CHAPTER 29

I'm So Hungry I Could Eat A Horse

Sweat tickled my face as it traveled down to the bodice of the bulky dress I was wearing, causing it to cling to my body as if weighted in lead. My chest heaved painfully; the air so thin I couldn't breathe. "Let me out!" I screamed as I brought my hands up, desperately banging on the glass surrounding me.

I licked my lips as I panted; my throat dry and raw from screaming. Short puffs of breath fogged the glass, clouding my view of Durant as he sat in his chair, stroking himself, eyes unwaveringly locked on mine; shining with pride as his cock thickened and grew longer. A few more pumps of his hand and his face contorted in ecstasy.

I swallowed past the tightness in my throat as he walked in slow motion toward me. "Stop!" I screamed, and tried to take a step back, only to come up short when I hit the glass behind me. He smiled, baring his shining teeth, taking pleasure in my fear.

My heart slammed against the wall of my chest. Each step he took had me gasping. Suffocating. I turned from side to side, searching for a way out. Melissa's rotting corpse was to my right, gazing straight ahead. As if she felt my stare, she slowly turned. A clump of curls fell from her head, landing on the bottom of her case and her right eyeball hung from its socket—dangling back and forth.

My breath stalled, and my stomach rolled. I closed my eyes and swallowed hard to keep the vomit down. When I opened my eyes again, he was right in front of me, reaching out with his finger to touch the glass. I watched helplessly as he used his milky liquid to make one vertical line and then another. He connected the two in the middle and dipped his finger in his cupped hand, wetting it again. He made a heart next and then an S.

H heart S. Hunter Loves Stephanie.

I squeezed my eyes shut and turned my head, wishing he'd magically disappear. When the air pressure changed, I knew he'd opened my case. I shrank back hoping to get out of his reach. His hands came around my shoulders shaking me. "Nooo… " A hoarse scream escaped as I thrashed from side to side in my glass coffin.

"Wake up, Stephanie!"

I brought my hands up, digging my fingernails into anything I could grasp. He didn't let go. I tried kicking him, but before I could do any damage, he pressed his weight on me. Get off me asshole. I was firing on all cylinders, swinging wildly. I landed a hard punch to his face and he hissed in pain, but I was too enraged to stop. Before I could get in another hit, my arms were forced over my head—immobilizing me. I gritted my teeth and fought harder, but I was no match for him. I never had been.

"Babe, you have to wake up!"

Ranger? I thought I heard his voice, but I couldn't see him.

"Come back to me, Babe."

I want to, Ranger. But he's got me, and he'll never let me go. I broke down in sobs, weak and ready to give up.

"Stephanie, you have to wake up now!" My eyes sprung open at his sharp tone. Ranger's familiar chocolate brown eyes were inches away as he leaned over me, pressing my hands above my head. Immediately, he let go and I quickly scanned the room, my heart racing as I tried to get my bearings. The smell of death lingered, and the hospital gown stuck to my body—wet with sweat.

"Where did they go?" My brows wrinkled in confusion, wondering where Durant and the women had gone.

"Where did who go?" He reached toward me, but my reflexes from the cellar clicked in and I flinched away.

A look of concern crossed his face before it was replaced with pity. "I'd never hurt you." He tenderly ran his thumb over my cheek, cradling my jaw. "You're safe now," he said softly, trying to calm me. "No one can hurt you." When he gave me a sad smile, I noticed a bright red mark on his cheek, and knew it was where I'd hit him. I couldn't talk. I couldn't breathe. Giant tears flowed down my face. "Breathe, Babe!"

I hesitantly reached out with my casted hand, my fingers stopping centimeters from where the red mark stained his smooth skin. I couldn't bring myself to touch where I hurt him. "I'm so… sorry."

"My fault." He shook his head and brushed my tears away with the pad of his thumb. "I shouldn't have tried to grab you while you were having a nightmare."

I avoided his gaze even though I felt his intense stare. I was calmer now, and the dream had receded, but it had seemed so real. I had to get his focus off me. If I didn't, he would start asking questions that I didn't want to answer. I made a move to get up and go to the bathroom. Nature was calling.

Alone in the bathroom, I sneered at my crazy mop of curls in the mirror. "Your beautiful curls were the first thing I noticed." I closed my eyes and let the rage flow through me. I was physically free, but still a prisoner of his words. I pulled the hair tie out and grabbed handfuls of hair, pulling hard, fighting the urge to rip the curls out by the roots. If I had a pair of scissors, I'd cut off every last one. Tears burned trails down my face, and I drew in great gulps of air as muffled sobs escaped. I grabbed onto the sink for support while I broke down as quietly as I could.

The anger gradually faded, and I brushed the offensive curls into a ponytail, blinking back tears as my hands shook. The brush slipped from my fingers, landing in the sink with a loud clunk.

"Are you okay?" Ranger asked.

I felt his worry through the door and tried to respond, but nothing came out. I blew out an angry breath and tried again. "Yeah. I… I'll be out in a minute." The door didn't have a lock; he could burst in any second, but I knew he'd respect my privacy. I splashed cold water on my face to help make the redness go away and hoped for the best.

When Stephanie opened the door, Ranger took one look at her blotchy face and knew she'd been crying. Her eyes were haunted. It took all his mental fortitude to be strong for her. He put his blank face on, afraid if he showed her what he truly felt he'd break down in front of her. And that wouldn't do. He followed her eyes to his forearms, watching them widen when she noticed the blood dotting his arm.

"Did I do that?"

"It's nothing, Babe."

She went back into the bathroom and came out with a wet cloth. "Let me." She gently wiped the blood away and placed the cloth on the nearby table. Uncomfortable with the emotions flowing between them, she stepped over to the window, looking out at the midmorning sky. Her eyes followed a red bird, as it took off flying high over the landscape. She shivered as it disappeared among the millions of snow-covered pine trees in the Barrens. "This isn't St. Francis." She murmured but didn't turn around. "Where am I?"

"Piney Grove hospital in Hammonton Township."

"How did I end up here?"

He'd been hoping she'd tell him. According to Diesel, she was aware of a lot more than she was letting on. In the past, he was the one she turned to for help. When had that changed?

"This was the closest trauma center to the accident." His heart clenched. He couldn't keep the anguish from entering his voice. He wasn't supposed to ask, but the words came out anyway. "Were you after a skip? Is that why you ended up in the Pine Barrens?"

She shook her head. "I cleared all my cases before Vinnie shut down for Christmas."

"I need answer's Stephanie." He tried not to let his frustration show. "I know you remember more than you're saying."

She turned slightly, just enough to see his face. He'd never had trouble reading her, but right now, he wasn't able to discern a damn thing.

"Do you remember what you told me about working to fix your Karma?" she whispered hesitantly but held his eyes, letting him know his answer was important.

It was something he'd said to her a couple of times—mostly to get her to understand that he wasn't the great person she thought he was. Sometimes she looked at him as if he truly was the superhero she believed him to be, but he wasn't… not even close. He'd done a lot of shit in his life that he had to atone for. She was waiting for him to say something or do something, but he could only nod to let her know he heard her.

She turned back to the window and he had to strain to hear her next words. "Do you think a person can ever fix the bad things they do?"

His response was quick and matter of fact. "That's not something you need to worry about."

Even though she faced away from him, he was able to see her thin smile in the reflection of the window. She didn't believe him.

"I know you remember what happened to you. Diesel said you talked with him about it. He said you need a good lawyer. I need you to tell me what's going on, Stephanie."

When he didn't call her Babe, she knew he was dead serious. "Don't ask questions you don't want the answers too."

Ranger's nostrils flared. He didn't like her cryptic statement. It reminded him of something he'd have said to avoid answering. Maybe she'd learned more from him than he'd wanted her too.

She turned around and reached out to touch his already bruising cheek. "Thank you for finding me." She looked into his eyes to make sure he knew how much she meant it.

"I'll always come for you." He turned his face into her palm, letting it caress him as he stepped forward. His muscular chest was barely grazing her breasts and he had such longing in his face as he put his arms around her. "I love you, Babe."

Hope sparked in her eyes and he realized what he'd done. He'd made her believe there might be a chance for them after all.

His face went blank and he backed away. "I shouldn't have said that." Her smile fell away as if it had never been there. She looked abandoned. He had to say something to make this better. "You make me want more, even when… "

The door opened, and the moment was over. Dr. Powell came in for her morning evaluation. She listened to Stephanie's lungs, smiling and nodding as she positioned the stethoscope. When she lifted the bandages, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Your lungs sound good, much better in fact. And your wounds… I don't know what happened between last night and this morning, but you seem to be healing remarkably well."

"Does that mean I can go home today?" Stephanie couldn't keep the eagerness from her voice.

"You need another scan on your heart and lungs before I can release you."

"When can I go home?"

"You'll be with us for at least a couple more days, but if it's any consolation, your mother can bring you a home cooked meal today."

Stephanie smiled. "How many times has she asked you?"

"I don't know if I can count that high." Dr. Powell laughed as she left the room.

Ranger dialed a number on his phone and handed it to Stephanie. "Your mother wanted you to call her after you saw the doctor."

"Hi, Mom." She paused to listen and then continued. "I'm doing better, but I have to stay for a couple more days."

Ranger sat down on the bed beside Stephanie, rubbing her back while she talked to her mother. He wished she'd quit trying to be tough and confide in him, but she was stubborn, and would only ask for help as a last resort. He didn't think this time was going to be any different.

"Yeah, Mom, that sounds good." When Stephanie's throat constricted with emotion, he directed his attention back to her conversation. "Okay, bye." She took several deep breaths, fighting back tears as she handed his phone back.

"Stephanie… ," Ranger said, pausing to weigh his words carefully.

She watched him for a moment and then sighed. "We don't need to rehash the conversation we had before Christmas." She decided to let him off the hook. "I remember it clearly. I know you care about me, but… " Her voice trailed off before coming back stronger. "We're good friends. I get it. It's fine, okay?"

He leaned into her and his lips were just about to meet hers when she turned away. "You can't keep doing that, Ranger." She shook her head. "You may not respect Joe, but I need you to respect me."

Ranger pulled back, his blank face in place. He wasn't happy that she doubted his respect for her.

"In the past I haven't made the boundaries clear. That's on me." She sighed and looked down. "Joe and I… we're complicated, but I love him."

He'd suspected it… hell, he even knew it, but hearing those words from her mouth made his heart hurt. They sat in silence for a few minutes. When she finally looked up, she studied him carefully, noticing the dark circles under his eyes. "Why don't you go get some rest? You don't need to babysit me. I'll be fine."

He could use some time to get his feelings back in check and some shut eye would be useful. He hadn't had much of that in weeks. This time when he kissed her, it was on the forehead and it was bittersweet.

"I'll ask Hector to come in and sit with you. Zip needs to stay at his post outside the door."

Stephanie nodded slowly. It wasn't necessary for her to have a guard and that made her feel bad for causing Ranger to waste time and money worrying about her, but right now, she didn't have a choice. Maybe if they were a couple, she could tell him what she was letting happen to Durant... but they weren't. And that made her sadder than she cared to admit.

Hector and I had been playing cards for a while. I liked having him here. He was easy to be with. He treated me like normal and didn't ask intrusive questions. Just as he shouted, 'Gin Rummy', the door opened, and the most tantalizing smells of my life filled the room.

"Look who I brought with me!" Joe said as he walked in, followed by my mother and Grandma. As soon as I saw a brown paper bag in Joe's hands, my breath stalled in my chest and I froze. It's only a paper bag, I told myself. It can't hurt me. Just because Durant threw my rations at me in a similar bag doesn't mean I have to freak out every time I see one.

While my mind was busy convincing me that I was okay, Hector picked up the cards and kissed my forehead. "I will be outside if you need me."

"Stay, cutie," Grandma said as she sidled up close to him. "We have plenty. And I wouldn't mind sharing my treats with you."

Hector gave me a sly smile and stepped close to Grandma, looking her up and down. He wasn't one to shy away, especially from a harmless old lady. "What you got for me, Mamí?"

Her eyes widened, and she took a step back, mouth opening and closing. I guess, even her bravado only went so far. He chuckled and gave me a wink as he made his way out the door.

"Whew, that one is intense," Grandma turned to stare at Hector's ass as he walked away. Once the door closed, she shook her head and got busy helping my mother lay the food out on the small table. I couldn't help recalling Durant's threats to my family as I watched her move around, healthy and carefree in her purple velour tracksuit and white high-top chucks. It was so easy slipping inside your family's homes. Do what I want, and they won't get hurt. I'd begged him not to hurt my family, and I lived in fear that I'd make him angry enough that he'd kill them anyway. Tears gathered in my eyes and I started breathing hard. I could have lost them all and it would have been my fault.

"What's with the sad face?" Grandma asked.

Tears streamed down my cheeks, unchecked. Joe pulled me into his arms, gently rubbing my back. "Shh, It's okay." I hung onto him, afraid to break the connection. When the tears finally stopped, he wiped my face with a tissue. "Better?" he asked, hopefully. I gave him a tired smile and nodded my head.

I was still wrapped in Joe's arms when Grandma slid behind him. Suddenly, he clutched me tighter as Grandma came around him and sat on the bed, clucking her dentures, murmuring something about how arthritis makes it hard to get a good grip. Joe's terrified eyes met mine, and I couldn't help but laugh. If I wasn't mistaken, she'd pinched his ass. He narrowed his eyes, promising payback for laughing.

"You're being a little heavy handed with the eyeshadow," Grandma said as she inspected my face, boldly reaching out, patting my cheek, and running her finger along the mark on my neck. Her eyes narrowed. "Tell me who did this to you. Me and my crew will make mincemeat out of the punk."

At Grandma's age, she thought the rules didn't apply to her anymore. In fact, she lived to break them. Even though no one was supposed to question me about my missing memories, that didn't mean they weren't all curious. Mom had been busy setting food out but stopped to listen. When I didn't say anything, she took the thermos of soup and poured it into a bowl. "We're just glad you're alright," my mother said as she put the bowl on my rolling table and offered one to Joe. I smiled when he happily took it. That was one of the things Joe and I had in common. We rarely turned down food.

As if it was a normal family dinner and we were sitting around my mother's dining table, she kept up a constant chatter about all the gossip from the neighborhood. "That sock puppet company, who was going to buy the old Button Factory building, decided to purchase something further down the river in Pennsylvania." Mom shook her head and continued. "It's hard to believe your cousin Maureen has been out of work for over a year."

"Yeah," Grandma said. "Maureen thought she'd be making buttons until she died. Who knew the Button Factory would go out of business?"

"Maureen was hoping to get hired on at the new company," Mom said, "but there's no way she can drive an hour to get to work." She made a confused face. "It's just as well. The company probably won't make it anyway. Who would want to buy a sock puppet for their cell phone?"

Grandma rolled her eyes. "It's called a pop socket, Helen." She pulled out her phone, showing us the round plastic circle attached to the back. "It's a handle for your phone." Joe chuckled when he saw Grandma had chosen one with a picture of a half-naked man in a thong.

Mom huffed and shook her head but finished laying out the food while I tried to follow along as she moved to other topics of gossip. I knew they were doing it for my benefit, trying to make things seem normal, but nothing was normal anymore, and I wasn't sure if it ever would be again.

Mom pushed the rolling table up to my chest. "Eat all you want, and you can have more."

She was a great mom, but sometimes she got her priorities mixed up. Granted, I wasn't an easy kid to raise—head strong—and always getting into mischief. I looked at Joe—case in point. That garage incident alone probably put several grey hairs on her head. As much as I tried to be good, it didn't come naturally, but right now, there was nothing I wanted more than for her to bundle me up and put me at her kitchen table. She'd make all my favorites and I'd know I was home—that I was loved.

The aroma coming from the homemade chicken noodle soup made my stomach growl. With my good arm, I started cramming spoonful after spoonful into my mouth. "Slow down, Stephanie," Mom warned. I couldn't have stopped if my life depended on it. I ate everything before me, even though my stomach was so full it hurt. She got up and refilled my bowl. This time I ate a little slower.

Mom put the rest of the food away, but before she did, I managed to slip a baggie of chocolate chip cookies under my blanket. I could have left them on the table. No one would have taken them from me, but a little voice whispered, reminding me I didn't know when my next meal would be. I couldn't take the chance I'd go hungry again.

When Mom and Grandma opened the door to leave, they ran into a woman dressed in a dark pant suit. She had shoulder length golden brown hair and was pretty in a girl next door kind of way. I didn't have a good view of the man behind her, but I could tell he was larger than her. I assumed they must be the FBI agents who wanted to question me.

Joe stiffened and quickly got off the bed. "You're not supposed to be here."

Despite his biting words, the woman smiled warmly at me as she stepped inside. "Hello, Ms. Plum, is this a good time to ask you a few questions?"

As soon as she moved, I could see the man behind her. My heart sputtered. He was the very last person I expected to see in my hospital room.

His eyes lit up as he smirked and ran his gaze up and down my body, taking perverse pleasure in my beaten condition. "You're looking well."