Got A Hold On You (Ringside Romance) (6 page)

“He’s okay, right?” she asked.

“Doctors are with him now.”

“But it’s not serious, is it?”

“Can’t say, ma’am. One minute he was lucid, ranting
about a crazy woman who tried to smash his skull. The next he was out cold.”

The paramedic brushed past her, leaving her stunned.
She stared at the door to the examining area. No, she couldn’t have hurt him
that badly. She wasn’t that strong or willful or malicious.

“Guess you hit him harder than you thought,” Uncle Joe
said.

A nurse swung open the door and Frankie seized the
opportunity to prove them all wrong and ease her conscience. With a deep breath
she slipped into the examining area unnoticed. The door clicked shut behind her
and she aimed for the nurse’s station.

“Jack Hudson?” she said, her voice sounding not at all
like her own.

“And you are?” The nurse glanced up from a chart.

“His wife.” Great, first assault and battery, and now
she was impersonating a wife. She was sure to burn in Hell.

“Number four.” The nurse motioned toward a row of
examining areas sectioned off by curtains.

Inhaling the scent of rubbing alcohol, she ambled
across the examining area and touched the coarse white fabric, listening for
sound of a doctor performing an exam. When she heard nothing, she pushed the
curtain aside and her breath caught in her throat.

The overbearing giant who’d scared the wits out of her
at first sight lay motionless on the bed. One arm was folded across his
stomach, an IV needle embedded in his hand. He was so still, so helpless. The
goose egg on his forehead had swollen to the size of a grapefruit, nearly
closing his left eye. A little lower and she could have blinded the man.

Her legs wobbled, and she collapsed into a padded gray
chair reserved for loved ones. Nibbling her thumbnail, she sat there and
watched him breathe. In and out. Slow and steady. She still couldn’t believe
such a powerful creature could look so vulnerable, so broken.

Long strands of dark hair feathered across the
institutional white pillow. His lips moved slightly as if he were dreaming.

A nightmare more like it. Probably hallucinating about
Tiger Lady.

She didn’t realize she’d gotten so close until she was
standing over him brushing a strand of hair off his cheek. Confusion knotted her
insides as she ran her fingertips across a deep scar on his forehead. She
wondered how it got there.

She shouldn’t care. He was a commodity, nothing more,
a commodity that would help save Uncle Joe’s company.

“Sir, you can’t go in there!” a woman’s voice ordered.

The curtain scraped open on metal rings and Frankie
jerked her hand away. Uncle Joe stepped into the examining area with Billings
right beside him.

“Sir!” a young nurse protested. “One visitor at a
time. And his wife is with him now.”

“His wife?” Uncle Joe quirked an eyebrow at Frankie.

“Don’t give me that look.”

A doctor side-stepped Uncle Joe and approached Jack.
“Everyone needs to leave.”

She touched the starched sleeve of the doctor’s lab
coat. “He’ll be okay, won’t he?”

The doctor glanced at the nurse.

“Wife,” she said.

Uncle Joe spit out a hysterical giggle. Oh, he was
pleased with himself tonight.

The doctor ignored them and went to work, checking
Jack’s vitals.

It was coming. She could feel it. She’d caused a brain
hemorrhage, a blood clot, permanent damage that would prevent Black Jack from
stepping into the ring ever again. Uncle Joe could kiss WHAK goodbye. She’d
ruined two lives in one night. Make that three. Bradley would be disappointed
that their five-year engagement plan would have to be scrapped since Frankie
would probably get eight and a third to twenty for attempted manslaughter.

“Doctor?” she urged.

“Looks like a concussion. Won’t know how serious until
we take some x-rays.”

“Is it normal for him to be unconscious like this?”

“That’s not from the head injury. He passed out when
the paramedic administered the IV. Needle phobic.”

“Oh,” she said, surprised that a man like Jack Hudson
could be daunted by something as small as a needle.

The patient moaned and brought his right hand to his
face, as if shielding his eyes. “What the hell?”

She backed up into Uncle Joe, afraid of Jack’s
reaction when he spotted her. Then she remembered: He’d only recognize her as
Tatianna the Terrible. She stood a little straighter.

“Sir? I’m Dr. Carson. Do you know your name?”

“Jack. Jack Hudson.”

“Do you know what happened to you, Mr. Hudson?”

“I got clobbered by a seven-hundred-pound gorilla.”

The doctor pulled out a pen-sized flashlight and
shined it in Jack’s right eye.

“Enough already,” Jack protested, batting the doctor’s
hand away. “I was clubbed by a crazy woman.”

“How about these people? Do you recognize them?”

He squinted and stared at Frankie. Guilt flashed in
bold neon letters across her forehead. His gaze drifted to her right and landed
on Uncle Joe. He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw.

“Jesus, Sully. You’re like a vulture circling a
carcass.”

“Just wanted to check up on my biggest star.”

Jack grunted.

“Doctor?” a nurse interrupted. “We need you in room
two.”

“I’ll be right there. Mr. Hudson, they’ll be taking
you for x-rays in a minute.”

“I’ve been hit in the head enough times to know I
don’t need x-rays.”

The doctor pushed aside the curtain and glanced over
his shoulder. “I’d have to disagree considering you didn’t even recognize your
own wife.” The doctor slid the curtain closed.

“My what?” Jack sat up, gripped his head with both
hands and collapsed back onto the bed.

Uncle Joe giggled.

“Sully,” Jack growled.

“I’m going to have to ask all of you to leave,” the
nurse ordered.

“One minute, nurse, just sixty seconds?” Uncle Joe
winked at Billings, who put his arm around the nurse.

“I don’t suppose you have any kids who like
wrestling?” Billings guided her out of the examining area. Uncle Joe shut the
curtain behind them.

“Get out,” Jack said, his right arm shielding his
eyes.

“We have business to discuss,” Uncle Joe protested.

“Yeah, like the broad standing next to you? Don’t tell
me, you had a minister marry us while I was unconscious to beef up next week’s
ratings. Come on, Sully, you know I like them tall and bone skinny.”

Maybe insults would get them to leave, Jack thought.

“This is my niece and WHAK negotiator,” Sully said.
“We said she was your wife so they’d let us in to talk to you.”

“Yeah, catch me when I’m down. I know the drill.”

“You were great tonight, Jack. The fans were hot, out
of control.”

Sully took a step toward him. Jack was cornered, had
nowhere to go. A familiar feeling.

“Things are turning around for us. Just think, when
you turn heel on next week’s show—”

“Are you nuts!” Jack shouted, clutching his head to
ease the spear of pain slicing through his skull. “You’ve got to be out of your
mind.”

“Take ’em by surprise, Jack. That’s what tonight
taught me. That’s why we’ve been losing fans. They crave the unexpected,
larger-than-life stories filled with emotion and drama.”

“I won’t turn heel.”

The thought of thousands of young fans watching him
draw blood from a hero tied his stomach in knots. It had taken years to build
his reputation, to become a hero that impressionable kids could look up to. It
would take one match to trash that image to hell.

“It’s only three more months. Then your contract’s up
and you’re free to go on with your life.”

“As what? A complete jerk?”

“Heels have gone on to very successful careers as
announcers, actors, heck, even politicians.”

“I came into this business a hero, and I’m going out
the same way.”

God, let him be a hero at something.

“I’m sorry, but my advisers feel strongly about this.”

“And who the hell are your advisers? Billings? The man
was a career jobber. He won five, maybe six matches in fifteen years. Or did
this lady standing next to you suggest you destroy the persona I’ve worked
years to build?”

Sully’s niece crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m
here to negotiate, not make up stories. You all seem quite capable of doing
that without my help.”

Another hard-ass. Great.

“I won’t turn, Sully. Now, get out.” Jack crooked his
arm over his face. The dull throb grew to a persistent hammer. The shuffling of
papers echoed across the small examining area.

“I’ve got a contract here,” Sully countered. “If you
break it I’ll sue you for everything you’re worth.”

“You sonofa…” Jack lunged for the promoter, hoping to
apply an illegal chokehold of his own, but his knees buckled and he went down.
He groped for the counter to keep from falling flat on his face. The room spun
as test patterns of red, yellow, and white flashed across his eyes.

Someone gently grabbed his arm and helped steady him.
He didn’t open his eyes, afraid he’d be sick from the sight of IVs, latex
gloves, and blood-pressure cuffs spinning around the room.

“Lie down,” a woman’s voice said.

Thank God the nurse had returned to save him from
Sully and his evil niece.

Flopping back onto the bed, he opened his eyes. The
drill sergeant niece stood over him, her hand still holding onto his bare arm.

“I don’t need your help.” He wrenched his arm away and
closed his eyes, but not before he caught sight of her pained expression. Why
should he care?

The hammering grew into a full-blown demolition of his
remaining brain cells.

“There is an alternative,” Sully said.

“Yeah, like I strap you to the hood of that fancy
Lincoln Town Car and drive you into Lake Michigan.”

“Jack, believe it or not. I’m looking out for your
best interest.”

He squinted at Sully, who wore that cheesy smile, the
one that meant major pain and suffering was around the corner.

“Spit it out,” Jack said.

“I’ll reconsider your turning heel if you extend your
contract by a year.”

Jack’s knee ached at the thought. “You’re dreaming.”

“It’s critical to WHAK, a way to recover our ratings.”

“I’d rather recover my health.”

“How can you do this to the organization that made you
what you are today?”

He glared at the promoter. “Don’t even go there. I’ve
been a cash cow for the last ten years and we both know it.”

“That’s why we need you to stay on for a little
longer.”

“No.”

“Then heel it is. Unless …”

Sully nodded at his niece and she batted her eyes.
Man, they made a great team. If they were a wrestling team they’d be called
Pain and Destruction.

“Will you consider something else?” Sully smiled again
and Jack had the sudden urge to buzz the nurse for a quick shot of morphine.

Sully stepped closer, his eyes twinkling with victory.
“You don’t have to turn heel if you agree to make Tatianna your permanent
partner.”

“Are you nuts?” Jack said. “This was a one-time gig.”

A crash echoed through the room, slicing more pain
through his skull.

“Sorry.” The niece righted a cart she’d knocked over,
and glared at Sully. The old man ignored her and paced the room, raising one
hand in the air as if giving a State of the Union address.

“This is exactly the type of drama and emotion we need
to get us back on top. You and Tatianna are perfect together.”

“Uncle Joe?” The niece reached for his arm.

“Tatianna’s fascinating, electrifying—”

“She’s a lunatic,” Jack interrupted.

“She’s spectacular, amazing—”

“She’s a klutz.”

“But she’s got that special something,” Sully argued.
“Charisma, magic.”

“She’s dangerous!” Jack shouted.

“She didn’t mean to hurt you,” the niece defended.

He studied the woman Sully claimed was his niece, arms
crossed over her chest, eyes narrowed with determination. Her colorful
eyes—a myriad of blues, greens, and yellows—were hidden behind
large-framed glasses. He’d never seen eyes quite like hers before.

Hell, he couldn’t let a pair of gorgeous eyes
sidetrack him. The concussion must be worse than he thought. Clenching his jaw,
Jack refocused on his current crisis: getting out while he could still walk.

“Well, she
did
hurt me,” he said.

“Tatianna was only trying to help,” the niece
countered.

“I can do without that crazy woman’s help. I’ll live a
lot longer, that’s for sure.”

“She’s new at this, a last-minute replacement. She
thought Neurosis was going to smash your skull with the TV monitor.”

“If she didn’t know the game she shouldn’t have
stepped into the ring.”

“But—”

“Listen, lady, you obviously don’t know much about
this business.” He propped himself up on his elbows and stared her down, all
five-feet-nothing of her. He didn’t know women came this small. Short, that is.
She obviously wasn’t small in other, more important places, which he could tell
she tried very hard to conceal.

“That Tiger Lady bimbo is a nut case, a psycho-idiot
who had no business being anywhere near the ring.”

Her cheeks flushed bright red, and she fisted her
right hand by her side as if she ached to give him a right cross of her own.
And they said he took his job too seriously.

Sully sidestepped his niece and smiled, flashing
expensive capped teeth.
 
Jack hated
that grin.

“It’s okay, Jack, we’ll find you a new Tatianna.”

“Forget it. I won’t have anything to do with that
story line, contract or no contract.”

It would be nice to keep some personal integrity, he
thought. Then he considered the alternative. Not much integrity in turning
heel.