Chapter 6. Enjoy.
"Yeah," Jamie continued, "my favorite one was the Porsche-flattened-by-garbage-truck."
I grimaced. Definitely not one of my best moments.
Jamie suddenly was looking mischievous. "Speaking of Ranger, what the hell is going on between you two?"
She's asking me? "huh?"
"Don't play dumb, Steph. I've seen the way he looks at you. He looks at you like you're lunch. Don't tell me you don't notice it."
I hesitated. What was going on between me and Ranger? He knows now the effect he has on me. He has already declared Open Season. These past few months since the Stiva incident he has taken advantage of every second we spend together to say something outrageously suggestive or get his hands on me.
"Well…?" Jamie broke into my thoughts, looking expectant.
"I…don't really know." I finally admitted.
"But you're attracted to him, right?"
"A woman would have to be dead not to."
"And you've slept with him, right?"
OMIGOD. Did he tell her that? "Er. Yes. How do you know?" I braced myself for the worst.
"God given talent," she said, "did he seduce you or what?"
"Er. No. It was a deal."
Her eyebrows shot up, "really? A deal?"
"yeah…I needed his help bringing in an FTA so he said if he succeeded in the capture…I would have to spend the night with him."
"So I'm assuming he succeeded, right?" said Jamie, grinning.
"Yeah."
She took a minute to digest this, so I hit her with the big guns.
"What about you? He is so different around you, and I KNOW something happened so don't even bother saying 'nothing,' 'cause I know it's not true."
Jamie was about to answer when the phone rang. She went and answered it before the answering machine picked up.
"Yello," she said into the phone. Her eyes darkened.
"What's your point?" Silence. "Go ahead." More silence. "I'd like to see you try, assface," she said and then hung up.
I grimaced, "That was Jack?"
"Yup. So what are you doing today?" Jamie asked me. Ooooh subject change. Thus making it obvious that something had happened. Ok, so I'd let it by. But next time I WILL find out.
"I have to go to the office to see if there are any FTAs…and then I thought I'd go shopping."
"oooh fun. I would come, but Jack is still out there so I should probably hide for a while."
"Where? For how long?" I asked. This wasn't good. I didn't want Jamie to disappear again.
She saw my expression and grinned. "Relax Steph, I'm not falling off the planet. I'm probably going to stay at Ranger's building. He always has a couple extra apartments. I need to get a job anyway and he'll give me one."
I sighed with relief. Jamie would automatically be safe in Ranger's building. Once she came in contact with the Merry Men, nothing could happen to her.
We were in the car, driving across town to Rangeman. Jamie had already talked to Ranger and he said she could stay. Every once in a while she looked out the window, her gun in her lap.
"What are you looking for?" I asked.
"Jack. He knows your car."
"what!"
Jamie sighed. "When he called he told me that he knew what car you drove and stuff like that and how he'll take us both out if he has to." She turned to me, "Sorry I got you into this."
"I'm used to it." The sad thing was, I really am.
We pulled up to Rangeman and Jamie leaned out the window. "HEY TANK let us in, will ya?"
The gate opened and I drove down to the underground parking lot. "How could he hear you?"
"There are microphones on the gate along with cameras," Jamie answered.
Ranger met us in the garage. He was leaning against the wall, looking sexy as ever in black SWAT pants tucked into big black combat boots and a t shirt that was painted on.
"Damn he's hot," murmured Jamie.There was a longing to her voice that made me stare at her for a beat. She probably didn't even realise that she had said that out loud.She didn't notice my staringand got out of the car.
"howdy," she said to Ranger.
He smiled a fraction and raised an eyebrow, "So Jack is after Stephanie too, now?"
"Eeeeyup. Like sister like sister. So who was the lucky guy who got kicked out for me?"
"This time it was Tank. He's not too happy so you better steer clear of him for a while. I'll be up in a minute."
Jamie winked at me and got into the elevator. The door closed and Ranger grabbed me and pulled me close to him.
"It's nice to see you here again," he said, his lips brushing against mine.
I was momentarily speechless. He took advantage of my silence and kissed me.
The moment was ended by his cell phone vibrating. He had me pressed up against him, and I could feel it through his pants.
"That better be your cell phone," I said before my brain could stop me.
Ranger grinned wolfishly and answer his phone, "Yo….In a box….In my closet…yeah okay."
I raised an eyebrow, not expecting him to elaborate on the conversation.
Ranger grinned and pulled me close again. "That was Jamie," he said, "she told me to send you up to Tank's apartment when we're done making out."
He kissed me again and I felt my toes curl. Damn Jamie. Ranger finally let go and pushed me towards the elevator. "You better go before I lose control," he said.
I hurried into the elevator and pressed 4. When the doors binged open I heard Jamie's voice, "Wow that was fast. I wasn't expecting you here for another 20 minutes or so."
She was poking her head out of an apartment down the hall. I sent her a glare and she just laughed at me and ducked back inside. When I arrived at the door I saw her sitting in front of a box on the floor of the living room. I came in and sat down next to her.
"What are all these?" I asked.
"All the letters I sent Ranger from random parts of the world. I can't believe he kept all of them."
The box was full of letters and Polaroid pictures. There was a cocoanut stuffed in there too.
"A cocoanut?" I asked, pulling it out.
Jamie laughed. "Yup. I was on this little island somewhere and wrote on a cocoanut. You're allowed to mail them, you know."
I wasn't listening. I was reading what she wrote to Ranger. The note on the cocoanut was scribbled in black marker, slightly faded. I could easily make out the words.
Howdy Ranger ol' buddy ol' pal ol' chum ol' cronie!
Soooo I'm sitting here on this GORGEOUS island in the Caribbean on the beach in a skimpy little bikini…haha nice images, eh? Anywho I could totally imagine you sitting here next to me in a LITTLE black speedo…whoa Ranger fantasies heeheeheehee right…So how are you? I haven't heard from you in months…You aren't dead are you? Oh by the way you win the bet, you bastard. How's that gun shot wound healing? Heh sorry about that I honestly didn't know there was a bullet chambered…and besides it was Tank's fault 'cuz he's the one who yelled and made me fire… right…we should go paint balling again sometime…heh I sure got a lot of welts from that. Ooooh dear I see Jack running down the beach with….holy fuck it's a pick axe! Sooooo anywho I'll see you later…unless you die or something…or if jack impales me on a pick axe…ew.
Lots of love and SLOPPY WET KISSES,
Jamie
Holy shit.
I turned to Jamie, "PAINTBALLING! RANGER?" my voice was about eight octives higher. This was turning into a very important day.
Jamie looked up from a letter she was reading and laughed at me. "Yeah. And Tank too."
I felt my jaw drop. I honestly couldn't imagine Ranger paint balling. Ranger. Paint balling? Ranger? Paint balling? What the fuck? And what was the bet thing? And she shot him? I was so lost. SO lost. I was so lost I couldn't even think of what question to ask next.
"Uh…Jamie?"
She looked back up at me. "Yeah?"
"What was the bet? And you shot him?"
"Aw hell I can't remember what the bet was. Probably something stupid. And yeah I accidentally shot him once. Ranger and I were talking and I was holding my gun, which I thought was empty of bullets, and Tank all of a sudden sees this huge tarantula and freaks out which scares the hell out of me and I accidentally press down the trigger. It was just a flesh wound though. I shot him in the leg."
Tank afraid of spiders? I felt myself smile. This was going to be fun.
Jamie read my mind. "You better not tease him about that. I did once and he threw me out a window."
So much jaw dropping in such a small period of time. "He threw you out a window?"
The last time I was doing a job with Ranger Tank threw a guy out a window.
Jaime shrugged, "It wasn't that bad. I landed in a dumpster."
I was about to answer when my cell phone chirped. It was Joe.
"Stephanie." He said shortly. He used my name. Not good.
When in doubt, play innocent. "Yes?"
"Is there something you'd like to tell me? Like WHY someone would firebomb your arpartment?"