Undercover Lover Chapter 1 Stephanie's POV I was on Stark Street chasing a skip without backup.

If Ranger knew I was here and out of my car and on the street, he would be very upset with me right now. Stark street is the worst part of Trenton. Home to gangs, pimps, street walkers, dilapidated buildings and just generally people that don't want to be found and don't want to be messed with. The TPD doesn't even like to come here. I was hunting for a skip, an FTA. That is a person who got arrested and failed to appear on their court date. In other words, a bail jumper. I heard a commotion in an alley a block down and ran toward it. Yeah, Ranger would really be pissed at this move. I peeked around the corner and it looked like four gangbangers were circling one guy with knives and ready to strike at him. I might be nutty to get in the middle of a gang fight, but I didn't think I could just stand still and watch four guys slaughter one man in cold blood with a good conscience. Ranger would be proud I had remembered to grab my gun out of my cookie jar on the way out of my apartment and it was loaded. I pulled my gun and watched a minute. One of the gang members stepped sideways and the man in the middle of the circle locked eyes with me and I nodded at him. He gave them the come here motion with his hand and I watched in fascination as he relieved two of his attackers of their weapons and put them down with lightning speed and was going for the third. The fourth guy dropped his knife and pulled a Beretta out of the back of his pants and that's when I moved. "Drop your gun. Now!" The man quickly knocked both men out and grabbed the beretta and my arm. He starting pulling me quickly out of the alley. "Where is your car?!" I pointed a couple blocks down. He spoke with an accent but his English was good. "I don't know what you're doing here pretty lady, but you need to leave now. Things are going to get bad here very shortly." I pointed to my Honda CRV. He let go of me and I clicked the door lock and opened the door and got in. He leaned in and grabbed the back of my hair and pulled my head back and gave me a panty smoking kiss and said, "Go now!" I watched him in my rearview mirror as I pulled away. He stood for a minute watching me drive away and then ran down the street, turned and was gone. Holy Shit! What the hell just happened. My phone rang. "Lo?" "Babe, what are doing on Stark?" "Uh..Just some recon. Followed a skip here. I'm driving away right now." "You have a skip from that area?" "Nope. No way." I lied.

"We've talked about this before. My men don't even go to Stark without backup." He disconnected. We are going to have a serious talk about phone etiquette one of these days. He has big fat zero. Ranger is my friend and bounty hunter mentor. When I accidently fell into fugitive apprehension working for my cousin Vinnie, his secretary and my high school friend Connie Rosolli had hooked me up with Ranger for some training and that's how we met. He helps me and protects me as best he can as I bungle my way through my job day to day and I think he might even really care about me deep down under that tough guy, rock hard, smokin' body with the...Wooo...Yowza...Hot flash here. I'm just sayin' it's not just me, women walk into doors and telephone poles when they get a look at him. Well, crap. Guess I'm done for the day and I didn't get the pay check I was hoping for. It's dinner in the Burg again this week. I turned the car and headed that way. My little chicken legged Grandma Mazur was standing at the door. Uncanny how she does that. She's always there to greet me when I arrive. "Hey Grandma, what's on the menu tonight?" "Buster Bartucci. He was a wise guy you know. Well, they mostly called him a little sawed-off guinea. Wasn't but about five foot two with lifts. His nickname was "Legs", but not because of his legs. Rumor has it that they called him that because his ding-a-ling was as long as a third leg and me and Freeda are on a Clip and Curl mission and we have to verify that he's really packing. Freeda's got a camera on her cell phone..." "Grandma...?" "Yeah?" "I meant, what's on the menu for dinner." "Oh, hea..hea..hea. Spaghetti and meatballs and chocolate cheesecake. You're just in time." Just then my Mom came to the door and saw me and ran back toward the kitchen. What was that? I said hello to my Dad who was in his recliner watching the news. "Hey Pumpkin." I plopped down on the couch and was about to ask Dad about the Philadelphia Eagle's new addition to the team when there was a knock and in walks Joe Morelli. Shit! So that's what my mother was up to. She ran in the kitchen to call Joe. "Hey, Cupcake." "Joe, I hope you're here just because you're hungry. I meant it when I said that I just want us to be friends." "I thought we could talk after dinner." "No. You and my mother thought we could talk after dinner. We broke up and I meant it when I said that I was tired of the back and forth crap and the loud arm waving arguments." He gave me an exasperated look and then my mother walked into the room. "I'm sorry that my mother keeps meddling."

She gave me a Burg glare. "Dinner is ready. Come on now before it gets cold." I sighed and got up and headed to the dining room. Joe sat down next to me and smirked at me. I'm hungry. All I wanted was food. Why can I never come to my parents' house and just get a peaceful meal? Why? I groaned. We passed the spaghetti and the bread around and I was on my second bite when my mother started in. "Joe has been asking about you and wanted to see you. I told him that I would call him the next time you came for dinner. He cares about you and I'm sorry if I care about my daughter and her future." "Ugh..I can accept the last part of that statement. What I can't accept is you meddling in my personal life. This is the same conversation that we keep having. Joe and I don't agree on anything and we are unhealthy as a couple. Criminy, we don't want the same things! He wants to get married and I don't. He wants kids and I don't. He wants a knocked up, barefoot, Burg housewife and I'm never going to be that, MOM! Not for me. So stop cahooting with Joe. Joe and I are friends now and that is the end of it. Right Joe?" Joe turned a glare on me. "So what? Are you with Manoso now?" "Cripes, Joe! No. I am not and I resent that. You know he's my friend. Why can't I just be happy and single? When I date again, it'll be my choice and I'm going to ask both of you to butt out and mind your own beeswax." "Stephanie Michelle Plum! How dare you talk to poor Joseph and myself this way!" "Poor Joseph needs to get a life. He wants a wife and kids and he needs to go find someone who wants that and leave my uterus out of it!" Joe pushed his chair back. "Thank you Mrs. Plum. The dinner was delicious, but some of the company is foul." Then he stomped out of the kitchen. "Don't let the door smack you in the ass on your way out Morelli," I threw at his back. Grandma Mazur's little chicken neck had been whipping back and forth following the dinner conversation. She was grinning and looked like she was really enjoying herself. "Us single chicks should form a club. We could call ourselves The Sexy Singles or the Pink Pussycats or The Hooters and Hotties..." My Dad muttered, "Gross. More like 'The Crazy Old Bat Shits'." With that I broke out into hysterical giggles. I looked over at my mother who had already downed her second shot of bourbon. My life is shit and my family is crazy and I'm broke and alone. How much worse can it get. Woohoo, I'm at rock bottom and I'm still kicking. Joseph Morelli and I have a long history that goes back to our childhood and not a good one. It began with a game of dirty choo choo in his father's garage when I was six and then he took my virginity on the floor of the bakery where I worked when I was sixteen. Joe is a hot-blooded Italian stallion and I had let him seduce me into bed again after all these years after he ended up as one of my skips and I apprehended him and subsequently cleared his name and saved his job as a vice

cop. The relationship was tumultuous and drove us both crazy and we spent more time off/again than on and I just didn't want to start again. I finished my dinner and took my dessert and some leftovers to go and drove home. I put my leftovers in the fridge and said hello to Rex. He stopped riding his little wheel and wiggled his whiskers at me and went back to his roll. I fed him a little blueberry and headed to my bedroom. I dropped my clothes on the floor and changed into a big t-shirt and went to the bathroom and washed my face and brushed my teeth. I was staring at the dark ceiling thinking, I have twenty six bucks in the bank, four dollars in my wallet and my rent is due in two days. I groaned and pulled my pillow over my head and willed myself to go to sleep. The next morning, I showered and rolled my Honda over to the bonds office. "Connie, please tell me that you have a file for a crook that I can actually catch in the next two days." "No luck yesterday?" "Nope." "You're in luck today. I have a couple skips you can probably handle." "Thank you, thank you. I love you Con." "I..know toots." My nose was leading me over to a box of doughnuts close to where Lula was filing. My hand was heading inside the box when Lula's head snapped around. "You plan on keeping that hand, you better pull it back girlfriend." I giggled. "I'm sorry Lula. I'm starving and I'm broke. You let me have one and you can go skip chasing with me today. You know you want to." "Okay, you can have a couple. I can't have my girl going hungry. I'm bored with this filing. I'd rather be wrestlin' with some old fucker and shootin' shit up anyway." Connie begged, "Please don't leave me alone you guys, I thought I heard a quack coming from Vinnie's office a while ago." "Yuck! When he comes in, call animal control. Maybe they'll take him and leave the duck. Let's blow this barnyard stand Lula." My cousin Vinnie is the pervert that owns Vincent Bail Bonds. Rumor has it that he has romantic flings with barnyard animals. That's one rumor that I hope will never come out of the barn..I mean closet. When I got into my car, I looked at the two files. "Oh yeah, one is Dougie Kruper, Mooner's roommate. If we can't catch Dougie, we are losers. Let's head over there first." "Speak for your..you got a point." Dougie and Mooner are a couple mild-mannered stoners I went to highschool with. They live together, sometimes get into trouble and forget their court dates. We knocked on the door and Mooner opened it. "Whoa, it's Steph and sidekick Lula. Come in man. Just settling down with a bowl of 'Fruity Pebbles' for an episode of Star Trek Next Generation. You wanna' join?" "Sure Mooner. I need to talk to Dougie."

We walked into the living room and Dougie looked up. "Hey man, the bounty hunter chicks." "Yes, and why exactly are we hunting you today Dougie?" "Oh yeah that. I rolled a fattie in my car a couple weeks ago. Actually, it was too good. Next thing you know, my car is holdin' up a telephone pole. It was like a scene right out of "Up in Smoke" man. You couldn't see out the windows. It was radical. I think the cop that stopped to check on me and my car got pissed when he opened the door and got a gigantic toke of my car bong. It was actually kinda' cool. Never seen that before." Lula and I cracked up. I knew this was going to be good. "Well Dougie, you know the drill. We have to take you to the station to get rebonded. Don't forget your court dates dude." "Didn't forget. That cop was so pissed he took my car. That was cruel and unusual." "No. That's what they usually do. Finish your Trek episode and we'll go. I'll call Connie so you don't have to stay overnight in the pokey." We dropped off Dougie at the TPD and headed to a Mcdonald's drive through for lunch. "Lula, how do you feel about going to Stark Street looking for a skip? I'm running out of time on this guy and Ranger gets pissed when I accept skips from there. I can't tell him I have it. I need the money." TBCSorry if the Grandma Mazur description of the deceased wise guy offended anyone.

Previously"Lula, how do you feel about going to Stark Street looking for a skip? I'm running out of time on this guy and Ranger gets pissed when I accept skips from there. I can't tell him I have it. I need the money." Chapter 2 "Not my favorite place, but that's where I came from. I would be your best bet next to Batman to help find the fucker. I am your sidekick. Who you looking for anyway?" "Right, next to Batman. Amelio Hernandez, armed robbery." She raised one eyebrow and then the other at me. "You crazy, girl? Ranger should be pissed. Dude is probably a Latin King or somethin'. Connie give you this?" "I kind of snatched it when she wasn't looking." She burped. "Shit! You better be glad I got my Glock loaded and a full belly. Let's go, girl." She mumbled the whole way there. "Crazy skinny little white girl gonna' get my fine black ass shot right off my backside."

We pulled up to the address on the paperwork. It was an apartment building. We got out and started toward the building when I heard voices in the alley beside the building. Uh oh, dj vu. I motioned for Lula to stay and mouthed the words. "Do I look like a fuckin' dog, girl? How come no words are comin' outta' your mouth? And, why are you makin' hand signals and actin' like we're on some secret kinda' covert mission?" "Dammit, Lula! Batman is a quiet sidekick. We have hand signals. I got a feeling. I just need to go check around the corner." She rolled her eyes at me and put her hand on her hip. "Well, excuse me if nobody gave me the fuckin' signals and why do you need to be quiet? Shit, whoever is on the other side of that wall couldn't hear us for the beepin' cars and whistles and the hos on that corner yellin' at em'!" I turned and gave her my best piqued glare. "Lula...!" I walked to the corner of the building and peeked around. I was shocked and then not shocked that I had already felt that it was him. There he was again, that same Latin hottie arguing with two other Latin guys and one was my skip. How did I get so lucky all of a sudden? I ran back to Lula and whispered, "The skip is in that alley and he's arguing with a guy I sorta' know. Here's my phone. Ranger is going to call. He tracks the GPS he's attached to my car. Lie to him. Think of something good to buy me some minutes." "What? I'm fuckin' more scared of Batman than the Latin Kings and you want me to tell him a big white crazy girl whopper?" She looked back at her ass and patted it and mumbled, "Oh poor baby, mamma bout' to fuck up good now. Kiss..kiss..I'm gonna' miss you." I shook my head. "Get a grip, Lula!" "Okay! Don't tell me to lie to Batman and then go gettin' all huffy with me!" I ran back to the corner of the building. Uh oh, the arguing had escalated and the knives were out again. The guy from yesterday was grinning until his eyes moved to me and then his expression changed. He went in quickly and disarmed both men and knocked them out and stood with hands on his hips. Damn this guy was good and he was making me hot! I walked up to him. "Hello again." "What are you doing here?" He was not angry, but not happy. I pointed to one guy on the ground. "I need to take him with me. Would you mind helping me get him to my car?" "What? You're asking me to put a gang member in your car?" "I'm a bounty hunter. I've been looking for this guy. I would be happy to share my reward for him with you. I just need enough for my apartment rent. What's your name and how can I contact you?" A grin spread across his handsome face. "I'll help you and I don't want your money. But you will see me again and you will repay me." Ugh..men. Haven't I heard that one before. He stepped slowly toward me and wrapped his hand around my neck

and pulled my mouth to him and ravaged it with unbridled Latin passion. Holy hot crotch! I was drawn to this man, gang guy, bad guy, dangerous guy. What was he exactly? He let me go and picked my skip up easily in a fireman carry. "Lead the way, querida." I walked around the corner and Lula was animated and talking on the phone and she looked up at the two of us and glared at me. "Yes, Mr. Batman. I will tell her and we're leaving the area in five" "He just fuckin' hung up on me, girl! That man is P..I..S'd!" "Yep, he has no phone manners and yes, I knew he would be." I pulled the car door open and the hot mysterious guy pitched the skip in the back seat and grinned at me again. I reached in and cuffed the skip and thanked the mystery man. "Give me your phone. What number speed dial do you have open?" he asked. "Uh..go for six." He hurriedly punched in some numbers and handed the phone back to me and then he bowed and his beautiful dark eyes twinkled with amusement as he turned. I stood watching his fine hot ass walking away. He was not usually my type. He had spiked unruly dark hair, a goatee, tattoos on his arms and one beginning at the back of his neck and going who knows where. He had a ring in one of his eyebrows and ears, fine hard body and yet a handsome boyish face with a hard edge. He was scary and beautiful at the same time. The most curious part of him was the tiny teardrop tattoo below his right eye and I loved the way his eyes twinkle when he looks at me. "Girlfriend...White girl...Stephanie!" "What?" "What the fuck is wrong with you and who is that boy? We gotta' get the fuck outta' here girl! Now! Batman's gonna' be sendin' the Batcopter, the Batmobile, fuck what all!" "Okay!" I got in the car and we headed to the police station. When I came out of the TPD, I looked at my body receipt and kissed it. Rent money! Yeah! I drove Lula to the bonds office. I had worn her out and Ranger had effectively scared the shit out of her. I told Connie to write her a check for half of the skip reward. It was a decent reward of $2500. She handed me my check for the two skips and I was elated. I had scooted by for another month. When I came out of the bonds office, Ranger was leaning against his Porsche and he was not happy. "Ranger?" "You lied to me, Babe." "Sorry. I needed the money. I have rent to pay too." "You need money?" "Duh." "Not in the mood for sarcasm, I'm really not happy right now." "You are not my boss, Ranger. You're not my boyfriend. You are just my friend so back off me."

"I would actually like to be your boss. But, not in the way you're thinking." I made a face and put my hand up and gave him the no way pointer finger. "Babe, Connie mentioned today that you said you were broke. You need some money? I can help you." I was mortified. Damn Connie. "No, no, no. I'm fine now." "You wouldn't tell me if you did need help. I know you. Why don't you come to Rangeman and work for me part-time? I can use your skills in a couple of the departments. This is not charity, it's a real job offer." "I don't know. I still have a skip I have to find." "I will help you with that. Come work for me and I can even give you benefits like health insurance. I'm sincere about this offer, Babe." I sighed and thought for a minute. "I'm good right now. This is something that I need to think about. I really do appreciate it." He stepped closer and whispered against my lips, "Are you sure I can't help you right now in any other way?" His eyes were smoldering and sexy. Woof! A little willpower here, Stephanie Plum. Back..away..he..is..your..friend. Super..hot..sexy..friend. "Nope. I'm good. Thanks, Ranger." I slipped under his arm and fanned myself on the way to my car and hopped in and was out of there. I still had that stupid DeChooch deal hanging over my head and only the devil knew when he would come to collect. When the time comes I won't know whether to just lay down and thank him in advance for what he's about to bestow on me or run. DeChooch was a crazy old mobster skip I'd been chasing not long ago and when I found out he was a murderer and other people in my life were getting involved, I had asked Ranger for help bringing him in. Ranger had asked for payment for the help for the very first time in our friendship. What he asked for was one night with me and he wasn't talking about a stakeout. The tab was still open...unpaid. I fired up my shower massager and relieved the tension of the day, meaning brush with hot guys tension and then got out and pulled on a comfy t-shirt and panties and flopped in bed. At least today wasn't as shitty as yesterday and I have my rent. Yes! I closed my eyes. I was dreaming that I felt soft kisses against the back of my neck and I was warm and my eyes fluttered open and h-o-l-y shit! The devil has come to collect his due! There's a man in my bed and he's naked! I went to scream and a hand clapped over my mouth. "Don't be afraid, amante (lover). You know me and I'm definitely not here to hurt you. Please don't scream." He took his hand off my mouth. "You're not the devil coming to collect?" He chuckled. "El diablo? No. Did you sell your soul, carino?" "Not my soul. Just a part of my anatomy." I rolled over and he was smiling at me with that twinkle in his eyes. I must be crazy because I wasn't afraid. I was strangely turned on by his appearance in my bed. "How do you know that I won't

shoot you for breaking into my apartment and getting in my bed naked? Who does that?" He gently touched my face and kissed me and what did I do? I kissed him back and I kissed him hard and he tasted hot and sweet. "Because you're going to be my lover, Stephanie Plum. Estoy encantada ( I am bewitched)." "Okay, wasn't expecting that one. I'm still trying to decide who is the one that's nuts here." He chuckled again. "Querida, I knew the first time that I saw you in the alley and looked in your blue eyes." "Who are you?" "You will have my name on your lips very soon, dulce amante (sweet lover)." "You're in my bed. I have to call you something." "Call me 'atentamente'. I am yours faithfully and sincerely. Now kiss me again and sleep now, querida." I touched his face and he smiled and I touched my lips to his and he opened for me and I touched him with my tongue and he groaned and I kissed him deeper and he put his arm around me and pulled me closer and hard against him. I ended the kiss and looked at him. "I wouldn't have really done that you know, but I think I'm just having an erotic dream." "Then I'm flattered that it is about me." He rubbed against me slowly and I could feel his erection. "Feel my need? I burn only for you now. Close your eyes. The devil will not come to collect while I am here. El diablo is afraid of me." I laughed at that. A nervous laugh. That is a little scary, actually. Then I closed my eyes. I'll think about this tomorrow. When I woke up, there was only a faint pleasant smell left of the phantom male with no name that had invaded my bed last night. I must be off my rocker for not grabbing my gun out of my cookie jar and blowing a hole in his hot brazen butt. Who crawls into a stranger's bed naked? Hot gang guy does. He didn't hurt me, he just kissed me and slept in my bed. But, still... Hot gang guy wasn't my type, yet it probably wouldn't have taken much for him to have gotten me naked last night. Oh boy, had I felt his need. Next time, I need to see it and..maybe take it for a ride. What? It's official, I have cracked my cranium one too many times. I'm headed to the looney bin. I was having coffee and reading my neighbor's paper. This morning I could relax before heading out to run errands and look for my skip. I could even go to the grocery store. Life was good today. My phone rang and I picked it up. "Lo." "Buenos dias, bonita (good morning, beautiful)." "Um..who is this?" "You forget me so soon?" "Is this the hot alley guy that invaded my bed last night?" He laughed.

"Si. I will tell you my name soon." "I hope so. I don't usually sleep with guys if I don't know their names. By the way, how did you get me to do that and not call the cops on you? How did you know where I live?" "Your car tag. DMV trace. I told you. You already know that I am yours." "Oh?" "Yes, querida. I want to know everything about you." I got a hot flash. "You do?" "Si, mucho. Do you have plans tonight?" "No." "Excelente! I will pick you up at eight. Wear something sexy. See you then." "What? Hello?" He was gone. Okay. So, it looks like I'm going out with the mystery man tonight. Shit! I have a date. A real, make that a weird date, but it's a date. I need to get my Jersey girl on. I gotta' go to the salon. I have to get busy. I got stuff to do. I jumped up and got dressed, fed Rex, returned my neighbor's paper and ran out the door. TBC-

PreviouslyOkay. So, it looks like I'm going out with the mystery man tonight. Shit! I have a date. A real, make that a weird date, but it's a date. I need to get my Jersey girl on. I gotta' go to the salon. I have to get busy. I got stuff to do. I jumped up and got dressed, fed Rex, returned my neighbor's paper and ran out the door. Chapter 3 I went to the bank first. I had money and I decided to hit Lula's favorite salon and primp this bitch good for my date. I'm getting my nails and toes done and going to get a pro to wax my 'cooter' for the first time. Yes indeed. I'm all about the little things in life. That's mostly what I can afford. "Owww! Fudge Bucket! Is it supposed to hurt that bad? Why is it so red and pissed off? Why do I have to turn over?...No you're not gonna'...Mother of all that is hairy..YOW! Are you shittin' me and you expect me to pay you for this torture?" I waddled out of the salon and flipped off the haughty little Oriental lady glaring at me from behind the register and yelled back at the glass window, "And, I am not a big baby!" I headed to my car mumbling, "I'm moving to Europe. Men don't mind the yeti look over there. It's fashionable!" I walk-hobbled into the grocery store to get a few things when I ran right into my skip that had been giving me the slip in the junk food aisle. I looked around and pulled out my stun gun and zapped him. When he fell I put on a show.

"Oh..no. My diabetic friend. Could someone give me a piece of candy and a hand getting him into my car?" I lied while crossing my legs and my fingers. I learned a long time ago that if you do that it will cross out your lie and whenever I did get caught, all my mother and the priest made me do was say a bunch of hail Marys anyway. I'm pretty good at telling them now. I haven't said a hail Mary in a long time. He..he..he. When the nice man that helped me walked away I cuffed Eugene Rizzo and zapped him again. That should do it till we get to the cop station I thought as I enjoyed the Jolly Rancher candy the nice man had handed me. I dropped Rizzo off and went to the bonds office and walked in and sashayed over and dropped the receipt on Connie's desk. "Aww..good for you, girl. You finally got the slippery little fucker." "I did. Didn't even ruin my manicure." I was admiring my nails. Connie looked at them. "Nice." Lula was eyeballing me. "What you in such a good mood about? You get back with super cop?" "Nah. Just having a good couple of days. I paid my rent, got primped. I'm even going to the grocery store, or back to the grocery store when I leave. I didn't get dirty. Life is good today." "Good for you, girl", Connie said. Lula wouldn't let it go. "I don't know. There's something hinky goin' on with you this week." I better get out of here. Lula has her own kind of ESP. She's got 'Stresp' or aka street ESP. "Gotta' go, girlfriends. See ya'." I went to the grocery to stock up and got a couple six packs of beer and headed to my apartment. I paid my super Dillon the rent and gave him one of the six packs. He always does me favors and that's how I pay him back. He thanked me and I headed up to the apartment to plan my outfit for tonight. Hmm..sexy. I made the biggest mess before I settled on a slinky blue halter blouse with beading around the cowled neckline and down the middle. Rather than a mini skirt, I decided on one that I had not worn in a long time. It was black and mid calf length with a slit all the way up one side to mid thigh. I put a silver chain belt with it and a pair of black four inch pumps with silver trim and ankle strap. Satisfied with my choices, I got into the tub for a soak. Before eight I was dressed and looking at the door. I was nervous and excited too. I didn't even know this guy. Well, except that he doesn't snore. There was just something about him that attracted me. Hey, a date is a date and I haven't had one in a long time. I haven't had a..er..stop it! Mind out of the gutter, Plum! This is a first date. Burg girls don't do it on the first date. That's bullshit. They all do it on the first date if they think they can get a ring out of it. Not me, nuh..uh, I'm not doin' it. Not for a ring, I'll do it for...

In the middle of my pacing and talking to myself a knock on the door sounded and I jumped. I took a deep breath and opened the door. My mouth opened and nothing came out. This was not the guy that I met on Stark. This guy was way hotter. I perused him from head to toe a couple times before he stepped forward and gently placed his hand around my neck and pulled my mouth to him for a gentle kiss and then whispered in my ear, "You look so beautiful, mi querido (my darling)." A fire ignited in my nether regions and spread outward so fast that my body's built-in naughty fire hose blasted me and my panties were now drenched. "You look very handsome too. Would you excuse me? I'll be right back and ready to go." I walk-ran to my bedroom and reached in my dresser drawer and grabbed a new thong and quickly changed and headed back to the door. "Okay. I'm ready." He had a wicked grin on his handsome face almost like he knew. Shit! How embarrassing. Hot mystery guy walked me to a Jaguar XK and opened the door for me. I got in and buckled the seat belt. The soft leather seat fit my body like a glove. He slid into the driver's seat and smiled at me again and took my hand and kissed it. Woof! As he drove, I kept stealing glances at him. There were no visible tattoos or ring in his eyebrow anymore, his hair was dark and silky, spiked and stylish, goatee perfect. He had beautiful brown eyes with long lashes and when he smiled, it was all white teeth and dimples. He was dangerous looking until he smiled and then he looked like a mischievous boy with the twinkling eyes. He was dressed in expensive brown slacks and Italian leather shoes, a red silk shirt and expensive jewelry. He was wearing diamonds in his ears, on his fingers and even in his watch. He was about the same height as Ranger, but smaller in bulk. I had seen those abs. He packs a sixer and a half. He looked like the type of guy that was solid and built for speed and...Stephanie gutterhead! The way his clothes fit you could tell that he was muscular and cut in all the right places. Who was this guy? "Okay. I'm thinking you're not really in a gang and you're more than one person or you're doing a job." He glanced at me and smiled. "I am doing a job, chica. I'm more than one person when I need to be. I will always be just Hector with you, mi amor. You are very perceptive. I am not surprised. You please me." Oh boy! If he only knew how much he pleased me. "So your name is Hector. I have this sense about situations and people. I call it my spidey-sense." He laughed and took my hand again and squeezed it. "What does your spidey-sense tell you about me?" "Well, my alarm is not going off. So, you must be an okay guy. Not dangerous." He turned and gave me a wolf grin. "Oh, I am dangerous. Especially when it comes to beautiful women that get my attention." Yikes! Suddenly I was speechless and flushed.

The rest of the drive was quiet and then we pulled into a club in Newark called the Adega Lounge. "This dance club is very exclusive. We have a table reserved. People come from all over the state, dressed to kill and ready to dance here. This is Latin night. The sexiest and most popular night of the week." "Wow. Okay. I know a little about Latin dance. Ballroom classes in the Burg. Maybe you can show me some moves too?" "Oh, I intend to show you my moves. We will not just dance on a floor." Oh?...Oh, Somebody check me for drool and close your mouth Plum. He got out of the car and opened my door, took my hand and gently pulled me out. He had his hand at the small of my back walking me to the door when something caught my eye. I turned my head and the unmistakable silhouette of a man I knew very well came into focus. I choked and whispered, "Hector, please get me some water. Now please." He graciously nodded and without question, headed into the club. The hair stood up on my neck and I watched in shame and morbid curiosity the scene as it unfolded before me and then I finally turned my head. I felt sick to my stomach and I wanted to cry. I walked back to Hector's car and crouched down and held my stomach. I tried to hold them back, but the tears came and out of the corner of my eye the tail lights of a Porsche Turbo exited the parking lot and drove away. Hector came back to me and reached down and pulled me to him. He handed me a bottle of water. "Drink." I drank the water and he handed me a handkerchief. I wiped my eyes and nose. "I'm sorry. I ruined your night." "No. If don't feel well then I will take you home. We can do this another night. Just promise me that you will wear this same outfit." "Okay," I said and gave him a weak smile. He opened the car door and put me inside and buckled me in. "Just give me a minute to release our table and I'll be right back." I was trying to stop the tears from flowing. I don't really know why I was crying. I guess it was the shock of what I saw or maybe that I didn't realize I had those kinds of feelings for him that could affect me by seeing him in that way. Hector drove me back to my apartment in silence. I couldn't talk. I just wanted the comfort of my bed and the oblivion of blessed sleep. When he walked me to the door, I kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Hector, and I'm so sorry I spoiled your night." "Nonsense. We can always do this again. Open the door, I'm going to see you to bed." "You are...Hector, I..." "Querida, I'm just going to tuck you in." "Oh..okay."

"Undress and I will get you an aspirin and some water and where is your phone? I want it by your bedside." "Aspirin in the kitchen above the coffee pot and I have my phone here in my bag." I went to my room and undressed and hung my clothes up and got a shirt out of my drawer to wear. Hector walked in as I was getting into the bed. He gave me the aspirin and water and checked my phone and pulled the covers up over me. "When you have time to rest then maybe you can talk to me about this. I too have the spidey-sense. If you need me, I am speed dial six on your phone, remember?" Then he leaned over and gave me a warm smile and kissed me lightly on the lips and then he got up and left the apartment. What a strange and wonderful man he is. I called Connie the next day and checked on skips. She only had one new one. I told her that I would come get it the next day and headed to the bathroom. I soaked and tried to push the pictures of the night before out of my head. I wish I could vacuum it like you do a rug and throw the dirt out. I had worked myself through a pint of Ben and Jerry's and half a box of Tastycakes and was settling down for Ghostbusters II with a bowl of popcorn when I heard my locks tumble. The devil himself, Ranger walked into my living room. "I haven't heard from you and wanted to check on you, Babe." I didn't bother to look up. I didn't think I could look him in the eye tonight. "I'm good." He sat down on the couch next to me. "Can I get you anything, Ranger?" "A beer if you have one." I nodded and got up and went to the kitchen. I opened the fridge and got a beer and turned around and he was walking into the kitchen. I handed him the beer. He opened it and took a drink and set it on the counter and put his arm around my waist and pulled me to him. Then he kissed my neck. He pushed me against the counter and moved his thigh between my legs and whispered in my ear, "You smell good and taste better. I want you tonight. It's time to collect, Babe." What should have been excitement and anticipation, turned in my stomach and I wanted to be sick and I wanted to cry. This had been a fantasy of mine and he had ruined it. Did he respect me so little? How could he do that one night and come here and ask this of me the next? Talk about feeling like a piece of meat. I thought he respected me as his friend more than this. I pushed him away and ducked under his arm and went back to the living room and waited for him. I needed space between us. He walked in the room and looked at me with one eyebrow raised. "Is there another way that I can pay you for the help with DeChooch? You didn't catch him, you just drove him to the station." "Babe, I was clear in what I asked for payment and you agreed." "You would want me to have sex with you if I don't want to now?" "No. I think you want me too." "I did, but I don't anymore."

"Why?" His eyes changed and his blank face wavered. "I saw you last night," I said. "What?" "I saw you with that woman and I was surprised that it affected me. It did." "You were at the nightclub?" I nodded. "Fuck!" He swiped his hands down his face. "I wasn't with someone that I care about. I met her, she came on to me and we had sex. I came here tonight because I wanted to be with someone that I do care about." I had pictures in my head all of a sudden of Ranger trolling bars for casual sex every night. It would take a lot to satisfy a man like him. I grimaced. "Ranger, I know you're not celibate and your personal life is none of my business. My problem is that you came here to demand your payment one night after you fucked another woman in public. I haven't felt this disrespected or this cheap since Joe left me on the floor of the Tasty Pastry after he took my virginity." Tears were swimming in my eyes now. "I'm sorry you saw that. That had nothing to do with us. I want to know if there is more between us than just friendship. Come with me. I promise this will be good." He walked toward me with his hand out. "Fuck you, Ranger. I'm not paying the debt tonight." "Yes you are. I was waiting for the right time and I know that you and Morreli are not dating right now. Tonight is right. Trust me." I was shaking I was so upset now and angry at his audacity and yelled at him. "I saw her bent over your car. I saw you throw your head back and cum inside her and I didn't turn away fast enough before I saw your glistening limp penis pull out of her! Your demanding that I sleep with you tonight is an insult to me. I was on a date last night and I want to see where is goes anyway. I don't know now what to do about the fucking debt, but I don't want to be with you or pay you with my body tonight." His eyes became cold and his blank face slammed down. "A date with who?" "Someone that I recently met and it's none of your business, Ranger. I don't want our friendship ruined over this, but I think you should go." He walked up close to me and put his hand around my waist and put his warm lips close to mine and whispered, "Babe, I have wanted to be with you for a long time. I know it won't just be sex between us. It will be much more." I nodded understanding. He kissed me and turned and walked out of my apartment. I turned to my bedroom when the water works started. Why did he have to wait so long and was curiosity a good enough reason for us to have sex? Would I just become one of his casual sex partners? No, I would be one of them he actually cared about. What Bullcrap! I would always think about the other women. A dysfunctional relationship like that would be far worse than mine and Joe's.

I got up Saturday morning and went to the bathroom to answer nature's call and then I looked in the mirror. My eyes were puffy and swollen from crying myself to sleep and I had a little headache. I made coffee and fed Rex and took an aspirin and then headed to the shower. I first thought I would spend the day wallowing and then I thought the best thing to do would be to just keep moving forward. I didn't wallow after Dickie, I didn't after Joe and I'm not going to do it over Ranger. Though, the loss of our friendship would hurt the worst by far. TBCIf I offended any European lady fans, forgive me. I know that a lot of the French ladies don't shave. I have seen our own film actress Julia Roberts go on the wild and hairy pit side. For that matter, I tend to go a little yeti in the winter. I had to do a total overhaul of this story. I had two versions and I had to splice them together to get it right and do it justice. This has been the hardest story that I have written to date. I finally have the climax and the ending coming together and this chap was short so I'm giving it early. Enjoy and thanks for reading and reviewing!

PreviouslyI got up Saturday morning and went to the bathroom to answer nature's call and then I looked in the mirror. My eyes were puffy and swollen from crying myself to sleep and I had a little headache. I made coffee and fed Rex and took an aspirin and then headed to the shower. I first thought I would spend the day wallowing and then I thought the best thing to do would be to just keep moving forward. I didn't wallow after Dickie, I didn't after Joe and I'm not going to do it over Ranger. Though, the loss of our friendship would hurt the worst by far. Chapter 4 I left the apartment and headed to the bonds office. Vinnie was the only one there. Yuck. "Got any skips, Vinnie?" "One, and another that I'm holding for Ranger." "Let me have a go at it." "No." "Vinnie, I'm in a really bad mood today and I need a little extra money in my bank. So, give it to me now or I'm calling Shirley and we are going to have a talk about the duck, the dancing bear, and your twice a month visits to the Borden Farm. We can also include Joyce Barnhardt in with your menagerie of animal favorites."

He snorted. "Fine! I'll give you one higher bond skip and you better not let me down. Now get out!" He slammed his office door. "Weirdo", I mumbled. I got in my car and looked at the files. Stark Street again, shit! I was dressed with the gun and the rest of my weapons. I sighed and went back in the bonds office. "Vinnie, I need to trade cars with you for a few hours." "Hell no! You are not taking my Cadillac." "This skip is on Stark and I can't go there in my car. Ranger has trackers on me and he'll interfere." "I thought you worked together anyway." "Things have changed. Do you want this skip or not, Vinnie?" "Okay! But, you better bring it back without a scratch." We traded keys. "If Ranger comes in, lie. You're good at that anyway." He snorted at me, "And you're not a big fabler too, cousin?" He slammed his office door. Turd. I found the address and parked in the lot of a small grocery hoping that it would be safe enough to keep the bad car mojo at bay. I walked two blocks to an apartment building and headed up three flights of stairs to the door I was looking for. I knocked and clicked on my stun gun at the same time. The door opened and a man looked at me and grinned. "Are you Jesus Velazquez?" He gave me a yellow toothed grin, "Come in and I will show you my little Jesus." Yuck! Probably is little too. Phzzzt I snatched him by the shirt and began dragging him down the stairs. I had him half way down the stairs when I felt a knife to my throat. Oh, no. "Recuerdo que, perra (I remember you, bitch)." He tapped me hard in the temple and I dropped the skip and fell over like a stone. I opened my eyes and heard men speaking in Spanish. My first thought was shit my head and then why didn't I pay attention when I had that Spanish class in high school. Too busy doodling and writing Stephanie Plum plus that football player's name I don't even remember. I looked around for anything useful for a weapon. Then I touched my waist and pockets. Damn. Were these guys stupid? I still had my arsenal minus my gun. I dared to open the bedroom door and take a peek. There were three Latino guys and one was on the phone. One began to turn and I shut the door. I grabbed my stun gun and flopped over and looked passed out again. He reached down and poked me and began to open my shirt and I reached up and stunned the pervy bastard. One down. I had one pair of handcuffs and secured him. When he roused, I stunned him again and then crawled back to the door. There was a knock and then..shit! It was Hector. I tried to get his attention from the bottom of the door. Finally, he looked at me. I saw surprise, then aggravation, no, that was a little anger. I saw relief, uh..desire..really, and then a number of other emotions cross his face and eyes. Wow, he was an emotional multi-tasker.

I crawled out the door and to the two men facing away from me. I reached out my stun gun and zapped one and when he started to fall and got the other guys attention, Hector subdued him. "Can you put this one in my car, please?" "Querida! I am going to punish you for putting yourself in danger here and I have revealed part of myself. Let's just hope they didn't talk to anyone else. Come!" "We need to find my gun. One of them took it from me and I really need this guy. He's my skip. You got cuffs?" The guy started moaning and I stunned him again. Hector chuckled and nodded and picked the guy up. "Give me your keys." "It's the grey Cadillac in the grocery parking lot two blocks down." He rolled his eyes at me like, seriously! Then I giggled and he gave me his warm smile with twinkling eyes. I walked back to the bedroom and stunned the other guy again and retrieved my handcuffs. I watched him until I heard Hector come in again. He was holding out my gun to me. "Thanks." He shook his head. "De nada, mi amor." At my car he kissed me. "You will feel me tonight and take care of your head. It's still bleeding a small bit." What? Most guys say, I'll see you tonight! I ran the skip to the police station and headed back to Vinnie with the receipt. Vinnie took it with a look of shock on his face. He looked me up and down. "You just went and picked him up and you're clean? Oh, son of a..where's my car?" "Your stupid car is fine. I did get whacked on the head. I'm sure you really care. Things are going to change, Vinnie. I'm going to get some training and I expect some of the higher bond skips." "You get the training and I'll give you a few and we'll see how it goes. Might work out good. Ranger's not taking as many skips since his business is getting bigger." "Deal." I had a bitch of a headache and needed to relax. I fed Rex, took some aspirin and ran myself a bath and put pleasant smelling bath salts in and stepped in and closed my eyes. I heard a voice. "Babe, I was at the TPD and heard you were hurt today and I had to make sure you were alright." "So you're in my bathroom?" "How long have you been in here? The water is cold." "Last night you wanted to have sex with me. Now you want to be my caretaker again?" "I still want to have sex with you and I will always care about you and you're not going to get rid of me that easy." "I care about you too." "Where were you today?" "None of your business."

"Babe? You were on Stark again..." He grabbed a towel and handed it to me and left the bathroom. I was relieved that we could maybe still have our friendship and move on. He was sitting on my bed when I walked in the room and then he got up and went to the bathroom while I dressed and came back with a bandage and ointment and tended to my injured temple. I fell into bed. "I'll check on you tomorrow." "Ranger, I don't want to lose our friendship over sex." "I know. We won't." He leaned down and kissed my forehead and then looked at my lips and gave me a gentle kiss there too. My head and my heart felt the presence before he said a word. I opened my eyes and spoke first, "Hector." "My name sounds so beautiful on your lips, querida. Imagine how it will sound when I make love to you and make you mine." I turned to him and he nuzzled my nose and kissed me. "How is your head?" "It's better. Kiss me some more. I think it's helping." He chuckled. "You are so greedy, mi amor." He kissed my temple and my eyes and my ears and my neck and came back to my lips and I opened for him and his taste was hot and spicy and sweet. "I promise that I will always be gentle and loving and will never hurt you, Estefania." He reached under the cover and pulled my t-shirt up and off. He left a trail of gentle kisses from behind my ear, down my neck and to my collar-bone. I should have felt more shame or guilt about doing this now after what happened with Ranger, but I didn't. This felt right and that just hadn't. I wanted Hector to sear the bad memory out of my brain with his kisses, his hands and his body. I needed this. My hands were grasping the sheets and I couldn't move. He was already naked and I could feel his arousal against me. He put his nose between my breasts and inhaled. "So beautiful and you smell so good." He kissed my nipple and gently nipped and tugged and rolled the other in his fingers. I groaned, "Hector." "You want me too, dulce amante (sweet lover). I'm going to taste your en su jugo (juices)." He threw the covers off us and with his tongue, continued the trail down the center of my body to my navel and kissed it. Such gentle hands he had as he caressed me. He then reached down and caressed my ankles and kissed each one and slowly ran his hands up my legs and wrapped his arms underneath me and around my butt and tickled the inside of my thighs with his beard. I heard him inhale and then he touched my folds with his tongue and then licked and took my now swollen bud in his mouth and sucked it. I wanted to come off the bed and he held me. Oh my, he was so sexy and gentle. He licked my opening and came back to my bud and laved circles and then suckled it. I felt the tightness and the heat of my orgasm coming. "That's it, querida. I will help you. Que tan dulce (you taste so sweet." Then he put one finger inside me and I squirmed with the pleasure. When he placed

a second one inside and pulled, I had to let go. I tingled and then, "ahhh..." I mouthed as my legs quivered while he held me tight. He let me go for a minute and I heard the condom wrapper. Oh thank goodness, we don't have to talk about that right now. He kissed his way back up my body and back to my mouth and took it in a long slow seductive kiss and put his hand down between us and guided himself into me. He was well endowed. Bigger than Morelli and smaller than..I shivered at the memory of the other night. Hector felt so good, so different, comfortable. When he had slid all the way in and filled me, he stopped and looked down at me. "Thank you, Estefania. You are exactly as I knew you would be. So responsive and sexy and you please me so much. You fit me so well. Put your arms and legs around me and hold me." I did and he began to move in me while he kissed me. When I began moving with him, he picked up the pace. We were both breathing hard and small beads of sweat began to form in the small of his back. I ran my hands up and down his back and over his taut butt. This hard, handsome, scary man could make love. He shifted slightly and I gasped as he found the perfect spot. "Come with me now, Estefania." Then he pulled almost all the way out and back in a couple more times and when he yelled my name and words in spanish that sent me over the edge and I squeezed and exploded around him saying his name, "Hector." When we both got our breath back, he rolled off me and removed the condom and then pulled me against him. "Goodnight, mi amor. This is only the beginning for us." I was satisfied and already half asleep. "Gracias to you too, Hector. I hope my toes uncurl before I wake up in the morning." He chuckled and kissed my neck and wrapped a possessive leg around me. TBC-

I gathered from a few of the reviews that I have you a little confused. If you see strange things in my stories, it means that I'm leading up to something. Ranger has been told, no. Not acceptable to him. He is an expert strategist and does not fail, ever. He ain't done and I warned he may be a little bad, chicks. Nuff' said. Chapter 5 When I woke up, there was nothing left but the smell of the phantom male that had invaded my bed and pleasured me to sleep last night. Then I recognized his scent. So appropriate, he wore Allure by Chanel. He was hot and sexy and I was drawn to

him. Yet, basically, I might have just banged a gangbanger. Oh man, am I confused and bent on my own destruction or what? Rock bottom, maybe not yet! My phone rang. "Lo?" "Babe?" "Hey, Ranger." "How's the head." "Better, thanks." "Good. Could you come to Rangeman tomorrow morning?" "What for?" "I just want you to talk to Tank, Bobby and I." "About what?" "The job offer." "Ugh..not a good idea, Ranger." "It is a good idea and the offer is sincere. Please come at 0900 hours." "Ranger...?" He disconnected. Grrr! That Cuban has something up his sleeve. I spent Sunday cleaning the apartment and doing laundry at my parents house and stayed for dinner. I arrived at Rangeman on Monday at a few minutes before 0900 hours. I was led to a conference room by Hal. He was blonde and about the whitest guy here and the size of Tank. Real nice guy. He's been my Ranger tail a few times in the past. Tasked with following me around while I'm chasing skips and bumbling. I walked in the door. Ranger, Tank and Bobby all stood to greet me. Ambush. Tank began, "Ranger offered you a part time position with Rangeman. We all agree that you would be a good addition here. You have good instincts and you have a business background. You would be our first real female employee. We have some new needs and would like to hire some essential women for these jobs in the company." My eyes cut to Ranger. New needs indeed. My spidey-sense is telling me that he wants to keep me close and keep an eye on me. "Equal opportunity demands it, huh?" "Steph, you'll have benefits and decent pay. Why the attitude?" I looked at Ranger. "Tank, it is not a good idea for me to work here. It's personal." "Babe, you can still trust me. It's a sincere job offer." A look passed between Bobby and Tank. I sighed. "What's the job and the hours?" Tank said, "How about Monday, Wednesday and Friday 0900 to 1700. You'll have a contract and benefits and be paid extra for special jobs like stakeouts, distraction and redecorating." "Who in his right mind wants to do redecorating with me? You, Tank?" Tank chuckled. He had gotten shot after I went to sleep on a redecorating job. Bobby said, "Come on, Bomber. Accept and we'll do the paperwork right now." "Against my better judgement, I'll try it."

Bobby was a handsome man. His skin was the color of milk chocolate and he had big soft eyes and a sweet smile and beautiful white teeth and his dark hair was in cornrows. "Welcome to Rangeman, Stephanie. I sure have heard a lot about you. I know I don't know you as well as some of the other men and we haven't worked together. I'm looking forward to it. " "Thank you, Bobby. They were mostly not my fault." He chuckled. "Heard that too. Crazy luck huh, kid?" "Yep. When shit happens, it happens around me." He laughed at that. "I'll give you the fifty cent tour and then we'll do your paperwork and I'll go over rules and we'll get you started on your new job." He started with the basement level. There was a gun range and jail down there along with a couple interrogation rooms. I looked at Bobby. "You guys are serious about your stuff, huh? I don't ever want to be your enemy." He laughed. "Sometimes we have to hold fugitives overnight." He told me that there were apartments on level four and six, a gym and infirmary on three and Ranger's penthouse apartment was on seven. Then we took the elevator back to level five and he showed me around the control room and showed me where his office and his team members offices were and explained what they all did. "There are four core team members at every Rangeman office. Trenton's team members are part owner in the company with Ranger. We started with him in Miami." I nodded. We did an hour of paperwork, insurance forms, contract, and then came the bomb. The rules. The deal breaker. What? The uniform was not a problem. He did get me to start carrying my gun and I always carry my stun gun, spray and cuffs. "You're telling me now that I have to exercise and change my diet to work here? The taskmaster is a tyrant too? Thanks, but no thanks." This was already leaning toward a bad idea. "Uh, sorry I wasted your time, Bobby." I got up and walked out the door. I was waiting at the elevator when I felt him behind me. "Babe, come to my office and let's talk." "Ranger, my gut is telling me that this is a bad idea. Best idea is this elevator going down and my car leaving that garage." "I disagree and I want to talk." He took my hand and led me to his office. He sat down on the couch in his office and pulled me down next to him. "What's the biggest issue that you have?" "The exercise and the diet requirements. The tension between us." "As far as the exercise, we can find something that you like to do. The self-defense training will make you better at your job. The diet might be the toughest challenge. The goal is to get you eating healthier so that your energy level is better. If you want to chase skips here and have a partner, they need to know that you're strong and healthy and at the top of your game. They need you to have their backs, Babe. Would you spend an hour in the gym and refuse one doughnut to keep me safe?"

"You know the answer to that. Of course I would. I would never put you in danger." "That's all we ask of each other here. It's all good and necessary." "Well, when you put it that way. I understand." "We'll work this out. You haven't met our resident housekeeper. Ella is a great cook and she'll help. If just half of your meals are healthier then you'll achieve the goal I'm asking, Babe." "Okay." He pulled me to his lap and gave me a smoldering kiss and moved his hand under my shirt. I stopped his hand and went to get up. He looked in my eyes and then his demeanor changed back to the taskmaster mode and his blank face slammed into place. "Let me make something clear now, Ranger. That is not allowed. I refuse to work here if your men are going to disrespect me because they think I'm just your piece of ass. I would say that respect is just as important as the trust in your partners when working together. I'm already concerned that there is another motive for you wanting me here right now." He nodded and subsequently didn't deny my accusation. Crap. "You're going to start in the search department. I'll take you to the guy that's going to train you. He took my hand and led me to a cubicle. There was a guy sitting there with spiked hair, wide shoulders, tattoos on his arms and one beginning on the back of his neck and disappearing down his black Rangeman shirt. Then he turned around. I choked and gasped, Hector! Ranger looked at my stricken face. Ranger said, "Perdonar nos, Hector (excuse us)." "Babe, I know he's a bit scary and he might make you a little uncomfortable at first, but you can communicate well enough and I promise he won't hurt you." Joke's on you, I'm thinking. He can hurt me, just involves pleasuring me to death. Shit! Hector here? "He's an ex-gang member." Maybe, maybe not. "Speaks minimal English, but you can understand him." I snorted. Little English, my ass. Oh, right. He already had my ass. "He's not dangerous. If he was, he wouldn't be working here." Oh, hell yes, he's dangerous. Just not the kind you're thinking. "He's gay, Babe. You don't have to worry about him making a pass at you." Oh really? Not from where I was laying last night! Holy crap balls! I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. Just a little nervous my first day and all. We'll be fine working together." My mind was frantically working. Could my life get more complicated? No, hell no! I thought I already hit bottom. Nope, not even fucking close! Ranger began speaking Spanish to Hector and ending with Stephanie Plum and then he said, "Stephanie, this is Hector Gutierrez. He will be your trainer on the computer software we use." He pulled a chair over next to Hector. I couldn't look at him. I sat down slowly. He spoke to Hector again and walked away. I felt Hector's hand on mine. "You okay, Estefania?" "No! I'm not!"

"Calm yourself. There are cameras everywhere. Tonight, I will come to you and we will talk." "That's where we should have started last night! Hector, he sometimes comes into my apartment at night too. Right now, he's very curious about what's going on with me. I'm afraid he'll show up tonight as well." "You are his woman? The one his men talk about?" "Yes..no. We don't have that kind of a relationship and I'm not his woman. We're friends but, he does keep close tabs on me. He's got friggin' GPS on my car, phone and in my apartment." This is so fucked up. I felt nauseous. I took a deep breath and put my head between my knees. Hector rubbed my back. In two minutes, Ranger was right back at the cubicle and speaking to Hector. I put my hand up to Ranger, "I think maybe I had a bad meal last night. Just a little nauseous. I'll be okay, Ranger. No need to hover. Hector is being nice to me. I'm okay." "Come on, Babe. Let's get you home. You can start again tomorrow." He grabbed a dish from the lounge on the way out and we headed to his Porsche Turbo. He helped me up to my apartment and I waved him away. "No Babe, I'm not leaving until you're tucked in." Oy! What's with this ritual and the men in my life. He placed the food in my fridge and walked into my bedroom. "Ranger, I'm fine. You can go now." He walked to me slowly and tucked a curl behind my ear and kissed me. He pulled at the hem of my shirt and I backed away. He said, "I would like us to get back to a place where you're comfortable with me again." I crossed my arms over my chest. "I can undress myself, thank you." "What's wrong, Babe? I know you wanted me the same way I wanted you." "It passed. I think it was gas." He gave me an exasperated sigh. "Do you care about me?" "Of course I do." "Don't you want to know?" "I thought I wanted more and I even thought I wanted the deal. But, I don't think I do now. I want to stay like we are." He looked serious, "Has something changed your mind other than that night at the club?" "Yes. Things have changed. If you hadn't taken so long...If you had been honest with me...Just days might have mattered." "I'm sorry. I'm a complicated man with a complicated life. It has not been easy trying to decide if making you a part of it was a good idea. I was giving that decision and you the care and thought you deserved." "Ranger, I met another complicated man. He came to me in the night and out of the dark and simply loved me. He didn't ask for anything, didn't demand anything, didn't make any deals or make it complicated. He just said that he came to be my lover. He said that he was drawn to me and I was special to him and he wanted me

to be his. Things could never be that simple with you." His eyes were dark and looked full of surprise and something else I had never seen... "You're sleeping with someone now and it's not Morelli?" I nodded. "I can tell you that being a day late and a dollar short can have consequences maybe you don't like. I know that from experience." His face became hard and he looked angry and nodded and turned and left my apartment. TBCI read an unusual MM story that is excellent. No Steph, just MM and awesome characters and story line, for you MM tarts. Go take a look, I'm hooked. Check out Like a Silent Cry in Dark Night by MyMerryMen.

Sorry readers it took me so long to get the next chap up. I have been having migraines lately. (What my son calls my-brains and I can't think for crap when I have them and the medicine makes me foggy headed and nauseous, yuck.) Chapter 6 I woke to a hand rubbing my back and his erection pressed hard against me. I rolled over and pulled his mouth to mine. The man that knows what he wants and how to take it. I found that so intriguing and sexy and I wanted to give him exactly what he came for. "Mmm..." "You okay, amante? I thought about you all day." "I thought about you too." I smirked. "Do you know that they think you're gay and you don't speak much English. What exactly is your game, lover boy? Are you or are you not a gang member?" "I am and I'm not. That's all I can tell you right now. I didn't intend to involve anyone in my life for the time being. However, I was drawn to you immediately and I couldn't stay away." He pulled my hand to his right pec and I touched the tattoo there. "This is my only real tattoo. I was a member of the Latin Kings at one time in my life. Not for a long time now. Work brings me in contact with the gangs sometimes. I'm still respected within the organization." "Is Rangeman your real job?" "I'll tell you a secret. I memorized your license plate and tracked it with the software at Rangeman. The same software I'm supposed to train you on." Then he chuckled. "You changed the subject. How are we going to do this, Hector? Ranger watches me like a hawk and he has GPS tracking attached to me. Now he knows that I'm seeing someone and it's not my ex." "Tell me about your relationship with him. Do you love him?"

"I care about him. He's been good to me. He's been a friend and a mentor. I don't really know what he wants. Not long ago, I needed some help with a skip. He was a mobster and was dangerous and then the apprehension got out of control and was going bad. I asked for his help. He said that he would help for one night with me. At the time, I thought I wanted that too and I agreed to the deal. I've always been attracted to him. He tried to collect the night after the club. It was because I saw him having sex outside that I was upset that night. He said he found out that me and my ex broke up again. He may have been waiting for that. I don't really understand him. Why one night of sex? He says he's curious. Either you know you want someone or you don't. Am I right?" "He may be wanting more in the relationship or without the commitment. He may be just curious. He might think he can have a psychological hold on you. A man like Ranger, hard to figure his motive until he wants you to know. He's made a claim on you and everyone at Rangeman thinks of you as his. I'm sure he's always thought about sex with you, but you had a boyfriend. If he's this protective of you, he wants you. Do you want him? Did you sleep with him?" "I refused him that night. The honest answer to the rest is yes, no and maybe. I just don't understand him at all. If he really wanted me, he could have crawled in bed with me like you did and just took what he wanted. I trust him and would have let him. Now, he's got it in his head that he really wants it to happen and I don't think he's going to stop trying. I can't believe that I let you do what you did. You have great big balls, Hector. How did you know I wouldn't shoot you? Who does that? Just crawls in bed naked with a stranger and says he's going to bang her, Mr. gangbanger." He laughed. "It was a first for me. That's just who I am. I slipped your defenses and just took what I wanted. That's very macho, si" "More like 'loco' and the defenses in this apartment have always stunk. Everybody picks my locks and just waltzes right in here." "That's not good. We need to change that. I watched you for a couple days. I didn't think you had a boyfriend. Do you have regrets? Do you want me?" "Oh no and yes, Hector. I want you." He snaked an arm around my neck and with the other ran his hand down my body with the knuckles on the back of his hand making circles in sensitive places and stopped when he took a hard nipple between them. He kissed my cheek and placed his warm one against mine and whispered, "I can't stop myself from loving you." No man had ever expressed himself to me this way or ever made me feel so special. As his hands began travelling again down my side and hips and thighs and then pulling my butt against him, he kissed me gently all over my face and neck and then grazed my lips. When the sweet kiss became more demanding, I parted my lips to accept his eager tongue. "Hector", I breathed into his luscious mouth.

"Estefania, you are mine now and I adore you." He rolled the condom on and entered me slowly. Then we were lost in each other until we each reached our own incredible climax and wrapped in each other's arms we fell asleep. He was gone again when I woke up. His scent this morning was very much there and I found comfort in its allure, how ironic his chosen scent. I dressed and ate cereal and fed Rex. I was anxious this morning to get to Rangeman. I wanted to be with Hector. Ranger had given me a key fob to get into the Rangeman garage and access the building. I headed to the cubicle from the day before and was stopped by Bobby Brown. "We're going to do your physical and talk." "Okay." He weighed me while I glared at him and he took my vitals and made me pee in a cup and bled me. "You're really a vampire in disguise, right? Like that Count Blacula dude?" He laughed. "I know you have a problem with the exercise and dietary change, but what if we make it fun? Maybe with a partner and some dance exercise DVD's thrown in to help." "What? Richard Simmons? Who would join me for dancing to the oldies?" "No, there's hip hop, zumba which is Latin, all kinds of stuff. As far as your diet, we can start simple. Then we had some weights to strengthen and build muscle and some self-defense. We begin slowly. We can partner you and make it fun. While you're here, you eat healthy and Ella makes it taste good. Cut out one doughnut or one pizza or one meatball sub a week and you are going to be golden, girl." "That simple? Why don't I believe you?" He laughed. "Baby steps for you. Okay?" "Okay. Can I go to work now?" "Yes you can. You know where to go?" "Yep, I'm good. Thanks." I couldn't wait to get to Hector. I wanted to be close to him so bad. It dawned on me that at one time I felt this same way about Ranger. When I got to his cubicle, I stopped and stared at his back and he slowly turned and gave me a heart stopping smile and put his hand out to me. I took it and I sat down in the chair next to him. I wanted to launch myself at him. There was something so odd and comforting, yet electric and magnetic about this man. My strange lover that had come to deliver me from my failure and self-loathing at a time when I needed someone to help me feel good about myself. He squeezed my hand and whispered, "You have surveillance on your apartment now. I almost didn't get out. I had to borrow a garment and scarf from your elevator lady. If you want to be with me then we are going to have to come up with a plan. We'll take lunch a little early to put any guard dogs off temporarily. Also, you make me want to throw you to the floor and make love to you, Estefania."

I'm fanning myself and snickering. "You borrowed something from Mrs. Bessler? And stop, you Latin el diablo, you," I whispered. He grinned. "Let's start training and I don't just mean the search programs, my beautiful lover." "Oh boy. I can't wait." At 1130 hours, Hector scrambled our camera and we headed to the elevator. The elevator doors were closing when Ranger appeared and glared at us. Oh shit! He must have been making his own lunch plans. Maybe involving me in his penthouse apartment. In the garage, Hector said, "Drive your car home and I'll meet you there. We got out in my apartment building lot. "Why are we here?" "We're going to pack you a bag and you're going to come stay with me. With the surveillance, I won't be able to come to you." "Oh, okay. Can I bring my hamster?" "Of course you can." I hurried and threw a bag together with different kinds of clothes and my toiletries. Hector grabbed my bag and I grabbed Rex. We got in his SUV and did a quick drive through for lunch. We had time for a five minute make out session in the truck and then headed back to Rangeman. Before 1700 hours, Ranger came to the cubicle and told Hector to excuse us. He took my hand and led me to his office. He closed the door and pushed me against it and kissed me. "I wanted to ask you to have dinner with me tonight in my apartment." "I'm sorry, Ranger, I have plans tonight." "With your new boyfriend?" "Yes." "Who is he?" "That's none of your business." "I told you before that you are my business. I want to know how well you know him. Do you know anything about him? I want you safe." "I know him well enough and I am safe with him. You don't need to worry." "Fuck, this wasn't supposed to happen!" He ran his hands down his face over his five o'clock shadow. "I don't understand you, Ranger." He opened the door. "I'll see you tomorrow, Stephanie." Hmm..so now I'm Stephanie. I walked out and went to the cubicle to get my bag and meet Hector. Hector whispered, "Go out through the garage and turn right and walk one block and I'll pick you up." I nodded. We drove across the river to Pennsylvania and went about five miles and Hector turned into a really nice five story condominium complex. The community was secure with a guard at the gate. I could see a swimming pool and clubhouse and the grounds were immaculately groomed. "Wow Hector, you own your home here?"

He grinned at me and nodded. We grabbed my things and Rex and I followed him. We took the elevator to level five and got out. I noticed that there were only two doors on this level. Hector opened a door and walked in and I stopped dead. The place was huge and beautifully decorated. The living room was sage green and brown and beige with overstuffed soft leather furniture. He had a huge big screen TV with surround sound and stereo. There was a fireplace between the living room and what looked to be the dining room. I looked at Hector. "Go ahead and look around, querida." I did look around. That fireplace was double sided so that you could enjoy the fire in the dining room as well as the living room. The kitchen was stainless steel with medium wood cabinets and marble countertops with an island and breakfast bar. There was a half bath off the kitchen and a laundry room. Hector came into the room and threaded his fingers through my hand. "You hungry?" Just at that moment my stomach answered and he laughed. "My housekeeper left us dinner. We'll have some wine and sit in the dining room and I'll light a fire. How does that sound?" "Wonderful. Kind of romantic. Are you romantic, Hector?" "Well I was thinking after dinner that I'd like to move to the living room and make love on that soft rug on the other side of the fireplace." Oh my, the thought of that just ruined my bloomers. I was tingling already. I nodded enthusiastically. He gave me a passionate kiss and looked in my eyes. "You are so lovely and sweet amante and fit me like you were made for me. Now that you're here, I may not let you go. Come to the kitchen and I'll show you where everything is and we'll have our dinner." TBCThanks to everyone for the nice reviews and I'm glad that you like my Hector. He is dreamy. At the bottom of the chap I'll share with you why I thought of a sexy hetero Hector.

PreviouslyHe gave me a passionate kiss and looked in my eyes. "You are so lovely and sweet amante and fit me like you were made for me. Now that you're here, I may not let you go. Come to the kitchen and I'll show you where everything is and we'll have our dinner." Chapter 7 We warmed up plates and took them to the dining room and then Hector opened a bottle of wine and brought wine glasses and then lit the fire. Dinner was a Mexican

enchilada casserole type dish and was delicious. I said Hector, "You know that I have a sense about some things and it's telling me that there is way more to you than meets the eye. You're not really in a gang and you're working at Rangeman. My other sense is telling me that Rangeman is not your real job either." "Your spidey-sense?" "Yep." He laughed. "You sense anything more?" "Yes, you have mad fighting skills and probably know your weapons. You're involved in something down on Stark Street. My first guess would be you're undercover in some capacity." His eyes gave nothing away. They just twinkled. "Estefania, there is more to you than meets the eye as well. If I revealed too much to you then I would have to kill you and I want you alive and in my bed." Definitely good to that one! I looked at him. I'm probably stupid, but I'm going to just throw it out there. "Hector, I'm trusting you and I don't even know you. Are you going to hurt me? What do you really want from me?" "I could never hurt you, amante. I desire you." Bloomers just melted. "Are you going to hurt Ranger or his company?" Shit! His eyes just changed. Stupid question! "I can't discuss my job at Rangeman with you except for details having to do with your training." And here flies the dumbest question. "Hector, who is the bad guy here? You or is he doing something bad? I think I kind of know him..." He put one of those blank faces on like Ranger does and told me to eat my dinner. Then it dawned on me that everything had been moving entirely to fast. This whole situation wasn't right and I needed space and thinking time and right now. I slowly got up from the table and backed away. "Hector, I'm going to get Rex and my bag and call a cab. We'll forget about the last few days and this conversation. I'm not too comfortable working for Rangeman anyway. I'm going to quit and go back to chasing skips. Whatever is between you and Ranger is between you. Two big macho guys, you can work it out." "Do your senses tell you that I want to hurt you or use you?" "They didn't, but I'm uncomfortable right now." "If you really want to go back to your apartment then I will take you back. You are not a prisoner here." "If you mean that then please take me home." He nodded. He brought my bag and I grabbed Rex and we exited the elevator and headed to the parking area. He walked to his Jaguar and clicked the doors open. I was lost in my own thoughts the whole way home to my apartment. Hector didn't say a word either. When we got to my parking lot, he finally spoke. "I would like to carry your bag up, but you have company and it's best that I not be seen with you. Do you agree?" I nodded. He reached for me and pulled me to him and kissed me

gently and whispered close to my mouth, "Don't be afraid of me and don't sleep with him." I got my bag and Rex and went up to my apartment and unlocked the door. I put Rex on the counter and went to my bedroom. A few minutes later, I heard the lock tumble and soft footsteps. I turned and Ranger was leaning against the doorjamb to my bedroom. "The man drives a $100,000 car and you came in with a bag and Rex. Who is he and did you have a disagreement?" "I told you that this is none of your business and are you spying on me?" "I'm concerned about you, Babe. I told you that I care about you." "I know you do, Ranger. Right now you're suffocating me though. I think it best that I not work for you. I want to go back to skip chasing and you being my mentor and my friend." He stalked to me and grabbed me and pressed his lips to mine and tried to open them. I didn't respond. "Kiss me back, Stephanie." I whispered, "I can't right now. I'm confused and I don't know what I'm feeling for sure. A week ago, I wouldn't have let you out of this bedroom. Tonight, I can't let you stay." He groaned. He put his forehead to mine. "I don't want to lose you before I've even had a chance to be with you. I wasn't prepared for someone else to step in and" "What? Take me from you?" He didn't say anything. "You should have made your move. Did you want a real relationship with me after...the deal?" "I don't know." "Then we should forget about changing our relationship, this other man knows what he wants." He fisted his hands and growled and turned and quietly walked out the door and left. When I woke up and went to the kitchen to make coffee the next morning there was an envelope on my counter top next to Rex. I opened it and read it: Babe, I left you a check and I want you to keep the Rangeman key fob in case you change your mind about working here or you ever need a safe haven. Call me if you need me. R I looked at the check amount and tears welled in my eyes. Shit! I care about you too, Ranger, and I'm worried about what's going on at Rangeman and why Hector is really there. I'm torn. What am I going to do? Ranger can't be bad. I would know it in my heart. I know he operates in the grey area but, he's a military man and a hero and I know that he works for the government still. My gut also tells me that Hector is not the bad guy either, but he's operating in a grey area too and spying on Ranger. My spidey-sense is going crazy. What do I do?

I showered and changed and fed Rex and filled my coffee cup. I got in my car and headed to Rangeman. I knew what I was going to do. I'm going to keep an eye on both of them. When I got to level five, I headed to Ranger's office and knocked. "Enter!" I opened the door and walked in. He looked up with surprise in his eyes. "That check was for too much, you know. I only worked for one day. Jeez, can't you use a calculator? Oh, and I figure you can probably use my unique set of skills even though they're a little unorganized and scary sometimes." A slow smile spread across his handsome face. "Come here, Babe." I walked to him and he took my hand and pulled me to his lap. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I've felt the need to protect you since I met you and I always wanted to be close to you. I have spent much of my life keeping people at arm's length because I'm surprised I'm still here. I do dangerous work and missions and the percentages of success on those missions is extremely low most of the time. I'm the guy that cleans up the worst messes, the Fubar'd government stuff and scrapes the shit off the world's boots and cleans them, Babe. I never wanted to leave any one that I really cared about without a body or answers to what happened to me. That's your answer to why I didn't make a move. I was torn. I wanted you, but I cared too much to hurt you that way." Oh no, he never spoke like this before. There was sadness in those eyes. "Were you waiting for me and Morelli to end?" "Yes, Babe. I was waiting for you to make up your mind about Morelli. I didn't consider that someone else could step in. I'm sorry." "I'm sorry too, Ranger." "I would like to know who he is." "No. I can tell you that this is an uncomfortable situation for me. It's not like with you and Morelli. He's like you." "Like me, how?" "It's like having a Batman and a James Bond in my life and keeping track of me. He's a secretive guy who does undercover work too. It's a lot for me right now. Ranger, I know you care for me and I feel the same. I now care for this man and he knows what he wants and it's me and not just for sex and I feel good about that." "Babe, I wish you would tell me who this man is and let me check him out. I told you that I just want to make sure you're safe." "I can't do that because he trusts me like you do. You know how you can't tell me about your missions?" "Yes." "It's like that. You know how I poke my nose in where I probably shouldn't and it gets me answers but, it also gets me in trouble?" He laughed. "Yes, Babe. You're good at that." "Well that's how I found out that he's sort of on a mission too. I kept getting in his way."

"Babe. Hearing stuff like this makes me want to lock you up and throw away the key to keep you safe because you are under my skin and that's where you stay. I don't know what to do about you." "But, you can't do that and it's not your place to do anything about me. Just be my friend." "I'll always be that. I want you to be comfortable working here, but let me be clear. I'm not bowing out yet. If I get the opportunity, I will take my chance with you. You know me." "Yes, I know you. If the other relationship doesn't work out then we'll talk before sex. We'll just have to see how it goes. I don't want our friendship in jeopardy, please." He nodded and kissed me again. When I arrived at Hector's cubicle, he gave me a warm smile. I sat down beside him and waited. He began typing and quietly talking about the program. The rest of the day was quiet like that. I went to the lounge by myself and sat alone in a corner with my back to everyone and picked at my food at lunchtime. I felt the eyes of the men who worked there on me. Only one person approached me. "Hi, Stephanie." I looked up into Hal's soft kind eyes. "Hey, Hal. How are you?" "Good. I just wanted to welcome you to Rangeman." "That's really sweet of you. Thank you." We chatted for a few minutes and then I thanked him for coming over to speak to me. "My lunch is about up. Guess I better get back." I gave him a little finger wave goodbye. TBCOkay so, in Crazy I told you about my own rooster problems. I went to the neighbor behind me to discuss the issue and the lady didn't speak English so she called for another family member to come to the door and out walked the perfect Hector. He was hot! He had a shaved head, perfect goatee and gorgeous eyes and sexy mouth. He was about 5'11 and had on a wife beater and sweat pants. I swear to pete that he had a special forces tattoo on his right arm and he had an eagle tattoo on the left side of his neck. Like Grandma Mazur I couldn't stop myself from looking down at his package too. Well, by the end of the conversation I had caved because I couldn't get my stupid salivating tongue to work right and I just waved goodbye. Later he comes out on the back deck with no shirt and I stared out my back door and over the fence as he worked out on a stepper machine as I salivated again. On that weekend, they had a party and he was dancing on the deck to salsa music and I was ogling out my back door with my hip moving up and down tapping to the beat and a big ass smile on my stupid face when my husband came into the kitchen and caught me and I jumped out of my skin and I slammed the door. He said, "Weezer (that's what he calls me and I call him Goober), what the hell are you doin'?" "Nuttin' honey," I said. Hiding the big grin still on my face of course. LOL

This chap should clear up some confusion about the back and forth between Steph and Ranger and his motives. It's a doosey! Chapter 8 The clock creeped to 1700 hours and Hector never looked up as I grabbed my bag to go. To my back I heard, "Buenas noches, Estefania." My life was back to bedlam and it wasn't my fault and I was feeling like alcohol and a pity party for dinner. I stopped at the liquor store on the way home and purchased some mojito mix and vodka and bought an old chick flick 'When Harry met Sally' out of a box next door at the Dollar Store. I drank and cried through the movie and bared my soul to Rex and finally staggered off to bed. Oh, man I was having a whopper of a dream. Stay with it, Steph. I was really warm and felt filled and heat flashed outward from my center and the tingling became intense and my toes curled and my head exploded with the impact of the pleasure that shook me. My eyes rolled to the back of my head and I think I saw stars and I gasped, "Gaah! Ahhh! Oooh!" I heard a groan, followed by I think Spanish expletives and when my senses and awareness finally began to come to me, I realized that I was not dreaming and there was a man in my bed and shit he didn't smell like Hector. I screamed and pushed him away from me and rolled out of my bed and ran to my closet to grab my robe and shrug it on and then turned to the bed. I was still a little drunk and my eyes had to adjust for a few seconds and I had to shake my head to get the fog to dissipate. I croaked, "What did you do?" Then I felt the reality of what he'd done seeping out of me and running down my thighs. "What kind of question is that? You asked me to fuck you and you were talking dirty to me. Babe, you were wet and ready for me." I fisted my hands and screamed again. "I was probably dreaming that you were my boyfriend! Why were you even in my bed?" "I came to talk to you. I saw that you didn't have company and I hoped you had broken up. Why the hell are you screaming?" "Shut up! You were spying on me...Jesus, I was asleep!" "You were talking. You kissed me. I thought you were awake." "I was drunk! You couldn't tell or you didn't care?" "Babe, come back to bed. It was good. Let me make this right for you. Let me make you feel good." "You didn't use a condom?" "You're on birth control." "Mother..you..why..dammit, Ranger! You are so selfish! Even my boyfriend uses condoms. We never even had to talk about it. You fuck strangers in parking lots! I'm on antibiotics and stuff all the time because of my scrapes. I'm never always

safe and I haven't taken a pill in days because I'm about to start a new kind of birth control." I was ready to hyperventilate. "Fuck!" It was one thing to invade my home, but to invade my bed and my person without my consent? Through the fog, I was becoming livid. "You're used to getting what you want, aren't you? Women come on to you. You never got rejected before did you, Ranger? Nobody ever said no? You made it a personal challenge to have sex with me. You don't really respect or care about me at all." "That's not true, Babe. I even love you in my own way." "In your own way? Fuck you, Ranger. You were determined to collect your damned debt. Well, it's paid and I hope it was worth it to you. Now, get out! I no longer need your fucking charity or your help or the job either! You were determined to ruin our friendship and you succeeded tonight." I was shaking, I was so angry. I pointed toward the doorway with a shaky finger and ran in my bathroom and slammed the door. I grabbed a douche and turned the shower on. I knew what was done was done and that it really didn't matter if I went through the motions or not. I started sobbing as the water ran down over me. When I got out, he was gone and I dug in my closet for a clean pair of sheets and changed my bed. Then I laid down and I cried and I cried. When I opened my swollen eyes and the memory of last night came crashing back into my brain, I wanted to start crying again. I could stay in bed and wallow, but I didn't want the scene running through my head all day long. I could still feel the evidence of what he'd done and I was sore and I was so angry and so hurt. I decided that I wanted to see my girls or maybe go cry on Mary Lou's shoulder. Even though I had showered last night for an hour, I showered again. My brain kept flashing images between that parking lot scene and last night. I dressed and fed Rex and was getting ready to leave when my phone vibrated. "Hello...?" "Bomber?" "Tank?" "Yeah. We need to talk." "Why?" "We need to talk about Ranger." "No." "I need to know if something happened between you. Was he with you last night?" "I'm not talking to you about him." "I'm sending Lester to get you." "I'm leaving, Tank, and I don't have anything to say to you about Ranger now or ever again." "Bomber!" I disconnected and I left the apartment as quick as I could and drove to the Tasty Pastry.

I was waiting in line when I felt a hand on my hip. "Bob and the boys have been missing you, Cupcake." I rolled my eyes. "I'll bet. Bob and the boys need to get a new toy." I was actually not unhappy to run into Joe. I couldn't believe it. Now he was the normal guy in my life. "You're a cold Cupcake. Okay. So, still friends?" "You bet. I care about you and I kind of miss your corny come-ons'." He snorted. "I am not corny. My lines are legendary. They always get me tail." I chortled. "Yeah. You're so lucky. You have Bob's tail and the boys to keep you warm at night. He smirked and gave me his movie star grin. "Jealous? You still think I'm hot. Let's have a doughnut and a coffee." "That sounds good." I bought some extra doughnuts and went by the bonds office. Connie was the only one there. She looked at my face and asked how I was doing. I told her I was fine and she let it go. I loved Connie, but she wasn't the one that I could tell about Ranger. She gave me a warm smile and one file and I left. I easily found the low level skip and managed to get by without a huge level of embarrassment or hassle and called it a day. I went by my apartment and fed Rex and grabbed a bag. I didn't want to stay at my apartment tonight. I was suddenly really sick of my space being so invaded. I still needed to talk. It was mid afternoon and Mary Lou's husband Lenny wouldn't be home yet and so I decided to call her and go by her house. We hadn't talked in a while and she was really happy to see me. I hugged her. "Lou, I gotta' talk and you're my girl for this one." "Okay. Just let me break out the Butter Kuchen and coffee. I can tell we might need it." She looked at me again. "Maybe I should make us some Bloody Marys instead?" I nodded at that. She raced around the kitchen and planted a tall drink in front of me. "Okay girl, let's have it." I told Lou about Ranger's deal and about meeting Hector and the parking lot scene and Ranger coming to collect and then pursuing me after he found out that I was seeing someone. I told her how much I care about Hector already, but was reluctant to continue the relationship until I knew more about him. Then I ended with what Ranger had done last night. She looked at me and then huffed and slammed her Bloody Mary down on the table. "Ranger did that to you? That creep! Without your consent and without a condom as promiscuous as he evidently is. That is not respect and that doesn't mesh with the trust and care stuff he's been feeding you." "I know and I'm really scared about the condom thing. I feel dirty, Mary Lou. He's the one person in the world that I would never have expected this from. I would have more expected it from Joe first. I saw Joe today and I couldn't believe that now he's the good guy in my life."

"Well, I think that you should take some time away from both men. I wouldn't go around Ranger at all." "Yuh think? I had just started working at Rangeman. I told him that I quit. I had already been worried that he had pressed me to take the job because he had other motives. I'm getting rid of all his GPS crap he has on me and my car too. He's way overstepped the mentor boundary." After my second drink, Mary Lou suggested that I stay over. "I'm planning on going to the parents' house. I can't go back to my apartment tonight. I'm sick of my privacy being invaded." "Good idea." She hugged me and I headed to my parents' house a couple blocks away. I pulled up and Grandma appeared at the door and waved at me. I smiled at her. I actually could use some crazy tonight. Unfortunately, for once it was quiet. My mother was unusually solemn knowing my breakup with Morelli was final and Grandma had left and gone to Stiva's funeral home for a viewing with a couple of her friends. My Dad mumbled, "Hi, Pumpkin." That was it and went back to watching TV. I picked at my food and asked my Mom if I could sleep over. I told her I was really tired and climbed the stairs to my old room. I took my pants and boots off and flopped in the bed. What the hell is wrong with me? Why can't I do normal? If I'm not complicating my life on purpose then it happens by accident. Last night was not my fault. I had two alpha males in my life and they were both seriously dangerous. I was so sad that Ranger's place in my life was now changed. I couldn't forget or forgive his mistake. Not right now. I closed my eyes and later drifted off to sleep. I woke up to the usual yelling in the hallway over the one bathroom in the house. I held my bladder until finally I heard Grandma's little feet pitter patter down the hall. I showered and put on some clean clothes and headed downstairs. "Hey, Stephie girl. You should have been at the funeral home last night. Rumor has it that Old Willy Burger bit the big one doing the two-step with Ruthie Dixon. One of the reasons why they called him Willy is because he was supposed to have a great big winkie. I've been trying to get a look for years to confirm that one. My friend Merna said that Agnes said that he still had a stiffy when he got to Stiva's and they had to have a closed casket because they couldn't get it to go down unless they bobbed..." "Mother! That's enough!" I choked on the bite of coffee cake I was chewing and grimaced. I finished my breakfast and did something out of the ordinary for me. I kissed my mom and grandma on the cheek and told them I loved them before I left. Then I went to the living room and leaned over and kissed my Dad in the recliner. I don't know why today. It just felt like I hadn't let them know I loved them in a while and needed to. Regardless, if they were crazy or overbearing, they were my family. I left them all with surprised faces and open mouths.

I went to the bonds office and chatted with the girls. Connie gave me a file and I walked out and read it. I sighed and walked back in the office. "Lula, I need you for one of these. I have to pick up a Stark Street working girl." "Sidekick Lula is on it, girlfriend." She grabbed her purse and out the door we went. "Now that it's just you and me, you can share. So who is it?" "What?" "The new man that's been tunin' your engine." "I'm taking a break from men." "Don't you feed me no dookie...I'll guess and you tell me yes or no." "No." "I didn't say nothin' yet. Batman." I grimaced. "Hells bells! I saw that...You ain't gettin' ready to smash my Batman fantasies inta' smithereens are you? Please tell me it was good?" Damn Lula, I flushed. "It's complicated." "Complicated how? Like batman didn't know where to park his bat wang, couldn't get lift or couldn't shoot bullets or lawd' have mercy don't tell me it was itty-bitty. If you say yes to any of those, girl, I swear I'm gonna' cry." "It was a mistake and won't ever happen again." "Bat-bastard! Okay. I got my handy tape measure here. I'm just gonna' let out a little line and you just nod when I'm close." "No. I don't know for sure." "Say what? Now I am gonna' cry. How can you not know how big it was or what it looked like?" "I was drunk and I'm finished discussing this." Her eyes crossed and she banged her head on the car window. Then she started fake crying. The second corner we stopped at, we found our girl, Sugar. She agreed to come with us for a good meal and as I was putting her in the backseat of the car, I felt a sting in my arm. "Oww..shit!" Lula and I both looked at my arm and saw the red spreading across my shirt sleeve. Just about the time Lula started yelling, "White girl been hit, white girl been hit!", the back window of my car shattered. Lula started screaming and I told her to get her ass in the car. I jumped in and we sped away with both Sugar and Lula screaming loud enough to shatter the rest of my windows. My ears were ringing by the time we got to the TPD. My phone had been going off the whole way to the station. I knew it was either Ranger or Hector and I ignored it. We pulled in and piled out of the car. Lula had her hands over her head and was looking up at the sky and mumbling. I think she was talking to God. I did a double take when Sugar the ho' fell to her knees and kissed the police station parking lot? Oh brother...I looked down at my arm. And, I'm the one that got shot. I took Sugar's arm and tried to calm her as I walked her into the station. TBCOkay, so bad Ranger comments?

Wow! You guys are really split on this one. It is really interesting reading the reviews. I wrote both guys a little bad. The difference now is Hector is more playful bad and he has told Steph that he wants her and he adores her, he just can't tell her about his job. He may have shown up in her bed, but he got consent while she was awake and he didn't press her the first time he showed up in that bed. His cute and playful personality and how he really feels about Steph will show in the next chap. Ranger on the other hand is more serious bad and had sex with her without consent. He may not have known she really wasn't awake but, you know when someone is drunk. He clearly took advantage and then he told her that he loves her in his own way and he has always said that he doesn't know if he really wants her. He just wanted to know if they are good in bed. I did at first write the story as a Babe and it really didn't work. Ranger still appeared the jerk and Hector is more suited for Steph's personality. Both are deadly. I still think that you are going to love Hector and her choice. Keep reading girls. Got your cliffies and twists coming up! LOL

PreviouslyWe pulled in and piled out of the car. Lula had her hands over her head looking up at the sky and mumbling. I think she was talking to God. I did a double take when Sugar the ho' fell to her knees and kissed the police station parking lot? Oh brother...I looked down at my arm. And, I'm the one that got shot. I took Sugar's arm and tried to calm her as I walked her into the station. Chapter 9 News of my bleeding arm had travelled through the police station and Morelli showed up in receiving with a grim face. "Come on, Cupcake. Let's have a look at you." He pulled my sleeve up and looked at my arm. "It's mostly a flesh wound. Who's shooting at you?" He cleaned it and was putting a bandage on it. "Somebody on Stark. I captured a couple gang members recently. It was probably related." His mouth was open a few seconds and then he blew. "Are you fucking kidding me? Gang members? Does Manoso know you're going after gangbangers on Stark?" "Enough, Joe. I have to get Lula back and I'm feeling a little queasy." His face changed and he looked concerned. "Just because you're not my girl anymore doesn't mean that I don't worry about you. I care for you." "I know, Joe. Same here." I kissed him on the cheek and left the station to take Lula back to the bonds office.

My phone rang again as I was opening the door of my apartment and I recognized the number as Hector's. "Hector?" "Estefania, are you alright? Where are you?" "I just got home. I'm okay." "I was there. I saw everything and couldn't come to you." "I'm really okay. It's mostly a flesh wound. Hector, I need you." "And I you." "Well not like that. Okay that too." He laughed. "Can you teach me self-defense and help me with guns and knives and b&e?" "Yes. You're very shaken. I don't blame you." "I need some positive change in my life. That would help me. I'm sick of being a victim. I want to be better at my job and I need a self confidence boost. Hector, I'm a mess." "Querida, I don't think you're a mess. Is something wrong besides what happened today on Stark? Do you want to talk about it?" "No. Hector, I want you to know that I don't really think you're a bad man." "I know. No need to be afraid. The one who shot you cannot hurt you again." "Can't hurt...? You didn't...?" Oh shit. Spoke too soon. Really? Another guy that killed for me? Why do I attract these kinds of men? "I'm coming to you tonight." "Hector..I don't..." Click. He was gone. Shit... I woke to a warm body against my back and a hand around my waist and this time I recognized the comforting smell. I rolled over and looked in his eyes and he kissed me. My sweet mystery lover. I needed him right now. "You okay, amante? I think about you almost every hour that I'm not with you. I was so worried about you." "No. I'm not." My voice was shaking and tears were swimming in my eyes. "Estefania, I have seen you after you were captured and injured and you didn't cry. This is not about the bullets today. Please tell me what has happened to you." I whispered, "I can't tell you, Hector." He held my face and looked in my eyes. "Did you sleep with him?" Then the dam burst and I started to cry. Ranger was gone out of my life and now I was about to lose Hector. I nodded. "It's not what you think, but I can't talk about it." If he found out what Ranger did, he would probably kill for me again. "I wish you had not run from me." "Hector, I don't really know you or what you're doing. Ranger has his faults, but he's not really a bad man either. I know I can't let you hurt him or those good men at Rangeman." "That's not the purpose for my being at Rangeman. I want you to stay away from Stark Street. I don't want to see you there again. You're going to get killed or get me killed."

"But, that first day I saw you" "I had it under control. I was prepared to take them all and I would have. I was surprised and intrigued by you. You were not afraid and you were so beautiful." "You sound just like Ranger. That's all I need is two of you in my life telling me what to do. What do you want from me, Hector? Why would you want me after what I've done?" "I wanted you to be my lover. Mine alone. I still do." "That's it. We just have a sexual relationship and the future?" "I can't make any promises to you right now. I can't tell you much about me at all. Would that be fair to you for me to make a promise that I can't keep?" I felt suddenly angry at him too. "What would be fair to me is that men like you and Ranger just leave me alone! I'm not asking for a ring and a white picket fence and a brood! All I want is love and a commitment to that love! I don't want just a fuck buddy! Just leave, Hector. Best just to wash my hands of both of you." "No. I am not leaving." He whispered in my ear, "Querida, you don't know how much I want to give you that." He kissed me and nuzzled me. "Fine. I'm not sleeping with you though...Well, I will. I mean I'm not having sex with you tonight. Just hold me and I'll feel better. Okay?" "Such a simple request, mi amor. Go to sleep. You'll feel better in the morning." He was still in my bed when I woke. I touched his sleeping face and his eyes opened. "Amor de manana goo (good morning love)." "I've said it before, I'll say it again. You have great big balls, Hector." He beamed at me. "Gracias." I giggled. "No. I mean, you stay even though you know I was with Ranger and you don't know for sure who I'll chose and you still want me knowing what a mess I am." "My own spidey-sense told me that you were for me and the rest is not important. I know that something happened with Ranger. There has been tension at Rangeman and I know it has to do with you. I wish you would tell me." "I can't, Hector. I can just tell you that my relationship with him has changed and he won't be in my bed again." He nodded. "You made a decision and I hoped you would. I'm very happy to hear that." He pulled me close and hugged me. I think he felt the tension in me. I can't believe he just forgave me for sleeping with Ranger without a fight or making me feel like a loose woman. He was special. He gave me a gentle poke with his morning wood. "You're not ready to make love with me again?" "A little time, Hector. Just you and a little time is all I need." "Then come take a shower with me and we'll enjoy our first morning together. I need to check your arm and change the dressing." Ooh, this man. He was being gentle and taking care with me and now he was washing my hair and I moaned with pleasure. I had never seen his body in daylight. I spent a

considerable amount of time staring at his manhood and I could tell he noticed and was painfully trying to hold his response in check until finally, he threw up his hands and said, "I give up, Estefania. I can't control myself when you look at me that way and lick your lips." He then closed his eyes and let go and his penis suddenly jumped up and I started giggling. When I reached out to touch him, he grabbed my hand and kissed it. "Bad girl. You said no love making this morning and I intend to honor that. Maybe tonight we can enjoy each other again. I do love my bad girl." He winked at me and I blushed. When we were both sufficiently clean, we towel dried and he dressed my wounded arm. I took longer to dress and met Hector in the kitchen. Hector was talking to Rex and asked him if he liked his breakfast mild or spicy. Rex wiggled his whiskers at him and Hector said, "Spicy it is..." I laughed and said, "Whoa muchacho. Don't you dare give him a piece of that bean burrito. Chances are, you won't be here when it comes time to clean his cage." I took the leftover burrito and put it back and got Rex a carrot and a couple cheerios and put them in his dish and kissed Hector. I made coffee while Hector went through my fridge and pulled out ingredients to make breakfast. Staying with his choice of spicy, he made Spanish omelets while I made whole wheat toast and buttered it, poured the juice and ran across the hall to grab Mr. Kazinski's newspaper. He always read it early and left it in the hall for me when he was finished. We were both eating and reading when we both caught each other grinning over the paper. He said, "I want to wake up with you and make love to you every morning. I'm afraid I love you and I can't go back now. So we will be repeating this routine every morning from this day on, si." I giggled. "Si, and Hector, you are also going to have to teach me Spanish." "Bien (okay). I will teach you the words that I want you to whisper in my ear when I make love to you and then I'll teach you some curse words that you can yell at me when you are angry, but you won't be angry very often." I shook my head. "Hector, I have never met a man so sure of himself. I hope some of that actually rubs off on me." He winked at me. Hector finished dressing and kissed me goodbye. "I'll see you tonight. Do you want to eat in or go out?" "How about we eat here and watch a movie and cuddle." "Give me a piece of paper." I did and he scribbled a few things on it. "I need these ingredients. If you have time to stop and get what you don't have, I'll make us a Mexican dish tonight." "I can do that." He grabbed me around the waist and kissed me again. "I'll bring some beer and flowers. You bring the candles." Then he was gone. I looked at the door. Help me...I think I'm falling in love. I went to my bedroom to finish dressing when there was a knock on the door. I looked through the peep-hole and groaned. I opened the door. "Come in Tank."

"Bomber, are you my friend?" "Well, yes." "Then please help me and talk to me about what happened when Ranger came over here the other night." "Tank, I don't want to think about it much less talk about it." "It's that bad?" "If it wasn't I don't guess you would be here. What did he do?" "He's 'in the wind' now on assignment and he asked for us to relocate his personal items from the penthouse to Miami for when he returns. He's moving to Miami." "It might be for the best, Tank. Isn't his daughter and some of his family there?" "You really don't care that he's gone." "Yes and no, I don't wish him harm." "Dammit! Did he do something to you?" I nodded. "He hurt you?" I nodded again and tears welled in my eyes. "Please trust me and tell me what that stubborn ass did. He's my friend, but I know him." I sighed knowing he wasn't going to let it go. "Sit down, Tank. This is between you and me and nobody else ever. I don't even want Ranger to know that we spoke about it." He nodded. I started with the DeChooch deal and reminded Tank that the only thing that Ranger did was drive him to the station. I told him about what I saw at the club and about Ranger coming to collect the very next night and how it made me feel. I told him that I turned him away and how Ranger had become more aggressive pursuing me after I told him that I was seeing someone. Then finally, I told him what he did when he snuck in my bed. He rubbed his big hands down his face and over his bald head and was quiet for a couple minutes. "I'm so sorry, Bomber. That dumb fucker. The saddest thing is how much I know he cares about you." "You don't disrespect and take advantage of someone that you really care about in the way he has me since that club night. Now, the whole deal thing makes me angry. Just the condom thing alone is unforgivable. I didn't give him consent and he's put me at risk and I have a new boyfriend that adores me and treats me like I'm precious to him. When he asked, I had to tell him that I slept with Ranger when I didn't choose to do it. If I had told him what Ranger really did, there would be blood to pay. I'm lucky that he cares enough that he forgave me. My friendship with Ranger is pretty much shot to hell now." "I remember that he did come and press us to talk you into coming to work at Rangeman. We weren't against it, we just thought it was sudden. No doubt he knows he fucked up the other night. He came back and took three men to the mats and sent them to the infirmary before Bobby and I stopped it, destroyed his office, got drunk, made a call to his handler the next morning and was gone by noon."

"Chickenshit. He makes me feel really good about myself right now. I didn't get drunk, well I was already half drunk anyway. I didn't wallow and I got up the next morning and took care of my business like an adult. I'm a girl. I did cry. So sue me." He raised one eyebrow and looked at me and erupted in big booming laughter. "Look, Tank, I'm really sorry if our ruined friendship has hurt you guys at Rangeman too." "I'm sorry the stubborn fucker can't just ask a woman out on a date like a normal guy. His intention was to just be closer to you I know. He's just been through so much bad shit that he don't know how to articulate what he's feeling when he does feel anymore. I'm sorry for both of you. How did you feel about him before this?" "I thought maybe I wanted that night. He was my best friend and there was no other person I trusted more. I was attracted to him. When I saw him with that woman, I cried that night. I walked up for the big bang and it shocked me to my core including the way I felt about it and him. When he walked in here the very next night to collect, it changed things in my head and how I felt about him a little. Then the rest is just..a down hill slide, ending in a broken friendship. It's like I really didn't know him aside from our work. I do know now, Tank, that I can't be in the kind of relationship he wants with me. I don't want to be just one of his sex partners that he just happens to care about. That's not fair and he's so complicated. Is it too much to want love from a man and to be the only one he wants?" "No Stephanie. You deserve that, every woman does. I heard you were injured yesterday. Morelli called, you okay?" I rolled my eyes. "Yep, just a flesh wound. With Ranger, I'm sad the trust has been lost and there is an empty place in my heart that he filled as my friend." "I'm going to have to explain some of this to Bobby and Lester. We're going to have to deal with some restructuring of this office. Can you deal with that?" "Tank, you can't do that to me. You promised me. I have to have some kind of private life." He nodded and sighed. "I can work it out without giving all the personal details. I understand the privacy issue. I know some of the men are still going to want you in our lives. Can you handle that?" "Of course I can, Tank. You guys didn't hurt me. Give me a hug big guy." He rose and put his big arms around me and squeezed. "I'm so sorry. You can still come back to Rangeman to work. We would be glad to have you back." "I'll give it some thought. I'm sorry too. See you around." He turned and walked out the door. TBCTank, the big teddy bear.

You guys are still somewhat split and leaning now toward Hector. I have always adored Hector as a character, whether he's gay, evil, conniving, aloof, witty or scary as hell. I really wanted to explore a hot, hetero Hector. I always thought of him as noble with a cheeky edge and there is this quiet wisdom about him. I thought he could possibly be a real dreamboat as a leading man! I know you'll be surprised at this next chapter. Hang in there, drama coming up soon too! Chapter 10 I did some surveillance on one of my skips and went to the grocery to get the items we needed for Hector to cook and then went to the library to get some Spanish language CD's. I didn't go to the bonds office because I knew Connie and Lula would figure out that something was up with me. They always know when I've had nookie or I've had man trouble. Girlfriend ESP. When Hector knocked, I ran to the door and opened it and pulled him in wrapping my arms around him and kissing the breath out of him. "Te echaba de menos (I missed you)." He gave me big grin. "Very good. Y usted bebe (and you baby)." He handed me a bouquet of fresh flowers and I lit some candles in the living room and dining room. We turned on some soft music and I chopped vegetables while Hector began preparation for the casserole. When he popped it in the oven, we grabbed a couple beers and went to the couch to lounge. I started to put my feet under me and he grabbed them and pulled them into his lap and began to massage them. I grinned at him. "So how was your day, dear?" He grinned. "Very hard." "Aww...I'm sorry." "No. I mean every time I thought of you I became hard." I flushed cherry popsicle red. He just laughed at me and stretched out and pulled me on top of him. I lay there while he rubbed my back. "Hector?" "Yes?" "I think I...want you to be mine too." He smiled at me. "Ah...you love me too." "I might." His eyes twinkled. "You want a commitment to that love?" "Is that asking a lot?" He shook his head. "You love me without the answers to your questions about me. If you can do that then would you take a chance and be my wife, Estefania. I have never told a woman that I love her and I have never asked a woman to be my partner. Honor me." I looked up at him and choked. "We don't...I don't...This is...Shit." He chuckled and placed a hand on his heart. "Caca? You wound me."

"I didn't mean it like it sounded. You...just shocked me is all. I'm..suddenly 'verklempt'." "Estefania, I know what I said last night, but I have thought about this today. The very first time that I laid eyes on you I knew that you would be my wife and I don't want to waste time with the dance and rituals. I have waited too long for my perfect mate. I have a home, money, a good job and I love you so completely. I hear the men talk about this dangerous apartment and I want you out of here and home with me." "I...You have to meet my family first for dinner one night this week." He grinned. "Ah..the family. I will and I will ask your father for your hand. What is wrong with your family? I am very macho and strong. Can they break such a man?" I giggled. "Definitely. They're nuts." He guffawed. "You are worried about this?" "Yes. You'll break up with me and run away worrying that our kids will turn out nutso." Whoa, I just pictured kids with Hector. "Mi amor, the only thing that I will worry about is that our babies are healthy and as strong as their beautiful mother." I can't believe I even said that. I wanted kids now? I was in love. He grinned and pulled me to him for a loving kiss. "We'll get the license tomorrow and on Friday we'll get married and then go somewhere for the weekend. I'm on a mission right now and there is one place I can count on that the gangs are not going to be." "Where?" "The Poconos." I started giggling. He was definitely right. You weren't going to find gang members in the once cheesy Poconos, especially Mexican gang members. He kissed me again. "I promise that after my mission is over I will take my lovely wife any where in the world she desires. So you think about where you want to go." He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and pulled a card out and handed it to me. It was an Amex Centurion or black card. "Take this and go shopping tomorrow and buy us matching bands, buy some beautiful dresses and some sexy lingerie. Anything you want for this weekend." On Thursday, we were on our way to my parents' house for dinner. I had alerted my parents that I was bringing a guest and that I had news. "Hector, I haven't really had the chance to tell you that I was married before. If was for a short period and a mistake." He glanced at me. "Tell me about it." "Ugh..My ex-husband, the Dick, screwed this skank named Joyce Barnhardt on my new dining room table before the ink dried on our marriage license. End of marriage and story." "Ouch..the Dick? You are the only woman for our table." I chuckled. "Okay. Dickie Orr. He's a sleazy lawyer."

"Dickie? Why would you marry a man named Dickie? There is the problem right there. He probably had the equipment and the brains to match his name, ay caramba!" I burst out in a fit of giggles. "We had the whole big embarrassing 'Burg' wedding too. I remember wanting to bolt while walking down the aisle." "Mi amor, I didn't ask you if you wanted a different kind of wedding. Will you be unhappy later." "Not at all. To be honest, I didn't really think I would get married again. I had a big wedding without the love. This is perfect. Just the two of us with love and intimacy, away from the gossip wheel." He nodded and put his hand on my leg and squeezed. Grandma and my mother were at the door when we pulled up. I kissed Hector. "I didn't tell you to wear a cup tonight or extra layers because I want to know if you have staying power." He grinned. "A test?" "Yep. I don't want a man that's going to run when the going gets tough. This is the test." "Querida, I've already told you how very macho I am and I will subdue the nuts of your family with my charm. I have a lot of charm." I laughed. "Okay, macho man. Let's see your stuff." We walked in the door and I introduced Hector as my fianc and my mother dropped her big spoon and my Grandma beamed and bent over and checked out Hector's package and my Dad cleared his throat and got up out of his recliner even before dinner was announced. "What did you say, pumpkin?" "Dad, this is Hector Gutierrez and we're engaged and are going to be married this weekend in a private ceremony." My mother grabbed her chest and ran to the kitchen I knew to her liquor cabinet. Grandma stood up grinning. Hector stuck his hand out to my Dad and in a voice that I had not heard before said, "Mr. Plum, I'm very happy to make your acquaintance. I apologize if we have shocked you with this news. We are very much in love and want to begin our life together as soon as possible. I have a home and a good job and I am devoted to your beautiful daughter and would like to ask you for her hand in marriage." No he didn't! I could have fainted, I was so stunned... My Dad took his hand and shook it. "Well..uh..son, that's very respectable. Come to the dinner table and we'll talk." Score a big one for my mystery man. He gave me a huge grin and a wink. My mother had set the dinner on the table. Pork roast, sauerkraut, potatoes and carrots and gravy and rolls. When we had all filled our plates, my Mom spoke to Hector. "How long have you known each other?" I went to speak and Hector squeezed my thigh and spoke. "Not long, Mrs. Plum. We met on the job and it was love at first sight." "And, what do you do for a living?" "I work at Rangeman. I'm a data specialist."

"I heard you say that you had a home. I noticed that you had a nice car as well." "Yes, Ma'am. I'm technically a computer software engineer and specialist and I do side jobs that make money. I own a very nice condominium in Pennsylvania and I have a housekeeper and cook." "Where are you from, Hector?" Uh oh, here she goes. The big pie in the eye. The romance breaker. "My family is from Mexico. My father was a high ranking member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party which is the oldest political party in Mexico since 1929 and was assassinated in the early 1990's during a political upheaval over housing, transportation and money. My Mother brought me and my sister to America to live with her family in Chicago. I went to school there." My mother asked, "Do you still have family there?" "My mother passed away a couple years ago. My younger sister is there and some of my mother's family." I was so shocked at his revelations and so sad for this man I loved. I reached out and squeezed his hand. He looked at me and kissed the top of my head. Like he was saying, "It's okay, love." "Oh, I'm very sorry about your mother and your father." "Thank you, Mrs. Plum. Your dinner is delicious. Stephanie told me what an excellent cook you were." That was the big one. He would finish reeling her in with the dessert. Damn, he's good. "So, do you want a family in the future Hector?" Sheesh, we're giving her the respectable and she wants more. "Yes I do. Stephanie and I have touched on that subject. It would make me happy if it happens." My mother was beaming. Hector was eating his second slice of chocolate cream pie with mile high meringue and making yummy sounds. I looked at him and rolled my eyes. He just grinned at me and finished it off. My mother was busy bagging leftovers for us and taking down his address and getting directions to his home and asking when we would be married and be back. She wanted to come see the condo and meet the housekeeper. She was actually excited and even my Dad was grinning. When she brought up wanting to make an announcement in the newspaper for us, Hector politely asked her not do that because he was working a side assignment right now and obtaining information on some questionable people in Trenton and it would be safer for both of us if our names were not in the paper until the assignment was over. She accepted this explanation. She had known through my friendship with Ranger the he sometimes left to go on classified assignments. When we got up to leave and everyone was hugging, my Grandma copped her feel, or her squeeze. Well, both. It was a good one too. My Grandma had one hand on his package and the other on his ass and she was dug in. Hector never panicked. As a matter of fact, he grinned at me and said, "Stephanie, if you are still this eager at your Granny's age, then I will be truly a blessed man." And, slam dunk for Hector...Wow, he is good!

My Dad surprised us and laughed and pried my Grandma off of my new husband to be as my mother chastised her and told her that she hoped she didn't ruin my chances with such a nice young man. I said, "Mom, this one is really the keeper." My Dad patted him on the back and we were out the door. Hector had his hand on my leg on the way home and looked over and smiled at me. See he said, "Piece of pie. They love me. Your Abuela just loves a little more of me than the others. I think she may have left a bruise on my tender culo." I laughed. "Poor baby. I'll kiss it when we get home." He nodded and winked at me. "So tell me more about Estefania. How did you become a bounty hunter? What was your job before?" "I was a lingerie buyer for a company called E.E. Martin." "Excellent! Did you also model this lingerie?" "Oh heck, no. I didn't buy the nice and sexy stuff. I bought mostly stuff like granny panties you get from stores like Sears or JC Penneys." "What are these granny panties?" I grimaced. "My Grandma won't even wear them. They are these big white, scary underwear that would fit on a buffalo's butt and you can put them on and pull them all the way up to your chin." "Ai chihuahua! How frightening. Such a garment would kill the male libido. This is a hideous weapon of male destruction. This EE Martin should be wiped off the face of the earth!" I was laughing so hard I got a stitch. "They are in fact dead and gone. Not from the big panties, the Mafia." He looked at me with amusement dancing in his twinkling brown eyes, "The Mafia was involved in a giant panty conspiracy with the EE Martin?" I laughed again and shook my head. "Ties to the Mafia closed them down. I lost my job and then my car and I blackmailed my cousin Vinnie who owns the bail bonds office to give me a job." "My fiance that I adore is a blackmailer? This is shocking news!" "I only threatened to tell his wife about his romance with a duck." "Oh dios mio! Un pato (a duck)? So I didn't subdue all the nuts of your family yet?" I busted out laughing. "Nope. But, if it's not a deal breaker then keep driving us home silly macho man...I'll make it worth your while." He gave me a cheeky grin and put the pedal down. When we got to my apartment and made love that night, I knew without doubt that Hector was my future and my perfect mate. On Sunday evening, I was married and we were driving to his home in Pennsylvania. It was about five miles across the river from Trenton. I remembered the last time that I was here and I had really wanted to stay longer. It was a beautiful property and his condo was so nice and now this would be my home. It was even nicer in the daytime as we entered and pulled into the lot. We had moved all of my things from my apartment and decided to leave the furniture. Dillon could rent the apartment furnished or give it away.

He grinned at me as we stepped out of the car. We grabbed my things and Rex and I followed him. We took the elevator to level five and got out. I started to walk in and he stopped me and swooped me up into his arms and carried me over the threshold. I giggled and kissed him. He dropped Rex off in the kitchen and then came back to me. He took my hand and led me to the living room and that soft rug in front of the fireplace. He lit a fire and said, "I believe we have unfinished business here, esposa." I nodded and sat down on the rug. He straddled me and removed my blouse and then reached around and removed my bra. He then removed my pants and stood up and removed all his clothes. He took my ring finger and kissed our wedding ring. "Mi esposa (my wife)." "Mi marido (my husband)." "Querida, me matas con tu dulzura (you slay me with your sweetness). " He stretched out on top of me and lit a path of liquid fire all the way down my body from my temple to my toes and then licked back up my legs until he was pushing my thighs apart and kissing my slick wet folds. "Mio (mine)", he breathed. "Mmmm, Hector" He licked and laved me and suckled my clit and teased me until I was wound so tight I had to release the blissful tension to accept more from him. He licked his way back up my body until he came to my lips and then passionately kissed me. He sat back on his backside and motioned for me to sit up and straddle him and he lowered me down on to his amazing cock and wrapped his arms around me. He moved me as he lovingly kissed my breasts and shoulders and neck and spoke loving words to me in Spanish. He slid me up and down over him very slowly and deliberately and it felt so good that I laid my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes and let the pleasure just slowly grow. I moaned at the intensity as I came closer and slowly closer to orgasm. I kissed his cheek and his ear and neck and he smiled at me and reached down to rub my clit. "Are you ready? Come with me, mi esposa." He rubbed and increased his rhythm until I begged... "Ahhh..please now..so good." He gave me a wicked grin and gave me exactly what I asked for and took my mouth as I gasped and shook with a mind-blowing climax and yelled his name. His own climax was just as powerful and even as he continued to spasm, he rubbed my back holding me and whispering sweet loving words in my ear. I looked up at my husband. "Hector, I love you. This with you is amazing." "And I you, Estefania. I am amazing. I keep telling you how macho I am. Now you know for sure." I swatted at him and he grinned and caught my hand and kissed it. "I'm a believer. You wore me out macho man. Lead me to bed, I'm tired." "Come, you need your rest so I can show you some more of my moves in the morning." He helped me up and we went to his bedroom and crawled in bed together. He had a comfortable bed with very soft and sweet smelling sheets. I rolled around and moaned in the bed. "Ooh, Hector has competition. Sheets." I

laughed and he smacked my butt and snuggled close to me and wrapped himself around me. Ahh. Hector blanket. I'm really married and I'm really happy. I need to go to sleep and see if I'm dreaming... TBCOkay. I finished the story today and finally have an ending that I can live with and hopefully you'll like. Now, it makes me ahead so I am giving you a bonus chap tonight. In this chap will be one of our favorite MM in battle mode. Haven't seen him written this way, but this side of him has been brought up in many stories. Here goes... If you don't mind reviewing on both, would appreciate it! Chapter 11 The next day, I met the housekeeper, Lucinda. "Pleased to meet you, Lucinda." "Estefania, I'm so glad to meet you and so happy for you and Hector. If there is anything you like or need please tell me. I look forward to caring for you both." Lucinda was a tiny bubbly Latina lady with a big smile and a heart to match. I knew we would get along well. I had snuck up on Hector or make that; he let me sneak up on him in his office before lunch. We were kissing when Lucinda knocked and asked if we were hungry. Just at that moment, my stomach roared like the tiger 'Shere Kahn' in the Jungle Book. Hector and Lucinda both laughed and he grabbed my hand and pulled me to the kitchen. Lucinda had prepared the only orgasmic salad meal I had ever eaten in my life. Inside a huge fried taco shell was broiled and seasoned pulled and succulently juicy chicken with lettuce, tomato, Mexican shredded cheese and fresh sour cream with a fried tomato, garlic and sweet onion salsa and guacamole on the side. I smothered my salad with the salsa and began a slow building toward one of the biggest near food orgasms that I had ever had. When I came back down to earth licking and crunching on the shell, Hector and Lucinda were both staring at me with amused faces. "What the hell was that, Lucinda? That's about one of the best things I ever ate." She laughed. "I call it my crazy taco. Like a big taco salad with my special seasoned chicken." "Well, I'm definitely crazy for it. That was..I can't even describe how good." I rubbed my belly. "I love you, Lucinda." She and Hector both chuckled. My Mom and Grandma came that next week bearing food and several gifts sent by her best friends and some family because of our nuptials. I didn't think to mention to Hector that 'Burg' gossip was as good as a newspaper announcement. Whoops... I thanked them and gave them a tour and they seemed to be very impressed. Hector's condo was beautifully and artfully decorated and was very comfortable. Surprisingly, not too far on the manly side. They met Lucinda and I had her

duplicate her mouth-watering crazy taco for them and they loved it. Before they left, my Mom wanted to know if I was happy and I think just my smile told her how I really felt. She just nodded and smiled back and gave me a big hug and so did Grandma. Two months passed and we were still in the sappy newlywed stage. I learned that Hector could be sweet as honey and deliciously evil when the mood struck. When it struck, he was good entertainment. We went to Easter dinner at my parents house and my Mom was on a gossip roll. Then she started the grandchild harping. He looked at me and gave me a wink and then offered to carve the roasted chicken for my Mother. He reached down into his boots and grabbed switchblades from both sides and clicked the blades open and did a few knife tricks and flips and twirls before he artfully attacked the bird and made quick work of it. My mother choked and went silent and my Dad's mouth was hanging open and Grandma was snickering. He had carved the shit out of that bird. My husband could be a Ginsu knife commercial. He had mad skills with the knives. I dropped my fork so that I could put my napkin over my mouth and guffaw. Wait a minute...I hope he cleaned the blood off those knives and disinfected them every time he used them? I had been training with Hector and my skills and confidence was getting better and accidents on the job less. I had run into some of the Rangeman guys a few times and passed along greetings to Tank and Bobby. Hector made my training fun. We danced together, went down to the pool and swam together, worked out in the gym in the clubhouse together and practiced self-defense ending in naughty wrestling matches. We were as happy as a new married couple could be and I loved my husband more each day. I had missed a period and we were headed to my doctor. I had done the dreaded 'std' screen after Ranger and decided not to continue birth control after Hector and I got married. We were both excited and this was a possible condition I thought I would never intentionally find myself in. When the doctor came in the exam room I was laying on the table undressed from the waist down and waiting. The doctor's assistant went to prepare the speculum with a lubricator and Hector said, "No need, Miss, took care of that for you." I blushed all the way to my toes and pulled the little sheet they gave me over my head. "Hector!" He had loved the table with the stirrups and wanted a demonstration and a go at being doctor before the real one came in and he knew my current state in my nether region. This was the last time he was coming except for the ultrasounds. My doctor had actually grinned and eventually proceeded to announce me pregnant. Hector had listened intently to all the suggestions that the doctor recommended for a healthy pregnancy. He stopped at a drugstore on the way home and came out with two huge bags of everything from vitamins to a foot bathtub. I said, "Well I guess I'm going to have to wrap up my skips and take a leave until the baby is born." He nodded and proceeded to a bookstore where he bought nearly

every book printed on pregnancy and some birthing DVD's. Gross. He had even gotten books on baby names and was already perusing them We had a romantic dinner that night and he massaged me from head to toe and worshipped my newly pregnant body. After the first round of new pregnancy sex he pulled out a book on sex during pregnancy and I was at first shocked and then burst out laughing. This was so, Hector. He was thrilled at the different variations of sex and the doggie style and wanted to begin right away. He was far more excited than I was right now. God! I loved my husband. He was a male version of Mae West. When he was good, he was very good, but when he was bad he was even better. I wrapped up my skips and informed Lula and Connie that I was taking a leave. Connie had eyeballed me and said that there were rumors going around the 'Burg' about me being married. I just changed the subject. I still didn't really want the men at Rangeman and including Ranger to know that I was married and now pregnant. I thought the more time that passed, it just wouldn't be big news anymore after everyone moved on. The girls had met Hector, however, and he had poured on the charm and they had loved him and they thought we were perfect together. A couple weeks later, I was waiting on Hector to come home for dinner and at midnight he still hadn't come home. I called his cell phone and it had gone straight to voicemail. I knew he was still on a mission and my spidey-sense was going crazy. I was worried. By six o'clock the next day I was frantic. I didn't want to do it and Hector would be really upset with me if this wasn't a real emergency, but there was only one person to call to ask about him and he might be the only person that I knew to help me find a person like Hector. I called him. "Speak!" "Uh..Tank. It's Stephanie." "Bomber, nice to hear from you, but I'm busy right now." "Okay. Sorry. I might need your help with something." "You in trouble?" "No. My husband might be." "Your husband? Who's your husband?" "His name is Hector Gutierrez. He works for you." There was silence on the line. "Come to Rangeman as soon as you can." "Tank. You know something? Please" "Come now, Bomber, and be careful." "Okay. I'm on my way." I got in Hector's Jag and drove as fast as I could trying not to get a ticket or have an accident. The gate to the garage was open when I arrived and a couple Rangemen were waiting for me when I parked. Ranger's fourth partner and core member, Lester Santos opened my car door and roughly pulled me out and Bobby followed us to the elevator. No one spoke. Lester

hit the basement button. I had been down there once for my orientation and I couldn't think why they would take me down there now instead of Tank's office. The door opened and Tank was standing there with his arms crossed over his chest. My spidey-sense was blaring off the charts at me. "Tank?" He took my arm and led me down the hall to a cell. I grabbed the bars as bile rose in my throat and I fell to my knees and vomited on the concrete floor. I couldn't breathe and I looked up at Tank with wild eyes. Finally I whispered, "Is he alive?" Tank nodded. Tears began to fall as I looked at the blood soaked form laying on the cot in the cell. "Why?" "He's a spy. He was caught hacking into confidential Rangeman records and using unauthorized software." "Tank. He's not what you think. He's on a mission." "What branch and what do you know?" "That's about it. He can't tell me until the mission is over." "Not good enough. This is serious. Tell me more!" "I met him down on Stark Street while chasing a skip. He was undercover trying to infiltrate and get information from the Latin King gang." "Fuck, Bomber! How do you find this kind of trouble?" "I don't know, Tank, it just happens. Please can we get him help now? Who did this to him?" I heard footsteps coming down the hall and looked up. Tank nodded toward Ranger. "He did that?" Tank nodded again. I felt white-hot anger all the way down to my toes. I didn't see Ranger, I saw the enemy and I stood up and ran at him and when he thought I was going to stop, I threw my legs out and kicked him in the knees backwards and rolled then I launched my body at him. I elbowed him in the stomach, kneed him in the groin and kept working my way up his body until I got to his throat and hit his adam's apple and then I smashed his nose and went for his eyes. Someone was grabbing at me from behind and all I could see was red as I fought the man in front of me and the one behind me. Then Lester boomed, "Enough! We put her in the cell for now. She's as fucking dangerous as he is. We need to have a meeting!" Lester was holding me. "Put me in with Hector. I need to be with my husband. Please." Tank shook his head no. "Tank? Please?" He rubbed his bald head and groaned and walked away. I looked at Bobby. "Bobby, can you help Hector? Please?" He shook his head no. "Bobby you're a medic. How can you look away. He's not what you think. He's doing a job, not here to hurt Ranger or any of you." Lester threw me into the cell and locked the door. I fell to the floor next to the bars as close as I could get to Hector and sobbed. Hector never stirred. In about an hour, a big guy I didn't know opened the door and

grabbed me. He led me to the interrogation room marked I1 and dropped me in the chair. The chair had blood spattered over it. My husband's blood. Lester came in glaring at me. "I'm going to ask you questions and you are going to talk to me and tell me the truth. If you don't coperate, you will be punished." He pulled knives from his boot and began playing with them. I nodded "How do you know Hector?" "I met him looking for a skip on Stark Street." "What is your relationship with him?" "We became friends after we helped each other." "You mean you fucked him." "Yeah. Then I married him." "You're a stupid puta. You chose a King assassin over Ranger?" That hit a chord and I glared at him. "I chose him because he was the better man for me. He never took advantage of me or fucked me without my consent." He raised an eyebrow at that and kept going. "Who does he work for?" "Don't know." "Liar!", he growled. "You're not going to listen to anything I say. I can see that already!" "What makes you think he's not here to hurt this company?" "He told me." "Perra estupida (stupid bitch)." "Lo que se (whatever)." He slapped me hard across the face. "Tell me who he works for now!" "I...don't...know." He placed his blade under my eye and pressed. "What information is he here to steal and why?" "I don't know and I don't know that he's stolen anything." He pressed the knife harder and I blanched involuntarily and turned my head and the blade sliced me. I gasped. "How did you meet him, again?" I was shaking now. "I stumbled into him looking for a skip. It was an accidental meeting. I know him now and he's not here to hurt you." "You expect us to believe that you just picked up a gang member on Stark Street and took him home and fucked him? A stranger? You didn't know him prior to that?" "It didn't happen like that. He helped me and I helped him while I was working. I ran into him three different times. The rest was simple attraction, nothing suspicious or sinister or sleazy." "What information is he here to steal and for whom?" "I don't know." "You're a lying cono (cunt)."

"I heard you were quite the ladies' man, Santos. Nice technique. Bet talking dirty in Spanish gets you lots of girls." He reached out and grabbed my hand and snapped my little finger in a second. I screamed in pain. "Are you ready to talk now?" "I feel sorry for all of you..." I was shaking and tears were streaming down my face and mixing with the blood from under my eye. I lowered my head and saw the droplets on my white shirt. "One more time. Tell us why he's here and what he wants!" I looked up. "I can't tell you what I don't know." He backhanded me so hard that he launched me out of the chair and I hit the concrete hard. My hip hurt so bad and I wanted to scream again, but I willed myself not to make a sound. My lip was busted and I took a couple deep breaths. The door burst open and Ranger stomped in. "Enough!" He kneeled down and reached toward me. I choked on the blood in my mouth and whispered, "Don't you touch me. Not ever again. I never hurt you and I never would." I was dizzy and nauseous. I struggled to try to stand and staggered to the chair and sat down. Tears were falling freely down my face. I looked at Lester. "Was that your best shot, ladies' man, or are we ready for round two?" A look passed between the two men. Ranger shook his head no. Lester jerked me up and pushed me toward the third guy in the room and he led me back to the cell I was in before and pushed me inside. I slid down the bars closest to Hector to the floor. "Hector, honey. I'm here now. I'm here." He didn't move. Later, the men in the control room froze as a haunting melody from a feminine voice came from the speakers monitoring the cells in the basement. "Blues hearted lady. Sleepy was she. Love for the devil brought her to me. Seeds of a thousand drawn to her sin. Seasons of wither, old in the end. Ooh woe is me, I feel so badly for you... Ooh woe is me, I feel so sadly for you... In time bound to lose your mind. Live on borrowed time..." Then there was the sound of soft crying. One man left the control room and didn't return again. TBCThe song at the end is "Seasons of Wither" by Aerosmith. I was listening to itunes today and I thought this was such a haunting and fitting song for what Steph must be feeling that night in that cold quiet place. Food for thoughtThis story is AU. I always write drama and cliff hangers while leaving you with questions on purpose. Then the next chapters fill in the holes. Also, if anyone flings

me a question I haven't answered, I'll get it done. The story is written and it is a ride and will have an eventual hea. Some of you were shocked and a little upset about the last chapter. Fair enough. Let me clear a couple things up. This takes place after JE book seven, at that time she didn't know all the MM that well. In MY story she knows some of the guys who tail her. Her relationships are not that close yet. She doesn't even really know Bobby that well. If you remember, I kept Lester out of the picture. They just mainly know each other through Ranger. Naturally, he would be the one to interrogate her as he is the most far removed. Under attack, he's crazy deadly. Keep in mind, this is a scenario that Ranger mentions frequently. He has serious enemies. He built his business like a fortress and he is expecting attacks. The top guys are trained black operatives and many of the others are Rangers or Seals. They have now been attacked and Ranger doesn't know who the hell it is or who Hector works for or what they are planning. They are on lockdown and high alert and Stephanie has just shown them that she's now trained and she is on the other side of the fence. You don't think that these men in battle mode are not going to treat her like the enemy? Their training is going to kick in and they are going to do their jobs. Santos's treatment was mild and Hector is alive because of a phone call. In the next couple chapters, some of your questions will be answered and you'll get snippets of conversations and glimpses through others POV's as to what the men are thinking and feeling and you'll find out exactly what is going on. It's a mess kids and some of these characters are not happy and some are going to be questioning and soul-searching. This is drama gals! I've said it before, you know I don't write them fairy tales! One reader was a guest who really got what I said above, "Great job on giving the Merry Men a new face and behavior, especially everybody's darling Lester. All this I-don't-hit-women crap... when a threat is there it doesn't matter what gender it has." Thank you reader and thank you to all of my loyal readers that groan and cry and slap their heads and keep reading despite me. LOL

Chapter 12 I sat on the floor humming and singing a dark tune in the cell. It had been eerily quiet and Hector had not stirred one time. Had he died? "Can you hear me, Hector? Please just let me know you're alive." He slowly turned his battered face to me. I wasn't sure if he could talk. "You don't have to speak. Just nod. "Are you hurt really bad?" He whispered, "Lo siento, mi amor (I'm sorry, my love)." Then he was silent again. I sobbed.

"Hector...don't leave me." He stirred again and tried to open the slits that were his eyes. His voice was just a thin rasp. "You are so special, Estefania. Te amo. I'm so sorry they hurt you because of me. I am with you always." He closed his eyes. Oh dear God. I'm going to lose my husband. How had my life taken such a horrific turn and so fast? Everything I knew that had been safe and familiar was suddenly in jeopardy and we were both in mortal danger. There was no one to rescue me this time. Tears mixed with blood were falling down my face. "To think that I was a little mad at you because you stood me up for dinner last night and here you couldn't come home to me because you were being tortured." He opened one of his eyes. "There is not much that would keep me from you, poco amante (little lover)." His eyes closed and he didn't open them again. I was in a panic and ready to scream until I noticed his chest gently rising and falling. In a couple hours, a guard opened the door and Bobby came in with his bag. "Stephanie, come over to the cot and let me look at you." "Are you going to do the same for Hector?" "No." "Then go away." "Damn it, Stephanie! I had to fight Santos for over an hour to see you. You have a broken finger and a cut that needs attention." "What difference does it make for you to put me back together and then let Lester kill both of us?" "Lester is not going to kill you. Make no mistake, this is serious shit. The building has been on lockdown for twenty four hours and the situation upstairs is volatile. The non-military men are nervous, anxious as hell and trigger-happy. I don't know what the fuck we are going to do about this mess, but no one is going to die. Tank is more unhappy about all of this than even I am." "Well if that's really true, then you can tell Santos that he can kiss my lily white ass and the next set of cojones I attack will be his." I did the looking at you sign with two fingers pointing at my eyes and then back at the camera. "Payback, freaky fucker!" The corners of his mouth twitched and he said, "Bomber, I am not pouring fuel on an inferno!" "Do you believe that I betrayed Ranger and Rangeman?" "I believe that you're more likely guilty of bad judgement." "Bobby, I wouldn't hurt any of you." "Bomber, please come here and let me look at you." I got up off the floor and limped over to the cot and sat down. He took a cloth and ran it under warm water and washed my face. "I'm going to numb this area under your eye and put in a couple sutures." I winced when he stuck the needle in. He snapped an ice pack and rubbed it and placed it gently over my broken pinky

finger. That really hurt. He worked quickly putting in the sutures. Then he pulled a splint out of his bag and took the pack off and looked at me. "This is going to hurt for a couple minutes." I nodded and held my breath. He pulled on the finger and I screamed in pain. Then he quickly secured the splint and taped it. I was sweating now. "I'm sorry. I had to do that before setting it." "Can you look at Hector?" "No." "Will you let me look at him and at least clean the blood off him?" "I can't." "Bobby, Ranger is scary like Lester, isn't he? If I hadn't called, Hector would be dead. I know he would." "Stephanie...You have no idea how deadly scary they both can be. On a mission, I want them both to have my back. We're highly trained operatives. Do you understand? Ranger has very deadly enemies and there is always the potential for attack. You wonder why he doesn't keep people too close to him? Well, here is a perfect example. I still can't fucking believe how you stumbled into the middle of this one." "I told Ranger how this happened already. Every time I go snooping, I get more than I bargained for." "Bomber, that's why we wanted to hire you. Your uncanny instincts." "Please tell Tank that I know Hector was undercover. I don't know why he was here exactly. He is working on something big. It has something to do with the Latin King gang too. I think he works for the government. He's not one of Ranger's enemies. Someone has to know where he is, right?" "If he is, he'll have checkpoints. Times and days that he reports. When he misses one, they will look." "Bobby, thank you." Just then my stomach roared and he laughed. "I'll have some chow sent down for you." He kissed me on the cheek and left the cell. A couple hours later, a meal tray was delivered. My stomach had been roaring like a caged tiger. They didn't bring anything for Hector. I took a couple bites and pushed it back. I didn't know how long it had been since Hector had eaten and I needed to try to feed him. The other reason I pushed it back was the fact that there was the toilet and a camera watching the whole room. No way was I going to do my business with male eyeballs watching me. I had already sucked it up and peed one time after my eyeballs had swam for two hours and I couldn't stand the pressure any longer. I made sure to flip the bird to whoever was watching. "Hector, Hector!" He finally opened his eyes. "Can you try to make it over here. I have food for you. Try to pull that mattress off the cot with you and drag it to the bars. Please try." He nodded. He groaned in pain as he tried to sit up. He couldn't do it and fell back on the cot. I took a drink of the water and threw the bottle at him through the bars and it landed

between his arm and shoulder and he groaned. "I'm sorry. Hector honey, drink the water, please. I picked at the food and sat on the cot chewing my fingernails while watching Hector. I was terrified for him. Tank came down to the cell the next morning and stopped in front of the bars. "I'm sorry you were hurt, Bomber. We still don't know what to fucking do about this." "You're sorry. I'm supposed to be your friend. You let freaky Santos torture me!" "That wasn't my decision and I didn't really condone it. Lester doesn't know you as well as Brown and I do." "But, Ranger does!" I spat at him. "I'm very sorry, Bomber..." "Tank. I love this man and he is the father of my unborn child. Please help him." He rubbed his bald head. "Aww...Fuck. Why didn't you say something yesterday." "You mean before Lester tortured me? Duh? I was so upset about everything that happened, I forgot." Tank opened the door and took my arm and escorted me out and to the elevator. When the elevator doors opened and we walked out, the first person I saw was Hal and his face was whiter than I'd ever seen him and he looked sad and stricken and then he looked away. Tank continued to Ranger's office where Lester and Bobby were waiting. Ranger glared at me from behind his desk. "Sit down!" Lester pushed me down in a chair across from the desk. "Why do you think he works for a government agency?" "Because I just think he does." He smirked at me, "And you really believe that and you married the lying wetback?" I made a point of looking around the room at the men before speaking. "Are you kidding with the name-calling? I married him because I fell in love with him and he treats me with dignity and respect, you bastard!" Had I misjudged this man so completely? I looked at Ranger. "If he was on the wrong side of the law, I would know and you know I would too. I would sense it and you know my senses are as good or better than my apprehension record!" "I need proof. I need to know what he was up to in my building regardless of what side he works." I turned to Tank. "If you'll take me home, I'll search his office and try to find something, anything, a contact. I know he wasn't here to hurt Rangeman." Ranger nodded at him. Tank took my arm and led me out. He didn't speak until we got in his SUV. "This is bad, Bomber. We have the building on lockdown and we're trying to keep this quiet. We have to get some answers soon. We have to know what he was up to and why. I know you don't understand, but Ranger has some lethal enemies. He was doing what he's trained to do when under attack. Same thing with Lester.

"I'll cooperate, Tank. If I hadn't called yesterday, Hector would have been killed and taken out like garbage, wouldn't he? His job turned him into an animal? A coldblooded killer? Knowing what he is you guys wanted me to be with him?" He finally looked over at me and said very calmly, "I'm the same as he is and so is Santos and Brown and most of those men in that building. He's not a serial killer. He's doing a thankless, Godforsaken job for his government that not many men can or want to do and he saves thousands of lives every time he takes down a threat to his country. He's not a normal man and evidently your Hector is not either. He's either a highly trained operative or spy. He barely flinched during his entire interrogation." When we got to the condo, I unlocked the door and went straight to Hector's office. Tank sat down at the computer while I started going through drawers. Tank mumbled, "Look for false bottoms in the drawers, hiding places. Does he have a safe?" "I'm not sure, Tank. I wouldn't be surprised if he does, but I never saw it. I don't think he was ready to tell me a whole lot until this mission was over. He was trying to protect me. I just trusted him." "That's what Ranger was trying to do when it came to you. He was trying to protect you." "Please don't make me feel sorry for him. I'm so focused on hating him right now." "You're pregnant?" "Yeah. We just found out not long ago. Hector was so excited." Then the dam burst and I flopped in the floor and started sobbing. He reached his big hand down and put it on my shoulder. "Bomber, focus here. We don't have much time. We need to find some proof that he works for an agency and contact them. Then we can get him some help." "Okay, Tank. Shit! I have hormones to deal with too here you know." "I know, Bomber, and I'm sorry. It never fails to surprise me the stuff you accidentally get yourself into, little girl." "Everybody says that." I was laying on the floor and looked up under the desk. "Shit! Tank! There is something underneath the desk. It's like a lever or maybe a release thingy." "Reach under and pull it." I did and we heard a click in the desk. A drawer dropped down behind the middle drawer under the keyboard. Tank stuck his hand in and pulled out all the contents. "Bingo, baby girl." He turned an ID badge toward me. "Your old man works for the NSA." There were other items in the drawer. A couple passports, some business cards, a bank book, some credit cards and some cash and a gun. "Tank, there is a card here with a Director's name on it. This could be his boss. Can I call him?" "Yeah. His cover is blown and they need to get a man here asap and explain to us what the fuck this mission is that involved him working undercover at Rangeman."

I dialed the number on the card and asked for Fred Menardi. When the secretary asked who was calling I told her that I was Hector Gutierrez's wife. "Menardi." "Uh sir..My name is Stephanie Plum. I'm Hector's new wife and we have a situation here in Trenton. Hector's in trouble." "How did you get my name?" "Your card was in a secret drawer in his desk along with some other items like his NSA badge. If he works for you, you need to know that his cover is blown and the mission that he was on has gone bad and he's at Rangeman in very serious condition. Can you come or send someone? Hector needs help as soon as possible. Please." "Stephanie, he told me about you. We're friends. I need to contact the other agencies involved and I'll come myself. Who knows about Hector at Rangeman?" "The core team or leaders only I think. One of them is here with me and I know you can trust him. His name is Tank and the second in command at Rangeman. Do you want to speak with him?" "Put him on." I handed the phone to Tank. They had a short conversation with a few grunts and Tank gave him a couple phone numbers and the name of the hospital where Hector would be taken. Then Tank handed my phone back. Tank called Bobby first to make arrangements to get Hector to the hospital and then spoke to Ranger. I was feeling nauseous and having shooting pains in my stomach. I excused myself while Tank was talking to go to the bathroom. The pain got worse and I felt pressure down low and pulled down my pants and there was blood. So much blood. I groaned. "Oh no. Not this now. Oh, Hector." Then I saw black around the perimeter of my vision and it continued to move inward fast until there was complete darkness. Oh..no... TBCHopefully some questions were answered. More drama coming up. Some of you have already guessed what's coming. Keep reading! Wowza! So many reviews on the last chapter. You guys really liked that one. Thank you to everyone who weighed in. I love you guys and appreciate your kind words and support! Chapter 13 Ranger's POV Tank was three shades lighter and Bobby looked stricken and sad as the gurney with Stephanie arrived at the RWJ hospital in Trenton. We gathered that the paramedics who were working on her didn't know for sure what had happened to

her and then one mentioned a possible miscarriage. I rocked back on my heels remembering the night that I had taken her without protection. Oh Dios. No... As we waited, my mind traveled back to that night and the days before it. I'm not celibate, but that night at the club had been the result of a takedown gone to shit and the need to release some pent-up tension and when that red head had walked up and whispered in my ear and rubbed against me; I had taken the offer. No way would I have ever dreamed that of all people, Stephanie would be in that parking lot. I had been thinking about her for weeks and when I got news that she and Morelli had broken up, I made my move. I wanted her. I remember how turned on I was the night that I had released her from Morelli's handcuffs in her shower and I wanted to release her permanently from his influence. I wondered if our coupling would be as special as our friendship connection. I couldn't give her the marriage, the kids and the unrealistic, happy ever after, but I could satisfy her physically and give her all the things she wanted and desired. I could love her in my own way and make her the happiest and best kept woman in Trenton. When she refused me and the deal that we had made and I found out that another man had stepped in, I was beyond pissed. I was obsessed with finding out who the fucker was that had interfered with my plans and getting my chance with my Babe. For years now, no one that knew me ever got in my way. Word on the street and at Rangeman was that she was mine. I was NOT expecting a challenge. I had been reduced to surveilling her and that night, she had been alone. I thought I had my chance again and I was absolutely confident in my sexual prowess and I knew that I could ruin her for all other men given the chance. When I walked into her apartment, she was in her bed and mumbling. I crawled in next to her to hear what she was saying and that's when she grabbed me and kissed me and asked me to fuck her and I couldn't believe my luck at coming into her apartment at the best possible moment. I could tell she had been drinking. She smelled like liquor. She was talking dirty and had grabbed my cock and stroked it and when I had touched her she had moaned in abandon and grabbed my hand and moved my fingers into her little panties and begged me to touch all of her. I was so turned on and stunned I lost control and just rolled her on her back and undressed and plowed into her. I could have never imagined the pleasure I found in her body. Her tight pussy had squeezed my bare cock so possessively, she had fit me so perfectly and her moans of pleasure so erotic and she had thanked me as I fucked her harder. I had found my home. Then we had climaxed and immediately after my world shattered and the future was changed forever between us. Now, I was shaken to find that she had been pregnant and possibly miscarried. Could it have been mine? After an hour in the ER a doctor finally came in. "Who is here for Mrs. Gutierrez?" "I am." I jumped up.

"Are you family?" "No, but I'm taking care of her hospital bills. Please tell me that she is going to be okay." "Mr?" "Manoso." "Mr. Manoso, she's had a miscarriage and she's lost quite a bit of blood. Has she recently been in an accident? She has recent injuries. Do you know anything about this? Could she be the victim of abuse?" I couldn't speak for a few moments. "Will she be alright? Will she be able to have more children?" "She'll recover. I can't tell you if she'll be able to conceive again. That will be up to a specialist to determine. We're giving her blood and pumping nutrients and fluids into her through her IV. She's young and if she was previously healthy, she should be fine. "Doctor, I want DNA results on the fetus." He looked confused. "You're not the husband?" "No. I may have been the father and I want to know. I'm her employer and have power of attorney and this shouldn't be a problem. Am I correct?" He gave me a curious look and nodded. I don't really think that Stephanie had remembered or thought about the contract that she had signed included with the mound of Rangeman paperwork. Every employee gave myself, Tank and Bobby authority through power of attorney to make life-saving decisions while working in the field for the company. I needed to know if the child was mine for several reasons and the primary one was peace of mind for Stephanie after she found out and then the second was retribution when Hector found out. When he learned that she lost the child, he would want blood as I would. Hector was a dangerous man and had been feared at Rangeman almost as much as me. When I found out that she was married to Hector and he had been the mystery man and the extent of his deceit with the communication and gay ruse, I was fucking livid. Then, she had surprised me with her attack when she arrived at Rangeman. My Babe had been busy while I had been gone on the mission. I had let Lester convince me that it was against our training not to consider that she had been turned and was working for the enemy and I had let him question her for that reason and because I was angry. It had been hard watching it. Tank and Bobby had argued in her defense and then left the viewing room in frustration. I had no doubt that this occurred because of the shock of her husband's beating and the stress of her interrogation and captivity. Why didn't she tell us that she was pregnant that day? With the level of anger and tension we were dealing with, would it have mattered? Would we have listened? I had acted a fool with my need to have her and lost her in the end. I wanted her, but I never would have given her what Hector did. Bottom line, I can't change who or what I am now. I remember her telling me that the man just wanted to love her

and he had married her. He had evidently given her what she wanted and needed and had made her happy. I had not yet called her family. I didn't know if she would want that or if it was even my place to contact them now. I needed to speak with this NSA guy first. This shit was a mess and if Hector had just come clean and told us what he was doing, none of this would have happened. Why the secrecy? Why place an operative at Rangeman? Somebody had better fucking explain it to me and soon. Fred's POV I had notified the other agencies involved that the operative in place at Rangeman had been caught and his cover blown and now I was driving to Trenton to do damage control. I arrived at the hospital in Trenton approximately four hours after getting the call from Hector's new wife. The place was crawling with black suits and black uniformed military looking types, evidently Rangeman employees. Tension and discomfort emanated from the staff of the hospital. It was evident that something big was going on here and the attention was the last thing we needed. That was the first issue that I was going to have to deal with before speaking to Mr. Manoso. The NSA, FBI, DEA and Homeland Security were all involved in this task force because each agency had intel and had been following events leading up to the decision to move in and investigate what increasingly looked to be a huge, volatile situation building with some dangerous factions involved. I spoke to the men in the suits from the entrance to the ER, all the way up to the ICU and Hector's room. There were far too many than were needed. Most were overkill from FBI and DEA. There was only one from Homeland Security which was acceptable. I called the directors of the other two departments and demanded that they pull all but one man immediately and why I was asking it. Then I turned to the man that had been glaring at my back and patiently waiting for my attention. The man was a very angry Mr. Manoso, owner of the Rangeman company. I walked to him and presented him with my hand. "Mr. Manoso?" He nodded and uncrossed his arms. "I'm Fred Menardi, NSA Director. I'm here in person because Hector is a personal friend as well as employee and colleague. We need to get one important issue out of the way immediately." He shook my hand. "What would that be?" "The presence of your men in the hospital. Between the presence of your men in black and the agency men, we are drawing too much attention. This could alert the media to a possible story and the situation could quickly get out of hand before stopping it. So please remove all but one man and we will talk." He nodded and made one phone call. Finally, black clad men from all the groups began to disappear.

"Mr. Manoso, let's find a private place to talk. I'm going to give you a quick explanation and then I need to check on Hector's prognosis and speak to his wife. Then after, we can speak further." He nodded again as I followed him to a room on the floor that was vacant. When the door closed, he said simply, "Speak!" "I realize that you are probably angry and in your situation, I would be as well. Hector was placed in your organization for a specific reason and that was because intel led us there. When Hector came in as an operative and we found out about the level of information we could acquire via your own privileged resources, it was a plus. As you are well aware, some of your programs are illegal and the government does not have to ask permission to use them or inform you that we are accessing them. Truth be told, they are superior to some the connected agencies are even using and we'll discuss that at a later time. Hector was not allowed to divulge that he was on a mission for a specific reason. "What can you divulge to me now about this FUBAR'd mess?" I thought in my head that in his case BOHICA would be a better military acronym because it means 'bend over, here it comes again'. Used to describe unavoidable, unpleasant situations that have inconvenienced someone before and are about to yet again. And, here it comes. "I can now share classified information with you regarding this case because you have now been cleared. Mr. Manoso, you still have an infiltrator within your organization." His hands fisted and he yelled, "Fuck! Who is it and when can I get my hands on him?" "We still don't know. Hector was getting close to finding him. The infiltrator is a Mexican Cartel member and he's been like a ghost slipping in and out of your Trenton office. They are using your company and we are working on the why and how. This has to do with a mass infiltration of guns into the U.S. We have to find out exactly the purpose, means and why the Cartel has stepped out of the norm and has involved the gangs. Hector being removed from the task force is going to put us at a disadvantage mainly because of his contacts and influence in the gang's organization." "When was I cleared?" "We just cleared you. I need to check on Hector and talk to his wife now." "His wife is here in the hospital and has suffered a miscarriage." "What? When?" "After she contacted you. She was still at their home when it began." "Mr. Manoso, I may have some hard questions for you after I see Hector and speak to his wife." He maintained his defensive stance and looked at me with his blank face and nodded. Typical military types. They train all of their black-ops machines the same way. Devoid of emotion, lethal under attack, insensitive to death. What was in his head right now? Seek and destroy. I pitied the fucker.

I stepped into the ICU suite and was shocked to see the state my friend was in. He was literally pissing in a bag and not lucid at all. I doubt that he could open his eyes to look at me if he tried. I felt anger well in me. What the fuck had taken place? I had no doubt after seeing this that they intended to kill him and what had his wife seen and endured? I walked out in search of the doctor. His face had been beaten to a bloody pulp and his eyes swollen shut. One of his hands was swollen and some fingers looked to be broken. He had a hitch in his breathing and it was labored like it hurt every time he took a breath, probably badly broken ribs. I could tell through the sheet that one knee was badly swollen. He would be devastated when he found out about his wife. He had told me about meeting her and how he fell in love with the feisty bounty hunter with blue eyes and curly hair. I prayed that she would be strong enough to deal with the new heartbreak and challenges facing them both during Hector's recovery. Waiting for the doctor I had flashbacks of a few missions gone wrong of my own that had eventually cost me my wife and daughter. I still had my daughter in my life and I saw her on weekends and shared holidays. My wife had grown tired and fearful of my job and of worrying that the bad could always come too close to home again. I hoped that Hector's Stephanie, was a stronger woman. TBCWhat did you think of Ranger's pov and Fred, the G-man's interpretation of the military man? I'm sure that that these two different departments battle sometimes in real life. Well girls, apparently you liked that last chapter too. Stop tapping your feet and banging your heads, yelling at me to type faster and making threats! I'm putting these suckers out quick like a fox already! LOL Chapter 14 Fred's POV A doctor came to the ICU waiting area and asked for family of Mr. Gutierrez and I stepped forward. He led me aside to speak in private. The doctor introduced himself as Dr. Gruber and I introduced myself has Hector's friend and employer. "Mr. Menardi, this man has been severely beaten and I'm quite amazed that he hasn't suffered trauma from shock with so many injuries at one time. His pain level when he was brought in had to have been very severe. He looks to have been tortured. The police should be called when he wakes up." "Dr. Gruber, in this case, I am the police. Hector works for a government agency and was on a classified mission when this occurred. Your discretion will be required with this patient. We already know the why and who and will be handling it. Right now, I'm just concerned that he will live and recover."

"I see, understood and discretion is not a problem, but the recovery and rehabilitation for Mr. Gutierrez will be long and very hard. He's heavily sedated in sleep until after his surgeries tomorrow on his face, hand and knee. After, he'll be casted in several places. He has a hairline fracture in is jaw, a broken nose, fingers, arm, fractured knee, concussion. He has several broken ribs. He was aware when he first came in. He has to be a very strong individual." "He is quite an extraordinary man, doctor. Please continue to give him the best care possible. Anything he needs or special care or you have recommendations for his future care then please let me know. We'll make arrangements. Thank you for speaking with me." I shook his hand. "Your welcome, Mr. Menardi. Will he have family coming to visit?" "His wife is here in the hospital. She has suffered a miscarriage." "Oh, I'm terribly sorry. What a tragedy this family has suffered." I nodded and he walked away. I acquired the room number for Mrs. Gutierrez and headed to her room. She was awake and crying when I walked in the door. "Mrs. Gutierrez, I'm Fred Menardi. Hector works for me and we're also very good friends. I'm very sorry for your loss." "Call me Steph or Stephanie. Have you seen Hector?" "Yes, just a few minutes ago." "Please tell me he's going to be okay." "He'll recover. I talked to his doctor and he's getting the best care possible right now." "They almost killed him." "Yes." "The man that did it used to be my friend. He killed for me once. I know he did and I know he's capable. If I hadn't called Tank looking for him, Hector would be dead right now." She sobbed. The mercenary. I nodded understanding. Her face was bruised and she had stitches under her eye and a casted finger. "Stephanie, did they harm you?" "I was interrogated by one of Ranger's men. Another guy I used to like. He just reached out and snapped my little finger. How mean is that?" "Unforgivable..." "And I'd like to take his fucking knives and carve him a new crack!" This made me smile a little. This woman did have spunk. I could see Hector's attraction. "Did they know that you were pregnant?" "Not right away. I was so shocked at seeing Hector and so angry at Ranger that I forgot. Everything just happened so fast. I thought about it that night in the cell and told Tank the next day." I nodded. "Has your doctor talked to you?" "Yes. She said maybe I lost the baby from shock and stress. It wasn't from disease or anything physical. It was early and we'll never know for sure. Hector is going to be so hurt. He was so excited."

"Yes, he will. Did the doctor say that you could try again after you recover?" "Yes. The problem now is getting Hector recovered. I just need my husband. I love him so much." "He loves you. He told me all about you. We couldn't really meet till after the mission was concluded. I was looking forward to it. He was very particular when it came to women. He had more interest in his job and then he met you and knew right away that you were the one." A little smile spread across her face and it was beautiful. "Fred, can I call you Fred?" I nodded. "What's going to happen with the mission? Is it over?" "No. It's not over. Hector's just out of the game and that's a shame because he was vital." "Is Ranger the bad guy?" "No." "Then why couldn't Hector talk to Ranger if that's true?" "It was classified. Hector told me that you have your own super powers. She smirked, "I wish. If I had super powers, I would have neutered Lester Santos with a "Burg' glare." I chuckled at that. "He mentioned you have spidey-senses I think. Good perception and instincts?" "Yep. I do have that and it works pretty good." I smiled at her. "I'll share with you that Hector didn't know who the bad guy was at Rangeman and Ranger was still suspect until now. He was just cleared." "Oh...So they still have a bad guy?" I nodded. "They don't know who it is or what they are doing?" I nodded again. "I should hire you to analyze information we collect, Stephanie. Hector's primary job was cryptology. You're pretty sharp." "I was learning to do something like that at Rangeman with Hector. Searches on suspects and analyzing the information." "You two together would be quite a team I bet." She smiled again. "I need to go speak to Mr. Manoso again. Will you be alright? Can I call your family for you?" "That's okay. I'll call them soon. Maybe. I need some time to myself first." "I understand and I'll be back. I'm very happy to have met you, Stephanie." "Thank You. Same here, Fred. It makes me feel better just having you here on Hector's behalf." I nodded and walked out and my expression changed as soon as I hit the hallway. I left the hospital room looking for Manoso. It was one thing to catch a spy infiltrating your company and beat him nearly to death, but it was another to beat and torture a defenseless woman who had done no harm and she claimed that they had at one time been friends. My God, these men are animals!

I found him in the ICU waiting room conversing with another huge military machine. Christ! It's a wonder they hadn't scared the life out of the poor woman. She must indeed be very tough. I walked up to them and they stopped talking. "Mr. Manoso, can we speak in private?" "This is Tank, my second. You can speak freely, Mr. Menardi." "Yes, I spoke with you on the phone. You're cleared now as well." The man smirked and nodded. "I just came from visiting Mrs. Gutierrez. Can you explain to me why a defenseless woman was beaten and tortured in your place of business? The woman had done nothing! The most shocking revelation was that she called you friends. Did the military train you to be Goddamn animals, gentleman?" They both had the good grace to blanch at my words. I watched as Manoso's face changed and I was sure that he was very angry and then he spoke low and very calm. "Mr. Menardi, we are the animals that go in and clean up your messes when you fail, we catch the bad guys when you don't, we stop the real crises before they happen. You sit in your offices and you pick up your phones and when you say, "have someone handle this," we are the ones called to serve for this country. What we handle is not for the weak and our chances of survival for handling the shit is usually very low. Last, because you feed us your WORST nightmares to neutralize and/or extinguish, we get the privilege of making the acquaintances of much of the most dangerous scum of this earth and we accumulate really bad fucking enemies. We are always on high alert and ready for an imminent attack. Just like the one that is taking place as we speak. Regarding Stephanie, you are right. She was innocent and it should not have happened and I take full responsibility." "Mr. Manoso, Hector is not just a cryptologist. God help you, when he finds out and recovers" "I'm aware of exactly what he is. Just another version of me and probably even more dangerous." It was my turn to blanch now. Hector was deadly. He was a highly trained spy and assassin and his kill factor was ramped by the fact that he had been an enforcer with the Latin King gang at one time. He was still feared by even them. There was no one who could bleed him out and no one even tried anymore. The skills that previously benefitted the gang and would have sent him to prison, now served the government and served it well. I had been lucky to have met him. He had saved my life and the life of my wife and daughter and then I had saved his in return. Now, I was proud to call him my friend. "I have a question for you regarding Stephanie's skills." "Go ahead." "Hector spoke about her instincts. He said they were extraordinary. She has good computer skills as well?"

"Yes. All of that would be true." "Hector's cover is blown, but when he's recovered enough to do work on a computer, he can still work on this mission. If we could teach Stephanie how and what he was monitoring the computer's in your business for, she could be an asset in this mission. She could work from home if you would set her up with the hardware and software necessary, I could help train her. Is that something you would consider?" "Could Tank and I have a word, please?" "Of course." I waited while they stepped away and spoke for several minutes. They both walked back to me and Mr. Manoso spoke, "That would be acceptable. We're more than willing to cooperate to find the person that has infiltrated my company and caused all this damage. I have a request, however." "What would that be?" "When he's found, he's mine. No trial, no prison. Simple eye for an eye." "You're asking a government official to sanction murder?" "That's what the government trained me for and that's what you hire me for..." I closed my eyes and groaned inwardly. "I can promise that I will look the other way when the time comes. That would be on the condition that we have all the information we need to officially conclude and end the mission." They both nodded. "I'll speak to Stephanie about this when she's able. I'll contact you after I get her home and she makes a decision." I turned and walked away to check on Hector again. Stephanie's POV After Fred had left, I had cried myself to sleep. I was relieved that Hector was getting care and now I could concentrate on my own grief. I knew when Hector came home that I would have to be strong for him, so I would cry for the loss of our baby now and try to put it behind me as soon as possible. I heard a noise and opened my eyes and looked up. Tank was standing in the doorway. "Bomber, I'm so sorry." I rolled away from him and said, "Apology accepted Tank, but I'm sure you can understand my need to be alone right now. "I do understand and I'll check on you again." I woke up the next morning and Fred was sitting in the chair next to my bed. He said, "Your doctor came by and she'll be back shortly. She saw you were still asleep and skipped you doing rounds until you woke. She said that you can probably go home today." "Oh...I want to see Hector as soon as I can." "I know. We'll wait till she comes and you have your breakfast. If you're discharged then we'll wait and go together to see him and then I'll take you home." "Okay. How is he?"

"He's in rough shape, but getting very good care. He's not awake and won't be for a while. He's due for his surgery any time now. It may be over by the time you're discharged." "I don't want to leave until I know his surgery went well." "We won't." I saw a big shadow in the doorway and looked up. Hal was standing there dressed in jeans and a button down shirt looking handsome, but with a sad and troubled face and reluctant to walk inside the room. "Come in, Hal." He slowly walked in and to the bedside. "Steph, I heard and I'm so sorry. I wanted to see that you were alright." "Thank you, Hal. I'll be myself again someday soon." "I hated what they did to you. I know you wouldn't hurt anyone. I had to leave Rangeman that night and I didn't go back." "I wouldn't and neither would my husband, but they didn't know that. I'm sorry, Hal." "When I found out about you being here and why, I gave Ranger my notice. I can't work there any longer. I respected him and this is not what I signed up for. Not stateside." "Hal, you really like your job at Rangeman. You have fought with Ranger and you trusted him. He was protecting his own. I guess I would be considered collateral damage in this mess." Oh God, what was my baby? I was trying hard not to break. This was difficult and I didn't want Hal to see how I really felt. I squeezed Hal's big hand and in a shaky voice said, "Fred, you need to take care of this. It's not right that this should be happening on top of everything else. Please." I begged him with my eyes and he led Hal out of the room. My OBGYN, Dr. Nash came into the room about fifteen minutes later as I was picking at my breakfast. She examined me and told me that I looked fine and that I would have some bleeding for a few days. She recommended that I wait four to six weeks and to complete one healthy cycle before trying for a baby again if that was our plans. I didn't bother to tell her that I didn't know if my husband would even be out of the hospital by then. She told me that she was going to discharge me and then she turned before she left. "Oh, the ER doctor had requested DNA results on the fetus and the results are in. I'll give you a copy." "Why was that even ordered?" "It was requested by a Mr. Manoso. Says here, he is your power of attorney." "I don't understand. What does it say exactly?" "Probable parent DNA was submitted. It shows that you're the mother and..oh, Mr. Manoso was the father." TBCSo, now we have two other big questions answered. Do you think Ranger made his point about his job well to Fred?

Still putting the pieces of the puzzle together. Glad you like the reveals and you are all very tuned into the story and have great insights and questions. Love it!

Previously"Probable parent DNA was submitted. It shows that you're the mother and..oh, Mr. Manoso was the father." Chapter 15 My stomach hitched and a strong wave of nausea hit me so hard and so fast that I vomited all over my tray table. "Oh goodness, Mrs. Gutierrez. I take it that was a surprise? I'm so sorry." "I..I didn't cheat on my husband. It was a..an awful mistake." I'm not sorry. I'm glad I lost it. I..wish I could hate him! I sobbed. "I'm going to order you a mild sedative and have the nurse take your blood pressure. Do you have someone coming to take you home?" I was taking deep breaths trying to calm down. "Yes. My husband's friend who is here in the hospital somewhere." She nodded and patted my hand. "Wait! Dr. Nash?" "Yes." "I want that information destroyed. No one else needs to know besides Mr. Manoso and he deserves to know." She nodded her understanding and then spoke. "Stephanie, this record is confidential, but it can't be destroyed." "But, he had no right and he has no rights to me!" "I'm concerned. Was there a possible crime committed here? That's one of the reasons why we don't destroy records." "No! No one else is EVER to know!" She nodded and walked out. I was crying when a nurse came in to give me a sedative and another to clean my tray and bed and by the time Fred came back in, I had showered, finished crying and was ready to go except for the discharge papers. We sat quietly and waited for them to arrive. He moved the wheelchair into the room and I got in and we headed to the surgery waiting room to wait for news regarding Hector. A doctor finally came in to give me relief from my anguish. I jumped out of the wheel chair and ran up to him. "Please tell me how he's doing, doctor." "Mrs. Gutierrez?" "Yes." "He's a strong man. We alleviated the possibility of more trauma from shock when he first arrived in the ER by putting him to sleep. We've now corrected and set all the broken bones over his entire body. He is now on his way to healing. His knee

was in very bad shape. He'll need physical therapy and a long healing process. His prognosis is overall very good now, just lengthy." "Thank you so much. How long will he be in the hospital?" "If he does well over the next few day then he may be ready for release in a week. That would be with help and continued improvement of course." "That's wonderful news! When can I see him?" "I'll take you there. We're close to his room." I got back in my chair and Fred rolled me to the doorway of Hector's room. I looked in at my husband and got up and walked slowly inside and to the bed. I took his hand and kissed it and then kissed his swollen lips. "Hector, I'm here, my sweetheart. Te amo, esposo (I love you husband). The doctor says that you'll mend and I'll be taking you home in a few days." He moaned. "Yes, honey. I'm here with you. I know you're in pain and need to sleep. You're safe now and so am I. Rest now." Tears were falling down my face. I could see his struggle. He didn't want to rest until he knew I was safe. I begged the doctor to sedate him again. At least for today, so that he could rest. Fred walked up behind me and took my arm. "He'll sleep the rest of the day. I called Lucinda and she's waiting for you to come home. She's been frantic with worry for both of you." I looked at him and nodded. As we left Hector's room and I was about to sit in the wheelchair again as I saw movement and looked up and there was Ranger. We both looked at each other for what seemed a long time and then I got up and walked up to him slowly and then raised up on my tiptoes and whispered in his ear, "I had planned to slap you the next time I saw you. Now I don't need to lay a hand on you. I hope my words will have the same impact. I know and I'm glad I lost it. Bet you consider it acceptable collateral war damage anyway, right, soldier?" I let that sink in and then I said, "Call your lawyer and drop the power of attorney. Do it today. You will never have power over me again!" Then I turned and went back to the wheelchair and Fred. I had never done anything to that man to make him distrust me and treat me so bad. I began to wonder if the man might one day totally self-destruct. Probably has a button attached to him like that. Part of me that cared for him in the past, actually felt sorry for him. When we arrived home, Lucinda threw herself into my arms and told me how heartbroken she was for us. I told her that we were grateful to have her in our lives and that we would both mend and have our family one day. Everything had happened too fast for her to comprehend it all. She pampered me and fed me and led me to bed and I heard her crying softly before I went to sleep. She had been so excited about a baby coming. I thought about my husband and his excitement before closing my eyes to sleep. Fred had moved into one of the guest rooms and I was glad. He was warm and friendly and cared about Hector and I felt safe around him. Lucinda was comfortable with him around as well. We went back and forth to the hospital for a

couple days and then on the way back one day Fred talked to me about the NSA and the mission. "Stephanie, a primary part of what Hector was doing was monitoring the Rangeman computers and looking for curious anomalies. The perpetrator is not working out in the open. He's hiding behind the scenes and has a high clearance with Rangeman. Hector described him like a ghost. Moving in and out of branches." "How does this concern me? I thought it was like classified." "I think that you can do part of Hector's job while he's recovering. So does Manoso. We can have computers installed and Rangeman software and you can monitor for this infiltrator. I can help train you for what the NSA is looking for and Rangeman can finish training you on their software. We all agree that you are intuitive enough to be an asset on this mission." "Wow. Really? You want me to work for the NSA?" "Yes. With limited security clearance for right now. We can give you enough information so that you know what you're looking for." "Oh...I wish I could talk to Hector about it." "I think he would approve. You won't be in danger. He told me about your instincts. That's what many of our jobs require. Just instinct and determination. Your husband has both." "He's a computer genius though. I'm not." "Yes. That's not what is required for the job I'm offering you." He chuckled. "There is only one Hector." Didn't I know that. I had never met a man like my husband. I smiled at him. "Okay. Anything to get this damned mission over with." He nodded and smiled back at me. The next day my house was full of Rangemen. They were setting up computers and checking security and then Lester Santos walked in and I began shaking and screamed, "Get out! This is my home. This is my safe place. You can't come into my safe place..." All activity stopped as I stood there and shook. Fred walked in and put his arm around me. Fred looked at him and said, "You are?" "This my department, Mr. Menardi. I'm here to oversee the installation and software. I planned to do her training myself." "N..no. You can't stay. You leave..my home." My stomach pitched and I ran to the bathroom and threw up my breakfast. I washed my face and went to sit on my bed. No way was I going to allow that man in my home or near me. I would quit this whole operation before I allowed him to train me. Lester Santos didn't fool me, he was freaky messed up! I went back to the living room and he and Fred were arguing. Arrogant, sanctimonious, cocky...I walked up and poked him in the chest. "You, outside in the hall." He walked out and leaned against the wall crossing his arms and gave me his best intimidating stare. I gave him the imitation of the two finger eye poke and pointed them back at him with my splinted hand. "That doesn't work on me

anymore, you freaky monster. You can't hurt me worse than you already did and I feel sorry for all of you. I never did anything to you. As a matter of fact, I liked you. I showed all of you friendship and compassion. On the other hand, I never even got the benefit of the doubt from you. And, that baby you helped me to lose...It was Ranger's. Twisted, huh? Just like you. You're not welcome in my home and if you don't like it then tough shit!" His eyes showed his emotions for just a couple seconds and then he turned on his heels and walked away. Fred was standing protectively near the doorway and nodded at me when I walked back in. Ranger's POV Santos walked in my office and slammed the door. His face was red, he was pacing and he was struggling to control his emotions. "Report, Santos!" "Is it true?" "Is what true?" "The baby she lost was yours?" "Yes..." "Jesus Christ! I'm questioning everything now. The training, the killing, the neverending battles, myself...We hurt not one, but two innocents. One was our own flesh and blood." "We didn't know and we were under attack. The training works and always has for us. It keeps us alive." "Are our lives more important than the collateral involved? I've seen enough of that shit in our careers to turn my red beating heart black. I'm ready to say fuck the greater good. Is the winning every fucking thing?" "Check your attitude, soldier!" He shook his head and said, "Do you even care what you lost, Carlos?" I glared at him. "You think I don't care?" "She fucking hates us! She called me a monster!" "She has every reason to hate and distrust us. I betrayed her trust before this happened. I've never regretted hurting someone so much in my life. Stephanie was special and even though I won't be a part of her life, she will always be special to me." He sat down in the chair across from my desk looking defeated and tired. He put his hands to his face and then when he pulled them away, I saw unshed tears. "I'm fucking worn out, man. She won't let me train her. She was upset when I showed up and she kicked me out with some harsh parting words." "She's been through a lot. Did the same with me." He thought for a few minutes and then said, "She's comfortable with Hal and he knows all our basic programs. I could send him to finish the Rangeman training I guess. I just need to go over a couple programs he hasn't used."

"That would work. Might help him too. He's still here, but he's wary and he's not happy." He nodded and got up. "Lester?" "Yeah?" "Stick to your training. Don't let the guilt tear you down. Make no mistake, what we do is important. Monsters, don't save more lives that they take." He just gave me a sad look and left the office. I looked at my computer for several minutes and then just shut it down. I went to the elevator punching level seven and walked in my apartment heading straight to the kitchen where I pulled out a bottle of tequila and a shot glass. I downed two shots and then sat down on one of the barstools and put my face in my hands as a sob escaped. "God, I'm sorry, Babe. I wish I could take it all back." Stephanie's POV I heard the door buzzer and Fred had yelled out that he would get the door. When I walked into the living room I was pleasantly surprised to see Hal. "Hey, what are you doing here?" "I'm going to finish training you on the Rangeman programs." "That's great. You had breakfast? Our Lucinda gives Ella a run for her money in the cooking department. Come join us." "Okay, I can eat. Just had a muffin and coffee before I left." After breakfast, the three of us headed to Hector's office and Hal started with the basic search program and we reviewed all the programs that I had learned already before lunch and then we breaked to eat. Hal made Lucinda giggle he enjoyed her food so much. He was giving me quite a run with his own yummy noises and ooh's and ah's. Between the two of us, poor Fred's eyes were crossing. I told Hal he better keep his mouth shut about Lucinda when he got back to Rangeman or Ella might break his plate and that would be a bad thing. Hal laughed and asked Lucinda if he could keep sneaking over for a meal now and then even after the training was over. Lucinda just blushed with delight at that. TBCSo, Lester? So mixed feelings on the last chap. Understandable. A couple comments on Steph being happy that she lost the baby. Lots of reasons why Steph would be happy that if she was going to lose a baby that it be Ranger's, plus she's angry at him. Thanks to the guest who corrected my Spanish. Don't read it or write it. I'm using a translator. Sorry!

PreviouslyAfter breakfast, the three of us headed to Hector's office and Hal started with the basic search program and we reviewed all the programs that I had learned already before lunch and then we breaked to eat. Hal made Lucinda giggle he enjoyed her food so much. He was giving me quite a run with his own yummy noises and ooh's and ah's. Between the two of us, poor Fred's eyes were crossing. I told Hal he better keep his mouth shut about Lucinda when he got back to Rangeman or Ella might break his plate and that would be a bad thing. Hal laughed and asked Lucinda if he could keep sneaking over for a meal now and then even after the training was over. Lucinda just blushed with delight at that. Chapter 16 We worked for a couple more hours and called it a day so that Fred, Lucinda and I could go to the hospital to see Hector. He had been moved out of the ICU unit and into a regular private room and was awake when we arrived. I went to the bed and took his hand and rubbed it gently. "Hola, hermosa hombre (hello, beautiful man) como esta mi bebe hoy (how is my baby today)?" "Carino, missing you and hating this damn hospital bed." "Aww..where is my tough macho man?" He tried to laugh, but it ended in a painful coughing fit. "I'm so sorry. Can I call the nurse?" "No. The nurse can't give me what my wife can. Kiss me." I smiled at him and gently kissed his swollen mouth. I looked down at the sheet and laughed. "Hector! Well I guess we can clearly see what's not broken." We heard a laugh coming from behind us. He touched my stomach. "How's our bebe, amante?" Fred walked over and rescued me. He gently shook his friends hand. "Welcome back to the land of the living, tipo duro (tough guy)?" "Yeah, but I do feel like mierda (shit)." "They busted you up good, hermano (brother)." "I did some damage of my own before they handcuffed my feet and legs to that chair. Then it was uh...what's the saying?...Easy to shoot fish in a barrel?" Fred chuckled as I grimaced. "I'm taking care of your beautiful wife while you're laid up and I have to admit I'm thoroughly enjoying it." Fred teased him. "Amigo, I have at least one working finger and it can still pull a trigger. Watch yourself now." They both chuckled. Lucinda visited with Hector and they chatted a few minutes and Hector became drowsy after he received his pain medicine. I told Fred to take Lucinda back home and that I would stay with my husband for a while. As he slept, I held his hand and

kissed it. How was I going to tell this man that there would be no baby coming in the near future? It will devastate him. When I found out that the baby wasn't my husband's it helped with my grief, but I can't tell Hector about that. I feel guilty because of the relief that I don't have to deal with the consequences of what that baby's birth would have meant to Hector and I. There would have been grief, anger, heartbreak and possibly the end of my marriage. Then Ranger would have secured himself a permanent place in my life. That is, unless Hector didn't take his life after finding out the truth about that night. Hal worked with us for the rest of the week and then he was going to come once a week or when we needed him. I was pretty sure that he'd eventually become like a fixture in our kitchen. I could see the beginning of an adorable budding romance between huge sweet Hal and our tiny, bubbly Lucinda. She was almost my age and divorced. Her only child had died as an infant at the hands of her ex-husband who was now in prison for shaking and causing the infant's death while he was in a drunken state. She never spoke about it. Hector had told me the story and that she was friends with him and his sister in Chicago and after that had happened, he asked her to move with him and work for him. He said that she had lost her light and bubbly personality for almost two years. Her experience is probably why she took the loss of our baby so hard. Hal would be good to her and he seemed a bit lonely sometimes. I thought that they would be perfect for each other. I was totally rooting for that romance. Hector got stronger every day and they fitted his knee with a removable brace mid week and he was glad to be able to get up with help and hobble to the bathroom. After two more days, Hector was stronger and grouchy as hell. The only time he was happy was when I gave him sponge baths with extra benefits. Unfortunately, those happy calms didn't last very long. He had visitors. Bobby Brown had come to visit both of us and Hector and Tank sort of struck an odd friendship. Tank had told me that he liked Hector before this happened and he had a lot of respect for him and the tough job that he had been tasked with doing. Hector was interviewed by all the agencies involved in the mission. Turns out it was huge. I got clearance via the NSA and was now privy to some of the mission details. It involved the Mexican Cartel, arms and the Latin gangs. They were trying to stop a huge infiltration of weapons they had tracked to three different cities and find out how the weapons were getting in and how they were going to be used. The Cartel didn't involve the highly volatile gangs unless it was big and very beneficial to both. The NSA, FBI, DEA and Homeland Security were all involved. Hector was pleased that he could continue working on the task force from home with me. Rangeman still had a really bad rat and we were going to root him out. It had been seven days and we were hoping Hector would be released today. When I walked in the room he was grouchy as a pissed off bear. Less and less was helping to keep his mind occupied so I had to get creative. We were waiting on the doctor to show up and I was reading the newspaper to him and he was bored,

rolling his eyes and snorting so I improvised. "And firefighters were called to the residence of Ms. Penelope Honeypot. Firefighter Peters found Ms. Honeypot on the second floor of her home where she declared that her loins were on fire and he hit her with his hose twice because the first time wasn't adequate to put the fire out. Ms. Honeypot and her little pussy called Yumyum are reported to be well and happy and very grateful to the firefighter who saved them" Hector turned to me and grinned. "Perhaps firefighter Peters needs a bigger hose." "A good firefighter would learn to use the equipment provided to its best advantage regardless of size." He snorted, "You want a firefighter with just adequate equipment?" I leaned toward him. "Actually I have a thing for men that like to start fires. Can you help light my fire, Mr. Gutierrez?" He growled at me and pulled my face close so he could kiss me. Fred showed up as the doctor left the room and we were finally on our way home. Halleluja! Hector was smiling as we wheeled him out. We got him home and settled and he napped and did some reading while Fred and I worked. Fred had decided to work with me one more day and then Hector would be able to sit with me in his chair after that. I was happy just to be close to my husband that night. Both of us slept better just being together. Fred left the next afternoon and my frisky husband had chased me into the kitchen with his wheels complete with motor. I sliced him an apple and began to feed it to him and then I peeled a banana and began to lick it and stuck the tip in my mouth and circled it with my tongue. He growled at me from his chair. "Querida, if you don't stop that, I will bend you over my lap and pull your pants down right here and make you squeal with pleasure. And, poor Lucinda is doing laundry." "Promise? I could be quiet." He smirked at me. "One thing you can't be when I pleasure you is quiet. I love that about you, esposa." I stuck the banana out to him and waved it and then pulled it back to my mouth for a bite and fed him some more apple. "Bad girl!...With your banana. I love you." I laughed at him and got on my knees close to him and kissed him and put my hand in his tented sweat pants. "If you're a good boy and talk, I'll take care of this." I stroked him and he groaned. "What were you doing when we met?" I kept stroking him and then I sucked on the banana and took another bite off of it. He moaned. "You're holding my polla (cock) hostage?" "Damn skippy!" "I was trying to get information from gang members regarding the guns. There was a large shipment to be picked up in the next few days and I was trying to find out how they were coming in and where they were to be distributed. Amante, that feels so good. I'm going to"

I stopped ministrations on mister happy. "Keep talking, buster." His eyes crossed and he groaned and I became more aggressive and stuck a piece of apple in his mouth and finished the banana. "Chew, then talk, buddy." "Mala muher (evil woman). In my youth, I was a trained assassin with the Latin Kings and then an enforcer. I never bled out, because they can't bleed me out. They respect me. I'm some big tough guy, you know." He raised his arm and flexed his bicep muscle for me and winked. "Good boy and very nice muscles, but I'm more interested in this one." I shoved his sweat pants down and took him in my mouth and he put his hands in my curls. I stroked him while sucking and licking his long hard cock and very soon he spilled his hot seed into my mouth and I swallowed every sweet drop. I looked at him and licked my lips and he touched my face and looked at me with such love in his eyes. He grabbed me close to him and kissed me hard, tasting himself. "I love you, mi mujer (my woman)." "Se (I know)." That afternoon would be our last playful moment for a while. The Hector that I adored would have heartbreak to endure soon. That night in bed, he rubbed my belly and asked me for an update on the baby. He was well enough to handle it and I couldn't keep it from him any longer. "Hector, I have something to tell you. I waited until you were stronger." His eyes travelled from my stomach to my eyes. It was heartbreaking watching his face change. "Mi amor, I lost the baby, but I'm so very grateful that I still have you. Hector, you're everything to me." He put his hands over his face and a wail the likes I have never heard before in my life and I never want to hear again, came from inside him. I whispered, "I'm so sorry. The doctor says that we can still have a baby and can try again soon. Hector, many women suffer miscarriage before they have healthy babies. We'll make a healthy baby, macho man." I had done my best damage control. I don't know what more I could say to ease his burden. He squeezed my hand and lifted himself into his chair and left the room. I sat there in bed, numb and cold. Thank goodness he doesn't know the truth. Even in a wheelchair, I knew he would be deadly. I heard him sobbing in his office and then he was quiet and then I woke when he finally came back to bed. When he didn't move toward me, I snuggled up to him. I just wanted to let him know that I'm here and I'll never leave his side. The next day I woke and found him already up and in his office working. I ate breakfast and Lucinda had told me that she was concerned about Hector. She said he hadn't eaten and he barely spoke to her. I told her that now he knew about the miscarriage and she nodded and sighed. There wasn't anything that we could do for him right now. He needed the time to deal with it like we had done. I joined him and we worked quietly together like we had at Rangeman. We both monitored and searched programs and it was eerily quiet. The one thing I noticed was that he was getting stronger every day. Bobby was coming to begin his

physical therapy the next day. He wanted to pick at dinner and push back his plate and I wouldn't let him. He needed food and rest to keep healing. That night, he held me close and touched me gently and lovingly, he never initiated anything more than a caress. When Bobby arrived, I noticed Hector was angry and aggressive toward him. Bobby was wary and easily able to handle him. After they were finished, I spoke to Bobby in the hall as he was leaving. "He just found out about the baby and he's angry and he's likely to be aggressive toward you and Tank for a while. We can get another therapist to work with him." "I understand and I can handle him. It's the least I can do, Stephanie. I'm like Tank, despite everything, I really respect and like the guy." "Okay, then we'll see you every other day, right?" He nodded and left. We had another day of solemn and quiet and that night Hector was mostly aloof in bed again and had rolled away from me. I snuggled up to him and put my arm around him and he patted my hand. He was just trying to deal with his pain. TBCSo? Several topics of discussion possible. Oops-My girl Avid Reader 59 nailed me on a writing woopsy. I want you to read between the lines in my stories, but some of you girls are too dang good at it! Hector was eating an apple in the last chapter with a broken jaw. Let's just call it fiction and act like I didn't write that he had a broken jaw. I would rather eliminate the broken jaw than the hot scene and I know you guys agree! LOL Chapter 17 A couple days went by and I decided to tame my solemn Latin beast with some TLC. I went to the bathroom and prepared Hector a surprise package and then went to his office after lunch. He was typing with his good fingers and I walked up behind him and put my arms around him and kissed the back of his neck. He turned his chair around and pulled me down into his lap. "I need you, Hector." "You okay?" "No." "What can I do?" "Love me." "Oh dios mio (oh my goodness). I don't know if I can do that. Can you give me an easier task?" He grinned at me and put his forehead to mine. "You're making fun of me and I think I just changed my mind. I was going to give you one of these." I kissed him gently on the corner of his mouth. "And one of these." I licked the shell of his ear. "And one of these." I kissed his neck and ran my lips down his neck to the collar of his t-shirt. Underneath me, I felt his appreciation of the attention I was giving him.

"Oh well, since you don't think you can help me..." He hit the switch on his chair and motored us toward the bedroom. I shut the door and pulled his shirt off as he was moving to the bed. Then I grabbed his sweatpants and yanked them down and off. His eyes watched me as I undressed except for my panties and moved my bottom half close to him and laid down. "Oh dear, I think my panties are wet. Could you lend me a couple fingers, honey, I think I need to change them." He growled and linked a couple fingers in the sides and I raised up so he could pull them down over my hips. When his eyes saw my mound, they lit up and he gave me an evil grin and touched me. "Para mi (for me)." "Yes mi amor. It's all yours." I had waxed that baby clean as a whistle and my husband was now showing his appreciation. He was rubbing that neat goatee I helped him trim this morning against my mound and licking it. He was like a kid with a new toy. I purred, "Te gusta (you like)?" "Mmmm...Mucho." He reached and pushed his boxer briefs down. He was sporting a nice erection. "Tan hermosa (So beautiful). Ver que hace a mi (See what you do to me)? Of course I can love you and right now I love this." He kissed my mound and licked the outer lips. "That's more like my big macho man. How about I take the top." I reached in the nightstand drawer and pulled out a condom and his eyes changed and I gently rubbed his face and chin. "No more sadness between us. This is only until my uterus completely heals and then as soon as my doctor says that we can try again, I'll be riding you like Zorro. You're going to need to rest up, big man." The smile appeared again and he pulled me to him for a kiss. He whispered, "How did I get so lucky in that alley, mi esposa?" I kissed him back with all the love and passion I felt for him and mucho tongue and straddled him. His long erection was laying between my stomach and his chest in front of me. I was wet and began to slide back and forth on his hard cock creating a delightful sensation in both of us. We both groaned as I moved faster and the heat of the friction kept building. In a husky voice he said, "Carino, you are so sexy and you're going to make me cum like this." "Then let's cum, Hector." He groaned. He was rubbing my mound and now had found my clit with his thumb. I moved faster and reached back and took his balls in my hand and gently squeezed and he let go a string of Spanish words right before he came on his stomach. I kept moving as he reached up and rubbed my nipple and gently tweaked it and then I followed with my own orgasm. I smiled at him and lay down on him. Chest to chest mingling my juices and his semen. I kissed him hard and explored his mouth with my tongue. Then I sat up with my chest glistening. He looked at my glistening nipples and my wet pussy and smiled as his erection came back to full attention in an instant. "You are so

beautiful and ready for me. I am a lucky man." I raised my hips and grabbed his cock and guided him inside me. "Yes you are a lucky man, and I'm lucky too. This, and all that macho Hector is mine. Don't you ever forget it!" We were flesh to flesh and I ground my hips against him and made small circles. "How hard would like to fuck today?" "Mi amante, do you know how many men would give anything for sus esposas (their wives) to ask that just once in a while? I'm getting my macho back. Give me all you've got, bebe." He grinned and rubbed his new toy. "Ready?" "Si, mi amor. Ready when you are." I raised my hips and took him in one long slide to the hilt and he yelled and met me in the next thrust. Sweat popped out on his forehead and chest as did mine and we were both panting hard. He was moaning as I moved faster. He rubbed my clit and spoke to me softly in Spanish between groans. As the pain and pleasure of our mingled passion began to reach a crescendo I began to hum"Aaahuhhhunnhplease." Then I yelled and squeezed Hector and he gasped and yelled out his release, "Estefania..Ohhhh." Looking down at him, I could tell that I had worked him maybe a little too good. I carefully moved off him and he groaned as I collapsed beside him, still breathing hard. "Dios bueno (good God). You feel better? I certainly do. You please me so much, amante." "Much better, miel (honey). Did I hurt you? As much as I want to pass out right now, let's see if we can manage to get cleaned up and then I want to curl myself around you and sleep for a few days." He chuckled. "I'm fine. A warm shower will feel good. Come." He rolled off the bed and drove his chair into the bathroom. I helped him limp to the shower and I washed us both. Hector slept good that night. He looked more peaceful. I hoped his heart was healing, because I loved him so much. We were still newlyweds and I didn't want us to waste any more time being sad and unhappy. Hector's POV I left my loving esposo to go to my office and work this mission. I wanted it to be over before I...Did something that would hurt Stephanie. She was being so strong and fearless, despite the grief I knew she felt. Her whole focus since I woke in the hospital had been on me and helping me. The fact that she is so special and so dear to me is the only reason I'm fighting the urge to kill those responsible for taking my precious bebe's innocent life. Sometimes the urge for revenge was strong, I can barely keep the beast in check. And, I do harbor a deadly beast and he is as bad as any child or adult's worst nightmare.

While she was sleeping I was running programs with the Rangeman software when I discovered one signature that kept coming up. The strange thing was that it had not previously done this. I wondered if the hijo de puta (son of a bitch) knew that a threat to him had been removed and now he was being more bold in his actions. The code name kept popping up in every Rangeman office and I couldn't nail down a location for him. I grabbed my phone and called Manoso. "Report." "Do you have one man that has security clearance and access to all your offices, software, intel, transportation, etc. Someone that is maybe heard in all your offices, but not very often seen in your employ?" "Fuck! One man comes to mind. His name is Ernesto Rodriguez. He's in Boston most of the time. He's a data specialist. Gathers information and intel from all offices, analyzes it and sends it out to the appropriate departments within the company to work." "Is this the same phantom Rodriguez that made everyone curse in your research department?" "The same..." "Ai, yi, yi...It was right there in front of me and I missed it. I never took notice of him and should have. Heard but not seen. He was like a joke to the men. They called him the load master and the dump king and made shit jokes about him. He was the one that mysteriously left loads of work and no one ever saw him or where it came from. How long has he worked for you?" "Our office runner pulled that stuff from the printers and distributed it. Some was sent by computer. He's been employed for almost a year. We went over his credentials with a fine-tooth comb. He wasn't military, he was college educated and he's brilliant. Everything checked out and he's done exactly what we hired him to do and done the job well. "He's probably a plant and he's obviously capable of hijacking your company. This hints at an operation that was well planned and for a very long time. This guy may have been hand-picked and educated just for this plan. He may be your guy and if he is, I think he's using you and your resources to bring in and transport the weapons and he's moving and recruiting in every city where you have a Rangeman office and resources. Cabron's got brass balls." "Si, and they will belong to me in a very short while", he growled. "Ranger, let me remind you that this is a coordinated effort and the NSA did you a favor by revealing information about the infiltrator in your company. You do nothing without our approval. You need to know as well as we do what the Cartel is planning to do and why they chose Rangeman to aid in their plan using your assets. Entendido (understood)?" "Si!" "We need to send at least two men in to get close to him and everything that he does needs to be monitored. He is using more than one computer in the Boston

office. I need to do more work here before we go in. We need to rule out another infiltrator, which is very possible." "When we are ready to move then I'll call you. You speak to no one with the exception of Tank who is clear." We disconnected. I called Fred to let him know that we had a lead on the Cartel member at Rangeman and where he was located. "We need to let Manoso know when you're ready to send operatives into the Boston office." "I need to coordinate and I'll be back with you ASAP. Good work, Hector." "Sir." TBCSo, remember that guy that Stephanie has hated so often in stories? I read a cute fanfic about her trying to get revenge on Javier Rodriguez the other day. I thought he would make the perfect bad guy. Heard and not seen.

PreviouslyI called Fred to let him know that we had a lead on the Cartel member at Rangeman and where he was located. "We need to let Manoso know when you're ready to send operatives into the Boston office." "I need to coordinate and I'll be back with you ASAP. Good work, Hector." "Sir." Chapter 18/Epilogue Two operatives were sent into the Rangeman Boston office and within a few days our joint intel finally had the what, how and why that we needed to shut the operation down. Guns were coming into Boston, Trenton and Miami via every mode of transportation under the Rangeman name and covered by a massive trail of paperwork created by one super intelligent and high-ranking Cartel member, Ernesto Hernandez Rodriguez, aka/malo genio (evil genius). Ranger knew who he was, no one had ever seen him. He had squashed part of the Cartel operation that 'malo genio' had helped build on a mission a few years ago and he hated Ranger Manoso. The Mexican Cartel had made an unusual and genius deal with the Latin King gang to move the guns for drugs. Simple deal, win, win. The shortcut via Rangeman just meant a place to hide the operation and meant millions of dollars to both sides which was the biggest win. The movements of the Cartel had been scrutinized, but every time the Rangeman name came up the flag was dropped and the activities continued.

The last part of the puzzle was the most disturbing. The Cartels were grouping and had been weakening the Mexican government over time by corrupting officials in every office and every city and planning a coup to overrun a weakened Mexican government and take it over. The U.S. government could not and would not allow this to happen. There was too much at stake, lives, businesses and agriculture connected with the U.S. Then, there was principle. The U.S. and the U.N.'s watchful eyes work hard to make sure that evil factions like this are not allowed to come to power in this way. Manoso was furious that his name and company had been used by an enemy for a coup. Rangeman was protected and deemed non-threatening because of his work for the U.S. government. In the end, it had been a huge handicap for him personally. Now the enemies knew that he was protected and this enemy had figured out how to use that and the government knew about his surreptitious assets they'd created for themselves to support the Rangeman business. If the government wanted them, they could take them without giving the company a dime in return. A group was assembled from each agency including myself, Fred and Manoso and his core team. We were flying to Boston on his plane on Friday and then others from the other agencies would be there on stand-by waiting as backup. It was overkill to apprehend one man in the end, but after all the work, all the agencies were excited and wanted to be included. Each agency, including ICE, were on the Mexican border and at each port and airport. They were awaiting cargo coming in and ready to make arrests. The local police and DEA were set to round up Latin King members in all three cities waiting for their exchange and possession of the drugs. The operation was huge. The mission was wrapping up fast now and Estefania was happy and we were almost back to before the baby. She had mentioned wanting to have a night with her friends and I told her that this weekend would be ideal. I would be gone and she would have company. They would be the perfect distraction on Friday. On a mission there is no way to determine a final outcome. It's especially hard for loved ones. My good friend Fred had lost his family because of his career choice. My beautiful wife was stronger and knew more about the reality and nature of what I did, yet she had been through so much and suffered in a short period with me. On Thursday night, I made love to my sweet Estefania like never before. I bared my heart and soul to her and pledged myself and my love to her forever and I meant it. When I came home, I would do everything in my power to make her happy for the rest of our lives. The next day, I kissed her goodbye and told her to enjoy her night with her friends and that when I returned, the mission would be over and we could focus on normal things a new couple in love does. We would go on a real honeymoon and make another baby and forget the past.

The takedown in Boston had gone down smoothly, but there was chaos with so many there at one time. Before Rodriguez was taken away, he was found dead in handcuffs with a plastic bag wrapped around his head and tied tightly at his neck. There wouldn't be an investigation. Everyone involved knew that there would be no witnesses, no evidence and no prosecution. It would be a waste of time and paperwork. His death would ultimately be called accidental. I had one more score to settle. I used some of the chaos as a distraction and found Ranger coming from the office where Rodriquez was cuffed. I had scrambled the cameras and used stealth to subdue him. I punched him in the Adam's apple, which is a pressure point. I could have killed him, but I hit him just hard enough to wrap my good arm around his neck and placed my knife to his throat and dug it in and said, "Para mi amor (for my love). Usted bastardo (you bastard)." I started to slash and he said, "It was my baby." "What filth do you speak? You killed my bebe!" "I have the DNA results. Hector, I accept my death, but that won't be the best thing for you and Stephanie. I'm going to disappear from your lives and you can make her happy." "You lie, Manoso! Stephanie would not allow for that to happen." "It wasn't her fault. I snuck into her bed when she was drunk and I didn't use protection. She was angry and threw me out." "You pedazo de mierda (piece of shit)! I hope you still love her. Death would be the easy way out for you." I pushed him away from me and turned. Santos had a gun leveled at me and I knew exactly how long he had been there. Ranger's blank face fell and he said, "It would break her heart if I died at your hands and it would hang over your head and always be there between you. I don't want that for her." "You will leave her alone or I will kill you..." "Hector, me killing you wouldn't give her to me because her heart is not with me. I will suffer for the rest of my life for what I did to her and for what I lost. Just go to her and make her happy. I give you my word. I'm out of her life unless either of you allows me back in someday." I put my knives away and glared at Santos as I walked past him and said, "You're a lucky bastardo today too, cachorro (puppy)." Stephanie's POV The girls arrived at the apartment ready for some girl fun and gossip. We decided to have some of Lucinda's yummy dinner she left for us first. She had made us homemade burritos and chips and salsa and a pitcher of margaritas and another of strawberry margaritas. After we ate, we did our nails and drank while telling stories over the last couple years. Lula said, "Girl, you livin' la vida loca with that rico suave hottie. Do tell."

"Correction, rico duro. He ain't soft, girl. He's all hard mucho sexy man." The girls squealed. "Lula said, "Ooh, tell us more, girlfriend." "I love Hector. He's sweet, witty, handsome, sexy, loving, romantic, a bad boy in a good way. Nothing not to like. I'm one lucky woman." Mary Lou asked, "You're really in love with him? I've never seen you this way before." "Yes I am, Mary Lou. I want to have his babies and meet him at the door every day for the rest of my life. I found I can be a "Burg' girl and I can fly too with the right man." Connie asked, "You never felt this way with Ranger at all? I had thought someday you two might..." "No. We didn't want the same things. He's a very complicated man. Too complicated." Mary Lou said, "You guys were really close. I think he did care about you." Lula said, "Girl, that man was there to rescue your ass and he let you blow up and destroy his expensive cars and looked at you likehe was havin' a cravin' or somethin'." "Oh, he was alright. I cared about him too. In the end, he just wanted for us to have friendship with benefits and I wanted more." Mary Lou asked, "What about Morelli?" "I loved him. He was hot, a good lover and now a good friend. I just didn't feel the connection and the passion in the relationship that I do with Hector. We literally both fell in love at first sight, I think. I know it sounds corny, but he's my true soul mate. I couldn't live without him now." Lula said, "Yeah, thinking back while we were down on Stark Street, I remember you givin' that man the hungry eyes. You was starin' at his fine ass like Ranger looked at you. Like you was havin' a cravin'." "I was...I still crave him. Every day." Everyone giggled. We watched the movie 'Thelma and Louise' and cheered for the two accidental outlaw women. We were a bunch of drunk, giggly, dirty talking women before long. Lula started giving us detailed spanking tips and then she gave us ball shaving tips and then commenced to tell us how to effectively spank a set of bald nuts. That's when we gagged and we broke and pulled our pillows over our heads squealing for her to please stop. We finally passed out in the living room floor snuggled in our blankets. My friends had been nice and not mentioned the loss of my baby and I was grateful. We caught up and had great fun during our girls' night together. The doorbell rang the next morning and I lifted my head and groaned. Damned tequila. I blinked a few times and shuffled to the door and opened it and my husband stood there with a big grin on his face and a bouquet of flowers. My eyes lit up. "It's over?" He nodded. I threw my arms around him and he dipped me and gave me a panty searing kiss and I heard squeals behind me. I turned my head to

my girls. "Eat your heart out, girlfriends. This man is all mine..." Hector looked at the girls and winked at them. "Damned skippy, chicas." That night Hector told me about his conversation with Ranger in Boston. He asked me if I knew about the paternity of the baby and when I began to cry, he consoled me and told me that Ranger had confessed what he did and that it wasn't my fault. He said that he believed that things happen for a reason and that the baby made between Ranger and I was not made in the right way to sustain it and he was positive that our baby would be conceived out of love and devotion and would survive and be healthy. This wasn't a medical doctor's view, this was Hector's own view. He was confident and philosophical about almost all aspects of life even though I knew that he had seen and experienced so much bad as well. I felt the need to see Ranger one more time before he left to go back to Miami where he was now living. He looked surprised when Tank escorted me into his office. "Hello, Ranger." "Babe..." "I wanted to come and say that I'm sorry your business was attacked and I'm sorry about our friendship. I appreciate everything that you did for me as my mentor. I know you cared for me and I cared for you. Still do." "Thank you. I'm sorry for the way I acted and for what I did to you. I'll always care about you and I will be somewhere you can find me if you ever need me. I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I appreciate it." "I wish you peace, Ranger. If you meet another woman who soothes you, let her in. I'm sure that there is more to you that I didn't get the chance to see that's special. You deserve more than just empty sex. You deserve to be loved and that's my wish for you." He nodded. "Are you happy?" "I'm very happy." "Hector is a lucky man." "I'm lucky too. Goodbye, Ranger." He walked over and gently kissed me on the forehead and tucked a curl behind my ear. "Goodbye, Babe." Leaving Ranger's office, I turned the corner and there was Lester Santos. He said, "Stephanie, I want to apologize to you. Will you accept it?" "I will if you turn around." "Excuse me?" "I said turn around." He shrugged and nodded and I pulled my stun gun that I had brought just for this payback and stuck it to his neck. "Now, I accept your apology, butthole." I stepped over him and kept walking to the elevator as I heard snickers all around me. I was holding my hat and Hector was laughing and flying down the highway in our rented Jeep. We had been to Baja and just left Cabo San Lucas and were on our way to Puerto Vallarta. After we both fully recovered from our injuries, Hector told

Fred that we were taking a short leave of absence to take an extended honeymoon. Hector had gotten paid oodles for his part in the Cartel mission. We had decided to do a driving trip through Mexico. He was going to give me a personal tour. We didn't book anything in advance except for the Jeep. Hector had taken us to out of the way places and hotels and I got to experience real Mexican food in the locals homes that we met along the way. I got a very realistic view of Mexico and its people and I'm sure that the pride and pleasure in his country that I saw in Hector, his father had surely felt. Now I knew exactly what the mission had meant to him. He risked himself for the love of his native people and their home. This and many more things about Hector, just made me love him more every day. He had declared that he couldn't decide which city that he wanted to make his baby in, so we were going to hump in as many as we could. I have no doubt when he decides, it will happen. Hector is confident in everything. I took my hat off and leaned over and kissed his cheek. He looked at me and grinned like a boy on a roller coaster. That's my Hector, he always loves the ride. I put my hat in the floor and pulled the band out of my hair and let it fly in the wind and grabbed the 'oh shit' bar inside the Jeep and held on. "Woo Hoo!" Hector reached over and lovingly gave my cheek a pinch and yelled, "Vamos (we go), mamacita (little mama)!" `````````````````````````````````````````````````The End``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ` Note-The 'Oh shit bar' is found in vehicles like dune buggies and jeeps and any off road vehicle. It's a bar on the passenger side like roll bars in race cars. My brother was always into off-road stuff and he used to take my Dad and he called that passenger side bar the "Oh shit" bar when my brother started climbing a hill at 90 degrees. They have videos of vehicles actually flipping backwards, so it's an appropriate name.