________________________________________

Kurt eyed Adam and Amy curiously, wondering what they had discussed in Stephanie's hotel room lavatory.  Although he would have liked to have been included in their little talk, he didn't question them.  And then something occurred to him.

"How did you two get out of your hotel room with Paul busting in there?  You never did tell me or Steph that..."

The tall Canadian and the redhead exchanged glances.  Then, when Adam didn't respond, Amy spoke up.

"I...I took out my gun...I threatened to use it if he didn't get away from Adam..."

The blond gaped at her with wide green eyes, shocked that she'd actually made this revelation to Angle.

"Your gun?  You have a gun??" the Olympian asked, surprised.

"Yes...but I guess the bastard knew I could never shoot an unarmed human - so he took off...that was when we came here."

Adam ran his hand through his long blond hair.  He stood beside the diva and put an arm around her waist as he regarded the former Olympic champion.  "Kurt, if it weren't for this woman, I would either be seriously injured or six feet under right about now.  She's saved me on more than one occasion."

"Well, thank goodness for her," Angle said, nodding.  He eyed Amy with appreciation.  Then, he shifted his thoughts to the brunette, who had been gone for several minutes.  "I wonder what's taking Steph so long..."

The telephone suddenly rang, breaking up his thoughts.  He looked up at the other two occupants of the room, wondering who could be calling.  Maybe it was Stephanie.  Nearest to the phone, Kurt picked up.  "Hello?  No, Miss McMahon stepped out...Kurt Angle - I'm her friend."

Adam and Amy watched as the man's facial expression abruptly transformed to one of shock and horror.

"Oh, my God...okay, I'll let her know the moment she gets back."  Kurt hung up the phone, his blue eyes slightly wide, and they looked sad as he faced the other two people in the room.

Adam and Amy studied the man, then exchanged glances.

"Who was that, Kurt?" the tall Canadian questioned.  When he didn't instantly respond, he frowned.  "Kurt?"  Adam realized the man was about as white as a sheet.

"That was the police..." Angle finally spoke.  "...Torrie Wilson...she called them...she's been...raped...and she claims Paul Levesque did it..."

*

Nora thrashed around on the bed in her sleep as a horrifying nightmare ripped through her subconscious.

Paul was after her - he was chasing her down a long hallway, and somehow, no matter how far she ran, the corridor never seemed to end.  And every time she tried to open a door through which to escape, she found it locked.  There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide - and the furious, hulking man was gaining on her.  As she continued to run for her life, she suddenly came to a screeching halt as a large hand suddenly had her by her long blond hair.  This was it - he had her trapped, and he was going to move in for the kill - or at the very least, he would take advantage of her - again.

She let out a scream, but it was cut short as the man slammed her back-first into a wall, jarring her.  She saw stars as pain shot up her back in a hurry.  She tried to duck away, tried to bring up her knee to drop the maniacal bastard, but he had her pinned in place.  "No!  No!!!"

"Nora, wake up!" she heard a man's voice calling to her.  It was frantic, and it certainly didn't sound like Paul.  But there was still the hand pinning her against the wall.  And then she realized this hand was gentle - not the brutal touch of Paul Levesque.  Her eyes suddenly opened.

"J-Jay...?"  Nora looked up to meet his gentle sky blue eyes in the twilight.  "Oh, God...Jay!"  She threw her arms around his neck and held on as if for dear life.

The Canadian held fast to the young woman as she sobbed against him.  "It's all right, Nora," he crooned.  "It was only a dream."

After a moment, the blonde pulled back a bit to gaze up into his handsome face.  "It was awful, Jay...Paul-"

"Shh," he replied, gently laying a finger against her lips.  "Don't even think about him...he'll never hurt you again, Nora...I promise."

The young woman gazed up at him, knowing he meant every word he had just spoken.  She tightened her hold on him and drew him down against her, picking her head up just slightly to meet his lips.

Jay moved his arms to go around Nora's waist, sliding his hands underneath her back as he kissed her.  Unlike the night before, this time, their kisses were more passionate, more demanding.  There also seemed to be an urgency in the way the little blonde held onto him.  He gasped a bit as her warm, moist tongue slipped into his mouth, seeking his own.  In no time, they were both breathing hard.

Tentatively, for he was afraid she might pull away, the blond man slid his hand underneath Nora's tank top.  Instead of recoiling, the young woman let out a soft gasp of pleasure as his fingers brushed over her breasts.  He moved his hand so that it lingered on her left one, the nipple instantly hardening.

Jay was afraid of things going too quickly as he pressed his lower body against her.  He was already hard, and he wanted nothing more than to just take her right there and then, but he didn't want to rush things.  Nora was much too special for that.

As he began to pull away, the blonde diva gazed up at him, partly in confusion and what appeared to be pain.  "Don't stop, Jay," she cried.  "Please don't stop..."

"We have to," he whispered.

"Why?" she asked, beginning to feel upset.  She was beginning to think that Paul was the reason he was pulling away.  Maybe Jay would reject her altogether because of what Paul had done to her.  Of course - why would Jay or any other man want her, or any girl like her?  She was weak, spineless - a nothing.  Now angry, Nora bolted upright and stepped off the bed.

"What are you...where are you going?"

"Back to my room," she replied as she began slipping her robe on.  "You...don't want anything to do with me...you don't want a girl like me..."  She felt tears welling up in her eyes and tried to hold back the bitter sobs threatening to escape her.

"Nora, you can't go back there - to...him.  What are you talking about?" he said as he rose from the bed.  He went over to her and grasped her gently but firmly by the arm.  "Nora, that's just it," he said, turning the woman around so he could stare down into her eyes.  "I do want you...more than I've ever wanted anyone."

A single tear spilled down the blonde's pale cheek as she held her gaze on him.  "R-really?"

"God, yes," Jay replied.  "And I want us to be able to have something real - something meaningful...that's the only reason I pulled away from you."

"Oh...I...I thought you were...repulsed by me - by what I am."

The diva's words caused a pain in Jay's heart, and he winced.  "What you are, Nora Greenwald," he said, moving his hands up to her face, "is a beautiful, sensitive, adorable woman who I care more about than I could have ever imagined...three days ago, we were virtually strangers, but now - now I can't even imagine my life without you in it..."

The diva smiled as another tear trickled its way down her cheek and jaw.  She allowed the Canadian man to hug her tightly in his arms, tightening her hold on him as well.  She felt so good - wanted, needed and loved.  It was the best she'd felt in so long - too long.  And she never wanted the feeling to end.

*

Stephanie shook her head, wishing everything she had heard out of her father's mouth moments earlier had been nothing more than a dream, a figment of her imagination.  But it wasn't.  Her dad despised her former boyfriend - to such an extent that he wanted him dead and had done the unthinkable in hiring someone to kill him.

"You can't do this, Daddy!"

"It's already a done deal, honey," Vince replied in a calm voice.

"Well, undo it!  You cannot let Paul murder Adam!" Stephanie cried.

"Sweetheart, this is all being done for your benefit...I-"

"You're not listening to me!" the brunette shouted.  Her arms were straight at her sides, hands clenched into fists as she nearly jumped with all the frustration she felt.  Her father was insane, and her head was beginning to spin with all of his madness.  "I do not want Adam killed!  If you or Paul or anyone else so much as hurt him in any way, you will have to answer to me."  Her blue eyes were wide and unwavering as she glared at the man whom she now hardly recognized.

"No, Steph...I'm afraid that's not going to happen..."

"Yes!  Yes it is!  You know what?  I'm going to the police!"  She pivoted and took a step toward the door, but her father had grabbed hold of her long hair.  Stephanie cried out in pain as she tried to whirl around.

"You listen to me, you ungrateful little bitch!"  He curled one hand into a fist, showing it to his daughter, who cringed and cried out even louder, stark terror displayed in her blue eyes.  "You're not going to screw with me!  I do all of this for you and this is the thanks I get?!"

"Daddy, stop!  Let me go!" the brunette wailed.  Tears were streaming down her face.  She was shocked but also so terrified of Vince hitting her.  In all her life, he had never done that.

"Shut up!"  Vince yanked on her hair harder, and Steph began to scream - when suddenly, the door to the suite burst open...