Chapter 2
SPOV
Morning came much too quickly. I heard the alarm clock earlier, but when I turned over and saw it was still dark out, I simply pulled the soft chocolate brown comforter up over my head to drown out the noise of any future interruptions from it. "Babe…babe, it's time to get up." Mmmm, waking up to a handsome Cuban. I heard chuckling. "Babe, you're thinking out loud again. It's two in the afternoon, you've slept past breakfast and lunch. Are you feeling alright?" "I am, it just feels like forever since I've been able to sleep soundly. I've slept here and there, but it's been so interrupted and on guard." I rolled over, kicked my legs off the bed and sat up slowly. "Ranger, thank you. I feel so safe here. I really appreciate you helping me." I looked at him as sincerely and warmly as I could. "Thank you Babe, although it's hard to take you serious with your hair looking as crazy as it does." I looked up at him and he had an infectious smile on his face. It was so good to see him looking happy. Ranger helped me up and led me towards the bathroom. "Clean up and I'll make you a snack. We need to talk." After closing the door to the luxurious bathroom, I thought about what I wanted to say. I assumed he thought we needed to talk about what I told him about my feelings toward him. I know he said he loved me too, but that didn't mean he would want a committed relationship with me. I felt butterflies in my stomach over the future conversation. Or then again, maybe I was just starving since I hadn't eaten since dinner the night before.
I put on the clothes that Ranger had set out for me. It was a new pair of jeans which fit perfectly and a light pink low cut t-shirt which hugged my body. It seems Ella not only knows my clothing size, but even my shoe size and bought me a cute pair of Doc Martins. Bless Ella. My hair was cooperating today, and with the new make-up I found in the bathroom (and of course the Bulgari shower gel I lathered up with), I felt good, confident even. I was ready to face anything! Well, within reason.
When I found Ranger in the kitchen, he was reading some work files, waiting for me. He had prepared a delicious looking snack of assorted crackers, cheeses, apple, pear and wine. I licked my lips in temptation and was surprised to feel Ranger's arms snake around my waist, feeling him inhale the scent of my hair, I smiled when I heard him say, "if you'd rather satisfy another hunger babe, I'd be happy to oblige." I turned around and kissed him, tenderly but not too passionately. My stomach took that opportunity to make it's self know. "Let's feed the beast, babe."
After a yummy, although healthy snack, Ranger and I made our way to the living room with a glass of wine each. "Babe, if we just talk from the heart and thoroughly hear each other out, I don't think this will be too difficult." I smiled slightly and nodded. "I agree. You go first." "Babe, I like you being in my apartment. I thoroughly enjoyed waking up with you in my bed, in my arms. This afternoon, before I woke you, I just sat for a while and watched you sleep. The only thing better than having you in my bed would be if you were in my bed as mine." He looked at me, maybe waiting for an adverse reaction? "Stephanie, I need to know what you want." Well that's easy. "I've had nothing but time to think about my life as I laid awake at night these past few months. It is my dream to be in your life, not just as one of the best friends I've ever had, but as your partner." Ranger was unusually quiet. "Nothing would make me happier than to be your partner, but babe, if we do this, I can't go back. I won't ever let you go, I just can't. I love you more than I ever thought I could love another." I calmly set my wine glass down on the coffee table, and moved into his arms, "I love you Ranger, I love you so much!" I was crying, placing kisses all over his face. "I don't want to lose any more time than we already have. Oh…can we tell the guys?" I was practically jumping up and down, so excited to have finally admitted our feelings for eachother. "Let's go tiger, the building has been humming since you arrived. Everyone will be glad to see you."
On the way down to the fifth floor, I turned toward Ranger in the elevator and asked, "has everyone heard what happened yesterday?" "Several men heard the 'burg grapevine's version of what happened. They've been asking around for confirmation though. I was planning a meeting for this evening to catch the shift just getting off for the day as well as the shift just coming on so we can give them the truth. I wanted to run by you first what we were going to say. I don't want to disrespect your privacy, but I need the men to be prepared so they can best protect you." I was shocked. I just stood there. "Steph, tell me what you're thinking." "I've never heard you say so much without stopping. I'm just…" he cut me off, "smartass!"
It was nice to spend some time on the fifth floor and catch up with the guys whom I had missed terribly, especially after catching up on sleep.
It's been a few days that I've been at Rangeman. I'm in a good place, physically and emotionally. Ella has been making some fabulous meals, and it's been nice having an appetite again. I didn't realize how much stress I was under until I was in a place where I could let down my guard. I trusted all of these men with my life, especially now that they knew most of what was going on with Joe. Ranger has been amazing. Even though we sleep together in his bed every night, he hasn't pressured me to do anything sexual. Sure we're having hot and steamy make out sessions, I mean, I'm not dead, but he's letting me set the pace. Ella has stocked Ranger's closet and dresser with beautiful clothes, undergarments and negligee, and of course shoes, but I miss some of my own things. I've asked Ranger to take me back to my apartment to pick a few things up. Rex had miraculously appeared at Rangeman the same night I did, but I need my comfort clothes.
"Babe, we don't have to do this." We had just stepped off the elevator, into the garage, and I just stood glued in place looking at the gated garage doors, not able to move. "No, I need to do this. I can't let him dictate my every move anymore. I'm just scared. I don't know what to expect." I didn't want to leave the safety of the building, nor the safety of all the men in it that would protect me. We took the Cayenne and drove across town in silence. My thoughts were interrupted when Ranger appeared at my side, holding the door open. "Babe, shall we?" And he extended his hand to help me out of the SUV, I replied, "it's now or never!"
We took the stairs and when we got to my apartment door, Ranger reached out and swept my body behind his when he saw the apartment door had been kicked in, the wood holding the deadbolt splintered. "Tank, I need you and Les at Steph's, NOW!" I didn't even see him pull out his phone and he was already re-holstering it. I was lost in my own thoughts when I felt him put a small gun in my hand. "The safety if off, Babe. You've used this one before. Be ready to use it again. Let's go in." Still behind the safety of his large frame, we slowly entered my apartment, clearing the foyer, kitchen, living room and finally bedroom. It took me a moment to register the destruction we had walked through. My apartment was trashed! My whole apartment. There was spray paint covering the furniture, walls, mirror, tv, everything! The words whore, bitch, slut were scrawled out in large letters. In my bedroom, my mattress was in disarray and slashed beyond future use. The mattress had all of my lingerie on it, the word 'MINE' spray painted over it all in several places. Clothes were strewn about the room, sliced with a knife. My world was spinning and I couldn't stop from swaying and everything went dark.
RPOV
I was accessing the damage and looking for anything that still might be a threat when I noticed Steph swaying and got to her just as she fainted. It must have been too much to see all of her belongings destroyed in such a violent, personal way. I held her until back up arrived. Upon entering and seeing me holding a very limp Steph, Tank and Lester rushed over. "What happened?" I motioned for Tank to put his jacket on the sofa and I laid Steph on top of it, not wanting to wake her. We walked over by the front door and I spoke. "She was overwhelmed, understandably shocked that someone would violate her space like this." I asked Lester to call for back-up and to stand guard at the front door until they arrived. When Tank and I entered the bedroom to see if anything could be salvaged, he whistled for me to join him in the bathroom. 'You'll pay for disobeying me' was written in lipstick on her bathroom mirror. I took a picture of the handwriting with my cell phone. Her makeup and perfume all broken beyond use. There was nothing in her apartment that could be salvaged, even her beloved cookie jar was destroyed, thrown against the wall and smashed into thousands of pieces.
Hector and Binkie arrived and would stand guard until the police were called. Lester, Tank and I stood whispering in the living room. Before we called the police, Morelli showed up demanding entry into the apartment. Hector and Binkie could only do so much when he started waving his badge and threatening to arrest them. They held their position, the two of them in the door way, legs shoulder width apart, arms bent to their sides with hands on their hips. They were a wall of muscle he couldn't get past. I quietly woke Steph up and put my finger to her mouth, warning her to keep quiet. "Steph, Morelli is here. I think it would be best if we waited for the police to arrive, you can give a brief statement and Tank and Lester will distract Morelli while we calmly leave." I raised my eyebrow to see silently ask if she agreed. She nodded her head and added "Don't leave me alone with him." Her voice was dead serious and I winked at her. "Never."
Big Dog and Eddie were the first to arrive. Hector and Binkie let them through and Morelli followed. I was standing against the wall with Steph leaning against me, her back to my front, with my arms protectively around her. Eddie walked over to Steph and spoke first. "Steph, are you ok?" He looked down at Ranger's arms and then back to her eyes. "It's ok Eddie. I'm with Ranger." She lowered her voice so Morelli couldn't hear her. "I haven't been with Joe in months, Eddie, he's been stalking me. I can't get rid of him, he's been abusing me to keep me quiet and I think he did this to my apartment." Eddie looked shocked at first, then nodded, seeming to understand. I felt Steph's arms grip mine tightly and her body went stiff with fear. I looked past Eddie and saw the source of her fear walking towards us.
SPOV
"Cupcake, what the hell are you doing here with him?" He reached out to grab me and Ranger immediately swept me behind him. "She's with me now Morelli. The sooner you get this through your head, the better." His voice was low and menacing, it was a tone that would make most men wet themselves. Joe was not going to let me go without a fight. He reached for me again, drawing his gun and pulling out his badge. "Manoso, you are interfering with an official police investigation. Step out of my way. Steph, I need to get your statement, alone, in the bedroom." That was when Eddie approached us. "Actually Joe, Stephanie and Ranger have already made arrangements to give their statements at Rangeman. I'll be taking their statements personally." "Like hell you will. She's my fiancé, I'll be taking her statement, privately!" He was in Eddie's face, challenging him. "Joe, stand down. I outrank you and I'm ordering you to go back to the station." Joe made one more step towards me and said in a low voice. "You're mine Cupcake, you'll do best not to forget that. I can forgive this indiscretion with minor disciplinary action. Since you don't have a place to live anymore, I expect you to be moving in with me. I'll take good care of you." I can only imagine what he meant by that.
RPOV
"Morelli, you say one more word to her and you'll live to regret it." I started moving towards the door with Stephanie behind me, out of his reach. After we passed through the front door into the hallway, Hector and Binkie once again made a wall Morelli couldn't get past. I pulled her along with me and we ran for the Cayenne, got in and tore out of her parking lot, not knowing how much time we had. We got back to Rangeman in record time. Stephanie hadn't talked the whole drive back. By the time we got back to Rangeman, she was shaking and staring ahead with a white, expressionless face. I pulled out my phone "Bobby, meet me on seventh." I carried Steph up to my apartment and placed her on my bed. Bobby was right behind us. "Boss, what happened?, shit, man… she's in shock." "Bobby, I'll answer your questions later. We either need to break her out of this or sedate her, I'll explain everything in a bit." It was painful to see her in this state, I found myself praying for some relief from this pain that she was feeling. After giving her an injected sedative, I was laying beside her and when I felt her body go limp and her breathing evened out. I stepped out of the room quietly and joined Bobby in the living room. Tank and Lester had joined him.
LPOV
"I can't believe he destroyed everything she owns, just so she'll move in with him. And disciplinary action, can you believe that shit? He threatened her right in front of us." Lester said, furious. "Santos, what the hell are you talking about?" "Sorry, man, I forgot you weren't there. Joe showed up at Steph's apartment. He tried to get her to leave with him and said he would only minorly discipline her if she left with him. The look on her face was sheer terror, like she was picturing, or more like remembering, what he was capable of. I'm not surprised she went into shock."
BPOV
I was in the dark and as the only one that wasn't there, I hadn't seen the apartment's condition. "What was the condition of the apartment?" Tank decided enlighten me. "He destroyed everything she owns. Nothing was salvageable. He's trying to destroy her, to break her. We can't let that happen!" And with that Tank stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him. We all went running into Ranger's bedroom when we heard a shrill scream. Stephanie was sitting straight up in the bed, covers pulled up under her chin, shaking in fright.
RPOV
"Babe, you're safe in my apartment. We thought you'd be asleep for a little while. Shhh… I've got you, Babe." I was cradling her to me, rocking her back and forth trying to sooth her. "Ranger, he's going to find me. H-h-he's going to d-d-discipline me." She was looking up in my face like a wounded animal. How dare he do this to her. "Babe, look at me, look at my men. He will not hurt you. He will not get you alone. And he will certainly not discipline you." We sat clinging to each other for a few minutes, Steph taking deep breaths to calm herself. I heard my front door open and Ella wheel the dinner cart into the apartment. "Babe, are you hungry?" Maybe I could distract her with food. "Not really, but I'll try." I reached my hand out to help her up and she blushed slightly that she was just in my t-shirt and panties. "No worries, Babe. I changed you to make you more comfortable. Let's add a pair of boxers and go eat."
We tried to relax my babe by joking around and making small talk. It seemed to work. At first she just picked at her food, but by the time the guys were ready to go, she was eating most of what I put on her plate. I could count on her to always like Ella's cooking. With her stress level being so high that it took her appetite away for so long, she had lost more weight than she could afford to lose, I even talked Ella into making Steph chocolate cake for dessert. Of course, she was happy to do so.
SPOV
When it was time for bed, I decided I really needed a shower. I was just too nervous to take one by myself, still feeling shaky from the sedative Bobby gave me. "Ranger, would you care to shower with me?" Stopping him in his tracks as he was getting ready for bed, Ranger looked up at me and was at my side within three swift strides, his wolf grin making me shudder. "Babe, do you even have to ask?"