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, some violence, and mild smut.

A/N: This story is cross posted on AO3 under the same user id of Peritales. In keeping with the guidelines, the story posted on AO3 is more explicit.

When a woman from Roman's past shows up asking for help, Roman finds himself at odds with Ranger and the rest of the RangeMan team that are investigating her for selling dangerous secrets on the dark web to the highest bidder. As Roman confronts his demons and tries to clear her name, his loyalties will be tested. Roman will be faced with choosing love or friendship.

For Honor and Destiny

Chapter One

Eve Reznor rushed down the sidewalk toward the Medatronix building, wishing for the hundredth time she didn't have on these stupid high heels. Of course, if she tripped and broke her fool neck at least she wouldn't have to deal with these new so-called investors. Investors that wanted to take her research and pervert it for military application.

Eve wasn't so clueless as to believe that it wasn't a necessary evil, but it still irked her. Especially the way it had all come about. Two years ago, Medatronix had lured her away from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency or DARPA as most called it. Eve had gone to work for DARPA after she got her PhD with a focus on virology and emerging infectious diseases.

Eve had been young and naïve. She really thought it was possible to change the world simply based on a good idea. The realities of research funding and the old boy's network hadn't yet caught up with her. Eve's research had been focused on finding a way to target viruses to a particular DNA profile. Work she was passionate about, and work that was personal.

Eve's Mama had been diagnosed with breast cancer. She'd watched helpless as chemotherapy had almost killed her. The treatment was almost as bad as the disease.

Chemotherapy was really like using a hammer on everything whether it was a nail or not. Cancer tended to be categorized by the organ where it started, liver, breast, lung. But the truth was each and every cancer was unique, because the DNA changes that caused the cancer were different for each person. Eve became focused on, or as some might say obsessed with, finding a way to match a treatment to a DNA profile to improve outcomes. She was struck with how chemotherapy worked for some but not others. Her Mama had been lucky. She'd lived, but a lot of the other women hadn't even though they had gotten the same treatment.

Eve had a solid theory, but had been unable to get research funding. She'd gone to work at DARPA hoping to build the credentials and contacts to get research funding or maybe even have DARPA fund it. Instead, she'd ended up mainly working on bio-weapons. They liked to call it Biological Control, and claim the goal was to combat biological threats, but the truth was much of what she did was create viruses that could be weaponized. She'd hated it.

Then she had been approached by Medatronix. It had been a great offer. An excellent salary, a small ownership stake in the company, and most importantly the ability to register and keep the patent for any discovery she made. This would allow her to control the application of her research, and funnel funding into advancing cancer research of her choice. Basically, it would help her self-fund her own next discovery.

In the last two years, Eve had made substantial progress. In fact, she was pretty sure she'd had the holy grail of breakthroughs but she had kept that to herself. Something had been off at Medatronix. About a month ago she'd been approached by some government drones that wanted her to work with an outside firm. The outside firm specialized in nanorobotics. It had been clear the only outcome of that partnership would be a pint-sized drone that could deliver a DNA based weapon to people deemed enemies. Basically, a pint-sized killing machine.

Eve had been reluctant to cooperate, but she'd been told in no uncertain terms that the government would simply take her research if she failed to cooperate. Something she knew they could legally do, so she'd agreed.

It wasn't like she was Pollyanna. She understood the value and need for weapons. The world was a dangerous place, and sometimes weapons were necessary. Sometimes killing was necessary. Her entire family had been about public service. Her brother had died in service to his country. Eve shook her head. It had been years, and yet the memory of her brother still ripped at her heart.

Dallas had been larger than life. So beautiful, so vivacious, so smart. Everyone had loved Dallas. He was just one of those people. Quick with a smile, Dallas never met a stranger. Her brother had been her best friend.

Separated in age by little more than a year, she and Dallas had been inseparable growing up. As much as they were alike, they were different. Where Dallas was outgoing, Eve was reserved. Where Dallas was big, built like a Viking warrior, Eve was fine boned. But those differences had only made them closer. They were like two halves that completed and complimented each other. Growing up on the Southern Oregon Coast, they had shared a love for the outdoors. Hiking, kayaking and surfing.

It had been Dallas that had taught the little scrawny neighbor kid to surf. Eve smiled at the memory. Roman Braga, a quiet kid that had always seemed like an old soul. His parents were a couple of hippies that spent more time tending to their chickens and crop of weed than parenting Roman. It wasn't that his parents were bad or abusive, they just thought kids should have free will and learn for themselves. That and they were usually too baked out of their brains to notice what Roman was doing. Roman was left to wander about and fend for himself. He'd wandered down to the beach one morning, while she and Dallas had been surfing.

Dallas took a liking to the kid, and taught him how to surf. Roman had been a natural. Over time, the three of them had become inseparable, and Roman pretty much lived at their house. With Roman's parents in their own world, Eve's parents had informally adopted Roman. They cheered him on at games and treated him like their own son. As Roman moved into his teenage years, that scrawny kid filled out. Between Dallas and Roman, Eve was pretty sure no girl in high school had been immune from their charms. Not even her.

She'd developed quite the crush on Roman. Her seventeen-year-old self, had been sure that Roman was her one true soulmate. Of course, if writing his initials and drawing hearts around them in your notebook was any indication, it would have definitely been true. Sadly, real life hadn't turned out that way. Roman had fucked her and left her. He'd shipped out the next day, and she'd never seen him again. That had left a mark. People say time heals all wounds, but sadly Eve was still waiting. Forget the bullshit promises of love, what had hurt was that he didn't even bother to show up for Dallas' funeral. Her parents felt like they had lost both of their sons. Eve had lost her brother and her best friend.

Roman and Dallas had joined the Navy together. They were going to fight injustice and change the world. At the time, Eve thought if anyone could do it those two could. But Dallas never had a chance to change the world. He'd died in some bullshit made-up training exercise, which everyone knew was code for classified mission. Her brother had wanted to change the world, but he hadn't. Instead, Dallas had died and the doomsday clock for the world was still set at 100 seconds to midnight. Nothing much had changed for the world, but everything had changed for Eve.

And here she was rushing down the sidewalk with the uneasy feeling she was being followed. After the irritating government drones had shown up, she'd started researching the company. Everything about them was a bit of a mystery, and it made her uneasy.

Someone was following her. Eve was sure of that. She could feel it. Just like she knew someone had broken into her computer and copied files. Little did they know, Eve wasn't stupid enough to keep her real research on her computer. She'd learned that the hard way.

Eve had gone to the leadership at Medatronix about her concerns. They'd acted strange, and now they were avoiding her. They'd seemed wholly unconcerned that there might have been a security breach.

The police had been equally unhelpful. Someone was stalking her. Of course, she had no real proof. Only a hunch. Little things in her house were moved, and she felt hunted. She felt like someone was watching her. The police had basically told her she was delusional and suggested she seek counseling. When she'd insisted, they'd threatened her with filing a false report. She'd given up and left.

And then she'd done something incredibly stupid. She'd told herself it was out of desperation, and not curiosity. She'd looked up Roman. Dallas had always told her if something ever happened, she should find Roman. He'd given her a contact number. When she'd called, a mechanical voice had said leave a message. She'd done it, thinking what would be the harm but expecting nothing. It had been fifteen years, what were the odds the number was even still good.

To her surprise an unmarked envelope was delivered to her two days later. It gave her Roman's location and a contact number. The number was a business number for a security firm called RangeMan. It turned out, Roman was right here in DC. They'd been in the same city for years. That had really freaked her out. Not that she thought they would run into each other or that they would even travel in the same circles, just the fact the man she'd thought about so often over the years had been right here in the same city all this time.

She wasn't even really sure why she had looked him up, and she really wasn't sure why she had gone to that non-descript building on K street, and watched and waited. Hoping to get a glimpse of him. When she had finally seen him, he'd taken her breath away. She'd only seen him from a distance, but she knew it was him by the way he had moved. That easy grace and confidence. Time had been kind to him. The scrawny kid, that had become a teenage heartbreaker, had filled out into quite a man. Even from a distance, she could tell he had a body that would make women swoon. Tall, muscular, broad shoulders that tapered to a V. She wondered if he could make her this hot and bothered from a distance, what would happen if she actually saw him up close or spoke to him?

Who was she kidding, she doubted he would even help her. Hell, she didn't even know if she needed help. Maybe the police had been right and she was just being paranoid. Besides, what would she say if she did contact him. Hey, I know this sounds crazy but I think someone is stalking me. I have exactly zero proof, but could you just drop everything and help a woman you haven't seen in fifteen years on a hunch. Yeah, she had no idea what she had been thinking, yet she couldn't bring herself to just throw the information away.

Maybe after the meeting today, she would feel better about working with this new company. She would finally get to meet the head guy today. He was coming for a briefing. Maybe all her concerns would be put to rest, and she could just focus on her work. If the deal worked out, she would have the necessary funding to start the next research phase on the targeted delivery mechanism for cancer. Something that was huge leap forward.

Eve took a deep breath and badged her way through the door and smacked right into Marc Pardo, the security expert that had been here for three days in advance of Nikko Grayson's visit. Grayson was the CEO of the partner firm she was meeting. Eve had thought that was overkill. It was a secure facility after all, how dangerous could it be. Even stranger was the fact Marc Pardo had seemed far more interested in her and data security than an advance visit to check security for some hoity toity CEO.

Pardo creeped her out. While he was just shy of six feet of physical perfection with his perfectly proportioned body and sizzling hot looks, he often looked at her with barely contained disdain. Something that Eve thought was odd. She was the one trying to find a better way to treat cancer while his boss was the one trying to weaponize viruses and use tiny drones to deliver poison. Seemed a little odd to Eve. She knew she could be socially awkward, but she figured he hadn't been here long enough for her to have offended him. He'd just hated her on sight for reasons that would probably forever remain a mystery.

She yelped when she smacked into him. It was like hitting a brick wall. Her hand had involuntarily gone up to steady herself, connecting with his well-muscled chest. She briefly registered it was a very nice chest, just like the rest of him with his dark hair and dark eyes. She imagined his hair was as silky as it looked. Too bad he was clearly a psycho. The impact hadn't moved him at all, but Eve would have landed on her ass if he hadn't grabbed her to steady her.

Their eyes met for the briefest of moments. He had the most beautiful chocolate brown eyes that went from soft and warm to hard in the instant he realized who had run into him. They both let go of each other like they had been burned.

"Sorry" Eve mumbled as she reached down and picked up the backpack she had dropped. Pardo just glared at her. He had that big-dick energy about him that irked her. She had an almost uncontrollable urge to ask him if he always dressed like that or if he was going to a mafia funeral. Every day he was dressed the same. An expensive, expertly tailored black suit with a black shirt open at the neck, and a gun tucked in a shoulder holster. Not that you could really tell, since his ridiculously expensive suit was cut to hide the gun, and did a pretty good job.

Ok, so if she was really honest it just made him seem even hotter and more mysterious, which totally pissed her off. Instead of popping off with sarcasm, she just narrowed her eyes at him and gave him a tight smile and marched off. God, what an ass, but she needed his boss' funding so she bit her tongue. She could play this game if it meant she could advance her research.

Ranger watched the hot little doc march off. Today she was dressed in a navy pencil skirt and cream-colored silk blouse. She had a pair of FMPs on that showcased her legs and emphasized her fine ass. Objectively speaking it was a very fine ass. Normally she dressed down, and spent most of her time in the lab, but not today. Today she had pulled out all the stops for her meeting with Nikko. She looked every bit the professional she was. Her hair and make-up were understated, but flawless. She usually wore her hair pulled back in a simple ponytail, but today it was down. Her honey blond hair was long, almost to the middle of her back, and hung in soft waves that framed her face. She had a straight, delicate nose, full lips and big blue eyes. The doc was a beautiful woman. Too bad she was also probably a traitor.

Something Ranger really just didn't understand. She made a good salary, and stood to gain millions if her research paid off. Why she would be selling Medatronix secrets now was a mystery. It just seemed weird. Maybe she'd just grown tired of waiting for a payday, or maybe her research had stalled. Money and greed made people crazy. It made them do stupid things. Fortunately, it also made them predictable. Whatever the reason, all the evidence pointed to the hot little doc stealing secrets and selling them to hostile foreign governments.

That's where he and Nikko came in. Medatronix and the government wanted answers, and Nikko wanted access to her research. Over the years Nikko had taken most of his businesses legitimate, and NNS Global did a lot of defense contracting with the government. Nikko had recently started a new business with Sasha Luciano that specialized in nanorobotics. A field Sasha specialized in, along with being the head of the Luciano syndicate and the girlfriend of US Marshal Rafe Montero. That whole thing totally gave Ranger mental whiplash, so he usually just ignored it.

Sasha and Nikko had gone into business together, and the US Government, seemed to turn a blind eye to her shadier connections. Ranger suspected, just like Nikko, she had cut some agreement. Nikko used to work for the CIA and still fronted a number of businesses with them. The best way to kill a rat was in its own nest, and the best way to get intel on criminals was to be one, so all in the arrangement had worked for everybody.

Nikko was posing as Nikko Grayson today. The CEO that wanted to partner with Dr. Eve Reznor. A partnership that was sanctioned by the US Government. One that Dr. Reznor had very little say in if she wanted to keep her research, and had been told that in no uncertain terms. Of course, if it turned out she had been selling classified secrets, her days wouldn't be spent in a lab, they would be spent in a cell.

Ranger had been sent in as Marc Pardo, the security expert for Mr. Grayson, which was pretty absurd considering Nikko could probably best Ranger any day. Still if anyone did any digging, they would find Marc Pardo worked with RangeMan, a legitimate security company that provided corporate and personal protection.

Ranger had no doubt Eve had been doing her homework. Alarm bells had gone off the day she met him. She had been looking into both him and Nikko. From her digital footprint, it looked like she hadn't gotten very far. Certainly not to the RangeMan connection yet, although he figured it was just a matter of time. He knew the backstopped story would hold, but still it was clear she was careful.

So far, they hadn't really found any definitive proof of her involvement, but some of her research and other Medatronix data had started to surface for auction on the dark web. Most of it appeared incomplete, but it was still extremely dangerous in the wrong hands. So, Ranger and Nikko would investigate and maybe even gain her trust. They would find the proof and take Eve Reznor down. Nikko would get the research and work with the government to create killer micro-drones in the interest of national security. Nikko and Sasha would make millions, and the US would stay in the lead on its war on terrorism. A win-win for everybody except Eve.

Something about it bugged Ranger though. Eve just didn't seem like the type, but then maybe he was just sucked in by her looks and good-natured personality. Evil came in all kinds of packages. Ranger should know, but he wouldn't ruin her life unless he was sure. Something he and Nikko had agreed on. Nikko stood to make millions, but then again Nikko also knew what Eve really wanted. Eve wanted money to fund her research on targeting cancer tumors based on genomic profiling. Nikko was prepared to partner with her on that, if it turned out she wasn't a traitor.

Eve was in the conference room waiting on Nikko Grayson to grace her with his presence. She looked down at the presentation she had prepared that detailed the current status of her research. A shiver of apprehension went through her. Did she really want to tell this guy about her breakthrough? Something about all of this just felt off.

The door opened and Marc Pardo sauntered in. Eve kept her expression neutral even though the energy in the room had shifted. She felt the tension in the base of her spine. Something just seemed off about him. Who knows maybe he was Lucifer? After all, the devil was rumored to have been the most beautiful of angels before his fall. Just then Nikko Grayson walked in. No, Eve thought Pardo wasn't the devil. He might be the devil's pallbearer, he certainly was dressed like one, but no she was pretty sure Lucifer himself had just entered the room.

Eve felt a whimper building in her throat, and her mind was screaming run. She was rooted to the spot. She was pretty sure she had never had this visceral of a reaction to anyone before. The man moved like a panther. He was tall and graceful, with all hard planes and beautiful angles. There was nothing even remotely domesticated about him. Nikko exuded raw power. His eyes were locked on hers as he approached. They were the most beautiful amber color she had ever seen. They looked magical and hypnotic, kind of like a cobra she thought. She had no doubt he was every bit as lethal. The man was simply stunning, and terrifying.

God Eve, get a grip she thought. Smile for fuck's sake. Act normal. Eve pasted what she hoped looked remotely like a smile on her face as the panther stalked closer. She heard herself swallow. She had no doubt everyone in the room had heard it.

Eve stuck her hand out. "Mr. Grayson, it is a pleasure to meet you."

The man smiled at her, and she felt her panties get wet and her nipples strain against her shirt. What the fuck was wrong with her? It was a fear response. It had to be, right? There was no way she had the hots for the prince of darkness. She prayed he hadn't noticed. Of course, he was probably used to it. All women probably melted into little puddles when he walked in the room.

Nikko's eyes never left her face, but she did think his lip twitched up. Eve figured it was too much to ask to just have the earth open up and swallow her whole. She was sure her face was flaming red. The room felt like it was about a hundred degrees. Now he probably thought she was having a hot flash. Eve thought maybe she should just wish for a brain aneurysm. At least that would leave a nice corpse. Eve told herself she had to get a grip; she was spiraling. Eve's thoughts tended to race uncontrollably when she was nervous, which usually resulted in her saying something spectacularly stupid. Something she couldn't afford to do right now. There was far too much at stake.

"Please call me Nikko, and I assure you the pleasure is all mine." His voice was like velvet as it slid over her and set her nerves on fire.

Nikko took her hand. His grip was firm, but not painful. She felt the warmth from his hand travel up her arm. She was staring at him. Those eyes were rimmed with the longest, darkest, thickest lashes she'd ever seen on a man. She felt like his eyes were boring inside her head, probing her innermost thoughts. Searching for something. She realized he was still holding her hand and she tugged it away.

He broke eye contact with Eve and stepped back. She barely managed to suppress a sigh. There was nothing about these two that she trusted at all. She took a seat and took the presentations she had prepared and put them into her backpack.

Eve decided it was best to launch right in with business. God knows she wouldn't survive idle chit chat. In five minutes flat she'd probably be begging to have his baby or something equally awkward.

"I understand you are interested in my research, but I'm afraid you may be disappointed. I'm a long way off from perfecting a method for DNA based delivery." Eve smiled at Nikko with her most sincere and honest smile.

Nikko was watching Eve. It was clear she was nervous and it was clear she was lying. What he didn't know was why. He really wasn't getting the selling secrets on the dark web vibe from her, but she was clearly hiding something. She looked like she was on the verge of bolting out of the room or maybe bludgeoning him. He couldn't quite tell which. He just knew she was uncomfortable, and desperately wanted this meeting over.

"I'm afraid equipping your little killer drones with DNA targeted poison or viruses, is probably a long way off if you are focused on my research. Perhaps you should look at Jorgenson. He's been doing some great work in this area." It took all her willpower not to roll her eyes at that. Jorgenson was a conceited idiot, but he would be more than happy to partner.

Nikko gave her an indulgent smile. "I assure you my little killer drones will also save lives." Eve figured she had probably insulted him but she really didn't give a shit so she kept the bland look on her face.

"Doctor I assure you; I am interested in your research, not Jorgenson's. Jorgenson is an idiot." Nikko gave her a pointed look. Eve gave him a small shrug and a look that said he had a point. It would appear Nikko had done his homework.

"I am interested in helping you move forward with its application in treating cancer. That would be the focus." Nikko assured her. That seemed to get her genuine attention.

Eve cocked her head and looked at him. She clearly wasn't buying what he was selling. She certainly wanted to, but it all just felt a little too good to be true. It felt like he was trying to draw her in. Get close to her, and Eve wasn't stupid enough to think it had anything to do with her. Nikko Grayson wanted inside access. She just couldn't figure out why.

"What if I told you I want to focus on the therapeutic aspect first?" Nikko asked her. That velvet voice washing over her.

"I'd want that in writing, along with agreements around research access." Eve responded to him.

"Of course." Nikko held her gaze. "But there would be military applications."

"I understand." Her response surprised Nikko. OK so she wasn't a bleeding-heart anti-military person, so why was she so reluctant. Had she simply determined that she could make more money another way? Nothing about her screamed greed. She lived comfortably but well below her means. She liked nice things but wasn't materialistic. She didn't have any vices or gambling debts that they had found. Eve Reznor was squeaky clean.

"I also want a minimum amount annually for the targeted cancer research, and it will be substantial. Look Mr. Grayson."

"Nikko" he corrected her.

She inclined her head towards him. "Nikko, I understand that research takes money and you are in the business of making money. I know that means defense contracts and military application. I'm not naïve enough to think otherwise, and frankly I understand the need for it. But what I want is to be able to do the kind of research I think is necessary to advance to human trials. That is my focus. I will work with you, but I need an iron clad agreement that guarantees funding for research, even if it never produces what you need for your drones."

Nikko smiled. "My little killer drones come second. I agree."

Eve actually smiled at that one. A smile that reached her eyes. Nikko thought she looked like an angel. What he couldn't figure out, is if the angel was also in bed with the devil.

"I'll have my people draw up some agreements for you to review. In the meantime, I understand you raised some concerns about security." Eve just stared at him.

"Your personal security." So, Nikko knew about her trip to the police station. Eve figured she shouldn't be surprised. This was not just some regular business man.

"I'd like to assign Marc to you until we can work out a more permanent security arrangement. Personal security and proper security for research materials will, of course, be include in any agreement."

Eve looked at him for a beat. "The offer is very kind, but it was nothing. I'm sure Mr. Pardo has much better things to do than follow me around. I'm afraid that is a hard pass."

Eve got up and held out her hand to Nikko ending further discussion. "I look forward to reviewing your proposal." She shook his hand and walked out. She didn't even both looking at Pardo. She knew he would just be glowering at her like she'd killed a kitten or something.

Eve realized she was shaking when she got out of the room. He'd said all the right things, but it felt like she was on trial. She got the distinct impression Nikko didn't trust her and Marc Pardo didn't like her, and she had no idea why. All she knew was she definitely didn't trust the two of them. Until things were in writing and iron clad, she wasn't telling them anything. She stopped by the copy room and shredded the presentations.

Nikko whirled around on Ranger. "I see you are making friends and winning influence again." Nikko's voice was sarcastic.

Ranger just rolled his eyes. "She's hiding something Nikko."

"Of course, she is. I can't help but wonder what was in that presentation she didn't want us to see." Nikko mused out loud.

"She clearly hates your guts. What did you do to her?" Nikko asked Ranger.

Ranger's eyebrows raised a fraction of an inch. "Nothing."

"Uh huh." Nikko clearly didn't look convinced. "Stick to her like glue anyway. And try to be nice, get her to like you or at least hate you less. I'm concerned that she may be right, and someone may be stalking her. She doesn't strike me as a shrinking violet or a woman that is prone to hysterics."

Ranger thought that was easier said than done, since she pretty much looked at him like she wanted to stab him in the eye with a pencil every time she was around him, but he nodded and headed out to find the good doctor. Nikko was right. If Eve thought someone was following her, they probably were. She was a smart, practical woman. Ranger realized he almost hoped that she wasn't really a traitor.