Chapter 38- Safe Houses
Just then my spidey senses started going crazy. Something bad was about to happen. I looked around and didn't notice anything different. I glanced at Ranger and his eyes were on me. I tried to ESP him what my gut was telling me. I checked out every face in the cafe. I looked at each door and window. I felt like I was getting paranoid. Something wasn't right. I glanced at Lynn and she had a look of terror and pain in her face.
"What is it?" I asked
"I know Morelli is going to get to me eventually." she looked side to side
"Does anyone know where you are?" I asked her
"Only my aunt and now you." she half whispered
"Okay, that's good." I paused "Are you willing to tell all of this to the police?"
She hesitated "I don't know."
"If you want all three of them to pay for what they have done to you and many other women I need your help." I tried to get the point across with a small squeeze to her hand
"But you can do it. You can tell my story." she insisted
"I can't speak for you. I have only really had issues with Conklin and some more personal stuff with Morelli." I tried to explain "I'm not exactly in a good position to make allegations since I am trying to solve who set me up for murder."
"Personal stuff?" she pulled her hand back
"Morelli is my ex-boyfriend." I sighed
Her mouth dropped open and she sat back in her chair.
"Listen to me Lynn. He is nothing to me. He is lower than nothing. He has done things to try to ruin my life and he's still at it. What you have told me makes me sick to my stomach. I will help you do whatever it takes to make him pay." I assured her
"You're Cupcake." she stated rather than questioned me.
I nodded "Unfortunately I was. I am not Cupcake anymore. I was blind but now my eyes are wide open. I can't do this alone. I need your help."
"What would I have to do?" she asked
"We will find you a cop that we can trust. All you have to do is tell the truth. I know you can do this. All of the women who suffered need us to speak up. This is not something either of us can walk away from. We can help protect you." I told her
"We?" she asked
"We need to go right now." Ranger was suddenly at our table with his hand on my shoulder.
"Who's this?" Lynn asked
"Get up Lynn. Come on. If he says go then we need to go" I got up and grabbed her arm as I passed her.
I pulled her along with me as I followed Ranger. We went out the back way where the train tracks were right in front of us. As the door closed I glanced back in and saw Morelli walk in through the door I had come through less than an hour ago. Ranger moved Lynn and I against the wall and held up his hand so that we knew not to move. She grabbed my hand and I squeezed it trying to give her some comfort. I watched Ranger as he kept glancing in the window. After what seemed like forever he nodded his head and held out his hand. I took it and he pulled us away from the building.
"Running from fucking Morelli." he muttered under his breath as he pulled us along.
We ran down some side roads. After only three blocks my side was beginning to ache. I need to work on that damn cardio stuff. We got to St. Patrick's Church and Ranger pulled us inside. He pulled out his phone and made a hushed call. He put his hand on my back and guided me into the sanctuary as I pulled Lynn along with me. He finished his call and then snapped his head up like he heard a noise. He pushed me towards the confessionals and I pushed Lynn into one while I jumped into the other. I could hear nothing but my own deep breaths. Suddenly the priest slid the window open and light shined through the lattice that separated us. Out of habit I immediately dropped down onto the kneeler and bent my head down. After waiting a couple of minutes the priest finally spoke to me.
"Go ahead child. Tell me what's on your mind." he suggested
Oh crap! I don't have time for this and I definitely don't want to do this. I was worried if I was quiet for too long he might get out to check on me. So I took a deep breath and then I began.
"Bless me Father for I have sinned; it has been..." I hesitated as I did the mental math. "Four years since my last Confession."
I gave out a deep sigh and tried to figure out what to say. "Go ahead." he prompted me
"I have committed the sin of murder, but it wasn't my fault." I waited for him to speak
"Not your fault?" he asked
"It was self-defense. " I explained "More than once."
"More than once?" he asked
"I live a scary life." I told him
"Go on." he pushed
"I'm a bounty hunter. I guess it's not an excuse just need to let you know there are extenuating circumstances." I blew out a deep breath.
"Interesting career choice." he noted
"I have taken the Lord's name in vain a lot. I've missed mass a lot and I have worked on the holy day a lot." I felt myself biting my cheek.
"Any other sins you need to confess?" he asked after I was silent for a minute.
There was a small knock on the door and I figured it was Ranger so I ended the confession.
"That's it." I told him
"Say an act of contrition and five hail Marys." he ordered
"Thank you." I told him
He started to say a blessing but the door was opened and Ranger dragged me out. We opened the other door together and I pulled Lynn out. Ranger led us in silence out a back door and we jogged along with him. We made it back to the hotel and none of us spoke until the door was closed and locked.
"What happened?" Lynn asked
"Morelli." Ranger and I said at the same time.
"Oh my God I'm dead." she gasped.
"Listen, I need you to focus." he looked at her as I reached out for her hand.
"He's got everything under control. Just listen to him." I told her hoping that Ranger had a plan.
"Who is he?" Lynn asked me
I glanced at Ranger and he nodded "This is Ranger. He has been helping me and he will help you too."
"Are you a cop? You don't look like a cop." she looked Ranger up and down
"I am many things but a cop isn't one of them." he had on his stone face.
"He owns a security company and he was an Army Ranger. He can and will protect you." I tried to ease her mind
She looked back and forth between us both before settling back on Ranger "Okay, so what do we do now?"
"We're going to the aquarium." he told us
"What?" I asked him as confusion set in
"I called an Uber." he told us
I wanted to say a lot of things but I knew we needed to make Lynn feel safe so I said nothing. I just nodded like this was the plan the whole time. I moved Lynn over to the couch and we sat down. Ranger was making more calls. Lynn began sobbing so I rubbed her back.
"It's going to be okay." I assured her
"If he gets me..." she trailed off
"That's not going to happen." I assured her "It's all going to be okay."
"I hope you're right." she started to calm down.
Ranger pulled us both outside as the Uber driver pulled up. It wasn't too surprising his timing was perfect. Our driver was a retired old woman who insisted on filling us in on the history of Mystic, Connecticut as she drove us to the aquarium. Ranger bought our tickets and we walked around checking out all of the exhibits. I wanted to ask him what was going on but I only made comments on the different attractions. I didn't want to let Lynn know I had no idea what was going on. There was no way we were leaving her alone so I would have to put our private conversation on hold.
I had been informed by one of the tour guides that this aquarium was one of only three in the United States that had sea lions. We got to watch one of their feeding and training sessions. We got to see the largest outdoor Beluga Whale exhibit in the United States. This was actually a really cool place. When we got to check out the whales from the underwater viewing area we also got to check out the two new seals who had been rescued. Lynn thought Bristol was cuter but I was on team Coral. Ranger just shook his head as we argued over our favorite seals, but it seemed to keep her mid off of Morelli. Ranger steered us towards the National Geographic theater and we watched a documentary on the Great White Shark. Ranger kept checking his watch as he led us over the boardwalk that led through the Marsh Trek. Lynn and I were eyeing a huge tortoise when I heard Ranger clear his throat.
"It's time." he told us as we followed him towards the exit.
He held open the door and Lynn grabbed my hand as we stepped outside. I was tugging her behind me as she gripped my hand tighter than I would have liked. I had to stop for a minute as I tried to shade my eyes from the bright sunlight. I had a moment of blindness until my eyes adjusted. As soon as I could see again I froze in place and Lynn bumped right into me. My jaw dropped as I stared at him. He was standing outside of his car smiling and apparently extremely happy to see me.
"Hey Steph." he waved before I stepped closer
"Mooner?" I was surprised
"You know it!" he smiled bigger as he pulled me into a big hug.
"You know this guy?" Lynn asked as she kept an awkward hold of my hand.
"Yes." I used one hand to push him back. "Lynn this is Mooner. Mooner this is Lynn"
"Wow, you are beautiful." he smiled at her
She let go of my hand and twisted hers in front of her body. "Thank you." she blushed
I shot Ranger a glance as I waited for an explanation.
"He's going to drive you to Brooklyn." he turned to Lynn
"Brooklyn?" she was confused and so was I.
Ranger gave a slight nod. "Then you will meet up with another friend and they will take you some place safe."
She looked at me and I nodded with approval. "It will be fine."
"I don't know." she hesitated
"We're going to have fun little hottie." Mooner winked at her and she smiled
"I guess. But I don't have anything with me." she looked nervous.
"It will all be taken care of." he told her as he got closer to Mooner. He put his arm around Mooner's shoulders and pulled him aside to talk.
"Do you trust him?" she motioned towards Ranger
"With my life." I answered quickly
"And him?" she asked glancing at Mooner
"He's a good guy." I assured her
"If you're sure..." she trailed off
I grabbed her hand and turned her to face me. "You can do this. You will be safe."
"You think?" she asked
"Of course. You may be bored but you will be safe." I joked
"I don't think he could be boring." she tilted her head towards Mooner
"That's true. Maybe you can find a TV marathon." I suggested
"I love those! All of the old shows." she smiled.
"You ready?" Mooner asked as he came over to us.
"I guess so." she nodded
"Be careful." I told him with a smile.
"Always dudette!" He reached for Lynn's hand and she smiled.
"See you later Rangedude." Mooner nodded to Ranger
Ranger nodded and we stayed in place until Mooner pulled out of the lot with Lynn in the passenger seat smiling. I turned to talk to Ranger but he held up one finger for me to wait. He made his way back to the Aquarium entrance and I followed. A man was standing outside with a clipboard. I recognized his polo shirt quickly realizing he was from a car rental agency. I stayed silent as Jorge Rivera signed the paperwork for his car. I waited until we were pulling out of the parking lot to speak.
"Mooner?" I asked
"I thought they would connect." his eyes were straight ahead.
"Brooklyn?" I asked
"Santos will meet them there and take the to a safe house." he explained
"Why didn't Santos come straight here?" I asked
"Babe"
"Ranger." I was exasperated
"If Santos was followed it would have been straight to us. If he's followed to Brooklyn it won't matter. No one is looking for Lynn except Morelli." he continued to navigate the streets
"So Mooner wouldn't be tracked and you didn't want to leave her alone with Santos." I suggested
"Babe" he smiled
We got back to the Inn and quickly packed up our things. I wasn't sure where we were headed next but as soon as we got onto the highway I let out a groan.
"What's wrong Babe?" he asked me
"We never went back to the Lighthouse Bakery." I reminded him
He shook his head but he smiled. "You never disappoint"
I tried to be quiet as long as I could. I didn't want to question him about where we were going next. I didn't want to tell him how I was worried about Lynn. I tried to push those questions out of my head. Now I only had room for Morelli in all of my panicked thoughts. What a pig. The more I learned about him the worse it got. I can now state with one hundred percent certainty I never really knew him at all. When had he changed?
"Babe" this was a something's burning tell me what's wrong kind of Babe
"Just can't stop thinking about what she said about Morelli. I don't know why it still hurts. Every time I find out something new I feel more and more like an idiot." I let him know
"You're not an idiot Babe." he assured me
"Damn Morelli." I shook my head
"I'm sorry." he whispered
"You're sorry? Sorry I nearly married a man who blackmails people for sex? A man who takes advantage of desperate women? I could go on all day." I paused "Forget about the shit he's done to me. What about what he possibly could have done to you?"
"To me?" he asked
"You forgot I could be pregnant." I sighed
"I didn't forget." he assured me
"But what if?" I sighed
And? That's not necessarily a bad thing." he stroked my hand
"But it not something you want." I reminded him
"Who said I didn't want it?" he kissed my hand.
"I don't do stupid things like marriage and kids." I imitated his voice
"I also didn't plan to fall in love." he reminded me
"Just..." I tried to argue
"I want you to try to separate Morelli from the baby situation. I already told you that if you are carrying my child it's a child conceived in love. While unplanned a child with you will never be unwanted." He leaned in and kissed my lips softly
The butterflies were crazy in my stomach. With him by my side how could I ever worry about anything? I got the sudden urge to change the subject away from any possible children.
"He's not even a good cop." I grumbled
"We were both wrong about that." he kept his eyes on the road.
"How did I not know he was so close to Conklin and Martin?" I was angry
"He changed since High School. You couldn't have known." he tried to reassure me
"I should have known." I sighed
"You were too busy having sexual fantasies about some guy who wears black." he teased
I laughed and then suddenly stopped.
"What's wrong?" he asked
I shook my head as my eyes welled up with tears. I brought my hands up to wipe my eyes and he kept glancing back and forth from the road to me. I sniffled and turned away from him. I tried to look out the window and focus on something. Anything except my thoughts. I closed my eyes and laid my head back against the seat. I thought about all of the times Morelli tried to get me into bed. How I let him take my virginity. The times I wanted him so badly. I didn't realize I had been such a disappointment. I was fighting away more tears when I felt the car stop. My eyes popped open and I looked around as we sat on the shoulder of the highway. Ranger grabbed my hand and pulled me closer. He reached out and cupped my face with his free hand as his thumb wiped away some stray tears.
"Tell me Babe" he spoke softly
"Am I a dead fish?" I asked
He burst out laughing and I pulled my hand away. "I'm serious." I told him as I pulled my face away from his hand.
He grabbed both of my hands and pulled me tight against him. His lips met mine and suddenly I was caught up in a searing kiss. A mind altering kiss that made me feel like I might faint at any moment. My hands flew up into his hair and I pulled him closer. His arms wrapped around my body and I was close to combustion. He pulled his mouth away from mine but kept our lips touching.
"It wasn't you Babe."
"Are you sure?" I asked as I kept my eyes closed and enjoyed the feel of his warm breath against my lips.
"He just didn't know what to do with such a sexy" kiss "independent" kiss "adventurous" kiss "inventive" kiss "woman."
"Mmm" I moaned against his lips
"You have never been a dead fish Babe." then he pulled away from my lips. "You are insatiable."
We both chuckled. "Only you can do that to me Batman."
"Good because I don't share. You are mine Stephanie Plum." he kissed me once more before we both sat back in our seats.
"Not Brooke Pardo?" I asked as I tried to regain my breath.
"No more Brooke." he shook his head
"Who are we now?" I asked with a smile.
"For our next stop we will be Sophia and Raphael Ruiz." he smiled back at me
"Then let's get going." I motioned for him to move the car.
"As you wish." he signaled and pulled back onto the highway.
I reached over and took his hand in mind. I pulled it to my lips and kissed the back of his hand before I whispered "Thank you"
"You know I don't lie to you Babe." he answered my whisper.
I moved closer to him and leaned my head onto his shoulder. "Is this okay?"
"Better than okay." he assured me
I felt the car stop and pulled my head away from his shoulder. I wondered if I would ever be able to be a deep sleeper again after this was all over. If it was ever all over. I blinked as my eyes adjusted. I rubbed them and looked around. We were by the water. I could see boats and lights. I leaned back in my seat and stretched my whole body out.
"Ready to eat Babe?" he asked in a soft voice.
"There are a few things better than food." I informed him
"Like what?" he grabbed my hand
"Your voice being the first one I hear when I wake up." I leaned back against him
"Mmm" he moaned as he leaned in and kissed my forehead.
"Where are we dining tonight Raphael?" I teased
"Let's find out Sophia." he smiled before he got out of the car.
"Thank you Sir." I smirked as he opened my door and held out his hand.
As soon as I stepped onto my feet I froze in place. I tilted my head up as I inhaled the fresh salty sea air. I closed my eyes as I listened to the waves lapping at the nearby dock. I took another deep breath before I opened my eyes to see Ranger right in front of me. I reached out and wrapped my arms around his neck pulling him into me. I turned my head and rested it against his chest as I let his arms envelop me. I caught myself smiling and then gave out a quick chuckle.
"Babe" he pulled me back slightly
"I worry I am a dead fish in bed and then you take me out for seafood?" I tried to hide my smile.
"Only you." he laughed
He pulled my hand and I followed him to the restaurant. He talked to the hostess and she tripped all over her tongue as she led us to our table. She brought us out onto a wooden patio that slightly hung over the water. White lights were strung along the railings and columns of the patio. There was a live band at the other end of the patio from where we were seated. They had just finished playing Margaritaville and had moved on to Brown Eyed Girl. There were all types of boats docked nearby and it was all so picturesque like something out of a movie.
She handed him both menus and I glared at her as I pulled mine from his hands. I ordered a coke and he ordered water as usual. I began to look over the menu trying to find something new and interesting. After enjoying lobster for the first time ever I wanted to stick to my adventurous streak. I didn't want to do the typical fish and chips I would have ordered in Jersey. I glanced out at the water. The sun was setting behind the trees that lined the edge of the water across from us.
"Have you been here before?" I asked him
"Not for a long time." he answered
"What do you suggest?" I asked
"The salmon for you." he told me right away
"Salmon huh?" I glanced through the menu to find the description. It read 'Pan Seared Atlantic Salmon, Lobster Mashed Potatoes & Sweet Corn Salsa'
"What do you think?" he asked me
"Looks good." I agreed "Let me guess. You are going to order the Sole Florentine?"
"Babe"
"Of course it has spinach vegetables and rice. No lobster mashed potatoes." I teased
"I want you to try a salad." he told me
"Excuse me? I am already looking forward to my mashed potatoes." I gave him a slight glare.
"You can still have that." he gave a silent chuckle "This salad is amazing. Butter crunch lettuce with fresh strawberries, candied walnuts and delicious curls of Parmesan cheese." he reached out and wrapped a finger around one of the curls that fell past my ear.
"I don't see that on the menu." I was confused
"They serve it." he guaranteed
"For a salad it sounds good. You've had it before?" I asked
He nodded "I know the chef."
"I thought we're supposed to be in hiding." I whispered
"She's not going to tell a soul." he promised
"She?" I tilted my head
"Her name is Aru. She is the widow of one of my first commanding officers when I entered the Rangers." he explained
I let my mouth drop open as the waitress made her way back to our table to deliver our drinks. I was still gasping for words so Ranger ordered the salad and the meals for both of us. She repeated back every word he said as she batted her eyelashes at him. I won't lie that I wasn't jealous. My mind was swimming to think of something to say when she started to tell him about local bars to visit after dinner and telling him what time her shift was finished.
"Better not head out for the bar scene tonight Raphael. You know how you get after a couple of drinks and I forgot your Viagra at home." I told him with a straight face.
He raised an eyebrow at me and the girl excused herself from our table.
"Payback's a bitch." he warned me
"And so am I when you mess with what's mine." I winked at him
"Everyone knows not to touch your food Babe." he shook his head
"No, it's not the food that's mine. It's you." I raised both of my eyebrows since I couldn't do just one.
"I like this side of you." he smiled before something else caught his attention and he jumped to his feet.
"When I got the salad order I knew it was you." said the woman as she approached our table with bread on a platter.
"Aruvqan!" he kissed her cheek as she set down the bread. "You look good"
She was shorter than me with brown hair and caramel eyes. Her eyes had a warm glow to them that immediately relaxed me. She was older than us both but she definitely retained her youthful glow.
"And you look the same." she teased him
"Aru this is my wife Sophia. Sophia this is our amazing Chef Aru." he introduced us
"So nice to meet you. Raphael has told me all about you." I stood and held out my hand
She brushed it away and pulled me into a hug. "Ca...Raphael is quite a guy."
"I'm glad we found ourselves in the area. I have missed your cooking." Ranger told her
"It's good to see you." she gave him a smile that reflected the obvious respect and love she had for him.
"And you." he kissed her cheek again
"Hey! I have work to do." she pushed him away all smiles. "Enjoy your meal." she glanced at me
"Take care of yourself." he told her as he sat back into his seat
"Don't be a stranger." Aru told him with a wink.
The waitress brought out our salads and set a cruet that held the dressing in between us.
"It's not ranch." he snickered
I rolled my eyes. "Oil and Balsamic?"
"Exactly." he smiled as he handed it to me. "What made you surprised when I was telling you about Aru?"
"Not so much about her exactly. Just that you were sharing information with me. I didn't even have to beg for details." I explained
"It's getting easier." his eyes caught mine and I felt my cheeks flush. "I'm surprised and frustrated at the same time."
"Frustrated?" I asked
"Yeah, frustrated I didn't try this sooner." he told me
"Maybe it wouldn't have been the right time. I never thought being with you was even an option. If you gave me that possibility it would have scared the crap out of me." I confided
"Because I'm so hot?" he teased
"No. Because you don't play games. There would be no back and forth with you. It would have been all or nothing." I explained
He nodded and the waitress brought out our entrees. She was avoiding Ranger's eyes now. Apparently she was not interested in men who needed enhancements to get it up. I know I will pay for it later but it was worth it. Better than just kicking her ass and unleashing my full Jersey on her. Then another thought hit me. Oh no! I'm eating sea food. Pregnant women aren't supposed to eat sea food. If I am pregnant I could be hurting our baby.
"Babe"
"Ran...Raphael I can't I shouldn't if I'm..."I stuttered
"Babe it's okay. This fish is good for you. You both need protein, iron and fatty acids. You can have up to twelve ounces of healthy fish each week." he sounded like he was reciting google.
"I am. I didn't want to take you here if it wasn't safe. Just in case." he shrugged
"When?" when the heck did he have time for this? We were nearly side by side every moment of the day
"Babe"
"The chef sent out this dessert for you. I don't really know what it is. She said something about mocha pots." the waitress told us as she set them down on our table.
In front of me were two little glass dishes that looked like chocolate with whipped cream on top. I was surprised when Ranger lifted his spoon and dove right in. After he finished the spoonful he actually moaned. I immediately dropped my jaw and he chuckled at my expression. He leaned across the table and dug into my dessert with his spoon. He fed it to me and I closed my eyes to enjoy the flavor. I could taste coffee and chocolate. It had the consistency of a pudding but had much more flavor and just sweet enough to bite back the coffee taste.
"I can't believe you like this." I told him as I filled my mouth with another spoonful.
"You don't?" he arched an eyebrow
"I do. It's chocolate and the cream and the coffee." I moaned
"I do enjoy the occasional sweet." he smirked
"Yeah you do." I giggled
When we both had eaten every last bite of our delicious little chocolate pots Ranger paid the bill and we were back on our way. I considered asking him about our next destination but decided to quell my curiosity. I didn't need to always know every little thing. I needed to trust him and I did. I trusted him with my life. Oh Stephanie there you go adulting again I laughed to myself. It was getting easier and easier to be in a relationship with Ranger. All of my doubts about us were slowly slipping away. As long as I didn't think about the possibility of a baby.
I felt Ranger's kisses on my face and found myself smiling as I slowly woke up. I let him continue without moving or opening my eyes. What I felt when he did this was indescribable. No one had ever covered my face in kisses. It felt loving and romantic. Typically his kisses instantly sent heat through my body. But these kisses sent comfort straight to my heart.
"I know you're awake." he whispered
"Where are we?" I asked
"Morrisvlle." he answered
"Shit Ranger!" I jolted up
"We need to be this close." he assured me
"But we're just over the bridge. Less than thirty minutes from Trenton." I sighed as he leaned back into his seat.
"Trust me." he demanded
I heaved out a deep breath I didn't even realize I had taken in. "Okay" I nodded
He gathered our bags from the trunk as I got out of the car. "This isn't the car we left the restaurant in." I noticed
"We switched in New York." he explained "You were out like a light."
"Wow" I rubbed my eyes. I guess I can get some deep sleep when I am relaxed with him.
He led me towards a small house and he set down the bags on the front porch. I followed him in after he disabled the alarm and unlocked the door. As soon as he hit the lights I saw the figure sitting at the dining room table in front of a laptop. He jumped from his seat and crossed the room. Before I could say a word I was gathered up into his arms and pulled into a tight hug. My feet were dangling in the air and I wrapped my arms tightly around him. I closed my eyes and relaxed against him.
"Hey Beautiful! I guess you are happy to see me." Lester gently set me down.
"I just missed everyone. I was starting to think I would never see you all again." I stepped back and smiled at him.
"What about me?" Bobby came out from the hallway and I launched myself into his arms.
"One big family reunion." Ranger joked
We all gathered at the kitchen table and Lester brought us some cups and a hot pot of coffee. We talked about Lynn and the information we had gathered so far. Terri was still in a safe house with Matteo keeping her hidden. Nico was still in Greece and Morelli was all over the place. Conklin was still under investigation. Martin was stopping by Rangeman almost every day to see if I had contacted the guys. I had a feeling and asked about Latty's brother Jeremy.
"Haven't heard or seen anything different." Lester informed me.
"I just keep thinking about him. There's something off there. I also want to arrange a meeting with Terri. I know Matteo will set it up for me." I announced
"Can I talk to you Bomber?" Bobby interrupted as he got to his feet
"Of course." I stood and followed him down the hallway.
We went into a bedroom and Bobby sat down on the bed. He patted the space next to him. I sat down and he smiled and patted my leg before he got to his feet. He went to the dresser and got his medical bag. He pulled out a vile and a needle and I looked at him with confusion.
"Ranger told me you need a test done." he forced a smile. "It's all confidential."
"I know you will keep it between us." I nodded to Bobby
I turned away as he did the blood draw. I was listening to him explain that this was the best test. He didn't say much more and I didn't know if Ranger had explained to him about the saline shot. This was real now. We were going to find out if I was pregnant. This may change everything.
"This will take two to three days. We can do a urine test for quicker results." he explained
"No. This is fine. I've waited this long." I sighed as he put the band aid on.
"Whatever happens it will be okay. You have family who will support you every step of the way. That and a man who loves you unconditionally." he stroked my hand as he spoke
"Thanks Bobby." I covered his hand with mine.
"Steph. The tests came back on your hair." he spoke softly
"And?" I was anxious
"Positive for the chemicals in Devil's Breath." he sighed
"Wow" that was all I could say.
I turned away from him and stared at the wall. I didn't want to really believe in it. I had been in denial and now I had to face it. Someone had control over my mind and made me kill a man. I am truly a murderer. No matter what happens I will always know that I murdered a defenseless man for no reason. This wasn't self-defense. This was a murder. I felt a tear slowly crawl down my face and Bobby wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I heard a noise by the doorway and watched Lester enter the room and Ranger leaning against the door frame. Everyone froze as they watched the tears keep flowing.
"I am a murderer." I announced
"It's not your fault." Lester told me as he knelt down in front of me.
"I did it Les." I lowered my head to look at the floor.
"You had no choice." Bobby comforted me.
"It's time for you guys to head back to Rangeman." Ranger announced.
Bobby nodded and stood up. He shoved his bag under his arms before he bent down to kiss me on the head. "We all love you no matter what little sis."
"We got your back." Lester assured me as he kissed my cheek and rose to his feet.
I wanted to thank them but no words came out. I just sat there trying to take deep breaths to avoid the sobbing that wanted to escape my body. The guys left the room and Ranger followed to walk them out. I laid back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. I was losing control. I rolled over onto my side and curled up into the fetal position and closed my eyes as the tears fought their way out. Suddenly I felt the bed dip and I knew it was Ranger as he moved in beside me. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me tight against him. There was no space between us and I felt warm and safe.
"I love you." he whispered into my ear. "Always have and always will."
**********************************THANK YOU*********
Thank you to Aru my chef and inspiration for the help with location menu and words in Old Saybrook