Viviana
“Noah,” Austin says, shaking hands with Noah Callahan, Chief Content Officer and husband of Chelsea Rafferty—daughter of Amos Rafferty, the man who started the EWE empire.
“Austin,” Noah says with a smirk that makes my stomach queasy before he turns to me. His hand engulfs mine with a tight squeeze that does nothing to help the nerves firing off in my stomach. “Mrs. Murray. How was the honeymoon?”
Austin and I finally had a proper wedding in Scotland before enjoying a week in the Maldives.
Now, after two weeks off, we’re back to find out who will be joining our current storyline feud with Brooks Taylor, whose real name is John Brooks, as his tag team partner.
Brooks is the guy in EWE. When you think of EWE, you think of Brooks Taylor.
Austin and Brooks have a complicated relationship.
They’re not exactly friends, but they’re friendly, and for the most part respect each other…
I think my husband holds a grudge against Brooks because the Raffertys chose Brooks over him when the time came to push someone, but (and I’d never tell Austin this) I think it was the right choice.
Austin is the guy people love to hate, while Brooks is the guy people either desperately love or absolutely hate—either way, he elicits an enormous response from every crowd.
“You guys ready for tonight?” Noah asks.
He’s been leading the charge on our feud, which has consisted mainly of losses for Brooks.
It started two months ago when Austin’s character Spencer Austin confronted Brooks because he was getting a title shot…
again. My husband aired his frustration with the company on national television, telling Brooks he needed to hand over the opportunity to someone who had earned it.
Someone like him. The fourteen-time champion laughed in my husband’s face and said, “If you want it, come and get it.”
After weeks of back and forth between the two, it all came to a head six weeks ago when Austin won the title in a triple-threat match between Brooks, Austin, and the former champ, Brody Wilder.
Brooks Taylor has been itching for revenge ever since.
“Only if you’re ready to tell us who’s coming out tonight,” I say when Noah extends his hand to me.
Making my official return to the ring last year, I entered the Women’s Battle Royale at number twenty-five, earning one of the biggest pops from the crowd that night.
After our weekend in Vegas almost two years ago, I started traveling with Austin, and the itch to get back out there was instantaneous.
It didn’t take long for my husband to notice the twinkle in my eye every time I set foot in the arena, and he encouraged me to start training again.
That first day back in the ring was brutal, but the best I’d felt in years.
“No can do, Viviana,” Noah says with a shrug. “You’ll have to wait like everyone else.”
We’ve been waiting since they proposed the idea.
The feud with Brooks took a turn when he and I went head-to-head in a handicap match—Brooks would have one hand tied behind his back—before the wedding.
The idea had come from none other than founder Amos Rafferty himself.
He thought it would be great television to include me further in their story, and tonight everyone finds out who will join us in the storm.
It’s been very hush-hush since Noah and Brian, head of Creative, sat the three of us down about the idea.
We’d thrown out names of who we’d like to work with, but they disregarded each one, saying they already had someone in mind.
Noah adjusts the button of his sports coat and rolls his shoulders. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I have to meet with Amos and Brian before showtime to go over a few things for tonight.”
“I have a bad feeling about this,” I say when he’s gone, looking up at Austin.
When he meets my gaze, he offers me a soft smile and kisses my temple. “Whoever it is, we’ll face ’em together.”
“Who do you think it is?”
“Honestly, it has to be someone from developmental. Why else would they be so secretive?” Austin shrugs, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “Let’s get something to eat. I’m starving.”