Relatively Speaking

By

Kole

Previously…

"Yeah, white girl. I'm fine. That dumbass blew up your car. That's two cars in a week. I guess you have bad car karma also. Oh, that was close," Lula said then turned towards Banker. "You, you almost killed me and blew up her car. What the hell were you thinkin?"

"I didn't want to go back to jail." He said.

"Well, too bad." I said. I wanted to kill him. The stupid idiot had blown up my new car. I thought I had avoided the part of the book where my car went up in flames, guess not. I turned when I heard the sirens in the distance. Great, my car is in flames and now I have to deal with the police.

Chapter 10

A few minutes later, I was handing off Banker to the cops on the scene and started telling them what had happened as the flames from my car were being put out.

It wasn't really surprising that Morelli pulled up before I had finished giving my statement. It was a little surprising though when I saw a black SUV pull up behind him. Tank and Lester got out and started towards me.

"Hey Cupcake, another car. Seriously? It's only been two days. This might be a new record." Joe said as he got to me.

"Shut up, Joe. This wasn't my fault and stop calling me Cupcake for crissakes." I said to him and then walked around him over to Tank and Lester. I heard him curse and walk away behind me.

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked them.

"Your car went off the radar. Are you okay?" Lester asked, as they both seemed to scan my body for injuries.

"I'm fine. My asshole skip thought it would be fun to blow up my car. My new car, that I just got. Cal and Junior will be so upset." I told them, starting angry and ending sad.

"Why would Cal and Junior be upset?" Tank asked, looking confused.

"Well, because they helped me pick out and buy my car. My car that is now dead. I can't believe that asshole blew up my car."

"Oh." Tank said, as verbal as ever.

It was at this point that I realized I had no car. Wait, that reminded me of something that happened in the book. Steph had blown up her car in the beginning of the book, but when she needed one she used Ranger's truck. It was big and black and brand new. It came fully loaded with all sorts of toys and customized options. And it smelled like expensive new leather and Ranger...an aroma that really couldn't be beat.

"Hey I kind of don't have a car now and Ranger said if I needed anything to ask you," I said to Tank sort of trailing off at the end and leaving it open to see what he would say. He shared a look with Lester and then smiled a little.

"Ranger said that we were to keep you safe while he was gone and he also told me to give you his truck if you needed it." Tank told me.

It was at this point that Lula finished talking to the cop who was questioning her about what happened and made her way over to us. Tank took a step away was on his phone for a minute and then was back standing in front of me.

"Hey white girl, how we getting back to the office. Cause I'm ready to leave and I think we might need to stop and get some food on the way back, I almost died I be needin some food." Lula said as she stood next to me.

"The truck will be here in a few minutes. If you don't need anything else, we need to get back to the office." Tank told me.

"Actually there is something I wanted to talk to you about. Do you think you could make some time for me tomorrow?" I asked Tank.

Tank looked a little confused as to what I could want to talk to him about, but he told me he would call me tomorrow and tell me when he had time. Then he and Lester told me to be safe and call if I needed anything and then they left.

I hoped that Tank would be able to help me with my training and maybe a security system, since Ranger wasn't here right now. Or at the very least talk to me about and tell me what he thought. He wasn't really my friend or anything, but I was hoping that eventually he would be. Considering he was Ranger's friend, as well Lula's future boyfriend.

The truck arrived exactly on time, followed by a black SUV.

Cal got out of the truck and handed me the keys.

"Here you go Steph. Sorry about the car. If you need helping picking out a new one, I'd be happy to help." Cal said and then he got into the SUV and took off.

"Hunh. Girl, that looks a hell of a lot like Batman's truck." Lula said, as she stared at the truck.

"Well, Lu, that is Batman's truck." I said, smiling.

"Well, alright." Lula responded as we both got into the truck. I think there might be something wrong with me because I enjoyed sitting in Ranger's truck way more than I should.

We stopped and picked up some food on our way to the bonds office, but I made Lula wait to eat it until we got out of the truck. I didn't want to risk eating in Ranger's truck.

Once we got to the bonds office, I gave my receipt to Connie and started eating as she wrote me a check.

"Why exactly does it look like you're driving Ranger's truck?" Connie asked.

"Cause our girl here, gone and got her car blown up." Lula told her, as she threw herself onto the couch.

"I did not get my car blown up, that idiot Banker blew up my car without any encouragement from me." I said, glaring at Lula.

"Well, I'd be real upset right now except for the fact that I was just in Batman's truck and that was like heaven. Is it just me or does it even smell orgasmic?" Lula asked.

"Nope, not just you," I responded.

"Are you coming to my place with Lula? You said you wanted to read my lists and help me?" I asked her, after we had finished eating. It was getting late and I was definatly done for the day.

"Damn skippy I'm coming." She said as she got up off the couch, I grabbed my bag and check and told Connie I'd see her in the morning.

"I love that you are including me in your planning, white girl. It makes me feel all special that I'm the only one who knows all about who you really are." Lula said, as I started driving to my apartment.

"Ranger knows too."

"Yeah, but I'm the only woman you told. Besides, Ranger doesn't count. He's Batman. He would have figured it out if you hadn't a told him and besides, you told me first so that makes me even more special." Lula reasoned. That made me smile, she was always saying the greatest things.

"Yeah, Lula, I guess you are right. You are pretty special." I told her, still smiling.

My cell phone chirped in my bag. "It's me," Connie said. "Vinnie just left for the day, and his last directive was that you're responsible for Carol Cantell. He doesn't want any screw-ups."

"Sure," I said and disconnected.

I pulled into my lot and while Lula was getting out I thought about Ranger and his truck. I'd ridden with Ranger, and I knew he always had a gun tucked away, hidden from view. I felt under the seat and found the gun. If it had been my truck and my gun, I'd have removed the gun. Ranger left it in place. Trusting.

I left the gun there and closed and locked the truck, as I made my way over to Lula and up to my apartment. I was planning on telling her about everything and letting her read through my notes and lists. She said she had some ideas for me and I planned on listening.

I was also going to talk to her about me going to Rangeman tomorrow and the gang symbols that had been left on my door. I was also going to show her the necklace that Ranger had given me and see what she thought. It had been around my neck all day, but hidden by my shirt so nobody had seen it. I really needed her opinion about it and Ranger.