Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters you recognize, they all belong to the wonderful Janet Evanovich. No copyright infringement is intended.
A/N: Just before posting Chapter 20, I went through the first nineteen chapters to edit. No plot changes have been made. The editing was for spelling, word choice and continuity.
My name is Stephanie Plum, but I'm also known as a disaster. My current disaster went by the name Joe Morelli. I was sitting in a booth at Pino's trying to get him to get him to calm down. I had just told him that it was over, permanently this time. He actually had the balls to demand that I quit my job, end all contact with Ranger, take cooking classes, and marry him. Pftttt, did he actually think I'd agree? Well now his Italian side was showing.
"Cupcake, you belong with ME, not with that spic!"
"I'm not with him, and don't you ever insult him in front of me again, or you will learn first hand just how comfortable I've gotten with my gun over the last few months." I heard the tone my voice had taken on, and I sounded deadly. I think my voice scared me more than Joe, but it still had the desired effect.
"You're defending him." I think I saw surprise in his eyes, but it might have just been the stupidity floating around in his head.
"Damn right I'm defending him! When you tried to get me to quit my job, he supported me. When you tried to chain me down, he encouraged me to fly. And most importantly, all those times when you were off on a JOB with Terry, HE was there for me. So you know what Joe? Fuck our relationship, Fuck your god damn wedding ring, and fuck you!"
I didn't wait for a reply that time, just walked out and peeled my explorer out of the lot. Hell, I peeled out of the state. But that was years ago, four to be exact, and today is my first time stepping foot in Trenton again. I spent the last four years working in security with some friends of mine in Mexico. I used to think that Ranger was kind of grayish. I was wrong; he wasn't even close to gray. There are people so much worse out there and no one sees it because they donate to charity, and help the elderly across the street.
Ranger. Would he still be here? Does he have a girlfriend? I'm not saying I expected him to remain celibate while I was gone, because you cannot ask a sex god not to have sex. You just can't. And Ranger is definitely the Cuban sex god. I'd rather he doesn't have a girlfriend. I think it would be better if he does.
Would he even care about me anymore? I know I'd be royally pissed at him if he left the country and didn't tell me. Actually, I probably would have been heartbroken, but it would have turned into anger eventually. Right now though, all I was feeling was hunger. Normally I would have gone to Pino's but if you want to run into people you have to go where they go, so Shorty's it is.
I took the corner booth of course, because people at your back can be dangerous. Especially since I probably have no less than a dozen people who would be happier than neutral about my death. Hopefully they're still in Mexico. About five minutes after I ordered my pizza and beer, Ranger, Tank, Lester and Bobby walked in. I got several glares for taking their booth. Ranger came and stood by the side of the booth with the other three behind him.
"Excuse me, would you mind moving to that booth?" His tone said it wasn't really a request. Guess he didn't recognize me, not that that's hard to believe. My hair was at least five inches shorter and straight, I had in a pair of those contacts that change your eye color, and I had a tattoo circling my bicep. I was also a lot more fit.
"Actually yes, I would mind moving, but you're welcome to join me," I couldn't help but snicker at the look on his face. All fear the mighty Manoso.
"Look I don't know you but—" I cut him off before he could finish.
"Are you sure?"
"Excuse me?"
"That you don't know me, are you sure?" He studied me for a second before I saw a spark of recognition in his eyes.
"Babe?"
"Who else?" He pulled me out of my seat and he and the boys all gave me a hug, good thing I have more muscle than I used to, or else I might have broken. Guess that answers the question on whether or not he hates me now. The five of us managed to squeeze into the booth with Ranger and I facing Tank, Bobby and Lester.
"How are you babe? Where have you been? When did you get a tattoo?"
"Whoa, Ranger. I can only answer one question at a time." I think that's the most I've ever heard him speak at once, "I'm fine, better than when I left at least. I've been in Mexico working security with some old friends. All of us down there got the tattoo when we lost a member of our team; it's got her name woven into the pattern."
"Wow." He said as he waved over the waitress and ordered a pitcher beer and an extra pizza.
"So, why are your eyes green?" I laughed I didn't think he would notice the change in eye color
"They're just color contacts. My eyes were to easily distinguishable down there, I just haven't taken them out yet, I only flew in a few hours ago. So what about you boys, what's new up here?"
"Boss man's been missing you bomber." Lester said, earning a glare from Ranger. He missed me? I settled for a small grin.
"Yea, I missed him too. Seriously what's new around here, there's got to be something?"
We spent the next forty-five minutes talking over pizza and beer. Turns out Tank is dating Lula, I had to wish him luck with that one. Bobby and Lester are still single with a new woman every Friday, not surprising, but at 28 they're gonna pass there prime soon. Not that they aren't good looking anymore, cause they're still as hot as ever, but one day they're going to wake up and be 40 and wishing they had a wife. Vinnie went through about six bounty hunters trying to replace me before he finally gave up and gave the job to Lula. Turns out that for all my incompetence I at least got my man. We were all getting ready to leave when I held Ranger back.
"Ranger you have every right to be pissed at me for leaving without talking to you first but I really need a favor."
"Of course I was upset, I wish that you would have talked to me first, let me know what was going on, but I understand. Remember who you're talking to, babe, if anyone would understand, I would. What do you need?"
"A job and a place to stay until I can get an apartment?"
"No problem babe." Suddenly his expression changed. He wasn't smiling anymore, rather, his face had gone stony and his hand was sliding toward the gun. He whispered in my ear. "A man just walked in, hand on his gun. He's extremely dangerous." Great, either this was an enemy of Ranger's, or someone had followed me home from Mexico. Either way, not good. I turned around, my eyes going wide as I saw the man in front of me.
"Shit."
