Chapter 35

An hour later, Nova was heading back inside the arena. She made her way to the VIP skybox finding Liam in the hallway leaning against the wall.

"Where the hell have you been? Our clients are waiting."

"I told you, I had work to do."

"Work. You mean that stunt with Becket on stage? It'll be over my dead body before you marry him. You know how this works, Nova. You belong to me."

"You don't own me."

Liam chuckled. "No? I got a pretty good price for you tonight. I think the men inside can agree you do belong to me."

"You're sick."

Liam grabbed Nova, shoving her in the room, and got on his fake smile. "Evening gentleman. Our special guest was running late."

A tall slender man stood, looking her over. "She doesn't look the same. The hair is different and she's gained weight."

"Mr. Wilks, Nova is a hot commodity. She can die the hair back."

The man nodded and sat back down drinking from his champagne glass. All the men who assaulted her were in the room. All three along with Liam looking at her like she was nothing more than a product to buy and sell.

Nova stepped to the bar in the room, pouring herself a glass of water. Knowing the camera was there she nodded to it to let Ace know she was ready. The main event was already underway and Kevin was in the ring fighting hard to get the upper hand over Blake.

Nova turned to the men holding up her glass. "To a new start."

Everyone joined in the toast and one of the men stepped up to her twirling his finger through her hair.

"What about Becket? Is he going to be a problem, Liam?" he said as if Nova was not even there.

"I can speak for myself, Kurtis."

"Are you talking back to me girl?" he said with a snarl.

Liam stepped up between them. "Now, let's not get out of hand here. Nova has just been out of circulation. She'll remember soon enough about how this works."

Nova laughed crossing her arms in front of her. "Do I? Tell me exactly how this works."

At the moment, the jumbotron on stage turned on, showing everything going on in the skybox. Ace was in the production truck making everything go live.

"We're on the air. Give them hell, Nova!"

He high-fived Claire who was sitting next to him cheering on her friend.

In the ring, Kevin and his opponent stopped to look at the screen along with everyone in the audience and people who were watching from their televisions at home.

"Go ahead, Liam. Remind me just how things work?"

"Oh, I think you know. These men are not here to watch your silly wrestling show. They're here to make a trade. This time, you won't be coming back. You'll be leaving this building to head to an awaiting plane that will take you to Mr. Wilks's private island. No more playing rockstar or wrestler."

"Wait... You're actually selling me this time? It wasn't just something you said to keep me in line? It was real?"

She had heard the treats before but he never went through with it. Nova felt sick hearing his plans, then realizing how she could have easily been sold and never herad from again.

"You catch on fast, rockstar."

"You won't make it out of the stadium with me. Becket will find me. He'll never let this happen."

"Taken care of. We have security on our payroll. Your boy-toy won't even know your gone."

"How do you plan to get me to comply? Are you going to drug me again until I am so out of it I don't know what's happening? Just like you did in LA? That's the only way you or any of these men ever raped me in the first place."

The man, Kurtis, chuckled as he pulled out a cigar from his pocket. "She's smart."

"I am, Kurtis. You're right." Nova leaned on the large window looking out over the stadium with a sly smirk. "Actually, I don't think any of that is going to happen tonight. As a matter of fact, why don't you all take a look at the stage and see what's going on out there."

The men looked up at the monitor seeing their faces being shown on the screens. Two of them tried to hide their faces while one started running out the door, but it was locked from the outside preventing their escape.

"What's going on here, Liam?"

"I'll tell you what's going on, Mr. Wilks. Keep watching the screen and you will find out," Nova pointed out.

As the men watched the monitor a mini-documentary of sexual assault in the entertainment industry played with a split-screen still showing Nova in the room with them. Liam's confession dubbed in with highlights of each man in the room. In parts of the video other women's' confessions and video, highlights helped to show the truth. They had just made their own confession of sex trafficking and the proof for the world to see.

As the video stopped, Nova stepped up to Liam. Just as she did, she heard the click of the lock from the outside knowing the police, her father, and the love of her life were on the other side.

"It's over. In just a second, the authorities and my family will be charging through that door. You're through Liam, and all these sick bastards are going down with you."

Nova turned to the camera she knew was hidden closest to her. "To everyone watching this live feed, this is real. This was my life. The men in these stories ruined my life are all in this room. Many like them are out there. For other people in this industry that have committed these crimes, we're coming for you. We will taking back our lives, starting now. BECKET! Let them in!"

At that moment, the FBI swarmed the room as Becket and her father ran to her. Liam and the other men were instantly apprehended as the crowd cheered.

When the monitors in the room turned off, Holt stood in the ring with the main event fighters. He spoke to the fans explaining what had just transpired. Also, letting them know that the proceeds to that year's Power Olympics would go to help end human trafficking and to help sexual assault victims.

Nova stood watching the men being arrested and read their rights. Her father hugged her so tight she almost couldn't breathe.

Suddenly, Liam broke free heading straight to Nova. Becket turned his head just in time to tackle the man and started hitting him over and over.

Officers and Eric tried to pull Becket from the man as Nova begged Becket to stop. The rage he had been holding in all this time, came brewing to the top as he hit the man once more in the face, knocking him out cold. Nova wrapped her arms around Becket pleading with him.

"Beck, stop. Stop! You're going to kill him. Please stop."

"He hurt you."

"I know, Beck. It's over."

Becket fell to his knees on the floor with exhaustion, finally releasing the man so the agents could get to Liam.

Nova watched as the men were taken from the room while Becket was leaning over his knees on the floor, almost weeping. He had held up a strong facade for so long that the ending of all the turmoil left him with raw emotion. He wished he could have been in there with her to protect her, but there was no other way.

The serious, calm, and collected Becket, broke down in tears as Nova went to her knees wrapping her arms around him. Pull her close as they cried together. It was over and she was safe. Safe in his arms.