Chapter Three

Stephanie

When I walked back into the living room, I saw that Ranger had stormed back into my apartment. He had his arms folded across his chest and was staring Diesel down while Diesel whistled.

"I thought you left." I spoke up, trying to break the tension. The men turned to glance at me.

"I did. I came back." Ranger walked over to stand before me. "I don't trust you with Mr. Exhaust Fumes over there-"

"Oh ha ha." Diesel said dryly.

"-He's a ticking time bomb which, mixed with your own sense of always finding danger, isn't the most appealing." He sounded tense. He was obviously still angry and he couldn't seem to stay still. He was in motion every second; tapping a foot, shaking his head, pacing.

"Wha-I don't always find danger." I huffed.

"Like hell." Ranger turned to glare at the blond male who looked especially dull. "Get out. Stephanie doesn't need you here."

"Is that so? Then who does she need here?" Diesel smirked slowly, a challenge burning in his eyes.

"Me."

"Now hold on, I don't need-" I started.

"You?" Diesel frowned. "Now, what's the difference between me and you?"

"For one, I'm intelligent."

"Hey now, I'm talking-" I tried again, frowning.

"So now I'm dumb?" Diesel cut me off, holding out his hands with his palms up. The signal for utter disbelief.

Ranger raised his eyebrows. "You always were."

"Hello!?" I exclaimed. "I'm trying-"

"Well...well you got a spell but on you by a 'dumb' person so just how stupid does that make you look!?"

Uh oh. Wrong choice of words. I watched the men step up face to face with each other and lock eyes, glaring intently. Even though Diesel was a good three inches taller, it still looked as though he was in a disadvantage. Face it. When Ranger stared you down, you buckled.

Now it was up to me to break these two up. I rubbed my hands together, squared my shoulders and did what any clever young woman would do to get two very dominant, muscular men to pay attention to her.

I fainted. Or, I feigned fainting.

I did all the theatrics too. The hand over my forehead, the 'Oh!' exclamation, the head tilt to the side and then finally, the collapse onto the ground. I popped one eye open to see if it worked and stared up in disbelief.

They hadn't moved.

Hmph. Nice to know they cared about me.

"Would everyone in the room with overbearing testosterone please stand down!?" I squeezed in between their little macho stare down and land a hand on each of their chests. Their eyes cut to me. "In case you've both forgotten; this is MY house....er...apartment. So...both of you leave!"

Their eyes widened.

"But you said I could stay here!"

"Babe!"

"Out!" I pointed stiff armed. "And try not to kill each other on the way down."

While they reluctantly shuffled out, my cell phone rang. I dug in my pocket, flipped it up and checked the caller ID. Morelli. Oh just great.

"Where are you?" Was his greeting. I could hear loud talking in the background and it strangely sounded like Lula.

"At my apartment. Why?"

"You won't believe this." Oh, he had no idea what I'd believe at this moment. Hell, I was already having faith in birthday wishes, genies and super powered humans.

"Won't believe what?"

There was a moment of silence and I could hear Morelli shushing someone. Then he came back to the phone and said, "Someone's kidnapped Vinnie."

Oh boy.

************

When I got down to the parking lot, I saw that although Diesel and Ranger had listened to my command about leaving, Ranger hadn't exited the entire premises. He was leaning on his car, arms folded, obviously waiting for someone. Someone like me.

"Where'd Diesel go?"

"How should I know?" He asked testily. I narrowed my eyes and he sighed. "Sorry." My eyes widened back up. Sorry? Ranger never said he was sorry. To be sorry, you had to admit you were wrong and Ranger was never wrong. "I'm just....edgy." He explained, catching onto my look. "I don't like not being in control of...myself."

Understandable. I don't think I'd like that either. I smiled reassuringly at him and he returned it somewhat. "Vinnie is kidnapped."

Ranger's smile faded. "What?"

"Morelli said someone came into the bonds office and took him out by gunpoint. Apparently, Connie saw but Lula didn't. She was off buying doughnuts."

"Fuck." My sentiments exactly.

"What do you think?"

"I think Vinnie's a dead man. He's a snake, a creep and a sex fiend. Whoever got him won't waste time." Ranger shook his head and motioned towards his car. "You heading to the bonds office?" I nodded. "Want me to give you a lift?"

Before I could answer, Ranger's cell phone rang and he excused himself to take it. When he came back, his face was contorted in rage. "What's the matter?"

"That was Tank. We got a problem at Rangeman." His eyes held mines for a second and I could see the raw adrenaline passing through them. "There's been a break in."

My eyes went wide and I gaped up at him. "What!?" No one broke into Rangeman! Not only because it was heavily secured and housed dozens of men who could pass for gorillas but also because no one was stupid enough. Breaking into Rangeman was like breaking into the white house. Impossible and suicidal.

"I know." Ranger opened his car door and hopped in. "I've got to go check it out." He put his key in, started to slam the door shut but paused. His head slowly turned to stare at me and, very abruptly, his eyes softened and he reached out to curl a strand of my hair behind my neck. I inhaled in a sharp breath at his gentle touch and stood still, immobilized by his dark, captivating eyes. "Stay safe, Steph. I'll be back." Then he was off, squealing out of the lot and calling out the window, as a last minute thought I suppose, "And stay away from that son of a bitch, exhaust fume!"

I watched him go with a slight smile and headed to my car. I got in, put the key in, turned and-

"Ah!" I screamed and jumped back which caused my head to bang on the car window.

"Calm down, sweetheart." Diesel rolled his eyes from the passenger seat beside me, clicking on the radio. "It's just me. Man, you scare easy. I take it Ranger left already?"

"Damn it!" I exclaimed through heavy breaths, rubbing my head. "Don't do that!"

"Yeah, yeah, come on. I hear there's been a kidnapping and a break in. Lets hop to it."

"You were spying on us?"

Diesel grinned and tapped both of his ears. "Super hearing."

I think I believed him.

"Now, lets goooooo. " He ushered.

"What do you care about any of that stuff?"

"My unmentionable, remember?"

I squinted my eyes suspiciously at him. "Your unmentionable broke into Rangeman and took Vinnie?" The break in thing sounded reasonable enough. No mere human could get inside that compound. But Vinnie? Who wanted to waste their time on him? And yes I know, he's my cousin but Ranger was right. He was a sleaze ball.

Diesel shrugged. "Who's to know?"

I stared at his sly smile and deduce that I didn't trust him. He knew something I didn't. But, for the time being, I played along and drove us out of the lot. The last thing I wanted to do was make Diesel angry enough to place a spell on me. No siree.

**********

When we rolled into the bonds office, there were a few cop cops parked and I could see the uniforms crowded around the door. I exchanged a knowing look with Diesel, we got out and headed over to the group. A lone figure broke away from the pack as we neared and I recognized it as Morelli. He smiled warmly at me but when he spotted Diesel, it instantly froze. Joe and Diesel had only met a few times in the past and none of the meetings had been especially long winded. Far as I knew, they were....acquaintances.

We all came to a stop a few feet from the office.

"Diesel."

"Joe."

"Back in town?"

"For the time being."

"What are you here for?"

"Oh...just to sight see." I gave Diesel a questioning raised eyebrow but he ignored it.

"You should sight see somewhere else. This city breathes in disaster."

A grin from Diesel. "I know. That's why I keep coming back."

That was the end of their conversation. Morelli turned to me and smiled. I hadn't saw him in a few weeks and he still looked the same. Ruggedly handsome with his trademark paper thin cut in his eyebrow and his dark chocolate eyes. He was dressed in torn jeans, a ratty T-shirt advertising Kiss and needed a good haircut.

"What's the news?" I asked, motioning towards the building.

Joe turned and blew out a sigh. "Not good. Vinnie is definitely taken. There were a few splotches of blood on the floor but no sign of a struggle. Connie said when the guy came in, she had her head down. He put the guy to her, told her to close her eyes and then she heard some yells, a few thuds and when she dared to crack an eye open, the man was gone and so was Vinnie."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Well, where is she now?"

"Out getting more doughnuts with Lula. She nearly freaked from all the cops." Yeah, Lula hated cops with a passion. "I told Connie to be back later for some more questions."

"This is bad." I sighed. No one said anything so I glanced at the two men. "RIGHT!?"

"I guess." Joe shrugged. "I mean yeah, I feel sorry for the bastard but I can't lie. He had it coming. Vinnie had enemies on top of enemies. Anyone could have done this."

I turned to give Diesel a slight glare and he only waved. Hmph. Still not telling what he knew...

"Happy belated birthday by the way. Did you get my gift?"

I glanced back at Morelli, nodded and smiled slightly.

"Did you like it?"

"Yes, thank you."

Diesel draped his arm around me and smirked deviously, apparently deciding it was his turn to speak up again. I felt my stomach sink. I didn't like the look on his face. "Yeah but I think she liked my gift much more."

Morelli's eyebrows rose. "Oh really? What'd you give her?" There was a edge in his tone. A sharp one.

Before anyone could reply, a car swerved into the lot. We all turned to see it slide smoothly into a slot. It was shiny, expensive looking and solid, black. I felt my heart beat up. The door opened and out stepped Ranger. He looked tense, jumpy and mad. The face of someone who had some bad news to dish out. His eyes landed on me and he started over.

"I think you're about to get a demonstration." Diesel muttered under his breath.

Let more chaos begin!

Longer chaps are in order as well. Watch out for that, hehe.