Disclaimer: I do not own Lester (the character) or the Stephanie Plum series. This short-story is only inspired by the Plum world, out of canon. Please note I do not have a beta reader (I would love to have one).

I am not a lawyer or have any experience in law. All law related mistakes are my own and reflective of my poor research skills. Also, my goal is to post a chapter every Saturday and Monday. I loved reading all of your reviews for the last chapter and decided to post a little earlier. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy this new chapter.

Guilt

RangeMan headquarters was unusually silent when I drove into the garage. The Porsche turned off soundlessly when I turned the key. Out of the corner of my eyes, I caught a glimpse of Ranger and Stephanie standing closely together. Ranger jogged to my door and pulled it open for me before I had the chance to reach for the handle. He offered me a hand for balance, helped me up and drew me into his chest.

"Thank you," he said, pressing a kiss on my temple. The man smelled of citrusy cologne and sweat, which reminded me that he was my brother, not my enemy. "How could I ever repay you hermosura?"

"I wish you would stop looking at me with guilt in your eyes." It might not have been the appropriate setting for such discussion, but it seemed like perfect timing.

"Did Robinson say anything of value?" He asked, his voice was flat, and the tendons in his neck protruded, but his face remained stoic as always.

"No, he didn't," I said with a sigh and reached out to caress his cheek. Ranger's jaw softened at my touch, and he cupped my hand. Stephanie stood a short distance away, staring our way fixedly, her bloodshot eyes filled with confusion. "Why don't you let Stephanie get some rest? We can regroup once she's ready. I'll need her version of the story."

Ranger's patrician expression returned. He kissed my forehead once again and walked back to the woman holding his heart. I collected my briefcase and wobbled to the elevators that would take me to my mate. My feet had swollen after such a busy day. My practical and sensible shoes were now cutting my circulation.

We waited for the elevator, and the doors to the elevator dinged open to reveal Tank standing in an otherwise empty carrier.

"Doll-baby, you're back." The burly man blushed under the overhead light. "You got Stephanie. It's good to see you, Steph."

"It's good to be out of there," Stephanie opened her arms and enveloped Tank in a hug. Tank recovered from the unexpected contact and lifted her off the floor with a tight embrace. It was evident they had a new, but bubbling, friendship. Ranger plucked Stephanie out of Tank's arms and pressed her firmly against himself.

"Tank, where's my husband?" Suddenly, the light fixtures on the ceiling caught his attention. "Tank?"

"Lester is in your apartment. We had to redo the stitches on the stomach," Tank sighed, beckoning me into the elevator.

"Lester?" Stephanie asked.

"Emma Rosario-Santos," Ranger said, securing his hold on Stephanie when she tried to wiggle out of his arms. "As I told you, Emma and I are related."

"You are pregnant," Stephanie said.

"Yes, and your boyfriend here thinks I'm ten months pregnant." Stephanie blushed tomato red and her lips curved into a protesting scold. She was about to vocalize her disagreement, but I cut her off. "What did you do to him, Tank?"

"I didn't do anything!" The taller man held his hands up. I huffed in disbelief and wobbled out the doors when the elevators doors opened on my floor.

"Don't kill him," Ranger called out with a chortle. It wasn't very ladylike of me, but I gave him the finger.

"If Lester dies, you will have to take responsibility for this baby," I panted. The same baby was pressing on my lungs and making it difficult for me to breathe.

"It's a baby xenomorph," Tank warned.

"Like in the Alien movies?" Stephanie's voice was the last to be heard as the doors closed.

-rs-

I walked into my RangeMan assigned apartment to find Lester stretched out on the sofa with his torso exposed. Our issued apartment wasn't as big as our house, but the space was comfortable and modern. The apartment, however, always looked too small for Lester.

"Babe." The skin around his stitches appeared ruby red. The man had gotten an infection after the first surgery, and the doctors had to reopen the wound to clean it. Otherwise, he would have healed the wound by now. Lester lurched himself to a sitting position with a growl. The pain on his face had me rushing to his side and stumbling into his arms. "I didn't think the stables would come out. It was only fifty pounds."

"Lester Santos, why were you weight lifting?" I panted. He steadied me and helped me sit next to him on the sofa.

"I was bored and did something stupid." He kissed me and pushed my hair away from my face. "Babe, your hair is all tangled back here."

"I drove back with the windows opened," I said, dropping my briefcase, which slit off my hands and landed on the floor with a bam.

"How did it go?" Lester pulled my legs up onto his lap and removed my shoes.

"The FEDS were stalling." A moan escaped my lips when his finger kneaded the skin between my big toe and the arch of my foot. "I think they are desperate to find the murderer, even if it cost them their licenses.

"Is Stephanie okay?" he asked.

"She seemed frazzled, but I'm not sure about Ranger." My hands cupped the bowling ball that was my growing baby and allowed my body to relax under my husband's gentle strokes on my foot.

"He loves her," Lester stated with a voice full of conviction. We had all seen the evidence of Ranger's devotion to Stephanie Plum for years.

"Liam was at the precinct."

"Liam Hemsworth?"

"Yes, and he saw me, fell in love with me, and offered me to run away with him." Lester chuckled, but the words eventually settled in, and he stilled. He grabbed my arm, not tight, but with enough strength that it demanded my attention.

"Did he hurt you? Did he say anything to you?" Lester's eyes turned wild in little time.

"No, he didn't hurt me. He's one of the detectives in charge of the murder case." I examined Lester's solemn face for five seconds trying to identify his emotions. "He doesn't think I should be working with Ranger."

"Liam Robinson still blames Ranger for what happened to you." My husband gently and patiently, pulled me into his arms. I attempted to squeeze out of his hold to avoid further damaging the site of the wound, but my husband managed to make me melt into his body with his kisses.

"He doesn't understand," I mumbled, breathing in Lester's spicy scent. He smelled like cinnamon, and of something wild, unknown.

"No, he doesn't." Lester had somehow managed to curve his body around mine on the small sofa, and now he was carefully untangling the knots in my hair. "Emma, you are my life, if you don't want to be near my cousin, I would understand. We could go anywhere."

"I know that, Lester." I swallowed the knot in my throat, and I pressed a kiss on his nose, his cheek, and his mouth before resting my head back on his shoulder. "But it wasn't Ranger's fault."

"It wasn't yours either," he said.

"I know."

-rs-

Babes, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I would love to hear what you think.