67
It was Monday evening and Slade and Candy had made it to the arena early to talk to Davis before the show. As they pulled into the parking area behind the building, a group had gathered with security surrounding Davis. Candy stretched her neck to see what was going on and as the crowd moved around, she saw Gage sitting on the curb with a gash on his forehead and Isis crying, trying to help stop the bleeding. A man near them was on the ground, being held down by Colt and a security guard.
“What is going on?”
Candy and Slade jumped from their company SUV and went to the crowd to get a better look. As soon as they got close, Candy’s mouth dropped open, and she tried to run from the scene.
Slade caught her and held her close, asking, “Babe, what’s wrong?”
“No! Let me go! I have to get away! Please don’t let him take me!”
Candy pulled away and ran to the other side of the building to get far and fast away from whatever scared her. Sahara, running after her, with Slade fast on their heels, rushed to help her friend. When finally caught up, Sahara was scooping her friend into her arms before she fell to the ground.
Candy wailed in hysterics, pleading, “Don’t let him get to me. Please, Sahara.”
Slade ran over, panting for breath and taking Candy in his arms. “Candy, what’s wrong?”
“He can’t be here. He has a restraining order.”
“What are you talking about? Who?”
Candy buried her head in Slade’s chest, weeping as he wrapped his arms around her to console her.
Sahara began rubbing her back to calm her, but it didn’t seem to help. “It’s her ex-stepdad. He’s a creep. He is trying to extort Candy for money. He’s a bad person, Slade. Really bad.”
“He… (sobs) He hurt my mom and me.”
The entire ordeal was confusing. “Hurt you? How?”
“I can’t.” Candy pulled away.
“Candy? Talk to me. What’s going on?”
“No. I won’t tell you. You’ll never look at me the same. I don’t want you to think I’m a bad person or my family’s trash.”
Slade pulled her back in his arms, saying, “I would never. Please talk to me.”
Sahara stepped up with a comforting nod. “Sweetie, you need to tell him. He needs to know what you’re dealing with.”
She pulled them to a nearby bench on the outside of the front of the arena while police cars rushed past.
Candy tried to stay calm as she agreed to tell him the truth. “He abused us. My mom and me. I took most of the abuse to keep him from hurting Tyler and mom. I would fight with him to get him to turn on me and forget about them. That’s one reason I started wrestling training. So, I could learn to fight back. He’s a drug dealer and would use my mom to get money. He sold her and made her a prostitute herself. To get him to stop, I sold drugs for him.”
“Oh god, Candy. That’s awful. What about what happened with Gage?”
“On no. Gage!”
Sahara calmed her, rubbing her hand over her best friend’s hair. “He’s fine. Just a little banged up. Gage is tough.”
“James tried to kidnap me to sell me to his boss when I first arrived. The guy runs a prostitution ring. He wanted his money for a bad drug deal and James promised to give him me in trade. Gage was coming out of the gym when he saw James trying to push me in his car. I screamed for help, and Gage ran over and beat the shit out of him. After that, Gage forced me to stay in a hotel room next to his or one of the Justice team, to make sure I was safe.”
“Why isn’t this dickhead in prison?”
“He knows too many people, Slade. His brother is a shady lawyer who works for the mob. They’re all bad people.”
“What do we do to fix this?” Slade looked at Sahara for answers.
He was once one to buy drugs, not involved in the seedier side of things, so he was clueless about what to do to help.
Sahara sighed. “The only thing we can do. Keep him away from her until he screws up.”
Gage came around the corner, with Isis holding an ice pack over his eye. “It’s safe now, little one. They’ve hauled him off to the police station. Like it will do any fucking good. He’ll be out by morning. Every time we have a show close to where he can get access, he is going to come looking for you.”
Candy rushed into Gage’s arms. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry.”
Slade hated seeing her so distraught, especially since he couldn’t do anything about it. It made him feel even more remorseful for causing her more stress over the past few months by fighting with her. “What happened, Gage?” he asked.
“The asshole tried to break into your tour bus. He thought you and Candy were still traveling with Retribution instead of driving alone in the company car. It’s a good thing you both were not there.”
Isis was shaking. “He had a gun. He hit Gage in the face with it and he thought Tomi was you. Tomi was fighting with him when Gage and I pulled into the parking lot. With that MMA fighting stuff she does, she fought back.”
“Is she okay?”
Gage chuckled. “Are you kidding? She kicked the shit out of the guy. She fucked his face up. Tomi is one tough chick.”
The police car passed by with James inside. Gage pulled Isis and Candy behind him while James glared out of the car at them, motioning his finger like a gun pointed at her.
“Let’s get the ladies inside. Slade, you, and I are going to have to keep watch of the girls. I don’t trust that asshole. Everyone knows how close these three are, and he could try to hurt them all. Maybe Isis’s cousin should hang out with them, too. Holly is as scary as Tomi. I heard Davis has plans to sign her.”
Isis shivered. “Scarier. Holly’s like a hurricane wrapped in a tornado.”
Isis and Candy were holding onto each other, and Sahara joined them, asking, “Do you think he would try something to hurt us all?”
“I don’t know, but I’m not taking any chances.” Gage was in protective mode, and he wouldn’t risk it.
Agreeing, Slade led them inside. “From now on, we’ll stay together.”
***
Candy and Slade were sitting in the Retribution locker room while the rest of the team was silent. Candy watched them staring at her from time to time, as if unsure of what to say.
“Do you all want me to quit Retribution? I put Tomi in danger.”
Colt turned to her. “No way!”
Tomi went over and hugged her. “Heck no, girly! You are one of us. What’s our motto?”
“That we never back down from a fight and we will get retribution.”
Dustin patted her shoulder. “Right, baby girl. We are a team, inside that ring and out. We’re just worried about you guys. We need to make a game plan to watch each other’s backs. I think you and Slade need to travel with us again to be sure you're safe. If we’re on the bus together, that asshole can’t take all of us.”
Trent smirked, leaning back in a folding chair. “I’d like to see him try. That dickhead didn’t even have bullets in that gun he was packin’. It looked fake. Who does he think he is, Barney Fife?”
“How do you know that? Do you speak crazy-white-guy?” Tomi gave him an eye roll.
“I grew up in Texas, sweet cheeks. I know a loaded six-shooter from an empty one. He was being too careless with that thing for there to have been bullets in that gun. He must think he’s in some old western movie.”
Colt laughed. “I saw that too. Probably had one bullet in his pocket.”
Candy noted, “He’s afraid of guns. He doesn’t even know how to shoot one. Trent’s right, it probably wasn’t real. Tyler used to have a cap gun James played with it all the time pretending to be tough.”
“I thought that looked familiar. I had that same one when I was a kid,” Trent said, shaking his head. “That guy is an idiot.”
Candy fiddled with the cuff. “The fact is, as long as I am around, everyone is in danger. He hangs out with some terrible people. Mob affiliations and loan sharks.”
Dustin sat down next to her, taking her hand to get her attention, showing her she wasn’t alone. “Candy, we’re family. Maybe an odd wrestling family, but still family. We’re in this with you.”
Candy gave a hesitant smile to Dustin. “Thanks.”
The locker room door opened, and Davis stood with his daughter. Jenna hesitated, then broke down crying and ran to Candy, hugging her. “I’m so glad you are okay.”
Candy looked at Slade wide-eyed. “Um... thanks.”
Davis smiled, saying, “She is your biggest fan. She was afraid to come in here alone and disturb you all since she isn’t part of Retribution anymore.”
“Really?” Slade rolled his eyes. “You’re still our friend.”
Candy hugged her back. “You’re a fan of me?”
“Yep. I am. I love how colorful you are and I wish we were friends. I’m sorry that the man tried to hurt you. I asked Dad to ramp up security.”
“Thanks, Jenna. We’re friends, but we could be closer.” Candy hugged her again.
“I didn’t think you would want to be since Slade, and I used to date.”
“Of course, I do. Chicks before dicks,” Candy said with a snicker. “If he doesn’t like it, he’ll get over it.”
Slade, fake offended, threw his hand over his heart. “I’m hurt. I thought you were my friend too, Jenna. What the hell?”
Jenna playfully said, “Eh. You’re okay, I guess.”
Davis, seeing everything was calming down, redirected the conversation. “Okay, you all. In all seriousness, I am putting a guard on your tour bus. You two have a few more days to be in those cuffs, and I want you to get out to do some promotions for the charity. I think the roster has decided on the cancer charity in your brother’s honor, even if you don’t finish the week. It’s a great cause and they all want to do their part by donating something too. Can you hold out and make the rest of the week?”
“Oh, we will, sir. I won’t let Slade lose his match. He’s going to be a five-time champ. I just know it!” Candy perked up.
“Good. You all get ready. We have a show to put on.” Davis walked out with a pleased expression.
His plan worked, and the roster was seeming to be one united front again.
