Acceptance- Chapter 35
I have decided that this story might become a bit longer than planned, I had a couple places I wanted to take it. Please leave reviews, as I live for them.
Tank's POV
Everything was going to shit at Rangeman. We had lost over a third of our clients due to Ranger's little stint of popularity on the news and on youtube. I guess no companies out there want to get their security systems from a company run by a man accused of trying to murder his best friend in a "sordid love triangle" as the papers called it.
Ranger has been in and out of the company, even more taciturn and belligerent than usual. He blames the collapse of his company on Vince, of course. That's Ranger, trying to blame someone else for what he did. Like Vince injected his own IV with the potassium or something.
Vince and Steph have both been fired from Rangeman, as have Hal and most of the others. Only Bobby, Lester, and I are still here working accounts. Ranger has been in and out, between here and Miami. Its fine by me. The further away he is from there the better.
Bobby and I have been having a lot of meetings with lawyers, not just to prep for Ranger's trial, but to figure out what the hell we can do about Rangeman. We each own 25% of the company, so its failure means we lose money. I am not sure what will happen with Ranger's half. I can't imagine he won't liquidate it. He will need a lot of money for his legal defense.
Vince and Steph are living in the townhouse. Vince is having to pay for it, since Rangeman can no longer afford to. That is better, anyway, since then Ranger can't yank it out from under them. Even though there is a restraining order protecting both Vince and Steph, I don't believe they will ever be safe from Ranger. Especially not once his trial starts.
Steph's POV
I had fallen asleep in the car and when I opened my eyes, I took time to admire Vince's strong profile. Everything has been in such upheaval for the last week or so, it was nice to have quiet time just to look at him. Ranger has fired us and a lot of the guys from Rangeman, and who knew what would happen to the company.
In spite of everything, I felt calm and reassured. Like it was all going to be ok. That was because Vince was with me. He was so strong and his steadiness and calm rolled over me like waves. I felt like it didn't matter what happened, everything was going to be ok, because Vince is here. Right now, one of his huge hands is on the steering wheel as we drive to Atlantic City. The other hand grasps mine and engulfs me in his warmth.
"Hey, sweetie," He whispers, squeezing my hand.
" Are you sure you are ready for this,? " I ask. I mean , it was pretty sudden.
Vince turns his head. I couldn't see his eyes through the dark shades we wore, but he gave me that beautiful smile that always makes my breath catch.
"Sweetie, I am more than ready for this. I want you to be my wife and the baby to be my legal son." He put his hand on the mound that had started to form in my abdomen. He kept calling the child "his son" but we really didn't know the sex yet. We both wanted to be surprised.
"You aren't just doing this because of, you know, Ranger?"
He gave me a look, and I was pretty sure that if I could see his eyes they'd have been boring into me. He was always so direct and honest. No games or bullshitting from him.
"I'm doing it because I love you and junior." He glanced at the road briefly, then back at me. " Yes, Ranger does factor in though. If you are married to me, it keeps you safer from him. "
Hence the drive to Atlantic City for a quickie wedding. Bobby and Hal were also going, in another car, to be our guests and witnesses. I knew Vince's parents would want to see him get married, and God knows, mine want to see it, so we will probably have a more formal ceremony later. This one is much more urgent and immediate.
I also knew that Vince wanted to get married so that I could have access to his military insurance, since neither of us had Rangeman's any more. And it would provide me a lot of security financially. Vince's lawyer was meeting us in Atlantic City to go update some legal documents.
When Vince mentioned that he was putting me and the baby as beneficiaries in his will and life insurance I freaked out, and started to cry. I know it is probably stupid, but I am so emotional lately, and I am still traumatized by how close Vince came to death. I just started crying uncontrollably.
Vince is so amazing. He knew exactly how to handle me. He put down what he was doing, held me tightly against his huge chest, and let me cry. " Baby, nothing's going to happen to me, don't worry. Its standard procedure for a wife and child to be named on a life insurance policy and will. That way, if anything DID ever happen, you would be taken care of. " He held me for awhile, but he didn't let me get into that spiral of worrying that I get into about his safety.
The thought of Vince's will made me think of our arguments over his job in the Reserves. I didn't want him doing it now that we were having a baby. But I had come to the conclusion that he has to, for a number of reasons. First, he is the best in the world at what he does, and he gets a lot of soldiers out of difficult situations and home safely. I looked down through my slightly open eyes to his huge hand holding mine. That hand had pulled the trigger and killed to keep so many others safe. I didn't want to think of how many he had killed. He would kill and die to keep other safe, just like he would die for me, if he had to. But I knew that was part of him, just like his overwhelming need to protect me and keep me safe. Besides, neither of us had our jobs at Rangeman now, so the money and benefits were essential now. We needed the money and the insurance.
His thumb was gently stroking my wrist and that brought me back to the present, in the car. Rain was coming down gently on the windshield, very soft and soothing. I Put my head back on the headrest and closed my eyes. Vince pulled the small car throw over me, tucking it up around my shoulders. He gently stroked my hand as I closed my eyes.
Vince's POV
I am glad Steph is sleeping most of the way to Atlantic City. She has been tired a lot lately, probably because of the baby. I know she wants a big wedding ceremony with her parents and all her Burg friends, but that is going to have to wait. We need to get married quickly so she'll have the protection of being my wife. I want my child born a Sonterra, no matter what might happen to me.
There is a lot of shit happening that I have been shielding Steph from. Tank, Bobby, and I have been meeting with lawyers about Ranger's case. They have taken my deposition, and I am going to have to testify against him at his trial. I have no problem with that, the fucking bastard. But Steph will, too, and that will be upsetting for her. I have managed to keep the cops away from her for the most part, but eventually she WILL have to talk to them and get involved.
Then there is the shit happening at Rangeman. Tank and Bobby each own 25%. Ranger owns 50%. I have been meeting with the guys to see if there is some way we can pool our funds to buy him out. That assumes he'd sell. He will need the money for legal bills, but he is such a bastard he would refuse to sell just to spite us. Hal is interested, so is Ram, and so am I. If we can do this, we can make our own security company. Then I won't need to do missions for the reserves as much.
That is a bone of contention between Steph and I. I love the Reserves, and I don't want to quit. Now , with no Rangeman insurance, I have to work missions for them. Which is another reason for the quick wedding. I haven't told Steph yet, but I am going on a two week mission next week. It is relatively safe, not in a war zone, and just a training mission. I haven't told Steph because I don't want her worried or upset or having nightmares about it. I have to admit, it is harder to leave now that the baby is coming. Bobby has promised to watch over her for me, like he did last time. Although, he said if I put him through this time what I did last time, he would kill me himself.
I took my eyes of the road to watch Steph sleep. The baby is just a mound, rising from her abdomen. I worry about her, too. She is still always vomiting. It is scary to see that happen so much. Bobby and her doctor both say it is normal but it scares the hell out of me. So far, the pregnancy appears to be normal, except Steph has had some issues with high blood pressure. Probably from all the stress she's been under. Yet another reason to protect her from as much as I can.
Ranger's POV
I spend all my goddamn time anymore meeting with my lawyer. I hate lawyers, and mine better be worth the fortune I am spending on him. I fired most of the guys from my company and so I can use that money for my defense.
Mr. Weber tells me most of what they have can be construed as circumstantial. They have the vial, with no fingerprints, and the record of purchase. Supposedly they found some small fibers that can be traced back to my jacket on the vial. Big fucking deal, it can also be traced to about a million of the same kind of jackets that other people bought.
So far, the worst they have is Carter Norwich's testimony that he told me potassium would kill Vince, and Vince's memory of me putting it in the IV. Mr. Weber says those are the most damning things. They have also conducted several search warrants for my home and Rangeman properties in each city. THAT pissed me off. How dare those fuckers invade my privacy like that.
Vince's testimony is suspect, because he supposedly has "memory issues" , so Carter Norwich is really the only witness they have. But that can be taken care of. I still have contacts, people that will do whatever I tell them to. All I have to do is make a few phone calls, and that bastard Norwich will no longer be a problem. As for Vince and Steph, well, just because they are no longer working for me doesn't mean I don't know where they are.
Steph's POV
As soon as we checked into the hotel in Atlantic City, I took a nap. I had hours before the appointment with the JP, and I was always so exhausted. I got a wake up call in an hour, and started my preparations. It wasn't a traditional wedding, but it was still MY wedding and I wanted to look good. Vince had gotten another room, because he "wasn't supposed to see the bride before the wedding."
I found a beautiful ivory colored knee-length satin dress with a touch of lace. It was actually at a consignment store. It was "vintage" and I loved it. It was just big enough to accommodate my pregnancy mound. I had a pair of gold sandals, and some flowers in my hair. The doorbell rang. It was the concierge, with a huge box, from my "fiancé." Inside was the most beautiful bouquet of flowers I had ever seen. It had a lot of blue, to go with my eyes. The note said, " These flowers are to match your beautiful eyes. Love, Vince." I almost cried. How sweet is that? What guy would have through to make sure I had a bouquet for my wedding.
Bobby and Hal picked me up at my suite. They were both wearing dark suits. Hal is so huge he probably has to get his tailor made. And Bobby took my breath away. He was so handsome, almost as much as Vince. Their eyes lit up when I opened the door.
"Oh, honey, you look amazing," Bobby said, hugging me carefully, as if afraid to wrinkle my dress.
"steph, you do look beautiful," Hal stammered. He is always so shy.
They took me down to the chapel suite, where Vince was waiting in front of another man. Pachabel's Canon was playing softly, as I walked across the suite to Vince. I almost couldn't breathe when I saw Vince. He was the most beautiful man I had ever seen. He looked so damn hot in a dark grey suit, white shirt, and tie. The suit fit perfectly over his huge shoulders and chest. I though he looked sexy in his Rangeman uniform, but that was nothing compared to this. I wanted the wedding to be done so I could rip it off of him.
When he turned and saw me, the smoldering look in his eyes left no doubt as to his feelings for me. He looked mesmerized. When I got to him, he took my hand firmly in his and bent down to whisper," You look so beautiful. I love you." The rest of the short ceremony was a blur. I couldn't take my eyes off of Vince. I heard him promise to " love, honor, cherish , and protect," and I heard myself say something similar. Bobby handed Vince the rings- where the heck had he gotten those? Vince's large, warm hand covered my cold one as he put the ring on my finger. It was a little big because we both knew I'd be expanding. I took the ring and slid it on Vince's finger, my eyes looking deeply into his.
The JP pronounced us , "Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Sonterra" and Bobby and Hal clapped wildly and hooted. Vince put his arms around me for the kiss, stopping to gently stroke the baby and I thought I might faint. The kiss he gave me was gentle, but full of passion and possession. Like the alpha male marking his territory. I was HIS. He kissed me long and hard and the world faded away to nothing but his arms.
"Ok, you two. Plenty of time for that later." Bobby was pulling us apart now. "Besides it my turn." He grabbed me gently and hugged me, swinging me around and planting a huge kiss on my lips. I kissed him on the cheek. ' Congratulations, beautiful. " "Thanks Bobby, you are the best friend ever." Bobby laughed when he saw tears in my eyes again, and kissed my cheek gently.
Hal also hugged me, but he was more restrained and careful, as if afraid of hurting me. But his grin was huge as he congratulated me. Bobby gave Vince a long, guy hug complete with back slapping. Then we all carefully signed the marriage license, Bobby and Hal signing as witnesses. There was even a guy there to take pictures, and Vince and the guys patiently complied with the photographers request as he made them pose for shot after shot.
I hadn't eaten and was starved, so Vince took me to another suite, where the four of us dined and had wedding cake and champagne. I didn't want any champagne because of the baby, but Vince said I had to have a sip to celebrate, so I drank out of his glass. Bobby and Hal both made toasts and clinged their glasses with spoons to make Vince and I kiss, then hooted when we did. There was even music, so Vince and I had our "first dance." Vince, like most guys, would rather be stabbed in the eye than dance, so it was sweet that he was making the effort for me. Then, I danced with Bobby, then Hal. It was so sweet how they went out of their way to make it as much like a traditional wedding reception as possible. After we had eaten, Vince and I went back to our suite and began the wedding night.
I knew Vince wanted to just rip the dress off me, but his huge hands carefully undid all the little buttons on the back while his lips took care of my front. It was the most amazing sex we've ever had. It was so passionate and wild. He was so hard and well muscled, completely recovered from getting shot. He made me come four different times with his fingers and his lips. He left me teetering helplessly on the brink, and made me beg and call out his name, and that I was "Mrs. Vincent Sonterra" before finally making me come. Only then did he get inside me, carefully, stopping before he came to kiss my abdomen and and tell the baby that he loved him. We fell asleep, sated and exhausted, in each others arms. I couldn't believe how happy I was and I embraced it, fearing that the happiness might be short lived.
It has been two weeks since the wedding, and Vince is off on a mission. He promised that this one was not in a war zone and just a training mission, and that the guys and I should be able to contact him on his cell if we wanted.
Bobby had promised to take care of me again while he was gone, and I knew he would, since he already was. Hal had been fired from Rangeman and booted from the building, so he was now living in the other side of my duplex. I knew that even though Vince would be gone, I'd have plenty of protection and the guys looking out for me. I knew it was harder for Vince to go this time too. When he it was time to leave, he kept whispering to Bobby about me. I just heard Bobby say, "Don't worry, man, I'll take care of her."
Vince had been so sweet, he held me when he said goodbye. I had promised myself I wouldn't cry, but of course I did. Vince just held me and wiped my tears away. " Don't worry sweetie. I'll be fine. Its just a training mission, probably in the US. You can even call me if you want. " He actually knelt down and pulled up my shirt, and kissed my bulging abdomen. I heard him whisper to the baby, " Daddy loves you. Take care of your mommy while I'm gone." That was so sweet. Most men would never have done that in front of other guys, but Vince had no problems with his masculinity. I wanted to keep hugging him, but finally he broke away and Bobby held me while Vince got in the car, blew me another kiss, and drove away.
He's been gone a week now, and he has called me every night, because he knows I am worried and need to hear his voice. Hal has been helping me a lot with stuff around the house, since he lives next door now.
This morning , Hal was helping me paint the nursery. He had gone to Home Depot to get more paint, and I was sititing in the baby's room, lost in thought, imagining how great it would be when it was done. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I turned around, and there was Ranger.
Shit. I hoped Lester or Bobby or Tank was in the control room to see him come in, but Rangeman had such a skeleton staff now, that I wasn't sure. Why the hell was Ranger here? There was a restraining order. How had he known I was here alone? He must have been watching and see Hal leave.
"Congratulations, Mrs. Sonterra," he said, sarcastically. " Your new hubby loves you so much he left you here to get ready for the baby yourself, huh?"
My heart was racing and I was frantically thinking of what to do. My cell was in my pocket and I grabbed it, trying to text a 911 to Bobby without Ranger noticing.
I could feel my blood throbbing through me and I was starting to feel faint and lightheaded.
Ranger just looked at me cooly, and said, "Just remember, I am always watching you. Where ever you go and whatever you do."
He turned around and walked out of the duplex after giving me another of his menacing looks.
I felt dizzy and fell hard onto the couch, my head felt like it was pounding and my veins throbbing. I was gripping myself against the sudden pains when Bobby came in, frantic. He'd probably seen Ranger leave. "Steph, what's wrong." He saw me on the couch and said, "oh shit. Did he touch you?"
He immediately was on his phone , calling 911. I heard him say something about 'complications to a pregnancy. " What's wrong sweetie, " What hurts" he asked, his strong hands easing me down onto the couch. "My head is pounding and my body feels like its throbbing. And then I got pains."
"ok, sweetie," just try to relax and take deep breaths." He was holding my wrist, taking my pulse, and then he took my blood pressure. "Bobby, what's wrong? What's happening?" Bobby smoothed my hair and tried to calm me. " Sweetie, your blood pressure is through the roof, " was all he'd say. He held my hand and tried to calm me for another few minutes until the ambulance arrived. I heard Bobby tell the medics my vitals and then he jumped into the ambulance with me.
Hal came back, looking shocked, as they were loading me into the ambulance, and Bobby yelled at him to get in touch with Vince and tell him to get home.