A/N This started out as a response to the Valentine's Day Challenge. It's evolved since then into a longer story. Not mine. Not making any money. Warning for angst, language and adult situations. Babe, but very Morelli friendly. I promise that eventually, Steph will have a HEA. But that's all I'm saying about that! I'm posting this chapter as a bonus, since it took me so long to get the last one up!

Chapter 22

Ranger's POV

I knew it! I knew something was wrong. I knew somehow Stephanie was in trouble again. I just never, never imagined it was going to be this bad. I wasn't even sure just how bad it was, yet, but still I knew I was living my worst nightmare.

This is why I had always told Stephanie my life didn't lend itself to relationships. I have made too many enemies in my life. This time, though, it looked like the threat wasn't coming from an enemy. Rather, it was coming from the man I was working for. Well, one of the men I was working for, at least.

I was contractually obligated to jump when the government said jump. When Johnson had called that last time, he had made that fact abundantly clear. Like I could ever forget it. When he said to bring him Pelaratti, I said 'Yes, sir.'

Seems our little Aldo has been a naughty boy. Trying to cut in to the Family's piece of the pie is a good way to end up dead. Good thing he's the favored nephew of Dominic Pelaratti, the head of the Jersey syndicate. Still, seems like there's more to the story than Johnson's telling. Bastard.

Molina was a different story altogether. I owed him. I hated him. I didn't trust him as far as I could throw him. But I didn't think it would ever come to this. Molina was the devil. He's made his millions peddling drugs and guns on the world market. He wouldn't lose sleep over ordering the death of anyone who stood in his way. Unfortunately, it was looking like he thought I was standing in his way. I told him he needed to be patient. Patience is not one of his virtues. As if he had any virtues.

I'm not sure what his interest in Pelaratti is, but I have an idea. He didn't offer an explanation, and I didn't bother asking for one. It wouldn't have gotten me any more information. He told me what he wanted done, and I had no choice but to agree. He wanted Pelaratti. Dead or alive.

The fact that Molina and Johnson both wanted the same man didn't bother me in the least. I knew who the priority was: Johnson might fire me, but Molina would kill me. Or everyone I loved.

My little "chat" with Tommy downstairs brought that fact slamming down into my reality like nothing else. He had been sent to take pictures, sure, but he wouldn't be the only one taking an interest in Stephanie. She's now on Molina's radar. That means she's in danger. If I fuck this up, Stephanie will pay the price. If Molina isn't satisfied with my progress, he won't hesitate to use Stephanie's life as incentive to hurry me along.

Now I just needed to figure out what I was going to do about it. Throwing Stephanie into the mix had been a bad move on Molina's part. He should have known better. I am not a man to be fucked with. I would still fulfill my end of the bargain, though. I had to.

I checked my watch. Five minutes until the meeting with my men. I wasn't looking forward to this. It was time I was completely honest with them. The shit was about to hit the fan.

~oOoOoOoOoOo~

Four hours later, the meeting was over. It had gone about as well as I had expected. There had been disbelief, anger, and reproach, as well as arguing, swearing, shouting, and posturing. Once the emotions were out of the way, the real work began.

Two hours in, we made the decision to enlarge the team. Tank, Bobby and Lester were my core team. I trusted them with my life, and I knew they felt the same way about each other and about me. But we couldn't do this alone. After a brief discussion, we called in Hector, Ram, Woody, Binkie, Vince and Erik. All of these were good men. They've earned my trust and my respect. I knew I could trust them, and right now I needed them like never before. I needed the manpower, for sure, but I also needed their expertise in their fields of specialty. Once the rest of the team had been assembled, planning began in earnest.

After a couple more hours, we had a plan. Or plans, rather. Good plans, as far as I could tell. We needed some more intel, but I knew who to ask. Once we got the additional information, all plans would be finalized and we would be set to strike.

When the meeting was over, I watched the men file out. I motioned for Tank to remain. He got up and shut the door before returning to his seat. As he met my gaze with a steely glare, I knew my instincts were correct. Pierre was holding out on me.

"Talk," I ordered.

Silence.

I assessed the big man in front of me. Tank and I went way back. He couldn't have been any more my brother if we shared the same blood. He was the one person who knew the real me. More than Stephanie, even. Tank knew the truth about my history. The whole truth. The whole ugly truth. The truth that I had tried desperately to shield Steph from. Of course he did. He had been right there by my side during most of it.

"Tank?" I tried again.

"I don't get it, Ranger," he started. "There's something you're still not telling me. Something still isn't ringing true here. Either you come completely clean, or fuck you. You can do this on your own."

"What are you saying? You'll walk away from Rangeman?" I couldn't believe he was threatening me like this.

"I won't work for you if I can't trust you," Tank said sadly.

I sat for a moment, pondering. Finally, I realized he was right. I needed Tank to have my back. Besides, I owed it to him to be completely honest. Completely and totally honest. With a sigh, I sat back in my chair, and started over. This time I left nothing out.

But when I was done, I still didn't know what secret Tank was keeping from me.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The next morning, I got up, went for a run, showered and ate breakfast. All the while I was dreading the conversation that I needed to have next. There was going to be no easy way out for me this time.

Finally, I heard movement in the bedroom, and a few minutes later Deb appeared. She was still in her bathrobe and her hair and leftover make-up from the night before did little to improve her appeal. Not that I cared. She held no interest to me. I was still amazed that she had at one time. It seemed like a different life time.

"Deb," I said as she entered the kitchen. She started at my voice, and then graced me with a glare.

"Shit, Carlos! When did you get here?" she shot out, and continued on her way to the coffee pot, barely sparing me a glance.

"I came up after my run. I needed to see you." I knew she wouldn't like the following conversation any more than I would. I raised an eyebrow at her pained reaction to my words, but continued anyway, "We need to talk."

"Nothing good ever comes from that statement," she said with a rueful smile.

She poured herself a cup of coffee, brushed the hair out of her face and made her way over to the breakfast bar, snagging a chocolate chip muffin from the basket that Ella had brought up earlier. What is it with women and their chocolate fixation?

"Let's go into the living room," I suggested. "We'll be more comfortable there."

"Whatever you want, Ranger," she said, shuffling past me. She made no attempt to touch me on her way past, nor did she make eye contact.

Once we were settled on the couch, I began the speech I had prepared earlier. For once, Deb didn't interrupt or protest. I was surprised, but relieved.

"So," she stated when I was done. "Basically, you want to use me as bait to drag Aldo in, in order to keep the precious Stephanie Plum safe? Is that about it, Ranger?" she asked sarcastically. I had expected a louder reaction to my speech, so the quiet venom in her voice was unsettling.

I leveled my gaze at her. I took in her tight expression, the tension lines evident on her face, the nervous movements of her fingers in her lap. This wasn't easy for her. She hadn't asked to be a part of it, either. I knew I had to tread carefully.

"No, Deb," I began. "That's not exactly the case. We need to get Aldo into the system, for his own safety, as well as yours." I watched her closely, gauging her reaction. I had never asked Deb exactly what her relationship with Aldo had been. I never considered her to be a woman who would be frivolous with her feelings, but when it comes to women, who knows what they're thinking?

I reached over for her hand, but she pulled it away from me and shot me a dirty look. Chastised, I settled back into my side of the couch, and began again. "This is important, Deb. Your life is at stake here. These are bad guys we're dealing with. They'll stop at nothing to get what they're after, and if they think I'm holding out on them, they won't hesitate to use you to get Aldo. But they won't be so nice about it."

We had been over this several times. I don't know what was so hard for her to grasp. This was the way it had to be. There was no other solution.

Deb sat quietly, her eyes searching my face. Finally she seemed satisfied with what she saw. "Alright," she said at last, "how are we going to go about this?"