Stephanie's POV
"Proud of you, Babe," Carlos said when he realized what I noticed on the blueprint. "I thought you were having a catfight over the design."
"Nope. The design is shit. I wanted you to know about the secret entrance to our home since it wasn't on the initial blueprints of the building. She must have stumbled across it while the workers opened the walls. You should install a new security panel or several cameras. Hannah likely has another copy of this blueprint and the codes to enter that escape route. I wouldn't put it past her to try accessing this apartment from the main floor," I replied.
We checked the rest of the apartment. Carlos shook his head and took a few pictures. "You can access the bedroom through that door," Carlos grumbled.
"We should conceal it inside a walk-in closet," I suggested. "And have a panel to lock out anyone from entering."
Carlos raised a finger after sending the photos. "Isa," Carlos said when someone answered the phone, "are you and Diego available for a redesign?" I raised my brows, trying to determine who Carlos was talking to. "Isabella, I'm not in Miami. Rangeman is opening a branch in Trenton." A few minutes later, he said, "I'll see you in fifteen minutes."
"Your sister?" I asked.
"Yes. Diego is her husband. They happened to be in town for a design job. He works at an engineering firm, and she's an interior designer. The two of them will redo the sixth and seventh floors. Do you want a tour now?" Carlos asked. I nodded. We planned to revisit our apartment once Isabella arrived.
Carlos and I took the elevator to the sixth floor. I grimaced upon noticing the cheap doors installed on the apartments. "What the hell?" I grumbled when I entered the apartment attached to the laundry facility. "Crappy design. Was this Hannah's fucked up idea?"
"It was," Carlos replied. "The doors should be fireproof on all floors. Levi and Hannah installed cheap doors to save money from the cost of the other fixtures."
"We should call the contractors to notify them of the change of ownership. I suspect Levi will contact them and claim you don't want their services," I said. Carlos sighed. He called someone to ensure the construction continued on the building.
"Diego will ensure the construction team completes the work. He has a few contacts in the area," Carlos explained after disconnecting the call.
I wrapped my arms around Carlos. "I'm sorry you had to put up with that bitch today. Did you know she was designing the apartments?"
"No. I thought Levi used the designs I provided from the other branches," Carlos replied. "Everything on the first five floors is identical to the other offices, but he hired his sister to redesign the other living quarters."
Deciding to look at it as the glass half full, I said, "We can get Isabella to design our apartment with my input. I don't want the space to be identical to your other branches. It would be more meaningful to have a say."
"Anything for you, Babe. I want you to be comfortable here," Carlos said. "Once we've established business, we could buy a house or build one."
"Whatever for? We have the apartment on St James and here," I argued. A flash of hurt crossed his face. It took me a second to realize what upset my husband. "Carlos, I'm not interested in having children yet. When the time comes, we can revisit our living arrangements."
Resting his forehead against mine, Carlos said, "Thank you, Babe. I want only a few years with you before expanding our family. We can discuss procreation later."
"We can still have fun practicing," I teased. "I got the birth control shot this morning. We're good for the next three months."
"Babe," Carlos growled. He pressed me against the wall and kissed me thoroughly. Neither of us noticed the couple who entered the apartment.
A deep voice said, "Ahem," breaking us from the passionate kiss. I unwrapped my legs from my husband's hips.
"Sorry," I mumbled, feeling my face turn hot from embarrassment.
"I'm Diego," the man said, extending his hand.
"I'm Stephanie Plum, but you can call me Steph," I replied. Isabella hugged me instead of shaking my hand.
"Please tell me you tamed my brother," Isabella said.
I wasn't sure how to answer and looked to Carlos for advice. He raised a brow, and I smiled. "Stephanie is my wife," Carlos said.
"We never realized you had a girlfriend. Why didn't you tell us?" Isabella whined.
"Carlos and I didn't want anyone interfering," I replied, providing a viable excuse.
Isabella looked around the room. "Who designed this abomination?" she asked, pointing to the opening leading to the laundry facility. Isabella didn't wait for a response and entered the other room. "This won't do," Isabella said when she reappeared. "What's the point of ventilating the laundry room when left open like this?"
With contempt, I replied, "Hannah Kohen decided it was what Carlos wanted for the design."
"She probably wanted to show Carlos she had a vision for making access easier for the housekeeper," Isabella said. A slow grin appeared on her face.
"What are you thinking?" I asked.
Isabella took several pictures and posted them anonymously on a design Facebook page. The caption read, "Design fail by Hannah Kohen."
"That's hilarious," I said, laughing until I cried. "Nobody would hire her."
"Not my problem. I attended design school with Hannah. Her designs were horrible. Hannah probably belongs to the Gold-digger and Whore Facebook groups to find another eligible man to sink her skanky claws into," Isabella said. "Wait. You're not married to Carlos for his money, right?"
"Isabella," Carlos warned.
Rolling my eyes, I replied, "I never knew he was wealthy when we got married. Learning he owned Rangeman was a surprise, too. I don't want or need his money."
"Do you know he's an ex-Army Ranger?" Isabella challenged. It confirmed my suspicions, so I nodded. "Okay. I wanted to ensure you knew everything about my brother. Do you," she started to ask.
My rhino mode kicked in, and I cut her off, "I know about Julie and the other family members. You shouldn't share details about your brother without permission. He's a private man."
"But he never tells us anything," Isabella complained.
"Have you ever considered it was for your safety?" I asked. Carlos wrapped his arms around me, pulling me against him and resting his chin on my shoulder.
Isabella looked confused. "What do you mean?"
Thankfully, Diego came to the rescue, "It means your brother likely made enemies while protecting this country. He doesn't share details to prevent those enemies from using you to get to him."
"How do you know?" Isabella challenged.
"I overheard Lester telling your Tia Camila when she asked why he doesn't share details about his life," Diego replied.
"Lester?" I asked.
Carlos whispered, "Yes. He's my cousin. His mother is my maternal aunt."
"Your secret's safe with me," I whispered. Carlos kissed my cheek before removing his arms. I groaned from the loss.
"Crap. They're just like Mama and Papi," Isabella said.
"What do you mean?" I asked, curious about the statement.
"My parents met when they were nineteen. They married within a few days of meeting and have been madly in love ever since." Narrowing her eyes, Isabella asked, "When did you meet Carlos?"
Laughing, I replied, "Less than a week ago."
"Yup, like Mama and Papi," Isabella laughed. "Do they know you're married, Carlos?"
"Not yet, but we're planning to visit for Thanksgiving. I'll announce it then," Carlos replied. "Until then, keep your mouth closed." Isabella rolled her eyes but agreed.
We walked around the apartment and changed a few things. The industrial kitchen seemed too unorganized. It made more sense to have the three stoves beside each other to simplify cooking. Having them spread out seemed like a waste of space. Isabella agreed and pulled them from the walls. "We'll need the wiring changed to move these closer together," she said. Diego nodded and recorded the change on the blueprint he quickly drafted.
"It isn't to scale, but I know the measurements between plugs and appliances. I'll draw up the blueprint with accurate measurements," Diego promised. I held the end of the measuring tape as he read the number and labelled the rough floor plan.
Carlos walked around the apartment with Isabella and explained what he wanted. "I'm not sure we should open this wall for a double door. It's best to reduce it to fit a thirty-six-inch fire door," Isabella explained. "We should also replace all the drywall in the kitchen ceiling and this wall with fire-resistant sheets."
I opened the door beside the refrigerator. "This walk-in pantry closet is a good idea, but wouldn't it be better to have a commercial-sized fridge and freezer and a smaller pantry for the dry goods? From what Carlos told me, the cooks in the other branches use mostly fresh ingredients and fill the freezer once a month with meats. I don't think this freezer has the space required to fit a whole cow," I thought, closing the freezer doors. It was a large upright freezer, but not what I expected when I heard it was supposed to have a commercial kitchen.
"What did you expect?" Isabella asked.
"Did I say that out loud?" I questioned.
She shook her head and said, "You frowned."
"The freezer should have enough space to hold multiple chickens and a cow," I replied. "You could barely fit a quarter of a cow in here. The onsite housekeeper and chef would need to visit the butcher and grocery store often to replenish the stock. She should only need to shop once a week for fresh fruits and vegetables and fill the freezer once a month. The pantry should be smaller, too. Carlos wants whole foods and grains used. There shouldn't be space to store canned goods unless the housekeeper makes her preserves."
"Do you have someone in mind?" Isabella asked.
Carlos replied, "I hired Ella and Luis Guzman."
"Why don't we go upstairs and work through the issues with your apartment? I'll bring Ella and Luis here to design their space," Isabella suggested. Carlos nodded, and I shrugged. It made sense to have the Guzmans involved with their apartment design.
We spent an hour redesigning the apartment. Carlos and I made the primary bedroom large with a walk-in closet. "This panel leads to an escape tunnel," I said, opening the wall.
Diego laughed, "Hector installed a floor bolt on the main level. Nobody can get in without disengaging the lock. We can mechanize it once we secure the exits on each level."
"Sounds like a plan. Thank you for coming here to discuss the redesign," I said. "Carlos and I appreciate your assistance."
Carlos walked me to the garage. He raised a brow upon seeing Morelli's Jeep parked beside my Miata. "Hector drove my car, and I drove the Jeep," I explained. "I'll see you tonight." I rose to my toes to kiss him. He returned it with passion.
"Stay safe," Carlos said, stroking my cheek. "I have meetings with Les Sebring and other bonds offices."
"I know. Don't kill your sister," I teased. "Find out when we can move in. I like this building better than the other apartment." Carlos nodded. He walked me to the Jeep and kissed me before closing the door.
Hector jumped into the passenger seat. "Watch her back," Carlos ordered.
I drove to Stark Street and parked on Tyler. Hector disappeared into the background. I removed the photo of Louis Domingo from the file, tucking it into my pocket. Two hookers stood on the corner of Tyler and Stark. Smiling, I approached them, "Hi, I'm looking for Louis Domingo. Have you seen him?"
The one woman was an inch taller than me in her three-inch heels. I put her height at five foot five; she likely weighed over two hundred pounds. Her legs appeared muscular, but her torso resembled a curvy keg. "What do I get if I had?" she asked.
"Lula, maybe you should stop talking and look like you want to give some before your old man beats the crap out of you," the other woman said. "You just got out of jail."
"Shut up, Jackie," Lula hissed. "What does Louis look like?"
I removed the photo from my pocket to show the two women. Jackie stepped backwards, shaking her head, "I ain't getting involved. He's the man Morelli wants to find." Her face turned pale as she looked over my head. Jackie couldn't get away fast enough. "She walked away and approached a car." The man rolled his window down. Jackie must have arranged a quickie and climbed into his vehicle.
"Have you seen him?" I asked Lula. She looked up the street.
Lula smiled, "He knows Jimmy Alpha."
"And where will I find Jimmy?" I asked.
"At the Stark Street Gym," she said, laughing. Something about her laugh should have made me run in the opposite direction.
I wasn't looking for Morelli but could sense him in the area. Hector lurked in the shadows, showing himself occasionally to let me know he was still watching. His presence relaxed me and gave me the courage to continue searching for Louis.
It didn't take long to find the entrance to the gym. I opened the door and nearly vomited from the stench of filth, sweat and garbage. Something yellow and slimy was on the handrail. Walking up the steps, I curled my lips, purposely avoiding whatever toxic sludge was dripping from the railing.
The stench of sweat and ass assaulted my nose when I opened the door on the second floor. Six scary men with muscles upon muscles looked in my direction. Pasting on a smile to hide my fear, I asked, "Hi, I'm Stephanie. Has anyone seen this man?" I showed them the picture.
"I'm Benito," the largest man said in a falsetto voice. Shit! Carlos warned me to stay away from the dangerous boxer. Everything about the boxer scared me. His lip curled into a sneer, and I wondered if he could sense my fear.
Taking a step back, I asked, "Do you know where I can find Jimmy Alpha?"
"Benito isn't interested in Jimmy. The champ wants to play with Stephanie. He can smell your pussy dripping in fear," Ramirez said, giving me the creeps. He grabbed my arm. I squealed and kneed him in the nuts. The other men growled and stood to help Ramirez. Six men against one woman were dangerous odds. I should have listened to Ranger and stayed far away from here.
"Get away from me!" I shouted. "Ranger was right. You're crazy."
"The champ isn't crazy. The champ saw you talking to Lula," Ramirez roared, still talking about himself in the third person. "Ranger put Lula in jail. The champ will make you hurt good. Do you want to hurt good?" Shoving my knee into his nuts didn't stop him from long. It freaked me out that he wasn't affected. Ramirez must love the pain.
Before he could grab me, the window shattered. I barely caught the sight of Morelli in the building across the street when Hector stormed into the gym to rescue me from the enraged boxer. "Back off," I yelled as Ramirez lunged at me.
Hector threw his knife, catching Ramirez in the arm. The boxer pulled the knife from his arm and lunged at me. In a move I couldn't see, Hector twisted the boxer's arm and tugged the knife from his grip without getting injured.
We rushed from the room. I slipped on something slimy and fell down the stairs, landing on my face. The crunch and pain from my nose indicated I likely broke it. My pants were torn, and my knees ached. Hector helped me to my feet, and we returned to the Jeep. He disappeared in the shadows to ensure Ramirez never followed us. With shaking hands, I tried to unlock the Jeep.
Morelli arrived a second later, holding the picture of Louis Domingo that I must have dropped near the gym. "Who is he?" Joe demanded.
"My FTA, Louis Domingo," I snarled, grabbing the photo. Maybe having the name would get Morelli off my back. If Joe chased after Domingo, all I had to do was stand back, wait until they weren't paying attention and stun Domingo's ass.
"That's my car," Joe snapped.
"You can have it back. I don't want it," I said, giving him the keys. I didn't have the strength to fight him for the car. Hector moved to stand beside me, forcing Joe to take a step back.
"Why were you at the gym?" Morelli asked.
We were looking for the same man, so I told him, "I heard Louis worked for Jimmy."
"Alpha manages Ramirez. Stay away from them. Ramirez is nuts. He enjoys hurting women. I need to find Domingo to clear my name," Joe said. He went to touch my nose but stepped back when Hector growled. Morelli heard something over his shoulder. He took my hand and gave me the keys. "Keep the Jeep. Drive it around, and maybe we can work together to find your FTA. Stay safe." Morelli disappeared as fast as he arrived.
My neck tingled. Ranger was here. He stopped beside the Jeep and rolled down the window. "Babe, are you okay?" he asked.
"I'm good," I replied. "I slipped on some steps."
Ranger exited his car to examine my face. "Your nose?" he asked. He gently touched the sides, making me wince from the pain.
"Probably broken," I replied, shrugging. I probably look repulsive, too.
"You look beautiful," he whispered. "Please get a doctor to check your nose."
"Okay. Why are you here?" I asked.
"Meeting with an informant. Stay safe, Babe." He kissed my forehead. I watched his sexy ass walk away and climb into the car.
"Freaking Batman," I grumbled. Hector chuckled as he climbed into the passenger seat of the Jeep. He would ensure I went to the hospital as promised. I left the area and drove to St Francis.
Hector disappeared when I parked in the lot. Once I entered through the automatic doors of the emergency area, he slipped into the shadows to ensure nobody followed us.
"Oh!" Janice gasped when she saw me. She was married to my cousin, Lorenzo. "What happened to you?"
"I had an unfortunate encounter with Benito Ramirez," I replied honestly.
"The boxer punched you? How did that happen?" she asked. Janice grabbed some gauze and saline to clean the blood from my face to make it easier for the doctor to examine me.
"Benito didn't hit me. I asked a question. He answered by lunging at me. I fell down the stairs, shredding my jeans and cutting my knees while trying to get away from him. My nose smashed into the floor at the landing," I replied. We caught up for a few minutes before a doctor arrived to tell me what I had already known. I broke my nose.
"Prevent anything from touching it," the doctor ordered. He examined my knees but determined I didn't need stitches.
I found Ranger waiting for me beside the Jeep. "Babe?"
"It's broken. My knees didn't require stitches," I replied. Carlos pulled me against his chest. I couldn't stop the tears. How was I supposed to pay the hospital bill? I could use the money from our joint account, but Carlos shouldn't have to pay for my stupidity. Carlos held me until the tears subsided.
"You're on my insurance. I'll arrange everything with the billing department," Carlos promised. "Go home and get some rest. It will hurt more in a few hours."
