by Carol Devine
Chapter Sixteen
Bram stepped out into the circular pool of white light. The first moment always blinded him and he stood motionless for several seconds, allowing his pupils to adjust to the brightness. He couldn't see the crowd but he could hear them, hear that first sudden gush of exhaled air as they saw him, him and Tasha.
Using the beat of the drums to carry him forward, Bram started up the long aisle toward the ring. Halfway there, he realized he'd forgotten to give Tasha the signal to roar. She always did when they first entered the arena. He'd been forgetting everything lately. Everything except violet eyes and blonde hair.
He wished he could shade his eyes against the hot glare of the spotlight. It hurt, blinding him. But he had the part of the Beastmaster to play.
The ring loomed ahead. He signaled Tasha to leap and quickly swung himself up, wanting to get on with the match. The physical demands of his work was the only thing keeping him sane right now. Besides, villains didn't waste time on melodramatic preliminaries. He was, first and foremost, the Beastmaster. Despite the elimination of his pick-up stunt, he was still the baddest of the bad.
"Ladies and Gentleman, may I have your attention, please."
There was a long, dramatic pause, longer than usual.
"You in the audience tonight are about to witness a rare and momentous event."
That was Hardy's voice coming out of the loudspeaker. What in hell had happened to the ring announcer? He was supposed to introduce Daring Darren Do-right now. Unsure of what to do, Bram slowed and wished Hardy had informed him ahead of time about the exact nature and description of this rare, momentous event.
"Tonight, before we begin the featured Superstud match of the evening, you will have the privilege of hearing, for the very first time, the true story of Beauty and the Beastmaster," boomed Hardy.
The audience applauded, whooping at the subject manner. Bram did a slow pivot in the center of the ring, Tasha at his side, and squinted into the shadowed night beyond the spotlights, scanning for a flare of golden hair.
Amanda.
She had to be here. Even Hardy could not have come up with something this bizarre.
"Once upon a time, there was a giant of a wrestler who was the biggest villain of them all. His name was Beastmaster. Everyone despised him because he grabbed whatever the hell he wanted, be it man, woman or beast."
The audience booed and Bram obligingly raised his chainwrapped fist, acknowledging the fans derision. After being subjected to Hardy's expansive delivery, he couldn't fault their disapproval. Tasha responded by sitting back on her haunches and pawing the air.
"One day, he chanced to see a beautiful woman in the audience and being the evil Beastmaster, decided to take her for his very own."
"Only ..." interrupted a woman' s voice, soft yet strong.
Bram cocked his head, listening. "Only, she wouldn't be taken. She fought the Beastmaster with every weapon she had."
A approving murmur swelled up from the audience. Bram did a slow pivot, searching for the woman behind the voice.
Amanda.
The knowledge that she was near, that she had to be orchestrating this stunt, sent him over the edge. If the press realized she was here, they'd have a field day. This thing was going viral either way.
"Of course the Beastmaster was much stronger than Beauty. He had huge muscles and commanded the most ferocious beasts in the kingdom. He told Beauty if she didn't do what he said, he would send his most dangerous predator, the tiger Natasha, to harm her."
Upon hearing the familiar cadence of her name, Tasha roared.
The fans roared back. Beyond the perimeter of the spotlights, Bram could see enough to know they were on their feet, caught up in the story. So was he. Sweat ran down his back.
"Beauty was afraid," Amanda continued. "But she laughed in the face of the Beastmaster's threat, hoping against hope he would believe she was not frightened and let her go."
Bram waited for he knew not what and stood motionless, spotlit in the center of the ring. Hardy cleared his throat. "Impressed by Beauty's courage, the Beastmaster decided to change his ways in order to win her trust. He would show kindness instead of cruelty, gentleness instead of savage strength."
Scattered cheers came from the fans. Tasha chose this moment to curl her body around his legs. Bram placed his hand on her head and signaled her to sit, proud and majestic, beside him.
"Beauty fell in love with this Beastmaster," Amanda said.
A collective sigh rippled through the audience. "But even though she could now see his goodness, she knew everyone else could not. She told the Beastmaster her reputation would be ruined if she stayed with him."
Several beats of suspense went by.
"And so," intoned Hardy. "The Beastmaster agreed to let Beauty go ."
The audience moaned in sympathy. Bram bowed his head, clammy fingers buried in Tasha's fur. What came over the loudspeaker in the next few moments would tell him what he needed to know.
"Beauty went home," said Amanda. "And her family congratulated her on the brilliance of her escape from the terrible Beastmaster. But deep within her heart, Beauty was ashamed of what she'd done. Not only had she betrayed the man she loved, but her own principles as well. For long ago, she'd learned from a very wise man to stand up for what she believed in no matter what the cost."
One spotlight separated from the bright beams illuminating the ring in the center of the arena floor. Bram watched the shaft search the audience and finally land at the main entrance. There Amanda waited, silhouetted in front of the black curtained doorway. The crowd gasped and rustled in their eagerness to glimpse her. Cell phones flashed.
She wore the dress he'd given her the night he'd asked her to marry him. It shimmered in the pool of white light, sparkling gold and silver in turns, and clung to the outline of her body.
Her hair was down and brushed in a swirl over one shoulder. From 100 yards away, he couldn't judge the expression on her face.
But she posed with a grace he'd never seen before except during her play times with Tasha.
"That's Amanda Tarkenton!" he heard someone from the floor say. The words repeated and spread like wildfire, until the entire arena crackled with the knowledge that Amanda Tarkenton, daughter of the late great John Bertram Tarkenton, was present in the arena.
Tasha rose, sensing the change in atmosphere. Her ears pricked forward and she lifted her massive head, yellow eyes drawn to the beam of light. Her nose wrinkled and she scented the air, aiming toward the figure standing at the top of the stairs.
Bram knelt and whispered in her good ear. He unsnapped her leash and rose, signaling her with a flat sweep of his hand. She circled once and he lifted the lowest rope, helping her ease to the floor. Tail high, she headed up the nearest aisle at a quick trot and disappeared into the night.
A hush fell over the arena. Bram counted the seconds and felt the suspense build. His hair prickled at the back of his neck. He couldn't see Tasha's progress much beyond the ring, the lights were so blinding. Neither could the audience. But they'd seen the direction the tiger had taken and watched the woman who waited at the top of the stairs.
Tasha entered the circle of light surrounding Amanda and paused. Five feet separated them, five feet of electrified space. Bram tensed, his mouth dry. Tasha took a step forward and another. She rose slowly, rolling back on her hindquarters to place her massive front paws on Amanda' s shoulders.
The audience gasped. So did Bram, although he'd seen Tasha greet Mandy before, tiger-style. His hands gripped the top rope surrounding the ring.
Mandy's slim arms slipped around Tasha's neck and stroked the thick fur of her ruff. The tiger lifted her chin, exposing her throat for a long scratch. Like a stretched rubber band, the tension snapped. The audience laughed. Cameras were raised higher to capture the moment.
Amanda signaled Tasha to get down. The tiger obeyed, slowly lowering her body until all four paws were on the ground. They started forward togeth
er. Amanda's hand rested on Tasha's head as the tiger led her down the aisle, spotlit for all to see.
Air whooshed and there came a sudden spontaneous applause. It started like rolling thunder, a low rumble which rose in a crescendo when the woman and the tiger reached the ring.
Bram grasped her hand to pull her up. Her gown swirled as he lifted her over the ropes and set her down on her feet in the center of the ring. Tasha followed with a leap, roaring as she circled them both, rubbing her flank against their legs. But Bram and Amanda had eyes only for each other.
He took her hand, placing it on the center of his chest. Amanda smiled, awed by the drum-like beat of his heart and the look of love shining from his eyes. Noise washed over them. Applause, whistles and cheers along with the pops and sparkle of hundreds of light flashes.
The amateur photographers didn't bother Amanda. She was prepared to deal with the storm of publicity. In fact, she was counting on it. Because when you came right down to it, even Beastmasters could be tamed.
The next day, news and entertainment media from all over the country ran the dramatic video of Amanda and Bram coming together as the main feature story, standing face to face in the middle of the ring. Hardy sold exclusive rights to People Magazine to photograph and report on the event, keeping fans, old and new, involved in the real-life saga of Bram Masterson and Amanda Tarkenton. He also put out an old-fashioned press release:
BEAUTY TAMES THE BEASTMASTER
Underneath, the caption said the following:
"Amanda Tarkenton, daughter of slain civil rights leader Senator John Bertram Tarkenton, announced her engagement last night to Abraham Masterson, known professionally as the Beastmaster. A villain to rank and file wrestling fans, Mr . Masterson vowed last night to change his evil ways to good as a result of Ms. Tarkenton's appearance. A deputy district attorney with the Denver D.A. 's office, Ms. Tarkenton plans to resign her position in order to run for the congressional seat in the district in which she lives. Ms. Tarkenton also intends to continue her recent campaign for the expansion of animal rights legislation by starting a foundation to raise money for the preservation and support of endangered species.
Although he said his impending marriage to Ms. Tarkenton will not stop him from continuing his career as the Beastmaster, Mr. Masterson spoke of making public appearances along with his future wife on behalf of the foundation."
THE END
September 2016! Available for the first time as an Ebook and revised print edition…
The next Masterson Family Series Novel…
A MAN OF THE LAND by Carol Devine
When the rugged and well-traveled Zach Masterson returns home to sell the family ranch, he never expected to find a complication like Sarah Solomon. This prim-and-proper lady was camping on his land, running from an Amish-like community and needed his help. But Zach knew to beware. Alluringly innocent though she was, no woman was going to put shackles on his wandering feet.
Sarah felt herself strangely drawn to the enigmatic cowboy who conjured erotic images in her normally pristine mind. She saw behind his alpha mindset to a pain that made her own heart ache. And she would do anything to convince him that his future lay with the ranchland… and with her.
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Announcing…
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Ebooks and print in 2016-2017…
The Grizzly Springs Series
MARIAH (December 2016)
After being kicked out of the FBI, former agent Mariah McBride returns to her hometown of Grizzly Springs, Colorado to start her life over again.
CHASING MARIAH(2017)
Inspired by a true story… A U.S. Special Forces Officer and a horse whisperer team up to defeat a foreign enemy…
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About the Author
Carol Devine lives in Colorado with her husband. The other men in her life are her three sons and her writing assistant, a Chihuahua mutt. Future heroines include her grandgirls.
She is a lover of stories, both real and imagined, and has been telling them for as long as she can remember.
