Disclaimer: Most characters belong to JE. I'm just borrowing them for a little hot action. If you see someone you don't recognize, he's mine. I'm not making any money from this, but I am having a blast.
'Explosive' sequel to Hooah: Ranger and Stephanie return to Trenton from Bolivia and try to adjust to their new relationship. Yes, a relationship! Things heat up fast when Ranger realizes he has competition for his Babe's attention.
Chapter 1—Boom
The deep vibrating beat of the salsa music filled the dance floor impelling the gyrating couples to wilder and more suggestive moves. Stephanie was impressed with her dance partner, Johnny Tango. He could move, really move and he wasn't bad looking either. He held her close, their hips pressed tight together. With one hand at the small of her back and his other clasping her hand, he dipped her back and swept her around in a crescent, then brought her quickly up to his chest.
Her extremely short black dress hugged her every curve. It was so low cut if she had bigger boobs they would've fallen out when Johnny dipped her. He murmured into her ear, "You're so hot, babe. Let's get out of here and go somewhere we can really let loose. My hotel room is only a few blocks from here." She returned his leer with a suggestive smile, "What are we waiting for?"
Inwardly, she cringed at hearing him call her 'babe.' Only one man called her that and this embezzling white-collar scumbag wasn't him. She decided she hated doing 'distraction' duty when Ranger wasn't present. At least then she could pretend she was dressing and dancing sexily for him. She couldn't wait to turn Johnny over to Tank and Chris when she got him outside and then spend the rest of the evening relaxing in Ranger's arms.
Johnny led her off the dance floor, grabbed their coats and escorted her out the club's double doors. The night air outside was crisp with a light breeze blowing. As he helped Stephanie into her coat, a large black man tapped Johnny on the shoulder. He turned and was immediately spun back around and shoved against the wall, his hands cuffed before he could react.
Steph smiled at the big man now escorting her former dance partner to a waiting black SUV, "Thanks, Tank. I'll meet you back at RangeMan in a few. Oh, and Johnny, don't save the next dance for me." The man in cuffs turned to look at her in utter confusion still trying to figure out what just happened. He began sputtering and trying to twist out of Tank's firm grip.
Tank pushed him into the back seat where Chris secured him into a seat belt. Next stop, Trenton Police Department and jail. There he would await extradition back to Chicago for embezzling $12 million from a policemen's widows pension fund.
Stephanie walked over to her black Lexus convertible, her birthday present from Ranger. There was a small white envelope tucked under the windshield wiper. She plucked it off and clicked the convertible's door lock open. Tank leaned out his car window and beckoned to Steph. She was opening the envelope as she walked over to Tank. "Chris and I are stopping by Pino's on our way back, do you want anything? Whatcha got there, Steph?" Tank asked.
Stephanie was trying to read the card and leaned in closer to take advantage of the SUV's interior lights. Inside the card there were a few lines of verse in handwritten script. She read them out loud.
"Oh blue-eyed Bombshell
Notre trés belle,
One, two, three
You complete us, you see.
Watching from afar
And certain you're the one
Burning and exploding a car
Can be such loud fun."
B2
In that instant, there was a muffled "poomph" sound and then a horrendous explosion as her brand new Lexus lifted several feet in the air with flames and debris shooting everywhere. A tire rolled by the front of the SUV. Steph was knocked off her feet by the blast, her short tight dress riding up over her hips.
She watched in seemingly slow motion as Tank jumped out and ran to her. Alarms were sounding from the other cars in the parking lot and people began spilling out of the club, staring in awe as her car continued to burn bright making small popping noises.
The heat that radiated off the flaming Lexus was so intense that she and Tank were sweating. Soon the paint on the SUV would blister. Tank asked her if she was OK and Steph nodded, trying to tug her skirt over her exposed butt. Her long curly brown hair was blown back from her face; she looked a little like the 'Bride of Frankenstein.' Tank scooped her up and ran to the passenger side, placing her gingerly on the front seat.
He climbed back into the driver's seat and drove across the street into the lot of a closed bookstore. Chris had already called 911 and reported into RangeMan. Their cuffed passenger was screaming as if he was the one on fire. Chris casually leaned over and decked the blubbering Casanova; the quiet that ensued was broken only by the crackling flames from the car fire.
Tank and Chris got out and waited for Trenton's finest. The first cops to arrive were Carl Costanza and Big Dog. They met with Tank and then the three of them ran across the street to protect the integrity of the crime scene. Chris leaned against the SUV watching the flames leap higher and higher. Sirens from a fire truck and more police cars could be heard as the emergency vehicles barreled down Hamilton Avenue.
A black SUV and a black Turbo swung into the lot next to Tank's SUV. Three black-clad men tumbled out of the SUV, ran across the street and met up with Tank watching the still burning Lexus. A tall broad-shouldered man with his dark hair pulled back in a leather tie leapt out of the Turbo and ran to the passenger side of the parked SUV. He wrapped his arms around Stephanie, trying to smooth down her hair while whispering words of relief.
When he pulled back to look at her, she handed him the note and rolled her eyes. "Ranger, I'm so sorry about the car. It was a beautiful birthday present while it lasted." Ranger heaved a big sigh and pulled his Babe into his arms once more, telling her, "Querida, it's just a car. Are you sure you're OK, nothing's broken or bruised?" "Just my pride when I landed on my backside with my skirt around my waist," she blushed.
Ranger glanced down at her lap and laid his hands on top of her bare thighs, moving them slowly up under the dress. Steph slapped his hands away, laughing as he leaned over and kissed her. When they broke apart, Steph tapped the card in Ranger's hand and asked, "What do you make of that?"
Ranger flipped open the card in his hand, pursing his lips in disgust. "Looks like you've picked up another stalker, Babe, one that likes pyrotechnics." There was movement in the backseat as Johnny came to, "Boom!" he said quietly, his eyes still unfocused, "Just 'Boom' then…fire everywhere." Chris leaned in the car window and grinned at Ranger and Stephanie. "Lover boy got a bit excited when Steph's car blew. I had to calm him down. He's still a little out of it."
Stephanie caught Ranger's eye and told him, "I have no idea who this stalker could be. None of my recent cases have an MO that includes arson or bombs. Maybe when we know more about the type of bomb that was used?" Ranger nodded and kissed Steph again and then walked across the street to inspect the scene and talk to the police and Tank.
Chris shook his head at Steph, "Lester told me about you and your exploding cars, but I thought he was exaggerating. You must get quite a charge out of all that noise and flame?" A look of dismay crossed Steph's face, "No, I hate it. I hate that it seems to always happen to me. I have really bad car Karma." Ranger came back across the street and gave instructions to Chris regarding Johnny and then transferred Stephanie to his Turbo and drove her back to RangeMan.
When they stepped into their apartment on the seventh floor, Steph saw that Ranger had been anticipating her arrival. There was a bottle of red wine open on the counter with two wine glasses next to it. He had prepared a plate of cheeses, crackers and fruit. She smiled when she noticed there was also a small dish of melted chocolate next to the fresh strawberries.
Ranger had been so attentive ever since they returned from that fateful rescue mission in Bolivia. It was hard to believe that was only four months ago. Ranger still had some pain around his ribcage, but otherwise had healed quickly. Neither of them would ever forget what happened, though. As bad as it was, it had brought both of them to the point they were today and for that, they were both grateful.
Their relationship—Steph loved that word—had blossomed. They were openly 'together' and Stephanie had finally moved into Ranger's apartment last month, giving up her place. Rex was comfortably settled into his new location on a portable cart in the kitchen.
Ranger told Steph he wanted her to redecorate the apartment and put her feminine touches on the place. Steph snorted at that thought. She did bring in some family pictures including several framed photographs of Julie and of she and Ranger. She bought a few bright red throw pillows for the sofa and together they had purchased an abstract painting from a gallery they had toured a few weeks ago.
The Merry Men had all agreed they wanted Ranger back in Trenton; it also meant Stephanie would stay. Tank would continue to run the day-to-day operations in Trenton, and Ranger would concentrate more on expanding the business.
Lester seemed to take Steph and Ranger's relationship in stride and went back to flirting and joking and getting on Ranger's nerves. Stephanie was sad that Vince had decided to take a job in Washington D.C., but figured it was for the best. Stephanie and Ranger had settled into a comfortable 'routine' if either of their lives could be called routine.
They had partnered on several bodyguard assignments and distractions, but Ranger was asking Steph to take over more and more of the client negotiations. He saw that she had a way of putting people at ease and she was adept at figuring out just what the client needed even when the client was undecided.
Ranger had had to bite his tongue or turn away several times when Steph got herself into physical entanglements, like the time that hopped-up druggie smacked her in the face with a garbage can lid, sending her sprawling to the ground. Ranger resisted the urge to stomp all over the guy because if it had been Tank or Lester he wouldn't have stepped in. And it was kind of fun watching his Babe dust herself off and leap over the hood of the car to tackle the guy, cuffing him none too gently. She had learned some nice moves and he was proud of her.
And best of all, they spent every night cuddled up together and woke up every morning entangled in each other's arms and legs. Instead of watching her sleep from a chair, Ranger now watched her sleep in his arms. He couldn't remember a time he had been this happy and content.
Ranger had stripped his shirt off and was leaning against the bathroom door as Stephanie took off her torn "distraction' dress. It was a skimpy black sheath that didn't leave much to the imagination. His eyelids lowered to half-mast and his voice dropped a notch or two, "Let me help you with that, Babe." He slid his arms around her and unhooked her Wonderbra, catching her breasts in his palms. He ran his thumbs over her rapidly hardening nipples and she flung her head back moaning sexily.
Ranger shivered as her fingers tickled their way around his bare waist and then smiled ear to ear as her hands slipped beneath his pants' waistband and caressed his firm ass. She murmured, "I think the shower and wine are going to have to wait a while."
