Bree Lancaster & Alistaire Allocco vs. Shaun Cruze & Syren

[HardyGirl]

{{Saturday, May 9th
Kenner, LA
MSY Louis Armstrong International Airport}}

 
 
My plane landed over an hour ago. But waking Heath up, getting our bags off, going through the private gate, and finally getting to the private garage where my car is parked took forever. I am relieved to finally getting to my car. There is an important phone call I need to make, and I can’t let anyone overhear it, not even airport staff who you would think could be trusted. Dom has fans everywhere and all it would take is one tip-off to ruin my plan. Luckily for me, Dom had changed his mind at the last second about sending me the signed waiver, and just signed it right there and gave it back to me before we left. When I told this to Ed, he knew exactly how to move forward, for Heath’s best interests, and mine.
 
With Heath strapped into the back and now inside my car, Josh is driving while I get on the phone.
 
“Hi, Ed. We’re back.”
“Good to hear. Your son is with you?”
“Yes, he’s in the back seat. I waited til I got in the car to call you.”
“Good thinking… wait, you’re not driving, are you?” There is a Louisiana law against using cell phones while driving.
“No, Josh is.”
“Perfect. Now Bree… I have this filing drafted into the court’s e-file system, are you sure that you want to go through with this?”
I scoff. “Are you seriously asking me this right now? You know I want custody and you know why!”
“Yes, but there is a big difference between filing for custody, and filing a petition for an Ex Parte Emergency Custody order. It’s going to be seen as hostile.”
“Honestly, if he is one bit surprised then he never really knew me at all.”
“Damn right!” Josh chimes in. I give him a grin.
“I heard that.”
“Ed says he heard you.”
“Good!” Both men chuckle.
“Very well, just doing my due diligence. Once I click this, you can’t change your mind.”
“I won’t. Send it.” I hear a faint click in the background.
“There. Sent.”
I take a deep breath. Dom is going to be furious. But Lisa? Lisa is going to be apoplectic.
“Fabulous. How long should it take to be signed?”
“Well, the system just sent the Duty Judge an alert. I don’t know who that is today, but they typically respond in less than an hour, unless they need to research. I can’t see that being the case here, we sent good evidence. I’ll text you as soon as I hear back.”
“Thanks, Ed. You’re the best.”
 
As I put my phone down, Josh steers the car onto the Interstate. I’m surprised we got out of the airport maze this fast.
“How long?”
“About an hour. Maybe before we get home.”
“And then your phone blows up. Am I right?”
“Probably. But I don’t have to answer it.”
“Just turn it off.”
I smile as I raise my phone up again. “Great idea. I’ll just text Amy that we’re on the way first.”
We had to pick up our girls, of course.
 
 

* * * * * *

 
 
Thankfully, traffic wasn’t very heavy crossing the river and we park at home twenty minutes later. It helps that Josh views speed limits as suggestions.
After getting Heath out of his car seat, we simply walk next door and I knock. Buying the house next door to my brother and Amy’s was probably one of the smartest things I’ve ever done. Wyatt answers the door.
“Heya sis.” He opens the door wider for us. “Josh.” The men nod a greeting at each other. Then Wyatt sees Heath standing behind me and next to Josh. He smiles at him and waves. “Hey there buddy.”
“Hi Uncle Wyatt.” Heath speaks soft, like he does when he’s tired. Poor guy has been through a lot in the last day.
“Amy’s in the kitchen with the girls, Jalyn very politely asked for breakfast, so of course Amy had to be fancy and do French toast.” Wyatt explains as we walk in.
“That’s fancy?”
“It is when she uses cookie cutters to make the bread into hearts.”
“Valid.” I take Heath’s hand. “Come on, your sisters are in the kitchen.”
Heath pulls his hand out of mine and runs down the hall to the kitchen.
 
“Amy, incoming!” I call down the hallway. Not that she couldn’t hear his shoes on the wood floor. I walk into the kitchen behind Heath just as Amy bends down to catch him for a hug.
“Hey bubba.” She’s taken to calling him that since Zara was born. Not that Jalyn isn’t his sister too, but it’s different. Speaking of Zara she squeals from the high chair when she sees me.
“Mommmaaaaa!” The girl is nearly a year old now and says several words. I go over to her and ruffle her fine brown hair.
“Hey babygirl.” I lean over and kiss her forehead. Behind me I hear two small feet hit the floor. I look and see Jalyn has slid down from her seat at the island and attached herself to Josh’s leg. I hadn’t realized he walked in behind me. Amy’s kitchen isn’t very big so we make a crowd.
 
Amy stands, picking Heath up with her, and sits him on the island top. I fake gasp.
“What? I was never allowed to sit up there!” Heath laughs.
“I’m special.”
“You certainly are.”
 
Amy goes back to the stove for a moment to finish the toast, and sets plates for the kids, seating Heath and Jalyn at the island.
“You guys want some? I made regular ones for me and Wyatt, there’s plenty.”
“Sure.”
“Don’t have to ask me twice.” Amy smirks at Josh as she hands him a ready-made plate. She hands me one next.
“Thank you. Might as well have something fun before shit hits the fan.”
Amy gives me a look. “Bree. What did you do?”
“Nothing I’m not well within my rights to do.”
“That leaves a lot on the table.”
Josh sits at the island with his plate next to Jalyn. Zara’s high chair is at the end of it, nearby.
“Bree should probably explain, not in here. I’ll keep an eye on the gang here,” Josh offers.
Amy glances at Heath, getting the hint. “Okay. My office?”
I nod, and follow her.
 
Once in Amy’s office, she closes the door, then turns to face me. I haven’t sat down. I was too anxious with my phone off so I turned it back on just as we parked the car, and I’m just waiting for it to go off.
“What did you do?”
“I filed for custody.”
“Bree!” I can’t tell if she’s proud or horrified.
“I gave him those papers last night. He didn’t seem like he was going to fight me on it.”
“Okay… then what shit are we waiting on to hit the fan?”
As if on cue… my phone dings with a notification from Ed. I glance at it; the judge signed.  Amy crosses her arms. “Don’t let me hear this on TV.”
“I… also filed for an emergency custody order, as soon as my plane landed.”
“You mean as soon as Heath was back in Louisiana.”
“Yes, exactly.” My phone suddenly explodes with about four different notification sounds. “And this—” I shook my phone “—is everyone finding out about it, because the judge just signed it.”
Amy just stares at me for a few seconds, stunned, slowly shaking her head.
“I don’t even know what to think. Did Ed do this?” I nod. “Listen, you know I always have your back, but… are you sure this is the play you want to make?”
“I better be, I can’t change it now.” Amy glares. “Yes, I am sure. Ed asked me the same thing before he filed it this morning. You did see the video on the news, right?”
“Yes, I did. But—”
“But what? What else was I supposed to do? Just shrug it off and appear to not care that my son’s father put him in danger? Scared him? How would that make me look?”
“Please tell me this isn’t just about your public image…”
“I admit it’s part of it. But to be honest with you, Amy… it’s because it scared me. That video… he looked and sounded like that fucking character. He’s still taking “Connor” off the set with him. It made me wonder how often things like that happen when Heath is with him that no one sees. This is why I left him. If Josh never existed, I would have still left Dom over this. I can’t let my son stay exposed to something even I couldn’t handle.”
Amy sighs and softens her look at me. “Now that… is the truth. Does Josh know?”
“Of course he does. We discussed it on the plane last night.” My phone continues to buzz and ding obnoxiously as we talk. I sigh hard, unable to ignore it anymore. “Ugh, let me just see…--” Amy nods and I unlock my screen. I have three texts from Dom, two from Lisa (I am shocked she still has my number), one from Ed…. And a missed call from an unknown number.
“The usual suspects?”
“Yeah… I should probably tend to this.”
“Of course. Use the office, I’ll go check on the kids. Including your husband.” Amy grins.
“Thanks.”
 
Amy walks out and closes the door behind her. I open Ed’s text first. I had already read the one where he said the judge signed off, this one is new.
[“I’ve been contacted by his lawyer already. Just so you’re aware. If he contacts you, do no speak to him.”]
No, shit, Ed. I reply that I won’t, then open Dom’s texts next.
[“Are you fucking kidding me Bree??”]
[“So much for being civil, I guess.”]
[“My lawyer advised me to not speak to you directly after this text. Contact him if you need to get to me.”] Followed by a phone number. I recognize it as the number the missed call is from. I should have known. This is what I expected from him. The last text thread to open is Lisa. She has some fucking audacity.
[“Bree, this is Lisa. I don’t think you fully understand the ramifications of what you’re doing here. Both of you are public figures, neither of you need this kind of publicity. You should have tried to work this out privately.”]
I laugh. Out loud. Is she really trying to run her spin game on me? Then I read the next one.
[“You can petition to withdraw this. Blame your lawyer, or your anger, whatever. But this cannot stand. Dominic has filming starting in two weeks, he cannot deal with your legal stunts right now! The studio is going to lose their shit when he has to take off for this. You know this won’t stay out of the media. Is that what you really wanted, to ruin everything he’s worked for? Over a small altercation?? You must have been just waiting for something you could exploit to take him down like the media has been trying to do for years!”]
I read this one over and over again. It doesn’t sound like the calm, calculated Lisa I knew. I know its text but it reads almost panicked. It doesn’t sit right with me, but I can’t put my finger on why. Not that it matters. I have no intentions of going back and forth with her. This is the one I reply to first.
[“I do not care about any of that, Lisa. None of it is my problem or any of my concern. I care about my son. I am not your client and haven’t been for over two years. You have no reason to contact me. This is me telling you in writing, do not contact me again. Dom has my lawyer’s number.”]
I glare after I hit send, and debate blocking her. But, if I do that, I won’t have proof if she tries to contact me after I told her not to. So I don’t. I watch the screen… and after a few seconds the little green check pops up. She’s seen it. Good.
 
I take a deep breath and leave Amy’s office. Listening for a moment, I determine that everyone is in the living room so I go that way. Josh sits up straighter as soon as I walk in.
“Everything okay?”
“Not really. But it’s nothing I didn’t expect.” I hand him my phone so he can read the texts. Like me, he gets to Lisa’s last. He suddenly bursts into laughter. I shake my head, confused.
“Well shit, that’s a twist I didn’t see coming.”
“What? She’s always been a bitch.”
“Come on, love. Look at this again. Its so obvious.” He hands me my phone, the text still open. I read it over again.
“It doesn’t sound like her, but other than that I don’t know what you find so funny.”
“Babe… she’s fucking him.”
“Oh my God, Josh! That’s ridic—” I start to say as I look back at the text. But then the way it reads so weird, panicked, clicks. “Oh my God!”
 
I think I’m going to be sick.
 
 

* * * * * *

* * * * * *

 
 
 
 
You want to know what I find really amusing?
 
No, it’s not Syren pretending she’s still relevant, although that is quite hilarious in it’s own right.
 
But right now I’m talking about the one and only CHBK, Mr. Alex Desoubrais himself! I find it absolutely hysterical that he decided to show his face again and take power back after I arrived and called out his little pet. I don’t know what kind of terms he and Syren are on publicly right now, I try not to pay attention to the drama of people I don’t care about… but as long as I’ve been a part of this company, it’s been known – well known – that they have some kind of connection, friendship, I don’t even know what to call it… outside of business. I have personally been a victim of that man pulling so many strings for her over and over and over that it’s been the unraveling, bit by bit, of SCW!
 
Let’s take a look at the facts, the truth, shall we? CHBK gets hurt, Mr. Delatosso steps up to keep this company running. He sees problems that need addressing. He realizes that some problems can’t be fixed with the tools, the assets, he already had at his disposal. So he calls me. The premiere asset, the Classet… to come back, come in and remind everyone… the locker room and the SCW Faithful alike… what this company can really be when people of the highest caliber talent and class are at the top, instead the dredges of yesteryear and the bottom-feeders from third rate wrestling promotions and schools that turned up here, looking for their big break.
 
It might seem like some of them got that, but I am here to break the bad news… you occupy a space that isn’t meant for you, and by doing so, the standard that SCW was always known for has been degraded.
 
Franky knew what SCW needed, so he picked up the phone and called one of the few people proven to bring honor and prestige and class to SCW – myself of course. The standard needs to be re-established, and I am starting by targeting the biggest albatross hanging from the letters SCW – Syren.
 
And then – only then – does dear old Alex decide he’d better show his face. Why now, do you ask? That’s so easy, my four-year-old could answer it.
 
He knows, and Syren knows, that I am one of the few who always saw through Syren’s garbage, and who CHBK could never push around or manipulate. I do not let anyone pull my strings. So when I walked back into SCW and made it my business to finally put Syren out to pasture… well, that was something he had to handle personally. Take back control.
 
Try to stop me?
 
Don’t make me laugh.
 
Rise to Greatness will be the last gasping breath of the so-called legacy of Syren, and at Breakdown this week, you will all hear the death rattle.
 
Alistair Allocco and I have never been friends, or even on good terms. But we are both smart, and we both see the same thing. That something must be done and we are the ones who must do it. If that means we have to work together for a glass of wine to further that along, so be it.
 
Pay close attention, babes. You are witnessing the ending of an era, and the beginning of a new one. After Rise to Greatness is over and the dust settles, you will begin to see that I have been telling you the truth all along, and you will finally thank me for it.