A/N: Thank you for the positive response to this story. I started writing this a few years ago and discovered it (I only wrote chapter 1). Since then, I have shifted to writing in the third person, and from now on, I will write that way. The first two chapters were in the first person. I'm sorry for missing a change. I prefer writing this way. Please keep reading and reviewing!
Chapter 3
Stephanie rolls her eyes as Joe gets his cheap thrill. She wishes her Daddy would reassign him to Valerie. Why does he always have to be in with Dad?
"Are you okay? I can get him to stop if you want." Ranger said.
Steph shakes her head before looking at Ranger clearly for the first time. He's about 5'11, a little shorter than Joe, with almost black, silky straight hair tied in a low ponytail, with his hair shaved on the sides but long on top. His skin is the color of her favorite mocha latte from Starbucks, and she can tell he works out. His chocolate brown eyes are expressive, and even though he hides his emotions behind a blank face, Steph can see what he's thinking by looking at his eyes. Ranger has to be the most handsome man she has ever seen. While Joseph Anthony Morelli is a fine specimen of a man, with his chestnut brown hair that is always a little too long, slightly tanned skin, and great ass, he's a catch. But his controlling ways and womanizing are taking a toll on Stephanie's trust and self-esteem.
"No, it's okay. Joe has been looking down into my shirts and grabbing my ass for as long as I can remember. No matter how often I tell him not to, he keeps doing it. I've come to realize that Joe Morelli does what Joe Morelli wants."
"You shouldn't have to deal with that. Why does your father keep him around?"
Stephanie laughs. "Joe is on POTUS detail because my mom thinks he'll make the perfect husband for me. My mom has been trying to marry me off to Joe Morelli since I was sixteen. Between her harping and now my sister's begging, there is a good chance I could be the new Mrs. Joseph Morelli within a month." I involuntarily shiver at that thought.
"Why?"
"I guess you don't follow current events."
"I follow current events, but more on a global stage. I don't pay much attention to politics. I've learned long ago that it doesn't matter who's in the White House; I will always have a job as a mercenary."
"My mother is dying."
"And let me guess, to appease her on her deathbed, you'd give in a marry a man you don't love."
"When you put it that way, it sounds horrible, but everyone says it's what I should do. For the last five years, we have been dating on and off. We were even engaged twice."
"Look, Steph, I don't know much about this stuff, but I know that marrying someone to do the right thing is never a good idea."
She looked down, knowing what Ranger said was true, but what other options did she have? No men were beating down her door for a date. If she ever wants to have children, she must eventually marry someone. At least I know Joe's family and am comfortable with them.
"Well, that's not what we're here to discuss. We are here to discuss how you think you will control me and follow me around."
"Babe, I can keep track of you with my eyes closed," Ranger says before pausing momentarily. "I understand your need to be independent and to have privacy. I'm a very private person myself. I hate bodyguarding. But your father asked for me specifically to be your bodyguard. When we travel, we will share a suite. We will each have a room and privacy. I will accompany you to all events and will remain invisible. Believe it or not, I can blend in. I will sign an NDA, so I cannot reveal anything you do or say, not even to your father. I ask that you keep a tracker on your person, which will only activate if you are missing. If you want to spend the night with someone, let me know where you'll be, and I'll monitor the perimeter from outside."
"We will have separate rooms, and I will not carry a tracker."
Ranger sighs. "No. Non-negotiable. I cannot protect you if I do not know where you are. If we have separate rooms, and someone breaks into your room, how will I know? How can I stop them? What if someone grabs you in the ladies' room? I can't follow you inside, nor do I want to. But I do need to find out quickly."
"You're telling me you are just as intrusive as the Secret Service."
Ranger doesn't look happy. He looks like he's trying to avoid rubbing his temples. "Stephanie, some psychopath out there wants to kidnap you, rape you repeatedly, and then kill you. These threats cannot be taken lightly. Do you have any idea what of turmoil the country will be in if someone manages to kidnap and kill the President's daughter?"
Steph starts to object, but then the severity of what she's facing starts to sink in. She has always been one to live in the land of Denial, and it seems like Steph has been given a one-way ticket back to reality. As much as she hates the idea of someone following her, she guesses it won't be so bad if that person is Ranger. He is good-looking, and she imagines he can blend in. Besides, he says it will only be him and one other person.
"Okay, fine, you win. However, if I feel this arrangement is not working, I have the right to fire you."
"If your father is okay with that caveat, that I am. I promise you, Stephanie, that you won't regret this arrangement."
They shake hands, and Steph signs the contract after reading it thoroughly. She sees Rangeman's fee and almost passes out. Daddy must be worried to be spending that much money on her protection.
"Stephanie, do you know any self-defense? Have you ever taken karate or another martial art? Have you ever fired a gun?"
She shudders, "No, I've never used a gun. I don't like them. I took karate for about two years as a kid, but mom made me quit since it was not a good activity for a lady."
Ranger shook his head. He didn't understand why so many people felt that martial arts were only for boys. In his opinion, it was much more important for women than men since women were more likely to be assaulted or preyed upon than men.
"I'd like to teach you some self-defense. That will enable you to fight off an assailant. You might not be able to get completely away, but you will be able to hold your own and, hopefully, cause enough of a commotion that someone comes to help you. I will also teach you how to get out of zip ties, ropes, and handcuffs. You will most likely never need those skills, but it is wise to teach them. I would also like you to become comfortable and proficient in using a gun. I know you don't like them, and I don't expect you to carry one, at least not initially, but if the threat becomes more serious, you may have to. I will also, with your permission, teach you how to use a knife. It's not as deadly as a gun but can incapacitate someone."
Stephanie knows she should be proficient in using a gun; she should carry it, but she hates them. She despises how easy it is to take someone's life with a gun. But, given the circumstances, Stephanie agrees to have Ranger train her. It could be the difference between her living and dying. Besides, no one says her gun must be loaded. As for the knife, she thinks that will suit her better. As far as self-defense, she is all for that.
"Fine. I wouldn't say I like the idea of having a gun, but I will learn how to use one. I would also like to learn self-defense."
"I promise you won't regret it."
"When does this little arrangement begin?"
"It already has."
"What? What do you mean it already has?"
"Your father asked me to start as soon as I signed the contract. I am officially your bodyguard. Now, let me see your schedule for the rest of today and this week. We'll have to stop at my office briefly so I can pack a bag, but that will only take about ten minutes. I also need to switch out my car."
Stephanie wanted to spend a quiet night alone in her apartment. She had a date with Herbie Horsecock and needed the release. But how was she supposed to get any type of sexual gratification of the solo variety with a man sleeping on her couch?
"Oh. I have no plans tonight. I was just going to sleep in my apartment and head to the airport tomorrow for my flight to Chicago."
"You have a couch, I presume?"
"Of course."
"Then I'll be sleeping there."
"Can't you stay outside my building? I'm sure I'm safe there."
Ranger shuffles through the pictures the President gave him, annoyed at his client's indifferent attitude. He shows her the image of her in her bed with a target over her heart.
"If the person who took this can get close enough to take this picture, they can enter your apartment. You are not safe there."
Stephanie couldn't believe she never saw that picture before. What else has her father been hiding from her? Now she can understand why he is so insistent that she has a bodyguard.
"Can I see the rest of the pictures?"
"Why?"
"I've realized that I have not seen all the threats and hate being kept in the dark."
Ranger sends a silent curse up to the heavens. Why the fuck didn't the President disclose all threats to his daughter? He hated being the one to give the bad news. He hesitates, not sure if it is the right move.
"If you want my cooperation and for me to trust you, you must be upfront and honest with me. Nothing gets me more pissed off than having people hide things from me."
Ranger reluctantly hands the file over, hoping that his client doesn't dissolve into tears. Anger is an emotion he can handle; throwing things, punching things, that reaction he knows well. But tears, even though he has four sisters, an ex-wife, and a daughter, he's never been good at comfort. He watches as Stephanie looks at the pictures and reads the letters, seeing her shiver and, finally, fear settling in.
"Okay, I'll cooperate with you under one condition."
Ranger was afraid to ask about her condition but knew he must. "What's that, Babe?" He internally grimaced as he let out that term of endearment. Where the fuck did that come from?
"I don't want to stay at my apartment. Do you have someplace we can stay tonight?" Stephanie felt uneasy about some crazy person knowing where she lived. Though she felt more comfortable having Ranger watching her, she still knew that her fire escape was outside her bedroom window, which scared her. She watched one too many episodes of police procedurals to know that a fire escape was an excellent way for a suspect to enter or exit a building unseen.
Ranger thought for a moment. While Rangeman had a few safe houses around Trenton, he would need a larger team to secure her. He thought about his building, internally cursing that he had no available apartments. He could stick her with Ella and Luis, but Ranger felt she would avoid intruding on them. There was only one other solution.
"You can stay with me in my apartment. I only have one bedroom, but I will take the couch, and you can have my bed. Based on your itinerary, we will need to be out the door by oh nine hundred to be at the airport on time," said Ranger. No woman has ever been in his apartment, in any city, outside the Rangeman housekeeper and his family. He didn't know why he was inviting Stephanie in, but somehow, he felt he could trust her in his private space.
"Oh, that won't be an inconvenience for you?"
"No, on such short notice, it's the safest place I can think of. If we return to Trenton in the future, I can have a safe house set up for you."
Stephanie felt grateful for this man standing before her. She already felt safe in his presence. Something about him kept her calm and centered, and she hoped they would eventually become friends.
"I have one more question for you," Stephanie said.
"What's that?"
"What is your name, not your nickname, but your name? I have no problems calling you whatever name you prefer, but I'd like to know who you are."
Ranger didn't respond right away. He wasn't used to someone asking him what his given name was. Everyone would go along with Ranger, so he didn't know how to react. However, he saw the smile on Steph's face start to falter, and he quickly said, "Ricardo Carlos Manoso, though my family calls me Carlos."
The smile that Stephanie has him upon hearing his name made his heart feel lighter. "What do you prefer I use?"
"Around others, Ranger. But, when it's the two of us, Carlos is fine."
Whoa, wait, Carlos is fine? Since when? Ranger was surprised by his response. No one outside his immediate family calls him Carlos, not even his cousin Lester. Ranger knew then bodyguarding Ms. Plum would challenge him on multiple levels.
"When do we leave? I must stop at my apartment to pack for the trip."
"We can leave whenever you're ready. How did you get here?"
"The Secret Service. My car is in D. C., and Dad didn't want me to get an Uber."
"Do you have a lot to take? My car can handle up to two bags. Any more, and I'll have to get a different vehicle."
"Oh, I think one bag would be enough. I've learned to travel light since I've been on the road so often."
"Great. Whenever you're ready."
"Let me say goodbye to Dad before I go."
Ranger nodded his approval and followed her to the patio, where the President, Juniak, and Morelli enjoyed a cigar. Ranger can tell they are not Cubans and makes a mental note to give a few to the President.
"Is everything all set, Pumpkin?"
"Yes, but I'm not happy. However, for you, I'll accept Ranger's services."
Frank Plum was pleased. He noticed how already Manoso was looking around, checking for threats. He saw the disapproving look Manoso sent to Morelli and had to stop himself from smiling.
"Ranger, I hope she doesn't cause you too much trouble, but do what you need to keep her in line. Stun her or handcuff her if you must. It's not like Stephanie to acquiesce so easily."
Ranger nodded. He wasn't above using handcuffs to keep her in line, but he preferred to use them with consent. Down boy. "I think Ms. Plum and I have an agreement that we can both live with."
"Pumpkin, please don't give Ranger a hard time. I don't want to lose you."
Stephanie finally understood how worried her father was. She would behave as long as Ranger kept his word to keep her confidence. "Okay, Daddy. Worry about Mom. I got the reelection."
Stephanie kissed her father on the cheek before doing the same to Juniak. She ignored Morelli. "Ranger, I'm ready to blow this taco stand. Oh, maybe we can get tacos for dinner?"
"Sure, no problem." Ranger turned to President Plum, "Sir, you have my number if you need me." He saluted the President and escorted Stephanie out of the house with his hand on her lower back.
Ranger's hand position did not escape the notice of the three men left behind. 'Interesting,' the President thought. Maybe Ranger could be the man to win Stephanie's heart. After all, he had learned about him; he knew that Ranger was honorable and respectful. But did he carry too many demons? Lord knows the President had his fair share of nightmares from his stint as a mercenary. But Stephanie helped to heal his soul, and maybe she could heal Ranger's too.
Juniak was hopeful that being around Ranger and his men would make Stephanie forget about Morelli. He hated that Morelli had no respect for Stephanie's wants and desires. He wanted a housewife like Valerie, but Stephanie was not that woman. Maybe he can finally convince the President to remove Morelli from First Family duty.
Morelli was ready to spit nails. How dare the Cuban mercenary put his hand on his Cupcake. Stephanie Plum was his woman, and he would ensure Ranger knew she was off limits. He heard of Ranger's reputation. He's a gigolo. When he gave Frank Rangeman's information, he didn't think they would be hired. He believed Frank would look into them and force Steph to take an SS detail, but it backfired. Now, he needs to stay close to Frank so that he can keep an eye on Stephanie.
When Stephanie and Ranger reached the front of the house, she was looking for Ranger's car. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that the Porsche was Rangers. "You have a Porsche!"
"Yeah, two."
"Oh, my God! I've always wanted to drive a Porsche."
Ranger hated to be a passenger. He needed to have control at all times. However, he found himself holding the keys to the curly-haired, blue-eyed woman standing beside him, gushing over his car.
"No, you can't be serious. You'd let me drive this car? What if I wreck it?"
"It's only a car. I can get another one."
"No, no. I can't. Maybe another time, but not now."
"You sure, Babe?" Ranger said, grimacing again at the use of a pet name.
"Yes, I'm sure."
Ranger walked over to the passenger door and opened it for Stephanie. He waited until she got in, then closed the door. When he sat down on his side, she was all buckled in. He placed the key in the ignition and took off for Trenton.
