Wrestling Desire 2 (A Contemporary Romance) (3 page)

Emma placed a hand on Holt’s arm stopping his forward motion.  “How could you?”

“Em.”  There was pain and regret in his stare, but before he could say another word Gene was there. 

“Go Holt.  I’ll handle things here.”

Holt nodded and looked back to Emma. “We’ll talk later.”

She watched him rush off.  Yes, they would talk and it just might be the last conversation they ever had.

Ten minutes later Emma stood in the locker room doorway and watched as an enraged Bryan methodically ripped the room apart.  “They fucking screwed me.”  He picked up a chair and threw it across the room.  “Your boyfriend and that cocksucker France screwed me.”

“Bryan.” Emma stepped into the room.

“No.” He spun on her.  “Don’t you dare stand there and defend him to me.”

She shook her head.  “That’s not what I was going to do. I don’t know the circumstances that led to this situation, so I can’t defend him.”

He appeared for a moment to consider her words, then drew in a deep breath and dropped to the bench.  “What were you going to say?”

Emma took as seat next to him.  “You know how this business works and you know what kind of person Gene is capable of being.  He’s finally gaining in the ratings against the competition and he’ll do whatever is necessary to keep us there, even if that comes at the cost of his employees.  Think about it, Bry.  Can you honestly sit there and say you weren’t expecting something to happen?”

Bryan hung his head and turned it to the side to look at her.  “No.  I wasn’t and you’re right.  I should have been.”  He let out a sigh.  “When did you get so smart?”

She gave him a small smile.  “I have a couple of brothers who have been great teachers.”

“Awe hell, Em.”  He raked his hands through his hair.  “This was my opportunity to get out from under Derek’s shadow and prove I’m a damn good wrestler too.  Now it’s gone because Holt couldn’t take the idea of facing a real competitor.”

“You are a damn good wrestler, Bry.  You were cheated and the fans will understand that fact.”  She shook her head. “Holt’s never been afraid to face anyone, so I don’t know what made him do what he did, but I plan to get to the bottom of it.”

“It won’t do any good.  The damage is already done.”

She crouched in front of him and placed her hand over his.  “I don’t believe that and I know the fans don’t believe that
either
.  It’s what you represent that matters to them.  Take that integrity and that respect, and stand your ground.  I’ll be there right beside you.”

He put a hand on her knee and gave a gentle squeeze. “What are you going to do about Holt?”

This time she was the one who sighed.  That was a question she’d been asking herself from damn near the moment the bell rang.  No matter how much she loved him or how little she and Bryan had in common, Bryan was still family.  She wouldn’t turn her back on family.  Not now.  Not ever.  “I don’t know yet, but don’t worry about me.  Whatever happens, I’ll be fine.”

Chapter 3

It was after midnight when Emma finally arrived back at the hotel.  Physically and emotionally exhausted
,
all she wanted to do was drop into the bed and forget.  Unfortunately, sharing a room with Holt meant yet another confrontation before she’d finally get to rest.

Confused and heartbroken by his earlier actions, he was the last person she wanted to see.  Knowing there wasn’t any way around the conversation to come she slid her access card in the lock.  The light turned green and she pushed open the door. 

Still dressed in his stage gear Holt sat in the dark, propped up on the bed with the championship belt draped over his legs. She flipped on the bathroom light and tossed her purse on the small desk. 

“I was wondering if you were coming back tonight,” he nearly whispered.  “Honestly, I wouldn’t have blamed you if you wanted to stay in Bryan’s room.”

“Bryan has a roommate already,” she replied.  For several long seconds she stood in place staring at him.  Tears welled in her eyes and she fought the urge to break down and cry. “Why Holt?”

He shrugged.  “Gene told me to and when the owner of the company gives you an order, well…”

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “So Gene asks you to screw Bryan over and you just do it?”

He picked up the belt and gave it a careless toss into the nearby chair.  “He didn’t ask me, Emma.  It wasn’t framed as a question.  He told me that this was what we were going to do and as champion I was going to help.  So yeah, I did it.  Did I like it?  Hell no.  The entire situation made me sick to my stomach, but the man holds my career in the palm of his hands.”

A slow burn of anger grew deep in her belly, threatening to overtake her sorrow. “You did this to further your own career?”

He glared back at her, yet there was more regret than rage in his stare.  “Yes, I did it to protect my career.  Around here you have to look out for number one because there’s always somebody wanting to knock you off that pedestal, but don’t think for a second that I’m not carrying a hell of a lot of guilt right now for what I did.”

She shook her head as betrayal and hurt flowed through her system.  “Well that just makes it all okay doesn’t it?  Because you feel guilty for doing what you knew was wrong then we should all just forgive you?  I don’t think so.”

He closed his eyes and cocked his head to the side.  “I know you’re angry right now and you have every right to be, but please don’t let this affect us.”

Her eyes widened in shock at his statement.  “Affect us?  Affect us?  Exactly how does this not affect our relationship, Holt?  I’ve spent the last year standing on the sidelines watching you and Derek rip each other apart at every turn.  I’ve defended you and your antics time and again to Derek and Bryan because deep down I believed you were really a man of integrity and they were wrong about you.” She shook her head and took a step back. “I guess I was the one who was wrong.”

“Em.”

She held up a hand to stop him.  “Don’t okay.  Don’t tell me how you had to do this or how bad you feel, because right now I don’t want to hear it.”  She turned and picked up her purse.  “You know what, you’re right about one thing.  I don’t want to see you right now.” She grabbed her suitcase and headed for the door.

“Emma, please be reasonable.  It’s after midnight. Where are you going to go?”

“I really don’t care where I go so long as it’s away from you.”

She didn’t look back as she walked out the door.  Right now it didn’t matter where she slept as long as she wasn’t sharing a bed with Holt tonight.  The only thing she knew for sure was that she couldn’t go to Bryan’s room.
Besides him not having the extra space
, the last thing she wanted was for Bryan to think that she was leaving Holt. While she might be angry with Holt right now, she still loved the pain in the ass.  

Maybe she’d check with the front desk and see if they had an extra room.  She started down the hall when the elevator doors opened and Garrett stepped out.  “Emma?”

“Hey, Garrett.”

His gaze drifted from her down to her bag and back up again. “Where are you going?”

“Anywhere, as long as it’s far away from Holt.”

A frown claimed Garrett’s face.  “Emma, mentally Holt’s in a really bad place right now.  He needs you.”

“Why is everyone so worried about Holt?” she practically yelled.

His frown deepened as he crossed in front of her and glanced down the hallway in both directions. “Shhh…people are trying to sleep,” he scolded, then reached into his pocket and pulled out his keycard.  He opened his hotel room door, grabbed her bag from her hand and tossed it inside. 

“Hey,” she protested.

“Just get your ass inside.” He gave her a gentle shove.

Emma stumbled into the room and turned to frown up at Garrett.  “Marissa wouldn’t be happy to know you were manhandling me.”

“Then I guess I’m lucky she’s home taking care of her mother right now, huh?”

“Garrett.”

He shook his head.  “Save the meaningless warning.  I’m bigger, faster and I can be a lot meaner than you when necessary.  So you are going to listen to what I have to say.”

She knew he would never hurt her which meant his threat was just as meaningless.  Tired of dealing with overbearing, dominant alpha males she folded her arms across her chest in defiance.  “And if I don’t?”

He stepped forward, until he towered over her, his mere presence intimidating. “You are going to listen to me.  Even if I have to tie you to the bed in order to make it happen.”

She shivered with his warning and knowing he would make good on that threat, she backed down.  “Fine.” She let her arms drop to her side and sighed. “Since you’re now keeping me here against my will, you might as well spit out whatever is so important that you’d risk getting in trouble.”

“I’m not going to let you walk out on my best friend when he needs you most.”

She nearly sneered at him before she caught herself.  Not a wise move to piss off an alpha male like Garrett. “Why is it Holt that needs me when Bryan is the one who got screwed?”  With a huff she turned and walked farther into the room.  “Nobody seems to care about how Bryan’s feeling right now.  Nobody feels bad that he’s heartbroken over what happened.  Holt has the championship and all Bryan has is a big hole in his chest from where the people he trusted ripped his heart out.”

“Let me tell you a little something about Bryan.” Garrett advanced on her and despite her instinct to back away from his domineering presence she managed to hold her ground against the big man. “After Derek left with his injury Bryan went to Gene demanding that he be given a push toward the championship.”

Apparently realizing his overbearing presence Garrett took a full step back and raked a hand through his long hair. “Look. Gene told him he wasn’t ready yet and that he’d eventually get his shot, but Bryan didn’t want to hear it.  He demanded for the either the push or to be released from his contract.”

She couldn’t quite believe what she was hearing. Emma shook her head.  “Bryan never said anything about wanting to leave.”

“Then you probably don’t know he’s apparently been courted by the competition, do you?”

Garrett’s revelation felt like a slap to the face.  “Bryan wouldn’t leave,” she shot back even as her stomach twisted with the new information.  She desperately wanted to believe her brother, but Garrett had nothing to gain from this situation by lying.  In fact by giving her this information he risked placing himself into the fray.

“Yeah, he would, Em.  Gene gave Bryan the push because Bryan cited wording in his contract as a way to get the bump or get out.  The thing Bryan didn’t count on was that push didn’t necessarily guarantee him the title.”

Feeling as if she’d been punched in the gut she grabbed her stomach and droppe
d to the edge of the bed.  She’d
stood by
Bryan
earlier tonight.  She’d walked out on Holt and probably ruined her relationship with him all for a lie.  “He never told me any of this.”

“Did you really expect him to?”  Garrett dropped down next to her and rubbed a hand along her back.  “If he told you what he did you were bound to take Holt’s side.  He couldn’t pit you against Holt if you knew the truth.  He’s smart enough to know he’d need an ally in this situation.”

“What about Holt’s actions tonight.  What he did was still wrong.”

Garrett nodded.  “It was and from the moment Gene ordered him to take Bryan down he’d felt bad about it, but it needed to be done.  Bryan needed a reminder of his place in this company.”

Emma sucked in a breath and looked up at Garrett.  “After my father died Gene took me and Bryan into his home and made sure we were well taken care of while Derek started his wrestling career.  He made sure we finished school and he gave us all our first jobs.  He’s been like a father figure to us.  I can’t believe this.”

“I’m really sorry, honey but you need to believe this because it’s true.  He might be a father figure to you and Bryan, but there comes a time when every child tries to stand up to his parent.  Bryan is feeling the results of that challenge.  No matter what pull he thought he had with Gene, the fact remains its Gene’s company and nobody tells the boss what to do.”

While
the
situation became clear, the answers she got did little to take away her pain. “Why did he pull Holt into it?”

“Because Gene knew Holt was a team player.  He knew Holt would do anything for the company, even if that meant taking the heat or becoming the heel.”

“Even if that meant hurting me?” 

Garrett gave her a sad smile as he lifted a hand to wipe the tears from her cheek.  “I seriously doubt that hurting you was ever part of Gene’s plan.  And don’t think for a second that you weren’t on Holt’s mind when he agreed to do the dirty work.  One of the stipulations he made with Gene was that you be kept out of the middle and Gene provide protection for you in case things got really ugly.”

“Didn’t Holt realize that just because of who I am he couldn’t keep me out of the middle?”

Garrett shook his head.  “I think deep down he knew you’d still get caught up in the mix, but he was hoping that somehow you’d be able to understand.  Unfortunately, sweetheart, you are what we refer to as collateral damage.”