Investigation

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Miami, Florida
Off Camera
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The opulent living room of “The British Bombshell” is a gorgeous, sleek modern design. It is also clean; almost to perfection with barely a spot and even if one exists, it isn’t noticeable. The cream colored sofa is soft, comfortable, and plush. It is situated in front of a large flat screen television mounted on the wall above a fireplace. The fireplace does seem slightly out of place as it is the only piece in this living room that looks relatively traditional. It isn’t used often; this is Miami, after all. Sitting in a comfortable recliner with her feet propped up is none other than “The British Bombshell” Glory Braddock. Sitting on the arm of the comfortable reclining chair is the remote control and in Braddock’s right is a glass of red wine. The blonde haired beauty’s stone faced gaze is glaring across at a television set which is tuned into the morning news. She is transfixed, waiting anxiously for any news, anything at all, about the recent events in her life.

Braddock’s life has been anything but dull lately. You can tell based on the somewhat nervous gaze she is giving off at this moment. Very rarely does she let any weakness show through. She wants to put forth a strong front, as if nothing can bother her. But The British Bombshell is most certainly troubled. It was on March 9th after a meeting between her and her arch business and personal rival Mason Van Stanton that her and her family were targeted by gunmen outside of the hotel they were staying in Raleigh, North Carolina.

It could not have been a random attack. There was nothing random about it, as far as Glory Braddock is concerned. Her corporate power in the wrestling world is only just beginning to take off. She gained full ownership of Global Championship Wrestling from the Van Stanton family. She gained full ownership of the Braddock Wrestling School upon the death of her father, Glenn Braddock. She successfully merged the two into one entity and now many are beginning to take notice of her. Those who had once looked upon her as just another professional wrestler are realizing the truth; the truth that she is very powerful inside and outside the ring and can be a very influential force in the sport of wrestling. And that’s only what the public knows. There are actions taken by Braddock that the public does not yet know.

Only three individuals know of Braddock’s plan to try and ruin the reputation of the Alan Family, the family that founded the company Braddock now owns, all in an attempt to ensure that they cannot make a bid to run her out of business. Only one person would potentially suspect that Glory Braddock has something rotten in mind for her biological sister, Chastity Noel.

These are not the actions of what most would consider to be a hero. Then again, The British Bombshell has long lived by a quote from the movie Dark Knight; you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. Glory Braddock has the best of intentions in her heart and soul. She truly believes that what she is doing is for the best, not just for the sport of wrestling but for her own family as well. Her friends, family, and (former) fans may not approve of her actions right now, but she is confident that history will prove her correct at the end. Unfortunately at the present time her actions have made her unpopular. Her actions have made enemies of many people and at least one of them has decided to take the time to try and take out her and her family.

Luckily they failed.

Still, the question now will always be on her mind; when will they try again? When will they strike at her family? And perhaps an even more important question is just who is behind this? These questions are what brings “The British Bombshell” Glory Braddock to the living room of her Miami home watching the news. Braddock has been glued to the news ever since the incident happened. North Carolina authorities questioned her shortly after it happened but nothing fruitful came of it…

...and it was mostly her fault...

...authorities questioned Glory Braddock and her husband Kurt as well as their daughter Melinda. They were questioned separately but calling the police was not what Braddock wanted. She did not want to involve the authorities. The plans she has for the Alan family and for her own sister Chastity will definitely be borderline illegal and on top of that she is already blackmailing Meagan Collins into doing her dirty work. Blackmail is most definitely illegal. Thus the less police involvement the better as far as Glory Braddock is concerned. The authorities were called by the hotel staff who heard the gunshots go down. Before the authorities arrived, Glory convinced Kurt and Melinda to say nothing to the police. She convinced her husband and daughter to tell them nothing.

Do you have any known enemies? No.

Do you know of anyone who would want to hurt you or your family? No.

It was all perfectly coordinated and choreographed. Braddock does not want police involvement.

Braddock lifts her glass of wine to her lips and takes a sip. This has been her routine for the past several weeks since Retribution. Watching the news for any update on the shooting has been an obsession. She’s been lucky thus far that the authorities have no leads. Her concern is that this is an enemy of hers, and if they are caught then any confession they give to police may lead them straight to Glory Braddock and her less than legal activities. Braddock would prefer to strike first and nip this problem in the bud before it escalates out of control. And yet, the more she thinks about it, the more she realizes that it may already be out of control.

A sound from the hall startles The British Bombshell. She immediately lowers her glass and listens. She hears the lock on the front door starting to unlatch. Braddock frowns as she gets up out of the recliner, rests the glass of wine on a nearby table and turns towards the living room’s exit which leads straight to the hall. Both hands are planted firmly upon her hips as she shouts angrily…

“Melinda!” The look on the face of the blonde haired beauty is one of rage as she narrows her eyes in an angry glare towards the hall. “Melinda! Don’t even think about leaving!”

The British Bombshell pauses for a few moments and waits. A smirk crosses her face as she hears footsteps approaching. It isn’t long until she sees her daughter, Melinda Braddock, emerging from the hall and into the living room area. Melinda, also blonde, is wearing denim jeans, black boots, a white t-shirt. She is glaring right back at her mother equally as angry. Glory’s daughter was planning to sneak out but unfortunately for her she got caught in the act.

“Where are you going?” Glory asks inquisitively.

“Out…”

Braddock sighs and shakes her head. “I gave birth to you, raised you, and allowed you to begin training to become a wrestler. The least you can do in return is give me more than one syllable.”

“Out...side?”

Despite herself and her frustrations at this time even Glory Braddock cannot deny that this was funny. After a brief chuckle Glory points to the sofa. “Get over here, you smart ass.”

The British Bombshell’s daughter knows that she is beaten. She sighs but nods her head before beginning to make her way into the living room and towards the sofa, where she sits down and awaits her mother. Melinda Braddock has been held up here in home under lock and key for quite awhile now. Despite not wanting to get the authorities involved to solve this mystery, Glory still wants to keep her family safe and she knows that there is still a murderer out there. Someone still wants Glory dead, someone who wouldn’t mind taking out her family as a bonus. It makes sense, then to protect her family by keeping them under constant surveillance.

Melinda Braddock does not like this policy. She does not like it one bit. Melinda is used to having her freedoms. She is used to being able to dictate what she does and when she does it. It wasn’t that long ago that Melinda and Glory clashed, back then it was over Melinda wanting to train to become a wrestler. Melinda had been sneaking out to train in secret without her mother’s knowledge. Of course, Glory now has given her daughter her blessing and Melinda is now a student at the Braddock wrestling school in London.

The British Bombshell approaches her daughter and sits down next to her on the sofa. “I told you that you can’t go out on your own right now.”

“I remember, mom. You just don’t remember that I don’t care.”

“Do you remember how we almost got killed last month?” Glory asks in a demanding tone. “You may not like these restrictions I’m placing upon you but it’s for your own good.”

“Where have I heard that before?” Melinda asks, rolling her eyes.

“It’s the truth.”

“Says you!” Melinda exclaims as she slumps down further into the sofa, and as she folds her arms over her chest she looks exactly like a pouting child. Glory does feel bad for her. For all intents and purposes she has upended Melinda’s life. Melinda was well on her way to graduating rather quickly from the Braddock Wrestling School but this incident has put a halt to her studies. She wishes she could let Melinda live her life and a part of her wonders if she should give Melinda a little more control over her own life?

Glory’s own mother being out of the picture and her father being super controlling over her life ruined her own childhood and damn near drove her insane as an adult. Braddock does not want to repeat those mistakes and often wonders if she is doing just that. Then again, she knows she must keep her daughter safe.

“Mel, it isn’t safe for any of us right now. Someone is targeting us and until I know we’re safe then I can’t have you just running around anywhere you want. I’m sorry but it isn’t safe.”

Braddock’s daughter looks over at Glory inquisitively. “Why are people targeting you, mom?”

“I...um…” Glory is at a loss for words but only for a few brief moments. She hates lying to her daughter but at the same time she knows that her daughter would not approve of what she is doing right now or the business dealings that she has in mind. As much as she hates lying to Melinda, lying is, unfortunately, the only option right now. “...I wish I knew.”

“I know…” Melinda’s voice trails off but the frustration is clear and evident “...I just wanna get out and do something, y’know?”

“I do understand the frustration, Mel. But aren’t you afraid? Don’t you understand the gravity of the situation?”

“Yeah, of course I do, mom. I’m not gonna let fear run my life, though. I’m going to stand up to fear and spit in its face.” The teenage girl smirks knowingly. “Because that’s what you’d do, right mom?”

“Normally.” Glory says as she hugs her daughter tightly. The British Bombshell cannot help but admit that her daughter is very much like her in every way. Melinda is beautiful, intelligent, and very stubborn. Melinda is also willing to stand up for her own personal beliefs even in the face of authority figures who tell her to stand down. In this case Glory Braddock is the authority figure, the parent, whom Melinda is standing against. Knowing this, Glory cannot stay mad with her daughter for very long. Braddock kisses Melinda on her forehead.

“Tell you what, I know you miss the school…”

“Of course.” Melinda remarks, nodding her head. “Training with Randall, Matthew, and the others...oh and ‘uncle’ Mark and ‘aunt’ Sophie!”

Uncle Mark and aunt Sophie, of course, are Mark and Sophie O’Brian, while not biologically related to Glory in any way, the sibling pair are the closest of friends with Glory Braddock. The trio are so close that Melinda considers them family. Braddock nods her head.

“So why don’t we go to my private gym here in the house? We can spar.”

Melinda’s eyes grow wide with anticipation. “You wanna spar with me?”

“Of course. I think it may do you some good.”

“I thought you didn’t want to train me?”

“You’re right, I didn’t want to take part in your training because I was worried I’d end up doing to you what my dad did to me. But one thing dad did for me that I appreciated a great deal was our sparring sessions. Going up against him was a great way to prepare myself for the rigors of life inside the ring.”

“How long did it take before you ever beat grandpa?”

“Honestly I’m not sure.” Glory says with a bit of laughter. “It took several tries, that’s for sure. My dad never lost his edge and he never took it easy on me, so don’t expect me to take it easy on you.”

Melinda smirks. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

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Miami, Florida
Off Camera
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Just a little less than an hour later and Melinda Braddock finds herself standing on a blue amateur wrestling mat staring across at her mother, a woman known in wrestling circles as The Best in the World when it comes to wrestling. And this person, this so-called “Best in the World”, is who Melinda will be sparring with today. Melinda’s excitement is over the top but she is able to maintain her composure. She doesn’t want her mother to suspect that she is anxious. But Glory, being the veteran that she is, most definitely suspects it. Hell, she is counting on it.

“Ok, Mel, are you ready?”

“I was born ready, mom.”

“Then let’s go.”

Glory and Melinda march towards each other and they meet in the center. Immediately Glory goes for the legs, picks her daughter up, and drops her down to the mat in a variation of the suplex. Glory doesn’t stop there as she immediately locks in a side headlock. “So now what are you going to do, Mel?”

“I got a plan…”

“Well here’s a piece of advice; don’t advertise it.”

Melinda grunts with frustration. She is slightly humbled but still somewhat confident. The nerves and anxious feelings are now fully gone as she wants to just simply beat her mother, or at least put her down one good time. Melinda plants one foot, and then plants the other, and then she begins to force her way up to her feet. Once Melinda is back to a vertical base she takes Glory and drops her with a belly to back suplex, thus breaking the headlock. Glory scrambles back to her feet quickly and finds her daughter smirking arrogantly.

“How was that for a counter, mom?”

“Oh it was great, Mel…” in a sudden motion Glory snatches hold of her daughter’s arm, leaps up, and brings her down as she applies the triangle choke she likes to call The Shekhinah Glory “...but do not get cocky, kid.”

Braddock waits for the tap out, which she assumes is inevitable. Surprisingly enough, Melinda doesn’t give up as quickly as she expected. A few seconds pass and still nothing from Melinda who still tries to find an escape. The competitor in Glory wants to keep it locked in but her maternal instincts are too great and she is just about to break the hold to check on her daughter when Melinda finally taps out. The moment Melinda’s hand hits the mat for the tap out, Glory relinquishes the hold. The British Bombshell scrambles to her feet but quickly helps her daughter to her feet as well.

“Bloody hell, Melinda! You should have tapped out earlier! What the hell were you thinking?!”

“Sorry, mom, but I just didn’t want to give up too soon. I wanted to see if I could escape but I…” Melinda shakes her head, clearly disappointed in herself “...I couldn’t. Sorry…”

“No, there’s nothing to be sorry for. You were damn good to last that long. But you did scare the hell out of me, love. And I’m sorry for being too rough on you.”

“Too rough?” Melinda asks curiously. Glory nods her head.

“I told myself that I wouldn’t be like my dad, that I wouldn’t be too tough on you, but I was just like him. I shouldn’t have used Shekhinah Glory against you.”

“Mom…” Melinda places a comforting hand on her mother’s shoulder “...if I am to grow in this sport then I need you to be tough on you. When I make my debut and start competing for real, they aren’t gonna take it easy on me, and I don’t need you taking it easy on me either. Ok?”

“That’s what my dad always said…” Glory says with a sigh.

“Well he was right.”

The British Bombshell nods her head in agreement, but it was mainly just to appease Melinda. In truth, she isn’t sure if Glenn Braddock was right about his philosophy of being tough on his children. Glory is convinced that he did more harm than good and she is determined to be better than him. He is determined to protect Melinda and send her into the world ready to protect herself and prepared to become a success.

Protection is what Glory Braddock is most concerned with right now. She wants to protect her family from this person (or people) who targeted them back in March. Who was it and why? The list of potential enemies who would stoop to those lows is quite large. Who can Glory trust? To be honest, there are not many who Glory Braddock feels she can trust. But there is one person she knows she can trust above anyone else.

“Mel, I’ll be right back…”

Glory Braddock turns and walks away. She steps off of the mat and approaches her gym bag. She reaches inside and finds her cell phone. She pulls it out and quickly dials a number. She waits for an answer…a smile creeps across her face…

“Hi, Sophie! It’s me...we need to talk…”

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Miami, Florida
Off Camera
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The dining room was exquisite and a grand space, to say the least. The huge mahogany table took up most of the vast space the dark, romantic room offered left without a tablecloth. Down the center of the table was a runner with Celtic design woven in gold and green into the fabric itself. At the end of the table were floor to ceiling french doors, left slightly ajar to let in the scented summer air. The polished silver cutlery was heavy to the hand and shone brightly in the early evening light. At each place stood a tall empty wine glass and there were beautifully folded napkins to match the runner. Two tall, silver candelabras commanded attention from the center of the table, holding smooth white candles whose wax never dripped. The walls were covered with a shimmering gold paper and in the middle of the ceiling above the carved mahogany table was a candelabra. The missing piece is the food and the guests. If there were guests they would hear the laughter coming from just outside of the dining room. This laughter grows louder until eventually the source is just outside and, finally, two women enter the dining room…

Glory Braddock followed by her best friend Sophie O’Brian.

Sophie has never been to Glory’s Miami, Florida home before. For the most part, Sophie prefers to stay in her Northern Ireland home or near London, England for the sake of the wrestling school. She will travel for her wrestling purposes if necessary but those are the only three reasons she ever travels. Sophie is not the traveling type but she will make exceptions for one person and one person only; Glory Braddock. This is a close relationship nourished and formed by Glenn Braddock. Glory’s father took Sophie and her brother Mark in when they left their abusive father. Glenn trained them both how to wrestle, at the time as a means to defend themselves, but they took it a step further and used the new skill to make a new, better life for themselves. Sophie O’Brian to this day feels she owes her life to Glenn Braddock and thus she is and always will be devoted to the Braddock family.

This devotion has continued on through to Glory Braddock. Sophie and Glory are are closer than just best friends. They are almost like sisters. Sophie will do anything that Glory asks of her and The British Bombshell knows this. Braddock knows that there are very few people who she can trust with her illicit secrets but of those few only one will not cast judgment upon her for what she is preparing to do…

...that person is Sophie O’Brian.

“And this is the dining room…” Glory says with a proud grin upon her lovely features. Glory has been giving Sophie the grand tour of her Miami home and has only just now got to the dining room. Sophie looks around at her surroundings and nods her head. Sophie is not typically one to be impressed by lavish luxury but even she must admit that this is impressive.

“This is truly quite a nice home you have, Gloria.”

“Thank you.” Glory motions to the table. “Please, sit, I’ll bring you a glass of wine.”

“No, thanks.” Sophie answers, shaking her head. The raven haired beauty approaches the chair and then pulls up a seat, sitting down in it. Her friend, Braddock, shrugs her shoulders.

“Good, more for me then.” The British Bombshell winks as she walks to a nearby counter and produces a wine bottle in a corner. She reaches up onto a shelf, finds a glass and then pours some red wine into the glass. Glory Braddock takes a sip of her freshly poured wine and sighs with pleasure. The beautiful blonde then walks over to Sophie and sits down in the chair next to Sophie.

“So you like the home then?”

“I do.” Sophie answers with a nod of her head. “I never took you for one who enjoys luxury, though.”

“What can I say? I’ve earned it.” Glory takes a sip of her wine. Sophie studies her friend for a few moments, taking in every word of what she just said. A smirk forms upon Sophie’s face.

“This must be your mother’s traits coming out in you, am I correct?”

“Huh?”

“Oh, I’m just pointing out that your father would not be caught dead in such a grand estate as this one. His tastes were far more simple.”

Braddock sighs and nods her head. “Yes, this is very true. You wouldn’t imagine how much arm twisting it took to get dad to move in with me here.”

“I am surprised he gave in and actually let you have your way. We both know how stubborn your father could be.” Sophie remarks. Glory nods her head in agreement.

“Dad was quite stubborn about it. To be honest, he never liked Miami. I think part of it was he just missed London. But we couldn’t risk him being alone.”

“And what do you mean by that?” Sophie asks inquisitively. Glory sighs.

“I mean by himself. Early last year he was diagnosed with epilepsy. I was lucky to be there when he had his first but hell right on the beach but who is to say that was his first? He could have been having them a long time, Sophie. You know just as well as I do that blows to the head in this sport take their toll and he has been in this sport for a very long time. He gave his body to this sport as long as he could and only stopped competing because he was forced to due to injury. Then he found a new way to give to the sport by training others but even then he hurt himself. Epilepsy was going to kill him eventually, Sophie. The best thing I could do for his sake was to keep him as close to my side as I could.”

Braddock’s Irish friend looks deep into Glory’s eyes. They are tearing up. Sophie knows better than anyone else just how close Glory was to her father. She is also one of the few who know about the secret problems that the two had with one another. Sophie knows of Glory’s innermost desire to somehow be better than her father, not just at wrestling but at life, and she knows how guilty this must make Glory feel even to have these thoughts.

“It’s ok, Gloria. But, uh, if your father never really cared for the lavish lifestyle you’re living right now then where did you get these tastes from because it most certainly was not from him? Was it from your mum?”

“Mary was never around after they divorced.” Glory’s tone suddenly changes to one of angst. “I would not have gotten anything from her. This elegance you see is just because I earned it, Sophie. I deserve it for everything I have done for wrestling. I run a promotion, I train the next generation, and I compete. I think I’ve earned all of this elegance.”

“Fair point.” Sophie concedes with a nod of her head. Sophie stares across at her friend, who silently takes a sip of her wine. Sophie still is waiting for the other shoe to drop. She knows that Glory didn’t ask her to come down to Miami just to gloat about her elegant home. Luckily she doesn’t have to wait much longer as Glory sets the wine glass back down on the table.

“This luxury does come at a cost, though, and I don’t just mean financially.”

“Another good point. Any kind of success comes with a price. Your own father knew that better than anyone else because he was targeted by many a competitor who wanted to take him out simply to make a name for themselves.”

The British Bombshell nods her head. Glory recalls all too well about how her father had his career injured by Thomas Van Stanton, Henry and Mason’s father, during a wrestling match. The Van Stanton family have long claimed that Thomas never wanted to injure Glenn but Glory has never believed it.

“Funny you mention that, Sophie. You see, I have been successful. Fourteen world championships, then I ran my own company, then I ran a wrestling school, all of this has put the name Glory Braddock on the map. Now I am convinced that I am being targeted.”

“Does this have to do with the shooting in North Carolina?” Sophie asks with an inquisitive gaze. “You never did tell me how your family was recovering from that.”

Braddock nods her head. “You’re right...Kurt was the only one they managed to hit but he’s doing fine. He and Melinda may be shaken up but if they are they are doing a bloody good job of hiding it.”

“Doesn’t surprise me about Melinda.” Sophie says with a grin. “She always did remind me a great deal of your father; tough as nails.”

“I should be tough enough but I’m not. I am very concerned about this, Sophie. This was not random, it was a targeted hit of some sort and if I am right then whoever hired them to take us out will try again.”

“You’re right…” Sophie’s voice trails off. Glory furrows her brow in confusion.

“Right about what?”

“...I do need some of that wine.”

Glory rolls her eyes. The blonde beauty gets up out of her chair and approaches the counter where she left the wine bottle. She produces another glass and pours the wine into the glass. Braddock steps back over to the table and sets it in front of Sophie. The Irish beauty takes a sip of her wine and sighs.

“Did you talk to the authorities?”

“Yes but I told them nothing.”

“Good.” Sophie nods her head approvingly. “I know only bits and pieces of what you’ve been up to lately, Gloria, but those bits and pieces are enough to tell me that you could get in trouble with the authorities. Correct?”

Under normal circumstances Glory would have lied. But she trusts Sophie with her life. Braddock nods her head. “Yes, you’re right.”

“I thought so.” Sophie takes another sip of her wine. “Look, I will not ask you to divulge any information for the sake of plausible deniability. What I will tell you is that you know better than anyone else who your enemies are. Some of those enemies are those closest to you. Trust no one, Gloria.”

“No one?”

“No one.” Sophie reiterates. “The individual behind this is probably right under your nose, someone close enough to you that they know your schedule. How else would they have known that you would be in Raleigh that day?”

“That makes sense.” Glory admits.

“So what you need to do is to get a list of suspects close to you and interrogate them. Find out what they know. Slowly weed through the list until you have found your man...or woman...responsible for the shooting.”

Sophie’s words make sense to Glory Braddock. Only someone close to her would have known that she was to be in Raleigh that day meeting with Mason Van Stanton. Thus the suspects must be someone close to her, someone with something to gain from her being eliminated. But who?

“Mason Van Stanton.”

Mason?” Sophie asks curiously.

“He has always hated me and my family.”

“Ok, plausible starting point. Who else?”

“Meagan Collins.”

“Why her?”

“I’m currently blackmailing her.”

“Ah, I see. Definitely a motive there.”

“Seth Rogers.”

“Seth Ro….oh yes, the private investigator you hired to dig up dirt on Ms. Collins and Matthew Alan’s family, right?”

“Yes. He does his business in a less than legal manner. He is the one who obtained the information I needed to blackmail Collins. My downfall would definitely lead to his but if I was taken out then he could ensure nothing incriminating would lead back to him. Plus his operation is based in North Carolina.”

“This is all excellent.” Sophie says as she sips her wine. “This is also just the beginning. Take these leads and run with it. One of them may be responsible but then again, it may be none of them. It could be someone you’re not even thinking of. Suspect everyone and trust no one. That is how you survive this, Gloria.”

Sophie holds up her glass of wine, offering a toast. Glory smirks as she clinks her glass of wine to Sophie’s. The friends sip their wine in unison.

==========
Miami, Florida
Off Camera
==========

The sun is bright and shining overhead on this gorgeous day in Miami, Florida. The beauty of the day is just one avenue The British Bombshell utilizes to try and forget about the problems plaguing her. The origins of these problems are still unknown but they all came to a boiling point on March 9th when gunmen tried to shoot down Glory Braddock and her family. Clearly someone was targeting her. Glory Braddock does not believe in coincidences and it is definitely not a coincidence that just as The British Bombshell begins to gain more and more power in the corporate world the bigger target she becomes. And it doesn’t surprise her at all that someone would try and take her out the quick and dirty way via assassination, especially when you consider some of these corporate business dealings she has been involved with are less than legal.

Glory Braddock’s rise began when she retook control over her wrestling promotion Global Championship Wrestling. Then later, when her father passed away due to complications from epilepsy, she attempted to take full control of the school and merge it with her promotion. She ran into a roadblock when her sister, Chastity Noel, wanted her stake in the school. And on top of all of that, she still has enemies within her own promotion and within the company itself. Could any of those enemies be trying to stop her rise to the top? Perhaps.

The British Bombshell wanted to beat them to the punch. She wanted to work her magic behind the scenes and eliminate any and all potential threats, including her sister, so she could have full and unquestioned power over her company. To do this she enlisted the aid of a scummy private investigator named Seth Rogers to dig up dirt on her many enemies. Seth uses illegal tactics in his investigations and Glory knows this. Could he be trying to erase Glory Braddock as a potential witness to his own personal crimes? Another possibility is Meagan Collins, whom Glory is blackmailing into assisting her in this plan to take down her enemies. Certainly blackmail is a big motivation to trying to eliminate Glory Braddock.

If it sounds like Glory Braddock is becoming paranoid then it’s because she is. Glory is growing more and more paranoid by the second and it is all because of her fear, a fear of her being taken down and her fear for the safety of her family. The gunmen came very close to success back in March and Glory wants to avoid that happening again. Glory only trusts one person, Sophie O’Brian, and Sophie’s advice was to strike first. Track down the person responsible and strike first.

Easier said than done, especially considering Glory has no real leads. She did what Sophie advised though; she compiled a list of anyone close to her, anyone who would have anything to gain from seeing Glory Braddock’s downfall. Sophie suggested to start with those closest to her and question them. And with no leads, questioning is all Glory can do at the moment.

For now Glory needs to get her mind into a peaceful place and the best way to relax and gain some amount of comfort is to take a nap by the pool in her home in Miami, Florida. The blonde haired beauty is wearing a hot pink string bikini while lying on a purple beach towel by the modestly sized pool. Dark sunglasses shade her eyes from the brilliant rays of the sun. Braddock certainly is comfortable right now, she definitely enjoys the warmth of the sun’s rays shining down upon her, but she knows that this is but merely a distraction from the problems of her personal and professional career, distractions that she does not need right now.

Braddock stares up into the beautiful Florida sky through the shade of her sunglasses. This is not just a distraction, it is also peaceful and calming. It is allowing her to clear her mind so that she can think things through more clearly and come up with a resolution of what to do and where to go from here. The blonde removes her sunglasses, places them on the towel, and then stands up. She approaches the edge of the pool and then dives in. Upon coming up, Braddock begins to swim a lap around the pool. Swimming is yet another way she can clear her head. She wants to figure this out for herself and she wants to be ready.

The so-called “interrogations” will begin not long from now. Glory has arranged for some meetings with some of her associates to try and glean some sort of information from them. It won’t be much of an interrogation. Glory has only managed to convince two people to come down for a meeting.

Meagan Collins and Chastity Noel.

Meagan Collins doesn’t have much of a choice; she is being blackmailed after all. Glory has information on crimes that Meagan has committed, most of them are white collar but Braddock has some information connecting her to some far worse crimes, such as rape and murder. If Glory ever becomes frustrated or upset with Meagan’s performance, she can turn Meagan in. Meagan will do as she is told. Besides, Meagan isn’t that far away. She lives in Palm Beach, Florida.

Chastity Noel is Glory’s own biological sister. Their relationship has been one roller coaster of a ride all centering around the jealousy Chastity felt towards Glory. The jealousy was warranted, because Glory was always treated better than Chastity by their father. This is partially why Chastity no longer carries the name that Glenn Braddock gave her at her birth. Chastity and Glory have feuded before in the past but now they are again as close as sisters can be and Chastity definitely has no problem making the trip to Miami.

After completing an entire lap she hears the door to her home opening and then shutting. She watches and eventually spots her husband, Kurt Logan, emerging poolside barefoot in denim jeans and a black t-shirt. He is currently having to get around on a crutch as he is still dealing with injuries from the shooting a month ago. Seeing him like this makes Glory feel a twinge of guilt. She cannot help but feel at least partially responsible for his current condition.

“Kurt! What are you doing out here?” Glory exclaims in a scolding manner not unlike that of a parent lecturing an unruly child. “You need to rest that leg, that’s what the doctor says.”

“Yes and the doctor also said that I need to keep getting at least some exercise as part of rehabilitation. I think walking from the living room to the pool should count, right?”

Braddock smirks. Then she ducks her head underneath the waters of the pool. Glory reemerges and spits pool water out at her husband. Kurt wipes the water from his face as Glory just chuckles at her own joke.

“You were saying, love?”

“Cute. Real cute.” Kurt sighs. Kurt sits down on one of the chairs by the pool so that he doesn’t have to stand up any longer than he has to; he smiles warmly down at his wife. “You are beautiful.”

“Thanks, love.”

“But as beautiful as you are, you are also equally as intelligent.” Kurt’s tone takes on a more serious note. “You can’t keep this up.”

“Keep what up?” Glory asks curiously, innocently.

“You can’t hide forever. You can’t keep Melinda and myself safely tucked away under lock and key. We need to get out and more specifically, you do...you still have obligations with Supreme Championship Wrestling...MWE....”

The British Bombshell rolls her eyes upon the mention of SCW. “I take it someone has contacted us again?” Braddock inquires. Kurt nods his head in affirmation.

“You spoke with Xiomara last Breakdown, that’s a good start, but SCW at least wants to see you show up this week in Fayetteville, Arkansas.” Braddock growls in response to Kurt’s statement.

“Arkansas? The armpit of America?” Glory sighs. “Fine. I’ll show up but not for Sasha, only for Sienna.”

“That’s good enough for them, I’m sure. You should put in at least one public appearance before Cold Blooded and your match against Selena Frost and Asher.”

“Don’t remind me about those two…” Glory’s voice trails off. Kurt sighs as he motions to their home. “Anyway, I should point out that Chastity is here, she just arrived. Want me to tell her to wait while you get dried off and changed into some clean clothes?”

Glory pauses to think it over. She shakes her head. “No, just send her out here.”

“Whatever you say.”

Glory watches as her husband turns and hobbles back towards the home. Braddock watches as he struggles but successfully opens the door and steps inside. Glory then decides to make another lap around the pool as she awaits on the arrival of her sister. Swimming as hard as she can, The British Bombshell quickly reaches the other end of the pool, makes a sudden turn to her left and swims. She makes another turn to her left and begins the swim back around to complete the lap. As she does so she hears the door opening and shutting. Braddock watches as her sister, Chastity Noel, approaches the pool. Chastity is wearing a cream colored pencil skirt, matching patent leather high heel pumps, and a black blouse. Her long blonde hair hangs unrestrained to shoulder length. Chastity sits down in one of the pool chairs and applauds Glory’s accomplishment.

“Good job, sis! Practicing for the Olympic swimming team?”

“Careful or I’ll do to you what I did to Kurt.”

“Then I apologize.” Chastity remarks with a smug grin. “I would hate to see this outfit get ruined.”

The British Bombshell uses the side of the pool to push herself up and out of the pool. Braddock sits on the edge with her feet still dangling in the pool. Glory looks up at her sister and smiles warmly.

“I’m glad you came.”

“I’m glad you invited me. I don’t think I’ve been here since you bought this place.”

“That’s understandable considering we only recently made peace with one another. We’ve been at odds for quite a long time, mate.”

Chastity nods her head in agreement. “This is true, unfortunately.” She sighs deeply, almost with a note of regret. “I’ve missed you, Glory.”

“I’ve missed you too Julia...I mean Chastity…”

Her sister just laughs off the mistake. “It’s ok, mistakes like that are bound to happen.”

“It shouldn’t have happened.” Glory shakes her head. “It should never have happened.”

“I told you, Glory, it’s ok.”

“No, I mean the name.” Glory has a sad look upon her lovely face. “Your name is Julia Braddock. You only changed it because we were at war and you wanted to stick it to me and the best way you knew how was to disown the family. This is my fault.”

“You honestly believe me changing my name has something to do with you?”

“Doesn’t it?” Glory asks. Chastity responds with a shake of her head.

“No. Look, mum was never in the picture for either of us. She ran away and to the United States and left us in the care of Glenn Braddock who went out of his way to make both of us into the perfect wrestling machines. He didn’t try to raise two daughters he tried to raise two killing machines. That’s why I changed my name.” Chastity is chuckling but only sarcastically as she does not think any of this is funny. “That’s one thing we always agreed on even when we were feuding. We both hated how mom and dad treated us.”

“That’s definitely true.” Glory says in agreement with her sister’s statement. “But love, I never changed my name. I’m still Glory Braddock. Just because he wronged us doesn’t mean you have to turn your back on the family name. The family didn’t do us wrong, he did.”

“Really?” Chastity asks with a knowing glare. Glory nods her head.

“Yes, really.”

“Well it’s good that you can still represent the Braddock family but I don’t feel right about it. However you are wrong about one point.” Chastity reaches down and touches Glory on her nose with her right hand. “You did change your name.”

“Huh?”

“Oh come on, dear sister, do not play games with me.” Chastity stares into Glory’s eyes which are wide with confusion etched across her face. Chastity sighs and shakes her head. “Fine, then we’ll play the game. But you asked for this.”

“Asked for what?”

“You are the owner of a major wrestling company, and that is great, but that wasn’t always the case. You lost control of the company for a few years because you started answering to the name Gloria Noel. The Board of Directors did not trust your mental state and took away your authority. They gave it to Henry Van Stanton, my agent’s brother. Ring any bells?”

Braddock sighs and nods her head. It was a trying and difficult time in her life when she ran into Aphrodite Noel, the woman who had used her considerable influence to manipulate her way into her sister’s life. Glory was trying to free her sister from Aphrodite’s grip but she had no idea that she herself would be entangled in the same manipulative web. It was intoxicating primarily because Aphrodite somehow knew exactly what buttons to push. She knew that both Glory and Chastity never had in their lives was a mother figure; or any kind of true parental figure, for that matter. She knew that they both secretly wanted one and Aphrodite slowly became that person for them. So much so that both took her last name.

Glory did bring herself back from the brink of what she views now to be insanity but she cannot deny that it did happen. It did take place. That’s how the Board of Directors took control of the company away from her and why to this day she has enemies within the Board of Directors, members of the Board who still believe she is suffering from post traumatic stress due to the incident with Aphrodite. It is an incident that Glory has been trying so awfully hard to forget.

“I’d rather not talk about it.”

“Why not?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Glory shakes her head.

“Glory, you and I experienced the same thing with the same person. She got to both of us. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s how you respond and move forward that matters and I accepted the fact that the experience changed me forever. I’ve embraced my new identity. You? You certainly have changed. The Glory Braddock I remember did not embrace the luxuries of this big lavish home in Miami. The Glory Braddock I remember was a tomboy who loved a good joke and played pranks on people. The Glory Braddock I remember was certainly not a corporate queen. You practically are her, Glory, you’re just in denial.”

The British Bombshell does not want to admit that she suffers from any post traumatic stress but, unfortunately, it is there. And Chastity just said the words that triggered it. Glory leaps out of the pool and snatches Chastity by her neck. She starts to squeeze which causes her sister to choke.

“Glory! Le...let go…”

Luckily Glory does snap out of it and releases the iron like grip she had upon her sister. Braddock sighs and shakes her head. “I’m sorry…forgive me…”

“It’s ok.” Chastity rubs her throat. “Really, I understand. It’s an emotional scar that may never go away, no matter how much help you get. Plus how can anyone blame you for being on edge considering the shooting.”

“You know about that?” Glory asks curiously. Chastity nods her head.

“Yes, Mason told me.”

“How the bloody hell did he know?”

“He was questioned by police. He is a suspect because of the public rivalry you two have had.”

Braddock winces. Silently she curses herself for not covering all of her bases. Then again, Chastity is right, she and Mason have had a very public rivalry for a long time now. Of course the police would go to him first. She just hopes this investigation does not escalate out of her control.

“Well, I hope for his sake he had nothing to do with it.”

“Of course he didn’t.” Chastity remarks, defending her agent. “You don’t seriously believe that he has something to do with this shooting do you?”

“He hates me, Chastity. Look at everything he has done in the past to try and hurt me; he tried to take the school away from me, he hired Clyde Sutter and got him a wrestling contract right after I kicked him out of the school just to spite me. His family and ours has always been at war ever since his father ended the career of our father. Why wouldn’t he want to take me out?”

Glory stares daggers into the eyes of her sister. Chastity sighs and nods her head. “I admit he doesn’t have the cleanest of record and I admit that yes, he does want to ruin you, but obviously his definition of “ruin” and yours are different. He would never resort to murdering you in order to ruin you. Ruin your reputation? Yes, that’s what he wants. Prove he is a better wrestling mind that you? Yes, that’s what he wants. Would he resort to murder in order to achieve those goals? No he would not.”

Glory sighs and nods her head. “For your sake I hope you’re right. Just do me a favor, ok?”

“Sure.” Chastity says, nodding her head.

“You’re still my sister and blood is thicker than water. If you find out that he has anything to do with this, let me know.”

“Glory, you will be the first person to know.”

==========
Miami, Florida
Off Camera
==========

It has been a few hours since Glory and her sister Chastity had their talk. The sisters have only just begun their reunion and as she said, Chastity hasn’t even seen her sister’s Miami home until today. She was impressed by it but more than that she is excited about this rare opportunity to see her niece, Melinda Braddock. While Glory is very paranoid about her family’s safe right now, Chastity is someone she feels comfortable with, someone she feels she can trust not to hurt Melinda. Melinda, after all, is family. So Chastity is taking this time to be with Melinda out on the town in Miami. It gives Melinda, someone suffering from a severe bout of cabin fever, an opportunity to get out of the house and it gives Glory some time alone with her husband Kurt before her next visitor…

...the notorious Meagan Collins.

Glory Braddock finds herself sitting next to Kurt in the living room on the cream colored leather sofa. Her feet are tucked up underneath her. Kurt’s arm is around her shoulders. Glory rests her head against his strong chest. Being with Kurt comforts her. She feels like she can manage this crisis so long as he is here. Glory is confident that if she would just confide in him with her secrets, with her problems, then he could come through.

Yet she doesn’t. She doesn’t trust him to do so without judging her. So Glory keeps her problems to herself. And Kurt, for his part, will not keep his opinions of Meagan Collins to himself.

“I really do think you’re making a mistake by involving yourself with Meagan Collins.”

“I know, love. You remind me of that every time Meagan and I have a meeting.”

“That’s another thing,” Kurt begins out of frustration “these meetings are always in secret. You don’t tell me anything that goes on. What is it that you two talk about anyway?”

“Trust me, love. You do not want to know.”

“If I want to do my part in protecting our family then I need to know.” Kurt says strongly, harshly even. Glory is somewhat taken aback as she looks up at her husband with wide eyes. Kurt does not back down one inch. “Last month we were shot at. You and our daughter were almost killed but “luckily” they hit me instead.”

“I know and I hate it, Kurt, but…”

“I’m not finished.” Kurt says sternly. “We didn’t get these kind of attacks before you started working with Meagan Collins. Now I’m not insinuating anything but come on, I’m no dummy. I know the rumors circulating around Meagan Collins. If half of them are true then she is a dangerous person to be working with. Hell, she could be the reason why we got shot at!”

Glory cannot help but admit that her husband has a good theory. Meagan Collins is a dangerous person. Glory has the evidence to prove that she has hired men to perform horrible acts in the past, criminal acts such as rape and murder. It would be her MO to hire some thugs to try and gun down Glory and her family in Raleigh. Plus Meagan has the motivation; Glory is blackmailing Meagan to do her bidding and help her take out her own enemies in the corporate world. If Glory were taken out then that means the blackmail is over. She wishes she could admit all of this to Kurt but she cannot. She knows he is right but she cannot.

“Just trust me, Kurt. I know what I’m doing.”

“I trust you, Glory. And I love you and support you no matter what.”

“Good.” Glory says nodding her head. “That’s what I need to hear.”

“And also know that marriage is based on trust. Ok?”

“Yes, I know.” Glory says, nodding her head slowly. A few moments later the doorbell can be heard ringing. Glory and Kurt both sigh in unison. It must be Meagan Collins and Kurt knows it.

“I guess I’ll leave.” With that, Kurt slowly pushes himself up. He hobbles out of the room. Once Kurt is gone Glory hears the doorbell again. Braddcok shouts angrily.

“COME IN! IT’S UNLOCKED!”

The British Bombshell sits and waits. She hears the door opening and then shutting. She hears footsteps approaching but doesn’t bother to turn and look at who it is. She knows it is Meagan. A few moments later and Meagan Collins steps into her view directly in front of her. Meagan’s confident looks have returned, as has her luxurious attire which includes a black dress and strappy heels.

“Glory!” Meagan holds out her arms wide as if expecting a hug. “Great to see ya!”

“Can it, Meagan.” Glory pats the seat next to her. “Sit down.”

“Right to business, then? No small talk?” Meagan feigns a pout but does finally oblige the request of Glory Braddock, sitting down next to her where Kurt Logan had just been sitting. “What’s wrong? Cause you’re not acting like yourself.”

“Why do you think something is wrong?”

“Well if someone had tried to kill me I’d be shaken up, that’s for sure!”

Braddock was surprised that Chastity found out but she isn’t surprised that Meagan Collins with all of her corporate connections and connections in the criminal underworld happened to find out. The British Bombshell doesn’t even try to deny it as she just simply nods her head in confirmation.

“You’re right, Meagan. Someone did try to kill me and my family. And you’re right, it did shake me up quite a bit. That’s why I wanted you here today.” Glory reaches out and snatches Meagan by her throat. “You know what this feels like. You know what I am capable of.”

“But you don’t want to do things yourself, do you? You’d rather have other people do your dirty work for you, that’s why you’re blackmailing me.”

Glory snickers and nods her head. She releases her grip on Meagan. “You’re right, I blackmailed you so that I don’t have to do that kind of dirty work. You are far superior at that kind of work than I am and I have the evidence to prove it. That’s also why you are a primary suspect in my eyes.”

Braddock reaches out again and snatches Meagan by her throat. “You have the means and the motivation to want to see me dead, Meagan. So I want to make two things perfectly clear. First of all, if you are behind this and I am dead, understand that the evidence is with someone I trust wholeheartedly and that person will release the incriminating evidence against you to the public and you will be on death row in no time. Capiche?”

This was just a bluff. Glory has not given up the evidence just yet. She hopes that Meagan will believe her; luckily, she does appear to be genuinely shaken by Glory’s threat as Meagan nods her head. Glory smirks.

“Good. Second, I want you to know that I am looking for whoever is behind this. So if you know anything you had better tell me because if you don’t and I find out it was you behind the attack, then I will get my hands dirty and take you out myself.” Braddock releases her grip on Meagan’s throat. Meagan rubs the pain out of her throat and sighs.

“Well for once I did not do it. And I don’t know anything about who did, Glory. But I’ll talk to my contacts and see what they know.”

“That would be appreciated.” Glory says as she slowly calms down from the rage she was exhibiting just now. Meagan is very careful about what to say next. She does not want to provoke The British Bombshell any further.

“I can tell you something else about Aurora Alan, something you may find interesting.”

Glory hears this and immediately knows that Meagan is just trying to distract Glory and/or appease her with positive information. Still, Braddock does want more information about Aurora Alan. Aurora Alan is the younger sister of Matthew Alan, the founder of Glory’s company and who may have a legitimate claim to the company. The last time Glory and Meagan spoke of Aurora, Meagan informed her that Aurora was squeaky clean with no record. Still, her brother is Matthew Alan, a man indicted on several charges of white collar crimes and who is rumored to also be involved with some crimes just as bad as the ones Meagan has perpetrated. If Matthew is willing to go to those lengths to achieve a goal, why wouldn’t Aurora? Is Aurora a potential suspect here? If she is, Glory could use the information to bring down the Alan Family for good. Regardless, Glory Braddock does want to hear this information.

“What do you know, Meagan?”

“Don’t ask me how I know, but members of YOUR Board of Directors are secretly in contact with Aurora Alan. I do not know which ones or how many but there is a minority group who are encouraging her to try and make a play for your company.”

“Does Aurora seem interested?” Glory asks. Meagan nods her head.

“Yes.”

“Damn.” This is not what Glory wanted to hear. On top of being attacked by a gunman, Glory is now aware that her company may be under hostile takeover. Glory Braddock sighs and shakes her head. “What do you suggest?”

“You need to nip this in the bud, Glory. Either the legal way and get some of those Board members on your side or the illegal way and eliminate the competition.”

“You mean eliminate Aurora?”

“Yes.” Meagan says. Braddock shakes her head.

“Hell no. I do not need the risk of incrimination right now.”

“Fine, but that means you need to convince those enemies of yours on the Board that you are competent enough to continue running the company. And you know what that means.”

Glory sighs and nods her head because she does know precisely what that means. The Board of Directors are worried about how close of a relationship she has with Aphrodite Noel. Glory knows that the only way to get them off of her back is distance herself from Aphrodite. She thought that she had already done enough distancing but perhaps she needs to do more.

What else can she do? What else is she willing to do? How far will she go to maintain her control over this empire she has built and keep her life from crumbling to pieces around her?

==========
New Orleans, LA
Off Camera
==========

The lobby of this hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana is quite exquisite. The floor was tiled in fine marble, which made every step echo. A chandelier made rainbow colors dance across the luxurious lobby. Embroidered silk sofas surrounded a large, flat-screen television. The twin doors that led into the lobby were a pristine white with golden handles. The desk was made of amber-colored wood and a green granite top. Exquisite paintings hung from the rich, red walls. Even the door hinges were engraved with swirls and elegant designs. Music played in the background, even though the only person around to hear it is the attendant at the desk. The music is soft, the colors gentle to the eye and the large dining room is set up and ready for dinner tonight.

Silence never lasts forever. The silence of this hotel lobby ends abruptly when “The British Bombshell” Glory Braddock and her husband, Kurt Logan, arrive in the lobby. Ms. Braddock and her husband are here in this famous city for SCW’s next pay per view offering, Cold Blooded, which will take place on Sunday. On that night Braddock has to contend with two tough opponents in Selena Frost and Asher Hayes.

Perhaps an even more challenging task for The British Bombshell was getting over the mental issues and paranoia that came with leaving the relative safety of their Miami home. Just last month in Raleigh, North Carolina Glory, Kurt, and their daughter Melinda were fired upon by gunmen. Kurt was hurt but Glory and Melinda managed to escape physically unharmed and unscathed. The mental and emotional scars, however, will remain for quite a long time.

Mentally this has taken The British Bombshell off of her game. She practically shut down for several weeks and it took some arm twisting from her friend and ally Sienna Swann as well as SCW management for her to return to the road and active competition. Until recently Glory Braddock has kept her entire family shut up under lock and key in their Miami home. It has made Melinda Braddock insane with cabin fever but Glory didn’t care. She just wanted to protect her family and this was the best way she knew how. Now they are all out in the open again and are again unprotected. Again they are targets; targets of someone who wants to take out Glory Braddock. But why?

The answer to that is a mystery to authorities, primarily because Glory Braddock refused to give them any helpful leads. As far as the authorities know, she has no real enemies. Braddock knows better. It isn’t a coincidence that this attack happened around the same time as Glory’s rise in corporate power began. She also knows of many individuals in the corporate world who would benefit from seeing her taken out. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that someone wants her gone. Someone wants her out of the picture.

“That was fun.” Kurt says as he leans over and gives his wife a kiss on her cheek. He has been upgraded from crutches to a walking boot. He is thankful because he wanted to really enjoy this night on the town with his wife. It took a lot of convincing to get her out of the hotel room. If Glory had her way then she and Kurt would have stayed under lock and key protection in their hotel room. Instead Kurt managed to convince Glory to leave. After all, you cannot live in fear.

Even if Glory wants to, and to those closest to her...like Kurt Logan and Melinda Braddock...it does appear as if she wants to live in fear. But in truth Glory is just being precautious. Overly precautious is a fair accusation but she is definitely being precautious. She wants to look out for her family’s well being because she knows that they did not ask for this. They are not even being targeted. Glory is. They’re just victims via association.

Knowing this makes Glory feel very guilty. Everything she has done inside the wrestling ring as a competitor and outside the ring from behind a corporate desk has been for what she feels is the best, the best for wrestling. Unfortunately her actions have made some powerful enemies, enemies who want to take her out. Knowing that someone is out there who has the capability to take your life anytime they want and you do not even know who it is is frightening. Very frightening.

It is easy to see why Glory is paranoid right now.

“I suppose. The jazz was good...” she pauses to think of good wording. Braddock finally just shrugs her shoulders. “…it’s good. It was fun.”

“That’s the best you can come up with?” Kurt says with a chuckle. “You love jazz. It’s your secret obsession and you know it.”

“mmmhmmm…” Glory rolls her eyes.

“Come on, babe, what’s bothering you?.” Kurt asks as he and his wife bypass the receptionist area and make their way over towards the elevators. Kurt presses a button to call for the elevator and as they wait he turns to face his lovely English wife.

“Oh don’t play dumb, Kurt.” Glory says in a rather sharp tone, taking offense with her husband. “You know damn well what’s on my mind right now.” The British Bombshell stares a hole through her husband. Kurt just sighs and nods his head.

“I suppose so. But this was supposed to be a way to help you get your mind off of…” Kurt pauses as he tries to find the proper wording “...you know…”

“Someone trying to kill me?” Glory snaps back immediately. Kurt sighs and nods his head. “I apologize, love, but my life is rather important and I’d rather not let someone take it.”

The elevator doors open and then Glory Braddock enters the elevator first, followed by her husband Kurt. Kurt presses the button for the next floor. The door closes and the elevator begins to rise. Kurt turns and looks at his wife with sad eyes.

“Look Glory, I know you’re scared. But you can’t live in fear and paranoia. You have to live life. Y’know what I mean?”

“It isn’t as easy as you make it out to be.” The British Bombshell sighs and shakes her head. “I feel guilty because whoever this is wants to take me out; they don’t care about you or Melinda, you’re just caught in the crossfire.”

“In my case, literally.” Kurt says, motioning to his injured leg.

“Exactly.”

“Just know that I stand by you one hundred percent.”

They kiss on the lips. “Thanks, Kurt. Your support means everything to me, especially right now. We need to take care of one another and we need to protect Melinda.”

Kurt nods his head in agreement. “I agree.”

As soon as the elevator reaches the second floor it comes to a slow stop. The doors open and Glory and her husband exit the elevator and then begin to head down the hall. It isn’t long before they come to a hotel room door, presumably their own. Glory then takes her keycard and inserts it into the door slot and then once she hears it unlock she pushes the door open. As they walk into the room they find Melinda lying on one of the queen size beds. Melinda quickly shoots up to a seated position and looks over at her parents walking in.

“You’re late.” Melinda says with a smirk on her face.

“Blame Kurt.” Glory responds dryly. Kurt chuckles to himself as he hobbles over to a nearby chair and sits down.

“The show ran long. The crowds kept wanting more and the band kept giving them more.” Kurt smiles over at Glory. “Though you gotta admit, it was good.”

“Sure, of course.”

It is clear that Glory is distracted. Who can blame her considering everything that she has went through, the fears that she still has going through her mind, and the knowledge that she still has to compete in a few days against two of SCW’s best. The British Bombshell has a lot on her plate and while her attempts to look strong in front of the public may fool most, it does not fool her daughter. Melinda gets up and approaches her mother.

“What’s wrong, mom?”

“Do you have to ask?” Glory asks with a sigh of frustration.

“Your mother is still worried. She’s worried about our safety in light of the shooting last month.”

Kurt’s answer causes Melinda to roll her eyes. “Mom, you really need to try and let go of this fear.”

“How can I let it go, Mel? You and Kurt are my life. You are everything to me. And if I have done anything to put you in danger, anything at all, then I could not live with myself…” Glory pauses as her pain is clear and evident “...I could not live with myself knowing mistakes I made hurt you.”

“You’re losing it, mom.” Melinda remarks as she grasps hold of her mother’s hand and squeezes tightly. “You’ve made mistakes, sure. Quite frankly I think helping Sienna and Bree is a mistake but is anyone really going to snap and try to kill you over that? I doubt it, even if they are two big bitches.”

“Melinda!” Glory exclaims.

“Fine, I’m sorry, but the point is that unless there’s something else you’ve done that we don’t know about then you have nothing to fear. You haven’t done anything else bad to make any enemies, have you?”

Glory considers telling her daughter the truth. That would be the easiest thing to do. But her daughter looks up to her. She can’t bear the thought of Melinda and how she would feel if she knew just what Glory was involved in, the kind of crimes Glory is at least considering committing in order to maintain power in her corporate empire. These crimes and other dirty corporate deeds is what has made the enemies Glory fears. But Melinda cannot know about this. Neither can Kurt. Thus Braddock shakes her head and denies it.

“No…”

“Then you have nothing to worry about.” Melinda insists. “The attacker was probably some random thug.”

“I wish it were that simple…” Glory says quietly. She sighs as she walks towards the bathroom. She pushes the door open and shuts it behind her. She hopes Kurt and Melinda will allow her to have her privacy. Glory just needs to be alone right now and think about where she is right now.

She is in New Orleans and that means she is in danger. She is out in the open and her family is in danger. Whoever is targeting her for extermination surely knows her schedule and knows that she would be here in New Orleans for SCW Cold Blooded and the match against Selena Frost and Asher Hayes. If another attempt on her life were to be made, now would be the perfect time for that to happen.

Just then her thoughts are interrupted by the vibrations she feels from her phone. Glory reaches for it and produces the iPhone, and the screen shows that it is a FaceTime request from none other than Meagan Collins. The British Bombshell accepts and in short order Meagan Collins can be seen on the screen from her home in Palm Beach County, Florida.

“Good evening! Enjoying New Orleans?”

“You know damn well I’m not enjoying myself.” Glory grows angrily. “And you’d be wise to show a little more respect because I am not in the best of moods right now.”

“Right...my apologies, Ms. Braddock…” Meagan remarks coldly.

“What do you want, Meagan? And try to keep it down because Melinda and Kurt may hear you.”

“Trouble with the family?” Meagan asks with a sly grin.

“Can it and get to the point.”

“You’re no fun.” Meagan sticks her tongue out at Glory. “Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I have some information you could find useful.”

“Oh?” Glory’s interest is peaked. Meagan nods her head.

“I went to visit Matthew Alan the other day in his holding cell...if you can even call it a holding cell. I swear that guy has some kind of deep connections because he’s being kept up nicer than Capone was when he was first arrested…”

“You’re getting distracted again, Megs.” Glory is sounding more and more agitated. “Quit stalling. What did Matthew Alan tell you?”

“I wanted to speak to him about the recent attempt on your life. Turns out not only did he already know about it but he knows who was behind the attempt.”

“So someone did hire those guys to gun me down?” Glory smirks, only because she was right all along when others had doubted her, thinking she was paranoid. “I knew it!”

“Are you interested in knowing who the evil mastermind is?” Meagan asks.

“Of course.”

“He didn’t want to divulge anything at first; I suppose he was saving that to use as an ace up his sleeve to get the federal authorities to at least give him a more lenient sentence if he played ball. But when he found out that I was on your team now he knew he was sunk worse than the Titanic.”

It makes sense to Braddock. The federal authorities have an iron clad case against Matthew Alan. His only friend on the outside who could have helped was Meagan Collins. Unfortunately that comes with a double edged sword because she also knows everything about him. And if Meagan is now helping Glory, then Matthew knows that Glory could just as easily destroy him if she wanted to.

“Sooo I convinced him to tell me the identity of the person who hired those guys to take you out.” Meagan states. “It’s all on the assumption that you will leave him alone, that you will leave him out of this, and most importantly that you will leave his family out of this.”

“Fine whatever. Just tell me...who is it?” Glory demands to know. She makes no promises to leave his family out of it, though. She’ll betray him. Matthew is scum anyway.

“Are you familiar with Joshua Hernandez?”

“Of course. He is a member of my company’s Board of Directors.”

“He is also the longest serving member of the Board.” Meagan points out. “Hell, he was around when Matthew Alan was still running it. He is fiercely loyal to Matthew’s family and Matthew in particular. What makes Joshua so special is that he had just as many criminal connections as Matthew had. The reason why Matthew is practically untouchable when it comes to the dirtier crimes like murder and the such is because Joshua was the one who arranged for that on Matthew’s behalf.”

“That way Matthew’s hands were kept clean.”

“Precisely.” Meagan nods her head.

“Do you have evidence to prove that he did this?” Glory is hopeful. This could be over now if she has the evidence to bring him down. Meagan shakes her head.

“Unfortunately no but I do have plenty of evidence courtesy of my good friend Matthew of Joshua’s criminal involvement. You could use it to encourage him to confess.”

“What if he doesn’t confess?” Glory asks with an arched brow.

“Who cares? The information is still valuable. If he confesses, blackmail him into becoming one of your loyal supporters on the Board. If he doesn’t confess...blackmail him anyway!”

The blonde haired beauty ponders upon this for a moment. Meagan does raise a good point. The information is there regardless and can be used to her advantage. Ultimately what Glory wants is enough support on the Board of Directors so that any and all decisions she makes are unquestioned and unchallenged. Glory Braddock wants to render her company’s Board of Directors powerless and if she gets Joshua Hernandez, a Matthew Alan loyalist, on her side...even if it is by blackmail...then she will be one step closer to achieving that goal. Glory smirks and nods her head.

“I like how you think, Meagan. Let’s do this.”