A Rose Without a Thorn

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Adam gazed at the woman who was currently asleep on the spare bed in his hotel room.

She looked angelic, and surprisingly peaceful despite the visible bruises marring her delicate skin.  Her long red hair was somewhat fanned around her head like a halo, adding to her already angelic look.

The tall blond man's heart caught at the plight Amy had endured.  Damn it, life was so unfair.  Actually, screw that - life just plain sucked.

He'd brought the injured redhead back from the hospital less than an hour earlier.  She'd claimed exhaustion, which he found no surprise given everything she'd been through - not to mention the fact that she'd actually wrestled in her current condition.

The moment they'd entered the room, Amy had gone to the second bed, removed her shoes and curled up beneath the blanket.  Within minutes, she'd fallen asleep.

As Adam continued to watch her, he marveled at the fact that she was not having anymore gruesome nightmares.  He suspected her sleep was often filled with the monster that was her boyfriend - Chris Jericho.

The tall Canadian's expression became a fierce scowl as he thought about the other blond man.  Ever since bringing Amy to the emergency room, he'd entertained about a million thoughts of violence - most of them involving his fist and Jericho's smug face.

He couldn't believe the nerve, the sheer cowardice of the other man.  Hell, he'd once considered Chris one of his best friends.  Of course, that had been before the man had begun acting so strangely.  He'd basically alienated himself from most of his friends.  That in itself was something Adam would easily be able to forgive - but putting your hands on a woman in violence was an entirely different story.  He thought he'd rather sooner kill the man than allow him to hurt Amy again.

As Adam suddenly recalled his brief conversation with the doctor who'd attended to the redhead, he stood up.  There was something he needed to do, and it was urgent.

Casting one long last glance at the sleeping diva to be sure she was all right, he turned and made him way to the door.  Once out in the hallway, he turned and went directly across to Stacy Keibler's room.  As he knocked, he found himself hoping the leggy blonde was there and not out.

Adam heard a soft click and realized the diva was checking through her peephole to see who was paying her a visit.  Smart woman, he thought.  Chris Jericho could very easily have figured out that Amy had run to Stacy for help, and the leggy blonde obviously knew this and wasn't taking any chances.

The door opened, and the blonde diva blinked at Adam with a look of concern on her face.

"A-Adam...Hi."

"Hi, Stacy...Is it okay if I come in for awhile?  We really need to talk..."

"Sure..."  The tall blonde stepped aside to allow the Canadian entrance into the room, and Adam was taken aback when he saw that Stacy was not alone but actually had company.

"Hey, man..."

"What are you doing here?"

Jay Reso stood up from the desk chair upon which he'd been sitting and went before his best friend.  He glanced at Stacy for a beat before speaking.

"Well, after our match earlier, Stacy came to me very upset.  We tried to find out from officials where you'd brought Amy, but no one knew.  Either that, or else they were keeping it a huge secret or something..."

Stacy, who, like Jay, was still fully dressed despite the late hour, eyed Adam almost pleadingly.

"How is she?"

"She's battered and bruised, but sleeping peacefully now.  Hopefully, she remains that way all night," he replied.

The blonde woman winced, appearing nearly at the brink of tears.

"Damn him to hell..." she muttered.

"Listen...Stacy," the taller of the two blond men began after a beat.  "We have to do something to help her..."

The diva's brown eyes widened slightly.  "I'm all for helping Amy," she said in a soft voice.  "She's...she's my best friend..."  Stacy's voice became choked with the last two words, and abruptly, she broke down, the tears streaming down her face in droves, sobs escaping her.  She raised one hand to her mouth in a futile effort to stifle her cries.

Jay instantly went to the tall blonde, wrapping his arms around her slender waist, his cheek resting against her fine long hair.

"Shh...It'll be all right, Stace...We're gonna help her - all three of us."  He shifted his gaze to meet that of his best friend.

Adam's green eyes were somber, but he nodded firmly.  Yes, they were going to help Amy - and he took solace in the fact that there was safety in numbers.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Part 9

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