Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed. I'm sorry for how long this is but once I started writing this i couldn't stop!

Happy Reading!

They are not mine.

Chapter 4

Ranger's POV

I was getting off the plane in Newark with a feeling of dread. I couldn't place any reason for feeling this way. I took my small duffle bag, manila envelope, and got into the waiting black SUV. I was happy to be home. I was away, yet again, on a mission. This mission only took two months but it felt like years. I was missing Stephanie like mad and was afraid what I would return to. I almost lost my life this mission and was literally hit upside the head with reality and while recovering thought over my life and things I wanted to change.

The number one thing I had to change was my aversion to the way I feel about my Babe. I realized you don't know what you're missing out on until it's almost taken from you. I want to have a life with Stephanie. I wanted us to have a nice house, a ring and maybe a kid. If she wanted it she would have it. I have said in the past my life is dangerous but no matter what Stephanie does she attracts criminals. If someone from my past were to come after her or god forbid we had a family and they were targeted too I would just beef up her security like I always do. The only difference would be she couldn't fight it like she usually does. Stephanie is a very independent woman.

The only reason why I feel like I haven't pursued her is because of her on and off again relationships with Morelli. I also feel like I am the culprit for that to keep happening. I have pushed her multiple times to that cop and am ashamed of it. I just wanted her to be happy but didn't realize he was the reason for her unhappiness. He and Steph's bitch of a mother are the source of her unhappiness. I plan to protect her from anything that will make her unhappy. If she will have me I plan to be there any way possible.

I pulled into the RangeMan garage, grabbed my duffle bag, manila folder and was surprised by being greeted by Tank.

"Report," I said with my blank face in place. I was hoping to get a report and head straight to my desk and get to planning how to sweep my babe off her feet.

"Well, a hey Tank it's good to see you would be nice." Tank said shaking my hand and slapping me on the back.

"I just want to get into my office and start on the paper work I know you didn't finish." I said walking into the elevator and pressing five. Tank just laughed and followed me into my office. I shut the door behind us, set down all my belongings, and sat behind my desk. "So what has been going on in the real world?"

Tank smiled and sat in the chair across from my desk and leaned back with his hands folded behind his head and legs stretched out in front of him. "Well we have twelve new accounts you need to oversee, and only three break ins and three false alarms. Lately it has been very quiet without you or bombshell around."

"How is she?" I asked wondering if she is still with that dreadful man.

"Before I answer your question I want to know one thing." Tank said sitting in his chair with his hands folded. "Are you in love with her? Because let me tell you if you hurt her spirit like you did last time there is no doubt that Morelli, Lester and many other 'merry man' will want to pick up the pieces."

I sat back in my chair and ran my hands over my face and sighed deeply. "I didn't plan on having this conversation until much later but," I didn't get to finish when an alert went on over mine and Tanks phones at the same time. Stephanie's panic button had been activated. SHIT!

I grabbed the manila folder before Tank and I ran down the flight of stairs and into the SUV. Bobby was with us in case it was a medical emergency because you never knew with babe. Tank told me where to go from the GPS and when we entered a certain street I knew exactly where we were going. That asshole better not have hurt my babe.

Tank, Bobby and I stormed the house like we were taking over a drug lords home and what I saw almost made my heart stop. My babe was face down on the floor in a contorted position with a huge bruise over her cheek. She must have flipped over the railing from the way she is laying. Morelli was going to get the beating of a lifetime.

I knelt down next to her and checked for a pulse. It was there but it was slow and I didn't like how long it took her to inhale and exhale. Bobby took her out of my arms and started to assess the extent of her injuries while Tank and I looked around the house for Morelli. It wasn't hard to find him. He was in the bedroom sleeping.

So this asshole pushed my babe over the railing and went back to sleep as she was injured on the floor. This fuck face had some nerve. I got on one side of Morelli and Tank got on the other. We carried him into the hallway and to the top of the stairs. I counted to three and we threw him over the railing. I heard a lot of cracking and popping that made me cringe. If that's what Morelli sounded like flying over it as big as he was someone small like Stephanie must sound worse. That fueled my fire and I took off down the stairs.

I picked Morelli up by his collar and smash his head against the wall. I punched him repeatedly. I couldn't find the strength to stop. Tank had to pull me away from him and drag me back the SUV. I sat in the back cradling Stephanie in my arms.

"Where are we headed? We all know that she hates hospitals and with her injuries the only thing they would do for her would be wrap her torso and monitor her throughout the night which I'm pretty sure Ranger could do on seven." Bobby said relieving me of thinking she was in serious danger. Broken ribs were a bitch to deal with though.

II thought about going back to RangeMan but had a better idea. "Take us to the house."

Tank nodded and we were on our way. It took a while to go through the security measures I had around the house. To be able to enter the drive way you must enter a ten digit code then at the second gate scan your eye and hand to finally make it to the drive way. While I got Stephanie out of the car and grabbed my manila envelope Tank entered a four digit code and entered the house.

"Welcome Tank" The automated security system said.

"Damn Ranger you didn't waste any money on your security system did you?" Bobby said following behind us with his medic bag.

"I wasn't going to jip out on the security system when at any point I would have the chance to sweep Stephanie off her feet and make her mine. If we were to be together I would want her and any possible children we would have safe." I said knowing the guys would be shocked. I walked up the stairs and looked over the balcony. Bobby and Tank were standing in the living room wide eyed and gaping at each other.

"Yes I said what you think I said. I love Stephanie Michelle Plum." I looked down at the woman in my arms and hugged her tightly to me. I brought her into my room and got her changed into something comfortable. She loved to wear my black shirts and a pair of my silk boxers. She thought I didn't know that she had a few articles of my clothing but when you only own a few pairs you notice when they are missing.

By the time I got her dressed Bobby was in the room and handing me a few Advil's with a glass of water. Amazingly I got her to take the pills. I watched as he went to work on her cast and wrapping her ribs. After she was treated I tucked her into bed. I watched as she snuggled into my sheets and said my name with a sigh. I laughed and walked out of the room only leaving the door open enough to allow a sliver of light to enter the room. I took the manila folder out of my pocket and walked to my office. Tank and Bobby were lounged out on my leather couch. I sat behind my mahogany desk and opened the manila folder I had carried around and protecting with my life. I was hoping to give it to Stephanie when I returned and after I talked to Tank in my office but things took a different turn.

I pulled out all of the packets in the manila envelope that stated all of my military missions and evaluations. Every single document by now had been sealed away somewhere safer than Fort Knox. After my contract was finished they had to erase anything that had to do with Ricardo "Ranger" Manoso being in the Rangers. I was a civilian again and was free of the government.

"What's that?" Bobby asked looking at me crazy because I was smiling.

I handed him the packets and watched realization come over their faces. "Finally man! You can go after Bombshell now that you're a civilian again!" Bobby said smiling. The two men stood up and shook my hand. "Well I have to be on shift in a half hour and my boss is a total ass sometimes if I'm late." Bobby said laughing.

Tank and I smiled. "Well he may have to work but I have to get back to my woman and she will want to know what is going on with Steph." I escorted the men out and watched them leave. I was walking back into the living room and looked up to see Stephanie looking over the balcony. She was looking straight at me blankly so I knew she was deep in thought. I wrapped my arms around her.

"Good morning Babe." I said low in her ear. "I had hoped you would have woken up after I crawled back into bed with you." I smiled when she blushed. I knew she was embarrassed by her feelings for me but I was thinking what I had to lose if she refused me, the love of my life, that's what I would lose.

It surprised me when she pulled out of my embrace and started to walk towards the bedroom. When she bent over to grab her clothes to get changed I couldn't help pulling her hips against mine.

"Babe, where are you going?" I said with my voice husky in a sexy tone. I hoped it would convince her to stay. I knew she would think of our night together after that stupid deal and I thought maybe she would want to stay with me but I saw multiple emotions cross her face. Fear, nervousness, sadness, happiness and what I hope was love. She shocked me once again and just continued to get dressed. It was hard to watch her undress in my bedroom only to redress and want to leave. I had just watched a man who said he love her throw her down a pair of stairs and she wants to leave when she has a broken arm, concussion and two broken ribs? I didn't think so. I grabbed onto her hand and made her look me in the eyes. I saw the fire return to her eyes and was bracing myself for what might be said but wasn't expecting what she had to say. She gave me the worst evil glare.

"I am going home where I should have been brought last night." As she spoke my blank face came down. Boy was that a mistake. "Oh so now you're going to hide your feelings? Not two seconds ago you were flirting with me. This is the exact reason why I don't want to stay here."

I looked at her intensely and she just laugh. "I have spent time over the years going over every little thing you have said to me and what I came across disturbs me" She looked into my eyes and I knew she was only getting started. Once my babe started she just couldn't stop and I felt she needed to get this all out. "You have said 'my life doesn't lend itself to relationships' but what you fail to realize is that we already have a relationship. Not only do the people we hang out with see it but total strangers see it too. Like Scrogg! He isn't even from this area and he knew what I meant to you! He even knew about Julie! I think the reason why you say we can't be together is because you don't know how to love." When she started to cry I didn't know what to do. I had to say something.

"Babe I," I said wanting to explain how much I loved her but was quickly interrupted by her.

"You get a say in everything but today, it's my turn." she said, her voice thick with emotion. "I think the reason why you tell me one thing but act another way is because you aren't used to letting anyone in to see Carlos. You are stuck behind your rough military and street rep that you forget that you can come home to someone who would love you with everything they had. You're afraid to let someone have partial control over something as simple as your emotions and it shows weakness to love. Let me tell you something. You're very wrong." It looked like she had trouble getting ahold of her emotions. "I just want to be there for you like you are for me. You provide me with a car when I blow mine up, even if I refuse it. You let me sneak into your private building when I was in danger. You do everything possible to keep me safe. Even by risking the lives of your men to help protect me. I know you may not say it with words but your actions speak much louder. You love me but won't do anything about it. I want you to know I am very much in love with you Carlos and probably always will. If you don't feel the same I will leave right now and never look back. Just say the word and I'm gone." I didn't want her to leave me. I loved her with everything I had and wanted her in every way possible. Every word she said was like a healing to my soul. She saw right through my walls like I always thought she did.

I walked up to her and cupped her cheek in my hand. "Babe, I have a lot of explaining to do." I pulled her to me so our lips were inches apart. "You were right about everything especially how I don't know how to love. I'm not the kind of man that knows how to show emotion to anyone else. I'm not afraid to say that I'm scared you would return to Morelli and break my heart. I want you to know that I am in love with you. Mind, body and soul." I took her head into my hands and kissed her passionately. She melted into my arms and I felt better than I have in a while because I had the woman I loved with all my heart loving me.

Please R&R.