Chapter 10

Jase stood up and stretched languidly. He crossed in front of Ranger and Stephanie, picked up his gear and then paused behind the chair. "Where am I sleeping?"

Ranger held Stephanie's eyes while answering Jase. "The office."

"I'll leave you to it. I'm gonna run through the shower."

Both Stephanie and Ranger were silent as Jase left the room. Neither spoke as they heard him shuffle around in the office. When they heard the bathroom door close and the shower running, Stephanie stood from her perch on Ranger's lap.

Looking down at Ranger she asked, "What was he talking about?"

Ranger tipped his head back on the chair and closed his eyes. "A subcutaneous biometric tracker."

"And that is…"

"A specialized tracking device that's inserted beneath the skin."

"They exist?"

"Not officially."

"But unofficially?"

He sighed, "They exist."

"And?"

Leaning forward, elbows on knees, he pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. "I have two in the medical supply bin."

"For Julie and me," she guessed. At Ranger's affirmative nod she dropped to the couch across from him. "What about you?"

He furrowed his brow. "What about me?"

"Do you have one of those—things implanted in you?"

"No."

She let out a hallow laugh. "But I need one?"

"Babe."

"What about me?"

"What about you?"

She let out an aggravated sigh. "What if something happens to you?"

"Nothing's going to happen to me."

"Just like nothing's going to happen to me?"

The door to the bathroom opened and Jase stepped out wearing nothing but a pair of black track pants and dog tags. Stephanie caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye. She would have thought he was beautiful if he wasn't such an asshole. She looked back at Ranger and found him watching her.

Jase plopped down on the sofa next to Steph. "So did you kids work things out?"

Steph scooted down the couch to put some space between them. "Where's it go?"

Ranger just held her eyes and didn't answer. Jase looked back and forth between the two. He cleared his throat and said, "The device?" At Stephanie's nod he answered, "Fleshy part of the inside of your upper arm. It's a single rod that resembles a birth control implant. It's not obvious, but when you push down on the skin around it, it can be felt. You don't already have a birth control implant, do you?"

Flicking her eyes to Ranger, Steph said, "No."

"When's your period?"

At Stephanie's incredulous face he added, "I could insert an actual three year birth control implant next to it at the same time." Shifting his focus to Ranger, he said, "Do you have one in your medical supply bin?" Ranger shook his head minutely. Jase turned back to Stephanie. "But you usually insert the birth control implant on the first through fifth day of your period."

Stephanie flushed. "I'm on the pill."

Shaking his head, Jase frowned. "Not smart. If you get abducted, do you think they're gonna pack you a toiletry bag? The pill's a shitty choice for you. You get kidnapped, you miss pills, you ovulate and your psycho rapist makes you a mommy."

Ranger stood up and left the room.

Stephanie watched him go and then turned back to Jase. "Why are you such an asshole?"

Leaning back into the couch, Jase stacked his hands behind his head and said, "I'm not here to be your friend or give you platitudes. He knows that. I don't know what the hell the two of you have done over the last three years besides fuck, because Carlos sure as shit hasn't prepared you for this kind of life."

"I told you it's complicated."

Jase rolled his eyes and stood up. "Do we have any alcohol?" When she didn't answer, he strolled to the kitchen and said, "No, no, no—don't get up, Princess."

He came back out of the kitchen swigging a beer. Setting the bottle on the dining table, he crossed to the storage cabinets and started rooting around. After a minute, he found the medical supply bin and pulled it out. Another few seconds of digging produced a medium sized, sealed surgical pack and a box of latex gloves.

Reaching back into the bin, he pulled out something that looked like Betadine and another bottle of clear gel. He looked back at Steph expectantly.

She squeaked, "You want to do it now?"

"He leaves tomorrow night."

Without answering, Steph stood and headed down the hall in search of Ranger. She found him in their bedroom closet going through his various weapons and ammo, choosing some things, discarding others. Once inside she closed the door and leaned against it.

She knew he was aware of her presence, but he kept working as if she wasn't there.

"You're leaving tomorrow night?"

Ranger paused a moment, his back to her. "Yes."

She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, tipping her temple against his back. "Do you want me to—?"

She felt him heave a sigh before he put the weapon in his hand down. Turning, he cupped her face in his hands. She saw nothing but hollowness and regret in his eyes.

He said, "I've let you down."

"No."

Bending until his forehead touched hers, he whispered, "Yes."

"No, you've always taken care of me, you've always kept me safe."

"Babe, if I had taken care of you the way I should, you wouldn't have had so many close calls."

"So…"

He closed his eyes when he said, "I want you to let him implant the tracker."

"You can't do it for me?"

"If I had to."

"I'd rather you did it."

"Let Jase do it. I don't want to hurt you."

She could hear the implication in his voice. He didn't want to be the cause of any more pain. He'd hurt her enough unintentionally. "Okay."

He let out the breath he'd been holding and stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. Giving her a nudge, he backed her into the door and pressed her against it. Lowering his mouth to hers, he grazed her lips with his once, twice, before pulling back a fraction and whispering, "Te amo."

Her heart stuttered as she absorbed the depth of his words. Every moment between them, every look, every kiss, every gesture and action rushed through her body, giving her the strength to return the words back to him. She blinked and a single tear rolled down her cheek. "I love you, too."

He stilled. "Do you?"

She turned her head slightly, kissed the center of his palm and nodded once.

Brushing her hair away from her face, he studied her eyes, looking for truth. Finding what he was looking for, his eyes softened as he leaned down and kissed her forehead tenderly. They stood like that for only a moment before he turned to resume his preparations.

Just as Stephanie was reaching for the doorknob, Ranger said, "I need you to make a decision while I'm gone."

Even though his back was to her, she nodded easily, thinking he wanted her to decide on a better birth control option or perhaps he wanted her to consider giving up her apartment and moving in with him at Rangeman. At one time, both topics would have seemed intrusive and pushy. Now they just seemed like practical issues.

In a low voice he said, "It's all or nothing, Stephanie."

"What?"

He turned back towards her. His face was blank but his eyes nearly pinned her to the door. "All or nothing."

"I don't understand."

"As long as we're together, hell, as long as we're in the same town, I put you at risk."

"I'm being trained."

"It's not enough."

"What would be enough? It seems like nothing is ever-"

"Everything Jase said is true. You would have to be properly trained. Not by me. You would have to give up your apartment. You would have to belong to me fully for me to be able to protect you the way I need to. You would have to accept a security detail whenever you're not with me. You'd have to be willing-"

"Did you just say I would have to belong to you fully? What the hell does that mean?"

Narrowing his eyes, he said, "If you can't live with it, I suggest you make the other choice."

She folded her arms over her chest. "What's the other choice?"

"I disappear from your life."

"Is that a threat?"

He locked his jaw and looked off to the side just long enough to keep his temper in check. Bringing his eyes back to her, he said, "It's a fact. I can't be in your life in any capacity and not bring risk to you. And I can't protect you in half measures."

"So you would just leave me."

He stared at her unblinkingly. "I would leave. I'd have to."

"That makes no sense!"

"Stephanie, the only two ways I can keep you safe are to absorb you entirely into my life or to expel you completely out of it."

She choked out a laugh as she turned and began opening the door. "How romantic."

An instant later he was pressed into her back, the door slamming closed once again.

He rasped in her ear, "I'm trying to be honorable, Stephanie."

Feeling dominated and not liking it one bit, she wiggled against him.

He pushed his groin into her ass and grasped onto a fistful of her hair. "There's nothing romantic about this life. You have to choose."

She choked out, "Why does it have to be like this?"

"Why do you think I've pushed you away so many times?"

She sniffed and tugged her hair out of his grasp. "What … what time are you leaving tomorrow?"

"After dark. Maybe nine or ten." He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. "I should only be gone a week at most. Even when I call and give the all clear, I want you to stay and wait for me. Can you do that?"

She nodded as best she could with her head pressed against the door.

"Will that give you enough time to decide?"

"Yes."

"Because if you don't choose, I will. You may not like the decision I make for you."

Stephanie wandered out to the living area and found Jase watching the news. She cleared her throat to get his attention. "Where do you want me?"

He didn't look up. "The bed, I guess." He aimed the remote at the TV, shutting it off. "It's easier to implant if you're laying on your back with your arm relaxed and to the side."

She nodded and made her way toward the bedroom, pulling her sweatshirt over her head as she walked. When she entered the room, Ranger was stuffing essentials into a duffle on the bed.

Tossing her sweatshirt on the floor, she eyed Ranger's bag and said, "We need the bed."

He arched his brow at her standing there in her snug tank top and then at Jase as he walked in carrying his supplies. Ranger moved his duffle to the floor as Jase placed his items on the dresser.

Jase took a deep breath in and said, "Smells like sex in here."

Stephanie muttered, "You're a pig," as she straightened the sheets and the comforter. "Don't you need to wash your hands or something?"

Jase held up a bottle of antibacterial hand sanitizer. "I'm good. All right Princess, assume the position."

"Knock it off, Jase," Ranger growled.

Stephanie reclined on the center of the bed and extended her left arm. Jase stepped over and lifted her arm and placed a sterile drape underneath. Then he swabbed her skin with antiseptic.

Watching him work, Stephanie said, "Are you going to numb me?"

"I can. But the procedure itself only takes a minute."

She saw him coming at her with a device similar to a gun used to pierce ears. She shut her eyes.

Grasping her wrist gently, he positioned her arm to his liking. The bed dipped beside her and she felt Ranger take hold of her other hand, offering her a moment of comfort, an anchor. When she felt the nose of the device press against her skin, she gritted her teeth.

Jase said, "Stephanie, do you take Carlos to be your lawful-"

Ranger bit out, "Shut the fuck up, Jase."