I'm so sorry for the long wait. Good news, however, is that I'm done with the semester and have a full month to work on this story and continue re-writing another one of mine. So, hopefully, I can have more chapters posted of both quicker. As for those wishing this would be over around New Year, it would take a miracle. So, enough said. Read and I hope you review!
CHAPTER NINE
Lester had barely reached Bobby's car before he left. Once his door slammed shut, Bobby gunned the engine and took off, not waiting for Lester to buckle his seat belt. He finally managed to buckle it and turned to Bobby.
"Damn boy. I'm worried about her too but you don't have to kill us before we find her. Geeze. So, where do you want to start looking?" Bobby turned to him and clenched his jaw.
"I don't know Lester. Not yet. I'm going to call in a few favors and see if I can track her down. You want to do the same?" Lester nodded his head and unclipped the phone from his belt and dialed a familiar number. He grinned when the person on the other end picked up.
"Dequan, my man! Quick question, do you have a chic with you named Stephanie? You'd know her when you saw her. Total bombshell. Yea, that bombshell." On the other end, Dequan started grinning. He held his finger to his lips and motioned for Steph and Bryan to take a break. Stephanie glanced at him in confusion before walking-actually limping-to the bench where she put her towel and bottle of water earlier.
"Naw Lester. I don't have a girl named Stephanie here. Today. However, I do have a little bombshell named Tiffany here. Wanna talk to her?" Dequan laughed at the wide eyes and pissed off look he was getting from Steph. His attention turned back to his conversation when he heard Lester laughing.
"Hey buddy, I gots to go if ya know what I mean." Lester grinned and closed his phone.
"Well Bobby, your cousin doesn't have her. Now what?" Bobby sighed and continued looking at the road. He'd already made his calls and was trying to piece together something that one of his contacts had said. Needless to say, Lester's question was tuned out.
Lester glared and stared at Bobby, hoping that would make him talk. When that didn't work, he resorted to tapping his foot. He snorted in disgust. This was a clear sign that he was around Stephanie way too much. Not that he minded it mind you. Bobby glanced over at him and twitched his lips into a semi-smile.
"Well Lester, I guess we start cruising streets and asking questions. Hopefully someone has seen her. I mean, it's not that easy to miss her." Lester nodded and sighed. It would be a long night.
*
Stephanie walked over to Dequan and sat beside him, waiting for him to start talking. Five minutes passed in complete silence. The growing audience made her eye twitch. She received a raised eyebrow for that. It was the final straw and she snapped.
"Well, what the hell was that all about?! Why did Lester call you and who the hell is Tiffany?!" Dequan laughed and leaned over to pull her into a one-armed hug.
"Well honey, it seems like Bobby and Lester are looking for you. To keep them from coming over to check for themselves, I basically told them that I had company. Steph nodded and stood up to walk over to Bryan. She grinned and caught him in a hold he had shown her earlier. Dequan smiled and watched the two, yelling out advice now and then, changing holds and explaining them at other times.
The next hour went like this with amusing scenes thrown in to spice things up. The last one was what prompted Dequan to end the training session. Bryan had put Stephanie into a hold that she couldn't get out of. By then, she was getting frustrated and decided to play dirty. She grabbed him and twisted. He howled like a wolf and dropped to the floor, folding up into a fetal position. Stephanie smiled and stood back, daring him to get back up for more. Dequan walked over to them and cringed at the painful expression on Bryan's face. He held out a hand to him and had it nearly bitten off in the process.
Stephanie smirked and walked over to her water and drained it. She glanced back and saw Bryan picking himself off the floor very carefully. Stephanie actually sighed and readied herself to offer an apology, hoping her head would still be attached at the end. Bryan backed away from her as she started over to them. Stephanie sighed and let a mental grin slip into place.
"I'm sorry Bryan. I didn't mean to hurt you too much, just enough to make you let me go. Forgive me?" Bryan cautiously nodded and headed over to the ladder and carefully climbed it, groaning every few steps. Stephanie stood watching him and turned to Dequan when he walked over.
"You know that you should call Bobby and Lester right? I'm sure that they're pretty worried by now." Stephanie sighed and nodded her head. She knew that she had to make the call, but was already dreading every second of it.
*
Bobby slammed his hand on the wheel in front of him, snarling in frustration. Lester watched him with a bored expression on his face.
"You do know that we're getting nowhere right? Maybe we should try calling her cell phone again?" Bobby cut his eyes to Lester and bared his teeth.
"Do you not think that I haven't thought of that already? You know as well as I do that she won't pick it up. Now, where to next?" Lester sighed and started to answer when Bobby's cell phone started going off with the 'Wonder Woman' theme song. Bobby practically snatched the phone from the dash in front of him and almost broke it when he flipped it open.
"Where the hell are you Stephanie Plum?! You've got me going nuts trying to find you. Now, answer me dammit!" Stephanie smiled at the tone of his voice and started talking calmly.
"Now now Bobby. You have to calm down. Remember your blood pressure." Bobby snarled into the phone and growled when he heard Stephanie's soft laugher. Lester sat beside him, amused from the conversation he could here. Stephanie decided to give in and tell him a kernel of truth.
"I'm already on my way out the door. I'll be back at the apartment in about ten minutes. Will you go back now and quit prowling around Stark Street. You're starting to scare some people. Please?" Bobby sighed and closed his eyes.
"Alright. Just come to my room when you get in so I know you got back. I also want to check you over and make sure that you didn't get hurt. Got it?" Stephanie laughed and told him that she'd be there as soon as she got in. Bobby flipped his phone closed and turned the truck around to head back to Haywood. He glanced over to see Lester's smirking face.
"Not a word Santos. Nothing." Lester grinned and wisely kept his mouth shut. They reached the building in record time. Lester carefully exited the truck and stretched, working the knots out of his back. Bobby stayed seated, debating on whether or not to wait for Stephanie there or in his apartment. He was startled when a knock came from his window. He looked out to see Lester's smiling face.
"What?" Lester grinned and rocked back on his heels.
"Nothing much. Just wanted to give you a heads up tho. You do know that if you're still sitting out here when she pulls in she'll have your ass for not trusting her word right?" Bobby frowned and opened the door, hitting Lester in the gut in the process. Bobby grinned and headed to the elevator, pushing the button for the fourth floor. He heard Lester grumbling behind him as he pushed open the door leading to the stairwell.
"You do know that you could've held the door for me, right?" Bobby shrugged and opened the door to his room, shutting it in Lester's face. Oh yea. Stephanie was in for it when he saw her. Right now, he was pissed off enough to maybe, just maybe, tan her hide for the stunt she pulled. Her ass was his.