Isabelle
Shocked didn't begin to describe how I felt about my father's arrest charges. Conspiracy to murder and interference in an ongoing investigation. What the hell was he thinking? He probably wasn't, which was how he got mixed up in that mess. I only knew the verdict because some of my classmates went home for lunch and got told by their mothers.
The principal called me to his office when my uncle Anthony arrived at the school with his cousin, Mooch. I didn't like either man. They were rude and treated women like sex toys. I was disappointed in the Morelli men. Were any of them capable of making a good decision? Women, greed and power overrode their basic instincts. There wasn't a moral bone in their bodies.
"Why do I have to stay here? Can't I go back to class?" I asked.
"I'm sorry, Isabelle. Your mother is coming to pick you up," he replied. "Not Valerie. I received documents stating that your biological mother is Stephanie Manoso, nee Plum."
What? She had the adoption reversed? How did she manage? Dad and grandma Plum said it was irreversible. "Are you sure?" I asked.
He pointed to the folder on his desk. I leaned forward to open it. The court order dictated that Stephanie Plum would resume custody upon the arrest of Joseph Anthony Morelli. "There's more, but you need to wait until your mother arrives," he replied. "She will explain everything."
I didn't know what to say. My mom's life was still in danger. How could I stay safe? Wait a second. I flipped through the papers to see the marriage certificate copy. Did she marry Mr. Manoso? Wasn't he the owner of Rangeman, which my dad tried to destroy? I closed my eyes. The image of the seven-story black building on Haywood popped into my mind. Pictures of a Hispanic man with a teardrop tattoo, who I knew, another man with a flaming skull tattoo and one with green eyes appeared. They seemed to be close to my mom. Before I opened my eyes, two more men's images popped into my head. Both men were black. One was large. His height and bulk were intimidating.
"Mr. Tolton, the Manosos are here," the secretary, Mrs. Chambers, announced.
"Please let them in," Mr. Tolton replied.
I watched a handsome man with mocha latte-coloured skin guide a gorgeous woman with curly hair and blue eyes into the room. Oh my gosh. I recognized her from the magazine ads. She was on the cover of Allure last month. My mother was a supermodel. How cool was that?
"Mrs. Manoso?" Mr. Tolton asked. "Has anyone told you that you resembled the model, Anie Lewis?"
She giggled. "No," my mom replied as she winked at me. "I have my identification." I watched my mom open her brown leather Gucci Diana tote bag to remove her wallet, which matched the purse.
The principal compared them to the documents on his desk. He verified the birthdate and registration numbers.
I felt my mom watching me. My hair was pin-straight and hung to my waist. "Did you straighten your hair?" she quietly asked.
"No. Valerie got it chemically straightened. They said the curls made my hair appear messy," I replied. I saw anger briefly flash through her eyes.
"Is that what you wanted?" she asked. I shook my head. "How long ago?"
"Yesterday after school." My mom grumbled about unnecessary expensive procedures.
"Can we take our daughter home?" Mr. Manoso asked.
"Oh. Of course. Everything is in order. Where will Isabelle Morelli be living?" Mr. Tolton asked.
"In the Rangeman building on Haywood for the near future," my mom replied.
"Is that the black seven-story building on Haywood?"
"Yes." I wondered why it mattered. "Why?" my mom asked.
"I'm afraid it's outside the school area. Isabelle can finish the week here, but you need to register her for another school within your district," Tolton replied.
"I'm sorry, Isa," my mom said. "We'll research the schools when we get home, okay?"
"Sure," I sadly replied. Mr. Manoso wanted to say something, but my mom prevented him from talking. "Can we stop by my locker to grab my belongings?" I didn't want to return to the school to finish the week. What was the point? Mr. Manoso nodded and let me lead the way. The children in kindergarten to grade five didn't have lockers. They stored their coats, boots and backpacks in a cloak room closest to the door. Grades six through eight had lockers to prepare us for high school. I let Angie and Mary Alice store their valuables inside my locker. Luckily, I didn't have anything of their belongings at the moment.
My mom waited until we got secured in the car before telling me what she thought. "I know you want to finish your education at Holy Rosary, but I think you'll be safer elsewhere. Your friend, Abby, is trustworthy, but the other parents are not. It wouldn't surprise me if one of them told Anthony or Mooch when you had a field trip. They could grab you before anyone knew to stop it," she explained. I felt the truth in her words.
"What were you going to offer, Mr. Manoso?" I asked.
"It's Ranger or Carlos," he replied. "I was going to give the school a donation to guarantee your enrolment."
"Mom's right, Ranger. I should go somewhere else."
"Any preference?" Ranger asked.
"Private school if you can arrange it. I think it would offer the best security," I replied. Ranger's lip twitched in an almost smile. He reached across the console to grab my mom's hand. I could see how much Ranger loved my mom.
My dad was never that affectionate with Valerie. It made me wonder if he even loved her. I got the impression she was only providing a respectable cover for his extramarital activities. Dad was having his cake and eating it too. Valerie turned a blind eye. "Are you okay, Isa?" mom asked, interrupting my thoughts about dad and Valerie.
"I'm good," I replied. "How long ago have you two met?"
"A month ago," mom cryptically said. I met Ranger's eyes in the rearview mirror. He said they had met just over three weeks earlier. Woah. They got married fast. Was my mom pregnant? "I'm not pregnant." Ranger shook his head when I glanced in his mirror. Did I detect longing? He winked.
My mom smiled when her phone pinged. "Babe?" Ranger asked her.
"Hector got a copy of your school records, Isa. Since you emptied your locker, Carlos and I assumed you didn't want to return to Holy Rosary. Did we misinterpret your intentions?" My mom felt horrible for making an assumption about what I wanted to do. I could only think that she hated other people making decisions for her. We were alike in many ways.
"No, mom. You read the situation correctly. I don't have friends besides Anna. The other kids in my classes teased me about my dad getting arrested." I wasn't delusional enough to think the new school kids wouldn't tease me, but I don't know them. It would hurt much less.
"Tomorrow or Monday?"
"Monday," I replied, knowing she was asking about when I wanted to start school. "I don't have anything to wear."
"Well, we can't have that," she replied. Ranger drove past the Rangeman building on Haywood. He merged onto the highway and drove toward the plaza containing the high-end clothing shops. My mouth opened wide in awe when he parked in front of the TweenTeen Hop, the best clothing store for girls between eleven and seventeen.
"How?" I asked. Ranger raised an eyebrow while Stephanie giggled.
"Tia Ella," mom replied. "She told us where to buy your clothes. Ella wants to know your clothing size to order your uniforms."
"Couldn't Ella get that from McCarthy's?" I asked. "It's where Valerie got my uniforms for Holy Rosary. For the record, my uniforms are size fourteen. They fit in length but are a bit baggy."
"McCarthy's doesn't supply the uniforms for Saint Michaels Academy. They get their uniforms supplied by Julianne's. We can stop there for them to get your measurement. It would take a couple of days before we can pick up your clothes," mom explained.
I excitedly jumped from the SUV and ran toward the door. When mom and Ranger followed me inside, Ranger gently touched my shoulder. "Please wait for us. It isn't safe for you right now. We're only here because your mother won't let you go a day without clothes," Ranger quietly said. I felt the colour drain from my face and nodded.
My mom leaned in close to add, "We're both armed. You should be safe enough with us but never assume that's always the case."
"Okay, mom. I'm sorry for not waiting, Ranger." He nodded and motioned for me to get on with my shopping. I ensured I remained in their line of sight as I selected jeans, tops, leggings, sweaters and sweatpants. My mom went to the bin containing socks. She chose various colours and styles. Most were ankle-length, but she grabbed a few knee-high pairs as well.
I glanced lovingly at the shoe display. Valerie and dad only let me select two pairs of sneakers, a dress pair, a pair of boots and one pair of sandals. "Isa, you can get more than four pairs of shoes," mom said. Beside the bench, she stacked fifteen boxes of shoes in my size. "Please humour me."
"You should listen to your mother," Ranger joked. His face was void of emotion, but I could see the amusement in his eyes.
"If you insist," I replied. Decisions. Decisions. Which ones should I get? I found four pairs of running shoes, two pairs of dress shoes and five pairs of sandals. I debated between the knee-high leather boots and the mid-calf ones. After holding the knee-high ones for a few more seconds, I decided on the shorter ones.
We carried our selections to the cash register. The woman was pleased by the amount of money we spent. Once everything got rung up, the total was over five thousand dollars. Ranger handed the cashier a credit card to pay. Holy crap! That was a lot of money. I felt guilty for needing so many things.
"Carlos, dear. Can you help Isa carry the bags to the car? I forgot something," mom said. She disappeared into the store, then returned with another three bags.
"Mom, what did you do?" I asked.
"Got you the boots, two-inch heeled shoes and the bras and panties you forgot to bring to the cashier," she replied.
"But… but…" I was speechless. I couldn't find the words to say.
"Consider them your birthday and Christmas gifts for the past ten years," she said.
I knew it was pointless to argue with her. "Thanks, mom."
"That's better," she said, grinning. Living with my mom and Ranger was going to be a worthwhile experience. I could hardly wait to see my new home.
Stephanie
I could hear Isabelle crying in the backseat. Making her cry wasn't my intention when I purchased the items she desperately wanted. "Did you use the new one?" Carlos asked.
"Yes," I replied. Carlos replaced my credit cards with nameless versions linked to his accounts. It was unnecessary since everyone in the Burg would know I was in town after picking Isabelle up from school. My phone kept chiming with incoming text messages. "The natives are restless."
"The bitches know," Isabelle said. Carlos passed Isabelle another handkerchief when she dropped the soiled one in the console cup holder. "Thanks, dad," she thoughtlessly replied. Her face turned red when she realized what she had said. "I'm sorry, Ranger. It kind of slipped out."
"Querida, you may call me Ranger, Carlos or dad. Whatever you wish," he kindly replied. "I want you to be comfortable."
"Thanks," she mumbled.
Carlos and I discussed him adopting Isabelle when Joe got convicted and sent to prison. I knew Joe wouldn't relinquish his parental rights, but Carlos assured me it wouldn't be necessary. Cops and prison don't mix. Morelli made a lot of enemies and put a good chunk of the convicts away. He wouldn't last a day in the general population.
We arrived at Rangeman several hours after we had originally planned. Carlos parked his SUV in his spot beside the elevator. "Nice car," Isabelle said when she spotted the Porsche 911 turbo.
The elevator doors opened when we grabbed the bags from the back. Lester, Hector, Tank and Bobby grabbed them and took off into the stairwell, leaving us to take the elevator. "Did they just take my stuff?" Isabelle squeaked.
"They're taking them to our apartment on the seventh floor. The guys prefer the stairs," I explained. Isabelle grumbled something about thinking chivalry was dead. "Are you ready to meet my family?"
"Your family?" she asked.
"Yes. My Rangeman family. Lester is Ranger's cousin. The rest of the men are my surrogate brothers, which makes them family."
"Okay." Isabelle seemed intimidated as the elevator ascended to the seventh floor. I took her hand and squeezed, reassuring her that she was safe. The men were inside the apartment when we arrived.
"Luis and I finished setting everything up. I hope you like your room, dear," Ella announced when we entered.
Isabelle nodded and let Ella guide her to the bedroom. Luis replaced the window-panelled door with a solid one, giving Isabelle some privacy. "Wow. It's beautiful," Isabelle said. "Thank you, Ella. How did you know orange was my favourite colour?"
"Your mother," Ella replied. "Let me help you organize the closet and dresser." Isabelle said she could manage alone, but Ella insisted that she didn't mind helping. Carlos and I listened to their conversation as they unloaded the bags.
My daughter surprised me when she approached Hector. "Hola, Tio Hector. I haven't seen you lately," Isabelle said, then hugged him.
"I've been busy," he replied. He waved Lester forward. "Lester and I are your bodyguards. We drive you to school and home." Isabelle clapped in excitement.
"Sweetie, how do you know Hector?" I asked.
"One of my dad's old informants grabbed me and attempted to shove me inside the trunk of his car. Tio Hector arrived in time to save me. His friend, Puma, earned his third teardrop tattoo after killing the man."
I looked at Hector and silently demanded to hear the story. Speaking in Spanish, I learned the tale.
"Three years ago, Joe Morelli reneged on a promise of payment for intel. Hugo Inez was not impressed. He said that Morelli should pay up, or he would take the payment from his family. Joe didn't understand what Inez meant and ignored the threat. Valerie left Isabelle at the mall to wait for her friend to arrive. Isabelle exited the car, and Valerie drove away without ensuring Isabelle entered the mall safely. I was installing cameras above the Jewelry store's window in the business complex beside the mall. A man grabbed Isabelle and pulled her toward his silver Toyota. She screamed when he removed his hand from her mouth. I snuck up behind the man to make him release Isabelle. Puma happened to be in the parking lot. He secured the man inside his trunk and drove the car to a secluded area in the Pine Barrens. I waited with Isabelle until her friend arrived," Hector said.
"You didn't want to go home?" I asked.
"Nope," Isabelle replied. "Tio Hector promised to stay in the area until Anna's mom drove us home." I was shocked. Hector failed to mention knowing my daughter.
"It was for Isabelle's safety," Hector said, interpreting my blank stare.
"Puma and Hector watch out for us if we walk home after soccer practice," Isabelle added. "I hadn't seen Hector in the past five weeks and wondered where he had gone."
"I should have sent word through Puma," he replied.
"It's okay, Tio Hector. Tio Puma kept me safe," Isabelle said. "You were busy protecting my mom." She let Hector off the hook.
Hector pulled my attention from the conversation Isabelle was having with Carlos. "I planned to tell you everything," he whispered. I was hurt he never said anything, but he did know my daughter longer than he knew me. "No more secrets. I promise."
"Okay. Thank you for protecting my daughter when I couldn't." Hector would do anything to keep my beautiful daughter safe from the vermin crossing Joe's path. I prayed Giacomo Pacini wouldn't use Isabelle to capture me.
"Lester and I will keep your daughter safe," Hector said. I hugged my friend and paid attention to the conversation between Isabelle and Ranger.
"…so I just have to squeeze it like this?" Isabelle asked. Everybody's phones sounded an alarm. A 911 message appeared to rescue Isabelle.
The apartment phone rang. "Yo," Ranger answered. "Isabelle was testing the panic button. Everything is fine. Disregard the alarm."
"Sorry," Isabelle timidly said. "I didn't mean to make the guys panic."
I couldn't help laughing. "It's fine, sweetie. I did the same thing when I got my panic button."
Carlos passed Isabelle a new phone. "Um. I have one already," she said, attempting to return it.
"This one has better security. Calls to your old number will automatically forward to this device. Same with text messages," Carlos explained.
"But you can trace it, right?" Isabelle asked, her eyes squinted to assess Ranger's reply.
"Yes, but only your mother or I can access that information."
"And Tio Hector," Isabelle added. Carlos nodded. Hector used his device to link Isabelle's phone GPS to his tracking app. "What happens when I call my friend? Will she see my new number or the old one?"
"What do you want her to see?" I asked.
"The old number. I don't want anyone outside of this group to have my new phone number," Isabelle replied. Carlos beamed with pride. Isabelle was safety conscious. I bet he found it to be refreshing. "Mom, it's only because I know someone is trying to hurt you. I don't want to take any unnecessary risks that could lead him to you."
"And only Lester and Hector can pick you up from school," I added.
"Or you, Carlos, Cal, Tank or Bobby," Isabelle said. She thought for a minute before adding, "Ram, Vince or Hal."
"Querida, why did you choose Ram, Vince and Hal?" Carlos asked.
"Vince is my second cousin. His Rangeman partner is Hal, but Ram is his best friend," Isabelle replied. Carlos smiled and sent a message to Hal, Cal, Ram and Vince. He permitted the control room to send them up.
I opened the door before they could knock, surprising Hal and Ram. Vince and Cal grinned. "Come in. My daughter wanted to meet you."