Chapter 2- Shock
Ranger pulled me towards his Porsche and opened the passenger door. I didn't move so he pulled me into another hug, this time being mindful of my ribs. "It's going to be okay. I'm here now."
I clung to him and squeezed my eyes tight together. After a few minutes he unclasped my hands from around his neck and pushed me away. He held me in front of him with his hands on my shoulders. I looked down when he tried to look into my eyes. He released my shoulder and put one hand under my chin as he lifted my head. I watched his eyes scan from my lip to my cheek and finally back to my eyes.
"Babe" he spoke in a whisper and then pulled me back against his chest. I held in my sobs but my eyes welled with tears.
I pulled back a little and he turned me to face the car. He slowly ushered me closer and then held his hand near the roof of the car so I could slide in without hitting my head. When I was pushed into the back of the squad car the officer had grabbed the back of my head and shoved it down as he threw me in the back. I shook my head trying to shake away the vision in my head. I could smell the scent of Bvlgari as Ranger leaned across me and buckled my seat belt.
He gently pushed my door closed unlike the officer who had nearly slammed it in my face. I closed my eyes tight trying to get rid of that image. I was trying to get a positive image in my face but there was none. He started the car and I clasped my hands together on my lap. I looked down at the bloody cuts around my wrists. When Officer Taylor had suggested I get them checked out I refused treatment. I didn't want anyone else to put their hands on me. I leaned over and went to lay my head against the window but misjudged the distance and ended up smashing it into the glass. I heard Ranger intake a short breath his idea of a normal person gasping. I left my head there and stared down at the road as he drove.
I didn't pay attention to where we were going until he slowed down and I looked up as he pulled into the parking garage of the Tropicana. This is where I started my night when I went to that Boogie Club. He pulled in next to my POS car. "Ram will bring it back later." he explained
He got out and then walked around to the passenger side of the car. When he opened the door he held out his hand for me. I wanted to get out but couldn't move. He leaned across me and unbuckled my seat belt and then took my hand to pull me from my seat. He pulled me along and I followed. We took a service elevator from the parking garage and got out on the ninth floor.
He opened a door and quickly pulled me into the room. He walked me over to the bed and gently pushed me down into a seated position. He motioned to the clothes laid out on the bed and then looked at the bathroom door. I nodded to him. He turned his head slightly asking me if I needed help and I shook my head. Suddenly I had ESP and it suited me fine because I didn't want to talk. I couldn't talk. I only wanted to forget, but there was no escaping from this nightmare. He waked over to the desk and turned on his laptop. I wrapped my arms around myself and walked to the bathroom to take a shower.
I stripped out of the jumpsuit and leaned against the door. I heard him on the phone.
"She's in bad shape." he was speaking to someone
"She's not talking." he explained
"She's in the shower. They released her in a freaking jumpsuit." he continued to explain.
"I wouldn't allow that. I took her up to my room in the service elevator." he spoke through gritted teeth.
"A couple of hours. Let me talk to Bobby"
"Bobby she's not talking. She's like a zombie." he told him
"A pillow?" he asked "What else? Tell me what else can I do."
"Be there in a couple of hours." he said before disconnecting.
I turned on the water as hot as I could stand it before I stepped in. I scrubbed every inch of my body as hard as I could until it hurt and my skin turned red. I couldn't get clean enough. I washed my hair and rinsed it twice. I didn't bother with conditioner, I didn't want it soft I just wanted it clean. I filled up the washcloth with more soap and went through cleaning each inch of my body again. I winced as I scrubbed the already red and tender skin. Finally I let the washcloth drop to the floor. I felt dizzy so I set my hand against the shower wall and leaned my head against the cool tile. I sobbed. I completely felt apart. I felt my body shake and I tried to be quiet, but my breath kept catching and my body shuttered with every breath. My tears mixed with the water as they fell down my face. The water was starting to get cold, but I couldn't make myself get out. I was frozen in my spot. Suddenly I heard the shower curtain as it was pulled open. I jumped and then looked to see a hand extended to me. I grabbed it and squeezed it as Ranger pulled me out of the shower. He took the towel from his other hand and held it out as I stepped towards him. He wrapped it around me and pulled me into a hug as I continued to sob.
He rubbed my back and held me without speaking. That suited me just fine. I didn't want to talk about it. I didn't want to answer any questions. I knew he would never push me and I allowed myself to just collapse against him. When I managed to calm down my breathing, he moved me away while he leaned in to turn off the water. Then he grabbed me and pulled me back close to him as he ushered us both back to the bed. Again he gently pushed me down to sit. He looked at me for a moment and ran his hands through his hair. His face was blank but relaxed. It wasn't the typical stone face he showed when he was silent like this. I had no words. I just sat there staring at him. He turned his head sightly to the side and I nodded as he sat beside me. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me tight against him. I winced and he eased his grip but kept his arm around me.
"When you're ready to talk I'm here to listen. If you don't want to talk yet I'm still here." he told me
"Thank you" I whispered as I shivered.
"Let me help you." he offered.
I nodded and he stood up and went back into the bathroom. I watched as he came back with a second towel. He got down onto his knees and dried off my feet and legs. He pulled me up onto my feet and moved the towel up to dry my hips and stomach. He moved the towel around me and ran it across my lower back. He reached his hand up onto the bed and grabbed the clean black Rangeman underwear. He held out the underwear and I braced my hands on his shoulders to steady myself. I stepped into them and he pulled them up and onto my hips. There was nothing electric or sexual about his touch. He was holding back, he wasn't trying to turn me on or make me lose control. He was taking care of me and keeping himself in control.
Next he turned me around to dry my upper back. When he turned me back around he rose to his feet. I held my arm over my breasts as he moved the towel up to dry my neck and shoulders. I dropped my hand and he dried off each breast. He gently helped me into the black bra and then held out the loose black yoga pants as I placed my hands back onto his shoulders to keep my balance while I stepped into them.
He ran a towel through my hair and squeezed it around my wet curls. He took both towels and grabbed my hand leading me to the bathroom. He threw the wet towels into the bathtub. He moved me in front of the mirror and brushed the tangles from my hair. I stared into the mirror but only watched him. I didn't want to look at myself. He turned on the blow dryer and used his hand to move my hair around as he dried my curls. He watched me in the mirror and stared into my eyes. He seemed to be studying my blank face. When he determined my hair was dry enough, he moved me back into the bedroom and pulled the black Rangeman shirt over my head as I lifted my arms to help. He put a wash cloth to my lip and lifted my hand to move it to the cloth. He pressed my hand against it so I would hold it there.
I fell back onto the bed and moved up to lay my head on the pillow. I brought my legs up to my chest and tried to curl my body up into the smallest ball. He took my foot in his hand and slowly slid a sock on and then did the same with the other. He gently patted my shoulder and then left the room. I started to panic at his absence but he quickly returned. I didn't look at him but heard him moving around. He moved to sit next to me and pulled the wash cloth from my lip. He placed some ice in it and put it back where it was. He grabbed my legs and straightened them out. He reached up beside me and grabbed a pillow as he lifted my legs. He used the pillow to keep my legs propped up.
I stared up at the ceiling and he moved to lay next to me. I glanced over and watched him move the pillow behind his back as he sat next to me and leaned his head against the wall above the headboard. He turned to meet my eyes as I looked up at him. He reached over and took my hand and linked our fingers together. I moved closer and laid my head on his lap. He reached his arm around my back and laid his hand on my shoulder. His hand moved to my cheek as he curled his fingers and stroked me with the back of his hand. It was tender where the woman had punched me. I wanted to sleep but when my eyes were closed the images came back.
I opened my eyes and moved away from his lap. I pulled myself up and sat beside him. He pulled away and grabbed the pillow by my feet to prop my legs up again. I turned my head to stare at him again. He let out a deep sigh and slowly shook his head from side to side. We stayed like that until the ice melted. He took the wash cloth from me and kissed my forehead. He went to the bathroom to get rid of the washcloth and when he came back he sat beside me and grabbed my hand. He stared down at our hands for a while. He took a deep breath and then looked up into my eyes. He was searching for something and let out a deep sigh when he didn't see it.
"Do you need to go to a hospital? Do you need a... " he hesitated "Do you need a rape kit?"
I shook my head no and he breathed out a sigh of relief and rubbed my shoulder "That's good Babe but we need to go to Haywood. You're in shock. I want Bobby to check you out."
I nodded my head and moved to sit up. I shivered as tears filled my eyes again. He got up to get something and when he came back he pulled me onto my feet. He placed his windbreaker on my shoulders and helper me move my arms to slide them into the sleeves. He stood in front of me and zipped it up before puling me into a gentle hug. He kissed the top of my head before pulling away. I stood there while he packed up his things and came back to grab my hand. He led me back to the service elevator and into the garage. He opened the passenger door and put his hand on my shoulder to guide me into the seat. I sat back and he leaned in to fasten my seat belt. He stopped with his face in front of mine and looked into my eyes. I nodded and he leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on my lips. He kissed my cheeks and my nose before finishing at my forehead.
He closed my door and walked around to get in. He threw his stuff in the backseat and then started the car. He got back out and I heard him open the trunk. When he got back into the car he laid a blanket across my waist and tucked it around me. We were suddenly on the freeway headed back to Trenton. I looked over at him and he looked back at me. He reached across the console and took my hand in his. I looked down at our hands intertwined with each other and then leaned over and laid my head against his shoulder.
I woke up as Ranger was carrying me through the parking garage and to the elevator. When the doors opened Tank came rushing out. "Is she okay?"
"She's been through a lot." Ranger told him as I buried my head into his chest and closed my eyes. I reached up with my hand and clutched his shirt and tried to pull myself closer to him.
"Bobby is waiting on four." Tank told him and we all got onto the elevator.
We rode in silence . When the doors opened he carried me out of the elevator and I immediately heard voices.
"Is she okay?" Hal asked
"What the hell happened?" Woody came closer
"Dios" Hector whispered
"Give her some space." Tank ordered
Ranger brought me down the hall to the make-shift doctor's office Bobby had set up for the men. He brought me through the doors and laid me onto the exam table. Bobby came over and took my hand."You need to let go."
I looked at him confused and then realized I was still clutching Ranger's shirt. I released my hand and laid back onto the table. I stared up at the ceiling and felt the tears in my eyes again. I felt helpless. like I had no control over myself.
"It's better if you step outside." Bobby spoke softly
"I'm going to wait outside. I'll be right back," Ranger told me and I nodded.
"Stephanie, I missed you." Bobby smiled.
He pulled my legs up and placed a pillow under them. "This is going to pinch a bit." he put a needle in my arm and I looked over at him.
"IV fluid." he explained
"Relax" he told me as he picked up my head and slid a mask around my face. "This is oxygen. Take deep breaths" he told me.
Bobby examined my ribs first and was concerned enough to want an x-ray. "I am going to get an x-ray of those ribs to see if any are broken." he was moving around the room. "Your lip needs a couple of stitches and they will dissolve on their own in seven to ten days."
He slid out a drawer from underneath me and moved things around. "Any chance you are pregnant?" he asked me as I shook my head no. Morelli and I had been in an off period for a couple of months now.
I heard lots of noise and clicks as he took an x-ray of my chest. He moved back to my side. "I don't like the look of the cuts on your wrists. I am going to clean them and put some triple antibiotic ointment on them. I will wrap them in some gauze and would like you to keep it on until the morning."
He looked at me and waited for an answer so I nodded. He stepped away for a minute and when he came back he showed me the x-ray. He pointed out the cracked rib. "This one is cracked and I think the rest on that side are bruised up. All we can really do is tape it up. It won't heal fully for six weeks. I will give you some medicine to manage the pain."
He started taping me up and told me he would take care of my wrists and stitches next. "Is there anything else that hurts? Did anything else happen?" he asked me
I shook my head no and then we both jumped when we heard a door slam in the room next to us.
"I want that cop dead! Did you see her lip? Sergeant Taylor called Javier he told him that bastard stayed in the room during her search. His name is Conklin." Ranger was yelling and we heard something crash against the wall.
"Calm down boss." I could hear Lester's voice.
"Fuck you Santos. You didn't see her. She is almost catatonic. She has barely spoken a word since I got her out of there."
"I'm sorry. We all know the process." Lester told him
"Yeah, you know what it feels like to go through all of that stuff. For her it was different, she wasn't even prepared. She's a woman, it's different for her." Ranger yelled again and there was another crash.
"This isn't helping her. We need to find out about Keith Latty. Her court date is set for the sixteenth." Tank explained
"How did you even get her released?" Lester was still loud even though his voice was calm.
I looked at Bobby "Someone up on a murder charge usually is remanded, it's unusual to allow for bail." he explained as I nodded
"We don't have anyone in Atlantic City." Lester was still talking.
"Javier has friends." Tank finally explained to him.
"Pulling those strings could get everyone in trouble." Lester warned
"What would you have done?" Ranger asked
"But what if..." Lester began before he was cut off.
We heard a slam against the wall and a picture in Bobby's office fell. I waited for the crash but there wasn't any. I looked at Bobby "Only paintings in here now, they bounce." he winked
"YOU THINK SHE DID IT?" We heard Ranger's voice growl as if it was aimed at the wall.
"Damn Ranger let him go, you're going to kill him." Tank's voice bellowed out.
"There is no way she did this." Ranger growled before we heard something slide down the wall. I looked up at Bobby and he shrugged and then nodded. We had both concluded that it must have been Lester's body sliding down the wall.
"You need to lock that shit down. We can't afford any mistakes. You can't just lose your temper anytime someone mentions her." Tank warned him
"I didn't say she was guilty." Lester defended with a hoarse voice. "I just don't want to use up any favors we might need down the road."
"He knows that Santos." Tank was always the voice of reason. "We all know Steph and we know there is no way she could have done this."
"When I find out who framed her for this ..." Ranger growled and we heard another crash.
"We'll take care of that cop. Make sure he needs more than stitches in his lip." Tank told him
"We need to find out who did this." Lester added. "Who would set her up?"
We heard another crash of something being thrown against the wall. "FUCK!" Ranger yelled
I looked up at Bobby who was smiling as he waited for the shot to numb my bottom lip before he stitched it. He laughed to himself "I had all of the glass pictures in here removed after the last time I had to treat you."
I looked at him and he shook his head before speaking "The Bossman ..." he hesitated "well he really..." he paused again "cares about you Stephanie." he whispered
I raised my eyebrows and looked at him. "Steph, you should have seen him. When you called from Atlantic City he put his fist through the wall in his office Louis up there repairing it now. He tore out of here like a man possessed when he left to get you. "
He touched my lip "Can you feel this?" I shook my head
"I know what you went through was terrifying. I know you were hurt, you were humiliated and you were scared. It's over now. We're going to protect you and clear your name." he assured me as he began to stitch my lip.
"I know he sounds out of control right now but he will be fine. He needs some time to regain his control and having you around him for any length of time will help him. I know you think he has some super human control, but he is still just a man. He can maintain his composure when needed but here at Rangeman he is relaxed...more himself."
"You really have no idea how much you mean to him. How much you mean to all of us." he shook his head as the door opened.
I couldn't see who had come in but I felt a hand grab mine. I finally brought my eyes up to see Cal looking concerned as he stared at my face. "My Bomber" he whispered
I couldn't smile so I patted his hand and then pulled mine away. I reached up and rubbed the skull tattoo on his head. "We are going to take care of you, don't worry." he assured me
Bobby finished with my lip and then they both helped me sit up so he could clean and wrap my wrists. Cal looked down and shook his head. "Bastard" he muttered.
Lester and Tank came in together as Bobby was finishing up. My eyes immediately flew to the red mark on Lester's neck. It was long and covered the whole front of the neck. It was like someone had placed a forearm across it. I shivered a bit and Tank moved closer. He grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around my shoulders. Cal got to his feet and they nodded at each other.
Cal placed a light kiss on my cheek and then he forced a smile "See you later."
Lester moved across the room and rested his hand on my thigh. "We know you're innocent beautiful. Don't worry we will get this all cleared up." I moved my hand and placed it on top of his.
"Let me finish here Santos." Bobby warned as he pulled my hand back to him so he could go back to wrapping it.
"Just wanted to make sure you weren't talking her to death." Lester rolled his eyes.
"I wasn't..." Bobby began and then all heads turned to see Ranger as he stepped into the room.
His eyes remained on mine and he walked past everyone else like they weren't even in the room. He brought one hand up and rested it on my shoulder. He forced a quick fake smile and then went back to his bank face.
Bobby reached up and took the oxygen mask off of my face. "Take some deep breaths." he ordered as Tank and Lester left the room.
I took some breaths and he nodded. He turned to Ranger. "She needs the IV to stay in for another hour or so."
Ranger nodded but kept his eyes on Bobby now. Bobby sighed before he reported to Ranger. "A cracked rib and the rest are bruised up. I taped her up but you know it will be six weeks until she fully heals. Her cheek is just bruised. A couple of stitches in her lip and just for my own peace of mind I put some medicine on her wrists and wrapped them. I would just like her to keep them wrapped until she showers tomorrow. " he explained as Ranger nodded
He gently helped me off of the table and then took my hand and led me down the hall. Bobby walked behind us carrying the bag and pulling along the IV pole . I stopped dead in my tracks when I looked in the next room. Ranger turned to look at me and then moved beside me. There was an overturned desk, a broken chair and a lamp shattered all over the floor. I looked at the wall and saw a picture was pulled down and there was a hole in it's place. The room was a disaster. I looked down and grabbed his right hand as I pulled it up to inspect it. The knuckles were bleeding. I pulled him back into Bobby's office and he didn't argue when I showed his hand to Bobby.
I pulled him to the table and he sat down. He gave me a look like he was thinking about arguing but didn't try to fight me at all. Bobby took the IV bag and threw it back on the pole. Ranger reached out for my hand and pulled me closer to his side. I leaned against him while Bobby cleaned his right hand. After it was clean he applied some triple antibiotic and liquid band aid. When he was done he slid off the table and nodded to Bobby.
He kept a hold of my hand and pulled it up to his mouth. He gently kissed it and then once again he was leading me through the hall. We made it to the elevator and he hit the up button. Bobby followed behind us. We got on and he pushed his fob for the seventh floor. When we got out he led me to the couch and I sat down. Bobby hung the bag and set the pole beside me. He kissed the top of my head and then he was gone.
Ranger knelt on the floor in front of me. He stared into my eyes for a few minutes before he spoke. "I don't know what you want me to do Babe. I want to keep you here but if you want to be somewhere else." he paused "I'll take you wherever you want to go. I don't want to make you feel trapped. Do you want to stay here? I want you to be safe. Will you stay here?" he paused again and let out a deep breath. " Please?"
I nodded and he sat back onto his heels. He nodded "I think it's best if you stay here. Someone is out there trying to frame you for murder and we only have ten days to figure this out. I can't do this without you. You have to help me. I refuse to let you go back to jail."
He looked at my eyes but I had no response. "Babe, I need you. I need your spidey sense." He grabbed my hands and held them in his without looking away from my eyes.
I had been just going through the motions and following where he led me. Now I needed to get my shit together and quit wallowing. I had to do searches and make notes and talk to Elise and Jeremy. My eyes started to dart around the room before settling back on Ranger. He smiled and then sat up and moved forward. He wrapped his arms around my legs and laid his head in my lap. I moved my hand to his hair and combed through it as I massaged his head.
"Thank you." I told him in a fuller voice.
He lifted his head and looked at me before he got to his feet. He went into the kitchen and came back with ice for my lip as we heard a knock at the door. "Enter" he called out.
I looked up to see Hector coming in with two big McDonalds bags and a drink. My whole face lit up and I got to my feet. "Gracias Hector."
He smiled and handed me the bags and set the drink down on the table. He laid a kiss on my head and then disappeared before I could look up from my food.
"Thank you." I told Ranger as I sat down and started to pull out some fries. I grabbed the drink and took a sip without thinking. The coke dribbled out of my mouth because my bottom lip was still numb. I smiled and Ranger grabbed a napkin to clean off my chin. He looked at me and laughed. I found myself joining him. He wiped up my mess on the table.
"Okay so I can't drink right now but I can still chew my food. I'm starving." I told him as he sat down on the couch and stretched out against the arm and watched me eat.
"I am so relieved to hear your voice. I was getting worried about you." he confided.
"I'm sorry. I just shut down." I tried to explain
"Don't be sorry, I was just worried. I understand what you went through. I just know it was so much more difficult for you." he sighed
"That bail money Ranger!" it suddenly clicked "Your brother's fees?" I shook my head "I am making you bleed money."
He let out a breath. "When I said that it was meant as a joke. I didn't realize how it would sound. No price Babe, ever."
"Still...it's too much." I told him "I need to pay you back."
"Babe" he slowly shook his head
"What am I going to do?" I stopped eating and rested my head in my hands. "The gun was in my hand, residue on my hand. I can't remember a damn thing after pulling up in front of the motel. I parked in front of 214 and Latty was in 208. Then that's it. I don't even know where to start."
He leaned over and rubbed my back. "Eat and then we'll go over everything and see if anything jumps out."
"You're right. Thank you." I forced a lopsided smile.
"Quit thanking me and telling me I'm right. I'm starting to think you have a head injury. Maybe you're a fake Stephanie." he teased
"Enjoy it while it lasts, I'm sure I'll be back to annoying you soon." I shoved another fry into my mouth
"So..." I felt him staring at me and I looked up
"So?" I asked
"I was your one phone call?" he asked as his eyes darkened.
"I called five other people but their lines were busy." I teased
"Babe" he smiled and pulled me against him and kissed me gently on the cheek.
"I called you because I knew you would come. I knew I could count on you." I half whispered.
"Always" he spoke softly.