Chapter 16

I woke alone and panicked slightly wondering if the evening before had been a dream or if I had totally misunderstood what Ranger had said. He'd said that he needed me which at the time had been enough for me. Now I was wondering exactly what that meant. There were no words of love by either one of us and the word relationship hadn't been spoken, so what exactly had we been talking about? Was Ranger seeing me as a possession that he wanted around without any of the emotion? Was Ranger even capable of a relationship?

Too many questions and too much to worry about at the moment. I suppose it was early days to start worrying but at the back of my mind I was telling myself to be careful and to guard my heart. Hell, that was going to be hard to do if I was spending more time with him. I came out from my thoughts at the sound of the door opening so looked up surprised to see Ranger walking in, having showered and dressed. He walked up to the bed before bending over me and kissing me sweetly on the lips.

"Ella just brought breakfast"

I collected a robe from the back of the door and went via the bathroom before going out to the kitchen to see what delights Ella had brought. She was just finishing unloading plates onto the kitchen counter when she turned and looked at me.

"Stephanie, I hope you don't mind but I thought that jacket that was wrapped in plastic could do with freshening up"

I'd totally forgotten that Ranger had been carrying that when we came back last night so assumed that Ranger had been the one to get it to her. I watched as she walked over to the entranceway and then returned carrying my jacket and holding it out to me. Holding it and feeling the texture of the material had me remembering when I'd last worn it and I didn't want to go there, so I hung it over the back of the couch.

"Thank you, Ella"

"My pleasure. I returned the items back into the pockets, in case you thought that you'd lost them"

I'm sure that I was frowning as she said that because I had no idea what could be inside the pockets. Curious I went to the jacket finding my car keys in the right hand pocket. I wouldn't be needing those seeing as my car had disappeared, but I couldn't think what else Ella had been talking about. I dropped my hand into the other deep pocket, feeling around until my fingers touched something hard at the bottom and then I was bringing out a small brown package. I turned it in my hands looking at it because I didn't recognize it as being mine. There was no writing on any of the sides, only string that had been neatly coiled around it and fastened in a bow.

"What's that Babe?"

Came from Ranger as he looked at the package and then at me. I placed it down on the counter with the intention of helping myself to some scrambled eggs but instead I just sat looking at the six by four package that was maybe one inch thick.

I was trying to work out where it had come from or remember who had given it to me. That fateful morning had been the first of the cold snaps, so I'd dug that jacket out from the back of my closet where it had been since getting it cleaned at the beginning of spring. I knew that the pockets were empty when I'd left the apartment because I'd stuffed my hands in them to try and keep them warm. That day I'd slept in late so hadn't even left the apartment, going straight to the bank. I did remember putting my car keys into my pocket, but I could swear that the other pocket was empty. Did that mean what I was thinking it meant?

"Babe, are you going to finish those eggs?"

I looked at the now cold eggs and shook my head.

"What's wrong?"

I suppose my lack of appetite and then me being quiet was a dead giveaway that something was wrong, but I wasn't sure how to explain it or if I even wanted to.

"I'm not sure who that belongs to or why I have it"

Ranger picked up the package and just like me he was turning it over, looking for any writing. I cleared my dishes away and then rinsed them through as I continued to think about that day.

"Babe, where do you think you were when it was slipped into your pocket?"

I looked up at Ranger as he stood beside me, tears beginning to form with one traitorous one that ran down my cheek. I wiped it quickly from my cheek, I suppose trying to cover up how upset I was. Ranger wasn't having any of that and I was quickly being pulled into his arms.

"Talk to me Babe, tell me what's got you so upset"

My face was buried in his shirt as I considered what he'd asked. I'd never told anyone what had happened, no one had asked me. I didn't want to talk about it now and bring back those memories. I hadn't realized that Ranger had lifted me up and we were now sat on the couch. I didn't know what to say to him.

"Is it Morelli and what happened?"

I shook my head even though I knew that what had happened at the bank had been the catalyst for what Joe had done.

"I know it has nothing to do with your skips, because you told me about those, so this must be about the bank robbery"

I must have been quiet for too long and maybe Ranger was getting impatient with me, but I was finding it so hard to know where to start or what to say.

"Start by telling me why you went to the bank"

I could do that so maybe if I told my story like one of the men would do a report it would help to calm my nerves.

"Connie had transferred the money for my skips into my account. It was a lot more than I usually got so it got me thinking. I've never been good with saving money so decided that if I transferred it into a savings account then maybe that would stop me from just frittering it away on things that I didn't really need"

Like clothes and shoes that seemed to have filled most of my closet and which to be honest I didn't wear.

"I thought that it would give me a buffer for when money was tight, you know when there weren't that many skips. Anyway, I'd normally do that through the app but because I'd broken my phone I needed to go to the bank"

Maybe I should have replaced my phone straight away instead of putting it off or ignored that voice in my head that was trying to tell me that I needed to be sensible and mature.

"Do you think that the box was from when you were inside the bank?"

I nodded my head because that was the only time when it could have happened but what was worrying me was that the only person who I'd been anywhere near was the elderly man. Unless someone put it into my jacket after I'd left it at the bank. Neither option made any sense to me.

Ranger never asked me another question nor pushed me for more detail about what happened at the bank, so I was immensely relieved with that. If I couldn't remember everything that happened to me then I couldn't tell him.

I took in a deep breath to calm myself surprised that I wasn't more upset than I was. I sat up away from Ranger and wiped my hand down his T-shirt, embarrassed at how wet it was from my tears and snot. Hell, I was a mess, more of a mess than I'd ever felt before.

"I'm sorry that happened to you Babe"

So was I, but nothing could be done to take it back or make it not have happened. I needed to get a better handle on my emotions, but every time I felt as though I was on solid ground something would knock me off kilter again.

"I need to keep myself occupied. Maybe I'll go down and find Les"

Ranger let me go but even as I walked toward the bathroom, I could feel him watching me. Way to go Stephanie, I thought. He probably thinks that you're a complete disaster magnet or you're ready to lose it.

I washed my face and reapplied some mascara before pulling my hair back into a ponytail and then dressed in a Rangeman uniform that I found in the closet. Out of habit I picked up my bag even though I wasn't planning on going anywhere today, maybe I could do some searches to keep me occupied. Ready to face the world I came out of the bedroom to see that Ranger had changed his T-shirt but was stood just looking at that parcel.

"I'll get Ram to check it out"

Oh shit, could it have some of the explosives in it that they'd used in the vests in the bank? Had it maybe fallen off and into my pocket.

"Babe, it's just a precaution. He'll X ray it and swab it, then dust for prints. That's standard protocol for any packages that arrive unexpectedly at Rangeman"

I can't say that made me feel any better, but I wasn't going to say that. Instead, I was following Ranger out of the apartment and into the elevator. It hadn't occurred to me until the doors started to open that I hadn't been on the fifth floor for weeks, maybe even months. As I stepped forward it felt familiar, the sound of machines and quiet talking, but what happened next both surprised me and embarrassed me. Hands, that was all that I saw, stretching out toward me, which normally wouldn't have been a problem. But it was now, and I found myself flinching at the slightest touch and suddenly feeling very anxious. I knew these men, Cal, Hal, Binkie and Junior. Ram, Slick, Miguel and Raphael with many more who weren't here, so why were they making me feel so nervous?

It was Hector and Les who appeared at my side and with Ranger behind me that I felt some of the panic subside.

"Gentlemen, don't you have enough work to do?"

Came from Ranger which had the effect of the corridor suddenly going quiet. I was still shaking slightly as Ranger guided me toward an office and then sat me down on a couch.

"Are you okay?"

Was the question that I expected from him as he squatted down in front of me.

"Yes. I think that I was a bit overwhelmed with so many men"

What else could I say, that I was scared because it reminded me of my dreams? That I had no idea what the dreams meant or if they were based on memories really wasn't helping.

"Are you okay staying here with Les?"

I nodded my head because I knew that I had to get a grip on myself and talking with Les might be a way of focusing on something else, especially if I decided that what Ranger had suggested was going to be an employment opportunity. Ranger kissed my forehead before standing up and after a nod at Les I was left on my own with Les. Les brought me a bottle of water before sitting down in a chair opposite me.

"Something has happened to you Beautiful, that's making you very edgy. Any ideas?"

I looked at Les and heard how serious he was. Was this about what happened outside in the hallway?

"You flinch when someone gets into your personal space. You looked frightened to death out there. The only explanation is that something has happened that scared you. What was it Beautiful?"

I was shaking my head as I listened to Les. At first, I was annoyed with what he was saying, that my behavior was so obvious.

"I don't know Les. I keep having these dreams, but I don't know why.

"You reacted badly to Bobby when you came here from Morelli's, could it be anything to do with him?"

That had me looking up at Les and frowning. I remembered being scared in the infirmary when Bobby had touched me, the feel of his touch on my shoulder seemed to shock me and my arm had flown out to protect myself. But was that because I thought that I was back at Joe's? No, it had to have something to do with what happened to me after the bank robbery, if only I could remember.

"Hey, I didn't mean to upset you"

"I know, but I feel so confused. What with those robbers taking me and then Joe, my nerves are shot to hell"

Which was totally true and more than I'd said to anyone else. I think that Mia had seen it and had tried to ask me, but I was only thinking about Ranger at the time.

"Understandable Beautiful. So how about you let me know what I can do to help, and you consider a job here at Rangeman?"

I smiled weakly because Les had always been someone who seemed to know me best and he was saying that he'd give me space to work out my problems and when I did then he'd be there to help me. Sounded good to me because I didn't want to think about the dreams or what they meant.

"A job. Come on Les, why would Rangeman want to employ someone like me?"

Because it still sounded a weird proposition, especially with the record of mishaps that I had.

"You can run searches and see things that are important, things that we would miss, and you have a way with people. That means you always find your man or woman quickly which at the moment isn't one our strong points"

"So you want me to find the FTAs for you?"

That was something that I could do but to be honest I wasn't sure that it would be a full time job or that I wouldn't be bored out of my mind.

"Well yes. Then once you're trained, you'll be part of the team to bring them in"

Being part of the team to bring someone in sounded better, but the training, not so much. Don't get me wrong, I had started some self defense training, but it had never involved weights or bench presses or squats and definitely not running.

"Err, about the training"

Yeah, I knew saying that would have Les smiling, so I knew that I needed to do some negotiations on this one.

"I've been doing some training in self-defense so maybe if I did that. I mean why would I want to lift weights or do bench presses?"

I wasn't sure how Les would take that, and it worried me that Rangeman's method of training might be a deal breaker.

"Okay we can work with that, but it won't get you out of carrying a gun, so you'll need to attend the range"

I'd already resigned myself that carrying a gun was going to be part of the job, it didn't make me like it anymore, but I'd done it. Thinking about guns I'm sure that I was frowning because it was somehow missing.

"Steph. Where did you just go?"

I looked at Les and realized that he'd been talking to me, and I'd totally ignored him.

"I'll go to the range, but I don't know where my gun is. It was in my apartment, but Ranger and I couldn't find it last night"

"We'll provide you with another gun that's probably more suitable for you, but we really need to find your gun, or you'll have to report it to the police as stolen"

Great. That was what Ranger had said so that was a job that I needed to get done. I focused back onto Les because he was talking to me, and I was miles away again.

"At the moment we get 15% from Vinnie but to make collecting FTAs viable we have to be smarter and faster"

I suppose when you considered the man hours put into finding a skip then 15% probably didn't meet the overheads of wages for the men.

"Why not start up a Rangeman Bonds office, cut out Vinnie altogether?"

Les sat back in his chair and smiled at me as though I'd said something funny. To me it seemed like a perfectly reasonable suggestion.

"I knew that you weren't just a pretty face. Yeah, I've done the business plan for that but first we need to be sure that doing that is financially viable plus, we have to have the staff that could manage the workload"

Okay, Les had my attention now and I was following what he was saying. I had to admit that it made sense to me for Rangeman to write bonds and then bring in any that failed to appear.

"What about the low bonds?"

"Not sure about those Beautiful. You know as well as anyone that the overheads are high and some of them are real arseholes. It can take more men to bring in one of those than a higher bond"

I knew that and I suppose if I had ever costed the number of manhours that I'd spent finding them and then capturing them I bet it was definitely a pittance.

"So, what do you think Beautiful, are you in?"

I smiled as I replied because yeah, it sounded like this offer would be right down my street. Each aspect of what Les had said sounded like something that I would enjoy doing and there would be different aspects to the job meaning that I wouldn't get bored. Best of all though I'd have Ranger close by and the men that I classed as my true friends. My only regret was feeling that I was betraying Connie and Lula. I had no similar feelings for Vinnie because he'd basically tried screwing me over anyway.

"Yeah, I'm in"

Seeing Les smile was enough for me to know that he was pleased with my decision though why he would want me on board with this new venture was still confusing to me. As he stood up, he took my hand and pulled me to my feet before leading me through the door.

"I have five files for you to look through"

Talk about being thrown in at the deep end was my immediate reaction until I realized that I was just as excited to get started. I'd expected Les to take me to my cubbie where I usually worked so was surprised when he walked beyond that area and around the corner. There was an open door that I could honestly say I had never been aware of before which was where Les led me through. I was stood at the doorway to a room that was set up as an office. A desk, chair and computer dominated the area with a low filing cabinet that also held a printer. Turning I'm sure my eyes went wide when I saw a two seater leather couch against the wall and a small table in front of it.

For a small room it felt light and airy, probably due to the window set to the side of the room. I walked over to it and lifted one of the slats of the blind to look out, noticing that I was looking down onto the street at the front of the building.

"Your office Beautiful"

"Mine?"

I was shocked because I just didn't think that I warranted having my own office. Surely there were other men who worked here who deserved it more than I did?

"Yes. You need somewhere that's private yet close to the action. This way you won't be constantly on edge for someone being behind you or interrupting you"

My mind went back to our previous conversation, so I knew what he was talking about.

"Thanks Les"

"Don't thank me, thank the boss man. It was his idea. The new files are on your desk"

Les disappeared but left the door to the office open. That was okay with me, somehow knowing that any men working were somewhere close was reassuring. I took another look around the room before walking around the desk and sitting down in the leather chair. I slid my hands over the surface marveling at the space I would have for my papers and then slid open the top drawer next to me, smiling when I saw an assortment of colored highlighters. I looked up again to the wall opposite the window and only now recognized that attached to the wall was a light grey pinboard that was the same color as the painted walls so blended in perfectly.

The second drawer was empty while the bottom drawer was filled with notepads and paper. No doubt the filing cabinet would have extra paper for the printer and sections to file paperwork into. Both the desk and filing cabinet had keys hanging from the locks so would be secure.

I lifted the files from the side of me and placed the pile to one side, taking off the top one to start reading it.