I was able to edit this continuation today rather than in a few days from now. I decided to post ch3 instead of waiting since there was a little gap in posting between ch 1 and ch 2.
Many of your reviews dished out ideas on how to help Steph. I like the way you think, babes.
Reminder, chapter 2 happened in the span of about three days (72+ hours).
Disclaimer: The Plum universe belongs to JE. Typos are mine.
Stephanie's POV
"Hola." His face filled my line of sight as I felt myself being pushed back against the railing. The handrail dug into my lower back as his large hands closed around my throat.
"What do you want from me?!" I choked out as he constricted my airway. His mouth twisted into a terrifying sneer as he plastered himself against me. I could feel his hard body rubbing against my lower half, meanwhile my upper body hung precariously in the air.
My body jerked as a flash of heat spread across my chest, instantly jolting me awake. It took me a few seconds to recognize my surroundings as I gasped for breath. That falling feeling right before you're in deep sleep sucks. Add in the fact that sleep has been pretty much nonexistent during this lockdown… I feel like shit.
I swung my legs over the side as I worked on calming my racing heartbeat. I am exhausted and achy. My head feels like there's a band around it, crushing my skull. In contrast, Ma looks refreshed. I shot her a disgruntled look as I slid off my bunk.
"Morning. I think." I muttered as I resorted to splashing the cold ass water from the sink tap on my face. At least it made me feel a little less like crap.
"It technically is morning." Ma said as I turned around to face her. "Really early, but morning, Blue." I grunted my understanding as I reached for my toothbrush.
I'd just rinsed my mouth, spitting in the toilet bowl because it was one of Ma's rules for keeping the sink as clean as possible, when an unfamiliar male guard approached our cell.
"Plum." He called out, motioning for me to approach the bars.
"Where are you taking me?" I asked as he escorted me down the corridor. With my hands handcuffed behind my back and his tight grip on my upper right arm, I didn't have much of an option but to try to keep up with his long strides.
"Silence." The guard grumbled. I frowned, wondering what this was about.
When he stopped in front of a secluded area, I felt my lower abdomen clench. This is a place I've never been even close to. Rumor has it that for a very high price tag you can have a private space for a 'family visit'. Essentially, it's a clandestine space for conjugal visits. Or at least, that's how I understood the set up.
"No." I jerked my arm out of his grasp, intent on putting up a fight. "I'm not going in there." I spat as the guard gave me an unimpressed look. That's when I realized that he didn't look familiar at all. I've gotten very good at knowing who the guards in my unit are. And this big mountain of a man is not one of the regulars.
"Plum." The guard ignored my protest, removing my cuffs and unceremoniously shoving me inside the dimly lit room before closing the door.
"Hey!" I growled as I banged my right fist against the heavy, windowless door. "Let me out!"
The rustle of clothing behind me alerted me of a presence. The tingling in the back of my neck went haywire, forcing me to redirect my attention to the movements of the other occupant in the room. In the past, that tingling was a welcomed occurrence. Right now, it's a warning that I'm not alone.
Turning around slowly, my eyes danced frantically around the bare walls as I tried to identify anything that could be used as a weapon. There's no way I'm letting some sick bastard put his hands on me.
Except, my eyes landed on someone I haven't seen in so long. His hair was cut short. His muscles looked more defined than they did in my distorted memory, but it was him.
Ranger.
"Babe." Ranger said as he shifted off the tiny cot.
Tentatively, I took a step closer to him. He looked so real. It was his voice and even from a short distance away I could smell his unique aroma.
"Ranger?" I croaked out, not wanting to burst into tears.
"Stephanie, Babe…" Whatever else he said was drowned out by the sob that escaped despite my best efforts. Launching myself at him, I wrapped my arms around his neck and held on for dear life.
"You're okay." I breathed out between sobs as I crushed myself against him.
"Si." Ranger's lips brushed against my ear as he too squeezed me tightly.
We stood clinging to each other for several minutes, simply basking in the other's presence. When we finally pulled away from our tight hug, we didn't leave much space between us.
"How are you, Babe?" Ranger asked as his brown eyes raked over me.
"I've been better." I joked with a slight shrug as I allowed my hands to roam over his chest and abs. Physical touch hasn't been high on my list of priorities, unless it was to land a punch.
"Babe, I'm so sorry." His large hands cupped my face, using his thumbs to wipe my mostly dried tear tracks.
"It wasn't your fault." I reminded him, even as I gave in to the inevitable pull between us.
Our lips touched, eliciting a wave of current to wash over me. The crackle of electricity could be felt in the air as our tongues touched. Ranger didn't seem to mind that I probably tasted like cheap toothpaste, while his taste was as intoxicatingly yummy as ever.
Our kiss had morphed into an insistent frenzy within seconds, tongues tangling for dominance. Things would have escalated further, like we normally do, but when Ranger's hand roamed over my side our kiss ended when I flinched. The flash of pain reminded me of the little gift Shawty left me with.
"Babe." Ranger's beautiful face contorted with fury as he raked his eyes over my torso. He shoved my shirt up to my breasts so that he could assess my injury, exposing the marks on my pale skin.
"It's just a scratch." I assured Ranger, feeling desperate to tug my clothing back in place.
S&R
Ranger's POV
After Kirk filled us in on her findings, my men and I followed up every single detail. We were able to corroborate most of what she presented. It's true that a new power struggle has caused rifts in the balance. The added inside intel helped fill in the holes of Rangeman's research. Together, both sides painted a clearer picture. Each side had focused on a different avenue, meeting cohesively in the middle.
With all the dirt Kirk's compiled in addition to everything my men have gathered, we devised a plan of action. Clearing Babe's name so that she can have her freedom back is the priority. Once Babe is safely back with us, we'll be able to focus our efforts to make every single participant in this corrupt conspiracy pay. And I will make sure they suffer before they're eliminated.
Hector stumbling upon the guarded open secret of violence and sexual abuse served to add flames to the fire. It's no surprise Babe was sent to the most perverse place imaginable, where staff can abuse their power against the female inmates without consequences.
Well, unpunished until now.
Knowing that everything was in place for our big move, I had Hector test the waters. Sure enough, it didn't take him long to find a certain corrections officer that was willing to sell private 'adult fun' with any of the women at Babe's facility. Hector made the deal, paid the exorbitant price tag since Babe's a high profile individual. The whole thing was twisted and dark. How many and how often do these poor women have to endure this type of shit?!
Despite the tight security measures and the lockdown officially still in place, I was escorted to a small secluded room by 0430 hours. The dimly lit room was bare except for a small cot. I suspected this had been either a small office or supply closet at some point, only to be converted into a makeshift wannabe brothel.
"No. " Babe's muffled voice floated into the room from outside. "I'm not going in there." A small sense of relief washed over me knowing that she was near.
"Plum." The guard announced as he roughly shoved Babe into the room. Despite dragging her feet, she was no match for the man three times her size.
When he practically tossed Stephanie inside, I had to clench my fists to keep my composure. I wanted nothing more than to launch myself at the asshole. Killing him slowly would be too good for the sick son of a bitch.
"Hey!" Babe yelled as she pounded a fist against the closed door. "Let me out!" She ground out.
I watched her, slowly raking my eyes over her form. Her uniform was baggy and her curly hair was up in a messy ponytail. I haven't seen her face very well yet, but as soon as I shifted my body I noticed the instant she felt a presence in the room. Her spine stiffened, her whole body tensing immediately.
Stephanie whirled around slowly, taking in the room with frantic speed. I knew she was trying to find an escape route or anything that she could use as a weapon.
Proud of you, Babe.
I felt both pride and sadness collide within me as her eyes finally locked with mine. Just as she took in the sight of me in excruciatingly slow detail, I did the same.
She looked pale, had dark circles under her eyes and looked thinner than I anticipated. The baggy fit of her uniform gave the illusion that she was smaller than she actually was.
"Babe." I called out to her frozen form as I stood.
"Ranger?" She rasped out after taking tentative steps closer to me. Her once vibrant blue eyes filled with unshed tears.
"Stephanie… Babe, how are you?" I asked just as a strangled sob escaped her. It was a guttural sound that felt like a sucker punch to the gut.
Babe slammed against my front with surprising force, efficiently snaking her arms around my neck as we held each other fiercely. The jaws of life couldn't separate us from this hug.
"You're okay." She whispered between sobs as she pressed herself more against me.
"Si." My lips brushed against her ear while we held each other. The last time I was tangled in Babe's arms, we were in the middle of a satisfying sexathon before my departure, which feels like a whole lifetime ago.
We stood clinging to each other for several minutes, simply basking in the other's presence. When we finally pulled apart from our tight hug, we didn't leave much space between us. Her breasts brushed against my lower chest with every ragged breath.
"How are you, Babe?" I asked again, scanning my eyes over her form. It's hard for me to know that at the moment there's not much more I can give her in terms of comfort. Soon she'll be out of here. For now, all I can have is the assurance that she's standing before me in the flesh.
"I've been better." Her attempt at a joke gave me hope that Babe can go back to the life she had before this whole nightmare began.
Her slim hands caressed my chest and abdomen almost reverently. It felt like Babe wanted solid proof that I was really standing before her. Same, Babe.
"Babe, I'm so sorry." My hands cupped her face as I dried off her tears.
"It wasn't your fault." Proving that she can still read me very well, Babe called me out. I'd trade places with her if we could. This isn't the type of fucked up life experiences that Stephanie deserves. She's got such a big, loving heart. Babe doesn't deserve this shit!
Stephanie was the first to close the distance between our mouths. Our lips touched, eliciting a wave of current through my body. The crackle of electricity was heavy in the small enclosed space as our tongues touched. Our kiss turned demanding quickly as we practically devoured each other's mouth.
Our kiss morphed into the insistent frenzy that normally settles over us when we've been apart for too long. Things would have culminated in our typical heated fashion, but that course of action was derailed instantly when my roaming hands caused her to flinch. The pain that crossed her face and her audible wince of pain was an added reminder that Babe can't stay in this place for much longer. I'll make sure of it.
"Babe." Fury consumed me as I took in her marred skin. With one hand keeping her shirt bunched below her breasts, I steadied Babe with the other so that I could get a better look.
The obvious gash on her side shone light to what happened when those two inmates entered Babe's cell four nights ago. The intent was obvious: to stab Babe to death.
As if that wasn't enough, Babe had several bruises in different stages of healing scattered across her abdomen.
But worst of all? I can make out every single one of her ribs.
Oh, Babe.
"It's just a scratch." Her pleading look told me that she felt self conscious. Not wanting to cause her any more distress, I let her tug her top back into place.
"I love you, Babe." I punctuated each word with a kiss on her lips, face and neck. "I need you to hang on just a little longer." I promised to get her out soon. Very, very soon.
"Te amo, Ranger." Our lips met in yet another kiss. Despite the location, the moment felt extremely intimate as we held each other's gaze.
S&R
Stephanie's POV
Ranger and I basked in each other's presence. We kissed, hugged and touched each other relentlessly. I've missed him so much.
To keep up appearances, we had to make it sound and look like we did a lot more than kissing and clinging to each other.
My hair was a tangled mess from Ranger's hands repeatedly fisting my curly strands. I let out fake sounds of distress and weird sounding moans so the dirty guard who practically sold me to perform sexual favors wouldn't suspect anything. I know Ranger has a special place in hell reserved for that asshole.
"Time's up!" There was a loud bang on the closed door, giving us a minimal heads up.
"Babe?" Before we could part ways, Ranger wrapped his arms around me in silent reassurance that the light at the end of the tunnel was visible.
As the same guard practically frogmarched me back to my cell block, I hung my head at a low angle so that my hair could give me some cover. I kept my ears and eyes tuned to everything happening around me.
I noted the name of every smirking guard we crossed on the way, filing the information away in my mental file.
"Were you a good little whore?" Mountain guard needled. It was evident how much he enjoyed this. Sick, sick fucker.
When I didn't dignify his twisted question with a response, he pressed his face against my neck to make a show of inhaling my supposed 'just fucked' scent. I tried to jerk away from his slimy hands, but it was futile. So I headbutted him instead.
"Who would have thought you were worth so much?" He cackled as we neared my cell, saying that he couldn't damage the goods of his newest star. That was the only reason why he didn't retaliate for my headbutt."Try and get some rest. I'll find you some more customers, baby." He chuckled before uncuffing me.
As soon as he tossed me back into my cell and was busy locking up behind me, I turned around to face him. Shaking the hair out of my face, I flashed him my most unnerving grin as I felt Ma shift to a standing position behind me.
"Boast all you want." I flashed him my teeth as I peered at him through the bars. "Your days are numbered…" I made a point of flicking my eyes to his chest before piercing him with my best icy glare. "… CO Galluzzo."
"We'll see about that!" Galluzzo hissed before walking away, most likely thinking his reign of terror would continue uninterrupted like it has for who knows how long. Not a chance.
"Yeah." I grinned to myself, knowing that as soon as his shift's over he'll be intercepted by Ranger and the Merry Men on his way home. The mental images of his painful death felt like too little punishment for what he actually deserved.
What were your thoughts on the awaited S&R reunion? Also, what do you think the plan is? Stephanie is taking names and making a mental list…