Chapter 2

Tank's POV

I watched Stephanie's face as she noticed Ranger with Jeanne Ellen. My heart broke to see the anguish in her eyes. Jeanne Ellen smiled when she saw Stephanie was close, overtly planning to inflict emotional harm. She purposely displayed the rings on her left hand, showing she had married Ranger. I was going to take Ranger to the mats for not telling Stephanie.

Lester leaned over my shoulder as I replayed the video. "You can see the second her heart broke," Lester said, pointing to the screen. "Find her, Tank. She doesn't know you're in love with her."

"We have to let Stephanie find her footing. She needs to get over Ranger before I confess my feelings," I wisely stated.

"I know, Tank," Lester agreed as he sat in the chair across my desk. Bobby knocked on the door and entered a few seconds later when I told him to come in. He locked the door behind him to ensure our privacy. I scrambled the cameras to prevent any recording.

"Ranger got the call to resume his role as Marc Pardo. Jeanne Ellen is his wife, Elena Pardo," I announced. "There's something else you two should know, Ranger is legally married to Jeanne Ellen."

"How long is the mission?" Bobby asked without commenting regarding Ranger's marital status. "I need to know when I can kick his ass."

"I'm right behind you, Bobby," Lester added.

"An undetermined amount of time. Gomez is seeking retribution for Ranger killing his brother. Ranger and Jeanne Ellen went back undercover to work with the Cortez family. Juan Cortez has a soft spot for Elena," I replied. "The higher power feels Jeanne Ellen can get the Cortez family to eliminate the Gomez clan before they eliminate Stephanie. If successful, it would give the Cortez family controlling interest in drug distribution from Colombia." If truth be told, I didn't think it was the right decision. My gut said Stephanie was in imminent danger.

"Stephanie?" Bobby asked, correctly reading the hint of concern etched on my blank face.

"She left the building after seeing Jeanne Ellen's wedding ring," Lester deadpanned. "We don't know where she went. Hector found her trackers, destroyed phone and purse a few blocks away. All Stephanie has is her ID and pocket change."

"I asked Hector to fill her gas tank," I added.

Bobby grinned at his friend. "You've got it bad," he said, wagging his eyebrows.

I rubbed a hand over my bald head. "I truly do," I confessed. My phone buzzed as I talked to Lester and Bobby. "Hector said she didn't go to Point Pleasant."

Jumping to his feet, Lester asked, "Then where did Stephanie go?" I knew Lester was afraid his best friend would get into trouble.

"We may never know. I hope wherever Stephanie went is safe," I replied.

As I placed my phone back into my pocket, I felt it vibrate. Removing it, I read a text from an unknown number. "Hey, Big Guy. I wanted to let you know I'm safe. Can someone capture my skips with Vinnie? I'd ask you to text back, but this line is secure and I've been asked not to give you the number. Keep my job with Vinnie secure, so I have a job when I return. I'll send an update every Sunday at 0900. Ask Cal if he can watch Rex. Big Guy, please, give me time to fall out of love with Ranger. ~S."

I passed my phone to Bobby and Lester to show them the message. "How do you know it's Stephanie?" Lester asked.

The phone vibrated in his hand, "Lester, Big Guy took me to the tattoo parlour to get a mini bomb tattooed on my left butt cheek to hide the bullet scar. Ask him about my tattoo, and you'll know it's me. Gotta go. I love you guys. ~S" Lester laughed when he read the message.

"How did she know?" Lester asked.

"Know what, Santos?"

"That I asked if the message was from her. Tank, did you take Stephanie to a tattoo shop?" Lester asked. I nodded. "What tattoo did she get?"

"A bomb large enough to cover the bullet scar on her left buttock," I replied, rubbing the tattoo on my hip. I got a matching bomb tattoo with the initials BGLG. Lester showed Bobby the text, who laughed.

"Yup, the message was from Bomber," Bobby announced. "We should ask Hector to track the texts."

"No," I ordered. "Little Girl will have the time she requested. I'll get Hal and Manny to capture her skips for Vinnie. She'll need money when she returns."

"What about her apartment?" Lester wondered.

"We'll maintain our regular patrols to secure the place," I replied. "If the apartment gets firebombed or set on fire, we'll arrive in our typical manner. I'll get Hector to install cameras and recording devices to track activity within her home."

Bobby nodded as he sent the message to Hector. Lester requested Cal, Hal and Manny report to my office immediately. I would notify a few men of Stephanie's disappearance from Trenton. She needed the time to heal.

Manny's POV

Cal was notified to take care of Rex because Stephanie left Trenton. I was seething when I learned why she had left. To add insult to injury, she was on her own without the means to protect herself. Her gun was likely inside her cookie jar at home. When I first met Stephanie a few years earlier, I couldn't believe the boss would bring an untrained woman within Rangeman. The only other woman Ranger ever permitted inside the building was the sexy Jeanne Ellen Burrows. We worked with her for several years on various missions. She was a tenacious woman unwilling to accept that a man could do something better than her. What she lacked in skill, she made up in determination. Although she was gorgeous, she was terrible at distractions. Rangeman needed a woman with a softer touch to be effective.

Stephanie joked about Ranger being Batman. Jeanne Ellen was Cat-woman, had wicked curves and a willingness to give good head. I heard the woman would do anything in bed. I didn't have first-hand knowledge. Sleeping with any woman who shared Ranger's bed did not interest me. However, Jeanne was Ranger's pretend wife for his undercover mission, and none of us were willing to compromise his position by fucking her. There was no telling when he'd get asked to resume his role as her husband. "Ranger and Jeanne Ellen had to resume their cover in Colombia," Tank announced.

Hal lowered his head. When Ranger was away, the men had to work harder to protect Stephanie. Hal was scared to disappoint Ranger again. "You don't need to keep tabs on Stephanie," Lester added. "She's out of town."

"Why?" I asked, snapping my head up to look him in the eye. Lester started the video to show Ranger and Jeanne Ellen's interaction before Stephanie left. I clenched my fists in anger. "Are they married?"

"Legally, yes. Eight years," Tank replied, spilling Ranger's secret. It was time for the men to know more about their boss, especially where Stephanie was concerned. "They have an open marriage."

"You have got to be joking!" Hal screamed. "We all heard the stories about Stephanie's marriage to Dickie Orr. If Stephanie learns Ranger and Jeanne Ellen are married, it will destroy her. She could never live with being the mistress in someone's marriage."

"Something tells me she already knows and it's why she left," I said. "I will help in any way possible. I'll capture her skips, then deposit the money into her account."

"Me too," Hal readily offered.

Tank smiled, "I was hoping you would agree. Stephanie is safe. She promised to message me every Sunday at 0900. If she misses a check-in, I'll notify everyone inside this room and Hector."

As if summoned, Hector entered the room. He had searched the traffic cameras but had no luck tracking Stephanie. Her car was too ubiquitous, and the plate couldn't get seen in the images.

"Facial recognition software?" I asked.

"No. The images are grainy. Most people driving were wearing hats and sunglasses," Hector said, speaking Spanish. He muttered that the traffic cameras needed severe upgrades on the three mile stretch of highways surrounding Trenton.

"Could you see which way she travelled?" I asked.

"Nada," he replied. Wifey had picked the perfect time to escape Trenton. With the commuter traffic, she got lost in the crowd. I was proud of her for escaping undetected.

Tank's POV

I could see Manny and Hal struggling to maintain their composure. Both men loved Stephanie as much as I do. Manny knew that Stephanie and Ranger had sex a few times, so he would never pursue a relationship with her. He didn't believe in dipping his dick inside a woman where Ranger's dick had been. Hal, however, wouldn't care. He loved Stephanie from the moment she tased him with his stun gun. I wasn't too worried about him because he was too shy to act on his feelings.

Lester, Bobby and I didn't care about such things. Ranger often said he didn't share, but we knew better. There's been a few times when we shared the same women. However, I never acted on Jeanne Ellen's advances. I draw the line when the woman is married. I'm monogamous when I date and I never sleep with married women.

Jeanne Ellen is legally Ranger's wife. She had access to his military benefits if Ranger died during a mission. However, Stephanie would inherit Rangeman and his estate. He ensured his will was ironclad. Even someone as tenacious as Jeanne Ellen couldn't get it overturned.

Since my fiasco dating Lula, I've been in love with Ms. Plum. My Little Girl was the bright spot in my day. She loved animals as much as I do. Most importantly, she never made fun of my name. Stephanie understood why I ended my relationship with Lula. I was having fun but unwilling to marry an ex-prostitute. We never had sex unless I wore protection I provided. She insisted that pregnancy couldn't happen. However, I suspected she never really gave up on that lifestyle and didn't want to catch anything. Thank goodness I doubled up on condoms and never used my mouth on her pussy.

Remembering the day Stephanie learned my name made me think about my mom. Who names their black son Pierre? My mom said it was my father's name. She told me that she met my dad, Pierre, while visiting family in New Orleans. They met at a club in the French Quarter. After one week together, he left for parts unknown, and she got me as a parting gift. She had tried to find my father for years, but he never resurfaced. For all I know, his name isn't even Pierre. Alas, it's what she named me. My momma died while I was in basic training. She found another man, got pregnant then went into premature labour. Unfortunately, neither my mom nor my sister survived. I'd be alone if it weren't for my Army friends.

I dismissed the men to organize our next steps regarding Stephanie. Ranger would order us to find her, but we will honour her request. Lester gave me a sad look over his shoulder. He closed the door and locked it so I could be alone.

Opening the secret drawer in my desk, I removed the photo of Stephanie and me. It got taken during the last time Ranger had gone on a mission. Stephanie helped with a distraction at the last minute. She wore a very tight, short red dress with four-inch nude heels. Her body was perfect. I got hard when I saw her legs that seemed to go on for miles. The long loose waves of her hair fell to mid-back. My hands twitched as I remembered running my fingers through the silky locks.

In the picture, my right hand was placed at the base of Stephanie's neck. Her hair got wrapped around my fingers. I pulled her head back to look into my eyes. She smiled at me as I touched her chin with my left hand. Stephanie had leaned into me as I stared into her face, stroking the bruise forming on her gorgeous face. If I didn't know the situation, I would have sworn the couple was in love. I shook my head, thinking Stephanie would never love a man like me.

Stephanie's POV

I read the contents of the docket. "Why didn't anyone tell me about you?" I asked, feeling like more people had lied to me.

"For everyone's safety," Marco replied. "The threat is gone. However, it's been too long to make things right. You found me before I could search for you."

"I'm still not sure how," I confessed. "I let my spidey sense direct me. Usually, when I run away, I go to one of the coastal towns."

"Spidey sense? What is that, and how does it work?" Marco asked, wondering if he shared the same trait. He had a strong intuition about things. When Stephanie approached his home, he sensed that she needed his help.

"Like a strong intuition. I can tell when my car is about to explode or when someone means harm," I attempted to explain.

"What do you feel?" he asked. I got the impression he wanted to know how my body reacts to external cues.

"Oh. If my car is about to explode, I get an icky feeling in my stomach, and chills run down my spine. It's similar when someone means me harm, but I feel panicked." I told him stories about my adventures as the Bombshell Bounty Hunter. He was both amazed and shocked at my level of success, given my lack of training. I was more lucky than skilled.

"Stephanie, please, let me train you while you're here. It would destroy me if I lost you so soon after you found me," Marco said.

"Of course, Marco. I don't want to lose you either. Finding you makes me feel whole. Like the piece that I was always missing has been filled," I replied. We spent a few more hours exchanging details of our lives. I was surprised he knew Ranger, Bobby, Lester, Tank and quite a few men at Rangeman. "Have you run missions with the guys?"

"Not too many. I'm Delta Air Force. If I'm not mistaken, Ranger, Bobby, Lester, Tank, Ram, Vince, Woody and Zero were Rangers. Cal, Hal, and Zip were SEAL trained. Manny and Rodriguez were in my basic training camp. Ace and Axel were in my class during Delta Force training. Binkie and a few younger men were my recruits," Marco explained.

"Did you have to extract them?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me. I was also nervous if they knew Marco was the long-lost brother I forgot had existed.

"More times than I care to admit. They never saw me without the headgear, so I doubt they noticed any resemblance to you," Marco said, correctly interpreting my fear. "However, if anyone could figure it out, it would be Manoso."

"Great," I said, throwing my hands up into the air.

"Come on, sis. Let's find something to eat," Marco said. "The beast is calling for food." I laughed after my stomach grumbled.

Marco cooked pasta with sausage and beef for supper. It was better than mom's recipe. Before I could ask Marco how he learned to cook, he said, "My mom got diagnosed with breast cancer. To make it easier on dad, I started cooking. After a few burned dinners, I eventually took cooking classes at the church. The ladies were patient and shared their family recipes with me."

"Wow. Mom assumed I had the natural instincts, so she got impatient, and I never bothered to learn," I confessed. "She kept telling me I'd never find a husband if I didn't cook."

"I understand why you rebelled. Getting forced to learn something for the benefit of someone else never goes over well. It's another thing we can add to your skill set," Marco said, winking. He laughed when I mumbled something about good insurance. Since Marco cooked, I handled washing the dishes. He didn't have a dishwasher in his home since he was the only occupant.

The only downside to running away without a plan was the lack of clothes. "I don't have any clothes," I grumbled.

"I have some of my cousin's clothes here," Marco said. "You're free to borrow them."

When I looked through the closet, I realized the clothes looked somewhat familiar. At least half of the items were purchased by Ella that I didn't feel right keeping. "Marco, please, tell me this cousin's name isn't Jeanne Ellen Burrows," I begged.

"No. It's a different cousin. She's my cousin on Nina's side of the family. I hid her here when her husband assaulted her," Marco explained. "The clothes came from my dad's old Army buddy." A dark look passed over his face when I realized what had happened.

I wrapped my arms around his waist to hug him. "I'm sorry, Marco. Now I understand," I whispered. He hugged me and patted my back.

"You would have liked Bennie. Her name was Benjamina, but she preferred to be called Bennie," Marco said.

"If the clothes didn't belong to Jeanne Ellen, then why do the clothes look familiar?" I asked.

"The old army buddy was your father," Marco replied. "Those clothes used to belong to you and Valerie."

I looked through the pants and discovered they were my old jeans from a few years ago. Dad asked Valerie and me if we had anything to donate to the local women's shelter. After going through my closet, I found six pairs of jeans, shoes and shirts I didn't wear anymore. "It's almost as though I was preparing to leave a few years ago," I whispered.

"We were fated to meet this way," Marco said, agreeing with my statement. "I'm supposed to help and protect you." Marco hugged me tight, needing to comfort me as I comforted him.