I met Lester in the lobby, files in hand. He gestured to a SUV and hopped in the drivers side. I'd long stopped arguing with him and the others over who got to drive. It wasn't worth it and I honestly didn't care. He scrunched his face as he started the car. "What's your problem?"
"Seriously stop using Rangers shower stuff. Its so weird to think your attractive when you come in smelling like him." Caught, my face turned red.

"Well then stop with the attractive bit and it wont be such a problem."

That earned me a smile and Les winked at me. "Never gonna happen Beautiful."

I rolled my eyes and we headed over to the hair salon in Eweing Township where Jen Cassity worked. I studied her picture on the way. She was a pretty black girl with curly hair and big brown eyes. Very girl next door type. Her file seemed to lean in that direction as well. Had been in honors program in school, lots of extracurriculars. Her dad owned a successful barber shop in the area and when he got sick she decided to drop out of college and get her own beauticians license and run the business. Somewhere along the way she met douche lord Trace and apparently made an impression.

"I cannot imagine what her life was like being stalked like that." Lester raised an incredulous eyebrow at me. "I mean yeah, but Im a bounty hunter. I'm constantly dealing with losers, its part of my job. She was just going about her life when bam, suddenly theres naked videos of her on the internet. And then he tried to rape her. Its fuckin unreal, you know."

Lester dipped his head, "Agreed. And let that anger fuel our search today and lead to some success."

"Here here."

We pulled across the street and a few spaces down from her shop 'Cassity Cuts'. Both of us started canvassing our surroundings trying to find anything out of place or not quite right. We both came up empty and focused our attention on the large traditional style barbershop window. Jen was in there, all right. It looked like all hands were on deck today. Her three other stylists were also in, and there were a few customers sitting near the door, probably waiting for their turn in the chair. I stretched out a bit and Les killed the engine. Looked like we'd be doing the waiting game for a bit today. If it proved unsuccessful, we were back at the drawing board for any information. My gut told me this was right though. From what I'd read so far there was no way he'd stay away for long.

We hung out for 3 hours watching customers coming and leaving, with absolutely no activity on Trace Lang. By hour 2 my ass was numb. By hour three i was fidgety and wiggling with a desperate need for something to happen. Fortunately Lester was a good one to get Fidgety with. He also hated a stake out. We were both itchin for a take down and were a little dissapointed our skip hadn't followed our predictions.

"First sexual experience?" He wagged his eyebrows at me, continuing our little truth game that we'd been playing for a while.

"Uhhh. six years old. Joe Morelli."

"The fuck? six? that doesn't count."

"Okay, 16, Joe Morelli."

"Damn. You guys go back way too far."

"Yeah, well that's the Burg for you. What about you?"

His eyes got dreamy. "Constance Louise Castillo. I was 14, she was 19. It was Magic"
"You teen boys and older women. I bet you were some smart mouth scrawny kid, what the hell did she see in you."

He raised his eyebrows and grinned. "I don't know what she saw in me, but I certainly know what I saw in her."

I had to laugh and shake my head. "Walked right into that one."

"What happened with you and the Cop. What really happened?"

"We weren't progressing. All of those shitty things I didn't like about myself and not being able to move forward with my life? Joe is all of those things. Joe and I were never going to go anywhere, we weren't good for each other. Just a placeholder in each others lives, preventing either of us from actually having to make big life decisions. He couldn't marry me because of my job, which I was never going to quit. And I couldn't marry him because his feelings about my job that I was never going to quit. Bounty Hunting was just our scapegoat, it was just our reason for not having to actually go through with anything."

"Not that I don't agree, but any other factors in the big break up?"

"Like..?"

"Like other people."

"Honestly, Lester, you're worse than my mother right now."

He put a hand over his chest dramatically. "Beautiful, you wound me."

We sat for a few minutes. Jen was still cutting away, but her other Stylists had gone home and no other customers were waiting by the door. Must be closing time.
"Yeah he factors in." Lester was quiet now. "I mean, talk about life progression. Look at how far Ranger has come since I've known him. Look at how he's grown his business."

We watched Jen finish up her cut and ring up the last customer. We were both more aware now. If Trace was going to wait until she was alone, the time was coming. She started to clean up and I watched the windows and storefronts on my side, to see if Trace had been lying in wait close by. Lester kept an eye on Jen, the shop and any approaching vehicles.

"I always wanted to be a superhero. Since I was little. I wanted to catch the bad guy and save the damsel." Lester smirked, not taking his eyes off their actual damsel. "I know I'm stuck being in distress more than saving someone else, but i want that to change. I'm my best self when I'm with Ranger. I'm exactly who I always hoped I would be. Not some fucking burg wife waiting on my hubby to come home for pot roast at 6."

We both watched as Jen got into her car. Lester gave her a head start before pulling out and following. He was good at setting up a tail. And we were both good at spotting one. Jen didn't live in the Ewing township, but towards Princeton. Once we had gotten onto the interstate we both saw the '96 blue Chevy truck keeping a measured distance from her. The truck never went more than two cars behind her and kept up a steady pace. The driver was wearing shades but I could see the sunlight glimmer off his bald head.

"Im willing to put big money down on that being our guy."

"I'm unwilling to bet against you. Wheres her turnoff?"

"Next exit, straight off the ramp and down into the burbs."

They dropped back a few more cars, laying a trap. I felt bad that, yet again, Jen was a pawn in a Trace game. But we were doing our best to bring this dickhead back to jail. We watched him violate the restraining order and get within a one car distance. I knew what was coming before he did it. I heard metal crunch just as the off ramp lost view of the interstate and before it turned into housing. Lester punched down on the gas and brought the "accident" into view.

Trace was already out of the car and trying to remove Jen from her little cruiser, which had taken the brunt of the crash. We pulled up behind the truck and I was out before the car was fully stopped. Lester made an unhappy growl as he threw the SUV into park and followed. Our appearance had startled Trace and his grip on Jen slackened. I chanced a glance her way and she was in tough shape from what I could tell. Her head must have bounced off the steering wheel on impact, she wasn't reacting to seeing her stalker and she had blood dripping into her eyes. I removed my gun from the holster and aimed at Trace. In my book this man was dangerous and i was afraid upon getting caught he would do something crazy. I saw his body move back towards Jen and knew my suspicions were correct.

"I don't think so, dipshit." Lester said, his weapon also trained on Trace.

"Bond enforcement. Trace Lang you missed your court date. Id say I need to bring you in to reschedule but you are also breaking a restraining order and attempting bodily harm of this Woman." I watched his hands clench and figured this was it, he'd either submit or run. "Put your hands behind your back and I'm going to come over to cuff you."

"Or I can come over to help." Lester threatened. I always appreciated Lester and his light sense of humor, but he could terrify the best of them when needed. Like all the other Merry Men Lester was dangerous and the vibe rolled of him in waves when he allowed it. Trace gave one last look over to Jen and then turned to sprint away. I reacted and shot him in the leg. It was my first real shot since starting training and I was momentarily stunned.

Lester was too and turned to me with his mouth open. "Beautiful...I think I need to buy you a beer."
He walked over to cuff Trace and check out his bullet hole. I needed to check on Jen and assess her medical situation.

"Flesh wound! Steph you shot him right behind his Tibia! Nice clean shot." Lester yelled over as I took her pulse. It was there, steady and strong. But she had to have a concussion from the crash. I didn't want to risk injury from moving her from the car. Lester cuffed Trace on both his arms and legs with flex cuffs and left him face down in the grass.

"How is she?"

"Not conscious. I hate to say it, but I think we need to call this in. She needs medical attention."

"Pretty scary when he threatened her life and leapt through the window at her." He looked at me and winked. "Thank god you kept cool and shot him in the leg like that."

"What can I say, I'm good under pressure."

I called 911 and we dealt with the cops and EMS workers. Even called in a Rangeman sanctioned Tow truck for her poor little car.

"Steph. I gotta say," Lester started as everyone else had cleared out and we got back into the SUV, "I'm a little hard right now. That shot was..."

I punched him in the shoulder. "Boundaries, Lester! I do not now, nor do I ever need to hear about the state of your erection."

"I was serious about that beer. Someone needs to celebrate you becoming an official bad ass. Using your gun, which was not only on your person, but also loaded."

"While that sounds amazing right now, I've got a date at 8." I checked the time. "Which leaves me about 30 minutes to not only get back to Rangeman, but also shower and get ready."

"Just my opinion, but I think you can skip the shower. You've got this whole sexy power vibe working for you right now."

I took note of myself. It wasn't often that I was clean after picking up a skip. But here I was, looking no worse for wear than when we'd left Rangeman that afternoon. No weird smell, no garbage or unidentifiable substances on my person. I wasn't looking as sexy as I wanted for the talk we were going to have, but I was passable. And it was this or be late. "You know, screw it. You're right. Its not a date date anyway."

"Well in that case, remove the bra first. Just a friendly tip."

I socked him in the arm again. "Perv. Its a talk, not a date."

He threw in some air quotes. "Talk." "In that case I have a call to make to have a "talk" with my own friend." I snorted. "Hey, no judgement. Its my night off. If you won't have a beer with me, I'll just have to find someone who will. Hopefully someone who puts out."

We headed back to Trenton via the interstate and rolled into the Rangeman garage at 7:43.
I tipped my head upside down to floof my curls and rolled my shoulders back. Lester watched. "Nervous?"

"You have no idea."

"Nothing to be nervous about."

Ha. Yeah right. It was basically make or break time for my heart. I liked to think I had grown emotionally and could accept any rejection thrown my way, but my sweaty palms told me otherwise. This was my moment to lay it all out there. And possibly get shown the door. "Well its time for me to see if someday has arrived or if I'm Ranger's Morelli, so.."

"I wouldn't use that exact bring up your ex. Bad vibes, you know."

"The sentiment remains. Either we move forward or I stop being his reason not to."

"Well go get em beautiful." We both got out of the car and headed to the elevator. Lester got off on 4 and turned around. "But seriously, consider the no bra thing. Works every time."

I pushed him towards the closing doors. The elevator started climbing again, and I made a split second decision. Turning my back to the camera I slipped my bra off under my tank top and stuffed it into my purse. I needed all the help I could get.