Thanks for the awesome support on the last chapter. Ranger's gonna make the right choice. Doesn't mean he'll have it that easy though.
Finished Tricky 22 and although I liked a few aspects of the book, I still feel like there was something missing. The ending was quite disappointing…
Disclaimer: The Plum universe belongs to JE.
The sound of her laughter drifted down the hall, spilling into my office. I left my door open for that exact reason. Mind still whirring from last night's events, I bolted out of my chair. I had to catch her before she slipped away. She tends to avoid me for some time after we spend the night together. Well, not today. There has to be something behind her leaving me cuffed. It was a message. Of that I'm sure.
Because of client meetings for me and installation jobs for her I've yet to spot her this morning. So when I heard her voice I knew it was now or never.
"Babe." I caught her just as she exited the control room with Woody by her side. She was wearing the standard Rangeman uniform of cargo pants and T-shirt. Upon closer inspection I realized it was my T-shirt she was wearing. It had the newer logo, which means she must have commandeered it last night before leaving. Despite the loose fit her curves still made a brief appearance here and there when she moved.
"Boss." Woody said nervously, obviously noticing the heat of my stare on her.
Was I blatantly undressing her with my eyes? Hell yes.
"Ranger." She nodded in acknowledgement, scanning me from head to toe. Those blue eyes sparkled with mischief as she noted my bare wrists. A hint of a smile escaped her. Of course she knew getting out of the cuffs would be a walk in the park for me.
I invited her up to my apartment. "For lunch." My barely there grin was hint enough of what awaited her upstairs.
"Oh, uhmm…" She glanced at Woody, unfazed by my innuendo. "I'm having lunch with the guys. Les is buying."
"You're invited, of course." Woody added, detecting my displeasure. It was probably rolling off me in waves. She was avoiding being alone with me. Not a good sign.
"Great." I accepted the invite. "Ride with me." I told her.
"I'm riding with Woody." She countered.
"I don't mind." Smart Woody.
"My bag's in your truck." She told Woody, making a point to remind him of their afternoon installs.
Yeah, she was avoiding me big time. But before I could argue my cell buzzed with a text from Tank.
Sampson is requesting you. Only you.
I blew out a sigh of annoyance. Sampson is an elite client and this morning he requested our protection services for his partner. I didn't want to deal with anything other than Babe at the moment, but Sampson is a big account not just here in Trenton but also for the Miami office. Fuck.
"I guess duty's a calling." Babe said with a finger wave as she and Woody made their moves to head out.
As I watched her load the elevator I couldn't help but smile. I'll get you later, Babe. She can't run from me. Not this time.
S&R
I'm not sure if this was some twisted joke the universe had in store for me, but damn I probably deserve it. Sampson's partner turned out to be none other than Richard Orr. My job is to protect Babe's ex-husband. Yeah, had to be some sort of cosmic joke.
And that joke turned into torture when Joyce Barnhardt showed up to keep Orr company.
I've bumped into her in the past. On her short lived stint as a bounty hunter, to be exact. No one ever knew, at least not from my lips, but she showed up at my building once. She told Ram in the lobby she had urgent information in relation to Babe. I authorized her entrance to the building. Big mistake. She stripped down in my office, offering me a 'wild time' in exchange for my bounty hunting knowledge. In a previous time I might have accepted, but there's only one bounty hunter I'll ever help, sex or no sex. After that embarrassing meeting, for her, she's held a grudge against me. I'm not sure what methods Ella used to get her dressed and out the door, but it's obvious Joyce wasn't a fan.
"Want some, hot one?" She purred my way once she climbed off Orr's lap. They'd just shared some weird mouth sucking type kiss. "I won't tell Stephanie." Her eerie laugh bounced off the walls, causing a few of my men to shiver.
"Jesus, you're with Stephanie now?" Orr shook his head as if to pity me.
And in that moment I realized something. I always thought Babe's insecurities stemmed from Morelli, but it's obvious the root of most, if not all, is sitting right before me. She married him and that blew up in her face real fast. All the men in her life have been idiots. I might just take the number one spot. Hell, Morelli and Orr are both natural born assholes. But I chose to be one every time I used qualifiers for my love or told her to go back to her 'boyfriend'. Damn. I fucked up.
"You could be with anyone, but you chose her?" Orr's sickening snort of laughter snapped me out of my thoughts. "Man, she's got so many rules. She won't even su…"
I didn't let him finish that thought. I yanked him by the collar of his shirt and lifted him in the air until we were at eye level. "I find out you so much as think about her, I'll hunt you down and dispose of you like the trash you are." I gave him a firm shake, just hard enough to scare the crap out of him. "She's mine. Got it?"
"Ye-yes." Orr was scared shitless. Good. That ought to teach him.
I'd just gotten behind the wheel of the Turbo when my phone rang. It was Tank. "Yo." I answered.
His laughter spilled into my ear. "Hector just sent me a video." More laughter. "His face was priceless!" Tank doesn't laugh much, but when he does the levees break and it turns uncontrollable. "You headed to her?" The laughter was still there, but somewhat controlled. I didn't need to answer. He knew I was. "Good. About time." He let out one last chuckle before getting down to business. "Her trackers put her in her apartment." Before hanging up Tank said he'd make alternate arrangements with Sampson.
I drove straight to her apartment, ready to make my move. We're not normal. A conventional relationship might never work, but one fitted to our lifestyles just might.
Her bedroom light was on. Good, I thought.
Like usual, I let myself in. The apartment was dark, except for the light spilling from her bedroom. Determined, I marched towards the light.
To my surprise I didn't find the woman I was looking for. Instead of Babe, a slightly shorter and rounder at the hips woman was sitting on the edge of the bed. She was wearing a silky bathrobe and sipping red wine. The bottle, still mostly full by the looks of it, rested on the side table next to an empty glass. She was expecting some else.
"Hi!" She said tipsily. "I'm Mary Lou." Her words were slightly slurred. Probably a lightweight drinker just like Babe. "You must be Mr. Dark Tall and Handsome." A crooked smile left her lips. "Damn, Steph wasn't lying when she said you were Batman." A drunken giggle escaped. "Anyway, she told me to give you this."
I felt like someone had yanked the floor beneath my combat boot-clad feet. She left. I'm too late. Babe made a run for it. With a shaky hand, something I'll never admit to the general public, I took the envelope Mary Lou handed me. A mixture of emotions flooded me as I tore the envelope. Holding my breath, I took out the contents.
The first item was a photograph. Babe was at the beach, probably the Jersey shore from the looks of it, wearing a very flattering two piece bikini. The photo wasn't recent. Had to be from before I met her, because her perfect ass was bullet-scar free. Like I said, the bikini was flattering… in that it showed a lot of skin.
The second item was a post card from the Newark Airport with her handwriting.
I'm somewhere on a beach. Bring shorts if you decide to follow…
"Somewhere on a beach?" I stared at the post card for several beats. This woman wants me to lose my sanity. A beach? Fucking where?
"Steph said you'd know." Mary Lou supplied cryptically. Or maybe the alcohol already had her floored. Hard to tell.
I heard the front door open and close, followed by running footsteps. "Sorry, couldn't find parking." A gangly man said, panting as he rushed into the bedroom. He stopped short when he spotted me.
"Steph paid for an all-night babysitter." Mary Lou shot me a pointed look as she cocked her head towards the other man. Her husband quite possibly. They both wore matching wedding bands. "So…"
"Hey, man." Mary Lou's husband clapped his hands, joining his wife's efforts to get me out of there. "Go find your woman." And with that I ceased to exist to the two of them.
Based on how they looked at each other, it's possible they'll have an addition to their family several months from now. As I headed out of the apartment I made the mental note to have Ella send a cleaning crew when those two were done.
Hands on hips I scanned the deserted parking lot. A beach? Glancing at the post card one more time, hoping to find a new clue, was useless. "Oh Babe." I sighed. This woman really will be the death of me. "A beach, beach, beach, beach….a beach!" There's only one beach she could be talking about.
And it's in Hawaii.
