Chapter Twenty Three

Angel sighed as she followed Sean inside with Raven walking closely behind her. She knew that they were still shaken up from what had happened so she was letting them have their way, but hoped that they would get over it soon. Looking around she could see people watching her as if they weren't sure what to think. Honestly she wasn't sure what to think either, but was tired of trying to figure it out. All she wanted now was to get on with work, and was pretty sure that the man following her would do the trick. His presence would certainly shake things up. Angel turned her head and smiled softly holding out her hand for Paul and led him in. Turning to get him signed in she saw Arn staring at him open mouthed and cleared her throat to get his attention.

Once Arn had looked up at her she smiled sweetly at him. "Arn please sign in Paul Levesque," she requested fully aware of what was about to happen. Arn looked from Angel to Paul to his list and back frowning. "But he's… I mean I already… I mean…." Arn stopped when Angel shook her head at him. "Did you look at his driver's license?" She asked calmly and Arn frowned confused. "Well, I mean, Ma'am he's The Game." Angel arched an eyebrow. "Policy says that every worker has to show their ID to get signed in." Angel calmly pointed to Paul. "Can you tell me that you are 100% sure that you signed in PAUL Levesque?" Arn looked from his list to the shy looking man standing behind Angel and when he turned his eyes to her she had to take pit on the older man who looked like he was about to cry. "Don't worry Arn. I'll take care of this. Scotty, Sean go get Hunter please." She could feel Paul shaking and squeezed his hand. She wished that she had someone bigger to stand behind him, to give him some sense of safety, but hopefully Sean would be enough.

Seeing a movement out of the corner of her eye, Angel turned her head to see Randy standing in the hallway staring open mouthed at Paul just as Batista rounded the corner and plowed into him. "Randy what the…" Dave turned his head in the direction Randy was pointing and couldn't stop his jaw from dropping. Looking back down the hall he scowled knowing damn well Hunter was still in the Evolution dressing room, but turning back looking at the man standing with Angel wondered if he was finally losing his mind.

Closing his mouth Randy eyed the blond man and slowly walked forward waiting for someone to stop him. He saw Angel eyeing him, but he held up his hands not taking his eyes off of the other man to show he meant no harm. Stopping a few feet from the man Randy quickly noticed several obvious differences. Firstly this man was much smaller than Hunter. He appeared to be buff, but more naturally so like Randy himself was. His hair was longer and much healthier looking. Randy also couldn't help but notice that there was a sense of fear about this man he had never seen in Hunter. Lifting a hand he watched the other man flinch and froze immediately. He could hear Hunter's raised voice coming down the hall and saw the blood draining from the face of the man in front of him. "Dave," Randy said and immediately Dave hurried over.

Randy looked at Angel and took a deep breath. "I don't know what is going on here, but…" Randy looked from Paul to Hunter who had just rounded the corner and for the first time ever looked afraid. Knowing the thoughts forming in his mind were on the right track Randy turned his attention back to Angel. "I don't 'spect you to believe me, but I told my daddy 'bout you and he seemed to know you." Angel nodded smiling. "I know your father from when I was here before." Randy nodded again looking from Hunter to Paul then back to Angel once more. "Dave and I will help this new guy however we can and watch his back if you'll help Dave."

Dave looked at Randy and started growling making Paul jump nervously. Quickly Randy turned and put a hand on Paul's shoulder. "It's ok." Paul looked at the younger man's eyes and took a deep breath trying to calm himself. He could see Randy had no ill will towards him, but the bigger man Batista scared him. "Dave relax. I'm askin' you to trust me man." Dave looked into Randy's eyes and sighed.

In the corner Tyson grunted satisfied. After he'd left Dave's room that last night they'd argued he'd run into Jay, Chris, and Randy in the lobby and offered to take them to eat if they'd listen to somethin' he had to say. It had occurred to him that Randy was a lot smarter than he appeared and his friend was awfully fond of the younger man. If anyone else had a chance of getting through to the big oaf it was Randy. So over their late night meal he'd told them what had happened that night in the club, how the young man had ended up dead, how Hunter knew and was using it to mindfuck Dave, and how he desperately wanted to free his friend from Hunter's binds before all was lost. Fortunately once they had heard the story the three men were more than willing to give the big monster Batista a second chance.

Randy studied his friend. "Man you can't keep goin' on this way. Hunter's got your brain so fucked you don't remember reality from the twisted fiction he's laid on you. You sit around and look at blood on your hands that ain't there. You spend all day rememberin' things that didn't happen that way. You're lettin' him turn you into somethin you ain't! Hell he almost did it to me and I gotta whole lot more experience in this shit that you do. We gotta get some help, an' my daddy says this woman's the one to trust." Turning around Randy looked at Angel and sighed. "I'm sorry ma'am for the way I acted before callin' you names and such. It wasn't right. I just… I thought…" Randy glanced at Hunter and Angel followed his gaze nodding.

"I understand Randy. Hunter is very good at manipulation and brainfucking. I forgive you and I will take you up on your offer of protection for Paul in return for helping Dave." Angel looked at the big man and smiled softly. Turning her eyes to Raven she could see her lover studying the younger man as if intrigued and couldn't stop the happiness welling up inside. Turning around she looked at Arn who was looking from Hunter to Paul. "Ok Arn now…" Angel pointed to the man behind her. "THAT is Paul Levesque." Angel pointed to Hunter. "THAT is Michael Levesque. They are twins. From now on EVERYONE is to have their ID checked no matter how much they try to intimidate you. Since you already checked in Paul, check Michael in now."

Angel took the spare pass with Michael's name on it and walked over to Hunter. "Give me Paul's pass." Hunter stared darkly at Paul and began to shake again. "If I were you I would leave him alone," Angel said softly drawing Hunter's gaze back to her. "I'm not afraid of you Hunter. I now know it was you that I met that day that lied and didn't help me. I suspect that you're behind Kevin stopping taking his meds, which means that you are indirectly responsible for what happened to me. I also suspect that you know who is behind all the other things going on around here. So if I were you I would put on your good little boy hat and behave because well frankly HUNTER… I don't need you." Angel turned and looked at Paul then back to Hunter. "I have the smart half. I don't need the fat, hair fallin' out from too many steroids, overegoed half. If you fuck with me Hunter, I am gonna take away everything you have."

Hunter growled and lunged at her, but was stopped by a kick to the knees by Sean who growled in Hunter's ear after the blond fell to the floor. "Please man I am BEGGIN for you to give me a reason to hurt you." Scotty leaned down whispering in the other ear. "Like sands through the hourglass…. So goes your career huh Michael. What yesterday you thought you had so firmly held in your hand now slips away so quickly. You tighten your grasp until the veins pop out on your arms and your palms bleed from your fingernails digging into them and yet the sand falls away quicker and quicker running so fast you have no clue how to stop it until eventually all you will have left is one little grain. Whatever will you do when all you have left is the princess, but no career or power to go with it?"

Hunter's face turned purple with rage as he stared at Paul growling fiercely. When Dave's hands settled on the shoulders of the shaking man and he eyed Hunter determined and unafraid Hunter growled and lunged forward knocking over Angel as he ran off down an empty hall. Sean moved to follow, but Angel called him back. "No Sean. Not now… he's too unpredictable. I know you are big and bad, but I need you alive." Scotty helped Angel up and she could see the fire of rage burning in his eyes as well. Sighing she turned to Paul happy at least to see him standing safely in the arms of Batista as she wondered what more could happen this night.

Read chapter Twenty Four of ?? of Monster in the Shadows