On the Ropes 2: Insidious Obsession (11 page)

“What was the deal with the sprinkler system not working?”

“He said there was a malfunction in the system. They don’t believe it was connected to the arson, but just a terrible coincidence instead. I guess that’s why they try to use fire-retardant materials in these newer hotels, because you never know when something isn’t going to work right.”

Cole rested a protective hand on her as she slept. How in the hell was he supposed to tell her about this? More importantly, what was he going to do to protect her? “So what do we do?” Knowing what he now did about her past, the last thing he wanted was for them to get some crazy notion to send her home where she’d be alone and on her own.

Mark rubbed his chin. “I’ve talked with Gene and a few others who needed to know, and we all agree, since everything has happened at the hotels and not at the arenas, we’re going to do what we did when we were doing that whole kidnapping story line with Lexi.”

“So a different hotel for Amber?”

“And you, Logan, Lexi, and Jason since they’re the only ones we can absolutely rule out as suspects. Besides, I know you all will look out for her.”

“What about Brooklyn?” Knowing how Amber’s friendship with the Vixen had bloomed, she’d want Brooklyn protected also.

Mark shook his head. “We’re all in agreement that she’s not the target, and I don’t believe she’s in any danger, so we’ll have her room with someone else again. Until we can find this person threatening Amber, we won’t tell the others where you’re staying and you won’t either.”

Cole nodded. “And when we’re at the arenas and stuff?”

Mark shook his head. “I don’t really think we need to be concerned. There are too many people and too much going on for someone to try and pull anything. Besides, there is power in numbers. As long as one of you is with her at all times, she should be fine.”

Cole glanced down at his sleeping beauty, and his heart ached. She already carried so much guilt for things that weren’t her fault. No doubt she’d internalize this as well. How in the world could he convince her otherwise? “I just don’t understand who would want to hurt her.”

“I don’t know, but believe me when I say we’re trying to find out. We’re looking into everyone that might have had an issue with Amber in the last few years.”

“Sean Sable is on the top of that list, right?” Cole asked. It was irrational and unrealistic to think Sean had anything to do with what happened, especially since he was currently recovering from the beating Cole gave him. However, Cole’s instinct demanded that Sean be considered a suspect. The man was slick and devious, and somehow Cole was sure he had something to do with this situation.

Mark nodded. “He is, but he’s been home recuperating from that beating you gave him.”

“That doesn’t mean he couldn’t have someone working on his behalf.”

“True, but I kinda doubt it,” Mark replied. “Somebody would have to be pretty messed up to run the risk of being arrested for arson and attempted murder just because he told them to set something on fire.”

“I still think he needs to be watched,” Cole argued.

“We will, but unless he gives us a legitimate reason to think he’s the guilty party, there is only so much we can do.”

“That doesn’t mean I can’t do what’s necessary to protect her.”

Mark’s eyes widened. “Now don’t go and do something stupid. We’re handling the situation and taking precautions. You just need to be patient.”

“Patient?” Cole arched a challenging brow. “She damn near died this morning, Mark. My patience is gone.”

* * * *

That evening Cole opened the door to their new hotel room and waited for Amber and Lexi to pass through. Thanks to the fire department, who managed to keep the flames from spreading too far, most of Amber’s and all their belongings made it out of the fire intact.

With the help from EUW staff, clothing and shoes were washed, possessions were cleaned, and new toiletries were purchased for Amber. Cole set his bags down and assessed the room. With two bedrooms and a common room, it was set up much like other suites they’d been in during Lexi’s kidnapping story line.

Lexi peeked into first one bedroom, then the other; then she looked at them and frowned. “How is this going to work?” She pointed to the first bedroom. “That bedroom has a king-size bed, and that one has two queens.”

“You and Logan take the king bed,” Amber replied. “Cole and Jason can take the two queens, and I’ll sleep on the couch.”

Cole frowned at her statement. After last night, he wanted her in his bed, wrapped in his protection where he could sleep in peace, but he damn well couldn’t share a bed with Jason in the room. Besides the obvious fact that Jason might be just a bit uncomfortable sharing a room with a couple, there were things he’d want to do to her that weren’t meant for others’ eyes.

Despite their hours of lovemaking last night, he still ached for her on a level he’d never thought possible. Now that he’d gotten a taste of what it was like being with Amber, he wanted more. He wanted to hear her sweet little whimpers as he gave her pleasure. Wanted to see the happiness and love in her eyes. He wanted feel her writhe beneath him in passion as they came together in one all-consuming climax. Yet, fate, it seemed, meant to torture him some more. He let out a heavy sigh and nodded. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, her reasoning made the most sense.

“I suppose that will work,” Lexi replied. “Geez, I can’t believe we’re back to sharing a suite again.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry about all of this,” Amber replied.

Lexi glanced over her shoulder. “That wasn’t a complaint, Amber. Just an observation.”

Before Amber could reply, Cole pointed a finger at her. “Don’t you dare say that this is your fault.”

She started to argue, but he shook his head before she uttered a word. “I swear to the all-mighty God above if you try to assume the blame for this, I’ll turn you over my knee and beat your ass right here in front of everyone.” It was about damn time she start learning not everything that happened in their lives was her responsibility.

She opened her mouth, then immediately closed it again and dropped onto the couch. “It’s hard for me not to assume at least some of the blame for this.” She looked up at him. “After all, you’re in this situation because you’re somehow tied to me.”

“How is it your fault?” he challenged. While past experiences might have conditioned her to always shoulder the blame, he wasn’t going to let her off that easily. Not this time.

“What?” She stared at him with confusion on her face.

“Tell me.” He stepped in front of her. “I want you to tell me what you did to this unknown person that makes him or her want to hurt you.”

She shook her head. “I don’t know. I don’t remember doing anything to anyone.”

“Exactly.” Cole crouched in front of her. “It’s not as if you intentionally went out of your way to piss someone off. So how can this possibly be your fault?”

“I understand what you’re saying, Cole, but—”

He held up a hand, stopping her midsentence as he struggled to find the patience to deal with yet another of her self-induced guilt trips. That same hand was beginning to itch with the urge to spank some sense into her. Before he succumbed to temptation, he’d try another tactic. “What if this person who is after you was after Lexi instead?”

Her brow knit with confusion. “But—”

“Humor me, okay?”

She sighed. “Okay.”

“Good.” He began again. “Let’s just say for the sake of argument that this person isn’t after you but is after Lexi. However, you and I and the rest of us have also been affected, just like we are now.”

She stared at him and nodded.

“Now Lexi feels really bad about this situation. She feels as if it’s her fault we’re all being inconvenienced and put in harm’s way. Like she’s somehow caused this problem.”

“But that’s ridiculous,” Amber replied. “How can it be her fault when she doesn’t even know why this person is after her?”

Now he was making progress. “Right,” he prompted. “But she still feels bad, like she should have been able to prevent it somehow.”

Amber shook her head. “She can’t control what goes on in the minds of others. It’s not her…fault,” she slowly replied as she stared at Cole, recognition registering in her eyes.

He leveled his best I-told-you-so look on her. “So how can this be your fault any more than it might be Lexi’s?”

She sighed and shook her head. “I suppose it’s not. I guess I’m just really good at assuming blame.”

He lifted a hand and curled a knuckle beneath her chin. “Now you recognize that weakness, it’s time to start working on correcting it.”

Chapter Seventeen

Amber sat between Cole and Jason around the table in creative as they went over their next story line. Her stomach cramped as she read the words
steel cage match
. Over the years she’d watched enough steel cage matches to know that most didn’t end well. With the three men surrounding her involved, this one was guaranteed to end in a bloodbath not seen since the 1990s.

“So that’s the plan.” Mark leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. “In an attempt to try and get back to some sort of normalcy around here, we’re going to focus on this story over the next two weeks. Then at the pay-per-view you three will take on the three members of Obsidian in a six-man tag devil’s playground steel cage match.”

Jason grinned that crazy, psycho grin of his and looked around the table. “Should be fun.”

Logan nodded. “I like it.”

“Well, I don’t.” Lexi folded her arms. “This has the makings of a disaster written all over it.”

Mark frowned at her statement. “These are six professionals, Lexi. I think they know what they’re doing.”

With a challenging look on her face, Lexi slapped a hand to the table. “You’re a professional, Mark. My father was a professional. How many times did you both end up bloody and carried out on stretchers from steel cage matches?” She shook her head. “This”—she pointed to the paper—“is not just a ratings grab. It’s an ego trip.”

“It’s a rite of passage, Lexi,” Mark argued. “These guys are good, and they’ll be even better after their first ever steel cage match.”

“Rite of passage.” Lexi smirked. “I keep forgetting how this place is nothing more than a giant boys club. You get six alpha males locked in a cage together and you’re asking for—”

“I’m asking for one hell of a great match,” Mark countered, cutting her off midsentence.

She narrowed her gaze. “I won’t be party to this.”

“Lexi.” Logan reached for her only to have her shake loose of his grip.

“No.” She pushed away from the table and stood. “You guys are going to have to do it without me ringside, because I’m not going to stand there helpless and watch the man I love be reduced to a bloody pulp simply for the sake of some ratings or some ridiculous rite of passage.” Before anyone could reply, she turned on her heel and stormed from the room, sucking the energy out with her exit.

Amber glanced from man to man. For being a woman, Lexi had some big balls. No way would Amber have had the guts to blatantly challenge management.

Mark let out a heavy sigh. “I knew she was going to be a pain in the ass about this.” He leveled a look at Logan. “We’re going to need her and Amber showing solidarity by being ringside for the match. Do you think you can talk to her?”

“I’ll talk to her,” Amber replied, only to feel all eyes in the room focus on her.

“So you’re on board with this?” Mark asked.

Amber looked from her boss to Cole and shook her head as her feelings bubbled just below the surface. The last thing she wanted was to watch Cole get injured. “No, not really. I’m with Lexi on this. I don’t want to see them bloody or seriously injured either and it pisses me off that we don’t have a say, but…” She turned her attention back to Mark. “I also understand how things work around here and the need to play ball, even when I don’t agree.”

She pushed away from the table. “I’ll have a better chance getting through to her than any of you will.” She exited the conference room and headed down the hall. The arena was a big place, and Lexi could have disappeared to just about anywhere. She’d try the most obvious places first, starting with catering.

Amber made her way down the hall, turned the corner to catering, and stopped in her tracks as fear ripped through her system. There, mere feet from her, stood Sean talking to Garrett Patrick. With a bandage covering a cut on his forehead that had apparently required stitches, and holding a cane, he appeared to still carry the scars of Cole’s beating.

He glanced in her direction, and shock registered across his face. A myriad of emotions seemed to pass through him before he finally schooled his features into a neutral expression. So he wasn’t happy to see her. That was okay, as she wasn’t any happier to see him. “Amber.”

“Sean,” she replied as her heart began to pound faster. She knew that in his current condition he couldn’t harm her, besides the fact that there were people continually entering and exiting catering, but that knowledge didn’t extinguish her fears. “I didn’t know you were back.”

He remained in place and gave her a nod. “Just returned today actually.” Using the cane for support, he moved to face her, and she noted his severe limp. Had Cole really injured him that badly?

For a moment guilt threatened to rear its ugly head; then she remembered how he’d pinned her against the wall, how he’d brought all those terrible images from her past into the present, and the guilt subsided. “So you’re feeling better?”

He nodded. “Getting there. Listen, I’m glad I ran into you. I wanted to apologize for coming on to you the way I did.”

“Okay,” she replied, not sure what else to say.

He shook his head. “I generally don’t take rejection well, and I have a bad habit of pushing myself on women who don’t readily accept my advances.” He shrugged. “It’s a character flaw. I’m working on it.”

What in the hell was she supposed to say to that? She wanted to call him a liar and tell him she thought he was full of shit. However, he seemed genuine enough in his apology that she refrained from saying anything, but it didn’t change the fact that his mere presence gave her the creeps. “Well, as I was recently told, recognizing your weaknesses is the first step in correcting them.”