Great reviews, great ideas you're throwing out! Some very kind words as well, and they mean so much to me. And the lurkers are more than welcome. Love it, love it, love it.

I wrote the ending and I didn't know I was writing it, until I got there, then after many tears, I knew it was finished. I'll warn you, I boohooed and littered my entire desk with little snotty tissues, I haven't cried this much since I killed Nash in the second story I ever wrote, Lost and Found. Don't worry, that chapter will begin with a big warning to get your tissue box or your roll of toilet paper. LOL

Alix33 is coming up behind me and cleaning up my punctuation. Thanks girl!

Chapter 15

After Lester finished making date plans with Sylvia, I gave him a stern warning, and reminded him that we seriously needed this woman and her help. His retort was that he seriously needed her as well. He said he was in love with her. "Lester, you fall in love with every woman you meet before you fuck her, then you fall out of love after."

He stuck his nose up in a haughty manner. "Not this woman."

I ran my hand down my face. Then slapped him upside the head. "This is what Bobby would do at this particular moment. How old are you now?"

"Age is just a number..."

I laughed out loud. "Then yours is two, because you are so full of shit, hombre. You just better remember, if you fuck her, you better keep doing it and doing it well until this mess is over..."

He gave me a shit-eating grin. "That's mean you're making me perform under pressure. I'll need lots of favors in return for that."

I pointed to the door. "Get the fuck out of my office and make yourself useful. When is the last time you checked in with your office?"

He mimicked getting his back up and said, "For your information, Mr. Dick-tator, we had a conference call this morning while you were gone. On a serious note, can I help you with anything?"

I grinned at him. Thank goodness, he's back. "Yeah, you mind taking the women for lunch, and driving Steph to her doctor appointment. Meaning, entertain them."

"I'm good at entertaining women. I got this..." And out the door he went. Behind that silly façade, that guy had proved to be a rock. There was no doubt he had my back, and was deadly dependable. Just a kid, he had picked up my battles in Newark when I got into trouble, and was sent to Abuela, in Miami. He didn't stop there, had followed me into the Army, and eventually met up with us in the Rangers. He never told me all he'd been through with the gangs to survive, protect my family, and stay out of jail. There was a reason why he hadn't attached himself to a woman. Most likely the same as me. My guess? He was a fucked up mess too.

Betina knocked and poked her head in my office to let me know that she had to leave and the others weren't back yet. I had begun working, catching up with paperwork, and had gotten totally lost in my thoughts. She said, "I left you a casserole in the oven and a salad to go with it in the refrigerator. Angel just woke up from a nap not long ago, and I changed her diaper. Do you want me to bring in her little bouncing chair?"

"Thank you, Betina. I'll wrap up and come out to get her."

When I got to the living room, Angel was in Betina's arms smiling. She turned to me and put her little arms out. I took her and pulled to me, kissing her soft cheek. She was dressed in a little jumper with flowers on it, and had a tiny pink barrette attached to her curls.

I decided that she and I would have some fun with food. So we went to the kitchen, and I dished out some casserole, salad, and got some fruit salad out, and sat them on the table. Then I filled a little sip cup left on the counter with water. I sat her on the table right in front of me then picked little pieces of soft food and fed it to her with my fingers. When she liked the flavor, she would squeal and her little hands would start going crazy, and when she didn't like it, she would make a face. Those faces had me laughing out loud, and I hadn't even noticed when the others had come in through the pantry from the garage.

I heard a laugh and looked up, Lula and Lester were watching us. Stephanie was smiling, but her face was still sad, and she looked like she had tears pooling in her eyes. "Grab a plate of food, Babe, and join us."

They all grabbed plates and filled them. I asked, "So, how did your physical go?"

"Okay. He gave me a vitamin B shot, and told me to take some electrolyte, mineral and vitamin supplements for a while."

"We can get some drinks with electrolytes, and a bottle of vitamins when we're out tomorrow. You look a little better already."

Lester said, "We got mani-pedis." He kicked his athletic shoe off and it landed a few feet away with a big thud, then he plopped his big foot up on the table and wiggled his toes." Angel squealed and reached out and grabbed his big toe, making Stephanie and Lula laugh.

"Get your foot off the table you idiot." I shook my head and then chuckled myself.

He snatched up Angel and started blowing raspberries on her little cheeks, making her giggle hysterically. Truthfully, Lester and his tomfoolery were exactly what we all needed right now.

Before we were finished cleaning up from dinner, the doorbell rang. I was surprised, because it had to be someone that knew the security code to the front gate. I opened the door to Tank, standing there grinning with a bag in his hand. "After you done feastin' yo' eyes on my fine ass attributes, you gonna try to kiss me? Or, you gonna let me in, man."

I grinned. "Get in here, fucker. Did you tell anybody here you were coming?"

"Naw, I thought I'd just surprise everybody. We can all be here in the morning for that conference call with the English dude, Fenton."

This was a nice surprise for a change. "You hungry? We were just putting away the leftovers from dinner."

"Yeah, I can eat. My baby behavin' herself now?"

"A little. She's afraid to get on the wrong side of the Florida law now." I smiled. "I did get word this afternoon that her gun has mysteriously disappeared from evidence at the police station, but I'm not going to tell her that just yet."

His voice boomed as he laughed out loud at that. In seconds, Lula came running. "Is that my big, sweet, chocolate, sugar bear, come to see me?"

I shook my head. "You better put a stop to that son, or find yourself like Stephanie's brother-in-law, Kloughn. Cuddle-umpkins has probably lost so much testosterone by now his balls are likely the size of marbles."

He burst out laughing. "I just got in the door. Don't make me go straight to whoopin' yo little Cuban ass, bro'."

I sprang up out of bed that night grabbing for my gun. I was in the jungle on a mission, damp with perspiration and breathing hard. Then I opened my eyes and looked around the room. I'm at home in Miami, so what the hell woke me up?

Then I heard the noises, it sounded like a troupe of silverbacks mating in unison. The second floor of my house was shaking. I got up and opened my bedroom door and looked out. Suddenly, Lester poked his head out of his room, hair all wild and crazy, then I looked in the other direction and Stephanie poked hers out, her head looking even worse. Lester said, "What the fuck is that? Man, I woke up having flashbacks."

I grinned. "That would be Lula and our newest guest." He made a yuck face, and I looked at Stephanie. "Is Angel awake? Bring her downstairs and we'll have some Italian ice. I have lots of flavors for her to try."

She smiled and nodded, and ducked back in the room to get her. Ten minutes later, we had cartons all over the table, with bowls and spoons out. Angel was sitting on the table with a spoon in her hand, waiting for the next bite. I said, "I've heard that when you lack one of your senses, the others can be more intense. Her sense of taste is developing fast."

Stephanie said, "I've seen her raise her nose and sniff the air before. She likes things that smell good. She likes the way you smell, if you notice when you hold her, she puts her nose to your chest and shoulder. She's smelling you, Lester too."

I smiled at Angel. "Your mother used to like my body wash too. As a matter of fact, she lifted a few bottles, she doesn't think I know about that." I glanced at Stephanie and she was blushing.

Lester said, "So what's the deal? You two going to finally quit playing games, and admit that you have feelings for each other. You're not getting any younger, and we know first hand how short this life can be."

Stephanie looked uncomfortable and I glared at him. "Lester, shut-up. We're both focused on this baby, number one, and she's trying to recover from a tough spell in her life. Number two, I'm helping her like I always did, don't make more out of it than what it is."

"You're adopting a baby together. That's not a big deal?" Shit, Santos. I looked over at Stephanie just as her head snapped to me, eyes wide.

"I hadn't told you yet, that I talked to an attorney, Sara and the other doctor, and the social worker. We can't get Angel treatment unless we're her guardians. You can't be her sole guardian, Stephanie, because you have no means, no job, and no money. It will have to be me. The social worker, Sylvia, is going to help us get her a birth certificate. I'll be her legal guardian."

She pounded the table with her fist. "No! You're not taking her from me. I'm not going to lose her again!" Angel jumped and wobbled, and I grabbed her and pulled her into my lap.

"Calm down, Babe. No one is taking her from you. You saved her life and you'll always be her true mother. Angel can tell you're upset, and you don't need to be. I know that she needs you." Stephanie reached out and took her from me.

Her eyes burned into me as she was standing, "I'll kill you before I let you take her away from me." Then she walked out of the room.

Lester sat there staring at her back and then looked at me, eyebrows furrowed. "What the hell did you do to her exactly? I think she was serious."

I looked over at the block of knives on the island and the empty slot where one was still missing. "That woman is still in survival mode, and yes, I can assure you that she's deadly serious."

TBC -