Disclaimer: Everything recognizable belongs to Janet Evanovich. I am only borrowing them. Thank you for allowing us to use your amazing characters for fun! Mistakes are mine.

-chapter-12

The sun is up, and I wake to the beeping of an alarm. Wait. What? I am sprawled on top of a warm body. How did I...? What happened? "Ranger, what the hell is this?" I start to disentangle myself from him, but he tightens his hold. "Let me go!" I try harder to wriggle myself free and he finally lets me go. "You can't just come into my room uninvited!"

"Nothing happened. I wanted to make sure you were safe."

"You can't just climb in bed with me whenever you feel like it. You should go." I say pointing at the door. I am dangerously close to losing it. I really want him to stay but he doesn't want me. I have to keep reminding myself of that. He doesn't want a forever with me. I'm out of bed and fighting tears as I put as much physical distance between us as I can.

He climbs out of bed and puts his clothes on, thankfully leaving without another word. I cry all the way through my shower. I blame myself, I know Ranger is always going to push the boundaries. He knows he can make me give in. I let him hold my hand. I let him kiss me. Ugh! I shake my head to clear those thoughts away. I can't keep doing this to myself. Knowing I have to be somewhere, I pull myself together. We have a status meeting at 7 am in our private dining room and I don't want to look like I have been crying. I finish my shower and spend extra time on my hair and makeup. That and my cute new sun dress that I bought for the trip should help give me courage to face the morning meeting. At least that is what I am hoping will happen. I'm definitely going to the spa today. I can think of nothing better than a relaxing massage and some pampering. I am definitely not going fishing with the guys and they'll never be able to change my mind about that!

I make it to the dining room with only a minute to spare. I am the last to arrive. Ranger is standing as I pull up a seat next to Olivia and a man that I'm guessing is her father. It's a surprise to see Joshua here, along with another man that I don't know. Ranger starts with the events of last night.

"We have Anna Johnson, Amelia Stewart, and Nathan Michaels in holding and were able to question them last night. They each separately confirmed that they had a plan to blackmail Lester with incriminating photographs in exchange for money. This case also has an element of revenge, but I won't get into that at this time. We have dug deep into their personal histories and feel confident that they have no ties to any enemies past or present that would lead us to believe they didn't act alone. That being said, we are planning to transfer custody to Sheriff Malone of the Marathon PD. Charges will be filled and all evidence will be turned over. It was Stephanie Plum's investigative skills that put the case together and I want to thank her for all of her hard work and talent. Mr. Frank Masterson, the resort owner, would like to say a few words."

"Thank you, Carlos. I would like to apologize to the Santos and Fairchild families for all the inconvenience this situation has caused. I would also like to extend my apologies to Miss Plum and thank her for her investigative skills and solving this case. Thank you to Rangeman Security for working quickly and professionally to bring this matter to a close with the utmost discretion. We will cooperate with the local police department and look forward to putting in place safeguards, so this never happens again. Thank you for all for your time and professionalism." After his remarks, Mr. Masterson sits down and Ranger finishes up the meeting with his authoritative tone."Dismissed!"

It seems like everyone stands at once. Ranger gathers the Rangemen and begins giving orders to wrap up the case and arrange the transfers. Sheriff Malone and Marcus Perez sit in on that meeting. Olivia, her father, Joshua, and his father make their way over to me. They profusely thank me and I'm a little uncomfortable at the attention. Frank Masterson is very complimentary and makes a comment that gets me thinking. "If you ever want a job as a security consultant, please let me know. I would hire you in a second." I was speechless for a moment. My head was whirling from the possibilities with that. I asked him for his card and he smiled reaching in his pocket to produce one offering it to me. Joshua is with him and he smiles at me. He grabs my hand and kisses the back saying, "It was a pleasure to meet you Miss Plum. I hope we'll meet again in the future." Everything is happening so fast and my brain is racing. Could I really work here? Live here?

Olivia pulls me away from the smiling group and asks if I was going to the spa with her. I nod and she looks at me nervously. "I know we have only just met, and I already feel like I know you...anyway, I really like you and you've already saved my wedding. I was wondering...ummm...I was hoping that you'd fill in as my maid of honor. Would you consider it?"

I'm speechless for the second time in 10 minutes and I look at her with wide eyes. "Of course. I would be honored," I say before she hugs me tight. Lester must have been watching and comes over and gives me a hug too. I'm so happy for the both of them, that they'll have their someday. Soon, the rest of the Merry Men come over and hug me as well. We joke about going to the spa while the men go off to catch smelly fish and we're all smiles when we duck out in time to grab breakfast and head over to the spa to meet up with the rest of the ladies.

Our morning includes manicures, pedicures, facials, wraps, and massages. What a way to spend the morning! By the time lunch arrives, we are starving. We're all chatting like old friends and I can't believe that we've only known each other 2 days! We're supposed to leave for our shopping trip at one o'clock, but I'm pulled into a hotel boutique to try on Anna's bridesmaid dress. I'm a little nervous at what Olivia has picked out, remembering sweet Amanda and her preference for the best little whorehouse in Texas dress and its wonderful modifications. I shocked and very pleased when I see a very pretty, pale blue dress that looks gauzy and light. Anna is much taller than me but we are roughly the same size. It only has to be shortened in order to fit. It'll be an easy fix and delivered to my room this evening.

With that done, we're off to our shopping trip via a limo. We sip champagne on the way and by my second glass I'm feeling good. Olivia asks about my relationship with Ranger, and I have to admit that we have no relationship. She looks puzzled. I explain that it's complicated, and she eventually wears me down and I admit that I love him, but he doesn't want a someday with me. We talk about being tracked and Olivia agrees that tracking my every movement is an invasion of privacy. She's in the same situation and agrees that most time it's ok but there were times when she needs privacy. It's different because he was her fiancé and that affords him more concern about safety. Since I'm not even dating Ranger, I should have privacy unless there was a known threat against me, and I ask for the intrusive measures to keep me safe.

Since today is Friday and the bachelorette party is this evening, we started talking about what Olivia wants to do. "I want to go into South Beach. I love the area and vibe that the city has. We can go to a club, but I am not wearing anything that says Bride to Be!" We all laugh. Dancing with the girls will be fun.

The shopping center we are taken to is an upscale area in the Marathon Key area. I'm falling in love with the Keys and the pull of the ocean has always been strong for me. Maybe I can move here. I love the people in Trenton, but the weather sucks and the gossiping and betting on my misfortunes have really pushed me over the edge. I also need the distance from Ranger if I expect to move on. I have to move away. I don't know how long I can maintain the boundaries with him actively pursuing a no strings attached sexual relationship. I have a lot to think about.

We spend the afternoon in and out of stores. I'm definitely now in love with the Keys. The weather, the beach, the warmth, the shopping… heck, what's not to love? It's getting late and we head back to get ready for the rehearsal dinner. I arrive at the beach with just a few minutes to spare.

Everyone's there and we're quickly directed to our places by the wedding planner. We don't actually do a walk through because nothing is arranged on the beach. It will be a very short, straight forward ceremony and no one needs practice. I don't get an opportunity to talk to Ranger and am happy to focus on Olivia and making sure she stays calm. The parents of the bride and groom are here now so I'm able to meet Les's mother and father. I'm not sure exactly how they are related to Ranger, so I ask.

"My Mom and Ranger's mom are sisters. That makes us first cousins. Of course, my side of the family has all of the good looks and charm," Les answers with a smirk and Olivia chuckles. They seem really nice and were genuinely happy that Olivia was about to become their daughter in law.

The rehearsal only lasts 15 minutes and we're ushered into the restaurant where the reception is taking place tomorrow evening. I'm seated with the bridal party, and we keep ourselves busy with talk of the bachelorette party. Afterward, Les approaches Olivia and asks her to take a tracker and a "shadow". She declines, telling him that she appreciates his concern, but this was a private event and taking large Rangeman bodyguards is not an option. She also refuses the tracker since she didn't think he would appreciate being tracked for his guys' night. He's not happy but reluctantly agrees.

Another hour later, we're off in our limo and headed to South Beach. After drinking a couple more glasses of champagne, we're all in pretty good spirits when we arrived at the first club. Since there is so much traffic and parking is very limited, we were going to walk while we were club hopping.

The first club isn't very busy, and we quickly turn around and head up the strip. The next club is more promising, and we're definitely more impressed with this one. We each start with water, trying to pace ourselves for a long evening. After finding a table to reserve, we set up camp.

We spend a little time chatting before we start to get into the music. As a group, we go out to the dance floor and politely turned away lots of eligible men that are looking for a hook up and continue to dance with just us girls. Olivia is having a blast and after 5 songs, we head back to our table and order a round of drinks before settling in to chat more.

Olivia mentions that she's secretly wanted to get a tattoo and I agree that I was considering one, too. She wants to get her and Les's initials in cursive on her hip and I thought about what I want. At first, I think about the Wonder Woman logo but discount that. I want to signify my new life's journey, so I want to incorporate born to fly. I settle on the Chinese character for fly or soar. I find that would be a fitting beginning of my new life. Now I'm really excited, and Olivia and I leave the other ladies at our table to go to the tattoo parlor that happened to be right next to the club. We were only planning on getting information on the tattoos, but Olivia decides to go ahead with it.

We only have to wait for a few minutes for the artist to beautifully script her and Les's initials onto her back, right above her left hip. I hold her hand the entire time. He's almost done when we hear sirens and alarms. They're coming from the club next door. His assistant confirms that the club is being evacuated but we're safe inside the shop. After another 15 minutes, the front door opens and Ranger and Les burst in.

"Are you ok?" Les rushes over to us. He's very surprised, to say the least, when he sees that Olivia has indeed gotten a tattoo. He just stares at her, mouth open. I'm very surprised to see them and then the realization hits me. How had they found us? I look at Ranger and then at Les.

"How did you know that we were here?" I ask, narrowing my eyes. "Does Olivia have a tracker?"

Les and Ranger trade looks, and Olivia states stiffly. "I thought I asked you not to track me tonight."

The blank faces are in full force. "Where is it?" Olivia asks. " Our phones are powered off and we left our purses at the resort. We only brought our credit cards and driver's license. Where is the tracker?"

I stand there looking back and forth between them. I'm fully expecting that Olivia has one sewn into her clothing like I had on previous occasions. I stay silent, knowing that she isn't going to let her question go unanswered. Olivia starts to get really agitated and it's obvious the boys understand that she isn't going to let it go. Les pleads for her to let it go, on this but she was having none of that. He's ruined her tattoo surprise and she's not moving until they told her where it was. Much to my horror, Ranger pulls me aside away from Les and Olivia and says "It's on you. The tracker is implanted under your skin."

Time seems to stop moving. It's a few moments before I could grasp what this meant.

"WHHHAATTT? You fucking chipped me? I am not a fucking dog Ranger! You have no right! How could you do this without my permission? I cannot believe you. I thought you were respecting my privacy. I would say we are done but we never even started. That's the most ridiculous part. We. Never. Even. Started."

I start my rant at full volume but by the time I'm done, I'm eerily calm. Olivia has probably heard our conversation, hell everyone in the whole shop has probably heard our conversation. "I will meet up with you back at the resort. I need to take care of this," I tell Olivia before I walk out the back door into the alley. I walk until I can cut through to the main street and pull out my phone.

I call Joshua. "Hello?"

"Hey, its Stephanie... from the resort. Are you busy? Where are you right now?"

"I'm at my home in Miami Beach, I'm not busy."

"Can I ask you a big favor?" This is so embarrassing. How do I explain to this guy that my fuck buddy chipped me? FML. "Can you come pick me up? I'm in South Beach by Club Monaco. Do you know where it is?

"Yes. I will be there in 15 minutes"

I lean against the building next to the club. I'm numb. I'm moving forward with one goal at a time. Get the tracking device out is first. That is all I can focus on. I get a text.

Joshua: I am 5 minutes out. Red Ferrari.

He pulls up and waits while I run over to the passenger side and get in. "Where to?"

"I'm not sure. Can you remove an implanted tracking chip from me?"

The surprise clearly shows on his face. "Wow, I wasn't expecting that."

"It's a long story."

"I would love to hear it, but I am sensing you are not interested in telling me about it right now. How about we take care of that chip?"

"That would be great." I let out a nervous breath.

"I'd prefer to do this at my office. Everything is there and it would be easier and safer for you. After that, I can take you anywhere you want."

"Thank you," I whisper as I close my eyes wishing that I was anywhere but here.

"It'll be okay." He smiles at me, and we head to his office. It's a very modern building in an upscale area of Miami Beach. He starts chatting about the area, his partners, how long he's been here and where he grew up. I know he's trying to put me at ease, and I really appreciate it. I start to come around and even began asking him questions about his family and I tell him a little about myself. He gathers all the supplies he'll need and asks me to change into a gown.

It's embarrassing to admit that I didn't know where the tracker is. He does an x-ray to find the general location and then a couple more to pinpoint it. Once it's located, he's able to feel it under my skin just above my left hip. It's under my scar, so he has to go in from an angle to not interfere with it in case I want to have the scar repaired. The procedure only takes fifteen minutes and before I know it, I'm stitched, bandaged and ready to go. It's such a small device, I'm shocked by the technology.

Joshua asks me what I want to do with it; I ask if he has a hammer. He smiles at that and goes looking for something to do the job. After it's flattened, he places it in a specimen container and hands it to me. I was probably going to cry over this, but not now. I'm too tired.

"Do you want me to take you back to the resort? You're welcome to stay at my house. I have a guest room and I can take you down tomorrow morning. The wedding is tomorrow, right?"

I nod. I really don't want to go to the resort this late and I trust Joshua. I opt for his house and soon pull up to a modern house on the beach. We get out and he graciously performs the host duties offering me a cup of hot chocolate and some Pepperidge Farm chocolate chip cookies. Not as good as Tastycakes, but hey, I'm no snob. He gives me some clothes that are obviously his and shows me to the guest room. I thank him and say goodnight.

The room is tastefully decorated and has a view of the ocean. It's dark out, but promises a beautiful view tomorrow morning. The room has an attached bath that contains a toothbrush and everything I need to erase away the horror of today's events. I set my phone alarm for 7 am and fall into the cloud-like mattress. Exhaustion set in and I was asleep in no time.