Not mine all JEs!
Chapter 4
My belly was getting rounder all the time and I couldn't wait to have this little guy. I found out at my last ultrasound that I was having a little boy. I was never into Barbies anyway. A boy will be so much more fun; I can play in the mud with him and not be criticized. Hopefully he doesn't try to jump off the roof though, I've tried it and it didn't work out well.
The situation with Ranger has only gotten more strained. I'm not even sure where he is right now or if he is even in this country. I guess in my heart I know I love him, but as usual I push it aside and pretend everything is hunky dory.
The part that I guess is my fault is that Ranger thinks there is no longer a baby he is required to care for financially. I guess you could also say that it was my doing.
I knew I shouldn't have been skip tracing being pregnant, but I had just found out and it was right after my talk with Ranger. I was only two weeks pregnant from my estimation, so no one could tell.
I had decided to finish up the last couple of skips I had files since Vinnie freaked out when I told him I was going to leave bounty hunting. I didn't give him an explanation, so that made him scream all the more. I can deal with Vinnie, but it was Connie that made me decide to finish up the last couple of skips. Vinnie was pressuring her and she is so much more persuasive with threats of the Family coming to my door. Who am I to argue with her and since I only had Mooner and Eula, I didn't mind.
I also got a call from Tank.
"Yo"
"Miss Plum?"
"Yes," I said hesitantly.
"This is Tank. I work for Ranger." As if I didn't know who he was. "Ranger's out of town right now and I have a skip that needs to be brought in. Would you be available for a distraction job?" Tank asked in a very professional manner. He obviously didn't know that I was pregnant.
"Does Ranger know about his?"
"No."
"Did he leave instructions about me before he left," my curiosity got the better of me and I had to ask. I needed to know if he had any kind of attachment to the baby and I.
"No." With that I got my answer. We were nothing to him. I was glad I was only on the phone with Tank because a lone tear fell.
"When and where," I whispered.
"I'll pick you up at 9:15."
Chapter 5
Looking back, I guess I shouldn't have accepted the distraction job. The rejection of Ranger and the need to prove that I could support myself without his financial obligation was what drove me to do it.
There was a knock on my door at exactly 9:15. Prompt as usual; I opened up to find a giant looming in my doorway better known as Tank. I opened the door inviting him in.
"Hey Tank. I'm just about ready, have a seat and I'll be right out."
I pointed to the living room as I walked to my bedroom to finish up. I put on my shoes and checked my appearance once more doing a couple of touch ups and was ready to roll.
I came back out and Tank looked like an adult at a child's tea party. Tank made my college dorm furniture look tiny and I thought when he stood up the chair might come with him. As amusing as that would be I don't think Tank would appreciate it and to my great relief the chair stayed on the ground.
"Miss Plum you look very…ummm…nice." I could tell this was awkward for him. He probably wished Ranger was here instead of him. I was grateful it was Tank as strange as that may sound. I couldn't deal with Ranger right now and his impartial attitude.
He handed me everything I needed to keep me safe. "I'm not sure exactly how Ranger handles this, but you know what to do right?" I nodded and yet again found a look of relief on his face. By the time this distraction is over Tank might have a coronary. I smiled to myself at that thought and put everything in place.
The drive over to the dive on Stark Street was silent much to Tank's relief again. Maybe I should ask him for the keys in case he really does drop dead.
"Ok Miss Plum, this should be no problem for you. Go in, locate our skip and do what you do best."
He handed me the file. His name was Ron Schultz. Not bad looking in a distinguished sort of way. Salt and pepper hair and laugh lines around the eyes, he looked like a respectable businessman. Reading his charges, I found out he wasn't as innocent as he looks. A lawyer with a temper that doesn't mind abusing his secretary when a case doesn't go as planned. By the look of her left eye, she must have tripped right into the side of her desk from his statement. I wonder if that was before or after the sexual harassment. He was scum in a nice package and I had no regrets going in there deceiving him.
"I'm ready. Oh and Tank, it's Stephanie or Steph. You keep calling me Miss Plum and I'm going to start calling you Mr. Tank." I winked at him and walked into the bar.
Nausea hit me as I walked into the dense fog of cigarette smoke and it took everything I had not to run to the bathroom. I tried my hardest to get my bearings back because puke breath never lures them out.
I looked around and saw a couple of recognizable faces. With that boost of confidence, I walked over to where the skip was sitting and didn't even pretend to be there for a different reason.
"Hey," I said in my sexiest voice.
He turned to look at the newest interruption from his drink. He doesn't look like he has had many interrupts from the way he reeked of booze. "Why hello sexy," he slurred.
"What are you doing all alone in this place? A handsome man like you shouldn't be here all by yourself," I purred.
"My sentiment exactly, so you should stick around." It was then I felt the clammy hand on my thigh and to my great surprise it was moving up. I tried not to squirm in disgust and was able to knock his hand off and lean towards him looking interested at the same time. I gave myself a mental pat on the back.
"What do you say to leaving this dive and going back to my place?" I asked hoping he would take the bait and I would get to go home and relax.
He grabbed me then half dragging half carried me out the back exit. I was so startled that I yelped. For someone so drunk, he was strong and fast. The second we got into the ally he pushed me up against the brick wall making me bump my head so hard it bounced off a couple of times. This isn't going to be good I thought to myself and I unconsciously clutched my stomach to protect my baby.
He noticed this action and asked if I already had a bun in the oven and before I could even answer he punched me right where I was already holding.
"I don't do it with Bitches already knocked up. So lets take care of the problem and then get to the good stuff."
He punched me again and right before the third time his eyes got wide and he slumped to the floor. Tank was standing behind him with a stun gun in his hand. I have no clue how much time went by before Tank got there, I'm assuming not much, but it felt like forever.
I started to slide down the brick wall pretty sure I had a concussion.
"Miss Plum," Tank exclaimed as he kneeled next to me.
"Mr. Tank," I was able to get out before I passed out still clutching my womb.
Chapter 6
I woke up to a killer headache. When I finally got up the energy to open my eyes, all I saw was a fluorescent light blinking down on me. I turned my head slightly to the right and thought what pretty stars. I decided the best course of action was to rest my eyes.
When I woke up again, I heard arguing outside my door. Without even opening my eyes I could decipher one of the voices as Tank and the other, by my superior detective abilities, to be my doctor. He was trying to explain to Tank that he wasn't allowed to discuss my condition with anyone but family. Tank I'm sure was freaking out because he was going to have to give Ranger an update and without any information he wasn't going to be a happy camper.
I was pretty proud of the doctor because he didn't give in. He excused himself from Tank and I heard the door open and close. Slowly I opened my eyes to see smiling eyes looking back at me. He reminded me of my grandfather and his presence soothed me.
"I see we are finally awake Miss Plum. You have been unconscious for 24 hours, but you are out of danger and everything looks fine," He said looking into my eyes and making me fallow his finger while he moved it all around. "You will have quite a headache for a while with that goose egg on your head."
Suddenly I became fully aware of what happened and my hands went to my stomach once again. Who knew that anybody could develop motherly instincts in two weeks.
"My baby! Is my baby OK?" I asked. I closed my eyes again afraid of his answer. I knew that in the first stages of pregnancy it is easy to loose the baby and after the pounding I received it was a huge possibility.
He took my hand and said, "Oh dear do not worry. It was mentioned by the large man outside that there was a possibility you may be pregnant. I took the liberty to make sure and everything seems in order and there is no need to worry. You are very much still pregnant and from what I can tell this one is a fighter. You gave several gentlemen in the waiting room quite a scare. Legally I am not allowed to tell them anything, but with your permission I can let them know your condition."
I thought about it for a second. "Please only inform them that I am to make a full recovery, but do not mention the pregnancy."
"My Dear, please get some more sleep and depending on another examination you should be able to go home tomorrow, but you have to promise to take it easy. I know your reputation Bombshell." He winked at me and was off.
Shocked would have been putting it lightly. Normally I would have shaken my head to clear it, but instead I did as I was told and closed my eyes. It didn't take long for sleep to claim me.
When I woke up, instead of finding smiling eyes, I found dark stormy eyes staring at me. Ranger.
"Babe," Ranger said in a flat dead tone.
"Ranger," I tried to be just as emotionless in my voice and from the slight frown that appeared, I would say I succeeded.
"What were you thinking doing a distraction job?" he asked in the deceptively quiet voice. I almost didn't hear him, but I did and instead of scared I was getting mad.
"Have to pay rent somehow." This was said through clenched teeth. I had to relax my jaw because it was causing my head to throb.
"I told you I would deal with that. You need to listen better when I talk to you."
"I heard everything I needed to hear during that conversation." It was a snap decision and I said looking away from his face, "Well that conversation is now irrelevant and I am no longer your obligation."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean Stephanie?" His voice only went up a fraction, but for Ranger he might as well have screamed that question.
"There is no more baby Ranger." Tears were flowing down my cheeks and I'm not sure whether I was making the right choice or not, but I will never know because he got up and walked out of our lives.
(The telling Ranger that she lost the baby idea came from Fools Rush In with Salma Hayek and Matthew Perry. Whenever I saw that movie I always put Ranger and Steph into their places.)
(Yet again I know nothing of what doctors can and can't do and I am happy to pretend that there are doctors with this type of bedside manner. I can keep pretending, so don't spoil it for me.)
Please Please Please review and let me know what you think! What do you think will happen with Ranger? What do you want to happen to Ranger? Thanks!
