Chapter 9-
The world was shaking. I didn't understand what was happening. My head was pounding as it jiggled back and forth. My shoulder was shaking and I felt a warm hand on my arm. Someone was shaking me. I felt my eyes flutter as I forced them open. The ceiling was the first thing my eyes focused on. It was mostly dark in the room but it was dimly lit by some light coming in from the bathroom. I turned my head left but there was nothing to see. I glanced right and gasped when I looked directly into the beady eyes of the Rug. I recognized him right away.
"Do you know who I am?" He asked.
"uh what? Huh?" I mumbled.
Though my mind was quickly waking up from fear coursing through me, I tried to play it off as if I was groggy. I brought my hands up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. The Rug let out a deep sigh and waited for me to wake-up further.
"Now, I need an answer. Do you know who I am?" He asked me.
"No. I'm sorry. Did someone order room service?" I lied.
"No." He tilted his head to the side.
I think he was trying to figure out if I was lying. He seemed like he was testing me to determine if I really recognized him or not. I struggled to maintain my best blank face. I focused all my thoughts toward channeling my inner Ranger. He pulled up to his full height. He was trying to look intimidating. I was careful not to make any movements. I didn't want to show him that I was very intimidated and afraid of what he might do next.
"I was asked to check on your condition. I am the resort's doctor." he explained.
"Oh, thank you." I forced a smile.
He held out his hand and quickly grabbed mine. He moved his finger along to rest on my pulse. I worked hard to look relaxed and not alarmed. It made me sick to feel him touching me and I had to focus hard on not shrinking away or puking up my last meal. Where was Ranger? Where were the guys?
"Your pulse is good. How does your head feel?" He asked.
"Better after I took the pain pills. But that was before I fell asleep, I think I need to take another one again." I admitted.
"And your memories?" He leered over me.
"Just some flashes here and there, mostly of my family." I lied.
"I know it's hard but the most important thing is to be grateful you made it through the accident." He patted my hand.
"You're right." I frowned at him.
"Okay, I'm going to leave you to your rest." he gave me half a smile.
"What time is it?" I asked him.
He glanced at his watch. "Just after dinner time. I'm sure your friends will be back soon."
"Thank you." I told him.
I watched him as he moved away from the bed and slowly crept towards the door. He pulled it open and took a step forward before he froze and turned back to look at me. His hand never released the doorknob as he stood there and watched me. It seemed like he was having an internal debate with himself. He turned away and I relaxed against the pillow. I closed my eyes and began to roll over on my side. Then I heard it. It was the sound of a gun, I heard the hammer being pulled back. I couldn't help myself, I turned to look at him.
"I'm sorry Ms. Plum." He announced.
"Why?" I asked.
"You should have just let my wife and I live in peace. You should have minded your own business. We didn't run halfway around the world just to be found by a bumbling bounty hunter and her Latin lover." He sneered.
I tried to think of something to say, some way to make him pause and talk more. I needed to keep him busy and hope that the guys would make it back here in time to help me. Speaking of the guys, where the hell were they? Did something happen to them?
"I'm sorry. I don't remember. Please don't hurt me." I hated the whiny sound of my voice.
"I wish I could spare you. If I let you live you won't give up on this. You are like a dog with a bone and you won't give up until you find my wife and I again. With your dumb luck you just might accomplish that. I can't take the chance." He looked remorseful.
"I thought you were the doctor. I don't know who your wife is." I rambled on trying to delay him. "This is my first real vacation in years. I don't know who you are but I certainly didn't come here for you. I don't know why you want to shoot me but I wasn't going to do anything to you or your wife." I tried to bluff him.
"Sorry, you only have yourself to blame for this." He sighed.
Then I closed my eyes and he pulled the trigger. I heard one shot and then heard struggling. I heard grunts and things breaking. I felt around my head looking for blood. I was looking for a gunshot even though I hadn't felt the sting of a bullet, I was nearly deaf. My ears were ringing and it sounded like the gun went off right next to my head. I took some deep breaths and then opened my eyes at the same time I heard one final grown. I quickly changed my mind and squeezed my eyes shut tightly. I was afraid to see what went on. I was afraid to see those beady little eyes staring at me or having to look down the barrel of a gun.
"Ms. Plum?" I heard a new voice.
My eyes shot open and I focused my vision in the direction of the voice. I gazed into two bright emerald eyes. I searched the handsome concerned face. Did I know this man? He was about six feet tall with dark brown hair that was almost black. He had muscles that showed off the hard work he must be putting in at the gym. He had a tan that showcased the color of his beautiful green eyes. I was speechless. I didn't know what to say to him. I stayed still in my spot and he approached the side of the bed.
"Ms. Plum?" he called louder trying to get my attention.
"Where is he?" I asked.
"He's cuffed and unconscious." He assured me.
"Are you okay? I think I'm okay. I don't think I'm bleeding." I babbled.
"I'm okay and you're okay. The bullet missed you." He informed me.
"How did you know I needed help?" I asked him.
He reached out his hand, palm up and I looked at it. I was unsure of what he wanted. I decided to reach my hand out to meet his and he pulled me up away from the pillow. He pulled more and I dropped my feet off of the side of the bed until they rested on the floor. He kept pulling as he guided me to my feet. He put his hands on my shoulders and spun me around. I looked back at the bed where I had just been sleeping and gasped. There was still an outline on the pillow from my head and right beside that outline was a small black hole, a bullet hole. My knees went weak and the man grabbed me to stop me from falling. I was in a sudden panic and I couldn't breathe. He grabbed me and pulled me against him as he rubbed my back.
"It's okay. No one is going to hurt you now. It's okay. Just breathe. I got ya," He soothed me.
"But the bullet and the Rug." I muttered.
I shut my eyes tight trying to block everything out. That bullet hole had been so close to my head. Just another couple of inches and I would be dead. If not for the strong arms around me I would have crumpled to a heap on the floor. My attention was brought back to the warm hands that stroked up and down my spine. I heard the whispered sounds of 'shh' coming from the mouth of the man that held me against him. It was only then I realized I was shaking with silent sobs. There I went again allowing my emotions to get the better of me. I felt like I should be stronger than I was, I was disappointed at the loss of my composure.
"Step away from her." I heard a voice command.
My head snapped up and I found Lester in the doorway with his gun aimed our way. Before I could say anything, I felt a hand on my arm and I was pulled away from the handsome green-eyed man. I was roughly pulled against the body that the arm was attached to. As soon as my head pressed into his chest I knew it was Ranger. I looked up at him but his eyes were focused on my new-found hero. I trailed my eyes along his arm and noticed the gun he was holding was pressed into the temple of the man.
"Whoa." The green-eyed man spoke.
He was holding up his hands in a 'don't shoot' motion. I tried to pull away from Ranger's chest but he pulled me tighter against him. I heard what I assumed was Lester moving closer and more footsteps enter the room.
"Don't Ranger. He saved me." I spoke through my tears.
"Why are you crying?" Ranger asked never taking his eyes off of his prey.
I moved to pull away and this time his arm eased up. I turned to face the bed and pointed to the hole in the pillow. He glanced over to see what I was gesturing to and his eyes went wide. He took a step closer to the man as I felt the anger pulse through his body.
"The Rug broke in and tried to shoot me.. This guy grabbed him and saved my life." I explained.
"Check them." Ranger ordered.
I watched Tank inspect the Rug's prone body. Hector moved closer and frisked my new savior. Hector produced a glock from behind the man's back.
"That's it." Hector reported.
"Unconscious." Tank reported.
"Who are you?" Ranger slightly lowered his gun.
"I'm your new neighbor. I got in yesterday." The man explained.
"What are you doing in her room?" Lester asked him.
"I was sitting on my porch and saw that man lurking around. He was testing all of the windows and doors. He disappeared behind the building and when I didn't see him come back I decided to investigate. After walking around the building, I went to the front door. It was slightly open so I stepped inside. I found him with a gun trained on your friend here and then I tackled him. Unfortunately, he got off a shot before I could stop him. I cuffed him and decided to check on your friend. Either his aim was off or my tackle affected his targeting because the bullet missed her." The neighbor explained.
"Why do you have cuffs?" Tank asked.
"And a glock?" Hector added.
"Can I take out my wallet?" The man asked.
Ranger shook his head no and Lester reached into the man's back pocket. He handed the wallet to Ranger who flipped it open. I moved up onto my tip toes and looked at the wallet. His name was Luca Alessandro Romano, obviously Italian. Inside was a New York City police detective's badge that read Romano. Ranger flipped through some of the dividers and such. There was a picture of him graduating police academy with who appeared to be his parents smiling happily along with him. A picture of him and another man that looked similar enough to be his brother. Finally, there was a picture of him with a beautiful woman and a little girl who looked like him.
"Aren't you out of your jurisdiction here detective?" Ranger asked him.
"I'm not here in a police capacity. I am on vacation." The man relaxed his hands.
"Without your family?" Ranger pushed.
"My family is none of your business." The detective glared at him.
I didn't like how this was going. Guns were still raised and the tension in the room was explosive. At least all of this testosterone was taking my mind off of the bullet hole that laid barely six inches from where my head was. I put my hands against Ranger's chest and pulled out of his arms. I turned to face the man who had saved my life and held out my right hand.
"Thank you very much detective. You saved my life. I'm sorry I got so upset when I saw the bullet hole." I wanted to shake his hand.
"You are a very strong woman, lesser men would have passed out in your situation." He shot me a huge grin and took my hand and shook it. Then he lifted it to his mouth and kissed the back of it.
At my mention of the bullet hole Ranger's head snapped around to look at the bed again. I watched his jaw tense and it sounded like his teeth may have ground together. I could feel the anger radiating off of him, but I wasn't sure if it was directed at me or someone else. He nodded to Hector and tucked his own gun into his back. A moan sounded from the floor and I glanced towards the Rug as Lester kicked him.
"Maybe you guys should take a walk and let me call this in. I don't know what's going on here, but I can tell the police what happened from my side and there shouldn't be any problem." The detective offered.
"That's nice of you." Lester muttered sarcastically.
"Just take a walk and I'll handle it." He told Lester.
"We're not going anywhere." Lester glared at him.
"That's all well and good but Stephanie can't be left alone. There is still a threat." Tank announced.
"She wouldn't be alone." Luca told Tank.
"It's not safe." Lester told him.
At his words I leaned back into Ranger's chest and he wrapped his arms around my waist to hold me steady. My head was swimming. There was a lot of testosterone and too many guns in the room. A part of me wanted to pull away from Ranger and yell at Lester and this cop for talking about what to do without including me. I may not remember much but I knew I didn't appreciate being ignored while other's made decisions for me. Hector moved to stand in front of me and crouched down to look into my eyes. I was trembling.
"It's okay Angelito. The most dangerous one is right here in handcuffs. You will make your own decisions and Boss and I will have your back. The others all worry because you are so special. Tomorrow night we go home." Hector spoke softly.
Did he have ESP? I nodded as his hand came up to stroke my cheek. I felt a tear slide down it. What the hell was wrong with me? Was I always such a cry baby? I felt like I was walking around on egg shells, constantly on the edge of tears. I was getting worried someone might just say hello to me and cause me to fall into body racking sobs. I needed to get myself together. I needed to figure out what I was going to do even if I never got back all of my memories.
"I gotta call this in." Luca announced.
"Wait, this man is Simon Raguzzi. He is FTA from Trenton New Jersey. We are here to escort him back to jail." Ranger told him.
"So, you're bounty hunters?" Luca clarified.
"Fugitive apprehension agents." Lester corrected.
"Well we still need to call the police and have him taken into custody and charged with attempted murder. The police can hold him overnight at the station. You can pick him up after he sees the judge and take him back to Trenton." Luca explained.
Ranger nodded at him and Luca pulled out his cell phone preparing to dial.
"Are you okay with this?" Luca asked me.
"Yeah." I sniffled.
"I'll wait if you want me to." he offered.
"No. It's just that I'm the one that found the Rug originally. I called my friends to bring the apprension papers. He's here in this room now because of me." I explained.
"You're a bounty hunter too?" Luca asked me.
"Yes I am. Well at least I use to be." I answered.
"So, you ready for me to call the cops?" He asked me.
"Sure, let's just get it over with." I sighed.
I reached down and gave Ranger's hands a soft squeeze before I pulled them from around my waist. I stepped away from him to stand on my own two feet with no assistance. Luca stepped to the living room to make the call. Tank and Lester left the room to do whatever they needed to do. Ranger was watching me and Hector was watching Luca. It suddenly occurred to me that I was still wearing Ranger's t-shirt with panties. I slid into the closet and grabbed my shorts and tank top from earlier in the day.
"I need to go to the bathroom." I announced.
I didn't wait for a response or anyone's approval. I just went straight into the bathroom and quickly locked the door. I looked at myself in the mirror and almost screamed. My hair was a mess from sleeping and my face was blotchy from tears. I took care of nature's call and then washed my hands before I splashed water in my face. I needed to calm down and pull myself together. Where was this tough Stephanie that I had been hearing about? The Stephanie who handled blown up cars, caught bad guys and juggled two men in her love life? I felt weak and I felt disappointed in myself. I quickly got dressed, suddenly embarrassed I had spent all of that time in front of a stranger in just a t-shirt and panties. Luckily it was Ranger's shirt and was long enough to cover everything. I pulled my hair back into a frizzy ponytail, without a shower there wasn't a whole lot I could do with it. There was a knock on the door and I opened it to see Hector.
"The police are here." He informed me.
"How long have I been in here?" I asked him.
"Twenty minutes." he shrugged.
"I'm such a mess." I rolled my eyes.
I moved out of the bathroom and Luca motioned for me to come to his side. I noticed right away that all the guns had magically disappeared. An officer stood in front of him while another was crouched over the Rug. I slowly crept over next to him and listened as he answered the questions the police officer asked. Then I was asked what happened and how I knew the Rug.
"Well officer, I was sleeping when he broke in and woke me up. I recognized him right away but tried to convince him that I didn't know him. He told me he was the Hotel doctor. I thought he believed me, he turned like he was going to leave. He got to the bedroom door but then he pulled out his gun, cocked the hammer and aimed it at me. I heard the gun go off and a struggle in the room but it was dark and I couldn't really see what was happening. Then Luca came over to check on me. He saved my life." I detailed the events for him.
"Miss how do you know your assailant?" Officer Kalani asked me.
"Well I know his name is Simon Ruguzzi. He jumped bail in Trenton, New Jersey and Ranger came here to help me apprehend him and take him back. But honestly, I don't remember seeing him before. I was in a car accident a few days ago and got a bad concussion. I can't remember anything that happened before I woke up in the hospital." I told him.
I answered everything else to the best of my abilities, leaving out anything having to do with my guys. Ranger showed them the paperwork that allows him to take the Rug into custody and back to Trenton.
I think Luca being a detective seemed to help us out with the local officers. They didn't question the account of events we had given them, and it was okay because I really had nothing to hide. I was feeling disappointed in myself and my emotions were all over the place. I vowed that things from this moment on would change. I was going to stand on my own two feet and meet whatever challenges came my way without immediately crying or freaking out. Finally, the police left us with handshakes and approval for a job well done, dragging a now conscious Simon with them.
"I'm sorry this happened to you." Luca interrupted my thoughts.
"It's not your fault." I assured him.
"You look so sad. What can I do for you?" He asked me.
"I'll be fine." I lifted my chin up.
"Well, if there's anything…" He offered
"Keep your eyes open and don't be afraid to stop by if you see anyone creeping around the place." I interrupted.
"That I can do." He smiled.
"Dinner." Hector announced.
I glanced around to get my bearings. Luca and I were in the living room standing in front of the couch. Tank and Lester had settled in at the kitchen table pouring through papers. Hector was in the kitchen producing tasty smells. I didn't see Ranger anywhere.
"I should go." Luca told me.
"You are welcome to stay for dinner." I offered.
He chuckled as he scanned the room. All three guys were staring at him and not one of them had a welcoming face. Luca pulled out his wallet and grabbed a white card before he stretched his hand out to me. I reached for the card and glanced down at it.
"This is my card if you need anything. That's my cell." He pointed to a hand-written number at the bottom.
"Thank you. That's nice of you." I smiled.
"It was nice meeting you Ms. Plum." He met my smile with his own.
"Manoso." I heard Ranger's deep voice.
"Yes." I nodded. "It's Stephanie Manoso, but you can call me Steph. That man, the Rug, he called me by my maiden name."
"I see. Well, it was still nice to meet you Steph. Hopefully the next time we meet it will be under better circumstances." He took a step towards the door.
"Thanks again." I told him.
"If you need anything once I am back home, don't hesitate to call." He announced to the men.
"Will do." Ranger nodded.
"Thank you for protecting our Angelito." Hector said to him.
Luca nodded and moved to the door. When he pulled it open I thought I heard him murmur. "She is definitely an angel."
I turned to look at Ranger. He was standing in the doorway to the bedroom. When Luca shut the door Ranger turned around and went back into the room. I looked at Hector in question and he simply nodded. I needed to find out what was wrong with Ranger so I headed for the bedroom. Ranger was standing beside the bed glancing at the bullet hole. I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. He didn't move when the door clicked shut.
"Ranger." I called out.
He never looked up so I crossed over to him. I stood beside him but he didn't acknowledge me at all. I waited but received no response. I sighed out loud waiting for him to glance at me and still nothing. I moved in front of him and bent down until our eyes met. He finally focused on me and reached out to pull me into him. I buried my face into his neck as his warm arms enveloped me.
"I like the way you smell." I spoke against his neck.
He laughed. "You've said that before Babe."
"Are you okay?" I squeezed him tight around his waist.
"Me? You're the one who almost got shot in the head." He exclaimed.
"But I didn't." I tried to comfort him.
"No, you didn't because some cop saved you. I knew I shouldn't have left." He rested his chin on the top of my head.
"It's not your fault, I told you to go with the guys." I kissed his neck.
"It's always something, we never get any peace." He confided.
"I thought we did here in Hawaii?" I asked.
"Before tonight? Before the accident?" He questioned me.
"You said we had a great time together." I reminded him.
"That we did Babe." He pulled his head back and kissed my forehead.
"Now what do we do?" I asked.
"Now I try to control myself and realize that wearing my ring or not you are a beautiful woman and men are going to hit on you. I need to work on my jealousy and it kills me to admit I'm jealous." He pressed his lips to my nose.
"Jealous? Jealous of Luca?" I asked.
"No, not jealous per say, I just never want to share you. Not with him. Not with Morelli. Not with anyone." He stepped away and shook his head.
"What?" I was curious.
He ran his fingers through his hair. "I promised myself I wasn't going to do this. I promised myself I wasn't going to pressure you. I want to wait until you are better. I want to wait until you get your memories back."
"What if they never come back?" I asked.
"We'll deal with it then, but for now you are doing great. You had a lot of memories come back yesterday. Just be patient, give yourself some time and we will try to talk about home more. That seems to help you remember." He looked over at me.
He came back to me and grabbed my left hand. He pulled it to his lips and placed several kisses on the back of my hand before he kissed the rings I wore to show the world I belonged to him. He linked his fingers with mine and led me out into the kitchen. Lester was setting the table and Tank was helping Lester to carry in plates. All three men looked up when we entered the room.
"Mommy and Daddy made up." Lester teased.
"We weren't fighting." I shook my head.
"That cop had it bad for you, Beautiful. He didn't even care about the bruises on your face or the ring on your finger." Lester remarked.
"Shut up." Tank slapped him in the back of the head.
"Ow man what the hell." Lester grabbed the back of his head.
"Sit down." Ranger ordered.
We all moved to sit down around the table. Hector brought over grated cheese and sprinkled a lot of it on top of my pasta. He had made spaghetti for dinner. Ranger went into the kitchen and after a few minutes he emerged with salad for everyone. Lester got up next and came back with garlic toast for the two of us. Hector set a glass of water and a pill in front of me and I quickly took it. With everything that had happened tonight I had forgotten my head was still pounding.
Fifteen minutes later I was sufficiently stuffed. I leaned back to relax in the chair. Once the guys were all done I helped Hector clear the dishes and then dropped down onto the couch.
"What happened today?" I asked.
"We grabbed Tootie but obviously we missed the Rug. We were waiting in their hotel room for him to return." Lester answered.
"What did you do with her?" I asked.
"We questioned her and she finally admitted that they had recognized you from your pictures in the paper. The Rug was worried that you were here to bring him in, so he tried to hire a hitman to take you out. They didn't recognize me. They just thought I was here to be your muscle." Ranger explained.
"So where is she now?"
"We turned her over to the police as an accessory to attempted murder. There wasn't really enough proof to charge her but enough for the police to hold her and investigate. Maybe with him coming here and trying to kill you that might change. We can't turn over the file you found, your picture they had or the emails because we broke into their hotel room to get them. If nothing else it will keep her out of trouble for a few hours." Lester said.
"So now I am safe?" I asked.
"Not exactly." Tank replied. "There is still a threat to your life. The original guy the Rug hired obviously didn't get the job done, that's why he came here to take you out himself. The contract on your life is still out there. "
"What the hell? How many people want me dead and why is everyone after me?" I was frustrated.
"We don't know who it was but we know that guy that cut your brake lines met with someone at The Four Seasons. We just have to figure out who." Ranger said.
"Until then we get to keep protecting your beautiful bod." Lester said waggling his eyebrows at me.
"Fine," I huffed. "Now what do we do with the Rug? How does this whole process work?"
"Cal and Hal are going to fly in tomorrow morning and wait at the courthouse. After he is charged, they will take him back to Trenton." Tank filled me in. "Hal and Cal?" I asked. "Hal is the one I stunned?" I asked, remembering a large overly muscular man handing me his stun gun and me stunning him with it.
"Yeah Beautiful and we are still holding it against him." Lester chuckled.
My eyes fluttered and I saw a vision of me in the hospital. A woman was having a baby. My sister. This blond is St. Val my perfect sister? She was on a gurney yelling with her legs open. Her water broke all over the guy next to me and he fainted. I looked down to find a very large Caucasian man with a big flaming skull tattoo right on his forehead.
"Cal is the one with the tattoo, he fainted." I announced.
"Yeah." Hector smiled.
"Damn it." I mumbled to myself.
"What's wrong?" Tank asked.
"It's so frustrating because some memories come easy and some don't come at all. Why am I remembering all this inconsequential crap but none of the important things?" I asked to no one in particular.
"I'm going to tell Cal you called him inconsequential." Lester joked.
"Be patient Steph." Tank told me.
"I didn't mean it like that." I glared at Lester.
"I know." He rolled his eyes.
"I slept the day away while you all risked your lives. Then I get woken up by some maniac. I hate being scared, hate being emotional and hate feeling like I have no control."
"Steph." Tank tried to comfort me.
"I'm sorry. I know I am ranting but you guys are all I have. I just don't know what's going to happen next." I admitted.
"You don't have to figure it all out today." Lester offered.
"I know." I sighed. "Thanks."
"What do you need?" Tank asked me.
"I'm okay now. I am just done. Done with being afraid and done with doubting myself. I want to be my old self again. I want my life back." I announced.
"You will have it." Hector promised.
"I want to go home." I told them.
"Tomorrow." Ranger reminded me.
"You'll feel better after a good night's sleep." Lester suggested.
"I can't even sleep. I'm not tired. I slept the day away." I paused. "I'm going for a walk."
"Steph." Lester called out to me.
"I'm feeling a little overwhelmed right now." I motioned for him to stop with my hand.
"Will you stay near the bungalow?" Hector asked.
"Yes." I rolled my eyes.
I plastered a smile on my face when I walked past the table. The guys didn't even pretend not to be watching me with worried looks on their faces. I stepped through the sliding glass doors, onto the patio and the cool night air immediately relaxed me. I pulled the door closed tight behind me and took a few steps towards the sand. The white water of the cresting waves shimmered in the moonlight. I smiled and shuffled towards the water as my toes skimmed through the sand. When my feet touched the wetness of the salty ocean I released a squeal of delight.
It was warm and I was surprised. I was reminded of the cold water of the New Jersey beaches. I saw myself as a child playing in the sand with other friends and then later as a teen enjoying the waves with friends. There was something about me that craved the smells, sounds and sights of the beach. I exhaled a big contented sigh and gingerly sat myself down at the water's edge. I wiggled my toes in the wet sand and let the water go in between my toes. I thought back to the events of tonight. The guys didn't seem surprised or nervous, only concerned for me. It just felt like this was something they were used to. Is this really my life? Ugh! What the hell am I going to do? I had a roller coaster life but didn't know who was operating the ride or who was supposed to be sitting next to me.
I thought about Morelli and his movie star good looks. I loved him and he was comforting, familiar. But I hated the way he called me Cupcake and he seemed to be a bit domineering. Then there was Ranger and I loved him too. I just couldn't help but think there was something wrong with our relationship. The whole conversation about not being emotionally distanced from me was weird. There was something I was missing about my relationship with him and I wasn't quite sure if it was good or bad. When I pictured the memory in my head he seemed unhappy to be emotionally involved. But here we were married and he had said we meant it.
What if I choose one and we move forward and then my memory returns completely and I am with the wrong guy? If I wait for my memory to come back, that may never happen. Maybe I should just ditch them both and start over with Luca. At least he won't expect me to remember anything about him. I laughed out loud at that thought.
"You okay Babe?" I jumped at the voice.
"Yeah." I quickly answered.
"Something must have been funny to make you laugh out loud." Ranger plopped down beside me.
"My life." I joked,
"Babe."
He slung an arm around my shoulders and I leaned into him. I noticed he was barefoot but he kept his toes away from the water. I used my left foot to wrap around the back of his right ankle and pulled the foot into the water. I wiggled my toes with his and heard him breathe out a quick laugh. Soon he extended his other leg and our toes were buried by the waves in the sand.
"I didn't mean to interrupt you. I just wanted to check on you." He spoke quietly.
"It's okay." I acknowledged.
"I meant it when I said I didn't want to pressure you and I am working very hard to answer every question you ask." He leaned into me.
"Why do you have to work hard to answer my questions?" I quirked my eyebrows.
"I'm a private person." He remarked.
"Oh." I paused. "Why are you doing it then? You shouldn't change just to help me."
"You're my wife. I would do anything for you." His words barely reached my ears.
I wanted to say a million things. I wanted to ask him what the hell that meant. Wasn't the marriage fake? A lie for the apprehension? But then he had said we meant it. This man was confusing. I wondered if I confused him. I decided it was no longer time for questions or deep thoughts. I just closed my eyes and enjoyed the silence. I felt his large hand gently stroke up and down my arm and I completely relaxed against him.
The music! That damn music! My head was pounding as I reached around to find the source of that music. I forced my eyes open and spotted the offending phone on the night stand. I leaped across the bed and grabbed it up into my hand before smashing down the answer key with my finger.
"What?" I growled.
"Cupcake. What's wrong? Are you okay?" It was Morelli.
"I was sleeping." I groaned.
"I forgot about the time change. It's almost noon here." He explained.
I forced one eye open and glanced at the clock's glowing numbers.
"It's not even seven here Morelli." I told him.
"Can you at least try to call me Joe?" His voice grew angry.
"What?" I was confused.
"Don't you realize what this is doing to me? I'm all alone back here having to deal with your friends and family and every other nosy gossip in the Burg asking me every day where are you and why aren't you with me. I am running out of excuses and frankly I am pretty tired of looking like the loser here." I could hear his temper.
"I'm coming home tonight. You knew the doctor said five days yet every time we talk you act surprised that I'm not on my way home." I was exasperated.
"Cupcake, you're supposed to be with me. Everyone is asking me about when you're coming home to be with me. I am your fiancée." He sounded calmer but there was still anger in his voice.
"By tomorrow morning you can just direct all calls and questions to me. Is that all?" I allowed my eyes to slowly open.
"No, that's not all. I miss you god damn it. I miss your face, your hair, your legs, your…" his mood was changing.
"I get it. You're just going to have to be patient because I still don't remember most of my life." I cut him off.
"Are you still keeping your promise?" He quickly asked.
"You've got to be kidding me. Am I a big liar or something? I gave you my word and I kept it so quit pestering me about it." I ordered.
"Let it go? So, I'm just supposed to sit here and do nothing while Manoso is trying to worm his way into your bed every minute of the day?" He breathed out long breath. "Stephanie, I don't know what he has told you about your relationship. He is your mentor and I will admit he is great at what he does. But, don't be fooled. He is not a relationship kind of guy. He has been trying to get into your pants for years. That's who he is. He's an opportunist and has no plans for any kind of commitment no matter what he's told you. I don't want him to talk you into something you will regret."
"I appreciate your concern Joe, but he's not pressuring me." I rolled my eyes.
We sat in silence and I inched my way up in the bed until I was resting my back against the headboard. I didn't see Ranger anywhere and I didn't even remember getting into bed last night. The last thing I remembered was being on the beach with him. Hopefully I had just fallen asleep and this wasn't a new memory loss.
"I'm sorry Steph. Listen, your mom's right here and she wants to talk to you. I told her you wanted to wait until you got back to see everyone but she insisted." He explained.
"Fine." I rubbed my eyes.
"Stephanie Plum? This is your mother." The voice at the other end announced.
I bit down on my lip to resist the urge to correct her that my name was now Manoso. I gave her a hum of acknowledgement for her to go on.
"You need to get home to Joseph and to your family. Do you know what everyone's saying? Everyone thinks you ran off with that murderer. Women are going to be coming out of the woodwork to try to snatch Joseph up while they think he is available again." She was insistent.
"Murderer?" I asked.
"Yeah, that man in black. I know what they say about him. Joseph told me about his business. You just need to come home and fix this before you end up alone forever." She commanded.
"So, all you do is listen to gossip? If he's so bad why did Joe leave me here with him?" I asked.
"He has a job Stephanie. A very important job. He can't just drop everything to bail you out every time you get yourself involved in one of your typical disasters. Some people still believe in trying to make a living by doing the right thing and upholding the law rather than breaking it." She went on.
"Why are you yelling at me?" I asked her.
"Someone needs to talk some sense into you. Joseph was very upset when he came over this morning." She informed me.
"Oh, was he?" I sat up.
"Steph. Steph, it's not like that." Joe was back on the phone.
"I have a headache. I need to get up and take a pill." I announced.
"What time is your flight coming in?" He asked.
"I don't know." I told him.
"What airline?" He inquired.
"I don't know." I repeated.
"Steph, I want to pick you up from the airport. I need to see you. Don't you think you owe me? I let you stay there with him." Morelli pestered.
"You let me?" I nearly screamed "You let me?"
"Cupcake, come on. I didn't mean it like that." He lowered his voice.
"I'll call you when I'm home." I dismissed him.
"Home? My house? Your parent's house?" He questioned.
"Home to Trenton." I disconnected.
I hopped out of the bed and threw open the patio doors. I trekked across the sand and made it almost all the way to the water before I exploded into a loud scream. It wasn't like a horror movie I'm about to get killed scream. It was more of a growling I hate presumptuous pompous assholes kind of scream. I squeezed my hands so tightly I felt my fingernails dig into my palms and I may or may not have allowed myself to jump up and down a couple of times like a toddler throwing a fit.
"Stephanie?" There was a voice to my left.
"Kill me now." I muttered.
"I'd be happy to lend you an ear but I try to avoid that whole suicide by cop thing." Luca moved closer to me.
I glanced down quickly to see what I was wearing and happily relaxed when I saw that Ranger had changed me into boxer shorts along with his t-shirt instead of just panties. Well, I was assuming it was Ranger or else things were going to be pretty awkward if Lester or Tank changed me.
"I'm fine." I forced a smile.
"Estephania." Hector called out.
I turned to see him back on the patio waving to me. Tank walked out behind him and quickly crossed his arms. Ranger and Lester were nowhere to be found. Where the hell was Ranger? I felt uneasy if I was away from him for too long. Luca's head twisted back and forth looking between me and the guys.
"I'll be right there." I hollered to Hector.
"Uhm, I don't mean to be a dick but I won't be able to sleep if I don't ask you." Luca hesitated. "Are you being held against your will?"
I laughed. "No. I am being taken care of by my very best friends while I try to get my memory back."
"Yeah, I heard you telling the cops about your car accident. I'm glad you're okay." He stepped away from me.
"Yeah, I'm lucky." I shrugged.
"You have no idea." He said softly.
*************************THANK YOU************************************
Thank you for your amazing review Donna!
Thank you Vulcan Rider for the long and thoughtful review.
Luv you Jenn! You complete me!
