Disclaimer: The Plum characters belong to Janet Evanovich. I don't own anything.

My thoughts are with everyone in Boston. I hope everyone is alright. Also, thanks to everyone for the reviews and comments. Thanks to JessicaRenae for editing this chapter. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.

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Chap. 24 -Purpose

Ranger adjusted my Kevlar vest and helped into a shirt. He took my face between his hands and kissed me deeply. It was a sweet and slow, sending sensations through my body.

"Don't get shot," he said, his smile mirroring mine.

"Are you stealing my line?" I asked, accusation in my voice. He gave me another kiss in return. This time I nipped his bottom lip, his pupils dilated.

"Don't go crazy," I teased, stepping back and leaving him hungry for touch. If everything turned out as expected, Alonde will be thirsting for my blood soon. Then, Ranger and I will be able to focus on our relationship. We had a lot to discuss.

"You're nervous." It was a statement from Ranger.

"A little," I admitted. "It's normal. Samuel?"

"He's waiting for you downstairs."

Five minutes later, I found him in the lobby, pacing. Samuel had dark, half-circles under his eyes. He looked slimmer and extremely tired. Nonetheless, he pulled me into a strong embrace and kissed my forehead. My heart ached with sympathy for him. He'd lost his brother. Now Samuel faced the tragic fact that he might lose his last connection to his brother, his niece. I opened my mouth to speak, but he beat me to it.

"Stephanie, I…" he paused. "Thank you."

These words took me by surprise. If I needed a time to use the word 'discombobulated,' then this was the time.

"What?"

"You don't have to say anything," he cut me off, putting a finger on my lips to seal them. "Whatever happens, I want to thank you."

He had no reason to thank me. I had done so little to recover his niece. If anything, I felt ashamed.

"You can thank me when she's home," I said. "How are you holding up?"

"My patience is running thin." He ran a hand through his hair, ending with a shaggy sort of look. I reached in my pocket and pulled out my cellphone.

"Take my phone," I said. "It will be easier to track any calls if it stays in the building. We don't want to make Alonde suspicious. The guys will redirect any incoming calls to me on a third line."

With a slight nod from Ranger, I realized it was time for me to go. He guided me to the Turbo, his eyes intense and pensive. He put a hand on my waist, leaned forward and kissed me once again. This time, he didn't care about the curious eyes watching us and filled the kiss with all the emotions running through his veins.

I got in the car and drove out of the garage, into the busy streets. The Merry Men agreed that ignoring Alonde's attempt to alarm me would only infuriate him and challenging him. In turn, it would make him more interested in me. I put on my poker face and did what I came to do, finish the job.

"Good morning," I sang when I entered the bonds office. Lula and Connie turned to me in unison.

"There you are, girl," Lula said, taking the coffee and the bag of pastries from my hands.

"Are you greeting me or the coffee?" I asked, a little amused.

"If there's no Stephanie, then there's no coffee or pastries," Connie replied. "How are you doing? Got any receipts for me?"

I put three receipts on her desk and grabbed the new files for inspection. We divided the sugary goods and sat together to catch up on the latest gossip.

"Anything new?" I inquired.

"Not since Alonde's discovery," Connie huffed, "that was a shock. Amy's been following the story closely. Looks like it's bigger than everybody thought."

Lula updated me on her latest antics. After an hour with the girls, I decided to head out. I cruised around the town for a while, keeping my eyes open for any signs of a tail. At last, I decided to pay a visit to Amy. She was working in her garden when I arrived.

"I don't think you should be doing that," I said, concern with the way she was kneeling on the ground.

"Mrs. Morelli" –inhale- "thinks," –exhale-, "I'm neglecting the garden. Joey's grand-mama thinks, I don't care."

"Amy, you're eight and a half months pregnant," I scolded, walking over and taking the tools from her hands. I took a good look at how she held herself before looking her in the eyes.

"I'm calling Morelli," I said.

"No," she snapped. "I can handle his mother and grandmother alone. I'm just hormonal and sleep deprived. This baby doesn't stop kicking. He or she keeps me awake all night long, dancing on my bladder."

"This is just the beginning," I huffed. She groaned.

"Have you heard any news about Alonde?" I asked, my mood improving by the second.

"The officials have wrapped the house in yellow tape. The women at the book club can't believe what happened. Nobody expected such scandal." Amy swiped at her knees, smearing the dirt on her calves.

I swung my head up in realization.

"Could I speak to the ladies in the book club?"

"I can introduce you," she said, getting excited. "It would get me away from his house before Mrs. Morelli and company arrive."

"You realize the bastard's put a target on my head," I explained. "I don't want to put you in danger."

She paused, deep in thought for a moment. Amy's eyes shined with mischief. "May I offer you something to drink? Coffee? Tea? I have some treats in the kitchen."

A little suspicious, but trusting her judgment, I accepted the invitation. I waited in the living room for about ten minutes. The moment she placed the drinks of the coffee table the doorbell rang, and six members of the infamous book club burst through the door. I gave her a disapproving glance. She shrugged and bestowed an easy smile.

We talked for a while. The ladies introduced themselves and proceed to tell me their thoughts about the Alonde's controversy. Mrs. Alonde seemed like "the perfect wife." It was "disappointing." They also remarked about their wealth. One of the girls, Sasha, recalled Mrs. Alonde speaking about a house over by the shore.

"Alonde has a house by the shore?" I questioned. The woman nodded, her companions' nods confirmed her statement. After excusing myself from the group, I made a quick call to Ranger.

"I didn't see anything about a house by the shore." Ranger barked out orders to someone on the other line. There was silence followed by sounds of ruffling.

"There's nothing about a beach house in the report," he said, "not even a house close to the beach."

I filled him in on the news the ladies had shared. Amy walked into the kitchen just then. She set the cups on the table, an unspoken question on her face. The moment was stopped short as Amy cringed and placed her hand on her stomach. A gush of water ran down her legs. We stared at each other with shared surprise.

"I can't go into labor now," she whined. "My due day is in two weeks. I have a deadline for tomorrow, and I'm not done with that garden!"

"Well, it looks like your baby made the decision for you," I said, refocusing her thoughts. "You're going to have a baby." Amy's eyes lit up a little.

"Do you think I have time to shave my legs?" She asked.

"You might have to hold on that," I said, moving with her towards the exit. The women's eyes turned towards, startled. In unison, they all stood up to help.

"Amy, get in my car," I ordered. She didn't protest and gave me directions to get her overnight bag. I rang Joe on my way down the stairs.

"I'm at your house," I said calmly. "Amy's in labor, we're on our way to the hospital."

There was a stretch of silence on the line.

"Joe? Are you there? Hello?"

"I'll meet you there," he said, and hung up. Then, I rang Ranger at the Merry Men tower.

"Amy's in labor," I panted. "On my way to the hospital."

We got to the emergency room in no time. A nurse came in with a wheelchair and asked us a bunch of questions in a monotone voice. Amy was given a room, and the nurse started timing contraction. The doctor claimed there was no time for the epidural. Amy's faced turn blue, her anger palpable. She started throwing out insults the moment Joe talked through the door.

"Good luck," I said, patting his shoulder. He nodded his thanks and took his place by his wife's side. Ranger was standing outside with a small team. I walked straight into his arms.

"We're next," he whispered in my ear. I narrowed my eyes and placed my hands on his torso.

"You are joking, right?"

The corners of his mouth tucked up, revealing a blinding half-smile.

"Ricky?"

"At Haywood."

Joe's family arrived moments later. We waited patiently for about three hours until the nurse came out and announced that both, mother and daughter were healthy. We stayed long enough to see the baby. She was a small, with a head full of hair. Joe carried her in his arms securely, watching her with love and adoration, like she was the most precious thing he'd ever seen.

Ranger hands gripped harder on my waist. I was in trouble, trouble of massive portions. He was convinced that I "owed" him a baby, for not allowing him to witness the nine months of development of his son.

I kissed his cheek with a sigh, and headed out to continue looking for Alonde.

-RS-

"We found the house," Ranger informed me on the way out. "Samantha sent a team to investigate. It went completely under the radar. Alonde has more than twenty identities."

"Can we go see it?"

My phone rang, and I picked it up without moving my eyes from Ranger.

"Hello?"

"Getting information about me, Ms. Plum?" The voice was deep and distorted. "You would do well to take my advice. I'm still waiting."

"Who's this?"

"Don't act stupid. It doesn't become you." The voice said.

"Where's Leticia?"

"Awe, it seems we have equal interest," he drawled. "We'll keep in touch Ms. Plum."

The phone went dead.

"Take me to Alonde's old house. I need to make some noise."

-RS-

Leticia's POV

A woman pushed me through the corridor with force. I could hear the sound of the waves in the distance, accompanied with low moans of pain coming from closed doors.

I was naked. They kept us that way, thinking it would make us break easier and cry.

He wanted me to break, both physically and mentally. At this point, I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of watching me crumble. Soon, they will be coming for us. At least, I hope.

I've known Stephanie Plum long enough to know that she never gives up, and she always get's what she wants. Alonde will die.

I was pushed into a dark, damp room. I made out faint voices in the dark, weak voices. Someone grabbed my ankle, and I tumbled to the floor with a huff.

"Water?" The girl on my right almost pleaded.

"No," I breathed, "just pussy and tits." That's what we were to them, just pussy and tits. The people who helped keep us captive, they knew it to, but realized it was safer for them to just ignore it. The people who demanded it, they didn't care where we were from or how we got here. We're just flesh, pussy and tits for their unlimited enjoyment.

-RS-

Ranger: Babe

Steph: What?

Ranger: I love you.