I was so shocked by what I was hearing that I accidentally dropped a glass into sink, shattering it into dozens of pieces.
Diesel uncharacteristically raised his voice at Ranger. "You know I can't do that!"
"Shit," I muttered under my breath, scrambling to clean up the mess I'd made.
I scooped up several pieces of glass to throw away and, in the process, sliced my finger open. Blood dripped down my fingertips into the sink.
"Double shit," I whined to myself, holding my injured hand up for inspection.
Ranger was at my side in an instant. He glanced at my bleeding hand before grabbing some paper towels.
"It's not bad," he said, turning on the water in the sink. His voice was steady, his hands certain. He rinsed my hand and cleaned the affected area with soap. He patted the area dry with the paper towels, holding pressure to the area.
"Thanks," I said sheepishly. "Sorry I'm such a klutz."
"Babe." He looked like he was thinking about smiling.
Diesel and Lizzie sat wordlessly at the table. Lizzie's face registered surprise, but Diesel's face conveyed one emotion. Pissed off.
"I'm going to take Steph to the bathroom to get her bandaged up. Make the calls you need to make to authorize the transfer. Let's do this," Ranger said to Diesel, dragging me in the direction of the bedroom. I glanced back and saw Diesel sitting in open mouthed horror, his brows furrowed.
Ranger lifted me onto the countertop in the bathroom to sit while he dug bandages out of the cupboard.
"What do you think you're doing?" I hissed.
He stared at me, his expression questioning and innocent.
"Finding the right size bandage?"
I rolled my eyes so hard I almost fell off the sink.
"Not that. Jeez Louise. Diesel isn't going to take away your abilities, what are you thinking?"
"It's his job. It's what he's commissioned to do. He travels all over the world doing it."
"For people who are out of control, not for people who don't use their abilities," I argued.
Ranger continued digging through the drawer, coming up with two bandages and a tube of ointment. He pursed his lips before speaking.
"I meant what I said yesterday. I don't want these abilities. I never asked for them, and I've spent years trying to control them. It's exhausting, Steph. It's like they leak from my pores."
I studied his face. It was deadly serious. His eyes were honest, pleading. It made my heart ache for him.
"I had no idea they caused you to suffer," I said sadly. "I'm sorry."
He crossed to me, taking his place standing between my knees. He peeled open a bandage and smeared ointment on it.
"I'm not suffering, Steph. But no one should possess this kind of power," he said, wiping my finger one last time before placing the bandage in place and securing it with the adhesive strips. "I could influence world leaders by simply crossing their path. I could control entire military units by standing nearby. I could change the course of the future, change paths, ruin lives."
"You could do good with it too," I said quietly, trying to make him understand what he perceived as a curse could also be construed as a blessing. I mean, the organization Diesel worked for had wanted to hire him to do good with his abilities. Why couldn't he do that independently?
His eyes met mine and held, doubt lingering there.
"You could persuade the wealthy to support charities. You could stop wars. You could close the wage gap. You could convince scientists to work harder to find the cure for cancer," I said, imaging all the good Ranger could do with this unmentionable talent. I knew I was barely scratching the surface.
"I'm a selfish man. I don't want those things," he said, throwing away the bandage wrappers.
He placed his palm on my cheek and touched his forehead to mine, his lips close enough to my lips that I could feel his breath. My heartrate quickened, and I fought to control it. I was hopelessly in love with the man standing before me. Sometimes it made me physically hurt, and his touch was maddening.
"I have simple aspirations, Steph. Nearly dying did a lot to clear up any uncertainty I may have felt about my life's trajectory."
He paused, his chocolatey gaze cutting into me, willing me to understand.
I did understand. Watching his lifeblood drain from his body as I begged God to let him live was enough to change my life, too.
"Steph, I want to be a businessman. A security professional who excels in his field. I want to drive fast cars and blow money on extravagant things. I want to be a better father to Julie. I want to spend more time with my parents. I've neglected my family for my business too long, and it's been at their expense." He paused, his eyes growing warmer with some unnamed emotion before speaking again. "And if you'll have me, I want to be your partner in this life."
He brushed his lips across mine, and I felt myself go light headed. His words spun around furiously in my head.
Life partner? Was this a marriage proposal? I stared at him in open mouthed shock, unsure what to say or how to respond. I swallowed back the rising bile in my throat.
"Breathe, Steph," he said, his thumb caressing my cheek.
I focused on my breathing, sucking huge gasps of air into my lungs. Don't throw up, I mentally coached myself. Find your words.
Ranger's brows furrowed with concern, his hand gently rubbing my back.
"Life partner?" I squeaked, my voice wavering.
"It's not a marriage proposal, Steph," he said apologetically. "I don't know if either of us is programmed for marriage. Maybe one day that will change, but for now, I can't imagine my life without you in it. I want to wake up next to you in the morning, and I want to hold you every night as you fall asleep."
"You do?" I squeaked, trying to pull away.
Ranger pulled me to him once more and nodded his assent. When I didn't respond, Rangers face began to change from a look of hope to one of rejection.
"If you don't want to be with me, I understand. I've pushed you away too many times, and I've been…"
I cut him off.
"It's not that."
It could never be that. Of course I wanted to be with him. I had always wanted to be with him. Deep down, I suspected that's why I could never make things work with anyone else. That said, I feared discussing long term commitment would give me hives.
"Steph, I need you to understand something. Partners are supposed to be equals. If I can't be stripped of these abilities, we'll never be equals. Can you trust me after what I did this week? There will always be the voice in the back of your mind wondering if I'd influenced you somehow, manipulated you. Why do you think I never shared this information with you before?" he pleaded.
I considered what he was saying and regretted to admit there was some truth to it. I trusted Ranger with my heart and with my life, but how could I learn to trust him unconditionally with my free will? It's something I'd never had to consider before, because it's something that, in theory, cannot be taken away from a person. Ranger's powerful unmentionable ability was the only caveat I had ever encountered to this rule, and it was hard to digest.
On the other hand, how much of Ranger's unmentionableness created the man I fell in love with? How much of the man he'd become was inexplicably linked to his hidden abilities? I had no way to know. He was a natural leader who people followed. He was a wildly successful businessman. Women tripped over their feet and choked on their food with only a glance. He was more persuasive with FTAs than anyone I'd ever met.
"How much of you are you willing to risk?" I asked Ranger, trying to verbalize my thoughts.
He furrowed his brow, not understanding my question. I tried to rephrase.
"How much of your success as a bond enforcement agent or as a businessman stems from your abilities? Do you know? Are you willing to risk that success?"
Ranger didn't have to think about it long.
"It's a risk I'm willing to take," he admitted unabashedly. "I'd give up most anything for a chance at a normal life."
The silence that sat between us was deafening, but Ranger's face was earnest and certain. He'd made up his mind. He knew what he wanted. I wasn't going to change his mind, but did I have a right to interfere?
"I've spoken with several individuals who have been stripped of their abilities," he finally said. "They are still the same person. They have the same personality and ordinary abilities. Diesel only strips their unmentionable abilities. In the big picture, it's hard to separate learned ability and natural ability from unmentionable abilities. I've practiced my skills as a businessman and bond enforcement agent for enough years they should be learned abilities by now, even if I had enhanced success in the early years due to my unmentionable abilities. Normal people do these jobs successfully, too."
I studied the bandage on my finger, my stomach feeling sick over this strange twist of events. This wasn't how this day was supposed to go. Guilt was eating at me, and I tried to understand the feeling. Then it dawned on me.
"Please don't do this because of me," I said so quietly I was afraid he wouldn't hear.
"Babe," he sighed, pulling me into a tight embrace. "I really would do anything for you, but I need you to understand that this is for me. I don't want to live with this burden anymore. I'm ready to move on with my life."
His cheek was warm against mine, and I considered his words. I believed him. The decision was for him. I had just needed to hear him say it out loud. I didn't want to harbor any guilt about this later.
"Okay," I said. "If you're sure, then let's do it."
His embrace ended, and he lightly gripped my arms in his strong hands.
"I meant every word I said earlier. I want to spend my life with you, Stephanie Michelle Plum. But I need you to tell me what you want. What you're comfortable with. I'm not Diesel. I can't read your mind. But I need you to know, I'm afraid I'll run you off by making the wrong move. And I'm not afraid of much," he explained, his eyes sincere.
He means every word, a little voice inside my head said with glee. The mental panic attack I had been having subsided very suddenly, and the urge to break out into a happy dance took its place.
His lips connected with mine, and fire raced through my veins. His kiss was gentle and longing, conveying some deep meaning with every stroke of his tongue. I tried to suppress my longing, but a moan escaped from my mouth.
When he broke from the kiss, his face was serious. "I'm not going to ask you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. If one day you decide our love should come with a ring, you need to tell me. If you want to move into my apartment, I'll empty half my closet tomorrow. If you want me to move into yours, I'm going to need a neon sign and a drawer or two," he said, smirking.
"You'd move into my craptastic apartment?" I said, shock registering on my face.
"I'd buy you a mansion at Point Pleasant and a custom 911 Turbo if you asked, Steph."
I let that sink in for a beat.
"You love me," I said, a wide smile settling onto my face. It was a statement of facts, not a question.
The tension in Ranger's face melted away, and he broke into his signature two-hundred-watt smile.
"Babe," he said, laughter in his tone. "I love you."
I sighed, remembered why we were having this conversation.
"Ok then," I said. "Let's get this over with."
I slid off the counter, and Ranger took a step back. I took two steps toward the door before Ranger snatched me by the back of the shirt, pulled me to him, spun me around, and kissed me with enough passion to ruin my panties.
"Get the stone," he said. "I have plans for you after we make the transfer."
"What happens if Diesel won't do it?"
Ranger thought about that for a beat.
"Then we pay a visit to Wulf."