Disclaimer: All characters belong to Janet Evanovich. This story is intended purely as entertainment for myself and others.
A/N: We all know Hector only speaks Spanish, but for the purposes of this story and my limited time, he is now bilingual. Thank you all so much for the continued reviews! They mean so much to me. Thanks to FairTaxGirl for reviewing this chapter for me. You're the best, Babe!
Previously:
Once my breathing calmed, I raised myself up until our foreheads were touching and said, "I'm so in love with you." Ranger gave me a huge smile and said, "I know the feeling, Babe."
Looking for Me? Chapter 11
Ranger and I were still wrapped together on the sofa. He was drawing circles on my back and I was content to stay there as long as possible. Who knew Ranger would make such a comfortable chair? Of course, it could have something to do with the bone-melting orgasm I just had.
Ranger eventually shifted me to his side and leaned my head against his chest. "When would you like to start your training?" I thought about it and said, "Well, I want to give Vinnie some notice. Connie and Lula would kill me if they got stuck with Joyce until someone new was hired." Ranger chuckled and said, "You know, you don't have to wait until you're officially at RangeMan to begin your training. Hector could come with you and you can have field training while you're still with Vinnie. It's not the way we usually do things, but you're not a novice bounty hunter either."
I thought about this and realized it would help me delay the painful gym work he probably had planned for me. "That sounds great. My skips always come more peacefully when I have a Merry Man with me." I sighed and said, "Connie and Lula will be on me like bloodhounds when I walk in the door tomorrow. They'll want to know every detail of our trip. Heaven help me when I give my notice and tell them I'm going to work for you full-time and move in with you."
Ranger chuckled and said, "I could go with you. Maybe they would take it easier on you." I laughed and said, "Batman, you'd never be the same after that inquisition. I can't do that to you." We laughed and Ranger said, "I wish I could stay, but we've got a late night take-down planned." I sighed and moved away from him and we both started getting dressed.
Ranger moved towards the door, drew me in for a kiss and said, "You know, we didn't discuss when you would move in with me." I cleared my throat and said, "I need to give notice here and pack. I don't know yet what I'll do with my furniture. Your place doesn't need any and it wouldn't go with the rest of your furniture anyway."
"We can put the furniture in storage for right now until you decide what you want to do. When you're ready, I'll bring some of the guys with me and we can probably have you moved in a few hours." He gave me another lingering kiss and said, "Lock the doors. I'll have Hector pick you up at 9:00 tomorrow" and he was gone.
After my Ranger-induced orgasm, I slept like the dead. I actually woke up by myself at 7:00. I was ready and waiting when Hector arrived at 8:45. He at least came bearing gifts. He had two Boston creams and a large coffee. A man after my own heart. He sat at the table while I ate and I told him about the general plan for the day. We needed to go to the bonds office and pick up any new files and look for the FTA's. It's my everyday standard plan. It never works.
Hector and I took his black RangeMan Explorer to the bonds office and he bravely accompanied me inside. I had told him what to expect, but he assured me he wasn't worried. "Chica, I have 6 sisters. This is nothing new."
We walked inside and all activity stopped. Lula was eating donut that she dropped. Her mouth was hanging wide open. She was in pink mode today. She had on a pink spandex dress, with pink high heels. She'd also put small pink streaks in her hair around her face. I actually thought her hair looked great. Connie was sitting at her desk, on the phone. She looked to be in the middle of a sentence, but just sat the phone down. She and Lula seemed to take a collective breath and said as one, "We want some answers!" Lula took over and said, "Don't you try to tell us nothing happened this weekend. You look like you've been rode hard and put up satisfied!"
Hector and I were only one step inside the door. I turned to run and he leaned into me and said, "It's better to get it over with now. It'll just get worse. Don't worry, I've got your back." He grinned like he thought it was hilarious that I was about to have to spill about Ranger's and my personal life. I never liked giving details about my love life and Ranger didn't give details about anything. His breakfast was classified for God's sake.
I took a deep breath, turned around and walked over to the couch to sit next to Lula. She had only two words for me, "Spill. Now." I sighed and said, "We had a great weekend." This would never work. I could see Connie turning red. "AND?" she said. I looked over at Hector and he was trying to hide a smile. His face got serious when I glared at him. "And, I'm moving in with him and going to work for RangeMan full-time. Hector is going to train me."
They were speechless. They stared at me like I had grown a third breast. I stood up, walked to Connie's desk, said, "Files, please." Connie automatically handed me three files. I gave them a finger wave, took Hector's arm and got the hell out of there. When we made it back to the truck, I finally felt like I could breathe. I picked up my purse to find my phone and turn it off before Connie and Lula regained their powers of speech. I looked everywhere, but couldn't find it. "Hector, would you mind stopping back by my apartment? I think I left my phone."
When we got to my parking lot, I told Hector I would be right back, but he shook his head and followed me in anyway. As we were walking down the hall towards my door, Hector suddenly put out an arm to stop me and drew his gun. I looked and saw a white package sitting outside my door. This can't be good. Hector motioned for me to stay back, walked to my door and stood looking at the package with his gun pointed straight at it. I guess he was satisfied that it wasn't going to shoot at him, because he put his ear to my door and listened for a moment. He then took out a lock pick and opened the door quickly and silently. Hello! Standing right here with a key!
Hector came back in less than a minute and said only, "All clear." He took a pair of gloves out of his pocket and picked up the package. He looked around the hallway again and motioned me inside. He sat the package, which looked like butcher paper, on my kitchen table and opened it slowly. Inside was a dead fish. Shit, even I knew this one. I am Italian after all. Somebody wants me dead.