Chapter 5

"Mahoney's numbers are rising among young Hispanic voters between 18 and 30. That was a group we had solid last time. We need to figure out what we're doing wrong." Michael Epstein said. Michael was one of the best statisticians and political strategists. He's been with the President since his days as Trenton's Mayor and can read the public well.

"I think it's the gang issue. Too many local politicians are blaming their crime on the gangs, and I'm not sure that is accurate," said Jim Basset, one of my spin doctors.

Frank rubs his temples. He needs to pass this information along to Stephanie. After Chicago, she's going to Los Angeles and then Miami. She'll need to adjust their message in those cities.

"Mr. President, Sir, we have a secure call for you," said Agent Morelli.

A secure call? From whom? The President never gets calls while on Air Force One flying back from Jersey. Usually, his team drives back to DC, but they need to attend a party fundraiser this evening, and time is of the essence.

Frank puts out his hand for the phone. Morelli hands it to him. "Is she okay?"

There is a pause, and everyone thinks the call is about the First Lady. Then Frank begins to talk again. "No, let Rangeman handle the investigation. You are to cooperate with them. I have given you three months to figure out who is after my daughter, and you have failed. It's time to let someone else have a go. I'll talk to you when we land."

"Mr. President, Frank," Juniak tentatively says.

"Ranger and Stephanie stopped at her apartment so she could pack for her trip. When they arrived, Ranger opened her door, and there was a small bomb. It didn't cause any damage outside her apartment, and she was shaken. She might have broken her wrist when Ranger knocked her out of the way, but otherwise, she is unhurt."

Morelli is livid. Stephanie has been under Ranger's protection for less than an hour and is already injured. What the fuck! The Secret Service should be watching her back, not civilians. "You still think Ranger's a better bodyguard?" Joe said.

"Yes, Agent Morelli, I do. My daughter is alive and relatively unharmed, thanks to that man. Had he not pushed her out of the way, she would have been more injured, if not dead. I need to remind you of your position, Morelli, and that is a rank and file Agent. You do not have the authority to question me. I think I gave you too much latitude, but that stops now. I am your boss, not the other way around. If you keep questioning my judgment and decisions, I will fire you. And no, I'm not worried about what dear Bella has to say. She can curse me to Jupiter and back for all I care. Start acting like a professional Secret Service Agent, or I will fire your ass. Agent Wilson, can you please ensure that Agent Morelli does not leave your room until we land and have someone escort him to the Speaker's Office to begin his new detail."

"Yes, Sir, Mr. President," Agent Wilson responded. Wilson is the lead Agent on First Family duty. He is a former SEAL. He has integrity and valor. He has also adamantly opposed Morelli serving the President and his family. He is glad that the President finally listened to him and reassigned Morelli.

Wilson escorts Morelli to the security "room," where two other Agents are playing cards. "Morelli, I have told you repeatedly that your job is to be invisible. You are not to have a relationship with your detail. Yes, it would be best if you were friendly and respectful, but you should never question their decisions. You are far too opinionated for your good. When you start with the Speaker, I recommend that you remember your place and ensure they are safe. Understand?"

"Yes, Sir," Morelli says, angry. Wilson had it in for him since day one. He hates that Morelli and the President's family know each other. Morelli decides to keep his head down and lay low for a month or two. In the meantime, when Ranger and his company fail to keep Steph safe, as they already showed they are incompetent, Morelli will be ready to resume his place with the First Family.

Ranger and Stephanie cough as the smoke begins to clear. Ranger doesn't remove himself from being on top of Stephanie.

Stephanie gets a good whiff of Ranger's cologne. She's not sure what it is, but it smells heavenly. It suits him, as it is masculine and sexy at the same time.

"Stephanie, Babe, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think so. My wrist hurts a little, and I'm having trouble breathing."

Ranger begins to look her over, not seeing any blood. "Were you hit with something?"

"No, you're on top of me."

Ranger released that he was putting most of his body weight on her torso and immediately lifted himself. He placed one hand on her head and the other around her waist to minimize the impact on her from the fall that he wasn't supporting his body weight.

"Sorry," he said. "Aside from your wrist, any injuries?"

"No, I'm fine. What about you? Are you okay?"

Ranger has never had a client ask if he was okay after an incident. Stephanie Plum kept surprising him. She was unlike anyone he'd ever met before. "I'm fine. One of the perks of being a black belt in several different forms of martial arts is that I know how to fall."

"I see why you eat healthily. It makes sense."

"Ranger, are you okay?" they hear a voice call out.

"Yes, Tank, we're fine."

Stephanie's eyes open wide as she sees a large man approach them. He must be 6'6", 220 lbs of solid muscle. He was dark as night with a shaved head but had kind eyes. Even though he looked scary on the outside, Stephanie could tell he was a gentle giant as long as you were a good person. She understood why he was called Tank.

He saw his boss on top of a woman and recognized that woman as the President's daughter. Shit. He reached out his hand to help Ranger and then helped Ms. Plum.

"Stephanie Plum, this is Tank, my right hand."

"Pleasure to meet you," Stephanie said as she held her right hand out of Tank to shake. Even though Tank was massive, Stephanie wasn't scared of him.

"What happened?" asked Tank.

Ranger sighed. He didn't expect anything to happen. "I had Steph's keys and unlocked her door. As I cracked the door open, I heard a beep and got us out of the way. We hit the deck as the bomb went off."

Ranger took this moment to look Stephanie over. As his eyes raked over her body, looking for signs of injury, he took notice of her slender waist, proportional breasts that appeared to be a B, possibly a small C cup, and her cute, sexy ass. Her hair, contained in a ponytail, was now a little messy. Satisfied that she was okay, aside from her wrist, Ranger turned his attention to her apartment. He saw that the damage seemed limited to the living room, but he didn't want to risk going inside.

"Steph, is there anything essential in your apartment that you need? If not, we can forgo packing and run to the store in the morning. We are not flying commercially. Instead, we will use the Rangeman Jet."

As much as Stephanie wanted to get her hair supplies and makeup, she didn't want to go into her apartment. Whatever that was spooked her enough. "No, I can make do without. You think there are more?"

"I'm not sure, but I don't want to take a chance. My team will collect evidence and check your apartment. If everything is clear, I can ask Ella, my housekeeper, to come here, gather whatever you may need, and ship it to our next stop."

"Do we need to stay until the police come?" Stephanie asked as her body started to tremble. She closed her eyes, trying to regain her composure, but it was too much for her.

Ranger recognized the signs of an adrenaline crash and removed his jacket. He put it on Stephanie and wrapped his arms around her. "You're fine; we are okay. Nothing happened that can't be fixed. I promise to protect you and keep you safe."

Tank glanced at his boss and best friend when he heard Ranger's words. He had to shake his head to see if he was seeing things. Since when did Ranger give his jacket to a woman? Why was he comforting her like that? That wasn't his way of doing things. Fuck, thought Tank; Ranger seems to have something for the President's daughter. There is no way this will work out.

"No, Steph, we don't have to stay. Tank will give them our statement, and if they need to question you, they can come to Rangeman. Let's go. We'll eat those tacos you want, and maybe, I'll get you cake."

Stephanie's eyes lit up with the prospect of cake. "Great, then what are we waiting for? I'm starving!" Stephanie said as her stomach growled. Her face turned bright red in response.

"Don't worry, it's that time anyway," Ranger said, chuckling. "Did you make the call?"

"Yes, I did. We are clear to proceed."

Ranger nodded at Tank, and they performed a complicated handshake before escorting Stephanie down the stairs and out of the building, once again with his hand on her lower back.

Lester saw his boss and cousin exit the building holding onto the President's daughter. Lester saw her on television often but wasn't prepared for how beautiful she was. Her pale skin and unruly, curly hair were such contrasts that they made her stand out. He wanted to get to know her better but felt he might be too late based on his cousin's behavior.

"Is the car clear?"

"We think so, but Hector suggests you take the Cayenne just in case."

"Lester, this is Stephanie Plum. Steph, this is my cousin and CFO of Rangeman, Lester Santos. He can be rude, crude, and chauvinistic and times, but he does have a good heart."

"Hey! Don't prejudice her against me, cuz. Where's the love?" Lester asked dramatically. Lester was confused when Ranger introduced him as his cousin. Ranger never gave that information away. He was a private man and didn't like outsiders knowing too much about him. Strange.

"Are you going to a safe house?" Bobby asked.

Stephanie took her time to look at Lester and Bobby. Lester has a slightly tan look, with light brown hair and blonde tips. He was a little taller than Ranger and muscular as well. His green eyes did little to mask his mischievous side. The other man was mixed race, maybe Black and Latino. He was a little darker than Ranger but not as dark as Tank. He appeared to be the least muscular of the group, but that wasn't saying much. His hair was styled in braids.

"No, she's staying with me. Brown, check her wrist. She said it hurt her. I think we landed on it. "Oh, Steph, this is Robert Brown, our company medic.".

"Hi, Steph. Please call me Bobby. Let me see your arm. Please tell me if I hurt you during my exam."

Stephanie holds out her arm as Bobby examines it. She doesn't complain as he manipulates it. "I think it's just sprained. I can take an x-ray at Rangeman to make sure. For now, though, I will wrap it with an ace bandage as a precaution."

Stephanie nodded, and a few minutes later, her wrist was wrapped and felt better.

"Here's an ice pack. Keep it on for the next twenty minutes. It will help to reduce the swelling."

Stephanie was grateful that her wrist wasn't broken. That would make her grueling schedule more challenging to navigate, especially not being able to carry her briefcase or portfolio. The ice felt good, and she was ready to eat.

Seeing that her wrist was wrapped and hearing the sirens getting closer, Ranger guided Stephanie to his Cayenne.

"Holy shit, he does have two Porches," said Stephanie under her breath. Ranger had to hide a chuckle, knowing she didn't mean to say that aloud. He helped her into the car and then buckled her seat belt. His breath was close to her face as she got another whiff of his unique scent. She felt her body reacting in a way that was not professional or proper. Stephanie couldn't help but think about what it could be like to have Ranger on top of her naked. He quickly closed the door and walked to his side as Stephanie pushed those thoughts of her and Ranger out of her head.

"Where to now, Carlos?"

"Rangeman. We need to get you out of the open. Don't worry; we'll have tacos there. My aunt and company mom, Ella, will prepare them for us."

"You're aunt works for you? What do you mean by "company mom"?"

Ranger couldn't get over how inquisitive Stephanie was. He never had someone ask him so many questions. Most people would accept what he told them.

"Ella and her husband work for me. She is a very close family friend, not my aunt by blood. Luis was a contractor but had a stroke about ten years ago when he was 40. He was not able to do that work any longer as a result. In her younger years, Ella worked as a maid for a fancy hotel and, more recently, as a chef at a large catering venue. When I opened my first Rangeman office, I realized that I needed someone to help take care of the building, the physical building, that is. I hired a handyman. Since most of my employees are military men or retired military, they often don't have roots set down anywhere. So, I offer them an apartment in my building. They are either studio, one-bedroom, or two bedrooms apartments. While we all keep a tidy residence, we are not good at cleaning bathrooms and kitchens. In addition, some of the men do not have excellent cooking skills. So, I hired a woman to clean the apartments weekly and cook meals daily.

"Miami, my first office, is the only one where I have two unrelated people doing the job. In Atlanta, Boston, and here, I have a couple. Ella and Luis struggled to make ends meet, and I offered them the position here. Their son died in a car accident when he was sixteen, and they were alone. Working and living at Rangeman has been good for them. They think of my employees as their children, and we think of them as our surrogate parents. Ella is a great chef who cooks many healthy meals and healthier desserts. She tends to spoil Lester and me since she's known us our entire lives. Luis maintains the building, with minor repairs necessary, and hires experts when needed. Together, they help keep Rangeman running."

Stephanie was impressed with the man sitting next to her. He had a good heart and a kind spirit. Yes, he could be deadly, but deep down, he was a protector by nature. As Ranger pulled into the Rangeman garage, he realized he was calm and relaxed, not anxious and on edge as usual after an incident. Typically, he would need to go to the gym to work off some of his aggression and energy, but not tonight. What was it about his woman that calmed his soul? It was as if all the bad in the world was gone when she was near him.

"Stephanie, I've never had a woman in my apartment besides my immediate family and Ella. All public access areas of my building are monitored live 24/7. The men will see you enter my apartment. They will speculate on why you are there and what we are doing. Once we brief them, some of the speculations will stop, but they will always be there. I can have Ella get you some toiletries you need for tonight, and she and wash your clothes for the morning if you need her to."

Stephanie thought about what she had said. If the guys were like the ones she met, she wasn't concerned about them hassling her. She learned from her father that those who were military tend not to be gossipers like the Burg. Stephanie hates being followed because everything she did was always broadcasted through the BNN, the Burg News Network of women gossipers.

"I understand. It's fine," Stephanie said.

They exited the vehicle while Ranger escorted her to the elevator, his hand again on her lower back. He hit two buttons on his key fob. "One scrambles the camera, and the other will send the elevator straight to the 7th floor where my apartment is," Ranger explained.

When the doors opened, Ranger guided Stephanie to his door and opened it. He placed his keys, wallet, and weapons on the entrance table and removed his shoes. Stephanie followed suit. Ranger showed Stephanie his living room, dining room, kitchen, office, bedroom, and bathroom. Stephanie's jaw dropped open when she saw his large, luxurious bathroom. "I might never leave."

Ranger could help the laugh that escaped. "Like the bathroom, Babe?"

Stephanie blushed a deep crimson. "Yeah, my bathroom is brown and orange from the 1970s. I barely have enough hot water on most days. The only reason I keep that apartment is that I'm rarely here. It's a place for me to have privacy in Trenton. When in DC, I stay in the White House. When I lived in New York City, I had a nice bathroom, but it wasn't quite as nice as yours."

Stephanie eyed his bed as they walked through Ranger's bedroom back to the living quarters. When she saw the size of his couch, she frowned. "Carlos, I'll sleep on the couch. I'm grateful for your hospitality and don't want to take your bed from you."

"It's not a problem. I can sleep anywhere."

"I won't be able to, however. It's fine. I don't mind."

At that moment, there was a knock on the door before it opened, and a cheerful, middle-aged Hispanic woman entered the apartment, followed by an enticing aroma of Mexican food.