Chapter Forty-One
Steph had to give Tia credit; she didn't flinch, much less jump, at the pale, thin stranger suddenly in the room. She simply demanded, in a voice that even a psycho killer apparently couldn't deny, "And who are you, to speak of my Alec?"
Steph had jumped at the voice, cursing how easily she had been lulled into a feeling of safety in Tia's house. A year of drilling her reflexes shot to hell by some nightmares and chocolate cake. Scanning the room, Steph began assessing the situation with professional detachment, noting the girly looking (but still deadly) gun in the blonde's left hand. The woman in the doorway simply smiled and moved towards the sofa, the gun never wavering from Tia. "Please forgive my manners. I thought that we would meet under different circumstances. I am Alec's wife, Olivia."
Tia's mouth flattened into a tight, straight line. "When did my son marry you?" she demanded.
Olivia fiddled with a diamond and white gold band on her wedding ring finger without looking at it; the motion was almost a nervous tick, done without consciously thinking about it. The stone was huge, at least three carats, Stephanie judged. Tia's eyes narrowed at the sight. "Is that your wedding ring?"
"Why, yes." She held up the hand for Tia to admire. "Do you like it?"
"No," Tia said shortly. "It's too flashy, and certainly too expensive for my son to afford."
Olivia laughed lightly, without any true feeling. "Oh, I have enough money for us. Alec picked this out. He has very good taste."
"I don't believe that you are really Alec's wife." Tia crossed her arms.
It was Olivia's turn to narrow her eyes. "Now I see why he dislikes you so much. You are very unpleasant."
Tia snorted derisively. "You are either as sick as he, or worse. What do you want here?"
Olivia pursed her lips and shook her head. "No wonder my poor Alec has such trust issues, if that's the way you feel about him." She settled next to Steph on the sofa, meeting Steph's eyes directly and motioning to Tia. The threat was obvious, and Steph was not yet sure how to handle the situation. "And you, Miss Plum- you did not need to be involved in this, yet you chose to. And you put my husband in jail, where he was very unhappy and uncomfortable. You will have to pay for that."
"Your husband went to jail for things he did, which I had nothing to do with." Steph tried to shift in her seat, getting into a position of some mobility- for what, she wasn't sure, but she felt the need to be able to defend herself- or Tia, who had not made a good first impression. She stilled with one look from Olivia, however.
Stephanie schooled her face to be blank. How the hell did this woman get in? Where were the Merry Men? Christ, it wasn't Alec that had been behind this all along. She was no safer here than the previous safe house; and now, Tia was at risk as well. "So, can we skip the monologueing and melodramatics and get right to what the hell you are planning on doing?"
Olivia tsk-tsked and shook her head. "You are so rude, Miss Plum. I don't think I'd like you, even if I didn't already have a reason to hate you."
Steph couldn't help the automatic eye-roll, which Olivia narrowed her own eyes at. "Fine. I plan on killing you, and I'm not sure yet with the old bat." Olivia looked at her with a cold smile. "We have some things to discuss first. Alec wouldn't be happy with me if I had to hurt you or his mother, but- if it becomes necessary- he will understand."
The danger of the situation just rose exponentially. Steph had assumed that only she was really in danger, that Tia would be protected because she was Alec's mother. Re-evaluation necessary. Steph waited for super-villain (in her mind) to continue. It didn't take long.
"Well, Miss Plum, I'm sure that your precious Ranger has filled you in on my husband's… predilections? Needless to say, I enjoy them as well. And you owe some happiness to my husband. Unfortunately, he is not feeling up to enjoying your company right now. Therefore, I will have to keep you around for a while." Olivia prissily adjusted her skirt with her free hand. "Now, Mother- I hope you don't mind that I address you that way, do you? I didn't think so- I would like to see baby pictures of Alec. Where would they be?"
Tia uncrossed her arms. "They are on the shelf over there. I assume you will let me go get them?"
Olivia nodded. "Yes. Please move slowly." Her gun remained pointed at Stephanie, while her eyes followed Tia.
Steph held her breath. Tia across the room would split Olivia's attention. Would it be enough? Could she take Olivia out without putting Tia at risk? Did she dare risk it, or should she wait for rescue? A brief glance out the corner of her at Tia gave her the answer. Tia had caught the look and nodded almost motionlessly. Olivia seemed oblivious. As soon as Tia reached the shelf, Steph would make her move.
As Tia's hand alighted on the leather bound volume, Steph tackled Olivia, careful to slip beneath her gun arm and pin it up. It was over quickly, entirely too easily. Steph head locked crazy girl, choked her until she passed out, then tied her up. What the hell? This was the evil genius who had busted Rangeman security?
Her phone call to Ranger to come get the bitch cleared up why it had been so easy.
