Chapter 37

"Stephanie?" She heard the man call.

She paused trying to look at him closer through the blinding light.

"Stephanie why did you stop?" He called coming closer.

She was beginning to see his black boots, pants and shirt. And right on his left peck was the Rangeman logo. Her heart finally slowed down as she opened the window.

"What the fuck?" She screamed. " You scared me half to death!"

She watched as he gave her a grin, "Ranger told us you might try to leave... if you managed to get out we were supposed to follow you until you were to him or we were dead."

Stephanie rolled her eyes, "Assholes" She muttered. "All of them!...lets go." She called out pulling around him and the truck. "You have 10 seconds before I leave you here." She yelled pulling back up to the Main Street.

She held true to her word and pulled out 10 seconds later and hitting the gas. Her mind was now back on the men and with no word from Joe she was starting to panic again. The drive should have taken 20 minutes but she did it in 12.

As she pulled up she saw the blue and red lights flashing by the rubble of the house. She also saw 5 men standing in a row, hands cuffed behind their backs. Police officers walking around, some taking photos and others standing by the men. She saw ambulances facing her and paramedics rushing everywhere.

What she didn't see was any of the men in the Rangeman uniform. She saw Joe leading one of the cuffed men to a squad car. She leapt out of the car and ran to him. Heart racing again and fear making her shake.

"Joe" she screamed, her voice breaking and tears running down her face.

Joe turned to see her but before he could say anything she saw Ranger walk around the ambulance and smile at her. The smile broke her and she stopped running and started sobbing. She leaned forward, hands on her knees as she tried to get her emotions under control. But with all the fears and emotions crashing down on her at once it was impossible. The tidal wave only getting stronger when she saw Lester, Hector and Bobby come around. She sobbed huge wrenching sobs, tears pouring down her face.

Ranger frowned and ran over to her, pulling up and into his arms. "Babe we are ok." He rubbed his hand up and down her back, "We are all fine. The explosion took out most of the cameras and Communications so we couldn't talk to you. We could hear you but not say anything back."

She pushed him away as anger took over in another rush of emotion, "and you couldn't call?!" She yelled.

Ranger raised an eyebrow. "We were a little busy rounding up the men who keep trying to kill us and you."

She nodded agreeing, "I know..." she took a deep breath, "I know... I just... Ranger I was so scared ... that something happened to you. We can't lose you." She whispered fiercely pulling him tightly to her.

He pulled her closer if it was possible resting his lips next to her ear, "I am not going anywhere. You guys are not the lucky." He whispered.

She realized what she said in that moment...she was grateful that he thought she meant her and the men.

She tightened her arms around him pushing her face into his chest. She just took a moment to know that they were all ok. After a moment, she pulled back to see all of the men standing there and looking at her. She gave them a watery smile. "Next time I come with... end of discussion." She said fiercely.

She watched as the shook their heads no at her, "Not happening." Lester said with a grin.

"Did you get all of the men? Is it done?" She asked as she watched the last one being placed in a squad car.

Tank looked over at the men in the squad cars also, "Honestly we don't know yet. We are going to see if Joe will let us in to interrogate them and we are going to look at the stuff in the SUVs. We will know more after that." He said gruffly.

Bobby looked at her, "We all miscalculated that they would want Timmy alive. Now it looks like they were trying to clean up the loose ends." He gave her a grin, "What happened to your promise to stay there?"

She raised her eyebrows at him, "What happened to your promise to stay out of danger." She asked in a huff.

Ranger gave a chuckle and pulled her under his arm, "We didn't say no danger... we said we would try to stay safe... not the same thing."

Stephanie shrugged, "I promised to wait for word from you... you couldn't provide word ... so the contract is null and void." She said with a grin. "Besides I did give you a warning that I was going to leave and come here... no one said no... sooo." She gave a grin back.

The men exploded into laughter. In the middle of the chaos and flashing red and blue lights. Some of the men had blood on their uniforms, guns hanging at their sides. What should have been a withdrawn, quite ugly crime scene was engulfed in laughter and smiles. She had once again brought light into the darkness. But what they didn't realize was that they were her light.

"Can we go home now?" She asked yawning. The day had so many ups and downs and with the last hour of paralyzing fear and worry her body was crashing and it was crashing fast. She started to walk back to the car sitting half on the street.

"Out of all my cars Babe, you took that one?" Ranger said with a raised eyebrow.

She shrugged and got in the driver's side before he could get in. "You left the keys on the sideboard... you practically gave me the keys when you did that... now get in buddy. I am ready for food and bed." She said with a grin.

He raised an eyebrow, "I drive." He said crossing his arms.

She laughed and closed the door, "I got here first, so if you are riding with me... you sit shotgun." She said as she lowered the window. " So, what will it be... big boy? In or out? But just so you know I am stopping at McDonald's on the way home."

Ranger snorted, "You are not going alone but I need to talk to the police first...Lester said he wanted fries... mind if you terrorize him with your driving?" He said with a grin leaning down to lean on the windowsill.

She raised her eye brows back, "I am an excellent driver... thank you!" She said in a huff. "That's fine, I like him better anyway." She crossed her arms.

Ranger gave her a wolf grin, "Sure Babe... and I am Santa Claus."

She gave him her signature grin as she lowered the passenger window, "I thought you were getting pudgy around the middle." She watched his grin fall and she gave him a grin back. "Lester." She yelled out the passenger window. "You are on Stephanie duty now!"

They watched him jog over, "Will I get shot?" He asked with a grin.

"Probability is low on injury by weapon... but you might get clogged arteries ... we are going for burgers and fries!" She said with a grin.

"I am in." He said with a massive grin, climbing in the passenger door.

Stephanie looked over at Ranger who was scowling, "See he gets in the passenger side with no complaints and eats grease with me." She leaned out to kiss Ranger goodbye. "That's two points he gets that you don't!" She heard Lester laugh next to her in the car.

Rangers frown turned into a sneaky grin, "Yes but my dick is bigger and I know how to use it babe." He whispered in her ear, "but if you keep being mean I might not give it to you."

Stephanie gave him a grin back and kissed and licked his ear the way she knew drove him crazy. "That's ok... I have a headache anyway." She whispered. When she sat back she saw his eyes had darkened to a black swirl.

"That was dirty Babe." He whispered. "I will pay you back later for that."

"If you two are done. I am hungry." Lester said with a chuckle.

"Shut it Santos." Ranger said with no heat. "Keep her safe or you die." He directed at Lester, "and listen and stay out of trouble." Ranger said to Stephanie leaning down to give her a quick hard kiss. "See you in a bit at Rangeman."

"Sir yes sir." Stephanie said with a mock salute and grin.

Ranger rolled his eyes, "Stephanie... please." He leaned down and kissed her again, longer this time. "We don't know that we got all of them. Please be safe until we confirm it." He whispered against her lips, "I can lose you..."

She kissed him back softly, "I promise... but you have to be safe too, ok." She said.

Lester snorted behind her, "He can kill a man next to him or at 1000 meters and no one would know unless he wanted them too... but yea let's worry about him and not you."

Stephanie looked over her shoulder at him, "Don't make me… make you… get out of my car... I am sure there are others who would love hanging out with me and going to get fries." She growled.

Lester held his hands up a shrugged, but tried to hide a grin. "Just sayin."

She turned back to Ranger, "Don't die." She whispered with a smile.

"Don't go crazy." He said with a smile. "Do you think you can get the food to go for now... meet me back at the building and I can give you an update on what I find out?" Ranger said standing up.

"Sounds like a plan... Batman." She said starting the car. "I am glad you are alive and not hurt." She stands shifting the car into drive.

Ranger gave a chuckle, "oh yea?" He said taking a step back.

"Yep it would have sucked to have to kick your ass for not staying safe." She said pulling away with a grin.

She heard Ranger laughing as she pulled onto the street and grinned.

"You two have such a weird relationship." Lester said with a raised eyebrow.

"It's the best one I have ever been in." She said with a shrug.

Lester gave a chuckle, "You are the only one Ranger has ever been in with." He said, "It's like God made you two for each other"

Stephanie gave him a grin, "I am prefect who wouldn't want to be with me."

Lester snickered, earning him a smack from Stephanie. "Assss." She said with no heat. "This is why you can't get a woman."

Lester frowned, "I can get a woman."

Stephanie snorted, "Paying for her doesn't count."

"Hay... I don't pay ...for all of them." He said with a grin.

She roared with laughter, "I love you." she said pulling into McDonald's, "I really love you."

He gave her a grin.