3

"Are you crazy?" I shriek at him.

He scowls into the review mirror. "I must be. Kidnapping a thief."

"I'm not a thief!" I yell. "Do I look like one?"

"No…" He says thoughtfully, taking his eyes off the road for a moment. "Actually, you look more like a prostitute."

I'd rather look like a thief. I look around me, and realize that we're in a snarl of traffic. Duh. I start pounding on the back window. "Help!" I yell. "Please help me!" The glass looked pretty solid, but so was my screech.

"God, woman!" Ton-Ton muttered. "Trying to shatter the glass?"

The guy in the red Honda next to me suddenly – finally! – turns his head and looks at me. I can't here him, but he's obviously saying, "Are you okay?"

Do I look okay? I look like a slut. If my mother hears of this, I won't be invited to dinner for weeks. And then what am I going to eat?

I'm about to scream back, "No, I'm not! I'm being kidnapped by an old school pal named Ton-Ton!" But Ton-Ton rolls down the window, and says, "My wife's pregnant, and having one of those emotional swings. It brings out the schizophrenia in her."

"I'm not schizophrenic!" I yell. "And I'm not your wife! I'm not even married to you!" I hold up my left hand. "Do you see a ring?" I point to my stomach. "Do I look pregnant?"

The guy in the other truck shakes his head. "Good luck, man," he says to Ton-Ton. "They only get worse and worse. I'm thirty-five years married, which is why I'm getting a job over in a nearby city for a truck company. I'm hoping I get to drive those oil things to the other side of the States. Anything to get away from her."

"I'll keep that in mind," Ton-Ton says, and rolls up the window.

"Why do you tell people I'm crazy?" I wail. "Why did he believe you? What is it with people these days?"

Ton-Ton kind of gives me an once-over, and shrugs. "Maybe you shouldn't dress like that if you want people to take you seriously. I didn't take you seriously until it was too late."

"You weren't supposed to take me seriously at all."

There's a moment of silence, and he yawns.

"Do you want me to drive?" I smile and flutter my eyelashes. Twenty-five percent hair, seventy-five percent mascara.

"No."

I blow out a breath. Normally, I sleep during long car drives, but I'm being kidnapped. I can't sleep. "Where are you taking me?" I really don't think he's going to hurt me. I mean, he could, but I'm sure he's the same old Ton-Ton deep inside, the one that couldn't hurt a fly. Seriously. He couldn't. I mean, maybe because he'd been too slow to bother swatting at one, but still, that counts, doesn't it?

"Somewhere I can keep you until I find out what the hell is going on."

Egads.

"Um, what is going on?" I try to act innocent, but he shoots me a disbelieving look, like, Shouldn't I be asking you that?

I hold up my hands. "Look, I really don't know. Why don't I call…?" I trail off. Ranger. He's still wiring me. I resist the urge to look down at my boobs. Oh, great, he heard the whole schizophrenic thing. I bet he's laughing. I hope he can trace this thing…

Ton-Ton looks at me narrowly. He doesn't seem to believe me. I get a lot of that. "Give me the number and I'll call."

I bite my lip. "Um, the number's programmed into my cell phone." Which is… not… here. Damn. I really could have used it, but my thighs were inhabiting every inch of leeway in my skirt, and I hadn't been able to squeeze it into my back pocked. I'd tried four times. "Um, I think I might have left the cell phone somewhere."

"At home? Can you call someone to get the number for you?"

"My mother," I offer.

His face twists in disgust. "You can call your mommy?"

"Hey!" I bark. "At least I'm not still living with her!"

His face blushes a mottled red. "I'm trying to save up for a new house," he mutters. "I need a grand more, and then I'm finally free. I thought I'd had enough, but they upped the price again."

"Real estate's a bitch," I agree. "Hey! How about you let me go, and I'll pay you the grand."

"You have that type of money?"

"Um…" No. But Ranger did. I could take it from him. Well, borrow, because Ranger doesn't like the paying back to be monetary.

"You don't?" Ton-Ton asks.

"Yes, I do," I bluster. "So why don't you let me call my mother, and we can arrange something? Where's your cell phone?"

"No need," Ton-Ton says, and pulls the car up a small dirt road. My mouth falls open. The last time I looked out the window, we were on the highway. Oh…crap… "Where are we?" I said, my voice sounding a bit too nervous for my liking. "I didn't know there were any dirt roads here." In other words: Ranger! I'm on a dirt road! Get that fine ass over here and rescue me!

"Somewhere," Ton-Ton says mysteriously. "And no need to call your mother. If anyone makes any calls, I will. And I'm not gonna let you go until I get some answers. I don't know what's going on, but I'll find out one way or another."

I didn't like the way he was looking at me, either. I really can't run well in my slut shoes, you know…

Xxx

Sorry for the long wait, last weeks of school are hell. I've started the next chappie so it shouldn't take that long…

Thanks to: Bine, lokkie (xoxo), ecstacyrain, fairieangel, EffyDurach (whoops, sorry hun! lol), autumngold, Connie, LanierShazar, Mcshnee, jumping-jo, and Malini.