A/N

I know it's been so long since I posted and I apologize. RL has gotten hectic of late. I've been plugging away at this chapter for a while now in my downtime, so it's a bit longer than most. Hopefully the next chapter will be out more quickly. Chica.


Ranger's POV:

At one in the afternoon my frustration level was nearing an all-time high.

I had hoped to get an early start on this week's payroll, but I'd been interrupted to examine a wiring issue at one of our new building contracts. The manager, a late-forties Alyssa Milano look-a-like, was adamant that I personally inspect the new security unit, on threat of cancelling our services. She'd signed a contract which obligates her to continue paying for our security services, provided that Rangeman makes all reasonable attempts to correct any problems. Regardless of my involvement, she was on the hook. Since it was a new account, however, I decided to see if I could placate the customer and keep the relationship friendly.

After a short inspection of the system, it was blatantly obvious that her only real motivation for the call was her desperate attempt to bring me into her bed. Even more obvious was that the 'faulty' wiring had been intentionally damaged. It disgusts me how desperate some women are. I very clearly explained to her that I was not interested in anything she had to offer, and that I would not be making any personal visits in the future… for any reason. I further explained that damage to the system would be expensive to replace and that the costs would not be covered by Rangeman. She was still pouting when I left the building.

I was just getting back into the swing of things on my computer when my government handler, Jerry, called again. He won't seem to accept that I'd willingly turn down another three year contract. Sure, the money is great, and every time he calls back with an even larger sign-on bonus, a little part of me is surprised that I tell him "no," but my heart just isn't in it anymore.

The reality is that with less than a month to go on my existing contract, I can actually see the light where my Babe is concerned. I've been very careful to keep her at arms-length until I'm in a position to offer her more to hold on to than a folded up American flag. My work for the government has always been dangerous, and the odds of me coming home in one piece, or at all, get smaller and smaller every time I go. It's not fair to make a commitment with Steph when I could be sent out with no warning and no guarantees of my return.

I got into this line of work because of my very specific skill set, and the desire to make a shit-load of cash. Coming from so little, I was determined to put myself and my family in a better financial position. So, with some smart investments and a hand-picked crew to help me make Rangeman the success it is, I've got more money now than I could possibly spend in several lifetimes. Which means that the only way I'll be able to guarantee the time to spend any, is if my destiny is in my own hands. No more government work, no more dealing with foreign scum, and no more avoiding relationships for fear of reprisals. I can protect myself and my family, but only if I'm still alive. I'll let Jerry sweat it out for another week or two and then make him an offer that he can't refuse. Having me visit his training facility a couple of times a year would be a huge benefit, and one that would make my departure a little less painful. Once the government is off my back, I can finally start making plans with Steph.

I was pulled from my thoughts by a knock to my door. "Enter," I called from my desk.

Hector walked through the door and closed it quietly behind him. "Hey jefe," he said. "¿Tienes un minute?" (Hey boss. Got a minute?)

"Por supuesto, Hector," I replied. "¿Lo que está pasando?" (Of course, Hector. What's going on?)

"Pensé que usted debe saber acerca de una llamada Telefónica que tuve anoche. (I thought you should know about a phone call I got last night.)

"Dime." (Tell me.)

Hector proceeded to recount his conversation with Bobby the previous evening. Apparently, Bobby asked for a background check on a Californian woman, but didn't say who she was or what he was after. Ordinarily I wouldn't have given it much thought, nor would Hector, but in this case he thought it warranted bringing to my attention since none of the woman's information checked out when Hector initially ran it. Her social security number didn't even exist. The weird part was that when Hector was reviewing her information again this morning, all of it checked out. He handed me a copy.

There are only a couple of agencies with the capability of creating that kind of history in so little time, and none of them would do it without considerable motivation. I couldn't help but wonder what, or rather – who, Bobby was getting involved with.

I dismissed Hector with my thanks and called Bobby to my office.

Bobby's POV:

Steph and Jen turned down my invitation to lunch, stating that they'd had a late breakfast. I would have been disappointed but they suggested I buy them dinner instead. I'm really not sure why it seemed like such a big deal to me; I certainly didn't have any interest in either woman beyond friendship. For some reason though, I felt very protective of Jen. Perhaps because of the way I initially met her and how lost she seemed in the hospital. Or maybe it was just the medic in me that wanted to check on her injuries to ensure that she was on the mend. Either way, I'd get to check in with both ladies at dinner tonight. Knowing that Jen had no friends in the area, I wanted to utilize dinner as an opportunity to introduce her to some of the guys. There are several that would enjoy spending time with a beautiful, single woman.

I was talking with a few of the guys in the break room and letting them know about dinner at Shorty's when Hector flagged me down. The look on his face was serious. And while Hector's face is usually devoid of emotion, those of us that know him well can usually decipher his mood. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to determine anything in his expression, and that made me nervous.

"What's up, Hector?" I asked.

"Ranger que quieres." (Ranger wants you.)

Once his message was delivered, Hector made his way to the stairwell and disappeared from sight.

Ranger and I had been friends for years and as a member of his core team, it was safe to say that I knew him better than most. Still, the prospect of walking into his office with no idea what was about to happen left me feeling… less than secure. Especially considering the completely blank look I got from Hector.

Standing in front of Ranger's closed door, I took a deep breath and knocked.

"Enter!" Ranger barked from behind the door.

I opened the door and walked into the office. Noting the serious look on Ranger's face, I stopped in front of his desk and stood at attention behind his guest chairs.

"Close the door," Ranger ordered.

I did as he said and returned to my previous position in front of his desk. Neither of us said anything. After a moment of staring at one another, I began to twitch. Breaking the silence I asked, "What's going on, Ranger?"

"Tell me about Jennifer Clark," He demanded.

I was momentarily stunned silent. This was about Jen? How did he even know anything about her? I stood there wracking my brain for a moment before the pieces began to fall into place. Hector. I knew that background check would come back to haunt me. I should have just waited to have it run when she had her wits about her and wasn't talking like she was born this year. I sighed. "What do you want to know about her?"

"How did you meet?" he asked, indicating the chair in front of me with his head.

Taking a seat, I told him how I was just getting into my car when I saw Jen running down the street, waiving her hands around and yelling at a man on a bicycle.

"At first I thought it was funny, but then a moment later she was hit by a car coming from the other direction and I felt sick to my stomach," I said. "She was unconscious when I got there so I did a quick assessment and called for an ambulance. I was applying pressure to her head wound when she started to come around." A smile made its way onto my face as I remembered our first interaction. "She's kind of funny, you know? I mean, she was lying on the road, her body bruised and bleeding, obviously in a lot of pain, but she was trying to flirt and joke with me."

Ranger looked at me as though that behavior wasn't all that strange to him.

"Trust me," I assured him. "Most people would be nervous or worried and complain a lot more."

"OK, so you think she's weird because she didn't complain," Ranger summarized. "Why did you continue your interaction after she was taken to the hospital?"

"I met her at the hospital because I thought she would appreciate seeing a familiar face when she woke up," I replied. "She told me that she didn't have any friends or family in the area and I didn't like the idea of her being alone. Plus, Anaya was working and I wanted to see her." I grinned at Ranger and shrugged my shoulders as if to say, 'what can you do?'

"Why did you have Hector do a background check on her?"

"Like I said, she didn't have anybody she knew in the area and she was about to be released from the hospital," I told him. "She had a concussion and needed someone to wake her up every couple of hours and I thought she could stay in the medical suite and I would check on her."

Ranger looked at me with anger in his eyes. "You wanted to bring her here?" he asked incredulously.

"Well, obviously not without running a check on her," I defended.

"So tell me," Ranger began, in a tone that suggested he already knew the answer. "What did her background check reveal?"

"As I'm sure you know," I growled. "Hector wasn't able to find her information." I knew how this sounded and didn't want Ranger suspicious or thinking badly of Jen. "She had a concussion," I insisted. "I'm sure she just got a few numbers jumbled in her head."

Ranger nodded his head as though he agreed with my assertion. "See, Hector thought that, too. The funny thing is," he reached over and handed me a file. "When he checked out the information again this morning, everything came back clean."

Now I was confused. "If Hector used the same information I gave him last night, how did he get results this morning when he didn't the first time?"

"Exactly," Ranger said satisfactorily. "Know any agencies who can pull that kind of history together in so short a time?"

I was literally scratching my head. It didn't make sense. Jen wasn't an agent for one of the alphabet agencies, of that I was certain. But why the missing information last night?

"Maybe there was a glitch in the system last night," I suggested.

"Or maybe," Ranger countered. "You were targeted as a way to gain access to Rangeman."

"I don't believe that," I insisted. "Even if someone was crazy enough to intentionally run in front of a car, I don't think it would be her. Besides, she didn't even end up here! I never even suggested Rangeman as an option to her."

Ranger seemed to consider that for a moment and I began to breathe a little easier.

"Alright," he said. "We'll put the guys on alert and be diligent with security should you see her again."

"Well…" I said nervously. "She and Steph are going to meet me, Anaya, and some of the guys at Shorty's tonight for dinner."

"What!" Ranger exclaimed. He jumped up from his chair and glared at me with so much anger that I was actually afraid for my safety. I'd never seen him so mad. "How in the hell did Stephanie get involved with this woman?" he demanded.

I didn't want to answer him. It was clear that nothing I said was going to please him, and anything I did say might actually push him over the edge.

He pounded his fists into the desktop. "Answer me!" he demanded.

"Steph agreed to let Jen stay with her until she got replacement ID and access to her bank account," I said calmly. "She was going to check on her throughout the night to make sure Jen didn't slip into a coma or anything."

"You brought her to Steph's apartment?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied.

Ranger grabbed his keys and moved around his desk. "Let's go," he said tersely.

Stephanie's POV:

I pulled into the drive-thu at McDonald's and got lunch for Lula, and Mooner, and a large Coke for both Jen and myself. We were still pretty full from our late breakfast, and with my limited funds, I thought it better to save my money. Lula called Connie to meet us at the police station and I offered to wait and drive Mooner back home once he was re-bonded.

When Mooner and I got back out the Cheyenne twenty minutes later, Jen was sitting by herself in the backseat and Lula was nowhere to be found.

"I take it Lula bailed?" I asked Jen.

"Yeah, I hope she's okay," Jen replied. "She finished eating her nuggets, said something about getting hives, and then she just took off across the parking lot. I wasn't sure what to do, so I just waited for you to come back. Do we need to go find her?"

"Nah," I answered, climbing into my seat and strapping on my seatbelt. "She thinks she's allergic to police stations. It's just carry-over from her former profession. She's fine."

"Okay," Jen said. "Where are we going next?"

"First," I said. "We're going to take Mooner home."

"Thanks, Dudette!"

"Then we're going to go have a quick talk with Mr. Obermeyer, and hopefully convince him to head into the station with us."

"Okay," Jen said. "Who's Mr. Obermeyer?"

"He runs a little German deli on Adeline St.," I told her. "Great sausage!"

"And you've had to pick him up before?" Jen asked.

"Yeah," I replied. "He's a sweetheart with a serious temper issue. I've had to pick him up a few times."

"What does that mean?" she probed. "How can someone be a sweetheart if they have anger issues?"

"He's actually great ninety-five percent of the time. It's just the five percent you need to watch out for," I told her. "Basically, if he thinks you've disrespected a lady, he's going to start walloping you with an umbrella that he keeps behind the counter. He doesn't like it when people don't use their manners and thinks it's his job to remind the young men who forget." I smiled at her as we made our way back to Mooner's. "He's got a pretty loyal female following even though he's in his seventies. Women like knowing that they can go there without being hassled."

We dropped Mooner off and headed to the deli. "Why don't you come in with me on this one and we can grab something small to eat while we're in there. Just something to tie us over until dinner time," I suggested.

"Sounds good," Jen replied.

I helped her get situated on her crutches and we made our way inside the deli. Fortunately it was past the lunch rush, and there were only a few people lingering inside. We made our way to the counter and greeted the old man with big smiles.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Obermeyer," I said.

"Stephanie!" he greeted. "So good to see you, bärchen." (Bärchen is a German term of endearment that roughly translates to little bear.)

"It's good to see you too," I replied, moving aside so that Jen could move closer to the counter. "This is my friend, Jennifer."

"Ah, Jennifer," he sang. "It is indeed my pleasure to meet you. With what can I tempt you today; smoked sausage, salami, liverwurst?"

"Well… um…" Jen stuttered.

"How about two Bratwurst and onions?" I answered.

"Yes, that sounds great!" Jen agreed happily.

"Coming right up," he replied.

"Is Janet working today?" I asked him.

"Yes, she is in the back," Mr. Obermeyer said. "Would you like to speak with her?"

"No," I said quietly. "But perhaps she can watch the counter for the next hour so that I can take you to get re-bonded?"

"Ahhh," he chuckled. "So this isn't just a social call." He laughed again as he continued to make our plates. "Yes, I suppose she could keep an eye on things while I go for a ride with two beautiful young ladies. And if you have a specific destination in mind, I am amenable."

I grinned wide at his playful banter. He truly was a sweetheart.

An hour later we were on our way back to the bonds office with two new receipts. I wasn't going to get rich with checks like these, but they would keep the lights on in my apartment.

I parked on the street directly in front of the office and helped Jen inside. As Connie was cutting my check, Jen and I were trying to convince her to join us at Shorty's for dinner. Technically, convincing wasn't necessary. The minute she heard that several of the Merry Men would be joining us, she was all over it.

"Do you want to ride together?" Connie asked.

"Celia?"

The unexpected interruption startled the three of us; Connie even squeaked. We turned around, surprised to see Ranger and Bobby standing just inside the door. I was trying to figure out what Ranger was talking about when I noticed that his attention was completely focused on Jen. His head was cocked to the side and his eyes were looking her up and down as though she were a prized animal at the fair. A flicker of jealousy grew in my belly.

Jen stood there looking uncomfortable with Ranger's intense scrutiny and I couldn't help but feel the heat rushing to my cheeks as he continued to ignore me. The silence seemed to stretch on forever, though only a few seconds must have actually passed. Regardless, I couldn't stand it anymore.

"What are you staring at?" I all but shrieked.

Ranger took a few steps closer. Bobby stood behind him with a baffled expression on his face.

"I apologize," Ranger said quietly. "You just look so much like someone I know." His eyes never left Jen as he spoke.

"It's okay," Jen said softly.

"No," I disagreed. "It is most definitely not okay." I glared at Ranger, my hands moving to my hips as I nearly lost my mind. "What the hell, Ranger?"

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice back to normal volume.

I blew out a frustrated breath and made the introduction. "Ranger, this is Jennifer. Jen, this is Ranger."

Ranger finally looked my way but couldn't disguise the irritation on his face. He quickly turned his attention back to Jen as he snarled at her. "Which agency are you with?"

"What?" Jen squeaked.

It was clear that she was as baffled by the turn that the conversation had taken as I was. Ranger was behaving so strangely. He was leering in one minute, trying to intimidate Jen in the next, and not once had he even said hello to me. I was beyond pissed.

"Which agency?" Ranger said again. He covered the last few steps between us and grabbed Jen by the shoulders as he glared at her and spoke again with his teeth clenched. "CIA, FBI, ATF, Homeland… what?"

I'd had enough.

"Ranger!" I yelled. I put myself in front of Jen and glared at Ranger, pushing against his chest. Ranger seemed to realize for the first time that he had his hands on Jen so he quickly dropped his arms and took a step back. "What is wrong with you? Back the hell up!" I shot Bobby a look that told him he'd better get ahold of his boss before I introduced my knee to Ranger's testicles.

Ranger must have seen that look too because he took another couple of steps back and out of my reach. His turned his attention back to Jen with a challenge in his eyes. "I just wanted to know who put that stellar background together so quickly… Jennifer." He turned his attention back to me. "I will figure it out, and she won't be able to infiltrate my company."

"Look," Jen finally said. "I don't know who you are or why you think I'd work for some federal agency, but I am definitely not trying to infiltrate your company or anything else." She took a deep breath and winced. "So back off!"

Jen's voice cracked a little and I could see her legs begin to tremble. This was obviously a frightening situation for her and I'm sure it was even more so with her injuries. It's not like she could just run away to escape the situation. I'd never seen Ranger like this and I didn't like it. I didn't know what was going on with him, but it was obvious that I needed to get Jen out of here before things got even uglier.

I kept my body between Jen and Ranger while telling her to make her way to the car. "I'll be right there," I told her.

"Like hell you will," Ranger argued. "You're not going anywhere with her until I get some answers."

My hackles rose in defiance. "I don't know what's gotten into you Ranger, but you don't own me and you certainly don't get to talk to my friends like that." I started walking towards the door and turned around when I was just in front of Jen. "We're going back to my apartment. Don't follow me and don't send one of your guys to stalk me from my parking lot."

Ranger started to reply but I shot him a look and Bobby shook his head at him. We got out of the office and into the SUV quickly, heading home.


A/N

So, what do you think of Ranger's reaction? Is his response too over the top, or is he justified in his attitude? I'd love to hear what you guys thought of this chapter and any suspicions you have for what's coming. As always, thanks for the feedback, Chica.