Been working on this chapter all throughout the day. Grab a seat and get ready…
Again, thanks for the amazing support;)
Disclaimer: The Plum universe belongs to JE.
We tried going over the map right away, but kept getting distracted. Okay, I couldn't concentrate with a naked Ranger within reach.
We showered and shared ideas over a bite to eat.
"Your apartment isn't necessarily in the middle of the activity, but it's pretty close." Ranger commented. "So far, it looks like this guy's been avoiding Rangeman."
"Because he probably knows he won't stand a chance." I said.
"What are all these other papers for?" Ranger flipped through the sheets, reading off flower names.
"I wanted to do a little research of my own." I shook my head, telling him there was conflicting information online. "I wanted to confer with Lester, but he won't be available until later."
"It would help if we knew who we're dealing with."
"Yeah. He's kept his identity a secret."
We sat in silence thinking until we decided to be a little more productive.
Ranger was driving down Hamilton, heading to that flower shop Lester told us about when my cell phone rang. It was Mr. Wolesky and he sounded...odd.
"Chickie, I know your young but you should bring down the noise. I can barely hear my TV."
I frowned until I understood what he was saying.
"I'll take care of it." I hung up and turned to Ranger. "Someone's in my apartment."
He gave me an almost imperceptible nod at the same he turned off Hamilton.
"I wanna come with." I stated.
Ranger drove to my apartment and got there in record time mostly because he stretched a lot of traffic laws. He parked at the edge of the lot, shooting a quick glance at my window.
"You will follow my orders." Ranger said, handing me the Baby Glock and the keys to the Turbo. "If I signal you, you'll call for backup and get back to Rangeman."
"What?" I shook my head. "I'm not leaving you."
"Yes, you will." Ranger gave me a pointed look. "Babe." He warned before I even put up a fight.
"Why don't we wait for backup then?" I offered, but Ranger was having none of it.
"Stay close." He told me as we took the stairs. I followed him down the hall, staying with him as if we were glued at the hip. When we reached my door, Ranger expertly worked on the lock and went inside. He didn't have to tell me to wait, I already knew.
I was standing just barely inside my foyer, gun raised. I couldn't hear Ranger moving through my apartment over the roar in my head. I gripped the gun with both hands and waited, willing myself to stay focused.
"Babe!" Ranger's shout reverberated from the bedroom back to me. A chill ran up my spine just as a flash of light shook my apartment.
"Ranger!" I activated the panic button on my key-ring, but before I had a chance to do much else my instincts put me on alert. A door opened behind me and quick footsteps reached me in a heartbeat. A jolt cursed through me and everything went dark.
S&R
I had no idea how much time had passed by the time I started to come back. Through the haze I realized I'd been stun-gunned. I let out a half groan of annoyance and discomfort.
"Shshsh." A soothing voice whispered, sending another shiver through me. Or maybe I was still experiencing the aftershocks. I opened my eyes, blinked back tears and tried to focus.
I was in a car and though the surroundings looked familiar, I couldn't concentrate on any of the passing street signs. When I tried to move I discovered I was strapped in and kept in place with a thick rope around my middle, just below my breasts.
"I didn't want it to be this way." At the sound of the voice I turned my head to face the driver. A woman with a striking profile was behind the wheel.
"Who are you?" I asked after clearing my throat a few times.
"We'll have time for that soon." She spared me a quick glance. In that fleeting moment I had the feeling that I'd meet this woman before, but just couldn't place her at the moment.
"Ranger…" I mumbled, trying to twist around in my seat. He's come to my rescue on more than one occasion, but I don't know if he's hurt.
"Don't worry." She flashed me a smile. "He won't bother us anymore."
I felt my heart skip a beat at the thought of never seeing Ranger again. If he was okay, then I wouldn't currently be in the hands of a crazy.
S&R
I decided my best option at the moment was to focus on my surroundings. I kept track of the streets and was able to recognize when we entered Hamilton Township.
She wound around a residential area, pulling into a driveway. She punched a remote control on the console and the attached garage door slid up.
The car came to a stop and I watched the woman exit and jog around the car. She wrenched open my door, the seatbelt sliding back on the frame to allow me to exit.
"Don't even think about it." She trained Ranger's Baby Glock on me, urging me to get out. My arms were pinned to my sides, but my legs were free to swing out of the car. Considering my options were very limited, I didn't try an escape. But I did start filing away anything that could possibly be an escape route.
I had some trouble standing up, but I managed it with minimal help. There was a door that opened into the house and as soon as I took my first step inside I was greeted with a mixture of scents. I sneezed a couple of times, unable to help it due to the amount of flowers in the kitchen.
"Sit." I was guided to a chair and as I tried to control my sneezing, she moved to open the small kitchen window. "Want something to drink?"
I shook my head, brushing against a bundle of red Tulips in the process. I snapped my gaze back to the woman before me. "Do I know you?" I asked, tracking my eyes over her. She was just as tall as me with a slightly darker skin complexion than mine. I think she could be Latina, but I couldn't be one-hundred percent sure. I had a feeling like I've seen her before…
"It's been a long time." She flashed me a smile, making those toothpaste commercial models seem lacking in comparison. "Angelina Martinez, but maybe you'd remember me as Dominguez."
Dominquez, Dominguez… And then it came to me. Back when I was married to Dickie we had dinner with one of his clients, a Rafael Dominguez and his wife. I can remember it because it was perhaps the only business outing I went to before the divorce.
I studied the woman before me, finally knowing who she is but not understanding what she wants with me.
"Wh-what is this about?" I maybe crossed three words with her in the past and I can't imagine what sort of business she has with me now.
"I wanted to do this differently." Angelina blushed, moving to take the chair across from mine. "I guess starting at the beginning would help, right?" She let out a nervous little laugh and I joined in, hoping I sounded convincing.
"Yes, it would." I forced out a smile, nodding for her to begin. Perhaps if I got her talking I can convince her to untie me.
