Stephanie
I was awake before Carlos, which had never happened since we met. It was only 4:30 am. I rested my chin on his chest. His hand moved from my hip to my knee, then up my leg to settle on my waist. "Can't sleep?" Carlos asked without opening his eyes.
"Nope," I replied. "I have a lot of energy to burn. Do you want to spar?" Carlos raised an eyebrow and opened his eyes.
"Are you sure?" He squeezed my hip when I said I was positive. Cal and Hal worked with me in the gym, and I felt confident I could last at least twenty minutes with Carlos. "Get dressed," Carlos said, then slapped my ass.
I cleaned up before pulling on my yoga pants and sports bra. My eyes glazed when Carlos exited the bedroom wearing board shorts and a tank top. His body was pure perfection of firm muscles and smooth skin. I caught Carlos taking in the skin I left exposed. "See something you like, Batman?" I teased.
"Always." He took two steps across the room and slammed his lips on mine. I couldn't get enough of him. "We should get to the gym before I strip you bare." Yes, please. Carlos released his grip, then grabbed my hand. We exited the apartment after putting on our shoes.
The gym was nearly empty. Hector and Lester were running on the treadmill with earbuds stuck in their ears. I appreciated the view for a few seconds as I stretched my muscles. "Ready?" Carlos asked.
"I guess." He held the ropes open for me to climb inside. I assumed my starting position as Cal and Hal directed me during training. Ranger took the first punch, which I effectively blocked. He hit my right shoulder and followed it with a roundhouse kick. I managed to jump back to avoid the hit to my hip.
Ranger swept my feet from beneath me, causing me to land on the mats hard. I got back to my feet and let loose. We sparred for twenty minutes before I used my kickboxing lessons to kick him in the chest. He stumbled backwards and fell onto the ropes. Ranger's eyes darkened as he lunged toward me. I raised my knee to hit his crotch. His eyes opened wide before he fell to the mats to grab himself. "Oh, shit! I'm sorry, Carlos. I thought you wore a protection cup. How bad did I hurt you?"
"Babe," he groaned.
Lester and Hector suppressed their laughs, but I could see their bodies shaking. "I think you should pass Stephanie for self-defence," Lester said before giving in to the laughter.
"Agreed," Ranger replied.
"What?" I asked.
Hector approached to explain everything. The core team, comprised of Carlos, Tank, Bobby and Lester, wanted me to sign a contract with Rangeman. Part of the stipulations within the document stated I had to spar with Ranger before getting hired permanently.
"You already passed the firearms component," Lester reminded me. "Rodriguez said your research skill exceeded his abilities. Silvio said he didn't have anything new to teach you."
"Bobby said you could spot and lose a tail," Hector added. "Yesterday, it took you under two minutes to remove the cuffs from behind your back." I learned everything I could to put Carlos at ease. He was worried enough about my safety.
When I temporarily moved into Rangeman with Carlos, the Merry Men took turns teaching me new skills. I was proficient in firing weapons, thanks to Frank. He took me to the gun range when I was old enough to hold a gun steadily. I would never become a sharpshooter like Ram, but in my defence, Ram was a sniper. "Is it important to you, Carlos?" I asked. When he nodded, I said, "Have your lawyer prepare the contract." He kissed me before leaving to contact the company lawyer.
As I worked on my leg strength, Binkie entered the gym. He passed something to Hector, who smiled. Hector bounced on his heels with excitement. I finished the reps, then climbed off the machine. Lester used a towel and cleanser to wipe it down. "If Hector's that excited, it has to be good," Lester explained. He grabbed my hand and dragged me to the fifth-floor conference room.
"Can't a girl shower first?" I complained.
"No time." I rolled my eyes, then sat in the chair beside the one Carlos occupied. He hadn't showered either.
Hector entered the room a few seconds later, carrying a laptop. He stuck the drive into the USB port and played the audio files. I knew Helen was attempting to get the Testa fortune but had no idea she planned to go through Isabelle to make it happen. My first impression that Joe loved our daughter was false. Joe only wanted the financial security she could provide. I didn't want my daughter living in his house for another day.
"Babe?"
"I'm torn between taking custody of Isabelle and waiting until we catch Giacomo Pacini," I replied. "Isabelle isn't in immediate danger."
"We can leave everything as scheduled," Ranger agreed.
Hector played another recording from Joe Morelli's meeting with his lawyer. The lawyer only had fifteen minutes to discuss the case with Joe. Neither man knew that Joe's cellmate wore a wire. "We should go somewhere private," the lawyer said.
"Nah. The guy can't speak English," Joe replied.
"I hope you're right, or this will come back to bite you in the ass. Your case got assigned to James Caruso."
"Nice," Joe said. "I know he'll free me. Hopefully, he dismisses the case."
"I wouldn't count on it," the lawyer warned. "You can't guarantee the outcome."
Joe snorted. "I can guarantee it."
Joe must have leaned in to whisper, but the microphone still picked up the message.
"He's my uncle. I'm not going to prison," Joe confidently said.
"From your lips to God's ears," the lawyer replied. "I have to know, did you take them?"
"Of course I did. How else can I protect my soulmate? We can't get married until I get that money from my bastard daughter. When I milk the child for all the money she owns, I will divorce that viper I married. She can keep the girls since they're useless to me, but if the child she's carrying is a boy, he's mine."
"I have to go. I'll be here in the morning at 7:30." Joe told his lawyer that he looked forward to meeting with him the following day. He didn't want to be in a jail cell longer than necessary.
"Which one got recorded first?" I asked.
"The audio you just heard," Hector replied. Hector briefly glanced at Ranger before adding, "My friend, Puma, got himself placed in the cell to collect the intel. Puma only speaks Spanish on the streets." That explained why Morelli didn't mind the man in the cell and talked freely.
I grinned at my tattooed friend. It was his method to gain intel within Rangeman. Nobody outside the core team, and I knew Hector spoke English fluently. "How did Puma know to get arrested?" Lester asked.
It was Ranger who answered, "We sent Puma a message. He got arrested an hour before Morelli. Russo ensured Puma got wired and placed him in an empty cell." I wasn't surprised Ranger and Hector had planned everything. The intel was too perfect to not have been organized.
Ranger's phone rang. He briefly checked the identification before putting the call on speakerphone. Everyone remained silent when Joe Juniak announced, "Judge Caruso and prosecutor Stefano Rici got removed from the Morelli case. Russo contacted the court of appeals to get another judge assigned to the case. Once they received proof of their familial relationship, Judge Judith Sterling got assigned."
I grabbed Hector's laptop to check the name. Something about her piqued my curiosity and triggered a memory. When I checked her family history, I smiled. My friend, Pamela Daniels, was her niece. I had no idea that Pam had relatives in New Jersey.
Carlos raised an eyebrow in question. I turned the laptop toward Ranger to read the monitor. He grinned. There was no way Joseph Morelli would get released without facing a trial.
"Thanks for the intel," Ranger said before hanging up. A knock sounded on the door.
"Enter," Tank announced.
An attractive man wearing a suit entered the conference room. Ranger stood up to shake his hand. "Paul Houston, I want you to meet my wife, Stephanie."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," I said when I unstuck my tongue from the roof of my mouth.
"The pleasure is mine. Mrs. Manoso…"
I quickly interrupted. "Please, call me Steph or Stephanie."
"Stephanie," he said, smiling. "I met with the superior court. We have a custody date for late next month. I assume you'll have everything squared away by then?"
"Hopefully. Did you get the adoption overturned?"
Paul smiled and passed me a document. He had used everything in his arsenal to get the verdict redacted. Isabelle was my daughter. It wouldn't take long for me to regain custody. "Does your child wish to live in your home?" Paul asked.
Ranger excused himself for a few minutes. He returned wearing a clean shirt and the letter from Isabelle. Paul read the letter and asked to keep a copy. "That one is for your records," Ranger replied. "The original is locked in my safe."
"Very good," Paul said.
"What happens to Isabelle if her father gets convicted and sent to prison?" I wondered.
"She goes into your custody immediately," Paul replied. "Valerie Morelli has no claim." I was relieved. "Stephanie, may I speak to you alone?"
"Whatever you need to say can be said in front of these men. I trust them," I answered.
"I know you want to wait until your stalker issue gets resolved, but it's in your daughter's best interest to move into your home." Before I could interrupt, he added, "I discovered Joseph Morelli purchased a one million dollar life insurance policy on Isabelle Morelli."
"When?" It wasn't in the background check we ran on Joe.
"One week ago," Paul replied. Shit! "I got informed yesterday during the case to overthrow the adoption."
"She isn't safe in that house if Valerie needs the money," I assumed.
"No."
"Operation: Rescue mini-Babe is now active. Men, you know what to do," Lester announced. Tank, Hector and Bobby ran from the room to do whatever was in the rescue mission Lester created. Lester kissed my sweaty head. "We'll keep her safe."
"Carlos, we don't have a bedroom for her," I said. "I don't feel comfortable living away from Rangeman at the moment. Could you arrange for a bodyguard? I'm not ready for everyone to know I'm in Trenton."
"I'll get Luis to convert my office to a bedroom," he promised. "We could, but how would that protect her at night? I know you'll rest easier if she lived here with us. Isabelle will still have a bodyguard and drivers."
I thanked Paul for the information and for getting my daughter reinstated as mine. Living inside Rangeman wasn't ideal, but I would do anything to protect Isabelle from harm. Why couldn't I detect the potential danger?
"You're too close to the situation," Ranger offered as an explanation. "Or your mind still has to rebuild those connections. Don't be too hard on yourself."
Ranger
Stephanie and I went to our apartment to shower. While she did her hair and makeup, I called Ella for breakfast. I heard Stephanie on the phone ordering five dozen donuts to get delivered to Mr. Potter at Holy Rosary. She quickly added an extra large black coffee.
I raised an eyebrow when she entered the living room wearing tight spandex clothing, a red wig and green contacts. She resembled the Black Widow. "I don't know where these came from, but they're perfect," Stephanie said.
"Ella," I replied, then pointed toward the counter separating the kitchen and dining room. We sat on the bar stools to eat. Stephanie ate the cinnamon waffles with fresh fruit, whipped cream and custard. "Why did you order an obscene amount of donuts for Holy Rosary?"
"Did you read the letter from Isabelle?" she asked. I shook my head. I may have photocopied it, but I didn't read it without permission.
Stephanie rolled her eyes. "Does it have anything to do with the envelope you got me to lock inside the safe?"
"Yes. And the flash drive. I picked up a key from a bag lady named Eula. Apparently, Isabelle promised I would deliver McDonald's in exchange for help. Isabelle asked me to send the donuts if she correctly guessed what food I bought Eula. The only items she never mentioned were the coffee and soda. But those aren't food."
"Hector is your partner today," I announced as we loaded the dishwasher. After our time sparring earlier, I knew Stephanie could take care of herself. Hector would blend into the background to keep my wife safe.
"And what will you be doing today?" she asked.
"I have meetings around town," I replied. Stephanie mumbled something that I couldn't quite hear. I wasn't lying to Stephanie. A few of my clients wanted to meet with me today. I could wear my Rangeman uniform for the follow-up meetings.
When I completed my required face-to-face meetings, I found Stephanie's car a few blocks away from Angie Morelli's home. Hector peeked around the corner, showing me his location. I stealthily followed the line of bushes along the side street, then walked down the alley behind the Morelli house. Stephanie was barely visible inside the tree. She rubbed her neck, then looked around. I managed to hide behind the oak before she could see where I went.
"You should leave before she spots you," Hector whispered when he snuck up behind me. "She wouldn't be happy to know you're following her. Believe me, she will know you're here." I nodded, then disappeared the way I came. How would she know I was there?
My phone rang when I got back into my car. I answered using the Bluetooth feature. "Yo."
"Where's Steph?" Lester asked as I pulled away from the curb. Thankfully, nobody outside the vehicle could hear our conversation, or I would get pissed off that he mentioned her name.
"Patrolling the area," I cryptically said. "You could use the GPS in her vehicle to track her."
"I promised Stephanie I wouldn't do that today because she had Hector watching her back," Lester replied. "The school needs proof of identification before they release Isabelle to Stephanie."
I checked my watch. It was almost the end of the day. "I'll message Hector. Did someone put a duffle in her vehicle?"
"Affirmative. Everyone is about to learn Steph is home," Lester replied.
"I know. Stephanie's resigned to the fact. Who is watching the school?"
"Ram, Vince and Hal. Bobby and I are with the principal. Do you have the documents?"
"Not yet, but I will," I replied and hung up. I sent Hector a message to get Stephanie to a place where she could change. Rangeman had a safe house a block away from the school where she could change out of her clothes.
Hector replied that he relayed the message, but Stephanie wanted to return to Rangeman to change. She sent along her thanks for providing another option.
I met Stephanie at home. "Are you ready for Trenton to know you're home?" I asked.
"It was bound to happen. Are you ready for everyone to know you married me?" she countered. I smiled because I wanted to shout it from the rooftops.
"Always." Stephanie kissed me before going into the bedroom to change into more appropriate clothes. I followed her inside and grabbed the necessary documents from the safe inside the closet.
"I assume Joe got held in custody until his trial?" Stephanie asked.
"Yes. The court scheduled the proceedings to begin in two weeks. Helen's trial will occur simultaneously," I explained. She motioned for me to continue as we left our apartment. "The judge set bail at one hundred thousand dollars for Helen, but nobody offered to post the funds. Sterling denied bail for Morelli. His family wasn't happy."
"Isabelle?"
"Mooch and Anthony Morelli attempted to remove her from school early at Valerie's request. Paul had delivered the custody documents to the school and refused to release Isabelle. He asked for documentation with valid identification before letting us take Isabelle home."
"Good. I'm glad Paul got everything organized," Stephanie replied in relief.
I passed Stephanie the documents to pick up her daughter. She smiled when the name on the marriage certificate said Stephanie Michelle Plum. It was easier to prove she was the biological mother, along with Isabelle's birth certificate. "I got those from Frank."
"Oh," she replied. Her smile turned into a grimace.
"Babe, Frank never stopped being your father. Eventually, you need to forgive him."
"I know, but it's not going to be today."