AU of Notorious 19, contains canon plot points and some dialogue.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Steph

Ranger woke me with seductive kisses to the back of my neck and an invitation to join him in the shower. It was an even better way to start the day than coffee. I was very relaxed and happy by the time we got to the towel drying. "Should we call in for breakfast?" I asked him, enjoying the attention.

"I wish I could stay for breakfast, but I have a full day. This might be the only chance I have to see you."

"Couldn't pass up the opportunity for morning sex?"

Hint of grin. "Morning sex does make the day better. I'm going to need Hal today, so I'm giving you Nollen. He's only just requalified for active duty, so go easy on him. And I got a call from the lady at the bridal salon. She wanted to remind you that you were wearing sneakers for the fitting and asked if you had any pink shoes. She was very insistent the dress be worn with pink shoes."

I couldn't hold the laugh in. "Did she say anything else?"

"Babe, it's not funny. I think my testosterone level dropped just saying it."

"Wait. In about six months you'll be talking about spit up and breastfeeding too. Big Bad Ranger vs Diaper Rash."

"For the record, I'll take any excuse to talk about your breasts Babe," he said, kissing my lips. "And childcare is in no way the same as talking to the bridal salon lady about shoes. Get it sorted out so she doesn't call me again."

Ranger got dressed and I walked him to the door, pressed to the wall for one more delicious kiss before he left. I ate one of Ella's sneakily healthy muffins and put on a plain navy blue t-shirt and a pair of jeans. The waistband was tight again. I checked the size, sure they had to be another pair of my skinny pants. They weren't. Sheesh. I really was a ticking clock. Counting down to a Plum Baby public awareness campaign.

I blew out a sigh and picked up Tiki, then took the elevator down to five to collect Nollen and start my day.

Nollen was way more unthrilled to see me than I was about the pants.

Ranger had a lot of guys working for him and they usually fit into two specific groups. They either looked like they belonged in desert camo or an orange jumpsuit. I knew Nollen had been in the Army and done tours in Afghanistan. He was over six feet of hard military muscle, with dark blond hair buzzed almost bald. And when he stood in ranks with the other men, he had a hard demeanor that said don't mess with me. When he looked at me, though, his expression was much more dear god what did I do to deserve this?

Not that I blamed him. The last time he drove me somewhere he'd been T-boned and broke his arm in two places.

It ended up being a pretty empty day anyway. I'd made a couple failed attempts to lure Brody Logan. Figured out he was definitely following me. Got a few fishy calls about Susan Cubbin that involved a folded-up poster she found in Geoffrey's office and a mysterious gold bar, but when I'd stopped by her house to ask her about it she hadn't been home. By dinner time I was pretty discouraged. Only plus side was that Nollen had finally relaxed a little. He was liking the slow pace and frequent snacks.

I decided to round out the day with a drive by The Clinic. We pulled around the Myron Cryo building and put the Mercedes into park. Studying the building in the growing dusk. It was still creepy, even from the outside.

I'd been fighting the feeling for a while now. Hadn't wanted to give it too much thought. I'd tried really hard to buy into Lula's theory that Geoffrey Cubbin had used the 5 million dollars to buy himself a new face and freedom. But staring at the building I couldn't help the certainty. Geoffrey Cubbin was dead. The other patients that had gone missing from Central were also dead. And I didn't like the icky possibilities of what could have happened to them.

Dusk gave way into night as I watched the single lit window toward the back of the building.

And then a second light went on.

Cripes.

Someone else was in there.

I called Morelli. "I'm sitting outside The Clinic and I just saw a second light turn on. I think it's Elwood Pitch."

"Did you see Elwood Pitch?"

"No, I just saw a light. But that window is to one of the patient rooms, so it would stand to reason that he could be in there."

"You still have one of Ranger's guys with you, right?"

"Yes. Nollen is sitting in my passenger seat."

"Isn't he the one on desk duty after you broke his arm?"

Jeez. "What's your point?"

"Just making sure you've got someone with you who's livelihood and bodily safety is dependent upon you not doing dangerous things, like breaking into The Clinic for a second time. Because I've been doing research and that place is as creepy as you described. On the surface it seems legitimate. Franz Sunshine is writing it off as a loss on his taxes, except from what you've told me about the security guard, the part-time nurse, and the perfectly maintained lab and surgical suite, he has to be using that building for something more than a tax break. And what's even more unsettling, he has a similar operation in four other states, all running at a loss, but still owns and maintains two private planes. I'm no forensic accountant, but that doesn't add up to me."

"Have you been able to look inside?"

"No. I don't have enough evidence yet. A judge is gonna need more than 'looks creepy' to sign a search warrant."

"How about 'looks really creepy'?"

"Yeah sure, I could give that a try. Is it safe to assume you're staying at Rangeman while your apartment is being renovated?"

"Pretty safe."

"And how's that working out?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Not particularly. I just wanted to make sure you knew that if you get frustrated with him like you used to do with me, you'd be safer staying here than at your mom's house."

I wasn't sure about that, but I thanked him anyway.

It didn't take long after sunset for me to give up watching the building and head home to Rangeman. I caught a glimpse of a gray Nissan swarmed with cop cars in the FedEx parking lot as we were leaving. Could have sworn I saw Brody Logan hightailing it away from the scene. Best guess was he'd stolen a car to follow me and Tiki and it had been reported as suspicious. Dammit. At this rate I was going to be stuck with Tiki forever.

ooo

I woke up alone in Ranger's bed with only the vague memory of a warm body next to me in the middle of the night. His side was cold and undisturbed. If he'd been there, it hadn't been recently. My phone buzzed again and I realized it was what had woken me. I answered it.

"What the heck happened to your apartment?" asked the voice.

"Who is this?"

"Randy Briggs. Jeez, don't you have caller ID?"

"I didn't look at it. I'm still waking up."

"You were sleeping? It's the middle of the day."

I looked at the clock and frowned. "It's only eight o'clock."

"Well, it feels like the middle of the day. I've been up since three this morning. I'm worried about the missing patients."

"That's thoughtful."

"Thoughtful nothing. My job is on the line. I think they might be interviewing for my replacement. I need you to go down to The Clinic with me and poke around some more. Pitch is in there, he has to be."

"Okay okay. Why don't you drive over here while I get dressed and we'll go from there."

"And you would be where exactly? Because your apartment looks like a toasted marshmallow."

"I'm at Rangeman. I'll text you the address. Just park on the street and wait for me in the front lobby. And don't mind the guy on the front desk. He hasn't killed a single person this year."

I couldn't be certain if I heard Randy gulp before I hung up, but it made me smile all the same.

I was just getting out of the shower when Ranger showed up in the bedroom dripping with sweat after a long run. He might have looked a little disappointed that he missed the chance for a tandem shower, but he also seemed to be in hurry. He let himself have a thorough and carnivorous look at me in my towel while he tossed his phone onto the bed next to mine. Stripped off his shirt right there, rivulets of sweat rolling down his beautifully chiseled and shiny caramel mocha chest. He lost the shorts too with a grin that proved he really could read minds, and then he went into the bathroom to start the shower.

Boy. What was a girl to do with that much hotness?

A phone buzzed on the bed and I answered it, still watching the sliver of incredible mocha body through the gap in the bathroom door. "Yeah?" I said, thinking it was Randy.

The silence on the line paused a second and I felt the cold fingers again. The heart stopping sensation of facing otherness. I looked down and saw my phone on the bed. I'd answered Ranger's. "I should have known you would be near him," said a voice beyond reason. Like a fire burning in the cold vacuum of space. "Further evidence of his contamination. You can't imagine how saddened I was to learn that like Kinsey, Ranger had infected an innocent woman with his evil."

"Ranger's not evil."

"I know you believe that. It's the most insidious thing about the depths of his disease. You have never seen what I have seen. You don't know his sins. But don't fear. I will cleanse you. You will watch as your flesh blisters and melts an inch at a time. Savoring the agony that will purify you until your soul is ready to depart unburdened. This is the gift I will give you. A gift for you both. Yours in ascension. And his through the pain of knowing that he has caused such suffering for the one he loves. It will be a penance for him. The processes that might just save his soul before the fires cleanse him too."

"You're insane."

The laugh was nothing short of terrifying. Completely unhinged from reality. "You think that now, but before this is over you'll be thanking me. Begging for me to help you from this life into the next."

I heard the moment he disconnected, but I didn't pull the phone from my ear. It was fused to my hand in a death grip, shaking with the rest of my arm. I felt the energy approach me from behind. Warm hands brushing my trembling fingers with the strong chest at my back. I let him have the phone. Let him envelope me in his protective arms. My whole body trembling.

Ranger could say a lot with just one word, but no matter what else it meant, there was always an undercurrent of affection. An implied I love you on the edge of every meaning. This time, the whispered "Babe" said he was sorry he'd ever gotten me into this. Sorry that I'd been exposed to something so dark because of him. Sorry that the only way to avoid it was to stay a prisoner in his tower and let him hunt and slay the dragon all on his own. It was also a question. "I'm fine," I told him in answer.

"Are you sure?"

"No. But what choice do I have?"

He let out a barely-there sigh that was equal parts resignation and pride, pressing a kiss to my temple. "At least we've confirmed his identity. Even if I hadn't recognized his voice from here I'd've known that laugh anywhere. Unfortunately it doesn't put us any closer to finding him."

"Is Amanda safe?"

"Yes. She's with Kinsey in one of our safehouses. We're running full security on the church and the restaurant tonight. I've even called in bomb sniffing dogs. Just stay vigilant and keep your protection with you. We'll get through this."

"Better."

Ranger smiled just a little, brushing a light kiss to my lips. And then he went back to the shower to get ready for another long and detailed day. He made sure my gun was loaded and strapped to my waist before he left. Leaving me with nothing to drag my feet over. I sighed my own resignation and got into the elevator.