The Men of Rangeman

M rating

Thank you once again Margaret for reading ahead as my Beta. :) I much appreciate :)

This takes place in current time. Books 1 through 20 may be referenced. The people you recognize belong to JE :)

Chapter 36

Cal's POV

The 'Joe Job' was all set to go. Santos and I were going to work the audience and keep Joe in our sights at all times while Binkie and Hector migrated around the bar. Joe knew us, so none of us could take over the role of bartender for the night.

Lester had called me and told me Merry was on board. I called Harry, the club's owner, and got permission to use the Teeze and asked for Merry to work the first show as part of our distraction. After her act she was going to go into the audience and make her way over to Joe's lap. I hoped Les and I were close enough when that happened and that he didn't try anything. I'd heard a drunk Morelli was unpredictable. I wouldn't know, I'd never seen that side of him. But we were armed and ready for anything.

Merry was a brave woman as far as I was concerned, not that I didn't think so before. She had a life agenda and was sticking to it. Make money, finish school, and get out of her current situation. Not too hard, except her current situation had her taking off her clothes five days a week.

What I knew about Merry could fit in a thimble. She grew up in rural Vermont and spent her first two years of college in Pittsburgh before transferring to the Pharmacology department at Thomas Edison. She now lived in a low-income apartment with two other roommates but considered the back room at the Teeze her real home.

I knew she thought of me as family so I called her to make sure she was ok with the plan. She'd tell me over anyone.

"Merr baby," I said when she picked up her phone.

"Calcium! Oh my God." Calcium was one of her nicknames for me—something about strong bones. Yeah, I got that. Maybe.

"You ok with doing this job for Rangeman?" I asked her off the bat.

"Piece of cake. He's a freaking horn. I'll treat him like I treat all the others. He touches me I'll slap him silly...and this time I won't have to worry about losing my job."

"I don't think that's anything you've ever had to worry about, Harry adores you..."

"Oh no, that came later. He thought I was rude to the customers. It wasn't until someone pointed out that they actually liked my behavior that he came around. But I still carry some of my paranoia."

"Trust me you have job security. Now you sure you're ok with helping us put Morelli in our pokey?"

"I'm good. Are you going to stick around after?"

"I thought you had a date with Santos?"

"I do. But I'd like to see you too. Maybe we can get together one day during the week. I'm off Tuesday."

If I didn't know better, I'd think she was asking me out. Shit. She did, didn't she? I'd never come between her and Santos, but shit, maybe we could have coffee or something and keep this platonic.

"I'm around Tuesday during the day; I have the night shift," I said truthfully. "Coffee? Brunch?"

"How about brunch at the diner. My treat."

Yep, she was asking me out.

Tank's POV

The guys took the idea of a distraction to get Morelli into one of our cells, and ran with it. They called me for permission only after they set everything up. I could have, no make that should have, been pissed with them circumventing my authority, but I wasn't. It was a solid idea and between the four of them, they had worked out all the details. And they were doing it on their own time.

Problem was, I was down a few men with both Slick and Junior in Florida and I would have liked to use two or more of them on rotation. I would have paid them time and a half. As it was, Manny and Brett worked two back-to-back shifts twice this week. I couldn't ask them to fill in on their days off. Erik and Vince would have to suffice, not that they weren't capable but I had a larger comfort zone with Lester, Hector, Cal or Binkie. I already had Hal and Zero on monitors. Ram and Woody were working a job for us in Philly and Ramon and Zip were on loan to the Atlanta office.

I hated this shit. Ranger was a better organizer than I was and he would have made contingency plans before sending any of the guys out of state.

Speaking of Ranger, he'd been gone a whole week without any communication. Not that that was unusual, but I figured with a wife at home, he'd check in with me more often.

I was sitting at my desk with the names of the men on little scraps of paper. I was moving the scraps around, trying to find the best combination for next week's rotation when my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID, but didn't recognize the number and was about to let it go to voicemail when I realized there was a country code before the number.

"Yo," I said picking up just shy of losing the call.

"What kind of fucking ass way is that to answer the phone?" Ranger said.

"The same fucking ass way you answer."

"Yeah, but I'm the boss."

"What's up your ass man?" I asked, not necessarily wanting to play this game. "The bugs and the heat getting to you?"

"It's the sand man. Everything ok? Stephanie?"

"Stephanie is fine. Morelli's the problem," I added before telling him about the little distraction the guys had set up.

I could hear his eyes smiling on the other end of the line. He was proud of the lot of them.

"Gotta go man. Kiss Stephanie for me."

"You gonna call next week?" I asked to a dead line. Obviously he had to go. So what was I going to do about this kiss Stephanie for me? I hoped he didn't mean that literally. You never knew with Ranger. I'd just make the assumption that that was a figure of speech and I'd tell her he sends his love. There. Fixed. Now if these little pieces of paper could only fit themselves together as easily.

Junior's POV

The OB/GYN that Lynn, the Miami Ella, recommended put Bonnie in the hospital. There was still some fetal matter showing up on the ultrasound and she advised a D&C to prevent infection and infertility problems later. The procedure itself was short, taking no more than fifteen minutes, but they had given Bonnie liquid Valium to knock her out so I was sitting in the recovery room with her holding her hand when my phone rang.

I looked at the caller ID and said to a still very out of it Bonnie, "Baby, I have to take this, I'll be right back." It was Tank.

"K," she slurred as I walked into the hall.

"What's up man?" I asked, knowing he wouldn't call me unless it was important.

"How's Bonnie?" Shit I forgot for a second that they were close. Maybe that was his only reason for calling.

"She's in recovery. She's fine. No restrictions. Except um, just, um...well, no sex for the next ten days."

"Is that what you're fretting over man?"

"Wouldn't you?"

"Not going there Bro. But I'm glad she's doing ok. So when can you come back to Trenton?"

There it was. The purpose for the call.

"We can head back tomorrow, but listen Tank. I was wondering if I could have a few days off. Bonnie and I want to look for a place together. I can't ask her to live in my utility and her studio is too small for two."

"How about you help me out and then I'll help you out?"

"What's on your mind?"

"We're down six men. I was hoping you and Slick might be able to work next week. And in turn, I'll introduce you to my real estate lady."

"Michelle had major reconstructive surgery to repair her shoulder last week. I don't think Slick is going to want to leave her. He's head over heels in love with her to begin with."

"Just spoke with him. The best shoulder therapist in the country is out of that Phoenix place in Philly. They'd already scheduled a flight back for Sunday. He asked for the following week off to look for a place to live too. What's happening down there? Something in the water?"

I didn't know that. And Slick and I were tight. We'd even spoken this morning.

"Thought they were going to move into Michelle's apartment in Princeton?"

"I guess they changed their mind. So I'll see you on Monday then," Tank announced before disconnecting.

I went back to Bonnie feeling like Tank had gotten the better of the situation. I knew she'd be ok and able to travel in a few hours, but I still felt like a shit for not even asking her before I committed.

"Baby, that was Tank."

"Good-dy," she slurred happily. "Waz he say-n?"

"He'll help us find an apartment back in New Jersey if I work next week. He's down six guys and stressing out. You up for the trip back tomorrow?"

"Morrow isz wha day?"

"Tomorrow is Saturday. Just relax, you don't have to talk."

"K."

"Let me ask you a question," I said to her a few seconds later. Obviously I still had a lot on my mind.

She nodded; taking my telling her she didn't have to answer seriously.

"Did Slick or Michelle say anything to you about getting a place together? I thought they were going to move into Michelle's apartment? Tank just told me Slick asked for next week off to find a place to live. Did you hear anything different?"

"You wan me ta answer?" she said sounding a little better.

I nodded.

"They wanna house. With a pool for Michelle's therapy."

"In Trenton?"

"Didn't say. I think Princeton."

"Do you want a house Bon?"

"Might be nice, but I can't afford one. I'm a teacher."

"Together Bonnie. Remember we spoke about living together?"

"I member," she said closing her eyes.

"Bonnie?"

"Mmmm," she answered with her eyes still closed.

"Do you need to sleep? I'm sorry, I'll let you rest."

"Don't leave. Stay," she said, drifting off again.

Slick's POV

I'd gotten a call from Tank while I was in transit with Michelle, taking her back to our room at the Delano from the hospital. They'd kept her for three days after her surgery and the bill was racking up at the hotel. We'd already made plans to go back to Trenton for Michelle's therapy but I got the feeling Tank's call was going to expedite everything.

Michelle was still taking heavy doses of pain medication and the jolting ride on the highway had her in a lot of pain. I gave her a couple of Vicodin and got her settled on the couch before returning Tank's call.

"Yo," he answered on the second ring.

"What's up boss? Sorry I couldn't talk. I was taking Michelle back to the hotel room.

"You still in that fleabag?" Tank asked; obviously a joke. At $400 a night the Delano was anything but a fleabag.

"Can't afford this place anymore; I made reservations to head back on Sunday. What's up," I asked again.

"I need you to work next week. We're down men and the contract guys are pissing me off with their rates and attitudes. Need to get in touch with Junior too."

"Bonnie had a D&C this morning. They should be back at the hotel this afternoon. Want me to have him call you?"

"Nah. I need to find out how Bonnie's doing anyway. Michelle ok?"

"She may need another surgery if PT can't get her back to full-rotation, but that will be down the road. And I'd like for her to have some plastic surgery before our wedding. Would hate for people to stare at her arm instead of appreciating her beauty."

"Wedding?"

"I asked her to marry me and she accepted. I was going to go out and get her a ring this afternoon so we could come back to New Jersey officially engaged." I added that last part in a whisper as I wanted to surprise Michelle with the ring.

"You. Ranger. Junior. I don't know what's gotten into you guys. No. I take that back. I'm actually happy for all of you. So you on for rotation on Monday?"

"If we can make that Monday night, I'd feel better. Want to find someone to stay with Michelle while I'm working, she's taking a lot of pain meds."

"Ella probably knows someone. I'll talk to her and get back to you. Monday day would be better."

"Ok boss. You drive a hard bargain." Unfortunately I heard the phone go dead after the word ok.