Chapter 13

"What if they think we're moving to fast?" Michael asked when we woke up in each other's arms. I had to laugh at his 'girlish' question. "Are you laughing at me?" He started tickling me.

"We shared a bed, nothing else happened. Stop Mike. I need to go to the washroom," I said through laughter. He lifted me over his shoulder and carried me to the washroom where he set me just inside the room. Once he heard the toilet flush, he entered the washroom and pulled me into the shower.

It's been so long since I've had sex. I was longing to know if Michael is a very thorough lover. Not that Jeremy wasn't… it's just… my hormones are completely off the chart. Jeremy is gone and I deserve to find someone to share my life with. I've given up so much for my children.

Unfortunately, nothing happened in the shower. After he dumped me under the cold water, he said "I feel like I've known you all my life, but we need to go slow. There's plenty of time." He gave me a kiss before leaving to give me some privacy.

As I was dressing for work I asked Michael an important question. "I need your opinion. You've known Ranger for a long time right?"

"Yes, he's a good guy. Says what he means and means what he says," he replied.

"Well, it's interesting to hear you say that about him. Have you ever known him to make promises to women then change his mind?" I asked. I really needed to hear his honest opinion about Ranger.

"If he's trying to manipulate them into bed with him then he does that all the time." It was not the answer I wanted to hear.

"So Ranger promising me the management position he later gave to Manny… was he offering me the job in exchange for sleeping with him?" I asked.

"Probably. He never makes promises to women without some kind of physical exchange," he replied honestly.

"That's what I was afraid of. I'm going to start looking for another job."

"Are you sure you didn't misread the situation?" he asked.

"I'm sure," I answered as I pulled up the video I secretly recorded.

"Pause the video," he stated. He grabbed my phone and brought up the frame he wanted me to see. "Here… see his eyes?"

"Yes. He gets that way whenever he talks to me," I admitted.

"It's the look he gives a woman when he wants to make an exchange for sex. Usually it's money, jewelry or cars."

"So when I rejected him, he gave the job to someone else?" Technically it wasn't in my contract. It only stated I was working in the research and client relations department.

"That is exactly what I think," he confirmed. Ranger is currently in Trenton to open a new branch. He'll be away for at least six months. "Are you meeting with Mateo?"

"I will. He needs to know how I feel." I dressed in my Rangeman uniform and left to meet with Mateo before the morning meeting.

He was finishing his workout in the gym. "Hey Steph," he said as he slowed down the treadmill.

"Do you have time to talk?" I asked.

"Sure, follow me," he replied. I followed him to his apartment and into his washroom. When he started stripping, I turned my back to give him some privacy. He turned on the shower and said, "Speak."

"Are you aware Ranger offered me the management position for RACR?" I asked.

"No. He said you were offered a position in the department, but mentioned nothing about being the manager," he replied. I played the video for him to hear. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm thinking about leaving, but I'll give him one more chance. If he screws it up, I'm done," I honestly stated.

"Okay. I'll make a note of the date and time. If it comes down to the wire and you decided to leave, we'll use today as your notice," he offered.

"I hope it doesn't come down to that, but I appreciate your understanding."

"Steph, I have a confession," he said while turning off the shower. I waited for him to talk. "Lory and Curt called. They wanted Ram to live in your apartment."

"So you had an available apartment, but lied because my children talked you into agreeing with them," I stated. I already suspected this was the case, but I wanted to jerk his chain.

"I'm so sorry. I can move him to a spare room," he attempted to placate me.

Not being able to continue, I started laughing. "It's okay Teo. Michael and I are together now."

"As in dating… together?" he asked.

"More like sharing kissing and groping moments… together," I honestly replied.

"I'll keep Ranger away from you," he offered.

"Nah. I'll keep my eyes wide open. Thanks for lending an ear."

I gave him a hug before leaving him to dress for work. When I got to my desk, a short Hispanic man with a teardrop tattoo was sitting in my chair. "Hello, I'm Stephanie," I introduced myself. Something about him drew me closer. I could see us becoming close friends.

"Hola," he replied. He started speaking rapid Spanish. I caught a few words, but I needed him to talk slower. In Spanish I asked him to talk slower. I was surprised when he pressed a button on his fob and quietly said, "I'm Hector. I speak English but they don't know. Keep my secret. I know boss wants you for himself. Men say Ram is a good man. Friends to your dead husband. He's good for you. Can I meet your children?"

Hector was a very nice man. My spidey sense told me I could trust him. He's someone I could see becoming like a brother to me. "You can meet my children. Now you were saying we're partners?" I asked.

He smiled when he realized I understood some Spanish. "Si, we are partners," he replied. "I will protect you." Hector pressed the fob button to return the camera to normal. If we left the feed jumbled for too long, someone will arrive to investigate.

I took his offered hand and let him lead me to his office on the second floor. He asked for my phone and pulled the video of Ranger promising me the management job. Then he spliced it together with the announcement made by Mateo in our meeting. Once he was finished, he sent the video to Manuel Ramos.

Within the hour, Manny arrived looking completely furious. "What the fuck?" he screamed. "He promised you the job then gave it to me?"

"I never gave him what he expected in return for the job," I explained.

"He's never offered a woman a job for sex before," Manny stated.

"Until now," Hector said in Spanish. Manny said the only way we could stop Ranger is if I was married. He will not have a relationship with a married woman.

Hector held my hand as he conversed with Manny. It was time to remove myself from the dating pool completely. I squeezed his hand to give him a clue. If us sharing a bed platonically was moving too fast, then an impromptu marriage was definitely warp speed ahead.

When Manny left the office, I sent Ram a message. He arrived within a few minutes. Michael listened to the conversation we just had with Manny. He was not impressed, but agreed with Manny's assessment. "Is it too soon?" I asked.

"We belong together. I just want to make sure your children like me first," he answered. "He shouldn't be back for at least three months. It gives us plenty of time."

I had a feeling he would be making regular trips back, especially when he hears Ram's in town. The men are worse gossips than the women in the Burg.

For the next few days, Michael and I shared my bed at night - platonically, I must add. We worked the same shifts within the same department.

Hector was very sneaky in his communications with me. When Ram was in the room, he spoke Spanish slow enough for me to understand. The minute he left the room, my friend spoke perfect English. A few times he quickly transitioned from English to Spanish, leading me to believe he was watching Ram on the internal cameras.

My children arrived on schedule. I was planning to bring Michael with me, but he felt it was best to let them meet more organically. Lory ran into my arms when she saw me. Tears streamed down her face as she held on tight.

I passed the keys to Sophia to drive back to Trenton. My daughter needed me. Curt leaned over to whisper, "Sophia and I will listen to our music so you two can talk." He sat in the front passenger seat beside Sophia.

Lory sat beside me. I wrapped my arms around her as I listened to her tell me about the boy she met. She really liked the boy, but he refused to talk to her after they slept together. Oh my poor little girl. "Did you use protection?" I asked her.

"No… and… mom, I'm late," she cried.

"Sweetie. We'll see the doctor okay?"

"Okay mom. I'm sorry to disappoint you."

"I'm not disappointed in you Mallory. Did he coerce you or force himself on you?" I needed to know.

"Nothing like that mom. It was mutual, but I still feel like he used me," she replied. I was thinking exactly the same. This boy got what he wanted then dropped her. It was a difficult lesson for her to learn, but sometimes it happens that way. "He hasn't talked to me since the incident."

"It's his loss sweetie." I wasn't sure what else I could say without giving her false hope.

"Can we see the doctor today?" she asked.

"I'll text my friend," I answered. I sent a text to see if we could get Mallory seen immediately. Sophia drove to Rangeman and took Curtis to Ella's apartment. She was giving me and Mallory more alone time together. Ram was working, so I didn't have to worry about him intruding on mother-daughter time.

It didn't take long for my friend to call. We were meeting her at the clinic in a few minutes. I doubt Lory is pregnant, but she needed the reassurance from the doctor. She also needs to have STD testing. If she isn't pregnant, I want her to go on birth control.

I waited while Lory talked to the doctor. After the examination, I was called into the room. Mallory wanted me to hear what the doctor had to say. "She's likely not pregnant, but we'll do a blood test to be sure. I'll put a rush on the results. When it proves she isn't pregnant, I will administer the birth control injection. The STD results will take a little longer," she advised.

"Thank you. I'm only here until next Sunday. Will you have the results by then?" Lory asked.

"Your blood test results for sure. The swab I took may take a little longer," she replied.

Lory started twisting her fingers together. It's a habit she broke so many years ago. "It's okay Lory. Everything will work out exactly how it's supposed to," I told my beautiful daughter as we headed back to Rangeman.

"I appreciate you being here for me mom," she whispered.

"There is no other place I would rather be," I said honestly.

Michael was on a surveillance shift with Junior. I kind of wished he was here to meet the children. We were planning to have breakfast together for him to formally meet my children.

As I suspected, Ranger came back to Miami a few times. He used his master key to enter my apartment. Lory was in her sleep shorts and tank top watching TV when Ranger stepped into the room. "Mom!" she screamed.

I was furious. "What are you doing here Ranger?"

"To see you Babe," he answered with confidence.

"Haven't I made myself clear?" I wonder why he's so persistent.

"We need to talk," he replied. Lory ran to her room. A few minutes later, Curtis, Sophia and Ella entered my apartment.

"Why are you here Carlos?" Sophia asked her brother. For a few seconds, Ranger looked a bit ashamed. "You don't really want her, do you?"

"Soph," he growled.

"Go home Carlos. Steph is already taken," she said while leading him towards the door.

"I'm Curtis and this is my sister Mallory," he approached Ranger when my daughter returned from her bedroom fully clothed.

"Carlos, but everyone calls me Ranger," he responded.

"Are we finished with the intro?" I asked. Ranger gave me a curt nod. "Could you guys please give us a minute to talk?" I asked the group.

Curtis grabbed his sister's hand and went into her room. Ella and Sophia went into the kitchen, giving us space to talk, but close enough to offer assistance.

"Why did you give Manny the management position?" I asked.

"Babe," he replied.

"That is not an answer. Did you just offer me the management job to get me into bed?" I decided to take a different tact.

"At first, but I see it was an error in judgement," he replied using more than a single word.

"Thank you for being honest. I expect you to respect me and my choices. You're an attractive man, but you're not the type I would pursue for a relationship," I confessed. "Please respect my choices. If you don't mind, I would like to spend time with my children." Ranger reluctantly left my apartment.

Hector arrived when Ella and Sophia left, perfectly timing his arrival. "You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine hermano," I answered before calling for my children. "Curtis, Mallory, this is my friend Hector."

Surprising me, Lory sat next to Hector and stroked his teardrop tattoo. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"You look like your mother," he said in Spanish. She replied, proving she understood his words. "I protect you too."

"Gracias Tio," she replied. Hector stayed to visit. He got along with my children as though they always knew each other. It was refreshing. I hope Michael gets along with them as well.

"Hey Steph," Michael called from the door.

I left the kids with Hector and met Michael. "Are you ready to meet them?" I asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," he answered as he entwined our fingers together. It was important to for my children to like him before we reached the point of no return. When I love someone, it's with my heart, body and soul. I was already in love with him. 'Please let my children love him too,' I silently prayed.