Chapter Two
Batista swept his wife up in his arms and laid her gently on the bed.  He brushed errant crimson locks off her face.  His hands shook with barely suppressed fury.  He couldn't believe the unmitigated gall of his teammates, soon to be former teammates if he had anything to say about it.
When he turned to face the trio an unreadable mask had fallen over his features.  They had seen this look before; of course it had never been directed at them.  Randy Orton, the youngest member of Evolution, took an involuntary step back.  He'd told the other two that this would bite them in the ass.  If looks were any indication Dave was well beyond pissed.  He was livid.
Hunter and Ric both seemed to have expected this.  They met the man's calm demeanor with indifferent looks of their own.  Batista had been the muscle for Evolution since damn near it's foundation.  They needed to remind the big bruiser whom his ass really belonged to.  If it weren't for the good graces of Ric Flair the lumbering giant would have been just another shooting star.
Dave took a deep breath to still the rage pounding through his veins.  It wasn't just his life that Evolution had fucked with.  They'd also managed to screw up a young woman's life as well.  That didn't sit too well with the young man.
He cautioned himself to remain calm so as not to disturb the red head on the bed a few feet away.  Unconsciously his right hand gripped the left wrist; a sure sign to any that cared to read this particular book that the man was angry but trying to remain under control.  "Gentlemen would you care to explain why you would do something like this," the careful tone did not betray the underlying fury that he kept a tight rein on.
Hunter stepped further into the room, a hand raking through his shoulder length blonde hair.  Ric followed closely behind the younger man.  Randy, choosing discretion, decided to remain where he was, in the doorway.  "It's like this," the blonde wrestler drawled.  "We've noticed a startling trend here Dave.  It seems that you're trying to distance yourself from us, and considering all the time and energy that we've invested in you we thought you might need a reminder of just how things work around here."
The urge to punch the smug bastard was overwhelming.  He wasn't a slave or a child to be reminded of his place in the world.  A muscle ticking in the brunette's cheek was the only indication that the man had heard anything the other wrestler had said at all.
Ric picked up smoothly where Hunter had left off.  "If you decide to go ahead and annul the marriage, that pretty young thing will find herself out on the streets.  Her friends can't afford to help her.  Even if they could, this court order prohibits them from even trying."  He held up the paperwork that the young witch had dropped when she'd passed out.
The two veteran wrestlers shared a smirk.  "You'd think that California wouldn't have such a law on the books in this day and age," Hunter gave a callous laugh.  "But it seems that it does.  Who'd have thought the Golden State would make the legal age of consent twenty-five?  You really gotta love that."   He continued you to chuckle evilly.
The Nature Boy thoroughly enjoyed the look of barely suppressed fury on the dark haired wrestler's face.
"So what do you jackals get out of this," Batista questioned.  Every fiber of his being wanted to beat the living hell out of these smug bastards.  However until he knew how his wife fit into this equation he was reluctant to cross them.  There would come a time, and when it came, he would be ready.
"That's really quite simple," Ric supplied.  "We know that you're not going to leave her helpless and we know that her friends can't help her.  So the way we figure it," he motioned to the other two and himself.  "You do like you have been, watching our backs, and doing what you're told, and we won't have to hurt the little girl."
No one was aware of the red head on the bed listening to every word.  What was that old saying?  Sin in haste repent at leisure.  It certainly seemed to fit this situation to a T.  She couldn't help but feel a little stab of disappointment.  Sure she wasn't ever going to win a beauty contest, but she wasn't hideous either.
Willow forced the tears back; they wouldn't help her predicament.  She turned her head slowly her gaze easily finding her reluctant husband.  His fists were clenched at his sides, and the muscle ticking in his jaw worked furiously.
The young witch blinked her eyes.  Her whole body was wracked with pain, and every muscle screamed in protest when she tried to move.   With a sigh she closed her eyes and tried to remember why she hurt so damn bad.
A cool hand touched her forehead and moved down to cup her cheek, the thumb brushing over the bone.   When she tried to open her eyes again the pain was lessened.  She stared into the chocolate brown depths of her husband?s eyes.
"Aww, isn't that sweet," came the asinine reply from the door.
Green eyes pinned the huge blonde giant.  Hunter froze.  There might not be much to her size wise, but there was an air about her that said you only crossed her at your own risk.  Nervously he pulled at his tailored shirt cuffs and watched as Dave helped the young woman sit up in the large bed.
Ric knew that Hunter was already starting to have second thoughts about this plan, but they had to keep going.  The future of Evolution was at stake.  They couldn't lose anyone now.  It was too important, and he knew something the others didn't.  She wasn't just some ordinary girl; she was a very talented witch.  A witch with enough power to make even his wildest fantasies a reality.
As if she sensed his eyes on her, she turned her head and met his cold blue stare.  He arched an eyebrow at her.  Her power slapped him and it was her turn to raise a brow.  Ric couldn't help the smile on his face as he gave a mock bow in her direction.
Willow now knew what had happened.  Ric was a witch, or a warlock if you prefer, with power to damn near rival her own.  It had been a kind of test that first round.  Only she hadn't been aware of it then; she had been the second time their eyes met.
The hacker had barely used any of her power to attack the man.  It was just a taste of how much more damage she could inflict.  Though she didn't like to think of it, she knew that if push came to shove, she would do to him what she'd done to Warren, and much more.  It was the much more that left her feeling like a balloon slowly losing air.
"Gentlemen," Ric said addressing Randy and Hunter.  "I believe our work here is done.  We'll see you two tonight at the airport," his eyes trained on Willow and Batista.
The brunette gave a short nod, answering for both of them.  Willow watched with wary eyes as the trio left them alone.  When she was sure they were gone she let the shakes come.  She hadn't been that afraid in a very long time, and she didn't relish the sensation at all.   She had a feeling things were going to get a hell of lot worse, stating with the phone call to her worried friends.