Chapter Twelve

I got back to RangeMan and called Les and Tank to the conference room. Both could tell that something was wrong.

"Ranger is alive. Did the two of you know?" I could tell by the dumbstruck look on their faces neither had a clue. I told them what had happened and what I knew about the Vega operation.

Tank was not a guy that showed much emotion but I could tell he was pissed. The muscle twitching in his jaw was the only give away.

I figured Tank felt as betrayed as I did. Tank was Ranger's right-hand man and Ranger had left him in the dark. That had to hurt.

Les looked pale and a little sick. I figured I might need to call Montero and get Les into witness protection because if Ranger ever found out what we had done, I thought it was entirely possible Ranger would disappear Les cousin or not. My eyes locked with Les. I was pretty sure he was thinking the same thing.

Well, someone had been helping him. That much I was sure of. My eyes scanned the bullpen. Roman was watching intently.

"Roman" I bellowed "get in here." Roman waltzed in.

Tank and Les scattered. No one wanted to be in this line of fire.

Roman closed the blinds in the conference room and turned to face me. His expression neutral.

"In case you were wondering" I hissed "you are fucking fired. Now get your shit and get the fuck out."

Roman inclined his head. "Yes ma'am, but at least hear me out for a minute."

"No."

"Steph, I need to see this through. Ranger needs the support."

"So, you knew about this all along and you have been helping him." I couldn't believe I actually sounded rational.

Roman nodded.

"And you didn't think to tell me that Ranger wasn't dead? You let me suffer all this time." My hand went instinctively to my stomach.

"Why? How could you be so cruel?" Roman looked like I'd slapped him. "How could Ranger be so cruel?" I felt tears welling in my eyes.

Roman reached out for me. I jumped away from him. "Don't you fucking touch me" I hissed. Deep down I knew the person I should be mad at was Ranger, not Roman, but Ranger wasn't here. Ranger was never fucking here.

Roman put his hands up and stepped back. "Remember I told you I was captured by the Vega cartel?"

I nodded.

"I wasn't the only one. They captured Ranger as well. They tortured him for three days before he got away. They killed his brothers right in front of him. When he escaped, he told me he would come back for me. I told him to leave me. Not to risk himself for me."

Roman took a deep breath and his eyes got a faraway look in them. "I'm not sure how many days it was. I lost any sense of time. I figured he got smart and got the hell out. That would have been the smart thing to do. Ranger came back. He never stopped until he got the rest of us that were still alive out. That is who Ranger is. That is why I would follow him into hell. The minute Vega hurt people Ranger cared about Vega was a dead man."

"But all this time passed, years. Why now?"

"Ranger is a patient man. He knew he had to wait for the right opening."

"And coming to DC and taking those government contracts, that was always all about Vega?"

"Not entirely" Roman said not meeting my eyes.

Fresh anger hit me. Ranger moved us to DC knowing full well he was going after Vega. Ranger asked me to marry him, knowing he was going after Vega. I mean I had made such a big deal about loving all of him, but I never for one-minute thought he was always planning to leave.

"And you were what? Here to help him and spy on me?" I spat at him.

"He asked me to watch over you, yes."

A new wave of anger washed over me. "So, the bastard knew I lost my baby and he put getting Vega first." I shook my head. "Well, we all know where I stand, but I would hate to think Ranger's vendetta was more important than his son. Yet, here we are."

Roman was looking at me oddly. "Stephanie Ranger was here."

I gave an incredulous snort. "No, he wasn't that was Les with me." I thought it possible Roman may have suffered a head injury, which would be the only thing that could explain his completely stupid statement.

"No" Roman shook his head. "I mean yes, Les was with you in the delivery room. It all happened so fast there was just no time. The minute he heard, Ranger came to you. He was here. I am the one that had to distract Les and get him out of your room so that Ranger could be with you."

All this time I had thought it was Les. That I had confused Les and Ranger in my drug induce haze, but it had been Ranger that held me and rubbed my back murmuring in Spanish. I wasn't sure how to feel about that. He had come when I needed him, but had left me again knowing I would think it was all just a dream. I wanted to hate Ranger, but I couldn't.

Oh god I thought. What about Montero. Ranger knew about Montero. Embarrassment and shame washed over me in waves. I felt the bile rise in my throat and I thought I was going to be sick. Roman was watching me intently.

He must have guessed my thoughts. "I never told Ranger about Montero."

My eyes flew to his. "Why?"

"It never set well with me. I mean I understood Ranger had his reasons. He knew there was a mole. He was afraid they would be watching you and they might go after you to get to him if they thought he wasn't dead. Ranger was right, but I just thought there had to be another way."

My thoughts cut to Wyland. He had basically been stalking me since Ranger died.

"What is it?" Roman asked.

"Nothing. Rangers always right" I said bitterly. "No matter what the consequences."

Roman flinched. "Stephanie, I saw your grief and I saw that grief almost take you under. I wanted to help you but I didn't know how. Montero brought light back into your eyes. I didn't tell Ranger about Montero because it's not my story to tell. I failed you Stephanie. And so did Ranger." Roman paused and let that thought sit between us for a minute.

"You thought Ranger was dead, you didn't do anything wrong. Montero is a good man, and he loves you."

What was Roman saying? That I should ditch Ranger and stay with Montero because he was a better man?

Suddenly all my righteous indignation left me.

"And I love Ranger" I said. "I've always loved Ranger." And I knew it to be true. From practically the first moment I laid eyes on Ranger, I had loved him, and I knew I always would. No amount of time or distance would ever change that.

What I didn't tell Roman was that I loved Montero too. How was it that for the second time in my life, I was in love with two men?

I sighed. I was so very tired. "So, what do we need to do to bring Ranger home?"

"We need to keep supporting him with intel and resources and we have to find that mole" Roman stated.

I walked up to Roman and put my arms around him and pulled him to me for a hug. At first, he was stiff but then he relaxed into me and wrapped his arms around me. He hugged me back.

"Whatever you think you need to atone for" I told him "you don't. Know this. You are already a good man." I stepped away from Roman. Something flashed through his eyes. I think it might have been hope. I no longer thought Roman's eyes were like shark eyes. I thought his eyes looked soulful.

"Was hugging me so bad?" I thought we could both use a little levity.

"No", he said "but I thought you were probably going to stab me, so it took me a second to recognize I was still alive" Roman deadpanned.

I laughed. It sounded hollow even to my own ears. I mostly thought he was joking. "Let's get back to work."

"Yes ma'am."

Roman left and my eyes lit on the package that had been couriered over from Senator Lashley's office. I sat down and opened it up.

Most of the file was heavily redacted. If I had been looking for mission details I would have been out of luck, but I wasn't. I was looking for who had access. One name stuck out. Agent Wyland.

I picked up the phone and called Montero. I told him about Wyland. We agreed we should tail him.

"Let me get Lillian settled and I'll come get you" Montero said.

"No, you need to be with Lillian right now. Send Reyes." I was too raw to be around him, so I used Lillian as my chickenshit excuse.

Montero sighed. "I hate this."

"I know" I said and disconnected.

I called Tank and Les back in. Both looked as shellshocked as I felt. I told them about my suspicions about Wyland. We agreed that they would go sit on Ruiz and I would team up with Reyes to watch Wyland.