Chapter 26

Ranger

There were three of us stationed at the door, waiting, ready, and listening intently to Steph's dialogue through the comms for a clue of when she'd be exiting the club with the skip. Strictly speaking, two men was standard for this kind of operation, but there was no way I could fathom being any further away. The second she was past the threshold, I wanted her in my arms, and I was absolutely never consenting to her being in the field again. The stress alone was likely to kill me before the night was through.

I found it difficult to focus on anything but her voice in my ear, despite the fact that I should be paying attention to the updates periodically coming through from the guys stationed at the back exit and inside the club. I was analysing her words, her tone, the pitch and pace of her speech, anything that might indicate distress. One small quaver, a tiny inkling of fear and I would burst through that door, weapons drawn and teach the skip a lesson, relationship with the club owner be damned. But so far she seemed to be holding steady.

I was proud of her courage and determination in taking on this new challenge, but right now all I wanted was for her to be pressed tightly against me, enveloped entirely in the safety of my arms. The fact that she was now facing a man known for abusing unsuspecting women instead of finishing out our first date had me frustrated as hell, and Lester's running commentary on what was happening inside wasn't helping.

"How come she can flirt outrageously with this creep that is definitely imagining what it will feel like when his fist collides with her abdomen, but whenever I bring up sex she blushes red as a tomato?" he asked, sounding genuinely curious, like he wasn't at all worried about the prospects of my fist colliding with his abdomen.

"Why are you asking my girlfriend about sex?" I demanded, unable to keep my sudden anger in its cage with everything else that was eating at me.

"Calm down, Primo. It's not like I'm propositioning her. We're friends, and sometimes sex comes up in conversation and I get curious. No big deal. Besides, she's only been your girlfriend for five days, and I've been watching that adorable blush bloom for over a year now."

"Maybe don't poke the bear tonight, Santos," Tank suggested, though I couldn't see him, since he was stationed at the back exit, I could hear the amusement in his voice. Probably, if he decided to continue, Tank'd be front row centre to watch me take my cousin to the mats. It wouldn't be the first time.

"Oop," Bobby cut in on Steph's latest bout of flirting. Should I be worried about how genuine she is with me if she can be so natural with this man who only wants to cause her harm? "They're on the move," he relayed. "I missed what Nguyen was saying because of all the chatter clogging the airwaves."

"That is not the direction of the exit," Santos added. "Are they headed out the back?"

"Dance floor," Bobby said. "I guess he's not quite ready to take her out yet."

"Dance floor's not ideal," I bit out. My jaw was clenched so hard I worried my molars would crack under the pressure. It was bad enough letting her go into the club at all knowing that I had four men inside keeping an eye on her. Then there was the excruciating task of standing here on the outside, listening to her make suggestive comments while she should have been in my bed. And now I had to imagine her dancing with this perverted bastard? Picture his hands on her, her body pressed up against his. Not to mention everything that could go wrong under the cover of all those writhing bodies that surrounded them.

I had to suppress the growl that tried to claw its way up my throat. She was mine, but because I was an idiot and decided I needed to prove to her that I was serious and chivalrous, we'd delayed having sex until we'd been on our first official date. And because I knew that I wouldn't be able to contain myself, I'd decided that waiting until the end of the work week would be best.

If I'd acted on what we'd both wanted after family dinner on Sunday, we might not have been on a date when Bobby called, which means she wouldn't have been listening to the meeting on speaker while I drove her home. She wouldn't have had the opportunity to volunteer to lure the skip out of the club, because she wouldn't have been aware of the situation, delicate as it was with how FUBAR the last operation we'd pulled at this particular club had been. Instead, she'd be safe and secure in her apartment. Or better yet, mine.

"If she sticks to the perimeter it should be fine," Tank said through the comms, and I appreciated his efforts to keep me in check with his level head.

Until Lester's reply came a second later, sounding like he was already on the move. "Shit. That is not the perimeter."

"Don't lose visual!" I barked.

"Relax, Primo," he said. "I got you." And then his voice dropped low, the familiar pitch and tone I'd heard him use on women a thousand times over the years. "Hey, Sexy. I like the way you swing your hips. Care to teach me?"

His trademark smoulder filled my mind's eye and I had to remind myself that this was Lester's MO in any undercover operation. His inherent charm had won him a lot of privileges that he used to his advantage. But at the same time, I didn't have the patience to listen to him sweet talking some floozy while my Babe was in danger.

"Report!"

"Santos is- oh wow," Benny said. "He's ah- dancing?... with a lady, sir… and, um… woah, I don't think I can explain what he's doing even if I wanted to… I… She…"

"Les is using the woman as cover to maintain proximity and visual contact," Bobby explained flatly. Was I hearing a familiar tension in his tone? How often had Brown given that exact report in that exact tone over the years before he and my cousin had gotten together? Seemed I was not longer the only one suffering as their significant other faked affection for another tonight.

Agonising minutes passed as we listened to both Steph and Lester leading their marks over the thumping music before I heard a comment that was like a ray of hope in this shit show.

"I need a break," Steph practically moaned, causing my pants to tighten despite myself. "Join me outside for some fresh air?"

"Gotta go," Les said to his woman over the sound of her protests as I imagined he disentangled himself from her. "Just saw my ex. Don't really fancy having a stiletto stabbed into my thigh again. This has been fun, though."

"She's leading him to the door," Bobby reported. "Exiting in five… four… three... two…"

In the next instant, the door we were guarding opened, and Steph stepped out, followed immediately by the unsuspecting skip. He was practically glued to her back, they were so close. The second he saw us all standing there, he seized Steph to him. One arm snaked around her waist, the other, her throat.

Fuck. Not good.

Before any of us could react, though, Steph was in motion, making good use of the fact that her limbs were free to move by stamping one heeled foot down on Nguyen's instep as she disengaged his arms and hauled him over her shoulder, slamming him into the ground.

We all stood there in shock for a second, staring at the skips prone form sprawled on the pavement until Steph's panicked, "Shit," broke us out of our collective stupor. Cal and Mikhail surged forward, rolling the guy over and slapping handcuffs on him with little to no resistance. And I approached Steph with caution, knowing she would still be on high alert and not wanting to receive the same treatment if I startled her.

"Shit, shit, shit," she was muttering as I closed the distance between us, her eyes wild as she watched the guys haul Nguyen to his feet. "What did I do? What's mom gonna say? I'm not gonna get pineapple upsidedown cake for-"

"Babe," I said, drawing her attention to me with a snapping head turn. I held up my hands placatingly. "You're okay," I said soothingly. "You're safe. Everything is going to be okay."

"Carlos," she breathed. And then her arms were around me, her face buried in my chest, her riotous curls tickling my nose.

I didn't hesitate to wrap my arms protectively around her, bundling her closer still as Lester and Bobby exited the club and took in the scene. I locked eyes with my cousin, even as I pressed my lips to the top of her head, murmuring reassurances against her curls, as her body began to shake from the adrenaline let down.

Bobby called out to Cal and Mikail to see if they needed help, but were waved off as Tank and Brutus arrived from around the side of the building. The skip was swiftly thrown into the back of the nearest SUV, Cal taking the wheel with Mikail as shotgun and Hector and Brutus pulling out behind them in the second SUV. As Bobby and Lester approached me and Steph, Tank met Benny and Bret at the door to the club and must have sent them on their way as well because they continued on to a third SUV.

"You okay, Beautiful?" Les asked when he reached my side. There was concern in his eyes as he looked from me to my woman and I was reminded of what good friends Steph had made of my cousin and his fiance while I'd had my head up my ass. I may have an overwhelming need to protect her based on the emotions I'd only recently allowed myself to start feeling, but Lester had been the one to save her from the cold the night she'd discovered her ex cheating on her while she was in the apartment they shared. He and Bobby were the ones who had given her a place to stay while she sorted out her life, had befriended her, and started teaching her self-defence. I owed them for the instinctual moves she'd pulled to defend herself just now.

They were heavily invested in her wellbeing, but just like the stray animals Lester had brought home in our childhood, I'd grown attached. I was the reason Papa had been saddled with the animals year after year. Because I couldn't stand to see them go.

"Babe?" I murmured, leaning back and lifting her chin so I could see her face.

"I'm okay," she assured me, taking a deep breath, but her teeth clacked together causing her to grimace. "I can't stop shaking."

"It's the adrenaline," Bobby explained. "Now that you're out of danger, it's draining."

"I should get you home before you crash," I added, removing my jacket and wrapping it around her shoulders. The fact that it swallowed her up and fell past the hiked-up hem of her little black dress did not escape my notice, but I ignored the surge of desire that swept through me. Steph's comfort was more important than anything my dick wanted right now.

She nodded, dragging the lapels a little closer together. "I need a shower," she announced. "I can still feel his hands on me. It's like cooties."

Lester snorted at the description, but wisely chose not to comment, instead offering, "Want Bobby and I to do a donut delivery for you? Boston Cremes help every situation, right?"

This pulled a small smile from Steph and she nodded, reaching one hand out of the jacket to squeeze his briefly before it disappeared again. "Thanks, Les."

"My pleasure," he replied, dropping an arm over her shoulders and pressing his lips to her hairline. "You were amazing tonight."

*o*

I sat in the chair in the corner of Steph's bedroom, staring at the door to the bathroom and trying not to worry. She'd been in the bathroom since we arrived back at her apartment an hour ago, and the water had finally shut off ten minutes ago, but she had yet to emerge. I knew from growing up with three sisters that long showers weren't unheard of, nor was taking excess time in the bathroom post shower, but even by teenage girl standards, this seemed excessive.

I wanted to call out to her, to ask if she was all right, but I also didn't want to pressure her if she wasn't ready yet. My own post-mission routine of shutting myself off from the world for a day or two informed me that it was best to let her come out on her own. The best I could do was be here for her when she was ready.

Just as I thought it, steam billowed into the room as the bathroom door opened and Steph stepped out. She wore only the t-shirt I'd left behind when I'd slept over earlier in the week, and possibly panties, but I couldn't tell with how long the shirt was on her. Her hair was wrapped up turban style and she was looking decidedly pinker than she had been before entering the bathroom earlier. Was the colour from the apparent high temperature of the water, or had she scrubbed her skin raw to get rid of the cooties she'd reported at the club?

"Feel better?" I asked, reaching for the bag of donuts Lester had delivered as promised and holding it out to her.

"Much." She took the bag and reached inside, pulling out a Boston Creme and taking a large, unladylike bite that left a smear of chocolate on her cheek.

I thought she might take the donuts to the kitchen or living room to eat, but instead she shocked me by padding closer until she stood between my legs and lowered herself onto one of them. She leaned against my chest, and I scooped her legs up so that they hung over my side of the chair, adjusting her position and mine so that we were both comfortable before settling one arm behind her back, holding her to me, the other hand on her bare thigh, tracing little patterns on her skin.

"How do you feel about what happened tonight?" I asked quietly while she continued to work her way through the half dozen donuts.

"I'm glad that I could help," she said firmly. "You, Lester and Bobby have done so much for me that it felt good to be able to do something in return. I hope the way things panned out is able to save Rangeman's relationship with the club owner."

"Babe," I intoned, pulling her a little tighter against me. "You do so much for us already." The look she gave me as she attempted to chew a too-large mouthful said that I needed to explain myself, so I did. "The Trenton office has never been so organised. You-"

"That's my job, Carlos!" she spat (literally, little bits of donut flew out of her mouth, landing on my pants). "I meant in a friend capacity. This was something I could offer, that I wasn't being paid to do, that made your lives a little easier."

"Oh, you'll be getting paid for it," I countered. "And don't even try to argue with me about it. You assisted on an operation for the company, your time will be paid, along with a percentage of hazard pay for being in such a dangerous situation."

Her eyes narrowed. "Do the guys get hazard pay when they go after skips?"

I knew where this was heading and there was no way I was going to let her win. "No," I said. "But their job descriptions include the kind of work they were doing tonight and that they do in the field on a daily basis. As office manager, yours does not. Therefore, you will be paid, and if you have a problem with it, you can take it up with HR."

She laughed at the suggestion of sparring with Tank for an HR hearing, but the tension that had pulled her muscles tight the second I suggested she be monetarily compensated eased. "Okay," she acquiesced. "You win, but I'm still glad I could do this for you."

The donuts were gone now, and I laid a hand on the side of her face, urging her closer so I could kiss her. She tasted of sugar and cream, which weren't usually my thing, but I'd found with Steph it didn't really matter. I wanted more of her, however I could get her. Our lips parted briefly, lingering so close they were still brushing against each other when I murmured, "Hearing you flirting with another man was driving me mad."

"My friend used to flirt shamelessly with anyone and everyone to score free drinks when we were in college," she murmured back, her eyes roving over what she could see of my face this close up, a burning hunger in their gleam. "I'd tried once or twice, but could never really get over the fact that I wasn't actually attracted to them and was just using them for my own intoxication." She kissed me again for long moments, sweeping her tongue in and moaning against me. "Tonight, though, I wasn't doing it for me. I was doing it to save countless women's lives, so I channelled Mare and gave it my all." Another kiss, this one more on the corner of my mouth as she shifted so she was straddling my lap. "I had to suppress a shudder every time he took the bait."

"I'm gonna make sure you forget his touch," I informed her, grasping her ass and surging to my feet. "You'll forget every man that came before me." I laid her gently on the bed, the t-shirt she wore riding up over her stomach to reveal the lace panties she had on underneath and it was all I could do to contain myself, to keep from ripping the scraps of fabric from her body and plunging deep inside her. "I'm going to ruin you for all other men," I said instead, nudging her knees apart and crawling up the bed to join her.