As I bent back and looked over my shoulder I saw a familiar figure. No, it couldn't be. What could he be doing here in Atlanta? There is no way that Carlos Manoso should be chilling in here, sitting bar side with the bouncer watching me dance wearing next to nothing. Karma must be playing some huge joke on me right now. Silently I willed the D.J to stop playing. When he finally did, I could not get off that stage quick enough.

I scooped up my tips as fast I could. Then I ran back to the dressing room. I did not even bother getting out of the towering ever have I run so fast in a pair of platform heels. As soon as got to the dressing room I went straight to my locker. There was no way I was going to waste a second changing my clothes. Nervously my hands fumbled with the combination lock as I wondered if he had noticed me. Who was I kidding? That man noticed everything. When I finally got my locker open I threw on my jacket. Then I stuffed the rest of my belonging into my duffle bag. Without thinking I ran out the back exit alone.I was completely oblivious to anything around me. The parking lot was dark and deserted. I didn't care. I was thinking of nothing but getting to my car. Suddenly my jacket was roughly tugged from behind and I was slammed into the side of the club. My body was left stunned but unhurt. Great just, great, my gun was in my bag. I never did that. Ranger had been around for all of five minutes and already I had gone stupid and become distracted. Two things I knew I could not afford to do when I started working here.

"Hey, pretty lady. How bout a lap dance in my car," the man slurred as he exhaled his alcoholic fumes.

"I am off the clock, back off perv," I yelled as I struggled to push his massive body away from me!

That's when the intoxicated man's huge beefy hands reached under my coat and shoved a bill into my G-string. My control and composure slipped as my fist connect with is face.

"Didn't they tell you? You're not allowed to touch the dancer?", I hissed!

"But you are off the clock, remember sweet thang. You really need to work on your manners. What you just did to me was not very nice," the man growled angrily as he balled up his fist and reached back to swing.

The massive man towering over me had me trapped so I could not run. He outweighed me by at least a hundred pounds. I squeezed my eyes shut, and braced myself for the blow. I could hear it coming in my direction. Then nothing happened. Slowly I opened my eyes and saw the man on the ground face down. He had a black boot pressed to his neck.

Ever muscle in Ranger's body with was rigid with fury. He viciously began kicking the man in the ribs.

"I don't think the lady is interested," Ranger growled!

His posture along with the almost perceptible stream fuming off of his head was an ominous warning to the assailant to stay down,not to even bother trying to get up.

I took the opportunity to escape while they were both distracted. Running as fast as I could in heels, I sprinted to my car. Just as I was about to open the door, a strong arm held it in place.

"What do you want Ranger?" I sighed hoping he would not start asking questions.

"Your welcome Babe", he said in a flat tone. Ranger gave me a glaring nod of disapproval. The blank mask he routinely wore slipped for a second giving me a peek into his emotions. I hated the way he was looking at me. A combination of pity and regret tugged at him. Dozens of question swirled in his eye.

"Don't you dare call me that, Ranger. I am not your Babe! I have not been anything to you in a few years now, if I ever truly was at all," I shouted.

Angry tears pooled in my eyes and then one escaped. Ranger let go of my car door and wiped the tear way with his thumb.

"You will always be my Babe", he whispered.

I wrenched my door open and shoved myself behind the wheel. Then I started the engine and sped off with my tires burning rubber.

When I returned to my condo, I walked straight to my bathroom and jumped into a hot shower. All I could think about was the last conversation that I had with Ranger back in Trenton. My mind kept replaying the scene, in what felt like real time. The reel was stuck on repeat.

"Ranger, what are we? Tell me exactly what is the two of us have been doing?" I asked desperately wanting to hear him claim as his. It has been eight months since me and Joe broke up, and this thing that is going on here… I need to it be more than just friends with benefits." Ranger had been sending me all types of signals that I was not just someone he wanted to share his bed with. I was the girl he wanted to share his life with. Now he appeared to be unable to commit to admitting even that.

"Babe you know I love you but…"

Please, please, don't say that Ranger, I thought to myself. My heart can take those words again. Why can't he just tell me you love me I wondered silently?

"But what Ranger, because I am in love with you with all of my heart," I said interrupting him before he could hurl that emotional grenade at me my heart.

"Come on Babe, we have been through this. Relationships and my line of work don't mix. I can't offer you a commitment, at least not right now."

Yeah right! then what had we been doing for all of these months, I thought to myself. I guess he took everyone out to dinner with his mother. What was with all of those road trips he had been taking me on. I had spent weeks in Boston with him. What exactly did he consider the time we had been spending together?

"You're a real piece of work Manoso," I hissed.

"You are not being fair Babe. I never lied to you, or pretend this was something more than it was. You know I have love for you but ….."

He did not have to lie or pretend. Ranger's action always gave him away. The way he looked at me told I was more to him than he was willing to admit. Sitting side by side in the turbo with his hand resting on my thigh let me know he wanted me next to him. Taking me with him to visit his daughter showed me he was inviting me into a special place in his life.

"But what, It comes with a condom, not a ring, Manoso are an ass. How long were you just going to keep stringing me along, until the sex got old?"

Instead of denying what I had just said he laughed.

"Come on Babe, sex with you will never get old" Ranger joked.

The way he was behaving stung as bad as a backhand to the face. I wanted, no, I needed him to feel the hurt his words had just inflicted on me. With all the pinned up energy that was tightly coiled in my body, I slapped Ranger so hard my hand was numb.

"I can't keep doing this ,Ranger! I am in love with you! Every time you say those words it hurts like hell. No more! Stay away from me Ranger! No more phone calls. I no longer work for Range Man in any capacity. The next time you come into my apartment uninvited, I am going to shoot you. Then I'm calling the police.!"

I ended my tirade by throwing the keys to the CRV he had given me at him, along with fob to his apartment. Then I stormed over to my purse and dumped the contents on the counter. I retrieved the Sig and my employee ID. After opening my front door, my eyes narrowed as I told Ranger to get out.

"Babe"

"Don't Babe me! Don't follow me, and don't track me. Have Hector uninstall this thing tomorrow!" I demanded as I pointed to the alarm panel.

Slowly Ranger walked toward the door and took the I.D. and weapon from my hand. When he left, I slammed the door and then kicked it several times. Hot tears formed in my eyes as I fought to keep myself from crying. I could sense Ranger's presences. I knew he was right on the other side of the door. Go away Ranger. Just go away and let have my privacy! My heart hurt so bad I could not contain the pain as I burst into uncontrollable sobs.

I got out of the shower and dripping all the way to my bed. Unable to muster the energy it took to dry myself or get dressed, I slid under the covers naked. With my head buried under the blankets, I cried myself to sleep.