Chapter 2: The Day After

Steph's POV

I felt Ranger moving beside me, his hand brushing my curls out of my face. "Steph, I'm sorry but I need to go." He placed a kiss to my forehead and lingered there as I tried to form coherent thoughts.

"It's the middle of the night."

I felt him smile against my forehead. "It's early morning, Babe and I have a meeting with the core team before we get to a super busy day. I hate to leave you. Are you ok? Your sleep was restless." His blank face was mostly snapped on, but I could see a hint of worry in his eyes.

"I'm fine Ranger. Thank you for staying with me, I don't remember many nightmares, I'm sure you kept them at bay." I smiled at him. Communication has never been one of my finer skills. I wanted to talk to him about Brett, but I didn't know how. I was fairly certain that if Ranger knew some of bruises were from Brett he'd go ballistic. Ranger was a master of self-control but when it came to me being hurt combined with the betrayal of one of his own men, he'd probably lose a little of that legendary control. I also knew Ranger did some things that weren't exactly legal, but I did know they were always morally just and I couldn't stand the idea of him getting into trouble for that. I was absolutely in over my head and the person I normally go to in these circumstances is Ranger, I was feeling rather lost though I was trying to keep that from him for the time being. "What are your plans for the day?"

"I have a bunch of client meetings to attend." He winked at me.

"Ah, the life of successful business man." I giggled at him and sat up in bed.

"You?" His fingers lightly caressed my cheeks as he spoke.

"I promised Vinnie I'd pick up Mooner today. It's never hard to convince him to go back to jail with me, but I figure he'll take extra pity on me when he sees my bruises and come quietly." Mooner was a regular skip and a friend; I knew he wouldn't give me much trouble and that Vinnie would bond him out again right away. "After that, not much."

"Want to take Lester with you? I realize Mooner doesn't give you trouble usually, but you know we're all a little extra protective when distractions go wrong. I know we're behind on searches as usual at RangeMan, if you're interested." He stood up and started getting dressed. I tried to hide my disappointment at him covering up that incredible body.

"Sure, I'll take Lester if you think he won't mind and I'll swing by this afternoon and see what I can do about the searches." Ranger's eyes widened quickly in shock, but he covered it up just as fast. He wasn't expecting me to agree so quickly and easily to having Les come along. I knew Les would provide protection just in case I ran into Brett, but he could also give me some answers to questions that were swirling in my brain.

"Great, I'll Lester know, he'll call before he comes over." He leaned forward and kissed my head. He cupped the unmarked cheek and looked into my eyes. He knew I was shaken but was undoubtedly attributing it to the distraction gone wrong. "After work, have dinner with me on seven?"

"I'd love too." I always liked having dinner with Ranger and maybe by then I could work up the nerve to tell him about Brett. Staying with him, gave me a little extra protection too, I knew Brett wouldn't dare do something inside the walls of RangeMan.

"Perfect, I'll see you about six then." He leaned into kiss my lips and started to walk out of the bedroom. I got up, wrapping a blanket around me and followed him out. "Babe?"

"I'm going to lock the door behind you."

"Are you sure you're ok?" He reached forward to feel my forehead, mockingly searching for a fever.

I rolled my eyes at him, "All those lectures about safety are finally kicking in, that's all." He looked at me for just a second and I knew he didn't believe me, but he didn't press it. I locked the door and attached the security chain after he left. I knew the locks didn't offer me much protection, hell everyone was always breaking in but a girl can dream right?

I climbed back into bed and slept for a few more hours. Ranger was right, my sleep was restless. I just couldn't get my brain to shut off. I kept thinking about Brett. I've had stalkers before, I've been threatened many times, but the idea of one of the Merry Men doing what Brett did threw me for a greater loop than any of the others. The Merry Men were my heroes; the idea that they were dangerous to me was something that cut to my very core.

Ranger's POV

I sat in the Porsche and looked up at Steph's window for a few minutes. I shouldn't leave her alone right now, she's too shaken, my god she even locked her door behind me. A war raged in my mind as I debated going back upstairs and pulling her into my arms and leaving to run my business. She'd be irritated if I tried to smother her and that was the thought that had me turning the engine over. I was desperately trying to undo the words and hurt I've caused her and I thought the best way to do that was to prove to her that I wouldn't hover when she'd already said she was alright.

Walking into the small conference room, I tried to shake off all the tension I was carrying. Tank was already there, flexing and relaxing his fingers. He looked up at me, his face a mixture of anger and worry. "How's my little girl?" Normally, I'd knock anyone who dared to call Steph 'their' anything cold. Members of the core team and Hector were the only ones who could get away with it. They only got away with it because I understood their intentions and because I knew they took her safety almost as seriously as I did.

"Shaken, more than I thought she would be actually." I clenched my fists at my side and let out a breath as Lester and Bobby entered. "Her cheek and upper arms are extremely bruised." I clenched my fists as images of hand shaped bruises around Steph's beautiful arms and the sounds of her crying against my chest invaded my memory. "She even agreed to let Lester go with her today to pick up Mooner." Lester let out a low whistle, understanding that she would normally fight a shadow for just Mooner.

We got down to business, finishing up details from last night's take down and planning for the week ahead. We had a number of new security clients as well as new club gig needing bouncers in addition to our normal skip tracing and government contracts. RangeMan was growing and we needed to hire new workers and get security systems lined out quickly.

As we finished up and the guys filed out, Lester turned to look at me. "I'll take care of her today."

I never had a doubt but still liked hearing the words because I knew his actions would back it up. "She wanted to come back here to do some searches after Mooner. I'll see you both then."

He nodded and left and I tried to allow myself to relax knowing that my Babe was in good hands as I took care of business today.

Steph's POV

I took a shower and tried to shake my fear. When I got out, I was amazed at my various bruises. My cheek and knee were a mess from the distraction gone wrong and my arms and back were bruised from my encounter with Brett. I hadn't noticed last night that my back was bruised from where he'd pushed me into the counter. I was stiff and sore physically and exhausted emotionally.

I slipped into my robe and went to the kitchen for some coffee. I turned the corner and Brett was standing next to Rex's cage. I gasped and tried to retreat quickly but his arm was around my waist before I got very far. He spun me around and trapped me against the wall, his body leaning into mine he trapped my wrists above my head in one of his large hands.

"I guess I was right, Ranger does get to see what's under your distraction clothes. I see he spent the night." His voice was barely a whisper but it was angry. "I also know he's sending Lester over here this morning so I can't take the time I'd like to with you right now."

He wedged his knee between my legs and leaned forward licking my neck. I whimpered and tried to pull away. He smirked at me as his fingers slid between the folds of my robe. "I'd really like to see what you have on under this robe, but it'll have to wait." His hand continued to travel south, eventually resting on my crotch; his hand parted my robe and his fingers rubbing along the crotch of my panties. I felt bile rising in my throat and forced myself to swallow it back. I tried to raise my knee to catch him in the groin but I couldn't move, his weight was too heavy against me and the wall. He placed a kiss on my cheek and whispered in my ear, "Remember this is our little secret, I'll be back when we can have some alone time." He let go and I slid down the wall as he left.

When I recovered from my sobbing fit and was able to stop shaking I got dressed. I knew I had to tell Ranger, that there was no way I could deal with this on my own. Brett seemed a little crazier than my normal stalker and I knew he had better training than most of them. My cell phone rang jarring me from my thoughts back to reality.

"Hey Beautiful, I hear we're going after Mooner this morning." Lester laughed on the other end of the line. "Think he's stoned yet?"

"I imagine so; we should stop and get him some donuts for his munchies. I'll take some to Connie and Lula too."

"I'll be there in 10 minutes."

I fed Rex and went downstairs to wait for Lester. We stopped at Tasty Pastry and picked up a dozen donuts before heading to Mooner's apartment. I knocked on the door and let myself in, Lester stayed behind me, there was no need to overtly intimidate Mooner. "Mooner, it's me Steph."

He was sitting on the couch, a bong on the coffee table and re-runs of Star Trek on the TV, his eyes drooping and completely glassed over. "Did I miss a court date, again? What happened to your face?"

"You did miss a court date and my face is fine. Will you come with me and Lester to the police station? I'll have Vinnie get you out again super quick." I smiled at him, "I have donuts for the ride."

He grinned and stood up quickly. "Let's go then."

We dropped Mooner off at the police station without a hitch and were heading towards Vinnie's office so I could get my check when I decided to get some information from Lester. "Les, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, Beautiful; as long as the answer doesn't get me in trouble with Ranger." He grinned.

I looked at my hands, afraid to ask and afraid of his answer, "When I do distraction jobs, do you and the rest of the team see me as a tease? I mean do you all think I'm trying to get your attention as well as the skip's?" I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks, so I knew I was blushing.

Lester looked at me and seemed angry, "No, of course not. We know you're playing a part, you're good at it but we know it's just an act. Steph, we all know you're not like that. What made you think otherwise?"

"Just something I over heard at the police station today." I lied but I wasn't ready to divulge the truth just yet, I knew I should tell Ranger first.

Lester growled, "Who's talking about you? I'll kick their ass, Beautiful."

I smiled at him, "Nothing to worry about, Lester. I just wanted to make sure you guys didn't see me as some kind of slutty tease trying to get all of RangeMan into my bed."

"No one here sees you that way Beautiful, and if anyone even hinted at it you know there'd be a line of us waiting to kick his ass."

"Thanks, I just needed a little reassurance, I guess." He waited in the car while I ran into the bond's office with the donuts.

Lula and Connie both gasped at my bruises. You'd think they'd be used to it by now. I handed the donuts over and rolled my eyes, "Distraction job went a little haywire last night. I took Mooner in this morning, here's my body receipt." Connie cut me a check and I headed back to Lester as quickly as I could.

"Where to now, Beautiful?" He looked at me and smiled.

"My apartment, I'd like to change and then I'll head over to RangeMan to do some searches."

Lester took me to my apartment and waited while I did a quick change into a skirt and blouse instead of my normal bounty hunting jeans and t-shirt. It was a bit overdressed for the RangeMan office but I figured it'd be perfect for dinner with Ranger. A quick check in the mirror and I noticed the bruises on my upper arms were showing just a bit under my sleeves and another lighter ring of bruises were forming on my wrists from this morning's encounter with Brett. I was hopeful that everyone would continue to attribute everything to last night's distraction gone wrong.

When I stepped into the living room, Lester noticed the bruises right away, I saw his jaw clench. "I'm so sorry Beautiful, I hate when the skips get their hands on you. I didn't realize he had enough time to get so rough."

"I'm fine Les, no permanent damage." I smiled at him but could tell that he wasn't convinced.

I spent the afternoon in my cubicle doing searches and trying to deliver positive results to the various teams. I was distracted; my mind was constantly invaded with thoughts of Brett. Just before six I got in the elevator and hit the button for seven. I was starting to get worked up and could feel tears threatening to form as I rode up the two floors. I knew I had to talk to Ranger, tell him everything but I was afraid of how he'd react, afraid of what would happen, afraid of what Brett would do to me, afraid of what evidence he might have against Ranger, ok I was just plain terrified.

I let myself into Ranger's apartment and saw him sitting at the kitchen counter already. "Babe." His ESP was working because he was standing in front of me instantly his hands cupping my face, "What's wrong, Steph?" He reached around my waist and pulled me for a hug but his arms only made the bruise from Brett and my kitchen counter hurt more. I winced and drew in a sharp breath causing him to spin me around and pull up my shirt. "My God, Babe, how'd this happen?" His hands lightly caressed the bruise, before pulling me to the couch to sit with him. He noticed the new bruises on my wrists too, "Stephanie, are all these bruises from the distraction last night?"

Even though I didn't want to, I started crying and couldn't seem to stop. Ranger pulled me into his lap and stroked my back, while I calmed down. As usual he just waited for me to speak, he could be so damn patient, "No, they're not all from the distraction." I felt him tense up waiting for me to go on, but he didn't say anything. "I don't know how to tell you this, it's almost unbelievable to me and I was there."

"Babe, you can tell me. Have I ever doubted you?" He continued to rub my back, but his muscles hadn't relaxed at all.

I let out a deep breath, "The bruises on my arms and back are from Brett."

I looked at him and saw anger, actual anger on his face. His blank face was completely gone and his jaw was clenched. "From when he took you home last night?" His voice was hard and full of rage, but he hadn't raised it all.

I nodded, "And from a visit he paid me before Lester arrived this morning." Tears were falling down my cheeks again. Ranger wiped them away gently but I could feel the tension in his body.

"I'll kill him." He ground out through clenched teeth, he let out a deep breath, "Babe, please tell me everything, I need to know all the details."

I let the whole story spill from my gut. I told him about the threats, the physical intimidation, the threats of rape, the warning about Ranger's illegal activities, everything. Ranger just listened, he stroked my back with one hand and kept the other arm across my knees; I watched that fist clench from time to time and I could feel his muscles getting tighter underneath me. When I was finished, I looked at him waiting for his response.

He let out a breath, "I'm so sorry Babe. I would never have left you alone with him, if I'd thought he was capable of that. If I had known, I would never have kept him on my staff. Why didn't you tell me last night? I could have protected you this morning."

"I believed Brett. I believed that everyone thought I was a tease and that he could hurt you. I was struggling with how to tell you that one of your men had caused my bruises and I suppose part of me were worried that you too thought I was some kind of slutty tease." My hands were trembling by this point and I was more terrified of Ranger being disappointed in me than I was of Brett getting me alone again.

"Babe, I'm not mad at you. I wish you wouldn't try to protect me, I can handle Brett. Of course, I'm angry, angry that you were hurt, that he touched you." He ran a hand over his face and let out a breath. "I'm pissed that you were hurt by someone I trusted and sent you with, but I'm not angry with you. I'm so sorry." He kissed my forehead and I could see the pain in his eyes.

Again, the tears started and I couldn't stem the flow. He pulled me into his embrace and I snuggled into his neck. I wanted to absorb some of his strength; I knew I would need it - past experience told me that this situation was likely to get worse before it got better.