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A knock came at the hotel room door and Gene looked up sharply. In an instant, he rose from the bed and marched toward the door, yanking it open. He was pleasantly surprised to see Torrie standing there with a pretty smile on her face.
"Hey," he said, unable to suppress the grin he felt spreading across his own face.
"Hello, Gene," she greeted in a cheerful voice. "I've come bearing a surprise."
Snitsky watched as the tall blonde reached to her right and pulled something over in his view. As he realized this 'surprise' was actually a 'someone,' not a 'something,' his smile vanished.
"Hey, man," Matt Hardy drawled in his southern accent. He sauntered into the hotel room past the larger man, his girlfriend keeping behind him.
Gene frowned and shut the door, then stepped over to the couple to meet them. He was surprised, all right, but not pleasantly. And he didn't appreciate the fact that he was the one under investigation due to the 'accident' that had caused Amy Dumas' miscarriage. Meanwhile, that had never been his idea but all of Hardy's. He could barely contain his annoyance as he eyed the other man.
"Matt," he said dryly. He looked from him to Torrie, who stood by her man's side and gave him a somewhat pleading look. Snitsky was somehow able to read her mind and softened a little. It seemed he couldn't say no to the blonde woman. But he wanted and needed to broach the subject. However, before he could even begin, Hardy spoke first.
"So... I understand you've got a bit of a problem, huh, Gene?" Matt ran a hand over his dark hair. "You're bein' investigated?" he queried.
Snitsky felt his anger bubbling once again, but he kept calm for Torrie's sake. During the short amount of time they'd known each other, he had gotten to like her. Well, he'd liked her since that first night, and frankly, what was not to like about her?
"That's right," the big man said. "They think it was done on purpose." He didn't need to explain what 'it' was, as Hardy obviously knew.
Matt exchanged glances with Torrie, his expression becoming odd, as though he either was completely confused or thought Gene was an idiot. Facing the big man again, he couldn't help letting out a chuckle. He shook his head and raised one hand to his chin, scratching it for a few seconds as he spoke again.
"Gene, Gene, Gene..." he cried. "... C'mon now... You know it was done on purpose. Or have you gotten hit in the head too many times already?" Matt ignored the look of anger that suddenly crossed Snitsky's unattractive face. "Have you forgotten everything I gave you to carry out our little deal?" He took a meaningful look over at Torrie again, gesturing at her. The blonde bowed her head, wincing at the very obvious way he was reminding them - reminding her - that she was allowed herself to be used as a pawn in all of this.
Snitsky's frown vanished. Who was he trying to kid? What Hardy was saying was the truth... He knew it. He had stupidly thought he could get away with taking the cash Hardy had offered him, not to mention the night with Torrie with nothing to show for it. But he hadn't meant for Glen to topple and fall on top of the pregnant redhead. Gosh, this was such a mess... What an idiot he'd been. Now, he had this investigation to contend with, and on top of that, he'd made an enemy in Adam Copeland. Shit!
Finally, the bigger man regained his voice. He cleared his throat and said, "I don't think that's fair. You hired me to do this for you because you were injured."
Matt let out a fit of nearly booming laughter that even startled Torrie, who was at his side and holding onto his arm. She gave a tiny start, not expecting it, and stared at him in surprise. She'd known her boyfriend could be devious, but to this extent?
Barely able to stifle his laughter, the dark-haired man looked Snitsky in the eye.
"Well, lemme as you this, Gene... Do you have any proof of that?"
Snitsky's eyes widened with shock, and he felt he probably wouldn't be able to hold back his rage for too much longer. He shifted his gaze to Torrie, but the platinum blonde merely shook her head and then shrugged. He couldn't believe his ears. Matt Hardy was taunting him. He'd basically set him up! Okay, so he had gotten rewarded in that large sum of cash and a night with Hardy's gorgeous girlfriend... But what about now? The situation he was in was unimaginable. He could lose his job, or, worse yet, go to prison!
Glaring at Hardy with ice cold eyes, scowling, he answered the very rhetorical question.
"No." It was true. Matt obviously hadn't given him a receipt. He glanced over at Torrie again, noticing the remorseful look on the diva's beautiful face.
"I thought not." Matt gave him a smile, then nudged Torrie at his side. "Well, it's been fun, but I gotta go." He hobbled toward the door on his crutch.
The blonde lingered and mouthed, 'I'm sorry' to Gene before following her boyfriend out.