(Continued from “The Face of Failure”)
Early Thursday Morning

“So..” Rogan began, stealing a glance at Lucy as they sat outside on their balcony beneath the stars, watching the late-night traffic as it navigated the New York streets. To say the Dark Man was curious would be an understatement, considering how secretive his girlfriend had been over the last… He wasn’t even sure how long it had been going on. Long enough.

Then to top it all off with seeing Lucy, covered in blood and arrested in customs when they’d arrived in London – He wasn’t sure what to make of it, but deep down, the Dark Man was squirming with anticipation and desire. There was nothing that he liked more than seeing the Dark Lady in all her glory.

But Rogan wanted to know what was going on. He was concerned for Lucy, even though he knew she could more than take care of herself – He also knew she had a history of self-destructive tendencies and he didn’t want her to feel as if she had to deal with them alone.

Lucy finally turned her head and smiled softly at Rogan. “So.”

They looked into one another’s eyes for a few seconds. Rogan could see the frustration and the defeat that lay beneath that smile and it pained him. But before he could say more, Lucy let out a sigh.

“I know I’ve left you in the dark a lot lately.”

“You could say that again, Lass.”

Lucy nodded her head. “I’m sorry about that. But it’s been for a good reason and if you’re up to it, I’ll take you to show you what I’ve been working on this weekend.”

Rogan grinned.

“I’d really like that.”

“I thought you would,” Lucy replied, sliding closer to Rogan and laying her head on his shoulder while she wrapped her arms around his. “So, I won’t be letting you in on that particular secret right now..”

Rogan pursed his lips. “Mmhm.”

“But… I know you’re still wondering what happened in London.”

“I am. You gave everyone quite a shock.”

If it weren’t so dim outside where they sat, Rogan may have been able to see the faint pink as it rose to Lucy’s cheeks. But even if he caught a glimpse, he didn’t let on as Lucy glanced at him, squeezing his hand.

“Yeah, about that…”

 

(Continued From “Queens and Kings”)
London
Customs

Lucy sat alone in an empty room, handcuffed and attached to the table in front of her. The chain between her hands clanged around as she adjusted herself in the uncomfortable seat the officers had deposited her in moments before, the sound bounced off the walls and sent shivers down Lucy’s spine.

She smirked just as the door opened and an officer stepped in, holding a folder and a pen in one hand and a keyring in the other. Lucy wasn’t lost on the irony of the situation she currently found herself in. Barely a day before, she was the one with all the control, looking down on her own brother who was bound and helpless.

Now, Lucy wasn’t helpless. But considering the look the officer gave her as he sat down across from her – she wasn’t entirely sure how she was going to get herself out of this particular conundrum and find her way to the Pay Per View.

“Ms… Wylde, is it?” The officer finally said, glancing up from the paper in front of him. “Would you like to… enlighten me as to why you are currently covered in what we can only assume is–”

“Blood.” Lucy finished his sentence, shrugging her shoulders. “I don’t know what to tell you.”

The officer sat back and crossed his arms. “The truth, preferably.”

Lucy sighed, blowing her hair out of her face as she did. The truth wasn’t something she was willing to divulge. The truth most certainly wasn’t going to set her free in this case, and there wasn’t any way she wasn’t going to at least try to talk her way to Chaos in Chelsea. Seb deserved as much.

“Well, I know this doesn’t look fantastic, officer. But I’ve done nothing wrong, except forget to change my shirt after I finished training.”

The look she received after she finished was one of complete disbelief. She wasn’t surprised. It wasn’t her best lie, but it was the first one she thought of at the moment and now she was committed.

“You want me to believe that all of that…” The officer motioned towards the mess all over Lucy’s shirt, “…Is from training?”

Lucy rolled her eyes.

“I do.”

“Forgive me if I find that hard to believe.”

Lucy chuckled, and when she looked up at the officer, she realized all too quickly that she probably shouldn’t have done that. Without saying another word, the officer got up and exited, leaving Lucy once again to her own thoughts.

She honestly thought they were going to leave her there much longer than they did, but a few minutes later, another officer came in and took a seat across from Lucy, a stern look on her face as she looked Lucy over.

“Do you think this is funny, Ms. Wylde?”

Lucy sighed and tried to sit back, but the handcuffs caught on the table, reminding her that she was stuck. Stuck until she can ‘maneuver’ her way out of this situation.

“As a matter of fact, I don’t. I have a show to get to and this is keeping me from one of the biggest matches of my career.”

And that, dear viewers, was the truth.

But one glance across the table told Lucy they just weren’t buying anything she was selling.

“Would you like to try again?”

That question rubbed Lucy the wrong way and she shot a glare across the table at this new officer. Finally, Lucy shrugged her shoulders and began to play with the cuffs that surrounded her wrists.

“Listen, I know some of ya’ll might not get it, but I’m the world champion of a world-renowned wrestling promotion and they might be just a littttleeee pissed off if one-half of their main event doesn’t make it because of a little blood.”

It was the officers turn to chuckle, which did shock Lucy, if only a bit.

“A little blood?” The lady officer points at Lucy’s person and Lucy looked down at herself and was reminded of how much blood she was wearing. “You’re absolutely covered in it.”

“I’m a wrestler. Blood is a part of the job.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“I don’t know what the hell you’d like me to tell you, Ma’am, but I’ve been training for this match and I made a mistake and got bopped in the nose and bled all over myself. Considering what’s likely waiting for me at Chaos in Chelsea, this is probably nothing.”

The officer leaned forward, and Lucy felt like she was under a microscope as the woman stared at her for what became a rather uncomfortable amount of time before she stood from her chair. For a moment, Lucy thought she might actually release her but was instantly disappointed when she turned away and moved toward the door.

“Are you seriously going to leave me here? My boyfriend is probably still waiting out there for me and–” But before she could finish, the door closed and again, she was relegated to sitting and waiting.

…And waiting.

And waiting…

 

Early Thursday Morning…

“Yeah, that was a roller coaster ride. Those fuckers made me wait for two more hours before coming back and telling me ’they had nothing to hold me on’. But yeah. The real reason I was covered in blood…” Lucy pulled in a deep breath before she continued. “Well, it was mostly Michael’s blood.”

There was a lot to unpack in that sentence. Rogan had to think about it for a few moments before finally speaking. “Mostly? Micheal? Your brother?”

Lucy nodded her head. “There might have been some other blood mixed in there, but if I say who, it’ll ruin our trip this weekend. But yes. Michael. My brother. I went to visit him last week.”

Rogan couldn’t fathom why Lucy would do such a thing, especially if everything he’d been told about her brother and her family as a whole were true. But before he could ask ‘why’, Lucy beat him to it.

“I know you’re wondering why I would do that. And that’s a fantastic question.. I had an important question for him, and based on my family’s history, I figured it was worth a shot.”

Rogan nodded his head, even if he were still confused. Lucy was leaving out details, but he could tell that it was likely because any more information would give away the secret she was keeping.

“I take it the meeting didn’t go well?”

Lucy shrugged her shoulders. “I got what I wanted, even if I had to force it out of him.”

A hot flash rushed over Rogan’s body, as he imagined what Lucy had to do in order to get the information she wanted. Considering how much blood was on her person when they’d arrived in London… He imagined her brother was in a world of hurt when she was done. And he was sure that Michael deserved every bit of it.

“But hey, I can’t really tell you more now without giving it all away. So you think you’ll be able to wait for 2 days?” Lucy asked curiously, stealing another glance in the Dark Man’s direction.

Rogan simply sat there, staring up at the moon.

“No, I don’t think I will.”

His answer took Lucy back, but it also didn’t surprise her as much as it would have previously. Before she could say anything, though, Rogan turned his eyes on her and for a moment, Lucy felt like he was trying to see through her.

“How about we leave tomorrow?”

Lucy had been keeping the secret for so long now that she wasn’t going to deny Rogan again.

“Tomorrow it is.”