Ranger

Santos and I went to Lloyd Silverstern's house. I knew he wasn't home when we arrived. Flashing the light briefly, I gave Binkie and Ramon the signal to leave. They would return to Rangeman to file their report. "Do you think he'll come home?" Lester asked.

"No," I replied. "We're watching the visitors."

"Hoping one would lead us to Silverstern?" Lester remained silent for exactly thirty minutes, the maximum time he could hold off talking. "Are you having Stephanie research the visitor?" I internally smiled. The men trusted Stephanie's intel and search results. My wife's information was more accurate than anything Silvio or Rodriguez produced. Her intuition was sharp.

"That's the plan," I replied. I didn't continue the conversation. The street was dark. Most of the houses turned off their lights at 2200 hours. I smiled, thinking about Stephanie's need for me to translate the time. She knew it 2200 was ten o'clock in the evening, but would give me the mischievous blue-eyed look, and I'd cave every single time. A satisfied smile would appear on her face. She disarmed me. I loved her beyond reason.

"Do we have eyes on Morelli?" Lester asked thirty minutes later. I raised an eyebrow. We caught Morelli following us to her prenatal appointments. My men would distract him, pulling his attention from us. I never drove the same car twice. It kept Morelli off guard.

"Hector has people watching," I replied. I returned to my job of checking the area. Movement along the side of Silverstern's house caught our attention. Pressing the button on the dash, I said, "Motion at two o'clock."

Lester and I waited for ten minutes. "Teens looking for quick cash," Bones reported. I knew Bones would let the kids leave, but he and Jose would remain close to the house. Lester and I won't find anything during our shift. The teens guaranteed our skip and his friends would stay away.

At 0200 hours, another car arrived. I knew Jones and Chas were on duty. "That was an uneventful shift," Lester grumbled. "I was looking for some action."

I waited for Lester to comment about me getting action with my wife when we got home. Lester wisely remained silent, forcing me to miss the opportunity to hand Lester his ass on the mats. He grinned when I parked in the garage. Lester pumped his fist and jumped from the SUV. I shook my head as he bolted for the stairwell, obviously wanting to avoid time sparring with me.

Before going to the seventh floor, I had to file my report. It didn't take long to fill out the standard form, including the call I placed to Bones. I checked the time. An hour had passed since my shift. I knew Stephanie was supposed to arrive at Valerie's house to babysit at 0900 hours.

Tank confirmed Helen Plum was an employee at Parker's Dry Cleaning. Rangeman provided security for the business. He contacted the owner, Jordon Parker, a former Marine and brother to Jace Parker, my Rangeman Boston manager. Jordon promised to inform Rangeman when Helen Plum took her lunch break.

I entered my apartment, expecting to find Hector sitting on the sofa in my living room. My phone pinged. "Stephanie had a nightmare. I'm in your room." I entered my bedroom. Stephanie was lying beneath the sheets. Hector was lying on the comforter with Stephanie's head on his shoulder. I tamped down the jealousy coursing through my body from seeing another man in bed with my wife.

"How is she?" I quietly asked instead of yanking Hector off my bed. Hector slipped out from beneath Stephanie.

"Estefanía es mi hermana," Hector reminded me. "Mi novio, Eduardo, me espera en casa." I knew Hector was gay. (Stephanie is my sister. My boyfriend, Eduardo, is waiting for me at home). His reminder shook the jealousy from my mind.

"Gracias," I said. Hector kissed Stephanie's forehead. He followed me to the door, then slipped on his shoes. I promised to call if I needed help. Hector had the next few days scheduled for vacation.

Dismissing my desire to shower, I stripped, then crawled into bed beside my beautiful wife. Her curly hair was splayed across the pillow, looking perfectly messy. I loved her curls. She shifted, resting her head on my shoulder. Her expanded stomach pressed against my waist. I smiled and rubbed the bump. Slight pressure against my hip made me gasp. "Love you, Carlos," Stephanie mumbled.

"I love you, Babe," I reciprocated. "Did our son move?"

"Mmm hmm. He's saying good night to his papa," she replied. I stroked her stomach. Soft snores filled the room. Stephanie fell asleep. I wanted to make love to my wife. However, she needed her sleep more than I needed sexual release. Her leg hitched over my hips, applying slight pressure to my balls. Dios!

I don't know how long I slept, but my wake-up call was phenomenal. Stephanie's breasts bounced as she rode me hard and fast. Raising my hips, I pumped into her as she lowered. "Oh my God," Stephanie moaned.

"Stephanie," I groaned when her muscles squeezed me. I couldn't hold off and gave in to the pleasure building in my balls.

"I wasn't sure how much longer I could go," Stephanie whispered, collapsing onto my chest. I shifted her to my side, making her more comfortable. "What were you dreaming?" She rested her chin on my chest. Stephanie warred between waiting for my answer and wanting to take a shower. I could see her thoughts clearly displayed on her face. She grimaced as the moisture from our lovemaking dripped onto the sheets.

"We were in Hawaii. It was two days before I called for an extraction," I replied honestly. Stephanie's cheeks turned pink. She remembered. We made love on various surfaces in her house. "I'm not complaining. Why the erotic wake-up call?"

"You were poking into my stomach. I didn't want you to wait too long for release," Stephanie replied. "It looked ready to gallop. I thought, 'Giddy up, cowgirl,' then went for a ride." She giggled, then rolled over. I reluctantly let her climb from our bed. Stephanie walked toward the bathroom naked. Her ass swayed, mesmerizing me. Dios! My wife was sexy. Stephanie paused, making me look up toward her head. She was watching me over her shoulder. Giving me a sexy wink, she asked, "I need a shower. Do you know anyone available to wash my back?"

"Babe," I replied. I tossed the blankets aside and met my wife by the washroom door. She patiently waited for me to run the shower. I got it set to the perfect temperature before tugging her inside. "We don't have time to play," I warned. "I have to gather the team."

"That's fine," Stephanie said. "I'm satisfied for now. We slept in. I organized a team last night."

I raised a brow. Stephanie used the loofa to wash my body before allowing me to clean hers. "Babe?" I asked when she didn't offer more information. I stepped from the shower to grab a towel for Stephanie. She wrapped it around her torso, hiding her gorgeous pregnant body from my gaze.

"You'll see, Batman," Stephanie teased, stepping from the shower stall. "We have Ram and Cal on duty. You're coming inside with me. Hector and Eduardo are strolling in the park behind the condos, and I asked Bobby and Jeanne Ellen to walk Mrs. Alexander's dogs."

Jeanne Ellen worked as a bounty hunter for Les Sebring. Stephanie recommended hiring her at Rangeman for distractions. She couldn't stop laughing when Jeanne arrived for a capture. Lester shamelessly flirted with the woman. It took Stephanie nearly pissing her pants from laughing to confess. I found it rather amusing. Stephanie and I knew Jeanne Ellen was dating Stella Stevens, my wife's second cousin.

"How did you arrange the dogs?" I asked, drying my body. I dumped the towel into the hamper. Stephanie smiled when I gave her another towel for her hair. She moved it over her curls, drying the locks as much as possible.

"Mrs. Alexander lives in the house across the street. She lives beside Justice Rosolli's place. He has cameras to monitor his house. I called to ask if he could change the angle to record activity on the street. Justice Rosolli was willing to help. He mentioned Mrs. Alexander had broken her leg and needed people to walk her two dogs. One's a Great Dane, and the other is a Chihuahua," she replied, then giggled. "Two extremes in dog sizes." Stephanie shook her head.

"How did she break her leg?" I asked, curious if the Great Dane tripped her.

"Shelby, that's the Great Dane had a vet appointment. I guess the dog didn't want to go. It pulled on the leash, making Mrs. Alexander fall down the stairs. Her leg twisted wrong," Stephanie explained. "Luckily, Justice Rosolli was home to assist. He called an ambulance for Mrs. Alexander and took Shelby to the vet."

"Only you, Babe," I said. It was unbelievable.

"Oh, and Justice Rosolli's contract with Stealth Securities is up next month. He wants to switch to Rangeman," Stephanie added. We started offering residential security monitoring when Stephanie took over the client relations department. The female clients felt more comfortable getting reassured the Rangeman employees wouldn't use the cameras to spy on the females in the house.

"You've been selling the services to quite a few families in the Burg," I said. "We have to expand our office to accommodate the increase in business."

Stephanie shrugged. "What can I say? Sending me into the field with Hal and Ram works wonders for Rangeman's bottom line. With Hal's adorable blush and Ram's comfortable interaction with me, it makes the females relax. I love having them on my team."

We went to our bedroom to get dressed. Stephanie decided to wear maternity jeans and a top to accentuate her baby bump. I loved how comfortable she was with her pregnancy. My phone chimed on the nightstand. "Are you wearing your watch?" I asked. Stephanie smiled and extended her arm for me to help. I slipped the leather band through the buckle and left it slightly loose, as she preferred. Stephanie quickly reciprocated. I loved how she took care of me.

"Are you going to check that?" Stephanie asked, pointing to my phone. I raised a brow and smiled when I read the message from Tank.

"Vince completed his mission," I said, giving my wife the news.

"Thank God," Stephanie said, sighing. "I hoped he wouldn't be gone for the year."

"It's time, Babe." Stephanie sat on the bed, letting me help with her CAT boots. She preferred them to sneakers. Stephanie kissed me instead of saying thanks.

We met the men on the fifth floor. Ram confirmed Stephanie's panic button would alert the fifth-floor staff and the men watching her back. My phone vibrated in my pocket, and the face of my watch flashed red. I tapped my watch and caught Tank's eye. He would compensate Hector for the program upgrade.

Stephanie ran through the routine with Bobby, Ram and Cal. They knew their roles and promised routinely contact the control room. "We've got your back," Junior said from the monitor station. Ramon waved from his spot beside Junior. "Hector checked in. He's in place."

"Thanks, Junior," Stephanie said. She read the message on her phone. "Bobby, Jeanne Ellen is waiting for you out front." Bobby hugged Stephanie before taking off down the stairs.

"Men," I commanded. "Keep an eye out for Lloyd Silverstern. We have until midnight to capture him. If you see him, contact me immediately, then send a team for my replacement."

"Who do we send, sir?" Ramon asked.

"Me," Tank replied. He knew I wouldn't trust anyone else. I needed Lester to hold down the fort in case everything went sideways.

Stephanie and I left the control room. We rode the elevator to the garage. I used my Porsche Boxter for the trip. Stephanie appreciated the extra space in the front seat. She complained about looking thirty weeks pregnant. I knew she was twenty. In another twenty weeks, we would meet our precious baby boy.

"Babe?" I asked when Stephanie fidgeted.

"Hmm? Oh. I'm nervous to see the girls. It's been a few years," Stephanie replied. "They may not recognize me."

"I'm sure they've seen pictures of you," I reasoned. Stephanie nodded. "You have nothing to worry about."

"You're probably right. Park in front of Valerie's house," Stephanie said. "Justice Rosolli said he could see the front door over the top of an SUV. I got him to test it with his car."

I pulled over to the side of the road to kiss Stephanie. "You are amazing," I said, making Stephanie grin.

"We only have a few minutes to get there. Valerie has to drive across town for her interview," Stephanie said. I reluctantly pulled away from the curb to continue our journey. The next cross street was State Street. "Valerie's house is on the next block. The third condo on the right. You should see a 1953 powder blue Buick parked in the driveway."

I saw the car and shook my head. "That car is a classic. She should be parking it inside a garage," I said.

"No garage," Stephanie replied. She waited for me to park the car and walk to her door. Stephanie smiled when I helped her from the vehicle. We held hands as we walked to Valerie's front door. I kept checking around, being aware of my surroundings.

"Thank goodness you're here. I thought you changed your mind," Valerie said. "I have to run." Stephanie barely had time for introductions. Valerie jumped into the blue car and drove away.

A curly-haired brunette came running toward the door. "Slow down," I ordered. The girl stopped a few feet from Stephanie.

"Hi," she shyly said. "I'm Mary Alice. Angie is the girl with blond hair."

Looking at Mary Alice was like seeing Stephanie as a child. "Is she your daughter?" I asked, speaking Italian.

"You're not the first person to ask. No," Stephanie replied, speaking Italian.

Angie stepped around Mary Alice to hug Stephanie. "Hi, Aunt Steph. Wow. I didn't think you'd have another baby," Angie said. Stephanie rubbed a tear from her eye. Angie looked at me, then extended her hand. "Hi. I'm Angie Sutton."

"Carlos Manoso," I replied. "I'm married to Stephanie."

"But I thought she was married to Uncle Joe," Angie said, her head tilted to the side and her eyes wide.

"No, sweetie," Stephanie replied. "Joe and I got divorced."

"Oh. Dad is divorcing Mom," Angie sadly said. "He ran away with the babysitter."

"I heard," Stephanie said. She hugged Mary Alice, who giggled when Stephanie's stomach moved. "Your cousin is saying hi."

"We don't have a lot of clothes," Mary Alice blurted. Stephanie's eyes hardened as she shook her head.

"Mom won't send us to school until she can afford to buy us clothes," Angie added.

"Would you like me to take you shopping on the weekend? I still owe you birthday gifts," Stephanie said, making Angie grin, but Mary Alice frowned. "I know you don't like shopping, Mary Alice, but I don't know your style."

I squatted to Mary Alice's level and looked her in the eyes. "The mall has a build-a-bear store. I believe they received a shipment of horses to stuff," I said. Mary Alice's eyes widened, her mouth open in surprise.

"Oh. Mr. Uncle, can I get one?" Mary Alice asked. Her eyes pleaded with me to say yes.

"We'll get you one," Stephanie promised. Mary Alice quickly hugged me before galloping away. Angie shook her head.

Stephanie got the children settled in the living room. She brought card games to keep the girls entertained. Mary Alice played a wicked game of Uno. After winning for the third time, Angie asked to play Hearts. Stephanie grabbed the cards to shuffle.

We played card games until eleven. Stephanie went into the kitchen to prepare lunch. I peeked out the back door as Stephanie tried to find something for the children to eat. The cupboards were practically bare. Stephanie found leftovers in the refrigerator. She busied herself to reheat the food.

My phone chimed with a message from an informant. Shit! Of all the times for Lloyd Silverstern to appear. I didn't want to leave Stephanie alone with the girls. Stephanie eyed me wearily. She knew something was going on. "I have to leave," I whispered to Stephanie. "They found my skip in the warehouse district. He has a hostage."

"Go," Stephanie said. "I'll be fine for ten minutes until Tank gets here."

I kissed Stephanie. "Don't answer the door without recording," I reminded her, dialling Tank's number. Stephanie pulled the pendant from between her breasts. She pressed the button to start the recording inside Rangeman.

"Yo," Tank answered after the first ring.

"We located Silverstern," I replied.

"On my way," Tank said, then hung up. I knew he'd get to Valerie's location. Cal and Ram were running patrols. The men would keep my wife safe.

Halfway to the warehouse, a sense of unease washed over me. Something was wrong. I could feel it. My watch flashed red a second before my phone rang. "Report!" I screamed.

"We've got it handled," Tank replied. "Catch Silverstern. Stephanie would want you to rescue the hostage."