Disclaimer: This a Stephanie Plum FanFiction Story. All recognizable characters belong to the fabulous Janet Evanovich. I am just borrowing her amazing characters for a while. I'm grateful she allows us to play with her characters.
Warning: Adult language, adult situations, violence, sexual violence, and smut.
When Ranger is pulled into a bloody turf war between rival mafia families, how far will Steph go to save him. What price is she willing to pay, and is it a price Ranger is willing to accept. Includes backstory on original characters and introduces new characters Finley, Declan and Viktor.
For Loyalty and Revenge
Chapter One
Stephanie sat at the vanity brushing her shoulder length brown hair thinking about her evening. Her company, Athena Consulting and Security Services, was engaged with the human trafficking task force to investigate yet another surge. It seemed the number of girls being trafficked from Asia had once again spiked. Sergi Petrov had been the primary supplier of underage girls to the D.C. area, but he had been shot and killed by Alexi Kovac in a dispute over profits and territory. Kovac's subsequent demise had left a power vacuum and unmet need.
The number of girls being trafficked had dipped to an all time low, but was on the rise. The Petrov family was once again front and center as suspects. Sergi had been replaced by his younger brother Viktor. Viktor had been sent by the oldest Petrov, Ivan, about six months ago. Ivan headed up the family that had tentacles in Russia, the US and throughout eastern Europe. The Petrov's were one of the oldest and most established of the Russian bratva. Ivan was ruthless, and after his father had died, the Petrov's had waged a bloody war with their rivals to consolidate power, and had come out even more powerful and dangerous.
Ivan seemed to lack any respect for the long-steeped rules of the bratva. He ignored blood ties, and no business was too distasteful for Ivan including trafficking children. He was ruthless, and ignored the long-honored rules that kept mafia women and children safe. Ivan's calling card was to wipe out entire families including children of his rivals or anyone that dared displease him.
Stephanie was going to start researching Viktor, looking for ways to gain information on his organization. Viktor was far more cautious than Sergi, and so far, very little was known about him or his operation. He was due to eat at a local Russian restaurant that he frequented at least once a week, and probably owned. Stephanie hoped to learn more about him and his inner circle. Tonight, was just an observe and report operation. Learn what Viktor liked and who he met with.
Stephanie picked up her mascara and swiped on a few coats, critically examining herself in the mirror. The mascara made her blue eyes pop, but she could still see the dark circles under them. She grabbed some concealer and patted it under her eyes. The twins, Alexander and Vivian, had hit the terrible twos with gusto and Stephanie wasn't sure she was going to make it through to the trying threes. Stephanie smiled at the thought of her twins, but also groaned a little. She wondered when sleep would become a regular thing again.
Stephanie was swiping on tinted lip gloss when she heard the door to the bedroom open. In walked Ranger. Stephanie's breath hitched a little, like it always did. Looking at Ranger stole her breath. Ranger was magic. He always had been and he always would be. Ranger was just shy of six feet of toned muscle and perfectly proportioned physical perfection. He was drop dead gorgeous with dark silky hair made for running your fingers through and dark eyes that went almost black when he was aroused. Eyes that went soft and warm when he gazed at her or the twins.
Stephanie had been in love with Ranger since the moment he had walked into that diner in Trenton and uttered his first "yo" so many years ago. The path hadn't always been easy, but in the end it had been worth it. She'd married Ricardo Carlos Manoso over three years ago, and as crazy as life had been at times, she wouldn't have traded it for anything. Granted she could have done without the gorgeous secret ex-wife showing up, but they'd made it through that.
Natasha Valentine was Ranger's ex-wife. She was an extremely skilled mercenary and a remarkable hacker. She was also kind and funny, and had married Antonio Reyes, one of Stephanie's best friends. It had taken some time, but they had all settled into a comfortable place.
Stephanie was glad, because the thought of losing Reyes was unacceptable. Stephanie and Reyes had a short but complicated history. Stephanie had saved his life, and he had saved hers. They had a unique and unbreakable bond. Reyes worked at Kincaid Securities, which made Athena, and RangeMan Ranger's security firm, look like little league. Of course, compared to Natasha and her partner Nikko's security firm, NNS Global, Kincaid looked like the junior varsity team. Natasha and Nikko were definitely at the top of the food chain, and Nikko anyway dabbled in both legal and not so legal businesses. Both still did work for the CIA and other shadowy government assignments. Nikko had longstanding ties to the mafia that the government ignored in exchange for his help.
Stephanie and Reyes were sometimes business partners on the human trafficking task force, but not tonight. Stephanie kind of wished Reyes was going to be there. He was wicked smart and funny, not to mention he was also nice to look at. Very nice to look at. Reyes had dark hair, brown eyes, perfectly balanced features, and wickedly sensual lips. He was tall, with impossibly broad shoulders and perfectly proportioned muscles. The thing about Reyes, if he was in a room with you, exactly no one was going to be looking at you. The women would be drooling and the men would be envious. But that was the thing about Reyes, he didn't even seem to notice he could literally stop traffic in the middle of the day.
If Stephanie was honest, there had been a time that she had wished she could have been in love with Reyes. He was the most emotionally mature person she'd ever met. He was easy going, and he said what he meant and meant what he said. A relationship with Reyes would have been a lot easier, but then Reyes wasn't Ranger, and for better or worse it was Ranger. It always had been and she was pretty sure it always would be.
But tonight, it didn't matter. No, tonight Stephanie would be working with Finley Doyle. Finley was a contractor that worked with Athena on occasion. She was very good with security systems, and was in the business of acquisition. In other words, Finely, or whatever her actual name, was a master thief. A skill that came in handy. Finely was also somewhat of a chameleon, she could change her appearance and mannerisms making her seem like a completely different person. Stephanie suspected there was a lot more to why Finley was working at Athena, but so far Finley had been a valuable asset.
Finley had gotten a job as a server at Viktor's favorite restaurant. It was surprising what you could learn from talking to the help, ease dropping, and pick pocketing people.
Stephanie locked eyes with Ranger in the mirror as he stalked towards her. He stopped behind her and brushed her hair to the side, leaning down to kiss the nape of her neck.
"You look beautiful, Babe." Ranger whispered against her neck.
Goosebumps appeared on her skin, as his breath caressed the back of her neck. A delicious little shiver of desire snaked down her spine. Ranger always had that affect on her.
Ranger was dressed in a black suit and black shirt, open at the collar.
"You look nice yourself, do you have a client meeting?" Stephanie enquired.
"No, I'm helping Nikko with security at a meeting tonight." Ranger replied. "I like the dress." Ranger's eyes were dilated nearly black as he raked his gaze over her body.
Stephanie smiled. "I'm thinking you might want to take it off later, but for now could you zip me up?"
Ranger gave her his wolf grin, and kissed his way up her spine as he slowly zipped her dress. It was a blue silk sheath dress that hugged her curves and highlighted her eyes. It hit just above her knees and was sleeveless. It was classy and sexy at the same time. Perfect for the upscale restaurant on a June night.
"Roman and Eve are here." Ranger told her. They had agreed to watch the twins tonight.
"I'll be right out." Stephanie replied as she pulled on her shoes, a pair of silver strappy sandals.
Stephanie took a deep breath. She had an uneasy feeling, and didn't really know why. All she had to do was go to a restaurant, have a meal, and watch a bunch of mobsters. How hard could that be, she thought.
Stephanie grabbed her clutch and walked out into the living room.
Roman and Eve were there. They both looked like west coast perfection. Tall, blond, fit and gorgeous.
Roman's shaggy blond hair was a little longer than normal and a little more blond, streaked by the sun. Roman and Eve had spent a few months sailing around the Caribbean. It looked like Roman had fully recovered from being shot by Eve's stalker.
Stephanie wouldn't have thought it was possible, but he looked more muscular and more fit than he had. He had the healthy glow of a guy that loved the outdoors, and loved his life. Roman looked relaxed and happy. Two words Stephanie would have never expected to use when it came to Roman.
Roman and Stephanie's relationship had been strained. Roman had barely spoken, and often stayed in the shadows, but a lot of that had been Stephanie's fault. A few years ago, right after she and Ranger had first moved to D.C., Ranger had taken an undercover assignment to take down the Vega cartel. Ranger and Roman both had history with Vega. They had been captured and tortured. Roman had gotten the worst of it, but Ranger had never stopped until he got Roman out. Roman owed Ranger his life, and when the opportunity to take out Vega for good had come along, Ranger took it.
Things went sideways, and Ranger and the other agents were outed by a government mole. Ranger was presumed dead and he had let Stephanie think that was true. The only person that knew the truth had been Roman, and, out of loyalty, he had kept Ranger's secret. He helped Ranger and looked over Stephanie. Ranger had been presumed dead for almost two years.
Stephanie had blamed Roman. She had been hard on him, and unfair. Roman repeatedly apologized and stayed out of her way, keeping to the shadows. He took her anger and kept her secrets. It had taken some time, but Stephanie eventually came to grips with everything that had happened, and she realized Roman was not to blame.
She and Roman had made peace, and settled into an easy friendship. She was probably never going to be as close to him as he was with Natasha, but Roman no longer scared the shit out of her. He was a good man, and she was lucky to count him as a friend.
Roman looked up and saw her. A genuine smile spread across his face, transforming him. Roman looked like the golden god Apollo standing there. He looked like he glowed from the inside out. Stephanie figured that is what happiness did for a person. She smiled back. She once thought Roman's eyes reminded her of a shark, flat with no life. She had no idea why she had ever thought that. Roman was gorgeous and full of life and light.
A lot of that probably had to do with Dr. Eve Reznor. Roman and Eve had been childhood sweethearts, but time and circumstances had kept them apart for fifteen years. Destiny had brought them back together a little over a year ago. Eve had been accused of selling research and classified information on the dark web. She had reached out to Roman, and together with Nikko, Ranger, and Natasha they had cleared her name.
Stephanie had provided security for Eve, and together they had taken out one of the ten most wanted terrorists in the world. Unfortunately, a co-worker had been stalking Eve, and had shot and almost killed Roman. It had been touch and go for a while, but Roman had pulled through, and he and Eve had decided they didn't plan to waste one more minute. They had taken off and sailed around the Caribbean for a few months, and when they got back Eve was a few months pregnant and they were engaged.
Eve, Nikko, and Sasha Luciano had gone into business together. Eve's research was focused on perfecting a targeted delivery method for cancer treatment based on DNA sequencing. Her research had the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment, but it also had military applications. Their company was focused on perfecting both. Sasha's area of expertise was nanorobotics and she had been doing research on creating micro-drones before she had been pulled back into the family business. Between Eve's DNA targeted delivery method and Sasha's drones, the military applications were expansive, if not somewhat terrifying. Stephanie was glad all three of them were committed to the ethical application of both Sasha and Eve's research.
Sasha was Rafe Montero's something. Stephanie wasn't sure exactly how to classify those two. Sasha was more than a girlfriend, but they weren't engaged. Rafe Montero was a US Marshal, and a man that Stephanie had fallen quickly and deeply in love with when Ranger was presumed dead. Stephanie's relationship with Montero had been collateral damage when Ranger returned from the grave.
It had been rough for them both, but eventually they found their footing. Montero and Ranger had found a mutual respect for each other. For Stephanie, being around Montero no longer felt like her guts were being ripped out, and they had forged a tentative, but genuine friendship.
Ironically, the law-and-order guy had gravitated to Nikko and Natasha. Those three were thick as thieves. Stephanie figured that shouldn't really surprise her, since Sasha Luciano was also the head the Luciano syndicate. Love was a strange beast sometimes, but Stephanie had no doubt Sasha and Montero were in love.
Sasha and Nikko had partnered to create legitimate businesses and move the Luciano syndicate legit. Stephanie figured once that was done, Montero and Sasha would go public, but in the meantime, Montero was heading up a task force to hunt a mole in the US Marshals' office.
Ranger was holding Roman and Eve's new baby, Aubrey Rose. Stephanie smiled and felt a little tug. The way Ranger was looking at Aubrey made Stephanie's heart melt, and it made her think about another baby. Something she had shut down after the twins were born.
Ranger had taken to parenthood like a duck to water. Despite his fears, he had been a natural at it. Something that hadn't actually come easy to Stephanie. Motherhood had been hard; pregnancy had been hard. It had all been a big adjustment for Stephanie. Not that she would have traded the experience, she just wished it had come easier.
Apparently Roman, Eve, and Ranger all had something in common. They were all part of the Zen parenting club. Roman and Eve looked incredibly relaxed. Roman already had one twin on each hip, and Eve looked serene. No bags under their eyes or wild-eyed looks of fear that usually accompanied first-time parents.
In fact, Eve looked like she could grace the cover of the swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated, despite having had a baby a month ago. Her honey blond hair was longer, but otherwise Eve was still stunning with her delicate features, blue eyes, and killer body. If anything, Eve looked more beautiful. She looked relaxed and in love.
Stephanie felt a little pang of jealousy over that. Stephanie had been big as a house with the twins, and it had taken a while to feel even close to normal again. Eve, on the other hand, had looked like she had a bowling ball under her shirt at nine months, but otherwise she never even looked pregnant. No puffiness, no swelling, no weight gain. Stephanie figured she must be been a genetic freak.
Eve hadn't even gone to the hospital to give birth. She and Roman had an at home water birth with a doula. That whole concept kind of freaked Stephanie out, but then again women had had babies at home for thousands of years. Or she guessed in Roman and Eve's case, had a baby on a boat. Eve and Roman still lived on Roman's boat.
Stephanie would have thought a relationship with Roman would have been hard. Roman made Ranger look like an open book and a chatterbox, but then maybe that was the difference. Roman and Eve had grown up together. They had a different kind of bond. One that predated so much as the horror that Roman had witnessed firsthand. With Eve, maybe Roman could be the same guy he had been before. Whatever the reason, Eve, Roman and baby Aubrey Rose, made a beautiful family.
Eve smiled at Stephanie, and came over to her. Stephanie smiled back. She really liked Eve. They'd become friends. All of them. Eve and Ranger were super close. Ranger had been Eve's rock when Roman was in the hospital. He had watched over her, taken care of her, and kept her sane. He had done for Eve, what Roman and done for Stephanie.
"You look beautiful. I love that dress." Eve told Stephanie. "Are you and Ranger going on a romantic date?" Ranger was looking pretty dapper himself.
"Sadly, no. It's for work." Stephanie replied, but she thought maybe she and Ranger should plan a romantic night out.
"I have a favor to ask." Eve continued. "Roman is really getting antsy about the whole getting married thing. He's already told me no more babies until we make if official." Eve laughed and rolled her eyes. Clearly it was a running joke. Stephanie figured Roman would have ten kids with Eve if that's what she wanted.
"Roman and I have agreed to a small wedding on the boat in a couple of months. Would you be my Matron of Honor? I know this is short notice, and everything."
Stephanie put her hand on Eve's arm. "Of course, I will!"
Eve looked relieved. "Thank you. I know it's a lot to ask. You are so busy."
"Don't be silly. It would be my pleasure to stand up with you."
"I thought we should just go to the courthouse, but Roman wasn't having any of that. Men, they act like women are the ones that get all googly eyed over marriage and romance. Anyway, Ranger said some guy by the name of Roberto would help with the planning. He said he did both of your weddings?" It was clear the last part of Eve's statement was really a question.
Stephanie laughed. "Yes, our fake wedding and our real one. That's a story for another day. Right now, I want to see that adorable baby."
Eve and Stephanie walked over to Ranger and Roman. Ranger handed Aubrey to Stephanie. Little Aubrey Rose was gorgeous. She had a full cap of downy soft blond hair and the biggest blue eyes and tiny pink lips that made a bow on top. She was adorable, and apparently a very Zen baby. Stephanie had never heard her really cry. She conveyed her needs but never broke into that ear piercing wail that the twins employed on a regular basis.
Ranger gave Eve a kiss just above her ear. "Congratulations. She's beautiful. She looks just like you."
Roman grinned. "Yeah, we were really relieved she didn't look like me."
Ranger laughed. "I'd say Aubrey and Eve both got lucky."
"Can I talk to you a minute?" Roman asked Ranger. Ranger nodded and moved off with Roman.
"What's up?" Ranger asked. Roman looked uncomfortable, and that made Ranger uneasy. Not much ever bothered Roman.
"Eve has finally agreed to set a date for the wedding. We are going to do a really small ceremony on the boat in a couple of months. I'd like for you to stand up with me. Without you I wouldn't even be here to marry her, but Natasha is my best woman." Roman's voice trailed off. It was pretty clear Roman was concerned it would be awkward for Ranger if he had to stand at an alter with Natasha, even if it was just a made-up one on a boat.
Ranger put his hand on Roman's shoulder. "It would be my honor to stand up with you. Nat and I are good. We are in a good place. She's happy, I'm happy. We are good. I promise." Ranger hoped that was true.
He had no idea how Nat felt, but he figured her answer would be the same. She would always put Roman ahead of her feelings of discomfort or dislike of Ranger. Ok, so maybe it wasn't fair to say Nat disliked Ranger. It had taken Ranger a minute to get his head on straight when it came to Nat, and he'd done some things that made her uncomfortable. Hell, things that had made him uncomfortable, but that was really in the past, and he was pretty sure Nat knew that. He'd go talk to her.
Roman looked relieved and nodded. "Eve said you offered her some guy by the name of Roberto?"
Ranger nodded. "Yeah, you're going to hate him, but he planned my wedding to Steph. He's a little like a high-strung show dog, but he does a good job."
Roman gave Ranger a dubious look. "Thanks man. I think."
Ranger laughed. "I've got to go. I'm helping Nikko out with security for some meeting tonight. Thanks for watching the twins." With that Ranger gave the twins a kiss goodbye and walked over and gently caressed Aubrey's little head, and gave Stephanie a quick kiss and a pointed look to remind her about all the things he planned to do when he got that dress off her later.
Stephanie handed Aubrey back to Eve, said goodbye to the twins, and headed downstairs to meet with Finley.
Finley was dressed in her restaurant uniform of black skirt, white shirt, and black vest. She had a jet-black angled bob as a wig that hid her long fiery red hair, a color that would never be mistaken as coming from a bottle. She had on dark contacts turning her piercing green eyes an interesting shade of hazel. Charcoal eyeliner made her eyes pop, and her thick dark lashes completed the picture. She reminded Stephanie of Cleopatra. Her creamy porcelain skin contrasted with her dark hair and her cherry red lips. Even in disguise, she made a striking woman. One that men would be too busy looking at to notice her wit, and that had been the point. Stephanie figured as long as they were looking at Finley's assets, they wouldn't notice Finely was observing everything about them.
Finley was a little taller than Stephanie at five foot eight, but that is where the physical resemblance ended. Finley was thin and long limbed. Her movements were light and graceful. She reminded Stephanie of a willowy gazelle.
Tonight, she was playing up her ample breasts. Stephanie wasn't sure if it the miracle bra or silicone bra inserts, but Finley's breasts were front and center. Her shirt was unbuttoned, highlighting her cleavage. She'd dusted subtle highlighter along the swell of her breasts, drawing the eye. Stephanie had no doubt Finely knew exactly how to distract the bratva. She doubted a single one of them would be able to give a description of her eye color.
"What's the plan?" Finely asked as Stephanie drew near.
"I'm going to pretend to be waiting on a date, or maybe just stood up by one, and while I wait, I'm going to try and capture as many images as I can. See who Viktor is hanging out with. We will see if we can ID them, and see if we can work any of them as a way to get closer to Viktor. So far, his circle is pretty insular." Stephanie shrugged.
Finley nodded. "I think my time as a server is about over. I don't seem to be making much headway with Viktor. Apparently, I'm not exactly his type, but one of his creepy lieutenants is starting to be a problem."
"OK, safety first on this one Finley." Stephanie acknowledged. "I'll see you there."
Stephanie watched Finley walk off. Stephanie couldn't imagine there was any guy that Finley wouldn't be the right type for, but then again that girl was definitely hiding something. Stephanie just hoped whatever it was wouldn't interfere with the task force.
Stephanie grabbed an Uber to the restaurant. While slightly less convenient, it was the safer choice. If her hunch was right, Viktor probably owned the restaurant and she wouldn't put it past the valet staff to comb through any and all cars of the guests. She couldn't risk anyone connecting her back to Athena or RangeMan for that matter.
When the Uber stopped in front of the restaurant she was startled when her door was opened for her. A large, very masculine hand was held out to her. She looked up into the piercing blue eyes of a very handsome man. One with a very hard edge to him. Stephanie smiled and took his hand as he helped her out of the Uber and closed the door.
"Thank you." She murmured.
The man inclined his head to her, but said nothing.
He was wearing a perfectly tailored suit that probably cost as much as some people's cars, and no doubt expertly hid his gun. His hair was dark brown, but not quite black. It's expertly styled, longer on top and shorter on the sides, and despite his best efforts it was still a little unruly. A dark lock kept falling forward across his forehead. He had a square chiseled jaw, with just a hint of stubble, and beautiful, lush lips that Stephanie had no doubt could be cruel. He was at least six three, and muscular. Well built, and sturdy, but the most striking thing about him was his eyes. Piercing blue, but cold and calculating as they scanned Stephanie from her head to her toes and back up again taking in everything. It was shockingly intimate.
Stephanie's mouth went dry at the assessment. He was making no attempt to be subtle or hide his thoughts. It was blatant and disconcerting. The man had said nor done anything inappropriate, but just being on the sidewalk with him felt dangerous and very dirty in a good way. Stephanie felt heat flush over her skin, and she found it impossible to hold his gaze. When Stephanie looked down, she noticed the hint of tattoos on his knuckles, and a gold signet ring.
"Enjoy your dinner" came his deep voice, that held just a hint of an Irish brogue.
Stephanie forced herself to look him in the eye, and she gave him a nod. She didn't trust her voice to say anything. She had visions of it coming out sounding like a small animal being strangled. She saw a ghost of smile on his face, but he quickly suppressed it.
Stephanie willed herself to calmly walk into the restaurant and not look back, rather than run like she desperately wanted to.
Inside Stephanie was seated and promptly ordered some wine. She definitely needed something to calm her nerves after that encounter. She had no idea how some random guy helping her out of her Uber could fluster her so much. She didn't recognize him, but she certainly recognized the type. He definitely had that bad boy vibe. Maybe even that ruthless killer vibe. An involuntary shiver went down her spine, and she took a big gulp of wine.
Stephanie was seated in the corner, which afforded her a nice view of the restaurant. The server came over and she ordered some pelmeni. Drinking on an empty stomach seemed like a bad idea. She needed to keep her wits about her. She told herself she needed to forget about the man on the sidewalk and focus on the reason she was there.
Stephanie's focus was rewarded a few minutes later when Viktor Petrov and his bodyguards entered the restaurant. It almost felt like a hush descended over the place. Stephanie had seen photos of Viktor, but little had prepared her for seeing him in person.
Viktor was tall, blond and had a Norse god quality to him. He had sharp angular features that worked in perfect harmony. Stephanie was pretty sure evil wasn't supposed to be quite so good looking. Viktor was drool worthy in his expensive navy-blue suit that did nothing to hide his muscular body. Stephanie could almost see the bulge of his biceps and his thick muscular thighs. She could also see just a hint of a tattoo along his collar. There was nothing soft or domesticated about Viktor Petrov.
His eyes scanned the restaurant when he came in, his gaze was filled with confidence and intelligence. Stephanie pretended to be looking at her menu when his gaze shifted her way. She reached up and clicked the back of her pendant to start capturing images.
Viktor was flanked by two huge hulking guys. Neither was fat, they were just massive. One had his dark hair was cut short in a buzz cut, the other had long hair. One had small beady eyes and a mangled nose. The other was surprisingly attractive for a hulking mobster. His eyes seemed to take in everything. They looked like two towers of pure evil as far as Stephanie was concerned. Both were carrying and neither were trying to hide that fact.
Viktor and his bodyguards were seated in the middle of the restaurant against the wall. Stephanie watched as Finley went to their table. Viktor gave Finley a warm smile, but his eyes never strayed from her face. If Stephanie had to guess, Viktor genuinely liked Finley, but acted like a complete gentleman, which thoroughly confused Stephanie. She just figured Viktor treated all women like property since he traded in little girls.
Stephanie noticed the beefy bodyguard with the beady eyes and mangled nose received a stern reprimand from Viktor when he grabbed Finley's ass. Viktor forced him to apologize to Finley, which caused her to blush. The contradictions about Viktor were disconcerting, and Stephanie had to remind herself not be taken in by Viktor's charm. He was a monster pure and simple.
A few minutes later, Stephanie sucked in a sharp breath. The man from the street came in flanked by Nikko, Theo Luciano, Sasha's brother, and Ranger. They went to Viktor's table and sat down.
"Shit" Stephanie mumbled and reached up and clicked off her pendant to stop recording images. The last thing she needed to do was turn over pictures of her husband and his childhood friend meeting with the bratva.
Apparently, Ranger and Nikko's big meeting was with Viktor Petrov. Seriously what the fuck was Nikko up to, and how had he managed to drag Ranger into the mix.
Ranger and Nikko had both seen her, but neither let on like they knew her. While she knew Nikko wasn't trafficking in little girls, it still felt a lot like an unholy alliance, one forged in hell. Stephanie could only presume it had something to do with mafia business since Theo was in the mix, which meant the man from the street was probably also part of the mafia. The Irish mafia, no doubt.
Stephanie figured there was going to be a whole lot less sex tonight when she got home and a whole lot more talking than she wanted. It looked like her and Ranger's business had just intersected.