Thanks to everyone who left reviews for chapter 7, guest or otherwise. It was reading everyone's comments that got this chapter finished when I wasn't even sure where to start. All familiar phrases and characters belong to Janet. The mistakes are mine. Warnings for language.
Stephanie's POV
I left Copley with Ranger and stomped off towards the truck. Ranger wasn't too far behind me with Tank and Lester bringing up the rear.
"Why are men such assholes?" I asked them.
"Babe."
"Okay, so you're not an asshole."
Tank and Lester raised their eyebrows at me.
"Fine," I said."You guys aren't assholes, either."My eyes landed on Copley."But he definitely is. He knew I was with someone and he still hit on me and I'm the one that gets called a slut? How unfair is that?"
Tank started walking away with Copley, probably to keep me from doing something else to him. Ranger caught Tank's eye before he moved too far away.
"Take the long way to the station," he told Tank.
I hadn't seen Tank smile that wide since Ranger and I announced we were together. He hurried Copley to the Rangeman vehicle behind us before Ranger could change his mind.
"Tank's happy," I said to Ranger.
"He's easy to please."
"I thought you told him not to hurt Copley unless it was necessary."
"It is necessary," Ranger said, opening my door."I told Lester that no one disrespects you, and now Copley is going to find out what happens when you do."
"Why Tank?" I asked him."Shouldn't I be the one to beat on him, since it was me he insulted? And I thought you'd be the one who'd want to teach him a lesson. You like doing stuff like that."
"Tank is the only one out of the three of us that would know when to stop," Ranger said.
"Good point," I said, sliding into the passenger seat. I have been told that I couldn't control myself in a professional situation from Joe countless times. And Ranger's told me the same thing in more personal situations. And Ranger would probably rather dispose of a body than fill out paperwork, so maybe Tank was the better choice.
Ranger angled behind the wheel and started for Rangeman.
We were halfway there when Ranger spoke."You did good tonight, Babe."
"You don't care that I lost it a little at the end?" I asked him.
"Not at all," Ranger said."In fact, seeing a woman stand up for herself is sexy as hell. Especially when that woman is you."
"You're not just saying that to get me naked, are you?"
"I don't have to compliment you to get you naked, Babe," Ranger said, not sounding the least bit arrogant.
Of course, he didn't have to act arrogant. I wanted him and he knew it.
"And I don't need to flatter you to get you into bed, Steph. If I say you did good, you don't have to question it."
"I don't, Ranger."
And I didn't. Ranger didn't hand out praise unless it was deserved. He always meant what he said, and cut out all the BS that normal men relied on. It was actually reassuring, since you never had to wonder where you stood with him. Well, now that we've gotten over our relationship misunderstandings, I didn't have to wonder where I stood with him anymore.
"Is Copley going to survive Tank?" I asked.
"If he's smart enough to keep his mouth shut."
I wasn't sure he was. He didn't strike me as the sharpest knife in the drawer. Heck, he may not even be in the same kitchen as all the other knives."I should feel bad about that, shouldn't I?"
"No," Ranger said to me."Some people need to be taught a lesson before admitting that they need to change. You and Tank might be Copley's lesson tonight."
Ranger pulled into the Rangeman garage and parked. He draped an arm around my shoulders as we walked to the elevator. I wrapped my arm around his waist and leaned against him until the elevator doors opened to Ranger's apartment. Ranger unlocked the door and followed me into the kitchen. I said hi to Rex, got two bottles of water out of the fridge, and handed one to Ranger. Normally after a job I'd be reaching for a beer, but I'd had enough of beer tonight.
Ranger walked up behind me and circled my waist with his arms, resting his chin on the top of my head."We make a great team, Babe."
"We do, don't we?"
"Yes," he said."I just wish I would have admitted it sooner."
"Hey, you're not the only one to blame in this, Ranger," I said."I made things more difficult between us then they needed to be," I said to him."But I think we're here now because we're both finally ready to be."
Ranger's arms tightened around me."How did you get so smart?"
I tipped my head back against him and kissed the underside of his jaw."I learned from the best."
"The best, Babe?"
I turned around in his arms and looked up at him."Yep, in everything he does."
"You'd better be talking about me," Ranger said, a warning clear in his voice.
I couldn't stop the smile that formed on my lips."As if there could be anyone else," I said to him."You once told me that you were going to ruin me for all other men, but I didn't know exactly what that meant until recently."
"What are you saying, Steph?" He asked me.
"That you'd better really like having me around, because I don't think I could ever give you up now that I know what it can be like between us."
"There's a bigger chance of world peace breaking out tonight, Babe, than you having to."
"Good," I said,"because I'm pretty sure that there's not a man out there that could measure up. And I'm no longer the type of woman who settles."
"I promise you, Steph," Ranger said,"you won't ever have a reason to settle ever again."
I leaned closer to him and brushed my lips across his jaw, along his cheek, all the way to his ear."Prove it," I whispered against it.
Here's the thing about Ranger, not only does he never back down from a challenge, he somehow always manages to exceed it. And what came after he pulled me towards the bedroom was no different.
The next day I was sitting in my cubby when the intercom on my desk buzzed.
"Babe, can you come to my office?"
"Sure. What's up?"
"I'll explain everything to you when you get here."
The door was closed when I got to Ranger's office. I gave it a quick knock before walking in. I figured he was expecting me so I didn't bother waiting for a reply. Ranger was sitting at his desk and Tank was occupying the chair across from him.
"What's going on guys?" I asked them.
Ranger got up and walked around his desk to me, dropping a kiss at my hairline before leading me to the couch that took up almost one wall of the office. I've had more than one fantasy that included this particular couch over the years. Maybe one of these days ...
"Babe," Ranger said, bringing me back to why I was there."Focus."
"Sorry," I said to him."I'm back."
Ranger bent close to my ear so Tank wouldn't hear."Nothing to be sorry for, Babe, just hold that thought until later."
I forcefully pushed the image of Ranger stretched out on this couch, and at my mercy, out of my mind and gave Tank and Ranger my full attention.
"You've said that you'd be willing to meet with clients for us," Ranger said,"so we've decided to take you up on it, and give you an opportunity to see how you like doing it."
"I don't know Ranger," I told him."I don't want to hurt your business if I do anything to change someone's mind about choosing your company."
"Tank and I have discussed it, and we both agree that Rangeman could benefit from you taking a more active role in it," Ranger said."You can do this, Babe."
"But we're talking about serious money here," I said to them."Your money."
"If they can't see you for what you are," Ranger said to me,"then we don't want them associated in any way with Rangeman, so it wouldn't even be an issue."
"I appreciate you feeling that I can do a job like this, but I don't know if I'm ready for that level of responsibility."
"You are ready, Babe," Ranger said."You just need a little nudge."
"This isn't a nudge," I told him."This is a boot in the ass."
"Whatever gets results," Ranger said, smiling.
"He's right, Steph," Tank said. He'd been quiet during our discussion, but I knew it wouldn't last long."This is purely a business decision. Ranger isn't offering you this job just because you're sharing his bed."
"Tank," Ranger said, his voice hard.
"Let him talk, Ranger," I said."I want to hear what he has to say."
"We believe that you'd be a good representative for this company," Tank said."Steph, you're the only person who would be able to put clients at ease when they would normally be intimidated by the men who work here."
"Sort of like ... if I can survive working here then you guys can't be all that bad?"
"Something like that, Babe."
"Well if you guys really think I can help," I said to them,"then I'll try to live up to your expectations."
"If you're going to be the woman standing shoulder to shoulder with Ranger," Tank said, holding my gaze,"then you're going to have to get over all this self-doubt you have."
"Tank, that's enough," Ranger said.
"What do you mean?" I asked Tank, ignoring Ranger for the moment. Tank was the one that had been to hell and back with Ranger, so if anyone had the inside scoop as to what Ranger wanted and needed, it would be Tank. And I wanted to know everything I could about what Ranger needed from me.
"Ranger is a man that doesn't second guess anything," Tank said."That's what made him such an outstanding soldier. He sees what needs to be done and then does what he has to in order to accomplish it. The only time I've ever seen him at all unsure was when you entered his life."
I cut my eyes to Ranger, but he wasn't looking at me. He was busy, I think, mentally telling Tank to shut his pie-hole."I don't want you to be unsure about anything, Ranger."
"I'm not, Babe."
"He's not anymore," Tank said."But you are. You need to stop questioning our motives. Everyone here has your best interest at heart. And not just because Ranger insists on it. If Ranger, or one of us, asks you to do something, believe that we're asking you because we honestly want your opinion or your help."
I looked over at Ranger again."And you wanted to shut him up?"
"It's always a fifty-fifty chance that he'll make a situation worse by speaking."
"He definitely made it better this time," I said."Thanks Tank. It's going to take me a little while to get used to having a support team."
"You have one now, Babe," Ranger said."And we wouldn't push you to do something that you couldn't handle. I think this will be good for you as well as Rangeman."
"Okay then. When do I start?"
"Half-hour," Ranger said, surprising the heck out of me."We're meeting Mr. and Mrs. Emeritus in the conference room."
"In a half hour?"
"Yes."
"Thirty minutes?"
"Yes," Ranger said again."We'll brief you on what they're interested in, and let you do the rest."
"Half an hour?"
This time Tank spoke."Keep up, Steph," he said, handing me a file."Twenty eight minutes now."
I blew out a breath."Okay, let's get to work then," I said."I don't want to make a fool out of myself."
"That's my girl," Ranger said, smiling at me.
"No time for that girly-sappy shit," Tank said.
"Girly-sappy shit?" I asked.
"Yes. Less talking and more reading."
"Can't you do something about him?" I asked Ranger.
"I'll kill him after the meeting," he said."I need him to do a few things before then."
"As long as it's sometime today," I said, smiling.
"Thanks a lot, Steph," Tank said."I was just trying to help you out."
"Help me get through this, and I'll call off Ranger," I told Tank.
"Babe."
I looked at him."You know what I mean."
"You don't need my help," Tank said."You'll do just fine without it."
"Okay," I said to them, taking a look at the papers in front of me."I'm ready to get started."
Twenty minutes later, I was walking into the conference room with Ranger ahead of me and Tank behind me. I felt prepared, but also a little nervous. The older couple that was sitting at the large table were well-dressed, and looking almost as uneasy as I was. That alone made me step from the middle of my muscled safeguards.
"Mr. and Mrs. Emeritus?" I said, holding out my hand to them."I'm Stephanie Plum. Welcome to Rangeman."
Mr. Emeritus stood and shook my hand, followed by Mrs. Emeritus.
"Please, call us Ann and Davis," Mrs. Emeritus said.
"All right. I assume you know Ran ... Mr. Manoso," I said, stumbling over his name. I wasn't sure what name Ranger was using."And Tank." I knew Tank would rather be tortured for three days straight then be called Pierre, so I felt safe there.
"We've talked to Ranger on the phone," Davis said."We don't stand on formality. I do have to say that we were a bit apprehensive about choosing a security firm that employed someone named Tank, but he's been extremely helpful, answering our questions, when Ranger wasn't available."
"Yeah, he's our go-to-guy for everything," I told them."Why don't you have a seat and we'll get down to business."
We all sat down and Ranger took over outlining what Rangeman could provide in terms of security for their three-story house and small art gallery they owned and operated. As the meeting wound down, I could see that Ranger had alleviated all their fears. And I was pretty sure he'd have another satisfied customer. Ranger didn't waste words, but what he did say left no doubt in the minds of whoever he was addressing at the time. Mr. and Mrs. Emeritus were almost as enthralled with his presentation as I was.
When I was sure Ranger was finished speaking, I leaned forward and spoke directly to Ann and Davis.
"I can personally vouch for Ranger and every single one of his men. Speaking as someone whose had her fair share of security issues, I know from experience that Ranger himself, or someone from the control room are always the first ones on the scene. Sometimes even before the police. They are extremely professional, but not only that, they also take pride in what they do," I told them."They're trained to keep people safe and Ranger has provided a place for them to use their specific skills to all of our advantage." I glanced at Ranger and saw that he was staring at me with a look that I'd never seen before.
"I believe you," Ann said."You don't have to sell us on Rangeman now. While I'll admit that I wasn't completely sure about hiring this company when we first walked in, but after hearing what Ranger can offer, and hearing you speak so highly of the people who work here, makes me feel comfortable in entrusting our home and business to you."
"You won't regret it," I promised them.
"Steph here is in charge of the public relations side of Rangeman," Tank told Mr. Emeritus.
"A wise choice."
"We think so," Ranger said.
Tank produced the appropriate papers and two minutes later, Rangeman had new clients. And potential for many more.
"I'm going to recommend your company to all of our friends," Ann said to me."And just last week someone broke into my cousins' store. I'm sure she'd also be interested in hearing what I have to say about the people who work here."
"Thank you, Ann, we would appreciate that," I said."Most of Rangeman's clients come from word of mouth."
Davis shook our hands again, and he and his wife walked out of the room decidedly happier, I thought.
"We may need to assign you your own office," Tank said to me.
"Would I get a better chair?" I asked.
"I'm sure we could arrange something," Tank said, before leaving Ranger and I by ourselves.
"And you were worried that you wouldn't be able to do the job?" Ranger said.
"They were a nice couple," I said to him."And I didn't really do anything. They were impressed with the company itself, not me."
"You helped convincing Mrs. Emeritus, Steph," Ranger said."Tank and I both know it. I want you to know it, too."
"I'm getting there, thanks to you."
"I'm the one who should be thanking you, Babe," Ranger said, stepping close to me.
"For what?" I asked.
"For saying what you did to Davis and his wife," Ranger said, cupping my face in his hand."Hearing that you understand the men who work here, hearing that you understand me, is not something that we're used to."
"What's not to understand?" I asked him."You guys sacrifice yourselves everyday responding to potentially dangerous calls, you put the serious criminals back in jail, and spend hours watching monitors so people can feel safe in their homes or workplace. Not unlike what police officers do daily. And everyone is told from a young age to respect the police, so why wouldn't people also respect whatyou guys do?"
"Not everyone feels the way you do, Babe."
"Well they should," I told him. I pressed a kiss to his hand and took a step away from him."Now, if there are no more surprise meetings for me, I'm going to make a Tastykake run to Giovichinni's."
"There are plenty of snacks in the kitchen," Ranger said.
"Yogurt and an apple isn't going to help me get rid of the last of my nervous energy," I told him.
"If I didn't have work to do," Ranger said,"I'd help you use up that energy upstairs."
I sighed. Sometimes Ranger's schedule was a pain in the butt. Or an ache in other areas.
"But since you do have to work, a Tastykake will have to be enough for now. I'll be right back."
I decided that I was feeling so good about my part in the meeting, that I took the stairs down to the garage to burn off some residual calories, making way for the ones I was about to consume. If there was a convenience store close to Rangeman, I might have even walked to it. But since there wasn't, I climbed into my car and drove the ten minutes to Giovichinni's.
Fifteen minutes later, I was walking back out of Giovichinni's. I wasn't watching where I was going; not wanting to wait until I was in my car to open the box of Butterscotch Krimpets, and ran smack into someone on their way into the store.
"Sorry," I said, still not looking up.
"Hey, Cupcake."
Morelli. Damn. This had all the potential to be a really good day. And now it was in danger of being ruined. I was determined not to let it be.
"Joe." I wasn't sure which of his moods I was going to get today, but I was done avoiding him. Not that I was exactly, but I haven't made seeing him a priority, either."How are things?"
"They've been better," he said.
"Sorry to hear that," I said to him. But really, I wasn't. Most of the trouble Morelli had gotten into in his life he'd brought on himself. At least, the trouble with me he had.
First the police station. Then at Pino's. And now Giovichinni's. I knew Ranger and I would run into Joe at some point, but this appeared more like a seek and destroy mission on his part than just a coincidence.
"I'm sure that Ranger told you all about our talk."
First round fired, I thought to myself.
"Are you referring to the 'talk'' where you yelled at him outside the police station? Or the one where you accused him of cheating on me?"
"Steph listen, about that ..."
"Ranger didn't have to tell me about the second one," I said to Joe."My phone was ringing off the hook. Thanks a lot for that, by the way. You really believe Ranger would cheat on me?"
"He's a loose canon."
"But you think he'd care so little for me that he'd cheat?" I asked him.
"What he does wouldn't reflect on you," Joe said, angering me further."He'd be the one blamed."
"Oh, really? You know all about my divorce from Dickie," I said."And what happened? Dickie got a round of 'boys will be boys' for sleeping around, and I got accused of not being able to please my husband. And if that wasn't bad enough, I was told that I was the one that screwed up my marriage by calling him out on it. Is that what you wanted to happen again? After everything we had together, Joe, you would still rather me be miserable than happy if I chose to be with someone other than you?"
"Of course not, Cupcake," he said."But why Ranger?"
"You just can't get over the rivalry thing can you?" I asked him."Is this even about me at all? Or are you just mad that Ranger got one up on you?"
"How can you even ask me that?"
"I never thought I'd have to," I said to him.
"You don't," Joe said."This is about you and me."
"There is no you and me anymore. When are you going to realize that?"
"There's been a you and me since you were six years old."
"And look where that got me," I said to him."I've grown up a lot since then, Joe."
"So you've said."
I blew out a breath. I had other fish to fry. I didn't want to stand here and dissect every moment that we've spent together."Why don't you just get it over with and tell me straight out what exactly you want from me."
"Truthfully?"
"Yes!" Yeesh. This conversation was causing flashbacks of our last few months together. And he still wondered why I wanted out of our relationship?
"I want you to dump the psycho and come back to me."
"That's enough, Joe. You can say what you want to me, or about me, but leave Ranger out of it."
"How can I?" Joe asked."He's been between us since the very beginning."
"And did you ever think about why?" I asked him."Because I have. A part of me had always wanted to be with him. And now that I am, I know he's what I've needed all along. And I'm not listening to anything you have to say against him."
"But..."
"Joe, you have to move on, for both our sakes," I told him."Ranger has only a set amount of patience. And you're dangerously close to the end of it."
"I'm not afraid of him."
"I don't need Ranger to fight my battles for me," I told him."Because it's not Ranger you have to worry about right now," I told him."You've almost reached the end of my patience, too."
"Come on, Steph."
"Joe, knock it off," I said to him."You need to get over us. I'm happy with Ranger. And there is no way I'm ever going to leave him for you. So you should focus this attention on finding someone else to be with instead of dwelling on us. Besides, you weren't happy with our relationship even when I was with you. And I know for sure I haven't changed that much for you to be now."
"You're wrong, Steph," Joe said."I was happy with you."
"You had a funny way of showing it," I told him."I'll admit, we did have a few good times together, but the majority of the time we couldn't seem to stand each other."
"That's not true."
"What exactly do you like about me?" I asked him.
He opened his mouth, but I stopped him before he could say anything."And don't list any of my body parts, or anything that happened in the bedroom." I warned him.
He was silent for a full two seconds and I resisted the urge to deck him."Seriously, Joe?! You can't think of one good thing about me that doesn't involve a bed?"
"There are a lot of things I like about you aside from your body," he said.
"Oh yeah?" I said, hands on hips."Name one."
"The way you never give up when you believe strongly in something."
"Seriously, that's what you like about me?" I asked him.
"Yes," Joe said.
"And you really believe that?"
"Yes."
"Then know that I believe in what Ranger and I have," I said."And I'm not jeopardizing it for anyone."
Joe froze as my words sunk in. He stepped right into that with both feet.
"I didn't do any of this to hurt you, Joe," I said to him,"but you have to see that Ranger and my relationship isn't about you. And I want you to stop accusing Ranger of something every time he turns around."
"You have to admit that him being seen with another woman looked bad."
"I suppose to some people it would," I said."But in any case, it was my place to question him about it if I felt I needed to, not yours. I'm not opposed to us being friends if we ever got to that place, but right now I'm worried that you'd use any time spent with me just to piss off Ranger, or to try to get information about our relationship to cause problems between us. And I'm going to tell you right now, that I'm not going to put up with it."
"Calm down, Steph," Morelli said.
"I'll calm down when you give me a reason to," I said to him."Bottom line, Joe, is that if you want me in your life, you're going to have to let go of me and all of your Ranger issues, because I'm not going to have a break up that is exactly like how our relationship was; like each other one day, hate each other the next. It's up to you whether I matter enough to you, even if I'm not sleeping with you, to want me in your life as just a friend," I told him. And then I turned around and walked away. Leaving him to hopefully come to a decision we both could live with.
I drove to my apartment to pack more of my clothes to bring back to Ranger's. Rex had mostly moved into Ranger's kitchen and neither one of my men seemed to mind. And at the rate that my clothes were moving, I wasn't too far behind Rex. I didn't know how or when it happened, but Ranger and Rangeman had become the center of my life. The strange part was that my staying there with Ranger had been so uncomplicated that I didn't even notice how long it's been happening. I'd have dinner at his apartment after work and then just spend the night. Or Ranger would have to work late and it just seemed easier to stay on seven instead of driving to back to my place, or having him break into my apartment in the middle of the night when he was done working. And now that I knew it was happening, the trapped feeling I usually developed was missing. Every time I had moved into Joe's house, I felt panicked, thinking that if I stayed too long I'd lose a part of myself. But at Ranger's, I felt none of that. Which didn't really make sense considering Ranger still had bugs on me and my cars, and the control room knew all my comings and goings, but I didn't feel like I was losing anything because of it. More that I was gaining a second home and family. I felt safe and taken care of, instead of feeling manipulated. And the days of hiding what I was thinking or doing; like I'd had to do when I worked on a case around Joe, were over. Today, I knew that if Ranger was unavailable I could go to Tank, or one of the guys, for advice and have them listen to whatever it was I was thinking. They never laughed at me or called me stupid. It was a nice change from the first thirty years of my life.
I fobbed my way into the garage and parked next to Ranger's Porsche. I walked to the elevator and pushed the button for seven, closing my eyes as it climbed the seven floors. I let myself into Ranger's apartment, dropped my shoulder bag and long forgotten bag of goodies on the sideboard, and sighed.
"Morelli again?" Ranger asked from behind me, making me jump. I didn't hear him come in behind me.
"How'd you know?"
"I remember hearing a lot of those sighs when you were with him."
"Well this may be the last of them," I told Ranger."Either he's going to stop hoping you and I break up, or he'll be out of my life for good. I gave him the choice."
"There's a third choice," Ranger said.
I raised my eyebrows in question.
"There's a South American prison cell with his name on it," Ranger said, smiling.
I knew he could probably arrange something like that, so I didn't return his smile."No."
"You're no fun, Babe."
"Maybe Dickie," I said,"but not Joe."
"If you change your mind ..."
"I won't," I told him. I was pretty sure I wouldn't, but it was always nice to know your options.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Ranger asked me.
"Not much to say," I told him."He's still an ass, but I think there's hope for him."
"You think so?"
I sighed again."Maybe. I don't want to talk about him anymore. What are you doing up here? I thought you'd still be in your office downstairs."
"I was in the control room when you pulled up," Ranger said."I thought you looked upset when you walked to the elevator and I wanted to know what was wrong."
This was the major difference between being in a relationship with Ranger verses being in one with Joe. The only way I could get Joe to listen to my feelings about something was if we were already in bed at the time, or if I promised that we'd be on our way to bed afterwards. Ranger, on the other hand, wanted to know everything that I was thinking before I even had my thoughts figured out.
"Do you have to go back down to five?" I asked.
"Looks like it'll be an early night."
"Really?" I said, sliding my arms around his neck."What can we do to celebrate a night to ourselves?"
"Spend time together?" Ranger said.
"In the bedroom?" I asked.
"Bedroom, bathroom, kitchen. Wherever you want, Babe."
"Good," I said, pulling away from him, smiling."Let's hit the kitchen. I'm starving."
I didn't get too far. Ranger's hand landed on my shoulder, stopping me. He leaned in close to me, his warm breath tickling my ear.
"We'll deal with your hunger, Babe," he whispered,"and then we'll take care of mine." His hand slid down my back all the way to my ass as he walked past me to the kitchen.
"Damn," I said, following quickly behind him. My stomach now not the only thing that needed immediate attention. Maybe I could convince Ranger to let me grab something quick from the fridge and just combine the two.
Author's note: I hadn't planned on Joe being in this chapter, too, but I figured that once both Ranger and Stephanie have said what they needed to, he'd be able to sit out the next few. I wouldn't want Joe to overstay his welcome or anything.
