Chapter 6: Making Moves
Stephanie POV
It hit me like a lightning bolt when I was visiting my old apartment for something. More clothes perhaps, or for more shoes? I wasn't exactly sure why I was there, force of habit perhaps, like when you drive on auto pilot and there I was. It was sort of an aimless visit you know, just checking I guess. As I entered my apartment I had a sudden epiphany. It was just like a random visit. Just that. A visit. It could have been anyone's apartment. It was a weird kind of surreal feeling until the realisation really hit me. In a daze, I turned around and left, locking the door behind me, empty-handed. It dawned on me that when I entered Ranger's apartment on seven at Rangeman, I would breathe a mental sigh, a lovely sigh, a sigh of relief. Cue another lightning bolt. It was then that I realised it felt like home. It was safe and welcoming.
I had been staying on seven with Ranger more often, especially after last week.
When I arrived at my apartment the week before, I was alarmed with what I saw as I came from the stairwell, prompting my immediate call to the control room. Yes, I use the stairs lately - who knew that would happen? Rolling my eyes here.
My doorway was littered with empty beer bottles and the torn cardboard six pack from which they came, as well as an open pizza box with some leftover pizza. An uneaten slice had obviously been flung across the hallway as it was plastered, cheese side, on the opposite wall with evidence that it had slid down a bit. Bloody Morelli! Beside the pizza box there was a sad and cheap looking bunch of flowers, from a gas station, strewn haphazardly around the place, the cellophane wrapping shredded wildly. My apartment door was … open. Nope. Not going in there. No way.
Silently I closed the stairwell door, went back down the stairs and remained in the foyer awaiting the arrival of my Merry Men, since Ranger was in a corporate meeting with a high-end client. Two shiny black SUVs arrived in quick succession. Lester and Cal sped into the lot followed closely by Hal and Hector. Cal and Hector had already leapt from the SUVs before they had even stopped and assessed me for harm and injuries, looking visibly relieved after their thorough body scan. I assured them that I was fine, just a bit shaken and slightly pissed off, well, truth be told, a lot pissed off. My body language registered Pissed Off high on the Richter scale. They were pleased that I had not gone inside without back up and being cautious was better than walking into the unexpected alone and unprepared. All my training was ticking the boxes.
I quickly described the scene outside my apartment. Hector cursed in Spanish and turned to go upstairs when Cal grabbed him firmly by the shoulders and said something to him in rapid Spanish. I'm sure I heard my name mentioned as Hector looked at me. He nodded stoically.
Hal and Lester raced upstairs to check my apartment, probably to do a walk-through and a sweep, while we followed more sedately. It was obvious that Cal was implying a wary approach and Hector concurred when I noticed their ESP going over my head. I didn't know what to expect and was really hoping it was empty. No such luck as a furious Hal emerged from the bedroom. See, I wasn't even thinking of it as my bedroom anymore. Yes, it had a bed. But, I digress.
"Better that you don't see this, Bomber. It's not pretty. We need a clean-up crew, stat. And another team." Lester tossed the keys to Cal as his eyes looked meaningfully at my two guardians. Hal was already on his phone doing his CSI thing and making orders. I loved seeing my Merry Men in command.
Yikes. A clean-up crew? Don't wanna know. Nope. Not going there. Denial. Denial. Denial.
Before I could dwell on that for too long, I was immediately about-faced and ushered back out of the door to the stairwell. Hector tensed and glared back at the doorway but Lester stood there taking up the entire space with an imposing stance which brooked no argument, his arms folded across his broad chest, shaking his head in that Rangeman minimalist way. Hal towered over his shoulder telling Hector to take care of me. Reluctantly, Hector, conceded and together with Cal, gently led me by the elbow, escorting me down the stairs and out to the shiny black SUV. He placed his arm over my shoulder in a warm reassuring side hug then opened the back door for me to hop onto the back seat.
Cal hopped in beside me and remarked, "It's best that we leave them to it, Angel." I nodded impassively. I don't even want to think about the possibilities.
I was curious but then again, I wasn't. Not anymore. Eeuw! What the hell has he done? Do I really want to know? Nope. Denial. Need to know … as in I don't need to know. Freakin' Morelli.
"I think a Tasty Pastry run is the order of the day. What do you reckon, Angel?"
"Hm …? Huh?" So eloquent of me. Mental rewind. "Did you say … Tasty Pastry?"
He smiled. Great distraction, Cal. I might need to bleach my brain at some time later but for now a Boston Cream, or two, was calling my name. And a Maple Pecan was beckoning, too. Might be best to grab a boxful, or two or four, and share them with the guys. I can share, so long as no one touches the Boston Cream or my Maple Pecan!
"Angelita, are you alright?" Hector grinned at my glazed expression with my faraway eyes. I wiped my mouth just in case I had drooled and shook my head to regain my focus to the present. Cal was laughing heartily and shaking his head.
"No one's gonna touch the Boston Creams or the maple. We like all our body parts intact."
I rolled my eyes and thunked my head, "Out loud again?"
"Oh yeah. You are so much fun. Besides, I prefer the cinnamon scrolls or a chocolate glazed with sprinkles."
"With sprinkles? A big hunky hulk of a guy like you?" I couldn't help but smile at the visual of Cal ordering a chocolate glazed with sprinkles.
"Rainbow or chocolate sprinkles?"
"Rainbow, most of the time." And just like that I had my happy back and much more to look forward to.
"I have got to see that. Tasty Pastry it is then, Cal. Who am I to argue with that? Drive Hector, and don't spare the horses." He chuckled and winked at me through the rear vision mirror.
As we left the parking lot another shiny black SUV arrived with Ram and Vince. It was obvious that they had their game faces on. Denial, denial. Boston Creams and Maple Pecan, here I come.
We came away with three boxes and a mini pack just for me to cleanse my mind and appease my wild thoughts. The sugar fog settled soothingly around me as I moaned around the second Boston Cream.
"I've never known anyone make food sound so sexy and arousing, Angelita." Hector winked, again, through the rear vision mirror. When he turned his head at the red traffic light, he had a shit-eating grin on his face, which he rarely shared. I just shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly. Meh.
"I'll say," mumbled Cal, shaking his head but smiling all the same as he made himself more comfortable.
"Sorry, not sorry. Serves you right. You were the one to suggest the Tasty Pastry." He made to grab my little box with the two maples when the car stopped since we had arrived at Rangeman. Perfect timing Hector. I leapt out of the vehicle and flew like the wolves were after me and the elevator doors shut just in time. I giggled with excitement, humming contentedly on my way up to five while licking the icing and custard off my fingers.
Ranger POV
I was fuming. Dirty fucking bastard! Tank just apprised me of the mess at Stephanie's apartment. Fortuitously, sending the teams in as he did, ensured that Hector was on Stephanie watch with Cal, rather than one of the sweepers.
Tank had remarked, "As tempted as I was, we couldn't be sure who or what we'd find inside her apartment. If Morelli was in there and Hector discovered him, well, we all know, there was going to be blood and lots of it. He and Cal did a great job distracting and promptly removing her from the scene. Hal had been quick to head them off at the door before she had any chance of witnessing the damage. Lester and Hal have documented every detail, stills and video, and called the TPD to cart the fucker away. There is so much incriminating evidence, man. Un-fucking-believable!"
The Beast within was raging and I recognised it in Tank as well.
"We need to have a debrief for everyone before anyone leaves. Call it for 2230. Mandatory. This could get ugly. I don't want any dirt, not one iota of incriminating evidence that anyone could pin on Rangeman."
Tank nodded. I yanked my tie off and hurled it in the direction of my desk. I couldn't sit down any longer and began pacing.
"Apparently, it was not his first visit to her apartment recently. Evidently, with the hockey game on, he came bearing beer, pizza and cheap flowers. Not only had Morelli broken into her apartment, he had ransacked the place, obviously in a rage. He was found on her bed sleeping off a drunken stupor whilst hugging some of her clothing and … underwear."
"Fuck!"
"It gets worse, Ranger." Tank paused seeming to brace himself for the next delivery. "His pants were -"
I swore a slew of Spanish curses as I hurled one of the paperweights hard against the wall. I slammed my fist down onto my desk and then roared before he continued.
"They were down to his knees and there was jizz all over the place, on himself, the bedding and her clothing."
"Aw, fuck!"
"Her dresses and other clothing in the wardrobe had been slashed or shredded and every shoe had the heels snapped off. Even the bathroom had been trashed. Hal was disgusted with what he saw but kept his cool doing his CSI thing to the nth degree. You know how meticulous he is."
I ran my hands over my face and yanked the leather tie out of my hair. I felt like a raging bull, my audible breathing forced through my nostrils with my surging rage. I nodded for him to go on after taking a deep breath.
"While Hal itemised every small detail with still shots, Lester videoed every room and the fuckwit's slurred responses when they entered the bedroom, saying Cupcake, thinking it was Stephanie. Obviously, he'd been on a bender before he arrived. It seems that the neighbours had complained about the disturbance but the TPD were stretched to the limit with a pile-up on the Turnpike and multiple violent crimes which took precedence over a minor disturbance."
I am relieved that my men kept this filthy, graphic visual from her. Tank was simultaneously visibly reflecting my anger.
"When Lester called the TPD, it was Carl and Big Dog who arrived. Thank God for small mercies. At least we know that they wouldn't stoop so low as to cover for Morelli. To say they were pissed off was putting it mildly and they were none too gentle when they arrested him. Carl called for back up to secure the crime scene. Hal snapped the entire process, Lester too with the video, while he had his rights read to him and therefore it documented Morelli's physical condition at the time of the arrest. They anticipated that he may accidentally fall down the stairs but it would be after Rangeman's involvement."
I tossed a bottle of water at Tank and he raised an eyebrow. Yeah, yeah. I opened the whisky bottle and poured us two fingers each. Fuck. Fuck, fucking shit! That bastard.
My thoughts were interrupted by a hysterical shriek of fright followed immediately by the wonderful sound of laughter, Stephanie laughter, which washed over me like a soothing balm.
Opening the door, Hector had just grabbed Stephanie from the elevator, and yanked a box from her hand while taking a huge bite from a pastry he'd just snatched from her other hand. Cal had a couple of large white boxes, which had to be doughnuts if my Babe was involved. Her eyes caught mine and she froze.
"Uh oh," she squeaked. The control room fell silent.
"Babe?"
"Ranger?"
"Are you smuggling contraband?" I grinned.
"That would be Cal," she barefacedly accused him with a smirk, pointing at the evidence in his hands.
"Hector. You are so dead. There had better be another maple in one of those boxes."
"Oh, Chica, I was saving you."
"Yeah, right." She rolled her eyes, as only Stephanie can, but he just kept grinning as he licked his fingers deliberately, nodding his head in approval and licking his lips.
I was relieved to see the levity and nodded at Cal and Hector.
"Babe. A minute in my office, please?"
Stephanie began to mutter under her breath. "Uh-oh. He used the P word. I can handle this. It can't be all bad. And it's not like it was the first time that someone had broken into my apartment. Pffft. It was like a revolving door. Even Ranger gets past my basic security system. Hmm. Maybe we need to talk about that too." Cute, as she gave herself a mini pep talk. She blew some stray wispy curls off her forehead. Taking a deep breath to bolster some courage, she followed obediently. I caught her shamelessly ogling my ass as I stopped and turned suddenly.
I raised one eyebrow and had my wicked wolf grin now ogling her as I shut the door and stalked towards her and backed her up against it.
oxoXoxo
TBC …
I know. Finally, an update after ALL this time, since mid March. I hear you, loud and clear, and if you are reading this, thank you for sticking with me. I am so glad to be back.
Beware the Ides of March they say, (March 15) but luckily, I'm not called Julius. Although, my name does mean 'noble and glorious leader, a chieftain'. Hmm. Something to think about.
Things became extremely hectic and frenetic and then my Muse went into shock and hiding, winter dormancy (in the antipodes). Sometimes we get hit by writer's block and even though the desire was there, the circumstances were not conducive. I am only human. So, I am making moves in the right direction as I have the next chapter ready for tweaking and editing.