This got a lot longer than I thought it would but here is chapter one. I thought a mafia AU would be pretty interesting :)

Read. Rate. Review. Be jolly and enjoy cold linguine.

Stephanie knew it was a bad idea as she stood outside the building. She shouldn't be taking out a loan but rent was due and she sure as hell couldn't eat hamster pellets. She wouldn't have to worry about this if her mother hadn't talked her cousin Vinnie out of giving her a job. She even tried blackmailing him but apparently her ma had something better on him. Not that she was surprised. Chances were that her mother, Helen, had just guilted him into bending her way. She was really good at that. Stephanie was frequently on the other end of that.

It was a really nice building, actually. Not at all the type that you would expect from the kind of place that did seedy loans. At least, she thought they were seedy because she heard about it from Connie. Connie was a good friend but she also was friend and family to some rather precarious people. Steph wouldn't complain though because it was currently getting her out of a pickle. The building was just a boring office building. Why was it so intimidating?

Squaring her shoulders, she opened the door and stepped into the building. The front desk wasn't manned by a cute little blonde girl rather a rather impressively built latino with the sort of wicked charm that hastens girls out of their panties and the kind of green eyes that keeps you from regretting it. If Stephanie hadn't been charmed out of her virginity by a guy with a similar glint in his eyes she might be tempted because damn, he was good looking.

"Well, hello there, Beautiful. How can I help you?" the receptionist asked with the kind of smile that made even her knees shake a little. She looked at his shirt. Nothing but a RangeMan logo. Weird.

"I'm here to see," she paused and began searching her purse for the card that Connie had given her. She pulled the little black card out and read the white print out, "Carlos Manoso?"

Receptionist guy looked her over. She resisted the urge to fidget. Did she have frosting on her face? No, that was impossible because she hadn't had a donut in days. In fact, she would kill for something sweet right now. She probably could have put more effort into her effort but she had on a pair of red FMPs to make her feel a little more confident and her grey sweater was flattering if not a little boring. She had squeezed into a pair of dark jeans that were extremely tight but her ass looked good and that's all that really matters, right?

"Follow me."

"Is it okay to leave the desk like that?" She asked while checking out his ass. Just because she knew better didn't mean that she couldn't appreciate something pretty. And damn was he pretty.

"I think it'll be okay. This is a security company afterall."

"Security company my ass." She mumbled to herself. She missed the smirk her gave her as he fobbed the elevator open.

The ride up was silent and Stephanie couldn't help missing elevator music. It would make this less weird. Green eyes didn't seem like the strong silent type but for some reason he wasn't making any conversation and quite frankly, though usually the one with something to say, she was a little too nervous to think of anything but getting through this meeting and hopefully getting over to her parents house in time for something sweet before she jumped someone. Sex is a great substitute for sugar.

The elevator opened and they passed a bunch of cubicles filled with various muscular men in black shirts and cargo pants. Stephanie laughed to herself a little. They looked so serious and uniform. It was ridiculous because they were all probably sweethearts. In her experience the bigger and tougher the guy looks the sweeter he is. A bunch of merrymen, she thought with a smile.

"I don't know how well they would take that." The receptionist said with a smirk.

"Did I say that outloud?" Her blue eyes were wide with surprise and she flushed. She needed to stop doing that.

"Don't worry about it. Could happen to anybody."

"I bet you say that too all the girls."

"Only the pretty ones." He said with a cheeky wink.

Stephanie laughed. She introduced herself and stuck out a hand. He took it in his and gave a smooth kiss to the back of her hand before stating his own name.

"Lester Santos, at your service my lady."

"I'll keep that in mind. It never hurts to have handsome men at one's disposal." She said with a grin.

Lester laughed heartily before leading her to a large wooden door with a nameplate next to it that read simply, Manoso, C. There was a strange prickling at the back of her neck she rubbed at. Lester knocked and Stephanie took a deep breath. She wasn't nervous. Her palms were not sweating and she didn't feel like turning around and booking it out of here. She needed this money and she was damn well going to get it.

"Enter."

Lester gave a wink before opening the door and scooting her in with a soft hand between her shoulder blades. She sighed a little and walked in. She was expecting some old guy with a receding hairline and a few gray hairs, maybe a bit of a tummy. She was not expecting a caramel sculpted god with long black hair or dark eyes that made her want to beg for indecent things. She wasn't expecting that and now she was seriously considering leaving. Lester knew this was coming. What an ass.

"Excuse me?" Who raised their brow with that level of perfection?

"Not you. Lester." Steph said blushing because she was under the impression she hadn't said that.

"Did he do something to offend you?" He looked perturbed.

She chuckled a little. "Not really. He's just...something else."

"So I've been told." He gestured to a small leather seat in front of his desk. She approached carefully.

She honestly couldn't afford for this to go wrong. Her car was already a piece of shit that barely got her around and if she missed another month of rent then she would be moving under a bridge with Rex and he was accustomed to a certain type of life, ya know, the kind of life with a roof. She also wouldn't complain about getting a donut and maybe a few tastycakes, maybe some groceries. Maybe.

"I'm Stephanie Plum. Connie Rosolli referred me." She said primly. She was not going to fuck this up.

He looked her over curiously. "You're not the usual client Miss. Rosolli refers."

"Probably not. I assume you get a lot of weirdos but I wouldn't be here if it weren't absolutely necessary." Her stomach chose that moment to rumble and she groaned in annoyance.

"So what can I do for you Mrs. Plum." It wasn't even a question.

"Miss. I'm not married. And I was hoping you could tell me." She shifted in her seat a little.

"I assume you're not here for a security system."

"Not particularly but if you throw it in at a discounted price I won't complain." She gave a cheeky smile.

She thought she saw the corner of his mouth turn up but it was so fast she couldn't be sure. The tingling at the nape of her neck was a little stronger now. It wasn't unpleasant just unusual. She found herself trying to identify the smell in the room. It was pure male and quite appetizing. She may have closed her eyes for a second to smell it.

"I'll see what I can do. Do you have anything in particular in mind?"

"Rent? Probably enough to fill my car up with gas. I don't know. Like a thousand? I've never really done this before. You're the boss man. You tell me how this works." She didn't mean to seem unprofessional or flustered but he made her heart beat just a little too fast to focus. She had an idea before she got in the room. Just enough to get by. Nothing she couldn't pay off and very low interest.

He was definitely smiling now.

"You're definitely not the usual client."

She prickled a little. "What's that supposed to mean." She was used to being unusual. She was the thorn in her Burg-mother's side.

"Nothing at all." He stood up and walked around the desk and she couldn't help but follow the movement with hungry eyes. Those were some legs and the package between them didn't look half bad either. "Babe." He said with a playful glin in his eyes.

"Out loud?"

"Out loud."

"Damn." She flushed.

"Let's go over this. You want a loan to take care of your car and your house."

"Apartment."

"Apartment," he amended, "And you came to me."

"Connie said you could help. I don't exactly have good credit. Or a steady job." She paused. "Or a job at all."

He said nothing.

"I know that doesn't exactly scream lend me money but I'm good for it. I don't intend to be jobless much longer. It's just been a bad month or two... or six."

"It's not a problem."

"What?"

"You have the money."

"You're pulling my leg."

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

"No but I doubt you ever look like you're joking. You've got serious Batman face."

"I'm not joking."

Stephanie jumped up and hugged him around the neck before planting a big kiss on his cheek. She was totally treating herself to a Boston Creme after this. She pulled back with a big grin and thanked him repeatedly. This guy was a saint. A big, sexy, scary saint in black!

"You're the best, Batman." She said as she pulled back.

"Ranger."

"Huh?"

"I go by Ranger."

"I thought it was Carlos?" She asked with a tilt of her head.

His eyes seemed to get a little darker when she said his name but she hadn't had sweets in days and was probably seeing things.

"It is but most people call me Ranger."

"Ranger it is then."

They went over some paper work and she gave him her bank account number. He said the money would be in there before noon. All in all it was a good day. She shook his hand and was met at the door by a hulking black man. Jesus. Was everyone here built like a house? She felt tiny and she was a sturdy girl.

"Let me guess. Robin?" She asked playfully.

"Tank."

"Of course you are." She could almost feel Ranger smile a little.

"Thanks, Batman. I would say I'll see you 'round but I don't really spend a lot of time in dark alleys." She said with a wave and a smile before allowing Tank to lead her out of the room.

Tank stayed in the elevator when they reached the ground floor. She thanked him with a salute and marched past the desk. She smiled at Lester and waved good bye before winking at him. He gave her a wolf-whistle and she laughed and nearly stumbled. She glared at him and he laughed. She got into her piece of shit car and drove to the first bakery she saw. She was desperate. She picked up a Boston Creme and a few extras to take to Connie as thanks for the tip. She would check her bank account after.

She walked into the Bonds office and got a questioning brow raise from Connie. She raised the donuts and Connie gave a familiar "What'd I tell ya?" before her polished red fingers were grabbing a donut. She asked what Stephanie thought of Carlos and when Stephanie rolled her eyes to cover blush Connie knew everything. Stephanie left before she got sucked into helping out without pay.

She went to an ATM to check her account balance and paled. That was definitely not the agreed upon number. In fact that was literally 10 times what they had talked about. She hauled ass back to her car and drove as fast as she was able, not entirely legal, back to Haywood. She pointed at Lester and then to the elevator. He seemed to get the hint because he moved like he had fire on his heels. They elevator ride just gave her time to steam up. When the doors opened she huffed past the onlookers. She was in a full on Jersey rage. She didn't bother knocking on the door which even she thought was a little uncalled for but she would apologize later... maybe.

"What the hell?" She said waving the ATM receipt at him.

He raised a graceful brow. That smug son of a bitch. She was going to smack him. She was going to hit him right in his perfect face.

WOOOOO! Chapter one done. Chapter 2 we get some Jersey rage and see what happens with our favorite Jersey Girl and the Batman.

Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading.