I could feel when I woke up that it was going to be one of those days. You know the kind I mean. It's the kind where a lot of unsettling things happen. How did I know? Ranger wasn't in the bed with me for starters. And because I just know. When I went to the balcony and looked down over the great room, he was sitting on the couch naked talking on the phone…to Robert. His expression was grim. His body was tense. I had this sudden horrifying feeling that Jamie Melendez had suffered at her father's hands. I wanted to hurt him then. I felt Robert's wrath. I felt Tanks wrath. I felt Fenton's wrath. My hand moved to my unborn child in my womb and I sighed. That wouldn't be my daughter's fate. I'd kill the man first. It wouldn't be a good solution for the children though. It was better that these men deal with it. It was much better. Mrs. Melendez could concentrate on her children then.

I don't think I made any noise, but Ranger's head moved and his eyes found me easily on the balcony. He stared at me. I knew what he was saying. He was promising me that our daughter would not suffer such atrocities. He was saying that George would pay. He was telling me that he loved me. He was telling me that he would protect us. Then as his eyes moved down to my bare legs showing between the rails, his eyes darkened and he said he'd be there in a minute and I shouldn't get dressed.

I grinned.

He smiled.

So that's what it's like to have that silent communication with your partner. I went to the bathroom and did my morning routine. I brushed my teeth and attempted to tame my insane sex head. I realize now after being in a good strong sexual relationship with Ric for a while that the more intense my orgasms are, the messier my hair is the next day. And if you make them plentiful, forget it. My head sort of resembles a gorgon. I had gorgon head today. I grinned at it and set to work taming it. I was still working on it when he came into the bathroom and wrapped around me from behind pressing his rising erection against my ass.

"There's no point in that yet," he whispered as his lips moved over my neck.

I sighed and let my head drop against his shoulder, "no?"

"No," he murmured as his fingers slid over my breast.

"It's going to be a bad day today," I whispered.

"Not all of it," he smiled as his fingers slid lower. Easily they slid inside of my body teasing, torturing, retreating and returning with practiced ease. He knew my body.

My body knew him. I was ready for him the moment I'd read the promise in his eyes from the balcony. Immediate puddles formed between my legs. I sighed, "Ric…"

"Yes Babe," he whispered in my hair.

"Oh God Ric," I groaned as the orgasm suddenly descended on me from nowhere. My internal muscles clenched around his fingers and he didn't stop. He kept it going and within a few moments replaced his fingers with his throbbing erection. He entered me from behind squatting to better reach me and keeping his fingers busy on my nipples and lower while his mouth worked exquisite torture on that spot on my neck. He had barely stroked twice before I came again.

He groaned, "Slow down Babe."

"I can't," I panted. "It feels too good."

He slid out of me and picked me up and took me to bed. He put me in the middle and dropped over me and reentered my body gazing at me as he did. "Forever Babe," he whispered as he stroked me, "forever Stephanie."

And I came again and again and again…

By the time he let me up I really did look like a gorgon. I could have given Medusa a run for her money.

We walked into the morning meeting in the executive dining room and Mitch just shook his head and concentrated on his plate. Tank glanced at us and then him and started laughing. Mitch didn't think it was a laughing matter. I didn't really think so either, but boys will be boys. Ranger just shook his head and took his seat.

The new girl Ella had hired served us and left. Her name was Susanna and she was one of those tall willowy blondes. She was pretty, but none of the guys were biting.

"I've heard from Robert," he said softly.

"And," Fenton asked.

"And we'll make it slow," he said grimly.

"Shit," Brian sighed.

"I want it," Tank growled.

"You're not healed enough," Bobby said seriously.

"I want it," he glared at Bobby.

Bobby glanced over at me, "we'll talk about it later."

"You can talk about it now," I shrugged. "I'd kill him myself if it was my daughter."

"You can make the fatal blow," Bobby nodded. "But after he's down. You need to be careful or Lula will kill you and me both assuming you survive."

Tank nodded.

"What's the plan," Lester said softly.

"We need to lure him in. We need something," Ranger said and frowned. "I just don't know what."

"I have a thought," I said softly and straightened in my chair.

"Go on," he nodded.

"We'll need cooperation from his family."

"We can get it," he said grimly.

"We're going to tell him we've got Jamie and the money."

"We," Brian asked.

"Mitch," I said softly. "Mitch is who he's after. Mitch is who he's afraid of. Mitch is who can threaten him. We'll have to pull the family out and make it look real. Relocate them and scare the shit out of him. He knows what Mitch is capable of doing. He's read his personnel files from the Army. He'll be afraid. He'll come for him."

"Where," Mitch asked.

"My brother's lake house," Ranger said quietly.

"That's prime suck zone," Mitch frowned. "We may need to bring Diesel in for this one. Some pretty ugly creatures are out there."

Fenton nodded, "probably a good idea."

Mitch blinked at Fenton in surprise.

"I told him," I shrugged.

"It's a good idea," Ranger nodded. "Will you call him Mitch?"

"Yea," he agreed.

"I'll get Robert on the extraction. We'll make it messy. Then we'll get a paid cell phone and make the call. I need to call Rafe."

"Good idea," I sighed.

"He won't care Babe," he smiled.

"He will when it's destroyed."

He laughed.

"In the meantime," Lester cleared his throat, "that doesn't resolve the hit that's currently ongoing. Even if you get George and his confession and his untimely and messy demise, that doesn't keep the goons he's hired from continuing to come after Mitch until they've finished the job. How do we stop that?"

"I've got people on it…sort of," I said softly.

"Who," he frowned.

"Let's just say that the 'families' of Trenton aren't happy with outside contractors coming into their turf."

"Ouch," he winced.

"My source says that the eminent threat is dealt with, but George may hire more contractors."

"It pays to know people I guess," Brian shook his head.

"It's a mixed blessing at best," I sighed.

"I'm going to make that call to Robert," Ranger got to his feet. He leaned over and kissed me on the head and left us in the dining room.

"Have any of you been to the lake house," I asked.

"Yea," Tank nodded. "It's actually a good choice. It will be easy for us to defend it. We've got the gear now to make him believe it's not a set up. If he uses heat sources, we can make it so he only has the one's he expects. We can totally control this."

"Are you guys sure," I sighed. "I don't want any of you dead."

"We won't be," he smiled.

I got to my feet, "I think I'm going to go and…I'm gonna go." I hurried out of the office and down the hall to the elevator. I got on and went down and got on my pink golf cart in the tunnel and headed for home. I didn't like these missions. I didn't like them at all.

My phone buzzed and I flipped it open. "Yo."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm getting anxious."

"Why are you getting anxious," he said quietly and I could hear something in his voice.

"I don't know."

"Then come back here. If you're getting anxious, that's not usually a good thing. It usually means the shit is about to hit the fan. I'd like you to come back."

"Just…give me a few minutes and I will."

"Okay," he sighed.

When I got home I went straight upstairs and washed my face and studied my pale reflection in the mirror. He was right, of course. If I felt anxious like this, it was usually followed by some kind of throw down. I hated that.

The house phone connected to the gate rang and I went to answer it. Robert was there smiling at me from the video screen.

"Hello Robert."

"Hi Stephanie," he said with a smile. "Listen, can I come up and talk to you for a few minutes."

"I'm headed to the office, can't you meet me there," I frowned.

He grimaced and swallowed, "no, I need to see you now."

"Okay," I buzzed him in and hit one on speed dial.

"Steph," he frowned.

"It's going down now. Robert is coming up the driveway," I said seriously. "I can tell he's being forced. I think George wants your wife in payment for his money."

"Get out," he groaned.

"Get me out," I said. "If I leave, Robert is dead."

"Robert is probably dead anyway," he hissed.

"Get us out Ric. I love you." I hung up the phone and turned the ringer off. I turned all the ringers off. I loaded myself and as many rooms of the house as I could with weapons strategically placed before the doorbell rang. Then I took a deep breath and went to the door and swung it open with a smile. "Hi Robert," I said, "come on in. I'll make some coffee."

"Sounds good," he swallowed and followed me inside.

I could hear his footsteps as he followed me and I could hear the muffled sound of a second set. "What kind would you like," I said cheerfully. "I have French Vanilla, Biscotti, Caramel Drizzle, Hazelnut, Cinnamon, Chocolate Truffle, or regular."

"Wow, that's quite a selection."

"Ranger and I have become addicted to flavored coffees thanks to our therapist," I smiled.

"Let's go with Chocolate Truffle," he said with a slight smile.

"An excellent choice," I said and began to make the coffee. The kitchen has one window and it looks out over the side yard and down to the yacht and the river. There is a whole bay of windows in the breakfast room, but I didn't want to lead him that way. I didn't want there to be windows anywhere he could see, so I took him back to the family room. There were windows, but there were no stairs. The stairs were in a room to the side and there were just a few windows overlooking the front yard. For instance you couldn't see men in black with mass weapons coming up from below. "The coffee will be ready in a few moments. What did you need to talk to me about?"

"He didn't, I did," George emerged from the shadows with a gun in each hand. One was pointed at me and the other at Robert.

"Oh," I swallowed. I don't really like it when people point guns at me. It makes me nervous. It makes me especially nervous when I know that he'll kill me and my daughter. It also makes me angry. I sank to the comfortable leather chair facing the windows. He would have to face me and that meant he didn't have a view of anyone entering the house by the door or from either stairwell.

"What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Why are people talking to my daughter," he asked.

"Your daughter," I frowned.

He shot Robert in the leg, "don't fuck with me."

Robert hit the ground clutching his leg, but he didn't make a sound.

Mentally I was thinking that I was really glad we'd taken the Berber carpet out and replaced it with the bamboo. It would much easier to get the blood out. It was easier to think of that than the worst case scenario. I hoped it was in the knee Robert already had the rod in. I swallowed, "they think you're molesting her."

He turned white as a sheet. "Why do they think I'm…I'm…"

"Doing unnatural sexual things with your own child," I said with wide innocent eyes. "I don't know. Perhaps because she told someone," I suggested.

"She would never," he shook his head adamantly.

"And yet we know," I sighed.

He paced back and forth for a few minutes. "Where's my money?"

"In various accounts all over the globe," I said softly. "I don't know which accounts. I didn't arrange the transfers."

"And where is my daughter," he barked.

"Your family is somewhere safe," I said softly. "They will be protected and well cared for. You needn't worry about them."

"But I do," he said low and approached me pointing his gun in the direction of my womb. "He remembered? I knew the minute I saw him in the hall that it was the same guy from Kabul. He looks the same."

"You don't," I said softly. "He would have never made the connection."

He blinked at me in shock, "don't lie."

"I'm not lying. You've already shown me what you're willing to do if I evade or lie. Why would I lie? He never made the connection. He never would have."

"How then," he frowned.

"It wasn't until you came after him that he recognized your voice on a recording. That's when he put it together. It still took him a while to remember the rest of it."

He leaned over the chair and met my eyes, "and what is the rest of it?"

"Treason," I said softly not letting my gaze break from his. "The death penalty I'm certain."

He laughed, "You think they're going to try me for treason."

"Yea, I think so," I nodded. "Jalalbad near the Pakistan border, Shir Khan on the Tajikistan border, and Mazar-e Sharif on the Uzbekistan border," I repeated softly. "That's when you sold us out to the Afghanis. The death toll was over seventy-two hundred people as I recall, eight hundred were US soldiers. We've also connected money to Al-Quida and a few rather nasty men who apparently would sell out their mothers for money and or power. Yea, treason is the goal."

"Where's my money," he repeated.

"You don't have any," I said succinctly.

He raised the gun arm back and swung and started to hit me I ducked and pulled the gun out and stuck it against his chest.

"Drop it," I said softly and lowered the gun to his stomach.

"You can't kill me there," he said with a laugh.

"I don't want to," I said softly. "Someone else wants that honor."

"Bitch," he spat and swung the gun toward me and I fired.

He was surprised. I don't know why. I mean I've killed before. Everyone knows that. To protect my family…my friends, the people I love wouldn't he have thought I'd kill him? Wouldn't he have thought I was prepared?"

I kicked the guns out of his reach when he dropped and kept my gun on him. "Are you okay Robert?"

"I will be," he smiled. "You're a bad ass. You look sweet like marshmallow cream, but you're good. Ranger did a good job with you."

"Thanks," I smiled.

George reached for a gun and I shot him in the knee. He howled with pain.

I picked up the house phone, "are you guys coming in or not?"

"We're in," Woody laughed. "We're watching the master."

"What," I frowned.

"Damn girl, remind me not to piss you off," he laughed. "I'm stuck on monitors while everyone else storms casa Manoso. I'm watching you and keeping them updated. You're dangerous."

"A smart thing for anyone to remember," I said quietly. "Is Tank coming to get his toy?"

"Yea," he said. "Your husband is having a hissy fit."

"Why?"

"The bio system locked him out of the house. His hand is shaking too bad to register on the bio meter. Mitch is the only one who can get in. He's letting them in now."

"Do they know our condition?"

"Yep, Bobby's there for Robert."

"Thank you," I nodded.

George started to move again.

I sighed, "Don't piss me off George," I said seriously. "You killed some of my husband's employees and made him feel like he failed them. You tried to kill my friends and you very nearly succeeded. You threatened my husband and child. You're not one of my favorite people right now. If we hadn't promised Tank…I'd kill you myself. If I have to shoot you again, it will be in the other knee or the elbow. What do you think Robert?"

"Elbow," he hissed in pain.

"You heard him," I said softly, "it will be your elbow." I could hear Woody chuckling on the other end. Then I heard footsteps. "I hear a stampede of men in black. I'll let you go now Woody."

"Good job Steph," he said happily.

"A mother has to do what a mother has to do," I said sincerely and put down the phone.

Ranger rushed into the room and swept me up into his arms and held on tight breathing me in. "You're all right? Are you all right? Did that son-of-a-bitch hurt you?"

"He never had a chance," Robert grinned. "You did a good job of training her Ranger. We could use her in black ops."

"Over my dead body," Ranger hissed and his mouth crashed down on mine. "Oh God Steph…maybe we should move out of the suck zone," he said softly when his mouth lifted a fraction from mine.

"Nah," I shook my head and smiled, "this is more fun."

He laughed, "I love you."

I blinked at him.

"I love you," he laughed and spun me around. "I love you. I love you. I love you."

I laughed with him, "I love you too."

Tank and Mitch shook their heads.

"I've got him," Mitch threw George up over his shoulder and the three men headed down the tunnel.

"Don't get blood on my pink walls," I called as they left.

"Yes ma'am," Mitch said with a snort.

Tank just shook his head and followed, "them walls ain't right Ranger. They ain't right."

Ranger just grinned at me.

"Freudian," I said with a smile.

"I want to Freudian you right now," he grinned back.

"Get rid of these people and you can."

"I'll make it quick."

"Er…Ric before you do that," I raised a brow at him.

"Yes," he said with a slight frown.

"How many rooms in this house have cameras in them," I raised a brow.

He swallowed, "all of them."

"I'm going to kick your ass," I glared and pulled out of his arms to march away in fury.

"No…Stephanie wait," he caught me at the stairs, "it's not like that. The cameras are all dead unless we hit the panic alert. Okay?"

"Do you swear," I glared at him.

"Well," he bit his lip sheepishly, "I can override it from my desk for just my computer. But I haven't done it yet…I swear!"

"Why would you want to," I frowned.

"Er…so I can look at you," he reddened.

I blinked at him. We were about eye level with me on the bottom step. He wanted to watch me. He was a voyeur. "You mean you want to see me naked any time you like?"

"It could be a fun thing for both of us," he said seriously.

I shook my head.

"What if I promise you that I won't turn it on unless you tell me it's okay," he said seriously.

I met his eyes. He was pleading with me to trust him. I softened, "only if I say its okay."

"Yea," he assured me.

"All right," I said softly. "But be careful what you wish for."

He swallowed.

"Why are the people still here," I raised a brow and continued up the stairs.

"I'm on it," he said watching me go.

"They're still here," I sang to him from the top of the stairs.

He groaned and hurried away adjusting himself.

I grinned. Yea, this could be fun.