Everyone and everything familiar belongs to Janet. As always, the mistakes are mine.
Chapter 26
"You prepared, Babe?" Ranger asked me.
"We're going home, Ranger, there's nothing to prepare for."
"That's what you think," he said, ominously.
I found out what Ranger was referring to as soon as we stepped inside the Trenton Rangeman building.
"Don't you two ever work?" Ranger asked Lester and Bobby, who were currently hanging out in the lobby.
"Yeah," Lester said."Just not when certain people have been gone for weeks and are due back."
"You missed me, didn't you?" I asked Lester."Rex is still okay, right?"
"Rex is now the size of a friggin' chihuahua thanks to Ella. And we missed the shit you dredge up, not so much you."
"Thanks a lot, Lester."
"I missed you," Bobby said.
"I'm glad at least one person can tell the truth around here," I said to them."I'll admit, I missed all of you ... even the obnoxious, jerky ones."
"Was that a dig directed at me?" Lester asked.
"Maybe."
"I'm gonna let it slide then, because you came in at the perfect time, Steph," Lester told me, after a quick glance at Bobby."We've got a skip to pick up."
"You want to ride along?" Bobby asked.
"Why? You guys don't need me to bring someone in."
"We're asking because this FTA is guaranteed to be fun."
"How fun?" I asked them."Are they going to pee on me?"
"Not with us around," Lester promised.
"Lester and I just thought you'd like to jump right back into bounty hunting," Bobby added.
"I suppose I could come with you," I said."Where to?"
"The Burg," Bobby told me.
"My Burg?"
"Yeah," Lester said to me."There's an Edna Mazur that needs to be brought in."
That bit of news made me lose complete control of my mouth's opening and closing function.
"You're not serious?" I asked them, after I regained a small measure of composure.
"No ... we're not," Lester told me,"but if we missed all the shit you stir up, then we really missed screwing with you."
"You guys are assholes," I told them, punching them each in the bicep.
"We know, but we're assholes you love," Bobby said.
"Not really, no."
"How could you not love us?" Lester asked me.
"I have other friends you know. Ones who wouldn't find joy in scaring the shit out of me with a fake arrest of my grandmother. Especially when you know that Grandma Mazur really could get arrested at any time."
"I'd watch it, Santos," Ranger told him."Stephanie had the Miami guys eating out of the palm of her hand. And I mean that literally."
"Ranger ... don't tease them."
"Why not? They were looking for a little fun, weren't they?"
"You cheating on us?" Lester asked me.
"No," I told him."Just being friendly."
"How friendly we talking?" Bobby asked.
"Jeez, I just flashbacked to my relationship with Morelli there for a second."
"Babe."
"He had a reason to worry, though, you guys don't."
"Stephanie even bought them all doughnuts," Ranger not-so-helpfully added."Large, freshly-made, specialty artery-cloggers."
"You're evil," I told Ranger.
"I know. Gotta live up to the reputation, Babe."
"What the hell?" Lester said to me."We never even went out on our doughnut date, and you're sharing sugar with some stand-ins?"
"You'll never get your date, Santos," Ranger told him."Live with it."
"Maybe I can make it up to you guys," I said, in an attempt to keep the testosterone in check.
"How?" Bobby asked.
"Gifts now, and then dinner sometime this week?" I said to Bobby.
"Babe ..."
I cut my eyes to Ranger."You started this, so now you've gotta pay the piper."
"You didn't say I had to attend anything," Ranger told me.
"I am now. You have to come with me."
"You payin'?" Lester asked.
"Yes," I said, while Ranger told them ... "No."
"I don't mind paying," Bobby told me."Dinner out with you is worth it."
"I'll chip in, too," Hal said coming over to us, obviously hearing at least the last part of our conversation.
"I'm not paying for dinner when Steph's been sharing shit with those Miami hotheads," Lester said, reminding me a little of a pouting child.
"Silvio says hi," I told Lester.
"Well ... Silvio's okay, since we trained his ass and all. The rest though ..."
"Are nice guys," I finished for him."I did miss working with all of you ... when I wasn't busy having a great time."
"What'd you buy us?" Lester asked.
"Would you believe nothing?" I said back.
"No."
"I'd say snow globes, but I don't think either place knows much about snow. Let's go up to five and then I can dig everything out. Ranger bought an extra suitcase for me just so I could haul back all the crap I got everyone."
"You didn't have to get us anything," Hal told me.
"Can it, Hal," Lester told him."I want whatever Steph got me."
Tank had come down to the lobby by this point, and he and Ranger handled our luggage while I took the bag containing the souvenirs up to the fifth floor with the guys. I had a feeling Lester would act like a five-year-old and demand gifts immediately, so I'd packed everything for the men together in one place.
"I tried to get something to fit your individual personalities or captured how I think of you. I was going to get t-shirts, but the island didn't carry 'Holy Shit!' as a size."
"Very funny," Bobby said to me.
"I wasn't trying to be funny. They really don't have overly muscled as an option unless I hunted down a specialty tourist shop. I was hoping to bring home a turtle, then we'd have a real Rangeman mascot, but Ranger said no."
"Are you shitting us?" Lester asked.
"Nope. There was a real sweet one that liked me, but probably not enough to board a plane."
"I'm sure customs would have had something to say about a giant sea creature crossing two oceans with us," Ranger added, sneaking up behind me with Tank.
"We could've chanced it. I was thinking of smuggling Julie into New Jersey, too, but I didn't want to freak out Rachel."
"I'm sure Rachel appreciates that, Babe."
"Can we bring the focus back to us now?" Lester asked."You two had enough friggin' alone time."
I blew out a sigh."My mistake. I forgot mine and Ranger's honeymoon was strictly about getting presents for you."
"Now you're getting it."
I rolled my eyes, but I did want to unload everything I'd brought back.
"Since I already sent postcards from both places, the thing that stood out to me after a lunch Ranger and I had on the beach, was the driftwood that had washed up onto it. I asked around and found out that the island has a resident artist who makes carvings out of it, so I got you each one. I tried to match up each of you with what the guy had ready to sell."
I opened the suitcase Hal had carried for me, and rooted around in it to find the gifts for the men who are currently here.
"Bobby, this is yours," I said, handing him a gift bag with a driftwood cobra inside it."I don't get it, but you seem to genuinely think snakes are cool instead of freakin' creepy."
"This is also cool, Steph. Thanks," Bobby told me, kissing my cheek, then wrapping me in his arms.
I held on to Bobby a second longer than I needed to, not realizing just how much I missed these guys until I was back among them.
Julie had helped me put all the statues into gift bags with each guy's name written on the tag so I wouldn't give out the wrong one when I got here. I distributed what I had to who was here, and tried not to be embarrassed by the gifts I'd chosen. These guys are hard to impress, and I didn't want them to think what I got them was stupid. I was hoping they'd see I'd been going for unique and somewhat personal.
"My chick's got a nice rack on her," Lester told me, slinging an arm around my shoulders.
"She's a mermaid, Lester," I said, pushing his beefy arm off in mock outrage."Not a chick."
"Either way, I'd do her if she was real."
"You'd do anyone," Tank told him.
"That's not true," Lester said."I'd rather cut my dick off than go near Joyce."
"So you do have standards," I said to Lester."They're just really, really low. That's sad, but strangely reassuring."
"I heard a few noises coming from Vinnie's office last week that I'm still having nightmares about," Tank told me."Joyce's car was parked around back."
"You know," I said to the guys,"I bet if Joyce was put in charge of this country, the national bird would have to be changed from a bald eagle to a spread eagle." I paused."Or maybe a swallow ... which - if you care to think about it - could explain a weird noise or two coming from behind Vinnie's locked door."
Lester snorted and Bobby looked like he almost swallowed his own tongue.
"I've always blamed the men for instigating things, Babe, but maybe you're the bad influence in the building," Ranger told me.
"I was only explaining why Joyce is so repulsive," I told Ranger."Okay, where was I? Tank, you're up."
Tank's carving was some kind of rustic gun-looking thing.
"I'm pretty sure it counts as two weapons," I told Tank,"since you can probably hit someone in the temple with it and kill them out if you need to."
"I had the same thought," Tank told me.
"Scary," Ranger said to us.
I smiled at Ranger and then got back to my mission ...'Operation Driftwood Distribution'.
"A dinosaur?" Hal asked me, when he'd opened his bag.
Shit. I didn't think that one through. How do I explain the Halosaurus reference without offending Hal? Luckily, I didn't have to explain anything, since Hector chose that moment to walk in.
"Hey, Hector, come get yours," I said to him.
I'd found another driftwood weapon, a knife this time, for Hector. Cal's statue was a skull ... for obvious reasons. I'd picked out a horse for Woody since his grandparents owned a horse farm that he loved visiting when he was little. And a wolf for Vince because he's also nocturnal, always choosing to work a night shift over a morning one.
"I remind you of a tree?" Junior asked, clearly puzzled.
"You have to admit, Junior," I said to him,"you are as tall and as solid as one."
Junior couldn't argue that point.
I plan on giving the rest of them out as the guys change shifts. I'd also gotten Ella a driftwood angel and Louis a sailboat. Ella told me when Ranger and I first started seeing each other, that Louis being from a coastal area, is slightly obsessed with every type of boat or ship made.
And I'm keeping one of the wooden carvings that had been turned into the sign language symbol for 'I love you' for mine and Ranger's apartment. It's a little mushy for a woman like me to spend money on, but I'd made an exception in this case. I want Ranger to know I love him even when I'm not around to say it.
"I also got you each a large travel mug and a bottle opener from Miami," I told the guys."You know what that means?"
"You're cheap?" Lester said, grinning.
"No. For something that could be considered an ocean castoff, those wood statues weren't cheap."
Good thing my capture rate and resulting checks have been steadily getting better.
"The mugs and openers are for the coffee and beer I'm going to treat you all to so I can talk about our trip and find out what you all have been up to. With Ranger's permission, I thought one evening we could take over a lower floor conference room and get together for a few beers for those of us who aren't stuck working or driving home. The coffee will probably be for the following morning."
"Mentioning free beer to Santos," Ranger said to me,"probably isn't a good idea, Steph."
"As long as Lester's not getting behind a wheel or on duty, it'll be fine," I assured him."One more thing, the doughnut place where I got the ones for the Miami guys actually ships all the way up here, so you'll get a chance to try them out. Unless you want me to keep the gift cards and order some for you."
"I know you, Steph," Bobby told me,"you'll order only your favorites, then eat them all yourself."
"You do know me," I said to Bobby,"because that's exactly what I would've done, since Ranger refuses to open up a chain here."
"Tasty Pastry would go out of business, Babe. Then you'd feel guilty for being the reason it closed its doors."
"That's very manipulative," I said to Ranger, sighing,"but also true. So I guess these are yours, guys."
I gave the men their cups, bottle openers, and each a card without keeping one for myself. Ranger and I will be down there fairly often, anyway. I'm sure I can deal with the withdrawals until one of the guys decides to trade a doughnut for some horrible errand or boring desk job.
"Stephanie!"
I turned my head and smiled at Ella.
"Hey, Ella. We're back."
"And I'm so happy that you are. This place was missing something without the two of you," Ella told us.
"Of course it was," Bobby said."The building was missing the boss man and woman."
"Well, we're here now," I told them."So it's back to business. Except for me. I promised Mary Lou I'd go see her and Megan first thing."
Tank's phone rang and he stepped a few feet away to answer it. Yep, it is business as usual here at Rangeman.
"If you want to leave the rest of this stuff down here," Ranger said to me,"you can put the bag in my office. That way you won't have to keep lugging it up and down two flights."
"I would take the elevator to the apartment and back, but I'll leave the suitcase down here anyway. It'll be easier to give the guys their stuff as they trickle in."
"Come ... tell me everything," Ella said to me,"before you leave to visit with Mary Lou."
I looked over at Ranger.
"Go ahead, Babe," he said."Tank is already looking my way, so he'll be after me as soon as he disconnects."
"Okay. I'm just going to put this in your office, say hi to Rex, and then Ella and I will be in the kitchen down here," I told Ranger, and let Ella drag me away.
I told Ella all about our week on the island, and everything Ranger and I saw and did. Then I went on to talk about the time we spent with Julie at our house. I was just helping Ella pack up her and Louis' presents when Ranger walked into the control room kitchen
"I've got to go, Babe. I'll be back in about an hour."
"An FTA?"
"An informant."
"You want me to come along?" I asked him.
"Around Titus Darion is the last place I want you, Steph. And Mary Lou is expecting you."
"I can see her tomorrow."
Ranger kissed me."I'll be fine, Babe. Enjoy your visit with Mary Lou and I'll see you when you get back."
"You walking me out?" I asked him.
"After you," Ranger said, taking the shopping bags headed to Mary Lou's out of my hands, before curving his hand along my hip."Tank can meet me in the garage."
"I'll be down in five," Tank told Ranger.
And Ranger and I took the stairs down to the ground floor.
"This feels weird," I told Ranger, as I unlocked my Cayenne's door.
My luck is still holding out. Nothing fell on or made my car explode while we'd been gone.
"What feels weird, Babe?"
"We've been together almost every minute of the day for two weeks straight. Now we go back to everyday life."
"I'm sure you'll be alright without me for a few hours."
I smiled at Ranger."I was more worried about how you'd deal with the separation."
Ranger grinned and then opened my door for me, putting the shopping bags down on the passenger's seat.
"Be careful," Ranger told me.
"That's what I was about to tell you," I said, kissing his mouth.
"I'm always careful, Babe. You're the one who likes taking risks."
"Very impressive. You said that with a straight face and everything."
I slid behind the wheel and Ranger leaned into my door, kissing me again before closing it. He stood there watching me drive off, and as stupid as it sounds, I really wanted to turn around and go with Ranger and Tank. I'm far from a clingy woman, but I feel the pull of Ranger's force field round-the-clock now. And I'm not as unhappy about that as I should be.
I made it to Mary Lou's in under ten minutes, and she had her front door open before I could even unbuckle my seatbelt. I'm not one of her kids, but Mary Lou's got the Burg radar thing down pat since having a bunch of her own. And it seems I'd timed the visit perfectly, because little Megan was sleepy-looking but awake, and the boys were gone to the arcade with Lenny. It was going to be just us girls.
"Okay, start at the beginning," Mary Lou said, pulling me inside with the hand not holding the baby.
"How about I start by saying I did get you a t-shirt like you requested," I said to her, putting my shoulder bag and one of the store bags down on the kitchen table and following Mary Lou into the other room."I didn't think they'd sell touristy stuff so small, but I even found a little pink shirt for Megan. And I got various sizes and designs for the boys. I'll leave you and them to decide who gets which one."
"Thanks a lot."
"No problem. Lenny's gift is obvious."
"You got him some type of beer mug, didn't you?"
"I'm not telling," I told her."I'm also here to inform you that you're now the adoptive mother of a huge turtle or two."
Mary Lou stopped on her way to the living room and looked back at me.
"Excuse me?"
I stuck my hand in the bag I'd kept with me, and pulled out the certificates with pictures and histories of two of the island's tortoises. An adult and baby, just like I told Ranger I was going to do.
"You're now a proud mama to a few turtles on the other side of the world," I said to Mary Lou.
She relaxed."As long as they stay there."
I sighed. That was Ranger's thought as well.
"Don't worry. I left them behind."
"I bet leaving behind a tropical paradise was hard," Mary Lou said to me.
"I got to leave it with Ranger, so that helped."
"Yeah, I can see that. I'd leave anything for him, too."
"Except Lenny and your kids," I said.
"Hmm ..."
"Mary Lou!"
"I shouldn't have to think that hard about it, should I?"
"Probably not. How's Megan doing?" I asked Mary Lou, looking down at the pink-covered creature in Mary Lou's arms.
"She's been really good. Doesn't like to sleep for more than an hour or two at a time, but other than that, she's great. Now tell me where you went ..."
"You already know where we went," I told her."I mailed cards from both the island and Miami."
Mary Lou can clearly out eyeroll me.
"You know what I mean. What did you do in both places ... besides the obvious?"
The obvious was done frequently ... in both places, but I wasn't sharing that part with Mary Lou. Not all of it, anyway.
"Ranger and I went on walks, ate on the beach, went swimming in the Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and also our own pool. And we spent a lot of time with Julie."
"How'd that go?" Mary Lou asked, jiggling Megan a little.
"It was actually a lot of fun. Julie and Ranger have gotten so much closer over the last year or two. And it was nice to see them so comfortable with each other."
"And your trip as a whole?"
"There aren't enough good adjectives out there to describe it. The places were fun, Ranger was amazing, and I was toying with the idea of never coming home. If it wasn't for the fact that I missed you and all my Rangepeople, and Ranger has businesses to run up here, I might have begged him to stay in Miami."
"Are you joking?" Mary Lou asked.
"Only partially. Mare, you haven't been in the house Ranger bought for us down there. If you had, you would know exactly why I was second-guessing coming back today. I don't suppose you feel like moving out of Trenton?"
"I'm still working on how to get the kids and me fed and dressed everyday, I don't think I'm up for a move."
"I know," I told her."I was kidding ... mostly."
"You want to hold Megan?" Mary Lou asked me.
"What is the likelihood of Megan crying as soon as I touch her?"
"Megan's pretty even-tempered, not like her brothers. They all screamed bloody murder if someone other than Lenny or I held them."
I grimaced."I remember that. I still haven't been able to completely block out their screams."
Mary Lou gave me a gentle shove."Just for that, Steph, you have to hold Megan until you leave."
"You think I can't?" I asked her, scared to death that Mary Lou wasn't just threatening me.
Babies and I only get along for a very short period of time. Like three seconds worth.
"Park your ass, then Megan's all yours," Mary Lou told me.
I sat on the couch, against my better judgment, and then I had the baby in my arms. It wasn't all that bad, either. Megan was looking incredibly cute in her tiny clothes, smelled pretty good right now, and didn't cry at all when Mary Lou handed her over.
"Hi, Megan," I said, softly."You probably don't remember me, but I'm taking full credit for you being born on the day you were."
Mary Lou snorted."How do you figure that?" She asked me.
"If you weren't so worried about what dress you were going to wear to the wedding, what to say to my guys at the reception, how to prevent going into labor ..."
"Which I did," she told me."So I was right to worry."
"See, I'm the reason Megan got here sooner. Had you spent a quiet night at home, watching a movie with the boys, you never would have gone into stress-induced labor."
"I think Lenny had more to do with me popping a kid out than you, Steph, but if you want to believe you're responsible ..."
"I do. And I think Megan agrees with me."
"Sure she does," Mary Lou said.
I brushed a kiss over Megan's downy head and caught Mary Lou studying me.
"Have you and Ranger talked about having kids together?" Mary Lou asked after a minute.
"I think we agree that if it happened on its own - even with us both doing everything we can to prevent it - we wouldn't totally flip out."
"That's sound reasoning."
"I'm not sure Ranger and I are cut out for kids, but seeing Ranger with Julie has me looking at him differently."
"How so?" She asked, taking Megan from me when she started making noise.
"I don't know. I guess I just thought once Ranger and I decided we wouldn't be having kids, that would be the end of it."
"It isn't?"
"No, it is. But now I've gotten to see how great a dad Ranger would be. Before, I was focusing only on what an awful mother I thought I'd be. I never considered how amazing Ranger would be to our potential kid until I watched Julie and Ranger interact."
Mary Lou froze as she was rocking Megan.
"Holy shit, Steph! Are you saying you want kids?"
"No. No. But I'm not as terrified of getting knocked up as I once was. I'm still going to do everything physically possible to avoid it, though. At least I can admit to them being a little cute now," I said, nodding to Megan.
"Yeah, they are cute," Mary Lou said, kissing Megan's forehead,"but not so much at three in the morning."
I smiled."That's exactly what I needed to hear to combat the estrogen attack I was momentarily suffering from. I bet the diapers are hell, too."
"They are. And some days, the diaper changes seem endless."
"Thanks, Mary Lou. I knew you were my best friend for a reason."
"I thought the reason was that no one else would put up with you?" She said.
"That is the main one."
"But now you have Ranger ..."
"Yep, I do. And Ranger seems to really enjoy putting up with me. Speaking of ... I should be getting back. Ranger left after I did to go talk to someone, but he should be home soon."
Mary Lou gave me a knowing look."Guess the honeymoon isn't over just yet."
"If it was up to Ranger, some aspects of our honeymoon wouldn't end at all."
Mary Lou sighed."You've got a good man, Steph."
"So do you, Mary Lou," I said, and kissed Megan's chubby little cheek as I stood."Tell Lenny I said hi."
"I will. You can bring Ranger with you next time. Ooohh, maybe we can all go out one night. Lenny's mother has been dying to watch the kids."
"I'll talk to Ranger and see what he has free."
"Sounds good. I'm so happy for you, Steph. You stood up to Morelli, the Burg, and your mother, and got everything you wanted in the end."
"I did. Some of us weren't lucky enough to know who and what we wanted from eighth grade on. I had to struggle through a decade or two to figure that out."
"Lenny was cute ... even back then."
I gave Mary Lou and Megan a quick one-armed hug, and then grabbed my bag off her table on the way back to my car. I knew something was up the minute I stepped through Rangeman's doors. The guys at the front desk smiled at my greeting, but their eyes quickly darted away. That meant they didn't want to be the ones responsible for telling me something I wasn't going to like. Ranger's vehicles were all in the garage, so I knew he was here.
I didn't waste time questioning them. I got my ass into the elevator and went straight to the fifth floor. I had a feeling I'd find Ranger and Tank in Ranger's office. And Ranger probably knows I'm home and about to barge in, so I only knocked once as I was opening his office door.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Nothing is wrong, Babe."
"Don't BS me, Ranger. I can tell something happened. Just spit out what it is."
"I thought Steph was a bloodhound before you two got together," Tank said to Ranger,"but it's clear you can't hide shit from her now."
"I'm not hiding anything," Ranger told us."And shut it, Tank."
"Stop bickering," I told them,"and tell me what the hell went on. Are you hurt?"
I scanned the length of muscled torso I could see from where I was standing, but saw no blood or any evidence of an on-scene patch up job. Maybe I was overreacting.
"No," Ranger finally answered.
"Just missing a small chunk out of his leg," Tank added.
I was on Ranger before Tank finished his second word. I had Ranger's chair pushed back - only because he let me, probably - and located the slash in the left leg of his cargo pants. I grabbed the edges of the frayed fabric with my fingertips, and tried to see the wound without hurting Ranger more.
"Babe, look at me."
I did ... and that made me a little pissed.
"Stop smirking, Ranger. You getting hurt isn't at all funny."
"But your reaction to it is," Ranger told me.
I came close to digging my fingers into his cut just for that comment, but I could never purposely cause Ranger pain. Boy was I tempted, though.
"I'm okay, Steph."
"Tell me what happened," I demanded.
"It's simple," Ranger told me."The guy we went to talk to, didn't want to talk once we got there."
"So you convinced him?"
"You could say that," Tank added.
"What did you guys do?"
"Defend ourselves, Babe. Darion wanted to play tough guy, and we showed him just how stupid that was."
"Is he in the morgue or just the ER?" I asked them.
"He got a little banged up, but he'll live if someone gets him to a hospital."
"Did you take turns beating the shit out of him, or did you do the honors?" I asked Ranger.
"I've been off the job for two weeks, Babe, I wouldn't want to turn soft."
I snorted."You could snuggle a bunch of kittens, and cuddle a dozen newborn babies, and still scare the snot, piss, and shit, out of the entire FBI most wanted list."
"I try."
"You don't try, Ranger, you actually do."
After one more glance at Ranger's leg - much to his amusement - I sat my ass on the corner of his desk so I could question both men.
"How did you get cut?" I asked Ranger."And where were you, Tank?"
"I don't need Tank to fight my battles, Steph."
I rolled my eyes at him."Of course you don't, but I'd think Tank would have taken the guy out before he got a knife near you."
"There were a few people ..." Ranger started to say
That snapped my head back to Ranger.
"People? How many people?"
"Maybe six," Tank told me."It happened fast, so I didn't get an accurate head count."
I could feel my eyebrows about to shoot off my forehead.
"You two took on six armed gang goons?"
"Not all were armed, Babe, or members of a gang."
"Yeah. Some were just looking for a fight to jump into," Tank said to me.
"Shut up," Ranger told him.
This really isn't what I wanted to hear, but it did help me decide something I've only recently started thinking seriously about. I may not be able to protect Ranger in the same way he protects me, but I want to be informed of what's going on with him the second it's happening. Not unlike the way Ranger has me monitored. Okay, maybe not the same way exactly, since the guys would never spy on Ranger for fear of being subjected to a long, painful death, but I'd like to be included in the Rangeman loop.
"What are you planning, Babe?" Ranger asked."I can see and smell smoke."
"I'm just thinking about something that should have been handled a year ago."
"There's something besides dumping Morelli that should have been done long ago?"
I glared at Ranger again.
"You've been hardheaded in the past, too," I told him,"but I'm nice enough not to remind you of it."
"I know. You would never point out my faults."
"We're not talking about me here... back to the dozen or so brawlers."
"There wasn't a dozen, Steph," Ranger told me."Only a handful."
"Close enough. I'm past the worry stage now, so you might as well tell me everything."
"Not much to repeat, Babe."
"Yeah, right."
"Darion was fucking with us, so we fucked him up," Tank said to me.
"I really don't appreciate my time being wasted ..." Ranger was saying.
"Tell me something I don't know," I muttered.
Ranger let that one go."Darion set up a meeting to give up a big bond asshole we're looking for, and he backtracked when he realized he'd been caught playing snitch."
"So he got mouthy?" I asked.
"Didn't have a chance," Ranger told me.
Jeez, getting a story out of these two takes more dot-connecting than a freakin' kid's game.
"Where does the mob fit into this?"
"Ranger was toying with Darion a little," Tank told me,"and a few dickheads thought they could teach Darion a lesson while making a name for themselves by taking us out, too."
"Stupid fuckers," Ranger said, smiling a little.
"Did anyone survive?"
"One or two," Ranger told me.
"And your leg?"
"You would've got off on the way 'your husband' got injured," Tank said to me.
"I hardly think I'd get turned on by Ranger being hurt," I told Tank.
"Ranger got sliced when he kicked a guy in the throat as the idiot was trying to sneak up on him. This was seconds after knocking one out cold with a fist to the asshole's chin."
Shit. It was wrong, I know, but I had to sit on my hands to keep them from trying to cool off my suddenly warm face. Tank was right. I get a little gooey when Ranger goes all Batman on someone who deserves it.
"Should I leave you two alone?" Tank asked, a small grin on his face.
"I'd missed you ... why?" I asked Tank, not appreciating him pointing out my flustered state.
"Don't know. Only that you obviously did."
I ignored Tank and focused on Ranger again.
"Do you need me to do anything? Clean your wound? Stitch you up? Put a Band-Aid on you?"
"You trying to get me out of my clothes already?" Ranger asked me.
"You two are impossible," I said to them."Since you're no longer bleeding, and are treating this like a friggin' paper cut instead of a serious injury, what else do you have planned for the day?"
"I've still got a few things to do, namely locate Aruelo before word leaks about Darion ratting him out, but I should be done in time for dinner."
"Perfect," I told him.
Ranger suddenly looked wary."Perfect, why?"
"Because that'll give me a chance to get caught up down here and upstairs, cleaning out my inbox and unpacking some stuff. Then our night will be free."
Ranger pulled me from the corner of his desk and onto him.
"Free for what exactly?" He asked, pressing a kiss to my curls.
"Ella told me that the video of our wedding, and the book containing everyone's comments, had been delivered while we were in Miami, and are currently upstairs. I thought after dinner, we could watch the video and read what everybody wrote."
I didn't see the expression on Ranger's face, but Tank's abrupt laugh had me thinking Ranger isn't as thrilled with my idea as I am. I'll make it up to him. If Ranger spends a couple hours doing what I want, I'd reciprocate and let Ranger do what he wants with me for the rest of the night. That's probably a bit unfair to Ranger, since I'll end up happy either way, but I'm pretty sure Ranger will agree to my plans once I give him a few verbal reminders of what he can look forward to once the disc's done and the book read.
I stayed with Ranger and Tank for a few more minutes before rejoining the guys in the control room. I figure the Burg can wait until tomorrow. Today, I just want to get what work I can done so I can go upstairs to our apartment, curl up beside Ranger, and watch our wedding happen all over again.