Chapter Ten

Nikko whipped around to face Ranger.

"What do you want, Carlos?" Nikko's voice tinged with irritation.

Ranger held up his hands. "A truce."

Nikko's eyebrow quirked up. "Really." The skepticism was unmistakable and Ranger forced himself to keep a neutral stance, even though the muscle in his jaw was ticking at an alarming rate.

"Yes. We can't be at each other's throats. Like it or not, we are working together, and that means I have to trust you and you have to trust me. I won't put Stephanie or her team at risk. Besides, what happened is ancient history."

Everything about Nikko looked deceptively relaxed, but Ranger hadn't missed the fact he was resting on the balls of his feet, and measuring the distance between them. Nikko was an apex predator, but his control was legendary. He wouldn't strike unless Ranger provoked him, and as hard as it was, Ranger was working not to bait him. Nikko reminded Ranger of a Cobra coiled and ready to strike and twice as deadly. Those freaky amber eyes missed nothing.

"Is it?" Nikko taunted.

A flush of anger swept over Ranger, but he pushed it down, inhaling deeply through his nose. He wouldn't let Nikko bait him, either. Ranger made sure his face was blank and his emotions were in check. Nikko had an uncanny ability to read people and smell weakness, and given his night, Nikko might just be looking for a distraction. Ranger knew the waiting frustrated Nikko. They were all on edge. Stephanie was right, every minute Ashley was captive, one more unspeakable horror was happening.

"Yeah, it is." Ranger threw back at him.

Ranger pulled Stephanie's shredded panties out of his pocket and tossed them to Nikko. Nikko caught them in one hand and gave Ranger a feral grin and a wink.

"I thought they suited her." The innuendo in Nikko's velvet voice slithered around Ranger, making a pain shoot behind his eyeball.

Punching Nikko would be a deadly mistake, but damn if he didn't want to wipe that smug look off his face.

"Stay the fuck away from Stephanie, and we won't have a problem." Ranger growled.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Ranger knew threatening Nikko was about as useful as watering the lawn in a hurricane. Nikko played by his own rules and always had.

Nikko tilted his head, studying Ranger. "You have a thing for her. You actually like her."

"I do." Ranger confirmed.

There was no use denying it. Nikko wasn't stupid. It had been a statement more than a question, and if Nikko was going to use it against him, he would.

"The question is, do you? Is your interest purely professional?" Ranger queried.

Nikko considered Ranger for a second. He could tell Nikko was debating whether to answer the question, or maybe he was just deciding if he was going to tell Ranger the truth. Nikko rarely gave anything away, at least not without a price. His next words surprised Ranger and gave him an inkling of just how wrong he was.

"She's a good operator. One of the best, and don't get me wrong, she's hot as fuck, but no, my interest in her is strictly professional." Nikko told Ranger. "To be clear, I'm only answering your question out of respect for Stephanie. She's not a pawn in our game Carlos."

Ranger wasn't entirely sure he bought that story, but nothing about Nikko indicated it wasn't the truth. Then again, Nikko was a skilled liar. He had to be. Nikko was ruthless and deadly, but he also didn't waste words. Nikko was all about efficiency in movement, words, and killing. If Ranger had to bet, the assassin had a soft spot for Stephanie. A little tingle went up his spine. Ranger wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad.

Nikko rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Get your head out of your ass, Carlos. You know better. I don't fuck around." Nikko sounded almost offended. "Besides, you and I both know a woman like Stephanie wouldn't have anything to do with a man like me. You may not think much of me, but give her some credit."

Ranger thought about it for a minute. Nikko was right, and jealousy was clouding his perspective. Nikko might be a lot of things, but as far as Ranger knew, he had never betrayed his partner. They skated close to the line and did what they had to for a job, but no, Nikko would never betray that woman, and if he did, Ranger doubted he'd live to tell about it. Natasha, or whatever name she was using these days, was as dangerous as she was beautiful. That woman scared the shit out of him.

Ranger would like to think Nikko was also right about Stephanie, but she had slept with him, and on any given day Ranger was a bad bet. Maybe not as bad as Nikko, but not much different. And that was the thing. Ranger was standing on the street going after Nikko for being just like him. If that wasn't the definition of ironic, he wasn't entirely sure what was.

"You have my word." Nikko said solemnly. No games, no sarcasm.

Ranger marginally relaxed. Nikko was nothing if not a man of his word. Ranger gave an almost imperceptible nod, letting Nikko know he was right.

"She's an operator, Carlos, and a damn good one. Just like you. I know it is your instinct to protect her, to keep her safe, wrap her in bubble wrap, but you can't smother her or decide for her. She chose this life, and you chose her knowing that. Don't change her to make yourself more comfortable." Nikko shrugged.

Ranger knew he was speaking from experience.

"Does it ever get easier?" Ranger asked.

"Nah, you just get better at hiding it. The terror still claws at you like a living thing until they come home safe." Nikko gave Ranger a look that said good luck with that.

"Is it worth it?"

Nikko didn't hesitate. "Absolutely."

Ranger absorbed that for a minute. Nikko seemed almost human, and it was freaking him out just a little, but he was right. As much as he might want to protect Stephanie, she had a job to do. A job that she was damn good at, and one she had been doing long before she met him. Stephanie needed to save the world. An impulse he understood. Ranger just thought they might be better at it, doing it together.

"The Cairo thing. We're square?" Nikko asked.

Ranger ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, we're square."

Ranger held out his hand, and they shook.

"It was just business." Nikko reminded him.

Ranger nodded. Even so, the truth still stung, and it sure hadn't felt like just business at the time. Nikko had definitely won that hand.

"Do you think we are going to find the girl?" Ranger asked.

If they didn't, it was going to hit them all hard, especially Stephanie.

Nikko reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, betraying his tension and frustration.

"We have to." Nikko replied and soundlessly evaporated into the night.

Ranger headed back inside. The downstairs was quiet. Everyone had turned in, hoping to grab a few hours of sleep before all hell broke loose. There was nothing they could do tonight except wait and hope. Ranger thought he might get a chance to talk with Stephanie, but she had clearly taken advantage of his absence to make herself scarce. A clear indicator conversation wasn't high on her list. She acknowledged there was something brewing between them, but there was still a river of things left unsaid. Nikko was right, he couldn't push and he couldn't control. Tonight, he would take the win, but he couldn't help the disappointment that dogged him.

Ranger eyed the stairs and released a frustrated breath. Lucky for him, he was going to get to spend the night listening to Les snore like snuppleugagus while the woman he wanted was right across the hall. Wasn't that just great. Ranger had a feeling sleep wasn't in the cards, not when Stephanie was snuggled in bed right across the damn hall. It may as well be a continent away.

He trudged up the stairs, and his eyes cut towards Stephanie's closed door and then back to his assigned room. His steps faltered a moment as he hesitated, indecision warring within him. He mentally rolled his eyes and headed towards his room. Pushing her would be a mistake.

The soft snick of a door drew his attention. Stephanie stood in the doorway clad in a tank top that hid absolutely nothing and a pair of boxers. Her hair a wild tumble of curls around her face. She bit her bottom lip and her blue eyes were full of uncertainty.

"Are you coming?" She asked softly.

Warmth flooded through Ranger and he forced himself not to grin like an idiot. He was pretty sure he had just won the damn lottery, but he schooled his expression and resisted the urge to do a fist pump in the air. Stephanie was drawing lines and that line around her included him. She wouldn't advertise anything between them and he respected that, but she didn't make him her dirty little secret, either. Ranger could feel his heart pounding in his chest, and willed himself to relax. This was a hard-won victory, and a major step forward.

Ranger was in front of her in two strides, pushing her back into her room. He closed and locked the door. Hell yes, he was coming. How could she think that was even a question?

The minute the door was closed, her arms snaked around his neck and she pulled him down for a kiss. Her lips hungry against his mouth. He could taste the cool tang of peppermint as his tongue stroked against hers. Her soft breasts pressed against him, and he barely resisted the urge to pick her up and toss her on the bed and follow her down and make good on all of his promises. One of these days, he really was going to get her in bed and take his time exploring every single inch of that perfect body. But tonight was not that night. This had been an invitation into her bed, but not necessarily for sex, he reminded himself. There was a blossoming intimacy between them he didn't want to mess up.

Ranger pulled back and took in the thin white tank top. He was pretty sure the universe was testing him. It was going to be a sleepless night alright, but not because Les was snoring. He was going to be hard as steel the whole damn night, his dick sticking up like a flag pole, but it would be worth it just to get to hold her.

Her very fine breasts were straining against the tank top, and he could see the dark outline around her taut nipples. He felt his cock twitch in response and worked to keep his traitorous body under control. An absolutely primal need coursed through him, and he had to force his hands to remain at his side, his resolve not to toss her on the bed and fuck her senseless waning by the second. The boxers showcased her long legs, and he could almost feel them wrapped around him. Yeah, it was definitely going to be a sleepless night and one that tested his will.

"Just sleep." Ranger meant it to be a statement, but it came out sounding more like a question.

She gave him a lopsided grin. "Yeah. The walls are pretty thin, and we need sleep." Ranger didn't think she seemed all that wedded to the idea, especially when she pressed against him.

Ranger smiled at her. "I'm good with that. You don't snore, do you? He teased.

Stephanie wrinkled up her nose. "I'll try not to. But you know, it is always the one that falls asleep first that snores." She teased him back. "Besides, women don't snore, they purr." She rolled her eyes like she'd just told him the single most obvious, self-evident truth in the universe.

Ranger chuckled. "I'm pretty sure you snore less than Santos, so I'm not too worried."

Ranger wouldn't care if she snored like a freight train because there was no one else he wanted beside him. It took everything he had, but Ranger stepped away from her.

"I need to grab a quick shower." Ranger would ask her to join him, but that would definitely break the no screaming rule.

Stephanie pointed to the bathroom door. "There are towels under the sink."

Ranger leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose before he headed into the tiny bathroom. Things seemed relaxed and not at all awkward, and he was determined to keep it that way. He knew it had taken a lot of courage for her to ask him into her private space, to open herself up like this.

Ranger stood in the shower with his hands flat against the wall, head bent, letting the hot water pound down on his back, washing away the filth of the night. It took a lot of willpower not to punch the Alexis of the world in the face. Pretending he was one of them always made him feel dirty. He couldn't even imagine what Stephanie had felt. His admiration grew a little more. His need. With every passing minute, he was getting in deeper. Being around her was like standing in quicksand, and the more he flailed and tried to fight it, the faster he got sucked in.

Ranger was a planner. He liked controlled and orderly, and ever since Stephanie had roared into his life like a tornado, things had been in complete chaos. Ranger was beginning to understand he was helpless against whatever this thing was, and it scared him. Ranger wasn't good with just letting go and seeing where the tide took him.

It had taken all of Ranger's willpower not to drag Stephanie into the shower with him. Noise be damned. He wanted to push her up against the wall, pin her hands above her head, and fuck her until she was screaming his name. Until he erased this night from her memory and she forgot about that leering pig pawing at her. He didn't want her to remember any other man's hands on her. His touch was the only one he wanted burned into her brain. And he wanted her to forget about Luca. He didn't doubt Luca was a good man, but he was better for her, or at least he wanted to be.

Ranger wanted to make her his forever, and the thought didn't even make him break out in a cold sweat. Quite the opposite. A possessive fire raced through his veins. He wanted to ruin her for all other men the way she had ruined him for all other women. When he closed his eyes, her face was the only one in his dreams.

Ranger gave a violent shake of his head, slinging water in every direction, trying to find his equilibrium. He was on edge and he knew he needed to get that impulse under control for a lot of reasons. He'd acted like a royal jackass tonight, and he was treading on thin ice with Stephanie. The one thing she would not tolerate was petty jealousy. He knew that sure as he was standing here. Stephanie was a woman that demanded trust and respect, and Ranger was determined to give that to her. She deserved that, and so much more.

Ranger could feel the familiar heaviness and let out a low groan. When it came to Stephanie, he had failed to make it much past high school. Ranger reached up and turned the dial to cold, suppressing a shiver as the spray turned decidedly artic. Not even that did the trick, so Ranger reached down and stroked himself. He needed to take care of this before he went back in and made things between them awkward. As his release washed over him, he watched the evidence of his need swirl down the drain right along with his sanity. Ranger was doomed, and he knew it.

Ranger dried off and wrapped a towel around his waist. The bedroom was lit only by the glow of the streetlight, but he could see Stephanie laying on her back in bed. She was holding herself stiffly, and he wondered if she regretted asking him in, but when she rolled to face him and patted the spot on the bed beside her, his fear evaporated. He was thankful the dim lighting hid the tremor in his hands. Even in silhouette with her features obscured, she robbed him of speech and made his blood boil. The outline of her lush body addictive and mesmerizing. When he damn near tripped over his own feet, he was pretty sure his cool factor had dropped by half.

Ranger dropped the towel and slipped into bed beside her, the sheets smooth and chilly against his skin. He might have just finished a cold shower, but this woman ignited his blood, and his body felt hot, almost feverish. She burrowed into his side, and his arm wrapped around her and pulled her close. Her fingers traced idle circles on his chest, and something inside of him shifted.

A contented feeling drifted over him, and he exhaled softly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Exactly nothing had ever felt this right. Part of him knew letting her have this kind of power over him was dangerous, but the truth was he was powerless to stop it. This thing between them kept growing and changing, taking up more and more real estate in his head and his heart. He wanted to find a way for them, a path forward that included her in his life, but she wasn't ready yet and he needed to tread carefully.

His nature was to push for what he wanted, but right now, he needed to back off and let this unfurl at her pace. Her soft confession when they were locked in that filthy jail cell in Colombia still haunted him. She had told him about the fiancé she lost. How half of her soul had gone with him when he died. That kind of tragedy took time to get past, and some people never got over it. Stephanie admitted she felt something for him and it scared her. Sure, she thought they were about to die, he had too, but what she said was real. Stephanie was slowly dipping her toe back into the land of the living.

Tonight, sharing her bed with him was a huge step for her. For them both. Ranger fucked women; he didn't sleep with them. He'd never wanted to until now. It was too intimate, too messy, but this just felt like coming home.

"What is the deal between you and Nikko?" Stephanie's voice was soft and husky. Sleep pulling at her.

"Just business really. There was a woman." Ranger started.

"Hah! I knew it." She huffed.

Ranger smiled. "Not like that. It's not even all that interesting of a story."

"Well go on then." Stephanie teased. "Let's hear this not so interesting story about you, Nikko, and a woman."

Ranger gave a soft snort. "There was a woman in Cairo that worked as an assistant to a high-level government official I was assigned to protect and spy on. We believed he was selling information on joint training operations and other classified intel to terrorists. I had been working this woman for months to gain her trust and get information and access to files. Nikko showed up worked his charm on her and had the information in three days. The guy was dirty, selling classified data to terrorists. Nikko assassinated him on my watch. I was standing right beside him and he was dead before I even reacted. I got busted down a rank and disciplined for the mission failure."

"Hmmm." Stephanie said non-committedly. "And your still mad about it?"

"No babe, not anymore. Nikko was right. It was just business. I was young and it was a big blow to my ego and my career. Nikko bested me fair and square. It was the fact he got that woman to trust him so fast. I never understood it. What he had that I didn't."

"Tonight, when you saw us together, it was a little like déjà vu for you.?"

"It was, but I'm still sorry. I took out my frustration on you and neither one of you deserved it."

"You're forgiven. Just don't do it again. I'm glad you made up with Nikko."

"Who says I made up with Nikko?" Ranger asked.

Stephanie just gave a soft snort. "Because both of you are still breathing. And, because I know you're a fair man and good at your job. You won't let personal things affect the success of the operation."

There was no doubt in Stephanie's voice, and Ranger kissed the top of her head again. She could read him like a book.

One of her legs hitched up over him, trying to pull him closer. Her body draped over his, liked they had been tailor made to seamlessly fit together. Her skin was silky soft and warm as it pressed against him, and his fingers made a lazy trail up and down her back. As his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, he studied her delicate features. He wondered how a woman so soft and refined could be so fierce. Her features relaxed as she drifted off to sleep, her trust in him complete and humbling. She looked so young and so innocent. He knew she'd seen a lot of horror in her job, and lived through an unspeakable tragedy, yet there was a goodness about her, a light that balanced his darkness.

The steady beat of her heart and her even breathing told him she was asleep. She looked peaceful, and he pulled her just a little closer, and she made a contented little sound as she snuggled closer that went straight through his heart. She brought out the protector in him. He closed his eyes and drifted off, thinking he was going to do everything in his power to make sure no one ever hurt her again, and that included him.

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A/N: If you are in the mood for more Michail check out For Loyalty and Revenge. That's where we first meet him and then he gets his very own short story with Maybe a Tomorrow (an alternate ending/continuation of his story in FL&R) which is 8 chapters of Michail and a little Nikko thrown in. s/13866213/1/For-Loyalty-and-Revenge