Chapter 31

Ranger

The good mood I'd been in since the moment I'd received the schedule of meetings for today evaporated as I finally stepped out of my final debrief for the mission and turned my phone back on. Weather warnings filled the screen, along with the notification that the flight I'd booked last night, the one that was supposed to get me to Newark in plenty of time for Christmas Eve dinner at my parents' house, had been cancelled. The storm that had been brewing, predicted to hit full force the day after tomorrow, had decided to ruin everyone's holiday plans by picking up speed to arrive early. It was all I could do to suppress a growl as I brought up the weather radar to see just how bad things had gotten in the six hours I'd been locked inside the conference room.

Everything alright?" Haines, my handler, checked, emerging from the room just as I let a frustrated breath past my lips.

"Fine."

My tone suggested I was anything but, but Haines was a smart man. He knew when to step away.

"Merry Christmas," he said with a nod, eyeing me warily as he passed, likely on his way to ruin some other sucker's holidays as well.

I just nodded, aware that I was still living in a heightened state of awareness from the mission and that my current agitation could easily swell into something violent if I gave it the chance. And boy was it tempting to give it the chance when the men responsible for keeping me in limbo for two days before completing my debriefing filed out of the conference room. If they'd acted sooner, I could already be home with Steph, the one place I'd longed to be since before I'd even walked away from her.

The look of hurt and determination on her face when she'd pulled me back in the club flashed in my mind's eye the way it had on an almost daily basis over the past few weeks, and like all the times before, I used the jolt in my chest to strengthen my resolve. I didn't care how bleak the weather was outside, I was going to make it home to her for Christmas if it was the last thing I'd do.

But I really hoped it wasn't the last thing I did. It would really suck if I fought through hell and risked my life in a blizzard just to drop dead when we were finally reunited. Dating and getting to know Steph had made me want things I'd told myself I could never have. I'd devoted myself to the mercenary life, accepting that I wouldn't live long because of it. But now? I had plans for a long life with the woman who had unexpectedly stolen my heart. She deserved so much more than I could give her. I could give her the whole universe and it would never be enough. But that didn't matter, I was going to try. And the most endearing thing was that she didn't believe she deserved it. She would be happy with a fraction of all that, so long as she had the people she loved.

And that was why I had to get back to her.

Her love.

For a woman who had been knocked down so often in her life, Stephanie Plum was extremely generous with her love. She shared herself so readily with everyone she met, genuinely caring for them. I'd seen it first with my family, the way she recalled details about their lives and asked after situations they'd told her about even when her only contact with them was the monthly dinners. And later, when I'd taken her on as the office manager at Rangeman, she'd astounded me with how readily she accepted my motley crew, teardrops, flaming skulls and all. And in return, every single one of them had been won over. My family treated her as one of their own. My men, too. There was no doubt in my mind that if she was ever in danger, they would go to the ends of the earth to protect her.

And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't the most affected by her charms, her wit, her beauty.

My phone beeped with a series of notifications from the family group chat, but I didn't open them, not wanting to tip them off to the fact that I was back online and get their hopes up about seeing me in case the weather really did prevent me from hauling ass back to them tonight. Instead, I read the previews and determined that Papa had cancelled dinner so that everyone would stay safe at home. Guess I didn't need the flight to Newark afterall. And with the way the storm was travelling…

My mind made up, I hurried through the halls to the transport admin office. I was making it to Trenton tonight come hell or high water.

Steph

"Dinner break," Lester announced, sliding dramatically across the desk in front of the monitors, arms thrown wide to block my view. How he managed to keep up such frenetic energy when the world outside was so desolate, I would never understand, but he had been carrying office morale on his shoulders all afternoon. Although, there were men that readily jumped on his bandwagon. Hank and Vince most notably.

Earlier, they'd entertained the group on the floor by improvising bawdy versions of everyone's favourite Christmas carols. They'd gone around the cubicles and taken requests, rewarded for their efforts with raucous laughter. It was a far cry from the stiff way they'd acted when I'd first been hired. And even their usual, more relaxed state from this second half of my year of employment here was entirely understated compared to how they were acting right now. I had to wonder whether it was the determination for Christmas Spirit despite the weather, or a little bit of cabin fever setting in.

I'd tried to join in on the fun, but my heart just wasn't in it. As soon as the laughter stopped, I was back to the doom and gloom preoccupying my mind. Even now, in the face of Lester's grinning mug, I was leaning to the side to continue monitoring the worsening conditions out on the streets. Until a hand clamped over my eyes from behind, that is.

"Enough of that," Bobby said in my ear. "It's time for a break. Doctor's orders."

My chair spun around as Bobby released me, but I didn't have a chance to gain my bearing before I was thrown over his shoulder and carried to the stairwell. An undignified squeal escaped me the moment I became airborne, only to be cut off by a grunt as my diaphragm connected with Bobby's solid frame, squeezing the air from my lungs momentarily.

I regained my breath as we started to ascend and Lester's face came into view again, trailing a few steps behind so he could make eye contact.

"We've got a surprise for you," he said, flashing every single one of his even, white teeth as he grinned.

My heart leapt to my throat. Could it be?

"We know how much you've been looking forward to the Manoso family dinner," he explained. "And how bummed you are that it was cancelled." He gave me a pointed look, as if to say that I wasn't fooling anyone. "So we made some calls and we're making it happen virtual style."

"Virtual style?" I questioned, but sure enough as we entered Carlos's seventh-floor apartment, I was engulfed in the familiar chatter of the whole Manoso family emanating from the living room. The warmth that swept through me as Bobby carried me in and dumped me on the sofa burnt almost as brightly as my seconds of hope when Lester had mentioned a surprise. If I couldn't have Carlos, then the Manosos were a good substitute.

The chatter continued, uninterrupted, as I righted myself on the cushions and took in the view of Carlos's family - my family - filling the widescreen TV, each in their own little boxes. Mama and Papa with Abuela Rosa. Celia, Reynaldo, and the kids, all in their matching Christmas pyjamas. Elena and Anton. Serafina and Blake. Marco and Opal. Tia Lili and Tio Roberto. And of course, Lester and Bobby were with me. All of them were safe and cosy in their respective houses, smiling and laughing despite the grim weather outside. We were all present and accounted for, except Carlos.

As I took it all in, Lester was fiddling with his iPad on the cushion beside me, Bobby having disappeared back into the kitchen. The blank square in the bottom corner of the screen lit up showing the living room we sat in and everyone cheered and waved, calling out greetings over top of one another.

"We finally managed to drag Steph away from the desk," Lester announced, settling back next to me as Bobby returned with a tray of the same hot turkey dinners Ella had provided downstairs for everyone pitching in overnight. "She's like a fiend."

"I'm trying to keep busy and help out where I can," I said defensively. "We're on skeleton crews with the weather so bad, so it's important everyone gets their breaks."

"Including you," Bobby intoned.

"I don't mind -" I tried to wave him off, but Mama Manoso cut me off with the stern tone I'd heard her use on her own children quite a bit, but never been subjected to myself. It made me wonder whether it was just another level of acceptance into the family, or if I should be worried that my time on the pedestal was up.

"You can't just keep putting everyone else ahead of your own needs, Stephanie," Mama admonished. "You need rest, and time with family. Especially around the holidays. I don't accept this workaholic business from Carlos, and I won't tolerate it from you either."

I didn't get a chance to defend my actions any further - not that I knew how I could possibly managed such a thing against the force that is Mama Manoso - because as soon as she finished speaking, Elena, Fi, Celia and Marco, along with their partners, were all uttering their own "ohhhs!" and "burns!" "aw snaps!" But all it did was make me smile. It made me feel even more like I was a part of the family, and with my relationship with my own mother and sister still strained, it was like a welcome embrace.

Mama was right. We needed family at the holidays, and even though she was nagging me about it, it was different to my mother's nagging. There was no judgement. Just the same genuine care and concern as she shows for her children and grandchildren.

"Are we clear?" Mama asked.

I nodded. "Yes, Mama."

And just like that, her whole demeanour shifted into that of the smiling, maternal countenance I'd grown to love over the last two years. "Great!" she enthused. "Now, who wants to tell me about what they're having for Christmas dinner? Eduardo?"

We let the kids showcase their chosen meals, mostly consisting of chicken nuggets and cookies, and indulged them when they asked about the rest of us. Of course Mama, Papa and Abuela had the best of the best, since most of the food for tonight had already been well on it's way to being cooked by the time the decision had been made to cancel.

We chatted while we ate, and moved on to a few rounds of Disney trivia before Reynaldo shuffled the kids off to bed. ("Or Santa won't come!") There were a few worried protests about the weather and whether or not Santa could even find their house in the storm, but it was all quickly explained away by a knowledgeable and understanding Tio Lester, who reminded them that not only was Santa magic (see: flying reindeer and the ability to travel the whole world in a single night), but he also had tactical training that meant he could survive any weather with ease.

This, of course, gave me visions of Carlos dressed as Santa slogging his way through the snow to achieve his mission and I was, at once, amused by the mental image, and hit with a renewed sadness as I was reminded that Carlos wasn't here, and I had no way of knowing if he was safe. I mean, of course he wasn't safe. That was the whole point of his government work. He went to places and did things that no one else could survive.

Tank had received another update a week and a half ago from Carlos's handler confirming life and not much more. There were a lot of nasty people out there who didn't give a damn about the fact that he had a girlfriend and a family to get back to, but I had to believe he was stronger and smarter than all of them, and he'd return eventually.

I don't know how long I'd been lost in thoughts of Carlos before an urgent sounding tone from Lester's phone snapped me back to the present. Doubly so when Lester jerked the device from his belt and stared at the notification for a moment, then stood abruptly.

"Gotta check on something," he announced, stepping over Bobby's legs where he had them propped up on the coffee table and striding purposefully from the room, a look of consternation blanketing his usually easy-going expression.

When the door to the apartment opened and closed, I looked to Bobby, who shrugged and leaned forward to grab another cookie off the plate on the coffee table. "It's obviously not something medical." Which was a good point. If it had been something medical - an injury or the likes - they would have called Bobby. But that fact didn't do anything to lessen my worry. Especially when, ten minutes later, Elena was in the middle of telling us a story about how Anton had gone to work wearing one of her pink knit caps, when Bobby's phone rang out the tone he'd assigned to Lester.

He answered it, stepping out of the room so as not to disturb the family on the video call, but he may as well have stayed for all the good it did. Elena cut herself off abruptly, leaning closer to her screen, trying to get a better look at something.

"Is everything all right over there, Steph?" she asked.

I shook my head, dragging my gaze away from the doorway to take in the worried faces on the screen. "I don't know," I admitted. "Lester and Bobby were both called away. I think I should go check in downstairs and make sure they don't need another set of hands to help out."

"Okay," Papa agreed, a furrow to his brow as he exchanged a glance with Mama. "But make sure you get some sleep tonight too, mija."

"And call us tomorrow," Mama insisted.

"I will," I assured them, picking up the iPad Lester had left on the coffee table. "Merry Christmas, everyone."

There was a chorus of "Merry Christmas!" and "Stay safe!" in return, and as I waved goodbye, Mama called out, "We love you!"

The words brought an immediate lump to my throat, but I managed to choke out a quick, "Love you, too," before I disconnected from the call.

Whatever higher power was responsible for putting Lester and me in the same post office when my life was falling apart two years ago deserved a raise and a promotion. I was so lucky to have them, so lucky to have their love and friendship. One day, I hoped my own family could accept me as readily as the Manosos had that first fateful night.

Swiping the last cookie off the table, I shoved it in my mouth and stuffed my feet back into my shoes. I dabbed the sleeve of the hoodie I'd swiped from Carlos's wardrobe under my eyes to make sure there was no residual moisture from the tears that were threatening to overwhelm me as I made my way out of the apartment and down the stairs to the fifth floor.

"Hey, Steph," Hal greeted, a warm smile on his face when he glanced up from the monitors to see who'd just emerged from the stairwell.. "I thought you'd retired for the night."

"Lester and Bobby pulled me away for a virtual Manoso family dinner," I explained, stopping directly behind him and roving my gaze over the screens, searching for anything amiss. "But they were both called away abruptly," I added. "Do you know anything about that?"

He frowned and clicked through a few screens, pulling up the database of calls and slowly shaking his head as he scanned the list. "Nothing's come through here," he said. "Everything's been quiet. Looks like folks are heeding the warnings and staying indoors where it's safe."

Hank snorted from the far seat at the station, leaning around Junior to eye us both. "Not everyone," he countered. "I just saw some idiot speed past the jewellery store just off Hamilton."

"Lester and Bobby went to Tank's office," Junior added helpfully, nodding in the direction they'd gone.

"Thanks guys." I patted the back of Hal's chair in parting and hurried down the hall to Tank's domain, ignoring the tightening in my chest when I caught sight of Carlos's door at the end of the hall. I knocked on the door and waited for the gruff, "Enter," before opening it and stepping inside.

Lester and Bobby were there, flanking Tank behind his desk. All three of them appeared frenzied for about a millisecond before those wretched blank masks slammed down on their expressions. I hated when they did that, but I understood it was a habit, and they'd been trying to break it, allowing me in more and more whenever they could. It was still frustrating though.

"What's going on?" I asked, crossing to stand in front of them with my hands on my hips, looking from one face to the next, waiting for one of them to crack and show even the slightest bit of an expression. It had worked when I'd caught them planning a surprise party for Carlos's birthday (that didn't go over well with Carlos when he found out), but now, their thoughts and emotions were under lock and key, none of them willing to let me in.

We've been notified of a situation," Tank finally said, his tone even as he folded his massive hands on the desk. The picture of calm and in-control. I wonder if he realised I saw what his expression was when I first opened the door.

"And?" I asked, borrowing from Carlos's playbook with a one word prompt. I'd never met anyone who could do so much while saying so little.

"And we're discussing how to deal with it," Lester said.

"And?"

Bobby's face twitched toward a frown before he could stop it, but again, it was only there for a millisecond. "And there's a lot of factors to consider," he said.

"One of which being the weather," Lester added before I could repeat my one word question again.

My shoulders tensed as I sucked in a breath, and I had the urge to round the desk to see what they were hiding, but I knew I'd never get that far before one of them managed to haul me back, so instead, I took a deep breath and consciously lowered my shoulders as I let it out slowly, mentally repeating one of Bobby's affirmations to myself.

"You're not sending someone out in this storm, are you?" I asked. "It's too dangerous."

Tank shook his head as Bobby and Lester shared a glance that set me on edge even more. "No," he said firmly. "We aren't sending anyone out there."

I narrowed my eyes at his choice of wording. "And you're not going yourselves?" I clarified. You don't spend a year working with men who could be incredibly secretive without picking up on a few evasion tactics.

"We -" Tank started, but I cut him off.

"Don't lie to me, Tank."

Lester sighed, his shoulders sagging as he broke off from the group. "Beautiful, take a seat," he instructed, gesturing to one of the visitors' chairs I stood between.

I did so, but couldn't relax like he probably wanted. Instead, I perched on the very edge of the seat, wedging my hands between my knees so they wouldn't flap about as I was prone to do when my Italian anger was bubbling beneath the surface.

Lester took a moment to pull the other chair closer before settling into it. His expression was earnest when he twisted to face me fully, and I couldn't let him try to coax me away from whatever was going on like I knew he was about to do. Just as his lips parted, I turned my attention abruptly back to Tank.

"How urgent is this situation?" I asked, determined to get to the bottom of it whether they like it or not.

"Moderate to high," he responded efficiently.

"Classified?"

He tilted his head to the side slightly, considering. "Need to know."

"And I don't?"

"Not yet."

"Does it affect staffing?"

He hesitated here, glancing at Lester as if trying to decide whether honesty was, indeed, the best policy in this case. "Yeeeesssss," he finally said, drawing the single syllable out far enough for me to recognise his reluctance and uncertainty.

"But I don't need to know?" I repeated.

His reply didn't change. "Not yet."

"Why 'not yet'?" Staffing and rosters were my responsibility, after all. If something was going to throw the current schedule out of whack, I'd prefer to know sooner rather than later so I could get ahead of the changes that would need to be made.

Bobby let out a sigh. "Because we're still analysing the situation, Steph," he said, coming around the front of the desk to perch in front of me. "We know that it will affect staffing, but because we haven't come to a decent conclusion about how to respond to it, we're not sure how it will affect the roster."

"Can I help you come to the conclusion?" I asked. I was aware that a lot of things about his business were beyond my knowledge and skills, but I'd been helpful in providing alternative insights on a number of occasions throughout my year of employment here, and if there were angles to be considered, maybe I could be useful here as well. "Maybe if you tell me what's going on, I can help you figure out how to respond in a way that has minimal impact on the revised roster."

They guys all exchanged glances again, doing their silent communication thing until something pinged on Tank's computer, drawing his attention. And then all of ours as his blank mask finally broke, his eyebrows winging up his ample forehead in surprise. Lester and Bobby sprang to their feet, hurrying around to see what had happened, and in their moment of distraction, neither of them thought to stop me as I followed, peering over Tank's shoulder to see the message displayed on the screen.

Munroe: ETA 5 min.

There were no other messages in the chat window, no conversation history to add context. Just that one message,which was classic Munroe. He preferred to breadcrumb the information rather than putting all his eggs in one basket to be discovered and traced backward.

"Who or what is estimated to arrive in five minutes?" I asked.

Tank jerked his head around to stare at me, then cut his gaze to Lester. "Take her to the garage," he said in a no-nonsense tone.

Ranger

The Trenton exit finally came into view and I breathed a sigh of relief as I steered the SUV to the off ramp and pointed myself in the direction of Steph's apartment building. The conditions were worse here, the snow sticking to streets that hadn't been plowed, making my progress slow as I carefully navigated the roads. I'd barely made it three miles when my phone pinged. I instructed the car's bluetooth to read it aloud.

"Message received from Munroe," it said in a stilted female voice. "Steph is at Rangeman."

I didn't even question how he knew where I was, or where I was headed. I just changed course, pointing the vehicle toward my company building and hoping the roads between me and it - between me and my Babe - weren't closed.

With every mile, the snow came down in thicker droves, dragging my speed down to the pace of a snail as visibility continued to disappear. My only saving grace was that everyone else in the city had decided to use their brains and stay inside. I was the only vehicle on the road. Or so I thought until a sedan flew through an intersection ahead of me.

I shook my head and continued at my steady pace, my heartrate ratcheting up with every passing mile until finally the Rangeman building came into view. I could almost feel my Babe's body pressed against mine already. The box I'd stuffed into my cargo pocket, in case I'd have to make a quick exit from the vehicle, burned against my leg in anticipation.

I pulled into the driveway and the gates opened before I could reach for my fob. Probably, I wasn't the only one Munroe was keeping informed. I eased forward and pulled into one of the two spaces that were reserved for my vehicles, right beside the elevator and stairwell, noting that Steph's car was in its designated spot a few spaces down. I slid from behind the wheel, electing to leave my duffle in the car in my haste to find Steph and hold her in my arms, and was just coming around the back of the SUV when the stairwell door banged open, allowing the very pissed-off voice of my girlfriend to fill the garage.

"For fucksake, Lester, if it's so urgent that we get to the garage right now, why won't you tell me what's wrong?" she ranted, the words accompanied by stomping, echoing footsteps. It sounded like she was still descending the last flight while Lester held the door open for her.

I made eye contact with my cousin when he glanced over, keeping a stoic expression on his face, but decades of knowing him allowed me to see past the mask to the twinkling amusement underneath. I let the corner of my mouth tip up in a half smile and leaned my hip against the back of the SUV, crossing my arms over my chest just as my Babe huffed and glared her way past Lester and through the doorway. She was just as gorgeous as when I left. More-so, because that haughty little nose scrunch was directed at someone other than me this time.

Her hair was down, doing its usual riotous thing. Her blue eyes were flashing. Cheeks pink from the exertion of descending the stairs and the emotion coursing through her. She wore jeans with an embroidered flower detail up the side, black ankle boots, and one of my old hoodies, her fingertips just peeking out the ends of the sleeves as she crossed her arms. She took another breath in preparation to continue ranting at Lester, but I cut her off before she could get a word out.

"Because it would ruin the surprise, Babe," I said, announcing my presence and suppressing a grin when she jumped and spun to face me. How she could be so unaware of her surroundings when her presence was tingling on the back of my neck like a tap dancing spider, I would never know. But it wasn't important right now, because in the next heartbeat she was running at me and I caught her against my chest when she threw herself at me full-force.

"You're home!" she exclaimed, her ankles locking together at my back at the same time her hands joined together behind my neck.

And then we were kissing. No. Devouring. I couldn't get enough of her. Her body wrapped around mine. Her scent filled my nostrils. Her soft lips pressed against mine, opening for me, our tongues duelling for dominance. Eventually, we had to break apart for oxygen, but I didn't loosen my grip on her. I wasn't sure I was capable of it right then. I stood there, clutching her to me, our foreheads touching, eyes laser focused on each other as we both sucked in great, gasping breaths. I wasn't ashamed to let her know how much she affected me, because I wanted her to know every insignificant corner of me the same way I endeavoured to know her every molecule.

"I love you, Carlos." Her breath whispered across my lips as she uttered the words she'd only said once before. On her birthday. The day I'd had to leave her behind. Those four words had been tattooed on my heart. There was no turning back for me.

"I love you, Babe," I replied earnestly, finally allowing her to slide down my body until her feet were planted on the ground. I didn't stop there, though, as I gripped her hands in mine, lowering myself to one knee in front of her.

She gasped, tears springing to her eyes, and I could feel her fingers trembling before I'd even started. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the box, opening it. Another gasp escaped her, this one muffled by her hands as she pressed them to her mouth, eyes wide in shock.

"Stephanie Michelle Plum," I said, holding her watery gaze. "I have never loved anyone as much as I love you. You bring a light to my life that I never want to live without - that I can't live without. Would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"

"YES!" Her exclamation burst from her almost before I'd finished the question and I wasted no time slipping the ring onto her finger and gathering her into another searing kiss that lasted long moments until both our phones started blowing up with message notifications.

Furrowing her brow, she pulled her phone from her pocket and gaped at the messages filling it the screen, then over to Lester, Bobby and Tank who were gathered by the elevator, shit-eating grins on their faces. I took her moment of distraction to look over the screen and found the family group chat open, filling up shock-faced emojis and double-take gifs from my parents and siblings. A brief scroll up found the reason: Lester had posted a photo of me down on one knee in front of Steph.

As Steph returned her attention to the screen, a message from Mama appeared in all caps:

UPDATE! NOW!

With a laugh, Steph snapped a photo of the ring on her finger and sent it through, with the simple caption, "ENGAGED!"

I pulled her closer to me, kissing her grinning lips again until the next message announced itself.

Elena: Does Carlos know? =P

Everyone in the garage laughed, me included. And I pulled out my own phone to send a gif of someone flipping the bird before turning it off and tucking it away, doing the same with Steph's as Lester and Bobby's phones continued to ping constantly.

"I think that's enough of my family for tonight," I said, tucking a wayward curl behind her ear. "I want to be alone with my fiance."

The grin that had been plastered on her face since the moment I slipped the ring on her finger widened, the sparkle in her eyes turning it wicked. "And I want to unwrap my Christmas present early," she replied, leaning up to kiss me again before seizing my hand and leading me to the elevator that miraculously slid open as we approached.

"I can't say no to that," I murmured against her neck as we settled in for the short ride. Who would want to be late to anything when the reward was getting to see, touch, taste, experience my Babe?

And They Lived Happily Ever After!

The End

=)

Thank you to everyone who has been following along with this story since I started it almost a year ago. And thank you to everyone who has jumped on the band wagon since. This story has grown a lot since the days of "It will be a short four-chapter story" last December (one day I'll actually stick to it), but I think we can all agree that it needed it, and I loved taking the ride with you all.

I will now take a bit of a break while the Muse recalibrates and decides what she wants to go back and work on next.