Chapter 13

I awoke alone in the bed, not sure what had woken me. What surprised me was that the place next to me felt warm and the pillow and sheet seemed creased as though someone had spent the night with me. Shaking off the fogginess of sleep and sitting up I jumped when the bathroom door opened, and Ranger walked out. His hair was wet as it hung lose onto his shoulders and he was dressed in a Rangeman uniform. If I didn't know better, I would never have guessed that he'd been so ill because he looked stunning as he'd walked over toward me.

"Breakfast in 30 Babe, and then we leave for the airport"

Then he was gone obviously keen to get the day started. I dressed in layers, jeans, T-shirt and the hoodie over my arm before carrying my bag out to the main entrance. Returning through the house I found myself attracted to the view in front of me. It looked as though the sea was on fire as the sun started its slow rise above the horizon. The waters were calm and still reflecting the golden orb in all its glory. Which also meant that it must be incredibly early if I was stood here watching the daybreak.

Cereals, toast and coffee were the options for breakfast, and it seemed that most people had already eaten and left from the telltale sign of dirty plates left on the table. I quickly finished not wanting to hold the others up and walked through to the front of the house to discover my bag gone and the door stood open.

There were only the four of us returning to Trenton, Les, Hector Ranger and myself. We loaded into a black SUV with Les driving and Hector sat in the back beside me. I have to admit that I never questioned that arrangement and assumed that we'd be flying back similarly to how Hector and I had arrived. I wasn't looking forward to that. I was still psyching myself up for the flight when we seemed to take a detour from the highway that was signposting the airport and were travelling through tall gates into a fairly quiet area. Quiet in that there was no traffic, but my eyes were mesmerized with the small jets that we were passing. I jumped as my door opened because I'd been so busy looking at the black jet sat next to us that I was totally unaware that we would be getting out here.

It was Ranger who was squatted down in front of the door looking at me, a small smile at the edges of his mouth. I was amusing him with how I was gawking at the jet where Les had climbed the steps to.

"It's safer than commercial, probably faster, and we don't have the hassle of airport protocols or crowds of people"

I closed my mouth, straightened my shoulders and walked with purpose up those steps and then came to a total standstill with Ranger walking into the back of me.

"Babe?"

Now Ranger has a way of using that name to express a wealth of questions and at the moment he was asking me what was wrong. He got the unedited answer.

"It's small"

Because I could easily see the back of the plane from where I was stood. It also looked extremely comfortable with individual leather seats arranged around low tables. I was guided mid-way down the plane and reversed into a seat where Ranger fastened a seat belt around me. I was still looking around as he sat next to me and watched as Les swung the door closed and engaged the lock. Was the takeoff better or worse than a commercial plane? I wasn't sure but it was certainly faster. It wasn't long before I heard the click of seatbelts being undone and was then taking a coffee from Les's hand.

I sipped on my coffee and looked out of the window as the ground disappeared behind a blanket of cloud. We were heading home to Trenton, and I wasn't sure how I felt about that. I mean would my life go back to normal. Catching skips and doing the odd jobs at Rangeman. And what about Ranger? Would he click back into his life, running a company and managing a large group of men? Would we go back to how we were with me on the border of his life, there for an occasional kiss in the alley or a sexual interlude if the opportunity arose? I felt as though Miami had been a dream, something that had happened but was now behind us. That made me feel quite sad even though I knew it shouldn't have. I had my best friend back so that was what I needed to focus on, not on the possibilities that seemed to have flowered in Miami.

To be honest I almost forgot that we were flying and at some stage rested my eyes for a little nap.

Of course, the landing woke me with a panic, but Ranger had tight hold of my hand which I clung onto, grateful for that support. Once we'd left the jet and were down on the ground it was to see two black SUVs parked side by side waiting for us. That was when my heart did a little race because although I knew that I'd have to talk to Tank and Bobby at some time, I was hoping that wouldn't be until later, much later.

I suppose it was my bad luck to have Tank driving us and it didn't go unnoticed by me that he hadn't said a word to me. If he'd bothered to talk to me when I'd been at Rangeman and actually listened to my side of the story, then maybe he would have understood how I'd felt. Sat in the back all I could do was to watch as the buildings passed us by and try to recognize where we were going. I was aware of Tank and Ranger talking but not what they were saying so assumed it was Rangeman business. At least I hoped it was and it wasn't Tank telling Ranger what I'd done to escape from the building.

I wasn't asked where I wanted to go and that pissed me off a little bit, that Tank just assumed that I'd want to be at Rangeman. As the car stopped in the underground garage at Rangeman and I opened the door and got out I really wasn't sure what to do. I had things that I needed to do but the idea of being out on the streets had me feeling slightly panicked. Was this what it was going to be like now? Being scared to death of running into Joe? Then there was my mother. Would she start to harass me for disappearing? Would she side with Joe and trick me into seeing him?

"Babe?"

I looked up to see Ranger watching me, suddenly feeling embarrassed at how he might be seeing me. A look round the garage told me that there was no one else around so at least I wouldn't have to face Tank or Bobby yet.

"I, err, don't have any transport"

Thinking that maybe going to my apartment might be the safest place to go as I wasn't ready to call in at the bonds office just yet.

"You look tired. I know it was an early start this morning, so why don't you go up to seven and rest?"

Was Ranger seeing some of the anxiousness that I was feeling? I wasn't sure but the idea of staying in his apartment did sound enticing, at least until I decided what to do next. I felt as Ranger's hand came to my back and he guided me to the elevator, reminding me that I never felt threatened by him being so close to me. We never spoke as the elevator rose making me wonder how I was ever going to deal with getting my life back on track. As the doors slid open Ranger guided me to the apartment door and then after opening it with his fob, he stood back to let me enter.

"I have some work to catch up on. Rest, then maybe you can tell me what's worrying you so much"

I watched as he disappeared into the stairwell surprised by what he'd said and at the same time concerned with what I would allow him to know. I was still worried for him even though since leaving Miami he gave the impression that nothing was wrong. I'd never before seen Ranger as I had done when I'd arrived in Miami so was sure that he was locking his emotions down just to stay in control. Me telling him what had happened was sure to have that legendry control come crashing down and that was something that I would never be responsible for.

Sighing I closed the door and went through to the bedroom, looking longingly at the bed. I'd lay down in my thinking position and try to figure something out. That was how Ranger found me when he came up to check on me. I knew that it was him as he lifted the pillow away from my face but refused to look at him. No way was I any closer to talking to him.

"Morelli is downstairs insisting that he sees you. Do you want to see him or for me to tell him that you're not here?"

I closed my eyes wishing that I hadn't heard what Ranger had said. I knew that at some stage I would need to face Joe, but I wasn't sure I could do it now. I could feel that whisper of fear slowly entwining itself around me at the very idea of seeing him but as I thought it through recognized that once I'd given him a piece of my mind then I'd be free to get on with my life. There was also the bonus that I could ask Ranger to stay with me. Joe wouldn't dare try anything here inside Rangeman or with Ranger with me.

"Babe?"

Okay, I knew I was taking too much time to figure this out so trying to look as though I was all cool and collected sat up.

"I'll, err, see him"

Maybe I hadn't appeared as calm as I'd thought because Ranger's finger was suddenly underneath my chin, tilting my head up so that I'd have to look at him.

"What's worrying you?"

Shit, I couldn't tell Ranger what had happened because he'd be so annoyed with Joe. The last thing that I needed at the moment was Ranger regressing because of me.

"It's nothing"

"Babe, it isn't nothing. You've gone pale and your pulse is way too high"

I had to think fast and say something but just seeing Ranger looking at me was screwing up my thinking.

"He won't accept that we're over"

Which was true. Okay, I'd omitted the worst of the details but what Ranger didn't know wouldn't hurt him, would it?

"Would you stay with me or if you're busy maybe Hector could be there"

Maybe Hector being there would be better because Joe would know just how serious I was when I told him to leave me alone.

"I'll be with you. I don't like that you're not telling me everything"

That said Ranger was moving away from the bed leaving me feeling out of sorts with myself. I hated that I hadn't told him everything that I knew but I was having a problem believing it myself seeing as I couldn't really remember anything that had happened. After a visit to the bathroom to freshen up I prepped myself for this damn meeting by saying over and over again that I wasn't afraid of Joe, that he couldn't hurt me.

The elevator doors opening surprised me because I'd been trying so hard to calm myself down, I hadn't been taking any notice of the journey down. I followed Ranger, surprised to see Hector stood outside a door but feeling a little better knowing that he was there. As Ranger opened the door, I took in a deep breath before walking into the room. It was a large room with a long oval table sat in the center with chairs placed around it. At one end of the room was a large window with Joe stood looking through it.

He was dressed in his usual jeans but was wearing a heavy jacket to ward off the cold making him look bigger than he actually was. I looked to the left of the table deciding that having the table between Joe and me was the safer bet, but even as I pulled out a chair Joe had turned around and was looking at me.

"Cupcake, where the hell have you been and why are you here?"

Two questions that I wasn't going to answer and how he'd said them was annoying me. It was none of his damned business where I'd been or why I was here.

"Joe, why the hell are you here?"

I hadn't sat down because doing that made me feel uncomfortable. I quickly looked to the door and saw that Ranger was stood there obviously taking in everything.

"Cupcake?"

Had me looking back to Joe and seeing him watching Ranger. Shit maybe having Ranger here wasn't such a good idea after all.

"Joe, I told you weeks ago that we were over. You have no right to make demands of me and I'm not answerable to you"

At least that had Joe's attention back on me, but I was finding it hard to read him. He was trying to use a look that I'd seen many times before, but it wasn't reaching his eyes and to be honest that look had no effect on me now. The smile, his head tilted slightly to the side and his hands in his jeans pocket gave the impression of him trying to be friendly, trying to use his charm on me.

"Cupcake, that was just a misunderstanding. I cared enough about you to keep you safe. Hell, you were all for it, you agreed that we'd made a mistake"

Like hell I had, and I knew that last sentence wasn't meant for me. He was trying to undermine the friendship between me and Ranger.

"Leave Joe. I never agreed to anything with you"

I'd had enough of Joe's conniving ways and wanted him gone. I turned with the intention of leaving the room but took my eyes off Joe. Stupid mistake because Joe was suddenly in front of me, between me and the door and Ranger.

"Everyone knows us, that you were living at my house because we'd agreed to be married"

He seemed so damn sure of what he was saying, and I suppose any rumors would point to what he'd said as being the truth. That was when the tears started to fall because I'd said to Hector that no one would believe me if I tried to tell them what Joe had done.

"No one spoke to me, no one asked me. I never agreed to be at your house"

For the first time ever, I wished that it was someone else with me and not Ranger. I hadn't wanted Ranger to find out like this because I wasn't sure how he'd he knew what Joe had done I was serious worried that he'd go after Joe and that would only cause a problem for Ranger.

"Morelli, you need to leave"

I could tell just from his tone of voice that Ranger was annoyed with what had been said but I didn't dare look sideways at him to confirm it. I was aware of Joe walking past me and jumped when I felt him touch my shoulder.

"This isn't the end of this Cupcake"

I was aware of Joe leaving the room but the look that he gave me, and his tone of voice cut into me like a knife. I was back on that precipice where I felt like I had no control. I couldn't manage to say anything before the tears really let lose. I was so worried what Ranger was thinking and what he would say, so when he got up and started to pace the floor then I knew I was in deep trouble with him. When he eventually sat back down, he turned my chair so that I had no choice but to face him.

"I'm not annoyed at you. I'm annoyed because I don't know what the fuck has happened"

I was close to sobbing now so knew that I had to at least tell him the truth as I knew it.

"The last thing that I can remember was being in that car with those men after the bank heist. Then I, I don't know, I lost seven days. I can't remember anything. Maybe I was ill but when I started to realize where I was, I just knew that I had to get out of Joe's house"

I felt myself being pulled into Ranger's chest and then heard voices speaking in Spanish. One of them was definitely Ranger because I could feel the vibrations as he spoke, and I was pretty sure the other was Hector.

"La sacó del hospital y la mantuvo en su casa. (He removed her from the hospital and kept her at his house.)

I heard a loud bang on the table next to me that totally shocked me into standing up. I was near hysterical, so afraid of how this was affecting Ranger and not wanting him to lose his control because of me. I didn't stay on my feet for very long before I was pulled back down but the only words I could utter was.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry"

I could feel myself being rocked and a hand sweeping down through my hair as I tried to calm myself down. Maybe that happened but not the way that I wanted it to do because as the sobbing continued a pain sheared through my head with such an intensity that I was holding onto my head to try and make it go away. It didn't help and neither were the words that I was sure that Ranger was saying to me, because after that I don't remember a thing.

When I came to, I was in a room with subdued lighting and actually panicked that I was in the infirmary.

"It's okay Babe, everything's going to be okay"

I opened my eyes to see that I was in Ranger's apartment and that he was holding me in his arms on the couch. Hector, Tank, Bobby and Les were sat opposite us, so I had no idea how long I'd been passed out for, maybe not that long. Bobby leant toward me with a glass of water and two tablets which Ranger took, before holding them in front of me. Even as I swallowed the tablets with the water, I was so worried with what these men around me were going to say.

"Hector has told us everything Babe. I'm so sorry that I gave up so easily when Morelli told me that you didn't want to talk to me"

No, he wasn't going to blame himself. He was in a dark place himself and wouldn't have known what was happening.

"No, all of this is on Joe"

"Little Girl I'm to blame as well. I believed what was being said, that you were cutting ties with everyone, hell I even believed that Joe was worried about you, about keeping you safe when he was looking for you"

"If he wasn't a cop, I'd kill him myself. I'm so sorry that we didn't give you a chance to explain yourself when you were here"

I nodded to Bobby because looking at Tank and Bobby I could see that they were being genuine with what they were saying. I suppose with the length of time that I'd been at Joe's, I couldn't blame them for believing what was being said. I looked at Hector because he was the one that had helped to piece together those days and find me some answers, even if I didn't like what I'd found out. That had me worried as to just how much he had told them.

"Have you told them everything?"

I asked Hector because I knew that I couldn't avoid the truth now and knew that they deserved an explanation, even Ranger did.

"Si. Finding you on the street, you escaping from here and then me keeping you at a safe place"

It was weird because it almost made me feel relieved to know that other people knew and hopefully believed what had happened to me. That somehow, I could justify all the emotions that I'd had and actions that I'd done. I just couldn't understand why Joe would resort to doing that to me and telling the world so many lies.

"I checked your records at the hospital to see what had been prescribed. They'd given you a tricyclic that contained amitriptyline and nortripyline. They would have been responsible for how you felt but shouldn't have been given to you for such a long period of time"

I was listening to what Bobby was saying, in some ways releived that Joe hadn't used other drugs on me but at the same time annoyed that he'd continued the medication. No wonder I'd felt like shit when I'd eventually woken up.

"Steph, you suffered a really serious concussion so the tiredness, sickness and memory loss is quite a normal symptom"

If only I could remember how the hell I'd hit my head so badly then I might have felt better with what Bobby was saying. As it was I'd have to just accept the injuries that I'd sustained and hope that those memories came back.

Even though the other men left the apartment I stayed in Ranger's hold savoring that feeling of calmness that it brought.

"Is it wrong that I hate him so much?"

Because I did hate him. I'd honestly thought that with our history that Joe would leave me alone and we'd both move on. Find that one person that we truly felt was the right one but find a way to remain friends.

"No, he betrayed your trust and hurt you. You have every right to feel that way"

I knew that he was right, and I also knew that it would take time for me to somehow get my life back to some sort of normality. Would Joe just leave me alone now or would he continue to harass me? That also left the unanswered question that I needed some resolution with. The part that my mother had played.