Something's Burning Chapter 3

Not mine, still just playing.

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Somehow Chapters 1 and 2 had been posted as separate stories. My bad, being such a newbie with this being my first expedition into FF and the Plumverse.

….

"Cupcake! What the hell!?"

Ranger's POV

"Stephanieeee! Stephanieee?"

What the fuck?! It was coming from above us, on the fire escape outside Stephanie's apartment. I caught Tank's eye and Lester was already on his phone calling for back up while the three of us took in our surroundings and assumed defensive positions as is our usual military protocol and state of vigilance with this new immediate danger. Fuck Morelli. He can wait and rant all he likes. He's at the bottom of the queue and I had already mentally tuned him out, like white noise in the background. Tank, however, was watching him intently, Lester with eyes on the crazy on the fire escape.

As Eddie and Big Dog raced inside the lobby and upstairs they too had obviously called for TPD back up because someone had been assaulted and on cue the paramedics arrived rushing in with a pair of gurneys.

Another stalker? My Babe did say she had all these problems. Huh! My Babe. I mentally rolled my eyes. Was this crazy, one of them? Definitely not her usual nut job, but this asshole was certainly more than a sandwich short of a picnic. It was difficult to make him out but with the lights from her apartment, his silhouette indicated a large, solid frame, muscular and nimble, moving with an easy grace, not military. Strange, why were the lights on when she was out here, with me, in my arms, holding on for dear life? It felt really good holding her so close to my body.

"Stephanieee? It's ti-ime…. ." His voice trailed creepily in a high falsetto, deceptively childish for a man with such a large frame.

"God is calling you. You need to be punished. I came to save you. I warned you this morning, Stephanieee, but you did not listen. Don't you remember?" His voice had that sinister sing song taunting tone to instil fear and it was obviously having the impact on Stephanie.

She froze in my arms, whimpering and trembling, struggling to maintain control, shaking her head, her eyes wide with fright muttering fearfully in a little voice, a little girl's voice.

"Oh, no. No, no. no, noooo. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Not now. Not again." She whined softly, moaning and still trembling with body shudders rippling over her as she tried to catch her breath.

What the hell? Not again? This morning? I need to get to the bottom of this but for now it's best to give her strength and physical and emotional support. She is strong and resilient but I can feel her wavering and her legs are beginning to wobble. For the time being we need to stay put in the shadows here, until we have this new situation under control. We need to draw him out into the open but I am not prepared to leave her side.

She clung so tightly whilst trembling uncontrollably, whimpering quietly as her teeth began to chatter. I held her gently yet firmly and turned her to my front, holding her close, rubbing my hands up and down her back, her arms, all the while soothing her gently, softly and whispering in her ear. She wrapped her arms tightly around me, holding on as if her life depended on it. I twirled a wisp of her beautiful unruly curls and tucked a few stray strands gently behind her ear, caressing her temple and kissing it chastely, keeping my lips close to her face, near her ear.

"Breathe, Babe, breathe. I've got you Babe. I've got you, Querida. Tengo que, Querida, que está bien." (I've got you Querida, it's alright.) He can't hurt you. I'm here, Tank's here and Lester, too. We'll protect you."

In the meantime Morelli continued ranting and raging, pacing up and down and waving his arms, oblivious to the chaos around him as Lester and Tank maintained their positions to block the threats from above and from the rampant Italian in the parking lot. It wasn't until that last taunting remark from that crazy asshole when Morelli suddenly stopped. His head whip lashed above to the fire escape, then to Stephanie in my arms.

"Yeah, Morelli, in my arms," I thought smugly, protectively. I glared at him, daring him to challenge me, keeping my face outwardly impassive.

"Cupcake? What the fuck is going on? What are you doing with my girl, Manoso?" he snarled at me.

"What are you doing with these thugs, Stephanie? And who's that coming from your apartment? Another one of Manoso's crazy as shit thugs?"

Stephanie's back momentarily stiffened and I heard a distinctive growl. Hmm. That was an interesting reaction. I kept gentling her and she shuddered and, much to my macho delight, she snuggled in closer, holding me firmly, fingers fisting my t-shirt tightly, her eyes now tightly closed. I felt like an Alpha King, my testosterone pumping powerfully with pride wanting to beat my chest like a Neanderthal man. I kept crooning softly in her ear, my lips caressing her ear as I spoke, mostly in Spanish, all the while keeping a watchful eye on the furious cop. Tank was poised to intercede but his stoic expression and seemingly relaxed posture belied his huge frame was balanced like a tightly coiled spring.

Before he could get a new head of steam, the parking lot was suddenly filled with black Rangeman vehicles. More TPD cars arrived with sirens blaring and lights flashing. Rangemen wordlessly took up defensive, protective positions, with Tank and Lester signalling silently. Hector, Zip and Zero took pole position between the seething Morelli and us, Hector glowering menacingly and maliciously. Hal and Cal moved stealthily in the shadows taking up position nearer to the fire escape. Ram, Manny and Vince I knew would already be on a nearby roof in sniper mode ready to rappel rapidly if ground level reinforcements were needed. Police officers raced into the lobby and more ran to the fire escape when Lester indicated the threat. We maintained our positions and let the TPD handle the asshole until he came too close. Then all bets were off.

The nimble crazy had made his way down the fire escape and with a kick and a sharp short left jab and an uppercut he had three of them down and out for the count. Fuck! A fighter, a boxer no doubt. Double fuck! Ramirez! How does she do this? She's a magnet for crazies. Pandemonium broke out as the call "Officer down! Officer down!" went out. Morelli snapped out of his haze of hatred and sprang into police mode, albeit delayed and distracted by our current embrace, his cop face firmly in place.

Cal and Hal stepped out of the shadows as Ramirez lurched towards us with Tank and Lester blocking his advance simultaneously in a well synchronised move. With great agility and rapid reflexes for big guys, like the disciplined and highly trained fighters they are, Cal and Hal double-tasered him and had him cuffed and bound on the blacktop ready for the TPD to haul him away. Bobby checked the vital signs of the officers knocked out and the paramedics then took over.

"I've got you, Babe. He can't hurt you, anymore." She shuddered and nodded her head but did not let go, much to my delight.

Stephanie looked up in alarm as the paramedics came outside with two gurneys with a clatter of wheels and springs. As they emerged from the lobby she raced over to check on the victims, a little person and a resident, perhaps. Many of the residents had materialised once the danger had passed and were obviously lapping up the excitement of all the chaos in the parking lot.

"Randy! Omigod! Are you okay? Randy, can you hear me?"

Tears were welling in her eyes as she clutched his unbandaged arm. He looked bruised and battered with more bandages to his head and one of his little legs as he sucked on the medipain pen, the 'magic whistle'.

"Hey … Steph-fff-fffanieee," came the cheerful yet groggy reply from the little dude with a cocky, lopsided grin.

"You sssure have a revolving door lately with all these studssss here. You might get lucky…," he whispered loudly, slurring slightly, looking at me, winking not quite successfully.

Randy? What the fuck? Do I need to be worried here? Randy, eh? Hmph. Revolving door? Get lucky? All these studs? I smiled. Oh, shit. Raging Italian at four o'clock.

"Randy?! Ramirez!? Cupcake, really?! What the fuck?! You doing a dwarf as well as all these thugs?"

Oh shit. Stephanie's back went rigid as she spun around with a fierce menacing glare cast at the cop. If looks could kill he'd be pinned to the wall with daggers. Oh boy. This is going to be good. I was about to consider intervening but my concerns were put to rest as I watched with great amusement and couldn't help but stand here grinning as Morelli was having his ass handed to him.

"For your information, Officer Morelli, he is not a dwarf. He is a little person."

Her words were spoken with disdain and contempt; each word enunciated briskly and angrily, her brilliant blue eyes on fire, her face expressive and clearly showing her emotions with all the headlights and flashing lights strobing in the parking lot. What a woman! I was totally enraptured with her fiery spirit. She was a force to be reckoned with, a real hot little spitfire and what followed had everyone in the parking lot open-mouthed and agape as Ramirez was quickly and securely carted away to the station. Great diversion, Babe.

"You have no idea, you moron fuckwit! Whom I do and when I do is none of your business! These men of Rangeman and Ranger are all honourable men, whom I am proud to call my friends. They have stood by me and supported me unlike you, Officer Morelli. Well, you can just go fuck yourself!"

Morelli stood there momentarily stunned by her controlled, uninhibited outburst and was about to respond but she cut him off abruptly as she stalked confidently towards him. I shepherded her closely yet discreetly, still giving her space while poised to intervene.

"No! You don't get to say anything! You've already said more than enough. This is not your call! You have no right to tell me what to do. I am not your girl. We have been off and for your information, we are not we! There is no we. There is … you and there is … me and there certainly is no us."

Hmmm… interesting. TMI Babe. Good to know. She was soaring on a high and her eyes were ablaze with an emotion I had not seen from her. My heart leapt at her words Watching her in full flight was so sexy and hot that I was getting horny but I remained outwardly composed while inwardly I was smirking and feeling smug and … lustful.

"But Cupca- "

"No! Do not call me that! I. Am. Not. Your. Cupcake!Not now, not ever again."

This was said with such vehemence as she jabbed her finger at him, poking the empty air space between them and the last part was spoken quietly through clenched teeth with such assertion, brooking no argument to its finality. Morelli looked around at everyone staring and watching silently and salaciously.

"Alright. Alright, have it your way. But when this thug and all his men are done with you and throw you out like yesterday's garbage, don't come running after me. I won't be there to pick up the pieces!"

Oh fu-ck. My fists clenched tightly and I growled as these spiteful, vitriolic words spat out of Morelli's ugly maw with spittle flying out of the corners of his mouth. I made to step forward but she put her arm out indicating for me to stand down. She was so empowered and in command and I was very much aroused.

"Oh, no you don't! In your dreams, Morelli. In. Your. Dreams! And never in this lifetime. I don't take second best. You don't even feature in my bottom ten! You are out of his league. I know who I want."

Babe? As she said this she stepped back into my body and I could sense the start of her trembling, not with fear this time, nor with rage, but with an adrenaline crash. She maintained her tightly reined composure until Morelli's POS screeched out of the parking lot and I gently rubbed her arms, soothing her, calming me. I glanced over at Bobby, Tank and Lester. In fact, all my men maintained the same impassive look but their body language exuded the same seething anger that I felt. I was concerned for Stephanie yet I couldn't help myself from beaming with pride at her declarations and disclosures and that fighting spirit as I softly said, "Proud of you Babe."

By this stage, most of the TPD vehicles and some of the Rangeman SUVs had cleared the parking lot leaving mainly the residents, my Mercedes and the core team. Tank, Bobby and Lester made their way over and acknowledged their pride in her with a pat and a squeeze of the shoulder, a ruffle of her beautiful unruly curls and a kiss on the cheek with a clicking smiling wink from my cousin.

"Proud of you, Little Girl."

"Way to go, Bomber."

"Remind me to never cross you, Beautiful. You rocked it. That was totally hot!" Lester grinned.

She smiled up at me with her eyes glistening and as her legs slowly crumpled beneath her, I scooped her up to walk her over to the Mercedes, her arms lightly around me as she snuggled into my chest. The core team waited, just in case.

"Steph? Before you go or leave or…," Eddie faltered and seemed to be a bit lost for words.

"Are you okay? Your apartment's … er … it's been trashed, totally. Sorry Steph. It's a crime scene for now. The little dude was lucky to escape with his life. Said he ducked through Ramirez's legs. He should be OK, concussion and a few broken bones. Mr Woleski's son came to render assistance and copped a beating too. So you won't be able use your apartment for a few days while we collect and collate evidence. He was a real nutcase, a real piece of work. You sure you're okay, Steph? Do you have somewhere else to go?"

She shrugged lightly, looking up at me with sadness in her glistening eyes. Then her phone rang. She groaned and her head lolled back dramatically as she rolled her eyes, ignoring it until it rang out. It rang three more times, unanswered, until she switched it off and tossed it in her bag.

"Babe?"

She rolled her eyes again and with an exasperated sigh, looked up at me and replied,

"Only one obvious possibility," she responded with distaste and a touch of melancholy, "And I don't need it now. I've had my quota of crap and shit for the day and it will keep."

She hesitated, chewing her bottom lip nervously. She was still cradled in my arms and I have to admit it felt good. It felt right. Those sparkling blue eyes shone with unshed tears and she yawned.

"Ranger?"

"Yeah, Babe."

"Please take me away?"

My heart literally skipped a beat. No better words were spoken to make me feel so strong and heroic as I held my blue-eyed damsel in distress.

"Where to Babe? Do you have somewhere in mind?" I asked hopefully.

"Hmm..?" She was having great difficulty keeping her eyes open and as she became limp and heavier in my arms, turning in to my chest and snuggling her face into my neck she sighed and muttered sleepily,

"Somewhere warm (yawn) and safe … like this … warm … safe…," as her lips nuzzled my neck.

I kissed her gently on the temple. Her stamina had finally given way to sheer exhaustion. After exchanging keys with Bobby, Tank drove us out of the parking lot in his SUV while I sat in the back with my beautiful Babe cradled in my arms feeling concerned yet happy, smug, and, dare I say, cocky. Yeah, I'm an arrogant bastard sometimes. Morelli is such a douche. I'm such a lucky guy but I am going to need to watch my step. My next step will probably be one of the most important and critical steps in my life. Huh! I've got it bad. I grinned, yeah, real bad.

Is this my future in my arms?