DISCLAIMER: SEE CH 1. Basically I don't own 'em never will. * sigh *
CHAPTER ONE
It's 5:30 and I'm pacing the living room floor. Since there were no skips to pick up I decided to sleep in today . . . until 2:00 when my mother called and woke me up with the obligatory dinner invitation. I informed her that I was working tonight, which is true, technically. She in turn told me that she'd stopped by the button factory and picked up an application for me. I then dedicated the next three-and-a-half hours to looking as sexy as possible. In light of my newfound wealth I went out and bought a few items. Number one on the list being a hair straightener. If anyone in the burg found out I would have to change my name and move to California, but my hair actually looked good straight. No self-respecting burg girl would wear her hair straight, but then again I'm not really the typical burg girl. That took an hour considering they don't tell you on the box that the stupid thing will suck all the moisture out of your hair. Then I had to decide what to wear. Surprisingly that didn't take long, considering I only have a few elegant dresses also considered sexy. I chose the little black number I had been to chicken to wear to the wedding and I wore the black FMP's I had to go with it. Another thing on the list were pantyhose, the regular skin tone ones. My legs were freshly shaved and I had on so much Mascara I was afraid I would topple over. I smelled good and I looked good, I was also starving. I had decided to forgo all food so that I would be able to fit into the dress. It had worked, but I was starting to realize what a mistake I had made. Who knows where we're going, or how long it will take to get there! I won't be much good to Tank if I'm passed out from low blood sugar will I? I need just a little something to hold me over until we get to the restaurant.
I had just finished with half of a ham sandwich when Tank knocked on my door. When I opened it I had to stop myself from letting out a whistle. He looked good. He was wearing a black suit, obviously tailored because of his size, with a maroon dress shirt, the kind with the black button and the mock turtleneck instead of a collar and tie.
"Damn bombshell, I think you'd better go back in and change." I looked down at the dress. Was there something wrong with it?
"Why?"
"Because you're supposed to be my girlfriend, and I would never let any woman of mine out of the house looking this good." I'm sure I blushed five shades of red.
"Thanks, you look pretty good yourself."
"Pretty good?! I look damn good and I know it! C'mon," he smiled and held out his arm to me, "You and this arm gonna get to know each other real well. I don't want you leavin' it for the rest of the night." He winked at me and I had to laugh. Yep, I was as safe as I was going to get, from the bad guys anyway.
This guy was extra flirtatious the whole car ride. When he put his arm around my shoulders I had to say something.
"Tank, what would your wife say?"
"Honey, tonight I don't have a wife."
"What did Suzie say when you told her that?"
"I'm pretty sure I'm sleeping on the couch for the next week."
"That's what I thought." He pulled the car into a driveway, but I didn't recognize the restaurant. I looked at the clock and realized that we had been driving for over an hour. We could be anywhere. It was a little strange, but I trusted Tank, and I really needed the 5,000. So in I went. Tank was a perfect Gentlemen. He opened the doors, took my coat, and pretended not to notice when my jaw dropped at the prices on the menu. He toned down the flirting and we had a decent conversation, considering the only things we had in common were bounty hunting and Ranger.
What happened next was kind of a blur. Our skip was supposed to be having dinner with us but something must have gone wrong. He must have recognized me from one of the newspaper articles. Tank told me later that he thought we would be far enough away from Trenton for me to be recognized. I remember hearing gunshots and feeling Tank slam into my side. A sharp pain shot all the way up my arm. It wasn't until the firefight was over and the ambulance got there that I realized the sharp pain had been a bullet wound, and not just Tank's massive body hitting mine. They must have sedated me because the next thing I remember is being in a hospital bed with Tank, Bobby, and Lester watching over me.
"Hey bombshell."
"Hey."
"Hey, how are you feeling?" They all spoke at once and I could barely tell who said what. I looked at Tank.
"You said I wouldn't get shot at."
"I'm so sorry Steph." He looked like he felt bad enough so I decided to forgive him. I mean I wasn't feeling so bad, especially with all the painkillers. In fact I was actually liking the floaty feeling I was having. I was thinking that maybe this getting shot thing wasn't so bad after all. That flesh wound I had a while back had hurt a lot more.
" 's okay. I don't feel so bad." I think that's when I fell back asleep. I had been shot through the upper arm. It hadn't hit the bone. If it had I would have needed surgery. As it was the doctor wanted to see me back in a week to make sure all of my muscle tissue was healing properly. Tank said they kept me overnight. I vaguely remember the doctor sending me home in a sling with instructions for changing the bandages. Then Tank saying that they didn't catch the skip. That conversation is rather vivid actually.
"Hey Steph."
"Hey. When do I get outta here?"
"Soon. I gotta talk to you."
"Sure, shoot." I gave a little giggle at my inside joke. Tank just grimaced.
"We have a small problem."
"Like what?"
"We didn't catch the skip."
"And?"
"He's not such a good guy bombshell. We think you might not be safe."
"That's not good."
"No. We want to put you into a safe house. Just for a few days."
"What about Valentines day?"
"Bombshell this guy could put a real crimp in your plans if you know what I mean." I frowned at that. I really didn't like the idea of a safe house. Then again, this guy had shot me once, why wouldn't he do it again? So I really didn't have a choice. It wasn't like I had a date anyway.
"A safe house?" Tank smiled and it was more mischievous than happy.
"Safest house we got."
CHAPTER ONE
It's 5:30 and I'm pacing the living room floor. Since there were no skips to pick up I decided to sleep in today . . . until 2:00 when my mother called and woke me up with the obligatory dinner invitation. I informed her that I was working tonight, which is true, technically. She in turn told me that she'd stopped by the button factory and picked up an application for me. I then dedicated the next three-and-a-half hours to looking as sexy as possible. In light of my newfound wealth I went out and bought a few items. Number one on the list being a hair straightener. If anyone in the burg found out I would have to change my name and move to California, but my hair actually looked good straight. No self-respecting burg girl would wear her hair straight, but then again I'm not really the typical burg girl. That took an hour considering they don't tell you on the box that the stupid thing will suck all the moisture out of your hair. Then I had to decide what to wear. Surprisingly that didn't take long, considering I only have a few elegant dresses also considered sexy. I chose the little black number I had been to chicken to wear to the wedding and I wore the black FMP's I had to go with it. Another thing on the list were pantyhose, the regular skin tone ones. My legs were freshly shaved and I had on so much Mascara I was afraid I would topple over. I smelled good and I looked good, I was also starving. I had decided to forgo all food so that I would be able to fit into the dress. It had worked, but I was starting to realize what a mistake I had made. Who knows where we're going, or how long it will take to get there! I won't be much good to Tank if I'm passed out from low blood sugar will I? I need just a little something to hold me over until we get to the restaurant.
I had just finished with half of a ham sandwich when Tank knocked on my door. When I opened it I had to stop myself from letting out a whistle. He looked good. He was wearing a black suit, obviously tailored because of his size, with a maroon dress shirt, the kind with the black button and the mock turtleneck instead of a collar and tie.
"Damn bombshell, I think you'd better go back in and change." I looked down at the dress. Was there something wrong with it?
"Why?"
"Because you're supposed to be my girlfriend, and I would never let any woman of mine out of the house looking this good." I'm sure I blushed five shades of red.
"Thanks, you look pretty good yourself."
"Pretty good?! I look damn good and I know it! C'mon," he smiled and held out his arm to me, "You and this arm gonna get to know each other real well. I don't want you leavin' it for the rest of the night." He winked at me and I had to laugh. Yep, I was as safe as I was going to get, from the bad guys anyway.
This guy was extra flirtatious the whole car ride. When he put his arm around my shoulders I had to say something.
"Tank, what would your wife say?"
"Honey, tonight I don't have a wife."
"What did Suzie say when you told her that?"
"I'm pretty sure I'm sleeping on the couch for the next week."
"That's what I thought." He pulled the car into a driveway, but I didn't recognize the restaurant. I looked at the clock and realized that we had been driving for over an hour. We could be anywhere. It was a little strange, but I trusted Tank, and I really needed the 5,000. So in I went. Tank was a perfect Gentlemen. He opened the doors, took my coat, and pretended not to notice when my jaw dropped at the prices on the menu. He toned down the flirting and we had a decent conversation, considering the only things we had in common were bounty hunting and Ranger.
What happened next was kind of a blur. Our skip was supposed to be having dinner with us but something must have gone wrong. He must have recognized me from one of the newspaper articles. Tank told me later that he thought we would be far enough away from Trenton for me to be recognized. I remember hearing gunshots and feeling Tank slam into my side. A sharp pain shot all the way up my arm. It wasn't until the firefight was over and the ambulance got there that I realized the sharp pain had been a bullet wound, and not just Tank's massive body hitting mine. They must have sedated me because the next thing I remember is being in a hospital bed with Tank, Bobby, and Lester watching over me.
"Hey bombshell."
"Hey."
"Hey, how are you feeling?" They all spoke at once and I could barely tell who said what. I looked at Tank.
"You said I wouldn't get shot at."
"I'm so sorry Steph." He looked like he felt bad enough so I decided to forgive him. I mean I wasn't feeling so bad, especially with all the painkillers. In fact I was actually liking the floaty feeling I was having. I was thinking that maybe this getting shot thing wasn't so bad after all. That flesh wound I had a while back had hurt a lot more.
" 's okay. I don't feel so bad." I think that's when I fell back asleep. I had been shot through the upper arm. It hadn't hit the bone. If it had I would have needed surgery. As it was the doctor wanted to see me back in a week to make sure all of my muscle tissue was healing properly. Tank said they kept me overnight. I vaguely remember the doctor sending me home in a sling with instructions for changing the bandages. Then Tank saying that they didn't catch the skip. That conversation is rather vivid actually.
"Hey Steph."
"Hey. When do I get outta here?"
"Soon. I gotta talk to you."
"Sure, shoot." I gave a little giggle at my inside joke. Tank just grimaced.
"We have a small problem."
"Like what?"
"We didn't catch the skip."
"And?"
"He's not such a good guy bombshell. We think you might not be safe."
"That's not good."
"No. We want to put you into a safe house. Just for a few days."
"What about Valentines day?"
"Bombshell this guy could put a real crimp in your plans if you know what I mean." I frowned at that. I really didn't like the idea of a safe house. Then again, this guy had shot me once, why wouldn't he do it again? So I really didn't have a choice. It wasn't like I had a date anyway.
"A safe house?" Tank smiled and it was more mischievous than happy.
"Safest house we got."