Chapter 8

When we pulled into the garage I saw Ranger standing in front of elevator waiting for me. His arms were crossed over his chest and he didn't look to happy. The question was - was he playing with the guys for me or was he really angry at me for leaving this morning. It could be a 50/50 chance going either way, I decided to pull my hat a little lower just in case. When the truck pulled to a stop I hopped out and entwined my arm through Lester's pulling him towards Ranger. His feet were dragging and his face had a look a pure terror on it. Bobby tried to discreetly slide out of the truck and walk towards the stairs.

"Bobby, COME"

He stopped mid-stride with his back to all of us, he slowly turned like he was going to his own execution.

"Bobby do you have something you need to tell me?" Ranger purred deep in his throat.

Bobby shook his head slowly back and forth, his hands raised up, "I didn't touch her Ranger, she lied." He was stuttering and talking a mile a minute "Well I did touch her, I mean I had to check her vitals and her injury's, but I didn't touch her-touch her. She is a liar" with that Ranger's eyebrows rose, "Shit Ranger I don't mean like a liar-liar, more like she is trying to start shit liar." He was rambling and stumbling thorough his words.

"Stop" Ranger demanded. Bobby immediately stopped talking and I could no longer hold in my laughter. I doubled over laughing out loud hysterically, Lester and Bobby both glared at me. Tank was the only one smirking, "You are mean Stephanie, so mean." He said chucking as he got into the elevator.

"Go" Ranger demanded, and they both scrambled into the elevator with Tank. He finally turned to look at me, and I saw him pause and his eyes narrow as he looked at my face. He crooked his finger in a come hither motion, I shook my head and took a small step back. He slowly raised an eyebrow and moved his finger again. I bit my lip and shook my head again, we were at a stale mate.

He looked at me for a moment and then he sacred the shit out of me by slowly smiling. Ranger smiling had to be one of the sexiest things in the world, that was until he smiled because he was up to something. And he was most defiantly up to something. "Stephanie, I think it would behoove you to come over to me, because if I come to you, you won't like me." I looked at Ranger then looked to the garage door. I figured if I cut and ran I might make it to the door, maybe a few steps out but I was not getting away. I saw him raise his eyebrow at me in a silent challenge, and I knew I was going to run – a challenge was always fun. I turned and ran making it only 4 steps before I was swept up and thrown over his shoulder. I was smiling as I yelled, "Put me down!" He said nothing but swatted my ass as he made his way to the elevator.

On the elevator I looked to the camera and did another finger wave to all the guys I knew were watching. I felt Ranger swat my ass again, "Sit Still" he said. When we got to seven he walked through the hall and into the front door without putting me down. He made it all the way into the kitchen and sat me down on the counter before he said anything – a sweet and simple, "Stay".

I watched him walk into the bedroom and heard some shuffling before he walked back into the kitchen carrying a small bag. He came to stand right between my legs and I gazed at him as he slowly pulled off my hat. He tilted my chin to the left and right inspecting my face, I watched as his jaw clenched and his breath came out in harsh puffs. I could feel the anger radiating off of him, I gently placed my hands on his giving a gentle squeeze. He looked up and into my eyes before leaning forward to place a tender kiss on my lips. "I am sorry", he whispered.

"For what" I whispered back my breath brushing on his lips.

"For not being here to keep you safe." He said as he rested his forehead onto mine.

"You can't protect me from everything, and you can't keep me locked away. Things are going to happen; life is going to happen. As long as you are here to kiss it better, that is all I need." I whispered into his ear. I heard his breath hitch and felt his arms slide around me, "I will always be here for you…. Always."

He leaned back and looked at my face again before picking up the small bag and pulled out a makeup remover pad, slowly he tilted my chin and began to gently wipe my face. "So want to tell me what happened?"

"Honestly I don't really know, I was walking back to my car after dinner and I just felt someone hit me. I know they said something to me but as hard as I try to remember it's blank."

"I heard you were at dinner." I heard the question in his voice and decided to go with simple honesty.

"I went to dinner with Joe, we had a long talk about our future…or lack of one." I saw his eyebrow quirk at me, "After dinner we said goodbye and he drove off, I was attacked at my car in the parking lot."

He slowly backed up and I saw the rage in his eyes, "What" I asked quickly. I thought he would be happy to know that Joe and I were finished instead he looked like he was ready to commit murder. Maybe I made a mistake, maybe it was all a mistake. I watched as Ranger turn his back on me, his back ridged and his hands clenching. "Ranger" I whispered.

He walked down the hall to the front door, "Ranger" I called again. I watched him slam the front door open and him walk out; it was quickly followed by pounding noises. This was not good, I heard the apartment phone ring. "Hello" I murmured into the phone as I leaned to the right trying to see out the front door.

"Is everything ok" I heard Hal ask.

"Why would you ask that?" I said scooting over a little more to the right to try and see out the door.

"Because Ranger is in the Hall putting a hole into the wall?" Hal said with a question in his voice.

"Everything is peachy" I said with a false cheer in my voice.

"Ummmm-hummmm" he said. "Sure, let me know if you need help"

I hung up and called to Ranger, "Do you want me to wait here or come out there? Or maybe I should just go home?" I was getting ready to hop down when Ranger walked back in and to the counter.

"Sit" he commanded. Well he seemed calmer, maybe only mostly agitated.

"Want to tell me what I did wrong or why you are mad at me" I said with my face lowered to my lap.

He tilted my chin up and asked "Why do you think you did something wrong?"

"Why else would you slam out of here and make new holes in the wall?" I asked.

He looked me right in the eyes and I could hear the anger in his voice, "I am fucking pissed, unbelievably uncontrollably pissed that Joe would drive away and not make sure you were in your car safe. I am thinking about killing him and losing the body…. Or at least slamming his head the same way yours was and leaving him on the ground to rot." His voice was quivering with both rage and emotion as he brushed his thumb over the bump on my head.

"So you are not mad at me?" I said

"No…. well maybe a little. Would it kill you to follow a few rules, wear a tracker, stay on seven? Listen when I ask you to do something?" he said gruffly.

I tilted my head to the side a little and thought for a moment, "I think that it might kill me." I said with my voice completely serious.

It had the desired effect and his lips tilted up just a fraction, I felt him take a deep breath and then pull me close into his arms. "Can you try?" he whispered in my ear.

"I can try." I whispered back, "but I make no promises."

I won when I heard a soft chuckle in my ear, "Want to eat lunch quick and then we can talk about your skip?"

"I think that sounds like a great ideal, as long as I don't have to eat like a rabbit."

"I think today we can get you real food." He said as he helped me hop down and walk to the table to sit down.

-/-

After a quick lunch of Mac and cheese, yes my Ella loves me, followed by a piece of chocolate cake we got down to the business. "I have two skips I need to get; I was starting with Mikel Stein this morning. Went to the girlfriend's house and she had no info. We were on the way back here so I could do a search when you called."

"Nice block. Not going to tell me what happened with Joe." He said sitting back in his chair. "You have been doing a lot of blocking lately. What happened at Point pleasant?"

"Nothing big, I thought one thing was happening and evidently it was another." I said. All I got was an eyebrow raise. "Then I got drunk and fell asleep."

I saw a pause, "I don't believe you."

"Well that is just too bad, Lula wanted to take me out to celebrate, but the drunker I got the blurrier everything became."

"Now that I believe, why did you get drunk."

"Honestly I don't really remember" I said pushing the crumbs on my plate around.

"Ok" he said.

Now it was my turn to raise an eyebrow, that was confusing. Ranger never just lets things go. What to say, what to say… "Are you fucking with me?" I said my eyes confused.

His lips tilted up.

No words, King of silence this one.

"Really just an, ok?"

Another lip tilt, glad I was amusing him.

"So you and Joe, Done?" leave it to him to use as few words as possible.

"Yes, you would be proud. We had a big people conversation and decided that we are better as friends. We talked about what we wanted and needed ….and in the end we just can't give each other what we want." I looked up at him and continued, "We are still friends though Ranger, Joe is special to me, just not future material."

He looked at me and nodded, "Ok"

I raised my eyebrows back at him, I guess we were both doing a staring contest.

"Ok" I said back.

"Want help on your case?" he said clearing the table.

"Not yet I am going to do some searches downstairs."

"OK", he said, "I am going to go see if we can figure out who took a chunk of your head."

We both stood up and went to the counter, as I set down the plate he leaned into me from the back. I felt his chest and hips tilt into me and I felt my body start to melt. He whispered into my ear, "Stay on seven again tonight, until we figure out who left you with that wonderful bump."

I started to shake my head but he whispered into my other ear after kissing across my neck, "Please"

"Ughhhhh you always know what to say to get me to do what you want." I whined.

I felt him smile in my curls.

"Fine" I said, "I just have to run home to get stuff and Rex."

I felt him tilt and rub his hips into me, 'Dinner at six, if you need to leave come and get me. I don't want you alone until we figure out what is going on."

I laid my head back on his shoulder and whispered, "Fineeeeee."

I felt him kiss his way up my neck and nibble on my ear. I moaned long and hard as I rubbed back. One of his hands traveled up my stomach to brush the bottoms of my breasts, the other hand traveling down to the zipper on my pants. "Ranger, please." I felt fingers brush my nipples and that special place and I almost died and went to heaven. I writhed in his arms and his hands moved faster and faster. My head fell back as I exploded and went limp.

"Ranger" I whispered.

"Yes" he said, I could still feel him tight and hard against me.

He slowly turned me around and kissed me until what little felling I had left drained away and I was numb. "Babe" I slowly came back to consciousness. "Babe" I heard again.

"Yes" I murmured back.

"Time to go to work." I saw him smile and grab my hand and lead me to the front door.

Work? Oh yes, work…..I can work, I think.