Tap Dance (Dance Series)

chapter Thirty Four



"Okay, Marianne, Jamison is on his way. How's this gonna work on the ex-husband's plan going forward?" Ram asked her moving down the block from where Agent Grant stood, rocking up and back on his feet.

An action that was only broken by the snapping of those damn cuffs.

"Steve says that he's going to call me every fifteen minutes until I get back. For updates on what is going on. But, Ram, he says he's going to be watching but he didn't tell me who or where he'd be watching. My apartment? The bank?"

"Pyari, don't over think this, okay?"

"Ram?"

He heard the plea in her voice.

She didn't want to be a part of this, was upset her past came up and became a part of their lives. She didn't want anyone hurt but had no control over any of this. He wasn't sure the exact part she was worried about, although, knowing his girl, it was probably all three. All he knew, was that he couldn't wait for this shit to be done.

"Pyari, listen to me. I want you to call me after every single one of his calls, okay? Do you understand?"

"Yes, honey," she breathed. There was relief on that breath. She wouldn't have to go this alone.

"You know that large purse that you like to use when you come to me?"

"The tote? The green bag?"

"Yes."

"I want you to put your laptop in the green tote and bring it with you, okay?"

"Why, Ram?"

"I'll tell you later. Please just bring the laptop but carry the bag it's in like a normal purse, okay?"

"He's calling, Ram," she said and disconnected.

Ram made his way back to Agent Grant who was still rocking on his heels but with a self-satisfied look on his face.

"Almost over, Amigo," the Federal agent said. "Three years, three long f*cking years and this may finally be it for me."

"I thought Steve Quinlan only worked for the Milosevics for two years?" Ram asked.

"Steve Quinlan? Shit. He's just a little piece of crap who was stupid enough to sign on with a family of turds. He's a tool. But the CDs? Brilliant."

"How do you plan to get the CDs if they're going to kill him if he doesn't deliver?"

The agent looked at Ram for a long time before his face finally gave his game away.

"You didn't have any intention of working with him, did you? You just wanted the information." Ram couldn't believe that anyone would be, could be, that callous.

"Told you, Patel. He's a tool. And your girlfriend's a hindrance. I will be victorious and bring the scum-sucking family down."

Ram just looked at him.

"What?" Grant said. "Were you thinking that justice would prevail? That good would win out? F*ck."

Grant popped his cuffs and looked up and down the deserted street.

"You piss poor bastards from other countries are bringing this shit onto American streets, my friend. You need to wake up and…"

Grant's voice cut off because Grant was on the ground.

Grant was on the ground because he seemed to have walked into a fist.

The fist belonging to the Police Chief of Grantham, Colorado.

And the Police Chief's fist had laid that sorry f*cking, federal agent's ass out.



*.*.*.*.*

"Pierson, Adler. Need some help here," Ram called. All of his boys were in downtown Grantham in various locations and his heart was glad for it. He hadn't had to call any of them. They had just shown up, maybe not in full regulation gear. But they were here.

It said a lot.

It meant even more.

"Yes, Chief?" Paul asked.

"Can we, ah, remove the recumbent Agent Grant so he doesn't, ah, infect the scene?"

Paul's face split into a huge grin seeing the look on his boss' face.

"Done deal, Chief."

Ram probably should have stopped Adler to remind him dragging a Federal Agent may not be the best way to transport him, especially across a sidewalk and a road.

But on the other hand…

"I'm on my way, Ram. Steve says he knows that Jamison has left his house and got upset I wasn't on the road myself. How does he know this shit, Ram?" Marianne's voice called from the cellphone he forgot was still on and transmitting.

"Dunno, Pyari. But it's all good. Go ahead and come down. We've got the streets cordoned off, but my guys know to look for you, okay?"

"Yeah, honey," she said softly.

They were both quiet but the line was still open.

"See you when you get here?"

"Yeah, honey," she repeated.

Ram smiled as he disconnected. Until he saw Jamison moving swiftly up the block, waving to the officers who were stationed at every block around the downtown area.

Rather than watch the trundling bank president greet his men like a conquering hero,

accepting his due from his troops, Ram called Marianne back.

"Jamison is just getting here. Where are you?"

"Two streets over, honey. Should I drive or get out and hoof it? Seems to be a lot of cars in front of me."

"Hold on, Pyari," Ram said and moved the phone from his mouth. "Pierson?"

"Yeah, Chief?"

"MG can't get through due to traffic."

"No worries, Chief."

"Pyari, Ted is going to get you here, okay?"

"Okay, Ram," she said softly.

Hell of a time to sport wood, Patel, he told himself.

But it was her voice.

Shit.

It was her, f*cking, full stop.

"Jeff," Ram yelled. He heard the slap of feet on concrete.

"Laptops?"

"Here, Chief," Jeff said handing over four laptops still in their cases.

There was silence as Ram captured the bags before hearing Jeff's, "Thank God. They're here, Chief."

Ram raised his eyes and saw his girl, his beautiful, brave girl running full on next to Ted. Ram handed over the cases to whoever was behind him.

And he found himself moving forward.

Because running toward him for a moment, just a split second, he forgot why they were there. Just watching the woman he could've only dreamed of having was running full tilt towards him.

And he realized.

In full blooming color, he got it.

He was running toward his future.

He caught her and in full view of his crew he captured her mouth in a sweet kiss before releasing her and turning them both towards the chubby bank president.

"No need to fondle people in the midst of a crisis, Patel," the sanctimonious Layton advised.

"Deniece?" Ram yelled.

Deniece was one of the new hires but was very savvy in the ways of men as evidenced by her current responsibility in overseeing the downtown jails.

She was a no nonsense Amazonian who's skin color suggested a mixed heritage but accent didn't place her in any particular place. She was the kind of woman that Ram had learned appealed to Jamison and he'd made sure to have her on hand for distraction.

She gave a full wink to Ram and Marianne before passing them and presenting herself to the bank president as his 'special police escort'.

The four of them made their way down to the basement where the safety deposits boxes were held.

Marianne's phone rang.

"Yes, yes. Steve, I'm here, okay?"

All eyes were on Marianne as she disconnected.

"Now how does all this work?" they heard Jamison say before Deniece snagged the much shorter bank president's arm and turn him away from the vault.

"But I have to help Ms. Gibson!" Jamison exclaimed, reluctantly pulling away from Deniece's arm.

Ram used a key and the lights in the Safe Depository came on.

Jamison nodded.

Then he used a second key and the grate opened.

Jamison moved to the side and waved a hand in front of him, his eyes locked on Marianne's chest.

Ram saw red.

It'd be one thing if the bank president had dropped his eyes completely, or caught Marianne's eyes as he gestured.

But, no.

Jamison eyes were, without any subterfuge, completely ravishing Marianne's chest.

F*ck, no.

Ram had already had it up to here with the amount of men that seemed to want to be with the one woman he'd found to love and he f*cking was not going to put up with more.

Ram shot his eyes to Deniece.

"Why don't you just hand those silly little keys over to Ram, darlin'," she drawled. "And you and me can find a quiet dark corner where we can talk…" her face tilted down, close to Jamison's ear. "Alone."

Ram fielded the keys and walked with Marianne into the Vault.

Her phone rang.

"Steve?" she asked into the phone. "Hello, Steve?"

But everyone knows that there's no reception in a bank vault.