Archive of Our Own

Work Text

Midnight RescueVerse 1: I was lost in the darkness, chasing the shadows alone. Until he appeared like a hero in the neon glow, his eyes locked on mine, and I knew I was saved; by the mysterious stranger, with a heart of gold and brave.Chorus: He’s my midnight rescue and guardian in the night. With a touch, he sets me free and a love that feels like a fight. We dance on the edge of danger and desire. Our hearts beat together like a drum in this forbidden fire.Verse 2: He’s got secrets and scars, but I see the real him shine. My hero in the shadows, with a love that’s one of a kind. He takes my hand as we run from the ghosts of our past. We’ll face the dawn together, leaving the darkness to last.Chorus: He’s my midnight rescue and guardian in the night. With a touch, he sets me free and a love that feels like a fight. We dance on the edge of danger and desire. Our hearts beat together like a drum in this forbidden fire.Bridge: We’ll drive all night with the wind in our hair, and the city lights reflect the love that we share. No promises, no regrets, armed with this moment we own. In this wild and crazy ride, we’ll find our way back home.Chorus: He’s my midnight rescue and guardian in the night. With a touch, he sets me free and a love that feels like a fight. We dance on the edge of danger and desire. Our hearts beat as one like a drum in our greatest desire.Final verse: Now I’m not alone in this dark and crazy world. With my hero by my side, our love will unfurl. In the shadows, we always find our own light. And our midnight rescue will be our love’s ignite.~~~~Dad smiled as I sat at the piano. It had been several years since I sat on the bench and placed my fingers on the ebony and ivory keys. When I was six, Mom insisted I take piano lessons since I refused to attend ballet lessons. Practicing was worse than dancing pirouettes and walking on my toes. “What are you writing?” Dad asked. “A song that wouldn’t leave me alone,” I replied. “I could hear it in my dreams.” “What is it about?” he questioned. I frowned. How do I tell Dad it was about Ranger and me? The lyrics came easy, but I had to find the perfect notes for the song. Should I write it on a major scale, making it a happy tune? Or a minor scale, filling it with angst and sadness? Decisions. Decisions. The music flowed, surprising me. Dad listened as I played the notes. I started and stopped the song many times to record the notes on the blank music staff. He smiled as I decided to write the song in G major. “A happy song,” he reasoned. “Yes, Daddy. It fits with the lyrics,” I explained. Once I wrote the notes for the first verse, I played and sang, “I was lost in the darkness, chasing the shadows alone. Until he appeared like Batman in the neon glow, his eyes locked on mine, and I knew I was saved; by the mysterious stranger, with a heart of gold and brave.” Dad nodded appreciatively. “That sounds beautiful, Pumpkin,” he praised. “Thank you, Daddy.” I replayed the verse and devised a complimentary chorus. Once I rewrote a few notes, I sang, “He’s my midnight rescue and guardian in the night. With a touch, he sets me free and a love that feels like a fight. We dance on the edge of danger and desire. Our hearts beat together like a drum in this forbidden fire.” Dad smiled as I replayed the music I wrote for the verse as I sang the words, “He’s got secrets and scars, but I see the real him shine. My hero in the shadows, with a love that’s one of a kind. He takes my hand as we run from the ghosts of our past. We’ll face the dawn together, leaving the darkness to last.” I repeated the chorus, making Dad smile. The song’s bridge took longer to write. Changing the key signature often made the song more appealing yet more challenging to feel cohesive with the verses. I wrote and erased a few notes which sounded off to my ears. “Do you need help?” Dad offered. “Maybe a little,” I confessed. Dad sat beside me on the piano bench. He gently bumped me to the left, allowing him to place his fingers on the keys. I never realized Daddy played the piano. He read the music and played my song. When he reached the bridge, I furiously wrote the notes he played, hoping it sounded great. Dad started at the beginning. We sang together until the bridge, where I sang solo, “We’ll drive all night with the wind in our hair, and the city lights reflect the love that we share. No promises, no regrets, armed with this moment we own. In this wild and crazy ride, we’ll find our way back home.” Dad let me sing the chorus as he played the piano. He returned to the music for the first verse, playing as I sang, “Now I’m not alone in this dark and crazy world. With Batman by my side, our love will unfurl. In the shadows, we always find our own light. And our midnight rescue will be our love’s ignite.” “Does Ranger know you’re in love with him?” Dad asked. I shook my head and shrugged. “He knows I love him. Isn’t that the same thing?” “Pumpkin, love is different for everyone. Loving your parents and siblings is different from the way you love a boyfriend or spouse,” Dad explained. “Do you love Morelli?” “Yes, but it’s more like a friendship type of love. With Ranger, I feel an overwhelming passion, desire and respect. I love him and want to spend the rest of my life with him. Unfortunately, he doesn’t do relationships,” I whined. “Why don’t you play this song and sing while I record,” Dad offered. “Thanks, Daddy,” I replied. “Ready,” he said. I placed my fingers on the piano’s keyboard and played, tuning out Dad as I poured my heart into the song. As I played the final notes, my neck tingled. Ranger was here. “Babe,” he whispered, pulling me off the piano bench and slamming his lips against mine. “Who wrote the song?” “Me,” I replied. “Why didn’t you tell me?” “Tell you what?” I asked, refusing to put distance between us. “That you are in love with me,” he whispered. His lips tickled mine as he spoke. “I thought you knew but didn’t feel the same,” I replied, averting my attention. Ranger gently tipped up my head until my eyes met his. My heart ached, preparing for the heartbreak I could feel coming. “Babe, I’m in love with you. I have been since we met in the diner. It broke my heart when you started dating Morelli. I thought you wanted what he offered. To protect my heart, I told you many things I never meant. The two weeks we spent in Hawaii were the best of my life. I wanted our fake marriage to be real. Babe, you make me want things I don’t deserve,” Ranger confessed. He cupped my face, stroking his thumbs across my cheeks to wipe away my tears. “You wanted to be married to me for real?” I asked, shocked by his confession. It was more than I expected. I prayed Ranger wasn’t messing with my emotions. “Why didn’t you say something?” “I was scared of chasing you away. You know I have enemies,” Ranger said. “But only two of them came after me. Most of my mishaps were caused by the Burg bitches exercising their loose lips while wagging their tongues,” I argued. Mom gasped. When did she join the party? “Helen,” Dad warned. Ranger chuckled, and I smiled. Dad had my back. “Are you and Morelli in a relationship?” Ranger asked. “No. We ended things a few months ago after I caught him in bed with Terry Gilman,” I replied. Ranger nodded in appreciation. He kissed me, ignoring Mom’s gasps and attempts to interfere. Dad kept her from speaking. Ranger looked into my eyes, and his gaze turned serious. I loved it whenever he dropped the blank face for me. His eyes bared his soul. I could see how much he loved, respected and desired me. He refused to hide his feelings as he asked, “Babe, Stephanie, you are the love of my life. Will you let me become your husband?” “Yes,” I whispered, tears streaming from my eyes. Ranger posed the question as me possessing him, not vice versa. It made all the difference in the world. Ranger kissed away the tears. He scooped me into his arms after placing the stunning sapphire engagement ring I wore in Hawaii on my left ring finger. “Where are we going?” I asked. “On a midnight rescue,” he laughed, using the lyrics from my song. Three weeks later, Ranger and I returned to Trenton, New Jersey. I hoped the news of our marriage wouldn’t put Ranger or me in danger from his or my enemies. While on our honeymoon, we broke the news to Tank and the others. They were happy for us but disappointed not to have joined the nuptials. Ranger and I wanted to keep our announcement to people we knew and trusted. Julie was ecstatic to have me as her stepmom. It sounded strange when she called me Mom for the first time. Technically, Carlos wasn’t her father. He may have provided half the DNA to create Julie but signed away his rights after Rachel remarried. Carlos wanted to protect Julie, which was admirable. However, I know how much it hurt for him to give up his precious daughter. Thankfully, it didn’t matter to Julie because she insisted on calling him Dad. Rachel kindly allowed Carlos and I to maintain contact after Scrog kidnapped Julie. She congratulated us on our marriage and wished us luck. I rubbed my abdomen, wondering if I got pregnant in Hawaii. My last period had ended a few days before Carlos swept me off my feet. We decided to forgo condoms and let nature take its course. Carlos and I would know if we created a life in eight days. My cycle was a predictable twenty-eight-day cycle. The thought of having a child with Carlos never frightened me. I smiled as I remembered him offering to give me a baby if I wanted one. Carlos understood I couldn’t have a baby with a man I never loved. Mom, Dad, Valerie and her children attended the party at Rangeman. I was surprised when Carlos and I came home. Ella and Mom arranged the reception. When we entered the conference room on the main level, Mom gave me a rare hug. “I’m so proud of you, Stephanie,” she said, surprising me. “What?” I asked, feeling dumbfounded by her praise. It was the first time she said she was proud of me.“I only wanted you to find a suitable husband and have children,” she confessed. “I noticed your hand on your stomach. Are you pregnant?” “Mom,” I hissed, “I don’t know, and it’s too soon to know.” “Tell me the minute you find out,” she said, looking over my shoulder. Mom smiled and amended, “After telling your husband.” She kissed my cheek and gently pushed me toward Dad. He hugged me. “You look happy,” Dad observed. “I am happy,” I replied. Dad shook Carlos’s hand and welcomed him to the family. Grandma hugged Carlos and me without groping my husband. He smiled in appreciation. Mom hissed, “Mother, no,” when Grandma tried to pinch Woody’s ass. “You’re no fun,” Grandma whined. “Edna, my men never complain, but it’s inappropriate. They won’t charge you with assault because you’re Stephanie’s grandmother,” Carlos said. I snorted, “But they benefit when Grandma tells everyone in the Clip ‘N Curl about the size of their packages. The women practically line up to see if Grandma was accurate with her assessment.” “Babe,” Carlos said. “Grandma, Carlos is right. The men don’t like you pinching their asses or copping a feel. It’s sexual harassment. When you were young, it was acceptable. However, the times have changed, and it isn’t proper,” I added. Grandma stuck out her bottom lip. She walked away without pinching asses and grabbing the men’s crotches. “There’s hope for her yet,” Carlos chuckled. “But she isn’t happy,” I agreed. We celebrated our wedding with our family and friends. Everyone congratulated us and wished us a lifetime of happiness. Carlos and I were so exhausted after travelling and partying that we fell asleep without having sex. In the morning, I crawled out of bed after making love to my husband. “Your nipples are darker,” Carlos said, entering the washroom after I emptied my bladder. “Are you sure? They look the same to me,” I replied. Carlos kissed my neck. He reached into the shower to turn on the water. I rolled my eyes as he nudged for me to get inside. Carlos wasn’t shy. He had no reservations about urinating with me standing at the vanity. I appreciated him respecting my comfort level. Carlos stepped into the shower to help me wash my back. I let him take charge as he gave me the sexiest shower ever. My body responded to his touch, with everything feeling more sensitive than usual. Once we left the shower, we dressed in Rangeman uniforms to meet Bobby for our medical exam. According to Rangeman’s policy, we had to let Bobby collect blood and urine samples.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Bobby called, asking me to meet him in his office. I rolled my eyes and locked the computer. The two searches were running in the background. Hopefully, I would find where Barry Summers was hiding and who was helping him stay below Rangeman’s radar. Barry wasn’t native to Trenton, having relocated to the area from Seattle. I stretched as I stood from my desk. My shirt rose as I reached for the ceiling, needing to feel the stretch in my spine. Lester chuckled from somewhere behind me when Ranger groaned. I glanced over my shoulder, sending Ranger a sexy wink and sticking out my tongue at Lester. “Babe, I can give you a better use for your tongue,” Ranger said, wrapping his arms around me while snaking his hands beneath my shirt. “I’m sure you can, Ranger,” I said, turning to face him and moaning as his fingers left heated, electrically charged goosebumps across my skin. I had to get away from my husband before I showed the guys on the fifth floor what Ranger and I enjoyed doing during our spare time. “Babe, where are you going?” Ranger asked when I pulled away. “Bobby needs to see me.” Ranger quirked a brow, curious about Bobby’s request. Without waiting for an invitation, Ranger accompanied me to the elevator. I could use the stairs, but I wanted to save some energy. He wrapped his arms around me as we stood in the elevator with my back to his front. “Carlos, they can see us,” I whispered when he kissed my neck. “I scrambled the cameras when we stepped inside,” he replied. I rolled my eyes, not because of his comment about scrambling the cameras. The gentle nibbles on my neck were sending my hormones into overdrive. I wanted him to mark my neck. Something we carefully avoided since it would reflect poorly on the company. Carlos could cover my body in hickeys for all I cared. “Babe,” he whispered while nudging me forward. I never noticed the elevator had stopped on the second floor. “Oops,” I giggled. Carlos placed a protective hand on my lower back. His finger stroked the exposed skin between the waistband of my pants and the hem of my shirt. “Stop it, Carlos or I’m taking you here and now.” “Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Carlos teased. I groaned as he gestured, with his chin, for me to continue our trip to Bobby’s office. Bobby opened the door before I could knock. He raised a brow upon seeing Carlos with me. “Hey, Bobby. What did you need to tell me?” I asked. Bobby remained silent as he closed and locked the door. He doesn’t want interruptions from the Merry Men, who would be nosy about my unscheduled visit with Bobby. “Please sit,” Bobby said, pointing to the examination table. I rolled my eyes and giggled when Carlos effortlessly lifted me to sit. He jumped to sit beside me, wrapping a comforting arm around my waist. Bobby smiled and removed the lab results from my medical file. He passed it to me. I read the paper and the number beside hCG. It didn’t mean anything to me. However, it meant something to Ranger. “Babe,” he said, gently removing the document from my fingers and returning it to Bobby. Ranger took my hands. “Please, look at me.” “Are we?” I whispered, unwilling to say the words if it wasn’t true. “Yes, Babe. We’re having a baby,” he replied. He rested his forehead against mine. It was slightly uncomfortable twisting to face him. Ranger momentarily released my hands before pulling me onto his lap. I wrapped my legs around his waist and cried. “Babe,” he sighed. “Happy tears, Carlos,” I cried. “Brown, schedule an appointment with Stephanie’s doctor. She needs to confirm the pregnancy and arrange the prenatal care,” Ranger ordered. “Bobby, it doesn’t go further than this room.” “Yes, sir,” Bobby said. He went into his office, where he kept the employees’ medical files in locked file cabinets, to make the call. A few minutes later, he returned with an appointment booked for the following week. “You’re on reduced field work, guys,” Bobby warned. He would add the appointment to our calendars with reminders. Carlos and I should probably sync ours now that we have prenatal appointments to attend. I rolled my eyes, annoyed that Bobby mentioned something I already knew. It wasn’t as if I would put my baby at risk. Carlos and I discussed everything during our honeymoon. He wanted me to accompany him on client meetings, and I wanted to do fewer distractions. Now that I was pregnant, doing distractions frightened me. “Babe?” Carlos asked. “Would you be mad if I refused to do distractions?” “Never,” he replied. Carlos slid off the examination table with me wrapped around him. I unhooked my legs from his waist to stand on the floor. He trailed his hands up my arms until they reached my face. I gazed lovingly into his gorgeous brown eyes. “Babe, we can find other ways to capture the criminals. I don’t want you or our child in danger. You’re my life, my light in the darkness, and the soothing balm to my damaged soul. I couldn’t live a day without you. Whenever you worked a distraction, I had to detach myself from the situation. I’m incapable of doing that now that we’re married.” “I can do the odd one if needed,” I offered. It was Bobby who answered, “No, Steph. We can find another woman to do those.” I thought about Ranger stroking my nipples whenever he placed the microphone and shook my head. “Babe, I have never placed the devices on the other women we hired for distractions,” Carlos said, making me scoff in disbelief. “What about Jeanne Ellen?” I demanded, feeling ugly, fat and unworthy of the man holding me. It didn’t matter that we were married. My insecurities rose to the surface. “She’s my cousin,” Carlos said, surprising me. “Jeanne Ellen loves preying on women’s insecurities. It’s her way of dealing with her own demons.” Carlos kissed my lips, then rested his forehead against mine. We stood like that for several minutes before his phone rang, interrupting our moment. I tried to step away, but Carlos pulled me tighter as he answered the call. His eyes caught mine as a slow smile appeared on his face. “Soon,” Carlos said and ended the call. “Care to share?” I teased. “My parents want to meet you. Julie told them we’re married,” Carlos replied. My face blanched. Carlos chuckled. “Babe, you met them already.” He referred to them visiting him at the hospital after Edward Scrog shot him. I wanted to sit with Carlos in his room but felt like an intruder as his family sat vigil, hoping for Carlos to wake up from surgery. “But we were just friends back then,” I argued. “They saw more than you realized. I’ve endured many phone calls asking why I haven’t married you,” Carlos laughed. “Mama’s happy we pulled our heads from our asses. We have to attend dinner tonight. She'll organize a celebration party if we don’t go there.” My stomach roared. I was hungry. “Oops,” I giggled. Carlos took my hand. He nodded at Bobby, and we left his office. I raised my brows as the elevator took us to the seventh floor. Ella met us in the hallway. She had a cart filled with enough food to feed an army. Carlos unlocked the door, holding it open for Ella to get inside. “I brought a few things,” Ella said, pushing the cart over the threshold. We followed her inside to the kitchen, where she unloaded everything. Ella shoved a few containers into the freezer and placed even more inside the refrigerator, neatly stacking everything to display the labels with the contents. “No soft cheese, seafood or processed meats,” Carlos said. I turned to glare at him. Why was he restricting my food intake? “Oh,” Ella gasped. She caught me off guard and pulled me into her arms. “I’m so happy for you, Stephanie.” Ella promptly removed the containers with food Carlos claimed I couldn’t eat. “Why are you taking the turkey breast?” I asked. “It’s processed, Steph. The foods Ranger mentioned aren’t safe for you or the fetus,” Ella explained. “I’ll have fresh turkey breast and chicken for you to make sandwiches.” “Thank you for taking care of me,” I said, feeling a wave of emotion I had never experienced with Ella. She gently patted my cheek. Carlos followed her to the door and mentioned we were having dinner in Newark. Ella doesn’t need to bring us a meal for tonight. Carlos and I ate our lunch at the table. We preferred sitting beside each other instead of across the table. Our thighs were pressed against each other. I could feel the heat from his leg radiating into mine. My hunger for food suddenly disappeared, and another hunger grew. I imagined everything Carlos and I could do instead of returning to work. “Babe, we have clients to meet this afternoon. There isn’t enough time to do whatever thought crossed your mind,” Carlos said. “I would reschedule, but those meetings were already delayed by our honeymoon.” “Fine,” I grumbled. I moved my chair a few inches away from his and finished eating lunch. Carlos grinned in amusement. He helped carry the dishes to the kitchen and rinsed the plates. I loaded them into the dishwasher. Carlos entered our bedroom to prepare for the meetings. I watched him change from his Rangeman uniform into an Armani suit. “Babe?” he asked, pointing to the closet, indicating I had to get dressed. I removed an elegant black dress from the closet. Ella must have gone shopping because it wasn’t there yesterday. The matching shoes sat on the rack beneath the dress. I stripped, dropped my Rangeman uniform on the floor and stepped into the black dress. Carlos arrived to zip the back. He chuckled and picked up my discarded uniform. I rolled my eyes and slipped my feet into the soft leather shoes with a two-inch heel. “You look beautiful,” Carlos said as I smoothed the fabric over my abdomen. “Thanks,” I mumbled. Carlos touched my chin with his index finger and gently raised my head to look him in the eyes. “Babe, you are perfect,” he said before kissing me. I wanted to get into the kiss, but I had twisted my hair into a bun and couldn’t risk Carlos undoing it when his hands tugged it. Carlos and I get carried away while kissing. He moved his fingers along my neck and across my collarbone. I groaned as his heated touch moved to my shoulder and down my arm. Carlos squeezed my hand before placing his hot palm on my lower back. “We’re never going to make it if you keep touching me,” I breathlessly said. Carlos chuckled and gently guided me to the door.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

We stopped on the fifth floor to grab our bags. Ranger had a leather briefcase resembling a messenger bag. He hooked the strap over his shoulder. I grabbed the files Tank prepared for us, tucking them into my bag. Ranger had the files memorized and digital copies stored on his iPad. I preferred having a hard copy to review. They contained the old and new contracts for the clients Ranger and I were meeting with. Ranger raised a brow as Hector passed me a gorgeous necklace. I touched the black and gold pendant and glanced at Hector, who nodded, confirming it had a built-in camera to record. He gave me a microphone to tuck into my dress. Ranger waited until Hector left to help place the wire. He stroked my breast, and I wanted to cancel the afternoon meetings. It was impossible since some clients required system updates, and we had to negotiate the installation details and associated costs. Our meeting with the clients went better than I anticipated, except for our second client. Kathy Armstrong at Smith, Wilson and Armstrong Lawyers flirted with Ranger, touching his right hand as she leaned across the table. Ranger placed his left hand on the table’s surface, displaying his wedding band. Kathy quickly pulled her hand back and pouted. Her disappointment was obvious. I read the file and smiled politely at Kathy. “Is Mr. Harold Armstrong available?” I politely asked. “He’s out of the office until tomorrow,” Kathy replied. “Oh.” I removed a sheet of paper, a copy of Harold’s’ letter, and passed it to Kathy, “Do you mind explaining why we’re meeting you instead of your father?” Kathy huffed, shoving the paper away without reading it, proving she insisted on having the meeting today to seduce Ranger. I knew it wouldn’t work. He never got involved with his clients’ employees. Ranger lifted the letter to read. He nudged my knee with his leg before standing. “It seems you brought us here under false pretences. You have no authority to meet with Rangeman for the firm’s security needs,” Ranger said, maintaining decorum, though I could tell he was furious. Tapping the page, Ranger added, “I will contact your father about the changes he wishes to discuss.” “Thank you for meeting with us today,” I politely said as I stood. I tucked the document into the file and slipped it into my bag. “Have a nice day, Ms. Armstrong.” Ranger placing a hand on my lower back was the last draw. Kathy snapped, “Does your wife know you’re touching your employee?” Laughing, I replied, “Yes, I do.” It was poking the bear, but Kathy was relentless during the meeting. She had no boundaries except for married men. They were off-limits. I wondered how many marriages she ruined before her father stopped her. “Bitch!” Kathy yelled. “You don’t deserve Manoso. I bet you married him for his money.” I waved at her over my shoulder, resisting the urge to give her the finger and telling her what I thought about her accusation. It would go against Rangeman’s reputation for me to be rude to a client. I knew Kathy’s intention the second we entered. She had unbuttoned her grey shirt to display the black lacy bra. Kathy’s breasts were larger than mine, but they appeared to be implants. I know Ranger loved the size of my breasts. Ranger and I exited the building. I unlocked my phone to call Hector. He answered on the second ring. “Did you get it?” I asked. “Every word and action,” Hector replied before hanging up. “Babe?” Ranger asked, waiting for me to explain why I had a camera and microphone. I was surprised he didn’t ask about it in the car on the way to our first meeting.  “I’m keeping a record of every conversation and interaction with our clients. I wouldn’t put it past Kathy Armstrong to accuse us of misconduct or harassment,” I replied. “Proud of you, Babe,” he said. “Are you recording the other meetings?” “Probably,” I laughed. “But I doubt it would be necessary. The other two clients are male. Neither are gay, so you’re safe.” Ranger opened the car door for me to sit in the soft leather seat of his Porsche 911 turbo. He glanced at his watch. “We might have to reschedule one if we want to go home to change before dinner,” he announced. I rolled my eyes. “Ella has our duffles in the trunk. We can change before we get there. The last client owns a tailor shop. I’m sure he’ll let us borrow a change room unless you don’t mind wearing our business attire to your parents’ house,” I replied, stroking a hand across the lapel of his Armani suit. “I’ll leave my jacket in the car,” Ranger said. He smiled while grabbing the hand I had resting on his chest. Ranger kissed my rings and placed my hand on his thigh. Our last two clients didn’t keep us long. They had everything organized, making it a short meeting. Gideon at the tailor shop gave us the floor plan of the warehouse he purchased to expand his stock. Ranger promised to meet him with the installation team the following afternoon to discuss optimal camera placement. We had plenty of time to return to Rangeman and change into more comfortable clothes. “Are we announcing our news?” I asked when Ranger sat on the bed beside me. He smiled as I bent over to pull on my socks. Eventually the process would become too challenging when the pregnancy progressed. Thinking about my skin stretching to accommodate a pregnancy made me think about Valerie’s pregnancy. She was huge and covered everything she ate with gravy. Valerie wasn’t due for another three months, and I didn’t want to resemble a beached whale. I had a long way to go. “You will look beautiful,” Ranger replied, commenting on what I thought was inside my head. “We should tell Mama and Papa but have them keep it to themselves until your second trimester.” “Works for me,” I laughed. I was nervous about meeting Ranger’s parents. Ranger touched my face tenderly, and I pressed my cheek against his palm. “We should go,” I whispered. Ranger stood and tugged me to my feet. He placed a loving kiss on my lips. We stared into each other’s eyes for several minutes before his watch alarm broke the trance. After another peck to my lips, Ranger motioned for us to leave. I smiled as he placed a hand on the small of my back. It was comforting and possessive. He never tried leading me, which I appreciated. Ranger loved touching me in some way. I must confess that I loved it too. Instead of driving the 911 turbo, Ranger led me to the Porsche Cayenne. It provided more legroom for me to stretch out. “Carlos, do you think Kathy will be a problem?” I asked, staring out the passenger side window. When he didn’t answer, I turned his way. His lips were tight, and his face blank. “Oh. She’s already a problem. When you relocated to Trenton, did you sleep with her?” “No. She isn’t my type,” Ranger replied. “Breast implants make a woman desirable for some men. I prefer natural beauty.” “Good answer,” I snorted. “When did you meet her?” “Babe?” “Carlos?” I asked, returning his one-word question. “At Pete’s Bar when I first arrived,” he replied. “She was fucking Morelli in the alley between the buildings. It wasn’t the first time I caught them together.” “Oh?” I asked, wondering if Ranger had caught them together while I was dating Joe. “Kathy caught me watching and threatened to tell you if I didn’t spend a night with her,” Ranger replied, confirming my suspicion. His lip curled into a half smile, which I loved. “I accepted her offer, telling her to leave the door unlocked, the lights off, and she needed to be blindfolded.” “You didn’t!” I gasped, realizing where he was going. “Who went in your place?” Chuckling, Ranger replied, “Lester.” “Does she know you switched the bait?” I asked. “Yes, and she’s been trying to get me in bed ever since,” he laughed. “So…” I said, dragging out the word, “why didn’t you sleep with her?” I had to know why he never took advantage of the situation. “It was a few days after I met you,” Ranger confessed. “I didn’t want to ruin my chances of making you mine.” “Possessive much?” I mumbled, making Ranger laugh. “Why didn’t you stop me from dating Joe?” “I thought you wanted the Burg life,” Ranger replied. “You thought wrong. I never wanted that life,” I snapped. The thought of staying home full-time with a child while completing my domestic obligations made me sick to my stomach. “Yet here you are, married and pregnant with my child,” Ranger said. He raised my hand from his thigh to kiss my fingers and palm. I might have moaned when his tongue darted out to lick my hand. After catching my breath, I asked, “Would you force me to stay home to cook, clean, and raise our child?” “Never,” he promised. “We have Ella to cook and clean. You will go crazy staying at home with a baby.” “Then I’m not going to live the Burg life,” I reasoned. I kissed his hand and let him return mine to his thigh. When I remained quiet for so long, I asked, “Did you catch Joe cheating on me?” “Babe, does the answer matter?” Ranger asked. “Not really, but I always wondered about it,” I replied honestly. “I need to know if I was right about the times when I suspected Joe was cheating on me.” “When?” Ranger questioned. “Halloween, Thanksgiving and a few weeks before I broke up with him,” I said. “You are right on all accounts,” Ranger sadly replied. “I should have told you.” I turned to look at him and saw the hurt on his face. “Carlos, I would have accused you of lying to get me in bed. Living in denial land kept me from feeling the pain of his philandering ways. Deep in my gut, I knew Joe was incapable of being monogamous. He’s too much like his father.” “What does your gut say about me?” Laughing, I replied, “You know what my gut said. We wouldn’t be married if I thought you’d cheat on me. I trust you. All along, you showed me how much you loved me without saying the words. You never yelled or told me to quit my job. Unlike Mom and Joe, you supported me and offered training to make me a better BEA.” “Babe, you never accepted the training,” Ranger reminded me. “It's a mistake, which I’ll rectify once I’m finished growing Bat baby,” I laughed. “Could you show me manoeuvres to protect our child if someone grabs me?” “I can show you a few moves,” Ranger replied. He had a few moves in the bedroom to maximize my pleasure, but I doubt he had that in mind when he mentioned the moves. “Don’t you always?” I teased, wiggling my eyebrows like Lester. Ranger laughed. “Babe, you’ve been hanging around Lester too much. You’re picking up his habits,” he said. “Sorry,” I replied. “You set yourself up for that comment, and it was exactly what I needed to get past my nervousness about meeting my in-laws.” “My parents will love you,” Ranger promised. “Why?” “Because I love you,” he replied. It was the perfect answer. “Babe, we’re here.” “Already?” I dried my hands on my jeans and smoothed the wrinkles from my shirt. Carlos parked at the curb and exited the SUV. He walked around the front of the car, where I could see him. A handsome man resembling Carlos opened the front door as Carlos opened mine. I slid from the seat and took his hand. He moved me away from the vehicle to close my door. With a click, he locked the SUV. “Papa,” Carlos said, extending a hand as he walked up the steps. “Carlos,” he replied, taking his son’s hand and pulling him into his arms. Carlos refused to release my hand, giving his dad a one-armed hug. Taking a step back from Carlos, his dad said, “You must be Stephanie. Welcome to the family.” He hugged me briefly, unwilling to frighten me by hugging me too long. “Call me Ricardo or Papa,” he told me. “Ricardo, bring them inside,” a woman said, appearing behind my father-in-law. She wiped her hands on an apron and reached for my hand. I glanced at Carlos as the woman pulled me inside the house, forcing Carlos to let me go. “I’m Maria, your mother-in-law. Welcome to the family, Stephanie. Please, call me Mama.” “Call me Steph,” I automatically said. She smiled before embracing me. Her warm hug reminded me of Carlos, making me relax. Maria hugged Carlos next. She kissed his cheek after speaking to him in Spanish. Carlos entwined our fingers when he took my hand. His dad smiled and motioned for us to sit in the living room. “You’re our guests. I’ll help your mother with dinner,” Ricardo said. When he was out of earshot, I asked Carlos, “What did Mama say?” “She’s pleased I found a woman worthy of my love,” he said, grinning. “Mama also asked when we planned to give her grandchildren.” I snorted, “She only has to wait nine months.” Maria gasped, “Did you marry Stephanie because she was pregnant?” I wanted to crawl into a hole. “No, Mama. We just found out Stephanie’s pregnant. Stephanie and I got married three weeks ago. She got pregnant on our honeymoon,” Carlos said. Mama wiped a tear from her eye and spoke to Carlos in rapid Spanish. “Maria!” Ricardo nearly shouted to get her to stop talking. “It’s too soon to celebrate. Carlos and Stephanie will announce their pregnancy to the family after the first three months.” “Sorry, Carlos. I know it’s your news to share. I’m excited to be having another grandchild,” Maria said. My stomach grumbled, and I blushed from embarrassment. Maria grinned. She grabbed my hand and tugged. I stood and followed her to the dining room, where she and Ricardo filled the table with food. Our dinner conversation consisted of explaining how Carlos and I met. Maria was pleased to learn it was love at first sight. She kept asking about when I got pregnant. I never realized it was important to know I got pregnant after we got married. It seemed like Maria was admonishing Carlos for getting Rachel pregnant, marrying her and getting a divorce a year later. “I was married before,” I announced, annoyed with Maria’s discussion about Rachel. She at least had the decency to speak in English. “What?” Maria asked, pressing a hand to her chest. “My first marriage lasted two months. I caught him cheating on me. Thank goodness we didn’t have children,” I said, taking a bite of the flan Maria made for dessert. “Carlos married Rachel to give her medical coverage for the pregnancy. He never loved her. It was all for Julie. Staying married to someone you don’t love is never the right decision. If you continue discussing his first marriage during our visits, I won’t return. Carlos and I won’t stop you from visiting us and the baby in Trenton, but we won’t come here.” Maria looked ashamed. “Lo siento. I’m sorry,” Maria whispered. “Thank you for dinner, Mama,” Carlos said. He pushed from the table and stood. When he pulled my chair back, I set my fork on the plate and followed his lead. “We have to go. Stephanie and I have an early morning meeting.” “It was a pleasure meeting you,” I said. “Thank you for a delicious dinner.” Maria kept apologizing as she followed us to the door. I understood why Carlos was reluctant to introduce me to his family. He wasn’t ashamed to have me as his wife. Carlos didn’t want his mother to mention his past mistakes with Rachel. During the drive home, Carlos kept apologizing. “Stop it, Carlos,” I said after the fifth time. “I expected her to mention Rachel and your decision to give up Julie. I wasn’t bothered and handled it when I noticed it bothered you.” “You threatened to stay away,” Carlos said. He didn’t sound upset. I looked at him and grinned. His lip was curled into a smile. “Nobody ever says no to Mama.” “She needs to leave the past where it belongs,” I mumbled. Carlos raised our joined hands and kissed my knuckles. I sighed in contentment. “Babe, I love how you stood up to Mama. I love everything about you,” Carlos said. “I love you, too, Carlos. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Carlos and I never made it to another meal in Newark. He claimed we were too busy with work and training to visit his family. I knew it was an intentional avoidance because his mother mentioned Julie and Rachel and the implication that Carlos married me because I got pregnant. Maria’s assumption was off the mark. We told her I got pregnant during the honeymoon, but it became evident during dinner that she didn’t believe us. My first ultrasound at eight weeks confirmed when I got pregnant. The second ultrasound at fifteen weeks showed an anomaly. I went for the amniocentesis, and two weeks later, we learned the baby was a boy. Carlos made me work from our Rangeman apartment for a few weeks after the procedure, only allowing me to leave once the doctor received the results. Training for protecting myself from someone grabbing me was put on hold until the doctor confirmed everything was okay. She said not to do anything strenuous for twenty-four hours. Still, Carlos wanted to ensure I was perfectly fine before letting me return to our regular activities, which included sex. The doctor said I had gestational diabetes, and I had to give up sugar. Carlos benefited from my no-sugar hormones. It was hell not having sex of any kind for two weeks after that amnio procedure. I couldn’t even have a dessert to curb the raging hormones. Carlos could barely walk once the doctor said we could have sex. Lester teased him when Tank had to take the guys to the mats. “Sorry,” I mumbled, stifling a laugh. I was twenty-five weeks pregnant and barely looked it. However, I was always tired, and we often got out of bed late in the mornings. Carlos and I had a late night. I needed my sleep, but the desire for sex overrode anything else. “For what?” Carlos asked. “Making you lose your street cred,” I laughed, rimming his nipple with my finger. “The guys are wondering if you have any fight left in you.” “Babe,” he groaned. “Carlos, you need to show the guys you aren’t having so much sex that you can’t fight them,” I teased. “Besides, watching you spar with the men is incredibly hot.” I kissed his chest and rolled away. He growled but didn’t stop me from moving away from him. Carlos understood my morning routine. I climbed out of bed. The baby was jumping on my bladder, and I wanted to make it to the bathroom before I pissed myself. Carlos waited until I turned on the shower and stepped inside to join me in the washroom. The water spraying from the showerhead prevented me from hearing him urinating. It didn’t bother me, but I still didn’t want to listen to him relieving his bladder. A blast of chilly air indicated Carlos opened the shower door. He stepped in and wrapped his arms around me, placing his warm hands on my baby bump, which was still free of stretch marks. I felt our son move and kick his papa’s hands. “Did you feel it?” I asked. “Yes,” Carlos said. “It felt like he pressed a foot against my hand.” “That sounds right,” I said, turning in his arms. “People think I’m only three months pregnant instead of six months.” Valerie was upset I didn’t gain much weight. I didn’t have the heart to tell her it was because she ate everything she could touch and covered it in gravy. My cravings leaned heavily to the healthy diet Carlos followed. “At least they don’t think I married you because I got you pregnant,” Carlos said. Most people knew better, but Joe thought Carlos and I pretended to be married. Joe wanted the life I had with Carlos. “Are you still mad at your mom for implying that?” I asked, attempting to dislodge the thoughts of Joseph Morelli while I was naked in the shower with my husband. “A little. We know the truth,” Carlos replied. “And nothing else matters,” I said. “Your mom will eventually realize her assumptions were wrong if she hasn’t already.” “Mama already has,” Carlos said. “Eventually, Morelli would give up on trying to steal you from me.” That sentence grabbed my attention. Carlos distracted me by washing my hair. I loved having his fingers tugging the locks and his neatly trimmed nails lightly scratching my scalp. He kissed the back of my neck before turning us in the shower to rinse my hair. Carlos repeated the process with the conditioner. Once my hair was rinsed, Carlos turned off the water and opened the shower door to grab the towel. He carefully dried my hair. I loved our morning ritual. Carlos showed he treasured me. It was heavenly. He used another towel to dry my body, and I tied the other one, turban style, on my head. As Carlos dried my legs, he peppered my baby bump with kisses and spoke to our son in Spanish. Carlos dropped the towel into the hamper and grabbed the body lotion from the shelf. He flipped the cap and squeezed some into his hands. With efficiency, he rubbed the lotion into my skin. I moaned when his fingers flicked across my nipples. Carlos chuckled and grabbed the black silk robe hanging on the hook on the back of the door. He held it open for me to slip my arms inside. I smiled and caught his eye in the mirror. “Do we have meetings this morning?” I asked. “I moved it to this afternoon,” Carlos replied. He kissed my neck and left the bathroom. Since I didn’t have to attend a morning meeting with Carlos, I decided to visit Connie and Lula at the bonds office. Lester would accompany me in collecting the Rangeman files. “Do you care if I picked up Rangeman’s FTA files?” I asked. “Take Lester with you,” he replied, making me smile. “That was the plan. We’ll visit Mom and Dad at lunch. She invited us yesterday. Do you care to join us?” I asked, pulling my hair into a ponytail and entering our bedroom. “I’ll be there,” Carlos promised. He still didn’t trust Mom to host a meal without inviting Morelli. Mom hasn’t done it yet, but Carlos thought she was biding time. I prayed he was wrong. She seemed genuinely happy about my marriage and pregnancy. “Call me if that changes,” I said. Carlos entered the closet and returned with my Rangeman uniform. I grinned and pulled on the maternity clothes. Mom wouldn’t like me wearing all black, but since I worked at Rangeman full-time, I had to dress accordingly. Carlos didn’t care if I wore yoga pants. I had to admit the ones Ella bought were more comfortable. “I look fat,” I said, looking in the mirror attached to the back of the closet door. “You look beautiful,” Carlos corrected. “You’re only saying that to make me feel better,” I said with an eye roll. I smoothed the fitted shirt on my abdomen, accentuating the baby bump. “Babe,” Carlos said, turning me away from the mirror and cupping my cheeks. “You are beautiful.” His lips brushed across mine. “I’m proud to have you as my wife.” Carlos kissed me again, applying more pressure against my lips. “Watching your body change as our son grows inside you makes me hard,” he said, thrusting his crotch against my leg. We didn’t have time to take care of his growing desire. He had work to do if he planned to meet me for lunch at my mom’s house. I moaned, “Everything makes you hard.” “Not everything, only you,” Carlos said. His lips took possession of mine. I opened my mouth when his tongue pressed against my lips. We kissed passionately for several minutes before Carlos stepped away, closed his eyes and rested his forehead against mine. He took a few deep, cleansing breaths, willing his erection to disappear. Neither of us had time to take care of it right away. Carlos had a busy day. “Hey, is something bothering you?” I whispered. “We’re married and having a child together. I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop,” Carlos confessed. “Everything is too perfect.” “Carlos, I’ll take Lester with me today and have a second car following,” I said. “I’ll even wear the trackers. Would that help?” Carlos looked into my eyes. I could see the fear within its depths. “Yes, Babe. That will help,” Carlos replied. “But it won’t assuage your worries,” I sighed. Carlos shook his head. “I can stay here.” “Babe, I won’t keep you locked inside Rangeman unless someone stalks you. Visit your friends to uncover the latest gossip,” he said. I kissed him tenderly, reassuring him with my love that I would protect myself and our son. Carlos took my hand. We left our apartment on the seventh floor and took the elevator down to the fifth floor. I kissed Carlos when the doors opened. He tapped my hip when I exited the elevator. Carlos went to his office while I went to mine, where Lester, Bobby, and Hector were awaiting my arrival. “Are we having a party?” I teased. “Nope,” Lester said. He glanced at his watch. “You’re thirty minutes late.” “More like you’re thirty minutes early,” I laughed. “I agreed to meet you at 09:00, and it’s 08:30. Why are you in my office?” I sat in my chair and waited for someone to talk. Ella knocked on the door. She gave me a breakfast burrito and a travel mug containing milk. “We hope you’re picking up the Rangeman files from Vinnie’s,” Lester replied. “I’m your field partner when Ranger is busy. I want Bobby and Hector with us in case something happens to you or the baby.” Smiling at his concern, I said, “I planned to ask another Rangeman car to follow us. Ranger is feeling unsettled. It’s getting worse as my due date draws closer.” “Are you sensing danger?” Bobby asked, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “Not at the moment,” I confessed. “I promised to take a panic button and extra trackers.” I unlocked the safe attached to the underside of my desk to remove the necklace with the built in camera, and a ring with the panic button built in. The faux onyx stone hid the button. It would only sound the alarm if I pressed and held the button for two seconds. Hector extended a hand to test the jewelry. He opened his phone and modified a few settings on the built-in devices. “The camera will record when Stephanie presses the button on the ring,” Hector said. “Thank you,” I said when Hector handed me the jewelry. I slipped the chain over my head, losing the pendant beneath the shirt. Hector quirked a brow. “Oops. You don’t want to see the inside of my shirt on the recording.” I pulled on the chain and exposed the pendant. Lester left to grab a microphone from the storage room. He returned and handed it to Hector. I watched as Hector synchronized the microphone to the other devices. When he finished linking them, he passed me the microphone. I turned my chair to face the window. The tinted glass prevented people from looking into my office, and the inside wasn’t reflective. I tucked the device beneath my left breast. “Okay, guys, we’re ready to roll,” I said, facing them. I texted Ranger, letting him know what devices I wore and that I was leaving the building. He replied with a thumbs up, a heart emoji and a single word: Babe. We took the elevator to the garage. I handed Lester the keys to Ranger’s Cayenne. He grinned and hit the unlock button. Lester opened the passenger side door and helped me climb inside. Hector and Bobby got into a Rangeman SUV, and Bobby drove. Lester stopped at the Tasty Pastry to grab six donuts. He ran inside, leaving me in the vehicle. “You can’t have any,” Lester said when he returned. Lester gave me the bag. I opened it to sniff the donuts. The sugary sweetness made my stomach turn. “No worries. The scent makes me sick,” I said, closing the bag. With the typical Rangeman parking karma, Lester parked in front of Vinnie’s bond office. “Wait for me,” Lester said, turning off the car. He exited the SUV and ran to my side. I released the seatbelt and waited for Lester to open my door. Lula and Connie had their faces pressed against the glass, wondering who was in the passenger seat. The tinted windows prevented them from seeing me. I smiled when Lester opened my door and offered a hand. He took my hand, careful not to accidentally press the panic button on my right ring finger. I tripped when exiting the vehicle, but Lester prevented me from face-planting on the sidewalk. “Thanks,” I mumbled, “my centre of gravity is off.” I pulled my messenger bag over my shoulder. Lester held the pastry bag while I got my purse situated. “When we get inside, I’ll pretend to listen to music. Once they mention Morelli, I hit record on my voice app.” “Can you run that while playing music?” I asked, tilting my head to the side. Lula tapped on the window. I looked at her, and she motioned for me to hurry up. She must have seen the bag Lester gave me. “Hector programmed it to work that way,” Lester replied. “Hey, white girl,” Lula greeted me when I entered the office. “Where have you been?” Connie grabbed the donut bag and removed two. She gave the bag to Lula and returned to her chair, waiting for me to answer as she ate her breakfast treat. Lester and I sat on the couch beside Lula, who was digging into the pastry bag to grab a donut. Lula leaned forward on the couch to look at Lester. “I hope you ain’t gonna listen to our conversation,” she snapped. “I’ll listen to music while you ladies chat,” Lester promised. He removed the earbuds from his pocket and tucked them into his ear. Lester played the music from his phone. “Can you hear me?” Lula asked. Lester’s music wasn’t as loud as usual, but he wisely pretended not to hear Lula’s question. Wanting to be certain Lester wasn’t listening, Lula waved a hand in his face, leaning across me. Her elbow dug into my baby bump. Lester removed an earbud as he turned up the volume. “Did you want something?” he asked. “No. You can listen to your music,” Lula said. Lester replaced the earbud while turning down the volume. Lula sat back in her seat. “Officer Hottie is angry,” Lula said, immediately getting to the good stuff. Lester pushed a button on his phone to record our conversation. “Why is Joe mad?” I asked. “Cuz you’re pregnant with his baby, and you married Batman,” Lula replied. I rolled my eyes. “But seeing as you’re about four months along, I know Officer Hottie isn’t the baby daddy.” “I’m twenty-five weeks, which is six months. I got pregnant on my honeymoon. Why would Morelli think the baby is his? We broke up months before I married Ranger,” I argued. “Nu-uh,” Lula said. “You’s don’t look that far gone. I been around lots of pregnant ho’s, and they are bigger at six months. Valerie was bigger at six months.” “I don’t eat gravy with everything, and I can’t eat dessert,” I replied. “Is my pregnancy the only reason Joe is mad?” “Nope,” Connie replied, rubbing the jelly off her shirt using a tissue. She tittered when the tissue stuck to the jelly. Connie used nail polish remover to get rid of the mess. Grinning, she said, “Joe claimed you didn’t want marriage or children.” “And I’m married and pregnant,” I replied. “I was trying to spare Joe the rejection. Next time, I’ll say I don’t want to marry him or have his children.” I accentuated him and his. “You weren’t opposed to marriage and children, only against having Joe’s children?” Connie asked. “I’ve married the wrong man before, and you know how that turned out,” I replied. Connie nodded. Lula thought for a few seconds and agreed. She knew the story behind Dickie and Joyce on my dining room table. Lula’s eyes narrowed as she challenged, “And you think Batman will stick around after your baby is born?” Her question pissed me off. Where did she get off making that assumption? Before I could answer, Connie said, “Joe’s telling everyone that once you give birth, Ranger will see it’s Joe’s baby and will dump you within days.” “How many times do I have to tell people that my baby belongs to my husband? What the fuck is wrong with people telling lies and spreading rumours? Do they have some kind of bet going?” I asked. Connie cringed when I mentioned the bets. “How high is the pot?” “A hundred grand,” Connie replied. “Whoever is closest to your break-up date without going past their date wins. The latest date is one week after you give birth.” “I’m adding to the pool, but it closes today, and you can’t tell anyone what I betted,” I said. Connie nodded. “I bet a hundred grand, though it’s a sure thing, that Ranger is my baby’s father, and we move to Miami a week, exactly seven days after I give birth.” Connie leaned forward. “Lester, can you hear me?” she asked. I nudged him in the side. Lester removed an earbud, letting us hear the loud music he played. “Continue,” she told Lester. He shrugged and popped the earbud back into his ear. “You can’t tell Ranger or anyone else what we wagered. Do we have a deal?” “Yes,” I replied. Connie wrote my name in her book and got me to sign and initial the terms. We talked for another hour before it was time for me to leave. I grabbed the files from Connie’s desk and tucked them into my messenger bag. After Lester and I climbed into the car and closed the doors, I asked, “Did you livestream the recording to Ranger?” “No,” Lester said. “That was some bet you made with Connie. I stopped the program when you mentioned adding to the pool. Ranger doesn’t need to know your terms.” “You can’t tell anyone what you heard. Regarding the bet, Ranger and I are moving to Miami after the baby is born. But everyone at Rangeman knows that already. We’ve been setting up the move for the past month,” I said. “You and I can’t sway Ranger into making it seven days after I give birth. That has to be his decision to keep my wager honest.” “He won’t hear it from me,” Lester laughed.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Carlos wasn’t impressed with the rumours Morelli had spread throughout Trenton. Rangeman clients knew Carlos and I were married and questioned the integrity of the business. “Do the clients actually believe you married me because of the baby?” I asked incredulously. I went to his office after Lester sent the recording. Carlos and I were reviewing client contracts and finding ways to improve service to their businesses. “Some do, but others know differently,” Carlos replied. “I don’t want to raise our son in Trenton. We can’t take him on a plane for seven days after his birth.” “Huh. I read somewhere that it was two to three months because their immune system hadn’t developed. The infant relies on their nursing mother for immunity,” I said. “We could leave earlier if we drive.” I risked losing the bet by suggesting we left earlier. “Babe, are you sure? I’ll have to stop every two to three hours for you to feed him,” Carlos replied. I thought for a minute and remembered Valerie’s complaint about driving with infants. Smiling, I replied, “You’re right. Valerie and Steve drove to Trenton from LA once after Mary Alice’s birth. Steve had to stop every two and a half hours for Valerie to feed Mary Alice and Angie. Removing them from their seats and changing them in filthy interstate rest stops made their trip long and miserable. I don’t want to deal with all of that crap. Flying is a better option. Is there a way we can commission a private flight?” “Rangeman purchased a helicopter and jet. We have to wait until our son is at least seven days old before flying to Miami,” Carlos said. “So… is it settled?” I asked, pushing his chair away from the desk and sitting in his lap. I would win the bet if everything went according to plan. Carlos wasn’t aware I made a bet with Connie. He knew I had offered my annual salary as a wager but not the details. “Yes, Babe. We’re leaving Trenton when our son is seven days old,” he replied. “Provided everything goes well during the delivery.” I knew better than to ask what could go wrong. Our son might be our only child. Carlos decided he would get a vasectomy after our son’s birth. He was waiting to ensure our baby survived. I wanted him to wait until the doctor harvested some eggs to fertilize with his sperm. The doctor could freeze some embryos if we changed our minds. I wasn’t sure if I could handle a second pregnancy. As Carlos said, it depended on how the delivery went this time. “Are we telling anyone our plans?” I asked. “Nobody except Lester, Bobby and Tank,” he replied, making me grin. I couldn’t wait to see the look on Connie’s face when I won her despicable betting pool. Hopefully, Rangeman would catch it on the live feed from the security cameras in Vinnie’s office. Lester or Bobby would collect my winnings. “I heard the recording from Lester, and it stopped before you negotiated the ante and wager. Did Lula call you a ho?” I laughed, “Not at all. Anyone who thinks that is idiotic. Most of the pregnant women Lula encountered were working the streets. She based the size of my baby bump and pregnancy progression on what she knew. I assure you that Lula was not calling me a prostitute.” “Do you think your parents or grandmother are betting against me?” Carlos asked, which made me laugh harder. “I know for a fact they have not. That’s why I had to visit Lula and Connie,” I replied. “Dad heard about the betting, and he’s furious. Mom kept tippling, and Grandma wanted to shoot someone in the gumpy.” “Babe?” Ranger asked; I assumed he wanted to know what I meant by gumpy.“The balls or ass, assuming you wanted to know what Grandma called a gumpy,” I answered, laughing. His lip twitched in amusement. “Are you upset I placed a bet?” “You tried to set the paternity record straight many times. Morelli’s acting like a child who lost his favourite toy,” Carlos said. “Wagering the baby as belonging to Morelli other than mine is a fool’s bet. What’s your ante?” “One hundred thousand,” I replied. I chewed on my bottom lip. Carlos gently tugged it free and kissed me. “And the rest?” Carlos gently asked. “We leave after his birth,” I whispered. “But I can’t tell you when, or I forfeit the pot and pay the ante.” Carlos chuckled, “I know you, Babe. I’ll move heaven and earth to ensure we leave exactly seven days after our son’s birth. What will you do with the other hundred grand when you win?” Was it telling Carlos when he guessed correctly? Connie didn’t realize Carlos could read me like a book. Sighing, I replied, “I’m giving it to Valerie. She’s living in a small apartment with Albert and the girls. The money will go a long way to help her buy a house. My nieces need more room, and I would do anything for them. This is the only way Valerie would accept money from me. I tried giving her half my monthly wage, but she outright refused to take it.” “And that’s why I love you,” Carlos said. I rolled my eyes. “Stephanie, you’re generous, loving and kind. You would give your last dime to help your nieces. I love how you turned a bunch of emotionally stunted, quiet, lonely soldiers and ex-cons into a family. Through your kindness, you pulled every man out of their shell. The greatest rescue was Hector. He was lost inside the darkness of his mind.” “What happened with Hector?” I asked. “He belonged to a gang. When the gang leader murdered his sister, Hector killed the man, earning his first teardrop tattoo,” Carlos explained. “I noticed he has a second one.” “He earned that by protecting you,” Carlos said. “What? How?” I twisted in the seat to straddle his lap after raising the armrests out of the way. “Eddie Abruzzi wanted to punish you for killing Jimmy Alpha and sending their prize fighter, Benito Ramirez, to prison,” Carlos explained while stroking my face. “I don’t even know Abruzzi. We never crossed paths, and I don’t understand how I landed on his radar,” I said. “He wagered on Ramirez’s fight with Lionel Reesey. Since Ramirez went to prison, that fight never occurred, and Abruzzi lost thousands of dollars. Abruzzi’s been looking to take his reward from your body,” Carlos said, making me shiver. “And Hector knew this?” I asked. “Hector hangs around Stark Street with Junior. They heard the rumours and took care of things,” Carlos explained. I always wondered if there was more to Hector and Junior’s relationship besides a close friendship. Reading my face, Carlos said, “Junior and Hector are cousins, not lovers.” I nodded and felt embarrassed for thinking of them in an intimate relationship. Getting back to the Abruzzi topic, I asked, “Taking care of things such as murdering Abruzzi? Wouldn’t they get caught?” Chuckling, Carlos replied, “The medical examiner ruled it as a suicide, which the evidence proved. Morelli thinks I killed Abruzzi, but I never had a hand in his death.” Snorting in disgust at Joe’s assumption, I asked, “Did Joe know Abruzzi was after me? And when did he know?” “Yes, and it was a few weeks before you caught him with Terry Gilman,” Carlos answered. “I hate it when people keep important things from me,” I snapped. I wasn’t angry at Carlos. He gave me some information to keep me safe, even if he never gave me details. “When did you know?” “The day I arrived at your childhood home and heard you singing Midnight Rescue,” Carlos confessed. “I went there to warn you.” “But you swept me off my feet, and we eloped,” I said. “Yes. Hector and Junior had everything handled before we returned,” Carlos added. “And Joe blames you despite having a solid alibi?” I asked. “I gave my alibi to the police chief Lucci when he questioned me,” Carlos replied. “Morelli hoped to move from assault in the crimes against humanity department to homicide by solving Abruzzi’s case.” “Which was ruled as a suicide,” I deadpanned. “He’s wasting time and resources by working on a closed case. Once the chief hears what Joe’s doing, he will suspend him.” Carlos suggested, “He might work on the case in his spare time.” I sighed because he was right. It wouldn’t be the first time Joe reviewed a closed case, which bothered him. Joe had copies of case files in his home office. I remembered seeing them while I searched for a pen and paper to leave him a note. “Wait a second. You said Morelli worked for assault in crimes against humanity. Joe told me he worked homicide,” I argued. Carlos chuckled. He kissed me tenderly and stood. I smiled as he repositioned me to straddle his legs while facing the laptop screen. “Working homicides is his goal. Juniak and Lucci had their reasons for not promoting Morelli. Open the link to the TPD’s database,” Carlos directed. “When did you receive access?” I asked. “Rangeman worked a few cases with the ATF, DEA and the TPD. I needed access to their database to research arrest records,” Carlos explained. He guided me through the database to find the employee files. I found Joe’s name listed under the crimes against humanity department in the subclass of dealing with assault and battery. “Oh. The men working homicide get paid more, and they make people like Morelli do the grunt work,” I said. “Morelli wants to do less investigative work and more bossing people around. Doesn’t he realize working mostly homicides included more paperwork?” “I doubt Morelli’s worried about the paperwork. He’s involved with Terry Gilman. His uncles are part of a mob. It wouldn’t be in the precinct’s best interest to promote Morelli to the homicide part of crimes against humanity. Morelli could use his position to send an innocent man to prison,” Carlos explained. It made sense. Having a mob plant inside the precinct would protect his and Terry’s family from imprisonment. “How many times did Joe get his family off the hook?” I asked. “More than he should have as a respected officer,” Carlos replied. “Morelli fought to get Gilman immunity to solve a few cases involving her family.” “So much corruption,” I mumbled. Carlos kissed my neck. I pushed the laptop and tilted my head to give him more access. His hands splayed across my baby bump. Someone knocked on the door before he could move them down, interrupting our intimate moment. “The only person stopping Joe from advancing is Joe,” I said. Carlos pushed the chair back and helped me stand. I sat in the chair beside him as he said, “Enter.” “We got it,” Lester said, waving printed documents. “Got what?” I asked. “Hector planted a camera above Connie’s desk when the office was empty. Connie was bonding another skip at the precinct, and Lula went to Mooner’s to bring him in,” Lester replied. “Vinnie was too busy fucking Barnhardt to notice anything.” Lester shivered at the last statement. “Santos!” Ranger barked. “Right. Sorry. I can’t get those sounds out of my head,” Lester said. I rolled my eyes. “Anyway, when Connie returned, she opened her book to read the wagers and add the antes. Steph, you’ll owe a hundred and ten grand if you lose.” “Is that all?” I asked. My spidey sense indicated there was more to the story. I was losing my patience and wanted Lester to get to the point. “Morelli bet twenty-five grand that the baby would die during childbirth,” Lester quietly said. Ranger grabbed the garbage can in time for me to barf. “Did my in-laws place bets?” Ranger asked. Lester shook his head and gave us the papers with the wagers and antes. I left the office to use the washroom, where I washed my face and brushed my teeth. When I returned to Ranger’s office, he made the come here motion with his finger. I sat on his lap, drawing comfort from his embrace. Bobby and Tank had arrived while I cleaned up. The garbage can was empty. Ranger or Lester must have tossed the bag. It didn’t matter who disposed of the barf bag. I appreciated it because the stench would make me sick again. “How are we going to protect Stephanie?” Lester asked. “You can’t lock me up. I have prenatal appointments and client meetings. Ranger will accompany me, and we can have a two-car, four-man backup,” I said, annoyed that Lester wanted to make the arrangements without my input. “That’s sufficient,” Ranger said. “We’ll regroup and adjust when Stephanie is farther along. Does that appeal to you, Babe?” “Yup. I can live with that,” I replied. “What’s the worst that can happen when I have so many guards?” “Babe, don’t tempt fate.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

I made it to week thirty-six and was anxious to get this baby out of me. Valerie had her baby nearly two months earlier. Carlos and I went to the mall because I needed to leave Rangeman to buy baby Lisa a gift. Ella would have purchased something for me, but I wanted the gift to have a personal touch. I also wanted to get something for Angie and Mary Alice, who were happy about having a baby sister but sad about how much their lives had changed since moving to Trenton. Our guards, Lester, Bobby, Tank, Hector, Junior and Hal, were watching us. Hal and Junior were in the parking lot, watching the vehicle to ensure nobody had tampered with it. I thought the devices they had installed on the Rangeman SUVs would detect bombs or other dangerous items. Carlos assured me it was necessary. He couldn’t exactly throw me to the ground to cover me without harming our child, and I couldn’t run without the fear of tripping. My son jumped on my bladder, and I had to use the bathroom, which was between the bookstore and the lingerie shop. I smiled at the woman and her daughter exiting the family washroom and slipped inside with Carlos. He wanted to be with me if, God forbid, I went into early labour. Our baby had his head down, ready for his grand entrance into the world. I had some Braxton Hicks contractions, but nothing progressed to cause labour. The doctor said I wouldn’t go into labour for several weeks. She said that in most first-time pregnancies, the woman delivered late. I hoped she was wrong because my baby was already near the nine-pound mark. Bobby and Lester were leaning against the wall, waiting for Carlos and me to exit the washroom. Tank and Hector appeared from the men’s restroom. “Did you have to empty your bladders too?” I teased. “No,” Hector replied. He said something in rapid Spanish. I caught the words beautiful, girl and man. Carlos spent countless hours teaching me the language, but I couldn’t understand much if the guys talked too fast. I needed time to process and interpret the words. “Did the man leave?” Ranger asked, going into his protective mode. “Yes, a minute before you unlocked the door,” Lester answered. “The girl was his daughter. All the family washrooms were busy, so he took her inside the men’s room. Tank and Hector ensured the girl was safe by watching the door.” We entered the bookstore, where I searched the shelves for the Nancy Drew books. Angie had to leave her copies behind when they moved to Trenton. I could have ordered them online, but I wanted to pick out the same ones I purchased for her while she lived in LA. The few customers inside the store found their books and paid. Carlos carried my books to the counter, leaving them with the cashier as I continued to browse the titles. I found an interesting book on horses, which I thought Mary Alice would enjoy. It came in a box with a stuffed palomino horse. Lisa’s gift was in our car; Lester ran it outside to keep his hands free. As I paid for our items, an announcement went over the mall’s speakers. A ten-year-old girl had gone missing. Her mother let her visit the arcade while she shopped for lingerie. When the mother returned to pick up her daughter, she was gone. One of the other kids said she left with a man. The police were immediately dispatched to the mall, and nobody was allowed to enter or leave. Carlos had Lester and Hector stand beside me as he checked every inch of the bookstore. “You have to help,” I said. “Babe, I need to stay with you,” Carlos argued. “What if it was Angie or Mary Alice?” I cried. “They have people searching for her,” Carlos said. “You and the others could help find her. What if it was Julie? Wouldn’t you do anything to help find her?” I asked, pleading with him to find the child before it was too late. My spidey senses indicated the child was in danger, and I wanted Carlos and the Merry Men to help find her before she was sexually assaulted or murdered. “I can lock the shop and stay inside with your wife,” the saleswoman offered. Carlos searched the store again, checking the lock on the back door to ensure nobody could come inside. “Don’t let anyone inside,” Carlos warned. He ran into Eddie Gazarra as the saleswoman closed the accordion doors to secure her store. “Who’s inside?” Eddie asked. “Stephanie and the saleswoman,” Carlos replied. Eddie nodded. The men paired off and quickly searched the surrounding shops before leaving that mall area. I sat in the back room with the saleswoman while waiting for Carlos to return. Someone knocked on the door behind us. I jumped, and the woman peeked through the peephole to see who was there. “Don’t open it,” I hissed. “It’s a cop,” she replied. “I have to.” When she unlocked the door, Morelli and a woman pushed their way inside. I felt a prick in my arm, and everything went black as the saleswoman fell to the floor beside me. It felt like I was dreaming. I could see Hector searching the mall’s security camera recordings for the man who kidnapped the ten-year-old girl. “She’s waking up,” a woman said, setting the laptop on the floor beside me. “Cupcake, are you awake?” Joe asked. “Help,” I whispered. Joe grinned and motioned for the woman to pass him something. He injected something into my arm. I glanced around and noticed I was in the back of a van without windows. Nobody would find me unless they knew where to look. “We have to leave,” the woman hissed as the second dose of the sedative dragged me into the dark abyss. I barely registered that I was naked. Joe and the woman had removed my clothes. I don’t know where we went. The aches and pains made me assume it was a bumpy ride. When the sedative finally wore off, I opened my eyes. My first action was to feel my stomach, where my son kicked sluggishly as though sedated with me. I hoped my baby wasn’t affected by whatever drug they injected into my arm. The door of the darkened room opened, casting a shadow behind someone. “You don’t deserve him,” the woman said. “He’s mine.” “Who is yours?” I asked, my mouth dry, and my voice cracked as I spoke. The woman passed me a glass of water. I shook my head. “No. Poison.” “The water isn’t poisoned,” the woman said, drinking half the glass. She pressed it against my lips. I was parched and needed a drink. “Why am I here?” I asked. The fuzziness was slowly dissipating. She remained silent. “Where am I?” “You’re here because Ranger is mine,” she snapped. “Nobody will find you here.” I shook my head. Ranger may not know where I was taken, but he wouldn’t stop looking for me. Through the fog caused by the drugs, I realized Kathy Armstrong kidnapped me with a man’s help. The man inside the van called me Cupcake. Only one man ever used that derogatory nickname. Joseph Morelli and Kathy Armstrong kidnapped me under Ranger’s nose from the mall. The place was swarming with police and my Merry Men, yet Kathy managed to remove me from the bookstore. “How did you do it?” I asked. I didn’t know how many days had passed. It could have been weeks, depending on how long Joe and Kathy kept me sedated, or hours. I had no concept of the time. My watch was gone, so was my jewelry and hair elastic. Kathy and Joe removed everything potentially carrying a tracker. Sneering, she replied, “It was easy. I had everything except the location planned. Imagine my surprise when I saw you and Ranger enter the mall. I called Joe and told him it was time.” Kathy looked deranged. The woman, who I thought was gorgeous, appeared worn and ugly. Her inner self was showing for me to see. “Did you arrange the child’s kidnapping?” “Happy coincidence. I couldn’t have planned it better myself,” she laughed, seemingly proud of the circumstances leaving me vulnerable. “Joe said you get into strange predicaments where Ranger must rescue you. Why couldn’t you commit to Joe instead of taking my man?” “I didn’t take anyone from you. Ranger was never your man,” I argued. “He would have been if you never crossed his path,” Kathy snapped. She slapped my face hard. The sting from her palm lingered for several minutes. I imagined a red handprint on my left cheek. Her slap was hard enough to leave a bruise. “I need to use the bathroom,” I said. Kathy rolled her eyes. She removed a gun from her waistband and held it to my head. I could quickly disarm her, but I needed to empty my bladder first. Peeing on the floor and slipping in a pile of urine could hurt my son. We passed a window on our way to the washroom. The trees stood tall and proud, reaching toward the sky to soak up the sunshine using photosynthesis to oxygenate the air by converting light energy into water or carbon dioxide. Green plants and trees played another part during that process, but I couldn’t remember what it was off the top of my head. Kathy wouldn’t let me close the door. She stood in the doorway as I sat on the toilet to empty my bladder. It was bad enough that I was naked. Having her watch me urinate was beyond degrading. I was cold. “Can I have something to wear?” I asked. Kathy laughed. “No. Keeping you naked will stop you from leaving,” Kathy replied. Her tone indicated it made her uncomfortable seeing me in all my pregnant glory. Joe, who I was convinced helped her kidnap me, probably wanted to see how I looked pregnant. I didn’t have stretch marks because of the lotion Carlos loved rubbing over my breasts, hips and baby bump. A tear slid from my eye as I washed my eyes. The mirror was old with blacked-out spots that prevented it from absorbing too much moisture. I couldn’t see my reflection clearly. When I turned around, I caught the edge of a phone sticking out of Kathy’s pocket. I had to get that phone and disarm her. My stomach grumbled. It had been too long since I had anything to eat, and my baby needed nourishment. “Do you have any food?” I asked. Kathy stepped from the doorway as I approached. Her phone buzzed, causing her to misstep. I took advantage and twisted the gun from Kathy’s hand, smirking when I heard the snap of her wrist breaking. She pulled a knife and lunged. I aimed at her face and pulled the trigger. Kathy’s eyes went wide a second before she fell to the ground, dead. Blood drained until her heart stopped. It was messy, but I didn’t care. The bitch was dead. Now, I had to call Carlos to rescue me. Kathy’s phone was locked, but I could still call 9-1-1. A dispatcher answered and asked for my location. She mentioned her name, but I wasn’t listening. I didn’t know, but I gave her enough details to describe where I was. “Please, don’t send this over the channels. Contact Rangeman Security in Trenton, New Jersey,” I begged. I gave her the number. “I’m supposed to put it over the channels to police, fire and ambulance,” she said. “I was kidnapped by a cop who wants to kill my baby!” I shouted. “I need you to contact Rangeman. They will bring a team of trusted men to rescue me.” “Ma’am,” she said. “It’s Stephanie Manoso,” I corrected. “Mrs. Manoso, I’m sorry, but I already dispatched the other services.” “Call Rangeman,” I cried and gave her the number again. “I hope they get here before the cop.” “Which cop kidnapped you?” the woman asked. “Joseph Morelli,” I replied. She gasped and put me on hold to call Rangeman. The woman returned a minute later, “Stephanie, Rangeman has two teams searching for you. How long have you been missing?” “I don’t know,” I replied. Moisture pooled beneath me. I prayed Ranger would find me before I gave birth. “What was the last thing you remember before the kidnapping?” she asked. “A girl was kidnapped at the Quaker Bridge Mall,” I replied. “That was three days ago,” the dispatcher said. “Have you eaten anything?” “Only drank half a glass of water. I’m starving. Ouch,” I cried when the contraction ripped through me. “Stephanie, focus on me and explain what happened,” she said. The woman patiently listened to the story, typing on her keyboard when I mentioned being sedated and wrestling the gun from my captor’s hand. “Don’t tell the dispatched teams,” I groaned. “I sent that information directly to Rangeman,” she replied. “Your contractions are ten minutes apart. I need you to stay on the line so the Rangeman team can track you.” “Oh, okay,” I cried. A simple trip to the mall landed me in trouble over my head. Nobody knew where to find me. I could be in a third-world country for all I knew. “They better hurry because the phone is nearly dead.” “Hang on…” she said, getting cut off as the phone died. The door burst open. I screamed.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Ranger’s POVHector found the missing girl while reviewing the mall’s security cameras. The man attempted to remove her through the back door of the McDonald’s tucked in the back of the food court. It was closest to the arcade, where he located the girl. We rushed to control the crowd and keep them safe. I needed to get to Stephanie; the instinct to find my wife hit me like a wrecking ball. “Where are you going?” Eddie Gazarra asked. “We need your statement.” “You’ll get my statement after I collect Stephanie from the bookstore,” I calmly replied.My stomach churned as I left Gazarra staring after me. Stephanie was in trouble. I could feel it deep to the bone. Nothing mattered more than getting to my pregnant wife. When I arrived at the bookstore, I noticed two things: the door leading to the back office was open, and Stephanie was nowhere in sight. My phone buzzed in my pocket. I brought it to my ear and barked, “Report.” Lester’s voice filled my ear, “Ranger, the back door to the bookstore is unlocked. Someone drugged the saleswoman. She’s coming around. Hang on.” I listened as Lester talked to the woman. She said the police showed a badge, and she let him inside. He entered with a woman, who jabbed a needle in her arm while the cop drugged the pregnant customer. I knew precisely which cop entered the bookstore. Detective Morelli would be lucky if he lived another day. Once my men got ahold of Morelli, they would rip him limb from limb. “Can I help?” Joe asked, appearing beside me. “Where’s my wife?” I snapped. Joe raised his hands and replied, “I haven’t seen your wife.” Lester helped the woman to her feet, disconnecting our call. He brought her closer and asked, “Is this the cop?” Lester pointed at Morelli, hoping the woman would confirm his involvement in Stephanie’s kidnapping. In my gut, I knew he was involved. “I don’t know,” she replied. “Everything happened so fast. I saw the officer’s Trenton police shield but not the number.” “Does the bookstore have a camera?” I asked. She nodded and went to the back room with Lester to check the computer. With Lester watching over her shoulder, she checked the computer, where the footage from earlier should have been saved, but it was gone. “Where is it?” she whispered as she clicked on other folders. “Did it get overwritten?” Lester asked. Tank, Hector and Bobby arrived. Hector and I went to the back office to check the computer. “I don’t know,” she said. Hector pointed at the computer and asked to take a look at it. Lester translated for the saleswoman. She stood up and moved from the desk, letting Hector take the spot. He went through the computer, searching for the video. Hector found the file and opened it. He searched the footage, but the bright sunshine affected the video. We couldn’t see the man’s face. He rushed inside with someone else. The door leading outside was open. Without touching anything, I checked behind the door and noticed the shelf prevented the door from closing. It was the perfect countermeasure for obscuring the crime. Ram and Zero arrived at the scene with the TPD’s forensic employee, Germaine Stevenson. The men checked for fingerprints and other evidence the kidnappers left behind, scanning everything collected into their laptop programs. Ram found Stephanie’s clothes and purse tossed in the dumpster. Someone had removed her watch, jewelry and hair elastic, shoving them inside the purse. Zero and Stevenson scanned them for trace evidence before dusting them for prints. We hoped to find a fingerprint on the watch’s crystal. “Stephanie’s fingerprints are on most of the watchband, but I found a partial not belonging to her,” Zero said. He waited for Stevenson to compare it to the TPD’s employees and criminals who Stephanie had returned to the precinct before her pregnancy. Stevenson shook his head. No hits at the TPD. Morelli was off the hook. I caught Ram’s eye. He knew what I wanted. A few women in Trenton had problems with Stephanie marrying me. I needed Ram to check those women’s whereabouts to see who had suddenly left the area. He noticed I flicked my eyes to Morelli, who was inside the bookstore with Eddie Gazarra. I appreciated Eddie keeping Morelli from contaminating the crime scene. As Zero and Stevenson wrapped up their work at the bookstore, Stevenson took Stephanie’s clothing for evidence, and I received a text message from Ram. Two women weren’t where he expected them to be. Joyce Barnhardt usually had a quickie with Vinnie. She wasn’t at the bonds office. Kathy Armstrong never went to her hair appointment with Alexander and never called to cancel. It was out of character for her. Of the two women, I felt Kathy Armstrong was the likely kidnapper. Ram was at Kathy’s house collecting fingerprint samples for comparison. Kathy’s house, which her father owned, was covered by Rangeman security. Harold gave Ram permission to enter and collect the evidence. He owned a few vacation homes and wanted proof his daughter was involved in the kidnapping before releasing the addresses. I was disappointed when the fingerprint match returned an inconclusive match. We couldn’t definitively connect Kathy Armstrong to Stephanie’s kidnapping. Zero and Ram returned to Rangeman to get teams organized to locate Stephanie. The following afternoon, I received a call from Stevenson. He found trace evidence on Stephanie’s clothes. The dark hair was inconsistent with the curly brown hair he determined belonged to Stephanie. “How different?” I asked. “Straight and darker than Stephanie’s natural colour,” he replied. “The hair belonged to a female, fifteen inches long.” Joyce Barnhardt dyed her hair red. Unless Stephanie picked up a random hair sample, Barnhardt was off the list of suspects. Kathy, whose hair was straight, dark and long, was high on the list. “I’ll have Zero send you the report from a potential suspect,” I said. “Do you have the sample?” Stevenson asked. I texted Zero, who replied with an affirmative on the hair strands. “We have a few. Come to Rangeman with your sample and report,” I said, thinking it best to keep this potential case-breaking evidence away from the precinct. “I’ll be there in ten minutes,” Stevenson replied. He hung up. I called Hector, who was following Morelli. “Have you bugged his phone?” I asked when Hector answered. “Yes, but he hasn’t called anyone,” Hector replied. “I hacked into it and haven’t found anything useful.” “Does he have a secondary device?” I asked. “Not that I found,” Hector replied. “I have eyes on Morelli.” “Does he have a pager?” I asked. Hector was silent for several minutes before confirming that Joe had one, which he had checked several times. The phone bug would only record conversations while using the device. “Where is he?” “At his brother’s house. He’s using the landline to call someone,” Hector said. “Damn!” I screamed. Morelli was clever and one step ahead of us. Operating under the radar was what made him a great detective. I assumed he knew about the bug on his phone. Removing it would increase suspicion. He left it in place to prove his innocence. Planting another bug to record all conversations would tip our hand. Morelli knew we were following him. I wanted to wipe the permanent smirk off his face. Later the following evening, I visited Harold Armstrong with the evidence in hand. He reluctantly gave me three addresses for vacation homes he owned: one in the Adirondack Mountains, another in the Poconos, and a house in LA. I dispatched Lester and Bones, another Rangeman medic, with a team to the Poconos. Stephanie had been missing for three days. I prayed she and our son were safe. My biggest fear was her going into labour without anyone around to help. It was getting late. We grabbed everything possible to assist Stephanie if needed. Bobby, Hector, Tank, and I went to the Adirondack cabin. We took the Rangeman chopper and landed as close as possible to the path leading into the forest where Armstrong had his cabin. He had a few RVs stored in a shed at the bottom of the path. It would take a few hours to arrive at the cabin on foot. The RVs would be too loud to make a surprise entrance. During the flight, I received the best news possible. Stephanie called 9-1-1. Cal contacted me with the details regarding Stephanie’s location. She was either in the Poconos or the Adirondacks. My gut said I was on the right trail. I remained in contact with Cal and cursed when the responder put the call over the wire, thinking Stephanie was in the Pine Barrens. Her dispatch tipped off Morelli that she had contacted emergency. The news got worse when the responder announced Stephanie was in labour. I called Ram for an update on Morelli. “He gave us the slip,” Ram confessed. “We had someone watching the house and his garage. His cousin Mooch and brother Anthony arrived and left. Everyone assumed Anthony left with Mooch, but it was Joe. It was too dark to see anything. Joe and Anthony are the same height and build. Both men wore baseball caps to obscure their faces.” “Did anyone follow Mooch?” I asked. “Junior and Hal,” Ram replied. “They drove to Vito Grizolli’s house. A chopper left within minutes.” I ended the call with Ram when I learned Morelli would arrive minutes after us. “Change in plans. We need the rappel ropes, carabiner clips and harnesses,” I said. Tank grinned and grabbed the supplies from his pack. I raised my brow. “I prepared for the worst case,” Tank said. “It’s been a while since we rappelled from a chopper.” “This isn’t a military helicopter,” I reminded him. “The principles are the same,” Tank replied. “We have to do this, Ranger. It’s the only way to get to Stephanie before Morelli.” Tank was right. “I can do this,” Ace said from the pilot’s seat. “Two men leave at a time - one on each side. I can stabilize the chopper. Go fast.” Bobby helped Hector with the harness and showed him how to control his descent using the ropes and clips. Hector nodded. He was nervous to jump from the chopper, but I knew he would do it for Stephanie. “ETA five minutes,” Ace announced. Tank checked the knots and harnesses. I returned the favour to check his after I pulled my emergency pack, containing Stephanie’s clothes and other essentials, over my shoulders. We opened the doors when we had one minute remaining. Ace hovered over the cabin’s coordinates. Tank and I rappelled from the chopper, quickly followed by Bobby and Hector. It wasn’t my first time dropping from a helicopter in the dark. The tree branches tugged on my clothes as I released the rope. I fell several feet before halting the descent, repeating the process until I reached the ground. It took seconds to tug the rope from the clips and remove the harness. Bobby helped Hector when they landed. Ace would know when to leave. He had to touch down in an open area to pull the ropes inside the chopper. I checked my watch. It was nearing midnight. Stephanie was close. I could feel her. The cabin was a few meters away. We rushed toward the house. Preserving evidence was the last thing on my mind when I heard Stephanie crying. I turned the knob, which was unlocked, and shoved the door open. It slammed against the wall as Stephanie screamed. She pointed the gun at me, ready to shoot. “Babe,” I said, approaching her with my hands raised. “Carlos,” she cried. “My water broke. Something’s wrong. I can feel it.” Bobby rushed forward, leaving Tank and Hector outside the cabin to catch Morelli. “Let me check you,” Bobby said. I removed the duffle from my back to retrieve a shirt. Stephanie groaned as another contraction hit. I slipped the shirt over her head, pulling it down to cover her breasts while leaving her abdomen exposed. “What’s wrong?” Stephanie asked when Bobby cursed. “I’m sorry, Steph. I need to get the baby out of you. Your son’s head traps the umbilical cord,” Bobby said, quickly removing the equipment he needed from his medical backpack. “I only have enough lidocaine to numb you for a few minutes.” “It won’t work. Save my baby,” Stephanie cried. Bobby barked orders. I held the flashlights over Stephanie’s abdomen as Bobby injected the skin with the lidocaine. With my hands full, I couldn’t help Stephanie. She screamed as Bobby made the first cut. The lidocaine wasn’t enough. My wife could feel everything. Bobby concentrated on the emergency c-section, working efficiently to remove the baby as Stephanie continued to scream. She moved her head from side to side while keeping her body still. Tears flowed freely from my eyes as I watched Stephanie writhing in pain. It was the worst experience of my life, and I had seen many things during my service years. Stephanie bit her lip, stopping the screams, when she caught the devastated expression on Bobby’s face. He couldn’t hide his pain any more than she could. Tank entered the cabin and held the flashlights while I consoled Stephanie. “Babe, focus on me,” I said. She stared in my face, whimpering when Bobby tugged the baby free. I automatically accepted the infant when Bobby passed him to me. “What are we naming him?” I asked, pulling her attention. Stephanie’s tears never subsided. I could see the pain in her eyes. “Roberto Carlos,” Stephanie whispered. My lip twitched as I glanced at Bobby, who stitched my wife’s abdomen together. “Are you sure?” I asked, returning my gaze to her. Stephanie nodded. She tried to stay quiet. I knew how much it hurt to have someone cut into your abdomen without anesthetic. Stephanie was brave and strong. I couldn’t be more proud of her. “Cold,” Stephanie whispered as her teeth chattered. “Almost done,” Bobby announced. “Ranger, wrap Stephanie and the baby in the emergency blankets. Stephanie’s going into shock. Tank, call for an extraction, and we need a medical team to wait for us at the hospital’s helipad.” “Shhh,” Stephanie said. “Do you hear it?” The sound of an approaching ATV grew louder on the rocky path leading to the cabin. Everyone remained quiet, waiting for the visitor to enter the wooden house. Footfalls echoed on the steps and across the porch. Hopefully, Hector was recording everything. We needed the evidence to prove Morelli’s involvement with the kidnapping. “I have you exactly where I need you, Cupcake,” Joe said while opening the door. His weapon was drawn, ready to shoot Stephanie if she pulled the trigger on him. I was holding my son, and Bobby helped Stephanie. Joe released the safety on his gun and pointed it at me. “Perfect. I can kill you and the bastard child. Then Stephanie will be mine. She deserves punishment for killing Kathy.” Tank quickly disarmed Joe, breaking his wrist in the process. Hector expertly cuffed Morelli and used the ropes to secure him. He whispered to Morelli, who immediately stopped yelling. Speaking Spanish, Hector said, “He confessed to everything when he parked the ATV. I caught everything on the recording.” I nodded. Morelli was going down for kidnapping and attempted murder. Tank tossed Morelli over his shoulder and carried him outside. Hector grabbed Kathy’s cellphone from the floor and tucked it into his pocket. He would search it for communications between Kathy and Morelli. “We have to go,” Bobby said. “Stephanie lost too much blood. I can set up a transfusion, but it isn’t optimal. You need to take care of the baby. She needs more care than I can provide.” “What about the antibiotic?” I asked. “She needs an IV, and I don’t have one in my pack. The antibiotic would work best through the IV bag,” Bobby replied. “I can still give it to you.” “I’ll wait,” Stephanie cried. I passed my son to Bobby, who checked him while I carefully slipped the granny panties up Stephanie’s legs, ensuring the feminine protection pad was in place. Stephanie was in too much pain to be embarrassed. I re-wrapped her in the emergency blanket and lifted her off the bed. She wrapped her arms around my neck and rested her head on my shoulder. Stephanie fell asleep as I carried her outside to the waiting ATV. I sat on the seat with her in my arms. She was exhausted after the trauma she endured. Hector jumped in the driver’s seat and drove us along the path to the helicopter, awaiting our arrival. Tank had Morelli strapped to the back of the ATV he drove with Bobby, who was cradling my son. Joe bitched as Tank drove over the bumpy road. I cringed whenever Stephanie groaned in pain. Morelli deserved to die for putting Stephanie and my son in danger. We had to conduct a dangerous midnight rescue because Detective Morelli was jealous. Stephanie was the love of my life, my soulmate, and my partner. If anything else happened to Stephanie or my son, I would end Morelli’s life. Stephanie handled his partner in crime.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Everything hurt, including my head. I opened my eyes and prayed everything that happened was a bad dream. “Babe,” Carlos said. He smiled lovingly and stroked my cheek. Carlos pressed the button for the nurse. “Why are you calling the nurse?” I asked. “She wanted me to let her know when you’re awake. The fever broke,” Carlos replied. “How long have I been here?” I asked. “Three days. If the fever stays gone for twenty-four hours, you can go home with your husband and adorable son,” the nurse replied as she entered the room. She checked the incision from the emergency c-section. “Everything looks good. We had to give you strong antibiotics to fight the infection. The doctor had to open the incision to clean it.” “Can I have more children?” I asked. “You shouldn’t have problems carrying another baby to term,” the nurse said. “My name is Megan. If you forget, I wrote it on the whiteboard. Would you like to see your son?” “Please,” I whispered. Megan went to the bassinet, which I never noticed beside the bed, and lifted the sleeping infant. She placed him in my arms. “He weighed seven pounds, ten ounces,” Megan said. “Your husband said you weren’t due for another four weeks when he was born. He could have gained another two pounds if you carried him to forty weeks.” “My medic friend had to cut him out without anesthetic or other surgical equipment,” I said. “It was the most painful experience of my life. But losing my son would have killed me.” “Is your medic friend one of the handsome men waiting outside your door?” Megan asked. I glanced at Carlos, who nodded. “Yes. His name is Bobby Brown,” I answered. “Carlos, get him for me.” Carlos sent Bobby inside the room, taking his position outside the door. I rolled my eyes and smiled at Bobby. “Did you really deliver that adorable child in a cabin with limited supplies?” Megan asked. “Yes, Ma’am,” Bobby replied. “I had one syringe with lidocaine. It wasn’t enough to stop Stephanie from experiencing the pain.” “I don’t recall having another choice,” I mumbled, gazing into my son’s perfect face. His nose was small like mine. The shape of his face and chin reminded me of Carlos. I wondered whose eyes he had. It was hard to see the shape while closed. “Ignore me,” I giggled. Megan asked, “How did you know what to do?” Bobby and I had many discussions during my pregnancy. He wasn’t fond of helping women deliver babies, but it was necessary during his early years as an Army medic. Many towns his team had to enter to rescue the hostages. Some women and young girls got pregnant by the men holding them captive. Bobby skirted over what happened to them. It wasn’t difficult to figure out. I listened to Bobby explain how he knew where to cut. He confessed to running out of sutures, which made Megan gasp. “Delivering Stephanie’s baby by c-section wasn’t something we planned on happening,” Bobby said. “Everything went sideways because someone sedated Stephanie to move her to a remote location.” “Couldn’t you get a medic chopper to pick her up?” Megan asked. “No time,” Bobby replied sadly. “The baby and Stephanie were in danger. Even if she went to a hospital, she would have needed a c-section.” “Why?” Megan questioned. “The umbilical cord was trapped,” Bobby said. Megan gasped, covering her mouth with a hand. I added, “I’m glad Bobby was there. Roberto wouldn’t be here without him. Neither would I.” “Your son has so many names,” Megan said. I looked up at her with furrowed brows. “What do you mean?” I asked. She tugged the card from the baby’s bed. Written on it was Roberto Ricardo Carlos Francesco Manoso. I rolled my eyes and grinned. Carlos knew I wanted to name my son after him and Dad. “Your friends will be happy to see you awake. They’ve been stopping by to see you and the baby,” Megan said. I glanced at Bobby, who nodded. “I need my husband and some food,” I said, wiping a tear off my cheek. I hated worrying the guys. Plus, I wanted to know what happened with Kathy and Morelli. Kathy was dead. I killed her. Hopefully, the police would rule it as self-defence. I was in too much pain to register anything past Bobby cutting Roberto from my abdomen. “Megan, when do you have a break?” Bobby asked. “My shift ends in twenty minutes when the guard changes,” she replied. Bobby grinned at her response. I wondered what would happen if Bobby relocated to Miami. Maybe Megan would move to Miami with us. I could see the sparks between them. “Perfect. I’ll tell you the rest of the story when you’re free,” Bobby smoothly said. He kissed my forehead and left the room. Megan watched Bobby leave before returning her focus to me. I smiled as she muttered while checking my vitals. After checking my wristband, Megan injected something into my IV port. I assumed it was the antibiotic she mentioned earlier. Megan gently removed Roberto from my arms and changed his diaper. “We need to get you out of bed and moving,” Megan said. “I’ll have someone watch the baby or take him to the nursery.” “He can stay in the room. One of my guards could keep him company,” I said. Megan nodded, having expected my answer. She removed the catheter and helped me out of bed. Carlos entered the room and offered his arm. When we exited the room, Hector slipped inside to watch the baby. He had a bottle in his hand. I looked at Carlos, questioning if Hector fed the baby regularly. “He’s been here every day to help,” Carlos explained. We strolled around the hospital’s fifth floor. I had to stop a few times to catch my breath. Carlos was patient and waited until I was ready to continue. “When do I get this fucking IV removed?” I asked. I pushed the IV stand with every step. It was annoying. Carlos replied, “Once the antibiotic bag empties.” “I thought that was the injection through the IV port,” I argued. “That was the pain medication. The doctor switched it to a non-drowsy prescription. He needed you to walk around to ensure the incision is healing properly,” Carlos explained. “It also improves your overall health.” “Does anyone know I’m here?” I asked, pointing at the sign indicating we were in Helen Fuld's hospital. “Your family knows,” Carlos replied. “What happened to Kathy and Morelli?” “I’ll answer those questions in private,” he promised. It took thirty minutes to stroll around the floor. I entered my hospital room as Carlos held the door open. Hector sat in the rocking chair with my son. It was adorable and I wished I had a camera to take a picture. Hector looked up and winked. He put Roberto over his shoulder, then reached for his phone. I grinned as Hector took a selfie. “Oh!” I gasped. “Have you found my phone and rings?” Carlos tugged the chain hanging down my gown. I never noticed it with the breast binding. He reached behind my neck to unlatch the clasp. Carlos placed the rings in his palm and freed them from the chain. I cried as he slipped the rings over my finger. He helped me maintain my modesty as I climbed back into the bed. I wanted to hold my son. Hector reluctantly handed me the baby. He kissed Roberto’s blue hat and my forehead, which seemed out of character for the ex-gang man. “Well…what happened with Kathy and Joe?” I asked. “Kathy’s dead,” Carlos replied, earning an eye roll from me. “Because I killed her,” I said impatiently. Roberto opened one eye to stare at me. I stroked his nose and cheeks. He closed his eyes to sleep. “Was Joe charged with kidnapping?” “Aiding and abetting,” Carlos replied. “The electronics forensic team is combing through Morelli’s computer and phone. They also have Kathy Armstrong’s devices. Other than text messages or calls to a burner phone, the police can’t connect Joe to the kidnapping charges. Without Kathy’s testimony, Joe might get away with a slap on the wrist and a three-month suspension.” “That’s bullshit!” I snapped. “Carlos, we stayed in Trenton much too long. I want to leave now.” “What about the money you’re winning for Valerie?” he asked, removing Roberto from my arms. I sighed and raised the back of the bed using the controls. Carlos placed our sleeping son in his bed before sitting beside me. “I’ve organized everything for our departure in four days.” “Did you get the client contract renewals completed?” I asked. “All but one,” he replied. I assumed the contract with Harold Armstrong’s law firm was terminated because I killed his daughter, Kathy. Reading my face, Carlos said, “I ended the terms of that contract. He put you at risk by not releasing information about his properties.” “I’m sure you could have found out where he owned houses,” I argued. “None of them were in his name,” Carlos replied. “He purchased them using a shell company. It would have taken too long to find you had we searched every shell company Smith, Wilson and Armstrong used.” I shivered at thinking how things would have gone if Joe got to me first. Roberto and I would probably be dead. “Do you have everyone ready to take over the Trenton branch?” I asked, changing the subject. “Yes. We can leave once the doctor clears Ricky to fly,” Carlos answered. “Ricky?” I asked. Carlos shrugged. “We can call him Robbie or Frankie,” he offered. I looked into his gorgeous brown eyes, searching its depths for what he wanted the most. “Ricky works,” I whispered. “Thank you, Babe.” After spending another four days in the hospital, I was ready to lose my shit. The doctor wanted to ensure my incision was healing correctly and that I was receiving the proper nutrition before releasing me. Joe was out on bond. I needed to leave the city before he found me again. Carlos dressed our son in warmer clothes as Megan unhooked the IV from my arm. She passed me the discharge papers and said, “You can’t lift anything over five pounds for the next five weeks.” “Not even Ricky?” I asked. “Especially not Ricky,” she replied. “I’m going to miss seeing your adorable son.” “You can always relocate with us,” I offered. She smiled and patted my shoulder. I caught Ranger’s eye, and he nodded. “Think about it. If you can’t get a job at the hospital, we could always use a nurse at Rangeman.” “Hmm. I’ll have to discuss it with Bobby,” she said, making me smile. Megan and Bobby made an adorable couple. She was a year younger than me and lived in Trenton, several blocks away from my childhood home, her entire life. Megan’s parents were as far from the Burg mindset as possible. They sent Megan to a private school to keep her away from the families in the Burg. Unlike other women living in the Burg, Megan refused to discuss her patients, which would break every rule in the hospital. She didn’t think my prognosis was anyone’s business but mine and Ranger’s since he was my medical power of attorney. I suggested, “Talk to him before he leaves. " Megan promised to talk to Bobby soon. The door to my hospital room opened. “Speak of the devil,” Megan laughed. “What? Where?” Bobby asked. Giggling, I replied, “I told Megan to talk to you.” “About?” “Moving to Miami and becoming the Rangeman nurse. The Miami branch has too many employees for you to manage alone. I figured Megan could handle the bandages and other care while you tend to the big stuff,” I said. Bobby raised his brows, giving it serious thought. He passed the infant carrier to Carlos. Grabbing Megan’s hands, Bobby asked, “Will you move to Miami with me?” Megan blushed. “I have to give my notice here and negotiate a salary with Ranger.” Once she heard me calling Carlos by his street name in front of the guys, she started calling him Ranger. I had to explain that only his parents, siblings and I called him Carlos.“I’ll have my lawyer send you a contract within the hour,” Ranger said. Megan nodded. She left the room to get the wheelchair. “What if we don’t last?” Bobby asked. “You will,” Ranger replied. “Megan and you fit together like Babe and me.” “Bobby, she only has eyes for you,” I added. “Megan and I got to know each other quite well. She’s much like me. I can see the two of you with your own family in a few years. You can’t predict the future. Enjoy every moment of the ride.” “Thanks, Steph,” Bobby muttered. He smiled when Megan returned with the wheelchair. I grumbled and sat on the seat. Bobby would push, leaving Carlos to carry our son. It took until we loaded into Rangeman’s private jet for me to relax. Carlos called Connie, telling her we were leaving Trenton. Connie grilled him for several minutes before asking to speak to me. “Did you tell him about leaving on the seventh day?” Connie asked. “No. Ranger planned everything while I was fighting the infection from the c-section,” I replied. “Is Ranger or Morelli the baby’s dad?” she asked, which insulted me. I took a photo of Ricky with Ranger and texted it from my phone. “As I’ve been telling everyone all along, Ranger is the father,” I snapped. “I sent you a photograph of father and son.” “Definitely Ranger’s child,” she said. “The baby resembles Ranger too much for anyone else to be the dad. I owe you one hundred and ten thousand dollars.” “Give it to my dad. He knows what to do with the money,” I replied. “You’re not collecting it?” Connie questioned. “No. I’m leaving Trenton and not coming back,” I said, letting my spidey sense guide me. Connie agreed to let my dad collect the money for Valerie. “I have to go. The plane is ready to take off.” Connie wished me well and hung up. I powered off my phone and tucked it into my purse. Before the pilot could pull up the steps, another person arrived with three suitcases. “Sorry for holding you up,” Megan said, climbing aboard. “I had four weeks of vacation time to use. I gave my notice yesterday and left after turning in my hospital pass. Thank you for hiring me, Ranger.” Carlos acknowledged her thanks with a nod. When we landed in Miami five hours later, I felt calm. Everything was right with the world until I called Dad when I arrived at Ranger’s apartment in Rangeman’s Miami branch. “She what?” I quietly asked. “Your mother helped Morelli kidnap you. I tapped the phone and overheard her conversations with Joe and Angie,” Dad replied. “She paid a man to kidnap a young girl to draw attention away from you at the mall.” “When did she talk to the Morellis?” I asked. “While I was collecting your winnings from Connie,” he replied. “How could Mom do this to me?” I cried. “Never mind, Dad. I know why Mom betrayed me. We never got along, and I ruined her plans to have a Morelli son-in-law and grandchild.” “I’m ashamed for not seeing this sooner,” Dad said. “I filed for divorce.” “It’s okay, Dad. I don’t blame you. I’m sorry you feel it necessary to end your marriage.” “Don’t be sad, Pumpkin. Valerie left Albert. We’re moving to Miami to be with you.” “What about Mom?” I asked. “And why did Valerie leave Albert?” “Your mother will spend the next five years in prison for conspiracy to kidnapping,” Dad replied. “Albert is representing your mother. Valerie refuses to live with a man who thinks what your mother did was acceptable.” I let tears run down my cheeks as I sat on the chair, stunned. Carlos removed the phone from my hands to ask Dad what had happened. “Thank you, Sir,” Carlos said and hung up. Carlos hugged me tightly as I cried. Once I stopped sobbing, he announced, “I’m closing the Trenton branch once the contracts expire.” “Why? It’s a profitable business,” I argued. “Keep it for the revenue you earn with the FTAs. The guys you hired in Trenton love the city. You could always sell it to the manager.” “I’ll discuss the options with the others,” Carlos said.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

A year later… The kidnapping trial started in Trenton, and I had to give my testimony via video call. Evidence collected implicated Terry Gilman, Vito Grizolli, and Angie Morelli in the kidnapping conspiracy charges. I was surprised to see them in the courtroom with Morelli, sitting with their defence lawyers. Joe’s defence lawyer badgered me for over an hour regarding my relationship with Joseph Morelli. I needed to leave my house to clear my mind. Hector, Lester, Woody, and Binkie would accompany me, but I had no clue where to go.“Push, Stephanie,” Megan said, laughing. I rolled my eyes and pushed the stroller through the gates. Megan, her newborn daughter, Michelle, Ricky and I went to the zoo. We were supposed to meet Valerie and her three daughters at the house, but Valerie promised to meet us there. Valerie started dating someone and refused to introduce us until she was sure it led to a commitment. I hoped she wasn’t pregnant. Carlos and I decided to have one more child before calling it quits. I was five months pregnant with my second son. Dad was over the moon. He loved spending time with Ricky. “Steph!” Megan said, snapping her fingers to get my attention. “Sorry. I’m distracted today,” I replied. “Don’t apologize,” Megan said. “You suffered a traumatic event last year. I still can’t believe your mother was involved in everything that happened to you.” “Me neither. I thought Helen accepted Ranger into the family. She fooled everyone,” I sighed. “The Burg normally talks about who did what to whom and what someone else was planning to get back at their cheating spouse. No word was mentioned regarding Helen’s plan to get me away from Ranger. Every woman, including Lula and Connie, kept it from me.” “What hurt the worst? Learning your mother’s involvement or your friends’ silence?” Megan questioned. “Both,” I said with a sad sigh. “Carlos and I had proof of paternity from the amniocentesis, but it never stopped them from saying I was pregnant with Joe’s baby. The betrayal hit me from nearly every side. People I trusted thought nothing about tossing our friendship or my loyalty away. Spreading lies and gossip was more important than my safety.” “Mom and Dad are moving here next month,” Megan said. “You know Rangeman in Trenton is closing in a few weeks.” “The men are opening a branch in Boston. Ranger and the others already signed the paperwork,” I replied. “They should be home tonight. I’m sorry you didn’t have Bobby with you for the past few days.” Megan waved it off, “It’s fine, Steph. Bobby was there for the birth. I had you and Ella to keep me company.” “I’m returning the favour,” I joked. Megan got me through many rough days when I needed help with Ricky. Carlos had a company to run and couldn’t spend every minute of the day with me. Ella and Megan took turns checking on me every two hours. They helped me change and feed Ricky until the doctor cleared me to resume all activities. It coincided with being cleared to have sex with Carlos. We waited three months before trying to have another baby. Once our second child was born, Carlos and I were taking permanent measures to prevent another pregnancy. “Are you still nervous about having this boy?” Megan asked. “You know my first experience was less than ideal. I’m afraid something will happen, and I must relive it,” I replied. Megan clicked her tongue. “What?” “Bobby has a medic bag prepared. He has everything in there, including IV bags and antibiotics. There are enough drugs to knock out an elephant. My man refuses to put you through that trauma a second time. Plus, you’re not going anywhere without me,” Megan replied. I stopped walking and stared at her. “He did what?” “Stocked his medical bag to handle another crash c-section,” Megan said. “I worked in an obstetrician’s department in the hospital before moving to the maternity ward. The two of us will keep you safe.” “Do you realize that may be a Herculean task?” I joked. “Bobby and I are prepared. We have a system in place for the guys to take our children, so I can help Bobby take care of you,” Megan replied. I wanted to be angry with Bobby and Megan, but I truly appreciated having them on my side. “Thank you,” I said since there was nothing else I could think of that would be an adequate response. Megan giggled. “Hey, is that your sister with Manny?” she asked. I glanced behind me and watched Valerie enter the zoo with Angie, Mary Alice, Lisa and Manny Ramos. He was holding Mary Alice’s hand. My niece had never looked happier. “Is Val dating him?” I whispered. Megan shrugged. “Hi, guys,” I said with a wave. Mary Alice released Manny’s hand and skipped to me. She hugged me. “I’m going to have another sister,” Mary Alice announced. “Really? Your mom’s having a baby girl?” I asked when Angie caught up to us. Angie rolled her eyes and replied, “It could be a boy. Mom just found out she was pregnant. Manny and Mom are in love.” “What does Grandpa think about it?” I asked. “It’s fine if he gives me another grandson,” Dad teased. “Bobby and Ranger will join us in an hour. Their plane just landed. I dispatched Woody to pick them up.” “When are you getting married?” I asked Valerie. “The day Dad marries Reba,” Valerie laughed. “You better start planning,” I singsonged. “Dad and Reba are getting married on New Year’s Eve.” “Isn’t that too soon after divorcing Helen?” Megan asked. The Trenton courts ruled on Mom and Dad’s divorce two months ago, which was precisely one month before Michelle’s birth. Dad started dating Reba a few weeks after he moved to Miami. Grandma was waiting for Mom’s criminal case to hit the courts in Trenton.“I’m too old to follow social expectations,” Dad replied. He wasn’t that old. “Waiting a year is only applicable after a death. Reba and I live together.” “Where is she?” Megan asked. Angie grinned, “She’s at Rangeman helping Ella with the cooking and cleaning. I think she’s bored staying at home when Grandpa works at Rangeman. Grandpa is one of our guards. Hector, Binkie, Junior and Ram are watching us.” Hiring Dad at Rangeman gave him a purpose. He shared his Vietnam stories with the others. They never realized he served in the military. I was surprised he was in the Army until I was sixteen. Mom always said he went to Post Office conventions. I believed her. Valerie watched Ricky while I worked. She drove to Rangeman in the mornings with the girls. Manny, or one of the other men, would take the girls to school and bring them home. Rangeman hired Valerie as the onsite childcare worker. We hired another woman to assist in three months when Megan would return to work. The new woman, Reba’s daughter, Tasha, was ex-military. Her cousin, Ram, recommended her for the job. Tasha had a crush on Hal, who escorted her to my office for an interview. Megan knew where my mind wandered and bumped me with her shoulder. “Up. Up,” Ricky called when he saw Dad. “It’s okay. I have a harness on Ricky so he can walk. Remember to hold onto the other end,” I said. Dad wrapped the harness lead around his wrist, but it was unnecessary. Ricky stayed with Dad as we walked to the displays he was most excited to see. Carlos and the others caught up with us an hour later. Ricky was asleep in his stroller. We stopped long enough for Megan to change and feed Michelle. I knew Ricky would sleep for another hour before demanding a diaper change and food. “How did it go this morning?” Carlos asked, sitting beside me on the bench. “Quite well. When do you testify?” I questioned. “I was after you, which delayed my departure from Boston,” Carlos replied. “I mentioned having the men following Morelli once I learned you were missing. They asked why I thought the detective was responsible for your disappearance. Rangeman had to provide the evidence they gathered during surveillance. A few videos showed Morelli with Kathy Armstrong in compromising positions. The district attorney mentioned deposing Anthony and Mooch about their involvement on the day Morelli arrived at the cabin.” “They helped Joe leave his house to get to me. Don’t be surprised if they argue they were helping Joe get away from Rangeman’s surveillance. It would be challenging to prove their involvement in my kidnapping or anything else,” I argued. “The DA is hoping one of them would slip up on the stand,” Carlos said. I sighed since that wasn’t likely. “In a perfect world, none of that would have happened. I still can’t believe my own mother arranged everything to set the kidnapping in motion. How can a mother do that to their child, who they claim to love and who wants the best life for them? What did she expect?” I asked. Hector, one of our guards for the excursion, took Ricky to let Carlos and I talk about the trial. It wasn’t the first time Carlos and I discussed everything, but having the defence lawyer question me about my relationship with Joe really hit me hard. “Your mother wanted you to marry Morelli,” Carlos said. “Did she honestly think having him kill my son would make me marry the man? Something is seriously wrong with Helen if she thought I would marry my child’s murderer,” I replied. “I’m playing the Devil’s advocate here,” Carlos said. I chewed my lip, waiting for him to drop the bomb. “You broke up and returned to Morelli many times.” Snorting, I replied, “And every time I did that, it chipped away at my self-respect. Also, it gave Joe hope that I would return because I repeated that pattern in the past.” “Your mother expected the same,” Carlos added. He wasn’t wrong. “I know part of what happened was my fault. It just felt like the defence lawyer was trying to pin everything on me so Morelli could be released,” I mumbled, looking at my feet. Carlos raised my head until I looked into his eyes. I fought back the tears. He kissed my forehead, eyes, nose and chin before tenderly kissing my lips. “Babe, your testimony shot that strategy to bits. They tried to implicate Rangeman in affecting your mother’s and Morelli’s state of mind,” Carlos said. “Are you kidding me?” I demanded. “If anything, they tried to manipulate me into doing what they wanted. I know Helen got her way in the past. She obviously faked it at our wedding reception. I can’t believe I fell for it.” “Stephanie, my love, you only see the good in people. It’s what makes you the amazing woman I love,” Carlos replied. “I hope the trial ends soon so we can return to our lives with our children.” “Does that include Julie?” I asked. Carlos smiled, “Maybe.” He reconnected with Julie a few months after we moved to Miami. It was a work in progress. Julie was excited to have a baby brother but angry with her biological father for sticking around. She had a lot to overcome before taking the next step of becoming a part of our family. I refused to rush the situation. Julie has a mother and father who love her. I loved Julie because she was my husband’s first child. “How much longer until the trial ends?” I asked. “Soon,” he cryptically replied. I raised my brows, waiting for him to give me an end date. “It should be in a few days.” “Not soon enough,” I said. I stood and stretched. Carlos followed suit. He took my hand, and we caught up with the others. We stayed at the zoo until it was time to go home for dinner. Angie and Mary Alice had fun looking at the animals. Mary Alice surprised Valerie by saying she wanted to be a vet when she grew up. Carlos and I spent the following few days making up for his time in Boston. Late on Friday, Carlos received a call from the DA. The jury found Helen, Angie and Joe guilty of conspiracy to kidnapping and first-degree attempted murder. Helen received a second guilty verdict for her role in the mall kidnapping incident. The jury found Vito and Terry guilty of aiding and abetting. “You called it,” Carlos announced. “Called what?” I asked, despite knowing what he meant. I wanted him to say it. “Anthony and Mooch were found not guilty of aiding and abetting. The jury believes they were unaware of the situation,” Carlos replied. “Figures,” I huffed. “Should we worry about them coming after me?” Chuckling, Carlos replied, “No. If anything happens to you, the police will automatically suspect them. I believe it’s enough of a deterrent to stay far away.” “Has the judge issued sentences?” “Yes. Helen and Joe will spend twenty-five years in jail. Angie Morelli, Terry and Vito would only serve a maximum of five years,” Carlos answered. I didn’t think the sentences were enough time for everyone involved. The judicial system had minimum and maximum terms to ensure the inmates didn’t spend more time than necessary. Because I was watching Carlos, I noticed his lip twitching. “What’s so funny?” “Helen and Joe won’t last a week in prison,” Carlos laughed. “What makes you say that?” I asked. “Angie and Terry will serve their time in the same prison as Helen. It’s the same for Vito and Morelli. Once the other inmates learn Morelli was a cop, he’s dead,” Carlos answered. He didn’t need to say anything about Angie or Helen. Knowing Terry, she would spread the news to her cellmates and guards. “I guess we’ll have to wait and see,” I said, nodding. Carlos and I didn’t have to wait long. During his first night in his cell, Morelli’s cellmates killed him. Several inmates attacked Angie and Helen in the yard. Both women were in critical condition for several hours before succumbing to their injuries. Dad, Valerie, Angie, Mary Alice, Carlos, and I attended Mom’s funeral. I paid for the reception at the hall where Valerie and Steve had their wedding reception, and Carlos insisted on paying for the funeral. Grandma promised to move to Miami after Mom’s estate went through probate. The funds were needed to pay Albert to defend Mom. Before we left the hall, Albert gave Valerie an envelope. I assumed it contained cheques for support. Valerie waited to open the envelope during the flight home. She wiped the tears from her eyes. “Are you okay?” I asked Valerie, wrapping my arm around her shoulder. “Albert terminated his rights,” she whispered. “He doesn’t want anything to do with Lisa. She has a right to know her father.” I glanced at Carlos, begging him to help. Carlos motioned for me to talk from the heart. “Valerie, you can’t force someone to love your child. Albert will miss the chance to be a part of Lisa’s life. She’s an adorable and loving little girl. Manny is a good man. He will be the father figure in Lisa’s life. Angie and Mary Alice will help her through the angst of not really knowing her biological father,” I said. “Steph, I can’t ask Manny to help me raise another man’s child,” she cried. “What if he offers?” I asked. “He won’t,” Valerie whispered. On New Year’s Eve, at the stroke of midnight, Dad married Reba, and Valerie married Manny, who planned to adopt Valerie’s three girls. Manny loved having daughters and couldn’t wait for the courts to make it official. He and Valerie learned they were expecting a boy. Dad was over the moon. I couldn’t wait to see what the future threw at us. Whatever it may be, I hoped it never involved another midnight rescue…unless it meant Carlos was at the grocery store buying pickles to satisfy my craving.