Well... It's been a long time, folks. A longggg time. I really don't have any excuses except for I lost interest in the story. I really didn't think I'd ever post again... but I was reading it tonight and decided that wasn't fair... for poor Stephanie. I mean, come on, who wants to stand there forever with a gun pointed at your forehead and no finish to it?
So, I'm finishing this story up, come hell or high water. This chapter was shorter than I intended, but I'm just now getting back into the habit of writing... so I'm kind of a rookie, all over again.
All I'm asking is... be patient with me )... I gotta get back in the mindset...
Thank ya'll so00oo much )
AND now... -Drum Roll-...
"Evening, Ms. Stephanie," greeted Martinez.
Shit.
"'Lo," I said casually, forcing my voice not to shake.
Martinez looked like shit. He hadn't shaved in what looked like quite a few days... and he was still wearing his jail clothes.
"Well, seein' how we're friends and all, wanna lower the gun a 'lil?"
Like, away from my forehead?
Hey, at least I'm trying to make conversation.
He gave me a sardonic smile. "Now, now, I would love to, but the last time I trusted you, I got thrown in jail... remember?" He made a motion to someone behind me. Without looking, I knew that it was Eric who was cuffing my hands behind my back... with my own cuffs.
Now if that don't piss a girl off, I don't know what would.
"Hey, you can't use my cuffs against me!" I exclaimed to Martinez, glowering.
Eric Manoso pushed me ungracefully onto the bed. He sat down beside me and bared his teeth. "I think I just did, Babe."
I felt a sick sensation at the nickname.
"How long were you here?" I asked, my voice shaking.
The two men grinned. Martinez, gun still pointed at my head, moved to stand in front of me, while Eric lay back lazily on the couch with an air that only a Manoso could posess.
"Shacking up with my brother, eh?" Eric gave me a sinister grin. "Now, what would your mother say about that?"
I felt sick. I was going to puke all over his shoes.
"She looks a 'lil green, man," Eric pointed out to Martinez.
No shit, Peppy LaPue. He'd be green too if he had a crazy ass clown stalker holding him hostage with HIS OWN handcuffs and a large, evil looking gun at his throat.
If I wasn't in such a... bind... I would look at myself in the mirror, just to see how the green complexion mixed with my hair.
I guess they could see that my attention was shifting, because I felt a sharp slap across my face.
Fucker.
I glared at Martinez, who simply raised his eyebrows back. Ha, I guess I'm not the only one who can't raise just one.
"Is there a problem?"
Yeah, dickhead, you just slapped me.
"What do you want from me? I'm not of any help to you. Adriel is gon-"
Martinez laughed. "Adriel is not who we're after, darling. You are still of great help to us."
Shit. Ranger... they wanted Ranger.
Okay, on one hand, this could be a good thing, right? Ranger had said he'd be back...
but it could be hours before he returned.
And if he DID return with them here... there were two of them, and one of him.
"Shit," I whispered.
Both men grinned. "She isn't as much of an idiot as I thought," laughed Eric.
Had I not have had my hands cuffed, he would have gotten shot the bird.
"So, I don't quite understand," I muttered, trying to stall for time. "You're army men. Why don't ya'll just go to him?"
Eric threw back his head and laughed as if I had just told a funny joke. "Nice try," he growled, "But even I'm not stupid enough to go charging into a group of ex-military men."
Well, he had a point.
"But you're a trained army man, right?" I thought back to what I had learned in the hospital.
Eric snorted. "I could take one a few at once. But not the entire company."
Well... true.
We sat there in silence for quite awhile, until Eric's eyes snapped up and made contact with mine. He gave me the look of a lion about to jump.
"On the other hand..."
My eyes widened as Eric sat up and leaned into my face. He was so close, I could smell his breath.
"...Nobody said we need you.. alive."
The last part was not even a whisper, but a mere breath.. but it made me shiver violently. The cool act was gone.
I was fucking terrified, and they knew it.
Sure, I'd come close to death before. The Ramirez incident was an example of that. Along with the funeral home incident. I'd had more cars blow up in one month than Paris Hilton had men in her bed.
But none of that hit as close as this.
"Don't," I whispered, my cool facade gone.
Martinez glanced at Eric, who nodded.
"Ricky took the only woman I'll ever love away from me," he whispered in my ear. He grabbed me by the arm and forced me to stand up.
Shit, shit shit. Where was Ranger when you needed him?
"I can't control that," I said as a last attempt. "It wasn't my fault, I wasn't even AROUND. I didn't KNOW him!"
Not to mention that Rina is still alive... which will be more than what I'll be if someone doesn't show up, and SOON.
"I don't CARE," bellowed Eric suddenly. "An eye for an eye will never be enough. I want, I DESERVE more than that. Now shut the FUCK up and stand by the window."
Oh, God.. that's when it hit me. I was truely going to die. This was it.
"NOW!" he screamed. Martinez took me by the arm and led me to the window. I shot him a begging, pleading look.
"It was a pleasure, Ms. Plum," he said, smiling. Had the phrase been recorded, one would think we were dismisisng ourselves from a lovely tea party.
"Turn around and face me." I didn't move. If I was going to die anyway, I'd rather not see it happen.
I guess Martinez had a different plan for me, because he turned me around.
Eric looked me in the eye as he raised the gun to my forehead.
I saw the hatred, the anger... and the pain.
"Why me?" I asked softly, my cool gone.
Hey, if you were about to get shot and had to face the person doing it, you would cry, too.
Eric faltered for half a second, then brought the gun up again, pissed.
"Why?" I repeated.
Before I could get an answer, a single bullet was fired.
Let me just say now...
STEPHANIE IS NOT GOING TO DIE.
Review? Please? -Puppy eyes-
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