Stephanie and Carlos ran into Joseph Morelli at the TPD while meeting Joe Juniak for lunch. "You look gorgeous," Joe said. He briefly hugged Stephanie before shaking Carlos' hand. "Why are you here?"
"We're meeting with Juniak," Carlos replied.
"Have you given much thought to my idea?" Morelli asked.
Carlos raised a brow. "We don't live here," Stephanie replied while checking her watch. "The meeting concerns business; we must get inside before we're late."
Morelli stepped aside, letting Stephanie and Carlos enter the precinct. He thought there was something different about Stephanie, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Morelli dismissed his observation and went to his car to start the shift.
Stephanie whispered, "I hope we don't run into anyone else." No sooner had the words crossed her lips when Eddie Gazarra and Carl Costanza appeared. "Oh. Hi," Stephanie awkwardly greeted.
Eddie hugged Stephanie and whispered, "You're glowing. Congratulations." Stephanie gasped in shock. How did he know? "My wife is pregnant too," he whispered before greeting Carlos, who quirked a brow.
"Later," Stephanie promised Carlos. She didn't want to have a discussion where everyone could hear. It would undoubtedly get back to Helen.
Stephanie and Carlos turned away from Eddie and Carl and walked toward the police chief's office. "I should have met you offsite," Joe Juniak said.
"It's fine. Mom doesn't have my phone number, so I don't have to worry about it blowing up with unwanted calls and voice messages," Stephanie replied. The only way Helen could contact Stephanie was to visit the precinct. Stephanie prayed her mother would stay away.
Juniak had their lunch delivered from Pino's. Stephanie was craving a meatball sub and was pleased Uncle Joe ordered one for her. She giggled when he ordered a grilled chicken salad for Carlos. "I assumed your husband wanted something a little healthier," Joe explained.
"You assumed correctly," Stephanie replied.
They ate their lunch in companionable silence. Once Stephanie crumpled the wrapper and tossed it into the trash, Joe Juniak asked, "When are you planning to open the security company? I assumed that's the reason for the meeting."
"You're correct, Uncle Joe," Stephanie replied. "Rangeman Securities LLC purchased a building in Miami. We're retrofitting it for apartments and the base of operations. I'm searching for a comparable building here."
"How many floors?" Juniak asked.
"Between five and nine," Carlos replied. "There's an empty lot off Haywood and a seven-story building a block away. I have my team checking on its availability."
Juniak glanced at his fingers. He waited a few minutes before removing a paper tablet and a pen from his drawer. "What are you thinking?" he asked.
"We want the same model Stephanie created in Miami. It's not running yet, but we received permission to begin the renovations. The building got re-zoned to a combination of residential and business. There are enough apartments for thirty employees to live on-site. Most men we planned to hire are ex-military, ex-FBI and ex-cop. Rangeman does have a few ex-gang members on the team," Carlos explained.
"When do you want to open for business?" Juniak asked.
"In two or three years," Stephanie replied. "We were lucky to find that building in Miami."
"You were lucky we decided to sell you the building," Juniak teased. "How is that working for you?"
"Great. Thank you for the blueprints," Stephanie replied. Juniak waved it off. "Do you happen to own that building on Haywood?"
"No. However, the businesses inside the building are relocating. I'll watch it and let you know when it becomes available. Now, tell me more about Rangeman Securities," Juniak said.
Carlos and Stephanie explained their directive and how they wanted to protect the residents and businesses in Trenton, NJ. Stephanie mentioned the amount of FTAs running loose in the city because they didn't have enough bail bondsmen to capture them. Juniak was impressed by his niece. She had a vision. "It's not my idea," Stephanie said, throwing Juniak off track in his thoughts. "Carlos and his team wanted something to do between missions to keep their minds sharp."
"And something to keep Stephanie from going crazy," Carlos said. Stephanie groaned as she rolled her eyes. Juniak grinned. He knew Stephanie couldn't sit idle for long. "We're hoping to negotiate with the bail bonds offices in the city. My team will round up the FTAs and return them for processing. Rangeman earns money while they get the criminals off the streets. Stephanie and I are opening a Rangeman account here, where the cheques would be deposited by one of my men."
"You need me to smooth things with the officers," Juniak realized.
"Yes," Stephanie replied. "The men have licences to carry concealed in every US state, but we want some on file to prevent unnecessary arrests and paperwork."
"I need a list of names for my records," Juniak said. Stephanie smiled and passed him the names and last known addresses of the Rangeman employees. Juniak laughed when he found Stephanie's name on the list. "You got over your aversion to guns."
"It was necessary during training," Stephanie confessed. "I'm still active."
"The others?" Juniak asked.
"Rodriguez, Hector Alvarez and Silvio are inactive. They have weapons registered to them in New Jersey and Florida. However, they are not licensed to carry concealed," Stephanie explained. "Hector is ex-gang. He never served time in prison, and I never found an arrest record."
"Why is Jeanne Ellen Burrows on this list? Doesn't she work for Les Sebring?" Juniak asked.
"As his office manager. She wants to work for Rangeman to help capture FTAs. We're using her to lure men from public places," Carlos explained. "Jeanne's taking courses to become a licensed BEA. She requires handgun training. Her husband, Kyle, can teach her weapon safety."
"I see he's on the list. He's ex-military?" Juniak asked. Carlos explained Kyle Burrows was ex-special forces and planned to work as a mercenary to earn enough to purchase a house in the area. Juniak smiled and put an asterisk beside Kyle's name. "Any other men in special ops?"
"Tank, Lester, Bobby, Ram, Vince, Cal, Hal and me," Carlos replied. Juniak put asterisks beside those names, too.
"Only Stephanie, Nolan Williams, Alejandro Rodriguez, Silvio Garcia and Hector Alvarez are left. Is that correct?" Juniak asked.
"Silvio is ex-FBI, and Rodriguez is ex-military," Stephanie added. "Nolan is still active in the Air Force." Juniak folded the list and tucked it into his shirt pocket. Carlos raised a brow, wondering why Juniak had stored the list.
"I have to conduct the background checks. Stephanie, we need a local address for your team before I can process the applications," Juniak warned.
"Jeanne and Kyle are living in my Ewing Township home. The other men stay there whenever they're in town. Can you use it for them?" Stephanie asked.
"Stephanie and I live here," Carlos said, passing Juniak a card with the address of the vacant lot.
"There isn't a house on that property," Juniak laughed. He agreed to use Stephanie's address in Ewing for the men and the vacant lot for Stephanie and Carlos, assuming there was a valid reason for Carlos to protect Stephanie.
"Call us at the number on the back of the card when you run the background checks. Leave a message, and someone will return the call," Carlos said. Carlos and Stephanie stood. They wanted to go home.
"Do we have to stay here while you run the background?" Stephanie asked.
"No. You can go home. Take care of yourself," Juniak said. He pushed back and stood. Juniak rounded his desk to hug Stephanie and shake Carlos' hand. "You should head home before your mother appears."
Stephanie and Carlos stepped outside the precinct when a car screeched to a halt beside them. Carlos pushed Stephanie behind him, protecting her from the person driving the vehicle. "Shit!" Stephanie said when her mother exited the car.
"Babe?" Carlos asked.
"Stephanie Michelle Plum, how could you disappear and not call your mother? Why me? Mrs. Gamble's daughter doesn't leave town without leaving a contact number. Why can't you be like your sister, Valerie? She's the perfect child and a proper Burg woman. You have to hang around that thug. I demand you come home and marry Dickie Orr immediately," Helen Plum screamed.
"Seriously? You want me to marry the cheating asshole who thinks of nobody but himself?" Stephanie asked. Stephanie heard about Dickie Orr when she returned to Douglass College. A few of her classmates dated Dickie and compared notes. They weren't amused to learn he was dating other women too. Stephanie never mentioned she was already married to the man protecting her.
"Why me? Why can't you be a proper Burg woman? You should be married and pregnant," Helen screamed. Helen reached for Stephanie's arm.
"Go home, Mom," Stephanie said. She wasn't going to back down from Helen. "How did you know I was here?"
Robin Russell arrived at the scene. She attended the same high school as Stephanie and graduated a year after her. "I'm so sorry, Stephanie. Big Dog told me to keep my mouth shut. I told my mom that I saw you here. Helen overheard our conversation," Robin gushed.
"Where were you?" Stephanie asked.
"The Tasty Pastry on Hamilton," Robin replied.
"Why am I not surprised?" Stephanie wondered. "Mom, go home. I have to leave."
Helen grabbed Stephanie's arm. Carlos quickly stepped in front of Stephanie, forcing Helen to release her grip. "Don't just stand there, Robin. Arrest this thug for kidnapping," Helen demanded.
Joe Juniak exited the precinct. Shaking his head, he motioned for Robin to arrest Helen. "Why me?" Helen lamented.
Stephanie shook her head and turned her back on Helen Plum. Juniak approached Stephanie and Carlos. "Ace has my plane on standby. He's waiting to take you home," he quietly said. "Are you pressing assault charges?"
"No. Mom only grabbed my arm. She released the grip when Carlos stepped between us," Stephanie replied. "We're still opening a branch here. Let us know when you complete the background checks. Thanks for letting us borrow your plane."
"Stay safe," Juniak said. He waved over his shoulder and returned to his desk inside the precinct.
Placing a protective hand on Stephanie's lower back, Carlos guided her to the car they borrowed for the trip. He opened her door and helped her climb inside. Carlos checked his surroundings and noticed Joseph Morelli leaning against his car. After giving Morelli a slight nod, Carlos walked to the driver's side and waited for the officer to approach.
"Have you thought about my offer?" Morelli asked.
"I'm still considering it," Carlos confessed.
"I heard stuff about you from my buddies in the Navy," Joe said. Carlos raised a brow. Morelli leaned forward to share the intel, "They say Ricky or Rico Manoso was responsible for trafficking the girls. Stephanie wouldn't get involved with anyone like that."
"You don't think it's me?" Carlos asked.
"No. We think someone is ruining your reputation. My buddies worked joint missions with you, and they know you are innocent. You weren't in the area when the imposter was working. Watch your back, Ranger," Joe replied. He waved to Stephanie, then walked away. The Rico Manoso his buddies described was taller than Stephanie's husband. Joe knew Carlos Manoso was not the man the authorities were hunting.
"What did Joe say?" Stephanie asked when Carlos sat in the car and turned the ignition.
"Morelli is well informed about the Rico/Ricky shit," Carlos replied. "His Navy friends updated him, and they know I go by Ranger."
"Wow. News really travels fast," Stephanie said. She smiled when Carlos grabbed her hand and rested it on his thigh. Carlos didn't take long to drive to the private airport where Ace and the others awaited their arrival.
Stephanie's phone rang when Carlos parked the car beside the hangar. "Hello," she answered.
"Are you on the plane?" Rosa asked.
"Not yet. We're preparing to board. Is something wrong?" Stephanie asked.
Carlos guided Stephanie up the stairs and into the plane. He kept a possessive hand on her to ensure her safety. "Rachel's here. She's looking for Javier," Rosa replied. "Rachel's fiancé wants to adopt Julie."
"And Rachel needs Javier to relinquish his rights," Stephanie said, finishing Rosa's sentence. "You really should stay out of it, Abuela. All you can do is send it to his handler and have him give the paperwork to Javier."
"I can do that. When will you be home?" Abuela asked.
"We boarded the plane. I'll see you in a few hours," Stephanie replied.
"Steph, don't hang up yet," Ace said. "I have to fly to Georgia tomorrow and will take the paperwork with me. Would that be acceptable?"
"Did you catch that, Abuela?" Stephanie asked.
"Yes," Rosa replied. Stephanie waited for Rosa to discuss it with Rachel, who readily agreed. "Rachel says thanks."
"Adios," Stephanie answered before hanging up. "Hopefully, Javier will receive the paperwork and sign them. Rachel sounded desperate. I heard her ranting about Javier not paying support after their divorce, yet he gave your parents money to pay their mortgage."
"Javier never had his priorities straight," Carlos confessed. He tugged Stephanie onto his lap, wrapped his arms around her waist, and placed his hands on her abdomen. It was too early for the baby bump to appear, but his warm hands made the ache disappear.
"Are you feeling okay?" Lester asked.
"I'm good, Lester. The books indicate I would experience some discomfort during the first trimester because it's my first pregnancy," Stephanie explained. "We got the medic to confirm the results. Now, I have to find a doctor in Miami."
"Have you talked to Jeanne Ellen lately?" Lester asked. Stephanie shook her head. Jeanne Ellen, and Kyle weren't home when the gang arrived last night. Kyle left a note which said they were visiting his family. Stephanie and Carlos were only in Trenton to meet with Joe Juniak, write the required BEA test and set up a bank account for Rangeman Trenton.
Carlos and Stephanie opened it at the branch outside the Burg. Stephanie warned the manager that she'd pull the funds if the employees shared account details. Carlos said they would report them to the business association and their head office in New York. It was enough for the manager to ensure their account details were safe.
"Not since we saw her in Miami," Stephanie replied. "She's taking courses to become a BEA, right?"
"Yes, and she wants to be a private investigator. Jeanne's branching out," Lester said, grinning. "She's already bored with her job. I knew it wasn't going to last long."
Stephanie snorted. "We offered her a job at Rangeman. She doesn't want to relocate to Miami. Jeanne Ellen wants to stay close to Newark. It will take years before we can open a branch in Trenton."
"Isn't that why you talked to the police chief?" Bobby asked.
"Yes, but we need to earn cash to move up the timeline," Stephanie explained. "You guys wanted something to do between deployments. Miami has an abundance of BEAs to capture the skips. Trenton seems to have a revolving door. Nobody stays in the business for long. We have a higher earning potential in Trenton. Kyle is meeting with the other Bail Bonds offices. Vince said he talked to Vinnie at Vincent Plum Bail Bonds."
"Is he related to you?" Tank asked.
"Unfortunately," Stephanie replied. "Vinnie is a sexual deviant."
The men laughed, thinking Stephanie was joking. Vince, who was on the plane, shared stories he heard from their other cousins. His stories seemed unrealistic, but Stephanie confirmed a few were true. "None of that changes the fact he's writing more bonds than he can capture," Vince stated.
"Who works for him?" Lester asked.
"Connie Rosolli started working as his receptionist. Vinnie and the ex-cop, Morty Beyers, are the only men capturing the FTAs. Rumour is Vinnie wants to work in the office. He needs men capable of chasing the higher bonds," Vince answered.
"And that's how we're going to make our money," Stephanie added. "A few of you will reside in my house in Ewing when it's your turn to capture skips. It will take about a month for Juniak to get our permits prepared. Everyone will work under Rangeman's BEA license."
"Tank, Lester and Bobby must take the course in Miami and Trenton. You can complete the course requirements online, but you have to write the exams in the individual cities," Carlos explained. "Stephanie and I already completed the requirements."
"You wrote the exams?" Lester asked. "When did you write the ones in Trenton?"
"Early this morning. It was about an hour after we landed," Stephanie replied. "The test was fairly straightforward. You should find it fairly easy. Most of it is common sense, but some questions concern your legal rights as a BEA. We have to operate according to the law."
"Babe, some methods are legally grey," Carlos reminded her.
"Yes, but they are morally right," Stephanie said, grinning.