Ranger
Bobby and I noticed she didn't read the postscript where Edna reminded Stephanie that twelve was her lucky number and her soulmate's birthday was on August 12, 1984, exactly two months before hers. He was born in Newark, and he was a second-generation Cuban American. Bobby and I exchanged a look but didn't comment. Stephanie had the letter turned away from Lester so he couldn't read it over her shoulder.
The letter described what was like Mortal Instruments meets Twilight with the Infernal Devices twist. Magic and clairvoyance combined to create Stephanie. I'm not ashamed to have read the Mortal Instruments or Infernal Devices book series, though I'm embarrassed to admit I read the Twilight books. My nieces loved the Twilight Saga, but I refused to purchase the books for Julie without first reading them. Those were hours I could not possibly recover. The first three books were angsty, but I knew Julie would love them.
"Who do you have in mind?" Lester asked.
"Hector," I replied. "He's the only one I trust to complete this task."
"Why not me? You know I taught Hector the skills," Lester complained. Hector believed certain scented candles could free your mind, body and spirit. When combined with Lester's ability to transfix a woman's mind and guarantee compliance, I felt Hector was the man for the job. He would protect my soulmate as he helped her unlock her mind. Stephanie needed more than Lester's power of suggestion.
I looked over my shoulder at Stephanie. She had refolded the letter and returned it to her purse. Her head was resting on Bobby's shoulder. I was slightly jealous but happy she trusted my friend. "Is Hector the man with the teardrop tattoo beneath his left eye?"
"Yes," I replied. Stephanie said she'd want Hector to undo the hypnosis.
"Cal, is he the one with the flaming skull?" Stephanie asked. Her eyes were still closed. I wasn't sure if she was meditating or concentrating on an image inside her mind. To my knowledge, she never met the men.
"Yup," Bobby replied. "Do you need Cal for something?"
"A focal point." Stephanie didn't elaborate, which put me on edge. "Ranger, stop thinking about the Mortal Instruments books. I'm not Clary Fray."
"Who is Clary Fray?" Lester asked.
"Clarissa Fairchild. The lead character in the Mortal Instruments book series. She's a Shadowhunter who can pull inanimate objects from a sketch. Clary could also move an inanimate object into paper or card, whatever medium she could access at the time," Stephanie explained. "I'm not Tessa Gray either. Theresa, known as Tessa, is a shapeshifter in the Infernal Devices book series. I'm intuitive, and Edna says I have some psychic abilities. You have to stop comparing me to strong female characters in the books. I'm nobody's hero." Stephanie mumbled, "Even though I wanted to be Wonder Woman," making me grin.
I could feel Lester staring at me. He wanted to know how I knew about the books. "Julie." I didn't need to elaborate. My single-word answer prevented the other men from asking further questions. Stephanie's lips curved into a smile. I guess ESP is one of the bonds we share.
Bobby was enjoying Stephanie's attention more than I liked. It took everything in me to repress the growl threatening to surface. "Slow your roll," Stephanie suddenly said. "He saved my life which affords him some liberties."
"Babe, we're here," I said when Tank stopped in the circular drive for the hotel.
Bobby helped Stephanie from the back seat. He placed a protective hand on her lower back. She smiled at Bobby. They formed a bond. It was different from the one I shared with her, but it was nearly as significant.
I approached the desk to retrieve our room keys. "Reservation for Manoso."
The woman clicked on the computer to check his name. "Mr. and Mrs. Manoso, Sherman, Santos and Brown?" she asked.
"Yes. Are the rooms ready?"
"They are. I placed you in the adjoining presidential suits. Enter this code to unlock the door between the rooms," she replied. The woman passed me four key cards and a slip of paper containing a five-digit code.
Stephanie moved to stand beside me when the attendant called her Mrs. Manoso. She slipped her hand in mine, entwining our fingers. Everything shifted between us after Stephanie shared the letters. Stephanie confessed that she had intended to show me until I choked her. I found myself getting lost inside her mesmerizing blue eyes. In the hospital, she stared into my eyes and saw my soul. We connected. I could almost hear Stephanie's thoughts. Edna was integral in bringing us together.
I held Stephanie's hand as Bobby, Lester, and Tank followed us into the elevator, carrying our duffles. When we entered our suite, Stephanie said, "Carlos, I don't have any clothes." I loved hearing my name roll off her tongue.
"You will once Hector and Cal arrive. Ella sent clothes with Hank and Chester. They're meeting Hector and Cal at your apartment." Stephanie nodded. Whatever Ella bought, I knew they would fit my Babe. Hector and Cal received orders to pack some of Stephanie's clothes. Though that may change depending on what they discovered in her apartment.
I pulled Stephanie onto my lap and explained a few things about my friends. "Babe, I know you hate nicknames because of Morelli. My men rarely assign a nickname to people. It's their way of accepting you. Please, don't build a wall by asking them to stop," I explained.
"Fine, but Bobby can't call me baby. He needs a different one," she said.
Bobby grinned and suggested, "Blue eyes or curly-q?" Stephanie rolled her eyes. I knew she didn't like those. "I've got one," Bobby exclaimed. "Bombshell."
Stephanie grumbled, "If you must."
"Sweet," Lester excitedly said. "I get to call you Beautiful." Lester danced around the room like a child who received his wish from Santa.
Stephanie
Carlos kept finding ways to touch me. Man, I craved his touch and gravitated toward him before it registered that I was moving. It seemed unusual to be in love with the man after such a short time. We had only met eight days earlier. The only way our relationship could be better is if he wasn't my bodyguard.
I wanted to know who arrived at my apartment in an attempt to ambush me. Why now? I managed to stay off everyone's radar until a week ago. It wouldn't surprise me if that asshole, Joseph Morelli, got somehow involved. Every traumatic event in my life had Morelli at its core. I also want to know why Helen and Valerie were in the Boston hospital. Were they there for me? Or was someone else in the family there? I prayed Isabelle was unharmed.
Lester ordered room service and ensured shellfish wasn't anywhere near my food. It was a little overboard, but he tried to make up for the lasagna fiasco. "You didn't have to go through so much trouble."
"Yes, I did," he replied. "Bobby would have my nuts in a vice if you have another reaction to food. I told Ella to stop cooking shellfish."
"Speaking of allergies, Steph," Bobby said when he entered the room. "The scratch test results are available. You're mildly allergic to kiwi. We already know about the shellfish, which I've added to my chart." He sat beside me to whisper, "Are you allergic to latex?"
"No idea," I replied honestly. "I only had sex once, which was when I got pregnant. You already know that Joe never used a condom."
Bobby's eyes flicked to Ranger. He made a note to check for the allergy before I had sex. I rolled my eyes at him, not understanding how he would determine that allergy. "I have a new package of latex gloves. I'll put them on and touch your arm. If you get a rash, you're allergic. But I don't want to test that theory for another few months." He whispered, "Let me know if things change between you and the boss. I have birth control injections if you want them. Ranger's clean."
Birth control injections was something I started when they first became available. It would be another two months before I needed another. However, I wasn't going to cross that line with my protector. He had a job to do, and having sex would blur the lines. "Didn't they run a full panel?" I asked, getting back to my allergies.
"For food and environment. People tend to discover the latex allergy the hard way," he replied, making me giggle. Yup, they most certainly do.
"Was the pun intended?" I asked. He thought about his words, then laughed.
"No, but we can pretend it was." Bobby was a good man. He put me at ease and helped calm my nerves. It wasn't the same way Ranger could, but it was still effective. "Remember to keep an open mind," Bobby whispered.
I knew hypnosis only worked when you wanted it to work. You couldn't hypnotize the unwilling. The person had to be susceptible to the suggestion to guarantee success. I needed the rest of my mind unblocked. The faint images already drove me crazy. I knew it would only get worse.
A series of knocks on the door interrupted our discussion. The Hispanic man with the teardrop tattoo, Hector, entered the room when Ranger opened the door. He timidly approached me. "¿Puedo?" (May I) Hector asked when he held out his hand.
"Si," I replied. I placed my hand inside his. He gently pulled me to my feet and guided me to the bedroom. Hector scanned the room before setting a device on the nightstand. He pressed a button. The blue LED blinked.
"Okay," he said in English, his voice thick with an accent. "Nobody can overhear. Now lay back on the bed."
"I need Cal," I interrupted. He smiled and called the man with the flaming skull tattoo into the room. Hector whispered to him in Spanish. I couldn't catch every word, but it didn't matter. Cal placed a CD player on the chair beside the door. He played the soft instrumental music loud enough to prevent anyone from hearing us but soft enough that it didn't impede Hector's job.
"Hi, Steph. I'm Cal," he said as he approached me. I resisted the urge to say Duh, but I did roll my eyes. "Right. You already know that. Where do you want me?"
"On the bed beside me. I need to focus on your face. Specifically, your tattoo," I replied. Cal sat where I indicated, but it wasn't the proper position. I got him to sit against the headboard. Cal pulled the pillows behind him to cushion his back. I sat on a pillow between his legs, facing him with my legs draped over his. "Okay. I need to stare at your tattoo while Hector does his voodoo stuff. Oh, and if you tell anyone he speaks English, I will twist your nuts to prevent you from getting an erection without excruciating pain." Cal gulped but agreed to my terms. "Carry on, Hermano." Hey, if the guys want to call me by a nickname, then I should have the same rights.
"It's not voodoo," Hector replied. "Hermana, keep your eyes focussed on the skull. Your eyes will feel heavy, but you must not close them. I see you resisting me. Open your mind." He lit a candle and placed it on the nightstand. It smelled of lavender and coconut. I heard him move to the opposite side of the bed to light another candle. It smelled of sage and rosemary. "What is your favourite scent?" Hector asked.
"Pineapple," I immediately replied. I heard Hector ruffle through a bag. Then the scent of pineapple surrounded me. "Why lavender, coconut, sage and rosemary?"
"Lavender relaxes your senses. Coconut protects your soul. Sage banishes negative energy, and rosemary helps connect to your third eye and intuition. Pineapple because it makes you happy. Concentrate on the flaming skull. Let the scents overtake your senses. You are safe. Let go," Hector explained. He said a few words in Spanish, then asked me to respond using the first words that jumped into my mind.
"Fire lilies in the night. I ask you to return my sight," I answered. Where did that come from?
"What does their power provide?" Hector asked.
"The banished skills trapped inside," I replied. "Hector, it's flooding back. Stop! I'm drowning." I felt a wave of emotions flood my mind. My breath hitched as I attempted to think past the overwhelming memories and suppressed visions.
"No!" Hector ordered. "Let them flow. Do you see the flames in the skull move?" He got me to refocus on Cal's tattoo.
"Yes," I whispered. The flames were dancing counterclockwise around the skull. I got mesmerized by the motion. Ranger's face appeared. Love. Affection. Devotion. Grandma Mazur's face was next. Honest. Loyal. Trustworthy. Hector and Cal appeared with kindness, joy and brother. Images from Tank, Lester and Bobby appeared with friendship, loyalty and protection. Other men, I had never met, popped into my mind. Their names flashed faster than I could read. I only caught Binkie, Woody, Manny and Ram. Vince's face appeared and stayed longer than the rest. Family. Friend. Trust. Protector. Forever. I knew then that my cousin Vince would forever be on my side. He would never betray me to the family. Isabelle was the last face I saw. Daughter. Love. Friend.
"They will keep your head above water," Hector suddenly said. I wasn't sure if he meant the people in my mind's eye or the dancing flames. It took a few seconds for me to see the faces were hidden in a locked cage. I had to free them. Hector grabbed something from the bag. He pressed it into my hand.
I felt the blade of the knife. My fingers moved along its sharp edge, but the blade did not draw blood. The heavy onyx handle felt comfortable in my hand. It was perfectly balanced. I sliced the knife through the air, though I cut nothing. Invisible chains and ropes dropped beside me. I felt the change of pressure inside the room.
Everything threatened to overwhelm my senses again. I gasped for breath as the memories of that night flooded my mind. This time, I let them in. The Necromancer put me under his spell. He made me forget the events leading up to that day. I heard the words he planted inside my mind to ensure I got enamoured by Joe Morelli and the shrill voice of Helen telling him to encourage a relationship with my molester.
I felt those emotions and words leave my mind. They swirled like a fog around my head. I needed something to pull me away before they took hold of my mind again. The words felt like sharp pins pressing against my skull, threatening to take hold.
Hector said a few more words. He lit another candle to place in my hands. "Place the knife on the bed," he ordered. I mindlessly followed his instructions. "Take this."
The new candle smelled of roses. It was the universal symbol of love and affection. Hector was freeing my mind and grounding me at the same time. I saw the images in my peripheral vision, but I remained focused on Cal's tattoo. The flames continued to dance until I could breathe freely. Carlos. I could see him shine bright like the stars on a cloudless night. His soul took a tight hold of mine and grounded me. Forever entwined. My heart. My love. He was mine, mind, body and soul.
"Hermana, when I snap my fingers three times, you will come out of the trance with all your memories intact." Hector snapped once. I saw the images disappear from my periphery.
He snapped twice. The drowning sensation completely dissipated.
Hector snapped the third time. "The photograph," I screamed. I jumped off the bed. I kissed Cal's forehead, then Hector's tattoo before leaving the room.
"Babe?" Ranger asked.
I shook my head. "Where's the box?"
"Inside my Rangeman safe," he replied. I sighed in relief.
"Thank you." I could see he spoke the truth. In my mind, I could see Hector locking it away in an office safe. He didn't attempt to open it to search the contents. The photograph was inside the bundles. It was the key to everything.