"We need to talk," I said, approaching Ranger in the control room. "Now." Diesel walked behind me wordlessly.
Ranger was seated in a wheelchair in front of the bank of monitors, presumably watching Diesel and me. Worry lines creased his forehead, the corners of his eyes, and his mouth. It occurred to me that his time in Atlanta had aged him, and my heart ached for him. He was flanked by two other men whose names I didn't know. They didn't make eye contact.
Ranger gave a barely perceptible nod, rising from his wheelchair. He motioned a "follow me" gesture and began limping away from his chair, strain evident on his face.
"Will you let me push you?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips and raising one eyebrow.
Ranger ignored my offer, continuing the limp toward a bank of small conference rooms.
I glanced at Diesel, who was giving me a devilish grin.
"Can't keep him down for long," he said, gesturing for me to follow Ranger.
I rolled my eyes and shuffled after Ranger, catching up to walk close behind in case he needed help.
"Can we have a minute?" I asked Diesel as we reached the conference room door.
He nodded and slouched against the wall to wait.
I closed the conference room door behind me and turned to face Ranger. He was sitting on the edge of the conference room table with his arms crossed across his chest, his face devoid of expression.
"No," I said, my voice rising in anger. "We're not going to do this today. I refuse to let you shut down on me. We can't work through this if you check out emotionally."
He stared at me, studying me as I stood in front of him.
"First of all, ground rules," I stated. "Number one. We're shooting straight today. That means no lying and no bullshit."
Ranger nodded his consent.
I gave Ranger my best Burg glare. "Lying by omission still counts as lying."
He gave me a smirk, and I saw his guard falling. I sighed a relieved breath, then continued.
"Second rule. You so much as think about changing my mind about anything ever again, and I'm walking out the door for good. Do you hear me?"
Tears were welling in my eyes again. I sucked in air and blinked them away, refusing to fall victim to more angry tears today. My threat felt pretty hollow since the man held my heart, but the thought of staying with someone who would manipulate me was more than I could stand.
Ranger didn't respond, but his shoulders drooped a few inches. He didn't make eye contact.
"Ricardo Carlos Manoso, do you understand me?" I asked, pointing an angry finger in his direction.
He snapped his head in my direction, his eyes glowing with amusement.
"This isn't funny!" I said, throwing my arms into the air, frustrated tears threatening to fall.
"Babe, you just called me by my full name," Ranger said, his tone amused. "You sound like my mother."
A rogue tear slid down my face, and I swiped it away quickly. Ranger opened his arms to me, but I shook my head no.
"I thought I could trust you with my heart," I whispered, his eyes holding mine.
A pregnant pause sat between us before he finally responded.
"I'm sorry."
"Have you ever done this to me before now?" I asked. If this was a pattern of behavior, I had to know.
He shook his head no.
I felt myself relax slightly.
"It's going to take some time to rebuild trust," I admitted.
He opened his arms to me again, and this time I went to him. He slid back on the table and I sat in front of him, his chest to my back. He wrapped his arms around my waist, holding me close with his chin on my shoulder. I laid my arms over his, my hands atop his with our fingers intertwined. He placed three butterfly-soft kisses beneath my ear, and I felt myself relax into him.
"I swear to you, I'll never do it again," he whispered in my ear. "If I could make these abilities go away, I would. I didn't ask for them. I don't want them. I hope you understand I'd do anything for you."
Ranger's words took my breath away. He'd give up his abilities for me? Memories began to race through my mind.
Ranger handing me the keys to his Porsche after one of my cars met its untimely end.
Ranger jumping off a bridge into the Delaware River to save me without a second thought for his safety.
Ranger walking into certain death in my apartment when Edward Scrog had kidnapped Julie and me.
Ranger kissing me senseless in the alley by the bonds office after yet another nasty breakup with Joe.
Ranger pulling me from the burning building of one of his Rangeman clients.
Falling into Ranger's arms from a cupboard in Spiro's house when I'd been kidnapped by Constantine Stiva.
I did understand. Ranger had proven time and time again he'd do anything for me. He showed his affection with actions rather than words.
"I know," I said quietly, "but you can't take away my free will. That's a non-negotiable."
Ranger sat quietly for a long time holding me. I rubbed my thumb along the length of his, willing him to say something.
"Living with you the last few days only reaffirmed that what I did was wrong," he explained. "I love your strong will and your sharp wit. Your independence draws me back to you every day. By convincing you to be something you were not, I took those things from you. You were a different person. I could never do that to the woman I love again. I'm sorry things got so desperate that I felt it was my only choice to protect your body."
He brushed his lips along my collar bone, and I felt electricity flow through my body and settle low in my belly.
"You have to trust me," I said to Ranger, trying to focus on our conversation rather than the urges I was feeling. "I know I haven't always been the most rational person, but I promise I'm working on it. I'm eager to help Diesel, but I'm not suicidal. You have to trust me."
"I do," he said so quietly I almost didn't hear him.
He continued his assault on my shoulder with his lips as one hand slid under the hem of my shirt, settling on my stomach.
"With my life," he continued. "And my love."
Ranger inched his hand upward, his hand exploring gently and raising goosebumps on my heated flesh. He brushed his thumb over my nipple through the fabric of my thin lace bra, and I felt it harden at his touch. He touched it again, and I moaned softly, shuddering against his body. I could feel him pressing against me from behind.
Ranger's arm untangled from me. He fumbled in his pocket for a moment before pulling out a key fob.
"Scrambling the feed," he said in explanation, setting the fob on the table and getting back to business with both hands. He popped the button on my jeans before slipping one hand inside my panties.
My brain was shouting "no, no" but my body was screaming "oh yes".
"Wait," I said breathlessly. "You're not trying to persuade me not to help again, are you?"
Ranger chuckled, and I felt his hot breath against my ear.
"No, babe. This is my feeble attempt at makeup sex. Normally when guys screw up in relationships, we apologize and offer makeup sex."
My breath hitched, and I slid off the table, turning to face Ranger.
"Relationship?" I asked, resisting the urge to hyperventilate. "We're in… a relationship?"
I took a step toward the door in retreat.
Ranger smirked, his eyes alight with amusement.
"Babe."
He grabbed my upper arms and pulled me to him, his lips crashing onto mine. Our tongues touched, and I moaned into his mouth. My heart beat quickened, and my body quickened with it. I pressed my body into his while carefully avoiding his injured leg, and I felt his hardness pressing into me. When we finally broke from the kiss, we were both out of breath.
"Relationship?" I squeaked once I finally caught my breath. "You're sure?"
"Only if you're ok with it," Ranger said, giving me a questioning look. "Your reaction doesn't indicate acceptance."
I stood blinking at him.
"You don't do relationships," I said matter-of-factly.
Ranger twisted me around, pulling my back to his chest again. I slid my butt onto the table, and his hands slid back up my shirt and into my panties.
"It's about time I make an exception for the woman I love, don't you think?"
Ranger touched me, and I gasped.
"You realize Diesel is standing right outside the door, right?" I panted.
"He'll wait."
Oh boy.
Ranger, Diesel, and I settled around a round wooden table in the conference room. Ranger sat to my right, and Diesel sat across from us. Ranger had exhaustion written across his face, so I gave his hand a small, reassuring squeeze under the table. He held my hand in his, stroking the palm with his thumb.
Diesel gave us a shit eating grin.
"Took you long enough," he joked.
I could feel myself blush from my hairline to the tips of my toes, my ruined panties uncomfortably damp in my pants. Ranger somehow managed to stay stoic.
"Diesel," Ranger acknowledged, "how can Stephanie and I assist you?"
"We need to find Lizzie, and soon. Wulf is unpredictable with the stone of ira," said Diesel, his palms flat on the table before him. "But I think it's unlikely he leaves Atlanta without you too. He's assembling a team of powerful unmentionables, and he wants you on it."
I glanced at Ranger. Only now did I understand how powerful Ranger could be in the world of unmentionables. I tried to imagine all the things Ranger could do if he set his mind to it, but it boggled my mind. If I were to believe what I'd been told, he could persuade any person on Earth to take any action he wanted. It sent a shiver down my spine.
"We can't use you as bait," I told Ranger. "It's too dangerous with you injured. Wulf thinks he can get to you through me, so I'm the bait."
Ranger shook his head no.
"I'm not comfortable with that," he said in explanation. "I'd rather be his target."
"Ranger, I don't think…"
I tried to speak, but Ranger cut me off.
"A few days ago, I would have agreed with you, but I'm a lot stronger now. Besides, I'm told I can be very persuasive," he explained, the corner of his mouth turning up a bit.
"Are you sure you're comfortable with that?" Diesel asked. "You've never been willing to use your skills before."
Before Ranger could respond, a thunderous crack reverberated through the building followed by security alarms. The lights flickered then went out, replaced only by emergency lights.
I felt my heart lurch in my chest. Adrenaline seeped into my veins as my body prepared for fight or flight.
"It's Wulf," Diesel said, getting to his feet to wrench open the conference room door.
"Stay with me," Ranger said, holding my hands in his.
I nodded and helped Ranger to his feet, and he slung an arm over my shoulders for support. We crossed the room into the hall, where Rangemen in black fatigues were scrambling through the halls. I saw Lester and flagged him down. He ran to Ranger's side.
"Beautiful, you alright?" he asked.
"We're fine, he's just weak. I assume the elevator is out with the power. Can you help?" I asked.
Lester nodded, and Ranger slung his other arm over Lester's shoulder. We continued toward the bank of monitors on the control room floor.
Eric, the head of Rangeman's Atlanta office, was standing at the monitors barking orders. Diesel was standing next to him.
"What happened?" Ranger shouted to Eric over the bedlam.
"Someone drove a SUV through the front windows and into the lobby," Eric shouted. "Code black."
"Stand down!" Ranger shouted to the men who were scrambling toward the stairwell.
The men froze in place, waiting for their next move.
"No one goes down but the team I assign. Lester, Steph, and Eric, you're with me. Everyone else stays put," Ranger said. "Brad, give Steph your sidearm and flack vest."
A tall, slender young man with red hair stepped forward without question and handed me his Glock. I thanked him and tucked it into the back waistband of my pants as he undid his vest. He slid the vest over my shoulders, and I adjusted it to fit better.
"Diesel, you're with us," Ranger said. "We're taking the stairs to the lobby. Once we get down there, everyone hang back. I'm going in first."
Ranger turned to me next. He placed his hand on the small of my back and drew me to him.
"Be careful," he whispered, his lips close to mine. "I love you.
Our foreheads connected, and I breathed in his scent before our lips connected in a sweet, short kiss.
"No, you be careful," I said in response, my gut wrenching. The fear I felt on the streets of Atlanta the week before gripped me, and I pulled him closer. "I love you too."
Ranger turned his attention to Diesel.
"I need you to take Steph's spot to help Lester get me down the stairs."
I took my cue and moved away from Ranger's side, allowing Diesel to assist instead. We took off toward the stairwell, Ranger, Diesel, and Lester in the lead with Eric and I trailing behind. Eric had his Glock drawn, so I followed his cue and pulled the Glock from my pants. It felt heavy and awkward in my hands, but I held it as Ranger had instructed me years before.
Once we were in the stairwell, I understood why Ranger had Diesel swap me spots. Lester and Diesel carried Ranger down the three flights of stairs to the lobby door. Ranger took off his Glock and handed it to Diesel.
"Protect her," Ranger said, gesturing towards me.
Diesel stared at the gun he held awkwardly in his hands. It was clear the gun made him uncomfortable.
"What about you?" Diesel asked Ranger.
Ranger shrugged. "I'm only worried about her. I don't care if he is your cousin. If he tries to lay a finger on her, you shoot."
Diesel swallowed hard but nodded. Diesel moved to my side and gave me a tight smile that didn't travel to his eyes. Lester dutifully stood on my other side.
Ranger moved for the stairwell door but turned back to us before opening it.
"None of you will speak of what you witness here today. Understood?"
We all nodded, but a confused look passed over Eric's face.
I gave him a tight-lipped grin. "It's going to be okay," I told him, working to convince myself more than him.
Ranger limped forward and opened the door to the stairwell, exiting into the lobby. Eric followed first, followed by Lester, then me, then Diesel.
The lobby was trashed. Glass, drywall, insulation, and pieces of waiting room chairs were scattered across the tile lobby floor. A navy suburban sat in the middle of the lobby, debris covering the hood and the windshield shattered. Light from outside shone into the lobby windows, but a thin dust hung in the air. I presumed it was from insulation and drywall, which had been busted to pieces when the SUV had crashed through the entryway. The drivers door to the SUV was open, and Wulf stood to the side of the vehicle.
Wulf had always been a scary guy, but the look on his face today sent chills of terror through my veins. He looked truly insane. His unearthly white skin looked nearly translucent in the late afternoon sun. His dark hair framed his face in wild disarray, but the untamed look in his eyes was even wilder. He was wearing black pointy toed dress shoes, crisp black dress slacks, and a black cashmere sweater with the sleeves pushed to his elbows. Fine dust had settled onto his once perfect clothes, adding to his eerie ghostly effect.
"Grimoire," I heard Ranger say between clenched teeth. "Why are you here?"
"Manoso," Wulf said, a lilt of humor in his tone. "Let us not play games. You know I'm here for you."
Ranger cocked his head to the side ever so slightly, and something about Wulf's expression changed.
"I need you to bring me the girl," Ranger said softly. "Where is she?"
Wulf blinked several times, his expression confused.
"What do you want with her?" Wulf asked, clearly working to thwart Ranger's attempt at persuasion.
"I care only for her safety," Ranger responded, taking a step toward the SUV. "Is she in the car?" he asked.
Wulf's expression softened. "Yes, she's in the passenger seat."
I chanced another look at the car, fear settling in my stomach. The car was trashed. If she was in the passenger seat, she was hurt. I glanced at Diesel, and the look on his face told me all I needed to know. He was thinking exactly what I was thinking.
I stood behind Lester and pulled my phone from my pocket. I texted Ximena. We need you in the lobby now. Come armed and in a vest with gear.
"Can one of my associates check on her?" Ranger asked, glancing over his shoulder to me.
Wulf seemed to be getting more frustrated with the situation, his instincts making every effort to fight Ranger's power of persuasion.
"Yes," he spit out between clenched teeth, his eyes closed.
Diesel took three steps toward the car before Wulf lashed out.
"No!" Wulf shrieked. "Not you! You can't have her!"
Ice raced through my veins at his tone. He'd gone mad. He wouldn't hesitate to eliminate someone who crossed him.
"How about me?" I said, raising my voice so Wulf could hear me. "Can I check on her?"
Wulf's eyes met mine, and recognition crossed his face. It was as if he was noticing me in the lobby for the first time.
"So we meet again, Ms. Plum," he said taking a step toward me.
"May I check on Lizzie?" I asked him, taking a step toward the car.
Ranger's gaze held on Wulf, and I saw a string of emotions cross his face before confusion settled there.
"You may," he responded, his voice devoid of emotion.
I took steps through the debris on the floor, willing my feet to carry me safely to Lizzie. I looked into the car through the shattered passenger side window, and my heart stopped.
A pretty blonde girl was unconscious and strapped into the front seat, her hands bound in front of her with zip ties. She was wearing jeans, a lavender hoodie, and Doc Martens. The deployed airbag lay limp in her lap, and debris was scattered in the vehicle. She was slouched in her seat, blood trickling down her face from several abrasions. Her arm was bent at an unnatural angle.
I placed my hand on the door handle and tried it, but it was locked. The window of the door was mostly broken out, so I used my gun to knock away more glass before placing the gun at the small of my back. I stood on the running board and reached into the vehicle, opening the door with the interior handle.
"Lizzie?" I asked, touching my fingers lightly to the skin of her cheek.
She didn't respond, so I touched my fingertips to her pulse point on her neck. I felt a strong pulse.
"I think she's going to be okay," I announced, "but she needs medical attention."
I stood up on the running board, my eyes meeting with Ranger's. He nodded, then glanced to Wulf again, tilting his head to the side.
"Call for help," Wulf said in a monotone voice.
As if on cue, the stairwell door opened and Ximena entered the lobby. She was wearing jeans, a grey sweatshirt, pink running shoes, and a flack vest. It was apparent she'd been off duty.
Shock registered on her face at the sight before her.
"Over here," I said to Ximena, motioning her in my direction.
She scrambled through the debris to my side.
"What's going on?" she asked on a whisper.
"We found Lizzie," I whispered, pointing to the young woman in the car before us.
"Shit, chica," Ximena breathed, dropping to her knees to dig in her medic bag. She came up with a handful of supplies and began to evaluate Lizzie.
I took a step away from the SUV so I could see Ranger again, and our eyes met. I nodded to him, and he gave a barely perceptible nod in return.
Ranger's attention returned to Wulf.
"This ends right here, right now," he announced.
Wulf's face broke into a hideous grin, and insane laughter bellowed from his chest.
"You will stop collecting unmentionables for your collection," Ranger said, his voice calm and even over Wulf's laughter. "You're through with Lizzie. You're through with me. Do you understand?"
Wulf's laughter stopped abruptly, and his hands flew to his head. He tangled his fingers into his hair and clenched his teeth, the expression on his face a soundless scream.
"Do you understand?" Ranger asked again.
"Yes," Wulf said through clenched teeth.
I heard Ximena's soft voice, and I glanced to the SUV. Lizzie's brown eyes were fluttering open, struggling to focus. Pain was written across her face.
"Lizzie, my name is Ximena. I'm here to help you. I know you're in pain right now, but I need you to focus and breathe through it until I can evaluate the extent of your injuries. Can you tell me what hurts?"
"My arm," she choked out, tears mixing with the blood on her face. "Head. Ribs."
Ximena dug in her pack, coming up with a small flashlight.
"Follow the light with your eyes," she said to Lizzie, moving the flashlight across her face.
"Stephanie, will you come here please?" I heard Ranger ask over Ximena's conversation.
I glanced in his direction and saw Wulf on his knees in front of Ranger. I approached apprehensively, uncertain why I was being asked to assist.
"Mr. Grimoire has something for you," Ranger said as I drew closer. "Will you give him your hand?"
I hesitated. Everything about this situation seemed like a bad idea, but I trusted Ranger to protect me. I extended my hand to Wulf, my palm facing upward.
"Mr. Grimoire, the gift you had for Ms. Plum, please," Ranger said, tilting his head.
Wulf's face was devoid of all emotion, his skin smooth and pale like ice. His long, bony fingers reached into his pants pocket, retrieving a tan stone that looked like a large river rock. He held the rock in front of his face as if studying it before dropping the smooth stone into the palm of my hand. It looked like an ordinary rock, but a voice in the back of my mind said this had to be one of the special stones Diesel had been hunting.
I placed the rock in my pocket and resumed my place between Diesel and Lester. Both watched Ranger with unchecked awe.
"Please leave my place of business, and do not return," Ranger said to Wulf. "You're not welcome here. Go home."
On cue, Wulf stood, turned, and exited the building through the hole the SUV had punched into the entry glass. Sirens wailed in the distance.
We all stood in disbelieving silence.
Ranger turned to face us, and he began barking orders.
"Eric, stay here and handle this. The driver fled the scene, and our cameras are out with the electricity off. We can't identify him."
Eric nodded his understanding. "Yes, sir."
Ranger continued. "Diesel, ride to the hospital with Lizzie. Ximena will accompany you."
Diesel nodded his understanding and crossed to Ranger.
"Thank you," he said, extending his hand to Ranger. They shook hands.
"Do you want the stone now or later?" Ranger asked Diesel.
Diesel thought about it. "Keep it safe. I'll come back for it."
Finally, Ranger turned to me, his face disclosing his exhaustion. "Lester and Steph, help me get to six."