Disclaimer: I don't own this book series

Author's Apology: I'm sorry I haven't added any new chapters lately. I've been busy with so many other things in my life recently, but I'll try my hardest to keep this going.

Marie

'All right Marie, remember, you need a job and any job will do. Being a secretary isn't that bad, it might even be fun. New place, new people new job. So you really couldn't expect your degree to impress anyone, especially since they've all probably seen the same thing countless times. You just need to pick yourself up and build a career from scratch, She thought as she walked towards the Bail bonds office that was hiring for a secretary, 'Just act like a professional, you've been a secretary for your dad before this shouldn't be too different. Alright, your dressed the part and your hair looks just fine. You're early, bonus points. This is it, okay, breathe, it's game time.'

A woman with wavy hair to below her shoulders and wearing a grey pantsuit and glasses walked into the office. She was the epitome of a professional woman, and was immediately hit right in the chest with a meatball coated in red sauce.

Marie looked around at the scene and saw a tall well-tanned woman who was well endowed in a skintight leather suit and a, larger, woman with mocha skin and wearing a lot of tight spandex having a loud disagreement, both with sauce covered hands. Another woman, wearing flannel and with curly brown hair was trying to mediate the fight.

A man walked out of the door behind the desk, "What are all of you doing? Where the hell is Harold Jaskovitz huh? While you're all sitting on your asses here I'm getting closer to losing that goddamn bond! And who the hell are you?"

"Well Vinnie, I guess I don't want to leave you… disappointed." The large busted woman strutted away.

"I'm your ten o'clock appointment, we discussed this over the phone? I'm here for the secretary position."

"Uh, Mary something right?"

"Marie Peterson."

"Whatever, you're the only one who went for the job so it's yours. We'll start you off on minimum wage. You start today." The two remaining women behind Marie started to protest but Marie beat them to it.

"Mr. Plum," She said as if amused, "Do I look like a part-time highschooler to you? I won't start on anything on anything less than ten dollars an hour."

"Ten dollars!?"

"Yes, ten dollars, I've done my research Mr. Plum, your health insurance policy is perhaps the worst one you could legally get away with, your professional attitude is repulsive to say the least, the not so legal activities of yours would be enough where you yourself might need to post bail and a duck? Really Mr. Plum? Is $2.75 more and hour really too much to ask to put up with all of this? And another thing, I'll be starting tomorrow and I'll be here at eight o'clock. No sooner."

Every word that came out of her mouth caused Vinnie to back down even more, until it seemed as though she were the boss and he was the employee.

Once he regained his composure he began to back out of the room, "Okay then, ten dollars an hour. But I don't want to hear any talk of a raise anytime soon."

"Of course not Mr. Plum, after all, I just started here."

As soon as he was gone she turned to the other two women who immediately stiffened.

"Sorry to seem so cold, the meatball is what really set me off. I'm Marie; I'm usually in a much better mood." She said kindly and with a smile.

"I'm Stephanie and this is Lula. I should let you know that if you can't handle meatballs you applied to the wrong office. There's some more stuff I should let you know about. Like your other jobs as Vinnie's secretary, oh, and call him Vinnie, he might get off on the whole Mr. Plum thing. Do you usually order your bosses around like that?"

"No, of course not, but I thought it would be a good idea to establish that even if I'm his secretary I won't be taken advantage of. I spoke to Connie briefly a few weeks before the wedding so I think I've got a good idea of how things run around here. The secretary desk is in front of his office so that no one can get in there without dealing with me. She said for me to get a license to carry as soon as possible and that if Vinnie makes a pass at me to cut his dick off."

They all heard a muffled "Jesus Christ" in Vinnie's office and Marie removed the bug that was concealed under the desk and tossed it out the window.

"I can't promise to do things like Connie, but I will try to make this transition a lot smoother. She also told me to keep a large bottle of air freshener around and to take the sudden changes of cars in stride, do you really go through that many Stephanie?"

"… usually," She said reluctantly.

"And Lula."

Lula got defensive lightning fast again, "What?"

"Your hair looks lovely."

"Yeah, I used some anti frizz stuff I got from my hairdressers."

"Maybe I should get some of that," Marie said, thinking about her frizzy mop of hair.

"Get your asses moving!" Vinnie's shout was muffled behind the closed door.

"Yeah yeah, keep your pants on," Lula shouted back.

"You'll get used to this after awhile," Stephanie told me as Lula and Vinnie continued to bicker, "Mostly all you do is some paperwork and play guard dog." Stephanie looked me up and down and I knew what she saw. Instead of Connie's voluptuous body and don't-mess-with-me attitude, I was slender and almost boobless and my personality was about as intimidating as a yapping Chihuahua.

"I know it doesn't look like it, but you just saw firsthand that I can deal with anybody."

Ranger

Ranger was pissed off, his anger radiated from him and everyone gave him a wide berth.

The cleanup crew cleared the last of the rubble from the bomb that had gone off in off in one of Ranger's ex-client's home. It had been about three months since the bank CEO had switched to a different company, but Ranger had another reason to be here. The man had recently contacted Ranger to see if he could cover the security at one of the banks he ran in Boston, which had also exploded shortly afterward, but with one of his men inside.