Hardcore Twenty-Four (Stephanie Plum 24)

Diesel grinned. “You have a choice. You can be the stupid inferior female or the stupid powerful female.”

“How about if I’m just myself?”

Diesel glanced at Ranger. “I’m not going to touch that one.”

Ranger shook his head. “I’ll pass.”

“Funny,” I said. “Very funny.”

“I’ll put a wire on her,” Ranger said to Diesel. “Come down to the control room with me, and I’ll get you equipped to communicate with the rest of the team.”

From the little I knew about Diesel I thought he probably didn’t need the equipment. Diesel wasn’t normal. It wouldn’t surprise me if he read minds and could stick a lightbulb in his mouth and light up a room.

TWENTY-EIGHT

RANGER RETURNED TO his apartment a little before nine. He was holding a wire and a roll of surgical tape.

“Time to get dressed,” he said, setting the wire and the tape on a kitchen counter.

The device itself was small. About the size of a dime. State-of-the-art. I’d been wired before, so I knew what to expect. And because Ranger was placing the wire I knew what to expect there too.

I was wearing jeans and a stretchy V-neck T-shirt.

“I can do this,” I said. “Just give me the wire. I know where it goes.”

Ranger put his hands on my waist and drew me closer. “That wouldn’t be as much fun.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “There will be no fun. I’m in a relationship.”

“Don’t worry. I’m a professional. I’ve done this before.”

His hands were under my shirt, skimming over my rib cage, lifting my shirt.

“Wait,” I said.

Too late, the shirt was over my head. A heartbeat later he’d unclasped my bra and his hands were on me. They were warm and familiar, at the small of my back. He brushed a light kiss across my lips, and I got a rush all the way to my toes.

I was doomed. “Oh crap,” I said.

I could feel Ranger smile. “Babe,” he said in a whisper.

• • •

My clothes were scattered around the kitchen, and Ranger was trying to tape the wire to me.

“It’s not sticking,” I said.

“It’s because you’re sweaty.”

“It’s your sweat,” I said. “I don’t sweat. Ladies don’t sweat.”

“Babe, you’re no lady.”

I knew that was a compliment and a comment on the last twenty minutes. Truth is, if Slick and the Supreme Ruler of the Zombies suck out my brain tonight at least I’ll have had this one last cosmic orgasm.

I took a fast shower and got dressed in clean clothes. We got the wire on me in seconds, and we were out the door. I was driving my Rangeman CR-V and Ranger was beside me. Tank was following in another Rangeman SUV.

“My men are in place,” Ranger said. “And Diesel is out there . . . somewhere. If you get into trouble we can reach you in seconds. The goal is to capture Daryl. Hopefully he’ll show up. If he doesn’t show, you’re going to be on your own to make it happen. Remember the code word for us to move in is ‘red sky.’”