Category: Tank/Lula

Unpleasant Duties, Part IV

Tank‘s POV

A month earlier

“Pierre, what do you know about Lula’s people?” Momma asks, rinsing the last of the dinner dishes.

Not enough. I’ve had the background done. Her mother is a restaurant manager. Her father is unknown and her step-father is a truck driver. Her brother works a help desk and her sister is a hair stylist. Solid working class family. Neither of her siblings is married or has kids, they attend church on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, and her sister still lives at home. Sister is divorced. Brother never married. No records, no scandals, nothing.

Lula, however, is known in her parents’ community as the wild child, the one who took off to New Jersey with her boyfriend against her mother’s permission. She fell into sin and vice, selling her body on the streets, in and out of jail. No one’s heard from her in years and it’s widely believed she’s probably dead. Continue reading

Chapter 105: I Meet Her Friends

Saturday

Chenae’s POV

Lula and I wake up bright and early (or somewhere around 9 AM) and go for a run. She’s determined to get her stomach flat for that wedding dress. I’ve gained a little weight and now that I’m going to be in the wedding, I need to trim down a bit.

I’m going to be in my brother’s wedding! I had to praise HIM and give thanks for my blessings. The one thing I assumed my attitude had completely ruined was given back to me. I have my brother’s love and respect again. Continue reading

Chapter 104 I Lost Weight

Spanish in Italics. Assume someone is translating for Hector.

Ranger’s POV

I slide out of Les’s Range Rover and grin. Mrs. CJ is standing on her porch, smiling. Her hair is blonde this time. I have a twenty on her and Lula having the same shade.

“Ric! Boy, you did lose weight! Come here and let me fatten you back up.” She’s off the porch and walking over to me, hands on her hips, like a woman on a mission.

Steph’s jaw has dropped to her chest, but I jog over to Mrs. CJ, pick her up and twirl her around. I look down at her wide smile and grin. Impossible to stay unhappy or upset around her. “Not too much. I only need five pounds this time,” I tease. “Not twenty.”

I love Tank’s mom. She’s a wonderful woman, so loving and giving to everyone, regardless of who shows up at her door. She lives her beliefs and there’s a lot less pressure staying here or at Bobby’s than in Newark with my family. Mrs. CJ doesn’t ask questions and she lets us come and go as we please. Plus, no pressure to get married or have babies. I’d die for this woman in a heartbeat. Continue reading

Chapter 96.5 Humbled, Part III

Chenae’s POV

She’s back. Tallulah showed up on campus today and was waiting on me when I got back from practicum. I stopped and stared. She’s lost some weight and she looks good. I hate her less. Mrs. Jacobson was right. I’m responsible for my own hell. If anyone had treated Momma the way I treated Lula, I’d kill ’em and ask Pierre to hide the body.

“Chenae.” She stands and smiles and, for some reason, I smile at her.

“Lula. What’s up?” I nod at Mrs. Baker, the residence hall manager. “My future sister-in-law.” Mrs. Baker nods and I wave for Lula to follow me.

“Not much. I hear you’re in a pinch.” Continue reading

‘I’m Sorry’ is NOT Enough

A/N: UnBeta’d. I’m sorry it’s so late. We are BOTH having internet problems.

Lula’s POV

Ches Deuce ain’t saying much. That’s not unusual. RangeMen don’t talk in cars, no matter how long or short the distance. This is one of those times when I really miss Steph. We used to talk, debate, laugh, and jam to my tunes. I get in cars with RangeMen and go to sleep.

We’re in Ches’s personal car, a green Chevy Trailblazer with the naked girl mud flaps. Classy. Ches has the radio on and he’s singing along to some country song, smiling and happy. He looks like a country boy, brown hair, brown eyes, skinny like the Marlboro Man. He’s even wearing the plaid shirt and dusty looking blue jeans tucked into black cowboy boots.

“Where are you from?”

He glances at me for a moment. “Austin.” Continue reading

Chapter 88.5: Humbled II

Chenae’s POV

Antoine called and said I should be ready to go when he arrives to pick me up for Fall Break. The schedule works out for him because he’s trying to land a major distribution deal, and I’m beyond ready to go home to Momma’s.

I asked Momma why Antoine seems to want to spend so much time with me. She said that he told Pierre he’d take over. He told Momma that he hopes to help reconcile me and Pierre before I dig myself into a hole with my big brother that I can’t get out of. I’m confused by that. I know Pierre is angry with me but I don’t think he’s that mad.

After my last class ends on Wednesday, I pack up my books and laptop and head to the gate. I’m ready to go and I’m glad to see Antoine’s already waiting on me. He steps out of the car and he’s mobbed. Continue reading

Chapter 79.5 Information from the strangest places

A/N: This was a one-shot request, but I’d planned for this in the story also. So, thank you to Roscommon for the prompt! It made writing this chapter much easier.

Ram’s POV—Monday Afternoon

Another day, another schedule. I wonder if Hector has a program to do this automatically. Again, staffing is tight. Hal planned to hire an entire class of RangeMan recruits today, but Junior and I will do it later this week.

This op has to end soon. As soon as we get our men back, they leave again. I understand Hal’s frustration now. We have the crown. We have to keep the crown and not having our leadership here is killing us. Continue reading

Chapter 77.5 Unpleasant Duties, Part II

A/N: Tank’s POVs take place during the first week of Steph’s Miami trip.

Tank’s POV

This is probably the hardest apology I’m going to issue but I’m determined. I just wish I could get the nasty taste out of my mouth.

“Sir. Welcome to Boston.”

Mark has his blank face on but I detect confusion. Good. I nod and toss my bags in the back seat. I climb in and we travel to RM Boston in silence. We arrive and I note the silence on the floor. Everyone is confused. Good. I travel up to Les’s apartment, stash my bags, then head downstairs. I get off the elevator at 5 and walk to Mark’s office.

“Bring the results of Steph’s report with you.” Continue reading

Chapter 72.7: We Find Common Ground

Lula’s POV— Wednesday Night

OK, I didn’t expect to come back to Trenton and find I’d been replaced by the new flavor of the month.

“Hi! I’m Candy.” She’s all bright and happy smiles. Steph and I are meeting at my apartment to help me pack up and Hal just dropped them off. Connie and ML are coming soon. I look at Steph. Is this chick serious? Steph smiles.

“Lula, this is Candy. She’s our new head of HR. Candy, this is Lula, Tank’s fiancée and my bounty hunter partner.”

Candy’s eyes widen. “Oh, nice to meet you! Are you a RangeWoman too?” Continue reading

Humbled, Part I

A/N: Like Lula and Tank, this started life as a one-shot, but so many of you seem to enjoy Chenae’s humbling that I decided to expand it. Also, please pay attention to how certain themes tie back to the main story.

Chenae’s POV

First sorority committee meeting of the year. I’m the president and I’m being humiliated by everyone.

“Soror Chenae, you’ll be in charge of the fundraising committee again this year, right?” Soror Christina asks, smirking. Bitch. She’s enjoying this.

“Unfortunately, Soror, I cannot. I have to concentrate on finals.”

“Nearly all of us have to concentrate on finals, Soror Chenae. It’s a tiresome fact of life in college,” she says. “You’ve done such a brilliant job the past two years. I think you can handle it another year. All in favor?”

Continue reading