Chapter Three

I knew the moment she'd gotten hurt.

The problem with the psychic connection that we have is that I have no idea how badly she gets hurt. I didn't feel any fear from her, so I knew that even though she was hurt, she wasn't in any further danger.

I popped to her location, materializing in a secluded corner of the parking lot, and walked into the emergency room. The clerk at the desk indicated where I could find Steph, but I really hadn't needed to ask. The muscle-bound man dressed all in black, standing guard outside one of the curtained cubicles, was an obvious clue to her whereabouts.

I nodded briefly at him before pulling aside the curtain. I entered to find Steph lying on the bed and Ranger straddling the only chair, his arms folded on the back. He nodded at me, stood up and came closer to the bed. I felt a small stab of jealousy as he leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on Steph's forehead.

"You're in good hands now, Babe." He turned to leave, but as he passed me he quietly said, "Steward." I nodded once, to show I'd understood and he slipped out through the curtain.

Stephanie's eyes were slightly unfocussed and I assumed they had given her some painkillers. A quick glance told me that she'd hurt her leg, if the state of her jeans was anything to go by. I perched on the edge of the bed and took hold of her hand.

"What happened? I thought you were just taking Grandma to the bank?"

"I was." She crinkled her brows as if trying to remember. "I did. But Grandma...she pulled her gun out of her bag...looking for her check." Her speech was a little slurred, and my earlier assumptions were confirmed, she was definitely on some kind of pain medication. "Someone must have hit the panic alarm." She closed her eyes as if picturing the scene. "Steward was in the bank. I think...he must have been persuading the teller to give him money...but he ran when the alarm sounded. I didn't think...I just chased after him."

"How did you get hurt? Did he do anything to you?"

She shook her head, and I could tell her mind was starting to clear a little. "I chased him into an alley...but I didn't see the trashcans. I ran straight into them." She looked towards her knee. "I fell on some glass. Cut my knee up pretty badly.

I stroked the back of her hand with my thumb. "How bad, exactly?"

"I think they had to take out quite a lot of glass." She looked up at me and guessed at what I was going to say. "I know. I should have popped away the second I hit them. I didn't think. I'm sorry."

Her eyes watered up and a tear escaped running back into her hair. Now I knew for sure she wasn't completely herself. It had to be the drugs affecting her this way. The woman lying in that bed would normally be mad at herself, not feeling sorry.

I leaned down and touched my lips to hers, before sitting back up. "You've got nothing to be sorry for. Certainly not to me. Yes, you didn't have to get hurt, but you were thinking of Steward and catching him. You were distracted. Besides, it's highly likely he used mind control on you and you really didn't see the trashcans until you hit them."

"Wouldn't I have felt him, if he'd been in my head?"

"Not necessarily, you were chasing him and, as I said, you were distracted. Perhaps you didn't expect him to try something like that." I smoothed her hair back from her forehead trying to soothe her.

A nurse entered the cubicle just as I was about to kiss Steph again. I pulled back quickly and turned to the woman with the clipboard in her hands.

"Ms. Plum can leave now." She spoke to me as if Steph wasn't even in the room. "She mustn't drive because of the meds she's taken. And then wait at least another 24-48 hours before driving again; otherwise she might risk pulling a stitch or two." She glanced around once and then focused back on me. "Will you be driving her home?" I got the distinct feeling she was disappointed to find me there instead of Ranger.

"Yes, I'll be taking her home." I turned back to the bed and gently tugged at Steph's hand to pull her into a sitting position. She signed the form that the nurse handed to her, and the woman left us alone. I picked Steph up and held her cradled to my chest. With a quick look to make certain the curtains around the cubicle were completely closed and that we weren't observed, I popped us both back to our apartment.

We arrived in the bedroom, and I reluctantly relinquished Steph to the comfort of the bed.

"Thank you, but my car is still at the hospital, unless Ranger took it." She lay back against the pillows and sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair. "I think I should try to sleep off these pain meds. They're making me so dopey."

"Good idea. And while you're napping I'll check with Ranger about your car and, if I need to, I'll pop back to the hospital and collect it." I briefly stroked her temple smoothing the soft hair with my fingers and I leaned down to kiss her forehead. I had a sudden memory of Ranger doing the same thing. "I love you." She smiled sleepily without responding and closed her eyes.

Trying not to jostle her leg, I gently slipped off her sneakers and unzipped her jeans, pulling them carefully over her stitched knee. I covered her with the comforter and then glanced out the window to see if her car had magically appeared in the lot. Not seeing it there, I popped back to the hospital.

oo000oo

I awoke slowly. The warmth and comfort of the bed enveloped me, making me reluctant to surface from the depths of slumber. I hefted the covers back up over my shoulder but after a few minutes, I realized I had no chance of reclaiming my former sleeping state, so I stretched.

I immediately regretted that action. The movement had stretched the skin taut on my leg and the pain was instantaneous and sharp. Memory flooded back. Stitches. My damn knee had stitches in it.

Gingerly I maneuvered my legs over the side of the bed and sat on the edge. I listened to see if Diesel was home but the apartment was silent. I stood up slowly and tested my knee to see if it would take my weight. I found I could walk, or rather hobble, if I favored my right leg. Deciding that I didn't want to stay in bed all day, at least not alone, I went in search of Diesel and coffee, not necessarily in that order.

My man had obviously left earlier and decided against waking me. That was okay, but it was odd that he hadn't left a note. He normally leaves me little love notes stuck to the refrigerator. It didn't bother me too much that it interfered with my normal routine of coffee and shower, but it was unlike him.

The phone rang as I was about to get into the shower; I let the machine get it because I couldn't have gotten there in time before it picked up anyway. I heard my friend Mary Lou's voice, as she left a long and involved message about Grandma and the beauty salon.

With a full tank of caffeine and a clean body, I sat down to think about what I should do next. Diesel had asked me to leave Steward to him. Thinking back to my abortive chase the day before, I figured Steward had had a hand, or rather a mind, in me not seeing those trashcans. Yes, he was dangerous. Apparently, Diesel had been right about one more thing, being an Unmentionable was no defense against him.

What I needed to do was to catch him when he was least expecting it. That much was obvious. To do that I needed more research. I thought I would start out at the office, and if I needed more powerful search programs, I could go to RangeMan.

I contemplated driving for all of five seconds before picking up my purse and willing myself to the alley next to the bonds office.

Lula was actually doing some filing when I entered the office. Her behind was in danger of bursting the seams on her lurid orange skintight pants. Connie was talking on the phone but she disconnected soon after I shut the door.

Lula stopped mid-file and turned towards me. "Hey Girlfriend? How's your leg? I heard you had a run-in with a trash can."

"Well I heard you rolled in garbage and stank out the E.R." Connie was tuned into the Burg grapevine, but this time it had gotten its wires crossed.

I grinned at two of my best friends. "Yeah, it was garbage but I didn't roll in it. Not this time. I fell on some broken glass and cut my knee up some." I gestured towards Connie's computer. "Can I use your search programs?"

"Sure. Knock yourself out." She got up to give me her chair.

Watching the computer run search programs is not the most interesting of pastimes, so to kill time I got up to get a cup of coffee. Sitting down next to Connie on the couch, I idly watched her paint her nails whore red.

Connie glanced up at me and gestured with the nail varnish. My nails were in terrible condition after scrabbling around in the garbage the day before, so I shook my head. Connie shrugged and continued to stroke the tiny brush over her perfectly manicured nails. "How's your grandma? She okay after getting arrested?"

"It's the best thing that's happened to her all year." I glanced at Lula who had taken another pile of files off the top of the cabinet and had started to sort them. "Ram took her to the Clip 'n Curl after they left the station. That was the icing on the cake.

"Mary Lou called this morning. Apparently, her aunt had been under the dryer when Grandma arrived yesterday. The old crones there couldn't get enough of Ram. Poor man, I'll have to try to make it up to him someday. Grandma was in her element."

Lula turned around from the filing cabinets and perched herself on the corner of Connie's desk. "Last night, after Tank and I finished doing the deed, we were lying there and talking, you know, like you do. Well, I don't know if you do, but we do. Anyway, my point is, he said that Ranger paid Grandma's bond. Is that right?"

I nodded.

"I wonder how you're gonna pay that back." She picked up her purse and started to root around inside it, obviously looking for something. "I've got some cherry flavored condoms here somewhere. You'll need them if you have to pay it back the way I think you'll have to."

"What is it with cherry flavored condoms? What does the flavor matter? They're just latex." I shook my head. "Grandma swears by them too. She wouldn't get into the police car until she found the ones she'd lost. I had to run back into the bank to look for her hot cherry flavored ones she'd dropped when the alarm went off yesterday."

"Always knew your grandma had good taste." Lula nodded her head vigorously making the beads on her braids click.

"Look, condoms aside. That form of repayment is no longer an option, not that it ever was. I won't cheat on Diesel."

Connie, who by this time had started on her toenails, looked up at me with an incredulous expression on her face. "You mean if Batman offered, you wouldn't take it? That, I don't believe!"

Before Diesel and I became an item, I had bounced between Joe and Ranger like a ping-pong ball. Would I still go to Ranger if he beckoned? I didn't think so. However, I really didn't want to test that theory.

I shook my head but was saved from answering by the dinging of the computer program indicating that it had finished its search. Sitting back down at Connie's desk, I checked out the results.

It didn't take long for me to realize that Connie's programs hadn't found anything new on Steward. I needed a program that could dig deeper. Looked like I was going to have to go RangeMan after all, since their search programs could go where others only dreamed of going.

Connie perched on the corner of her desk, swinging her feet to dry her newly painted toenails. "Uh oh. You keep frowning like that, those creases'll become permanent. Something wrong with my computer?"

I smoothed my fingers over my forehead, anxious to delay the onset of wrinkles. "Nothing wrong with your computer, it's working just fine. But I need a stronger search program. Damn, it looks like I've got to go to RangeMan."

Lula stopped what she was doing and crossing her arms, stared at me. "And why wouldn't you be happy with that? I'd jump at the chance to see Tank during work hours."

"I know you would Lula, but I won't find Diesel at RangeMan, now will I?" I let out a groan of frustration. "I'm pissed because I'm supposed to be keeping off my leg, and if Ranger catches me he's gonna give me all kinds of grief. Knowing him, he'll probably threaten to call Diesel."

Lula shrugged and went over to the window. "Don't see your wheels out front. You want a ride?"

"Nah, it's okay, I parked round back. Thanks though." I picked up my purse and hobbled toward the back door. "See ya." I waved without looking back. Once the door was firmly shut behind me, I slipped around the corner and into the alley. I made sure no one could see me before I closed my eyes and willed myself to the alley across from RangeMan.

I staggered a little when I materialized and thanked the Lord that my aim had been true. I had arrived at the back of the alley, well out of sight of the RangeMan security cameras. I regained my balance and walked towards the opening between the two buildings.

Just as I was about to turn onto Haywood I caught sight of a black Jaguar coming out of the underground garage of Ranger's building. I quickly pulled back into the shadows; I didn't want Ranger to see me.

For some reason, though, I felt the need to watch the vehicle as it exited the ramp, so I poked my head around the corner. Then I knew why I'd needed to watch. Ranger wasn't at the wheel. I'd recognize that blond head anywhere. I'd run my fingers through that hair more times than I could count.

Why the Hell was Diesel visiting RangeMan, and why hadn't he told me he was going there?

The way I saw it, I had two choices. Ask Diesel or ask Ranger. I really didn't want to do either, but I felt compelled to find out why Diesel was visiting RangeMan. I had no idea where Diesel was going or where he'd gotten that black Jaguar. However, I had already intended to go to RangeMan to use their computers, so I crossed the street and entered the building by way of the underground garage.

As I waited for the elevator, I hung my RangeMan badge around my neck. Ranger had tightened security in the building a while back, and all entrances now had a sensor against which you had to hold your badge in order to open them. Some doors within the building had similar locks. I hadn't tried my badge on all of them yet, however, I was sure that there were a few that would remain closed, no matter how much I waved my badge at them.

The elevator finally arrived and I rode it up to the fifth floor. When the doors opened with a ding, I walked towards my cube. I saw Tank coming out of Ranger's office and said a distracted hello to him. All desire to do a further in-depth search on Steward suddenly dried up. "Hey Tank, is he in?"

"Yep. He's on the phone, but you can go in."

"Thanks." I opened the door and slipped inside. I lifted my hand in greeting when Ranger looked up at the interruption. Smiling, he pointed to the sofa. I sat down and took a deep breath. What was I going to say? Should I just come straight out and say 'What was my boyfriend doing here?' Nah. I had to be more subtle than that.

I looked over at Ranger as I heard him hanging up the phone. "What was my boyfriend doing here?" So much for subtle, my mouth seemed to have a mind of its own.

"Babe?"

"Er... I mean... Oh Hell! I saw Diesel driving away and he never said he was coming here. In fact, he left before I woke up this morning. Why wouldn't he tell me he was coming here? I mean he could have left a note." I sounded like I was whining, probably because I was.

"Don't you think you should be asking him?"

"I was coming here anyway, and you're here now and he isn't." My mind was working overtime. Little bits of conversations were coming together like pieces of a puzzle. Diesel saying he'd arranged for back-up because Steward was too dangerous for him to handle on his own. Ranger whispering something to Diesel in the ER and Diesel's answering nod. Ranger knowing Steward was dangerous and warning her to be careful. Instantly the puzzle was solved; all the pieces slotted together.

"If it's about Rob Steward, then Diesel's not being very forthcoming with information. He wants me to leave Steward to him. He thinks that because Steward is an Unmentionable I won't be able to handle him. But I've handled dangerous FTAs before and now I'm more than capable of holding my own against someone like him. I'm tired of people lying to me and keeping me in the dark." I realized as soon as I finished speaking that I'd said too much. Ranger wasn't supposed to know details about our world. I pretended to find the pattern on the carpet incredibly interesting, in the hope that he wouldn't notice my slip.

A pair of black boots suddenly obscured my view of the fascinating pattern. A finger gently caressed the underside of my chin before applying pressure and raising my face. I tried to keep my eyes trained on his boots, but the force of his will seeped into my mind and I had to meet his gaze.

"Is he treating you well? Are you still happy? Do you still love him?" I didn't even pretend not to know who the 'he' in question was.

"So many questions..."

"Answer me."

"Yes he treats me well. Yes I still love him." I tried to look away but I was mesmerized by his gaze.

Were Diesel and I moving apart? I didn't want that to happen. Or did I? Was this some kind of defense mechanism that's programmed into my mind? Fight or flight?

"You didn't answer all my questions. Are you still happy?"

"Y...yes. Yes, I... we're still happy. Okay. Are you happy now?" It was a mistake to be alone with Ranger. I've found that I can't shut my mind to him. Unbidden, emotions flooded into my mind. I felt his every emotion. And right then, what he was feeling hurt me deep in my soul. That I could cause him such pain was killing me. I stood up suddenly, making him step back. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come."

"Babe. I meant what I said earlier. You need to talk to Diesel."

I managed to nod before I stumbled out of the room.

I must have left the building because the next thing I knew I was back in the alley opposite RangeMan. I leaned against the rough brick of the wall. Oh God, I hope I walked out. I hope I didn't disappear in full view of a camera and reappear over here. Closing my eyes, I concentrated on my apartment and popped home.

Silence met me when I materialized in my living room. I found my cell and dialed Diesel's number it didn't even ring before it went to voicemail. Either he'd switched off his phone or he was out of range.

I was so confused. Diesel wasn't sharing. He'd never held back information before, and I was starting to get a little paranoid. Why did all the men in my life keep secrets from me? I knew Joe had. He'd never shared any information on his cases, and that had sometimes put me in danger. Ranger was another who didn't share. Hell even Dickhead hadn't. Though his secrets weren't secret for long.

I wandered into the bedroom and flopped down on the bed in my thinking position. I stared up at the crack in the ceiling while I thought of Ranger. The blast of emotion that had stolen into my mind while I was in his office had been a surprise. I knew that he had loved me. If I'd given it any thought at all, I guess I'd assumed he'd given up the chase. Now I knew he hadn't. Now I knew he still loved me and seeing me with Diesel was killing him.

I guess I could understand how he felt. What I couldn't figure out, was how I felt about him. Once upon a time, I would have jumped at the chance to be with Ranger. Now, I was with Diesel. I loved Diesel. Didn't I? Yes I did. I was sure that I did. At least, I thought I was sure. But did Diesel love me? If he did, why would he be keeping information from me... important information? Why didn't he tell me he was working with Ranger?

My confused thoughts just kept whirling around and around in my mind.

The sound of the front door opening and closing woke me from a deep sleep. Memories of my dreams made me disorientated. Images of Ranger and Diesel jousting like knights of old swirled around in my head. I sat up on the edge of the bed and cradled my head in my hands, slowly the images receded and the present came into focus. Diesel. Diesel was home.

I tried to decide whether to go out to greet him or not. I wasn't happy with him, but I wanted to give him a chance to explain himself. Diesel took the decision out of my hands and came into the bedroom.

"Hey Steph, you're up and dressed. How are you feeling?" He came over, sat next to me and kissed my cheek. It's so difficult staying angry with him, but I stiffened my spine and tried to mentally distance myself from him.

"I'm feeling back to normal apart from a tight feeling in the skin around the stitches." I avoided his gaze and stared down at my feet. "I've had a very interesting day. I decided to go to Vinnie's to see if I could find anything more on Steward. You know, more background to help you find him."

"There was no need to do that. We have ways of tracking down our own."

"Yeah, like using innocent outsiders, like you used me."

"You were never an outsider. You just didn't know you were special yet."

"Well, now that I know why won't you use me? Let me help."

Diesel shrugged and sidestepped the question. "Did you find anything new on him?"

"The search program didn't turn up anything new so I went to RangeMan to use their computer. Guess what, or rather who, I saw as I was leaving the alley opposite Ranger's building." I looked up at Diesel and caught a glimpse of anger in his eyes.

"You were told to stay off that leg. Why on earth don't you listen to good advice?"

"It's a damn good thing I didn't listen to the doctor's advice. If I had I wouldn't have had a most enlightening experience." I felt that physical distance as well as mental distance was needed in order to say what I had to. I stood up quickly and started to pace. Unfortunately, my knee had stiffened up and it started to buckle under me. Diesel reached out to steady me but I held up my hands to stop him.

"Don't touch me. Just don't touch me. Why were you at RangeMan?"

"What makes you think I was at RangeMan?"

"Because I saw you drive away, that's why. Ranger's the back-up that you've arranged, isn't he? Don't you think I should have been brought into the loop on this one?" My knee had eased up and I'd started to pace for real. "Don't you dare say you were trying to protect me. That's just an excuse you men use not to tell the 'little woman' something important. I'm sick and tired of the men in my life making sure I have the mushroom syndrome – keep me in the dark and feed me shit! First Joe, then Ranger, now you! Damn it, even the Dickhead kept secrets from me. Although his didn't stay secret for long after I became an audience to his habits in my very own dining room!"

Diesel didn't say anything; he just sat there watching me wear a track in the carpet.

"You should have trusted me. You could have told me about Ranger's involvement. That he knows about our world. A relationship is built on trust, Diesel. Love is built on trust. You asked me to marry you. How the Hell can I marry you if you don't trust me?" I blinked to hold in the tears that had sprung to my eyes. Tears of anger and, yes, of sadness. And all of a sudden I ran out of steam. I stopped and looked at Diesel, silently willing him to say something, anything in his defense.

"I do trust you, Steph, but it was a need-to-know situation, and at that point you didn't need to know."

"Need to know!" My voice rose an octave. "Need to know my ass. You didn't want me to know. There's a difference. You asked me to stay out of it."

"Which you didn't do anyway." He looked pointedly at my injured knee.

"I acted on impulse. That's not the same as not staying out of it. Besides, he's technically my FTA."

Diesel crossed his arms. "Who I asked you to back away from because I care about you. You aren't fully trained and you are nowhere near equipped to deal with someone of his caliber."

That was it. Joe had always doubted my ability to take care of myself. But I thought Diesel was different. Now I knew the truth. "Get out," I spat. "I don't think I can stand to be around you at the moment. Get out."

"I'll go. But know this, Stephanie. I love you. And I'm not going to giving up on us."

As he started to dematerialize, I yelled "And where did you get that black Jag? That's another thing you didn't tell me about."

Silence.

My legs gave way and I sat down heavily in the chair in the corner of the bedroom. The tears came fast and furious now. What had I done? Had I just ruined the best relationship I'd ever had? Through a throat thick with tears, I choked out a watery, "I love you too."