Page 45 of Heartbreaker
“Well, if last night is any indication, I think it’s doing just fine,” Scott says with a hearty laugh.
Last night was the Chi-Town Clash, a special premiere event in Chicago, Illinois. During the women’s tag-team match featuring the new EWE Women’s Champion Rae Rose and Ivy Jade versus Harper Valentine and Viviana Ridley, Savvy Skye made her return to action. She jumped the barricade and pulled Rae Rose out of the ring before the champ could pin Valentine. Rose landed face-first on the ground before Skye threw her into the barricade. Once the champ managed to pull herself to her feet, Skye hit her with a hard clothesline, sending her over the barricade onto the cement floor. Plucking the title from the production aide’s hands, Savvy climbed to stand on top of the same barricade, holding the title high above her head, and the whole time, the crowd cheered.
“I was just reminding Rae who the real queen is,” Savvy says, offering her counterparts a sweet smirk. “She might be the Queen of Roses, Jude, but I’m the Queen of the Ring.”
A rock ballad sounds through the arena, sending fans to their feet, as Spencer Austin steps out. Harper Valentine clings to his side as they walk down the ramp with wide grins, feeding into the chorus of boos that follow their path.
“Here comes Spencer Austin, still riding the high from his win over ‘The Gladiator’ Wolf Bennett in their street fight last night at Chi-Town Clash,” Jude says.
Savvy rolls her eyes, sitting back in her chair. “Oh, goody. We’re blessed with the presence of Spencer Austin. Alert the press.”
“Someone’s not impressed.”
“What is there to be impressed with? When Spencer does something besides the two moves he does every damn night, maybe then I’ll have something to be impressed with.”
Scott’s laugh is drowned out by the guitar riffs of Brooks Taylor’s entrance music. Brooks steps out onto the stage, receiving a mixed reaction from the crowd, but the cheers slowly begin to overpower the boos.
“Speaking of impressive,” Jude says. “Here comes Brooks Taylor. He and Spencer battle tonight to see who will face current EWE Champion, “The Lunatic” Grady Chandler, at Capitol Punishment at the end of next month.”
Brooks steps inside the ring, runs the ropes, and rips his shirt over his head, tossing it haphazardly into the crowd. He glances over his shoulder at Spencer, who has propped himself up on the top rope in one of the corners, arms resting on the tops of his thighs, looking unamused by the display from his opponent. Brooks looks around his opponent to the announcer’s table, straight at Savvy Skye. Just for a moment, but long enough to make it feel intentional.
Her brow arches, and she smirks before their eye contact is broken when Harper reaches over the table to mess with Savvy’s headset.
“Aw, poor wittle Savvy Skye. They finally realized you can’t wrestle, so they moved you to commentary. Funny how that works. You started on the sidelines and tried to hang with the big girls, but now you’re back where you belong.”
“Are you really criticizing me when you’re a glorified escort?”
Harper’s mouth drops and reaches across the table, but Jude interferes, casting his arm between the two women. “You’re a bitch!”
“I’m sensing some animosity,” Scott says.
Savvy blows a kiss as Harper stalks away. “Oh no, we’re best friends, couldn’t you tell?”
“And here we go!” Jude says. The bell rings to signal the start of the match. “Brooks Taylor looks absolutely locked in tonight.”
“You know who you’re talking about, right?” Savvy raises a brow at Jude. “I think people underestimate the time Brooks Taylor puts into dissecting every opponent he faces. He knows every move they’re going to make before they make it.”
“This is my time, Brooks!” Spencer yells inside the ring as the men circle each other, sizing each other up. “Mine!”
Brooks only chuckles before they lunge forward, locking up—one palm on the back of each opponent’s neck, the other cradling their elbow. Pivoting his hips, Brooks breaks the hold and slides his arm around Spencer’s neck, forcing him into a headlock. Brooks tightens the grip on his wrist, reinforcing the hold when Spencer tries to break free.
Spencer struggles against Taylor’s side. He slowly frees himself and shoves his opponent forward into the ropes. His back hits the mat when Brooks rebounds with a shoulder tackle.
“Brooks Taylor is setting the pace for this match early. Keeping Spencer right where he wants him,” Jude says.
There’s a wild look in Spencer’s eyes when he jumps to his feet. He launches himself, swinging a clothesline, but Brooks Taylor ducks, stepping behind and wrapping his arm back around Spencer’s neck, putting him into a front facelock. Brooks rolls through, dragging Spencer onto his back. He goes for the pin, but Spencer kicks out at the one count.
“There’s that technical side of Brooks Taylor that I love to see.”
“For all the grief he gets, Brooks Taylor has become one of the better wrestlers over the years,” Savvy Skye adds. “He just likes to put on a show most of the time. Entertain the crowd. Give him the opportunity, and he’ll get down and dirty. There’s a reason he’s earned his place at the top of this company. Look, here’s the thing about Brooks…He doesn’t want to just win—he wants you to know that he knowshowto beat you.”
“Sounds like you’re a fan,” Scott says, looking her way.
She shrugs. “He’s efficient. Focused. Doesn’t flinch under pressure. I like that.”
“Spencer is going to break the hold, and he goes for the running knee!” Jude says as the wrestler lifts his knee and makes contact with Taylor’s chin. The force sends Brooks back into the corner.
“Looks like the tables are turning in Spencer’s favor now,” Scott adds, but he retracts the statement when Brooks sidesteps a spear, sending Spencer shoulder-first into the post.
