Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Leaning back in her office chair, Mia groaned, stretching her arms over her head. With a big huff of air, she righted herself, her hands automatically coming to rest on the keyboard in front of her, although there was nothing for her to write. The only sound in her little room was the air conditioning and the squeaky chair.

On the desk in front of her, multiple screens flipped through different camera angles, the feed continuously refreshing every 10 seconds, showing the time in the lower right-hand corner as 2:35am. The hotel was abandoned, undergoing a massive rehaul as the new owner redesigned the floor plan. Mia could see tarps and paint buckets with ladders on nearly every floor, which only added to the boredom she felt. Being alone in a ten-story building at night was equal parts disturbing and mind numbing, and since the view never changed, Mia found herself getting restless.

The job as caretaker of the RKO Hotel came at the perfect time. Mia had just lost her job as a temp receptionist and was three months late on the rent for her one-bedroom apartment when she saw the ad online for a live-in caretaker. The job was easy. Monitor the cameras, make sure the hotel was locked up tight, and no one stole anything. Mr. Orton, the owner of the hotel, wanted her to stay on site, so a room was completed for her, a mockup of what the hotel suites would look like when finished, and Mia was all set. He paid off her previous landlord, citing it was hard to find good help these days, and moved Mia in immediately.

All in all, Mia was extremely fortunate that Mr. Orton paid her as well as he did. Truthfully, there wasn’t much to the job, and she spent more time watching cat videos on her phone than actually taking care of anything, and she had a roof over her head. The hardest part was trying to sleep during the day while the workers took over the building.

Sighing, using the toe of her sneaker to swivel back and forth in her chair, Mia rolled neck on her shoulders. Just a few more hours and she’d be able to crawl into bed. Resting her chin in her hand, her eyes flicked up to the left monitor when something moved out of the corner of her eye. That screen covered the kitchens and the indoor pool. All nine cameras showed no movement, but a knot formed in Mia’s stomach. Keeping her eyes focused, she waited, knowing something wasn’t right. Her breathing hitched in her chest and her heart started to pound. What caught her attention?

There! On the camera showing the service entrance to the pool, the door moved. It was just a fraction of an inch, as if someone inside had bumped it, but it was enough. Either someone was in the empty hotel or it was haunted. Neither option sat well with her.

Grabbing her phone, Mia began typing out a message to her boss. Halfway through, she stopped. What if it was just a couple of teenagers messing around? She didn’t want to make a big deal out of nothing. And what could Mr. Orton do from way across town? He relied on her to deal with whatever situation arose.

Taking a deep breath, Mia stood, sliding her phone into her hoodie pocket. She’d just go down there and tell the kids they were trespassing and be done with it. No reason to panic. Grabbing a flashlight from the desk drawer, she left the office, firmly closing the door behind her.

Chapter Text

Joe stood in the middle of the dim, empty pool, arms crossed over his chest, eyeballing the crew standing across from him. Behind him and on either side stood his employer and associates. Becky Lynch, a high-level arms dealer, and her second in command Io Shirai, were dressed similarly, in all black leather. Dolph Ziggler, the scum of the Earth in Joe’s opinion, stood slightly behind him, his Miami Vice inspired suit looking two sizes too small on his body. Dolph’s skill was intelligence. He knew people who heard things, and that’s how most of Becky did her business. Known only as “The Man” to outsiders, she was a whisper and a ghost. Seeing her in person usually meant Joe was going to have a very busy night as her Enforcer. She rarely made appearances, and her presence here meant Joe was ready for anything.

And behind Dolph, behind everyone in fact, stood Chad Gable. Chad was a runner. A lackey. A pack mule. Anything Becky needed, Chad saw to it that she got it. A former gym rat, he somehow wormed his way into Becky’s good graces through Dolph and was trying his damnedest to climb a very short ladder.

He was a waste of space.

Joe kept his eyes on Baron Corbin, the Enforcer for Shinsuke Nakamura, who was backed by his lackeys, Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson. Alone, Baron was easy to deal with. The man had no style, no couth. But with The Revival, as Wilder and Dawson liked to be called, Baron suddenly became a very treacherous man. If nothing else, Baron was extremely skilled at arranging accidents, and that kept Joe’s head on a swivel.

Shin himself was as sly as a fox. A cunning man who enjoyed being the center of attention, using his magnetism as a distraction, allowing the small woman to his right to assess the situation. Alexa Bliss was a dangerous woman. Highly skilled in strategy, she could turn a scenario around on a dime, allowing Shin to come out on top.

But it was who he didn’t see that had sweat rolling down Joe’s back. Shayna Baszler, Shinsuke’s second in command, was not in attendance.

A chuckle from Baron had Joe narrowing his eyes. “What’s wrong, Joe? Nervous?” he scoffed. “The place is empty, Orton said so.”

It wasn’t his place to talk, so Joe kept his lips shut. Let Baron crow all he wanted, one day Joe would feel the life drain out of his body, and it would be a day worth celebrating.

Io took a step forward but stayed behind Joe’s hulking body. He was a large man, all muscle, and he was effective as a shield. “Payment upon delivery.” Her English was broken, but clear. It was time for business.

The only light came through the small windows high up on the outer wall, above the lounge chairs stacked on the pool deck. Their voices carried and echoed in the concrete room, and no one but him seemed to notice the noise they were making. Refusing to flinch, Joe kept his eyes moving, constantly scanning the people, their hands, the pool walls, the doors, and the windows. Someone would eventually hear them. The only good thing about the space was that it was, for the most part, empty. Joe could see everything. And everyone.

Shin slid forward, his gait like a sly dancer, Baron right behind him. “Show me the product first.” Japanese was Shin’s first language, just like Io, but his English got better every time Joe saw him.

At Becky’s feet, three large black cases sat closed. Inside were an array of weapons that ranged from small pistols to multiple kinds of automatic guns. It wasn’t Joe’s forte. He was a hands-on kind of guy. All he knew was that Becky supplied, and Shin demanded.

Snapping her fingers over her shoulder, The Man indicated that Gable should do as Shin ordered and open the cases. As Gable moved to do as told, both women kept their eyes on Shin and Alexa, a smart move considering their reputations.

Crouching down, Gable unlocked each case before opening them one by one. The black weapons stood out starkly against the beige colored fabric that covered the Styrofoam, holding each piece in place. Once complete, Gable stayed where he was, a hand resting on the lid of the largest case, acting as if he would slam it shut at the smallest indication something went wrong. Joe knew better. Gable would scream and run.

The air was thick with tension, and although Becky had a smug grin on her face, Joe knew her well enough to know she was on high alert. Everyone watched as Alexa pranced forward, her eyes roving over the product. Without a glance at anyone around her, she began removing tray after tray of guns, revealing more underneath. Each aluminum case held four or five trays, and some trays had multiple weapons nestled into the Styrofoam.

Alexa was quiet as she took inventory, and Joe watched warily as Baron stepped up behind her, looking over her shoulder. It was a move that had his attention, but Joe wasn’t sure why. It was just suspicious. It was not Baron’s place to analyze the product.

Becky’s thick Irish accent interrupted his musings. “That’s enough. Everything is there as agreed. Where is the money?”

Good question, as Joe didn’t see any bags or briefcases that could hold the hundreds of thousands of dollars that was The Man’s price tag.

Shinsuke snickered. “We’ll wire you the money.”

“Cash only,” Io snapped.

At that moment, multiple things happened at once. Gable slammed the lid of the largest case shut, and Baron reached out and grabbed his shirt collar, hauling him up like a toy, straight into a chokehold. The door to the pool room swung open and a young woman, short, clad in jeans in a hoodie, shined a flashlight directly into their faces.

“Hey!” she yelled, but her voice ended on a squeak when a loud CRACK echoed through the room.

Joe’s attention shifted from the woman to Baron just in time to see him wrench Chad Gable’s head sharply to the right, and the light in Gable’s eyes fade out just as he fell in a heap on the floor.

Chaos erupted around him. The woman screamed, turning from the room and bolting down the service entry hall, allowing the door to slam shut behind her. Io lurched forward, closing all the cases and locking them. Becky swung around to face Joe. “Get these cases out of here. Come back for the woman.”

He only nodded, turning to look at Dolph. “Grab the kid.”

Dolph’s face contorted, disgusted with his task. “I am not getting my suit dirty.”

Joe growled, shoving Dolph in the back towards the dead body. “He’s evidence, get him out of here!”

As everyone scurried around, Joe caught sight of Shin in Baron’s face, yelling directions. “I want her dead, Corbin. Do you understand? Get rid of her! She saw our faces!”

Baron gave a short nod and took off, hiking the shallow end of the pool before leaving through the same door the woman opened. Joe didn’t like the fact that Baron would get to her first. But if he actually did his job, he’d be doing Joe a favor.

Stacking the three cases on top of each other, Joe easily lifted them in his arms, following Dolph, with Gable’s body draped over his shoulders, Becky and Io, out of the pool and out the back door to the alley way between the RKO Hotel and the laundry mat next door.

Io opened the back hatch of the Escalade, watching Dolph dump Gable’s body inside before indicating that Joe should put the cases inside. Doing so, Joe used the cases to push Gable’s body back further, then grabbed the tarp previously used to hide the weapons from unsuspecting eyes to cover Chad’s body, since Dolph hadn’t bothered to do that.

Dolph piped up from beside the SUV. “That didn’t go as planned.”

Becky glared at him. “Yes, Captain Obvious, that went all wrong.” Turning her attention to Joe, who looked at her over his shoulder, she made her intentions very clear. “I want that girl’s head on a pike in my office, Joe. Do you understand me?”

“Got it, Boss.”

Io closed the hatch and she and Dolph climbed in front, Io driving. Becky climbed in the backseat, barely getting the doors closed before Io put her foot on the gas, wildly driving through the alley way entrance and onto the quiet streets of the city.

Joe sighed, turning to look at the ten-story building behind him. She could be anywhere, and Baron had a head start.

Chapter Text

Mia slammed through the heavy glass door at the police department, not caring when it crashed against the brick wall. She was out of breath, sweating, and scared out of her mind. Doubling over, her hands on her knees, Mia gasped for air. She could still hear the audible crack of that poor man’s neck as he collapsed on the ground, and she wasn’t sure she would ever be able to close her eyes again.

“Ma’am? Are you ok?”

Looking up, Mia saw an officer rounding the large reception desk coming her way. He was taller than her, but slight, the bulk of his gear seeming to overwhelm him. His bulletproof vest gave his chest a boxy appearance as he leaned over her to make eye contact.

The name on his badge read “Gargano.” Still trying to calm her heartrate, Mia breathed through her nose, but her voice was still shrill when she responded, “I just witnessed a murder!”

Officer Gargano’s expression turned from worry to determined. “Let’s get you a glass of water. Come on, let’s sit you down over here. Can you tell me where you were?”

Mia rattled off the hotel address and began to shake when Officer Gargano grabbed his radio, calling in what she saw.

With a hand lightly touching her elbow, Gargano lead Mia through the entry way of the precinct and into a room full of desks and chairs. Even at this late hour, the place was busy. Officers and detectives moved frequently and there was a constant drone of conversation and keyboards clacking.

“Have a seat,” Officer Gargano prompted, indicating a chair next to a simple metal desk with a wooden top. “I’ll get that water for you.”

Mia didn’t even have a chance to thank him before he was gone, leaving her alone. Running a hand down her face, she sat back, trying to organize her thoughts. Why were those people in the pool house? And why did that bald-headed man hurt that short guy? Who was that fiery red head who looked through Mia? Her expression gave Mia the chills.

“Ma’am?” Officer Gargano was back, with a cup of water in hand. “When you’re ready, I need to take your statement.”

And so, he sat down at the desk, listening and taking notes, as Mia recounted her story. “I opened the door, thinking I was going to find a couple of teenagers skateboarding in the empty pool. I yelled something, I don’t even know what, at the same time I shined the flashlight inside. There were around eight to ten people there. I don’t know how many. I only saw them from the waist up, because of where I was standing.” Twisting the hem of her hoodie in her hands, Mia tried to stop her shaking. “As soon as the flashlight hit them, I heard this loud crack, and the little guy dropped like a sack of potatoes, and I think I screamed.”

Gargano allowed her pause for a moment, before prompting her again. “Then what?”

Mia shook her head. “I ran. I took off through the service hallway, through the kitchen. I could hear yelling behind me, but I didn’t look. I just kept running until I got here.”

Which explained how she looked. Sweaty, shaking, pale, she had run over fifteen blocks to get to the precinct. She didn’t even know how she remembered where it was, she’d never been inside before. It was pure instinct.

“Can I call my boss?” Mia asked.

Gargano nodded. “If you can’t remember anything else, go ahead.”

He left to give her some privacy, and Mia called Mr. Orton. A groggy voice answered the phone. “Mia? Do you know what time it is?”

She swallowed hard. “I’m sorry Mr. Orton but something happened.”

On his end of the line, she heard rustling. “Is everything ok?”

“There was a murder in the pool room. I witnessed it.” Everytime she said the words out loud, her voice broke a little bit. Mia just couldn’t wrap her head around it.

“Where are you?”

“At the police station.”

Mr. Orton was quiet a moment. “You went to the police?”

Mia shivered at his tone. Mr. Orton had been nothing but nice to her, but warning signals were going off in her brain. “I didn’t know what else to do,” she responded, her voice low and meek.

Clearing his throat, Mr. Orton continued. “Of course, you did the right thing, Mia. Tell me, what is happening right now?”

“Um,” she looked around her, watching the officers and detectives scurry around the room. “I overheard that the crime scene unit was sent to the hotel, but I don’t know anything else.”

“Stay put, I’ll be there soon to pick you up. Don’t say anything else until I arrive with a lawyer. Do you understand?”

Mia was confused. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Of course not, Mia. But the police have a way of turning things around on witnesses. I want you protected. I’ll be there shortly.” And with that, Mr. Orton hung up.

Sitting there quietly, feeling more alone that she ever had in her life, Mia wondered for the first time since meeting Mr. Orton, exactly who was her employer?

Chapter Text

Mia’s eyes drooped as Mr. Orton’s car drove through the city. The sun was finally peeking up over the horizon, casting the skyscrapers and building into a dull orange glow. She was exhausted, not so much from the long hours, but from being grilled first by the police, and then by Mr. Orton.

Upon arriving at the police station, he immediately took charge, his lawyer, a man by the name of Drake Maverick, almost clinging to his back, shadowing every move he made, but not speaking unless Mr. Orton referred to him.

It was a side of her boss that Mia had never seen before. The ultimate businessman, even in dark slacks and a turtleneck sweater, Mr. Orton was normally polite and gracious. Watching him weasel her out of answering more questions, why, she wasn’t sure, was mesmerizing and also disturbing.

Once in the car, Mr. Orton demanded she explain what happened, starting from the beginning. And she did. The trip back to the hotel was short by car, but Mia felt as if she could repeat the story in her sleep from how many times she had gone over it.

No, she didn’t recognize anyone.

No, she wasn’t sure that man was dead, but the angle of his neck wasn’t natural.

It felt to Mia, as if Mr. Orton was upset with her. But she wasn’t sure why.

Mr. Orton pulled up in front of the hotel, and Mia’s mouth dropped at the activity happening around her. Crime scene vans, police, reporters, all scurried around like ants. “Oh, wow,” she breathed.

Drake turned around to face her from the front passenger seat. “Speak to no one,” he demanded. “You know nothing, you are no one. Understand?”

Mia scrunched her nose up at him. Why was he talking to her like she was stupid? “Cameras aren’t my favorite thing.”

Mr. Orton looked at her using the rearview mirror. His voice was gentle, but there was a distinct impatience there, too. “No, Mia. Drake is right. Do not speak to anyone about what you saw, not even the police. I will set up security here at the hotel immediately. I want you safe.”

Panic set in. “But I’m security! Am I getting fired?”

“No, no. Of course not. The security is for the outside of the hotel. Inside is still your domain.”

Momentarily mollified, Mia nodded, following suit as the two men climbed out of the car. Instantly, Mr. Orton was swarmed by reporters. Standing in the middle of the parking lot, he allowed them to surround him, answering questions in a deadpan voice as Drake escorted Mia through the front doors of the RKO Hotel.

Inside the lobby, there seemed to be a command center of sorts, but Drake’s hard hand around her bicep kept her from stalling to take it all in. All but dragging her, Drake made his way to the security office.

Closing the door behind them, Drake turned to look at her. “I don’t think you quite understand what is happening.”

Mia shoved her hands in her hoodie pocket. “What I don’t get is why you are treating me like I’m oblivious to what’s going on.”

“Trust me, you are. And believe me when I say, it is better that way. Keep your head down, talk to no one, and you’ll be just fine.”

Mia huffed, and turned to face the multitude of screens on her desk. She could see people moving along the first floor and into the pool house. “How long are they going to be here?” she asked Drake.

He swiped a hand through his blonde hair, pushing it back out of his face. “A few more hours at the least. Investigations take some time.”

Mia didn’t like it. She was used to being the only one in the building and had taken to thinking of the place as hers. Having so many strangers in her home didn’t sit well with her.

A short time later, Mr. Orton arrived. There was not enough room in the office for the three of them, so he just stood in the doorway. “Mia, I have confirmed with the police that they have no reason to search anywhere other than the first floor. If you’d like, you may head to your rooms to get some rest.”

Sleep sounded perfect. “What about security?” she asked.

Pushing his long sleeves up to his elbows, Mr. Orton explained. “They will be here when the police leave. Remember, they are only to patrol the perimeter. If you ever see them inside, you are to alert me immediately.”

Mia nodded. Excusing herself, she left the room and made her way to the service elevators. Pressing the button for the 7^th floor, Mia sighed hard as the doors closed and she slumped against the wall. Just for a moment, she closed her eyes, absorbing the silence around her. She felt bone weary and confused. Something about this situation wasn’t adding up, but Mia was just too tired at that moment to put her finger on it.

The elevator doors opened, and she exited, making her way down the hallway to her room. The doors in the hotel were still lock and key. Mr. Orton intended to make the change to key card, but that was further down the list of renovations to do. Mia pulled out her key from her pocket and stuck it in the lock, confused when she turned it and didn’t hear the tell-tale sound of the door unlocking. Mildly puzzled, Mia opened the door and walked through. She must have not locked it correctly when she left for her shift downstairs.

Closing the door behind her, Mia glanced around her suite. She was standing in the foyer looking into the kitchenette and living room, framed by large windows showing the beautiful sunrise over the city. Through the living room to the left, was a door leading into her modest bedroom and bathroom.

Letting go of the breath she didn’t realize she was holding, Mia rubbed her hands over her face and tugged on the hair tie that was holding back her long black hair. Strands spilled around her face and she wrinkled her nose. She needed a shower before she laid down.

Toeing off her sneakers in the foyer, she began moving through the living room, pulling her hoodie over her head. As she reached her bedroom door, she tossed it over the arm of the couch, and stopped suddenly. When she had left for her shift, she had left the bedroom door open. In fact, she never closed it, because she lived alone. It gave her a sense of freedom and hedonistic pleasure to walk around her suite naked. If anyone in the neighboring building saw her, they got a show, and she was perfectly safe inside her rooms.

But now, the door was closed.

Mia looked around frantically, but she wasn’t sure what she was searching for. Alarm bells were going off in her head. Gripping the doorknob firmly in her hand, she slowly turned it before pushing the door open inch by inch, peering through the crack.

She couldn’t see anyone, her bed looked exactly how she had left it, messy and unmade. Taking a step inside, Mia’s eyes roved the room, searching for the cause of the knot in her stomach.

From behind the door, a large hand and forearm shot out, gripping her throat tightly. Choking, Mia began clawing at the hand, eyes watering as she was lifted up to her tip toes. A tall, bald-headed man stepped into her line of vision, clad in black slacks and a black buttoned-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

“Well, hello,” he greeted her, his tone pleasant. “I’m glad you finally arrived.”

“Who are you?” she squeaked out, nails digging into his skin. Mia had seen him before, in the pool house. He was the murderer, the one the police were looking for downstairs. His eyes were locked on her face, a sneer on his lips, and Mia knew, she wasn’t getting out of this room alive.

Chapter Text

Joe watched Orton and his lawyer leave the building from a room on the 8^th floor. He had seen them escort the woman in about an hour before and was waiting patiently for the police to head out also. He wanted no witnesses for what he had to do.

Leaning against the wall, keeping his eyes on the parking lot, Joe planned his attack. There was no reason to scare the girl, he’d get her while she was sleeping. No screaming, no mess, just an arm around her neck, maybe a few nail marks, and he’d be able to report back to The Man that everything was taken care of.

Becky demanded her head on a pike, but that was below Joe’s pay grade. He didn’t get messy and he didn’t clean up. If Becky wanted delivery, she needed to hire a new runner.

A thump below his feet drew Joe’s attention. He was directly over the girl’s room, just one room over from the stairs for a quick escape. A second noise, which sounded a lot like a whimper, had Joe pushing away from the wall with a curse. It sounded like Corbin had gotten to the girl first. He had hoped Corbin had given up when she ran to the police.

As Joe moved out of the room, he slipped on some latex gloves, grumbling to himself. Baron Corbin was deadly, but stupid as a brick. Going after the woman in broad daylight with people at every exit? Making noise? Joe would never be so careless.

Now it was up to Joe to clean up Corbin’s mess. He needed to shut them up before they drew the attention of the swarms of police downstairs. Rounding the staircase, Joe was on the 7^th floor in an instant, and inside the woman’s suite just a moment later. The sounds were coming from the open door beyond the living room, sounds Joe knew extremely well. Flesh hitting flesh had a distinct cadence, but there was no mistaking the cries and whimpers coming from the woman.

Moving through the space in a speed that belied his size, Joe entered the room to find the woman on the floor of the bedroom, on her stomach, crawling towards him. Corbin’s hand was locked around her ankle, a sadistic grin on his face, as he dragged her backwards on the carpet.

“Oh hey, Joe. Come to help?” Baron grinned, chuckling as the woman flipped over and began slapping at his chest. “Oh, come on now, honey. This isn’t so bad.”

“What the fuck are you doing, man! There are police everywhere!”

Baron’s fist slammed into the woman’s face again. “Her name is Mia. Isn’t that pretty? And she looks even prettier with her face all bruised.”

Joe’s stomach clenched and an unfamiliar feeling rolled through him. Mia was crying, hysterical, as she punched, kicked, and clawed at Corbin, trying to get away. Her eyes were swollen, the left more than the right, and every time she looked at Joe, she begged him wordlessly to help her.

It was only a moment in time, Baron’s laughter as he assaulted Mia ringing in Joe’s ears. Never in his life had he ever felt this way, conflicted and sickened by what he was watching. Joe had tortured and murdered people, but this? This time, he couldn’t do it. And Joe couldn’t waste time trying to figure out why.

Baron reached into his pocket and pulled out a switchblade. “Time for some fun, Mia,” he sang.

In one large step, Joe was next to Baron, his hand encircling Baron’s wrist. “Enough!”

Looking up at Joe, pining Mia down with his large body, Corbin sneered at him. “If you wanted a turn, all you had to do was ask.”

Joe’s head was spinning, the woman’s cries twisting his heart. “You are making too much noise, Corbin. Fun time is over. Time to end this.”

An expression looking a lot like a pout crossed Baron’s face. “Party pooper.” He looked down at Mia. “I was looking forward to your screams.”

God, Corbin talked a lot, Joe mused. “Shut up and get out. Tell Shin whatever you want, but I’ll deal with this. Got it?”

For a moment, Corbin didn’t move. Then slowly, he slid off the woman on the floor, and pulled his hand out of Joe’s vise-like grip. “I hope you make it messy, Joe. She looks like she’d make a beautiful canvas.”

Joe shoved him into the end of the bed. “Leave!”

Another dark chuckle and Corbin nodded. “Fine, fine. I’m going. Enjoy!” Clicking the switchblade shut, Baron Corbin sauntered out of the room as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Or blood on his clothes. Idiot.

Joe waited until he heard the distinctive sound of the front door close before he turned to the woman on the floor. Mia. Her name was Mia.

She was flat on her back, blood pooling from her mouth and nose, clumping her hair in knots, clothes torn, and bruises forming on her face and stomach. Her arms were above her head, where Baron had pinned them with one hand while wielding the switchblade. She looked terrified, frozen in place, tears leaking from her eyes.

He couldn’t stand looking at her anymore, the pain in her eyes was too much for him to handle. Without a word spoken between the two of them, Joe turned and left the room, made his way out into the hallway, down the stairs, and out the back door to the alley.

She could figure out what to do from there.

Chapter Text

Grimacing into the mirror, Mia dabbed at the cut under her eye with a towel. Exhaustion beat at her battered body, and every move sent lightning bolts of pain through her nerves. Mr. Orton was in her living room talking to his security team, and the voices were giving her a headache. She had called him as soon as that Joe guy left, unsure if she should have gone to the police or not. Or to the hospital for that matter.

He assured her there was no need, and that he would return to the hotel immediately with security. At first, she had felt relieved, but upon opening her door and finding the three very large thug-looking men behind Mr. Orton, she wasn’t so sure.

Mia had escaped into her bathroom, citing the need for a shower, while the men discussed safety protocol. Now, as she smeared antiseptic on her cuts, she could hear laughter and back slapping. It didn’t seem like they were taking this seriously at all.

Deciding she needed to stop hiding, Mia stepped out and joined the four men in the living room.

“You look better, darlin’,” the man with long brown hair greeted her. His name was AJ Styles, and while he was the shorter one of the group, he was clearly the ringleader. Luke Gallows was to his right, looming over everyone with his long, pointy goatee, and Karl Anderson was to AJ’s left, bald with a short goatee.

Mia gave him a weak smile and curled up on her couch, legs tucked against her chest. Her wet hair was piled up on her head and she was in sweats and a hoodie.

“You should ice that,” Anderson piped up, pointing at her face like she had no idea how it looked.

“Thanks,” she muttered.

Mr. Orton crossed his arms over his chest. “Mia, these three gentlemen will be here in rotations. AJ will be here during the day, and Gallows and Anderson will be here at night. Originally, they were just supposed to keep an eye on the outside, but after your attack, I think it’s best they patrol inside also.”

Frowning, Mia watched Mr. Orton instruct the men on what to do. Your attack. The words rung in her ears leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.  Mr. Orton was adamant that she not go to the police and file a report, and as each hour went on, she grew more and more suspicious of her boss.

What exactly did she get herself into?

“Get some rest, little lady,” AJ drawled at her, sending a smile her way that she guessed was supposed to be comforting, but just creeped her out. “Our cell numbers are on a card on your table, call if you need anything.”

Nodding, watching as the three men left the room, Mia made a promise to herself. There was no way in Hell she would ever call those goons for anything.

Mr. Orton sighed. “This whole situation has become very messy, Mia. I need you to keep your head on your shoulders. You are a capable young woman, but I need this place protected. I have too much invested in it to see it go down the tube because of one tiny incident.”

Biting her inner lip hard, Mia quelled herself. He called a murder a tiny incident? He obviously wasn’t concerned about her getting beaten up. “Things will be back on track in no time, Mr. Orton. I’m sure of it.”

He gave a short nod. “I’m heading to my office. If something happens, your first call should be to AJ. He’s in charge.”

With that, Mr. Orton left her suite, closing the door with a click behind him. Leaping off the couch, ignoring the pain that radiated through her ribs, Mia rushed to the door, flicking the deadbolt locked. She pressed her forehead against the wood, trying to stem the long overdue tears that wanted to well up. Crying solved nothing, a lesson she had learned long ago. It wouldn’t get her fed or clothed, wouldn’t provide a place to live. It was a weakness she had no time for.

Turning, she made her way into her bedroom, leaving the door wide open. There would be no more surprises. If they were going to come for her, Mia wanted to see them coming.

Chapter Text

Joe walked into the restaurant with confidence and a sneer on his face. Nevermind the fact that he hadn’t been able to sleep, images of Mia, broken and bloody, haunting his dreams. He never dreamed, never had nightmares. He slept like a baby, unconcerned with the repercussions of his actions. Not this time.

Becky and Io sat in a round booth, eating food Joe couldn’t identify. This mash up of Irish and Japanese cuisine was a hit in the neighborhood but made no sense to Joe.

Dolph stood to the side, white suit with a pink shirt making him look like an 80’s prom reject. Joe grinned at him as he came to a stop at the table. “Did you get stood up?”

Dolph rolled his eyes. “Just because you walk around in jeans and a t-shirt looking like a slob, doesn’t mean the rest of us have to lower ourselves that far.”

Joe chuckled. “Consider me chastised.” If there was one role Joe knew how to play, it was cocky. And Dolph brought out the worst tendencies in him.

“Enough,” Becky snapped. Glaring at the two of them, she put her fork down on the napkin beside her plate. “Did you get it done?” she asked Joe.

He shrugged. “I let Corbin handle it. Looked like he had it all under control when I got there.”

“I told you I wanted her head,” she growled.

Spreading his hands out to the side, he shot back. “You don’t pay me for delivery. Or clean up. That’s what Gable was for, and now you are shorthanded.”

Becky leaned back, her hair pooling around her shoulders. She was a shrewd boss, able to look at situations from every angle and always managed to come out on top. “Fair. How sure are you Corbin didn’t screw up?”

“If he screwed up, it’s on him and Shin. The girl saw him wrangle Gable, and he’s the one that attacked her. Corbin had his hands full last night.”

Io spoke up from beside Becky. “Keep an eye on the girl.”

Becky nodded. “She could be a problem. And while you may be right about her pointing at Shin, eventually questions will be asked as to why he and those idiots were there in the first place, and that might come back around on us. I want you to make sure the job is done, Joe. If she even walks towards the street the police station is on, you take her out.”

Leaning against the back of the booth, Dolph grinned at Joe. “Big bad Samoa Joe has been regulated to babysitting duty.”

“I’ll take babysitting duty over gossiping like an old woman. Don’t you have a hair appointment to get to?”

As Joe turned to walk away, he saw Dolph reach up to touch his bleach blonde hair. Joe grinned, stopping short when Becky called out to him.

“I need resolution on this Joe. Don’t cause me any sleepless nights.”

He waved at her over his shoulder. Yeah, sleepless nights seemed to be going around.

Chapter Text

Three days. Joe watched her for three days. It wasn’t hard. She rarely left the building, only going from her room to the security office and back again twelve hours later. A friend of his had snuck in and hacked into the cameras, so as she moved around, he could keep an eye on her on an iPad. Somehow, he felt better seeing what she saw everyday rather than flying blind.

Her life was pretty mundane, she never cooked, always ordered in, took extremely long showers, and watched too much TV.

But from his perch in the apartment building across from the RKO Hotel, Joe could also catch glimpses of Mia though open windows. And those open windows told Joe more than anything else.

Those long showers she loved to take always ended with her dancing through her room naked as the day she was born.

The first time it happened, Joe’s mouth dropped open and he immediately looked away, thinking there was no way she knew her curtains were open. Until he realized she had no curtains, and she spent fifteen minutes eating a bowl of cereal leaning against the window, watching traffic drive by, without a stitch of clothing on and her hair in a towel.

It told Joe that she thought she was safe, even with AJ and his boys roaming around, she felt secure enough to be vulnerable. While his cock stirred everytime he saw her, clothed or otherwise, Joe’s main concern was protecting her from herself, and everyone else.

It was a role he was unfamiliar with.

Becky’s threats weren’t idle. Eventually, Joe was going to have to kill this woman, and that didn’t sit well with him at all. There was something about the free spirit in the RKO Hotel that called to him, and it disgruntled him that he couldn’t approach her as a man.

He was an assassin. A ghost. His job was to erase mistakes, take out obstacles, not drool over naked women in windows.

Sighing, Joe leaned back in the chair he had moved from the living room into the bedroom. The owners were gone, on vacation for two weeks. The apartment was decorated nicely, but he barely noticed. If Joe wasn’t glued to his binoculars, he was pacing the floor watching the cameras for any disturbances. Shin would find out soon enough that Corbin hadn’t finished the job, and when Corbin pointed at Joe, all Hell would break loose. Becky would call for another hit, and it would be Joe with a target on his back.

Rubbing his hands over his face and then through his hair, Joe let out an exasperated sigh. He should never have stopped Corbin. If he had done his job, or if Joe would have done his, everyone could have moved on with no issues. A new place to make the deal would have been chosen, Dolph would have arranged the money transfer, and they all would be swimming in cash.

But no. Joe had a sudden attack of conscience, something that had never happened to him in his life, and now he was spinning his wheels. Stuck between wanting something good in his life and wanting things to go back to normal.

Sudden movement across the street caught Joe’s attention and he bolted up right, raising the binoculars to his eyes. Gallows and Anderson, who had previously just been milling around in front of the hotel, darted inside, almost smashing into each other trying to fit through the glass revolving door.

It was almost midnight, the streetlamps were on, and the street was quiet. Joe could see no reason why the duo would have panicked like they did.

Unless something was wrong inside the hotel.

Unless Mia was in trouble.

Joe jerked up to his feet, knocking the chair over behind him. He was out the door and rocketing down the stairs before he knew what he was doing. All he knew was, he had to get to Mia.

Chapter Text

Boredom drummed at Mia’s nerves. Slouched in her office chair, head tilted back and mouth open, she groaned as her brain searched for stimulation. The cameras were quiet, the Dumbass Duo were out front playing some sort of slap game to pass the time, and Mia was absolutely sure that if she sat in that room a moment longer, she was going to go insane.

Her mind kept drifting back to the man called Joe, as it had many times over the last few days. His eyes haunted her, conflicted and confused. While being pinned under Corbin’s massive body had given her nightmares, Joe’s fierceness calmed her. The way he handled Corbin, coaxing the man off and away from her, gave Mia shivers. Like a lion stalking prey, Joe had locked eyes with Corbin and never backed down.

What did it say about Mia that she was dreaming about an assassin? And falling for a man she’d only seen twice and had never spoken to? Without a doubt, Mia had some kind of Knight in Shining Armor Syndrome, falling for a rescuer that could and would kill her in a nano second.

With a grunt of frustration, she stood up, stretching her still sore muscles with a long exaggerated groan. Mia hated to admit it, but after the excitement and terror of a few nights ago, her job just wasn’t the same. Before, she had no issues with sitting still watching YouTube or Netflix for hours, but nothing had caught her attention since. Everything felt so unfulfilling and dull.

Not that she wanted to watch a man get snuffed everyday, but still.

Checking the computer clock and seeing it was nearing midnight, Mia decided to take a stroll. Mr. Orton had been very strict when he told her she was not to leave the office for anything other than bathroom breaks, but he wasn’t here, and the goons were outside. No one would know. Maybe after a short walk, she’d be able to make it through the rest of the shift.

Stepping out of the office, she looked both ways down the hallway. Both directions looked the same, unpainted plaster on the walls, concrete floors that needed carpet, buckets, ladders, and clear tarps lining the halls. To the right was the massive laundry room for housekeeping, and to the left the hall lead past the boiler room, a small room for ice and vending, and the back office for reception.

She had seen everything to the right, that was on her way back to the stairs and elevator, so Mia decided to take a peek inside the boiler room.

Opening the door, she found a large cavernous room filled with machinery and tools. It was impossibly loud, and Mia wrinkled her nose and stepped out, closing the door. She had no interest in any of that, and the noise alone jolted her sleepy brain.

The next door was to housekeeping and the laundry room. It didn’t look like much at first, but Mia stepped in, mentally placing the absent washers and dryers as she strolled around the room. Paint was on the walls, an eggshell cream color, electrical was completed, and she assumed plumbing, although she couldn’t see it. The floors were still bare, concrete like the rest of the first floor, and as she made her way across the room, her footsteps echoed against the walls.

A few steps away from the back wall, the echoes stopped as the floor suddenly changed into plywood under her feet, and felt very unstable. Moving back, Mia’s eye roved the space, seeing a subtle change. Someone had painted plywood the same color as the concrete, which was a little odd. At first, Mia tried to apply logic to the situation. Maybe a bulk of the plumbing was under that piece of wood. Maybe there was a hole there, and they needed to fill it with concrete, but put the plywood there for safety until they could complete the project.

Maybe something was under the board.

The last thought dug at Mia’s brain and her curiosity won out. What harm would it do to just look? Crouching down, she slid her fingers around the edge of the wood, finding that it was loose except for a thick industrial sized wire bolting it to the floor on one end. With minimal effort, she lifted, and drug the plywood to the side, revealing a large hole, with a steep, rickety staircase leading down into darkness.

Confused and intrigued, Mia pulled out her phone and turned the flashlight on, illuminating the wooden stairs. Before she could stop herself, she began making her way down, taking each step slowly. Her flashlight leading the way, Mia panned her phone around as she reached the bottom, finding a concrete room large enough to swallow the conference area on the second floor. Pillars dotted the space, breaking up her line of sight, and on the wall to her right was a light switch. Dull lights flared to life showing large items of different shapes covered in beige cloths lined the walls, and Mia found herself drawn forward into the room.

A few plastic chairs were scattered about, as if forgotten. Turning off the flashlight, she tucked her phone in her back pocket. Mia wondered what the space was used for. Storage was the obvious answer, but it just didn’t sit right with her. Something felt off.

Approaching a huge round item leaning against the wall, she gripped the cloth in her hand and pulled it off, revealing a wheel dotted with red and black. Blinking rapidly, she found herself staring at a roulette wheel, and her mouth dropped open.

Quickly turning on her heel, she moved to the next bulky item, yanking the tarp off almost in a panic. She had unveiled a craps table, dust billowing in the air and stinging her eyes.

Spinning in a circle, she looked at the basement with new eyes. It wasn’t storage. It was a gambling den. Or would be, once it was set up.

“Hey!”

The voice tossed her heart into her throat and Mia whirled around, finding Gallows and Anderson at the bottom of the staircase, glaring at her.

“I—” she stuttered but didn’t get to finish. Anderson was on her, his hands gripping her biceps, looming over her.

“You have really fucked up this time, Mia.” He looked over his shoulder at Gallows. “Call Orton and AJ.”

Gallows nodded and took his phone out of his pocket, raising it to his ear to make the call.

Anderson shoved Mia towards a chair. “Sit. Don’t move.”

Stumbling, Mia fell onto the chair, gasping as pain sliced through her body. Righting herself, she grasped Anderson’s wrist as he moved past her towards Gallows. “Orton? What does he have to do with this?”

Anderson sneered at her. “You can’t be that stupid. It’s his hotel, Mia. You think he doesn’t know what’s down here?” He cuffed her hard on the side of her head, leaving her ears ringing and her hair in her face.

Watching Anderson stomp off, Mia bit her lip. No, she wasn’t that stupid, she had put two and two together as soon as she saw the craps table. Having Anderson confirm her suspicions made her stomach knot up in anxiety. Mia knew this hotel from top to bottom, now more than ever. There were no plans on the blueprints for a casino, and even so, the city had strict gambling laws regulated by the state’s gaming commission. The RKO Hotel was not being publicized as a casino hotel. It was a luxury hotel.

Mr. Orton was running an illegal gambling operation.

First a murder and now illegal gambling? Mia gritted her teeth together. Her life hadn’t been the same since she answered Mr. Orton’s ad, and now, she wondered exactly what part he intended for her to play in this whole ordeal.

Chapter Text

Standing in the laundry room of the hotel after following Gallows and Anderson, Joe stared at the stairs leading into a dim abyss. Catching glimpses of Gallows, his back to Joe, he tried to figure out his plan.

Joe had no idea where Mia was, but he knew she was down there. Anderson kept complaining that AJ and Orton were taking too long, and they weren’t sure what to do with her. Dealing with the two big men wouldn’t be a problem, Joe could take them out in a fraction of a second if they came at him one by one. Deciding that was in his best interest, Joe moved to the top of stairs to draw one of them out.

“Yo! Gallows! Orton sent me!”

Gallows whirled around and thundered up the steps, his face furrowed in ferocity. “Who are you trying to bullshit? Orton wouldn’t send—”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence. Just as Gallows reached the top, Joe swung to the side, narrowly missing the big man’s trajectory. Snagging his arm around Gallows’ neck, Joe fell backwards onto the concrete floor, dragging Gallows’ body with him. Keeping his arm around the neck, Joe wrapped his legs around Gallows’ midsection, effectively strangling him in two places.

Gurgling sounds from the big man almost masked Anderson running to save his friend, but at the last second Joe released Gallows, tripped Anderson, and applied the same hold.

Gallows gasped for air, coughing and hacking. Joe ignored him, he’d be down for at least another minute or two. Leaning in to whisper into Anderson’s ear, Joe kept his voice steady. “I want to be very clear here. If you come near Mia again, something very bad is going to happen to you. It will feel a lot like this, my arm, wrapped around your throat. Only, next time, there will be no warning. Take this for what it is, Karl,” Joe squeezed his legs just a little tighter, relishing in the gasp of air Anderson tried but failed to inhale. “And next time, I won’t stop. I will end you.”

Movement from his right caught his eye, and he glanced over to see Mia’s horrified expression. She had crested the steps, her eyes roving over the three men on the ground. She was dressed in a simple pair of jeans and boots, with a t-shirt and zip up hoodie.

And immediately flashes of her naked body flashed in Joe’s mind.

He released Anderson’s body like it had burned him and rolled to his feet. Between the gasping and dry heaving coming from the idiots on the floor, Joe felt as if he really couldn’t say much to the woman standing in front of him.

So, he did the only thing he could think of.

He held out his hand to her.

And waited.

Chapter Text

Mia didn’t even hesitate. She grabbed Joe’s hand and let him lead her out of the hotel and onto the street. She followed silently, keeping up with his quick pace by running every couple of steps. His strides were long and determined, his hand warm, as they made their way down the side of the building and then across the street.

After a few tense minutes, Joe came to an abrupt halt next to a brick building with an emergency exit door that opened right up onto the street. Without a word, he pulled the door open and began climbing the stairs, never letting Mia’s hand go and never looking back at her.

The climb felt like it took forever, and Mia’s legs were starting to scream when he slammed through another door, revealing a carpeted hallway and more doors. These had numbers on them, and Mia tried to recall if there was another hotel nearby she didn’t know about.

Joe stopped and pushed open a door labeled 816, revealing a nicely decorated apartment. She followed him inside, watching as he closed and locked the door.

“Stay away from the windows,” he told her, moving swiftly to flick the curtains closed. He was adept and shrewd in how he dealt with things, and Mia, even in the tense situation, appreciated that.

Clearly her throat, Mia shoved her hands in her pocket. “Is this your place?”

He began rummaging around in a duffle bag on a chair, not looking at her. “No. I borrowed it.”

Looking around she asked, “How long have you been borrowing it?”

“Three days,” he muttered.

For some reason, that made her smirk. The idea that this man broke into a person’s apartment should have horrified her, but it didn’t. She’d need to analyze that later.

“So,” she continued. “Did you come to finish the job?”

Joe’s head jerked up to look at her. “No. Although if I was a smart man, I would.”

They were staring at each other, Mia looking for answers and Joe wishing he had answers to provide. “I don’t know, the way you handled Corbin, I thought that was pretty smart.”

Joe’s eyes roved her body, as if he could see all the bruises she hid under her clothes. The ones on her face were obvious, but something told him she was wearing those with pride. He tried to ignore her shiver at his gaze, not foolish enough to believe she actually welcomed it. “It shouldn’t have gone down that way. And since Corbin didn’t do his job, you are in even more danger.”

Mia bit her lip, squirming under Joe’s intense stare. His focus was absolute, and it made her heart speed up and her panties dampen. “Can you please tell me what is going on? I feel like I’m missing puzzle pieces.”

Indicating that she should sit on the couch behind her, he moved the duffle bag and sat in the chair. “What you witnessed in the pool house was a tense deal between two up and coming factions in the city. Orton, your boss, is what we call a middleman. He provides locations for hand-offs, deals, and meetings, for a price.”

Her eyes narrowed with worry. “Did I cause that guy to die?”

“Gable?” Joe shook his head. “No. I have a suspicion we weren’t going to make it out of there without a fight. If anything, you provided a distraction.”

“I think Mr. Orton is opening a gambling den in the hotel,” Mia blurted out.

Joe sat back, shocked, but not surprised. “So, he’s branching out. That’s going to ruffle some feathers. Listen, Mia,” he moved across the living room to sit next to her on the couch. “This is very serious. Corbin doesn’t know you are alive. And it appears you’ve discovered something Orton wanted to hide. He was your only saving grace, the only reason you aren’t already in a ditch somewhere.”

Mia flinched at the visual, but Joe kept going. He wasn’t going to sugar coat this.

“Orton is going to go to Shinsuke and Corbin now, because Gallows and Anderson are going to tell him he can’t trust Becky. Becky is going to be pissed when she finds out I’ve helped you, so I’ve got to lay low for a while.”

“She didn’t know about any of this?”

Joe gave a little shrug. “I was tasked with watching you to make sure you didn’t go to the police. And if you did, well, you know.”

He almost seemed ashamed, which Mia found weird. He was such a self-assured man, anyone could see that. “So, what changed your mind? I’m supposed to be dead, by your hands. Why am I not?”

Looking down at said hands, Joe clenched them into fists. “Mia, if I knew that, I’d feel a lot better about what’s going on. But right now, I have no idea.”

Confused and feeling drawn to the stranger sitting next to her, she ran a hand through her hair. “What now?”

“Now,” Joe replied as he heaved himself to his feet. “I’m taking you to the police station and you are going to get witness protection.”

Mia scrunched her nose. “Doesn’t that mean I have to testify?”

He looked down at her. “Not you. Me.”

Mia bolted to her feet. “Joe, no!”

Whirling around to face her, he struggled to keep his voice low. “I have more to offer them. I can give them both crews and Orton. I witnessed the murder too, Corbin is a lock. There is no reason you need to be involved in that. I can keep myself safe, but I need you somewhere where they can’t touch you.”

She stared at him. “Why do you care?”

Grunting with frustration, Joe turned away. “I just do. That’s all there is to it.”

Watching as he escaped into the kitchen, Mia shook her head. Joe was a conundrum of personality traits, and he seemed as if he was warring with himself. He seemed intent on falling on the sword of testifying, but if they could both do it, that was better, right?

Through the white lacy curtains, the dark street beckoned. Mia moved to the window, using her forefinger to move the cloth to the side just enough for her to peer out. The RKO Hotel, her home, was directly across the four-lane street. The glass windows were bathed a soft orange color from the streetlamps and a light rain was beginning to fall.

From her vantage point, Mia counted the floors until she reached hers, the moon casting enough of a glow through the clouds to illuminate into her rooms.

And she smirked.

“Hey Joe?” She heard him grunt acknowledgment from the kitchen, cabinets opening and closing. “How long did you say you’ve been in this apartment?”

“Three days,” he called.

Turning her head, she saw him enter the living room with a grocery bag. His mouth opened to chastised her about the curtains, but she beat him to it. “See anything interesting?”

Snapping his mouth shut, Joe took a step forward. “A lot.”

Knowing Joe saw her, knowing he watched for days as she walked around naked in her apartment, sent a shiver of awareness down her back. “What did you learn?”

Crossing the carpet, he stopped in front of her. Joe and Mia stared at each other, intense versus playful, until Joe broke the stare to thrust the grocery bag into her arms.

“Oof!” she grunted, not expecting the move.

“I learned you don’t eat enough, and you need to take cooking classes.”

Mia watched him grab his duffle bag, and she stuck her tongue out at his back. “It’s sad and pathetic if that’s all you learned.”

Joe ignored her comment. “Let’s go. The faster I get you to the police station, the better.”

Following along behind him, Mia grinned. “Trying to get rid of me, huh?”

Leading the way to the stairs, Joe sniped. “You have no idea.”

Chapter Text

Joe wished it wasn’t raining. Mia was pacing along beside him, the hood of her sweatshirt pulled over her head, hiding her hair and her face. He had no idea what she was thinking, and they couldn’t really talk without getting pelted in the face with rain.

Was she scared? Nervous? Mad?

Mia had just learned Joe had been spying on her for days, but she hadn’t seemed upset, which Joe thought was a fluke. Or she was a good liar. And now, he was gearing them up to be interrogated by the police, a decision he made without consulting her.

She seemed content to go along with whatever he decided. She’d instantly put her trust in him as soon as he got her away from Gallows and Anderson. Sure, she pointed out that he was an assassin, but she didn’t seem bothered when he couldn’t tell her why he didn’t go through with it. Mia confused him like no one ever had before.

Trying to wrap his brain around what was going on, and how Mia made him feel, Joe almost missed the entrance to the police station. Catching himself, he blocked Mia’s progress with his arm, causing her to come to a halt next to him.

Joe turned to look at her. Her hood framed her face perfectly, making her eyes seem larger. But it was the moisture on her lips from the rain that caused the hitch in his breath. Joe would have died a happy man to kiss her in that moment.

“Look,” he said to her. “I don’t know exactly what is about to happen. I may not see you after the cops interview me. So, I want you to have my phone number in case you need anything.”

Mia’s lips quirked up. “Funny way of asking for my number, Joe.”

God, she had a way of disarming him. He rolled his eyes. “I didn’t say I wanted your number.”

“Mmhmm,” she responded, her eyes full of laughter. She pulled out her phone and began typing as he recited his phone number.

“Use it like an insurance policy,” he told her.

“Samoa Joe. Fancy seeing you here.”

The voice came from behind him, but Joe’s blood ran cold. He knew that voice, and Joe was pissed he let her get the jump on him. Turning, he saw a black Dodge Charger parked in front of the station, and Shayna Baszler, Shin’s second in command, leaning against it.

Immediately, Joe used his arm to push Mia behind him, shielding her with his large body. Shayna grinned at the move, her arms crossed over her chest, clad in a black leather jacket and black jeans. Her boots were crossed at the ankles, and her many chains on her belt loops clacked together when she shifted.

“Shayna,” Joe acknowledged, his eyes locked on her every move. She was bold, uncaring who was in her line of fire once she picked a target. Cruel and cold-blooded, Shayna was a smart woman with a skill for tracking unlike anyone Joe had ever seen.

Behind him, he felt Mia peering over his shoulder, her lips pressed against his shirt. The heat of her mouth made all of his blood rush south in a moment when he really needed to concentrate. But what almost made him come undone was when she wrapped her finger around his pinky.

Mia was trusting him to protect her from whatever threat Shayna posed, and she was following his lead. “Who is she?” Mia whispered.

Joe couldn’t answer her, not directly. But he found that he wanted her to have some type of information, to be prepared. “Did Shin send you?” Mia’s finger tightened around his.

Shayna chuckled. Even though Joe and Mia were drenched from the rain, Shayna seemed to defy physics, as if even the rain was terrified to touch her. “Word got around rather quickly that our little pet was alive and well. I had to see for myself.”

If that was true, she was right. The rumor mill was working overtime if after only an hour or two, Shinsuke was aware Mia was alive. And Shayna had found them that quickly. It wasn’t a huge leap to figure out Mia would go to the cops, but for Shayna to be waiting as if without a care in the world, had Joe filled with dread.

“Imagine my surprise, Joe, and I’m sure The Man’s too when she finds out, that it was you escorting her to the police station.” Another smirk crossed her face and she pushed off the car and stood up straight. “Do you need a reminder regarding your job description?”

Trying to frantically figure a way out of the situation, Joe tilted his chin up, glaring at Shayna. “I think it’s time you stopped questioning me and my motives and come to terms with the fact that I found her first, and Shin’s golden boy, Corbin, needs a little reeducation. I’ll deal with this one, and the police, while you deal with that bumbling dumbass the way you should have years ago when he began climbing the ladder a little too quickly.”

Shayna snorted. “I hope I’m there the day The Man decides your mouth has run for too long and finally gives the order to shut it up. For good.”

Joe squeezed Mia’s hand. “Go inside. Now.” He whispered to her before resuming his conversation. He heard Mia scamper off, and the door squeak open and close, and he felt himself breathe for the first time in five minutes. “When that day comes, and it may be really soon, it wouldn’t be you who gets the privilege. You don’t have the skill to take me out, Shayna. Neither does Corbin.”

As cocky as ever, Shayna rounded the back of the car, heading to the driver’s side. “That may be true, but I just need one shot to get lucky.”

Watching her drive away, the rain pouring down his face, Joe once again cursed his sudden conscience where Mia was concerned. He needed to figure out what hold she had over him. Not that it mattered much now. With one pleading look, she had changed Joe’s life, and set him on a path he could never come back from.

Chapter Text

The interrogation room was nothing more than a small room with no windows, one door, four chairs, and a metal table. Upon entering the police station, he was greeted by getting his face pressed against a wall and cuffs slapped on his wrists.

The whole time, Mia was yelling, and when he looked to find her, he saw her being held back by two cops, her arms outstretched towards him. “Stop! He helped me! You said he wasn’t going to be arrested! You promised!”

Her cries, as they had days ago, tore at his chest, and Joe couldn’t help but reassure her, even as he was dragged down the hallway. “Mia, it’s fine. Mia! Do what they tell you, you’ll be ok!”

Rubbing his sore wrists, Joe glanced at the man and woman sitting across the table from him. Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Stephanie McMahon. Hunter was the Chief of Police, and apparently Joe was important enough to be interviewed by him instead of one of the detectives. Stephanie was the District Attorney. She had been working to bring down Shin and Becky’s crews for a long time. Joe was the catalyst, and it appeared she wanted to be there in person as it all went down.

The two were married and brought a whole different meaning to power couple.

“Mia ok?” Joe asked. It was a compulsion. He had to know it. And he wasn’t going to talk until they answered him.

Hunter was dressed in his uniform, black pants and white shirt, decorated with the many badges and awards he’d received over the years. His poker face was second to none, but Joe could match him, except when it came to Mia. That girl had wormed under his skin, and at this point, Joe didn’t care who knew it, either. He wasn’t doing this without certain assurances.

Hunter nodded, leaning back in his chair. “She’s with our officers. Tell me, why did you bring her here?”

“She needs protection, and I’m probably not the right person to provide that.”

Stephanie snorted, which Joe didn’t think was very professional of her. She slid a folder across the tabletop, flipping it open to reveal pictures of Gable’s body. Someone, probably Dolph, had tried to sink him, but had failed miserably. It wasn’t pretty.

“Start explaining, Joe. I suspect we weren’t supposed to find him, let alone find out what happened that night at the hotel. Yet, Mia happened, and now, here you are at the station, escorting her and making demands.”

Joe’s head cocked up. “About those demands. I’m not talking until I get it in writing.”

It was Hunter’s turn to snort. “Not until you start spilling. Then we’ll see if your information is worth witness protection.”

The jangle of the handcuffs on Joe’s wrists were starting to annoy him, as was this round about conversation. “Any information is worth Mia’s protection,” he growled. “I know everything about both crews, and a little morsel you may want to keep an eye on. But you get none of it without a signed agreement.”

Stephanie looked at Hunter, then back at Joe. “The witness protection isn’t for you?”

He grumbled, mocking Hunter and leaning back in his chair. “I can take care of myself. But I’m not going to testify if you are going to arrest me.” It was a bluff, and Joe hoped Hunter’s poker face was too. For Mia, he would do anything they wanted.

Which was the whole crux of the problem.

After a tense moment, Stephanie nodded. “Make your list and we’ll sign it.”

As Joe rattled off everything he could think of, he watched Hunter’s face. The Chief of Police knew he had a major player in his midst, but his hands were tied, making him tense. If Joe was a betting man, he’d wager neither Hunter nor Stephanie liked being out of control. But the lure of taking down two major crime syndicates, with a possible emerging third, was too much to resist. As Joe knew it would be.

Better Joe testify than Mia. He wanted everyone to forget she existed, for her to pose zero threat to anyone. And the only way he could do that was to become the bigger problem, to make himself the target to take out.

Stephanie finished writing with a flourish of her pen, aggressively dotting an “I” before allowing Joe to review what she wrote. It was verbatim, everything he had listed out loud.

Looking up, he indicated the pen. “You two sign first.” Joe may be all muscle, but he had more brains than most.

A hard sigh and an eye roll later, the couple signed Joe’s lists of demands. With a slight smile, Joe followed suit, and then leaned against the table, his hands and handcuffs clattering against the metal. “Here’s what you need to know…”

Chapter Text

Mia was having déjà vu, except this time, her surroundings were different. The boredom was the same. She’d been stuck inside the safe house for a week, alone and ready to bounce off the walls. The house was nicer than she expected, two-story with two bedrooms, a reasonable sized kitchen and a bathtub with spa jets in the master bedroom.

But none of that compared to the worry she felt for Joe. Samoa Joe, she had heard him called. The plain clothes officer that brought her dinner every night begrudgingly told her he was a very lethal man, cunning and skilled with his hands.

Which lead Mia to have very vibrant dreams of what he could do with those hands.

There was no getting around it, Mia mused as she laid upside down on the couch. She was attracted to an enforcer for the mafia. Peering around the room, her hair falling to the floor, Mia decided she didn’t care how ill-advised it was. Joe had put her needs and safety first, time and time again, and that was something new and exciting to Mia. She felt cared for, special, in a way she wasn’t expecting. Never did he treat her as stupid, he laid out all the information to her, and acted based on his knowledge and skill. And he was fucking sexy. Not traditionally handsome, Joe’s intenseness, his drive, made Mia’s veins sing when he was nearby.

Apparently, she had a thing for bad boys.

No one would tell her where he was, or what happened after they dragged him away in the police station. Officer Gargano had appeared and led her back into the bullpen to process a bunch of paperwork for witness protection. It ruffled her feathers, being left in the dark. Everyone she met just gave her condescending smile with a pat on the shoulder and reassured her everything was being taken care of.

When she asked how long she had to stay hidden, there were a lot of side eyes, and a mutter about until the trial. God knew how long that would take.

Not that she wanted to be roaming the streets being a potential target, but she couldn’t work, and she couldn’t leave the house. Which left VHS tapes and puzzles, as there was no internet in the house. Safety first, she was told. The least they could have done was set her up with a Blu-Ray player. She’d begged for books and magazines, and all she’d received was How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and Better Homes and Garden. Not exactly what she had in mind.

Doing a clumsy somersault, she rolled off the couch and onto the floor. Flipping her hair back and out of her face, she stood, wandering over to the window at the front of the house. It was almost nine, streetlamps on, and Mia spotted the officer across the street in an unmarked car, keeping an eye on the house. Joe’s warning to stay away from windows echoed in her head, so she moved away.

Not knowing if he was ok was driving Mia crazy. How had she become so attached to him? It was ridiculous, but it felt so strong. There were no warning bells in her head, despite his occupation and employer. All Mia knew was, she wanted him safe, and nearby. Unreasonable, maybe, considering the two conversations they’d had and the company he kept.

Opening the fridge and peering inside, Mia sighed. She had to find a way to entertain herself. Worrying about Joe was not productive. Maybe she’d take up crochet.

A sound to her left had her head snapping up and a gasp stuck in her throat. Two men stood side by side, one bald with a handlebar mustache, the other with a large grin on his face and dirty blonde hair. She vaguely recognized them.

“So, you’re Mia.”

“I don’t know what the hubbub is about, Dash. She doesn’t look too special.”

Mia’s heart thundered in her chest, her mind spinning. In her mind’s eye, she saw the RKO Hotel, and their faces peering at her from the empty pool. They were part of Shin’s crew, and they had found her. How could she let the officer outside know someone was in the house? Her eyes darted around the room, landing on her phone on the side table next to the hallway leading towards a bedroom and downstairs bath.

“Corbin made her sound heavenly. I admit to being disappointed,” the one called Dash mused.

At Corbin’s name, Mia’s fight or flight instinct kicked in. Slamming the fridge door shut, she darted through the kitchen, snatching the phone off the table as she rounded the corner.

“Dawson! Grab her!”

Mia’s shoulder slammed into the wall, but she ignored the pain slicing through her arm as she rocketed towards the bathroom.

Her foot was hooked, and she was slammed down face first, the phone falling out of her hand and scattering across the wood floor, out of reach. A body crawled on top of her, fists landing in her ribs over and over.

“Dash, hold her down!”

Mia was flipped over face up, Dash climbing over her to hold her wrists together as Dawson stood over her. Crouching low, he peered into her face, his expression twisted with adrenaline.  “This isn’t time to play hide and seek, Mia.”

She struggled against Dash’s hold, but his grip was firm. Above her, Dawson cocked his arm back and slammed it into her face repeatedly, splitting her lip and reopening the cut under her eye from Corbin.

She wanted to scream, but there was no air in her lungs. Every hit had her gasping, struggling to mentally orient herself. Dash was egging Dawson on, cheering when his partner adding knee strikes to Mia’s ribs.

Rocked, confused, and scared, Mia instinctually tried to curl into a ball when Dawson aimed a well-timed punch to her stomach. Her body jerked so hard that she yanked Dash forward, causing him to land on Dawson, and knock heads.

“Ow!” one of them yelled, Mia didn’t know which one. It didn’t matter. In that moment, Dawson shifted off of her to rub at his head, and she scrambled to her hands and knees, grabbed the phone, and ran to the bathroom.

Slamming the door shut and locking it, Mia began sobbing. She could hear the men cursing on the other side of the door. Fumbling with the phone, she called the only person she could think of.

Joe.

It rang only once before he picked it up. “Mia? What’s wrong?”

His voice swept over her and she closed her eyes, climbing into the shower stall and wrapping her arms around her knees. Gasping with sobs, she screamed when a loud thud hit the door. “They found me!”

“Fuck!” Joe yelled. “I don’t know where you are, Mia!”

Keeping her eyes screwed shut, she braced her head against her arms, jolting every time Dash or Dawson hit the bathroom door. Her head was spinning, and blood was dripping into her eyes. Her whole body hurt, and she just wanted to rest. She was so tired, bone weary and terrified.

“Mia, isn’t there someone with you? A cop? Can you get ahold of him?”

Joe’s frantic voice pulled her back from the beckoning darkness that edged around her vision. “Yes, he’s outside.”

“Call him!” Joe roared.

Without really meaning too, she hung up on Joe and began frantically scrolling through her phone for the cop’s number. Finally finding it, she hit Call just as Dawson came crashing through the door. Mia screamed, dropping the phone on the tile.

“Now I’m pissed,” Dash muttered, stepping up next to his partner.

Dawson was done with the snarky comments. His face was screwed up in anger, and with a single step forward he reached Mia, grabbing her arm and yanking her to her feet. His eyes terrified Mia, and every thought of fighting him went out of her mind. Hanging here, her arm bruising under his grip, she froze.

With a grunt, Dawson yanked her down to the tile. Grabbing the shower head off the wall, he nodded at Dash. “Turn it on.”

Dash did so, then stepped back again, watching as Dawson stuck the shower head in Mia’s face at full blast.

The shock of the water caused Mia to gasp, then cough as she inhaled water. Her eyes firmly closed, she began struggling, her hands flailing wildly, slapping at anything she could reach and trying to push the water away from her face.

“Oh Honey, this is just a taste of what’s about to happen to you.” His hand gripped her hair, pulling her head back. The water went up her nose and down her throat, burning as it went.

“Come on, man. It’s my turn. Let me have her!” Dash complained.

“Freeze! Put your hands up where I can see them!”

Hands dropped her and Mia fell to the bottom of the shower stall, coughing and gagging while the shower head clattered against the wall, water still spraying all over her and the tile. Moving to her hands and knees, Mia wiped her face, slicking her hair back over her shoulders. Her heart thundered in her chest and tears ran unchecked down her cheeks.

She was so over this shit.

Behind her, she could hear the cop and his backup arresting Dash and Dawson, but she didn’t look. She didn’t care. This was never going to end. Not until Shinsuke and his crew were taken down or she was dead. That second option she wasn’t a fan of.

A hand on her back had her whirling around, swatting at air. “Don’t touch me!” she shrieked.

The cop put his hands in the air. “Ok, ok. Let’s get you in the ambulance. Come on.”

Glaring at him, she almost growled. “I want Joe. Now.”

“Mia, you know we can’t do that. Come on, let’s get you to the hospital to be checked out.”

She sneered at his condescending tone. “Call Gargano. Tell him to meet us at the hospital or else.”

Leaning away from her, he assessed her. She was drenched, bruised, bloody, and extremely pissed off. After a moment, he nodded. “Fine. I’ll leave out the ‘or else’ but I’ll call Gargano.”

“Good,” she grumbled, slapping at his hands as he tried to help her stand. “Maybe he can find someone else to do your damn job!”

Chapter Text

Joe had never felt the sensation of his heart stopping in fear before but hearing Mia scream into the phone did just that. Her terror ate at him, enraged him, and the hotel he was staying at now had a few extra holes in the drywall.

Never again, he swore as he slammed through the emergency department doors. Never again would he feel that way. That helplessness and anxiety was soul rending, and not being able to get to Mia when she needed him the most turned him into a completely different animal.

The woman at the front desk tried to stop Joe from entering the ER, but one growl from him had her quelling and grabbing her phone. No doubt to call security. That was fine. They wouldn’t be able to stop him though.

Gargano’s call to him shortly after Mia hung up was brief and tense. Get to the hospital. Mia was hurt.

Joe didn’t care if being out in the open left him vulnerable. Without Mia, he was in that state anyway. And God help the next person who tried to hurt her.

There were cops everywhere, milling around talking over coffee. Joe could hear Mia yelling, and he beelined for her voice, shoving people out of his way in his hurry. As he neared her room, he saw Hunter and Gargano standing in a huddle, and they turned as he approached.

“I want Joe! Get the fuck off me! I want Joe! You idiots couldn’t keep a beetle safe! I swear to god if you put those handcuffs on me, I’m going to break them around your neck!”

“Joe,” Hunter extended his arm, meaning to stop Joe’s momentum. “Give them a chance to calm her down.”

“Fuck off,” he shot back.

Gargano’s voice stopped him dead in his tracks. “Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson escaped on the way to the station. Reports are just now coming in.”

Swinging around, Joe couldn’t go anything other than growl. “Your whole police force is incompetent!”

Mia was screeching in the room behind him, shouting obscenities and threats. A small part of Joe was relieved and amused to hear Mia raising hell, and pleading for him, but his face remained stoic as he pushed past Hunter and Gargano to enter Mia’s room.

Two female cops stood on either side of her bed, one male cop at the end, as she pushed and kicked at anyone who came near her. Mia’s hair was a tangled mess on the top of her head, new bruises and marks dotted her face and arms, the hospital gown covering the rest of her body. Her face was flushed with anger and vitriol, claws out and swiping when the female cop approached her with handcuffs.

She hadn’t seen Joe enter the room yet, and she was still fired up.

“Ma’am, it’s for your own safety. Either this or medication. You have to calm down!”

“Fuck off! You medicate me and I’ll jam the needle in your eye! I want Joe, now!” Mia screeched.

“Mia,” he said, his voice calm, his eyes locked on her.

All fight seemed to evaporate when she heard his voice, and she turned her head in a way that said she couldn’t believe he was there. “Joe!” Immediately, she began to sob and held her arms out to him.

Joe was across the room in a second, pushing the cop to the side and gathering Mia in his arms. “Shhhh. I’m here now. I got you.” He sat on the bed, pulling her onto his lap, rocking her side to side. “I’ve got you, Babygirl,” he repeated.

He watched as everyone left the room, Hunter and Gargano still standing guard outside, eyes on him and Mia. He didn’t care. Mia clung to him, her face buried in his chest as she cried. Knowing she was sore, he tried to be careful of squeezing her too hard, relieved to have her with him, but Mia seemed to have no problems burying closer to his warmth.

“I’m so tired, Joe,” she whispered, tears lessening just a bit.

Joe reached up with one hand to tilt her head back, peering into her eyes. Seeing the new cuts and bruises to her beautiful face infuriated him. His hand cupped the side of her face, his thumb rubbing the column of her neck. “I know. Listen to me. I need you to get dressed. We are leaving. You are coming with me.”

She nodded, not even second guessing him. “Can—can we just sit here for a bit, though?” she stuttered through her sobs. Her arms readjusted around his body, and Joe felt a curious shifting sensation in his chest. “I just need to be near you, Joe,” Mia whispered.

Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he cradled her against his shoulder. “Absolutely, Babygirl. When you are ready, we’ll go.”

So, he held her, rubbing her back or kissing her hair, whispering to her that everything was fine now. Every now and then he would see Gargano shift in nervousness, but Joe never let her go. If she needed him, and wanted him there, anyone who came near them was in danger of being choked out.

A short while later, Joe realized Mia had fallen asleep. A small smile crossed his face as he moved to lay her on the bed, stepping away to talk to Hunter.

“We’re leaving,” he announced.

Hunter’s expression didn’t change, but his eyes darkened. “And you think we are just going to let our star witness waltz out of this hospital with an assault victim? I don’t think you understand how the law works, Joe.”

Swinging around on him, Joe cornered Hunter against the wall outside of Mia’s room. He was well aware of every cop behind him as they turned almost in unison, their focus on their Chief and his safety. Whispering, Joe leaned in close to Hunter’s ear. “I want you to pay attention, because this is important. I’m going to wake up Mia, and she’s going to get changed. When she’s done, we are going to calmly walk out of here. If we get stopped, if someone stands in our way, Hell, if someone sneezes, I will wrap my arm around your throat. It’s going to be uncomfortable, ok? It’s going to feel like a snake around your neck, because I am going to squeeze, tighter and tighter, until either you have no air left in your lungs, or you tell your boys to let us go. It can go either way, and honestly, I don’t have a preference. But we will be leaving, together.”

Taking a step back, Joe grinned at Hunter, who’s expression was stoic while terrified at the same time and patted him on the shoulder. He turned and found Mia at the threshold of the doorway, already dressed and with a backpack in her hand.

“I’m ready to go.”

Gargano put his arm out to block her way. “You have a concussion, Mia. You can’t just leave.”

Joe raised his eyebrow at Hunter, who hesitated. Then he nodded. “Let them go.”

Gargano stuttered, but Joe just gave him a cocky grin before reaching for Mia’s hand, relieved when she took it without question. Hand in hand, the two of them strolled out of the emergency department, flanked by cops and the Chief of Police.

As they reached Joe’s SUV, Mia looked up at him. “Thanks for coming to get me.” Her eyes were watery with unshed tears, and the flirty, sassy girl he’d come to know was quelled into almost a shell of a person. Joe couldn’t stand it.

Hooking his arm around her neck, he hauled her against his body, in a rough hug. She giggled softly, a sound that had Joe’s body heating up. “Anytime, Mia.”

Resting her chin on his pec, she peered up at him. “Call me Babygirl. I like it when you do that.”

The spark turned into a flame and Joe’s whole body reacted. “Yeah?”

A little bit of life reached her eyes as she grinned at him. “Yeah.”

Cursing the fact that they were standing in a hospital parking lot and Mia looked like she’d just gone six rounds with a boxing champ, he ran a hand down her back, tugging on her hair a little. The little gasp she let out had him clenching his teeth. “Get in the truck.”

She seemed dazed but did as he demanded. Joe paused before climbing in, taking a deep breath, trying to think of anything other than pinning Mia to the hood of the SUV and ravaging her.

Dolph’s suits.

The sound of choking.

Becky and Io’s Irish/Japanese fusion.

None of it worked. His cock was hard and begging for Mia. Steeling himself, he opened the door and climbed in behind the wheel.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

Turning the ignition, Joe looked at her. “I have a call to make.”

Chapter Text

Mia watched Joe’s face as he drove. There was a storm brewing there, she could see it in his eyes and how tense his shoulders were. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think that he’d made a decision about something, but she didn’t know what it was.

Joe reached over and pushed a button on the dashboard. “Call Pete,” he declared.

“Calling Pete,” a pleasant female announced from the speakers. The phone rang twice before it was picked up.

“Joe.” The voice was gruff, and very British. “Ok?”

“Yeah, Dunne,” Joe responded, changing lanes without using the blinker. “I have her. Did you do what I asked?”

There was a sigh from the man called Pete. “Still working on it, but it will be done by tomorrow.”

Joe grunted, and Mia saw him check the rearview mirror. She wondered if they were being followed. And by who.

Pete heard the discontent in Joe’s voice. “I’ll get it done. Just sit tight.”

“Call me.”

“In the morning, I know,” Pete finished Joe’s sentence. “Stay sharp.”

There was a click indicating Pete had hung up, and the woman announced, “Call ended.”

The whole conversation was very vague and covert, and Joe looked like he was happy to keep it that way. Biting her lip, Mia quipped, “So Samoa Joe does have friends.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Joe’s lips twitch in a quick smile. “Is that a surprise?”

Watching as he turned a corner, off the highway and into downtown, she shrugged. “You seem like a pretty self-sufficient person.”

“Emotionally closed off, you mean.”

She shook her head. “Guarded.”

He gripped the steering wheel tighter with one hand, his other resting on the gear shift in the middle of the console. “I have a couple of people I can call in a pinch.”

Sighing, she leaned her head on the back of the head rest. Her body ached and she was exhausted. She didn’t know where Joe was taking her, and really, she didn’t care. Mia just wanted some quiet, a moment to breathe, to figure out what was going on and how she was going to get out of it. She no longer trusted the police to make sure she stayed alive. Casting a side glance at the big man next to her, she almost nodded to herself. If the good guys can’t keep her safe, it was time to rely on the bad guys.

Immediately, her stomach rebelled. She couldn’t think of Joe as a bad guy, so she pushed the thought away.

Slowing, Joe pulled into a parking lot behind a hotel. It seemed nice on the outside, one of the popular franchise brands. Not flashy, not trashy, just a place to crash.

He parked, then looked at her. “Stay put. I’m coming around to get you.”

Mia felt a flush crawl up her body as she watched him climb out of the truck and cross around the front to pull open her door. No one had ever opened a car door for her before. The sensation was off, but not unpleasant. It made her feel shy.

His big body shielded her in as she slid out, the door on her left, her backpack slung over one shoulder. If she took half a step forward, she’d be pressed right up against him. Looking up at Joe, she saw his eyes burning, roving over her face.

“No one will ever lay another hand on you again. Do you hear me?” His voice was pitched low, deep, and her stomach flip flopped.

Rendered speechless, all she could do was nod as he took a step back, allowing her to move with him across the parking lot. His hand rested lightly on her lower back, guiding her. The heat from his hand burned her skin and sent warmth to her core. Her attraction to Joe was growing, and she was going to have to do something about that. Fast.

Joe moved swiftly, his head literally on a swivel as he led her to his room on the 4^th floor. Walking in, she saw it was a typical hotel room, a small bathroom off the entry foyer, the bed, and table and chairs next to the TV.

One bed.

Joe cleared his throat. “We won’t be staying here long.”

As she placed her backpack on the chair, she caught sight of two holes in the wall. Raising her eyebrow, she grinned at Joe. “Did you redecorate?”

He shrugged, ignoring her question, and nodded at the bed. “It’s a king. I’m a big guy. It’s why there aren’t two beds.”

Amusement flooded her. Joe was nervous. Deciding two could play at the game, Mia opened her backpack, pulling out a change of clothes. “I need a shower and a nap. In that order.”

“You need to eat. I’ll get it, what do you want?”

Smiling, Mia couldn’t stop herself as she walked past him. She put her hand on his chest, then ran it across to the opposite shoulder, and down his arm as she made her way towards the bathroom. His muscles bunched in response, and he looked down at her in surprise. “A sandwich and some chips are fine. Whatever you hunt down.”

Joe’s hand shot out, gripping her wrist. She came to a halt, looking back at him. “You are playing with fire, Mia.” He watched her, waiting for a sassy remark, but she stayed silent. “I’m not good for you. Any attraction you feel will pass.”

Dropping the clothes she was going to change into on the floor, Mia turned to him, both hands coming up to rest on his chest. Peering up into his eyes, she tilted her head a little. “Do you think I’m oblivious to what you do for a living Joe? Or the company you keep?” It was Joe’s turn to stay silent. “I’m not a saint. I’m not innocent.” Licking her lips, she continued. “What I know is, you have continually stuck your neck out for me, protecting me even when you were told not to. When I needed someone, you were there.”

Joe’s gaze was locked on her. “I meant what I said outside. Nothing can happen to you, Mia.”

Slowly rising on her tiptoes, Mia met his stare as she leaned in to press a kiss to his lips. Closing her eyes, her heart thundered in her chest at the chance she was taking. She had a suspicion Joe liked her, but he played everything so close to the chest, she really wasn’t sure.

Until Joe’s arms came around her and he slanted his mouth over hers, deepening the kiss. Mia couldn’t stop the moan that escaped as she sank into his embrace. Winding her arms around his neck, she shrieked when he unexpectedly picked her up, urging her to wrap her legs around his waist.

He carried her to the bed where he sat down, Mia riding his lap. His hands cradled her face tenderly, but his lips ravaged her, making her breathless. Playfully, she nipped his bottom lip, causing him to pull back to look at her.

As he assessed her, she could see him waffling. He wasn’t sure he was doing the right thing. But being in his arms made Mia feel protected and assured. Her hips shifted of their own accord and he groaned, his grip falling to her thighs and tightening. Mia could feel him between her legs, hardening against her.

“Joe,” she pleaded, her fingers gripping his biceps. “I want this.”

Groaning, he kissed her deeply. His large hands crawled up her thighs to her lower back, pushing her shirt up so he could feel her skin. Mia inhaled sharply, pressing her chest against his, the fabric of her bra grazing her nipples, pebbling them.  

“I need to see you, Mia,” he rasped, trailing kisses down her neck.

She leaned back, crossing her arms to pull her shirt over her head. She heard his intake of breath at seeing her ribcage and stomach peppered with bruises. Lightly, his fingers trailed over the blue and purple skin, some as large as his fists. “Mia, I--.”

“I won’t break, Joe. Touch me.” God, she wanted to feel him covering her body so badly she could taste it.

Joe immediately brought her chest to his mouth, licking and sucking on the skin above her bra. Gasping, Mia gripped his hair in her hands, moaning. Tugging both straps down her arms, he freed her to his searching mouth, flicking his tongue over her nipples before sucking hard.

“Shit,” Mia moaned. Her hips continued to rub her core against Joe’s length mindlessly. Desperate to feel his skin against hers, she pushed his shoulders until he was sitting upright. Tugging his shirt over his head, she ran her hands over his expansive chest. Mia’s eyes glittered with excitement and arousal. Joe’s effortless strength made her lightheaded in the best of ways.

Joe turned them so that Mia was sprawled across the bed, Joe hovering over her. He hitched her leg over his hip, his hand splayed on her ass.

Joe’s kisses drugged her. She felt as high as a kite and anxious, wanting him closer. Mia’s nails scratched the back of Joe’s head as he nipped at her skin with his teeth. The groan he released sent a flood of wetness to her core.

Raising his head to look at her, he spoke with clarity. “Last chance, Mia. If you want to back out, now’s the time. Because as soon as I put my mouth on your pussy, you belong to me.”

Mia felt a thrill at Joe’s words. “I already belong to you, Joe,” she whispered, meaning it. Knowing him less than two weeks didn’t deter Mia from what she felt. There was an undeniable chemistry between the two of them, fireworks that went off every time they touched. Mia was willing to risk everything for him. And Joe already had.

He kissed her hard before sitting up to pull her jeans off her hips. Mia’s heart was in her throat, watching the predatory look in Joe’s eyes. There was real danger there, she could see it. But she wasn’t afraid.

Dropping her pants to the floor, Joe’s eyes roved her body, clad only in bra and panties, her hair still in a messy bun on the top of her head, Mia blushed again.

“Absolutely gorgeous.”

She reached for him, but he ducked her hands, wrapping his massive arms around her thighs and tugging her to the end of the bed. Getting on his knees, Joe glanced up at her as he pulled her panties to the side. Without looking down, keeping their gazes locked, he leaned down and used the flat of his tongue from her core to her clit.

Gasping, she clawed at his hands. “Joe!”

“I got you, Babygirl. Relax into it.”

Seeing him between her legs, his broad shoulders holding her knees apart, she shuddered. He was singularly focused, using his tongue and teeth to drive her wild. There was no hesitation or teasing on his part. He wanted to her cum and cum hard.

All she could do was hold on, gasping as he plunged his tongue into her core over and over. He slid his hand down her thigh and then across her stomach to splay low, his thumb rubbing her clit in perfect synchronization to his rhythm. With every pass, her muscles would shake in her legs.

“Joe,” she cried. “Please.” Her hands gripped his hair and her hips began to move on their own. Mia’s orgasm was building quickly, and she screwed her eyes shut, riding the storm.

Two more passes of his thumb and then Joe latched his lips onto her clit and sucked hard. Mia nearly jackknifed off the bed, her stomach contracting as lightening zapped through her body and stars flashed behind her eyes. He didn’t relent, using the flat of his tongue to rub her clit, sliding two large fingers in her pussy as she shook hard. Mia’s legs wrapped around his head, draping across his back, her heels digging in as she sobbed in ecstasy.

Disentangling from her grasp, Joe leaned back, watching as she heaved, breathless and satisfied. She opened her eyes, burning with lust, and crooked her finger at him. “Come here.”

Chapter Text

Joe couldn’t resist her command. He crawled over her, his eyes flicking down as she reached for his jeans. Mia’s eyes were hooded, she looked sleepy, but her movements were deft and sure.

“If you are tired, we don’t have to do this,” he said just as she pulled his zipper down. While she was busy, he reached underneath her to pinch the clasp on her bra, causing it to come undone so he could slide it off.

Her hands stilled, and she looked up at him. She was beautiful to him, her smile could bring him to his knees instantly. Mia reached up to frame his face in her hands, and the look she gave him could only be described as loving. It made Joe break out in a sweat, because he wanted it. God, he wanted to deserve it.

“What I want is to be yours, right now. I don’t want to wait, and I don’t want to talk about it. I’ve made my choice, Joe. It’s you.”

Joe felt like his heart was going to explode. He wasn’t an emotional guy, but this tidal wave of protectiveness came across him anytime he thought of Mia. The two of them together could destroy his whole world, but Joe was willing to risk it all.

Spearing his hands into her hair, he fused his lips to hers in a searing kiss. He claimed her. Draping his body over hers, aware of her soreness, Joe kissed Mia like he was dying, and she was the answer to life.

Whimpering with want, Mia squirmed under him, rubbing her body against his. She felt as if she couldn’t get close enough to him. Her nails clawed at his back and arms, desperate for more.

Finally, Joe released Mia and stood, taking a moment to drag her panties off her legs as he did, pushing his jeans and boxers off his hips and down his legs. Kicking them to the side, he quirked his lips in a satisfied smile when Mia gasped. Her eyes roved his naked body, ending at his shaft. Joe was thick, about the same width as his wrist, and long.

Mia unconsciously licked her lips, her legs still splayed open as she stared at him from the bed. Neither of them appeared to be shy in their nakedness, a fact Joe appreciated. He wanted to see her like this all the time. Hopefully, one day, without the bruises.

“Ready?”

Closing her legs, Mia got up on her knees at the end of the bed. Placing her hands on his chest, she whispered in his ear, “Can I ride you?”

Joe swore his eyes rolled into the back of his head. “Come here, Babygirl.” He swept her off of the bed and carried her over to the armless chair in the corner. Sitting down, he draped Mia across his lap, kissing her because he had to.

Smiling at him, she braced herself on his chest with one hand and reached between her legs with the other. Her grip around his cock nearly made Joe pass out. Pleasure was already building in his balls and having Mia in his arms was wreaking havoc on his self-control. Nudging the head of his dick at her entrance, Mia pressed down, then relaxed before she rose back up again. She did this a couple of times, not making any progress, before she looked up at him. “Help me?”

Joe knew he was too big. He couldn’t just thrust into her like he wanted to. Licking his thumb, he flicked her clit as she pressed back down on him. He moved his hips just as she sank down, and they both gasped.

“Did I hurt you?” Joe asked in a panic.

Mia’s eyes were closed, and she was breathing through her nose. “No. Oh my God. The stretch is amazing.”

Joe smiled, leaning back in the chair, his thumb still rubbing small circles on her clit. “It’s all you, Baby. I’m at your mercy.”

Mia opened her eyes, locking gazes with him. As she sank lower, her juices covering his shaft, she gave him a cocky grin. “Is that so?”

Watching as Mia rose up and then pressed back down, the heat from her pussy making him dizzy, Joe could only nod at her. “I’m all yours.”

Mia looked as if she’d had a revelation. “You are, aren’t you?”

Joe didn’t respond. She had a rhythm going now, slow and steady, and every once in a while, she’d stop to savor the fullness before continuing the motion. Mia was in full control, Joe forcing himself to not thrust up, and she appeared to be reveling in it. She couldn’t get all of him in her, his base just too wide, but that didn’t stop her from enjoying what she was doing. Joe had zero complaints.

His free hand trailed up her ribcage to the largest of the bruises. It was older, from Corbin, and was yellowing from age. It made his blood boil to see it, so he covered it with his large hand, hiding it from view. Taking his other hand from her clit, ignoring her protest, Joe sat up a little and reached to release her hair, wrapping it around his fist. Giving it a tug, her protest evaporated into a moan, and he latched his lips to her neck, suckling at the skin there.

Trailing down, he laved at her nipples and the area surrounding, loving how responsive she was to him. Using his teeth, he scraped at her skin lightly, her walls pulsing as a direct result. She was warm and wet, her groans and sighs were causing misfires in his brain. Mia fit against him perfectly, their bodies rubbing together with every thrust.

“Joe,” she whined. “I’m close.”

“Are you gonna cum for me, Babygirl?” he replied against her skin.

“Cum with me.” She was breathless, her eyes shut in pleasure.

“Where do you want it?” he panted, his balls drawing up to his body. Sweat dripped down his back and he pulled her hair hard, loving the groan that came out of her.

“In my mouth. Cum in my mouth Joe.”

Joe gritted his teeth. Mia’s words had almost sent him over the edge. “You gotta come first, Babygirl.”

He took control then, wrapping both arms around her body, pining hers to her side, and began thrusting up into her. Little shrieks and moans echoed off the walls as she buried her face into his neck. Intentionally, his strokes were quick and fast, absorbing the tightening of her core as she fluttered around him.

“Now! Now, Joe!” Mia’s legs locked around him, and her hips began stuttering in their rhythm.

Bracing himself, intent on letting her ride her orgasm out, Joe continued to piston inside of her, this time changing the strokes to long and smooth. She tilted her hips forward a little, panting as her clit rubbed against his wide shaft.

As she came down, Mia again took control, pushing at his shoulders to get him to lean back. Climbing off him, trying to ignore the sounds of protest from the both of them, Mia got on her knees in front of Joe. He stood, gripping his dick in his hand, he cupped her face in the other. He trailed his thumb over her lower lip, his gut clenching when she opened her mouth and began sucking on it as she stared up at him.

“Ready, Babygirl? I’m coming,” he grunted. Mia abandoned his thumb and took his cock in her mouth, suckling at the head as he came down her throat, swallowing it all. Spurt after spurt, Joe felt like his soul was projected outside of his body. He shook, his legs unstable underneath him. Adrenaline and euphoria spread through him, and his first thought was he felt more powerful in that moment than he ever did when taking a life.

Mia let him slip from her mouth and she hummed happily. Reaching down, he picked her up into his arms, loving that she automatically wrapped her arms and legs around him. He kissed her because he had to.

“Mmmm,” she moaned. She couldn’t help but rub her body against his, the feeling of skin to skin contact making her. “I never got my sandwich.”

Joe chuckled, carrying her to the bed and laying down. She refused to let him go, so he had a Hell of a time trying to get them situated comfortably. Once he did, Mia laid sprawled over his chest, her leg draped over his, and his arm came around her back to rub her arm.

They were silent, both in their own heads. Things had now changed between them, that much was obvious. But would there be other repercussions? How could Joe keep Mia safe? What was the end game of his involvement with The Man?

Breaking the silence, Mia spoke first. “I meant what I said.”

Joe knew what she was referring to, and it occurred to him that he had never directly responded to her declaration. Kissing her forehead, Joe tucked his arm under his head. “And I meant what I said. You are mine. And I protect what’s mine.”

Mia looked up at him, her chin on his pec. “I know we have a lot to talk about, and we don’t know each other at all, but I don’t expect you to change your life to be with me.”

Joe couldn’t help the snort that came out of his nose. “What kind of life can we build together if I’m off killing people, Mia? You’d always be in danger and I’d always be hunted. No, I need to make some changes. And it’s past due anyway. My clock should have run out a long time ago.”

Mia didn’t respond, just laid her head back on his chest. She stared off into space, her mind spinning. He was right, but the image of Joe broken at her feet kept replaying in her mind’s eye. She was going to be the death of this man. She just knew it.

Chapter Text

Joe brought Mia breakfast from downstairs the next morning. She was sore, but an electricity hummed under her skin. It was a different kind of sore. Her bumps and bruises from Corbin and The Revival paled in comparison to the feeling of having Joe’s length inside of her. That kind of ache she’d happily take every day of her life.

She sat on the bed, wrapped in the blanket, eating scrambled eggs as Joe showered. Her mind wandered, trying to imagine what life with Joe would be like. Mia was willing to accept him as he was, the good, the bad, and the ugly. She didn’t have to like what he did, but if she wanted Joe in her life, that was the sacrifice she’d make.

It did warm her heart a little bit that Joe wasn’t satisfied with that. He obviously thought she was worth a few life changes and was willing to put the work in to do that. But how did one get out from under The Man? What was Joe going to have to do to make a fresh start?

That’s what scared her. She just found him, and already she couldn’t imagine not having him in her life. What was she going to do if The Man took him out? Or Shinsuke? Or what if the cops reneged on their deal and arrested him?

The bathroom door opened, and Joe walked out, shirtless and in a pair of track pants. Mia must have had a worried expression on her face because he stopped in front of her, kissing her forehead.

“It will be ok, Babygirl. I promise.”

She bit her lip, trying to resist the need to crawl into his arms. “I don’t think that’s something you can guarantee.”

Joe moved to the chair in the corner of the room, sitting down to put shoes on. Mia felt her face flush as she thought about the previous night, and how Joe had given her control. She wasn’t fooled, she might have ridden him, but he was a domineering man in the bedroom. It was there under the surface as he talked to her, guided her to orgasm, pulling on her hair. If she let him, he’d take over in a nano second.

The thought didn’t put her off like she expected.

Clearing her throat and mentally shaking her head of the images that thought produced, she ate a grape to distract herself. Joe stood from the chair and sat down next to her on the bed, moving her plate of food to the dresser. In one swift move, he pulled her, blanket and all, onto his lap.

“Mia.” His voice dropped an octave, much like when he spoke to Hunter in the emergency department, and she felt her core wake up. Joe’s eyes locked with hers, his hand sneaking under the blanket to find her leg. “If I say that everything will be ok, it will.” Trailing his fingers up her calf to her thigh, he parted her legs, finding her slick with want.

“Joe,” she panted. She was frozen in his stare, unable to look away.

He ran his forefinger from her to core to her clit and back again, up and down, up and down, spreading her wetness. “Mmm, what are you thinking about that has you dripping?” Slowly, he eased a finger inside, rubbing at her walls.

Mia felt herself clench around him, the burning sensation coming back as he stretched her. He soothed the hurt with his thumb brushing her clit, gently, just a graze. It was enough to have her squirming, her legs falling open and her head tilting back to be cradled in his arm.

“You,” she answered him finally. “I’m thinking of last night.”

Joe’s lips quirked up. His forefinger continued to push in and out, and every few thrusts he’d test to see if she could take another, but she wasn’t warmed up enough. Her eyes began to glaze over, and he continued to watch her. “Last night? Which part? When I had you on this bed, eating you out? You tasted so good, Babygirl.” To prove it, he removed his finger and stuck it in his mouth, licking all her juices off. She groaned watching the display, then gasped when he pushed back in. “Or when we moved to the chair and you rode me? Or in the middle of the night when I put you on your hands and knees and took you from behind?”

Mia’s vision was getting foggy, her mouth hanging open as she panted for breath. Joe had fucked her relentlessly last night, waking her up and taking her before she could comprehend what was happening. She had come hard, collapsing on the bed, shaking. It was amazing she could still feel her legs.

Joe leaned down but evaded her wordless plea for a kiss. He probed her opening with his middle finger, giving her a satisfied smile when it slid in next to his forefinger. He knew if he kept working her, he could put in three, his cock was bigger than that and she took it the previous night, but this wasn’t about that. This was about calming her down, getting her off, about Joe being in control of the situation.

She whimpered, her lips ghosting his. One arm escaped the blanket and gripped his shoulder, nails scratching his skin. Mia’s hips began to move against his questing fingers.

Brushing his lips across her cheek and down to her ear, he kept his voice low. “Look at you, Mia. Losing yourself in my hands. And do you know why? It’s because you know I’m in command. If I say that everything will be ok, it will be. And if I tell you to cum,” he pressed deep inside of her, his thumb raking across her clit, “you will cum.”

Shaking, she could feel his cock against her hip, hard and hot through his pants and blanket. “Joe, please,” she whined.

His hand wrapped around her back snuck up and cradled her throat. Slowly, he applied pressure, watching her carefully as she kept her eyes open, anchored to his face. She rode his hand even as he thrust them inside of her, and with every breath she took, he cinched tighter around her neck.

He kept her there, on the edge, observing as she thrashed in his arms, but never tried to get away. Mia seemed to sink into him, against him, giving herself up and trusting he would take her where she wanted to go. And that’s exactly what Joe wanted. Her trust.

“Cum, Mia.” He said it simply, with no flourish.

Clawing at his bare skin, Mia wailed, her orgasm slamming through her, Joe’s fingers were persistent as he dragged it from her. His mouth slashed down on hers, stealing her breath, and he let go of her throat. Mia’s legs began to shake, and her moans were unending as he forced another one from her core, her whimpers hardening his cock until he was sure he’d cum untouched.

“Fuck!” she yelled, her head turning into his shoulder and her teeth sinking into his skin. Joe inhaled sharply at the pain, his own hips rutting against Mia’s side before he finally got control of himself. He slowed his pace, his fingers coming to a stop inside of her. “Oh my God, Joe. Holy shit.”

He hid his smile in her hair, her face still pressed against his shoulder. He couldn’t resist stroking her clit a few more times, just to feel her clench around him. “Everything will be fine, Mia. I promise,” he repeated.

She nodded against his skin, her eyes closed. She squirmed against his length, hoping to tempt him into taking her again.

Kissing her forehead, Joe removed his fingers from between her legs, wrapping her back up in the blanket. His hand palmed her ass, pressing her closely to his body. “Finish your breakfast and then grab a shower. I need to make some calls and I’ll let you know what’s going on after I talk to Pete, ok?”

Mia was disappointed and relieved at the same time. Being in Joe’s arms was a massive turn on for her, but she needed a shower and now a nap. Joe had the ability to wring her orgasms from her body in a way that left her exhausted but satisfied, and she wanted the same for him.

Looking up at him, she pressed kisses to his chest. “What about you?” She wiggled against his hard length.

“Oh, Babygirl, I’m hard just thinking about you. I have a feeling I’ll be in this state anytime I’m around you. I better get used to it.” Pushing her upright, he helped her find her footing before letting her go. She stood in front of him, hair pooling around her face, a scratchy hotel blanket around her body, and her eyes dazed from two great orgasms. Joe’s heart stuttered. He was falling for her hard.

For a moment, Mia was going to argue with him, she really wanted to see how much of his cock she could fit in her mouth, but a yawn caught her unaware and he smirked at her. “Ok, ok. I’m going to take a shower. Don’t eat my breakfast,” she warned him.

Joe scoffed, watching as she dropped the blanket to the floor and walked toward the bathroom with no clothes. His eyes raked her body, conflicted everytime he saw the bruises on her skin. Corbin and The Revival were going to pay dearly for hurting her. “I’m stepping out to make these calls. Your breakfast is safe. This time.”

Mia tossed him a wink and escaped into the bathroom.

Chapter Text

She cried again, this time in the shower. For someone who prided herself on not being overly emotional, Mia just could not keep it in. She’d cried more in the last twenty-four hours than she had in three years. She was spent, sore, confused and anxious, and the tears started before she could even get a handle on herself.

Staring at herself in the mirror, towel wrapped around her body and her wet hair pushed back from her face, Mia really wasn’t sure what she was looking for. Answers weren’t going to pop out and make everything better. All her life, Mia’s choices were what propelled her, either forward or backwards, but she always had a say. This entire situation with Gable’s murder, Orton’s gambling operation, and the target on her back, Mia felt directionless for the first time since she was a teenager.

And now, Joe.

Joe was in her life, and it seemed he wanted to stay. And Mia wanted that too. She felt drawn to him, like her soul was responding to something deeper inside of him that he hadn’t shown yet. Being with Joe was a risk, both emotionally and physically. He was an assassin, an enforcer, yet she had given herself to him with no hesitation on her part at all.

It was insanity. But she didn’t regret it. Mia couldn’t find one ounce of confusion in her heart when it came to Joe. Not that she fully understood his magnetism, but she wasn’t going to fight it. She trusted him, innately, for better or for worse.

Mia heard the hotel door open and Joe’s voice talking to someone, and then another person respond to him. She tilted her head a little, wondering why Joe would bring someone into the room when they were supposed to be lying low.

Making sure her towel was secure, she opened the bathroom door, walking out to find Joe and his counterpart standing near the window. They both turned when she entered, and Joe’s face turned an interesting shade of red as his eyes raked her body. Her clean clothes were still in a pile near the bed where she had dropped them the night before.

Both men were silent as they stared at her, and Mia shifted nervously on her feet. “I need my clothes.”

Joe took a beat, standing stalk still, before pacing over to her, scooping her clothes up on the way, and pushing them into her arms. “Get dressed. Pete needs to talk to us.”

Looking over his shoulder at the man she now knew was Pete Dunne, Mia nodded. Pete looked so relaxed and unbothered, she couldn’t imagine his news to be that bad. But there was a tension in Joe she recognized, and it didn’t entirely have to do with her only wearing a towel.

She was quick in the bathroom, throwing a pair of jeans and a blue V-neck shirt on, not wanting them to start without her. Joe seemed like he was willing to include her, and while throwing her hair into a ponytail, Mia felt her heart swell at the thought. He could have easily handled it on his own, keeping her in the dark. And Mia wasn’t fooled, he was still going to take charge, but at least she’d have a clue as to what was going on. This was Joe’s wheelhouse, and Mia was willing to follow him, but not blindly.

Joining them next to the window, she stood near Joe, taking in everything that was Pete Dunne. He wore his hair up in a man bun, had on linen trousers with loafers, a white button-down shirt and a long scarf hanging around his shoulders. He looked like he was ready for a speed dating event.

“Mia, this is Pete. Pete, this is Mia. Pete is my go-to for tech and intel,” Joe introduced them.

Pete gave Mia a short nod but didn’t look at her for longer than he had to. She didn’t mind. There was something deep within Pete’s eyes that told her he was far more dangerous than Joe, even if he was supposedly on their side. Chills ran down her back and she moved closer to Joe, who wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“Everything is in place.” Reaching into a bag Mia didn’t realize he had next to him, Pete pulled out a couple of manilla envelopes. One was flat, the other looked heavy and bulky. “Safe house address and car keys are in one, the iPad is in the other. All cameras are operable, and you’ll be able to use the iPad to monitor, just like before. Ciampa needed more time on the paperwork, so you’ll have to give him time to wrap that up. He’s supposed to contact me when he’s done, and I’ll get the two of you in contact with each other.”

Joe took the envelopes, gripping them in his large hands. “He was supposed to have that done today.”

Pete shrugged, his hooded eyes unaffected. She didn’t think a lot ruffled his feathers. “He had some issues. Baszler was sniffing around and tried roughing him up. He handled it.”

“Wait, Shayna found him?” Joe’s expression was thunderous.

“From what he told me, she caught him outside of the laundry mat. Gave him Hell, a couple of right hooks, and told him that if he knew what was good for himself, he’d give you up.” The corner of Pete’s upper lip rose in derision. “You and I both know he’d never do that, so it took him some time to lose her trail and change offices.”

Joe ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “This is snowballing, Pete. I’ve got people coming at us from every direction. You and Ciampa need to lay low.”

Raising a hand to stop Joe, Pete just shook his head. “This isn’t our first go ‘round. We can take care of ourselves.”

Obviously unhappy with the news, Joe stepped away from Mia, pacing the length of the room. Catching her attention, Pete said to Mia, “Give me your phone.”

The request threw her, but she fished it out of her backpack and handed it to him. Reaching into his bag, he gave her a flip phone. “This is a burner phone. Pre-paid. I’ve programmed Ciampa, Joe, and my phone number in that. It’s doubtful you’ll get your phone back.”

Mia’s mouth dropped open and she began to protest, but Pete looked away from her and tossed an identical phone to Joe.

“Same deal. Emergences only.” Picking up his bag, he took Joe’s phone off the side table and slipped it inside. “I’ve got to go. It will be a few days before I contact you but get to the safe house.”

Joe only nodded, his expression far away. Mia wasn’t even sure he realized Pete left the room. Biting her lip, she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his midsection, relieved when he enveloped her in a big hug. Burying her face in his chest, she inhaled deeply.

“What are the cameras for?” she asked him.

“Surveillance. I’m keeping an eye on Becky and her crew, Shin’s crew, and on Orton’s office. If someone issues orders, I want to know about it.”

She tried to keep her shiver contained, but Joe must have felt it, because he pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. “Everything will be fine.”

“Who is Ciampa and what is the paperwork he’s working on?”

Joe sighed, brushing his chin against her hair. “Passports, birth certificates, driver’s licenses. He’s a world class forger, his skills are impeccable.”

Drawing back out of his arms, Mia gave him a hard look. “He’s creating new identities for us?” At Joe’s nod, she continued. “What for?”

Letting her go, he took a seat on the end of the bed. “It’s a precaution. One I fear we may have to use.” Mia began protesting but he raised his hands to stop her. “Listen, Mia, shit is hitting the fan. Baron, The Revival, Shayna? They are all Hell bent on finding us. That’s just on Shin’s side. And if he’s putting that much effort into finding you, that means you can’t be left alone for a moment.”

Joe stood, resuming his pacing. “Becky is going to wonder why I haven’t checked in. And Io is going to be whispering in her ear. If Shin and Becky join resources, which I imagine they will, we are up the creek without a paddle.”

“But the cops, Joe…” Mia started.

Joe swung around. “Yeah so, I made a phone call to Hunter, the Chief of police. It seems my statement as to what you saw in Orton’s basement isn’t enough for a warrant, and just because he has a craps table isn’t proof enough that he’s branching out. Which got my dear friend Stephanie McMahon thinking that I’m bullshitting on the rest of the details to cover my ass.”

Mia was stunned. “So, where does that leave us? You were testifying for my protection.”

“Which they couldn’t manage for a week!” Joe threw his hands in the air in frustration. “Babygirl, it’s just you and me. And I promise, I will do everything in my power to keep you safe.” He crossed the room to her, cupping her face in his hands. “It’s going to be scary and confusing. I think I see a way out of this, but yeah, it includes running away.”

Mia took a deep breath, searching Joe’s face. Running obviously wasn’t in Joe’s DNA, he handled things head on. For him to suggest it must have meant the situation was worse than Mia understood. He seemed desperate but determined also. He was trying to take care of her, going against his nature and risking his neck in the process. Mimicking Joe, she cupped his face in her hands. “I will run away with you, anywhere, anytime. I trust you.”

She felt more than heard the catch in Joe’s chest, his dark eyes boring into hers. “I don’t know what I did to deserve that.”

Smiling at him, she rose up on her tiptoes, bringing their lips together gently. “You kept your promises.”

Chapter Text

The address Pete had given him lead Joe and Mia to an old warehouse near the docks. Judging by Mia’s face when they entered, she wasn’t impressed. It was about 6,000 square feet, two stories high, empty except for some crates in various parts of the area. Windows lined the tops of the walls, filthy from years of neglect, rusted shut. On the far end was a steel staircase leading to what must have been the office when the building was in use.

Joe lead the way, trying to ignore the creaking of metal as he made his way up the stairs to the door. Mia followed, her bag slung over her shoulder, disbelief still covering her face.

Upon opening the office door, Joe discovered that Pete had tried to provide some creature comforts for them. A futon was in the couch position against the farthest wall, a desk and chair facing the outside windows, and a small bathroom was to the right of the door.

“Pete did what he could,” Joe apologized as Mia crossed the threshold. She took everything in, the outdoor sod carpet, the scarce furnishings, and the rust-lined toilet in the bathroom.

Shrugging, she looked at him. “I’ve stayed in worse places.” Turning, she looked at the bank of windows displaying the inside of the warehouse. “That’s inconvenient though.”

Joe snorted. “No naked dancing for you.”

She just grinned at him over her shoulder. “You should know better than to think clear windows are going to stop me.”

Trying to push away the mental thought of Mia bare ass naked in her apartment windows, Joe made a motion towards the living arrangements. “It’s just for a few days, until Ciampa can get us the papers.”

Mia crossed the floor to sit on the futon. “Where are we going to go, Joe? Let’s face it, we just met, we know nothing about each other, and while we are on the same page about making this work, this is a huge decision.”

She was scared, Joe realized. He was beginning to understand her more and more. She needed all the facts to make her choices, and then she stuck with it as long as she could. She was loyal, a rarity in Joe’s life. Everyone was out for themselves, suspicious of each other, and ready to stab each other in the back. It humbled him, the way she trusted him. And in turn, it made him more fiercely protective of her. He would be damned if he let down the one person who let him believe he deserved more than to be a paid enforcer.

“We can talk about that while we are here. Keep your bag packed in case we need to leave in a hurry.” He turned to leave, but Mia called out to him.

“Something is up your sleeve, Joe. What is it?”

Just as he had been learning more about her, Mia had been doing the same. Something had given him away, and he wasn’t sure what it was, but she was right. He had an idea, and he suspected she wasn’t going to like it.

He spread his hands and then dropped them back to his side with a sigh. “It doesn’t sit well with me that we are going to have to run. If I’m running from something, it better be burning.”

Mia was a smart woman. Her eyebrow rose and she stood. “You are going to set them up?”

Swiping a hand through his hair, Joe shrugged. “Pete set the cameras up for me, I might as well use them. If I can feed Dolph and Alexa misinformation, bring them both to the table, or back to the RKO Hotel is my preference, then it’s possible I can set Shin and The Man up. If I can get them all in the same place, include Orton just for the Hell of it because he pissed me off and set you up to be a patsy, then that’s what I want to do.”

Joe could see the wheels turning in Mia’s head. “I want to help. Let’s take them out all at the same time and get the Hell out of here.”

He couldn’t help himself. Grinning, he made his way over to her and swept her into his arms, kissing her hard before setting her back down. Her eyes glazed over and a smile appeared on her lips. “I’m going to turn you bad in no time.”

Swatting his arm, she watched as he again turned to leave. “Call Pete. I have ideas and he needs to help me set them up.”

Chapter Text

It was probably a bad idea, but Joe needed to survey the situation from a closer vantage point. Leaving Mia with Pete and giving a vague answer as to where he was going, Joe drove to Becky and Io’s restaurant, purposefully choosing the busiest part of the day so there would be many witnesses in case things went south.

He entered the building, giving a short nod to the hostess before making his way through the crowds of waiters and patrons towards the back, where The Man conducted official business. Joe swept the flimsy curtain to the side, not surprised to find Becky and Io sitting on a couch, Dolph to the right, and two new faces standing in front of them. It appeared they were holding court.

Striding up to the group, Joe crossed his arms, appearing confident and unfazed.

“Look what the cat dragged in,” Dolph piped up.

Becky’s eyebrow rose in question at his presence. “Nice of you to show up for work.”

“Did you get tired of playing house, Joe?” Dolph sneered, smoothing an imaginary wrinkle off of his blue suit lapel.

He stayed silent, his eyes not straying from Becky. She also was watching him carefully, a small smile on her face.

“Joe,” she drawled, shifting against the back of the couch. “Would you care to explain?”

Time to play dumb. “Did we have a target and I not know about it? Was there a reason for me to be here?”

Becky pressed her lips together, thinking carefully about her next words. “I’ve heard some things, some pretty disturbing things. And you are going to clear everything up. But first!” she waved a hand and the two people in front of her. “Meet Rico and Rhea. A duo, if you will. Rico will be my new runner, and Rhea will be shadowing you in enforcement.”

That news was not welcome, but Joe was momentarily distracted when the young man bounced up to him, like an eager puppy, his hand outstretched. “They call me Ricochet.” His smile was wide, teeth bright, and he was way too excited to be in Becky’s presence.

Ignoring his hand, arms still crossed over his chest, Joe looked down his nose at him. “Why?”

“’Cause I’m fast!” he announced proudly.

Joe scoffed. “I bet you bounce off of shit too.” The meaning was clear. Joe was in no mood for niceties. “Get out of my face, kid.”

Looking behind the new runner, Joe focused on the woman called Rhea. Her expression was in a state of disgust, her arms also crossed, and spikes covered her entire outfit. She reminded him of Shayna, she looked capable and crafty, but if Joe had to guess, brawling was her forte.

“I don’t need a shadow,” he said finally.

Io spoke up for the first time since he entered. “Wrong.”

Becky nodded. “I agree. Since you apparently have free time, I better put you to work.”

“You don’t pay me to teach and I’m not interested in tutoring.” Joe’s mind was spinning. Coming here had been a bad idea and he could not leave this building with Rhea following him.

Silence filled the room, and a slow smile spread across Becky’s face. The kind of smile a person had when they knew secret information and was just waiting for the right time to use it. “Ziggler mentioned it earlier, but I sure hope Mia is doing well.”

There it was.

“Just so I’m clear, were my orders too hard to follow, Joe?” Standing, Becky sauntered over to stand in front of him. “When I said make sure she didn’t go to the police, did you misinterpret that to mean escort her there and then hide like a coward for a week?”

Remaining silent, Joe kept his stare locked on Becky. He knew this wasn’t going to be easy, but he knew it had to be done. He had to look The Man in the eye and tell her he was done.

“I’ve decided I’m retiring,” he announced nonchalantly. “It’s time for the young bloods to take over.” Joe nodded at Rhea.

Becky’s jaw locked in frustration. “That’s a discussion we should have in private.”

He wanted to laugh. Becky didn’t brush her fucking teeth in private, and he wasn’t deluded enough to think that he’d ever get granted an audience alone with her. It was a ploy to get him alone and take him out. One he’d used himself many times.

“No thanks, I don’t need to talk about it. I’ve made up my mind.”

Becky turned away from him, took a single step, and then whirled back around to face him. Her fiery hair swirled around her shoulders and her Irish accent was thicker than before. “It’s not love, Joe! You just met the bitch! You are risking everything for someone who doesn’t know the first thing about what you’ve done.”

Unfazed by her outburst, Joe shrugged. “She’s been more loyal to me since I’ve met her than anyone has ever been before. That’s my type of love.”

Dolph snorted behind Becky, covering his laughter under a hand. “Pathetic.”

“Becky, it’s clear you’ve already made moves to replace me. Let me go. No drama, no fighting, no threats. Just let me retire.” Joe hadn’t walked in with the plan to plea to his boss, but the situation warranted it. He was going to use as much misdirection as he could, so she’d focus on something other than Mia.

Turning to look at Io, Becky was silent. It seemed the two of them were having some sort of silent discussion, because after a few moments, Io’s hand twitched and Becky looked at him again. “I need time to think about this, Joe. Mia is still a big problem.”

That ruffled Joe’s feathers, and he shifted on his feet. Rhea immediately saw the threat, and took a step forward, her hands now by her side. “She isn’t a threat as long as she’s with me.”

Becky waved her hand in his direction, dismissing him. “Leave. Keep your phone on, Dolph will call you when I’m ready to talk.”

Not hesitating, Joe swung around and left the back room. He didn’t bother mentioning he no longer had his phone. If the plan went accordingly, that was going to be the last time he ever saw Becky “The Man” Lynch.

Chapter Text

Striding into the warehouse, Joe caught sight of Tommaso Ciampa and Pete Dunne hovering next to two stacked crates, papers and gadgets strewn over the top box. Their heads were together, Ciampa’s bald head contrasting with Pete’s locks. The two men couldn’t be more different, Pete was cold and polished, Ciampa was rough and ragged. It wasn’t often they all got to work together, and Joe knew he was lucky to be able to call them friends.

“Boys,” he greeted, joining them. He leaned against the crate, catching sight of blueprints of the RKO Hotel.

Ciampa nodded at him. “Pete called me in. Mia had some great ideas and I think we’ve nailed down a timeline.”

“Where is she?” he asked.

Pete gave a vague nod towards the stairs. “She said this place made her feel gross. Went to take a shower.”

Grabbing a phone off the crate, Joe fiddled with it in his hands. “Catch me up to speed then.”

They took turns sounding off on Mia’s plan. While Joe was monitoring the cameras for any word of a hit being made, she was going to use different burner phones to text Alexa and Dolph, posing as the other person to set up a deal. Once that was in motion, she’d reach out to Orton as one of them to hold the switch off at the RKO Hotel, baiting all three crews to where it all began.

It would be an intricate plan with the possibilities of many missteps if she wasn’t careful. Pete waved off Joe’s concerns, saying they had labeled each phone so that she’d know who she was contacting, and she had written down a script to go by if she got in a pinch.

Joe tapped the blueprints, his eyes boring into the two men in front of him. “This takes precedence. If we can bring these assholes down, we’re doing that before we bail. Is that understood?”

Ciampa nodded, looking over at Pete first before answering. “Passports are done but I need a few more days on the birth certificates. I’ll let Pete know once everything is wrapped up and he can make a delivery.”

Pete opened his mouth to add something, but his eyes shifted towards the office and his voice died in his throat. Seeing the sudden change in his expression, Joe and Ciampa followed his gaze to find Mia in front of the windows, her bare skin glowing as she smoothed lotion over her arms. Her hair was wrapped in a towel, and Joe could hear her humming echo through the building. Her lower half was blocked by the wall, but from hips up was on full display.

Joe’s pulse skyrocketed as his cock stirred to life. Growling, he muttered, “I’m going to kill her.” Casting a look at his friends who stood dumbfounded staring at Mia, he barked, “Leave!”

Pete turned and left without a word, while Ciampa chuckled and slapped Joe’s back. “Good luck man.” He followed Pete out with a wave.

Blood boiling, Joe crossed the floor of the warehouse and up the stairs in record time, throwing open the door so hard it slammed against the wall. Mia squeaked in fear, whirling around to look to see who’d come in.

“Jesus, Joe! You scared the daylights out of me!”

“What in the Hell do you think you are doing?” he demanded, stalking towards her.

To her credit, she didn’t budge, standing her ground as he peered down at her, his expression murderous. “What has you so huffy?”

“Pete and Ciampa just got the show of their lives, Mia.” He indicted the window with his hand, but she didn’t look.

“It’s nothing they haven’t seen before,” she countered. Her body was singing in excitement, seeing Joe’s obvious possessiveness over her.

For a moment, he stared at her, silent, and then a slow, menacing smile spread across his face. “You like to flirt with danger, Little One? Let me be all the danger you need.”

Before she could react, Joe dragged the towel off her head and speared his fingers into her hair, pulling her towards his lips so he could devastate her with a kiss. Sweeping his tongue inside, he claimed every part of her, one of his hands trailing its way down her back to her bare ass. Mia clung to him, breathless, as he tugged her against his body. Immediately, she felt her core flood with wetness, Joe’s animal instincts turning her on.

Leaving her lips, Joe left a trail of kisses down her neck to her collarbone, where he nipped and sucked at her skin. “Do we need to have a conversation as to who you belong to, Mia?” he whispered hotly.

She shivered. He was exuding power and control, but she felt safe. He appeared angry, but every move he made it was clear he was burning for her. “I know who I belong to.”

“I don’t share,” he growled, bending her backwards over his arm to suck at her nipples, first one and then the other.

Mia gasped, her hands flying up to grip his hair, her hips desperately searching for some type of friction. In the back of her mind, she realized he’d never told her not to walk around naked, and that only added to the ecstasy she was feeling. Joe wasn’t trying to change her, he was just asserting his dominance.

“I just thought they deserved a treat for helping out.” She tested the waters, teasing him, nibbling on his earlobe.

Raising his head to loom over her, his voice dropped an octave. “If you want to treat someone, I’m right here.”

A coy grin spread across her face and she rubbed her body against his. Her nipples scraped against the fabric of his shirt, pebbling them hard. “I guess I’ll have to focus all on you, huh?”

Sliding to her knees, ignoring how the outdoor carpet felt against her skin, Mia busied herself with unzipping Joe’s jeans. Her mouth watered, she’d been dreaming of this moment and now that it was here her heart was in her throat.

Joe’s soft whisper of “fuck” caused her to smile big, pulling his pants to his thighs as he whipped his shirt over his head. His cock was already hard, straining against his boxers and laying heavily against his leg. Her hands ran across the skin of his stomach as she leaned forward to tongue at the fabric hiding her prize.

“If you are going to suck me, Babygirl, I gotta sit down. Your pretty eyes are making me weak.”

There was something so sexy about a man admitting his girl was getting him hot, and Joe fit that bill perfectly. She sat back to watch as he finished removing his shoes and jeans before sitting on the futon, his legs spread to make room for her. Mia crawled to him, letting her eyes do the talking as her ass swayed in the air. His cocky smirk made her so wet.

Draping her arms over his thighs, Mia ran a finger down his length. “Can I have my treat now?” she asked, batting her eyelashes playfully.

“Take me in your mouth, Baby,” he instructed, leaning back to watch her.

Running her lips over his length a few more times, she reached into his boxers to wrap her hand around his thickness. His heat nearly made her moan. Pulling his cock out, Mia gently licked the head, not able to resist the drop of pre-cum that glistened at the tip.

As she ran her fingers and lips over his skin, the feel of hot velvet making her eyes roll into the back of her head, Mia marveled at how amazing his cock was. Wide at the base, it tapered slightly at the top, the tip a beautiful deep red as she licked the underside where he was most sensitive.

Joe remained stone faced above her, no expression giving her a hint to how she was doing as she took him in her mouth. Using her spit to lubricate him, she pushed herself as far as she could go while maintaining eye contact with him.

Her only hint that she had done something he liked was his thigh muscles bunched against her shoulders. Mia smiled internally. If he wanted to play, she could play.

She rubbed her right hand against his leg, then trailed it up to his stomach, massaging and enjoying the feeling of his skin as she went. With her left hand, she reached between her legs, dipping into her core to coat her fingertips in her juices.

Slowly she allowed him to fall from her mouth as she leaned back, his brows furrowed in protest, but still he didn’t speak. Pulling her fingers from her pussy, she held them in the air, showing him what she’d been doing.

“Your cock isn’t wet enough,” she whispered huskily as she spread her wetness over his dick. “This should help.”

“Mia,” he warned, shifting in his seat.

Coy smile still in place, she felt his length pulse in her hand as she jerked his thickness. Keeping her grip tight, she again took the head of his dick in her mouth, running her tongue over and under the tip. She could taste their juices combined, and she moaned.

She saw his fists clench out of the corner of her eye and she picked up the pace, reaching up to cup his balls. He began to tense, his deep, brown eyes locked on hers as she sucked him, and his hips started to buck up randomly as if he couldn’t stop himself.

Adding a twist as she pumped him, Mia felt his balls draw closer to his body, and pure female satisfaction blossomed in her body.

But Joe was having none of that.

His hands shot out and gripped her arms, yanking her up into his lap. Holding both of her wrists behind her back with one strong hand and a fistful of hair in the other, Joe bit at her neck then soothed the pain with hot kisses. “I’m not cumming until I have your pussy squeezing the life out of my cock.”

Mia moaned, using her thighs to lift up, her core searching for Joe’s dick. “Please.”

He didn’t tease her, just used the hand that had been in her hair to reach around to guide himself into her heat. As Mia sank down, they both let out guttural groans. As if on autopilot, her hips began bucking, her need to feel him deep inside her taking over her self-control.

“Mia,” he grunted, letting her hands go to hold her waist. “Go slow. I don’t want to hurt you.”

It was a moment of softness from Joe in the middle of their play, and Mia felt her heart melt. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled his lips to hers, kissing him deeply, rocking against him. Even when he was being tough, her health and safety was first and foremost in his mind. She could feel the tenseness in his shoulders, knew he just wanted to pound up into her, but he held them both back, making sure she wasn’t in any pain.

“I’m ok, Joe,” she mumbled against his lips. “Fuck me.”

Joe maneuvered her feet so that she was crouched over him. It gave her control over how deep he went. “Hold on tight, Babygirl. I’m not going to be gentle.”

His first full thrust had her eyes rolling into the back of her head. Throwing her head back, her fingers locked behind his neck, her whole body came alive as he pushed his cock in and out at a rapid pace. Joe’s eyes were fused to her face, watching for any sign of discomfort. Mia had never felt so full, Joe reaching deep inside of her. Joe himself clenched his teeth. He was struggling to hold his orgasm back, Mia’s tightness around his cock burning him alive.

Needing to feel her skin against his, Joe pulled her to his chest, swallowing her moan. “Feel good?” he rasped.

Her eyes glazed over, she nodded. “More. I want more.”

Joe chuckled. “Greedy, huh? How about we put you on display again. How’s that?” Joe stood with Mia in his arms, a smug smile on his face as she continued to try to rut against him. Pulling her off his cock, he ignored her pout, carrying her over to the window looking out over the warehouse. “Can you imagine what this place looked like, Mia?”

Setting her down, he turned her so that her back was against his chest, her temple coming just to his chin. Kissing the spot quickly, Joe reached down and lifted one of her legs, hooking it over his arm and he thrust himself back up into her. Mia screamed, her hands falling forward to brace herself against the panes of glass.

Whispering behind her ear, Joe spun her a picture. “Just think, all those men down there, some using machinery, others unloading crates. It was probably very noisy here, right?” He secured his arm around her waist, keeping her body firmly against his as he stroked himself with her core. “Do you think they’d hear your screams? Do you think they’d look up here and be shocked at what they saw? Your pretty tits bouncing, your hair over my shoulder, leg in the air as I drill your pussy. Do you think they would turn away? Or would they pull their cocks out and jack off? Would we stop, Mia? If they noticed us, would we stop?”

Panting, her juices dripping down her leg, she shook her head. “Don’t stop. Don’t stop fucking me, Joe. Please!”

His large fingers found her clit and she gasped, her ass adding an extra bounce against his lower belly as she fucked herself against his hand. “You want them to watch, Babygirl? You want all those strangers to see you taking your pleasure on my dick?”

Mia’s head dropped between her arms. The ball in her stomach was settling lower and lower, and with Joe’s hand on her clit, she was moments away from losing her mind. “I need to cum! Joe, I’m close!”

Again, Joe pulled out and Mia let out a devastated wail. Scooping her up, he returned to the futon, yanking at bar aggressively beneath the couch causing it to fall open, turning it into a bed. Laying them both down, her back still to his chest, Joe slid back into her, his arm wrapping around her neck, just like he had done to Gallows and Anderson.

“If I hurt or scare you, tap on my arm and I’ll stop, Mia.”

She nodded, her hands gripping his forearm under her chin. Joe’s free hand reached between her legs and again began playing her with clit, ramping her back up. Slowly, so slowly that she wasn’t even aware of it at first, his arm began pressing against her neck, restricting her airflow. Unable to stop herself, she gasped, but at his next hard thrust, she lost it and he cinched tighter.

“Fuck, Babygirl,” Joe moaned against her hair. “Your pussy is gripping me so tight.”

Her vision began to turn fuzzy, and then darken around the edges, each time Joe pounded into her core, she lost more air out of her lungs. She tightened her grip on his arm but didn’t tap. She swore her clit began to pulse with every brush of his fingers.

Mia felt Joe swell inside of her and he grunted. “I’m cumming, Baby. Cum with me.”

A heartbeat. Another. Mia’s vision blacked out completely. And then Joe removed his arm and air burst through her, ending at her clit as Joe pinched it. Her orgasm hit her so hard she almost blacked out again, but Joe’s thighs against the back of hers kept her conscious long enough to feel him cum inside of her.

Their panting mingled in the air, the two of them clinging to each other. As Mia’s vision returned to normal, she looked over her shoulder at Joe. “So, what you are trying to say is, you don’t like me showing my body to other people?”

Joe barked a laugh, hugging her close. “As long as I’m the only one that gets to touch it, I’ll get over it.”

Mia smiled, kissing his cheek before snuggling close to him. He was still inside of her, and that was how she fell asleep.

Chapter Text

Time crept by slowly as Joe and Mia set to their tasks. Day and night, they sat in the office, Joe watching screens, and Mia sending texts. During lulls, Mia would sit next to Joe to help him, or give him breaks so he could stretch his legs. His focus was absolute, expression stern in concentration. Dark circles were forming under his eyes, and Mia was getting worried about his lack of sleep, but he refused to lay down with her at night.

Being in close quarters together for an extended amount of time, it afforded them the opportunity to finally learn about each other. Stories were shared about families, past relationships, dreams and wishes. Mia discovered Joe liked his coffee black, which he cited from his time in prison. The worse the coffee, the more he liked it. Joe learned that Mia liked to read before bed, so he had Pete bring some books for her.

Their quirks worked well with each other, and Mia felt herself falling harder for the man beside her who had struggled all his life for normalcy. He was a survivor and an opportunist rolled into one, and she could appreciate that.

Late at night when sleep deprivation hit him hard, Joe would almost plead for Mia to reconsider staying with him. “I’m a murderer, an ex-con, Mia. I can’t provide you with a good life,” he’d say. She’d just shush him, running a hand through his hair and kissing his cheek with a smile. She wasn’t concerned with anyone else but them, together. Mia wondered if that made her a bad person, not caring if anyone else was hurt in their race to get out, but then decided since no one seemed to give a shit about her health and safety except Joe, then she wasn’t going to be concerned with theirs.

Across the room, Joe’s phone lit up with a text message, drawing Mia’s attention. From the desk chair Joe grabbed it off the table and typed out a response, then turned his head to look at Mia.

“Stephanie McMahon wants to meet up.”

Mia scrunched her face up. “The District Attorney? What for?”

Shrugging, he put his phone back down. “She has a new deal for us and wants to talk it over.” On the monitor, he could see Shinsuke, Baron, and Alexa at Shin’s art gallery. Alexa seemed to be trying to convince Shinsuke of something, but Baron was arguing with her. Typical Baron, Joe thought. He probably didn’t even know what Alexa wanted, he was just being contrary just to spite her.

Mia had been working hard on the pacing of her texts to Alexa and Dolph, attempting to have the same conversation with both people, separately, while trying to manage their next steps. The goal was to get everyone back to the RKO Hotel. It hadn’t been easy. Dolph blamed Corbin for killing Gable, rightfully so, and sabotaging the deal. Alexa thought The Man’s crew was small minded and easy to be ripped off, and that was her goal. Not that she’d ever say that, but her texts were condescending. It was a slow and maddening process.

“Are we going to talk to her?” Mia asked Joe, standing from the futon to walk over to him. Immediately, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to his side. Resting his chin on her chest, Joe gave her a fake glare.

“I’m going, you are staying here.”

“Joe,” Mia whined, trying to draw away from him in protest. He locked her to him easily. “I’ve been stuck in here for days. I just want some fresh air, please, let me go with you.”

“Open a window.”

She rolled her eyes, gripping a fistful of his hair and yanking it back playfully. His eyes burned for her and feminine satisfaction rolled through her body. “You know how I love windows,” she teased.

Joe grunted, catching her leg and pulling it over his so that she sat on his thigh, face to face with him. “I cannot risk someone taking you, Mia. You know that. For now, you’ll stay here until I can assure your safety outside of these walls.”

Truthfully, Mia understood, and craved the security Joe offered her. But she was going stir crazy. Biting her lip, a mischievous thought crossed her mind. Leaning close to Joe’s cheek, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Well,” she whispered, shifting her hips so that her denim covered core dragged along his leg. “I guess you are going to have to find interesting ways to keep me amused.”

Immediately, Joe’s hands gripped her thighs, then dragged up to cup her ass. With a slight flex of his fingers, he indicated he wanted her to move against him again. Doing so, Mia moaned as her pussy clenched against the friction. “I will spend days fucking you once this is all over, Babygirl.” He watched her expression carefully as she rocked against him, the furrow of her brows, her parted lips as she panted. His dick swelled to full hardness and strained against the zipper of his pants. “Better get used to being cooped up with me because I’m going to drill your pussy until you black out.”

Joe’s words sent a flood of wetness to her panties, soaking them. Mia’s hands clenched in the fabric at Joe’s shoulders, her nails digging into his skin, but he didn’t flinch. He watched her as she used him to fuck herself, his eyes never straying from her beautiful face. Needing to feel her skin in some way, Joe pulled her t-shirt over her head, mussing her long, dark locks. She was wearing a simple lace, white bra, and Joe immediately palmed her breasts, feeling her fullness in his hands.

“Joe,” she moaned, her hips moving faster. Now her jeans and his own pants were wet from her juices, and Joe’s nose flared in arousal. Deep inside, underneath his burning need for Mia, he was incredibly humbled. Mia gave herself to him fully everytime they were together. She trusted him and Joe always rose to the challenge, wanting to earn her loyalty.

“Mia.” Joe clenched his teeth. Watching her ride him, her head thrown back in pleasure, was going to make him cum untouched. “You make me wild, Babygirl.” He brought her chest to his mouth, sucking on the fabric of her bra and nibbling on her nipples when they hardened.

Breathless from Joe’s ministrations, she cradled his head to her. “You keep me safe and I’ll keep you wild, Baby,” she promised.

Triggered by her words, love exploding through his chest in an unexpected burst, Joe growled. Yanking his zipper down he pulled his cock out and began stroking it in time with Mia’s movements, which were becoming stuttered as she neared her orgasm. Unwilling to part from her skin, Joe buried his face between her breasts, kissing and licking anywhere he could reach.

“I’m so close, Joe, so close,” Mia whined. She had a hand in his hair and the other digging her nails in his bicep, pulling him closer to her although they were as close as they could get without being one person.

Joe’s hand sped up on his dick, his balls drawing closer to his body as his veins sang. Wrapping an arm around Mia’s waist, he hugged her close to him, his mouth biting at her breasts. “I’m going to cum, Mia. Fuck,” he moaned.

The little mewls and groans from Mia did him in. As soon as she rocked forward for the last time and her thighs began to shake as her orgasm hit her hard, Joe grunted, his cum landing on Mia’s pants and the floor. Panting, Mia laid her head on his shoulder, her body quivering from aftershocks. Keeping his face against her chest, Joe took deep breaths, trying to right his world against the earthquake that was Mia.

She had rocked his entire foundation out from under him with one look and falling for her had thrown his life in shambles. He would move mountains for her, kill anyone who threatened her without an ounce of remorse. Yes, Joe wanted a good life for her, but he had no qualms about doing anything in his power to keep her safe. At any cost.

Finally picking up his head, he looked at the monitor over her shoulder and sighed. “I hope no one decided today was the day we die, Mia, because I couldn’t hear shit over your moaning.”

Giggling, she kissed his cheek, snuggling closer to him. “Worth it.”

Chapter Text

Meeting Stephanie McMahon at a public coffee house was not Joe’s definition of laying low, but he wanted it over with quickly so he could get back to Mia. His blood pressure always sky rocketed when she wasn’t within an arm’s length, and Joe wondered if maybe the two of them were becoming just a little more co-dependent than was wise.

He snorted to himself as he pushed his way through the crowd of people at the register, heading towards the back where he saw the DA. He didn’t give a shit if he was co-dependent. He’d made his choice.

Stephanie was alone, dressed in a power business suit and drinking a latte. Her long hair was braided down her back and she raised an eyebrow as Joe sat across from her. “No drink?”

“This isn’t a chit chat session, Steph. I have places I need to be.”

There was a small smirk on her face, but she set her drink down and folded her hands on top of the table. Leaning closer she lowered her voice. “I want to revise our deal.”

“Why? It was a fair deal.” Leaning back in the chair, Joe crossed his arms over his chest.

“Witness protection didn’t work out, and that was part of the deal. I feel I can offer something better, something that looks further in the future, for the both of you.” Steph tapped the table with her blood red fingernail. “I’m correct in assuming the two of you are an item?”

Joe snorted in derision. An item? It sounded so juvenile, so flimsy. When Joe had first met Stephanie, he and Mia were just two people in a tense situation. Now, they were making plans for a life together. How far they’d come in such a short amount of time, he mused.

“We’re together, if that’s what you are asking.” And in that moment, Joe realized, they had never put a label on what was going on between them. It made him feel vulnerable, like Mia could just evaporate out of his life at any given moment.

Nodding, Steph reached into her satchel that was hanging on the back of her chair, pulling out a manila envelope. Sliding it across the table towards Joe, she placed her hand flat on top of it. “This is going to seem too good to be true, Joe, but I assure you, it’s not. I’ve already signed it, and that’s in good faith that you are going to see things my way.”

Suspicion lurked inside of Joe, and he eyed her warily. “What do you get out of it?”

She smiled, a genuine smile, shocking Joe almost as much as her next words. “A lot, and you’ll understand when you read it. But listen, there is a caveat.” She stopped his snort with a hand in the air. “Neither you nor Mia can be present when we take down The Man, Shinsuke, Orton or their crews.”

He wanted to argue with her, because he wanted to witness their destruction in person. Wanted them to see his face as they were led out in handcuffs. But Mia’s trusting face came to mind and quelled his silent rage. All he wanted was Mia’s safety, and if that meant not being present at the take down, and staying with her, he’d choose Mia everytime.

Nodding, he reached for the envelope. “I’ll discuss it with Mia and get back with you.”

Stephanie grabbed her satchel and her drink, standing to leave. “We’re waiting for your go ahead, Joe, so keep Hunter in the loop on the details. This is a big trust we’re building, and I think you’ll see it will be mutually beneficial for everyone on the right side of the law.”

With that, she turned and left him sitting along at the table, pondering what life on the right side of the law felt like.

Chapter Text

Everything was set for the take down, the details were ironed out between Dolph, Alexa, and Mr. Orton, and the deal with Stephanie and the DA’s office signed. Mia’s mind spun as she and Joe discussed Stephanie’s offer, going over and over everything for hours, planning every step and asking each other if that’s really how they saw their lives together. It was a lot to bank on, a lot of trust to put into strangers for the chance at a stable life together.

Four days after the signed agreement had been delivered to Stephanie’s office by Pete, Mia and Joe sat side by side watching the monitor at the warehouse. Holding hands, they waited, the camera showing the empty ballroom at the RKO Hotel. Mia’s nerves were taking on a life of their own, and her leg was bouncing uncontrollably.

It had taken days to get Dolph and Alexa to agree on a new exchange, and then another day to convince Mr. Orton that they should meet again at his hotel. He was wary and suspicious, but Mia had charmed him, posing as Alexa and promising a bigger cut as the middleman. She was mentally exhausted, absolutely sure that her stress was the only thing keeping her upright at that moment. Playing so many parts and keeping the chess pieces moving was far more mentally taxing than she had bargained for.

Gaining access to the RKO Hotel’s cameras was easy, Joe had explained. It was Pete who had hacked into the cameras weeks ago when Joe was watching Mia from the apartment building across the street from the hotel. Everything truly was coming full circle now.

From the corner of the screen they saw movement. Becky Lynch, Io Shirai, Dolph Ziggler, Ricochet and Rhea Ripley make their way into the darkened ballroom, only the dim sconces on the walls providing enough light to see by. Large aluminum cases that Joe knew very well were being carried in by Ricochet and Rhea. Io made a circuit around the room, peering behind curtains and opening doors before making her way back to Becky and whispering in her ear. The Man nodded and indicated where she wanted the cases.

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the ballroom, the double doors were opened and Shinsuke’s crew arrived. Baron Corbin, Alexa Bliss, Dash Wilder, Scott Dawson and Shayna Baszler surrounded their boss, like an entourage escorting their fighter to the ring. Crossing the large room, they stopped in front of The Man and parted like the Red Sea, Shinsuke dancing forward, his cocky grin planted on his face.

Joe had told Mia that they were not the only one’s using this camera feed. The police were also monitoring it, using it as visual evidence. SWAT would move in once the exchange was made.

Mia bit her lip, squeezing Joe’s hand tightly. This was the part where it could all unravel quickly. If Dolph and Alexa realized they had not been talking to each other this past week, Hell was going to break loose and the deal was off.

Shin stepped forward, Baron right behind him. “I see you’ve made some replacements.” He nodded at Ricochet and Rhea.

Becky crossed her arms and tapped her foot. “Well I had to, didn’t I? As you remember, your Enforcer killed my Runner and then couldn’t do his fucking job and kill one witness, and my Enforcer got a little moon-eyed. But that’s ok,” she pointed over her shoulder with her thumb at Rhea, “no chance of that happening with this one.”

A sly grin spread on Shin’s face, and he swayed his shoulders back and forth, as if he was dancing to music only he could hear. “It’s for the best,” he muttered.

Becky’s eyes narrowed. “No offense, but I don’t want to be here. This place gives me the chills. Let’s get this deal done and over with.”

Shin stepped back and Alexa moved into his place, a bag over her shoulder. Ricochet unlocked the cases and opened them, much as Gable had done the night he died, except this time, Rhea was right behind him, her hard eyes never leaving Corbin’s face. Leaning on her tiptoes, Alexa peered into the cases, not willing to get closer than she had to.

“Take the trays out and I’ll show you the money,” she suggested to Ricochet. He nodded, doing as she said while she crouched down to unzip the bag. Stacks of money were displayed, wrapped with bands to keep them separated. Closing the bag, she watched at Ricochet replaced the trays of guns in the cases and then locked them.

Alexa turned to her boss. “Looks good.”

Smiling like a snake, Shin made a vague gesture and Corbin kicked the bag of money toward Becky. Stepping forward, Dolph picked it up, throwing the strap over his torso. As one, The Man’s crew took five steps back, clearing the space around the aluminum cases holding millions of dollars in guns. Dash and Dawson grabbed two each, while Corbin grabbed the last and final case.

“Pleasure finally doing business with you,” Shin said, walking backwards towards the doors they had entered through.

Suddenly, those doors burst inwards, as did the two sets of patio doors and the doors leading to the hotel that The Man’s Crew had come through. Cops poured into the room, shouting and yelling for everyone to hit the ground, guns aimed and ready to fire.

Shayna and The Revival closed ranks around Shinsuke. Alexa stood frozen, her hands in the air. Simultaneously, Rhea grabbed the backs of Io and Becky’s shirts at the neck, appearing to almost lift them off the ground as if she was going to try to run with them under her arms. A gun in her face stopped her in her tracks. Dolph, the money still strapped to his chest, dropped to his stomach on the floor. But it was Baron who held Mia’s full attention. He stood stalk still, hands in the air like Alexa, but he was staring at Shinsuke, a cocky knowing smile on his face.

Mia shuddered, a sob stuck in her throat as she turned in her chair, wrapping her arms around Joe’s neck. Pulling her into his lap, Joe held her as she cried, relief flowing through them both. Joe continued to watch the camera, his lips pressed to Mia’s hair, a satisfaction like he had never known spreading through him. An officer approached the corner where the camera was mounted and gave a thumbs up. It was Officer Gargano, and he turned to escort a handcuffed Becky Lynch out of the room.

“It’s over,” Mia cried, her face buried in his chest. “I can’t believe it worked.”

He hugged her, rocking her gently. “It was a good plan. They will search the building to be sure no one else is hiding and they will find Orton’s gambling den, just like we said. That will bring him down too. We did it, Mia. You’re safe.” He kissed her forehead.

Looking up at him with tear stained cheeks, Mia’s voice was low and raspy. “I don’t think I ever thanked you for not killing me.”

Joe laughed, the comment so absurd that he couldn’t stop himself. “Well it turns out I’m glad I didn’t kill you too.”

Giggling, Mia pulled his face to hers, kissing him deeply. “And now we can live, right?”

“Yes, and now we can live.”

Chapter Text

Seven Years Later

The sun beat heavily on the crowd gathered, but they didn’t seem to mind. Everyone was in a celebratory mood, cheers and whistled echoing through the plaza. Streamers and banners flapped in the wind, their red, white, and blue colors shining brightly. On top of a platform stage outside of her campaign office, Stephanie McMahon, with her retired Chief of Police husband Hunter Hearst Helmsley, grinned from ear to ear and waved at the crowd, her thank you’s drowned out by the crowd.

Standing off to the side of the stage, Mia couldn’t help but smile also. For the past six years she had been Stephanie’s campaign manager, as she climbed the political ladder from District Attorney to State Attorney, and then mayor, and now a seat in the state’s House of Representatives. Mia had been by her side, helping with each step.

And beside them both was Joe. He was on the stage with Stephanie and Hunter, standing behind them but close by in case something went down. Stephanie had given him the job of being her personal bodyguard and Joe had excelled in the position. During her stint as mayor, Steph had set a hard line on drug trafficking, and the cartels had sent men to take her out. Joe protected her through each one of those ordeals and assisted on finding the people responsible using his past knowledge of the underground.

Following that day in the warehouse, watching The Man and Shin’s crews get taken down, Joe and Mia had been whisked away into witness protection until the trial could start. They spent a year on the West Coast, trying to appear normal with mundane jobs, while also trying to get to know each other in a normal setting.

Never once did their passion for each other wane. If anything, they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. Mia knew they belonged together, but Joe expected it all to be ripped away from him at any moment. She couldn’t fault him for that, and when the trial finally started, she did her best to support him through it all. It was harder on him than he expected, sitting across from Becky Lynch in the courtroom, her green eyes locked on his every move.

The guilty verdict was the beginning of their lives together, and impulsively, they ran down to the vital statistics office and got married. Mia cried through the whole ceremony, with Stephanie and Hunter as their witnesses.

It was after their nuptials that Stephanie dropped the bomb on them. Baron had pleaded out and an agreement had been met; manslaughter charges instead of murder, in exchange for testimony against Shinsuke and his crew. It took Mia longer to forgive Stephanie for that then it had taken Joe. Joe thought it was practical, Corbin doing the same as he had done, but Mia had never forgotten the sheer glee in Baron’s eyes as he waved the switchblade in front of her face.

Mia’s world changed the day she met Joe, and everyday she felt as if she smiled from sun up to sun down. Together, they had a four-year-old daughter, Sienna, who had Joe wrapped around her finger. Joe was an amazing father. He was at every dance recital, made Sienna’s lunches in the morning, took her to school, and read to her every night before bed. It all made Mia feel like mush when she watched her husband with their daughter.

With another wave to the crowd, Stephanie stepped back from the podium and Joe immediately fell into step with her and Hunter as they walked across the stage to the stairs where Mia was waiting. Steph hugged Mia and together the four of them escaped the heat to Steph’s campaign office for celebratory champagne.

The office was full of campaign employees, just as loud as the crowd outside, but Mia only had eyes for one person. Joe was against the wall, his crisp, black suit with white shirt and black tie that she had ironed that morning looked impeccable on him, his eyes still covered with aviator glasses and the clear, plastic ear piece he wore to communicate with his team made him look dangerous and sexy. He was as stoic as always when he was in public, his eyes never stopping behind those sunglasses. Joe in a suit made her wet on a daily basis, and her favorite part of the day was when he got home, and she stripped him out of it. Slowly.

But today, she didn’t want to wait.

Making her way through the crowd, she joined him against the wall, surveying her co-workers talking animatedly. “Who would have ever thought that when Steph gave you that envelope all those years ago, she’d come through, and we’d be where we are right now.”

Joe was quiet for a moment before reaching between them to hold her hand. At work, they did their best to remain professional and aloof. But there were small moments like these that reinforced their commitment to each other. “Best choice I ever made was signing that deal. Two employment contracts with salary and exoneration for my part in The Man’s deals in exchange for testifying.”

Mia scoffed, pretending to be insulted. “I thought the best choice you ever made was not killing me.”

Joe’s lip twitched in amusement and he squeezed her hand. “Maybe you shouldn’t say that in a crowd full of people, Babygirl.”

She had to brace herself against the shiver than ran through her body. Anytime he called her that name she melted. “I thought most married couples wanted to kill each other?” she quipped.

“Not this one.”

If she knew Joe, he was rock hard. Their constant banter seemed to fuel his fire, and Mia really wanted to take advantage of that. Turning so that she was in front of him, the crush of co-workers behind her, she braced her hands on his chest and began playing with his tie. She felt him tense up, his professionalism running deep within his bones, but she was not to be deterred.

“This party is going to last a long time, Joe.” Pouting a little, she looked up at him. “You know how I feel about you in this suit, and I’ve had to look at you all day. My panties are a mess and are probably ruined. Do you think you could take a look for me?”

Clearing his throat, Joe took his sunglasses off and slipped them in the inside pocket of his jacket. “If you’ll hold out a while longer, I’ll drill you tonight after Sienna goes to bed.”

She rubbed his chest, leaning against him, knowing he could feel how hard her nipples were beneath her blouse. Making sure his eyes were on her, she ran her hand down her chest, to her stomach, and then slowly bunched the front of her skirt up in her hand. With her other hand, she reached into her underwear and dipped into her core, biting back her moan and she collected her juices.

“Mia, we are in a crowd full of people!” he chastised, his gaze locked on hers. Removing her hand from her panties, allowing her skirt to fall back into place, she slipped the finger into his mouth, letting him taste her.

“I’m dripping down my legs, Joe.”

His hips bucked against her and she knew she had him then. “Fuck,” he muttered. Pressing a button on his cufflink, he spoke into the little microphone hidden there. “I’m taking a quick break.” Someone responded but Joe ripped the earpiece out of his ear and gripped Mia’s waist hard.

Bunching his tie in her hand, she laughed, tugging him down the hallway to the bathroom, her heart in her eyes. “Let’s go make another baby.”

Joe’s groans echoed off the walls. “I love you so much, Babygirl.”

Whirling around to press her lips to his, she whispered, “I love you too.”

The end.