Chapter 13- Twenty Four Years old (Part two)
We couldn't turn up any leads on the person who sent me the flowers, but at Carlos' insistence I made sure Detective Barron was aware of the situation. With Carlos finally home for good, things were moving fast for our little company. Lester went over the bond apprehension laws for New Jersey with the guys to make sure they all understood how to handle things. Bobby was charged with over seeing the construction going on inside the newly purchased building. Carlos had received help from my father in expediting the applications for all five men to receive their concealed carry licenses.
Carlos, Bobby, Lester, Tank and I were all now partners along with my dad. We had Vince as our first official hire. The guys were spreading word through their military contacts looking for more guys. The Bounty Hunter business was going well for us and bringing in great money. We still hadn't picked out a name, but Carlos assured everyone we would know it before we opened our doors.
I had no big cases going on at the moment. I was spending time researching for the Trenton PD twice a week and reviewing cold cases with the FBI office once a week. I was excited when Carlos presented us with a new high risk bond. The money would be another big step in launching our company. This bond was for a gang member. He was with the Slayers and wanted for four charges of rape and three counts of aggravated assault as well as one count of first degree murder.
"I'll never understand how he got out on bail." Lester shook his head
"The system doesn't always work I guess." I teased him as he rolled his eyes.
"What gang banger has that kind of money?" Vince was curious.
"The Slayers are just coming to Trenton. They have a big population in California and Florida." Tank explained
"What's our cut?" Bobby asked
"$100k." Carlos announced
"Wow." Tank let out a whistle
"We need this." Lester nodded
"It would be a big boost for the company." Tank nodded
"And a chance to get our name out on the streets." Carlos nodded
"What's the plan?" I asked
"There is a bar called Lil Tommy's. It's a Slayer hang out. I have been checking it out and seems he shows up Thursday and Friday nights every week." Vince informed them.
"A distraction?" I nodded
"Babe" Carlos shot me a sideways glance
"It's the best way." I assured him
"She's right." Tank agreed
"How do we get a bartender into that bar?" Lester asked
"She'll have to go for the Coronas again. We haven't established ourselves enough yet to encourage owners to allow us to do that." Tank explained.
"What's the name?" I asked
"Anton Ward" Lester read from the paper
"When do we go?" I asked
Carlos heaved out a big sigh and then relented and nodded his head.
"Let's get it over with as soon as possible." Lester suggested
"Tomorrow is Thursday." I offered
"Tomorrow it is." Carlos nodded
"We're going to be spread thin. There are front and back doors. There is also a basement with a side entrance." Tank explained
"Plan?" Bobby asked
"You and Lester front door. Tank and I back door. Vince on the side door." Carlos explained.
"No one inside?" Lester asked
"Inside man could get stuck in the crowd. We will have a mic on her so we can get to her if we hear any problem." Tank explained
"We need more staff." Carlos shook his head
"We could put an ad in the paper." I teased
"Hell no." Bobby smiled
"No?" Vince asked
"Referrals or hand picked guys only." Carlos stated
We went our separate ways after the guys got their plan together. Carlos and I went back to the apartment with Lester. I was sure Carlos was not thrilled to share our place with Les but it made sense to conserve money for the business. Tank was sharing his small place with Vince and Bobby. They had set up two sets of bunk beds in the one bedroom apartment. When Carlos and I were alone in bed that night he expressed his concerns.
"I hate using you as bait." he sighed
He pulled me tight against him and I rested my head on his chest.
"It needs to be done. While I love you I feel the need to remind you that I am trained." I stated
"It's not your skills. It's like being the best driver in the world. You can only control so much. You can't account for road conditions or other drivers." he tried to explain
"I understand, but I trust my back up." I tried to assure him.
"I still don't like it and I'll still worry." he kissed the top of my head.
"I worry about you too you know." I turned to look up at him.
"I am cocky enough to not worry about myself." he winked
"Just don't stop caring about yourself by putting me above you." I warned
"You're always going to be first Babe. I can't change that." he pulled me tighter against him.
I began to move my hand that was resting on his chest. I felt the toned muscle of his broad chest before moving my hand down lower.
***************************SMUT***********************
I heard Carlos gasp as my hand slid to his abs. I rubbed circles around his tight and muscular abdomen. As I moved it I counted and felt eight separate protruding muscles. He was taking deep breaths with a whisper of a moan on each exhale. I had complete access because he always slept in the nude. I moved my hand lower and to the side. I outlined the V shape that connected to his thigh. I slid my hand down to massage his thigh and he gave out a louder moan. Finally I moved my hand to the exact place I knew he wanted me to touch. I didn't start gentle. I gripped his hard thick muscle and applied pressure.
"Ahh" he whispered
I slowly moved my hand up and down his hard shaft. He kept one arm wrapped around me as the other reached across his body. He placed his hand on my breast over my tank top and gently massaged me. I was eager to feel him inside of me and my body was more than ready to receive him. I was done with the foreplay and anxious to get to the main event. I let go of him and took off my shorts. I moved to straddle him and watched to see his eyes grown wide. I wasn't usually the one to take control but tonight I needed it. I moved my hips back and forth. I was teasing him as I rubbed against his hardness. He reached out and tugged my tank over my head.
"Mmm" I moaned when he his hands moved to gently massage both breasts as his thumb teased my hardened nipples. It had been over a month since we had been intimate and all I could think about was him being inside me. I moved my body up and arched my back. I slowly slid down and he pushed up. I moved slowly torturing us both. Each inch of him slid inside my hot core. We both moaned out.
"Carlos wait." I stopped him "I don't want Les to hear."
"Not a problem." he growled
He reached up and grabbed the back of my neck. He pulled me down until our lips met. He held my head there and kissed me. My tongue pushed into his mouth and our kiss deepened. His other hand moved to my lower back and he held me tight to him. I ground myself against him, enjoying the pressure from his pelvic bone. It didn't take long for me to go flying over the edge. He kept our lips pressed tight together as I moaned into his mouth. I rocked back and forth to extend my pleasure. It felt so good. I wanted to throw my head back. I wanted to scream out. Instead I allowed my moans to be captured by his mouth and strong lips. My body shuddered as the pleasure pulsated through my center. Carlos grabbed the back of my hair and pulled me away from the kiss. I opened my eyes to look into his.
"Damn I've missed you" he told me
"I missed you so much." I purred
I felt the tingle and the fire and my body was begging for release again. I controlled the pace that would bring me over the edge for the second time. I was so close to my second Carlos induced orgasm my body was aching for the next release. Damn, I was a lucky woman. What were those women on TV and in the movies complaining about? My husband was always amazing. He always put me first. The only time I was disappointed in my sex life was when he was away.
"Carlos." I hissed out the s.
"Let go Babe." he ordered
"Yes." I moaned
My moans became louder. He pulled me back down to his mouth and swallowed my screams. He groaned and pushed his body up driving himself in deeper. I exploded. I tried to pull my mouth away to scream out but he held me tight to him. He pressed down hard on my lower back and drove up into me harder. His fast and deep motions only prolonged my pleasure. He released my head and used both hands to hold me tight to him. I couldn't even concentrate on the kiss any more. I knew my moans of pleasure were getting louder as I felt yet another release building. I wondered for a second how this was possible. My friends complained about trying to have one orgasm before their man finished. Here I was about to be rocked with my third.
"Fuck" he groaned out
"Oh my God yes." I breathed out.
I placed open mouth kisses on his neck. By the time I got to his shoulder I lost all control. He relentlessly pounded into me as my body throbbed. I felt my core tighten and squeeze his length. He thrust us both into a shattering release. I bit down on his shoulder and he growled as he exploded inside me. I could feel the hot liquid shoot inside of me with each thrust as he slowed his movements. I ground against him and he thrust up into me as my body continued to milk his thick member. We were both breathing heavy as our bodies slowed until we were still. We remained locked together as his hands stroked up and down my back.
"You have no idea how much I love you." I told him in a hoarse whisper
"Not half as much as I love you." he responded
I rested the entire weight of my body against him. I sighed out in pleasure as a smile spread across my face. I tightened my muscles with his shaft still inside me.
"Playing with fire." he warned
"My body already feels like I am on fire." I explained
"You are so warm." he moved inside me and I moaned.
**********************************END SMUT*******************************
"I can't believe you freaking bit me." he chuckled
"I'm sorry." I laughed not at all sorry.
He pulled my hair gently lifting my head away from his chest. Our eyes met and he kissed my lips once, twice, three times before he gently pulled me off of him. I got up and took my sore body across the room to use the bathroom.
"Moving a little slow there Babe." he teased
"It's your fault." I smiled and he laughed
"Damn Babe you ruined me." he exhaled
"I ruined you?" I laughed and closed the door to take care of my business.
"Come here." he called me back to him as soon as I emerged from the door.
I quickly crossed the room and slid in beside him. He pulled me tight up against him and I wrapped my arm across his chest. He wrapped an arm around me and placed his free hand over mine.
"Tell me how I ruined you." I ordered
"Babe."
"Well?" I waited
"Being around all of these guys all the time." he began "They talk."
"What do they talk about?" I questioned
"The usual guy stuff and..." he trailed off
"And?" I asked
"So many of these guys are either doing the one night stands or cheating on their wives and girlfriends. They all want to blame it on the military life." I could feel him shaking his head.
"Do you uhm...do you wish you had sowed your oats?" I squeezed my eyes closed tightly.
"Not for one second." he kissed the top of my head.
"You don't ever wish you had more partners? More experience so you would know just exactly how I have ruined you?" I tried to tease.
"I am quite sure my men and even some friends wouldn't believe me if I told them I have only been with one woman." he announced
"Me being with only you is acceptable?" I questioned
He shrugged "We just both realized we didn't need to experiment when we had perfection already." he explained.
I sighed
"Babe?"
"What if one day you wonder what you might be missing?" I asked
"Greener grass?" he asked as I nodded
"There's a saying about that." he paused "You may think the grass is greener on the other side but if you take the time to water your own grass it would be just as green."
"I am said grass?" I asked
He kissed the top of my head again.
"I plan to spend the rest of our lives taking care of my lawn. Making sure it receives sunlight, fresh soil and water. I don't even need to glance over the fence for inspiration. I know I have the best yard with the greenest grass." he teased
"I don't know what's weirder. You describing me as grass or me feeling all mushy about it." I smiled
"I love you." I felt his soft chuckle
I was all dressed up and ready to go. Instead of a sexy dress I was wearing a sexy denim skirt and a simple tank top. Underrated sexy seemed to be the proper wardrobe for the evening for a gang banger bar. I had decided right then that I would make sure there was a wardrobe budget added to the final company plans. Carlos wanted our entire team to always be outfitted in black. This would make us look more uniform and professional. Much like the military.
I certainly wouldn't wear any type of military uniform into the bar. But I also would never wear this denim skirt in my day to day life. It barely covered my ass but was perfect for a distraction job. Everyone was in position as I entered the bar. I won't lie and say I wasn't nervous about no inside guy. I was trying to build up my own courage.
I am well trained. My husband was the first to train me in using a gun and taught me self-defense. I passed the FBI's crazy hard training program. I also had to remind myself that I was wearing a wire and could easily call for help. I know my husband would rather me be safe than catch the skip. There is a part of me that wants to prove myself to the other guys. I sat down at the bar and waited for the bartender.
The bartender was bent over doing something under the bar. When he stood up he looked up at me and froze. He stared as me as if he knew me. He walked slowly as he got closer to me and leaned on the bar. Another second of silence before he shook his head like he was trying to wake himself up or regain his composure.
"What can I get you?" he asked
"Corona please." I smiled
"What's a skinny white girl like you doing in a place like this?" he asked me as he brought back my drink.
I shrugged my shoulders. "Looked like a fun place."
When he didn't respond I spoke again. "What's a nice guy like you doing here?"
"Nice guy?" he asked
"Sure." I smiled "You seem nice to me."
"Not something I have ever been accused of." the ends of his mouth slightly tipped up.
"Just be careful Angelito. Watch your back here. " he warned me
I looked up into his face. He had two tear drop tattoos under his eye. He had dark chocolate eyes and short brown hair that was buzzed on the sides. He was muscular but not as big as my Carlos. He was shorter and had a narrow waist. He looked really freaking scary but he was really nice to me. It was an interesting contradiction. I know I should fear him but instead I was drawn to him. He made me smile and he looked like he needed a hug.
"Hey Sexy. Let me buy you a drink." a guy moved up next to me.
"No thanks." I told him
"Bitch, I didn't want to hang out with you anyway whore." he said before walking away.
The bartender was over the bar quicker than I could blink. He grabbed the guy by the back of his shirt and spun him around. He whispered something and I watched as the guy in his hands pissed his pants. He carried the guy to the front door and tossed him out. He brushed his hands together like he was wiping something off and then headed back behind the bar to grab a mop. He mopped up the mess and then disappeared into a back room.
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Gang bangers were just as bad as the guidos at the shore. Tell them yes and you are awesome. Tell them no and there is something wrong with you. It's never acceptable for a women not to be attracted to you or just not be in the mood for company I guess. What was up with that bartender though? I appreciated his response but it seemed just a little bit over the top. I looked up at the mirror in front of me and scanned the room. The door opened and in walked Ward. He had a red bandanna hanging out of his front jeans pocket. He was surrounded by other guys with the same bandannas.
I took a deep breath and spun around on my chair. I crossed my legs and leaned back against the bar. I nursed my drink as I surveyed the room. I watched Ward walk around greeting his friends with fist bumps. He was presented with a beer and then cast his eyes around the bar. His attention finally settled on me. He smiled at me and I returned it. He motioned with his head for me to come to him. I decided it was important to feed his ego so I got onto my feet and walked over to where he stood.
"You looking for something new tonight pretty baby?" he asked me
I shrugged. "What did you have in mind?"
"Oh baby I could rock your world." he looked me up and down.
"I'm not convinced." I took a step away from him.
"Oh really?" he looked surprised.
I was debating on how to play this. Do I walk back to the bar and hope he chases me? Do I just keep the flirting going until I can get him outside? I needed to figure out how to handle him. I glanced around like I was looking to see if there was anything better and then settled my eyes back on him.
"You'll do." I kept my face blank
"I'll do?" he laughed "Little white girl looking to walk on the wild side for the night."
"Maybe" I stayed non-committal
"I can guarantee a night with me would be beyond any wild dream you ever had. I'm willing to make sure you have a real good time pretty baby." he smirked
"Big talker." I returned his smirk
"I'm all about the action pretty baby." he took a step towards me
He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me tightly against him. Yuk! He smelled like alcohol and cigarettes and like he needed a shower. He pulled me closer and I buried my head into his neck to avoid the chance of him kissing me. I gave him a fake moan and wiggled my body to try to convince him that I was interested. He moved a hand down and cupped my ass. He squeezed hard and I gasped.
"Not here" I tried to sound sexy
"Let's go to my truck Baby. The back seats lay down like a bed." he wiggled his eyebrows.
I nodded and moaned as he steered me away from his friends. As I noticed us heading towards the back door I remembered I needed to announce it so the guys would hear through the wire and know where to expect him. Instead of pressing his hand to the small of my back like Carlos would do he swatted my ass to push me forward.
"Va a doblar esta perra mas" he yelled back to his friends "Volvere cuando ella este rota." (Going to bend this bitch over) (I will be back when she's broken)
His friends all laughed at whatever he had told them. I wasn't surprised to hear him speak Spanish. Most of the gangs in Trenton were well versed in Spanish. This prevented anyone using the language to surprise another gang.
"The back door?" I asked as he moved me forward.
"I could hit that too." he chuckled as he slapped my ass again
Ugh! No butt stuff! I tried not to sigh. I focused on the few more steps it would take before we hit the back door. I kept focusing on the fact that Tank and Carlos were waiting just outside that door for us. Just a few more steps and my guys would have Ward. We were less than six feet from the door when he wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me into a small room. He slammed the door behind us and both arms locked around my waist as he cupped both of my cheeks in his hands.
"No" I yelled
I put my hands against his shoulders and pushed him slightly. I was hesitant to use any stronger moves that may hurt this young punk. As I struggled with him I remembered he had several rape charges against him. I stacked two fingers and tapped his jugular notch. He gave out a gag and grabbed at his neck. I didn't hit him hard enough for any real damage. It was only to stun. I went to move around him to escape when I felt his fist connect with my cheek. No matter how much you know or how well you are trained you typically can do nothing against a sucker punch. I went down.
I reached out and punched him right between the legs. He let out a groan, grabbed at his crotch and bent over. Suddenly there was light and I blinked my eyes to see. It was the bartender. He looked murderous. He grabbed Ward out of the small cleaning closet and held him in the air. He pulled back and slammed his fist into Ward's temple. Anton Ward would be on the ground if the bartender hadn't been holding him up.
The man glanced at me and suddenly tossed Ward out of the room and onto the floor. He crouched in front of me and brought the back of his hand up to brush my cheek. When I winced in pain he froze. His eyes were sad and his expression pained.
"Angelito." he whispered
There was yelling and loud voices. I could hear my husband. Gun out and pointed at the bartender.
"WAIT!" I yelled as Carlos froze.
The man never turned around to see he was in danger. His eyes didn't leave mine. I covered his hand with mine. When I moved to get to my feet he reached a hand under each arm pit and pulled me to my feet. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a hug. Before I could protest he pulled away and gave me a smile.
"What's going on Babe?" Carlos asked calmly
"This man saved me. He helped me." I explained
"Carlos Manoso." He held out his hand to the man
"Hector Alvarez" the bartender shook Carlos' hand
"Thank you." my husband nodded to the man
"De nada." Hector told him (you're welcome)
I moved around the men to escape the claustrophobic feeling of the small room. I watched Bobby and Vince cuff Ward and quietly lead him out the back door. Hector closed the door and stood taking in my appearance. His eyes went to my cheek and he slowly shook his head.
"Un hombre nunca debe poner las manos sobre una mujer." Hector said softly. (A man should never put hands on a woman.)
"Como se conoce Estephania?" Carlos asked him (How do you know Stephanie)
"En orta vita." Hector answered him (In another life)
"Tus marcas?" Carlos questioned the man (your marks)
"Los dos hombres que mataron y mataron a mi hermana." Hector sounded barely in control of his words (The two men who raped and murdered my sister)
"Como te siento por tu peridia." Ranger nodded (I'm sorry for your loss)
"English?" I finally asked
"Sorry Babe" Carlos wrapped his arm around my waist
Bobby came in the back door and studied my face. He handed me an ice pack before he left. A man approached us and looked Hector up and down.
"You hit a customer. You're not at the bar. I'm losing money here. You're fired. Effective immediately." the man told Hector
"Si" Hector nodded to the man (yes)
I looked at Carlos and then back at Hector. When I turned to Carlos again he nodded.
"Hector? Would you be interested in working for a security company? We're just starting out and most of our current work is in bond enforcement but I think you would like it. We would hire you on a thirty day trial and of course we need to run background checks." I told him
He shook his head no "Prison."
"That's in your past." I assured him
"I owe you for protecting my wife tonight. She is the most important person in the world to me and I owe you." Carlos told him
"Serving in prison doesn't mean anything to us. You've done your time. We look at who you are today, not who you were in your past." I assured him
Hector looked back and forth between us and thought about it for a few seconds before he nodded.
"Si, I will try." he agreed (yes)
I smiled and threw my arms around his neck. I kissed his cheek before pulling away. His eyes were wide with surprise and his body was stiff.
"Thank you. I can't imagine what might have happened to me without you. I am excited for you to join our team. " I patted his shoulder
"You did fine Angelito." he told me (little angel)
When Carlos and I got into the car I asked him about his conversation with Hector. I felt sorry for him that he had lost his sister. I accepted his tear drops and understood the reason behind them. I owed this man a great deal of gratitude. I may have had things under control in the last moment but things could have gone bad again quickly.
Hector passed all background checks and quickly became a part of the team. I had to learn to deal with his protective nature. It seemed I reminded him of his sister Mariana. He felt our meeting was fate and he was destined to protect me. At times it proved to be smothering but Carlos was thrilled to have someone else watching my back. Hector was also very useful when we needed information from gang members. It was through him we had discovered our little company had already made a name for itself.
When searching for skips the men were a little over the top. They made sure to show off their most intimidating side. Even Lester was able to put fear into many informants and skips. Carlos accepted jobs from local landlords that wanted drug dealers and other undesirables evicted so that the tenants could live peacefully. He made sure that he and the guys went in to perform their mission with one focus, success by any means necessary. Carlos explained that the violence was necessary in cultivating our company's image. The intimidation and fear that would be instilled in the local criminals now would help us down the road. While some of their tactics were over the top for me, I understood.
The streets had heard Carlos was an army ranger, so they had nicknamed him Ranger. Whenever Lester, Bobby, Vince or Tank were seen they were called Rangeman. We were catching skips better by keeping an ear to the streets and creating a reputation that put fear in many. Th guys were slowly finding out that most information was becoming easier to get without violence. It had gotten to the point where most skips could be brought in with absolutely no violence. Everyone feared Ranger and his men.
The building was coming along and we had finally settled on the name Rangeman for our company. It seemed to fit since that was already the term the streets were using. Carlos will always be Carlos to me and his friends but now on the streets he is known as Ranger. I have pretty much stopped working for the TPD as well as the FBI. I only come in to give advice on major cases they are unable to solve.
The building was almost complete when we got the file for another high bond skip. Stone Pivot had been arrested for embezzling over one million dollars from his law partners. He would become FTA at midnight and we had received a tip he would be attending the policeman's charity ball this evening. I was decked out in a long silver gown with a slit on the side that went all the way up to my thigh. My father had secured Rangeman to run security detail for him. He was on his second term as Mayor of Trenton and was preparing to run for Senator. The men would all be attending in tuxedos and would remain unknown to attendees.
Everything was going well until the MC announced it was time for the auction. The MC was none other than Angela Morelli. Joe and Anthony's mom had thrown herself into several charities as she tried to salvage the Morelli reputation in the Burg. It seemed some of the fine people of Trenton were auctioning off themselves to raise money for the Women and Children's fund for murdered Officers. I stood with Carlos as we watched my father get auctioned off. Even though he was now married to Anna it seemed women still wanted to go out to eat with him. He did end up bringing in $1500 for the fund.
I stood beside Lester laughing when Joyce Barnhardt was auctioned for $200. Lester was focused on looking for the perfect woman to bid on. I reminded him it was only for a lunch. Not even a date. Just lunch with someone. I had my eye on Pivot. He arrived without a date. He was occasionally bidding on different women but never won any of the ones who came up. Then I heard Angie Morelli call my name.
"Stephanie Manoso?" she called out
I was frozen in my spot when she called me again. People around me smiled and encouraged me to make my way to the stage. I faked a smile and moved to the stairs beside the stage. Joe Morelli was there and took my hand to guide me up the steps. I moved slowly towards the podium and Angie Morelli grabbed my hand. She spun me around in a circle before asking for the opening bid.
"The winning bidder will attend lunch with the beautiful Stephanie Manoso. Let's start the bidding." she signaled
"$200" Lester raised his hand
I laughed and shook my head.
"$300" shouted a gentleman I didn't know
"$350" offered another gentleman.
"$500" my father countered
"$550" Joe Morelli called out
"$600" Lester shot back quickly
I shook my head at him. I didn't want him to waste his money.
"$650" It was Stone Pivot.
I looked at Carlos but he had on his blank face. When he caught my eye he gave me a wink and I forced a smile. I looked at Stone Pivot and smiled. He was a good looking guy and in three hours he would be FTA. It would be a good thing for him to win me. His money would go to charity and it would give me an excuse to talk to him tonight.
"$700" a man near the back of the room called out
"$800" Morelli called out
Where the heck was he getting his money? He can't make too much on a cop's salary. Everyone knows that the police are not paid well.
"$850" Lester countered
"$875" offered another stranger
"$900" My father countered
I shot him a look both of appreciation and warning to stop. I was worried Pivot wouldn't bid again.
"$950" Morelli called
I looked at him. He was standing side by side with his cousin Mooch. Mooch was passing him cash. Now I knew how he was coming up with the money to bid for me.
"$2000" Stone called out as gasps spread through the audience.
Angie Morelli looked annoyed.
"Going once, going twice..." she began
"$5000" came a deep voice.
The man who had made the bid was tall with black hair. He had a man on each side of him. They appeared to be his body guards. He beamed up at me and I nodded with a smile. I had no clue who this man was but I knew he was someone important.
"Going once, going twice, sold! Sold for $5000 to Mr. Alexander Ramos." Mrs. Morelli announced
Stone approached the stairs and held out his hand to help me off of the stage. I took his hand and echoed his smile.
"I guess I lost my chance for a lunch with you." he chuckled
"Sorry about that." I told him.
He released my hand but stayed close to me.
"Care to dance?" he asked
"Sure" I told him
He took my hand again and led me to the dance floor. I was happy to dance with an almost FTA who could keep his hands to himself. We made some small talk. I told him I was working as an Office Manager which wasn't a complete lie. When the song was over he made me promise I would find him later for another dance before the night was through. I wanted to dance with my husband. I walked around the edge of the dance floor when I noticed Morelli sitting at a table I was passing. He jumped to his feet when he saw me.
"Dance with me" he told me
"No" I rolled my eyes
"Oh come on. For old times sake?" he pushed
"No. Especially not for old times sake. I hope the women at your table are watching their drinks." I glared at him
"I told you I was sorry." he looked down
"Yeah, thanks for that." I was sarcastic
"If you'll excuse me I need to find my husband." I explained
"Oh by the way..." he began
I turned back towards him to hear what he had to say.
"Hope you liked the flowers." he smiled
"I knew they were from you." I whipped my head around and glared at him.
"No they weren't. I gave Johnny Ortega your address and then he asked to make a phone call. I approved his request when I found out he wanted to call a florist. I had hoped you would shoot him down or at the very least I would find out what kind of flowers you liked." he smirked.
"You're an ass." I shook my head and walked away.
I bumped right into a strong chest. I looked up to find the blonde man who had been outside of the bar when we captured Johnny Ortega. He grabbed my shoulders to steady me and suddenly Carlos was at my side.
"You can remove your hands from my wife." he warned
"I'm sorry I was just trying to help." the man said
"I know you. I've seen you before. You were outside or the bar." I told him
"I just..." he stammered
"Let's talk." Carlos commanded
The man nodded. Carlos put his hand on the small of my back and motioned for the man to walk in front of us. He directed him out onto the balcony. Carlos turned to size the man up. He was very built. He reminded me of a dinosaur. His head was small in proportion to his body. I found myself smiling as I looked him over. Carlos waited for the man to speak first. We stood in silence for a couple of minutes. I was dying to speak. I was worried this game would last forever because I knew Carlos would never speak first.
"Look I just wanted to make sure she was okay." the man explained
"Who are you?" Carlos demanded
"Hal Walker." the man said
"I know that name." I tried to think of where I had heard the last name Walker recently.
"Wait. Jenny Walker? How do you know her?" I asked
"She's my sister." he admitted
"Babe" Carlos asked
"Jenny Walker was raped and assaulted by Johnny Ortega." I explained
"I was just trying to make sure he didn't do it to anyone else." Hal looked down
"Thank you." I told him
"Why are you here tonight?" Carlos asked
"Ortega made bail. When my family found out my sister took a bunch of pills." his eyes remained focused on the ground.
"Oh no. Is she okay?" I stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"They pumped her stomach, but it was too late she is in a coma." he sniffed
"Are you following Stephanie or Ortega?" Carlos asked him
"Ortega. He has been watching Stephanie's place. He sent her flowers. He bought a ticket for tonight but I haven't seen him yet." Hal informed us.
"Thank you for watching out for me." I patted his shoulder again before I stepped back.
"Keep your eyes open." Carlos nodded to him
"Will do Ranger. I don't want to see the same thing happen to anyone else. He seems to be fixated on your wife." Hal explained
"He's not going to put a finger on her." Carlos told him
"Agreed" Hal nodded
Carlos put his hand on my back and led me back into the ballroom. I eyed the room trying to find Stone. I noticed him having a drink with a blonde. her hair stopped at her shoulders. For some reason she reminded me of a cat. Her dress was black and sleek. The dress was short, stopping above her knee. She looked out of place in a ballroom full of women in longer dresses. She was sexy in a scary way. You could tell even from a distance that she was not a nice person. Her eyes were brown but dark and intense. She glanced at me and met my eyes with a smirk.
"That's Jeanne Ellen Burrows. She is the BEA for the new bond agent in town. Les Sebring. " Carlos whispered in my ear
"Oh great." I sighed
"Babe"
"How do you know?" I asked him
"Ran into her when picking up an FTA a few weeks ago." he told me
"How did you run into her?" I asked
"It was a partial bond issued by Sebring and we covered the other part. She thought she could bring him in first." he smiled
"And?" I pushed
"Of course she walked away empty handed." he shrugged
"Hmmm" I was thinking
We started moving forward again together. After a few steps Carlos left my side but I kept walking towards Stone. When he noticed me his eyes lit up and he leaned over and kissed my cheek.
"So pleased that you have returned. I thought I lost you for the night." he told me
"I promised you another dance." I reminded him
"Excellent." he smiled.
He turned to Jeanne Ellen and gave a slight bow. "Nice to meet you Ms. Burrows. Hope you have a goodnight."
"A dance later?" she asked
"I think his dance card is pretty full." I gave her a wink
Stone chuckled and led me onto the floor. Once he had me in his arms I looked over his shoulder to see Jeanne Ellen glaring at me. She stomped a foot and then walked away. I followed her with my eyes and she went directly to Carlos. Her lips were barely opening but I could tell she was speaking to him. He glanced away from her and found me. When our eyes met he smiled. He looked back at her and shook his head before he walked away from her.
I spent the rest of the evening with Stone. We danced, we ate cake and I listened to his small talk. He was a pretty decent guy and if he wasn't an FTA I could imagine him becoming a friend. The crowd was starting to thin out and I checked my watch. Two minutes to midnight. I followed the plan and accepted when he offered to take me back to his place for a nightcap since the bar was closed. We retrieved our coats and I allowed him to lead me outside. His limo pulled up and I was worried for a minute when I didn't see any of my guys. I heaved out a big sigh of relief when the limo driver got out and opened the door. The driver was Vince.
I feigned forgetting to say goodbye to my father to run back in for a minute. I left Stone alone to get in the car to wait for me. I knew we had him now and I wouldn't be coming back. The ballroom was nearly empty when I spotted the man who had won me in the charity bid. I stood still in my spot as I watched him approach me. When he was closer he motioned for his men to stay back and stood in front of me alone.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Alexander Ramos." he gave me a slight bow.
"Nice to meet you." I extended my hand
He took my hand in his and brought it to his mouth. He placed a gentle kiss on the top of my hand. Now that he was closer I realized he was older than I had first thought. He seemed to be studying my face but had yet to say anything else. I wondered what he did that would require him to have bodyguards. Most of all I wondered why he had chosen to spend $5000 to have lunch with me.
"You are a very beautiful woman." he smiled
"Yes she is." Carlos appeared at my side. He wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me to him. He gently kissed my temple.
"Mr. Manoso. Just the man I wanted to see." Ramos nodded to my husband.
"You could have called me." Carlos offered
"Yes, you are right. I thought it would be more fun to take your lovely wife to lunch." he gave a sight shrug
"You assumed I would accompany her?" Carlos asked him
"I knew you would never let your beautiful wife have lunch alone with me." he wiggled his eyebrows.
"What would be the topic of conversation?" Carlos asked him
"We'll save that for our lunch conversation." he told Carlos
"I'll await your call." Carlos nodded
"It was a pleasure my dear." Ramos told me
He took my hand and again placed a gentle kiss on it. He nodded to Carlos and left us with a smile before he walked away. His men followed closely behind him. I waited for him to go through the doors before I spoke to Carlos.
"Who is he?" I asked
"Alexander Ramos. He is Greek. He is an arms dealer. The arms dealer in the Northeast." he explained
"So what does he want with you?" I was curious
"I have an idea it has something to do with his current problems with the Grizzoli family." he shrugged
"I went to school with Theresa Grizzoli." I told him
"Were you friends?" he asked
"No" I shook my head
"I guess we'll just have to wait and see." he gave a slight shrug
I turned to face him and wrapped my arms around his waist. He cupped my face and pulled me into a gentle but passion filled kiss. My eyes were still closed when he pulled away.
"Damn Babe, you are so sexy." he growled
"You had your own attention tonight." I reminded him
"Babe"
"We almost lost him to Jeanne Ellen." I announced.
"No man in their right mind would ever choose her over you Steph." Carlos told me.
"She had some words for you?" I asked
He chuckled and shook his head.
"What?" I asked
"I don't think you two will be friends." he teased
"Why is that?" I put both hands on my hips
"She told me it wasn't fair to bring in my wife to lure in skips." he laughed again
"Wait what?" I was confused.
"You're hot Babe." he kissed my head
"I know she said more." I told him
When we reached the SUV he opened my door. I tucked my dress under my ass before I sat down. He closed the door behind me before he jogged around to get in the driver's side. I waited for him to start the truck and pull away before I pushed him to tell me more about his conversation with Jeanne Ellen.
"Well?" I prompted him
He chuckled. "Babe"
"Carlos" I whined
"She is obviously jealous. She thinks you're just a pretty face. Since she only uses her assets to get what she wants she doesn't understand a woman with a brain. I asked around about her after that first meeting. Seems she screws her way into information. She doesn't understand how to out smart the bad guys. She tries to out sex him." he explained
"But I use my body." I pouted
"Not even close Babe. Out of the last dozen or so FTAs you helped us bring in, you only did four distractions. You use your brains to lure them out of public places to protect innocent bystanders. It also happens men can't resist you because you are also pretty damn sexy." he began
I waited for him to continue.
"She uses sex. She doesn't discriminate. She will sleep with skips, cops, feds. Basically anyone who can help her succeed with a case." he finished
"Did she try to sleep with you?" I asked
"She propositioned Lester, Vince and me." he informed me
"All at once?" I was surprised
"No. All at separate times." he laughed
"Vince and Lester? Did they?" I asked
"No" he smiled
"But tonight she wanted you?" I asked
"Yes, tonight she offered to sleep with me." he confirmed
"For the second time?" I needed to know
He shook his head "Probably about the fifth time."
"What the hell? She saw me tonight. She knows you're married." I sighed
He pulled into the lot and turned off the SUV. He unbuckled and got out. When he opened my door he leaned in and unbuckled my seat belt. He stayed in front of me when I turned to slide out of my seat. He grabbed both of my hands.
"There has never been another woman for me and there never will be. I pride myself in being a very smart man and I know exactly what we have and exactly how lucky I am that you love me as much as I love you."
He cupped my face and pulled me close. His lips were barely touching mine.
"You are everything to me and I can't imagine life without you. There is no woman who could ever tempt me away from you."
Then his lips took mine.