Holidaze

by sonomom

Sometimes when you look back on your life it's the holidays that stand out in memories. When Stephanie looks back on her life she will remember the holidays of one particular year. The year that changed everything. Babe. HEA-eventually.

1. Chapter 1

I own nothing except my mistakes, but thanks to jago-ji, I shouldn't have too many of those!

Give Me A Ring Sometime

"Not a distraction, Babe. Insurance. I need you for insurance."

"I don't get it, Ranger. You're entirely capable of doing this on your own."

"It's Valentine's Day. I'll be conspicuous if I enter the bar alone. I need a date."

"Yeah, well I'm betting you can find someone to hang onto your arm for one evening."

"Babe, please."

Damn. He wasn't playing fair. I always melted when he said please, and this time was no exception, but I didn't have to be gracious in my defeat. "Okay, but I want a meal out of this deal. If I'm giving up my Valentine's Day to work, I want a decent meal. Italian. With dessert."

"My pleasure," he said with a not too veiled hint of sarcasm. "I'll pick you up at seven."

"No, I have something else planned for earlier in the evening," I said. "I'll meet you at the bar, but I can't be there till eight."

"That will make dinner late," he said.

"I'm a big girl. I don't have a curfew."

There was just a moment's hesitation before he agreed and disconnected. I smiled. I knew he was wondering, despite his best intention, if I was seeing someone. I wasn't and I wouldn't lie about it if I was asked, but it wouldn't hurt him to consider that I might be.

Joe and I were history, but we were still friendly. I waited for a month or so after we broke up, but Ranger never made a move—well, except for the kind of moves he always made. Gradually, I realized there would be no big shift between Ranger and me, and I accepted the status quo, mostly. Ranger and I had an understanding. We both wanted one another, and we both knew it. Some deep-seated sense of self-preservation kept me from making things too easy for him.

Ranger was a stealth bomber. He swooped down in the dark of night, undetectable by sight or sound, and unstoppable by my apartment security. He struck without warning and left me a hollowed out, languorous, smoldering victim so satiated I was unable to protest his less stealthy leaving. This was not a good foundation for a relationship. He had no intent of permanence, and he made no pretense that he did.

So I played little games. I didn't always make myself available, and I didn't completely bend to his wishes. Telling him I had plans earlier in the evening was one of those games. It wasn't that I wanted to be dishonest, but I needed to take a measure of control when I could. And it didn't hurt if it made him take a moment to realize I had areas in my life in which he had no part. It went a small way toward keeping the balance between us.

I thought it was odd that he needed a date. He'd said he needed insurance, but I couldn't imagine against what. I sensed there was more to his request for a date than I knew, but I'd have to wait until I saw him to get the rest of the story. This was not a distraction. I had plenty of distraction clothes I could choose from, but I thought this called for something a little more upscale. I needed an outfit that was discreetly sexy. I went shopping in my closet.

The Radius Bar had made the top ten list of New Jersey's most romantic spots, and judging from the wait for valet parking, it looked like Valentine's Day was going to be very profitable for the establishment. It was just a minute after eight when I made my way inside. I looked around for a moment letting my gaze linger on a couple standing in a close embrace. The woman's face was half turned to allow her date access to her neck. Part of me wanted to call out, "Get a room," but part of me felt a little envious.

While my attention was distracted, Ranger materialized beside me. A quick indrawn breath indicated my surprise as his hand moved to the small of my back. As he guided me through the crowded foyer, I was waiting for him to remind me to be aware of my surroundings, but he was silent as he moved me forward into the bar proper. There were no empty seats, but Ranger steered me toward the far end of the bar where, magically, as we approached, two men stood and vacated their stools. Yep, there was more going on here than met the eye. I turned to Ranger intending to ask for the rest of the story. His hand wrapped around my elbow, and he steadied me as I slipped up onto the still warm stool.

For the first time that night I took a good long look at him, and an electric tingle shot through me. You think I'd get used to his physical magnificence, but I don't. This night, he was wearing all black, as usual, but a designer cut was evident. He'd come a long way from the man who'd agreed to be my mentor. I took a quick look down at myself. I was also in black, the simplicity of the dress an indication of the spike it had made on my credit card balance. If I thought he'd changed from the man I'd met those years ago, then the same was true about me. I'd come a long way from the inexperienced bounty-hunter-wannabe that had shared a lunch with him at a downtown Trenton café.

We'd both grown, not together exactly, but not apart either. Ranger was part of my life as I was part of his; the problem was we had different ideas of how we fit into one another's lives. If we were both pieces of a puzzle, he'd be that one final piece that snaps in place and makes everything complete. I was afraid I was just a border piece in his puzzle—a necessary, but somewhat interchangeable piece.

Ranger took his place on my left, at the very end of the bar. He turned to face me and bent to whisper in my ear. He gave the impression of an attentive lover, but I wasn't fooled. From his slightly turned position he could see the entire bar area, and his whispered words in my ear left no doubt that this was work, not social. "What can I get you to drink? It needs to be something weak as we may be here for a while. I know your intolerance for alcohol, and it wouldn't be good if you slid off the stool before my mission was complete."

Mission? Intolerance for alcohol? Asshole. I turned to the bartender who was respectfully hovering a few feet away. My lips curved in what I thought of as my best compliant girlfriend smile and said, "I'll take a Jameson, neat." I knew from long years of experience how Joe would have reacted to my insubordination. I gave Ranger a sideways glance, but instead of seeing displeasure on his face I saw humor. Obviously, I hadn't pushed the button I'd intended. His mouth twitched at the edges and then gave up the fight and erupted into a full-on smile.

"You never disappoint, Stephanie." He let his attention slide from me to the bartender. "I'll take the water back," he said.

"What's going on here?" I asked. "I know you said you needed insurance. But against what?" Ranger was silent until the bartender placed my drink in front of me and a half-filled highball glass in front of Ranger. It was clear, so I assumed he'd actually gotten water.

"I've been asked by a very important person to be present in this bar tonight."

"Well, that sounds mysterious," I said. "I want the full story, especially if I'm part of it." I took a large gulp of whiskey and struggled to get it down without sputtering it all over the bar. The burn down my throat gave way to a burn in my belly and after a few seconds, I realized it was a nice burn. I picked up the glass again, only to have Ranger take it from me and set it back down on the bar.

"Slowly, please," he said. There was that damn word again. "You remember the Ramos family, I'm certain."

"Yesss," I said. I did remember the Ramos family and how much trouble they'd caused for Ranger. The family headed a well-known local crime syndicate. When Ranger had started RangeMan he'd used an obscure connection he had with the Ramos' to enhance his street credentials. They had double or maybe triple-crossed him, but he'd come out on top.

"Are you messing with the Ramos family again?" I asked. "I thought you'd be beyond needing their help by this time."

"You can never have too many friends in low places, Babe. The Ramos family is not what it used to be. After Alexander died, they brought in a cousin from Mykonos to run the family business."

"Oh great, a new Ramos."

"He's not new. Nikomedes Mattas has been in Trenton for several years."

I gasped when I heard the name. "Niko Mattas is part of the Ramos family?" I asked.

Ranger lifted one eyebrow. "You're familiar with Niko?" he asked.

"I … well … no." I was stammering and I knew I had to regain some composure. Ranger had the ability to read my thoughts, and I didn't want him reading anything into what I knew about Niko Mattas.

What I'd said was true enough. I wasn't familiar with Niko. I didn't even really know him, but I'd almost known him. I mean really known him. I picked up my glass to take a drink and then had a second thought. I'd been drinking Jameson that night, too. I let my eyes drift back to Ranger and noted the intensity of his stare.

"Did you sleep with him?" Ranger asked quietly. Maybe too quietly.

"No!" I responded. This time I did take a drink. "I just met him once. It was the night after I'd brought in Danny Zerbo. I collected five grand on him and Lula, Connie and I went out to celebrate." I stiffened on my barstool as I remembered that we'd come to Radius that night. It was the only other time I'd been to the bar.

Niko had introduced himself to me and insisted on buying a round of drinks for the three of us. He'd joined us at the table then, and in the way things sometimes happen, both Lula and Connie had found other entertainments, so Niko and I had been left alone. He was charming with a dazzling white smile that was almost equal to Ranger's in its wattage. And he was a lot freer with his smile than Ranger had ever thought of being. I remembered it had just been a couple of weeks since Joe and I had called it quits. Ranger had been MIA and I was feeling low.

Niko was forthright about what he wanted. He promised a night of passion, and he looked like he could deliver on his promise. I considered his offer very seriously. But then that stupid Burg good-girl, Catholic guilt thing had erupted and I'd declined. He'd accepted my refusal in a calm gentlemanly way and slipped his business card inside my bag. He'd stood from the table, kissed my hand and left me with a nice memory of his dimpled smile. "Call me, Stephanie, when you change your mind."

I'd never called, but I'd considered it several times in the weeks after that night. I remembered his card had indicated he owned an import/export company. I groaned. He was a member of the Ramos family, and I now had a good idea of what he was importing and exporting.

"Um, Ranger," I said. "Is it going to jeopardize what's happening tonight if he recognizes me?" I asked. I wasn't even sure if he would recognize me. After all, it was only one brief interlude in a dark bar, but I thought I'd better let Ranger know it was a possibility.

"No. I'm doing a favor for him. He won't be present tonight, but if I'm successful in accomplishing what he's asked me to do he'll owe me one, and that's a nice position to be in." Ranger was looking at me with that quiet speculation that gave me a small spurt of satisfaction. This afternoon, when I'd told him I had plans for earlier in the evening, I'd purposefully tried to pique his interest. Now I had inadvertently done an even better job of showing Ranger he didn't know all my secrets. I smiled sweetly at him and picked up my drink, this time taking a small sip.

"What are you doing in the bar that is so important to Niko?" I asked. Before he could answer my question I was shoved sideways, almost off my stool and almost into Ranger's lap. Ranger merely raised an eyebrow, but hadn't pulled a gun or knife so I turned to see what had caused my near tumble off the barstool. It was half of the canoodling couple I'd seen in the bar foyer. She was a young fresh-faced girl and she was looking concernedly in my direction.

"Ohmygosh!" she exclaimed. "I'm sorry."

"That's okay," I told her as I re-centered myself on my own seat.

"It's these heels," she said laughing. "I tripped as I was trying to sit down in a hurry. I made a dash for it when I saw these seats come open." She twisted on the stool and flexed her foot so I could see the cause of her disequilibrium.

"Very nice," I said. The heels in question were strappy and very high. And maybe my neighbor was a little high, too.

"This is a great place, don't you think?"

"Yes," I said. "It is nice." I looked at Ranger to see if this chatty girl was going to interfere with our reason for being here … whatever that was. He seemed unconcerned.

"My boyfriend, Timmy, is in the men's room, so I'm saving a seat for him." She tilted her head to the empty barstool next to her, and I looked around her to see she had a small evening bag saving his spot. She leaned close to me. "I was worried we wouldn't find a place to sit. It's crazy in here tonight. So many people celebrating Valentine's Day." She took the opportunity to look over my shoulder, and I saw her eyes widen in appreciation as she saw Ranger. She smiled and, at first I thought she was smiling at Ranger, until she gave a little finger wave and I realized she was looking beyond Ranger. "Here comes my boyfriend," she said. "I overheard him talking to one of his buddies on the phone when we were waiting for a seat, and I think he's going to propose to me tonight! Isn't that romantic?"

"I—yes, it is," I agreed. I took another drink. If this chatterbox was going to sit next to me all night I might have to ask for combat pay, if I was even being paid at all. Ranger had said he needed a date, and I didn't think he usually had to pay for his dates. Maybe my pay was going to be the Italian dinner he'd promised. I looked over at him to see his eyes focused on some scenario across the room.

"Hi, Timmy baby," I heard my neighbor say as she swiveled her chair and focused her attention on the young man and presumable future fiancé who now sat on the barstool next to her.

I took another sip and glanced at Ranger who was still intent on something or someone across the room. Ranger was never talkative and tonight was no exception, so I contented myself to wait until he was ready to tell me what was going on. I knew he'd fill me in eventually. I took a small sip of the Jameson and looked around the bar.

It deserved its reputation as a romantic spot. There was a tuxedoed man at a grand piano playing up tempo, smooth jazz. The music provided a muted background that allowed intimate conversation to flourish. The bar was semi-circular with the rest of the seating fanning out around it. There were tables between the bar and a ring of secluded booths that rimmed the periphery.

The booths were lit with soft candlelight and had low banquette seating. I thought it would be nice to be snuggled up next to Ranger on the luxuriously padded bench, sipping wine, sharing quiet conversation and an occasional kiss. Our hands would be linked under the table and there would be the promise of what was to come reflected in both our eyes. I sighed. No matter what he said, this wasn't a date. This was work, because he was sitting in the place best suited to surveil the entire bar. I was getting the impression I was just window dressing, a warm body to fill the seat beside him.

The little hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I straightened my spine and tried to be casual as I leaned into Ranger. "Is it happening?" I asked.

"No."

"I feel like it's happening," I said. "Something isn't right here." I watched Ranger as his eyes roamed the room. There was no change in his expression, and he gave no indication anything was wrong, but there was an instant when his eyes widened almost imperceptibly. Almost.

I picked up my tumbler and took another sip using the opportunity to look in the direction Ranger had been looking. She was tiny, impeccably groomed, and classically beautiful—and she was staring at me. I thought she would have been stunning if it wasn't for the contorted expression and the laser-like gaze of pure hatred that was centered entirely on me.

My eyes swiveled to Ranger and I leaned in close. "Are you sure it's not happening. There's a woman over there who is staring at me like she wants me dead." Ranger leaned in and whispered in my ear. I knew it looked to the rest of the bar as though we were completely involved in whispering love talk to one another. But Ranger was not completely involved. His eyes still scanned the bar and what he said was far from seductive.

"She's the reason I needed insurance." At his words I leaned in even closer. I could have let my lips and tongue skim the sensitive cords at the base of his neck or I could have sunk my teeth into his jugular like Vampira, and depending on what he said next I'd make my decision.

He stiffened, slightly. No one but me noticed, but I was invading his personal space like crazy in an attempt to find out what the heck I was doing here. "Your instincts are good, Babe. It is happening now."

"Okay, that's it!" I said quietly. "What the hell is going on, Ranger?"

There was a sigh, a big one. His body language was that of a lover. He leaned in and caressed my hair, and I fought the temper-induced urge to jerk back. He may have given the appearance of a lover, but he was a man at work. I knew Ranger well enough to know his attention was not fully on me.

"I'm here because I am the only one in Trenton who can identify an arms dealer known as La Muerte Blanca," he whispered into my ear. His breath on my neck caused a ripple of unwanted desire to wash through me. Damn the man. I smooshed my thighs together, ignored the tingle and made myself concentrate on what Ranger was saying. "His real name is Eduardo Vera, and Niko needs to know if he makes an appearance in this bar tonight."

"Okay," I said. I let a finger trail up his sleeve and then turned away to take another drink of the Jameson. I thought I was going to need the courage for the rest of the story, and I was right.

"I spent time in a Colombian prison," Ranger said flatly. "Eduardo Vera is known mostly by reputation. Not many people can recognize him by sight, but I will never forget his face."

"Was he in prison with you?" I asked.

"It was his prison, Babe." I looked up at something I heard in his voice, and I drew back a little. Now, there were two people in this bar that had the look of someone who wanted to kill in their eyes.

"If Vera is in Trenton, it's to make a deal that will be detrimental to Niko. I'm here to put eyes on the players and tell Niko if his Intel was right."

"That's very interesting," I said. "What am I doing here?" I had a horrible suspicion that I knew exactly what my role was.

"You are here as my guest, but we don't have to stay much longer. La Muerte Blanca has left the building," Ranger said. "He just made his contact and walked out the door. I need to call Niko and tell him his information was correct, and then we can leave."

"I don't think so," I said. "Tell me about the woman who wants to kill me. Is it because I'm sitting next to you?"

"Babe."

"Ranger." There was another sigh and I sensed rather that saw some of the tenseness go out of him. He thought his night's work was done. I knew it wasn't. He was going to have to tell me just why he'd needed insurance.

"Elaina Mattas owns this bar. She is Niko's sister, and yes, I wanted you to be here so she wouldn't approach me."

"Did you sleep with her?" I asked, repeating the question he'd asked when I told him I knew Niko.

"Yes." And then after the briefest hesitation, "It was a mistake."

My thighs smooshed even tighter, and I resisted the urge to put a hand to my midsection to contain the sudden roiling of my stomach. I knew Ranger had other women. We weren't in an exclusive relationship. Okay, we weren't really in a relationship … our ships mainly just passed in the night. But this was the first of Ranger's other women I'd ever seen, at least knowingly. And judging from the look on her face, Elaina might have been having the same experience as me.

"It was a time ago, and I was clear in my intent. I thought we were on the same page," Ranger said, "but we weren't. She wanted more than I was willing to give. She's unstable. Normally, I just avoid this place, and Niko is aware of that, but the Intel was firm and I was the only one who could identify Vera, so here I am—and here you are. But my work is done and we can go."

"I'm not ready to leave yet," I said, giving evidence I was not thinking clearly. The woman was still staring daggers at me. She was another piece to the puzzle that was Ranger, and it looked like she'd just figured out she was a border piece, too. Anyone in their right mind would be getting the heck out of Dodge, but I decided I needed another drink. I raised my hand slightly to flag down the very busy bartender.

The bartender was working his way down to me. I thought the bar was understaffed for Valentine's Day and maybe Elaina should quit giving me the death stare and start working behind the bar.

"Another Jameson, water back, ma'am?" the bartender asked, his gaze encompassing both Ranger and me. I nodded.

Working behind the bar on a busy night looked like hard work. As he turned to grab the bottle of Jameson, my next door neighbor said, "Hey, I'll have one of those, too. Whatever she's drinking, I mean." It was followed by a long throaty giggle that made me think my earlier assessment was correct. I didn't think this was her first barstool of the night.

I turned to take a closer look at her, and I saw the bartender pause and make eye contact with her date, Timmy baby. After a nod from Timmy the bartender pulled another tumbler off the shelf. Timmy had to give permission for his date to drink. I didn't have that problem, probably because I didn't have a date. I wasn't sure what Ranger was, my employer maybe, if he was intending to pay me for the evening … misdirected if he wasn't. I wasn't sure why I wanted to stay, but I was not going without more detail about Elaina.

And it looked like I was about to get my chance. While I'd been watching the interchange between the bartender and the couple next to me, Elaina had made her move. She was standing behind the bar leaning over just enough to show Ranger her attributes. Yes, I needed to stay for another drink.

"Hello, Carlos. It's been awhile."

"Elaina."

"Introduce me to your friend, Carlos."

Ranger didn't reply so I stuck out my hand. "Stephanie Plum," I said. She stared at me for a long time and then turned and walked out from behind the bar, back to the corner where she'd been earlier. "Well," I said. "That was a little odd."

"She is odd," Ranger agreed. "I needed someone by my side tonight that I could trust. Thank you for coming."

Suddenly my desire to stay at the bar was gone. Ranger's words caused my burgeoning anger to subside. He trusted me. Yes, he had other women, but I had other men. That is, I used to have Joe, so it was only right that Ranger would have involvements with other women, but I was the one he trusted. I couldn't help myself. I was flattered and maybe more than flattered. I was starting to hope that I was more than a border puzzle piece. A corner piece, or … my thoughts were interrupted as I realized the drink I'd ordered was in front of me.

I turned to see that Ranger had a fresh glass of water in front of him. "Let's go," I told him. "I've changed my mind about staying."

Ranger picked up his water and took a drink. "Might as well finish your drink," he said. "I'll call Ella and tell her we'll be there in a half-hour. That will give her time."

"Ella? I thought you were going to take me out for an Italian dinner."

"I'm not taking you out. I'm taking you in, and you'll have a superb meal complete with tiramisu, as promised."

"You're taking me to your apartment for dinner?" I asked. The thought secretly thrilled me, but I was trying not to let him see it.

He leaned in, his lips brushing my ear. "I thought we should start our Valentine's celebration close to the place we want the night to end."

Heat was racing southward with every irregular beat of my heart. Damn the man. I groaned and he smiled. "Drink up, Babe." He motioned to the glass in front of me and pulled out his phone to call Ella.

I raised the glass to my lips and prepared to take a large gulp. I wanted the glass empty ASAP. Something caught my eye, though, and I quickly set the glass back on the bar. I stuck my index finger into the glass, hooked the object off the bottom and then swiveled back to face Ranger. I was holding a large diamond engagement ring in front of his face. Neither of us moved as we watched an amber drop of Jameson's gather and fall from the ring. For once, Ranger's expression was not blank. The surprise was evident from the lift of his brows to the slight parting of his lips. Before I could question him there was a shout from behind me.

I turned to see my garrulous bar mate with her hands around her throat. I thought she was choking until I heard the wheeze of an indrawn breath. Her eyes rolled back and she toppled off the barstool, landing with a soft thud on the floor, despite Timmy's attempt to catch her.

"What…" I started, only to be interrupted by Timmy's cry.

"She's dead!" he screamed and fell to his knees beside the unmoving form of his date.

Ranger thrust his phone into my hands and moved to push Timmy out of the way. His hand went to the base of her neck, and I realized he was checking for a pulse.

"Call 911," he said tersely. His eyes met mine and there was something there, but I couldn't read it. It was a message I was sorry I was missing. "Tell them poison, Babe." He turned to Timmy. "She's not dead. Help is on the way." And then he stood and looked behind the bar for a moment. He ran the short distance to the end of the bar, rounded the corner and disappeared in the same direction I'd seen Elaina go just a few minutes before.

I called 911 and told them we thought the girl had been poisoned. I stayed on the line as they requested, but I couldn't give them any more useful information. I watched in horror as Timmy and a waiter tried to give the girl first aid, and was a little relieved when someone proclaiming themselves to be a nurse moved through the crowded onlookers to help.

It was probably only minutes before the first responders arrived, but it seemed like hours. When a paramedic knelt beside the now unconscious girl, Timmy looked up to tell him what had happened. "This is my fault," he said. "I had the bartender put her engagement ring in the drink. It was a surprise, but she choked on it. I've killed her."

Realization hit me with such force that I fell back against the bar. I looked down and saw the ring still sitting on the damp cocktail napkin where I'd dropped it. I'd gotten her drink … and she'd gotten mine. Elaina's death stare had been just that. She'd tried to kill me.

"No," I said. "She didn't swallow the ring. Here it is." I handed it to Timmy and then sank back down on my stool as the two paramedics prepared her for transport. "I think she was poisoned," I told them.

As the paramedics left, two Trenton police officers came in. There were several minutes of confusion. The piano player had stopped, but the bar was far from silent. One of the officer's voices boomed over the bar's PA system. We were all being detained for questioning. I sat back on my barstool and wrapped my hands around my glass. I lifted it, two-handed, from the bar and then thought better about taking a drink. My hand went to my throat as I remembered the girl clutching hers. I set the drink back on the counter and stood as I saw Ranger reenter the bar from a door in the far corner, Elaina's escape route.

He came to my side. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Ranger, what the hell is going on?"

"In a minute, Babe." He moved quickly toward the front of the bar where the police were trying to organize patrons into groups for questioning. My heart dropped as I saw Joe Morelli walk into the bar. Ranger saw him as well and moved directly toward him. Part of me wanted to get off the stool and join them. I wanted to know exactly what had happened. The other part of me wanted to be as far away from a Morelli-Ranger conversation as possible. The cowardly part of me won and I stayed put.

Their conversation was intense and of brief duration. Morelli turned and said something to the nearest police officer and he once again went to the PA. The bar was closing for the night and the patrons would be allowed to leave as soon as they registered their names and contact numbers with the police. Ranger made his way back through the crowd to my side.

"It's okay for you to leave," he told me. "You won't have to talk to anyone tonight."

"Ranger, what the hell is going on?" I asked. "I may not have to talk to anyone, but I want someone to talk to me!"

"I'll walk you to your car and tell you everything I know," he said. "And then I'll have to come back inside and talk to Morelli." Ranger was silent as we walked back toward the door. Physically, he was beside me, but mentally I wasn't even sure he was in the same galaxy. Remote didn't begin to describe the vibes I was getting from him. This wasn't the same man who had whispered in my ear about ending our Valentine's Day in his bed.

The night was mild for February, so I'd left my coat in the car when I'd entered the bar. Now I wished I had it, but I wasn't going to make any effort to open the door to get it. Ranger leaned casually against my car, showing no awareness of the chill. He was gathering his thoughts I hoped, but I was afraid he was mentally editing what he was going to tell me. I could be stubborn. I'd get the truth or freeze trying.

"When I broke things off with Elaina Mattas, she poisoned me," he said bluntly.

I gasped. "She poisoned you? When? How?"

"The same way she poisoned that young girl tonight. It was in this bar. I was here with Niko and she came over to our table and invited me to stay after Niko left. I agreed because although I'd already told her it was over between us, her actions told me she needed to hear it again. She set a drink in front of me, I took a sip and woke up at RangeMan with Bobby and Tank hovering over me."

"Oh, my gosh," I mumbled. I was shocked on two levels. Ranger had been poisoned and that was terrible. And Ranger had knowingly brought me to a place owned by a crazy woman to run interference for him. That was terrible, too.

He was watching my reaction to what he'd said as he continued. "Tank was at another table, watching, and he saw me go down. Elaina bragged to him that she'd poisoned me and he … extracted information from her about what the poison was she'd used. It's short acting and intense, but not fatal. The woman will recover, but she's going to have a rough couple of days."

I was right. I wasn't going to freeze to death listening to Ranger's story. My temper was starting to warm me up pretty good. "Ranger, how could you do this? You put me in harm's way!" I was hurt and I was disappointed. And I felt horrible for the poor innocent girl who'd downed a poison meant for me.

"I had no choice, Babe. La Muerte Blanca had to be identified at any cost, and it had to be done discreetly. I talked to Niko about my being in this bar, and he assured me Elaina had been dealt with after the incident with me. He said she would be no problem. I needed you with me in case things went bad, because I knew I could count on you to have my back."

My temper was easing back a little. I shouldn't have been so easily swayed by his words, but knowing Ranger trusted me so completely went a little way toward upgrading my puzzle piece analogy. I mean, any border piece just wouldn't do in this situation, right? Maybe he didn't realize what a big piece of the puzzle I was for him.

"I have to go back in, Babe. When I came out here Elaina was handcuffed to the Sub-Zero in the back bar room. She confessed to me and I gave a brief explanation to Morelli."

"All right," I said.

"I think I'm going to have to cancel on our dinner tonight, Babe. After Morelli is finished with me I have to go talk with Niko. It will be a late night."

"You tell Niko his sister is a whack job," I said. I shivered but I wasn't sure if it was due to the weather or the thought of how lucky I was that I wasn't in the hospital.

Ranger pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around me. His mouth covered mine with an intensity that let me know he wasn't as calm about the night's events as he seemed. The kiss seemed to go on forever. His tongue was in my mouth and his hands were on my back urging me closer. When he pulled away we were both breathing hard.

"Babe." I felt a tremor run through him and he pulled me in even closer. "Babe, I'm sorry." This was not the embrace of a man who thought of me only as a minor border piece. I was sure of it.

"I'll make up for the missed dinner," he told me.

"How? By flying me to Italy for an authentic dinner?"

"If that's what it takes then I will, but ... it may be a while. There may be more to La Muerte Blanca's presence here than Niko knows. I don't want you to be in any way involved in this. I don't want you linked to me if it would be dangerous for you."

"A little late for that consideration, Ranger. It was already dangerous for me, not to mention that poor girl, who should be somebody's fiancée now."

Ranger turned at the call of his name. I saw Joe Morelli walking down the sidewalk towards us. "I've got to go, Babe. I'll call you, hopefully soon."

"Yeah, that would be great, Ranger. Give me a ring sometime."

A/N: Thanks for reading. It's been a while since I've posted and I'm excited to be back with a new multi-chapter fanfic. For those who might be interested I've got an original novel available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and several other online retailers ... Phaleeta's Obsession by Cathy Crowne. It deals with a woman's obsession with a fictional hero...you know what they say...write what you know!