{Chapter 16}
Isabella had relaxed a little since the night she tried to run away. She had closed her phone account so that she couldn’t get anymore calls from Jakob. Kennedy had opened a new one for her, making sure it was as secure as possible.
Cena made it a point to give her a call every night no matter where he was just to chat. He was worried about her and wanted to make sure she was all right. Jeff made a point to call or visit as often as he could too. Isabella seemed to be the only person besides his cousin who understood and tolerated his scatter brained antics.
The two men had convinced some of the Divas to keep in touch with Isabella as well. They really didn’t have to do much in the way of convincing though. Ashley loved chatting with Isabella and had already made a date to go get a new tattoo together. Candice and Maria often invited Isabella to shop with them whenever she accompanied Kennedy on the road. Melina loved to gossip with her, mainly because Isabella was the only one who would listen.
A couple of weeks after she attempted to run away Isabella was on the road with Kennedy. Cindy had accompanied them as well. That night was a supershow so the locker rooms and halls were especially crowded. The two women had spent most of their time watching from a perch that Jeff had found for them.
“Hey, Cinder, you seen Jeff,” Matt asked as the women headed to Kennedy’s locker room after the show.
“Not since he was in the ring,” Cindy replied.
“If you see him could you tell him I’ll be waiting for him in the car,” Matt asked. Cindy nodded allowing him to give her a quick squeeze and a peck on the cheek before he headed of the building for the night.
~*~
“Oh, did Jeff ever find Matt,” Cindy asked as she walked out with Kennedy, his arm around her shoulders. Isabella trailed behind them with Cena by her side.
“He headed out to the parking lot about ten minutes ago,” Cena said.
The four headed out of the building just in time to hear Jeff wailing. “Matt,” he cried. “Oh God! Matty, please be all right!”
Cindy bolted to her cousin’s side. She found Jeff, kneeling on the ground, Matt’s bloody head in his lap. The others were close behind her, stopping when they saw the brothers. Isabella began to tremble. She just knew Jakob had something to do with this.
He looked at Cindy, anguish in his green eyes, and whimpered “He won’t wake up.”
“Ken, call an ambulance,” Cindy called, leaning over Matt to see what exactly his injuries were. Just as Kennedy pulled out his cell phone he was tackled to the ground. His phone skittered to a stop next to Jeff. “KEN,” Cindy screamed springing to her feet.
Isabella watched in horror as Jakob tackled her brother to the ground. It was like everything was happening in slow motion. With wide eyes she saw Cindy attempt to get Jakob off Kennedy only to be thrown aside like a rag doll.
“Cindy,” she gasped. “Are you all right?” Cindy looked at her hand, which was scraped, but nodded. She would live.
“Jeff call 911,” Cena called as he wrenched Jakob off of Kennedy. Jeff picked up Kennedy’s phone testing it to make sure it still worked. When he got a dial tone he quickly punched in 9-1-1.
Kennedy had a gash the back of his head from the contact with the pavement, but otherwise was unwounded. As he got to his feet Jakob ran Cena into a car parked nearby. The alarm began to sound loudly, cutting through the night.
“What’s going on,” Randy asked coming upon the scene as he exited the arena.
“Randy, get the girls back to the hotel,” Kennedy called before going to help Cena.
Randy turned his gaze to where Cena stood battling a man he didn’t recognize. He suddenly understood that this man must be Jakob. “Come on,” he said ushering Isabella and Cindy toward his rental not far from the scene.
“We can’t just leave,” Cindy cried. “Ken and John need help! And Jeff and Matt!”
“Jeff’s calling for help, Cindy,” Isabella said taking the other woman’s hand and leading her to Randy’s car.
“I need to get you ladies back to the hotel and then I promise I’ll go back and help them, all right,” Randy said in hopes that Cindy would get in his car. It worked and she quietly got in the back seat. Isabella slid into the passenger seat as Randy slid behind the wheel.
“Thank you…for this,” Isabella said to Randy as he drove them back to the hotel. She was a bundle of raw nerves knowing that Kennedy and Cena were risking their lives to protect her. Jakob would not hesitate to kill them she knew this. He only cared about one thing and that was getting her back at all costs.
“I’m just glad you’re safe,” Randy said with a sigh. “Glad I could help…that you let me help.”
That was all that was said between the two as they rode the rest of the way in silence. Once Randy had parked the car he helped both Cindy and Isabella out. He was just ushering them into the lobby when he felt someone strike him from behind.
“RANDY,” Isabella cried when he dropped to a knee looking glassy eyed. She turned her attention to whoever had attacked him and gasped. “No, Jakob. You can’t be…”
“Did you honestly think that those ‘roided up freaks were any match for me,” he demanded. His jade green eyes cold. His shoulder length dark brown hair blew in the night air, uncombed. “Why do you make it so hard for me to love you, baby?” He looked much more maniacal than she remembered.
“This isn’t love, Jakob,” Isabella replied. “What did you do to Ken and John?”
“Is that their names,” Jakob asked smiling. “Doesn’t matter now. They could all be named John Doe for all I care. They’ve got a one way ticket to the morgue now, sweetheart.”
“You bastard,” Cindy growled lunging at him. Isabella held her back just as Jakob held up what he had struck Randy with.
“Nice little toy, isn’t it, baby,” Jakob asked holding up the small revolver. It’s silver barrel glinted in the street light.
Isabella gasped, her hands covering her mouth as the tears stung her eyes. She suddenly understood how he had gotten to the hotel so quickly. She only hoped and prayed that Cena and Kennedy weren’t really dead.
Pushing her fears to the back of her mind she glared at him. “What are you gonna do, Jakob, kill me,” she demanded.
“Not you, baby, never you,” he replied, holding out his free hand to her. “Just anyone who gets in the way of what I want.”
“And I’m just supposed to go with you,” she demanded, crossing her arms across her chest. “Because you want me? It’s been five years Jakob. Haven’t you figured out that I don’t want you?”
Randy groaned, getting to his feet with Cindy’s help. He felt the back of his head and groaned again. There was a lump there swelling up to the size of a goose egg. “Isabella, what are you doing?”
“Haven’t I shown you how much I love you, baby,” he asked.
Isabella scoffed. “Was it the black eye you gave me that one time that was supposed to show me,” she demanded. “Or the broken ribs on our anniversary? No, wait, I remember it was beating me until I lost our baby. Yeah, that was it.”
“Izzy,” Cindy groaned seeing Jakob’s gun hand trembling. “Stop it.”
“Was that how much you loved me, Jakob,” she demanded. “Putting me in the hospital? That’s how much you love me?”
Jakob snarled at her. “This is how much I love you,” he growled, pointing his gun at Cindy and pulling the trigger.
The raven haired woman’s sky blue eyes went wide as saucers as the blood began to pour from her chest. Isabella gasped as she watched Cindy cover up the wound moments before dropping to her knees. Randy tried in vain to catch her before she could hit the ground, but failed. Cindy landed face down on the pavement, her raven locks pooling around her.
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