Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! For those that have Private messages turned off that left Reviews thank you for the reviews! I love reading every one of them so keep them coming.
I want to Thank Margaret Fowler for encouraging this story out of me. When I mentioned it to you 6 – 7 months ago you didn't let it die in my head. You kept pressing for it so here it is finally being written! I hope it is everything you thought it would be.
Standard Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine. They belong to JE I just take them out of the box and play with them a little. I have begged to keep Ranger and Lester for myself but I have yet to get a response…
Chapter 33: Welcome to my World.
RPOV
It had been a few weeks since Lester had given me the background check for Morelli. I wasn't impressed but I had a plan for him. Joe and her mother had been by Rangeman now for the second time. This time Cal turned them away.
Joe was threatening a search warrant saying that Stephanie was being held here against her will. He knew it was bull shit but her mother had gotten him all worked up. I needed to talk to my Babe before I did something she would be pissed about.
Stephanie had talked to her dad several times. He had told her that he had tried to talk to her mother but her mother wasn't relenting until she laid eyes on Stephanie and was able to talk to her. I had made it clear to the men that they turn her away until they hear differenlyt from either Stephanie or me.
I picked up the phone dialed Cal's number. "Cal my office now" I told him and hung the phone up. It wasn't five minutes before Cal was knocking on my door. "Enter".
"Ranger"
"Cal, I need to know your thoughts on Joe Morelli and Stephanie's mother." I pulled up the feed of the gym to make sure that my Babe was still there doing her physical therapy. She was busy working on an exercise Brown had given her so I relaxed a little knowing I had time for this conversation.
"Ranger the man is deranged. He actually had the nerve to say that we were holding her against her will that he would get a warrant on the basis that we had kidnapped her." He told me I nodded.
"What did you tell him?" I asked him.
"I told him to do what he felt was necessary but that he had no justification for the warrant. That she had talked to her Father and told him that she is here by choice. I also told him that she would be willing to talk to him if it wasn't for the fact that she thought he was a dick." I winced at his words I didn't need Joe coming here with a warrant for her for something Cal said she said.
"What did he say to that?" I asked a little more anxious sounding than I would have liked.
"Well, it wasn't Joe that responded as much as it was her bitch of a mother. I love Angel but her mother is a fucking bitch." He said shaking his head and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck ruffle at his admission of love for my Babe.
He held his hands up clearly reading me "Ranger I didn't mean it like that. I meant it more like a little sister than well…you know." He said shrugging his shoulders and I nodded I hated that I was that easily read but I let it drop. I was doing that a lot lately when it came to my Babe. It was just Cal and I knew he wouldn't say anything outside of this office.
"What did she say?" I asked, my voice sounding normal, to get him back on track.
"She screeched that Stephanie would never say anything like that about Joseph. She demanded to speak to her. She said she wanted her to take her home and talk some sense into her because it was clear we were brain washing her." Cal said.
"What did you tell her?"
"I told her that Stephanie was at home. That she made her own decisions and that she had willingly moved into the building. I didn't tell them she was living in your apartment, I didn't know if you wanted that to be public information." He said. I wouldn't have cared but I was glad that he thought about our privacy first.
I nodded. "For the record it is our apartment and that isn't a need to know." I told him. I saw his eyes slightly widen but that was as far as his face gave away the surprise he felt from my statement.
I looked back at the monitor she was still working with Bobby.
"Did you tell Stephanie about this?" I asked him.
"I haven't had a chance but I am not going to keep this from her." He said, I heard the warning in his voice.
I held up my hand. "Cal, I am not going to keep any of this from her. In fact, I plan on telling her as soon as she comes back up to my office. I have a plan and if she is truly adamant about not seeing him then I may be able to help her with that." I didn't bother saying it would help us out as well.
He smiled and nodded his head.
"Anything else?" He asked and I nodded and motioned to the chair in front of my desk. I wasn't sure how much I was willing to share with him but I need a few other people to know. I wasn't exactly sure how my handler had found out about Stephanie but I had my suspicions.
"Cal, what I am about to tell you doesn't leave this room." I quickly checked the monitor to see where Stephanie was. "I haven't told Stephanie about this and I don't plan to until I have formed a plan and I know what I am going to do about it." I told him. I saw the look of disapproval cross his face, I ignored it, this was my fucking decision, not his.
"A threat has been made against Stephanie. It's a long story, one that involves confidential information and my government contract. I can tell you it isn't a former enemy but now they could be viewed as the enemy since they've hinted at threatening her." I told him and I watched as his face hardened, the tattoo on his forehead stood out more predominately and his eyes hardened, turning darker appearing sharper. Good that was the reaction I wanted to see.
"Can you tell us who threatened her?" He said and I shook my head no.
"No; but that doesn't matter, he isn't the one that will be sent to do the dirty work." I told him knowing he was smart enough to put the pieces together without me point blank telling him about the whole situation. The core team knew, I had told them the day I got the threatening email.
"All of the core team knows. You are the only one outside of the core members to know. I plan on telling one other person within Rangeman and that is Hector. I am telling you and him because I want her protected at all times." I said.
He looked questioning me and I waited for his question before answering.
"Can I ask why Hector sir? I mean, I am not sure he and Stephanie have ever met. You know he sort of stays to himself in his shop and well out of all of us, I would say he comes off the least friendly and you know that none of us are known for our friendliness." He stated. I knew he was right.
Hell half the men at Rangeman feared Hector. Most didn't understand him they looked at him and saw the gang tats and knowing the legends of Hector it was enough for them keep their distance. Hector was a loner he liked working and being alone and I even questioned asking him. However I trusted Hector we had a history of respect and trust that went to our core. I knew if I asked him to protect her for me that she would be safe. He would protect her even if he hated her. However, I wanted him and Cal to want to protect her.
"Cal, I understand your concern, I trust Hector or I wouldn't consider asking him." I told him, I didn't need to further justify my decision.
"Yes, Sir." Cal said.
"Right now she hasn't wanted to go outside of Rangeman I suspect with her losing the cast and having a walking cast that may change in the near future. I hope to have this problem resolved by then but if it isn't then she will need to be protected. I don't want her to view you, any of the core members, or Hector as body guards but that is what you will be. I want her to think of you as a friend going with her. I know you consider her a friend and after your confession here maybe more like a sister. I know you are ready to protect her because of your questioning my decisions." I told him letting him know that I am not keen on my decisions being questioned. My decisions are to be followed as orders not questioned but when it came to her I would allow them, from certain Rangeman.
"Sir, I was just thinking…" he went to say and I held up my hand.
"I get it, and when it comes to her, I am okay with you questioning some things. I want to make sure I am doing right by her and that I don't lose focus of what is truly important, her happiness." I told him. I saw his eyes widen a little and I cursed myself for giving away more than I meant.
"Ranger, I think you should tell her. If I were her, I would want to know that someone had threatened me. If you want, I can work with her on some self defense moves once the casts come off." He offered and I nodded.
"Thanks Cal. That will be her decision, not mine. If she wants to learn self defense, or anything else any of us have to teach her, then I fully support the training." I told him. He nodded smiling I could see the hope in his eyes and I realized I wasn't the only man here in the building unable to control my emotions when it came to her. Cal, welcome to my world.
He stood gave me a final look and then made his way to the door. I wasn't sure what that look was for but I wasn't going to psychoanalyze it like a teenager.
I picked up Joe's background check and if I was going to do what I wanted I was going to have to call in a big favor. It was good thing that I had some high ranking officials within all of the alphabet soup who owed me favors.
I heard a soft knock and I knew it was my Babe. I got up rounded my desk and opened the door. I didn't care who saw, I pulled her into my arms and placed my lips on hers. I didn't care if the whole company was in the hallway looking. My lips missed hers.
She smiled when I pulled back. "What was that for?" She asked her eyes a darker shade blue her cheeks flushed. Damn what that vision did to me. I wanted to lay her down and take her so bad. I knew she was still not ready for that but it was all I could do to hold myself back.
"Just because I wanted to Babe, would you prefer I stop?" I asked her hoping she would say no. She smiled even brighter shaking her head no, I pulled her to me once again claiming her lips, my tongue sinking deep within her mouth caressing her tongue tasting her with every stroke the tension between us built until it had us both gasping for air. It also had me wishing I had pulled her into my office before giving everyone that much of a show.
My dick was hard as a hammer but I knew there would be no release for me at least not for a while longer. Not until Bobby released her for strenuous activities.
"How was therapy?" I asked her, trying to change the subject. She blew out breath that I took to be from frustration. The look on her face said it all and I fought the urge to smile. She looked too cute a look of annoyance with a slight side of pout.
"I am convinced either Bobby is trying to kill me or he is some sadist who gets off on inflicting pain on others, namely me." She stated. I couldn't hold back the laughter at the surprise of the words she chose. Bobby was going to love this.
"What?" She asked and I sobered slightly looking at her.
"I knew it, it's just me. He has a thing against curly brown hair girls." She summed up as if that was the answer to the question and I shook my head but managed to restrain my laughter.
"No Babe, he doesn't have anything against you." I tried to tell her but the look on her face all but told me that she wasn't going to agree with me. I shook my head walking back into the office. She took up her position on the couch lying down. Therapy always wore her out. She didn't have much in the line of reserves and therapy seemed to zap them all.
I had one more question I needed to ask her before she went to sleep.
"Babe, I need to tell you something and ask you something. I need you to be honest with me okay. This is important." I told her and she sat up on the sofa looking at me.
"Joe and your mother have come here twice demanding to see you. Both times they have been turned away. I told you about the first time they came by and they came again yesterday evening. I need to first ask if you want to see them, if you want to talk to them. If so, we can arrange it, either here within Rangeman or somewhere else. You know you only have to tell me and I will make it happen.
She nodded. "Carlos I really don't want to talk to either of them. I especially don't want to talk to Joe however I think in order to get my mother to leave me alone I am going to have to talk to her." She said but I could tell she didn't like it.
I nodded.
"Babe, what if I could almost guarantee that you never saw Joe again, would you be upset by that? What I am thinking about would have him moving out of the burg, away from Trenton." I told her.
"Carlos I don't care. I don't want you going out of your way or using your resources for him. He isn't worth it. I don't care to see him or talk to him and honestly him moving away from Trenton that would be a good thing but I don't want it to be a burden on you, or on Rangeman. He isn't worth it; I can deal with him the few times we would come in contact with each other." She told me and I could see the truth in her eyes. She didn't want the bother. It wasn't that she hated him so much as it was just indifference; she would rather not be bothered by having to deal with him. That made me happier to see that emotion within her than if she had hated him.
Hating someone isn't the worse emotion, being indifferent now that is far worse. To hate someone means that person has power over you, just as if you loved them. When you are indifferent that person holds no power and has no affect. That person can't hurt you emotionally because they just don't matter enough to. That isn't the case with someone you love or hate.
"Thanks Babe that told me what I needed to know. Don't worry there's no burden on me, or Rangeman. In fact if this works out it will be doing Rangeman and me a favor just as much as it will be doing you a favor." I told her.
I pressed my lips to hers but I didn't take it any deeper. I then kissed her forehead "sleep well Babe. I will be here when you wake up." I tell her as she lies back down on the couch closing her eyes. It was all I could do to force my body to stand up and walk back to my desk. Every fiber of my being wanted to join her on the couch and pull her close to me.
Once I heard her voice even out and I knew she was asleep I set about calling in those favors I needed.
The person I called was an old friend. We had grown up together from the time we were toddlers. I had picked the Rangers he had picked the life of a suit. Picking up the phone I dialed the number I knew by heart.
"Hello" he answered and I smiled.
"Yo" I said knowing he would instantly know my voice and my greeting.
"Ranger what the hell man? How are you?" He said I could hear excitement in his voice. We hadn't spoken in way to long.
"Good, man. It's been too long." I told him.
"Yeah, way too long. How is everyone?" He asked me and I knew he was talking about my family and I felt a little bad to admit that he probably knew more about them than I did.
"All the guys here are good, my family outside of here you probably know more about what is going on with them than I do." I confessed.
"Yeah well you need to make a point to see your family more. You know that." I blew out breath of air expelling the air from my lungs in frustration, guilt, and a little irritation at his need to lecture me.
"Yeah I know man. Things are changing so we will see." I told him. Waiting for him to take the bait I knew he wouldn't be able to resist.
"Yeah I heard, the underground chatter amongst us suits is that a little lady has taken you down. That she has moved in and well you can imagine some of the things that are being said. It basically boils down to the fact that she is wearing your balls instead of you." He said and I felt anger surge through me.
"Any names I need to be aware of?" I asked him my voice tight low and lethal in tone.
"Well I am sure if you think long and hard enough you could guess but man your handler has been a big one." He said. Fucker. I knew that fucker wouldn't be able to just quit with the email to me. His ego was too large for his fucking body. It didn't matter he would learn a hard lesson.
"Are you going to tell me about her?" He pushed.
"Yeah her name is Stephanie Plum. She moved in a few weeks ago. Its new and unchartered territory for me, but rest assured, my balls are still attached and anyone who needs a reminder only needs to knock on my fucking door." I told him making it clear the meaning behind my promise.
I may be changing for her and I may be feeling a softer side where she is concerned but make no mistake, I am still dangerous, I am still lethal, and I will kick all of their asses.
"What's up? I know you didn't call me to talk about this." He said and I smiled. He knew me well.
"I am calling in that favor you owe me." I told him. He was silent on the phone and I knew why. He had told me five years ago when I had saved his ass that he owed me a favor. That whenever I needed something no matter what it was he would be there.
"You are calling to cash in a five year old favor?" He asked me, his voice telling me he wasn't believing what he was saying.
"Yes I am." I told him just as serious as I could. "Are you telling me just because it has been five years the favor is no longer valid?" I asked. Knowing it wasn't true but wanting an answer none the less. His hesitant and disbelieving voice pushed me to want to hear the answer.
"No man, you know I am not taking it back. I am good for my favors regardless of the years." He said.
"Good. I need you to get someone on at the bureau." I told him.
"You need what? Why do you need to get someone on at the bureau? What the hell are you planning and how do you think I can just get someone on? You know there are protocols we need to follow." He said.
"I know that, that is why I am calling in that favor." I told him. I didn't say it was going to be easy but he would figure it out I had faith he could get the job done or I wouldn't have called him.
"Look man" he started but paused. I had him he was going to do it. I could see him closing his eyes swearing under his breath grabbing the bridge of his nose and finally shaking his head before he would let out the breath he was holding, which I had just heard, only then would he start talking again. "Okay man what's the name." He asked me and I couldn't help but smile.
"He has tried out before and was turned down, he failed the psych exam." I told him.
"Fuck, what the fuck are you going to have me do? Hire some crazy fucker?" He asked me I could hear almost a hint of desperation in his voice. I smiled.
"Look you can put it under someone's name you don't like as the hiring figure I don't give a fuck. Just get him on."
"Well since he took the exam and the psych evaluation and failed it isn't going to be as easy as there is a record. I am going to have to somehow figure up a way to request that he come and redo them." He said.
"Well I let you figure out how to do that, his name is Joseph Anthony Morelli. I want you to get him on, then I him assigned to the field office in Anchorage Alaska. From there I want them to send him to the resident office in Fairbanks, Alaska." I told him.
"What the hell did he do to you?" He asked me.
"Nothing, he is a pain in the ass no doubt, but he has done nothing to me. Stephanie and he have a past and well she doesn't want to have to deal with him and he doesn't want to go along with that. He is a Trenton Cop who has wanted on at the bureau for some time I just want to make his dream come true." I said, as if I was Santa Claus making all the good boys dreams come true.
"Yeah and then sending him to Fairbanks, Alaska the middle of nowhere, where he will freeze his balls off, live in darkness for almost half of the year, and be at risk for a polar bear attack." He said laughing. I couldn't help but join along. It was a perfect plan.
"Well someone needs to guard the polar bear from poachers." I said laughing along with him.
"That isn't what we do." He said. I shook my head.
"Well maybe he should. It could be a special assignment. Think of it as broadening your horizons." I said and he laughed.
"Man you know this isn't going to be easy right? You could just ship his ass to a third world country easier." Yeah but what would be the fun in that? I mean he would be there all of what one day tops and then it would be all over said and done with. Here he will have his dream job in Alaska. I mean it wasn't all bad right he would be able to say he was FBI.
"Yeah but this way is more fun and more satisfying. Oh and when you make the offer mention nothing of the assignment until he has taken the job. Then make it so he has no choice but to go. The point is him being as far away from here as possible. I figure outside of the continental United States is good enough." I told him.
"Man you are evil." He said and I smiled. He had no idea.
"You are going to do it?" I asked him already knowing the answer.
"Yeah provided he accepts he will have a job with the FBI and be assigned to Alaska within three months. Where do you want him to do his training? The main training farm is in Virginia not too far from Jersey. We could send him to our west coast farm. Would that be good?" He asked me taking it one step further.
"Yeah man that would be great. I hadn't thought about where he would go for training. West Coast sounds good." I told him smiling.
"Well then I would say if he accepts the offer and agrees he will be on the west coast within a few weeks month tops." He told me. I smiled.
"Thanks man. You pull this off we are even." I told him.
"Man, you know this isn't the same. I don't know that I can call it even. But thanks." He said in all seriousness.
"Brother we are even." I told him. We may have had different mothers and fathers but we had been brothers for a long time. JT was a good man, a man I knew I could always count on and he had proven it once again.
"Thanks don't be a stranger and for the love of God go visit your Mother." He said, yeah…yeah.
"Okay man will do. As for not being a stranger the street goes both ways. If you hear anymore rumblings about Stephanie, do me a favor and let me know. Someone is threatening her to get to me. They won't like what they find when they reach me but let me know if you hear anything." I asked him
"Will do man." With that we hung up. One problem dealt with. Now on to her mother, that was going to be a problem that would take even more finesse and more favors. I needed to find an in that would work. I needed to talk to my Babe and get more information.
Picking up the phone I dialed Lester's number. "My office" I said and hung the phone up.
Few seconds later he knocked. "Come in" I said my voice lowered to keep from waking up my Babe.
I pointed toward the couch as I motioned for him to be quiet. I didn't want him to wake her.
"Hey man what's up?" He asked me. I motioned to the seat in front of my desk and he sat down looking at me.
"I want you to gather some intel for me." I told him and his head went slightly to the back and the side.
"I want some information on my Babe's parents. Mainly the Mother but if you find out something about the father that will help me deal with her Mother then I want to know. I need to figure out away to get her out of Stephanie's life. She came here with Morelli again last night." I told Lester figuring he already knew. News traveled fast within Rangeman almost too fast.
It was the reason my Handler knew about Stephanie. It wasn't intentional I am not his only asset, former asset. Other members of Rangeman in other cities are operatives and he is their handler I am sure he tricked the information out of them. Typically if the handler asks us a question we answer it. That is protocol. It is part of the trust relationship between operative and handler. Only my trust with him had been broken. The men that were still his assets didn't know that. They would learn it soon, I wouldn't want what happened to me to happen to one of them. When I am ready I will tell them right now I had other things to worry about like taking care of her mother and then my handler.
These two were going to take more strategic planning one more so than the next.
"The Bitch and the Bastard." How fitting Lester said.
"I have handled things with him thanks to the background information you gave me. Now I need info on her so I can handler her. Stephanie has said something to her dad but either he hasn't told his wife or she isn't listening to him because she isn't going to stay away from here. Stephanie said she will just keep coming until her mother speaks to her. She even went as far to cave and agreed to talk to her the next time she comes around. I could tell she didn't want to do it, so I want to make plans to keep her away from here, depending on how strong Stephanie feels about it I would like to get her out of Trenton." I told Lester and he smiled at my suggestion.
"I have a couple of suggestion where we could ship her." He said smiling, his eyes twinkling with mischief just as they did when we were kids and neck deep in trouble. Usually it was some shit he started and pulled everyone around him into.
"We aren't shipping her to a third world country." I stated taking that idea and thought off of the table before it started to sound too good to me. She was her mother I didn't want her dead I just wanted there to be more distance for my Babe's sake. In the end it would be her decision but like today I wanted to have a plan just in case she found herself no longer wanting to see her mother either.
"Besides it will be her decision." I said looking at her lying sleeping sound on the couch. He nodded standing up.
I nodded to let him know that was all, he made his way to the door.
I picked up the phone, one last phone call to make. "Hector, my office." I told him and hung up. It wasn't but a few minutes the knock came. "Enter." I told him.
Hector stepped into my office. It was rare for me to call him to my office. I could see tension around his eyes. I once again motioned for him to be quiet while pointing to Stephanie. He nodded that he understood. I motioned for him to have a seat.
"I called you here to ask you something. This is a request not an order if you don't want to do it just say so and it is okay. I won't be mad, or even upset. Granted I probably won't like it but I won't do anything about it." I told him. I needed his buy in. I didn't want to order him to do this and then him not want to and not taking it seriously. That wasn't Hector or any of my men but I needed to know they were vested on their own and not because of fear from me or what I may do.
He nodded letting me know he understood.
"Stephanie, who I don't think you have met, has been threatened in order to get to me. They are using her as leverage." I told him.
"Who are they?" He asked me and I shook my head.
"I can't tell you it is confidential and it is connected to my contract with the government." Hoping he would be able to put the puzzle together and come up with the answer. Like Cal. He nodded.
"I want you to watch over her." I asked him. He looked at me and then looked at her. He was quiet for a while and I was thinking that he was going to turn me down. It would be his choice if he did. I wouldn't do anything though it would piss me off.
"Okay" He said offering nothing further. I felt a whole lot better about the conversation I had with Cal than the one I was having with Hector. I raised my eyebrow at him questioning his agreement but he offered nothing further.
I was about to say something when I saw movement. I looked over as she stretched and yawned big. Covering her mouth a little late our eyes met still heavy with sleep heavy. She blinked a few times and then locked in on Hector being in the room. She sat up and slowly stood as if to make sure she had her balance with the walking cast on.
Hector stood and faced her when he saw she was walking his way. She held her hand out towards him "Hi my name is Stephanie. I don't think we have met yet." She said yawning in spite of how hard she was trying to fight it.
"Hola" Hector said pulling out his Spanish. It was one of his many defenses to keep people away. He knew English as well as all of us but when it came to people he didn't know he only used Spanish.
"Hi" she said looking at me, I knew she wanted to ask him more questions but wasn't sure if he would understand her.
"What floor do you work on?" She asked him and he looked to me. I wasn't going to play his game with her he was going to answer her and he was going to answer her in English. I raised my eyebrow at him to let him know what I wanted him to do.
"I work on the second floor, in the tech room." He offered up and she nodded her head.
"So you are the computer guy." She summed up and I couldn't help the smile. Saying Hector was a computer guy was like saying the Grand Canyon was a hole in the ground. He did work on computers but he was so much more and it went well beyond just working on computers.
Hector nodded not correcting her assessment of him so he wouldn't have to explain everything he did. Hector wasn't one to waste words. I didn't like to either but he made me look like a Chatty Cathy.
"You don't talk much do you?" She questioned pushing him and I wondered how much pushing he would actually take before he walked out and told me no to my earlier request but when his lips quirked into an almost smile I relaxed. He liked her.
She wasn't intimated by his looks, she wasn't put off by him using Spanish and the fact that he wasn't talking hadn't fazed her a bit. She was still trying to talk to him and learn something about him and I think that amused him.
I also think it unnerved him a little that none of his defenses that he has relied on all these years seemed to work with her. I was smiling on the inside and thinking welcome to my world.
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