Lester, Hector and Bobby reluctantly left Frank and Ranger at the hospital, nodding at Manny and Junior as they walked past them. "That sucks," Lester said when they left. "We can't talk to her." He kicked the stone in his path. Lester slouched when he climbed into the SUV.
"It's for the best. She doesn't know us," Bobby said. "Ranger would order us to the mats if she gets worse." Lester argued that Stephanie could still hear and learn about them when they shared details of their lives. Bobby added, "Some of Stephanie's injuries were life-threatening and you know she's fighting an infection. I understand why they want to restrict visitors to immediate family."
Not able to stay still, Lester retrieved the video Hector emailed. Bobby often wondered if Lester had undiagnosed ADHD. Lester let the voices in the video fill the interior of the car. At first, Lester was amused. When Morelli mentioned the distributor cap, Lester was seething.
"Can you believe that was why Morelli cuffed her when he knew Ramirez was harassing her?" Lester yelled. He was disgusted. Lester wanted to kill Morelli. Bobby could feel Lester vibrating with anger. He knew Lester was ready to blow.
"It's disgusting," Bobby replied, understanding Lester's anger. "When Ranger finds out, Morelli is a dead man walking."
Lester saw Hector following a few cars behind in his scion. Bobby drove towards Rangeman to meet the others. They had to walk through the building to ensure everything was ready to open soon. Lester's leg bounced as he clenched his fists. His body betrayed the control he attempted to display.
Bobby recognized the signs. A misstep or wrong word would unleash the beast Lester tried to keep locked deep inside. Bobby didn't want to sedate Lester. The team needed Lester to be in control of his emotions. Bobby silently prayed, hoping his words would help tame the beast.
"We should have had someone watching her apartment," Bobby said, attempting to redirect Lester. Bobby knew an angry Lester was a dangerous Lester. He hoped the gym was ready to use. After searching his mind for the items in the Rangeman gym, Bobby turned off Haywood, having decided to drive to the rental home. Lester needed to burn off the frustration before someone unsuspecting got caught in the way. Bobby grabbed the stress ball he stored in the cup holder and passed it to Lester.
"That's what Hector said. He's blaming himself," Lester said, squeezing the stress ball nearly to the point it was bursting at the seams. He exhaled, releasing some of the anger with his breath. Lester wanted to punch something repeatedly. It was a shame Ramirez was already dead. Lester was confident he could have beaten the life out of the boxer.
"Why?" Bobby asked. Bobby waited for Lester to take several deep breaths to calm himself. The stress ball looked slightly deflated. Bobby resisted the urge to laugh at the eyes bugging out on the green alien. He had forgotten which stress ball he had in the SUV.
Lester looked at the stress ball in his hand. He turned it over in his hands, then squeezed it. The eyes bugged out around the stitches which held them in place. Lester burst out laughing. "This thing is hideous," Lester said, his fury dissipating as he laughed at the alien. "Thanks, Bobby. I needed this."
"Glad I could help," Bobby said, smiling. Bobby was secretly relieved Lester caged the beast threatening to escape. He made a mental note to buy similar stress balls for Lester. "Why is Hector blaming himself?"
"He figures he should have started following Morelli a few days ago," Lester replied. Lester slammed the stress ball between his hands. Bobby reached over to still his hands. Lester sighed and looked out his window. It was almost too quiet for Bobby to hear. Lester said, "Hector was livid when Ramirez attacked Stephanie. He's been trying to catch Benito in the act for years."
Bobby knew there was more to the story with Ramirez. Lester's beast doesn't threaten to materialize for anything trivial. "Is there something you know about Hector and Ramirez?" Bobby asked, making Lester stiffen in his seat. Bobby instantly knew it wasn't good.
"Hector's ex-gang. He grew up in Newark. Ranger got him out of the gang and hired him at Rangeman for installations and computer searches," Lester said, carefully choosing his words.
Bobby rolled his eyes when Lester recited the basic facts. "Did you know Hector when you lived in Newark?" Bobby asked, narrowing his eyes, wishing Lester would get to the point.
"No. We didn't hang around in the same circles. My family moved to Florida before I got mixed up in the Newark gangs. Dad got transferred to the Miami base when I was twelve. Hector joined the gang before Ranger got shipped to his grandmother's house," Lester replied. Lester prayed Hector wouldn't get too mad at him. Very few people knew Hector's story.
"Right. Ranger moved to Miami when he was fourteen," Bobby said. Bobby's eyes narrowed as he recalled the story Ranger willingly shared about his family. Ranger moving to Miami and living with his Abuela Rosa was one of the commonly known facts among the men.
"He turned fifteen a few months later," Lester said. "Ranger joined the gang after breaking up with Selena a few weeks after her birthday. She was two years younger and wanted to have sex with Ranger. He didn't want Selena to lose her innocence at thirteen. Selena was Hector's older sister. Ranger's friends joined the local gang. They slowly pulled Ranger into that lifestyle. He tried to shake Selena, but she wasn't tolerating it. She tried to make him jealous by approaching another boy."
"Did it work?" Bobby asked, despite knowing it wouldn't have worked. Ranger had no patience for women using other men to make him jealous. Bobby parked in the driveway of their rental home until the Rangeman building got renovated. He knew Ranger had a few punching bags in the basement for them to use. Lester might have caged the beast, but it wasn't a guarantee it would remain there.
"No. It pissed off Ranger. Hector's here. He needs to tell you the rest. I can tell you about Ranger, but not Selena," Lester replied. His lip quirked as he dropped the stress ball into the cup holder. Lester exited the car and walked up the sidewalk to the door. Hector opened it for Lester and Bobby. "You should tell Bobby about Selena. He needs to know." Hector nodded. It was time to share. He knew it would eventually float to the surface.
"What did you tell him?" Hector asked, speaking Spanish.
"Lester said Selena tried to make Ranger jealous by approaching another boy, and it didn't make Ranger jealous," Bobby replied.
Talking rapidly in Spanish, Hector said, "Selena noticed a tall boy hanging around the boxing gym. She waited until Ranger watched before wrapping her arms around the boy's waist. He grinned and gently caressed her face. Selena kissed his cheek. Ranger told Selena to stay away from the boy. We heard the boy enjoyed hurting small animals. I told her to stay away from the dangerous kid. She didn't listen until Ranger warned her. Ranger and his gang friends kept the kid away from Selena until Ranger got sent to Miami. The night she died, I was across town. I was breaking into an electronics store for my gang initiation. Selena was walking home from her friend's house when someone dragged her into the alley. We couldn't prove who attacked her, but she died in the filthy alley after someone cut her face, arms and legs."
"Who was the boy?" Bobby asked.
Hector deflected to Lester to answer, "Benito Ramirez. We heard he had done the same in Trenton, but nobody could prove it. The witnesses disappeared. Neither his DNA nor fingerprints were found at the scene. Someone was covering for Ramirez to keep him out of jail."
"I killed the fucker," Tank said as he entered the room. He overheard the conversation and wanted to weigh in. "Ranger shot him in the chest, but he kept moving." Tank nodded at Hector, silently thanking him for sharing the story.
"Would you believe the bullet got stopped by the handcuff key?" Lester scoffed. He shook his head. It was unbelievable. "Benito broke a few ribs from the impact. It fed into his insanity."
"My bullet hit its mark," Tank said. "Right between the eyes. Ranger couldn't hear out of his right ear until this morning. I'm surprised he didn't rupture an eardrum." Tank let the memory flow through his mind. He couldn't see the shock on Ranger's face when the bullet didn't make blood spurt from Ramirez's chest. Ramirez's face had contorted in uncontrollable fury. Tank quickly rested his wrist on Ranger's shoulder, then pulled the trigger. The noise that close to Ranger's ear was deafening.
Hector was seething. "Morelli has to die," he said, vibrating in anger.
"You can't kill a cop," Bobby reminded him. "The man who murdered your sister is dead."
"He must pay for harming Stephanie," Hector said. He had removed a knife from his pocket, tossed it in the air, then caught it. Hector repeated the process several times. "If I can't kill him, I will punish him."
Lester snatched the knife from the air, earning a vicious glare from Hector. "Follow me, Hector. We need to release our inner beasts," Lester said. Lester and Hector disappeared into the basement. Tank and Bobby followed after grabbing a first aid kit.
Punches quickly flew. The sound of fists smacking against skin echoed through the room. Bobby and Tank used the weights as they waited for Lester and Hector to wear themselves out. After an hour, Lester and Hector stopped. "Gracias," Hector said, feeling better from unleashing the fury.
"De nada," Lester replied, locking the beast in its cage. Lester's beast was contained until another incident made the beast pick the lock.
Bobby checked the abrasions and contusions on Lester and Hector's faces, arms, ribs and legs. "Pull your punches next time," Bobby growled. "We need our men to be in tip top health." He dabbed the bruises with arnica cream. Bobby grumbled as he put three stitches in the cut above Lester's left eye. Shaking his head, Bobby cleaned up the supplies and put the first aid kit away.
"Are you two done?" Tank asked, quirking an eyebrow. He stood against the doorway looking deadly. They didn't have time to deal with two injured men while launching Rangeman Trenton.
"Si," Lester and Hector replied.
"That's the last time I let you two spar. Got it?" Tank asked. Lester and Hector looked ashamed. Their beasts were controlled before they opened the cage.
"Thank goodness they left their weapons on the bench," Bobby said, grinning. "It could have been much worse if Hector had a blade stashed in his shorts." Bobby tossed Lester and Hector towels. "Can we discuss what to do next?"
"What do you mean?" Lester asked. Bobby passed him the papers he scooped from the van Morelli drove to the marina. "Who wrote this?" Lester glanced at Bobby and Tank.
"Stephanie," Bobby replied. "Morelli's writing is illegible."
"I confirmed the writing with Ranger," Tank added.
"So, what does this research mean?" Lester asked.
"It means Stephanie's life is still in danger. I've arranged six-hour security shifts beginning tomorrow when Stephanie gets moved to a private room. Until she comes home, I want two guards outside her door and another guard at each entrance to the wing," Tank explained.
The men went their separate ways to shower and change before meeting in the kitchen to discuss the plans.
At the hospital, Stephanie was shifting uncomfortably on the bed. She was heavily sedated and shouldn't be reacting to her injuries. "Babe, you're safe," Ranger whispered, assuming Stephanie was having a nightmare. Stephanie's fist connected with Ranger's chin. Frank sat on the chair. He watched Ranger remove his boots before climbing into the bed beside Stephanie. She stopped flailing when Ranger stroked her face, smiling at the softness of the skin beneath his calloused fingers.
"You have a way with Pumpkin," Frank observed, impressed Ranger quickly calmed his daughter.
"Stephanie calms my mind," Ranger confessed with humour. "We have a connection. I felt it in my soul when we met in the cafe."
Frank chuckled, "I knew it would be that way for her. She promised to marry her soulmate when they met. I'm happy to learn her soulmate was you." Frank knew Manoso was an honourable man.
"My life didn't lend itself to relationships," Ranger said. Frank's brow knitted in frustration. He hoped Ranger and Stephanie would remain married after her release from the hospital. "However, I couldn't imagine living the rest of my life without having Stephanie as my wife. I'll keep her safe, Sir. I promise." Ranger's statement assuaged his fear and settled the devil inside.
"I'm sure you and your men could achieve that goal," Frank joked. "How was Pumpkin during the night?"
"The doctor ran another panel of labs. She needed another blood transfusion," Ranger replied. "Her platelets and red cells were low. More of my men donated to the blood bank." Frank was afraid Stephanie required another transfusion. He knew she had sustained significant blood loss from the injuries.
"You have an honourable team. When does your building open for business?" Frank noticed the construction crews hanging around the seven-story structure on Haywood. The traffic was significantly less over the past week.
Ranger chuckled, unsurprised Frank knew about the building undergoing renovations. "It should be soon. I asked my aunt to purchase clothes for Stephanie. She didn't have a lot in her apartment."
"She's not going to like that," Frank warned. Frank offered his credit card for Stephanie to go shopping a few weeks earlier. She adamantly refused his charity. Stephanie was stubborn and insisted she could afford to buy her clothes.
"I imagine she wouldn't like borrowing my sister's clothes, either," Ranger reasoned, pointing to the duffle at his feet.
"Why not have Ella bring some clothes from Stephanie's apartment?" Frank wondered, stating the obvious.
"The police haven't finished processing the crime scene. Once the department releases the scene, my men will clean it and move her belongings into my apartment. Lester paid the rent for the rest of her lease. Ella is busy furnishing the apartments in the Rangeman building," Ranger explained. Ranger thought the police were taking too long. What were they hoping to find? It wasn't a stretch of the imagination to believe the detectives were collecting evidence to use against Ranger and his men.
Frank and Ranger looked at the door when it opened. Nancy smiled as she entered Stephanie's room. "How is she?" Nancy asked Ranger. "Did Stephanie have a rough night?" She didn't comment about Ranger lying in Stephanie's bed.
"Nightmares," Ranger replied. "It was the only way to calm her down. Her fever broke an hour ago. I washed the sweat off her face." Ranger pointed to the soiled towels on the bedside table. Nancy smiled at Ranger. She almost fell jealous of Stephanie. Ranger was an attractive man. He doted on his wife. It was both romantic and possessive.
"I'll wait outside," Frank announced, knowing Nancy had to check Stephanie's cuts and abrasions. Frank knew Stephanie wouldn't want him to see her exposed. It was the reason she never called him after Morelli cuffed her to the shower rod. There were some things a father should never see. His naked adult daughter was one of those.
Nancy grabbed the thermometer to take Stephanie's temperature. "You're right. It's been six hours since her last dose of Tylenol. Her temperature is normal," Nancy said as she updated the chart. She took Stephanie's vitals. Ranger climbed off the bed to let Nancy change the bandages and check the abdominal incision.
Dr. Burt entered the room after Nancy recorded the vitals in the chart. "How is Stephanie today?" Dr. Burt asked. Suki smiled at Ranger sitting on the chair.
"Vitals are normal. Her incision and cuts look good. No pulling or inflammation around the stitches," Nancy recited. "Her fever is gone." Ranger listened to the details. He would update Bobby later.
"Good," Dr. Burt said. "If everything remains the same by tomorrow morning, we'll transfer Stephanie to a regular hospital room."
"I want two of my men standing at the door," Ranger announced. Dr. Burt raised an eyebrow. "I'll discuss it with the hospital administrator."
"Is her life in danger?" Dr. Burt asked. She curiously wondered why Bobby and the blond man were in the waiting room.
"Yes," Ranger replied. "I have two men in the waiting area at all times." Dr. Burt looked past the curtain to see Frank Plum talking to Bobby Brown and another man she didn't recognize. "Lester Santos is the blond."
"I can put Stephanie in a private room. It would allow your men to stand guard outside her room without scaring the other patients or families in the waiting room," Dr. Burt suggested. She wanted to protect her patient above all else. If letting Mr. Manoso place guards kept Stephanie safe, she would make it easier for him to accomplish.
"Thank you," Ranger replied. He waited for the doctor to leave before contacting Tank. Despite sleeping in the chair in Stephanie's room, Ranger's clothes were not wrinkled. He smiled and recalled his aunt's insistence to order the Rangeman uniforms.