Disclaimer: The characters belonging to Janet Evanovich are used strictly for entertainment purposes.
A/N: Thanks to everyone for your support and for sticking with me. I appreciate you all so much! M and Alf, my appreciation always for the butt kicking I sometimes get from you. I hope you both know how grateful I am to you. :)
Merc and Stephanie rode in silence. Merc knew Stephanie needed time to decompress from the unexpected meeting she'd had with Ranger. He'd given the guys a heads up about Stephanie's frame of mind when he called them with the details of the meeting.
Merc pulled up at the Valet station at the Strata and glanced over at Stephanie. "You ready?"
"Yeah, let's do it." Stephanie said and opened up the car door and flashed a quick smile at the pimple faced kid who received the car.
The other members of the band met them in the lobby, and together they rode the elevator up to the penthouse. Stephanie kept a white-knuckled grip on Geo's hand and tried to ignore the nervous energy that hummed around them. "I hate this," she whispered. "And I wish I'd had time to change or at least put on some makeup."
Geo looked down at her and gave her hand a squeeze. "Everything in this business is an interview, Belle. Might as well get used to it. And you look beautiful."
"I don't mind the interview. I just don't like to worry about whether or not they'll like me."
Merc shook his head and turned to look at her. "I can't believe you said that. They're going to love you, we did," he said as she began to shake her head in protest. "Smile and conjure up Michelle Belle, the confident musician. No, just emanate Stephanie Plum, the woman who withstood her past today."
She didn't have long to think about the repercussions of today's accidental run-in with Ranger. The elevator doors opened and soon Merc's knuckles rapped firmly on the door. It swung open and Devin greeted them all with a smile. "Good to see you all. Please come in and I'll introduce you."
They stepped through the door and found themselves shaking hands with none other than the band Creed, who had recently reunited and were on a tour. It was explained that one of Creed's opening bands lined up for September through December had recently had legal trouble, and a replacement was needed.
The face to face meeting was brief and they discussed Creed attending the concert on Saturday to watch Naked Soul perform live. Stephanie's qualms over the two bands getting along were calmed after introductions were made. They were professional, friendly, and down to earth. Comments they made about the possibility of Naked Soul joining them on their tour sounded like a great opportunity and she hoped they were offered the spot.
After they left the penthouse, Merc slipped his key into the elevator panel, turned it and then selected the unlit button which would take them to their suite. When the doors opened, he turned to Stephanie and stroked her cheek. "Have fun, see you tonight."
She smiled and pressed the button for the lobby. The valet brought Merc's car around and she tipped him, hopped inside, and then scrambled to get to Arnaud Benoit's home on time. The front door opened before she raised her hand to knock. "Belle! You're late, peu peu."
"Sorry, Arn. I only have two and a half hours. Luc is meeting me at the hotel for makeup tonight. We're on a tight schedule today." She offered up her right cheek to him for a quick peck, and then her left. "We had an unexpected business meeting."
"So I heard." He smiled and raised a hand to her hair. "We should take care of this first; then I will give you a massage." He took her to the small private studio at the back of the house and, in a matter of forty-five minutes, had her hair expertly washed, trimmed, shaped, and wrapped in a towel.
Arnaud led her to the screened porch in the back of the house where she settled onto a large, padded massage table. His magical hands moved over Stephanie's toned body, driving the tension from her body. The massage ended much too soon and Stephanie groaned, "Please, just a few more minutes."
"Relax, peu peu. I'll be back in fifteen."
When Stephanie reappeared freshly showered and dressed, Arnaud dried and pinned her glossy curls into a funky and wild updo at the crown of her head. It took everything in her to stay awake as she drove back to the hotel. Inwardly, the thought of tonight's upcoming performance excited her; yet, at the same time, all she wanted to do was crawl into bed and pretend her carefully hidden life wasn't in danger of full exposure.
In the prep room at The Closter, she sat still as stone in front of Lucio as he brushed creamy glitter paint onto her cheek. Unlike her, he had enough talent to freehand the design onto her face. After he set the design with a shimmery powder, he started work on her eyes. "I'm so glad you agreed to help me get ready. With the meeting earlier today, and my little pamper session with Arnaud, I never would have made it."
"I thought you deserved some pampering after this morning. I've never seen you so stressed," Lucio said and dabbed a clear matte gel onto her lids with a sponge.
"Yeah, it was a surprise." She fiddled with the hem of her t-shirt for a minute, then looked up at him. "You're Ranger's cousin. Are you a Manoso? We never got around to last names, didn't seem important."
A dubious expression settled on his face. "Is it important?"
She flashed him a quick smile. "No, not to our friendship. I'm just trying to work out what side of the family you're from."
"It's Santos."
Stephanie drew in a quick breath and stared at Lucio with wide eyes. "Santos? Are you Lester's brother?"
Lucio smacked his forehead with his hand. "Carlos called you Stephanie and I never made the connection. So, you're the friend Lester has been searching for since last year?"
"A year?" she gasped.
"Yes, Belle, a year." Lucio redirected his eyes to the floor. "He's my cousin, but when his parents died, he came to live with us." He raised his eyes to met hers. "That's when he became our brother."
She closed her eyes and blew out the breath she'd held. "I can't believe you're related to Lester and Ranger."
She heard him chuckle. "Why? Because they're such manly men and I'm such a man's man?"
"No! I never said you weren't manly." She pursed her lips in mock annoyance. "Because Ranger is, well, Ranger, and Lester is my favorite Merry Man."
Luc let out a bark of laughter. "Please, please tell me you call my cousin a Merry Man to his face!"
A small smile crossed her lips. "Not a chance. Lester was my partner during my on and off stints at Rangeman before I left Trenton."
Stephanie sensed Luc's stillness and cracked open an eye to look at him.
He looked sad and a little dazed. "Lester and I are close, Belle," he murmured. She nodded and opened her eyes fully to look at him. "I probably don't have to tell you he was frantic looking for you, do I?" His voice was quiet, reserved. In that moment, Lucio looked very like Lester Santos and Stephanie couldn't believe she'd never seen the resemblance before. Then again, she'd have to imagine Lester in black eye liner and flashy clothes. Well, maybe the flashy clothes weren't a stretch.
"I didn't leave intentionally to hurt him, Luc," she explained as sadness filled her chest. "In fact, I didn't think about anyone but myself and my need to disappear. I haven't called my parents in over a year. I'm close with my grandmother, and I've never once tried to contact her." Stephanie stood to pace as her self-directed anger built. "It wasn't until a few days ago that I called my best friend because I missed her so much, and this is the one person I used to call about everything." She stopped pacing and turned to look at Lucio. "And I left without a word, and with no plans to contact any of them."
Lucio set down his brush and sat on a stool at the vanity. The lights lining each side of the tall mirror cast shadows over the opposite side of his face, etching out the sadness in his features. "Belle, I'm not sure what to say to you. Did Lester ever tell you about my sister?"
Stephanie gave a slight nod. "The cousin he always said I look like?"
He smiled sadly and said, "You do resemble her and you have the same spirit."
"Anita died when she was twenty-one. She was studying for mid-terms at Princeton." Stephanie's brows rose slightly. "Yes, she was very smart, beautiful, and talented. She and I were as close as a brother and sister could be, but she and Lester? Well, they were closer, so close it was scary at times. They were an extension of each other."Stephanie felt deep sadness for her two friends who lost someone so important to them.
He dragged in another deep breath and continued, "She got up to goof around and dance to some wild music with her roommates. A few moments later, she collapsed on the floor, a heart attack. Her death was sudden, so unexpected that none of the family had time to reach her at the hospital before she was gone." He stopped talking and stared at the makeup sponge he still held in his hand. Stephanie reached out a hand to give his arm a squeeze and saw his lips tremble just a little. "Sorry, it's been a few years, but she was my little sister."
Stephanie rubbed her hand up and down his arm in a comforting gesture. "I'm so sorry, Luc. It must have been a terrible shock for you. I know she was just a year or so younger than Lester."
"Yeah," he said after clearing his throat. "She was three years younger than me; Lester was right in the middle." He looked up at her, his eyes glistened with moisture. "We were devastated, but Lester," Lucio swallowed, "Lester was destroyed. She was his best friend. Between the loss of his parents, and then Anita, he's never been the same."
Stephanie blinked away the tears in her eyes because she knew Lucio would be stressed if he had to start her makeup over and she felt she'd caused him enough grief for one day. "I'm so sorry for your loss, Luc."
"Belle, you need to call Lester," he said suddenly and stood to hug her. "He really connected with you as a friend; he trusted you."
Stephanie's breath hitched in her throat and she swallowed hard before saying, "And I hurt him."
Lucio nodded. "Yes, you hurt him and you worried him. But worst of all, it was Anita all over again. He lost you suddenly from his life, a friend he'd allowed inside. That may seem like a small thing to you because you're so open and giving, but for Lester, that's monumental."
Stephanie nodded and bit her lips together to keep them from trembling. "I'll call him, Luc. I will, probably tomorrow because I want to take time to actually talk to him. "
He stood, and once he'd restarted her makeup application, he said quietly, "Thank you."
As Lucio finished her makeup, Stephanie's mind traveled through the faces of those she'd hurt with her impulsive and selfish decision. She had to go back to Trenton to try to make amends.
"Okay, Sug," Lucio said, "I have the perfect outfit for you to wear to the meeting this evening." His statement scared Stephanie a little. Since the revival of the 1980s fashion trends, Lucio had been dolling her up in updated 80s punk style.
Stephanie groaned. "Please, just don't make me look like a bad Courtney Love. She is a mish mash of style I don't need right now."
"Honey, don't you trust me?" He stuck out his bottom lip in a pout.
She sighed and sent him an air kiss. "You know I do."
He opened the garment bag he'd hung on the door and motioned to it before he left the room. "You've got five minutes. I still have to paint you." he said on the way out. By the time Merc and Geo arrived for sound check, she was in costume with her mind made up.
"O. M. G," Geo said when they walked in and looked at her.
Stephanie squinted her eyes at him. "Did you just verbally text me?"
"I agree," Merc said. "OMG."
She rolled her eyes at them. "Shut up." She looked down at her svelte form. Though she'd hated it, Merc and Geo had forced her to get up and run with them every day since her second day in Atlantic City. The thrice weekly weight training sessions helped her maintain her slender curves despite her unhealthy diet. No longer did the top button of her jeans pop.
Geo walked around her once, admiring the silver satin low-rise pants and fuchsia halter top that ended just below her rib cage. Around her midriff, Lucio had hand painted a black chain with fuchsia skulls outlined in silver. Down her right arm, he painted a black and silver floral pattern with thorns sticking out from a vine that wove throughout the pattern. Her right arm was left bare, as always, to display her tattooed skin brand.
"You're going with your real hair today?" Merc was stunned as he studied the tousled chestnut curls piled high on top of her head with sparkly white rhinestones glinting throughout.
"You're the one who said no more hiding, remember?" She reached up and planted a friendly kiss on his lips. "I'm ready to go."
Geo smiled. "You're not worried someone will see you?"
Stephanie shook her head. "No. I'm done hiding. In fact, I plan to go to Trenton next week to visit my parents and friends, provided I still have some." She ignored the shocked looks on Geo and Merc's faces and walked over to kiss Lucio on the cheek. "Thanks," she whispered, "for everything."
*\/*\/*\/*\/*
Ranger got up at four after two hours of sleep to work out on Saturday morning, but stopped off at the computer he'd left on in his office on seven to check Stephanie's tracker. It was a stroke of luck for him that she'd kept the pen; it allowed him to know where she went without invading her carefully guarded privacy.
His thoughts swarmed around Stephanie throughout his workout. While he sparred with Tank, he had no focus and found himself lying on the mat time and again. His mind barely registered Tank's concern afterward as he went to do his normal routine with the free weights. The hot shower after had loosened his muscles, but he was still stiff from Tank pounding at his flesh.
Now, two hours later, he sat nursing the fresh bruises cropping on his shoulder and stared at the computer in his office conducting his own research about the band members. He searched their website, and ran checks on the studio who'd taken an interest in them. She didn't work there. She didn't pop up anywhere, but something lingered in the back of his mind. The picture wasn't right.
Next, he'd researched the individual members of the band. Everything checked out until he did a search on Michelle Belle, then he came up dry at every turn. He narrowed his eyes and took a closer look at the website pictures. He'd looked at them, but hadn't given 'Michelle' a close look; he'd been too busy searching for brown curly hair and blue eyes. Then he remembered. Merc's nickname for Stephanie – Belle.
He pulled up a head shot of Michelle singing into a microphone and froze. The makeup hid her face well, but nothing would make him forget that mouth. She held it open over the mic, her eyes squeezed tight, an expression of ecstasy on her face and he remembered a night so long ago when it hadn't been a microphone she'd held in her hands with that expression on her face. He felt a rush of heat awakening a long-neglected part of his anatomy.
Ranger shook his head in amazement. He couldn't believe it. She didn't work for the band or with the band; it looked like she was the fucking lead singer of the band. How had he missed this side of her?
Once he worked out her identity, he called a contact of his in Atlantic City to stake out the hotel and casino since he knew Thaddeus and Geoffrey Mercer lived there. He figured if someone watched them, they could learn where she was staying.
He was wrenched from his thoughts by a knock at his office door. "Busy," he said in a firm voice.
The knock sounded again. He sighed and snapped his ink pen in half, then stomped over to the door. His hand gripped the knob and he whipped the door open on a surge of anger. "What do you – Julie?"
His beautiful, fifteen year-old daughter stood in front of him with a timid smile on her face. "Hi Dad." It had taken several years since the Scrog incident, but they had finally formed a solid father-daughter relationship. Julie had started calling him 'Dad' after her thirteenth birthday, the day when she realized he held such unconditional love for her she could talk him into nearly anything, at least anything that wouldn't compromise her safety in his eyes.
"Dulce, why are you here?"
"Tank called mom to see if I could come up for a few days, and we have a few days off from school. I thought I would surprise you and come stay for the weekend." A look of disappointment crossed her face. "You're not happy to see me?"
Ranger shot Tank a look to inform him they would speak later and said to Julie, "No, no, Dulce. I'm glad you're here." He wrapped her in a warm hug and felt her love migrate through his shirt and straight to his heart. Ranger pressed his lips together to hold the surge of emotion in check. "Did you fly by yourself?"
Julie pulled back and rolled her eyes. "I'm almost sixteen, dad. I can fly by myself, but no," she assured him when he would have protested about her safety, "I had a Man in Black with me."
She looked up into his face. "Dad, you look tired. Come on, let's goof off today, just you and me. I can tell you about school and we can watch a movie." He looked hesitant, so she said, "Please." Julie knew he couldn't refuse when she said please. She stood in front of him with her long, straight black hair in a ponytail, wearing a pair of jeans and a pink hoodie. It was a matter of seconds before he was putty in her hands.
He relaxed enough that his exhausted body betrayed him, and a large yawn threatened to escape. "Okay, princesa. Let's go upstairs."
Tank watched Julie lead her father onto the elevator with her arm around his waist and his around her shoulders. He felt a presence to his right and turned his head slightly so he could see Bobby out of the corner of his eye.
"You're my fucking hero," Bobby whispered and walked back to the control room. Tank smiled and went back to finish the work on his desk he'd abandoned to spy on Ranger. Sometimes he amazed even himself.
*\/*\/*\/*\/*
Lester opened his phone in annoyance. He'd just ordered a pizza at Shorty's and had a piece in his hand when his phone buzzed. The caller ID showed an unfamiliar number, but he figured it could be an informant. "Santos," he answered.
"Les?"
He dropped the piece of pizza back onto the pan and sat in stunned silence for a few seconds. When he finally spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. "Stephanie?"
He heard a slight gasp and her wobbly voice responded, "Yeah, Les. It's me."
"Oh my God! Where are you? Are you hurt? Do you need someone?" He stood to leave the table.
"No, no. Les, I'm fine. I've been in Atlantic City."
He resisted the urge to scratch his head. "The whole time you've been gone? You've been this close and you didn't bother to call and let a guy know not to worry about you?" He couldn't be positive if the emotion he felt was anger or hurt, but whichever it was didn't feel good.
"I'm so sorry," she whimpered softly. "I didn't think. I never stopped to consider how you felt. Lucio nearly kicked my ass when he found out–"
Lester sat back down as the strength left his body. "Lucio? My cousin Lucio knew where you were? He didn't tell me, he never said a word!"
"How about if I start over, would you listen to me? I'll start from the beginning."
Her voice grew stronger as she spoke and he could hear her determination come through. "Okay, chica. Talk to me."