7. That Woman

Ranger left the meeting heading straight for the gym. This was as close to losing control as he ever allowed himself. His emotions were a jumble, fighting to come to the surface. Unacceptable. He knew he needed to reign it in or the others would start to notice. He pulled his shirt over his head, unceremoniously dropping it to the floor. He didn't bother to wrap his hands or don gloves before beating the holy hell out of the heavy-bag. Every punch was a chance to center himself. Every strike an opportunity to regain what he was losing...his mind. Fuck. His knuckles might be trashed in an hour, but the jolts of pain were a welcomed distraction. He found his zone then tried to pack his feelings back into their proper place, the very far recesses of his brain. The Special Forces had taught him that feelings were unproductive.

After thirty minutes of sweat trickling down his chest, his mind was still in chaos. What the hell was fucking with his head? Ranger let loose a growl, it wasn't a WHAT but a WHO. That woman had him all turned around. Why? On the surface, she hadn't done anything worth his wrath. She was polite, well spoken, respectful to his men. She hadn't given them any trouble about their security plan. If anything, she was being more cooperative than most of Rangeman's private clients. But SHIT, she drove him fucking nuts. He tried telling himself it was because Lil was a stranger that he didn't trust. That was bullshit. Aside from the fact that she was Cal's sister, he had read through her file, the entire file. If she were applying to his company she would be hired on the spot, solely based on her education, work experience, and training scores. Nothing had happened to make him not trust her or believe her to be fake. His instincts were telling him the exact opposite. So what the fuck was it?

Ranger changed his stance to attack the offending bag with his feet. Using his legs gave his swollen knuckles a break. Legs. She had some long fucking legs. He was sure she would look hot in a dress. Fuck Manoso, none of that. Lil was pretty, in that understated way that left questions in your subconscious. Questions he had no business asking… or visualizing. He knew she found him attractive, most women did. Yet she hadn't paid him any more attention than the rest of his men. This woman was a motherfucking enigma. Ranger had no frame of reference for her. She didn't fit into the scared/ditzy/helpless category. She wasn't throwing herself at them, trying to become someone's new arm candy. Shit, she hadn't even flirted with anyone. At least from what he could tell. (Why did the thought of her flirting with his men make him kick the bag harder?) She wasn't looking for a free ride. When she insisted on paying rent, he almost had a stroke. As a client, she was taking her safety seriously. And it was plainly obvious she was a good mother. Why was she such a challenge for him? That woman had crawled under his skin in the worst way.

Ranger landed an especially vicious blow with his right foot, sending the bag swinging wildly. He hung his head to catch his breath. Heart beating rapidly, blood thumping in his ears, he let the burn in his chest spread. He remembered the days of his youth, when his mama would sit him down to talk after he got into yet another fight at school. Mama would hold his hand asking, "Carlos, what has you so upset?" His answer was always the same. "I don't know mama." Gloria would squeeze his small hand. "Mi dulce, you cannot overcome your anger until you know yourself. You have to look inside Carlos, deep into the parts that are scary. Listen to your own thoughts mi amor. Only then can you make smart choices." Ranger's mother had many amazing qualities, including her wisdom. Schooling his breath and the urge to fight, he did just as she had instructed over twenty years ago.

The answers he found were sobering. Irritating. Frightening… Shameful. Ranger didn't have the upper hand in this instance and it was throwing his world off balance. Finding and employing power was second nature. He was an opportunist who relished the ability to manipulate a situation to his advantage. His entire life, he had always found a way to be at the top. The most powerful. In charge and in control. When he was younger he used violence and sex appeal. He got whatever he wanted through one or the other. Since then, he added other traits to his arsenal. Skill, intimidation, authority, fear. As one of the topmost trained mercenaries in the world, that reputation went a long way. The money he had earned through the government and Rangeman brought additional power. Everyone he interacted with succumbed to at least one of those points. Criminals ran out of terror. His men followed orders through duty and respect. Perfect strangers moved away with only a look. Women fell to his feet at a glance, often naked. These things made him the badass, The Ranger. Ricardo Carlos Manoso could be a soldier, a CEO, a killer, a thug. Any superhuman he needed to be. He was powerful. In control. But not with her... Lillith hadn't reacted to any of his 'charms'. She treated him like a man. A normal human. And when the dust in his head settled, Ranger didn't know how to be just a man.

Cal and Lil had started their Rangeman tour on the first floor. She learned all kinds of interesting tidbits about the clients they served and the operation of the company. By the time they reached the fifth, Tilde was beyond bored. Magnus was enjoying himself though, lots of square feet to sniff and patrol. Lil had been impressed with the gym and the range. She spotted Bobby in the infirmary doing paperwork, but elected to not disturb him. The control room was alive with the hum of everyday doings. The group made a brief stop at the monitors where Hal and Zero were on duty. Tilde wiggled as a signal for her uncle to put her down. She sidled up to Hal who was studiously trying to keep his attention on the screens. "Hi!" Hal's cheeks darkened. He didn't have the ability to ignore her though. Glancing down he grinned. "Hi pumpkin." Tilde positively glowed. "Whatcha doing?" Lil chuckled. "I'm working sweetie. Watching the monitors for bad guys. That's what we do here, catch the bad guys." Matilda considered this. "Like Scar and Ursula?" Hal thought for a moment. Thanks to his younger siblings, he had a vague working knowledge of older Disney villains. "Yes, just like them." Tilde turned to Zero, "You get bad people too?" He smirked and nodded. "Thank you Sirs." Who would have thought a three and a half year old could show such genuine gratitude. She used Pua and Heihei to kiss each on the shoulder, it was as high as she could stretch. The men were a little dazed. Cal and Lil just laughed. "Bye!" Then she strolled off toward an open door.

Cal pointed out the break room, which had been graciously stocked by Ella. Lester was sitting inside having a snack. Tilde found herself a seat on his lap. Cal opened the fridge to grab them some waters. He pulled a Minnie Mouse sippy cup out with a smile. Lil opened the lid to find milk inside for Tilde. That woman was amazing. She handed the sippy to Tilde who was pleased with the cup. Magnus scooted closer to the two... Lester had a sandwich. In the dog's opinion, he wasn't eating it fast enough. For all his ridiculous flirtation, Lester seemed like a good guy. It didn't bother him to have a squirmy toddler in his personal bubble. He just smiled at her and continued to eat. The adults made small talk about Rangeman. Lil learned more about the company and where their other offices were located. When Lester was done, he kissed Tilde's curls and handed her to Cal. "I have to get back to work Princess. I'll see you later." He turned to Lil, "And I'll be seeing you in my dreams..." Lil stopped just short of spewing water out her nose. "Ya handsome, In your Dreams is right!" He feigned hurt with a dramatic hand on his chest and a devilish smile on his face. That man was too hot for words, and he knew it. Dammit.

Lastly, they made their way through the rest of five so Lil would know where Ranger's and Tank's offices were, as well as Cal's own cubicle. The scope and magnitude of the job they did was definitely impressive. Lil could relate well to the ups and down, pros and cons of security work. She found herself comparing the fifth floor to her security suite at the Wynn. There were many similarities. There was, however, one major difference. She would have NEVER allowed her people to have so many stacks of paperwork lying everywhere. It was grating on her nerves a little. Or a lot. Lil had a thing about organization, especially in the workplace. Some would call her obsessive. Every cubicle had at least one haphazard stack. Tank and Ranger's desks were hard to find under the mess. Men.

Stepping off of the elevator on the sixth floor, Lil could sense an immediate difference. There were only two doors available. Cal pointed to the one at the far end of the hall, telling her that was the laundry. "And this", he knocked politely, "is where Ella and Luis live." Ella opened her front door an instant later, all smiles. "There's my lovely girls! Come come, I just baked banana bread!" Tilde's ears perked up at the B word. Magnus stuck his nose in the air, inhaling deeply. Ella was amazing. The group sat together snacking and chatting. Tilde's cheeks were dusted with crumbs. When she had climbed up to sit with Ella, the older woman looked a little misty-eyed. They discussed the day's events and Halloween being two days away. Ella told Lil she had a trunk full of fabric and craft scraps if she needed more. Both women were tickled to have a fellow seamstress in the building. Though Ella's machine was far fancier. With the afternoon ticking by, Lil and Cal said their goodbyes. Ella had to get the supper finished for the guys in just a few hours. Lil had offered to help, she had little else to do, but Ella declined. "Nonsense dear. You go rest. And you let me know if you need someone to watch Tilde for a while. That gorgeous girl of yours can visit me anytime!" Tilde liked that idea.

Lil, Tilde, and Magnus returned to their apartment for a quiet evening in. Cal was off to take a nap before his late-night surveillance shift. Upstairs, the men on duty were discussing Lil and gang. That's not altogether true, they were gossiping too. Some were just more reserved about it. The Rangemen had varying theories about her relationship status and the likelihood that she would say yes to a date. What they could unanimously agree on was that Ms. Lillith Peyton was smart, well trained, pretty, and had one hell of a kid. On the seventh floor, Ranger laid on the couch with each hand in a bowl of ice. The clarity he reached in the gym had not improved his mood. "Madre de Dios! That Woman!"