Chapter 19

Why the fuck isn't she picking up the damn phone? How many times do I need to call her? Morelli was getting frustrated that Stephanie was ignoring his phone calls. He was out on bail and needed to talk to her. Joe had to make sure she understood that the charges were bullshit. But he couldn't do that if she wouldn't answer the phone. Maybe I can get a Google Voice number. That will work; that number won't be blocked.

After a few taps on his phone, Morelli tried to call Stephanie again. He hoped Stephanie would pick up the phone using a Trenton area code.

"Hello?"

"Cupcake! I'm so happy to hear your voice."

"Joe, what number are you calling me from? What do you want?"

"I want to talk to you. I've been trying to contact you for over a week. How are you doing? Did you recover from your injury? I was worried about you. After all, you're my girlfriend."

Stephanie rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. She was lying in Carlos's bed, naked, with his hand lazily rubbing her arm, though she felt him tense behind her when he heard it was Joe on the phone.

"Joe, we broke up. We are not dating, and we will never date again. We are over. I will not date someone without respect for women, let alone his so-called girlfriend."

"Cupcake, what are you talking about? You know those charges are bullshit. I didn't do any of those things. Someone must be paying those women to speak out against me."

Joe was livid. What did she mean she wasn't his girlfriend? Why wasn't she willing to hear him out and help defend him?

"Unfortunately, I know firsthand that those charges are true."

"What do you mean? I never hurt you or did anything to you without your consent."

"Yes, you did, Joe. You should be happy that I didn't press charges against you." Stephanie involuntary moaned as Carlos's hand wandered down between her legs. "Stop that!" Stephanie whispered.

Carlos didn't listen. Instead, he continued to touch his Babe, where he knew she loved to be touched. Yes, it was petty, but knowing Morelli was on the phone while he was ready to make love to Stephanie once again aroused him even more.

"Who's there with you? What are you doing? You better not be cheating on me!"

Stephanie laughed as her breath hitched. "Cheat on you? You have some gall to accuse me of cheating on you. You were the one who stuck his dick in anyone with tits. We are through, done, finito, and have been for a while. We will never be together again. Now, if you don't mind, my fiancé is waiting to give me another orgasm."

"Fiancé? What the fuck are you talking about? You're not fucking engaged."

"Yes, Joe, I am. Damn it, Carlos, wait a moment. Goodbye, Joe, don't call me again, or I will charge you with harassment." Joe heard the line go dead as Stephanie hung up.

Joe barely resisted the urge to throw his phone across the room. How could she do that to him? How could she be engaged to anyone else? He is the Italian Stallion, and women worldwide want him. Who the fuck was Carlos.

Joe was perplexed and decided to text his cousin Mooch, who bailed him out. Thankfully, Mooch was still talking to Joe, the only family member who didn't excommunicate him.

J - Hey, Mooch, it's Joe. What can you tell me about Ranger? Do you know his name?

M – How's it going? I know his last name is Manoso. If you give me a few, I can try to find out his first name. Connie probably knows.

J – Ok

If Stephanie is truly engaged to Ranger, then Joe knows he was screwed. He needed Stephanie to help get him out of this mess. Getting her to vouch for him was paramount to him getting off on the charges. He felt his phone vibrate.

M – Ranger's name is Ricardo Carlos Manoso, but people only dare call him Carlos. Connie said that word on the street is that Ranger is off the market. He was Trenton's most eligible bachelor. Guess who he's engaged to?

Joe was fuming. How did Trenton already know? Why was he always the last to find things out?

J - ?

M – Stephanie Plum. I thought you were engaged to her?

J – Yeah, well. I gotta go. Thx

Morelli knew that he was going down the creek without any paddles. He put his head in his hands and thought, "Why me?"

Meanwhile, Stephanie enjoyed Carlos's mouth against her core, his tongue moving around her folds. She lost track of the amount of orgasms she had in the last two days since she accepted his proposal. She had no idea sex could be so enjoyable.

Ranger, meanwhile, couldn't get enough of Stephanie. If he didn't know better, he would have thought he took Viagra. No matter how often he made love to Stephanie or how many blow jobs he received, he was still aroused.

All too soon, Ranger was burying his manhood inside his woman, and they climaxed together. As they lay in post-coital bliss, Ranger froze.

"Carlos, what's wrong?"

"I forgot a condom. I…I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I'm on the pill, remember?"

"Yes, but you were on antibiotics."

"So?"

"Antibiotics mess with birth control. You can get pregnant."

It was Stephanie's turn to freeze. What did she think about that? If it were Joe who just told her he forgot a condom, she'd be livid, scared, and annoyed. But, with Carlos, she was okay with it. The prospect of having Carlos's baby didn't scare her; it made her insanely happy.

"Even though the timing isn't great, I don't care. If I'm pregnant, I'm pregnant. If I'm not, it's okay too. I love you, and you love me. What would have me more upset is that we're not married."

"You would be fine having my baby?"

"Yes. How do you feel?"

Ranger paused and thought about what that could mean. While he wasn't keen on having a kid while still under contract, he wouldn't ask her to end the pregnancy. If she were pregnant, he'd be at peace. If he were honest with himself, part of him hoped that Stephanie was pregnant.

"I'm okay, too. Though I don't want to have children yet, I would be thrilled if you became pregnant."

They kissed, and Stephanie placed her head on Carlos's shoulder. "I still can't believe my father was okay with our engagement. I thought he'd fire you or tell me it was too soon."

"I was a little concerned about that, too," Ranger admitted.

Ranger recalled the conversation with the President when they returned to his apartment.

"We need to tell my father." Stephanie said, obviously worried."

"It'll be fine. Why don't you ask your father if he can video conference with you?"

"I'll text him. Give me a minute."

Stephanie texted her father, and after a few texts back and forth, she told Ranger to set up the call. Once they were connected, they sat together on Ranger's couch.

"Hi, Pumpkin, Ranger. Is everything okay?"

"Yes, Dad, everything is fine. It's better than fine."

Frank couldn't help but notice the joy in Stephanie's face, the light in her eyes, and how close Mr. Manoso was sitting to her.

"Then what is it that you wanted to tell me?"

Ranger looked at Stephanie, and she nodded. "Mr. President, Sir, I know this sounds crazy, but I asked your daughter to marry me, and she accepted."

Frank stared at the computer monitor for a minute, completely flabbergasted. He then looked to Joe Juniak, who had entered his office as Ranger spoke, to see if he heard correctly.

"You're engaged?"

Frank couldn't believe that was all he could say. In his mind, he thought about all he learned about Ranger since they left Washington. From his reaction after Stephanie was injured, he knew he cared for her, and he could tell that she cared for him. Frank was aware of his company and their profit margins. Frank also learned that Ranger was still under contract and that contract netted him several millions of dollars for each mission. The biggest surprise was the huge increase in payments to mercenaries. Frank never earned quite that much money. However, that contract could be terminated if Ranger so desired. He quickly recovered, though.

"Yes, Dad. I know it's fast, but Carlos is…I can't explain it. From our first meeting, he made me feel at peace and cherished."

"Congratulations. This is wonderful news. Do you want to let everyone know, or do you want to keep it a secret?"

"We will share our news with people as we talk to them. You can tell others. But don't tell Valerie or Grandma. I'm going to call them myself. Please wait until tomorrow, so I have time to contact people."

"No problem. Uncle Joe knows because he walked in the room when Ranger announced it."

Joe Juniak moved into the camera's field of view. "Congrats. Can I see the ring?"

Stephanie held up her hand and showed off the ring.

"That's beautiful."

"Thanks, Uncle Joe."

"Listen, Stephanie, I have a call I need to make, but I am so happy for you. Please stay safe. And son, let's discuss your contract in a few days."

"Yes, Sir. Thank you. I'm sorry for not talking to you first."

"Nonsense, don't worry. I'm not that old-fashioned. Good Night."

Ranger's phone pinged with the sound of a text message. He glanced at it.

"I'm sorry, but we need to get dressed. We'll be meeting in ninety minutes to discuss the updates."

"Okay. Want to shower together?"

"Sure, why not."

Ranger got out of bed and threw the covers off Stephanie before picking her up and carrying her into the bathroom. Maybe they'd be on time.

Valerie was still in shock that her sister was engaged. And to Ranger, for that matter. She didn't see that coming, not in a hundred years. Valerie was happy for Stephanie. She was a good person with a huge heart and deserved someone who would treat her well. She saw how Stephanie and Ranger interacted in D. C. They were so entirely into each other, though they probably didn't know how obvious they were. Valerie knew Joe was not the right man for Stephanie, even though her dearly departed mother told Stephanie otherwise.

Joe was a pig. He always had been. She mentioned to Stephanie a couple of times when they first started dating again about five years before to kick him to the curb, but for some reason, Stephanie didn't. Her mother would say how happy Stephanie was, and Valerie, who was so caught up in her own life, took her mother's words at face value. However, she doubted what her mother was saying whenever she saw Joe and Stephanie together.

Even as she was dying, their mother tried pushing Joe and Stephanie together. As much as she wanted to chastise her mother since Stephanie didn't push back, neither did Valerie. Valerie knew her mother wanted Stephanie to marry Joe, but she did everything she could to convince her mother that now wasn't the right time. Thank goodness Stephanie didn't do that. When she told Steven about her mother's wishes, he promised Valerie that if it ever came down to a ceremony, he would speak out against it.

Stephanie asked Valerie to call some of their friends from Trenton to share the good news. Stephanie wanted to call herself but was busy. Stephanie would talk to MaryLou, but she asked Valerie to speak to Shirley the whiner, their cousin who was married to Eddie Gazzzara, Connie Risoli, who worked for their cousin Vincent Plum, and Sara Constanza. They both knew that by tomorrow, the entire Burg would know. None of those women could keep their mouths shut. But this was a story that Stephanie wanted to broadcast all over the BNN.

"Mary Alice, can you please stop neighing for a little while? Mommy needs to make a few phone calls."

"But I a horsey, mommy."

Valerie sighed and bent to be at eye level with her youngest daughter. "I know you're a horse, but it's time for the horse to nap so you can run around later."

"Okay," Mary Alice said as she skipped to her room.

Valerie hoped that being a horse was another phase Mary Alice was going through, but it seemed to be lasting a long time. It started when Ellen got sick. 'Maybe Mary Alice should see a therapist,' Valerie often thought. That would be a decision for another day.

As she dialed the familiar number for Shirley, Valerie sat down, ready to dish the year's scoop.

The men were sitting around the conference table, glancing at their watches and double-checking the time on their phones. It was unlike their boss, Ranger, to be late for a briefing, at least without letting someone know first. He and Ms. Plum were expected in the conference room twenty minutes earlier. As Tank was getting ready to call the boss, they heard him and Ms. Plum walking down the hall. The men quickly sat up straight in their seats, put their phones away, and checked that their notes were neatly organized.

Ranger opened the door, aware he was late to the meeting. The shower wasn't as quick as it should have been, pushing them behind. He didn't tell his men that he and Stephanie were engaged and were curious to see who would notice it first and how long it would take them to figure it out.

When Lester and Tank saw Ranger and Stephanie, they exchanged a look with each other. It said they knew why they were late. And although they were both a little jealous, they were happy for the boss.

"Good morning. Let's get started," Ranger said as he sat down. Before he sat, he held the chair out for Stephanie, sitting next to him.

Lester said, "We managed to dig more into the General's background. He and his identical twin brother were placed for adoption at birth. His brother was adopted by a couple living in Hamilton, NJ. His name was Sal Martinelli. When he was 8, they moved to Chambersburg. Neither the General nor his brother knew of each other until they arrived at basic training, where they were in the same platoon.

"Since they were identical, there was no doubt they were related. They compared stories and pieced together what happened. They became good friends. Unfortunately, his brother died in Vietnam. He knew Sal was seeing someone from home, and they were serious. Her name was Ellen Mazur."

Stephanie gasped as the puzzle pieces were starting to come together for her.

"At the time of Sal's death, General Dudley was overseas. When he came home, he went to Trenton to talk to his brother's woman, only to find her pregnant and married. We know this because he wrote this all in emails to Jessica. It wasn't until recently that he discovered that Valerie was his daughter."

"So why is he mad at Frank? Wouldn't he be glad that someone like Frank raised his niece?" Marco asked.

"He was, initially. That was until Jessica told him Valerie didn't know Frank wasn't her father. To Dudley, that was a slap in the face. It erased his brother. He already had a beef with Frank because they were rivals back then. Frank was the best, with Dudley always coming in second. This discovery adds salt to the wound. Then, Jessica told him how close you, Stephanie, and Frank are, how you traveled with him on State business and campaigned for him while Valerie stayed home with her husband and kids. In his mind, Valerie was relegated to the side and not important."

"But my sister loves to be home. It's what makes her the happiest. She was offered to come with us to England, but she refused. She doesn't like the spotlight. Dad never excludes Valerie."

"It doesn't matter what reality is; it only matters what Dudley thinks. So, in turn, you rejecting his daughter and giving her that bad evaluation only further fueled his anger at you for being the "golden" child," Lester said.

"Shit. Do we have any idea what the General has up his sleeves?" Ranger asked.

"No. Dudley is involved in tests for a lot of new weapons. It could be any number of things. We know that he is aware that Stephanie is somewhere related to you, Ranger. He knows it's our company providing her security."

That causes Ranger to pause. He knows his holding is buried under aliases and shells, but the General has high clearance. Dudley may have the means to find them.

Marco said, "Maybe we need to get Stephanie back on the road. We must lure Jessica out instead of keeping her hidden by having Stephanie locked away."

Before anyone could respond, Juan, one of the Miami Rangemen, bursts into the conference room. "Ranger, Sir, I'm sorry to interrupt, but Rachel is on the phone, demanding to speak with you."

"Mom, I don't understand why I can't spend more time with Ranger. He is my father, and he's really nice to me. I love spending time with him and my bisabuela."

Rachel rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time this morning. "He abandoned you as a baby. He completely ruined my life. I won't let him ruin yours too."

"Mom, I know that is not true. I know that he married you when he found out you were pregnant with me. I also know that you told him that Ron was my biological dad. You are the one who kept us apart."

Rachel was enraged. How dare Julie go against her. She slapped her across the face. "How dare you speak to me that way. You are an ungrateful little brat. You have caused me nothing but trouble since the day I discovered I was pregnant with you. Go upstairs and get ready for school. I'm not dropping you off today. You will walk there, and I don't care if you're late. Get out of my face!"

Tears welled in Julie's eyes as she held her hand to her cheek. She ran out of the kitchen and up to her room. She quickly got dressed and grabbed her backpack. She would call Ranger and tell him what happened once she left the house. He'll know what to do. Julie knows she seems distant when she's with Ranger, but that's because her mother tells her to act that way. Julie knows her mother doesn't love her, and as for Ron, well, he's been looking at her weirdly lately and makes her feel uncomfortable.

Julie takes her keys and runs down the stairs, quickly leaving the house and starting on her ten-block walk to school. Even though she's in fourth grade, she's done this walk many times. Once Julie turns the corner, she takes out her phone and searches for Ranger's number. However, she felt someone grab her with their hand on her mouth and pull her into a van before she could. She screams out, but only after the van door is closed.

Xxxxxx

Rachel walks into the house to her phone ringing. She quickly picks up the phone. "Hello."

"Good morning, Mrs. Martine. This is Mrs. Reyes, the nurse from Southside Elementary. Is Julie home sick today?"

"No, she's not. She's at school," Rachel responds as she looks at her watch. It's 10, and she should definitely be there by now.

"Oh, well, she didn't arrive. She's not in her classroom. Did you or Mr. Martine drop her off?"

"No, not today. I had to drive Isabella and RJ to school. Mr. Martine got called into work early. She walked."

"Oh, okay. I'll let the principal know. Maybe you should look for her."

"I will. Thank you for calling."

Rachel hung up, furious at Julie for taking her sweet time getting to school. When that girl gets home tonight, she'll wish she was never born. Rachel grabs her keys and purse and gets into her car. She starts to drive the path Julie would take when she sees a cell phone on the sidewalk. Rachel parks and leaves the vehicle. She picks up the phone, seeing that it's Julie's phone and Ranger's number is on the keypad. That asshole. I bet he came and picked her up, keeping her out of school.

"Um, excuse me, Ma'am?" An older woman, probably around 70, comes running out of the house in front. "I just got off the phone with the cops. I saw a van pull up and grab a young girl. She had long, dark brown hair and wore blue jeans and a pink hoodie. Is that her phone? Do you know that girl?"

Before Rachel could respond, a cop car pulls up with sirens blasting. The woman immediately goes to the cops, telling them what she saw. Rachel, meanwhile, is holding Julie's phone, convinced that Ranger had something to do with her disappearance.

"Ma'am," a young officer approaches Rachel, "we need to get your statement. I'm Officer Alonso."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Ma'am, what is your name?"

"Rachel Martine."

"Do you know the girl who was abducted?"

"Yes, that's my oldest daughter, Julie. She's ten."

"Can you please explain what happened this morning?"

"Things were chaotic in my house this morning. My younger son, RJ, had to bring a large project into school, and it wouldn't fit on the bus, so I had to drive him and my other daughter, Isabella. They are in second and first grades at the primary school. My husband was supposed to drive Julie but got called into work early. Julie volunteered to walk to school. She didn't mind and knew the route."

"I see. You allowed a ten-year-old to walk to school alone?"

"Yes. Julie's very mature for her age."

"I see. Then what?"

"I got home about fifteen minutes ago; I had to stop at the store after dropping off RJ and Isabella and heard the phone ringing. The school called to ask if Julie was home sick today. I told them no, then got in my car to look for her. I saw her phone on the ground and picked it up."

"May we see that?"

Rachel handed the phone to the officer. He looked at the phone and noticed that Julie was ready to make a phone call. "Who's Ranger?"

"That's her biological father. He wasn't around until a few years ago."

"Why would she call him?"

"I don't know. Julie and Ranger see each other infrequently. I don't know why she wanted to talk to him. He doesn't have time for her."

"Okay, Ma'am. We'll accompany you to your home and stay with you if anyone tries to contact you."

Rachel nods and gets back in her car. She drives home with officers following closely behind. Finally, inside, she gets her cell phone and calls Rangeman.

"Rangeman Miami, Juan speaking. How can I direct your call?"

"I need to speak to Ranger, NOW. It's Rachel, his ex-wife. I'll wait while you connect me."

"Okay, Ma'am, let me see if he's free."

"You will interrupt him. I must speak to him."

"Hold on, please," Juan said before jumping out of his seat. Thankfully, Dakota was stepping into the lobby.

"Dak, I need you to watch the desk. I have to tell Ranger his ex-wife is on the phone, and she's not happy."

"Sure. You know Ranger's in a closed-door meeting; do not disturb."

"I know, but she's insistent."

"Good luck, man."

Juan runs up the stairs and opens the door to the conference room. Once acknowledged, he informs Ranger that Rachel is on the phone."

"Thank you, Juan; you may go back to your post. I hope you didn't leave it empty."

"No, Sir. Dak is there."

Ranger nodded at him, indicating his dismissal. Ranger picked up the phone.

"How can I help you, Rachel?"

"Your daughter is gone! She was abducted. I hope you're happy." Rachel said before hanging up.