Different View

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 1

 

She was standing on the footpath when I pulled up. She looked furious too.

 

“Go to hell Joe Morrelli!!!!” Stephanie yelled at the top of her voice towards the man standing in the doorway. “I will never marry you!”

 

Joe replied something that I didn’t hear. Stephanie started to dig through her pocketbook and pulled out her gun. She took aim and fired off three bullets. However as soon as Joe had seen the gun he had dived inside and slammed the door. Luckily for him the bullets embedded in the wall and not in his head.

 

I got out of the cab and started to put her bag and hamster into the backseat. When I had finished I climbed into the drivers side seat and started the cab.

 

“You alright sweetie?”

 

“I’m ok Daddy.”

 

“Where do you want to go?”

 

“Home”

 

“Anything you want” Stephanie might have been grown up, but she was still my baby. I was glad she turned out as she had. As much as I love Valerie, I loved Steph more. I could talk to her. Unlike her mother I was proud of the way she went after what she wants. During her wonder woman phase, it was me who took her to the flicks and brought her the costume for her birthday. Anything my baby wanted, my baby got. I wished it were as easy now. “What’s going on with Morrelli?”

 

Stephanie sighed. “Nothing Daddy. He asked me to marry him and then he took it back. He just wanted sex. ARROGENT PIG!!!”

 

She was right he was a pig. “Well I tell you what, come over for dinner tonight and we can watch the Rangers game on the big screen, eat junk food and whinge about life in general. I’ll get your Mum to make pineapple upside down cake”

 

“Thanks Daddy.” Steph gave him a big smile. “I’d love to”

 

I pulled into her parking lot and started to take her things out of the cab.

 

“Thanks Daddy but I’ll take it from here.” She looked from the black Mercedes she was looking at and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you at six.”

 

“I’ll tell your mother about Joe to so you don’t have to worry about that.”

 

“Thanks Daddy. I love you.” Stephanie slung her bag over her shoulder and picked up hr pocket book and Hamster. She gave a wave and disappeared into the building. I looked at the Merc and smiled. I quite liked that Ranger boy. Aside for his penchant for foreign cars and the fact that he wasn’t Italian, he was good for Steph.

 

A few hours later…

 

I was standing on the porch behind my wife and mother in law as Steph pulled up in the big blue Buick. She squashed her face as she saw us all standing there. No doubt not wanting to face the Spanish inquisition from the circus performers that lived in this house. She came up the steps and stopped in front of us.

 

“How's the Buick running?”

 

“Its fine.” She made a face as if to say I’d kill it if I could.

 

“You giving it high test?” I asked.

 

“Yes Dad” she was lying.

 

I replied, “You gotta give it high test” thus completing a ritual that had started about 2 years ago when she first borrowed the car.

 

I walked inside and sat down in front of the TV and tuned into a news program, depressing shit, but I needed something to relieve the comedy of living in this house.

 

I sat down at the table after Steph called me to dinner and settled into let the hilarity begin. I’m sure that her family embarrassed Steph, but she loved us. I knew that her grandmother mortified Valerie. Stephanie was more amused I think. I loved the old biddy. She was incredibly funny. I just tried not to show it. After all life was set in the ‘burg. Old ladies were mostly crazy, their daughters were worrisome and their granddaughters always agreed with their mothers. I liked to be with the norm in the ‘burg. It was difficult if you weren’t. That’s why I was so proud of Steph. She didn’t take shit from anyone. She didn’t have to live up to anyone’s standards but her own.

 

I let my thought wander as I ate with my head over the plate. It was easier to hide facial expressions.

 

“So Stephanie, I think you ought to go back with a full round and shot him good and proper.” Crazy old bat would do it for her. I thought with a grin.

 

“NO! I will not have anyone shotting at anyone else. My god the phone has been ringing off the hook today after your little trick missy!!” Worry, worry. Steph had a great aim. She wouldn’t hit anything she didn’t want to.

 

“No grandma I think he got the message today. If not I’ll just sick Lula onto him”

 

I smiled. Lula was a fine woman. Made a good friend for my baby.

 

“Hmmm, Lula might work but if she’s busy I’ll get my Tazer out and buzz him.”

 

Shit, the old bat brought a Tazer? Damn I was screwed.

 

“NO! Grandma, it’s not necessary. Just leave it alone.”

 

“Dear god, Frank, are you listening to this? Frank?”

 

I wiped the smile off my face and schooled it into its well practiced absent expression. “Listening to what?”

 

Helen rolled her eyes. “Oh see what I have to put up with?” she was talking to the ceiling. I didn’t think it was going to answer her.

 

I finished my dinner listening to Steph and Helen argue about Joe Morrelli. When dessert was brought out I thought it was time for me to say my piece.

 

“Well baby, I think you do what makes you happy. You want to get married you get married. If you want to sleep with him you sleep with him. You want to work as a bounty hunter you work as a bounty hunter. Don’t you let nobody tell you what’s right for you.”

 

“Everyone looked at me. Helen as though she’d like to Tazer me herself. The old bat with a brilliant smile on her face, and Steph looked at me with no expression at all. Finally she smiled and kissed me on the cheek.

 

“Your right Daddy. Who the hell in the burg is anyone to tell me what I should and shouldn’t do?” She looked me in the eye. “Not nobody here is better than me. I’ll do my thing my way”

 

“That’s my girl” I really wanted to ruffle her hair like I did years ago, but nothing had changed on that scene, cant mess up her hair. But what the hell, I did it anyway.

 

“Daddy!!” Steph squealed at me. “What are you trying to do?”

 

“Sorry kiddo” I don’t think she was truly peeved, I think that like me she was remembering what it was like years ago. She smiled.

 

“That’s ok, I can fix it. Just don’t do it again.”

 

We all ate some of the cake as Steph and the old bat yabbered at each other on the advantages of different stun guns while Helen rolled her eyes multiple times. Suddenly my musings were interrupted.

 

“No grandma I’m working tonight.” She looked over at me. I think she must have seen the disappointment in my eyes as she added, “but not until eleven.”

 

“What about before then?” asked her grandmother.

 

“I’ve got other plans.” Steph grinned at me.

 

“Well I suppose if your busy I can go tomorrow with Betty Krusilisky. She doesn’t got much to do now that John’s in jail and Thomas died.”

 

“If you want I can take you tomorrow, just not tonight.”

 

“Ok then. What are you working on tonight? You working with that fine bounty hunter? The one with the nice package?” the old bat cracked me up. I’d have thought that she'd dried out years ago.

 

“Yes grandma, I’m working with Ranger.  Its just standard decoy work.”

 

My baby was going to get slutted up and show what she’s got to the world. I’d worry if I didn’t know Ranger was going to be there. We all finished our desert and Steph and I headed into the living room and settled into two recliners in front of the Tele. The game had yet to start.

 

“So, you like this Ranger guy?”

 

Steph looked at me funny. “Yeah I like Ranger. If I didn’t I wouldn’t work for him.”

 

“I didn’t mean it like that”

 

“Oh… I … Ahh… I’m not sure Daddy. Its all a little confusing at the moment.”

 

“Ok baby. If you ever want to talk about it I'm here.” Though both were my children, Stephanie more so than Valerie was mine.

 

“Sure Daddy. I’ll keep that in mind.”

 

Just then the game started and we sat back to watch it. We didn’t talk, just sat back and enjoyed each other’s company. It was times like this that I was glad to be alive. These times with Steph were the times that I relived to my cab passengers. Made all my customers jealous. From the professional males with children that didn’t talk to them, to the young single mothers who didn’t have anyone to rely on for help. They were all jealous of what we had and I wasn’t going to let anyone take that away from me. Especially not Joe Morrelli.

 

Chapter 2

 

It was 11.15pm by the time I left my parents house. I’d enjoyed spending time with Daddy. It didn’t happen very often anymore, we’d arranged it so we could spend some time together tomorrow at Pino’s. We’d eat, drink and watch the Ranger’s play their game. I got to my apartment and parked big blue by the dumpster, next to Ranger’s Bronco. Hmmm, guess he got a lead. I hope he’s not going to be mad I’m late.

 

The lift was on the blink again so I ran up the stairs and let myself into my apartment. As I was expecting there was someone sitting on the couch. However it wasn’t whom I was expecting. Tank was watching Scooby Doo and the gang, eating my frosted flakes. The hide of him!

 

“What the hell do you think your doing?” I was quite calm considering, I mean is it just these military type guys who can break in to my apartment? Or is it anyone? I certainly hope not. I decided to talk to Dylan tomorrow about some new padlocks and deadbolts and chains. Anything to keep the undesirables out. Hang on…they weren’t all undesirables…

 

“I’m keeping up my blood sugar levels.”

 

“What?” This man had just interrupted my rambling thoughts to tell me about his blood? I had no idea.

 

“Blood sugar levels” he held up the box of Frosted Flakes “Better than saying I’m eating junk don’t you think?”

 

Hmmm, he had a point. “Do you think if I said this to Ranger next time he nags me about my eating habits he’ll leave me alone to binge in peace?”

 

Tank grinned. “I doubt it, but hell there’s no harm in trying. But enough of diets, its time to get you appropriately dressed. I took the liberty of going through your clothes to pick you out something to wear, since what was on the bed wasn’t what look we needed for the night.”

 

“You were in my bedroom, in my closet shifting through my clothes?” The man had no idea of how violated I felt just now. I was contemplating getting my stun gun. This called for serious action.

 

“If it makes you feel better I didn’t go through your undies draw.” He got a big shit liking smile on his face, “Tempted though I was.”

 

I went through to my bedroom and looked in horror at the clothes Tank had laid out. “You must be out of your mind!! I can’t possibly wear these!” was the man colour blind? “Orange and pink? Orange and PINK!!”

 

“There’s also green!” Tank was quite defensive about his choices. I decided that he needed a lesson in dressing, after all, the only people I’d seen him hanging with wore black and army green.

 

“What time are we expected?” This could take some time.

 

“Well…we got news that he’s outta town so we pushed back till tomorrow.”

 

“Then what are you doing here? And why are you getting me ‘appropriately dressed’?”

 

“Well the boss sent me over to tell you. You were late so I was gonna write you a note but then Scooby came on and I started the Frosted flakes and then you came home and here we are.”

 

“Excellent. We are going to start your training in colour co-ordination.”

 

****************

 

Shit, I think I shoulda just wrote the note and took off, never mind being polite for the boss’s sake. I watched as Steph pulled various items of clothing out of her closet. This was going to take a while, I could tell by the glazed look she was getting in her eyes. It was just like my ex-wife’s look when I gave her my credit card. If it weren’t for the fact that I like Steph and more so that Ranger liked her, I woulda been out of there instantly. Instead I sat on her bed and waited for her to start. I must have fallen asleep sometimes after the blue and green things, because the next thing I know Steph is spooned up behind me and Ranger is standing over the bed.

 

I lay there not moving, breathing evenly, and pretending to sleep. Lets see how Steph handles this. I felt her wake in response to Ranger shaking her arm.

 

“Hey. What time is it?”

 

“Its 3.00am babe.” Ranger sounded strangely tight-voiced.

 

“Ugh. Well what do you want?”

 

“I came to join you in bed, but you’ve got company I see.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Tank.”

 

“Oh yeah, he fell asleep after the blues.”

 

“Blues?”

 

“Yeah I was educating him. Can you believe he wanted me to wear orange and pink tomorrow night? Well tonight?”

 

“What? Orange and pink? Oh no!!!! Its like a crime against nature.” Ranger laughed out loud at this. It was a sound I didn’t hear very often. “Well how about you kick Tank out and let me in?”

 

“I dunno…can you keep me warm?” I could hear the smile in her voice. God these two were about to go at it and I was in the bed. I was all for a threesome, as long as it was with two other chicks, not me, a chick and another guy. That was just sick if you asked me.

 

“Babe, I won’t keep you warm, I’ll make you hot.”

 

I jumped up fast. “Geese, get a room guys. I’m outta here.”

 

Steph sat up. DAMN, she was in this little leopard print chemise thingy. She was hot! I had slept with her not knowing. I was going to have fantastic dreams tonight. I grinned, “Maybe I’ll stay after all…”

 

Ranger laughed while Steph scowled at both of us.

 

“Get out Tank. And you had better get me some new Frosted Flakes.”

 

As I walked out the bedroom door I heard ranger speak.

 

“Babe, your diet is gonna kill you.”

 

“Hey, I’ve gotta keep up my blood-sugar levels.”

 

As I exited Steph's apartment, I heard Ranger burst into laughter. Something I’d only heard a few times since I’d met him in the Army. I was glad they made each other happy. I really liked Steph and if it weren’t for Ranger, I might have given it a shot with her myself.

 

************

 

I awoke to the sound of the locks on the door opening out in the living room. The body next to me rolled into a ball and pulled the covers over her head. Like she knew what was coming and didn’t want to think about it. Smart move. I lay still and listened to the footsteps walk through the room and stop at the door. The handle slowly opened and the door swung open.

 

Joe Morrelli stood in the doorway and stared at us. He took in all the clues that were scattered around the room. I watched as it registered that we were still mostly dressed and that I had a gun in my hand.

 

“You planning on threatening her into having sex with you with that gun?”

 

What, did he think I was going to answer in the affirmative? “Do you really think I need to? I suppose it could add a certain element to it but I think I’ll shoot the next person who breaks into her apartment” I grinned, there was no way he could win anymore and I thought he needed to know.

 

“Of course, since she had me take off the hand cuffs you put her in, she’s been kinda strange about these kind of things.”

 

His face took on that ‘I’m a cop and don’t need emotions’ look.

 

“She called you?”

 

“Yes. Did you really think shed call 911?”

 

“I thought shed call Eddie or possibly Carl.”

 

“They’d both tell someone else and it'd get back to her mother.” At this point Steph rolled over and snuggled into my side. “That’s quite a look Morrelli. Thought you could hide your thoughts better than that.”

 

“That’s none of your damn business. And you had better get out of her bed, we’re engaged you know.”

 

“Uhh-huh, that’s why she told you to fuck off and shot at you when you said that she’d be back because she couldn’t get enough, was it?” I smiled as Steph put her leg over mine. “But she doesn’t need to get it from you anymore. I’m more than willing to give her everything you’re not.”

 

“Why would she want anything to do with someone who she knows nothing about and knows nothing about her?”

 

“She knows more than you think, and I know her better than you’ll ever know”

 

“What do you know about her way of life? About the way the ‘Burg works?”

 

“You don’t get it do you? That’s one of the main reasons she wants me. Because I’m not from, or of the ’Burg. If I were she probably wouldn’t look twice.”

 

“Then what was she with me for?”

 

I grinned, “Like you said, she couldn’t get enough.” I felt a really hard pinch on the flesh on the side of my ribs. I clenched my teeth trying not to show an expression on my face. It had really hurt.

 

Morrelli stared at me and then at Steph. He turned and walked out the door. I called out to him before he shut the door. “So how does it feel to be used for sex by someone you care for Morrelli?” I paused while he looked at me. “Maybe know you know how Steph feels”

 

Morrelli turned and walked out of the apartment, closing the door quietly behind him.

 

Steph’s head popped up. “Did he go?”

 

I gave her a look that I’m sure would intimidate even the most psychotic FTA. All it did however, was get me a look in return.

 

“You deserved it you know.” She pulled the sheets down and rolled over to get a better look at what she’d done. Her eyes widened at the bruise that was forming. “Shit did I do that? I’m really sorry Ranger.” She grinned. “Do you want me to kiss it better?”

 

“Babe. That’s not the only thing that’s hurting.”

 

She flipped her hair back, god she’s got fantastic hair, and legs, and ass, and…hmm… she got a grin that signalled mischief.

 

“Oh, did I hurt your ego too? When that big scary look didn’t work?” she started laughing. She was so hot and I don’t think she even realised it. I think that was half of what made her hot, she had this presence that sometimes blew me away. All the guys in a room would stare at her and she wouldn’t notice, she had this don’t touch me air about her that was almost irresistible to those who knew her, and idiots that had big opinions of themselves. I’m not sure where I came in. sometimes I thought I was in the first category and then other times I knew I was in the second. Tonight I was somewhere in the middle of both.

 

I watched and waited until she had finished laughing. She looked at me, her eyes widened and darkened. She walked on her knees to me across the bed. Steph’s hands were cool and felt fantastic on my shoulders, my chest, my stomach and my… Ohh my head hung back loosely.

 

“Ranger, do you like that?” Stephanie was softly biting my neck, she firmly stroked me up and down with her left hand, and with her right hand she was gently rolling my balls around in her palm and fingers.

 

“Babe, you’ve no idea how much I like that.”

 

*************

 

Hmm so Ranger isn’t as infallible as he wants the world to think he is. All you had to do was bite him and he was putty in your hands, well not putty more like… God! He was big, bigger than I’d ever had before. I pulled away and pulled his boxers down. I took a good look and pulled my eyes back to his. He was grinning, self-assured bastard.

 

A plan formed in my mind. “Umm, Ranger…” I let my voice trail off.

 

His hands roamed over my chest and up to clasp around my neck. He leaned in and sucked and kissed my neck. “Yeah Babe?”

 

“Umm, well I umm, I don’t think you’ll fit…” Again I let my voice trail off, I was trying incredibly hard not to grin.

 

Ranger pulled back and looked at me. It was hard, so damn hard. Not smiling that is, him too of course. Ranger looked at me and looked and looked for what seemed like ages, finally he said, “That’s ok babe, there’s other things we can do.”

 

Ohh yes, I was going to enjoy myself before I told him that it would, maybe.

 

Ten minutes later I was beginning to realise that Ranger had been telling the truth about ruining me for all other men. And that he’d get me hot. And I was now ready to jump him. Damn the fact that I’d told him he would fit, he was taking it easy so he could go slowly!! It was time to take some drastic action. I pulled him up from where he’d been licking and sucking so wonderfully and rolled him over onto his back. I straddled him and reached into a draw next to the bed. I pulled out the condoms and opened one.

 

"Hey Babe, I though you said-“

 

“I lied.” I interrupted. I was busy trying to get him dressed that I was surprised when he grabbed my wrists.

 

“You lied?” Hmm, he seemed kinda… intense.

 

“Well you were so damn self assured that I just wanted you too… I dunno, take it slow I guess.”

 

“Steph, I would have done that anyway had you asked.” He let go of my wrists and sat up against the bed head.

 

“Ranger, why are you taking this so seriously? It was a joke, a tiny little lie that I was going to use to drive us both wild before telling you the truth.”

 

“You lied to me Babe.”

 

“I lie like you run. You knew it before you started on this whole ‘lets get into bed’ thing.”

 

“It’s different now Babe.”

 

“You lie all the time!”

 

“I lie only when its necessary, and mostly never directly.”

 

I wasn’t sure what he was getting at. “How so? We have the occasional fuck and now I can’t lie to you?” Man, this wasn’t going how I wanted it to. Maybe I should have let Tank stay after all.

 

“That’s all this is to you? An occasional fuck? Something to talk to the girls about?” Ranger was getting seriously pissed. I’d never seen him show this much emotion before. It was quite unnerving. When faced with the unknown, fall back on the known. Get mad.

 

“Well what the fuck was I supposed to think? All you ever did to show me you wanted anything from me was kiss me! You never said anything! Mr Monosyllables! Maybe if you’d said more than three fucking words about it I’d have known what you’d wanted!” I had raised my voice and I stood up on the bed standing naked over him. Ranger was looking up at me. I jumped off the bad and stood next to it. “Are you going to say anything?”

 

Ranger pulled on his clothes looking at me, I waited for an answer. “You still on for tomorrow night?”

 

Was that it? Where was the yelling back and the make up sex? “That’s it? You’re not going to say anything? Just walk out? Get out! Get out NOW!!” I walked to the door and opened it, letting him pass by me. He opened the door to the apartment and closed it behind him.

 

SHIT! I ran to the door and opened it. I stuck my head out and yelled to him, “I’ll be ready at 10.30” I pulled my head in and slammed the door. I locked it up and went to bed fuming. Funnily enough I fell straight to sleep pondering what had happened.

 

Chapter 3

 

I woke up the next day at around 10ish. My night’s sleep, after everyone had left was fitful and not very conductive for thinking. Mostly I had dreamt about Ranger staying instead of leaving. I still didn’t know what the big deal was. But I was going to see him tonight. I was working decoy for him and his team. Hmm, just what I needed to show him how damn wrong he was.

 

I decided to head into the office. Even though I was meant to have time off for my arm it wasn’t really hurting and I decided that an easy FTA would be just what I needed. I’d bag the FTA get my cheque and go shopping for some slut clothes. I’d take Lula and Mary Lou and maybe Connie, between us we should be able to pick out something that said ‘You want some? Come get some.’ But was also tasteful, and showed a lot of skin. Big order.

 

I stood in the shower until I pruned and the hot water ran out. I did the hair and make-up thing and went to get dressed. I wore g-stings and matching bra, I needed to feel sexy, on the underside anyway. On the outside I pulled on an old pair of jeans with the knees gone and with a rip where my butt met my leg. They were old and comfortable. I pulled on a white tank top and my ‘Docs. Eat your heart out Lara Croft.

 

I drove big blue on autopilot to the office and pulled up in front Fiorello’s deli next door. My phone rang so naturally I answered it praying that it wasn’t going to be Morrelli.

 

“Yo” damn, this was nearly as bad. I didn’t want to talk to Ranger right now. Later yes. Now no.

 

“Yo yourself. What’s up?”

 

“About tonight, you need to look classy. Easy but classy.” When had I not ever looked classy?

 

“Sure Ranger. Whatever you say.”

 

“Ok later then.” He hung up before I could say anything. I stood and fumed for a minute. Eventually I got over it and got hungry.

 

I grabbed a roll and headed into the office. Lula and Connie where arguing about Brad Pitt and Edward Norton in the film ‘Fight Club’.

 

“I’m telling you, Brad is the man! No scrawny little guy like that Edward guy is going to make me cream my pants. No way.” Lula emphasised her point by slapping the filing cabinet she was working in.

 

“And I tell you that Ed is a far superior actor.” Connie stretched her hand out to check her nail polish. “Hey Steph.”

 

“Hey Connie, Lula.”

 

“Who gives a damn about acting ability? Hey girlfriend, we’ll let you settle this one. Who is better, Brad or Ed?”

 

I grinned, “Well personally I liked Meatloaf. Any man that can carry off having breasts like that gets my vote.”

 

“Humph, what would you know?” Lula turned to face me. “Damn girl. You need to get laid!” What? Where had this come from?

 

“Lula, what makes you think that?” I was speaking around the mouthful of salad roll I had in my mouth so it came out kinda garbled, but Lula understood just fine.

 

“Your looking a little testy, like your gonna shot someone or something.” She smiled a big toothy grin. “Of course I thought you’d wait ‘till you’d had an orgasm before you shot at them.” She laughed a big belly laugh that made her wiggle all over the place. The beads in her hair made a clicking sound as she jiggled. Damn the grapevine. Damn it.

 

I turned to Connie. “Have you got anything easy that I could do? Someone who wont stress me out and wont pull a gun or make me sweat having to run after them?”

 

“Yep. It’s the file 3^rd from the top, you’ll have to get it though, my nails are still wet.”

 

I leant across her desk and grabbed at the files. Behind me I heard the office door open. I knew it was Ranger by the way my nipples hardened. I pretended to ignore him as I finished fishing through the pile of folders. I pulled out my FTA’s file and stood back up. I turned around to face Ranger only to find him staring at my crotch.

 

He grinned. “Nice jeans Babe.” OH SHIT!! The rip at my bum!! My hand flew around to cover it, all a little too late. I stood up, shoulders back, tits out, chin high. And waited while his eyes slowly drifted up to meet mine. We stared at each other for a minute or two. I heard Lula mutter ‘Damn. There’s something easy for ya’ softly in the background. I broke off staring at him and turned back to Lula and Connie.

 

“I’ll catch you later guys. Shopping at 5?”

 

Lula answered. “I’m in. Got me a date I need a hot dress for.”

 

While Connie answered in the negative, “Gotta get to uncle Manny’s for dinner.”

 

“That’s cool, meet you here about then, then Lula. Oh and call Mary Lou for me and tell her to meet us there” I turned and after one more glance at Ranger to notice that his eyes had gone back to looking at my ass. I rolled my eyes and strolled out of the office and into big blue.

 

I sat behind the wheel and opened the file to see who my FTA was. I snorted. “Figures.”

 

Chapter 4

 

It was Mooner. The dope had missed his date again. This time I sware I’ll pick him up for when he gets rescheduled. I chucked the file onto the seat and took off towards Mooner's house and pulled up ten minutes later. I checked the file to see how much I’d be making from the Mooner's sufferance. Whoa, $1000. Damn Skippy, I could go shopping and then some. Or I could go shopping and pay a few bills. Well hell, I’ve got Rangers job tonight. I’d pay the bills with the money from that. I walked up to the Mooner’s door and knocked loudly. There was a commotion behind the door, two people swearing and 3 or 4 minutes later the Mooner opened the door about 3 inches.

 

“Hey Man!! It’s only you! We thought someone musta called the cops or something.” Only me? Who did he think he was?

 

“Yeah Mooner. You missed your date again.”

 

“Oh dude, I’m like so sorry. Was our date last night?” Huh?

 

“No Mooner, your court date. You know, the one I took you to reschedule before?”

 

“Shit dude! I did?”

 

“Yeah, I’m here to take you down again and get you bonded out again. Maybe we’ll even get something to eat on the way.”

 

“Cool, let me just finish up with Dougie here and I’ll meet you at the car.”

 

“Ok Mooner but if you’re not out in ten I’m coming in with handcuffs.”

 

“You’re into that kinky stuff hey dude? That’s cool, I can respect that.”

 

“No Mooner, just don’t be too long ok?”

 

“Sure dude, whatever you say.”

 

Ten minutes later the Mooner and the dealer were getting into big blue. I wondered if the Dealer realised we’d be going to the station. But first I figured lunch. It was 2.30pm and I had yet to eat.

 

“So where to for lunch guys?” I asked looking in the mirror at the Dealer sitting in the back. I flicked my eyes to Mooner. He had his finger in his ear.

 

“How about Macca's?” Dougie obviously knew gourmet food. “Or we could go for pizza at Pino’s.”

 

I thought of the choices, definitely Macca’s. Why risk running into Morrelli today more than once?

 

“Macca’s it is then.” I turned off Fledgling Street and headed towards the nearest Macca’s. After two hours, 13 Big Macs, 4 servings of fries and thick shakes we were off. It was a good thing that the Mooner and Dougie were happy to share some of their newfound wealth. But I’m guessing when you’ve got the munchies that bad you should damn well pay.

 

“Ok lets go get you rescheduled Mooner then I’ll drop you home before I go shopping.”

 

“Cool dude.”

 

“What are you shopping for? Like food and stuff?” Dougie asked.

 

“No, clothes.”

 

“Cool dude, can we like, tag along?”

 

“If you really want, but I’ve gotta pick up Lula from the office first.”

 

“Oh man, that chick that was with you when you broke up the Trekkie night?”

 

“The one and only.”

 

“Whoa dude, she is one outta control chick! She like took out 3 guys just to get to that other guy!”

 

I laughed. “Yeah that’s Lula, she always gets her man.”

 

“Scary, dude, scary.” I was still smiling about it as we pulled into the parking lot at the station. I looked carefully but didn’t see any car that Joe drove. I walked with Mooner while Dougie waited in the car for us. It was 4.45pm when we finished in the station. After being harassed by Carl and Eddie and just about everyone else in the station for Joe’s foul mood I really wasn’t in the mood to see the man himself. But for once I got lucky and got away without seeing him.

 

We pulled up to the office just as Lula and Connie were coming out of the office. “I ain't getting in that pimp mobile so don’t even think it. I’ll just follow you and meet you there. Mary Lou said she’d meet us at Macy’s shoes.”

 

“Sure, Connie, before you go can you write out the cheque for Mooner here?” Connie nodded and took a minute to write the cheque and handed it off, bustling me out of the office so she could get home.

 

It figured that Mary Lou would suggest the shoe department. The shoe department was to Mary Lou and me like restaurants to the rest of the people in the world. It was 5.10pm when we caught up with Mary Lou. She had 4 different pairs of shoes on the floor in front of the chair where she was trying them on. We all did the meet and greet thing and wondered off through the shoes to see if we could see anything we liked. Ten minutes later I found the most gorgeous heels you’ve ever seen. They were 4 inch, strappy, silk and bright pink. I got a pair that was my size to try on.

 

“They look great Steph.” Lula was checking me out. “All you need now is clothing to match.”

 

“Oh man I’m cracking a fat here. Those shoes are hot Steph.”

 

“Eww, sick Mooner, really sick. I’m glad to know they do what I had in mind, but really… I didn’t need to know that.” Damn I had it going on and the man who needed to see it wasn’t here. Later though.

 

We all headed up to the clothes department, carrying our shoeboxes. My boots were tied by the laces to each other and hanging over one of Mooner’s shoulders. I knew there was a reason I decided to let them come. I had on my new heels to get some practice in before to night, and of course so that I could see how different clothes matched. We spread out looking for the perfect outfit to go with my shoes. It was an hour later, Mary Lou had gone home to cook for the kids and we were on to the 4^th shop, that Dougie found the perfect outfit.

 

It was a skirt and top combo. The skirt was bias-cut and on an angle so that one side reached my knees and the other rode high on my thigh. The top was also bias-cut, with it going over one shoulder and the other was left bare. The bottom hem of the top was cut at an angle opposite to the skirt so the on the side where it reached my knees you could see skin at my midriff, while on the other side you couldn’t. It was made of raw silk and had threads of red and orange scattered though it. It was amazing and the colours looked surprisingly fantastic. I hoped Tank didn’t realise after my boring him to sleep last night about colour co-ordination. I guess that some pinks and oranges do mix well.

 

The best surprise came when it was time to pay. Mooner and Dougie took both Lula’s purchases and mine and paid for them. Something about being helpful in the recovery of the money they now had in their possession, and helpful in them keeping it. Whatever the reason I wasn’t going to say anything. The outfit was $390. Not something I could really afford on my pay if I wanted to keep living in my apartment.

 

Chapter 5

 

It was 7.30 pm by the time I got home. I decided to have a shower and do all the feminine grooming that I needed to do. I washed, shaved and conditioned. I washed myself with honey, almond and cinnamon body wash. I smelled delicious. I blow-dried my hair, big and bouncy. I decided to eat before putting on my make up. I ordered in pizza from Pino’s. It took 20 minutes to arrive. I put on a CD and ate while dancing around the house. I ate half of the pizza and at 10pm was in the bathroom putting on my makeup.

 

I stepped out of the building just as a black Bronco pulled up in front of the door. I opened the passenger side door and climbed in, letting my skirt ride up to show off more skin. I looked at Ranger in the drivers seat. I gave him a big smile. “Yo.” I said, beating him to the punch line.

 

He mustn’t have gotten the joke. He looked away and started up the car. He gunned the engine and spun the wheels leaving the parking lot. Hmm maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Hell! Yes it was. I just had to go about it the right way…

 

Oh boy, this should prove to be an entertaining night…

 

Chapter 6

 

Steph turned and looked at me, Lester and Bobby. She quirked a big grin “Hey guys… Hows it going?”

 

Hmm, breathy voice. Oh god! She was flirting with us in front of Ranger. Now unless something had drastically changed this was a big no-no. I listened to Steph and Lester flirt while I watched Ranger. Man he was so wound up that I think a car backfiring would have him pulling his gun. When Steph turned to see where we were going I rammed Lester with my elbow. I gave him a quick ‘quit it’ look and turned back to watching Ranger, only to see him looking at me. Damn. I quickly grinned and shrugged my shoulders.

 

“So, what’s the deal tonight?” Steph was looking at Rangers profile. He kept his eyes on the road.

 

“In the file on the floor there you’ll find the perp and all necessary info.” She rolled her eyes as Ranger slipped into his zone. Steph picked up the file and started to read though it. Suddenly she screeched. “RANGER!!!! This guy is wanted the rape of a dead girl that he killed!!! You want me to go in and convince him to leave with me? You want me to talk to a murdering necrophiliac?? Sometimes I wonder why I bother talking to you!! You always convince me to do things I don’t want to!!! Take me home!! Take me home NOW!!!!”

 

Ranger pulled over to the curb. He looked into the rear vision mirror and asked us to get out of the car. Steph went to open the door. Ranger grabbed her arm “Not you.” Was the last thing I heard before I shut the door behind me.

 

************

 

Well shit, I had stepped in it this time well and truly. I watched as Tank, Lester and Bobby got out of the Bronco. Shit, shit, shit. Ranger turned towards me with a look on his face I’d never seen before. I didn’t like this face, it was a scary face. He stared at me for a few minutes. Me being the brave girl I am stared out the windshield. I turned to look at him. Deep breath.

 

“Why didn’t you tell me? You said standard decoy work” my voice was low and surprisingly calm. I wondered for how long.

 

“I think you’ll be fine. We’ve got a team in the bar already. You wont be in danger at any point in time. Do you think I’d put you in danger if I could help it? No one else can do this Steph, you’re the only one qualified.”

 

“Meaning I've got tits and can act like a slut?”

 

“Pretty much.” Ranger stared at me some more. “Do you want out or not?”

 

“If it weren’t for the fact that this guy deserves to be behind bars, and that feel safe with you guys, I’d be home by now under the covers. But let me tell you Ranger, if anything happens to me, I’ll hold you personally responsible and I’ll come after you with my gun. Loaded.” Rangers lips twitched into something I’d consider maybe half a grin, it was relieving to know he still considered me a source of entertainment when I least wanted to be. “I wouldn’t be to amused if I were you, didn’t you hear? I’m not afraid of my gun any more. I even shoot at people.”

 

His grin widened, “Yeah Babe, I heard, hell I’m even proud of you for it. Shoulda done it long ago.” His face sobered. “You’re in for tonight?” I nodded my head. “Right, after this is over, we’re gonna talk, ok?”

 

I looked out the window at the guys discretely tried to watch us. I turned back to Ranger and sighed. “Ok”

 

Ranger honked the horn, the guys piled back into the Bronco and we took off.

 

My arm had started to ache a little by the time we pulled up at the bar. It still had stiches in it and I'm sure it looked funny with the dress I had on. I pulled some painkillers out of my bag and dry-swallowed them.

 

“Are you ok babe?” damn I’d forgotten about him, how I don’t know.

 

“Yep, just peachy.” Ranger looked at me. “Ok, so my arm hurts a bit, I’ll be fine” I turned away to look back out of the window.

 

“Ok, we’ll keep with the standard deploy. Steph we’ll put a wire on you and you can have a panic button for emergency, not that it’ll be necessary. We’ve got 4 guys inside already, so you’re covered there and we’ll be out here waiting for you to come out. This guy is pretty savvy so it may take you awhile to get him to come out. We’ll give you half an hour, if you haven’t brought him out by then, we abort that plan and wait for him to leave on his own. You clear?”

 

Great, I get to spend half an hour with a necrophiliac. Not my idea of a good time at all. “Sure, I've done this before. I know what going on,” I hesitated. “Well usually”

 

***************

 

20 minutes later Steph had managed to lure the FTA out to his certain doom. Only it wasn’t looking so certain.  She was out cold on the ground, Tank was looking worse for ware and I was struggling to keep him on the ground to put his cuffs on. Just as I had snapped the second one onto his left wrist Bobby came barrelling from around the back and Lester came out from inside the bar.

 

“Shit! What the hell happened out here? Everything was fine when I went into relieve the team” Lester knelt down next to Steph and checked her vital signs. He looked at the gash on her head where she had hit the ground after the FTA had knocked her out. I looked at him. “She’ll be fine. A big headache but fine.”

 

The second team came out of the bar at that time. “Ok heres what’s gonna happen, Team 1 will take the fugitive in, Lester, you and Bobby can drop me of with Steph at her house and then take Tank back to the compound. Watch for concussion, he’s got a thick head but he got hit hard. You know the drill.” I handed over the fugitive to Tommy, a guy in the 1^st team, and picked up Steph.  We all piled into the two cars and went our separate ways.

 

20 minutes later I had carried Steph up to her apartment. She moaned and thrashed around and I nearly dropped her. I got the door open using the key I had copied from her spare and put her down on the bed just before she started thrashing around again. She must have been having some violent dreams about someone, I hoped they were about Morrelli and not me. She settled down and I started to get her undressed. I was trying not to pay attention to her, knowing what she could do to me when she started to thrash around again and I copped a heel in the head.

 

“Fuck!” I grabbed at my forehead and walked into the bathroom and started to clean up the blood. A few minutes later I could feel her standing behind me, Steph came around and looked in the mirror at my head. “I see you’ve taken that lethal thing off your foot.”

 

“I did that.” No expression on her face.

 

“Yes”

 

She snorted. “I told you I’d get you if I anything happened to me.” She reached around into the medicine cabinet and pulled out some more painkillers.

 

“No, you told me you’d shoot me.” Steph turned and walked out of the bathroom after dry-swallowing 2 pills.

 

“Where is my bag?”

 

I followed her out into the living room. “Sorry, I guess I left it in the car.”

 

She started to laugh and then stopped clutching at her head. “Lucky for you then isn’t it?”

 

I pulled her into the bathroom and sat her on the sink top. I pulled out some antiseptic and a gauze bandage and started to clean up the gash on her head. She said nothing just sat and watched me as I worked. I taped up the gauze and started to back away. Her eyes were getting glassy as she grabbed me. “Ranger…” she looked at me.

 

“Now's not the time for this Babe, I’d prefer if you were in full control of your wits and had a fully functioning body.” She giggled and pulled on me turning slightly sideways.

 

“Don’t be stupid, I just wanted you to clean up my arm while you were at it. I think the stiches came undone when I fell.”

 

I felt like the biggest jerk in the world. As much as I'd like to think it, not every girl in the world can’t resist me, just look at the past 2 years. “Oh.” I started to unwrap the bandage on her arm. I looked down and realised that her skirt had ridden up and I was now able to see her underwear. Steph giggled again and pulled the skirt up even further. “You like? I brought them with a special occasion in mind, but since nothing is going my way lately I figured I’d just wear em tonight and feel sexy just for me. And I do feel sexy.”

 

She reached up and put her hands on my chest. She looked me in the eye and smiled a sexy little smile. “So do you.” Damn, damn her. I wanted her so badly it burned. Damn it, this was not the time.

 

“Steph, I need you to sit still. If you don’t want this to hurt, you need to stay still.” She pouted but did what she was told, well almost. She kept her uninjured arm resting on my chest. She started to hum to herself, something that was familiar but I couldn’t place it. “What are you humming Babe?”

 

“Oh, it's called Legend by Nelly Furtado. I just brought her new CD.”

 

“He wants to be, He wants to be, with everything under the sun. And she wants to burn, she wants to burn, hot like that sun, hot like that sun. And like a legend that rises then fall, I can not be, his only one.” She would sing a few lines and then hum a few bars. She had a pretty voice, but the choice of song didn’t bode well.

 

I finished cleaning her arm and re-wrapped it with a fresh bandage. Steph was gently swaying along with her humming. Her eyes were glassy and she was totally out of it. “Lets get you into bed ok?”

 

She grinned, “Only if you come with.”  She jumped off the bench and nearly fell over. “Carry me.” She put her arms around me and waited patiently until I did what I was told. I sat her on the bed. “Get me a t-shirt.”

 

“What’s with the orders?”

 

“Just do what I say.”

 

I grinned and turned and pulled out a t-shirt from a draw. She held up her arms. “Now dress me.” She had a big grin on her face that almost made me want to slap it off her. I pulled her top off and turned to put it on the dresser intending to leave her bra on. But I turned and she had taken it off already. She watched me watching her. Damn she was gorgeous. I wanted to touch her, and as if she knew what I was thinking, she grabbed my hand and put it on her breast. I left it there enjoying the sensation of her skin against my palm. Slowly I massaged it pulling at her nipple as she began to moan. No! Damn it this really wasn’t the time. I pulled my hand away and picked up her t-shirt off the bed. I managed to get her shirt on and skirt off with no further hassles. She twisted around and lay down on a pillow. She looked at me with big puppy eyes.

 

“Will you stay tonight? Please? I really don’t like to be alone at night any more.”  I sighed and pulled my shirt off. I turned the light off and pulled off my boots and pants before slipping in beside her. She huddled up next to me. This was going to be a long night.

 

Chapter 7

 

I woke up next to a warm body and with a pounding head. Damn, was my head pounding. I groaned and rolled closer to the warmth. I needed to pee, which meant getting out of bed. I groaned some more. If I had to be awake and in pain, whoever was in my bed had to be awake and aware of it. HOLD UP. There’s someone in my bed? Damn. I pulled myself up and looked at Ranger. Figures. Nothing had better have happened, I really wanted to remember it when it did happen. I groaned some more, louder and watched as he stirred in his sleep. Good.

 

I sat up and swung my legs around and onto the floor. Hmm, I was in different clothes than what I went out in. Another mystery that could wait until I’d relieved myself. I staggered to the bathroom and did my thing, noticing the bloody bandages in the bin I started to remember parts of last night. No no no. This cant be a good thing. But I remember him laughing so at least he’s not mad now. Right? I didn’t want to bet on that. I also remembered calling him stupid somewhere along the way. Not a good move, but he was still here, that’s something. But then again I had put his hands on my breasts too and he had pulled away.

 

Ranger had to be the most confusing person I've ever known. Damn him for sending out so many messages that were at cross-purposes. Damn him, damn him, damn him. And damn me for wanting him so bad. I rummaged through the medicine cabinets looking for some more of what got me into trouble in the first place. I found the painkillers on the sink where I had probably left them. I should probably eat something with these but as far as I knew there was no food in the place. I shrugged and headed back to bed.

 

I crawled in next to Ranger and snuggled up to his warmth. I groaned a few times because of my head.  It wouldn’t have even taken me 2 minutes until I fell back to sleep.

 

*********

 

I woke up not long before Steph crawled back into bed. Her groaning had worked its way into my dreams and I didn’t want to move less I give away the effect that she has on me. Shit, I didn’t even have to be awake for her to have an effect on me. I looked at the clock, 0437hours. I pulled her closer and tried to go back to sleep. My mind had other ideas. I thought of her in my bed, naked, moving underneath me, touching me, licking, kissing, and biting me.

 

DAMN. This had to stop. I pulled away from her and got out of bed. I went and had a shower, as hot as I could stand it. It was a little known fact that cold showers only made you hornier. Not something I needed right know. I dried off in a less excited state and went to see if she had any thing half decent to eat.

 

I looked in the fridge, freezer and all the cupboards and unless I was much mistaken there was no food in the place aside from some ice cream. This was not a healthy way to live. I mean, yeah, I gave her a hard time about what she ate, but really, this was ridiculous, eating the crap she did eat was better than not eating at all.

 

I picked up the keys to her car, grimacing at the thought of driving that beast. I locked the door behind me thinking that I had best call Lester first thing in the morning to drop off a vehicle for me to drive.

 

I returned about an hour later loaded down with food from the 24hour supermarket. I had gotten a few strange looks from the store workers. More specifically, from a midget who was working in the produce department. I had picked up what seemed to be enough food for about 2 weeks. Of course at the rate at which I’d seen her eat, it would probably be gone in 1. I unpacked all the food in to the fridge and various cupboards. Feeling suddenly tired I went back into the bedroom, striped off and crawled back into bed with Steph. I fell asleep not long after she moved in beside me to be spooned from behind.

 

Chapter 8

 

I woke to the sound of the phone ringing, I looked at the clock. Ugh, 7:34am. Who would be ringing this early? I listened to the machine pick up, I couldn’t hear who was on the phone, but if they were ringing this early they deserved to talk to the machine. A minute later the phone rang again, I hid my head under the pillow. After that, the phone didn’t stop ringing. Damn, I guess its time I faced the world. I had a feeling this was all about Joe and the fact that I wasn’t with him. “Fuck” I hadn’t called my mother. I had a feeling that she was the first caller this morning. She was going to be pissed.

 

“Babe, Are you going to answer the phone?”

 

I pulled the pillow tighter down on my head. “No”

 

“Then how about you go pull it out of the plug?”

 

“You do it.”

 

“Not my phone.”

 

“You want it unplugged.”

 

“I really don’t care one way or another.”

 

“Ugh.” I’m so loquacious in the morning, but at least my headache was gone. I struggled up and out of bed when the phone rang again. I was determined to let the machine get it so I walked slowly. I opened the door and walked to the phone. I listened to my mother.

 

“Stephanie Ida Maria Plum, I know you are there, and you had better pick up that phone right this instant you lady.” There was a pause, like I’d pick up the phone when she called me by my full name in that tone? I don’t think so. “What’s this I hear from Edna Stalvartz? Her daughter Megan works at the supermarket and she says that she saw that Ranger driving you car at 530 this morning? It’s not bad enough that I have to defend you to the whole state (state?) about breaking it off with Joe, who by the way says he misses you terribly and forgives you for shooting at him, (forgives me?). I now have to hear all the innuendo talk about my daughter sleeping around! (Who me?) Now not only was that man driving your car he brought enough groceries for a family for 2 weeks!!” There was another pause while we both took a breath. “Stephanie Plum, you had better call me as soon as you get this message.” There was a click as she hung up. I quickly pulled the plug and rewound the tape to listen. All in all, there were 9 calls, not including the one from my mother, all about Ranger driving my car and buying groceries. When the 4^th message started to play and I heard Lula spouting off about bagging batman, I went in to the kitchen to see if there was any truth to the matter. There was. I listened to the remaining messages, all the same. I rewound it.

 

“RANGER!!!!” I screamed. The man of my lust and wrath came out of the room with his gun drawn.

 

“Shit Steph. What are you screaming at?”

 

“Sit your ass down now!” This was said in a very tight and controlled manner. I was proud that I wasn’t screaming. He sat down and I pressed play on the machine. His grin got larger and larger as the messages went on. As soon as my mother had finished, he started to laugh. I, however was not laughing I was getting madder and madder. I walked into the kitchen and pulled out as many vegetable things in bags as I could hold. I walked back into the lounge room. Ranger was still laughing. Son of a bitch. I started to hurl vegetables at him. The lettuce hit him in the head and shut him up pretty damn fast. I continued to throw things at him, yelling incomprehensibly about it being his fault that my mother would never let me in the house again, let alone make me any desserts. I had run out of ammunition and was heading into the kitchen for more when I was picked up from behind around the waist and thrown on the couch. 2 seconds later Ranger followed me down, landing solidly on top of me. 2 seconds after that he was kissing me.

 

Chapter 9

 

Hmmm, this was sooo nice. Damn this man can kiss, it was one of those kisses that made all the muscles in your legs clench, it was one of those kisses that made you arch at the hips, it was one of those kisses that made you want to glue my lips to Rangers for ever, it was one of those kisses that made me forget about everything else. Hang on. I’m mad at him, I shouldn’t be kissing him!

 

I turned my head away, Ranger continued to kiss down my neck. Damn him for making me not want to stop. But I was mad, yes that was it, that’s why I had to stop him. I groaned and then remembered the anger again. I tried to push him away, I didn’t have a chance in hell. He continued to do what he was doing, not that I'm complaining, but I’m meant to be mad right? So I pushed some more. He lifted his head and grinned at me. He didn’t get off, and I could feel his erection pushing in-between my legs. Damn. I wanted this man.

 

We were both breathing heavily. After I had managed to catch my breath I worked it around in my head until I managed to get a logical sentence out. “What in hell did you think you were doing? Shopping at 5am in the morning in my car?”

 

“Babe, you had no food in the house.”

 

“I know that, what’s your point?”

 

“Its not a healthy way to live.”

 

“Do you realise how often I actually eat here? Never!!! I eat at my Parents house, I eat at the mall, and I eat at work!! If I eat here I get take away! If it weren’t for Rex’s grapes and my milk I wouldn’t even need a fridge!” I paused, realising that he had just been trying to be helpful. Damn, his thoughtfulness had put me in hell. I sighed. “Look, I know you were just trying to be nice and helpful and all, but you really shouldn’t have done that.”

 

Ranger was looking at me. No expression, no nothing. “Babe, if I’m going to be spending as much time here as I think I will, that means that Tank, Bobby and Lester will be coming here on a regular basis as well. They eat more than any other people I've ever met.”

 

“Oh.” As much time as he thought? This was news to me. I liked my space. I liked my small cramped apartment made for one.

 

“Which reminds me.” He climbed off me and walked into my bedroom. He came back in the room holding his cellular. “Lester, I need you to drop a car round to Steph’s some time this afternoon. Make sure you grab her purse to… Uh huh… really?  Never woulda guessed it… Yup... Tank ok?  Ok… She’s fine… giving me hell… ok, later.”

 

He looked at me, big shit eating grin on his face. “Interesting things in that purse of yours…” He pushed me back down on the couch. “We should go through it again this afternoon, see what else we can find to play with…” He kissed me.

 

“Whoa!! Lester and Bobby went through my bag?” I arched my neck to give him better access.

 

“Well, no, as I understand it, it was Tank.” He worked his hands up under my shirt. “And seeing as though he was nearly as far out of it as you were last night, you can’t really go off at him.”

 

“Mmmm, sure.” I was breathing heavily. “But I can go off at Bobby and Lester for not stopping him right?”

 

My shirt came off. “Babe, if you shut up, you can do what ever you want.”

 

His mouth was on my breast. “Ok, sure.” Who was I to disagree with him?

 

Ranger only had a pair of boxers on, his skin was smooth and hot, with no hair. It felt good under my hands and on my chest, the hair on his legs felt rough and strangely enough erotic rubbing against my legs. My hands ran down Rangers back dragging a fingernail down his spine. I dipped my hands below his boxers and grabbed his butt. “Hmmm,” that was a nice firm butt. I reached around to his front and wrapped my fingers around him. Gently stroking.

 

Ranger kissed me, hard enough for my head to be pushed back into the cushions, hard enough to bruise my lips, hard enough for teeth to clash against each other. I pulled my hands out from his boxers and pulled him to me, raising my hips at the same time, using the same pressure as he was on our mouths.

 

Ranger sat up and removed my underwear. He stayed on his knees just looking at me. His eyes were dark, his breathing laboured. He ran his hands up my calves, over my knees, up my thighs and stopped at the juncture of my legs and torso. He ran his hands down around and his thumbs hit that spot.

 

I bucked under him, screaming, and coming at a speed unknown to me before. My breathing slowed, I opened my eyes and looked at him. He was looking very satisfied with himself. I reached up and pulled him down to me. Kissing him wildly, with no control. I rolled and pushed him to the floor underneath me. We landed with a thunk, but hey, it couldn’t have hurt too much, he wasn’t complaining when I started kissing my way down his body. He groaned when I licked his neck, I bit into him softly and he tightened his grip on my butt. I licked down further and bit the very end of his nipple and was rewarded with a groan louder than mine. I worked my way down further, stopping when I got to his boxers. Suddenly I sat up. “Wait. Don’t move.” I got up and walked into the bedroom, I rummaged through my draws until I found some left over condoms that Joe had brought. I walked back into the living room to find Ranger hadn’t moved. I stood over the top of him, he had pulled a cushion off the couch and rested his head against it.

 

I knelt down over him and rubbed my hands up his chest. I scratched my fingernails back down hooking them under his boxers and removed them. I pulled a condom out of the box and was just about to remove it when there was loud knocking at the door.

 

************

 

I groaned in despair. Was the whole world conspiring against us? I’m sure that when we finally got around to actually doing the deed it was going to be uninterrupted. Stephanie sat on my thighs, glaring at the door. When who ever it was knocked again she stood up and slammed the bathroom door behind her. I guess that meant I was supposed to answer the door. I got up and pulled my boxers back on. It was a good thing that other people take away my happy. I could hear Steph banging around in the bathroom and the water running. I answer the door to see Lester, Bobby and Tank standing there. All looking mighty happy about something. I grunted and stepped aside for them to enter. Like I wanted to talk to them right now. Tank headed straight for the kitchen while Lester and Bobby sat on the couch. Tank stood in the door between the kitchen and lounge room. He looked around the floor.

 

“So boss…” I stared wishing I could wipe that smart arse grin off his face. “Looks like Steph wasn’t to pleased with your little shopping jaunt this morning…” He looked towards the bathroom where there was still some banging around going on. “She sounds pissed.”

 

I grinned, “Don’t be to surprised if she takes a running charge at all of you. I don’t think its me she’s pissed at.”

 

The water shut off in the bathroom. “Oh? What’s she got to be pissed off at us for? We just brought her bag and you a car.”

 

We all turned to the bathroom as the door opened. Steph came out wearing a towel that barely covered her. I smiled at all that flesh and then I sat down and crossed my legs. Stephanie stood between her door and the bathroom surveying the scene. She then scowled and slammed her bedroom door behind her.

 

“Hmm boss, did we interrupt something here?” Bobby’s idea of tact. I merely looked at him. We sat around waiting for Steph to come out of her room. She did and went back in to the bathroom. Jeans and a flannel, interesting to know she’s not interested in impressing me. Just about every female I knew tried to impress me after I had kissed her, let alone got naked with em. She stormed out of the bathroom and grabbed her purse off Lester and started to rummage through it putting various things into her pocketbook and others on the table near her phone. Lastly she pulled out her gun. She turned and looked at us all. She stomped into the kitchen and I could hear the rattle of her cookie jar. She came back picked up her pocket book and plugged in her answering machine. She turned to look at me.

 

“Lock up when you leave.” And she left. Slamming the door behind her.

 

Chapter 10

 

I looked up from my desk as the door to the office opened, hoping it was Ranger and I could off load this freak and get my money back unfortunately it was just that big haired cousin of mine.

 

“Vinnie, where’s Connie and Lula?” she stood in the door way not touching anything. I liked my cousin Stephanie, but hey, when we were kids she’d never play doctors with me. What kinda cousin was that?

 

“I gave em the day off. No court no nothing going on. Why should I pay em for siting around doing nothing but gossip and eat?” Stephanie rolled her eyes, so much like her mother. What a hottie. “So what are you doing down here on a weekend when you should be having a few days off after Ranger got you shot?”

 

“You really want to know? Ok first of all, Ranger didn’t get me shot, that was all due to my own stupidity, secondly my apartment is full of big ex-army freaks and I don’t wanna be there, thirdly I don’t want to go home and face my mother, forth, I need some money so I thought I’d see if there was anything from yesterday, fifth, I’d go shopping but I need money first and sixth, I haven’t had an orgasm for a while now so I've got all this energy to blow.” We both blink. Simultaneously we both speak.

 

“Did I just say that to you?” ”Did you really just say that to me?”

 

Damn she must really not be watching herself, maybe I should give this to her, It'd only be chump change for Ranger, and the mood she was in she’d flatten this guy if he so much as breathed wrong. “Ok, I've got one file, I was gonna give it to Ranger but your not such a bad bounty hunter now. You’ve always gotten you skip, so here it is.”

 

Steph took the file from me and glimpsed at the picture. “Thanks, Vinnie.”

 

She turned out of the office, “Just promise me that you’ll call Ranger for help for the take down. This guys a little violent. And I wouldn’t want Grandma Mazur coming after me.” 

 

“Vinnie you care?”

 

“No, but Ranger and Morrelli would also kick my ass and I’d like it in one piece.”

 

Stephanie snorted and left the building. It’ll be interesting to know if she actually gets this guy. I doubt if she’d call Ranger for the take down, but hey, what did I know.

 

*************

 

What was with the comment about Morrelli? Like he’d give a shit if I got shot. In fact I can imagine the grin of delight on his face the moment he heard. But anyway, I had a job to do and I was going to do it in a professional manner. Well as professional as I got. I sat in Big Blue and cracked open the file. Roberto Menendez, skipped bail on a charge of vehicular manslaughter. This was his second conviction for it. He also had a rap sheet as long as my arm. Maybe I should take this back to Vinnie, allow Ranger to take it, while I crawled back into my bed.

 

Then I thought of what was back at my apartment. Well maybe they had left, but I wasn’t ready to find that out just yet. I jumped as my cell phone rang. I looked at the calling number. Hmmm, my apartment. Doesn’t that just shit me! Using my phone to call my cell. I wasn’t sure who it was but I didn’t want to answer it so I just turned it off. I’ll deal with that particular problem later. Back to the skip.

 

Menendez is 43 years old, living down near Stark Street. Great. He listed owning a video store for his occupation. So I'd go to his place first then there. After that I’d go home and see if that big bunch of baboons had left yet. I started up the Buick and realised that I should probably go and get my gun for this. Damn. I pulled out and drove back home. I pulled up on the side street rather than the car park so I could make a fast get away if necessary. I pulled out my cell and dialled my apartment. My machine picked up.

 

“Ranger, are you still there? Pick up if you are.” I waited. No answer I hung up. Walked around to the car park to see if I could spot any black cars. None. I ran up the stairs to my apartment and let myself in slowly and quietly. No body here. Thank god for that. I grabbed my gun noticing that the machine was blinking rapidly and there was a note on the table. Later, procrastinate is my middle name. I locked up and ran back down the stairs. I jumped into the monstrosity that was my car and gunned it, heading towards Stark Street.

 

I pulled into a park that was close to Menendez’s apartment. I was in a shitty mood and I wasn’t gonna take any shit from no one, especially a shit head FTA. I walked up the stairs and knocked on the appropriate door. And much to my great surprise Menendez answered.

 

“Can I help you sweetheart?” Oh dear god, he was leering at me. That’s just disgusting.

 

“Sure you can Mr Menendez, my name is Stephanie Plum. I represent your bonding company and it appears that you’ve missed your court date. I’m here to take you down and get you rescheduled.” Menendez was looking at me as if I were the dumbest person on earth. This was not going to go smoothly. Great, just what I needed, no just what I wanted.

 

“Sure sweetheart, you can take me down anytime you want.” He leaned against the door jam. Oh, like he didn’t think I was gonna?

 

“Listen, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. The easy way doesn’t take as long nor does it hurt as much.” He grinned and I narrowed my eyes. I put my hand into my pocket book and pulled out my stun gun.

 

“Ouff.” When he saw it he kicked me in the stomach, hard enough to wind me. All the air came rushing out of me and I felt like I was gonna throw up. I did manage to stun his leg though and thank god he had rubber-soled shoes on. He collapsed into a heap and so did I. I dug around and pulled out my handcuffs and cell. I dialled though to Eddie while I put the cuffs on him.

 

“Gazara.”

 

“Yo Eddie are you working today?”

 

“Yeah why Steph, what’s happened now.”

 

“Well I got me a skip cuffed and stunned, a skip that kicked me and now I cant breath enough to drag him down the stairs, can you come and give me a hand.” I was panting heavily and nearly couldn’t finish what I was saying.

 

"Yeah Steph, tell me where you are and then just sit there until I get there ok?”

 

“Sure.” I gave him the address and sat and waited just trying to catch my breath. Damn my stomach hurt. I pulled up my shirt to have a look at where he kicked me. A bruise was already starting to form. Tears were rolling down my face I was in so much pain. I leaned against the wall trying to get a grip on things.

 

Five minutes later I could hear Eddie, Carl and Big Dog coming up the stairs. I still couldn’t breath and tears were still running down my face, I wasn’t crying but I couldn’t stop the tears.

 

“Shit Steph! Are you ok?”

 

Am I ok? Do I look ok? “No. Can one of you drop me off home? I can’t see to drive.”

 

“Sure Steph. Carl, can drive the Buick and give you a lift home. Big Dog can follow him in the squad car and I can take you skip in. Maybe you should go to the hospital and get yourself checked out?”

 

“No, I’ll be fine once I catch my breath.” If I catch my breath. Carl helped my down the stairs while Eddie and Big Dog dragged Menendez down after us.

 

20 minutes later I was back at my apartment breathing better but my stomach was hurting more than I've ever felt in my life. I still had very watery eyes and looked absolutely horrible. Now is when I'd expect Ranger to show up. I was starting to wish he would too. It was scary to be in this much pain and be alone.

 

I gave up on being brave and called Ranger.

 

“Talk.”

 

“Ranger, I need your help.”

 

There was a slight pause. “Ok, where are you?”

 

“Home.”

 

“Ok, give me ten.”

 

He hung up and I think I passed out.

 

Chapter 11

 

I let myself into Steph’s apartment when she didn’t answer the knocks. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting when I opened the door, hopefully Steph in bed naked waiting to pick up where we left off. I certainly wasn’t expecting to find her unconscious on the couch with a size 9 bruise.

 

“Fuck!” She made me sware a lot this girl. I picked her up and carried her down the stairs. I ran into Dillon at the entrance and sent him up to lock up her apartment. I laid her down in the back of my Mercedes and drove so fast to the hospital that I could have been flying.

 

I was pacing in the waiting room after calling everyone I knew who might have known what happened to her. Funnily enough it was Vinnie who had known the most. And after calling her friend Eddie Gazara I found out the total story. She had gone after a skip that even I would have trodden carefully around. Not only had she gone after him, she had gone alone and she had turned him in. It was enough to make you want to strangle her and kiss her all at the same time. But just then it seemed as if everyone who knew her came in at once. Her parents, grandma, sister, Lula, Connie, Mary Lou, half of the police department, Vinnie and my crew. Lula was the first to approach me. And she was in full rhino swing.

 

“What the hell happened to her? Is she gonna be ok? Where is she now?”

 

I turned to announce to the whole congregation. “She was kicked by a skip, I don’t know and she’s in the operating theatre. Anything else?”

 

“OHHHH my Baby!!!” Mrs Plum burst into tears and collapsed onto a chair. After that various people started going off on there own little tangents. I sat down and Vinnie sat next to me.

 

“Do you think she’ll be ok?” the little maggot actually sounded concerned.

 

I looked at him, “I don’t know, it looked fucking nasty.” He blew out a big breath and slunk down in the chair and stared at the ceiling. I returned to listening to the rest of the people in the room. Various comments from various people filtered though.

 

“She needs to get herself a better job.” “She needs a man to look after her.” “I dunno why she didn’t listen to me when I said to come here in the first place.” “She shoulda called me to help her.” “She shoulda known better” “Dear god I hope she’ll be alright.”

 

These people were decent people for the most part, but they were really getting on my nerves. All I needed now was for Joe Morrelli to come waltzing and laying all the blame at my feet. It had been a shitty day so far, but it could get worse. I was expecting it to as well.

 

Vinnie spoke, “You know I only gave her that job cause I really thought she’d be able to handle it. I guess I was wrong.”

 

I looked at him. “No you were right, she got him.”

 

He looked at me in surprise. “She did? Good on her, knew she could.” He smiled and then frowned and returned to staring at the ceiling.

 

It was probably an hour later when a Doctor came out to find me. Every one gathered around waiting to hear news.

 

“Umm, I can only talk to family at this moment.”

 

Lula went in to full rhino mood. “We are family. You saying we ain’t Steph’s family huh? We all worried, so you just tell us what’s goin’ on here.”

 

The Doctor stammered a bit, not sure exactly what to do.

 

“Listen here, I’m her Father and I wanna know what’s going on. You tell us and you tell us NOW!!” I stepped up behind him. Being as big as I am, its sometimes intimidating. Sometimes this goes against me, other times it works wonders. The Doctor started to talk a mile a minute.

 

“Well, Stephanie has a cracked rib and some internal bleeding. The worst thing however was the damage to her liver. Part of it was perforated. Now we operated and removed the damaged part of the liver. However, the liver is a remarkable organ. Within 3 weeks at the outside it will be fully heeled and back to its normal size. However it will be approximately 6 weeks before she is completely heeled and properly on her feet again.”

 

Steph’s Mum stepped up. “Thank you Doctor. When can we see her?”

 

“Well she’s still under anaesthetic at the moment, but I will allow 2 in the room at a time for no more than 10 minutes each. She will be released within the next couple of days when we are sure that there will be no complications. But just one thing, and this might sound heartless but how is all this going to be paid for?”

 

“I’ll pay for it.” Everyone looked at Vinnie like he was the guy who killed Bambi’s mother. “Well it happened on the job, so insurance will pay for it.”

 

Vinnie and some of the others left to get some of the paper work underway, while others started to line up to go in and visit Steph. I just sat and waited.

 

***********

 

This was so typical of Stephanie, getting everyone up in arms and worried about her and being so oblivious to it. Of course the fact that she was sedated was beside the point. I was sitting next to the bed when her eyes fluttered open.

 

“Ranger?” hmm that was interesting.

 

“No Steph, it’s your sister.”

 

“Oh, hey, where am I? Oh I’m gonna throw up.” I quickly grabbed a container that had been provided specifically for this moment. Eww, it was all blood and bile. It was the most disgusting thing I’ve ever seen. I pressed the attention button for the nurse’s desk.

 

Steph was balled up on the bed retching and crying. It was not a pretty picture. I stroked her forehead and was murmuring softly to her. I had kids, I knew how to handle sick people. After the nurse had cleaned her up and given her something to stop the vomiting we got down to details.

 

“Hey Val, sorry about that.” She sounded worn out. “So…?”

 

“You are in the hospital. Apparently Ranger found you unconscious after you called him. He rushed you here. You’ve got a cracked rib, internal bleeding and half a liver.” Her eyes bulged. “Well they removed a small part, but it will grow back again. Mostly you just have to watch for infection in your stitches.”

 

“God all that from one kick? No wonder I feel like shit. I bet all of Trenton knows by now to.”

 

“Probably. Listen, my time is almost up, is there anything I can bring you when I come back tomorrow?”

 

“Umm, no thanks, but could you send Ranger in?”

 

“Sure Steph.” I kissed her cheek and went in search of Ranger.

 

*************

 

Ranger came into the room when I was throwing up again. It figures doesn’t it? He always looks impeccable and I’m always a mess. Normally it wasn’t this bad though. He stood next to me rubbing my forehead watching as I chucked it all up. This had to be one of the grossed moments in my life, it figured that the objection of my lust had to see it. I finished throwing up and wiped my mouth.

 

“My life is officially crap.” Big grin.

 

“It really could be worse.” Me, being eloquent, snorted, and then flinched.

 

“Really? I can even make derogative noises at your dumb clichés.”

 

“Yeah and your snorting is so cute too.”

 

I burrowed into the pillow. “If your gonna make fun of me you can get out. I need sympathy not you picking on me.”

 

“Yeah I gotta admit it, this one needs more than a band-aid. But I dunno about sympathy, you did a stupid thing today.” He was looking at me with a look that said he was pissed, didn’t want me to know he was concerned. I liked being able to read his looks. It levelled the playing field a little. Not much, but a little.

 

“Ok, you can go away now. I was gonna thank you for saving my life, but I think you only did that to give me hell, so I’m not gonna now.” I slowly and carefully rolled over. He was on the other side by the time I got there. Ugh. I couldn’t be bothered to roll back again. Besides it hurt too much. Instead I just rolled my eyes.

 

“I’m not going anywhere yet, we’ve got some arrangements to make.”

 

“Such as?” this cant be good. ‘Arrangements’ made it sound like he was put out a contract on me. Though he could probably just pull out one of the many guns I knew he was packing and just shoot me here and now. He probably would too. If he were half as frustrated with me as I was, he’d do it in an instant. In fact I bet that’s what going through his mind right now, he was wondering which gun to use. Damn these drugs were making me hallucinate.

 

“Such as what you are gonna do when you get released. You can’t stay by yourself.”

 

I thought about it for a while. Crap, I was going to have to move back home again. Back in with grandma Mazure, back with Mum, back with Dad. Back into the small row house with one bathroom for 4 adults. Crap, crap, crap. I think I must have whimpered at that point. I must have made some kind of noise as Ranger grinned.

 

“Calm down babe, I’ve got some suggestions if you want to hear them.”

 

“Sure.” After all, what could be worse than living with my parents again? Well aside from living with Morrelli. Actually living with Ranger would be worse, I’d probably break all my stiches open trying to jump him.

 

“Well, I could move in with you for a limited time-“

 

“No, out of the question.” Woops, that was a bit rude. Ranger looked at me and continued.

 

“OR, we could move you into my house, but I figure that’s out of the question as well?” He raised an eyebrow. I nodded, he had no idea, how self-destructive I could actually be. I mean, just look at my life. “You could move into your parents again. The other alternative is to move you into the compound where you’d have nurse maids all day and night.”

 

“The compound?” sounds like a maximum-security prison or something.

 

“Its where most of the team live, as well as a few other ex-military guys. The building is owned and operated by Rangeman.” See? I know things and I was right about the maximum-security thing to.

 

“Do you live there?”

 

“Sometimes”

 

“So tell me more” after all, it had to be better than my parent’s house.

 

“The compound is an apartment block. 5 apartments on each level, aside from the ground floor, 8 floors and a rooftop pool. If you decide to take an apartment, you will have someone close by at all times. It is self-contained, but I’m sure we can work something out for the first week or so. You can stay for as long or as short as you like. Until you go back to work, the rent will be paid for, after that, you can either move back to you apartment or remain on at the compound.” Ranger stoped talking. Its like I’m in bizzaro world. Next thing you know, Ranger was going to break out into song. He looked at me and raised an eyebrow. “What?”

 

“Nothing. Can I think about this?”

 

“Sure, I’ll be back tomorrow. Get some rest ok?” He kissed my head and closed the door behind him. I was asleep before the latch even clicked.

 

Chapter 12

 

I really hated thinking. Thinking is the working girl’s curse. Oops, not quite what I meant, ‘cause I’m not a working girl in the original sense of the word. Damn, see what thinking does? Sends you of on tangents that have no bearing on the decision you are trying to make. Ok, back to the question at hand. What to do, what to do.

 

Well moving back in with my parents was the last resort… Lula? God no, I could only take so much of Lula in one day, living with her for 6 weeks would be enough for about 6 months. Connie? Nope, she has her own family to look after. Eddie? No, that would mean putting up with Shirley. Mary-Lou? Not with her kids in the same house, like that would help me recover faster, well it'd give me a goal to aim for I suppose. So that didn’t leave many choices. Ranger would have been ideal in any situation aside from the one I'm in. if I didn’t have stiches I’d be there in an instant, after all, how often do you get an invite to see the bat cave? But for now, I’d have to say no to that, ditto on him moving in with me.

 

I hated to say it, but well it looked like the compound was the way to go. I wasn’t gonna ask any questions, I really didn’t want to know the answers. Just the basic stuff about rent, bills and if I could have visitors.

 

All right. I looked around the room, looked at my watch, flicked through the TV channels, looked back at my watch. Great that whole lot had taken a total of 6 minutes. So, its 730am, I've had breakfast, I’m wide-awake and bored out of my skull. Ahh, some thoughtful person has left me a bunch of magazines. Bet that was Val, she’s had enough time in hospital to know I suppose.

 

I read through everything of interest in all the magazines. Looked at my watch and then read everything else. Great, 9am and I've nothing to do for the rest of the day. I rang the nurse and asked if it were possible to have a shower, bath anything and was informed that yes it was, but I had to wait for assistance. My mother came in, yes she would be fine to supervise the bath, she just need to call an orderly for help getting me in and out of the bath. I would have laughed if it didn’t hurt so much, here I am, 30 years old, all grown up and living away from home, and my mother is giving me a bath.

 

I hated my life sometimes.

 

Chapter 13

 

I was still in hospital 3 days later. I was feeling 200% better, and I was ready to burst out of my skin out of sheer boredom. Sporadic visitors kept me sporadically entertained. But I was ready to leave, more than ready. And I was going to leave today. There was not a single person in this whole damn place that was going to stop me. Well not unless they tied me to the bed and I couldn’t see them doing that.

 

I had arranged with Ranger that I’d be moving in to the compound for 6 weeks with an option to extend the lease. The rent was going to be a bit more than my other apartment but it had more amenities so I wasn’t going to complain about that. I was going to be on the 7^th floor across the hall from Tank and next door to Lester. Tank who had been to visit me a few times to explain and describe the compound and generally keep me going out of my mind had told me that the compound reminded him of one of those revoltingly happy families that you see on TV, the kind where life was perfect and all the problems were solved in half an hour. The only difference was that the people on TV never got shot at or blown up occasionally. My only thought was ‘great, goobers with guns’. Then he smiled and said that there was also the fact that there was no ‘mummy’ and that the ‘daddy’ was rarely around. Reckoned that me living with there was going to be funny shit, and then proceeded to laugh at my scowl. If I could have been bothered to get out of bed I would have beaten the crap out of him.

 

However, that was one of the things I had to look forward to. I got out of bed and limped along and took a shower, washed my hair and had a candy striper dry my hair for me. I walked up to the desk had an argument with the desk nurse while another called for my doctor. I walked off and called Ranger.

 

“I’m ready to go”

 

“Hello to you too”

 

“Just come get me or send Tank. Either way, I’m out of here.”

 

“Ok babe. Give me ten”

 

I was standing arguing with the doctor, who was adamant that I wasn’t leaving, I however was in full swing and I was determined that I was leaving. Ranger arrived when I was in the middle of this argument. Grin smug on his face.

 

“Babe, if the doctor says you have to stay, you have to stay.”

 

I narrowed my eyes, “Either I leave with you, or I leave by myself. Take your pick.” I was NOT going to stay here any longer.

 

Ranger looked at me for about 30 seconds and pulled the doctor away. I couldn’t hear what they were saying but there was a lot of nodding and shaking of heads.

 

“Very well Miss Plum, I will release you into Mr Manoso’s care. I want it known that this is against my best judgement, but seeing as though he has some medical training I’m willing to make an exception. You will need to go see your doctor to have a check up and get those stitches removed.” He wrote down some instructions for me and handed them to Ranger. He said goodbye and to call if I needed him.

 

Ranger picked up my bags and followed me slowly out to the car park. I delicately got into the BMW while Ranger put my bags in the trunk. He climbed in behind the wheel and started it up.

 

“Packed up and moved your stuff into the compound yesterday.” I looked over at him. He was grinning. “You had some interesting things in your draws babe.”

 

Great, I could just imagine the childishness that had happened in my apartment yesterday. Tank probably tried on my underwear, either that or he wore them on his head. I could see it now, big army guys hiding their embarrassment behind crude jokes and all of it would have been at my expense. I sighed and lay my head back, hoping that sleep would get all this crap out of my head.

 

*************

 

I was in the guardroom, watching the security cameras when Ranger and Stephanie pulled up. I picked up the phone and dialled the internal number for Tank.

 

“She’s here.”

 

“What? How’d she get out already?”

 

“Dunno, guess the boss has something to do with it cause he’s driving her.”

 

“Shit, the boss is here too?”

 

“Yeah, but it looks like she ain't gonna wake up so you’ve still got time to get rid of the chick.”

 

“What chick?” such an innocent tone, right, like the whole compound didn’t know what was going on with Tank and the Tasty Pastry chick. No one knew her name, only that she worked at Tasty Pastry, but his love life was almost as high in the betting stakes as the boss’s.

 

“Right Tank, you act like the cameras don’t see everyone who comes in and leaves the building.” I was grinning as I watched Ranger pick up Stephanie out of the car and carry her inside. “I was on duty last night, covering your ass I might add, when you came in with the chick, she hasn’t left yet.” I gave a jaunty wave to Ranger as he headed to the elevator. “They just got into the elevator, you’ve got less than a minute.”

 

I disengaged and watched Ranger and Stephanie’s progress though the cameras. I saw with a grin that Tank slipped hurriedly into the hall and opened Stephanie’s door before Ranger and followed them into the apartment. The door closed and I returned to monitoring all other cameras. I looked up at the clock, 15 minutes till I was off duty, 15 minutes till I could head upstairs and watch Tank and Ranger argue about security for the bombshell bounty hunter and Tanks insistence that she was hell enough for anyone who managed to get past the rest of us.

 

************

 

I was awake pretending to sleep, when Ranger and Tank began to talk about some one called Gail. Gail, from what I gathered was Tanks girlfriend, though he was hoping that she’d move in with him. Hmm, this was interesting. The only Gale I knew around these parts was my 3^rd cousin. Gale was currently working part time at Tasty Pastry and finishing her last year at university where she was studying fine arts. I had advised her to look elsewhere for work, after all, Tasty Pastry had brought me nothing but hassles and a fat ass from free samples. But no, she liked it, besides she ate like a horse and had no problem with weight.

 

Ranger was asking about the pool, and how much was it up to now? And then he told Tank to pull out of the race for at least 6 weeks as due to unforeseen circumstances… Well I figured that one out but didn’t get anything about the pool and race, wait a minute, were they betting on the out come of their love lives? Well then, I think I’d have to get in on it and bet on Tanks, cause I sure wasn’t going to bet on mine at this stage. I guess the person to see would be Lester.

 

Tomorrow, now, I sleep.

 

Chapter 14

 

I woke again probably a few hours later. I wasn’t sure what had woke me but 2 minutes later I thought it was probably the argument between Tank and Ranger. For such a quiet guy Ranger could sure make a lot of noise. I expected it from Tank, but not Ranger. I stood in the doorway of my bedroom listening to them Tank was saying that I didn’t warrant any extra protection, while Ranger was insisting I did. Huh, where’s the faith, ok so I tended to attract weirdos, but really, how often did they get as far as breaking into my apartment? Well a few times sure, but I’m sure I could handle them. Besides I truly doubted that they’d get though the security on this building, and anyways, Tank was right across the hall and Lester right next door.

 

“I agree with Tank.” That shut them up. “Good now stay that way so I can sleep.” I returned to the bedroom and was slowly lowering myself onto the bed when Ranger let himself in. “Gee, come in why don’t ya?”

 

“I will, thanks.”

 

I settled myself and Ranger came and sat next to me. “You ok babe?”

 

“Be better if I could get some sleep.”

 

He looked kind of off put. So my sarcasm blooms when I’m sick and tired. I felt kinda mean though, he’d been nothing but nice to me, well pissed off and nice.

 

“What is it?” I sighed.

 

“Just wanted to know if you were ok is all.”

 

“I’m fine, thanks, but I could really do with some sleep.”

 

“The doctor sent some pills home with you. You want some?”

 

I thought of the last time I had taken any pills. Look at the trouble that got me into. “Umm no I think I’ll be right for now. I’ll see how it goes.” I looked at him and he looked at me. “Are you gonna stay here tonight?”

 

“If you want. I can sleep on the couch.” He stood up. “I just have to go up and get some clean clothes and some food that I can actually eat. I noticed that Tank did your shopping for you.” He grinned. Smart-ass.

 

“What time is it?”

 

“Its 1430 hours”

 

“So that’s like 230pm to normal people right?”

 

“Yes babe. I’ll wake you for dinner ok?”

 

“As long as it’s something decent.”

 

“I only eat decent food babe, what you call food doesn’t even rate with me.” He got up and placed a kiss on my forehead.

 

“Hey before you go, what was in the note you left on the table when you left the other day?”

 

“What note?”

 

Hmm, “Well there was a note on my table when I went home the other day to pick up my gun. I figured it was from you.”

 

“Nope, didn’t see it when we were packing up either. You want me to have another look for it?”

 

“No thanks. I’ll see you later.” I rolled and listened as the door closed. I fell asleep wondering whom the note was from, hoping against hope that it wasn’t from Morrelli.

 

***************

 

I let myself into Steph’s apartment hoping she was there so I didn’t have to go to her parents to see her. I had gone to the hospital to see her but she had booked herself out earlier that morning. Nope, no Steph, and nothing else either. Hmm, I wondered what had happened that made her move everything out. I suppose it’s because she’s not working and cant afford the rent.

 

I don’t know why she didn’t come and ask me for help. It wasn’t like I wouldn’t be there for her, even after the last few day’s events. So I’d been angry about her shooting at me, I mean who wouldn’t? But that had kinda evened out the playing board with my proposal and all. But then, I’d walked in here to find her in bed with that gorilla Ranger. So if anyone had a reason to be mad, it was me. So why didn’t she call me asking for help?

 

***********

 

Someone was knocking at the door, disturbing my rhythm in the kitchen, Frank was out, as was Mother. I wiped my hands and went to answer the door.

 

“Joseph Morrelli!! Why what a wonderful surprise. Come in dear, come in. Hows your mother? I hope she’s well, and you grandmother.” I sat Joe down at the table. “Would you like something to drink? Some coffee cake perhaps?”

 

“No thanks Mrs Plum. I just came by to see Stephanie.”

 

“What? No dear, she’s still in the hospital.” What was wrong with this picture?

 

Joe shifted uneasily in his seat. “Umm, no I went to see her this morning, cause I haven’t been able to get away from work to see her, but she’s booked herself out. And her apartment is empty, so figured she’d moved back home until she was back on her feet.”

 

“You mean to tell me Joseph Morrelli that Stephanie has been in hospital for 4 days and you only just get the time now to go see her?” Who did this boy think he was? If I didn’t know better, I might actually start to believe what Stephanie had said about him. But no, his mother was a better woman than that. I watched as he squirmed around in his chair.

 

“Well you see we had a fight the other day, and well, I went out of town for a job and I just get back to find out she was in hospital, but she’s not. I thought she’d be here.”

 

Humph, it was an out and out lie. If he thought the only one that could tell he was lying was his mother he was wrong.

 

“So she’s not here then?”

 

“No, she’s probably at Mary Lou’s or Valerie’s.” I raised an eyebrow at him. “Or she’s with Ranger.” I watched as his eyes showed a range of emotions before he could shut them off. Anger, sadness, jealousy. But there was no surprise. Hmm, guess that Frank was right about him. “Either way, she isn’t here.”

 

Joe stood up. “Well thanks for the hospitality Mrs Plum. I’ll try ringing her, but if you hear from her. Tell her to give me a call. I just want to know she’s ok. It’s probably all my fault according to her.” He grinned a cocky grin. “She’ll come around in the end.”

 

I smiled, this boy could be charming that’s for sure. “I’m sure she will Joe. And I’ll tell her you called for her.” He winked and shut the front door behind him. Well Stephanie, what have you gotten yourself into this time? I turned and dialled her cell phone.

 

“Lo, who ‘dis?”

 

“Excuse me? ‘Who ‘dis?’ what kind of way is that to answer a phone? And who is answering this phone exactly?”

 

“It’s Tank. Now who ‘dis?”

 

“This is Stephanie’s mother, Tank. Am I to assume that you are Stephanie’s receptionist?” If Tank wanted to talk like a hood, then I’ll play along. Honestly, the people who my daughter associates with.

 

“Her receptionist? Nah, more like her guardian angel.”  He laughed and I heard voices in the background then the sound of the phone changing hands.

 

“Mrs Plum? Ranger Manoso.”

 

“Oh, hello Ranger, I’m looking for Stephanie. Is she there.”

 

“Yes but she’s asleep, If you want I can leave a message for her to call you back. I’d rather not wake her just yet.”

 

“Yes Ranger, that’s fine. Just get her to call when she wakes up. She’s alright isn’t she?”

 

“Yes, she’s fine, just worn out from the trip here from the hospital.”

 

“Ok, and where exactly is here?”

 

“A high rise apartment block. I’d rather not give the address over the phone, but if you would like I can send an associate over with the address.”

 

“Yes, that will be fine. Send Tank. That boy needs a good talking to.”

 

Ranger laughed. “Sure, I think he needs it too.” There was more talking in the background, then a loud exclamation of ‘No!’

 

“Tell him to come for dinner, we’re having pot roast at six. Goodbye Ranger.”

 

“Bye Mrs Plum.” I disconnected. Better get back to dinner.

 

**************

 

I woke Stephanie at 7ish, deciding that a Healthy Lasagne and salad would be a reasonable compromise. Not as healthy as what I normally ate, but a damn site better than what she would consider decent. She sat at the table picking at her salad, occasionally eating a mouthful of lasagne.

 

“What’s wrong?” She had called her mother before we began to eat, and I thought that might have something to do with it.

 

“Just not hungry is all.”

 

I watched as she played with her food. 5 minutes past. “What’s wrong?”

 

She looked up. “Joe was around at my parents. Looking for me. Wants me to call him.” She went back to playing with her food.

 

Oh, well that explained it. “So what’s the problem?”

 

“I don’t want to call him. But I don’t want to be fighting with him either. I just want the ground to open up and swallow me whole.”

 

I watched as she continued to stab at her food. This was one of the things I loved and hated about her. She tended to keep things bottled up until they overwhelmed her and ran right over her. She was viciously loyal to her friends and just plain vicious to those who hurt her friends. I knew her and Morrelli had a history, but why the hell couldn’t she just get over it? Not necessarily to be with me, I’m not sure that I wanted that, but just to get on with her life. Watching her lead me to think about what I wanted with her. I wanted her friendship first and foremost. I liked working with her, but that wasn’t necessary. I wanted to sleep with her, but more than that? I’m not too sure. We were both so very different. I knew people of every different variety you could think of. From street corner drug dealers, to international arms dealers, to politicians, to shop owners. Hell I’ve been just about every one of them. Steph on the other hand, hasn’t even left the place she was born in. and as much as she didn’t like to think it, she was a very sheltered person. When I had told her I’d broaden her horizon, I’d meant that in more than one way. I realised that our friendship was more important than sleeping together, but if she was willing to try and stay friends with Morrelli after all the crap he’d put her through, our future of friendship, working and sleeping together was looking brighter than it had been lately. And you never realised just where these things might go.

 

Maybe I should help her with Morrelli. To do that, I thought I needed to know about her history with him, well I didn’t really need to know, but I could be just as nosey as she could. I was just better at getting answers with out making it seem like I was prying.

 

**************

 

“Tell me about you and Morrelli.” What? Who did he think he was? Well ok, so he was Ranger, but does he really think that I don’t know nosey when I see it? I’m the queen of nosey.

 

“Why?”

 

“I wanna know.” Well, duh.

 

“Ok, we grew up together, when I was 6 he was 8, he fingered me in his parents garage. When I was 16 he was 18, he seduced me behind the éclair case in Tasty Pastry where I was working. When I was 19 he was 21, I broke his leg with Dads Buick. The rest you know.” I was watching for any expression on his face, damn not one. “Why did you want to know Mr Nosey?”

 

A surprised look at that. “I’m just curious about your life. Before I was around.”

 

“Not half as much as I am about you I’m sure.” He just continued looking at me. “So I answered you a question, you answer me one.”

 

“Maybe, what’s the question?”

 

“How old are you?” He tipped his head back and laughed.

 

“28, my turn.”

 

“No that doesn’t count!! It slipped out before I had time to think!!” He was still grinning.

 

“Yes it does, we do this in an orderly fashion, taking turns. Its my turn.” I pouted, this was so not fair.

 

“Fine.”

 

He sat back and thought about it, what didn’t he know about me really? I was the open one around here. He looked at me with a grin. “Where do you get your sex drive from?”

 

What? Well he asked for it. “Grandma Mazure. I take after her like no one else.” I grinned, he looked kinda worried. Show him for taking my question. “My turn.”

 

He nodded, there was so much I wanted to know, but I was having fun and didn’t really want to go there at the moment. “What kinda kid were you in school?”

 

“Me? I was a shit of a kid, always mucking up, got into more trouble than the rest of my family put together. Still managed to get good grades though. That’s what pissed the teachers off the most I think. I didn’t have to try, I just could.”

 

Says a lot about him. “What about you?”

 

“I was alright, never tried to get into trouble, I just attracted it.” He laughed at this. “Guess nothing much has changed. But I remember one time, Mary-Lou and I got into heaps of trouble for looking at pornos in the girls toilets. We were probably only ten or so, and had no idea what it all meant, but we got into more trouble than it was worth that’s for sure.”

 

Ranger was laughing all over the place. What was wrong with him? He was unusually relaxed, laughing, holding his sides with tears streaming down his face. This wasn’t normal, but I liked it. I was smiling as he calmed down and wiped his face. He was grinning at me like a mad man.

 

“Well I’ve gotta give it to ya, you beat me on the pornos by about 3 years. I was 13 when I first discovered ‘em.”

 

“I just can’t imagine you as a kid.”

 

“Well I wasn’t a kid for long anyways.” His eyes closed over and went kinda dead. All the joy wiped off his face. I was getting kinda freaked when I yawned.

 

Ranger looked at me and smiled. He stood up and came around to pick me up. He carried me into the bedroom and gently laid me down on the bed. It never ceased to amaze me just how strong he was.

 

“I’ll go clean up in the kitchen and then come back and check on you. Ok?”

 

“Sure.” He left, I got up and went into the bathroom. As I washed up and brushed my teeth, I could hear him clanging around in the kitchen. I was climbing into bed as he came back into the room.

 

“Ranger?”

 

“Yeah babe?”

 

“Will you stay here until I sleep?”

 

“Sure.” He walked around and climbed onto the bed next to me and spooned me from behind. Ranger was asleep before I was.

 

Chapter 15

 

4 weeks later…

 

Staying in the compound had been fun. I hadn’t expected it to be, that’s for sure. After the first night Ranger hadn’t stayed very often, and usually he stayed on my couch. I had put a bet on in the pool for Gale to move in. When I found out that the guys didn’t even know her name and that it was my cousin I had bet that she’d move in within the next 6 weeks. After her final exams and tests and things. She had finished her university degree and had moved in. I had made about $3000. I was really quite happy about it. And the others hadn’t suspected a thing. I didn’t talk to her much. Gale is an artist in the true sense. Flighty and out of it a lot of the time. But we did talk occasionally, when she was blocked or when I was bored enough to talk to her while she worked.

 

Lula came to visit me a lot. Usually you had to let the guys at the desk know, but they got used to the sight of her she was allowed to pretty much come and go as she pleased. Lester had tried talking Ranger into banning Grandma Mazure from entering the building after she had stunned him a 3^rd time. Ranger how ever had merely told him to lock his doors.

 

I had talked to Joe. We had decided to try and be friends. No guarantees, but we were going to try. He hadn’t been impressed that I had gone to Ranger for help. I had avoided all the blame and guilt on that one. After all, when had Ranger not been there for me? And how often had Joe? Admittedly he had been there occasionally but there were times when he wasn’t. So we were going to try and have a semi-normal relationship.

 

I had caught up on a lot of TV shows as well. Tank, who often came to my place to watch TV because it distracted Gale, had got me watching a lot of TV. I was now hopelessly addicted to some shows. Buffy and Angel being 2 of my favourites. I simply couldn’t miss them. Ranger had got me watching a cartoon called ‘Daria’. It was an MTV show and I had simply sat and stared when he had come in one day and turned the TV on. I had never thought of Ranger as a TV kinda guy.

 

I had been exercising regularly too. I mean wouldn’t you if you had a pool on your roof? Besides having the operation had lessened my apatite quite a bit and I had lost a bit of weight. Why not try and tone what I was putting back on. Besides it was a great perve.

 

I had decided to go back to work, doing the really tiny jobs that nobody really cared about. Except Vinnie of course. But he hadn’t been so bad about the whole thing. I was shocked to shit when Ranger had told me that Vinnie had sprung for the medical bills and rent till I was back to work. Never in a thousand years had I expected that. Apparently he felt guilty about my getting hurt. What a gimp, it had been my entire fault, not that I was going to admit that to anyone.

 

I had gotten up this morning gone for a swim, showered and groomed myself and was about to call Lula to come pick me up when Ranger let himself in using a key.

 

“Can I help you?”

 

He jumped slightly, “What are you doing Babe?”

 

“I’m about to call Lula. Why?”

 

“Just came to see what you are doing today.”

 

“Going to work.” He stood with his back against the door. Raised an eyebrow.

 

“You sure you’re up to it?” If I didn’t I wouldn’t be going.

 

“Yep, I feel fine, besides I’m only going after little ones, you know repeat offenders who come in nice and easy.”

 

“What if they don’t come nice and easy?”

 

“That’s why Lula is coming with me.”

 

“Oh.” What?

 

“I feel fine. Don’t worry about me. I feel great.”

 

He looked me up and down. I tingled. “You look great too.”

 

How was I supposed to reply to that? He stepped forward and kissed me. A great big bone-melting kiss. A kiss that sent all the blood in my body to one place. He pulled away. “Take care today, call me if you need me.”

 

The door clicked closed as I opened my eyes. “Damn.”

 

I phoned Lula and was waiting down stairs when she skidded to a halt in her firebird. Bass rocking the car.

 

 

*************

 

“So…”

 

“So what?”

 

“You ready to get back in the game of being a bad ass bounty hunter again huh?”

 

“Truthfully?”

 

“Yes truthfully. Don’t want you to fucking lie to me.” Steph was kinda dumb at times.

 

“Don’t know. All I know is I had to get out of there before I went nuts.”

 

“So why not go shopping?”

 

“Dunno. I don’t think I could be bothered. Shopping tends to take it out of you.”

 

“Well the way you shop I’d believe it.” She was looking at me as if I had no fucking idea. Well maybe I didn’t about a lot of things, but I knew Steph. I turned up the music so we didn’t have to talk. I drove in a way that made it necessary to concentrate on the road, and I couldn’t do that with Steph yabbering in my ear. We skidded to a halt at the back of work and entered the office.

 

“Hey ya Connie.”

 

“Hey Steph how are you?.”

 

“I’m doing ok. I need to work though, or I’m gonna go crazy.”

 

“Sure. I’ve got plenty here for you to do.” Connie handed Steph a pile of about 20 skips. “They’re stacked in order so just work your way down. They’re all basic too. All of em have been FTA before and come in peacefully. A few drunks, old people, homeless people. Maybe there’s one or two who’ll give you a bit of trouble, but Lula can get them before they get you.”

 

“Thanks Connie.” Steph and I sat down and read through the files, well glanced at names and pictures, but hey, that’s all you need to do really. I stood up. “Lets go already, I got a date tonight, and if you wanna catch any of these guys before I gotta go and get ready we gotta go now.”

 

Steph looked up at me. “Ok, ok, don’t get you nickers in a knot.”

 

“Huh, don’t you worry none about my nickers, they coming off soon enough. Cant say the same thing about you though can we?”

 

Steph blushed, “Yeah, well, its not like that’s my fault now is it?”

 

“Hell yes it is. But we’ll deal with that later. We gotta go already.”

 

We walked out to the firebird and drove off.

 

************

 

It had been a long hot day and all I wanted to do was relax. A lazy swim and then some time in the Jacuzzi sounded like the way to go. I had not long ago brought a bikini to go with my new body, but since I didn’t think it was going to last long, I decided when I brought it that I was going to get my use out of it. And so far I’d worn it every day. It was a good one to as it covered my scar and if I wanted I could roll it down some to let the sun at it which had helped clear it up lots.

 

I was sitting in the Jacuzzi when I heard the stair doors close. I looked up to see Ranger diving into the pool. Damn he was a mighty fine man. Each time I saw him in the pool or coming out of the shower I wanted to get better in an instant. Not that I didn’t want to all the time, but when I saw what I was missing, it made me want it more.

 

Ranger hadn’t seen me and was steadily swimming laps. I pushed my self in his way when he returned to near the Jacuzzi. He pulled himself up and gave me a full blast of his smile. Damn, I think I could have had an orgasm on the spot, in the pool. He didn’t even need to touch me. “Hey babe.”

 

“Hi.” I smiled back, how could I not?

 

“Heard down at the station, you brought in 5 skips today.”

 

“Yeah well, they were all soft cocks.”

 

He laughed. “Soft cocks babe?” 

 

“Sorry, spent the day with Lula. You know, they had no balls, no guts. No hassles.”

 

“Well I was thinking its something I rarely am around you.”

 

“What?” what was he on about? In response he grabbed my hand and showed me what he meant. Damn, no softness anywhere here. Didn’t he know how much I wanted him? What the hell did he need to do that for? He pulled me closer with his other arm trapping our hands between us. He squeezed my hand that in turn squeezed him. He then pulled a little away, removing his hand leaving mine trapped. I continued to move my hand over him. He kissed me. While slowly walking us into deeper water. I lifted my legs and wrapped them around his waist, pulling my hand away from him to hold onto his shoulders. I was rubbing myself against him while pushing for a harder kiss. I wanted him and I wanted him now.

 

Ranger slid both hands down to my but, holding me against him. He then pulled me away from him, using one hand to pull aside my swimmers and hold me, while his other hand worked them selves around *that* spot. I pulled away from the kiss to concentrate on what his hands were doing. He started to bite at my neck, soft and sharp. I felt one finger enter me, and as he pulled out of me I felt cold water rush in, he bit down hard, and I came, hard, clenching my legs around him.

 

I moved my head back down to kiss him and heard an indelicate clearing of a throat. I turned to see Tank standing near the door to the stairs. Grr. “What do you want.”

 

“Sorry, but um, Ranger you asked to be informed immediately when we heard anything about Carrillo.”

 

I looked at Ranger, who was looking at Tank. At the same time he pulled my swimmers back over where his fingers had been he responded. “Thank you Tank. Give me 5 mins”

 

Tank looked at me and at what I’m sure was not a happy face. “I think I’ll give you 10.” He was chuckling to himself as he entered the building.

 

“I’ve got to go Babe.”

 

“I know, doesn’t mean I have to like it. I had plans.”

 

“They would have had to wait anyway, I’m sure.”

 

“What do you mean by that exactly?” my eyes were narrowed, cause really, did he think he’d be able to say no if I was working it? Instead he unwrapped my legs and put his hand to my stomach, just lightly over my scar. And he pushed gently. I flinched away.

 

“That’s why babe.”

 

“Damn you.”

 

He smiled and kissed me again. “I’ll try to get by after this. Other wise I’ll see you tomorrow.” He got out of the pool, pulled on a t-shirt and entered the building. I lazed about in the pool for about ten more minutes. Just as I was about to go through the door I noticed the security camera pointed directly at the pool. Fucking hell!!

 

Chapter 16

 

I was going to get laughed at like never before. Who ever was on guard duty was going to give me the tapes or I was going to cut his balls of with a blunt knife. I went down the stair and into my apartment. I wrapped a towel around me in order to disguise the gun I had tucked into my swimmer bottoms. This was war! I composed my face and got into the lift. I had my head down so the camera couldn’t see the expression. I exited and walked into the guardroom where all the screens and recorders were. Lester was sitting there with Bobby. Both were amused about something. I locked the door behind me.

 

“Hello boys.” I was going to be civil until I had to resort to violence. I don’t think it would take long either. I smiled a nice ‘how are ya’ smile. “Give me the tape. Now.”

 

“What tape?”

 

“As if you don’t know. Give me the tape.”

 

“Sorry Steph, but we cant, none of the tapes are to leave this room.”

 

“Right. Give me the Tape.”

 

“We cant Steph, Ranger would fire us.” They were grinning. Ok then this really is war.

 

“OK.” I pulled out my gun and aimed it at Lester. “Give me the tape.”

 

“We cant Steph.” Bobby was still smiling while Lester was looking not so sure of himself.

 

I took the safety catch off and aimed it at Bobby. “The choice is easy. You give me the tape, and I can guarantee that Ranger won’t fire you. Or I shoot you and take it anyways.” I smiled, “Take your pick.”

 

Lester lent forward in his chair slowly. “Ok Steph, Ok. You can have the tape, but if we get fired, we’re gonna come after you.”

 

I put the safety back on and took the tape. I gave them a big smile. “That’s ok Lester, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Besides Ranger is going to have to much on his mind to worry about one measly little tape.”

 

I shut the door behind me and hummed a happy song all the way to my apartment. Time for a shower and something to eat before I go to bed.

 

Chapter 17

 

I had seen the debacle in the guardroom earlier. I was about to intervene on Steph’s behalf, but then she pulled her gun. I was shocked but I should have expected it I suppose. Steph had quite a nasty temper at times. I walked in to her apartment expecting her to be asleep but found her on the couch watching a movie and munching on popcorn.

 

“What do you want?”

 

“What I always want.”

 

She hugged the popcorn to her body. “Go get your own junk food.”

 

“Oh come on Steph…” I could do a good suck up act. I sat next to her and rubbed my head on her shoulder. “Please?” Big puppy eyes.

 

“No.” I could see this wasn’t going to be easy, but if I had had an evening like hers I’d hog the popcorn as well.

 

“If I get you the duplicate of the tape can I have some?” She took hers eyes off the TV and looked at me for the first time.

 

“There’s a copy?”

 

“Yes.” No, but if it got me some popcorn I could find one.

 

“Go get it and I’ll give you some.”

 

I got up and went across to my apartment where Gale was painting. I gave her a big kiss.

 

“Wouldn’t Steph share her junk food with you?”

 

“Yeah I just have to bribe her first.” I said as I was pawing through my videos looking for one with a blank label.

 

“With an exercise tape?” Gale raised an eyebrow at me.

 

“No, she just has to think it’s a copy of today security tape from the pool.”

 

Gale laughed, “Good luck with that then.”

 

I kissed her as I went back to her apartment and let myself in. I handed her the tape and she handed me the popcorn. We watched the remainder of a repeat of ‘Buffy’ and then I got up to go to the toilet during an ad break. I liked Steph’s bathroom. It always smelled good. Probably from whatever perfume she wore. I could usually find a reason to go in there most every time I went into her apartment. I washed up and walked back into the living room only to be body tackled by a flying Steph.

 

We rumbled around the floor for a bit, both trying to get the upper hand, me trying to be gentle due to her stomach. Her stomach didn’t seem to deter her though. She jabbed me in the ribs and I jumped cause I was kinda ticklish. Unfortunately I happened to head but Steph in the nose and she started to bleed. More unfortunately Ranger happened to walk in the door right at that moment.

 

****************

 

“Fuck!” Damn that hurt. We separated ourselves and I went into the bathroom. I heard Tank talking to Ranger and an adamant ‘I didn’t start it!’ Liar. I came out of the bathroom after my nose had gone from a flow to a trickle and flopped on the couch.

 

“What happened?”

 

 Tank jumped in before I could remove the towel I had on my nose to say anything. “She took a flying tackle at me! For no reason!” Half of that statement was true at least

 

“He gave me an exercise tape!”

 

“Ranger barked out a laugh. “You’re lucky you’re not dead man.”

 

“She wasn’t meant to look at it till I’d gone.”

 

“Like my night hasn’t been shit enough as it is! Out! Out now!”

 

“Later Tank.” Smug, wasn’t he.

 

“You too! How could you let me do that with a camera taping the whole damn thing! Out!”

 

Ranger’s eyes darkened dramatically, and Tank bolted.

 

“I had plans for that tape babe. I go to pick it up just now and I found out you’ve pulled a gun on 2 of my men.” He was advancing on me. He wrapped his hands around my upper arms “You want to explain that to me?”

 

Can you say ‘GULP’?

 

Chapter 18

 

“Umm no.”

 

“Umm no what?”

 

“No I don’t want to explain?”

 

“Not an option Babe.”

 

“Well I had to get it didn’t I? I couldn’t leave it there for any one who cared to watch see it! And besides, if anyone has an option to be pissed its me! What the hell were you thinking?"

 

It wasn’t really a question. She wrenched her arms out of my grasp and took a step back. I took a step forward.

 

“If you hadn’t noticed, I had kept you from view of the camera at most all times. All they saw was my back, your legs and your face. Now are you going to explain why you thought it necessary to pull a gun on Bobby and Lester?”

 

“Well they weren’t gonna give it to me. And its not as if I could tackle them or anything. I didn’t want to knock them out or anything, it was the safest option”

 

The safest option? I started to laugh. “Steph, you and a gun is never the safest option.”

 

I pulled her on to my lap as I fell into a chair. She struggled for a while as I held her there and then she relaxed back into me. We sat quietly for a while both thinking our own thoughts.

 

“I cant stay here you know.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“I cant live under constant surveillance. I just cant.”

 

“I would have though all the security round here was a good thing when it comes to you.”

 

Steph smacked me on the chest. “Smart ass.”

 

“Only around you.” We sat quietly together again. I was wondering what she wanted from me, or more, what she wanted for us. I was wondering how I could convince her to stay here, or at the very least not go back to the apartment she had been in. It was nothing except an attraction for trouble. I was rubbing my hand over her thigh, thinking of how she had felt in my arms when we were in the pool. I looked around the room to see if I could see the tape. There was one in the video player, but I figured that was Tanks exercise tape. Hmm, I couldn’t see it lying around, but then if I were her, I’d have hidden it to.

 

“Tell me what you meant when you said you had plans for the surveillance tape?”

 

I grinned. ”Well I was going to use it for educational purposes only.”

 

“Huh?” it was that you have 2 heads look.

 

“Sure, I was going to study your facial expressions to see what turned you on the most and then when I thought it was the right time, I would have used every thing I had to get you naked.”

 

“That’s the biggest load of crap I’ve ever heard.”

 

“Yes it is really, isn’t it?”

 

Steph looked at me for a bit and then blushed, “Besides Ranger, you only have to look at me and I’m ready to get naked for you.”

 

“Yeah, but babe I want you ripping them off, not just prepared to take em off.”

 

***************

 

I pulled myself out of Rangers arms and stood in front of him. “I think you should go.” What was with me lately? Thinking about my health before sex? So maybe I’m not as self-destructive as I think, but I sure am a masochist. As if any heterosexual female would ask Ranger to leave when he’s looking like that. “Its not that I want you to, its just that, well, if you don’t go, I am going to rip both our clothes off soon, and you didn’t think it such a good idea earlier so why would you now?”

 

“Its ok Babe.” Why wasn’t he getting up and going? I’m on the edge of control here. Just him talking about us having sex had turned me on. I remembered the feel of his hot bare skin under my hands and the taste of his skin in my mouth. I kneeled on the chair, knees either side of his. I ran my palms down his bare arms from shoulder to hands. I picked up his left hand and brought it up to my mouth. I took his pinkie in my mouth and drew it back out dragging my teeth along it.

 

Ranger’s eyes were hooded and his breathing slightly off beat. Heh, glad to know I'm not the only oversexed person here. I pulled Rangers wet pinkie over my chin, down my neck and down my chest. He took back control and ran his hand back up and around my neck, pulling my mouth to his. Our tongues met in a hot and wet clash, both of us a little out of control with passion. One hand ran down my back and up under my t-shirt caressing my back.

 

I had both hands kneading Rangers stomach. I slowly moved them down to the buttons of his fly. I popped the first button at the top, and of course, this is when someone knocked on the door.

 

Chapter 19

 

I stared at the door, hating who ever it was, not caring whom it was. Ranger was grinning, I figured this was what he was talking about when he said it was ok and that he didn’t need to leave. Smarmy bastard, getting me all worked up and he knew that someone was going to turn up all along. I smacked his chest and got up to answer the door.

 

“Hey babe, what’s shaking?”

 

“Tommy. I guess you’re looking for Ranger?”

 

“Guess so.” Tommy was one of the guys who worked for Rangeman but didn’t live in the building. He was a nice guy, but a Manga freak. Any Manga movie you’ve ever heard of and he either owned it or knew someone who did. Other than that, he was a really nice guy. When he wasn’t interrupting my needs for an orgasm that was.

 

“Well, I’m going to bed. Lock up when you go.” I went into my room, striped down to the essentials and crawled into bed. It had been nearly 5 weeks since I had been released from hospital. I was doing everything for myself. I was even back at work. It was time to move back into my apartment. Tomorrow I would ring up Dillon and see about getting back into the building. It was close to midnight when I drifted off to the sound of Ranger’s muffled voice through the door.

 

*****************

 

I quietly opened the door to Steph’s bedroom to check on her before going up to my own apartment to get some sleep. Steph had kicked off the sheets and was in a pair of undies and a tank top. She had a grin on her face and was moving slightly on the bed. I turned to leave when she moaned in her sleep. I turned to see what her problem was but she was still asleep with that grin on her face. Well damn.

 

Leave. Leave now and go have a swim, work out, go for a run, watch TV. Anything, just get out of here now. I sat on the side of the bed. Not touching her, just watching. Steph moaned again and arched her back. This was one hell of a dream. I wondered if I was in it. I ran my fingertips down her inner arm, goose bumps formed in their wake.

 

Leave!!! I kicked off my boots and laid down next to her, not touching her, just watching her as she moved in her sleep. I closed my eyes imagining her moving like this for me. Under me.

 

LEAVE!!! My mind was shouting, my body was ignoring it. I was being pulled in 2 different directions. I leaned over Steph and kissed her softly, making my way across her collarbone from shoulder to neck. This was bad, this was very bad.

 

Steph rolled towards me, moaning half awake, half asleep. Not able to distinguish between dream and reality. Her hands moved against my stomach, looking to remove my shirt. Her hands slipped under my shirt, running her nails up my chest and across my nipples. I sat up and removed my shirt.

 

NO NO NO NO! GET UP NOW! GO! LEAVE!!!! I laid back down and put my hand around the back of Steph’s neck, pulling her to me. Her eyes were open and dilated. Steph pulled her legs over mine and straddled my thighs. She bent down and kissed me.

 

************

 

“Mmmm.” I sat up and made that sound you make when something tastes or feels good. In this case it was all good. I looked down at Ranger, he looked like he was at war with himself. I bet I knew what he was thinking, and I bet I could make the decision for him. Or make it really damn hard for him to stop.

 

I leaned down and bit at his neck and shoulders. Slowly, I moved my legs in a circular motion over his crotch.

 

“Mmmm.” He really did taste good, salty from sweat, bitter from aftershave and he smelled fantastic too. He was one of those guys whose sweat doesn’t stink. I sat up again, still moving on his crotch. “That was a great way to wake up.”

 

I peeled one of his hands off my thigh and brought it to my mouth. I took his ring finger into my mouth, sliding it in and out, grazing my teeth along it. I pulled his hand down my body, dragging the wet finger over my chin, down my neck, past my chest and stomach back to my leg.

 

Ranger didn’t look like he was at war with himself anymore. In fact he looked like he was in control of himself again, but like he’d come down on the side of not leaving. Heh, that was all I was aiming for. I leant down and pushed myself into kissing Ranger. He used his arm strength to grind my hips into his. I groaned in pleasure. He sure did feel good, and big, and ready.

 

I squished my chest to him and rolled Ranger on top of me. Well I nudged and Ranger rolled. But still we ended up right where I wanted to be.

 

‘BRIIINNNNGGGG!!!!!!!’

 

Ranger jumped up. I sat up.

 

“What the fuck is that?” I was NOT a happy gal.

 

“Pull on some pants.” Ranger was pulling his shirt and shoes on, I sat up and watched. “It’s a fire alarm.”

 

“Maybe it’s a drill, you know, like when they are testing the system.” My voice was hopeful.

 

“They’re scheduled, there’s not one scheduled for now. Get dressed.” He picked up his gun from the bedside table. Shit if this needed fire power, then I guess it’s serious. I pulled on some sweats and shoved my feet into my Nikes. I followed Ranger to the door and waited till he had checked out the hall. Tank stepped out with Gale close behind. Lester stumbled out of his apartment in boxers.

 

“Didn’t think we had one scheduled.”

 

Ranger looked at him. “We don’t, go get dressed.”

 

Lester woke up fast and moved out of sight.

 

Ranger was in his zone giving Tank orders. I looked at Gale. “You realise we’re gonna have to use the stairs?”

 

We both screwed our noses up.

 

Lester came out of his room dressed, with a gun in one hand and a radio in the other. I could hear bursts of static coming from it. “Fires on our level, we gotta move.”

 

Ranger pushed Gale and me towards the stairs. “Go, we’ll meet you down there.”

 

I paused at the doorway. “Hey Ranger?”

 

He looked at me, “Yeah babe?”

 

“You think we’re ever gonna get to do the deed?”

 

He laughed and pushed me through the door. “When we get through this, I’m going to lock us away for those 12 hours I’ve told you about, and then we’ll get it done. Now go.”

 

One last push and the door closed behind me. Gale and I started down the stairs.

 

“REX!!” I started up the stairs and pushed through the door. Ranger, Tank and Lester had gone, I ran into my apartment and picked up Rex, running back down the stairs to catch up with Gale. This was turning into a shitty night.

 

Chapter 20

 

I stood out in the parking lot for what seemed like hours, probably it was only one. But when it’s after midnight, kinda chilly and you’ve got nothing to do except sit and wait it seems like hours. One of the guys from the building came out and unlocked a Bronco for Gale and I to sit in while we waited for the building to be safe again. We both fell asleep against each other in the back seat. The sun was beginning to rise when Tank came and woke us up.

 

“So what happened?” I asked blurrily.

 

“Manny’s lamp blew up, his curtains caught on fire. He slept through the whole thing until the alarm went off. He managed to have it out by the time we got there.”

 

I stamped my foot. “So why the hell were we sleeping in the god damned car all that time?”

 

“Had to check for any security breached that might have occurred while everyone was running every where.”

 

Humph, I am sooo out of here. I’m going to ring Dillon and see if I can get back into my apartment today. I just needed a few more hours sleep. I trudged wearily into the building and into the elevator. I let Rex and myself into the apartment and put Rex on the table and put myself to bed. I fell asleep immediately.

 

**************

 

I woke up again and it was 10ish, a reasonable time to call Dillon and find out about my apartment. It should be fine, but the new landlords had been updating the plumbing in the building so I figured I had better ring. I dialled his number, 2 digits different from mine, he answered on the third ring.

 

"Hey Dillon, its Steph, how are ya?… Yeah, just wondering if the plumbing was finished in my apartment?… Uh huh… So it’s all right to move back in?… Today… Yeah that’ll be great thanks… ok, I’ll see ya later.”

 

I went across the hall to see if Tank would lend me his truck. Tanks plaything, not for work, was this big Ford F-series truck. I was hoping against hope he'd let me borrow it, or at the least follow me home loaded up with some of my stuff. Gale answered saying Tank was still in bed, well she called him Andy cause that was his name, I called him Tank like everyone else because it suited him. And besides there was about 5 other Andy’s in the building.

 

I went into the bedroom and looked at Tank while he was sleeping. Heh, and evil little smile appeared on my face. There were horns holding up my halo. I gently climbed up onto the bed beside Tank on my knees after checking to see if I could see any visible firepower around him. I knew there were no guns under the pillow ‘cause Gale hated guns as much as I do.

 

I started to bounce rapidly and Tanks arms and legs went flailing everywhere trying to get a grip on some thing. I stopped bouncing when I couldn’t hold in the laughter anymore. I fell on the bed cracking up, until Tank pushed me off. I got up with a big grin on my face.

 

“So Tank, sweetie, baby… you wanna do me a favour?”

 

He didn’t look impressed by my flattery. “What do you want bombshell?”

 

Time to lay it on thick. “Well Tank, my buddy, my pal, I’m moving back into my apartment today, and since you’re such a fantastic guy, and such a wonderful friend I was wondering if-“

 

“NO!! You can’t borrow my truck! We’ve been through this before. You aren’t allowed to touch my truck, I don’t want you to even sit in my truck, I know you and cars, and you can stay the hell away from mine.”

 

I sighed, really I didn’t blame him, but where’s the faith? I’d had the Buick for practically forever, and nothing had ever happened to it. “Well will you follow me home and bring some of my stuff? I promise I wont touch you’re truck, hell I wont even go close to it.” I did the big puppy eyes expression that I had learned from him. “If you do that one tiny little favour for me I’ll go away and let you get some sleep, I’ll even call it evens on the tape thing. What do ya say huh? Please? Pretty please with sugar on top? I’ll buy you an ice cream…”

 

Tank sighed, ha, got him, and I wasn’t even gonna get close enough to his truck to help pack it and unload it. Heh heh. “Ok ok, just go and let me get some sleep already. I’ll come over when I get up.”

 

I gave him a big wet sloppy kiss on the cheek and went to do some packing.

 

***************

 

I got up and wondered into the living room where Gale was doing something funky with crayons. I gave her a kiss and walked into the kitchen for something to eat. Hmm, nothing, guess I’ll have to go shopping after this little moving jaunt with Steph. Wonder if Ranger knew about her moving, I guessed not. I should probably do that now.

 

“Don’t even.” Gale was standing behind me.

 

“What?”

 

“Let her tell Ranger herself. You aren’t his nursemaid, hers either. Leave them alone to work it out themselves.”

 

“Yeah but Ranger hates her living in that apartment. Hell if she moves back there I’ll have to go back on patrol.”

 

“Leave it alone Andy, you can’t fix everything.” Gale gave me a kiss and a hug and went back into the living room. I grabbed an apple and hit the shower. 20 minutes later I was over at Steph’s apartment taking loads of her stuff down to the car to take to her apartment. After the third load of clothes I took a break to eat some of her ice cream. After all she couldn’t take it with her. Steph grabbed another spoon that I had brought over and sat next to me.

 

“So have you told Ranger that you’re going?”

 

Steph looked at me and then looked away. “Kinda.” She shoved another mouth full of ice cream into her mouth.

 

“What do you mean kinda?”

 

“I told him I was gonna go, I just didn’t say when, I only decided to leave last night, well this morning.” She ate some more ice cream. “I just cant live like this, it’s to, I dunno, paranoid for me. No, not paranoid, overly cautious for me. Not that I don’t understand, I do, but I just cant live under the constant surveillance of this place.”

 

Steph was looking out the window, staring into space. I decided that Gale was right, I didn’t want to get in the middle of this. I took the spoons and ice cream over to my apartment and returned to Steph’s apartment to pick up the rest of her stuff.

 

“Come on then bombshell, lets go.” We got into the elevator. I looked into her eyes, “Just promise me that you’ll call Ranger, tonight. As soon as we get all this stuff dumped off at your apartment. Ok?”

 

Steph gave me a small smile. “Sure hot stuff.”

 

We walked out to the parking lot and loaded the last of Steph’s stuff into my truck. We were at her place and unloaded by 1800 hours. I climbed up into the truck, Steph gave me a kiss on the cheek.

 

“Thanks Tank.”

 

“No prob bombshell. Just make sure you go in and call Ranger for me ok?”

 

Another smile. “Ok.”

 

Chapter 21

 

I went back into my apartment considering what had to be done and what I wanted to do. Neither list matched up much. Maybe I should break em down, one thing I don’t want to do and then one I do want to do. That sounds reasonable I suppose. First I’d unpack my clothes and then I’d go down to Pino’s and pick up a sub for dinner. When I returned I’d ring Ranger and watch a bit of TV, that sounded good, High Fidelity was on tonight, I’d wanted to see it for a while now, guess tonight was my lucky night.

 

I sorted through my clothes doing a surprise spring clean. In total I had 2 things to get rid of. Not much of a spring clean, but most things fit me so much better now. I rang ahead to Pino’s so I could just run in and pick up my subs when I got there. It seemed like a wise idea seeing as though it was Friday night and there was a shift change due at the station soon. Why give my self any extra hassles if I didn’t have to?

 

Ten minutes later I was glancing around Pino’s parking lot to see which if any cars I could make were parked. I couldn’t see Morelli’s beat up ford and where so I figured I was safe, for the moment anyways. I opened the door and breathed in a scent that I hadn’t smelt for a long time, it felt like a lifetime.

 

“Hey Cupcake.” Shit! Ok play it cool, we’re friends now. Right.

 

“Hey Morrelli, how are ya?” I sat down on the stool next to him. “What are you doing here?”

 

“I’m good thanks, and I'm waiting for my pizza.” Joe sipped at his beer. “What about you? I didn’t think Ranger would let you eat this kinda food.” There was a slightly bitter twist to his words.

 

“Ranger can’t tell me what to do, nobody can tell me what to do.” I was kinda peeved at Joe, I mean what’s the deal?

 

“I know, I remember it well.” Joe took another sip of beer. “So why are you here? Ranger out of town and you decide to play up and leave his apartment?”

 

“What? I’m here for dinner, and I didn’t live with Ranger, I just lived at one of the apartments.” So what if Ranger owned it, it wasn’t really his apartment, ok well technically it was, but not really.

 

“Lived?”

 

“What?”

 

“You said lived. Not live. Past tense.”

 

“Oh yeah well I moved back into my apartment today.” Joe grinned and sipped at his beer as I paid Anthony for the subs. “I gotta go, few things left to do today. Later Morrelli.”

 

Joe grinned, “Yeah see you later cupcake.”

 

I pulled into my parking lot next to the big industrial garbage bin. Hmm, one more task and I could dig into my sub and watch the movie. I walked up the stairs and let myself into the apartment. Hmm which number to ring? I could call his cell and talk to him, call his pager and he’d likely call during the middle of the movie or I could call his machine and he’d get the message tomorrow. Machine definitely. I picked up the phone and hit the speed dial, 3 rings later and the machine picked up.

 

“Talk.”

 

Damn it!! This wasn’t his machine! Musta dialled the wrong button. “Umm Hey.”

 

I heard a muffled laugh. “Guess you weren’t expecting me.”

 

“Well no I thought I had called your machine. Guess not.”

 

“No you did.” I could feel the smug grin through the phone. Ugh!

 

“Then why the hell are you answering?”

 

“I was here checking the mail and messages. Why did you call that you didn’t want me to know about till tomorrow.”

 

“Well I was just calling to tell you that I had moved. I’m back in my apartment.” There was stillness on the end of the line. “Ranger?”

 

“I’ll be around to see you later.” With that and he hung up. Damn damn damn. I didn’t want to do this now, I didn’t have the energy to deal with Ranger nagging me about my living arrangements. I popped in a tape so I could record High Fidelity, never know when Ranger would turn up, and its better to see John Cusack all in one sitting. He was a brilliant actor, many a night was spent during my teens with me and Mary Lou drooling over him, watching movies all night. Ok so he wasn’t so cute any more but there’s the whole sentimental 80s thing going on. Best to tape it and watch it at a later date, I might even get Mary Lou over to watch it.

 

I decided to unpack my kitchen stuff, my life was so boring, but then I had seen Morrelli tonight, and his butt had been looking as good as ever. And Ranger was coming over later. Shit!! I really should shower and shave my legs. Not that I was expecting any thing to happen, hell look at what’s happened so far, but it never hurts to be prepared. I stripped off and jumped into the shower. Never let it be known that Burg girls aren’t prepared for any situation should the need arise. And I was really hoping that what I needed would rise.

 

Chapter 22

 

So I lingered in the shower until the hot water ran out, and I admitted to myself that I was hoping Ranger would let himself in to my apartment and decide to join me. No such luck. I blow-dried my hair in no style, just letting it go wild, and decided that I probably should put some kind of clothing on in case the building caught on fire. A pair of old Daffy Duck boxers that I had owned forever and a tank top should do the trick. Hmm, the movie was nearly over, I could have watched it. But if I had Ranger would have turned up. That’s how my luck tended to work. I guess I could do the kitchen stuff. I really didn’t want to but hey, what else am I gonna do?

 

I flicked the channel to MTV and heard some mindless pop drivel. Guess I’d have to unpack my CDs and stereo first. I was slowly building my collection back up after having to hock them all before I got my job with Vinnie. I only had a small boom box thing for a stereo but it was better than nothing. I dragged it into the kitchen plugging it in and started to flip through my CDs. I had no idea what I felt like listening to, but I selected Metallica’s ‘Load’ CD. How can you go wrong with the brilliance that is Metallica? I turned it up to a reasonable level, not like the neighbours were going to complain. That was one of the good points about living here. The majority of tenants were elderly and were in bed at this time with their hearing aids on their bedside tables. I had missed my daggy little apartment for one.

 

I unpacked all the kitchen stuff and cleaned up the mess that was left. I just remembered the note that I had seen on the table when I had come into pick up my gun before I went to take down Menendez. I went through all the paper I had thrown into the trash and couldn’t find it. I searched all the draws and cupboards. No sign of it anywhere. I gave up figuring that if it were important then they’d come back or ring me. Probably they already had, probably this was futile.

 

 It was just after 11. Where was Ranger? I cleaned out Rex's cage giving him some nice new pine shavings and some hamster pellets. Just what the healthy hamsters of the world were eating these days. But it seemed that Rex was truly my hamster passing on healthy and waiting for the better stuff. It was now close to 12 and I was dead on my feet. Screw Ranger, literally when I get the chance, but now I needed to sleep. I washed my face hands and teeth and climbed into bed. I fell asleep instantly.

 

*************

 

I let myself into Steph’s apartment at about midnight. I had just finished a stakeout that had gotten me nowhere. I looked at the mess lying around the apartment. Not to bad considering she had just gotten herself back today. The kitchen light was on and a CD was going. I turned it off and went to see where Steph was. Not in the bathroom, must be in the bedroom. A small beside lamp was on softly framing her in sleep. Beautiful. Steph was lying curled up the covers kicked to the bottom of the bed. I sat next to her on the bed and lent over kissing her. She moved closer. I lay down next to her, Rubbing her arms and kissing her neck. She slowly came awake.

 

“Hey cupcake.”

 

“Hey.” She rubbed her eyes. “JOE!! What are you doing in my bed? Get out!!” and she pushed me off the bed. I landed with a thunk. I wasn’t in the mood for this shit. What was going on here?

 

“Stephanie. What the fuck was that for?

 

“What are you doing here?” She sat up and pulled a pillow on to her lap.

 

“Well isn’t that why you came to see me at Pino’s? To let me know you were home and ready to have another go at it? That you were finished with Ranger?” I didn’t understand this at all.

 

“What? No, I was at Pino’s to get dinner. Jesus Joe. Why is it you think my life revolves around you? And not that its any of your business, I wasn’t with Ranger like that. And I’m not going to go there with you again! We went at it for 2 years and nothing came of it aside from sex, sure it was really good sex, but that’s all it was.” She rolled her eyes. “Damn why am I even talking to you about this? Get out Joe. I’m trying to sleep.”

 

I got up and left the apartment, I heard the locks click behind me and the safety chain after that. Damn how could I have read the signs that badly? I slowly walked down the stairs.

 

“Morrelli.” I snapped my head up. Shit what was he doing here? I thought Steph said she wasn’t with him.

 

“Hey Ranger.” I let a grin cross my face. “You going to see Steph?”

 

Ranger looked at me like I was from mars, yeah ok, whom else would he be going to visit round here?

 

“She might still be awake I suppose, she was just going back to bed when I left.” Well I hadn’t lied, it was all the truth. Ranger stepped aside and let me pass. I could still feel his eyes on me as I walked out the building. Heh, I was going to get her back. I had made up my mind and we were going to be together soon enough. I just had to get my act together and get her.

 

*************

 

I heard the door close softly. I figured it was Ranger finally showing up. Was I ever going to get to sleep tonight? I stayed where I was, I’d happily give up sleep for the right reasons, and the right reason was standing in the doorway to my bedroom. Shame he still had his clothing on.

 

“Ranger.”

 

“Steph”

 

“So…” I let the unasked question trail off. I didn’t really want to have this conversation. Ranger said nothing. Just stood there, arms crossed one shoulder against the door jam. “I gather you passed Morrelli on the way in?”

 

“Yep.” A few minutes passed. I had decided I could wit him out. Surely he couldn’t see me blushing here in the dark. Surely he couldn’t read me in the dark either. Five or more minutes passed. Ranger spoke. “Something going on there?”

 

“Nope, why do you ask?”

 

“Morrelli implied that there was.”

 

“Morrelli tends to imply a lot. But nope, there’s nothing.”

 

Ranger stood in the doorway just watching, the room had lightened a bit thanks to the clouds moving away from covering the moon. My eyes had adjusted more as well, but Ranger was still standing in the recesses of a shadow. I sat up.

 

“Can you move, so I can see you?”

 

Ranger came and sat next to me on the bed. “So you tell me why you moved out already.”

 

Hmm how was I going to explain this? Explain it so a rational person could understand. I’m not sure it was possible.

                                                                       

“Well mostly I already did. I cant and wont live under constant surveillance.” That summed it up fairly well I thought. Now I just hope that Ranger leaves it at that.

 

“Ok, but why come back here? This place is an accident waiting to happen. How many people have actually managed to get in here, to attack you?” That last little bit was added on in a rush.

 

“Yeah ok, but I’ve learned about that, I lock up every time I leave and its been practically forever since some crazy guy broke in.”

 

“6 weeks is forever?”

 

“Practically.” Well it was when it came to my life.

 

“And when you get another person coming after you?”

 

“Look this is my life! I’ll live were I want and I’ll do what I want!!” If he wants pissy I could do pissy.

 

“All I’m saying babe, is that maybe a little discretion would suit you with the job your doing.” Ranger remained calm in the wake of my pissy. Ok now I can do bitchy.

 

“What and be some big loner like you? No thanks, I like having people in my life.”

 

“So do I, don’t ever doubt that, but there are people out there who would really love to get to me, get me even. Its just not a good idea for me to let everyone I know where I live.”

 

I looked at Ranger, he hadn’t even risen to bite the bitchiness. Instead he had given me a rational explanation for why he lives as he does. Damn him, what’s the point in trying to fight with him if he wont fight back? And I really felt like a fight right now, after Joe and all. And after this fight I wanted to make up. Make up sex was the best. I sighed, for all I knew, Ranger was hopeless in bed. I snorted aloud, right. Oops, I think Ranger thought I was snorting at him, not a good thing.

 

“Ok I can accept that, but I cant live that way. I mean I’m grateful for the place to stay and everything but I couldn’t stay there permanently with people watching me all the time, even if I know them.” I looked down at the sheet twisted in my fingers. “I can’t live like you, I mean if the reasons were right maybe but not while I still have a choice.”

 

I looked back up to face Ranger. Damn the man was hot. All I wanted to do was touch him, I could smell him and feel his body heat radiating from him. The room dimmed again as cloud covered the moon. A loud clap of thunder sounded and I jumped. I was kinda nervy I guess.

 

Ranger reached behind my neck, grabbing me like he was going to kiss me. He squeezed gently and released, he repeated it a few times. One handed massage. “So why do you have to live here? I’m not saying that you have to live like me, but a place that’s not a crazy persons delight is all I ask, a place that’s secure.”

 

I shook my head, “No, this is my home, maybe one day I wont want to be here and I’ll move into a place that you approve of. But for now, I’m staying here.” I truly didn’t think it'd be long till he got his wish, I mean there were times that I hated living here, but for now I liked it. I grinned at Ranger, reaching across to pull him to me for a kiss. “But it'd be better if you’d stay too, you might even find a way to convince you that I should move.”

 

I pulled Ranger to me, kissing him hard. He pulled back slightly, grinning. “You think?”

 

I ran my tongue down his throat, nipping him, “No, but what’s the harm in trying?”

 

Ranger purred and pushed me down on to the bed. Now this was promising I thought.

 

Chapter 23

 

Ranger was kissing me and kissing me and kissing me. There was a beeping noise but Ranger was kissing me. Then he stops, what’s wrong with this picture? The kissing has stoped but I can still hear that damn beeping. Ranger sighed, “I have to get that Babe, “

 

Huh, get what? Oh his beeper. Damn damn damn!!! I rolled over on to my side, “Yeah, whatever.”

 

Ranger pulled out his cell phone and went into the living room I could hear his deep rumble through the door and slowly but surely it lulled me to sleep.

 

**************

 

This woman was unbelievable. One minute we’re kissing to get naked, 2 minutes later she was asleep! Now should I wake her up or should I crawl in next to her and get some sleep myself? My heads were saying wake her, my body was saying sleep, my heart was saying run. It was 2am, I had had about 7 hours sleep in the past 48 hours. I’d been trained to work on less, but I wasn’t in the army anymore and didn’t do that shit any more unless it was life or death. I crawled in next to Steph still debating wether to wake her when her phone rang, she sat up in an instant, managing to head butt my chin, causing me to bite my tongue. I could taste blood as she picked up the phone.

 

“What?!… Oh, hey Sally… No I was sleeping… What do you mean?… No, that’s none of your business… Well yeah… It’s 2am on a weeknight! I’ve gotta work tomorrow… Yes… NO!! Why should she think that?… He did huh?” Steph looked over at me, rolling her eyes, I leaned in and started to kiss her neck. “What Sally?… Kinda…. Well it’s none of her business either… Not like she cant tell anyways… If either of you turn up I’m shooting both of you!… True, well I’ll let Ranger shoot you then… Yes… No… Maybe… Uh huh… Look I’m gonna go… Tell Lula to bite me… Right Sally, later”

 

Steph hung up the phone and threw it into the living room, we listened as it broke. “Damn, guess I’ll have to buy a new phone.” She looked at me “So you didn’t have to leave?”

 

I sat up, “Nope. You really gotta work tomorrow?”

 

“Depends.” Steph started to kiss my chest, her hands around my waist.

 

“On what?”

 

She stops what she’s doing, kneeling up next to me, with a naughty grin on her mouth. “Depends…” She bites my lip, “On what other offers I get.”

 

And with that, Steph pulls me down on the bed, pulling off my shirt as we go.

 

*************

 

“Well I’ve got a plan.”

 

I looked up at Ranger, running my fingertips over his nipples. “Uh huh, hopefully this plan involves us getting naked… soon.”

 

“Well it involves packing enough clothes for one day. If you do it now, we can spend the next 30 hours naked together.” Ranger looked down at me. “No interruptions.”

 

I pushed him off me and pulled on some jeans, a shirt and a sweater. I grabbed some random clothes and shoved them in to a duffle bag. “Will I need anything else?”

 

“Doubt it. Doubt if you’ll even need what you’ve packed”

 

I guess I was in a hurry cause that hadn’t even taken me ten minutes. “Lets go then.”

 

Ranger laughed, “You want me.”

 

Well duh. I picked up my bag and waited by the door.

 

“Steph?”

 

“Yeah?” I was impatient, why was he talking, why weren’t we leaving?

 

“I’m happy to know you want me, but it might be better if you put on some shoes first”

 

Oh damn!! I blushed and went into my room, pulling on socks and my Docs, I didn’t bother to lace them. “Now have I got everything?”

 

“I think so.”

 

I turned on the answering machine and locked up the apartment as we left. I followed Ranger down the stairs. He had my duffle in one hand and was fishing around in his pocket for his car keys. This was either going to be the best 30 hours of my life or it was going to go horribly wrong. I knew what I was betting on.

 

Chapter 24

 

We were in Rangers BMW 850 Ci, his beautiful limited edition Bat mobile. Even the seats were enough to make you wanna get naked. He was driving with both hands on the wheel, and we were speeding down some road in Trenton, other than that, I had no idea where we were, not that I had been paying attention to where we were going, I was more interested in watching the muscles in Rangers forearms as he drove the car. We became bathed in a red light from a stop sign, Ranger impatiently tapping his fingers on the wheel.

 

“So where are we going?” He wasn’t the only impatient one here.

 

Ranger slipped me a quick glance. “To one of my places. Is that enough info for now?” He pressed down on the accelerator.

 

“I’m not really interested in info, I’m more interested I knowing how long it’s going to take to get there.”

 

“We’re here.” We had just pulled into the parking lot of his Cameron Street office. He pulled my bag out of the back seat coming around to push me along from behind. I’m glad I'm not the only one to feel this way. But I still had a few questions.

 

“So tell me how there’s gonna be no interruptions?”

 

Ranger pressed the call button for the elevator. “There’s not going to be any interruptions because I left the cell’s and beeper in the car. Tank is the only one with the number to this particular place, and he’d only ring here if there’s a situation he couldn’t handle. And that’s only as a last resort if he can’t get me on my emergency cell. And that’s only if he…”

 

I cut him off. “Ok I get it, no ones gonna call. No one knows where we are.”

 

The elevator binged and we stepped in. Ranger hit a button and dropped the duffle, pressing me against the wall of the elevator, tongue pushing in my mouth, hands up my shirt, hips grinding against mine. He pulled his head back. Slight grin. “You finished talking now?”

 

Oh yeah, I was ready to move onto more primal noises, who needed evolution? I grinned back, pulling his mouth back to mine. The force by which he kissed me pushed my head against the wall with a thump, enough to hurt, but not enough to make me want to stop.

 

The elevator came to a stop and Ranger lifted himself away from me. We stepped out of the elevator onto the 4^th floor. There was a small lobby with three doors leading off it. Ranger went over to one and pressed his thumb to a small infrared scanner. The light turned green and the lock clicked. He opened the door, stepped through and dropped the duffle on the floor. I had just enough time to see it was a large open plan room with living centre, kitchen and a really big bed. There was a small walled off area that I assumed was the bathroom. That was as far as my observations got me when Ranger picked me up and carried me to the bed.

 

“Babe, no time for foreplay this time. Next time ok?”

 

“Sure, just shut up already.” And he did. Ranger was fast working to get my clothes off, following his lead I worked at getting him naked. We were down to underwear, kissing, touching, moaning and groaning, when a phone rang.

 

Ranger pulled his head away from mine, I could see anger in his eyes, he pushed him self off the bed swearing a blue fit, and walked over to the phone near the couch.

 

“WHAT!… FUCK!… No I don’t want to but I’m guessing I don’t have much choice do I?… Well damn them, its not like they’ve done much for me lately… He can’t call in that marker… It’s not his frigging marker… Right, see if I ever do a favour for his sorry ass again… No fuck it!… Fine, tell them I’ll make contact with in and hour.” And with that he hung up. He turned to look at me, I looked away.

 

“FUCK!!!!!” Ranger yelling his frustrations was not a normal kinda thing, but the situation wasn’t normal either, in fact I quite agreed with him, I sat up and started to pull my clothes back on, Ranger came and sat beside me to pull his clothes on. “Sorry babe. Really sorry.”

 

He ran his fingers through his hair in a frustrated manner. “Its ok Ranger, I understand”

 

Ranger looks at me like I’m more than a little crazy. “You don’t mind?”

 

“Yes I fucking mind, but I understand. This must be something important.”

 

“More than you can imagine.” Ranger pulls on his boots and pulls me up by the hand. “Come on I’ll drop you home.”

 

We get back to my apartment faster than it took to get away from it. Nothing is said along the way. Ranger pulls up at the door, leaving the engine running. He grabs me by the back of my neck, pulling me to him and kisses me hungrily. He lets go and reaches into the back and hands me my duffle.

 

“When I get back, I’m coming to get you and I’m going to lock us up for 42 hours flat.”

 

“The time keeps increasing.”

 

“Well the longer this gets delayed the more I want you.” Ranger kisses me. “I’ve really gotta go”

 

“When will you be back?”

 

“A week max.”

 

I get out of the car and stand in the lobby waiting for the elevator, watching him peel out of the lot. Fuck summed it up nicely.

 

Chapter 25

 

The next morning dawned bright and sunny. Well I assumed it had, I didn’t wake up until lunchtime. So maybe I should say my day dawned bright and sunny. I got up, showered, got dressed and headed to the office. I picked up some chicken from ‘Cluck in a Bucket’ on the way. I still had about 15 skips piled up in the Buick, no real need to go to the office, but it was time to catch up on a little gossip and ask Lula to come along. I didn’t want to talk about Ranger though, I didn’t even want to think about Ranger at the moment.

 

I pushed through the doors and sat myself down on the couch. Lula and Connie were arguing over KFC, original (Connie) and spicy (Lula).

 

“I’m telling you, you’re Italian, what the fuck do you think you know about chicken?”

 

“I’m a burg woman, I know food.”

 

“And I’m a black woman, I’m a plus size woman, I know chicken.”

 

“What does being black have anything to do with it?”

 

“Hunh, shows what you know. Where do you think KFC chicken comes from? It comes from the south. And who does all the cooking’ in the south? Black people used to. My Momma was a black southern woman, and her momma before that and her momma before that. I know chicken!”

 

Lula was getting really quite heated about this. Connie was looking kinda shell-shocked. Lula spun around and looked at me. “Well? What’s your opinion?”

 

Uh oh, Rhino woman on the warpath. Why didn’t I just stay in bed? “I don’t like KFC, I like Cluck in a Bucket. You want?”

 

“Hell yes. You got napkins?”

 

“In the bag. Connie?” I offered the bucket. We all settled in to munching on chicken, world war 3 averted for now. Till next time. “So Lula, you coming with today?”

 

I was talking around a mouthful of chicken. Lula finished her mouthful before she spoke, miss manners.

 

“Course I am. You think I’m gonna hang round here all day? We’ve got ass to kick.”

 

“No we don’t, we’ve got a few old people and some bums to pick up. No need to kick any ass.”

 

Lula adjusted herself. “Hunh.”

 

We headed out of the office and stood on the sidewalk looking from big blue to the firebird.

 

“I know you aren’t thinking we’re going anywhere in that thing. I know you know I’ve got an image to maintain.”

 

I sighed and got the folders of the FTA’s out of the Buick. “I know I know, lets go in your car then.” We climbed in the firebird. “First stop, Miss Nelly Jackson. 323 Blanket Ave.”

 

***************

 

Lula and I pulled in to the docking yard at precisely 529 pm. We had Michael Mistner with us, smelling like a brewery. Michael hadn’t wanted to come with us to reschedule his court appointment, instead he had taken a flying leap at Lula who had managed to knock me over onto my ass. Michael had been laughing so hard that Lula was able to stun him with out him noticing. Now Michael was still smelling and slurring more than he had to start with. He was all over the place, it wasn’t a pretty site. With the help of the docking lieutenant I was able to get him in and locked up. I was waiting to pick up my 3^rd check for the day, chump change when compared to Ranger’s checks for sure, but I was able to keep myself in clothes for a while at least. I was hoping against hope that Lula was still waiting for me outside, I didn’t think it was likely, but hey, optimism is a good thing right?

 

I stepped out the door and looked around for Lula, No Lula. I pulled out my cell phone, dead battery. I wondered back into the station house and spied Eddie walking out of the men’s room. Just what the doctor ordered. A free lift home with an option to stop for donuts.

 

“Stephanie. Stephanie. Stephanie.” Eddie stood against the wall shaking his head at me. I stood there wondering what this was about. “I’m crushed! Totally crushed!”

 

Now I had no idea what he was on about I decided it was time to get clued in. “Huh?”

 

“You never rang me about the note. It was a nice gesture on my behalf, and you never even called to say thanks!”

 

“Umm Eddie, I never got the note. What note?” Better to deny all knowledge rather than tell him I had ignored it. I watched the X-Files. Deny everything was fast becoming my theme. “Anyway, what was it about?”

 

“It was about you coming to dinner. It was not good timing on your behalf getting kicked and all.” Eddie looked around “Lets get out of here. Pinos?”

 

“Yeah sure. I was thinking donuts, but Pinos works just as well.”

 

Eddie grinned and grabbed a bunch of stuff off his desk. We strolled out of the station to his beat up patrol car. It felt strange talking with Eddie like this, it had been such a long time since we had just taken the time to yabber about nothing and everything with no Shirley, Joe or screaming kids around to interrupt.

 

“You know what? Lets get one to go and get donuts and beer as well. Sound good?”

 

“As long as we eat at my place.” Shirley was my cousin, yeah but she annoyed the shit out of me.

 

Eddie smiled grimly. “No problem.” Hmm I wonder what’s this about?

 

Eddie went in to pick up our pizza and I went down the road a little bit to grab some donuts. I was waiting outside near the cruiser when he came out. We sped most of the way back to my place, after all what’s the good of being a cop if you cant abuse the rights when the traffics good? The more I was with Eddie the more I realised something was wrong. For such a laid back guy he was kind strung tightly. I let us in my apartment, Eddie settled on the couch while I got us some napkins. I came back to find ESPN showing a Rangers game. Eddie and I have both supported them for a long time, Eddie since we were kids, me since Mike Richter started playing. I had finally decided it was time to ask Eddie what was going on with him when he started to ask me about Ranger and Joe.

 

“So Steph, hows the love triangle going this week?”

 

“I don’t know about love triangle, lust yeah that’s more likely. But it’s non-existent. Why?”

 

“Just asking, Joe came into the station this morning, grouchy as, and then took off for places unknown. I thought you must have torn him a new one, but then I heard you were back here again, so I thought maybe he shoulda been ok. Seeing as though you’d moved out of Ranger’s.”

 

I looked at Eddie, boy was this going to take some explaining. So I explained about how I hadn’t been living with Ranger, and that Joe and I were just going to be friends and that he had read it all wrong, how I could still feel his kiss from last night and how Ranger had taken off for god only knows where, and that we were still working on getting it on.

 

Finally we got back to the beginning and I could ask Eddie what’s happening. I jumped right on in it.

 

“So Eddie, what’s up with you?”

 

Eddie kind of got defensive. “What do you mean?”

 

“Look at you. It’s 930 at night, normally you’d have gone home to tuck in your kids. Your strung so tight you almost whistle when you move. What’s going on?”

 

“Its Shirley, no matter what I do, she wants to fight, I cant do anything right. I mean sure we fight, but then we make up, but now, I dunno, I don’t understand what’s going on with us.” Eddie was staring off into space. Well shit.

 

“How longs this been going on?”

 

“A few weeks. At first I thought she was pregnant again, cause she was like this before, but after a week she’d start to cry and get all sentimental, but not this time, and I don’t know what’s going on!” Shirley was a bitch and a whinger and I didn’t like her much, but I did like what she did for Eddie. She was good for Eddie. I decided then and there that I was going to fix this, for Eddies sake, I really didn’t give a shit about Shirley, but Eddie I loved like a brother.

 

“Eddie, I’m going to find out her problem and then we can fix this.” We had eaten the pizza and donuts, we had drunk the beer. It was time to ring Mary Lou and get started. “You need to go home and see your kids even if you don’t want to see Shirley.”

 

Eddie looked at me. “Your right Steph, thanks for being a pal.”

 

“That’s ok, when I fix this, I’m never going to have to pay another ticket again, or buy you another pizza to fix another ticket again.” Eddie gave me a quick squeeze and left. I locked the door behind him and picked up the phone.

 

“Mary Lou?… The kids in bed?… You got time to talk?… We’ve got a problem…”

 

Chapter 26

 

After talking to Mary Lou, we both realised what a night this was going to be. And after 3 hours on the phone ringing around the ‘Burg to talk to Shirley’s friends I rang Mary Lou back. The phone was engaged so I grabbed a beer and tried again. Mary Lou picked up after 2 rings.

 

“So, what’s the verdict?” No time for pleasantries, from what I gathered this was serious.

 

“Well I heard from Jackie Hertz that she heard from her cousin Missy who heard from her next door neighbour that Eddie is having an affair.”

 

I sighed. “That’s what I heard too.” I talked to Mary Lou for a few more minutes before she claimed screaming kid having a nightmare to get off the phone. I understood, my ear was numb too.

 

Shirley was an idiot, but when she got something in her mind she didn’t let go of it easily. And Eddie staying late to avoid Shirley wouldn’t be helping anything. Damn, like my life wasn’t complicated enough. If he and Shirley didn’t work things out, they’d end up getting a divorce, Shirley would get the house in the settlement, cause she’d have the kids, Eddie would end up paying child support and would need to find a cheap apartment, and because cheap apartments are few and far between in Trenton unless you lived down on Stark street and that wasn’t feasible for a cop he’d end up needing a place to crash, and because he was like me and couldn’t stand to go back to living with his parents he’d be looking to crash on a friends couch, and because Carl was a slob, more than likely it would be my couch. And I’ll be damned if I was going to let that happen. I’d lived with Eddie when I was at college and I was never going to do that again. It was close to midnight and I was tired, I decided on a course of action for tomorrow and went to bed. I’m sure I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

 

*****************

 

I woke at about 9 the next morning and dragged myself to the shower. I had a pop tart and gave Rex some fresh water and a grape. I gathered my stuff and drove down to the station to find Eddie. After waiting ten minutes Eddie came in and sat at his desk. He looked at me expectantly.

 

“Maybe we should go somewhere more private to discus this.” Eddie nodded and led me into an interview room. I shut the door behind me and sat across from Eddie. I dived right in “Shirley thinks you’re having an affair.”

 

Eddie slumped back and exhaled sharply. “What gave her this idea?” Eddie looked totally flummoxed.

 

“As far as Mary Lou and I could gather Jan Stevens saw you and Krista Werrington the other morning having coffee at a seven-eleven.” I watched Eddie as a variety of emotions crossed his face. “There have been various other sightings, and you know the ‘Burg, nothing is missed and everyone knows everyone else’s business. What’s going on Eddie?”

 

Eddie rubbed at his face and thumped his fist on the table. “I never even thought about what could happen when this all started. The Captain lent me to the Fed’s for this assignment. You know that I cant say anything but I will tell you that Krista is an informant, she asked for a local cop to liase with the Feds. Usually Morrelli is the one who does this shit, but he was undercover on something or other and I volunteered.”

 

“You volunteered?” I thought he was happy working the beat.

 

“Well yeah, I love what I do, but I've got 3 kids, I'm not getting any younger, what’s gonna happen when I slow down? I’m starting to think ahead. I can’t work the beat for my entire career. If I start to get into these kind of things now then in a few years when I do slow down I’ll have the up on all the younger guys and I’ll have the advantage of knowing the work and the people.” Eddie slowed and gazed off. Like Ranger in his zone. NO! I can’t think of Ranger now.

 

“Eddie, you know what you have to do don’t you?” Eddie refocused. “You need to take Shirley away, trying to explain wont work while she has friends around to back her up. You need to take a leave of absence and take her away. Get your folks or aunt Em and uncle George to look after the kids. Take her someplace and tell her everything.”

 

“I suppose I could, I mean the case has wrapped up and I have some time due to me, a lot of time actually. Mum and Dad would love to have the kids for a few days and then they could go stay with Shirley’s parents for awhile.” Eddie sat and nodded to himself. “Ok I’ll do it, any suggestions?” We sat and talked about where he could take Shirley for a week. 30 mins later I left and Eddie went to talk to his captain. “I’ll call you to let you know what’s happening”

 

“Ok Eddie, good luck.” I gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. I left the building jumped in to big blue heading east towards Rawson St to pick up Peter Jenkins, he was arrested driving with no license after loosing it to 6 DUI ‘s. He was a nice looking man, soft wavy blonde hair, blue eyes and aquiline nose. If I didn’t know he was a wanted criminal he would be the kind of man I would consider getting to know better. Shows what I know doesn’t it? After all, look at the past 2 years with Morrelli.

 

Chapter 27

 

An hour later I pulled up in front of Jenkins’ split-level. Damn traffic jams, they rarely happened in Trenton but when they did, they were absolutely horrid. I was hot, sweaty and cranky. I was hungry and I wanted something to drink. I rang the doorbell and stood to the side of the door. I was slowly learning. Peter Jenkins opened the door slightly inebriated, he was singing loudly and off key. A happy drunk, I couldn’t be cranky with a happy drunk.

 

“Mr Peter Jenkins?”

 

“Yep?”

 

“I’m Stephanie Plum, I represent your bail bonding company. You missed your court date, I need to take you down and get you to reschedule.” I smiled, giving the best ‘lets do this nice and there will be no hassles’ look. Jenkins grinned at me and opened the screen door.

 

“Sure thing Hun, let me just turn the oven down, don’t wanna burn my brownies.”

 

Brownies? “How long will they take to cook?”

 

“I just put them in the oven, so about 20 minutes at this temp.” he was grinning and dancing round his kitchen sipping a beer. It looked like he was making a cake next. I was prepared to sacrifice my time for the sake of brownies.

 

“Well Peter, I’ll make you a deal, we can wait 20 minutes so your brownies don’t burn as log as you’re prepared to part with a few when they are done.”

 

Peter grinned, “Sure thing.” He finished the cake mixture, wrapped it in plastic wrap and sat it in the fridge. “I was just about to have some lunch, it’s a little late but I’m kinda hungry.”

 

“God, yes. I’m starving.”

 

“Sandwiches do?”

 

“Sure they’ll be great.” Peter proceeded to pull out various foodstuffs to make sandwiches with. “You want a beer with that?”

 

It was after 2pm, it was nearly evening. “Sure a beer sounds great.”

 

We sat down to beer and sandwiches. “So what’s the deal with you?” I was really quite interested in this man, he was happily drunk, obviously not hurting for money, and from what I could see he had no family to look after. I wondered why he felt the need to drink his life away.

 

“Well it started I was an accountant, I always hated it, did it because my father wouldn’t pay for the plane tickets to Paris so I could study cooking at one of the schools there. So last year my dad died, my mum had died a few years ago and I found myself all on my own. I couldn’t stand the thought of quitting, so I started looking for ways to get me fired.” He took a few bites and a sip of beer.

 

“I did everything I could, I screwed up accounts, made sexual advances to the female senior partners, everything and anything, and nothing worked. They all put it down to the stress of loosing my father. Eventually after a hard night trying to drown my sorrows I showed up still half drunk, this the partners weren’t happy with, over the next few weeks I got all those tickets, lost my license, lost my job and I’ve never been happier.”

 

He looked like a very happy man.

 

“I never get drunk, I just drink enough to keep the buzz up.” We finished up our sandwiches and beers, I rinsed off the plates while Peter took the brownies out of the oven.

 

“Oh they smell divine.” I was sniffing enthusiastically. “They smell better than my mothers.”

 

“I take it that’s a great compliment.”

 

“I don’t know anyone who can cook better than my mother when it comes to sweets.”

 

Peter cut and wrapped a few brownies. “So we can eat them on the way”

 

We stopped at a red light and dug into the brownies. They were orgasmic. We finished them off before the light turned green. “So Peter what are you planning on doing now? Like for a job?”

 

“I really don’t know, with my education I could do a lot.” He grinned at me. “There’s lots I want to do, nothing to do with accounting.”

 

We laughed for a bit as I pulled into the station, I went in with him and waited for my check. I started the paperwork for Peter’s new bail while I was waiting for Vinnie to come in and finish the bits that I wasn’t allowed to do. Peter was sitting with me while we waited.

 

“Do you want my opinion?”

 

“On what?”

 

“On what you should do?”

 

“Sure.”

 

“You should open a small sweets store. You know cook for yourself and share the joy. Have ice cream and other baked goods. You can do the cooking and your books.” I grinned. “Its not like Trenton can ever have enough sweet shops, and its not like we have an ice cream store any more.” Not after Uncle Moe got dead. That was an interesting day, Ranger had ridden to the rescue doing it again. Vinnie walked in to finish the paper work. I left giving Peter my phone number, he had like my idea of a shop and I liked the idea of him giving me a discount every time I went there. I’d never have to worry that my mother wouldn’t cook my sweets again, I had the hook up.

 

Chapter 28

 

Eddie rang shortly before 8pm. I had picked up 3 more skips that afternoon, none who were as nice as Peter. Two were just as happy, one even more so. Eddie told me that in the morning I had to pick up his 3 monsters and look after them for the day while their Grandparents were at a church thing. Hell, why me? Eddie had brothers, so did Shirley. But I agreed, not like I had any other plans. Tomorrow would be the forth day since Ranger had left. I don’t think I was missing him, well not too much, I was missing his kisses. But I wasn’t going to think about that now. I was not tired enough to go to sleep so I spent a few hours cleaning up the rest of my apartment. At about ten I showered and climbed into bed. I went to sleep sure I was going to have nightmares about Eddie’s kids.

 

 

I didn’t but I woke up with a sense of dread I couldn’t shake. It made me nervous so that at 930 am when I pulled up at Eddie’s I almost considered telling Eddie not to go, just wait a few hours until the church thing was over. But I sucked it up and soldiered on. Timmy, Mikey and Ricky were all just precious little angels getting into big blue. Waving sweetly at Mummy out the window until we turned the corner. As soon as Shirley was out of site however, the kicking, screaming, biting, scratching and just plain annoying started. I had planned on taking them to the park but I decided McDonalds was a better choice. One with a playground I could lock them in and one where I could get copious amounts of coffee and fat. It sounded like a plan.

 

We stayed at McDonalds for about 2 hours. Until the manager, a pimply little shit, came and complained about the boys roughing up other kids in the playground. It was close enough to lunchtime that I stoped by Pino’s and picked up a pizza for lunch, sadly coke was the accompanying beverage. No beer for the minors, they were wild enough. Sugar was going to be bad as it is. I loaded them back into big blue after Anthony’s nasty looks and a lot of grief from the other cops in the place. Hell they knew these were Eddie’s kids. They should be proud of me getting them to sit in one booth rather than running around the place. Ok so they made enough noise for an entire circus, but at least they weren’t underfoot.

 

I drove on back to my apartment, figuring that if I couldn’t find something there for them to do I could always take them to the compound and take them swimming. That was a good plan as far as it went. Besides, Shirley was Gale’s cousin too. She should help me out too. As the boys stood quietly in the hallway, worn out from fighting all the way up the stairs, I unlocked the door to find Ranger asleep on the couch.

 

The 3 boys ran in and stood next to the couch, it felt like I’d gone deaf, the silence was stunning. Timmy, being a worldly 9 and the eldest, was the first to speak.

 

“Who’s he?”

 

“Ranger.”

 

Mikey was next at 8 and in the middle. “Why is he sleeping on your couch?”

 

“Because he’s tired I guess.”

 

“Why isn’t he in your bed? My daddy sleeps in Mummy’s bed.”

 

“Because he’s just a friend Ricky.”

 

Timmy didn’t find this acceptable. “My friend Luke has a Mum whose friends sleep in her bed. Luke says she can be real noisy at night sometimes to.”

 

The little monster had a smile on his face.

 

“Why?” “Yeah Aunty Steph, Why?”

 

Oh crap. “I don’t know.” Maybe she’s getting real lucky. “Why don’t we go to the table so we can sit down and eat some pizza?”

 

All three looked at me kinda funny. Then they looked at each other.

 

“He looks kinda like the Rock!” Mikey WWF superstar in the making.

 

“Yeah!”

 

“Hey lets get him!!”

 

I immediately dropped the pizza and coke and went to grab them. I was to late. All three of them were on Ranger jumping, punching and yelling. Ranger jumped up and vaulted over the back of the couch his hand going for the gun in the back of his jeans.

 

“Get off!! You little MONSTERS!!!! Get off.!!!” I was pulling them back away from the couch so they didn’t jump over it and back on to Ranger who was looking more than a little shell-shocked. Ricky got away from me and went air born over the couch right at Ranger, who stood up and grabbed him by the shirt and held him arms out of the ground. Ricky was kicking and squirming and yelling to be put down. Mikey and Timmy were attacking Rangers legs. Yelling for him to let go of their brother. If it wasn’t for the fact that Ranger had a gun and was barely awake and aware of what was happening it would be funny rather than scary.

 

I grabbed Mikey and Timmy, forcibly pulling them away from Ranger who was looking at Ricky as though he was something from another planet. Ranger looked at me and just kinda dropped Ricky to the ground. Ricky scrambled around the couch and hid behind me. Like that would do him any good.

 

“Babe?” There was an unasked question there and I wasn’t sure how to answer. I sighed.

 

“It’s a long story. When did you get back?”

 

“About 2 hours ago. I came here from the airport. To pick you up. For…” He looked at the boys who were now eating the previously dropped pizza. “Well you know. I fell asleep. Guess I’m more tired than I thought.”

 

He went back to looking at the monsters. “They’re Eddies, and it’s a long story.”

 

“They attacked me.” He raised an eyebrow in my direction.

 

I squirmed, I didn’t want him to know I couldn’t control 3 kids, but hell I couldn’t control myself most of the time. “Well, kinda, yeah, but not really.”

 

The eyebrow went again. “They thought you were the Rock.”

 

“Who?”

 

“The Rock! Geeze mister don’t you know nuthin?” Timmy, WWF superstar in the making.

 

I replied, “The wrestler.”

 

“Oh, right.” Ranger obviously was ignorant. Ricky knew it to.

 

“You really are dumb ain't you mister? Everyone knows the Rock! He’s the best ever!”

 

“Nuh huh!”

 

“Uh huh!”

 

“IS not!”

 

“IS TOO!!”

 

It degenerated from there. Ranger looked away from the mêlée on the floor to me. He was grinning. Damn I’d misses that mouth. “What time do you get rid of the brats?”

 

The ruckus came to a sudden halt. “Hey! We ain’t brats! Our mum says we’re just great.”

 

“Yeah, you don’t know nuthin anyways.” They returned to the pizza. I returned to contemplating Rangers mouth.

 

“Their Grandpa is coming to pick them up at about 6. Why?”

 

“Well its nearly 1 now. Let me get a few hours sleep and I’ll be back at about 8 to pick you up for…” He looked at the boys who were all eating while watching him. “ For that thing.”

 

Timmy stoped in mid bite. “You’re gonna wrestle aren’t you? Hey Aunt Steph, why would you wanna do that? He doesn’t know nuthin bout wrestling!”

 

Oh crap!

 

“Yeah Aunt Steph, even mum knows more about wrestling than him. Her and Daddy wrestle all the time.” Ricky chimed in.

 

“Yeah but we never know who wins.” Timmy said.

 

“What?!” I’m sure my eyes just about popped out of their head.

 

“Well we listen sometimes to Mum and Dad wrestle. She makes more noise but she gets up faster. So we’re not too sure.” Mikey looked like an angel but I knew better.

 

“She gets up faster…” my voice faded out and I slumped in to the seat. Timmy answered.

 

“Sure, and she’s usually singing. Daddy only sings in the shower and he’s real, real bad too.”

 

Ricky talked around his food. “Yeah Mummy’s always happy after her and Daddy wrestle. We tried to play to once but they just yelled at us. Daddy recons we have to wrestle with kids our own age.”

 

Oh god this was horrid, I really didn’t need to know about Eddies sex life. And neither did Ranger. I looked over at him. He had the biggest shit-eating grin I’d ever seen. Damn him. “Alright, that’s it. Finish the pizza and then you can watch a video.”

 

The distraction worked. I’d never been more relieved in my life. I sagged against the chair. Ranger stood over me. “See you later Babe. I’ll be back at 8 or so. We can go somewhere and wrestle… or something.”

 

Ranger left and I prayed that 6 would come around really fast. It seemed forever away.

 

Chapter 29

 

Six o’clock slowly rolled around. Never had time passed so slowly and yet so fast. It was weird the way it happened. The time was really slow when the kids were being quiet. Fast when they were running around like the monsters they are. I’d have thought it worked the other way round. Eddies dad picked up the kids shortly after 6. He stayed and had a coffee while I made the boys clean up the mess they had made. I’d known him all my life, he was kind of an adopted Dad. The boys were cleaned up and gone by 630.

 

I wasn’t dead tired but I needed to rest up for an hour or so. I showered, shaved and lathered before climbing into bed. I woke to find Ranger shaking my arm. Guess I forgot to set the alarm. Nothing was said as I got up and grabbed the bag I had shoved my stuff in earlier when the kids were still around. I was about to lock the door on the way out when Ranger grabbed me and pushed me up against it. A full frontal kiss with groping hands and insistent tongues. I liked it, I liked it a lot.

 

Quite a bit later, Ranger slowly pulled away and grinned at me.

 

“I would have done that earlier but you had those boys here.” He took the key and locked the door. “You can tell me about it on the way.”

 

We got into Rangers BMW and by the time we had pulled into the parking lot of his office building, Ranger was laughing. It was a full-throated belly laugh and listening to it made me shudder right down to my doodah.  In the elevator we stood standing side-by-side, hips and shoulders touching. Last time we took this ride we were in much more of a hurry. I think that I was resigned to the fact that we were going to be interrupted. Why bother trying to get all excited when it was inevitable? I had a buzz still going from the kiss in my hallway. Ranger pressed his thumb into the fingerprint pad and the door clicked open. We entered and I dumped my bag next to the couch and sat down in a corner. I kicked my shoes off and curled them up underneath my thighs. I watched Ranger as he rummaged through his fridge pulling out this and that. He stood and turned to me.

 

“Do you want something to eat?” I shook my head no. “Something to drink?”

 

“Water would be good.” He raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. It wasn’t that I was thirsty, more that my mouth was dry. He came and mirrored my position on the couch. “So did everything go ok? With whatever it was you had to do?”

 

I wasn’t actually going to come out with it and ask. I did have a little more tact than that, sometimes anyway. Ranger looked at me for a while, I was fully expecting him to dodge it with a yes or no.

 

“I’m sure you realise that what I tell you should go no further. I shouldn’t even tell you this much. But it went fine, to the letter actually.” I was shocked and my face was showing. Ranger grinned. “If this had happened anywhere near here, in the country even I wouldn’t tell a word of this to you. As it is I had to fly off to the Middle East. Have you heard anything about the covert missions into the Middle East? No I don’t suppose you have, its not common knowledge.”

 

Ranger had a contemplative look on his face, like he was in his zone almost. “The Rangers and SEAL’s have been running missions into certain countries in the middle east since the Gulf War. Something went wrong for the last team. They were deep country when some ‘Patriots’ picked up the team’s radio talk. Somehow they managed to ambush the team. I was called in when all the negotiations failed. Our government, their government, no one could get through to the so-called patriots. They called me in as a special favour to the brass. I would have gone anyway, 16 men and women, I’ve been in their position, I know what its like.” Ranger went quiet and I didn’t know what to say. I had figured that Ranger had been in some bad situations in his life. I didn’t know what to say.

 

Eventually I quietly asked, “So why did they call you?”

 

“I had connections that no one else did.” He snorted laughter. “The hypocrisy of this country’s government amazes me. I was politely asked to leave the Rangers you know? Because of the contacts I had been making around the place.” Ranger looked at me. “I’m sure you also know that I do things that aren’t legal. Gun running is one of the rumours that happen to be true. I am however delicate as to where and who I supply guns and ammo to. Anyway, I was called in on the contacts that I had been fired for. Sorry, asked to leave.” The sarcasm in his voice was cutting. “So anyway, to make a long story short through my contacts I made contact with the hostages and the captors. I called in a few favours got the team out made a few more contacts.” Ranger smiled humourlessly.

 

“So what do you get out of this?” I didn’t know if this were a wise question, I wasn’t sure I should say anything at all. But it seemed that Ranger was incredibly upset about something. I think that Ranger really detested the politics of the army that had made him what he was and then shunned him for being it.

 

Rangers humourless smile remained. “Me? I get a shit load of favours coming from the top brass, and the government.” His grin faded and brightened into a real smile. “I get to see the smiles and tears on the families of the Teams faces when they came back more or less in good health. I get to see the smiles and the tears on the Teams faces when they see their families again.”

 

We sat in silence for a while, his story sinking into me like water into a sponge. I realised that I loved this man, not necessarily in a happily-ever-after kind of way, but in a friends forever way. I also lusted madly after him.  Grinned to myself when I realised I was happy.  Hadn’t been happy for a long time. Content, yes, happy? No.

 

I looked over to Ranger to see him smiling at me. I sat my water down and unfolded my legs. I walked on my knees over the couch to Ranger and kissed him gently on the mouth. I smiled hoping that his ESP thing would pick up on my feelings. Especially the lust thing. Apparently it did, because Ranger pulled me bodily against him, kissing me in a lets get naked kind of kiss. Mmmm, I agreed. Getting naked was a great idea. We both started to pull at each other’s clothes in haste, like getting naked couldn’t happen fast enough. We rushed to the bed, running into things scattering clothes across the place. Tomorrow I was going to have bruises on my knees but what did I care?

 

I had the man of my lustful dreams, my hair was under control, I smelled fantastic, my legs were shaved, and I had on the sheer black matching bra and thong set so I looked good. I didn’t have Joe Morrelli in the back of my head. This was my favourite dream come true.

 

As I landed on the bed with Ranger on top of me the phone rang. We both paused and looked at it. Simultaneously we swore at it.

 

“FUCK!”

 

Chapter 30

 

“Are you gonna answer that babe?”

 

“What? Oh shit.” It was my mobile phone. “No let it ring.” I went back to kissing Ranger. I ran my fingernails up his spine, arching my back for better contact, we were naked and it felt fantastic. The phone rang off and started the ring again.

 

“You better answer or they might call all night.” He was right damn it. He rolled off me and I walked over to the couch and scrambled though my bag in search of the phone. In the end I dumped it all on the couch and picked the phone up out of the mess. I looked at the read out and it was Joe. It figured.

 

“I don’t have the time now. Call me back later, no wait, I’ll call you.” And with that I hung up. I was half way to the bed when it rang again. I went back and it was Joe again. Didn’t he understand a simple instruction? All I wanted was the orgasm that was coming to me. It was going to be a big one. The phone continued the ring and I got pissed off. I threw it against the wall. It smashed into pieces and it stopped ringing. I smiled and sashayed back to the bed where Ranger was sitting up on pillows watching me. He had the wolf grin firmly in place. I stepped up onto the bed, standing above Ranger so that he was looking up at me.

 

He looked at the smashed phone and back at me. He pulled me down to straddle his legs. “You want me. You want me bad” he laughed at me and rolled me under him. His kiss was everything. Like chocolate mud cake, I couldn’t get enough. His hands were squeezing my ass and it was rough. We didn’t have time for gentle. And I didn’t want gentle. I wanted hard and fast, all legs and arms and tongues, I wanted him and only him. Ranger rolled on a condom and I got my wish.

 

*****************

 

Steph lay spooned against my front. I ran my hand up and down her side, shoulder to hip. She had smooth pale skin that stood out against my dark skin. Steph didn’t move as I slowly stoked her side. I guess she was tired out. I grinned. Fair enough really, it was almost 4am and she had only just gotten to sleep. I was running on excess adrenalin, from the operation and from having Steph in my bed. It had been amazing, Stephanie was amazing. After we had first rolled apart, she had laughingly blamed me for her broken phones. Apparently it was my fault that I drove her hormones into over drive. Well maybe it was, but it wasn’t like I did it on purpose, not every time anyways. I had said I would buy her new phones and she had rolled her eyes, saying that wasn’t the best way to fix the problem. When I had asked her what was, she grinned and said taking her mind off the problem was the best way to fix it. So I had for a number of hours. I felt my muscles relax as I slowly drifted to sleep. The last thing I thought of as I fell asleep was the look on Steph’s face as she had lain beneath me.

 

***************

 

I slowly came awake with the realisation that Ranger was still lying next to me, cuddling me from behind. The second realisation was that I desperately needed to go to the toilet. The third realisation was that if I moved to go to the toilet I would wake Ranger and Ranger needed sleep.

 

Five minutes later the feeling was too much to bear and I slowly started to untangle Rangers arms from around me. I gently slid away from his body only to find myself hauled back by the waist. “Aghh!”

 

Ranger sat up fast, blinking, with a gun in his hand. “What?”

 

I didn’t answer, I just jumped up and ran for what I hoped was the toilet. Oh god! The relief! I could hear Ranger laughing from the bed. Humph! I looked around and was in heaven. No orange and brown, no clutter and room to move. Lots of room to move. I sighed at the site of a spa bath. Heaven is a real place, and I was there. I filled the bath, not wanting to face Ranger smelling or looking like I did. I wasn’t at my best, naturally. I put some shampoo into the bath the make bubbles and climbed in. I played with the switches to get the jets going and settled back.

 

I dunked my head under the water and started to shampoo my hair.  I rinsed and had just finished conditioning when Ranger came and hopped into the bath with me. He dunked his head and settled between my legs. I picked up the shampoo and massaged his head. I liked his hair short. Sure it had been a shock but with it short it framed his beautiful face so much better. Ranger purred and snuggled back. The rumbling in his chest travelled through my chest and stomach right down to my doodah. My breathing hitched and Ranger chuckled. That really hitched my breathing.

 

Ranger pulled away and dunked his head to rinse the shampoo, he twisted underwater and came up facing me. His big grin came at me and we kissed, it was another lets-get-naked kind of kiss, but as we were already naked I guess we would have to do something else. Ranger pulled me underneath him by the shoulders, holding my face just out of the water by leaning on his elbows. He ground his body into mine and I had an orgasm.

 

Ranger pulled back and grinned again. “Lets go back to bed.”

 

“Wet?”

 

“That’s what I’m hoping.” It took a minute for me to realise what he was talking about, and as I thought about it, Ranger pulled me up out of the bath and roughly dried me off. He quickly did the same for himself, and dragged me by the arm back to the bed.

 

“Not that I’m not in a hurry or anything, but if I go back to bed with you now, with wet hair, its going to be really, really scary when we’re done.” Ranger grunted, picked me up and threw me onto the bed. His eyes were flashing black, his muscles on his fantastic body were bunched up. He kneeled above me just watching. I squirmed, not really comfortable with the scrutiny. “Stay still.” I squirmed some more and I was about to roll into a ball when Ranger trapped me so I couldn’t move. I was stretched flat out on my back, with Ranger above me, just looking at me. His eyes darkened some more if possible, probably more in amusement that for any other reason. He looked into my eyes, “Why do you do that? You’re sexy as all hell.”

 

I squeaked, “What?” he’s making fun of me.

 

“Stop it, you are.”

 

I tried to squirm out of his grip, but he held tighter. “Have I ever lied to you?”

 

I stoped squirming, he had never lied, he had not told all the truth, but he had never flat out lied. I was amazed, no one had ever looked me in the eye and called me sexy as hell. Joe had said parts of me were, but he didn’t count, he thought everything was sexy. I let myself relax and Ranger let me go. I stretched my body out to full-length toes pointed and arms above my head, Rangers eyes flashed and he was on me in a second. Hmm, maybe there was something to him thinking I was sexy. Maybe I should stretch near him more often.

 

Chapter 31

 

Later that day, much later, Ranger and I had rummaged through the fridge looking for something to eat. Ranger cooked up a sauce while I cooked pasta. I was feeling mighty proud of myself until Ranger laughed at me. It wasn’t nasty laughing, more of a ‘you’re Italian, of course you can cook pasta’ laugh. Hunh, shows what he knows. I’m a burg girl but do you think I can cook cake or pot roast? Not on your life. Have I ever wanted to cook anything? Not on your life. I live in a major city, you can get anything at any time. Besides, my mother was like a cross between Betty Crocker and a 7-eleven.

 

We sat to eat the pasta and sauce. The sauce was delicious but simple. Just some tinned tomatoes, frozen vegies and herbs. The kitchen was filled with long life foods. We talked about nothing much. I told him about the first time I ever got drunk, on one beer at 15. His was on Jim beam at 14. I was guessing that when Ranger had hit puberty he had gone slightly off the rails, well maybe right off the rails. Puberty was a strange thing. When I hit puberty I went slightly more deranged than I had been, but still a good little kid. Well aside from Morrelli and the Tasty Pastry incident it was all reasonable behaviour. Well that and sneaking out of the house a few times, and making out in the back of cars occasionally.

 

“So you want to go to a movie or something?” We had finished dinner and were just finishing cleaning up. All the hassles we had gone through to get here and he wanted to go out?

 

“Umm, why don’t we just get a video and stay in?” Ranger grinned, obviously his mind was working along the same line as mine.

 

“Sure.”

 

I put the necessary stuff like my hairbrush, hairspray and gum, back into my bag and we went down to the parking lot and got into Rangers Mercedes. We went to the video store on Harris Street and Ranger pulled to a stop in the street.

 

“So… what do you want to see? Action? Science fiction? Romance? Porn? Mystery? Comedy?” I liked how he had slid porn in there like it was no big deal. Men.

 

“Dunno, lets see what’s here.” We walked to the new release section where nothing really grabbed our attention. We started to wonder through the older videos when I saw ‘Ferris Bueller's Day Off’ “Ranger! What about this?”

 

He walked over to where I was, “What is it?”

 

I held the case up to show him the cover. “What’s it about?”

 

Again I squeaked, “What?” my mouth dropped, where the hell has this man been, not to have seen Ferris Bueller? Everyone has seen Ferris Bueller. Ferris was the hero of every teen in the 80s. I snapped my mouth shut and snatched the cover from Ranger. “That’s it, go wait in the car, I think you need to be educated.”

 

Ranger smiled and left without a word. I picked up a few more classics and paid for them. I had the cashier put them into a paper bag so I could surprise Ranger when we got back to his place. I climbed into the Merc bum first and sat on Rangers hand. He had placed in palm up on the seat for precisely the purpose of me sitting on it. I jumped slightly and turned to face Ranger, determined not to give the reaction he was sure to be expecting. I raised my eyebrows at him, I couldn’t do the one eyebrow thing. He flexed his fingers and squeezed my butt. “You’re going to need that to drive you realise?”

 

Ranger laughed and I tilted to the side so he could pull his hand out from under me. He started the car and we took off with a squeal of tires. “We have to swing by my house before we head back to your place.” Ranger didn’t say anything but took the next left so we were headed in the right direction.

 

“So what did you get?”

 

“I’m not telling.” I grinned in his direction and he caught it.

 

“Ok, what are we headed to your apartment for then?”

 

“To pick up another movie.”

 

“How many have you got in the bag?” Ranger sounded kind of incredulous. Like as if he had no intentions of watching one video let alone all of the ones I had in the bag.

 

“I’ve got enough, but we need just this one more to round it out. These things need to be evenly spread.”

 

Ranger looked at me with a smile in his eyes. “Right, you’re a strange lady.”

 

Me? Strange? This from the guy who gave me a band-aid for a gun shot wound! I did a mental eye roll. Ranger pulled to a stop. “Do you want me to come up?”

 

“No I’ll just be a second.” I ran up the stairs not bothering to wait for the elevator. I fished around my bag for my keys, realising that I left my keys on Rangers couch. I ran back down the stairs and opened Rangers door. “I left my keys on your couch. Come and break in for me.”

 

Ranger grinned and took the keys out of the ignition. We walked up the stairs together and stoped at the door. Ranger turned to look at me. “Turn away.”

 

“What?” this was my opportunity to see how it was done.

 

“Turn away.” I sighed and turned slowly, and kept turning. I turned in time to see him pull a key out of the door.

 

“A key?!” I punched him on the arm. “That’s cheating!”

 

“You weren’t supposed to be watching. You were supposed to turn around.”

 

“I did. All the way. But that’s not the point. You aren’t supposed to have a key!”

 

“You want it back?”

 

“Yes! No! When did you get it?”

 

“Awhile ago. I got sick of having of carry my lock pick.” Ranger pushed the door open. I went through and ejected the tape from the player.

 

“So you stole my key?”

 

“Yep.” Seemed reasonable to me, but sadly the batman façade dropped a little. He didn’t seem so mysterious now that I knew he used a key. I grabbed ‘High Fidelity’ and we left the apartment. 10 minutes later we were settled on to Rangers big comfy couch. I had put Ferris in first. May as well start with the best.

 

I was straddled atop of Ranger and I could hear the teacher calling ‘Bueller, Bueller, Bueller, has any one seen Ferris Bueller?” I slumped onto Rangers chest and could hear his accelerated heart beat as his chest rose and fell in panting breaths, my muscles were still clenching around him in orgasm. Ranger was slack limbed on the couch, one arm flung out the other dropped on my back. Well most of Ranger was slack. I pushed myself up, using his chest and felt him deeper in me. Ranger groaned and I remained still. Purposely clenching those muscles. I watched as Rangers stomach muscles jumped and bunched. I pinched his left nipple, his torso shook and I came again. Ranger gripped my waist and held me still. I started to clench my muscles again and Ranger let go of my waist and held my hands. I rose a little on my knees and held there. Ranger opened his eyes and raised his head to look up at me. I pushed back down hard and Ranger cried out. His body jerked. His breath came out raspy. His hands clenched mine to the point of pain.

 

Ranger relaxed and fell back slack limbed completely this time. I slowly pulled off him to stand. He let out a gasp that was half pain half pleasure and I was up. I went over to the bed and pulled the comforter off and dragged it behind me to the couch. Ranger slowly slid onto his side and I crawled in front of him. I pulled the comforter over both of us and used the remote to rewind Ferris back to the start. Ranger kissed the top of my head and wrapped his arm around my stomach, bent at the elbow his hand curled up to cup my breast. I could feel Rangers breath slow and deepen as he fell asleep against my back.

 

I blindly watched as Ferris pulled a quick one over his parents. This was probably the first time in my life I had made love with someone. Sure I had had sex. But for the first time I was realising the difference. I think maybe Joe had made love to me but not with me. I realised that most of the time I had had sex, I had mistakenly called it love. This time I had actually thought of giving pleasure, more than I had thought of getting pleasure. I knew that with Joe I had hoped he was getting pleasure, but always mine had come first. It didn’t matter that he got pleasure from it that was inadvertent on my behalf. I had never set out to give pleasure before, not even with Dickie.

 

So what did it mean that I had with Ranger? Ok, sure I loved him. Probably that was the least of my problems. I was starting to realise just how empty my life would be with out him in it. Shit. I was in trouble. This wasn’t the plan, this shouldn’t even be a factor. I slowly drifted off to sleep thinking I was going to hell in reality. Last thing I heard was the teacher on Ferris calling “Bueller, Bueller, Bueller, has anyone seen Ferris Bueller?”

 

Chapter 32

 

We eventually ended up watching the movies. Not because we didn’t have other things to do, more because I was feeling to lazy to move and a little sore to be a passive participant. Ranger hadn’t been too impressed with my selection of videos. But what did he know? Not much. I was crawling into bed after showering when Ranger came from behind, picked me up, threw me on the bed and jumped on top of me. He started to kiss me and I kissed him back. He pulled away gasping. He raised his eyebrow, “Between now and yesterday, when did you learn to kiss like that?”

 

After all my deliberations and what I had discovered yesterday, I had decided to not hold back anything. I smiled and pulled him back to me. I kissed his lips, along his rubbly jaw, down his neck and up to his ear where I whispered, “would you like to know what else I learned between then and now?”

 

I pushed him and he rolled happily. I attacked his neck. Not merely kissed, I attacked. I bit, gnawed and sucked and I wasn’t gentle about it either. I attacked my way down his chest to his stomach. Past his stomach to his legs, to his inner thighs where I tamed down a little. Ranger was throbbing, like one touch and he would blow. I paid a bit more attention to his thighs and moved on to his balls. I took one in my mouth and sucked gently, then the other. I put my tongue between and under them and ran it up to the tip. I looked up at Ranger. His head was back his hands were clenched and his breathing beyond laboured. I picked him up and took as much of him as I could fit in my mouth. I bit down gently and sucked kinda hard. His whole body jumped and he came.

 

Ranger lay there for a while. I shimmied my way up his body and lay half on my side half on top of him. His breathing slowly returned to normal and I listened with my head on his chest to his heart beat return to normal. He was flat on his back arms out not moving. I snuggled in and slowly started to drift off, I didn’t get far when Ranger started to talk. “Thank you.”

 

He kissed my head. “Mmmm, anytime.” I was talking slowly, mumbling, now that I thought about it, sleep would be good. I knew now that this man was mine, we could have sex anytime, depending on interruptions. That woke me up, I should take it when I could cause this was bound to be a rough ride. I lifted my head and kissed him, smiling lazily. I put my head down. He was slowly running his finger up and down my spine in the way that makes you shiver and get goose bumps. I sat up and pulled the doona over us and Ranger kicked it off. I frowned at him.

 

“Its too hot.”

 

“I’m cold.” And I pulled the doona back on. Ranger kicked it off. “If your going to be like that you’ll have to warm me up. Look at me, I've got goose bumps!” I pointed to my arms to make the point. Ranger looked at my chest and grinned.

 

“Your breasts are more convincing than your arms babe.”

 

I sat up and shoved them in his face, “I’m cold, see? Can I pull the doona on now?”

 

“No.” and he kept me warm all night long.

 

**********

 

We woke at about the same time the next morning, I didn’t want to cause I was going home today, but I really needed to pee. And brush my teeth, and shower. It had gotten very physical last night, to the point that at one time I had fallen off that great big bed. Well ok, I was kind of thrown off it, but it wasn’t really Rangers fault. Well it was, but I wasn’t going to blame him, not after what it was in aid of. Hmmm I smiled and made my way to the bathroom, walking kinda stiffly to be sure. I had a shower and did all the things a girl needs to do. I came out to find Ranger on the phone. He was naked. Mmmm. Gotta love that. He hung up and walked over to me gave me a long kiss.

 

“Something important?” I hadn’t heard the phone ring, but I had been in the shower for a long time.

 

“I just rang Tank is all.” He headed into the bathroom. I went to the fridge and cupboards to see what I could find to eat. Not much, I heated up some pasta and sauce. Yum, just as good as it was before. Ranger came out to find me finishing the last of it. He raised his eyebrow at me.

 

“Pasta for breakfast?”

 

“Sure, there’s nothing else worth eating in here.”

 

“There’s cereal in the cupboard.” He opened it to show healthy stuff that I wouldn’t touch if you paid me.

 

“That’s not cereal, its Metamucil.”

 

He laughed, “What?”

 

“It makes you shit and that’s all its good for. Doesn’t even taste good.” I screwed up my nose in that way that looks cute on some people and just funny on others. He pulled it out of the cupboard and put some in a bowl. Then he added long life milk, which just made it ten times as bad. Ugh. I hate that shit. I washed up my stuff and left it on the sink to dry. I went to pick up all my stuff and started to pack them back haphazardly into my duffle bag.

 

By the time I was done Ranger was ready to leave. He turned off the lights and we got into the elevator. I pressed the down button. Ranger pressed the stop button. I dropped my duffle and he pushed me up against the wall. I wrapped my legs around him. His head came down to meet mine and we kissed and it kinda got sloppy. I love long sloppy kisses. But lying down is better, when you’re up against a wall, you expect hard and fast. He pulled away and I dropped my feet to the floor.

 

“Can I see you later?”

 

I looked up at Ranger and smiled, “Sure.”

 

“What do you have to do today?”

 

“Go to the office, make some calls. Regular every day stuff.”

 

“I’ll come by later then.”

 

I smiled and Ranger pressed the down button again. He dropped me off at my apartment and took off again. No kisses goodbye. I liked that, to me it meant that there was no goodbye. Just later.

 

 

 

 

THE END.

 

Ok, everyone, that’s the end of that. I don’t like the ending, but I’m so sick of it I just wanted to get it over with. I hoped you all enjoyed my Different View. For something that was just going to be one chapter it sure ended up a marathon. Thanks for reading it.

 

Nat