I woke alone in Ranger's bed hours later. The digital alarm clock by the bed read 5:54 PM. I had slept the entire day away. I did a quick self-assessment. My head was no longer throbbing, and I felt considerably better, though sadness still tugged at the edges of my composed exterior.

If being a bounty hunter has done anything for me, it's taught me how to be a resilient person. I've experienced a lot of bad stuff in my work, and I've never had the luxury to break down for long. I've been shot at by thugs, and I've even taken a bullet to the ass on one occasion. My apartment has been fire bombed on numerous occasions. I've been kidnapped and dropped off a bridge into the Delaware River. I've seen the men I love get shot. I've seen skips killed. I've been stun-gunned. I roll around in garbage and dog poop regularly. And to top it all off, I have bad car karma. I've had more cars exploded than I can count. In fact, so many of cars have been destroyed that Ranger has written cars for me into Rangeman's entertainment budget. The men place bets on how long a car will last before it gets firebombed, squashed by a garbage truck, dumped in the river, crashed into a building, compacted, or had a bomb detonated beneath it.

After living through all this crap, I'm resilient as hell. Give this girl a hot shower, a good cry, a nap, some Tastykakes, and a fresh pair of clothes, and I'm ready to roll.

I climbed out of bed and pulled on my black Rangeman clothes over my underwear and bra. I used the bathroom, then headed out to the kitchen to find food. My stomach was rumbling.

When I opened the fridge, I was shocked to find food that hadn't been there before. Good deal. The food that was in there before didn't have me excited. Four white plates covered with silver domed lids were neatly arranged. Maria must have stopped in.

I lifted the lid on one of the plates to find lasagna with a side of broccoli. I lifted a second and found a chicken Caesar salad. Another plate held pot roast and mashed potatoes covered in gravy with green beans and a roll on the side. The final plate held three pieces of coconut cake.

I pulled the cake and lasagna plates from the fridge. I looked around for plastic wrap to cover the lasagna, but could find none. I put a coffee filter over the top of the food, and I zapped it in the microwave for a few minutes. While it heated, I sat on a stool at the bar eating coconut cake.

Fifteen minutes later, I had devoured the plate of lasagna and all three pieces of coconut cake. I figured Ranger wouldn't miss it since his body was a temple and all. I was having some regrets about the third piece, but the sugar-laced carbohydrate coma I was in masked most of the immediate regret. I loaded the dirty dishes into the dishwasher and wiped off the counter.

I grabbed my phone off the countertop and took it into the living room. I sat on the couch, and I dialed my mom's cell number. She picked up on the third ring.

"Stephanie?"

"Hi mom. How are you doing?"

"We're in the middle of dinner. We're having cabbage rolls and chocolate cake.

I heard my grandma's voice in the background.

"Is that Stephanie?" asked grandma. "Tell her she's missing all the Burg happenings while she's down South! Betty Luschek was spotted with Walter Ross last night at bingo at the firehouse! Walter separated from his wife last month, and turns out, Mrs. Ross isn't real happy with Betty for snagging her man."

could feel my mother craving a drink, even though the phone from one thousand miles away. She was determined to exude patience, grace, and manners, a lofty goal often made manageable by large quantities of liquor. My grandmother and I were a trial for her.

"Mom, have you heard any updates on Joe?" I asked.

I've heard nothing," my mother responded, sounding distraught. "The Burg is pretty quiet. I think everyone is holding their breath."

My mother was discussing the latest news from the Burg gossip circles when I heard the apartment door click into place. I turned and saw Ranger removing his gun and flashlight, laying them on the foyer table.

"I'll be home tomorrow night," I told my mother before disconnecting. "Love you."

I followed Ranger's alluring scent into the kitchen. Ranger's Trenton housekeeper, Ella, buys him Bulgari Green shower gel from Macy's. Her sister, who works at the department store, recommended it. It smells sexy, and the smell suits Ranger. I've showered with his shower gel a whole lot of times, but the smell never clings to me like it clings to him. It's intoxicating.

"Hey," I said, plastering half a smile on my face. "How'd today go?"

Ranger pulled the refrigerator open before settling his eyes onto me. His face showed no emotion.

"All the equipment is installed, and the marathon route is now under constant surveillance from a mobile unit and from Rangeman headquarters."

He extracted a covered plate, setting it on the counter and removing the lid. He had chosen the Caesar salad. He pulled a fork from a drawer and sat at the bar to eat.

"What time do we leave to drive the route?" I asked, taking a seat by him.

"Lester, Hal, and I were planning to leave around 7:00 PM. Are you thinking about going?" Ranger responded.

"Yep, I'm ready to get out there," I responded with as much gusto as I could muster.

Ranger studied me thoughtfully, chewing his salad. He looked like he didn't believe me, but gave a barely perceptible nod anyway.

I stood by the bar waiting for Ranger to say something else, but he was completely silent. The silence made me uncomfortable, so I went into the living room and flopped on the couch to play with my cell phone. I texted Lester.

"What's up? Ready for the grand tour of Atlanta again?"

I had one unread text from Lula, so I opened that next.

Lula, 6:10 pm: Did you hear about Officer Hottie? Connie heard the call for EMS on her scanner last night.

I figured I should text her back, so I responded quickly.

"Yep, I heard. I'll be home tomorrow night. Let me know if you hear any updates."

My phone buzzed with an incoming text from Lester.

"Ready, willing, and aiming, Beautiful. Grabbing dinner downstairs. Will meet you in the garage."

Ranger and I met Lester and Hal in the garage at 7:00 PM. We climbed into Ranger's Porsche Cayenne SUV, with me riding shotgun again. Ranger drove the same route as the evening prior, with most of the drive in total silence. Lester and Hal exchanged several words in the back about potential areas of concern, but no conversational chatter filled the SUV's cabin. Ranger was in the zone, and I think we were all afraid to interrupt.

We pulled back into the Rangeman garage a few minutes before 9:00 PM, and Ranger parked in his assigned spot.

"We will reconvene at 4:30 AM in the lobby," Ranger said, ambling out of the car. "Parking will be a nightmare, so we will walk to Centennial Park."

We rolled out of the car too. I must have involuntarily grimaced when I heard "4:30 AM", because Ranger's mouth tipped into an amused smile.

"Babe," he joked.

"What?" I said giving him my best Burg glare.

"Don't worry, I'll make coffee in the morning."

"With as little sleep as he's going to let you have tonight, better request a double espresso from my horndog cousin," Lester joked, elbowing Ranger hard in the ribs.

"Ranger moved so quickly that it caught us all by surprise. He snatched Lester up by the neck, holding his feet three inches off the ground. He slammed him against the side of the Cayenne so hard it cracked the rear driver's side window. Lester's face registered fear pain, and he was struggling for air.

"RESPECT!" Ranger roared at his face before throwing him to the ground.

"Lester laid on his back gasping for air, and Hal rushed to his side. I stood frozen in time, unsure what had just happened. I had never seen Ranger crack before, and it scared the hell of out me. I heard the door to the stairwell click closed and realized Ranger was gone.

"I'm alright," Lester said to Hal, sitting up and rubbing the back of his head.

Hal stepped behind Lester and scooped him up under his armpits. I stepped forward and brushed the dust off his uniform.

"What the hell was that?" I asked Hal and Lester.

"He's been in a bad mood all day," Lester said, testing out body parts to assess for damages. "He needs to act like the rest of the population and take a Xanax when he's stressed."

I had to crack a smile at that. The thought of Ranger popping a Xanax was amusing.

Hal, Lester, and I crossed the garage to the elevator and took it to the third floor. I followed them absentmindedly to a cubicle and stood fidgeting against the cubical wall. They collected laptops, papers, and a variety of tools from the area, packing it up in black backpacks.

Lester slung the backpack over his shoulder, his eyes meeting mine. "Better get some sleep, Steph. It's going to be a short night and a long day tomorrow."

"I nodded agreement, but my feet didn't move from their spot on the floor.

Hal shifted uncomfortably on the balls of his feet, sensing an emotional female in the room. Hal didn't do emotions.

"You uncomfortable going to the Batcave?" Lester asked.

I considered before giving a slight nod.

"I'm sure he's cooled down now. Besides, he'd never do anything to hurt you, Steph. The man would walk through a minefield to protect you. Hell, he threw me up against a car to protect you from a crap joke," Lester said, looking slightly amused.

I nodded agreement, but my heart wasn't in it.

Lester sighed. "I'd offer to let you crash with us, but Ranger would throw me off the top of the building if I shared a bed with you."

I considered laughing, but the threat of being thrown off the top of a building was real with Ranger. I'd seen his men throw a drug dealer out of a window before, and the aftermath wasn't pretty.

"Hey," said Lester, realization crossing his face. "Why don't you go crash with Ximena? She's on six too. She won't bite." He winked at me. "If you were in my bed, I might bite," he joked.

I cracked a smile and back handed him lightly in the arm. "Ximena's room it is!" I shouldered my messenger bag, hugged Lester, gave Hal a finger wave, and headed for the elevator. I fobbed my way to the sixth floor and rapped lightly on the door marked "6C". I waited sixty seconds, and there was no response. I rapped again, louder this time. I heard shouting from the other side of the door.

"Hold your shorts, I'm coming."

The door was wrenched open and Ximena stuck her head out.

"What?" she asked, looking only half awake. She was wearing black yoga pants, a pink dry wick girly cut t-shirt, and her pink bunny slippers. Her hair was mussed with sleep, and she had an eye mask on top of her head.

It took a moment for her eyes to focus on me. Recognition dawned on her face, and she smiled a groggy smile.

"Chica! Get your ass in here!"

She grabbed my hand and yanked me into the small apartment. She was shockingly strong.

The apartment was a small efficiency. It had a small entry foyer with a coat tree and side table that entered onto the main living space. The living room and kitchen were painted cream colored with dark hardwood floors. The lighting was dim and intimate. Large panel curtains covered the floor to ceiling impact glass windows. The living room was furnished with a cream colored, overstuffed couch and a leather armchair. A dark wood coffee table sat in the center of the area. The kitchen was simple with dark wood shaker cabinets and light granite countertops. The appliances were stainless steel. The living room and kitchen were divided by an island with two bar stools. A door led to a room off the living room, which I assumed was the bedroom.

"I didn't mean to interrupt your sleep," I said apologetically. "I can leave so you can crash."

"I wouldn't hear of it!" she exclaimed. "I'm stoked to came by. Sleep is for the weak anyway. Can I get you something to drink? Water? Beer? Wine?"

I shook my head no, and she smiled politely.

"Have a seat," she invited, dragging me into the living room by my hand. She plopped onto the cream couch and put her feet up on the coffee table. "This place is stuffy as hell. It needs some character, like leopard throw pillows or bullet holes in the drywall," she joked, winking at me.

I laughed. "If I hadn't been told you were related to Ranger, I never would have believed it. It's refreshing to find that someone in the family has a sense of humor."

Ximena's smile widened. "We're all pranksters. Well, all of us except Carlos. Hell, you know Lester. He's a bigger jokester than me. Carlos is constantly trying to tame him, but that's a beast that can't be tamed. Mi hermano is one of a kind," she said.

"I watched Ranger try to tame him tonight," I admitted. "It scared the crap out of me."

Ximena grinned. "He probably deserved it."

I shuddered. "Lester needed Ranger to break a car window with his body?"

Ximena froze. "What?"

I told her about the evening's events, and I could see rage simmering under her cool, calm exterior.

"What a fucking asshole!" she exclaimed. She got to her feet and crossed the room before I could register what was going on.

I scrambled behind her into the hall. I caught up to her outside of Ranger's door. She was pounding on the door and shouting loudly. I stood in hall behind her, unsure what to do.

"Get your precious, fancy ass out here, Carlos!" she yelled at the door. "Now!"

"Ranger's door opened slowly. He stood in the doorway, still wearing his Rangeman uniform. Before he could speak, Ximena shoved through the door into his apartment, swinging her ass and waving her hand.

"What the hell got in to you?" she shrieked at him, waving her finger in his face. "You don't go around breaking car windows with my little brother. I'll break your face!" Her face was red with the exertion.

When Ranger didn't respond, she laid into him again. In Spanish.

I did my best to blend into the wall, and I watched my shoes. By the time she was done, I was repenting for all the wrong I had done in my lifetime… and I didn't have a clue what she'd said.

Ranger responded to Ximena in Spanish, his tone repentant and his eyes gentle. Ximena's hands were still on her hips, but her face had softened some.

"Goodnight. See you in the morning, Carlos," she said, turning and swinging her ass out of the room.

My eyes met with Rangers, his eyes holding an unspoken question. I glanced at my shoes, his gaze growing uncomfortable.

"Babe," he said softly.

My eyes met his, and he extended his hand to me across the room.

Before I could respond, Ximena was back in the room. She grabbed my arm and drug me towards the door.

"Chica! Com'on," she said, dragging me out the door.

My eyes met with Ranger's, and a 200 watt smile crossed his face.

I mouthed "Help!" in his direction.

"I protect you from everyone but myself… and Ximena," he laughed as Ximena wrenched the door closed behind us.