Chapter Sixteen

The bartender set the shotgun down and hopped over the bar, sliding across the countertop to get to me. He caught my elbow and helped me up. "What the hell was that about?"

Before I got a chance to answer, the door flew open again, pouring daylight into the room. A massive shadow filled the opening. The bartender tensed like he was going to go for the shotgun again, but then Hal said "Was that Ronald Walker?"

I sagged with relief. "Yes. We ran into each other and had a disagreement about rescheduling his court date. What are you doing here?"

I caught it when Hal colored. The door opened again and Ramon burst in. He wasn't as big as Hal. Only a couple inches taller than me. Dark eyes, dark hair, dark skin. Usually his face was good natured. This time he kind of looked like he might have a stroke. "What the fuck? I thought you were just canvassing bars."

My eyes narrowed. "You guys are still following me?"

"Only a little," Ramon said, offering Lula a hand. Relaxing when he realized I wasn't hurt.

"How can you follow me a little?"

"Ranger said you were going after Walker," Hal said. "He wanted you to have backup."

"Ranger needs to get a grip."

Ramon grinned. "I'm not touching that one."

I could tell the bartender was confused. Looking from the muscular guys in black bodyguard uniforms to me. "I'm a bond enforcement agent. Ronald Walker failed to appear for his court date. If he comes back, could you give me a call?" I asked, handing him one of my cards.

He agreed.

I dropped Lula back at home. She was a little rumpled from her date with the floor, but she was otherwise okay. I waved to her and looked down at my watch. One o'clock. The black Explorer was parked without shame behind me. Guess they didn't see the point in hanging back now that I knew they were there. I might have been annoyed that Ranger had put a tail on me again, but considering how things went with Walker I guess it wasn't completely uncalled for.

After a minute of halfhearted debating, I drove to Rangeman.

Hal and Ramon rode up the elevator with me and stepped off on the fifth floor. Ranger stepped on in their place and fobbed the elevator up to seven. The movement had been so smooth you might wonder if it was rehearsed. Unless you knew Ranger.

"I thought we'd be meeting in your office."

He cut a glance at me, a pull at the corner of his mouth like he was thinking about smiling. "Nervous?"

Yes. "No."

The smile won. "Ella brought lunch up to my apartment. I figured this would be more enjoyable than eating sandwiches in my office."

Enjoyable. Sounded promising and terrifying at the same time. As if he read my mind, Ranger laughed and pulled an arm around my shoulders, kissing the top of my head. "Babe."

The elevator opened onto the vestibule outside of his penthouse apartment door. He fobbed the door open and let me inside.

Ranger's apartment was spacious and upscale. So at odds with the image he gives off of the tough as nails mercenary. Truth is, Ranger lives well. His space was always the right temperature, professionally decorated in soothing earth tones and designer furniture. Top of the line appliances and crystal stemware. Total luxury. None of it was his doing. I think it was actually a reflection of Ella's efforts to civilize him. Still. Time spent in Ranger's apartment was always comfortable. When I wasn't fighting the urge to rip his clothes off.

A tureen was set up on the dining room table beside the loaf of fresh multigrain bread and plates for two. He must have warned Ella I was coming. "I hear you had a run in today."

"Nothing I couldn't handle."

"I heard that too. Hal said Walker was limping when he fled the bar."

"I kicked him."

I could feel him laugh against my arm. "Smooth. Is that all it took?"

"Well, it was that and the bartender's shot gun."

Ranger considered that a second. Amused, but not quite at ease. "I hope this means you'll be more willing to take my men with you the next time. I'd hate to have to kill anyone."

"Don't worry. If I get a tip on Paul Bunyan, Hal will be my first call."

If Ranger was the type to roll his eyes, he probably would have done it. "So tell me about Mooner," he said, pulling out a chair for me.

"He seems to know Mini pretty well. Used to buy from her. He gave me her cell number, but she didn't answer."

"He have any other ways to contact her?" he asked, taking his own seat and ladling some chicken and vegetables onto my plate.

"Not that he said. Theirs was more a professional relationship. I don't think I'll be able to get to her through him, but he's promised to call me if she gets in touch."

"It's starting to sound like finding her will be of greater benefit than just collecting her recovery money. Stark was a bad omen last night. Delgado and Marquez don't exactly get along. This wasn't a random meeting that was interrupted by gunfire. These were executions."

The fork didn't make it to my mouth. I gaped at him. "It was a mob hit?"

Ranger shook his head. "Mob hitmen are cleaner. Two shots to the chest, or one to the head. Professional. Impersonal. This was a lot more vicious."

"Do I want to ask?"

"Probably not. But let's just say they weren't all in one piece."

Eeew. I looked down at my plate of chicken and started second guessing my life choices.

Ranger studied me a second, reaching up to tuck a curl behind my ear, lingering at my temple. "Babe, I don't have to show you the crime scene photos, but it might be helpful to the investigation if you can stomach them. You might see something I missed."

"I can try." I might not even throw up.

He must have read my mind again because he smiled. "That's my girl."

I sliced the bread loaf and offered a piece to Ranger before taking one for myself. "This is bigger than just finding Mini and Alvarez, isn't it?"

"It is. Alvarez has spilled a lot to the feds over the last couple years. Had information he shouldn't have. They don't know exactly who his sources were, but the intel he gave them led to some high level arrests, not only in the US, but among a few of the cartels. They were able to intercept major shipments, break up distributors. In fact, from the look of it he was instrumental in crippling one of the four major players in Mexico. He's a high value asset. And that makes him a high value target, too."

"And there's still no whispers of him anywhere?"

"Not that I've heard. And I'm pretty well connected. It's like he vanished."

"You think someone got to him?"

"Hard to say. It's possible, but I don't think it's likely. Grizzoli or Colichio might see him to a shallow grave in the Pine Barrens, but I've got nothing to suggest they'd have a beef with him. And the cartels are messy. Like to make a statement. Intimidation through brutality and carnage. If they got to him, we'd have a body. Or at least parts of it."

"So the bodies from last night were a message?"

Ranger nodded. "Someone's trying to start a war. Last night was first blood."

"Jeez."

"Yeah."

Ranger finished eating first and leaned back in his chair to watch me. Something on his mind. His expression too guarded to read. I finished my plate and looked around. I knew the chances that Ella had brought dessert were slim to none. Ranger doesn't eat dessert. Still. A girl can hope. Ranger smiled. There was a little wolf there. He knew what I was thinking. Might even be tempted to make a few alternate suggestions.

"Come here. I want to show you something," he said, offering me a hand.

I let him lift me out of my chair and lead me toward his bedroom. I was a little hesitant. Not because I didn't trust him. More because I didn't trust me. It didn't turn out to be an issue, though. He brought me into his den. A large diagram spread out across his desk.

"This is the hierarchy of the Trenton drug scene," he said, drawing me in front of him so that my back was against his chest, an arm around my waist. "It's not a complete picture, but it's accurate. And more detailed than you're gonna find with any law enforcement agency."

"You haven't shared it with them?"

"No. And I won't unless it's necessary. Most of this information came directly from either me or my men. Gleaned from our dealings with the less desirable elements of society. I have a reputation, and it's well known that I don't allow certain lines to be crossed without retribution, but if I started handing my connections over to law enforcement, I'd lose my advantage. And there are certain parts of my job that require that advantage."

I nodded. If I'd actually been delusional enough to think he would go into detail about that, I would have been disappointed. Ranger pulled me tighter against him. His heat soaking into my back. "Delgado has the largest chunk of Trenton outside of the Italian crime families. Every few years he seems to have arguments with the other kingpins over disputed territory. Mostly with Skeezer and Cruz, since their both assholes. Romero stays out of it most of the time. He's smarter. And like Thatch, he's got more to lose from a drug war."

"So, how do we stop it?" I asked. It was starting to get harder to focus. Ranger's hands were wandering over me. Stroking my sides and my stomach. His warm breath was on my neck. The scent of his incredible shower gel all around me. He bent his head enough to kiss my shoulder and my toes curled in my Bates boots. I felt him smile. Slipping a hand under my shirt to caress my bare skin.

"We find out who's messing with the environment and neutralize them. Hopefully before more bodies show up." His hand moved up to my breast. The other tucking into my waistband. He just held me there for a few seconds before he searched lower, his mouth on my ear. "Locating the suppliers will be the next step. Might have to trace them from the bottom up, since no one is talking at the top. They'll be busy closing ranks, but if we can find an in lower in the chain, it might provide an opening."

Oh god. My head rolled back on his shoulder when the world lost focus. "Are we still talking about the case?"

I felt him laugh behind me. It did funny things to my body with the way he was touching me. "Maybe the case should wait a little while." The buttons released on the front of my jeans and any objections I might have had evaporated under the heat of anticipation. Things were complicated between us. Always had been. But not this. This was easy.

He turned me in his arms and brought me toward his bed. Laying me back over the edge until he could lean over me. His weight pressed me into his soft mattress and I could feel my jeans inching down my hips. I pushed my hands under his shirt to feel his hard stomach and his body responded. His lips searching my neck before he took control of my mouth.

The intercom made a noise and he let out a frustrated breath. "Fuck." He reached over to hit the button without letting me go. His dark eyes still holding mine. "I'm in a briefing."

"I'm sorry, sir. But Agent Pritchard is here. He's insisting he needs to speak with you."

"Tell him to come back in an hour."

The line hummed with silence for a minute. Ranger's hard body still rubbing against mine in a way I really liked. His perfect face was breathtaking, filled with feral hunger like that. "He said it can't wait."

Ranger drew in a long breath and let it out in an effort to keep his patience. "Show him to my office." He hit the button again and the control room was gone. "This fucking case is always getting in the way," he said, kissing me again. He pulled me tight against him, but made no further effort to get me out of my clothes. Damn. He let his forehead rest on mine before he stood up, lifting me off his bed. "Let's go get rid of Pritchard."