Mercenary Man

by LilyGhost

This is a story showing both sides of Ranger, the mercenary he might have been long before he met Stephanie and the man he's become from loving her. A Ranger POV story.

The song "Mercenary Man" by Firewind was the inspiration for this story. All familiar characters belong to Janet. The mistakes are mine. Warnings for language and a little bit of smut.

"Babe ..." I said, coming into the room silently behind her, "we need to talk."

I saw Stephanie's body go still and I cursed myself for choosing those words. I vividly remember asking her to move into my Rangeman apartment with me had caused a similar reaction because she thought I was done with her before I'd been able to mention the move I wanted her to make.

"What's wrong?" She asked before turning around, not even attempting to beat around the bush.

I walked over to Stephanie and pulled her against me, letting Steph know that although this had the potential to be bad, I wasn't ending anything with her. In fact, I plan to expand on what we already have. And truthfully, I don't know what will freak her out more, me having to disappear for a day or two or asking her to marry me before I leave.

I told myself I wasn't going to do it, but I'd gotten Stephanie a ring anyway. I wanted her to know that I have changed because of her, and I needed Steph to see that I'd intended on spending my life with her if I didn't make it back.

"Ranger, although your arms feel really good around me, they aren't distracting me enough that I'd forget what you said when you walked in."

I smiled against her curls. "I can't get anything by you, Babe."

She pulled back and narrowed her eyes at me."Cut the crap, Ranger, and just tell me what it is I'm not going to want to hear."

"Part of what I'm going to say to you, you'll want to hear."

"And the other?"

"You'll be pissed off about."

I tugged her into the living room and pulled her onto my lap, wrapping my arms tight around Steph's body, hoping to still the sudden trembling it was doing. I could feel her take a deep breath and let it slowly out.

"Okay," she said, "hit me."

That's an appropriate word choice since Steph's going to either hit or kill me for just spitting this out without any warning, but I couldn't help myself.

"I want you to marry me, Babe."

I had to clamp my mouth shut to keep from grinning at the look she shot me. Yeah, forget hitting, Stephanie's definitely going to kill me instead.

"Is this the part I'm supposed to be pissed about?" She asked.

Steph went from sitting on my lap to straddling it, and I knew why. I'm not a man who shares what I'm thinking often, but Steph has learned to work around that by watching me closely and listening to any change in my voice.

"You tell me, Steph?" I said to her, putting my hands on her hips to keep her where she is.

"Why now?"

"One, because you're entitled to way more than a ring for putting up with me ..."

Steph shook her head, instantly dismissing that statement.

"What's the second reason?" She asked me, wanting all the facts.

"I've been asked to do a job."

She studied my face. "This isn't about a skip, is it?"

"No, Babe. It isn't."

"So you're leaving?"

"Yes, but not for long."

"How long are we talking?"

"It should be quick. A day. Maybe two."

"Should be? Or hope is?"

"Hard to say," I told her, honestly.

"Okay, I can do this," Stephanie said, trying to reassure us both. "I knew what I was getting into here, so I can't exactly bitch about it now."

"You can, Steph, but it won't change anything. I've turned down a lot of things since we've gotten together, but this one ... I can't."

"When do you leave?"

"0200 hours," I told her, to get her mind off of what could happen once I do leave.

"Ranger ..." she warned.

"Sorry, Babe," I said, not sorry at all. Any way I can stop her from worrying I'll do. "It's two in the morning, your time."

"So you were going to propose to me and leave town right after?"

"Yes and no."

"Care to explain what you mean by that?" Steph said to me.

"If I have to."

"You do."

"I wasn't going to ask you until we had time to discuss it," I said to her, "but now seemed right to me."

All the fight went out of Steph's body and she looked me dead in the eye.

"How dangerous is this?" She asked me.

"It has its share of risks, Babe," I told her, "but I've done jobs like this countless times in the past."

"But that was before me."

"Way before you, Babe, but the rules and objective haven't changed."

"And the objective is what this time?"

This would be the issue.

"I can't get into specifics, Steph. Just that it's urgent and needs to be kept quiet."

"And this is something you're sure you can do?" She asked. "It's not a suicide mission, is it?"

"You've been watching too many movies, Babe," I told her. "This is definitely doable."

For me anyway.

"Okay," Steph said, "so we have a few hours before you have to leave."

"Yes. I told Ella we'll fend for ourselves tonight."

"Uh-oh," Steph said to me, leaning forward to kiss the corner of my mouth. "I'm not going to end up on the kitchen counter, am I?"

"It's a definite possibility, no doubt shocking the rat again."

Steph stopped kissing my face and drew her head back indignantly.

"I don't have a rat. I own a hamster."

I shrugged. "Same thing. And you didn't give me an answer."

"You noticed that, huh?"

"Babe, I notice everything about you," I told her.

"Are you only asking me because you think you might not come back?"

I opened my mouth to tell her that I have every intention of coming home to her, but Steph covered my mouth with her hand.

"Tell me the truth, Ranger."

"I've never lied to you, Stephanie," I said, when she removed her hand.

"And you'd better not start now," she told me.

"Babe, everything I do involves some danger, but I never agree to do the impossible."

"Yes, you do. That's why you're the best."

Stephanie is the only person who can humble me.

"And someone pretty high up on the food chain must agree with me," she said. "You haven't been 'in the wind' for a while now."

"I wouldn't be now, but this is important."

She looped her arms behind my neck and moved closer.

"Okay ... you go save the world," Steph said, her lips touching mine, "and then you get your muscled ass right back here so we can go ring shopping. Does that answer your question?"

"It does, but I already have your ring, Babe," I told her. "It's in my jacket pocket."

"But you just said you didn't intend to ask me right now."

"I changed my mind while I was on my way home today and called a guy I know."

I didn't give Stephanie any warning, I just grabbed her perfectly-shaped ass and stood up. Steph smiled and locked her ankles behind me. I snagged my jacket before taking Stephanie into the bedroom. Then my ring and body were right where they belonged - on and in her.

Hours later, I slid out of bed. The room was dark, and Stephanie was sound asleep. I couldn't help smiling to myself. We managed to do a lot in the amount of time we had. I took a shower and got a few things together.

"You better not have been thinking of leaving without telling me," Steph said from the bed.

"I wouldn't do that, Babe. I want to keep my balls right where they are," I told her, crossing the room and sitting on the bed beside her.

"Good, because I would've followed you just to chew you out. Can I at least go with you to the airport? Or wherever you're leaving from?"

"I'm afraid not, Steph," I said, quietly. "I have one stop to make before I take off."

She didn't like that answer, but she was doing her best to hide it.

"Fine," she said. "I won't argue. This time."

"I appreciate that."

"Are you mocking me?"

"Never, Babe. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Uninjured," she told me.

"I'll do my best," I said, giving her a small grin.

"That grin won't save you if you get hurt."

"Duly noted," I told her, kissing her mouth again.

I pulled back when I felt moisture on my face.

"Shit ... I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't want to do this."

"It's okay, Babe," I told Steph, wiping away the tear with my thumb.

"No, it's not. It's stupid and dangerous. You need to concentrate on your job, not think about me sitting here bawling over you leaving."

"Stephanie, there will never be a time when I don't think about you. Lucky for me, I can multitask."

Tears were streaming down her face now, faster than she could dry them with the sheet. I know Steph is worried that I might not come home, but there aren't any words I can use to lessen the fear. It's a reality, and we both know it. Giving Stephanie a ring proved what a selfish prick I am. I want Stephanie to agree to wait for me forever. Steph is completely loyal to those she loves, and I wanted to ensure that she'd be waiting here for me when - if - I return to Trenton.

"Don't leave me," Stephanie whispered into my shoulder.

I knew she wasn't talking about me boarding a plane.

"I'll be back, Babe," I told Steph, and prayed like fucking hell that I wouldn't be lying to her.

I cupped her face in my hands and kissed her goodbye. I wanted to leave with this image of her in my mind... her naked in my bed, with my ring on her finger, and her lips swollen from mine.

The stop I told Steph I was making was less about business and more about her. I told my contact that I'd be leaving out of Newark, and there's a reason. My mother is always there for all her children, day or night, and this is just one example of how. All I had to say when I called was that I needed to speak to her, and she told me to come over as soon as I left Stephanie ... whatever the time.

The porch light on my childhood home was shining despite the sleeping neighborhood. As I pulled into the driveway, I saw my mother's face in the living room window. I'm about to have another one of those talks with her that I swore I'd never need. These discussions have gotten more frequent the closer Steph and I became.

"You've been called in?" My mother asked, when she opened the door to me.

"Yes."

"For how long?"

"I was promised forty eight hours at the most."

She pressed her lips together, knowing how empty those promises are when shit starts flying.

"How is Stephanie handling this?"

"She's trying, Mama, but it's hard," I told her. "You're used to me leaving town with no notice - and also with the chance of never seeing me again - Stephanie isn't."

"I'll keep an eye on Stephanie, Carlos. Don't you worry there. Focus only on what you have to get done so you can make it home to her ... to us.

"I asked her to marry me tonight before I left."

I could tell that her mouth wanted to drop open, but she caught herself.

"I'm surprised to hear that, but I shouldn't be," my mother said. "Stephanie has been your partner before you decided to make her a permanent one. And she will be treated as an extension of you by everyone in this family."

"If things don't go as planned," I said, including my father in the conversation as he appeared behind my mother's shoulder, "Stephanie's going to need you."

"And we'll be there for her, but there will be no errors, Carlos. You were asked because you are the most experienced at what you do. And in your line of work, experience is what has kept you alive ... what will keep you alive this time, too."

"I'm counting on it," I told her.

"We are, too, Carlos. Don't let us down."

I was given details only after I landed. The Prime Minister of a country the US doesn't seem to publicly give a shit about is really, privately, a powerful ally. His twin daughters, age five, were taken by insurgents and being held in exchange for the release of two controversial political prisoners. The old eye for an eye mentality still in place.

I don't give a fuck about politics, motives, or anything else. My job is to get in unseen, locate the package - the twins in this case - and get all our asses out without losing any of the good guys to the bad ones. I was given two men that I've worked with in the past, and although we lack the bond I have with Tank, I know the three of us will have a good shot at completing this.

"The assholes are paranoid, and they've been moving every thirty minutes since they captured the kids," we were informed at our briefing.

I told Steph that I'd be in Trenton two days after I left it. Hearing this information would add more time since we'd have to pin them down before we make our move. I hated that Stephanie would be worried - not being able to find out what happened to me - but I knew my mother would be there with her, keeping Stephanie occupied so she won't stress herself out more than the situation warranted.

"We've been able to narrow it down to a few locations where these fuckers could be heading, where they'll have help and will be protected by the villagers in the surrounding areas. I'm sure I don't have to tell you what will happen if word gets out that the US killed civilians while on a mission no one has been made aware of."

"The headlines won't be favorable," I said to the man who at one time had been my commanding officer.

Bottom line ... we're chasing after a safeguarded group, in hostile territory, with direct orders not to maim or kill anyone in the villages we pass through, while keeping two little girls alive through our search and their rescue. Good thing I like a challenge. We were soon dressed in desert camos, and when the time came, we'd be deployed with limited supplies in the middle of what looked like a blown apart sandcastle if something that childlike could exist inside hell. Baker and Manzini gathered around the desk with me while I worked out a plan of attack that will keep us all breathing during and after it.

It took a few days, but after receiving the most promising lead so far, the three of us were dropped in a bordering country that was looking to boost public relations if we accomplish our goal and this sees press. We exited the chopper and then hauled ass across the border since cover is non-fucking-existent. We have a set amount of time to get this done. If we don't make it to the pick up point, the chopper will hover for seconds only, then leave without a backward glance or return pass if we aren't there to meet it, and we'd be left on our own. Each of us essentially signed our life away to rescue these kids. Getting out of here without assistance, and then making it out of the country - if we made it that far - would be next to impossible for even a seasoned soldier.

"How long do we have?" Baker asked me.

"We have to meet the chopper back here in exactly three hours," I told him, and they knew what I was telling them.

We're expendable. We are valuable only as long as we have a use. If we fail, if we're killed, or if we don't make the extraction site, all ties to the US will be severed, and only our families would be notified that we no longer exist. I promised myself that Stephanie wouldn't be getting that call or visit. And I know both she and my mother would kill me if I got myself shot out here.

I knew the deal, having been in similar positions too many times to count. We were hired to do a job. If we fuck up we're dead. There are no gray areas here. If we want to live, we have to be the last ones standing. I'm confident that we will be. I'll get the girls out safely, and God help anyone standing in my way.

I took point and Baker and Manzini fell in step behind me. We remained alert and prepared for anything. This is a fuckload harder than traversing a jungle where there are more options to hide our approach. Aside from piles of rubble or a sand storm, here we're as visible as the fucking sun even in our desert uniforms.

After what felt like hours of walking, we stopped to go over our coordinates. I know in my gut that we're right where we should be, but checking again while downing what seemed like a gallon of water each wasn't a waste of time. Sweat had already soaked our uniforms long before we got here. The fucking heat started off at unbearable and quickly became more intense, but we acclimated quickly ... the girls wouldn't. And that thought alone would push us forward when our self-preservation instincts screamed at us to stop.

"This really would be a fucking shitty place to die," Baker said to us.

"I don't plan on dying here," I told him. "And I'll make sure your ass gets home in something other than a casket. Unless you piss me off, then you'll be begging me to make fertilizer out of you."

Baker is a good man, but he reminds me a lot of Santos. He's a smart ass, but a damn good shot which makes him an asset to any team.

"I've missed your sense of humor, Manoso," Baker told me. "We really should do this more often."

"Schedule's full nowadays," I told Baker. "No time for shit like this unless they come up with a damn good sales pitch."

"I wouldn't be here, either," Manzini said to us, "but those fuckholes in charge know what a sucker I am for the ladies."

The higher-ups chose well. Manzini would slit his own throat before he walked away from a mission involving a child rescue, especially if the children happened to be girls. He had to watch his baby sister die when they were both kids, so he became an easy mark for jobs like these. Having to live through my own daughter's abduction was enough of a motivator for me.

We picked up our pace as we continued on, the sound of wind and not so distant explosions now the norm as we got closer and closer to our targets. That's exactly what they became the moment they thought up what would prove to be - as Steph said - a suicide mission ... for them. I squinted my eyes against the unrelenting sun and the sand being kicked up by the force of the wind gusts and kept moving, ignoring the discomfort.

If the intel we've spent days gathering proves correct, we should be just about on top of the fuckers. I held up a hand and Manzini and Baker stopped moving immediately. To the naked eye, the rocky outcropping looked just like a natural formation. I know better. It's a shitty substitute for the hideaways they've been using, but paranoia and desperation would limit choices. And this one could conceal a small army if they had one.

With two sharp hand gestures from me, Manzini and Baker fanned out. I had timed the attack for sundown when there would be enough light to see, but dark enough to provide some cover for us. We didn't have a lot of time. Once it was known that bodies were piling up, we'd have only seconds to get the girls out with just the firepower we carried in. My finger never left the trigger and I knew without looking, Manzini and Baker would have theirs ready to pull, too. We checked out every dark corner and potential ambush site before moving further into the cave-like structure.

We made it another two feet into the rocks before Manzini and Baker were forced to start picking off men while I moved on ahead in search of the children. This really was a fucking stupid place to hide. Even the most inexperienced asshole knows you don't pick a location lacking an escape route. They've trapped themselves and that's the most effective way of getting your fucking head blown off.

Under normal circumstances, I would have just rigged the entire place - and the people inside it - to blow, but having hostages changed things. Not by much, though. They're still going to die, we'll just be face-to-face when they do. What's a few more sightless eyes and nameless bodies to add to the list when I still haven't come close to making up for all the ones I've already taken out over the years. The ones Steph will never know about so she can keep believing I have a soul left.

We cleared the area, making sure we were the only ones alive, wiping out anyone who tried to change that. I motioned that I'd be continuing on ahead of them. There's been no trace of the girls so far, but I can feel them in here. Their fear is palpable, and I'm not about to rest until they aren't afraid any longer. I had my shoulder close to the wall and I moved silently over the sand and gravel covering the uneven ground. Baker and Manzini were right behind me, watching my back in case I encountered trouble.

A few more feet brought me to what from the outside looked to be the largest space between the boulders. The most logical place for the girls and their capture to be. The soft whimper I now heard confirmed it. The fact that the sound was abruptly cut off pissed me off even more. I know whoever's in there with them won't be leaving with us. I turned back to my men and counted to three on my fingers. 1 ... 2 ... 3. And then I advanced.

I stood in the makeshift doorway, blocking the asshole's exit with the solid wall of my body. If the red dot from my scope hadn't already been on the fucker's forehead, and my thorough scan of the room had produced someone other than this man and the two girls, I never would have shown myself. I had the upper hand, and judging from the surprised - and then terrified look - he gave me before I pulled the trigger, he knew it too.

I looked down dispassionately at the crumpled, bloody body I'd just disposed of. Steph had once asked me if I ever think about what I've done during my years of service, and I didn't sugarcoat my answer. I don't give assholes like these a moment's thought. If they wanted to stay alive, they wouldn't have made the decisions they did. What I hadn't admitted to her until much later, it's the people I couldn't save, or the faces of the ones who've been badly injured before I'd reached them, that stay with me. Steph has helped in quieting their screams in my mind, but they haven't gone away completely.

I stepped over the body and crouched down in front of the girls, trying to appear less threatening even though I had blood, skin, and brain matter spattered across my uniform. Their clothes were dirty and ripped, there were a few noticeable bruises on their arms and cheeks - probably from fighting as they were being gagged and then dragged away from their family - and their eyes were scared, but what really stood out to me is their dark curly hair. It was insane to be conjuring up Stephanie in this shithole, but she had joined the party, and I refuse to let her down.

I've gentled Steph many times after she'd been hurt, scared, or threatened, and I used that same quiet tone now to talk to the girls, all the while planning exactly how I'll dismember the people who are involved in taking them if more decided to show up. The girls probably didn't understand half of what I said, both only starting to learn English, but their eyes latched onto me and wouldn't move.

I regretted it, but I didn't have time to comfort them more than I already had. I handed one girl off to Baker and the other to Manzini and started moving, knowing I'm our best chance of getting us the fuck out of here. We kept our backs protected as best we could while our eyes and feet kept moving as we exited the way we'd entered.

The girls were so scared, they made less noise than we did. Their carefree childhood is gone now. They'd recover because children are resilient, but they will see the world differently after this. Reality really fucking sucks sometimes. I'd tried to keep Julie from a similar fate, and Scrog had dragged her kicking and screaming into it. I also did what I could to keep Stephanie clear of this part of my life as well, and that amounted to shit, too. I eventually said fuck it, and did my damndest to protect Steph instead of just shutting her out. Stephanie's life may not be easier or better because of it, but mine sure as hell is. And I plan on getting back home and keeping it that way.

A burst of machine gun fire coming from our left, too close to us for comfort, brought me out of my refuge and got my own weapon swinging towards the sound. I looked down the site and waited on my exhale to take the asshole out. I don't like people shooting at me, but I really hate people shooting at children. For that, I'll take every one of them out so they'll never again be able to do something like this.

Once the shooter was falling to the ground with a bullet through his eye, I laid down a line of fire so Manzini and Baker could get out of the area. I pulled the pin out of a grenade and tossed it in the direction of the shots. The sound and explosion was satisfying and it would buy us a much needed minute. I took off running after my men, covering all our asses now. Odds were good we'd make it, but I've never believed in odds. We made it about fifty yards before bullets were flying past our heads again. I eliminated two of the threats, while Manzini got another.

Unfortunately in the fight, Baker took two in the leg and started to go down. I wrapped an arm around the girl and shoved her in Manzini's other arm while grabbing the back of Baker's uniform, keeping him from hitting dirt. I quickly pulled him up and over my shoulder. It happened fast, but any time your weapon isn't pointed at something, you're fucked. I nodded to Manzini to move. We had to outrun our own shadows at this point before their reinforcements arrived.

With Baker still conscious and swearing, and the two girls trying not to cry in Manzini's arms, we moved east. We're totally screwed if anybody found us, having only my rifle for shots and a pain-dazed, upside down Baker to warn us of potential company. Manzini had his hands full trying to keep both girls quiet. We had exactly fifteen minutes to get to the pickup point, and running to it is going to hurt Baker like hell, but it's unavoidable. I figure he'll be happy enough getting antibiotics and a morphine shot, that he'll overlook the bruised ribs. Stephanie enjoys the hardness of my body, Baker will be cursing it.

I was right about that. Apparently Baker has picked up a whole new vocabulary of swear words since we've last seen each other. And he bitched about every damn jolt, jostle, and jump.

"Stop being a pussy, Baker," I told him. "I had to hide near an enemy camp for a solid week with two infected bullet wounds, along with a knife slice that wouldn't stop bleeding, while they actively hunted day and night for me, and I didn't make one fucking sound."

"Yeah, but you're a freak," Baker said in between teeth clenches. "Us mortals actually feel pain."

"You'll be feeling a lot more of it before we get picked up. Can you make it?" I asked, setting him on his feet and doing what I could to stop the blood loss.

"Yes. I'm not fucking staying here any longer than I have to."

We still had to wait for the chopper to appear. And a lot can happen while we're forced to stay in one place. Our ride out of here could be shot down, we could get blown up as we're waiting, or become target practice for them one more time. We gave the girls water and what would pass for food to everyone except Stephanie. They were doing as well as could be expected. They clutched each other's hands, and their brown eyes are still open far too wide, but they aren't jumping at every sound or move we make now.

I checked my watch, and right on time I could hear the helicopter in the distance. That sound was immediately followed by a blast. Looks like someone didn't want them to make contact. After a fuck you explosion back - courtesy of our chopper, they did reach us. Baker was loaded on first, quickly followed by the girls, then Manzini and I. I closed the fuselage door and we were off. If we make it all the way to the capitol without incident, we can consider this mission a success. And after that - and an endless debriefing - I can get my ass back to Stephanie.

The drive from the airstrip shouldn't have taken hours, and one flick of my eyes to the numbers on the dash told me that, in actuality, it hadn't and I should be entering Trenton within minutes, but seconds at this point was too long. I needed to see Stephanie. I had to bury myself inside her so I could focus only on her instead of repeatedly seeing the rebel's head explode.

Finally, I pulled into the underground garage of Rangeman and spotted Tank walking to his truck. He paused while I parked and then came over to me.

"Glad you made it back," Tank said to me.

"How is she?" I asked him, wanting to make sure nothing had happened to Steph.

"She's holding up better than I thought she would. I've seen your mother around, too."

He would. My mother isn't a subtle woman.

"She promised to watch over Steph while I was gone."

In case I didn't come back, but Tank has enough experience under his belt to already know the reason.

"I saw the addition to Steph's finger," Tank said. "Nice."

"Steph will be a permanent part of Rangeman," I told Tank.

"Didn't need a ring for that," he said.

"But she deserved one."

"True enough. Your mom left about an hour ago. Steph's upstairs."

That's all I needed to hear. I started for the stairs before Tank's voice stopped me.

"How'd it go?" He asked.

Tank knew it was classified, but he was trying to gauge my mental state. A few times I've come back from overseas not only with a few bullet wounds, but a fractured mind.

"It could have been better, but I didn't lose anyone."

"That's all you can hope for," Tank said to me.

Some days.

I took the stairs and let myself into the apartment. Just that brief conversation with Tank was enough to bring back the sight, smell, and sound of death. And at that moment, I needed Steph more than I needed oxygen.

Steph was in our bedroom, and when I saw her standing there in my t-shirt, staring into the closet like she'd never seen clothes before, she made my heart and my dick hurt simultaneously. Both could be eased when she turned around.

Stephanie's neck tingle didn't let her down, she looked towards the doorjamb where I was leaning, and I saw her blue eyes widen before she threw herself at me. I've become somewhat of an expert at catching Stephanie Plum when she wants to fly, and tonight's no different. Her body crashed into mine and my arms held her tight to me. I hadn't taken the time to remove any of my clothes or even my weapons before coming in search of her. As soon as I knew Stephanie was close by, nothing mattered but getting to her and locking her body to mine.

I put her back to the wall and reached down, pulling her legs around my waist as my mouth took hers. This isn't going to work. There are too many clothes between us. Steph was wearing only my t-shirt and from what I was now feeling, a tiny pair of panties. One quick jerk of my hand had Stephanie bare to me. My clothing was more problematic. Good thing Stephanie was already on it. She had my belt undone, my pants open, and her hands on my dick. Steph lifted herself up slightly and guided me into her. She was wet and ready for me. She didn't care that I wasn't gentle, that the sensitive skin on the inside of her thighs were probably getting abraded by the material of my cargo pants, or that foreplay would have to come later. Stephanie was right there with me, riding out every stroke, thrust, and clench.

This orgasm was as intense as all the ones I've had with her in the past, but somehow different. I was soon hard again and planning to do something about it, but I wanted to take it slow this time, or at least use the bed. I curved my arm under her ass and carried Steph to the bed without pulling out of her. I was already moving again by the time her head hit the pillow.

"I know you can't tell me what you did while you were gone," Steph said much later, resting her cheek on my chest, and draping her arm across my abs,"but is there anything you can share?"

My dick twitched again when Stephanie's lips brushed my skin as she spoke. I haven't been away from her for all that long, but my body wanted to make up for the time spent apart.

"I did what I set out to do. One of my men was injured, but he'll make it."

"Crap," she said.

She was quiet for a minute before I heard her sniffle. I felt a familiar dampness on my chest where her face had been pressed.

"Why are you crying, Babe?" I asked her. "You've never met him."

"Yeah, but I know that could have easily been you instead. Besides, if you agreed to work with him, he has to be a pretty incredible guy."

"He can hold his own in a fight," I told her.

Raymond "Razor" Baker has served his country, and those of us who've worked with him, well. He wouldn't necessarily want Stephanie getting emotional on his behalf, but he'd be happy to take full advantage of a beautiful woman fawning over him. Which is why Steph and Raymond will never share airspace. Only a rocket launcher pointed at his groin would get him to back off once Steph turned those blue eyes on him. And I'd hate to have to put a bullet in him after going through the trouble of hauling his ass straight out of hell.

Steph wiped her eyes with her hand before she spoke again. "I swear, I didn't doubt for a minute that you'd come back in one piece."

I waited for her to look up at me and then lifted an eyebrow.

"Okay, so maybe I was worried for a couple minutes," Steph told me. "I was trying to stay positive, but I won't lie, it fucking sucked. Big time. Magdeline was right there, though, to snap me out of it if she caught me moping. Your mom is a force of nature."

"I'm well aware of that, Babe."

Magdeline Manoso doesn't hold back or back off. You either agree with her immediately or you'll find yourself bending to her will five minutes later without knowing when the hell your mind changed. It all depends on how much time she has to work on you.

"Magdeline knew you'd left late ... or would that be early? Anyway ... she must have given me a few hours to sleep and then she was at our door. She told me to take a shower and get dressed because we were going out. I'm glad your mother did come over, because I was sitting at the table in the kitchen trying to decide what I should stare at first ... the clock so I could count exactly how many hours you'd been gone, or my phone in case I could will you to call me."

"I would have if I'd been able to, Steph."

"I know. As long as you got back to me safely, I'm not going to complain."

"I'll always come back to you, Stephanie," I told her, picking up her hand and looking at the ring I put on her finger before I'd left.

I told Garrett Elston a little about Stephanie, an idea of what I wanted for her, and also that price wasn't an issue. He showed me this ring and I knew it was Stephanie's. According to Garrett, it was a large emerald cut diamond, with sapphire pavé stones set around an outer ring of small diamonds. The narrow band is also lined with tiny diamonds, and it isn't coming off her.

Stephanie sighed. "You can't promise me that, Ranger. Even I've never been that delusional to think you can."

"You're right, Babe," I told her. "I can't promise that, but I can promise you that I'll do everything in my power to make sure I do."

"I'll take that."

Stephanie deserves so much more than that, but I'm not letting her go so she can get it. She agreed to love me, to marry me, and there's no going back for either of us now.

Steph climbed practically on top of my body before she settled down to sleep, probably thinking her weight alone would keep me from leaving again. And tonight, it sure as hell would. I wrapped my arms around her and let the feel of Stephanie's soft body stretched out along the length of mine block out what I had to do before I could get back to her. Instead of replaying the past, I thought about what I was moving towards.

I've been a lot of things in my life ... a troubled teen, a mercenary, and a highly-respected business owner, but the one I'm most proud of being is the man who is now able to love Stephanie without hesitation.