The shock of Hector's revelation wore off as soon as the police cruisers departed, and after Ranger ordered everyone inside, the men snapped to attention. The few remaining cops were escorted out unceremoniously, their suspect having been arrested and having no more business at Rangeman. As soon as they were alone, Lester voiced what every single one of them was thinking.
"What in the actual FUCK was that?!" he yelled. This was too much, just too fucking much for him. After everything, the months spent growing closer to her, toying with the notion that she might be trustworthy, the hope he'd allowed Stephanie to help him cultivate that maybe, maybe Lester might have a happily ever after, had just crumbled. She was married. To Hector. Hector was gay! And dating her twin brother, for Christ's sake! With that thought, Lester's brain stuttered to a stop and he whirled around, searching for Vaughn.
Vaughn stood slightly apart from the rest of the men, hands stuffed in his pockets. He looked bone-tired, on the verge of collapse, and cloaked in sadness. He sighed, met Les's eyes and said, "Could we maybe take this somewhere a little more private?"
Pam raised her hand, waving it timidly. "Shouldn't we be heading down to the station? I'm assuming that's why Gia wanted me here, to help after the arrest."
"She wanted me to fill you in before we head down. That's what my instructions are." was his reply. There was no small amount of sarcasm in Vaughn's voice.
"Seven." Ranger's disembodied voice floated over Lester's head, and Les stepped behind Vaughn and ushered him toward the elevator, mercilessly tapping at his back to encourage him to move faster.
Ranger, Steph, Bobby, and Tank crowded in just as Vaughn called out Pam's name. They held the doors as she stepped onto the elevator. The doors slid seamlessly shut and zipped the group up to Ranger and Stephanie's private seventh floor apartment.
After they entered the apartment and everyone found a seat, Lester made an impatient gesture at Vaughn. "So? You were with them the whole time. Are they, you know…" he paused and gulped. "Married?"
Vaughn nodded solemnly and said, "Yeah. They're married. We went to Atlantic City and they found a little chapel; I was a witness." He gulped and shook his head before continuing. "Hector had the predated paperwork all ready. It's legal."
"It's absolutely brilliant, is what it is." Pam spoke up. Every head in the room swiveled in her direction, waiting for an explanation.
"When Gia called me earlier and asked me to be here, she already knew that Hector was about to be investigated and she might be called as a witness." She waited for acknowledgement before continuing. After seeing nods all around, she continued.
"I didn't realize, until I got here, that Hector was being arrested or that Giana would be hauled in for questioning; it's apparent that Gia did. By marrying Hector, they're protected by a law called Spousal Privilege. It actually protects them doubly; communication and testimonial privilege. In laymen's terms, you can't be compelled to testify against your spouse. At all. If they ask Gia anything, she can claim Spousal Privilege and can't be charged with any kind of obstruction charge. They can't even question her any further. And because of the dual communication and testimonial privilege, they can't even ask her if Hector's ever admitted or spoken about committing any crimes or…well, about anything."
The group took a moment to absorb this. Stephanie asked, hesitantly, "So…you're saying Gia married Hector so she wouldn't have to give testimony that might lead to formal charges being pressed against him? She did it to protect him?" Her eyes met Vaughn's, and he smiled wryly. He was on board with whatever operation they were attempting, but clearly not thrilled about it.
Pam chose her words carefully before answering Stephanie. "No, that would be unethical and, if that were proven, she could be charged with obstruction. What I'm saying is that it's lucky that they married, as the marriage is an umbrella they can both be protected under." Pam trusted that Stephanie could read between the lines, and was satisfied when Stephanie smiled broadly and winked at her.
The silence that hung in the air was filled with the thoughts of the room's occupants; awe at the intelligence of the plan, relief that Hector would be safe, and pride in the woman who put paid to the plan. The sacrifice was not unnoticed, and each person in the room silently vowed to themselves to show Giana their gratitude for protecting Hector, in some way. Stephanie stepped into Ranger's embrace, happiness saturating her every thought. Pam felt completely vitalized at the thought that went into planning the surrender, and was very much eager to dip her feet into the legalities of the case. Vaughn's relief was bittersweet; while he understood the mechanics of the plan, he still wasn't thrilled at the idea that his boyfriend was now legally his brother-in-law.
Amid all the emotions and thoughts pervading the room and its occupants, none were so scattered or so strong as Lester's. He thought, shamefully, of how readily he'd believed the worst in Gia; the moment he'd heard she was married, all of his secretly held hope for a future that included her had been abandoned. What did that say about him? Before he could pull himself further into his self-loathing, Lester forced his attention on happier thoughts; Giana was safe. She wasn't AWOL, she wasn't in danger of being arrested, and she was safe. Now, his endeavor would be to keep her that way.
Standing, he turned to Pam and said, "All right. Let's go bring them home."
Getting Giana released had been relatively painless. The fact that she wasn't under arrest, or a suspect of a crime, weighed heavily in her favor. Pam was a pitbull, Ranger thought bemusedly. She refused so much as a bottle of water for 'my client', and sneered at any cop who tried to approached her. She made it abundantly clear to every official that came into Gia's holding room that "Mrs. Gutierrez has no comment on her husband's investigation, now or in the future".
Morelli was, predictably, incensed at the news that Gia and Hector were married. He denied that it was true, calling it a 'ploy designed to buy Gutierrez a little time'…for what, he couldn't say. But when Vaughn produced all the legal documentation pronouncing them husband and wife, Joe was forced to back off of Giana and went to find Hector's interrogation room.
Ranger called Rangeman's attorney, Tom Hiddlestein, for Hector's defense. A seasoned criminal attorney, he felt that Tom was better suited to protect Hector's rights and ward off any impending charges. Legally, TPD could only hold Hec for 72 hours before they either had to charge him with murder or release him, a fact Pam shared with the men as they waited for news of Gia's release and Hector's potential charges. After only three hours in custody, Giana was released and instructed by a still irate Joe Morelli not to leave town. She exited the holding area, weary and exhausted. She hadn't been to sleep the night before and to say today had been trying would be putting it mildly.
Upon entering the waiting area to find her brother, she was swarmed by men in black uniforms. She was passed from man to man, and hugged and patted awkwardly so much that she considered asking if they were at least going to buy her dinner after.
After being passed off by the last Rangeman, she smiled in gratitude and moved to take a seat next to Stephanie and wait for news of Hector's release from Tom. Vaughn frowned at her.
"What do you think you're doing?" he asked, one eyebrow raised at her.
"Waiting."
"That wasn't the deal, G. You're supposed to leave as soon as they release you and wait for Hector at Rangeman." The present Merry Men leaned forward, eager to cull more information on Hector's plan.
"I can't just leave him here, alone! That's awful, how can you even suggest that?" Giana pouted up at her brother, painting on her most pitiful expression and staring up at him through her lashes.
Vaughn shrugged and said, casually, "Fine. I guess I'll have to call mom and tell her you got married and didn't invite her to watch."
After flipping her brother the bird and instructing every remaining person in the room to call her as soon as there was any information to be had, Gia allowed herself to be escorted back to Rangeman. Vince jumped at the chance to volunteer to drive her, but Ranger instructed him to stay put, saying he needed a ride-along for a trip he'd need to make tonight. Nodding at Lester, he tossed his keys through the air. Les caught them one-handed and noted that they belonged to Ranger's Turbo and, with a single nod, guided Giana to the parking lot through the front doors of the TPD.
Gia was silent on the ride home. She rolled the window down and leaned her head back, enjoying the breeze. The trip from the police station to Rangeman was a short one, and they entered the garage only a few minutes later. Lester pulled into Ranger's normal spot and killed the engine, then sat, waiting. Gia hadn't made a move to open her door, and Lester decided to follow her lead. He'd missed her terribly, worried for days about her; soaking up a few extra, quiet minutes that didn't belong to him was a soothing balm to his ragged nerves.
"Do you think this whole thing is crazy?" she finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She rolled her head so she was facing Lester and tilted it quizzically.
Les considered his response carefully. "Why do you ask?"
She huffed out a sigh and blinked slowly. He could see the exhaustion slowly catching up to her, and knew his time with her would come to an end soon. "I don't really care so much about people talking, but I do care that the men Hec has to work with might give him trouble over marrying his boyfriend's sister. He's had a hard enough time agreeing to this, I don't want him to regret it."
A smile flashed across Lester's face before he prodded her along, saying, "Is that your concern? That the guys will give Hector grief over marrying you?"
She nodded and her forehead wrinkled, bottom lip puckered and her chin began to tremble. "I'm just…I'm so tired. Everything is bothering me right now, I haven't slept in, like, forty hours and it's all just too much!" And with that, two fat tears slid from the corners of her eyes and she whiffled in a great breath and let it slowly out.
Normally, Lester ran in the opposite direction of female tears. When he saw Gia begin to cry, the only thought present in his conscious mind was to make her happy again. He crawled out of Ranger's Porsche and walked around to the passenger side, opening the door and helping Gia to her feet. Without speaking, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and led her to the elevator, using his security badge to access the second floor. When the elevator stopped, he guided her through Hec's workshop and through his apartment to the bedroom. Once there, he hunted around in the drawers until he found a t-shirt of Hector's she could wear to bed and handed it to her, motioning toward the bathroom. They hadn't spoken a word since the garage, and Les waited patiently in the hallway for her to finish her nighttime rituals. As she exited the bathroom, she smiled shyly at him. This was exactly what she'd needed to buoy her spirits; silent acceptance and a little pampering.
After helping her into bed and thinking to himself that he deserved some sort of medal for not gawking at her long, creamy legs peeking out from beneath Hector's black t-shirt, Lester smiled at Giana and joked, "This is the second time I've helped you to bed. What happens when my punch card gets filled?"
She smiled shyly and, feeling emboldened by her surreal day, sat up and placed a kiss, sweet as sunshine, very near the corner of Lester's mouth on his cheek.
"Thank you, for taking care of me. I don't think I had the wherewithal to make it from the garage to the bed on my own." She murmured, flushing at the thought of her own boldness only a moment ago.
Les smiled and tucked a red curl behind her ear. "Sweets, it was truly my pleasure."
After letting her know he'd be leaving his security badge so she wasn't confined to Hec's apartment for the next few days and leaving his cell number in case she needed anything, Lester bid her sweet dreams and headed back down to the garage. Ranger had mentioned a ride-along and Lester wasn't about to be left behind. He wanted answers; the sooner, the better. Ranger's anger was a slow burn with a grand finale, usually resulting in lots of casualties. Lester's was more like tossing a hand grenade into a barrel of fish – once the pin was pulled, the explosion was eminent and fast. She may not be his woman, but someone had kidnapped Giana and abused her delicate, beautiful body, and there was a price to be paid for that infraction. Lester Santos was eager to collect.
After arriving back at the cop shop and a quick, whispered discussion with Stephanie, Ranger instructed her and the remaining Merry Men to wait for news of Hector. He pulled Tank, Vince, and Les aside and informed them that he had a line on Jimmy 'Curtains' Rosolli's location and didn't want to postpone their 'meeting' a moment longer than necessary. If there was a threat to their safety, Rangeman intended to be proactive about it.
Arriving at the home Connie had given him directions to, Ranger parked the car and waited with his men in silence. There was a protocol to this sort of visit, and he intended to follow it precisely.
A couple of Jimmy's hired men approached the SUV cautiously, guns at the ready. After identifying Ranger, the Rangemen were instructed to exit their car and, after a quick phone call, were summarily relieved of their weapons. They were then escorted inside, met by another beefy Italian bodyguard, and reminded to be respectful when addressing Mr. Rosolli, 'if they know what's good for them'.
After being seated and waiting only a short time, Jimmy 'Curtains' entered the small meeting room Ranger and his men found themselves seated in. The proper greetings and introductions aside, Ranger dove right into the reason for the visit.
"I spoke to you before about the new gang presence in Trenton, about the weapons being run and the lack of leads. You told me you weren't aware of any purchases by your organization; I'm just here to follow up on that. I'm sure you've heard, by now, that my wife was kidnapped by these people, as was a friend of hers." Ranger leaned back and waited for Jimmy to respond. Tradition and old-country respect dictated he state his purpose and allow Jimmy to take the lead.
After nodding solemnly, Jimmy spoke. "I did hear about your wife, and I offer my condolences. She's a good girl, always has been. She didn't deserve to be caught in the middle of all this."
With a nod of thanks, Ranger continued. "Mr. Rosolli, I'd like to ask for any assistance you feel you can offer in settling this matter." How the matter was settled, Ranger left open to interpretation.
Jimmy sighed and rubbed his balding head. Admitting any sort of weakness, in his line of work, could prove fatal. He knew this, and he knew Ranger knew this. That being said, Ranger's line of work was not entirely separate from Jimmy's own; same sport, different stadium, he mused. Still, in a business where reputation was sometimes literally a matter of life and death, he needed to cover his bases.
"I do have some information." Jimmy stated, before nailing Ranger with a stern glare. "Information that, if it were to be heard by the wrong ears, would cause me a lot of undue stress and problems for my Family." After receiving Ranger's nod of understanding, Jimmy relaxed a bit and leaned back in his chair before continuing.
"I believe, Mr. Manoso, that your worry is unfounded. The 'problem' has taken care of itself. You and your associates are no longer in any danger. The gun running will stop, the gang violence will cease." Jimmy intoned, and Les couldn't help but think that he was channeling Brando with his proclamation.
"With respect, I'm going to need more to go on than that, Jimmy. This is my wife, and I don't take chances with my wife's safety." Ranger's attitude shifted from a hands-off approach to being right up in Jimmy's face. There was nothing more important to him than Stephanie's safety, and he wouldn't trust it to anyone but himself.
With a deep, chest clearing sigh touted by the long-suffering, Jimmy 'Curtains' Rosolli decided to come clean. He'd worked with Ranger before and knew his discretion was absolute. Besides, he wasn't asking any question or for any assurances that Jimmy himself wouldn't ask for, given that the roles were reversed.
"All right, all right. I did some checking into my books after your call; you piqued my interest, and I needed to be sure nothing was slipping past me. I've been cooking books since I was old enough to add two columns, so I spotted the job as soon as I looked for it." Here the man shifted uncomfortably; admitting he'd been outwitted was no small pill to swallow.
"Carmine Radicci, my numbers guy? He's in charge of those books. So I did a little snooping, had some guys follow him. Carmine was meeting with some gooks, buying some guns with my money and playing Don to these fucking Commie bastards." Here, Jimmy's face began to slowly turn red, the darkening crimson becoming alarmingly prevalent by the second.
"There was no fucking gang. This cazzo mook Googled this shit and decided to start a 'branch' here in MY city." The word 'branch' was said with such sarcasm that it was clear what Jimmy thought of this plan.
"So Carmine smuggles some gooks into the country, drills them that they're in this gang, and sets up these fucking tasks or initiations or whatever. Meanwhile, he's buying guns from some Mexican contact he got, THROUGH ME, buying guns with MY MONEY and starts all kinds of rumors, that his little Chink army is selling the big guns, that they're gunning for the Maras, all sorts of crapola. It was like that movie, 'The Game', with that putz Sean Penn? These stupid Fishheads thought they were really a branch of the Korean Dragon Crew. It was all just smoke and mirrors so Carmine could run the Maras out of town and try to overthrow me. ME!" The last word was a strangled shout, and his hired muscle burst into the room, guns drawn, to assess the situation. Jimmy waved them away, annoyed at the interruption, and straightened his tie. He took a few slow sips of brandy, allowing the liquid to burn its way down and relax him before he continued.
"So we figure all this out, and just as we're about to move on it, a dozen or so of these bastards turn up dead in a warehouse outside of Newark. I understand we might have Rangeman to thank for that." He leveled his stare at Ranger, eyebrow arched. Ranger gave one slow nod, saying nothing.
After a few moments of silence, Lester decided to try his luck.
"Mr. Rosolli, where is Carmine now? I'd like to question him, make sure there aren't any clueless would-be bangers out there with some made-up vendetta."
Jimmy Rosolli turned to Lester and gave a truly evil grin. It chilled Lester to the bone; the malice and glee the man answered with did nothing to dispel Lester's unease.
"Oh, he's permanently indisposed, Mr. Santos. He was kind enough to give us the names and locations of his counterparts before he departed, so that's all tied up, nice and neat. We were searching for the remaining few when we discovered that Rangeman so kindly did our dirty work for us. We owe you a debt of gratitude, Mr. Manoso." He finished, turning his attention back to Ranger.
"Not at all, Mr. Rosolli. Glad we could be useful." Ranger answered, trying not to let the crushing relief bleed into his voice. Steph was safe. She wasn't a target, she wasn't a trophy. She could just go back to dodging skips and managing accounts. Blessed monotony, Ranger thought, grinning as he reached across the table to shake Jimmy's hand.
Lester was equally relieved at this news. His stomach had been in knots since the news that Gia had been taken, and he felt himself relax, inside and out, when he heard from Jimmy that the threat had been neutralized. He, too, offered his hand to Rosolli and said, "We appreciate your help, Mr. Rosolli, and you can be assured of Rangeman's discretion in this matter."
With a nod, Jimmy 'Curtains' stood and smoothed the lapels of his custom tailored Jersey Mob Boss special issue suit jacket before escorting the men to the door.
The ride back to the police department was silent, but a comfortable silence. Lester was eager to get to Gia and let her know the threat to her safety, and Hectors, was gone – the 'gang' had been disposed of. He knew his window to reach her was limited – he needed to let her rest more than he needed to lay eyes on her, and more than he needed reassurance, he needed to know she was well and rested. When Hector was released – and Lester was sure he would be at this point – he'd have to revert to clandestine meetings of arranged happenstance. With a sigh, Les wondered how much longer those would suffice. A terrible, fleeting thought skittered through his mind…What if she started dating someone else before I have a chance with her?
Lester shook his head sharply, once, as if to fling the errant thought from his mind. He didn't want to think about another man touching her body or occupying her attention. He was far past the point of unease; possession, like a white hot spear, lanced through him at the thought of Giana belonging to another man. The thought burned deep in his gut, festering in the neglected part of Lester's soul…the one he had, until recently, ignored the existence of. But hasn't she proven her worth? His inside voice chided him. Hasn't she shown you that she is loyal and loves outright? Hasn't she convinced you yet that she isn't like Michelle or your mother? He wasn't sure what course of action these thoughts encouraged, because Lester was of two minds; stay or flee? Leave her to someone deserving of her candor, her beauty…or do what his body, his very will, dictated and snatch her up before she could think to escape him.
With a sigh of relief, he noticed they had arrived at the cop shop and he exited, eager for an update and for a distraction.
A/n: For the record, in case there are any bleeding hearts out there reading this…I am not a racist. I don't shop in that aisle, y'all. I actually had to use Google for all the slang words for 'Asian' except 'gook', and that's only because it was used in 'Full Metal Jacket' and since I'm an American, dammit, I have that movie memorized. So don't send me a load of hate mail, I'm busy writing Chapter 19.