Chapter 5

As the door to the stairwell slammed shut, Ella spoke to Stephanie. "Welcome. My boys are rough along the edges but big teddy bears once you get to know them."

She took Stephanie to the door on the right. "This is your apartment. Here is your fob and badge. Please have them with you every time you leave your apartment. I'm the apartment in the center, as I'm sure you gathered. My husband, Luis, is tending to the cars right now. He takes care of the building. I take care of everything else. The last apartment on this level belongs to Lester." Ella sighs, then continues, "he is a good man, with a big heart, bigger than Ranger's, but he's a little damaged. Please don't let him get to you. Just stand your ground, and don't back down."

Ella opened the door, and Stephanie let out a gasp. In front of her was her living room, featuring a black leather couch with teal and purple pillows and a dark wood coffee table. An end table next to the sofa housed a wicker basket with remotes for the entertainment system. To the left was a small dining area with a square table that fits two comfortably and four if necessary. The table was the same color as the coffee table, and the chairs had padded seats. The television was at least 50", not that Stephanie knew much about those, as she rarely watched TV.

"Wow, this is already bigger than my apartment. I have a little studio apartment with a bathroom from the 1970s. Are you sure it's okay for me to stay here?"

Ella laughed, her eyes twinkling with delight. "Of course, my dear. This apartment is typically for the visiting heads of the other offices or important guests. If Ranger didn't want you here, he would have given you different accommodations. There is a rather small kitchen next to the dining area. There is little room for food prep, but it serves the purpose. Your bedroom is through that door on the right, and the bathroom is the center door. You can enter it from your bedroom or the hallway. In the closet is a weapon safe and a traditional safe. You can program your code on both safes. Please give your codes to Ranger or Hector. No one will ever enter your safe, but we need it just in case."

Stephanie nodded, still overwhelmed with her home away from home. "This is beautiful. Thank you."

"No problem. I go grocery shopping every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Please let me know if you want any special foods, and I'll pick them up. If you let me know which lady products you use, I can pick them up for you as well. And before you object, I shop for all my boys here. Adding a few more things for you will not overburden me. Ranger prohibits sugar in this building, but I can get you contraband if needed. Women are different from men. Ranger will just have to deal with it."

"Thank you, Ella. I appreciate everything you do. I have a history here, and I prefer people not knowing that I am in Trenton, so I was worried about how I would get the things I need. While I could use Amazon, there's a chance someone in the post office could see my name on a package, and then the cat's out of the bag."

"No worries, Stephanie. There's a bakery in town that has the best donuts. I'll have Louis pick you up a couple of Boston Cremes tomorrow morning. Have you ever heard of the Tasty Pastry?"

Stephanie's eyes lit up, and a huge smile graced her face as she thought of her favorite place in Trenton. She has many beautiful memories there, including one she regrets but wouldn't change. "Yes, I worked there as a teenager. I love their donuts. Thank you. You are the best. It's been long since I've had someone looking after me."

"Anything I can do to make your stay here comfortable, let me know," Ella said sincerely. "On the refrigerator is the list of extensions. There is always someone in the control room and the lobby, 24/7. So, if you ever run into a problem, call them. They will help you. Bobby's number is ext. 3000/3001. He does not mind if you bother him in the middle of the night. I've stocked your refrigerator with 1% milk, butter, fresh fruit, whipped cream, and ice cream in the freezer. I have peanut butter, jelly, reduced-calorie white bread, and cereal. I cook three meals daily, so you can eat with the boys if you don't like cooking. Please let me know if you want a female companion. I am free in the evening after 8. It's nice to have a woman here. Ranger's wife and children are the only other females here for an extended period. I know you'll love Rachel when you meet her and his daughters. Well, they have all the men wrapped around their fingers. Now, don't mind, Lester. He's been hurt. He'll come around eventually."

"Lester, he's the one with the blonde-tipped hair?"

"Yes, that's him."

"I was wondering what was up with him. He seemed standoffish and annoyed at me working here and with Rangeman."

"I'm sure he was. He's had it tough. He's not a big fan of women, beautiful women," Ella said as Stephanie blushed. "He'll get over it, eventually. You are just a surprise to him. Don't worry; everything will be fine. Ranger will make sure it is."

"Thank you, once again, Ella, for everything. I appreciate your help and will probably accept the offer one night. Since I prefer to stay in this building, having someone to talk to will be nice."

"Have a good night, my dear."

"You too."

Ella ensured the apartment was good and noted some things to pick up for her newest "boy." She thought that some more color would do and made a mental list to buy colorful table baskets, a nice throw blanket, and a lot of chocolate. She didn't know why, but she felt Stephanie needed a friend and maternal figure, and Ella vowed to be what that woman needed. She also believes that Stephanie could be the answer to defeating Lester's indifference and playboy ways if only he'd forget her.

Once the door closed, Stephanie closed her eyes and breathed deeply. It was a long day. She didn't sleep well last night, knowing she was coming into Trenton today. The demons are buried but not gone. Stephanie hoped no one saw her as she drove through the city to the Rangeman offices. Thankfully, she didn't have to navigate through the Burg, but she got close enough to it, too close. Now, Steph feels safe in this building. She feels at home with these men. She can't describe the feeling, but it's one of peace and contentment.

After the drive from Virginia this morning and working on the computer all day, Stephanie should spend a few minutes on her yoga. Still, she wants to check out the shower. She enters her room and sees her bags placed on a trunk at the foot of her bed. Steph immediately opens her luggage, changing into her old FBI t-shirt and bike shorts with fuzzy pink socks. The dress goes in the laundry, though she contemplates placing it in the trash.

Getting her toiletry bag, she heads into the bathroom. She finds spots for her make-up, lotions, body wash, scrubs, and other assorted beauty essentials. Her birth control goes on the counter, prominently displayed, along with the anti-anxiety medicine she hasn't needed since she became a technical analyst. The shower looked heavenly, but now that she was out of that dress and in more comfortable clothes, Stephanie wanted to try the bed. She removed her make-up, washed her face and hands, and placed her hair in a ponytail. "A quick nap before dinner, then back to work," Stephanie thought as she pushed down the comforter on the queen-sized bed, feeling the most luxurious sheets she'd ever seen. They were soft, so inviting. She sat down, taking a moment to feel the softness against her skin. Then, her legs came up, and under, and within minutes, Stephanie was sound asleep, without a worry in the world.

Lester was pacing on the other side of the floor as a calm Bobby sat on the couch watching him. He'd been through this routine before and knew that he just had to let him walk it off, and then he could talk some sense into the man. Lord knows he was wrapped too tight.

"I still don't understand why Ranger bowed to those fucking Feds. I mean, they need us, not the other way around. And how come he's okay with her invading our privacy? That information was classified. She had NO right to go looking for it! Fuck me. I don't fucking get it. Ranger always had a soft spot for brunettes. Maybe that's it. Maybe he's attracted to her. No, no, that was out of line. Ranger is too much in love with Rachel to notice Plum in that way. But what the fuck is he thinking? How come you and Tank didn't object along with me? Am I the only person who sees her for who she is? A cunning, sneaky bitch?"

Bobby rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time and sighed. "If she didn't show us she had skills, Ranger would have sent her packing. He was ready to do so. But she could find that the data that Hector buried proves she is the one we need to solve this case. Doesn't justice mean anything to you? You used to want to do anything to get the Scum of the Earth. Now, because you must work with someone with a vagina instead of a penis, you want to go with second best?"

"Fuck you!" Lester said as he threw his water bottle into the recycling bin before he collapsed onto the couch. "You're right. She has skills. But I hate being near her. She just, I don't know, I get a feeling from her. I can't describe it. She should be on four."

"You know she can't be there with the other guys. We'd be opening ourselves up to a lawsuit. The guys walk around in the boxers, sometimes without them. She's here because she's closer to Ella, and frankly, the apartment up here is much nicer for a woman."

"Do you think she has the skills we need to get these guys?"

"I do. Ranger and Tank also believe she does. You're the only outlier. Hell, she impressed Hector. You know how hard it is to impress that man."

"Fine. I'll work with Agent Plum, but I won't like it."

"Want to get something to eat? I was thinking of going to Shorty's."

"Sounds good. Let's roll."

Three hours later, a full Lester was heading back into his apartment. A night out at Shorty's was just what he needed to get Agent Plum out of his mind. When Bobby and Lester stopped at the control room and mentioned they were going to Shorty's, a few more guys joined them. Seven pizzas, several pitchers of beer, and some guy talk later, Lester was ready to relax. He opened the sixth-floor door from the stairwell. He was about to open his apartment door when he saw Stephanie exiting the elevator, wearing a pair of baggy sweatpants and a t-shirt, looking like she had come from the gym.

"Exercising close to bedtime isn't good if you want a good night's sleep, which is necessary if you plan on working with us."

Stephanie rolled her eyes. She hated men who thought they knew everything, and Lester Santos proved to be that man.

"You'll learn that I don't require much sleep. Good night." Stephanie said before she opened the door to her apartment.

Lester rolled his eyes and entered his abode. He kicked off his shoes and took off his shirt on his way into his bedroom before placing his weapons in his safe. Lester knew the building was secure and didn't need to keep them out. He removed his jeans, pulling on a pair of basketball shorts and a wife beater, before sitting on his couch. He turned on the television, ready to watch any game, but couldn't focus. His mind kept drifting to that woman. "Damn it, why does she have to work with us?" was the one thought that kept going through his mind. Hopefully, she would fuck up, and they could get rid of her. Maybe he'd assist her in her incompetence so they could get someone better, someone with a dick instead of tits. With that thought, Lester shut off his TV and went to bed.