AUTHOR'S NOTE: ONCE AGAIN MY INNER PLOT BUNNIES DECIDED TO THROW THIS MESS AT ME. HONESTLY, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON. SO, HOPE THAT YOU ENJOY, AND AS ALWAYS I AM FOREVER GRATEFUL T THAT YOU READ MY DRIBBLE.
REVIEW…REVIEW…REVIEW…REVIEW…REVIEW…OTHERWISE MY PLOT BUNNIES WILL START TO REVOLT. THEY ARE SENSITIVE LITTLE BUGGERS.
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The Phone Call
She pressed herself into the small nook under the dumpster, praying that her movements would go unnoticed. It was dark, and there were the busy sounds of the street just a couple hundred yards away to help conceal her, but she was still terrified.
Stephanie Plum has never been known to concern herself with safety, nor was she trained in how to handle the situation that she was currently in. Her childhood had its share of bullies and playground violence, but nothing compared to what she was facing.
When she left her apartment this evening, her only goal was to mooch dinner off of her parents and then stake out her latest FTA, Geoffry McAlister. McAlister was arrested for a minor charge and was bonded out for a measly $10,000. He had no previous record and none of her searches showed that he was violent. Unfortunately, as with anything in her field, looks can be deceiving.
While she sat in her latest POS, an '87 Jeep Wrangler, eating Tasty Cakes and listening to talk radio she witnessed something that she really hadn't expected. McAlister's home was a two-story duplex with a small two car detached garage. It was not in the worst neighborhood in Trenton, but definitely not the best. It was well-maintained and screamed normalcy with its fresh cut lawn and neatly arranged flower beds. She knew that his neighbor, an elderly widow, was probably the reason for the exterior's condition. McAlister was in his early twenties and shared the space with two roommates, who she discovered were school mates of his.
It was dark and the street was quiet, but you could still hear the hustle and bustle of the main strip a block or two over. She noticed movement in the back of the property by the detached garage and quickly grabbed the night vision binoculars that she had borrowed from Ranger. As she zoomed in and focused her breath caught in her chest.
She could just make out the outline of McAlister and one of his roommates carrying a body towards the shed. She flipped on the thermal vision option on the binoculars and confirmed that the body they were carrying was way too cold to be alive. Slipping her keys and phone into her pocket, she watched. After the two men disappeared into the garage, she clipped handcuffs to her waist, her gun into its holster and her stun gun into her back pocket.
The interior light had been positioned to not go on when she opened the door, so she slipped out of her Jeep in complete darkness before quickly making her way towards the house. There was no cover between the house and the garage, and for a moment she thought that maybe she should call Ranger. Her pride wasn't going to allow it. Taking a deep breath she ran as quietly as she could to the edge of the garage and slunk down into the shadows to listen.
"You are making a mess." Hissed one of the men. "How the fuck are we gonna clean up all this shit?"
"The hose." The second man grumbled. Her eyes widened as she heard a sickening wet crunch and then a thud. "Bring the tank closer."
She could hear something metal drag across the concrete floor before another set of popping and wet crunches filled the quiet air. Her stomach rolled. She had heard that sound before. Bones breaking had a very distinct sound, especially when they broke the skin.
"Jesus." The first man gagged. "We should have frozen him or something first. He is starting to smell."
The second man laughed and continued to make the horrific sounds. "It won't take me long, and then we can get rid of it. The smell will go away once we finish cleaning up."
Suddenly her phone began to ring. She scrambled to reach it and silence it but it was too late.
"What the fuck was that?!" The second man screeched. He ran to the door and flung it open. Stephanie bolted running back towards the tree line. "Someone is out here! We gotta catch them before they go to the cops."
She didn't turn around to see the other man join the first, but knew by the sound of the pounding footsteps behind her that he had joined in the chase. Running through the woods was harder than she had anticipated. She had almost fallen a few times, grasping onto branches that cut into her hands and arms as she frantically righted herself. She could hear the men behind her, grunting and swearing as they too tripped on the uneven and littered ground. Thankfully the edge of the wood line was close and she could see the lights from the businesses that dotted along the four lane road that surrounded it.
She burst from the darkened woods and bolted through traffic. The screeching of tires and familiar crunch of steel meeting fiberglass told her that she was probably really close to being a pancake. It didn't stop her. She needed to find someplace safe; somewhere to hide and get away.
Glancing over her shoulder she saw the men burst through the woods just as she had. She pumped her legs faster as they gracefully slid over the wrecked cars ignoring the angry outbursts from the drivers. In front of her she had a few options. Gas stations brightly lit with a few customers, a small café with its lights turned down low, and an apartment complex with a huge parking garage were some of her options.
"FUCKING BITCH!" Growled the first man. He was close. She felt as his hand swiped at her, barely missing her. "I'm gonna fucking kill you!"
'Run faster! Hide! Call Ranger!' screamed in her head. She was cursing herself for not taking up his offer to go running in the mornings, preferring to snuggle up in her bed until mid-morning.
She skidded her way into well-lit gas stations, bursting through the doors. The attendant looked at her, his eyebrows raised in surprise. Glancing around quickly she rushed into the bathroom and locked the door. It wasn't the best place to hide, but it should give her a little bit of time to at least catch her breath and get ahold of Ranger.
Gasping for air she uncurled her death grip from her phone and dialed Ranger. Trembling she listened as it rang.
"Yo." Ranger's voice echoed through the receiver.
"Help!" She whispered, still gasping for air.
"Babe? Where are you?" She could hear him moving quickly around, the rustling of fabric and clicking of his utility belt could be heard in the background.
"Gas Station." She panted, closing her eyes. "Tremble Road."
"She's in there!" The second man's voice boomed outside the door in the gas station. He pounded at the door. I whimpered as the two men began pounding and kicking at the locked door.
"Babe, what's going on?" I could hear him running and the familiar sound of the engine of his Porsche rumble to life.
"Please." I sobbed, frantically looking around for an escape. "Ranger, hurry."
"I'm on my way, Babe." The tires screeched, followed by a second and third as he roared to her rescue. "Where are you?"
"Bathroom. But they found me. I'm trapped." She cried out as the door shook and a bend was visible in the thick metal door. "I can't stay in here they almost have the door open."
Her eyes landed on a small window above the dryers.
"Shit. I'm ten minutes out. Cal is only six so he will be there first. Can you get out?"
"I think so." She pressed the speaker button and stowed the phone in the front pocket of her hoodie and jumped for the window ledge.
"I'm gonna fucking gut you, bitch!" The second man growled as another set of kicks rocked the small room.
Using the dryer as leverage she hoisted herself up and pushed the window open. It was small, but she could fit. Without even looking to see where she would land she pushed herself through the window. Her jeans caught on the metal bracket and tore not only the fabric but her flesh from her knee to her hip as she slammed into the concrete below the window.
"Fuck." She growled, grabbing at her leg and whimpering. She could hear Ranger's voice yelling at her from her phone. She stood, pulling it out and pressing it to her ear as she hobbled away.
"Babe!" His voice boomed through the speaker, making her jump. Flipping off the speaker option she responded.
"I'm in the back alley." She whimpered again as she picked up her pace; pain shooting down her leg. "I hurt my leg but I have to get away."
Before Ranger could respond she heard the bathroom door crash open. She swore under her breath and quickened her pace, pushing through the pain.
"Fuck!" the first man yelled as he poked his head out of the open bathroom window. "You can't run now, bitch!"
"Shit. Ranger, they're gonna catch me." I sobbed into the phone, limping as quickly as I could.
"Hide Babe." Ranger's tone was soothing but she could tell he was nervous. "Cal will be there soon. Just find someplace to hide."
She stowed the phone again in her pocket and glanced around as she kept moving. She could hear footsteps thundering close by, but they hadn't turned the corner yet. The alley had boxes and metal trash bins, and window wells that were covered with dirty plastic covers. There was a tarp bunched up by a door way and covered in something wet and sticky. Doorways and Fire escapes dotted the stone walls, but none were a good place to hide.
"Shit." She saw a line of dumpsters and knew that they were the only place she had to hide. Pressing herself against the wall she shimmied her way between the dumpsters and crouched down low. The footsteps were close and she could hear them breathing heavy as they began their way down the alley she was in. 'They'll see me.' She thought, trying to control the sobs that were begging to be let out.
The space she was in was only about ten inches wide, but she could be seen if they even bothered to look behind them. Sighing internally she lowered herself to the ground and slid herself underneath the center dumpster. It was pitch black and smelled horribly but at least she knew that they wouldn't be able to see her immediately. She slithered on her stomach and curled as much as she could into the darkest spot and waited.
"Come out come out where ever you are!" The second man taunted as he sauntered down the alley kicking at the boxes as he went. "You can't get away."
They were so close now that she could smell the blood on them. Covering her mouth with both hands, she closed her eyes and prayed that they wouldn't find her. Cal would be here soon, she reassured herself. Ranger shortly after. I just need to stay hidden a few more minutes. She froze when the footsteps stopped. A loud banging reverberated through the mess of dumpsters as they flipped up the lids. The first one on the left was kicked away, then the far one to the right. She couldn't help the tears that began pouring down her face.
"I wonder where she could be?" The second man chuckled and kicked away the dumpster immediately to her right. "I wonder…."
'Please Cal. Please Cal. Hurry. Hurry. Hurry.' She chanted in her head.
"Gotcha!" The first man growled as hands grabbed ahold of her legs and pulled. She screamed grabbing onto anything she could. "It's a shame we have to kill you. You're a pretty little thing."
"STOP!" She screamed, clawing at the hands that pulled her to her feet. The man laughed and slammed her against the dumpster, cracking her head along the top bar. She cried out as pain and dizziness flooded through her.
"I'm sure we have time." The second man, who she could now identify as McAlister sneered running a bloody hand down her face. "Hold her still."
She began screaming and kicking at the men; desperately trying to at least buy some time. The first man smiled, flicking out a knife and slicing through the hoodie. Her cell phone dropped, the screen still lit meaning her call with Ranger was still live.
"Please stop." She begged as the man ripped through her t-shirt. "Please. I won't say anything I swear."
McAlister pushed his friend aside and gathered her hands into one of his as the other fumbled with her jeans.
"Baby, you won't say anything because you won't be able to. Why don't you just enjoy this while you can, huh?" McAlister's breath was hot against her face as she gagged. He laughed and managed to undo the button and zipper enough to slide his hand in. "Shaved, huh?"
"Let her go." Cal's voice echoed through the alley. Stephanie saw him standing next to Manny, both with murderous looks on their faces as they pointed their weapons at the two men.
"Fuck off." The first man snarled, stepping between McAlister and Cal. "This ain't none of your business."
Stephanie jumped as a gunshot reverberated against the stone walls followed by the screech and moans of the first man.
"Last chance." Cal's steel tone sends a shudder of fear through McAlister who looked from Stephanie to the two guns that were currently pointing at his head. "Let. Her. Go."
"I'm gonna die anyway." He snarled, spinning Stephanie in front of him. He still had one hand down her jeans cupping her against him as the other hand twisted her arms behind her head. "You gonna shoot both of us!?"
"Nope." Cal stepped forward. "Seems to me you are out of options, fucker."
"I got this bitch." He dug his fingers inside of her and she yelped in pain. Cal and Manny growled. "Got a pretty good grip on her too."
She closed her eyes as tears rolled down her face. Her leg hurt and felt like it was going to give out any minute. Her head was pounding and she was dizzy. Cal and Manny didn't have a clear shot with her covering McAlister. He laughed; his chest rumbling against her back. The putrid smell assaulted her senses and she struggled to not vomit.
When she felt him stiffen, she opened her eyes. Cal and Manny had stepped forward, but both had a smirk on their faces.
"I am going to enjoy watching you beg for me to kill you." Ranger whispered behind her captor. Stephanie turned and saw Ranger's gun pressed against McAlister's temple. She sobbed in relief. "You have no fucking idea what you have done and no idea what hell I will do to you."
McAlister's chest was heaving and his muscles tensed as he decided what his next step would be. Slowly he slid his hand from her jeans and from her wrists and raised them above his head. Stephanie, no longer being supported collapsed to the ground.
"Shit." Cal rushed to her and checked her over. "Manny get the med kit."
"Cal. Thank you." She whispered, tears still rolling down her face.
"Angel I'm sorry it took so long." His face was riddled with shame and regret.
"Cal!" Ranger barked, securing McAlister in handcuffs. "Take him and his friend back to Haywood. Lock them in a cell until I come deal with them."
Cal jumped to his feet and took hold of McAlister as Ranger scrambled down to Stephanie's side.
"Babe." He whispered, stroking her face and running a hand down her body; checking her injuries.
"Got the med kit." Manny slid to his knees next to Steph and flipped out his knife; cutting away the leg of her jeans to get to her wound. "Shit, Wifey." He sucked air in between his teeth as he pulled out cleaning solution and gauze. "This is gonna hurt."
She screamed as he poured the cleaning solution over her leg. Ranger held her as best he could, whispering to her softly.
"Alright, I'm just going to wrap it quick. You need stitches and some antibiotics." Manny got to work. "Bobby or hospital?"
"Bobby." She ground out, her eyes squeezed shut. Manny nodded and finished wrapping her wound.
"Let's keep that leg straight." Manny motioned to Ranger. "You carry her and I will stabilize it."
Ranger swept her into his arms and together they maneuvered down the alley towards an SUV. Tank, who had just pulled up ran forward and opened the back door.
"Everything good?" He asked, as he watched Ranger slide into the back seat and lay Steph's leg across it.
"Call Bobby. Let him know we are enroute." Ranger commanded. "Cal has two men in his vehicle behind the Porsche at the other end of the alley. Make sure they are alive when I get there." Tank nodded and shut the door.
Manny hopped into the driver's seat and drove off.
"Ranger?" Stephanie whispered softly against his chest.
"Yes, Babe?" He brushed back her hair and peppered her forehead with kisses.
"I'm sorry. I knew I should have called you sooner, but…"
"Babe." He interrupted and turned her face towards him. "You do not apologize to me for any of this."
"But..." Her hands nervously picked at the edge of his cargo pocket.
"No buts."
He looked at her, his eyes skimming her body. Her clothes were covered in blood and god knows what else. Her shirts were torn down the center exposing the soft skin of her chest and stomach. His eyes went lower and he felt the rage boil up inside him again. Her jeans were unbuttoned and the zipper ripped down exposing her panties.
"I'm the one that is sorry, Babe." He whispered, curling the shirt back around her and reaching down to button her pants. "When I saw him…." He gulped loudly, his body trembling with emotion. "I wanted to rip him away from you and beat him until he was nothing but a puddle of blood on the ground."
His hand splayed out across her abdomen, his fingers shaking. Taking a ragged breath she covered his hand with hers. She ran her fingers over the knuckles and down each of his fingers before settling back down.
"Ranger, if you and Cal and Manny hadn't gotten there I would be dead." She spoke softly, but carried a firm tone. "They would have raped me, cut me into pieces and disposed me of like they were doing when I saw them."
He stiffened for a moment.
"They came after you because you saw them dispose of a body." It was a statement and not a question. She nodded.
"I didn't actually see them. I heard them." She sighed. "But I know that sound and that smell. They were talking about it."
"And then they caught you?"
"Well, my phone rang." She rolled her free hand gesturing as to say 'and then you know'.
Ranger froze and swore under his breath. "Who called?" He sounded so far away even though they were pressed up against each other.
"Ranger that's not important." She muttered as Manny pulled into Haywood. Bobby was standing outside the elevator holding it open as Manny slid the SUV to a stop next to him.
"Stephanie." Ranger all but growled out. "Who called?"
Bobby swung open the door and greeted them both with a smile. "How's it going, Bomber!" His face fell as he notice Ranger's expression. "Uh, boss?"
"Manny, help Bobby get her patched up." Ranger was vibrating with anger as he helped Steph from the SUV and into Manny and Bobby's hands.
"Boss, aren't you..." Bobby spoke, but stopped as Ranger turned and stalked out of the garage and into the darkness. "Everything okay?" He asked Manny and Steph as the elevator doors closed.
"Maybe you should send Tank or someone after him." Steph said quietly, not looking into either's eyes.
"What happened?" Bobby looked again to Manny.
"Shit." Manny pulled out his phone and dialed a number. "Santos. Manny here. Get Tank and go keep an eye on Ranger." There was a beat of silence. "He thinks he did this to Wifey. Hurry he's already out of the garage and half way to China by now."
"Shit." Bobby whispered as the doors opened again and they stepped out into the Infirmary. "That doesn't sound good. How the hell does he think HE caused this?"
"I'm assuming." Manny spared a glance as Steph as they laid her on the table. "That the phone call that alerted those men to her position was HIM calling her."
"It wasn't his fault!" She finally spoke. "I should have put it on silent. I'm such an idiot. This whole thing is my fault!"
"You are not an idiot." Bobby shook his head and pulled the metal wheeled table towards the bed. Taking in her disheveled condition and the shredded shirt he stood again and stripped off his own. "Here put this on, Bomber."
Sliding off the torn clothing she slipped Bobby's massive black shirt over her head. He could've gotten her a clean shirt, or even a scrub top but he knew that she needed the extra warmth. He stepped back into his office and pulled out a spare shirt, sliding it over his head before he returned. "Manny, you might need to hold her down a bit. This is gonna hurt like a bitch."
Manny crawled up on the gurney and wrapped an arm around Steph's shoulders kissing the side of her head.
"Wifey it's not your fault. Ranger just is…well Ranger." He laughed and squeezed her tightly as Bobby began to irrigate her leg. She whimpered and clung onto him as Bobby cleaned it as gently as he could. He tried not to let it show, but knowing that he was hurting her broke his heart. "Almost done. You're doing good."
"I'm gonna stich the large gash, but the small tears I will glue. Okay, Bomber?" Bobby said, pulling out a box of butterfly bandages, a surgical kit and some dermabond. He lifted a syringe and tapped it, making sure there were any air bubbles in it. "This will help numb it, but I will have to give you multiple injections." She nodded and he began. Each time the needle entered her skin her face flinched. When he was done he took a deep breath and squeezed her hand. "You are doing great, Steph. Amazing." He sighed and looked back down at her leg. "It's going to take a while and it's going to hurt."
She nodded and took a deep breath before bracing herself. She knew that dermabond stung like a mother fucker and stiches were always painful. Even though it would be numbed it would still hurt and she wanted to be prepared. A muffled scream filled the room as Bobby began closing up her wound. The door to the infirmary opened and Lester looked around wide eyed. Seeing that his Beautiful was in pain he ran to her and stroked her hair whispering in her ear.
"Beautiful, I know it hurts. I hate seeing you in pain." He kissed her hair. "I have a dozen doughnuts and a gallon of ice cream waiting for you."
"Ranger?" The word barely made it out of her mouth before she screamed again.
"Shit, sorry. God, I am sorry, Bomber." Bobby hunched over and kept working.
"Tank has him." Lester smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Manny?"
"I'm good." Manny's voice sounded strangled and every man in the room knew why. They knew that he felt every twitch and flinch. He could hear every whimper and cry with more clarity than the other two. Knowing that he was holding her down made him feel as guilty as Bobby did.
"Half way done, Bomber." Bobby said never looking up, knowing that the pain in her eyes would haunt him. "Do you need a break?"
"No." Her words were tight and controlled. She was trying to call her inner Ranger to help her maintain control and calm. "The sooner it's done the better."
"Beautiful, you are the bravest woman I know." He knelt down next to the gurney and pressed a kiss to her hand. "You know, when Ram was in here a few weeks ago he was crying like a bitch getting stiches."
"Really?" She chuckled, sucking a breath in quickly. After a moment she continued. "Ram was crying?"
"Yep." Les' eyes winkled. "Cal and I had to hold him down while he thrashed around and carried on. And his wound was tiny. Barely a scratch."
"Barely a scratch." Bobby chuckled, focusing on stitching as quickly as he could. "The man had a two inch gash in his scrotum."
"How the hell…" Steph began, but once again cried out in pain. Manny whispered softly in her ear and stroked her hair. They all knew what Lester was doing and they were grateful. Lester had a talent that was important in their line of work; he could distract them from pain and keep things from getting too dark.
"Well you see…" Lester began, playing with her fingers as he spoke. "Ram and I were out looking for Luggie. You know him, right?" She smiled and shook her head. Luggie was notorious for his parkour stunts around town. "Well, Luggie was running as usual. Flipping and jumping around like a cracked out gazelle. Ram and I were keeping up. He strolled along the top of the Florence Road Bridge and flipped ninja style into that big oak tree in the parking lot of that little Chinese grocery."
"That's a big leap." She gritted through clenched teeth.
"I know. I about shat myself when I jumped." He laughed and Steph just shook her head again. "Well, when Ram jumped and caught hold of one of the big branches he didn't see that it was cracked. When he went to pull himself up the branch snapped and he fell down about ten feet to the ground."
"How did he rip his nuts falling from a tree?"
"Well, when he fell he took a lot of branches down with him. Being the giant that he is…that's a lot of branches." Les wiggled his eyebrows. "Any who. He happened to land feet first, which isn't bad I mean that's how to learn to jump. Land and roll."
"You are a horrible story teller." Bobby laughed quietly, never raising his head. "Get on with it."
"Fine." He cleared his throat. "So, Ram landed on his feet. Unfortunately, he also landed on a stick that just so happened to be pointing directly UP when his feet hit the ground. Now, this stick wasn't huge it was maybe…" Les picked up Steph's hand and held out her ring finger. "No bigger than this big around. But it was just a couple inches LONGER than his legs."
Both Bobby and Manny shuddered involuntarily.
"So, he was like Ram on a stick?" She asked, laughter bubbling from her. Les grinned and nodded. "He's lucky he didn't lose anything."
"Beautiful you should have seen it!" Les jumped to his feet. "He was frozen with his eyes bulging out of his head and his mouth open like he was trying to scream but couldn't. I saw that he wasn't moving and I thought that he was really hurt so I scrambled down and tried to get him to tell me what I should do. I kept yelling 'do I leave it in or pull it out'."
"Jesus…Did you sleep through combat medic training?" Manny ran his hand down his face.
"Anyway….He wouldn't answer me and I knew the longer he stood there with that stick jammed up his balls the more damage he would do. So, I did the only thing I could think of." He paused.
"Which was?" She hissed as Bobby finished the last stich and moved onto the dermabond.
"Well, I kicked him." He snickered and Manny groaned.
"Why would you kick him!?"
"I had to get the sick out of his…ass." He smiled. "He fell over and immediately hopped up and started dancing around on his tip toes all bowlegged and shit. Luggie, who had been watching this whole time, laughed so fucking hard he fell out of the tree and landed on his ass next to us."
"And people say that my takedowns are comical." She muttered.
"So I helped cuffed Luggie and threw him in the back and helped Ram into the front. I even came straight here so Bobby could fix him up."
"That poor man." Bobby chuckled and shook his head. "I think you left out a pretty important detail, Les."
Lester grinned and winked. "Oh and since that was a Tuesday…."
"Oh shit...you have the whole thing on video!" Manny exclaimed. Lester declared that every Tuesday was GoPro Tuesday. He would wear it from the moment he woke up to the moment he went to bed. He had uploaded every single day into his private server and we were all invited to watch "The Lester Show" every Wednesday night. They had all come for the first night, but the moment naked Lester started whacking it in the shower (about 15 minutes into it if you were curious) everyone scattered and refused to join in.
"Do I have to sit through the whole day to watch it?" Stephanie hissed as Bobby sealed a few more small cuts. "I don't think I can watch you jack off again without needing serious psycho-therapy."
"All done, Bomber." Bobby sighed and wiped at his brow. "Let me wrap it up and get you some antibiotics then you can go up and have that ice cream."
"Thanks, Bobby." She pulled herself forward and grimaced at the stitches running up her thigh. "There goes bikini season."
"It shouldn't scar too bad." Manny stood and took a closer look. "Bobby does an amazing job. Plus, we can get you some of that scar crème once it's healed and that will help fade whatever scar is there."
Lester and Manny watched as Stephanie's leg was bandaged and given her antibiotics.
"You need to take one pill twice a day for the next ten days." Bobby explained, pointing to the directions on the bottle. "I will check you every day to make sure that you are healing okay, but I want you to let me know if something feels off."
She nodded and turned to get up. Lester rushed to her and swept her into his arms.
"I can walk." She cried, smacking his chest playfully.
"Yeah, but I like carrying you. It makes me feel all strong and superhero-ish." He winked and carried her off to the elevator. "You want your ice cream?"
"I want to see Ranger."
"Beautiful…"
"No. I want to see him. Now." Crossing her arms she harrumphed. Lester knew it was useless to argue with her.
"Press B2." He sighed out, tipping his head towards the buttons on the elevator wall. She leaned forward and pressed it; kissing his cheek as she righted herself. "Beautiful, you are lucky you are so amazing."
"I know right." She winked and sat quietly as the elevator dropped down to the second sub-basement.
The doors opened and he carried her down the long corridor towards the room at the end. He knew that she wasn't going to be happy seeing Ranger the way that he was right now, but he knew as well as she did that no one else was going to be able to calm him.
"Knock, please." Lester said when they reached the large metal door. She did. A moment later Tank opened it and sighed.
"Jesus, Santos! Why would you bring her down here?" Tank ran his hand down his face, showing the newly bloodied knuckles.
"I told him to." She said. "Put me down."
Lester complied and held onto her until she was steady. Tank stepped aside and flinched as she gasped at the sight. Ranger was slumped into a corner, his eyes shut and panting. He was soaked in sweat and bruises were blossoming on the exposed skin.
"What happened?" She whispered as she limped towards him. "Who did this?"
"Babe, you shouldn't be down here." Ranger's voice was gruff and he sounded exhausted. "Santos, take her back up and then home."
"I'm not going anywhere." Her back stiffened and she crossed her arms in front of her chest.
She saw Tank motioned to Lester from the corner of her eye before they walked out of the room and shut the door. Taking a deep breath she limped over and slid down the wall next to him; hissing at the pain.
"You shouldn't be here." Ranger reiterated, clenching his fists.
"Nope." She reached for his hands, and he pulled it away quickly. "Stop it." Reaching again, she grasped his hand firmly and he didn't pull away. "Talk to me."
"Babe." He sighed. "Stephanie, I did this to you."
"That's bullshit." Her fingers ran along the swollen knuckles and dipped around the splits in his skin. "You know it just as much as I do."
"If I hadn't…"
"What? Came to help? Saved my life?"
"If I hadn't called they wouldn't have seen you and none of this would've happened." He ground out through clenched teeth. "You wouldn't have needed me to save you if I hadn't put you in the position to begin with."
"Oh, I see." Shaking her head she reached towards him and turned his face so he was looking at her. "You're so full of shit, Batman."
"I'm not a fucking super hero, Stephanie." He pushed away from the wall and stood, hands on hips as he paced. "I'm not some wizard who can protect you with some fucking enchantment. I fucking lucky as shit, and one day my luck is going to run out."
"So, next time….don't come help." Anger welled up inside of her. He had always told her that there was no price for the things they did for one another. Granted, he did way more things for her then she could ever do for him, but he had always stood by that. NO PRICE.
"I can't not try." He gestured wildly, stopping and facing away from her. "I couldn't live with myself knowing something was wrong and I didn't try to help."
"I could just NOT call you at all when I need help." She was baiting him, and they both knew it. "Maybe I could call Joe or Mooner or fucking Ramos!"
"That's cutting low, Babe." He growled turning and pulling her to her feet. He immediately felt guilty when she whimpered in pain. Clutching her to his chest he begged her forgiveness. "I hate that I hurt you. I hate that I can't take this away. I hate what he did to you."
He breathed in, noting the familiar scent on her shirt. Bobby's. He chuckled internally. His men loved this woman as much as he did. He loved that he could always trust them to put her safety first, but he still felt that pang of jealousy. He still wanted that shirt to be his.
"Carlos." She whispered. Once again he froze, his shoulders slumping in defeat. She had never used his name except that one time. When he was lying on the floor of her apartment bleeding out she knelt over him and whispered to him. Her words were etched forever in his head and in his heart. 'Don't you dare leave me, Carlos. Do you hear me? I love you. Carlos, you can't leave me.' His chest tightened as he remembered the words he spoke to her. 'I promise'. He closed his eyes remembering the look on her face as he gasped for breath, trying desperately to make sure that he would never disappoint her like that again.
"I tried." He cleared his throat. "I tried so hard not to leave you. I begged God not to take me. Told me that I would do anything and everything to stay. I promised you."
She knew what he was talking about. That day changed their lives forever. It was the day that she realized that she was madly in love with him, and the day that he realized that he could never live without having her in his life.
"Promise me again." She pulled back and looked into his eyes, seeing how lost and out of control his emotions were. He searched her face for a moment. "Promise me that no matter what that you will never leave me."
"I will never leave you. I could never leave you." He took her face in his hands. "You are my heart. It can't beat without you. You are my breath and without you I drown in the darkness around me." He watched as tears pooled once again in her eyes and his heart broke. He knew that he didn't tell her how much she meant to him enough. He didn't show her. He couldn't. There is no physical act that could express his love. Just like there were no words in any language that could explain how deep his love for her rain.
"Carlos?" She nuzzled her cheek into his hands. "I promise that I will never leave you alone in that darkness. I promise that if I am ever in trouble you will always be and have always been the first person that I ask for help."
"I thought I was going to lose you." He kissed her lips and tasted her tears. "I thought that I would be witness to your death, and I was ready to join you."
"I know that feeling." She whispered against his lips. "That is exactly how I felt that night."
He nodded silently. They held onto one another kissing each other softly until the pain became too much and Stephanie had to sit. Ranger picked her up and carried her out of the room and silently passing Tank and Lester made their way to the elevator.
"Babe?" He asked pressing the button and watching the doors close.
"Yes, Ranger. I know you want to and it's okay. I understand."
He chuckled and hugged her against him as the doors opened again. They were one floor up where the holding cells were. Cal and Zero were standing in front of a cell slowly clenching their fists and releasing them.
"Boss?" Cal said, tipping his head towards Stephanie in his arms.
"Open the door." Ranger commanded. Cal quickly opened the door in enough time for Ranger to not break his stride as he carried her into the room with her assailant. Cal and Zero tucked in behind them and stood guard.
"What the fuck is this?" McAlister snarled, waving at the four of them. "Is this the after party?"
"Do you know who this is?" Ranger said, slowly setting Stephanie to her feet and wrapping an arm around her waist.
"Why the fuck would I care?" McAlister ground out, shaking his head.
"This is Stephanie Plum." Ranger looked down at her and smiled, touching her face softly. "She happens to be my woman."
"Oooooooh." McAlister shook his hands in mock fear. "Why would I care where you slide your dick into at night? I am sure that all your men take a ride on that train so it's not like she is anything special."
"Wrong." Ranger settled Stephanie into Cal's arms and stepped towards the man. His partner, George Coolidge, was currently unconscious and sprawled out on the other side of the room. With two long strides Ranger picked up McAlister by the collar and slammed him up against the wall. "Do you know who that beautiful woman is over there?" He pointed his lip curling into a snarl.
"Jesus…she's your bitch. I get it. I get it."
"Wrong again." Ranger reached down and grabbed the man's middle finger snapping it backwards. The man howled in pain and wriggled to get out of his grip. "Want to try again?"
"St...Ste...Stephanie Plum." He whimpered through tears. "She's…She's your woman."
"That's better." Ranger reached down and snapped back another finger. The man screamed, but Ranger wasn't done. One by one he snapped the man's fingers back until all five on his right hand were pointing the wrong direction. "You touched my woman."
"I'm sorry." He blubbered, tears and snot mixing on his face as he sobbed openly. "I'm sorry!"
"I don't know if that is good enough." Ranger clucked his tongue and looked back at Stephani e who just nodded. He knew she wasn't the violent type, but this man had violated her. I caught eyes with Cal and he nodded, silently agreeing to remove her before shit got too bad. Ranger turned back to the man sobbing against the wall in front of him. Pulling him off the wall, he slammed him onto the large metal table in the center of the room.
The man let out a grunt, which was quickly stifled by Ranger's hand on his throat.
"I watched you violate my woman." Ranger snarled, leaning down so he was an inch from his face. "You were going to rape her. Do you know what kind of things that make me think of?"
"I didn't know. I'm Sorry." He sobbed over and over again. Ranger reached down and plucked his knife from his pocket and flicked it open. A smile came over his face as he heard the door open and close. He knew Cal had removed Stephanie from the room so she wouldn't have to see this side of him.
"Your hands will never touch her again." He growled, twisting the knife around the man's index finger and pulling. A sickening crunch was followed by a blood curdling scream as each finger was extracted from the man's hand. "I heard you like to play with knives."
Reaching down he picked up the man's other hand and severed his thumb. The man was whimpering and gagging as he thrashed around on the table.
"The thought of your filthy hands cutting into her flesh and discarding them like scraps to a dog is NOT sitting well with me." Another finger was severed. "You know you won't leave her alive, right?"
"Please…just kill me or let me go." McAlister's voice was so soft and defeated that he made Ranger smile.
"No." Ranger wiped the blade of his knife on the man's shirt and stepped away. "I'm not going to kill you. Not yet anyway." Sobs wracked the man's body as he curled into a fetal position.
"I think I will keep you around. I want you at my disposal every time that image of you touching her flashes through my head." He leaned down and smiled at the man before patting his cheek. "I think it would be rather cathartic, don't you?"
Zero chuckled. He always got Ranger's morbid humor.
"Let's just leave him for a while." Ranger tipped his head to Zero who nodded and opened the door. The two men left the room which was now filled with the sobs and pleas from the man that neither of them had pity for.
"I'll make sure he doesn't die." Zero patted Ranger's back. "What about the other guy?"
"When he wakes up let Tank talk to him. I will let him decide how to handle it." With that Ranger dashed down the hall and to the stairs. He made it to the seventh floor within a matter of minutes. As he reached down to open the door he saw the blood that caked his hands and body. His shoulders slump and he took a step back. Stephanie can't see him like this.
Before he could turn and retreat, the door opened and Stephanie stood leaning against it. She looked exhausted and worried, but not afraid.
"Let's get you cleaned up." She reached out for his hand, but he shook his head and turned. He froze when she spoke again. "Ricardo Carlos Manoso, get your ass in here and clean up. I have had a long ass day and I need you to get in that shower, smell like your normal self and hold me."
He smiled and took her hand, closing the door behind them.
"Yes, ma'am." He smiled, pressing a quick kiss to the top of her head.
"Is it done?" Her voice was not wavering or unsure, just inquisitive. She must have cleaned up a bit in the few minutes she was up here because she smelled like his shower gel. Even taking a spit bath the woman preferred his scent.
"He's not dead." He replied, reaching the bedroom and stripping his shirt off; tossing it in the garbage can.
"Good." She watched as he undressed and slipped into the shower. Taking a look at the bandage on her leg she contemplated joining him. "Ranger?"
"Yes, my love?" He opened the glass door and looked at her.
"Thank you."
"No Price, Babe." He smiled and closed the shower door. His shower lasted all of four minutes and soon he was wrapping a towel around his waist and walking into his bedroom. Stephanie was sitting on the edge of the bed lost in her thoughts. Slipping on a pair of silk boxers he grabbed one of his black t-shirts.
"Stand up, Babe." He held out his hands to help her up and kept one on her waist as he undid her jeans and pushed them down and off. "Arms." She complied and he slipped off Bobby's shirt tossing it behind him before slid his shirt over her head. That pang of jealously was replaced with relief. He loved having her wrapped in his clothing, just as much as he knew she did.
He slid her into his bed; curling himself behind her. They fit so perfectly, and he always felt that when they were like this, wrapped around one another, he felt whole. She was truly his missing piece. She sighed and turned back towards him.
"I love you." She whispered, stroking his face with her fingertips.
"I love you, too." He kissed her softly. They settled back into each other and a deep sigh escaped their bodies. Just before sleep overtook them, Stephanie's cell phone rang. She felt him stiffen behind him.
"Ignore it." She said, reaching quickly towards the bedside table and silencing her phone. "There isn't anyone on there that I would want to talk you."
He raised his head, looking down at her face.
"You're right here." She closed her eyes, feeling his gaze still on her. "No one else matters."