Ranger gently shifted Stephanie's head off his shoulder before climbing off the bed. He raised the head of the bed by forty degrees for Stephanie to see her father. Stephanie grimaced in pain from the pressure on her abdomen as her ass slipped on the sheets. The uncomfortable bed was only one of the things Stephanie disliked the most about hospitals. Stephanie didn't care for the nurses interrupting her sleep to check her vitals and the food was bland. She preferred her food to taste better than cardboard.
"I'm fine, Carlos," Stephanie whispered when Ranger moved to press the button to call the nurse. "I slid down the bed when you raised the top." Carlos checked Stephanie's eyes to see the truth in her words. He kissed her forehead before letting Stephanie visit with her dad.
Frank bounded toward the bed to hug his daughter. Stephanie was shocked because her family didn't hug or show emotions. "I'm glad you're going to be okay. Your mother and I have been worried," Frank confessed. Frank was relieved Stephanie was awake. He wasn't able to relax until he looked into her beautiful blue eyes and heard her voice.
"Where is dear mother?" Stephanie asked. "I expected her to walk through the doors lamenting, "Why me?" and giving the nurses a difficult time about my care. Telling them they don't know how to care for me properly." Stephanie leaned, looking out the door, wondering if Helen was lurking around the corner. The motion aggravated her abdomen, but she didn't want to be surprised.
Chuckling at the accuracy of her description, Frank said, "Only Ranger and I are allowed inside your room. Expect your mother to find a way to see you when you get moved tomorrow morning." Frank shook his head, thinking Stephanie knew her mother well.
"Why would they move me?" Stephanie asked. Ranger sat on the bed beside Stephanie, carefully shifting her over to the left a few inches, but not far enough to get squashed by the bed rail. He stroked her cheek as an apology for causing discomfort, then held her right hand.
"You were in the ICU yesterday. They moved you to the step-down room early this morning. Since your life is still in danger, we will move you to a private room where my men can secure your safety," Ranger quickly replied. He had a few men in the waiting room, but it wasn't offering the level of security he wanted for his wife.
Stephanie snorted, "Am I not safer here? Who would come after me in this wing of the hospital?" She looked between her dad and Ranger, wondering who knew what and hoping they would share. Stephanie didn't want anyone telling her what to do or getting forced to do something she'd hate.
"Bobby found your notes in Morelli's borrowed van. Sal and Louis were part of the scheme to bring drugs into Trenton. The police detectives found Carmen Sanchez in a barrel they used to ship the drugs," Ranger explained. Stephanie narrowed her eyes, wondering how Morelli got her notes. They were on the coffee table. She soon realized he had stolen them after cuffing her in the bathroom.
"That still doesn't say who is coming after me," Stephanie said, narrowing her eyes at Ranger. She wanted him to get to the point. "What aren't you telling me?"
Frank smiled indulgently at Stephanie. He knew Stephanie wouldn't miss Ranger's attempt at deflection. Ranger's eyes flicked to Frank before explaining the situation. "We're trying to put the remaining pieces together," Ranger added. "Alpha hasn't been to his office in days. Hector's friends are watching for him to materialize."
Stephanie tapped her lip with her left index finger. Frank noticed the rings adorning Stephanie's left-hand ring finger. He waited for Stephanie to collect her thoughts before asking, "When did you get those?"
"Today," Stephanie said, smiling. Frank raised an eyebrow and glared at Ranger for the answer.
Clearing his throat, Ranger rubbed the back of his neck. "I bought them the day after I met Stephanie in the cafe," Ranger confessed. Stephanie gasped in shock. Her mouth formed a perfect O as she stared at her husband. Ranger gently lifted her chin, then kissed her lips. Stephanie blushed from Ranger kissing her in front of her dad. Frank grinned at the newlyweds. He could see Ranger genuinely loved his daughter.
"What's on your mind, Pumpkin?" Frank asked, having recognized the look of deep concentration on her face.
"Carlos said Alpha hasn't been hanging around his office. He has to be guilty of more than just drug smuggling. What if he hired Ziggy Kulesza to clean up Ramirez's mess when he brutalized women?" Stephanie asked. Her spidey sense hummed in agreement. She snorted. "I know it's a far-fetched idea. But I bet my piece of crap, Nova, that Alpha is up to his neck in those women's deaths. The detectives should search the landfill for sealed barrels."
Ranger turned Stephanie's head to look into her eyes. He saw the confidence in her claim and rationalized that Stephanie was correct in her interpretation of the facts. "I'll inform the men," Ranger said. He sent the text message to Tank as Stephanie watched over his shoulder. Ranger kissed Stephanie's temple before getting comfortable.
Frank trusted Stephanie's intuition. He was pleased to see Ranger had as well. It would benefit Rangeman to have Stephanie on their payroll to locate people. Stephanie had the innate ability to see nuggets in the details that others overlooked. "Daddy, what's on your mind?" Stephanie asked, twisting her head to look at her father. She groaned from the pain in her shoulders.
"I noticed Ranger trusted your opinion. Are you planning to work for Rangeman?" Frank asked as he stood. Stephanie wondered why his father left the chair. Frank moved the chair to see Stephanie's face without her having to turn to the side, risking a kink in her neck. Stephanie smiled at her dad, realizing he moved the chair to make her more comfortable.
"We haven't discussed it yet," Ranger replied. Stephanie mindlessly stroked his arm. She studied her father, sitting in the chair to the left bottom corner of the bed. Stephanie wasn't sure they should be discussing her employment options until Carlos and her had time to talk.
Furrowing her brows with the sudden thought intruding into her mind, Stephanie asked, "Has anyone checked my apartment?" Ranger and Frank raised an eyebrow. "Just because the police haven't released the crime scene doesn't make it inaccessible."
"She has a point," Frank said. Frank made a mental note to keep Helen and Edna from offering to clean Stephanie's apartment. Ranger shook his head before sending a message to Hector. "What if he isn't there?"
"Hector promised to surveil the apartment to see if Alpha suddenly appears," Ranger told Stephanie.
"We'll have to draw him out, using me as bait," Stephanie said, shrugging.
"No," Frank and Ranger replied. Stephanie rolled her eyes. It was the only way they'd catch Alpha if she was right about her theories about him and his involvement in the murder cover-ups. Stephanie feared her mother or grandmother might go to the apartment to clean up the mess left over from the incident and inadvertently cross paths with Jimmy Alpha. She shook the thought from her mind.
"What if Alpha uses Mom or Grandma as bait to get to me?" Stephanie asked, voicing her concern while yawning. She was exhausted and hungry. Stephanie wasn't sure which was more prevalent. Her stomach grumbled, making her face turn red in embarrassment.
"It's getting late. I should head home to your mother," Frank announced. He hugged Stephanie, then kissed her forehead. "Pumpkin, concentrate on healing."
"Okay, Daddy," she replied. Her stomach grumbled again, making Frank smile.
"I'll have Janet bring some food," Frank promised as he left the room.
Janet arrived fifteen minutes later with jello, apple juice and broth. "I'm sorry, but this was all I could find in the break room," Janet said, placing the tray on the table. Ranger left the bed to push the table over Stephanie's lap to eat her dinner.
Stephanie turned up her nose at the broth. It resembled dirty dishwater. She raised the plastic bowl to her mouth and drank it. "Disgusting," she grumbled, then washed away the taste with apple juice. She felt the humour from Ranger as she shuddered from the bland broth. Ranger opened the cherry jello and passed her the plastic spoon. "Thanks." Stephanie ate her pitiful meal. It was better than having nothing in her stomach.
"I'll have the guys bring you a meatball sub," Ranger offered. Stephanie grinned, hoping Janet would let her eat the treat. It wouldn't follow the dietary requirements set by the dieticians at the hospital. Stephanie needed more than the liquids provided. She could hardly wait to sink her teeth into the seasoned meatballs with marinara sauce and extra cheese. Stephanie giggled when Ranger called someone with the food order. She was salivating in anticipation of eating the forbidden meal.
"Why did you order the grilled chicken and salad? Are you worried about desecrating the temple by eating something other than twigs and bark with lean meat?" Stephanie asked when he hung up. Her eyes glazed over when Ranger talked about the macronutrients in the food. He climbed back into the bed to hold Stephanie.
"Babe?" Ranger asked, waving his hand before her face.
"What? Oh. Sorry," she mumbled. "I tuned out when you mentioned magnesium and zinc."
His laughter was music to Stephanie's ears. She blushed and buried her face into his neck. Ranger smelled of his natural musk and body wash, appealing to her senses. Stephanie licked the skin touching her lips, making Ranger moan. "Babe," he whispered. She giggled, then licked him again. "Stephanie," he warned.
"Oops. Sorry, Carlos. You taste good." Ranger tilted her head to look into her eyes. Stephanie thought his eyes resembled melted dark chocolate. She licked her lips. Ranger watched her tongue for a second before slamming his mouth against hers.
They broke the kiss when Stephanie groaned in pain. She pressed the button to call the nurse. Janet peeked inside to ask what they needed. "Strong Tylenol," Stephanie replied.
"You have meds in the box."
"No," Stephanie said. "I don't want the morphine. Give me Tylenol."
Janet tried hard not to roll her eyes. "Okay. I need a few minutes to consult with the on-call doctor," Janet said, then disappeared. Janet wasn't surprised Stephanie didn't want the heavier drugs. She knew how stubborn Stephanie could be.
Twenty minutes later, Janet appeared with Tylenol and fresh water. "Thanks," Stephanie said, grinning. "When can you unhook me?" Stephanie pointed to the IV bag.
"I'll have to run labs before removing the IV," Janet said. Stephanie grumbled. She didn't want more needles stuck into her veins. But if getting the blood drawn got her closer to going home, Stephanie was willing to let Janet take the samples. "I can remove the catheter and see if you can use the washroom," Janet suggested.
Ranger took that as his cue to exit the room. Watching Janet remove the catheter from Stephanie's crotch wasn't an image he wanted stuck in his head. He only returned when Janet announced she had finished. "Babe?" Ranger asked when he noticed Stephanie's pink face.
"You may need to help me use the washroom later. Janet said I could call a nurse if you didn't want to help me," Stephanie replied. Her face felt hot from embarrassment. She wasn't used to asking for help using the toilet. Heck, Stephanie wasn't used to asking for help. Period.
"Babe, what do you want?" Ranger was willing to help Stephanie with whatever she needed. He wanted to take care of Stephanie. Nothing mattered more than her comfort.
"A nurse to help," Stephanie whispered, ashamed she wanted a female to help instead of him. In her defence, they haven't seen each other naked. Stephanie groaned when she remembered how she must have looked when Ranger arrived to rescue her. It was unbalanced. He saw her naked, but she hadn't seen him without clothes.
"Then that's what you'll have," he promised. Ranger excused himself when someone gently tapped on the sliding glass door. He placed the bag on the bedside table, then washed his hands before unpacking the food delivered by Silvio.
Stephanie ate her sub with gusto, moaning from the delicious flavours. She sighed after swallowing the last bite. "Good?" Ranger asked.
"Yes. It should prevent the beast from consuming us all," Stephanie joked. She leaned back on the bed and picked at the glob of marinara on her hospital gown. Stephanie groaned when the spot smeared into the fabric more than she had intended. Ranger wiped the marinara sauce off the corner of her lip with the pad of his thumb. He sucked it into his mouth. Stephanie watched the motion and licked her lips.
Her breath hitched when Ranger's eyes watched the motion of her tongue. "Babe," he mumbled. Ranger pressed his mouth to hers, using his tongue to remove the remaining marinara sauce from her lips. He kissed Stephanie possessively. Her hands tangled in his hair, pulling loose the leather shoelace he used to tie his hair into a ponytail.
Stephanie broke the kiss when pain surged through her core. The kiss aroused her, but it also caused her pain. She clenched her teeth, preventing the groan from passing across her lips. Stephanie rested her forehead against his. "That was…," she trailed off, choosing to focus on the magic of the moment instead of the pain.
"Electric. Dios," Ranger whispered. He kissed her gently. "I'll get you clean clothes."
She felt the loss of his warmth when Ranger briefly left the room. Stephanie felt her heart leave the room with Ranger. He returned with a clean gown for her. Ranger untied the other one and helped her dress. Stephanie's face was beet red when she relaxed on the bed. Ranger chuckled, then climbed into bed with Stephanie.
"Good night, Babe," Ranger whispered. She mumbled incoherently before her soft snores filled the room. "Babe, I'm glad you were not in the plans. Holding you in my arms as you sleep feels right. Te amo."
Ranger called Tank, his second in command, to get an update on the day. Tank explained the situation between Lester and Hector. Ranger figured it was the case when Hector sent the video to the Rangeman Trenton staff. Lester refused to tolerate the despicable reason for Morelli cuffing Stephanie to the shower rod. Hector and Lester were alike in many ways. Lester loved the ladies, while Hector loved the men.
Speaking quietly to prevent from waking Stephanie, Ranger explained Stephanie's thoughts regarding Jimmy Alpha. Tank laughed and said Hector had already filled them in with the details. Ranger shouldn't have been surprised. Hector was an intelligent and street-smart man. He would tap into his contacts on Stark Street to monitor the chatter regarding Stephanie Plum.
Ranger's phone vibrated in his hand. He checked the display and smiled. Lester and Hector were on duty for the night. Ranger shook his head. The men should have stayed home to rest, finding suitable replacements for guard duty. Binkie and Woody opened the door wide enough to wave and give Ranger the peace sign. Ranger smiled. He knew Stephanie, his wife, his Babe, was protected by his trusted team.
The following afternoon, Stephanie got moved to the sixth floor in another wing of the hospital. She smiled when she noticed the bed was significantly wider than the one in the step-down room. There was enough space for Ranger to sleep comfortably beside her. "How much did you have to donate to get this space?" Stephanie joked.
"The medical insurance covers it," Ranger replied, earning a narrow-eyed glare from Stephanie. Ranger tucked loose hair behind Stephanie's ear. "There's no price for what we give each other, Babe," he whispered before pressing his mouth against hers.
"Are you saying you donated money to the hospital for letting you stay in my room?" she asked when they broke the kiss. Ranger shook his head, causing their noses to rub. He didn't personally donate the money - Rangeman did, but for Stephanie to learn that tidbit was not in the plans.