The bright afternoon sun glared in the eyes of Mark Calloway, better known as the Undertaker to those on the street, as he walked down Main St. of the small Mid-Western town he happened to have the unfortunate luck of living in. He glared back. He hated being out during the day. He had never been a day person and never would, but he had something important to do. He had to go get his dumb brother, Kane, out of jail again.
Mark shook his head grimly as he thought about his younger brother and all the trouble he managed to get into. He'd been caught stealing from the local 7-11 last night. The time before that he'd been smoking pot on the front steps of the house he shared with Mark and their friends when a cop had driven by on his way home. And the time before that Kane had gotten into a fight with the bartender at Freidrich's and been put into jail after that encounter. It wasn't that Kane was stupid; Mark thought as he entered the county jail, he just didn't have enough common sense to realize when to and when not to do certain things.
"Can I help you, sir?" the lady at the front desk interrupted his thoughts.
Mark frowned at her.
"I'm here to get my brother out."
"Oh, you must be Mr. Calloway," she smiled as she stood up, "You're here to get Mr. uh..."
"Kane, his name is Kane," Mark informed her before she tried to remember the last name that his brother didn't have.
"Um yes, right. I'll go tell the Chief that you're here."
Mark rolled his eyes as he sat down to wait for Kane. He had already paid the bail last night after his brother called him. The police, however, had insisted that he stay the night in jail to make him think about his actions. To everyone in the town except their friends, Kane was thought to be slow and not all there in the head. Only they knew the truth that he was one of the smartest people in the town, but that he just lacked common sense and was in a way quite child-like.
"Thanks, bro," Kane muttered a few minutes later as the two walked back to their house on the other side of town.
Mark tugged at the blue bandanna around his forehead and shrugged.
"No problem," he answered, "Just next time don't get caught. I'm tired of bailing your ass outta jail all the fucking time."
"I don't mean to it's just..."
"I know, bro. Just try to use some goddamn common sense sometime."
"Taker, you know Kane doesn't have any of that," a voice called out as they rounded the corner to their house.
Kane turned around to glare at the person the voice belonged to. She was short, a good foot and a half shorter than the brothers who were almost 7ft tall, and skinny. She had short spiky blue hair and bright green eyes. The corners of her mouth tugged at a smile as Kane continued to glare at her. She flung one bare arm around his waist and hugged him.
"Come on, big man," she grinned, "You know I was just fucking with you."
Kane rolled his eyes.
"I hate you sometimes, Chevie."
"Love you too, sweetheart."
Mark laughed as he watched his brother turn five shades of red. He knew Kane had a crush on Chevie and he also knew it embarrassed the hell out of him to even admit it. He didn't know why his brother didn't just make his move. Chevie was always flirting with him and sending him signals. Not only did his brother lack common sense, he lacked self-esteem as well. His brother wasn't that bad of a guy, but somehow he always managed to think that he was.
"Well, well, well," Chevie remarked as they entered the house, "If it isn't the two love-birds. How ya doin' kids?"
Dave Batista and Rylan Sharp jumped apart from each other. The two had been furiously making out on the couch. Rylan rolled her eyes as her best friend sat down next to her and flipped on the TV.
"Chevie..."
"Hmmm?" came her reply as she settled on watching a Saved By the Bell rerun.
Rylan slapped her friend's arm and took away the remote. After turning off the TV. She tossed it to Batista as Chevie made a grab for it.
"Dammit, Rye," she whined, "I was trying to watch that!"
"Well, I was tryin' to spend some time with Dave but you interrupted that now didn't ya?"
Mark laughed as he watched the two girls bicker back and forth. It got on his nerves sometimes, the way they would argue about the stupidest little things but he realized that was the way best friends were. It wasn't like he and Kane didn't ever argue like that anyways.
"You and Batista are ALWAYS making out or fucking," Chevie was telling Rylan, "I NEVER get to watch Saved By the Bell anymore! And it's the episode where Kelly breaks up with Zack!"
She tried jumping across Rylan again. Rylan leaned back and Chevie ended up sliding across Batista's lap and onto the floor. Mark and Kane laughed as Rylan smirked and leaned into her boyfriend's huge thick tattoo-covered arms. Batista leaned down, kissing her dark red hair.
"You guys make me sick," Chevie complained as Kane helped her off the floor. She brushed off her cut-off jean shorts and stuck her tongue out at them.
Batista flicked her off as he leaned down, capturing Rylan's mouth in a heated kiss.
"Well, Chevie, looks like you lost that battle," Mark laughed.
"Yeah, yeah."
"What battle?" Sean O'Haire asked as he walked into the room.
"Chevie doesn't get to watch Saved By the Bell...AGAIN," Mark laughed, "Batista and Rye get to continue what they were doing, however."
Sean's gaze flickered over to the couple on the couch. He flinched as he watched Batista's hands slide down Rylan's body and disappear between her legs. He ran a hand through his wild hair and looked away quickly. Trying to hide the look of disapproval and jealousy on his face, Sean leaned casually against the doorframe to the kitchen. Mark shook his head as he watched the youngster closely. He could try to hide it all he wanted, but he knew O'Haire was in lust, if not love with the woman on the couch. He had seen the way Sean would check Rylan out when he thought no one was looking the way he blushed when she talked to him. So much for his tough guy, devil-may-care image. Sean melted whenever Rylan was around. Mark might be the most feared man in their small town, but he knew how to read people's emotions and could tell when the feelings where there. He just hoped Sean would be able to get over it before Batista found out. Batista wasn't one to mess around when it came to his girl.
"God, the whole idea of couples makes me sick," Chevie complained again as everyone continued to watch the two on the couch. She walked over to Kane and slapped his back. "Don't you agree with me big man?"
Kane shrugged and reached into his pocket, looking for a cigarette. He had forgotten he had just gotten back from jail and didn't have any. He cursed under his breath. Mark reached into his leather pants and threw his pack at his brother. Kane took one out and grabbed a lighter off the coffee table. The smoke curled up past his face as he watched Rylan wrap her arms tight around her boyfriend's neck as he began sucking on her neck. He could faintly hear her whispering into his ear. Probably sweet little nothings, he thought bitterly, Wish I had someone to whisper in my ear. He stole a quick glance at Chevie. She was still waiting for him to answer her. He took another puff of the cigarette and put it down in the ashtray.
"I guess," Kane finally answered, trying to look uninterested.
"Fuck all couples," Sean spat out, glaring at Batista and then walking back into the kitchen.
"What the fuck is HIS problem?" Rylan asked, breaking away from Batista when she heard the angry tone of Sean's voice.
"Who knows," Chevie answered, "He probably gets sick of seeing you two making out all the time too. I know I sure as hell do."
"Will you just shut the hell up, Chevie?" Batista finally spoke, rolling his eyes, "Everyone gets sick of you constantly complaining too. You just need to get fuckin laid."
Chevie bunched her fists up at her sides. She bit her lip to keep from screaming at her best friend's boyfriend. She thought about flying at him and punching him in his face, but decided against that. Batista was at least twice her size and Rylan would kick her ass before she ever got a second punch in. She opted, instead, to stick her tongue out.
"Very mature," Batista laughed, "And so like you, Chevie."
"Fuck you," she replied.
A laugh came from upstairs. Chevie turned to see Raven walking down the stairs to them. He paused on the last step to push his newly dyed blond braids out of his face. He didn't want them to smear his perfectly lined eyes.
"That's Rylan's job if I remember correctly," he answered, jumping off the last step and onto the couch next to the couple, "At least, that's what it sounded like last night."
Rylan rolled her eyes as everyone else laughed.
"You just wish it was your job," she told him.
Raven laughed again, throwing his head back against the couch. He stopped abruptly and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Batista ain't really my type sweetie," he said, "I prefer my men smaller than me...and more submissive."
"Like Moore, right?" Mark teased, naming the resident pretty boy in their town, Shannon Moore, who everyone knew had a crush on the much darker and more evil Raven.
"Exactly," Raven nodded his head.
Chevie threw a pillow at his head.
"You sick freak. Shannon is NOT your type!"
"And neither am I so I don't really care," Batista laughed as he kissed Rylan's cheek, "Besides, Rave ain't really my type either." He shrugged apologetically. "Sorry, man."
Rylan shoved her boyfriend.
"He better not be."
"Well, maybe if he lost the braids...and stopped wearing that stupid skirt..."
"Oh man, I can't believe I'm hearing..."
Kane was cut off as a shriek came from the kitchen.
"I'll fuckin kill you!" Victoria screamed, chasing Sean into the living room with a frying pan in one hand.
Mark grabbed the psychotic dark-haired woman by the waist as Kane wrestled the pan from her hands. She struggled against him as Sean looked warily at her from behind the couch where he was hiding.
"What happened?" Mark asked.
"I'll fuckin kill him!" Victoria repeated, still struggling.
Mark pulled back on her hair. He lost all gentleness and frowned at her.
"I asked what fucking happened!"
Victoria flinched as Mark tightened his grip around her waist and pulled on her hair again. She stopped struggling and sighed.
"He ate my goddamn ice cream!" she answered, glaring at Sean.
"And you want to kill him for it?" Kane asked, eyebrows raised.
"Fuck yeah!" Victoria yelled, "It was my double chocolate chip ice cream!"
"Uh-oh," Chevie muttered under her breath.
"That's there for when I'm on my fucking period and he fucking knows it!" Victoria continued, getting worked up again.
"I was hungry!" Sean shrugged, still trying to hide, "And she knows I like that kind of ice cream!"
"It's MY fucking ice cream! I fucking BOUGHT it!"
Rylan rolled her eyes and stood up, adjusting her tank top from her earlier action with her boyfriend as she did so. Sean couldn’t help but to look at her firm butt as she stood in front of him, glaring at Victoria. He resisted the urge to reach out and slap it and tried to focus his attention on what was being said.
"Look, I'm sure Sean just forgot that it was there for when you're on your goddamn period," Rylan was saying, "It's not like you've never eaten any of our shit before."
Sean held back a moan as he heard his name come out of Rylan's mouth. He was trying his hardest not to imagine how it would sound if she was screaming it in the throws of pleasure, pleasure he knew Batista could never give her but it was getting harder every day. He looked down at the growing bulge in his pants. Yes, it definitely was getting harder every day he went without being able to touch her, let her know the way he felt about her. He couldn't let something like that out to the group, though. They were best friends and the news that he was falling in love with Batista's girl would tear the group apart. Sean shook his head and took a few deep breaths as he watched Rylan turn to look down at him. He brought his eyes up slowly, letting them linger on her full round breasts that strained against her top, the nipples visible through the thin cotton material. Damn, why did she have to insist going around without a bra on? Sean blinked quickly, trying to clear his mind of such thoughts. He unconsciously licked his lips, unaware that Mark was looking at him and nodding his head slowly. No one else noticed. Sean looked down at Raven's braids in front of him and focused on what was being said.
"Sean," Rylan was saying, "Will you apologize to Victoria?"
"Yeah, sure," Sean mumbled, wondering why exactly Raven would want to take the time to put his hair into all the tiny little braids on his head.
"Well?" Chevie asked a moment later when no one spoke.
Sean looked up.
"What?"
"Apologize to her," Chevie commanded.
Sean sighed but stood up. He offered his hand to the still glaring form of Victoria in Mark's arms.
"Sorry," he said quickly.
Victoria eyed his hand suspiciously. After Mark poked her forward, she shook it and pulled away as quickly as possible. Mark let her go and she grabbed her frying pan back from Kane.
"If you EVER try to eat any of my ice cream again before asking I swear I will FUCKING kill you!" she waved the pan at Sean. "That goes for any of you!"
"Crazy bitch," Raven laughed.
Victoria smiled sadistically at him as she walked backwards to the kitchen.
"Damn right," she agreed, "And proud of it!"
Chapter 2
"Fuck you and fuck you and fuck you and fuck..."
"Victoria shut the hell up!" Chevie yelled later that night as they all sat down to eat pizza and watch the movies Raven had picked from the video store earlier.
"But I'm singing!" Victoria protested as she sat next to Kane and Chevie on the floor.
"That's not a song and you sound terrible," Raven told her as he popped the first tape into the VCR.
"Fu..."
"Yeah, yeah, we know," Sean rolled his eyes from his position on the couch next to Rylan, "Fuck him."
Victoria opened her mouth to say something yet again but this time Mark reached down and clapped one hand over her mouth and grabbed her long dark hair with the other.
"Just shut up for a while," he hissed, letting all his authority drip from his voice.
Victoria nodded her head in affirmation.
"Good girl," Mark grinned, yanking on her hair once more.
"Yes, Taker," Victoria mumbled, eyes downcast.
"So what we watchin?" Rylan asked, shifting so she was leaning her head on Batista's shoulder.
"Bats," Raven answered.
"What is you obsession with fucking horror movies all of a sudden?" Batista asked, shaking his head in disgust.
Raven just shrugged as an answer. He motioned for them to be quiet as the movie started. The group settled in for a long night of movie watching and hopefully no more of Victoria's crazy, psychotic mood swings.
A Few Days Later:
"You gonna give me the damn money or what, punk?" Batista growled, his teeth bared. He slammed his unfortunate victim against a stonewall and let him drop to the ground. The young dark haired man slumped down, his breath coming out in short gasps. "What is it, punk? You gonna give me the money or am I gonna hafta take it from you?"
The young man managed to reach into his pocket and pull out a wad of cash. Batista grabbed it and quickly fanned through it, counting the twenty-dollar bills. Altogether there was one hundred seventy-five dollars. Batista shoved the money in his pocket and picked the man up again.
"You're five fucking dollars short," he hissed, "You better be lucky that's all. Taker wants his money and you've got most of it here." He brought his knee up to his stomach. "I suggest you not buy from Taker again unless you have the money right there with you."
As he went to slam the young man against the wall again, Rylan came up from behind and put a hand on his shoulder. He loosened his grip and turned to look at his girlfriend.
"Rye, get outta here."
Rylan shook her head, letting her newly dyed red hair fall into her eyes. She pulled Batista's hands from the man's shirt and he slumped down again, moaning in pain.
"You've done what you came to do," she said, "You got the money now go."
"But, I..."
"NOW, Batista!"
Her voice left no room for argument. Batista looked back once more at the young man and growled at him. He flexed his muscles, making sure he saw what he was in store for if he didn't pay right away once more. Rylan shook her head as she watched her boyfriend walk back to the car. She offered her hand to the young man and he took it warily.
"Listen, you better pay sooner next time," she told him as he brushed off his pants.
"Yeah, I know."
"Or you could just give up the drugs altogether," she continued as though he had never spoken, "Why don't you just do that, Matt?"
"I'm not the one who uses them," Matt Hardy answered, tenderly checking his back for any bruises.
Rylan just looked at him.
"Really, I'm not," he protested, "They're for Shannon. He's too afraid to go buy them himself so he gives me the money."
"Shannon?"
Rylan found that hard to believe. Shannon Moore, Matt's best friend, was the wholesome boy next door. There was no way HE would be into using drugs. Of course, she had seen guys more innocent than Shannon become addicted to coke and acid. They had been usually going out with someone in their group, however. Shannon, as far as she could see, didn't go out with anyone in their group. There was his little crush on Raven, but she didn't think he would start doing drugs just to impress her dark friend. Raven may sell them for Taker but he didn't do any of it himself. No, she just couldn't see Shannon Moore doing drugs.
"Well, don't believe me if you don't wanna," Matt said a moment later after making sure he had no broken bones, "Don't you think you should be getting back to your boyfriend before he comes looking for you and accuses me of trying to make a move on you?"
"Dave's not like that," Rylan argued, still a little preoccupied with her thoughts of Shannon.
"Oh really? Didn't he beat up some guy at the club last week because he bought you a drink? And a few days before that, didn't he break some guy's arm when he thought he was checking you out?"
Rylan shrugged.
"So, he gets a little jealous sometimes. All guys do."
"Batista gets more than a little jealous," Matt told her, "If I were you, I'd get out of that relationship before something REALLY serious happens."
"Like what?"
Matt just shook his head as he walked away. It wasn't his job to look after Rylan Sharp. She was a grown woman, capable of making her own decisions. If she wanted to stay with someone who could be dangerous like Dave Batista then that was her problem. HE knew the relationship could only end in disaster. He'd seen it happen all too often before. At least Batista wasn't strung out on drugs, then the situation would be even more serious.
"Matt! What do you mean?" Rylan screamed after him.
Matt shook his head again and kept walking. Rylan would just have to find out for herself as far as he was concerned. It was how life worked.
"Who the hell do you want to help you sell?" Kane asked his brother, amazed.
"Copeland," Mark replied as he sorted through a stack of bills.
"And just why do you want him?"
Mark shrugged and threw a cable bill on the floor. They were two months behind in that bill. Hopefully Batista, Rylan, Sean, and Raven were out doing their jobs at the moment and collecting past payments. He was running low on money at the moment.
"He's a genius," he replied, "Fucking hot as hell. He'll definitely appeal to the women...and the gay guys. Plus he's got a reputation."
Kane snorted.
"Just because he won a few fight-to-the-death contests in Canada doesn't mean he's right for our group. Neither does the fact that he has pretty long goldi-locks."
"He borders on the edge of psychoticism. He didn't earn his name in Canada for no reason," Mark explained, "They don't call him 'Edge' for nothing, ya know, brother."
"Stupid name if you ask me," Kane muttered.
Mark snapped his head up. His eyes were ice cold.
"Are you questioning my decision?"
Kane bit his lip.
"He just doesn't belong in..."
"Answer me, Kane! Are you questioning my decision?"
Kane lowered his head, afraid to look his brother in the eye. Mark could be very menacing when he turned into the Undertaker. Not often was he on the receiving end of his brother's wrath, but when he was Kane tended to break down. The only one that Taker seemed to have no effect on was Chevie. She never backed down from the undisputed leader of their group. He admired that aspect of her among other things.
"Kane!" Mark barked when his brother didn't answer right away.
"No," Kane managed to choke out.
Mark lowered his head back down to the pile of bills in front of him. He picked up one for the next month's rent and shook his head.
"When Batista and the others get back, bring me the money they have and then take them with you. Figure a way to get Copeland into the group." He paused as he threw another bill onto the floor. "By any means necessary!"
"Yes, brother."
Mark nodded his head in approval.
"I just can't believe how much Victoria spends at the fucking grocery store every week," he changed the subject as he went through a stack of receipts.
"Well, there are eight of us, you know," Kane said cautiously.
"If O'Haire didn't eat enough for three people, we'd be fine," Mark grumbled, "Remind me to have a talk with him about that one."
"Okay."
Mark closed his eyes and listened for a moment. He heard the front door open and then slam shut. He nodded his head toward the door.
"They're back."
"I'll go talk to them right now," Kane offered.
Mark nodded his head as he watched his brother leave. He didn't always like being so mean and overpowering with him, but he knew it was the best way to run the house. Besides Rylan, who worked a few nights at the strip club on the outskirts of town, he was the only one who brought in any money. And if the customers who owed him money didn't start paying him back all his money soon, he'd be forced to take some extreme measures.
Chapter 3
"Five-fifty is all you got?" Mark asked later that night as Batista handed him the money owed.
"Yeah, but..."
Mark's frown deepened, causing his brow to crease. Batista backed up noticeably.
"You were supposed to collect over eight hundred and you only brought back five hundred and fifty fucking dollars?" Mark continued, eyes now narrowed to tiny slits, "What fucking good are you?"
"I...I'm sorry, Taker, but...but it was all they had," Batista stuttered.
"And what exactly are you SUPPOSED to do when they don't have all the money?"
"T...t...take some of their stuff," Batista answered, eyes wide in fear as Mark stepped toward him, fist clenched.
"Exactly," Mark said as he cuffed the more muscular man on the side of his head.
Batista glared at him, but didn't say a word. It was something he had learned to do when he had first joined up with Mark almost five years ago. As long as you didn't talk back to Taker, you would be fine. Sure, you might get knocked around a couple of times but that was nothing compared to what would happen if you disobeyed him in any fashion. Batista knew some of them, O'Haire to be exact, had learned the hard way on that issue. His leg had been broken in three places not long after he had joined the group two years ago. None of them had ever forgotten that incident. It wasn't that Mark was a bad guy, he just turned into the Undertaker whenever serious matters needed to be taken care of. And payment was a serious matter.
"It's not his fault, Taker," Chevie spoke up, "He got all of his money...Raven didn't get all of the money he was supposed to...it's because I went with him."
"Chevie, shut up," Mark commanded.
"Listen, it's the damn truth," Chevie continued, "I wasn't helping him very much or anything."
"Chevie if you don't shut up right now I swear I'm gonna stuff O'Haire's socks in your mouth and put duct tape over them so you can never get them out."
"Hey! You don't wanna kill me do ya? The smell from his socks could kill me in like three fuckin' seconds!"
"My socks do NOT stink!" Sean exclaimed, forgetting that Mark was not in good humor at the moment.
Mark turned to cuff him on his right ear. Sean winced and leaned against the wall.
"I deserved that," he mumbled, glaring at the floor.
"Fuck, Mark!" Rylan exclaimed, forgetting her place, "You fuckin made Sean bleed1" She made her way over to Sean, who was holding onto his ear. She could see a little blood trickle between his fingers. "What the fuck?"
Sean tried to pull away as Rylan gently pried his hand from his head. She made a face as she noticed the blood coming out of his ear. It wasn't exactly a flood, but it wasn't exactly as trickle either. She pushed his hair away from his head and leaned closer, trying to look at his ear better. Sean held his breath as he felt how close the girl of his dreams was standing next to him. He could feel her body pressed against his arm as she wiped the blood away with her finger.
"He fuckin' deserved it," Mark glared, "But, take him to the bathroom and clean him up, Rye."
Rylan nodded and grabbed Sean's hand, not noticing the way he flinched at her touch. No one noticed, except Mark to be exact. He shook his head and hoped he knew what he was doing by sending those two away together. He turned back to Rylan's boyfriend and shoved him back.
"So, you gonna go get the rest of my money tomorrow or not?"
Upstairs In the Bathroom:
"I'm fine, Rye," Sean was trying to convince her as she made him sit on the edge of the tub, "Really, I am!"
Rylan ignored him and leaned down to dab at his ear with a wet towel. Sean closed his eyes to prevent himself from looking down her low-cut shirt. He was really going to have to find a way to tell her the benefits of wearing a bra. He was sure Batista liked that fact, but it was distracting to those who didn't have the advantage of having Rylan as a girlfriend. He leaned back against the wall, breathing in her scent.
"I think you'll be okay," she told him, her voice soft and concerned, "I think Mark just got a little carried away tonight. You know how he is."
"Yeah," Sean mumbled, "Just a little."
"Can you hear okay?"
Rylan leaned closer to look into his ear. Sean opened one eye, peeking down her shirt. She was so close to him now he could just raise his head a little and press his lips against her smooth tan skin. He winced as he thought of what Batista would do to him if he found out what he was thinking about his girl, that is if Rylan left him in one piece if he ever did make a move. She was one tough chick.
"Sean?" Rylan questioned when he didn't answer right away, "Can you hear outta your ear?"
Sean shook his head, trying to clear it of all thoughts.
"Yeah, I can," he said, "Thanks, Rye. I'm fine. You better go check on...your boyfriend now."
Rylan noticed the pause before Sean mentioned her boyfriend. She wasn't sure why he had paused, but she did know she wanted to find out. She motioned for him to move over and she sat next to him on the tub edge.
"Dave is fine," she replied, "He doesn't like it when I worry about him like that."
"But, you do it anyways," Sean added with a wry smile, "So, why worry about me?"
Rylan shrugged.
"Because you don't seem to mind it," she replied, "And I like to take care of my friends. Is that such a crime?"
Sean looked at the opposite wall, trying to keep his voice neutral.
"No, I don't mind," he mumbled, raking a hand through his hair.
Rylan leaned over, giving him a hug. Sean started, but cautiously wrapped his arms around her body. He leaned his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes. He stifled back a groan of disappointment when she pulled away a second later. For that one moment in time, it had seemed right to be holding Rylan in his arms. It couldn't last though and Sean knew it.
"Sean, what's up?"
"Huh? Nothing."
"Something is bothering you," Rylan insisted, "I can tell by the look on your face. Wanna talk bout it?"
Sean stood up then, feeling suddenly cramped in the small bathroom the girls shared. He made a show of stretching and yawning, hoping Rylan would buy it. She rolled her eyes, but took the hint. She followed Sean out the door, making a mental note to ask him again later.
Meanwhile, In Another Part of Town:
"I can't believe those assholes beat you up AGAIN!" Lou exclaimed as she dabbed at a cut above Matt's right eyebrow, "Can't they find something better to do with their lives? Like, oh I dunno, maybe get jobs?"
"Yeah right," Lou's best friend, Adam Copeland, better known as Edge, laughed, "That will be the day. They're the biggest slackers in the whole town...probably the whole fucking state. I don't know why anyone would want to hang with them."
Lou rolled her eyes and stuck a band-aid on the cut. Matt groaned as the sticky portion caught a few of his eyebrows.
"Damn, Lou," he complained as he rubbed the sore spot, "Can you be a little more gentle with the damn band-aids next time?"
"Yeah," Edge laughed again, "He's a hairy man, remember?"
Matt threw a wadded up piece of paper at his friend. Lou shook her head as Edge caught it and threw it back at Matt. Sometimes how juvenile those two acted still surprised her. She pulled her long blonde hair back into a ponytail and watched as the two started a paper fight. She had a feeling she would be in for a long, long night with those two.
Chapter 4
"Baby, not tonight," Rylan muttered as her boyfriend started kissing down her neck.
Batista ignored her and continued kissing,moving his hands down her body to grab her hips. He pulled her to him, ignoring her protests. She shoved hard on his chest, leaving two handprints. It did nothing to stop him. His tongue started flicking her nipples into hard nubs as he reached one hand down and started massaging her clit.
"Really, Dave," Rylan tried again, "I'm fucking tired. Not tonight!"
"Don't give me that shit, Rye," Batista rolled his eyes, "It's never good if I'm tired and you're in the mood. I always give in don't I?" He paused to bite her breast gently. "Now that I'm in the mood and you're not we can't have sex. Is that it?"
"Dave," Rylan groaned, biting her lip as he started massaging her clit harder, "I really don't want to. Just stop, okay?"
"No."
Batista flipped so he was laying on top of her. He shoved hard into her, not even caring if she wasn't prepared enough. He was getting sick and tired of the way his girlfriend had been acting lately. She never used to care when they would have sex, but now it seemed like she was always making excuses - she was tired, her head hurt, she just didn't feel like it. He was getting sick of the way Rylan thought SHE was totally in charge of everything. HE was the man in the relationship, wasn't he? He began pounding into her, setting his usual rhythm. He ignored Rylan's protests as he grabbed her breasts and started pinching them the way he knew she liked.
"Dave!" Rylan tried one last time to get her boyfriend off her, "Stop! Seriously!"
He thrust especially hard as he leaned down to kiss her. She bit his lip, drawing blood.
"Fuck!" Batista screamed, holding his mouth, "You little bitch!"
"Get OFF me, Dave!" She shoved him back, making him pull out most of the way. "I told you 'no' and I fucking meant it!"
"You like fucking me and you know it, Rylan," Batista smirked as he licked the blood off his lip and leaned back down to finish what he started, "So just sit back and enjoy it."
The Next Morning
"Where's Rylan at?" Kane asked at breakfast, "She's usually one of the first ones up."
"Besides," Raven added, "It's her turn to do the dishes, right?"
Kane nodded his head.
"Exactly," he said. Batista walked in the room and he nodded toward him. "Hey man, where's Rylan at?"
Batista sat down at the table and grabbed a cup of coffee. He shrugged as he piled a stack of pancakes on his plate and started eating.
"She's still sleeping," he answered in between bites.
"Well, she better get her ass up soon," Victoria said, "I'm not taking her turn at doing the damn dishes again." She slammed her coffee cup in the sink. "And I fucking mean it this time!"
Raven rolled his eyes and turned to Batista. He smirked knowingly.
"Late night last night?" he asked, winking.
"Yeah, I guess," Batista shrugged.
Raven turned to the others at the table. He winked at them. Mark only rolled his eyes and continued eating while Chevie, Kane, and Victoria laughed. Sean got up from the table, a disgusted look on his face. His dishes clattered in the sink as he threw them in. Mark watched him stomp upstairs, an angry scowl on his face. He was definitely going to have to talk to O'Haire if he kept up this attitude.
Chapter 5
"Come on, Matt!" Shannon whined, "Just a little more! Please? You're my best friend!"
Matt Hardy shook his head as he pulled back his long curly dark hair. He was tired of giving in to Shannon. He was always doing things for him and what did he get in return? Bruised ribs and a sore back, that's what. Well, no more. Shannon may be one of his best friends, but he wasn't going to get his ass kicked for him anymore.
"I'm not buying you anymore fuckin' drugs, Shannon," he told him as he opened his college law book, "There's no way."
"Maaaaaatt!" Shannon whined, "Just one last time, please?" He knelt down next to Matt's chair, "I'm begging you, man! I just need enough to get me through the week."
"Go to Taker and buy your own fucking drugs cause I'm NOT doing it anymore."
Shannon frowned.
"But what if Raven is there?"
"That's your problem, Shannon. I suggest you go though before he closes up for the day."
Shannon sighed as Matt turned and concentrated on his book. He stood up and debated whether or not to go to Taker's house. He knew that he would only sell at certain times in the day and that if someone went at the wrong time then they would be shit out of luck. Shannon really needed another hit of acid, his preferred drug at the moment, but he was afraid that Raven might be there. There was something about the dark, mysterious man that attracted Shannon to him. As big of a crush he had on Raven, he just couldn't bear the thought of seeing him in person in his element. He sighed. He DID need some more acid though. He didn't want to admit it, but he had become addicted to the stuff in the past few months.
"Matt," he said timidly.
"What?"
"Do you have a few dollars I can borrow?"
Matt raised his eyes from the book and frowned.
"NO!"
Shannon sighed and walked out the door. He would just have to find some money of his own or convince one of Taker's goons to let him pay later. Matt always did so he had a feeling that he would be able to work something out with them. He just hoped he didn't run into Raven.
Sean O'Haire knocked on the door to Rylan and Batista's room later that day. It was three in the afternoon and Rylan STILL hadn't gotten out of bed. Raven, Batista, and Victoria were out collecting money while Chevie and Kane went to the store. That left Sean to check on her. He had tried to refuse but the look in Taker's eyes left no room for argument.
"Rye," he called out softly when she didn't answer the knock. He paused and knocked again. "Rylan. It's Sean. Can I come in?"
He heard a noise coming from the other side of the door. He took that as his cue to come in. The sight he saw as he opened the door shocked him. Rylan was still in bed, the covers pulled up to her eyes. The only thing he could see in the dark room was her eyes and bright red hair fanned across the pillow. The blinds were closed and the curtains pulled. He opened one, careful not to let too much light in and hurt her eyes.
"Rylan, are you okay?"
"Mmph fine," she mumbled, slipping under the covers even more.
Sean sat down on the edge of the bed, careful not to get too close to her.
"You sick?"
No answer. Sean waited a minute, thinking that maybe she had to think about it. When she didn't answer, he leaned over, trying to look into her eyes. She pulled away from him and sunk down more, until only her hair was visible. Sean rolled his eyes. He grabbed the cover and yanked it down, exposing her naked, bruised body. Rylan tried covering herself up but she wasn't quick enough.
"What the FUCK happened to you?"
"Nothing," Rylan muttered, yanking the covers back up, "I just fell yesterday. That's all."
Sean shook his head.
"Rye, you have fucking bruises on your tits. You don't get bruises there just by falling. Now, tell me the truth."
"Listen, O'Haire," Rylan sniped, "I fucking fell okay! Now mind your own fucking business!"
Sean stood up, confused and angry. Rylan never called him by his last name, and she sure as hell was never this rude to anybody. He wasn't sure exactly what had happened to her to give her those bruises and nasty attitude, but he was going to find out. And if he found out Batista had anything to do with hurting her, he would KILL him-regardless if they were family or not.
"Look, I'm gonna go see if Taker needs any help," he said as he walked out the door, trying to hide his emotions, "He sent me up here to get you so I suggest you get your ass down there. You don't want him even more pissed off, do you?"
Rylan gazed after him as he walked down the stairs. She had missed her opportunity to tell Sean what had happened last night with Dave. How could she have been so stupid? She loved Dave, though. She didn't know what had been wrong with him last night, but he wasn't being his usual self. He NEVER acted that way before, and certainly not like that to her of all people. Rylan wasn't sure, but she had a feeling he had been either drinking or on some new drug. That had to be the only explanation for his behavior. She refused to think about what Matt Hardy had told her the day before about something serious happening in their relationship. It just had to be a coincidence, right?
Chapter 6
"Hey Moore! Where ya headed?"
Shannon looked up to see Lou and Edge walking toward him. He really didn't feel much like talking with either of them at the moment, but he didn't have a place to run to. He put on a bright smile and waved at them. Lou skipped forward, her blond ponytail swinging back and forth across her shoulders. Shannon shook his head. Everyone thought HE was the perkiest, happiest one in town, but this girl was head and tails above him. She was constantly moving and talking.
"Hey Shan, wanna go get a pizza with us?" Lou asked as she came to a stop in front of him.
Shannon shook his head.
"I, uh, gotta go do some errands for my aunt," he lied, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot.
"Awwww, come on," Lou whined, "Just for like half hour? Then you can run around for your friggin aunt as long as you want. You NEVER hang out with us anymore, Shan!"
Shannon shrugged and shoved his hands deep in his pockets. He wasn't sure how to answer that. He had a pretty good feeling that Matt hadn't told his two friends that he was doing drugs and he wasn't sure how they would react to that news. As he tried to come up with a good excuse, Edge came up and rescued him.
"Lou-Lou," he shook his head, "Leave Moore alone. If he's got things to do then he's got things to do. And he probably doesn't want to hang out with your crazy ass anyways." He jumped out of the way as his friend swatted at him. "Well, it's the truth. You're crazy!"
"I am NOT!" Lou protested. She stopped and stared at him.
"What?"
"Lou-Lou?" she asked, eyebrows raised.
Edge shrugged.
"It was the first thing that came to my mind. Don't ya think it's cute?"
Lou rolled her eyes, looking away. She wanted to tell him that she thought he was cute, but she could never tell him that. She could never let her best friend know exactly what she thought of him that she thought of him in THAT way. Instead she just punched his shoulder.
"It's kinda stupid," she told him, "And makes me sound like I'm about two years old. Can't you think of a better name? Or better yet, can't you just call me 'Lou'? It IS my name, ya know."
"Nah, too boring," Edge grinned, "When I think of something better I'll let ya know."
The two were so caught up in teasing each other that neither noticed when Shannon slipped down a side street. He shook his head as he walked away. They both were so loud that he could hear them all the way down the street. He had a feeling if Edge ever needed anything, Lou would be right there to help him out and vice-versa. That was the way best friends were. Matt could take a lesson from them. In his opinion, Matt hadn't been being a very good friend lately. He couldn't even go out and buy Shannon enough acid to last him the rest of the week. Lou would have done it for Adam, he was sure. Some people just weren't good friends at all. He'd have to have a talk with Matt when he got back from Taker's that night.
Back At Taker's House
Rylan walked slowly down the stairs. Her whole body ached from head to toe and everywhere in between. Dave really hadn't been himself last night. After the first time, he had taken her up the ass twice. She groaned as she remembered how hard he'd thrust into her. She was bleeding so much, she'd had to wear a pad just to keep it from getting all over her clothes. At least Sean hadn't seen the blood all over the sheets when he'd walked into her room an hour ago. She'd really be in a lot of shit if he had.
Sean.
Rylan shook her head as she walked into the kitchen. She should have told him what had happened last night. Maybe he would have had a rational explanation why her boyfriend had been such a jerk to her. Maybe they had gotten high together or drunk or whatever. There had to be a good reason, and she was sure Sean could give it to her. He always seemed the most put-together of the group. She made a mental note to talk to him later if she didn't talk to Dave first.
Chapter 7
"It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, beautiful day in the neigh-"
"Victoria, if you don't shut the hell up right NOW I'm gonna strangle you!" Raven yelled as the two, along with Batista, entered the house.
"Just try, bird-boy," Victoria smirked, "I'll kick your ass before you even have your hands around my neck!"
Chevie stuck her head out of the kitchen. She glared at the two.
"If both of you don't shut up, I'LL kill both of you!" she informed them, shaking a butcher knife at them.
"Whoa!" Raven said, "Watch where you're pointing that thing. You're almost as crazy as HER!" he stuck his thumb in Victoria's direction.
Chevie giggled and shook the knife at him again. Kane came out of the kitchen just then and grabbed it from her, holding it above his head when she went to grab it back.
"Give it back, big man!"
"No way, little lady," Kane laughed, "I don't think we want Raven for dinner tonight. Chicken is just fine."
"Ha, ha, ha," Raven said as he slid past them and to the fridge. He pulled out a beer and glared at the two still standing in the doorway. "I don't think that was funny at all."
"I thought it was pretty damn funny," Chevie smiled up at Kane.
Kane blushed and looked at the magnet-covered fridge. He always got weak whenever Chevie smiled at him like that. He had the biggest crush on her, but he had no idea how to tell her. Knowing his luck, Chevie wouldn't feel the same way. That was just the kind of luck he had. He put the thoughts out of his head, however, and put the knife back up where Victoria and Chevie wouldn't be able to reach it.
"Hey, where's Rylan?" Batista's voice cut off Kane's thoughts.
Chevie looked over at him.
"She was in the office, helping Taker with the bills," she answered, "But, I think she said something about maybe going with O'Haire to get some movies."
Batista growled. It was barely audible, but Kane and Raven both heard it. They looked at each other, frowning. They knew Batista could be a jealous guy, but they both knew he would never get jealous of another guy in the family. There was no reason for him to be jealous of Sean. He and Rylan always went to get movies together, they had the same sick taste.
"You okay, Batista?" Raven asked, chugging the rest of his beer.
"Yeah," Batista answered, distractedly, "I gotta go find Rye, though. I gotta talk to her bout something."
Raven shook his head at Kane as Batista left the room.
"Something is definitely NOT right with him," he said.
Kane nodded in agreement.
Batista ran out the front door just as Shannon Moore was walking up. He ran into the much smaller man, knocking him into the porch swing as he did so. Shannon groaned as he hit his head on the arm. Batista muttered something that could be interpreted as sorry and ran down the street toward town. He had asked Taker where Rylan was and was informed that she had gone to the video store with O'Haire. It wasn't that he was jealous, he just didn't trust O'Haire when it came to his girl. He had seen the way he'd been looking at her the other day, and Batista didn't like it. He had a feeling that O'Haire was going to be trouble if he didn't learn his place soon. The same went for Rylan. That was why he had done what he had last night, to show Rylan exactly who she belonged to so she wouldn't forget it.
"Stupid bitch won't forget now," he muttered as he walked inside the video store.
Sean saw the angry figure of Batista stalking toward them as they looked at the row of horror movies. He flinched as he thought about how angry Batista would be if he knew that Sean was falling in love with his girlfriend. Something like that was just NOT supposed to happen in the family. Sean shook his head. Abuse wasn't supposed to happen either, but it was obvious that's what had happened to Rylan last night. She hadn't admitted it to Sean yet, but he knew the truth.
"Where the fuck have you been all day?" Batista demanded as he put his arm around Rylan's waist.
Sean saw her stiffen but then relax as she recognized the joking tone in his voice. She leaned back into her boyfriend's arms as he kissed her neck. Sean could tell she was trying her hardest to remain normal around Batista, but it wasn't working. She still looked scared and uncomfortable. He made a mental note to try talking to her again next time they were alone. He just had to find out what was going on, he HAD to. And if he found out that his theories were correct he was going to KILL Batista, he promised himself that.
Chapter 8
"I don't care what you say," Mark told Shannon, "If you don't have the money, you don't get the goods. That's the deal."
Shannon frowned and scratched his head.
"But, you let Matt pay you back all the time," he protested, confused.
"That's cause Matt earned my trust," Mark said, running his eyes over his latest bill, "You haven't done that yet, Shannon."
"But, I was the one giving Matt the money!"
"What's your point?"
Shannon dropped to his knees in front of Mark. He grabbed onto his legs and looked up at him, pouting. His black and blond streaked hair hung in front of his big blue eyes and his bottom lip stuck out just enough to make him look extremely innocent. He sniffled and hugged Mark to him, not caring that he was putting himself in danger.
"Please, Taker!" he begged, "I NEED some more! I'll do anything for you!"
Mark rolled his eyes and pried Shannon's arms off his legs. He looked toward the door and whistled once. Raven immediately came through the door. He took one look at the situation and smirked knowingly at Mark. He nodded his head and Raven picked the tiny blond up under the arms. Shannon let his feet drag on the floor behind him as he slouched in the bigger man's arms. He had no clue where Raven was taking him as he dragged him through the kitchen and down a flight of stairs but he didn't care. He was too caught up in the fact that the man he had been dreaming about for the past few months had his arms around him. Shannon let himself fall into Raven's arms a little more, making the bigger man squeeze him closer as they entered a small room off to the side of the stairs. Shannon groaned as he was released and hit something hard that wasn't the floor.
"Where the fuck am I?" he asked after a minute.
Raven grinned darkly at him.
"Welcome to my roost," he answered, arms spread wide.
"Your...roost?" Shannon asked, looking around the tiny room.
Raven shrugged as he followed Shannon's eyes. The room consisted of a set of drawers, an end table on which sat a pair of reading glasses, a bookshelf overflowing with books on the occult and history, and a king-size bed which is what Shannon had landed on when he was released. The only light came from a bare bulb hanging in the middle of the ceiling. Shannon bit his lip and stared at the wall behind Raven which was painted black.
"I know it ain't great, but dammit it's MY place," Raven defended himself when he saw the expression on Shannon's face.
"Oh, I ain't complaining," Shannon said, "It's just kinda...dark I guess."
Raven laughed and sat down on the bed next to him. Shannon shivered as Raven's arm "accidentally" brushed against his. He sat back farther in the bed to get away from his touch. He didn't want Raven to suspect anything about the way he felt for him. He looked down at his lap to keep from looking at the gorgeous older man sitting next to him.
"It IS dark," Raven agreed, leaning into Shannon's face, "Kinda like me. I'm very dark...and mysterious."
And with that, Raven kissed Shannon's soft pink lips.
Meanwhile upstairs in Rylan and Batista's Room:
"I really wish you'd just drop the damn subject," Rylan was telling her boyfriend, "I didn't do anything with Sean nor have I EVER done anything with him. I don't WANT to do anything with him. I love you, Dave."
Batista scowled and looked over his girlfriend's body. He grabbed her tank top, ripping it off her. He smiled in appreciation as he noticed how, as usual, Rylan was going without a bra. She closed her eyes and grimaced as he pinched one nipple into a hard nub and started sucking on her neck.
"You better not," he warned as he moved up to kiss her mouth, "I don't want to think of what might happen if you ever do."
Rylan turned away as his lips touched hers. Had she heard correctly? Had Dave just threatened her and maybe Sean? She held back tears as he grabbed her head, forcing their mouths together. She didn't know what had gotten into her boyfriend in the past few days. He had changed so much. He didn't even say that he loved her anymore. It seemed like she had turned into his plaything, something he went to when he was in the mood for sex. She sighed as his strong powerful hands began roaming her body, searching for those spots he KNEW were sensitive. Her mind began wondering back to Sean. What was with Dave's jealousy toward him all of a sudden? Rylan didn't think Sean had been acting different toward her in any way. He seemed like the same Sean O'Haire to her. She didn't understand why Dave was so convinced Sean was trying to make a move on her lately. Why he was so intent that she was going to do something with him. Yes, he was a handsome man with his wild, streaked hair and intense green eyes that seemed to see down to your very soul, your darkest desires, and strong muscular body. Hell, he was even more built than Dave. But, that wasn't the point. The point was that she was with DAVE and that DAVE was her boyfriend, the man she loved, NOT SEAN! She had absolutely no feelings whatsoever for Sean O'Haire other than friendship.
Now if only she was so sure about that herself.
