Knock Knock
Chapter OneAfter the knock at my door I went for my Taser, you see I'm not used to people knocking; usually they pick the locks or send a Molotov cocktail or rocket through the window, except for Joe Morelli who had a key. Had, past tense, did you notice that?
Yesterday I had an out of body experience as I watch Joe yell at me after my car exploded…again. It wasn't my fault. It really wasn't but Joe was on a roll yelling and waving his arms in a stereotypical Italian man way. If I'd just quit my job and married him stayed home barefoot and pregnant like a good burg wife none of this would happen. Not to mention the friends I was running around with. All those thugs were they my pimps too or were they just my customers.
Now usually I'd be yelling back however he'd crossed a line calling me whore. I don't have anything against the profession, one of my best friends is an ex ho. However Joe was supposed to care about me and you just didn't insult someone you cared about like that. I'd calmly asked to for his keys, taken mine off the ring, handed his keys back and told him that we were over for good, I would be polite to him when I saw him but we were no longer together and I did not want to be friends.
He stood there dumbstruck his mouth opening and closing like one of those clown heads at the fair. I felt lighter and huge weight off my shoulders as I smiled and waved goodbye to Big Dog and Carl and started to walk to where Tank and Hector were waiting for me next to a Rangeman SUV.
A hand clamped around my wrist "Oh no you don't Cupcake."
Hector was speaking rapid Spanish to Tank who immediately burst into laughter. "Ah Morelli you're screwed." he said.
"Share the joke Tank" Joe growled at the big black man that embodied his nickname.
"Little Girl I'm sorry to be the one to tell you but Joe wasn't working last night."
Joe stiffened "I was with an informant." was his growled explanation. His hand on my wrist went tighter. Hector muttered in Spanish both men were glaring at Joe now danger was radiating off them.
"Terry Gilman spilling Family secrets Joe? You screw all your informants Joe? Should be more aware of your surroundings. Hector was with a date at the same hotel and next time you might want to close the blinds, Hectors date is an amateur photographer and got some good shots for his portfolio. He said to call him if you ever want to do porn." I gasped and I heard growling from Big Dog and Carl.
"Come Estefanía." Hector said slowly moving towards me watching Joe closely.
"Don't even think about it Stephanie." he said giving my wrist a hard jerk. I turned to looked at him. He wasn't looking at me he was glaring at Hector and Tank while fingering his gun on his hip. I also noticed Big Dog and Carl were both slowly moving closer behind Joe.
"Big Dog, Carl turn close your eyes for a second please." and without waiting for an answer my knee came up and connected with Joe's boys he instantly released my wrist and fell to the ground with high pitched cry.
"Did you see anything?" Big Dog and Carl both shook their head no.
"Ok then see you later."
And that is how Joe lost his key.
So the next morning when the knock at the door came I grabbed my Taser fully prepared to zap Joe. I didn't care he was a cop and it would be technically assaulting an officer. The bastard deserved it. I looked through the peep hole and I saw who it was and blinked it definitely wasn't Joe, it was Hector.
Flashback
After too another satisfying look at Joe on the ground cupping his boys. I walked over to Hector and put my head on his chest, my arms around his waist and squeezed. "Thank you" I whispered.
"De Nada." He whispered back brushing my hair out of my face and kissing the top of my head. I'm usually scared of Hector, I mean the guy is covered in gang tats, has two teardrops and barely speaks English however that day I was so very grateful that I made a promise to myself to try and get to know him better like I knew the other Merry Men.
Tank drove us back to Rangeman. Hector and I were in the back as I was reluctant to let him go, desperately needing his calming strength. As I got out of the car everything hit me, I started to shake and my legs gave out. Before I hit the hard cement floor of the garage Hector scooped me up like I weighed nothing.
"Bobby. Take me to Bobby please." He nodded.
Upon seeing Hector carrying me in Bobby jumped up and fluffed the pillow on the examination bed. "Steph what's wrong?" rather than setting me on the bed Hector sat on it still cradling me
"I'm ok Bobby." He looked at me sceptically. "My car exploded but I'm not hurt. Well actually my wrist hurts where Joe grabbed it."
Bobby's head snapped to Hector and started speaking to him in Spanish his voice angry but his touch as he inspected my wrist was gentle.
Turning to me he said "Nothing is broken or sprained it's just bruised."
"Thanks but I'm actually here because well um you see I, I need you to do a full blood and STI work up." Bobby's eyebrows rose. "Hector found out Joe's been cheating and I want to make sure he didn't give me anything."
"I hope he's in the hospital" He growled. Hector spoke to him in Spanish. Man this was annoying not knowing what they were saying. Ranger did it all the time when he didn't want me to know what he or the guys were talking about.
Bobby turned his smiling graze on me "Good shot honey. I can do the blood work but you really should see a Gyno too." Before I could protest he said "Standard protocol honey. If you don't go I can't clear you to work for Rangeman and there's a distraction in the works we need you for."
Sighing I nodded agreement "Get me a list and I'll check them out. No one from the Burg though."
After the blood was taken Bobby said "I'll get a rush on the results for you and a list to you tomorrow morning." as he rolled his stool towards the infirmary computer.
Getting off Hector and the bed I faced Hector and looking into his brown eyes and said "Thank you for staying with me." I stood on tip toes and kissed his cheek and caressed his tear drops.
I'm not sure he understood but he said "Eres mi hermana. Mi vida y la protección son los suyos." He kissed me on the top of my head nodded at Bobby and walked away.
End Flashback
Opening the door I said "Hola" as I motioned him in. He looked at the taser in my hand and raised an eyebrow. I shrugged and pointed to the security system he had installed years ago. It was smeared with jelly from a donut, had a bullet hole and was blackened from the multiple incendiary devices that have been shot through my window. Chuckling he went to my dining table and set up a laptop waving me over to sit beside him he started typing. Looking over his shoulder I saw it was in Spanish.
Before I could question him the laptop started to speak in English. "Hello. I can fix that for you."
He moved the laptop so it was in front of me I looked at him and changed the setting to English to Spanish and typed. "You would be fixing it every month, my apartment gets bombed so often. I can't afford that."
He chuckled and looked thoughtful he typed quickly and the computer said "Why are you not scared of the men at Rangeman? I've heard you defend us before." Wow conversation whiplash.
"Don't get me wrong you're scary men but I know none of you would hurt me."
"We hurt people"
"Bad people. People who have done wrong. My skills don't include intimidation and physical combat because I haven't been trained in them. I use every skill I have, except guns. I don't do guns."
"Do you want to be trained?"
I sighed "Ranger has tried but his way doesn't work for me. I do want to be able to better protect myself because then I wouldn't be such a burden on you all but I want to be me first. I don't want to give up donuts and Pino's."
He nodded thinking. "You are not a burden. We are scary and you are one of the few that see beyond that. I will help you if you help me."
I was shocked, me? "What do you want help with?"
"I need to learn English and sign language. Will you help me learn?"
"Of course I will help you. Can I ask why you need to learn? Why now?"
He hesitated "My godson. He was born deaf. I want to be able to talk with him. English is best for reading lips. Sign language for if he does not get the hang of lip reading."
Who knew this scary looking man was so sweet I smiled and I hugged him before typing. "I will help you with English if you teach me Spanish but secretly I want it to be a surprise. We will both learn to sign. I want to learn too."
He hugged me enthusiastically and said "Thank you Estefanía." with a heavy Spanish accent.