DISCLAIMER: Not mine, not making any money. Loosely based off the lyrics of Heartless by Kayne West. I HIGHLY recommend listening while or before reading. (Direct quotes in bold, slightly stolen in italics.)

TANK POV

By choice, for the last month, we've seen a lot less of the Bombshell Bounty Hunter. Oh, she still works at Rangeman part time and Ranger still has us on Bombshell Duty, keeping an eye on her latest escapade, but the core team and I rarely volunteer anymore. I make the schedules and pass the job off to the newbies. It's not that we love Steph any less, we just care for our brother more. And, Steph, well, she's been doing a number on him for far too long.

We often believe our souls are black or in some cases, lost entirely, but Ranger always managed to stay whole, to keep focused on why we do our job, on keeping his men alive, on getting us all home. He formed Rangeman so that someday we'd have a semblance of normalcy when our government jobs were complete. It wasn't an enemy but rather a breathtaking, blue-eyed, brunette that snuck under his defenses and stole his soul.

Ranger was making plans to leave Trenton and permanently live in Miami when Connie called in her favor. Ranger was instantly captivated and stayed. We didn't know by who until he brought Steph for the redecorating job. She was stunning but not his normal type of girl. Not only that, he had never included a woman in his business. We were confused. I confronted him about it when I was recovering.

"Ranger, man, what are you doing? What are you getting out of this?"

"I don't know Tank. This is going to sound so cliche, but she lifts me. Makes me want to be a better man. She's got this history with Morelli, and well, I got homies, but in the end it's still so lonely."

And that was all the answer I got from him. We helped her off and on. She came in and did office work and searches from time to time. While the sparks between her and the boss were evident, she continued off and on with Morelli. First she moved in, then they fought and she moved out. Back and forth, off and on. When they were off the Boss often left in the middle of the night. Sometimes on foot, sometimes in the turbo. Usually he turned the trackers off, but I knew where he went. I don't know what they've been through. I don't know about him & her, I know him. But there is talk and talk and talk and talk. I think they should just knock it off.

I hear from Lula that Steph tells her friends that she's leaving Morelli. Lula says I don't see what she sees in him. But wait a couple months, then you gon' see. She'll think she'll never find nobody better than him.

Doesn't she see what she is doing? There is no love lost here for the cop, but shuffling between the two...how could she be so heartless?

I stopped in Ranger's office one day after Steph stomped out in a tizzy. Sighing with his head in his hands he said "Why is she so mad at me for? I don't know, she's hot and cold. I won't stop, won't mess my groove up. Cause I already know how this thing go. I'm not good with words, how else can I prove myself to her?"

Ranger pulled a team meeting five weeks ago. Said he was leaving Trenton. Said it was for good. "I know you just can't believe, I could just leave it wrong. And you can't make it right. I'm going to take off tonight. Tank you're in charge. Let Steph keep her job. I can't be here anymore."

We've lost our best friend, our brother, because somewhere far along this road he lost his soul to a woman so heartless. Orders are orders, and we'll continue to help Steph. But right now we can't be her friend, treat her like our little sister anymore, not when she's breaking our brother's heart. On the streets I hear 'em talk, the coldest story every told, about a woman so heartless.