Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I don't own it.

Eyes from every corner of the room trained on me as soon as I entered the room. Ranger and I had already decided how to play this one. I would go for the recently cheated on routine. I was real good at that, all I had to think about was catching Joyce Barnhardt, and my ex-husband Dickie Orr bare-assed testing the durability of my dining room table, and I could give Audrey Hepbrun a run for her money. I scanned the bar until I saw Mike, and then began to make my way over to him, pretending not to notice the attention I was attracting. I plopped my self onto the stool and sighed pretending to be upset. My cell phone rang on schedule.

"Yo Babe."

"Hey Tina it's me" I began to start through my well-rehearsed skit.

"You in place"

"Yes, I can't believe that asshole"

"Lester will bring your drinks to you."

In order to attract the attention of little Mikey, and well little Mikey, I had to make sure he heard the one-sided conversation. I had to make sure he knew I was about to get stone faced drunk, which I really wasn't about to do, Lester was all set to bring out non-alcoholic drinks to me.

"I can't believe that bastard, right in my own bed with his skanky trash"

"He biting?"

I risked a look in Mike's direction and caught him eyeing me.

"Yes, like the bastard he is."

"Good Lester will be there in five, make sure you liquor him up"

"That slime ball sleeze. Next time I see him I'm gonna run him over with my jeep, then I'm gonna cut his balls off, and beat him with them." Oops a flash back of Dickie and Joyce.

"Ouch, babe remind me not to piss you off. I'm out" Click

I pretended he was still on the phone.

"Yeah, I'm gonna be here for a while, no you don't have to pick me up, I'll find a way home. Talk to ya later"

I hung up and smiled a Mike. He took this as an invitation and slid closer.

"Sorry I couldn't help over hearing your conversation, what kind of loser would cheat on a women like you. If you were mine I'd treat you right."

Yeah, I thought, I'm sure you'd treat me right to the hospital you abusive sonovabitch.

I gave him my best come hither look and crooked my finger. He leaned over and I whispered in his ear.

"I'm sure a man like you could keep a woman real satisfied." Yuck, the things I do for Ranger. Even a dumbass like him couldn't miss the innuendo. He slid his hand up my thigh and I bit back a gag.

" Satisfaction has never been a problem for me."

Lester walked over, saving me from having to come up with another trashy line.

"I'll take one of whatever he's having." I nodded towards Mike's empty glass.

"Long Island Ice Tea with a splash of lemon" Mike supplied never taking his eyes off me, or to be more specific my chest.

I was going to have to bleach my skin when I got home.

For the next thirty minutes I pretended to get drunk, while Mikey boy really did.

"So you wanna take this party somewhere else." Mike slurred.

"I'd love to." I purred pretending to enjoy his incessant groping, when all I really wanted to do was haul back and deck the guy. Mike picked up the tab and I nodded to Lester letting him know we were on the way out. As we were leaving someone knocked into me and I dropped my purse. I bent down to pick up my things that scattered out and was surprised to see Bobby hunching beside me.

"Bombshell your mic's out, make sure you get him straight out the front door." He whispered softly in my ear. I nodded slightly and stood up tugging down the hem of my dress. Bobby stumbled out the door pretending to be drunk. I started after him, but Mike tugged my arm.

"Let's have a little fun." He slurred.

Let's not. "Ohh I like fun." I purred.

He started dragging me to the back, and before I could prevent it we ended up in the men's bathroom. He quickly locked the door behind him.

"Ever had sex in a public bathroom." Shit shit shit.

"No…that's really unsanitary. Mold and germs everywhere." I took a step back trying to stall. He took a step forward. I was going to kill Ranger when I got out of this. Okay, so I was going to yell at Ranger when I got out of this. Mike reached out and snaked his arm around my waist and pulled me closer.

"Ummm, I should be getting home, my roommate, who's a cop by the way, will probably be getting worried about me." He ignored me and began licking my neck and trying to undo the zipper on my dress. This was getting too physical for me.

"Stop" I tried to push him away. He tightened his grip on my wrist and slid a thigh between my legs. That did it. I did what any self-respecting Burg woman would do, I hauled back and slapped him. Belatedly I questioned the wisdom of pissing off a psychotic rapist/murder, but like they say hindsight's a bitch. I cried out as he slammed me back against a stall.

"Oh you like it rough" He sneered. "Well so do I." He grabbed the back of my head and forced his tongue down my throat. Fear began to burn low in my belly, but I held back my tears. He was surprisingly strong even in his drunken stupor. Finally he pulled back to concentrate on unzipping his jeans. I began to scream, but I doubted anyone could hear me on account of the loud rock music playing in the bar.

"Oooohh baby that turns me on." He licked his lips. I pushed him off of me and made a mad dash towards the door. I was almost there when he grabbed a hold of my hair and yanked me backwards. I flailed my arms wildly as I fell to the ground. I fought and screamed and clawed at his face, but through it all he grinned.

"Ranger help" Damn I was crying now, and the tears were clouding my vision and choking me. When Mike bent down to kiss me again, I bit him. He let out a grunt and slapped me. My head hit the ground with a thud, and pain blasted through my head. Mike pinned my wrist in one of his hands and reached down and unzipped his pants with the other. The sound echoed through the bathroom and the enormity of what was about to happen hit me. He was going to rape me, and possibly kill me and Ranger was right outside.

All of a sudden Mike seemed to fly through the air. He crashed into the stall and slid down the wall unconscious. I looked up and saw Lester and Bobby cuffing him, and Ranger looking down at me. He was saying something to me, but I couldn't hear him, it was as if someone had stuffed cotton in my ears. I felt my stomach bubbling and I knew I was going to puke. I shuffled to my knees and crawled into a stall, and proceeded to empty my stomach of its contents. I felt a warm hand rubbing my back and holding my hair back, and knew it was Ranger. After I was done Ranger handed me a napkin and I wiped my mouth.

Finally I turned around to face him. I've seen Ranger upset a few time, but it was nothing compared to what I was witnessing now. His eyes were blazing and his jaw was clenched tight. But as gently as he could he scooped me up in his arms and stood up. When the door opened Tank, Lester, and Bobby were crowded around all looking anxious and worried. If this had been any other situation I might have laughed at the look on their faces. The ringing in my ears was beginning to fade and what Ranger was saying was beginning to register.

"Tank bring my car to the back. I'll take Steph home, Lester, Bobby take this piece of trash to the station before I put a bullet between his eyes." Yikes.

The guys galvanized into action making me think of a well-organized ant colony. Lester dragged Mike to his feet and began to pull him out the door. As he passed me he grinned. "Oohh baby you tasted so good, I can't wait to pick up where we left off." Ranger stiffened and tightened his grip around me. Lester 'accidentally' connected his boot to the back of Mike's leg. He went down like a bag of bricks, humm I was going to have to remember that move. I turned my head away, unable to look at the guy that had attacked me, and hid my face in the safety of Rangers shoulder. Before I even realized it, we were at his truck and he was loading me in. Ranger slid behind the wheel and waited a few moments.

"Do you need to go to the hospital?" He asked softly.

I shook my head no.

He started the car, and took off in the direction of my house. My head was pounding so I closed my eyes. When I opened them again we were in front of my apartment door and Ranger was picking the lock to my door. The door slid open and Ranger stepped in and closed the door behind us softly. He carried me back to my bedroom and gently placed me in the center of my bed. Then he walked out leaving me by myself. He returned a few moments later with a glass of water and a t-shirt.

"Here." He passed me the t-shirt and helped me wiggle out of the dress. Had this been any other night, helping me undress would have inevitably ended with both of us, hot, sweaty, sated and passed out tangled in my sheets. But tonight I knew Ranger was concerned about me. After I slid into the shirt he handed me two advil and the water. I tossed them back and washed it down with the water. Then I lay my head down to my pillow and looked up at him. He reached over and clicked on the lamp beside my bed, and I winched as the light hit my eyes.

"Sorry, I need to make sure you don't have a concussion" He pulled a small penlight out of his pocket and shined it in my eyes. Obviously satisfied that I was in working order he slid it back into his pocket.

He sighed and looked away, when he turned back his face was blank, but his eyes were filled with guilt.

"I'm so sorry babe. The damn mic fried, and we didn't know you were in trouble. This shouldn't have happened."

Damn skippy, I knew I wasn't their fault, I didn't put up a good enough fight as he was dragging me to the bathroom.

"Not your … fault" I mumbled. I grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze to reassure him.

And just like that I fell asleep, with Ranger still holding my hand.

Thanx for all the reviews, they keep me grounded, and let me know what you like and dislike about the story.

Reese