Chapter 29

I suppose you could say that things went back to normal. Jonas was more careful with any jobs that he took, apparently, he conferred with our new support partner, though who that was, was still a mystery. Jobs came in that we managed all by ourselves without anyone interfering.

A pharmacist who was passing customers placebo drugs while selling the real stuff. A gang who were stealing cars to order. That was fun because I got to be the owner of a brand new Lamborghini for a whole week until we caught someone trying to steal it. A group of teenagers, who knew that they had been the result of IUI, or artificial insemination. They didn't know each other and had sent off to some internet site that provided information on their genealogy. Only they discovered that they had thirty half siblings scattered over the city. Turns out that the medical director for where the mothers went to was the one who had donated the sperm, for all of them.

I suppose after that fateful meeting with Ranger and our impromptu sex at Calvert's house my annoyance with him waned. Don't get me wrong, I was really pissed with how he had acted, but as time went by I began to see that I wasn't as innocent as I'd have liked to have thought. Hadn't that always been the way with Ranger? Passionate interludes that I had gladly accepted with the knowledge that he would never change his stance on a relationship. I suppose that he had never lied to me it was me who was trying to find something that just wasn't there. In some ways I had a better understanding of his reasons. A man who would be expected to do anything for the good of the mission even if that meant sleeping with the enemy. I knew that he wasn't celibate, hell a man with his skills had to have honed his techniques with multiple partners over the years while I had blatantly had a relationship with Joe. So I told myself that if that unhealthy relationship with Ranger was to end then it would have to me that took the lead. Yeah, not an easy decision to make but as the saying went, time heals, which was what I was hoping for.

Six weeks later I was coming to the end of a totally different type of job. I'd been assigned to chaperone the daughter of a very wealthy Arab while she scoured Boston for a wedding dress with some sight seeing in between. I hadn't been sure what the risks would be by doing that and neither did I know Boston that well. I'd been mortified when Jason had told me that he was going to have someone advise me on what to do. So imagine my surprise when Detective Bushby had walked into our office. Seriously, she was our support system.

Making sure that Jamila was safely on board her long haul flight was tinged with a little relief and a little sadness. Detective Bushby, who I now called Emma, had given me a lot of advice on where to take Jamila. Weddings dresses, oh wow. There had been so many to choose from and of course we had only visited the most exclusive places. Fortunately, she found "the one" early on in the week which allowed us time to explore Boston.

As I stood and waved goodbye to Jamila I decided that I liked living and working in Boston. It had been the right move for me. A good job with variety and slowly I was making new friends. I spoke to Charlie regularly now which meant that I had kept my ties through Les to the Rangemen that I'd known. I'd met up with Lisa and Josie and helped them to move into a new apartment and of course Heidi was always calling in. I eventually got back into a routine for talking to Joe and discovered that things were good between him and Mariamme. Life in Trenton, well according to him, it was the same old same. When I could, I joined in with a group chat with some of the other women that I'd been with in that truck, but slowly they were moving on with their lives. The one thing that still disappointed me was that I had never heard from Ranger after our time spent together. As the weeks had passed, I suppose that I was eventually coping with that thought. Most of the time, well okay sometimes. Calvert had been arrested with multiple charges against him, from kidnapping, enslavement and trafficking babies and women. He would never see the outside of a prison cell which brought some closure, not only for me but for a lot of the women.

Sighing I turned to go back to the car that I'd been driving with Jamila. It was a rental car, a very expensive one, and it would make me feel a whole lot happier once it was returned. I'd parked it in the central parking area, an easy walk from terminal E over the pedestrian bridge accessed from level 4. I had the keys in my hand as I walked to where I had parked the car. Oh, came from me when I looked at the space that I was sure I had parked it in. I looked around thinking that maybe I'd mistaken the row and number that I was looking for. I mean who lost a dark grey Infiniti QX80. Come on, even I wasn't capable of doing that, was I. Okay, go back to the entrance of the garage, check the ticket and start again.

I did that and ended up walking right back to where I'd looked before but this time, I did a double take. Instead of seeing my missing rental car I was seeing Ranger leant back against the wall. Okay I stared. He was wearing a black suit that fitted him to perfection with a black shirt underneath. His hands were in his trouser pockets and his legs were crossed at his ankle. As I approached and looked at his face, he was looking right back at me. Not again. A myriad of emotions went through me. From elation to I suppose nervousness. I wasn't sure that I could cope with Ranger popping into and out of my life, no not any more. I stopped several feet away from him and folded my arms across my chest. Come on, I knew that once I entered his forcefield I'd lose any control that I had.

"What have you done with my car?"

Using a voice that I hoped was conveying some annoyance. Assuming that Ranger had something to do with it being missing seeing as he was stood where it I left it.

"I got the hire people to pick it up"

Of course he did. It was what he would do, take control of the situation, or in this case me.

"Why are you here Ranger?"

Afraid of the answer but knowing that I had to hear what he would say.

"We need to talk Babe"

I took a deep breath and watched as he pushed himself from the wall. Hearing the beep of a car I turned to see the lights flashing on a black Mercedes. I had an internal debate with myself. Did I go with him and listen to what he wanted to say or walk away. That wasn't how I worked. Maybe this talk would bring some sort of understanding between us, some closure for me. I'd heard his talks in the past, how his life didn't lend itself to a relationship and knowing him slightly better I knew that he was telling me the truth. At least a talk would allow me to set some boundaries between us. I really didn't want to lose him as a friend, but I had a feeling that was on the line now. Then again maybe a talk was what was needed if I was to truly move on with a life where I knew for certain he wouldn't be a part of.

I followed Ranger and got into the front seat not saying a word as he drove out of the garage. He certainly knew the streets and I was admiring how he navigated the late afternoon traffic. I'd expected for us to go to Rangeman but that didn't seem to be the case. Ranger was of course in his zone as he drove, and I wasn't going to interrupt him. In fact, I refused to acknowledge that I was sat in the car with him, instead I was looking out of the window as the buildings flew past. As those buildings lessened, I realized that it was quite dark and had no idea where we were or where we were going. The light from the indicator lit up the inside of the car so now I was curious, only there didn't look to be anything ahead of us. Nope, nothing. Miles and miles of nothing. The car coming to a stop and Ranger opening the door had me looking at him, but he was busy pulling something from the back seat.

My door opened and I took Ranger's outstretched hand, more out of habit really, but then was surprised when he held open a jacket for me to put on. What the hell was he up to if he felt that he had to bring me all the way here if all he wanted was to talk. Yep, that nervousness was definitely taking over now.

"It can get a bit chilly down here in the evening"

Was his only explanation and now stood up out of the car, that was when I suddenly became aware of where I was. I could hear the gentle lapping of water and the salty smell of the sea. Ranger had brought me to a beach for our talk, somewhere that he knew would help me to relax. I wasn't sure whether to be pleased with his choice of the location or pissed off that he thought it would be easier to talk to me if I felt comfortable.

A hand at my back guided me between the stones, rocks and grass before we came to the small expanse of sand. I was mesmerized just watching the white froth on the wet sand as the water moved in and out so was surprised when I turned to see Ranger sat down on a blanket.

"Come sit with me"

Okay, this was it. The sooner we got this over with then the sooner I could go home and cry my eyes out. I sat in front of Ranger, between his legs, my knees pulled up to my chest, looking out across the water. No way did I want to be looking at him for this talk. I was pretty sure that I wasn't going to be pleased with what he was about to say.

"This isn't fair Ranger. You know how much I love the beach"

"I know. I've had a lot of time to think over the last few weeks. Look at my life and where I was. Rangeman had always been a dream that I'd had when I was in the army and now it's a thriving business"

I listened carefully because this kind of talk wasn't what I was expecting and to be honest I was a little concerned with where he was going.

"I'm moving on Babe. Leaving behind the things and places that I've come to know"

I hugged my knees tighter to me as he said those words. Moving on, those were the words that I'd used when I'd left Trenton. I'd felt that I had nothing keeping me there anymore, is that how Ranger was feeling now. Move on to somewhere else, move on from the people that he knew?

"I really don't enjoy being in Trenton any more. The skips on the street are cocky and arrogant, the gangs are vicious and blood thirsty. Even some of the bosses are having a hard time keeping control. Then there are the residents. They don't show us any respect or appreciate how we keep the streets in their neighborhoods safe. Business owners want top quality security for half the cost. The core team are in agreement, so we're in the process of selling that office to another security firm."

I knew that I was frowning because I hadn't realized how much that attitude had affected Ranger. He'd always worked so hard to ensure that Rangeman was a presence that brought some sense of safety. I knew too well what he was talking about. It had been horrendous trying to bring in the skips that I'd been given. It hadn't been easy to manage the verbal and physical abuse they'd doled out. The reputation that Rangeman had, ranged from excellent to derogatory. You only had to listen to my mother and hear her referring to them as thugs and criminals. It sure would be interesting to watch from afar the impact on Trenton when Rangeman moved out. I tightened my grip on my knees as though holding myself together and preparing myself for where this talk was going. I was on edge now waiting for the blow to come.

"The new company will retain any of the men who want to stay in Trenton, the rest will move to Miami or here if they want to or even to the new office, once we get it established"

A tear fell onto my cheek because here it was. Ranger would probably be the one who would be setting up a new office. That meant that I would never see him again. No, there would be no meeting up occasionally just for a quick jump between the sheets. I wasn't that type of person and refused to be used like that. I needed stability and I suppose a relationship. Someone who talked to me, listened to me and I suppose cherished me. That was never going to happen with Ranger now, but I suppose I should have known, hadn't he told me that before.

"Did you hear what I said?"

I felt like sinking into the sand and disappearing when he touched my shoulder and asked me that. Had I heard what he'd said? Nope, maybe because I already knew what he was going to be telling me. That he would see me occasionally if he was in Boston. The hand on my shoulder stayed where it was and tightened, resulting in me spinning around. I looked down at the sand between us so afraid that he'd see that I was crying.

"I said that I was moving on with my life, but I didn't say what it would look like. I like it here in Boston especially as there's this blue eyed curly haired woman living here now. I think what really decided me on my feelings about Trenton was that you weren't there anymore"

I looked up at Ranger fumbling through the words that he'd said like some bumbling idiot with my mouth opening and closing. Had I heard right or was he looking at resuming the dysfunctional relationship that we had in Trenton.

"No, my moving on has no government contract hanging over my head, no commitment issues. I know that I haven't always been there for you like I would have liked to have been. The work that I had to do really wasn't conducive for me to even consider what I wanted. It was always a possibility that I would never get back home and I hated some of the things that I had to do. I want a life and in that new life I see you at my side, if you'll have me"

Have him, was he serious? The tears flowed faster which only had him using his thumbs to wipe them away.

"Happy tears"

I managed to mutter before he was holding me tightly to him. I sat like that for an age, just relishing the feeling of being held by him, my arms wrapped tightly around his waist. Had I heard right. That he was staying here in Boston and wanted me by his side. Maybe I was dreaming, and I'd wake up and realize that meeting with Ranger had been a figment of my imagination. If I hadn't felt so cold and begun to shiver I would definitely have thought that I was dreaming. As the night had crept up on us the breeze had whipped up and it was freezing cold.

"Come on, let's go somewhere warmer"

With the jacket and then the blanket wrapped around me I thought that we'd be going back to the car. Instead, Ranger wrapped his arm around my waist and helped me to navigate over the sand until we came to a set of stone steps. Okay, maybe a different way to get off the beach, but when we came to a gate, I was more than surprised. The gate opened, as if by magic, so we continued to the top of the steps. I had to stop and take in the view in front me because there was something about it that had a memory trying to escape. I was looking at a house with the spotlights shining onto it.

It wasn't overly large so didn't look ostentatious as so many of the properties by the beach looked. Quaint wasn't the right word either. It looked to be built from stone but at the same time looked new, as though someone had decided that this was the perfect place to build a house. As we followed the path toward the house, I was aware of the sunken pool set to one side with large rocks set out on one side, that gave it an air of privacy from the beach and also from anyone close to the house. One thought did cross my mind though.

"Err, does the owner know that we're invading his house?"

Thinking of the time that we'd used Calvert's house to steal a few hours together. I wasn't sure that I could cope with that scenario happening again.

"Yes"

Was the one word answer that didn't really make me feel any more comfortable. Ranger ignored the large glass doors that opened over the simple decked area and led me to the side of the house where he opened a door. Stepping in I realized that there were lights on and was immediately stopping to look around again.

"I know this kitchen"

I whispered as I looked at the wooden table in the center of the room. The cupboards, worktops, stove and fridge were as I remembered. This was the house where I'd been brought to after Alina had found me.

"Is it a safe house?"

I asked as I felt Ranger come up behind me and wrap his arms around me.

"It's a very safe house which very few people know about. I've made a lot of enemies in my life, some are no longer a threat, others have found different people to focus on, but you know how some are totally unpredictable"

Oh, I knew of those. Scrogg was one that I was sure Ranger never expected to burst into his life and Orin was a man who he thought was dead. Was that why Nikita had to die and his body disappear? One less enemy that could come back and seek revenge? My mind went back to the house. I was curious but unsure of whether or not to ask just whose house this was even though I had my suspicions. I turned in Ranger's arms and held my hand gently on jaw.

"Now that my brain has thawed out, I think that you need to go through that talk with me again"

"That talk. You mean the one where I said that I was moving on with a blue eyed, curly haired brunette. Or the one where I said that I was leaving Trenton and moving to Boston to be with a woman who captured my heart years ago with her determination, sass and sex appeal"

"Mmm, sex appeal, really?"

That was a surprise to me because I'd never seen myself as sexy. My hair could frighten most men away and my temper definitely put them off. Okay, I could dress to look sexy but underneath I was, well I suppose, plain. Nothing to shout about, well apart from my eyes and my nose.

"Babe, you have no idea. How about I show you"

I let out a muffled scream as Ranger lifted me off my feet and carried me out of the kitchen. Up the stairs, with the paintings accented with red, and into the bedroom. Oh boy.

I spent the next three days with Ranger at the house and yes, we did come out of the bedroom. I was so happy that I was sure that I had a permanent grin on my face, and I had to admit that I'd never seen Carlos look so relaxed. Yes, he had reiterated his talk to me over and over again. I think that he realized that his past behavior and words that he'd said had left me feeling very vulnerable. And okay, I couldn't quite believe what he was saying. He refused to call me Annie saying that was my work name, like Ranger was his. I was Steph or Babe to him, and so he became Carlos to me.

As the fourth day dawned, I knew that I needed to get back to work. I hadn't had a day off for the last six weeks so Jonas had told me that after getting Jamila safely on the plane back home then I could take the weekend and a couple of days off. Urgh, I hated the sound of the alarm going off.

"I'll take you to work"

Came from beside me. Yeah, the thought of how I would get myself to the other side of Boston had crossed my mind.

"Will you be living here or at Rangeman?"

Thinking again about the commute to work when I stayed with Carlos.

"I was looking at us living at Rangeman and coming here when we had time off"

I turned my head from where it had been laying on his chest and looked up at him. I suppose that I had never really considered our living arrangements and it never been a part of our talk.

"Or we could live in your apartment if you'd prefer, though it isn't as safe as being at Rangeman or here"

I knew that. Hell, the occasions when I'd woken up because I thought that someone was inside, was still a creepy experience that I wouldn't forget anytime soon. Then it occurred to me that he knew where I lived. Of course he did, he knew everything. But then I was asking myself how.

"Have you been inside my apartment?"

His hand moved up to my cheek and swept a curl from my face to behind my ear as though he was avoiding answering me.

"Yes. I just needed to see you"

Twice, I'd woken up twice thinking that someone was in the apartment. I'd assumed that it was my overactive brain after what had happened. Hell, if we'd only talked then maybe we would have figured out what was happening sooner. I wasn't going to ask why he had visited me without waking me because if he had been then I knew now it was because he wanted to be sure that I was okay.

"Watching you sleep, well it helps me to clear my head, always has. I needed that with what I had to do"

I shifted unintentionally as the idea of Carlos with Alina came to my head. I wasn't going there, not now, not ever. It was a job that he had to do, and she was his target. She was dead and I was here now because Carlos wanted me with him.

"Rangeman would be better. I understood what you said about old enemies so won't compromise your safety or mine. The apartment, well it served a purpose, but I have no ties to it"

A kiss to my forehead showed me that I'd said the right thing. Plus, Braintree was easy to get to from Rangeman. After a quick shower, yeah it had to be quick because that kiss to the forehead led to other kisses, I raided the fridge for some fruit and yoghurt that I could eat on the way to my office. I was sure that Carlos would find something to eat once he was back at Rangeman. Outside the front door I was surprised to see the black Mercedes parked waiting for us. Huh, there must be someone staying somewhere close to the house, probably a Merry Man.

"I always have at least one man with me that I would trust with my life and yours. Hector has been my backup while on the mission but when I was in Washington, he took some time off. They stay in the apartment above the garage"

I just nodded my head as Carlos opened the car door for me then waited until he was behind the wheel to bring up the question of which Merry Men would be coming here to Boston. In a way I should have realized that Hector was supporting Carlos because he was here at the house and had eyes on Alina's property.

"Which of the men from Trenton will be coming here?"

I hoped that one of them would be Les because hopefully that might mean that Charlie would come with him. The rest I really wasn't sure about.

"Santos, Tank, Hector, Ram, Cal and Manny so far. Mateo, who currently runs Boston, wants to be the one to set up the new office in Chicago. We're taking over a security company there that's been badly managed so Brown and Juan, second at Miami, will help Mateo to get it turned around"

Huh, Chicago. I'd never have guessed that location or that the core team wouldn't have wanted to be hands on in how it operated.

"Part of my moving on was realizing that I was micro managing the business. I intend to take on the role of CEO which means delegating. Santos feels the same but Tank wants to manage Boston"

I was probably looking at Carlos strangely because I couldn't imagine him just sitting in an office all day looking at reports or finances from all of the offices. Carlos's hand moved from the wheel taking mine and lifting it to his mouth before kissing my wrist. He was up to something, but I just couldn't work out what it was.

Instead of dropping me off in front of Jonas's property he drove up the drive and came to a stop in front of Jonas's house. Jonas was stood outside as if he was expecting us, which seemed a little strange to me. Something was definitely going on, that feeling in my gut, well it was rarely wrong, and it was definitely trying to tell me something.

"Carlos, so good to see you. Ah, Annie. You ready to get back to work?"

Did I know that Jonas knew Carlos? I didn't think so. Much as I wanted to know how they knew each other I appreciated that I would have to wait for any answers. Jonas started to walk toward the office with both me and Carlos following behind.

"Why are you walking with us?"

I whispered to Carlos, now totally confused.

I got no answer, only a squeeze to my hand, which meant that the feeling that I had was well founded. We stayed silent for the rest of the walk, and the ride up in the elevator, but it was as I stepped out that my eyes grew big. Sat at the table along with Oscar and Jerome was Les. I was feeling half mad and half curious as to what was going on here. Was I mad at Carlos, yeah, I was. I never said a word to anyone as I walked over to where I normally sat. Once everyone was seated, with Calos and Les sat next to Jonas, I steeled myself for what was to come.

"Folks, I mentioned a few weeks ago that I'd made the decision that we needed a support partner. There are times when a client presents me with a job that can snowball as we found out"

I looked from Jonas to Carlos as the penny dropped. He was our support partner! How had that happened? Was Carlos using that excuse to keep an eye on me? I was fuming but Carlos never looked over to me to be sure he knew how I felt about that.

"I've used the services of Rangeman before. They have an excellent forensic team, so it was them that I sent any evidence to when we needed answers quickly. I've known Mateo, who heads up Rangeman for years so after the Harcourt job I approached him. He's been screening any cases that I've had enquiries with"

It had been Jonas's idea to reach out to Rangeman? Uh oh, had I got this all wrong?

"Mateo is moving on, so Lester here got in touch with me to discuss how that might affect the understanding that I had with Mateo. I have to say that knowing these two from years gone by that they didn't disappoint. Lester has proposed a two-way street on how we work. Lester"

I knew that I was probably frowning now. What did he mean by a two-way street? And why was it Les who was fronting this conversation? I was lost.

"Management at Rangeman is changing which has left a vacuum in some of the work that we sometimes take on for some of the alphabet agencies. They are well paid contracts, but we won't always have the man power or skills to do a job effectively. That's where Penderton comes in. You help us with those cases, and we'll reciprocate on the cases that you get that require our input and support"

I looked at Oscar and Jerome to try and gage their reactions to what was being said surprised when Oscar was so quick to start talking.

"It sounds like a win win to me. The Harcourt case, that everyone here knows about is a prime example, but that episode with Sabato and Chong, it nearly finished us off"

Jonas nodded his head, though I was sure that only he and Oscar knew what they were talking about.

"We were led to believe that Chong was here in the States trying to locate family that had moved here years ago. When in fact Chong was running from a Triad that he'd double crossed with Sabato's influence. We lost your predecessor in that one, Annie. He was badly injured and to be honest couldn't cope with working here anymore"

The room was silent after Jonas told us about that case. Okay, I had never had any experience of a member of a Chinese Triad, but I had a vivid imagination. Jonas was right, a three man team could manage the cases that were straight forward but anything that involved organized crime was beyond us. Cases could easily snowball out of control so having someone there to support us was the right decision. I knew from experience that having backup was essential in certain situations. Okay, it had taken me a while to accept that, but I suppose that I'd grown up a bit in the last few months. Once Ranger was gone from Trenton, I realized just how much I would ask for his help, especially when that new manager started to load me down with higher bond FTAs.

"Does anyone have any questions or objections to the proposal?"

There were no questions and no objections, well not at the moment, which looked to have Les feeling happy. I may not have had any questions to ask at the table but there were a few I wanted to ask Carlos privately.

I walked down with Les and Carlos relieved when Les went ahead of us.

"Did you know?"

I asked Carlos, not sure how his answer would affect me. If he knew then why hadn't he told me? Did it have something to do with him suddenly changing his mind about us?

"No. All of this was hatched between Mateo, Santos and Jonas. I knew that he was scheming something but until I got a text from him this morning, I wasn't sure what it was. Would it be that bad that we would be working together?"

How could I say no when he pulled me to him and gave me a bone melting kiss.

As it turned out each company didn't have any contact with regard to any cases. I was living at Rangeman during the week and on my days off we went to the house by the beach. Life was good, no better than good, it was what I had always dreamed of. It was four weeks later when a message came through Rangeman from Tank. He was still in Trenton finalizing the transfer of the business when he heard news that he thought I should know about. It seemed that Joe was asking if anyone knew where I was.

"Morelli. Why would he want to know where you are?"

I could tell that Carlos was just a teeny weeny bit annoyed at hearing that when he walked into the bathroom of our beach house. Sheesh, I shouldn't have put the phone on speaker and then he wouldn't have overheard what Tank had said. What can I say, I needed two hands to finish styling my hair. I looked at Carlos in the reflection from the mirror and smiled at him.

"He's getting married and wants me to be there"

I watched as the blank face that Carlos had donned fell away. Huh, was he worried by Joe wanting to know where I was?

"Then we'll go if that's what you want to do"

I smiled at Carlos because he always knew what I needed and at this minute I needed him out of the bathroom.

"You're not supposed to be in here mister"

Even with the attitude I was trying to give my voice he ignored me and came and stood behind me.

"Beautiful. Are you ready for this?"

I smiled as I looked into his eyes. We'd come so far in the last few weeks so when Carlos had asked me to marry him my answer was an immediate yes. Once I'd picked myself up from the floor. For a man who had once told me that he didn't do rings only condoms he'd done a full 180 degree change. He called it moving on together, which I was ready for. I couldn't wait to see the look on peoples faces when I turned up back home married.

"You have an evil look on your face Babe"

"Nah. Is everyone here?"

A nod confirmed that the few special guests that we'd invited had arrived, so being who we were, we'd bucked tradition as Carlos led me down the staircase and out onto the grassed area. Jonas, Oscar and Jeremy and Heidi were here along with Les, Hector, Ram and Cal. Charlie tut tutted as she fell into step behind us, but she was soon quiet when her eyes saw Les who was stood waiting as best man. It was a simple ceremony, no gaudiness that a Burg wedding would have involved. An exchange of vows and rings that sealed our lives together for ever.