Unapologize

By:PricklySare

A/N: General disclaimers, yada, yada, yada. Thanks to everyone who has been reading and reviewing this story. The action and drama is really heating up. I hope you enjoy this chapter. :) Meg, you are the greatest!

-Sare

Chapter Twenty-Four: Steph Goes to Jail

It had been five hours since Deputy Dog had brought me into the little interrogation room and left me here with my hands cuffed behind my back. I had to pee, my arms were numb, and I was more than a little angry. I wanted nothing more than to wrap my cuffed hands around his ham sized neck and choke him.

The clock on the wall clicked off another minute while I contemplated the various ways I was going to get my payback. I knew Lester would be frantic, and no doubt the guys were tearing Jersey apart looking for me. For the first time in a long time I was glad for my various trackers. I had no doubt they'd be here soon. I couldn't keep the evil smile off my face when I imagined the look on Deputy Dog's face when he was confronted by three very pissed off mercenaries. I looked up to the clock again and sighed.

I'd been fighting the urge to let my Jersey attitude break free, but it was getting harder and harder. Ever since that rat bastard, Stiva had locked me in a coffin and then a cupboard, I'd had a touch of claustrophobia when it came to small rooms. This room wasn't much bigger than the cupboard, and I was starting to feel the effects. I began pacing again, trying to focus on the images of Lester, Bobby, and Tank storming the sorry excuse for a police station.

I was pretty proud of myself; in the five hours I'd been locked in this drab room, a room mind you that I knew had to be shrinking every minute, I had yet to say a word. Something was off, and I wasn't sure what it was, but I wasn't about to open my mouth and inadvertently find myself in a world of shit. There's enough shit in my normal world, no need to open myself up to more. I'd wait until they gave me my phone call. I'd get in touch with my guys. They'd know what to do.

The door opened and Deputy Dog walked in. Well, if I were honest, his stomach came in and he followed behind it. How could someone get that big, and still remain on the force? Watching him made me reconsider the number of TastyKakes and Boston creams I was including in my daily diet. He looked at me, his expression smug, and I decided now would be a good time to practice the Rangeman blank face.

"Ah, Stephanie. You've been a very bad girl," he said closing the door and walking toward me. The sound of his voice brought back memories of Ramirez and I tried to suppress the need to shrink away. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. "We're going to sit down now, and get to know each other better." He placed his hand on my lower back, far too close to my ass to be gentlemanly, and tried to guide me to my chair.

I side stepped his hand and growled low in my throat. My hands might be cuffed behind my back, but I'd be damned if he thought he was going to grope me. "I'd keep your hands to yourself, officer, if you want to keep your job," I said. So much for keeping quiet.

The bastard actually laughed, and the sound made my stomach roll with nausea. Hold it together, Stephanie. Now is not the time to get sick. Though, the thought of puking on him did hold appeal. "You're not in a position to make threats, little girl. If you're nice to me, I can make your stay here pleasant. If you're not, well, I'm sure there are people visiting us that would love to be in the same cell as the Bombshell Bounty Hunter."

I felt my stomach roll again. Could this day possibly get any worse? I sat down in a hard, rickety metal chair and leaned forward trying to give my arms as much room as I could. He was actually expecting sexual favors from me? Was this man insane? Of course he was. Leave it to me to get arrested by a crazy cop. I heard Ranger's voice run through my head, "Only you, Babe," and I couldn't help but smile. I probably should have continued to keep my mouth shut, but it mutinied against me and I said, "You expect me to be nice to you," I shook my head when his smile turned lecherous. "Have you looked in a mirror recently?" The look on his face was priceless and I could help but laugh out loud. "Yeah, that's what I thought," I said. "I'll take my chances with your guests."

His entire face was flushed with anger and I could see he wanted to hit me, I was braced for it, but it still sent me sprawling on the floor. Sonofabitch, that fucking hurt. I looked straight at him and asked, "Feel better? Does it make you feel like a big man to hit someone smaller than you? Someone who can't defend themselves?" I smiled at him again, and I'm sure it wasn't a nice smile. "I bet you got picked on as a kid," I said as I was struggling to my feet. I refused to remain on the floor like a scared dog. The old Steph would have been scared, crying, wondering why it was happening to me. Not anymore. If he was going to treat me like a dog, I'd be more than happy to bite his face off. "You were fat then too, huh?"

He grabbed me by my hair and pulled me the rest of the way to my feet. "I bet you think you're a really tough bitch. Being a bounty hunter and all," he said with scorn. "You're not that tough, and I'm more than happy to prove it to you." I was beginning to think that my trip to the beach today had been a bad idea. This town was small, closed minded, and apparently had their own ideas of the law. I was guessing that police brutality wasn't really something they worried about here.

Sticking with my new found inner strength I stared at him like he was the lowest form of fungus before I said, "I've faced crazier people than you. Honestly, you don't worry me at all." What I really wanted was for him to release my hair because the hold he had on it was giving me a terrible headache. A glance at the clock on the wall told me that it was close to ten o'clock at night and I hadn't had anything to eat since the beach. I was beginning to feel light headed, but wasn't going to give this sorry excuse for a cop the pleasure of seeing me pass out.

My head snap back as he tossed me away from him and fell back onto the dirty floor. "You're full of piss and vinegar now, we'll see how you are after a night in the lock up," he said, walking toward the door.

"Hey, Deputy Dumbass," I called, before he opened the door. I watched his shoulders go ridged and he turned to me with murder in his eyes. Yep, this man was definitely crazy, and I wondered momentarily how he'd managed to become a cop. "I think you're forgetting something."

He snorted at me and asked, "I am?"

"Yeah, my phone call," I replied.

"You only get one," he told me. No kidding.

"No shit. I want to make it. Now," I told him.

"Well, Stephanie, you already made that call," he said with a smirk before he walked out the door.

I stood there completely still, staring at the door trying to figure out what the hell just happened. "What the fuck do you mean; I've already made that call?" I yelled at the door. I really wanted to throw something, or hit something, but my hands were still cuffed behind my back, and my shoulders were beginning to scream in pain.

Once again the door opened, only this time Deputy Dumbass didn't come inside. A young guy in a suit walked in and looked at me. "Ms. Plum, I'm Agent Cassidy and I need to ask you a few questions."

Shit! Now what the hell have I gotten myself into? I just looked at him and didn't say anything. I had no idea what the hell H.S.A had to do with a murder, but I knew it couldn't be good, and the way my day had been going it was best to just stay quiet.

"Ms. Plum, it's best if you cooperate with me. You're not in a good position right now, and I'd like to help you." Standing there I decided he didn't look like someone who wanted me to perform sexual favors, but I wasn't sure. What I really wanted was to have these cuffs taken off so I could get circulation back to my arms. I tried shifting my arms and I couldn't keep the groan from slipping out. "Ms. Plum, how long have you been in those cuffs?" Agent Cassidy asked me. My brain was too tired to calculate the time so I just shrugged my shoulders and I felt a tear slip from my eye. Fuck! I was not going to cry. Strong Steph didn't cry over every little thing. Ranger wouldn't cry over something as stupid as being cuffed for hours. Neither would the guys.

"Sit down, Ms. Plum. Before you fall down. I'm going to have your cuffs removed," he said as he stalked toward the door. It couldn't be described as anything else. He walked like he was on a mission, and maybe he was. Agent Cassidy wasn't half bad looking, and could probably fit into the Rangeman team pretty easily. His body was built like a linebacker, and if I weren't used to being around large Alpha males all the time, I knew he would be intimidating.

He ripped open the door and it bounced against the wall. Wow. I guess he wasn't as calm on the inside as he appeared to be on the outside. Reminded me of a few other people I knew. When he yelled I'm pretty sure that my heart jumped into my throat. "What the hell is she still doing in cuffs? I want them off her now!"

A skinny kid in uniform ran into the room skirting around Cassidy like he might bite him. If I weren't the one sitting in cuffs I'd probably find it incredibly funny. As it was, I couldn't find the humor in my situation. I was tired, sore, and completely confused. The kid must have been an officer, though he didn't even look old enough to carry the gun on his hip. He came up to me and I felt him unlock the cuffs. The second that they were off my arms fell limply to my sides and tears sprang to my eyes. My arms were screaming in pain as the circulation started to flow through them again.

"Let's sit down, Ms. Plum. I'd like to ask you those questions now," Cassidy said. I couldn't do anything more than nod. I was just grateful that the cuffs were gone. I walked to the chair I'd been in earlier and sat down. Cassidy sat in the chair opposite me and said, "Tell me, Ms. Plum, why did you kill Bonnie McMillan?"