Again, much thanks to Crist0819 for her fantastic beta work.

Chapter 4 - Steph's POV

I was sitting on the couch between Lester and Hector when Tank came out of his office. I knew he was talking to Ranger and tried to gauge his emotions. It wasn't fair of me to ask him to drop that kind of bomb on someone, but I just wasn't ready to deal with Ranger right now.

He gave me a small smile and opened his mouth just before his phone rang again. He looked at the screen but answered it without moving. "Yo." Nodding, he listened for a few seconds then responded, "Okay, bring it all over."

The thought of someone coming over made me nervous. I wasn't sure I was up to seeing anyone and didn't really want anyone to see me in this battered state. Hector sensed my tension and put his arm around my shoulder, pulling me into his side and kissing my head.

Tank squatted down in front of me. "Ram and Woody are coming over to bring your purse. Your phone was still inside, but your credit cards and cash are gone. They're also bringing some food from Ella. If you don't want to see them, I won't let them inside."

I started wringing my hands as I thought about what he was saying. I didn't want to hurt the guys' feelings, but I wasn't sure I wanted to see them either. I knew I couldn't take a hug from them right now. I was okay with Lester, Hector, Bobby and Tank touching me, even craved Tank's reassuring embrace but the idea of any other man touching me right now seemed to be too much.

"Little Girl, it's okay. They won't hurt you, but you don't have to see them either." Tank's hands rested on top of mine.

"They can come inside, it's okay. They're my friends, I know." I let out a deep breath and stood up wanting to use the restroom before Ram and Woody arrived. Tank helped me stand and nodded.

In the bathroom, I took a long look at myself. The swelling in my face had gone down, but there was no doubt that I looked like I'd gone a few rounds with Tank. Tank's sweatshirt covered the scratches and bruises on my chest and arms. I took a deep breath before descending the stairs, in hopes that I could face Ram and Woody without breaking down.

Bobby had made me some tea, which I was sipping at the kitchen table when there was a knock at the door. The noise made me jump, I knew I was safe and that there would be company, but still my nerves were totally on edge.

Tank got up to get the door but I grabbed his wrist. I wanted him to stay close, I knew it was just more Merry Men but I felt better when Tank was near. He looked to Lester who nodded and got the door while I followed Tank into the living room. I tried to stand to his side but found myself inching behind his large body, seeking a hiding spot as much as security.

Ram and Woody came inside, took one look at me and immediately slammed on their blank faces. Woody had my purse in his hands and took a few steps toward me, causing me to gasp slightly and move even further behind Tank. I knew it was ridiculous, but couldn't control the motion.

"Darlin' what did he do to you?" Woody's eyes flashed with rage and hurt as he took in my bruises and obvious desire to hide.

I shook my head, unable to answer the question. "Thank you for finding my purse," were the only words I could find and even those made my voice crack. Tank's hand reached for mine and gave me a tiny squeeze, allowing me to at least stop myself from crying.

Hector took my purse from Woody and held it in his hand as they did the silent communication thing. I hated thinking that I wasn't being nice to them, but I just couldn't dig anything up from my depleted well to give them right now.

"Damien Robbins called RangeMan looking for Steph." Ram's jaw was tight as he made eye contact with Tank. A shiver worked through my body at that news. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that he was looking for me, but the knowledge that he even contacted RangeMan for me ratcheted up my level of fear. I couldn't be sure if he was looking for me to assuage any guilt over his plan going wrong or to hurt me further.

I could my body start to shake as I thought about any plans Damien might have for me. Tank's thumb ran across the back of my hand returning to me the present and reminding me that I was safe with him and the rest of the Merry Men. Bobby moved closer and took a box from Ram's hands. "Who took the call and what did they tell him?" Bobby's tone was devoid of any of his usual compassion.

"Binkie took the call and he told Robbins that Steph was off today. Robbins didn't leave a message." Ram's eyes cut to me quickly and I saw a flash of sadness and rage before the blank face came back.

Bobby nodded before Lester led them to the door. They talked quietly before Ram and Woody gave me a soft smile and waved goodbye. The door closed and Tank turned, taking me in his arms as I shivered a bit. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to be cold to them, I guess I'm just not quite ready for company yet."

Tank's hands rubbed a path up and down my spine as I relaxed into him. "It's alright, Steph. I'm sure they understand."

He led me to the couch where Hector handed me my purse. "They dusted for prints, Chica."

I nodded assuming that all of RangeMan was looking for clues. I opened my purse and found my wallet empty except for my license and some customer cards. "I'll need to cancel my credit cards." The guys murmured in agreement as I pulled out my phone and began looking through my missed calls.

There were calls from my mom and Lula, but they hadn't left messages. Damien had called a dozen times since last night and left several messages. My muscles tensed up as the sight of his name caused a flood of memories to crash upon me. "Damien left some messages."

I heard a growl but wasn't sure who it came from. I started wringing my hands again. I knew I needed to listen to the messages, let the guys hear them, but wasn't sure I could take listening to his voice. The panic that had been at the edge of my brain started to invade and take over as I looked at Tank. He tucked a curl loose curl behind my ear and gave me a smile.

Holding the phone in my shaking hands, I put it on speaker and dialed voice mail. The second I heard Damien's voice a tear leaked out of my eye. Tank put his arm around me and I moved the rest of the way, situating myself onto his lap. I listened to Damien's messages and watched as each of the jaws of my friends twitched with anger.

The last message was more frantic than the previous but the words were mostly the same. "Steph, this is Damien again. I don't know what happened to you at The Bluemoon last night and I'm worried. Please call me as soon as you get this message. Please let me know you're alright."

Leaning my head onto Tank's chest, I let out a deep breath. "The Merry Men haven't found him yet, have they?"

Tank kissed my forehead but I could feel him shaking his head no. Bobby gave me a sad smile before explaining. "He's at the fire station and we'll tail him if he leaves."

I nodded understanding that they would get him the minute they could, but as usual they were exercising discretion. Les smiled and stood up, "Let's see what goodies Ella sent along." I assumed that food was in the box Ram had given Bobby.

Ella had sent along some sandwiches, chips, and fruit for lunch as well as some covered dishes for dinner that the guys stuck in the fridge. There was also a decadent looking chocolate cake, but I just didn't have any appetite, I barely ate half my sandwich despite the guys urging to keep my strength up.

An idea took hold in my brain and as much as it terrified me, I felt like it needed to be done. I wanted the guys to get with Damien, wanted them to find out what he knew and on some level wanted them to teach him a lesson. "I should go to my apartment later and call Damien." I blurted it out without preparing them for my latest scheme.

Tank's hand instantly gripped at my knee obviously not liking the idea and the shocked faces of Lester, Hector, and Bobby let me know they didn't like it either. I took in a deep breath and spoke before any of them could interrupt. "I don't want to do this, don't want to see him, but I can call him and meet him there. You guys can nab him the minute he gets behind closed doors and then I'll leave."

Lester was shaking his head. "I don't like this, Beautiful." Despite his protests, I could tell that he knew it was a workable and discrete plan.

"I don't like it either." My voice got angry and tearful at the same time. "I just want to get to some kind of resolution, please."

"Okay, Steph." Bobby's calm voice and eyes soothed me a bit. "Let us work out a plan, huh and then we'll talk about it some more."

Letting out a deep breath, I nodded, knowing that they would make sure to have every contingency covered. "Can I take a nap while you talk?" I was so tired and knew that if I was going to do this, was going to face Damien even for a few seconds that I'd need some energy.

"Of course, Little Girl." Tank stood up, pulling me up with him and leading me to his bedroom.

He helped me sit on the bed and kissed my temple. "Is there anything else you need, Steph?" His hand rested on my neck as his eyes searched mine.

I chewed on my lip, afraid of asking for what I needed, afraid that I was being too clingy. "Um, could you, uh..."

Cupping my cheeks in his hands, he gave me a small smile. "Whatever it is, I'll do it. Just tell me what you need."

"Could you lie here with me, next to me until I fall asleep? I know you want to figure out a plan but just for a bit, stay here, please." I looked down at the bed, unable to meet his eyes, afraid of rejection or awkwardness.

"Sure, Little Girl." He tilted my chin up to look at him, before lying back on the bed and opening his arms to me. I laid my head on his chest and breathed a huge sigh of relief as his arm held my body against his.

"Get some rest, Steph." He kissed the top of my head.

"If you figure out a plan for tricking Damien, you'll be beside me the whole time, won't you?" I didn't think I could handle talking to Damien, let alone seeing him without Tank next to me.

"Steph, I promise, I'll be right next to you and we won't leave you alone with him for even a second." His arm tightened around me.

I sat up and allowed my hand to caress his jaw while I looked deep into his eyes. I needed to be able to read him and let him know I needed the absolute brutal truth to my next question. "Are you going to kill Damien?"

His eyes flashed with rage and I felt his hand make a fist against my back. "I'm not sure yet. He will be hurt but I'm not sure about dead." His eyes searched mine as he talked. "Would that make you feel safe, Steph? If he was wiped from the earth, would that give you some security? I'll do anything to make you feel safe, to give you peace."

I shook my head. "I don't know if that's what I want. I don't like you all having to do something like that for me. I do want to know what he was thinking and I do want him to feel afraid, want him to understand on some level what I'm feeling, is that wrong?"

"Oh he'll feel fear and pain, believe that. I'll also get to the bottom of just what in the hell he was thinking. He'll talk or I'll make him." Tank's voice was more of a growl than I'd ever heard. "I think it's natural, not wrong that you want him to understand what he put you through. I'm going to make sure he understands, Little Girl."

"Do you think Damien has done this to other women?" I couldn't imagine someone else going through what I was at the moment and I knew I didn't want anyone else to suffer through it in the future.

"I don't know Steph. He may have set women up to be harassed but not raped. We did a background search on him and it didn't turn up anything at all, let alone something like this." His answer surprised me and he knew it. "You didn't think you could go on a date with someone without us checking him out did you?" He didn't apologize or act embarrassed and I guess on some level I did know that the Merry Men would always be protective of me.

"What about the man who raped me? Assuming you find him, I mean." I knew the guys had precious little to go on and that my rapist may never be found.

Tank's hands cupped my cheeks. "We will find that fucker and he will suffer." I saw the truth in his eyes; my rapist would suffer before dying. On some level, I felt relief about that and I knew that made me a monster of some sort, but it also made me feel some panic about what would happen to Tank.

"I don't want any of you to get in trouble. I couldn't survive it of you were taken from me in order to keep me safe."

"Don't worry about us Little Girl." He kissed my nose and guided me to his chest again. "Get some sleep."

Wrapping my arm around his side, I gave him a small squeeze. "You're my rock, you know Tank. I mean you were before this happened, but even more now. I don't want to be a burden, you'll tell me if I'm too needy won't you?"

He let out a sigh with those words, his fingers tracing the hairline on my face. "Stephanie, you are the light of my life. You are not, nor could you ever be a burden to me." I let my eyes close as the lull of his chest rising and falling beneath me gave me the security I needed to rest my weary mind and body.

Damien was watching me struggle from the front seat as my attacker held me down; his body nestled between my legs. I screamed for help, begged Damien to stop the assault, but he just watched with curiousity but did nothing to help. I screamed again and heard Tank calling for me, I knew if I could just scream louder that he'd hear me and help.

"Wake up, Steph. You're safe, it's just a nightmare." My eyes flew open as I gasped for air. Tank was kneeling on the bed next to me, his eyes concerned as his hands rubbed my arms. I threw myself into his arms, grateful to be in his bed and not back in that car.

He held me until I stopped shaking, whispering words of comfort and promises of safety. When I regained some composure, he pulled back and looked into my eyes. "Want to talk about it?"

"I was back in the car, this time Damien was watching the man attack me from the front seat." I wiped the tears from my eyes and tried to give him a smile. "How long have I been asleep?"

"A few hours." He rested his forehead on mine, his arms keeping me against his body. "I'm sorry your sleep is so tortured Steph. It'll get better with time."

I nodded and took a deep breath. "Were you able to come up with a plan for tonight? Am I going to call Damien?" I tried to force some bravery behind my words.

Tank let out a long breath through pursed lips and nodded. "Are you sure you want to do this Steph? You'll only have to talk to him for a few seconds on the phone and then through your apartment door. We'll knock him out and get you out before he wakes up."

"You'll be the the entire time, right?"

"I promise." His gaze held mine leaving no doubt that he wasn't going to leave my side

"Then I can do it. I don't want to be around when he wakes up or when you all talk to him."

"We don't want you there either, Little Girl." He gave me a smirk and I was reminded that he and the rest of the Merry Men were fierce warriors but rarely let me see their darkest sides.

"Do I have to come back here by myself after you get Damien?" I didn't think I could handle being alone at night just yet and the knowledge of my fear only seemed to make me panic more.

Tank sensed my distress and kissed my forehead. "No, one of the four of us will stay here with you at all times until you're sick of us, okay?"

I nodded. "Thank you." My whispered voice betrayed the desperation I tried to hide. "Alright, let's go get a rundown of this plan and then I'll get ready to go." I stood up from Tank's embrace and did my best to ready myself to do what needed to be done tonight.