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Everyone in the Evolution locker room abruptly looked up as the door opened and slammed. Victoria nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound. It was of course Triple H, and he looked and sounded furious as he muttered something to himself that she couldn't quite decipher.
"That damned redheaded bitch!" he yelled.
Victoria frowned as Flair stood up to approach the angry leader of the faction.
"What happened, Hunter?" he asked in a calm tone.
Triple H glared at the Nature Boy, eyeing him as though he were a space alien with eight heads.
"'What happened?' How in the hell can you ask me such a stupid question, Ric?!" he bellowed. "Didn't you see it?"
Batista stepped forward, his hands held up in a placating manner.
"Hey, easy there," he said. "Whatever happened, we didn't see it... We were playing cards."
Triple H shot The Animal a murderous look. So, the two of them had found a game of cards more important than The Game? That was preposterous!
Meanwhile, Randy and Victoria, who were standing near one another, exchanged glances. Unlike the other two, they had actually watched the mixed tag match. And while she'd never admit it to Triple H, Victoria had found it quite amusing.
"That bitch played me! Me! She must have had some little plan cooked up with Jericho and that bitch Trish Stratus!"
"Whoa," Orton spoke up. He glanced meaningfully toward Victoria again. "Is it necessary to call the women 'bitches?' I mean, we have a woman right here in the room with us."
The raven-haired diva gave the third-generation superstar a grateful smile.
"Did I ask you?" Hunter spat. "I'll call them whatever I damn well please! Now, shut up and listen to what I have to say!"
"Anything you want, man," Ric said. He pulled up a chair for the World Champion to sit down.
Randy narrowed his eyes as he shot Triple H a dirty look, but it went unnoticed by all but Victoria.
"As I was saying," Hunter snapped, not bothering to thank Flair for the chair, "that little bitch turned on me during our match! She made a fool of me out there!"
Orton practically rolled his eyes as he inched over toward the door. He didn't want to listen to the boring tirade and decided he was going to catering. He fully expected Triple H to yell at him as he was leaving, but the man was so self-centered that he didn't even notice as he slipped out the door.
"Hey," Victoria said softly, drawing the young man's attention. He turned to quickly face her, realizing she had followed him out into the hallway.
"Oh... Hey, Victoria."
"Thank you for what you said just now," she said with a smile. "It's good to know that at least one of the Evolution guys is a gentleman. I appreciate it."
Randy eyed her, a slow smile spreading on his handsome face.
"Don't mention it," he said. After a beat, he gestured with a pointing hand down the hall. "I was about to go to catering... Care to join me?"
"I'd like that."
*
Lita paced the small length of the locker room as she spoke in a worried tone.
"What am I going to do, Edge? I'm backed into a corner here!" She was on the verge of panic. "He's furious with me, and it's not like I can just quit the faction, especially so soon after being forced into it." It wasn't that she was worried about Triple H being mad at her for what she'd done in the ring... She could handle that just fine, and counter any verbal lashings he threw her way with a few comebacks of her own. But what if he became physically violent? There was no way she could fight that brute back, and she doubted the other men of Evolution would lift a finger to help her. She supposed Victoria would, but she too was a woman and nowhere near as strong or powerful as Helmsley.
"Hey, calm down," the tall blond man said. He stood up, going to her to put his hands to her shoulders, gently stopping her in mid-pace. "Lita, look at me."
The redhead did just as he requested, the look of unease still clear in her eyes.
"Listen to me," Edge swore. His gaze was steady and serious as he fixed it on her hazel orbs. "You'll be fine. I won't let him do anything to you... I promise. Okay, Lita?"
She shifted her gaze on him as she started to reply. Some uncertainty swept through her in spite of the vast concern she heard in his voice and saw on his face.
"I... guess."
He lifted her chin a bit, forcing the diva to look up into his eyes again.
"It's a promise," he stated. "I'll keep you safe."
She sank against his touch, hugging him tightly. He wrapped an arm around her, satisfied that she believed and
trusted in him.