For Fortune and Love

Chapter Eleven

After Tank left, Ranger walked over and undid two of the buttons on my blouse. I knew the drill. Ranger took surgical tape and stuck down a wire between my breasts. This can be an almost orgasmic experience, but tonight it was far more clinical. Neither of us wanted a repeat of earlier. He finished taping down the wire and absently brushed his thumb over my nipple. Ranger couldn't help but be sensual it was just in his nature. He looked like he was about to say something but then he quickly buttoned my blouse and stepped away.

We went down in the elevator and met Tank on the fifth floor. I was to ride with Tank and Ranger was going to be somewhere in the shadows watching and waiting. We got on the elevator and went to the garage. I went to get in the SUV with Tank. I stopped and turned around locking eyes with Ranger for a long moment. I was afraid for Ranger. I didn't want him to go, but I did a little two finger salute and turned and got in the SUV with Tank and we drove away.

"Ranger will be fine" Tank said. I prayed that he was right.

Tank let me off at the bar and I went inside. It was an upscale bar but not very busy. I let my eyes adjust in the dim light and spotted Tim Harris.

He was big. Probably over six feet and had muscles clearly acquired in the gym. He wasn't a good-looking guy. He had a broad forehead and a flat nose. His eyes were small, flat and mean. He was dressed in a gray suit and wore a pinky ring.

I took a calming breath and went over and took a seat near him at the bar and ordered a martini letting my skirt ride up my leg. It took about thirty seconds for him to zone in on my leg and about thirty seconds more for his eyes to make it to my breasts. He never did look at my face.

He twirled me around on my barstool to face him and pushed a thigh between my knees. It was revolting. He was revolting, but I pasted what I hoped was a seductive smile on my face and appraised his body slowly, successfully squelching my gag reflex until our eyes met. "Hey there" I said.

I smiled brightly at him. He roughly cupped my chin in his hand. "I know what you're here for" he breathed. His breath was sour and smelled of alcohol and cigars.

"Do you" I said and tried to look coy.

He grinned at the bartender and took my wrist in a vise like grip and yanked me off my barstool. "Let's go in the back for some privacy" he commanded.

Well shit that had been fast. I dug in my heels. "I want to finish my drink" I cajoled. Harris just yanked me hard by the wrist. I thought my arm might pop out of its socket. His grip was painful and he was rapidly dragging me toward a door that led to a back room. Clearly no one in the bar was going to help me. I felt a little panicky but reassured myself Ranger and Tank were nearby and I would be OK. Unlike his other victims, I wasn't helpless.

He dragged me through the door and immediately slapped me hard across my cheekbone. Stars exploded behind my eyes and I was disoriented. He painfully shoved his hand between my legs and grabbed my crotch. Then he leaned down and bit my breast. Rage bubbled up inside me and I shrieked. I brought my knee up with vicious force and connected with his balls. He wouldn't be raping anyone. At least not tonight. He went down on his knees, eyes glazed and I took the palm of my hand and smacked him in the face. I heard a satisfying crunch and blood started pouring from his nose. He was now on all fours. I took the tracker and slipped it under the collar of his jacket and then took my four-inch FMP and stomped on his hand driving down the little stiletto heel and grinding my foot.

I grabbed my purse off the floor and marched out of the back room, straight through the bar and out to the street. Tank was idling by the curb. I grabbed the door flung it open and jumped in. The tires chirped as we sped off.

Tank pressed the Bluetooth on his ear and I heard Ranger's voice clear and sharp "Report!"

Tank responded "Tracker planted and transmitting. Your woman is fine".

I wanted to ask why Tank had called me Ranger's woman, but right now I was too emotionally exhausted. I reached down and pulled the wire out and put it in the console. I leaned back into the seat and closed my eyes and concentrated on breathing for a couple of minutes.

I'm good at convincing myself bad ideas are really good ones in disguise. I mean I was the six year old kid that sprinkled sugar on my head and convinced myself it was pixie dust that made me invisible, and then walked into the boy's restroom. I figured this conversation would work out just about as well, but I gave it a shot. I looked over at Tank. "Why do you call me Ranger's woman? "

"You are" Tank replied.

You would think I would have learned something since I was six. I pressed on "Ranger and I are" a beat went by as I struggled for words. "I don't belong to Ranger" I finally said. "Ranger and I are kind of friends I guess."

Tank cut his eyes to me. "Ranger claims you because it gives you protection on the street. No one wants to mess with what's Ranger's. It also means every RangeMan employee would take a bullet for you."

"Oh" I said. I chewed on that for a moment. I'm not sure what I wanted the answer to be. I guess I wanted it to mean something more. Maybe I wanted to be Ranger's woman, and how stupid was that. I slunk a little lower in the seat.

I could see Tank's profile by the dashboard light. He looked like he wanted to say something. Well that or maybe he just had bad gas, with Tank it was hard to tell. I pried anyway. "What?"

"You ask a lot of questions" Tank replied.

"So I'm told". I was tired. I turned away and and looked out the window and felt tears prickle my eyes.

"Ranger belongs to you" Tank said. I whipped my head around and stared at Tank with my mouth open. I knew better than to ask any more questions. Tank never talked out of turn or gave anything away. Tank could could invade countries and withstand torture. I wasn't going to get him to spill. His eyes were locked firmly on the road, and I thought he looked like he might be contemplating taking his gun out and actually shooting himself in the foot.

When we stopped at the light, Tank grabbed a field ice pack, broke the seal, shook it and handed it to me.

"You are OK, right?" he asked.

I put the ice pack to my throbbing cheek. "Never better" I said.