Between the Ropes

A series collection of the original Between the Ropes Series.

"Girl, you need to get out of Tennessee and come work for IWX. I talked with my boss Davis, and he thinks you would be a great asset here. Besides, your mom has been telling me you're sick of the indies. International Wrestling Xtream is the hottest company going right now. We need you, and Wraith agrees with me."

Cyrus adjusted his cell phone while trying his best to convince his cousin, Isis, that she was ready for the big leagues. He and his brother had been working to get her out of her shell for years. The opportunity before her was a dream job in the making, and they both knew it. The shy girl would just need a little coaxing if he were to put the plan into action.

"Yeah, thanks for pushing your big brother Wraith on me. He called yesterday, trying to convince me to go on the road with you, too. Cyrus, I know you're just trying to help. I want to be there too, but I'm not as good as you are. Call your sister, Holly. She's more of a badass than I am. She fits right in with the Doom style. My image is just not the same. You guys are total badasses with a scary horror movie, meets biker rally vibe. I can't pull that off. I'm a girly-girl. Wraith thinks Mr. Preston would figure something out for me. But I wanted to be with you. I'm worried that I won't be good enough on my own," Isis Evans confessed.

"Ice Queen, you're amazing, and you know it. The other wrestling companies have been beating down your door because they know you're the best new female wrestler out there right now. I know the Tyson brothers called to get you to go to Wrestle Masters. You need to be with a real company like IWX, not with those pretend superhero dorks and their flashy flip-flopping moves."

"Hey, the Arch Rivals are my favorite tag team, next to you and Wraith. They are not superheroes. You just don't get into the high-flying stuff they do."

"It's dangerous and causes too many risks for injuries to happen."

"It's not my fault they quit IWX and made their own company. You just don't like them because they left and you're loyal to the core."

"Whatever. They're losers. You need to jump while the fire is hot. Mr. Preston won't give you a second chance. I talked to him about what he has in mind for your character. Wraith likes the idea and so do I. We believe this angle would be perfect for you. You look like some rich diva and will be great for the storyline he's planning. You'd love it," Cyrus said, trying to not give away too much information.

He didn't want to give her more details than she needed right now. He knew how easily Isis became spooked if he gave her all the details upfront. As talented as Isis was, she was equally paranoid and skittish.

"Did you say, diva? Diva! You know that word pisses me off. You always act like I'm so prissy and vapid. I'm not, you know. I just use the glam stage persona to wear cool clothes and feel like anyone other than myself."

Isis knew that was true. She was self-conscious and shy in real life. On stage, she was a different person entirely. When she was in the stage persona, Isis, the Queen of Goddesses, she was a fiery glamazon, oozing with confidence.

Cyrus sighed with regret, saying, "Sorry. I don't think you're vapid, little one. I don't get why you're so hard on yourself. Listen, you have no choice because I told Davis you would be there next week to sign the contract. I am sticking my neck out for you to get this opportunity. I'm not letting you back out this time. Listen, I got to go. The stagehand just said it's time to go to the ring."

Cyrus hung up the phone with a sly grin. He knew Isis was probably having a nervous breakdown once he hung up on her. He loved taunting his favorite cousin; his secret, guilty pleasure that only he could do. He wouldn't allow anyone else to torment her. The brothers, and their sister Holly, had become Isis's protectors since they were kids.

"Cyrus Michael Evans! Damn it! You Jackass!" Isis slammed the phone down on the couch. "I can't believe he would do this to me. Wait... What angle? Does that jerk know something he's not telling me? He's probably setting me up with some wrestler buddy he thinks I will fall head over heels for. He's always trying to set me up with his friends. Cy just does it so he can check up on me. Big Cyrus the Crusher is a big pain in my ass," she argued with the empty room.

After pacing the floor for a good five minutes, ranting to only her calico cat, Cello, Isis fell back on the couch. She watched as her favorite wrestler Gage Stone entered the ring with her cousin, with a cocky swagger to his step.

Isis always found Gage attractive. She had even found herself jealous when he started dating his now ex-wife, Summer Haze. Summer was a backstage reporter, notorious for sleeping her way through the IWX male roster and manipulating people to get her way. She had gotten her job by sleeping with the IWX owner's brother years before. The thought of Summer made Isis's skin crawl. She had heard the stories for Summer's backstage antics, and it was nauseating. Thankfully, the woman's days on the show came to a bitter end because of her backstage politics.

Only her cousin Wraith knew of Isis' little crush, and she intended to keep it that way for as long as she could. He found out by default when she got upset with him for supporting the initial union of Gage and Summer. She didn't talk to her oldest cousin for weeks, as the jealousy took over.

Sitting thinking about the possibilities of the opportunity Cyris presented her with, she couldn't deny it was exciting, regardless of how nervous it made her. Maybe this chance at meeting Gage in person could give her the courage she needed to tell him how she felt once and for all.

Isis couldn't concentrate on the conversation on her TV screen while fixated on the big handsome Gage in his three-piece custom suit. Seeing him strutting around the ring like a lion on the prowl made her shiver with excitement. His long hair and scruffy beard made her swoon as much as the day she first noticed him. She had never met him in person but knew Wraith, Cyrus, and Gage had a friendship that had gone on for years.

Isis's start in the wrestling world began when the brothers trained her, following a botched move in the indie scene. Isis had a minor neck injury that could have been far worse than had been. She was lucky to have even survived because of the low-budget indie company that did nothing to protect its talent. After the accident, Wraith insisted on training her properly. In his words, he wanted to train her up right before a bunch of rookie backyard fools killed her. Once they trained Isis to her best abilities, she quickly got noticed by bigger companies, including their rival company, Wrestling Masters.

Although she loved the brother's help, Isis always wanted to get success on her own. In part, hoping to impress her secret crush. Wraith insisted he and his brother were a far safer training option than the low-end of the indie scene. Often, she bucked against them, not wanting to be the type of wrestler who got special attention because of her famous cousins. Isis soon learned that Wraith was hard to say no to. Because of his brooding demeanor, tattoos, and massive body build, few dared cross him. He could be very intimidating, but to Isis, he was just a big teddy bear of a man she looked up to.

Finally, listening to the show that was now back from the commercial break, she did her best to focus on what was happening in the show segment.

In the ring, Gage tried to convince Cyrus to join his faction, Justice. They wanted him as their bodyguard, going into the next big event. Justice was an ego-driven elite group of male wrestlers that Gage created with his mentor, Jacob Justice.

Fans knew Jacob as a womanizer, even in his real life. They also knew him for his life of excess and opulence. The talk of fast cars and fast women made Isis' stomach turn as the men worked to persuade her cousin into their web of lies. The four men full of egoistical misogynists, and Isis hated Gage had joined with them.

"Jeez. Gage has become a total douchebag since he got a divorce. Being a heel for a storyline is one thing, but this is nuts. He's sure not the guy I hear all these wonderful stories about from Cy. It's hard to believe he's the man who does charity work and would take a bullet for a friend. The one who helps new talent get their start and a leader for his peers. I can't believe what I'm seeing right now," Isis thought as she shook her head in disgust.

Isis had become increasingly disappointed with Gage's new elitist persona. Since the older wrestler, Jacob, made a comeback, Gage was taking on the man's bad habits. She had loved Gage playing the heel character, but this was just an ego trip on turbo.

On-screen, three women who were there for a showpiece were fawning over Gage as he strutted around the mat. Davis Preston, the owner of IWX, loved to take drama backstage, making it part of the show. It was why the storyline with Gage being a rich egomaniac was working so well. It was also part of what molded him into who he was becoming behind the scenes.

Despite his ego-driven image; men wanted to be him; women wanted to be with him. But Isis saw it as nothing more than the egomaniacal self-sabotage of a man who once she admired.

Isis turned up the television while clinging to Gage's every word. Despite her disgust, she still couldn't stop the butterflies that emerged every time she saw his face.

"They don't call us Justice for nothing. We are the judge, jury, and executioner of the IWX. Our crew will hold every major title in this company." Gage flaunted around, taunting Cyrus.

Cyrus chuckled. "Gage, the only way you are going to keep the IWX Heavyweight Title is getting through me or my brother."

Jacob stepped up, laughing at the scruffy man. "Cyrus, you couldn't lace up Gage's boots. You and your brother can't hold a candle to any of us. Maybe having you as our bodyguard is the wrong choice. You don't have what it takes."

"Old man, I don't think you need to talk about my brother. He kicked your ass last week in this very ring. I think I even saw you cry when Wraith had you in that armbar."

Jacob tried to seem unfazed by Cyrus mentioning the beating he received while rubbing his arm. "I... I did not..."

The rest of the Justice team fought to not laugh until Jacob looked around at them with a scowl. They instantly stopped smiling once Jacob glared at them. He might have been the oldest, but he was also their mentor, deserving of their respect.

"The Doom brothers need to focus on being a tag team. Not worrying about the heavyweight title. There's no way you are taking those titles from the Justice team. Drake and Nick will have the tag titles by the end of the night," the handsome silver fox, Jacob, boasted.

Music filled the arena, announcing the second and most fierce Doom brother taking the stage. As soon as his music hit, the fans were on their feet. As was Isis, who was cheering on her cousins.

"Care to put a wager on it?" said a voice from behind the curtains.

Wraith stepped out from behind the curtain to the stage with his cocky bad-boy way. No one compared to Wraith when making an entrance. He was the top of the pack since his introduction on the scene years before.

Pacing the floor like a caged animal, he taunted his aggressors. The crowd erupted, seeing one of the biggest legends in IWX history enter the arena to take his stand. The Doom brothers were a fearsome duo and Wraith the leader. Separately, they are a force to be reckoned with. Wraith, the bodybuilding tattooed biker, and Cyrus the wiry, yet fit, backwoods hillbilly killer.

Gage pointed to Wraith, provoking him. "Aren't you supposed to stay away from me? I have a restraining order stating you can't even enter the ring when I'm here."

Isis giggled at the comment. The fake restraining order paperwork was in her scrapbook, with pictures of baby ducks and emoji stickers decorating the paper. The whole paper had dirty jokes and one-liners written where legal jargon would have been. A joke from the writers on staff. Wraith had sent it to her a week ago as a cute gift. He was always doing little things to make her smile.

The paper had Gage's autograph written on the bottom with a special note to his number one fan. A special touch Wraith knew his younger family member would love.

"I'm still one hundred feet away, Gage. It's a long walk down that ramp."

Gage glared at him, crossing his arms over his chest. "All right, I'm up for a good bet. What's the wager?"

"If my brother and I win tonight, you get the lawyers off my ass, and we get a number one contender shot at the tag titles. I'll even forgo kicking your ass and taking the heavyweight title - for now."

Gage smirked with a confident nod, clearly up to something devious. "If my Justice tag team wins, I get your motorcycle."

Wraith seemed furious at the idea. Isis knew the bike was his prized possession, and Gage was messing with him. There was no way Wraith would allow anyone to touch the bike, even for a television show segment. She knew Cyrus had mentioned the show was experimenting with cutting out pre-planned scripts, to add more real-life action to the show. Isis couldn't fathom Wraith being okay with this, even if it was an act.

"Hell no!" he yelled.

The look on his face said it all. This was no scripted segment. Wraith was furious.

"Scared, Wraith?"

Wraith paced the floor, thinking of a way to remedy the situation he found himself in. He rubbed his dark full beard and ran his hands over his modern short, quaffed hair, saying, "Fine! I'll do it."

Isis's mouth dropped open. She couldn't believe it. How did Davis Preston talk Wraith into that as part of the storyline? She would have to call her cousin to get the scoop later. If Gage even so much as put a smudge on that bike, he would be a dead man.

An hour later, Isis didn't need to make the call. Her two scary cousins won the match in less than five minutes. After watching the show, she turned off the TV. Smiling to herself, she hoped to have the courage to be as amazing as her family was on that stage.

Now she knew; she was ready to meet Gage Stone.

"Hey, champ? Have you heard about this new girl that signed up last week?" Jacob asked while sitting down in the VIP spot at the fancy nightclub they visited that night.

Puffing on an expensive cigar, the well-dressed, grey-haired man pulled a much younger woman onto his lap. Jacob was a charmer, even though he was getting up in years. He was fit and looked like a male model who should be on a cognac liquor advertisement. Women still flocked to him, even though his wrestling heyday was getting a little behind him. Now in his late-fifties, he was still a silver fox that had done it all, blockbuster movies, modeling gigs, a wrestling legend, and a true lady's man. Women loved him. Primarily for the tons of money, he threw their way.

Married several times, he loved his children, and that was his greatest achievement. He treated Gage like a father figure and took a liking to him when he came in as a rookie. Jacob saw potential in Gage that no one else had and he was right. Gage soon became one of the top wrestlers in the world in no time at all.

Jacob had a reputation for luxury and excess, just like the Justice faction portrayed. A trait he had passed down to his faction members, Gage, Nick, and Drake. The four men were the epitome of wealth and opulence. Behind all the glitz and glam, Jacob Justice was a kindhearted soul that few had the privilege to witness. Most people thought of him as a ruthless womanizer. Gage was one of the elite few who knew who the man truly was. He was good at keeping the illusion for the fans. Deep down he was a smart businessman, letting the stated rumors build his legacy.

Gage looked up to his mentor. It was Jacob that got Gage interested in more than just the fame. He showed him to be an entrepreneur. How to book movies, invest his money, and be charitable by giving back to the community. This was the true Jacob people seldom saw. A dedicated man with a genius mind for business.

Gage drank his high-end bourbon from a rock glass, rubbing the arm of the girl on his lap, while another sat behind him on the chair, playing with his long mane of hair.

"Is that the girl the whole roster is going on about? Are you thinking about adding another notch in your bedpost, Jacob?"

Jacob chuckled, puffing a roll of smoke over his lips while a flighty girl on his lap giggled at the sight.

"She's hot. I mean... she's sexy, but she's a damn good worker in the ring, too. Davis says she trained with Wraith and Cyrus. Their younger cousin or something like that. I saw her in the ring the other day, training with Wraith. She's been keeping low-key, but she's on fire with her skills. Tiny little thing but fast and a decent high flyer."

Jacob waved the girl on his lap away.

"Sweetheart, why don't you go grab us another drink and something for yourself. Put it on my tab."

Gage chuckled in amusement. "Did you seriously tell me that Cyrus Evans' cousin is hot? We are talking about the same Cyrus, right? How can that family gene pool produce something hot? Cyrus looks like someone hit him with an ugly stick with that bushy beard of his. He looks like a mountain man, and Wraith looks like he should be the head of a biker gang. They are my friends, but come on, man. This is crazy."

It was true, Cyrus wasn't much to look at with the unruly beard and floppy hipster hat he hid behind, but he still had loving eyes and a kind smile. He got the same handsome looks his older brother and sister inherited, but he hid the scars that lined the side of his face. What he lacked in looks, he gained in the heart. Or so people assumed. Truth be known; he was just as handsome as his older brother. Hidden behind a scruffy beard and a gloomy persona.

"No, it's true, she's a looker. She must take after the mother's side. Isis is a real badass in the ring for such a small woman. I can see her influence from Wraith's talents. He taught her well. I've never seen anything like it with a female wrestler. I talked to Cyrus, and she doesn't think she's good. In my opinion, she is one of the best workers around. Every company in the country was gunning for her. Davis tells me she is shy, but a powerhouse once she hits the stage. I think you talked to him before about her. Didn't you?"

"I did, but..."

"Gage. She's impressive. We should look into this girl. The Justice team having a girl may be cool. Especially if she is as good as she looks."

"Hell no. We don't need a damn woman in our crew. Don't you think being surrounded by these women and the parties all the time would make things weird? For her, anyway. It would cut down on our action if some chick is hanging around busting our chops about it." Gage guzzled down his drink, waving to the server for another.

"Champ, think about it. We could have all the major belts in the IWX. Including the women's title. No faction can say that. From what I've seen of her stage character, she wouldn't have any problem with what we have going on here. She's a real sex kitten in the indie scene. Cyrus said she used to be a troublemaker, hitting the clubs all the time. She slowed down when she moved in with him." Jacob smiled, leaning toward Gage, handing over his phone. He knew Gage loved pretty women, and this would sway him. "Here. This is a photo of her."

"Damn, she's hot." Gage leaned up, looking over her profile pic from Facebook. "I might even think about letting her in my bed."

Gage went to look over her photos, stopping on the sexier images from modeling while licking his lips. "Mmm. I like this one. She's got a body for days."

"There you go, champ. At least she would be some nice eye candy. We need to break up the sausage fest we have going on here," he pointed out while taking back his phone. "In my prime, I would have been going for her myself."

"Like you wouldn't try, anyway? Had you not already known who her cousins are, you would be on her like white-on-rice. Wraith and Cyrus would rip you apart, old man."

The younger wrestler, Nick Storm, walked over to join them. "What ya looking at?" Taking Jacob's phone. "Damn! Who is that?"

Gage laughed. "You would never believe it if we told you."

Jacob smirked. "That, my friend, is our new member of Justice if the big man agrees to it. He has the say since he runs the team."

Gage rolled his eyes. "She's Cyrus's cousin."

"What? No way. She is too freaking hot to be related to him. She does sort of look like Wraith, though. She would fit in with us perfectly." Nick forwarded her photo to his phone like a horny teenager. The short sandy blond-haired youngest member with a panty-dropping smile. A little immature but had a big heart. "Saving this for later."

"Dude. You're sick. Besides, I haven't agreed to shit. So, don't get too excited," Gage said, annoyed.

Drake Durham, the fourth member of Justice, was standing behind Nick. A tall, handsome Jamaican man with light grey eyes and beautiful dark skin made the women fall at his feet for just a second alone with him. Drake was the more serious of the group, who seldom talked.

"Wait, let me see that," Drake said as he took the phone. "Oh, man! I know her. Wraith trained her and is very protective of this chic. She was at an autograph signing with us in New Jersey last summer. Some creepy dude was harassing her, and Wraith flipped out and beat his ass. The guy was trying to grab her ass, and she wasn't having it. She's a sweet girl, but super shy. She's the Doom brother's cousin, right?"

Jacob seemed pleased someone was on his side about it. "I'm discussing with Gage about her joining the faction with us."

"That would be great. I saw her in the ring that weekend at that wrestling convention. She and her cousin Holly beat every girl there and three big ass dudes. Holly is a little scary and like Wraith's mini-me. Isis is a sweetheart and calmer, like Cyrus."

Jacob rubbed his chin. "I assumed Holly would be the one to join IWX, but she is a firebreather or something. She gets in a lot of trouble. Wraith can't even control her. At least this girl won't be causing us a lot of problems."

"Right. She won a tournament to show who had the best ring skills on the weekend I met her. She even beat Holly. She won the big cash prize they were giving out, and it pissed off the guys at the event because she's so tiny. They got their ass served to them by some chick half their size. I went with her and Wraith to lunch and she's very smart and articulate. I like her."

"Drake, you too? I thought you would have my back on this. Really, guys? You're all for this?" Gage asked.

A collective, "Yes."

Gage grumbled, "So, I guess I'm outnumbered here on thinking a girl in Justice is trouble." Gage ran his fingers through his long, dark blonde hair and his stubbled beard, trying to figure a way out of this.

"Oh yeah! Got my vote. If we get to look at that fine ass for a while, well worth it. Oh damn. Look at this pic! She's a bikini model or something. I need to find this Maxim magazine issue," Nick gushed like a prepubescent teenager.

"Nick, that's just what you need, more magazines for the spank bank. What are you, twelve?" The older and wiser of the tag team duo smacked Nick in the back of the head. Drake rolled his eyes at his friend's immaturity.

"Hey, she's hot! What can I say? I'm a single guy. Sometimes I need some inspiration for my alone time." Nick just laughed and continued saving photos of her on his phone.

Gage just shook his head in disgust at the younger man. "Okay, let me think about it. Since Jacob mentioned he talked with Davis about her, I probably won't have a choice in the matter, anyway. He'll claim it's what is best for the company."

Jacob rubbed his head and looked away. "Well... actually -"

"Jacob! Shit! Davis is already planning on her being with us, isn't he? So much for having a choice in the matter. If this girl gets in my way, she's gone. She's already annoying me, and I haven't even met her yet."