A/N: All recognizable characters belong to Janet Evanovich. I use them for fun and not profit.

A/N: The italicized flashback sequence is dialogue taken from Eleven on Top by Janet Evanovich

Chapter 13

I spent the night on seven. I knew someone was going to be sleeping on the sofa and that someone would be me. Ranger's sofa was much comfier than mine. When we entered the apartment I walked straight into Ranger's bedroom and pulled the comforter off his bed. I grabbed a pillow and headed back to the living room. I wanted to be in Ranger's bed and there was no doubt he wanted me there. I was sleeping on the sofa because I was working really hard at being a grown-up, and it sucked.

I slept well, if not long. Ranger left the apartment early in the morning either to run or meet someone on the mats. Exercise was an unchangeable part of his day. I knew he'd be gone for a while and I used the opportunity afforded me. I went into his bathroom and looked longingly at the shower. It had been a long time, and I wanted to hop in and steam away my problems. That might create a bigger problem though so I hurriedly took care of morning business.

I took the elevator down, knowing I'd be more likely to run into Ranger on the stairs. I didn't have a plan on how to get home, but I was hoping I could come up with something other than helping myself to a RangeMan vehicle. That was my last choice. When I entered the garage I looked around to see no RangeMan personnel. I walked past a row of black SUVs considering my options and thought I saw motion in one.

I walked to the driver's window and saw my reflection. My hair was forming a wild halo around my head and it was scary. Looking beyond the reflection I saw something even scarier. A body! Then the body twitched and I saw that it was Lester asleep in the reclined seat, his legs crossed at the ankles and resting on the dash. I tapped on the window and he opened his eyes, jumping in the seat when he saw me. He rolled the window down and said, "Geez," then simultaneously we said, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm escaping," I said, "and I need a ride home."

He nodded to the passenger's door. "Hop in." I did and then I began my questioning.

"What are you doing sleeping the garage, Lester?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment and said, "It's a long story. Feel like breakfast?" We drove through Dunkin' Donuts and sat in the parking lot munching and drinking coffee. "Spill," I said. "Why were you sleeping in the garage?"

Lester took a sip of coffee and then looked at the floor when he spoke. "My grandpa and your grandma are driving me crazy. They're together all the time and when they're…" he shuddered, "doing 'it' they put a do not disturb sign on my door. And when I can come in they've got the furniture pushed back against the wall and they're dancing to music from the polka channel. The other day they were salsa dancing!" I couldn't help myself. I laughed out loud. Go Grandma, I thought.

"It's not funny, Stephanie! That do not disturb sign comes out about three times a day. I found a prescription bottle of Viagra in my medicine cabinet! I had to move in with Vince, but he was entertaining last night. I just gave up and slept in the SUV."

"I thought your grandpa was looking for a place to live," I said.

Lester nodded his head in agreement, "In theory he is. He just can't keep his pant's on long enough to go look. I'm taking the day off. I'm gonna find them a love nest of their very own."

He dropped me off at my apartment and I wished him good luck with his real estate search. I avoided the elevator and ran upstairs. Ranger wasn't the only one who exercised in the morning. Much to my amazement I found Dillon prepping my door for a new coat of paint. This was going to cost me at least a twelve-pack. I'd had him up late identifying my stalker and now he was here early removing the ugly evidence. He was protecting me in his own way from the prying eyes of my neighbors by cleaning up the door before most of them had a chance to see it. He was a good friend.

As I was getting ready to face the day, I became introspective. I had many good friends. Last night I added Rob Balestere to that list. I didn't see him as a potential lover, although I knew first hand he had the credentials. Tonight I had a dinner date with my old boss who indicated he wanted to make a closer connection with me. I was going to go and have fun and Ranger be damned! He couldn't disappear at a time of crisis and return and expect me to welcome him back with open arms.

I was ready to go and was out my door by nine. Dillon was just finishing up the paint job. I thanked him and made a mental note to stop for beer. We had a nice arrangement. I phoned Lula on my way to the office. "Are you ready for this?" I asked.

"Damn Skippy, I am! I'm lookin' forward to it. I'm running a little late though. I had an overnight guest and it kinda put me off my schedule. I'll be at the office in a half-hour."

"Who was your overnight guest?" I asked, knowing full well it had been Tank. "Bunchy?"

"Hell no," she said. I could mentally visualize the full body shiver she'd done. "Bunchy is Connie's man now and she's welcome to him. Tankie spent the evening with me. I told him we were going after Joyce today and he said RangeMan would help. I told him no way. We're looking forward to doing this on our own."

She was right. I couldn't remember being so excited to go after a skip in recent times. I arrived at the bonds office as Connie was leaving.

"Hi," she said. "Glad you're here. I won't have to lock up. I'm on my way to get donuts. I'll be right back." I went in and flopped on the Naugahyde sofa and waited for my second serving of donuts for the day.

Vinnie was not in the office and as I sat in the quiet space my mind returned to Ranger. When I'd lost the baby he left Trenton and I knew why, even if I didn't agree with his actions. I remembered the conversation we'd had at Mama Macaroni's funeral after I began sobbing uncontrollably.

"The ceremony is over. Can you make it back to the car?"

I nodded. "I'm okay now. Am I red and blotchy from crying?"

"Yes," Ranger said, brushing a kiss across my forehead. "I love you anyway."

"There's all kinds of love," I said.

Ranger took me by the hand and led me back to the SUV. "This is the kind that doesn't call for a ring. But a condom might come in handy."

"That's not love," I told him. "That's lust."

"In this case, there's some of both."

"Just not the marrying type?"

We'd reached the car, and Ranger remoted it open. "Look at me, Babe. I'm carrying two guns and a knife. At this point in my life, I'm not exactly family material."

"Do you think that will change?"

Ranger opened the door for me. "Not anytime soon."

When he'd discovered my pregnancy he'd married me without hesitation. I knew in my heart it wasn't the same situation as Rachel. He was going to try to juggle a relationship and impending fatherhood with his lifestyle despite his reservations. And then we'd been attacked and I lost the baby. He left to protect me and maybe it had been as hard on him as it was on me. He was right. We had to talk.

The door to the bonds office swung open and my thoughts were pulled back to the present. Connie came in carrying a bag from the Tasty Pastry with Lula on her heels. Lula was dressed for action. She had a black track suit on with a row of sequins running up the sides of her pants. Her feet were encased in matching black runners with a pink swoosh on the side. Her rhinestone-studded pink head band completed the outfit. She wanted Joyce as much as I did. I knew we'd be successful.

"I don't understand why Joyce is so stupid," Lula said. "Being FTA could make her lose her BEA license and I thought she liked working for Vinnie."

"Joyce isn't thinking too clearly these days. She's in a lot of trouble." Connie took a bite of her donut before continuing. "She talked Vinnie into putting up the entire bond for her. She didn't have money for a deposit and she didn't want to use her house. She promised him 'rewards' and then she didn't deliver."

"You mean kinky sex?" Lula asked.

"That's what I mean. She didn't make good on her promise and Vinnie is pissed. And she's got bigger problems than that. She's run through her settlement from ex-husband number four and there is no ex-husband number five."

Knowing Joyce was down on her luck didn't make Lula and me any less eager to bring her in. We sat for a moment and planned our strategy.

Stake outs weren't fun anytime, but when you combined them with cold weather and hot coffee they were less enjoyable. We'd been sitting in the Cadillac across the street from Joyce's house waiting for her to leave. The minute she left her door we were going to charge and grab her.

We'd been in the car for two hours and it was approaching lunch. Lula had been wiggling and fidgeting in her seat for the last half hour. I knew what was coming.

"I'm hungry and I gotta pee."

I sighed and turned the ignition over. "There's a convenience store just around the corner. You run in and pee and I'll buy us some Tastykakes and hopefully we won't miss her. Then if she doesn't show we'll go knock on her door."

"That's a good idea," Lula said as I pulled away from the curb. "I need to get home early today 'cause Tank's coming over for supper."

"What about that problem you had with communication?" I asked.

"I learned communication goes both ways," she said. "Tank communicated to me Bunchy was a cop and I'm just showin' him my appreciation for the information."

We got in and out of the convenience store in a hurry and as I turned the corner I saw Joyce's blue Mercedes pulling out of her driveway. I didn't think she'd seen my latest vehicle, but I kept my distance. It became obvious she was headed to Pino's. She pulled her car in the lot and started walking to the entrance.

I pulled next to her and Lula and I hopped out. Lula pulled a huge handgun out of her purse and yelled, "Bond enforcement, don't move or I'll put a cap up your ass." Joyce took off running and I followed.

I heard the safety come off Lula's gun and I yelled, "No shooting!" Joyce turned with a gun in her hand and fired wildly and then continued to run for the door of Pino's. Unfortunately for her, she'd chosen to wear high-heeled boots and I was gaining on her. I leaped to tackle her from behind and we both hit the ground. Joyce's face hit the concrete with a loud crack. She rolled over and dug her inch-long acrylic nails into my shoulder. Slowly she worked her hands around my neck. I twisted and turned and tried to break her grip. No way was I going to be strangled by Joyce Barnhardt.

I heard Lula running up to help me. Suddenly Joyce was lifted off me and I got my first good look at her. She was missing the porcelain veneers on both her front teeth and her nose was bleeding. I realized my savior was Eddie Gazarra. He cuffed her and began mirandizing her immediately. He hauled her off while Lula and I stood speechlessly watching. He locked her in the back of his patrol car that was parked at the end of Pino's lot.

As he returned to Lula and me he was talking on his radio. I didn't know what he was saying or who he was saying it to, but I hoped my name wasn't being mentioned. He looked at Lula, "You were carrying that firearm in the open, isn't that right? And it is a legally registered weapon, isn't that right?"

Lula was sweating in spite of the cold day. She really had an issue with cops. "Uh, yeah. That's exactly right," she said.

Eddie looked over at me and then back at Lula. "Yeah, that's the way I saw it. I was sitting in my patrol car finishing up my meatball sub and a bullet tore through my windshield and about took my ear off. It lodged in my head-rest. Joyce is in a world of hurt. I'm charging her with public discharge of a weapon and attempted felony murder."

Lula and looked at each other in astonishment. Eddie continued, "I'll probably have to get statements from you two. And then you can go down and get your body receipt. You think Vinnie will be rebonding her?" Lula and I shook our heads no.

An hour and a half later we'd had lunch at Pino's and picked up the body receipt for Joyce. We ate mostly in stunned silence. As we headed into the bonds office Lula broke out in laughter. "What's so funny?" I asked.

"I said I was gonna put a cap up her ass and you knocked the caps outta her mouth. Seems kinda fittin' somehow." We walked into the bonds office and laid the body receipt on Connie's desk. Lula put her hand on Connie's shoulder and said, "Girl, do we have a story to tell you."

By the time I'd left the bonds office it was past mid-afternoon. Anthony was picking me up early as it was a little distance to the restaurant he'd chosen. I didn't know where we were going, but he promised it would be someplace special. I was looking forward to an evening of pleasant conversation.

I made a quick stop by the liquor store and headed for home. Dillon was grateful for the payment. As always he offered me a beer, but I declined. I was running behind schedule. I ran up the stairs to my apartment and stopped to admire my pristine door. As I entered my apartment I heard the ding indicating a new text. I pulled my phone from my pocketbook and saw I also had six missed calls. Four calls from Morelli and two from Ranger. The text was from Ranger simply saying 'call me'.

I returned the call to Ranger immediately.

"Yo."

"Hi, I'm sorry. My phone was on silent and I never thought to turn it back on. We had a little excitement, but we got Joyce."

"I heard, Babe. I'm in the middle of something and I can't talk, but have you talked to Morelli?"

"No, I just called you."

"I'll call you back as soon as I can, but you need to call Morelli. And, Babe, you need to cancel your date tonight. Gotta go." He disconnected.

I thought about that for a moment. Joe obviously wanted to talk to me about Terry. Terry was my stalker and I was no longer worried about my safety. Joe would make sure she didn't try anything else. The clock was ticking and Anthony was due to pick me up in an hour. I didn't want to get into a conversation with Joe. I pulled out my phone and texted him back, 'Talked to Ranger. I'll call you later.'

Fifty minutes later I was ready to go and strangely nervous. I took one last look in the mirror and groaned. I was wearing a simple black dress with a scoop neck line. My neck was encircled by obvious fingertip bruises. Joyce had left her mark. I ran back to the bedroom and found a gauzy black scarf and wrapped it around my neck. My hair was a mass of curls, for once minus the frizz. Even with the unplanned addition of the scarf I looked hot.

As I waited for Anthony to arrive I remembered Ranger's odd comment about calling off my date. And then I remembered the trackers on my car. I looked at my new pocketbook. What was lurking in there I wondered. I didn't know why Ranger was back and interested in my life at exactly the time I was trying to change my future. Tonight was not the night for trackers. I quickly hurried into my bedroom and found a small black evening bag. I removed my key from my keychain and placed it along with a twenty-dollar bill and my new lipstick in the bag. I was going to have my evening with an old friend and I was going to enjoy myself.