowl on his face, he kneeled down in front of her and reached out to gently stroke his fingers along the marks.

“Who did it?” Taker demanded, his rather soft tone of voice at odds with the darkness clouding his features and the rage building in his eyes.

“You really don't know do you.”

It wasn't a question. The look in Taker's eyes told her that he was completely clueless and the fire there told her he was livid.  Rajani looked down away from him, tears stinging her eyes and began trembling as she pulled the turtleneck right back up to cover them.

“I can't tell you, it will only cause problems and there's enough of them right now.  I'm not adding to it.”

Now that didn't help his already raging temper. “Then why the hell did you show them to me, Rajani?” Taker demanded, not moving from his spot crouching directly in front of her. Large hands on her knees though he was mindful not to grip them tightly or squeeze, Taker was very aware of his own strength and how easy it would be to hurt her inadvertently. “And why would I know? What's this about? What's going on?” He felt like he was getting drawn into a mind game and that did NOT set well with him. Taker orchestrated mind games; he didn't play them.

“Because you won't believe me!” Rajani shouted back, ripping the rose clips out of her hair, blinking as a few tears slid down her cheeks. “I thought...he would've told you already.  I thought you might've...”

She shook her head, Rajani wasn't making any sense and she knew it.  The heat of his hands on her bare skin was enough to make her heady, but Rajani was too scared right now to think about that. Actually, she was making a lot of sense without even meaning too. What triggered the coherency was the 'I thought he would've told you already'. That right there told Taker someone he knew had done to this her. Someone who would obviously have no problem in sharing this information with him. Someone who had put his hands on her and wasn't ashamed of it.

“Who was it?” Taker demanded, his tone flat and lifeless, having already reached a conclusion, but wanted to hear it from her lips. “Say the name, Rajani.”

“Kane.” She whispered, knowing he'd figured it out and just needed it clarified, trembling so hard her teeth chattered. “Please don't say anything.  If my brother finds out...” Rajani immediately covered her mouth with her hand, knowing she had DEFINITELY said too much. “I have to go.” Pulling away from him, or trying to, Taker had a grip on her knees that refused to let her move. “I'm sorry, I appreciate your help, but...I can handle this.  I'll go to another hotel and...” Rajani couldn't stop crying, opening up several cans of worms with this man and she didn't understand why he was so trustworthy.

Kane. Glen fucking Jacobs. Taker knew he hurt her with the iron grip he now had on her struggling form, but for the life of him he couldn't let go. Finally, he managed to relax his hold and, when she stood up to bolt, Taker placed his palm on the flat of her stomach and pushed, sending her backwards onto the bed.

“You are not going anywhere.” He commanded slowly, standing to his full height, green eyes seething. “You're going to tell me everythin' that motherfucker did to you.”

Rajani's eyes were shot open, swallowing incredibly hard at the look in Taker's acid filled orbs.  It was frightening how pissed off this man was.  He looked like he was ready to kill someone.

“T-That's it...” Rajani stammered out, telling the complete truth and scooted back on the bed away from him because was terrifying her right now. “His forearm did it, I mouthed off to him about attacking Beth, because I know for a fact he did it and Beth is one of my best friends, and he didn't like it so he slammed me back against the wall and his forearm pressed against my throat.  He didn't hit me or anything.  I tried fighting him off, but...he was too strong...” Her back hit the headboard, Rajani hadn't even felt herself moving backwards, her eyes locked on Taker. “I...I think he might be the one doing the secret admirer thing...”

Taker ran a hand through his loose hair, still staring down at her, fighting to control his temper, which was dangerously close to breaking through. Just her body language was enough to tell him she was scared out of her mind. Never mind the fact that her eyes were filling with tears and she had literally hauled her ass as far away from him as the bed would allow. If Taker lost it right now, Rajani would try running out of this room like some madwoman. Cursing, he turned around, presenting her with his back and clenched his fists at his sides, forcing himself to take several deep breaths.

“I'll handle him.” Taker said finally, through gritted teeth.

“W-What do you mean?” Rajani demanded, standing up from the bed and slowly walking toward him. “Taker, you two are friends and this really has nothing to do with you.  This has to do with the fact that for some sick reason I am on Kane's radar and...” Suddenly, it hit Rajani like a ton of a bricks and she had to sit down because her breath was stolen away. “Cena...” She looked up at Taker with wide dark eyes, not believing she hadn't seen it sooner. “He thinks there's something going on between me and Cena.  Think about it, they've been feuding since Kane's return and Beth is both mine and Eve's friend.  I can't explain Phil's attack, but something is telling me that he's doing all of this.  I'm on his radar because of Cena, I guarantee it.  And for the record, there is nothing going on between me and Cena.  I can't be involved with anyone in this company.”

“First of all, I don't give a flying fuck if you are or are not involved with Cena on any level. Secondly, worrying about being involved with anyone in the company at this exact moment in time is really...pointless.”

Taker knew he sounded like a snarky prick at the moment, but this was all a lot to take in, especially considering that psychopath was also his best friend. He turned around, looking down at her. A moment later, Taker was on the bed beside her, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, his hair hanging down in his face.

“Third, you have no say in whether or not this concerns me. But...it does make sense. This isn't about you so much as him getting to Cena through you...” Taker groaned, wondering what the hell Kane was even thinking. “You sure there's nothing between the two of you?”

“I'm positive.  I've turned him down at every turn every time he's asked me out.  So why Kane thinks there's something between us...” Rajani suddenly groaned, putting her head in her hands, feeling a headache coming on. “Getting to Cena through me...He knows on some level Cena wants me, which means on some level Cena maybe...cares about me...” John actually loved her and Rajani still hadn't gotten to the bottom of that, it all just made her head hurt more. “And even if I wanted to be with him, which I don't, it can't happen.” Rajani slowly looked up and brushed some of Taker's hair out of his face, frowning. “Why do you want to be involved in this?  What's in it for you?  You don't seem like the hero type, but then again what the hell do I know?”

“I'm not the hero type, so don't ever think that one again.” Taker growled, catching her hand in his. “But I'm not goin' to sit by and watch one of my coworkers get her ass kicked either, especially not by a guy I call my best friend. I don't give a fuck about his little issues with Cena or whether or not Cena has the hots for you or vice versa. I care about the fact that it is totally fuckin' up the WWE and puttin' people in the damn hospital...or sending them to the insane asylum.” Some of that may have been bullshit or at least, not completely true because he did care, but...Taker was a bit frustrated and angry at the moment. “And you keep talkin' about not being able to be involved, or things not happenin'. Explain.”

“Remember my big brother who called earlier in the day?” Rajani hoped she was doing the right thing by telling Taker this and it wouldn't come back to bite her in the ass later on. “You know him.  Everyone knows him.  He's one of the biggest entities in this company and he's coming back in a few weeks for WrestleMania.” Rajani took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. “Please don't tell anyone this.  Stephanie and Paul know who he is, but nobody else does.  My name is Rajani Johnson...” She watched his green eyes slowly narrow, chewing her bottom lip. “I'm Dwayne Johnson's little sister.  The Rock's sister.”

For some stupid reason, that didn't surprise him as much as it probably should have and Taker attributed it to the fact that he had way to much information sprung on him tonight. It did make sense though. The big brother. From Miami, her exotic looks.

“And you're worried Rocky will what? Defend your honor? Which he should, he's family. Or are you afraid Kane will hurt him too?” Taker shook his head, this woman was keeping WAY too many secrets. “You need to tell Stephanie what's going on with Kane, because eventually she's going to find out and probably not in a way anyone is going to like...not that'll it matter after I'm done kickin' Glen's ass...”

“I'm not talking about Kane right now.  Just think about it!” Rajani stood up from the bed and began pacing back and forth, chewing on her acrylic thumbnail. “Cena and Dwayne HATE each other.  They can't stand each other.  Cena hates him because he left the company for Hollywood and Dwayne hates him because of Cena's image.  Do you have any idea what would happen if I was stuck in the middle of that situation?  I know for a fact, with how Cena has been around here lately, he will use whatever means necessary to get one up on my brother.  That's if he doesn't already know.  Hell, maybe he figured it out and that's why he's been pursuing me.  I have no idea, don't really care.  And as for telling Stephanie, that's not happening either.  I'm not starting more problems, I'm not going to cause her more stress than what she already has.  So forget it, Cena already tried telling me to do it and I'm not.  It may be a stupid decision, but it's better than everyone finding out about it and I KNOW how fast shit spreads around here.  You can't keep anything secret around here unless you do it VERY carefully, which is why the only people that knew who I really was when I took the internship are the McMahons and Paul.”

“Rajani, if you don't speak up then he's going to keep doing this and I don't frankly care about Cena or your brother to be honest. If Cena actually cares about you, he'd put that shit aside and the same goes for Rocky.” Providing there was anything left to go after on Kane when he was done. When she opened her mouth to start protesting again, Taker held up a hand. “Fine, have it your way then. But I'm tellin' you, when Stephanie finds out about this, and she WILL eventually-” Though not from him since Taker was going to be an idiot and keep his mouth shut. “She's not going to take kindly to you hidin' it.” Now...how best to handle his good buddy Kane... “You’re stayin' here tonight, by the way.” Taker added as an afterthought. “So you might as well get comfortable.”

The tone of Taker's voice told Rajani she had no choice in the matter, nodding. “I'll think about telling Stephanie.” She said, needing to mull things over in her head and reached down to take her shoes off, tossing them in the corner so neither tripped over them.

Rajani had no idea what was going on between her and Taker, not sure if it was friendship or if he was just being nice to her because she was part of the company.  She didn't know and was too tired to analyze it, knowing she was safe with Taker. Beginning pulling off the tan thigh highs she wore, Rajani yawned loudly and tossed them on top of her bag.

Chapter 18

Because Taker figured she might disappear if he went down to the front desk, he decided he would get management first thing in the morning with her right beside him. This shit had to stop and how in the hell could hotels as expensive and supposedly with 'the best security for their patrons' could let this happen, repeatedly? Grunting, he peeled off his shirt and threw it on top of a chair, his muscles flexing with every movement.

“You want to use the bathroom for a shower or something?” Taker offered cordially, finally realizing that she was staying the night with him and there was no couch.

A few chairs, a credenza, dresser and a coffee table, but no couch. Luckily for her that was a large bed because Taker had no intention of sleeping on floor and he wasn't allowing her to sleep on the floor either. He would, however, refrain from sleeping naked as was his custom, pretty sure he had some black pajama bottoms in the bottom of his bag. Now that he was calming down, Taker was beginning to realize that he was starving and she looked like she was ready to sleep. Taker dropped down on the edge of the bed, pulling the hotel's menu towards him, eyeballing it before looking over at her. Noting that she had removed her nylons, his green eyes skimmed her tanned smooth legs for a moment.

“Hungry?”

“No not really.” Her appetite was ruined due to this secret admirer situation.  Rajani could feel his eyes on her legs, but didn't point it out, simply standing up. “And yeah, I do need a shower.” Rajani was already grabbing her bag while he mulled over the menu, sighing when he stopped her before she could walk past him, staring down into his green eyes. “If you have to order me something, just make it a salad.  I honestly don't think I can hold anything else down right now.”

Shaking his head, Taker waited until she was in the bathroom before placing his order, being nice and ordering her that salad, with several types of dressing on the side. He had no idea what she liked and then added a plain chicken breast meal for himself. Only he made sure to triple the order on that. Taker also took the opportunity to start rifling around in his bag, after placing the order, setting clothes and other things aside before finally locating those bottoms and remembered why he rarely wore them. The drawstring had come out months ago so now they settled rather lowly on his hips and constantly needed pulled up. Well…she'd have to deal with him either constantly hitching them up or showing off his ass crack...unless of course she had no objections to him walking around nude. A wicked smile flickered across his lips at the thought as Taker began shedding the rest of his clothes.

Rajani took her time in the shower, letting the water wash away the day's events, feeling completely exhausted.  She never thought she'd end up staying with Taker, let alone sleeping in the same bed with him, after that grueling drive, but here she was.  Lathering up her hair, Rajani suddenly turned her thoughts to John and felt her eyes close, going over what Taker said earlier. Maybe accepting John's invite to dinner wouldn't be a bad idea. Why was she putting her happiness aside for her brother anyway?  If Dwayne couldn't understand and separate business from personal, then that was his problem.  Rajani rinsed her hair out and finished up before stepping out, wrapping herself in a towel and wiped the steam off the mirror.  Frowning, Rajani ran her fingertips over the deep bruises on her neck and knew what she had to do.  She would have to report it to Stephanie. John and Taker had both been right.  Putting the cream on them, Rajani quickly dressed in a pair of fleece baby blue pajama pants with a matching spaghetti strapped top.  A brush of her teeth and hair later, Rajani finally emerged.

Taker was across the length of the room with long measured strides, his bottoms hanging low enough on his hips to almost be indecent, brushing his hair while he did so. When she came out, he merely nodded at her, then stopped and turned to look at her. Obviously, he noted the pajamas and was reminded of that night they had eaten together. She had been wearing a silk robe right after having a shower. That line of thought was almost immediately discarded as Taker studied the bruises, walking over to get a really good look at them.

“You applyin' something to them?” He finally asked gently.

“Yeah, a cream that's supposed to make them disappear faster.” Rajani replied softly, knowing there was no reason to cover them up.

The last time they were like this, Taker had come to her room to talk to her about her blow-up.  Maybe that's why he wanted to help her.  Ever since that night, it was almost as if she saw Taker on a daily basis.  Before that, Rajani maybe saw him twice a month, if that.  So why the sudden interest in helping her?  It was a little suspicious, Rajani admitted only to herself, but for some strange reason a part of her did trust Taker.  She winced slightly when he pressed against the bruising, knowing he was checking to see how deep they'd gone and if the swelling had gone down at all.

“I popped some more ibuprofen too.”

“You got lucky.” Taker said after a moment, stopping with the pressing and simply ran his fingertips along the bruises. “He could have easily broken something.” Or her, Kane could have easily broken her, just snapped her like a twig. Especially if Rajani had mouthed off to him the way she liked to do to Cena on occasion, word did get around. “How did it start? The night he did this, I know you said you mouthed off to him, but...why were you talkin' to him to begin with?”

“He stopped me from leaving the arena, asked why I was leaving so soon and if I knew anything about who knocked you out.  Then...he asked if he scared me and I said of course not...to both questions.  I told him to go to Stephanie's office because you were there and wished him a good night.  He wouldn't let me leave though...” Rajani shivered, rubbing the back of her neck and knew she had been incredibly lucky to escape with just a bruised neck. “I asked him what he wanted and he said to talk.  He asked why I never talked to him and pointed out that I talk to everyone else except him.  Then he asked me if I liked him...” Rajani could still see the look in Kane's eyes, the danger and coldness that always put her on alert whenever she was around him. “I simply told him I didn't know how to answer that question because I don't know him.  Then I demanded what this was really about because he didn't stop me just to talk.  I'm not stupid or naive, I knew there was a deeper reasoning behind it.  I told him I didn't peg him for the talking type and he responded by removing his mask, saying something about seeing the persona doesn't mean the man doesn't like to talk every now and then...something like that.  I told him flat out that he didn't fool me and I had enough problems in my life and didn't need to deal with his bipolar ways.  It was stupid, but he was annoying me by not letting me leave.  So I did something even dumber, I demanded him to come clean about attacking Beth since he wanted to talk so badly.  I went to walk away and he...” She had to take another deep breath, feeling her knees shaking slightly and felt Taker pull her over to sit on the bed before they collapsed beneath her. “He told me to be more specific because he's hurt a lot of people over the years.  I went to walk away again and he shoved me against the wall, using his forearm to pin me to where I couldn’t move or barely breathe.  I tried kneeing him and of course that didn't work, the asshole wears a cup apparently.” She snorted, raking a hand through her wet hair. “He said the next time he made an effort to be nice to me that he suggests I play nice back...” She touched her neck, remembering his disgusting hot breath against it and trembled, swallowing hard. “I told him to let me go and that I refused to play nice with anyone who hurts people I care about.  I fought him as much as I could and tried getting away, but he was too strong...I told him if he knew what was good for him, he'd let me go and he demanded to know why.  I didn't tell him obviously.  He said he never hurt someone I care about and that I need to check my facts before throwing them at people who aren't operating at full mental capacity, that I'd live longer.  He released me, I told him I knew the truth about him hurting Beth and demanded him to stay away from me before running out of the arena.” Rajani finished and refused to look up at Taker, her hands clasped so tightly in her lap, her knuckles were turning ghostly white. “I was stupid, I should've just kept my mouth shut.”

All things considered Rajani probably should have just kept her mouth shut, but it sounded like Kane had given her multiple openings to fire off at the mouth. For a brief moment, Taker wished he had been there to see it. Like he had already said, this woman had brass balls. He also didn't think it would matter to Kane who her brother was, not in the sense of having his ass kicked. Though it might have intrigued him on several other points. Taker really hoped that she didn't tell anyone else about that.

“You're ballsy woman.” Taker complimented finally, realizing that today in the truck, driving with Kane right there, must have been seriously nerve-wracking for her. “Shit Jani, if I'd of known...I'd of booted his ass out earlier right into traffic.”

“I believe you would.”

That got a small smile out of Rajani and she felt better that someone other than her and Kane knew about what transpired last night.  Did all of that really happen the previous night?  It was hard to believe, everything seemed to be happening so fast, yet slow at the same time.

“I've always spoke my mind and something tells me that even if I kept silent he still would've done this.” She touched her throat again, wishing it wasn't so tender. “He wanted to talk though, so I gave him a suggestion on what to talk about.” Rajani shrugged, jumping slightly when a knock sounded at the door and looked up at Taker worriedly.

“Room service.” He said, heading to the door, mentally agreeing with her that Kane probably would have done it regardless.

It all made sense now.

Kane had noted there was interest between John and Rajani, at least on John's side, and was slowly but surely insinuating himself in the mix, probably all just to mess with Cena's mind. Taker had no idea how Rajani felt about the boy, honestly not caring. He opened the door, eyeballing the two trays the bellhop was carrying and raised the lids on both. No longer trusting anything, Taker nodded when he saw it was exactly what he ordered. He let the man inside to set them down on the table, pulling out a crisp bill from his wallet, which he had left on top of his bag, for a tip.

“I ordered you a salad...and a lot of dressin'.”

Rajani smiled tentatively, waiting for the bellhop to leave. “Thanks, I like French dressing.” She informed him before taking her salad and sat on the huge bed Indian style, feeling a little better and therefore her appetite had grown.

Rajani couldn't help noticing the small pieces of grilled chicken spread on the salad and eyeballed Taker, simply shaking her head.  The man was very slick indeed.  Not saying anything, Rajani poured the dressing on her salad and began eating while Taker dug into his own plate, each in their own thoughts. The woman didn't honestly think he was going to let her just eat some lettuce and cucumbers or something, did she? So yes, Taker had ordered the grilled chicken salad, figuring some protein wouldn't go amiss. He then examined his rather hefty plate before sitting down in the chair not currently occupied by his bag, balancing the plate carefully on his knee.

“Want one of these?” Taker asked, gesturing with his fork to one of the three chicken breasts, not surprised when she simply shook her head. “If you change your mind...” He shrugged, lapsing into silence as he ate, his mind going a mile a minute.

As Rajani ate, all she could think about was John Cena.  Why the hell couldn't she just push him in the far recesses of her mind like before?  She knew why.  Because he dropped the L bomb on her and hadn't mentioned it since.  Granted, he had called her a prostitute and a bitch in heat, but...Rajani hadn't been kind to him either.  It was a love/hate thing between them.  He got on her nerves and made her want to jump his bones at the same time.  Something no other man had been able to do, to make her feel this way, this deeply and strongly.  She didn't understand it, but everything was starting to come full circle and into focus for her.  John had somehow wormed his way into her mind and heart, Rajani was officially in hell.

~!~

John had to call a tow truck to come haul the car to an approved place designated by the rental company. Then he got the fun job of explaining that he had no idea who had slashed his tires to the rental company and was really glad the extra 'cover-it-all' insurance option was one he had taken, even though he had never needed it before. By the time he finally made it to the hotel, he was ready to just drop down, fully clothed into bed and call it a damn week.

“What the...”

He groaned when he let himself into the room, somehow not surprised to find all the furniture...upside down. Well, John was surprised that it was upside down, he wasn't surprised that someone was still continuing to screw with him. Closing the door behind him, he just shook his head and simply went to fix the bed. Screw everything else, the hotel could deal with it since they were inept anyway.

Chapter 19

Rubbing her hands together nervously, Rajani stood outside of Stephanie's hotel room, once again chewing on her thumbnail.  She wore a pair of skinny blue jeans with a form fitting red shirt that slightly shimmered, the stomach part of it and sleeves see-through, which showed off her small star tattoo she'd gotten when she was sixteen.  It was blue, green and black mixed, a little punkish since that used to be her style, but not anymore.  Even through her punk phase, Rajani hadn't touched her hair like others.  Bringing her hand up, Rajani slowly knocked on the door, wearing a black choker necklace around her throat to hide the bruising. Stephanie blinked when she opened the door, staring at Rajani in surprise.

“Hey Raja, everything okay?” She asked, watching as the woman slowly shook her head and frowned. “What's wrong?”

“I need to talk to you about a few things, can I come in?”

“Sure.” Stephanie stepped aside and let her in.

Paul walked out of the bathroom at that moment, already dressed and raised an eyebrow at his wife. “What's going on?”

“Nothing, go to your meeting.  I'll meet you there, tell Daddy I'll be late.”

“If this is a bad time-”

“No, you're fine.”

Stephanie eyeballed her husband, telling him with her blue eyes to get the hell out. Snorting, Paul just walked out, shutting the door behind him. Once Paul was gone, Rajani slowly removed her choker and showed Stephanie the bruising before launching into the whole explanation of what Kane did to her. Throughout the explanation, Stephanie's face went through several emotions: shock, anger, disgust, fear, disbelief, rage and worry. They all alternated with each other and, by the time Rajani had finished explaining, Stephanie wasn't sure which one to feel and they were all struggling for dominance. She was also a bit upset that Rajani hadn't come to her with this as soon as it had happened but at the same time, she understood why. Taking a deep breath, she tried sorting out where to begin.

“Alright, what do you want to do about this?” Stephanie asked calmly, already knowing fine, suspension and orders for therapy were on the table.

“Taker said he would handle Kane...and I do believe him.  I actually stayed with him last night because…” Rajani figured she might as well come clean about her hotel rooms being destroyed with flowers and the ominous notes that were left. “I tried giving a false name in this hotel and whoever this person is STILL found me.  It was carnations, which means fascination according to Taker.  Before that it was lilacs and then the first time was a bunch of colorful roses with no note.  The first note with the lilacs said SOON and the note last night said JUST DAYS AWAY.” Rajani looked at Stephanie, fear in her dark eyes. “Stephanie, what am I going to do?  What if it's not Kane doing this?  It could be anyone at this point, but after Kane's attack he's the only suspect...”

Stephanie rubbed her temples, closing her eyes. When she found out who was messing with Rajani, she was going to make them regret it. Hell, Dwayne would probably make them regret, not even wanting to know how he would react.

“I'm assuming you're not going to tell your brother about any of this.” Stephanie said quietly, cracking one eye open in time to see Rajani shaking her head no, not surprised. “We're going to find out who's doing this Raja and, yes, Kane is the only suspect and he's the one who...it wouldn't be John, would it?” She asked after a moment's consideration. “I know with everything going on it seems really creepy, but...if all this wasn't going on with Kane, it might be sort of romantic and we all know John has been trying to get you to go out with him.”

“I thought at first it might be him, but Taker told me that Cena isn't capable of it.” She actually started laughing and repeated Taker's mocked version of John, both of them giggling uncontrollably. “It just doesn't...feel like something he would do either.  The lettering on the cards is...creepy.  Dark.  His would be...I don't know...maybe it is him.” Rajani sighed heavily, suddenly remembering that she had asked John about the flowers...sort of, the giggling dying. “Actually, I did ask Cena about the roses and he looked at me like I'd grown a second head.  So like I said, he's definitely not a suspect.  Taker pretty much thinks it's Kane and Kane is doing it to get to Cena through me because he thinks something is going on between me and Cena.  It makes sense if you think about it.  And if Dwayne finds out about this, he'll end up killing Kane and whoever else is tormenting me so please, we have to keep this from him at ALL costs.”

“Well I'm not going to be the one to tell him.”

For a variety of reasons, Rajani didn't want her too because it would mess up WrestleMania. Yes, wasn't a very nice friendly reason, but she was a McMahon after all. She had her 'moments' on occasion where she put the family business before personal problems.

“We're going to have to figure out how to keep you safe though, because that last card...sounds like this is about to come to a head and it'll probably be very bad. You can bunk with me and Paul if you want and you'll have to start traveling with someone. I mean, we can try to go on like business as usual to keep things from looking suspicious to everyone outside the loop, but...that puts you in danger, Raja.”

“Taker already took care of that.” When Stephanie raised an eyebrow, Rajani shrugged, looking down at her nails. “I trust him, don't ask me why.  He's the last person I ever thought I would trust, but...he's really helped me out and I'm comfortable around him.  He wants me to start traveling with him and we're going to get a hotel suite with separate bedrooms.  I have no feelings for him and I'm pretty sure he has none for me, so it works.  We're...friends, I guess...” Rajani had no idea what else to call Taker and slowly looked up at the bewildered look in Stephanie's eyes. “Hell, you even sent him for me so obviously you trust him too.  If anyone can protect me, it's him.  He's the locker room leader and I'll stay with him until my brother comes on the road with us, then I'll stay with Dwayne until he leaves...or until this situation is taken care of.”

“Well I know I trust him, mostly.”

Stephanie was honest and sometimes Taker could be untrustworthy. Though, that generally ran to his career and direction of storylines he was involved in. Even then, it usually worked out, so maybe he was just sneaky and not necessarily untrustworthy.

“I thought...after yesterday, riding with him, you weren't comfortable with him?” She was getting confused. “And what does he have to say about all this in regards to Kane? They were – are best friends...”

“He apologized for that and said he was just trying to seduce me in a piss poor way. I believe him.  He's pissed with Kane right now and said he'll handle him.  That's all he'll tell me.  I'm not even asking because last night, after I told him who did this to me, you should've seen the look in his eyes, Stephanie.  It was scary.  He looked murderous and then said later on that he would've tossed Kane out of the truck into oncoming traffic if he would've known what happened the previous night.” Rajani sighed, hating that she was coming between two men who were supposed to be best friends. “I told him he shouldn't get involved and he said that wasn't my decision...that he already was.  Something tells me their confrontation is going to be very ugly.”

Well, at least Taker admitted the attempt at seduction had been piss poor and Stephanie had a feeling it had been his way to see if he could press Rajani's buttons. She had watched him play his seduction game and, much to Paul's amusement and her chagrin, the man used to be rather good at it; a bit of a man whore. Emphasis on used to be or else she'd be questioning his motives right about now.

“Yeah, it will be...” Stephanie groaned, massaging her temples with her fingertips. “And, as I'm sure you've already noticed, you can't tell that man anything. If he agrees with you on something you know he doesn't agree with, be concerned.”

“I'll keep that in mind.”

Rajani smiled softly, glad Stephanie wasn't angry with her for the lies she told.  The woman understood, which Rajani was thankful for.  They parted ways, Stephanie heading to her meeting with her father while Rajani went back to Taker's room.  She felt better now that she'd told Stephanie what happened to her, remembering to fasten the choker around her neck to hide the bruising from anyone else.  She wanted to keep this private if possible, knowing if any word got back to Dwayne what happened, there would be hell to pay.  Rajani decided to take the elevator and waited for it patiently. Though, she made sure to carry her can of mace with her, just in case Kane decided he wanted to attack her again.

John was leaning against the faux wooden panels that lined the inside of the elevator, on his way up to take a shower, before hitting the road. He had just used the hotel's gym for a workout, which was not only a way for him to keep his body in its impressive condition, but it was also a great way to relieve stress. Working out released endorphins, which were basically the equivalence of his body drugging itself for a happy buzz. John was down with that. He looked up from the floor when the doors opened, eyes widening at the look Rajani was sporting, which was very different from the work-friendly clothes she generally wore. He liked this look much better. Instantly, John felt like a scrub in his damp from sweat workout shorts, which were now clinging to his thighs and lack of a shirt, a damp towel wrapped around his neck.

Rajani looked up the same time John did, their eyes locking and felt her throat instantly go dry at the sight of him.  Sweating from head to toe, Rajani couldn't help wondering what it would be like to give this man a tongue bath.  She mentally shook herself and smiled, stepping on the elevator, keeping her back to him and went to press her floor button, but it was already lit up.  That meant John was on the same floor Taker was.  The doors closed and the intoxicating smell of John permeated the small space they stood in, making her heady.  She wanted to say something to him, but couldn't get her voice box to work at the moment, cursing in thought.

John shifted from one foot to the other, glancing down at her. “How's, the uh, throat?”

He gestured to the choker she wore, which was a look he hadn't seen in quite a while on any woman, but...it looked really good on her. When she just arched an eyebrow at him, he gathered it was healing. She wasn't wearing a sleeveless turtleneck anymore, so it was manageable at the least.

“You look nice.” John then added, eyes sweeping over her attire again, wondering what the odds were of her coming to work dressed like this. “It's different though, I'm used to you being in formal clothing.” Rajani was going to the same floor he was...he might be able to get through the next few minutes without insulting her or ticking her off, maybe.

“That's because you only see me at work and nowhere else.” Rajani remarked in a soft voice, still not turning around to face him, battling her emotions.

She was torn in half on what to do.  Did she turn around and let fate take its course or simply let the moment slip by like all the others had?  Rajani didn't know what to do and finally turned halfway to glance at him before turning to stare back at the elevator doors.

“And thank you.  I would say the same for you, but that would be lying, no offense.” Her hair was down, curled at the ends for style and set right at the middle of her back, enjoying the new length immensely.

“Yeah, I know I look and probably smell like crap, so no offense taken.” John said good-naturedly, knowing most women did not appreciate a half-naked, sweaty guy with bulging muscles and whatnot. “If there were an easier, less visually appalling way of maintaining the look, I'd...still probably workout.” He finished, grinning slightly. John liked pumping iron, it was his way of relaxing. Or if he was pissed and needed venting, though that could occasionally backfire with sore, aching joints and zero energy for the next few days. “I'd like to see you more, outside of work I mean.” He added, watching her expression closely to see how she would react to that, but meaning it all the same.

“I know you would.” Her eyes closed momentarily, trying to keep her composure and fighting back what she really wanted to do and say. “And you don't smell that bad.  Could be a lot worse, like rotten eggs, which you don't smell like at all.” Rajani suddenly reached over and pressed the stop button on the elevator, halting both of them before turning to face John, folding her arms. “Why me?  You could have any woman on the planet. Women throw themselves at you on a daily basis.  What makes me any different from them besides being your coworker?  What is it about me specifically that makes you keep pursuing me?” Her voice wasn't filled with anger or malice, just pure curiosity.

“You kinda already nailed it, Raja.” John said softly, turning so he was facing her. Though, for once being mindful of her personal space, which was due more to his current condition than actual respect of said boundaries. “I can have any woman I want and there are lots of women that throw themselves at me,” Beautiful women, loads of beautiful women. “And you are the one woman who doesn't.” Stephanie didn't count. “So...yeah, that kind of makes you much more attractive than the others, you're not after my fame or my money.” Actually, most of the time she seemed to dislike him, except when she was using kissing as a distraction...Even she couldn't deny there had been SOME chemistry there.

“Yet I'm a prostitute and a bitch in heat for trying to help you.” Rajani nodded stiffly, wondering what made her hit that stop button in the first place. “Why would I go after your fame and money when I have my own?  Not fame, but I have plenty of money and don't need a man to support me like these other prostitutes and bitches in heat.  So, the only reason you keep pursuing me is because I don't throw myself at you?  So throwing myself at you would turn you completely off in other words.  Thank you for putting it into perspective for me, Cena.”

Chapter 20

Turning around, Rajani hit the go button and mentally berated herself for being stupid and thinking she could actually be nice to this man.  It was the love/hate thing. Then the word love -he'd said it to her- popped into her head, making her groan inwardly. Just like that, her ice bitch mode had kicked in. Was it any wonder John verbally attacked her? She was confusing him and probably on purpose! Reaching out, he hit the stop button this time and blocked her when she tried to press the go button again.

“Maybe I should have explained it better, Raja, but damn throw a guy a rope, would you?” John peered down into her eyes. “You're unique, you're different from other women. You don't want me, yes, that's part of the appeal, but that's not all there is to you or why I care about you.” And god...why did she have to run so hot and cold? John could not read this woman and it was driving him insane! “And I know this is going to get me kneed in the nuts...” He said slowly, bending his head down towards her. “But I want to kiss you, Rajani...because I haven't stopped thinking about that day you kissed me…”

John wasn't going to admit what he said to her again, Rajani could already tell just by him using the word 'care'.  She wanted him to kiss her too because she too hadn't stopped thinking about what she did to 'save' him from getting his ass kicked by Taker.  He was demanding her to throw him a rope, what the hell did that mean?  Why should she make it easy for him?  He called her names, insulted and embarrassed her multiple times on multiple occasions ever since she started working as Stephanie's intern! Damn if he didn't look and smell delicious at this moment.

“If you knew who I was, who I truly was, you would run in the opposite direction, John.  If we were to do this, if I was to agree to go out on a date with you, it would compromise everything you've got going.  You would hate me, I'm trying to prevent that from happening and you're not making it easy.  Walk away while you still can before one or both of us gets hurt.” Her lips were almost touching his, Rajani having closed the distance between them, her eyes never leaving his.

“No.” He whispered, knowing there was nothing on this earth that could stop him from kissing her right now.

John didn't care what issues she thought could compromise what he had going because that wasn't important. What was important was the fact that...he was now kissing her. John enveloped Rajani in his arms, drawing her against him and claimed her mouth with his; kissing her like he had been dying to since that night when she had kissed him. Yes, he had said a lot of really bad things about her, in front of people, but the woman drove him mad until he couldn't see anything except her and red, all at the same time. There was no denying that there was something between them. They both felt it; they just had to get past the 'hate' and focus more on the 'love' in this messed up relationship they had.

The softest of moans escaped her as Rajani instantly slid her hands up his bare perspired chest to wrap her arms around his muscular neck, feeling her feet leave the ground as her legs wrapped around his waist.  Her back against the wall, Rajani buried her acrylic nails in his hair, gripping it as much as she could while returning the heated kiss with equal amount of passion.  Dwayne would kill her; Taker wouldn't know what to think, unless he already knew, and everyone else would have question marks circling their heads.  She didn't understand the chemistry they had, but it was there.  It was real, passionate and raw, a force stronger than both of them to overcome and ignore.

When Rajani felt his hands slide down to cup her jean clad ass, that just made the kiss hotter, their tongue dueling together, tasting each other.  He tasted amazing and the feeling of his body pressed against hers...Rajani never wanted it to end as she moved her hands to cup his face, being careful not to scratch him with her nails. If not for the fact that he knew he was wide awake, John would have questioned if this was a dream. It wouldn't be the first time he had dreamt of the woman, who was now in his arms and felt like she BELONGED there. Like she had been expressly made for him, to fit against him...and he would later kick himself in the ass for being a jerk and not getting her sooner because this felt right. It all clicked.

When they both needed to beg off for air, he kept his forehead against hers. Watching her long eyelashes as she opened her eyes, John smiled, kissing her a bit softer this time, slower, more leisurely. Letting them both breathe somewhat without denying either the pleasure of their lips. Her cheeks were flushed, lips completely swollen and Rajani never felt better being his arms.  How had she denied this for so long all because of Dwayne?  John didn't know who she was and Rajani decided against telling him for the moment, just wanting to enjoy this as long as they could.

Her breathing was slightly ragged, chest rising and falling rapidly and Rajani was sure she needed a change of panties immediately.  She ran her fingers through his short hair while outlining his strong jaw line with her nail very lightly, trying to slow her racing heart. When John slowly removed the choker and began brushing his lips against the bruising, Rajani melted against him even more, tilting her head back as her eyes drifted shut while massaging his shoulders. John was brought with a crash back down to earth when he heard a voice, disoriented for a moment and very reluctantly pulled his lips away from her throat. He realized it was coming from the intercom near the buttons and that they had stopped and started this elevator several times.

“You folks alright in there? Do you need assistance?”

John could not keep himself from chuckling, still staring down at Rajani, who he hadn't let go, keeping her pinned between him and the wall. Her legs were still wrapped around his waist, looking a bit ravished and flushed. Rajani giggled softly, burying her face in his neck and knew they were busted, her shoulders shaking slightly.

“Yeah, hold on!” She called out, trying not to sound amused and looked up into John's blue eyes before brushing her lips softly against his. “Put me down before they end up sending a search party in after us.” Rajani murmured, rolling her eyes when John said he wouldn't mind if they did, smacking his chest playfully. “Well I would, it would be very embarrassing.”

Even though all Rajani really wanted to do was stay in here with John and just ravage him in every single way possible. It wasn't an option at the moment.  Not to mention, Taker was probably going stir crazy wondering where she was. Sighing reluctantly, John let her slide down, mindful not to scrape her back against the wall.

“We're not done here.” John informed her, planting a kiss on her forehead.

Reaching over to press the button, making the elevator resume again, John knew that they had probably forced some people to take the stairs, which really didn't bother him all that much. It was worth it and he rather resented being interrupted. He knew Rajani was feeling the same thing, stealing a few more kisses from her, completely addicted to her lips.

“We'll talk later, I promise.” When he raised an eyebrow, Rajani simply kissed his lips quickly just as the doors opened, slipping something into his hand.  She'd taken his cell out of his back pocket, where he normally kept it and put her number into his contacts. “Text me, we'll get together later on.”

Rajani stepped off the elevator and headed down the hallway toward Taker's hotel room, touching her now slightly swollen lips.  She managed to clip the choker back on before stepping off the elevator, the bruising fading slowly.  Rajani arrived at Taker's hotel room and used the keycard he had gotten for her, stepping inside. John was walking with a bounce in his step as he went to his own room, having no idea whose room she had just gone in and assumed it was hers. Knowing he would definitely be calling or texting her later, John let himself in and headed straight for the shower, whistling softly to himself. This definitely wasn’t over between them and, now that John knew there was a connection, he was going to do everything in his power to make sure Rajani was his once and for all.

“Did he attack you again?” Taker demanded the minute he seen her, fresh out of a shower and in just a pair of skintight black jeans. Stuffing things back into his bag, Taker knew they had to hit the road relatively soon. She looked flushed and...He arched an eyebrow.

“What?” Rajani was still in a daze, blinking and looked at Taker, not able to stop smiling even when he repeated the question, ignoring his irritancy. “No, sorry.  Stephanie held me up longer than I expected.  I'm okay, see?” She spun around in a circle to show him. “I know we have to get going soon and all of my stuff is packed, I'll be out in a second.”

She shut the bathroom door before Taker could say anything and pressed her back against it, touching her lips and relished it in all over again.  Pushing away, Rajani was glad he hadn't taken her bag out of the bathroom and quickly changed into a fresh pair of panties, freshening herself up.  10 minutes later, she emerged with her bag of toiletries in hand, deciding she wasn't changing until they arrived at the next destination. Taker had simply pulled on a pair of black steel toed boots and a black leather vest. A bandana wrapped around his head along with a sleeved black shirt lying over his shoulder, just in case it got cold or something. Rajani still looked rather...well, happy actually and Taker wondered what caused her sudden good mood.

“Must've been a good conversation.” Taker grunted, opening the door for her. “What'd she have to say about the Glen situation?” The woman had a bounce in her step, what the HELL had Stephanie drugged her with? “Don't take this wrong, but you seem...different...” He really tried not to sound suspicious.

Rajani merely shrugged, deciding there was no reason to tell Taker about her and John's elevator kiss because she had no idea if anything would come of it.  John seemed pretty certain that there would be, but Rajani still had reservations.  Dwayne was coming on the road, but just for a few minutes, Rajani felt true happiness instead of fear like she had recently.

“She said that she'll let you handle the Kane situation and I told her about us sharing a hotel room together until everything is straightened out...” Her words trailed off when Kane came walking up to them.

Dark eyes widened slightly and Rajani hoped Taker wouldn't make a scene right here and now...would he? Under normal circumstances, Taker would have, but...with her in the middle of all this, he would bide his time and wait. Glen would receive the ass kicking of a lifetime and Taker was going to do it on HIS terms.

“Hey man.” Taker greeted, hiding his revulsion when Kane-Glen, whoever the mental switch was currently flipped on, greeted him with a handshake.

“I thought you forgot about me, we...are still riding together, aren't we?” Kane's eyes strayed from his friend to Rajani, smiling broadly at her.

“To be honest, I forgot about you, beautiful woman around and all that.” Taker tipped his head towards her. “You're on your own today, man, I made other plans...”

It wasn't the first time Taker had made 'plans' with a beautiful woman, though Kane did not appreciate it being this woman, swallowing down his anger. “I see...”

Rajani didn't mind Taker's arm draping around her shoulders and leaned against him, smiling brightly right back at Kane, though it didn't reach her eyes.  She knew what 'plans' meant when Taker said it to Kane and just played along, looking up at him almost adoringly.  She was still on a high from kissing John, but to the untrained eye, it looked as though her happiness was because of Taker.

“We really should be going.” She said softly, looking back at Kane and could tell he wasn't happy with this sudden turn of events, keeping the smile on her face. “Stephanie doesn't want me late again.”

“I'm sure she doesn't.” Kane murmured, watching the pair intently.

Inwardly rolling his eyes at both his friend, for knowing him a bit too well, and at himself for establishing himself as a bit of a man whore, Taker still played everything calmly. “She might have to deal with it if you are, darlin'.” Taker growled, bending down to press his face against her throat, knowing it looked like he was doing a bit more.

Now he was going to be sick to his stomach. “I'll catch you two at work. I need to go rent a car.” Kane said with another grin, turning and heading down the stairwell.

As soon as Kane was out of eyesight and earshot, Rajani sighed in relief, nodding when Taker whispered if she was alright in her ear. “Yeah, let's get going.”

She didn't mind Taker grabbing her hand, finding it comforting because she knew he would protect her, no matter what when it came to his best friend.  They decided to take the elevator and checked out of their hotel rooms.  That followed with Taker having a few choices words for the manager regarding the carnations.  Rajani wasn't surprised when the manager pissed himself from being terrified of Taker before giving them free rooms the next time they were in town...and refunded their money for both rooms.  Satisfied, Taker and Rajani walked out, heading to another Chevy Silverado, only this time the rental was silver. Making a grown man piss in the very establishment he ran...Taker was probably both sick in the head AND immature for finding that amusing, but he did and so did Rajani. The jackass deserved it. If Taker had been able to run the hotel competently well, then he wouldn't have just gotten the scare of his life. The humor was short lived however, knowing he was going to have to deal with Kane eventually and it was a bit hard. After all, they had been best friends for years, but...there were just some lines people didn't cross.

Blue eyes watched the Silverado pull out of the parking lot, just like they had been watching the encounter up in the hallway.

Chapter 21

“Taker, if you don't want to deal with Kane, let Stephanie do it.”

Rajani was very observant, sometimes too much, and she could tell that Taker was troubled regarding his friend.  Hell, she would've been too.  They were best friends and, because of her, their friendship was about to take a rocky swerve.

“Stephanie said she would deal with him if you didn't.  Even she said it was going to be...difficult for you to handle Kane.  She's the authority so let her handle him.”

But what if she couldn't?  That question instantly entered Rajani's mind and she suddenly wondered if Stephanie was strong enough to deal with Kane.  If Kane wasn't stopped now, things were only going to get worse and that couldn't happen.

Taker snorted at that, that one noise letting her know just what his opinion of Stephanie handling Kane was. “Darlin', no offense to Stephanie, but if she could handle him, don't you think she would have done so by now?” He pointed out, steering the truck with one hand, his other arm propped on the edge of the seat. “What with all the shit he's pulled backstage and everythin' else, if she could have stopped him, she would've done it by now. I'll handle him, one way or the other.”

Rajani didn't say anything else on the matter, knowing it was closed for discussion.  Taker had made up his mind and there was no changing it.  He had a valid point and basically said what she was thinking even as she tried half-assed convincing him not to handle Kane.  If anyone could stop Kane's destruction, it was Taker.  Rajani looked down at her cell phone when it vibrated and smiled at the first text message from John.  He wanted to meet with her tonight after the show was over.  She texted him back and asked what time, wondering what she was supposed to tell Taker since he was somewhat her bodyguard now.

John texted her back. We can meet up after the show, I'll drive. All done in shorthand because his fingers were not touch screen friendly and really hoped she could decipher it.

Taker arched an eyebrow when her cell went off almost immediately after she had sent off her message followed by her fingers practically flying and shook his head. That was something he had never caught onto that well. He texted, just not...that enthusiastically.

“You're smilin' again.” It was almost accusatory, wondering what had brought on the change from last night's sadness and worry to this.

“Yeah I am.” She sent a text back to John saying she would come to his dressing room and to wait for her there after the show, putting her phone away. “Umm I'm actually not going to need a ride back to the hotel tonight. I'm going out with a friend, clear my head and get my mind off of things.  I won't be too late.” Rajani hoped, wondering what John had planned on such short notice besides talking. “We're going to the hotel first to check in, right?  Cause I can get my keycard because I don't know what time I'll be back.”

“We can get you a keycard.” He said, glancing across the seat at her and smirked slightly. “A friend, huh? Like the friend you told Steph you stayed with the other night?” Then was picked up at a hotel, she had just 'met' them there, liar. When her eyes narrowed just a fraction, Taker began laughing. “Simmer down Jani, I don't care what you get up to or if you might've lied to Steph.” Though now he knew why she had done it. “Just don't lie to me is all.” He added as an afterthought. “And I won't lie to you.” Unless he absolutely had to.

“I'm not lying to you about anything.  And yes, a friend, though it might become more.” It depended on how this conversation with Cena went, everything banked on it. “And I told Stephanie the truth about not staying with a friend, that I switched hotel rooms because of the flower secret admirer thing.  Do you want to know who I'm meeting tonight?  Because I will tell you.” Rajani batted her eyelashes at him, sarcasm dripping in her sickly sweet tone. “I'm taking your advice on this situation and taking a chance, I'm gonna leave it at that for now.”

Taker cocked an eyebrow, really trying not to dissect that and root around for the answer that he knew was rattling around his head. “Smartass.” He grunted, reaching forward and turning on the radio, playing classic rock. “If there are any more run-ins with dipshit though, I want to know about it.” By dipshit he meant his former best friend, realizing what her doing that sarcastic bit and eyelash fluttering reminded him of a teenage girl lipping off to her Dad and that just made him growl. They arrived at the hotel a few hours later, checked in and Rajani got her keycard before they headed to the arena.  Rajani wasn't surprised that Taker insisted walking her to Stephanie's office.  It was comforting to know that she would no longer be alone to deal with Kane and this secret admirer on her own.  There was no way said secret admirer would be stupid enough to blanket Taker's hotel suite in flowers, Rajani was almost positive of that.

“Thanks see you tonight.  You receive text messages right?”

Stephanie bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing at the recoiled look from Taker.

“Hey, I haven't seen you texting so I just wanted to make sure.  Some people don't care for it, so...”

Clearing his throat, Taker gave each woman a 'look', not amused at all with the look on Stephanie's face. “Just do it, go ahead and laugh.”

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Stephanie did turn around and do it, shoulders hunched as she giggled, snickered and snorted. Taker pulled his cell phone from the inside of his vest, holding it up and used his thumb to navigate to the messaging application.

“Yes, I receive text messages darlin', I can also text, if I must.”

“K and a question mark don't really count though...”

“Stephanie...”

“Okay just checking.”

Rajani smiled innocently at him before going over to take her seat on the couch, wearing a pair of black dress pants with a dark red tank dress shirt, a black belt around her waist for style.  She decided to sweep her hair up and piled it on top of her head, a few tendrils framing her face, natural makeup on her face that consisted of black eyeliner and clear gloss.  Rajani kept the black choker around her neck because it went with her outfit and hid the bruises that still marred her tanned skin.

“Okay we're done making fun of you, time to get to work.”

Alex walked in at that moment, freezing at the sight of Taker. “Oh, hi, sorry did I interrupt something?”

“Yeah, Stephanie's impersonation of Miss Piggy.” Taker said, his green eyes lighting up wickedly when she whirled around, sputtering at him. “Darlin', you were snortin' like a damn hog.”

“I do NOT snort!” Stephanie argued.

“Lie to yourself all you like, darlin', doesn't change the fact that you were practically oinkin'.”

Alex had walked into a madhouse.

Stephanie glowered at Taker, who simply walked out of the room laughing his ass off before looking to Rajani. “Did I really snort?”

“I uh...Alex?”

“What the hell are you looking at me for?  I just walked in!”

“You uh...did a little bit, but it didn't sound piggish...” Rajani stammered, watching as Stephanie's eyes narrowed on her. “I mean you were laughing hard, probably didn't even realize it.  I do it sometimes.”

“Smooth.” Alex grunted, which turned into groaning when he got socked in the arm by Rajani. “DAMN!”

“Let's just get to work.”

John was pretty psyched about tonight, his good mood buoyed by the distinct lack of Kane in his script. However, he knew even if he had been scheduled for some interaction with Kane, his mood would have remained stellar. He knew tonight was it and would cement which direction his relationship with Rajani went, this was his one chance. If he blew it tonight, there would be no second chance. Then John had a thought, seriously hoping that no one messed with his car tonight because he did not need her seeing that.

The night went smoothly with absolutely no issues, which had Stephanie and Alex on high alert.  Rajani wasn't worried and had her mind on one thing, or one person, and that was John Cena.  She was working super hard and faster than normal, shrugging when Stephanie and Alex just stared at her in wonder.  When it was time to leave, Rajani couldn't have been happier and grabbed her purse before heading out of Stephanie's office, an extra bounce in her step.  She hadn't seen a glimpse of Kane, wondering if Taker took care of him and figured that had to be a reason why there were no attacks. There was a reason indeed. After seeing Rajani and Taker earlier, Kane had decided to sit back and see where things went over the next day or so. This suited his purposes rather well actually. There was chemistry between her and Cena, or at least he had thought there was, and he was seldom wrong about those things, but today had thrown him off. Kane growled slightly, wondering why the hell Taker had to get himself inadvertently caught up in his plans. Some friend!

JOHN CENA

Rajani stared at the door for a good two minutes, chewing her bottom lip and mulling over the pros and cons of actually going through with this.  That one kiss in the elevator outweighed all the cons, but Rajani couldn't bring her hand up to knock on the door.  What was Dwayne going to do?  He'd been having a HUGE war with John on Twitter leading up to their match at WrestleMania and John still didn't know she was his opponent's baby sister.

“Just do it, don't be a coward.” She whispered, squaring her shoulders and knocked on the door, hearing a 'come in' a few seconds later.

Rajani slowly pushed open the door and stepped inside, smiling tentatively. John was all smiles as he walked over to her, having started entertaining doubts that she would even come. Niggles had started whispering things like 'she's probably come to her senses' and 'why would she want him because he’s been nothing but a prick to her' in his head. He bent down, hands going to her shoulders and dropped a kiss on her lips. Though, he didn't ravage her completely like he wanted to, knowing that that would only put the idea of 'he wants sex and nothing more' in her head and effectively kill off that chance. While John DID want to eventually get in her pants, that wasn't all he was interested in.

“Hello.”

“Hi.” She murmured, the door closing behind her and allowed John to guide her further into his dressing room.

Rajani would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous about this. Remembering everything that happened between her and John over the past six months, Rajani was still on guard about this.  She sat down on the couch with him, looking down at their laced hands, sighing gently when he lifted her chin back up to meet his eyes.

“So...you said that we weren't finished in the elevator and I'm assuming you're meaning talking because I'm going to be blunt with you, John, like I have been from the beginning.  I'm not sleeping with you until we establish exactly what this is between us.”

John's grin turned into a smile, having been expecting that. “I didn't expect anything less of you, Rajani.” He said softly, moving his hand back down to take hers, squeezing gently. “I know I've been a total cock knocker to you, and you've had some less than patient moments with me, most of them I deserved.” John wasn't going to take all the credit for being the main screw-up in what had been their normal relationship until today. She did have a few credits to her name, though he would admit to being the main guilty party. “And I know you're worried about this, about where it's going and what could happen. I'm not going to hurt you, Raja, I just want one chance.”

Rajani eyed him for a few minutes, staying silent and stared into his blue eyes, searching for any indication that he was lying to her.  She was normally a good judge of character and her instincts were telling her to tread cautiously.  How could she though when this man dropped the L word on her?  Had he even meant it?

“Not until you answer one question for me.” When John nodded, Rajani had to pull her gaze from his and stared down at her nails, breathing in and out slowly. “The night you found me in my car after Kane's attack, you said something to me that I haven't been able to forget or get out of my mind.  And I know this is going to sound really stupid, but maybe you don't remember what you said to me because you said it after I pissed you off.  But I have to know before we jump into this.” Rajani slowly looked up at him, seeing the confusion already building in his eyes and sighed. “You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?”

The confusion she seen building in his eyes was due to the fact that he knew what night she was talking about. John had a good idea she was referring to the fact that he has basically told he loved her and hated her in the same sentence. What had totally thrown him off was the Kane bit and, as soon as the fog cleared, John fully grasped what she had just said.

“Kane did this to you?” John demanded, trying his hardest to modulate his tone, though the anger was creeping into his eyes. When she looked mildly exasperated, he inwardly growled. “Yes, I remember what I said to you. Kane ATTACKED you?”

Her dark eyes widened with realization of what she said and Rajani instantly covered her mouth with her hand. “Shit.” It sounded muffled, but John clearly heard her and Rajani stopped him from standing up, straddling him on the couch.  She was quicker than John gave her credit for. “You're not going after him.  He's being taken care of.  Shit, I didn't mean to just...drop it like that...” What the HELL was she thinking?  Oh yeah, she was too busy worrying about if he remembered what he said to her the night of her attack. “Yes, he's the one that did this.” Rajani pulled the choker off, showing him the bruises again. “And you're not going after him, do you hear me?  You're on probation right now, if you don't want me distracting you with another kiss, then you will sit here with me and not blow your only shot.” If John left, Rajani was finished with him for good as she slowly crawled off his lap. “Your choice.  Either stay here with me or go beat Kane's ass and break your probation.”

“I'm not going to go after him.” John grumbled, thinking she was using two very unfair tactics with him.

One: the fact of blowing his shot with her being thrown in his face. John wondered why the hell she had to keep cutting his balls off with what kinda sounded like thinly veiled threats. Two: she was straddling him, which was a major distraction.

“I'm not going to break my probation, now get back over here you're supposed to distract me.” John reached over and pulled her back onto his lap, hands settling on her hips. “Who's handling it?”

“See...This is the part you're not going to like, but I hope you just go with it because it's what I want.”

Rajani let that sink in a little, wrapping her arms around his neck, not meaning to cut him down. However, she knew how much John loathed Kane and didn't want him getting hurt because of her.  Not to mention breaking probation would take him out of the company for several months after WrestleMania.

“Undertaker is handling it...and I'm traveling with him for a while.” Rajani pressed her finger to his lips before John could open his mouth. “Someone has been filling my hotel rooms with flowers, different kinds, and leaving messages about how they're going to see me soon.  The last one was last night and it was carnations, which means fascination and the card said JUST DAYS AWAY in black lettering.  The one before that said SOON.  Taker thinks it's Kane that's doing it, so he's going to handle it, but he wants me close-by in case Kane tries something.  And I'm not going against him. I trust him and know he'll protect me.  Not saying you can't, but he knows Kane better than anyone and if it is Kane, he'll be able to stop him before Kane can get to me.  We think I'm on Kane's radar because he's using me to get to you...”

Chapter 22

Surprisingly, John sat there quietly, for the most part, minus that one time where she silenced him. As much as he hated to admit it, it all made sense, in a very sick sort of way. When she had started talking about the flowers, his blue eyes widened, then narrowed at the JUST DAYS AWAY and became nothing but slits at the SOON.

“So...” John said finally, catching her hands in his and holding them between their chests. “Is he handling it tonight? Because I really don't like the idea of Kane doing whatever it is he's planning.” If Taker didn't handle it within a reasonable timeframe, like say, the next hour, John might just do it himself, consequences or not. “Stephanie has to know by now I didn't touch Beth...I'm on probation for Phil...” He said, considering that and then groaned. “Mother...Kane took him out too...” When she gave him a funny look, he sighed. “You removed me from that match, and there was talk of Kane going in, but you put Phil in it instead. Kane wanted MY spot, he wanted to piss me off by stepping into my shoes. It's his damn style, he likes to taunt...”

“I don't know, but knowing Taker, he's not going to waste time.  He has to time it perfectly though to where Kane has nowhere to run away.  And I agree with you about the attack on Phil.  I already know he attacked Beth.” When John's eyes narrowed, Rajani sighed as she sat up, but still kept her hands pressed against his chest. “Eve came to me hysterical the same night Beth was attacked and told me who did it.  She said it was Kane.  I didn't understand why he would attack Beth...until now.  Beth is my best friend, as well as Eve's, so he more than likely attacked her because of...me.” Rajani looked down, completely guilt ridden. “It would make sense that he would attack Phil just to get everyone to turn against you and make them think you're the one who did it.  Phil doesn't remember because he was attacked from behind, if you didn't know.”

“No, I know he doesn't, but I take that back. I'm not on probation over Phil, it's because everyone thinks I bashed Taker in the head on account of that pipe being found in my bag.” John groaned, knowing that in his detective moment he had completely overlooked and forgotten critical facts. Sherlock Holmes he was not. “Which I didn't by the way, as I've told you before. Does Taker think I did it?” He knew he hadn't done it, so would...Kane? Eh...he had a hard time seeing that one. While possible, he didn't see it as plausible.

“We really haven't talked about that.  I don't think he's worried about who attacked him as much as stopping Kane right now.” That was the honest truth. “Though whoever did attack him is going to wish they were never born once he does find out who it was.” Rajani had no doubt about that. “I really don't think it was Kane to be honest, there would be no reason why he would attack his friend.  That would just be...career suicide on his part.” Rajani sighed, not wanting to talk about any of this anymore. “I don't want to talk about this anymore, we're not supposed to be worrying about what's going on around us.  You mentioned you were driving, what were your plans for tonight?” She had to get their minds off of business, wanting to enjoy her time with John instead of worrying about Kane, like she had lately.

“Dinner definitely, I'm starving.” He said, knowing she didn't want to focus on this situation with Kane anymore and honestly didn't blame her. There really wasn't much he could do about any of it at the moment anyway; knowing Stephanie wouldn't lift the probation until they knew for a fact who had tried scrambling the Undertaker's brains. “I could probably...eat 2 of you.” John added, looking her up and down with a sly smirk, catching her hand before it could hit his shoulder and kissed her palm. “Do you like to dance?”

“The last time I went dancing was at my senior prom.” She wasn't kidding, laughing when John merely stared at her. “I've always been work orientated, never really was the type to go out clubbing or partying or anything like that.”

Rajani kissed his lips very softly and slid from his lap to stand on her feet, knowing he had to finish getting ready so they could go get something to eat.  Rajani didn't care where they went as long as she could spend time with John. Though, in the back of her mind, she couldn't help wondering if this really was the right thing to do. She hadn't danced since her senior prom and that was just wrong on so many levels, probably illegal in at least five states. John loved to dance, he didn't find much time for it but when he did, he was out pounding floor like nobody's business. It was settled, he was going to show Rajani a night she would never forget.

“Dinner and then dancing.” John said, standing up, grinning happily. “Give me a few minutes to finish changing.”

Fortunately for him, John had already showered and his hair required no work at all, perks of it being so short. He dropped another kiss on her lips before disappearing back into the bathroom, grinning like a love struck idiot. Rajani just watched him go and shook her head, finding it adorable that he was grinning like a cat that just ate several canaries. They ended up going to a club that had both dinner and dancing, the two separated enough to where they could have proper conversation during eating and then dance the night away in the club part of it.  It was a lot of fun, Rajani couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so alive.  John Cena was definitely someone she could see herself falling in love with very easily, but damned if she was trying to fight it off.

She didn't want to just fall at his feet, but somehow it was already happening.  Her body was coated in sweat from dancing so much and Rajani had a few drinks while John stuck with beer, both of them laughing and pushing each other to their limits.  By the time Rajani arrived back at the hotel, it was past 3 AM and she was ready to fall into bed.  Along with dancing, John had ravaged her lips with his while touching every part of her body besides below the belt and her breasts.  He was a gentleman, she'd give him that.  Sighing happily, Rajani slid her keycard into the slot and pushed open the door, quietly creeping in, not wanting to wake Taker.

Taker was awake, lying in bed with the lights off. The door to his room was wide open and he heard her creeping in, reinforcing the teenager thing in his mind, like she was sneaking home. One glance at the nightstand clock told him the hour and he knew she was going to regret that when he woke her up in a few hours to catch their flight. He had gotten in, washed off some...sweat and possible blood before climbing in bed.

“Darlin', quit sneakin' I'm up.” Taker called when he heard her tripping over the stupid carpet, he had done the same thing earlier.

“Damn it.” She cursed, really not wanting to disturb him and slowly walked over to lean in his doorway, cracking a hesitant smile. “Hey, I didn't want to wake you up.  I didn't right?” When he shook his head, Rajani walked over to sit on the bed. Taking her shoes off, her hair looked a little haphazard because she'd let it down during dancing, so it had a wild look to it right now. “How are you?” She asked, frowning when she noticed some bruising on his chest, eyebrows drawing together slowly. “Did you get into a fight or something?”

“Somethin'.” He agreed softly, knowing she could only see it because he had the curtains of his windows drawn open, letting in the outside light. Taker caught her fingers before she could touch the spot. “It's a bit tender darlin'. Don't worry about it. Did you have a good time with your...friend?”

He could smell sweat, smoke and booze on her though he was pretty certain she wasn't drunk. In the dim lighting he could make out her hair, which was looking rather untamed and wild, it was actually a nice look for her. Smiling slightly, Taker reached up to play with a lock.

“I like this wild child look you got goin' on darlin'.”

“I'm glad one of us does.  Didn't realize how crazy it would be when I took it down.”

Rajani was concerned with his chest, having a sinking feeling it was from Kane.  He'd taken care of Kane...or maybe she was wrong.  Taker wasn't going to tell her, Rajani already knew it, but in a way she did have a right to know.

“Yes I had fun tonight, more than I've had in years actually.  Did you put something on it?” She gestured to his chest again, frowning slightly. “Are you okay, can you at least tell me that?”

“I'm fine woman, now quit nitpickin’ about it.” Taker growled warningly, really not needing her to mother hen him. If she wanted to help, she could rub more ointment on it...without asking if it hurt. “I put some cream on it, ice and a hot pack... It's just tender is all.”

Slowly, Taker pulled himself upright into a sitting position, keeping his back to the headboard. He was glad she couldn't see his left side because that was bruised also, where he had taken a punch. Kane was in worse condition and that brought a smile to his face, a very evil smile curling his lips. Unaware that the sheet was pooling around his very naked hips, if she kept being observant, that would be next on Rajani’s viewing agenda.

“Get into my bag and hand me the tube of ointment off the top, please.” He requested softly.

“Sure.” She stood up and walked over to where his bag was, the light from the window the only way she could see around his room.  Rajani searched, found it and walked back over, kneeling on the bed before him. “Lean back, I'll apply it for you.” Rajani offered softly, already putting some cream on her fingers and scooted closer to get a better look.

It was because of her that he was hurt, Rajani tried not to let it bother her or feel guilty, but damn it she couldn't help it.  This man had helped her, given her advice, he was growing on her fast.  Being careful, Rajani began rubbing the ointment on his bruised chest, wincing when he hissed out a little and knew she'd pressed on a really tender area.

“You know I did this for Dwayne a time or two, especially when he'd come home from the road beat up from one of the pay-per-views.  Wrestling today is nothing compared to what it used to be.” She was making idle chatter to try to get her mind off of what could've possibly happened with Taker tonight while she was out with John.

“Trust me darlin', I know. I wrestled with broken bones, bruised ribs...we all did, it was normal back then and I'm sure most of us regret it.”

Some of the time...Taker knew for a fact he'd definitely have changed that Hell in a Cell match with Foley. He had wrestled on a broken foot and a few other slight injuries, also knowing the stunts he had done to Mick hadn't helped that crazy fool out any. Reaching down to pull the sheet back up, Rajani did it just enough to cover the vitals. When she had climbed onto the bed, her knee had caught it and pulled it further down. Taker was pretty sure she didn't want to see him naked, or if she did, she was hiding it pretty well. Knowing that was just ridiculous, he began laughing and immediately regretted it.

“Son of a bitch...” He groaned, closing his eyes briefly.

Rajani bit her lip to keep from apologizing, finishing with his chest. Then she pulled back and wiped the remaining cream on her neck, since there was a little bit.  She'd taken her choker off right after walking inside the suite and tossed it somewhere, not concerned about it right now.

“Where else does it hurt?” Rajani knew it wasn't just his chest and nodded when he reluctantly rolled over, a gasp escaping her. “Oh god, Taker…” Not able to stop them, Rajani blinked as a few tears slid down her face, swallowing hard, not caring if she made a complete spectacle of herself right now.

“Hey, none of that.” Taker ordered when he spotted the tears, sitting right back up, not caring about the sheet and reached out to gently cup her chin in his hand. His free hand moved to wipe away the tears. “It's not that damn bad, it'll heal and there'll be no lastin' damage. It looks worse than what it is. He looks and probably feels a lot worse than I do.” Taker bent his head down, staring into her chocolate eyes. “Don't cry and don’t feel guilty, I said I would handle it. You didn't ask me too and you sure as hell didn't tell me to get into a fist fight with him either. That's all on me, Jani.”

“But it's because of me that you had to get into a fist fight with him.” Rajani whispered, not able to stop the tears as they kept falling, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Careful not to press against his chest, Rajani buried her face in his hair while he rubbed her back.  Rajani already knew she cared a great deal with this man and hated that he'd gotten hurt because of her.  It didn't matter if she didn't ask him too, he still did it and it looked as though Kane didn't go down without a fight. Of course Kane hadn't gone down without a fight and Taker had fully expected that. He would also admit, just not to her since she already felt bad enough and would probably think he was sick in the head, that he had actually enjoyed the fight. Taker had enjoyed hunting that piece of shit who dared call himself his best friend down and just swinging at him. They had gotten the particulars of why he had swung out of the way while fighting and Kane had simply laughed repeatedly. He didn't deny or confirm anything, not in the traditional sense, but that laughter...Taker would never forget it.

“Stop it Jani, it's not your fault.” He rumbled in a deep drawl, resting his head on top of hers. “I didn't HAVE to get into a fight, I chose to.”

“That still doesn't make me feel any better.” Rajani mumbled, sniffling a little and very carefully pulled away from him, staring into his green eyes. “Sorry, I didn't mean to start crying.  I just didn't expect it to look...like that.” She took the ointment and put more on her fingers, waiting for him to roll over again so she could get his side. “I just hope you got it checked out.” She sighed when he shot her a look. “Fine I'll stop it.” Rubbing the ointment on his side, Rajani tried not to start crying again, deciding she would do it once she was alone in her own room.

“Swear to god Rajani, if I hear you cryin' when you leave this room, I'mma paddle your ass and give you somethin' to cry about.” Taker threatened, only half-kidding. “Unless you’re the kinda gal that likes being whooped, then we'll have to come up with somethin' more suitable...” He winced when she prodded the bruise in a not-so-subtle knock it off way.

“You just can't resist, can you?” Rajani shook her head, a smile tilting her lips and finished up before Taker rolled over on his back again. “And I'll do what I want in my own room.” Dodging before he could grab her, Rajani wiped the rest of her tears away and walked over on the opposite side of the bed to drop the ointment back in his bag. “On that note, I am heading to bed.  See you in a few hours, get some sleep.”

Walking out, Rajani headed to her room and shut the door behind her, heading for the bathroom.  She needed a shower to wash away the night's events and decided to let her tears fall, knowing Taker wouldn't hear her.  By the time Rajani got out of the shower, she was so exhausted that she collapsed on the bed in just a towel, passing out.

Chapter 23

In a few short hours, Taker was up again foregoing the shower since he had already taken one and just focused on getting dressed, stretching his limbs gingerly before applying more ointment. He was quite capable of doing it himself, but...he wasn't about to tell a beautiful woman that when she was quite willing to do it for him. He was a man after all, his control wasn't THAT damn good. After getting his jeans on, Taker headed across the way, knocking softly once and then walked into her room. He immediately stopped dead in his tracks. Rajani had fallen asleep...in a towel, on top of the bed and obviously had been too dead to pull the blankets up. Well, the towel was off and he was getting a very nice view of her back and very delectable looking ass, seriously considering nipping her for the hell of it.

A squeal escaped her lips as Rajani's eyes flew open, jumping about a foot off the bed and somehow managed to take the towel with her to where it covered her front. “What the hell?!”

She spun around while holding her right butt cheek and stared at a doubled over Taker, eyes wide.  He was laughing so hard, he had to lean against the dresser to keep from keeling over. Rajani sat there glaring dark daggers at him while rubbing her ass cheek. Her hair was still a little damp since it was only three hours ago since she'd showered.

“That is NOT funny, Taker.” Rajani growled, immediately covering herself up more with the towel. “I can't believe you just bit my ass!”

“Mmm darlin', believe it...that is an ass created by god himself for the sole purpose of nippin’, squeezin' and a few other things that would make that pretty face of yours turn a bright shade of red.” Taker leaned back against the wall, bracing his weight against it as he continued to chuckle, knowing she didn't find that as amusing as him. “By the way, it's time to get up, Jani.”

His laughing suddenly stopped when Rajani tossed a pillow and clocked him in the face.  The expression he had next made her keel over on the bed, taking her turn to laugh at HIS expense.  She would have to get him back somehow, deciding to mull it over and flew into the bathroom before he could grab her, locking the door.

“Be out in a few!” Rajani called through giggling, pulling her bag out and began dressing.

Taker hadn't expected her to retaliate, but Rajani was a woman full of surprises.

Smirking slightly and shaking his head at her tactics, Taker walked over to the door and ran his fingernails down it, knowing she could hear him. “Darlin', if you want that could be your every mornin' wake-up call.” He drawled through the door, purposefully dropping the pitch of his tone to a low deep baritone. “Just make sure to go to bed in...a towel...and facedown...or I might bite somethin' else.”

Taker heard something hit the door and began laughing all over again, walking out of the room to go finish dressing. He was ROTTEN...and made Rajani hot in more ways than one.  She rubbed her ass even through the khaki's she wore, deciding on a dark blue form fitting top that was short sleeved with a V shaped neckline.  Walking out, Rajani shook her head at Taker, trying to stop flushing from what he said through the bathroom door. Her hair was pulled back in a bun with blue chopsticks in it, not in the mood to do anything else with it.

“You are terrible.” She commented, walking over to grab a cup of coffee.

“That's not what I've been told.” Taker said with a casual shrug, wearing a dark green thermal long sleeved shirt, his hair hanging loose, already sipping a mug of plain black coffee and reclining in a chair. “Most women usually tell me I'm the best they've ever had, some even like to call me god.” He began laughing when she choked on her coffee, getting up to gently pat her back. “Alright, I'll stop darlin', can't have you chokin' to death on me.”

“You are hysterical.” Rajani muttered, not amused as she coughed some more, the hot coffee going down the wrong tube not feeling good at all. “Come on, we need to get going if we're going to make our plane.”

Together, they headed out with Taker behaving...for the most part.  Rajani could not believe he bit her ass, she definitely wasn't telling John THAT one.  No way.  He would demand her to stop rooming with Taker and that wasn't happening. Taker couldn't believe he had bit her ass. Well he could, but at the same time he couldn't. Mostly because it was Rajani and, after that piss poor attempt at seduction in the truck, Taker had established it with himself that she wasn't his type, more like a little sister or something. Her towel less ass had totally blown that out of the water. However, he would behave for now.

“You’re bein’ texted this early?” Taker glanced down at her when her cell did its alert notice.

John couldn't help himself.

“Apparently...”

Rajani had a feeling she knew who it was and smiled at the thoughtfulness of John, shaking her head as she texted him back.  He basically said he missed her, couldn't wait to see her and hoped they could have another fantastic night later on. Downing half of her coffee, Rajani leaned back against the seat while Taker drove to the airport.

“This coffee needs to kick in.” She grumbled, trying to wake up. “How's your chest and side?  I was going to try massaging it a little because that supposedly helps with blood flow, but you looked like you were in pain, so I didn't want to push it.”

“It's fine. Nothin' I can't handle.” All things considered, her even mentioning that to him was probably not the brightest of ideas. “Don't you worry about me, just...play with your phone. We'll have to eat before we get on the plane unless you're weird and actually enjoy airplane food.” Taker didn't care what class they were in, it all tasted horrible and would glue up their innards. “And you can get more coffee, or an Amp or somethin'...or you could just fall back asleep on the plane. I promise not to bite ya.”

They ended up getting something to eat at a local restaurant that was right across the street from the airport, something quick and simple.  Rajani texted John a few times before boarding the plane, but for the most part she talked with Taker about anything.  Favorite foods, music, hobbies; hell, they even talked about favorite sex positions.  Of course Taker was the one who brought THAT one up, but Rajani wasn't about to back out of it.  They were friends and traveled together now, not to mention Taker was very easy to talk to.  Rajani and Taker ended up falling asleep against each other on the plane, her head against his arm while his head rested on top of hers.  The flight attendant covered them up with a blanket quietly and carefully, not wanting to disturb them.

3 weeks had passed since Rajani started dating John and things were never better.  He took her out almost every night dancing, Rajani was getting into shape without even realizing it.  Her feminine curves were becoming more defined instead of soft, her legs were sculpting beautifully and she had this glow about her that couldn't be extinguished.  Ever since Taker beat the hell out of Kane, nobody had seen him.  He had his ambulance match against John at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view and John ended up winning after giving him an Attitude Adjustment off the top of the ambulance before tossing him into the back, carting Kane off and out of the arena.  Nobody had seen him since.

John had called out Dwayne the following night on Raw in a shoot promo that shocked a lot of people and gained him back some of the respect he deserved.  His probation was lifted, thanks to Phil going to Stephanie and telling her it wasn't fair that John was paying for something he most likely didn't do.  So Stephanie lifted the probation, which made things even better with John. Dwayne was supposed to come to Raw the following week, but something with the current movie set he was on went haywire. Naturally, he had to cancel at the last minute.  Rajani still hadn't told her brother about how she was dating his adversary or the fact that she was rooming with the Undertaker for her protection.  Taker didn't want to take a chance of Kane coming after her since he hadn't been seen lately, so he insisted that Rajani stayed with him until Kane finally decided to come out of the darkness.

It was Monday night Raw and Rajani walked inside the arena with Taker all smiles, having received a few text messages from John that made her head spin a little and heart skip a beat.  She wore a dark blue pinstriped skirt suit that went two inches above the knee, a cream colored dress shirt beneath the matching cardigan and had her hair pulled back in a low tail that draped over her shoulder.  Parting ways with Taker like always outside of Stephanie's office door, Rajani stepped inside, suddenly freezing.

“Now is that anyway to greet your brother, Raja?” Dwayne said by way of greeting with a big smile. “Surprise!”

All Rajani could think was 'oh shit' as Dwayne swept her up in his arms, giving her a massive hug. Stephanie felt genuinely bad for Rajani, who was wearing an 'oh lord, help me' look on her face, or at least, before smoothing it away. Smiling, she clasped her hands in front of her pantsuit, meeting Rajani's wide eyes.

“Surprise?”

Laughing, Dwayne put her down before planting a kiss on top of her head. “You could at least say 'hi, big brother, how are you doing?'.” He teased, his trademark smile splitting his face.

“Hi...” Rajani knew she had to jolt herself out of this shock and nodded, smirking suddenly. “Well I would ask you how you're doing, but we talk daily so there'd be no point, brother.  Though you could've told me you were coming to Raw, that way I wouldn't be in shock at seeing you.”

“She's got a point.” Alex stage whispered to Stephanie.

“W-What are you doing here anyway?  I thought you were supposed to be here until the Raw right before Mania?”

This definitely wasn't good, nobody knew about her and John dating, not even Taker and Stephanie.  They had decided to keep their relationship quiet for the time being and John STILL didn't know who she really was.  Rajani thought she had more time, but apparently her time had officially run out.

“Change in plans.” Dwayne said by way of explanation, the smile slowly fading. “Cena and I have been having words-”

“Tweets.”

“Alex...Go get everyone coffee...”

“On Twitter, and after him calling me out...well, I'm not about to let a Fruity Pebble have the last word. You sound like you don't want me here.” Dwayne eyed her suspiciously. “I'm not going to interfere with your work, if that's what you're worried about.”

Stephanie busied herself at her desk, shaking her head.

“I just...It hasn't been exactly acknowledged that I'm your sister around here and, no offense Dwayne, but I want to keep it that way.  It's just better for me because I don't want anyone around here thinking I got this job just because of you.” Rajani explained softly, fighting back a cringe when Dwayne mentioned John. The fire in his eyes was enough to tell her he could NOT find out about her relationship. “Let's just...keep it in this office and nowhere else, okay?”

Stephanie couldn't blame Rajani for the way she felt because she had to deal with the same scrutiny when she took over the company for Vince.  Nobody thought she could do it and thought everything was handed to her on a silver platter, possibly even golden.  But that was far from the truth, Stephanie had busted her ass and proved herself for years to get this job.

“Must you call him a Fruity Pebble, Rocky?” She sighed exasperatedly when he just flashed another tight smile. “Very well.”

Dwayne would never admit it, but Rajani had just hurt his feelings. Even though he could understand where she was coming from, it still hurt. As far as he was concerned, if people couldn't tell that she had talent and was a hard, intelligent, determined worker, who busted her ass at her job and was very good at it, then screw them. But...he'd keep his lips zipped.

“Be thankful that's ALL I'm calling him right now.” Dwayne snorted, though that was going to change once he hit the ring.

“Thank you, bro, I appreciate it.”

Rajani knew she hurt him with her words, but she was never one to keep her true feelings hidden.  She loved her brother and that would never change, but being here for seven months Rajani had proven herself.  With everything that had happened lately with Kane and John, Rajani didn't need anything else put on her plate.  Her thoughts came to a screeching halt when the door opened and John stepped in, immediately stopping at the sight of Dwayne.  Luckily, Rajani was standing in front of her brother and had turned around just as the door opened, wondering if fate really hated her or if this was just her bad luck coming back. Stephanie was instantly on it, moving to stand between them off to the side in neutral territory.

“I heard a rumor you might be here.” John said, a smirk curving his lips. His blue eyes flickered from Rajani and then to Dwayne. “What's the matter, I hurt your ego?”

Dwayne flexed his muscles threateningly. “Not one bit. Nobody takes the shit that comes from that asshole in your face seriously.”

“Tell that to your 'fans'. If you have any left who aren't pre-teens obsessed with Disney.”

“Guys, we're not doing this right now.” Stephanie ordered, rubbing her temples.

Rajani really wanted to tell John to stop mouthing off to her brother, but that would've been a really big mistake on her part, especially wanting to keep her secrets.  So she just stepped aside and walked over to sit on the couch, letting Stephanie deal with it.  John definitely had his work cut out for him at WrestleMania against Dwayne and Rajani refused to choose sides.  However, when Dwayne shot back with John having a mangina, John retaliated something to do with tampons, Rajani had enough and stood up from the couch, tossing her clipboard to the side.

“Cena, unless you have a legitimate reason for being in here, you were interrupting a meeting going on here.” Rajani stated when it looked as though Stephanie was losing control.

John looked at her like she had grown a second head. “Actually Raja, I do have a legitimate reason for being here, but it doesn't require your presence.” He glanced at Dwayne. “Or yours, sellout.”

Making sure to roughly bash his shoulder against the younger man's, Dwayne headed for the door. “Let me know when you're done with the wanna-be wrestler, Steph.” He called over his shoulder before stepping out the door.

Chapter 24

Stephanie looked at Rajani and then at John. “Could you give us a minute, Raja?”

John didn't think Rajani needed to hear what he wanted to talk to Stephanie about because Rajani would probably not approve, at all.

“Of course, just text me when you're ready for me to come back, Stephanie.”

John was going to pay for that later on, she was simply trying to stop him from getting his head snapped off his shoulders.  She knew how her brother's temper could be. He was still 'The Great One, The Rock’ at heart with a million dollar smile. Walking out of the office with clipboard and purse in hand, Rajani decided to go get some fresh air since John had ticked her off.  When it came to her brother, he was ruthless and Dwayne was her family.  John was just her boyfriend, a man she was falling in love with...or had already.

“Goddamn it.” Rajani whispered, knowing she was in a bad situation with Dwayne on the road now. “What am I going to do?”

Once Rajani left, Stephanie listened to John's request and all she could do was stare at him. “Have you lost your mind?”

“Not lately, I think I've been pretty sane as of late.” John replied calmly, not about to inform her that the reason for his sanity was probably plotting ways to punish him and not in ways that he would enjoy.

“Why would I even consider that?”

“Because I don't think I'm done punishing him yet.”

“No. You need to focus on Rocky and WrestleMania.” Thank god Rajani wasn't here right now, but...this was business, not personal and this feud was GREAT for business. Too bad they couldn't just keep it in the ring and out of their personal lives. “Kane won't be back for a while and when he DOES, you two will stay away from each other.”

John sincerely doubted that one.

If Rajani knew the real reasoning for John's meeting, she probably would've kicked him square in his mangina, as her brother so eloquently called it.  She already told him things with Kane had been taken care of, not telling him about Taker's injuries because that was none of his business.  Taker had handled Kane, there had been no flowers, no notes, nothing.  It had been smooth sailing...until now.  Rajani knew she would have to come clean to John about being Dwayne's sister tonight on their date, there was no way out of it now.  She just hoped he cared about her enough not to use it against her or, more importantly, Dwayne.

“This is fucked up.” She murmured, writing a few notes down on the clipboard, trying to get her mind focused on work for the time being.

“What's fucked up, darlin'?” Taker asked, staring down at her curiously and had overheard her mumble, green eyes flickering to the clipboard. “I highly doubt anything on that is fucked up, looks like borin' paperwork to me.” He drawled, already dressed for his promo, though he had yet to pull up the hood. He liked this outfit, but when the damn hood was up, it got hot. When she looked up at him, he flashed a wicked grin. “I know I look pretty damn good right now darlin', but I can't ravish you until later. You might make me mess up my eyeliner.”

Rajani rolled her eyes at his arrogance, having gotten used to it along with the cheesy pick-up lines over the past three weeks. “Keep thinking that, Taker.” He did look good in that robe though, Rajani couldn't deny it, but she wasn't about to let Taker know what she was thinking. “You enjoy messing with me, don't you?” She got her answer when Taker shrugged and joined her on the bench she currently sat on, setting her clipboard aside. “Dwayne is here...and I didn't know he was coming.” She still hadn't told Taker who she was going out with on a nightly basis either, Rajani had a bad habit of keeping things to herself. “And I'm officially in trouble.”

Taker had heard that Dwayne was in the building, wondering how that would affect her. He knew she didn't want anyone outside of the few people who already did, to know about her being the Rock's little sister and he knew why. She'd automatically be accused of using her famous brother to get her foot in the door and for keeping her job, never mind the fact that she was damn good at her job. There was always going to be petty, jealous haters though.

“So, other than the obvious, why are you officially in trouble?” Taker asked, stretching his long legs out in front of him, knowing anyone who walked by would probably jump pretty high to avoid tripping and pissing him off.

“Alright fine, I'll tell you because...I need to tell someone and you're the only one I can trust.” Rajani took her hair down and fluffed it out a little, just trying to get up the courage to say what needed to be said.  When Taker took her hand, Rajani looked up into his eyes and instantly calmed down, knowing he wouldn't judge her. “The person I've been going out with after the shows for the past three weeks...is-”

“Taker, they need you inside for a promo.” A stagehand said from behind.

Her luck was gone, Rajani was sure of it and slowly pulled her hand out of Taker's, smiling tentatively. “Never mind, go on and do your thing, Deadman.” She winked, her courage effectively squashed and decided she would tell him tonight after her date with John...if it still happened.

“You can tell me later tonight, darlin'.” Taker promised, seeing the worry in her eyes and sighed, knowing he had to go. Turning, his face went blank as he began getting into character, knowing the past few years he had made a slip or two on the microphone, hoping to avoid that tonight. “Rocky.” He nodded when he passed Dwayne, who was chatting with a few of the Superstars that didn't think he was an egomaniacal, self-promoting asshole. Or at least, they were the ones who weren't vocal about it.

“Deadman.”

Rajani froze when she heard her brother's voice from behind and slowly turned her head to stare at him, knowing he saw her exchange with Taker.  This wasn't good.  She couldn't read the look on her brother's face and merely bit her bottom lip. Turning back to stare down at her clipboard, Rajani acted as though it was the most interesting thing in the world.  When she felt Dwayne sit beside her, Rajani knew he wanted an explanation and there was no way she could give him one...not the truth anyway.  Finding out she'd been attacked by Kane and Taker had to beat Kane's ass for her...yeah that wasn't going to bode well at ALL with big brother.

“Did you go back to talk to Stephanie?” She asked softly, slowly looking up into his dark eyes that nearly matched her own.

“Not yet, she was dealing with a few of the Divas that were apparently having wardrobe issues.” Dwayne said, pretty sure he had seen what he seen.

The Undertaker sitting next to his baby sister, and they had been talking like friends, didn’t set well with Dwayne, at all. While he respected Taker, he also knew the man had at one time been known for...being a bit of a slut. That was cool, or had been, in a guy thing sort of way, but not anymore. No, he was no longer amused by that reputation, not when it came to his baby sister.

“So...could've sworn I just seen you sitting with Taker a moment ago…”

“Yeah...” Rajani trailed off, her eyes adverting back to her clipboard and sighed when Dwayne took it away from her, knowing he wanted answers. “We're friends.” She said casually, having heard of Taker's past of being known as a man whore and it didn't really bother her.  Taker's past wasn't her business, she wasn't judgmental and never had been. “Is that a problem for you, brother dear?” She asked, tilting her head slightly.

Knowing there was no way in hell she was telling him about John, now was definitely not the time, not until she talked to John about what happened earlier in Stephanie’s office. Now how in the hell did Dwayne explain why that might potentially be a problem, without sounding like an overprotective older brother? That is exactly what he was.

“Just curious, he had a bit of a reputation back in the day.” Dwayne said heedlessly, testing the waters. “Pretty popular with the women...for some reason I will never ever understand nor do I want to.”

He had never gotten the whole evil persona, complete with the look. Just another reason why Dwayne tried not to fathom women's minds TOO deeply. There was always something messed up in them. During Taker’s darker man whoring days, Dwayne had heard some pretty horrific stories about what Taker had done to women from the boys in the back. That thought process definitely left him even more unsettled because of what he’d witnessed between his sister and Taker.

“The man whore reputation you mean.” Rajani smirked when her brother's eyes widened slightly, shaking her head. “Believe me, he doesn't think of me THAT way.” Even though the man had thrown more pickup lines at her than Rajani cared to count or remember, he was just messing around with her. “Don't worry Dwayne, I'm not going to be another notch if that's what you're worried about.”

Though Rajani had given serious consideration to being a notch with John. They hadn't slept together yet and she knew he was getting...antsy about it.  She still had reservations about it and knew it was because of his match at WrestleMania with her brother.

“Thank you sweet baby Jesus...” He exhaled, relief coursing through him at that. If Rajani said Taker didn't think of her like that, then he believed it because his sister was not a liar nor a fool. “Sorry...I worry about you.” He said softly, so they weren't overheard. “Being on the road, with all these half-naked guys who think they're...” Dwayne had to stop because now he giving himself an anxiety attack and flashed his mega-watt smile at her, standing up. “I'll go see Stephanie now and stop bugging you.”

Rajani giggled at the worried look in her brother's eyes, standing up to hug him around the neck, kissing his cheek. “I appreciate your concern, but I can take care of myself.  I love you, bro.”

Rajani pulled away and accepted his kiss to her forehead before he ventured back inside, deciding she would stay out here a little longer.  There was no reason for her to be in Stephanie's office all the time, not with countless meetings going on.  So she stayed outside as the sun set on the horizon, doing her paperwork and was thankful they were in the south where it was seventy degrees at night. As the night wore on, Stephanie relaxed more and more, especially when either Dwayne or John provoked each other, hoping they would continue saving it for the ring. When it came time for Dwayne to go out, she had gone to get Rajani, not about to watch it by herself. She could only hope that John didn’t go too far with the promo tonight and the same feelings went toward Rocky.

“Come on.” Stephanie pulled the younger woman over to a large screen TV. “All the...personal issues aside, this is practically history in the making, this angle.”

The Rock, John Cena, WrestleMania...oh yes, it was indeed once in a lifetime, just like all the countless promos said that they’d been viewing over the past few months. All Rajani really wanted to do was crawl into a deep hole and never come back out again.  She'd rather eat pure dirt than watch this promo of her brother ripping her boyfriend apart verbally.  Granted, John had done the same thing only weeks ago and Rajani couldn't yell at him for it because then he would know her secret.

Instead of protesting her boss, Rajani just went along with it and sat there, listening to everything her brother said about John and WrestleMania.  She cringed inwardly with every insult, laughing with Stephanie on the outside.  This was literally tearing her apart.  John was going to be pissed when Rajani told him her secret and she had to do it before it came out in the open against her will. Stephanie stopped laughing when John’s music aired, knowing this was the part where they either stuck to the loose script or totally jumped ship, it could go either way. Both men were known for being nothing but professional. Well, Dwayne was, mostly. John had been and then he had gotten into an online media broil with Dwayne, that very real issue with Kane and now just sheer hatred between him and the man he was about to confront.

“Breathe...” Stephanie whispered, coaching herself.

Dwayne whipped his head to the side when he heard 'boots to asses' being chanted. John smirked when 'sell out' followed it, the crowd definitely torn in two. Rajani knew Stephanie was incredibly nervous about this because of the media war John and Dwayne had been having.  John had acquired a lot more fans due to his shoot promo and now Dwayne was trying to get them back.  It wasn't going to be easy, the crowd was completely split in half, torn.  She knew exactly what that feeling was.  When the promo ended, Rajani stopped herself from jumping out of her chair when Dwayne attacked John from behind and delivered a Rock Bottom to him.

‘That wasn't scripted!!’ Her mind screamed at her brother's cheap shot and looked over at Stephanie, who didn't look happy.

Not scripted, but considering the parting remark John had shot off before presenting his back... it was totally justified. Without the microphone in his hand, that made it even more of a low blow, the chicken shit. Dwayne pushed himself off the mat, cursing down at John. Dwayne was going to get boots to asses alright...John blinked his eyes open, knowing that had been executed perfectly in that it looked like it hurt, which it did.

Stephanie was now drumming her fingernails along her upper arm, arms crossed over her chest, blue eyes narrowed. “This is not going to end well.”

“Took the words right out of my mouth.” Rajani muttered, watching as John slowly sat up, even though the show had already ended after the Rock Bottom.

Rajani decided maybe tonight wasn't the right time to tell John about being Dwayne's sister.  He was attacked from behind, John wasn't going to take that line down.  If Dwayne was smart, he would leave the arena before John could find him backstage because a fight would no doubt break out.  Whipping her phone out, Rajani sent John a quick message, asking if he still wanted to go out tonight or if he needed to rest. Obviously, John wasn't aware he had gotten a text message because he was just now rolling his very pissed off backside out of the ring. Wondering if Dwayne would stick around or take off because he'd LOVE to congratulate the guy on being a total coward and attacking from behind.

“Go ahead, say it.” Dwayne said the minute he was behind the black curtain and had seen Stephanie.

“If you actually worked for me, I would so fine your ass, Dwayne.” Stephanie growled, knowing that this was a temporary thing with him. “Why don't you just go so John doesn't come back here and start something?”

Dwayne cocked his eyebrow down at her.

“That's not funny.”

Chapter 25

When Rajani didn't receive a text from John, she decided to go see him...against her better judgment.  She knocked once and entered his locker room, needing to come clean about everything with him if they were going to continue this relationship.  John was nowhere to be found. Dwayne had done what Stephanie asked, surprisingly enough, not wanting the fight to start between John and Dwayne until WrestleMania.

“Where is he?” She wondered aloud, looking around and saw his bag was still there. “Hmm...” Rajani turned to walk out of his dressing room, but froze when she heard a voice behind her...and it wasn't John.

“Why...would you be in John Cena's dressing room, Rajani?”

Kane was back, and sooner than expected, though he was in street clothes since obviously he hadn't been scheduled for anything. No one had even known he was in the damn building. That was just how slick he could be. All night long, just watching, and listening. It never failed to amaze him such a man as large as he was, could be so...unnoticed. People truly were blind.

“You look tense.” Rajani looked ready to run and Kane slowly walked up behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder and turned her around. “Still not afraid of me, are you? I thought we'd be past this by now.”

“Don't touch me.” She whispered, immediately recoiling from his touch and stumbled back against the door, swallowing incredibly hard.

What the hell was Kane doing in John's locker room?  For another sneak attack no doubt.  He was also wearing a cup again so hitting him below the belt wasn't going to work...and Rajani didn't have her mace with her.  She'd gotten comfortable and that was her mistake, letting her guard down.  Her reasoning for being here was no business of his and there was no way in hell Rajani was giving him any information either.

“Not talking to me? I thought we'd be past that by now too.” Kane said, his voice dropping darkly, hazel eyes narrowing. “Do you know the reason I lost that match against Cena, Rajani? I bet you do.” He backed her into the dressing room, kicking the door shut behind him. “In fact, I bet you're thinking about it right now. It involved me, my supposed best friend and a set of brass knuckles. He always did like to play dirty...and that night, all bets were off apparently. Because...someone...decided to run her mouth about our little...misunderstanding.”

“There was no misunderstanding about what you did to me, Kane.” She spat, feeling some kind of courage filling her, where it came from Rajani had no idea. “You had it coming.” Rajani touched her throat as a reminder of what Kane did, breathing a little heavier and hit a chair, swallowing hard when he kicked it to the side, the chair flying against the wall. “What do you want from me?  I know it was you that kept filling my hotel rooms with flowers and sending me those notes.  I don't understand.” He was going to hurt her again.

The look in his eyes told the story and there was no escape for her.

“What's not to understand, precious? I thought every woman loved surprises?” Kane sneered, continuing advancing on her, watching as she backed herself right into a wall. Then, he leaned into her, planting his palms on either side of her head and bent down so they were face to face. “But not you, you don't like surprises, do you? A bit...paranoid, are we? Worry a bit too much about certain things and not enough about others? So...which one are you fucking? Cena? Taker? Maybe even both? Just out of curiosity.”

A surge of rage flowed through Rajani and before she could stop herself from reacting, a loud smack echoed throughout the room.  She had just slapped the taste out of his mouth.  Kane wasn't wearing his mask so it was full skin on skin contact, the fiery red handprint on his cheek proof that he'd just been slapped.

“That's none of your business, asshole.” Rajani hissed angrily, knowing she would end up hurt because of her temper, but refused to let any man, no matter the circumstances, talk to her the way Kane was. She was a woman, not some common whore. “And why the hell do you care anyway?  I'm certainly not going to fuck you, so who I am fucking shouldn't be any concern of yours...” That probably crossed the line, or several, but Rajani wasn't thinking rationally at the moment.

Even though she had just slapped the piss out of him, Kane still began laughing. “You're not my type, sweetheart, so don't flatter yourself. I have no interest in fucking you.” He assured her, though that probably didn't do anything to alleviate her worries. “You have quite the temper, Rajani...”

His forearm was in the same position it had been weeks ago, suddenly pressing against her throat and this time he wasn't easing her into it. Rajani clawed at his arm, trying to break free anyway she could, but panicking was only making it worse.  What the hell did he want from her?  Why send her flowers?  Why leave those messages?  It didn't make sense!!  Rajani began coughing and gasping for air, her entire body trembling from both fear and adrenaline, the fear overpowering everything else. Kane was literally cutting off her air supply, her face growing red and Kane's arm was bleeding from how hard she was clawing at him to break free, her body slowly growing limp.

“P-Please...” She rasped out, blinking as huge tears slid down the side of her face and could already feel the darkness slowly begin swallowing her.

She clawed the living hell out of his arm and he knew he was actually going to have some scars from this little hell cat. “Before you pass out, Rajani...” He said, watching her eyes fluttering wildly as she tried to get air into her lungs, not allowing it. “Think about this: where are you going to wake up? In the hospital? Here in this room? Somewhere else? Or better yet...” Kane leaned forward so his lips brushed hers, knowing she was seconds from blacking out completely. “Will you wake up at all?”

Kane's words barely registered as oxygen couldn't get to her brain to hear what he said. “Taker...” She managed to gasp out before completely going limp against Kane's forearm, eyes closing.

John wasn't who she thought of as she welcomed the darkness, it was Taker.  Her body slowly slid down the wall as Kane finally released her when she was completely out cold, lying limply at his feet with a weak pulse and heartbeat. Of all the names to say before succumbing to unconsciousness, that wasn't exactly the one Kane had been figuring on hearing. Actually, he was thinking if anything she'd try to scream for help.

“Taker huh?” Kane muttered, stepping away from her lifeless body, aware she was still breathing, which was how he wanted it. He wasn't a total monster after all. “That is probably the most interesting thing yet.”

Smirking, he walked out of the room, examining the bloody gouges on his arm from her acrylic nails.

~!~

“John, we really need to- OH MY GOD!!” Eve screamed in horror, having wanted to talk to John about something and didn't bother knocking on his dressing room door.  It was a good thing she didn't because lying completely motionless and lifeless was Rajani! “SOMEONE HELP!!  HELP!!” She shrieked out the door and rushed inside to where Rajani was, tears filling her wide eyes.

Rajani didn't move an inch.

“What the hell is...OH SHIT!” Randy Orton cursed, having heard Eve's shrieking all the way down the hallway in his dressing room and went to check on her, rushing over to the scene. “What the hell happened?!”

“I-I don't know!!  I came in here to talk to John and-” Her and Randy both looked up at each other at the same time, wondering if John had done this. “WHAT THE HELL?”

Taker was soon in the room, after all the screaming, more specifically Stephanie's screaming. His green eyes widened when he seen Rajani lying on the floor, taking in the way she was lying. Half-listening to Eve babble something about coming in and finding her like this, Taker was more concerned about Rajani.

“What the hell guys? I didn't know I was having a...party...” John shoved past Taker when he seen what everyone was gathered around, his blue eyes just as wide as Taker's were. “What the HELL happened?”

“It's your dressing room, you tell us!”

A second later, John dangled in the air with one large hand wrapped around his throat.

“Get the trainer in here NOW!” Stephanie bellowed, blue eyes wide. “Mark…”

“How could you do this to her, John?!  I realize you and Raja don't get along, but...SERIOUSLY?”

“Eve, not now...”

Randy pulled her aside while Taker dealt with John, not releasing him. The trainer quickly rushed into the room, along with Larry and began slowly checking over Rajani.  She had a deeply bruised throat, but other than that, they couldn't find anything else wrong with her.

“She was almost strangled to death.” Larry confirmed, standing up while Rajani was carted out of John's dressing room toward the nearest medical facility. “Someone attacked her...and it wasn't John because he was down in my room checking over his knee.”

Stephanie watched as Taker instantly dropped John, Larry being the man's alibi. “I have to go contact Dwayne, excuse me.” She walked out, already dialing his number to inform him his little sister was on the way to the hospital.

Taker immediately took note of what Stephanie had said, already in the loop and simply sighed, knowing everything was going to hit the fan now. “Well ain't that a son of a bitch...”

“What the hell does she need to call Dwayne for?” John demanded, climbing back to his feet and rubbing his throat, glaring at Taker. “What the fuck business is it of his?” He watched as one black eyebrow quirked and an almost amused pitying smile flickered across the older man's lips.

Taker simply waited for it because even Cena wasn't that dumb.

“You have GOT to be shitting me!” Randy gaped, blue eyes wide.

“What?! I'm lost!” Eve cried out, looking back and forth between Randy, John and Taker.

Suddenly, it was as if a big bomb just went off in John’s head, the realization dawning on him. “ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!”

After hearing Dwayne bellow and spew out several cuss words that would make a sailor blush, he hung up on Stephanie and said he'd be at the hospital immediately.  Stephanie sighed, nodding at Larry when he told her what facility Rajani was being taken to.  She walked back inside John's locker room, blinking when John just stood there looking like the carpet had been swept from beneath him.

“I'm going to see Raja, who is going with me?” Stephanie demanded, ignoring John's mumbling ranting, really not wanting to know what his problem was at the moment.

Taker immediately joined her along with Eve, all three heading down the hallway toward the underground parking garage where Stephanie's car was. She wasn't surprised in the least that Taker opted for his motorcycle. That left her with Eve, both hoping Rajani was alright as Stephanie peeled out of there, not taking a limousine for once. Taker really hadn't been expecting that blowout from Cena, a blowout yes, but not that. The kid had practically bellowed it. He was more concerned about who had done this to Rajani and vowed to murder whoever put their hands on her.

John was going, just not with them, needing more than just a few minutes alone to sort all this. The majority of him was worried about her and wanted to know who the hell had done this. Then there was that other part, the bad part of him, who was ROYALLY PISSED. The ROCK'S sister. That's who Rajani was! No wonder she kept saying things like 'if you know who I was' and ‘walk away now before one of us gets hurt.’ She was that douchebag’s sister!

~!~

“Where is she?”

“Dwayne...”

“Where the blue hell is my sister, Stephanie?!” Dwayne demanded, looking in the window and rushed past her inside the room where Rajani currently was. “What the hell happened?  I JUST left the damn arena!!  Where was she found?”

“No...reason...for...you...to...yell...Dwayne...”

“She woke up about a half an hour after arriving.”

“Christ...” Dwayne dropped to his knees, feeling them give out as he grabbed Rajani's hand, her other having an IV in it, tears in his eyes. “What happened, Raja?” His eyes went to the deep purple, blue and black bruises that covered her throat, feeling his temper rising. “Who did this?”

“Rajani doesn't need to talk right now, her vocal cords are bruised and the doctor said if she doesn't rest, her esophagus could become ruptured from swelling.” Stephanie explained in a monotone voice, remaining quiet. “We don't know who-”

Rajani simply closed her eyes and let the tears spill down her cheeks silently.

“Well give her a pen and piece of paper.” Dwayne ordered through gritted teeth, his worried brown eyes never leaving his sister. “She can write it, can't she?”

Hesitantly reaching out, almost as if he was going to touch the bruises that seemed to take everything about her up, Dwayne’s chest tightened painfully. No laughing eyes, no beautiful smile or gorgeous face, just the damn bruises. Instead, he took her hand in his again, squeezing gently. Whoever did this was going to pay. When Dwayne tried putting the pen in her hand, Rajani shook her head and turned it to the side, trembling from head to toe.  Kane had attacked her again because she'd opened her mouth.  Every time she opened her mouth, she paid for it.  Well not anymore, Rajani wasn't telling anyone who attacked her, or pressing charges, or anything.  If she did, she would end up dead.  Rajani simply squeezed her brother's hand to let him know she was still breathing, not noticing someone else stepping into her hospital room.

“Raja-”

“Dwayne, she's just tired.” Stephanie said, spotting the tears in Rajani's eyes, knowing right now was not the time to press the issue.

“Did she say who did it?” John demanded, hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans, eyes on his girlfriend and not the man who was kneeling beside her, as hard as it was.

“Not yet.”

Thankfully, Stephanie was there to stop Dwayne from grilling her, but Rajani's entire body tensed at the sound of John's voice.  Her eyes slowly opened, not believing he was actually there and could only tell him she was sorry through those dark eyes.  She slowly moved her gaze from him to her brother, squeezing his hand again when his eyes narrowed at John.

“Don't.” Rajani whispered, taking a deep shaky breath.

“Raja, don't talk right now.  You have to let the swelling go down first.” Stephanie reminded gently, hoping John and Dwayne could put aside their differences so they didn't upset Rajani or stress her out. “Not now you two.”

Please don't fight with him, bro. Rajani wrote on the pad of paper, handing the note over to him, her eyes pleading with her brother to leave John alone.

It chafed his nerves, just a bit, that she would write down not to fight with numb nuts, but not who had attacked her. Stephanie was there covering for it somehow because that was what women did. Ignoring Dwayne as much as he possibly could, which was really hard all things considered, John walked over to stand at Rajani's other side. It was like déjà vu all over again. Taker had arrived and was simply leaning in the doorway, arms folded across his chest and his green eyes narrowed. He didn't care about the three and their issues. His eyes were on her solely.

Chapter 26

A small smile lit her face when Rajani's eyes locked on Taker, looking at him like he was her favorite person in the world.  Truthfully, he was.  Rajani could talk to him about anything and he never judged her, just gave his thoughts and advice.  She didn't smile at her brother, Stephanie, not even John, but Taker she did, not even realizing it.

“Hey Deadman.” She whispered, moving her hand to sit up a little on the bed and leaned back after putting another pillow behind her head.

Stephanie blinked at that and whirled around, her eyes widening at the sight of Taker just filling the doorway with his imposing presence. He looked...calm, very calm, and she knew that that was always a bad sign. The man was pissed and just hiding it for Rajani's sake. Quietly, she stepped out of his way. Both Dwayne and John noticed immediately that she was reacting more to Taker's presence then theirs, both men quietly disgruntled by that fact. It was John who had to move out of the damn way so Taker could have his spot.

“Hey darlin', you look like shit.” Taker said, managing a tight smile as he bent down to help her adjust herself.

Rajani shrugged, wincing a little at her throat and knew he wanted to know what everyone else did.  Who attacked her?  She looked up into his green eyes, glad he wasn't drilling her right away unlike Dwayne tried to.  This man had become her protector and a great friend, her best friend, in the short span of three weeks.

“I thought you said-”

Rajani shook her head, cutting her brother off and took the pad of paper before scrawling something else on it. Long story short, traveling with Taker, dating John.  Taker is my friend.  John is my boyfriend. After Dwayne read it, she handed it over to Taker, but not before scrawling another note on it. I tried telling you earlier outside, sorry.  Don't be mad.

All three men were now staring at her like she had lost her mind while Stephanie just looked between them all, chewing her bottom lip nervously. This was definitely not the best time, place or way to be springing this information. She only hoped none of them wanted to talk about it because, in her experience, men wanted to talk about things at the most inopportune times. Taker simply shrugged, it was none of her business, though...if Cena ever stepped a toe out of line, grinning at the thought, he would squish the little bastard like the piss ant he was. John and Dwayne were staring at each other, both men wearing repulsed expressions. Dwayne wondered why his little sister was rooming with Taker, raising a slow black eyebrow.  He'd known the man for years, there was reasoning behind it and Dwayne had a sinking feeling that reasoning would lead him to what happened to Rajani.

“Taker...”

“He's protecting me.” She whispered, ignoring Stephanie's warning look and swallowed hard, cracking a smile when Taker handed her a glass of water. “Thanks.” How was she supposed to tell her brother everything that happened lately in this current condition? “Go ahead, tell him.” Rajani permitted, looking up at Taker, knowing he would be able to say it bluntly.

Dwayne looked at Taker expectantly, him and John giving the Deadman their undivided attention.

“Kane's been fucking with her.”

That was about as blunt as Taker ever got, but even Stephanie shook her head and turned to facepalm herself.

John arched an eyebrow. “Kane's gone though.” He already knew about Kane.

“Jacobs has been doing WHAT exactly?”

“Something very similar to this.” Taker gestured at her, the bruises on her throat. “Sending flowers to her hotel rooms, threatening messages and bruised her throat once before, which he got his ass kicked for it by me.”

‘No he's not.’ Rajani wanted to say, but only thought it, tears forming in her eyes as she looked away from both Dwayne and John.

“He is.” As far as Stephanie knew anyway. “You were found in John's dressing room, Rajani.  Do you remember?”

She nodded, closing her eyes as more tears fell.

“Did you do this, you little punk?” Dwayne couldn't contain himself any longer, glaring hatefully at John.

Stephanie groaned. “No Dwayne, he didn't.  He was with Larry the whole time...” John probably didn't want Dwayne knowing that information, but that was the man's only alibi. “Did John attack you, Raja?”

“No.” Rajani whispered, almost mouthing it.

This was getting very frustrating. “Raja, who did then?  Who attacked you?”

She didn't say a word, never releasing Taker's hand.

“Darlin', you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but you also know what I'm going to say about it. If you don't say who did it, then they're going to do it again. That and, if you don't tell me, how the hell can I kill the bastard?”

Taker was now planning on doing, his green eyes made that very clear. Someone was about to get a visit from the Reaper. Rajani didn't want Taker to get hurt because of her again, but Rajani also didn't want this happening anymore.  She was torn on what to do.  If she told Taker, he would end up going after Kane again...along with John and Dwayne...3 men against one.  Rajani wondered if the monster could take all three of them at once, highly doubting it.

“You already know.” Was all she whispered, not even needing to say the name and felt Taker tense, squeezing his hand again. “D-Don't leave yet...” He could wait until she fell asleep, Rajani felt safe when Taker was around.  Selfish as that sounded, she didn't care at the moment, trying to calm down.

“What does she mean by that?” Then it dawned on Dwayne, his eyes narrowing to slits. “That son of a-Cena, where the hell are you going, Fruity Pebble?”

Stephanie cringed as John stalked out of Rajani's hospital room, blue eyes wide. “I thought he was gone though...”

“You were wrong apparently.”

Pretty much confirming what he already knew, it had been a suspicion until now. Kane wasn't due back yet and no one had even heard or seen him in weeks, let alone tonight. Taker still had known. Not that hearing it made him feel vindicated, it just made him feel horrible for not taking out his ex-best-friend properly the first time. Well, he wouldn't be making that same mistake twice. Kane was officially a dead man walking.

“I'll stay.” Taker promised, ignoring Dwayne's demands to know what the hell was going on and the fact that John had taken off.

Rajani was kept overnight for observation and released the following day, Taker being the one to pick her up.  John had an autograph signing and Dwayne had a meeting with the current director he was working with on his new movie in Hollywood.  Taker had stayed with her the whole night, sleeping on an uncomfortable cot that was three sizes too small for him, keeping Rajani company.  Dwayne had stayed until she fell out for the night before heading back to his hotel room. There was only one person allowed to stay with her and Rajani had made her decision obviously.

“I'm fine.” Rajani murmured, the swelling having gone down overnight, but she still had to take it easy for the next several days.  She could talk, just not as much as normal until some more of the swelling diminished. “Is a wheelchair really necessary?”

Technically, it wasn't. Hospitals loved using the excuse regulation policy, but he had yet to encounter a hospital that enforced it, especially when he was around. Coincidence? Probably not. Taker plucked her right out of the wheel chair and set her on her own two feet, arching an eyebrow down at the nurse who began sputtering about policies.

“Nah darlin', it's not.” His eyes narrowed at the nurse. “It's her throat that's injured, not her feet.”

“But if something should happen-”

His response was to sweep Rajani right off her feet, one arm under the knees, the other supporting her back. “I think I can handle it, crone.”

Rajani giggled very softly, waving three fingers at the bewildered nurse and rested her head against Taker's shoulder. “My hero.” She murmured, grinning when he just rolled his eyes down at her.

She wore her Hello Kitty pajamas that Dwayne was kind enough to bring her from their hotel room.  Taker had given him the keycard to do it, refusing to leave her side.  They arrived outside of the hospital and Taker slowly set her down on her feet in front of their rental car.  Taker put their bags in the back while Rajani slid in the passenger seat, buckling up and leaned back, thankful to be out of the hospital.

“First stop is food, I am starving.  That hospital food was disgusting.”

“Hospital food generally is.” Taker snorted, sounding amused. “That's why you sweet-talk the nurses into runnin' down the street to a diner or something for some real sustenance.” He smirked at her, shifting the truck into drive. “Of course, sweet-talkin' usually works better when you're me.” He was arrogant and didn't hide it, but also used when he was being humorous, like now. “Where to, darlin'? And if you list off a fast food joint, I'm throwin' you out of this truck and you'll wish we brought that wheelchair.”

“No you wouldn't.” Rajani challenged, merely rolling her eyes when he raised an eyebrow at her. “I'm in the mood for a roast beef sandwich for some reason.  So any place that has that, besides Arby's, since you don't want fast food.”

They bantered like this back and forth all the time, Rajani found it refreshing.  She also found it interesting how she hadn't thought about John in the past twenty-four hours.  Though that was due to nearly having her throat crushed, Rajani had been a bit preoccupied.

“Only thing I ask is that we get it to go, don't feel much like being out in public right now.”

“Arby's it is then...” Did Arby's count as traditional fast food? “And the ONLY reason...” Taker added in a growl when she got a self-satisfied expression on her face, which was HIS thing. “Is because I want a Jamocha shake.” He was secure enough in his manhood to admit that. When she snorted at him, Taker reached across the seat and unfastened her, ignoring Rajani's questioning expression. “Woman, you're going to wind up...pinned to me.” He grinned, trapping her in the middle and held her there while she buckled back up, his arm draped around her. “This way I can tickle you every time you decide to get mouthy. I'mma start callin' you Lips.”

“This is illegal.” She pointed out, looking up at him and wasn't surprised when he just shrugged.  Taker was never one to follow authority, he did what he wanted when he wanted. “And Lips, seriously?  You can't think of something better to call me?”

Granted, Taker was the only one who called her Jani, which she didn’t mind. She groaned when he shook his head and knew she wasn't moving anytime soon, simply snuggling up against him yawning.  Her cell phone started going off and Rajani merely took it out, turned it off and tossed it right back in her purse, thankful it was close enough for her to reach.

“You and the damn cell phone...”

That thing never shut off. Taker had already informed her on numerous occasions that she was way too popular for her own good. He lapsed into silence as they located the nearest Arby's, getting their respective food and shakes.

“We're stayin' one more night at the hotel before headin' out in the morning.” Taker informed her, not having to do house shows since he wasn't technically a full-time superstar anymore. “Give you a chance to rest up a bit more.” Along with more time to plot out the details of what was going to be a brutal, bloody murder.

“Is Stephanie okay with that?” Rajani asked, knowing she still had a job to do and wasn't surprised when Taker informed her it was Stephanie who insisted she rest another day.

As long as it was alright with her boss, Rajani would relax and practically inhaled her first beef and cheddar roast beef sandwich.  Her thoughts turned to John, wondering what was going through his mind and Rajani knew eventually she would have to talk to him.  Then she wondered what Taker thought about her dating John, chomping on some of her curly fries while they headed back to the hotel.  She was almost afraid to even bring it up, almost feeling as though she was cheating on Taker, even though they were just friends.  It was still weird.

If she would have asked him outright, Taker would have given her an outright answer. John Cena was an idiot and she could do a hell of a lot better. The man had pursued her for HOW long and with the most horrible lines of all time before she finally caved in. Which brought to mind...what the hell did she see in him? If Taker didn't like Rajani so well, his opinion of her might've lowered. Well, truth in terms of picking guys, he didn't have a high opinion of her taste at all.

Rajani made a mental note to herself never to go to John's dressing room again.  Now that they were 'out', there was no reason for the sneaking around.  Throughout the night, Rajani told Taker what happened...including what she did to Kane to make him attack her.  She hoped she jostled some of the asshole's teeth for what he said to her.  Always having a great memory, Rajani made sure not to miss anything, though she didn't remember passing out.

Her last image was of Kane staring into her eyes and mumbling something to her that Rajani honestly hadn't heard.  John had texted and called her several times, but Rajani didn't want to be bothered, resting mostly while Taker watched over her like a hawk. Everything she told him, Taker stored away, intending on using it as fuel in the event that he might actually find himself sickened while in the process of ripping Kane apart, piece by bloody piece. He'd just remember all this, remember seeing her on that locker room floor, in the hospital, her bruised throat, the hotel rooms full of flowers...everything she told him about what Kane had done to her, he was going to remember. That would be his incentive to see the murder of Kane through.

“Okay, stop talkin' and rest your throat.” Taker ordered finally, settling himself on the bed next to her, laying on his side and propped his elbow on the bed, heading resting in his hand as he looked at her.

Nodding, Rajani simply snuggled up to him while he ordered a movie on pay-per-view, The Expendables, which had one of his best friends in it: Steve Austin.  It was a great movie and Taker made her eat popsicles during it like the doctor ordered.  Any kind of slushy or ice is what her diet was until her throat healed.  She could eat regular food, but it had to be easy to swallow like roast beef.  Tiny bites, nothing strenuous.  Rajani snuggled up against Taker, refusing to sleep in her own bed right now and didn't say a word, doing as he ordered.

Taker would keep glancing down at her, taking note of the way she was nestled against him, and knew she trusted him completely. He had never cared for someone, in the literal sense of care, like he did her. He protected her, made sure she took care of herself, hell, he was even trying to look out for her emotional well-being! Oh shit, was all he could think, already knowing what his issue was and pushed it away. Younger than him. Brother would definitely hate the very idea. Dating John Cena.

“Darlin', if you want, I'll get you your towel to sleep in.” Taker drawled by her ear when he noticed she was beginning to shut her eyes, glad for the distraction.

“I'm not moving.” She mumbled, already knowing what he was trying to do and had gotten used to him messing with her.  Tonight was no different. “Don't make me move, just for tonight please.” Rajani was scared to sleep by herself right now, not ashamed to admit it and rested her hand on top of his chest. “Just tonight.” She whispered softly, already falling asleep from exhaustion and the pain killers she'd taken for her throat.

Sighing softly, Taker wiggled his feet together until he had worked off his socks before carefully adjusting their position. Drawing her up against him until her head was resting in the crook of his arm and shoulder, his fingers curled around her shoulder. Because she had some bad days, he would refrain from nipping her anywhere in the morning. Resting his head gently against hers, Taker closed his eyes and let her scent envelope him, eventually lulling him to sleep.

Chapter 27

When Taker and Rajani arrived in the next area, John was waiting for her in Stephanie's office.  Kane was nowhere to be found and Stephanie had suspended him indefinitely along with a hefty fine.  She wore just a simple pair of red dress pants with black and red matching top that was long sleeved and had a turtleneck to hide her throat.  It was still very tender, but Rajani refused to show them off, feeling sick whenever she saw them in the mirror.

“Hi.” She greeted, wondering where Stephanie and Alex were.

“Hi.” John said back, staring at her intently.

He hadn't seen her since the hospital and she looked much better. However, he knew under that turtleneck Rajani still sported bruises. Anything was better than the mental image he still seen of her lying on his dressing room floor unconscious as well as the vivid imagery of her lying in that hospital bed.

“Stephanie and Alex are dealing with a situation involving the stage crew.” John said when he seen her looking around and walked over to stand directly in front of her, reaching out to pull her against him. “I've been trying to get a hold of you, Raja. I know you were in good hands, but...” He trailed off, pulling back to stare down into her eyes. “I was worried about you.”

“I couldn't really talk and I was doped up on painkillers most of the time.” It wasn't exactly the complete truth, but John didn't need to know that she wanted to be near Taker after her attack. “I thought you were mad at me.” She walked past him to set her things down, slowly turning around to face him again, her hair down and no makeup.  Rajani just didn't care about her appearance right now. “I'm sorry I worried you.  John, I was going to tell you about...Dwayne, but I was waiting for the right time.  I had to make sure that...that you wouldn't use me against him.  He comes first, he's my brother and I hate that you two are facing off at Mania and hate each other in real life.  That's why I kept turning you down because I didn't want THIS coming out.  I didn't want people thinking that I got this job because of him.  I've worked my ass off to get here. I had to go through interviews and everything just like everyone else.  Nothing was handed to me.  And as for staying with Taker, all I can really say is he's protecting me and he knows Kane better than anyone, even you, so I trust him completely.”

“He's protecting you? Raja, where was he the other night then?” John said, shaking his head and held up a hand when she opened her mouth to defend Taker. “That was wrong of me. I should have been there, it was my dressing room. And I don't think you got your job because of who your brother is. I already know you're good at it.”

John didn't like her brother. He'd be lying if he denied that the idea of using his relationship with Rajani to just further piss off the sell-out hadn't crossed his mind because it had. Not that he was telling HER that.

“I don't care about Dwayne either.” Outright lie, mostly. “I still want to be with you Rajani, but I can't change what's happened between me and your brother or what is going to happen.”

“Why was Kane in your dressing room?” Rajani suddenly asked, ignoring everything else he said for the moment. “I went in there to talk to you and he was there waiting.  I don't know what the hell is going on.  I don't know if he was waiting for you or if he knew I was going to see you or...” Rajani had tried piecing everything together in her head, but it was in shambles.  Nothing made sense when it came to Kane these days. “I thought he stopped your feud.  And he knows that I've been out with you and I'm traveling with Taker.  So you need to be careful and watch your back because he could be anywhere.” That thought was NOT comforting at all.

“Rajani,” John said gently, reaching out for her again, blue eyes kind. “Do you really think Kane meant it when he said he was putting an end to our feud? It's Kane, the man is a psychopath and you know that better than anyone else.” John bent down to kiss her forehead, knowing she was confused, scared, and probably wondering why the hell she still worked here. “He was probably waiting to ambush me or something, how would he know you were coming to see me? The only people who knew were us, and we were texting.” He pointed out reasonably.

“Because he pointblank asked me who I was fucking and then I slapped him.” She bit her bottom lip when John's blue eyes shot open, tucking a strand of black hair behind her hair. “I know stupid right?  But the things he said to me...I lost my temper and paid for it...” Rajani chalked it up to that, rubbing her throat through the material of the shirt very lightly. “Look I need to know right now if you have a problem with me traveling with Taker because, if you do, we're going to have to figure something else out or end this.  I want to be with you, I'm falling for you, but I'm not compromising my health and safety either.”

“Your health and safety are priorities with me, Rajani, I don't want anything happening to you.” John said, catching her hand when she didn't immediately stop rubbing at her throat, wondering if she was even aware she was doing and gently squeezed. “Why don't you start travelling with me?” He suggested, his blue eyes lighting up at the thought. “We can do the suite thing with 2 rooms, I can protect you.” It was a bit of an insult/injury to his pride that she seemed to think he couldn't.

“I can't.” She pulled her hand away from him, shaking her head, the thought of being away from Taker terrifying her. “I'm sorry John, but he knows Kane better than you.  I'm safer with him.  Kane has taken you out how many times?  You honestly think me staying with you is the best option?  If Kane wants me, there's no way for you to stop him.  I know you're strong and everything, but he nearly had you at the last pay-per-view.  Taker knows how he thinks, how he ticks and I feel completely safe with him.  I don't feel completely safe with you.”

“How can you feel that way, Raja?” John demanded, the hurt finally shining through, knowing he hadn't exactly done a whole lot to make himself seem trustworthy to her. But damn it, the way things were going, it didn't even look like he was going to get the chance to prove that she could trust him; that he would protect and care for her. “He knows Kane better than me? Supposedly, he knew Kane better than anyone, so where was that when Kane was attacking you? When Kane was going completely off the deep-end? How do you know by being around Taker that you're not making it worse? They were best friends.”

“Well, being with you sure as hell isn't making it better!” She snapped, taking offense to what he said and could already feel tears filling her eyes. “Kane was in YOUR dressing room, John.  Do you keep forgetting that valid point?  He was waiting there for a reason, how the hell was Taker supposed to know he'd be there?  You didn't even know he was in there!  I don't care if they were best friends, Taker has become my best friend and I trust him.” With John, something was holding Rajani back and she wasn't sure what it was except the fact that her feelings for both men were split in half. “And yes he knows Kane way better than you!  They are best friends, or were as you said, so who would know that monster better than him?  No one.”

“Yeah in my dressing room, probably looking for me to retaliate for taking him out at the Elimination Chamber.” John said flatly, stepping away from her, having heard every word she said loud and clear. “He's not just your best friend, is he?” He demanded, trying not to lash out at her, but...it was hard.

John had gotten his chance with her, but it was like she was bound and determined to always hold him at arm's length, to keep him away. Now her reasons weren't what they had originally been. They weren't related to her brother anymore.

“You love him, don't you?”

“What?” Rajani's jaw dropped when John said that, wondering if he'd lost his mind. “You're seriously asking me a stupid question like that?  Are you deaf or just have selective hearing?  Didn't you hear me say I'm falling for you, John?  Did you not hear that?  Of course I don't love him, not that way!!”

Rajani couldn't believe he actually asked her that, blinking as a few tears slid down her face.  There was a reason she held him at arm's length.  She didn't trust him as much as she trusted Taker.  It was because of her brother, Rajani came to the conclusion a week ago when she figured out that she was falling slowly for John.

“You're an asshole.  I can't believe you and I really don't have time for this.  I have work to do, so exit the way you entered.”

“No, you're not doing that this time, Rajani. Whenever you get pissed or think someone -namely me- is in the wrong, you try to end a conversation. It's not happening.” John said firmly, refusing to let her do this yet again to him. “You will make the time for this, stop running from your problems, from ME. I heard you when you said you were falling for me, but a person is very capable of loving more than one person at one time and in different ways. You've said you don't feel completely safe with me, but you do with him. He's your best friend, he can protect you. Either you've honestly friend-zoned him or you have stronger feelings for him and I want to know the truth because I've been crazy about you from day one.”

“What do you want me to say, John?” Rajani whispered, locking dark eyes on crystal blue, frowning. “You want me to say I love him?  Fine.  Yes, part of me does love him.  You say people can love more than one person?  Well I love 2 men at the same damn time and I don't know what to do about it.” There, she'd told him the truth and spilled what she tried denying for the past several weeks. “I love him because of what he's done for me.  He stepped up and was willing to protect me without expecting anything in return.  A woman would be crazy not to love a man like that.  But I also love you.  I've had a major crush on you from day one; I just ignored it because of my brother.  You hate each other, so I couldn't trust his opponent.  But I decided to give you a chance and so far it's been wonderful.  I've loved our times together, we have a strong connection.  But I also have a connection with Taker that I can't explain or describe and I'm not gonna try.”

Okay, he had that coming, John admitted it. He had asked her for the truth and she had given it to him. She had given him more than he could handle. He had been expecting her to deny it, not...this. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment.

“Does he know how you feel?” John asked a moment later when he felt he could speak without something breaking, or the wrong thing slipping out. When she shook her head, he managed a tight smile, one that did not suit him at all. “Maybe you should, Rajani. That might help you figure out which one of us you want, because you can't have both. It's not fair to him, or me.”

“You honestly think he would feel the same about me?” Rajani started laughing and it didn't sound humorous at all, almost heartbreaking instead. “I'm not telling him how I feel.  He thinks of me as a...sister or something...I don't know.  I don't want to know.  All I know is that I'm trying to squash whatever I feel for him and trying to put my all into what we have currently, John.  There is no choosing about it.  He's not interested in me, he's only helping me because his ex-best friend for some odd reason is coming after me.” Rajani never sugarcoated any of her feelings, always speaking her mind and right now was no exception. “So if you can't handle this, if you can't be patient enough for me to fall in love with you completely, if you don't want to continue this then I understand.  You do deserve better, not gonna deny that, but I can't help how I feel.  And I don't want you both, I'm not that type of woman.  I've already chosen who I want, it's up to you if you still want me, knowing how I currently feel.”

“You have to give me the chance, give yourself the chance to fall for me, and just me, Rajani. And right now, by clinging to him, you're not doing that. You're not going to get over him, or past what you feel for him by being with him all the time.” God, that laugh was going to haunt his dreams tonight, she sounded heartbroken over the fact that Taker didn't love her back and that just shot another tiny dagger into his heart. “I want you, I always have, but I can't be the only one willing to commit to this 100%. You have to be able to do that too.”

“Then I don't know what else to say.  Because until this situation with Kane is handled for good, I'm not going to stop traveling with Taker and 'clinging' to him as you so eloquently put it.” Rajani refused to tear herself away from Taker and figured using that as an excuse was better than flat out telling John she enjoyed being with Taker all the time. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean for this to happen.  I guess we should stop whatever this is between us before we both end up hurt, or until this situation is handled and I stop traveling with Taker.  I don't know if you're willing to wait, then maybe we can try again once things settle down.  It's really up to you though.”

“I've waited this long for you, Rajani.” He said simply, knowing he was a fool because, unless Kane was dead, this situation would never resolve itself.

Rajani could use that as an excuse to stay with Taker, but he wasn't an idiot. John knew it was just one excuse, a logical and true reason, but not the ultimate reason. Did he really want to wait around for a woman that didn’t know if she even wanted him at all?

“I'll wait for you.” John always did, answering his own question. Before she could say anything, John was in front of her again drawing her back into his arms and bent down to kiss her, feathering his lips against hers in a tender caress. “I'll always wait for you.” He whispered against her lips.

“I know you will.” Rajani reached up, cupping his face tenderly in her hand, his blue eyes shining with honesty and love. “I do love you, John.”

Just not the way he wanted her to and there was no changing that. Rajani already knew it. With her brother on the road and everything, things were about to become a lot more complicated, especially with Kane now lurking in the shadows. Until Kane was handled, Rajani couldn't leave Taker's side because he was the only one who could ultimately protect her.  She just hoped John meant what he said and he understood why she was putting whatever it was that had built between them on hold.

“You have to go and I have to go find Stephanie.” Rajani whispered, pressing her forehead to his briefly before pulling back, walking past him out the door down the hallway.

John watched her walk out, the tender understanding look fading from his eyes only to be replaced with something else entirely. Once she was fully gone and out of earshot, he sighed and leaned back against Stephanie's office door, knowing there were some serious obstacles in their way. In Rajani's way of loving him the way he wanted her, no, the way he NEEDED her too. He just had to decide on which obstacle needed taken care of first.

“Choices, choices...” John murmured, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his denim shorts before exiting.

Chapter 28

“Hey Raja, where's Taker?” Dwayne asked as he strolled up, chomping on a sandwich, pure concern in his dark eyes.  He couldn't help looking her over a few times to make sure she was really alright.  Kane's attack had him on high alert and Dwayne hadn't been able to find the big red bastard or else there would be no Kane anymore. “Are you okay?”

“I'm fine, Dwayne, I promise.” She hugged her brother, kissing his cheek. “I'm just headed to find Stephanie.”

“What is going on with you?” He suddenly demanded, going into big brother protective mode. “You're lying to me and you know it.  You're headed to Taker's dressing room.”

“Um no I'm not, thanks for assuming what I do and don't do around here.  I'm doing my JOB and trying to find my BOSS.  And speaking of Taker, he's protecting me if you haven't noticed and we're just friends.”

“He's not doing a very good job of it.”

“You're such an asshole.” Rajani stormed past him and jogged down the hallway, wondering where the hell Stephanie was.

If she ended up having to run the show again, Rajani was running as far away as she possibly could.

Taker was leaning in the doorway on his locker room, arms folded over his chest, a pair of sunglasses over his eyes even though quite obviously he did not need them. “How was the Princess?” He asked quietly.

Knowing she had originally gone to see Stephanie, Rajani also knew that Stephanie hadn't been in her office. How did he know that? Because Stephanie had stopped in to talk to him about Kane after she and Alex had handled whatever issues they had been having with the crew.

“Good question, she wasn't in her office and I'm trying to find her. Have you seen her?” Rajani asked, gritting her teeth, still angry at her big brother for his accusation and what he said about Taker.  When he just shook his head, Rajani started walking away and sighed when Taker stopped her, pulling her into his dressing room by the hand. “Taker, I really don't have time for this-” Her dark eyes softened when he pressed his finger to her lips, silencing her and felt her tensed shoulders slump.

He began massaging her shoulders, working the tension out of her as he stared down into her eyes. “Have you tried using that damn cell phone you're on all day long?” He asked quietly, seeing her eyes widen and took that as a no. Stephanie always carried hers on her and Alex normally sported a pager. “Why don't you text her and see where she is? Save yourself the trouble of all this runnin' around, hmm?”

“Yeah, good idea.” She mumbled, being guided into a chair and melted against Taker's hands, sighing. “John was in her office when I walked in and...We got into a little heated argument.” Rajani told Taker everything and wasn't about to stop now. “He actually asked me if I loved you.  Just like my brother demanding to know what's going on with us.  Apparently it's a damn crime to be friends with the opposite sex and I'm getting tired of it.  I told John we would have to stop what we're doing for now until this situation with Kane is handled for good and he wasn't happy about it.  He claimed he could protect me, but we both know he can't.  Kane would chew him up and spit out the bones...”

That about summed it up. Kane was a monster, and Taker knew him better than anyone. Or at least, he thought he had. He had always known Kane had a bit of a dark side; hell, everyone did. But to do some of the shit he had...no. Of course, John Cena wasn't a pushover, he would give the kid his due, but he lacked the coldness and disregard for others Kane possessed.

“Darlin', if you want to try making things work with Cena...I'm sure between him, your brother and me, we can keep you relatively safe.” Taker had to swallow down everything he really wanted to say.

“We both know you really don't mean that, Taker, so I'm going to pretend you didn't say it.” When he just shrugged, Rajani left it at that, neither of them elaborating. “I really need to go find Stephanie.” Whipping her cell phone out, Rajani called her boss, only for it to go straight to voicemail and cursed. “Damn it, no answer.  I need to go back to the office though.” Pulling away from him, Rajani stood up and rolled her shoulders, which felt a lot less tense. “Thanks for the massage, Deadman.”

“Anytime darlin'.” He said, winking down at her and then bared his teeth. “Beats me nipping at you, don't it?” He was referring to his habit of waking her up with a bite. Something he hadn't done this morning since she hadn't exactly been having any good days this week. “Course, if you're feelin' tense in other-” Taker didn't finish his sentence, pleased to see the usual flush spreading across her face. Damn, he liked picking on her, she took it so well and looked so fetching when flustered. “Go on Jani, go find Steph, before I change my mind about bitin' you.”

Swallowing hard, Rajani could see the desire swimming through his eyes and secretly wished he would bite her in other places, flushing even more. “See you tonight.” She mumbled, flying out of there before she ended up doing something both of them would regret, like pounce on him.

What was going on?  Where was this sudden attractiveness coming from with Taker?  Rajani walked back to Stephanie's office and stepped inside, smiling at Alex, relieved at the sight of him.

“Hey, where's Steph?”

“She's in a business meeting with her husband.  Shouldn't be too much longer. It's regarding Mania.”

“Ah yes, he hasn't given his decision about the match with Taker yet.”

“Right, can you sign these?”

“What are they?” Rajani took them hesitantly, thankful to have something to focus on besides Taker for the moment.

“Consent forms that Stephanie doesn't have time or patience to look over.”

While she reviewed the forms, Alex began straightening up Stephanie's desk. How she could trash a desk when she only used it once a night was beyond him, but she did. Then, he pulled a bottle of Midol out of his front pocket and set it down next to her water bottle. They could question his sexual orientation all they wanted, but when it came to a woman on her cycle, he was just like any other male out there. He did not want to deal with Aunt Flo when she was on a monthly visit. When Stephanie came back into the office a little over an hour later, both Alex and Rajani looked up simultaneously, each of them holding their breath at what she was about to announce.

“He accepted the match...” Stephanie looked worried as she walked over to her desk, popping the Midol and swallowed them down with water, looking very uneasy.

“Something tells me you're not telling us everything.”

“Good observation, twit.”

They both ignored that, too focused on the troubled looking Stephanie. “What is it, Steph?  I thought you'd be happy about this...”

“He said the only way they can top what happened at Mania last year is if...is if...” Tears suddenly spilled down her cheeks as she looked away from both of them, chewing her bottom lip. “He's so stupid to want to do this!”

Now Alex was more than intrigued. “What's his stipulation?”

“Hell in a Cell.” Stephanie whispered solemnly.

Alex stared at Stephanie, wondering if she were serious, if Paul was serious. Hell in a Cell? A match both men tended to dominate? He could very easily see this becoming a bloodbath and glanced at Rajani to see what her reaction was. She looked stunned.

“I'm going to venture out on a limb and assume that Taker doesn't know yet.”

Of course not! Stephanie wouldn't go tell him right away. If she was smart, she would Rajani to smooth that one over if Taker didn't like what he heard.

“Of course he knows!  It was the only way for both of them to do Mania this year!” Stephanie cried out, slumping into her chair and buried her head in her hands. “That's why Paul was hesitant about telling me yes right away because they had to figure out some way to top what happened at last year's Mania.  This is suicide!!  They are going to KILL each other and Mark knew about it this whole damn time and didn't tell me!!  I should fine his ass to hell and back!”

Rajani didn't say anything and just sat there, going back to doing her paperwork, wondering if Taker was insane.  Hell in a Cell?  She wasn't angry at him, but concern and worry flooded her for his wellbeing.  He hadn't wrestled in a year, so what the hell made him think coming back to a Hell in a Cell match was a smart idea?  It wasn't! Alex decided to shut the hell up before Stephanie decided to use her PMS as a valid excuse to justify killing him. Clearing his throat, Alex backed away, finding himself something to do on his laptop. Browsing for a new job was on the agenda, he was probably going to need one after Taker and Paul killed each other and the widowed Stephanie went into retirement.

Nothing much happened that night besides the promo of Taker and Triple H, which was outstanding.  It was one of those moments that would be remembered for all time, one of those promos that the WWE universe would never experience again.  Rajani felt breathless after it was over and couldn't believe the show hadn't ended like that.  They picked the perfect music for the match too. The match that would probably end both men's careers since it shot both of their careers up to the top.  Of course, in Rajani's personal opinion, Taker far exceeded Paul, but she kept her opinions to herself to avoid confrontation. Taker ignored the dirty look Stephanie gave him when he walked into her office after the promo, Paul right behind him. Both men halted when Alex gave them a petrified stare. Rajani was hiding her own emotions about this obviously and Stephanie looked pissed.

“You have fun with that, son.” Taker snorted, smacking Paul on the back.

“Screw you. Stephanie, don't look at me like that. You know this is good for business.”

“Not to mention it gives me the chance to walk out of WrestleMania on my own...” Taker shot Paul a disgusted look.

“Mark, you don't need to put your 2 cents into this.” Stephanie warned, ignoring her husband and stalked over to where the Deadman stood, pursing her lips tightly together. “We have children.  We have three children who want their daddy to be able to WALK and TALK regularly for the rest of his life, do you understand me?  I realize you don't care about your kids and wellbeing, but Paul DOES and if you hurt him, I will PERSONALLY hurt YOU.”

Rajani blinked, trying not to let her jaw drop because she'd never seen Stephanie this emotional, knowing Paul had just put their family on the line.

“Steph, I'm gonna be fine.” Paul gently grabbed his wife's arm and turned her around, only for her to bury her face in his chest, nodding silently at Taker. “It'll be fine, doll, I promise.”

All Stephanie could do was cry on her husband's chest, scared to death for him. Considering Taker had no intention of going out into that cage without meticulously going over the match with Paul -He was a professional, damn it- or pushing Paul past whatever limits the man set for himself, he found that comment about not caring about his kids wellbeing to be a very low blow and squared his shoulders. She was emotional; he was going to let it slide this time. Stephanie ever said it again though and it would be her in the damn cage with him. That was definitely a low blow and Rajani could tell it stung Taker as he stalked out of the office, immediately following him.

“Taker, she didn't mean it...” Rajani followed him all the way back to his dressing room and barely got inside before he slammed the door shut, ducking when a chair flew toward her, even though it hadn't been directly aimed at her. “Damn it, will you STOP?  You're going to end up sending me back to the hospital again!!”

Stephanie was very lucky that Taker hadn't snapped her neck back there, or ripped her tongue out for that matter, because everything she said was way out of line. Her words didn’t calm him down, but they did make him put down the cooler he was about to throw next, knowing he was very likely to hurt her right now. His temper was UP, just a bit. Taker had only given his all to this company, was fixing to do it again, and for that spoiled little bitch to throw that bit about his kids in his face...He took a deep breath, exhaling through his open mouth and closed his eyes. Taker had to get himself under control before he hurt her, the one person he didn't actually want to hurt.

Honestly, Rajani didn't blame Taker for being angry at what Stephanie said because he didn't deserve it.  Taker was probably the most professional being in the locker room, which is why he was the locker room leader.  Stephanie was emotional though and not thinking clearly, but that still gave her no right to spout off at the mouth about Taker's family and personal life.  Slowly, Rajani made her way over to him, not knowing what she could do, but she had to try after all he'd done for her.  Chewing her bottom lip, Rajani wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, pressing her cheek against his back and closed her eyes, hoping this helped him calm down somehow.

No, it wasn't helping him calm down, though later on when Taker wasn't seeing red, he would remember to thank her for the attempt. As it was, feeling her hugging him, like he was the one with the emotional trauma just seemed to fan the flames further and he whirled around, forcing her to let go. A moment later, Rajani had been pulled right back against him, this time face to face, and Taker fisted his hand in her hair. Pulling it out of whatever style she had it back in, his lips descended on hers without warning.

Chapter 29

The second his lips touched hers, Rajani felt something explode inside of her. All the feelings she'd kept bottled up were coming out and there was no way to stop them.  If this was what made Taker feel better, Rajani would let him use her body with a smile on her face.  Rajani loved him; there was no denying it anymore.  She didn't think he could ever feel anything for her other than friendship, but apparently she was wrong.  The kiss was filled with passion, anger, pain, heat and something else that Rajani couldn't quite put her finger on.  Rajani didn't pull back or push him away, returning the kiss with an equal amount of feeling. It took him a few minutes to completely come to his senses; reality crashing around him with a sort of finality was very grounding. Taker was kissing Rajani and not all that gently either. He was treating her like he would some ring rat, like he HAD a ring rat or two back in the day, when he had been convinced he was god. Taker was still convinced; he just didn't screw with trash anymore.

“Christ, Jani, I'm sorry.” He pulled away from her, green eyes dark with lust, but also wide with concern.

Rajani was taken aback by his sudden distance, her lips burning from the heated kiss and knew instantly he regretted what he did. “N-No it's fine.”

She stepped back, feeling her heart breaking into pieces, but didn't show it.  What the hell was she thinking actually believing he wanted her for more than friendship?  He'd gotten carried away and kissed her because he was upset.

‘God I'm such a fucking idiot.’ Rajani thought, raking a hand through her hair and decided it was time to leave to go finish her work.

Walking out, Rajani headed down the hallway with her arms wrapped around herself and suddenly stepped into the nearest women's bathroom, went into one of the empty stalls and finally let a few tears fall.

Suspended indefinitely.

Who were they kidding?

Kane followed behind Rajani, leaning back against the bathroom wall while she cried her poor heart out in her stall. “You do realize,” He began conversationally, letting down the hood of his shirt. As if he couldn't get in if he didn't really want too? Stephanie had been so worried about getting WrestleMania finalized between Taker and hubby, she had been a bit lax about him. “That he would fuck you and then leave you, right? Taker doesn't care about you.”

Rajani's head snapped up when she heard that evil demonic voice, breathing incredibly heavy and hopped up on the toilet, knowing if she had to she would vault over the stall and out the door.  There was no way she was going anywhere near this lunatic, feeling as though her heart might give out, refusing to let the fear consume her.  He nearly killed her and almost crushed her voice box.  Running was definitely on the agenda if he even THOUGHT about trying to get into this stall.  When she heard the footsteps coming closer to her stall, Rajani suddenly had a different idea.

“SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!!!!!” She screamed at the top of her lungs, almost shrieking and already sent Taker a text message, hoping like hell he got it. “HELP!!!!!!!!”

Taker didn't because his cell was muted right now; having done it when he left for his promo with Paul, and then everything that had happened afterwards with Stephanie had distracted him. Then the situation with Jani. Yes, Taker wasn't thinking all that clearly at the moment. There was no escape. Kane wasn't getting too close because he wouldn't put it past her to kick a door open right in his face, but blocked the way out. No windows, no vents, no way out except through him.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are...” He snickered, rearing back with one long leg and lashing forward, kicking open the door, earning him another scream.

“Get away from her!”

Kane went flying headfirst into the stall, cursing.

“Raj, run!”

“John!”

Rajani wasn't thinking twice about it and jumped over Kane while John ripped off one of the toilet lids, hitting Kane in the head with it.  She didn't stop running, not even when Dwayne tried stopping her, needing to away from Kane immediately.  She couldn't get his words out of her head that Taker didn't love her and would only use her though.  Damn his poisonous words!!  John had been there to protect her, not Taker.

“What the hell?” Stephanie shrieked, having come running when her cell started going crazy.

Shoving past officials, she came to a halt in the women's bathroom at the sight of John Cena sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, breathing heavily and his blue eyes wide. Then she followed his gaze, finding Kane lying unconscious. He was bleeding from the head. Kane was here?

“What the hell happened?!”

“He attacked Raj.” John whispered, still staring at the broken man, the stain of blood on the stall wall. “She ran...”

Rajani swallowed hard and knew that was the second time that Taker hadn't been there to save her, tears flowing down her face.  John was right; Taker couldn't even protect her, so she was effectively screwed.  Since she had no way of getting back to the hotel, Rajani decided to call a cab and hid between two huge WWE trucks, trembling from head to toe. There was no way she was sticking around for the night and called a cab, heading back to the hotel to grab her things. Deciding to give Taker a night by himself, which is what he probably needed after their awkward moment, Rajani packed up and waited for John to get back.

She knew that he always came back to the hotel around the same time before they would go out on their secret dates.  When John walked up to his hotel room, Rajani was sitting outside of his door, sitting with her back pressed against the door, her legs drawn up to her chest.  She slowly looked up when he towered over her and scrambled to her feet, staring into his deep blue eyes. Reaching up, Rajani caressed his face tenderly, running her thumb very gently over the bruise that was forming on his cheek.

“You were right. I shouldn't have put Taker on such a high pedestal because he can't protect me.  I didn't give you the benefit of the doubt and I'm sorry...”

Her dark eyes lowered, feeling shame coursing through her that she actually thought Taker wanted her, when he didn't.  John did.  John loved her and wanted her completely, so why was she fighting him so hard?

“I'm not going to fight you anymore, John.  I love you and I want to be with only you, if you still want me.  I don't want to stop what we've already started building.”

Just the barest hint of confusion flickered through his eyes before they lit up with unmistakable happiness. She had finally removed Taker from that high and mighty position the Neanderthal had somehow managed to assume. Carefully, so he didn't frighten her, knowing she had had the night from hell, he gently wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him.

“I love you Raj.” He whispered against her hair.

“I love you too, Johnny.” She whispered, hugging him just as tightly and buried her face in her neck, deciding she was going to choose the man who wanted her instead of the man she could never have.  Pulling back, Rajani cupped his face in her soft hands before bringing his lips down to hers, passionately kissing him and felt her back press further into the door. “Unlock it.” She ordered softly.

Running her hands down to go up his jersey, Rajani could feel his muscles ripple beneath her soft touch and acrylic nails.  They both stumbled inside with John holding her tighter against him, kicking the door shut, never breaking the kiss.  Rajani managed to remove his jersey and went for the button on his baggy jean shorts when his hand shot out, stopping her, the kiss breaking.

“What?” She asked breathlessly, hoping she wasn't about to be rejected twice in one night. “What is it?”

“I don't want you to do this if you're not sure.” He said quietly, seeing the hesitation in her eyes.

The hurt quickly followed and John knew she thought he was probably trying to weasel his way out of delivering the goods. As if, he had been chasing after her for how long? He wanted her and, just to reassure her he did, he pulled her hand down to the front of his shorts. Baggy or not, they weren't hiding the problem she had given him.

“I want you Raja, more than anything in this world, but I don't want you to regret this either. I love you enough to wait.”

“We've waited long enough.”

With a flick of her wrist, Rajani undid his jean shorts and shoved them down his muscular legs, smiling when his lips instantly captured hers again.  She felt his hand unsnap her red pants and pushed them down her legs while discarding her top.  His hand went to her bra and Rajani moved his hand to the front, showing him silently that it unsnapped in the front instead of the back.  When John grumbled, Rajani laughed softly and felt him guide her down on the bed, both of them ready to just take each other without any regrets or last minute thinking. Taker's rejection had fueled something inside of Rajani that she couldn't ignore. All she wanted was to be loved by a man who actually wanted her and wasn't afraid to show how he felt.

“Make me yours, John.”

John had absolutely every intention of making Rajani his in every way. And he wasn't going to let that initial fumble with the bra set the tone for this night either. John was going to show her passion that Taker only wished he could give a woman. Any thoughts Rajani might have entertained about the Deadman were about to be buried, he was going to make sure of it.

Hours later, Rajani lay beside John, both of them just holding hands trying to regain breathing and come down from their intense sexual high.  It was a good thing John knew a thing or two in the bedroom because Rajani definitely needed what he just gave her.  Slowly turning her head to face him, Rajani smiled when he looked at her at the same time, watching him roll on his side to hover over her, his thumb running over her soft lips in a gentle caress.

“I want to travel with you from now on.  I don't want to sneak around anymore, do you?”

“No.” He whispered, discreetly pinching himself just to make sure he wasn't dreaming. John was pretty sure he had had this dream before. It always ended horribly with him waking up and realizing she wasn't with him, or even wanting to acknowledge their relationship openly. “I want to be with you Raj, and I don't care who knows about us. I don't care about anything or anyone except you.”

“Good, the same goes for me.”

She kissed him tenderly and rubbed her nose against his, watching as he reached over to grab something from the nightstand.  Rajani looked away for a minute, staring out the window, the only light in the room being the moon that spilled in and it was very calming to her.  When John tapped her shoulder, Rajani slowly looked back at him and tensed at the sight of a black velvet box being held in front of her.

“John...”

When he urged her to take it, Rajani felt her throat almost close shut as she quickly sat up. Shakily taking the box from him, Rajani stared into his blue eyes, which were sparkling with anticipation.  As soon as Rajani flipped the box open, a lump the size of an orange formed in her throat and Rajani was suddenly having a hard time breathing.

“Oh my god...”

John stared at her intently, frowning slightly. “I know it's sudden, it's...way too soon,” He began slowly, having had a speech prepared for this day, but he couldn't remember the words anymore. He supposed he hadn't truly expected this day to come, or at least not so soon. “And you don't have to say yes, just... don't say no either, Raj. You know I love you and I'd do anything for you, even wait. I want to marry you, you're the only woman I can see myself with day in and day out.” He reached out to cup her cheek in his palm, meeting her eyes when she finally looked at him. “Just...if you don't want to answer now, think about it. Please?”

Rajani didn't say anything for a few minutes, just staring down at the three stoned diamond ring that was set on a silver band, simple yet classic.  It was beautiful, at least a full carat.  Finally, Rajani closed the lid to the box and gently placed it back in his hand, nodding. She had to be absolutely sure this is what she wanted and, in order to do that, she had to confront Taker about the kiss.

“I'll think about it...and let you know soon.” John gave her that option and Rajani was definitely taking it because her feelings for Taker wouldn’t vanish into thin air. “I love you, this isn't no, okay?”

“I know.” John pushed the box back into her hand, closing her fingers around it. “Keep it anyway, if you decide your answer is yes, you can wear it. If not, it's still yours.”

Lord knew he wouldn't want it if she said no. That and...She was female, women liked to examine jewelry and, if he wasn't around while she took it out, that would hopefully help sway her opinion. John was going to exploit any chance he had, no matter how small.

“Thank you for understanding.” Rajani kissed him again, setting the box on her nightstand and that started another round of lovemaking with her potential future fiancé.

Chapter 30

Rajani stood outside of the hotel room, wearing just a simple pair of dark blue jeans with a royal blue short sleeved top, chewing on her acrylic thumbnail nervously.  John was busy working out and Rajani figured now would be the perfect time to talk to Taker about what happened.  When the door opened, Rajani looked up into the deep green eyes of Taker, so many different emotions course through her.

“Hi.” She greeted and walked inside past him, not even waiting for him to invite her in. “Look, I need to talk to you about what happened last night because I can't get it out of my head.  I just want to make sure we're on the same page...”

He nodded, closing the door behind her and turned to stare at her, leaning back against it. Taker was wearing nothing but a pair of faded blue jeans, with holes in all the right places, and a bit painted on the side. Comfortable clothes, his every day wear when he wasn't overly planning on being sociable.

“I want to talk to you too, darlin'. I didn't mean to just snatch you up like that, Jani.”

“What do you mean by that exactly?  Because several things happened last night and I need to get them straight.” John's proposal hung in the balance and it was whatever Taker said that determined her decision. “You didn't mean to grab me, you didn't mean to kiss me.  I mean what exactly didn't you mean to do last night, Taker?” Rajani said it all in a rush, her nerves nearly overtaking her and couldn't look at him as she folded her arms in front of her chest.

“I didn't mean to force myself on you, Jani.” Taker clarified, knowing that was exactly what he had done in his anger.

He had grabbed her up and used her as a way to vent his anger. She could have claimed sexual harassment if she wanted because that's exactly what it had been. Granted, his habit of teasing her, and the nipping thing, could be too, but those were done in play, not in anger.

“That's what you think you did?”

When he nodded, Rajani swallowed down the heartache and pain, fully understanding, wishing she would've never come here.  Why did it hurt so badly?  Rajani knew why because she was in love with him.  He managed to worm his way inside her heart and now he was crushing it into pieces.  She could scream she loved him from the highest tower, the highest place in the world, and it STILL wouldn't mean a damn because he would never feel the same way about her.

“So you regret what happened then?”

“Well of course I do, darlin'.” Was she trying to make him feel worse than he already did? If so, she was doing a fantastic job and Taker felt lower than dirt. “I shouldn't have done it, especially in anger, Jani. You're my friend, not some mindless bimbo to take shit out on.” Of course, Taker knew he cared about her as more than a friend, which made his actions much worse.

“Your friend...I see.” That was the final nail in the coffin and anything Rajani felt for Taker would have to be laid to rest permanently. “I have to go.  John is waiting on me so we can go to lunch.  I'll be traveling with him from now on so you can have your hotel rooms to yourself again.  Thanks for everything, Taker.”

Rajani had to get out of there before she ended up making a fool out of herself and declaring her love for him.  He didn't want her, John did. Rajani knew exactly what she was going to do about John's proposal. Considering Taker was leaning against the door, her getting out of that room was going to be a bit of a problem and he frowned, staring at her. Obviously, he had missed something here. Last night she and John had gotten into a bit of a fight and she had made the statement that it was apparently a crime to be friends, him and her. So...now what the hell?

“You're...traveling with John now...why? I thought you two had a fight.”

“We didn't have a fight, it was a disagreement on a few things.  It's solved now though.  Everything is solved.” Including how he truly felt about what happened between them, the explosive kiss he regretted. “And I'm traveling with him because he's my boyfriend and I love him.  I want to be with him.  You weren't there for me again last night like you promised you would be.  That's why I'm setting you free of this burden.  John can handle it, he was the one who saved me last night from Kane.  Now please move so I can go meet my boyfriend for lunch.”

“Wait, Kane was there?”

Well why the hell hadn't anybody bothered to tell HIM that? He definitely missed something Taker totally ignored the fact that it might have had something to do with the fact that he had destroyed a locker room and was having 'issues' with Stephanie.

“What the hell are you talkin' bout Jani? John saved you from Kane?” Taker raked a hand through his loose hair, frowning. “That boy fucked up more times than I can count and you've given him chance after chance. I fuck up once and you jump the gun?” It had to be her period because she was acting so damn weird. “What about your brother?”

“I'm doing what you said, remember? I'm not going to let my brother dictate my choice in who I want to be with. You told me that if John and my brother loved me enough, they would get over themselves and deal with it. Well guess what, John doesn't care who my brother is.” The ring was in her jean pocket and Rajani was tempted to show him, but decided against it. “We're friends so your fuckups aren't the same as John's, Taker.  I'm not jumping the gun about anything.  We're not together so how can I be jumping the gun with you when all I want to do is travel with my boyfriend?”

Now she stared at him confused. She was confusing him more and somewhat offending him with her questions, they were borderline offensive. He just wasn't having a good 24 hours.

“Alright fine, my fuckups are worse.” Taker held up his hands in resignation, pinched the bridge of his nose, and stepped aside so she could leave. “Go on darlin', go back to your boyfriend.”

Taker was really trying not to sound like a dick, but he had a feeling it wasn't happening. He was tired and confused. Having spent the better portion of his night trying to get a hold of her, Taker had cursed his dumb ass to hell and back for forcing himself on her.

“I didn't say your fuckups were worse, Taker. You can't always be there for me, no matter how hard you try and it's taking its toll on you. I underestimated John and I had no right asking this responsibility of you. I'm sorry for everything that's happened.” Taker wasn't making this easy for her and making her feel very guilty, which was something Rajani hadn't expected. “I'm not even mad at you about what happened last night, just so you know. So stop beating yourself up about it and just forget it happened.”

Taker sighed, nodding his head and shaking it at the same time, highly unlikely that he would ever forget it had happened. While he shouldn't have done it, the feel of her in his arms, the taste and feel of her sweet lips on his…No, he would not ever forget it. He would be forever in hell at the memory of that one kiss that wasn’t even wanted, that was clear because Rajani was going to John.

“Yeah sure, darlin'. Consider it forgotten.” Taker said dryly, pushing open the door, trying to ignore the sting of what she said to him referring his ‘toll’.

He hadn't been feeling a toll. Taker didn't mind caring for her. He had thought he made that quite obvious, but apparently not. Damn his shyness when it came to women, especially her!

“John's probably waitin' on you.”

“Right, you probably have some-”

“Taker baby, my bed is getting cold in here...”

“Oh god...” Now Rajani was really mortified and it showed clearly in her eyes.  They just had that entire conversation with a complete stranger that Taker apparently screwed the night before in the same room!! “I'm really going now, you better get back to...whatever it is you're doing.  Goodbye Taker.”

Rajani didn't waste a second and flew out of there down the hallway, the resentment flooding her.  So he kisses her and then goes to the first ring rat who shows him the slightest bit of attention?!  Rajani pulled the three stoned diamond ring out of her jean pocket and headed straight for the workout room, slipping it on her finger, deciding to accept John's proposal...on one condition.

“I fuckin’ HATE you, Bonnie.” Taker snarled when Rajani flew out of the room like her ass was on fire, watching as his personal physician came ambling out of the bedroom with a smirk. She was here to basically assuage the board's doubts about his ability to perform anymore.

“You love me, I'm not only your doctor, but a friend.”

“Remember me mentionin' the woman I care about?” When she nodded, Taker glowered. “That was her!”

“Oh...OH!”

Rajani could not believe the audacity of Taker to actually have a private conversation with a ring rat in his bed!!  What the hell had she been thinking there was even the SLIGHTEST chance of him feeling something for her?  She arrived in the workout room and didn't disturb John's workout, refusing to cry about what happened with Taker.  It was over and time to move on to bigger and better things.  When John racked the bar, Rajani cleared her throat to get his attention, simply holding her hand up to show the ring on her left ring finger.

“I accept...on one condition.”

“Anything.” John breathed, having honestly not expected an answer from her for at least a month or 2.

Though, considering she was about to say yes, he figured her condition would be a long engagement or something. He could handle that so long as she was going to truly make herself his, truly commit herself to him. When Rajani hesitated, John took her hand in his, pressing a kiss on the ring.

“Anything you want Raj, just name it.”

“If you're serious about this, if you really want to marry me, then I don't want to wait.” Rajani watched his eyes grow to the size of saucers, cupping his face in her hand, forcing him to focus so he didn't pass out on her. “I want to get married...tonight.  I don't want a big wedding.  I don't want to make a big deal out of it.  I want to marry you as long as we can make it official today.  So what do you think of that, Cena?”

Not to mention, Dwayne would NEVER approve of them having an actual wedding, so Rajani was saving both of them a world of problems as far as planning a wedding was concerned. John wasn't an idiot, he knew something had to of happened to make her want to do this now, so soon, without any type of fanfare at all. However, because he wasn't an idiot wanted Rajani to be his, he wasn't going to ask what that something was. They could fly down to Mexico and get married near the ocean or something, somewhat romantic and just as legal and quick as Vegas.

“I think we best get our stuff and get the hell out of here.” John said seriously, already pulling her out of the workout room.

When John suggested Mexico, Rajani declined and just told him she wanted to go to Vegas.  He was doing anything she wanted which both unnerved and thrilled her at the same time.  5 hours later, they were in front of a priest in a wedding chapel that was famous for Elvis -ironic since Elvis was one of her brother's favorite singers- saying their vows to each other.  They had no time for a honeymoon, needing to get back on the road and slept on the plane, their hands clasped together.  Rajani woke up before John and simply stared out the window, silent tears falling down her cheeks, not believing she was now Mrs. John Cena.

Of course John would give her anything she wanted. He had worked his ass off to get her to give him a chance, considering their history together, and how less than impressed she had been by him at first. Then he had to fight just to stay afloat on her radar because of everything that had been happening and her feelings with Taker. That was officially over and now she was a tied down, married woman. John had every intention of consummating this marriage as soon as he could, possibly even at the arena. Rajani was now his and his alone. He had fallen asleep with a smile on his face.

Chapter 31

Over the next several weeks, everything was calm and mostly uneventful, busy because of WrestleMania.  Everyone wanted this to go off without any problems and it was going to...or Stephanie was going to blow up.  When John and Rajani arrived back from eloping, to say there as a blow up would've been an understatement.  Stephanie had blown a gasket and her brother nearly took half the state they were in with him.  They both yelled and screamed at her until Rajani finally snapped and told both of them if they couldn't respect her decision then she would quit and never speak to any of them again.  Stephanie was her boss, but they were also friends and it hurt that the woman didn't respect her enough to keep her opinions about the 'sham' of a marriage, as her brother so eloquently put it, to herself.

Dwayne had been impossible to deal with and Rajani finally told him to shut the hell up and worry about his own life instead of hers.  They hadn’t spoken since and it was over a month ago.  The night before WrestleMania had arrived and Rajani stepped inside the building with her husband, hand in hand, wearing a beautiful amber colored gown that was silk and hugged every curve of her body.  It crisscrossed in the back and was strapless, beautiful black beading and embroidery running down the spine before flaring out at the knees in a sheer fabric.  The front simply had a sweetheart neckline with the black beading and embroidery outlining the hem.  She had two inch black heels on, her black hair swept up on top of her head in a ton of spiral curls, black eyeliner with gold eye shadow on her eyes and clear gloss on her lips, her tanned complexion making the dress stand out on her.  Rajani had a black diamond necklace around her neck with matching bracelet and small dangling earrings.

Rajani had married John Cena; right after their little episode in his hotel room...Taker had flipped his lid when he found out, though he wasn't one of the people, like Dwayne and Stephanie, to publically deride her about it. No, Taker had gone home for a weekend and lost it there where no one would see him and he wasn't putting anyone at risk of getting hurt. Because he wanted to HURT someone, namely Cena. How in the hell had THAT come about? He was standing with Shawn Michaels when Mr. and Mrs. Cena arrived for the Hall of Fame ceremony, totally missing whatever the hell Michaels was talking about. Probably that hunting television show gig of his, he wasn’t sure and just kept silent, pretending to listen.

“Oh my god, you look stunning Raja!!” Stephanie squealed out, wearing a simple black dress that had sequins throughout it, hugging her friend very lightly. “You are quite a vision!”

“Thanks Steph, you look beautiful too.”

Steph rolled her eyes. “Yeah right, with 3 kids, who the hell has time to shop for a dress?  I just plucked something out of my closet.”

“Believe it or not, same here.” That was a total lie. “Where's Paul?  Is he ready for tomorrow night?” Secretly, Rajani was worried about Taker and hoped he didn't get hurt, her heart hurting at the mere thought of him.

“As ready as he'll ever be, I suppose.”

“I'm right here, Rajani.” Paul said, walking up, pulling Taker and Shawn with him. “We're just talking shop, you know how that goes.”

“Still?”

John kept his arm wrapped around his wife once she had stepped back by him, his eyes widening when he finally took in Taker. Who...was not bald, but...one good swipe with the buzzers and he would be. He had seen the promos for the hair thing, figuring it was just a gimmick...oh no, not really, he’d been dead wrong on that assumption.

“He looks weird, don't he?” Shawn chuckled, reaching up to rub Taker's head.

Taker swatted Shawn's hand away, eyes on Rajani.

“The hair doesn't make the person.  He looks just like he always has.  Hell, do you remember his Big Evil days?  He was nearly bald back then too.  It seems as though people have forgotten about that since he's been back in the Deadman persona.” Everyone laughed softly, easing the moment just a little and Rajani nodded when John announced he had to use the restroom, stepping away.

“Don't worry Johnny, I'll take good care of her.”

Rajani rolled her eyes at Stephanie and accepted a glass of champagne that Paul handed over; thankful he was being civil toward her. “Thank you, Paul.  I look forward to seeing the match tomorrow night.  It's going to steal the show.”

“Of course it is honey, I'm the special guest ref!” Shawn beamed, groaning when Paul popped him upside the head. “HEY!  That's not very nice, Game.”

“Then cool your jets, HBK.”

“Shawn, just remember if you don't play this as we talked about...”

Stephanie's blue eyes sparkled evilly. “What was it Mark said he'd do?”

Paul coughed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Something about hanging Shawn upside down...by his balls...in his own front yard...so the wife and kids can see him...”

Shawn frowned slightly, wondering if Taker would actually do it.

Considering Taker was still in a mood...yes, yes he would.

“Play nice, HBK.  You don't want a riot on your hands now, do you?” Smiling sweetly, Rajani walked past the group, brushing her fingers on Taker's arm, their eyes locking briefly. “Good luck tomorrow, be careful.” She looked away when John came toward her and immediately took his arm, allowing him to guide her down to the front row.

“Hey, I plan on following exactly as we discussed.”

Paul smirked, taking his wife and guided her down the stairs to sit down, knowing her feet were killing her.

Taker turned to watch as the two couples walked away, more specifically Rajani, secretly hoping John tripped down the stairs and broke his neck.

“Yeah, I look at Rebecca that way too. Sucks, don't it?”

Taker shot Shawn a look.

Shawn shrugged one shoulder, adjusting his tie. “Sorry man, you got that look. Deny it if you want, but I'm a guy who still has that look 10+ years later.” He clapped Taker on the shoulder before going off to join his own wife.

“Damn it...” Shawn was right.

The Hall of Fame ceremony was incredible as everyone bid Adam Copeland -Edge- farewell, his speech touching so many hearts, including Rajani's.  He deserved the standing ovation and the fans chanting his name.  It was sad to see him go, but Rajani was glad he was walking away with all of his limbs still intact. Afterward, they headed to the after party and Rajani laughed while John and Adam talked about their outstanding rivalry that lasted quite a while in the company.  It was nearly as long as Steve Austin’s, where her brother had inducted their grandfather.  Rajani excused herself to use the restroom, making her way through the crowd, smiling and waving at random people who greeted her.

Bathrooms. They were getting this 'thing' for bathrooms, and he found it amusing. They had a 'thing'. What Kane didn't find all that amusing was that she was now Mrs. Rajani Cena, not expecting that to happen so soon, if at all. The woman was an idiot. John Cena was an idiot. They were all idiots. He let her handle her business, including washing her hands. Then, while her head was down, he appeared behind her. Easing his hand around to clamp down on her mouth, a cloth soaked in ether in his palm, Kane watched as Rajani slowly lost consciousness.

“Ssshhh...”

Rajani had no chance of struggling because she hadn't been expecting the attack, slumping against Kane.  She knew how took her because of the reflection she'd caught right before passing out.  Kane lifted her up over his shoulder and carted her out of the bathroom.  Everyone was boozing it up and didn't pay attention to anything, it was actually the perfect place and time to kidnap Rajani.  He placed her in the backseat of his getaway car before speeding out of there, heading toward a destination unknown.

“Come on baby; let's get out of this town. I got a full tank of gas, and the top rolled down. There's a chill in my bones, I don't want to be left alone. So baby you can sleep while I drive...” Kane sang along to the radio, sounding absolutely insane, which at this point he probably could be certified as.

Back inside, Stephanie was starting to become concerned when Rajani hadn’t returned in a certain amount of time. “She's been in there a long time...” Stephanie commented, trying to peer past everyone who was blocking her view. “She's not pregnant already, is she?”

“No...” John was pretty sure she wasn't...though if she was, how awesome would that be? How awesome would he be? Getting his new wife knocked up within only a month of being married?

“I'm going to go check on her.”

~!~

Sometime the following day, Rajani slowly opened her eyes and instantly regretted it, feeling sick to her stomach.  The ether had definitely made her feel nauseous or whatever it was that knocked her out.  Groaning, Rajani slowly blinked several times, trying to get her equilibrium back on track and managed to slowly sit up, looking around the room.  This wasn't her and John's hotel room.

Hell, this wasn't even a hotel!

“Where am I?” Rajani whispered, tears suddenly forming in her eyes at the sudden memory of Kane's face flashing through her mind, her hand flying to her open mouth. “Oh god no...”

“Well it's not a 4 star hotel so you can bet your ass I won't be waiting on you.” Came Kane's darkly amused voice from the corner of the room, where he had been sitting, watching her sleep.

It was mid-afternoon, she had slept all this time, and he just watched her while dozing on and off himself. He wasn't overly worried about her trying to escape. There was motion sensors, security alarms, everything to keep her captured as long as he wanted.

“Did you sleep well?” He asked, sounding genuinely polite and interested, his eyes sparkling evilly.

“Cut the shit, Kane.  What the hell is going on here?” Rajani demanded, refusing to fall for his nice guy act when she knew he was nothing but a lunatic.  She slowly backed up on the bed until she hit the headboard, tears slowly sliding down her face.  Today was WrestleMania and he had kidnapped her at the WORSE possible time! “Kane, we both have an obligation to fulfill with WrestleMania so you can't keep me here.  We have jobs.” Stephanie was going to maim this prick if he kept Rajani away from the biggest event of the year. “What the hell do you want from me?!”

“You are actually asking me what I want...after I kidnapped you. Are you serious?” He reached up to scratch his hair, cocking his head to the side and clucked his tongue almost disappointedly. “You know, I always thought for the most part, you were a relatively smart woman. I am disappointed to announce that you have just changed my mind, Raja. What do you THINK I want?” He growled that last sentence out, pushing himself up out of his chair.

“Me, sex, possibly my acrylics?  How the fuck do I know after everything you've done to me?  I know you want some part of me and I hate to burst your bubble, but I'm taken, Kane.  I'm MARRIED now.  This has to stop, I can't keep living in fear of you.  So please, if you're going to kill me, do it now and get it OVER with!” There was no running, no hiding, no way of escape so Rajani was going to go down swinging, metaphorically of course. “Just do whatever you wanna do, there's nowhere for me to go.  You took me for a reason, so get on with it already!”

She had a mouth on her and Kane knew just what to do with mouthy bitches. He could shove something between those lips to shut her up. “Rajani...I think you're going to have to wait and find out my little surprise right along with everyone else.” He said slowly, his tone thoughtful, his hands moving down to play with the button of his blue jeans, which was all he wore, considering her. “Now, if you want to occupy the time...we can do that too...”

“I'll bite it off if you even TRY to shove that disgusting thing in my mouth!” Rajani hissed, rolling off the bed when he went to grab her, immediately regretting that. “Oh shit...” She had to lean against the wall to keep from toppling over, blinking back the blurriness and knew it was the aftershocks from the ether. “Please leave me alone.” She whispered, sliding down the wall, still in her amber gown from the previous night. “Please just tell me what you want.  Why are you doing this to me?  I don't understand.”

“Patience Raja, you'll find out soon enough...” Kane soothed, kneeling down in front of her, placing his hands on her knees so she couldn't kick him. Then his hands were under her arms, pulling her upright. “You're still feeling the effects of the ether, which...would normally be clearing up within the hour, but...I dosed you again while you were sleeping, so...you're going to be dizzy for the better part of the day. Can't have you trying to run, I'm sure you understand right?” He laid her out on the bed, hovering over her.

“If this is about John and Taker...”

She sighed when he pressed a finger to her lips, silencing her. All Rajani could do was lay there as silent tears slid down her face, wishing she was back with John, but that's not who entered her mind. It was Taker. Even after she was married and had tried forgetting about her feelings for him, that wasn't possible.  She missed him so much; it physically hurt her every time they passed each other in the hallways of the arenas and especially last night.

“Kane, please, I don't want to miss my husband's match against my brother.  Please, don't keep me away from WrestleMania.  You have a match with Randy and I have a job to do.  Please don't make me miss the biggest show of the year.” That and she had to watch Taker's match to make sure he stayed alive.

Chapter 32

“Oh trust me sweetness, I doubt you're going to miss anything.” Kane soothed her, tracing his finger around the outline of her lips and across her cheekbone, finally tracing her earlobe. “Color me curious, but how did you go from loving Mark to marrying Cena?” He asked conversationally, moving so he lay next to her on his side, head propped on his raised elbow. His hand never left her, now trailing down the front of her dress idly. “I don't get that one.”

“Stop touching me.” Rajani ordered, shoving his hand away from her and rolled right off the bed, or started to, but Kane caught her dragging her right back against him. “Leave me alone!!” She cried out, curling up in a tight ball, crying her heart out to absolutely no one.  She felt his fingers brush her hair back from her neck and that just made Rajani cringe, completely repulsed by everything he was doing and saying. “It's none of your damn business how I wound up married to John and I've never loved Taker.  Whatever gave you that idea? You need to get your head checked, asshole.”

“Denial is a beautiful thing, you keep on insisting you don't love him or ever did.” Kane taunted, reaching for the presoaked cloth in his packet with his free hand, wiggling it out of the plastic bag he had put it in to keep the ether from drying out.

In a second, he was dosing her again, not enough to knock her out, but to keep her limp and basically helpless. He wanted to taunt her some more, without her trying to run. That shit would get old fast and then he would have to do something to her that she may not live to regret and he couldn’t have that.

“If it makes you feel any better, he loved you too.” Kane emphasized loved, effectively making it a past tense.

“W-What are you talking about?”

Rajani was having a hard time breathing because of the ether doses, knowing if she kept running off at the mouth, he would probably end up killing her.  She was so weak; there was no way to fight him off.  He was going to have his way with her that probably involved rape and god knows what else.  All Rajani could do was lay there with tears streaming down her face, closing her eyes when he moved her head until they were face to face, swallowing hard.

“Taker doesn't love me.  John does and that's why I married him.  I married him because he wants me completely and loves me just like I love him.” Though her love went much deeper for Taker.

“John wants you completely all right.” Kane drawled, not about to elaborate any further, not just yet. Well maybe he would, sort of. “Who proposed Raja, hmm? Not you, not after ‘dating’ him for so short a time. He did, didn't he?”

Kane was running his palm along her ribcage, keeping everything above the clothing. He didn't actually have to violate her in the intercourse sense of the word to violate her. He could manage that without touching her flesh and with his words. Not that the idea wasn't tempting...she was a very beautiful woman. Considering there were two men who wanted her that he was equally annoyed with, taking her would probably be icing on their shit-filled cakes.

“Pretty intense husband you got there, almost obsessive. Not that I blame him...” His large hand was inching towards her chest.

Her eyes slowly opened, narrowed in on Kane's masked face and had a feeling he knew something she didn't. “What do you mean obsessive?”

If this was Taker doing this to her, Rajani would've thoroughly enjoyed it, but it wasn't.  However, in her mind it was Taker because it was the only way to stop her from vomiting violently at his touch, thankful he was keeping the touching and sick caressing above the clothing.  This could be a lot worse and Rajani just hoped it didn't get to that point.

“You know something.” She accused quietly, closing her eyes again and was barely above to lift her hand even a few inches, feeling completely helpless.

“I know a lot of things, you'll have to either be more specific or ask me nicer.” Kane said sweetly, monitoring her breathing closely. It would not do for her to die. He didn't actually want her to die; he just wanted to torment her. “Hmm, I think I overdid it on the ether, Raja. You know what I'll have to do now? We're going to have to get your heart pumping faster to circulate the chemical out of your system quicker.” He was already pulling her up. “You have any preference on how we do that? No? Good.” He grabbed the back of her beautiful if not rumpled gown, tearing it easily. “Start panicking, sweetheart.”

“No...NO!!” Rajani cried out weakly, shaking her head slowly back and forth as her heart rate accelerated instantly, dark eyes wide with fright.

Kane was going to do it!  He was actually going to rape her and there was nothing Rajani could do to stop him!  Her beautiful dress was in pieces as it flooded to the floor below. Her breathing had quickened, every part of her trembling from head to toe and her heart was pounding furiously

“Please no!! Tell me what you know!!  TELL ME NOW!!”

“Now didn't I say ask me nicer?” He clucked his tongue, running a hand down her relatively bare back, feeling her shivering violently under his touch, her flesh breaking out in small goose bumps. “How's the heart doing?”

Kane pulled his hand off her spine in order to place it directly over her rapidly beating heart, which also meant he basically palmed her breast. Very firm, he thought and gave it a gentle squeeze, very firm indeed. Then he felt her pulse kicking into overdrive, pulling away from her.

“Good girl, you might survive that accidental overdose after all.”

Kane patted her on the top of the head before standing up, stretching. This man had serious issues and Rajani was starting to feel stronger, managing to pull the sheet up to cover her body, thankful she wore a strapless bra and panties beneath the dress.  Rajani knew mouthing off to him wasn't in her best interest, so she decided to play along with him for the time being.

“Kane, will you please tell me what you know?  Will you please help me understand why you've brought me here?  I would really appreciate it.” Her voice was sweet and kind.

Rajani gave herself props because she had to fight not to inject malice or any undertones. Kane was impressed, that was almost believable and he stared down at her. Finally, he brought his hands together - once, twice, three mocking, sarcastic claps. She was looking better; color was back in her cheeks, crisis averted. If she took his life-saving preventive measures as a sign of weakness and attack, he'd actually kill her this time around completely on purpose.

“Bravo Raja, you would definitely take home best actress if I were in the mood to pass out awards. As it is, no. I think you'll wait, it'll more fun for me if you wait.”

“You told me if I asked you nicely, you would tell me.” She shot back in a growl, no longer acting nice because it wasn't worth it, folding her arms in front of her blanket covered chest. “You're such an asshole.” Rajani muttered, not caring if he heard her or not and leaned back against the headboard, trying to get the rest of her dizziness to go away. “Fine, can you at least tell me why you brought me here or is that confidential in that sick demented mind of yours, Red?”

“Raja, sweetheart, considering I just nearly killed you on accident, do you really think provoking me is wise? I mean, what if my already tentative grip on sanity were to slip and I decide to just smother you with my hands? It would be a lot more terrifying than the ether, you know? With the ether, you're calm, you can't really panic.” Kane spoke so casually, they could have been talking about the weather and then he glanced at the clock. “Time to get you lazy ass out of bed, we have to get ready for the show.”

‘Thank god!’ Rajani thought, slipping out of bed.

Rajani allowed Kane to guide her out the door toward the bathroom. She blinked at the sight of her bag and looked back at him, knowing he had this planned for probably the past month or so.  Walking over, Rajani unzipped her bag and pulled out her outfit of choice for the evening, though changed her top at the last second.

“Do I have time to shower, Glen?” That would most assuredly piss him off.

Kane gestured to the bathtub, old-fashioned clawed-foot monstrosity, no shower. No curtain, just the tub. “You have time for a bath, but if you think I'm going to leave you alone, you're the one who's lost their mind.” He had removed her cell from her purse, that thing was now dead, the pieces in the trash bin downstairs. “Of course, since we're on a first name basis...” He had warned her before about the use of his name, cheeky bitch. “You probably won't mind if I'm in here, right?”

The back of her dress was destroyed, but there was no way in hell Rajani was bathing in front of this monster.  She would go to WrestleMania in her current condition if it meant not letting this bastard see her naked.  If he tried forcing her, Rajani would give Kane a reason to kill her, doing a full body shiver at the thought.

“On second thought, I don't need to bathe that badly.” Turning to stare at him, Rajani somehow managed to hold the once beautiful amber gown against her, which was now destroyed thanks to Kane's destructive behavior. “Let's just get going before we're BOTH late.  Even you know better than to cross the boss when it comes to the biggest show of the year.”

Considering Kane had more than enough time and opportunity to screw her three ways from Sunday repeatedly and hadn't, he figured any fear of rape on her part was just plain out irrational. Her biggest concern should have been him killing her, since he almost did already. Though, that was completely accidental. He had even fixed that error by jumpstarting her heart again for her. Now if that wasn't a kind deed, he didn't know what was. Smirking slightly, he folded his arms over his massive, bare chest, staring down at her in open amusement.

“Raja, consider what you just said, and everything I've done, do you honestly think appealing to my sense of professionalism is going to work? Get a bath, you smell like stale sweat and ether.” He gestured to the door less frame. “I will even leave you to it.”

Kane would obviously be in the next room, where he would be able to clearly hear anything she might get up too, and could come in without having to kick down a door. Chewing her bottom lip, Rajani wondered if Kane was legitimate and would stay his ass out of here while she quickly bathed.  This was going to be the quickest bath in history, since there wasn't a shower.  Just a little longer and she would be away from him, doing her job.  The first chance Rajani got, she would turn Kane in for kidnap and assault.  This wasn't being brushed under the carpet like the time he attacked her, which she had technically had him punished by Taker.

Taker.

Rajani closed her eyes as tears stung her eyes, missing him like crazy and wished he was here to save her from his lunatic friend.  Looking down at her left hand, the diamond glittered almost mockingly back at her and Rajani was starting to wonder if marrying John was the right thing to do. While she took what was probably going to be a ‘bra and panties remain on’ bath, Kane set about to dressing himself. He wasn't about to show up in street clothes, knowing he would probably either be arrested or murdered the moment he was found in the building. Providing they could find him. He smirked as he pulled on his leather glove, flexing his fingers. Once everything was on and he had packed his bag, he walked into the bathroom. Ignoring her, Kane wet down his hair, pulling it back into a tail at the base of his neck before sparing her a disinterested glance.

“Are you finished yet, Raja? We're going to be late.” He had just made a joke, he was killing himself tonight.

“I am ready.”

Rajani stood before him in a pencil black strapless dress that hugged her curves and was accompanied with a pair of black pumps.  Her hair was pulled back by two black chopsticks.  This was her outfit for WrestleMania and she was not going to change it.  Everyone had to dress up for it, including Kane, who was currently in a pair of black dress pants and short sleeved black shirt that hugged his muscular frame nicely.  Of course, all Rajani wanted to do was choke him with his hair, but fought the urge to do so.  She secretly hoped Randy Orton killed him tonight, fighting back a smirk to form on her lips. Keeping them in one grim line, Rajani stared back at him out of blank dark eyes. Those eyes were currently telling him she wished him a very unpleasant, painful death and he smiled grimly, grabbing her by the hand and pulling her from the bathroom.

“Now, sweetheart, I know you want to arrive at WrestleMania in style, but honestly, we're not going to be a very popular couple and you might find a way to draw attention to us.” Such as getting stupid and screaming for help, or fighting, something along those lines. “So...” His hand was suddenly over her mouth, the other moving to her neck. “You're going to sleep for a while without the aid of ether.”

Kane felt he was being considerate, but wanted her alert for the show, just not until they GOT there. He didn't trust her. When Rajani slumped against him, he carefully lifted her up, mindful not to ruin her dress, or hair. She'd wake up pissed, but alert and ready for the real fun to begin.

Chapter 33

The shock of ice cold water splashing against her face two hours later jolted Rajani awake again, causing her to sputter and cough violently.  Her hair was now destroyed and the front of her dress was drenched!  She could hear something be tossed away from him and Rajani had to blink several times to get her blurred vision clear.

“Bastard.” She hissed out at the amused Kane, looking around what looked like a...boiler room. “Kane, I have a job to do.  When are you going to let me go so I can actually DO it?”

“You're so cute, Rajani, really. You're also obviously an idiot, a cute idiot, but an idiot nonetheless. I always did question your mental state you know,” Kane said conversationally, idly plucking a stray strand of hair off his own dry and impeccable shirt. “You never bothered telling the proper people about our little encounters...you could have had me locked away, but no...” He clucked his tongue, shaking his head. “As for your job and doing it, this is the part where I tell you you’re an idiot again. Think woman! After everything I've done, and the obvious laws I've broken, what in the name of god makes you think I give a flying FUCK about your job?” He was irritated and it showed.

“You son of a bitch!!” Rajani shouted, sick and tired of these games he was playing with her and took the first item she could get her hands on, which was a crowbar surprisingly enough.  It was the bowels of the arena after all. “FUCK YOU!!”

She clocked him right in the face with it, thankful he hadn't put his mask on yet and heard him roar out in pain before rushing past him out of the boiler room.  The idiot hadn't bothered locking the door; of course he would be THAT cocky to think she wouldn't fight him off.  Rajani quickly slammed the door shut and put a chair under the doorknob, knowing that wouldn't keep Kane locked up long, but it would give her enough time to find help.

“JOHN!!” She started screaming at the top of her lungs, then immediately stopped while she kept running, having taken her heels off with tears streaming down her face. “TAKER!!!” Rajani screamed even louder, hoping somebody heard her as she rounded the corner, not bothering to look behind her and began running even faster. “SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!”

That was it, she was dead. He was just going to strangle her and say 'fuck this' on everything. His face a giant mess of pain and a broken nose with blood... he was gushing blood...Kane chased after her, trying to see straight. A crowbar, she had...he cursed, having every intention of shoving a crowbar up her ass and using her as a PROP when he made his announcement.

“Get back here you bitch!” Kane bellowed, shoving the first individual who was unfortunate enough to get in his path right into the wall.

The hell if she would!  Rajani ran as fast as her legs could carry her, finally arriving in the hallway and almost cried out of sheer joy at the sight of Taker.  He was walking down the hallway heading either to the cafeteria or his dressing room, but she didn't care.

“TAKER!!!” She screamed as loud as she could, gaining his and everyone else's attention.

“Oh my god, Rajani!” Alex immediately rushed over to her, his eyes wide. “Where the hell have you been?!  Stephanie and everyone have been looking everywhere for you!!  John is worried out of his MIND and-”

Rajani's eyes didn't leave Taker as she walked past Alex, crying openly and trembling from head to toe. Wrapping her arms around his waist, Rajani buried her face in his chest, sobbing violently. He immediately wrapped his arms around her, almost automatic, green eyes wide and pretty sure he was having his first heart attack or maybe a stroke. When he had recovered himself somewhat, he looked up, half-expecting Kane to come barreling towards them. Unsurprisingly, he didn't see the other man. Pissed off, in pain, but not totally stupid, Kane had retreated. The little bitch was going to PAY for this. Alex was already on his cell, alerting Stephanie to the fact that Rajani was with them, and Kane was somewhere in the building.

“Did he hurt you, darlin'?” Rajani pushed away from her, beginning to pat her down, check her for obvious injuries.

“N-No...”

Rajani didn't pull away as Taker gave her a cursory once over, relief coursing through her because she was back with him.  The man she thought couldn't protect her, the man who had inadvertently broken her heart.  She married John because of this man's rejection and, yet, all Rajani wanted to do was be with him.  She didn't feel this safe with John and John was supposed to be her husband!

“Taker...”

Before she could say what she wanted, Rajani was suddenly pulled forcefully away from Taker.  Not seeing who it was, Rajani could only think it was Kane and hauled off, elbowing the man right in the face, stumbling back.  Her dark eyes widened in shock at the sight of her husband, who now had a bloody nose, and instantly more tears fell.  Had he lost his mind GRABBING her like that?!

“Damn it, Rajani!”

John instantly let her go in order to cup his bleeding, hopefully not broken nose, his blue eyes watering as he blinked them furiously. A moment later he was shunted to the side as Stephanie ran up, knocking him sideways in her haste to get to her friend. He did notice the dark look flicker through Taker's eyes, a dark look aimed at him and spat out blood.

That was HIS wife, not Taker's.

“Thank god there you are!!” Stephanie clobbered Rajani with a hug, pulling back to stare at her assistant/friend, relief in her blue eyes. “Where have you been?”

“You shouldn't have grabbed me like that, John!!  Christ, I was kidnapped by a lunatic and I thought it was him!!”

Rajani ignored Stephanie's question for the moment, shaking so badly her teeth chattered. Kane, of course! Why wasn't John surprised? They had all figured it had been him but now Rajani had just cemented it. But at the same time, he was surprised, because Kane had no actual reason to do this, not anymore.

“That idiot was supposed to stop...” He muttered, his ringing head keeping him from realizing he had spoken that aloud and rather audibly.

“Now that's just...an odd thing to say...”

Very odd, Taker's eyebrow was slowly rising.

Rajani had heard it crystal clear, her dark eyes narrowing slightly just as Dwayne ran up. “What do you mean he was supposed to stop?” She demanded, standing there with her arms at her sides, fists clenched so tight, her acrylic nails were digging into her flesh. “Jonathan, what the FUCK is going on here?” Rajani demanded, flames of rage starting to enter her eyes as they slowly narrowed.  If looks could kill, John would be on the floor DEAD. “Was all of this because of YOU?”

Before John could even think of backing away or outright running, Taker was behind him, moving so fast even Stephanie was blinking. He placed his hands on Cena's shoulders and squeezed. “You better answer her, boy.” He ordered darkly.

John was about to choke on his own tongue as he stared at his wife. His wife, she was his. He wasn't going to lose her, not after everything he had done to get her. “No, of course not!” He said indignantly, obviously hurt that she would even think that.

Taker squeezed even harder. That was not the right answer and everyone present knew it.

“I'm only going to ask you one more time and then I'm going to let Taker rip you to shreds, Cena.”

Rajani wasn't kidding, this was no joking matter.  Kane had attacked her 3 times now and there was a reason for it.  John knew the reason or else he wouldn't have said what he did.

“Why the hell would you say something like that if you didn't know something?  You tell me the truth right now or so help me god I'll RIP YOUR THROAT OUT!!”

Taker thrust John forward, obviously wanting to see some throat ripping action and let go of the smaller man's shoulders. If Cena tried to bolt, well...he was surrounded and he wouldn't get very far. John's wide blue eyes were darting from person to person, well aware of who was towering behind him before finally looking back down at his wife.

“Raja, you wouldn't...you wouldn't give me the time of day.” He whispered pathetically.

“Alright, let's castrate him now.”

“The time of day?” Rajani couldn't believe what she was hearing, what her husband was saying.  Tears swelled her dark eyes and Rajani had to step away from him, trembling from running away from Kane and now her husband's involuntary confession. “Tell me what you did.” She whispered, not caring that her bare feet were currently ice due to not being able to wear shoes.

Kane knocked her out to bring her here, so of course he would remove the heels she'd put on as they could've and would've been used as a weapon. John began shaking his head, not about to say anything more and clamped his lips shut. He could already see from the look Stephanie was giving him that he was looking forward to a cot and the pleasure of being someone's bitch if he continued. John wasn't about to implicate himself any more than he already had. His eyes never left the woman who was, legally, his wife. There was that small consolation and he smirked cruelly when he felt Taker's hand on the back of his neck, deciding one last word wasn't going to hurt.

“Deadman, tell me something, did it hurt when she ran off to marry me?”

He was going to choke this little piss ant.

“Bet you got shit-faced when you heard the news, didn't you? Bet you pictured our wedding night in your head, like a movie you couldn't stop watching.”

“Now Mark, we need him alive long enough to properly confess.”

“You lousy son of a bitch.”

Rajani could only stare at her worthless husband while he looked as though Taker might snap his neck in two.  She wouldn't have minded it, but at the same time, Rajani wanted and needed to know everything John did to her.  She jumped slightly when she felt a pair of hands on her shoulders and looked behind her, seeing it was her big brother Dwayne, tears instantly sliding down her cheeks.  What had she done?

“The only reason I married you, John, was because I was rejected by the man I really wanted to be with.  And you took advantage of that.” Slipping the ring off, Rajani tossed it at him, watching as it hit his bare chest before dropping on the concrete flooring. “Our marriage will soon be over.”

“I'll make sure of it with my lawyers.” Dwayne held his sister tight against him, thankful she was alive, but hating all the pain that radiated from her. “Stephanie, I hope you realize tonight, you might not have Fruity Pebbles as your top guy much longer.”

“I'm actually more worried about him not making it to his match tonight.” Stephanie said nervously, eyeballing Taker who looked like he was struggling to not do something murderous.

Not that she blamed the guy, John definitely deserved a slow painful death, however. John's ice cold blue eyes were fastened on the wedding ring, his gaze slowly rising until he was staring at Rajani. His face was nothing but seriousness, his features frozen in place, looking ominous.

“You're mine, Rajani, until the day you die.”

Now Taker was choking John.

“No I'm not.  I never was yours and I never will be.  You couldn't stand that, could you?  You couldn't stand the fact that I wouldn't give you the time of day because of who my brother was.  You couldn't stand the fact that when I started bunking with Taker for protection, I no longer wanted you.  And now, you can't stand the fact that Kane has ruined your plans, whatever they were.  He was supposed to stop, right?  That's exactly what you said and, believe me, it WILL be brought up in court.  That includes the attacks on Beth, Phil and Taker.  Just remember I am NOT the only one you've attacked, Cena.”

When John's face paled at the realization of what he did, of shoving his foot in his mouth figuratively, Rajani actually smiled coldly before walking away from Dwayne and through the sea of people, needing to get out of there. John recovered slowly and hadn't really said much, not enough to incriminate him fully. It was all circumstantial, he could beat this. Yes, he could beat this and get his wife back. Over his dead cold, 6 feet buried body would there be a divorce. He hadn't done everything he might've done just to lose her all because Kane apparently had jumped the plan and boarded the crazy train.

“He needs to be locked somewhere until you can either put him in his match or have him arrested.” Taker said, shoving John forward hard enough to cause him to drop, eyes on Rajani's back.

There was no way in hell Rajani was staying here or being employed by the WWE a second longer.  She didn't care what happened tonight. None of it meant anything to her after what happened.  She needed a hot scalding shower to sear away Kane's touch, tears streaming so hard, she could barely see as she ran out into the parking lot.  They were in Miami so it wasn't cold and the heated asphalt felt wonderful against her bare feet.

She didn't know where she was going or what she was doing, but Rajani just had to get as far away from everyone as possible, needing sometime alone. Taker had easily caught up with her. WrestleMania was a busy night and, while she had run through the hallways and outside, she had also had to fight her way through. She probably hadn't even realized she was playing ping pong off her coworkers. He had had an easier time, no one was stupid enough to linger in the Undertaker's path when he was clearly in a 'mood'.

“Calm down darlin'.” Taker whispered, snaking his arms around her waist when she finally came to a halt, not surprised when she automatically went for the mule kick, blocking it. “It's just me.”

“Taker.”

Chapter 34

Rajani wiped her tears away, breathing heavily and leaned back against him, trying not to shatter to pieces.  What was she supposed to say to him?  It was her decision, her mistake, to marry John and now she had to go through hell to get divorced.  It was going to be a war and Rajani had to stay strong, but all she really wanted to do was be alone and have a good solid breakdown.

“I-I have to go.” She couldn't use her voice, whispering again. “You have a very important match tonight you need to focus on.  I'm fine.”

“Darlin' you can't just run off, we don't know where Glen is.” Taker said patiently, knowing she wasn't thinking clearly -not that he blamed her-, nor was she 'fine'.

No one in her position would be fine after finding out everything she just had. Hell, his own mind was still spinning after that revelation. At the same time, he was able to push it aside because Rajani needed him.

“You need to stick around until he's found.” Taker gently turned her around so he could stare down into her dark chocolate eyes.

“Kane...” Rajani closed her eyes and suddenly shoved away from Taker, shivering from head to toe, a flashback flooding her of him kick starting her heartbeat to 'save' her from an overdose. “H-He brought me here...said he had to tell and show me something...” It had to do with John, everything that happened Kane knew. “We have to find him, Taker.” She suddenly turned to face him, gently placing her hands on his chest, pleading eyes boring into his emerald stones. “Please.  He knows everything and there is no way John will tell me the truth.  Kane will.  I-I know Kane has done some...despicable things, but...somehow in his own sick way he's trying to help me, I think...”

Taker arched an eyebrow, wondering if this was her displaying symptoms of Stockholm’s Syndrome or something. Kane trying to help her? That seemed highly unlikely given everything he had done. What it sounded like to Taker was Kane had gotten tired of being John's lackey and decided to air some dirty laundry for his own twisted amusement. Because Kane –Glen- did have a seriously sick and perverse sense of humor. Something Taker had once admired, until it affected the woman he was in love with.

Not so funny anymore.

“Sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound like he's helping me because kidnapping certainly isn't helpful.  But what else does he want from me then?  If he's been working with John all along, then he knows EVERYTHING, including your attack.” Rajani pointed out, slowly pulling her hands from him to fold in front of her chest. “I don't know about you, but I'm tired of these games and I want answers.  I want to know exactly why John said that Kane should stop.  Stop doing what?  Aren't you even a LITTLE bit curious?” Granted, after clocking Kane in the face with a crowbar to escape, Rajani was going to need help and protection, hoping Taker would assist her with this so she didn't have to face Kane alone.

“Of course I'm curious, but I'm not about to go off huntin' him down either, not right now.” Taker said reasonably, very grateful for his ability to focus on one thing at a time and process them as they came. He would have been fucked otherwise. Of course, this processing thing was working a hell of a lot better now that he knew where she was: safe in his arms where she belonged. “One: he's probably hidin' somewhere waiting for us to come. Two: it's WrestleMania, shit backstage is already nuts. How did you get away from him?”

“I don't care if it's WrestleMania!” Rajani snapped, sniffling and could already feel the pieces of her heart shattering into even tinier pieces, slowly turning to dust. “I hit Kane in the face with a crowbar.  H-He had me in the boiler room or somewhere in the bowels of the arena.  He nearly killed me with ether and...” Rajani swallowed hard, not wanting to tell Taker about what else Kane did, though it had saved her life. “He touched me...He overdosed me with ether and...had to kick start my heart by scaring me.  Please don't make me face him alone, Taker.  He wants to kill me now because of what I did...” He rejected her, this was the least he could do for her.

“Jani, you're not going to face him alone.” Taker said firmly, his lips pinching into a thinly compressed line. Kane had nearly killed her...and then touched her to kick start her heart...He was going to kill Kane. “And not tonight, not if you bashed his face in with a crowbar.” He was proud of her for that, hoping she had shattered the idiots face, hoping said idiot hadn't been wearing his mask at the time. “He's probably pissed, which is going to make him even more dangerous than usual.” They were going to have their hands full, he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Do you want to leave, Jani?” He asked, raking a hand over his very short hair. “I'll take you away from here, darlin', but not to him, not tonight.” Not when he had just gotten her back.

“You've lost your mind, tonight is WrestleMania.  You can't leave and I know you won't let me leave without you.” Rajani knew she was right just by the way Taker looked at her, confusion entering her eyes. “Look, I'm just gonna go back to the hotel and...”

His finger pressed against her lips, silencing her effectively and Rajani could only let Taker pull her back into the nuthouse with him.  His arm wrapped around her shoulders as he guided her to his dressing room, ignoring everyone who stared at them and her.  Rajani didn't care what anyone thought at the moment, all that mattered was she was back with Taker again. Taker was honestly expecting Stephanie or Alex to be waiting in his dressing room. When he had left them, Stephanie had been giving the order for John to be locked in one of the holding cells generally reserved for unruly fans until the police could sort them out. He knew she was also likely to issue an arena-wide search for Kane, and he wished her the best of luck because she was going to need it. He made sure to check his room, making sure it was empty before turning to face her, taking in her gown, her hair and smeared makeup. Not saying a word, Taker walked over to her, bent down to cup her face in his hands and kissed her.

Rajani couldn't push him away even if she wanted to, placing her hands against his chest and melted against him.  His kiss was so much better than John's, everything about it felt right and complete.  Whatever had been missing was suddenly falling into place in that one simple kiss.  Did he want her?  Or was this just a mercy kiss to try calming her down?  Rajani didn't know, but it damn sure felt like he wanted her in all ways.  She would figure it out later, right now all she wanted was to be in his arms, having missed him like crazy. Obviously somewhere along the line they had a serious miscommunication issue and Taker pulled away, his brow furrowing as he regarded her thoughtfully.

“Earlier, you said you only married Cena because you thought you'd been rejected by the man you really wanted.” He said softly, eyes searching hers. Rajani had gone off and married that twit right after whatever that episode in his hotel room had been with his friend/doctor.

“Y-Yeah...”

Rajani's head was currently spinning, blinking several times and suddenly remembered what happened the day Taker rejected her.  Her lips were slightly swollen and Rajani was taken aback by Taker pulling away from her, though it wasn't that surprising.  He was doing it again, screwing with her emotions by first kissing her and then pulling away like last time.

“Your match should be on soon.” That was totally random, but Rajani had to break the silence that stemmed between them somehow.

Taker stared down at her like she had lost her mind, glancing at the clock. “I should start gettin' around for it, but there's still plenty of time.” He said slowly, sensing another communication issue approaching and frowned. “What's going through your mind right now, Jani?” He asked, watching the play of emotions flickering across her face.

“Too many things to list off right now, Taker.”

That was really a stupid question, though Rajani wasn't about to point it out.  She missed being called Jani; he was the only one who called her that.  It was their special quirk. If he wanted her to come clean, then he would do it first.  Though Taker should've been focusing on the task at hand, which was getting out of Hell in a Cell with Paul Levesque alive.

“What's going through your mind, Taker?”

Taker wasn't worried about Hell in a Cell, not when it came to Paul. There would be no repeat of last year, he wouldn't be the one who was wheeled out because he couldn't stand. If Shawn Michaels knew what was good for him, he would call the match down the line and not pull his little 'in the palm of my hands' crap. If he did, well...Taker would have to send Michaels to meet his maker several years ahead of schedule.

“Who was the man, Jani?”

Why couldn't he let this go for now?  Rajani had been through enough tonight and she really didn't want to get into a fight with Taker of all people.  Did she act stupid and pretend like she didn't know what he was talking about or just come clean?

“Now isn't the time to discuss this, Taker, not with your match coming up in just a little while.” Third option: avoid it as much as she could and Rajani was taking it.

“Nice diversionary tactic, darlin', this conversation isn't over.” Taker informed her, letting Rajani know flat out he knew what she was doing and had only won a temporary victory. “Where are you going to be during my match?” He then asked, walking over to his bag, pulling out his trunks. He wouldn't put it past her to either take off during his match or try hunting Kane down, neither option worked well for him.

“I'll stay in here and wait for you, but I'm locking the door.  Unless you wanted me to stay somewhere else?”

When Taker shrugged, Rajani took that as it was acceptable for her to stay in his dressing room, cracking a hesitant smile.  They would definitely be talking about what she said later on that night and Rajani would be ready then hopefully.  Either that or she would use another diversionary tactic, but Taker seemed pretty hell bent on finding out who she was referring to.  Hell, he probably already knew and was just trying to force her to say it. He was going to let Stephanie know Rajani would be staying in his room for his match, and demanding that a guard be posted nearby, just in case. These doors were sturdy, but still breakable. Taker wasn't taking any chances. Frowning slightly, he disappeared into the bathroom, leaving the door cracked, just in case she tried to bolt. He sincerely hoped she didn't because, if he had to chase her with his tights halfway down his ass, it would anger him.

When Rajani saw Taker had disappeared into the bathroom, she looked at the door and knew if she didn't leave, he wouldn't focus on his match.  She'd only said she'd stay in here to wait for him in order to get him to back off. “Sorry Taker.” She whispered, rushing to the door and tossed it open, running down the hallway as fast as she could toward the exit. Rajani just needed sometime to herself, to reflect, alone.  Taker wouldn't let her have it so Rajani was going to force him, not caring about the consequences at the moment.

She had absolutely nothing on her, but knew Stephanie had a room booked for her.  On her way out, Rajani had run into Alex, who handed over her bag with damaged cell phone, informing her that Stephanie had gotten a limo and it was waiting for her outside to take her back to the hotel.  Rajani thanked him and headed in that direction with her bag over her shoulder, not stopping. Seconds after Rajani had left, Taker came storming up and all Alex could do was STARE. Taker was obviously, or had obviously, been in the process of getting ready for his match. He was barefooted, his chest bare, and his tights were...not in the proper position. They were on, but...bunched around his ass and not his hips.

“What...the...HELL, Deadman?!”

“Alex, why are you...screaming...uh... wow...That is a very pale ass...”

Taker kept on trucking.

Rajani practically dove into the waiting limousine and slammed the door shut, the locks instantly engaging. “DRIVE!!” She shrieked, looking out the tinted window just as Taker came stumbling out the door, silent tears sliding down her face.  This wasn't goodbye. She wasn't leaving town as much as she wanted to, but after what Rajani found out from her husband, she really needed time alone.  If Taker couldn't understand that, then it was his problem.

Cursing, Taker stood in the doorway, watching the limo hauling ass out of the parking lot. Sighing, he reached down and pulled his tights up properly, not about to hear one more crack about his...crack. WrestleMania, he was a living legend and he had just ran through the building with his ass hanging out. Just so he could catch a woman who had pulled a fast one on him.

“Dirty play, darlin'.” Taker muttered, turning back to go inside. He had a show to do, he'd just have to track her down later.

Once Rajani arrived at the hotel, she immediately went up to her suite that Stephanie generously got for her.  She stepped inside and tossed her bag against the wall, flipping the deadbolt.  Alone.  She looked down at her left hand, the pain suddenly came back and washed over Rajani at the mistake she made by running off to Vegas with John.  Tears streamed down her face as Rajani suddenly collapsed on the bed, curling up in a tight ball and proceeded to have the breakdown she desperately needed.

~!~

“So, ass hanging out and everything huh?”

Considering they were heading out there in less than 10 minutes, Levesque wanted to die early. Taker's mind was already distracted, knowing Rajani was probably locked up in a suite. For her sake, he hoped she wasn't answering the door for anyone and being extremely cautious. After being kidnapped by Kane and all the attacks she’d suffered lately, Rajani would need eyes in the back of her head.

“Fuck off.”

“I heard some of the Divas got some cell footage from it, you know, on their uh...cells...”

“That'll be all over the internet, wait and see.”

Taker was going to murder someone tonight, he simply knew it.

Chapter 35

Stephanie chewed her bottom lip nervously as she watched the monitor, not believing how intense this match was.  Of course, it was the Undertaker versus Triple H, the two most intense men in the entire industry.  When Paul got a hold of the steel chair however, the intensity raised several notches and Stephanie actually winced with every shot Paul took to Taker.  They were so lethal there was a HUGE purple and blue bruise forming on Taker's left side and god only knew how much damage his tights were covering up.  However, those shots were child's play compared to Taker's shots and Stephanie felt every single one of them right down to her bone marrow.  Her husband was being brutalized and tortured in the Hell in a Cell, refusing to give up, fighting with everything inside of him to survive.

“Just quit, please just quit, Paul.” She whispered, clasping her hands tightly together and wished Rajani was there at the moment because she desperately needed someone, besides Alex, to console her.

Alex was no help to anyone right now because he was standing there beside her, alternating from one foot to the other, and chewing on his fingernails. Chewing on them when he wasn't covering his eyes with his hand anyway, letting out soft groans whenever the brutality increased. Which it did, a lot. Shawn was near tears, calling the match down the center and letting them rip into each other. He pleaded with each man to end it and both had given him the same response. In Taker's mind, he was getting out a lot of frustration on Paul right now. Cena, Kane, it being WrestleMania, not about to be carted out like he had last year...Jani...all of that, in one big ball, being taken out on his opponent.

Somehow, Rajani had woken up just in time for Taker's match and ordered WrestleMania through the hotel's pay-per-view.  She couldn't help crying every time Paul hit him with the steel chair, her heart shredding even more.  There was going to be nothing left of it at this rate.  Though, Taker dominated eighty five percent of the match and decimated Paul. Rajani enjoyed watching that, especially after the catastrophe that happened at last year's WrestleMania.  Taker had been beaten down like an animal with a steel chair and had to be carted out of the ring by officials.  It was unbelievable, had never happened and one of the reasons why he buzzed his hair off.

Apparently, while Taker was away for that year, he had made the video montages that showed at almost every Raw before WrestleMania arrived. They were classic Undertaker, the eerie music and sexy dark voice...Rajani had to change her panties every time one of those video montages were viewed, even the one where he chopped off his beautiful hair.  When the bell finally rang and Shawn Michaels had pronounced Taker victorious, Rajani cried along with everyone in that crowd. The tears poured harder when Taker actually lifted Paul up from the canvas and all three men walked out of the arena together as a unit.

It truly was the end of an era that would never be replicated.  Right after the match, Rajani didn't even bother watching the rest of WrestleMania and turned the television off, passing out almost instantly. Stephanie was beside herself when her husband was hauled backstage, unable to do anything except watch as Shawn and Taker helped him onto a stretcher, out of sight of the fans. She had appreciated the way the match had ended, in terms of the trio showing respect. It had been mind-blowing, but at the same time, the wife in her was freaking out.

“You need to go to the hospital too, Deadman.” Alex said after tearing his eyes off of Paul.

“I'll get right on that.” Taker had other plans that did not involve a trip to the ER.

“I'm okay, Steph.” Paul whispered, seeing the tears in his wife's eyes and frowned, reaching up to caress her face tenderly. “Nothin' some painkillers won't cure.”

Alex groaned when he saw Taker walk away and knew he wasn't going to the hospital, sighing. “I'll go draw the papers up.” He walked in the opposite direction.

Stephanie just waved Alex off, too focused on her husband as Paul was wheeled down the hall toward the awaiting ambulance. The papers were that Taker was refusing medical treatment, the company couldn't have this big of a liability on their hands after all. Dwayne clapped Taker on the back on his way to the ring, ready to rip John Cena limb from limb. Taker didn't even have to say 'kill him' because he knew Dwayne was going to do his best to dismantle Cena.

The only downside to that match was the fact that Cena had been wrestling consistently for quite some time. Dwayne, on the other hand, snorted. He'd just handle Cena on his own if Stephanie didn't have the idiot put behind bars after the match. Taker signed the paperwork when Alex brought it to him, not giving a damn about any injuries he may have had at the moment. Taking a quick shower, Taker popped some Tylenol, changed into clothes that weren't tight -he admitted it, he was aching from that match with Paul- and headed to the hotel.

Sometime the next late morning, Rajani slowly opened her eyes and groaned at the sound of her cell phone going off.  Then she realized it wasn't her cell phone because Kane had destroyed hers, frowning at the hotel phone.  Slowly pushing herself up, Rajani crawled over to the phone and was tempted to ignore it, but something told her it was important.

“Hello?” She murmured quietly, holding the phone to her ear and closed her eyes at the sound of her husband's voice.  A second later, Rajani hung up on him and headed straight for the bathroom.

God he was slick. True, last night, John did have a momentary 'mouth mistake' and shot off without thinking. Honestly, he hadn't been expecting that nimrod Kane to abduct his wife from the Hall of Fame ceremony either! They had a deal and Kane's part in the deal was long over. What the hell? It was hard finding good, reliable, morally questionable help these days that was for damn sure. John had made his 'escape' rather easily. Stephanie had apparently been so distraught over her husband that she had left everything up to Alex. While he was great as a mole, Alex was not so great with the handling of lunatics apparently.

Rajani was his, John was going to get her back and she was going to forget all about the Undertaker.

After a shower to wake up fully, Rajani stepped out and slipped into a pair of blue hip-hugger jeans with a spaghetti strapped dark teal camisole, her bra matching so it didn't clash.  Not that it bothered her clashing. Rajani wasn't in the mood to care, which is why she refused to do her makeup and just swept her hair up in a big clip.  It was a good thing they didn't have to leave Miami until the morning because Rajani had to get a new phone immediately.  She had to contact her lawyer to start the divorce process from John.  Just as she was slipping into her comfortable cushioned black sandals, a knock sounded at Rajani's door and she froze, simply staring over at it, fear suddenly overtaking her

“Open the door, Raj, I know you're in there!” It was Dwayne, who was not alone. “Think she's in there?”

“Yes, idiot, she is.” That was Taker, who was rather regretting not going to the ER because they would have given him better drugs than the Tylenol he had taken. He was really feeling the after effects of that Hell in a Cell match now. “Darlin', at least let me in.”

Screw Dwayne, the idiot couldn't even break Cena in half properly. Rajani opened it 3 seconds later and immediately wrapped her arms around Taker's waist, completely ignoring her brother.  She knew he was fine.  Beth had texted her to let her know the outcome between her brother and John's match.  She was very careful about hugging Taker because she could tell just how much pain he was in, closing her eyes.

“I'm sorry I left.  I just needed sometime alone.” She murmured softly, slowly pulling back to look up into his green eyes, hoping he wasn't angry with her

“And what about me?”

“You didn't take over 20 chair shots, bro.  He did.  Buck up.”

“Are you crazy woman? I work in Hollywood, I couldn't take 20 chair shots!” Dwayne rubbed his jaw, surveying Taker thoughtfully. “No, couldn't do it.”

“You’re a chump, Rocky.” Taker growled, looking down at Rajani and sighed, running a hand over his short hair. That made him wince, stretching his ribs didn't feel so good. “I understand darlin', but...I don't think being alone is a good idea. Cena...escaped.”

“And nobody has seen Kane.”

“I know he did, he called me about an hour ago.” When both men gaped at her, Rajani shrugged as she pulled away from Taker slowly, having her purse over her shoulder since she was on her way out. “I hung up on him.  I have nothing to say and I don't want to hear his lame ass excuses.  As for Kane, I know he's pissed, but I also refuse to live my life in fear of both those jackasses.  I needed time alone after finding out my husband betrayed me and manipulated me into marrying him.  I wish you would've killed him last night, Dwayne.  It would've made all of our lives a lot better.”

“Yeah, it would've.” Dwayne agreed, shrugging apologetically. “Minus the part where I go to prison for 2^nd degree murder and wind up doing musicals in the all-male choir.”

“Your favorite actor and singer is Elvis, you could remake Jailhouse Rock.” Taker said dryly, ignoring the dirty look he was shot and gently guided Rajani back into the room, closing the door behind him. “What're your plans, darlin'?”

“I was on my way out to get another cell phone.  Kane destroyed mine when he kidnapped me.” Rajani stated bluntly, frowning when Taker winced and immediately guided him over to the bed, setting him down. “I already quit my job.”

“WHAT?”

“Dwayne, if you start screaming at me, I'm going to toss your ass right out that damn door and don't think I won't!” Rajani snapped, whirling around to face her brother with narrowed dark eyes. “I don't want to work for this company anymore, not after I was attacked, kidnapped and manipulated by 2 men.” Kane was just as much to blame for her marriage to John as John was; they were a team as far as Rajani was concerned. “I'm going home.” They were in Miami and Rajani knew she could’ve gone home, but was honestly too tired to leave the hotel last night.

“You...you quit?”

She LOVED her job! Dwayne couldn't wrap his mind around it, frowning. He had to focus, had to push that one aside for the time being, staring at his sister in shock.

“And you can't go home! John knows where you live. Hell, KANE probably knows too.”

For once, he and Rocky were in agreement. “He's right darlin', they'd find you there. You’re comin' home with me.”

“Yeah, you heard- oh no-no-no, she is not going with you.”

Rajani's gaze slowly moved to meet Taker's, wondering if he was serious and could feel her heart do a few flips inside her chest, a smile spreading on her face. “Really?” When he nodded, Rajani wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly and felt him set her on his lap, once again ignoring her brother. “It was you.” If he didn't know what that referenced, then Rajani wasn't elaborating on it before softly kissing his lips, rubbing her nose against his. “I'll call as soon as I get my new cell phone.”

“I've already got us tickets to Houston.”

Taker’s gaze fastened on the phone, frowning. Then, just so she didn't think he had completely missed her reference, because he hadn't, Taker bent down and firmly kissed her. Not caring that Dwayne was probably having a stroke or something, he didn’t hold back with the lip lock, having missed her for the past month that she was with Cena.

“I know.” Taker murmured against her lips, a cocky smirk crossing his face.

Dwayne could already see it now - the Undertaker as his brother-in-law.

“Careful, don't want you overdoing it after last night.” She murmured, breaking the kiss and caressed his face tenderly with her fingers.  They had a lot to talk about, especially their communication issues.  That would have to wait until later though. “I...” When Taker merely raised an eyebrow at her, Rajani flushed and cleared her throat. “WE need to go get me a phone then so I can contact my lawyer.  I want to be divorced from that loser as soon as possible.”

“I already told you...”

“I appreciate your offer and if my lawyer can't handle John, then I will definitely give you a call, Dwayne.  But I want to try handling this on my own.” Her eyes turned to Taker, concern suddenly filling her dark eyes. “What is going to happen with our plan to track Kane down?”

“WHAT?”

“Darlin', I don't know if you're aware,” Taker began slowly, knowing she was itching to find Kane, fool woman that she was. “But I was in a match last night...that has left me in less than perfect condition.”

Dwayne snorted at that. “You haven't been in perfect condition in years, old man.”

Taker ignored that. “I can't exactly go chasin' off after anyone right now. You’re going to have to give me a few days to heal up a bit.”

Frowning, Rajani nodded in complete understanding because that match would forever be etched in her memory as long as she lived.  It was truly unforgettable while her brother and John's was definitely forgettable. “I know...” She sighed, standing up from Taker's lap and walked over to stare out the window. “He's the only other one who knows everything John had planned.  I know he hates me right now, but...we have no other choice.  I need him to tell me everything or else it's going to be my word against John's and he has a lot of money...”

Chapter 36

“Money talks, but he can't beat my top lawyers, Raja.”

“I know that bro, but at the same time, I have to try doing this on my own and Kane's information can be very useful right now.  Even if I have to go see him alone.” Taker was in no shape after that brutal match and it would take more than just a few days for him to heal up.

“Rajani, that's just plain out retarded.” Dwayne said flatly. “You going to see Kane alone would be about the stupidest thing you've ever done.” Next to her marrying John Cena, that was also pretty high on her retarded list of things to do. “He kidnapped you, what on earth makes you think he's going to tell you anything?”

Taker had a better question, but he wasn't asking it in front of her brother. What made her think Kane wouldn't kill her outright this time? He had damn near done it the other night. His green eyes narrowed, remembering her telling him about the 'accidental overdose’, having a sinking feeling Kane used a little too much ether on her.

“Goddamn it Dwayne, will you STOP?” Rajani couldn't take it anymore and tossed her hands up in the air, whirling around with fiery eyes. “I KNOW I made a mistake okay?  Marrying John was the WORST decision of my life, the worst mistake!!  I hate him for what he did to me, for sicking a monster like Kane on me!!  He USED Kane just like he did me.  Believe it or not, we both have a lot in common, even though that's no excuse for doing John's bidding against me.  But damn it, I have to do SOMETHING!  John is not going to back down without a fight, he's too stubborn and pigheaded!  So please, just BACK OFF and stop lecturing me!  I'm not stupid either, I know the consequences of tracking down Kane, but right now it's my best fucking option!”

“No, it's not your best option! Your best option is going through my lawyers, staying your ass to wherever Taker is taking you, and seeing Cena put behind bars!” Dwayne said, his tone heated though he wasn't yelling. “You're being stubborn and insisting on doing it your way, your way is what got you into this mess! You rushed into marrying Cena without even thinking! Just like you're trying to rush to Kane.”

“Get out.” Rajani was done with her brother and pointed at the door, raising one slow eyebrow. “I'm done with this conversation.  I am a grown ass woman and will do what I want, when I want, WHO I want, HOW I want.  Do you understand me?  I married John because of communication issues, which will be sorted out later.  I was heartbroken, he flashed a ring at me and I took it.  I admit it, I was wrong and stupid, but EVERYONE makes mistakes, even the great Dwayne Johnson.” Snorting, Rajani walked past him to the door and opened it. “I don't need you to rescue me.  I can handle it myself.  I've done pretty well on my own so far, all things considered.  Now get out and go back to your Hollywood perfect life and leave me the hell out of it.”

“Yeah, I'll go back to my perfect Hollywood life, Rajani.”

Dwayne’s tone was scathing now, not believing she was going to let her pride and ego get the better of her. She was smarter than this, but she was going to run right into the enemy's open arms. How in the hell did she know that Kane and John wouldn't somehow make things square between them and work together again?

“Funnily enough, I'm sure we'll be seeing your story on the Lifetime channel soon.”

Taker winced at that one, inwardly sighing when Dwayne stormed out, slamming the door shut behind him. Very tempted to run after him to pop his fake pectoral job, Rajani resisted as she kicked the door, growling.  Dwayne could be a prick when he wanted to be and acted like he never made any mistakes.  She wasn't going to just run right into Kane's open arms, Rajani was smarter than that.  Of course, Dwayne would never give her the benefit of the doubt and Rajani refused to explain her actions to him any longer.  The moment she got her new cell phone, she was deleting his number and cutting off contact.  Her parents wouldn't like it, but at this point, Rajani just didn't care.

“Do you want to stay here and rest some more or come with me?” She asked bluntly, not looking back at Taker and blinked back the tears that threatened to fill her eyes. “Because I have a lot of phone calls to make today and that asshole wasted enough of my time already.”

“Just what exactly are you doing today, darlin'?” He asked curiously.

The woman kept going on about a cell phone and he had always known she was addicted to her damn cell. Taker had teased her about it repeatedly. He was beginning to think his 'addiction' joke wasn't really that much of a joke at all. Taker wouldn't lie, just remaining on this bed sounded extremely great. He was pretty sure he wasn't up to running all over God's green earth today.

“If you need to make calls, why not do it from here or use my cell?”

“I have to go get a new cell phone because Kane decided to smash mine into smithereens.” Rajani sounded thoroughly annoyed, hating it when she had to repeat herself. “I appreciate the offer, Taker, but I need my OWN cell phone because my lawyer is going to be calling me all day with information.  Not to mention, I'm going to get a hold of a couple other people that might help me find out what the fuck John's been planning.  This is bigger than just me, Beth and Phil and even you are in on this too because he had all 3 of you attacked.  So you can either stay here and rest or come with me to the mall because that's the only place I can go for the phone I want.”

Miami was her hometown. There was no way she was staying in a hotel another night.  Rajani had been too tired to go to her actual home the previous night, emotionally drained.

“Oh and I'm not staying here tonight, we're in Miami and I have a house that's about 20 minutes from here.  I'd like to sleep in my own bed at least one night that I'm in my hometown before we go to Dallas.”

Taker had a feeling she would rip his head off his shoulders if he told her to just give his number to her lawyer, so he shut the hell up. Inwardly sighing, he reluctantly pushed himself up off the bed. Not about to let her going wandering around by her lonesome, even if they were in her hometown, Taker knew he had to trek along.

“Darlin', you ever think he attacked me and Beth because we're close to you?” Taker asked quietly, not minding the part about wanting to sleep in her own bed.

Taker didn't blame her, hotel beds sucked.

“Of course he did!!” Rajani snapped, folding her arms in front of her chest, kicking the wall. “And he also attacked Phil, don't forget that.  My lawyer is going to want a statement from all 3 of you regarding this and you need to tell her everything you know.  Her name is Nora.”

When Taker nodded, Rajani breathed a little easier and grabbed her keys out of her purse before heading out, Taker following suit.  He grabbed her hand and Rajani flushed a little, squeezing it, both of them stepping on the elevator. Taker kept silent, figuring that would be best right now. Though, he returned the squeeze, watching as she hit the button for ground floor.

“I have a rental.” Taker informed her after a moment, his bag was in the trunk of it. “We can use it.”

“Thanks…”

Taker used his free hand to reach into the pocket of the loose, sweat pants he wore and pulled the keys out, passing them over to her. He was on energy conservation mode at the moment. They headed out to the parking garage and got into the rental, Rajani driving since she knew the area better than Taker.  This was her stomping grounds after all.  Pulling out of the underground parking lot, Rajani headed to the mall, wishing she would've brought her luggage with her so they didn't have to go back to the hotel once she was done getting her cell phone.  The drive was made in silence, each in their own thoughts, until Rajani finally couldn't take it anymore.

“That morning I came to your room, I thought you regretted what happened between us and it hurt me.  That's why I accepted John's proposal and that's why I got married.  You were with another woman, so I naturally assumed you didn't want me the way I wanted you.  It wasn't your fault, it was my own stupid decision to run off with John instead of thinking clearly, but at the time I was heartbroken over what I thought was rejection.”

Rajani kept her eyes on the road while explaining, both hands on the wheel, keeping her emotions bottled up because she couldn't fall apart right now. That was a rushed jumble of words and given his current state, it took Taker longer than the usual to catch on. He blinked, finally shifting in his seat to stare incredulously at her. What kind of person married someone because of an assumed rejection? He was going to get them both in for cat scans.

“Darlin'...that woman was my friend and she's also my personal physician, Bonnie. She thought she was bein' funny.” Taker had never been so tempted to throttle a woman as he had been that day.

Now Rajani felt even worse and it showed in her expression, frowning. “Hellfire...” She muttered, shaking her head and refused to meet Taker's gaze.

Hell, why was she feeling bad about assuming that Taker had been with another woman? From how the situation had been, it looked like Taker didn't want her, so Rajani had reacted naturally by walking away.  She even asked Taker point blank if he regretted the kiss between them and his answer had been yes.  Pulling into the parking lot of the local mall, Rajani found a parking space and cut the ignition, grabbing her purse.

“Do you want to come in with me or stay here?  It won't take long, hopefully.  I have a lifetime warranty on my phone so they should give me a new one without any trouble.”

“I'll go with you.”

The woman wasn't leaving his sight. That situation with Kane, while only for a night, had scared him to the point where if he hadn't already shaved his hair off, it might've fallen out. Considering John and Kane were both loose and were out of their minds...no, Taker would rather keep Rajani right where he could see her. Locking the car, Rajani walked inside the mall with Taker, not reacting when he grabbed her hand.  Rajani was too focused on getting a new cell phone and walked over to stare at the mall's map, trailing a finger where she needed to go. They weren’t as hard to read as people made them out to be, it didn’t take a genius to follow the color codes.

“2^nd floor, come on.” She murmured, heading toward the escalator.

A few minutes later, Rajani arrived in the cell phone shop and walked up to the counter, releasing Taker's hand to do so.  He sat down in a nearby chair and Rajani still didn't understand how he was standing right now after that lethal match the previous night.  Clearing her throat to get the attention of an associate, Rajani smiled tentatively at a woman that walked up to the counter, placing her mangled cell phone with the paperwork on it.

“I need a new one, please.”

If she inquired, he'd tell her the truth: painkillers. Some guys didn't take them because they were worried about addiction. Taker knew he wasn't one of those guys. He didn't become addicted because he knew better. Taker could go without, sure, and usually he did. WrestleMania, especially over the past few years, tended to be the time of want as far as painkillers went, like Vicodin.

All the woman could do was stare down at the cell phone. “Um...what happened to this one?”

“It was crushed by a 7 foot idiot that needs to have his head removed from his shoulders and shoved up his red ass.” Rajani said with a smile on her face, though it didn't reach her cold dark eyes.

The woman blinked, swallowed hard and nodded. “I-I'll be right back with a new phone, Ms. Johnson.”

“Thank you.” Rolling her eyes, Rajani turned to look over at Taker, who simply shook his head back at her. “What?  It was the truth!”

“Sometimes, Jani, it's alright to lie.” Taker informed her, shaking his head again, a spark of amusement in his green eyes.

The woman probably thought Rajani was crazy insane or something for that. The story sounded so out of there. Reality was scary at times. When she rolled her eyes again, this time at him, he simply rolled his back.

“Like she's really going to believe me anyway?”

Rajani ignored Taker and turned back to stare down at the counter. Reading a few things regarding their policies, Rajani tapped her acrylic nails in boredom.  A few minutes later, the woman returned holding a box that Rajani knew held her new cell phone.

“I-It's not the same one...”

“Same number?”

The woman nodded, taking it out.

The associate was giving Rajani an upgrade, free of charge. “It'll do.” She said, trying not to act too excited, even though she was jumping for joy on the inside.

The woman activated her phone, which was also free of charge, much to Rajani's appreciation.  No wonder she had stuck with the same cell phone company, they always treated their customer’s right, unlike other cell phone companies.  20 minutes later, Rajani walked out of the store with Taker, once again their hands clasped and headed for the exit.

Chapter 37

Of course the woman might have just done everything that way to get Rajani out of the store. Since to people who weren't in the loop, she was obviously insane. Taker squeezed her hand, smiling slightly when she glanced up at him.

“What next darlin'?” He asked quietly.

“We go back to the hotel and grab our things. Then, I'm taking you to my home here in Miami, unless you'd rather stay at the hotel?” When Taker growled, Rajani laughed softly, pulling her keys out of her purse. “That's what I thought.” She slid the new cell phone in the designated pocket, thankful they had kept her number the same. “I think a home cooked meal is in order too, so we'll have to stop by the grocery store to pick up a few things.”

Since Rajani hadn't been home in at least two weeks, her place didn't have any food in it. Now that she was with a near seven foot Neanderthal, Rajani would have to buy double, possibly triple, of food. Slipping into the driver's side, Rajani buckled up while Taker did the same before pulling out of the parking lot, heading to the hotel.

“I'll also have to call my lawyer to start the divorce process.”

On one hand, Taker hoped she didn't overbuy because they would be heading to Texas in the morning. On the other, when he was hungry, he ate like a starving army. Taker was a big man, what could he say? He also wondered how John would react to the divorce thing. Surely, Taker would be expecting it, but then again...this was John. The man didn't think inside the box like most people. After careful consideration, Rajani decided that they should eat healthy since there was a lot of fast food stops while on the road.  So she decided to make creamy chicken and rotini primavera with white rice and rolls.  If Taker didn't like it, he didn't have to eat.  Rajani was making what she wanted, putting the ingredients in the cart and added some bagels with cream cheese for breakfast in the morning.  They had an early flight so it would have to be something quick.

Taker grabbed a few things he needed as well, including aspirin, which told Rajani he was suffering.  They made the shopping trip as quick as possible before heading to the hotel to grab their belongings and check out of their rooms.  Rajani forgot the grocery store was on the way back from the mall and she didn't feel like backtracking, so they stopped for food first before going to the hotel.  Once all that was done, Rajani and Taker headed out of the city part of Miami to the suburbs.  For the first time since she could remember, Rajani had a genuine smile on her face, hardly able to wait to get home, thankful she hadn't gotten rid of it after marrying John.

He wanted her move to West Newbury, Massachusetts, but Rajani had reservations about that since she'd lived and breathed Miami, Florida since birth.  They hadn't really discussed moving arrangements much, too busy with the business and everything else involved regarding Kane. Anything she wanted to cook, he'd eat. Considering it was usually an 'eat on the go' thing for him like many others, Taker took anything that didn't come in a greasy bag and a 'do you want fries with that' when he could. He didn't mind Florida either and actually had some properties scattered about, though none in Miami.

“Think Cena will come lookin' for you here?” He asked, already deciding the answer was yes.

“If he knows what's good for him, he won't.”

The man had already admitted part of his plan that had tricked her into marrying him; did he really want to give her any more ammunition in this divorce?  If John wasn't careful, Rajani would take him for every cent he made, eyes narrowing.  What if John had already been in her house?  Just because he didn't have a key didn't mean there weren't ways inside.  Cursing, Rajani stopped the car and pulled over, parking for a minute to calm down.

“I need a minute.” She whispered, jumping when her cell phone rang and shakily pulled it out of her purse, answering it. “What?” She'd put it on speakerphone and pressed a finger to her lips, telling Taker not to say a word.

“I hear you've been talking about coming and finding me, Raja. Do you really think that's wise, considering how well we parted?” Kane's perfectly calm, albeit slightly sinister voice came through loud and clear. “Hello Mark.”

“Glen.”

“I think...you should be looking for your husband...who knows what he's currently up to.”

Rajani had to bite her tongue to keep from ticking Kane off, flat out refusing to call him Glen and leaned back against the seat. “If I see John again, it'll be too soon.” Taking the speakerphone off, Rajani stepped out of the car and closed the door, needing some air. “How did you get this number and what do you want, Kane?” She asked, no malice or anger in her tone, just resignation because the man called for a reason.  She had so many questions to ask him, he was the man with all the answers and she knew it.

“Oh, nothing much, just to check in, you know...touch base with you, see how you were doing. I'm fine, thank you for asking. My nose is broken, but the nurse I borrowed from the medic station was able to set it quite nicely.”

He was chatting with her, knowing fully well she had questions. He was aware John had spilled the beans and revealed that he was an outright lunatic. Kane was crazy, but he was smart crazy. John was just insane.

“I'm not apologizing for what I did to you because you deserved it after what you put me through.” Rajani didn't care if that pissed him off or not, it was the truth.  She'd always been straightforward with everyone and that wasn't about to stop just because Kane was a lunatic. “Why did you do it?  You hate John Cena, as far as I know, so why the hell would you help him make MY life miserable?  How much did he pay you to do it?” When Kane remained quiet, Rajani closed her eyes, feeling the tears burn the back of her eyes. “If you tell me everything you know and everything that was planned, I will pay you double whatever John gave you.  Or whatever he gave you, I'll double it.  You are the only one with answers, the only one that can actually help me get out of this marriage.  Please help me with this.”

“Why on earth would I do that? Insane, not stupid, Raj.” Kane reminded her with a derisive snort. “Sure, you'll pay me, because I obviously need the money.” No, he did not. “And then you'll have me sent to prison as soon as you can actually find me, I don't think so. I don't think I would do well in prison. Sure, there are plenty of minds to pick a part and all, but dealing with lunatics can be such a hassle.”

“You'll have full immunity from being convicted of anything you've done.  I'm not pressing charges against you, Kane.” Taker didn't know that yet, but Rajani couldn't very well put him behind bars if he was going to help her get away from John. “I promise you won't go to jail.  I just want to know everything that was planned between you and John.  Whatever you want, I'll give it to you, Kane.” She had no idea what he wanted, but Rajani figured it couldn't be that bad, desperation kicking in. “Please.” She whispered finally, pressing her forehead against the car, closing her eyes. “Just tell me what you know.  You kidnapped me for a reason and I...panicked.  I was terrified of you, I didn't know what you were planning, but something tells me it has to do with John.  You were trying to help me anyway, weren't you?” It wasn't a question.  Rajani knew it was the truth and could hear the sharp intake of breath on the other line. “Help me bring down John Cena for good.”

“Hmm, tell you what…Why don't you talk with your lawyer, you know, when you call about starting your divorce and see about that immunity. I already know YOU can't guarantee it; you're just talking out of desperation.” Kane said finally, which was about as far as he would willingly go at the immediate moment as far as terms of helping her went. “And...If I were you, I would get home...you had company.”

Rajani slowly slid the phone from her ear and covered her mouth with her hand, knowing exactly what that meant.  John had been to her house.  Surprisingly, Taker had stayed in the car throughout the whole conversation, which Rajani was thankful for.

“Shit!” Rushing back inside the car, Rajani didn't even buckle up as she started the ignition and sped the rest of the way home, tears sliding down her cheeks. “That mother fucker...was in MY house!!” She practically shrieked, ignoring a stop sign and thankful there were no cops around.

She knew these streets like the back of her hand, pulling into the driveway moments later.  Not waiting for Taker, Rajani ran up to the front door and unlocked it, shaking from head to toe.  Stepping inside, Rajani immediately dropped to her knees on the carpet and buried her face in her hands.  Her house was completely destroyed. Taker followed her as fast as his sore hips and knees were allowing him, hesitating in the doorway when he seen the damage. John had been here, or Kane, she hadn't exactly said who. Just 'that mother fucker'. Frowning, he stepped inside, cocking his head to the side and listened. Whichever one, they could still be here.

“Jani, why don't you step outside while I search the house?” Taker suggested quietly, not surprised when she immediately declined.

“W-Why would he do this?” Rajani cried out softly, completely breaking down and felt Taker pull her up to hold her against him.  She knew he was in a lot of pain, but comfort is what she needed at the moment.  The walls were splattered with red paint, the single word WHORE painted in black on the far wall, the biggest one in the room. “John did this.” She whispered, pulling back to wipe her tears away and walked away from Taker to survey the rest of the damage.

While doing so, Rajani pulled her phone out, having grabbed it out of instinct and called the police.  She was definitely reporting this. While she used her cell to call the police, Taker was snapping pictures with his own. He had finally figured out the camera function and already knew the police would take their own pictures, but he planned on forwarding these to Stephanie. She had already hired private investigators to find Kane and John. Arching an eyebrow when he seen the trail of red heading towards what looked like he bedroom, Taker felt his blood boiling when he seen her bed. Flowers...just like her hotel rooms had been scattered in, but he could also see other things mixed in with the petals and stems.

Things like razor blades and shards of colored glass. Roses, carnations, lilacs...John had been the one who broke into her hotel rooms, or paid off the hotel staff, to 'decorate' her rooms in them.  Rajani remembered how romantic she thought it was at first, but then she started getting freaked out by the notes that were left behind and gone to Taker.  Unbeknownst to John, he had pushed her right into Taker's arms because she thought it was Kane behind the whole flower/notes stalking. She was completely wrong and had blamed Kane for something he clearly didn't do.  Rajani suddenly felt a twinge of guilt and that just caused more tears to fall from her eyes, standing in her bedroom doorway frozen solid, while Taker just stared down at the bed covered in rose and lilacs petals mixed with sharp objects.

“My god...”

“You know, if you hadn't run right back to Taker, I might've gone easy on you, Raj. But since you're a cheating whore, we're going to have to do this the hard way.” John smirked when they both whirled around, waving a hand at them, his blue eyes gleaming wickedly. “And it sucks that you called the cops because now I have to go, so enjoy the flowers, my sweet.”

Taker moved as fast as he could, cursing when John threw himself out a window. It hit him then, that little fucker had been in the house watching them, watching her. He cursed again when he heard four loud pops coming from the driveway and growled, knowing those were the car tires, followed by an engine revving and pulling away. Rajani was scared to death now, her face white as a ghost and looked up at Taker with big dark worried eyes.  John had been here, why hadn't she noticed it before?  The paint on the walls was still drying, it was very fresh.  So were the flowers.

The cops arrived a few minutes after John's departure and Rajani gave her statement along with Taker.  They snapped pictures of all the damage and told her they would send her copies to her lawyer.  Rajani gave them the information, grabbing a few things that weren't destroyed to bring with her to Dallas, before walking out of her destroyed home.  Taker had called the car rental place, explaining what happened and they offered to bring a car to them as long as they paid extra insurance.  Taker also called the airport, managing to change their flights to leave for Dallas tonight instead of tomorrow.

Grabbing their things, Rajani remained quiet the whole ride to the airport, staring out the window as silent tears slid down her face.  Everything was so messed up, she had no idea how it was going to get better. Silence reigned the entire flight and then the drive to his place. Taker was quiet because he was thinking and she was probably going over every part of her history with John in her head. The little shit had always seemed stupid crazy, like one of those hyper sometimes cute, sometimes annoying, morons. John being insane...seemed wrong.

“This is it.” Taker grunted when they rumbled to a stop, staring at his home and wondered if Rajani would take it wrong if he fell asleep.

This had been the most messed up day ever and neither of them would do any good right now. He helped her with her bags, ignoring the headache lurking just behind his temples and then led the way inside. A few steps in, Taker paused green eyes nothing but narrowed deadly slits.

HOW’S MY WIFE? Was painted across HIS wall in black.

Chapter 38

Not only had John violated her private home and destroyed it, he violated the UNDERTAKER'S as well.  The man had a death wish, possibly 2, and Rajani could see how red Taker's face was turning.  This was not good, they would have to deal with the authorities for a second time in ONE day.  This wasn't going to stop until either Rajani went back to John with open arms or he was killed.  Neither of those things would happen, unless Taker wanted to murder John and Rajani would support him fully if he did, especially after this.

“Taker...” She cringed when he stalked away from her to get a closer look at the wall, wrapping her arms around herself.  Rajani stepped right back outside and closed the door behind her, sitting on the front porch and let the tears flow. “Why?  Why are you doing this to me, John?” She whispered heartbrokenly, not knowing how much more she could take.

How that little son of a bitch had gotten here before they did...or maybe he had come here first, who the hell knew? Taker stormed into his bedroom, coming to a halt like he had walked into a wall of bricks. On his bed were what looked like pictures. Frowning, he walked over to stare down at them, arching an eyebrow. They were photos of...him and Rajani, all their time together, which meant John had been watching them for quite a while. Taker didn’t touch the pictures, but had moved closer to see them, finding pictures of John and Rajani in bed together.

Wow that made him physically ill and he swallowed down bile. The angles were awkward, and poorly taken, which meant cheap security cameras or something along those lines. Cena was indeed a very sick individual as Taker glanced over his shoulder, frowning. He could hear Rajani on the phone and walked out of the bedroom, deciding she had to see these. When her cell phone rang, Rajani instantly answered it because it was her lawyer.

“Please tell me you have some good news for me, Charles.  I really can't take any more bad news right now.”

“As a matter a fact, I do.” Charles frowned, hearing the distress in his client's voice. “Those pictures you had sent to me are definitely going in your favor for this divorce.  Your court hearing date is on the 30^th and, if Mr. Cena does not come, the judge is automatically going to rule in your favor.  Now, as far as your request for immunity with...Glen Jacobs?”

“Yes?” Rajani could only pray Charles did what she wanted.

“I don't see a problem with that, as long as you realize that if you grant him immunity, anything he's done to you in the past will not exist to the courts.  Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Yes.”

“Very well, I'll email you the documents and you need to either fax or mail them back to me as soon as possible.”

Rajani breathed a huge sigh of relief. “Thank-”

“He also needs to sign the documents, just so you know.”

“You...” Now THAT Rajani hadn't expected. Rajani hung up with Charles just as Taker walked out, not looking up at him and wiped her tears away. “Was there any other damage?” She asked, watching Taker nod stiffly and frowned when he asked her to follow him.  Rajani did and instantly regretted it, covering her mouth with her hand at the sight of the pictures splayed all over his bedroom. “Christ...!” She whispered, not touching the pictures because it was all evidence against John. “I didn't know he was taking pictures of me and you, of me and him...” This was sick.

“I never thought you did, darlin'.” Taker sighed, wrapping his arms around her from behind and bent down to kiss the top of her head. When she turned in his arms, Taker gently cupped her chin, tilting her head back until she met his gaze. “We're going to stop him, Jani.” He promised, having every intention of now beating the cops to John. The man had crossed several lines today that shouldn't have, ever.

“I know we are and I have a lot of apologizing to do to Kane.  I know he attacked me in John's dressing room, but I did piss him off intentionally.  I'm not saying it was right, but it's time to let that shit go and bring the real mother fucker down.  My lawyer is sending me the papers for the immunity and Kane has to sign them.” Rajani knew Taker wasn't happy with this arrangement, but Rajani had no alternative.  Kane was the one John had been working with.  He was the man with all the answers. “Do you have a printer so I can take these off my phone?”

Nodding, Taker had a complete office since he was involved in the real estate business. Wrestling had been his bread and butter for more years than he cared to remember, but the real estate thing was like a hobby, that also made him damn good money. Not like he really needed money, Taker had invested his wisely over the years and was well off, but...He led her to the office.

“We have no way of getting a hold of Kane until he wants to be found or calls you again.”

“He'll call.”

Rajani was confident, especially after Kane told her to talk to her lawyer about the whole immunity stipulation.  Sitting down at his desk, Rajani immediately got to work, going straight to her email and started printing out the documents.  She grabbed them from the printer and began reading them over, stopping to look up at Taker.

“Are you going to call the police?” Rajani had to know because of the photos.

Cocking his head to the side, Taker considered it before finally nodding in great reluctance. “I suppose not since it won’t do a whole lot of good.” Not in terms of them catching John at any rate, though having all of this on file would be great for her divorce. “I have a fax machine you can use.” He added, leaving her alone and went to take his own pictures for Stephanie before calling the police.

Rajani watched him walk out before going back to reading over the paperwork, chewing her bottom lip at the immunity sheet.  Was she doing the right thing?  Should she just ignore everything that Kane had done to her and let him get away with it?  Rajani didn't know what to do, feeling tears slide down her cheeks and a few drops landed on the page.  She nearly jumped out of her skin when her cell phone went off, staring at it almost as if afraid to touch it.  It was an unknown number.  Slowly reaching for the phone, Rajani reluctantly answered it, sniffling.

“Hello?”

“How's Dallas? Enjoying the weather? I personally found it to be too dry. I actually like how Florida is muggy, you know?” Her hubby decided to check in with his beautiful whore of a wife because that was what good husbands did. “Baby, I know we're having a rough moment right now, but I really think we can work through this. You'll have to stop cheating on me though...”

“You are insane.  Do you realize what you've done, John?  You've OBLITERATED our marriage with your lies!  You pushed me right into Taker's arms when you decided to stalk me with flowers and notes that freaked me out!  This is all because of YOU!” Rajani had to get control of her temper and took a few deep breaths to slow her suddenly racing heart. “I hate you.  I had a crush on you when I first started in the company, I admit it, but you are nothing but a self-centered son of a bitch and I WILL bring you down.  There is no working our marriage out.  You destroyed it and I'm not in love with you, John.  I never was.  I thought for a brief second I might be, but then Taker came along and I fell in love with him.  Everything about him is so much more intense than they ever were with you.  Call me a whore all you want, I don't care.  Our marriage is over.”

John had fallen silent, listening to her tirade and, if she could have seen his face with each word she said, he was looking deadlier by the second. “It's over when I say it's over, Rajani.” He informed her darkly, once she finally shut the hell up. “Just remember everything I've done and think about what I can still do. You think I'm insane now? You ain't seen nothing yet.” He hung up.

Obviously, she needed to rethink this divorce issue a little longer.

Rolling her eyes, Rajani set her phone down before she ended up destroying it, gripping her hair in her fingers.  Why was this happening to her?  She was a good person and didn't deserve this!  John was jealous of Taker, always had been and now apparently it had driven him to being a lunatic.  The divorce papers were already being sent to John, Charles wasn't wasting a second.  After taking a few minutes to calm down, Rajani went back to checking the rest of her email, narrowing her eyes when her phone rang.  Once again, it was an unknown number.

“Look you mother fucker, if you think for one second you can intimidate me into not filing for divorce, THINK AGAIN!!” She shouted, lashing out without thinking.

“Oh, but if I really wanted too, I could...” Kane taunted, making a clicking noise with his tongue. “Honestly, Raja, is that any way to answer your phone?” Obviously, she had been talking with her dear husband today and was a little stressed out. “Breathe, deeply, inhale and exhale, then try again.”

Rajani closed her eyes and leaned forward, planting her forehead against the state, doing what Kane said.  What the hell was she thinking answering her phone like that?  Rajani completely forgot that Kane's number was also unknown when he called her.  She hoped she didn't just blow the chance of Kane helping her with her temper, needing to get it under control.

“What can I do for you, Kane?” She asked, once she could reign her emotions in, but didn't move her head from the desk.

She had actually done it, he had her wrapped! Kane chuckled at his little joke before clearing his throat, wondering if she was an idiot. “What exactly can you do for me Raj? I thought we already established that there is nothing you can do, it's your lawyer I'm interested in. Charles, right? Nice guy, his secretary not so much. It took me 3 tries to finally get through to him. Of course, he has no idea who I am, but...”

Hearing that made Rajani lift her head from the desk, her dark eyes wide. “Y-You called my lawyer?” How did he even know who her lawyer was? “I have the papers waiting for you to sign.  It clearly says that you have full immunity from everything you've done and everything you're going to tell me.” Her voice had calmed down considerably, Rajani would have to pat herself on the back later on. “I don't even care why you called Charles.  I'm done with the games, Kane.  I did what you wanted, I got you immunity, so are you going to tell me everything or not?” He wouldn't have it though unless he signed on the dotted line and Rajani wouldn't let him until he told her everything first.  She wasn't that stupid. “If not, then please stop wasting my time.  I've been played and toyed with enough and I'm done with it.”

“Sure, I'll tell you, once I've signed the paperwork. You may have gotten me immunity, but you haven't given it to me yet. Please, Raja, you know I'm not a total moron, so don't bother trying to insult my intelligence. Or make threats, or suggest you can do this without me because you can't.” If she could, she wouldn't have bothered with any of this, unless she was trying to trap him and that made his eyes narrow.

“No.” Now she was pissed, her teeth grinding and gnashing together. “After everything you've done to me, I don't trust you.  We either do this MY way or you'll end up in prison right alongside your good buddy, John.  Don't fuck with me, Kane.  I'm giving you the opportunity to do something decent for a change.  I'm giving you this chance because I was wrong about you, or so I thought.  You're not a monster like I thought you were.  Granted, you attacked me, but it was only because of John.  This was all John's doing.  Do you really want to go down because of that piss ant?  Because let me tell you something, they do enjoy beefy juicy guys in prison and it doesn't matter how big and bad you think you are, they will use and play with you like a toy the way you played with me.  So if you want that, be my guest.  You tell me what you know first and THEN I'll hand over the paperwork for you to sign.  There is no negotiating.  Think about it.” She hung up on him this time.  Technically, with all the evidence they already had against John, the plan really wasn't that important anymore.

Kane really doubted he would be going to prison, they had to find him first. Stephanie had fired him, she had actually called his house phone to inform him he was on 'indefinite suspension', so he obviously didn't have to quit. And if by chance someone did find him, or got close enough, he'd simply exercise his right to move to Madrid. Dual citizenship was a beautiful thing and Kane knew nobody would expedite him over circumstantial evidence. Cena was on his own. If Rajani wanted his information badly enough, she would meet him face to face to get it, so he could choke the life out of her if she didn't have the paperwork with her. She was relying a bit too much on his good nature.

Chapter 39

Later on that night, in a freshly clean bedroom, Rajani sat on the bed reading a book, trying to get her mind off things, while Taker flipped through channels on the television idly.  She wore black Minnie Mouse fleece pajama pants with a matching spaghetti strapped tank top.  Her hair was pulled up on top of her head, a few strands hanging around her neck.  Her cell was on the nightstand on her side, just in case she needed it.  Taker had scrubbed the wall down after the cops came and took pictures, which took most of the afternoon up.

Rajani hadn't told Taker about her phone call with Kane, deciding there was no point in bringing it up because Kane wanted to do this his way and she refused. It was hard to even think about sleeping. Taker was tired, but at the same time he wasn’t, shifting ever so often on his bed. It was custom made, just for him, since most beds wouldn't fit his size. It was comfortable, but the fact John Cena had been in his house, in his bedroom, and splayed those pictures on his bed, it just didn't feel right. Taker already planned on ordering a new one. Stupid, he knew, but that's just how he felt and what he had to do.

“What happens with your divorce if they can't find him?”

“I have no idea, Charles said the case would remain open until it can be solved.” Shutting the book, Rajani set it aside and turned to face Taker, seeing how uneasy he was. “He also recommended that I go to the courts and file for an abandonment divorce.  That's not the proper term for it, but I have to wait out John's 90 day deadline.  If in 90 days he doesn't respond to the papers or courts, then I can file and it'll take about a year before they can finalize the divorce without him.  Does that make any sense?”

“Yeah darlin' it does, it also takes too damn long.” He grunted, the idea of her having to wait one year, no...a year and 90 days, that was horseshit considering John was a psychopath and that, in his opinion, should have sped the process up a bit. “We could kill him and make you a widow, you'd inherit his money and shit and be done with it in no time.”

“Yeah and then we'd end up running for the rest of our lives, always looking over our shoulder.  Wouldn't be able to have kids because we'd always be on the move unless we went to Mexico.  No offense, but I'm not fond of Mexico, especially with how many shows the WWE had to do down there.  And then when we are old and grey, we can just blow our brains out and the cops can find us that way.” All of that was said with sarcasm as Rajani rolled her eyes, turning back to reading her book.

Everything was turned upside down, she didn't know how to fix it.  Taker was right, she should've gotten a sped up divorce, but that was the justice system these days. Growling, Taker flipped her over onto her back and did something he hadn't done since before she had run off to marry Cena, he bent down and nipped her thigh. Granted, it was through her pajama bottoms and cotton didn't taste as good as her bare skin did, but he’d take what he could get.

“Listen here woman, if I wanted to kill someone, there'd be no way I'd ever get caught.” Taker informed her evenly. “And secondly, if we did have to run, we'd run to Canada. They have better beer and our kids could shovel the snow for us.”

Rajani couldn't help laughing at how serious he looked, trying not to, but honestly she didn't want to stop.  It felt so good to be able to laugh.  Rajani was afraid she had forgotten how to with everything going on and all the drama currently in her life.

“You would want to be a Canadian?  You would leave the hot warm Texas weather and go to cold clammy Canada?” That did not sound appealing and Rajani could tell Taker wasn't fond of the idea either. “You sound pretty confident that you'd never get caught.” Then her dark eyes turned hesitant, those emerald orbs boring right into her very soul. “Have you ever...killed anyone before?”

“If I have, I don't know about it.” That was his way of saying no.

Taker was pretty sure he hadn't killed anyone before. Seriously hurt people, yes, but killed...as far he knew, nope. He wasn't a killer. Not to say Taker wouldn't kill if the situation called for it because he would and he already knew he was smart enough to not get caught.

“I don't want you to kill anyone, Taker.  I don't want any blood on your hands.” Then Rajani said something she probably shouldn't have, but had to get it out in the open before this relationship, if it even was one, went any further. “I'll understand if you can't...wait for me, Taker.  It's going to be a very long process, especially if I have to wait out the 90 days before I can even file for the abandonment.”

Rajani rested her head back against the headboard, closing her eyes. He scooted over on the bed and sat up, moving so he was straddling her legs without actually putting his weight down on her. Gently, Taker reached out to cup her face in his hands, running his thumbs along her cheekbones.

“Jani, look at me.” He ordered, smiling slightly when her eyes reluctantly opened. “I'm not waitin' for you darlin' because I already have you.”

His words touched her deeply, but Rajani couldn't help thinking about the future and that caused tears to sting her eyes. “What about marriage?  What about kids?  I'm still a married woman, Taker, and I have no idea how long this is going to take.  Do you honestly want to be with me and go through all this bullshit that John is going to throw at me?  It's not fair.” A few tears slipped down her cheeks that he immediately wiped away, closing her eyes as he brushed more away with his lips, gripping his wrists. “Why did I have to be such an idiot and jump to conclusions?  This is my fault...”

“I keep blamin' Bonnie, you can too.” Taker offered, trying to get her to smile and sighed when he failed. He wasn't so good when it came to making women laugh. Melt them, make them purr sure, but doing the joking thing, not so much. “I'm with you Jani, until the end and then some. Cena manipulated you and me the entire time. Neither of us thought it was him, this is his fault, not yours.”

“Come here.” Rajani whispered, cupping his face in her sot hands and brought his lips to hers, being very careful.

He was still incredibly sore, the huge bruise on his left side and all over his broad back would definitely take time to heal.  She meant what she told John.  Rajani was in love with Taker and had been for a while.  Slowly feeling Taker guide her down on the bed, Rajani became completely lost in the kiss.  A squeal flew from her lips when he blew raspberries on her neck, causing her to giggle.

“Taker, that tickles!!”

“It was supposed to, darlin'.” He rumbled, wanting nothing more than to make love to her right now but...the timing was off.

One: not in this bed. Two: Taker wasn't at full strength and he wasn't about to be tiring out or something ahead of schedule. No, when he finally took her and made her his in each and every way, well...she would never forget it for all the right reasons. Not the 'old man, too tired' ones. The timing was definitely off and Rajani wasn't mad that he hadn't made anymore moves.  He was in pain from his match, which she would never forget as long as she lived.  That had been...possibly the most intense match she'd ever seen on WWE television, pay-per-view or not.

“Why don't you lay down on your stomach and I'll rub some salve on your back for you?” She suggested softly, smiling when he rubbed his nose against hers and kissed him quickly. “Before you move, I just want to say that-” Her words were cut off when her cell began ringing.

Dwayne was mildly surprised when Rajani answered her phone for him, though...he had had to get a new one and hadn't had his number switched over. His number was private and, the fact that that little son of a bitch had gotten it, well, he wasn't about to risk anymore messed up phone calls or text messages.

“It's me.” Dwayne said gruffly, waiting on her to hang up.

“Dwayne?” Rajani looked at Taker in shock, eyebrows slowly drawing together and was tempted to hang up on her brother.  She was still sore at him for what he said, but now wasn't the time to hate on her family. “What do you want?” She asked, pecking Taker's lips before slipping from the bed, raking a hand through her hair. “If you're calling to lecture me again, I don't want to hear it.” She added as an afterthought, looking out the huge bay window into the night.

“I'm not calling you to lecture you. I'm calling you to tell you to be careful.” He said quietly, having absolutely no idea that she had already been through hell repeatedly today. Dwayne didn't know about the Miami incident, or her seeing John briefly, or about what had happened in Dallas. All he knew was that he had gotten a text message with an image attachment of his daughter playing with her aunt, not cool.

“I'm being as careful as I can, Dwayne...” Her words trailed off, noting the worry in his voice and chewed her bottom lip. “What happened?” Surprisingly, Dwayne went into the explanation about the text message he'd gotten that showed her and her niece playing together. “It's John trying to play mind games with you.  Don't let him do it.  He destroyed my house and was there while we surveyed the damage.  Then he came to Taker's house in Dallas, where I'm at now, and had pictures of me and Taker together and of me and him in pretty intimate shots that I had no idea he was taking scattered on Taker's bed.  He painted on the wall too.  Taker wants to kill him and now I'm sure you do too.  If you do, run for the Canadian border.”

That got a laugh out of her. There was obviously a joke in that Dwayne was missing, but he didn't mind, rather pleased to hear her laughter after everything she had been through today. It didn't ease the worry he felt, but it did bring a quick smile to his face.

“I sent them,” His family. “Away for a while, just in case.” He had dealt with stalkers, sure, but this was different. He knew Cena personally, had worked with the guy, sadly had to call him his brother-in-law… “Just be careful, okay Raja?” Because he had a feeling John was just getting warmed up.

“I'm with Taker, I'll be just fine.  You be careful too and send my love to everyone.  If anything else happens, let me know so we can send the evidence to my lawyer.”

John was going to be up shit's creek without a paddle if he kept this up.  The authorities would catch up with him sooner or later.  It was just a matter of time.  They talked for a few more minutes before Rajani hung up, finally turning to stare at Taker, who was on his stomach on the bed looking back at her.

“Sorry about that, didn't expect him to call.” She saved Dwayne's new number in her cell and set it on the nightstand, grabbing the salve.  Climbing on the bed, Rajani took the top off and took some salve on her fingers, beginning to slowly spread it over Taker's side. “Wow, you are really big.” She blurted quietly, immediately flushing when she realized what exactly she said. “You have a big body I mean.  Shut up.”

Taker was snickering, burying his face in the pillow he had moved down to use, but there was no hiding the fact that he was having a good chuckle at her expense because his shoulders were heaving. “Shit darlin', you ain't seen nothing yet.” He finally rumbled, well aware that she could put him in serious pain at the moment if she was so inclined, but he hadn't been able to pass that up.

“There's the Taker I know.” Rajani muttered good-naturedly, shaking her head as she continued spreading the salve all over his back.

The bruises were deep, Rajani had felt every single one of those chair shots and she was sure everyone who was in the arena and at home had as well.  Though, when Taker had wailed on Paul with the chair, those were even MORE lethal.  She couldn't imagine how bad of shape Paul was in, feeling a hint of satisfaction since she didn't really like the man to begin with. Considering how much those shots hurt after the adrenaline wore off, -not that he was admitting it outside his head- Taker hoped that Levesque was STILL laid up in the hospital. He respected the guy, sure, but no punches had been pulled in that match. It had been all out brutality, none of it fake.

“It's not as bad as it looks...” Taker rumbled, knowing he was naturally pale, and even under the fake bake thing he occasionally did, it still always bruised heavily.

Rajani didn't believe him for a second, but didn't say anything, her thoughts going back to Kane.  He wanted her to meet him face to face with the document that insured he had full immunity in exchange for his information.  Closing her eyes briefly, Rajani knew what she had to do and leaned down, pressing soft kisses against the deep bruises on Taker's back.  If Kane called back again, Rajani would go to him, even if it meant putting herself in harm's way.

After the massage ended, Rajani snuggled up in Taker's arms and both of them instantly fell asleep after one hellacious day. If Taker had had any inkling of what Rajani was planning, he would have tied her ass to his bed and then called her brother in to babysit her while he hunted Kane and Cena down. He much preferred the idea of Rajani being a widow over a divorcee. It would be much quicker for one, and more fun, for him. However, that wasn’t the case, but it didn’t mean Taker couldn’t change things up to his liking.

Kane wasn't going to call tonight, not again, not after their last conversation. She had been pretty...prissy about the details of this immunity paper and how he was going to get them. The way he figured it, the woman needed time to think and get her head on straight. Though, Kane planned on waking her pretty little backside up with a good morning call, much better than a cup of java.

Chapter 40

Being woken up due to her blaring cell phone did not start Rajani's day off well.  Or the fact that Taker wasn't in bed with her.  Rajani blinked the sleep out of her eyes and reached for her cell phone, groaning at the unknown number flashing across the caller ID.  If this was Dwayne again, she was seriously going to hurt him when she saw him in person again.

“This BETTER be a life or death situation.” She growled in a grumpy greeting, rubbing her temples and rolled on her back, trying to wake up.

“That depends entirely on whose life we're talking about. Mine is in rather good hands, yours...not so much.” Came Kane's annoying bright wide awake and chipper voice. “I get the feeling, Raj, that you are not a morning person.” He was, of course, that might have been a side effect to being a semi-wanted man at the moment. Paranoia tended to keep a person bright eyed and bushy tailed. “You should however, sweetheart, try to wake up a bit. We need to discuss our little predicament.”

Rajani groaned, hating this man even more than she already did and didn't move from the bed, letting out a loud yawn. “Right, I should've known.” She mumbled, slowly pushing herself up while holding the phone between her shoulder and ear, every part of her body sore. “Hold on.” She ordered, looking over her shoulder before stepping out on the balcony, closing the sliding glass door behind her. “What do you want to talk about, Kane?”

“If you're worried about Mark, he's downstairs in the kitchen applying ice and salve to various body parts...” Kane informed her, snickering softly when Rajani's quiet gasp of surprise reached him through the phone. “And you, precious, need a shower and a good hair brushing, you look horrible. Didn't you sleep well?” His tone went from teasing to concerned, all in the span of a few seconds. Of course she already knew he was psychotic by now, Rajani should be used to his oddness.

“You're here.” Rajani fought the urge to run back inside the house and alert Taker on what was going on, but knew that wouldn't be a smart move on her part.  She began pacing back and forth on the balcony, thankful she decided to wear non-revealing sleep attire. “What do you want, Kane?  Seriously, I've had enough of the mind games from John to last me a damn lifetime.  What exactly is it that you want from me?  Because something tells me this is about more than just having immunity as far as your plan with John goes.  So just stop with the games and tell me already, get it over with.”

He wasn't there, but he wasn't telling her that, she could suffer awhile longer thinking he was somewhere close watching them. It would make her more inclined to play nicely with him. After all, he had been playing nice with her, now hadn't he? He had been there the previous day, before John had gone and messed everything up. They had called the cops when they saw what Cena had done to the place. The cops just hadn't done their job very well.

“You're making this more complicated than it is, Raj. I just want my immunity, personally delivered...” John was just being a vindictive idiot, Kane figured he was protecting his ass by spying on the chit. If she was going to double-cross him somehow, Kane wanted to know about it.

“Why so you can kill me for what I did to you?  FYI, you deserved it after everything you put me through, Kane.  I don't regret bashing your face in and I'd gladly do it again if it meant saving my own ass.” Rajani couldn't help letting him get under her skin and swallowed hard, raking a hand through her hair nervously. “But since you won't give me the information I need until I do this your way, fine, we'll do it YOUR way.  Just keep in mind that whatever you plan on doing to me will reflect against you because the immunity will not cover it.  It only covers everything you've already DONE.”

“I solemnly swear that I will not lay a finger on you or harm you in any other fashion.” He said in his best boy scout tone of voice. “You're so paranoid Raj, relax. Once I have my immunity and you have your information, your dear husband will be in prison, you'll be a divorcee and everyone will get to live happily ever after.” He was planning living his own happily ever after in Madrid, where Taker couldn't touch him.

One good attribute of Kane's was he was a man of his word and rarely went back on it, if ever. “In turn, I swear Taker won't lay a finger on you.” When he agreed happily, Rajani couldn't help sighing a breath of relief, knowing the games were about to come to an end and John was about to get a very rude awakening. “Where and when?” The sooner she did this, the better off they would be.  Her lawyer was waiting in the wings for Kane's information, which she would send him on a tape recorder.

“I'll text you the details Raj, your old man is coming and you should probably end this call before he gets in the room.” Kane hung up just as Taker walked into the bedroom.

What the hell was she doing out there? Taker felt a hell of a lot better this morning, thanks to her rub down last night and the ice and salve this morning. “Darlin', I figured you'd still be in bed.” He murmured, stepping out onto the balcony with her.

Kane figured he'd give them a moment before sending said details, he was just a nice guy like that.

“Just getting some fresh morning air.  Dwayne called again, being overprotective.”

Rajani hated lying to Taker, but knew she would have to deliver the immunity alone without him.  It wasn't going to be easy, but she would figure it out.  She accepted a sweet kiss from him, blinking when he pulled her tightly against his body and it instantly deepened.  Rajani knew Kane was watching them somehow and immediately broke the kiss, pulling away from Taker and headed back inside the bedroom, feeling chills rush down her spine.

“How are you feeling today?”

“Better than I did yesterday...” He said slowly, following her inside.

That had been a rather abrupt break in their kiss, but...given her current circumstances and everything that had happened, Taker supposed he probably shouldn't read too much into it. He already knew she probably wasn't overly thrilled with the prospect of staying here for a few days while he recovered properly. No point in causing waves over a kiss, not with everything else she’d been through.

“Good.”

Now that they couldn't be seen, Rajani leaned up on her tiptoes and softly kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck.  Some moments were meant to be private and Kane wasn't about to see all of them.  She squealed out when Taker suddenly lifted her up, her legs wrapping around his waist and held her tightly against him, their foreheads meeting.

“Oh yeah, you're definitely feeling better.” She giggled, kissing him again and hugged him, running her fingers over his Mohawk shaven head.

Even with his limited viewing capabilities and awkward camera angles, Kane could see well enough to note that Taker had just planted Rajani down on the mattress and was kissing her with more gusto than a man, who had gotten his ass handed to him only days ago, should possess. No, just...no. He texted that information on, smirking.

Taker arched an eyebrow when Rajani broke the kiss, a second time. He knew she was waiting on news about John, but dear lord…he was being cock-blocked by a damn cell phone! Kane had impeccable timing, Rajani thought sarcastically, and closed her cell phone after reading where and when he wanted to meet. She suddenly tossed it behind her and pulled Taker right back down, not about to deny him anything. The meeting wasn’t for a couple of hours, which was plenty of time to get a session in with Taker or two. And if Kane was watching them the entire time, well he was about to get one hell of a show as Taker removed her top while she unsnapped his jeans, both of them devouring each other. That was…weird, but Taker was going to let it slide because man mode was kicking in. He’d bother her about whatever she had been texted later, providing he remembered. Right now, his attention was focused on her and nothing else.

Kane was sick in the head yes, but not quite that sick. He shut down the camera visuals and muted the audio. He'd check back later, right now he had to go wash away the current disgusting feeling he felt.

Once Taker was asleep, after 2 sessions, Rajani slipped out of bed and quickly dressed in a blue denim skort with a tie-dyed tank top, sending a text to Kane that she was on her way.  She grabbed the keys from the dresser, clutching them silently in her hand and looked back at him, hoping she wasn't making a mistake by doing this by herself.  As much as she loved Taker, Rajani had to do whatever it took to get out of this sham of a marriage to John or else she would never have a future with Taker.  Grabbing the documents that promised Kane's immunity, Rajani walked silently out of the bedroom, down the stairs and got in the huge Chevy Silverado.  A few minutes later, Rajani pulled out of the driveway and headed away from the ranch, trying to put her mind at ease.

Kane was a bit paranoid. He had missed the scene where Rajani got up and vacated, turning the visuals back on to the sight of a sleeping, sprawled and very naked Taker on the bed. That was more of the man, in an awkward pose, then he had ever wanted to see. Ever. Kane had gotten Rajani’s text and was ready to meet her so they could get this over with. But he'd be lying if he said he didn't think she had something up her sleeve, one last card to play.

The whole drive, Rajani kept battling with herself to keep going, wishing she would've told Taker about this.  Nobody knew she was doing this, so Kane could do anything he wanted to her.  She had no backup plan, there would be nobody to save her.  Looking up at the warehouse, Rajani swallowed hard and pulled into it slowly, finally stopping the truck in front of it.  Rajani cut the ignition, grabbed the paperwork and her cell phone before slipping out of it, pushing the keys in the front pocket of her denim skort.

Kane paced up in the catwalk, ever so often glancing out the disgustingly grimy sky windows. He froze when he heard the metal bay door being slowly hesitantly slid open and crouched down. His cool gaze narrowed in on the overly brightly dressed Rajani, who looked like she was mentally questioning her intelligence. He was personally questioning both of their current mindsets. There were a million and one ways this could go badly.

Looking around the warehouse, Rajani forced herself to close the door behind her, suddenly thinking this could be a scene out of a horror movie.  Her hair was pulled up in a tight messy bun since it was hotter than hell in Texas, thankful it was dry heat.  Kane was around here somewhere, but Rajani had no idea where.  Was she supposed to go on the hunt for him?

“Kane!” She called out hesitantly, clutching the papers tightly in her hand and couldn't stop shaking.

“I hope...” His voice echoed about her. “That you came alone.”

He lowered himself down slowly by the hands, letting himself dangle behind her for a moment before dropping silently. One thing he and Taker both had in common was that they possessed an almost unearthly ability to move silently when they wished too. When her head cocked to the side, Kane reached out to wrap one arm around her waist, the other clamping on her mouth.

“I want you to pull out your cell phone. I know you never go anywhere without it and remove the battery.” Kane wasn't about to be recorded either.

Squeezing her eyes shut and breathing heavily against his monstrous hand, Rajani reached a trembling hand into her pocket, pulling her phone out.  She quickly took the back of it off and removed the battery like Kane instructed, dropping both of them to the hard cement floor.  Her heart thundered against her chest, feeling as though it might fly right out at any second, but Rajani did her best to stay perfectly still. With that, Kane let her go and stepped around so he was in front of her, but out of immediate striking and kicking range. Rajani was a rude little thing and had hellcat tendencies. He was hoping to keep this...on friendly terms.

“Anyone know you're here?” Kane asked, hooking his thumbs in the belt loops of his faded blue jeans.

“No.” Rajani answered without hesitation, looking him square in the eyes so Kane knew she wasn't lying to him.

Still holding the papers to the point where her knuckles turned white, Rajani did not move an inch.  What Kane didn't know was currently she had a tape recorder in the back pocket of her skort. It was small enough to where he wouldn't see it poking out against the material or anything.

“You gave me your word and I hope you're honorable enough to keep it.”

“Mmmhmm, let me see the papers.”

Kane held out a hand, not about to say another word until he had read everything over. He was by no means an idiot, insane yes, but not an idiot. He wanted to make sure he wasn't about to talk his ass into an 8 x 8 prison cell with some fat, sweaty redneck named Bubba. No thanks. Rajani took a deep breath before extending her hand, placing the papers in his and felt Kane snatch them away.  Her dark eyes looked around the warehouse again, seeing there was a catwalk that she could potentially climb if she had to get away from him.  Rajani did not trust Kane and rightfully so, especially with everything he did to her.  It didn't matter that John hired him to hurt her, everyone was responsible for their own actions and that did not exclude Kane.

“Well?” She demanded impatiently, folding her arms in front of her chest. “Are you satisfied?”

“Hold your damn horse’s woman, you can't expect me to skim this now, can you?” Kane chided, clicking his tongue at her, his eyes darting up to look at her face before returning to the paper. The best he could tell from what he was reading, these were completely legit. However, he didn't trust Rajani anymore than she trusted him. “If by chance, these are excellent fakes, you do know I'd snap your neck off eventually, right?”

Chapter 41

“Yes I know that and they're not excellent fakes.  Unlike SOME people, when I say I'm going to do something, I do it.  I keep my word.” Rajani pursed her lips tightly together, holding her ground and didn't step back when Kane suddenly stormed up to her, his head dipping until their noses practically touched. “I've given you what you wanted and did what you wanted, it's time for you to return the favor and give me what I need to get John Cena out of my life forever.”

At that, Kane threw his head back and began laughing, a deep chest rumbling laugh that sounded very out of place in the warehouse. “Oh honey, you're so precious...” He sighed, wiping away a tear of mirth with his finger before his expression suddenly went dead serious. “The only way you are ever truly going to get that sociopath out of your life is by killing him. Prison won't hold him forever, Raj.”

“It will grant me my freedom from him and make the divorce go twice as fast.” Rajani persisted, glaring at him laughing at her and couldn't believe he was still toying with her. “Somebody else can stoop to his level and kill him, but that's not going to be me.  All I want is a damn divorce so I can drop his pathetic last name.” If Kane didn't start talking, Rajani was going to walk out and figure out another way to bring John down, fed up with mind games.

“See, you think I'm fucking with you right now but I'm not, I'm serious. Prison won't hold him, and if your only concern is dropping his last name, then you are a bigger fool than I pegged you for.” Kane gestured her to follow him. “There's an office in the back we can use. Might as well be comfortable for this. I'm sure you'll need to sit down anyway.”

Rajani breathed a sigh of relief, knowing deep down inside Kane was right regarding John, but that's not what concerned her.  One: she wanted to get out of here alive.  Two: she wanted the divorce finalized from John as quickly as possible. Three: she wished she was back in Taker's arms safe and sound instead of putting her life and health on the line.  Walking inside the office, Rajani took a seat and pulled the small tape recorder out of her pocket, slamming it on the desk.

“Tell me when you want to start talking so I can press play.”

Kane eyeballed the tape recorder distastefully, having expected it, -after all, simply using his words wasn't going to do anything, she had to capture them- but still...He cocked his head to the side, narrowing his eyes at her before nodding. “Fine, press the damn button and let's get this over with.” He said finally, the papers firmly tucked away in his back pocket.

Rajani wasn’t sure what she was going to hear come out of Kane's mouth, but had prepared herself.  Taker would be livid once he found out where she went, but Rajani had to do this on her own and on Kane's terms.  Because it would be a cold day in hell before she ever agreed to go to Canada just to be with Taker.

“First question, when did John Cena approach you and what did he ask you to do?” Asking questions and receiving answers was the best way to go, in her opinion at least.

Sighing, Kane tilted his head to the side, a gesture most people recognized when he was 'in character' -one that wasn't just for show- and regarded her thoughtfully. “He hired me prior to your brother's glorious return.” He said flatly, his tone a monotone. “He wanted someone to...ah...drive you into his arms.” He couldn't keep the cold smirk from flickering across his lips as he stared at Rajani. “You weren't very receptive to typical advances, he went for extremes.”

Fighting back a shiver of revulsion, Rajani gripped the voice recorder a little tighter and lowered her gaze from Kane, taking a deep breath. “Why did you...why did you agree to help him 'drive me into his arms'?  Obviously something had to be in it for you.  So what was it?”

Rajani tried maintaining a calm voice and mentally patted herself on the back for succeeding, though she didn't look at him. Something that Kane instantly noticed. If she hadn't learnt by now that he was an extremely perceptive man for the most part, then she had lost her damn mind. She had already tricked him -injuring not only his pride, but his face in the process- once, he was now paying double attention to her.

“Look at me, Raj.” He ordered, reaching out suddenly and clasped his hand on hers, his entire palm seemingly engulfing both her hand and the recorder.

If she didn't listen to him, Rajani wouldn't gain the answers she needed and she wasn't leaving here without finding out every single detail of John's plan. “Please answer the question.” She whispered, looking back at him with great reluctance, her entire body trembling just by the mere touch of him.  He hurt and violated her, Rajani had to be insane or just plain stupid to come here by herself.

Kane personally figured he deserved some brownie points for saving her life, but...that was obviously not to be. “Money, silly girl.” He answered finally, squeezing her hand almost tenderly before letting go. His fingers slid across the top of her hand lingeringly before Kane folded his own hands on the table in front of him. “What other reason would there be?”

A single tear slid down her cheek and Rajani hastily brushed it away, clenching her teeth because she currently showed weakness.  His touch left her skin crawling and made Rajani want to take a hot scalding shower to wipe it away, taking a few deep breaths to calm her racing heart. “How much?” Her eyes had turned cold, trying not to show emotion and felt her stomach turn violently when he said the amount. “You attacked and kidnapped me for $2,000,000 DOLLARS?” Her voice had risen a few notches, suddenly standing abruptly with anger pulsating from every part of her body. “Why did you kidnap me then?  John had what he wanted and you obviously got paid off, or was that it?  He didn't pay you the money, so you decided to get even by using me to get to him?  You said you had something to tell me the night of WrestleMania, what was it?”

“No, he paid me.” Kane stood up as well, towering over her and the small table, palms splayed on the old warped wood. “Sit down, Rajani.” He ordered, his tone colder than even her gaze. “You're letting your emotions take over and that isn't the way to go about this. I did have something to tell you the night of WrestleMania, is it MY fault you decided you didn't want to stick around to hear it?”

“You kidnapped me, overdosed me with ether and...VIOLATED me!” Rajani didn't care if her emotions were spilling out, refusing to do what he said. “Then you locked me up in a goddamn boiler room instead of just telling me what the hell you wanted!  Now answer my fucking question, why did you kidnap me and what did you want to tell me that night?” She demanded, backing up when he slowly began walking around the table and Rajani instinctively backed away from him, both of them circling the table. “You agreed to tell me everything.  I want to know every single detail.”

Apparently, she took the light touching to be full-fledged rape. It seemed Rajani was harboring some serious resentment and issues over that little episode. He figured since the touching had also occurred during the 'time of dying' moment and he had been merely trying to save her life it should be discounted. Kane got tired of their ring around the rosy game and suddenly threw the table out of his way, stepping forward in order to grip her shoulders.

“You will calm down or else this interview is over, Raj.” He said icily. “I will tell you everything you want to know and probably things you'll regret hearing, now calm down.”

Rajani's hands pressed against his chest, not releasing the tape recorder and shakily held it up to his mouth.  She hoped he didn't expect her to stop shaking because that wasn't happening, not when pure terror shined in her eyes. “Then tell me.” She said barely above a whisper, ready to bolt if he even thought about touching her anywhere else, tears sliding down her cheeks freely now.

“We should make ourselves comfortable.” He said after a moment, just watching the tears running down her face and suddenly sat down on the warehouse floor, pulling her down with him. Kane folded his legs beneath him Indian style, looking almost like a giant curled, especially when he let go of her and leaned forward, resting his hands on his arms, elbows pointed out. “Now...ask me your questions one at a time and concisely, don't you need this tape for your evidence?”

Rajani could only sit down with him and knew he was right, though she had pressed the stop button right before her explosion, refusing to waste valuable tape. “I need a minute.” She whispered, breathing in and out slowly to calm her racing heart. “Okay, why did you kidnap me?” That was easy enough to start out with as Rajani pressed the play button, sitting Indian style just like him.

“Because you were actually dumb enough to marry him.” Kane said in an even tone of voice, as if he didn't believe she didn't already know, it was that obvious. “Even I could not wrap my mind around that one and I can wrap my head around a lot of...odd things.”

He snorted in disgust. He knew he had made it easy for Cena to start moving in but not THAT easy, at least not with Taker in the equation. Rajani hated the fact he was right, trying not to let what he said bother her, but her expression told him everything she refused to say.

“You're right, I was dumb enough to marry him.  It was a huge mistake that I will never forgive myself for.  So was that the only reason why you kidnapped me?  Because I married him?  More importantly, Glen, why do you care?  He paid you and you did what you were hired to do, don't tell me you were having remorse?”

She was like an open book and he wasn't really having any trouble in reading her, though when she called him Glen...his own hazel eyes darkened, not overly finding that amusing. “I was hired to scare you a bit, once you were officially his...girlfriend...” That was a loose term since, technically, during that period she had actually spent more time with Taker than John. “The deal was done. Then you went off and married him...why? What made you marry him?”

Rajani really wanted to tell him it was none of his business, but honestly, he knew everything else about her.  Would it make a difference if he knew or not? “Because he proposed to me and, at the time, I didn't think I could do better.” Taker had been a big part in her decision to fly to Vegas with John, though now she knew the woman he'd been with was his personal physician joking around.  Some joke. “Now, why did you kidnap me besides the fact I married John?”

“Because, Raj, it wasn't part of the plan that you marry him. Date the idiot kid, sure, marry him...no. That and, honestly, it sickened me. Even I, as twisted as I am, could not watch you be married to the guy. He paid $2,000,000 dollars to have your world essentially fucked up, your friends beaten down and then married you. Even to a guy like me, that is some fucked up shit.”

She couldn't agree more, skepticism still in her eyes, but couldn't help calming down.  Kane, Glen Jacobs, had a change of heart.  He had a conscience and had only been trying to help her, in his own twisted way. “I should've known his proposal was too good to be true, that it wasn't genuine.” She whispered, running a hand through her hair and rubbed her temples. “Thank you for telling me the truth.  I don't blame you for any of this, Kane.” She was done and had everything she needed to solidify her divorce from John Cena.

“Oh no-no-no-no Raj, it was genuine, therein lies the real problem for you.” Kane corrected her, almost gently, watching as she shut off the recorder and relaxed, marginally. “He does love you in his own sick demented way. Obsession is a good term for it as well, though we all know the lines between love and obsession can be blurred at the best of times. After everything he's done to get you, all the downward paths he’s taken, do you really think he'll let you divorce him?”

“He won't have a choice because I don't belong to him.” Rajani rubbed her sweaty palms against her jean covered thighs, slowly standing up and tensed when Kane grabbed her wrist, dark eyes locking with him. “I don't have any more questions.  Please let me go.” She had to get back to Taker, not knowing how long she'd been gone, but knew he had to be up from his nap by now and wondering where the hell she'd gone with his truck. “Kane...”

“Raj, he thinks you do belong to him and if you haven't noticed, the guy has managed to stay one step ahead of everyone else thus far.” That was about as close to a warning as she would get from him and, after a gentle squeeze, Kane let her go, not about to get kneed in the balls or something.

“Then what should I do?” Rajani didn't want to believe him or ask his opinion on what to do, but he had worked with John for the past year...or close to that.  Their whole feud before Mania had been a hoax. “Kane, if you know something I don't, please tell me.  Please help me with this.” He owed her that much after everything he put her through, but Rajani wouldn't say that aloud, liking her head attached to her shoulders. “Tell me what to do because I want to be rid of him.”

If Kane wanted to help her, he would. Kane considered that, his head once more tilting to the side as he stared thoughtfully down at her. He could see John being locked up, either in a mental institution or a prison, but unless heavily sedated, he could also see the kid somehow escaping. John presented an idiot face to the world but obviously he wasn't as dumb as he liked to act.

“I don't know Rajani. Killing him is certainly an alternative worth considering.”

Before Rajani could open her mouth to respond to what Kane/Glen said, a gunshot rang throughout the small room they were in.  Her brown eyes widened as blood began slowly leaking out of Kane's upper chest, feeling her breathing quicken and snapped her head up to the rafters. She couldn’t believe who was there and who had just shot Kane.

“Oh my god...ALEX?”

Chapter 42

Alex bungee jumped from the rafters and slowly lowered himself to stand right in front of Rajani, releasing the cord he was attached too. “Thank god I made it in time.”

“W-What are you doing here?”

“He just saved your ass, Raja.”

Turning, Rajani blinked at the sight of Stephanie and slowly looked down at Kane, swallowing incredibly hard. “What the hell is going on?  How did you know I was...?”

“Taker told me.  You didn't actually think you could sneak out of his house without him knowing, did you?”

Blood bubbled from Kane's mouth as his hand automatically moved to the wound on his chest. He drew his fingertips away, staring at the red coating them almost dully, his eyes blinking slowly before managing to raise his head up to stare into Alex's face. “Always...wondered...about...you...” He drawled in a slow dull muted tone of voice before falling face first to the warehouse floor.

“Everyone usually does.” Alex sighed, stepping around Rajani in order to pull her away from the hopefully dying man on the floor. “Do you always wander off with strange evil men?”

“I-I didn't 'wander off' with him.  I met him here.” Rajani corrected, not amused with any of this and could feel tears sting the back of her eyes as Stephanie approached her. “I had no choice.  He made me come here to find out the truth and everything regarding Cena.  I had to do something.”

“Raja, Kane never stopped working for John.  Taker bugged your phone with Alex's help and overheard your entire conversation.  Unbeknownst to Kane, Alex bugged his phone too, which is how we found out that they were still in cahoots.  Taker has had you followed ever since leaving the road to come to Dallas for protection.”

Rajani couldn't believe what she heard, slowly turning to stare into Alex's eyes. “Are you a spy or something?”

Alex smirked, no humor in his eyes. “Or something.”

“We can discuss the specifics of Alex later, we need to figure out what we're doing.” Stephanie said briskly, seriously tempted to give the hopefully lifeless Kane a swift kick, but blood started pooling out around him and she wasn't ruining her expensive designer shoes with his filthy blood. “Alex?”

“Working on it Stephanie. Why don't you take Raja outside for fresh air while I handle this? She looks ready to go into shock.”

All Rajani could do was go with Stephanie, trying to wrap her mind around everything that just happened as they walked out of the warehouse.  Once the fresh air hit her, Rajani's knees buckled and she fell to the ground in a heap, silent tears sliding down her face.  She still clutched the tape recorder, but nothing mattered currently.  All she was trying to do was get John out of her life and it ended up nearly backfiring on her if it wasn't for the bugged phones. Stephanie crouched down besides Rajani, gently wrapping her arms around her friend's trembling shoulders and pulled her up away from the dirt.

“Calm down, Raja.” She soothed, wondering if she should mention Taker was on his way. “We're getting him out of your life, honey.” By him, obviously she meant John Cena. A tapped phone with their evidence, along with the tape recording, Cena was going to prison.

Rajani just nodded, but didn't believe it.  Then her head snapped up when something suddenly dawned on her. “You said Taker was the one who sent you.  That means...”

Her eyes shut tightly when the roar of a motorcycle suddenly enveloped her whole and all Rajani could do was stay on her knees beside Stephanie, knowing Taker had to be livid with her for running off right into harm’s way by meeting Kane. Taker was more than livid. He had checked the recordings after waking up and discovering Rajani left, he immediately called Stephanie who had said something about the potential metrosexual Alex that he didn't really understand at the time. She had made him vow to wait at least an hour before setting off after Rajani, to give Alex 'time'. Well...the hour was up and the Deadman had arrived.

“Mark, she's in shock and yelling at her won't help matters right now.  She's distraught and needs your comfort.  You can talk to her about what happened here later.” Stephanie stated, standing in front of Rajani so Taker couldn't get near her because she was truly afraid of what he might do.

“Okay, he's taken care of.  Didn't kill him, but he's going to be out of commission for quite a while.” Alex announced, walking out wiping his hands on a special cloth that took Kane's blood off instantly. “The ambulance will be called within an hour, long after we're all gone.”

Taker almost backhanded Stephanie to hell and back for opening her fat mouth before he had even thought about opening his. He wasn't livid with Rajani, he knew what a foolhardy woman she was. God love her, but she had more balls than brains. He was livid with KANE for doing this to her, for being...this way, everything Taker thought he wasn't.

“Move.” He ordered in a tone that made her automatically slink the side whether she registered it or not. When she opened her mouth, he shot her a dark look, bending down to scoop Rajani up into his arms, cradling her against him. “He's not dead?”

“No, the bullet missed his heart barely.  Stephanie didn't want me to kill him.  She just wanted him out of the way to where he could no longer do Cena's bidding.” Alex explained indifferently, watching as Rajani instantly snuggled up against him. “The important thing is she's safe and sound, no harm done.  Kane did get a little...physical, but he didn't harm her or else I would've shot his ass sooner.”

“Mark,” Rajani finally spoke, using his birth name and watched those murderous green eyes lock on hers, cupping his face tenderly in her hand. “Leave him alone.  He can't hurt me, you or anyone else ever again.  That's what matters.  You going in there to finish the job won't solve anything and it definitely won't stop Cena.  We have to focus on him.  Forget Kane for now, okay?  Please?”

For her sake, Taker forced himself to nod. For now he would forget Kane, but once Cena was taken care of, he would be paying whatever hospital Kane was stuck in a visit to make sure the traitorous psychotic bastard never left it. He wasn't going to risk the behemoth coming back for Rajani for anything. Money, revenge, not a damn thing.

“You alright, darlin'?” He asked softly, bending down until his forehead rested against hers.

Rajani nodded, relishing the feeling of Taker holding her because she honestly thought she wouldn't leave this warehouse alive.  If it hadn't been for Alex, she wouldn't have, not with Kane's last words to her.  John was one step ahead always...Well he didn't see this coming that was for damn sure.

“We need to get out of here.” She said, opening her eyes as panic began swirling in her eyes. “Before Alex shot Kane, he told me that John was always one step ahead and that the only way to stop him was to kill him.  John could be around here right now watching us and we don't know it yet.”

“That's...creepy. Alex?”

“It's possible, I scouted the location about a mile out in a perimeter, but there's always the chance he arrived afterwards.” Alex said after a moment, automatically scanning the surrounding area with his eyes. The idea of the dumb muscle head actually getting another one over them...He frowned. “You realize you can't take her home.”

“He's right.” Stephanie agreed, stepping forward once again and finding her courage. “You two are coming to stay at my place.”

“In Connecticut?”

“No, a secluded place that nobody knows about except Paul and I.  We go there when we need to get away for a few days.” Running a company, especially a billion dollar company, wasn't an easy feat by any means. “We'll send Alex along with you for protection.  Don't give me that look, Mark.  You know it's what's best for both of you right now.”

“Before I go anywhere with Mr. Metrosexual and Packs a Gun in His Purse...”

Alex smiled humorlessly. “It's a man bag, and don't you forget it.”

“Whatever. Just what the hell are you?”

“Stephanie's gopher, let's go grab your stuff and hit the road.”

“Princess, since when do you hire gun packing gophers?”

“It's all the rage, Deadman, now go.”

An hour later, they were on a private jet headed for a destination unknown with Stephanie and Alex.  Rajani was a bundle of nerves and refused to let go of Taker's hand, staring out the window in thought.  She handed the tape recorder over to Stephanie to give to the authorities, so there was no way John could get his hands on it.  Taker confiscated her cell phone too and made it known he wasn't letting her out of his sight again, for any reason.  Rajani felt so guilty for running off to meet Kane without Taker, but at the time, those had been his terms and she'd been desperate for the truth. Taker thought he had done really well in not pointing out that she had been a foolish woman that had gone against what she knew he would tell her. But then again, Taker had gotten so used to the role of her protector that he was aware enough to know that he was overbearing when it came to that aspect.

“Does Paul know about this?”

“Are you kidding me? He'd fucking call in the army and try getting a rocket launcher just to blow Cena up.” Stephanie shook her head. “As far as he knows, I'm in Texas offering you solid support.”

Alex didn't bother telling her that Paul had been looking into 'protection' items. Even though Paul and Rajani didn't see eye to eye on many things, they did have a mutual respect for each other.  So hearing that Paul would've defended her made Rajani feel a little better about this entire situation.  She leaned her head against Taker's shoulder, not sure what to say to him.  She loved him so much and was heartbroken when she thought he didn't want her the way she wanted him.  Then she found out too late and was currently married to a psychopath that didn't know what the word 'NO' meant.  Rajani was scared for her life and hoped John was stopped soon. As if reading her mind, Taker nuzzled the top of Rajani's head.

“He'll be stopped darlin'.” He reassured her. “Nobody's said anything to Dwayne, have they?”

“Not yet, but he did call me earlier to find out the progress on what was happening with Cena.  So he's growing impatient.”

“We can't tell him, Stephanie.” Rajani stated, not pulling away from Taker because it felt too nice to move an inch, snuggling as close to him as she could since he pulled the armrest up to wrap his arm around her. “He'll freak out and go bonkers and probably try to kill Cena himself.”

“She has a point.  Best to leave Mr. Hollywood out of this for now, boss.”

“Yeah, I don't see Dwayne leaving himself outta this.” Taker said flatly. “Unless you convince him she's better off without his damn 'help'.”

“I'll get Paul on it...Maybe...”

Stephanie rubbed her temples, not even wanting to consider what came next. Were they just going to play a waiting game? How long? She had kids...and she then frowned.

“Cena won't...won't go after our families, will he?”

~!~

“You're an idiot.” John said flatly, staring down at an unconscious Glen Jacobs. He was dressed in scrubs and a facial mask, people were rather easy to fool, especially ones not in on the loop. He had read Kane's chart and shook his head again. “Moron, serves you right.” He put the chart back and walked out of the room, not even getting a second look from the nurse at the corner station.

Chapter 43

As soon as they landed at the unknown destination, Stephanie immediately called Paul and ordered him to bring the kids to their secluded spot with the girls.  Alex called his lover and demanded Mitch to get on the first flight he could because Cena was on the move.  Rajani couldn't believe they were all going to hide out together in this three story mansion, but there it was.  Two gays, a married couple with three kids and...Her and Taker.  This was going to be interesting to say the least. This was going to be hell. They were going to hide until what? Police finally caught Cena? So far the guy had evaded a nationwide manhunt! Taker felt absolutely useless and like the world's biggest asshole.

“This is insane, darlin'.”

Insane didn't even begin to cover it. The mansion was huge! Even with everyone there, they could all have their own private corridors and Alex had insisted on Stephanie clearing out the staff ahead of time just to be on the safe side. That 'one step ahead thing' had really sank into everyone's mind.

“I know.”

Rajani sat on the bed with her arms wrapped around herself, fresh out of the shower.  Their room was amazing with a private bathroom, a huge king sized bed, two dressers, a flat screen television with cable and all the trimmings.  No matter what though, she couldn't stop blaming herself for everything that had happened, including them hiding out.

“We're not going to be able to hide here forever.  We need to draw Cena out somehow and catch him off guard.”

“Darlin', drawing him out means putting you out there in the open where he could get at you.” Taker said flatly. “Unless we found a lookalike.” Even then, he wasn't so sure he wanted to subject a woman to John's brand of insanity, the man would probably snap an imitation Rajani in half. “You're keepin' your pert ass right here.” Where she was safe.

“When are you going to stop treating me like a porcelain doll?” Rajani demanded, standing from the bed and turned to face him, planting her hands on her hips. “That's why I didn't tell you about Kane's calls because I knew you wouldn't have let me meet him.  You would've stopped me, even if it meant locking me up.  John is not going to stop until he has what he wants, Taker.  Me.  And we both know it.  We can't hide forever, we have to face him head on or else we'll never be fully together.  You deserve better than that and so do I.  This is my fault, please let me try to fix it.”

“Darlin'...no offense, but the last time you tried to fix it was by meeting Glen and, if the phones hadn't been tapped, you could very well now be with John.” Taker reminded her patiently, not realizing his own part in allowing the phones to be tapped indicated, on some level, he didn't trust her judgment. He did, to an extent. If she thought her loved ones were in trouble, then no, there wasn’t any trust there.

“That's a nice way of saying you don't trust me or my judgment.” Rajani read his mind and pursed her lips when he looked away from her, shaking her head. “So we're just supposed to lay low and hide out here until he's caught.  That's the master plan?  I'd rather be out there luring John out of HIS hiding spot and ending this for good.  But of course, I'm insane for saying that, right?”

“Yes.” Taker said bluntly, ignoring the look she shot him and shrugged. “You asked, darlin'. Give me credit, I'll never lie to you about what I think.” He was just overly honest and blunt, probably not exactly what a woman wanted in a man, but that's just how he was. “We haven't been here all that long, give Alex time to do...whatever it is he's going to do and, if he ain't come up with nothin' in a reasonable amount of time, then we'll look to a different plan of action, alright?”

“I hate this.  I hate all of this.” Tossing her hands up in defeat, Rajani slumped back on the bed and scooted up until her back pressed against the huge headboard. “It's not that I don't enjoy being here with you because I do.  I just hate that we have to hide out like cowards.  I've never backed down from anything in my life and neither have you, so that's why I feel cowardly right now.  I don't want to fight with you, Taker.  I just want to be with you freely without this asshole breathing down our necks.”

Then they should have went with the 'killing him is a viable option' theory. Not that he was going to say that one out loud, nope, she already looked like she was fixing to burst into tears. “Darlin', I-”

“Uncle Marky, Auntie Raj!”

“Am going to kill Paul.”

“Keep dreaming, Deadman.” Paul strolled in after his kids had jumped on the bed with Rajani. “Alex wants to talk to you two.”

“Hey my princess!” Rajani grinned, catching a flying Aurora coming straight at her and hugged her tightly, followed by Murphy and Vaughn.  The girls loved her and always wanted her to take them shopping whenever they were on the road with Paul and Stephanie. “How are you beautiful ladies doing?”

“Great!!” Aurora answered enthusiastically. “Daddy said we're all here on a vacation, isn't that exciting?!”

Rajani smiled warmly and nodded. “Yes it is.” She looked up at Paul, pretending not to be worried for the girls' sakes and stood up from the bed. “Where is he?”

“Downstairs in the drawing room.” Paul snickered when Murphy began tugging on Taker's... Mohawk... if it could be called that. “Now Smurf-”

“Mama doesn't like it when you call her that...”

“Smurf...don't tug on...” Paul winced when Murphy yanked on that fringe of hair. “Uncle Marky's hair.”

Taker just gritted his teeth into a painful smile and planted the little girl on his hip. “Lead the way.”

Without Taker noticing, Rajani had snapped a few pictures of Paul's daughter with him on her cell phone, slipping it back into her pocket before he noticed. She hoped Alex had some kind of plan to stop John because, if not, murder would be next along with a move to Canada. She didn't want Taker to commit murder, but at this point, Rajani would go along with it if it meant being divorced and unchained from John forever.

“Murphy, stop pulling on Mark's fuzz, sweetheart.” Stephanie softly scolded, taking her daughter from Taker with a smile and walked over to set her in the playpen Paul put up. “I still have no idea what possessed you to cut your beautiful hair off, Deadman.”

“Neither do I.” Rajani agreed, already knowing he did it because of her and hoped he would grow it out again because she loved it. “Anyway, Alex summoned us down here to talk, so where he is?”

“Would you hate me if I decided to get my hair chopped?” Paul asked, looking up at Stephanie with a smirk of his own because he'd already made plans with his barber to get it done as soon as this situation was over with.

“I wouldn't hate you.” Stephanie said nonchalantly, staring at her husband thoughtfully. “But I wouldn't rule out the possibility of divorce either.”

“So he can get away with chopping off his hair but not me?”

“Exactly.”

Taker was staying out of this one. He already got enough shit from everyone about his short hair and just glanced at Rajani with a slight shrug. He had every intention of letting his grow back out, cutting it had just seemed like a good idea at the time.

“You wanted to talk to us, darlin'?”

Alex nodded, suddenly looking troubled because Undertaker was in the room with them and he knew the plan he had in mind, he wouldn't go for it.  There were no other options though.  John was very smart and had made sure his hands were squeaky clean, paying off people to do his dirty work and whatnot.  He talked it over with Stephanie for several hours and both of them came to an agreement, of sorts, but Rajani was the wild card in all of this.  If she didn't agree to the plan, they were back to square one.

“Raja, you know I'm very fond of you, right?”

“Of course...” Rajani wasn't sure if she liked where this was going, feeling Taker's arm snake around her waist and kept her brown eyes on Alex. “What's going on?”

Stephanie sighed, knowing she had to interfere because Alex looked as though he might piss himself because of Taker's intense gaze. “The show has to go on.  We can't hide out forever, obviously.  We have jobs and we can't disappoint the fans.  So Rajani, I know you don't like this, but...we brought someone else here.”

“Hello Raja.”

Her head snapped to the side, eyes widening at the sight of her big brother standing in the doorway and felt tears fill her eyes, turning to stare back at Stephanie. “I told you to leave him out of this!  What is wrong with you?!”

“I love you too, sis.”

“What the hell is going on, Stephanie?  Enough with the secrets, I want to know why my brother is here, after I specifically told you to leave him out of this.”

Rajani was pissed, her dark eyes flashing and hoped Taker didn't know about this happening or else she would find a way to punish him. For once, Taker could say in all honesty that he had no idea what was going on. Of course, it would take a blind, deaf, dumb idiot to not see what this was, or where it was headed, but he hadn't KNOWN until just now. They were going to bring in Dwayne, but for what reason? Just what was big brother going to do that none of them could? Besides kill John, which he was still calling dibs on.

“Someone best start talkin' now.” He ordered, looping an arm around Rajani to keep her from flying off and punching someone, or bolting in a fit of anger.

Paul raked a hand through his hair and sighed, shooting Alex and Stephanie an ‘I told you so’ look.

Stephanie ignored her husband, actually having a set to do something about this situation instead of hide out like criminals, which they were not. “Dwayne has a match at Backlash.” It hadn’t been confirmed yet, but now they could start advertising since Dwayne had some downtime in between movies.

“I know, didn't think it was still on though...” Rajani slowly began putting the pieces together in her mind, eyebrows furrowing in thought. “You're not serious, are you?”

“Raja, I would never put you in danger if I knew you wouldn't be perfectly safe.” Stephanie assured her, ignoring Taker for the moment and looked over at Dwayne. “He's agreed to this too, so will you help us put an end to John Cena once and for all?”

“What do I have to do?” If it meant getting John out of her life forever, Rajani would do whatever was necessary, including being bait, which is what she knew Stephanie was working up the courage to say aloud.

“We're going to do a storyline that involves everything that's happened...” She held her hand up before Taker could open his mouth. “Let me finish first before you fly off the handle, Mark.” She ordered, clearing her throat. “I know this is a risk because it means everything that's happened up to this point would be exposed for the world to see. We're not going to show anything that happened with Mark because he's not going to be part of the storyline. It's going to be a big brother protecting his little sister from a brash young rookie who wants his torch, so to speak. Do you think you can handle being your brother's valet for a few weeks?”

While Rajani mulled it over, Taker had immediately processed and snorted. “Brilliant Stephanie and, if I know you, which I do Princess, even though this exposes everything for the 'world to see', it'll still be unbelievable enough to be passed off as another storyline.” Honestly, this nightmare that had gone on for so long was something almost straight out of a movie. If people only knew and could believe the truth wouldn't they be surprised?

“We can fill in the blanks with 'interviews', short little segments from Raja and Dwayne.”

“Am I the only one who thinks this is stupid? Using Raja as bait? We're talking John Cena here, the kid has shown he isn't as dumb as we- OW!” Paul shut up when Stephanie slapped him upside the head. “What?! I'm just saying- OW, DAMN IT, STEPH!”

“I'll do it.” Rajani stated, making the whole room grow completely silent and blinked, tears sliding down her cheeks. “If it means getting rid of this dick, I'm in.” She knew Taker didn't like this plan a bit, but there was nothing else they could do. “We can't hide out here forever and I'm done being pushed around by the puny bastard. It's time to put an end to this.”

Stephanie and Alex both breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing those words because it really was all up to Rajani at this point. “Dwayne, are you in or not? You have to agree to this before we move forward with the storyline and it has to start on Raw this Monday if we're doing it.”

“I'm in.” Dwayne said, having already been spoken too by both Alex and Stephanie.

They had figured it would be best to get him in the loop before bringing him in in order to avoid a blow up when everything had been laid on the table. He was pretty sure he didn't know everything, but he knew enough and if they wanted to gloss over some of the more... finer... details, that was all right with him. Dwayne still remembered what had happened before Rajani had left him in Florida, after that, not so much. They still had a rough relationship, hopefully, once this was all over, they could work on that.

“And I am to stay out of this?”

“That would be a big help if you did.” Alex said, studying the Deadman thoughtfully. “Are you going to?”

“I'll sit back and watch.” The 'for now' was implied in his tone.

Rajani walked over to her brother, staring into his dark eyes that matched hers and reached up to wrap her arms around his neck, more tears falling. “I'm sorry for what happened between us.” She whispered in his ear, feeling his arms tighten around her and just stood there, not wanting to fight with her family. She needed everyone she could find on her side in the fight against Cena. “You were right, I didn't see the warning signs and I wish I had listened to you.” Pulling back, Rajani let her big brother wipe her tears away, just like he had so many times when they were younger, and cracked a small smile. “Forgive me?”

There was no way Dwayne would condone her being with another wrestler, but Rajani hoped Dwayne learned his lesson getting into her love life. Hopefully he would let her figure things out for herself because there were no warning signs with Taker. They loved each other and he'd protected her even when she walked away from him to marry Cena, even when she broke his heart into pieces.

“Of course I do, can you forgive me?”

Dwayne smiled when she nodded, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head before glancing over her at Taker. He would have had to be a complete moron to not know about their relationship. Hell, before there even was a relationship it had been almost impossible to notice the way the man was protective of Rajani, so... he wasn't going to say anything. If she had to date a wrestler, Mark Calaway was probably the best choice for her. Even if he had gone and chopped off his hair, Dwayne still didn’t understand what the man was thinking personally.

Chapter 44

What turned out to be a decent plan was nixed almost instantly, due to the fact nobody could find Cena. He had disappeared off the face of the earth, refusing to acknowledge Stephanie's many phone calls, emails...nothing. He was in hiding, waiting, biding his time and choosing when to strike next. So everyone left the mansion and returned to their lives, refusing to go into hiding because John Cena was only one man and couldn't strike them all at once. It was impossible. Dwayne went back to Hollywood to do movies, Paul became the new boss in the WWE and Stephanie stayed in the shadows with the writing time in the back, raising their beautiful girls. Alex stayed on as her assistant, doing side jobs whenever he had a spare minute.

As for Rajani and Taker, they went back to Dallas, after Taker had his house completely redone, and demanded Rajani move in with him. He didn't want to be apart from her again, not after everything that happened and Rajani agreed almost instantly. So they moved her in and she took care of the divorce proceedings from Dallas with her lawyer, who was filing it under abandonment. 4 months had passed with no word on her divorce or John's whereabouts. Before they knew it, July rolled around and nothing had disturbed their peaceful lives - until Stephanie called begging Taker to make an appearance at Raw 1000. The 1000th episode of Monday Night Raw had finally arrived and it was a massive celebration, so of course Taker agreed, with the stipulation that Rajani accompany him on the road. She didn't want him missing out on the show and reluctantly agreed to return to the world of wrestling on Taker's arm, not wanting to be anywhere else in life.

“You sure about this, darlin'?” Taker asked as they packed their bags for the road.

While life had been as good as it could be, given the circumstances of a divorce going at the speed of a snail and no signs of John anywhere, he knew that going back on the road was likely to draw someone out of the woodwork. Especially since Rajani was going back on the road with him. When she just gave him an exasperated look and a nod, he shrugged.

“Just figured I'd make sure one more time.”

“I know you're just worried about me and I appreciate the concern, you know that.” Rajani smiled, zipping up her bag and then walked over on the other side of the king sized bed to help Taker pack up the rest of his things. “Did Stephanie tell you what you'd be doing on the show?” She wasn't surprised when Taker shook his head, feeling uneasy about it and pushed the feeling away, trusting Stephanie's judgment. “I'm sure whatever it is, you'll approve of.” Little did they both know the surprise Stephanie had planned for Taker's segment on the show.

“No Jani, I probably won't because it's Stephanie. Love her like a little sister or somethin’, but the woman is a McMahon.” Not something he would ever forget or underestimate. While he trusted Stephanie with Rajani's life and his own, Taker wasn't usually keen on blind trust. McMahons were McMahons, period. “If not I'll just... suggest... something else.” He rarely suggested, he told, but sometimes pretended to be somewhat modest. Not that Rajani would buy it, she knew him a bit too well. At her eye roll, he smirked and pulled her into his arms flush against his body.

“The day you suggest something is the day hell freezes over.” Rajani remarked, laughing softly and accepted a soft passionate kiss from him, stroking his face tenderly with the back of her hand.

The past 4 months had been the happiest and most hectic because Rajani had tried finding a job to keep her mind off of things while Taker worked on his real estate company. He finally made her his secretary, though she refused to let the man she had sex with on a daily and nightly basis pay her. That was just wrong on so many levels.

“I almost forgot to tell you. Daniel called today and said he wants that house in Houston, so do you want me to make an appointment with him or wait until we return from the road?”

“Why don't you let Marian handle the sale? She can keep us posted on the road. She knows how to do a closing.” Taker suggested, smirking slightly.

Rajani had refused to be paid, so he had simply opened an account for her and deposited the money there, along with a 401K plan. Forging her signature was easy since he already had it. If she didn't want to touch the money well fine, when she decided to retire, she would have plenty of money for it.

“Woman, stop worryin' about work.” He ordered, capturing her wrists in his hands and nudging her down on the bed between their suitcases. He got why she had been Stephanie's assistant though, no detail left unnoticed.

She also applied that elsewhere... could there have been a more perfect woman for him?

“Sorry, but you know how I am when it comes to my job.”

Her dark hair fanned all around her as his lips found hers again, her captured hands managing to press against his chest. Rajani sighed in contentment as Taker's mouth left hers to trail his lips down her jaw and neck, beginning the teasing. Just as Taker began sliding his hand up her spaghetti strapped tank top to fondle her breasts, Rajani's cell phone blared throughout the room, effectively disrupting their moment.

“I should get that...” She said breathlessly, opening her dark eyes to lock with smoldering forest green. “It could be Charles with an update...” Her divorce from Cena, which is what they'd both been waiting for impatiently.

Decisions, decisions - Keep going with what would undoubtedly be more of the best sex Taker ever had or let her answer her cell? It was more than likely not Charles, but Stephanie or Alex, who seemed to call a dozen times a day just to verify that they really were coming back on the road. Sighing, he got off of her and let her get the phone. If it were Stephanie or Alex, he was going to have to harm them a little bit. Given that so far, they hadn't heard a damn thing about her divorce other than 'we can't find Cena' and 'we're trying on grounds of abandonment', Taker wasn't going to hold his breath. Brushing her lips against his neck quickly, Rajani winked and answered the phone, flipping it open without looking at the caller ID.

“This better be important.” She stated, somewhat annoyed they'd been disturbed and felt her eyes widen at the sound of Charles on the other end.

“Well I would hope your divorce would be important enough, Rajani.” Charles remarked, looking over the paperwork and smiled, deciding to stretch this out a bit. “So how are you?”

Feeling her body go numb, Rajani could only hold the phone and felt a lump suddenly form in her throat. “Charles, you didn't call to make small talk.” She said somewhat hoarsely, looking up at Taker with wide eyes. “What's wrong?”

“For once I can say absolutely nothing, just have a little information I know you've been waiting to hear.”

Closing her eyes, Rajani sagged back against the headboard as tears surfaced, trying not to let hope overtake her. “Charles, are you telling me what I think you are?”

He beamed proudly, nodding. “You are officially Rajani Johnson again. It's finally over.”

Tears instantly ran down her face as soon as those words came out of Charles's mouth and Rajani let out the biggest squeal, jumping up to stand on the bed. “YES!! THANK YOU CHARLES!!”

She began jumping up and down on the bed, tossing her phone up in the air as the biggest wave of relief crashed over her. She was no longer married to John Felix-Anthony Cena and no longer had to carry his filthy last name. Now, she could finally be with Taker fully, every part of her erupting with emotion and jumped right into Taker's arms, planting an explosive kiss on his lips. From what he heard of the conversation from her side and the way she had just exploded, Taker gathered she had finally gotten the news they had both been waiting for. He caught her when she leapt at him, holding her up while returning the emotionally charged kiss. Good. She was divorced from that prick Cena and, if she ever decided to take that walk down the aisle again, he knew damn well it would be with him.

“I guess those abandonment charges finally came through.” He rumbled when she pulled away finally, pressing his forehead against hers tenderly.

Nodding, Rajani couldn't speak at the moment because she didn't trust her voice, every part of her body shaking against him. It wasn't out of fear, she was so relieved that it was almost too powerful for her to handle. Rajani did want to be married, just not to a scumbag like John Cena. She wanted to be married to someone who loved and protected her, who caught her when she began falling. The man holding her was who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with and nothing could hold them back now.

“Marry me.” She whispered, her dark eyes locking with bewildered emerald green. “I love you and I want to be your wife, Taker. I want to have your babies and watch them have babies and grow old with you watching our grandchildren. So marry me and make me yours completely.”

Rajani had never been so sure of anything in her life and hoped Taker felt the same way she did, cupping his rugged face in her soft hands. Considering he had just mentally envisioned her next husband, him of course, he probably shouldn't have been shocked, but he was. She had just been told she was a free woman and was now proposing to him?!

Taker wasn't necessarily a traditionalist, but... “Where's my ring?” He finally managed to get out, really hoping his voice had stayed level, his heart was thudding in his ears so he wasn't sure if it had.

Rajani grinned, kissing him again and squirmed out of his arms so she could walk over to the nightstand. “I bought this a few months ago and I've just been waiting for that phone call.” Her voice was also shaky and, if Rajani noticed Taker's trembling tone, she didn't point it out.

Pulling out a black velvet box, Rajani turned and handed it over to him, flipping the top up to reveal his ring.  It was a simple white gold band with indentations in the middle. A small onyx diamond sat right in the middle to separate the indentations in the band.

“So, will you marry me?  If you don't like the ring, we can always take it back and get something else, but I instantly thought of you when I saw this one.”

Oh my god, he actually thought it, sounding just like a 14 year old girl in his head. She actually had a ring. Taker DID feel like such a girl right now, wasn't this the man's thing? If she got down on one knee, he was checking himself into the hospital for a cat-scan.

“Darlin'...” He cleared his throat, trying to get past how surreal this moment was. When it looked like she was bracing herself for a no, he took the box. “Yes.”

Smacking him on the arm, Rajani took the ring out of the box and placed it on his left ring finger, the biggest smile on her face. “Jerk, you had me worried there for a minute!” She chastised, kissing him tenderly and was pleased that the ring was a perfect fit. “Dwayne is going to kill me when he finds out the same day I get divorced I end up engaged again.” She laughed, loving the irony and rubbed her nose against Taker's. “Are you okay?  I know this was unexpected...”

“Yeah, I'm fine Jani, just processin' the fact that I'm the girl right now.” Taker admitted with a snort, earning himself another smack on the arm and snatched her pert ass up, this time kissing her explosively. When he set her down, he studied the ring she had picked out for him. She definitely knew him well because it was something he would have picked out for himself, providing he had gone engagement ring shopping. “And Dwayne is going to mind his manners or I won't invite him to the weddin' shower.” He teased with a playful growl.

Rajani giggled, picturing Taker in full wedding attire with the big poufy dress and long veil.  That was a very disturbing image!  She couldn't stop laughing though, knowing that image of him would be forever burned in her memory.

“So I guess this means I get a bachelorette party then since you're having the shower.  Hmm maybe I'll invite strippers...”

She squealed when Taker nipped her neck, loving how playful they were even after all this time.  Rajani could remember back when she started traveling with Taker full-time in the WWE and all their playful antics.  Never could she have imagined they'd end up together and were now engaged to be married.

“Darlin', there's a party for both the bachelor and bachelorette, so we can both have strippers, but if yer going to get female strippers, do me a favor and tape it.” He teased, knowing damn well neither of them were big on 'sharing', especially each other. Not to mention, if Rajani had been serious and some guy in a thong decided to give her a lap dance... “We could elope.”

“No, if I elope again, Dwayne is going to kill me and my wife.” She smirked when Taker growled at her, giggling and shrugged, tossing her hands up in defense. “Hey, you're the one who said you were the girl right now, so I'm just picturing how beautiful you'll look in your wedding dress...with your garter and veil.  We'll have to find the right shade of gloss for you too and you need to grow your hair out, baldy.”

“Sure, and we'll find some glass slippers to support my large ass and slap a 'Hi, my name is Cinderella' label on me.” Taker growled, trying not to find this as amusing as she obviously was.

HIM? In a DRESS? In a GARTER? Being giddy over her divorce and new engagement had caused Rajani to lose her mind apparently.

“Jani, you'll be the one in the dress with the garter...” And he was going to be the one kneeling in front of her to remove it with his teeth, preferably.

“Number one, I'm not going to be a Cinderella knockoff.” Rajani informed him, shifting to sit on her knees in front of him, dark eyes shimmering with newfound happiness and life. “I already have an idea on what my dress will look like and it's not going to be a poufy ball gown like I just imagined you in.” She smiled sweetly, gasping when he yanked her to straddle his lap, and draped her arms loosely on his shoulders. “I want to do this right, Taker.  I want my brother to give me away to you and I want to say our vows in front of our friends and family, people that care most about us.  I want the reception, the whole shebang.  And if you smash cake in my face, I will find a way to hurt you.”

“So you want the whole shebang minus the cake smashing part? Isn't that tradition, darlin'?” Taker teased, trapping her wrists behind her back when she went to smack him on the arm. “Play nicely or else...” He rumbled, bending down to kiss the side of her throat, his mustache and goatee tickling her skin. Of course, in the back of his mind, Taker knew they would have to make sure everything was settled on all fronts or there was a good chance a wedding would draw some insects out of the wood.

“This engagement is anything but traditional, considering the woman proposed to the man and even had a ring for him.”

She smirked, proud of herself and giggled at the small hairs from his goatee tickling her, squirming on his lap.  They could start planning the wedding, but wouldn't have it until she knew for certain that John Cena was fully out of their lives.  The last thing she wanted was for that dick to interrupt the most important and happiest day of their lives.

“You're not playing nice right now holding my hands.  Very cruel, dear fiancé.”

“You were imaginin' me in a poufy, gay dress, darlin', that was cruel. This... this is just foreplay...” He breathed, hot breath hitting her neck and smirked when Rajani tried to hide a shiver.

Moving slowly to her other side, Taker brushed his lips against her earlobe, knowing it drove her crazy. They would definitely be waiting until Cena had been caught and was dealt with. There was no way he would be having a Lorna Doone moment at his wedding and he wouldn't put it past Cena to interrupt to try killing someone.

“Thank the stars we don't have to be at the airport until tomorrow.” Rajani murmured softly, her heart rate picking up in speed at Taker's administrations, knowing he wanted her in the worst way.  They hadn't ate dinner, but that definitely could wait, both wanting dessert first.  Rajani moved her head until their lips connected, feeling Taker bury his free hand in her dark tresses. “Mmm let go so I can pull my top off.” She requested in a throaty moan, her whole body ignited in flames that only Taker could start and extinguish.

Rajani smiled when he obliged, removing her tank top, along with her bra, tossing both to the side and quickly removed his sleeveless shirt, kissing him again. Lifting her only to deposit her right back on the bed, Taker halted long enough to shut off both their cell phones and move the luggage to the floor. With them going back on the road again, he'd be lucky to get at least one day with her undisturbed. It was going to be hectic, that was just a given. Taker shed his jeans, aware her eyes were roaming him and smirked, bending down to discard the rest of her clothes.

“See somethin' you like, darlin'?”

“More than you know.”

Loving how Taker hovered over her to show his dominance, he was very gentle with her whenever they made love.  Also, it always felt like the first time whenever they came together, their bodies molding as one in perfect rhythm.  Only when both were completely spent and could barely move did they finally fall asleep, tangled in each other's arms.

Chapter 45

Nervous didn't come close to how Rajani felt the next morning as they boarded a private jet plane that would take them straight to St. Louis, Missouri, where Raw 1000 would emanate from.  Rajani refused to let go of Taker's hand the whole flight and drive there, suddenly wanting to be back in their safe bubble in Dallas.  Something told her this was a very bad idea, but she kept her worries to herself and just breathed in and out slowly to calm her nerves.

Maybe it was her nervousness seeping into him, but Taker also had that feeling. Of course, whenever he seemed to step back into the WWE muck and mire, something happened, usually to Rajani. Maybe she should have stayed to home... No, that wouldn't have worked. One, she would have given him hell and come anyway. Two, he would have driven himself up a wall and brought her regardless. Not much variance in options there.

“Everythin' is going to be fine, Jani.” He assured her, hoping nothing turned him into a liar.

“I know, just on edge for all the obvious reasons.”

She cracked a hesitant smile, hoping he believed her and tensed when he pulled up to the arena.  They dropped most of their things off at the hotel and only brought his wrestling attire.  She wore a navy blue skirt with a white halter top that had a navy blue flower etched near the hem, trailing up the sides in a vine design.

Her dark hair was swept up on top of her head, keeping it off her neck since it was about a billion degrees outside.  It was the end of July, one of the hottest days of the summer so far, so Rajani dressed comfortably, wearing white flip flops.  If Stephanie didn't like it, she could get bent because it was too damn hot to dress up.

Stephanie could kiss Taker’s ass as far as he was concerned. Though, Stephanie being Stephanie probably knew this was a packaged deal. She didn't get one without the other and, right now, her show needed the Undertaker, so anything she might not like, she would bite her tongue on and swallow. He smirked, being one of the big dogs had its perks sometimes. He sighed as they parked, shifting in his seat to stare at her.

“Not too late darlin', we could still go home.”

“And disappoint all your adoring fans?  Absolutely not!”

Grinning in spite of her nerves, Rajani hopped out of the Chevy Silverado and walked over to grab Taker's hand, after he retrieved his bag, both of them walking into the building together.  She had no idea what awaited them tonight, but whatever it was they'd tackle it as a team.  She refused to go out there with him though because, quite frankly, the Undertaker having a valet would open up a fresh can of worms that was better left alone.  And destroy his character.

“Steph wanted us to see her first and, if I recall correctly, her office would be at the end of this hall.”

“Well it looks like she sent out our favorite fabulous commando.” Taker nodded his head towards Alex, who was fast approaching. He would never, ever wrap his head around the fact that Alex, who may or may not have been gay, was some sort of... weirdo James Bond.

“Metrosexual, say it with me now, met-ro-sex-ual.” Alex said deadpan. “Don't make me take you down.”

“No thanks, not my type.”

Alex rolled his eyes, looking at Rajani. “You're looking... beautiful.” He said finally, eyeballing her outfit. “I love the vines.”

Taker snorted.

“Thank you, this is about as dressed up as I'm getting since it's hotter than Hades outside.” She stated, squeezing Taker's hand to let him know Alex was just kidding and smiled at her favorite metrosexual. “So where is Stephanie?”

“In her office, but...” Alex sighed, clearing his throat awkwardly. “Before you go inside, there's something you need to know.”

This was the 'something' that Rajani had feared happening and braced herself for whatever came out of Alex's mouth. “What is it, Alex?”

“It's regarding your segment tonight on Raw, Taker.” He ignored the man's glare, waving him off dismissively. “The ass you'll be saving, rather...”

“What are you-?”

Just then, Stephanie's office door opened and none other than Kane/Glen Jacobs stepped out.

If Alex hadn't instantly stepped directly in his path, Taker would have gone and knocked his former best friend's head clean off for the part he had played in Cena's schemes involving Rajani. “Move.” He growled, ignoring Stephanie. “You're giving him a free fuckin' pass?”

“Not necessarily free, now listen…”

Kane just watched with arms folded over his chest, looking the same as ever including the slight unctuous smirk.

After listening to Stephanie, inside of her office away from prying ears, all Rajani could do was gawk blankly at her boss. “You're kidding me, right?” She demanded, folding her arms in front of her chest and felt very uncomfortable with Kane in the same room as them. “I don't understand...”

“What’s not to understand, Raja?” Alex thought Stephanie’s plan was brilliant. “She wants you to focus on your personal life. You’ve given a lot to this company and this situation with John will be handled accordingly.”

Alex could be a smooth talker when he wanted to be. “Precisely, there's no reason to bring you on-screen, it was my mistake to suggest it.  I want you to remain my assistant, keep you off the television and as far away Cena as possible.”

“Besides, I'm quitting this company to travel the world.” That was a blatant lie, though what Rajani didn't know wouldn't hurt her. “So Stephy is going to need all the help she can get.”

At this point, Stephanie shared a secret look with both Taker and Kane, her eyes telling them they would discuss what would REALLY happen to Cena once Rajani was out earshot. “Agreed then?”

Kane simply nodded. Wiseass and evil he may have been, but he was not totally stupid. He knew right now was the best time to keep his mouth shut. It was best to let Taker get used to the fact that he was there, alive and free.

Taker was sorely tempted to point out that Alex already did travel the world, but simply swallowed down the malarkey being served from the Princess’s silver platter. Knowing her devious McMahon mind had come up with a solution to their Cena problem, Taker decided to wait and hear her out before deciding it he would tell Rajani or not. “Fine.” He grunted, wondering how they were going to manage dislodging Rajani from Stephanie's ass tonight.

Rajani was completely confused and didn't know what to think about this sudden change of plans, her mind racing.  How the hell was she supposed to focus on the upcoming wedding arrangements when a psycho was after her?  When Stephanie asked her to go grab everyone some coffee, Rajani had no choice except to obey and stepped out, heading down the hallway.  John wasn't in the building; Stephanie had increased security, so Rajani wasn't worried about roaming the arena by herself...much.

“Now that she's gone, we can get down to real business.” Stephanie pulled a folder out of her desk and slapped it on the table, eyeing Mark as he reached for it. “Mark, there is a reason I asked Glen here tonight.  The fact of the matter is: this storyline that Paul has whirling around in his brain is not going to work.  Cena has already proved he's slick and slimy; hell he broke into your house in Texas with ample security, I might add.  So, the only way I see stopping him once and for all is murder.  My family is in danger now because of him and that won't be tolerated.  Paul is against this, but if it means getting rid of the psychotic bastard, then so be it.  Glen, I know you had ties with Cena and worked closely with him, I'm willing to overlook what you've done to Rajani, if you help us kill Cena.  Dwayne is already in the loop and agreed to do it, so the only ones that didn't know are you two.  Rajani is NOT to find out about this if you agree and if that means you lie to her, then lie.  She will stop it from happening because she doesn't want his blood on any of our hands.  I'm afraid that time has long passed and we have no other options.  Questions?”

Alex stood there stone faced, already agreeing to help bring down John Cena.

Taker was all for killing John Cena, but even he was hesitating. This was Stephanie McMahon talking about killing a man, just as cool and calm as if she’d discussed the weather. And there were people in on this, more than he was comfortable with.

“And what's to stop Jacobs from spillin' the beans after the deed is done? Don't tell me you trust him now.”

“She's not that big an idiot.” Kane said, a hint of dark humor lacing his tone. “Stephy has her own way of ensuring I behave myself. Don't you Princess?”

“Don't wanna know. Let's just get down to it. Do we know where he is?”

“Everything you need to know is in that folder.”

Stephanie had to come to grips with this plan before revealing it to anyone else because, truthfully, she wasn't a killer at heart.  But her children were in danger as long as John Cena roamed the earth.  Stephanie refused to let anything happen to them, even if it meant tainting her hands with blood.  Not to mention Rajani had been through enough and Stephanie had grown rather fond of the woman, not wanting anything happening to her.

“He's in Malibu.” Alex chirped, having gotten all the information for Stephanie. “And it just so happens the WWE will be there next Monday.”

“I've already demanded that John needs to come back to work, it's mandatory.”

“Now the hard part of this dance will be to make it look like an accident.  So we have a week to figure this out and, like Stephanie said, Rajani is not to know anything about this or it will fall apart.” Alex eyeballed Taker, not worried about Kane keeping his trap shut.

“Jani won't find out.” Taker said gruffly, not liking the unsaid implication that he might spill the beans to his...fiancée. No, he would not; she'd probably leave him, or worse. “Your issue is making sure Cena actually shows up. A guy like him isn't going to care if it's ‘mandatory’ or not.”

Taker had a point, but Kane still remained quiet, his mind already thinking ahead.

“If there's one thing I know about John, it's this job means everything to him.  Granted, he's committed crimes that we'll overlook because of his stardom.” She smirked, blue eyes flashing wickedly. “Trust me, he'll show.” Stephanie could be vindictive when she wanted; she was a McMahon after all. “And something tells me you two will come up with a plan if for some odd reason he doesn't show up.  Now if you'll excuse me, I have to look over some important paperwork regarding new potential stars.  Mark, give these to Rajani...” She handed over another manila folder. “And tell her to go over them for me please.  Thank you gentlemen.”

Rajani returned with the coffee just as Mark, Glen and Alex walked out, her brown eyes locking on her fiancé. “Everything okay?” She asked, seeing how grave they all looked and stepped back instinctively when Kane moved forward.  She did not and would never trust this man again as long as she lived; touching her throat, remembering what he did to her.

Stephanie was slick. She was one of the smartest women he had ever known, but she was seriously underestimating the mind of a demented man. Cena didn't care about his job that was obvious. He had gone out of his way to attempt murder on co-workers; he had done things at work that clearly stated he had no regard for the WWE. But...there was always something to bring John around if need be.

“Yeah, everything is fine, darlin'.” Taker said, wrapping an arm protectively around her waist and squeezing gently, letting her know he wasn't about to let anything happen to her, though he was mindful of the coffee.

Nodding, Rajani cracked a small smile up at him and took the manila envelope he handed her, heading into Stephanie's office, dropping her coffee off.

“Mark has the paperwork I want you to go over.  You can stay in his dressing room if you want.  I know you feel safer with him close by.” Stephanie said, not looking up at Rajani and could already feel a migraine flaring up. “Your choice.”

“I got it, thank you.” As tempting as it was to stick by Mark's side, Rajani had a job to do and knew she couldn't stick to Mark's side like glue. “No, I'll be fine in here.  He probably needs some space from me since we've been inseparable because of the asshole.” She sat down in a chair, opened the envelope Mark handed her and began her work.

“Very well.”

“Say one word to me and I'll fucking pound your face in.”

“Technically, we're working together. That requires communication, don't you think?”

Taker whirled on his former best friend that had betrayed him for money and done god knows what to Rajani. “Yeah, I got your communication right here.” He sneered, sending Kane backwards with a well thrown punch.

Kane cupped his mouth, staring intently at Mark before finally spitting out blood. “Feel better?”

As a matter of fact, he did.

Later that night at the hotel, Rajani and Mark drove back to the hotel together, heading inside to go up to their room.  That was until Mark realized his wallet was missing, so Rajani ended up taking the stairs alone, leaving the bags for him to cart up.  As soon as she stepped into the stairwell, Rajani accidentally bumped into someone on her way up the stairs, hating how clumsy she was tonight.  Brown eyes widened at the sight of Glen Jacobs standing there and Rajani fought the urge to run up the stairs away from him.  After everything he'd done to her...Rajani opened her mouth to say something and instead turned, heading up the stairs away from him.

Chapter 46

“Now Rajani, can't you take a minute?” Kane asked, following her at a distance, not about to get jaw jacked or something worse, knowing fully well she didn't trust him anymore than she could throw him. “After all, you trusted me enough to meet me, alone.” At least, they had assumed it was alone. If he had known then what he knew now, Kane might've not shown up at all to that meeting.

She continued ignoring him, jumping when his hand reached out to stop her from going up the next set of stairs and felt her back press against the wall. “Get your hand off me now.” Rajani whispered, trying to fight back tears that stung her eyes and rubbed it as soon as he obeyed. “What the hell is your game, Jacobs?  Why do you suddenly want to help the same woman you enjoy torturing?  What the hell is in it for you?” Not sure she wanted to know, the questions fired out of her mouth before she could stop them. “Stay away from me.  As far as I'm concerned, you cease to exist to me and I want nothing to do with you.”

“You sure about that Rajani?” Kane challenged, staring down at her contemptuously, knowing Taker had gone back down to the car after something. This was fortunate for him because if Taker had been present during this... altercation, Kane had no doubts that the man would have thrown him down the stairs, broken his neck and made it look like the accident they needed for Cena. “I'm a pretty useful guy to know.” He knew he was goading her and that was fine. He didn't need her to trust him; in fact, her not trusting him was for the best.

“No you're as much of a psycho prick as your good buddy Cena and, the only reason you're helping me, is because he's now after Steph’s family.  This isn't for me; it's to keep your ass from going to jail.” Rajani wasn't stupid or naive, refusing to believe anything that came out of this monster's mouth. Why couldn't he just leave her alone?  Why did he have to follow her up the stairs to her and Taker's floor? “Stay away from me or else, Jacobs.  I mean it.”

“Right, I always do things for some specific reason that usually means money or saving my ass, you know me so well.” Kane replied sarcastically, though there was a grain of truth in what she had said. “And if I don't stay away from you, what'll you do? Sick Marky boy on me?” He baited further, lips curving into a knowing smirk when he seen her quivering. Probably fear and anger both. When Rajani whirled around, he outright laughed, holding his hands up and took a step back. “Alright, I'm going, but you need me. Don't ever think that you don't, because you're wrong.”

Brown eyes narrowed at him, wondering if he really was insane or just enjoyed screwing with her. “You bastard!!” She suddenly shoved him with all of her might against his chest and felt tears spill down her cheeks when he just laughed at her, though he stumbled back a few feet near the edge of the stairs. “I don't need you and I never will!! Do you hear me?! I DON'T NEED YOU!! The only person I need is my goddamn fiancé!!”

Everything was getting to Rajani and she couldn't believe she lost it like that with Kane, trembling from head to toe. Without another thought, she bolted through the door to the hotel suite and pulled her keycard out, praying Kane didn't come after her. If she could just get inside, Rajani would be safe until Taker arrived, then she could cling to him for dear life and tell him about the altercation with Kane.

Kane shook his head, staring at the closed and most definitely dead bolted door. He probably shouldn't have provoked her. No doubt Rajani would tell her loving man what had happened. He stroked his chin thoughtfully, knowing that was not going to go over well and he might wind up dead before Stephanie got to use him for her devious plans. It was time to vacate. Insane, slightly evil, yes. Stupid, not so much.

“Raj?” Taker called through the door not 10 minutes later, frowning when he couldn't immediately open it after sliding his keycard through the slot. “What the...” He banged the flat of his hand against the door. “Rajani? Darlin', open the door!” He knew she was paranoid and with good reason, but this...wait, it had actually better be paranoia or else someone was going to have to die.

The second Rajani heard Taker's voice, she immediately rushed to the door and unbolted it, scrubbing a hand down her face. “Sorry.” She muttered, walking away from him and sat down on the bed, staring down at her hands.

The bed dipping beside her let her know Taker had joined her and his large hand engulfed one of her own, making her look up at him. How were they supposed to trust Glen - Kane - whoever he wanted to be called? He was the one who kidnapped her once and then nearly twice if it hadn't been for Stephanie's assistant, Alex. Did she tell Taker about her run-in with Kane in the hallway or did she keep it a secret? Rajani didn't know what to do, feeling more confused than she had in her entire life.

“What are you thinking about?” She asked quietly, leaning her head against his arm as her eyes closed, relishing the feeling of being close to Taker. “Tell me everything is going to be okay, Taker. T-Tell me everything will work out, even if you don't believe it.”

He cocked a brow down at her, staring intently in Rajani's beautiful brown eyes, pools Taker could get lost in if he didn't keep himself alert and he saw fear there. It broke his heart, knowing she was terrified and with good reason. She was asking him to lie to her, more than he was already doing with Stephanie and her plans to murder John Cena, which he wholly approved of. Something had happened, or maybe his already on edge mind was just supplying him with scenarios and preying on him.

“Everythin' WILL work out, darlin'.” He told her, not lying to her because it was the truth. One way or another, everything was going to be fine.

“I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you. Just...promise me you'll be careful when it comes to Cena. He's a slick son of a bitch, not that you don't already know that.”

She accepted a soft kiss from him and stood from the bed to grab the phone, ordering both of them something to eat. Even though she had zero appetite, she really had to keep her strength up. Kane could strike again at any given moment and Rajani had to be ready for him in case she had to make a run for it. After placing the order, she hung up and crawled over to where Taker sat, wrapping her arms around his neck from behind.

“With this situation going on right now, what do you want to do about our wedding? Do you want to postpone it until you know Cena is gone for good or do you want to proceed with it? I'll do whatever you want, Taker.” Rajani desperately needed some insight because she didn't know the first thing about planning a wedding.

All things considered, Taker was more than tempted to snatch her ass up and run off with her just so they could be married ASAP, just in case. He had already lost Rajani once to John Cena. He wasn't about to let it happen a second time around. However, doing that would just make it look like something was wrong and she honestly did deserve a proper wedding. Secretly, he wanted to see her walk down the aisle to him in a wedding gown.

“Darlin’, we're not postponing the wedding. Do you need help with it?” Taker had no idea how to go about planning a wedding, but he was sure Alex did, or that Alex could recommend someone. Metrosexual indeed.

“No, I can handle it, I think.”

Rajani knew he had enough on his plate with this Cena situation and honestly she did too. How the hell was she supposed to plan a wedding with all this crap going on around them? Kissing the side of his neck, Rajani reached around to pull his shirt from his pants, caressing his bare chest with her hands.

“Just remember,” She paused briefly, nibbling on his ear. “You're the one who has to wear the wedding dress.” Rajani couldn't help baiting him, giggling when he growled and knew she was in trouble for that crack. She did love Taker's form of punishment though.

His form of punishment was going to include a bite to her delicious ass because, quite frankly, that was Taker’s thing. And she did have the most delectable pert ass he ever seen. If he wanted to brag, Taker had seen a lot of tail in his day, none compared to hers though. Hearing Rajani giggle lifted his dark worried mood, enjoying the sound. It had been such a stressful night for her and, if she knew what he did, it would have gotten worse. He was going to savor these little moments while he could. Smirking, Taker flipped her onto her back and moved so he was hovering over her.

“Woman, you'll be wearin' the dress.” He would be the one going underneath it to remove her garter…that was one wedding tradition he would help plan, a smirk curving his lips.

“So you say. Since I'M planning the wedding and I'M the one who proposed, you should be the one to wear the dress.” Rajani bit her bottom lip as his predatory acid eyes bore into her, piercing her very soul every time. It never ceased to amaze her just how deep of a connection she had with Taker and hoped it never disappeared. “I'll even make sure to find you a pretty garter for me to pull off. Though, you'll need to shave your legs, precious.”

She was being cute, how funny. Taker raised a brow, staring down at her and his mouth curved into a grin. “Darlin', the only thing I might consider shavin' would be my balls and surrounding areas. My legs are off limits and, while I would no doubt look fuckin' gorgeous in a strapless wedding gown all decked out in lace and pearls, I'll be the man in the tux at the altar. Besides,” He bent down to kiss Rajani, trailing a hand down her arm and onto her hip. “I'm lookin' forward to the garter part, I'll be under that gown...removin' it...” He caressed her throat with his lips now. “With my teeth...”

Now that was a delicious thought. Rajani's giggling ceased as soon as his mouth landed on her neck, one of her most sensitive areas. Taker knew exactly where to go and Rajani felt her entire body melt, running her fingers over his near bald head. She really missed his hair. Oh well, she loved him regardless and pulled his shirt completely off his body this time, bringing his mouth crashing against hers in a passionate kiss. They both groaned in annoyance when a knock sounded at the door and Rajani knew it was room service, kissing the tip of Taker's nose.

“To be continued.”

Slipping from beneath him, Rajani walked over to the door and opened it, rolling the cart in tipping the young boy. Closing the door, Rajani and Taker proceeded to eat, passing out in each other's arms. They were completely drained and exhausted from the day and night's events, knowing the next couple of weeks were going to be hell on earth to deal with.

~!~

Trish Stratus had no idea why she had been called in to help plan Mark the Undertaker Calaway's wedding. Considering the guy was a legend and had been a mentor during her run with the company, she had gladly agreed. And his fiancée was an absolute peach, though a bit on the tense side.

“So...Rajani, am I saying it right?” She hesitated, really hoping this woman didn't mind that she had been forced on her. “Mark said you could probably use some help.” He had also said that she was the only woman he knew who wasn't a total ass with garish taste. Charming Calaway.

“Just call me Raja, everyone else does.”

Rajani honestly didn't mind the help, though why Taker chose Trish Stratus was beyond her. It didn't bother her. Trish had been with the company for almost a decade and had accomplished more in the Diva's division than anyone besides The Fabulous Moolah. Not mention she was an absolute doll. Dwayne had a fling with her at one point, Rajani remembered hearing about, but nothing came of it. That was probably a good thing because, if it did, Rajani would probably tell her to take a flying leap off a short pier.

“I was thinking of looking at flowers today. I have a magazine here...” She was completely lost on everything.

Trish knew who Rajani was in terms of Dwayne, the guy had bragged to great lengths about his little sister, who was supposed to be a secret in terms of nobody knowing the relation. Not that Trish had told anyone, she was very good at keeping her mouth shut when she needed too. Her honesty, work ethic and no bullshit attitude had gotten her far and respected. No ditzy blonde here, regardless of her occasional forays into that and slut territory during her stint.

“Flowers? Okay.” She eyeballed the magazine. “What do you like? Have you decided on a color or theme yet?”

“No...”

Rajani frowned, rubbing her temples and wondered what was so wrong with the idea of eloping. That's right, Taker wanted her in a white gown so he could take a garter off of her leg with his teeth in front of everyone. And then her brother refused to let her elope and wanted an actual wedding along with the rest of her annoying family. Sighing heavily, Rajani shook her head and started looking over the flowers, making faces. This was so confusing.

“Why can't they just have a place you go too and they have your dream wedding with everything added in? This is so frustrating...”

“Technically, they do. Bridal consultants and all that, but they usually push you into crap you don't want and its ridiculously expensive.” Trish said smiling, her eyes crinkling at the corners when she did. That and this way, Rajani would have to focus more on the wedding and less on the other stuff going on in her life. “Well, decide on colors you like and go from there. This doesn't have to be anything the magazines say. Do what you like. It's your big day after all.”

Taking a deep breath, Rajani began looking through colors and honestly loved the idea of silver and purple. Not the lilac purple - a dark rich purple. She didn't even realize she just picked Mark's colors his character in the WWE portrayed, just going with her gut instinct and finally pointed out the colors.

“What do you think? It's not too dark is it? Maybe I should go with bronze or maybe...green?” When Trish made a face of revulsion, Rajani chuckled and immediately nixed the green idea. “Screw it, silver and purple it is. Now flowers...”

“Hmm okay, good. Silver and...A royal purple?” Trish smiled, liking the idea, those two colors together would be gorgeous. “Flowers...there are purple roses, lilacs, iris's...oh, idea!” She was actually getting into this and turned towards Rajani, flashing the other woman an infectious smile. “There's a flower market about 10 minutes from here, an easy walk. All outdoors and so many flowers, you could get an idea of what you're looking for there. What do you think?”

“Trish, I think we're going to become fast friends.”

Rajani beamed, looping her arm through the blonde's and headed out of the hotel room toward the flower shop. She felt good about her decision on the colors, though she wondered what Taker would think of them. She promised him no pink and nothing frilly or too girly because honestly that wasn't who neither of them were. Granted, she still had her Hello Kitty pajama pants that he still made fun of her with whenever she wore them, but that's about as 'girly' as Rajani got.

“Okay here we go...”

Chapter 47

Stephanie sat in her office with Alex, Mark, Glen, Dwayne and her husband, nodding her approval when Mark informed them Rajani was being preoccupied with wedding details. “The less she knows about this, the better. Now then, time to go over the plan for when we arrive in Florida...”

Kane was the odd man out here and wisely kept his ass out of general sight, leaning against a wall with his arms folded over his chest. He knew damn well the only reason he was here was due to Stephanie and Alex. Mark and Dwayne were more inclined to beat him to death than anything else.

“Does Trish know anything about what's going on?” Dwayne asked quietly. It would royally suck if she did, but also if she didn't, in the event that something happened.

“I'm not taking any chances with Cena lurking in the shadows, so yes Trish is aware of what's going on.” Stephanie stated, pinching the bridge of her nose and looked over at Glen, feeling uneasy about his silence. “Glen, do you have anything to add to the plan?” She really wished she knew what the big man was thinking, narrowing her blue eyes slightly.

“You already know what I think. I think you're an idiot who just needs to let me, or Mark, do this our way.” Without the fuss, without the extravagant planning. Plain simple murder.

“You're forgetting the part where this needs to look like an accident.”

Which he could totally do, screw Glen, Taker thought angrily, maintaining his temper.

“You forgot that little important factor, Glen. Listen, I'm counting on all of you to work as a team because, if even one of you cracks under the pressure, the whole thing will fall to pieces. It has to look like an accident, there can be no questioning about it.” Stephanie couldn't believe she was actually planning one of the WWE's top Superstars demise, but Cena had pushed her too far, especially when it came to the safety of her own family. “Now, about the timing...”

“Do it in a match.” Alex suggested, ignoring the look she shot him. One death in the ring had occurred and that was a total tragic accident. “Then the timing doesn't matter, accidents happen in the ring all the time.” On the plus side, it would be publicity. Sure, it would be bad publicity, but easy to get out of and it would also allow the company to 'honor' a top Superstar after the fact.

“No, I can't have that.” Stephanie shook her head emphatically, knowing her father would have a field day if he ever found out about this. “It has to be discreet and there's no way Cena would come out of the woodwork on national television. He's not that stupid, Alex.” Where had his smarts disappeared to? “The fans will know he died and that's it. They don't need to SEE it happen.”

“So catch him in his hotel room.” They were all idiots.

“Yeah, and how do you propose we do that?” Paul demanded, not too keen on this son of a bitch.

“Between all of us, and the resources I know Stephy has, I'm sure we could cover airports and hotel rooms.”

“And what makes you so sure he'll even go to a hotel?” Alex demanded with an arched brow. “He might just come straight here.”

“Psycho, not a total idiot. He knows he's being set up so I would imagine he'll arrive in town early, if he's not already there doing a little investigating of his own.” Considering he had worked with Cena, Kane did know a thing or two about the lunatic.

“Glen...” Stephanie's tone held warning, blue eyes flashing at him. “One way or another, he will show up and he will be in the arena. The place I had in mind was actually the boiler room.”

“Why?” Paul demanded, staring down at his wife with wide eyes.

“Think about it. Rajani has been in the boiler room before and that's where Glen's character, Kane, resides as far as everyone knows. Glen could contact Cena and ask for a peace offering, of sorts. You will tell him you have Rajani and if he wants her back, he will meet you in the boiler room. Simple, clean-cut. The killing happens because he will be ambushed and nobody will hear because it's the boiler room.” Stephanie had been in one of those when she was younger, thanks to doing a very scary angle with Mark back in his Lord of Darkness days. “Any comments or concerns?”

She was an idiot and Kane simply smirked under the mask he wore. Totally committed to his character, he very rarely showed up to work without the thing. “One last question.”

“You are seriously pushing your luck, Jacobs.”

He had pushed his luck the minute he got anywhere near his sister. The only thing keeping him alive as far as Dwayne was concerned was the fact he figured Glen should be the one to take the fall if anything.

“Other than killing him, have you considered how you're going to do it? Beat him to death, stab him? Set him on fire, shot to the head? Strangle him maybe?” His eyes flashed wickedly when Stephanie tinged green before swallowing hard.

“Enough.”

“Something quick and unexpected. I do not want him to see it coming.” Stephanie said meekly, folding papers on her desk and tried to swallow down the nausea she suddenly felt. “Rajani will be worried about wedding plans and not to mention I will keep her busy with a million errands until this is done. Don't worry Mark, she won't be leaving my office unless she's escorted by security.” She had ease Mark's mind somehow and looked up at her husband after everyone left her office, finally letting the tears fall.

What if she was making a mistake by committing murder?

Frowning, Paul took her into his arms, planting a kiss on top of her head and simply held her. He knew she was having doubts and probably feeling guilty as hell. Violence was not in Stephanie's nature, murder sure as hell was nothing she would ever consider. Except John had threatened their families, their children and that had crossed the line.

“We're doing the right thing, Steph.” He whispered, secretly having his own doubts, but knowing that she needed his reassurance.

“I really hope so because we'll have to live with the fact we were accessories to a murder for the rest of our lives. We'll have to take the secret to the grave.” Stephanie said, putting everything into harsh perspective for her husband and buried her face in his chest, letting her tears fall.

~!~

When Taker walked in later that day from his meeting with Stephanie, Rajani had papers scattered everywhere along with all different flowers in all different shades of purple. She looked up, a lilac dangling from her ear and smiled at him, brown eyes sparkling. Trish had to leave, but promised to be back soon to help her with more arrangements.

“Okay so, I picked the colors and hopefully they're not too girly for you. Silver and purple. I don't know why I chose them, but it just seems...right.” Rajani shrugged, looking back down at the magazine and wore a simple pair of orange cotton shorts with a white and orange tank top, her black hair swept on top of her head in a messy bun. “Unless you have other colors in mind?”

Considering the day Taker had, walking into a room filled with tons of purple flowers was just...weird. Taker had to stop and just look around, trying to wrap his mind around how surreal this was. He had just come from a meeting where the discussion topic had been how, where and when to murder a coworker. Granted, he had wanted to murder Cena for some time, just...planning it out, casually, with other people was odd. Finally, he focused beginning to smile and reached out to finger the lilac on her ear.

“Silver and purple are perfect darlin'.” He murmured. “Decidin' on flowers?”

“Yeah, I have no idea which ones to choose though because this is the shade I picked.” She pointed to a color block in the magazine, looking back up at him and could see the twinkle in his green eyes. “Wait a minute, what's that twinkle for?” Setting the magazine aside momentarily, Rajani stood up on the bed to be eyelevel with him, wrapping her arms around Taker's neck. “Don't even try denying it either. I saw that twinkle. What aren't you telling me, Taker?” She poked his stomach, raising a brow and softly kissed his lips. “Come on, don't leave your fiancée in the dark.”

He began laughing, wrapping his arms around her and lifted her off the bed. Since she was standing on it wasn't all that hard to do. Taker felt her legs automatically wrap around his waist and leaned in to press his forehead against hers. He inhaled deeply, smiling slightly, smelling the scents of the other flowers, but the strongest scent was the lilac. Mixed with Rajani's own delicious scent, it was...well, Taker had no words.

“Darlin', the twinkle is because I'm happy.” He informed her and he was, all things considered. “Just seein' you right now lookin' a bit excited...makes me glad.” Considering that this morning she had been anxious and doubting her ability to do this, it was a vast improvement.

“I know this may sound really strange, but I'm actually...enjoying planning a wedding. Trish was a major help. First she had me pick the colors, though she refused to let me pick green and then she took me to this beautiful flower shop down the street. That's why you see so many. I bought a few of each color of purple I saw. I don't think we'll be able to stick with just one solid color of purple, it'll have to be a combination of different shades. And I just-”

Rajani moaned when Taker kissed her, shutting her up for the moment and wrapped her arms around his neck, enjoying this amazing moment with her soon-to-be husband. Taker was going to be her husband. Rajani was really going to spend the rest of her life with this man.

“I can't wait to marry you, Taker.” She mumbled against his lips, kissing him again and let everything else vanish from her mind for the time being.

“I am quite the catch.”

He caught her hand before she could nail him and pressed a kiss to her palm, his tongue flickering out to taste her skin. Flowers, she smelled like flowers and Taker briefly entertained the idea of scattering them over the bed and making love to Rajani on them. Comparing their softness against hers was indeed a delicious thought.

“Mmm darlin', I can't wait either.”

Taker wasn't about to play the 'catch her between husband’s' game. He would be the last man she married and it'd be for life, no doubt about that. His idea came to life and Taker did exactly what he wanted, making love to his beautiful fiancée on the flowers. It was possibly the sweetest sex they'd ever had together. He took his time to thoroughly explore her body, making her feel beautiful and wanted, needed even.

With all the flowers surrounding them, Rajani lay her head on Taker's chest as they both slowly came down from their sexual high, her hand resting over his heart. They had to still go ring shopping, though Rajani decided she would make Taker go by himself, wanting to see what kind of jewelry he'd pick out for her. And she would do the same for his wedding band. Looking up at him, Rajani smiled as Taker brushed a strand of black hair from her face and brushed her lips against his, stroking his cheek gently with the back of her hand.

“Thank you for distracting me from the wedding planning.” She chuckled, snuggling back against him and knew it could all wait. There was no way she was ruining this moment or moving an inch, not until Taker did first.

“You're welcome, it seems that you did enjoy yourself.”

That could have gone for both the planning and the aftermath, which he was enjoying. With everything going on lately, it seemed just lying in bed holding each other was becoming a rare thing. Especially when they could do it without worrying or being afraid of something or someone lurking in the shadows.

“I'm all for the lilacs, by the way.” Taker added as an afterthought, just in case she wanted some extra input in making her final decision. True, they didn't live for very long, but their scent...he was a guy who would admit that lilacs smelled incredible.

“Good, I'll make sure they're added into the flowers for the wedding then. I'll have to mix different shades of purple for the flowers, but hopefully it won't look bad.” Rajani snuggled further against him, burrowing into his side and closed her eyes, loving his fingers running through her hair. “And if you have any other input, you need to let me know. This isn't just my wedding, it's yours too. I want us to do as much of this together as possible.” She didn't realize what kind of a wrench in the plans of Stephanie she was putting, kissing his chest softly.

“Darlin’, I'll give you my input as you go. I don't know jack shit about plannin' weddings. I just know what I like. Now...if you want me to help you pick out your wedding night lingerie, I have no problem in offering my assistance.” Taker said gallantly, but there was definitely a wicked sparkle in his eyes. Anything she did get, he was sure would be lovely, but it was highly doubtful that it would last all that long.

“I'm not really the lingerie type, but now you've got me curious and wondering if I should start buying some.”

Rajani shifted to fold her arms on his chest, staring at him with curiosity burning in her eyes. She loved this man so much. It was hard to believe he actually agreed to marry her when she proposed, which had been completely spontaneous. Rajani didn't have it planned or anything, it just happened and Taker hadn't let her down. Brushing her lips against his, it was enough to ignite round two between them as Taker rolled Rajani over, making love to her on the flowers again.

Doing what he could to keep fully distracted, Taker figured making love would definitely get the job done. He had never seen Rajani happier than today when he walked in that hotel room door and saw her surrounded in the beautiful flowers that were now crushed beneath their bodies. She looked breathtaking with the lilac hanging on her ear and the sparkle was back in her chocolate eyes. He vowed to do everything in his power to keep that sparkle and happiness in her eyes, no matter what he had to do.

Chapter 48

Sending the woman out planning a wedding and letting her wander about by herself was possibly the most idiotic thing Kane ever saw. With a known psychotic on the loose, obviously these people had their game plan well under control. Kane snorted, wondering how in the hell these people managed to run a billion dollar company without burying it. It was evident they were all idiots. Rajani sat in a secluded section of the park on a rather quaint iron bench with what looked like a magazine in her lap. Shaking his head, he began strolling towards her.

They were in Atlanta, Georgia for a house show and it was a crisp warm Friday afternoon in the mid-80's. Rajani wore a pair of blue jean shorts and a dark green tank top, her hair half up and half down, pooling over her shoulders. She was looking wedding dresses, trying to decide what style she wanted. So far, this had been her third one she sifted through and they were all too...much. She just wanted something simple and elegant, no frills with maybe a hint of lace.

Was that so hard to find?

Apparently so.

Trish had a family emergency, so she had to rush back to Canada to check on her fiancé and promised to meet up with her on Monday when they were in Miami. It would be so great being home again. She had no idea just how much of a homecoming she would be receiving though, completely oblivious to everyone around her plotting Cena's murder. When a shadow fell over her, Rajani's head snapped up and wide brown eyes met the intense hazel orbs of Kane.

What did he want?

“I-I didn't tell him okay?” She hastily stammered out, trying not to start shaking in his presence while looking back down at her magazine.

Rajani was referring to what happened at the hotel a few days ago, the night Stephanie brought Kane back into the mix of things. Kane cocked a brow, for once not wearing his mask. He wasn't out to draw attention to himself any more than his height already tended to do. Instead, he wore a white beater, blue jeans and his brown curly hair was pulled back into a low tail. What the hell was she on about? Oh yes, the other night in the hotel stairwell.

“I wouldn't have cared if you had.” He said indifferently with a simple shrug of his shoulders, not about to get too close. She was at the perfect height to nail him in the nuts. “How goes the...dress hunting?”

“What do you care?” Rajani shot back, not able to bite her tongue and swallowed hard when Kane lowered himself to sit beside her.

He was so close, she could feel his hot breath on her neck and was thankful some of her hair took most of the brunt of it. This man terrified her. He had done nothing except torture and hurt her since they met. Now all of a sudden he wanted to be...friendly towards her. It rubbed Rajani the wrong way on every level. Standing, Rajani couldn't sit here in the park with him and pretend like everything was alright. As usual, Kane's hand shot out pulling her right back down on the bench.

“What do you want from me?” She demanded through gritted teeth, yanking her arm out of his grasp. “And don't touch me.”

“Well Raj, I'll make a deal with you,” Just to remind her who was the stronger and more vicious of the two, he ran his fingertips across her shoulders, watching her muscles tense. Then, he draped his arm over the back of the bench, stopping with the contact. “You sit here, have a civil conversation with me and I'll keep my hands to myself. Deal?” He could play nice when he wanted to.

If looks could kill, Kane would be dead on the ground right now. There was no choice in the matter. Her blood ran cold when he ran his fingertips across her shoulders, sending shivers of dread down her spine. Kane always had that evil deadly aura about him, though some of his acts seemed almost loving, like now. He was a very confusing man and couldn't be read, which made him that much more deadly.

“Fine.” She reluctantly agreed, lowering her eyes from his to her clasped hands in her lap. “What do you want to talk about?” It was so hard sounding civil given their history, but Rajani pulled it off surprisingly.

“Your wedding.”

Kane knew that was probably the last thing she would think of and, honestly, he didn't really care. She was getting married again. And to his former best friend of all people. He had imagined if things hadn't turned out the way they had, he would've been Mark's Best Man. He frowned at that, then shook it off.

“How's that coming?” He plucked the magazine from her lap and flipped through it idly, arching an eyebrow. “I'm thinking something a bit on the simple and elegant side, bit of lace...less...hideous.”

“Y-You want to discuss my wedding, seriously?” Had Kane officially lost his mind and gone off the deep end? “It's going okay...” How the hell was she supposed to discuss wedding plans with HIM? Rajani's head swam with all the different possibilities of this being a setup and had to take a deep silent breath while he kept flipping through the pages. “I picked the colors. Purple and silver.” When Kane's head snapped back to stare at her, Rajani immediately looked away from him, looking at the fountain across the way. “You got the same sparkle in your eye that Taker did when I told him. What's so special about those particular colors anyway?” She was clueless.

Well now he really did want to discuss her wedding, maybe it wouldn't be as boring of a topic as he had originally thought. “Purple and silver, really?” This may have been the closest thing him and Rajani had for a real conversation ever. “What shade of purple?” When she told him, he actually smiled, loving the innocent clueless expression on her face. She really did have no idea. “You don't know, do you?” Kane shook his head. “Those are Taker's colors.”

“I'm sorry, what?” Rajani shot back, confusion filling her brown eyes and felt her insides start quaking when Kane began outright laughing at her.

He was LAUGHING at her! What the hell was wrong with him? Rajani was tempted to roll up a magazine and swat him a few times on the back of his head. Then her eyes went wide as saucers and her jaw dropped, the realization suddenly crashing over her.

“Oh god...” How the hell could she be so STUPID? Purple and silver had always signified Taker in the WWE and she had actually picked those colors for their WEDDING? “Oh my god...”

Why hadn't Taker told her?!

“You really didn't know?”

That was just way too hilarious and when she actually had the balls to roll up that magazine and raise it up like she was going to whack him, Kane took it from her, leaning over to drop a kiss on the top of her head. Hmm. She smelled like lilacs. Odd.

“Sweetheart, how in the hell did you not know that? Didn't he tell you?” From the look on her face, obviously not. Seems there was quite a bit that Taker wasn't telling his fiancée these days.

“I-I mean I DID, but...it just didn't register until now...”

Did Kane just kiss the top of her head? This was getting way too weird and Rajani couldn't let her guard down with him, not even for a second. The last time that happened, she ended up kidnapped and he nearly killed her with an ether overdose.

“Believe it or not, I was a fan of his back before I even knew him, back before we got together. Dwayne hated it because he always wanted me to cheer for him, but I honestly hated his character The Rock and I still do. Pompous prick.” Rajani muttered that last part and rolled her eyes when Kane continued chuckling at her. “You can stop being Mr. Chuckles any time now.”

“Oh no, Raj, you're just too funny.” He snickered, grunting when she actually elbowed him in the ribs. Sighing, Kane stopped laughing. “A fan yet didn't remember his colors? Hmm, so how's work going?” Kane asked conversationally, switching the topic completely.

He instantly noticed the difference in her demeanor, how her shoulders sagged a bit and knew she was probably nervous. Rajani had absolutely no idea what was going on. She probably thought Cena was still on the run and would no-show the job on Monday.

“Miami, where you’re from isn't it?”

Now Rajani was on high alert again and felt her heart start to pound again, pretty sure Kane could hear it. “Born and raised.”

Drawing her knees up against her chest since she was small enough to do it, Rajani wrapped her arms around them. The last time she'd been in Miami, Cena had broken into her house and destroyed it. Then he proceeded to destroy Taker's house as well, vandalizing both.

“What did you mean that night at the hotel?” She asked out of nowhere, deciding to turn the tables on him a bit. “You said that I needed you. What did you mean by that?”

“Just that, Rajani.”

Kane glanced down at her, shifting on the bench so he was somewhat turned towards her, seeing the defensive posture she had assumed. He idly wondered if she had done it consciously or if, at this point, it had become ingrained as a habit. It wouldn't surprise him if it was a new habit she had developed due to the circumstances she found herself in.

“You might not trust me and that'd be smart on your part, but before all is said and done, you're going to need me. A lot sooner than you may realize.”

“Do you know something, Kane?”

She suddenly planted her feet on the ground and didn't take her eyes from him, trying like hell to read behind those slightly psychotic hazel eyes. This was it. Rajani was at a crossroads now and she didn't know if she could trust Kane, not with his association with Cena.

“How can I need someone I have zero trust for? Someone who kidnapped and hurt me, nearly killing me with an ether overdose? Someone who chained me up in the boiler room and was working with my psycho ex-husband? You can tell me a million times that I need you, but I don't believe it. You can say that you did what you did for money, but I don't believe that either. I believe you did it for a different reason and one that you'll probably never come clean about.” How was that for some truth, Rajani thought, picking up her magazines to set them on her lap.

“Now sweetheart, in my defense, the ether overdose wasn't exactly planned. Accidents happen and I got you through it alright.” Kane had indeed, by making her panic enough to get her adrenaline going and jumpstarted her system. He remembered that night quite well and was sure she still had nightmares about it. “And you don't have to trust someone to need them.” He leaned down until their noses were practically touching when she looked back up at him, eyes steady. “You needed Cena.” He whispered, seeing her flinch. “You needed him so you could forget, but deep down, I bet you never trusted him.”

Tears pooled in her brown eyes because Kane had hit the nail right on the head. She had married Cena in desperation because she thought Taker didn't want her the way she wanted him. She thought he'd been screwing someone else, only he hadn't. The lady he'd been with had played a prank and Rajani still wanted to kill that bitch because, if that didn't happen, she never would've married Cena.

“So why am I going to need you so badly then?” She whispered back, feeling a single tear slip down her cheek as soon as his hand landed on her side, his touch making her nauseous.

Those beautiful brown eyes, such a lovely shade, they reminded Kane of dark chocolate. With the tears swimming in them, pools of chocolate, he had just made a funny and a smirk curved the right side of his mouth. “Now Rajani,” He said gently, reaching out to catch a tear on his fingertip when it rolled down her cheek. “You already know I'm not going to tell you. There are just some things...you're not...allowed to know.”

Not knowing what possessed her to do it, Rajani's hand collided with Kane's face a second later, smacking the taste out of his mouth. The sound echoed around them in the park and there were no witnesses. Rajani didn't care though, immediately stumbling to her feet as more tears fell, trembling from head to toe.

“I told you not to touch me.”

The mean red handprint blazed on his cheek and Rajani knew she had to get out of there, especially when he stood up from the bench, towering over her trembling form and her eyes never left him. Not for a second. Considering how nice and considerate he had been when she had threatened to whack him with that magazine and when she had elbowed him in the side, Kane had let both incidents slide. She was not playing nicely at all. Shaking his head, he reached out and gripped her shoulders, tense and alert in case Rajani got frisky and decided to attempt kneeing him in places he preferred her knee not to go.

“When all of this is over, you're going to wish you had been a bit nicer, Raj.” Kane informed her, squeezing gently, but also warningly and then stepped away. “I'll see you Monday.”

“Stay the hell away from me, Kane, or I swear to god I will tell Taker about these encounters.” Rajani threatened, turning and ran away from him before he could say anything else, tears flying behind her.

Kane had watched her go and shook his head. The woman was really too dense for her own good. Hell, the people surrounding her were the same exact way. Birds of a feather and all that...Shrugging his massive shoulders, he took off leisurely in the opposite direction she had run. He highly doubted she'd be reporting this encounter to 'Taker. He did wonder if Rajani had a secret death wish or something. One would think, she'd be telling her loving fiancé everything that happened to her, just to protect her vulnerable backside.

She didn't stop until she arrived back at the hotel, taking the backstairs all the way to the 3rd floor. Taker was out for the day at an autograph signing, so Rajani had time to clean up before he returned. Once again, she was hiding another encounter with Kane from him and didn't understand why. Maybe it was because she didn't want Kane to hurt Taker. Or maybe she didn't want to worry Taker any more than he already was because of the Cena situation.

Arriving back at the hotel, Rajani immediately peeled out of her clothes and jumped in the shower, scrubbing her body until it was raw while crying her heart out. Kane had scared the hell out of her in the park and she couldn't get his words out of her head. She would need him. Need him for what? Rajani didn't get it or understand what he meant, trying to push it out of her mind.

Chapter 49

It was Saturday night and Taker had just gotten back from another house show, fresh out of the shower along with her. Rajani had been ordered by Stephanie to stay at the hotels during house shows because there really was nothing for her to do so she could focus on her wedding planning. Not thinking anything of it, Rajani did as she was told. Looking up when Taker stepped out of the shower, Rajani immediately closed the magazine she'd been looking at that had her wedding dress circled.

Yes, she finally found one, but something else was on her mind. Once again, Rajani had kept Taker in the dark about what happened with Kane, but she had been sorely tempted to spill everything. Something held her back though. So she delved into the wedding details, picking three different purple colored flowers that would make up the flower sets at the reception. Yes, Taker even wanted a damn reception.

“So, why didn't you tell me that the colors I picked for our wedding were the same colors as your wrestling character?” She asked out of the blue, having suddenly remembered what she found out from Kane in the park the previous day.

All things considered, that was not what Taker had been expecting to come out of her mouth. At least, not this late in the game since announcing her pick of their color theme for the wedding. He had figured she had known, who the hell didn't? Shrugging, Taker draped the towel he had been using for his hair around his neck, a towel wrapped around his hips. Obviously, a regular hotel towel wasn't going to cut it for a man his size, so he always brought his own and generally used the hotel towels for the neck on up. Short hair seemed to save him a hell of a lot of trouble.

“Darlin’, honestly, I figured you knew and that was one of the reasons you picked 'em.”

“I mean, I do know those are your ring colors, but...I honestly forgot about that while picking them out. Purple has always been my favorite color and I've always thought silver looks pretty with it.” Rajani shrugged, wearing a light blue nightgown that went to her knees and looked back at the magazine, her eyes catching the beautiful ring on her left hand. “Maybe it's fate telling us that we're really meant to be together since I picked those specific colors out of everything else.” Standing on the bed, Rajani kissed his lips softly and then his Mohawk shaved head, rubbing her nose against his. “By the way, I picked my dress and no, you are not allowed to see it until the big day. And if you try peeking, I will call the wedding off.”

Rajani meant it, plopping down on the bed so Taker could finish getting ready for bed. She honestly wouldn't have minded if he just came to bed naked, flushing slightly at the thought. No matter how many times they made love, his body still amazed every single time and tonight was definitely no exception.

He cocked an eyebrow at her, tempted to test that theory and glanced at the magazine. When she pointedly moved it and put it away, Taker growled playfully, procuring a pair of loose fitting black pajama pants. He pulled them on, aware Rajani was eyeballing him and smirked. He would have gone to bed naked except...well, he wasn't about to be caught with his pants down in the middle of the night, not with them being so close to ending this deal. He wouldn't be surprised if Cena had one last card to play.

They laid in bed talking about the wedding, both deciding to just have it Taker's huge backyard. Because of what happened to her home in Miami, Rajani wanted to move to Texas to start her new life with him. All she wanted was to be Taker's wife and maybe have a few babies with him. Nothing else mattered to her. He was her entire world, the center of her universe and nothing would change it.

Taker had a preacher friend that would happily perform the ceremony, so that was taken care of. Now all he had to do was go on their next days off for his tux fitting and to pick out a Best Man. It definitely wouldn't be Kane, so she had no idea who he would choose at this point since they used to be closer than brothers. They were family and then Kane had to turn out to be completely psychotic. Eventually, Rajani fell fast asleep in the arms of her fiancé, hoping this situation with Cena ended soon so they could finally live in peace.

Taker had been entertaining the idea of asking Dwayne to be his Best Man, but was unsure if the guy would be giving Rajani away or not. He should probably have asked, though honestly, the wedding wasn't something he really thought about. Everything was...too uncertain right now. He couldn't focus on anything except Monday night. After that, Taker would devote the rest of his life to Rajani. And...He would stop keeping secrets. This was for her own good, but it was a hell of a secret to be withholding. That and he didn't want her to have murder on her conscience. He knew it would stain and taint Rajani in ways that would change her forever. Taker wasn't going to let that happen, not if he could help it.

~!~

The next day, Stephanie demanded Taker to come to Miami a day early for another meeting. She’d already flown out the previous night, not wanting anything to go wrong with their plan to eradicate Cena. Rajani was very annoyed when Taker woke her out of a dead sleep and told her they had a redeye flight to catch, courtesy of Stephanie. She didn’t understand why Stephanie had to have Taker in Miami a day early and was peeved to say the least, complaining the whole time she packed.

“What are you hiding from me, Taker?” Rajani demanded, folding her arms in front of her chest.

Something was going on. Rajani wasn’t stupid and definitely not one to turn the other cheek, but all Taker kept saying was Stephanie wanted to make sure he'd be at Raw backstage. He wasn't on the show, they only used Taker for special occasions now. So why it was so adamant for him to be there was beyond her. Sometimes the decisions Stephanie made did not make a lick of sense to Rajani.

“Fine, you don't want to tell me? Whatever, I'm going to my house then to grab a few things and hiring a packing crew to get the rest of it boxed up to go to Dallas. Unless you have a problem with that too?” She challenged with an arched brow, daring him to say one word about her plans.

Taker cocked a brow down at her in return and visibly gritted his teeth, wondering why she had to be acting so difficult. True, he was keeping secrets from her, but it was for her own damn good, the fool woman. If she knew the truth, Taker knew Rajani would go off half-cocked and end up getting herself hurt or killed.

“I don't think that's such a good idea, darlin'.” He said, trying to keep his tone as neutral as possible, knowing anything else would probably send her off in a fit.

“I really don't care what you think is a good idea and what's not. We're going to Miami, we're not there often enough and this is the only opportunity I have to get shit done since you're so damn preoccupied with whatever Stephanie is making you do.” She had no idea it involved the demise of Cena, finishing packing her bag and hastily zipped it up. “I'm marrying you, we're planning a wedding, so therefore my house has to be empty so I can put it on the market to be sold.” Rajani was going through his real estate company to get it done and would hopefully make a profit since she'd had the house repainted since Cena's attack. “Are you packed up? Our flight leaves in 2 hours and we still have to get through security.”

There was no winning with this woman, Taker thought with groan, knowing what she said made sense. However, at the same time, he didn't want her to be left alone. It was just too close to ending this situation with Cena and he didn't want to risk anything.

“I'm packed.” Taker said flatly, folding his arms over his chest and engaged in a stare down with Rajani. After a full minute, he blinked and looked away, sighing. “Fine.”

Rajani was possibly the only woman who could have a stare down with Taker and actually get her way. “Stephanie has some things for me to take care of that I can do on the plane and then I'll head to my house while you go to your meeting. Stop worrying so much. Something tells me Cena won't try anything, especially since everyone under the sun is looking for him.”

Wearing simple skinny red pants with a red and white top that hung off her shoulder, Rajani slipped her black shades on over her chocolate eyes and headed out of the hotel room with Taker following suit. She’d already made the calls necessary and would have to go to the house around 3 PM to let the packers in to start disassembling her belongings. Rajani couldn’t help worrying about how quiet Taker was and felt a tightening in the pit of her stomach form, trying to push it away. Shaking his head, all Taker could do was follow her and hope she was right. Everyone under the sun was looking for Cena and it wasn’t like she’d be alone. She’d be in the house with other people, the packers and movers respectfully. Taker recognized, on some level, that he had to relax, but that was always easier said than done, especially when it came to his beautiful, headstrong and rather kidnappable fiancée.

Once they landed in Miami, Rajani and Taker headed straight to their hotel to check into their suite. They had an hour to kill before parting ways and she didn't want him leaving with them still arguing. Walking into the sitting room, she saw him watching ESPN and straddled his lap, plucking the remote from his hand and kissed his lips softly.

“I'm sorry for being such a bitch this morning. I just wish you could tell me what all these meetings with Stephanie are about. I feel like... you're hiding something from me and I hate that.” Then again, she was hiding something from him - all of her encounters with Kane. “But I accept you have to do certain things that I have no right knowing about. So before you leave to your meeting, I just want to tell you I love you.” Rajani draped her arms around his neck and rested her forehead against his, breathing him in. “Please never forget that, even though we may fight and argue. I will always love you.”

One part of him was pleased to hear her saying this and the other part hated how much it could resemble a goodbye. There was no way on earth or in heaven he would ever allow that one to happen. Totally forgetting the already unmemorable program on ESPN he had been staring at more than watching, Taker wrapped his arms around her and kissed her soundly, pouring everything he knew he needed to say into that kiss. Rajani was taken aback by the fierceness and intensity of the kiss, returning it with as much feeling as she possibly could as her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. She could only hope Taker didn't do something stupid...like try to go after Cena himself. That thought alone scared her because she didn't want to lose Taker, not when she just got him back and not when she was planning their future together.

“Taker...” She breathed once the kiss broke, staring into his beautiful emerald eyes and stroked his cheek with the back of her hand. “Tell me everything's okay. Tell me you're not going anywhere and we'll have a future together. I need to hear you say it.”

He arched an eyebrow, wondering if she was reading his mind and seeing the secrets he had been keeping, the stuff he wanted to tell her but couldn't. After staring into her beautiful brown eyes, all Taker seen was love as well as worry, but nothing that said he had given himself away. The guilt nearly made him shift uncomfortably in his own skin, something not normal for him.

“We do have a future together, darlin'.” He said confidently, meaning it with everything in him. “Everythin' will be all right, Jani, you'll see.”

“Good, thank you.”

She kissed him again and then hugged him tightly, just wanting Taker to hold her for a bit before they had to part ways. His strong arms around her gave her all the reassurance she needed, though it would falter as soon as he left to go to his meeting with Stephanie. They stayed that way until Taker had to leave and this time it was Rajani kissing the breath out of him, smirking when he actually stumbled out the door.

“See you later tonight, Deadman.”

Waving three fingers teasingly at him, she laughed when he growled and shut the door, immediately going to change to get ready to head to her house. It was a 20 minute drive from the hotel and going on 2:30 PM. She had to hurry. Once she was changed in white cotton shorts and left her top alone, Rajani slipped her white tennis shoes on, grabbed her keys, purse and key card to the hotel suite before jetting out. Miami was no longer her home - now it would be Dallas, Texas.

Moving was always such a hassle. He had made it one of his missions in life to avoid moving. He kept a permanent residence for the public and then a private residence for himself that, as far as he knew, nobody knew about. Simple. No packing, no trusting idiots with his stuff… and that guy had just broken Rajani's lamp. Clucking his tongue, he watched as the idiot in question looked around before putting the shards in the box, sealed it and carried it out to the truck. She was in for a rude surprise when she opened that box. Speaking of Rajani... his lips curled into a smirk when he seen her pulling into the drive.

Rajani would be making the packers/movers pay for every single thing broken or damaged, having stipulated that in the contract she had with them all. It would be docked from their pay and go into her pocket to be replaced. Nothing she had was antique and anything missing would also be docked. She did not screw around, not when it came to her property. The packers/movers waved at her as she slipped out of the Chevy Silverado rental car and Rajani nodded back at them. Her mother just lived down the road, so she asked her if she would let the movers/packers in just in case she was late. Hence why they were currently carting out packed boxes. Stepping into the house, Rajani had no idea someone was watching her or what was about to happen, nodding as she watched everything slowly be cleared out. The painting crew she hired to cover up Cena's graffiti had done a splendid job as well, the house looked as though it was never vandalized.

Humming under his breath, he went from room to room. It was amazing. He was a giant and he could still keep out of sight as well as avoid being heard. It was just incredible. It never failed to amaze him how oblivious people could be when they truly did not want to know what was going on around him. Not that he minded, he preferred it this way. It was going to make his job easier. He stepped out of the room and right behind Rajani when she walked by, following her right into her now empty guest room and shook his head. One hand went over her mouth, the other to her throat.

“I told you, you need me.” He murmured in her ear right before applying a pressure point to her neck and caught her body when it slumped against him.

Chapter 50

When Rajani woke up, she had no idea where she was and what was happening. Her stomach growled fiercely and she felt nauseous, trying to get her equilibrium back on track. The last thing she remembered was standing in her house and then everything went black.

I told you, you need me.

Those words echoed in her mind and Rajani snapped her eyes open, the harsh realization crashing over her. Kane! She was with Kane! Looking around the room, there were four concrete walls and bars on the window, absolutely no escape in sight. He betrayed her and Taker AGAIN! This was Stephanie's fault and whatever happened rested on her shoulders and conscience.

“Hungry?” He had heard her stomach growl and, considering how long she had been out... well, she was probably overdue on something to eat. “No utensils, just stuff you eat with your hands.”

Kane set a bag down by her and stepped back, folding his arms over his chest and spared a glance at the watch on his wrist. Counting down the hours, Mark along with the rest of the ‘team’ were probably going out of their minds with worry. Rajani had been out for the rest of the night and most of the day, forcing Kane to cart her from the small motel on the outskirts of Miami to the arena, where they currently resided. They were actually in a deep freezer that Kane had cut the frost machine off on, not wanting Rajani to freeze to death in her shorts and short sleeved top. He had confiscated her phone along with everything else she didn't need to use as a weapon against him.

“Calm down, Raj.” He ordered when he seen the look in her eyes, shifting his balance.

“S-Stay away from me.”

How the hell did she wind up kidnapped by this psycho not once, but TWICE? Rajani should've kept her guard up better or listened to Taker about going to her house. She figured with the packers and movers, nobody would try to snag her and she was wrong on that assumption. Looking down at the bag of food, her stomach gurgled again, forcing Rajani to snatch it up and pressed her back against the wall.

“So is this the part where I'm supposed to beg for my life and freedom? Because that's not happening.” She'd been through too much and popped a fry in her mouth, closing her eyes at how incredible it tasted. “Or do you want to just cut to the chase and tell me what the fuck you want with me now?”

Kane shook his head, keeping away from her across the room and simply leaned back into the concrete wall. He could feel the coolness seeping through his t-shirt and glanced at his watch again, frowning slightly. He was antsy, which wasn't something usual for him. Someone would eventually realize what was going on and he would have to make a decision very shortly.

“Just eat and be quiet, it's almost over.” He said ominously.

For once, Rajani did what she was told and ate the food, devouring it actually since she hadn't eaten and however many hours. She could tell something was different with Kane, especially when he kept glancing at his watch. Already knowing she would end up back in Cena's clutches, Rajani mentally prepared herself for it, trying not to show her nervousness. Until Kane actually delivered her to Cena, Rajani would maintain her composure because she knew how dangerous Kane was.

“Where are you going?” She demanded, blinking when Kane just pressed his finger over his lips and shut the door, locking it behind him. “HELLO?”

~!~

Stephanie looked up when Glen walked through the office door, stopping her husband and Mark from going after him. “Where have you been, Jacobs?” She demanded angrily. “We have a crisis on our hands and you've been MIA since yesterday afternoon! Rajani was kidnapped and I want your alibi or else I will let Mark and Paul rip you to shreds right here and now.” She meant every word she said, blue eyes flashing dangerously and hoped he wasn't still working for Cena.

“Chill out, Princess, I just got in.” Kane said flatly, throwing his plane ticket receipt and packet at her, watching as she caught it reading the information. His flight had just landed, or so it seemed. “I got here as quick as I could.”

“You didn't answer your cell.” Taker growled, flexing his hands into fists, wanting to destroy something and his former best friend was looking like a pretty good something to take his frustrations out on.

“This one?” Kane snorted, pulling a badly damaged cell phone out of his pocket.

“That was my bad.” Paul said quietly, having crushed the device accidentally the other night when he and Kane had a slight altercation.

“Now... if I'm done being the guilty party, can someone tell me what's going on?”

Eyeballing Kane skeptically, Stephanie couldn’t deny Glen’s alibi and squared her shoulders. “Raja is missing. The last place spotted was her house about 20 minutes from here. She went there to start packing up things, hired a crew to help and disappeared. The crew have no idea what happened and, if they do, they’re not talking.” She sounded mildly irritated, dropping a packet of papers on her desk. “My guess is Cena kidnapped her.”

Taker didn’t like the sound of that, cracking his knuckles with narrowed eyes. “Have you had the arena and area scouted?” He demanded, knowing if Cena had Rajani they had no time to waste.

Stephanie nodded, scrubbing a hand down her face. “Yes, so far nothing. But Cena has to show up tonight and once he does, we’ll definitely be able to question him.” There wasn’t anything else she could do, which made Stephanie feel helpless.

“Why the hell did you let your fiancée go to Miami by herself anyway?” Kane had to bait the man a little, folding his arms in front of his chest when Taker growled at him. “Hey I’m not the one who let her run off without protection. Some husband you’re gonna be.”

Lunging, Taker wrapped his arm around Kane’s throat and slammed him against the wall, snarling angrily. “SHUT YOUR FUCKIN’ MOUTH RIGHT NOW OR I’LL RIP YOUR TONGUE OUT, JACOBS!!”

All Kane did was laugh, the sound bone chilling as it resonated around Stephanie’s office. “Go ahead, end me and watch how fast you find your precious Rajani.” He taunted coldly, hazel eyes narrowing to slits and pursed his lips tightly together. “Well?”

“When this is all said and done, mark my words I will make you pay for everythin’ you’ve done to her.” Taker promised in a low dark voice, acidic eyes boring holes through his ex-best friend and reluctantly pulled his hand away from Kane’s throat, stepping back. “Stephanie, unless you want bloodshed, just get on with the fuckin’ plan.”

Stephanie knew Mark meant those words with every fiber in his massive 6’9 frame and nodded. “We need to start looking in places security isn’t. I’m calling around the hotels right now surrounding the arena to see if they’ve noticed anything suspicious happening. Don’t worry Mark, we’ll find her.”

Not saying a word, Kane left the office and headed down the hallway, stepping out of view just as Taker exited, no doubt trying to follow him. What an idiot, Kane thought, shaking his head as he whipped his cell phone out and sent a text message. His phone was on vibrate, so nobody would hear it go off if they passed him since he stood behind a black curtain. A few minutes passed and Kane went to send another text message when he received the confirmation he needed. Snapping his cell phone shut, Kane slid it in the pocket of his black jeans and looked both ways down the hall before heading back to retrieve Rajani.

It was time.

Rajani’s head snapped up when she heard jingling keys behind the steel door and scrambled to her feet, brown eyes wide with perplexity. What the hell was Kane going to do with her? Would she ever make it down the aisle with Mark or would he end up killing her? Kane stepped through the door, his hazel eyes stone cold along with his stoic expression. Rajani had never been terrified of Kane as she was at that moment and backed up when he took a step toward her, swallowing hard. His hand outstretched toward her and Rajani shook her head, tears clinging her eyelids. Growling, Kane didn’t have time for the runaround and wrapped his large hand around her upper arm, wishing Rajani would make things easy for herself for ONCE in her damn life. Rajani cried out, trying to dig her sandals into the concrete floor, but all they did was slide and made it easier for Kane to drag her to his next location.

“P-Please let me go…” She whimpered, struggling with every ounce of fight she had inside her small body, but it was no use. His grip was iron clad with no hope of breaking it. “Kane…”

“Shut the fuck up, Raj.” Kane ordered, thrusting her through another door and shoved her up a set of stairs, daring her to try making a move against him.

Blinking, tears slid down Rajani’s face as she climbed the stairs and then came to a ladder. Did Kane really want her to climb THIS? Looking up, Rajani felt her stomach tighten and shook her head, only for Kane to wrap his hand around the back of her neck. With shaking hands, Rajani gripped the steel bars on each side so tight her knuckles turned white and began ascending the ladder slowly. She didn’t do well with heights.

“Kane…” She whispered once they reached the top of the arena with nowhere else to go, the ceiling stopping them.

“Push it open.” He ordered once they were at the top, knowing the flap would give way with little trouble and planted his hands on her hips when she started crying harder. “I got you, Raj. I’m not gonna let you fall. Now push it open if you want to get the hell off this damn ladder.”

Normally, Rajani would’ve shoved Kane’s hands off of her in a heartbeat because his touch made her physically sick. However, right now it was comforting since she was incredibly high up and would die if either of them made one wrong move. Rajani reached her hands up, gritting her teeth and saw the small latch, flipping it open. Then she pushed, the secret passageway flying open as outside air engulfed Rajani’s lungs. She immediately rushed up the rest of the ladder and climbed out of the hole as fast as she could, looking around with wide eyes. They were on top of the arena!

“What the hell are we doing up here?”

“You ask a lot of questions, Raja baby.”

Scrambling to her feet, Rajani felt her jaw drop at the sight of her ex-husband John Cena and felt fresh tears start falling instantly, backing away. Kane had sold her out AGAIN! Their partnership had never ended like Kane made everyone believe and now Rajani would more than likely pay the price with her life. She hated the fear coursing through her veins because John never used to scare her – until now. Sordid hatred joined with that fear for this man who tricked her to not only have sex with him, but marry him too.

“Miss me? Because I sure as hell missed you.” John walked toward her and frowned when Kane stepped in front of him, blue eyes narrowing. “What the hell, big man?”

“First you give me what I want and then you can have her.” Kane stated, blocking Rajani from view and folded his arms in front of his chest, knowing Taker would never think to look up on the arena roof, not right away at least. “Well?”

Rolling his eyes, John nodded and waved him off, pulling something out of his pocket handing it over to Kane. “There, now move so I can greet my lovely wife properly.” He ordered, a sick smirk curving his lips.

“I’m not your wife anymore or didn’t you get the memo, Cena?” Rajani spat angrily, not realizing just how close to the edge of the arena she was because she kept slowly backing away.

Kane noticed it though, not saying anything and stepped aside as he looked over the paperwork Cena handed over, nodding. “Everything looks good.” He commented indifferently and tucked the papers in his back pocket, watching as Cena grabbed Rajani by her thick black tresses. “There’s just one other thing.”

“What the fuck is that?” Cena growled, his eyes fixated on his conniving ex-wife.

“You really should never trust someone you stabbed in the back.”

It all happened in slow motion, at least to Rajani, her eyes shooting nearly out of their sockets. People began piling out of the arena to look up at the roof just in time to see John Cena fall to his death, crushing right through one of the WWE trucks with a sickening splat. The force of the shove Kane gave John also sent her over the edge, making her scream out, but his hand reached out grasping hers. Rajani looked up into Kane’s hazel eyes, finally realizing what happened and closed her eyes, waiting for him to either pull her up or let her fall to her death as well. With little strength, Kane pulled Rajani up with his arms wrapped around her waist, her face instantly burying in his chest as her tears soaked through his shirt.

“I told you, you’d need me.” Kane murmured in her ear, cupping the back of her head and was thankful for his fast reflexes because Rajani wasn’t supposed to fall.

“RAJANI!!”

She slowly looked up as soon as Kane said that just as Taker rushed over to her, pulling her into his arms. Every part of her body trembled against him as Taker lifted her, legs wrapping around his waist and clung to him with all of her strength. She stammered through what happened, not making any sense and finally buried her face in Taker’s neck, sobbing violently while trying to find her heart again. That fall scared her to death and Rajani really thought her life was over, seeing everything she’d done flash before her eyes in those few precious moments. Taker locked eyes with Kane, both of them nodding simultaneously and couldn’t believe the plan worked, his eyes shutting tightly.

It had to be done. John Cena was never going to stop until he had Rajani once and for all, so Taker did what he had to do in order to protect his soon-to-be wife. He would do anything for Rajani, even killing a coworker in order to keep her safe and in his arms. After the fiasco with Cena, Kane came to Taker and they both sat down to hash everything out. Kane explained that the only way to stop Cena once and for all would be death, but they couldn’t kill him, not directly anyway. That’s when Taker came up with the plan of having Cena ‘fall’ off the roof of the arena with Rajani and Kane being the only witnesses. Her fall wasn’t planned and Taker owed Kane his eternal gratitude for saving her life because he didn’t know what would happen if Rajani had died along with her psychotic ex-husband. It worked though, the fall looked completely accidental and nobody would end up in prison, especially since John had a few drinks prior to coming to the arena that night.

Truth and trust.

That’s what it boiled down to in the end for everyone involved. The truth was revealed regarding Kane’s intentions with Rajani along with Cena’s, which in turn made him show his true colors and whose side he really was on. Rajani had to trust Taker to protect her and, in turn, Taker had to trust Kane. They would never be back to the way things used to be as far as their friendship, but hopefully things would get back on track now that John Cena was finally out of everyone’s lives. It probably wasn’t the smartest idea in the world, but both Taker and Kane mutually decided not to tell Rajani they’d been working together ever since Stephanie brought him back in the loop after his attack from Alex. They would go on and get married with Rajani thinking that Kane saved her life instead of it all being one master plan by the Brothers of Destruction in order to get rid of her nuisance ex-husband.

Sometimes, the truth was better left buried and that’s where it would stay forever.

The End.