"When Darkness Falls"

In his cell, the man lay on the uncomfortable cot and looked at the photos in his hand. They were of four children and of one adult. He shouldn’t have had them and had managed to keep them hidden from the hacks who checked his cell on a daily basis, but he paid his person handsomely for them and seen he gotten his money’s worth when it came to the clarity and closeness of the photos.

He set three of them aside and just looked at two of them. One was of a four-year-old little boy just getting out of pre-kindergarten. His blonde hair tussled by the wind as he stood waiting outside the school for someone to pick him up. The man knew if he weren’t locked in this godforsaken hell hole, he’d make sure the boy in the photo would never have to wait, would never be put in a position to be taken by some stranger. A stranger like his stepfather.

The second photo was of another blonde male, this time older with shoulder length hair. The photo had been taken at a parking lot where his person got a clear shot of him. He looked so relaxed, so content, but the man remembered a time when he didn’t look so relaxed, so content. He remembered a time when the young man in the photo was so afraid of him, he’d never set foot in a room while he was there without having a panic attack, even when his ‘brother’ was in the same room with him. The man knew if he weren’t in this hellhole, he would make the young man feel that fear again. That fear which caused night terrors so extreme the young man was afraid of losing his job, if not his mind.

He set the photos on his chest the way a father would when thinking of his children, which was what they were - his children; Christian Jeffery, the four year old and Adam Joseph, the now thirty two year old.

Sighing, he closed his eyes as he thought of his plan to use them to get back at the one person who did this to him, who caused him to lose his career, his life and his child. The person he though was his son until a sick old man revealed the truth that his second born wasn’t his son but his half brother, now the heir to a multimillion publishing conglomerate, the conglomerate his mother had promised to him a long time ago.

Enjoy your life while you can Matthew, he thought. Because in a few days, I’m going to turn it upside down.

1

(Matt)

No one should be this happy.

I’m lying in bed watching my husband’s peaceful expression as he sleeps in this morning. The first time he’s done so in so long.

I’m half tempted to wake Shane up but I don’t, knowing how tired he’s been since we came home from the WCW tour of Australia. Besides, if I know him, he’ll wake up the second he senses I’m not in bed with him.

Sighing I look at the photo on his nightstand of our wedding day which was five years ago. We’re both wearing tuxedos and look so damn relaxed, no one would ever guess the real story behind what has been the most bizarre relationship I’ve ever been in. Well other than the one where I was married to my brother but I’ll get to that later.

It was a quiet affair with it taking place at his parent’s home in Stamford, Connecticut while I was recovering from a stroke I’d suffered after WrestleMania 18. A WrestleMania people still talked about, but not for any athletic splendor but because of a "retirement party" which had exposed my half brother, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, for the lying, raping, killing bastard he was.

I’m sorry, I haven’t introduced myself yet, I’ve just been so wrapped up in staring at my husband. You might know me and then again you might not. My name is Matt Hardy, at least in the ring. My full name is Matthew Moore Helmsley Hardy McMahon. A mouthful I’m sure, but just call me Matt. Everyone does. Practically all my life I’ve been led to believe that Hunter was my father until just before WrestleMania when it came out that Hunter’s father, Pat Helmsley- ring name Pat Patterson- had had an affair with my mother, the result being me. My mother, now I know you’ve heard of her – Chyna, the ninth wonder of the world. Before she was Chyna, she was just Joanie Laurer, the mother of four children, all boys; Adam Joseph, myself, and a set of fraternal twins named Jeffery Nero and Christian Cage. Adam and I are the only survivors with Christian having died from poisoning while we were locked away in an attic for almost five years and Jeff having committed suicide after our – I should say his – father rejecting him.

Mom was killed after a fall we always believed was an accident until, thanks to a friend of hers, we found proof that Hunter had killed her so he could claim the millions that were willed to me instead. If you want to read the whole story of what me and my brothers – or nephews – went through, there’s a ‘book’ out called "Hiding in Shadows" you could check out. I’m not trying to duck anything, but I find watching my husband, Shane McMahon, sleep more fascinating than dragging up the past.

But as I check the clock, I find he won’t be sleeping in for long because in about five hours we have to be at his sister Stephanie’s house to celebrate my nephew CJ’s fifth birthday. CJ is short for Christian Jeffery, named after the twins I told you about. He’s Hunter’s son but the only father he has ever known is Chris Jericho, Stephanie’s second husband and the father of her two-year-old daughter, Christina.

"Shane?" I whisper. "Shane, c’mon honey. Time to get up."

"Mmm…" he mumbles before turning onto his right side his back to me.

I sigh knowing it was going to take forever to wake him up. But as I spoon against him, I knew there was one way of doing it. I curled up as close as I could and, sliding a hand around his waist, I slide it into his pajama bottoms and curl my fingers around his velvety shaft and while kissing the back of his neck in just the right spot, I stroke him to a firm hardness.

I listen to him moan and feel him squirm against me, which is making me hard as his ass rubs against the crotch of my sweatpants. It isn’t long before he cums in my hand with a gasp and a soft cry. I slide my hand out of his bottoms as I watch him stir and look in my direction. "Good morning Mr. McMahon." I say before giggling, knowing how he hated being called that, even by his wrestlers.

"Very good morning, Mr. McMahon," he smiles before kissing me. Even though it’s been five years and the two before that, his kiss still makes me want to melt in his arms and forget the pain of everything that’s happened in the past.

As I said, no one should be this happy.

"About time," a familiar voice says as Shane and I enter Stephanie’s house carrying gifts for both CJ and Christina.

I look in its direction and see Adam sitting on the floor of the living room playing cars with his little brother, the scene dredging up memories of how we’d play with the twins while we were locked away. I shake those out of my mind but other memories fill my head as I look at Adam. Memories a brother shouldn’t have about another. Since I was twelve and Adam was fourteen, he and I were lovers. Yes you heard me, lovers. We were even ‘married’ at one time, though it wasn’t legally binding. Adam has been legally married to his partner Dwayne Johnson, known to millions of people as "The Rock" for a little bit longer than Shane and I have been married; their six-year anniversary coming up in September. But there was still a little part of me that would always wish we’d get back together again though that didn’t seem likely as I watch Dwayne carry his and Adam’s son Logan into the room. Logan was the son of one of Dwayne’s relatives who’d died of AIDS a year back and had asked Dwayne and Adam to raise him. So far every checkup Logan has had showed no sign of infection. Logan is about fourteen moths old and is cutting teeth, which explains his fussiness, which Dwayne has tried to soothe to no avail. I watch as Adam takes Logan and somehow manages to calm him down enough to resume playing with CJ.

"Hey Matt."

Distracted, I turn my head to see Stephanie approach me. She’d been another victim in Hunter’s sick plans but unlike Christian, Jeff and Mom, she was here to tell the tale. Off and on during her marriage to Hunter, Hunter had tried to poison her to not only get rid of her but the baby she was carrying, who was now the birthday boy, in order to get her money and her share of the WWF which she was running while Vince was off after having open heart surgery two months ago.

I give her a hug and the presents.

"Let me guess, there’s one for Christina too, right?"

"Only fair."

She laughs. "I swear between you and Chris, she’s going to be an even bigger "Daddy’s Little Girl" than I was."

"Don’t listen to her Matt," Chris says entering the room. "It’s a father and uncle’s prerogative to spoil only the most beautiful girl in the Jericho family."

"Well thanks Chris, but what about Christina?" she cracks before giving him a hug.

"Get you anything?" Chris asks me as he leads me into another room.

"Water’s fine." I sit in the chair across from Chris.

He hands me a bottle before sitting down. "So how are things with you and Shane?"

"Great. The Australian tour went well." I signed with WCW after Shane got the company up and running again.

"Sure you wouldn’t like to jump ship back with us?"

I laugh. So many of the guys have asked me to come back to the WWF. Even Vince had asked me right up until the doctor put him under for his surgery, but I remained in WCW, helping it to compete against the WWF. Besides, getting to sleep with the boss was just one of the perks.

"No thanks. Shane’d divorce me if I did."

"I know Adam misses having you around."

I glance out into the other room and watch as Adam, Dwayne and now Shane, played with the children.

"You and Shane ever think about having one of your own?"

I look at Chris. "What?"

"You and Shane ever think about having a child?"

Frankly it was a topic Shane and I never discussed. "When would we have the time to take care of one? He’s getting WCW ready for a global market, and I’m in the ring more than not and then there’s the issue of…"

"Of what?" Chris sipped on his soda. Stephanie was strict about not allowing alcohol in the house.

"Nothing." I dismiss.

"You’re afraid of being like Pat aren’t you?"

Ouch. That hurt. It was true, but still… "Yeah. My worst nightmare has been if Shane and I have any children and something happened to him that I would have to be forced to lock them away."

"Yeah but Matt, you don’t have to do that. Christ, you’re a millionaire a million times over, so you don’t have to worry about money. And I know you’d never let anything happen to any children you would have. I’ve seen how you’ve been with CJ and Christina, not to mention Logan and Mick and Collette's kids."

"I know, but damnit the fear is always there Chris. What if I’m like him? Like them?" Meaning Hunter and Pat.

"But you’re not. You’ve got your Mom in you too and you know what a good person she was."

"And look where it got her."

The doorbell rang and it turned out to be Mick and Collette with their four-year-old twins, Dewey and Noelle. I stayed in the living room, thankful for the distraction their arrival brought and watched as Shane picked them up and played with them and I begin to wonder if maybe having a child with Shane wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all.

"Yeah," the man said into the phone. "Now you know who I want don’t you? No the older children. Right. And Adam. Good. I don’t care how you get them, just as long as you do and you take them to the house. No not that one, that’ll be the first place they’ll look. That’s right. The other one. In Greenwich. Okay. Don’t worry, you’ll get the money when the job is done and I get out of here. Right. Okay then. I’ll call you in a couple of days to make sure things are going smoothly. Bye."

The man walked out of the phone area and walked back to his cell, ignoring the stares and laughter behind his back, knowing he wouldn’t be dealing with it much longer.

And when I’m out, they’ll all pay, he thought, taking out the photos again. From my beloved ex-wife to my firstborn.

But he knew there was one person he wanted to make pay the most. And he had something special in mind just for him.

(Matt)

If there was ever a reason not to have kids, a birthday party is one of them.

I sat on the sidelines and watched as a group of one- through five-year-olds ran around screaming in the backyard, the noise not doing much for my headache. I still have them from time to time, but thankfully they weren’t as bad as they were five years ago.

"Makes you want to run right out and get one of your own huh?" Mick asked as he sat in the chair next to me.

"Makes me want to run out and get a vasectomy." I crack.

"And what? Deny me and Collette the chance of being grandparents for the second time?"

I had to laugh. Ever since he retired from wrestling full time to concentrate on his writing and raising the twins, Mick has been dropping not so subtle hints about Shane and I having kids. Without meaning to, I remember something Hunter had asked me in a hotel room in Chicago years ago, "What is it with women and babies Hardy? It seems the moment you put a ring on their finger, Boom! They get all broody."

"Matt?"

The snapping of fingers breaks my concentration. "Sorry."

"You got all dark there for a second. Thinking of Hunter?"

"Trying not to."

Mick and Collette Foley adopted Adam, Jeff, and me after we escaped our attic prison and though we weren’t their blood like Noelle and Dewey, they never treated us differently and loved us as if we were their own. In fact, Mick often credited Adam, Jeff and I for them having children after trying for a while before we showed up. "Think of it," he’d said one time. "If it hadn’t been for the training you three gave us, we wouldn’t be prepared for these two."

It’s at moments like this I also think of Jeff and the life he and Raven could’ve had if it hadn’t been for Hunter and me. I know you’re wondering why I say that, but I still feel guilty about the way I fought them over their relationship. Raven was thirty when he met Jeff who was only fourteen at the time, but it wasn’t so much the age difference between them that worried me about them but Raven’s reputation with drugs, booze and other guys. I was so wrapped up in trying to protect Jeff, I couldn’t see how happy he’d been with Raven until after he took his own life after being rejected by Hunter, who was more concerned with keeping his fortune than wanting to know his youngest son.

I haven’t really heard from Raven lately though according to some mutual friends, he’d begun dating again. Someone from ECW, which had been restarted thanks to Stephanie.

"Well at least the son of a bitch is still behind bars," Mick says before telling Dewey not to throw sand at his sister.

"For now." I always had a sneaking suspicion he would get out.

"For now? How about forever. There’s no way in hell any parole board is going to let him get out."

"I don’t know Mick."

"What is there to know? The state is obligated to inform you and Adam in the event any parole hearing is pending so you guys can let them know why the scumbag shouldn’t be let out."

"I know they are, but there have been times when they let someone out without informing the victims."

"True, but Hunter’s case is so high profile that there’s no way he could sneak out without the press knowing. Listen Matt, don’t worry about a thing. You and Adam are safe now. You’re grown, married and in your case, a millionaire. He can’t hurt you guys anymore."

I wish I could believe Mick, but there’s that little part in my brain that tells me something’s going to happen eventually. Something that’s going to have me and Hunter face to face again and this time, but only one of us was going to win.

"Thank God that’s over with," Shane says as we enter our home, the brownstone that had been his bachelor pad before we got married. We still had the house in Cameron, but went there only during the summer. "I love Steph and CJ, but there were too many kids for my taste."

"Not really the brooding type huh?" I asked, flopping down on the couch.

"You’ve been questioned too huh?" Shane sat next to me. "Christ, Stephanie was practically planning the future of any kids we may have right down to the college courses they should take. Don’t get me wrong I wouldn’t mind kids, God knows Vince’ll be thrilled, but with things as busy as they’ve been, where would we find the time?"

"I know." I slide myself under his arm and feel it wrap around me.

"You and Mick looked a little intense there for a while there. What were you talking about?"

"Nothing important."

"Matt…how many times have I asked you not to keep things from me?"

As you can tell, I still have this problem with being straight with people. I guess it came from all those years where I couldn’t tell anyone who Adam, Jeff and I were to each other and trying to keep our identities secret from Hunter. It had gotten so bad that it caused my blood pressure to skyrocket out of control leading to the stroke. One of the conditions Shane put on our being married was I had to stop keeping things from him.

"What was it honey?"

"Hunter."

"What is it? Have you heard from the Parole Board?"

"No."

"Then what were you talking about him for?"

"I don’t know. I’ve just got this bad feeling."

"About what?"

I shook my head. "Nothing. It’s nothing, I don’t know why I even brought it up."

"You didn’t."

I sighed. "I’ve just got this bad feeling he’s going to come after me and Adam for what we did."

"Matt, there’s no way he can get out. He’s in a maximum-security prison. He’s practically under twenty-four hour surveillance and there’s no hope of him even being considered for parole for another twenty years."

"Doesn’t mean anything. He could bribe people. He could use his influence-"

"What influence?" Shane laughs. "He’s a washed up wrestler. Hell you have more influence than he does."

"Well you wanted to know and I told you."

He sighs. "Matt," he kisses my temple. "Hunter can’t hurt either you or Adam. Not anymore. We saw to that."

"Then why do I get this feeling…"

"After what he put you two through, it doesn’t surprise me you’d feel this way, but there is no way in hell he’ll ever come near you again. I promise."

I lean against Shane hoping I could feel as confident as he did.

"Is it set up?" the man asked the female guard outside his cell.

"Right down to the second." She told him. "In two days, you are a free man."

"And the rooms?"

"Just about set up."

"And the other little matter?"

"Taken care of."

"Good." The man says nodding his head. Things were going so well so far. He looked at the guard in front of him. She was a homely thing but very eager to please, especially after a quickie in the men’s washroom from time to time. Too bad once he got out, she’d be past her usefulness.

"Better go then," the man said before heading into his cell. Sitting at the metal desk, he glanced out cautiously before taking out the photos he’d looked at thousands of times. Spreading them out, he looked at them again. "In a couple more days," he whispered. "You’re all going to help me get back at everyone who had a hand in putting me here." He stared at the wall ahead of him. "Especially my beloved little brother."

2

(Matt)

"Jesus Kidman!" Dallas Page shouts. "Watch what the hell you’re doing."

One day after CJ’s birthday we’re on the road again, this time in Atlanta. I’m walking toward the arena about the same time as a free for all Frisbee game is going on in the arena’s parking lot. Apparently, Billy was trying to show off a new stunt and instead wiped out Dallas’ lunch.

"Sorry man," Billy tried to apologize, before spotting me. "Hey Matt."

"Hey." I greet heading to the dressing rooms. I hear Rey shout for Kidman to toss him the Frisbee. Walking through the halls, I say hello to my fellow wrestlers from Stevie Ray to Hugh Morris to Lance Storm. It was weird seeing everyone I’d known in the WWF here in WCW but I imagine it was even weirder for them to see me here while this was like a homecoming for them.

"Hey Kevin," I say to the near seven footer sitting down by the production table. Kevin Nash retired a couple of years ago and was hired by Shane to do some of the booking. Wearing his wire-rimmed glasses, he looked up at me. "Hey Matt," he hands me a sheet of paper. "Your itinerary for the next couple of weeks."

"Thanks," I say before heading to my dressing room, which I was sharing with Shane Helms, who was so happy to be out of his "Hurricane" gimmick and Jeff’s high school friend Shannon Moore. Glancing at the sheet, I see we’re going to do a northeast swing and notice the only date we’re doing in Connecticut is Hartford.

I’m just at the door when I hear a familiar voice ask, "Is Matt here yet?"

I chuckle and lock eyes with one of the Nitro Girls, something Shane had reinstated when he took over. "Boss is calling you," she teased.

I sigh and head for Shane’s ‘office’, which was just an empty dressing room he’d take over when he came here. I stand there and watch him go over story lines with Maven, who Shane had convinced to jump ship after taking over WCW.

"So you clear on what’s going to happen over the next couple of weeks?" Shane asked him.

"As clear as anything sir." They shook hands as I stepped aside to let Maven pass by before saying, "You wanted to see me Mr. McMahon."

He looks at me with that lopsided smile. "Get in here will you and close the door."

I chuckle as I walk into the room and set my bag down on his ‘desk’, allowing him to walk to me and put his arms around me. "God I’ve missed you," he whispered.

"How is that possible? We just saw each other over breakfast."

"I know," he pulls away but not before he touches our foreheads together. "But every second I’m away from you just makes me miss you so much."

"Same here." I reply, which is kind of funny given the fact that at one time he’d been my own personal stalker, coming up to me at certain events and propositioning me sometimes right in front of Adam, but over time, while we were going after Hunter, he’d proven time and time again how much he loved me and how real his feelings for me really were.

He then kisses me slipping his tongue into my mouth, which accepts it without question and we’re like that for a while before there’s a knock on the door. Shane lets out a little groan of frustration. "Who is it?"

A head pops in and it’s Konnan. "Sorry to bother you Shane, but there’s a problem with some of the booking tonight. Kevin wants to go over it with you."

"Okay, tell him I’ll be there in a minute," Shane sighs. "You wanna change in here?"

"And lead you into temptation?" I shake my head. "You better go."

"Dinner after the matches?"

"Sure." I follow Shane out the door but instead of following him to where Kevin is, I head for my dressing room where Shane and Shannon are in front of the new video game we’re hyping for the pay per view.

"Hey," I say which is pretty much the official greeting between wrestlers these days.

"Hey Matt," Shannon says while trying to keep his eye on the television screen. "Some letter came for you it’s on top of my bag. Damnit!" he shouts as Shane H. bumps his jet ski out of the way.

I look at Shannon’s bag and sure enough there’s an envelope with my name on it but the funny thing is my name is the only thing on it. There’s no address or stamps or anything like that. I know I should approach this with some caution but figuring some love struck teenager managed to hand it to Shannon to give to me, I open it and see it’s a picture of Adam taken outside an arena. I check the date and see it was taken a couple of days ago. In it he’s standing with some of the WWF guys and laughing.

I flip the photo over and get a jolt when I read what’s inscribed on the back - Doesn’t he look happy Matthew? He won’t be so happy when I get through with him.

There was no name and the handwriting was totally unfamiliar.

"Shannon? Who gave you the envelope?"

"One of the security guys. Why?"

"Just wondering." I sit down and fish out my cell phone. I dial Adam’s number and hope he answers.

"Hello?" The voice is Dwayne’s.

"Dwayne, it’s Matt. Where’s Adam?"

"Out doing a photo shoot with Randy, why?"

"I was just calling to see if he was okay."

"He’s fine. He’s fighting a slight cold that Logan gave him, but other than that he’s fine."

"Have you noticed if anyone’s been lurking in the parking lots while you guys have been out?"

"No. Is something wrong?"

Yeah, I just got a photo with someone threatening my brother. "No. Nothing’s wrong."

"Then why did you just ask…"

"Never mind. I’m just being over protective. That’s all. Give Logan a hug for me okay?"

"Sure."

I hung up, knowing I’d just opened a can of worms but I had to make sure Adam was with Dwayne. That he wasn’t alone.

I put the photo back in the envelope and stuff the envelope into my bag. I want to show it to Shane, but as busy as he’s been lately I don’t want to bother him with something that might wind up being nothing more than someone’s idea of a sick rib.

(Adam)

After my photo shoot, I hustle back to my dressing room anxious to get out of my ring gear and into my street clothes. I’m even more anxious to get back to mine and Dwayne’s dressing room where our son Logan has, I’m sure, been charming the hell out of everyone who’s stopped by to see him.

If anyone had asked me about six years ago if I thought I’d be married again with a son, I would’ve speared them through a wall. Six years ago, I didn’t think I had anything to even hope for other than my relationship with Matt I’m sure you know about. But thanks to some intensive therapy, and one night of divine vengeance, I’ve been able to let most of my past go.

WrestleMania eighteen. The night we got our freedom and the night I almost lost my brother. I know what you’re thinking, if Pat was Matt’s father then how can you consider him your brother? Simple. We had the same mother and regardless of technicalities, I still consider Matt to be my brother and watching him collapse while having a stroke was the scariest moment of my life. For about three days we didn’t know what kind of damage he would suffer or if he would ever come out of the coma he’d been in, but God must’ve figured he and I had suffered through enough, because on the fourth day, Matt had opened his eyes and was on the road to a speedy recovery.

Walking into the dressing room, I could see Logan’s latest victim is Trish, who has him on her lap while looking through a photo book, though Logan seems more interested in the necklace she was wearing as he kept trying to pull it off her neck.

"Hey."

She looks up at me. "Hi. Look Logan, daddy’s back."

But all Logan is interested in is the sparkling of Trish’s necklace, a gift to her from her wife Amy for their one-year anniversary.

"I feed him, I dress him, and I change him," I mock pout, "but stick something sparkly in front of him and he totally ignores me. See the kind of recognition I get for my efforts."

Trish and I giggle which gets a happy response from my son.

"Where’s Dwayne?" I ask, sliding my PVC jacket off.

"He went to cut his promo and he asked me to keep an eye on this little darling."

"You and Amy thinking of having one?"

"No offense but no. We both agreed that career comes first. Besides, whenever we need a baby fix, then we can just come over and spend time with this little doll."

"Wait a minute, you think he’s a doll?"

She nods.

"You know he’s still teething right?"

"Well then if he gets too fussy I can just hand him off to one of his daddies."

"Can you hold off on that until I get showered and changed?"

"Sure."

Grabbing my clothes and toiletries, I kiss Logan on the head before heading for the showers. Adjusting the temperature, I take the rest of my wrestling gear off and step under it as I hear my son squeal in delight over something.

My son. God that takes some getting used to, especially after everything my father, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, had done to my brothers and me. After all that, I swore I would never have a child, afraid of putting him through everything my father had done to me, memories of which make me shudder though the water is near scalding. There were still sometimes when I would flinch or panic when someone came up from behind, but Dwayne had changed my mind on the daddy front.

We’d gone to visit his family for the holidays and one of his cousins, Delia, was sick from AIDS and was about to deliver anytime after the holidays. Worried about what would happen to her unborn child, she’d asked Dwayne and me to have custody of the baby after it was born, knowing how much Dwayne wanted children and the fact they were family. At first I was against the idea, the fears of being like my father too strong, but with some coaxing from Dwayne and seeing the little guy after he was born, I pushed the fears aside and decided to help raise Logan with Dwayne after Delia died a week after having him.

Now I can’t imagine my life without the little guy, who was now gibbering loudly nor can I imagine it without Dwayne. I can’t explain how Dwayne and I started. I guess it was just one of those things that happens when you travel with someone and hang out with them the way Dwayne and I had that it evolves into something totally beyond your control. And while we were in Las Vegas one night, it had evolved into Dwayne telling me his feelings for me even though I was married to Matt at the time.

But with everything that was going on at the time, I really couldn’t make too much of a commitment to him. I was still dealing with Hunter and what he’d done, not to mention worrying about what Dwayne would think of me if he knew the truth about Matt and I being brothers and about what happened to me.

"Adam?" His voice distracts my thoughts. "Where’re you at?"

"In the shower."

"Don’t tempt me now."

I laugh after rinsing the conditioner out of my hair. Drying and dressing, I head out to the room where Dwayne now has our son on his lap. "Where’s Trish?" I ask, putting my things into my bag.

"She left when I got here." He shakes Logan’s rattle to get his attention. "Matt called."

"When?"

"While you were out doing the photo session."

I miss not having Matt around here in the WWF. Since he and Shane got married we haven’t been talking much. Not out of any animosity but because he was busy helping Shane get WCW off the ground, but still I missed just having him around to hang out with and to talk to. It seems the only time we get to talk is during family functions, rapid conversations between flights if we run into each other at the airports, rushed phone calls and the occasional e-mail.

"Did he say what he wanted?"

"No. Not specifically, but there was something weird about the call."

"Like what?" I sit next to Dwayne.

"He was asking me if we ever noticed anyone lurking around while we were out."

What the-? "He say why?" I brush back our son’s hair, wondering if we should have him get a haircut now.

"No, but there was something odd about the way he was talking. Like he knew something was wrong but wasn’t telling anybody."

I sigh. Sometimes I think my younger brother should be a spy and not a wrestler since he was so good at keeping thing from people. You think he would’ve learned after his stroke that he shouldn’t keep things bottled up. I just worry one of these days that his penchant for keeping secrets was going to lead to his marriage to Shane ending badly.

"Have you?"

Dwayne’s question disturbed my concerned thinking. "What?"

"Have you noticed anyone lurking around while you’ve been out?"

"Just the odd fan, but they’ve always been direct when they want an autograph or a photo."

"I don’t know," he says picking up Logan’s blanket off the floor. "Maybe we should be a little more careful when we go out."

"Things have been fine so far."

"So far," he says. "Babe, if it were just us I wouldn’t be so concerned, but we’ve got Logan to think about now and I’ll be damned if some nut job is going to hurt him."

"You know I feel the same way."

"I know." Dwayne hands our son to me. "I’ve got to get ready for my match. You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah. We’ll be fine. Won’t we Logan?"

Logan jabbers a little before sticking his rattle in his mouth.

"I love you," Dwayne says, before kissing me. "The both of you."

"Same here." I say, watching Dwayne get his WWF championship belt and begin stripping down to his tights, which he always wore under his tracksuit, but instead of the interest I usually show, I’m angry with Matt for worrying Dwayne like this.

Looks like little brother’s going to get an ass ripping from me in the morning.

(Matt)

"God you’re tense," Shane says to me when we’re in our hotel room.

I lay on my stomach on the bed and Shane is on top of me giving me a rubdown, or at least trying to, my worries over the photo I had gotten still troubling me.

"Something wrong honey?" he asks, gently kneading the space between my shoulder blades with his knuckles.

"What could be wrong? We’re here, we’re together. Everything’s perfect."

I felt Shane bend down and whisper in my ear, "Then why don’t you relax?"

I sigh and try to do as Shane asks, but the photo still disturbs me. My first thought is could Hunter have been the one to send it? Then I dismiss it. After all, everything he does is monitored and if there had been some contact with whomever he knew on the outside that could’ve taken Adam’s picture, surely then the warden or someone else in charge would know about it.

Then there’s my other concern; a stalker. Not the kind I joke about Shane being, but an honest to God psycho who wouldn’t think twice about hurting Adam. It was something I’d always worried about during our careers, especially since his character ‘Edge’ had been written as a heel. "Matt…" Shane’s voice is almost singsong in my ear.

"Sorry." I turn over onto my back with Shane still straddling me. "I’ve just got a lot on my mind right now."

Shane moved so he could lie next to me. "I thought that was my department. After all I’m the one running a multimillion dollar wrestling company."

"That’s one of the things I’m worried about." I look at him. "I’m just worried you’re working yourself too hard."

His hand caresses my bare stomach. "Don’t worry about that." He assures me. "It’s not like it was in the beginning when I was getting it started. I’ve got good people in there now."

"I know but you’re so tired and…"

He shuts me up the best way he knows how. With a kiss that turns me into a speechless pile of goo. "Now what were you saying?" he teases with that cocky ass smile of his.

"I think I was saying…I want you."

He kisses me again, this time sliding himself on top of me. I felt the both of us getting hard at the same time. He nuzzled my neck before whispering, "I love you."

"I love you too."

He looks down at me. "God to think I almost lost you when you had that stroke…"

"Shhh…" I put a finger over his lips. "I’m still here aren’t I?"

He nods, his eyes so full of love that it almost starts me crying. I pull him down for another kiss, which distracts me from the fact he’s slid my sweatpants off me and was working on by briefs. "Shane…"

Now it was his turn to shush me with a finger to my lips. "Just lay there and relax. You know, I feel so guilty about not making time for us."

"It’s okay. I know how much you want WCW to succeed."

"But I want us to succeed even more. I’ve waited so long for someone like you to come into my life and I don’t want to be one of those husbands who puts business in front of everything else, like Vince."

"You haven’t-" My protest was cut off again by another kiss. Our lips parted and Shane’s went lower down my body. Closing my eyes, I could feel the skin of my nipples puckering under his tender ministrations from both his mouth and tongue. When they became so tender to the point of painful, I tightened my grip on Shane’s hair, which he took as his cue to head lower, leaving a moist trail on my chest as he allowed his tongue to run itself over my bare chest down to my stomach where he lavished it with so much attention, it began contracting from the pleasure. "Oh God Shane," I gasp.

I feel his thumbs hook into my briefs and slide them off, the warm air in the room stoking the fire my erection was already causing.

"So beautiful…" I hear Shane whisper as he teased my inner thighs with kisses, licks and nips from his teeth, nothing too hard though. "How did I get so lucky…"

My hands leave his hair and begin stroking his shoulders, which feels like warm velvet.

I feel his mouth near my erection, his hot breath teasing me.

"Please…" I moan.

"Please what lover?"

"Fuck me. Now."

But he doesn’t, not at first. Instead he gives me a smile before taking me in his mouth making me cry out in pleasure. His mouth is so hot and moist I swear I was about to cum right then but that was only the beginning. He only gives me a minute in his mouth before pulling away making me whimper. He then moves so he’s hovering over me and then offers me his middle finger. "Make it wet," he whispers.

I pull it down to my lips and take it in my mouth, the ridges of his finger tickling the top of my tongue. When he decided it was wet enough, he slid it out of my mouth and went back down to where he was before and as he took me in his mouth again, he slid the finger into my opening making me growl in pleasure, especially when he hit the spot he knew made me crazy.

We lay there for I don’t know how long – his mouth on my cock, his finger in my ass and his other hand snaking up to play with my already tender nipples. All I knew is for the love of God I didn’t want him to stop. In what felt like seconds, I felt my insides begin to contract before I exploded in Shane’s mouth with a cry loud enough to send the our neighbors running to either the phone or our door to find out what Shane was doing to me. Having drank every drop from me, Shane slid his finger out which caused another contraction on my insides before coming up to me and planting another mind numbing kiss on me, the taste of me on his breath almost making me hard again.

He rests himself on his side facing me. "I love you so much." He whispers.

I turn onto my side to face him and I feel his hardness pressing against my stomach. With a smile of my own, I reach down and touch him. He gasps a bit as my hand makes contact with his skin. Without any pretense, I turn him onto his back and begin administering the same torture he gave me, right down to his taking my finger in his mouth and making it so wet, I swear the skin puckered.

With a deep breath I took him in my mouth and slid my finger into his opening which made him arch his back up enough to make me think he trying to choke me. "Did I hurt you?" I ask, still stroking his cock.

"No," he whispered. "No, it just felt so good…"

I returned my mouth to his cock, loving the feel, the scent and the taste of him as I slid my finger in and out of his opening and played with his nipples making him whimper and beg like he had me. In what felt like forever but only lasted a few minutes, he shot down my throat and as he had done me, I drank him until he came no more, loving the way he tasted, thick and salty. Sliding my finger out of him, I reach over him to my bag that is lying right next to the bed and take out the lube we always used and, slicking myself up, I ease myself into him, inch by inch.

"Oh God, yes Matt!" he breathed, as I began sliding in and out of him, my hands on his waist so we wouldn’t slide apart from my using too much lube. I released one of my hands from his waist and began stroking him again, the results instantaneous as he hardened under my touch. For a moment I thought he was going to ask me to stop, that it was too soon after he came to start again, but if the gasping and pleadings were any indication, then he was enjoying this. Ever since the first time I was in him, I was careful not to get too carried away, but eventually pleasure overrode caution and I was pumping myself into him harder as I sought the release I know he wanted as well, and with a mixture of groans and growls, I finally felt myself shoot into him to the point of pain and felt him spill onto my hand. Sliding out of him, I bowed, resting my head on his stomach to catch my breath before I made my way up to him and kissed him before sighing and closing my eyes, feeling warm and sated, especially when Shane whispered, "You are so good…"

In that second, I forgot about everything and instead listened to my husband’s heartbeat as it slowed back down to normal.

He was having the dream again. The one of he and Adam.

They were in the room where he’d administered his ‘punishment’ but there was no one else in the room, just him and Adam, who wasn’t fourteen but the gorgeous thirty two year old he was now.

Unable to help himself, he reached down and began stroking himself as he thought of all the things he wanted to do to his firstborn, thought of all the ways to make him scream, all the ways he was going to punish him for helping in his downfall. Even now, after all these years, he could still feel Adam’s bare skin under his as he did that day, hear his screams and pleading for him to stop and the thought of hearing them again from the man he’d become was making him hotter than he ever thought he’d get as he pumped himself furiously.

Then there was Matthew.

Oh the things he wanted to do to him. He knew the shower stall was only the beginning and remembering how his younger brother felt under him, still warm and damp from the shower he had taken took him to the brink and beyond as with a gasp and a hiss, he felt himself drip onto his hand. Laying there, his body limp and his cell scented with his release, he knew it wouldn’t be much longer until he was out and that he’d get his revenge.

And what sweet revenge it would be.

3

(Matt)

God I hate the sound of a phone ringing in the morning.

I look over my shoulder to make sure Shane is asleep before grabbing the phone. "Hello?"

"Just what the hell did you think you were doing?" It’s Adam.

"I was just sleeping."

"You know what I mean. Dwayne told me you called last night asking if someone had been lurking around but when he asked you why, you said it was nothing. Dammit Matt, what the hell got into you?"

I look over at my bag where the photo with the note on the back was well concealed.

"I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset Dwayne."

"Well too fucking late for that now. What’s going on and if I here the word, ‘nothing’ come out of that mouth I’m flying to Atlanta and pounding your ass in and not in the way you’re used to."

I debate over telling him. On one hand, it’s best if he knew about the photo, that way he could be on his guard, but on the other hand, he’s lived in fear for so long that I don’t want to put him back into any sort of emotional prison.

"Matt, you’ve got five seconds to tell me what the hell this is about, because I don’t care if we are related, I will not have you upsetting my husband like this."

I could hear Dwayne’s voice in the background telling Adam to calm down and Adam’s telling him that he’s going to handle it. "Well?" he snaps as he returns to the phone. "Are you going to tell me?"

"Adam…I’ve just been worried because I hear these stories about people getting stalked and given how your character is written and how some wrestling fans are especially as intense as this feud with you and Kurt has been playing out…"

"Have you gotten something in the mail? Has someone sent you something threatening me?"

Tell him! "No, it’s just I’m worried." I evade skillfully. "I heard in the locker room how this nutcase went after one of the guys, stalking his family and everything that I got concerned."

"Which one?"

"Pardon?"

"Which one of the boys did he go after? Was it in WCW?"

"No. It was someone in ECW I think."

That’s funny," Adam says. "I haven’t heard anything about it."

"Well it’s because the guy has a friend here in WCW."

"I’ll have to ask Steph about it."

I hope he wouldn’t. "Just be careful okay? I don’t want to scare you but-"

"But nothing. I mean you’re right. There are some freaks out there and it’s not just me and Dwayne I have to worry about, but there’s Logan as well. God if anything happened to him…"

"Nothing will." I assure him strongly.

"I hope not. Christ, that little guy’s everything to me." The concern is so strong in his voice I feel the pricking of tears behind my eyes.

"Don’t worry about a thing Adam. Just be a little more cautious when you go out okay?"

"What? Yeah sure. No problem there. Listen I’m sorry for snapping off on you like that, but Dwayne was so worried…"

"I know and I’m sorry about worrying him."

We said our goodbyes and hung up. Staring at the phone, I mentally kick myself over not telling him about the photo but until I find out what’s going on, I couldn’t bring myself to say anything and then look like a damn fool when it came out that it was a rib. Of course not as foolish as how the asshole that was pulling this shit was going to look when I got my hands on him.

"Send the other photo?" The man asked.

"It should be in his hands by the end of the night."

"Is everything set up?"

"Just as you requested."

"The rooms?"

"Done to precise detail with the little added touch in Adam’s bedroom."

"Good. Now you know what has to go down right?" The man checked his fingernails as though bored with the conversation.

"I’ve got it covered and there’s a back up plan."

"Remember, I don’t want any marks on them."

"Won’t be a problem."

"Good. Half the money will be in your account when you do the job, the other when I get out."

"Sounds fine to me."

"Remember, just the ones I told you."

"Your sons, the Foley kids and the younger sister."

"Right. And you know which house to get them to?"

"Got it memorized."

"Okay then. Any questions?"

"Yeah one. What about your brother? When do you want him?"

"Not until later. I want to make him sweat a little. I’ll let you know when to grab him."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Definitely one of my better ones." He says before hanging up and walking out of the phone area. Walking back to his cell, he hears another pair of shoes keeping time with his and he knows who it is. "Well?"

"Tomorrow night. You start the fight in the cafeteria and on the way to the hole we make a little detour." The guard’s voice is hushed.

"Great."

"I just have one question."

"What?"

"What about us? What’s going to happen when we get away from this place?"

I’ll be getting my revenge and you’ll be dead, he thought. "I promised you a life of wealth didn’t I?"

"That you did."

"Well, get me out of here and I’ll make you a wealthy woman."

"Sounds nice. How about one last quickie before we get out of this place?"

He pauses and looks at her. The thought of fucking this hosebeast almost made him sick to his stomach, but if that was the only way to keep her mouth shut… "Sure," he said with a twisted grin. "Why not?"

(Matt)

I’d finished cutting a promo when I was walking to my dressing room. There was a new kind of energy here in WCW now Shane had taken over. It seemed the camaraderie and the structure of the WWF with everyone knowing who was doing what and what was expected from them had carried itself over back here instead of the chaotic backbiting I’d always heard about.

Making my way to my dressing room, I high five a few of the guys, congratulate a few more on their matches and flirt with a couple of the Nitro Girls – all in fun mind you. I was a little worried when I signed with WCW that my marriage to Shane would cause some friction. That some of the boys and girls would have a problem with me being the boss’s husband, and possibly getting preferential treatment but it didn’t take long to dispel those feelings and now it was like we were a large happy family at best or a loud traveling fraternity at worst.

Entering the dressing room, I saw my locker room mates, Mike Awesome and Lance were getting ready for their tag match. "Hey Matt," Mike said looking up from lacing his boots.

"Hey." I sit down next to my bag and begin taking my stuff out of it to prepare for my shower.

"You want one of us to stay here with you?" Lance asked, his concern coming from the fact that Hunter had raped me in a shower stall while I was still in the WWF, which had come out during his trial. Even after all this time, I still had some nerves about being alone while taking a shower.

"No, I’ll be okay." I try to force the images, though hazy, out of my head, not wanting to feel like a victim anymore. "Thanks."

"Oh wait a minute." Mike reaches down into his bag and takes out an envelope. "Dick Slater wanted me to give you this."

I get up and walk over to take it from him. Once again it just has my name on it. I sit down and open it, seeing another photo, this time of Adam, Dwayne and Logan shot through what looked like a very long zoom lens. They were in the park and Adam had Logan on his lap and was pointing out a squirrel to Logan while Dwayne, lying on his side, watched with a smile on his face.

My mouth going dry, I turned the photo over and read the writing on it - Such a lovely family. Too bad Dwayne's going to have to raise that little boy by himself.

"Matt?"

I look up to see Lance’s often stern face clouded with concern. "What?"

"Are you alright? You went a little pale there for a second."

"Yeah." I slide the photo back in the envelope and tuck it away in the bag next to the other one.

"Sure?" Mike asked me. "You don’t want us to get Shane or anyone?"

"No." I shook my head. "I’ll be okay."

Doug knocked for Lance and Mike to get ready for their match. When they left, I sat there wondering who the hell was threatening my brother and most importantly why?

Despite what they show on television, Shane does not usually travel by limousine, though we do have a driver.

I’m watching the night scenery fly by while Shane is on the cell phone to Stephanie. I try to eavesdrop on their conversation but the photo keeps coming back to haunt me. I don’t get it. If someone is threatening Adam, then why send the photos and the messages to me? I’m not saying they should be sent at all, but wouldn’t it have made more sense to be sent to the person being stalked? At least if they knew what was going on, Dwayne could protect Adam. What does the person who’s sending them think I can do?

"You’re awful quiet."

I look over at Shane who’s staring at me. "I know."

"Something wrong?"

I sigh. I don’t want to keep this from him, but I don’t want to add to his concerns about me. "No. It’s just been a long night." And it had been. Even though I cut my promo and did a quick run in during a match with Rey and Juvi, I was still there until Shane could leave at around one and add the travel and you get a reason why I said that.

"You could’ve left with some of the guys. Gone to the bars, unwound a little."

"I know. I just didn’t feel like it."

"So you sat with the guys and watched the whole show?"

"Yeah. It went off pretty well."

"I thought so."

Silence.

"How do you think the pay per view’s going to go?" Shane asked. The one he’s mentioning is Starrcade deciding to revive that to launch ourselves back to the pay per view market.

"I think it’ll go over good. Of course it’s a few months away yet."

"Yeah but in going over storylines, I think we’ve got enough steam to carry us to then and then put on a good show. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from working with Vince is that you have to think ahead. That’s why they had so many problems after they bought the other two feds. The creative team didn’t think ahead and just went and recycled things."

I just nod, pretending to be interested in what Shane was saying. Don’t get me wrong, I love hearing his thoughts on things, but I wonder when was the last time we had a conversation that didn’t involve the company in some way. I was beginning to sympathize with people who’ve had children and learn that all their friends and family wanted to talk about was the baby. Though now, WCW was Shane and mine’s baby.

"Pretty late for a restaurant to be open." Shane says.

"You hungry?" I ask.

"A little."

"I think we could stop somewhere and get something."

"Matt, it’s one thirty in the morning. Other than a convenience store, I don’t think there’s any place open."

"Might be a Wendy’s."

"If it were Friday, it might be open this late, but it’s Monday night."

"I’ve got a candy bar in my bag."

He shakes his head. "No thanks honey. Maybe the hotel room service’ll still be up when we get there."

I say nothing and turn my head out the window, losing myself in my own concerns.

"You look worried."

"Do I?"

He nods.

"I guess I am a little."

"About what?"

"Things."

"Care to be more specific?"

"Just wrestling stuff." And the fact someone’s targeting Adam for something.

"Matt…"

"Listen I’m not hiding anything. So why can’t you just leave me alone?"

Silence again as I look back out the window. Christ, I’m getting so fucking sick and tired of people always asking me what I’m thinking or what I’m feeling under the guise of ‘concern’. Why can’t people let me have some secrets? God do I have to blab out everything to people?

Through the reflection of the window, I can see Shane staring at me as though trying to figure out what I was thinking.

Good luck honey.

(Adam)

I sat up in bed trying to get my breath back.

Leaning forward and putting my head in my hands, I tried to banish the memories I’d had. The dream would always be the same; I was locked in a room and even though I tried to get out, hands would grab me and throw me onto the bed that was in the room and though I fought like hell, the hands would tear my clothes off and then three men would each take their turns raping me despite my screams and pleas to stop.

No matter how much therapy I had or how much attention Dwayne would show me, or even how much I wish it would go away, the ugly memories of my father, grandfather and grandfather’s butler raping me in that room will never, ever go away.

The sound of Logan’s crying was a welcome distraction.

I walked over to the other side of the room Dwayne and I were in where Logan’s portable crib sat and pick up my son. I know Dwayne complains when I run to pick him up like this, and he says I should let him tire himself out, but tonight I disregard his advice and take Logan into the other room so he doesn’t wake Dwayne, who I know was still hurting from the strap match he had against Steve Austin earlier.

"You having bad dreams too sweetie?" I croon into my son’s ear as his crying subsided. I can’t explain it but for some reason, Logan always seems to calm down after I pick him up and talk to him. It’s as though hearing my voice makes him feel safe, a feeling I hope he always has. Sitting on the sofa in the other room, I turn on the television and switch it over to one of the digital music channels, knowing how much he liked to listen to it when we were home, his favorite being the dance channel. Even now I giggle as I see him at home bopping up and down to the music while I would fold clothes after doing the laundry. Finding a channel playing something softer, I leave it there and rock my son back and forth. I know it sounds presumptuous when I call Logan ‘my son’, but it’s not really. Even Dwayne has referred to him as my son. Usually after he’s done something wrong.

I thought being out here with Logan would help get my mind off things, to let me focus more on his baby scent and his soft breathing than on the recurring nightmare but I knew that would never be possible. I mean how can one forget being raped by his own father and grandfather? And for what?

For falling in love with his younger brother while they were locked in an attic for almost five years. For not having anyone else to distract him during that time. For wanting nothing more than to feel his brother in his arms and to feel him underneath him.

I know you think I’m sick, especially thinking of Matt now while I’m holding my son, but that’s how it was then. I mean, when you’re fourteen and your fantasies are fueled by some of the books you’ve been reading and the only person closest to you is your then twelve year old brother who reminds you so much of your mother, even looking a bit like her, what can you do?

I gave him the choice of leaving me that night and he chose to stay with me. To let me kiss him. To let me make love to him. And though he and I were punished heavily for it, I don’t regret loving him for a damn minute. Well, except when he would keep things from me.

I look down at my son and see he’s sound asleep.

Lucky kid.

He was too wired to sleep.

He lay on his cot staring up at the ceiling, mentally checking off everything needed to make this plan a success and to make sure nothing went wrong because this had to be perfect.

What are you doing now Matthew? He wondered. Are you sleeping or are you too worried to sleep, wondering what the photos mean? Have you told anyone about them yet or are you falling back into your old pattern of keeping your mouth shut?

He hoped for the latter.

4

(Matt)

I’m groggy as hell the next morning, unable to sleep in the five hours we had since arriving at the hotel around two last night.

Every time I closed my eyes it was the same nightmare – I’d hear Adam screaming for me, but I could never get to him and when I do, he’s dead.

I turn onto my back and see Shane’s not in bed. I look around and then I see steam coming out of the bathroom. I am so tempted to get out of bed and join him, which is what I’m sure he’s expecting me to do, but instead I roll over to my right side and take the pillow he slept on and hug it, inhaling the faded traces of his cologne that embedded itself onto the smooth cotton of the pillowcase and drift back off again.

Another couple hours later, I finally get out of bed and once I’m showered and dressed, I see a note from Shane on the nightstand - Matt, had to go to the arena earlier than planned. Grab yourself some breakfast and I’ll see you there at the usual time. Love, Shane.

"Love you too," I whisper before calling room service. Waiting for my tray to arrive, I dig into my bag for the envelopes and take them out along with the pictures within. Without realizing it, I become jealous of Dwayne, who has everything I’ve wanted and then some- a normal relationship with Adam and a child with him. I know I should be happy for Adam, but it still hurt seeing him with someone else after all we’d been through, even though it was while he was with Dwayne that he managed to beat most, if not all, of his demons and find some happiness.

I reach out to touch the one photo of him where he’s standing talking to some of the WWF guys. Tracing my fingers over his hair, I remember how it felt in my fingers, soft and silky. I then trace a finger over his bare arm and remember how warm his skin would be pressed against mine. The way his muscles would ripple underneath his skin when I touched him. Then I touch his lips remembering the first time we’d kissed when he was fourteen and I was twelve and we were in the attic, how the contact shot electricity through me right to the core and the moist warmth of his mouth when he’d suck me…

I sigh forcing the thoughts out of my head. Christ Matt, I admonish myself. Adam’s grown up and moved on, why can’t you? You’re supposed to be in love with Shane. Remember him? Your husband?

Your workaholic husband.

I’ve tried not to resent Shane wanting to revive WCW back to the ‘glory days’ but it just seems that lately he seems to care more about getting things going with WCW than with me. The other night was the first time we’d made love in weeks. Either I was too sore and tired or he was too tired from working. I know I sound like a whining wife, but that’s how I felt. It almost makes me wish I were back in the WWF. At least there Vince ran the show, allowing Shane and I some time together but now he was either here there and everywhere with running through storylines with the writers, checking on lighting with the crew, holding meetings with the boys and even instructing the Nitro Girls as to what routine should be between matches, something Kimberly has a problem with but was willing to work on with him, but I knew I could never make my wishes known to Shane, knowing how he felt towards Vince.

Even after everything that’s happened and came out about Hunter there was still this almost hostile tension between Shane and Vince, who no matter how hard he tried to fix things with Shane nothing ever came out of it, thanks to Shane still being angry over finding out Vince wanted to cut him out of the family and give WCW to Hunter. The only time they put the bitterness aside was during family functions and that was only because there were other people there to distract them from each other.

The knock on the door distracts me from my train of thought, which at this point is welcomed. Hiding the photos and getting off the bed, I walk to the door. Letting the waiter in, I tip him generously before heading to the tray.

"Excuse me Mr. Hardy?"

I stop to look at him, thinking he might want an autograph or something. "Yes?"

He takes out another envelope. "The concierge asked me to give this to you."

"Did he see what who delivered this looked like?" I take it but I don’t open it right away.

"No sir. The concierge just handed it to me to give to you."

"Thank you," I murmur before he leaves. Opening the envelope, it’s another picture this time of Adam and CJ. The background tips me off that this had been taken during CJ’s birthday party only a day or so ago, when Adam and CJ were playing touch football with the other kids. With baited breath I turn the photo over and written in the familiar black marker is another inscription – Don’t they look good together? Too bad all CJ will have of his big brother are memories.

"Goddamn it!" I slap the photo down on the tray in frustration. Who the fuck was playing this sick game with me and why? Why were they sending me the photos and why were they threatening Adam?

Forgetting about breakfast, I stalk over to where my bag sits and take out my day planner, which contains a phone number I never thought I’d have to call. It’s only three or four rings before I get a pleasant sounding woman’s voice saying, "Good morning, Oswald State Correctional facility."

"Yes, this is Matthew McMahon. I was wondering if I could speak to Warden Glynn."

He almost had to laugh out loud when he thought about the meeting with the Warden he was being led from. Oh, Matthew, he thought. You just made my fucking day so much brighter.

Reentering the common room, he headed for his cell, which he could tell had been searched while he was gone. Cleaning up after the guards, he thought about the meeting and how convincing he’d been in feigning his innocence over the photos.

"I’d don’t know anything about any photos Warden," he’d said as he sat in the chair across from the warden. He glanced at his female accomplice and was amazed at how she kept a straight face.

"Then why did your brother call here asking if you’d sent them?"

He shrugged. "Damned if I know. If you ask me, Matthew’s a little paranoid."

"And that wouldn’t be from you sending him photos with threats against your son would it?"

"As I’ve said Warden. I don’t know anything about any photos or threats. I’ve kept up my end of the deal about never contacting them so I don’t know where he gets this idea I’m having Adam stalked."

"Sure you don’t have someone on the outside doing this for you?"

"Who could I get to help me? After everything came out I’m nothing but a pariah, so who would want to help me?"

The warden had said nothing before dismissing him back to his cell.

He’d picked up his pillow when he saw his accomplice standing in the doorway. "Smooth," she said. "Real smooth."

"Not so bad yourself. I’m surprised you didn’t bust a gut."

"I was tempted, but being lady of the manor tends to focus a girl."

"So is everything set?"

"The truck is out by the door and waiting for you."

He nods. "Any word on our little captives to be?"

"He assures me he can get the kids but Adam’s going to be a bit of a trouble. Turns out Dwayne’s sticking to him like glue."

"Then find a way to get them unstuck. I want all of them at that house by the end of the week at the latest."

"When do we nail your brother?"

He sighs. "That seems to be the question of the week doesn’t it? Let’s get the kids first and then I’ll decide from there."

She nodded before leaving him to finish cleaning his cell for what he knew would be the last time.

(Matt)

I was in no mood for company, even if that company was my husband.

I can’t believe that damn Warden telling me there was nothing they could do since there was no proof of him having any sort of photos. I tried to get him into looking into seeing if there had been any strange visitors or phone calls, but all I got was the usual "we’ll look into it" runaround. So now while the fucking Warden has his thumb up his ass, my brother could be in danger from him or any cronies he may have on the outside.

"Fuck!" I snap as my bootlace breaks while I’m trying to change into my ring gear for the house show tonight. I dig through my bag and pull out another set when the door opens and Shane walks in with some trepidation.

"Babe?"

I look up. "Hi."

"Hi." He sits next to me. "What’s going on?"

"Just a bad day. Why?"

"Well Tylene said something about you nearly snapping off her head and the heads of anyone who talked to you today."

"So what? Now you’ve got everyone spying on me now?"

"No."

"I mean aren’t I allowed to have a bad day once in a while without being grilled about it or having it be a major issue?" My hands were shaking so bad, that I couldn’t lace my boot and threw it down in frustration. Shane picked it up and finished lacing it for me.

"I’m sorry," I apologize as he hands my boot back to me.

"It’s okay." I feel his arm slide around my shoulder and pull me to him. "What’s got you so upset? And don’t say ‘nothing’. I hate when you do that."

"I guess I’m just stressed out about things."

"Like what?"

I look at him. "You know I do have a therapist."

"Who’s not on call right now. So I guess you’ll just have to settle for talking to your husband. So what’s got you stressed out? Is it everyone pressuring us to have kids?"

I shake my head. "No."

"Is it the schedule? I know it’s a bit more picked up now, but if you want to miss a few house shows and just work the television shows…"

"That’s not it either."

"Are you having headaches again?"

"No."

He sighs. "Well honey, I’m not a mind reader. So would you mind telling me what the problem is?"

Damn! Why won’t my mouth say the words? Why can’t I tell him about the photos? I decide saying nothing is the best route.

"Why do you always do this Matt?" Shane asks, frustration tinging his voice. "Why can’t you just tell me what the hell is going on instead of laying this mindfuck on me? Why do I feel like talking to you is like going through a root canal without Novocain?" He sighs again. "I’m sorry honey, but I can’t keep playing these games with you. I’ve got to get everyone around and ready."

"I know."

He kisses me on the top of head and walks out the door and for the first time in God knows how long, I feel totally and utterly alone and as always, I have no one to blame but myself.

It had gone off without a hitch.

Standing in front of a mirror in the motel they decided to lay low in, he stared at his reflection and thought about how everything had happened.

At the right time on the right signal, the inmate he’d paid handsomely to instigate things did just that, causing a fight to flare up. Splitting them up, his accomplice took him toward the ‘hole’ but made a detour on the stairwell. Once the door was shut, she undid his leg cuffs and they made a run for the fire escape door where the van she’d hired waited outside. Once in the van, they made a hasty retreat, knowing full well it would be hours before anyone noticed they were gone and that they’d be far enough away by then.

"Paul?"

He rolled his eyes. He hated being called by his real name, even insisted his second wife call him by his other name. "What?" he snapped.

"You about done?"

Not as done as you’re going to be by the end of the night, he thought. "I just gotta finish shaving."

"I don’t know why you’re bothering. You’re sexier with the stubble."

Yeah, and even more recognizable, he brooded. "Just give me a few more minutes."

You better enjoy them, because they’re going to be your last.

(Matt)

Never, ever accept a lift from anyone in the Natural Born Thrillers.

After Shane informed me it was going to be another long night, Chuck offered me a lift and now here I was sharing a rental with Palumbo, O’Haire and Sanders. Not exactly ingredients for an intellectual conversation, but it made the time pass quickly.

"I’m telling you Sean," Chuck said from the front seat as he was talking to his boyfriend Sean who was driving. "Billy was just a fling. He didn’t mean anything to me."

"Then why is he still sending you presents and those e-mails for then?"

I rolled my eyes and chuckled. Even after only tagging together for a year before Shane reformed WCW, it seems Billy Gunn’s heart was still with Chuck. Too bad Chuck’s was with Sean despite Billy’s best efforts at splitting them up by sending Chuck sexy e-mails and presents that actually made Shane blush. The foot long gummy penis Chuck had gotten recently - the instigator of this conversation - was my favorite but not for reasons you’d think, though I was curious as to where Billy had bought it.

I glanced at Mike Sanders who looked really into the book he was reading. I tried to get a look at what the title was when he noticed my looking and took his headphones off. "Something I can help you with Matt?"

"Just wondering what you were reading."

He showed me. "Flowers in the Attic," by VC Andrews. Something about the title hits a little too close to home for me.

He grins at me. "And before you ask, I’m listening to Pearl Jam."

That perked me up a little. "Which CD?"

"Ten."

"Good one."

"Yeah." He says before putting his headset back on obviously to try and drown out the lover’s spat going on in the front seat, though we did glance at each other off and on during the rest of the ride.

"I don’t know why the hell you’re still upset about the gummy penis," Chuck mumbles. "I used it with you didn’t I?"

Next time, I’m getting a ride with Three Count

"Yeah, the first half is being wired to your account. So when are you getting the kids?"

"I managed to get the schedule from the housekeeper. My best shot for getting the four will be Wednesday when they have play group together and get this, your ex is driving them around."

He grimaced. "God she really is domesticated isn’t she? Remember, no marks on any of them and that includes Stephanie. Now what about Adam?"

"My man says there’s still a problem with snagging him."

He sighed. "Now what?"

"He’s spooked. According to my man, your brother called him after getting the first photo and now Adam’s sticking to Dwayne and his kid like glue."

His kid…

"Listen, I want to change the plan a bit. How old is Adam’s kid?"

"Not even two yet. I guess about fourteen, fifteen months. Why?"

"Think you can get someone to hang onto him?"

"Yeah, my sister Lisa loves babies."

"Good. This is what I want you to do." He told him about the plan. "Understand?"

"Sure."

"Good because it might work out better this way. Make him more willing to behave if he knew harm would come to his son. What does the kid look like anyways?"

"Well, seeing how I didn’t include a photo of him in any of your care packages, I’d say he’s half Samoan. One of Johnson’s relatives had the baby before croaking from AIDS."

"Any sign of infection?"

"Kid’s as healthy as any I’ve met."

"Damn." He said. "I could’ve used that against him. Oh well, just make sure you get the kid as well."

"Will do boss."

"Good. I want them in that house by Friday."

"Consider it done."

He hung up the phone and looked at the body lying dead on the bed. He’d showered again after having sex with her during which he’d choked the life right out of her, his hands concealed by the towel he’d used. Not as satisfying as choking his brother was going to be, but close. "Sorry babe." He spoke. "But you should know better than to trust an inmate."

He checked his watch and saw he had two hours to get to the bus terminal if he wanted to catch the bus to Greenwich. He knew it was a risk heading back there, but this was the only way to pull it off and if he did, there’d be only one survivor and he knew it was going to be him.

5

(Adam)

It’s not easy juggling a diaper bag and a squirmy fifteen month old.

"I know you want to get down and play," I tell my son as I try to straighten him up so he doesn’t fall out of my arms and take a header on the sidewalk. "But we have to meet daddy at the barbershop and you know how worried he’s been lately."

After Matt’s call, Dwayne and I decided it be best we not be separated for longer than necessary and that one of us should be with Logan the entire time, but an autograph session for Dwayne and a pediatrician’s appointment for Logan has led to my walking alone to a parking garage near the pediatrician’s office. Sometimes it would be nice if we could just settle down in Miami and take him to one pediatrician but with both of us deciding to continue wrestling until he started school, this was the only way and thanks to some of the guys who would recommend pediatricians in the cities where we were and sometimes making the appointments for us, it made things a lot easier.

I wave at the garage attendant as I pass his booth on my way to the elevator, which headed up to the level where we parked the car. In the elevator, I shift Logan to my left arm and the diaper bag to my right arm, being careful to check and see if all his paperwork was in there since he had to have his measles, mump and rubella shot in the next day or so. Once I see they’re in there, I reach into my pocket and grab my keys. Getting off the elevator I look around as I walk to the rental, God I haven’t been this nervous in a parking garage since before they put Hunter away.

Not wanting to think of the sick bastard, especially around my son, I hurry to the rental car and manage to get him in his seat with a minimum amount of hassles other than his usual fussiness routine when we have to put him in his seat. A routine that doesn’t last long when I give him his bottle.

Shutting his door I turn to unlock mine when I feel a wet cloth press itself onto my face. I try to move the hand but the sickly scent of the cloth was making my head spin but when I see a woman taking Logan out of the car from the corner of my eye, I begin struggling hard, my elbows flying around to try and make some contact and kicking behind me to hit someone, something before this strange woman took my son, but at one point, I felt my arm being jerked and the pain as something pricks the skin. Between that and the cloth, my vision is fading quickly. God don’t let them take Logan!

As I collapse to the ground, a voice fills my ears. A voice I never though I would have to hear again.

"Have a nice nap son." It says to me as blackness claims me.

(Matt)

"Matt! Matt wake up!"

Being shaken violently wasn’t exactly how I wanted to wake up that morning but the frantic tone in Shane’s voice kept me from groaning and hiding under the covers.

"What?" I say turning onto my back.

I watch Shane turn on the television to CNN and for a second I was afraid something had happened to Adam, but what I saw was worse. Much worse.

"…Officials at Oswald State correctional facility are looking into the escape of Paul Helmsley otherwise known to wrestling fans as Hunter Hearst Helmsley. According to officials, the last time anyone had seen Helmsley was after a fight in the prison cafeteria shortly before seven pm eastern standard time. It wasn’t until the nightly headcount before anyone noticed that Mr. Helmsley and a female guard, who had been his accomplice and whose body has been found in a local motel, had disappeared out the fire escape door of the facility in what appears to be a stolen vehicle. Helmsley, who was serving two life sentences for the murders of both his wife, Joanie Laurer otherwise know to wrestling fans as Chyna and his son Christian as well as the imprisonment of his other children in an attic and the sexual assault of Matt Hardy who was revealed as Mr. Helmsley’s half brother during a WrestleMania five years ago. The authorities are stating that Mr. Helmsley is to be assumed as armed and dangerous. Once again, officials from Oswald State Correctional Facility are looking into the escape of-"

I shut the television off and sit up in bed my heart pounding as I see Shane on the phone with someone.

"Yeah that’s right Chris, the damn jackal is loose. I know, I know. Listen, call Steph and tell her not to go anywhere and then get your ass on the first flight back to Stamford. Tell Adam and Dwayne the same thing so they can get back to Florida."

Oh God, I thought, my brain buzzing. How the-? What the-? How the hell did he get loose?

"No, no, Matt’s with me. Does JR know what’s happened?" In Vince’s absence Jim Ross was taking over things so Stephanie could spend time with the children. "Listen, tell JR to get some security for Adam. I don’t want him or Logan alone for a minute." A pause. "What do you mean Dwayne hasn’t seen Adam nor Logan?"

I swear my heart has just stopped.

"Does anyone know where they are?"

No. Dear God, no!

"Does anyone know if they were planning on going somewhere else after?"

I’m finding it hard to breathe.

"Listen, you call me on my cell the second you hear anything or when Adam and Logan show up at the hotel. Okay then have Dwayne call me, just get your ass to Stamford. Bye." He punched out another number. "Mick, it’s Shane have you heard the news? Yeah, looks like it was some sort of inside job. Where are Collette and the kids? She went to get them? Good. I know, Stephanie was supposed to pick them up but I’m having Chris tell her to stay put and to get his ass on the next flight home. No we haven’t heard anything from Dwayne though Chris told me he’s frantic because they went out for Logan’s pediatrician’s appointment and they were supposed to meet at a barbershop so Logan could get his hair cut and he hasn’t seen a sign of them yet. Well Dwayne’s going to call and see if they’re still at the pediatrician’s and if they are he’s going to go get them and have one of the guys pick up the car. Matt’s here with me. Don’t worry, I’m going to make sure he has security with him at all time. Yeah, I told Chris to tell JR to get some for Adam and Logan. No I don’t know what he plans to do, but I’ll be damned if he gets Matt. Yeah you and me both Mick. All right then. Let me know the second Collette shows up with the kids. Mmm-hmm. Bye."

My head was spinning worse than it did when I had my stroke, and I couldn’t swallow right.

"Matt?" I felt the bed dip as Shane sat next to me. "Matt, it’ll be all right."

"Adam…" I had this really bad feeling something had already happened to him.

"Don’t worry. Dwayne’ll find him and Logan."

"He sent them…I know he did…"

"Sent what Matt?"

I didn’t hear him, my head reeling. "He’s going to kill us. I know he’s going to kill us."

"Matt? Honey calm down."

"He’s going to make sure we’re dead this time." I was hysterical, but can you blame me? My deranged half brother was coming after us I know for sure. I shove Shane to one side and lunge for the phone, frantically dialing Adam’s cell phone number. Please Adam, for the love of God pick up!

"We’re sorry but the caller you are trying to reach is currently out of range or has their phone shut off…"

"No," I whisper, trying the number again, and again the same message plays. "Damn it!" I slam the receiver down.

"Matt, calm down. I’m sure they’re fine. Dwayne’ll find them."

I can’t explain it but I have this sick feeling Hunter’s already got them.

"What were you saying about someone sending something?"

I can’t keep quiet. Not anymore. "In my bag. There are three envelopes. In each of them is a photo of Adam with something written on the back." I was literally beginning to feel sick to my stomach as I watch Shane get off the bed and walk to the dresser where the bag is and he finds the envelopes. He opens them and looks at the back of them. "God Matt, how long have you been getting these?"

"Just in the past couple days."

"Why didn’t you tell me about this?"

"I thought someone was ribbing me at first."

"Dammit!" He shouts throwing my bag down on the floor. "You swore you wouldn’t keep things from me Matt. You promised me! When the hell were you going to tell anyone about these?"

"I called the correction facility after I got the third one."

"And what did they say?"

"That they’d look into it because there’s been no proof of his having photos of anyone."

"Great, just fucking great! You should’ve brought these to me Matt. Did Adam know? Did you even tell him about them?"

"I called him after I got the first one."

"But you didn’t tell him everything did you? You didn’t tell him what might be going on?"

"I didn’t know what was going on. I didn’t know Hunter was going to break out of prison."

"Jesus fucking Christ Matt! Do you have any idea what the hell you might’ve done? Do you realize that Adam might not be his only target but Stephanie, CJ, and Christina not to mention Mick, Collette and their twins? Why the fuck didn’t you tell me!" Shane screamed. "Why the hell do you have to keep things from me?"

I said nothing, my whole body was shaking.

"I’m warning you Matt. If anything happens to my sister or my niece and nephew because of you, we are through." He grabs his coat. "I’ve got to get these to the authorities so they can figure out who sent them."

He says nothing more to me before storming out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Alone in the room, I turn the television back on but mute the sound. Now they’re showing a recent photo of Hunter. As I stare at it, I think of Hunter’s old theme music. How it blared, "Time to play the game."

You want to play Hunter, let’s play.

Hunter wandered around the house, liking what he saw.

"Did a good job," he said to his companion.

"You paid for quality and that’s what I give you."

They paused in a bedroom, which had two beds, a dresser and a table. For a second it was like a time warp for him.

"When did they say they’d be here?"

"James said the kids should be here within a couple of hours."

"And Logan?"

"He’s on his way to my sister’s house. She’ll call when they arrive."

He nodded. "And it’s all wired?"

"There’s a camera in just about every corner. Inconspicuous of course, so they can’t tear any wires or anything out."

He chuckled. "I doubt they’d be smart enough to do that."

"I don’t know. Kids are a lot smarter than you think."

Walking out of the bedroom, he closed the door behind him and headed for another bedroom. Walking into this one though brought back so many memories. "Damn," he whispered at how exact this room looked. From the cream colored walls to the ornate headboard of the bed and most importantly the person on the bed. He watched as his oldest son lay on the bed, his hands and feet bound tightly in the restraints that were on both the head and foot of the bed. His nude body half covered by the black satin comforter. He thought about letting his associates in Detroit handle things but the thought of snagging Adam himself was too great a temptation to pass up so he managed to get there in record time to get Adam as he and Logan were leaving the pediatrician’s office.

"Impressed?"

"Very."

"I meant with the room." His accomplice said with a smile.

"That too."

"When do you want us to get Matt?" she whispered.

"Not for a while yet. I want to make him suffer a little."

"I talked to our inside man in WCW - you were right he did keep his mouth shut about getting the photos."

He laughs. "I’ll hand it to my little brother, he’s nothing if not consistent."

"Listen, Robert wants to know what you want us to do about the kids."

Robert, his father’s butler before he died… he was a little reluctant at first about joining in but once guaranteed a nice share of the estate Hunter would claim once Matt was out of the way, he was more than willing to jump in and help. "Tell him, that I don’t care what he does to the other kids, but if he lays a hand on CJ, he’s a dead man."

"So in the end, what’s going to happen?"

He looked at his accomplice. "That’s for me to know and you to wonder about. Besides, the less you know, the less I have to worry about you testifying against me and the longer you get to live."

His accomplice just nodded as he continued to stare at Adam, feeling on top of the world. The only thing that would make this perfect, he thought, is getting Matt here. And when he’s here, he smirked thinking of a special room made just for him, he’s going to think what happened in the attic was nothing but a damned cakewalk compared to what I plan to do to him.

(Matt)

Leaving Kevin in charge, Shane and I made our way to Stamford where everyone, including Dwayne was now congregated. Before we left though, there were two phone calls that confirmed our worst fears; one from the Stamford police department saying that the kids had been kidnapped in what appeared to be a carjacking leaving Collette shaken but not hurt, and from Detroit, where Chris and Dwayne were coming in from, the rental car Adam was using had been found in a parking garage next to the pediatrician’s office with no signs of either Adam or Logan.

We sat on the WCW jet not saying a word to each other, though by the glare Shane was shooting in my direction, I can tell there was a lot he wanted to say, but I know when he gets like this, there was no talking to him.

"How the hell could you Matt?" He finally spoke, obviously trying to keep his voice calm. "How the hell could you have kept this from me? From everyone?"

"I told you. I thought someone was pulling a rib."

"Bullshit. You know if you had given these photos to me and told Adam the whole story about what was going on, then we wouldn’t be in this mess."

"Hunter would’ve still gotten out."

"Yeah but at least everyone would’ve been more prepared." He sighed. "Why do you do this Matt? Why the hell can’t you talk to people? You don’t have to keep hiding things from anybody yet here you were keeping something that has now affected more lives than you know."

"I know."

"No I don’t think you do. How many fucking times have I asked you to be honest with me? To even talk to me? Why the hell is that wall of silence still up with you?"

I don’t say anything.

"See! This is exactly what I’m talking about. You either hide things or you clam up on me. Dammit Matt, when the hell are you going to learn not to hide things from me? I thought that after the stroke, you would’ve learned your lesson. What’s next Matt? What’re you working up to now? A full blown heart attack? Another stroke? What?"

I still don’t say anything.

"For the love of God Matt, I wish you would say something. Yell, scream, do something instead of sitting there like a fucking mannequin. Christ." Shane rubs his forehead. "Don’t you trust me? Don’t you love me?"

"You know I do."

"Well you sure have a funny ass way of showing it. Why can’t you trust me? Is that where this is coming from? All these secrets and everything? Are you afraid of me?"

"No," my voice comes out tight and thin.

"Then why hide things from me?"

"Because I don’t want to burden you more than you already have been."

"What the fuck do you mean by ‘burden’? Jesus Matt, the day we got married I told you that no matter what, I loved you and that whatever problems you had were mine as well. You know the line "for better or worse"?"

"You’ve just been so damn…you’ve been working so hard that I didn’t want to add to your problems."

"I’ve been so damn what? So damn busy that you couldn’t talk to me? Is that what you wanted to say?"

"No."

He shakes his head. "I don’t know why I’m trying so damn hard. It’s obvious you don’t trust anyone, let alone me."

"You grow up the way I did and see if you trust anyone."

"Matt…"

"Let me ask you something." I lean forward. "What were you doing when you were ten? Hmm? Were you being dragged off in the middle of the night only a few days after your mother had been murdered by your father in front of thousands of people and forced to live in an attic so your father – half brother what ever the hell Hunter is to me – could weasel his way back into his family and get his hands on the millions his mother had always promised him? Were you forced to live day in day out with fear over what the hell your maniacal grandfather might have in store for you if things weren’t the way he wanted them? Did you get whipped and verbally abused while trying to protect your younger siblings from the same abuse though no matter what you did, they got it just as well? Were you starved, beaten and raped the way Jeff and Adam were? Did you lose a sibling because your father thought it’d be best to kill you all off than to have anyone know you existed? Did you have to kill someone to get your freedom which really wasn’t as free as you thought it would be because you had every fucking pimp and freak trying to come after you and your brothers, not to mention trying to find somewhere to sleep and eat? Did your younger brother commit suicide because of all the shit pumped into his goddamned head when he was a child and then to be rejected by the father he still loved?" I was shaking so bad I thought I was going to have a full-blown panic attack. "And after all that, what about the shit he did to me before we busted his ass? The way he came after me, when he raped me in that shower stall? Where the hell were you then Shane? Now that I mention it, what about the shit you pulled on me? Those three years you came at me with every sleazy ass comment you can come up with thinking you were so fucking charming, when all you did was make me sick. Then to top it all off, did you try to keep your relationship with your older brother a secret so people wouldn’t think you two were a couple of sick freaks?"

I took some deep breaths and tried to gather my composure, which was a losing battle. "No. I bet when you were ten and for many years after that, the only thing on your mind was when you were going to be running your own wrestling organization whether it be the WWF or one you started yourself. You know, I remember that time at the picnic when you told me about wanting to check out the attic. See if there were any ghosts up there because of all the noises Stephanie had heard." I chuckled dryly. "I wish to God you had. Not to rescue us, but just to see the expression on your face when you opened that door and saw all of us there. Christ that would’ve been priceless." I grabbed a tissue and wiped my eyes with it. "Yeah. I would’ve paid big money to see the look on your face then. And you wonder why I don’t tell you anything? I don’t tell you anything because it’s too fucking painful and I can’t handle it. So if keeping my mouth shut and not saying anything is the only way I can keep from cracking up, then so be it. The journals helped, but they didn’t exorcise all my demons."

Shane said nothing but the look on his face made me angry. "Don’t." I choked. "Don’t fucking pity me. That’s the last thing I need from you."

"I don’t pity you. I just wish you could’ve said all that before."

"Too fucking late now. Hunter’s got Adam and the kids and it’s my fucking fault."

"Matt…"

I shake my head before turning my seat and my back on him, not wanting to talk anymore.

"Why don’t you head on to Stephanie’s without me?" I suggest as we walk out of the airport.

"Why?" Shane pauses.

"You know why. I’m the last person anyone wants to see right now."

"Matt…"

"Just go on without me."

"Well if you’re not going with me will you at least let me take you home?"

Home? What’s that? I wonder. "Shane…"

"No. If you’re not coming with me then at least you’re going home. On our way there, I’ll call someone to sit out front of the house."

"You don’t have to…"

"Matt you have a choice. You either come with me or you head home. Either way I’m not leaving you alone for a moment."

"Fine whatever," I mumble as we walk through the parking lot to get to the car.

I say nothing as we drive to the brownstone, only half hearing Shane as he’s calling people to let them know we’re here and that I’ll be at the brownstone. He then hangs up and calls a friend of his who works on the police force and arranges for him to have someone keep an eye on the house.

We pull up just as a police cruiser does. As Shane talks to his friend, another officer follows me in to check out the house and turn the lights on. I set my bag down and look around not wanting to be here.

"Looks like everything’s secure Mr. Hardy." The policeman says as he comes into the room.

"Thank you," I say distractedly, knowing if I left now there’d be one hell of a scene.

"All you’d have to do is set your alarm when Mr. McMahon leaves."

I just nod as he leaves. Shane enters at the same time. "You okay honey?"

"Do you have to ask? No of course I’m not okay. Why don’t I go to a hotel?"

"No," Shane says firmly. "You’re either right here or you’re with me at Steph’s." He embraces me. "To be honest I wish you were with me. I’d feel better knowing you were surrounded by family."

"Family who hates my guts probably."

He leans back. "I know it seems that way now, but trust me Matt. They still love you."

I shake my head, knowing that couldn’t be possible.

"They do and I do. Right now the important thing is to make sure everyone returns home safe and that Hunter doesn’t get his hands on you. God knows what I’d do if he did. Here." He hands me a little black box the size of a garage door opener with a red button on it.

"What’s this?"

"A panic button." Shane chuckles a little. "In case Hunter or any of his cronies do manage to get in, just press the button and Sam and Luiz’ll be in here immediately. Keep it by our bed when you go to sleep."

I just nod dumbly, knowing I wouldn’t be sleeping in the house tonight.

"Okay then. I’ll call when I get to Steph’s."

"Okay. Shane?"

"What."

I took a deep breath. "I’m sorry, for everything."

"I know."

"Could you tell them that?"

"I will." He kisses me before heading to the door. "Don’t forget to set the alarm."

I don’t, setting it after he leaves. Out the window, I watch him walk down the walk and get into his car. When he drives off, I set the ‘panic button’ on an end table and just wander around the room, feeling restless, like I didn’t belong here and seeing all the photos we’d accumulated of everyone over the years didn’t help any either. There were baby pictures of CJ, Christina, Dewey and Noelle. There were photos of Adam, Logan, and me after the court gave he and Dwayne full custody of Logan after Delia died. Then there were photos of Adam and Dwayne’s wedding day in which Shane and I had acted as their ‘best men’. Then photos taken at Chris and Stephanie’s wedding which was both a wedding and a baptism for CJ. Then there were photos of Shane and my wedding with Adam and Dwayne returning the favors of being ‘best men’. Photos of Mick and Collette while she was having the babies – I could hear her complaining about Mick’s ‘sympathy pains’ being a pain - and then photos of when Mick and Collette brought the twins home and a couple of me and Adam with them, according to Mick ‘the perfect family’ seeing how he had three sons and one daughter, he felt life couldn’t be more perfect.

A perfect life ruined because of me.

Feeling suffocated by the memories and by my own stupidity, I had a hard time keeping my emotions in and decided I couldn’t stay at the brownstone anymore. I knew I couldn’t go out the front door with the police out there watching the house. Instead I grabbed my bag and headed for the back door and deactivating the alarm so it would reset itself when I shut the door behind me, I walked out the door and snuck out the backyard. It wasn’t until about five blocks later that I found an idle cab driver who was more than willing to drive me wherever I wanted provided I could give him an autograph.

Telling him which hotel I wanted to go to, I settled back in my seat, knowing I was going to catch major hell for this but I couldn’t be there alone in the house. It was either get out and get some space or drive myself to suicide with the guilt I was filled with, and I had something too important to do than to waste it by slashing my throat.

Arriving at the hotel, I signed in under a different name, thanks to another sympathetic wrestling fan that worked the desk and went to my room, closing my hotel door behind me. Setting my things on the table, I walk to the window and stare out of it, wondering what Hunter was up to.

Revenge was the first thing that popped into my head. Even I figured that he was going to get out and come after Adam and I for what we’d done, but I had the sick feeling he wanted more than that. That he wanted to do more than just get back at us but to make us suffer.

I hear my cell phone begin to ring.

Looking at the bag it’s in, the sound muffled by its captivity, I knew it had to be Shane calling to find out where I am. I wait until it rings another three times before I knew my voicemail would catch it.

They say to catch a criminal, you have to think like one. But my deranged half brother is no ordinary criminal so he deserved a different train of thought. Now if I were some sick, sociopathic, maniac like Hunter what would I do?

And who would I do it to?

(Adam)

I can’t move my arms.

Opening my eyes I see it’s pitch black in here. Trying my arms again, I hear the clinking of metal against metal.

What the hell?

As the fog is lifting from my brain, I become aware of other things, such as the scratchy feel of wool on my wrists and ankles, the slickness of stain sheets and the fact I am completely nude on them and the weight of a comforter on my middle back. Working my right hand, I stretch two fingers to touch what is restraining my wrists and feel lambskin and metal as I realize why I can’t move my arms. I try my legs this time and it’s the same result.

I can’t move them either.

Oh God…

Okay, I tell myself. Don’t panic.

Closing my eyes and trying to collect myself, that’s when it all comes back to me – I was carrying Logan to the rental to take him for a haircut after his appointment…

Logan.

I remain silent for a second trying to hear for my son but I hear nothing.

"Logan?" I whisper at first.

Nothing.

"Logan?" This time a little louder.

Again, nothing.

"Logan!" I shout.

"He’s not here."

I felt hot and cold at the same time. No. Not him. It can’t be. I thought his voice in my ear was just a nightmare.

"Where’s my son?" I hear the heavy footsteps tread across the floor before the bed sinks under my father’s weight.

"Decided to make a grandfather out of me yet huh?"

I flinch as I feel his hand caress my back.

"Where is my son?" I ask pronouncing each word.

"He’s safe. That should be enough for you."

"Is he here?"

"No." I feel his hand play with my hair, picking it up and letting it drift back down to tickle the spot between my shoulder blades. I shiver but not out of any pleasure.

"Where is he?"

"I told you already. He’s safe, so stop bitching."

I take a couple of deep breaths. "Where are we?"

"The last place anyone would ever think of finding any of you."

"Any of us?"

"You and Logan weren’t the only packages I had picked up today. CJ’s here as well, along with Christina and Foley’s two brats. How he came up with a name like Dewey for that boy I’ll never know. With a name like that, the kid’s just aching for an ass kicking when he goes to school."

"What do you want?"

"I want a lot of things. My inheritance. My freedom. But right now I’ll settle for a little payback. Starting with you. You know it must be a bitch being the firstborn. I mean, not only do you have to be a role model for your younger sibling and any relatives younger than you but also you’re the one everyone has to depend on to save their asses. Christ, I’m amazed you didn’t get fed up with a role model for your brothers – correction your brothers and uncle – up in the attic."

All the while he’s talking I could feel his hand sliding all over my backside, nudging the comforter lower, from my neck, to my back, to my ass and halfway down my thighs.

"But you weren’t exactly a great role model for Matthew were you? No you were too busy getting into his pants, not that I blame you. Especially after Bangor." He chuckles. "Christ who knew a slut like him could still be so tight after being fucked as much as he was."

"You’re sick."

"Well you haven’t fallen too far from the tree have you? You’re the one who was fucking his own uncle."

"And whose fault was that?"

He grabbed my hair and pulled my head back, causing me to hiss in pain. "I only had you brats locked away. What you did up there, you chose to do." He lets go of my hair, flinging my head forward. He slid his fingers down my back again. "You know, you never answered my question that day."

"What question?"

"Was it good for you too?" he chuckled.

I bite my tongue.

"Now here’s the situation. You have a choice here. You either do as I tell when I tell you to do it, or I can do to those kids what Pat did to you guys." He leaned down enough to allow me to feel his breath in my ear, "Maybe even initiate CJ into the sins of the flesh."

"You wouldn’t." The thought of Hunter doing to my little brother what he did to me almost made me vomit.

"Wouldn’t I? Wanna test me on that?"

"He’s your fucking son." I hissed.

"So are you and look how I’ve got you here. Warm, naked…" His hand slides up my side and a finger darts under to touch my nipple, which hardens without meaning to. "I could do you anytime I wanted and there wouldn’t be a damn thing you could do about it except scream and you know how I love to hear you scream."

"So what do you want?" I asked feeling helpless.

"Total and complete subservitude. Either I get it from you or I get it from CJ. Which is it going to be?"

I was grateful for the mask hiding the tears that were starting to fall. "Okay fine. Just don’t hurt them."

"I won’t as long as you do what you’re told."

I cringed as he kissed me. "You’ll see Adam. It won’t be so bad."

Feeling the bed lift, I swallow hard and then remember something. "Wait!"

"What? You want to start now."

I swallow hard. "No. I know you won’t do this for me, but could you call whoever has Logan and let them know he has to have a vaccination tomorrow. His measles."

"Sure. Gotta keep my grandson healthy after all."

"The-" I can’t believe my son’s well being is in the hands of this sick fuck. "The papers are all in his diaper bag in the inner zipper part. His card, his certificate, everything."

"I’ll make the call."

Hearing the door close, I finally let the tears fall, feeling as helpless as I did the day he raped me but this was worse.

Far worse.

"Yeah, he said everything’s in the zipper part of the kid’s diaper bag." Hunter said into the phone as he paced his ‘office’. "Make sure the birth certificate’s in there as well. Hmm? Well I was thinking of giving my grandson a fresh start somewhere new. Yeah. No, hold off on getting Matthew. I want him on the edge when we get him. According to my sources, he’s near that now." Hunter saw his accomplice standing in the doorway. "I’ll let you know when. Just make sure the kid has his shot. Okay. Yeah I gotta go. Bye."

Hunter ended the call before asking. "Now what?"

"The children are getting a little unruly."

"So?"

"CJ is demanding to see you. Right now."

Hunter rolled his eyes. "Oh this ought to be fun," he muttered, following his accomplice to the attic bedroom. Entering the room, he saw the children all sitting on one bed – Dewey, Noelle and Christina looking quite woebegone while CJ fixed his intense hazel eyes on him like two heat seeking missiles. "Where’s my mother?" he demanded.

Hunter found himself unable to speak for a moment, unnerved by how much CJ looked like Adam at that age and even like him at that age.

"Well?" CJ, the oldest of the four continued. "Where’s my mother?"

"She’s not here."

"Then go get her."

Hunter rolled his eyes. While CJ took after his older brother in looks, he took after his uncle in attitude. "And what makes you think I’m going to do that?"

"Because if you don’t I’ll…"

"You’ll what?" Hunter challenged, almost delighting in the uncertainty of CJ’s expression. "What do you think big bad little you is going to do?"

"I’ll get my Dad to come after you." He said with the bravado of a five year old.

"Oh really? I’m so scared."

"I wanna go home."

Hunter looked at Christina, who’d spoken those words. Christ she looks just like Stephanie, he thought looking at the pale brown hair and the big blue eyes. Probably wind up being a slut like her too, he thought.

"Me too." Said Dewey and Noelle in stereo.

Hunter looked at his accomplice who just shrugged. Some help she is, he thought. "Listen, no one is going home until I say so. So either pipe down, or get a strap across your asses."

"You wouldn’t dare." CJ said, trying to be as menacing as possible.

Hunter suppressed the urge to laugh when an idea came to him. "You love Adam don’t you CJ?"

The little boy blinked. "Adam’s here?" he said softly.

Hunter nodded. "And you don’t want him to get into trouble for you being bad would you? Because if you keep giving her, " – he pointed to his accomplice- "a hard time and she tells me about it, then Adam has to pay for it."

"How?"

"You’re too young to know, but let’s just say I know ways I could hurt him very badly. Now I don’t want to, but if you and the others here keep acting up then I’ll have no choice but to take it out on Adam. And you don’t want that do you?" he looked at the other children to see them shake their heads, before looking at CJ. "Well?"

"No." he said. "Can we see him?"

"Eventually. Now just do as you’re told and no one has to suffer. Not you. Not Adam. Clear?"

All four children gave their assent before Hunter and his accomplice walked out the door, locking it behind them.

"Pretty slick Mr. Helmsley." His accomplice said as they walked down the hall.

"Worked with my kids for a while." He paused. "I want you to start giving them the vitamins."

"Now? Are you sure?"

"You don’t have to give them a large dosage, just enough to weaken them a bit and make sure CJ’s doesn’t have as much as the others. When all of this is over, I’m taking him out of the country and as far from Stephanie as I can get."

"Want me to start the paperwork on that?"

"It’s a little early but sure." Hunter walked to the ‘office’, anxiously waiting for the next phase of his plan to start.

6

(Matt)

I woke the next morning to the sound of banging on my hotel door.

At first I thought it was just the pounding in my head until I woke up and learned it was as real as the covers I was under. After coming up with my plan, I took a shower and headed for bed, ignoring the other phone calls that had been coming in that night.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Deciding to answer the door before whoever it was woke up the neighbors, I throw the covers off and answer the door only to be bowled aside by my furious husband.

"What the fucking hell do you think you were doing!" he raged. "Do you have any idea how scared we’ve been wondering where the hell you were and worrying if Hunter had gotten to you or not?"

"And a good fucking morning to you too dear," I mumble as I shut the door.

"It’s not funny Matt. I told you to stay at the house and what happens? I call Sam to check on you and he tells me you’ve disappeared. You’re lucky I was able to find the cab driver that brought you here before he went off shift. What the hell were you thinking?"

I walk past him to clamber onto the bed and sit in a sitting fetal position with my head resting on my knees and my arms wrapped around my legs. "I had to get out of there. I just couldn’t take looking at all the photos and knowing what’s going on is my fault."

"Matt…" he sat next to me or as close as I would allow him.

I don’t say anything.

"I told everyone about the photos."

Oh nice. "I bet they really love me now."

"I won’t lie. They’re all pretty upset with you but the important thing is to make sure everyone gets home safe and that you’re safe as well. Now if you won’t stay at the house, then at least come to Chris and Steph’s with me."

"And have everyone hate me. No fucking thanks."

"Honey…" He reached out to hug me but I moved away from him.

"Don’t. Don’t touch me." I lean back against the headboard.

"So what? You’re going to hole yourself here and let Hunter get to you?"

"Maybe it’ll be better if he did. I’m the one he wants. The one he wants dead."

Shane got up. "Unh-unh." He said, grabbing my bag. "There’s no fucking way I’m going to let him get to you."

"Shane…"

"No. It’s bad enough he’s got Adam and the kids, but I’ll be damned if he gets you too."

"I’m not going."

"All right then." Shane sets the bag down and begins removing his jacket. "Then I’ll stay here with you. I’ll just call everyone and let them know I’m here and-"

"I don’t want you here."

He stares at me. "You’re not serious?"

"I’m very serious. I can’t even stand to be around myself right now let alone anyone else. So could you please just go?"

"Matt…"

"Just get the hell out of here Shane."

"Matt…"

"Just go!" I plead. "Get out!"

He pauses before putting his jacket on.

"Go!" I shout.

He finally gets the message and leaves, but not before looking back at me with such confusion and hurt on his face it almost makes me want to change my mind about what I’m going to do. When he closes the door, I breathe a sigh. I hate doing this but I have to.

Now for part two.

I reach for the phone and pressing nine to call out, I dial a familiar number. "Yeah Kevin it’s Matt. Yeah things are pretty tense right now. That’s why I’m calling. Do you think you can book me on some dates? I know, but I need to get my mind off things and work seems to do that for me. Hmm? Yeah Shane’s cool with it. I wouldn’t be calling if he weren’t. Okay now in what city can I catch up with you guys at?"

As I write down the information, only one thought played in my head.

Come out, come out from wherever you are Hunter.

(Shane)

It’s taking everything I have to not go in there and force him to come back to the house with me.

I know he’s up to something but what? You’d think us being married for five years I’d have an idea what my husband is thinking but I really don’t. It’s like he’s this book with a beautiful cover but you’re unable to read it.

With a heavy sigh, I decide to leave, knowing if I did force him to come with me, he’d only do something else and get farther away from me where I couldn’t protect him. Waiting for the elevator, I think back to another elevator ride in Greenwich. I’d come out of a hotel bar with Booker T. when I saw Matt return to the hotel from a ‘visit’ with his grandfather – or should I say his father - and he looked so sad, miserable and sick, which he was having thrown up when we got to my suite, I just wanted to keep him hidden away and protected from the world and when he kissed me that night, I finally knew what paradise was until he left.

The look on his face as he was leaving is still with me. I know he was still in love with Adam at the time, but the look of longing and guilt just struck my heartstrings. He told me once after we got married that he wished I had been a little more forceful, that I shouldn’t have let him leave because he wanted me to help him forget what was going on in his life but his concern for Adam was what kept him from running into back into my arms. When he wouldn’t tell me what was bothering him, I knew that should’ve been my first warning, but I had allowed him his secrets until the night he ‘raped’ me. Hearing his sobs that night just broke my damn heart and I wanted to know so badly what was killing my Dark Angel. So after I got him to the bed, I remembered his journals and read them as he slept, the account of the hell Hunter and Pat put him and his brothers through was heartbreaking.

If I wasn’t in love with him already – which I was - I certainly was after that night if nothing for the sheer fact that he had such a strong will to live. To survive.

Getting into the elevator I look toward his door, hoping he would come out and stop me from leaving, but he doesn’t. As the doors close, I sigh. I know he felt bad about keeping the photos from me, but you’d think after the stroke, which was one of the most frightening moments in my life, he’d learned not to keep things from me. Dammit Matt…why can’t you trust me?

I remember the talk on the plane, when he’d unleashed his emotions. Why couldn’t you do that more often Matt? Why do you have to keep things bottled up? And now this? God the thought of Hunter even getting close enough to Matt to touch him has always been my worst nightmare, especially after he’d raped Matt in the shower stall. Images of Matt lying on the floor unconscious, battered, bloody and broken are so burned in my memory, not even the strongest alcohol or drug can ever get rid of them.

Getting off the elevator, I wonder if that’s where this lack of trust is coming from. I said I would protect him from Hunter, but because I had to have a talk with Vince that night, Hunter took that opportunity and hurt him and now he probably doubts that I can protect him. Then there was the time he thought I was in collusion with his father – Pat – while we were trying to nail Hunter. The hurt in his eyes when he thought I’d ruined everything and told me to get out of his life was more painful than when he threw my suitcases at me.

I cut through the lobby and head out to the parking lot. Getting to my car, I get in but I don’t start the engine. Instead, I look up at his window, which is quite visible from my vantage point, where I can see him moving around a bit, as he gets dressed.

Why are you doing this honey? And why won’t you let me help?

(Matt)

Damn, he’s not going to make this easy for me is he?

I glance out the window and see him sitting in his car. Closing the drapes, I look at the ring on my hand and think of everything I’ve been through to get this and Shane. I’m so going to hate doing this, but I have to. I have to draw Hunter out. I have to let him get me. And I’ll do it too.

Even if it means breaking Shane’s heart in the process.

(Shane)

"Yeah Collette, he’s fine. No he won’t come home. All I know is that he says he wants to be alone. I know, but he feels like he’d be unwelcome at the house, which if Dwayne and Chris have their way I’m sure he will be. I know. The thought of Hunter getting to him frightens me too." I’m watching the people enter and exit the hotel, not having seen any movement out of Matt’s room for a while. "How’s Steph?" I sigh. "I know it’s been hard on everyone. Well I’ll try but he won’t let me-"

I cut myself off as I watch a cab pull up to the hotel door and see Matt, with both his bags come out to get into the waiting cab.

"Listen Collette, can I call you back? Yeah I’ll be careful. Bye." I start my engine and follow the cab to the airport.

Parking my car, I let out a string of epithets that would make Undertaker blush as I play ‘duck and dodge’ with the cars swarming outside. Inside it’s not much different with people swarming around trying to catch flights and connections. Stepping on tiptoes, I look around hoping to catch a glimpse of Matt’s black jacket. When I do, it and its owner are headed for the boarding gates.

"Matt!" I shout, now playing ‘duck and dodge’ with the human traffic.

Catching up to him, I grab him by his upper arm and spin him around. At first there’s a flash of fear in his eyes but once he sees it’s me they go dead. "Let me go." He orders.

"What the fuck do you think you’re doing? Where are you going?"

"I’m catching up with the guys in Philly."

"You can’t be serious. You can’t go on the road at a time like this."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Come home with me?"

"Home? Where’s that Shane? The place where you’ve bedded half the WWF roster before we got married? Or is it the place where everyone can look at me and blame me for everything?"

"Matt, no one blames you."

"Bullshit." Tears are thick in his voice. "They won’t say it outright but it’ll be there in their eyes every time they look at me. I’m sorry honey but I can’t deal with that and I can’t deal with you."

"So you’re just going to leave yourself wide open for him to get you?"

I see the indecision in his eyes before he takes his ring off. "Here." he hands it out to me.

What the-? "No." I shake my head.

"Take it," he holds it out.

"Matt, don’t do this."

"Don’t make me throw it away."

Jeeze Matt, why don’t you rip my heart out and stomp on it while you’re at it?

"Matt, just come home, everything’ll be fine. I can’t take losing you."

The boarding call for Philadelphia echoed through the terminal causing a distraction during which I felt a jerk on my hand and watch as Matt jams the ring into my hand before bolting towards the gates.

"Matt! Matt!" I shout to his retreating back, too heartbroken to move.

I look at the band he gave me. Dear God Matt why are you doing this? Why are you setting yourself up like this? Why?

(Matt)

It’s early evening when I arrive at Philadelphia International Airport.

Walking through the airport, I’m grateful for the sunglasses I’m wearing as they hide my eyes, reddened from the unshed tears over how I left Shane back in Stamford, the pained look on his face haunting me. I glance down at my finger where the band, which had represented my heart and my soul, had been and am startled to find it naked. I’m sorry Shane. I know you won’t understand, but I have to do this. I have to draw Hunter out.

I’m surprised when I walk out of the airport to find Mike Sanders leaning against a car with my name on the placard limo drivers use when locating their passengers. "What happened?" I ask approaching him, hoping my voice sounds light and casual. "Lose a bet with one of the Thrillers and this is what you have to do to pay it off?"

"Nope," he said taking my bags and stashing them in the trunk. "Kevin asked me to pick you up. Said Shane called him and asked us not to let you out of our sight while you were with us. Man I don’t know what went on with you two before left, but according to Kevin, Shane was pretty shredded when they talked."

I say nothing, not wanting to think of Shane as I got into the car.

"Mind if I turned on the radio?" Mike asks while we wait for the light at the entrance to the airport to change.

"No go ahead." Thinking that music would be a good distraction, I look out the window. Mike found a classic rock station that was playing a Doors song that was winding down as a Rolling Stones song was beginning. But it wasn’t any Stones song, but "Wild Horses" and the second section gets to me as it summed up what was going on between Shane and me right now.

I watched you suffer a dull aching pain

Now you decided to show me the same

No sweeping exits or off stage lines

Could make me feel bitter or treat you unkind

Wild horses couldn't drag me away

Wild, wild horses couldn't drag me away

I swear if I weren’t so tired, I’d have started bawling my eyes out right then as I thought back to my first night at the brownstone when Shane played that song for me. The first night I felt safe since before my mother had died, the night I knew I could trust him, the night I loved him before saying the words.

And now it was all gone.

Luckily the song ended before we got to the First Union Center, giving me some time to get myself together before I went in. Walking in, I was swarmed by everyone from the talent to the announcers, to the referees and even the production crew as they offered their prayers and their rooms for me to crash in if I needed to talk about things. Thanking everyone, I headed for my dressing room but before I could get in the door, I heard Kevin’s voice shout to me. "Matt could you come here a minute?"

Wondering how he could’ve seen me, I peer in and see he has his ‘desk’ angled so he could see who was coming and going. Walking in, I’m surprised to see Kevin, who usually wears hockey jerseys and jeans, sitting at the desk wearing a suit, though with no tie. I sit in the seat he offers me. Normally when he talks with the boys, his voice is usually jovial, sometimes joking but when he talks to me, his voice was very serious. "How’re you holding up?"

"As well as can be expected."

"Are you sure you want to join up with us now?"

"Like I told you on the phone Kevin, I need a distraction."

"Okay, but I just want you to know that if Shane calls me and orders me to send you home then I have no choice but to follow his orders."

"I know."

"But I did promise him we’d keep an eye on you so expect some very odd roommates."

I chuckled a little.

"And expect security to be a little tighter than usual."

"I know."

"I’ll let Tony and Mike Tenay know to downplay things a bit though I know the fans know what’s been going on."

"Thanks."

"And your lucky opponent for tonight is Jamie Noble. Non title shot."

I get up to go.

"Matt?"

I look over my shoulder at Kevin. "Yes?"

"I know you hate hearing this more than anything, but you know if you need anything, even if it’s just and ear to bend you know we’re all here to help you."

"I appreciate it. Thanks."

I pick up my bag and leave the room. I see two of the usual security guys standing in front of the door to my dressing room. "You guys going to do a Goldberg and knock on my door when it’s time for my match?" I crack.

"Hell, I’d rather knock on your door than that prima donna’s any day. Why Shane had to hire that loser back I’ll never know."

"It’s called avoiding a lawsuit." I enter the dressing room and see my roommates tonight are Chuck and Sean. "Hey," I greet.

"Hey BV," Chuck greets me by my Internet nickname – Black Velvet – though how I got that name I’ll never know. "How’re you doing?"

"Pretty good." I set my bag on the bench.

"Well then, maybe you can explain to us why you’re here and not with Shane and them." Sean is looking at me through the mirror reflection as he’s fixing his hair in the upsweep that makes him look way too much like Satan.

"Sean…" Chuck cautioned.

"No I’m serious." Sean turns and looks at me now. "I know if my brother, nephew and other relatives had been kidnapped by my psychotic half brother I know my ass’d be home and not out on the road."

"For Christ’s sake Sean, leave him alone."

Sean threw his hands in the air and left the room in disgust. I didn’t care what he thought. All I cared was if my plan would work.

(Shane)

I’m sitting in Chris and Stephanie’s living room in front of the fireplace watching the light make the sliver band in my hand glow. I angle it a bit so I can read the inscription I had put in there – To my Dark Angel, love forever Shane.

I’m beginning to wonder if we’ll even have a forever.

I think back to my phone call to Kevin, which I had stupidly made while I was still emotional from Matt shoving the ring in my hand.

"Man if I’d known, I wouldn’t have let him come back with us. He told me it was cool with you."

It hadn’t been cool with me. Not one damn bit.

I don’t regret making the call, making Kevin swear that Matt wouldn’t be alone for a second other than when he wrestled.

"Trying to figure him out too?"

I look up and see Mick amble into the room before sitting in the chair next to mine with a grunt.

"He’s pushing me away Mick. I just wish I knew why."

"That’s the one thing I could never understand about my son. You know Taker told me once that if still waters ran deep, you’d drown in Matt."

I smile when I hear Mick refer to Matt as his son. I’ve always admired and was impressed with the way Mick and Collette still loved Matt and Adam as their own even though they had two of their own now. It made me a little jealous too since I was barely speaking to my father.

"I don’t understand it." He continued sadly. "You think after the stroke he’d learn not to bottle things up like this, but he keeps doing it. I don’t know what aged me more; Jeff and his relationship with Raven or Matt having a stroke."

"At least Jeff was open about his relationship."

"Yeah but we had no idea he’d gone to see Hunter nor did we know he’d found out about Gerald’s murder, though after what he did to Jeff I’d say good riddance to Gerald. I think he was beginning to pick up some of Matt’s bad points."

"I tried to get him to come here but he still blames himself for what happened-"

"He should."

Both Mick and I look to see Dwayne standing in the doorway his arms crossed and his face grim.

"Dwayne-" Mick started.

"No Mick. I know he’s your son and I know he’s your husband Shane, but don’t expect me to feel too sympathetic towards him since it’s his fault that my son and husband got kidnapped by that sociopathic brother of his." Dwayne walked into the room. "He knew how much Adam and Logan meant to me. How much CJ and Christina meant to Chris and Steph and he knew how much Dewey and Noelle meant to you and Collette, but no. He had to keep his damn mouth shut. If he’d only told Adam the whole fucking story about the photos we might’ve been able to be more cautious, maybe had JR assign some security, hell maybe even have me hire someone. But he kept his mouth shut and look what’s happened. Fuck for all we know, he might’ve even known Hunter was going to escape."

"Mind keeping it down?" Chris now joined in the fray. "I just got Steph settled down enough to get some sleep."

"Listen," Mick said. "I know we’re all a little on edge here, but the fact of the matter is Matt is still a part of this family and I’ll be damned if Hunter gets him too."

I watched as Dwayne walked out the room and heard the back door bang shut. I wasn’t worried though, there were guards all around the house.

"I know this is something you don’t want to hear, but I have to agree with Dwayne on this one Mick." Chris said. "He should’ve told us the second he got those photos so my wife isn’t upstairs crying her damned eyes out wondering if Hunter is going to kill her children to get back at her."

I tune out Chris and Mick’s bickering. Instead, I looked back at the ring, my concern over the welfare of the person whose hand this belongs to more pressing than anything right now.

He was a stunning vision.

Hunter sat in his ‘office’ watching the monitor which was showing him a split screen of the kids on one side – sound asleep after being sedated and Adam who’d been sedated as well.

Turning off the camera to the kids’ room, Hunter watched as Adam turned his head toward the window, his blonde hair caressing his shoulder and back, making a familiar stir burn in Hunter’s groin. God what he wouldn’t do to just go in there and take him while he was sleeping. The feel of him wrapped in his son’s entry was almost too much for him to bear.

But the ringing of the phone interrupted those thoughts. "Hello?" he snapped. "Oh really?" Hunter chuckled. "Well that is interesting. He did, did he? Well looks like little brother has a greater death wish than I thought he had. No, no, not yet. No I haven’t heard from my person in WCW. When I hear from him then we get him. Right and when you do, you disappear. With Logan. Right. Well I’m glad to hear your sister likes him. I’m sure she’ll make a good mother, but that doesn’t interest me right now. If I need you for anything else before then, I’ll call you. Bye."

Sighing he hung up the phone. "Idiots," he said under his breath as he continued to watch his firstborn sleep. He picked up the photo of Shane he had his person take earlier that day, but glancing at Adam’s sleeping form, another better idea came to mind one he knew would drive Matt completely to the edge and beyond.

Reaching into his desk drawer, he picked up the video camera and headed for the door, barely unable to contain himself.

(Matt)

I sat on the edge of the bed in the hotel room I was sharing with Mike Sanders.

On our way back to the hotel he offered to get me something to eat, though in the mood I was in I really didn’t want anything.

I sighed. Surely Hunter must know I’m on the road by now. That I’m alone. Well sort of. I glance over to my left and see one of the security guys sitting at the table waiting for Mike to come back with my ‘dinner’. Jack’s a nice enough guy but I didn’t feel much like talking right now.

The door opens and Mike walks in carrying two white take out bags.

"In for the night?" Jack asks him.

"Yeah, you can go." Mike sounds a little irritated, but I guess I can’t blame him. I’m tired of having people hovering over me like I’m some damn fragile creature.

"Dinner’s here." Mike says, once we’re alone, as he lays out the white Styrofoam containers. I walk over to the little table and opening mine, I’m surprised to see a filet mignon, a baked potato and some cole slaw. "Fancy." I comment as he hands me some plastic cutlery.

"Well I’ve figured after what you’ve been going through, you might like a nice treat. Besides, I was getting tired of burger joints and pizza places." He removed his jacket showing me a snugly fitting sweater that clung to him like a navy blue skin, before he comes and sits next to me.

I shake my head wondering where the hell that thought came from as I start cutting into my filet.

"Hear from Shane?" he asks me as he shakes his salt packet.

"No."

"Have you thought of calling him?"

"I’m sure I’m the last voice he wants to hear right now."

"Why?"

"Well if you must know-"

"Oh I must. I must know." He cracks before taking a drink from his cup. "This enquiring mind must know."

I laugh a little. "Before Hunter broke out, I’d been getting these photos of Adam with these threats written on them and I didn’t mention it to anyone because I thought it was some one’s idea of a sick rib."

"Sounds normal. God knows before WCW folded the first time, there were some sick ribs going around. Christ, the guys were just being outright vicious with them."

"Anyways, I knew I should’ve told Shane, but he’s been so damned busy I didn’t want to worry him what with everything else he’s doing."

"Okay sounds reasonable."

"And I didn’t know Hunter was planning on escaping or what he’d planned to do. Christ, I even called the correctional facility after I got the third photo and all they told me was ‘they’d look into it’."

"You’re preaching to the choir," Mike said, cutting his baked potato and putting the sour cream that was in a little container on top of it.

"And now…" I sigh. "Now everyone hates me."

"I wouldn’t say hate…"

"I would." I say. "I’d say it for damn sure."

"I think they may be more disappointed than anything. They probably wonder why you have to keep secrets from people."

"I do it…" I sigh. "I do it because I don’t want to be a bother to people. I know how people can be when you go running to them with every little problem and with me there’s just too many problems that I don’t want to annoy people with."

"So you decide to annoy them by keeping your problems to yourself?"

"Don’t start please."

"I’m not. I know you’ve heard the ‘you gotta open up more Matt’ shit over and over again and I’m not going to add myself to the long list of irritants but I wonder if you’re keeping secrets has more to do with your not wanting people to change their opinion of you."

Now he had my attention. "What do you mean?"

"Well," he wipes his mouth with a napkin. "You’ve always thought of yourself as the strong one, the one who has to keep everyone else together right?"

"Yeah."

"Well say you start telling people what was bothering you. What do you think might happen?"

"They’ll probably think I’m some whiny bitch."

"Exactly. Not that you would be. So as such, they’re going to think of you differently. Maybe even treat you differently. They might start keeping things from you so they don’t upset you, thinking you can’t handle things. So by not telling people your problems, you’re actually wanting them to not think any worse of you or to treat you differently."

"How much do you charge?"

He laughs. "What can I say? I took Psych in college. Feel better?"

"A little."

"Good. Glad to be of some help."

We spent the rest of ‘dinner’ just talking about things, making me feel guilty about not paying too much attention to Mike before this, but unlike everything else, this was one form of guilt I didn’t feel bad about.

7

(Matt)

This was it. Him and me.

I was on one side of the stage while he was on the other, with Adam in a chokehold and a knife to his throat.

"You want him Matt? Come get him."

And I did, charging at him so fast I couldn’t stop even if I wanted to, but Hunter stepped deftly to one side and tripped me sending me falling toward an open hole that didn’t seem to have a bottom…

"OOF!" I say as I felt my body hit something.

"Christ Matt are you all right?"

Coming to my senses, I look up and see Mike kneeling next to me. Sitting up, I see I’m on the floor tangled up in sheets. "What the-? What happened?"

"I tried to get in here as quickly as I could when I heard you crying out, but by the time I did, you’d thrown yourself off the bed and on the floor. Are you okay?"

"Yeah." I untangle myself. "I’m okay now."

I watch Mike walk to the little table where he’s set out two take out bags. "There wasn’t much in terms of breakfast at the buffet, so I thought I’d go to Burger King and get something instead."

Still a little disoriented, I walk to the table and take out my breakfast, if one calls it that, of a ham and cheese croissanwich, mini hash browns and an orange juice.

"So what are your plans today?" he asked casually.

"Thought I’d try and hit them gym. Work off some of that dinner last night."

"Knew you’d like it. I figured a good meal was what you needed."

"Then get my ass to Pittsburgh for the show tonight."

"Well if you can hold off for another hour or so, I can drive you."

"Chuck and Sean aren’t coming with us, are they?"

"No, but Staziak might."

"Oh you mean ‘Double Agent Ha-Ha’?" I crack remembering Shawn’s bumbling gimmick from the WWF when he would go after someone, something stupid would happen like him running into a suit of armor in Regal’s office or tripping over his own feet. The nickname came from Al, who called him that during a "Heat" broadcast.

Mike tried to keep from spraying his orange juice. "He’d be the one. Though I’d make sure he wasn’t carrying his tape recorder with him."

"He’s never going to live that one down is he?" I ask, picking up a mini hash brown.

"No but from what I’d heard, he got some good blackmail material before he got busted and Vince confiscated the tapes."

"Damn."

"Nothing with you and Adam, though he wished he could’ve taped the two of you."

I say nothing, glad he hadn’t.

"Call Shane yet?" he asks me between bites of his egg and sausage bagel.

"No."

"Why don’t you give him a call? See if you can’t straighten things out."

"I doubt I ever could straighten things out." Especially after the way I had ‘brilliantly’ ruined things.

"You won’t know until you try. Besides with everything going on, I’m sure it’d make him feel better to know you’re okay."

"He won’t want to hear from me."

"How do you know?"

I look at him. "Listen. I appreciate the fact you want to help but really Mike, I still don’t feel like talking to anyone right now."

"Suit yourself." He shrugs.

Once ‘breakfast’ was through, Mike cleared the table and asked me if I wanted to join him down in the hotel’s gym. I told him to give me a little bit so I can change, but after he left I kept looking at the phone, hearing it tell me to call Shane, but what could I say? "I’m sorry honey but I broke your heart because I want that sicko brother of mine to get me so he’d let everyone else go?"

No, he wouldn’t understand what I was doing. He’d just insist on my coming back to Stamford and I couldn’t. Not yet.

But I found myself getting off the chair and stretching out on my stomach on the unmade bed and dialed Shane’s cell phone number, hoping no one else would pick up.

"Hello?" a woman’s voice asks.

Damn it’s Collette.

"Hello?" she asks again, her voice edgy.

"Is Shane there?" I finally manage to get out, wishing I had asked Mike to stick around to ask for him.

"Matt? Matt, honey where are you?"

"I’m in Philadelphia. Could you get Shane for me?"

"What the hell are you doing in Philadelphia?"

"Could I just speak to Shane please?"

"Matt, what’s going on? Why aren’t you in Stamford?"

"You know why."

"Honey, I know you’re sorry about keeping the photos from us, but do you think taking off like this and leaving yourself open for Hunter to get you is going to make things any better?"

"I just couldn’t be there right now. I …needed some space."

"What you need is to get back here so we can keep any eye on you. It’s bad enough Hunter has Adam and the kids but if he got a hold of you too…"

I sigh. Don’t do this Collette, I think. Don’t love me. Don’t care about me. It’ll just make what I’m doing so much harder. "Could I just speak to Shane please?"

I hear the back door bang in the background and Mick asking Collette who was on the phone. "Listen honey Mick wants to talk to you, I’ll go get Shane."

I wait with bated breath in anticipation of the ass ripping I knew was coming.

"What the fuck do you think you’re doing pulling this shit on us?" Mick asked, his voice subdued but the anger was as clear as anything.

"Mick…"

"No you listen to me. Now you get your shit around and get your ass back here. No if ands or buts."

Dammit, why can’t they just let me talk to Shane?

"I can’t."

"What do you mean you can’t? You booked yourself onto the tour, you can unbook yourself off of it. I know Kevin will understand."

"I can’t face anyone there."

"So you’re just going to leave yourself wide open for Hunter to get you is that it?"

Yes, I wanted to shout. "Why should you care if he gets me or not? Christ I’m the goddamned reason he got them to begin with!"

"I care because you’re my son that’s why and I’ll be damned if I’m going to lose another one because of the sick fuck!"

"I’m not your son!" I shouted. "I’m just some off the street piece of trash you’ve put up with all these years!" Please God forgive me for this.

There was a stunned silence on the other end. "Matthew…" his tone softened.

"Mick don’t. Don’t try and make like you care because I know you don’t."

"What the hell? Matt, you know I care about you boys. I always have and always will."

"How can you? I’m the reason the kids you and Collette have wanted for so long are in the hands of a madman."

"Matt, don’t do this to yourself."

"Why not? I’m surprised you haven’t asked me if I knew where they were."

"Matt, you’re not thinking clearly right now and that’s where Hunter wants you. Now get home and we’ll take care of this."

"How the hell can you even care about me after what’s happened?"

"Because you’re my son."

"I told you I’m not your son."

"Well there’s a document from the state of Florida that says otherwise."

"I doesn’t matter." I tell him amazed at how calm I sounded despite shaking like hell. "I still have Pat’s genes in me."

"That doesn’t matter. It never mattered. It didn’t matter when we found out and it doesn’t matter now. All that matters is getting you back here safe."

I didn’t know how to explain it but I had this feeling… "I won’t be coming back."

"Matt what are you talking about? What do you mean you won’t be coming back?"

I couldn’t deal with this. "I have to go." I said, ignoring his shouts as I hung up. God I didn’t want to do that, but the fewer people who cared about me, the easier target I was for Hunter. I thought about what I said about not coming back and for some reason I didn’t feel that scared about it.

"Matt?"

I look up to see Mike looking at me as he enters the room. I sit up as he sits next to me and he pulls me into an embrace. "Hey don’t worry. Things’ll get better."

But deep down I knew they wouldn’t. Like I said, I don’t know why but I have this feeling that when I face Hunter, I won’t be the last man standing.

(Shane)

I run into the house as Mick is shouting into my cell phone. "Matt! Matt! Damnit!" he slams my phone down with such force I wonder if I should get a new one.

"Was that him?" I ask my breathing heavy from running to get the phone.

"If it was he sure didn’t sound like it." Mick said sadly.

"He hung up?" Collette asked as she came in behind me.

"Yeah," Mick nodded. "You should’ve heard him. Then again maybe you shouldn’t have I mean the things he was saying…" he looked at me. "I hate to say it but this has got him more fucked up than I thought. I know he feels guilty and blames himself for what happened but the way he was talking about himself… and then saying that he wasn’t coming back…damn it breaks my heart."

Not coming back? Frightened, I picked up my cell to call Kevin and find the battery’s low. I then grab the phone from the wall and call him, getting an ‘out of range’ message. "Damn," I pressed the plunger. "He must be in a meeting or something." I dialed another number.

"Hello?" asked the voice millions of WCW fans were familiar with.

"Tony hi, it’s Shane."

"Shane how are things?"

"Tense. Listen is Kevin in a meeting?"

"Not that I know of, why?"

"I need you to do me a favor. When you see him, tell him I want Matt unbooked and sent home. Got it?"

"Got it. I’ll let him know the second I see him."

"Thanks."

I hang up, but as much as I trust Tony, I know what he’s like when he gets ready for a broadcast and knew it would be possible for him to forget to tell Kevin.

"Get through to Kevin?" Collette asked, rubbing Mick’s back to console him.

"No. I told Tony, but I can’t help but think he might forget to tell him." Unable to take this, I leave the kitchen and head for the foyer.

"Shane?"

"I’m going to hook up with them. Get Matt to come home. They’ll be in Pittsburgh tomorrow night and that’s when I’ll get him."

"Be careful." Collette hollered.

"I will. Tell Steph what’s going on okay?"

"Sure. And Shane?"

"Yeah Mick?"

"Just tell him we love him."

"I will." I leave the house, determined that no matter how much of a scene I caused, I was bringing my husband home.

(Adam)

My arms ache and for some reason I smell vanilla.

Waking up, I can still feel the mask on my face and the comforter on my back. My shoulders and upper back are throbbing from my arms being in this hang down position for the past…how many days has it been?

"Good you’re awake."

I turn my head to the sound of my father’s voice as I hear his footsteps tread heavily across the floor.

"I’ve got some good news for you." He says, the bed sinking as he sits next to me. "You’re getting out of your restraints today, at least long enough to have breakfast."

I lay still as the bed rises again before I feel the comforter fly off me and his hands undo my leg restraints. "You’ve got your mother’s legs," he says sliding his hand over my inner leg up to my thigh. "So long and smooth."

I swallow down the bile inching its way up my throat as he undoes the other leg, doing the same thing. Then I feel his hand on the middle of my back. "Remember. Don’t play the hero. You try anything funny and not only will the children be punished but one phone call and you’ll never see your precious Logan again either. Clear?"

I nod.

I wait until he has all of them unfastened before struggling to get up. My arms and shoulder protest the force of their use as I try and set myself up in to a sitting position. I try to cover myself in some way but am unable to see anything to grab.

"Take off the blindfold."

For a second I didn’t want to. I prefer to think he was this invisible captor and not anything flesh and blood.

"Adam," his voice was stern. "Take off the fucking mask."

I do, noticing the candles burning through the room, which explains the vanilla scent before I look at him. He hasn’t changed much in the past five years. His physique, clad in tight t-shirt and jeans was still as rock hard as ever and his hair was a little blonder now but I could make out the streaks of silver that was intruding on the sides. Looking around, my heart stops as I recognize the room as being the same exact one he dragged me into to rape me that day.

"Here," he throws something at me. "There’s a shower behind the door there and don’t be long."

I pick up what he’s thrown and see it’s a black satin boxer and robe set like the one he’d bought Matt to wear the night in Chicago. I finally get off the bed, my legs hurting a bit as I put pressure on them and make my way to the bathroom. Closing the door I find there’s no lock on it. Sighing, I look at what he gave me and toss them onto the toilet seat in disgust. I start the shower, checking the temperature before looking around and seeing that I didn’t have to worry about toiletries for a while as everything I use is in here and in full bottles. Stepping inside the stall I see he’s bought my usual body shampoo and hair shampoo and conditioner, all in coconut, a scent that reminds me of another shower stall, this one in a hotel in Providence. Without realizing it, I open the bottle to inhale the scent and for some reason I think of Matt. The way I lubed him with the conditioner and how I washed him with the shampoo, how he felt his body pressed against mine, warm, wet and …

I shook my head, forcing the erection I was getting to go away. Dammit Adam, I swore. Don’t do this. You have to think about Dwayne now. Dwayne and Logan. It’s the only way you can get through this.

Showering and drying, I slip on the boxers and robe which, wouldn’t you know it, doesn’t have a belt for it and step out into the room where he’s sitting there waiting for me, a rolling tray with two covered dishes nearby. I noticed the bed has been changed but it was still the same black satin. I notice it’s been changed because the comforter looks different.

"I don’t know what it is." He says, leering at me. "But there’s something about a blonde wearing black that is just so fucking sexy."

Trying to hide my disgust, I walk over to the cart where breakfast was but was stopped when he grabbed my wrist. "Get back on the bed."

"What?"

"I said get back on the bed." He twists my wrist, which is already sore to begin with until I cry out from the pain.

"Okay, okay," I whisper. "Please let go."

He does, giving me a shove.

Getting myself together, I begin to climb on the bed when I feel him tackle me and pin me underneath the weight of his body, bringing back memories I never wanted to have again.

"Get off me." I say almost begging.

"You don’t want me to get off now any more than you did the day I brought you in here." he hisses in my ear like a serpent as he stretches my arms above my head.

"Please get off."

"Mmm…I’d love to."

My empty stomach churned as I felt him rub his denim-clad erection against me.

"Stop. Please." I whisper, the panic in me building.

"Why don’t you and I play a little Truth or Dare? You tell me the truth, and I won’t dare to rip those boxers off you and fuck your brains out. Fair?"

I must not have spoken fast enough because he grabbed my hair jerking my head up. "Fair?" he growled.

"Fair." I said before he let go.

"Okay let’s start with this question, did Matt ever beg you to stop when you fucked him?"

"What?"

"Just answer me. Did he beg you to stop when you fucked him?"

"No."

"Okay. What was he like when he was underneath you? Was he hot and wanting? Did he beg you to fuck his brains out?"

I said nothing, the revulsion too strong.

"Adam…" he cautioned, "If you don’t talk to me, I’ll fuck the answer out of you. Now what was he like underneath you?"

"He…"

"He what? He feel good?"

"Yes." I whisper, trying to force the memories of Matt out of my head.

"Did he beg you to fuck his brains out?"

"Yes."

I flinched when I felt his right hand let go of my wrist and slide under my waist to travel under my waistband where I felt his fingers wrap around my cock. His left hand then grabbed both of my wrists. "Now, with as much graphic detail, tell me what his mouth was like when he sucked you off."

"No." I forced myself to not get hard under his ministrations.

"Adam…you have a choice. Either you tell me or I get CJ to join us. Maybe even handcuff you to the bed so you can watch."

"Why are you doing this?" my voice broke.

"Because I can. Now tell me. Because see I never had the chance to find out if he was a whore like his mother, thanks to Shane. And since you and he were so close, I thought you could tell me what I might be in for when he comes to me."

"No." It hits me what he might be up to.

"What? You think I’m just going to let him get away with what he’s done to my life? Making you my whore is one thing but with what I have in mind for Matthew…" he chuckles in my ear. "I don’t want to give it away. It’s too good."

"Leave him alone."

"Sorry son. Not happening. Now are you going to tell me what his mouth feels like or…"

"I wouldn’t know. Happy?"

"How the hell can you say you wouldn’t know?"

"I never let him touch me. Because of you. Every time he did, it would just remind me of what you did to me."

"Well then, this is an interesting turn of events. Then let me ask you this, have you ever wanted to take Matt and fuck him till he bled? Just take out all the anger and frustration you must’ve felt after what I did to you."

"No." I hissed hating myself for responding to his touch as he continued stroking me.

"Oh come on." His voice was almost like a croon. "All those times he wanted you to fuck him, you never once wanted to go beyond and just rip him apart?"

"No. I love him."

"You love him? That’s very interesting. Here you are married to someone else and you just said you love Matt."

"You know what I mean?"

"Why don’t you enlighten your old man? Is there still a fire burning there for your younger uncle? That no matter how many times you’ve had Dwayne’s cock up your ass, you still wished it were Matt’s?"

"No. I love Dwayne."

"But are you in love with him?"

"Yes." Dammit, stop touching me.

"Interesting. Very interesting. So you’re saying if the opportunity ever presented itself to you to have another night of passion with your uncle, you wouldn’t take it?"

"No."

"Liar."

I swallow hard.

"Deep down there’s a place in you that would love nothing more than to have Matt right here, right now and you just letting out all that anger in you over what I did. To drive yourself into him over and over no matter how much he screamed, because that’s what you want to hear. You want him to scream your name. You want to inflict the pain on him that I gave you because it was his fault I punished you to begin with."

My body was shaking from fear, unshed sobs and anger at my body’s betrayal.

"You don’t want this sweet and gentle stuff anymore," he hisses, still stroking me. "You want to hurt him the same way you’ve hurt. You want to do what I’m doing, except you want to fuck him until he bleeds and screams for you to stop."

I closed my eyes, which was not a good idea because all the images he was putting in my head were coming at me. "NO! Stop it! I’m not like you!" I scream, my stomach literally threatening to empty itself right then.

"Oh come on Adam, you can’t lie here and tell me you’re not thinking of all the ways you could hurt Matt. All the ways you could make him beg, make him plead, make him cum for you." His breathing increases as does mine as he continues stroking me faster and it’s only now that I realize he’s really grinding himself against me. "Think of it Adam, think of Matt in the same position you were in when I came in, naked and restrained, tell me you wouldn’t want to feel that warm flesh under you and hear him cry for you to stop but you wouldn’t stop would you? No, not for a second not until…until…"

He came with a growl while I came with a whimper as I felt myself spill onto his hand.

"Oh God, oh God, that was sooo good…" I heard him murmur in my ear.

Finally I broke down sobbing, not believing I allowed him to get in my head like this and how dirty he made me feel.

"Shhh…" he whispers. "It’s okay. It’s only natural. You’re your father’s son after all."

There was something funny about Hunter’s tone when he says that before I felt him get off me, but I didn’t care to get into that, as I remained face down on the bed sobbing.

"I’ll leave your tray here and have my associate bring you a change of clothes." He says before from the corner of my eye, I watch him lick my juices off his hand. "You still taste as good as you did then." He said with a smirk before leaving.

Unable to control myself now, I made a mad dash to the bathroom and emptied what little I had in my stomach, dry heaving the rest. I tore the boxer and robe off, not wanting to feel the sticky fabric against me anymore and turn the shower on until it’s scalding, though I know no matter how hard I try, I’ll never feel clean again, especially as the images he’d put into my head about Matt still play themselves over and over in my mind like a looping video and the frightening thing was, I could see me doing what he said; I could see myself hurting Matt, myself raping him the way Hunter had in Bangor and the sickest thing is, I could feel myself responding and almost enjoying it.

I slide down the stall and sit there. Looking over at the sink I see a razor and feel my wrists itching to have the cool steel slide across them but I don’t move though I’m the color of a lobster now. There are five little kids who are depending on me and I was damned if I was going to leave them at Hunter’s mercy though I now knew he had none.

Turning the water off, I just sit there.

Please Matt, I think. Please be somewhere safe so he can’t get you.

(Matt)

Walking back to my dressing room after my match with Earnest Miller, I’m startled to find a television and a VCR set up in the room.

"What the fuck is this?" I say as I walk over and see a tape sitting on the VCR. It’s a plain white case with my name on it with a note – Watch this. I think you’ll find it very interesting.

For a second I think of not playing this. Of calling Kevin and asking him to get the police so they could see what it is, but my curiosity gets the best of me. I slide it into the VCR and using the remote, I turn the television and VCR on and wait for the tape to begin.

There was a little burst of static before an image fills the screen, making me gasp.

It was Adam sound asleep with his face to the camera and I could see the restraints on his wrist.

"Beautiful isn’t he Matthew?" came a familiar voice.

I watch as the bed shifts a little and see Hunter lay himself beside Adam. "Who knew that when he was fourteen he’d grow up to be so fucking gorgeous? I mean look at him Matt." Hunter’s hand skimmed down Adam’s back. "His skin is as soft as it was then though a little more tanned. His hair," Hunter picked up a couple of strands and let them drift down onto his shoulders, "still as silky as ever and his lips," Hunter moved around to kiss Adam on the lips, blocking my view for a second, "are still so warm and inviting, but you knew this don’t you Matt? You know what Adam’s like. Even though you’re married to Shane, you still wish you were lying where I’m lying, I’ll bet. I mean as in love with each other as the two of you were, you can’t forget how it used to be. The nights you’d hold him after comforting him when one of his night terrors would haunt him. How he made you crazy with pleasure, make you beg him to fuck you."

I wrapped my arms around myself, my whole body tense.

"Now I’m sure you’re wondering what the point of this is and my point is this; I’ve got him right where I want him thanks to you. I’m sure you’ve been bitched at a million times about not telling anyone about the photos but personally, I’d like to thank you little brother. Thank you for making things so much easier for me. I mean even though you did call the Warden and told him about the photos, all you did was make my day, and now, I’ve got my precious firstborn right where I’ve wanted him since the two of you put me away and it’s all thanks to you. Now if you’ll excuse us," I watched him reach behind him for a remote, "I believe Adam and I have some catching up to do."

"No," I whispered as the tape went to snow again. I stood there in shock as Hunter’s words came to me. "…You’ve just made things easier for me…got him right where I want him thanks to you…"

Unable to think straight and all the anger and frustration finally building up past its boiling point, I grab a stool and throw it at the television, the crack and hissing of the tubes making a pleasant noise in my ears as I realize now what he’d planned to do.

"No! You son of a bitch! You set me up! You motherfucker!" I ran over to the television stand and threw it over onto the floor. He knew what he was doing; he sent me the notes to see if I would do anything, which I hadn’t. He knew all this and now Adam and the kids are paying for me playing right into his hands.

"You bastard!" I sobbed, my self-loathing and hatred just coming out in the only way I knew how.

"Matt?"

I turned around to see Mike standing there looking at me. "Christ Matt what happened?"

I just threw myself at him clinging to him like a lifeline.

"Hey," he soothed. "Hey calm down kid."

"Get me out of here please?" I begged. "Just get me out of here."

"Okay, okay." He pulled back. "Just get washed up and I’ll clean up this mess in here. Okay?"

I nodded numbly before getting my things around and headed for the showers. Stripping down, I turned the water on and stood under the blast of hot water, wondering if the heat of the water could wash away the guilt as a sort of penance. I could feel the pain of the water’s heat begin to intensify. I almost felt like screaming from it but I didn’t care. Just like everything that happened in the attic, what was going on now was my fault and if scalding the hell out of myself was the only way to make things right then so be it.

"Jesus Matt!" I heard Mike shout before feeling the stinging of cold water mixing in with the heat. "What the hell were you doing? You know how hot that water was?"

"I don’t care." I said on the verge of laughing hysterically. "I really don’t care."

"Well I do damnit."

"You shouldn’t." I say sadly. "You shouldn’t care about me. No one should…not after what I did or should I say didn’t do." I said nothing more as I felt his arms around me. "You’re getting wet." I say stupidly.

"It’ll dry."

We pulled our heads back to look at each other before I kissed him. I don’t know why I did it, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.

He pulled away from me. "Matt, don’t…"

"Fuck me…" I breathe, closing my eyes so I didn’t see the pity in them. "I don’t care how you do it…just fuck me…make me forget everything. Just make me forget."

When I didn’t hear him respond, I opened my eyes and instead of pity I saw confusion…and desire. I bent my head and undid his belt to prove I wasn’t fooling. He remained there with me as I took him out and began stroking him.

"Oh God…" I heard him breathe.

I lifted his soaking wet t-shirt over his head and began kissing down his chest, sucking on his neck and his nipples, licking a path down his chest before my tongue was tickled by the slight bit of hair he had leading to his cock, which I took out and began working on. I ignored the pain of my knees on the wet tile floor and focused instead on the task of making him hard enough to fuck me until I couldn’t remember my name.

(Shane)

I arrived in Pittsburgh and went straight to the arena, the first person I saw when I got there being Kevin.

"Hey man," he greets. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Where’s Matt?"

"Probably in his dressing room. Hey how’s everyone? Hear anything yet?"

"No." I shook my head not wanting to get into a conversation with Kevin right then. I just wanted to get my husband and get him home with me.

Getting the directions from Kevin as to where his dressing room was I walked right to there, not stopping to say hi to anyone who saw me, the only thing I had on my mind was getting Matt and getting back to Stamford. Finding the door, I knocked on it figuring he’d be just about ready to go. Not hearing anything I stepped in and looked around, surprised to see an overturned television cart.

"Oh God yes! Harder!"

I blinked when I heard the voice coming out of the showers. Not knowing what I was going to see, I walked to the doorway and through the steam I saw something I never thought I ever would and frankly it made me sick.

Matt was pressed up against the wall, his hands wrapped around the shower spigots while Mike Sanders was behind him thrusting deeply into him.

"Oh God," I heard him gasp in pleasure. "Don’t stop. Please don’t stop."

I was seconds away from charging in there and tearing Sanders off Matt until I saw something chilling. He’d turned his head in my direction and even though I know he saw me, he didn’t react like anyone would when caught screwing around, instead of pushing Mike off and coming at me with a plethora of apologies he gave me a sick grin like he was enjoying this and reached around to grab Mike’s head and kissed him hard as if cementing the deal.

Too sick for words, I stormed out of the locker room and ran like hell the parking lot, where once in my car I sat there in complete and utter shock, my body shaking.

My God Matt…what the? Why?

"Why?" Was all I could whisper before feeling hot tears come. "Dammit Matt why!" I pounded the steering wheel before breaking down resting my head in my arms wondering why the hell and how the hell he could do this to me, especially now with everything that’s been going on.

8

(Matt)

When I wake up the next morning, I feel the weight of an arm around my waist and the warmth of breath on my neck. Turning my head, I see Mike sound asleep next to me as naked and twisted up in the sheets as I was. I turn my head back to look at the portable travel clock I bring with me on the road and think about last night.

I know you think I’m a heartless shit and what I did to Shane was unforgivable and you’re right. It was, but it was necessary. I didn’t know he was coming to Pittsburgh, but when I saw him there watching me, I knew I had to do something to get him to leave. To protect him, I had to hurt him.

So here I was; no family, no husband…all alone.

Just how I knew Hunter would want me.

I gave no indication to Mike we’d been seen last night after we fucked. Instead, I got dressed and he drove me here to the hotel, where, while putting some aloe gel on my chest which still stings from the hot water I stood under last night, we wound up fucking again, this time to help me forget the pain and shock on Shane’s face. But like other highs, the coming down was the bitch.

I feel the bed move and Mike move closer to me. "Morning," he said rubbing his face.

"Morning." I say dully turning on my back.

He rested his head on his arm and looked at me. "You okay?"

"If you mean can I walk I’m not sure."

He chuckles. "No I mean are you all right."

"Yeah. Why?"

"No reason. Just checking." Untangling himself from the sheets, he got up and slid his jeans on. "Want me to grab you some breakfast?" He pulled on another of those maddeningly tight sweaters, this time in a tan color.

I shake my head. "No, thanks though, but I’m going to catch up on some sleep."

"Okay. But don’t sleep too long, we’ve got to catch that flight to Chicago this afternoon."

"What time is it?"

"Three."

"I’ll be there."

"Okay."

He put his shoes on and walked to the door. "Matt?"

"Hmm?"

"I know this sounds cheesy, but last night was great."

"Well don’t forget to leave some money on the drawer." I crack though there was some seriousness behind it.

He smiles and tells me he’ll be back in a few minutes. After he closes the door behind him, I stare at the phone. A part of me wants to call Shane and try to explain everything to try and save our marriage but I can’t bring myself to do it. They’ll be plenty of time for me to fix things once we get Adam and the kids away from Hunter and Hunter goes back to prison. Until then, all I can do now is just wait and see what Hunter decides to do next.

(Adam)

I’m running down the hallway.

I’d gone to the attic and found CJ was missing.

"Hunter has him," I remember Christina telling me.

"CJ!" I’m shouting as I run down the hallway telling the kids to behave. "CJ where are you?"

"Adam!"

His scream alerts me to his location and I run down the hall to where it came from to find the doors ahead of me locked.

"Adam! Get him off me!"

I move back and kick the door hard. Frustrated by how hard it was to kick open.

"Adam help me!"

I ran as far from the door as I could and then changing directions I ran as fast s I can, bracing to spear the door as hard as I’ve speared my opponents, but when I make contact, and the doors do open, instead of landing on the floor I find myself falling into a dark hole. A dark hole with no end…

"No!" I shout, sitting up but the jerk of something on my wrist keeps me from sitting up entirely. Getting my wits about me, I see my right hand has been restrained to the headboard. Finally calming down, I try jerking my arms loose from the restraint, but with no luck.

"Don’t bother," Hunter’s voice said as he enters the room. "That sucker is welded tight."

I look at him. "I want to see the kids."

"You’re hardly in any position to make demands."

"I mean it Hunter. I want to see CJ and the kids."

He sits next to me and grabs my face in his hand. "You’ll see them when I say you can see them."

"How do I even know you have them? You could be just telling me this shit."

"So you don’t believe me huh?"

"No."

He smirked at me before reaching around me to undo the restraint. "Come with me."

He grabs my arm and yanks me off the bed, but not before forcing my hands behind my back and clamping a pair of handcuffs on my wrist so tight that I winced from the pain. "Try anything cute," he warns me when we get to the door, "and your precious Logan winds up with a new family."

I let him drag me down the hall, my bare feet slapping against the wood, until we get to a room that looks more like a study. I stand there, clad in only the long black satin pajama bottoms that were given to me yesterday and watch as Hunter turns on what looks like a television. On it are the kids playing with some toys, but CJ didn’t seem that interested in playing, he just sat in a corner and watched the others.

"Reminds you of his namesake doesn’t he?" Hunter said as he moved behind me. "How Chris would just sit and watched. God he used to annoy me."

"Big surprise." I mutter before he yanks my hair, snapping my head back.

"Any more snotty comments like that and I’m going to see if he can scream like his older brother." He hisses in my ear.

We stand there for a few minutes watching them, Hunter’s hand twined in my hair, before Hunter shut the monitor off. "And in case you’re wondering there’s a camera in your room as well."

"I still want to see them."

"Well there’s just one little problem with that Adam and that’s what are going to give me in return?"

"What?"

"Oh come on, you’re not a total blonde. You want something, you have to do something in return."

My stomach flip-flops. "What do you want?"

"If you have to ask then you’re dumber than I thought."

I gave a shout as he spun me around and slammed me face down on the desk. He pins me down with one hand as he reaches around to untie the string front tie on the pajamas. I feel him press up against me as he leans over to whisper in my ear, "Does this answer your question?"

Just lay there, I tell myself. Just lay there and let him…

But I felt my stomach lurch when I felt the fabric slide down my legs and damn near bit my bottom lip off as he entered me dry. I just closed my eyes, the tears streaming down from them because of the pain and tried to block his grunting out of my hearing. It didn’t take long for him to finish with an animalistic growl before he fell on me, breathing hard. "Next time I want some goddamned passion from you." He whispers as he brushes my hair back. "I got enough of the stiff board treatment from your mother. I’ll let it slide this time, but like I say, I either get it from you, or I get it from CJ, your choice. Clear?"

"Yes." I whisper as he presses my head down on the desk.

"Yes what?"

I wince from the pain not knowing what the fucking hell he as getting at now.

"From now on," he hisses. "You say ‘yes father’ got it?"

He has to be fucking kidding.

He presses harder on my temple, making sparks fly behind my eyes. "Got it?"

"Yes …yes father." I gasp out before I feel him slide roughly out of me. He then pulled my bottoms up and tied them. "Now. Get a shower and get dressed. You’ll see the brats when it’s lunchtime." He pulls me up before I hear another set of footsteps. I look to one side and see another man walk my way.

"Take him to his room and make sure he cleans himself up before he sees the brats."

He nods before dragging me out of the room, surprising me with her strength. Once we get into the room, he throws me on the bed before undoing the handcuffs. "You’ve got fifteen minutes to be showered and dressed." He ordered. "Don’t be long."

He slaps me on the ass. "Maybe your old man might let me have a go at you one of these days," he says before leaving the room, locking it behind him.

Over your fucking dead body.

(Shane)

I’m only half hearing the conversation around me.

"You mean to tell me he’s had these photos in his cell and your men couldn’t find them before now?" Mick raged as we sat in the warden’s office.

I arrived back to Stamford hurt, disillusioned and disgusted, unable to shake that image of Matt smiling at me while he let Sanders fuck him. Everyone asked me where Matt was but I never had the chance to ask as the warden had called and said he’d found photos of Adam and the kids in his cell, photos he was never supposed to have under the conditions of his sentence; he was to have no personal photos or effects of either Matt, Adam or CJ in his possession and he wasn’t to make any contact with either of them.

"They didn’t come to our attention until another inmate informed us of his ceiling tile being askew. We think he may have had these hidden."

"No shit." Dwayne said sitting next to me. "How the hell did he get them in the first fucking place?"

"We’re going through the visitor’s logs and are asking the inmates working the mailroom if they noticed anything."

"Now damnit, my son called here after he got a third photo of Adam and you’re the one telling him you’d look into it then."

"Mr. Foley I know you’re upset-"

"You’re damn right I’m upset! Thanks to one of your CO’s that psycho freak Helmsley has three of my kids not to mention my grandson and Shane’s niece and nephew and it’s very damned likely he’s going after Matt as well and all you can say is you’re looking into things? You should’ve looked into them when Matt called!"

"We didn’t have reason to believe he had any possessions on him and if your son had gone to the authorities with the photos when he first got them then we would’ve done a more extensive search of the cell and we could’ve stopped him from getting out."

"Oh so now it’s Matt’s fault?"

"I never said it was anyone’s fault. I’m just saying-"

"I don’t care what you’re saying. It’s what you’re not doing that’s pissing me off!"

Another ten minutes later, Mick, Dwayne and I were walking out of the correctional facility and back to the car. "I can’t fucking believe this," Mick muttered under his breath as we got in the car, he and Dwayne, who was driving up front and me in the back. "They may as well have just given Helmsley the fucking keys and let him let himself out of here."

"He did have a point," Dwayne said as we made our way to the main highway. "Matt should’ve gone to the authorities when he got the photos."

"Dwayne, could we please stop flogging that dead horse please?" Mick sighed. "You know speaking of Matt," he looked at me. "You never did tell us where he was. Got him sequestered at the brownstone?"

I sighed, knowing there was no easy way to tell them this. "He didn’t come back with me."

"What do you mean he didn’t come back with you?" Dwayne demanded. "Where the hell is he?"

"Probably in Chicago for a house show."

"Christ Shane," Mick said. "I thought you were going to get him and bring him home."

"Well it’s kinda hard to do that when you walk into his dressing room and find him fucking some other guy." I snap before I had a chance to censure myself.

Dwayne’s eyes widened as he tried to keep them on the road. Mick for his part turned in his seat and looked at me. "He what?"

"I went to his dressing room and he was in the showers fucking Mike Sanders."

"Oh damn," Dwayne breathed.

"What the hell is going on in that boy’s head?" Mick said before he began rubbing his left arm.

"You okay Mick?" Dwayne asked as we pulled up to a red light.

"Yeah. Just an old injury acting up." He told Dwayne before looking back at me. "You didn’t even stay to find out what was going on?"

"What could I have said?"

"Well you could’ve waited for him outside and demanded to know what the hell he was doing. Dammit Shane you told us you were going to go get him and then you leave him there to be caught by that sociopath and…" It was now I noticed he was getting pale and was having trouble breathing.

"Mick?" I shout. "Damnit Dwayne get to the hospital now!"

Dwayne exited off the ramp and with as much speed as the limit will allow, tore down the highway toward the nearest hospital all the while hoping we wouldn’t be too late.

(Adam)

Having showered and changed into a sweatshirt and jeans, I’m being led by the same idiot who brought me to my room earlier to where the kids are. He unlocks my handcuffs before unlocking the door then looks at me. "Don’t be long."

Suppressing the urge to spear this punk, I open the door and step in.

And find myself steeping back in time.

"My God," I say under my breath as I look around. Everything was the same…the beds were in the same spots as were the dresser and the table. I remember Matt telling me how overwhelmed he was when he came up to the attic the day of the picnic and standing here now I knew what he meant. I’m finding it a little hard to breathe as I remember things we did here and what had been done to us.

Oh you’re good Hunter, I thought. You’re real good.

"Adam!"

A little voice distracted me and I see Christina jump off the bed and into my arms. I had to laugh when I caught her. "Hey little girl. How are you?"

She pulled back and looks at me with the same intense blue eyes as her father. "I miss mommy and daddy."

"I know."

"Have you come to take us home?"

"I wish I could say yes princess. Where’re the other kids?"

"Up there." She points to the door.

"Come on," I set her down and take her hand. "Let’s go surprise them."

Giggling, she led me through the door to the attic. I held my breath as we walked up the four little steps. As though through reflex I step over the third one, which always seemed like it would break under our weight.

"Guys! Guys! Look who’s here!" Christina squealed as she ran to the other end of the attic. I thought for a moment that the boxes and everything would be the same as when we left but this attic was obviously meant to be different. A place for new nightmares to begin. I was going to walk over to the windows and maybe see if I could think of where we were but the windows were so heavily frosted over that I doubt I could see anything.

"Adam!"

So distracted by my thoughts, I almost was plowed down by CJ, Noelle and Dewey.

"Hey guys." I crouched down and hugged all three of them at once.

"You come to take us home?" Christ CJ looked so hopeful.

"Sorry guy but no. Looks like I’m stuck here too."

"Are you okay?"

I look at Dewey. "Yeah I’m fine."

"That man said if we weren’t good then he’d hurt you."

Now where have I heard that threat before?

"So you guys okay?" I ask.

Four little heads nodded.

"Has he got Logan too?" Noelle asked.

I sigh, trying to control myself. I didn’t want to lie to them, but knowing how they felt about Logan I didn’t want to scare them. "No honey, he didn’t get Logan."

"Good, because he’s just a baby. He didn’t hurt anyone."

"I know and neither did any of you. Okay? What’s going on here is not your guys’s fault okay? Remember that."

"We will." Dewey said.

"Adam?"

"What CJ?"

"Why are we here? Why did he take us?"

Shifting from a crouch to Indian style sitting, as they did, I sighed, not knowing how to explain this without giving them the nightmares Matt and I had suffered. "See, before you guys were born, we – your uncle Matt and I – we got back at this man because of the things he’d done to us when we were little and he’s decided to get us back for doing that to him."

"What did he do?" Noelle asked.

What didn’t he do? I thought. "It’s a real long story honey and it’s real complicated. Let’s just say he was very mean to me and Matt. "

"But why did he take us?" Dewey asked.

"Because your Mom and Dad helped Matt and I get back at him and he figures that he was going to get back at them by getting you."

"But what about Tina?" CJ asked. "She didn’t do anything."

Oh God, this is so fucking difficult. "See CJ, your mommy was married to this man at one time and he thought she was in on it as well."

"Has he got uncle Matt?"

God I hope not. "No honey I don’t think so."

"Can’t you tell him to let us go?"

"I tried but he won’t."

"Why not?"

"Because he’s sick and he’s angry and he’s not going to be happy until he makes everyone suffer."

"That’s not good." Noelle said.

You’re not kidding kid. "Listen girls, I need to talk to CJ and Dewey okay? Just for a minute and then I’ll talk to you two."

"Okay." Noelle shrugged before taking Christina’s hand and leading her to the play corner.

"What is it Adam?" CJ asked.

"Now I don’t want to scare you guys, but I think it’s best if you didn’t leave the girls alone downstairs when you come up here."

"Why?"

"Who brings you your meals? A man or a woman?"

"It’s kinda split." CJ says. "One day it’s a woman and the next it’s a man."

"And have you noticed anything funny about them? Like the way they look at you or anything like that?"

"We’re not supposed to look at them when they come in." Dewey says. "It’s part of the rules."

"Yeah but-"

"But what CJ?"

He doesn’t look at me.

"CJ…what is it?"

"He’s not supposed to say anything."

Stay calm, I tell myself. Stay calm. "You know you don’t have to hide anything from me CJ."

"Yeah but then he’ll know I told and then you’ll get into trouble."

"Whisper it to me. You don’t have to say it out loud."

He looked at Dewey who shrugged and then bent to whisper in my ear. "He’s been looking at Tina."

"Who?"

"That dark haired man." He kept his voice whisper soft.

The same bastard who led me here.

"How has he been looking at her?"

"Like daddy does mommy when she wears something pretty."

"Has he done anything?"

CJ shrugs. "But I saw him look at her and when I told him to stop, he told me if I mentioned it to anyone, you’ll get punished."

My blood was starting to boil big time. I know Christina wasn’t my blood but damn if it didn’t bring back memories of when Matt tried to warn me about Gerald looking at Jeff. Warnings I stupidly ignored, but this time I’ll be damned if I was going to ignore it this time.

"Don’t worry about me. Okay? You did good by telling me." I gave him a hug.

"Aren’t you scared Adam?" Dewey asked.

"A little, but not of him. So no matter how much of a fit the girls throw, don’t leave them downstairs alone okay?"

"Okay." Both the boys said at once.

After talking to the girls, I told them I had to go, which caused a small scene, mostly with Christina not wanting me to go. Assuring her that I’d be back as soon as I could, I left them and walked out to the hallway where the bastard CJ told me about was waiting for me.

"Took too long." He grumbled, putting the handcuffs on me.

I walked ahead of him and waited until we get to my ‘room’ and when he undid the cuffs I pounced on him, grabbing him into a chokehold. "Now you listen to me and you listen good," I hiss. "You even think of touching those kids, and I’ll rip your fucking dick off you hear me?"

Somehow he managed to twist and shove me off him, throwing me into the armoire face first, hitting me in the cheek.

"Think you’re a big man huh punk? Maybe I might not wait until your old man gives me the okay."

I turned and with a roar, speared him in the stomach sending him flying across the room before I began pummeling him, the feel of my hand smashing against his face feeling so goddamned good.

"So he was really that good?" Hunter asked on his end. "Oh really, he wanted to ‘forget’ huh?" Hunter paused. "Oh I know you’re shitting me. Shane saw the two of you?" Hunter laughed. "Oh I wish I could’ve been there to see the look on little prick’s face. Yeah. Tonight. Okay man. No, you’ll be rewarded handsomely. Talk to you later."

Hunter sighed. Oh this is going over so easily, he thought and by the end of the night everything I’ve ever wanted will be mine.

He looked over on the desk where one of the toys he planned on using on his little brother lay. He picked up the riding crop and shook it, unable to wait and hear this smack against Matt’s skin. He’d wanted to use this that night in Chicago when he won the last man standing match he’d had with Matt, but no thanks to Shane, he never had the chance.

But I will have plenty of chances when Mike makes sure to have Matt snagged when they left for the airport. It’s a shame I can’t be in Chicago, but having him here will be more than enough. For now.

He then looked up at the monitor and was surprised to see Adam attacking his associate. Grabbing a small object off the desk, he ran to the room in time to see Adam spear the guy and begin pummeling him. He cautiously approached from behind and jammed the stun gun right into Adam’s neck, causing to scream.

Once his associate was out of harm’s way, Hunter let go of Adam and flung him on the floor, before bending down next to him. "Now see Adam. I let you visit your little brother and then you have to get all nasty on me. Well then, I’ll let you sleep this off, but when you wake up, you are in for one nasty little surprise."

Hunter stood and looked at the guy. "Clean yourself up and get him back on the bed. Naked."

"My pleasure."

"No," Hunter shook his head before looking at Adam’s unconscious form. "It’ll be mine."

(Matt)

I don’t know what time it was when the phone was blasting away in my ear.

Looking at the time I saw it was around twelve thirty and I groaned, knowing I only had a couple hours to get showered, dressed and get to the airport for the flight to Chicago.

Tiring of the ringing, I picked it up on the fourth ring. "Hello?"

"Matt? Oh thank God we got a hold of you."

"Steph?"

"Matt it’s Mick. He’s had a heart attack."

I sat up fully, wide-awake. "What? When?"

"An hour or so ago. They were coming back from Oswald Correctional Facility and-"

"What were they doing there?"

"Turns out they found photos of Adam and the kids in Hunter’s cell and they’re checking his guest logs."

"Damnit," I called and told them to check his cell.

"Matt, please, I know you don’t think we want to be around you right now, but Mick needs you. He’s terrified that Hunter’ll get you and…"

"Okay, let me tell Kevin what’s going on and then I’ll be on the first flight out there."

"Thank you," she gasps.

I hung up and began throwing clothes on and in my bag. Christ, I can’t believe this is happening. This was the last thing I wanted to happen. Christ, Mick means the world to me and the way I spoke to him on the phone…if he dies, I’ll never forgive myself.

"What’s going on?"

I turn and see Mike in the doorway looking at me. "Stephanie called."

"They find the kids?"

"No, Mick’s had a heart attack and…" God I was forgetting something, I know I was. "I have to tell Kevin and then get to the airport…"

"I’ll tell Kevin. You just try to stay calm and get ready and then I’ll take you to the airport. Okay?"

"Okay." God why now?

"Don’t worry about a thing. I’ve got it covered." Mike said before leaving the room.

I look through my bag to make sure I have everything I need as well as check my wallet to make sure I had enough to pay for a ticket. I’d just pulled my jacket on when Mike came back after what I thought was a short amount of time, but I paid no attention to that.

"It’s all taken care of. Kevin’s reworking the card and he’s going to pay for the room."

"Okay let’s go," say a little breathlessly as we walk out of the hotel and head for the hotel parking garage. Mike takes my bags and stashes them in the trunk and fiddles with them too long for my liking. "Mike, come on. I have to get going."

He straightens up and looks at me. "Sorry Matt. I don’t think you’ll be going anywhere."

I gape at him and by the time I hear the footsteps from behind, it’s too late. I turn to face my attacker to be when I feel something sharp jab me in the back of the neck. I turn to see Mike with a syringe in his hand.

"Don’t fight it Matt." He says. "Just let the drug do its thing."

I find myself unable to speak and to even stand or see as my vision fades.

"I’m sorry Matt," I hear Mike say as I collapse to my knees. "But Hunter made me an offer I couldn’t refuse."

I glare at him, or at least try to before I slump to the ground and drift into blackness.

(Shane)

I’m pacing around the waiting room waiting for word on Mick’s condition while Dwayne tries to distract himself by flipping through old magazines. I’d called Stephanie and asked her to call Matt, knowing I wouldn’t be able to say anything if I’d gotten a hold of him.

"Shane?"

I turn and see Collette walking toward me, one of the security guys from the house behind her. We embrace quickly before she looks at Dwayne and me. "What happened? How is he?"

"We were coming back from the Correctional facility when Mick started having pains. He first told us they were just an old injury acting up but then he began to get pale and short of breath."

"Mrs. Foley?" the doctor said as he came out where we were.

"Yes?" she said and I can tell by the look on her face she was just expecting more bad news.

"Your husband’s going to be fine. He’s had a mild heart attack, but we’re going to keep him here and run some tests on him to make sure there’s nothing more going on."

"Oh thank God," she breathed, swooning a little. "Can I see him?"

"Of course, he’s been asking for you." The doctor then looked at Dwayne and me. "Are either of you Matt?"

"No." I say. "We’re not."

"Well he’s been asking for him."

"He’s on his way here from a trip."

"We’ll let him know."

I give Collette a reassuring hug before the doctor led her to where Mick was.

"I know one thing," Dwayne says. "If Matt doesn’t show up in the next day or so, I’ll never forgive him. Ever."

I look at Dwayne before excusing myself to find a phone. Finding an isolated one not far from the waiting room, I use my calling card to call Matt’s hotel room. Getting no answer there, I ask the desk to patch me through to Kevin’s room.

"Nash here." he says.

"Kev, it’s Shane."

"Hey Shane-o what’s going on?"

"Mick’s had a heart attack."

"Oh shit. This on top of everything else."

"Listen, did Matt stop by to tell you he’s checking out?"

"I haven’t seen Matt since he left the arena with Sanders last night."

I felt like making a comment about rubbing it in, but instead a sick feeling creeps over me. "Kevin, could you check and see if he did check out then page me? I’m at the hospital and they won’t let me give a return number."

"Sure."

"Just leave a one for yes and a two for no okay?"

"Sure will do."

I hang up and remained in the booth taking my pager out.

"What’s going on?" Dwayne asks me as he walks to where I am.

"Kevin’s checking to see of Matt’s checked out yet." I can’t explain it but I have this feeling something’s happened to Matt. Waiting for Kevin to call back, I think about the way Matt’s been behaving lately pushing everyone away, taking off the way he did. There was something going on, I just didn’t know what the hell it was, until I remember when we went after Hunter, how he tried to keep Adam out of the plan…

A minute of nerve wracking waiting ends as the pager goes off. Afraid of what I might find, I look at the crystal display and start to feel sick when I see the number and the message on the face.

2. And his room looks like it’s in shambles.

"Oh God," I gasp as I realize what’s happened. "No."

"What?" Dwayne asks.

I look at him. "Hunter’s got him."

9

(Adam)

My head feels like it’s been poured with concrete and the side of my neck burns like it was on fire. I try and lift my head up, but I’m so damned weak that I can’t move. When I open my eyes though, I see I’m restrained to the bed again, my arms hanging down in the position they were in when I first woke up.

"That was really stupid of you Adam. Really fucking stupid."

I manage to turn my head to look at the door and see Hunter standing there with something in his hand.

"I let you go visit your little brother and how do thank me? By attacking my associate."

I didn’t know what he meant for a second until I remember the talk I’d had with CJ. "He’s going after Christina. The same way Gerald went after Jeff."

He shrugs. "What do I care about Jericho’s brat? She’s going to be a slut just like her mother."

"And if I told you he was going after CJ would you say the same thing?"

There was something in the look he gave me. If I didn’t know better then I’d say I’d hit his Achilles heel. I sighed. "But then again why should you care?" I turn my head. "You’ll just do to him what you did to me right?"

I thought I’d heard footsteps before I felt the sting of something hitting my back, which made me cry out.

"What did he tell you?"

I swallowed hard, whatever he’d hit me with burned like a son of a bitch.

He grabbed my hair again this time lifting me high enough where it felt like he was trying to rip my hair from my scalp. "What did CJ tell you?"

"That your associate threatened him if he said anything about his looking at Christina."

He threw me back down. "Robert!" he shouted. "Robert get your ass in here!"

Robert…

I turned my head and saw my grandfather’s former butler walk in. "Yes sir?"

"Where’s Douglas?"

"Getting the vitamins ready for the children’s lunch."

"Tell him to get his ass in here. Now!"

"Vitamins Hunter? Haven’t you already tried that trick before?" And for my momentary lapse into sarcasm, I got about ten near skin breaking lashes from the studded strap Hunter had in his hand. I buried my head in the pillow and tried to collect myself, fighting back the tears that have slid out of my eyes as the pain was too damn much.

"Yeah boss." The guy who CJ talked about, now known as Douglas, stood in the door.

"Have you been threatening CJ? And you better think your answer over very carefully."

"Come on man, why would I threaten your kid?"

"You tell me."

"No man I haven’t. I don’t know what that piece of trash on the bed told you but I ain’t said shit one way or another to any of those kids."

"Robert?"

"Yes sir," his voice came from behind Douglas.

"Get CJ and bring him to the office. One of you is lying and I’m going to find out who it is and when I do…it ain’t going to be pretty."

Through the curtain of my hair I watch Douglas swallow hard before leaving.

Hunter then looked at me. "And if I find out it’s you. You’re going to know what real pain is. Understood?"

"Yes," I say before he yanks my head back again.

"Yes what?"

"Yes father."

He lets my hair go before leaving.

Please CJ, I pray. Please tell him the truth.

Hunter stalked down the hallway to the office.

"Something wrong?" his female associate asked as she came out of the room he had planned for Matt.

He looked at her. "Not yet. Just let me know when they get Matt here."

"Yes sir."

He continued on to his office where he saw CJ looking at the monitor.

"What do you watch on this?" CJ asked when he saw Hunter.

"Never mind that and sit down."

It took a couple of seconds but eventually Hunter and CJ were sitting across from each other. "I need to ask you a question and I need a yes or no answer."

"What?"

"Now I’ve gotten two different versions of something you said and I need you to confirm one of those versions to me. Okay?"

CJ nodded.

"Has Douglas threatened you?"

Hunter watched the little boy’s face go from confusion to worry. "Will Adam get hurt if I tell you?"

"Only if I find out he lied to me."

"Why do you hate Adam?"

"Answer the question. Has Douglas threatened you?"

"I saw him looking at Tina and when I told him to leave her alone, he told me if I said anything about it he’d hurt me."

Hunter tapped his fingers on the desk. "All right. You can go back to the attic now."

"Does this mean you’ll let Adam go?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Robert!" Hunter shouted.

"Look, mister." CJ leaned closer. "I talked to the other kids and they agree that if you let Adam go, you can keep us for as long as you want."

Before Hunter could say a word, Robert arrived into the room. "Take him back and get Douglas."

"Will you at least think about it?" CJ asked before leaving the room with Robert.

"Fine whatever." Hunter dismissed. "And Robert?"

"Yes sir?"

"You’ll be serving the meals from now on."

Alone in the office, Hunter thought about what CJ was offering and wished someone had done that for him when he was little, but seeing how he was an only child, no thanks to his frigid mother who wasn’t so frigid when it came to seducing him when he was ten. He shook his head. Don’t start weakening now Helmsley. He told himself. Just think of all the things you’re going to do to Matt when he gets here.

Smiling evilly, he picked up the flat studded strap he’d used on Adam and decided that this would only be the introduction to the hell he was going to put his younger brother through.

(Shane)

It makes sense to me now as I sit in the living room at Chris and Steph’s.

Everyone except Steph and I were at the hospital to be with Collette while Mick was having minor heart surgery to relive a blockage in his artery.

"No, Jenny," I could hear Stephanie say as she was on the phone to the Laurers. "We don’t know any more now than we did when he got out. I know I’m scared too."

Matt’s pushing everyone away, the way he went on the road when he should’ve been here, breaking my heart the way he did. He wanted Hunter to get him and to not come after us.

I think back on the way he acted at the hotel room when I went to get him. I knew he was up to something then and when I asked if he was setting himself up for Hunter to get him, there’d been something in his eyes. Something I should’ve picked up on but didn’t.

"Well the Laurers are holding up well," Steph said as she walked into the living room. "Though I think James is ready to come up here and hunt Hunter down himself." A pause. "How are you doing?"

"No better than anyone else."

"I’m sorry."

"It’s not your fault."

"I know but if I hadn’t met Hunter and married him…"

"You didn’t know what he was like Steph. Nobody did." Except Adam and Matt.

"You don’t think he’d hurt CJ and Christina do you?"

"I don’t know sis." I know he wouldn’t stop at hurting his other kids.

"You know, sometimes I wonder if we had ignored Pat’s orders to stay out of the attic and had gone and found them if life would be different for them. For us."

I thought about that too at times. Especially after the plane ride here when Matt told me how he was feeling.

"Shane?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you still love Matt? After everything?"

"What brought this up?"

"Just wondering. Especially after what you told me about what happened in Pittsburgh."

I look at my left hand where Matt’s ring has now joined mine on the ring finger. Even though I couldn’t get the image of him and Sanders out of my head, there was a large part of me, in fact my whole being, which still loved him and wanted him. "Yeah," I say softly. "I still love him."

"I’m glad. We were a little worried about you for a while. Mom, Dad and me."

"You and Mom I believe. Dad…" I shook my head.

"Shane, I know he can be an insensitive prick at times but he does love you."

"And he loved me so much he was going to cut me out of the family and the business?"

"He only did that to give you a wake up call. Christ Shane, before Matt decided to put up with you, you were going after anything with a pulse. Dad wanted to shock you into realizing how easy it could be to lose everything if you weren’t careful."

"No Steph. He wanted to punish me because I wasn’t the big macho he man he was."

"Shane…"

"I’m sorry Steph. I know you’re ‘daddy’s little girl’ but I really don’t feel like talking about the great Vincent K. McMahon right now. Not while my husband and your kids are still in Hunter’s clutches."

The front door opens and we see Chris removing his coat.

"Hi honey." Stephanie says as he walks into the room and sits on the sofa next to her.

"How’s Mick?"

"He’s doing real good. Dwayne and Collette are going to stay there with him tonight." He kissed Steph on the top of her head. "How’re you doing?" he looks at me.

"I’m in the same boat you guys are in now."

"I can’t believe he’d let himself be wide open like that."

"His penance." I think aloud.

"What?"

"This is his way of making things up to us. He thinks if he let Hunter get him he’d let everyone else go."

"Somehow I don’t think he’ll do anything of the sort." Chris says.

"I know that and you know that, but Matt doesn’t." I sigh. "Christ, if only I hung around another day or so…"

"Hunter would’ve found another way to get to him. We know what he’s capable of when he wants something bad enough."

I knew all too well. He wanted me when I was twelve and he got me by force while I slept one night and many nights after that. The reason I’d been so promiscuous was I wanted to forget what he’d done to me and I thought if I’d have different partners then I could forget the words he’d whisper in my ear, forget his smell on me and forget the leering and the smirks. It wasn’t until after Matt and I nailed him that I could sleep without needing sleeping pills. He wanted Matt and got him too in a shower stall, after I told Matt I’d protect him and now, still wanting Matt, he got him again and took him God knows where.

When it first got out about Hunter getting loose and having grabbed the kids, everyone from the local police and the FBI went through the Helmsley house in Greenwich, thinking Hunter might’ve taken them there but according to them, there was no sign of them.

"Anyone hungry?" Steph asked.

I shook my head.

Chris said he was and followed her to the kitchen, leaving me alone. I though about when Matt told me that he was the one Hunter wanted dead and I swore if Hunter laid as much as one finger on Matt, Hunter would be the one dead, not Matt.

(Matt)

You know the old saying, ‘be careful what you wish for, you might just get it’?

Looks like I’ll be getting it in spades.

I woke in a dark room with no windows, my body still numb from the drug Mike had injected into my neck, the mark still stinging.

Mike…

Motherfucking, son of a bitch, how long was he collusion with Hunter? How long had he been trying to set me up for this and what the hell did Hunter offer him that he couldn’t refuse?

I try to gather my wits around me but the residual effects of the drug make it difficult. I know I’m on the floor and that I still have my clothes on and I’m not restrained.

Or at least I thought I wasn’t.

I try to sit up only to feel myself jerk back down after I feel something around my neck. Reaching up I find a dog collar attached to only four links of chain.

Oh great.

"How apropos," I hear a voice. "I always thought a bitch like you would look good in a dog collar."

I look to the door and see a silhouetted figure, but I didn’t need any lighting to know who I was looking at.

"Cute Hunter."

"Aww, did we wake up on the wrong side of the car trunk this morning?"

"Fuck you."

"It’s still a little early yet."

"Where’s Adam?"

"In his room. Sleeping off a whipping I gave him earlier."

"Okay fine. You got what you wanted. Now let them go."

"Excuse me."

"I know you pulled all this shit to get me here and now I’m here."

"And your point?" he asks in this ‘I’m bored’ tone.

"I’m the one you’re really after."

He laughs. "Good lord Matt, get a few hundred million dollars around you and you think the whole world revolves around you."

"Why not? You did."

He shrugs. "Oh well that was then, this is now and what I have in mind for you and Adam…"

"Listen I don’t care what you do to me, but for Christ’s sake let Adam go. Haven’t you made him suffer enough?"

"He doesn’t know the meaning of the word and apparently neither do you."

"What about the kids?"

"What about them?"

"Jesus Hunter. What the hell did they do to you?"

"They were born. Just like you and your brothers were. Sorry, your nephews."

"They were more brothers to me than you’ll ever be."

Again he shrugged.

I felt around to find the buckle to this collar hoping to unfasten it, but those hopes were dashed when I felt the tiny padlock.

"And to think, I’m the only one with the key."

"Just let the kids and Adam go Hunter."

"What would you do for me if I were to do what you ask?"

I knew what he wanted me to say, but I had trouble saying the word.

"Well Matthew? If I decide to let them go, then what would you do?"

Again I kept silent.

"I haven’t got all night Matthew. What will you do?"

I lick my dry lips before I said, "Anything."

"Anything?" His voice was a mix of surprise and delight.

I sighed. "Anything."

"Anything I want. No questions, no attitude, no funny bullshit like cutting your hand like you did in Chicago."

"Anything you want. No questions."

"I wonder what Shane would think."

"It doesn’t matter. It’s over between us."

"Oh yeah that. Damn, Mike told me you were a real slut in bed and now I’m finally going to find out for myself."

I tried to keep from rolling my eyes. "What did you promise him for getting me here? He said you made him an offer he couldn’t resist."

"I did. He wanted to fuck you and I offered it to him, though who knew you’d be so damned willing."

I closed my eyes. The son of a bitch knew I was hurting and he took advantage of it though I was as much to blame as well.

"I’ll be back later to see just how willing you are. Until then, rest up. You’re going to need it."

The door closed and I was in the dark again.

Now I knew how a sacrificial lamb felt.

"CJ?"

CJ looked at his baby sister as she climbed on the bed next to him as he sat.

"What Tina?"

"What’re you thinking about?"

"I’m trying to remember what Adam said about how he got out of the attic his Dad put him in. I know we’ll need a key."

"But how do we get the key?"

"Don’t know Tina." CJ stared ahead of him.

"I wonder what happened to the other man who brought us our breakfasts."

CJ shrugged though he was certain the man he had spoken to about him had something to do with it. He looked at his watch and saw it was getting near four in the afternoon. Another hour before dinner. "I don’t know Tina, but maybe when dinner gets here we can ask."

And maybe ask to see the man again.

(Adam)

It was just Matt and me alone in bed.

It started out the same way, just kissing.

And then removing clothes until we were both naked.

More kisses, more touches…God I missed him holding me.

Then came the voice in my head, telling me to make him hurt… make him bleed…

I try to shake it off but it gets louder and begins to control me.

I hold his hands over his head. He has no clue as to what I’m about to do. He thinks it’s all part of the routine, even when I handcuff him to the headboard which looks to similar to the one I’d been hooked to before.

Make him suffer…make him bleed…

I try to shake my head, try to force the voices to go away but they won’t…

Hurt him…make him scream…

I get off him to make myself harder for him. I watch his face and he looks so calm. He has no idea…

I slide into him though I use no lube, which make him whimper a little, asking me to stop for a second, to get some lube…

But I don’t hear him. All I hear are the voices.

I look down and I don’t even see Matt anymore but Hunter and this fury just washes over me as I begin thrusting deeper and faster than I know I should, taking my anger and fury out on him, thinking it’s his voice screaming at me to stop, his voice begging me to quit.

It’s not until I come with such a howl, that I thought the earth was spinning faster than I thought possible, that I look down in triumph but this time I don’t see Hunter’s face.

I see Matt’s

"No!" I shout before waking with a start. Looking around I see I’m still restrained to the bed and that I’m still in the room.

And that I’m alone in the bed.

I sigh, but I don’t know if it’s from relief or anger. Relief that what I had done was just a dream or anger that the images were in my head to begin with.

Damn you Hunter.

I lay there for a while willing the erection that had been a result of the dream to go away. I don’t care what Hunter thought. I have never ever wanted to inflict the pain he did to me on Matt or anyone else.

He says I’m his father’s son. I am nothing like him. And God willing, I never will be. But the concerns I’ve always had about being like him with Logan tickle the back of my mind. God if there’s even a slight chance I could be anything like Hunter, I’d divorce Dwayne and give him custody of Logan just to keep myself away from him and protect the both of them.

I’ve calmed a bit before the door opened again. I look and wouldn’t you know it, there he is walking into the room with a videotape in his hand.

"Got something here that might interest you." He says before coming over and undoing my wrists and my ankles though once I’m in a sitting position, he restrains my ankles again. I watch as he opens the armoire and instead of being empty as I remember, I see he has a television and a VCR tucked inside.

"What’s that?" I ask.

"Thought you might like to see how Logan’s coping with his new family."

"His new what?" He could’ve beaten the hell out of me and he still couldn’t have shocked me more than he did then.

"His new family. You know what a family is don’t you Adam?" He turns the television on. "A mom and a dad and a kid? You know I had my doubts about doing this, seeing how he’s supposed to be my grandson, but I thought what the hell, he’s not blood."

"You fucking bastard."

"Now is that any way to talk to someone who’s given your son a whole new life with opportunities you and Dwayne could never give him? Besides, how can you two provide what he needs while you’re on the road? I mean think of how hard it must be for the little tyke to go from town to town, seeing different doctors, seeing strange people. At least this way he has one family and one city to live in."

"Where is he?"

He looks over his shoulder at me. "Think I’m going to tell you?"

He turns on the VCR and after a burst of static, the camera adjusts and focuses on Logan who seems to be playing contently on the floor with some woman, who looks vaguely familiar.

"Wave hi to the camera Logan."

"I told her to keep his first name." Hunter remarks. "No sense in confusing the kid though I told her she could change it at anytime after she made the tape."

But I barely heard him, my emotions mixing from relived that he was okay to angry that some other person was with him to sadness that he was somewhere too far for even Dwayne to find him.

The video didn’t run long. It just showed him being happy and well taken care of. Under any other circumstances I’d be happy as hell but now… "Turn it off." My eyes burned with tears.

"Oh come on. You’re going to miss him saying his first word-"

"I said shut the fucking thing off!"

He does.

"You sick piece of shit."

"Now you know what it was like when I lost CJ."

"Like you would’ve loved him?"

"I’ll never know now thanks to you and Matt. Who knows, things might’ve been different with him."

"Bullshit. He would’ve wound up as fucked up as the rest of us."

Hunter turned slowly to look at me. "You know why I was poisoning Pat?"

"Do I look like I care?"

"Because he was the last remnant – at least I thought he was the last until you and Matt showed back up – of my past. I thought I’d get rid of the bastard and that would give me a clean slate."

"What about Stephanie? Why were you poisoning her?"

"He forced me to."

"No fucking way."

"There’s a lot you don’t know about your grandfather. Oh in the end he may have ‘redeemed’ himself to you and Matthew, and I’m sure he told you some doozies about me, but if the truth be known he was a jealous asshole who couldn’t stand me."

"He’s not the only the one."

He snorted, walking to the side of the bed and before I had a chance to prepare he lashed out and punched me across the face, sending me sprawling on my right side. I touched my face and drew back blood.

"You know what I could do to you right now if I wanted to? Luckily for you I have another distraction to take things out on."

"Who? CJ?"

Another punch, this time to the kidney. "Ah shit!" I gasped.

"You know it’s a shame your sarcasm is going to make someone very hurt."

"You lay one hand on CJ or those kids-"

"What makes you think it’s going to be one of them?"

I swallowed hard, bracing myself for whatever he would do to me.

"Man, am I going to feel sorry for Matt when I get done with him."

"Matt…?"

"You know the distraction I told you about? Well it’s none other than baby brother himself."

I stared at him wide eyed. "Matt’s here?"

He nods. "Thanks to good old Mike Sanders, he arrived here this morning. I knew one of Nash’s ex-rats might come in handy one of these days. Promised him a piece of Matt’s ass and he promised me he’d get him here." He chuckles. "I never knew little brother was such a slut. Did you know Shane caught him with Sanders in, of all places, the shower room? Guess he got over his little phobia of shower stalls.

Matt cheating on Shane? What the fuck?

"And the beauty of this is," he switched the television channel over to a room which resembled an S&M dungeon room. "You get to watch the whole thing live."

My heart began hammering. "No…"

"Oh yes," he said. "He thinks what Pat did to you guys was hell. He ain’t seen hell yet, but it’s coming, and so will he. If I let him."

"Damnit Hunter leave him alone!"

He moved toward me and bent down enough to get in my face. "You think I’m going to let you two, especially him, get away with what you did to me, you’re nuts. That little whore is going to get everything he deserves and then some." He then grabs my wrists and binds them to the restraints on the headboard. "And while punishing you will be just as much fun, I figure the worst thing for you to go through is watching him suffer and not be able to do a damn thing about it."

We just glared at each other for a few seconds before he grabbed the back of my head and jammed our lips together. "Who knows? Maybe I might let you join us."

He walked out of the room and shut and locked the door behind him.

Damn, first there was the video of Logan and now this…

I don’t think I can take much more.

Hunter walked to his office when his female associate stepped out of the attic. "Mr. Helmsley?"

"What?" he turned to face her.

"CJ wants to see you."

"Not now."

"He’s very insistent."

"Yeah well he’s a little pain in the ass. Fucking Stephanie, she’s spoiled that damn kid."

"Want me to tell him no?"

"No I want you to tell him we’ll take tea in the office." Hunter said his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Of course I want you to tell him no. I’m not his fucking mother. I don’t jump when he hollers and that’s going to be the first thing I’m teaching him when I get done with Matt and Adam."

"But Mr. Helmsley…"

"But nothing. Tell Robert to sedate Matt and get him into the dungeon." He stalked on to his office. He’d been tempted to bring CJ in here and show him what he was going to do to Matt and Adam, but decided not to.

In his office he sat at his desk and recalled what he’d told Adam about Pat having him poison Stephanie. It had been the old man’s idea all right but the reason behind it was simple; Pat wanted to make sure he never had a semblance of a normal life.

"It’s bad enough you had those four running around?" he could hear Pat say after Stephanie announced her pregnancy. "Now you’re gonna have another one? You gonna do to this one what you did to Adam?"

Adam…

Once again it was Pat’s idea to ‘teach the boy a lesson’. "You know we can’t have that sort of thing happening in this house." He heard Pat whisper to him after showing him the video of Matt and Adam together.

Why not? Hunter thought. It’d been going on for years. Only thing was, you were too much of a pussy to do anything about it huh old man? Weren’t man enough to satisfy your wife so you let your son take over and then you turn around and get my wife pregnant?

Thinking of everything, he dug his fingernails deep enough into the palm of his hand that he felt the blood trickle down his wrist. He unclenched his fist and looked at the blood, but he wasn’t seeing his wrist but Matt’s back after he got done with him.

Damn you Matthew, he thought. Damn you for dragging this all up. And now…now you’re going to pay.

Big fucking time.

"Well?" Dewey asked CJ as he came up to the attic.

CJ shook his head. "He won’t come."

"What are we going to do?"

CJ bit his bottom lip. "I’ll think of something."

"Hope it’s soon," Dewey said. "I miss Mom and Dad."

"So do I Dew."

"What if you asked to see Adam again? Maybe he might help."

"I don’t want to get him into any trouble."

"I don’t either, but he might be the only one who can help."

CJ sighed. "Well we can’t ask anything till morning, but it might be worth a shot."

"Yeah. Maybe we can ask how he and uncle Matt and Jeff got out of the attic their Dad put them in."

"Maybe." CJ looked over at the play corner where Noelle and Christina were playing. "But we got to do something soon. Tina’s not looking so well."

(Shane)

I can’t eat. I can’t sleep.

The last time I felt like this was when I first met Matt.

Unable to sleep, I sit in the front room, which seems to be the nerve center of the house these days. Collette and Dwayne came back this afternoon at the doctor’s and Mick’s insistence. He had a slight blockage of the artery and a clot in his leg, which was taken care of well. Now everyone was upstairs either sleeping or just talking. I was the only one downstairs.

For a while anyways.

"Hey man," Dwayne says as he enters the room.

"Hey. So what’s going on upstairs?"

"Well Steph and Collette are sleeping and Chris is e-mailing his folks to let them know what’s going on."

I just nod.

"Listen Shane," he sighs. "I know I came off sounding like a real prick the other night about Matt."

"Don’t mention it."

"No, I have to say this. Just hear me out, please?"

"Okay."

He sighs again. "I think you how I feel about Adam."

"I do."

"I mean I never thought I’d fall for anyone the way I have him. I thought, hell I’ve got money, I’ve got success, and I can have any guy and/or girl I wanted, why do I need the drama of a commitment?"

I nod, having thought that way myself for a long time.

"But when Adam, Matt and Jeff came along … damn if I can explain what happened."

I could but I didn’t say anything, figuring it best if he got what he had to say off his chest and to distract me from my thoughts of Matt in Hunter’s clutches.

"You know me right Shane? You know how I am with some of the newcomers? If any of them caught my eye I’d go after them?"

I nod silently, having done the same thing myself a few times, but Dwayne knew that and was kind enough to not bring that up.

"But once I met Adam and got to know him, shit…all the shit I’d done before meant nothing to me. All that mattered was wanting to be around him all the time and if it hadn’t been for them being ‘married’ I would’ve."

Hell Matt being ‘married’ hadn’t bothered me any as you may know.

"I mean Christ, I’d be in my hotel room, or in some damn bar thinking about how good it would be if he were there with me. Not just for sex but for the other stuff as well. Just to talk, to watch movies with."

Tell me something I didn’t already want with Matt, Dwayne.

"Man Las Vegas." He shook his head. "When I told Adam how I felt I’d never been so fucking scared in my life."

So was I up in the attic the day of the picnic.

"Then we went to Reno and all the shit after… I knew man. I knew he was the one I wanted to spend my life with."

I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Matt when I first laid on him on the tape Vince had shown me of his wrestling with Jeff.

"And now to think that psycho fuck Helmsley is trying to take that from us…Christ it just pisses me off and after all he did to Adam too."

"He did shit to Matt too."

"Hell I know that." He sighed. "Then why the fuck are we sitting on our asses like this?"

Now I look over at him. "What do you propose we do?"

"Find them ourselves. You and me. Chris’ll have to stay here with Steph and Collette, but you and me… We’re gonna find that fucker and we’re going to make him pay."

"How? How the hell do you propose we get started?"

My question silenced him for a minute. I wanted to do what he was planning but damn how the hell we..?

"I know how." I blurt out before jumping out of my chair and heading for Chris’s downstairs study that we all have sort of taken over. Grabbing my carry-on bag, I grab my day planner and check the next few days to find out where WCW is going to be. I then grab the phone, thanking God Chris has a cable modem, and dialed a number.

"Nash." a voice mumbled sleepily.

"Kev, it’s Shane. Look I’m sorry I woke you but I need to know something."

"Sure."

"Has Sanders been joining you guys regularly on the tour?"

"Yeah. Well there was the day you called about Mick, when he was gone a day, but he told me that his Mom was sick and he wanted to see if she was okay, but he’s been with us steady for everything up to now. Hey did Matt make it back to Stamford okay?"

"Yeah." I cover. "What about the day Adam disappeared?"

I hear him sigh. "Well we weren’t anywhere near Detroit but if I recall, which might not be too clear, I think he was off that night too. Same sick mother."

Now I was getting a picture in my head of what was going on. "Okay, now I’m going to hook up with you guys in San Antonio, but don’t let on to Sanders that I’m going to be there and I’m bringing Dwayne with me."

"What? You get him to defect? Damn Shane, you trying to kill your old man?"

"No it’s personal. But I need your word not to mention our coming to anyone. I want to surprise him."

"Sure fine. Whatever you say boss."

"Good. See you in a day or so." I hang up before calling to arrange the flights.

"What are you thinking?" Dwayne asked me.

"Sanders was the last one to see Matt. I’m going to see if he knows anything."

"If he does?"

I look at Dwayne. "Then he better tell me if he wants to continue breathing."

"I’ll get packing." Dwayne says before leaving me alone. I stand at the desk and look at the open day planner. If Sanders had anything to do with Matt’s disappearance, then what he tells us will be the last thing he ever says to anyone, because if I don’t get him, I’ll let Dwayne have a go.

Either way, he will tell us what happened and tell us where they are.

10

(Matt)

"Matthew, Matthew, Matthew…whatever am I going to do to you?"

I stood in the middle of the room with my hands bound over my head from a chain in the ceiling as I watch Hunter stare at me from the other side of a table laden with some ugly looking toys.

"I mean, look at all this…" He gestures to the stuff that’s on the table. "You know how many times I’ve wanted to use this stuff on you over the past five years? The riding crop here," he held it up for my inspection. "I’ve wanted to use since Chicago, but you had to go and cut your hand. Everything else is just out of my sick imagination."

Well he’s being honest about the sick part.

"You know one of the great joys of prison life is the free Internet we have, courtesy of the State. Sure the access is quite limited, but if you know what you’re doing, you can knock some of those blocking software programs out and get even more access, for the right price. And for the price I paid, it looks like I got more information than I know what to do with."

I don’t say anything.

"Oh come on now. Where are the smartassed remarks? Where’s the cute little commentary? I’m sure you’ve got something on your mind."

Again, I say nothing.

"Now Matthew, what have people said about you bottling things up?" His tone was condescending. "You know what happens if you don’t let your emotions out and frankly this place is not equipped for handling another stroke."

"Fuck you."

"In good time, but the only one fucking here will be me." He walks over to me, with the crop in his hand. He stops when we are face to face. "Do you have any idea how many times I’ve fantasized about this day?" He slides an arm around my bare waist, rubbing my back and cupping and squeezing my denim-clad ass. "To have you tied up and at my mercy." He stares at me with sinister eyes. "I’ve got a confession to make. Shane wasn’t the only one who’s had the hots for you since you came here. Sure I had to play the doting husband, but every time I’ve had to fuck that spoiled little bitch sister of his, I just had this vision of a hot, sexy, black haired, brown-eyed stud underneath me, begging me to fuck him the same way Stephanie would do when I fucked her. Of course I didn’t know who you were then. But now…" he leans to whisper into my ear. "Now that I know who you are and what you are to me, that’s going to make everything I do to you so much sweeter."

"If I let you do whatever you want, will you let Adam and the kids go?"

He chuckles. "If you ‘let’ me? Little brother, in the position you’re in and the many positions you’re going to be in, you really have no choice in the matter do you. As far as letting Adam and the kids go…" He moves behind me, his hand sliding on my skin. "It depends on how loud you can scream."

Which is what I do when he lashes the crop across my bare back.

"Not bad for a start." He traces a finger over the burning welt. "Let’s see you do it again."

I brace myself but the result is still the same, the second the leather strikes my skin, I let out a cry of pain.

I feel him come up from behind and wrap his arms around me. "You really shouldn’t have done what you did Matt. You really should’ve let the past just stay there." His hands slide up my chest and begin teasing my nipples. "And you really should’ve gone along with me all those times I wanted to fuck you. I really would’ve made it worth your while." He nuzzled my neck. "Think of all you could’ve had if you’d just been my whore. Title shots, title reigns, the fame, and the fortune." He slides his hands back down my chest until his hands cup the crotch of my jeans where a bugle was beginning to start. "Hell if I ran WCW, I would’ve made you my biggest star instead of putting you on the midcard the way hubby did."

I tremble and curse myself for reacting to him.

"God you feel so good. No wonder Adam’s still in love with you."

"What?" His statement had the effect of ice water being splashed on me.

"Yeah. I asked him the other day if he ever wanted to fuck you till you bled, which I guess is something I’ll have to do and he said if I remember him saying correctly, ‘No. I love him.’ Present tense. Not past. So it seems that my eldest son still has the hots for you." He then grabbed my hair and pulled my head back. "Too bad there won’t be enough of you for him to love when I get done with you. Oh the games I have in mind for you little brother." He chuckles, undoing my jeans and pulling them down and off until I’m left hanging wearing only my boxer briefs. "You are going to enjoy yourself. If not then I will."

I watch as he leaves me and heads over to the table. "Now," he says picking up one item after another making sure I got a good look at them. "Which one of these should I use first?"

I brace myself for whatever he has to dish out, knowing whatever I had to go through to get Adam and the kids out of here would be worth the pain and the humiliation.

(Shane)

Dwayne and I made it to San Antonio as soon as we could.

We told Collette, Stephanie and Chris what we were up to and though they weren’t too keen on the concept, and Chris wanting to come with us, we made them promise to stay put and for the love of God, not mention anything to Mick about what we were doing.

In the rental Dwayne was driving to take us to the arena where the boys were having the show tonight, I thought about another time I was here in San Antonio. Matt and I had gotten a lead on a videotape which would’ve proven the Hunter had killed Matt’s mother Chyna in front of thousands of people but the problem was when we went to Shawn Michaels’s house to view the tape, his wife had taped her soap opera over the top of the match.

Now we were here to find out where Matt, Adam and the kids were.

Parking the car, we went inside and made a beeline for Mike’s dressing room, which was in with the Thrillers. Knocking on the door we waited for one of them to answer. Me, I was waiting to grab the bastard around the throat and throttle him.

The door opened and it was Mark Jindrak I saw first. "Hey Shane." He looked at Dwayne with a confused look. "What’s going on?"

"Where’s Sanders?"

"He’s down the hall cutting a promo. Hey did Matt get home all right?"

I ignore his question and head for the promo area, Dwayne close behind, waiting until Mike was done before I confront him. "Hey Shane. What’s up?" He asked a little too casually for my liking.

Despite Dwayne’s warnings to keep things calm, I charged over and, with one punch, laid him out on his ass.

"What the fuck!" he asked as he sat up.

"You motherfucker, you’re working for him aren’t you?"

"Who the hell are you talking about?"

"Helmsley, you piece of trash!" I shake myself loose from Dwayne’s grip. "You set Matt and Adam up to be taken by that sick fuck."

"I didn’t do anything of the-"

I didn’t let him finish his lie as I kicked him in the ribs this time. "Bullshit. I talked to Kevin and he told me that on the days Adam and Matt were taken you were allegedly visiting your sick mother, who must be quite ill given the fact you keep telling everyone around here that she died about five years ago."

He glared at me. "What’s wrong preppie? Can’t handle the fact your hubby got off with a real man. Christ, no wonder he couldn’t get enough when we got to the hotel. After being with a little momma’s boy like you, I guess he really wanted a real man to fuck his hot little brains out."

I try to charge him again, but was stopped by Dwayne. "Just answer the question asshole. Did you have anything to with Matt and Adam’s disappearances?"

"Fuck no. I don’t even know who the hell Helmsley is."

"You fucking liar," I snarled.

"Well at least with me Matt got a fucking. A good hot one."

I made another attempt to charge him only to be held back again by Dwayne.

"Okay man," Dwayne said. "Sorry for the trouble. C’mon Shane."

I blinked at Dwayne as he let me go.

"Listen, he said he had nothing to do with what happened and that’s that. Now let’s go."

I turned to look at Mike. "Just to let you know, your ass is fired. You finish out the week and you’re gone."

I walked with Dwayne. "What the fuck do you think you were doing?" I demanded. "We both know he had something to do with Matt and Adam disappearing."

He presses a finger to his lips and motions for me to follow him through this little hallway. I follow him only to find the hallway was a roundabout way to reach the other side of the promo area. Making sure no one was watching, we walked to the end of the hall and got an earful.

"Yeah, they were just here. What do you think they wanted? No, I don’t know how they figured it out. Dammit, Helmsley finds out I’m as dead as his brother’s going to be."

I’m itching to go over and bust him, but Dwayne motions for me to stay still.

"No I didn’t tell them anything but off. Man you should’ve seen McMahon’s face when I brought up fucking his hubby though. A busted nose and getting fired was so worth the look on his face. Yeah, listen, don’t worry, I didn’t tell them anything. I know he’d be pissed off if I did. Okay. I just thought I’d warn you so you can tell Hunter. Yeah. Bye."

We watch as he folds up his phone and he turns to walk in our direction but pauses as we make our presence known.

"Care to change your story now Sanders?" Dwayne challenges.

"Do you think it’ll work?" Dewey asked CJ as he tucked Christina into bed.

"I think so. We know where they stash the key when they bring our meals. All we have to do is get close enough to them for us to grab the key and this was the only thing I could come up with."

"CJ?"

He looked at his baby sister. "Yeah Tina?"

"How sick do I have to be?"

"Remember when we tried getting out of going to Sasha’s birthday party?"

"Uh-huh."

"That sick."

"Okay."

He checked his watch. "Okay, two minutes till-"

They were interrupted by the sound of a scream.

"What was that?" Noelle asked.

"I don’t know, but it didn’t sound good."

"I hope it’s not Adam." Dewey whispered.

CJ hoped the same thing before looking at his accomplices. "Okay guys places."

The tumblers on the lock turned as Dewey and Noelle sat on the floor and CJ sat on the edge of his bed while Christina pretended to sleep. Watching the man put the tray on the table, CJ watched where he put the key before he looked over at them. "What’s the matter with her?" The man asked.

"She’s sick."

The man walked over and stepped over Dewey and Noelle, who was now the closest to the pocket where the key was. He placed his hand on Christina’s forehead. "She feels fine to me."

"Yeah but she says her tummy aches." CJ glanced at Noelle as she inched her way over to the pocket.

"I’m sure it’s nothing. Once she has some food in her stomach she’ll feel better."

"Well she ate something earlier and it made her sick," Dewey pointed out.

"Has she taken her vitamin?"

"Yeah."

"Then there shouldn’t be a problem."

Noelle’s hand reached for the pocket.

"But she’s really sick." CJ said hoping to prolong the distraction.

"I don’t have time for this and-" the man looked at Noelle. "What do you think you’re doing?"

"A bug." She said swatting at the pocket. "I saw a bug on your shirt."

The man didn’t say anything. Instead he turned and left the room, but not before looking at the kids. "Nice try," he said. "Next time, make sure she can at least act sick."

The kids looked at each other. CJ sighed. "Well," he said softly. "Back to the drawing board."

(Adam)

Please God. Please make him stop.

I don’t know how long it’s been but for me it feels like forever since I saw Robert drag Matt into that dungeon and then having to watch Hunter do everything under the sun to Matt, from whipping him to the point of blood coming down his legs to punching him whenever Matt said anything. But what was really breaking my heart, more than watching him go through the pain and hearing the screams, amplified by Hunter turning the volume on the television as high as it would go, was seeing the defeated look on his face, like he knew he deserved this.

Dammit Matt, I know you probably feel bad about all that’s happened, but you don’t deserve this. None of this.

Not to mention the fact that all this was bringing up memories of the attic and what grandfather would do to us, though I don’t think he’d be as extreme as Hunter is being. Yet, if given the chance, I’m sure the old bastard could’ve taught Hunter a few things.

I wince hearing another scream from Matt as Hunter lashed him again with what looked like cat ‘o nine tails, though I couldn’t be too sure.

I’ve been fighting like hell to loosen these damned restraints so I can undo the ones on my ankles, but what Hunter told me the other day held true – they were welded tight, leaving me with no choice other than closing my eyes to keep from watching Hunter get back at Matt for everything, but I could never keep my eyes shut for long as after each scream I had to see if he was still alive, that the last scream Matt let out wasn’t his last.

Please God, I prayed though I doubted there was one now. Please make him stop.

(Matt)

Christ my whole goddamned fucking body hurts.

My arms and shoulders ache from being held up for so long.

My face is numb and one eye is swollen shut and I can taste my own blood.

My back, Christ don’t ask me about that. I’m lucky if there’s any skin left.

The back of my legs aren’t doing too hot either

The only thing he hasn’t done yet was fuck me, though by the way he keeps touching me, I’m sure that’s coming.

But it doesn’t matter anymore.

Hell he could kill me and it would make me the happiest person alive right now, but if he thinks he’s going to do that before letting Adam and the kids go, he has another thing coming.

"Had enough yet?" he teases, tracing a bruise on my face.

"Have you?"

And for that delightful little comment, I get backhanded for the…I don’t know how many times he’s hit me but it seems like every other second, his hand was connecting with some part of my face.

"Christ, you’re a real little masochist aren’t you Matt. Too bad I didn’t know this before. We could’ve had a lot of fun."

"I’ll bet." I wait for the inevitable slap, but instead he smirks at me before walking to me again. He presses my bloody lips to his, his kiss stinging as while he kisses me, causing the split skin to stretch and move making me whine from the pain. He leans back and I can see my blood on his lips like smudged clown paint.

He runs a tongue over them. "Mmm…you know the old saying Matt, ‘I’ve tasted blood and I want more?’ Well as much as I want more of your screams and whatnot, I figure why do it all in one day? Why not stretch it out for a while?"

I don’t know what he’s talking about until he undoes my restraint making me fall to the ground in a bloody heap. He crouches down next to me. "Tomorrow, I have something very special planned. So make sure you’re rested up. Robert!" his shout goes through my head like lightning.

I don’t hear what they say, but I see the syringe come toward me and though I try to move away from it, I feel the jab and the liquid from it float into my system causing my head to feel like lead.

"See you tomorrow bro." Hunter cracks before leaving me alone with his butler.

I make a halfhearted attempt to fight Robert off, but the drug is too strong and I just float back into unconsciousness and silently pray to at least hold out until I can convince him to let the kids and Adam go.

Hunter walked to his office to clean up a little before paying Adam a visit when his female associate walked up to him. "Sanders called," she announced.

"What did he want?"

"Turns out McMahon and Johnson’s looking for Matt and Adam."

He paused to look at her. "You’re shitting me?"

She shook her head.

"Christ."

"He didn’t say anything, though that could change."

"Well if he knows what’s good for him, he’ll keep his mouth shut."

"Then there’s CJ."

"What about him?"

She told him.

Hunter chuckled. "Damn he’s nothing if not inventive."

"Want me or Robert to do something about it?"

Hunter shook his head. "No. I wanna see what he comes up with next."

"What if he gets out?"

"They won’t get far if they do. They don’t know where we are and we’re miles away from anyone. They’ll be easy to catch. Besides, he won’t go anywhere without Adam."

"I don’t know Mr. Helmsley. You seem to be underestimating them. Especially CJ."

"I’m not underestimating anyone. I know what my son is capable of. Just be more careful where you put your key from now on and watch them like a hawk."

"Yes sir." She said before strolling off.

"Well?" Dewey asked CJ as he jiggled the coat hanger hook into the keyhole.

"Too big." He sighed before backing away from the door. On the bed he shared with Dewey, there was a pile of coat hangers he found in the attic. He remembered watching television with his dad and seeing this one program where someone picked a lock using a coat hanger but he couldn’t remember how it was done exactly.

"Sorry about earlier."

CJ looked at his baby sister. "Don’t worry about it Tina. We’ll get out of here."

The ‘how’ part though, seemed to elude him at the moment.

(Shane)

Dwayne, Kevin and I have Sanders locked in one of the empty dressing rooms.

We sit around him in a sort of interrogation room style and wait for him to crack, which he’s doing little by little. We told Kevin what had happened and after having him swear to keep things quiet for a while, he was more than happy to help us get the truth out of his ex.

"You know you three can’t do this to me." He pouts. "I could have my lawyer sue you guys."

"Can’t sue when you’re dead." Kevin said.

"How did he get you to work for him?" I asked.

He just shrugged.

"You know the great thing about this set-up is guys?" Kevin asked.

"What?" Dwayne said.

"We can pound the hell out of this snot and not get arrested for it."

"That’s what you think." Sanders shot.

"I mean come on. A wrestler gets beat up by three other wrestlers." Kevin smacks himself in the forehead. "Wow, that’s really going to bring the cops running here."

"What do you want?" Sanders whined.

"Just tell us where Hunter has Matt, Adam and the kids."

"Listen, I was just the pick up guy. I was told to go to Detroit to get Adam and the kid and then to get Matt in Chicago. Anything after that I don’t know shit about."

"Where’s my son?" Dwayne asked.

"I don’t know where he is. All I was told was when I grabbed Adam to get the kid too."

"He tell you why he wanted them?" Kevin asked.

Mike looks at me. "You of all people should know why. WrestleMania eighteen ring a bell to you?"

That’s when we exposed Hunter.

"What is he planning to do to them?"

"I told you. I was just the pick up guy."

"So why’d you do it Mike? Why you working for him?"

Again he looks at me. "He made me an offer I couldn’t refuse."

"Being?"

"Fucking Matt. He told me if I helped him out that he’d make sure Matt was so fucked up that he’d be more than willing and able to do what I want. Man you don’t know how fucking lucky you are man, a tight little thing like Matt doesn’t come al-"

He doesn’t finish his sentence because my fist has cut him off again.

"I’ll sue your ass," he tells me, holding his already broken nose, which I’m sure I’ve rebroken. "I’ll sue you and have you arrested for assault."

"Let’s see which is the worst charge?" I ask aloud. "Assault, or aiding and abetting an escaped convict in the kidnapping of five children and two adults? See for assault I’d get what, six months plus probation? Kidnapping, Sanders, is a federal offense, especially since there were children involved. That my friend is practically life in prison where I’m sure you can get all the tight young things you want. That is if they don’t get you first."

Kevin chuckled.

"Now," I lean closer to him. "Where is Helmsley hiding?"

"I’m not fucking with you man. I don’t know where he’s at!"

"You must know, you were talking to him."

"I wasn’t talking to him. I was talking to some lackey of his."

I snatched his cell phone and tried looking at the speed dial listed numbers.

"You’re not going to find the number that way." He says with a gloating tone. "He has his number blocked."

"He has his number blocked, but you can call him?" Kevin asked.

"He has it blocked from viewing on caller ID’s and stuff."

"What’s the number to speed dial him?"

"You won’t get through to him. The number I use is for his lackey and if she gets tipped off to your calling you won’t see any of them alive again."

"Oh I won’t be calling." I hand him the phone. "You will. Tell her you want some hush money since you’re not wrestling any more. Tell her you want a face to face meeting with Hunter to make arrangements for payment."

"He’ll fucking kill me."

"And you rather take your chances with us?" Dwayne asked. "You know Shane’s family is very powerful. They can make little worms like you disappear off the face of the earth if you smell what I’m cooking." He grins.

"And then there’s Dwayne’s family who, though not being as rich and powerful as mine, can really make your pathetic life just a blip on the radar, especially if there’s been any harm done to Logan, seeing how the baby is a blood relative of theirs."

Sanders looks from me to Dwayne to Kevin and back again to me. Knowing he had no choice now, he takes the phone and after hitting star-three he holds it to his ear. "Yeah it’s me. I need to speak to Hunter. Yes now." He looks at us. "It’s urgent."

(Adam)

I feel lips on mine. Soft and familiar.

I don’t know how long I’d been asleep after tiring myself out from crying and anger over watching Hunter torture Matt.

I open my eyes and see Matt on me and am surprised when I don’t see a mark on him. "You okay?" I whisper.

"I’m fine," he replies kissing me again.

His lips leave mine and trail down my chest, licking and sucking my nipples making me whine when they harden before sliding down my chest and kissing my stomach. I tilt my head back and close my eyes savoring the feel… Oh God is this what I was missing when I wouldn’t let Matt touch me?

My body trembles as he slides the satin pajama bottoms I’ve been wearing off and begins kissing my waist leading to the V of my hips, all the while avoiding the one spot I wanted him to kiss, to touch and to satisfy.

I could feel his hair brush against my erection sending chills though me.

"Please," I gasp. "Please suck me."

A low throaty chuckle before his mouth covers me making me arch my back against him. I fall back down and let him suck me as he tests my opening.

God my blood is racing, my head is spinning…

It isn’t long before I feel him slide into me easily through I bite my lip at the intense sensation of him in me and of his hand stroking me slowly at first but picking up the pace.

"Yes Matt yes…" I whisper as I lick my lips. How could I have held off so long…all those times when he wanted to touch me and I never let him? Now I knew what I was missing.

And as good as it began, when it ended it was fabulous as I felt him pour into me while I came with a small growl.

I lay still, letting myself come down from this high. Wanting to return the favor, I try to move my hands to embrace him but I can’t move them.

What the hell…

"I knew you’d enjoy it."

My eyes flew open and to my horror I saw Hunter lying on top of me naked with a predatory grin on his face.

"No…" This has to be some kind of fucking nightmare!

"Oh yes Adam, this was very real. Very real."

I began twisting and thrashing around trying to get out from underneath him before his hand lashed out and hit me across the face. "Too late to take it back now slut. You wanted it that day just like you wanted it now."

"No! Damnit no!"

Another slap.

"Don’t you ever fucking yell in my face again! You hear me?"

"Yes."

He grabs my face. "Yes what?"

"Yes father."

"Good, you’re learning." He lets go. "You’re still in love with him aren’t you?"

"With who?"

"With who?" he sneers. "With Matt you little bitch."

"No…" I shook my head. "No…"

"Don’t fucking lie to me. All the time I was fucking you not once did I hear Dwayne’s name come out of those sweet lips of yours, but Matt’s…" Hunter shook his head. "You’re a sick piece of work you know that?"

"Look who I had to teach me."

Another hard backhanded slap. "Mouth off to me again, and you’ll get to watch what I do to Matt up close and personal."

"Damnit let him go!"

"Why should I?"

"Haven’t you put him through enough?"

"And what about the two of you? What about what you put me through? Christ when I came back from that northwest tour and Pat told me the three of you were dead and cremated, I should’ve known the fucking bastard was up to something, but no. I thought, great I’m free, I can have a fucking life now while I was still young enough to enjoy it, but no. You and your little uncle had to go and ruin it for me by digging up shit that should’ve just stayed buried. Do you have any idea what you two did?" he squinted. "No. I don’t think you do." He got up, allowing me a full view of his nudity. "But one thing’s for sure. You will know what I’m going to the two of you."

"Why don’t you just fucking kill us?"

"Tried that once before remember? Didn’t work. Besides, why get my hands dirty when I can simply drive you two to do it yourselves?" he chuckled evilly. "Like Jeff. You know for a little freak like him at least he was smart enough to know when he wasn’t wanted."

My vision gone red, I planted my freed feet squarely on his chest and sent him flying into the armoire. It took him only seconds to recuperate.

"You little bitch." He hissed as he reached for his pants and with a whispered whoosh, pulled the belt out of its loops. He threaded it through the belt buckle and just began whipping me, each sting hurting me worse then the last as my screams proved and after my front side was red and burning like hell, he undid the headboard restraints and by gripping my hair in his hand, began whipping my backside. Even when my voice faded, he continued whipping until he finally tired of it, his breathing heavy. "Don’t you ever, ever do that again!"

My hair still in his hand, he shook my head around until I thought for sure I was going to pass out before he threw me down on the bed. I just laid there, my breathing hard and ragged, as I wasn’t going to cry in front of this sick fuck.

"You know what the sad thing is Adam? Because of you little attitude problem, now Matt’s going to have to pay for it tomorrow and if you think what I did to him today was sick and depraved, you ain’t see anything yet."

I remain as still as I can until he leaves the room and locks the door behind him. It’s after he’s gone that I let the tears out, not only for the skin burning pain I was in and what he’d done to me but the fear I have that tomorrow might be Matt’s last day alive if Hunter had his way.

And it was my fault.

Hunter sat in his office downing drink after drink, trying to cure the fury he was feeling.

"We have a problem."

He looked at his female associate. "I swear if it’s those fucking kids I’m sending them back in body bags."

"It’s Sanders."

Hunter closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead with the glass. "What the fuck does he want now?"

"More money."

He looked at her. "You’re fucking with me?"

"He said Shane fired him and that either you pay him double what you were paying him before or else he’s telling the police where you are."

"How the fuck could he know where we are?"

She shrugged.

He sighed, first Adam and now this…

"Tell him he ain’t getting shit. And if he has a problem with that, then be sure and remind him what I’m capable of."

"He’s demanding a face to face meeting."

Oh fucking great… "He’s in no position to make demands."

"What would you like me to do?"

"Other than bothering me every five seconds? Call him back, tell him he either takes the money I give him or…wait a minute. Get a hold of Daniel, tell him to give Mr. Sanders a very special present. He’ll know what I mean."

She left.

Heaving a great sigh, he set the glass down and filled it back up. Though fucking Adam had been a pleasurable experience, his thoughts were never far from his other captive.

Matt. The reminder of his father’s backstabbing. The little bastard he thought was his son. The little fuck who took everything from him. Now Matt was going to pay for everything – not only for what he did, but also for what Pat had put him through.

And Hunter couldn’t wait to begin.

11

(Shane)

I pick at the breakfast Dwayne insisted I order.

I look at the simple meal of scrambled eggs, bacon and toast with as much interest as watching paint dry while Dwayne devours his meal of ham, scrambled eggs, and French toast.

As much as my stomach is screaming for the simple breakfast, I can’t bring myself to eat it, my worries over Matt too strong as I think of what condition he might be in when we found him.

Not if, when, because I know we’ll find him once Sanders, who’s under ‘room arrest’ in his hotel room, sets up a meeting with Hunter.

"Shane?" Dwayne’s voice floats into my train of thought.

"Hmmm?" I look at him.

"You know you’re not going to do Matt a lot of good if you don’t have something to eat."

"I know." I set the fork down. "I’m just worried about what sort of frame of mind Matt and Adam are going to be in once we find them."

"I know what you mean." Dwayne says before taking a drink of juice. "Christ, Adam’s come so far with his therapy and then this happens."

"Not to mention Matt’s health." I say absently. "His last physical showed he was still having trouble with his blood pressure even after all this time."

"Then there are the kids."

"Yeah. They’re going to have nightmares for years over this. Sanders say if Logan was with them?"

"He’s not." Dwayne said sadly. "I called my Mom, she’s got every Samoan family member and friend keeping an eye out not to mention my Dad’s got his old street connections looking as well."

I have to chuckle. "Sometimes I wonder if Matt and Adam knew what they were getting into when they married us. I mean here you are with your family connections and me with mine. I wonder if they think we belong to some kind of mafia or something."

Dwayne laughed. "I wish. It’d make going after Helmsley so much more fun. Now eat your damn meal before it gets cold."

I do, eating half the eggs, finishing the bacon and skipping the cardboard like toast.

"You know something?" I look at the door adjoining our room to the one we got Sanders in.

"What?"

"He’s been too damned quiet since we brought him here."

"Probably sleeping."

"Yeah or probably up to something." I get out of my chair and head for the door. Pressing my ear against it, I can hear the sound of the television going but not much else. I look at Dwayne before pounding on the door. "Sanders! Open the fucking door!"

I press my ear against the door hoping to at least hear him tell me to "fuck off".

But there was nothing.

I bang on the door again this time loud enough to send someone coming to find out what’s going on. "Sanders! Get your lazy ass up!"

Again nothing.

I test the doorknob and find it locked.

By now Dwayne has gotten up and begin pounding on the door as well. "Sanders!" he shouts. He backs me away from the door and kicks the door in. We enter the room and find Sanders asleep on the bed.

"Damnit boy," Dwayne said walking over to the bed. "Didn’t you hear us knock- holy shit."

I walk over to where he is and see what he sees.

A nice neat little hole in the middle of Sanders’s forehead.

"How the hell?" I breathe, wondering how we could not have heard anyone shoot him, especially since we didn’t get much sleep last night.

"What’s this?" Dwayne grabs a handkerchief out of his pocket and picks up a white envelope that was in Mike’s hand. Looking at the front of it were mine and Dwayne’s names. Being careful not to disturb it too much, he opens it and with the television as our only light, we make out what is written: Either back off or Adam and Matt suffer the same fate.

We look at each other.

If this was Hunter’s way of scaring us off, then he’s done a piss poor job of it.

All this has done is make us angrier.

(Matt)

A bright light sears through my eyelids making me shield my eyes as I open them. At least one of them anyways.

When my eyes adjust, I see I’m not in the dark room I was in when I was brought here but in a bedroom. I look and see my hands aren’t restrained but when I move my legs, I feel the roughness of leather around my ankles and when I swallow, I feel the dog collar still around my neck, though when I count the links, there’s enough there for me to sit up without choking the hell out of me.

Sitting up, I cry out a little as my whole body is in agony after what I went through yesterday. Leaning against the pillows, I wait for the stabbing pains to subside as flashes of what Hunter did come and go. Christ how many whips did he use? I can recall the riding crop, and the cat ‘o nine tails, but I know there were about three or four more he had to have used not to mention the retractable billy club which he used on my legs, making me wonder if I’d ever be able to get back in the ring after this.

Without realizing it, I catch my reflection in a mirror hanging from the back of the door leading in here. Jesus Christ, do really look that bad? Not only is my right eye swollen shut but there’s one hell of a black mark along with it. My top lip is swelled and split and there are other miscellaneous bruises marking me up, not to mention seeing some of the cat ‘o nine tail makings on my shoulders and ribs. I know I should be scared, angry or something, but all I feel is numb. As long as Hunter lets Adam and the kids go, I don’t care what he does to me.

I turn my stare away from the mirror and look around the room. I can see there’s a window but I can’t see out of it, it’s so heavily frosted. The room itself isn’t much, just the bed I’m in, an armoire and a dresser. That’s it.

With a heavy sigh, I close my eyes as the pain begins to dull, hoping to get some more rest before Hunter came back for round two.

But that hope is dashed when I hear the lock tumblers click.

My left eye watches as Robert brings me breakfast on a lap tray. He leaves without saying a word to me and showing no reaction to my condition. I take the cover off the dish slowly, still thinking back to our first day in the attic when I thought grandfather – or should I say my father – was going to give us dead rats, but this was just as bad; two eggs, sunny side up, two links of sausage and two slices of unbuttered toast with orange juice. The simple meal bringing back too many memories, I put the cover back on and set it on the floor by the bed, my appetite, what there was of it, now shot to hell.

"So what’s wrong with breakfast?"

Here we go.

I look over at the door and see Hunter standing there, shirtless, his hair wet as though he must’ve just had a shower, and jeans with arms crossed and scowling at me.

"I’m not hungry."

He snorts. "I thought after yesterday you’d have worked up an appetite." He walks into the room, closing the door behind him.

I don’t say anything.

"You know Matthew, this silent treatment is only going to come back to haunt you later." He sits on the edge of the bed by my feet.

"I don’t care." I didn’t really.

"When I get done with you, you will."

I shook my head. "No I won’t. As long as you let Adam and the kids go and let them know where Logan is, you can do whatever the hell you want to me. Hell, even kill me if you want, but you don’t get that privilege until Adam and the kids are free."

"And what makes you think I’m going to do that? What makes you think I’m going to let them go before I kill you?"

"I don’t really," I admit. "But I’m the one you really want. I’m not saying it out of any ego as you might think, but let’s look at the facts; I’m the one who got you arrested when that tape got out, I’m the one who cost you five years of your life by having you put away, not to mention took the inheritance that you claimed to have wanted for so long. So it’s only natural that I was the one you were really after when you sent those photos and that video. That was the plan wasn’t it Hunter? Push me so far that I’d never be the same again? Well it’s worked. Mick, Collette, Stephanie and Chris hate me though they won’t say so, Dwayne wants me dead because of Adam and Logan getting kidnapped by you and look," I held up my left hand to show him my bare ring finger. "Shane doesn’t want anything to do with me after he caught me in the shower with your lackey Sanders." I let my hand fall. "You got me right where you want me. Alone and vulnerable. The question now is, what’re you going to do about it?"

There was a funny look on his face like a man who’d gotten everything he wanted and didn’t know what to do about it.

"You want me to scream, beg, fight you off?" I continue. "I’ll do that all you want me to if that’s what turns you on, but if you expect me to keep fighting with you then I’m not going to do it. You want to beat me, whip me, rape me, then go ahead." I hold out my arms. "I’m right here bro, do your worst because I don’t care anymore. I’m sick and tired of being the reason someone has to suffer. First what we went through in the attic because of my being a reminder of my mother to Pat, then away from the attic when Jeff killed himself because I couldn’t let him be happy with Raven so he had to go seek you out for acceptance, and now all this because I didn’t tell anyone about the photos you had someone send me. So if your intention was to get me here and make me suffer before you kill me, then you better get started, cause I haven’t got all day."

The room was deathly silent, both of us trying to figure the other one out.

"Don’t you dare do this." Hunter said his tone threatening.

"Do what? Dash your hopes for all the sick things you want to do to me? I told you to do your worst, as long as you let Adam and the kids go and let someone know where Logan was."

"Don’t you fucking do this." he repeated, his face growing livid.

"Don’t do what? Give you what you’ve wanted me to give you? You’ve wanted to fuck me for a long time. Well here I am. I can’t get away from you now. I can’t go into a bathroom and break any glasses to cut my hand and there’s no Shane to come to my rescue. You’ve got me restrained to this bed naked just how you want me. You can come here anytime and do what ever the hell you want to me. Just don’t expect me to fight you."

Christ if you could’ve seen the look on his face at that moment you’d quit reading this and run, but I didn’t have that luxury.

"You little bitch," he growled. "Don’t you fucking do this to me."

"Do what Hunter?" I shouted. "Don’t do what?"

"Don’t you make this so fucking easy. Don’t you just lie there and make this easy for me."

"Well if you came for a fight then you’re gonna be disappointed, because I have none left. Nothing."

He stood and, with narrowed eyes, he undid my ankle restraints before yanking me flat onto my back, causing me to hiss in pain as my back slid across the sheets, causing some of the healing cuts to reopen. He then took his pants off and got on me. Yanking my hands up, he slammed his lips on mine, kissing as roughly as a person could. I could feel the tear on my lip reopen and the blood trickle out of it. He forced his tongue into my mouth, almost choking me with that and the taste of my blood as he ground himself against me.

"Fight me," he whispered harshly. "Fight me you bitch."

But I didn’t, I may have whimpered a bit because of the pains shooting through my body but other than that I just laid there staring at the ceiling.

He then began biting my neck and shoulders as hard as he could without drawing blood. Again, I winced because of the pain, but I just lie there and let him have his way. Once he was through with that, he pulled his head back and glared at me. "Damn you Matthew, fight me!" he spat.

I just glared back. "Do it Hunter. You’ve got me right where you want me, now do it. Do what you’ve been wanting to do to me for a long time now."

"Fight me." His voice was a harsh whisper now.

I shook my head. "You want to punish me for what Pat and your mother did to you then go ahead."

With another angry growl, he forced my unbound legs as far over my head as he could and without even making himself hard enough, he drove himself into me roughly, the first time making me scream a little, but as he continued I bit back the cries of pain, though with everything else he’d put my body through, I think I would’ve screamed loud enough to wake the dead.

But he more than made up for it.

"Fight me!" he screamed between every thrust. "Damn you fight me!"

I remained passive just glared at him.

"You little faggot fight me!"

I didn’t.

With an anguished howl, he pulled himself out of me roughly and then began pounding on me viciously, adding even more bruises to my already battered body, until breathing heavily he got off the bed.

"Well then, if you won’t fight me, then maybe Adam will." He said, pulling his jeans on before leaving the room, locking the door behind him.

I just laid there feeling the blood coming out of my lip and my torn anal area and the pain tear through me, I prayed he wouldn’t make Adam pay for my passiveness, but for some reason knowing I rattled his cage beyond belief made the hell he just put me through worth everything.

Forgetting his threat, Hunter slammed the door of his office, took everything he could get his hands on and in a fury he hadn’t felt in years began throwing it all around the room unleashing the rage Matt had incurred in him.

He had wanted to make Matt suffer, make him scream, make him fight and beg and what did he get in return?

Nothing, but those blank, dead eyes. The same eyes Joanie would give him when she’d lay there taking everything he gave her as he tried to make her suffer for all his mother had done to him for all those years she made him her whore.

"Damn him!" he screamed before leaning back against the desk to catch his breath. "Damn you Matthew," he whispered his voice ragged.

It seemed from the second he’d gotten the call about Sanders getting Matt, all the thoughts he’d buried for so damn long came back. Hell even before then, when he got word of Adam having been captured, the memories came back. Memories of his twisted childhood, where a mother could make her own ten year old son her whore because she was tired of sharing a bed with a man she hated and a father who’d hated him in return and made sure his son was punished for what his wife did by getting his son’s wife pregnant as a sick form of revenge, knowing full well that if his wife knew about his other son, then to punish her own son for leaving her, she would leave her inheritance - the inheritance Hunter believed was rightfully his for all he’d endured - to his bastard half brother, the half brother he thought was his son. The son he thought was dead.

All the scheming, the planning, the thoughts of revenge, making Matt suffer the way he had suffered with the humiliation and the degradation of being forced to sleep with a member of your own family and make him his unwilling whore at last, gone. Shot. Ruined.

No, he thought suddenly, shaking his head as an idea came to him. No the plan wasn’t totally ruined.

Not by a long shot.

(Shane)

Once Dwayne and I had given the police our statements and the note, no charges were filed, but because the rooms were considered a crime scene, we had to go to another hotel after being allowed to take our clothes out of the room under the watchful eye of a State Trooper.

Settled in at another hotel, Dwayne and I didn’t say much to each other except to ask if the other was either hungry or thirsty which neither of us was.

"Back to square one," Dwayne said sadly as he lay out on the bed.

I knew what he meant. We were so damned close to finding them and now…

I glance at Dwayne. As hard as it was for me, I knew it was twice as hard for Dwayne since it was both Adam and Logan that was taken from him and though I knew we’d find Adam, Logan would be another matter unless Hunter told us where he was.

"Sure you don’t want anything to eat or-?"

He shook his head. "All I want is my husband and son back and Helmsley dead."

"I know what you mean."

"Do you?"

I look at him again, not liking the tone of his voice. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing."

"Don’t give me that shit Dwayne. What the fuck are you implying?"

"I’m just saying you have no idea what I mean."

"About what?"

He swung around to sit on the edge of the bed facing me. "You and Matt don’t have a child."

"So? That doesn’t make what I’m going through any different than what you are."

"I think it does. See you don’t understand what it’s like to be a parent, you’re so damned busy getting WCW off the ground I’m surprised you and Matt have any time for each other let alone a child."

"So what does that have to do with anything?"

"It means that you really have no idea what the rest of are going through and what we will go through when we get the kids back. You won’t be going through trying to calm their nightmares and whatnot, you’re not the one who has to worry if your own son will remember you after being separated for this long."

"So just because Matt and I don’t have a child, that makes what we’re going to have to go through when we find them any less?"

He sighed. "Listen I’m sorry, it’s just that I’m so fucking frustrated right now."

"And you think I’m not? Christ Dwayne Adam, Logan and the kids were taken without their knowledge. Matt set himself up to be taken."

He looked up at me. "He what?"

"It’s the only reason I could think of for the way he’s been behaving lately. He set himself up so Hunter could get him so Hunter would let Adam and the kids go."

"Damn." Dwayne shook his head. "Why the hell would he do that?"

"Guilt." I sighed. "He felt guilty about Hunter getting Adam and the kids that he probably felt this was the only way to make things right. To sacrifice himself."

"Damn Shane I’m sorry."

"I couldn’t figure it out at first, especially the whole thing in Pittsburgh, but the more I thought about it and some of the things he said…" I try to block them out but they whispered in my brain, "I’m the one Hunter wants…the one he wants dead…" "Anyways," I continue, "he was pushing everyone away so that he’d be right where he thought Hunter would want him."

"Christ."

"I know. The thing is, when he gets like this he doesn’t think straight. All he wants to do is make the guilt go away no matter how he does it. Problem is, I don’t think he’s quite grasped the concept that though what he does, does affect other people, he can’t always take it upon himself to make it right."

"Don’t take this the wrong way but I think he’s more messed up than everyone thought."

"No, I don’t think it’s that. I think everything’s finally caught up with him and everything’s that’s happened now has just…" I sigh, not knowing the word I’m looking for. ‘Overwhelmed’ seemed too mild a word for this.

"Consumed him?" Dwayne offers.

"Yeah," I nod figuring that sounded about right. "I think everything’s just consumed him."

"I may be off the path here a bit and if I am, let me know, but you don’t think his going after Hunter is some form of suicide do you?"

Dwayne’s question startles me. "What do you mean?"

"Well you yourself said that Matt was willing to sacrifice himself, maybe there’s a darker reason he wants Hunter to get him. Maybe he wants Hunter to kill him, put him out of his misery."

"No." I shake my head. "No that’s not why. It can’t be."

"You yourself said he wants to make the guilt go away no matter how he did it."

"No, not like this."

"Shane…"

"No!" I stand up and began pacing around the room, not wanting to even consider what Dwayne was telling me. One of the reasons I fell in love with Matt was because of his determination to survive and put his past behind him. There could be no way Matt could even consider what Dwayne was suggesting. I saw how devastated he was when Jeff had committed suicide and knew he would never consider that an option to deal with things. Sure there had been times when things looked bleak and that the temptation was there to just end it all, especially after some of the things Hunter had done to him, but some how Matt found that part of him that wanted to prove he wasn’t a quitter, that no matter how bad things would be, he could beat them even if it left him a little battered in the process.

But what Dwayne was suggesting… it was starting to make a bit of sense, and that maybe I was deluding myself as to how much Matt could really take. Maybe my admiration of him was blinding me to the reality that perhaps he had reached his emotional limitations and had been forced to go beyond them thanks to Hunter. That maybe after all these years of thinking he had been the cause of everything that’s happened, especially now, he’d finally reached the end of his emotional rope and would rather have Hunter finish what Pat had begun than be subjected to any more memories of his childhood and being forced to deal with living with the memories.

"I’m sorry Shane I don’t know what the fuck I was thinking. I guess Matt’s not the only one consumed by this."

But I only half hear Dwayne’s apology.

Hang in there Matt, I pray. Hang in there.

(Adam)

"You’re still in love with him aren’t you?"

It’s a question that has been playing in my mind since Hunter asked me, but now the question held a double meaning for me.

Who am I still in love with?

I turn onto my back, the satin sheets cool on my still burning skin from the lashes Hunter dealt out earlier. My leg restrains have been put back on and it’s now that I notice they have little padlocks on them for extra security as well.

Who am I still in love with?

For almost six years Dwayne has been everything I’ve wanted; attentive, undemanding – well other than when he wanted to adopt Logan – understanding. Just perfect.

Maybe a little too perfect.

Then there was Matt.

Dark, moody, secretive little brother of mine. The one who’d put up with so much shit from me over the years we were together – the night terrors, the jealousy over Shane…my sick desire for him, which is obviously still there if what happened yesterday was any indication.

Maybe that’s why I married Dwayne. Why I ended things with Matt. Because I couldn’t go on loving him the way I wanted to. Because I saw a way for both of us to have a ‘normal’ life and took it by breaking his heart, making him turn to Shane while I learned to love Dwayne.

I know how sad and pathetic that sounds, having to ‘learn’ to love someone who had no qualms about their feelings for you, but after loving Matt for so long, getting into a new relationship with someone you know next to nothing about was frightening. I didn’t know how Dwayne would react when he knew about us, knew about Hunter being our father and what he’d done to us. I guess in some dark little place in my mind I wanted Dwayne to reject me, to be disgusted with me so that it would give me a chance to work things out with Matt and have our lives back, but it wasn’t meant to be.

Don’t get me wrong I love Dwayne and our son. After WrestleMania eighteen, I felt like every time I was with Dwayne I didn’t have to keep lying to him, that I wasn’t always reminded of the attic and what Matt and I have gone through, that the nightmares, though they still came didn’t have as strong a hold as they did before. It was like Dwayne was the medicine I needed to help put the past behind me, something I wished would happen to Matt through Shane.

So why is it whenever we got together, whether it be at a family function or just bumping into each other at the airport as we traveled to our separate destinations, I couldn’t really take my eyes off Matt, even though Dwayne would be right there with me and why was it that when Hunter raped me again it was Matt I thought about and not Dwayne?

Who am I still in love with?

Maybe if we get out of this hell Hunter set up for us I can figure out the answer, but until then, the only things on my mind are what has he got in store for us, and how the hell we can get out of here.

I’m brought out of my debate by the sound of the lock tumblers clicking.

"Good you’re awake." Hunter said as he entered the room and stalked over to the drawer taking clothes out before coming over and undoing the restraints. "Get up and get dressed."

I do, and as I stand, he grabs me by the face. "Turns out today is your lucky day. You finally get to see Matt. Don’t worry, he’s still living though not for much longer if I have my way with him."

Dressed, I stand and without even so much as handcuffing me, he grabs my arm and drags me to another room at the end of the hall. I don’t know what it was, but you could feel the hatred just vibrating out of his body.

Opening the door, he shoves me in and shuts the door behind him without as much as a warning. I turn around and see Matt, or something that looks like Matt asleep on the bed.

Dear God…I knew it was going to be bad after what Hunter did to him yesterday but this was too much.

I look at the bruises and the dried blood and for a second think I’m going to be sick. Once I collect myself, I watch him sleep hoping to notice some sign of life from him because he looks dead. "Matt…" I whisper. "Matt!" I say a little louder.

He stirs a little and turns his head over in my direction.

"Oh jeeze," I breathe, seeing how banged up and bloody his face is, but that’s not what’s stabbing the knife into my heart as the dead look in his eyes is. They remind me too much of how Jeff looked after we left the attic.

I moved from the wall and walk over to him, and that when I noticed the dog collar and chain.

"Attractive isn’t it?" he cracks while giving me the saddest smile I’d ever seen.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I try and look for the buckle to undo the collar with and see a tiny padlock there.

"I’ve already tried that." He croaked. "Hunter’s the one with the key."

I lean down to try and hug him, trying to keep my tears in check as his start flowing.

"I’m sorry," he whispers, his voice shaking. "I’m so sorry."

"It doesn’t matter," I return. "It’s okay. I’m just glad you’re alive after…"

"I wish I wasn’t. Not after what I’ve done, or I should say didn’t do."

"Don’t…don’t say that. Please don’t."

But it’s like he doesn’t hear me. "I cost you Logan, not to mention the other kids and then there’s Shane…" he shakes his head or at least tries to before looking at me. "I’m surprised you even bothered coming in to see me."

"Well with Hunter dragging me in here, I didn’t really have much choice now did I?" I smiled. "Listen, just lay here and I’ll get you cleaned up."

"Don’t…" he whispered. "Don’t love me. Not after what I’ve done."

As if on reflex, I bent down and kissed his lips, careful not to hurt them more than they already were and could taste the metallic tang of his blood. "Shhh…" I whisper. "Don’t you know that no matter what I’ll always love you. Always."

He just closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm himself as I get up and walked to the bathroom to get a washrag to wipe some of the blood off with. We didn’t say anything for a while as I cleaned him up.

"So how are you doing?" he asked.

I sigh, not wanting to add to his problems. "Okay. Probably have to go back to therapy when this is all over with but other than that…" I shrugged.

He gave me a weak smile. "He’s starting to crack. I don’t know what it is but …" he shook his head.

"But what?"

"No…I don’t want to upset you."

"I’m beyond upset Matt, so you might as well tell me."

"He was in here earlier and when he…" Deep breath. "While he was raping me he started losing it, screaming at me to fight him…but I don’t have any left."

I tried fighting back my tears.

"After that he just left." He shook his head sadly. "Been easier if he’d killed me."

"Don’t Matt…damnit!" I choked out. "You don’t deserve this. I don’t care what you did or what you didn’t do. Stop talking like this. You’ve got too many people who need you."

"Need me? You mean hate me, don’t you? You’re the one everyone needs Adam, not me. You’ve got Dwayne and Logan and CJ…"

"You’ve got Shane."

"Not anymore."

"Was what Hunter said true about you cheating on Shane with Mike Sanders?"

He nods. "I wanted to get my mind off things and he was there and I didn’t know Shane was gong to be in Pittsburgh…" he sighed. "Well it worked anyway."

"Worked? What do you mean ‘it worked’?"

"I pushed everyone away so that Hunter would get me. So I could get him to let you and the kids go. I mean by rights, I’m the one he was after, you guys were just a way for him to get to me. Especially you."

"Wait a minute?" I couldn’t believe what he was saying. "You mean you set yourself up?"

He nods. "Yeah. I figure I got everyone in this mess, I can get everyone out of it. Some hero I am huh?"

"I hope you know when we get out of this mess, and you get healed up, I’m putting you back in a hospital bed."

"I won’t be getting out of this mess."

The finality of his words take me by surprise. "What do you mean?"

He shakes his head. "I can’t explain it, but I have this feeling that Hunter’s going to win this."

"He won’t, not if I have anything to do with it."

"But you won’t Adam. You won’t. It’s going to be between him and me. I don’t know how, but that’s what it’s leading up to."

I try to control myself. "Matt, listen, listen to me. We’re going to get out of this, you, the kids and me. We’ll find Logan and then Hunter’s going back to prison for good, maybe even the death penalty this time. We’re all going to get out of this mess. Now I know you’re in a lot of pain and you’re not thinking clearly right now, that’s where all this is coming from. I know you don’t think you do, but you’ve got a lot to live for right now. Not just getting out of this but making things right with Shane and being there for the kids when they get older and maybe have some of your own-"

His shaking his head silences me again. "You’ve got more than I do. Christ, you and Dwayne have a son, you got CJ…you’ve got more than I do."

Christ he sounds so much like the note Jeff left for us after he committed suicide. "Matt please doesn’t do this. Don’t give up on me."

"It’s not giving up. It’s just coming to the realization that my father was right all along. I am to blame for everything."

His father. Pat.

I want to scream, throw things, do something to vent the anger I’m feeling right now, but all I can do is just sit with him and stroke his hair with my shaking hand and wonder what the hell Hunter has planned for us now.

(Matt)

That son of a bitch.

I saw the look on Adam’s face before I opened my eyes fully. I don’t blame him for being repulsed by how I looked, but the other looks - the fear and the pity – I couldn’t take it and I wanted to kill Hunter for bringing Adam in here to see me like this, knowing it would bring back memories of Bangor and the attic.

I tried to keep him from cleaning me up but in the end I just let him, figuring it was better than fighting with him.

"Hear anything about the kids?" I ask after my speech, secretly loving the way his hand felt stroking my hair though I wished it didn’t shake so much.

"No. Not yet."

"Think they’re still here?"

"Yeah. So what do you think Hunter’s up to now?" He asks me.

"I don’t know. As long as he doesn’t hurt you and the kids, I don’t care."

"Matt…"

I don’t say any more not wanting to upset him more than I know I already have.

He looks down at the tray by his feet. "Have you eaten anything today?"

"Not really."

He bends down with some difficulty and lifts the lid off the dish. "Charming," he mutters, picking up the toast. "Here," he hands me a slice.

Though my stomach growled, the thought of eating cold dry toast wasn’t that appealing to me. "I don’t want it."

"Matt…" His tone is threatening but gentle, like a big brother trying to intimidate his younger brother into doing something he didn’t want to do though it was for the best.

"I don’t want it."

"Please? You’re not going to be any good to anyone if you don’t have something to eat."

"I wasn’t any good to anyone when I did eat, so what difference does it matter now."

He throws the bread on the tray. "Congratulations Hunter. You won, you sick fuck."

"What?"

"Hasn’t he?" his voice is choked, but controlled.

"I don’t get it."

"He wanted to break you and he has. So that means he won."

I watch Adam get up and walk around. "Adam?"

"This is what he’s always wanted. He wanted me to be a complete wreck and you to be so defeated and torn up with guilt that you’d want to die the same way Jeff did. He even told me that’s what he wants. He wants us so fucked up that we’d kill ourselves like Jeff or as he referred to him "the little freak". It looks like he’s halfway there with you."

"What about you?"

"Like you said I’ve got a husband and a child to think of." He stopped for a second. "That bastard’s had me afraid of him since I was fourteen and to be honest I’m a little sick of it. The only reason I’ve gone along with his sick little mind fucks is to keep the kids safe and to hopefully find out where Logan is." He resumed pacing again.

"Logan’s not here?"

"No, some associate of his has him."

"Is he okay?"

"According to the video my demented father showed me he’s fine, but that’s not the point." He stood at the front of the bed and rested his hands on the footboard. "Like I told you, it didn’t matter what you did or didn’t do, Matt. You can’t let this guilt keep eating you up. You and I are the only hope those kids have got and if you give up on me now, than that sick motherfucker wins. We’ll never see our husbands and my son again. God only knows how long before the vitamins Hunter’s been giving the kids kicks in and starts killing them like they did Christian."

"Wait a minute." I sit up. "Vitamins?"

Adam nodded.

Holy shit. Not again.

"Then there’s Stephanie and Chris as well as Mick and Collette. How long do you think it’ll be before Hunter goes after them? I know you think he’s succeeded with getting the kids but that might just be the beginning."

Everything Adam was telling me was spinning in my head.

"Matt," Adam moved to sit on the edge of the bed and took my head in his hands as gently as he could without hurting me more than I already was. "Like you said, you’ve rattled his cage and we both know that when he’s rattled he doesn’t think clearly. We saw that at WrestleMania eighteen when he attacked you. That’s what we have to do. We have to rattle him so bad we can take advantage of the situation."

"Or make him think he’s won after all." I said remembering how cocky Hunter had been before WrestleMania eighteen. "You know what he’s like when he’s cocky."

Adam nodded.

I sigh. "So now what?"

"I’m going to see if I can’t get him to let me see the kids. Tell them not to take anymore of the vitamins. After that, it’s up to him. We have to find out what’s going on in that twisted mind of his and take advantage of it."

I nod, thinking for a second at how funny it was how the roles between Adam and I have changed since this started. I used to be the one who came up with the plans and the ways to execute them while Adam went along with them, though on occasion, like when we were in the attic, he would be the one in charge. "Let’s do it." I say looking at him.

"Let’s do it." He whispers before leaning forward to kiss me, making sure to avoid the split on my upper lip.

As if by automatic pilot, I wrap my arms around him as he does me though I warn him about my back.

"I know," he whispers in my ear, his breath sending chills through me.

We hold each other for what feels like such a short time before he gets off the bed. I watch him walk to the door before he stops to look at me. "I love you," he mouths to me.

"I love you too," I reply before he opens the door to find Robert standing there with my lunch tray.

"I want to see Hunter." He says.

Robert made a ‘now what’ face before giving my lunch and leading Adam out of my room and locking the door behind them.

I sigh leaning back on the bed and wait to see what Hunter plans to do next.

Hunter leaned back in his chair and shut the monitor off having just watched what went on in Matt’s room. His only regret right then was not having put any audio equipment in the room so he could hear what was going on, but he could tell by the body language that they were up to something. Now all he had to do was figure it out.

Another thing that had held his attention while he watched them was the way they reacted around each other, like they were still in love even after all this time. Sitting there he knew there was a way he could exploit that, but first things first.

The knock on the door distracted him for a second. "What?"

Robert stepped in. "Adam wants to see you."

"Let him in." Hunter watched his eldest son walk into the room. "What do you want?"

"I want to see CJ and the other kids."

"Sure." Hunter stood as Robert closed the door behind Adam. "As soon as you tell me what you and Matt were talking about."

"Nothing special." Adam shrugged.

Hunter narrowed his eyes as he got close enough to Adam that they were face to face. "You’re lying. You and Matt are up to something. I want to know what it is before I let you see your little brother."

"Getting a little paranoid aren’t you Dad?"

Hunter’s hand flashed across Adam’s cheek making him stagger a bit but not fall. "What are you and Matt up to?"

"Nothing."

"Liar."

"Think what you want."

Hunter grabbed Adam by the neck and pushed him up against the wall. "Now you listen to me bitch, you either tell me what you and Matt are up to or CJ gets a not so nice visit from me."

"I thought you said it’d be different with CJ," Adam challenged.

"I said it might have been if it weren’t for you and Matt."

"You won’t do anything to CJ."

"Oh no? And what makes you so damn sure?" Hunter asked.

"You had Douglas killed didn’t you? When CJ said that he’d threatened him, you had him killed."

"Who told you that?"

"You did, by the way you were acting when I told you about it. Granted you don’t give a damn about whatever happens to either Matt or me but God forbid if anyone threatens CJ right? He was your last shot at being normal, you even told me so the day you showed me that video of Logan. You poisoned Pat because he was supposed to be the last remnant of your past and from what I can tell, CJ was supposed to be your future."

Hunter didn’t say anything though Adam was hitting everything dead on.

"Now why would you want to ruin your future by doing anything to CJ? By having CJ here you can make the McMahons jump through hoops. Especially since he’s Vince and Linda’s only grandchild."

"You want to see your little brother fine," Hunter released the grip on Adam’s neck. "Robert!" he shouted.

When the butler appeared, Hunter looked at him. "Take Adam to see the kids. Then come right back here."

Hunter stood still as Robert led Adam to the attic. He didn’t know what kind of mind games Adam thought he was trying to play, but if Adam wouldn’t tell him what they were up to, then maybe Matt would.

After inflicting a world of hurt on his younger brother.

12

(Shane)

Dwayne and I returned to Connecticut, but we didn’t head for Stamford right away.

"Explain to me what we’re doing here again." Dwayne asked me as I drove to Greenwich.

"We’re going to the house."

"Which house?"

"Pat’s."

"Why? There was no sign of them when the cops and the feds went through it."

"That’s not what we’re going for." I couldn’t explain why we were going, I just had this feeling that there was something there that could tip us off as to where Hunter could be keeping everyone.

We arrived at the house and for a few seconds just stared at it when we got out of the car. This monstrosity was part of the inheritance Matt had acquired from his step-mother, Lillian, after she cut Hunter out of her will, but Matt never wanted to live here and frankly I don’t blame him. He’d tried selling it, but with the notoriety and high price tag set by the realtor who was hoping to cash in after WrestleMania eighteen, there had been many curiosity seekers but no real takers so here it sat, practically empty.

Removing the yellow police ‘caution’ tape from the front door, I dug out the key I’d kept all these years and tried it in the lock, surprised to find it still worked. Walking in with Dwayne close behind, I choked a little at the mustiness of it all. It hadn’t changed at all from the last time Stephanie had it redecorated. There were some pieces of furniture lying around but nothing worth anything, having been given to Stephanie by her mother in law. All the important furniture that had any sentimental value to Steph was in the house where she and Chris lived.

"Christ," I heard Dwayne behind me. "Amazing how much this place has gone to hell over the past five years."

"Yeah. Matt wanted to burn it to the ground but technically it’s a historical landmark so he couldn’t do it."

"What’s it historical for other than what Pat and Hunter did?"

"I guess some Civil War general lived here during the war." I look up the staircase. "C’mon."

Dwayne and I head up the stairs two at a time, pausing when we get to the top step. "Hold on a minute," Dwayne said as he made the left turn to head for the attic. I forgot Dwayne had never set foot in the house before now out of respect of Adam’s wishes to not want to come back here after the last time Matt and Adam was here to get the tapes that helped put Hunter away.

The double doors opened but not without difficulty, the wood having warped over the years. We walked down the hallway leading to the attic and immediately I think of what Matt had told me about being overwhelmed by memories of what this place had done to him and his brothers – like Matt, I think of Adam, Jeff and Christian as his brothers and not his nephews.

Dwayne pauses at a door just below the attic entry. He opens the door and we walk inside. The second we walk in, I recognize it as the room where they’d hid as children to watch the Christmas party their first Christmas here, Matt having brought me here the day we came to help Stephanie move her things out of the house. Dwayne and Adam had been doing publicity in England when we were here, so this was the first time he’s seen the room.

"So this is where they did it?" he whispered. "The room where they hurt Adam."

"Yeah," I whisper.

"Sons of bitches," I hear him mutter.

I couldn’t agree with him more.

After a couple of minutes we left that room, closing the door behind us and walked to the last door at the end of the hall.

The attic door.

I look at Dwayne. "Sure you want to go in there?"

"Oh, yeah," he said nodding. "I want to see where they were held."

The door lock having gone to rust, I turned the handle and we walked in, the dust practically choking us as we coughed and sneezed. Dwayne takes out the bottle of water he picked up at the airport and opens it, taking a drink before handing it to me to get the dust out of my throat. Breathing a little more easily now, we walk around the room.

"This is it?" Dwayne asked, looking at me. "This was where they were kept?"

I nod, feeling creeped out by everything. It still looked the same as it did the day of the picnic and according to Matt it looked the same as it did when they first arrived here almost twenty years ago.

"Damn," Dwayne breathed.

Through what little sunlight there was coming through the dust covered windows, a glint of metal caught my eye. Walking over to where it was, by the bathroom door, I bent down and careful not to stir up the dust, I picked it up and saw it was a silver Hot Wheels Ferrari. God how many of these had they left behind when they left here? I remember Matt telling me of when the knapsack they had containing the cars Christian and Jeff played with was stolen when they were attacked by some street thugs, but he’d mentioned that Hunter would always bring at least two cars a day for Christian when he would visit. Somehow I find it hard to believe Hunter ever doing anything like that, but Matt did assure me there was a time that he was a good father, or at least had seemed that way.

Brushing off the dust, I tuck the little car into my pocket as Dwayne walked up the door less entry. "Watch the third step," I warn him.

Following not so far behind, we made our way into the attic. As Dwayne looked around, I remained by the door, memories of my own taking over, the sweetest being the day I told Matt how I felt about him. I look over at the window where I’d sat and poured my heart out to him; how it was him I wanted and not just sex. I knew he didn’t believe me when I told him and he was still in love with Adam, but the fact he didn’t knock me on my ass after I told him made it a pleasant memory.

"Just these two rooms?" Dwayne asked, obviously unable to conceive what had happened here. "They were in these two rooms for almost five years?"

"Yeah." Jumping a little at how my voice seemed to echo in the room. Looking around I see all the things I saw the day of the picnic when I was up here with Matt; the boxes, Jeff’s swing…

"I’m surprised they didn’t come out claustrophobic," Dwayne commented, walking toward me.

"Adam did." I say. "Remember how Matt would have to leave the window or balcony door open just a little?"

"Yeah, he still does that though not as much now because he doesn’t want Logan to catch cold." He paused. "God, for them to have gone through all this and still be here."

"I know."

Dwayne shakes his head. "Let’s get out of here."

Agreeing with Dwayne, we walk out of the attic and back down the hallway to the main hall. "Now where?" he asks.

"Pat’s room," I say walking down toward the room.

"Why there?"

"I’m hoping there’s something there that might give us a clue as to where Hunter has Matt, Adam and the kids."

"Weren’t all the papers removed after he died?"

"Yeah," I replied. "But he had secret panels he could’ve hid things."

After another trial with the door, we enter Pat’s room, which as was the attic didn’t look much different than the last time I’d been here with Matt trying to get information out of the old guy. As Dwayne waited, I went through everything and every hiding place I could think of that the old man could’ve hidden things and came up with nothing except a tattered bundle of papers that had nothing important on them, found in a false bottomed cigar case. I stashed them in my pocket figuring I could look through them when we got home.

"What about the old lady’s room?"

Kicking myself for not thinking of that, we leave Pat’s room and head for Lillian’s room. Another stuck door, but with some not so gentle prodding from Dwayne’s foot, we enter and this time, both Dwayne and I go through everything, coughing and sneezing as we created quite a dust storm.

"What’s this?" Dwayne held up a black book the size of a woman’s clutch.

Walking over to him, we bent over the tiny desk that was in the room and opened only to find it was an address book, some of the people that were in here were either dead or had moved on from the addresses listed. It was near the last part of the book when we found a listing; Summer home 555-3245.

"Summer home?" I think, trying to remember if Pat or Hunter had ever mentioned a summer home.

"Maybe it’s the name of a business or a charity or something." Dwayne supposed.

I didn’t hear him as my brain tried to remember anything about a summer home. "Damn," I cursed my inability to remember.

"Why don’t we take this and see if anything jumps out at Stephanie?" Dwayne said tucking the book into his pants before we left the room, closing the stubborn door behind us. As we walk down the hall to the stairwell I pause just outside the door of what had been my guest room when Stephanie would invite me over for the weekends. Without opening the door I knew the room was empty of furniture but not of memories. Hunter had specifically made sure my room had been across the room from his and Stephanie’s to allow easy access to me at night without disturbing Stephanie.

Even now, I could still feel Hunter’s hands on me, the heat of his mouth as it took mine without permission and the feeling of him stabbing inside me as he raped me. I shivered, feeling my blood go cold as I imagined him doing the same things to Matt that he’d done to me.

"Shane?"

I look at Dwayne. "What?"

"You okay?"

"No, not until we get everyone home safely."

"Well let’s get this to Stephanie and maybe we might get lucky."

(Adam)

The door closed behind me after Robert escorted me to the attic.

Looking around the bedroom I was glad not to see anyone left alone here and went upstairs. "Guys?" I call heading up the steps, "Anyone awake?"

"Adam!"

I spin around just in time to be tackled by four children, who sent me tumbling to the ground. I hissed in pain but tried not to let them see it. "Hey guys." I group hugged them. "How’re you doing?"

"My stomach hurts," Dewey said.

"Yeah?"

"So does mine." Noelle echoed.

I looked at Christina. "How about you angel?"

She nodded.

"I’m okay." CJ said, reminding me of when Pat had told us that he hadn’t put as much into Matt’s as he had the rest of us.

"When does it hurt the worst?"

"After we take the vitamins."

Same as Christian and Jeff.

"Well listen to me. I don’t want you to take those vitamins any more. Wait until whoever brings your meals leaves and then flush them down the toilet." I told them as I sat up Indian style.

"But aren’t vitamins supposed to be good for you?" CJ asks me.

"Usually they are but if they’re making you sick, then they’re not doing you any good are they?"

They shook their heads.

"Can you play with us today Adam?" CJ asked.

I remember the times Jeff would ask Hunter that and the excuses Hunter would give him for not sticking around. I was worried about Matt being alone with Hunter around but looking at their hopeful faces I said, "Sure. What’re you guys playing?"

"Lock the door?" Hunter when Robert returned to the office.

Robert nodded.

"Matt eat the lunch?"

Another nod. "The sedative should be kicking in shortly."

"Good." Hunter said, knowing he was going to get the truth out of one of them and he’d prefer it to be Matt, knowing in the frame of mind he was earlier he’d be easier and so much more fun to break.

(Shane)

Returning to Stamford, we stopped at the hospital to pay Mick a visit.

Walking in his room, we could see he had some color to his face and looked quite comfortable. On our way here, Dwayne and I agreed not to mention having gone by the house and finding the address book as to not get his hopes up.

"Hey Mick," I greet as we walk in.

"Hey!" He mutes his television. "Still no word about the kids huh?"

"No," I say taking the chair while Dwayne sat by the window.

"Damn. What about Matt?"

Dwayne and I exchange a look. We had all agreed not to let Mick know about Matt having been kidnapped by Hunter, not wanting to set off another heart attack. "He’s fine," I lie though I hate myself for doing so.

"He’s still on the road?"

"Yeah, but Kevin and the guys are keeping an eye on him though." Dwayne replied.

He looked from me to Dwayne and back at me again. "Something’s wrong isn’t there?"

"No, nothing’s wrong."

"Hunter has Matt doesn’t he?"

"No…" I try to cover though I knew I didn’t sound all that convincing.

"Don’t try Shane. Don’t try and lie to me. I saw the look you two were just throwing at each other. Adam, Matt and Jeff used to do the same thing. Now tell me the truth, does Hunter have Matt?"

Dwayne and I look at each other again. "Yeah." I whisper barely loud enough for even my ears to hear.

"Damn. I knew it." He shook his head. "Chris told me Stephanie called him about my heart attack and I knew he wouldn’t stay away this long unless something happened. Even if he was trying to push us away."

"That’s not the worst part of it."

"What?"

I clear my throat hoping what I say doesn’t trigger another heart attack. "I think he was pushing us away so he could set himself up to let Hunter get him."

Mick closed his eyes and tilted his head toward the ceiling. "Mick?" Dwayne asked. I was about to grab a nurse when I saw a tear fall from his eye.

"Dammit Mathew," he whispered sadly, opening his eyes. "Why? He knows what that sick motherfucker is capable of and he hangs himself out there to dry. Why?"

"Guilt." I say. "He feels guilty about what happened."

Mick shook his head. "Does Collette know?"

"She knows he was kidnapped, but she doesn’t know he set himself up."

"Then for the love of God Shane don’t tell her. I think of the three boys, Collette was the closest to Matthew. I think it’s because he reminded her so much of her younger brother." He looks at me. "Do the Laurers know?"

I nod. "Stephanie told them. James wants to come up here and kill Hunter himself."

"He’ll be in back of a very long line." Mick says.

"Mick we didn’t mean to dump all this on you…" Dwayne started.

"So you think keeping me in the dark would be better? Making me think Matt was all right when that sadistic piece of shit could be doing God know what to him. Say they find everyone and brings them home, how were you going to explain Matt’s condition because if I know Helmsley, Matt will not be in the same condition he was when Hunter got him."

It was a thought I had as well.

"It’s not that we were trying to hide things Mick," Dwayne said. "But after everything that’s been going on-"

"Oh don’t give me that "after every thing that’s been going on" crap Dwayne. I don’t care if I’ve had heart surgery or was laying in a coma, I want to know what the hell’s been going on no matter what. Damnit these are my children we’re talking about here. Not to mention yours Dwayne, and Chris and Stephanie’s. I want to know what the fucking hell is going on no matter how bad things are. If I didn’t bust either of you about Matt, how long would you have kept lying to me? And what if it turned out Hunter had killed either Matt or Adam, would you have lied to me then, or even if it were CJ, or Christina or even Dewey and Noelle or hell even if it were little Logan, what pack of lies would the two of you had to come up with to keep me from getting upset?"

"Mr. Foley?"

The three of us looked in the direction of the doorway where a nurse stood looking at Mick in concern.

"It’s all right Sandra," Mick assured her. "I’m all right."

"Are you sure?"

"I’m fine. Sorry to worry you."

The nurse leaves us alone.

"Damn heart monitor," he gripes. "I fart and the nurses are running in here."

"Mick we’re sorry-"

"I know you are Shane, but for God’s sake, haven’t you seen first hand what keeping things from people can do to them. It’s like I’ve tried to tell Matt over and over again, especially after the stroke; no matter how bad you might think the reaction’s going to be, the longer you keep things from people the worse things are going to get. I think what’s been going on has been a perfect example."

Dwayne and I say nothing.

"Well sermon time’s over boys," he says with a chuckle. "Just keep me posted on things okay?"

We agree to before we change the subject to something more pleasant, hoping to take our minds off things for a while, though our thoughts were never far from the situation.

(Matt)

I open my eyes slowly, my brain still feeling fuzzy.

After eating the lunch Robert had brought in, I felt drowsy enough to think I could get some rest before having to deal with Hunter again.

But that wouldn’t be the case.

Looking around, my brain has now figured out that I’m back in the dungeon and that I’m restrained to the dangling wrist cuffs again.

"I hate it when people keep things from me."

I follow Hunter’s voice and find him standing over at the table where he’d had the whips yesterday, he was propped against it with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"I especially hate it when they keep little plots away from me."

My fuzzy brain didn’t know what he was rambling about.

"You see Matthew, there’s a camera in your room and I watched you and Adam earlier. My one regret was I didn’t have any audio equipment in there so I could hear what you two are up to. Oh I’m sure you’re thinking, ‘what could he possibly be talking about?’ Well, although I couldn’t hear what you were talking about I could tell your facial expressions and body language that you and my son are up to something and that something has to do with getting back at me and playing the heroes so you can get the kids out of here and maybe even find little Logan. Well Matthew, I hate to be the one to tell you that your little plan has gone up in smoke."

What?

"See before I allowed Adam to see CJ and the kids I made him tell me what you were up to and frankly little brother I’m quite impressed with you. You’re just like your mother, a lot smarter than I gave you credit for."

I had to blink. There was no way Adam would’ve told him what we were up to…

"But there’s only one problem with being so smart," he reached behind him and it was the first time I saw the thick ranch hand gloves, "and that there’s someone a bit smarter than you are."

If I wasn’t awake before I was now when I saw what he was pulling out from behind him. It was a Singapore cane, like I’d used in many a match but this one had barbed wire on it, or at least it thought it had when – as he came closer – in fact it had razor wire wrapped around it, the kind you see on prison fencing. "And there’s someone always sicker than you are too," he said as he walked closer to me, the razor’s edges gleaming in the light of the room.

Oh God, this is it. He’s going to kill me.

He must’ve seen the look on my face because he gave me another of his damned smirks. "Scary looking isn’t it? I thought so when Robert fixed it up for me. He told me I should wear these gloves when I used it and after handling it for a while I found out why. These things are sharp little fuckers Matt. I’ve already gouged myself a couple of times already from handling it just to see how much damage this could inflict." He paused in front of me. "And according to Douglas, they could do quite a lot of damage."

"Who?" I ask stupidly, unable to take my eyes off the cane.

"No one important. He’s not living anymore anyways, but he made a very good practice dummy for what I’m going to do to you if you don’t confirm what Adam told me." He reached out a gloved hand to touch my battered face. "And it’d be a shame if I did have to use this to scar up such a beautiful face and body like yours. I mean if Adam was repulsed after what I did to you yesterday, I can only imagine how he’d feel when he sees you after I use this little gadget on you." He holds it to my face so I could feel the cold of the metal on my cheek. "Just one quick stroke either way and you can kiss your cheek goodbye."

I was shaking like hell and hating myself for it.

He moves the cane away from me and wraps his arm around my waist. "Tell me. What are you and Adam up to?"

"If Adam already told you then why are you asking me?"

"Just to confirm what he said."

"What did he say?"

He said nothing, which made me believe he was bluffing. "You tell me."

"If he already told you then why should I?"

"Let’s not play this round robin game Matthew. What are you and Adam up to?"

"Nothing."

"Liar and you know how I hated it when you lied to me as a child. This is no different. Now, tell me."

"No." I shook my head.

He nodded and walked away from me. "Well then." He turned to look at me. "We’ll do this your way."

(Adam)

I was in the middle of helping CJ and Dewey build a castle out of the blocks that were up here when I heard the sickening scream.

"What was that?" Noelle asked nervously holding the little doll we found here close to her.

No, dear God don’t let it be…

When it came again I felt my heart leap into my throat and Christina threw herself into my arms.

"We heard that the other day." CJ said.

I give Christina a kiss and handed her off to my little brother. "All of you stay here."

I run out of the attic as I hear Matt scream again. I grab the knob and find it locked.

The son of a bitch!

"Matt!" I begin pounding on the door. "Matt!"

Another bloodcurdling scream.

"You son of a bitch!" I scream. "Leave him alone!"

I shake the doorknob again, but there’s no give. I whirl around trying to find something, anything to break the door down.

"Adam?"

I look at the door to see CJ standing there. "Get back upstairs, CJ." Damn there has to be something here…

"Was that Matt?" he asked, his voice tremoring with fear.

"CJ please. Go back up stairs with the girls and Dewey." He was still standing there as I looked around. "Damnit CJ! Go back up to the attic now!"

He does running up the stairs just as another scream tears through my head. My God what the fuck is Hunter doing to him?

"Hunter!" I scream pounding on the door. "Damn you, you son of a bitch! Leave him alone!"

I back away from the door, my head spinning and I’m having trouble breathing. Jesus Christ what the hell is he doing to Matt?

I try kicking the door, ignoring the fact that it opens inward. As I kick it for the fifth time, I lose my balance and fall backward hitting my head on the trunk at the foot of the bed hard enough to knock myself out, Matt’s scream the last thing I hear before I black out.

(Shane)

Dwayne and I finally got home and after dinner I showed Stephanie the address book, the summer house listing specifically.

We were sitting in the dining room – Stephanie, Chris, Collette, Dwayne and me waiting in anticipation as Stephanie looked over the book.

"I’m sorry Shane but the only summer home they had was the one in Martha’s Vineyard. That’s the one this number is for."

"We could call the Massachusetts State Police and see if they could check it out." Chris offered.

"Yeah but wouldn’t we need Matt’s permission?"

"In this case I think they’ll make an exception." Chris got up and went into the kitchen to make the phone call."

"I don’t think he’d be there," Stephanie said.

"Why?"

"I just have the feeling that he’s close. That he’s playing this sick game by making us think that he’s far away but for all we know he could be right here in town."

Yeah that would sound like Hunter.

"Well they said they’ll send someone out there," Chris said when he walked back into the room.

"I hate to tell you guys this but Mick knows about Matt." I said.

Collette glared at me. "How?"

"He forced it out of us." Dwayne said.

"Dammit guys," she sighed.

"We didn’t have a choice, Collette." I reply. "He could tell we were trying to keep things from him."

"The boys," she shook her head. "No matter how hard they tried they couldn’t keep things from us for too long. Though Matthew always managed to succeed for a while."

The phone rang and all of us looked at each other. Surely the Troopers couldn’t have gotten there already?

"I’ll get it." Stephanie said getting up.

We sit in silence for a few minutes.

"Oh hi daddy." I hear her say.

Great. All we need is Vince getting into this as well.

"We’re holding up as well as can be expected. I know. That’s what I’m hoping. Shane?"

I look at her and shake my head. I was in no mood for another snipe fest with Vince.

"Yeah he’s here. Hold on." She held out the phone. "Dad wants to talk to you."

"Well I don’t want to talk to him." I whisper loudly.

"Shane please?"

Irritated, I get up and take the phone from her. "Hello?" I said in my let’s-keep-this-short voice.

"Shane how’re you doing?"

Well my husband has been kidnapped by his sociopathic half brother but I’m doing quite well. "Fine."

"I imagine thing are pretty tense there right now."

No? Really? What was your first clue? "Yeah it is." Damnit Vince get off the phone.

"I heard about Matt. I’m sorry."

Christ Dad, he isn’t dead yet, though I’m sure you wish he were as some form of punishment for my being a faggot. "Thank you."

"Your mother and I have been thinking of you and your sister."

Mom I’d believe, but not you. At least not thinking of me anyways. "Thank you." What else could I say?

"Listen Shane-"

"Uh Dad, I have to go. We have to keep the lines clear in case the police try and call here with news. We can talk later."

"Sure." He sounded hurt, but then again he knew how to work the guilt trip so well I wonder if he should open his own franchise as an agent, but I wasn’t weakening. Not for him. "Well here’s your mother."

I heard some murmurs in the background as the phone was being passed between them. "Shane?"

"Hi Mom."

"Hi honey. How are you holding up?"

"As well as I can. As well as we all can."

"Well hang in there sweetheart. I know everyone’ll be home eventually."

Yeah, but in what condition? "Thanks Mom."

"Could you put Stephie on for a moment?"

"Sure."

"Shane?"

"Yeah Mom?"

"Your father does love you. So do I."

"Love you too Mom."

I motion for Steph to get the phone before I head outside, needing some air.

I don’t know why he even tries. I don’t even know why I try either.

For years the legend of Vincent K McMahon being a ladies man and a rugged individual was drilled into my head until I thought my brain would turn to goo and seep out of the hole in my head. I did everything I could to please the man but no such luck. My grades were never good enough, my friends weren’t of the right class, and my interests didn’t warrant merit since I was being groomed to run the company. I’ll let you in on a little secret that only Matt knows; until Vince turned me into a corporate drone, I wanted to draw. It didn’t matter what medium I wanted to work in – whether it was comic book, or illustration or even advertising, I just like the feel of a pencil in my hand and watching as what was in my head came out on the paper exactly as I had thought of it. There would be times after we got married when I picked up a pencil and drew pictures of my favorite subject; Matt. Usually it’d be while he was sleeping or when I knew he wasn’t watching. I showed him one of the pictures I’d done of him – after he told me I made him look better than he was – he told me I should give up working for Vince and work on becoming a graphic designer or something else, but as much as I loved his support, all the shit drilled into my head by Vince won out and I just drew as a hobby or when a conference call got too boring.

But what really tore things between us was when I told him I was gay. Christ you think I sold the company to Ted Turner as furious as he got.

"There’s no fucking way there’s going to be a fag in this family!" I could hear his voice in my head even after all this time. "For God sake Shane, if I wanted another daughter I would’ve cloned Stephanie! It was all your mother’s doing letting you take those art classes."

Hate to tell you Vince, but the art classes had nothing to do with it, but wanting some approval from someone did. Approval I wished you lavished on me as much as you did Stephanie. In the fifteen or so minutes it took for whomever I was fucking at the time to do the job, I had their approval, their undivided attention. Hell when Hunter first took an interest in me I couldn’t have been happier that was until he took advantage of my hero worship and used it against me.

I sigh, coughing a little at inhaling some of the cool night air. I remember when Matt told me about Vince thanking him for ‘saving’ me, I knew the old master was at work, manipulating people to come off looking better than he really was. I tell you my old man is a one-man spin factory. No matter how deep the shit he was in was, he always knew how to turn the shit into gold.

Christ why am I even giving Vince another thought? Especially now since I had my own company now. A company that seemed to be running fine without me around, which was a good thing – as DDP would say. There’d be times since this crap started that I’d be called to discuss some business decision or talk to promoters to let us wrestle in their buildings, but other than that Kevin seemed to be handling things quite well. Maybe when this is all over with and we get everyone home safe, he wouldn’t mind running things a little longer for me and Matt to have another honeymoon. Wherever he wanted to go.

"Shane?"

I look over my shoulder as Stephanie walks out onto the porch and sits on the steps next to me.

"Mom and Dad both send their best."

I don’t say anything, knowing Vince could give a damn.

"Shane? Why do you hate daddy so much?"

"If you have to ask then don’t bother."

"Shane." She pushes back a strand of hair. "I know daddy was pretty harsh on you growing up but-"

"But when he found out I was gay then things went from bad to worse."

She sighs. "You know you hurt him pretty bad on the phone. Rushing the call like that."

"I just don’t want to talk to him unless it’s work related." And even then I try and pass him off to my secretary or someone else who knew how to handle him.

"You know this whole thing has made me realize how important my family is. And yes that includes Dad."

"I know how important Matt is to me."

"Shane, can’t you cut daddy a little slack? I mean," she sighs again. "He’s trying to understand."

"Right." I say dully.

"Shane…"

"Listen sis, I’ve got too much on my mind to worry about the great Vincent K McMahon’s feelings because God knows he never cared about mine."

"Shane…"

"Steph. I don’t want to talk about him. Not while my husband and everyone else is God knows where having God knows what done to them."

"We will have to talk about this eventually." She gets up. "You know daddy’s not going to be around forever and the longer you keep pushing him away the less chance you’ll have of making things right with him."

I say nothing, wondering if Matt will have the chance to make things right when this was over with.

(Adam)

"Adam…"

A tiny voice drifts into my head.

"Is he dead?"

"Noelle!"

I open my eyes slowly and see four little heads looking down at me.

"Adam? Are you okay?"

It takes a minute or two for my eyes to focus enough to make out who’s talking to me.

"Adam?"

I look around me and see the kids; CJ and Christina to my left and Dewey and Noelle to my right. I feel something soft under my head and reach to find that it’s a pillow. Noelle waves her hand in front of my face. "Maybe he’s blind and he can’t see us?"

"Noelle!" I hear my little brother scold.

"I’m okay guys," I finally speak. "And no Noelle, I’m not blind."

"The screaming stopped." CJ tells me.

Screaming…oh God Matt!

I sit up but drop back on the pillow as a major wave of dizziness hits me. "Has anyone been in here?"

They shook their heads. "And it’s past dinner time," Dewey says.

"I’m hungry." Christina says.

"I know honey." I tell her. "I know."

Waiting for the room to stay still, I try to collect myself, the sound of Matt’s screaming still ringing in my ears and I silently pray he’s still alive.

"The man has Matt here too huh?" Dewey asked sadly.

"I’m afraid so guy."

"What was he doing to make him scream like that?" CJ asked.

"I don’t know." And to be honest I didn’t want to know.

"What does he want? Why is he hurting everyone like this?" CJ again.

"It’s like I told you. He wants to get back at me and Matt for what we did to him."

"But what did he do to you?" Noelle asked. "You said he was mean to you when you were small. What did he do?"

I didn’t want to tell them and give them the nightmares that Matt and I have had over the years, but I also knew they had every right to know what was going on. "Why don’t you guys have a seat and I’ll try to explain this as best I can."

They did as told.

"See, a long time ago, mine and Matt’s Mom had been killed in a fall off of a wrestling stage-"

"Like the ones you fight on?" Dewey asked.

"Yeah. Anyways, after our Mom died, our father took us to live with our grandparents but we weren’t exactly welcomed. In fact we were told we had to stay hidden out of sight so our father and grandfather hid us away in an attic much like this one, and while we were there…" I try to keep my composure, but damn if it didn’t start coming back to me. "While we were there, they did bad things to me and Matt, as well as your uncles Jeff and Christian. You’ve heard me and Matt mention them right?"

They nodded.

"Mommy even showed me some photos," Noelle chimed in. "Uncle Jeff had some funny hair."

I had to laugh. "Yeah he did but that was after we got out."

"What did they do?" Dewey asked.

"We got punished for things we didn’t do and…" I shook my head. "It was just a mess all the way around. Anyways, we got out of the attic and we got back at him and now he’s getting back at us."

CJ looked confused for a second. "That man. He’s not your father is he?"

God I wish he weren’t. "I’m afraid so honey."

"But how can we be brothers if that man is your father?"

I try to keep my composure. "Because CJ…he’s your father too." I look at him and damned if his little face didn’t darken right then and there.

"No," he said his voice serious. "He is not my father."

"CJ…" I try sitting up again.

"NO!" he shouts. "No! That man is not my father! He’s not! My father loves me! He wouldn’t do something like this! He wouldn’t hurt you and Matt like that man’s doing!"

"CJ…" I try and reach for him but he moves away from me.

"No Adam! You’re lying! He’s not my daddy! He’s not!"

"How can he be CJ’s daddy?" Dewey asked.

"He’s not!" CJ screamed.

"Remember when I told you your mommy was married to him when we got back at him? Well she was pregnant with you at the time."

"So? She could’ve been with my real daddy at the time."

God I wished that were so true. "I’m sorry." And I was. This wasn’t the way I wanted him to find out and I know that once we get out of here Stephanie and Chris will have my ass for this, but he wanted to know.

"You’re lying!" he screams before pummeling me with his fists.

"CJ!" I try to cover myself, because despite his size he can hit pretty damn hard.

"You’re lying! You’re lying! You’re lying!"

I finally grab his wrists. "Damnit CJ! Calm down! I know you don’t want to hear it but it’s the truth!"

My heart breaks as his little face crumples before he falls into my arms and sobs his little heart out.

"Adam?"

I look at Christina. "What honey?"

"Is that man my daddy too?"

"No honey. He’s not."

"Then she’s not my sister is she?" CJ sobbed.

"Yes she is." I assure him. "You just have different daddies. Like Matt and me. We have different daddies but we have the same mommy." I pull him back. "And I know you don’t want to know this, but we have the same daddy, just different mommies."

"Sounds like some kids in my class." Noelle chimed. "Some of them have two or three daddies."

"Listen CJ. I didn’t want you to ever find out. Not like this, not ever." I wipe the tears from his eyes. "But we can make this work to our advantage. Remember when you told him, about that man threatening to hurt you?"

He nods, hiccupping back a sob.

"Well, after you told him that he punished that man. That’s why he hasn’t been around to bother Christina."

"So?"

‘So?’ Indeed. I sigh not sure what to say next.

"Maybe he can tell that man to leave you and Matt alone?" Dewey chimed. "Maybe even talk him into letting us go?"

Somehow that didn’t seem likely, but when I saw the look on CJ’s face I knew that’s what he was thinking. "Maybe he could." I say weakly. "But right now I have to find out how Matt is."

"Maybe he’s dead."

I try to keep from rolling my eyes. I knew once we were out of here, I was going to have a talk with Mick and Collette over Noelle’s morbid trains of thought, but for a second that was my greatest concern as well.

13

This was one of those times Hunter wished he had a VCR to play back what went on.

Alone in his office, he stared at the wall ahead of him, but it wasn’t the dark wood paneling he was seeing and it wasn’t the piece of classical music playing in the background that he was listening to.

No, he was seeing himself back in the dungeon lashing Matt with all he had, watching the little razors slice into his flesh and he was hearing the screams Matt let loose when the metal made contact.

God nothing sounded so good in his life.

And though the room was quite a distance from where the kids were held, he could hear Adam’s muffled screams as well.

All they had to do was tell me what they were up to, he thought taking a long slow sip of his brandy, and all this could’ve been avoided.

He set the glass down. Now came the hard part, figuring out how he was going to get CJ out of here and out of the country where he knew not even Vince’s influence would matter and what he was going to do with Matt’s body.

(Shane)

Another long sleepless night.

I tried to take naps, but the nightmares would come and wake me up. So now I just lie here on the bed in one of Chris and Stephanie’s guest rooms and look up at the ceiling hoping I can get some sleep knowing full well I was going to be of no use to anyone if I drop from exhaustion, but after having Matt to curl up against for so long it seems like I’m going through withdrawal.

I close my eyes and think of how he’d be asleep when I’d make it to the hotel room after a long night talking with promoters and with some of the boys. I’d stand by the bed and just watch him, totally unable to take my eyes off him. His black hair would fan out around his shoulders, as if wanting me to touch it and push it aside and his lips would be parted as though unconsciously begging me to kiss him. His deep even breathing would cause his t-shirt to raise and lower offering me teasing glances at the smooth skin underneath and the legs of his sweatpants always seemed to ride up allowing me to gaze at his legs which would poke out from under the covers.

Sometimes I wouldn’t bother getting undressed, wanting nothing more than to just feel him against me and other times I’d be afraid to get into bed with him for fear of waking him and disturbing what precious little sleep he’d get, free from nightmares and other disturbances.

And now…now I’m afraid I’ll never experience that ever again.

Opening my eyes in frustration, I sit up. Damnit McMahon, don’t think like that. Matt will be coming home and no matter what you might go through afterwards, you’ll be there for him. "For better or worse", remember?

I turn the light on in my room and notice the bundle of papers I stole out of Pat’s house sticking out of my jacket pocket. Well since I won’t be getting any sleep might as well go through them. I get out of bed and taking them out, I sit in the corner chair and turn on the light next to it. With a heavy sigh I unfold them and go through them. They look like some kind of land contracts, then when I move the first one out of the way, there’s something that looks like a drawing of a house underneath. The third is another contract, this time awarding the okay to build the house in the drawing on the land the first contract mentioned.

Curious, I go through them more carefully.

The land was in Connecticut, Greenwich to be exact, and the house, a three story Victorian, was built there in nineteen sixty-seven at the behest of Lillian Helmsley, who’d wanted a summer home in Connecticut.

Hunter’s mother.

Taking the papers over to the desk where my laptop sat, I go online and after some searching I find the house was built but had been deserted for quite sometime, Lillian having sold it to one of her family members who passed shortly after the purchase and had been sold to someone outside the family throughout the seventies, eighties and early nineties when the last resident listed was back in ninety-five. Another search gave me an address and a photo of the house, which according to the listing was still unoccupied.

I look at the address and think of what Stephanie said about Hunter possibly being in town and then the adrenaline starts kicking in. Hunter may not be in town but he was close enough.

Close enough to nail him.

(Adam)

I lay on the bed that Dewey and CJ share, their having offered to put me up for the night.

There’d been no sign of anyone since I was locked in here with the kids and my worry about Matt was intensifying by the second.

Was he alive? Was he dead? What the hell had Hunter done to him?

I’d get my answer soon enough.

(Shane)

"Son of a bitch," Dwayne whispers as he reads the paperwork I gave him. "He’s had them near here the entire time."

We’re in his room. I’m fully dressed and ready to go, having printed out the address and the photo of the house.

"Well? Are you with me on this?"

He looks at me. "Shouldn’t we tell the others?"

"And get their hopes up?" I shook my head. "No, we’ll call them after we kill the son of a bitch."

"Well don’t do it before we find out where Logan is."

"Are you with me?"

He looks at me. "Let’s go."

(Adam)

I heard the clicking of the lock tumblers, but I thought I was dreaming it having heard the sound so many times in my life.

Before I knew what was happening I felt the prick of a needle on the side of my neck and though it woke me up for a second, it sent me back into the darkness it brought me from, but before I totally drifted off I heard Hunter’s voice, "Now for the others."

(Shane)

Sneaking out of the house as quietly as we could, Dwayne and I, both packing guns, made our way to my car and releasing the emergency brake, we pushed the car to the corner before getting in and starting it up as to not wake everyone and tip them off to our doing a little "hunting".

Hunter helped Robert place CJ and Adam in the car’s trunk. His original plan was to just take CJ but knowing how much affection there still was between his eldest son and Matthew, he knew this would be a perfect set up for what he’d planned to do next.

This was all so last minute, but when one of his plants had called him and told him that Shane and Dwayne had left the house, he knew they must’ve found the papers he’d planted in the old man’s cigar case and were possibly on their way here. He looked back at the house, where the other children were fast asleep and Matthew…

Too bad it’ll be too late by the time they got here, he thought a cruel smirk stretching his lips as Robert handed him the car keys. "You know what to do now?"

"The gas cans are ready to be poured."

"Then do it and get out of here. The police catch you, deny everything." Hunter got into the car and started it. He watched as Robert walked back into the house, which had been commissioned by his mother decades ago and had been totally forgotten about until he’d found it during one of his Internet sessions while in prison, knowing that this had made a perfect hideout for what he had planned.

He was tempted to wait until the first licks of fire could be seen, but knowing that McMahon and Johnson were on their way here, he put the car into drive and peeled out of there to his next destination, wishing he could see the look on their faces when they saw the soon to be blazing spectacle awaiting them.

(Shane)

I kept looking in the rearview mirror hoping to God there were no state troopers out here now as I gently pressed the pedal down sending the car into a speed higher than what was allowed by law. I glanced over at Dwayne who was checking out the Glock he’d carried with him, unbeknownst to anyone, before tucking it into his coat pocket and checking the map to make sure we were heading in the right direction.

I was nervous as hell, and had a bad feeling about this whole thing, but I shoved those feelings aside, desperate to get to the house before something happened.

Dewey was the first to smell the smoke.

At first he thought, he was dreaming it, but it got stronger.

He turned to wake Adam and CJ and found they weren’t in bed. He got out of bed and went to the bathroom and then checked the attic to see if they’d gone up there, but he didn’t see no sign of them anywhere.

And the smoke smell was getting stronger.

Back in the bedroom he roused his twin and Christina. "Come on guys," he shook them hard. "Wake up."

"What is it Dewey?" Noelle said before sniffing. "Is that smoke?"

Dewey nodded.

"Where are CJ and Adam?" Christina asked.

"I don’t know. They’re not in the attic or the bathroom."

Getting their robes and slippers on, they went for the door, but when Dewey reached out to touch it, he jerked his hand back. "It’s hot."

They began pounding the door. "Matt! Adam! Let us out of here!"

(Matt)

I dreamt that I was in hell.

The dream was so vivid that I could smell the smoke and feel the heat of the flames.

I tried to open my eyes, but they were watering so bad I couldn’t see where I was and I tried to take deep breaths and wound up choking on the smoke invading my lungs.

My God, I thought as laid my head back down again, thinking of the other hell Hunter put me through. Hunter finally did it.

He finally killed me.

(Shane)

"What the hell?"

Being as careful as possible on this unfamiliar road, I stop the car at Dwayne’s question.

Through the trees in front of us, we could see light gray smoke billowing up into the air.

Continuing on and turning on the road Dwayne told me to turn on, we watched in shock and horror as the house we were looking for was now in flames.

"Oh my God!" I breathed as I turned the car off and got out Dwayne not too far behind.

"Adam!" Dwayne screamed as he started for the door in time to see someone run out of the back. I shouted at Dwayne to call the fire department and ran after the shadowy figure, who had the advantage of knowing the territory though he was never far from my line of vision and when I got close enough, I jumped and tackled him to the ground.

Some blows were exchanged but I managed to get him worse than he got me. I turned him over and was in shock when I saw who it was.

Dewey grabbed one of the chairs from the dining table and with as much strength as he, Noelle, and Christina could muster, threw the chair into the window, breaking it on contact. Cleaning the glass from the bottom of the window, Dewey looked down and saw the drop to the ground was higher than he thought.

(Shane)

"It’s too late McMahon." Robert hissed at me. "None of those people in the house are alive."

"Where’s Matt? Is he in there too?"

"They’re dead Shane. All dead."

The sound of breaking glass and a trio of voices screaming "HELP!" distracted me enough to allow Robert to shove me off him and make another run for it. Ignoring him, I run back to the house. I look to see where the glass had been broken and saw Dewey hanging over the edge of the window.

"Dewey!" I shout.

"Shane! Get us out of here!"

"Hang on!" I shout back the same time Dwayne comes out to join me. "They on their way?"

"Yeah." Dwayne said before looking up.

"The kids are up there. Go and get the blanket out of the car."

He does as told quickly.

"Shane!"

"Don’t worry Noelle! We’re going to get you out of there, but you’re going to have to jump out the window okay?"

"I’m scared."

"I know you are honey but you have to do it." I say as Dwayne returns with the blanket. We unfold it and stretch it out. "Come on!"

Noelle and Dewey disappear for a minute which wasn’t helping my nerves any until I saw them coaxing Christina out onto the little alcove outside their window.

"Come on Tina," I say. "It’s just like jumping onto a trampoline."

"I’m scared!" she sobbed.

"I know honey, but you’ve got to do it." Dwayne says.

"Wait a minute." I heard Dewey shout before he and Noelle clambered out precariously. Both of them taking a side next to Christina. "Remember when we jumped from that branch and went into the pile of leaves," I heard him say to her.

She nodded.

"Well that’s what Shane and Dwayne want us to do Tina. So pretend we’re diving into a pile of leaves okay?"

She nods before closing her eyes.

"Okay guys," Dwayne says as we tighten the blanket. "All together on the count of three. One! Two! Three!"

With three screams, they jumped off the alcove and landed at once on the blanket pulling me and Dwayne onto to the ground with them. "You guys okay?" I asked.

"Uh-huh." They all said.

"Where are Adam and CJ?"

"We don’t know. They were gone when we woke up." Noelle spoke.

"But Matt’s in there." Christina said. "He was screaming really bad earlier."

"Where is he?"

"Second floor."

"Stay with them," I order Dwayne as I toss my gun to him and made a run for that back porch door.

"Shane!" he shouted. "Shane don’t go in there!"

But I didn’t hear him as I went inside, nearly choking on the smoke, which assaults me as I enter through the kitchen area. My eyes watering and my breathing restricted, I make my way trying to find the stairwell. Finding it I head upstairs, hoping I can find Matt before it was too late.

"Matt!" I scream between coughs. "Matt where are you?"

Nothing. No sounds other than the roar and the snapping of the fire.

"Matt!" I walk down the hall trying every door I could to find the room where he was in, door after door revealing nothing but disappointment before I reached a door at the end of the hallway which was locked. "Matt!" I shout pounding on the door. "Matt say something!"

Not hearing anything, I step back and begin kicking the door in, splintering with every kick until it finally opened. I stumble in and see a figure on the bed. "Matt?" I approach with caution, my head spinning and my legs wobbling as I walked over and nearly became sick at the sight in front of me.

"My God… Matt?" I whisper before the heat, the smoke and the exhaustion finally claimed me and sent me into darkness.

14

(Adam)

"No!" I gasp as I sit up in bed, thinking I’d heard Matt screaming again. Getting my breath back, I look around and find myself in another room, this one with terra cotta painted walls and more furniture than the one I’d been in before.

Another surprise was there were no restraints on my wrists and ankles. I even checked my neck to make sure there wasn’t a dog collar there.

Where the hell am I?

"Comfortable?"

I look around wondering where the hell Hunter’s voice came from.

"Look at the ceiling."

I do and there’s a speaker there.

"Where am I?" I shout. "Where are Matt and the kids?" I really didn’t think he could hear me.

"CJ’s in his own room and well…there’s been an accident as far as Matt and the other children go."

"What do you mean an ‘accident’?"

The television in my room comes on by itself and I see a house burnt to the ground.

"Sad to say there were no survivors."

The realization begins to come over me. "That was where you held us?"

"Yes."

"You torched it? With everyone inside?"

"Couldn’t leave any witnesses and besides, Matthew was dead anyways."

Matt…

"No," I whisper, my stomach tying itself in knots, as I didn’t want to believe what I was hearing.

"Afraid so. Guess he wasn’t as extreme as everyone thought he was."

"You’re lying."

"What do want? A body? Because believe me Adam, there wasn’t much of one left when I got done with him."

I curled up into a ball hugging my knees. "You’re lying, he’s not dead."

"All you had to do was tell me what you two were up to and I wouldn’t have done what I did and killed him."

"We weren’t up to anything." I try to keep my emotions in control.

"You know Matthew told me the same thing and I’m telling you what I told him, I don’t like it when you lie to me." A pause. "Oh well, it’s done and over with now. He’s gone, the brats are gone and you, CJ and I are like one big happy family."

I know I should do something; scream, throw things, but I don’t. Maybe because I’m in shock or maybe it’s for another reason all together.

"And just so you know, the windows are shatter proof and locked, and the door is locked as well."

Why am I not surprised?

I wait for him to say more but after five minutes has passed I figure he’s gone off or was just watching my reaction.

I can’t explain it but I know Matt’s not dead. When you’ve been together as long and as intimate as we were, you’d know what the other was feeling no matter how far apart we were. Like the night Hunter tried to rape Matt in his hotel room, while Dwayne and I were in Reno, I had this feeling something was wrong. I know Matt’s mentioned something about a ‘sixth sense’ and he’s right. If he were dead, I would feel it.

And right now, I don’t feel anything.

(Shane)

I tore through the halls of the house, the fires blazing and smoke billowing.

I knew I had to find Matt before it was too late.

Going into door after door I found him in a room at the end of the hallway. I’d kicked in the door and fond him laying there unconscious on a bed, but when I reached him, I saw the bed he was on was drenched in blood and when I touched him, his skin was cold, despite the fire around us.

Stone cold…the cold of death…

"Matt!" I scream without realizing it. "Matt!"

"Shane! Shane honey wake up! Wake up!"

I open my eyes at being woken up and find the room I had been in disappeared and was replace by another, this one brighter and smoke free. As I try to figure out where I am, I look to the source of the voice that woke me up, and I see my mother standing next to me, tears brimming in her eyes. "Mom?"

She hugged me tighter than I thought possible. I returned the hug before pulling away.

"Thank God you’re okay sweetheart," she whispered her voice choked with tears.

"Where am I at?"

"You’re at the hospital sweetheart. The firemen found you and Matt and brought you in."

Matt…

"Where is he? Is he…?" I didn’t want to even ask.

"He’s in intensive care honey. I don’t know what in God’s name Hunter did to him but…" she shook her head. "I don’t know how he survived such a thing."

I threw the covers off, not caring I was only wearing a standard hospital gown. "I want to see him."

"Shane honey-"

"Mom, I need to see him."

"Honey no one can see him for the next twenty four hours. He’s had to have a massive amount of stitches and they have to keep him calm."

Stitches? I try to recall how I saw him when I’d found him and before I passed out. I could vaguely remember seeing ugly cuts on him but…

The door opened and the last person I felt like dealing with walked in with Stephanie. "Shane!" Stephanie walked over and gave me a hug. "Are you all right?"

"I’m fine, but how are the kids?"

"They’re fine. They have some traces of arsenic in their system and they’re a little undernourished but they’re going to be fine. Chris is getting them some ice cream."

"Hunter still has CJ?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Noelle told us about Hunter coming into the room and taking Adam and CJ out of the room."

I sighed.

"What have you heard about Matt? Mom told me some things but-"

"He’s really bad son," Vince finally spoke. "I don’t know what the hell Hunter used on him but his skin is so sliced up that he lost a lot of blood. Not to mention the smoke inhalation and some minor burns."

"Sliced?" I wasn’t sure if I’d heard him correctly.

He nodded.

Oh God.

"I need to see him." I say weakly.

"I know you do son," Vince says, "but they’re not letting anyone see him right now for the next twenty four hours. If he makes it that long."

The tone in which he says that makes my anger flare up. I glare at him. "You’d love that wouldn’t you?"

"What?" he looked surprised.

"Don’t fucking stand there and act innocent. You want Matt to die don’t you?"

"Shane…" Stephanie cautioned.

But I didn’t hear her. "Yeah, you’d love to have Matt die as some kind of punishment because I didn’t turn out to be some pussy chasing macho he-man like you."

"Shane!" My mother said.

"You know it’s a damn shame that Mick Foley has been more of a father to me than you ever have." I say not caring.

"Now Shane-" he starts.

"Don’t," I tell him. "Don’t pretend you care. Not now. It’s too fucking late Vince. I have done everything I could to even get you to acknowledge my presence half the damn time and what do I get for my efforts? Not a goddamned thing. You know how many scholarships I turned down because of you. And they weren’t all for art schools either. I got a couple for football and soccer, but no, you predetermined me to be your goddamned heir so heaven forbid if I ever wanted a life of my own away from the one you so perfectly planned. Why do you think I wanted WCW so damned badly? Because I wanted to prove that I could do something without you criticizing me every step of the damned way the did when I was growing up. ‘These grades aren’t good enough Shane’," I mimicked his voice. "You’ve got to do better than an a-minus Shane’," I snort. "God forbid I should be less than a goddamned straight-A plus student."

"Shane that’s enough," Mom said.

I had to laugh bitterly. "And then you wanted to go and give Hunter WCW and cut me out of the business and out of the family. Just give me a nice little trust fund, pat me on the head and kick me to the curb. Tell me Vince, would you have been so damned generous if you’d know that every weekend I went to visit Steph that Hunter would rape me while she was sleeping?"

"He what?" Stephanie and Vince said at once.

"Yeah. He made sure he slipped something into Stephanie’s tea and when he was sure she was out like a light, he’d come in my room." I shrugged. "But knowing you Vince, you probably think that I did something to provoke him since I was such a little fag to begin with. Hell, I bet you even blame Matt and Adam for everything that’s gone on in their lives because of him."

"That’s enough Shane." Mom cautioned.

"You want to know why I never told you about it Mom?" I turn on her. "Because every time I tried to talk about anything unpleasant you’d say ‘that’s enough Shane’ and that’s that. Sometimes you’re as bad as Vince."

"I’m going to disregard what you just said because I know you’re not yourself right now."

"What am I Mom? Huh? What the hell am I that would make you say that?" I sighed, my head pounding. "What’s the point? I never could talk to either of you about anything and I’ll be damned if that’s ever going to change now."

"Shane…"

"No, Mom. It’s too damned late and I’ve got other things on my mind, like worrying if my husband is going to make it through the night and what he might have to go through when he does, so if you don’t mind, I want to be alone right now."

I saw them all look at each other before Mom and Dad left, leaving me and Stephanie behind. "I’m sorry Shane. I didn’t know."

"I know you didn’t. I don’t blame you."

She gave me another hug. "Matt’s going to come out of this." she assured me. "He’s going to be fine."

I nodded wishing I could believe her.

Finally getting into some regular clothes, I left my room to go to Mick’s and see if he’d heard any more about Matt.

I was tempted to head over to the ICU but figuring the nurses wouldn’t let me see Matt, I figure I might as well be around friendly faces instead of laying in a hospital bed worrying. Entering the room, I see Mick and Collette with a twin; Dewey on the bed with his Dad and Noelle on her Mom’s lap. Both twins were asleep.

"Hey."

"Shane, hi. How’re you doing?" Mick asked.

"Okay, I should be out in another day or so."

"Listen, I wanted to thank you for getting the twins and Christina out of the house. If there’s anything we can do for you…"

"They got themselves out. Dwayne and I just held the blanket."

"How did you know where they were?"

I explained to Mick about heading over to the house in Greenwich and finding the papers.

"So Stephanie wasn’t too far off about him not being to far from here." He says.

"Yeah, but everyone thought he’d be at the other house. No one thought anything about looking into any other property his family might’ve had other than the house in Martha’s Vineyard. Now they’re checking all the other properties his family may have had. Even overseas."

"How’s Matthew?"

I start choking up at the sound of my husband’s name. "According to Vince and Mom, he’s in pretty bad shape."

Collette nodded. "I talked to the doctor. He’ll be fine Shane."

"Will he? If he’s as bad as everyone says he is, then how is he really going to be? I mean if the nightmares aren’t going to be bad enough then there’s going to be the physical reminders of what Hunter did to him, not to mention finding out that even after all he went through, Hunter still has Adam and CJ and we have no clue as to where he’s got Logan stashed."

"We’ll get them back."

"Will we? Hunter still knows people Mick. He’s proven that when he set this whole sick game up. For all we know we could never see Adam, CJ or Logan again and there’s not a damn thing we can do about it. Not to mention what’ll it do to Matt when he finds out." I try to keep my composure. "I mean Christ, he’s been through enough already and now this. To find out that what he went through was for nothing. God it’ll kill him unless he does it to himself first."

"Shane," Collette says. "Matt’s a lot stronger than you think he is."

"Oh really? I don’t know Collette, he’s peen pushed too damn far that I’m afraid what’s going to happen when he wakes up, in fact I wish he’d stay unconscious long enough until this was all over with. Maybe we’ve deluded ourselves in how ‘strong’ he really is." I sigh. "Listen I didn’t mean to bring everyone down, I just wanted to know if you’ve heard any more about him since you guys are his parents, the doctors might’ve told you more."

"All we know is that he’s not to have any outside visitors for the next twenty four hours so that he can remain calm. They might extend it to forty eight depending on how things go."

"How bad are his injuries?"

Collette sighed. "He’s going to be scarred up pretty bad. Whatever Hunter used on him did one hell of a nasty job on him. There was some internal damage but that was more due to the beatings than anything else. But as far as any nerve or tissue damage, they won’t know until he wakes up."

I nodded, letting out a breath. "So it’s a matter of wait and see?"

"It looks that way."

"Okay. I’ll let you guys get some rest."

"Well Mick won’t be getting too much, he’s going home this afternoon."

"That’s great." I tried to sound enthusiastic but my heart wasn’t in it.

"Yeah, but we’re going to stay with Chris and Stephanie until this is over with. They left a couple hours ago to get a room ready for the twins. We thought it’d be nice if the kids could hang out together."

"I remember when she and Chris bought the house, he thought eight bedrooms were a little much. I bet he’s glad for them now."

"So he’s said." Mick said.

"So what about the kids?"

"Well, there was enough arsenic in their system to make them sick but as long as they take the medicine the doctor gave them, then there shouldn’t be any long term effect on their health."

"Good. I’m glad."

"So when do you get out?"

"Tomorrow if nothing comes up, but I’m not going anywhere until I can see Matt."

"You know he’s going to need you." Collette says.

"And he’ll have me. As long as he doesn’t push me away. Even then he’s not getting rid of me that easy."

I say my goodbyes and head back to my room.

"Shane?"

Oh God not again…

I turn and see my father approach me as I wait for an elevator. He must’ve been here to see Mick. "Not now Vince."

"We should have a talk."

"I don’t want to talk right now. Besides, I thought I said all I felt I had to say earlier."

"You don’t want to hear my side of the story?"

I shook my head. "All I want to hear right now is a nurse telling me when I can see Matt."

"You know your mother and I have always wanted the best for you and your sister."

"Yeah and look at the winner you stuck her with for a first husband."

"If I’d know at the time what was going on, I wouldn’t have let Stephanie near him."

"No but all that mattered at the time was making sure she had a husband with the right social credentials. To hell with the fact that he was a murdering, child abusing, raping bastard."

"Why didn’t you tell us what was going on?"

"Like you would’ve believed me?"

"You never gave me the chance." Vince says.

"Because if it didn’t have anything to do with the business or concerned you personally you didn’t want to hear about it. Besides, why give you even more ammunition against my being gay than I already have."

"I know I reacted badly-"

"Badly? When you screamed at me about wanting to go to art school instead of Stanford University that was reacting badly. Calling me a faggot every chance you had, sometimes in front of people we didn’t even know, that was being fucking hateful. You want to know why I slept with all those guys? Because in the time I had them in bed with me, I had their undivided attention, I had their affection and for that fifteen or twenty minutes, I was someone they wanted to be with. Hell until you showed me that tape of Matt and Jeff wrestling, I’d given up all hope of even wanting to find someone who loved me for me and not because I could put in a good word for them with you. Even as smarmy as I was to him, Matt took a chance on me and I’ll be damned if I’m going to give up on him because you don’t approve of how I live my life."

"I never said you had to give up on him. It’s like I told Matt that night, I’m glad you found someone like him. Your mother and I had been so damned worried about your promiscuity that it was a relief when we heard about you and Matt. As far as giving Hunter WCW and kicking you out of the family, I never wanted to do that. I only did that because I wanted you to wake up and face the fact that if you weren’t careful then how you could lose everything without realizing it. I wasn’t out to punish you Shane. I was trying to save you from yourself."

"No you wanted to save me from being an even bigger embarrassment to you than I already was."

"Shane…"

By then the elevator door opened and I got in, not saying another word until the door closed. I know I come off sounding like a brat, but believe me, you haven’t had to live with Vince the way I have.

Getting to my floor, I’m almost knocked over by Dwayne.

"Hey," I said as I got off.

"Man we’ve been looking for you."

My heart just skipped a beat. "Why?"

"One of the ICU nurses said Matt’s been wanting to see you."

"Take me there."

(Adam)

This is way too much like the attic.

Bored out of my mind, I sit in the chair by the window and stare out of it, the way I used to when I couldn’t sleep. I could see we were somewhere near a beach but when I looked around, there was no sign of life anywhere near here. If I didn’t know better I’d swear this was the only house on earth.

Just the sort of place I’d like to be with Matt…

Damn…no matter what, my thoughts are never too far from him. I glance at the ring on my finger, which I’m surprised that Hunter has allowed me to continue wearing, and see it gleaming accusingly at me.

The door opens and I don’t even bother to see who it is.

"Like your new digs?"

"Where are we now?"

"Somewhere far enough where no one can find us." Hunter sits on the bed.

I look over at him and see the manila envelope in his hand. "What’s that?"

"A little present for you."

"Something sick and twisted I’m sure."

"Well you wanted proof of Matt’s passing…"

"He’s not dead." It was the only thought I had to keep me sane.

With a grin twisting his face, he holds the envelope out to me. "You look through these and tell me if he could’ve lived."

I froze, not sure I wanted to see what was inside.

"You can either keep calling me a liar or see for yourself that your precious uncle is dead and gone."

I take the envelope with hesitation and open them.

What was inside made me sick.

"You fucking bastard," I hiss, standing up. "You sick sadistic piece of shit."

"He had it coming."

I take a swing at him, but he moves out of the way, grabs my arm, twists it behind my back and throws me on the bed, pinning me underneath him. He grabs the photo from my hand and the forces me to look at the photo. "Look at it Adam, there’s no way in hell he could’ve survived that much blood loss."

I shut my eyes and try to force my food back down my stomach.

"He’s dead Adam. He can’t save your ass now. No one can."

"Okay say he is-"

"He is damnit!" Hunter hisses in my ear.

"Say he is, then why the hell are you insisting on keeping CJ and I prisoner like this? You got what you wanted."

"Not yet."

"What more do you want?" I shout.

"Do you have to ask?"

I cringe when he kisses me.

"What do you want?" I ask again.

"You as my whore for one, and CJ as my son."

"He won’t want anything to do with you."

"Oh really? Well when he finds out who I am to him-"

"He knows. I told him and he hates you."

"He’s young. That’ll change."

I had to chuckle at that. "No it won’t. Especially when he finds out you’ve killed Matt. He’ll never love you and neither will I."

"I don’t care if you love me or not. As long as you’re available for me to fuck, I don’t care how you feel, but if you’ve turned my son against me in any way, shape, form, or matter, I’ll make sure you join your beloved Mathew in hell." He got off me. "Dinner’ll be around seven. I expect you there."

I look at him oddly.

"Oh that’s right I never had a chance to tell you, we’re having our first family dinner together tonight in the dining room, but you better not get any ideas in your head or poor little Logan pays for it."

He shuts and locks the door behind him.

I lay there trying to get my head back and look at the turned over photo and despite my wariness, I turn it over, but for only a second unable to take looking at the horrific things Hunter did to him. I had to agree. There was no way Matt could’ve survived such psychotic abuse, but I know he’s not dead.

I hope he’s not.

(Shane)

After putting on the surgeon’s mask and gloves offered me, the nurse who sent for me took me to Matt’s bed.

"He’s been agitated for a while now. We had to restrain his hands so he didn’t tear at the bandages and his IV. Of course when we did that, it made him even more so, so the doctor thought you might be able to calm him down before we resorted to sedating him."

Matt’s bed was in the farthest room down from the other patients.

She paused me before we were to go in. "I should warn you Mr. McMahon, he’s been heavily bandaged because of the gashes on his body and his face is heavily bruised. I’ve seen some bad cases in my time, but so far this is the worst I’d ever seen in all my years nursing."

"How long can I have with him?"

"No more than ten minutes. I’ll have a nurse come get you when it’s time."

I nod before opening the door, nervous at what I might see.

He’s lying there so still I’m afraid to disturb him. When I think the nurse may have overreacted, I hear him whisper, "No, please, not again, no…"

I walk over to him.

I’d been warned about the bandages, but I wasn’t expecting this. His entire torso was wrapped in thick bandages, his arms – slightly burned in the fire by some of the ceiling that had fallen before I’d gotten there – were wrapped in thinner bandages and his wrists were in loose restraints. His face was so bruised I wondered if he’d ever look the same again and it was contorted in fear.

"Please… no more… I can’t…"

Shaking myself out of the vengeful thoughts I was having, I got as close as I could to him. "Matt?" I whisper, hoping he could hear and recognize my voice.

"No…no please…"

God he sounds so broken.

"Matt?" I raise my voice a little now. "Matt it’s Shane. Honey wake up."

But he doesn’t hear me, so deep in the hell his mind is in.

"Please stop…please no more…"

I reach out and touch his face as gingerly as I could, something that wakes him up in a panic.

"No!" he screams, sitting up. "No! Get away from me!"

"Matt!" I shout back. "Matt wake up! Wake up!"

He does or at least I think he does. He looks around the room, not seeing me near him, before looking down at his wrists. "No!" he whispers, trying to work his hands out of them. "Get them off me! Get them off me!" he shouts this last part.

Afraid of his reaction if a nurse or a doctor came in I took his head in my hands. "Matt! Matt look at me! Look at me!"

He does and for a second it looks like he doesn’t even know who I am. "Shane?"

I lower the mask the nurse gave me to wear. "It’s me, baby."

He looks around again. "Where am I?"

"The hospital."

It looks like he’s trying to remember something. "Where’s everyone?"

"Dewey, Noelle and Christina are with their parents. Hunter tried to torch the house with everyone in it, but Dwayne and I got there in time to get you guys out."

"What about Adam and CJ?"

This is where things get a little muddy. I want to tell him the truth, I mean isn’t that what everyone’s been ragging on him to do? But after what I’d seen of his behavior, I didn’t want to add to the suffering he’s been going through.

"He still has them?" he asks softly. "Doesn’t he?"

I nod despite myself.

"Son of a bitch."

I stroke his back, mindful of the bandage.

"I let him do whatever he wanted to do to me and he still has Adam and CJ."

"I’m sorry honey."

"Not half as sorry as I am." He looks at me again. "Why are you here?"

I blink at him. "Where else did you expect me to be?"

"I thought after what happened in Pittsburgh you’d want nothing to do with me again."

Pittsburgh…

There are sometimes I can’t get the image of Matt with Sanders out of my head, but now’s not the time to dredge that up, especially since I came so close to losing him for a second time.

"Let’s not think about that okay?" I wanted to change the subject.

"Could you get these off me?"

"When the nurse comes I’ll tell her to take them off. They only put them on because they were afraid you’d rip your bandages."

Instead of leaning back against the pillows, he leaned himself against me. "I’m sorry Shane." He whispers brokenly. "I’m sorry for everything."

"Shhh…" I stroke his hair. "The important thing is you’re here and you’re safe."

I move my hand to stroke his back again and as I do I feel a wet spot just below his left shoulder blade. I pull my hand back and see a light coating of blood on the glove’s fingers. "Matt, I’m going to have to call a nurse in here."

"Why?"

"I think some of your stitches came loose." I press the call button.

"I want to see."

"What?"

"I want to see what he did to me. When they change the bandages."

"Matt I don’t think that’s such a good idea."

"Please?" he looks at me. "Let it give me a reason to kill that bastard when they find him."

I want to tell him no, but the look in his eyes, the same fire he had when he went after Hunter the first time, shuts me up. "We’ll see what the doctor says."

"How’s CJ?" Hunter asked his female associate as he walked to his room.

"He’s still asleep."

Hunter paused. "Still?"

She nodded. "Don’t worry, he’s still breathing. He’s probably just worn out after everything."

Hunter nodded. "I’ll go check on him. Just set the table for two tonight then."

"You’re letting Adam out of his room?"

"For a while. Don’t worry, he won’t pull anything if he wants to see his little boy again."

"I got a call about him."

"What?" Hunter asked.

"He almost got recognized by one of Johnson’s relatives. Turns out the baby has a birthmark that the family knows."

"Tell them to get it removed."

"Our person told me they tried that but no doctor will perform something like that on a child that young."

Hunter sighed. "That kid is the only card I can use against Adam."

"Well I suggested they take the baby out of the country for a while. Preferably Canada or somewhere like that."

"Good thinking."

His associate nodded.

"Well, I’m going to check on CJ. Find something appropriate for Adam to wear for tonight."

Hunter walked down the hall to where his youngest son slept. Opening the door, he peered in to find CJ sound asleep in the bed. He walked into the room and as quickly as he cold without waking him up, he removed CJ’s shoes and covered him up with the blanket at the end of the bed. He crouched down and stared at his youngest’s sleeping face. "I know you don’t understand what I’m doing nor do I expect you to," Hunter whispered. "But remember one thing, when all this is said and done and I get Adam back for what he’s done to me, I will be your father. The father you deserve."

He got up and with one backward glance, walked out of the room.

(Matt)

Jesus Fucking Christ.

I knew it’d be bad but this…

"Matt?"

I don’t hear Collette's voice as I stare at the reflection in front of me.

With the help of an orderly and a nurse, I’m standing in front of the mirror that I had requested. Shane had gone to get Collette figuring I might need her when I saw what Hunter did to me.

The bruising on my face wasn’t what horrified me. I knew by the way he’d hit me between lashings that I was going to look like hell.

But the rest of me…

"Matt?" now it was Shane’s voice I don’t hear, but sneaking some glances his way I could see he looked like he was going to be sick if it weren’t for the anger in his eyes. Collette, to her credit, tried not to show her horror and disgust, but I saw it all the same.

With a shaky hand, I reach toward my chest, ignoring the warnings from the nurse and touched the skin –or what was left of it not being held together by stitches. It was bruised – another result of Hunter’s vicious beatings – and …

My God there’s no way I can describe it other than I look like a badly done patchwork quilt. A badly beaten and bloodied human patchwork quilt.

"Matthew?"

I think the voice is Collette's but all I can hear is Hunter’s…

"You think Shane or Adam’ll want you when I get done with you?" he’d asked me after the third or fourth lashes as I watched my blood drip out of my body.

"Matt, say something." Shane says, but I don’t hear him either.

"Say something you little bitch," I hear Hunter growling in my ear. I hadn’t replied to his command. "All right then," I can see him back away a little, raising the razor wired cane. "Since you won’t speak, I guess I’ll settle for you screaming instead…"

I flinch as though being hit by it again.

"Matt?" Collette comes closer.

"Come on Matt," I heard Hunter hiss in my ear. "Beg me to stop. Beg me."

I remember not saying anything, which made him angrier. "All right then," he’d said. "If you won’t beg for me, then scream for me."

I fall back onto the edge of the bed when I remember how the cane sliced through my stomach.

"That’s it," Collette orders. "Get that mirror out of here, Shane."

I want to tell him to leave it, but I didn’t feel like fighting.

"Matt…" I could hear Collette say before I felt her arms wrap around me gently. "Oh my little boy…"

Once again I don’t hear her or even feel her arms around me.

All I feel is sick and enraged…

And the desire to do this to Hunter when they find him.

(Shane)

Helmsley is the deadest motherfucker to ever walk the face of the earth, which is something I know he won’t be doing when I get done with him.

I was a little afraid of how Matt would look when the doctor had removed the bandages so he could restitch the area that had opened while Matt was fighting to get out of his restraints.

But I never expected the grotesque sight that appeared when the bandages were removed.

When Matt told me he wanted to see what Hunter had done to him, I tried to talk him out of it, even the doctor had tried to tell him it was too soon to see what had been done to him, but he demanded a mirror to see for himself. It was then I asked him to wait until I could get Collette down here to be with him when the doctor removed the bandages and the hospital gown they used to keep him from seeing what had happened. Luckily I caught Collette before she and Mick left the hospital.

I watch as Collette tries to reassure Matt, but I can tell just by the way he’s sitting and staring into space that his mind is not in this room but somewhere else and – this worries me – somewhere dark and evil.

(Adam)

I look at my refection in the mirror as I’m wearing what Hunter’s drone had laid out for me to wear for this ‘dinner’ he, CJ and I are having tonight.

The leather pants, white frilled shirt and black tuxedo jacket reminds me of the outfits I wore when I was in the Brood with Dave, who was the one usually wearing outfits like this. The last time I wore something like this was a photo shoot I’d done for Raw Magazine just before they split Dave and me up. I remember Dwayne teasing me about how I should’ve worn something like this to our wedding, him telling me how incredibly sexy I looked in it when he saw the photos.

I remember Matt telling me the same thing.

I tried not to believe it but when I got through looking at all the photos Hunter had left here, I knew there was no way Matt could’ve survived what Hunter had done to him, though it broke my heart to believe I’d never see him again. To never get the chance to tell him I still loved him…

I take a couple of deep breaths. There’s no way in hell I’m going to give him any more ammunition against me than he already has by keeping my son from me and besides, I don’t want CJ to see me fall apart in front of him.

After a knock on the door, I was escorted downstairs in what looked like a Southern mansion and led into a large dining room where I notice there were only two setting at the small table, where Hunter is leering at me while sitting in one of those wicker peacock fan kind of chairs as I walk in. "Where’s CJ?"

"Sleeping."

I pause before getting to the table. "Is he all right?"

"He’s fine. I’m sure the excitement of the past few days have just caught up with him." he raked his eyes over me. "Damn you look good."

Well there went my appetite.

"Have a seat," he motions to the identical chair across from him.

I check out the table and under any other circumstances I wouldn’t mind sitting down and having dinner like this but given that the romantic setting was arranged by my father…it does cast a bit of a pall on things.

"Adam…sit down." His voice is stern enough to make me obey its command.

"So what’s for dinner?"

"You’ll see."

As if out of nowhere a butler – not Robert – makes an appearance to pour the wine into the glasses by our plates. I don’t touch mine.

"Something wrong?"

Do you have to ask?

"No, I’m just not much of a drinker." Though God knows I’m going to need plenty of drinks to get through this evening.

"Well you might as well get used to it. We’ll be having it quite often, you and I."

"I’m surprised you’re not including CJ."

"You’re really intent on pissing me off tonight aren’t you? Oh well, I’ll just have to take it out on you when we get to bed."

"You mean you’re not going to do to me what you did to Matt? I’m disappointed."

"Keep that attitude up and I might, not to mention make sure you never see Logan again."

"Let’s make a deal shall we?"

Hunter raised his eyebrows. "Well I know this ought to be good."

"I’ll do what ever you want," my stomach is churning knowing what this sick freak wants, "if you give Logan back to Dwayne."

"Anything I want?"

"Yes. I told you that at the other house. Just give Dwayne our son back."

"Why? Tell me why I should."

I know it’d do no good to even bring up the ‘if it were you wouldn’t you want CJ back?’ card.

"Well? Why should I?"

"Dwayne had nothing to do with what Matt and I did. He had no idea what we were planning," God I hope I was convincing enough. "And besides, Logan is his blood. Their bond is stronger than the one I have with him."

"You know you’re cute when you beg."

I sigh, resting my head in my hand. "I’m only asking you to do this one thing for me. Just give Dwayne our son back." Stay calm…stay calm.

"He means that much to you doesn’t he?"

"Yes." I whisper. "Logan didn’t do a damn thing to anyone. Matt and I were the ones you were after. Well you’ve killed Matt and you still have me to torment. Isn’t that enough for you?"

"Not quite."

"What do you want?"

"Payback. You and your uncle have cost me five years of my life."

"So what? You’re going to hold me here for five years?"

"You’ll be lucky if you live that long."

"Then just do it. Do to me whatever sick thing you did to Matt. Just finish this shit once and for all."

"What? And miss out on the chance to make you suffer like this? Hell no."

"You know you’re only going to make CJ hate you."

"He’ll get over it."

I sigh not saying another word until dinner had come; a mustard devilled chicken with rice made with the same devilling mixture and for desert – after commenting that the real desert would be in his room later – a chocolate/strawberry mousse. I ate as much as I could, but my appetite was gone.

"You know you’re going to have to start eating more," he comments after the dishes are cleared.

"Like you’d care."

"I do actually. I usually like my lovers to have a little more meat on their bones."

"Your lovers? What lovers? Who? Shane? You only did the same thing to him you did to me and around the same age too if I remember him correctly. Matt? Well we all know what went on there. He wouldn’t come willingly so you raped him too and let’s not forget the shit you’ve pulled on me so far. Tell me something Hunter, that day in that room, had you planned on it being a gang rape? You and grandfather set it up like that?"

"It was supposed to be you and me as far as your grandfather and Gerald went, they just happened to join in the fun."

"Fun?" I look at him with a measure of disbelief. "You thought what you did to me was fun?"

"I don’t remember you fighting too hard."

"How the fucking hell could I when it was three on one!" I shout. God how arrogant could he be?

"You better calm your tone of voice Adam."

"No." I shook my head, and threw down my napkin before standing up. "I’m not calming anything and when I get done telling CJ what a sick fucking pervert you are, then you’ll have nothing."

I’d gotten no more than two or three steps away from the table before Hunter grabbed my hair and stuck a knife to my throat. "Now you listen to me you little slut. You even think of breathing a word to CJ and I’ll make sure the next time you see Logan it’ll be on a morgue slab and then we’ll see how devoted your precious Dwayne’ll be after that. See, you almost – almost-convinced me to let the little one go, but after your little threat, I’ll think I’ll let my people hang onto him a little bit longer and then, when I say so, Dwayne’ll get your son back. In a body bag."

"You wouldn’t."

"Try me. You say one word against me to CJ and I’m on the phone."

I stood there knowing full we he’d make good on his threats. He killed Matt didn’t he?

"Now," he hissed. "Are you going to behave yourself? Or is poor little Logan going to have to pay for your stupidity?"

I want to tell him to fuck off, but my son’s life was more important than my rebellion. "Yes."

"Yes what?"

"I’ll behave."

"You’ll behave what?"

I close my eyes, not believing he was still playing this game. "I’ll behave father."

A wet kiss on my cheek. "Good boy." Using the knife in his other hand, he slid it down the front of me pausing at the fly of my leather pants. "I always did like how you looked in leather pants," he whispers. "But I even like you better out of them. Now you are to go to my room, my associate will show you where it is, and you are to take a shower and lie in bed and wait for me. Clear?"

"Yes father." God I can’t believe I said that.

"Good." He lets go of my hair. "Now go."

He shoves me, making me stumble a bit as his drone is waiting outside the door for me.

This is going to be a long night.

(Matt)

I’m staring at the ceiling, everyone having gone hours ago and my twenty-four hour ‘no visitors’ rule resumes.

That’s okay. I need the time to think.

Think about what was going to happen next.

Wonder if Adam, CJ and Logan were all right.

And come up with a way to find Hunter and kill him.

(Adam)

I’m so damned glad to get out of those clothes though knowing what’s in store for me next puts a damper on things.

Having been shown where Hunter’s room is, I see a box on the bed with the words ‘open me’ written on the envelope. I opened the envelope thinking it’s some smarmy little remark from Hunter but it’s empty. The box however isn’t.

Removing the lid, I see the pool of green satin and my heart pauses, as I think of the green satin pajama bottoms Dwayne bought me for my last birthday. Picking it up though I see it’s not just bottoms but a robe and boxer set though the ‘boxers’ actually look more like small bike shorts. Very small bike shorts.

I take the garments into the bathroom with me and setting them on the toilet lid, I start the shower as I undress. I pause for a second to see if there was a camera in here as there had been at the other house, but seeing no sign of one - which doesn’t mean there might not be one – I continue disrobing until I’m naked and after checking the water temperature, I get in.

Looking at the tray inside, I see the body wash, shampoo and conditioner had been taken care of again and were of the coconut scent I often used.

"Mind if I join you?"

I look toward the open door and see Hunter standing there as naked as I am and an evil look on his face.

"I guess I don’t have a choice do I?"

"No you don’t." He got in and closed the door behind him tightly. I tense a little, never having the shower door closed all the way before.

I felt him slide behind me and begin to rub my shoulders with his hands. "Tell me Adam, you and Matt shower together much while he was alive?"

I figured it wouldn’t do any good to fight with him in such a small space. "Yes."

"Did you fuck him in the shower as well?"

Memories of Providence come to mind… "Yes."

I feel him pull me back against him allowing his erection to press against my lower back. He presses his lips to my temple. "What did you use to lube him with?"

I didn’t say anything. At least not until he grabbed my hair and slammed my face into the shower wall, missing the showerhead by a few inches. He yanked me back again. "What did you use?"

My right eye stung as I said, "The conditioner."

I watched as he picked up the bottle and listened as he opened it. "Mmm…smells good. You know," he lets go of my hair for a second. "I remember the time you were in Matt’s room in Chicago and I could smell this on you. Too bad you were in such a hurry to get me out of there. Oh the threesome you, me and Matt could’ve had."

I keep quiet.

"Lean forward." He orders and not wanting to get my head smacked against the wall in front of me again, I obey, placing my hands on the bar in front of me. I hiss at the coldness of the conditioner as it hits my lower back and drips down the crack of my ass.

"Like that?" he asks before I feel his finger slide into my opening. "How about that?"

I try not to respond as he slides his finger in and out slowly.

"Come on Adam, show me how much you enjoy this."

Other than my ragged breathing, I try to force it out of my mind, but his finger, sick as this sounds, felt good there.

"How about another one?"

I gasped as he slid another finger in. Now he was moving them so one finger slid in when another slid out and I felt myself harden despite myself.

"I knew you’d love this." he slid the fingers out and replaced them with his thumb as he used the fingers to roll my balls slowly.

I swallow hard.

I felt him slide his arm around my waist and pull me back against him, his hand still manipulating me as he used his other hand to begin stroking me.

"I know it’d be a matter of time before you wanted me to do this to you." He whispered in my ear. "Matt was the same way when I nailed him in that shower stall. God he couldn’t get enough."

Don’t listen to him, just go along with him so he won’t hurt CJ or Logan.

"God you are so beautiful. Just like I was at your age."

There was something familiar about what he’d just said.

"Why did you have to turn to Matthew? If you wanted sex you should’ve told me."

I opened my eyes. Christ that’s what he was telling me the day he raped me in that room.

I feel his thumb slide out but it didn’t take long for something else to slide inside making me bite my bottom lip. He moved in and out of me as he continued stroking me.

"This is so much nicer than fucking the old lady," he whispers under his breath. "That bitch had no clue how I liked it."

I say nothing, just let him ramble on.

"If she knew about us, she’d cut me out for sure, wouldn’t she Dad?"

Now my eyes widened. Holy fuck! I don’t know what sick little world his mind was in but this was getting creepy now.

"Oh this feels so good. Oh you were so right about this Dad. This was so much better."

I’m going to be sick.

His pace in both thrusting and stroking has picked up and despite myself, I felt myself on the verge of coming.

"Oh God yes…" he whispers. "So good, just like you told me it would be…"

If it were possible I think my skin would’ve crawled right off my body and down the drain.

"Oohh, I’m coming…I’m coming…"

And so was I despite everything.

I don’t know how but he and came at the same time; him with a loud groan and me with a whine. I felt him explode in me to the point when I thought I felt some of his cum drip down my legs.

He then grabs me and pulls me to him as he gets his breath back. I feel him slide out of me. "Oh that was so good…" he whispers.

We’re like that for a while as I digest what the fucking hell just happened here.

He lets go and looks at me. "Was it good for you too?" he chuckles before opening the shower door. "Finish your shower and get in the bedroom. The fun is only beginning."

He walks out, closing the door behind him.

If I didn’t feel sick and dirty before I was feeling it now. Christ you mean to tell me all this time he was raping me he was thinking he was fucking Pat? I tried to force that sick image down before my dinner came up.

Then for some reason, an idea hits me. I remember telling Matt how we had to rattle his cage, to get him so distracted that he couldn’t think straight.

And if I do things right, I think I might be able to do just that.

CJ woke up hungry and thirsty.

He looked around the room and saw he was its only occupant.

Maybe I’m home, was his first thought but his toys weren’t here though there were some strewn about.

Wanting to get something to eat, he tossed the covers off of him and walked to the door. He tested it, believing it to be locked and was surprised to find it unlocked. Opening the door, he tiptoed out of the room and found himself in a dark unfamiliar hallway. Letting his eyes adjust, he tiptoed down the hallway hoping he was heading toward the stairwell when he heard a noise.

He stopped to hear for it again.

Nothing.

Steeling himself up, he continued to tiptoe down the hall when he heard it again. He stopped again but he’d heard it this time, like someone in pain.

He looked around to figure out where it had come from, when he heard it coming from the room two doors down from where he was. Biting his bottom lip, he made his way to the ajar door and peeked inside.

What he saw made him cover his mouth in shock and stumble backwards, hitting against a stand, sending something crashing to the floor. Seeing a light come on, he turned around, ran back to his room and hid under the covers, his five-year-old mind reeling with what he’d seen.

"What was that?"

Hunter wondered at that too when he heard the sound of something breaking outside the bedroom door. He’d been fucking Adam again, lost in his own world when the sound brought him back to reality.

"Stay put." Hunter got off Adam and stalked to the door just in time to see a small figure turn the corner.

Oh shit, he thought, realizing who it was. God no, he thought. If it’d been anyone else he wouldn’t have cared, but for him to have seen anything…

Hunter turned and shut the door behind him.

"What was it?"

"Nothing." He said. "Nothing at all."

15

(Shane)

The next day, I lay in bed waiting to be discharged when Dwayne walked into my room, wearing jeans and a t-shirt, which was a little uncharacteristic of him, seeing how he liked wearing more dressy clothes.

"Hey," he said sitting in the chair near my bed.

"Hey. Any word on Logan?"

"No." he sighed. "How’s Matt?"

"I don’t know."

"Didn’t you see him yesterday?"

"Yeah. What I meant was physically the doctors say he has a good chance of surviving but emotionally…" I told him about what Hunter had done to Matt and Matt’s having seen the results.

"Jesus Christ," he breathed.

"I know. I’m scared Dwayne. You didn’t see him sitting there just staring into space the way he was."

"Think he’s planning something?"

"He might be. I don’t know what good it would do to try and figure out what it is though. I know he won’t tell me."

"I can only imagine what Hunter’s done to Adam by now."

I hated myself in that moment, not paying attention to what Dwayne was going through. At least Matt was back here with us. Adam and Logan were still out there, with Adam still in Hunter’s clutches and Logan God knows where.

"They’ll be home soon." Was my weak pep talk.

"Will they? I’m beginning to doubt that. I mean God only knows what sort of shape Adam’ll be in and Logan…he won’t even remember either of us." Dwayne rested his elbows on his knees and rested his head on his hands. "Adam was the one who took care of him you know? He made sure Logan had his shots and his checkups. Even after wrestling a ‘tables, ladders and chairs’ match, he’d get up in the middle of the night to take care of Logan. I played with him sometimes, while Adam took a shower or got dressed but Adam was the one who dressed him, changed him, fed him, loved him." He gave a little chuckle. "I remember he was so adamant against having a kid. He was so afraid of being like Hunter, but after Logan came along I’ve never seen anyone more taking to fatherhood than him. Logan, he’s a little chick magnet. I’d take him out sometimes and you wouldn’t believe the women who’d come up and talk to him before giving me their numbers. I think he’s going to be a total hetero when he gets older."

"Well he won’t have to worry about you and Adam trying to take his girlfriends away from him then." I offer.

"No he won’t." he said softly. "Damn I should’ve gone with them or at least had them reschedule until after the autograph session."

"We didn’t know Hunter was getting out."

"I know. I just still wish Matt had said something when he got those photos."

"Dwayne, Matt’s got enough to deal with right now. He feels bad about what happened and he tried to make things right."

He sighs. "I know, I know. It’s just so fucking frustrating. I thought we’d gotten somewhere with Sanders and look what happened there."

"Well I’m getting out today. Maybe we can think of something."

He looked at me. "You’re serious?"

"If you saw what he did to Matt, you’ll see how serious I am. He’s got to have other people working for him that we can find out about." I said.

"They haven’t caught Robert yet."

"Well then, that’ll be our first mission."

"What about Matt?"

I paused. I knew he was going to need me when he got out and I didn’t want to abandon him. "I’ll tell him what’s going on."

"He’ll want to jump in."

"I know. I’ll just have to convince him not to."

"Good luck." He said.

I had a feeling I’d need more than luck to keep Matt from getting involved. I was going to need a miracle.

(Adam)

I don’t even know how I’m walking after last night, but somehow I manage to make it downstairs to the dining room, my lower body acing like it never has before, even after the first time I let Dwayne make love to me.

Though I wouldn’t call what Hunter did ‘making love’. Not by a long shot.

God how many times did he rape me last night? I lost count at about ten. It seemed like he’d get his breath back, he’d want more, no matter how many times I pleaded with him to stop, not realizing that my pleading with him only turned him on more. It must’ve been around four in the morning when he finally tired himself out, allowing me to somehow make it to the bathroom to take a shower to wash the cum and blood off me and curl up until the pain tearing through me subsided enough for me to even think of walking.

Then there was the issue of who broke the vase outside Hunter’s bedroom door last night. I remembered the nervous look on Hunter’s face when he returned to bed last night to inflict another round of agony on me. I just hope it wasn’t who I thought it was.

Walking into the dining room, I see a morning paper lying on the table by Hunter’s breakfast. Looking behind me, I walk over to his side of the table and pick it up hoping it might tell us where we were and if there was any mention of Matt’s passing. After all, an heir to a billion dollar fortune dying in a fire after a kidnapping had to make the paper in some form or fashion.

I pick up the paper and see it’s written in some foreign language. At first I think it’s Spanish, a language I took in school but it’s not that. I go through it anyways, knowing if Matt’s death was reported then I’d know it by his name.

"What the fucking hell do you think you’re doing?"

I turn at the sound of Hunter’s voice but he snatches the paper out of my hand and grabs my throat, before I could respond. "Let’s make this rule extremely clear. You are to never, ever get out of bed until I do. Understood?"

"Yes."

He tightens the grip. "Do we have to keep playing this game Adam, or are we going to get it right eventually? Now, am I understood?"

"Yes father."

He lets go, making me gasp and cough a little, before folding the paper back as it was before. "What did you want with the paper anyways?" he demanded.

"I wanted to see for myself if Matt was dead."

"I showed you the photos."

"Come on Hunter. Matt was practically a billionaire, not to mention a public figure. If he were dead, there would’ve been some mention somewhere."

"In yesterday’s paper there was."

"Then let me see for myself."

"It went out in the garbage."

"You let it go out in the garbage without me seeing it? That is a surprise. I thought you would’ve loved to have seen the look on my face."

Smack!

Hunter’s backhand sent me spinning onto the floor. He threw the paper down and grabbed me by my shirtfront. "Keep it up Adam." He threatened. "I’ll be on that phone in a heartbeat which is one less that your son will have."

A throat clearing interrupted him.

We looked to the door to find his ‘associate’ standing there.

"Where’s CJ?" he demanded.

"He wants breakfast in his room today," she then looks at me. "And he wants to see Adam."

"What about?" Hunter asked letting go of me.

"He won’t say. He literally demanded to see Adam."

"Spoiled brat." He then looked down at me. "You get ten minutes with him and then I want you back down here."

I get up off the floor and walked with his associate to CJ’s room.

I enter the room and see him sitting at a little dining table, staring out the window. "CJ?" I say.

No shouting my name, no running at me, he just turns to look at me with confusion and red eyes.

"Hey guy," I walk to where he is and sit in the other chair. "What’s wrong?"

He looks to the door where Hunter’s associate stands. Catching the look on his face, she steps out and closes the door, though not all the way.

"CJ?"

"You said that man was our father." He said his voice serious.

"He is."

"Then why..?" he looks embarrassed.

"Why what?"

"Why were you..?" Another embarrassed pause.

"CJ, you know you can talk to me. So what’s wrong?"

"I woke up because I got hungry and I was going to the kitchen when…"

"When what?"

He can’t even look at me. I try to lift his head so I can see what he’s thinking, but he won’t look at me.

"I saw you and him…"

Oh shit.

He looks up at me. "I saw him on top of you doing…" He bows his head again. "Doing…"

"You don’t have to say it." I whisper.

"Why?" he looked up at me. "Why were you letting him do that to you if he’s our father?"

Christ how the hell was I going to explain this?

"Did you like it?"

"No." I said quickly. "No I didn’t."

"Then why-?"

I sighed. "Remember when you were in the attic and you guys asked me if he had Logan and I told you he didn’t?"

He nodded.

"It turns out he does have him. He had someone take him and hide him somewhere."

"Why’d he do that?"

"Because he knew that was the way he could hurt me for what I did. He figures I kept him from you, then I should be kept from Logan."

"But what about what you were doing with him?"

I glance at the door knowing full well his little drone was probably listening but I didn’t care. "He said if I didn’t do those things with him, then he’d hurt Logan, maybe even you."

His eyes grew big. "He’d do that to me? What he was doing to you?" his voice was tiny and afraid.

"No. I won’t let him anywhere near you to do that." And I meant it.

"It’s time."

I looked at the door and saw her standing there, the disapproval written on her face, but I didn’t care what she thought.

"It’s not ten minutes yet," I say.

"It is now."

Breaking our little stare down, I sigh. "I’ll see you later okay?"

He nods before I lean over and kiss him on the top of his head before leaving.

"Hunter won’t like that." She tells me.

"Like I care."

"If you care about your son you’d better."

I wonder if I could take her until I see the stun gun in her hand. That and the fact she has a similar build as my mother, keeps me from wringing her neck.

We make it to the dining room and before she even thinks of shutting me up I blurt out, "He knows."

Hunter looked at me. "What?"

"CJ saw us last night."

With wide eyes, he flashed a glance that sent his drone walking. "What did you tell him?"

"The truth. That you had Logan and the only reason I even let you touch me was to keep him and Logan safe."

"You little bitch!" He stood before taking his cell phone out. "Say goodbye to your son."

Snapping, I charged and speared him, sending us and the table with everything on it onto the floor. We skidded for a few feet and just began swinging and pounding on each other, taking our mutual hatred out on each other. I saw him reach for the phone and with a swipe of my hand, sent it sliding toward the screen door, getting me a hard punch to my face as a result.

As I lay stunned, he reached for a knife that was lying by his foot. "That’s it," he panted, getting on his knees. "You want me to finish this so bad? Fine. I’ve got my real son with me and you’ll never see yours again!" He raised the knife.

"NO! Leave him alone!"

We both turned to the door and saw CJ standing there looking at us, his young face contorted with hatred and it scares me because now I can see the resemblance between he and Hunter, who’s lowering the knife slowly and luckily not into me. "CJ…" I hear Hunter start.

"Get away from him!" he shouts.

I look nervously at Hunter, ready to attack again if he so much as made a move toward CJ. Surprisingly, he does as his son says and backs away as CJ runs into the room and comes up to me wrapping his little arms around me. "You okay?"

"Yeah." I nod looking at Hunter, as does he.

Nothing is said between us, but like the day he took me to see Matt, you could feel the hatred vibrating off him.

CJ moves out of my embrace so he could stare at Hunter. "Let Logan go."

Hunter raises an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"I said let Logan go."

"Why should I?"

"He’s just a baby, he didn’t do anything."

Hunter shrugged. "So?"

God I want to kill him so bad.

CJ didn’t say anything.

"God you two are so much like your mothers."

"It’s better than being like you." CJ shoots.

Hunter raises his hand, but I jump up in front of him. "You lay one hand on him, I’ll kill you right now." I snarled.

We glared at each other for a long time before Hunter threw down the knife in his hand and stalked out of the room. I waited until he was out of eyesight before I heaved a sigh of relief, sinking back to the floor, my body shaking.

"Adam?"

"What guy?"

"What do you think he’ll do to us?"

I looked out the door. "I don’t know CJ. I don’t know."

(Matt)

Later that afternoon, my ‘no visitors’ rule had been lifted, but I wasn’t allowed to see anyone for too long out of concern of a replay of yesterday. I was still in intensive care and according to the doctor I was going to be here for a while which just increased my frustration over not being able to find Hunter.

My first visitor was Shane, who had just been released.

"Hey baby," he said before kissing me, his clothes still smelling of smoke. "How’re you feeling?"

"Numb." And I did too from all the painkillers I had going through my system.

He smiled as he took my hand, careful of the IV needle that was in it.

"Going home today?" I ask.

"For a few minutes. Go shower, change my clothes, grab a bite to eat and come back here."

"Why?"

"To see you, why else? Listen, Mick and Collette are going to drop by tomorrow."

"How’s Mick doing?"

"Good. The doctor’s told him to cut down on things, which we know Collette's going to make him do and just take better care of himself."

"How’re the kids?"

"They’ve got some arsenic in their system but not enough to cause any lingering damage."

For the first time he used it to hold my hand, I notice his left hand, more specifically, the two bands on his ring finger. "You still have my ring." A comment, not a question.

"Yeah. What did you think I was going to do with it?"

"Toss it away."

"No chance of that babe." He said with a smirk.

"Why not after what I did?"

"Why did you do it?" he asks. "What the hell made you do that to me?"

I knew we were going to have a talk about this eventually but I thought it wouldn’t be until after everything was settled and Hunter was put away. "I’ve been asking myself that for a while." I swallow. "I just wanted to forget what was going on, especially after Hunter sent that tape-"

"What tape?"

"Hunter sent me this tape of Adam asleep, thanking me for helping him get to him so easily." I tried to block it from my mind, but I could still see it; Adam lying there obviously drugged and the smug look on Hunter’s face, like he’d won, not to mention seeing him with his hands all over Adam…

I didn’t know what was more sickening; seeing Hunter’s hands on Adam or the twinge of arousal I felt when I saw Adam laying on the bed, remembering how he’d look when he was sleeping after we made love…

"Matt?"

Shane voice brings me back. "I know it doesn’t justify what I did," I say, "but that’s it and if it hadn’t been Sanders then it probably would’ve been someone else and they may have been working for Hunter as well"

He says nothing.

"Seems I can’t say or do anything right these days." I rub my forehead to quiet the itching that started.

"So you pushed everyone away so you could go after Hunter?"

"I had to Shane. It was my fault this got as far as it did."

"Damnit Matt…"

"I know, I know. It wasn’t my fault and I should’ve let the authorities handle it."

"Exactly." Shane said.

"So now you can start gloating. You were right and as usual I was wrong."

"Matt, it’s not a matter of who was right and who was wrong. It was a matter of you going off and trying to take on that psychopath by yourself."

"All right I learned my lesson." I snapped. "As you can tell I’ve learned it in spades." I gesture to the bandages cover my torso.

He raised my hand and pressed my fingers to his lips.

"Don’t…don’t feel sorry for me."

"I don’t feel sorry for you. I love you."

"I don’t know why after everything I’ve put you through."

"What do you want me to do? Run away every time we have a problem? Hell if I’d done that, I’d been gone a long time ago."

"Maybe you should’ve. After that night when I raped you, you should’ve ran as far from me as possible."

"And I told you. There was no way I could leave you. And there’s no way I’m going to leave you, so get used to me being around for a long, long time."

I sigh.

"Tired?" he asks.

"A little."

"Okay," he sets my hand down, stands up, leans over and kisses me. "I’ll be by tonight before visiting hours are over. Okay?"

"Yeah."

"Get some rest okay?"

I nod as he leaves.

Get some rest? I’m not getting any rest until I find Hunter and kill the bastard.

(Shane)

I sigh as I leave the ICU.

"He okay?" Dwayne asked as I approached him.

"Yeah, he’s just a little worn out right now."

"Did you tell him?"

"No. Like I said he’s got enough on his mind."

"Ready to do this?"

"Your person call?"

He nods. "He’s pretty sure he’s seen Robert."

"Let’s go."

Hunter, still seething over that morning’s developments, sat in his office watching the monitor, which was showing Adam reading to CJ.

Try and turn my son against me will you, you whore? He thought. We’ll see who turns CJ against who.

16

(Shane)

Dwayne and I sit in the car outside in the parking lot of the motel where Dwayne's friend told him he’s seen Robert staying at.

"So what do we do when we see him?" I asked.

"Other than threaten to blow his brains out? Find out where Adam, my son and CJ are."

"I wonder how Hunter got him to work for him," I think out loud.

"Doesn’t matter how, just that he does makes me want to kill that bastard."

I glance over at him. The last time I’d seen this sort of anger on his face was when he heard what Hunter, Pat and Gerald did to Adam.

Can’t say I blamed him. I wanted to take Robert out too.

And I see we won’t have long to wait.

"There he is." Dwayne says spotting him walking the row of rooms. He starts to get out of the car before I stop him.

"Wait a minute."

"What?"

"Let him get in his room and get settled. We can surprise him better that way."

I watch as Robert dug out the key while standing outside his door. The sound of a gun cocking distracts me. I look over and see he brought his Glock with him "Jesus Dwayne why’d you bring that with you?"

"Think of a better way to get answers out of him?"

"Christ it’s going to be two on one-"

"And who’s to say he won’t be packing heat either?"

Good point.

We waited fifteen more minutes before we got out of the car and walked to Robert’s hotel room. I gestured to Dwayne to not kick the door in and knocked.

"What?"

I knocked again, hoping it would bring him to the door.

"What?"

"Obviously a Stone Cold fan." Dwayne whispered.

I knocked again.

Third time’s the charm as he opened the door and when he saw me and Dwayne, he tried to shut it in his face, problem was, not too many people can shut the door on Dwayne when he forces it open.

I follow Dwayne inside and notice Robert reaching for his bag and that quick Dwayne has the glock out. "Don’t even," he said, pointing the gun at Robert.

He doesn’t, backing away from the bag. "What do you want?" he looks from one to the other of us.

"We want to know where Hunter’s hiding now." I tell him.

"What makes you think I know where he is?"

"You’re his right hand man. He had to let you know where he was going after he torched the house."

He snorts. "Quite a spectacle, wasn’t it? Too bad there weren’t any survivors."

Dwayne starts to speak but I silence him, an idea popped into my head. "But Adam and CJ survived didn’t they?"

"He made sure they got out before the fire was set."

"So where are they?"

"I don’t know."

"You are such a lying piece of shit." Dwayne said.

"I don’t care what you think."

"You will when I put a hole in you."

"Not if you want to know where your little boy’s at you won’t."

I look at Dwayne, a myriad of emotions showing on his face. "You know where Logan is?"

Robert nodded.

"Where?"

"Well you see there’s a problem with that," he began. "See I’m a little low on cash until Mr. Helmsley pays me the share of the estate he promised me…"

"You’re joking." I sneer, knowing where this is heading.

"I helped snag him," he boasted before looking at Dwayne. "Him and your hubby. Along with Hunter on the day he escaped. He told Lydia and me where to send him and unless he told her to move him, your son might still be there. All it would take is one phone call for me to reunite the two of you."

"Then call." I said.

"Like I said, there’s the matter of being a little short of money-"

"No Logan, no money."

"I think you’ve got that backwards Shane." He looked at me. "No money, no Logan." He returned his stare to Dwayne. "I know he’s your blood relative Johnson. I also know he’s going to need at least one of his fathers before this is over with, because it looks like Hunter isn’t going to give Adam back any time soon. All I need is about ten thousand dollars and you’ll get your son back, unscathed."

I couldn’t believe this cockroach was even telling us this. I wanted to tell Dwayne not to go along with it, but by the look on his face, I could tell he was seriously thinking about it.

"Ask yourself Johnson, isn’t ten thousand dollars worth getting your son back alive?"

"Five now," Dwayne said. "And five when we get Logan."

I stared at him. "Dwayne you can’t be serious. Can’t you see what he’s doing?"

"Ten now, and I’ll give you the directions."

"Dwayne don’t listen to him. It’s a scam."

"You think I’m a scam?" he reached for his bag and I tensed waiting for what he was going to pull out and see it’s an envelope. "I was supposed to send this to you when Hunter called me next time." He hands it to Dwayne. "Take a look at that and ask yourself if that’s a fraud."

Dwayne takes the envelope, sliding the Glock into his left pocket out of Robert’s reach, and opened the envelope. Inside there was a photo of Logan playing in a room, looking as content as anything.

"When was this taken?" Dwayne asked, the emotion thick in his voice.

"About three days ago. Before the fire."

Dwayne flipped it over and we both saw the writing on the back. Better enjoy this photo, it said, because this is as close as you’ll get to Logan ever again, Johnson.

The handwriting was Hunter’s.

"Ten thousand dollars. Cash." Robert said. "And you can have more than a photo. You can have your son."

I held my breath, figuratively and literally, hoping Dwayne wouldn’t fall for this roach’s scheme, but knowing how much he loves Logan, I can’t see him doing anything else.

"Give me an hour." He says.

"Sounds good." Robert agrees.

Taking the Glock out of his pocket, he hands it to me. "Keep an eye on him."

He leaves us alone in the room.

I move over to the table by the window and sit down, gun in hand.

"So, McMahon, how does it feel to be a widower?" he said with a chuckle.

"How did he do it?"

"You were there. You saw the fire."

"No, I meant how did he get you to work for him?"

"Simple really. He just promised me a share of the estate that would be left once he killed Matt off." He chuckled. "Who knew Hunter was so damned sadistic? Man you should’ve seen your hubby when Hunter got done using that razor wired cane on him. He looked like a bloody chunk of meat."

My finger was twitching to pull the trigger.

"Christ, you know how hard it was to carry him to his room as bloody as he was? I’m surprised I didn’t slip all over the floor."

I start counting to ten to calm my anger.

"And some of the other shit Hunter did…" he chuckled. "Man if the fire and the cane didn’t kill him, then the sex would’ve."

I wanted to tell him about Matt’s ‘miraculous’ rise from the dead, but knew if I did, he’d go running to Hunter, who wouldn’t think twice about going after Matt again to finish the job. So I came up with the next best thing.

"So Hunter promised you a share of Matt’s estate?"

"Yeah, about ten or twenty million or so."

I laughed. "Oh Robert you dumb motherfucker. What in God’s name made you think Hunter would get any money from Matt’s estate?"

"He told me his lawyer found a loophole in the will. If anything happened to Matt, it all goes back to Hunter."

I knew which loophole he meant. Luckily after Matt’s stroke, I had my lawyers go through that will with the finest of fine toothed combs and close up any loopholes that might have benefited Hunter in any way shape form or matter. There was no way in hell Hunter was getting his hands on Matt’s money, even though Matt was reluctant to use any of it, remembering the way he’d gotten it.

Oh I’m going to enjoy telling Robert this.

"Hate to tell you Robert, but Hunter ain’t getting shit from Matt’s estate."

He narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Apparently there was a law passed just before Hunter was put away saying that criminals cannot profit from their crimes and that includes any trust funds established before they were incarcerated. The money goes to the victims instead and seeing what Hunter did to Matt and his family, there’s no way Hunter’s getting a dime. Especially when it comes out that Hunter killed Matt."

"So who gets the money?"

I shrug. I want to tell him I do, but I don’t want to give him any ideas. After we were married, Matt set up a trust for me in case anything should happen to him and he dies before I do then I’d have enough to live on for the rest of my life.

I hope it’s one trust fund I never receive.

"It all reverts back to the publishing company I suppose. Either that or to the charities Lillian decreed before changing the will."

Oh he is not amused by this.

"So Helmsley isn’t giving me shit?"

"Not even a pot to piss in."

He smirked. "Oh well," he says, with a shrug. "I’ll have Johnson’s money to hold me over for a while."

"If you produce Logan that is."

"Oh I’ll produce him all right."

There’s something about the tone of his voice that makes me think he’s up to something and for the sake of Dwayne’s sanity, I hope he’s not.

Hunter stood in the doorway of CJ’s room watching his youngest son intently color in a coloring book, putting a concentrated effort in staying in the lines.

For a second he tried to remember himself at CJ’s age, and drew a blank. It seemed like his life was divided into three parts; life before his mother made him her whore – which he had no clear recollection of whatsoever - life when she did, and his life after he got out under her thumb and out of her bed.

He remembered what his associate had told him of the conversation Adam and CJ had, and how scared CJ had been when he asked Adam if Hunter would do the same to him that he’d done to Adam.

Not if I have anything to say about it, Hunter thought. And I’ll make damn sure CJ has nothing more to do with Adam either by the time I get through.

"Hello CJ."

He saw the frightened look on CJ’s face when he looked at him, and vowed to make Adam pay for that tonight.

"Hello," CJ said softly.

"What have you got there?" Hunter walked into the room and sat at the table across from him.

"I got bored and I found the coloring books over in the drawer and…"

"That’s all right." Hunter said gently. "That’s why I bought them. For you to color with."

"Where’s Adam?"

"Taking a nap." Hunter replied, remembering having Adam’s orange juice drugged after the melee of that morning so he could come in here and talk to CJ without any interference.

Hunter watched as his son glanced nervously at him from time to time as he continued coloring. "Something on your mind CJ?" he asked.

CJ shook his head.

"Adam told me you saw something last night."

"I was only going after something to eat…"

"Shhh…" Hunter put his finger to his lips. "You don’t have to explain. I should’ve had my associate wake you for dinner, but she thought you were so tired from the trip that it was best if you slept in a little."

"I didn’t mean to break your whatever. I didn’t see what it was."

Hunter shrugged. "No big deal. Just some cheap little vase I picked up at a junk shop a long time ago."

"Did you let Logan go?"

Hunter didn’t say anything at first. Logan was the only card he’d have to play against Adam once he was done here, but he knew he had to get on CJ’s good side if this was going to work. "I called my person and he’s on his way home." Hunter lied.

"Good. I meant what I said," CJ picked up a purple crayon. "He’s only a baby."

"I know."

"And he didn’t do anything wrong."

"And you convinced me of that."

CJ looked at him. "I did."

"Oh yes," Hunter nodded. "I thought about it when I left the dining room and that’s when I called my people to let him go."

"When can I go home?"

"This is your home CJ."

He shook his head. "No it’s not. Home is where my mommy and daddy are."

"I’m your father CJ."

CJ shook his head again. "No you’re not. If you were, then you wouldn’t hurt Matt and Adam the way you have and you wouldn’t have locked me, Tina, Dewey and Noelle in that attic where that man was going to hurt Tina."

"Remember the day you told me what that man had said to you about hurting you if you said anything about him looking at Tina?"

CJ nodded.

"I punished him for that. There was no way I was going to let him hurt you or Tina."

"Where are the other kids?"

In Hell if the fire went off like I hoped. "Home." Hunter lied again.

"Why can’t I go home?"

"Because CJ…hmm, I don’t know if I should tell you this."

"Tell me what?"

"No I can’t." Hunter evaded. "You wouldn’t understand."

Nothing was said for over a minute.

"Doesn’t my mommy want me to come home?"

Probably not the little slut, Hunter thought. "Well if she did then wouldn’t she have sent for you the way she sent for Tina?"

"Is that how the others got home?"

Hunter nodded. "Their mommies and daddies came and got them but your mommy left you behind. Said she didn’t want to take care of a little boy anymore."

For a second Hunter wished he hadn’t said that, especially seeing how heartbroken CJ looked, but he had to break CJ in order to get him on his side…

"She always did like Tina better," CJ grumbled.

"Having a sister’s a pain huh?"

"She always gets her way."

"And you always get yelled at?" Hunter sympathized.

CJ nodded.

"That’s the way your mommy operates. She was extremely disappointed when you were born, said she only wanted a little girl."

CJ looked at Hunter. "Did you want me?"

"Oh yes. I couldn’t have been happier when you were born. At first it didn’t matter if you were a boy or a girl, but when I saw you for the first time, I knew right then and there I wanted you."

"How come you and mommy aren’t together anymore?"

"Well," Hunter exhaled. "It’s a rather long story. She helped Matt and Adam trump up these hideous charges against me and had me sent to prison when I was innocent of everything."

"What’s ‘trump’?"

"It’s when a grown up lies to make you look bad in front of everyone."

"Matt and Adam lied about you?"

"Oh yes," Hunter nodded.

"But Adam said that you did bad things to him and Matt when they were little."

Hunter sighed dramatically. "See what I mean? Adam lied about me to make me look bad to you. Adam’s lied about a lot of things to be honest."

"Like what?"

"Well, I know he’s told you that he didn’t like me doing what you saw me doing to him, but he lied."

Hunter watched as CJ’s hazel green eyes grew wide. "He did?" CJ asked.

Hunter nodded. "He wanted me to do those things to him."

"Why?"

Hunter shrugged. "Because he’s sick. Did you know he did those things to Matt when he was little? And even to Jeff and Christian?"

CJ’s eyelids practically disappeared. "He did?" he whispered.

Hunter nodded, loving CJ’s response. "He even did it when they got older. Of course by then Christian had passed away from being sick, but he was doing it to Matt and Jeff."

CJ blinked. "He did?"

Again Hunter nodded. "What has people told you about Jeff?"

"Well, mommy said he made himself go to heaven because of you."

Leave it to Steph, Hunter thought. "I wasn’t the reason he did that CJ. I tried to help him."

"So why did he?"

"He came and told me about all the nasty things Adam would do to him. Like what you saw last night and I tried to get Jeff to talk about it, but he was scared of Adam. I tried to get Jeff to talk to another grown up like they teach you at school, but he wouldn’t."

"Because he was scared?"

Another nod. "Well, Adam found out what Jeff had done, that he’d told me what he was doing and he got real mad at Jeff. Even …hurt him."

Hunter almost broke out laughing when he saw CJ’s expression of total confusion. "How?" CJ asked.

Hunter exhaled. "I don’t know, you’re kind of young to know about this. But then again, you do deserve to know what Adam’s capable of."

"What did he do to Jeff?"

"You’ve heard of grownups forcing themselves on other grownups right? Even when the other grownup doesn’t want them to, they do it anyways."

CJ nodded.

"Well that’s what Adam did to Jeff. He forced himself onto Jeff and hurt him. Well Jeff didn’t know why Adam was doing all those things to him and he knew he couldn’t make him stop because he felt no one would believe him, so he made himself go to heaven to get away from Adam."

"What about Matt?"

"Well Matt’s a different creature altogether. See Matt wanted Adam to do those things to him. They were even married at one time."

"They were?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"But you can’t marry your brother? Can you?"

"No. Absolutely not, but they came up with new last names so no one would know they were brothers."

"So why did they make you go away?"

"Because I was gong to tell people about them after Jeff died. I was going to tell people what Adam was doing and in turn they made it sound like I was the bad guy and your Uncle Shane helped them and they got away with it. They put me in prison shortly after you were born and made me sign away my rights to you so I could never see you again."

"But why take Dewey and Noelle?"

"Because Mick was in on it with them. He helped Adam as well."

"But why were you on top of Adam last night."

"Because he told me if I didn’t do it to him, he’d do it to you. Whether you were willing or not."

Bingo.

"He’d hurt me like he hurt Jeff?" his voice was tiny and afraid.

"Mmm-hmm. Listen CJ," Hunter leaned forward. "I know this is one big shock and I understand completely that you don’t understand what’s going on. But see that’s why I had to punish Matt and that’s why I had to take Logan away from Adam. I was afraid he’d hurt Logan the way he hurt Jeff."

"But Logan’s only a baby."

"And Jeff was his little brother and look at what he did. Hey," Hunter took CJ by the chin gently. "Don’t worry about a thing little guy. That’s why I brought you here so I can keep an eye on Adam and make sure he doesn’t hurt you either. I don’t want what happened to my other son to happen to you."

"How come you didn’t know what he was doing?"

"Well, I was away a lot when they were younger. I was a wrestler like them. I thought with Adam being the oldest, he’d be the most trustworthy, but I was wrong. I found out later he’d been hurting them even when Jeff and Christian were babies."

He saw CJ on the verge of tears. "Come here." Hunter gestured, taking CJ into a hug. "Don’t you worry about a thing. Adam’ll never hurt you. Not while I’m around. After all that’s what daddies are for."

As CJ sniffed and clung to him, Hunter looked ahead of him and smiled in triumph, proud of his latest handiwork.

(Shane)

True to his word, Dwayne returned with the money, just as I was ready to blow a hole into Robert's skull after he regaled me with some of the things Hunter did to Matt.

"All right," Dwayne said setting the unopened briefcase on the table. "Now where’s my son?"

"If you think I’m going to tell you without making sure the money’s all there you’re nuts."

Dwayne set the case down and opened it. "See for yourself."

Robert eyed the two of us before getting off the bed and walking to the table where I remained sitting. He went through the case, checking and rechecking to make sure the money was the only thing in the case. "Well gentlemen," he closes the case. "Lovely doing business with you. Now," he walks over to the nightstand where a pen and a pad of paper lay. He picks it up and writes on it. "Here’s the address where Hunter had Logan sent."

Handing the paper to Dwayne, I got a glance of it, thinking Hunter had him stashed far away from Stamford, but that was not the case.

"He’s been here in town the entire time?" Dwayne demanded.

Robert nodded. "Hunter wanted him close enough so if he decided to give him back, which according to that photo doesn’t look much like a possibility anytime soon, he could do it without a lot of fuss." He clapped his hands together. "Well I’ve kept up my part of the bargain, so if you two will excuse me I have some travel plans to make and-"

"You’re not going anywhere." I said getting up.

"Excuse me?"

"I said you’re not going anywhere. See how do we now this is the real address? How do we know you’re not going to call and tip them off to our coming? Sorry Robert. The only travel plans you have right now is coming with us, because if Logan isn’t at this address, then not only is the money going back to Dwayne, but I might allow him to lay a major smack down on your candy ass." I said with a smirk.

He looked at me before looking at Dwayne who I’m sure was ready to rip his head off.

"See," I continue. "The deal is this, you give Logan back to Dwayne and you can have the money and go your merry little way to Hell." I close the case and hand it back to Dwayne, who takes it. "But if there’s no Logan then I’m sure the Stamford police as well as the Feds would love nothing more than to drill a new one in you so deep, you’ll be shitting out of two holes."

"That is if we don’t do it to you first." Dwayne said, his voice low and threatening.

"So you’re going to come with us so we can keep and eye on you." I point Dwayne’s Glock at him, wishing I could use it after the garbage he was spewing about Hunter and Matt. "So let’s go for a ride now shall we? And don’t think about making a scene, because in the position you’re in now, who do you think the cops will believe?"

We wait until he slips his jacket on before we leave his motel room to hopefully find Logan and bring him home.

(Matt)

I’m only half listening to what Mick and Collette are saying, my mind so many miles away. I know she said something about getting plastic surgery to fix most of the damage Hunter did to me, and Mick was rambling on about some of the things that have been going on in the Fed he heard through Al.

The only thing on my mind is getting out of this damn hospital and finding Adam, CJ and hopefully Logan.

"Matt?"

I look over at my adoptive mother, who’s looking at me with what I call her ‘therapist’ look. It’s a look I’ve grown familiar with over the years, one she puts on when she’s trying to figure out what’s going on in my head.

"I’m sorry what was that about Dewey again?"

She smiled. "I didn’t say anything about Dewey. I was asking how you were feeling?"

"Fine. Sore as hell, the damn stitches itch and…" and I want to get the fuck out of here.

"And what?"

"And I’m bored. Not with you guys," I add quickly. "Just…they won’t let me have any television or radio and I’m tired of listening to the pages over the intercom."

"Want me and Mick to bring you something to read? Some books, magazines?"

I didn’t want anything to read, I want to get the hell out of here. "Yeah, that’ll be nice."

"I can run down to the gift shop and grab you a couple of things." Mick volunteered, getting up off the chair he brought in from outside my room.

"Thanks Mick." I say, watching him kiss Collette quickly before leaving the room.

"So," she says. "What’s really going on in there?"

"What do you mean?"

"Dewey gets the same look when I try and tell him to clean his room. That ‘I only look like I’m paying attention, but I’m really thinking of something else’ look. So what’s on your mind?"

I want to say nothing but knowing I’d get another in a series of lectures about not keeping things bottled up, I thought of something safe, or at least I thought it was. "I miss Adam."

"I know honey, but the authorities will find him and CJ and then Hunter’ll get put away for a long time."

"That’s what everyone thought before and look what’s happened. Not that he didn’t have any help from me."

"Matt…"

"I know, I know," I snap irritated. "It’s not my fault."

"You didn’t help Hunter escape."

"Yeah but I didn’t tell anyone about the photos."

"Matt, you have to stop doing this to yourself. I talked to the doctor and your blood pressure’s high again."

"I got it from Mom." I said. "She had blood pressure problems too. Of course I guess living with Hunter could give anyone high blood pressure."

"That maybe the case, and it could be a result from what you’ve been through, but Matt, you can’t keep heaping guilt upon guilt on yourself. It’s not healthy for you."

"And neither is getting slashed to ribbons with a razor wired cane but we don’t seem to want to talk about that do we?"

"You know why you don’t have a television or radio in here?" Collette asked me. "Because I told them not to allow them in here. I don’t want you obsessing over what’s going on."

"How can I not Collette? I know you don’t want to hear it, but it is my fault what’s happened, I may not have given Hunter the key to get himself out, but I gave him the chance to grab everyone."

"Matthew…"

"No Collette. You’re always going on and on about me wanting to express myself and not hold anything in, but here I am trying to do those things and you’re trying to shut me up. So what do you want from me? Do you want me to talk to you or not?"

"You know I do. I’d love nothing more than to have you keep from bottling things up, but not if it means you’re going to keep punishing yourself over and over again for thing that were out of your control."

"This was not out of my control Collette. I had the control. I had the photos and if I had told someone right off then maybe, just maybe Adam, CJ and Logan would still be here, but no I didn’t want to worry anyone, I didn’t want Adam to go back living in fear like he used to, I didn’t want Hunter to have that sort of power over the both of us again. Then what happens? Because I had that control and I didn’t use it, Dewey, Noelle and Christina were nearly killed in a fire, I look like a reject from a slaughterhouse and Hunter still has Adam, CJ and God only knows where he’s got Logan who’ll probably never remember Adam and Dwayne ever being his fathers. And God only knows what he’s doing to them right now. I had the control Collette. I had it and I blew it."

"Matt…"

"I don’t even know how you and Mick can stand to be around me. Christ, because of me you nearly lost the children you two have wanted for so damn long."

"That’s enough!" she snapped. "That’s enough Matthew. Now I am not going to keep sitting here and listen to you abuse yourself like this. Hunter knew what he was doing when he set everything up. He was the one that had the control Matt, not you and as far as Mick and I go, we have told you and told you time and time again, that no matter what we will always love you. What in God’s name is it going to take to get that through your skull? Yes we wanted Dewey and Noelle, but that doesn’t lessen the importance you and Adam and Jeff have had in our lives and will continue to have." I hear her sigh sadly. "I’m not going to let you keep doing this Matt. I’m not going to let you keep heaping the blame for everything on yourself, because it damn near killed you once and I won’t allow it to happen again and if this little tantrum you’re throwing now is another ploy to drive me and everyone else away from you again, it’s not going to work. We let you do that once, I’m not going to let you do that again."

"Everything okay?"

We look to the door and see Mick standing in the doorway with three paperback books in his hand.

"Yeah." Collette said wiping her eyes. I didn’t respond.

"Well they didn’t have too much of a selection, so I grabbed what they had," he walked in and set them on my little table.

"Thank you," I said softly.

"Sure everything’s okay with you two?"

"Just blowing off a little steam with each other." Collette covered, before getting up. "You better get some rest honey," she tells me before kissing me on the forehead. "Mick and I’ll be back in the morning."

I only nod as she gingerly gives me a hug. Mick does the same when she pulls away. "Take it easy champ." He says before they walk out the door.

When the door closes behind them, I exhale and lean back against the pillows carefully.

I felt bad about upsetting her like that, but she’s always telling me I shouldn’t keep things bottled up inside.

Now if I could just get out of here…

(Shane)

"This is it." Robert says as we pull in front of a house on the other side of Stamford.

The house was small, with an unkempt garden and looked like it could use a good sandblasting and thirty coats of paint to even begin to resemble a house.

"Okay," Dwayne says. "Out of the car and don’t try anything."

We get out of the car, ignoring the sounds around us and walked to the front door. We positioned Robert in front of us so that whoever answered would think he came alone.

He pounded on the door as we looked around hoping no one was noticing this little scene.

"Lydia!" he shouted. "Lydia open up!"

We waited for five minutes before he pounded again. "Come on Lydia!"

I inched over to the window and peer in. "It’s empty."

"What?" Robert said walking to where I stood.

"It’s empty." I repeated, looking inside again, there wasn’t a stitch of furniture in the house.

Dwayne grabbed Robert. "You son of a bitch, you told us this was where he was."

"It was."

I try the knob, which turns allowing the door to open. We walk in, Dwayne dragging Robert in by the arm.

Despite its exterior the inside of the place was damn near immaculate for an empty living room. "You’re absolutely sure this was where Hunter had Logan stashed?" I asked.

"I swear, I brought him here myself. Lydia’s sister Lisa was going to keep an eye on him."

"She lives here?"

"Yeah they shared the place."

Dwayne let go of Robert’s arm and handed me the glock. "Keep an eye on him." he ordered heading out of the living room where we stood. A few seconds later I could hear him heading upstairs.

"Hunter must’ve ordered her to move him." Robert said.

It looked that way to me.

Seconds later, Dwayne came back down with something in his hand.

"What’s that?" I ask.

"His blanket. He was here."

"Told you."

"All right then maybe you’d like to tell us where he is now."

"I told Shane. Hunter must’ve had him moved somewhere."

"Where?"

"I don’t know. I haven’t talked to Hunter since the fire."

"Bullshit," Dwayne snapped. "You’re his main lackey. He had to have told you where my son was going to be shipped to."

"I’m telling you Johnson. I don’t know where he had Logan sent."

I took out my cell phone.

"What’re you doing?" Robert demanded.

"Calling the cops." I inform him. "The deal was to produce Logan and you didn’t."

"Wait a minute!" he shouted. "What if I told you I know where Hunter is?"

"Man the shit just keeps pouring out of your mouth doesn’t it?" Dwayne said.

"I’m not fucking with you this time. I know where Hunter’s keeping Adam and CJ."

"And how do you know this?" I ask.

"I overheard him on the phone making the arrangements."

"Where is he?"

"Well there’s the matter of the money…"

"Unh-unh," Dwayne said. "There’s not fucking way in hell you’re getting any more money out of me."

"You want your husband back don’t you?"

I look at Dwayne and he’s seconds away from snapping.

"You give us that information pro-bono," I say, "and you get to walk out of here alive and in one piece which I’m sure is more valuable to you than what’s in this briefcase."

"Listen, for ten grand more I an tell you exactly where Hunter’s keeping Adam and CJ."

"No." I reply. "You tell us for nothing or you’re going to prison. Your choice."

He looked back and forth between Dwayne and I as if measuring the situation.

"Don’t you even-"

But before Dwayne got the words out of his mouth, Robert lunged for me and with one placed punch in the gut that made me drop the Glock, he picked it up and aimed it at Dwayne who fought with him for control for it. Standing up, I could see them struggling for control of the gun eventually with it lowering itself between them until I couldn’t see where it was…

Until it went off.

(Adam)

I don’t know what the hell Hunter had slipped into my orange juice, but damn if it doesn’t make my head feel like a concrete block.

"Have a nice nap?"

I look at the door and look at Hunter standing in the doorway looking smugly at me.

"Now what?" I ask, dreading whatever perverted act he wanted me to do with him next.

"Nothing," he walks in, shutting the door behind him. "Just came to see if you were awake."

"Barely," I whisper.

"Aww, that’s too bad." He says, his voice thick with sarcasm. He pauses by the side of the bed. "I was so hoping you’d be awake for what I want you to do now."

I sigh and flip my hair out of my face. "What now?"

"Come here."

I move across the bed and sit in front of him. He takes my chin and tilts my head up. He then runs his thumb over my lips and I feel my stomach lurch as it comes to me what he wants me to do next, especially when I see his other hand reach for the zipper of his jeans.

"You know the one thing I regret about killing Matt? I never got to have that beautiful mouth of his wrapped around my cock." He smirked at me. "Looks like you’ll have to take up his slack now."

At first I don’t open my mouth, but with some not so gentle persuasion from his grabbing the back of my head and forcing my mouth open with the thumb he was stroking my lips with, he manages to get it in my mouth almost making me gag.

"And don’t think of biting me." He warns. "You do and I can just as easily get CJ to do this."

He begins moving my head back and forth on his cock, I close my eyes, trying to block out the sounds and the words he was saying. Just so I didn’t totally lose my lunch, I tried imagining it was Dwayne I was doing this with.

"Mmm…." I heard him moan. "This is so good…"

Dear God don’t let him have another flashback or whatever it was he’d have where he thought about Pat. I don’t think my stomach can take that.

"God your lips are so soft…" he looked down at me. "Thinking of Matt aren’t you? You wish it were him you were doing this too huh?"

I didn’t say anything, just wish he’d come and get it over with.

"You know it’s a shame I didn’t have an extra day in Stamford. I so wanted to watch you and Matt do it. To watch the two of you fuck like the whores you are."

Thoughts of Matt did come into my head, but not the ones he wanted.

"God that would’ve been wonderful…" he says dreamily. "Just to watch you make him bleed, make him scream though I’m sure by the time I got done with him, he wouldn’t have screamed too loud but to watch him in pain while you tore him to bits…oh that would’ve been so perfect."

I remember the dream I had when I had done what Hunter had whispered to me the first time he molested me in that room, when I hurt Matt, making him scream. I forced the thoughts out of my mind.

"You know, I could’ve loved Matt if he’d let me."

Like hell he would.

"I don’t know what the fuck he saw in that whore Shane. He wanted me to fuck him, he just didn’t want mommy and daddy to find out he was a sick little freak who liked it up the ass, so he lies and said I raped him. Lying piece of shit."

I try not to cough when the tip of his cock hits the back of my throat.

"You want to talk about sick freaks," he chuckled. "Lets talk about your grandparents."

Let’s not. Please let’s not.

"I tell you about the time old Lillian made Pat fuck me while she watched?"

Oh there’s an image I didn’t need.

"He wasn’t the only one she made me do it with."

There was that strange tone I heard before.

I felt both his hands slide into my hair and for a second I panicked wondering what he was going to inflict on me now.

"She would’ve loved what I did with Matt and with you. She was that sick."

His pace picked up a bit.

"She hated your mother. Said how she’d turned me against her, how I was her son and why should I want someone else to do what she already did."

He didn’t say anything more until he came in my mouth with that low roar I was all too familiar with.

I was about to spit his cum out of my mouth when he clamped my mouth shut. "Swallow it whore."

I tried to shake my head loose, the sickening taste of him making me nauseous.

"Swallow it!" he hissed, leaving me no choice but to obey, nearly choking as it slid down my throat.

"Good boy," he whispered, pushing me back on the bed. I tensed, wondering what else he was going to do, but all he did was tuck himself back in and zip his fly up. "Now that wasn’t so bad was it?" he chuckled before leaving the room.

I try not to think of what just happened, but it wouldn’t leave me alone, but not for the reason you’d think. I remembered hearing that tone of voice before; the first time Hunter raped me in the other house, that distant ‘needing to confess’ tone. It was like he wanted to tell me what had happened to him, but couldn’t and it always came out during sex like the act was triggering it.

Sitting there, I think about that. I know how sick this may sound, but I need him to tell me what went on. I need him to bare his soul.

So I can use it against him.

17

(Shane)

"I guess that’ll be all for now Mr. McMahon," the officer in front of me said as he closed his notepad. "If we need any more information, we’ll call you."

I nod as the officer leaves me on the porch of the house where we thought we’d find Logan. I move aside to allow the coroners to remove Robert’s body from the room. Peeking in the room I watch the EMT’s wrap Dwayne’s hand, the result of the flash burn from the gun going off.

During the struggle, Robert had moved the Glock so that when it went off, it would tear through his own chest, killing him before we even got him to tell us where Hunter was, not to mention telling us where Logan was.

I watch Dwayne and see the worn out look on his face. Christ how much more can he take before he finally snaps?

I move away from the window in time to see a car pull up. At first I thought it might be a reporter or something, but when I saw who was getting out of the car, I wish it had been a reporter.

"My God Shane are you all right?" Vince asks me as he approached the house.

"I’m fine." I say tersely.

"Angela told me there’d been a shooting out this way and-"

"And you had to see for yourself if I was the lucky corpse or not, right?"

"Shane don’t do this."

"Okay, listen you did your duty to Mom. I’m still alive to your disappointment."

"Shane do we always have to do this whenever we get together?"

I don’t say anything as Dwayne comes out of the house. The police confiscated his gun, holding it for evidence, though there weren’t any charges to be pressed against him right then.

"Dwayne," Vince says. "Are you all right?"

He just stares at Vince and walks past him, still carrying Logan’s blanket.

"That enough of an answer for you?" I ask.

He looks at me. "Listen, why don’t the two of you come to the house and-"

"Neither of us are in the mood for a family dinner Vince."

He sighed. "You know it would be nice if you could call me Dad once in a while."

"It’d be nice if you’d acted like one when I was growing up." I walk by him, heading to the car where Dwayne sat waiting.

"Shane," he grabbed my arm turning me around to look at him. "I know you and I don’t get along right now, but for God’s sake, can’t we put this aside until this nightmare is over with?"

"I’ll think about it. After all, isn’t that what you used to tell me?"

"Shane…"

"Better go Vince, you’re causing a scene."

He looks around and sees some of the people behind the police cars and some of the police themselves watching us.

"Fine," he said tightly. "But we will have to discuss things eventually."

"Whatever," I say, reclaiming my arm before walking to the car.

"Man I hope Logan and I aren’t as fucked up as you and Vince when he gets older." Dwayne said absently.

"There’s a difference. You love Logan. Vince can’t stand me," I glare as I watch him walk to his car. "Never has. Never will."

"The neighbors say anything about Logan?"

"Sam told me that one of the neighbors saw the two women leave with a baby last night, but they’d moved their stuff before then."

"So now he could be anywhere?" he asked sadly.

"We’ll find him," I say as I start the engine.

"How? The two best bets we had are dead."

"There’s got to be someone who can tell us where he is."

"Yeah, and they took off with him."

I sigh, damning our luck.

CJ sat at the table watching the birds fly outside the window thinking about what his ‘father’ had told him about Adam.

He still didn’t think of Hunter as his father, which Hunter said was fine with him. "But since we’re on a first name basis here," he remembered Hunter telling him, "then you can call me Hunter if you’d like since I’ve been calling you CJ."

Adam couldn’t have hurt Jeff, would he? He wondered. Not in the way Hunter meant…

The thoughts of Adam doing the same things to him frightened him.

But he wouldn’t, would he? He watched a gull pass by his window as he thought back to the times he’d seen Matt and Adam together and saw there was something between them, something like his Mom and Dad. He remembered watching them when they thought he wasn’t looking and saw the way Matt and Adam looked at each other and the way they tried to touch each other when they thought no one was looking.

There had been something there, something he didn’t understand until Hunter told him about it. But wasn’t being in love with your brother sick or something like that? He thought. I mean despite the fact she’s a total brat, I love Tina but not like that…

He sighed, not knowing what to think, but knew he wouldn’t let Adam near him in case what Hunter said was true.

(Adam)

After brushing my teeth until my gums bled, I decided to pay CJ a visit to make sure he was okay.

I open the door and find him sitting at the table, looking out the window.

"Hey guy," I walk into the room and he looks at me with the oddest expression. Like he’s angry and scared of me. "What’s wrong?"

"You lied to me."

"Lied to you? About what?"

"What Hunter and you were doing last night."

When the hell did he get on a first name basis with Satan?

"He told me you wanted him to do that stuff to you. He said if he didn’t, you’d come after me the way you did Jeff."

"What?" I was beginning to think this was the result of the drugs Hunter had slipped into my orange juice.

"Hunter told me how you and Matt lied about him so that no one would know the real reason Jeff made himself go to heaven."

"Wait a minute, CJ. What did Hunter tell you?"

"That you were hurting Jeff and Christian since they were babies. And that when Jeff told Hunter the bad things you were doing to him, that you…hurt him and since he was scared of you, he sent himself to heaven to get away from you."

That lying piece of shit. "CJ…"

"He even told me you and Matt were married at one time."

Jesus Christ what the hell has Hunter done?

"Well? Were you and Matt married?"

"CJ-" I moved toward him and he literally jumped on the bed to get away from me.

"No!" he shouted. "Don’t touch me!"

"I don’t know what Hunter told you about me CJ, but he’s lying."

"No he isn’t. I remember things, you know? I remember when I was younger the way you and Matt would look at each other when you thought no one was watching."

That’s it. I’m killing Hunter.

"He said he had Logan taken away from you because you were going to do the same thing to him that you did to Jeff, Christian and Matt."

Oh yeah, Hunter’s a dead man.

"CJ, don’t you see what he’s trying to do? He’s trying to turn you against me."

"Unh-unh." CJ shook his head. "He told me you made him do those things to you last night by telling him you’d do it to me if he didn’t."

"CJ he’s lying." Christ I underestimated how sick Hunter really was. "Have I done anything – anything! - to make you think I would do that to you?"

He shook his head, but the fear was still there.

"CJ, I never did any of those things Hunter said I did. I never hurt Jeff or Christian."

"What about Matt? Were you married to him? Did you make him marry you?"

Christ, how the hell was I going to explain this to him? Matt and I promised each other a long time ago we’d never bring up our ‘marriage’ to any of the kids.

"You did didn’t you?" CJ accused, his tone disgusted. "You married him."

"CJ-"

"You’re wearing his ring."

I look at my left hand. "CJ, this is the ring Dwayne gave me. We got married after you were born."

"I don’t remember it."

"Well you were just a baby then. Probably no more than a few months old at the time."

"I’ve seen you with Matt. I saw how you’d look at him and how you touch him when you thought no one was looking."

I try walking to him again.

"NO!" he screamed. "Don’t come near me!"

"CJ!"

"Get the fuck away from him."

I snap my head around and see Hunter standing in the doorway with mixture of triumph and anger on his face.

"You son of a bitch," I hiss, clenching my fist to hit him as I strode over to him. I threw the punch, but he missed and grabbed my arm, twisted it around my back and slammed me face first into the wall by the door.

"You listen to me you little bastard," he hissed in my ear. "You ever, ever come near CJ again, I’ll tear you to fucking shreds. Your mother may have allowed your little ‘visits’ but I’ll be damned if you do to him what you did to your brothers."

Christ what fucking ‘Twilight Zone’ episode did I walk into?

"Now you get the hell out of here and if I ever catch you in here or near CJ again, I’ll break your fucking neck." He let me go. "Now get out."

I glare at Hunter before trying again with CJ. "CJ he’s lying about everything. Don’t trust him."

"And he should trust a child rapist like you?" He grabs my upper arm. "Get out." He drags me out of the room and throws me out, making me trip over the rug on the floor.

As I lay on the floor, I watch in horror as CJ went into Hunter’s arms willingly, but nothing chilled me more than when he looked over CJ’s shoulder and mouthed the words. "I won bitch."

18

(Shane)

Figuring he might need a change of scenery, I brought Dwayne to the brownstone instead of Chris and Stephanie’s.

"Want something to eat or drink?" I ask as we enter the brownstone.

"No thanks." He says walking into the living room and flopping on the sofa.

I hide the briefcase in the closet before heading out there to join him.

"Sure?" I ask. "I know you haven’t eaten much lately."

"Haven’t had much of an appetite."

"You at least want a Pop Tart?"

He chuckled. "I take it Matt’s the one who does the cooking around here?"

"Oh yeah," I nodded. "Why do you think I married him? If it weren’t for him I’d starve to death."

"Adam’s the complete opposite." He says wistfully. "He’s a lousy cook, but he makes a great taste tester. He’d even taste Logan’s food for him to try and get him to eat it. He has quite a fondness for Gerber’s strawberry and banana puree."

We sit quietly for a few seconds. "How’s the hand?"

"Stings like a son of a bitch."

"Still want that Pop Tart?" I get up.

"Sure, if that’s the best you can come up with for right now."

"I’ve got other stuff."

"No that’ll be fine."

I go out to the kitchen and in about two minutes the Pop Tarts are done. Walking out to the living room, I see Dwayne looking at the wall where the photos are hung. He’s looking at one in particular. The first photo of them with Logan; Adam was sitting in the chair, Dwayne on the arm and Logan sleeping contently in Adam’s arms.

"Hope you like blueberry." I ask handing him a still warm Pop Tart.

"He was about four weeks old when that was taken." Dwayne says, taking it from my hand. "I think it was at my parent’s house because I remember Dad giving up his chair so we can get the photo."

"Have you spoken to your folks recently?" I bite into the Pop Tart, forgetting how hot the inside can be even when the outside has cooled down a little.

"Yeah, after the fire. Mom called thinking Adam was in the house at the time and I had to tell her he wasn’t."

"Anyone seen Logan?"

"Well seeing how he’s been here until last night, no, but I’m going to call her later and let her know what going on." He continued looking at the photos. "I remember that one."

I look at the one of his and Adam’s wedding day. "You’d better remember," I crack, "or Adam’ll have your ass when he gets back."

"If he comes back." Dwayne says softly before walking back to the sofa.

"He will," I tell him. "Both he and Logan."

"I wish I could be as optimistic."

"Optimism has nothing to do with it." I sit next to him. "Revenge does."

He set his uneaten Pop Tart on the coffee table. "Damn, we’ve come so fucking close and it’s like we’ve gone back to square one. No, we’re so far behind square one that there’s not even a negative number for it."

"The cops have checked every property Hunter’s family owns and there’s no sign of him ever been there."

"Shane that’s just the property we know about. I mean come on, if we hadn’t gone to the house and found those papers telling us about the house Lillian commissioned, then the kids and Matt wouldn’t be here now."

"So you think there might be other places we haven’t found out about yet?"

"I don’t know." Dwayne replied. "You’re the one whose sister married into that sick fucking family. I thought you might have a clue."

"I don’t. I only know what I’ve been told." A pause. "Listen why don’t you head upstairs and get some rest? We’re not going to do either Adam or Logan any good with you collapsing from exhaustion." This I knew first hand.

"Using my advice against me huh?" he smiled weakly before sighing. "Okay. I give in. Just a quick nap." He stood, picking up Logan’s blanket. "Maybe I can think of something."

I watched him walk up the stairs before picking the Pop Tart up, dropping it in the wastebasket before heading to my office where, after turning the computer on, I saw about a hundred or so messages waiting for me. Deleting the spam and replying to a few others from the wrestlers asking about Matt and Adam, I wrote one to Kevin asking him to update me on things in the company so when this nightmare was over I wouldn’t be out of the loop when Matt and I came back.

Matt…

I look at the clock on my desk and see that visiting hours are just about over with so there was no sense in sneaking out and seeing him until morning. I then turn my attention to photo of he and I that sits on my desk; we were sitting out in the hallway on one of the lighting rig trunks during the first Nitro to air after I bought the company. He had his ring gear on and I was wearing a turtleneck and jeans and we had our arms around each other, mine around his waist, his around my shoulders, both our wedding rings visible.

Christ, is he going to want to come back when all was said and done? I know Collette had mentioned to me about the doctor suggesting plastic surgery to take care of most of the scars on his body but what about the rest and what about the ones that no surgeon can touch? I can see the look on his face the day he saw the stitches for the first time. It was like the Matt I’ve known for eight years was gone. That something had just shut off and what I was now looking at was someone who was a shell of his former self.

I touch the photo. I didn’t care how he looked physically, I was more concerned about how he was going to be mentally the longer this goes on and what he would do if we didn’t find Adam, CJ and Logan. Another fear I was having was might be going on in his head. Was he thinking of letting himself become Hunter’s target again, setting up for another confrontation?

God I hope not.

(Matt)

I will not tear my stitches. I will not tear my stitches.

They’re itching like a son of a bitch, but I’m trying to restrain myself from ripping the bandages covering my entire torso, which feels like little bugs are crawling all over.

Great, not only am I stuck here while Hunter’s doing God knows what to Adam and CJ but now I’m about ready to want to crawl out of my patchwork quilt skin. I’d thought of calling a nurse but I knew they wouldn’t do it.

I wish Adam were here. I remember the times I got stitched up and he would know just how to itch it without damaging the stitches.

The opening of the door attracts my attention.

I look over and see someone entering my room. I tense, suddenly afraid that Hunter has sent someone after me. Especially when I see he’s not wearing doctor’s scrubs.

"Who are you?" I ask ready to start shouting.

"Matt Hardy?"

"Who are you?"

He comes closer allowing me to see him better. "I didn’t mean to startle you but my name’s Leo duPres, I’m with the Stamford Gazette."

"What do you want?"

"I was hoping for an exclusive interview with you. I know it’s late but I know someone who’s working the desk right now and they let me in to see you."

I look at him. He couldn’t have been any older than Jeff when he died, with dark brown hair, green eyes and a lean frame, which reminded me of my younger brother’s.

"Listen," he continues. "If now’s a bad time…"

"No." I tell him, almost welcome for the intrusion. "It’s just I’m not much for interviews unless they’re wrestling related."

I watch him walk over and grab the chair to bring it by the bed. "I know you and Adam have never discussed what happened to you and your…nephews in the attic."

"Brothers." I correct. "Adam, Christian and Jeff were my brothers. Who my father is, is irrelevant."

"Can’t be too irrelevant if he was the one who helped you acquire your fortune."

I chuckle bitterly. "Oh yeah, Pat was a great help."

I watched as he took out a tape recorder and a notepad from his coat. "I haven’t got much time to do this. My friend’s shift change is in an hour and if anyone caught me in here with you…" he said, loading the tape into the recorder.

"I know."

"Just so you know this isn’t a crank," he took something out of his pocket and handed it to me. "Those are my reporting credentials."

I look through the cards he’s handed me and give them back. "I believe you."

He sorts through his notepad as though looking for a clean page.

Suddenly I get an idea, thinking that for once fate was on my side. "Listen Mr. duPres…"

"Leo."

"Leo. How would you like the exclusive of a lifetime?"

He looks up from his notebook and gapes at me. "Sure. What is it?"

"I want you to help me find Hunter."

(Adam)

This can’t be real.

This has got to be some damned drug induced nightmare.

I’m sitting on the bed – make that Hunter’s bed – with my knees pulled up and my elbows resting on them as I’m trying to figure out what the hell went on in CJ’s room earlier.

What the fuck did Hunter tell him?

I mean, I know what he told him, but still…to get CJ so scared of me like that.

First Hunter kills Matt, uses me as his fucktoy and now he’s turned CJ against me.

Things couldn’t get any worse can they?

"There’s no need to pout about it."

Oh yes they can.

I don’t even bother to look in Hunter’s direction as he saunters in the room and sits on the bed as near to me as I’ll allow without falling off the bed.

"I told you Adam. You try and turn CJ against me and I’ll make you pay. So now here you are; no Matt, no Dwayne, no Logan and no CJ to take your side. Pretty sad existence you’re living in now isn’t it?"

Oh shut the fuck up, I want to tell him, but I don’t.

"But don’t worry," he says, reaching for and getting a hold of my hair to run it through his fingers. "I’m still here."

I feel so much better. Not.

"Well what do you have to say for yourself?"

Nothing. Not a goddamned thing.

"Adam."

I ignore him until he grabs my hair again this time to yank my head back.

"I asked you a question. Now answer me. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Nothing." I snap. "Happy? I’ve got nothing to say for myself. Now let go!" I yank my hair out of his grasp.

He narrows his eyes.

"You won all right?" I hiss. "You won."

"About time you realized that." He gets off the bed. "Now hurry up and get changed. Dinner’ll be ready and I expect you to be on your best behavior. CJ is joining us."

Oh great. All we need is a goddamned Mad Hatter and this warped little tea party’ll be complete.

(Matt)

Christ I wish Leo would hurry the fuck up.

I know I shouldn’t trust him after everything I’ve been through so far – memories of Mike Sanders not far from my mind - but after he went to get the supplies, I checked his credentials and he turned out to be legit but even if he did work for Hunter, it would just get me to him quicker.

I know there’s going to be major hell to pay over this, but I can’t just lie around and do nothing, stitches be damned.

Damn how long can getting doctor scrubs and a few medical supplies take?

After promising Leo not only the exclusive of a lifetime for helping me find Hunter but a nice quiet payoff to let me use his reporter’s skills to help me, I mentally go over what I need to do to get ready for this.

Leo’s offered me a room at his place, which isn’t far from here, so that takes care of where I can stay. Then there’s the matter of getting information about every piece of property that the Helmsley family owns, no matter how far flung it may be.

Then there was Shane and my family.

I know Shane’s going to divorce me for this, but I have to do this and I know no one else will understand, but when it’s all said and done, maybe they will. If I get out alive.

The door swings open and I tense, thinking it’s one of the nurses wondering why I was sitting up in bed. Seeing Leo carrying things into the room I give a sigh of relief.

"Took you long enough." I mutter as he hands me a pair of scrubs.

"I had to find an escape route out of here so no one could see us leaving."

"Could you give me a hand?"

He helps me with the hospital gown I’m wearing and gasps when he sees the bandages on my legs as well as my chest. "Holy shit," he says. "I heard it was bad, but-"

"Help me out of here and you can take photos later."

He slides the scrubs on me and hands me the sneakers that were under the bed. "Here," he hands me a cap. "You might want to tuck your hair under that."

I do, praying none of it slips out.

"Okay," Leo says. "I went and got my duffle bag out of the car and with some lock picking skills I got what I think you might need." He opens it to show me. "Bandages, sutures, needles, various drugs…"

"Do it so no one would suspect?"

He nodded.

"Good." I watch as he began sliding a set of scrubs on. "What the hell are you doing?"

"It might look less conspicuous if there were two doctors leaving at the same time." He said as he tied a mask around his face and encouraged me to do the same. "And with these, we won’t have to worry about someone recognizing us."

I liked his thinking.

Once he was suited up, he zipped the bag up and looked at me. "Ready?"

I nodded.

"Sure you’re up to this?" he asked.

"Yeah." I said as we headed for the door. My steps were a little unsteady at first but eventually I managed to learn to walk without limping and hopefully not pulling my stitches. We get outside the door and he motions for me to follow him to the stairwell.

"It’s a long way down." He cautions.

"So?" I ask, walking in front of him.

We make it down the four flights of steps with no problem. Now all we have to do is make it through the emergency room…

"Oh shit," I breathe when I see a familiar figure heading in our direction.

Collette.

"Quick," I order, nudging Leo back inside the door of the stairwell. I watched as she passed. Visiting hours were over but she used her psychiatric credentials to allow herself to visit me when she felt in the mood, that and the fact that the head of the hospital was a former sorority sister didn’t hurt.

"I thought visiting hours were over." Leo says.

"They are." I explain to Leo who she was and what she did. "Now we have exactly five minutes to get the fuck out of here before she finds out I’m gone."

Slipping out the stairwell and through the emergency room with no one stopping us, we make it to Leo’s car and make a smooth getaway.

Now I just hope that finding Hunter will be as easy.

(Adam)

"What’s this?"

I glance over at CJ as he looks over the dinner on his plate.

We’re in the formal dining room tonight and to be honest, I am still not hungry and this little father-son bonding scene unfolding in front of me isn’t helping matters.

"It’s a stuffed lobster," Hunter replies. "Ever have lobster before?"

CJ nodded. "Mommy, daddy and I would go up to Maine for the summer and have some there." He looks at me. "We had some once didn’t we Adam?"

"Yeah," I said with as much enthusiasm as I can muster.

"Except we didn’t have it like this." CJ continues. "We just had it as is. You know, breaking the claws and everything."

"Have fun doing that?" Hunter asked with a smile before sipping his wine.

"Yeah, but it got messy."

"If you think that’s messy, try having crab. One whack and it goes all over the place."

I try tuning them out. I’m not angry with CJ but the scene in his room still bothers me. Not so much as giving Hunter a reason to gloat, but for CJ to think I’d done anything to Jeff and Christian when they were younger and then there was Matt…

"Not cooked to your specifications?"

I slide a glance over at Hunter. "I’m just not hungry." I set my fork down.

"Are you sick?" CJ asked, his concern genuine.

Oh guy if you only knew… "No I’m fine."

"Then eat."

I glare at Hunter. "I said I’m not hungry." Maybe if I can bait him just a little, maybe make him lose his temper around CJ…

"You know what the doctor said." Hunter says calmly. "If you expect your medication to work you have to take it on a full stomach."

What the fuck is he babbling about?

"Is Adam sick?" CJ asked the worry on his face as plain as day.

I see the smirk on his face and brace myself for the next lie about me he’s about to spew.

"Not physically," he says smoothly. "But the doctor gave him these special pills he has to take to make him…behave himself."

I swear I was gripping the arms of the chair I was sitting in so tightly that they would’ve snapped in my hand.

"Oh," was CJ would say before he stuck his fork in to the stuffed lobster to take a small piece out to try. "Not bad," he commented after swallowing. "Come on Adam, it’s good," he informs me before digging in.

I glance at Hunter again and see the dark look on his face. That ‘do it or else’ that I’ve gotten used to seeing.

With a sigh, I pick up the fork and take a small bite like CJ before setting the fork down. "Not bad," was my critique.

Oh he did not like that.

"Take another bite." He orders me.

I refuse, settling back into the chair. Come on you son of a bitch, I think. Lose it. Let CJ find out what a psychopath you are.

"Come on Adam," CJ says again. "It’s really good."

"I’m sure it is guy, but I’m not hungry right now." Actually I was starving, but I wasn’t going to let Hunter find out.

He still had that look on his face, but I saw him glance at CJ, who was now looking over the salad, before he spoke. "Fine suit yourself, but don’t come bitching to me when those pills start making you sick."

Not as sick as you’re making me.

I get up and a wave of dizziness hits me making me sway a little.

"Are you okay Adam?" CJ asked.

"I’m fine guy," I cover. "I just got up too quickly."

I move my chair back and get no farther then five steps away before everything – the stress and the not eating – hits me, causing the room to tilt and my eyesight go black.

19

(Matt)

"It’s not much," Leo tells me as we enter his place. "But it’ll do for now."

I enter the apartment and look around. In many ways it reminded me of the brownstone Shane and I shared when I first went there, the furnishings minimal and simple.

"I appreciate you hiding me out here." I shuffle over to the sofa aching to have a seat.

"Hey, an exclusive like this doesn’t come along every day. Not only do I get to be there when Hunter’s caught, but I get to go along for the ride. My boss is going to freak about this."

"I don’t think it’ll be a good idea to mention this just yet." I caution, easing myself down onto his sofa. "I don’t know who’s working for Hunter and who’s not."

"How do you know I’m not?"

"Well I checked your credentials for one, but even if you were working for him, it’ll just get me to him faster."

"Want something to eat?" He gestures to the kitchenette behind him.

"Sure. Sounds good."

"I can’t make anything too fancy, but I can thaw out a couple of burgers."

"Thanks." I sink into the sofa, which isn’t too hard to do. By now I was sure Collette had found out that I was missing and that she had half the police force looking for me.

"Your friend," I begin. "Can they keep a secret? I mean will they tell that you were in the room with me?"

"Not if they want to keep their job at the hospital they won’t." He took out one of those grilling machines you see on television. "Hey listen are you on any sort of medications I should know about?"

I had been on something for my blood pressure but I couldn’t tell him that. "No. Just the occasional painkiller for my mess."

"Okay, because my brother’s a doctor and I could make arrangements for him to give you a prescription under a phony name."

"He can do that?"

Leo nodded. "Yeah. He used to work Beverly Hills at one time. Man you wouldn’t believe the celebrities he made out phony prescriptions for."

As Leo rattled on about his brother’s clientele, I just sat there trying to figure out what the next step in the plan was.

"…And man, Matthew Perry would eat Vicodan like candy and- hey you okay?"

I looked at him. "Oh yeah," I assure him. "I’m just thinking."

"So how are we going to start this search?"

Good question.

(Shane)

After ordering take out, I head upstairs to wake Dwayne up.

Not finding him in the guest room, I look in my and Matt’s room and find him sound asleep with Logan’s blanket not far from his grasp.

I’ll admit he and I never quite got along in the past, both professionally and personally especially after our less than amicable split shortly before Adam, Matt and Jeff arrived in the WWF, but I couldn’t help but feel for him. The two most important people in his life – other than his parents – are God knows where, one with a deranged lunatic and the other…well we didn’t know where Logan could be, but there was the all too real fear that the son Dwayne cherished more than anything wouldn’t remember him if he was ever found.

No. Correction, not if, when.

I didn’t want to wake him, preferring he got all the rest he could, but he had to eat…

Then the phone by the bed rang.

I grab it quickly thinking it might be the hospital. "Hello?"

"Oh God Shane thank God I caught you at home."

Instantly my radar went up at the sound of Collette's voice. "Collette, what’s wrong?"

"I went to the hospital to visit Matt…and he’s gone."

I felt my heart stop. "He’s what?"

"At first I thought he might’ve been in his bathroom then I thought he might’ve snuck out to the atrium and God Shane’s there’s no sign of him anywhere." Her voice was rushed.

"Did you call the police?"

"Of course. They’re going through the security tapes right now." I hear her draw a sobbing breath. "God Shane what if Hunter has him again? I mean, what if he found out about his surviving the fire and decided to send someone to finish the job?"

My worst nightmare is coming back to haunt me again as I think about Matt in that psycho’s hands again. "Listen, let me wake Dwayne and we’ll be at the house as soon as we can. Okay? Is someone there with you right now?"

"Mick drove me over. He was waiting in the car when I hurried out to tell him."

"Okay let Mick drive you back to Chris and Stephanie’s and we’ll be there as soon as possible."

"Okay."

I hung up and shook Dwayne awake. God this nightmare is never going to end will it?

"Dwayne!" I shout waking him. "Dwayne wake up! Hunter has Matt again!"

That woke him up. "What?"

"Collette went to the hospital to visit with him and he was nowhere in the hospital."

"Fuck." Dwayne said as he rubbed his eyes. "This just keeps getting worse and worse doesn’t it?"

My thoughts exactly.

(Matt)

"God that was good." I said after polishing off my third hamburger.

"I thought after all that hospital food you might like that." Leo wiped his mouth. "Have enough?"

"For now." I take a sip from the Pepsi he refreshed, the carbonation sizzling over my tongue and down my throat.

"Okay," Leo picks up the plates and takes them to the kitchenette. "So how do we start this search for Hunter?"

"I was thinking of finding out the location of every property the Helmsley family owns."

"I always thought it was just the one house." Leo pours dish soap into the sink. "Well that and the one you guys were held in."

"Yeah, but you figure a family like them would have more property than they would list publicly."

"You mean for them to have trysts in and stuff?"

"Yeah." I reply, the itching slowly becoming unbearable.

"Well that shouldn’t be too hard to do."

"In theory yeah, but reality might prove to be a big stumbling block."

"You’re the heir to the fortune Mr. Hardy-"

"Matt. Please call me Matt."

"Okay, Matt. So didn’t a list of properties come with the will?"

"No. The only property I recall inheriting was the main house in Greenwich."

"Man that must be weird, getting the house you were held prisoner in."

"It doesn’t happen every day." I comment.

"You live there?"

"God no."

"So where do you live now?"

I look at him. "How long have you been a reporter?"

"Two years."

"And you did no background on this whole situation?"

I heard him sigh before he turned around to face me. "Kinda hard to do when they stick you in the ‘hatch, match and dispatch’ section."

"The what?"

"Births, marriages and deaths. See, that’s where I’ve been languishing since I got out of college."

"And you came to me looking for an exclusive?"

"I read about what had been going on and I thought it’d be a perfect way to get myself noticed if I could get what the other so called reporters have been trying to get for years and that’s an interview with you. I’m not going to be doing obituaries for the rest of my life."

"Unless you do mine." I say under my breath.

"I’m sorry for the deception. But I really want in on this. I mean to be there when you go after Hunter…"

"All right, all right." I say tiredly. "In case you’re wondering I’m living – or should I say was living – with my husband."

He gave me a quick glance over. "Lucky guy."

"He might not think so when this is over."

"So who is he, if I’m not being too nosy."

"You are, but that’s your job I guess. It’s Shane McMahon."

"The owner of WCW?"

I nod.

"Vince McMahon’s son?"

I nod again.

"Damn. I’d love to know that story."

"Be patient and I’ll tell you one of these days."

"So what do we do first?"

There were a million things going through my head; I should e-mail Shane and explain things, I should call Collette and tell her I’m okay…

But right now I’d settle for a backscratcher, which Leo provides me after asking for one. After a few minutes, I set it down feeling much better. "I think we should start with a visit to the lawyer. See if he could give us the information we need."

"Yeah but Matt, if anyone sees you then all hell could break loose."

"I know." I look at him. "That’s why I’m sending you."

(Adam)

I don’t know how long I’ve been out nor how I got to Hunter’s bed, but when I do come to, I look and find him sitting in the corner chair with a furious expression on his face.

"I hope you know you scared CJ half to death." He says.

For a second I wonder what he’s going on about now when I remember passing out.

"I will not have you upsetting my son like that again." He continues.

"Is he all right?"

"I’ve got him calmed down if that’s what you mean."

I try to get up when the dizziness hits me again, causing me to collapse back onto the bed. "What time is it?"

"After eleven. CJ went to bed at nine."

"He usually goes to bed at eight."

"Well he’s not with Stephanie now is he? And don’t think of going to ‘check’ on him."

"Why? Afraid I might tell him what a sick piece of work you really are?"

"No because I don’t need him more worked up than he already is."

"And whose fault is that?" I asked.

He shrugs.

"Why did you tell him that shit about me?"

"So you know how it felt to be lied about."

"Matt and I never lied about you and you know it. Everything we said in court-"

"Everything you said in court was bullshit." Hunter countered. "It was Pat’s idea to take Christian to the crematorium. And as far as you and I go…" he smirked. "You wanted it. The only reason you lied was because you weren’t the one in control like you were with Matt. I only gave you what you wanted."

"Did Pat give you what you ‘wanted’?"

I watched him lean back in the chair his face a mask of emotions and I decided that now was as good as any time to find out what sick gene pool CJ and I were swimming in. "How did it really begin Hunter? How did this whole sick game really begin?"

"You think it’s a game?"

"I don’t know what to think. All I know is every time you’ve…you get this weird tone in your voice when you talk about your parents, especially grandmother."

He chuckled. "God the old bitch would’ve hated to hear you call her that. I think she spent half the inheritance on plastic surgery and everything else she could come up with so she wouldn’t look a day over twelve. Didn’t do any good."

"So I noticed in the photos."

"Please, those things were so touched up…" His voice fades. "I’m not in the mood to talk about her."

Come on, open that wound a little more…

"Why not? Didn’t you two settle things before she died?" Six months after you brought us to that house, you bastard.

"Oh I settled things with her all right." That damn smirk flittered on his lips. "Where do you think I got the idea to poison you guys from?"

"You tried it out on her first?"

"It wasn’t hard. She was on her way out anyways."

"Or so you kept telling us over and over again."

He says nothing.

"When did it begin?"

"When did what begin?"

"You know what I mean. When did you start sleeping with your mother?"

He glares at me. "Don’t you even think of going there."

"Why not? You’re always asking me about Matt. Besides don’t you think I deserve the right to know what kind of family I came from. That CJ comes from."

"CJ will never know. I’ll make damn sure of that."

"Oh come on Hunter. Be realistic. Say this plan of yours works out to perfection, that no one ever finds us. CJ is going to have to go to school and if you insist on him having your last name then people are going to talk and they’re going to tell him things about you."

"I’m having CJ home schooled."

"Were you home schooled?"

"For a while."

"At grandmother’s request?"

He narrows his eyes. "If you ever want to see Logan again, I recommend you never mention that whore to me again."

"I thought you were her whore." I retorted, bracing myself for whatever he was about to dish out on me.

"You know, you’re really on a one way track to a severe ass beating."

"So what else is new?"

He chuckled. "You really have a death wish don’t you?"

"There’s nothing more frightening than someone with nothing left to lose, isn’t there?"

That got a look of confusion out of him.

"I mean come on Hunter. Matt’s dead, Logan’s gone, Dwayne probably wants nothing to do with me, God knows CJ doesn’t thanks to you. A pretty lonely existence I’m living in aren’t I?" I ask, throwing his question back at him. "Hell I don’t even care if I starve myself to death any more."

"Don’t you pull this shit on me."

"Pull what? I’m just being a realist."

"You saw what I did to Matt when he pulled the same thing."

"Pull what?"

"That little ‘woe is me’ bullshit."

"You mean, the ‘I’m tired of fighting with you’ crap right? Christ Hunter you won." I sighed. "I thought you’d be dancing on the ceiling. You broke Matt. You’ve broken me. All that’s left is your going into your bathroom and getting the straight edge razor out so you have the pleasure of watching me slit my throat. Hell, let’s invite CJ to watch."

"Shut up."

"Why? I thought you’d enjoy me admitting defeat." I sit up slowly so I can lean back against the headboard. "Or maybe you’ll settle for me enjoying being your whore the same way you must’ve enjoyed being grandmother’s?"

"I said shut up."

"Granted at the time you were repulsed by the notion, but when she dangled that golden carrot in front of your face, that big inheritance, well it probably made getting between her legs much more tolerable."

I see him gripping the arms of the chair so hard his knuckles were turning white. "So now what? Another beating? Another rape? Hell I’m your whore Hunter! It doesn’t matter if you’re my father or not. Just as I’m sure it didn’t matter when Pat did the same thing to you as well did it?" I hiss. "Tell me. What was the real reason for his whipping you that first day we were at the house? Was he angry over what you did to your mother by leaving her to marry Mom? Or was he angry because you abandoned him too? That you ended your perverse little affair with him?" I pause, watching him turn at least three shades of red. "I think I have it figured out. Why Pat was really so disappointed with you, why he acted the way he did when he met us at the motel and when the two of you came to see us in the attic that day. You were the one thing that would’ve guaranteed his getting grandmother’s money. He knew damn sight well she’d never have given him a dime when she croaked, but you…you were her favorite. Her only child. You were the one she was going to leave everything to, and in return for leaving you alone so you could marry Stephanie, he’d get a chunk of grandmother’s estate. But you both fucked up didn’t you? The weekend you and Mom took me to visit with them, he fucked up and got Mom pregnant. Then if marrying Mom wasn’t enough of a betrayal the first time, you did it again when you married Stephanie after I’m sure grandmother thought you’d take care of her in her declining days. So, to make the both of you pay for betraying her - you by marrying Mom and Stephanie and Pat by getting Mom pregnant with Matt - she cut him off and threatened to cut you off if there was ever any proof of our existence. Thing is you wouldn’t know until years later that she knew about Matt and her little payback of changing the will so it would favor Matt, as well as how much Pat hated you for letting him down."

The tension in the room was so thick I’m surprised it hasn’t choked either of us right then.

"You want to talk about sick?" Hunter began, his voice flat and deadly. "You have no idea what it was like growing up in that house."

"Then tell me about it."

He paused. "No."

"Come on Hunter. Let it out." Open that wound so I can use it against you. "What was it really like? Especially when you’re an only child. You must’ve had one charmed life. The only son of a wealthy family. Got to have what ever you wanted. All you had to do was ask. Didn’t have to share anything with three younger siblings."

"You already answered your own question. Besides, at least you had your mother to protect you growing up. I had no one. You want to know why I raped you? I mean the real reason? Because when I saw that tape Pat had of you and Matt it was like my childhood all over again. You know of the four of you, Jeff and Matt were my favorites and not for the reasons you think. Because for a while before I took your mother out, Matt reminded me so much of myself when I was ten, before the bitch went and turned me into her fucktoy because she didn’t want a scandal by doing it with the gardener or any of the other servants. And when I saw you with your hands all over him…you’re damned blessed rape was the only thing I did to you."

"What about Jeff? Why did you reject him?"

"I didn’t reject him. I was trying to save him."

"Right. I’m sure driving him to suicide was your good deed for the day."

"You know, I don’t care what you think. Besides, Matt was as much to blame for what happened with Jeff as I may have been. He should’ve just left him and Raven alone. Maybe then he wouldn’t have had to come and bother me."

"So how was the old lady in bed?" I don’t think there was a color to describe the shade he turned when I threw that in his face. All I can say is if he came over and tried to kill me then he’d have no trouble succeeding.

"How was Matt?" he returned. "Tell me, you still fucking him behind Dwayne’s back?"

"No."

"Liar. I heard you and CJ before I entered the room. I heard him call you out about the way you and Matt still looked at each other and how you’d try to touch him when you thought no one was looking. You know I almost feel sorry for Shane and Dwayne. It must be hell knowing that no matter how hard you try, you’ll always come in second best to your husband’s brother."

"I love Dwayne."

"Keep telling yourself that Adam. Eventually you’ll begin to believe it." He leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees. "How many times have you thought of him whenever Dwayne kissed you? Or how about when Dwayne was fucking you? Think of Matthew then?" he smirked. "Can’t blame you. I still get off just thinking of that night in the shower stall."

"I just bet you do."

"Oh I do. All those nights in prison. Just me in the cell. I think about that night over and over. How wet his skin was, how clean he smelled, how he begged me to fuck him-"

"You sick piece of shit." I hiss at him, my slacks feeling uncomfortable as memories of how Matt and I would make love in the shower went through my head. "He never wanted you."

"Maybe not." Then he smirked. "But I see you still want him."

Bastard.

He got up and sauntered over to me, sitting on the edge of the bed nearest me.

I tried inching away from him, but his hand on my hip kept me from moving any further than I had.

"Stay still." He said the implied threat of harm in his voice.

I feel my stomach sink when he runs his hand over the bulge in my pants. "You know something Adam. You’re right. It doesn’t mater if I’m your father or not." He slides his hand to my shirt and with just the one hand unbuttons it. "As long as you’re here for me to fuck, I don’t care."

"How long did it go on with you and Pat?"

He chuckles. "Don’t try to analyze me Adam. Not if you want to stay sane because you start plumbing around my subconscious, the more like me you’ll realize you are." He opens the shirt and begins rubbing my chest with his hand.

"I am nothing like you."

"Not yet." He leaned down to kiss me. "Now you listen to me and you listen good." He whispers in my ear. "From now on, you eat every meal that’s given to you. I will not have you upsetting CJ with another scene like that again. Understood?"

"Yes."

He sighs in my ear, sending involuntary shivers through me. "Do we have to keep playing this game over and over again?"

I close my eyes. "Yes father," I said, trying to keep my stomach calm.

"Good boy." He whispers as his hand returns to the bulge in my pants and begins unzipping me. "Such a good boy."

(Shane)

How?

How the fucking hell could he have done this?

And in his condition.

We’re at Chris and Stephanie’s where we view the security tape the police had brought us to view and around eight-thirty pm, according to the clock on the bottom of the screen, I saw it; Matt walking out of the hospital with someone – the police was looking into who he was – and by the looks of things, he went willingly.

What the hell are you up to now Matt?

"I can’t believe this," I hear Collette say from the sofa. "I can’t believe he would do something this stupid."

Talking to the nurse on staff, the police figured the bag the other person was carrying had contained some medical supplies that had been stolen from the supply room on that floor.

The masks had made it hard for us to know for sure if it fact was Matt at first, but I knew it was him. Call it ‘husband’s intuition’.

We had no idea who the other man was nor were the police able to get a clear license number from the camera.

"He’s lost his fucking mind." I heard Chris say behind me.

I had to agree with him, but I knew he was up to something. I’d seen the look on his face when he saw what Hunter had done to him and I knew he was up to something.

I just hoped he didn’t kill himself in the process.

Hunter stared up at the ceiling watching the moonlight beam through the blinds making prison bar-like patterns on the wall.

How appropriate, he thought at the analogy.

He felt the bed shift slightly and glanced over at Adam who was sound asleep and curled up on the other side of the bed. He was tempted to slide over and have his way with him again, but decided to give his libido a rest, instead thinking of the little game of mental chess he and Adam had played earlier with him drawing a checkmate when he brought up Matt’s name.

It’s a shame Matt’s dead, Hunter brooded. It would’ve been nice to have him around to torment for a while longer. Maybe even had that threesome I wanted.

He recalled when the three of them had entered the WWF, not knowing who they were to him. Christ, could there have been three more perfect specimens of raw sex on legs? He’d watch Adam and Matt together in the dining room and in the locker room and wondered what their sex life was like. He knew after being around them for a few minutes that Stephanie would have the best sex she’d ever have, while he indulged in his fantasies about them, especially Matt. On the few occasions when they were alone, he’d thought of hitting on Jeff, but finding out he was dating Raven, he left him alone knowing there was no way in hell he was catching the wrath of that sociopath.

So he continued his fascination of his two oldest sons. Correction, his brother and his son.

His son…

CJ.

He thought of the things Adam had said about CJ having to go out into the world eventually and people telling him things. Things like what the family was like.

No, Hunter resolved. There was no way in hell CJ was ever going to find out anything about his past. CJ was his clean slate, his start over in life and he wasn’t going to have a bunch of gossips ruin that for either of them.

And that included Adam, who he wouldn’t think twice about killing if it meant keeping the past buried there so his youngest would never know his sick legacy.

20

(Matt)

With some help from Leo, I’m sitting on the bed, my stitched torso exposed as he gently cleans my back with a washcloth and the basin of water he’s brought out.

"Got the letter?" I ask, referring to a letter I’d written for Leo to give to the lawyer granting my permission to open the file for Leo to see the properties.

"It’s in my coat." He says, drying my back as gently as he could.

"How’s it look?"

"You want the truth, or something to make you feel better?"

"The truth."

"It’s still bad, but you clean up well. I mean, it doesn’t look as bad as it did before I’m sure."

"Got a mirror?"

"On the dresser."

I turn and see the mirror on the dresser, half obscured with a discarded towel. Slowly I get up and walk over removing the towel and getting a good look at myself.

Some bruises are fading while others are still vivid and will look to be for quite a while, but he was right, the stitching doesn’t look so bad now the some of the scabbing has been washed away. I still looked like a patchwork quilt.

"Got a hand mirror so I can see my back?" I asked.

Leo, careful not to spill the basin, got off the bed and pulled one out of his drawer. He stood behind me and moved it slowly so I can get a better look.

Jesus Christ.

I thought my front was bad but my back is even worse. How Leo can look without vomiting I have no idea. There were still some ragged cuts from the earlier whipping Hunter gave me with the cat o’nine tails, but it looks like little bits of my back were taken apart and sewn back together again in a patchwork pattern.

"Hunter did that to you?" Leo asked softly.

I nodded.

"Christ, I heard he was twisted, but this is so unexpected."

Poor kid, he has no idea does he?

As with my front, there were still some bruises starting to fade and others that looked like they’d be hanging around for a while and with the scabbing cleaned off, it didn’t look too bad.

"Want me to put the bandages back on?" Leo asked, lowering the mirror.

"I thought you wanted photos."

"I do," he admits. "but not to exploit what you’ve been through."

A reporter with a conscience. Now that’s something you don’t see every day.

"It’s okay." I assure him. "We nail Hunter, the cops can use them as evidence."

With a degree of apprehension, he walked to the front room, leaving me alone for a few seconds before brining a camera with him. "It’s a digital," he explained, before snapping away.

As he did so, I stared at the mirror, recalling that first day in the attic when Pat and Hunter had walked in and Pat forced Hunter to remove his shirt showing us the whippings he’d endured: "There it is brats," I could here his voice say. "One lash for every year since he was born, one for every year he was married to your mother, and one lash for each year the four of you existed."

I wonder if that’s what Hunter was thinking when he did this to me. If it was, then I would gladly suffer more scarring for every year my brothers were alive and every year I was with Adam…

"I think that’s that." Leo says, breaking my train of thought. "I called my brother and-"

"You didn’t tell him did you?"

"No, no. I just told him that I had a friend who had some stitches on his back and he said it was okay if we didn’t rewrap the bandages right away after a bath so that the skin can breathe a little." He hands me the scrub I wore. "Now don’t worry, I washed and dried them early this morning while you were sleeping, so you don’t have to worry about getting an infection from them or anything else."

"Thanks," I say, carefully getting the shirt on with a little help from Leo.

"Okay so what time does your lawyer’s office open?"

"Nine." It was eight thirty now.

"Okay." He sighs. "Let me check my e-mail and then I’ll get dressed and go."

With extreme caution, I walk to the bed and sit down feeling more tired than I had in a long time. I didn’t know if it was the stress of everything catching up to me or the medication, but I was so tempted to slide back into bed and-

"Oh shit!"

Hearing Leo’s gripe, I get back up again and make my way to his room where he sits in front of his desktop.

"What is it?" I ask, shuffling my way in, the stitches feeling tighter than they had before.

"Your Mom called the cops."

"We knew she would." I sit on the corner of the bed.

"Well, now they’ve put a warning out about anyone trying to imitate you to perform any sort of transactions. Financial or otherwise." He points to the e-mail on the screen.

I read it and silently curse whoever set that up. "Fuck!"

"Looks like going to the lawyer’s is out of the question."

Damn! Damn! Damn!

He looks at me. "Now what?"

"Think the properties are of public record?"

"I don’t know." He admitted before bringing up his browser. "But we’ll find out won’t we?"

(Adam)

Whoever said that breakfast was the most important meal of the day obviously never had to eat with Hunter.

I try to force my breakfast down while listening to Hunter and CJ prattle on about something, damned if I knew what about, but it looked like they were getting a little too chummy for my tastes. Not that I could do anything about it.

"Do you remember that Adam?"

CJ’s voice distracts me. "What?"

"When we went to Busch Gardens and mommy almost fell over on the white water ride?"

"Yeah," I say absently, not really remembering what he was talking about.

"So what else happened that day?"

I shake my head, this whole scene bringing back memories that I didn’t want or need. Maybe this is why Hunter is doing this, making me take meals with them, so he could remind me of our lives before mom died and make me nuts over it.

"Can we go outside?" CJ’s question caught my ear. Christ he sounded so much like Jeff when he asked that.

"Now?" Hunter said setting his glass of juice down.

"Sometime today."

"We’ll see."

‘We’ll see’. Two words I’d hated more than anything. Two words that reminded me of the attic and the disappointment Matt and I had to soothe when Hunter didn’t follow through on his promises to the twins…

Luckily breakfast was over and without saying a word, I leave the dining room and head to the room I was in before Hunter moved me into his.

Just lying on the bed, looking up at the ceiling, I could feel my resolve and whatnot begin to crack but not completely. Too many damned memories, ones I though long gone came back. Not just of the rape but of other things; memories of life before the attic when we seemed to be a normal family, life during with CJ reminding me too much of Christian and Jeff and the hell we’d suffered, life after when we found Mick and Collette and thought we could put it all behind us, me and Matt having found two men who loved us no matter what our past had been and now recently.

Christ I wished I had that medication Hunter told CJ I had to take. It’d make going through this hell more tolerable.

"Adam?"

I look up and see CJ standing in the doorway looking at me. "Hey guy." I return, looking back up at the ceiling.

"Are you okay?"

"I’m fine." Christ how much like Matt did that sound like?

I hear his footsteps across the bare wood floor and the bed sink a little as he leaned over the bed to look at me. "Are you mad at me?"

I close my eyes. God I wish I could say yes, but I don’t. "No CJ, I’m not mad at you."

"I’m sorry about the other day."

"I know you are."

"Think we might get to go home?"

You might. Me, I seriously doubt. "I thought you liked it here," an edge – pardon the pun – creeped into my voice, everything finally starting to get to me.

"It’s boring and I miss Mom and Dad."

"Do you? You and Hunter seemed to hit it off."

"It’s not the same as being home."

I bite the inside of my mouth, trying to control the demon I felt like unleashing.

"Do you miss Dwayne?"

What do you think? "Listen CJ, you’d better go to your room now."

"Wanna make a building? There’s cars in there too."

"Hot Wheels." I say dully.

"Yeah. How’d you know?"

"Lucky guess."

"So do want to-"

"No." I shook my head. "You’d better go before Hunter comes up here."

"Do you think the others got home all right?"

The scene of the fire suddenly fills my vision. "Is that what Hunter told you? That the others got home?"

"Yeah, he told me they came and got the others but they left me behind because mommy didn’t want me anymore."

I think I’ve finally begun to snap because I start laughing.

"Adam?"

I sit up and look at him. "You’re serious aren’t you? Hunter told you that?"

He nodded, looking as nervous as anything.

"Oh CJ…" I shook my head. "Hunter didn’t tell you he had a fire set to the house we were in did he?"

He shook his head.

"Well he did. Yeah, he got us out and set fire to the house. With everyone else still inside."

"No," he gasped.

"That’s right CJ. Your new best friend, our father, set fire to the house with Dewey, Noelle, Christina and Matt still inside, and you know what? No one survived. No one." My voice cracked as the reality of Matt being gone has hit me.

"No…" he whined, his green eye welling up in tears.

"Oh yeah. He had Robert set the house on fire and now they’re all dead."

"NO!" he shouted. "Adam! Stop it!"

"Don’t believe me? Ask him! Ask him what he did to Matt! Have him show you the photos!" God I hated doing this, but once it got out, the demon wouldn’t go back in. "Ask him how he killed my mother in front of millions of people and got away with it! Ask him about him locking us in a goddamned attic for five years! Ask him about how he just stood by and let his father beat the hell out of us! Ask him how he, his father and his father’s goddamned butler locked me in a room with them and raped me, because believe you me CJ, in another five years, you’re next!"

"That’s enough!"

I whipped my head and saw Hunter glare at me with such murderous intentions I thought he’d lose it right then.

"CJ," he said softly. "Go to your room. Now."

CJ, who was in tears by now, ran.

Hunter slammed the door. "I knew you were unbalanced but this…"

"Unbalanced? You have the nerve to stand there and call me ‘unbalanced’? I am but what you made me Hunter! You want to play CJ against me fine. I can do it just as well as you can. I’d love to see you try and explain how you murdered his friends and his baby sister."

A hard right shot me against the armoire where the television I’d seen the fire scene on was hidden.

"You little bitch."

I didn’t even dab at my jaw. I could taste the blood in my mouth. "What’s wrong Hunter? Don’t you think CJ should know what he has to look forward to? Think of it, in another five years, he’ll be the same age you were when grandmother made you her whore. I just bet you’re looking forward to that aren’t you? I mean with all the threats you made telling me how if I didn’t do what you asked you’d get CJ to do it, I just bet you’re counting the months until he’s old enough to take my place."

A hard left sends me to the floor. Grabbing the wastebasket nearby, I spit blood out. Damn I wish CJ could see Hunter like this. See what he was really like. I sit up. "Or maybe you’re afraid I’ll beat you to him?" I taunted. "After all, I’m my father’s son aren’t I?"

With a growl, he walked around the bed and kicked me in the stomach, sending my breath out in a whoosh.

He grabs my hair. "You even think of laying a hand on him and I will make you regret the day you were born."

"I already do."

He lets go. "Don’t you even think of leaving this room until I get back."

I laugh while gasping for air. "Why not? I’d like to listen outside doors too. Besides, I’d love to hear what you’re going to tell CJ about your sick little history."

He leaves the room, slamming the door behind him and for the first time in a while, I hear the turning of lock tumblers.

I lean back against the nightstand.

Oh yeah, he’s rattled.

Now, how do I use this to my advantage so CJ and I can get out of here?

Hunter collected himself before even going near CJ’s room.

That little son of a bitch, he brooded, realizing Adam had just upped the stakes of this ‘game’ they seemed to be playing. Oh he’s good. But not that good.

Taking a deep breath, he headed for CJ’s room to see if he could smooth things over and keep CJ on his side.

(Matt)

There are about three million websites and none of them seem to want to give Leo and I the information we need.

I rub my eyes, the glare of the monitor giving me a headache as I’ve spent the past three hours going through every website Leo and I could think of to find out about the other Helmsley properties.

"You okay Matt?"

I look over as he’s standing to my left with a sandwich in his hand. "You really should get a glare shield or something," I mumble. "What’s that?"

"Ham and Swiss on potato bread. I thought you might be hungry."

"Thanks," I say taking it from him.

"Why don’t we give that a rest?" He offered, taking his sandwich and our two drinks and heads for the bed, setting our drinks on the nightstand.

I get up, wincing at the pain in my legs from having sit so long. I give myself a couple of seconds before shuffling over to the bed.

"You sure you’re all right?"

"It’s just from sitting for so long." I dismiss as I lay on his bed.

"You know if your stitches are tightening up, I could put some cocoa butter lotion on them."

"Your brother tell you to do that?" I ask before biting into my sandwich.

"Like I said, he’s a doctor."

"I wish he were a realtor or a lawyer." I mumble through the chewing.

"I think we might be going about this all wrong." Leo deducted.

"How’s that?"

He sighed, reaching over me to grab his glass of soda. "Well," he said. "Maybe we should look in the gossip sections."

"What?"

"Think of it. They were a prominent family who probably threw parties and such. You told me about one you saw when you were first locked in the attic."

I forgot to mention that during the six hours we’d spent looking up things, I’d told Leo the story leading up to what we were doing.

"Well," he continued. "It’s possible the main house wasn’t the only one they partied at. Maybe they used some of the other places as well."

"It’s a possibility."

"I mean, especially if they were out of the country."

"You think Hunter took them out of the country?" I asked before taking another bite of the sandwich.

"If you were him, wouldn’t you? I mean you have every law enforcement agency as well as the FBI on your ass, you’ve kidnapped both your sons and might want to make sure that where you stash them has no extradition treaty with the US so that he wouldn’t have to come back to the States without a long dragged out court hearing."

Now why the hell didn’t I think of that?

I finish the sandwich and the soda before looking at Leo. "Well then," I said sitting up gingerly. "Let’s hit the society pages."

"Wait a minute." He said taking my arm gently. "Not until I get some cocoa butter on your stitches."

"I’m fine. Really."

"You know, that bullshit might work with your family and your hubby, but I’m not buying it. Stretch out on your stomach." He ordered gently.

"Not until you take me dancing and buy me flowers first." I crack, trying not to laugh too hard.

His laugh is so similar to Adam’s that it’s frightening. "I promise I’ll use protection. Now take the top off and lay out."

I do, as always with some help from Leo so I don’t tear my front stitches. The comforter I’m laying on is cool against my skin. I lay there, thinking of the times, Shane would make me lie like this and give me a back rub. Christ you have no idea how much I miss him. Though I get the idea that after it’s all said and done, he won’t have a damn thing to do with me.

I try and remember what life was like before this whole sick game got started, when the biggest problem was everyone asking us when we would have a child together and now…

I force Shane out of my mind, knowing he probably hates me now after this little ‘stunt’ of mine.

"Matt?"

I wasn’t aware Leo had been standing there. "What?"

"What’s wrong?"

I shook my head. "It’s nothing."

"Bullshit. I told you if we’re to work together on this, you have to be honest with me."

"I don’t remember you saying anything of the sort to me. Besides, it’s personal."

"Is it Shane?"

Despite myself I nod.

"Listen, we get done with this, why don’t you send him an e-mail?"

"They’ve got people who can trace your IP address."

"Not if it’s encoded." I feel the bed shift as he climbs on, straddling my hips carefully. "We’ll work on it when we get done here."

I don’t say anything until the first few drops of lotion hit my back. "Jesus, what did you do? Put it in the refrigerator?"

"Sorry." He apologized.

I lay there, relaxing under his fingers as he smooths – or tries to smooth – the lotion on my back.

"Matt, can I ask you something?"

"You’ve been asking me stuff all day. I guess one more question wouldn’t hurt." I grab his pillow so I can rest my chin on it, my knuckles none too comfortable.

"Don’t take this the wrong way or anything, but from what you’ve told me, are you still in love with Adam?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Like I said. Just from what I’ve gathered from what you’ve told me."

I say nothing at first.

"I’m sorry," he apologized. "I didn’t mean to upset you and I’m not passing judgment or anything like that, but I have a feeling you wouldn’t be doing this if you didn’t have some feelings for him."

"Listen, don’t take this the wrong way, but in case you haven’t forgotten, Hunter still has him and CJ captive. I wasn’t able to prevent this from happening but I’ll make damn sure to be the one to end it."

"I don’t know man. You’ve got a serious martyr complex."

"Excuse me?"

"Yeah," his hands move to my lower back. "I mean, you blame yourself for everything which you had no control over and then allow Hunter to do this to you. What sins are you trying to atone for? The shit that went on in the attic? Hell that was your father and Hunter’s doing not yours. What happened afterwards? Listen, other than being a little snobbish about Jeff’s relationship with Raven, you were trying to live something called a life. And now? I mean sure Hunter used your weaknesses against to you to get Adam and CJ, but that was his doing."

"I had the photos. I could’ve-"

"There are a lot of ‘could’ves’, ‘would’ves’ and ‘should’ves’ in the world Matt. Yeah you could’ve told people about the photos, but Hunter was the one setting up this sick little game. He’s the one to blame. Not you."

Christ I was so fucking sick and tired of hearing this tired ass litany.

"But from what you’ve told me, I know you’ve heard this all before. Now for my added spin." I felt the bed shift and the lotion kiss my left calf. "At least you’re doing something about it."

That’s new.

"I mean, whatever your neuroses about this, at least you went after Hunter with both guns blazing and didn’t back down. Sure he got you this first round, but at least you’re willing to take a risk and go after his ass again. Personally, I think this time you’ll win."

"I’m not sure about that." I said, the feeling of foreboding returning.

"I think you will." I felt him slide the scrub bottoms off before dripping some lotion onto the back of my legs. "It’s not going to be easy, I mean Hunter’s upped the stakes by probably taking Adam and CJ out of the country, but if you keep focused and not get sidetracked with the guilt you’re feeling over their getting taken in the first place, I think Helmsley won’t stand a chance this time."

I try to think of a reply, but the gentle caress of his hands on my leg is distracting me.

"I mean I can understand where your husband and family are coming from with you not facing him, but it started with you two and it looks like it’ll have to end with you two. From what I’ve read, that’s my biggest guess. He wants you to come after him again. He wants to finish the game – pardon the pun – that you started when you sent him away."

Christ I never thought of it that way before.

"Okay I’m done."

I watched as he got off the bed and capped the cocoa butter. Moving a little, I could feel the tightness leaving little by little. "Thanks. For everything."

"Well. Think of it this way. Hunter’s expecting you to come into this alone." He smirked. "I’m sure he’s not expecting you to bring company. Well let me wash my hands and we’ll get your e-mail out to Shane."

I sat there, easing the scrubs back on and thought about what Leo had just said.

Get ready Hunter.

"CJ?" Hunter asked as he stood in the doorway of CJ’s room. "You okay?"

He felt like strangling Adam after seeing the look on CJ’s face. "You didn’t set the house on fire did you? Not with everyone in it?"

"Of course not." Hunter walked in the room and sat on the bed with a heavy sigh. "I knew his condition was bad, but I didn’t think it had deteriorated this far."

"What’s wrong with Adam?"

"Damned if I know CJ." He said sadly fighting the urge to start laughing. "He’s been like this since he was a child. His mother and I had pretty much exhausted every medical explanation and resource we had available."

"Could he die from this?"

If he keeps playing with me like this he will. "I don’t know CJ, but I know I can’t have him staying here much longer. Not as long as he’s a threat to you."

"I don’t want him to get sent away."

"I know you don’t." Hunter wrapped an arm around CJ’s shoulders. "But if that’s what it takes for him to get better, I have to do it." Hunter looked at CJ. "You want him to get better don’t you?"

CJ nodded. "What about Matt?"

"What about him?"

"Is he still alive?"

Not if that fire did what I wanted it to do. "Of course he is."

"Adam said you had some pictures of him…"

"CJ." Hunter twisted around to face him better. "You and I both know how unstable Adam is. I mean you saw for yourself earlier when he told you those lies about me and from what I’ve told you. Adam would say anything to make me look bad, but the truth is he’s a pathological liar and a psychotic."

"What’s a psychotic?"

"Someone who wouldn’t think twice of hurting anyone. Even those they claim to love."

CJ didn’t say anything.

"Listen. Remember how you asked if you could go outside?"

CJ nodded.

"Well how about after your nap, we walk on the beach for a while? Just you and me."

"Can we get shells?"

"I don’t know if they have any around here, but we can look. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Okay then." Hunter stood. "Why don’t you take a quick nap and we’ll go out."

Waiting until CJ settled into bed, Hunter left the room and headed down the hallway to the stairs, his ‘talk’ with CJ giving him an idea.

Oh my beloved Adam, he thought with a smirk. Are you going to love what I come up with next.

(Matt)

I’m sitting in front of Leo’s computer proofreading the e-mail I’m going to send Shane to let him know I’m all right. I don’t know if it’ll be enough but I hope it says what I want it to.

Leo’s sitting on the bed going through all the printouts we had done of any society section mentioning the Helmsleys having parties overseas and though the pickings were slim, there had been mentions of houses in England, France, and Italy, the parties having been held while Hunter and Stephanie had still been married. While we suffered in the attic.

"You about ready with that Matt?" Leo asked me.

"I think so."

He set the papers down and looked over my shoulder. "It never seems to come out right does it? I mean you think these things up but when you look at them and see them in front of your face, they seem kind of inadequate don’t they?"

"Speaking from personal experience?"

"Yeah. When I went to college I used to e-mail my girlfriend who went to UCLA. I always came out sounding so tongue tied and blithering. She however was succinct and to the point. Especially when she told me about having an affair with her calculus professor."

"Ouch."

"Yeah. So you want to send this out?"

I nod, letting Leo sit down so he could work the magic necessary to make sure no one would trace the letter to his IP address.

(Shane)

I needed a break from everything and everyone so I’m hiding out at my room at Chris and Stephanie’s and just trolling the Internet, though I find myself never lingering far from the new WCW site, especially the section with Matt in it. Using the most effective form of communication – a not so veiled threat of mass firings – to keep things on the down low about what was going on, I was relived to find no mention of Matt’s latest disappearance on the site.

I scroll down the screen, looking at the ‘official’ photos of Matt, both in and out of the ring and feel my chest begin to ache, sadness and fear taking hold. Damnit Matt, why can’t you let the authorities deal with Hunter? Why do you have to go after him again? And who is it that’s helping you now? How do you know he’s not working for Hunter?

A sound and the flash on the screen lets me know I have a new e-mail, though I don’t recognize the address. I click ‘ok’ on the screen, thinking it’s a piece of junk mail and decided to read it later, though there’s something telling me I should look at it.

I let it slide and move onto another web site needing to distract myself from Matt for a while, when I hear the distant ring of a phone. I tense, thinking it could be Matt or someone who might know where he is but when I hear Dwayne’s name being called, I slump in my seat.

Five minutes pass before I hear someone running up the stairs.

"Shane!" Dwayne’s voice distracts me from checking out a movie review site. He stands in the doorway, panting with a smile on his face. "We gotta go to Canada."

"What?" I close my laptop. "Why?"

"The authorities stopped these two women for crossing the border with a broken taillight and when they checked the car they saw Logan inside the car sleeping." He was panting. "The guard on detail at the time is a friend of Chris’s aunt and she recognized Logan from the picture that Chris e-mailed her and now they got them detained for kidnapping. Chris is coming with us."

"Meet you downstairs in ten." I said, knocking my chair back to grab my bag as Dwayne left to pack his things.

Please let this be a sign of things to come. Maybe if we get Logan, that might mean Matt might come home.

"Yes thank you," Hunter said in fluent Italian into the phone. "I’ll be expecting you."

Hunter hung up the phone and leaned back in triumph. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before. Now there’s no way anyone will ever find Adam now.

Feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, he looked to the door and saw his associate standing there. "What is it?"

"Lydia called. The Canadian authorities are detaining her and her sister for kidnapping."

"How did they get caught?"

"Broken taillight."

Hunter rolled his eyes.

"Looks like Johnson’ll get his son back."

"Well seeing how he won’t be getting Adam back, I’ll allow him this small victory."

"What do you mean by that? You’re having him killed?"

Hunter chuckled. "I wish. No, I’ve come up with something better. Something I should’ve thought of a long time ago."

"Do tell."

Hunter shook his head. "No. I’m not risking you snitching on me. Let’s just say that I’m going to win this little battle. With Matt dead, Adam taken care of, and CJ here with me, I’m going to be the happiest sociopath to have ever walk the face of the earth. Just do me one little favor."

"Of course."

"Wake CJ and take him outside."

"You think that’s the wisest thing to do?"

"I don’t want him here when my surprise gets here. He’s been put through enough thanks to his older brother. Take him down to the beach and look for shells, tell him I have something to clear up before I can join him. Just keep him distracted until Adam’s gone."

"No problem." His associate left the room, leaving Hunter to savor his current plan.

(Shane)

"Yeah we’re on our way," I hear Chris telling his aunt’s friend on the phone as we wait for Dwayne to come downstairs. With some help from Stephanie, Dwayne was not only packing his things but things for Logan.

"Uncle Shane?"

I look and see Christina standing by my bag looking at me. "What sweetie?"

"Is Logan coming home?"

We didn’t want to tell any of them that Logan had been taken but when they came home and asked Dwayne where Logan was, we had to tell them that a relative of Dwayne’s had him to keep him safe.

"Yes he is honey."

"Why did they take him to Canada?"

"Well," God I hate lying but she’s had so many nightmares since coming home I didn’t want to add to them. "They wanted to take Logan to see Niagara Falls but I guess he got a tummy ache and they want Dwayne to come get him."

"Why is daddy going?"

"Well you know what a handful Logan can be. It takes at least three people to get him in the car." I laugh, trying to put her at ease. "Besides, he used to live in Canada and he knows the area better than Dwayne and I do."

"When are Adam and CJ coming home?"

Even though she wasn’t related to Adam by blood, she loved him just as much as she did CJ and I know sometimes when she’d tell Stephanie or Chris about her nightmares, she’d mention Hunter hurting Adam.

"Soon honey."

"What about Matt?"

"He’s still in the hospital honey." Another half-truth we had to tell her and Dewey and Noelle so as not to scare them.

"When can we see him?"

"Not for a while yet honey."

The sound of feet treading down the stairs caught both Christina’s attention and mine.

"Are you going with them mommy?" she asked as Stephanie picked her up.

"No sweetie. Mommy’s staying home."

"Ready to go?" Chris asked as he walked towards us.

"Yeah." I pick up my bag, containing my laptop.

"Okay." Chris said as he took Christina from her mother. "You gonna be a good girl for mommy?"

Christina nodded. "Are you coming home?"

"As soon as we get Logan. We might have to stay overnight but we’ll be home sometime tomorrow. Give me a kiss."

She does and Chris hands her back to Stephanie, who he kisses before we head out the door to get Logan.

(Adam)

Christ I wish I had a watch so I can see what time it was. I know it has to be around lunchtime by now. Not that I’d be able to eat anything anyways. Restless, I get up and walk over to the window and look out of it.

What the hell?

I have to blink a few times making sure that I wasn’t seeing things when I see CJ out on the beach with Hunter’s jacked up female associate. Watching him walk around just feels like another stab of betrayal in my heart and reminds me of the times we’d be locked in the attic and would watch the garden parties and what not going on outsides while we were locked away.

He turns to look in this direction and waves at me, like he wants me to come out. I watch as Hunter’s associate looks up at me with a scowl and says something to him that makes him look at me funny before heading further down the strip of beach.

First I kill Hunter, then that jacked up she-male.

"I see you’ve had a handful with your son over the years Mr. Copeland."

Hunter smiled as he heard the psychiatrist use Adam’s surname, which he appropriated for this meeting. "I know. My wife before she passed away, God rest her soul, had just about exhausted every medical treatment we could think of." He continued in Italian. "We even had him institutionalized for a while but he always knew how to fake his way to get out."

"And you think he’s a serious threat to your youngest son?" the psychiatrist asked in Italian.

"Well, given what I’ve told you he’s done to his younger brothers over the years, wouldn’t you think so?"

The psychiatrist nodded before setting down the cup of espresso he’d been drinking from. "Oh I do think so Mr. Copeland, and from what you’ve told me he has quite the violent temper."

"I’m afraid that’s from his wrestling career. I’m sure you’ve heard how violent wrestlers can be."

"Yes I have." The psychiatrist nodded as the butler refilled his espresso cup. "In fact two of my patients at the clinic are former wrestlers."

"Anyone I would know?"

The psychiatrist shook his head. "No. They’re from the Euro-Wresting Council. No one any American would know who they were."

Hunter nodded.

"Well," the psychiatrist said closing the ‘file’ Hunter had created on Adam, before standing along with the two orderlies Hunter had requested. "Shall we go upstairs and meet your son?"

21

(Shane)

After what felt like the longest drive on record, we finally arrived in Ontario, Canada.

Dwayne and I had switched off on driving duties but when we got to Canada, we let Chris drive since he was more familiar with the driving in Canada.

Sitting in the front with Chris, I kept looking back at Dwayne and the pensive look on his face. I know he couldn’t have been happier than to know Logan had been found but I knew he was worried about Logan possibly forgetting about him.

Arriving at the border patrol station, we got out of the car and headed inside where the woman who called was inside waiting for us.

"Hi Chris," she greeted with a hug.

"Is he all right?" Dwayne asked.

"He’s with a social worker right now. Don’t worry it’s just mandatory in a case like this. Do you have his paper work?"

Dwayne pulled an envelope containing a copy of Logan’s birth certificate and his passport out of his pocket and handed it to her. "Okay, why don’t you come with me?"

We followed her down the hall until we came to a room where another woman was on the carpeted floor playing with Logan.

"Ellie," the officer said. "This is the little guy’s father."

‘Ellie’ looked at the three of us. "Should we play eenie-meenie-miney- mo?"

"I’m his father," Dwayne spoke inching closer to where Logan was.

"Mr. Johnson right?" Ellie stood, offering her hand.

"Yes." He took it and shook it.

As she explained about needing their doctor to look him over before allowing him to head home, but would allow Dwayne to take him out of the building, I watched him as he played, or should I say chewed, on a toy.

Please let him remember Dwayne.

I watched with baited breath as he bent down to see Logan and listened as Ellie explained that there might be some hesitancy on Logan’s part and if it seemed like he was rejecting him to not take it personally.

"Shame Adam isn’t here." I heard Chris mutter to me.

"I know." I reply remembering what Dwayne had told me about how Adam would be the one who took care of Logan.

We waited a few minutes while Dwayne played with Logan who seemed to be taking it in stride, before Dwayne picked him up. He fussed a little, obviously not wanting to be kept from the toy he was playing with which Ellie handed Dwayne to give to Logan. Now content again, he looks at Dwayne and seems to be fascinated by his reflection in Dwayne’s sunglasses.

"Remember me Lo?" Dwayne cooed. "Hmmm?"

Logan was still fixated on the glasses Dwayne had on. Dwayne slid them off his face allowing Logan to look at him before puckering his lips. It was a ritual with them, Dwayne would pucker his lips and Logan would lean in, give him a kiss and giggle.

I waited to see how Logan would react.

Logan didn’t disappoint, though there was a difference. Instead of giving a kiss, he took hold of Dwayne’s lips in his little hand but giggled at the noises Dwayne made.

"Da-da," Logan jabbered. "Da-da-da."

Dwayne freed his lips from Logan’s grip. "That’s right Lo," he whispered. "Da-da."

One happy ending down. Hopefully more to come.

(Adam)

I heard voices as well as footsteps approach the door though what language they were speaking I didn’t understand.

Now what the hell is Hunter up to?

The lock tumblers click and Hunter walks in along with three men I have never seen before. Oh Christ, what’s he going to do? Start pimping me out?

"Adam," he said in a genial tone, obviously to placate our visitors. "This is Dr. Grimaldi. He’s from the psychiatric clinic here."

"From where?" Now I’m really confused.

"There’s no need to be upset now." The strange man said in broken English. "We’ve come to take you where you can get help for your problems."

"My problems?" Now what the hell has Hunter been saying about me?

"Why yes." The strange little man in front of me said as he opened what looked like a file folder. "The…violent episodes, your incestuous molestation of your younger siblings, not to mention the possibility of having done so to your son."

I glare at Hunter, who has a trace of a smirk on his face. Oh this is it. He’s gone too goddamned far this time!

"You son of a bitch," I growl.

"Now Mr. Copeland…"

"You want to know where my ‘problems’ stem from? Why don’t you ask him?" I point at Hunter. "Why don’t you ask him about his locking us in an attic for five years and how he not only raped me but my brother Matthew as well."

"You were right Mr. Copeland," the little man addresses Hunter. "He does seem fixated on his dead brother."

"What can I tell you? He’s been dead for years now and he’s never gotten over it."

"You motherfucking son of a bitch!" I scream. "He’s lying! He’s lying about everything! Why don’t you ask him about his sleeping with his mother as a child and how he’s waiting until CJ is old enough for him to take over. How about asking him about the things he’d done to me since he’s kidnapped me."

"Seems like a clear case of dementia to me, Mr. Copeland."

Dementia?

"And it’s only gotten worse." Hunter continued. "I mean, my God, his lies put me in prison for five years before an American jury found me innocent."

"Innocent? You escaped from prison you son of a bitch! You broke out and killed Matt!"

I watched the little man nod to one of the goons he brought with him, who took out a syringe filled with something I knew was not going to be good.

"What the fuck is that?"

"Just a mild tranquilizer. No need to be alarmed."

I grabbed the nightstand and threw it at the goon who ducked out of the way allowing it to hit the wall. "No!" I screamed. "You stay the hell away from me!"

The little man hustled out the door allowing the second goon to enter the room and try to restrain me. I climbed on the bed and tried to make a run for it but before I could make it out the door I felt a shot to my kidney causing me to fall on the floor in pain. I glance up and see Hunter rubbing his fist.

I try to get up again but the pain of a needle jabbing into my side stopped me.

"Don’t fight it Adam," I heard Hunter say. "Just let them help you."

Help me? No one can help me now, I think as I drift off fighting the drug as long as I could.

No one…

(Matt)

For fifteenth time since we sent the e-mail I checked to see if Shane had sent a reply, Leo assuring me we could receive one.

I don’t know, maybe he has received it and decided he’s had enough of me and this is his way of letting me know.

"I think I might know where Hunter might be."

Leo’s announcement brings me out of my private pity party. "Where?"

"Well I’ve gone over every mention of the parties his family’s held not to mention the ones he held with Stephanie and I’ve narrowed it down to two choices."

"What ones?"

"London and Sicily."

"In Italy?"

"By it any way."

"London I could see, but why Sicily?"

"Well, according to an interview someone did with Stephanie a few years ago, she mentioned that she spent a summer in Sicily and fell in love with the place. After her and hunter got married, they bought a place there, but since Hunter was always on the road with the WWF, they never went there much. Besides, if you were him wouldn’t you want to go somewhere where only you knew the language? I mean, if he went to London, there’d be greater access to help, but you go to Sicily, Adam and CJ wouldn’t know the language and the extradition laws are fuzzier than hell there. If Interpol or any other law enforcement agency tried to get Hunter out of the country, CJ would be in college by the time things would be settled."

"Sounds like the perfect place to hide someone."

"Care to take a trip?"

"I don’t know. I mean in my condition and the fact that we have to bring stuff with me and that I don’t have my passport." Christ could things get more frustrating?

"Well let me make a few phone calls and we’ll see what happens."

"Leo?"

"Yeah?"

"If this pans out and we find Adam and CJ, I’ll owe you big time. You name it it’s yours."

"Make me a feature writer on one of your newspapers and that’ll settle things."

"Done."

He left the bedroom to head for the living room.

Don’t worry Adam, we’ll find you. Both of you.

(Shane)

I return to mine and Dwayne’s room at the motel we’re staying at with take out dinners in hand. Opening the door I see Dwayne sitting in the chair on the corner with Logan knocked out on his lap. Chris was staying with a friend of his for the night. We would’ve gone along, Chris had even invited us saying it wouldn’t be any trouble, but we declined. I wanted to settle my nerves and Dwayne wanted to reconnect with Logan without a lot of people around.

"How is he?" I ask setting the bags down.

"Fine. A slight fever, but he’s got another tooth coming in."

"Well all he has to do is pass muster with the social service physician and then we can all go home."

"Yeah," he said thanking me for the dinner as I set it close enough for him to reach it without waking Logan. "I know Adam’ll be happy."

There it was. That catch in his voice. "Don’t worry," I assure him as I get my dinner. "Adam’ll make it home and so will CJ."

"Then all we have to worry about is Matt. I don’t know Shane. If I were you I’d wash my hands of him when he gets back."

"If it were Adam, would you wash your hands of him if he’d done the same thing?"

"There’s a difference. Adam has more common sense than Matt does."

I try and keep my temper even, more for Logan than anything else. "We both took vows Dwayne. For richer and poorer, sickness and in health, and for better and worse, not for only as long as they behave the way we want them to behave."

"So you condone what Matt’s doing?"

"No I don’t condone what he’s doing." I sit at the table in front of the window. "But I understand why he’s doing it."

"And why’s that?" Dwayne pushed a straw through the top of his drink.

"The same reason he went after Hunter in the first place. The same guilt that’s eating him since this whole thing started. He won’t rest until he gets Adam and CJ back."

"Even if he kills them in the process? Come on Shane, you yourself said Matt looked like hell with all that stitching on him. Say one of those rows pop open while they’re trying to escape and Hunter’s after them. You think Hunter won’t take advantage of it? Or what if Hunter gets him again and he makes sure Matt’s either unrecognizable or dead this time?"

"You know, you keep talking like that around Logan and he’s going to need therapy."

"Well if his father doesn’t come home, he’s going to need it anyways."

"Dwayne…" I decide not to argue this any further with him, my hunger for food stronger than my hunger for Dwayne to understand why Matt does what he’s doing.

The phone rings, prompting Dwayne to pick it up before it wakes Logan. "Hello? Oh hi Mom." He smiles.

I tune out as he’s talking to Ata, letting her know what’s been going on.

Christ I wish Matt would contact me and let me know he’s okay.

Hunter looked at the damage in Adam’s room and let out a sigh of triumph.

It’s over, he thought. It’s over and I won. Matt’s dead. Adam’s institutionalized. And I have my son. It’s been five years, but it’s been so worth it.

Game, set, and match.

22

(Shane)

Dwayne’s asleep on one of the beds with Logan in the portable crib we brought along next to him.

Me, I can’t sleep. Again.

Taking advantage of the peace and quiet, I take out my laptop and start it up, hooking headphones on it so I don’t wake Dwayne while listening to my mp3 files.

Connecting to the Internet, I see the letter I casually set aside was still in my inbox as well as some others. I’m about to delete it and the other junk mail thinking it contained a virus when the subject heading caught my eye: Shane it’s me.

Opening it, I sit in shock as the message I’ve been waiting for now appears on my screen.

Shane,

I know you’re probably beyond pissed at me for what I’ve done and frankly I wouldn’t blame you. I wish there were some way I could make you understand why I’m doing what I’m doing but there’s no way to really explain unless you’ve gone through what I’ve gone through. I just couldn’t lie in the hospital while Hunter had Adam and CJ, knowing what he could be doing to either of them at this moment.

Tell everyone – esp. Mick and Collette – how sorry I am about worrying them so much but it has to be between Hunter and myself for this to be settled and if by some horrid twist of fate I should never make it home again in anything other than a body bag, because you know that’s the only way Hunter’ll have me come back if he wins, then know I loved you more than anything and these past five years have been the happiest I’ve had since before my mother was killed and I have you to thank for making me feel safe and secure after the hell I’ve been through in my life.

I’m sorry Shane, but this is how it has to be. If you hate me for this then I understand.

Your Dark Angel, Matt.

I’m taking deep breaths trying not to start crying. Why is it that I’m not only looking at a goodbye letter but a suicide note as well because that’s what his going after Hunter in his condition is. A suicide waiting to happen.

Once I get myself together enough, I press the reply button and write a letter of my own, hoping he gets it before it’s too late.

(Matt)

"Well I talked to my brother and he said he’d like to check the stitches before we fly anywhere." Leo walked back into his bedroom where I lie stretched out on the bed, itching to check the e-mail again.

Damn. "Think we could trust him to keep quiet?"

"I think so."

"What about the passport?"

"I got a hold of someone who’s sending a blank one over for us to dummy."

"Now all we have to do is make it through the airport security checks, who I’m sure have been notified to keep an eye out for me."

"True." He looked at me. "Nervous?"

"What do you think? In fact that’s what I should be asking you."

"I couldn’t be more relaxed over anything in my life."

I gaze at him. "You really have no idea what Hunter’s like."

"I’ve seen what he’s done to you. I know what you’ve told me. I’ve read the transcripts and clippings from the trial."

"So what’s your impression?"

"That he’s one twisted fuck who deserves everything you and Adam are going to do to him. Again."

"That is if Adam’s okay."

"I’m sure he is. If he’s got Adam there to lure you out…"

"He’s not using Adam to lure me out because he thinks I’m dead. He’s using Adam as his little sex toy."

"That may be the point. But you have the element of surprise on your side. He’s sure as hell not expecting you to pull a ‘Lazarus’ and come back from what you’ve been through."

"You’re right."

A beep came from the computer. "What’s that?" I ask, slowly getting up.

"E-mail alert." He got up and went to the computer. "Uh Matt?"

"Yeah?"

"You know someone called ‘Shaneomack’?"

I sit up, wincing at the pull of the stitches. "That’s Shane’s e-mail."

"Well," he stands up. "I’ll give you some privacy."

I waited until he left the room before I clicked on it, dreading what he might have to say.

(Adam)

Where the hell am I now?

I open heavy lidded eyes and look around.

Another room, big surprise there.

This time the room is stark white with only a bed, a desk and a chair.

I lean my head back and stare at the ceiling. I try to lift my arms to wipe the sleep out of my eyes but find I’m restrained yet again.

"Hunter, you son of a bitch." I whisper. He’s certainly a believer of the ‘from the frying pan into the fire’ mindset of life isn’t he?

The door opens and I see the little man – Dr. something or other – walk into the room with a nurse, looking as disgustingly chipper as anyone I’ve ever seen.

"Good morning Adam," he greets looking over his file, half of which was fake I bet. "And how are we feeling this morning?"

Like I want to rip someone’s head off. Specifically my beloved father. "Listen, I don’t know what Hunter’s told you about me but it’s all lies. I never did anything of what he’s told you."

"So you deny having intimate relations with your younger siblings?" he asked, taking the chair that was by the desk.

"Listen, if you’d give me a chance to tell you the truth, you’ll see you’ve got the wrong person here."

"Well," he set the file down and brought out the yellow notepad. "Why don’t you tell me your side of the story?"

I sigh, hoping he believed me.

(Matt)

Matt,

I’m not going to lie to you. You’re right, I am beyond pissed over this latest stunt of yours. I mean, for God’s sake, why can’t you let the authorities find and handle Hunter? Why are you risking your life again?

But believe it or not I understand why you’re doing it. To absolve yourself of the crimes you think you committed when you got the photos and didn’t tell anyone about it. Baby I wish there was some way I can convince you that this wasn’t your fault. To convince you that I still love you even after all that’s happened. But you’re right, there’s no way I can understand unless I’ve gone through it myself.

And I’m the one who should be thanking you. You took someone who felt he had nothing to live for and gave him hope for life again. I can’t believe I wasted half my adult life going from man to man looking for the love and acceptance that I’ve found in you.

Just come back to me. That’s all I want.

Your Boy Wonder, Shane.

P.S. When you find Adam, let him know Logan’s been found and is waiting for him. Just like I’m waiting for you.

Unshed tears burn the back of my eyes.

I want to come back to you Shane, but I don’t know if that’ll ever be possible if my premonitions come true.

"Well we’ve got the passports and-" Leo paused. "Is everything okay? He hasn’t sent you one of those kiss-off letters has he?"

I take some deep breaths to calm myself before I finally speak. "No. Nothing like that. Mind if I print this out?"

"Sure. I don’t know if there’s enough ink left after all the printing we were doing today but, you can give it a shot."

"Thanks," I whisper tightly as I click on the print button. It comes out without a problem. I take and fold it up, wishing I had my wallet and such with me to put it in.

"Like I was saying, we got the passports and all we have to do is wait for David to give you the okay to fly."

"Well even if he doesn’t, I’m going." I get up.

"Move around okay?"

"Yeah," I assure him. "Listen, I’m going to need some other clothes than the scrubs I’ve got on right now. I’d try and send you to my house, but…"

"Don’t worry. I’ll get you covered. Listen, why don’t you get some rest before David comes over in the morning? He sees you like you are now, he won’t let you out of the apartment let alone anywhere near a plane."

"You’re right." I nod. "I guess I’ll see you in the morning."

"See you then."

I make it to the room Leo has loaned me and lie on the bed, the e-mail still in my hand. I read it one more time before turning off the light and miss Shane more than ever.

(Adam)

Why the hell won’t he say something?

He sits there looking at everything he’s written down about my life, how he managed to get it all down without missing a beat, I’ll never know.

"May I have some water please?" I ask.

The nurse who was in the room as a witness, poured me a glass of water and lifted my head up.

When she was done, she laid my head back down and stepped back.

Why the hell won’t he say anything?

He takes off his glasses and looks at me.

Jesus, just tell me I don’t belong here so I can get my little brother away from Hunter before he warps the kid even more than he already has.

"You swear what you’ve told me is the truth?"

"Yes. That’s exactly how it all happened."

"And you don’t deny having this ‘affair’ with Matthew?"

It was more than an ‘affair’ you pompous shit. "No."

"I see." He stands. "Well we have to keep you here for twenty four hours, that is the law. But I will see about contacting the people you have told me about to corroborate this story."

"It’s not a story."

"We’ll see," he says, motioning to the nurse. "But first I think we’ll have your restraints removed. You seemed to have calmed a bit since yesterday, but step out of line once and I won’t think twice about keeping you in them and petitioning you to be transferred to the maximum-security hospital. Understood?"

"Yes-" I almost let the ‘father’ bit slip out but caught myself in time. "Yes sir."

He nods to the nurse who lets me out of my wrist restraints allowing me to sit up, my feet touching cold tile. "I’ll have someone bring you some slippers shortly. Lunch won’t be for another two hours yet.

I say nothing and just nod as they left the room. I rest my head in my hands. Please God let them call Mick, Collette, someone and let them get me out of here.

"Well," Dr. Grimaldi asked his nurse in Italian as they left Adam’s room. "What do you think of that?"

"It seems like the disease is progressed more than we thought."

"You may be right." He closed the file. "I think we’ll start tests in the morning."

23

(Matt)

Getting the clear all from Leo’s brother David, despite a warning about my blood pressure, as well as a wardrobe to run me until I can use my charge cards again, Leo and I drove from Stamford to New York City and walk through JFK airport, me wearing sunglasses so no one could recognize me.

As we walk through the airport, memories of when I left to meet WCW in Pittsburgh come back to me, more importantly the ‘argument’ between Shane and I when I gave him back my wedding band. My thumb automatically reaches for the finger expecting to feel the warm metal but all it feels is skin.

I tense as we approach Customs.

"Don’t worry about a thing." He assures me as we wait in line. "Just show them the passport and answer a few questions."

I try to relax but given the looks the agent was giving me, I had a feeling it might be more of a question of better said than done.

(Shane)

Another long car ride later and we finally make it to Stamford.

After the most thorough physical I’ve ever seen a toddler go through, the doctor declared that Logan was as healthy as anything and was allowed to re-enter the States without any trouble.

We pull up to the house and see some cars littering the driveway and the curb, forcing Chris, who drove the last leg, to park another house down.

"Looks like a party’s in order." He commented as the door opened and Dwayne’s Mom, Ata came out.

"Mom, what? How?" Dwayne was genuinely surprised by her appearance.

"Your father and I were on our way up here anyways to give you some support after hearing what that blackmailer tried to pull with you. Now hand me my grandbaby."

Dwayne handed her the car seat and we all went inside, Dewey, Noelle and Christina drawing to Logan like flies.

I watched Stephanie and Chris hug as I made my way to the kitchen. Standing at the counter I picked at the chip and dip platter when Mick walked in. "Hey."

"Hey," I returned.

"Looks like a pretty good day today."

"Yeah." My mind never far from the e-mail I’d gotten from Matt.

"I know how you feel. We can’t really celebrate until Adam, CJ and Matt are home safe and sound."

"I heard from Matt."

"You did? How? When?"

"He e-mailed me using some address. I couldn’t get the name of it, it had some kind of blocking mechanism."

"What did he say?"

I sigh, not wanting to tell Mick what it said, not wanting to upset him any further. "He just wanted to apologize for worrying everyone and he’d write again soon."

"Damn." Mick said under his breath. "Did you save the e-mail? Maybe there’s someway we can-"

I shook my head, silencing Mick. "No, I don’t know what kind of software he’s using, but the address is completely untraceable, though it did allow me to reply."

"What did you tell him?"

How much I need him. "That we miss him and wish he’d give up this obsession he has over getting Hunter."

"I know. Christ Collette hasn’t slept since Matt disappeared, well that and the nightmares Dewey’s been having of hearing Matt scream."

I just nod.

"I just wish we knew who he was working with. Who that person with him was. Maybe get whoever it is to talk some sense into Matt."

"I doubt that would be possible." I reply. "If they were willing to help him get out of the hospital, then they’re not going to talk him into going back."

Mick sighed. "Well at least we know he’s all right. For now."

For now.

But what about when Matt and Hunter lay eyes on each other again?

(Matt)

I let out a sigh of relief when Leo and I take our seats. He stashes my carry-on in the overhead while he does his.

Customs was a bit stressful, especially when they looked at my passport but after answering the questions they’d asked, they gave it back and allowed Leo and I to get on this flight.

Leo sighed as he sat next to me in the aisle seat. "So you ready for a glorious eighteen hour flight?"

"Yeah." Hell I’ve been on flights longer than this.

Leo stops the flight attendant to grab a couple magazines to keep us distracted but I didn’t need in-flight reading to do that. All I had to do was think of the letter Shane wrote me which was safely tucked away in my inner coat pocket along with my passport.

"You remember what David told you about getting up once in a while to stretch your legs?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. So when you need to just let me know."

"Have any idea where we’re staying when we get to London?"

"My Mom has a flat in the middle of town."

"And what about in Sicily?"

"I know some people from college who have a place there we can hang out in."

I look at him. "I take it your family has money."

"Well with the way Mom marries and divorces, she racks up quite a bit in alimony. The higher on the food chain they are, the more money she scams from them."

"Must not have been easy on you growing up."

"Yeah it was a pain coming home from school every summer and finding out the you have a new step daddy but you get used to it and besides, they came in handy when it came time for me to go to college. I must’ve had at least twelve letters of recommendation from just my stepfathers alone, not to mention my teachers."

"She was married that many times?"

"Close. I lost count after hubby number six. Or was it seven?" Leo shrugs. "Damned if I know how many times she got married. I was never invited and I was always in school when she tied that knot. The only way I ever found out was through David when he come to visit."

"You close with him?"

"As close as one can be with him." Leo flipped the page of his magazine.

There was a pause before he looks at me. "What?"

"Nothing. I just thought you’d make some crack about me and Adam."

"I could if it would make you feel better."

I laughed. "No it wouldn’t. Under other happier circumstances maybe. But not now."

"After what you told me, I can see why you love him so much."

"Well when we find him, keep in mind that he’s married as well."

"Who snagged him?"

"The Rock."

Leo’s eyes widened. "No shit?"

I shook my head.

"Damn, I guess after everything you two had been through I guess you did make out all right after all."

"Until now."

"Until now." Leo repeats. "Want a magazine?"

I shook my head, opting to look out the window instead, watching as the plane began taxiing down the runway.

(Adam)

Lights out had been more than an hour ago but I sit on the bed wide-awake, my back against the wall and my legs drawn up.

Amazing how time flies when you’ve been committed against your will.

This was always my worst fear when the night terrors began. I was always so afraid that I’d wind up in a place like this. Of course I thought it’d be in America where I can at least understand what was being said about me.

How the hell had he managed to get CJ and I over here? Wherever ‘here’ was.

I mean it’s not like we could be checked in like luggage or anything like that.

Hunter must’ve had this planned for a long time. I mean sitting in a cell for five years with all the time in the world can allow someone as twisted as Hunter to come up with some sick plans.

Christ I hate this.

I tried the windows earlier and there was not way for me to open them even slightly and that ‘closed in’ feeling was coming back.

I wonder if they called anyone yet.

I rest an elbow on my knee and begin chewing on my thumbnail, a habit Jeff used to have as well. Probably got it from me.

Jeff…

Christ if he had lived I wonder what Hunter would do to him in this situation. I know Raven would’ve killed Hunter if he came near him but if he had managed to get him, what would he have made Jeff suffer through for his sick revenge?

I know I’ll hate myself for saying this, but I’m glad Jeff and Christian aren’t here. This way they wouldn’t be forced into God knows what by Hunter.

A scream in the hallway stops my heart for a second, the memories of hearing Matt scream flooding back.

I think about everything Hunter taunted me with as far as my feelings for Matt went and yes I’ll admit it. I still love him. Have I thought about him while Dwayne kissed me? Have I thought about him while making love with Dwayne?

I guess the answer would be…yes.

There would be times when I wished it was Matt whose arms I had around me in the morning, that it would be Matt whispering the words of reassurance when I had my nightmares, that Matt was Logan’s father as well. I know he has the same fears and worries as I do about turning out to be like Pat and Hunter, but I know deep down he’d make as good a father as Dwayne is.

But Matt’s gone now.

No second chance to get back what we had.

And that hurts more than anything Hunter’s done to me.

"Can I call mommy?"

Hunter looked across the little table in CJ’s room where he and CJ were building a tower with the Lego blocks Hunter had sent over.

When CJ had retuned to the house after Adam had left there had been some drama over his not getting a chance to say goodbye to Adam but once Hunter had shown him how Adam had trashed the room and had given Hunter a black eye – courtesy of Hunter slamming the door on his face – CJ seemed to have calmed down a bit.

"Why do you want to do that?" Hunter added another brick to the tower, which was now at about the twelfth level.

"I want to tell her how mad I am at her for getting Christina and leaving me behind."

"Can’t be too mad. We seem to get on all right."

"Still." CJ added his block. "It’s not right."

"You’re right. It’s not."

"Besides, Dwayne should know about Adam so he can come see him."

"I don’t think that’s a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Because," another block added. "Adam’s very sick and you saw what he did to his room. Who’s to say he won’t try to hurt Dwayne and Logan if they go to visit him?"

"But shouldn’t Dwayne know where Adam is?"

"He should, but he won’t be allowed visitors for a while yet. I mean think of how unfair it would be for Dwayne and Logan to fly all the way over here and find out that they can’t see Adam."

"How did we get here? Where are we?"

"We’re in Sicily."

"How did we get here?"

"Plane." Hunter added his block. "You and Adam slept all the way here though."

"Oh." CJ added his block. "Can I call mommy?"

Hunter sighed, knowing CJ wasn’t going to let up on that. "Maybe later. It’s nighttime over there now and you know how mommy hates to be woken up especially when she finds out you’re the one who woke her up."

"Hunter?"

"Hmm?" He siphoned through what blocks he had on his side of the table.

"Since mommy and daddy don’t want me anymore, can I call you Dad?"

A smile played at Hunter’s lips, knowing his victory was just about complete. "Sure. I am your biological father after all."

"What’s ‘bio’ – what you just said?"

Hunter chuckled. "Something you’ll learn about later. Your turn."

(Matt)

I was asleep when I first felt lips brushing mine.

Thinking I was just dreaming, I didn’t respond until the kisses became more persistent.

I opened my eyes thinking it was Shane trying to wake me, but imagine my pleasant disappointment when I saw Adam lying next to me.

"You’re a hard man to wake up you know that?" he asks before kissing me again.

When our lips part, I look around and find ourselves in the bedroom we shared in the house in Cameron.

"Want anything for breakfast?"

"Just you."

He smiles before kissing me again, his lips traveling lower until I first see him kissing one of the scars from what Hunter did to me. "No," I whisper. "Don’t."

"Shhh…" he silences me with a finger to my lips. "Don’t you know it doesn’t matter how you look as long as you’re here with me?"

I sighed and let him do the things I loved for him to do…

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are now arriving at Heathrow airport…"

What the hell?

I open my eyes and see I’m still on the plane as Leo puts on his seat belt. "What’s going on?"

"Didn’t you know I was trying to wake you up? We’re getting ready to land. Better get your seatbelt on."

I do as told.

"Must’ve been one hell of a dream you were having." Leo comments.

"Why?"

"The way you were moaning before you finally woke up. Thinking of Shane weren’t you?"

"Yeah." I cover. "So where do we go from here?"

"Mom’s London flat for tonight and then head to Italy in the morning."

"Why Italy? I thought you said they might be in Sicily."

"Yeah but we have to let the American embassy in Rome know what’s going on."

"Sounds like a plan." I mutter as the plane descends.

We finally do make it to his mother’s London flat after having to deal with customs again and waiting nearly an hour to grab a cab.

"I don’t know about you but I’m starved." He announces as he drops his suitcases on the floor. "You up for a big dinner?"

I want to say no, but my stomach makes up my mind for me. "Sounds good to me."

"Okay I’ll see what we’ve got. Just have a seat and relax."

I take the seat, easing into the sofa, but I can’t relax. My internal clock is fucked up from not just the travel but from lack of any real sleep. I miss Adam and Shane. Then there’s Shane’s e-mail, which just adds more fuel to the guilt I’ve been feeling. Then there’s the worry that we’re on one hell of a wild goose chase that we may never find Hunter, then I have to worry about Leo possibly working for Hunter and setting me up for another round of hell which I may not survive and then there’s worrying about what’s going to happen if I do get back to the States. I mean, I know Shane says he still loves me but I know he and I are going to have it out over this and then there’s the feelings for Adam I still have though I’m sure he’s wishing to be back with Dwayne and…and…

God it’s all so fucking overwhelming, I don’t know if I can deal with it any more. I don’t know if I can deal with living anymore…

"Well as always, mother never leaves anything halfway decent in the fridge," Leo announces as he walks into the living room. "But I think we have enough stuff to make Shepard’s pie with and-" he pauses. "Matt are you all right?"

"I’m fine." I choke out.

"Sure? The stitches haven’t come loose have they?"

I shook my head. I felt the couch sink under his weight.

"What is it?"

I don’t know why, but for some reason I find I can’t keep my usual silence with Leo that I would around other members of my family. "I’m beginning to wonder if I’ve bitten off more than I can chew with this. I mean the first time around was bad enough but now…"

"You’re still afraid of the outcome?"

"For all the both of us know, this could be one big ass goose chase and we may never find them in Sicily. Hell Hunter cold probably be holding them across the street from Chris and Stephanie’s for all we know."

"I doubt that, but it’s something to think about."

I look at him. "You cracking on me?"

"Not intentionally." He said. "Listen Matt, I know there’s nothing I can say or do to make you feel better about things. I know that won’t happen until Adam and CJ are found. But the best I can come up with is, we have to hang in there. So if Sicily doesn’t pan out, we come back to London and try here or we go to France. Anyway you look at it, we’re going to find him one way or another."

"Man are you going to have an exclusive when this is said and done."

"It’s not just for the exclusive anymore Matt."

"Then what is it about?"

"Justice. Making sure Hunter gets what’s coming to him for what he put you, Adam and Jeff through. Not mention what he’s doing to you now."

I can’t explain it but there was something not right about Leo right then. It was like he knew more than he was letting on. "I have a question," I begin. "And I want you to tell me the truth."

"Okay."

I didn’t know how to ask other than to come out with it. "Are you working for Hunter?"

"No." His response was quick.

"But you know him in some way don’t you?"

He looks at me.

"He can’t be one of your step fathers could he?"

He laughed. "God no. I don’t think my Mom would’ve been that hard up."

There was something in his voice… "But you know him don’t you?"

"Matt, let’s just say I want to help you find and nail the bastard and leave it at that." He gives me a quick kiss on the temple – nothing romantic, just reassuring – before getting off the sofa. "I’ll have that pie ready for you in a bit. Why don’t you try and relax till then?"

I nod watching him leave the room, wondering if he was who he says he was and if he wasn’t, then who was he and what was he after?

(Shane)

It was about eight that evening when Vince and Mom put in an appearance.

I stood in the doorway watching them dole out presents for the kids and play with Logan a little bit, before I decided to head outside, hoping Vince didn’t see me and start anything.

Walking over to a tree swing I sat and swung back and forth gently, wondering what Matt was doing right now and if he were okay. The words from his e-mail are still burned in my mind and if anyone asked, I knew I could recite them word for word though I wouldn’t know how over the lump in my throat.

God he made it sound so final. I know when he called for me that day he’d told Mick that he wouldn’t be coming back but he didn’t believe it did he? There was no way in hell Hunter was going to win this time. Especially if I knew where he was and could find him…

"Shane?"

I try not to groan in disapproval as I hear Vince’s voice approach me before he does. He sits on the swing next to mine.

"How’re you holding up?"

"Fine." I’m really not in the mood for this.

"We were quite shocked to hear that Matt would just take off like that. Especially in his condition."

"Not as shocked as I was."

"Any idea who the person with him might’ve been?"

"No. The police are still looking into it though."

"Well if you need anything, you know the family resources are there. All you have to do is ask."

"Yeah well look how well the McMahon resources worked when you hooked Steph up with that freak in the first place."

"Shane, must we keep doing this. I thought we agreed-"

"Agreed? Don’t you mean you ‘ordered’?"

"Shane…"

"Look I’m not in the damn mood for some fucking pep talk right now. All I want is my husband home as well as Adam and CJ."

"We all want that Shane. Listen I’ll admit I was never the best father to you growing up. I think it’s taken something like almost losing you in that fire to make me realize that. That and watching you suffer like this, but I want a chance Shane. I want a chance to make things right between us."

"Too late Vince. You’ve hurt me over and over again and I can’t forgive you."

"I’m not really asking for forgiveness, though that would be nice. I’m asking for a chance, a fresh start. For the both of us."

I didn’t want to hear this right now.

"Shane please. I’m just asking for another chance."

"Well you sure picked a bad time to ask. Okay? I mean Matt could be God knows where going after Hunter again and whoever helped him out of the hospital could be working for Hunter much like Sanders and Robert were and he knows damn sight well if Hunter knows he’s still alive then he’s going to kill him and I can’t lose him. Not after I’ve spent half my fucking life looking for someone like him. I just wish I knew where the fucking hell he is and where he went to so I could at least try to protect him but damnit he won’t let me." I sigh, wiping some tears away.

"Sounds like you two were meant to be together."

"Yeah." I admitted.

Then he did something totally out of character for him; he reached out a hand and placed it on top of mine, like he was trying to reassure me. "Don’t worry Shane," he said. "He’ll be home. They all will."

I wished I could believe him. God I wish I could believe him.

(Matt)

I stood at the guest room window looking out at the London night skyline, which is quite stunning when it’s all lit up at night.

I remember when Shane and I had come here during WCW’s first tour of England. I’d been here before when I was in the WWF but by the time Shane and I had come we were married and being here with him was one of the more relaxed times in my life. We took an entire day and made like tourists, even riding the trains just for the hell of it only to come back to a wild party the guys were throwing which would’ve made Tailhook look like a high school mixer. I laugh remembering Chuck standing in the hallway naked begging with Sean to let him back in after locking him out after another present from Billy had mysteriously appeared and looking into Kidman’s room which had been the hub of the party, and seeing him, Rey and Torrie engaged in a little ‘three way dance’ of their own.

"Private joke?"

I look and see Leo standing there in the doorway.

"Sorry. Just thinking of better times."

"Don’t apologize." He walks in. "Wanna go out? Hit some night clubs?"

"In my condition?"

"You didn’t tell me you were pregnant."

I laughed. "You know what I mean."

"I know. Shit, you’d be a big hit with the punk scene. We could go to the White Spider and show off your stitches and the next thing you know every skinhead and trendoid will be wanting the patchwork look."

"Are you making fun of me?"

He shrugged. "If it gets you to loosen up a little…ohh…" he groaned at the unintentional joke. "Let me rephrase that."

"I know what you mean." I move away from the window to sit in a chair in the corner. "Thanks but no. I’d rather stay in tonight."

"Fine with me. I get bored with those places anyways. The same faces doing the same drugs. Gets a little monotonous after a while."

"Sounds like you had an interesting childhood."

"Childhood? Nah." He sits on the corner of the bed. "Teenage years, that was party time. Mom sent me to a prep school here when she married some Count and David was going to Cambridge for his medical degree at the time so I would sneak out of my dorm and meet him at the gates and we’d be out until three-four in the morning."

"Get into trouble?"

"Nothing a generous donation from Count Dracula couldn’t take care of."

"Count Dracula?"

"My nickname for the old guy. He didn’t last long."

"Divorce?"

"Death." Leo returned. "He died while screwing some eighteen year old twink."

I tried stifling a laugh. "How did your Mom take it?"

"She took what she could get, including the title. Oh you mean how’d she take finding out about how he died?" he laughed. "Well she figured as long as he didn’t die on top of her, then she wasn’t going to sweat it."

I burst out laughing for the first time in God knows how long. He followed suit.

It was a good five minutes before I could sober up enough to speak. "Oh God," I gasped trying to get my breath back. "Nice to know someone had a happy life."

"You think it was happy?" He shook his head. "Not really."

"I’m sorry."

"Don’t worry about it." He dismissed. "It’s nice to see you switch out of ‘martyr’ mode once in a while."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah. Nice to know you have a sense of humor."

"Well I haven’t had much to laugh about lately."

"I know."

We didn’t say anything for a few minutes.

"Well listen, let me check your stitches make sure you didn’t pop any while laughing your ass off at my mother’s expense."

"Hey you brought it up." I got out of the chair and walked over to the bed.

With some help, we managed to get the clean t-shirt off without any problems. I sat in front of him as he turned the nightstand lamp on since it had gotten darker early. Feeling his fingers on my back as he looked, I felt my skin goose pimple as chills went through me.

"Cold?"

"No." I replied.

"Well it looks pretty good here," he said. "Turn and face me now."

I do and for a second I find it a little unsettling as his hands rests itself on various parts of my chest, my nipples hardening as his fingertips brush over them. "Looks like a slight tear on you stomach here," he says softly.

I look down and see where he means. "Does it need to be restitched?"

"Nah. A bandage should take care of it just fine." He gets off the bed and heads for his room where I know he keeps the duffle bag that has the supplies in.

Damnit Hardy can’t you control your hormones for a second? You let Sanders touch you and look what happened.

"Okay now just sit still." Leo said as he set the bandage, and an alcohol swab on the bed. I winced a little when I felt the alcohol sting where the tear was. A few seconds later, he had the bandage on tight.

"Hopefully that’ll stay on for the night." He tossed the wrappers in the wastebasket by the nightstand. He looked up at me. "Need anything else right now?"

"No." I shook my head forcing any carnal thoughts of Leo and I out of my head.

"Okay then. Why don’t we turn in and I’ll see about getting us a flight to Italy in the morning?"

"Sounds good." I agreed before he left the room.

When he was gone, I slid out of my jeans, careful not to cause anymore ‘tears’. Getting under the covers, I close my eyes and try to keep my mind focused on what we’re going to do when we get to Italy.

CJ tiptoed his way out of his room down through the hallway.

He didn’t know what time it was but he knew it was nighttime since the hallway was dark, like it was when he saw Adam…

He shook his head not wanting to think about that. He made his way to the stairway and looked behind him hoping Hunter wasn’t awake. He knew he’d be angry over this but he had to call his mother and let him know how mad he was over her getting Christina and leaving him behind.

Making it to the bottom floor, he carefully made his way to the study he’d seen Hunter in a few times, knowing there was a phone in there he could use.

Closing the door behind him, he carefully made his way to the desk and turning on the desk light, he settled on the desk chair and picked up the phone.

"What do you think you’re doing?"

24

(Matt)

I don’t know where I am but I feel something around my neck.

"Oh Matthew…time to wake up…"

What the hell?

I open my eyes and see Hunter leering at me.

Oh Jesus, Leo betrayed me! I knew he would.

"Thought I wouldn’t find you did you?"

I reach up and find the familiar dog collar around my neck.

"I don’t know what it is but there’s something sexy about you wearing a dog collar Matthew."

I try to speak but I’ve lost my voice.

I watch as walks to the table where his twisted arsenal lay. "Let’s see," he begins by picking up a whip. "What should we use on Adam this time?"

Adam?

For the first time since waking up I see Adam across the room his back to me, the long blonde hair coming down his back.

"How about this?"

I look in time to see the razor wired cane Hunter used on me.

"Oh yes," he hisses. "This will work quite well."

"Leave him alone." I whisper my voice coming back to me slowly.

"Excuse me? I believe you told me to do something. That’s not how it works, Matthew. See I’m the one in charge here just like I was when you were in Greenwich. Besides, he can’t feel anything, at least not for another thirty seconds when the drugs wear off."

"If you want to kill me fine but leave him alone."

Hunter laughs. "Sorry little brother." He walks over to where Adam is hanging by the cuffs hanging from the ceiling. "Ready for your punishment now?" I heard him ask Adam who was unresponsive.

"Hunter don’t do this. Haven’t you done enough to him?"

"Not yet," he pulls his arm back. "But I’m about to."

I watched in horror as he swings the cane full force and strikes Adam across the back, his screams mingling with mine…

"NO!!!" I scream sitting up.

A light comes on, blinding me for a moment.

"Matt? Matt what is it? What’s wrong?"

The unfamiliar voice brings me back. I look in his direction and see Leo sitting on the edge of the bed, panic filling his features.

I try to get my breath back, my hands flying to my neck to make sure there wasn’t a dog collar around my neck.

"It’s okay," I hear him assuring me. "You’re safe."

Am I? Not as long as Hunter’s drawing breath I’m not.

Leo moved closer enough to wrap his arms around me, murmuring his assurances while stroking my back carefully.

Feeling a familiar sensation begin to stir I pull away from him. "I’m okay." I tell him. "I’m fine."

"You sure?"

I nod, moving my hair out of my face.

"He’s really gotten to you hasn’t he?"

I look at him wondering who he meant.

"How many other nightmares has Hunter given you?"

"Too many to count." I look at the covers.

"It’ll be over soon."

I look at him. "Who are you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I don’t know, you just sound so certain that we’re going to beat him and end this whole thing. What ties do you have to Hunter?"

"I’m just someone who’s pissed off at what he’s done to you and Adam."

"Someone I had no idea of until a few days ago. Now what’s the story? Are you working for Hunter?"

"No. I keep telling you that Matt. I’m not working for Hunter."

"Then what the fuck is your story?"

He sighs. "I’ll explain everything when this is done and over with. Listen you need to get some rest. Let me check your stitches real quick." He turns my nightstand light on. "Given the way you were probably thrashing around you might have pulled some out."

I want to protest, but instead I scoot up a little allowing him to check them out.

His fingers run over the stitches gently and if I didn’t know any better, I’d swear he was caressing them more than checking them out. "Everything all right back there?" I ask.

"So far."

Chills go through me as he slides his fingers down my sides.

"Everything looks good here." he moves from behind me and then sits in front of me again. And again as he’s checking my chest over, it seems like he’s caressing my chest more than doing any checking. "Bandage staying put?" he whispers.

"Yeah." I reply.

We looked at each other and without a second thought I leaned forward and kissed him. God knows why, you’d think I’d learned my lesson from Sanders.

He slid his tongue in and we were like that for a while before he pulled back. "Feel better now?" he asked.

"Sorry."

"Don’t be," he pushes my hair back, making my skin goose pimple as it touches my skin. "I’m not, but I don’t think it’d be a good idea for us to get mixed up with each other right now. Not until everything’s done and over with and we get Adam and CJ home safe."

I nod, feeling like a total moron.

"Better get some sleep. You need to be awake to deal with Embassy folk."

I chuckle before settling back down. Leo just got up and left the room, but not without one last look back. Turning my nightstand lamp off, I lie looking up at the ceiling, kicking myself for kissing Leo.

Christ, it’s not bad enough I’ve hurt Shane as much as I have, but now this?

It’s a sick thought, but maybe I’m more like Hunter and Pat than I thought I was. At least in the cheating department.

CJ froze as he watched Hunter sit up on the sofa he’d been sleeping on.

"Well?" Hunter asked. "What do you think you’re doing?"

"I thought you sleeping upstairs."

"I couldn’t sleep up there and that doesn’t answer my question."

"I want to call mommy."

"CJ," Hunter sighed. "We’ve been through this already."

"I looked in the atlas and it’s morning there now, so I can’t wake her up."

"I know. Please put the phone down." Hunter said gently.

CJ did.

"What were you going to talk to her about?"

"I wanted to tell her how mean she was in leaving me behind and taking Tina home."

Hunter thought about this for a minute. On the one hand he didn’t want to risk CJ spilling out any information about their location but to hear his son renounce the whore who helped put him away and took CJ from him…

That really would make his evening. Hell that would make his life.

"One phone call." Hunter said, getting up. "And that’s it."

(Shane)

I watch Dwayne feed Logan his cereal as we’re sitting around the dining room table in the morning.

For a second I pretend it’s Matt feeding our child and then the pang hits me. God how long has it been since this hell began that the only problem we had was trying to convince our families that we weren’t ready for kids yet, WCW being mine and Matt’s baby at the time but now, I’d love nothing more than to have a living reminder of the love Matt and I shared even if the baby wasn’t of our blood the way Logan is to Dwayne.

The mood around the table is a mixture of relaxed joy over Logan being home and quiet concern as we waited for word about Matt, Adam and CJ.

"Mommy?"

I looked over at Dewey who was sitting on Collette's lap.

"What honey?"

"When can we see Matt?"

"Not for a while yet sweetie."

"Is he okay?"

"Of course he is. It’s just he can’t have any little ones visiting him right now."

Christ, I’d be so damned happy when all the lying and shit is over with and everyone comes home.

The phone rings making everyone jump.

"I’ll get it." Stephanie says getting out of her chair.

I tense hoping Matt’s calling.

"Hello? Yes we’ll accept the charges."

Please let it be Matt.

"CJ?"

Stephanie’s question causes a flurry of activity with Chris getting up to go by Stephanie.

I get out of my chair, but I head for the living room phone.

I don’t mean to eavesdrop but there might be some way to find out where he is.

"Mommy?" I hear him ask.

"Oh God honey! Are you okay?"

"I’m fine."

"Where are you?"

I hear him talk to someone in the background. "I can’t tell you. It’s a secret."

"CJ it’s okay, you can tell mommy."

Another pause and I could swear it’s Hunter I hear in the background. "No I can’t mommy."

Damn you Hunter.

"Well everybody misses you. Grandma and grandpa misses you, daddy misses you and Tina misses you, I miss you-"

"No you don’t."

What the fuck?

"CJ?"

"If you missed me then you wouldn’t have left me behind."

"CJ honey what are you talking about?" Stephanie asked.

"Hunter told me how you came and got Christina and you left me behind. He said you didn’t want a little boy anymore."

Oh that’s it. That son of a bitch is so dead.

"CJ that’s not true."

"Don’t you love me anymore mommy?"

"Of course I do."

"Then why did you get Tina and not me?"

"Honey we didn’t know where you were."

"That’s not true. Hunter told me you came and got Tina. I knew you loved her better."

"CJ!" Steph was near tears. "You know I love the both of you."

"No you don’t! You never wanted a little boy! Hunter told me you didn’t!"

I’d love nothing more than to reach through the phone wire and strangle Hunter right then.

I hear Chris say something before getting the phone from Stephanie. "CJ listen to me, whatever Hunter’s telling you is nothing but lies. If you’d just tell us where you are we’ll come and get you."

"No you won’t."

"Yes we will."

Another pause and this time I know it’s Hunter telling CJ not to tell anyone where they are.

"CJ," Chris continues. "Don’t listen to him. Okay? You know what he’s done to Adam and Matt-"

"Adam’s not here anymore."

My blood went cold as I shot a look at Dwayne. Please don’t let it mean what I thought it meant.

"What do you mean he’s not there anymore?" Chris asks.

"Hunter got him some help."

"Where? I mean Dwayne might want to see him."

"Unh-unh. He can’t see anyone. He might hurt them."

Tell me this is just one bad nightmare.

"CJ…"

"You don’t have to worry." CJ says. "I’m with my bio…what was that word again?" a slight pause. "Biological father now."

From the corner of my eye I saw Stephanie grab the phone out of Chris’s hand.

"CJ! CJ just tell mommy where you are and I’ll get you, okay? We’ll even come over in one of grandpa Vince’s jets that you like to ride in."

Another discussion.

"I have to go now mommy."

"CJ no! Not before you tell me where you are."

There was a pause for a few seconds before the voice I loathed to hear came on. "Give it up Princess." Hunter sneered. "You lost."

"Hunter! Hunter if you lay one hand on my son-"

"Your son! Listen you silly bitch, he’s my son and there’s no way in hell you’ll ever see him again, so you better cherish this little phone call because it’s the last time you’ll ever hear from him until the day you die."

Chris snatched the phone out of my sobbing sister’s hand. "You son of a bitch, where are you keeping him?"

A dry laugh. "Think I’m telling you pretty boy?" Hunter snarls. "Not a chance."

I finally say my piece. "You sick fuck what have you done with Adam?"

Now a full-blown laugh. "Now, now Shane. Didn’t we always tell you never to eavesdrop on other people’s conversations? And as far as Adam goes… tell Johnson he’d better look for another father for that little rug rat of his because Adam is never coming home. Never."

The connection was cut.

"That son of a bitch!" Chris raged slamming the phone onto the hook before hugging my sister to try and console her.

"What did he say about Adam?" Dwayne asked.

I hung up not wanting to tell him. "All CJ said is he’s not with them anymore."

I watched as my sister broke out of her husband’s embrace and dialed for an operator to try and trace to call we’d just gotten but given the way Hunter operates, he probably had the number blocked or the signal scrambled or…

"Shane?"

I looked at Dwayne. "What did he mean that he wasn’t with them anymore?"

"I don’t know," I said in a hushed tone. "He said something about Adam getting help. That’s it."

He sighed. "Just when shit couldn’t get any worse. At least when he was with Hunter we knew we’d get them together but now…"

Slowly an idea creeps up on me. "Dwayne, what was Adam’s worst fear before this all started? Other than turning out to be like Hunter."

Dwayne thought for a minute. "I know he mentioned something about how he was worried about being locked away because of the night terrors…"

Dwayne and I look at each other.

"Hunter must’ve had Adam committed." He said.

"Oh thank you! Thank you!" My sister’s voice interrupted us.

"What?"

"I had them trace the call which they said they really couldn’t do because the party had hung up but when I explained what happened – what was going on, they managed to figure out that the call was from overseas. In Europe."

"They say where?"

"No they couldn’t give us that much." Stephanie tapped her fingers against her lips as though trying to remember something. "But I might have an idea."

(Adam)

I don’t think I’ve been poked and prodded as much as I have today since the first checkup Collette made Matt, Jeff and I have after we escaped from the attic.

I’m back in my cell awaiting the results and trying to think of an escape.

Looking out the frosted window I can see that this place has no fence as far as I can tell since it’s dark out.

If I can just find a way out of here…

I’m startled to hear the lock on my door turn, knowing that lights out was over ten minutes ago.

"Oh good you’re awake." Dr. what’s-his-name says as he enters the room with one of his goons with him.

"I couldn’t sleep."

"Well at least this would’ve saved us from having to wait till morning."

"Did you call the people I told you about?"

"There’s no need for that."

"You believe me?"

The doctor sighed and I could tell this wasn’t going to be good. "We’ve gone through the story and frankly Adam that’s all it was…a story."

No…

"I do believe some of it. Your wrestling career and your ‘relationship’ with Matthew but the rest of it and what you claim your father and grandfather did to you…it all sounds like the rantings of a disturbed mind."

"That’s bullshit."

"I’m afraid not. I’ve consulted many of my associates on this topic and we’ve agreed the best treatment would be electroshock therapy."

I fall back against the wall not believing what he was saying. "You mean shock treatment?"

"I know it sounds a little radical, but my colleagues and I feel that the treatment as well as medication should be able to help the situation by slowing the degenerative effects of the type of dementia you have."

"No," I shook my head. "No fucking way are you going to do that to me."

"I’m afraid you don’t have any choice in the matter. I’ve discussed this treatment with your father and since he was the one who signed you in-"

"Signed me in? He had you kidnap me you little twit. He didn’t want me around to show CJ what kind of fucking monster he was so he called you guys and had you kidnap me and stick me here."

"I’d hardly consider having to sedate you for treatment ‘kidnapping’ Adam."

"It is when it’s arranged by that sociopathic father of mine. He’s the one who should be here not me."

"That may be how you feel Adam, but right now you are the patient and your first session is scheduled for tomorrow morning at eleven. Good night." He turned to go.

I grabbed him by the coat and was promptly slammed against the wall by the goon.

"Listen," I said. "Just call the people I told you about. They’ll tell you that everything I’ve said is true."

"I don’t think that’ll be necessary. You better get some rest Adam. You’ll need it."

He and his goon walked out of the door, locking it behind them.

No…there’s no fucking way they’re going turn me into a fucking vegetable.

No fucking way.

(Matt)

"Matt! Matt time to get up!"

I open my eyes, cursing Leo as he opens the curtain to let the sunshine in.

I blink and put a hand over my eyes. "Damnit Leo, I’m not a morning person."

"Well if you want to catch that flight to Italy you’re going to have to be." He walked over and sat on the bed. "So what do you want for breakfast?"

"Something more edible that that Shepard’s pie you made last night. My stomach felt like I ate a brick."

"Hey, I never said I knew how to cook."

"Well good thing because they would nail your ass for false advertising."

He laughed. "Well you better hurry up and get around."

I nodded before finally getting up, careful not to pull any stitches.

"You know, David gave me the name of a physician who could look those over for you. Some of them might be ready to be taken out now."

"I don’t know…"

"It won’t take more than a few minutes. I’ll call him and see if he could see us this morning."

"Okay fine. Whatever." I just wanted to get to Italy and find Adam and CJ and kill Hunter.

"Great. I’ll get breakfast started and then you can join me when you get dressed."

I only nod as he gets off the bed and heads to the door. Watching him I notice, for the first time there’s something familiar about him, though damned if I knew what it was.

Shaking the cobwebs out of my head I get up and not wanting to put on the t-shirt from last night, I walk over to the dresser and see if Leo has a clean one. Opening the drawer I find a black t-shirt that looks like it would fit and as I rummaged for another shirt to bring with me to Sicily, I saw a leather bound book lying there.

Looking out the door to make sure he wasn’t coming back anytime soon, I pulled the book, which looked to be near overflowing out, and sat on the bed, my curiosity getting the best of me. I opened it and suddenly wished I hadn’t.

Inside were clippings from God knows how many years back about my Mom’s death and then flipping through the book there were loads more clippings about me, Adam and Jeff, including those about Jeff’s suicide. Looking at the photo of the burial I could see people standing outside the church but one caught my eye especially.

Leo.

He was standing in the crowd, practically front and center, his eyes covered with sunglasses, but there was no mistaking him.

The deeper I went into the book, there were even more clippings from WrestleMania eighteen and the trial and everything after not to mention some background stuff on Hunter and…

What the hell was going on? He said he’d never researched the history between Hunter and us. He said he just read about what had been happening between us now and wanted an exclusive.

What kind of fucking game was he playing with me?

"Hey Matt," I could here him approach the room. "How does French toast sound or do you want something lighter..?" He pauses in the doorway when he sees me with the book. "What are you doing with that?" his voice is small.

"That’s what I’d like to know. Care to explain?"

25

(Shane)

"That’s the best I could come up with," Stephanie said as she gave me instructions to the home in Sicily she thought she’d sold after her and Hunter got divorced. "God I can’t believe he remembered it."

"Well it makes sense. Taking them somewhere where Adam and CJ wouldn’t know the language would kind of limit the chance of their escape.

"So who’s going?"

"I am." Dwayne and I said at the same time.

"What about Logan?" Ata asked.

"She’s right Dwayne." Collette said having taken Dewey upstairs to play with Noelle and Christina after the phone call. "You need to reconnect with Logan right now."

"Shane can’t go alone." Dwayne countered.

"He won’t." Chris said. "I’m going with him."

"As will I."

I looked to my left at Vince. "Vince," I began. "I appreciate the offer but-"

"But nothing. Damnit Shane, let the past go and let me help you."

"You might not have too much influence over there Vince." Chris pointed out.

"That may be true but I know some influential people and they might help. For God’s sake that sociopath has my grandson and Dwayne’s husband. I can’t sit by and watch him torment this family any more than he has."

"Yeah but daddy, what about your heart?" Stephanie pointed out.

"I had my check up the other day and he said it’s fine as long as I get some exercise and what better exercise is there than chasing that bastard down?"

"But Vince," Mom said. "You don’t know what Hunter has planned or how many people he has working for him."

"That may be true but it’s a chance I’m willing to take."

I sit there listening to him wondering what he was trying to get out of this. I’d prefer Mick came with us, but knowing Collette and the kids needed him here kind of cuts him out of the equation, and there was the issue of Dwayne staying with Logan…

"Well if Chris is going then I’m going." Stephanie said.

"Steph no." Chris said.

"I’m sorry but that maniac has turned my son against me and I want a piece of him."

"What about Christina? She needs her mother right now Stephanie."

"I know Collette, but damnit, I need to get my son away from him."

"Collette's right," Chris said. "Tina needs you here."

"Then you stay." She shot back. "I’m going to get my son whether you like it or not."

"Stephanie." Mom began. "I know you’re upset by the phone call but sweetie you know how dangerous Hunter is. He’s proven that with the way he brutalized Matt. I mean who’s to say what he might do if he got his hands on you?"

Chris took Steph’s hand. "She’s right Princess. It’s bad enough we’re going after the jackal but if he should come after you I couldn’t take it."

"But he has come after me. Through CJ."

"Stephanie, he’s come after all of us in one form or another." Collette pointed out. "You through CJ and Christina, Mick and I through the twins, Dwayne through Logan and Adam, Shane through Matt… the important thing here is we can’t let him get to us by hurting you as well."

"So what am I supposed to do? Just stay here like a good little wifey while Hunter poisons my son’s mind against me?" She stood and released Chris’s hand from hers. "No. I’m not going to sit here any longer. I’ve sat around wondering what that sick fuck ex of mine is going to do to my son long enough and now it’s my turn to give him a taste of his own medicine and I don’t care if anyone likes it or not. Besides, I’m the only one here who knows how to get to the house in Sicily."

"Got you there." Mick commented.

"Okay," Chris relented. "You can come with us, but you don’t get involved."

"Chris-"

"Steph I’m not fucking around. You can come with us to show us where the house is but you do not come with us when we go in."

I almost had to suppress a giggle at the stare down going on between Steph and her husband, knowing full well she wouldn’t give in until she got her way.

"Fine." She said tightly, before leaving the room to pack and talk to Christina.

"Okay then." Vince said. "When are we leaving?"

(Matt)

No fucking way.

What he just told me cannot be true.

But…in a sick way it makes sense.

Doesn’t it?

He’s the same age he would’ve been had he lived.

But the dark hair…the small build…

But then again…Jeff had the same small build and after what we’d been through in terms of the ‘vitamins’ I guess it’d be no big shock there, and the hair could be colored…

But still…

"I know it’s a shock but I have the proof."

Proof? How the hell can he have proof?

I have to sit down.

"Matt? Are you all right?"

"That’s a stupid assed question, no I am not all right!" I snap.

"Listen," he sits next to me. "I know this comes as a shock and I know it’s the last thing you need after everything you and Adam have been through…"

Adam. Jesus Christ this I going to blow his mind…

"But when I heard about what Hunter had done to you I knew I had to see you again."

"So you weren’t after an exclusive after all?"

"I am. I mean my being a reporter and everything is legit, but my motives aren’t quite what I led you to believe. I want to nail him just as bad as you do for what he did. For what…Pat did."

My whole body is shaking…

"Matt? Matt say something…"

"What about all the clippings?"

"That’s how I was able to find out as much as I had. I knew about the homes in London, Paris and Sicily. I made it my mission to find out every little detail I could about him. Even things people didn’t know about him, like his knowing how he spoke Italian. Lillian made sure he was fluent in at least three main languages while he was growing up and Italian was one of them. That sort of thing isn’t hard to learn when you move in the circles I have over the years. Though some people found my obsessive questions about Hunter a little unsettling."

"Do you have any idea what this could do to Adam if he found out?"

Leo – or who I thought was Leo – nodded. "That’s why I was hesitant about approaching at first but when I’d heard what Hunter had done, not just to the two of you but to Jeff…" he shook his head. "I figured payback was in order."

God this nightmare gets even more and more bizarre.

He stands and walks over to the bookshelf and after moving some books out of the way he reveals a safe, which he opens, taking out a manila envelope. He walks back over and hands it to me. "There’s my proof."

I open it and it’s like the floodgates have opened. Copies of his birth certificate and other papers only he would have and the very last thing I see is the photo.

The photo we used the night Adam and I went after Hunter.

I take deep breaths to control myself but know it’s impossible now.

"After all this time…" I whisper. "But what about what you told me about …"

"It’s not that much of a stretch. I mean David is my brother in a matter of speaking and my mother, the eccentric much married Vanessa whatever-her-married-name-is-this-week is my mother of record, but I’ve never forgotten Mom or you guys."

Swallowing through the lump in my throat I look at Leo’s ‘proof’ and one thought comes to mind is, is Hunter in for it now, because one of his sins is going to bite him in the ass.

Big time.

(Adam)

I have to get the fuck out of here.

There is not goddamned way in hell they’re going to turn me into a fucking vegetable by frying my brains out because Hunter’s bribed them into doing so.

I just have to pick my shot.

I wish I had a fucking watch so I know what time it was. It has to be close to eleven by now.

Off and on I’d watched them take some of the patients out of their ‘rooms’ and noticed that they don’t even handcuff them. Of course by the looks of some of them, they appeared to be heavily sedated when they’re led out of their rooms. I can’t be sedated. Not if I want to get out of here.

Damn what fucking time is it?

The sounds of feet walking down the hall makes me pause from my pacing.

This could be it.

It is.

(Matt)

Leo and I don’t say much on the way to Heathrow to catch our flight to Rome; me still too stunned by what he told me and his respecting that.

We’d stopped along the way to visit the physician David recommended to check my stitches and some of the more minor ones had been removed leaving little red trails on my chest and back, the larger ones now covered with another torso wrapping bandage and instructions to keep it as covered as possible since there was looking to be a chance of an infection beginning.

Christ if someone told me this would be happening to me even a month ago I would have laughed in their faces, but here I was in a cab on my way to an airport to try and find out where Hunter was keeping Adam and CJ…

Along with my long believed dead brother.

26

(Shane)

"We got everything?" Stephanie asked as she, Vince, Chris and I were in the foyer ready to make our way to the airport where Vince’s jet was waiting for us to take us to Rome where Vince had set up a meeting with the American embassy to see if they would help us in our hunt for Hunter.

"Just about." Chris said.

Stephanie turned to the stairs where Christina was standing watching the scene in front of her. "Sweetie, mommy wants you to be a good girl for grandma okay?"

"Do you have to go?"

"Yes sweetie. I have to go and get CJ."

"What about Adam?"

"We’ll get him too."

"Are you going to come home?"

"Of course we will." She smoothed back Christina’s hair.

"Promise?"

"I promise. Both daddy and I promise we won’t be gone for very long."

I looked at my niece and I could see she was having trouble believing what Steph was telling her. Ever since she came home she was practically my sister’s shadow following her from room to room. The same with Chris, he couldn’t leave the room unless she could follow him to where he was going. The only time she didn’t act like this was when her Dewey and Noelle would play in the playroom upstairs.

Just when we thought we were all set, another pair of footsteps came down the stairs.

I look up and am surprised to see Dwayne with a bag of his own with him.

"I thought you were going to stay here with Logan?" Steph asked.

"Mom’s staying with him for right now." Dwayne explained making sure he had his passport and everything with him. "If you think I’m letting you jabronies go to Italy without me you’re nuts. I want to be there when we find Adam."

"Welcome aboard." Was all I could say at the moment.

Saying goodbye to everyone, we made our way out the door and head for the car Vince hired for us.

(Adam)

"Well Adam," Dr. what’s his name begins as he walks into my room. "Are you ready to begin treatment?"

"You mean if I’m looking forward to having my brains fried, no I’m not."

"Adam, Adam, Adam," he tut-tuts. "It’s really for your own good. I mean given the history your father has given on you-"

"All faked."

"You may see it that way, but the fact remains that you are a threat not only to yourself but to others and we have to take steps to rectify that problem."

"You mean turn me into a vegetable so know one can find out what a sick fuck Hunter is."

The Dr. – if he was one – sighed. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way Adam. Your choice."

"And they would be?" I looked at the two orderlies standing behind him, measuring my chances with them.

"You could either come peaceably or we will have to sedate you."

I make an act out of thinking over my options when I’m really sizing up my opposition. "Okay," I said. "We’ll do it your way."

(Matt)

We were still silent as the plane took off.

I kept looking over at Leo and wondering how he could’ve stayed away all these years and how…

How he survived.

"I know you want to ask me something so go for it." He says. "We’ve got a couple of hours to kill."

"What happened Chris? I mean when Hunter…"

"First of all, I prefer to be called Leo and second, I don’t remember too much about that. All I can recall was waking up in a hospital and wondering, in my eleven year old mind, how I got there."

"How did you hook up with Vanessa and them?"

"I was put into foster care and the family they put me with was the duPres, I think it was Vanessa’s second or third marriage at the time. Anyways they adopted me and until they got divorced when I was thirteen, things were going pretty well." He chuckled. "Man, the custody battle alone was front page news."

"But why go under Leo?"

"New family, new name. Actually it came from Vanessa. She named me after some dead relative of hers. She figured since I was going to be her son, she should give me a new name. For once I agreed with her."

"But what we went through…"

"I don’t even remember it. It’s like a fog to me and I think it’s a good thing."

"Have you had any nightmares?"

"Sure." He said softly. "Vanessa even sent me to some high priced shrink who eventually became husband number four."

"But why didn’t you contact us?"

He shrugs. "I guess I was still scared of Hunter and Pat. Then there were you three."

"You didn’t want to be with us?" I ask.

"I wanted to. Especially with Jeff, but…" he sighs. "There really was no way I thought I could make you believe that I was who I was. And the disruption in your lives that I might’ve caused and of course having Hunter find out his little plan didn’t work…" Another sigh. "I just thought it’d be best if I laid low until I could find the right time to contact you guys."

"So you found out what was going on and decided that that was the time?"

He nods. "I figured you might be more willing to work with a journalist than anyone else. I also figured you might want revenge on Hunter."

"You know Adam’s not going to believe this."

He nods. "I know."

"I’m still having a hard time dealing with it."

He looks at me with eyes so similar to Mom’s. "I know. You know my biggest regret of this whole thing?"

"What?"

"That I couldn’t be there for Jeff when he needed someone. I mean to go to Hunter…"

"That was my doing."

"I see we’re back to martyrdom again."

"It’s not that. I was just so afraid for him that I couldn’t see how happy Raven made him."

"I’ve seen Raven, you had every right to be worried."

"It wasn’t just his appearance but his reputation." I look at him. "I probably would’ve been the same with you if you had gotten mixed up with someone."

He shakes his head. "No, that would’ve been Adam’s department. I was his ‘shadow’ remember?"

"Yeah." I said sadly, thinking of happier times.

I was startled when he took my hand. "Don’t worry Matt. We’ll get the fucker. Once and for all."

I squeezed it back, believing we honestly would.

27

(Adam)

Unlike the other patients they have, they’ve handcuffed me but they did it so my hands were in front of me.

Big mistake.

We walked through the halls and I looked around, disappointed that the windows had mesh wiring in front of it, knowing there was no way I could make a jump for it, the ‘hospital’ on two low levels, which would’ve made the jump less dangerous than originally thought.

Another disappointment was whenever we walked through a door, it was locked automatically behind us, like a prison, which make me wonder where the hell Hunter had me stashed in.

All through the walk, I was tense just waiting for the right moment to pull off the plan that was forming in my head. I sized up the two orderlies and seeing how they were no bigger than William Regal, I figured my chances of taking them on even in handcuffs were pretty good.

Grateful for the foot long length of chain between the cuffs, I cross my arms as we approach the door leading to the ‘electroshock therapy’ room and wait for the good doctor to walk ahead of me close enough for me to do what I’m about to do…

(Shane)

If being in the same room with Vince is torture, try being on the same plane with him. At least at home, you can leave the room. Here you take your chances with thirty thousand feet and a deep ocean.

I only half listen to the plans everyone’s making for when we arrive in Rome to talk to the American Embassy. Me I think screw the Embassy and let’s go straight to Sicily and nail the sick fuck.

"Shane?"

Steph sits in a chair across from me. Chris, Dwayne and Vince are in the back of the plane discussing strategy. "What are you thinking about?" she asked me.

"You don’t want to know."

"If it’s killing Hunter then I’m all for it."

"I know."

"You’re still worried about Matt."

"You didn’t read the e-mail he sent me Steph. It sounded like he knows he’s not coming back."

She reached over and took my hand. "He will."

"But how? When I saw him look at the reflection of himself with those stitches, it was like the Matt I knew and loved for so long was gone and this…I don’t know what but I know it’s not him. Let’s say he does make it back, how are things going to be between us? I mean I’m willing to forgive him with the whole deal with Sanders and going after Hunter the first time, but now…after doing this, sneaking out of the hospital like that to set himself up again and making me worry like this. I don’t know Steph. I don’t know if I can forgive him this time."

"You can. You love him too much."

"Yeah but there are some things you can’t forgive."

"If that were the case then you would’ve left him after what happened in Pittsburgh. You wouldn’t be here. You would’ve washed your hands of him long before now and you still wouldn’t be wearing his wedding band with yours."

She was right. Damn her.

"Shane. Let’s just get through this first before you start making decisions about your future with Matt. Okay?"

"Okay." I say as Dwayne walks into where Steph and I are.

"Steph, Vince wants to talk to you."

She gets up gives me a sisterly kiss before going to deal with Vince.

"So." He says sitting down.

"So."

"We still sticking to our plan?" Dwayne’s referring to the one where we head on to Sicily and try to find out where Hunter stashed Adam. We made the plan while we were waiting for the plane to fuel and while everyone else was busy getting things taken care of.

"Of course. I checked and there are two psychiatric hospitals in the area near where Steph’s house is. We’ll head out after everyone goes to sleep."

He nods. "Works for me. What about weapons?"

"We’ll find someone in Rome who could supply us with something. There’s bound to be a lot of black market gun dealers."

"What about getting them to Sicily?"

"We can ask about ferries or something. Something that doesn’t require being searched for anything."

"I don’t know what it is, but I can feel that we’re going to get him and CJ back."

"We will Dwayne. We will."

Chris poked his head into where Dwayne and I were sitting. "You two might want to buckle up. We’re getting ready to land."

We do and the anticipation is killing me.

(Matt)

Finally landing in Rome after a two-hour delay in France due to low fuel, we make our way through the airport. Again we go through customs, where the agent there seems to know Leo, which makes our time there short.

"Looks like Hunter’s not the only one who can speak Italian." I comment while we wait for our baggage.

"Actually it was my idea to learn it. Vanessa wanted me to take up French, but the class was full so I took Italian instead."

"Must’ve been difficult living with her."

"Not really. I’ve gotten to be quite self sufficient big brother."

I smile. "I can imagine."

I sigh, feeling as good as I have in a long time. Tired of watching the endless parade of other people’s suitcases stroll by, I look around the airport.

"You know maybe when this is over maybe you should talk Shane into doing some WCW shows here in Italy." Leo suggested.

"If he’ll speak to me after this," I mutter.

"He will. After all he has to tell you the name of his divorce lawyer."

I glare at him. "You know I think I liked you better when you didn’t talk."

He laughs. "Believe me, one thing I’ve learned from living with Vanessa is if you don’t speak up from time to time, she totally steamrolls over you."

I gaze around again this time out the windows watching some of the planes leave and come in and that’s when I spot it.

Vince’s jet.

"What the hell?"

Leo looks at me. "What’s wrong?"

I point out the plane.

"Looks like we’re not the only ones going to Sicily."

(Shane)

Christ I hate going through customs.

All I want to do is get to the hotel and get some rest before Dwayne and I carry out our rescue mission and…

No.

It can’t be.

I blink and wipe my eyes as I look over at the luggage carousel.

It is.

There’s no mistaking it. The inky black hair cascading down his shoulders. That lean build clad in black…

It’s him.

"Shane?" I hear Stephanie say but I don’t pay much attention.

"Shane?" Dwayne asks me before looking over in the direction I am. "Well I’ll be damned."

Leaving my just checked bag with Stephanie I make my way over to where he was standing with who I’m assuming was his accomplice.

(Matt)

My mouth just went dry and I have trouble breathing.

Leo and I just spotted them over at customs and Shane is making his way over to where we are.

"Want to make a run for it? I can have someone pick the luggage up later…"

"No." I tell him.

If Shane and I are going to have it out, it’s best we do it here in public.

Less chance of him strangling me this way.

(Adam)

I look to my left and my right as ‘doc’ moves towards the door, his key card in hand.

Both of the goons have backed off figuring that since we were here, that I wouldn’t pull anything.

Oh how wrong they are.

(Matt)

I am literally shaking as Shane stalks over to where Leo and I are standing a mixture of relief and anger in his eyes.

Leo glances at me as if to say, "Just let him try something and I’ll punk his ass out."

"Matt." he says to me.

I only nod.

He glances at Leo. "Is this your accomplice?"

I look at Leo before nodding.

Shane moves over in front of Leo who’s glaring at him defiantly.

A look that doesn’t last long before he cocks his fist back and hits Leo hard enough to send him flying back against the luggage carousel.

I fly at Shane trying to stop him from doing any more damage, but whether it was accidental or not, he sends me flying to the floor.

"Shane stop it!" I shout.

I get up just as Shane pulls Leo up and hits him again, sending him flying my way.

"You little bastard." Shane snarls. "Do you have any idea what sort of danger you’ve put Matt in? How the hell do we know you’re not working for Hunter."

"He’s not!"

Shane stares at me before grabbing Leo. "Who the fuck are you working for, huh?"

"Shane! Shane let him go!"

"Not until he tells me who he’s working for."

"He’s not working for anyone! This is my brother Christian!"

28

(Adam)

Just as the doctor is ready to slide his key card through the slot, that’s when I strike.

I’ve twisted my arms so that when I loop them around his neck that if I pull them just right I could apply quite a bit of pressure on his neck.

I loop my cuffed wrists around his neck and pull him to me. The goons get up but I’ve tightened my grip. "Call off your goons or I swear to God I’ll kill you right here," I whisper in his ear.

He waves them back but they’re ready to pounce.

"Now," I continue backing away and dragging him with me. "You and I are going for a nice little walk out of here and if anyone, I mean anyone, tries anything funny, I’ll break your fucking neck. Understood?"

He nods gasping for air.

"Good. Let’s go."

I turn around slowly hoping that no one tries anything but so far my luck hold out. We manage to get to a stairwell and make our way down to the first level.

Reaching the first level I ease him out the door to make sure that no security guards are waiting for us. "Okay," I say. "No funny bullshit. We’re going to the main door and then you’re going to show me where Hunter is. Got it?" Not responding fast enough for my tastes, I tighten the cuffs around his neck despite the pain it was causing in my wrists. "Got it?" I hiss in his ear.

He nods jerkily.

We walk through the halls here but as we head for the door there are three security guards waiting there for us. I look over my shoulder and see three more. They say something to me in Italian.

"Tell them to either let us through or I’ll kill you now!"

He repeats my command but they’re not moving an inch.

"Tell them I’m not fucking around."

He repeats what I say and still they don’t move.

Christ!

"You better…" Doc says between gasps. "You better give up Adam. You don’t and I can make your stay here a living hell."

I had to laugh. "My whole life has been one living hell. Now tell them to back off!"

As he’s repeating my command I hear footsteps and as I turn my head to see who was approaching, he cocked his elbow back and hit me right in the ribs sending us both backwards onto the floor. His storm troopers move quick as they disconnect me from him and pull me to my feet.

"Oh Adam," he said once he got his breath back. "You’ve just made things so much more worse for yourself."

"That’s what you think." I say before nailing the guards holding me with elbows of my own and make a run for the door but instead of heading right into the three guards in front of me, I switch suddenly and make a run for the lobby window praying it would break when I threw myself into it, knowing if it didn’t my ass was in for a world of hurt in more ways than one.

Using the sofa for a launching pad, I threw myself into the window, shattering it to holy hell. I fall to the ground but make a quick recovery before heading for what I assumed was the gates.

I could hear the doctor screaming at his goons to stop me but obviously they’ve never ran a foot race in their lives before because they were a good three to four yards behind me as I ran down the paved driveway leading to the gates which were beginning to close.

With a sudden burst of energy I ran as fast as I could and when the gates were about two foot away from closing I made another dive, tumbling onto the outside as the gates shut. Seeing the fuse box by the gates, and knowing this was a big risk, yanked on the bottom wire, shutting the power to the gates off so they couldn’t reopen them.

Hearing the clamor at the gates I look to either side of me and continue running though I had no idea where I was heading just as long as it wasn’t back there.

(Shane)

What. The. Fuck.

Matt’s declaration has stunned me beyond all belief as I stare at the person who may have gotten Matt into more danger than anything.

Christian?

But I thought he was cremated.

"Shane," Matt’s voice penetrated my foggy thinking. "Shane let him go please."

I do, allowing…whoever he was, to check and see if he’d lost any blood while getting pummeled by me.

By now, Vince, Chris, Stephanie, and Dwayne have come over to this little scene, Dwayne carrying my carry on bag.

I have a hard time speaking but eventually I do say something. "I thought you were dead."

"I’m sure Hunter feels the same way." He cracks.

I look at Matt. "What the fuck is going on?"

"Listen I don’t want to get into it here in public."

"Matt?" Stephanie asked.

I stand by and watch Vince, Steph and Chris hug Matt, while Dwayne and he eye each other like they wanted to go at it.

"Listen," Vince, ever the negotiator, began. "We’ve been through enough today. Why don’t we head for the hotel before we head for the Embassy tomorrow? Matt? Christian-?"

"Leo," he corrects. "I go by Leo now."

"Leo. Have you two somewhere to stay?"

"I’ve got a friend who’s letting us stay at his place." Leo explained.

"Well why don’t we all stay at the hotel? That way we don’t have to worry about anyone wandering off."

I look at Matt, hoping he takes Vince up on his offer. He in turn looks at me I guess to gauge my reaction. He then looks at Leo. "Well?" he asks him.

Leo shrugs. "As long as Evander Holyfield and I don’t have to share a room. Why not?"

By now our luggage has finally made it’s appearance and we walk out of the airport a silent and solemn group, wondering what’s going to happen next.

"Dad!"

On the beach, Hunter looked over to where CJ was standing on one of the rocks dotting the shore. "What?" he walked over.

"Look what I found!"

He walked over and saw CJ pointing to something in the water. He looked down and saw what appeared to be some sort of crab crawling around.

"Can I keep him as a pet?"

"Sorry CJ. I don’t think they allow you to have crabs for pets around here."

"Can we have him for dinner?"

Hunter laughed. "I don’t think that’d be a good idea. God knows where he’d been last."

"Dad?"

"Hmm?"

"When can I visit Adam?"

Hunter said nothing at first. The only way he could think of to placate CJ over what had happened with having Adam committed was promising him they would visit him, a promise Hunter had no intentions of keeping.

"Not for a while yet CJ. They have to run tests and everything to find out what’s wrong with him."

"How long will that take?"

"Given how sick he’s been, hard telling."

"Dad?"

"Hmm?"

"Are we ever going back home?"

Not if I have anything to say about it. "I thought you liked it here."

"I do. It’s just there’s not much for me to do here. There’s not a lot of other little kids for me to play with."

"There’s some in the village."

"Can we go there sometime?"

"One of these days. We’ll go instead of chef to do some shopping there. Okay?"

"Okay."

Hunter watched CJ as he stared off into the distance and couldn’t believe how much like Adam he looked when he was that age.

"…I’ll just bet you’re counting the months before he’s old enough to take my place…"

Hunter shook his head, forcing Adam’s taunt out of his mind. No, he vowed. I will never do anything like that to CJ. Never.

Standing there now watching the ocean ebb and flow, as CJ prattled on about something to do with Stephanie, he could vaguely remember that ‘sick little affair’ with Pat that Adam taunted him about. Hunter knew the old man had the hots for him, ‘trying him out’ when he was about eleven after not getting any from his favorite prostitute once the old lady closed her own legs to him, not knowing until later the reason why. But he knew how to use Pat’s sick weakness against him time and time again to get whatever he wanted. The problem was it made his stomach turn every time he did it. Even now he could feel those clammy hands and drunken breath on his skin and felt like throwing up which he might’ve if CJ weren’t here.

No, he thought. I am nothing like those sick fucks and I never will be. CJ’ll help me make sure of that…

"Hunter?"

Glad for the distraction, he and CJ looked over at his associate walking over where they stood. "What?"

"It’s the hospital. They want to talk to you about Adam?"

"Is he sick?" CJ chimed in.

"I’m sure it’s nothing." Hunter assured him. "You be a good boy and I’ll be right back okay?"

"Okay."

"Keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn’t try to bring any strange pets to the house okay?" he said to his associate as he passed her.

She nodded before Hunter stalked to the house wondering what the hell the problem was now.

(Adam)

How ironic is this?

A long time ago, about when Hunter, Pat and Gerald raped me, I’d given up on God and guess where I’m hiding out now?

That’s right.

A church.

After walking for what felt like miles and trying everything I possibly could to get these damn cuffs off me, I found this seemingly abandoned church and decided this was as good a place to lie low in until I can figure out what to do next.

I say seemingly abandoned because though it looks to be in the middle of nowhere, there are at least three other people here other than me and the priest. I managed to slip in quietly and am sitting in a pew behind a banister, hoping no one saw me, afraid that if they did and saw the cuffs they’d turn me into the police and I’d have to go back to that insane asylum I just left.

And there’s no way I’m going back there willingly.

While sitting there, I bow my head but not to pray but to try and figure out how to take these cuffs off me. I’ve tried pulling on them, only to bruise my wrists more than I’m sure they were, and I’ve tried finding a rock to maybe break the chain but hitting the chain with both hands cuffed was a little tricky at best.

"Hello?"

I jumped out of my skin at the sound of the voice, which seemed to creep up on me. I look over my shoulder and see a nun standing behind me.

"You speak English?" I whisper.

She nodded.

Oh God, maybe things are going to work out after all.

(Matt)

Shane and I didn’t say much to each other as we enter the room we were going to be sharing. Leo was going to room with Dwayne for the night.

I’m a fucking bundle of nerves as I set my suitcase down on one of the chairs, waiting for the ass ripping from Shane I knew was coming.

"Matt." Not a question.

"What?"

"Look at me."

I did and see him standing in the middle of the room looking at me with that mixture of anger and relief that he had at the airport. "I think I’d better sit for this," I mutter as I sit in the chair next to the one I’d put my suitcase down on.

Shane walks over and sits on the corner of the bed nearest me. "What the fucking hell were you thinking?" he said his voice dark. "Do you have any idea how fucking frightened and worried I’ve been? Not to mention everyone else including and especially Mick and Collette?"

"Shane-"

He holds up a silencing hand. "Let me finish."

I shut up.

"Christ Matt, you’ve put us through hell these past few days. Do you have any idea what I thought when you sent me that e-mail? I thought I was reading a goddamned suicide note because that’s how it sounded to me."

"Shane you know-"

Another silencing hand, this time with anger winning out on his expression. "I should wash my hands of you just like Dwayne suggested I should. I should take this fucking wedding ring off and just toss it like you wanted me to toss yours, because I can’t deal with this shit anymore Matt. I’ve told you time and time again to let the authorities handle looking for Hunter but no, you can’t leave it alone can you? And now here you are, with more stitches than a human being should endure opening yourself to all sorts of infections that could kill you and if they don’t then I’m sure you know Hunter will."

"Then why don’t you toss it?" I say. "Why don’t you wash your hands of me? I remember you telling me when you went to the authorities with the photos that if anything happened to CJ or Christina it was over. Well, something happened. They were kidnapped and damned near killed because of me and now God only know what Hunter’s doing to CJ and Adam right now…"

"Adam’s not with them."

I looked up. "What?"

"CJ called last night and he said Hunter got him some ‘help’, whatever the fuck that means. That’s why we’re here to find and get CJ and Adam." He pauses. "Do you have any idea what you could’ve done to yourself by leaving with Leo the way you have? Not just his possibly working for Hunter, but with…" he sighs. "Oh what’s the fucking use? I know what I’m saying is going in one ear and out the other." He gets up and walks around. "You’re going to do what you’re going to do anyway and damn the consequences to any one else."

I don’t say anything.

"I meant what I said in my e-mail. I meant everything I said. From wishing I could make you believe this whole thing wasn’t your fault to thanking you for loving me. But damnit you can be so fucking infuriating you know? You keep things from people and then try to play the hero when you know damn well what Hunter is capable of and…" he sighs again. "Christ I’m so fucking angry right now I can’t even think straight."

"Maybe I should get another room." I start to stand, but when he looks at me I sit back down.

"No." he says. "Don’t. Because as angry as I am right now, I am just as happy to see you’re still here. That you’re still alive, even though I want to wring your fucking neck for everything you’ve pulled so far."

I watch him walk over to me, pulling a ring off his finger and for a second I thought he was removing his ring when I saw it was still on his finger. "I want you to put this back on." He said, kneeling beside me. "I want you wearing it again. And I don’t want you to ever take it off ever again."

"You still love me?" I ask in disbelief. "Even after everything?"

"It’s like we said in the car on the highway that New Year’s Eve. ‘For now, for always and forever’."

I’m having trouble seeing and speaking as he took my shaking left hand and placed the ring on my finger before kissing me. God I’ve missed this. The way his lips would touch mine before his tongue would ask my lips permission to enter which I’ve always granted it.

We stand and as I wrap my arms around him to hold him tightly, he wraps his around me gingerly but with no less passion.

"God I’ve missed you so much," he whispers, his voice warm against my mouth.

"Not as much as I have you."

He looks at me and the mischievousness I’ve grown to love over the years has now crossed his face. "Show me."

"What the fucking hell do you mean he escaped!" Hunter raged. "Jesus Christ you know what a threat he is to my son!"

He paced the floor, cordless phone in hand. This was exactly the last thing Hunter wanted to hear after carefully constructing what he thought would be a perfect plan.

"Then why the hell wasn’t he sedated then? I don’t care if it is policy or not. You knew he had a violent streak when I called and told you. You should’ve taken care of that when he got there!"

Another pause.

"No, no don’t bother. I’ll take care of him should he show up here." Hunter pressed the end button. "Goddamn it!" He threw the phone across the room, it landed on the sofa.

"Bad news I take it."

He whirled around to see his associate standing there. "Where’s CJ?"

"Cook’s making him dinner. He got hungry."

"Adam escaped."

"Oh shit." She muttered.

"It doesn’t matter though. He’s in a foreign country where he can’t speak the language and he was in handcuffs so whoever he runs into for help will think he’s a criminal and turn him into the police and there’s no way he’s going to leave Sicily without CJ which means he’ll be coming back here and if he does, I’ll not only be ready for him, but I’ll give him the same treatment I gave Matthew. Except this time, no one will recognize him. Not even me."

Unbeknownst to Hunter though, CJ, wanting them to have dinner together, was standing outside the office door hearing the whole conversation.

(Adam)

"Sorry I couldn’t get the cuffs off but it’s the best I could do." The nun with her clipped British accent said to me as she set the bolt cutter she used to cut the chain joining the cuffs with to one side and sat down across the table from me.

"It’s fine." I assure her, turning down her offer for tea. "I can hide them by stashing my hands in my pockets."

After she greeted me at the back pew, she asked about the cuffs and I told her what had happened. Well as much as I think a nun should hear. Deciding I wasn’t a threat to her and glad to meet someone else who spoke English, she led me to the little room where we sat and fixed me a sandwich while she looked for a pair of bolt cutters to do the chain with.

"So your father did this to you?"

"Yeah. He wanted me put away so I couldn’t get my little brother away from him. Listen I don’t want to sound ungrateful after everything you’ve done but is there any way I can get to a hotel or somewhere where there’s a phone?"

She looked deep in thought for a moment. "Well the nearest town here isn’t for quite a ways."

"How far is ‘quite a ways’?"

"Twenty, thirty miles."

"A lot closer than I thought it would be."

"Yes but it’s still quite a walk in your condition. Then there is the risk that the police here could be looking for you."

"Good point."

"But," she gets up and walks to a cupboard. "Luckily for you, the church believes in cellular phones for distant parishes like this. In case of emergencies and ordering supplies." She withdrew a phone from what looks like a charger. "Me, I use it to chat with the other nuns in the region. Got to keep up on what’s going on out there."

I toss my head back and start laughing like a loon. "Thank you so much." I take the offered phone as she begins gathering the dishes. "I’ll give you some privacy." She whispers before bustling out of the room.

Looking at the fully charged phone, I press the on button and dial the only number I could think of calling right then.

Dwayne’s cell.

(Matt)

"You okay?" Shane asks me as he rubs my back, still wrapped in the bandage to protect the stitches yet to be removed.

I nod, not wanting this moment to be spoiled.

We lay there on the bed facing each other after one of the most wonderful yet painful lovemaking sessions Shane and I have ever indulged in. not painful for the reason you think though. It’s just it’s been so long since Shane and I have made love that the orgasms hurt more than anything as our bodies reconnected with each other.

He kisses me. "I love you so fucking much," he whispers. "We are going to find Hunter and we will get him and we all will be coming home."

I nod, more out of habit than any real belief, for as much as I want to believe Shane, there’s only one way this thing with Hunter and I is going to play out and that’s if one of us dies and for some reason I think it’s going to be me.

But I’m not telling Shane that.

"Shane! Matt!"

Dwayne’s shout startles us out of this quiet moment we were in. Shane grabs his pants and slides them on before answering the door. "What the-?" he says as Dwayne storms our room with a grin on his face."

"Adam called me!" Dwayne said. "He’s at some church in Sicily."

"You’re shitting me." I tell him getting out of bed.

"I just got off the phone with him. We have to get going before Hunter finds him."

"Where’s Leo?"

"He went to get Vince, Chris and Steph."

"We’ll meet you in the lobby in ten minutes." Shane said.

"Gotcha." Dwayne says before he leaves the room shutting the door behind him.

I jump out of bed and grab my clothes pulling them on, stitches be damned.

I’m going to get my brother back.

(Shane)

The hotel must’ve thought we were loons with the way we all checked out so soon after checking in but we didn’t care.

Aboard the jet, I sit in the same place Dwayne and I had made our plans to break Adam out of whatever snake pit Hunter had thrown him into, except this time I sat with Matt who had his head on my shoulder as he dozed.

I wrap my arm around his shoulders, mindful of any injury he may have there. There was so much more ass ripping left in me but all I cared about right then was that I had my husband back and that he was safe and I prayed the same for Dwayne who, if this plane could fly any faster, would have his back and then it was on to save CJ from Hunter.

"How is he?" Leo asked as he entered where Matt and I were, sliding in the seat across from me.

"Tired."

"Gee I wonder why." He smirked.

I returned it wiggling my eyebrows. "So how are you doing?" I ask him, still not believing he was Christian.

"Well, I should be on my lap top right now giving my editor the story of a lifetime, but right now I’m more worried about Adam and how he’s going to take my being alive after all this time."

"You know I read Matt’s journals when he wrote about you. How did you survive what happened?"

He looked at me. "Like I told Matt that time I don’t really remember anything after leaving the attic other than blacking out and waking up in the hospital. But according to the nurse and the crematorium worker, when Pat and Hunter brought me there to get rid of me, the worker had felt a small pulse in my throat but he never let on about it. He took me to the prepping room and hid me in the closet there as he set up another body to take my place. When it was over with, he told his boss what had happened and they took me to the hospital where I found out I had enough arsenic in my system to kill a man twice my age."

"Christ," I say under my breath.

"Anyways," he continued. "The State came in and when I got better, which was a long drawn out process let me tell you, they put me in foster care with the duPres family and they adopted me. Once the dust cleared, Vanessa thought a new look was in order so she had my hair cut and darkened so I could look more like I was really hers."

"How did you get along with David?"

"Pretty well. But he was eighteen at the time and ready to leave the house so there really wasn’t much sibling rivalry between us while I grew up."

"What made you contact Matt?" I idly began stroking Matt’s hair.

He sighs. "I managed to catch one of Matt’s matches on television while I was growing up and I knew, despite the name change, that he was my brother. So I kept up on them over the years, even went to Jeff’s funeral. As I told Matt, I was still afraid of Hunter and Pat and what might happen if Hunter found out I survived so I stayed away from them, but when I heard about what he’d done to them now…I knew I couldn’t stay away any longer and with the duPres name behind me, I knew that I could finally get back at the bastard for what he did to him," he gestured to a still sleeping Matt. "Adam and Jeff. Especially what he did to Jeff, rejecting him like that."

I could just feel the anger vibrating through him.

"And now, it’s payback time and as I told Matt while he was holed up with me, Hunter thinks he’s dead. He has no idea he’s still alive and we could use that element of surprise against him."

"Not to mention you."

He smiled. "That what makes this all the more sweeter."

"But if you kept up with what was going on, then you knew what Hunter had done to Matt. How the hell could you have taken him out of the hospital like that?"

"It was his idea and I’m not saying that to cover my own ass. He came up with the idea and I knew if it wasn’t me then he’d get someone else to help him and then he’d be in deeper shit than he was then."

I sighed knowing he was speaking the truth. "Well thank you for caring for him, though I’d still like to wring your neck for encouraging him."

"Wait till we get Adam and CJ back. Then you can kill me again." He chuckles, as do I knowing that if I did, Matt would never forgive me.

He watches me with a small smile. "You love him don’t you?"

I nod. "He’s a little frustrating at times but I can’t imagine my life without him."

"He told me how you two met."

"He tell you about he and Adam?"

Leo nodded.

"How do you feel about it?"

He sighed. "I was there but I never really noticed. They were very careful, but I could understand why. I’m glad they found you and Dwayne as well."

"What about you Leo? You seeing anyone right now?"

He shook his head. "I had a girlfriend while in college but she cheated on me with her professor and before I went to contact Matt, I had another girlfriend but neither of us were ready for a commitment. So I’m pretty much on my own right now."

"You probably think we’re pretty disgusting right?"

He shook his head. "First off, I’m not one to judge, I leave that to whatever deity you’re supposed to answer to when the time comes. Secondly, I was surrounded by girls all the time I’ve been with Vanessa so dating them wasn’t such a stretch. At least this way I don’t have to worry about my older brothers trying to take my girlfriends." He smiled. "To me it doesn’t matter who someone falls in love with as long as they’re happy and from what I’ve gathered, you make Matt happy and Dwayne makes Adam happy and after all the hell we’ve been through, I think that’s the only thing that matters. I am anxious to meet my little nephew Logan though."

"And I’m sure he’s anxious to meet you too. I know Adam’s told him tons about you. In fact, CJ’s named after you and Jeff."

He raised his eyebrows. "Really? I’m flattered."

"My sister’s idea."

"I’ll have to thank her when this is all over with."

When this is all over with…

God I hope it’s soon.

29

CJ looked across the table at Hunter as he contemplated his next checkers move, the conversation he’d overheard before dinner still fresh in his young mind.

He watched as Hunter moved his red piece to one side. "Your turn."

"Dad?"

"Hmmm?"

"When you were talking to that girl earlier, what did you mean about ‘waiting for Adam’?"

"How many times have I asked you to not eavesdrop on other peoples conversations?"

"I wasn’t. I wanted to know if you wanted to have dinner together and I heard you telling her that."

"What else did you hear?"

CJ bit his bottom lip.

"Don’t do that. It’s a bad habit."

CJ let his lip go. "I also heard you say you were going to give him the same treatment that you gave Matt. That no one would recognize him. Not even you."

CJ watched Hunter’s expression darken. "No you didn’t."

"Didn’t what?"

"You didn’t hear me say that because I didn’t say it."

"But I heard you."

Hunter sighed. "You know this is how it started with Adam when he was a child. He thought he’d hear me say things too and look how he turned out."

CJ swallowed hard. "Why do you hate Adam so much?"

"After what he and Matt did to me can you blame me?"

"But-"

"CJ, I really don’t want to talk about your older brother now." Hunter jumped his piece over CJ’s on the checkerboard. "Now see, if you’d pay more attention to your piece than your brother then you would’ve kept me from taking your piece."

CJ didn’t feel much like playing checkers right then. "Did you kill Matt?"

"No." Though Hunter fought the urge to start laughing. "CJ." He leaned forward resting his elbows on the table. "I’ve told you Adam is very sick. He’ll say anything to drive a wedge between us."

"Mommy said she still loves me."

"Then there’s the ultimate liar, your mother." Hunter sighed. "You know in a way I’m glad you were just a baby when your mother filed for custody of you. That way you wouldn’t have been subjected to hearing the lies she told about me, let alone hearing from her mouth how she said she didn’t want you."

"She said she did."

"Well she’ll say anything if it means getting her way. Know why your mother spoils Tina so much? Because your mother was spoiled when she was a little girl herself."

"What about Chris?"

"Oh you mean the guy she wanted you to think was your father? He was just no-name talent your mother had a fling with while we were married. In fact after you were born we had to take a DNA test to make sure you were mine."

"She left you for him?"

Hunter nodded.

"Why?"

"Well you’re old enough to understand this so here’s the truth about your mother. She’s nothing but a whore. All the time we were married, she slept with different guys. I’m surprised she hasn’t tried to pass even more kids off as mine."

"What’s a whore?"

"I’ve told you CJ, it’s a woman who sleeps around on their husbands while they’re married. Or for the shorthand answer, your mother."

"So Tina might not be Chris’s?"

Hunter shrugged. "Maybe she is and maybe she isn’t. She’s Chris’s problem not mine. You on the other hand." Hunter reached out and took CJ’s chin gently. "You are my son, without a shadow of a doubt and you belong here with me, away from your mother with her whoring ways and your brother who has some major problems of his own." He released CJ’s chin. "Up for another game of checkers before bed?"

CJ nodded, his young mind trying to process what Hunter told him and having a hard time of it.

(Adam)

"Boring isn’t it?"

I look behind me and see the nun who cut my chains standing next to me as I sit on the steps outside the church. After she’d done the dishes, she’d gone through a donation box and found some clothes for me to wear instead of the hospital gear I wore when I got here. Amazingly everything fit except for the sneakers, which felt like they’d be more Trish or Amy’s size.

Trish and Amy. Two more people I hope to see again when this nightmare’s over with.

Please Dwayne. Please get here before the authorities do.

"Not really," I say. "I’m sure under better circumstances I wouldn’t mind spending a weekend out here."

She sits next to me. "With your wife?"

I glance at her.

"I see the wedding ring on your finger. Unless it’s another man."

"You’re offended."

She shook her head. "No. You know how I became a nun and wound up in this lovely little, and do I mean little, village here?"

I shook my head.

"My son."

"I thought-"

"Nuns couldn’t have children? I’m what you call a late bloomer. Anyways, my son was gay and my late husband and I couldn’t bear the thought of it for the usual reasons; the missed out grandchildren to carry our name on and such so when he told us we rejected him. I mean my goodness if it had come out in our social circle about our son being gay then how would it look to the neighbors if he started bringing his lovers home for the weekend and other occasions so in our way my husband I thought it best to ask him not to come around and pretend he didn’t exist."

"What changed your mind?"

"A nasty little disease with a smaller name."

"AIDS?’

She nodded. "His husband at the time called and ripped us a new one over how we’d neglected our son when he needed us the most. Well of course with the British infamous for their guilt, we went to London and saw him during his final days. A year after my son passed, my husband passed and I felt a little lost so I fell back on what I knew at the time and that was the church, but I was feeling a little disillusioned by how the church treated gays at the time or maybe it was my long dormant guilt but I signed up to become a nun."

"Why?" I asked. "I mean after everything…"

"To change people’s minds from within. Make them see that your sort weren’t these monsters but they were other people’s sons daughters and other relations and if we’re supposed to love our neighbors then how can we justify discriminating them if they too were made in God’s image. Well," she sighed. "As you can imagine, that didn’t sit too well with the head honchos and that’s why they’ve sent me here to religious Siberia."

"I thought we were in Sicily?" I cracked.

She laughed. "Oh we are. But to my bosses, it’s as good as Siberia."

"What about the priest here?"

"Father Minardi? Oh he’s a good enough soul to put up with my activism. As long as I don’t do it at the church itself, but the few times I’ve been arrested at the gay pride protests, in Syracuse and other cities here in Sicily, he’s always bailed me out."

I had to laugh, which felt weird after everything.

"So how long have you been married?"

"Six years. We have a son."

"Use a surrogate or – if I’m being too nosy let me know."

"No, one of my husband’s relatives was dying from AIDS and she wanted he and I to raise him."

"And how old is the little one?"

"Over a year old." And probably doesn’t even remember me.

"His health?"

"He’s passed all the tests so far."

"Oh good. You’ll have something to look forward to when you get back home."

"Yeah but I’ve got to get my little brother away from our father."

"What is your father’s name anyways?"

"I doubt you’d know him."

"Try me."

I almost said Hunter Hearst Helmsley but I didn’t know if she knew him by that name or not. "Paul Helmsley."

She thought for a moment when recognition lit up her face. "His mother wouldn’t happen to have been Lillian Helmsley would it?"

"Yeah. You know them?"

"Know them? My son went to boarding school with Paul while they lived in England for a while. They were separated by a grade or two but they knew each other."

Could the world be any smaller? I mean it’s like six degrees of separation these days.

"What do you know about them?" I ask my curiosity getting the best of me.

"Well I know Lillian and Pat couldn’t stand each other. How they ever had Paul I’ll never know."

I don’t want to know.

"Then again…"

I glanced at her. Damnit woman don’t tease me like this. "Then again what?"

"I shouldn’t, but once a gossip always a gossip I’m afraid." She chuckles. "I don’t have any concrete proof but there’s been talk for years that Paul wasn’t Pat’s."

"You’re…" I was going to say ‘shitting me’ but mindful of where I was, I changed direction. "You’re kidding?"

"Oh there’s maybe a minor resemblance between he and Pat if you really look hard enough, but the truth is old Lillian was a blond before she became a redhead and that’s where Paul’s blonde hair comes from."

"Anyone knows who his father is?"

"Oh heavens, she was quite the, shall I say, ‘tramp’ at the time. Who knows who that boy’s father was. All I know is she snagged Pat so the boy would have a father to put on the birth certificate. In return she let him into her world of wealth and privilege."

I almost felt like laughing my head off again.

"I imagine she’s passed on by now."

"She has." I tell her, not wanting to remember how she died six months after we’d been put into that damned attic.

"Now who could that be?"

I look where she does and see a car making its way up the trail, far enough so I couldn’t see who was inside or driving but close enough for me to get up to go inside. Something my nun friend thought of as well.

"You slip inside and if it is the police or whatever, I’ll send them away." She hustles me inside.

I go inside and hide where I had before in the pew beside the banister, tensing in anticipation of who it could be.

(Matt)

My nerves are jumping so badly, I’m grateful that Shane is driving.

I look over at Leo and see he looks as nervous as I feel.

I then look at Dwayne and see a flicker of hope on his face.

Please don’t let the police or the hospital have gotten to Adam.

We arrived here just a few hours ago and I could see the sun setting as we made our way to the church Adam told us he was at, having found it courtesy of a map and some help from the desk clerk in the hotel that we were staying in. Vince, Steph and Chris stayed behind.

Please Adam, just be there.

As we pull up we see a woman I assume is a nun here looking at us with a look of nervousness as though she were thinking we were the police or the hospital.

Getting out, I looked at the building in front of me. It was a small church similar to the ones you’d see in New England without any fancy spires and other things churches in the States would have.

"May I help you?" she said in Italian.

"We’re looking for Adam Copeland." Leo responds in kind.

"And you are?"

Dwayne says something to Leo who responds. "This is his husband."

She adjusts her glasses. "Prove it."

Dwayne walks form the passenger side of the car to where she stood and hands her a photo from his wallet of he and Adam from their wedding day.

She looks up at him with a smile. "He’s inside," she says in English, handing the photo back to him.

Dwayne closes his eyes and runs in.

I stand there and watch as Shane put his arm around me.

"Matt?"

I look behind me at Leo. "What?"

"I think it’d be a good idea to wait until we get to the hotel before we tell him who I am."

"I think so too honey." Shane says to me.

"Okay." I agree, wanting nothing more than to hold Adam once again.

(Adam)

"Adam!"

I glance up and see a silhouette in the aisle leading to the alter.

"Adam!"

Dwayne?

I stood up quietly as to not tip off my location right off.

I watch as he walks closer to the alter where the light’s better and sure enough it was him. There was no mistaking that short-cropped black hair and that cinnamon colored skin of his. I walk out from the pew where I was hiding and stand in the middle of the aisle. "Dwayne?" I said softly but loud enough to make him spin around.

It seems as though he flew up the aisle and threw himself into my arms. I still couldn’t believe it was him until he kissed me. God I’ve missed him so much.

"Are you okay?" he sobbed out.

I nod, totally unable to speak myself.

"We’ve got Logan." He whispered. "He’s home with Mom."

"He’s home?" I almost felt dizzy. "Is he all right? He isn’t hurt?"

"He’s perfect honey. He’s just perfect. He’s fine. Cutting another tooth," -we laugh- "but he’s fine and he misses his father."

"I miss him too."

He pulled back to wipe his eyes. "Man I am so glad Shane’s driving."

"How is he?"

"Pretty good."

"He must miss Matt."

He looks at me in confusion. "What?"

"Hunter said-"

"Baby don’t you know by now Hunter’s full of shit."

"He said Matt’s dead. He showed me the photos of what he did to him and…" Please don’t let me lose it again. Don’t let me betray my real feelings in front of Dwayne. "There’s no way he could’ve survived. No way he could’ve lived through that."

"Go outside."

I look at him. "What?"

"Go outside. We got a surprise for you."

I try to speak when Dwayne takes me by the arm and gently leads me out of the church.

No.

I…I can’t believe it.

There’s no way in hell…

But we weren’t in hell anymore.

And there he was.

In all his dark glory with Shane’s arm around his shoulders.

My brother.

Not caring how Dwayne took it, I ran down the steps and literally threw myself at Matt, wrapping my arms around him and holding him so tight, Shane had to warn me about the stitches on his chest and back.

I pulled back and took his head in my hands. He was a little banged up still but the bruises were fading and those beautiful brown eyes of his shone with tears as well.

"My God…" I breathed trying to collect myself. "I thought…Hunter said…but…" damn I couldn’t get a cohesive thought out of my fucking head.

"It doesn’t matter." He whispers. "Let’s just get you to the hotel."

I nod and that’s when I see him. Some brown haired kid with a build similar to Matt’s and mine.

"Who the hell is that?"

Matt looks behind him. "He’s…a friend of mine. His name’s Leo duPres."

He waved but I could see tears in his eyes as well.

Eyes that looked familiar…

I shake my head. This was too much and I was reading into things that weren’t there.

"We better go before it gets too dark to drive." Shane says before giving me a hug. Damn I never thought I’d be happy to see this guy again.

I walk over to the nun. "Thank you."

She shrugs. "It’s part of the job. You go and get your little brother."

"Oh I will believe me."

"By the way, my son’s name was Adam too."

I try not to laugh. Instead I give her a hug and walk to the car, climbing in the back with Matt and Dwayne, Shane and "Leo" sat up front.

One nightmare over. Another to go.

30

Hunter stared out the window watching CJ and his associate wander around the beach thinking of what his next move was going to be.

It was obvious that now Adam was sure as hell going to come here and get CJ. The thought of capturing him, torturing him and making him scream the way he made Matt until death claimed him was still tempting, but risky, knowing if CJ ever found out he could lose him forever.

And he wasn’t risking that.

So that left another option.

Getting the fuck out while the getting was good.

He had no idea where he’d take CJ next but he’d make damn sure no one and he meant no one would ever find them.

Ever.

(Adam)

"NO!" I scream after having another nightmare about Hunter. I sit up and my body is sheened with a cold sweat making my hair stick to my neck and shoulders. I hold up my wrists and make sure I wasn’t back in that room again. The cuffs were gone, Leo having picked the locks to take them off but the bruises were still there, evidence of what I’d been through.

"Baby?"

I look to my left and see Dwayne open his eyes and sit up. "Baby you okay?"

"Yeah." I whisper looking around. "Where are we?"

"The hotel. You slept all the way here from the church and then we got to the room and you were out like a light." I felt his arm around me and I leaned into him. "You’re okay now."

"We still have to get CJ…"

"We’ll get him." he assures me. "We’ll get him."

Leaning against him, I savor the warmth of his body against mine, right down to the scent of his faded cologne. I nuzzle his neck, planting little kisses on it wanting to believe this was real and not one of the many fantasies I’d had to emotionally escape the hell Hunter had put me through.

Hearing the sigh of contentment from him, I move my lips from his neck to jaw then touching his face with my hand, I press my lips against his. He opens his to let my tongue slide in and we’re like that for a while before I slide my hand down his chest and stomach where I could feel his cock starting to stir. I graze my fingertips over it getting an appreciative moan for my effort.

God I want him. I want him so I could forget what Hunter has put me through, I want him so I can feel normal again and I want him so I can remind myself where my heart should be.

I nudge him to lean back and he pulls away. "What’s wrong?" I whisper.

"You sure you want to do this?" he asks me. "I mean after everything…"

I nod. "We’ve been apart for too damned long. I…damnit Dwayne I need you."

"I need you too," he pushes my hair back. "But I’m willing to wait-"

"I know and I love you for that but…if you don’t want me I’ll understand."

"I’ll always want you. Always." His kiss gives me the reassurance I need, I nudge him again and he complies, lying back and allowing me to top him, a position he’s told me enjoys more than anything. Our mouths seemed fused together as we continue kissing and without realizing it I feel my hands slide Dwayne’s hands over his head. He wraps his hands around the bars, moaning as I moved my lips from his to other parts of his body starting with his neck, my lips playing in that one spot behind his neck that makes him purr like a well oiled engine.

"I have missed you so fucking much," he moans. "God I thought I’d never-"

I place a finger over his lips. "Don’t speak. Just let me remember you."

He smiles before we kiss again briefly before I start on the left side of his neck.

I moan slightly as I feel him gyrate his hips against mine rubbing our budding erections together.

"So wonderful…"

The words are from Dwayne’s lips but for some reason I hear Hunter’s voice.

Shaking my head, I move my lips from his neck, kissing the hollow of his throat before working my way to his chest where I tease his dark nipples making him squirm from the sensation just the way Matt would…

I shake my head again. Damnit, I’m with my husband I should be thinking of him! Not Hunter and not Matt.

Calming down a bit more now, I slid my mouth away from his nipples and kiss his ‘six pack’ one at a time.

Hurt him…make him bleed…

Oh God not again!

I try to shake the voices from my head, especially as I inch lower, but they won’t leave me alone.

I climb back up on Dwayne so I can resume my assault on his neck and lips, afraid to go lower because of the voices and my impulses…

Make him scream…make him hurt…

"No," I whisper, not realizing I’d said it aloud.

"Adam?" I hear someone say. I think it’s Dwayne but I’m not sure.

Make him hurt…make him bleed…

I lift myself off Dwayne and hold my head in my hands, willing the damn voices out of my head.

Then if the voices weren’t bad enough then there were the images. Ones where I could see myself doing what the voices were saying. Ones where I could hear Dwayne screaming…

"Adam?"

I’ve got to get out of here…

"Baby, what is it? Want me to get Matt?"

Matt…

That does it.

I jump off the bed and run to the bathroom locking myself in, ignoring the concerned pleas from Dwayne asking me what was going on.

Curled up on the edge of the bathtub, I hug myself waiting out the impulses. As I’m sitting there I’m reminded of what Hunter had said to me during one of the many times he’d raped me that night and other nights before and after; "You’re more like me than you realize Adam. More like me than you realized."

And for so long I’ve denied it.

Now I wonder if he was right after all.

(Matt)

I sat in a chair in Vince’s suite watching Adam on the phone talking to Mick and Collette letting them know he was all right. I felt like tearing the room apart when I saw him arrive with Dwayne and saw that damned haunted look in his eyes.

The same one I’d grown too damn familiar with and hoped to never have seen again.

Leo walks over to where I sat and knelt down beside me. "Hunter’s done a hell of a number on him as well huh?"

"He’s done it for years." I try to restrain the anger in me. "After the trial, he did seem to relax a bit, but damnit…" I shook my head. "I’m going to kill Hunter one way or the other."

"I don’t blame you." He looks at me. "How are you feeling other than homicidal?"

"I’m okay."

"Stitches tightening up on you?"

I shook my head as I watch Adam laugh at something that was said on the other end of the phone, but it wasn’t the genuine laughter I’d grown accustomed to hearing and loving.

"You still love him?"

I looked at my younger brother, feeling embarrassed as hell. "No," I denied.

"Don’t lie to me Matt. I saw the two of you at the church when you hugged. That was no normal hug between brothers. That was the embrace of long separated lovers."

"Listen Chris," I lowered my voice hoping Adam didn’t hear my faux pas.

"Leo." He corrects.

"Leo. What Adam and I had is over we’re both married now and that’s how it should be."

"But you don’t want this do you?" he asks. "You want what the two of you had back."

Damn if he hadn’t gotten more observant. "In a perfect world maybe but not in this one. He loves Dwayne and I love Shane. End of topic."

He sighed. "So when do you think we should tell him about me?"

"Preferably after everything’s settled," I sigh. "But I guess the sooner the better."

"I can wait. I mean he’s not going to believe me at first and seeing how rattled he is right now I think it’s best if we didn’t make things worse."

"I know, but maybe yelling at you will take his mind off what Hunter did to him."

"Gee thanks a lot Matt. Now you know why I never liked you when I was little."

I laughed, remembering those times.

And wishing we had them back, sans Hunter.

After Adam got off the phone, I watched him say something to Dwayne before heading out the balcony. Without thinking of anything but needing to talk to him, I got up and followed him.

I watched him stand there and look over the city, his expression hard to read.

"Hey," I said walking toward him.

"Hey," he replies without looking at me.

I put about a foot between us as I stood next to him. "How’re you doing?"

"I’m okay." He looks at me. "That’s what I should be asking you. How…I mean Hunter showed me the pictures and then he showed me the footage of the house burnt to the ground."

I told him what Shane had told me about how they went to the house in Greenwich and found the papers listing the house as one of the properties and how Shane and Dwayne saved the kids and me.

"How many stitches?" he asked me.

"I don’t know, I lost count after one hundred and fifty."

"But to leave the hospital like that in your condition and with him." he points inside at Leo who was talking with Stephanie. "How the fuck do we know that he’s not working for Hunter?"

"He’s not."

"Are you that sure? Or are you that naive?"

"Adam." I reach out to touch him but he moves away from me, which stung.

He then heads inside. I follow.

"All right," he says to Leo. "Who the fucking hell are you and what the hell is your connection to all this?"

"Adam…" I take his arm but he shakes it off.

"Well who the fuck are you?"

I glance at Shane who looks like he’s about to snitch, but I shake my head figuring that Leo has to be the one to tell him.

"Well?"

Leo and I exchange looks.

"What the fuck is it?" He demands looking from one to the other before settling his glance at Leo again. "I hope you know you could’ve gotten Matt killed by taking him out of the hospital like that in his goddamned condition, not to mention if your boss Hunter had found out he was still alive."

"I don’t work for Hunter."

"Now why don’t I believe that?"

"Listen Adam," Dwayne entered the mix. "Honey why don’t you lie down?"

"Not until I find out what this little bitch’s angle is. Probably been on the phone to Hunter already."

"I told you I don’t work for Hunter." Leo said.

Adam whirled around on me. "And another thing how could you go off with him?"

"I wanted to find you and CJ."

"Addy…"

That froze Adam right in the middle of his tirade. He spun around and glared at Leo. "What did you just call me?"

"Addy."

‘Addy’ was Christian’s nickname for Adam.

"Who the hell are you?" Adam whispered.

"We wanted to wait until this mess was all cleared up before we told you." I moved around Adam to stand by Leo. "Adam," I put a hand on Leo’s shoulder. "This is Christian. Our Christian."

(Adam)

There’s no fucking way this…person in front of me could be Chris.

Christian, my little shadow.

"No," I shake my head. "No. This is some fucking joke Matt and it ain’t funny."

"It’s not a joke." Matt says to me. "He’s got proof."

"What proof?"

"His birth certificate…"

"Don’t you know shit like that could be faked?" God how gullible can Matt be?

"Ask me." The person in front of me challenged. "Ask me anything."

I got up in his face. "I don’t have to ask you anything. Besides, how do I know Hunter didn’t coach you about Matt and me?"

"Ask me only one thing Christian would know."

I was tempted to fall for it. "No. I’m not going to humor some sick little game of yours."

"How’re you going to know unless you ask?"

Good point.

"Listen," Dwayne reenters the mix again, "Adam’s been through enough for now. Why don’t we-?"

"Who’s older you or Jeff?"

He looks at me. "I am. By twenty minutes. The reason for the time difference was because they had to move Jeff because they were worried about his being a breech birth with him coming out back first."

"What problems did you have when you were born?"

"A blocked airway caused by a blood clot."

Oh he’s good. Hunter must’ve tutored him real well.

I folded my arms in front of me. "All right." I tried to think of something only Chris would know.

Then it hits me.

"What was your nickname for Matt before we went into the attic and it wasn’t ‘Matty’?"

He smiled. "EB2 for evil brother number two. Jeff called you EB1. That was our code so we would know when either of you were about to catch us doing something we weren’t supposed to."

My defenses crumble as I remember thinking it had been nothing but the sort of gibberish shared between twins. Hell not even Mom and Hunter knew what it meant. As I stare at him, I knew there was something familiar about him, having seen it when we were at the church.

His eyes, that unmistakable shade of hazel, a combination of the green from Hunter and the brown from Mom. Jeff’s was hazel as well but his took on more of Hunter’s green. The same eyes that were staring into mine, begging me to believe him.

I fold my arms in front of my chest but not in judgment but to make myself believe that what was happening was, now there was one last question I had to ask him

"Where the fucking hell have you been all these years?"

(Shane)

I watch as Adam, Matt and Leo sit down, along with Steph and Dwayne, as Leo explained what had happened to him in the years they had been separated to Adam.

It’s still there between them. Matt and Adam I mean. The same bond they’d shared before we got married. The one they’d had before when they were married. It may not have been too visible to anyone else but having watched them the way I had I could tell that on some deeper level that Matt was still in love with Adam and though I’d never say this to Dwayne, I’m sure Adam felt the same way toward Matt.

One of many things we’re going to have to discuss when this was over with.

"Shane?"

For once I’m glad for Vince’s distraction. "What?"

"I’m going to head back to Rome and go the Embassy."

"I don’t know what good it’ll do. By the time anyone there steps in, Hunter could have CJ stashed somewhere else farther away without ties to the States and make extradition even more difficult."

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

"Go after the asshole ourselves." I look at him.

"Shane…"

"Why the hell should we take the high road and let the system deal with him? We did that once and look what’s happened. Who’s to say we go through a trial and everything else again, reopening Matt and Adam’s wounds not to mention Dewey, Christina and Noelle’s and this time the asshole gets off? You know damn sight well he’s going to come after them again."

"I know you’re upset."

"He’s not the only one." Chris said joining us. "And I know damn sight well Steph and Dwayne feel the same way. I say we kill the sick fuck, and dump his body into the sea for shark food. Because I’ll be damned if I’m going to have my little girl have to testify against that twisted piece of shit. She’s had enough nightmares and when I called to check on her last night Linda said she had another one, this time about Hunter coming after her. God only knows what nightmares CJ’s going to have after this."

"So you’re suggesting we go after him vigilante style?"

"There’s eight of us and only one of him," I say. "I think that evens odds up pretty good."

"But you don’t know who he has working for him or even how many."

"I’ll take that chance if it means getting my son back." Chris said.

Vince sighs.

"Come on Vince." I say. "It’s not like you haven’t thought about doing the same thing. You want a piece of him as much as we do."

"You know I do. But we just can’t go charging in there like a lynch mob."

"Do you think Hunter had any qualms when he went after Adam and the kids like he did? Do you think he had any qualms when he did what he did to Matt? If he had no shame in the shit he’s done over the years and even recently, then why the hell should we have any?"

"Shane’s got a point." Chris said.

"Listen," I began. "If you want to go to the Embassy to cover our butts or more likely cover yours, then feel free but we’re going to do this our way."

Vince looked at me with that infamous evil grin of his. "I think I could cover more than our butts in this. Just make sure your sister stays at the hotel and out of the line of fire."

"Vince, this Steph we’re talking about. She’s not going to stay out of anything if it means getting her son back."

He sighs. "That’s true but make sure nothing happens to her okay?"

"I’ll make sure of that." Chris promised.

"So when are you planning this ‘raid’?" Vince asked.

I look at Chris.

"Tonight."

31

Bored with coloring, CJ left his room to look for Hunter and see if he was up for another game of checkers. Walking down the hall, he paused in front of Hunter’s room and knocked hoping Hunter wasn’t sleeping. Hearing no reply, he turned the knob and opened the door. "Dad?" he whispered loudly as he stepped inside. Seeing no one on the bed, he walked to the bathroom. "Dad?" He asked a little louder now. Seeing no sign of Hunter anywhere, he shrugged and started for the door when he saw the manila envelope on top of the drawer.

Curious, he picked it up and carried it over to Hunter’s bed where he sat and opened it up. Pulling out the contents, he saw there were at least five or six color photos of someone chained up in a room and their body slashed up.

As he looked through them with the morbid curiosity of a five year old, CJ began to notice that this wasn’t just some strange person that this was done to, because he recognized the long black hair and some of the facial features that were visible.

Staring at them, some of Adam’s hurtful words came back to him: "Ask him what he did to Matt! Have him show you the photos!"

CJ knew he didn’t have to ask Hunter because here was the proof.

Now the main question here was, why?

Why did he do this to Matt and was the rest of what Adam said true?

(Matt)

"You’ve got to be fucking kidding?" I ask after Adam told me what the nun had told him about Hunter possibly not being Pat’s son.

"She swears it’s the truth as she heard it."

We were all, including Vince who changed his mind to stay and help, all sitting around the suite’s dining room table eating a late lunch.

"It’s true." Leo spoke up before spooning some pasta into his mouth.

We all looked at him. "How do you know?" Stephanie asked.

He swallowed his food before speaking. "Vanessa’s mom knew Lillian during that time. She always went on and about how Lillian would always go around stealing other women’s men and then dumping them once she got what she wanted which was sex."

"Any clue as to who Hunter’s father is?"

Leo thought for a second. "Well according to Mildred, that’s Vanessa’s mother, it could be one of two people; either some no-named titled count from some obscure region in Germany or it could’ve been who some would say was the greatest love of her life."

"Who was he?"

"He wasn’t anyone famous. Just some waiter who wanted to be an artist. Rumor has it some of the portraits he painted of her are still around somewhere." Leo grabbed another piece of bread. "Anyways, to hear Mildred tell it, Lillian was head over heels for the guy but her parents disapproved of their relationship which got complicated when word got out she got knocked up. Mildred said there was never such flurry of betting as to who the father was as when that news got out. In fact some wives in that circle had divorce papers drawn up in case Lillian’s baby turned out to be their husbands’."

I had to laugh.

"So how did they find out who the father was?" Dwayne asked.

"They never did. While she was expecting her parents tried to marry her off to some Earl in England, to make it more respectable, but she went and turned around and snagged Pat to really piss her family off, but seeing how she was the darling of her father’s eye, he could never bring himself to cut her off which was what her mother wanted him to do so instead he set up an enormous trust fund, bought her that monstrosity we were kept in and gave her a newspaper to run so she wouldn’t get bored."

Dwayne and Shane looked at Adam and me. "Damn," Dwayne said. "You two sure have a colorful history don’t you?"

"One I’d like to forget." Adam said.

"So what about this thing with Hunter and Lillian?" Chris asked. "What did Mildred have to say about that?"

"Mildred doesn’t have anything to say about that. Vanessa did though. She met Hunter while they were in prep school, even dated for a while and she told me about one time how she went to the house and how Lillian was staring daggers at her the entire time and how touchy feely Lillian was with Hunter."

"Enough." Adam spoke. "I don’t think my stomach can take anymore about those two."

I look at Adam with some concern.

"What I don’t get is how she didn’t know who you were when you wound up with her."

"Because I didn’t have any identification on me and since my ‘death’ didn’t make the papers there was no way she could’ve known who I was. The only thing she knew about me was my first name, which she thought was cute but not the sort her crowd would’ve respected."

"Bullshit." I say. "Mom chose that name for a reason."

"I know."

"Why’d she choose that name?" Shane asked.

"It was our great-grandfather’s name. On grandma Laurer’s side." I explained.

"Love to know where she got Cage from." Leo cracked.

"It was just some name she’d heard one of the other mothers give their son and she liked the way it sounded with Christian." Adam explained.

"Then you’re going to love how they came up with your name." Leo said to Adam.

"Oh this ought to be nauseating." Shane cracked.

"Remember you mentioned the nun telling you about her son?"

"Yeah his name was Adam."

"And he went to boarding school with Hunter."

Adam nodded.

"Well I hate to be the one to tell you bro, but according to Vanessa in a letter Hunter wrote her, Hunter named you after his first boyfriend. According to her, he was the only person Hunter ever loved."

Adam tossed his napkin before getting off the chair and excusing himself. Watching him leave, I wanted to get up and follow him, but Shane’s hand on mine stopped me. That and Dwayne excusing himself kept me in my seat.

"Maybe it was something I said?"

I look at Leo. "No, you think?"

(Adam)

Christ, I can’t deal with this anymore.

I close the door to mine and Dwayne’s room but I don’t hear it click shut.

This just gets sicker and sicker. First there was having to listen to Hunter give me practically the blow by blow of his ‘upbringing’ and now I find out I’m named after who was probably his first victim.

Where’s a sharp razor blade when you need one…

"Babe."

I turn around and see Dwayne standing in the doorway holding the door in his hand. "Hi." Get it together Copeland.

He walks in and closes the door behind him. "Looks like Christian grew up to be a real brat."

I laugh. "It’s not him."

"Wanna talk?"

"Yes and no."

"Let me guess, you want to talk but only to Matt."

He caught me.

"Can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"Are you still in love with him?"

"No," I lie quickly.

"Adam…I’m grown I can take an honest answer."

"I…" Damn I can’t tell him.

"I know. I could tell when you saw him at the church."

"I’m sorry."

"Don’t be."

"You know what makes this so damn hard is I love you and our son but it’s just…I’m scared." I whisper.

"Of what?"

"You know what. The one thing I was afraid of when you wanted us to have Logan."

"Yeah but baby you’re nothing like Hunter."

"Oh no?" I sat at the foot of the bed. "You know why I freaked out this morning? It wasn’t anything you did. Believe me it wasn’t you. It was just that I was afraid of hurting you. Of doing to you what he’s done to me and then…" I look up at him and he’s got that look, the one he has when he’s about to rip someone a new one.

"What did he do?"

"Dwayne please. I don’t want to talk about it." I hang my head not wanting to think about him raping me over and over.

"I-I’m sorry honey." I felt the bed shift under his weight and his arm slide around me. "Listen, I know you might not think this’ll do any good in my saying this but you are nothing like him. You’re so much better than he is."

"I wonder."

"Adam," he takes my chin and makes me look at him. "There’s nothing to wonder about. You’re nothing like him at all."

"While we were at the first house there, he kept asking me if I ever wanted to hurt Matt." I look away from him, not noticing the look of confusion on his face. "If I’ve ever wanted to do to Matt what he did to me. To make him scream, make him bleed, hurt him…" I shake my head before pushing my hair out of my face. "And you know what the frightening part was? I could see myself doing that. I could see myself doing that to Matt and this morning I could see myself doing that to you and-" I drew a shaky breath. "What if someday I do that to Logan? What if he does something and-" God I felt sick at the thought.

"Adam look at me. Look at me!"

I do.

"You’re nothing like him. Nothing! Okay? And don’t give me that ‘what if I am?’ because you’re not."

"You don’t know."

"I do know. You know what something like that does to a person and I know you love Logan too much to ever hurt him in any way. Hell you don’t even like smacking his hand when he reaches for your coffee, though I think he’s going to a coffee hound like you are."

I give a weak laugh.

"Baby," he says softly. "I know it’s hard right now but we’ve got to stay focused on getting CJ away from Hunter. When this is all over I’ll get you in to see Jessica again and you’ll get better again."

"I don’t know if that’s possible now."

"It is. It will be."

"I want you to promise me something. I know you don’t want to hear this but I need you to promise me."

"Okay. What?"

I swallow through the lump in my throat. "If I ever, ever, start to show signs of being like Hunter, you take Logan and you get as far from me as possible. Divorce me, take custody of Logan, do what you have to. Just don’t let me hurt either of you."

"Adam…"

"Promise me! Please."

I could see he was having a hard time keeping it together. "Okay. I promise." He says as he wraps his arms around me holding me to him. "Though God knows it’d be so hard to let you go."

"I know."

"I’m going to kill him for doing this to you." he said his voice low and dangerous.

Not if I get to him first.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Hunter looked at his associate as he strode around the room getting his clothes out of drawers and the closet. "Listen, you know damn sight well that Adam’s on his way here to get CJ. Now what a nice surprise it’ll be when he gets here and no one’s home."

"But moving CJ around like this-"

"You’re not his mother so don’t dictate to me how to raise my son. Besides, traveling’s good for a kid CJ’s age. He soaks up more culture this way."

"I don’t know Hunter…"

"I don’t pay you to know anything. Just do as you’re told and get yourself packed and help CJ with his." Hunter walked to the dresser and paused. "Where’s the envelope?"

"Hmmm?"

"The envelope. The one with the photos of Matt. Where is it?"

"How do I know?"

Hunter looked behind the drawer. "It’s not there." He went through the drawers again. "Damn where the hell is it?"

"Planning on bringing it with you?"

"No I was going to burn it. Shit." He said running his hand over his hair. He walked over to his suitcase, thinking he might’ve put in there. When he didn’t find it, his frustration grew. "Damnit where the hell could it be?"

"I don’t mean to alarm you, but I thought I heard CJ wandering the halls earlier."

"So? He’s allowed to."

"Well, it’s possible that he might’ve come in here and found the envelope."

"He knows better than to come in here when I’m not in here."

"He might not have known that you weren’t here."

Hunter sighed in irritation. "Finish packing my stuff. I’ll be back."

When Hunter left, his associate pulled out a phone. "It’s me," she said into it. "Yeah, he’s getting himself and CJ packed. Hmmm? Oh good. Because if he hadn’t escaped, I would’ve broke him out. No CJ’s fine. I’ll try to stall as long as I can but he’s determined to leave tonight. History repeating itself I’m sure. Well I’d better go. No, thank you Mr. McMahon."

She closed the phone wondering how she was going to stall Hunter long enough for them to come get CJ.

(Matt)

I watched Vince close his phone as we gathered in his suite to discuss strategy.

Leo entered the room after getting Dwayne and Adam, who looked worn out.

"Okay then." Vince sat down. "How are we doing this?"

I only half listen to the discussion going on, my eyes barely leaving Adam, who didn’t speak much. When he glanced my way I gave him a reassuring smile, which he returned weakly.

"Unh-unh," Stephanie’s voice disrupts my thoughts. "I’m not waiting here for you guys. I’m going to get my son whether you like it or not."

"Stephanie please…"

I tune out this round of argument to look over at Adam again. God what I wouldn’t give to go over there and reassure him like I used to.

Our eyes met again. "How are you doing?" I mouth.

He shakes his head. "Not good." He replies.

I was about to say, "I love you," when Shane caught my attention.

"Listen, I’m sure we can work out a compromise." He said. "Maybe Steph can wait in the car with the gun while we go inside."

They continued bickering.

This time I caught Adam looking at me. "How are you?" he mouthed.

"Better."

A ghost of a smile played on his lips. Lips I wanted to kiss more than anything.

"I’m glad." He returned.

I smiled.

"Okay it’s settled then." Vince said forcing my attention to the business at hand. "We’d better get going."

"Wait a minute daddy," Steph says. "It’s not dark enough yet."

"I know but seeing how word must’ve gotten back to Hunter about Adam’s escaping the hospital, Hunter might be trying to make another run for it with CJ in tow and if we don’t get going now, he just might make it."

Everyone except Shane and I get up to get ready. I start to but Shane takes my arm. "Matt, can we talk for a minute?"

I sit back down. "What is it?"

"I want you to answer a question for me and I want an honest answer."

"Sure."

"I was watching the two of you earlier and I need to know. Are you still in love with Adam?"

First Leo, now Shane?

Have I been that obvious?

I must’ve been if he’s bringing it up now.

"Well?"

"Do we have to get into this now?"

"Yeah. Just answer me."

Well he wanted to know… "Yes."

He looked at me like I’d slapped him. "I thought so."

"Shane…"

"I should’ve known."

"Shane please. I know it sounds like I don’t love you but I do."

"Do you?"

"You know I do."

"I don’t know anything anymore Matt. Especially when it comes to you."

"Listen Shane…" I sigh not knowing what to say next.

"What? What were going to say?"

"I was going to say, I’d always have feelings for Adam. That’s not going to change, but I chose you to marry. I chose you to be with."

"Don’t you mean ‘ as a second choice’ since Adam was off with Dwayne? You figured ‘what the hell? Adam’s found someone new, why don’t I just humor Shane and his ‘feelings’ for me’?"

"That’s not it at all. That’s never been it."

"You know what the sad thing about this is? I’m used to coming in second to other people’s lives and emotions. I know Vince will never hold me in the same esteem he holds Stephanie. Second born, second best right? And when I was with those other guys, I was always their second choice when it came to being their fuck buddy. I just never thought I’d have to come in second to my husband’s feelings for his brother." He stood up and walked out of the room.

"Shane."

Too late.

I rest my head in my hands, wondering how much worse can things get now.

"CJ!" Hunter shouted as he stalked towards his youngest son’s room. "CJ, we have to get going. Are you ready yet?"

He opened the door to find CJ sitting on the edge of his bed…

With the envelope in his hands.

"Where did you get that?" he asked.

He watched as CJ turned to look at him, his eyes filled with hate. "Adam was telling the truth wasn’t he? You did kill Matt."

Stay calm Helmsley, Hunter told himself as he entered the room. "Give me the envelope CJ."

"You killed Dewey, Noelle and Tina too didn’t you?"

"Just give me the envelope CJ."

"Adam wasn’t lying, he was telling me the truth. That’s why you had him sent away."

"I had him sent away because I was afraid he would hurt you."

"Like you hurt him? Like what you were doing that night I saw you?"

"CJ, give me the envelope and start packing."

"No." CJ shook his head. "I don’t want to go. I wanna go home."

"We will be going home."

"I mean with mommy."

"You mean to say you want to go back home to a woman who didn’t want you?"

"At least she didn’t kill Matt."

Hunter sighed, trying to keep his composure but was losing. "CJ, just give me the fucking envelope."

CJ hugged the envelope tighter. "No."

"CJ…don’t make me angry. Now give me the fucking envelope!"

"Adam was right."

"You have no idea how right he was." Hunter snarled finally having enough. "And if you don’t want to find out how right he was, give me the envelope."

"Where’s Tina?"

"Dead."

CJ’s eyes grew wide. "No…"

"You want the truth? Fine I’ll give it to you." Hunter moved in front of CJ and grabbed his arms. "Yes I killed Matt as well as your little friends and Tina. Why? Because Matt got me into trouble and your little friends and sister was the best way I could get back at your mother and Mick and Collette."

"What about Logan?"

"You’ll never see him again."

"Is he dead too?"

"Unfortunately no. But he’s got himself a nice little home with a new family."

"But Dwayne and Adam were his family."

"Come on CJ do you honestly believe a couple of fags like them should raise a child?"

"Don’t call them that."

"Besides, I don’t see why you’re so upset over Tina dying, hell you probably wished for her death the second mommy told you she was going to have her because it would mean you have to play second best to that slut’s child."

"Mommy’s not a slut!"

"You sure about that? I am. I should know I was married to her."

"I’m glad she’s not married to you anymore!"

Hunter shook CJ hard. "Don’t you ever yell in my face like that! Ever!"

CJ was silenced instantly.

"Now you give me the envelope and you get your little ass packed."

"I said I’m not going!"

"Oh yes you are."

"No I’m not." CJ challenged back.

Hunter narrowed his eyes. "Fine." He snatched the envelope out of CJ’s arms before letting him go. "You want to stay here? Fine. Let’s see how you like living here all by yourself, locked in this room. You see CJ, Adam was right about a lot of things. I did lock him and Matt and their little brothers in an attic for almost five years. But see this time there’s going to be a difference. See with them they had someone to bring them their meals and everything. This time you’re going to be all alone with no one here to take care of you."

"I can take care of myself."

Hunter smirked. "Not when you’re locked in here you won’t." he turned on his heel and stalked off toward the door but paused by the door. "You know I’m really disappointed in you CJ. Here I thought you and I could actually have something resembling a normal father and son relationship, but I see you’re just like Adam at your age. A whiny little brat who had to be taught a lesson and for your information, that’s what I was doing to Adam when you saw us. Teaching him a lesson. So have a nice life CJ. Short as it may be."

CJ was frozen to where he sat until he heard the door close and the tumblers click when the reality of what Hunter said had sunk in. "NO!" he screamed jumping off the bed and ran for the door. "No! Dad no! I’ll be good I promise! Don’t leave me here alone! I’ll go with you! Please!"

Outside the door Hunter heard the pleas but turned a deaf ear to them the same as he had his other children. He walked down the hall and paused when he saw his associate on her cell phone to someone. Slowing his steps, he listened in on the one sided conversation.

"You’ve got to get here quick Mr. McMahon. No I don’t know what Hunter’s doing to him but you’ve got to get here before he takes CJ out of here. Okay just get here as soon as you can."

Hunter watched her shut the phone before turning around the fear on her face.

"You bitch." He hissed. "How long have you been working for McMahon?"

No response, not even after a hard right backhand sending her to the floor.

"How long have you been stabbing me in the back bitch?" Hunter roared.

"Since the fire." She said. "Let’s just say he pays better."

"Did you tip him off as to where we are?"

"That was your ex’s doing." She tried to get up but Hunter kicked her hard in the face.

"You’ve seen what I’ve done to my own son and my own brother and still you stab me in the back?"

"You’f loth your mind." She said, lisping through the front teeth Hunter kicked out.

"My dear, I’m surprised it’s taken you so long to notice." Another kick, this time knocking her out.

He scooted the cell phone out of her reach before he stomped on it smashing it to bits. "Have a nice nap bitch. It’s going to be your last." He said before giving her head the same treatment until he began panting heavily from the exertion.

Looking down at his right boot, he saw the blood and other bits on it. Taking the handkerchief he had in his pocket he wiped the boot off and dropped it on the floor next to her.

"Now to finish packing."

32

(Shane)

Amazing how many people you can fit into a rental mini-van when you know how.

Up front were Dwayne who was driving, Vince in the middle, and Steph to give directions to the house. Next there was Chris at the driver’s side behind Dwayne, then Adam, Leo and Matt, then in the last row I sat alone.

We had planned on getting an SUV but knowing we’d need room not only for the eight of us but for CJ as well, we settled on the van we were driving, no one wanting to stay behind.

As we tear down the motorway I keep sneaking looks at Matt, who’s staring out the window.

I know what you’re thinking – the spoiled brat strikes again. But it’s not like that. What I said was true, I’ve always either felt like or had been second best in everything and I guess knowing I was second best in Matt’s heart was just the last straw for me. Maybe after this is settled and we get on with our lives, we could sit down with Adam and Dwayne and figure out what the hell we’re going to do. As much as I love Matt, if being with Adam is what he wants then I guess I’ll have to let go, but with Dwayne and Adam though…they have a child together and I know Adam loves Logan more than anything and if it came down to a choice between his brother and his son-

"Take a left here."

Steph’s voice distracts me as I watch Dwayne make a left turn onto a dirt road off the motorway.

"How much farther Steph?" Vince asks.

"Not much. Maybe another five to ten miles and another turn. I remember when we drove here there were two olive trees you had to drive between to get to the road leading to the house."

"Man, Hunter wanted to make sure you’d never get found." Leo chimes in.

"It’s not just that Leo," my sister said. "We just wanted a place to get away from the business and all that." She sighs. "You know, the house was where I conceived CJ. When I found out I was pregnant for him I looked back on my calendar and sure enough, he was conceived the last time Hunter and I were here. God it seems so long ago that we were celebrating his fifth birthday. I hope we can celebrate even more." She said softly.

"We will babe." Chris reached over to touch my sister’s shoulder. "We’ll be celebrating his birthdays, graduation, wedding, grandchildren…"

My sister laughed. "Whoa there Jerky, let’s not get ahead of ourselves now. Let him finish first grade first."

That brought a spate of giggles from everyone except Matt, who managed a weak smile before looking out the window.

"There!" Steph said after a few minutes had passed. "There are the trees."

Approaching the two olive trees, we held our breaths.

Here we go.

Showtime.

The sound of gravel crunching caught Hunter’s ears.

He’d just closed his suitcase when he’d heard it. Walking to the window, he opened the curtain just a little in time to see what looked like a mini van creep onto the property.

His lips twisted into an evil smirk. He knew they were coming and was prepared for them.

"You want to play?" he whispered reaching for the gun in his belt.

"Let’s play."

33

(Matt)

We parked far enough down the road so we couldn’t be seen though for a second I thought I saw a curtain move.

"Hold on a minute Steph."

I turn to see Vince grasp Stephanie’s arm.

"Daddy, I have to get my son."

"I know you do sweetheart but you don’t know what might be going on in there."

"I don’t care!" she shook her arm loose and headed for the house.

"Steph!" Chris went after her.

"Damn!"

I listen as Adam whispers something to Dwayne and Leo, pointing to somewhere behind the house. Dwayne nods and gets his gun out leading them to where Adam pointed.

That leaves me, Vince and Shane outside.

Shane looks at me. "Ready to go?"

I look at the house and thoughts of Hunter’s blood on my hands come to me.

"Let’s go."

Hunter waited as patiently as anyone with his name would while awaiting his prey, ready to take whoever came through the door first.

Hearing the door handle turn and click, he moved the safety off his gun and held his breath as he heard the clicking of heels on the floor.

There was only one person he could think of who sounded like that when they entered a room.

Stephanie.

"CJ!" he heard his ex-wife shout. "CJ honey are you here?"

"Steph…"

Damn. Jericho.

From the door he was hidden behind he watched as they entered the main foyer.

"Steph come on get back in the car."

"Not until I get my son. CJ!"

Stealthily Hunter snuck up behind Chris and cocking the gun back, struck him on the back of the head, sending Chris slumping to the ground with a grunt which caused Stephanie to spin around, freezing when she saw Hunter standing there.

"Hello Princess," he said. "Long time no see."

(Adam)

"Sure you want to do this?" Dwayne asks me as we wait for Leo to unlock the storm door in the basement to let us in.

When we arrived in the back, we found that the kitchen door had been locked shut and seeing how it was a solid wood door and not glass we resorted to breaking the window to the cellar and seeing how Leo was the smallest of us he volunteered to side through the window and head into the basement to unlock the storm doors which were locked from within.

"Yeah," I said though I wasn’t sure I wanted to be around Hunter again, but I knew I had to get CJ away from him and finish this shit between Hunter, Matt and me once and for all.

The low creaking of unoiled hinges caught my attention as Leo opened one of the doors. "Come on," he said. "I don’t know what’s going on inside, but it sounds like a body hitting the floor."

Dwayne and I hurried and followed Leo to the stairwell.

"Where’s my son?" Stephanie demanded as she glanced down at Chris’s unconscious form hoping to see some form of life from her husband.

"Your son?" Hunter asked creeping up to her. "You know Stephanie the one thing that made me sick of you during our marriage was how everything had to be all about you. Your family’s company, your career, your baby, your son. You, you, you. You know it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if Christina wound up as spoiled as you are."

"You leave my daughter alone."

"See there it is again. You, you, you. Well you know what princess? I’m sick of you turning my son into a sniveling, whiny brat. Once I get done killing you and everyone else you brought with you, I’m taking my son and I’m raising him the right way."

"You mean like how Pat and Lillian raised you, you sick fuck!"

A vicious left hand sent her flying to the floor. "Don’t you ever mention their names to me again you little whore!"

As she backed away, she noticed Chris stirring a bit but hoped Hunter didn’t notice as well. "What’s wrong Paul, don’t like to be reminded of how much your mother loved you?"

She screamed as Hunter grabbed and pulled her up by her hair. "I said shut up!"

She tried to elbow him, but he kept dodging he blows by holding her at arms length, his hand still in her hair.

"Well come on Princess show me your stuff!" Hunter taunted as she swung at him. "Let’s see the mother lion come out!"

"You bastard!" she screamed.

"You’re pathetic," Hunter snarled. "Why I married a little bitch like you I’ll never know."

"Well it sure as hell wasn’t because I reminded you of your mother!"

Hunter cocked the hand with the gun back intending to hit her in the face with the handle when he felt something jerk his leg off balance sending him falling to the floor and firing a shot, which hit the window.

"Run Steph!" Chris shouted.

Stephanie bolted for the stairwell.

Hunter recovered and blasted Chris in the face with his free foot, over and over again until Chris let go by passing out a bloody mess. Hunter then stood up and aimed the gun at Chris.

"One down."

(Matt)

Hearing the second shot sent me, Vince and Shane racing to the house.

"Stephanie!" Vince shouted.

We froze when we saw Chris lying on the floor a pool of blood slowly spreading around him. "Jesus, Chris!" Shane shouted as Adam, Dwayne and Leo entered the room.

"Oh shit," Dwayne breathed.

"Where are Hunter and Stephanie?"

"I don’t know."

Taking me totally by surprise, Adam grabbed the gun out of Dwayne’s hand.

"Adam what are you doing?"

"Finishing what that fuck started." He headed for the stairs.

"Adam give me the gun. You don’t know how to fire one of those." Dwayne pleaded.

"Then I’ll learn real fast won’t I?"

"Adam…"

"Listen, Dwayne, this is between Hunter, Matt and me."

"And me." Leo said.

I watched Adam look at Leo. "No kid not now. Not just when we’ve got you back."

"Listen that sick fuck tried to incinerate me and I’ve waited too goddamned long to nail the fucker for what he’s done. Besides Dwayne’s right, you don’t know how to shoot a Glock." Leo took the gun out of Adam’s hand. "But I do."

Leo looks at Adam and me. "Let’s go." He says.

"Matt be careful," I hear Shane say but I hear nothing over the roaring in my ears.

"CJ!"

CJ opened his eyes, having cried himself to sleep after Hunter locked him in his room.

"CJ! Where are you?"

The voice was familiar…

"CJ it’s mommy where are you?"

Mommy! He sat up on the bed. She did come for me!

"Mommy!" CJ shouted pounding on the door. "Mommy!"

Outside the door in the hallway Stephanie heard her son’s shouting and raced to the door. "CJ! Honey are you all right!" she tried the door but it wouldn’t open.

"I’m locked in mommy!"

"Which way does the door open? In or out?"

"In."

"CJ move away from the door okay?" Stephanie reached into her pant cuff and withdrew a small handgun she tucked in her boot just in case. "Are you away from the door?"

"Uh-huh."

"Don’t be scared now. Mommy’s going to shoot the lock so get away from the door!"

CJ scurried into the closet thinking that was as safe a place as any.

Raising the gun, Stephanie aimed it at the lock and fired three times until the door opened on its own. She entered the room, setting her gun on the bed. "CJ!"

She whirled around when she heard the closet door open.

"Mommy!"

She started crying when CJ flung himself into her arms. "Oh my baby," she got out.

"Mommy I’m sorry."

"Shhh…" she soothed. "Let’s just get out before Hunter-"

Too late.

As she turned to leave the room, there was Hunter standing there with the gun pointed right at her and CJ.

"And where do you think you’re going with my son, whore?"

(Adam)

The three of us – myself, Matt and Leo bolted up the stairs when we heard the shots and stalked through the hallways looking for CJ’s room.

Right now I’m glad Leo has the gun because my whole body is shaking so badly I don’t think I could aim properly.

"Which way to CJ’s room?" Leo whispered.

"This way," I said, gesturing to a hall to the right.

We make our way down the hall where we see Stephanie come out of CJ’s room with CJ in her arms.

"Steph you okay?" I ask.

"She’s fine."

We watch as Hunter follows, the gun against her back. He turns to look at us. "But you won’t-"

I watch as his eyes practically jump out of his head as he sees Matt next to me. "I thought you were dead."

"You wish," Matt says, spewing as much venom as he could into those two words.

He jerks his head and sees Leo. "Who the fuck are you?"

"Oh come now father." He moves in front of us. "Surely you couldn’t have forgotten about quiet little me after all these years? But then again, I’m sure when you saw what you thought was my body go in to that crematorium furnace you thought all your hard work paid off."

Christ Hunter just went white.

"Christian?"

"The one in the same you son of a bitch." He said. "Let me give you a tip, if you live long enough to make the same mistake, when you try to burn someone, make sure they still don’t have a pulse detectable by a crematorium worker."

Hunter shook his head. "No, I saw you, you burned!"

"That was just a replacement. The worker felt my pulse and hid me in the closet of the prepping room until you and Pat left which was when they took me to the hospital where I recovered quite nicely as you can tell and you know the irony of this is? Your old girlfriend Vanessa adopted me. You remember her don’t you? She was the one Lillian was so jealous of."

"Don’t mention her name."

"Whose? Vanessa or Lillian?"

He stuck the gun into Stephanie’s back. "I’ll blow a hole right through them."

Leo raised his gun. "Not before I blow one right through your head. Something I’ve been dying to do since Jeff died."

Hunter chuckled. "You don’t know how to shoot a gun."

Leo cocked the hammer back. "Try me, Dad."

With a quick movement, he shoved Stephanie to one side but grabbed CJ and used him as a shield.

Damn him.

"Now you wouldn’t shoot your little brother now would you Chris?"

For the first time since this Mexican standoff began, I looked over Hunter’s shoulder and saw the French doors behind him and thought of a plan. One good spear…

"Put the gun down Chris." I order gently, taking his wrist.

"Adam what the fuck are you doing?" I hear Matt ask me.

"He’s being smart for the first time in his pathetic life." Hunter said. "He doesn’t want me dead do you Adam? No of course not. You enjoyed our little games too much."

If my stomach weren’t on the verge already I would’ve thrown up.

"Go on tell them. Tell everyone how I made you spread your legs like the whore you are. I’ll admit you gave me quite a fight at first but you loved it."

"Like you did with Pat?" I lower Chris’s arm so I could move in front of him. "Or maybe your old friend Adam was the one who taught you your tricks. Oh yeah. I know all about him, even right down to how you named me after him." I take a few tentative steps toward him, knowing this could be suicide. "Tell me Hunter were you thinking of him while you raped me the same way you’ve accused me of thinking about Matt?"

"You don’t know anything about that."

"I know Pat wasn’t your father. At least biologically. Old Lillian got herself knocked up and needed a daddy and Pat fit the bill. Thing was you reminded her of her great love, that’s why she took you to bed with her, figuring if she couldn’t have her starving artist or her no-name German count, she’d have the son they helped her create."

"Shut up," he started backing away.

Good, now if I could get him to let go of CJ…

(Matt)

What the fuck is Adam thinking?

I’m so damn tense right now my stitches are about to pop.

I glance at Leo who has the gun at his side, still cocked and ready to go in case…

"And now you’re looking to do the same to CJ aren’t you? That’s why you had me locked away. So I couldn’t tell him what a sick freak you really are. But he must’ve found out by now."

"He hurt Matt." CJ said in a small voice.

"Yeah he did." Adam continued. "He hurt every single one of us but it ends here Hunter. This sick game ends right here, right now."

"And what do think you’re going to do?" Hunter said. "Admit it Adam, you’re more like me than you think. I got my rocks off fucking the old lady and you got yours fucking Matt. I thought I could have a normal life with your whore of a mother and you think you could have one with Dwayne. And it’s only a matter of time before you catch up to me as far as other things go. You let me fuck you and eventually, you’re going to do the same thing to Logan."

I could see Adam physically shaking in anger.

"Like father like son right Adam?" he looks at me. "And you, you’re just like your mother. Nothing but a fucking whore. You screw Sanders behind Shane’s back, you fucked Shane behind Adam’s and I just bet you had some big fun with Christian didn’t you?"

"Let CJ go." I finally speak.

"Is that the best you can come up with? After all the smart remarks and everything you’ve given me before?"

"Give it up Hunter. We outnumber you practically eight to one."

"Not as long as I have CJ."

As if on cue, CJ opened his mouth and bit down hard on Hunter’s wrist. He flung CJ to one side and that’s when Adam and I charge him…

And that’s when his gun goes off…

(Shane)

Vince, Dwayne and I managed to get Chris to the van when a shot and the sound of glass shattering caught our attention. We all looked to see two shadowed figures fall through the air to the rocks that must’ve been below.

Leaving Chris, who only suffered a wound to the shoulder, with Vince who was on the phone to the authorities, Dwayne and I ran like hell to the house, praying that one of those figures wasn’t Adam or Matt.

Entering the house, we tore upstairs where we found Leo with Stephanie, who was holding CJ, and a body on the floor. After assuring us they were fine, Dwayne and I made our way down the hall where we look out and see Hunter’s body on the rocks though we couldn’t see who was with him. I then turn my attention to the body on the floor, turning him over.

Oh dear God, I pray as I check for a pulse.

Please don’t let him be dead…

Please…

Epilogue

"And I won’t cry for yesterday, there’s an ordinary world, somehow I have to find.

And as I make my way through the ordinary world, I will learn to survive"

"Ordinary World" – Duran Duran

Six days later…

(Leo/Christian)

I hate hospitals, especially since waking up in one so long ago, but I’m here mostly as a liaison between everyone and the doctors because I’m the only one here who can speak Italian fluently.

It’s all still not real to me. I’ve got one brother in the intensive care unit and I’ve lost my other brother when he charged Hunter, throwing the both of them through the French doors leading to the rocks below since there was no real balcony behind them.

I’ve managed to gave my editor the exclusive of everything that’s happened and now he wants to promote me to feature writer.

I’m still thinking about it.

I look around the waiting room, which has sort of become our second home when we’re not at the hotel. For the past six days we’ve sat here waiting to find out if my brother is going to wake up and how we’re going to tell him about my other brother.

At least we could tell him he never has to worry about Hunter ever again, his death instantaneous when he hit the jagged rocks below. I remember going with Stephanie to the morgue when the authorities asked her to identify the body. While no one but me was looking I saw her take her broach off and jab Hunter with it to – in her words – ‘make sure he was really dead’. She had his body flown back to Connecticut and buried in the mausoleum that his mother and Pat were buried in.

I see my brothers’ husbands; one waiting to find about his and the other one too numb with grief to really do anything but be here.

We called Mick and Collette with the news and you could just feel the grief through the phone as we had to tell them that one of the children they raised and loved as their own was gone and it looks like the other one might go the same way, if he didn’t wake soon.

I didn’t know who they were but after hearing about them, I am grateful my brothers found parents like Mick and Collette to love them after everything they’ve been through. After everything we’ve been through.

I watch the doctor approach us. Slipping into my liaison role he tells one of my brothers in law that their husband is awake. He asks me if I could go with them and help cushion the blow that this news was going to cause. I follow and enter the room.

My brother is awake and smiles as we enter. Nothing big, but just enough to see that he’s glad we’re here but he sees the look on his husband’s face and knows something’s wrong. After many catches and broken sentences, my brother in law tells him.

He doesn’t want to and won’t believe him until my brother in law tells him it’s true. He even looks to me for confirmation, which I give sadly. I tell you nothing hurts more than the pain that goes through my brother’s face as he realizes that the brother/lover/husband he’d loved for so long was gone and never coming back.

I excuse myself, unable to take the grief in the room right then.

"The times when we would play about, the way we used to scream and shout
we never dreamt you'd go your own sweet way"

"Goodbye" – Spice Girls

Three months later…

It’s weird standing in a cemetery and seeing your name on a tombstone.

My brother tells me that there were three; mine, mom’s and Jeff’s…

Now add one more.

I look around at the people surrounding me; my mother’s parents, Dwayne, Mick and Collette who I’ve finally had the pleasure to meet, along with the McMahons and the various children with them; Dewey, Noelle, my little nephew Logan…

So many people I’ve never known but who have taken me to their hearts like no others.

Stephanie, CJ and Christina are home still taking care of a recuperating Chris, the bullet doing more damage to his shoulder than they thought but they predict a comeback to the ring will happen shortly. CJ has nightmares about the night Hunter died, but he’s working through them.

Adam- having survived his gunshot wound - mentions how we should remove my headstone, seeing how I was still here. I want to tell him not to bother, that that part of my life is over and I want to be known as Leo duPres, but knowing the grief and everything he’s gone through, I remain silent not wanting to add to his pain.

Noting the time and conscious of the person I have in my car, I say goodbye to my new family with promises to visit when I get settled in my new life as writer for WWF magazine, a position offered to me by Vince. I decided not to stay with the newspaper, finding my brother’s life more fascinating though I’m not sure when he’ll return to the ring. Or if he ever will given how his life has been turned upside down the way it has, he’s spoken of maybe working booking or something.

I hope he changes his mind though, I’ve seen him wrestle and he’s very talented.

I walk to my car and when I get in, I look in the rear view mirror at my passenger. "Sure you want it this way?"

He nods.

When I’d returned to the hotel the night when Adam woke up, I received a phone call from Matt. Turns out he survived the fall with a broken wrist, a concussion and some of his stitches - now long removed, leaving smooth tracks of scars over his body - having ripped open in the fall and asked if I could come alone and get him. I snuck out that night, finding him outside a closed restaurant and took him to different hospital than the one Adam was in, putting him under a different name. I’ve tried since then to convince him to let people know he was alive, but he wouldn’t. He still won’t, still so guilt-ridden over everything that’s happened. I hate keeping this from everyone but I respect his wishes, though I do try to prod him sometimes.

"All it would take is a phone call," I tell him. "I can ask a friend on the Sicilian police force to make the call. Tell them you showed up at the hospital as a John Doe." According to the statements on record, Matt had simply ‘drowned’, his body never found.

He shook his head, the pain clear as ever in his brown eyes as he watches Vince console Shane, who was still so devastated by Matt’s ‘death’ as was Collette, who was being consoled by Mick. Since this has happened, Vince and Shane’s personal relationship has improved some, but they weren’t as close as they should be but at least they were closer than they had been. With the announcement of Matt’s ‘death’, Shane inherited not just the trust Matt had set up for him but a good chunk of his estate with the rest divvied up into smaller trusts for the children and Adam. And Collette was pregnant again, telling me that if she has another boy she would name him Matthew Moore Foley.

"I don’t want to keep hurting them anymore." He whispers, glancing at his bare finger where his ring had been, having me give it back to Shane as ‘proof’ of his passing by telling him it had fallen off his finger in the fall. Shane had a jeweler friend melt the rings down and make them into one ring, which has the inscription of the date of their wedding on the inside as well as the phrase "For now, For always and Forever". He then watches Adam with Dwayne and Logan. Since everything’s happened, they’ve separated as they try to figure out what they’re going to do with their future and while Adam is getting some intensive therapy for all he’s been through, they still share in parenting Logan. I know Adam and Dwayne still love each other and seeing how I’m working for their company, maybe I could play a little cupid and get them back together.

"Chris?"

"Hmmm?" Normally I’d get annoyed when anyone called me by my other name, but for Matt, I make an exception.

"Don’t we have that flight to catch?"

"Yeah." I dig my keys out of my pocket, remembering the flight to Canada Matt wanted to catch. He said he wants to move there and start over where no one knew of him or his past. Somehow, after all the publicity this has gotten, I find that highly unlikely but I have to admire him trying. In the weeks following his ‘death’, I’ve secretly helped him get his affairs in order so he could start over, this time with a different name, different job credentials and a new look; his shoulder length black hair now cut short and he was sporting wire rimmed glasses though they were more for show than from a prescription and, using my share of the inheritance he left me, I managed to get him a small but substantial amount of money so he could have something to live off of until he was settled.

"Last chance," I tell him, hoping he’d change his mind after seeing his family grieve for him. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I’m sure." He says, before looking out the window. "Goodbye my love." I hear him say faintly.

With a heavy sigh, I start the car taking Matt to his new life while leaving those in his past behind.

Hopefully not forever.

At least if I have anything to say about it.

Now while the beat is slow
Here in your arms I sway
Now that the light is low
Something I want to say

I guess you've known it for a while
That I mean trouble
I only want to see you smile
And I burst this bubble

The hardest thing is to let go
When love is real
Like a flower loves a bee
But I know you're meant
To give yourself to someone else not me

And I could carry on with you
Does that sound crazy?
I think you feel the same way too
And you can't face it

The hardest thing is to let go
But it's not defeat
When you set somebody free
And I know you're meant
To be yourself with someone else not me

Can you let go?
Cause that's love that's real
Like a flower loves a bee
And you know you're meant
To give yourself to someone else not me

Somebody else not me
Meant for somebody else not me (repeat til fade)