Joseph Morelli had never felt so hated in his life. Stephanie's loyal FTAs glared at him. If looks could kill, he would be dead. A few went out of their way to bump into his arm. "You should be dead," several muttered.
What was he supposed to do? It was too late to undo the damage he had caused. Stephanie, his Cupcake, was lost forever. He would never see her smiling face again. Morelli tried to talk to Mary Lou, but she refused to acknowledge him.
Joe had planned to attend the gathering at the Polish hall but decided against going. Was he a coward? Definitely. Was he responsible for Stephanie's death? Yes, indirectly. Joe turned off his cell phone when it didn't stop ringing for more than a few seconds. He knew people would leave nasty messages.
Instead of going home, Joe drove to Pete's Pub to grab a drink. Joe wasn't surprised when Eddie Gazarra, Carl Costanza and Big Dog joined him at the bar. "To Stephanie," Eddie said after the bartender poured their drinks.
"Stephanie," the others repeated. They had three drinks a piece before going their separate ways.
Joe went home to listen to his messages. As expected, most were from people angry with Joe's involvement in Stephanie's kidnapping and death.
-SMSMSMSM-
Julie refused to let Stephanie leave her sight. Stephanie thought it was a bit much, though she understood how Julie felt. "Are you going to let the world know you're alive?" Julie asked after watching Mulan.
"No. We purposely let everyone think I was dead. Your father and I want to ensure the cartel associates aren't looking for me," Stephanie explained.
"That makes sense. How long would it take to know for sure?"
"A year," Ranger replied. "I have people listening for chatter."
"So Stephanie will resurrect from the dead in a year?" Julie asked.
"That's the goal," Stephanie replied. "Until you hear from your father or me, you can't tell anyone I'm alive. Jules, your mother knows the truth. You may talk to her in private."
"Can I visit again?" Julie was afraid they'd make her maintain her distance. She hoped her dad and Stephanie would let her visit again.
"I would love nothing more," Stephanie replied. "You still have another day before you need to go home."
Julie felt the week had passed too fast. She watched movies with Stephanie and baked cookies. Marianna made the dough. All Stephanie and Julie had to do was bake them. Stephanie and Julie enjoyed their time together.
When it was time for Julie to leave, Stephanie passed her a gift. "What is this?" Julie asked.
"A birthday present. I know your birthday was last month. Your dad already sent a gift, but this is something I wanted you to have," Stephanie replied.
Julie's hands shook as she unwrapped the present. She found a music box inside. When Julie opened the box, the theme music for Batman played, making her giggle. Julie stared inside, unwilling to remove the items. "Mom?" Julie whispered after a few minutes.
"The necklace was mine. My grandfather Plum gave it to me for my sixteenth birthday. I wanted you to have it."
"I'm not sixteen yet," Julie said. Tears ran down her cheeks. Stephanie gently wiped them.
"I know, but I couldn't wait that long for you to have it. The earrings have your birthstone and inconspicuous trackers beneath the gems. They're fourteen-karat gold, so they shouldn't irritate your ears. You don't have to wear the earrings all the time, but I want you to wear them on your school trip to Washington."
Julie smiled when she found charms on the bracelet. "Why do I have elastics here?" Julie asked.
"Those contain trackers," Stephanie explained. "Did you know that's how the guys found me?"
"Seriously? Didn't your kidnapper remove your jewelry and hair elastic?" Julie shook her head. The kidnappers were amateurs. Even Scrog remembered to remove all jewelry and hair accessories. Scrog was an amateur.
"They passed it off as a regular hair accessory. I didn't tell them any different," Stephanie replied. "You don't have to wear them, and Hector would only activate the tracker if you go missing."
"That sounds fair. Would wearing them help you relax?" Julie asked. Stephanie nodded. "Do you know I have a panic button? I wondered why Daddy didn't give you one."
"I have one, but I couldn't get to it in time," Stephanie confessed. Julie wondered how that was possible. "I thought I was tired from the pregnancy. It never occurred to me that the food got drugged. Spending the night in my old apartment wasn't part of the plan. I only wanted to rest for a few hours, then finish packing my closet."
"Are you ever going to move back to Trenton?" Julie asked.
"No. My home is here," Stephanie replied. Stephanie never wanted to see Trenton again. She would miss her nieces and father, but it was unavoidable.
Stephanie was sad when Julie left to go home. Carlos drove his daughter home, leaving Stephanie behind. She was beginning to go stir-crazy inside Rangeman.
-SMSMSMSM-
Frank enjoyed running Veteran Security. The contract workers were pleased to have full-time employment. Some of their wives cooked and cleaned for the men living on the fourth floor. Frank appreciated Tank and Bobby sticking around to help everyone transition. Ram, Cal and Zip would stay for another month to train the newer employees.
Junior went to Chicago to oversee the renovations on the building they purchased for Rangeman Chicago. Bobby would join him once the Veteran Security employees passed the required Rangeman physical tests.
"You still got it, Sir," Bobby said when Frank finished his pull-ups. Frank caught his employees watching. He had to be an example. The men were expected to meet the basic requirements. Frank was determined to keep up with the younger men.
"What's left on your list?" Frank asked.
"Sparring with Tank or Ranger," Bobby replied.
Frank caught Tank's eye and motioned for the mats. Tank raised an eyebrow, but he complied. After removing his weapons and shoes, Tank climbed through the ropes. Bobby listed the standard rules. "Pull your punches. The first man to pin the other three times is the winner. To pass this test, you have to last at least fifteen minutes."
Tank got caught off guard. Frank had him on the mats within a few minutes. "I see the General learned a few new tricks," Tank said.
"New tricks, my ass," Frank snarled. "I've had those moves for a long time."
Frank heard the fifteen-minute timer sound. He could have stopped the fight, but Frank wanted to show the men his skills. "Bring it on, General," Tank snapped. "Don't pull your punches."
Tank narrowly missed a roundhouse kick to his ribs. Frank let the suppressed fury rise to the surface. It took less than five minutes for Frank to knock out Tank. Sensing Frank had more rage to burn, Cal climbed into the ring. They waited for Bobby to pull Tank from the mats before sparring.
Cal and Frank pulled their punches while getting a good workout. "Thank you, Sir," Cal said, tapping out. Frank grinned when the other men inside the gym said he was scarier than Ranger.
-SMSMSMSM-
Stephanie went to her appointment with Dr. Brianne Walker. "How are you feeling?" Dr. Walker asked.
"Great," Stephanie replied. "My ribs are still wrapped, but it doesn't hurt as much."
"Lie back on the table," Dr. Walker ordered. Stephanie waited for the doctor to palpate her abdomen. "Everything looks good. You can have sex with your husband. Do you have any questions?"
Stephanie's face flushed beet red. "Um. I do have one question. How soon can I get pregnant?"
"Whenever you want. I'll monitor you when it happens," Dr. Walker promised. Stephanie was relieved. She worried about miscarrying another child. "Stephanie, every pregnancy is different. Extenuating circumstances caused you to miscarry."
"I know, but it still bothers me that I couldn't protect my son," Stephanie explained. Dr. Walker recommended that Stephanie speak to a therapist. Stephanie resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Talking about her concerns to a shrink was not in her plans.
Stephanie promised to consider the recommendation and said she'd make an appointment once the pregnancy test showed a positive result. She was smiling when she left the doctor's office.
"Good news, Babe?" Carlos asked when Stephanie climbed into the car.
"The best," she replied. Marco raised an eyebrow. Stephanie and Ranger ignored Marco. Ranger entwined their fingers. He couldn't wait to get home to make love to his wife. They had a lot of time to make up.
When they returned to Rangeman, Ranger said, "I'm offline." Marco grinned, knowing how his brother planned to occupy the time with his wife.
-SMSMSMSM-
Bobby met Junior in Chicago after the medical assessments were completed for Veteran Security. He was shocked Frank and his buddies were in excellent shape. The younger men were excited to work with military legends.
Upon learning Frank Plum and his friends were running Veteran Security under Rangeman's umbrella, the business and home security clients agreed to renew their contracts with rebranded Rangeman Trenton.
"Have you visited Mom?" Junior asked. Junior drove to Bobby's favourite diner, correctly assuming his brother was hungry.
"Not yet. Have you?" Bobby asked. He smiled when Junior parked in the parking lot behind Rosa's Diner.
"I'm staying with Mom for a few days," Junior replied. "I told her you were coming today."
Bobby looked at his brother and shook his head. Why would Junior rat him out? "Junior, why did you tell her?" Bobby asked.
"She was happy to see me," Junior shrugged. Junior wasn't Bobby's biological brother. Bobby's parents adopted Junior after his parents died in a tragic car accident on the way home from a wedding. Their parents were close friends and vowed to raise the children if anything happened. Junior was too young to remember his family. "Why do you have a problem with Mom?" Junior surprised Bobby by asking.
A pretty waitress interrupted their conversation to pour coffee and take their order. Bobby watched her ass as she approached the kitchen.
"Mom keeps inviting eligible women for dinner. She wants me to get married and have children. Heck, I still have nightmares from some missions. Why would I want to expose a fragile woman to that shit?" Bobby angrily replied.
Junior held up his hands. "You don't have to tell me, bro. Mom does the same to me. I take the eligible woman for a test drive, then thank her for spending the night. You'll find the women aren't so fragile." Junior wiggled his eyebrows, reminding Bobby of his best friend, Lester.
"You can't continue on that path, Junior," Bobby warned. "Eventually, the single women will refuse invitations."
"Until that day happens, I'm going to take advantage," Junior joked. At least, Bobby hoped Junior was joking.
"How are things moving at Rangeman Chicago?" Bobby asked, changing the subject. Junior gave Bobby the paperwork for the renovation schedule.
"Quicker than I expected. It's amazing how efficient the construction workers get when you threaten them with Ranger," Junior replied. Bobby pinched his nose. "The employee apartments are receiving the final touches. All we really need is furniture."
Bobby moved the documents to the side when the pretty waitress returned. He read the name tag attached above her right breast. "Thank you, Abby," Bobby said. Abby blushed. She looked over her shoulder as she walked away. Bobby winked when he caught her eye.
"Do you know what to order?" Junior asked.
"Yes. It's not the first time I placed a furniture order for Rangeman," Bobby replied. He referred to the documents to determine how many beds and dressers to purchase. The men would have to select their sofas and chairs from the available options.
Bobby emailed the supplier, asking if they delivered to Chicago. He smiled when the affirmative response arrived. Bobby told his contact how many apartments they were furnishing. He promised to have the selections for the living room emailed once he talked to the men moving to Chicago.
"Good news?" Junior asked, pointing to Bobby's phone.
"Yes. The bedroom furniture will get delivered to Rangeman Chicago in two weeks," Bobby announced. "Are you moving back here?"
"Probably. I'm not expecting you to move back home, Bobby. I promise not to tell Mom you're here to stay," Junior replied. Bobby nodded in appreciation. He didn't want to give their mother false hope. "How long are you staying?"
"Until the men arrive and get the work schedules aligned," Bobby replied. "Tank will be here in a few weeks to help."
"I assume Tank will train the branch manager the ropes?" Junior asked. He wondered who would be the manager. Marco Manoso was the Miami manager. Junior didn't think Marco would move to Chicago.
"Matthew Smith from Boston got offered the management role. Tank, Lester and I didn't want the job. We're relocating to Miami. However, we don't have a second in command for Chicago," Bobby replied. "Nobody submitted their name."
Junior was shocked. He knew many men who wanted the position. Heck, Junior wanted the job. Junior would have an apartment on site. Bobby smiled as he watched his brother. Reggie was warring with his thoughts. He had wanted to apply for the job but didn't think he had the skills to succeed. "I was going to," Junior confessed.
"Reggie, you're a strong employee. You have a lot of great ideas. I had taken some of them to the others. They value your input," Bobby explained. Junior was shocked. He didn't realize his brother had taken his suggestions to the core team.
"But I haven't worked at Rangeman long enough," Junior argued. Bobby reminded him that Ranger only hired the man suited for the job. It was not necessarily according to seniority. "I'm not a role model or a leader."
Bobby sighed. "Reggie, talk to your friends." Bobby had more faith in his brother than Junior had in himself.
Abby returned with the bill. She placed it on the table closest to Bobby. Junior waited until Abby left before laughing. Abby had added her phone number to the cheque. Bobby could feel Abby watching. He entered her number into his phone, then sent her a text. She would read his invitation after her shift.
Junior drove to the newest Rangeman branch after eating breakfast. Bobby walked around the building, looking for weaknesses in external security. Finding none, Bobby entered the building, then went to the control room floor. He checked the camera placement. Bobby was pleased. Everything got installed according to the specifications on the schematics.
"Looks good," Bobby commented. Junior nodded, knowing his hard work had paid off. He installed the cameras with little assistance. It wasn't too difficult to get the cameras in place during the building renovations. "You did a good job, Reggie."
"Thanks," Junior replied. He didn't mind his name, but it was a constant reminder of his father. When the Browns adopted him, they insisted that Reggie retain his surname.
Jose Reginald Diaz was born in Chicago. His parents moved to the States when a cartel raided their village in Mexico. They were visiting relatives in Mexico City. Everyone in the village was murdered. Reggie's mother, Risa, lost her family during the raid. Jose SR lost his family several years earlier. Their only living relative was Risa's grandparents living in Mexico City. They could have assumed custody of Reggie, but Risa's grandmother, Ana, wanted Reggie to have a better life than they could offer. Ana and Romeo didn't give Risa enough money to flee the country for no reason.
Risa and Jose met Bobby's parents when Jose accepted a job working in a factory. Ryan, Bobby's father, worked at the immigration office and helped Risa and Jose apply for their VISAs and citizenships. Without Ryan Brown's assistance, Jose and Risa would have been deported. Junior couldn't have asked for better parents.