Chapter 6

I woke up to a beeping this time, beeping and a huge headache.

Why do I keep waking up in so much pain? Is there a sign over my head that says "loves headaches please abuse?"

I could hear murmuring on the other side of the room, but I couldn't quite make out what they were saying.

I slowly slid my eyes open into small little slits not willing to open them wider in the bright light. Well the walls were not completely white and it didn't look like I was in the hospital. But I was most definitely not at home either. The last thing I could remember was walking to my car and then feeling like my head was being split in two. I swear between the alcohol and the head injuries I wasn't going to remember the last month.

I slowly looked around the room, dark walls with medicine cabinets, a light fixture hanging overhead. I was in Rangeman and when I made it to the far side of the room I could see the Merry Men huddled together like they were in a sports team making a play. They were whispering to each other back-and-forth, while pointing in my direction. I desperately wanted to know what they were saying, but I wasn't ready to let them know I was awake. Once they knew I was awake then they would have questions, questions that I didn't have the answers to.

I thought I saw Bobby look at me and quickly closed my eyes pretending to still be asleep. After a moment I slowly slid one I back open and glanced at the group. They were still in deep discussion, so I closed my eyes and trying to think of what happened.

I remember walking out of the restaurant and telling Joe goodbye, I remember turning to walking to my car. This is where it starts to get fuzzy, I know I had my keys out and I was inserting them into the car. Then pain... just so much pain in my temple. I vaguely remember the outline of someone and words that they whispered to me, but I couldn't remember what they said.

"Hay Bomber, I know your awake", I heard whispered next to me. I was concentrating so hard trying to remember I didn't hear the guys come up to the bed. I slowly slid my eyes open and looked up to see four faces that held a mixture of sad, upset and angry expressions; and because I wanted to see them smile I decided to go for sarcasm, "Fancy meeting you in a place like this! "I whispered.

It had the desired effect on Bobby and Lester when they gently smiled at me, however Tank and Hector did not see my humor. "I am ok." I whispered softly smiling at them. They shook their heads at me, I am not sure if it was at my statement or at the situation. I could see that nothing I was saying was going to make them happy. So I reached out and gently grabbed Hectors hand and gave it a squeeze, he looked surprised. Normally I would never touch Hector let along try to comfort him like this, but my head hurt and I could see my pain was making him upset. "Do you know what happened?" I asked. This had Tank raising his eyebrow at me, evidently he thought that was a stupid question. I decided to tell them what I knew, or the little of what I knew. I explained that I went to dinner and that when I was leaving I was hit, and that I don't remember what they said or what they looked like. Then I asked how I got here, I was so sure the guy was trying to take me. Bobby who had been checking my vitals finally spoke up, "Hector saw you leaving the restaurant and waited to make sure you got to your car safety. It's a good thing he did since you were attacked. When he saw the guy walking up to you he ran over but the guy had already hit you, once he saw Hector he ran."

"We were hoping you saw who it was and could identify him." Tank said.

"I don't remember anything, just a blurred image standing over me." I murmured.

"I didn't know you were being stalked", Lester said.

"I didn't either." I replied.

"New skips" Tank questioned.

"Two but I haven't even started looking for them yet, they don't know I am after them." I said confused.

"So some random guy attacked you." Lester questioned.

"Sounds like it, you know I am very lovable and people just want to take me home." I said trying to make a joke, the guys did not look amused. They looked at each other then back at me using their famous silent communication. Tank shook his head at Bobby and Bobby shook his head back. They both turned to Lester who stepped back with his hands raised like he was going to be shot, his eyes were HUGE and his head was snapping back and forth.

"What," I asked.

They all turned to me not saying a word, then turned back to each other and did the round of shaking heads again. I sat up slowly and practically demanded an answer with my, "What?"

None of them would say anything, just looked at me until Hector stepped forward and said, "Ranger."

"What about Ranger, is he ok." I demand is a shrill voice.

Lester laughed out loud, "Of course you are the one hit over the head and knocked unconscious and you are worried about Ranger. He's fine, we are arguing over who is going to call him and let him know about what happened." Now I understood why they all backed up, no one wanted the job of telling Ranger I was hurt. Normally that came with the threat of death, or being expelled to another country or taken to the mats – all of which were terrifying enough that all the guys would step in front of a bullet for me rather than facing Ranger. Ranger was a scary guy in general, when he was upset you turn and run. I was the only person he never yelled at when hurt and I was hurt so I figured I would take one for the team, "Give me a phone."

They all looked at each other in confusion, like they were uncertain if I was allowed to have a phone. I rolled my eyes and held out my hand for a phone, "Now."

Laster pulled out his, "If you want to call him, I won't say no because I am not doing it." The others looked at him and then me and nodded.

I pulled the phone and dialed Ranger, it rang 4 times then went to voicemail. So I called it again, straight to voicemail this time. So I tried once me, "What the hell do you want Lester." Ranger answered.

"Hay" I said cheerily.

"Babe?" I could hear the question in his voice and the anger was gone.

"Are you busy? I can call you back later, it's not that important. I just didn't want to leave a message on your phone with a different number." The guy's eyes got huge at my blatant lie of non-importance. I shrugged my shoulders and mouthed "I dare you to say something." They all took another step back.

"Babe why are you calling from Lester's phone?"

"I can't find mine." Simple answers, those were the best.

"Babe."

"Ok I don't know where my purse is and it's in that. What are you doing?"

"I am at work; why don't you know where your purse is?"

"I dropped it, what you working on? Is it a stake out, is that why you didn't answer? I will let you go; I don't want to bother you. I just wanted to call you and let you know I am ok." I said in a stream so fast it took a moment for the guys to figure out what I was saying, but when they did I thought their eyes were going to pop out of their heads. Lester was shaking with silent laughter, I rolled my eyes at him. "Ok bye now."

"Stephanie why are you calling me to tell me you are ok?" I could hear the tension in his voice.

Mayday Mayday, he knows something is going on. How do I get out of this, quick think…. think. Then inspiration hit and I smiled, I am thinking it was an evil smile since the guys all grimaced and ANOTHER stepped back.

"I dropped my purse by the car when I got a very sudden headache, Hector saw me and helped me to Rangeman so Bobby could look at me." I said it so smoothly I thought I was good, the looks on the guy's faces should have warned me I was wrong… SO very wrong!

"Stephanie," Ranger almost purred into the phone, but it was a bad purr! Oh shit, he knows something is wrong, HE KNOWS! "Why did you get a sudden headache?"

I grimaced and pulled the phone back to look at it, I slowly brought it back to hear him say, "I am waiting."

"Ummmmm, I might have been hit on the head." I mumbled so quietly I didn't think the guys standing right next to my table heard me, let alone Ranger.

"What" he demanded.

"I maybe might have been hit on the head." I said a little louder.

"You might have been hit on the head?" I could hear him growl, it was like the growl of a dangerous animal. "Put Hector on the phone."

Well shit, so much for saving the guys, I looked at Hector and gave a smile that might have been more a grimace and held out the phone. Hector did not look pleased, but put the phone to his ear. I waited while there was a rapid firing of Spanish back and forth and scary Hector looked like he was in a little pain. After a few minutes he handed me back the phone shaking his head with what might have been a teeny tiny smile.

"Umm, hello." I said to Ranger "How are you feeling", he replied.

"I feel fine; I promise just a little headache." I tried to reassure him.

"Stephanie I am coming home tomorrow, sleep on seven tonight." He said in a firm voice. "Please"

Well crap I can't say no when he says please, he knows this. That's probably why he said it. I rolled my eyes so hard it made my already tender head hurt more. "I don't think anything is going to happen, but I will stay up there just for tonight."

"Thank you Babe" he whispered.

I guess it was important if he said Thank You. "Goodnight Ranger, travel safely."

"Night Babe, sleep well." I hung up and handed Lester his phone back and looked at Hector pointedly. "I know you ratted me out", I accused. He just smiled and shrugged, I knew he understood more English then he let on. "I guess I am going up stairs who wants to help me?"

Bobby did another quick check and said he wanted to wake me every few hours to make sure I didn't have a concussion; then they helped me into the elevator. After I got upstairs to seven and settled into Rangers 1,000 thread count heavenly sheets I slowly drifted off to sleep. My last thought was that this was the one place I wanted to be, so maybe a bump on the head wasn't so bad.