Look Alive Twenty-Five (Stephanie Plum 25)
“I’m leaving with Ranger,” I said to Lula. “Jamil is waiting to drive you home.”
Lula looked over and waved at Jamil. “Hey, sweetie,” she said. “I’ll be ready in a couple minutes.”
* * *
¦ ¦ ¦
Ranger opened the door to his apartment, and I stepped inside. Lights were low. The air was cool. I stood in the hallway and a glob of refried beans fell off my jeans onto the immaculate polished floor.
“Sorry,” I said.
“Babe,” Ranger said, “it’s just beans.”
I shucked my shoes and jeans, stripped off my T-shirt, and carefully made my way to Ranger’s bathroom. I had a waterproof patch over my cut, so in theory I could shower. Under other circumstances, using Ranger’s shower would be a luxury. He has limitless hot water, expensive shower gel and shampoo, and fluffy soft towels. Today it was a chore. My cut was throbbing, and the egg had dried in my hair.
Ranger cut the elastic that was holding my ponytail and turned the water on for me.
“Do you need help?” he asked.
“No,” I said. “I don’t want Morelli to have to kill you.”
“I appreciate your concern. Let me know if you want to risk it.”
Ranger left the bathroom, and I dropped my remaining clothes. I stepped into the shower and stood under the hot water until it felt like the goo in my hair was beginning to soften. I soaped up with his Bulgari Green shower gel and shampoo and rinsed off. I could still feel bits of eggshell stuck in my hair so I washed it two more times.
When I finally stumbled out of the shower I thought I smelled pretty good, but I was exhausted. I blasted my hair with the hair dryer, wrapped myself in a towel, and went to stand in the middle of Ranger’s walk-in closet.
“No clothes,” I said.
Ranger took one of his perfectly folded black T-shirts from the stack of black T-shirts and dropped it over my head.
“No undies,” I said.
“Can’t help you there,” he said.
“Is my hair okay?”
He tucked a strand behind my ear. “Not an eggshell in sight.”
“And the bandage on my neck?”
“It looks good. We’ll change it tomorrow morning.”
“You have a wonderful shower,” I said.
Ranger moved me out of the closet and pointed me in the direction of the bed. “My bed is even better. And your boyfriend didn’t say anything about inappropriate behavior in my bed.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
RANGER WAS STANDING beside the bed when I opened my eyes.
“Sorry to wake you,” he said, “but the morning is moving on without us. Waggle is talking, and Morelli wants you to hear what he has to say.”
“I haven’t got any clothes.”
“Ella found clothes for you. I put them in my closet. Grab something to eat and meet me in my office. We’ll change your bandage and head out.”
I took a fast shower, got dressed in my new clothes, and went down to the fifth floor. I made a quick trip to the break room for coffee-to-go and a breakfast sandwich, and I walked the short hall to Ranger’s office.