Chapter 35

Bones signed the contract without requesting modifications. Simpson's interview went quite well, but she wants to work from our Atlanta office. She made a few suggestions to hire women for distractions. They would need to be trained and I loved the recommendation. Like Bones, she was hired on the spot. Once we receive her signed contract, she'll be sent to Atlanta for training.

Lisa Dexter interviewed well, but she was more interested in my husband than the Rangeman job. "Will I be working directly under you?" she sexily asked. I couldn't believe she had the nerve to come onto my husband in front of me.

"Ms Dexter, do you know who I am?" I asked.

"Yes, you're the head of Human Resources," she answered, quickly dismissing me.

"She is also my wife," Carlos barked. He reached beneath the desk to press a button. Tank entered the room. "Escort Ms Dexter from the building."

"Did I get the job?" she had the audacity to ask.

"No, you did not get the job," I answered. When Tank escorted her from the room, we quickly reviewed the recording of her interview, capturing every inappropriate gesture. Every answer carried a double entendre. Her facial expressions clearly displayed the meaning behind her words. "We need to contact our lawyers. She's the type to file for sexual harassment and discrimination." I sent the video of her interview to Hector for storage. This time we didn't delete it from our server.

"Babe," he said resigned. He placed a quick phone call, contacting our lawyer.

Marnie Ashton arrived as Dexter was leaving. Dexter had to get in a parting shot before leaving, "Don't flirt with the sexy boss. His ugly bitch of a wife will cut you off at the knees. Tell him he'll be hearing from my lawyer."

Tank was escorting Ashton to the interview. "Her father's a lawyer. Expect her to falsify details of the interview," Ashton warned. "I hope your boss was wise enough to video tape the interview."

"Was she always like that?" Tank asked.

"She was part of the skanky four. I'm sure you've heard of them before. They slept their way through our squadron. Dexter used daddy to prevent her from being discharged," Ashton added. "You don't need to worry about me. I'd rather flirt with his wife."

Marnie Ashton remained professional throughout the interview. I noticed her checking me out a few times, but it wasn't overly obvious. She is my height with sleek brown hair and gorgeous blue eyes. Her figure was similar to mine before I had Julie. Marnie is exactly Jeanne Ellen's type. I wondered if she'd work from Trenton with Jeanne.

"What could you offer Rangeman?" Carlos asked.

"I could work as client liaison, bodyguard for females requiring a more feminine presence and I could work as a distraction to capture difficult FTAs," she answered clearly displaying her knowledge of Rangeman's departments.

"Would you be willing to work at any branch?" I asked.

Her face turned slightly pink before answering, "I would prefer your Trenton branch." My my my... she definitely did her research. I wouldn't be surprised if she wanted to meet Jeanne Ellen.

"Is there a particular reason for that branch?" Carlos asked before I could.

"Your Trenton branch has a well established BEA department. I know a few of the men in Trenton. Binkie and my brother are close friends," she added.

I grabbed a contract from my bag and passed it to Carlos. "Read over this contract and we'll meet tomorrow to discuss changes."

"Thank you for the opportunity Sir. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow," she grabbed the contract and shook our hands.

A few more days of interviews passed by as we lined up a group for a second interview. We only hired Bones, Ashton and Simpson on the spot. More than fifty men were scheduled for a second interview. Only forty of them will be offered a full time position.

Tank, Bobby, Carlos and I spent a few days running searches on the men. A couple men enlisted in the Army in lieu of serving time in prison. It would be interesting to see if they would confess to their crimes. In Rangeman, trust is a two way street. We need our men to be honest.

We spread the interviews over a few weeks. Caleb Martin was upfront and honest about his arrest. "Before we begin, I have something important to confess. When I was nineteen, I was involved in an armed robbery of the local convenience store. My partner shot the store owner who survived his injuries. I was driving the getaway car. Since it was my first offence, the officer, an ex-Army man, said I could enlist instead of serving time. I trained in California at the Air Force base. You may use this against me, but I felt you should hear my story directly from me," Caleb told us.

"Thank you for your candour," Carlos stated.

Caleb said, "Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I appreciate you taking the time to interview me." He started rising from his chair.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"Leaving. I know I'm not getting the job," Caleb answered.

"You're hired," Ranger barked. "Read over this contract. You have a few weeks to reach out for any changes."

"How did I get the job?" He was surprised.

"You were honest," I answered. "At Rangeman, we value honesty and trust. It's a two way street. You trusted us with your secret and were willing to walk away from an excellent opportunity to maintain your honesty. Welcome to the team."

The other man, Juan Martine wasn't upfront with his record, but he did answer honestly when asked. He wasn't offered a job immediately, but he did make our short list. Our remaining interviews went quite well. We offered jobs to the men we felt would fit into Rangeman flawlessly.

Fifteen positions were available, twenty-five men suitable for the job. The final decision was made without our involvement. Several men asked for a job share. They would work for Rangeman part time so they could continue running missions. We divided the men between Trenton, Atlanta and Miami for training. Employees from those offices temporarily relocated to Boston.

We worked hard to establish our company in Boston. There was a need for high end security in the wealthier neighbourhoods. Within a few short months, we've established a reputation in Boston. We started shifting the men around so the ones working in Boston would be here for the long haul. Hal, Cal, Ram and Binkie were promoted to core team members. Hal was Rangeman Boston's top dog. Cal was his second in command, Ram weapons expert and third in command. Binkie was fourth in command and running the new BEA department. Bones was the residence medic. If our men required additional attention, they see Stitch at the medical centre he ran with Dr Cara Fraser. Hal's sister Winnie was Cara's receptionist. She was a very good fit for the medical office. I was surprised to learn she started dating Stitch.

Lester wrote his bar exam and passed. Kent Moore also passed. They wrote several exams so they could practice in Georgia, New Jersey, Boston and Florida. Rangeman has its own team of lawyers. Lester handled our land purchase. Kent is our contract lawyer. Another man named Phil Young handled any arrests or search warrants. He kept many of our employees from jail when they were falsely arrested.

Time was flying past too fast. It took longer for Rangeman Boston to become established. We were planning to move to Miami before our son is born. It's already mid August and our flight to Miami was scheduled.

I was still seeing Cara monthly. My baby's development was progressing on schedule. We were looking for a private bodyguard for our son, yes we were definitely having a boy. Cara mentioned her brother finished his contract and was looking for a job. "He's really great with children," she said during our appointment yesterday.

"Have him give me a call," I said passing her my business card. "He didn't drop off an application during our hiring spree."

"Neil was deployed a few weeks later," Cara explained. "He didn't think it would be fair to apply for a job then leave during the interview process."

"Have him call," I insisted. She promised to pass along the message. Cara gave me recommendations for doctors in Miami and promised to forward my medical records.

"Rangeman Boston can run without my supervision," Carlos told me on the way home.

"When are we moving?" I asked.

"As soon as possible. It would be better to establish a routine in our new home," he answered.

"And Julie's starting school soon," I added. I wanted to move, but we'd need time to pack.

"Our house is ready," Carlos announced. We found a few acres of land in May. Our ten bedroom house was built and passed all inspections. Jeanne Ellen, Mama, Papa and Hector were furnishing it for us.

I was surprised when Neil called me later that night. There was only one job opening and he was willing to relocate with us. Neil Fraser was hired as Ricky's bodyguard. His job was fairly easy. Mike and Kyle were my guards. Their primary job was to keep me safe. Neil's only job was to protect Ricky. He trained with the men until I went into labour.

"I think we should keep this property," I told Carlos.

"In case we visit?" he inquired.

"Visit or for our men to use for downtime after a mission," I suggested.

"Great idea. I'll make it happen." We purchased a home in Atlanta and Trenton too. Having a neutral place to escape would be great for our men's mental health. Mama and Papa were moving to Miami with us. Mama's friend Bethanne and her husband Tim were taking over housekeeping and maintenance in Trenton. Mama Manoso's friend Tina and her husband Fred were hired for Boston. Atlanta already had a couple tending to the business. Our current Miami housekeeper Maria and her husband were retiring. He was diagnosed with cancer. As Rangeman employees, they received a pension plan and remained on Rangeman medical insurance.

Once all our personal belongings were packed, we took the Rangeman jet to Miami. Robbie was sent home with us. We were able to bring the crib and change table with us. Tank, Lester and Bobby were returning to Trenton to retrieve our personal cars. The Porsche 911 Turbo, Porsche Cayenne and Porsche Boxter would be shipped in the back of a transport truck. Plates would be replaced when they arrive in Miami. Tank, Lester and Bobby need to drive their own personal cars to Miami. The men had no problems following the transport truck to Miami. We parked the Porsche Cayenne in the Rangeman garage. Our Boxter and 911 would be in our garage at home.

A few weeks before my due date, I went into labour. Neil, Mike, Kyle, Carlos and Bobby accompanied me to the hospital. Julie was safe at home with Lester, Tank, Manny and Junior. Since Binkie relocated to Boston and we were living in Miami, Junior took over the role of Julie's bodyguard. She was going to miss Binkie, but she adored Junior.

At 0128 on September 14, 2013, Ricardo Carlos Manoso IV was born. He weighed 10 lbs 15 oz and 22 inches long. His hair was already a few inches long and super curly. Ricky opened his eyes. They were bright blue. I knew they would remain that colour. His skin tone was slightly darker than mine but still lighter than Julie. I already love my little boy.

Julie arrived with Manny and Junior to see her baby brother. "Hi Ricky. I'm Julie, your big sister." She kissed his forehead. "Be a very good boy for Momma. I have to go home. Love you Ricky," she said before kissing him again.

I was released from the hospital late the following day. We were home by dinner time. The guys had the nursery ready for us when I got home. Neil had already reported for duty. He was sitting in the rocking chair holding his arms out for my son. "Is he fed?" Neil asked.

"I just finished a few minutes ago. His diaper is clean," I said as I placed him into Neil's arms.

"Go rest. I'll bring him to you when he needs to be fed," Neil practically shoved me from the room.

Carlos guided me to our room. "Get some sleep. I'll be with Julie." He tucked me into bed and closed the door behind him. Seven hours later Carlos came into the room to see if I was awake.

"Where's Ricky?" I asked.

"Sleeping. Neil changed his diaper and fed him. I tried waking you a few hours ago, but you were too exhausted," he answered. I decided against nursing this time. My breasts were bound to prevent the milk from letting down.

We walked into the living room to see an adorable sight. Neil was sprawled out on the couch with Ricky asleep on his chest. Julie was pressed into his side. "He's really good with the children," Carlos whispered. Robbie was playing a game of concentration with Lester.

I smiled, "More like a nanny than a bodyguard?"

A gruff, "I resemble that remark," had me looking at Neil. "He's an adorable boy and he smells nice." I carefully lifted Ricky off Neil so I could hold him. He fussed a bit before passing gas. His diaper suddenly felt warm. Time for another diaper change. I carried him to his bedroom to change the diaper. Ricky's little legs kicked out as I cleaned him. As I reached for the towel to dry him, his legs relaxed. I quickly put the towel on him as he started to pee. Neil laughed, "Great catch. I wasn't so lucky."

"I wondered why you changed your shirt," I remarked as I put a clean diaper on Ricky. He started fussing again. "The little guy's hungry."

"Babe," Carlos said as he passed me the bottle. I sat in the chair as I fed my little man.