His place was hard to find.
Even with my contacts, with the shady network of lunatics and fugitives who made up the majority of my dear friends and gentle hearts, it was hard to find Thomas' place. It wasn't in Portland, wasn't in Philly, or Chicago, or Charleston, or Phoenix, or Tokyo, or London, or San Juan. Wasn't in any of my usual haunts. And finding him was like finding Carmen Sandiego. I had to say the right thing to the right person and not get a straight answer.
But I found him.
'cuz I was gonna take his head.
I didn't that night. Not so soon after Vegas. What I did was dive back headfirst into the indies, into blood and sweat and chairs and tears and beers and Greyhounds, and find my way to Gemma. And closed that circle with you in FTW.
But before FTW I went back to him a second time.
It was dark in his room. He didn't have the mask on, but he always knows where to sit so the shadows lay on him just right. Or maybe they follow him.
I told him what I wanted. His heart strike.
I'd seen it.
I've seen heart punches since Crush's terrible one in mid-90s WWF. And even terrible ones took people down. But Tantalus? His heart strike CRUSHED. It left behind something limp, twitching and barely alive. Like fucking dark magic. And I had someone I really, really wanted to use it on.
"Teach me."
He'd just looked at me. Man knows how to look, I'll give him that. Did he know what I wanted it for, even then?
I mean, how could he have not?
"There will be a price."
I'd just grinned, eyes flashing in the dark.
"Fuckin' name it."
And he did.
And tonight, for the first time - didn't hit you with it in FTW, or in Tokyo, or even when I came after you when you took Gemma's wedding ring after breaking her arm - but tonight, I hit you with that fucking move. I break your fucking heart.
And it feels so fucking wonderful I can't even stand it.
You drop. You don't just drop, you COLLAPSE, boneless, hitting with a thud that bounces your slack face off the canvas.
I'd love to taunt you right now. To tell you that you broke my heart in Vegas, but what happens there doesn't always fucking STAY there. Sometimes it comes back on you. I'd love to tell you about karma and what a cxnt it is.
But there's no fucking point trashtalking to someone who's unconscious.
LVK: Sweet LORD, that impact was vicious. Rowan Chance is COMPLETELY out!
RP: Yeah, but I mean ... so was Punky after those Fire DDT things. Chance is crazy, maybe she ... fuck, she looks WAY done.
LVK: I don't know, folks, we might require medical attention out here for Rowan Chance. That move was beyond vicious - it was almost homicidal.
I bend down, my knee aching and pulsing and my head pounding and my cxnt hurting - but the endorphin rush makes all that feel like sweet, sweet summer. My tattooed hand, the black and red fight tape spattered with your blood and spit, wraps around your wrist, and I drag you behind me like a fresh carcass to the center of the ring, facedown, your domme boots dragging with slow heavy rasps of leather on canvas.
I could've pinned you right in the corner. There's no fucking rope breaks in a No Holds Barred match. But I want everyone - EVERYONE - to see.
I roll you to your back, let you unfurl into a full spread eagle.
And I don't fucking kiss you.
I step over your head and drop down, hard. My knees spiking into your biceps to pin your lithe spread arms, hissing as my right knee smacks down. I reach down, body dragging over yours, and grab your left leg in both hands, HAULING it up off the canvas, lifting that shapely ass up as I wrap my arms around your hooked leg, hugging it between my sweaty breasts.
I want you fucking PINNED, no matter how many pieces your little dark heart is in now.
And as the ref drops back, eyes alight as she checks your olive shoulders under the weight of my body, and slaps her hand down for a crisp "ONE!".
I don't whisper that into your mouth. I just lean back and grind my knees into your pinned biceps, hooking your leg high to show off your FAMOUS flexibility and gorgeous ass to the appreciative crowd as I try to settle you in.
For the first god-damn fall of your downfall.
With my hazel eyes locked on the masked man standing and staring in blank horror in the front row. Staring at his perfect little Galatea broken down by his own fucking hand.
I see Red, rage painted under his mask, being restrained by his friends and a few fellow grapplers, pulled back to his seat. And I grin. Like a wolf with blood steaming on her muzzle in the winter.
"Worth it," I growl - loud enough for the front row to hear.
Especially dear Thomas.