Chapter 20

Carlos' POV

I dropped Stephanie back off at home after our breakfast at the diner. I still can't believe we sat there for over two hours. The last fourteen hours have been surreal. It seems that I finally have a chance with Stephanie. However, I never expected it to happen the way it did. I know when I go back to Rangeman, I need to talk to Woody. I expect him to be angry, and I wouldn't be surprised if he called me to the mats. Though, when I asked her to dance, I never anticipated it would end with a kiss. I'm still not quite sure how it happened. All I know is that same thing happened back in Miami so many years ago.

I pull my Porsche into my parking spot, grabbing my bag from the back seat. I'm glad that I always keep a change of clothes in my car; they came in handy last night. No need to do the 'Stag Swag' broadcasting how I spent my evening, or at least, how they perceived I spent my evening. Coming home in the same clothes from last night would only lead to assumptions, which is why I don't want to disrespect Stephanie by making it easy for the men to figure out what happened when it didn't happen. I enter the stairwell and start the climb up to my apartment. When I hit the fourth-floor landing, Woody enters the stairwell.

"We need to talk."

"Fine, come upstairs with me." We continue to climb up to the seventh floor. Before we hit the landing, I jam the cameras. I open the door to my apartment, which Woody enters first. I put my keys down on the tray and place my bag under the entrance table. We both walk into my office. I sit behind my desk, reminding Woody that I am still in charge here.

"You know, Ranger, I always heard that you were the master of control. But it seems that control is missing when you're looking to add a notch to your bedpost."

"Woody, what do you think happened last night?"

"You fucking stole my woman from me. That's what happened. You turned on your Rico Suave moves and manage to somehow make Stephanie forget about me." He replies, jumping to his feet. I can understand his anger.

"Do you really fucking believe that I did that? On purpose?"

"Yes. I know you did. You're nothing but a goddamned predator. The next thing you're going to do is fuck her, then walk away like you did last time, leaving her broken and alone. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if you already fucked her."

I take a couple of calming breaths. I know I need to keep my head, for Stephanie's sake. "Woody, sit down," I say in my most authoritative voice. "I will give some answers you think you need, but only for Stephanie's sake."

I watch as he sits in one of the chairs in front of me. "First, I did not fuck Stephanie last night. I drove her home, and we spent the remainder of the evening watching home movies starring the twins. Secondly, I didn't ask Stephanie to dance to kiss her. It just happened. Finally," I start, trying to keep the rage out of my voice, "I would never fuck the mother of my children and walk away. I don't know if you know the whole story, but what happened ten years ago was not planned. There were extenuating circumstances that caused us not to be able to find each other. If I had known about Alex and Lucia, I would be married to Stephanie and would have raised my children from birth."

I see some of the air go out of Woody's sails, so I continue, more gently. "Woody, I understand how you feel. In fact, I was prepared to head down to the gym with you. But I need you to understand; I never stopped thinking about Stephanie since we met. The last thing I intend to do is break her heart. Now, I want you to remain a part of our team here in Trenton, but I understand if you want to transfer to Boston or Miami. It's up to you, and it's an open offer. All I ask is that you don't give Stephanie a hard time. She didn't want to hurt you and already offered to find a new job."

At that statement, his head snapped up. "No, she can't leave here. This is perfect for her."

"Exactly."

Woody rubs his hands over his face, and I see that he had a sleepless night. "I'll talk to the guys. I'll make sure they don't hassle you or Stephanie."

"Make sure they leave Steph alone. I can handle them."

"Ranger, I meant what I said last night. If you hurt her, I swear to God I will kill you."

"Understood." Woody stands and leaves the office. I follow him out, escorting him to the door. "I'll scramble the cameras. They will re-engage when you hit the fifth floor."

He nods. Once he leaves, I lock my door. I take out my cell phone and summon the Core team to my apartment. Ten minutes later, my best friends sit in the living room with me, beers in hand.

"So, what's the deal? Are you and Steph finally together?" Lester asks.

"I think so. I mean, I stayed the night, and we spent the morning together."

"And."

"No, we didn't. I don't want to rush things with Steph. Trust me, I want her like I've wanted no other woman, but we need to do this the right way. I don't want Alex or Lucia to be hurt because I fuck things up with their mother."

"So, why did you call us up here, then?" Bobby asks.

"I need you to get the pulse of the men working here. I don't want anyone hassling Stephanie because of what happened last night. Woody was just here, and we spoke. He will work on it from his end, but I want to know if anyone is speaking out of turn."

"Well, I know from staying after you left that a few of the guys, particularly Zero and Zip, were not pleased with you or Steph. I know they called her a cock-tease, and you a bastard to poach from someone you know." Tank said. "This was when you, Steph, and Woody were outside."

"Lester and I followed you, discretely, knowing that if you and Woody got into it, we'd be the only ones who could break it up." Tank stayed behind. Somehow, he manages to blend in, despite his size.

"Zero's girlfriend quickly pointed out that you and Steph have a history and that it's hard to erase a past, especially one that didn't die a natural death," Tank continued. "Then Zip said that Steph was dicking Woody along the whole time because anyone could see that she was after you."

"That's about when Woody returned, solo. The guys quickly comforted him by ordering him a shot, but he said to let it go. That he was fine. I know Zero and Zip weren't buying it. Woody left about an hour later, with Binkie leaving with him."

"No one really mentioned you or Steph after that, but I think they were holding their tongues with us there. However, I can ask Hector to keep his ear to the ground. I know he has a soft spot for Stephanie." Lester finished.

"Hector?" I ask, surprised that my scariest employee was soft on Steph.

"Yeah. They bonded while Hector was recovering from his pulled quad. He will hear what we won't and can put out any necessary fires."

"Between Hector and Woody, everything should be fine." Bobby stated.

"I hope so, for Steph's sake. She already offered to find a new job."

"Ranger, you can't let her leave. You know the danger she and the kids could be in."

"Yes, I do, Tank, and I don't plan on letting Steph leave. I already told her she has her job. But I know if the guys make her feel uncomfortable, she'll leave, regardless of what I say, not that I would blame her."

Lester says, "okay. We'll do what we can. Now, it's best not to stay holed up here today. Get down to five and the gym. Let the guys have an opportunity to confront you. I think that most who were at the shore will realize that you and Steph were inevitable, along with anyone who has watched your interactions these past six months. Everyone could see there was an intimacy between the two of you that didn't exist between her and Woody."

"I'll be down in a few. I have a couple of phone calls to make. Thanks, guys."

"No prob, Rangeman."

"We got you back."

"It's about time you and Beautiful are finally together."

Hector's POV

Nobody ever sees me. I could be standing right next to them and they don't see me. It's how I survive my time in the gang, and how I managed to get out. I knew too much, and the leader knew that if they didn't let me go, they would go down. By the time I decided I wanted out, I had already met Ranger. He saved me, by helping me out of a sticky situation, impressed that I was able to get through the alarm on his home. He questioned me, and when I expressed that I was done with the gang life, he offered me an out. I told him everything. Ranger is my insurance. No, the gangs don't know that he is the one who knows their secrets, but they are aware someone does, and that if I should meet an untimely death, all that information will go to the highest level of feds. Yes, I killed, I have the two teardrops to prove it, but it was justified.

Anyway, no one notices me, which allows me to hear what they are saying. Besides, they think I don't understand English. Stupid men really. I know something went down last night at the club, something involving Stephanie, my angel. She knows me and understands me, and knows that I speak English. I protect, always. I make sure the men treat her with respect, and up until today, they have. Now, what they are saying angers me.

"I can't believe she fucked over Woody like that. Who does she think she is, leading Woody on only to get in the boss's pants," Zip says.

"I get what you're saying. She's a fucking cock tease. Woody told me how she used to cock block him all the time."

"What do you mean, Zero?"

"What I mean, Hal is that every time Woody tried to make a move, she'd pull away or stop him. She never let him hold her hand, guide her, or move a hair off her face. But every single time that Ranger did it, she was fine with it."

"You're not being fair, she and the boss had a relationship before. You can't understand what happened between them," Binkie added.

"They had a fucking one-night stand. They met when Ranger was on leave, spent a week together, and fucked one night. That's it. There was no fucking relationship. That's bullshit."

"How do you know that, Zero?"

"I know. I can't say how, but I do. Besides, she went there last night with Woody, then kissed the boss in front of us, then acts like it was a mistake. She may have Woody believing her act, but not me."

"You know, if Ranger hears the way you are talking about Ms. Plum, he's going to take you to the mats."

"Let him, Hal, I can take him on. It's sickening how he and Santos think they are God's gifts to women."

"But Zero, Woody said to let it go, that he was okay, and not to make Stephanie feel uncomfortable. I think we should follow his lead. If he is willing to let it go, then so should we."

Zero sighs. "I know you're right, but I just hate that he was used and hurt like that. He may not have shown it at the club, but he was hurt. We all know what that feels like."

"Yes, we do, but we don't know what was going through Stephanie's head. And, to be honest, I'm surprised that she and Woody lasted so long. After seeing Steph and Ranger at Point Pleasant, I knew it was only a matter of time. I thought it was going to happen when we returned." Binkie states.

"You're right. Look, we best get going, we don't want the Core Team to spot us."

After that, the men slither away. I know I must go up and talk to Ranger. He needs to be aware. Not that he can't handle himself, but it's for Stephanie. I don't want to see her hurt, ever. She's too pure of a soul to be hurt by men she considered brothers. I head up the stairs and knock on his door.

"Hector," Ranger says, opening the door for me. I enter his apartment and wait for further instructions. "Please have a seat on the couch."

I sit and wait for Ranger to sit on the recliner. "What's going on? What did you hear?"

"Boss, several men were talking about Stephanie, that she was a cock tease and led Woody on. They are mad that you and she are together. They were not nice."

"Do you think they will hurt Steph?"

"No, but I think you need to address this with the men. Sooner rather than later."

"I'll take care of it. Let me know if the talk continues."

"Si, jefe, I will."