Round Robin

Chapter 8 (Girliegirl1179)

RANGER

I was sitting in my office thinking about the last twenty-four hours. The moment I kissed Stephanie; I knew I was in trouble. Everything about her just felt right and making love to her could quickly become an addiction. I just couldn't get enough of her. Leaving her bed this morning was one of the hardest things I'd ever had to do. So, I left her a note and asked her to have dinner with me later tonight.

Hal came running into my office. "Sorry, Boss. But I knew you'd want this as soon as I found it."

He handed me a folder and smiled as I opened the folder and scanned the document inside.

"I think we're right about Morelli. Hector finally got into his sealed military record."

I could have gotten into the sealed military record by calling in a few favors, but Hector is one of the best hackers in the world. He views it as a game, so why waste a resource I may need later? As I read the report, I couldn't believe what my eyes were seeing. "How the fuck is he, a TPD detective with a military record like that?"

Hal shrugged his shoulders. "That's more in your wheelhouse to get answers about, boss."

"One day you will understand the meaning of a rhetorical question," was my sarcastic retort.

Pulling my phone from my pocket. I hit speed dial two on my phone before looking back at Hal. "Good job. Dismissed."

Tank picked up just a few seconds later. "Yo."

"My office now," I stated, before ending the call.

A few seconds later, Tank walked into the room. "You rang?"

I slid the folder over to him.

He pulled out his reading glasses and skimmed the documents.

While I waited for him to finish, I sent Steph a message.

We need to talk. Call Me.

Tank said what I'd been thinking since I first glanced at the document. "How the fuck was Morelli not charged with stalking and harassment for this when the government did their investigation?"

"I'm not sure, but I'm going to call Matheson and find out. My best guess is that they didn't want the flack and paid the nurse a settlement with an NDA attached. Now for how he got off scot-free without serving a day in jail. Someone somewhere had to pull some strings. The real question is who and why?"

Tank closed the file and rubbed his hand over his face. "We did a simple background check on all the PD when we first came to town. It wouldn't have pulled this up."

I glanced down at my phone. Steph should have called me back by now. I knew her first client was scheduled twenty minutes from now.

I picked up the receiver for my office phone and dialed a number I would have preferred not to have to call. As the call connected, I put it on speaker so Tank could listen in.

He picked up after just a couple of rings. "Manoso, I knew you couldn't stay away from the adrenaline rush. The perfect mission for you just came across my desk. Two to three weeks of reconnaissance work. No direct action is needed but we need a team that can be a ghost. The pay is 500K. Pierre, I know you are sitting there as well. Same terms for you."

I couldn't keep from rolling my eyes. Matheson was our former teammate and current handler. Luckily for us, we were no longer under contract to take on any missions for the government, but we sometimes went if the pay was enough and the action required had a reasonable expectation of making it back home, mostly in one piece.

"Not why we are calling today, but we might consider it if you'll do us a favor." I really didn't have time to leave soon, so the likelihood of me accepting this mission was slim. Though I had to admit a million dollars under normal circumstances might be enough to consider it, I couldn't go anywhere until we handled the stalker situation. The high price tag was also enough to tell me it wasn't nearly as simple as he was making it out to be.

"Excellent. I'll send you the details. Now, what's the favor?"

"Former Navy PO1 by the name of Joseph Morelli from Trenton, New Jersey. I'm looking at a file from a military investigation against Morelli. It includes documentation of assault and battery and stalking of a naval nurse. From what I can see, the file was closed with no charges filed against him. Even though there was enough evidence for at least a dishonorable discharge, he finished out his enlisted time five years ago and is now working with the Trenton PD. It seems like he is up to his old ways and stalking a woman under my protection. I'm trying to figure out who he's connected to that swept the first incident under the rug and allowed him to walk away with no consequences."

Matheson let out a low whistle. "Let me dig around. Unfortunately, it could have been handled quietly to avoid further scandal for the military's treatment of women, but maybe he knows someone who bankrolled a payment to the nurse. I'll call you back in a couple of hours."

I hung up the phone and looked over at Tank.

"I know we are a little short-staffed already with the new accounts we just signed, but we probably need to put another man on Steph."

Tank nodded in understanding. "Are you actually going to talk her into letting someone stay with her, instead of us having to hide two guards in plain sight?"

I let out a sigh of frustration. "She is still trying to convince herself that she isn't in any danger and plans to go back to her death trap of an apartment now that she's saved up enough to buy a new mattress."

The fucker laughed. "I bet that just made your day. She might think it's a way to keep you from knocking on her apartment door at all hours of the night."

"Shut up, asshole."

"Seriously though. I'm happy for you, man. She is exactly the woman you need. She doesn't fawn all over you and looks at you like a real person. All the men love her. She isn't scared of us and treats us like brothers instead of fuck toys."

I pulled out my phone again and noticed that she still hadn't responded to my text. I called Lester, her shadow for the day.

As soon as he picked up. "Where's Steph?"

"She's inside the salon cutting someone's hair. Why is something wrong? Do I need to go get her?"

"No. Was just checking in on her because she isn't answering my text messages."

"I could go into see her, but if I do, she'll know that I've been tailing her."

"No, don't break cover. Just let me know if Morelli shows up."

"Got it, Boss." He said before disconnecting the call.

Looking over at Tank, I thought about the plan we had for the day. "I guess let's get this show on the road and get these new client meetings over with. Then we need to check in with Hector to look over the plans for the two new systems installs later in the week."

Several Hours Later

I'd just sat down at my desk and glared at my cell phone. Steph had not called me after my message from earlier in the day. I'd called Lester a couple of times to check in on her and everything seemed to be fine. I wasn't sure why she wasn't calling me, so I thought over everything I'd said last night and today.

I knew I left her bed before she woke up this morning, but I left a note, inviting her to dinner. Then I got the information about Morelli and sent her the text about needing to talk and asked her to call me. Then it'd been radio silent for the rest of the day. I picked up the phone and dialed Ella.

"Holla, Mi Sobrino."

"Holla, Tia. Can you come down to my office?"

"Si. Give me five minutes."

Exactly four minutes later, Ella knocked on the door to my office and let herself in.

She took one look at my face. "What's wrong?"

"I think I've said or done something to upset Steph today, and I'm hoping you might help me figure out what I did and how to fix it."

"What did you do?"

"I left her a note this morning asking her to have dinner with me later."

"A note?" She said incredulously. "You spent the night in her bed and left her a note?"

"Shit, Tia. I haven't dated since high school. I don't do relationships, and this is the first girl I've even remotely been interested in. We got some information about her stalker, and I wanted to tell her about it. So, I sent her a text and told her we needed to talk and to call me."

"You didn't!" She squeaked as she covered her mouth.

"What?"

"You committed all the dreaded relationship things that happen to a woman in less than twelve hours. She isn't returning your phone call because she thinks you are ending things with her."

I sighed. "This is why it's better to avoid anything more than a one-night stand."

"Oh shush. Stephanie is perfect and just the woman you need. Just apologize and explain why you wanted to talk to her."

Before I could respond, the phone on my desk rang. Glancing down, I could see it was Matheson. "I've got to take this, Tia."

She nodded her head and headed out of the room.

I picked up the phone. "Manoso."

"Ranger, you were right. Evidently, Morelli's mother once had an affair with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. She blackmailed him into fixing Joe's problem. The rumor is the Joint Chief hired a fixer who paid off the nurse and arranged for Joe to finish his enlistment."

"Thanks for your help. I'll let you know about the mission." When I hung up the phone and was about to call Tank when my cell phone received a text message. I glanced down at the display and saw a message from a phone number I didn't know.

I forgot my phone at work. Please help me. Joe showed up at my parents' house.

I ran from my office. "Tank, let's roll."

We hit the stairs and were in the Cayenne on our way to the Plum house in just a few minutes. I'd filled Tank in on what Matheson said on the way and that Morelli was in Steph's parents' house.

We pulled up to a small brown duplex less than five minutes later. Tank followed me up the steps and I knocked on the screen door. An elderly woman answered the door a few moments later.

"Can I help you, Hot Stuff?"

"I'm looking for Stephanie."

She glanced over her shoulder and yelled. "Baby granddaughter, you've got two hot men here looking for you."

I heard Morelli yell. "Who the hell is here looking for you? Your mom told you when you got here that I was here because we were going to get married."

I looked over at Tank, who mouthed. "What the fuck?"

Steph came running towards me and launched herself into my arms. "Help me. He's convinced my mother that we've been dating and that we are engaged."

Stephanie's grandmother was looking back and forth between us and Joe. I pushed Steph behind me and made my way into the house. "Morelli, Mr. and Mrs. Plum. My name is Ranger Manoso. I own RangeMan, a local security company here in Trenton. There is an active threat against Stephanie and I'm taking her back to my company to keep her safe."

Morelli's face turned three different shades of red. "If there is a threat against Steph, then it's my job as her fiancé to keep her safe. She'll be going home with me."

Stephanie started yelling around Tank's massive form. "I have never dated you. For the record, I'll never date you. Why the fuck would I be engaged to a man that I can't stand?"

Stephanie's mother spoke. "Stephanie, what will the neighbors think? Joseph is a respectable police officer. He is your last chance at a true Burg marriage."

"Mom, I don't want to be married to that piece of scum. He took my virginity on the floor of the Tasty Pastry and wrote about it all over town. If he doesn't get out of here the next time I run him over with a car, I won't just break his leg. I'll kill him."

I'd heard enough. If Steph's parents weren't standing in front of me, I'd have killed Joseph Morelli on the principal alone.

I glanced at Steph, and I could see the fire in her eyes. "Proud of you, Babe."

Joe's eyes flashed with anger. "I could arrest you for threatening a police officer, Cupcake."

"Tank, take her to the car. I'll be there in a minute." I didn't even check to see that he was following my orders because I knew he'd drag her kicking and screaming if he had to.

"Officer Morelli, I'd very much appreciate it if you'd stop threatening my girlfriend. Mr. and Mrs. Plum, I'm going to take Steph home now. I promise you; I'll keep her safe."

"Manoso, you'll regret taking her from me." Joe seethed.

"Is that a threat, Officer?"

"It's a promise."

I turned on my heel and walked out of the door. I was almost to the car when I heard Mr. Plum yell out. "Hey, young man."

He was making his way down to me. "Son, just how much trouble is my baby girl in? Can you keep her safe?"

"Sir, can you meet me at the diner on fifth street in an hour? As for keeping her safe. Her life for mine, always."

He nodded his head, and I got into the Cayenne and drove Steph back to RangeMan. We were going to have to have a serious discussion on seven when we got there. She needed to know everything we'd found out about Joe. What her new security detail was going to require in order to keep her safe from the psycho cop? She would not like it. But I knew one thing for sure. Stephanie Plum was mine. Mine to love and protect. She just didn't know it yet.