And Then There Were Two

 

Chapter 1

 

Ranger looked at the note in his hand.  He was confused and didn’t like it one bit.

 

Steph,

Meet me at Pino’s.

Mel

 

Who the hell is Mel?  He shook his head.  “Damn, Steph, I thought you picked Morelli,” he said to an empty kitchen.

 

Sighing, he made his decision and put the note back on the table. She chose Morelli and, whoever this Mel was, well…Steph will just have to work it all out herself.  He was not going to Pino’s.

 

 

 

Fifteen minutes later, Ranger’s sleek black Mercedes was pulling into the parking lot of Pino’s. He cursed himself when he saw Stephanie standing next to the Buick waiting.  Why was he doing this?

 

“Yo, Babe.”

 

“Yo, yourself.”  She couldn’t help but smile warmly.  Sure, she was with Joe, but Ranger was a good friend and she never wanted to lose that.  “What are you doing here?”

 

Ranger raised an eyebrow in question.  Realizing what she must have sounded like, she started to laugh. “Oh no, I don’t,” laugh, “mean that you couldn’t be here.”  After some subdued snickers she calmed herself enough to finish. “Pino’s isn’t what you usually go for.”  Stephanie’s face brightened as a thought struck her, “Oh, you’re looking for me?”

 

He couldn’t help but shake his head and chuckle. Who was he kidding?  He would always love her, be there for her and protect her.  And when she was like she was right now, happy, smiling, laughing, and bright, it made his heart ache just a tiny bit. But he knew, as well as she did, that she may not ever be a typical burg wife and mother, but she wasn’t mercenary wife material, either.  He was just grateful this revelation came to both of them before they gave it a go and possibly ruined any chance of friendship.

 

“I swung by your place.”

 

She nodded her head. “So, with all your reasoning and deductive powers you figured I was here?”  She gave snort and sported a cocky grin. “Or was it the handy breaking and entering then finding a note on my kitchen table that did it?”

 

He flashed a 200-watt smile at her. “I like the first one.”

 

She snorted again, rolled her eyes, and gave a small laugh. “I bet you do.”

 

 

 

Melanie sat in her Wrangler at the red light baking under the sun.  That had to be the reason she was sweating. It had absolutely nothing to do with being in Trenton.  This is where she was born and grew up.  Why would being here now make her nervous?  Probably because it was only the 2nd time in the past 17 years she’d been back.  Well, there was that one other time but she was on a mission and no one knew, so it didn’t count.  Did it?

 

The light finally turned green and Melanie started off, grateful for the breeze that moving along created.  Maybe taking the top off the Jeep wasn’t such a great idea, for more reasons than just the heat.  She felt too exposed.  She shook herself.  It’s been seven years, enough already.  She had a normal life now and there was no reason to be spooked.

 

She slowed as she approached Pino’s parking lot.  She saw Stephanie talking to someone.  Whoever he was, he was big and dressed all in black. She would also bet he was armed.  Her senses were definitely picking something up.  She never doubted her senses, her gut feeling, even after seven years of normalcy…if you could call her life that.

 

With the radio blasting, she pulled in next to the Buick.  Stephanie had turned and was smiling at her. The man in black stood motionless and expressionless behind his mirrored sunglasses.  He would have to wait. Right now, Melanie needed to focus on Stephanie.    Hopping out of the Jeep, she walked around the front and embraced the other woman in a huge hug.

 

“Oh my god!” Mel exclaimed as she stepped back. “Look at you. You’re beautiful!”

 

Stephanie blushed. Some things would never change. Stephanie’s lack of confidence in her looks was one of those.  This was something Mel might have to work on while she’s in town.

 

 

Ranger watched as the two women hugged and greeted each other.  He had to work very hard at not letting any surprise or shock show on his face.  The urge to take of his sunglasses and wipe at his eyes in disbelief was strong.  How could this be?  How had Steph kept this from him? He mentally shrugged.  Had he ever gone looking? No, but he was sure going to once he left here.

 

He stopped his train of thought as he heard Stephanie say, “I have someone I want you to meet.”  Tugging the other woman behind her, Stephanie approached him.

 

“Mel, I’d like you to meet Ricardo Manoso…Ranger.”  Stephanie made a small presentation type of gesture with her hand.

 

Melanie should have known this was THE Ranger.  Steph had mentioned him a few times when they talked on the phone.  But words did not do justice to the man standing before her. Well, well…

 

“Ranger, I’d like you to meet Mel…Melanie Plum.”  Stephanie paused for a second and glanced at Mel.  Mel turned toward Steph and they both smiled.

 

Looking back at Ranger, Stephanie said, “Mel is my sister.”

 

Chapter 2

Ranger couldn’t help but notice the triumphant look on Stephanie’s face. It was like she just told the world a huge secret. He guessed she probably had.

"Babe?" It was the only thing he could think of at the moment. Standing before him were two Stephanies. His Stephanie had long curly hair, while this Mel had long straight hair and was an inch or two taller. Looking really close, he could see the age difference reflected in the lines around the older woman’s eyes and mouth, but just barely. At a short distance, or out of the sun, it would be a tough call.

Mel’s eyebrows went up at the endearment coming from Ranger. Steph had never mentioned that on the phone. She watched Stephanie to gauge her reaction to it. There was none, so it must be all right.

Stephanie stood there grinning like an idiot. She loved the fact that she had caught Ranger off guard. He was doing a fantastic job of hiding his surprise, but she knew he was taken aback by the new revelation.

Mel rolled her eyes at her sister and took a step forward, extending her hand to Ranger.

"Hi, I’m Mel. Steph’s older, but not by much, sister."

Ranger was glad he was wearing his sunglasses. This woman flashed a smile so brilliant he would have been blinded. Reaching out, he took Melanie’s hand in his. He was surprised to find it somewhat callused.

Giving a slight nod, he said, "Nice to meet you." Her smile widened and she nodded back. "Stephanie never mentioned having another sister. I was only aware of one."

Now, her smile faded a bit. With his hand still in hers, Melanie leaned in and pulled him forward a bit. In a loud stage whisper she said. "Black sheep of the family. No one talks about me." Then she righted herself, let go of his hand, and the brilliant smile returned.

Melanie liked to throw people off balance, and although this man wasn’t showing it, her senses were reading him as being very confused. Good, she thought. If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, then baffle ‘em with bullshit. Mel could do either and was very talented at both. But right at the moment, he was more baffled than dazzled, even if there wasn’t any bullshit…yet.

 

 

Stephanie stared at her older sister from across the table. Although she and Mel had been close when they were young, once Mel left at eighteen, there was nothing. It had left a big hole. Not until many years later did Mel finally resume contact, but even that had been from a distance. At least now, Stephanie understood why. It had to be that way. Mel never had a choice.

Now Stephanie was holding out hope that Mel was coming back for good. Maybe not to Trenton, but even just somewhere on the East Coast would be great.

"So, how is everyone in L.A.?" Stephanie asked. "Stanley, Freddie, Rosa, Maria and Roberto?"

Mel smiled at her sister. She was so glad she decided to bring Stephanie, heck her entire family, back into her life five years ago. She probably could have done it two years earlier but she had to be sure it was finally safe. She didn’t break all contact for 10 years just to mess it up because she was excited about being out. Waiting the two extra years had been hard, but she did it, and now, five years later, everyone was still safe. It had been the right the to do.

"They’re all fine. Doing wonderfully in fact."

"Are you still thinking of moving back here?" Stephanie held her breath. She really missed her big sister.

Mel finished chewing her pizza and nodded. "Yeah. I just don’t know if Rosa and Roberto would come with." She shrugged slightly. "Freddie would definitely stay in L.A. But I could work from New York with trips back and forth." Mel shrugged again. "I don’t know. I’m still thinking about it."

Stephanie let her breath out and smiled big. "Good! That sounds promising." Mel smiled back and snagged another piece of pizza.

"So tell me, what’s up with you and Joe?" Mel knew Joseph Morelli and wanted to make sure he was doing right by Stephanie. She didn’t want a repeat of the incident from back in the 2nd grade.

Stephanie rolled her eyes. "Joe? He’s fine. We’ve decided to give it a try. Neither of us really wants to get married, so that whole situation was finally put to rest. It’s tough, but we’re trying and the sex is great." Mel’s eyes flicked up from where she had been studying her pizza, trying to pick off the onion.

Stephanie was wearing a huge smirk on her face. Mel laughed out loud. "Well I hope he’s progressed much further than choo choo." Both women laughed.

"Oh yeah," was Stephanie’s only verbal reply. But Mel could tell by the twinkle in Steph’s eye, that she was telling the truth, and was happy…with the sex at least.

Damn, Mel thought, it's been a long time since I've had that look about any man..

"What about you?" Stephanie asked. "Anyone special I need to know about?"

Mel snorted. Hell, there wasn’t anyone special, or even not that special, to talk about.

"Nope," was all she was going to utter. How could she explain that she still didn’t trust anyone? For ten years she could trust only one person. Then…then she got into The Biz and found she still couldn’t trust, but for completely different reasons. She was happy and her life now was warm and filled with people who loved her. It didn’t matter if it was her makeshift family in L.A. or her blood family in Trenton, she had found her way back. Besides, no one normal would want her once they found out about her past. She was damaged goods.

Stephanie watched her sister’s face change as she slid that protective shield she had, down around her heart. She was hoping that Mel had let someone in to love her. Obviously that was not the case. Steph knew some of the details of her older sister’s past life, but not all. She certainly knew enough to realize that trust was an issue. That might be something Steph would have to work on while Mel was in town.

 

 

Joe Morelli walked into Pino’s tired and hungry. He stopped short when he noticed the two women sitting in the back sharing a pizza. Wow. He couldn’t believe his eyes. Was she really back? It had been almost 20 years since he last saw her. She was gorgeous, but then they didn’t use that nickname for her in high school for no reason. Joe studied the woman. He chuckled to himself. Shit, they were both beautiful…and one of them was his. He straightened and stood a bit taller at that thought.

His next thought had him laughing silently. He should go over and kiss the one woman on the cheek, pretending to get the two mixed up. Just to see what Steph would do. His private joke ended when he thought about Mel’s reaction. He knew of her reputation. She was tough, always alert and dangerous. With some of the things rumored about her life after Trenton, she’d have to be, in order to still be alive. Hell, if he surprised her, she could probably take him out without causing a fuss or batting an eyelash.

He’d better just go straight over. He’d been standing there long enough that Mel probably already knew he was there. Joe’s eyes scanned the rest of the bar. She’d probably be able to tell him every detail of the place and who was in it…and if they were armed or not.

Shaking his head, he started over while wondering exactly why Mel was back in town.

Chapter 3

 

Mel pulled the Jeep into the parking lot at Stephanie’s building.  She was grateful that Steph was going to let her use the place for a few days.  Steph would just stay at Joe’s.

Mel smiled to herself.  Joe…Joseph Morelli…Joey, to her only.  Seeing him at Pino’s was a nice surprise.  She wanted to see Joe and Steph interact so she could get a feel for the couple, but didn’t think it would happen that soon.  He sure was a looker and still had that very fine ass of his.

 

Mel was mostly satisfied with what she saw.  She got the feeling Joey was sincere about his love for Stephanie. But still, she had planned on a private conversation with Joe and nothing had changed that plan.   She had not had that conversation with Dickie and look what happened.  But I guess that was ok, Dickie was an ass and she was glad Steph was out of that relationship.  Anyway, Mel made sure he paid for what he did.

 

Of course, she didn’t have that conversation with Steve either, and now look at Valerie. Shaking her head as she made her way up the stairs she thought, yes, she and Joe were due for a talk.  And, as far as Steve goes? Well, that’s one of the reasons she was here.  No one hurt her little sister like that and got away with it.  Fortunately, she had the reputation to be taken seriously and the money, talent and skill to make sure she could make good on her promises.

 

 

Ranger approached Steph’s apartment determined to find out what was going on.  When he had left the ladies at Pino’s, he went straight home and had the guys start working on finding out anything about Melanie Plum. They found some before the age of 17, but then nothing until after the age of 28.  Even then, the only things they came up with were articles from Variety. She was a record producer in L.A.  Nothing big time, working with mostly new names trying to break in.  They couldn’t get a handle on her financials or even where she lived in California.

 

As he picked the lock, he had to wonder why he even cared, but he got the distinct feeling Stephanie’s big sister had something to hide.  He was going to find out what it was.  He stopped and chuckled to himself, again, why did it matter?  Sobering, he decided it was because he didn’t want Steph hurt, that’s why.  It had nothing to do with the spark he felt when he shook Melanie’s hand. Nope, nothing at all to do with that or her blazing smile that had scorched him.

 

Ranger closed the door behind him with just a quiet click. As he turned to head toward the bedroom, a voice rang out.

 

“Whoever is breaking in better announce themselves before they hit the bedroom, or they’ll get shot.”  Two beats of silence.  “I’m not kidding.”

 

Ranger’s laughter boomed around the small apartment as he made his way to the bedroom door.

 

“It’s me, Ba…" He trailed off and raised an eyebrow in question.

 

“Yeah, well, I’m not Babe and it’s,” Mel leaned over to look at the clock on the nightstand, “3:30 in the morning.  Babe is over playing footsie at her boyfriend’s house. 

What do you want?”

 

Melanie didn’t think it was physically possible, but the man’s eyebrow went even higher.  Geez, he breaks in on me and thinks I owe him answers.  The silence stretched a few beats.

 

“Would you really have shot me?” he asked incredulously.

 

Mel brought her right hand out from under the covers, dragging the gun along with it, and placed both on top of the comforter.  She waited a few seconds while he studied her and, she bet, rethought his opinion of her, before bringing out the left hand with a gun in it.  Both of Ranger’s eyebrows hit his hairline.

 

“Yes, I would have shot you, had I not recognized you.” 

 

She was dead serious and Ranger took the answer seriously.

 

“The safeties aren’t off,” he said.

 

Oh, this was a tough one.  She could demonstrate her skill by releasing the safeties and aiming at his head and heart.  But, what little she did know about Ricardo Manoso, told her that shouldn’t play or show off.  It wasn’t appropriate for the situation.  She was the same way herself and knew what his response would be.  No need to get Steph’s apartment all shot to shit.  Besides, she didn’t need to prove herself to anyone, including the man in front of her.

 

Mel just shrugged and put both guns over on the nightstand. She wasn’t even sure why she had both of her guns out.  Probably because she was sleeping at some place strange and felt uncomfortable.  Well, sleeping wouldn’t be the right word, she never really slept, hasn’t in 17 years.  Even with her big secure house in L.A., sleep eluded her most nights.

 

She snatched up the T.V. remote she had dropped in her lap, snuggled back down into the bed, and started to flip channels.  “So, what brings you to Château Le Stephanie at this time of night..err…morning?”

 

Finally feeling a little more relaxed, Ranger moved into the room and sat on the empty side of the bed, with his back against the headboard.  “Wanted to talk to Steph.”

 

Mel started to laugh, “Oh, she would have loved that.”  She could feel the shake of Ranger’s shoulders through the headboard.

 

“Yeah,” Ranger said as he rubbed his eyes.  Mel could hear the smile in his voice and damn, it was kinda sexy.  Whoa!  Where did that come from?

 

“She thinks I get up early, but in reality, sometimes I just never get to sleep.”  He chuckled a bit more, but a little surprised at himself for even offering the information.  He had never told Steph that.   Suddenly, he could feel her eyes on him.  He stopped rubbing his eyes, dropped his hand to his lap, and turned to face her.

 

He wasn’t sure, but he had hoped he was able to hide the surprise on his face when he looked at her eyes.  Besides being absolutely stunning, they were the most beautiful hazel color, with specks of emerald green, that he had ever seen. Why hadn’t he noticed that earlier today?  Then he remembered she was wearing sunglasses.

 

Mel’s breath caught when he turned to look at her.  Even with just the dim light from the T.V., she could see the beauty of his liquid brown eyes.  Hold on a second, her heart was racing just a bit, too.  What the…?

 

“Yeah,” she mumbled, “I know what you mean.  Sleep isn’t my friend either.”  Did she just mumble?  Shit, when was the last time she mumbled to anyone? So what if there was a sexy man sitting next to her in bed…who had warm brown eyes…and a body that….

Ok, that’s enough.  It will get you nowhere.  She sighed heavily and turned back to the T.V., clutching the remote like a lifeline.

 

She felt Ranger shift on the bed, but didn’t want to dare a glance.   But, being nosy ran in the family, so eventually she couldn’t help herself.  That side of the bed had gotten quiet and all she could hear was Ranger’s steady breathing.

 

Looking over, she held back her gasp.  Good lord this man was fine.  He sat there, with his legs out in front of him, one ankle crossed over the other, his head thrown back and his eyes closed.

 

“You ok?” she asked quietly.

 

He slowly smiled at her question and answered just as softly, “Yes.”

 

Mel clicked off the T.V. “Well, try and get some sleep. That’s what I’m going to do.” She moved around a bit to get comfortable, and closed her eyes.  Silently she strained to hear any noise from the other side of the bed.

 

When the T.V. went off, Ranger’s head snapped up with eyes open.  He looked over at the body next to him in bed. Mel had turned on her side and was facing out and away from him.  He thanked the heavens that she hadn’t thrown him out.  He was suddenly feeling very tired, exhausted really.  The last time he felt like this, he had been on a mission and hadn’t slept for 3 days, but that was years ago.  Standing, he stripped to his boxers and climbed in under the covers.  He wasn’t sure if that was what she meant by “try and get some sleep,” but at this point he didn’t care.   When he moved and got back in bed, she didn’t say anything, so he assumed it was ok.  Had this been Steph, she would have been stuttering and clutching the covers up to her neck.  But it’s not Steph, it’s Melanie, he thought, as he drifted off to sleep.

 

Chapter 4

 

Mel woke slowly.  She was feeling warm, comfy and had no plans on moving anytime soon.  She was going to lie here and just enjoy the feeling.  Wow, she thought.  She hadn’t slept like that in…shoot, she couldn’t remember when.  Waking on her own, she actually felt rested. Maybe it was Steph’s bed. She’d have to find out where Steph got it. As her entire body slowly came awake, she tensed.  Or…duh…maybe it was the fact she was curled up next to one of the best looking men she’s ever seen.

 

Ranger was on his back and Mel was curled to his side with her head resting in the crook of his shoulder.  His right arm was around her shoulders, while her right arm was flung over his chest and right leg was thrown over his. Good god, they were cuddling!

 

Not being one to panic, Mel lay there quietly and decided, once again, to enjoy the sensations. She let her eyes drift closed and she listened to the rhythmic beat of his heart and felt the rhythm of his breathing as his chest lifted and fell.  Her mind became foggy and dull as sleep pulled at her.  She didn’t fight it as it took her once again.

 

Ranger worked hard to keep his breathing steady.  He knew she had woken up, or at least he thought she did.  He could swear he felt her tense a few minutes ago.  But, he didn’t want to take the chance of waking her if she hadn’t.  So he lay there and enjoyed the feel of this woman wrapped around his body. 

 

Ranger couldn’t believe how rested he felt.  He was awake and alert and felt…felt good, really good.  Lying this still was pushing at his control though. He really wanted to know what time it was, how long he had been asleep. And, how long it had taken, after they feel asleep, to find each other.  His need to use the bathroom was pressing too, but nothing he couldn’t handle.

 

The sharp ring of Ranger’s cell phone shattered the quiet of the little apartment.  His whole body jerked when he heard the intrusive noise, which only set the warm body next to him in motion.

 

Mel was jarred awake by a piercing noise.  Gun.  It was her first thought, her only thought. She tried to lift up but couldn’t.  Her head shot up and the first thing she noticed were a pair of soft chocolate brown eyes.

 

“Shhh, It’s ok,” he said softly.  The panicked look in her eyes started to subside as he pulled her closer and she started to register what was going on.  He reached over and grabbed the phone saying, “Talk.”

 

In one long exhale, she let out the breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding.

Flopping back down to where he held her, she tried to steady her rapidly beating heart.  Although, being held tight by this man wasn’t helping.  She tried to get up again, but he just held her still.  When she looked up, he was looking straight ahead not paying her any attention, more like, really concentrating on the phone call.  Deciding to think about something else besides the warm blooded, well-muscled man holding her dangerously close and making her hormones scream…crap. Yeah, that worked.

 

Ranger sat up a bit, taking her with him, and looked over at the clock on Mel’s side of the bed.  Feeling his muscles ripple and work as he moved, was a little intoxicating. She watched amazed as his abs tightened, holding his weight and hers.

 

Laying them both back down, he said, “Ok.  Give me 30,” then flipped his phone shut.  He placed the phone back on the nightstand, then looked down at the woman he was holding and smiled.  “Morning.”

 

“Yeah, morning.”  She tried to lift herself once again, but just as before, he didn’t release her.  Looking up at him, she tried to give her best “what?” look, but she wasn’t sure she pulled it off. 

 

“Oh…sorry.”  Reluctantly, he let her go.  Christ.  Oh, sorry was the best he could do? How about, “where are you off to?” or, “what’s your hurry?”  Wait.  What was he thinking?  This woman is hiding something.  That’s reason enough not to trust her.  Inwardly, he laughed at himself.  Trust?  Ha.  He spent the night in the same bed with her, when she had two guns at her disposal.  No, he trusted her, although he didn’t know why. 

 

For god sakes man, one Plum woman was enough.   No need to backslide.  Besides, his reactions to her were probably just a substitute for Stephanie.  Any sparks of interest he felt were just left over from her sister. But he still needed to find out her secret and what she was doing in Trenton.  His instincts told him something wasn’t right.

 

“Thanks, big guy,” she said as she patted him twice on the chest and then scurried off the bed.  “Oh shoot.  It’s almost noon. I’m supposed to pick up Steph at 12:30. I’m gonna grab the shower first if that’s ok.”  Mel didn’t wait for a response before she tore into her suitcase and pulled out something to wear.

 

When she got to the doorway she turned back to the dark man still in bed. “Thanks for a great night’s sleep. I feel great this morning.  I haven’t slept like that in years.”

 

“Anytime,” he said as he flashed his 200-watt smile.  She was gone before he could tell her the same thing had happened to him.  At least now he could get out of bed.  He didn’t want to get out of bed with her still in the room because there was no way his erection would have gone unnoticed.  He had started to get hard right after he woke up. But with her awake and moving around, and him trying to hold her closer, it only managed to give him one hell of a hard on.

 

It was only a purely physical reaction, he told himself.  Nothing at all to do with any feelings he was having…which he wasn’t…yeah, right.

 

Chapter 5

 

Melanie and Stephanie headed toward Vincent Plum Bail Bonds as they discussed their plans for the evening.

"Girls’ night out sounds fun, Steph." Mel wasn’t really too excited about it, but at least she’d get into the city and then have an excuse to stay at her condo.

"Great! I talked with Mary Lou this morning and we’ll ask Lula and Connie when he hit the office."

"What about Val?"

"I’m not going to ask her. We’re just going to go get her when it’s time to go. If I ask her she’ll just say no. I’ve already asked Mom to watch the girls."

"Tell ya what. I’ll take care of Val. She’ll be ready and willing when it’s time. Ok? We’ll meet you at your place at 7."

"Sounds good," Steph replied. They had just parked the Jeep and were opening the door when the sound of Lula’s voice echoed through the room.

"Hey Girlfriend! What sounds goo…" Lula trailed off when she saw two Stephanies standing in front of her. "Huh?" was about all she could manage.

"Melanie Plum?" Connie asked in shocked disbelief.

Melanie smiled politely and was trying hard to place the woman, but couldn’t.

"Mel, this is Connie Rosolli," Steph said by way of introduction.

"Hey Connie. Sorry, I couldn’t place you there for a second," Mel said as she extended her hand.

"Well, it’s been a lot of years," Connie offered.

Stephanie took Mel by the arm and led her over to a large black woman, who was dressed all in yellow…and that included the color of her hair.

"Mel, this is my friend Lula. Lula, this is my big sister Melanie." Melanie noticed that for the second time in two days, Stephanie wore a smug look of satisfaction when she was doing introductions. And why wouldn’t she? Stephanie had something the grapevine hadn’t caught a hold of yet. Good for her. Let her flaunt it a bit.

Mel didn’t get the chance to offer a hand. Lula had grabbed on with both of hers and started shaking.

"Nice to meet you Miss Thing. I thought Valerie was the only sister."

Mel smiled big. She liked Lula’s style, straight to the point and dresses how she wants. Good for her, too.

"Nope. Val’s the middle one. I’m the oldest."

Lula stopped shaking, but kept hold of Mel’s hand. "Why ain’t you two never told me ‘bout Miss Thing here?" Mel had to hold back from laughing out loud. Looking at Steph and Connie, she couldn’t help but feel sorry for them.

Mel leaned in close to get Lula’s attention. "Give ‘em a break. I’ve done a few things that, while I’m not ashamed of them, others are. I’m sorta the black sheep. Nobody talks about me. For awhile, many years ago, it was safer if you didn’t." Lula’s eyes had been narrowed and serious during the whole speech. Both women straightened up and Lula started to nod her head in understanding. "The grapevine moves on," Mel suggested. Now all four women stood nodding.

"Mel, have a seat on the couch. I’ll just be a minute." Steph went over to Connie’s desk as Mel plopped on the couch. "We’re having a girls’ night out tonight," Stephanie started, but didn’t need to finish. Both Connie and Lula started in on the who, what, when, where, and why.

Once the details were hammered out, Steph gave Connie some body receipts and picked up some files on her next skips. Lula was looking over Steph’s shoulder when Vinnie opened his office door and came out.

"Stephanie, I’m glad you’re here," Vinnie stated.

This only made Stephanie’s stomach tighten. Vinnie was never glad to see her.

"Here." He handed her a folder. "This one is assigned to you."

Mel watched the interaction carefully. Steph and Lula blocked Vinnie’s view of the couch, so he didn’t know she was there. Vinnie knew things about Mel because of the scum he dealt with on a regular basis. But then, Mel knew things about Vinnie, beyond the fetish for ducks. It evened out in the end, but she held the upper hand because Vinnie was scared of her. Mel wanted to keep it that way.

Mel's one-sided conversation was halted at the sound of Stephanie screeching.

"Vinnie, you maggot, I’m not taking this file. This is something that Ranger should take. It’s a high bond case and…and the guy’s a murderer!"

"Steph, you’ll take it or you won’t have a job."

Mel stood when she heard that. Stepping out from behind Lula and Stephanie, she watched as the color drained from Vinnie’s face. She waited, staring and unblinking.

Vinnie found his voice. "Melanie."

"Vincent."

"I didn’t know you were in town." His voice wobbled a little.

"Yes, for Mom and Dad's anniversary party in two weeks. Remember? I’m sure Lucille has mentioned it." Vinnie nodded. "And my son is going to Princeton in the fall. I’m thinking of moving back."

Mel could feel the rush of air as Lula and Connie’s heads spun in her direction. She wasn’t sure if they were shocked about the moving back part or the revelation of a son.

She couldn’t worry about that now. She was too busy noticing that Vinnie had to hold onto the desk for support.

"Oh, that’s nice, nice," Vinnie lied. "Anyway, Steph, that’s your file." He turned to get back to the safety of his office, but stopped dead in his tracks when he heard Mel’s next words.

"Steph, let me see that file, would ya?"

Vinnie heard the shuffle of paper and took another step forward.

"Hold up just a sec, Vinnie," Mel said to his back. "Steph’s right, this is a high bond case. Why are you giving it to her?"

Vinnie slowly turned around. This was his office, damn it, his business, and no damn slut twins were going to take control, relatives or not.

"I assign the cases, Melanie. That one is Stephanie’s." He turned on his heels to make a grand exit, but was caught off guard when he was gently, but firmly, nudged up against the wall next to his office.

Steph, Lula and Connie watched in horror as Melanie touched the little weasel. She’s going to have to be quarantined for a week, Connie thought.

Steph couldn’t believe her eyes. Mel was muscling Vinnie back against the wall and he looked as though he was about to piss his pants. Even thought Mel’s back was to her, Steph knew a conversation was taking place. Mel had her mouth right up to Vinnie’s ear, whispering something. Oh gross, she was going to have to take Mel out back and hose her down.

"…so Steph will take the case and she’ll get the guy. And I’m going to make sure you pay her. And so help me god Vinnie, if I find out that you’ve set up something crooked about this take down," Mel slowly reached down and grabbed Vinnie by the balls to emphasize her point, "you’ll answer to me." Vinnie jumped and bit his lip, trying not to cry out.

Just then, Mel’s senses started tingling. Someone was coming in through the front door. Damn, she never should have left her back to the door. She released Vinnie’s privates and pushed off from him, leaving her left hand on his chest. In one smooth motion, she brought her right leg around to balance her stance, while her right hand went under her coat at her left shoulder, and pulled out her gun. She ended up standing like one of those paper chain cutout people. Her feet were spread and arms out to her sides, only her right hand held a gun, aimed about chest high. Well, at least she is standing sideways, harder to hit a narrow target than a wide one.

"Second time in two days, Gorgeous. Except this time, the safety is off. I’m going to get a complex." The nickname was one thing he did learn about her. Ranger looked around the room and took in all the shocked faces…well, all except two. Vinnie looked like he was about to wet himself and Mel looked like she wasn’t taking any shit.

Mel released the tension in her arms and pointed the gun up at the ceiling. Letting out a big breath, she flicked the safety back on, put her gun back in its shoulder holster, turned to face Vinnie again, and pinned him back up against the wall.

Putting her face close to his ear again, Mel voiced her last demand. "And, because you're such a sweet guy, you're going to give these other two ladies the rest of the afternoon off." She knew her hot breath on his ear was probably turning him on now, more than scaring him, but she didn't care. All that mattered was she kept control. If a little heavy breathing pussy-whipped him into behaving, then that's what she'd do. She had done worse.

Vinnie nodded his agreement numbly. Shit. He didn't know if he was more turned on or scared. Then he thought of what he had seen her do in San Antonio. Scared, he was definitely scared.

She smiled and backed away while pretending to bush lint off Vinnie's shirt. Turning to face the room, Mel plastered the biggest smile on her face that she could.

Ignoring the two people who had smirks on their faces, she made her announcement. "Hey, good news." When she had to be chipper like this, she imitated Val. Who better to take from than the master? "Vinnie is giving you two the rest of the day off. Now you can come with me and Stephanie to the mall," she announced to Connie and Lula.

Everyone's gaze shifted to Vinnie. When he didn't make any sound, Mel turned slightly and looked him in the eye. "Right, Vinnie?" she asked, still smiling.

"Uh…yeah, yeah." He straightened himself. "Get the hell out of here. All of you." Then he slithered back into his office, shut and locked the door.

Mel turned back to face two gaping mouths, one set of raised eyebrows, and a sister that was laughing so hard, she had to hold her sides.

"What?" She asked innocently. This only caused Stephanie to laugh so hard she had to sit down. Mel stood patiently waiting for it to hit…and it did.

Out of nowhere everyone seemed to start talking at once, well, everyone but Steph, and they were all questions directed at Mel. The noise rose in the room so much that Vinnie's door was swung open.

"I thought I told you two to get the fuck out of here!" The room went silent again. "Now get the fuck out!"

Connie and Lula took him seriously this time and hurried to get their things together. "We'll meet you at Macy's," Connie said over her shoulder as she left.

"Come on, Steph," Mel said as she started for the door. Ranger was still standing left of the door, pretty much where he stopped when she pulled the gun on him. Steph had maneuvered around to Mel's right side. Just as she reached for the door, Vinnie started to talk. What a stupid fuck.

"You know," Vinnie said through clenched teeth, "you wouldn't be so tough, bitch, if you hadn't married that spic." Everything in the room, including the air, stilled.

Mel forced back a cringe. It wasn't that he called her a bitch. It wasn't that he called her dead husband a spic. Those were just words and not worth fighting, or dying for. What really bothered her was that Vinnie had opened his mouth at all. It was sort of like training a dog. She had to react, scold, because if she didn't, he'd only act up again.

Noticing that Steph had turned to face Vinnie, Mel could feel the tension in her sister. Steph was about to blow. That's Steph, act first, and think later. Sometimes that was good; right now, it wasn't. Mel slowly lifted her hand and gently placed it on Stephanie's shoulder. Their eyes met and Mel gave a tight smile, then rolled her eyes.

Stephanie's eyes went wide as she realized that Ranger was still in the room. Her gaze flicked from Mel to Ranger. Mel followed Stephanie's gaze and widened her eyes as well.

Ranger could feel the two women staring at him. He had been trying to get Vinnie to meet his eyes, but Vinnie was so busy seeing red over the Plum sisters, he couldn't see anything else. If Vinnie had been thinking straight, he would never have said what he did in front of witnesses…in front of Ranger.

Turning his head to look down at the two wide-eyed women, Ranger gave a quick wink. He watched Mel mouth, "I'll take care of it." Nodding once, he turned back to look at Vinnie, although he'd much rather stare at Mel's mouth for the rest of the day.

Just had she had done earlier to Ranger, Mel pulled her gun on Vinnie. But instead of standing still and holding a pose, she straightened her arm and pointed her gun at Vinnie's head, then started to walk around the desk toward him quickly and aggressively. Her sight on his head never wavered.

Vinnie had been standing and yelling from inside his office, but now as Mel approached with a gun, he quickly slammed the door shut and threw the lock. He knew that wouldn't stop her if she wanted to really hurt him. Fumbling with his desk, he opened the bottom drawer and took out his gun. If it came down to shooting he would. He'd probably end up dead, but he'd go down fighting.

Once Mel heard the click of Vinnie's lock, she lowered her gun as her shoulders slumped.

"Oh hell," she whined and turned toward Ranger. Waving her hand that held the gun, she motioned in the direction of Vinnie's office. "You can have at him. I'm done."

Ranger couldn't help but chuckle. Yep, there was definitely a family resemblance. She was Plum all right. He moved toward Vinnie's office, but as he passed her, Mel put out a hand to stop him.

"Tell the slimeball that he's right. And if I find out he's done something to sabotage Steph's take down, this half breed dago," she put her thumb up to her chest, " and her spic friends will come back to pay a visit."

 Chapter 6

 

Mel sat at her mother’s dining room table and stared at the pot roast.  She felt tired and didn’t really want a heavy meal, plus she was going out tonight and had yet to tell Val.

 

“Val, it’s girls’ night out tonight,” she started in easy, hoping the first try would work. “Ma, pass the potatoes please.”

 

“That sounds nice. You’ll have a good time,” Val responded. 

 

So either she didn’t get it or she’s stalling. It’s hard to tell with Val sometimes.

 

“You’re coming with.”

 

“Oh no, no.  Who would watch the girls? I can’t go out,” Val said shaking her head.

 

“Valerie honey, go out with your sisters. It will be nice. Dad and I will watch the girls. Really, go on,” Helen Plum pleaded.  She knew what Mel was trying to do. Valerie had been moping around since Steve left, even more so since the lesbian thing didn’t work out.

 

Mel stared at the potatoes on her plate, trying to decide what to do.  Use reason or force?

 

“You’re all set.  I picked up an outfit for you while I was at Macy’s today.”  Mel hoped bribery would work.

 

“That was nice of you, but I’m not going.”  Val was starting to dig in her heels. Doesn't anyone understand I just want to be left alone, she thought.

 

“Yes, you are,” said Mel emphatically.  “We have to be at Steph’s by 7, so eat up.”

 

“No, I’m not.”

 

Ok, Mel had one thing left, but it wasn’t for all ears.  Putting down her fork, Mel stood and grabbed her sister by the shoulder, then pulled her out of the room.

 

Helen sighed as she watched her oldest daughter haul her middle child into the living room.  Melanie the bully, and if Helen believed the rumors all those years ago, Mel was a good one at that.  She loved all her children and wouldn’t hesitate to give her life for theirs…but Melanie had taken lives.  Helen knew those rumors were true when she looked into her daughter’s eyes and found emptiness…did they lead to an empty soul, an empty heart?  How many times in the past 17 years had she prayed about that?

 

It had taken years for the grapevine to die down when it came to Melanie running away to get married at 18, but they all survived.  The part that hurt the most was that Helen believed Mel when she said she and Manny weren’t going to get mixed up in his family’s dealings.  Mel had been naive and so had Helen.  Manny was a good man…no, boy.  He was a good boy, who didn’t have what it took to protect himself and his wife.  Helen couldn’t do anything but stand by helplessly and watch as Mel and Manny were enveloped into his family.  Then there were all those years Helen couldn’t talk about any of it out of fear.

 

Helen shook her head to clear her thoughts.  All that was in the past.  Mel was here now, thinking about moving back when Stan goes to Princeton.   She wasn’t going to let any opportunity pass her by this time.  Helen was going to make sure neither her daughter’s eyes, nor her heart, would remain empty.

 

 

Frank Plum took another bite of pot roast as he watched Melanie shove Valerie into the living room.  He grunted.  That’s his Mel, the strong one. Yep, when he was gone, she’d be able to take care of the family…all his girls.

 

He wondered what Mel would say to Valerie to get her to go, because Valerie would go. Once Mel made up her mind, there was no changing it.  Hard as steel that one, and always took care of the situation.  He’d bet it was something about Steve.  Part of him had a feeling that’s why Mel was here, other than the anniversary.  Sure hope she tells me, he thought. Mel told him what she did to Joe Morelli when Joe took his youngest back to the Morelli garage.  And then there was what she did to Dickie after the divorce.  Oh boy, he could only imagine what Steve had in store.  He began to laugh quietly, then stopped abruptly when he heard Helen clear her throat.

 

Valerie and Melanie walked back in and took their seats. “Mom, it’d be great if you can watch the girls.  I’m not sure what time we’ll be back though,” conceded Val.

 

Helen smiled broadly. “That’s not a problem dear. So where are you girls off to tonight?” She hoped she sounded innocent and not nosy.

 

“Downtown.  The place is called The Valley.  Fairly new,” offered Mel.

 

Well that was too easy, thought Helen.  Now once they left, she could make her phone call.

 

 

Joe sat at his desk scowling.  He hated paperwork, but he hated not seeing Stephanie more.  All Steph told him was that she was going out with the girls so she wouldn’t be spending the night.  Damn. He’d had a rough day and could really use Steph to sooth him.  Laughing at himself he thought, sure she can give me ulcers, but she also calms my nerves.  Joe shook his head.  How could one woman be so many things to him at once?

 

The ringing of his phone cut his thoughts short.

 

“Morelli,” he growled.

 

“Oh…hi…. yes ma’am…no, I didn’t know that…I’m not su…yes, ma’am of course I …ok, I’ll see what I can do…yes ma’am…ok…goodbye.”

 

Swell, Mrs. Plum wants him to fix up her other two daughters.  Joe’s eyes flicked to the back door of the station when he heard a commotion.    Joe stood as the answers to his problem waltzed in the door.

 

 

“No way man.  I told you I have a date tonight and even if I didn’t, you aren’t going to fix me up with a mother of two.  And as far as the other one goes, well, I try not to date women who can beat me up.”

Carl laughed. “Oh Big Dog, if I didn’t know better, you sound scared!”

 

“And what about you Carl?” countered Big Dog.

 

“Hey man, I told you, I got a date too.  Peggy Zelwicki.”

 

Morelli groaned.  Sure you can put your life in the hands of these guys, but ask them to take out two of the Plum sisters, and they turned sissy.

 

“Don’t wuss out on me guys, come on,” whined Joe.

 

“Sorry, no go,” said Carl. Damn. Now what was he going to do?

 

Joe turned his back on the two cops and started towards his desk when he noticed Manoso and his gang of goons.  Great, not someone I wanted to see right now.

 

Their paths crossed right in front of Joe’s desk.

 

“Manoso. Guys,” Joe said while giving a nod.

 

“Morelli.”

 

It’s not that Joe disliked Manoso, well he didn’t like him either, it was just their moral codes didn’t mix.  Joe was no choirboy, and has scooted some laws with the best of them, but Manoso crosses lines that Joe believed just shouldn’t be crossed.  But he had to give Ranger credit; he brought a lot of scum back into the system and he helped Stephanie. Dare he say even kept her safe?  Joe also had a sneaking suspicion that Manoso made some moves on Stephanie. That’s when the light bulb went on for the second time.

 

“Hey, Ranger,” Joe yelled and ran after the group of men in black.

 

 

Mel, Stephanie and Valerie all sat quietly as they drove into Manhattan. Connie and Lula followed in a car behind.

 

Mel always loved this city and could never get enough of it.  She was excited to stay in her condo tonight.  The hum of the city made her feel alive…or was it that it just made her feel?

 

“You know, you two are awful quiet for a night of partying,” Mel teased.

 

“I don’t think this was a very good idea, Stephanie.  It will draw attention.”  Val sounded exasperated and Mel just smiled.   Little did Val know, that’s exactly what she and Steph wanted.

 

“Come on Valerie, it will be fun. You two haven’t done this since high school and I’ve never done it before,” Stephanie chided.

 

Mel had a hard time with how much Valerie had changed in the years she was gone.  She also thought that maybe what she had put the family through, contributed in some way to those changes.

 

Valerie finally laughed.  “It’s too late now, anyway.”  She looked out the window and watched all the people scurrying off to their lives. “It will be kinda be fun to see everyone’s reaction.”

 

Mel caught Stephanie’s eye in the rearview mirror and smiled.  Oh, this was going to be good.

Chapter 7

 

Joe pulled his truck into the parking garage, following the Mercedes and two Broncos.  God, Joe hated coming into Manhattan, never any place to park and…he just didn’t like it.  He noted with surprise that Manoso didn’t insist on valet parking.

 

"I can't believe you're going to leave those babies here,"  Joe kidded as he joined the others.

 

Ranger smiled.  "I can get more if needed."

 

"Don't," Joe put his hand up in a stop motion, "tell me."  The other men laughed.

 

Tank came up next to Joe and slapped him on the shoulder. "Don't sweat it Morelli," the big man said, smiling. "So tell me, which Plum sister should I go for?  The one that can beat up Big Dog or the one with the kids?  You know, I heard that sometimes those housewife types can have some pent up emotions just itching to get out."  He wiggled his eyebrows.

 

"Better leave the oldest one alone, man. I think Ranger has plans," added Lester. "He's already spent one night in bed with her."

 

Joe stopped short and turned to Ranger without saying anything.  Did Ranger know?  No, how could he? He wasn't around then and any gossip now would be so old you couldn't trust it. Joe grunted to himself.  With what Joe knew, what's to worry about anyway?  They'd be perfect for each other.

 

Ranger stopped scowling at Lester when Morelli turned to look at him. He could kick himself.  Why didn't he think of this before?  Morelli knows her story and he was around back then.  Ranger considered going the grapevine route, but figured anything that old still out there would be half-truth at best.  But Morelli…now that was different.  He also made a mental note to never tell Lester anything again and beat the crap out of him later.

 

For the first time ever, Joe could see what Ranger was thinking. "Forget it Manoso.  You won't hear it from me.  It's not mine to tell.  Although, if there were ever two people more made for each other…" he trailed off, mumbling the last part under his breath.

 

 

 

Joe was the first to enter the club, following behind another group of men. His senses were assaulted by the loud steady beat of the music and the flashing lights. Quickly scanning the room, he thought he caught a glimpse of Lula, when suddenly he ran into the guy in front of him.

 

"Oh, sorry," Joe said.  Though once he recovered, he noticed that several of the men in the first group had stopped as well.

 

He quickly moved out of the way to avoid being run over himself.  Stepping around the group, he noticed they were all looking in the same direction.  He followed their gaze and instantly recognized what had them stopping in their tracks. Joe soon became transfixed as well.

 

Ranger watched as Morelli disappeared into the club, but now there was a bottleneck at the door.   He was about to tell the guys to start moving people out of the way when things started to clear.  The four bulky men made their way over to Joe, who was off to the side just standing there.

 

“Hey, I see Connie and Lula over there,” said Tank.  Not getting any response, he tried again. “Hey…guys…guys?”

Tank turned and followed the guys’ line of sight.  Then his jaw dropped to the floor.

 

 

Valerie leaned over to Melanie and said, “I think we are causing a commotion.”   Mel surveyed the club and saw the pockets of clustered men, standing and staring at her and her sisters. Mel just snorted.  Good, she thought, Valerie needed to cause a little commotion and it wasn’t going to hurt Mel’s ego either.  She just wished some of these guys—hell, even just one—would have enough balls to approach. Mel swung around on her bar stool and motioned to the bartender for another drink.  Maybe they should split up, Mel thought.  She dismissed the idea right away. Valerie would just go hide in a corner.

 

 

For the second time in as many days, Ranger had to fight the urge to rub his eyes in disbelief.   There sitting at the bar were the three Plum sisters, dressed exactly alike.   They had the same short silver dress, shoes and hairstyle. If Valerie hadn’t been blond, you would swear they were triplets.  As it was, Stephanie and Melanie looked like twins, and they were stunning.  Ranger’s pulse quickened as he noticed he suddenly had a little less room in his pants. Oh man, he had to get a closer look than this.  Ranger jolted slightly when Lester came up and started talking.

 

“Ric, why are there two Bombshells and who is the hot blond?”  Lester asked wide-eyed.

 

Morelli decided to answer. “Well, Stephanie is on the left.  Her sister Valerie is the blond in the middle, and the oldest, Melanie, is on the far right.  Now, if you’ll excuse me, gentlemen, I need to go stake my claim before one of these other yay-hoos decides he’s man enough to try something.”

 

 

Stephanie watched as Joe emerged out of the crowd of men standing by the front door.  How on earth did he find out where they were?  Steph leaned over to Val and whispered in her ear, and then Val did the same to Mel.  If Joe thought he was going to come here and ruin all their fun, he was going to be sadly mistaken.

 

Stephanie jumped off the bar stool and met Joe halfway.

 

“Joe, what are you doing here? How did you find out where we were?” Stephanie demanded.

 

“Hello to you too, Cupcake,” Joe said casually as he tried to drape his arm around her shoulder.

 

“Oh, no you don’t!  Don’t come waltzing in here trying to prove ownership.  This is girls’ night out. YOU don’t belong!”  Stephanie turned on her heels and stomped back to her seat at the bar.

 

Joe started toward Steph when Mel intercepted.

 

“Joey,” she purred as she placed a hand on his chest.  “I don’t think right now would be a good time.  Why don’t you go up there,” she pointed to a raised sectioned-off part of the seating area, “and sit at one of the tables.  We have the whole section up there reserved.  You’ll see the other girls.”  Mel turned, but before heading back to the bar she said over her shoulder, “And take your friends with you.”   The feeling she had at Vinnie’s was back and now she knew what it meant. Her heart skipped a beat. Ranger was here.

 

 

Thirty minutes later, Mel had had enough of all the lines and lame come-ons, and the three women were seated back at their table. She was starting to feel like this night would never end.  The continuous stares from the other table were starting to get to her also.  It wasn’t that she felt uncomfortable; modesty was a thing of the past for her.   But she was starting to get annoyed. 

 

 

Joe was starting to stew.  He really wanted to spend time with Stephanie and he didn’t know how to approach her.  Mel said now wasn’t the time, but that was 45 minutes ago.  Hell, even Ranger and the guys were talking, laughing, staring and drinking.  Joe noticed that Ranger seemed to be watching Mel, and Lester was following Valerie’s movements pretty closely.  That’s when the idea hit him.

 

 

Mel watched as the guys’ table suddenly became void of movement.  They were all huddled around Joe, and Mel had a bad feeling about it.  She knew Joe Morelli and how devious he could be.  But then Joe Morelli knew that she could make him pay. 

 

Stephanie leaned into the middle of the table and said, “Joe’s up to something. I can tell.”

 

The men broke from the huddle and Ranger motioned for the waitress.  Mel had to give the woman credit for being able to do her job around those guys.  The waitress left but then quickly reappeared next to Mel with several shots on her tray.

 

“Ladies, the men at the other table bought these for you.”  She carefully placed a shot glass in front of each woman and then left.  When Mel looked up she saw the five men standing in front of the table, each with their own shot glass.

 

Chapter 8

"Joey, want to introduce me to your friends?" Mel saw Joe visibly bristle.

"Joey?" laughed Bobby. Joe just threw him an evil glare, which only succeeded in making Bobby laugh harder.

"Melanie and Valerie Plum," Joe started, "this is Bobby Brown, Lester Santos and Tank. I hear Mel, you already…ahem…know the man in black." Mel noticed that Ranger scowled, which for some reason, made her smile.

Mel nodded at each man, stopping at the large black man named Tank.

"Tank? So is that a name, occupation," she paused and gave him a leering once over, "or just a description?" Ranger scowled more. Mel smiled bigger.

The large black man’s eyes were wide for a few seconds before his booming laughter bounced off the walls. "Bombshell, if I had any doubt about her being your sister, it’s gone now. Although the way you three look, there was little room for doubt." A lecherous smiled formed on Tank’s face. His eyes moved on to the pretty blond. "What about you Blondie?"

"Bite me," responded Val in a not-so-nice tone.

Everyone had stopped whatever they were doing and turned to Val. Mel couldn’t help herself as she burst out laughing. Everyone soon followed. "You’ll have…to…excuse my…sister," Mel said between laughs, "She’s not very friendly…to…men lately."

"For three skinny little white things, you all sure got some mean attitude," Lula spat as she tried to control her howling laughter.

Mel raised her shot glass. She waited for everyone else to raise his or hers. "To mean skinny white chicks. Bite me." Mel put the small glass her lips, and then threw back the drink. Damn, it burned. A JD shot…Joe remembered, which meant she knew what was next. She didn’t have to wait long to find out she was right.

 

"You know, guys," Joe started. "Melanie and Valerie have done this dress-up thing once before." Now he had everyone’s attention. He noticed Stephanie just rolled her eyes, but Mel and Val looked at each other.

"What happened, Bombshell? You were left out?" Bobby inquired.

"There was too much of a physical difference between us back in high school. Four, or even just two years, can a make a difference. The three of us couldn’t have pulled it off then."

"You’re doing a damn good job of it now," said Lester, while his eyes roamed over Valerie.

Valerie felt her face flush under this man’s gaze. She wasn’t really sure what to do. Her eyes darted around the place as she tried to avoid looking directly at him, but she could feel the heat of his eyes on her. She didn’t have to wait too long for a distraction, as another round of shots appeared on the table. But hers and Mel’s were different. Groaning inwardly, she couldn’t believe Joe Morelli was going to do this. She sure hoped Mel put him in his place before the night was over.

"Mel, Val, I think these are your specialty," Joe said while waving his arm in a grand gesture over the table.

"Morelli, you’re a putz." Mel scooted out from behind the table. "Come on Val. Let’s show this crowd what we’re made of."

"Oh no, Mel. I can’t do that anymore. We only did it that once and it was a long time ago." Valerie had all her fingers and toes crossed hoping Mel would let it go. Boy, was she a fool.

Lester watched as Mel leaned back in over her seat and whispered into Valerie’s ear. He noticed a small look of defeat cross Val’s face, but it was soon replaced by determination as she came out in front of the table.

"What the hell is those prissy little drinks?" Lula asked.

"Those are called Blow Jobs," replied Connie.

 

All eyes were glued to Mel and Val. Melanie could tell that Valerie didn’t want to do this, but her sister needed some fun. This activity might just do the trick.

"And ladies, if I remember correctly from that party back in high school, the last time you two did this, your hands were behind your backs."

Once again, Mel said something into Valerie’s ear, but this time, both women came away with very evil grins on their faces.

Stephanie sat watching the men around her. She had an idea what her sisters were up to and really wanted to focus on the guys’ reactions. The two women put their hands behind their backs and gradually lowered their heads until they were level with the shot glasses. Stephanie took a glance around the table. Yep, they had everyone’s attention.

Mel flicked her eyes up to meet Valerie’s. Using their own form of silent communication, Mel gave Valerie the signal and they both started to lick off the whipped cream.

Stephanie was about to lose it when she watched the faces of the men at their table. Melanie and Valerie started by taking three, torturously long licks to lap up the whipped cream. Then took their time making sure none was left on the shot glass either. Their tongues carefully licked the rims and ran up and down the sides. Joe’s grip on Stephanie’s shoulder tightened, so she knew his reaction first hand, and would probably experience more of it later. Tank and Bobby stood looking dumbfounded. There was no way to describe the heat that was coming off Ranger and Lester. A bomb could have gone off next to them and she was sure they wouldn’t have moved or broken their stare. Stephanie would also swear she saw both men flinch when the girls finally took the shot glasses into their mouths and then throw back their heads to swallow.

No one said a word for quite some time until Bobby broke the silence. "Well…I guess that answers the question of whether you two spit or swallow." Silence stretched again for several seconds and then gales of laugher erupted.

"You seemed to forget that a burg girl never backs down from a challenge, Joey," Mel sputtered between laughs. "You better behave yourself now or I'll give you the same treatment I did back when you were 8 and took Steph to play choo choo,"

Stephanie turned to her sister with her mouth gaping open. "What treatment?"

Joe tried to sink back into the safety of the booth, but when Mel didn't answer, Stephanie turned her gaze on him. "What treatment, Joe?"

"Steph," Mel started, "let's just say that I stressed a point to Joe, that he was never to treat you like that again." She reached out and took on of Steph's hand in hers. "And honey, I also want you to know that I was planning on taking care of him after I heard about the Tasty Pasty incident, but then you seemed to take care of it on your own. So, I crossed it off my list. I tried to get back, I really did."

Melanie let go of Steph's hand and then looked pointedly at Joe. "Which reminds me, Joey, I need to talk to you about something. How about we do lunch this coming week?" She was sure the implied subject matter of this talk didn't go unnoticed.

Joe's eyes went wide right before he slipped his cop face on. He nodded at Melanie once and hoped the whole damn subject was going to be dropped.

"What'd she do to ya, man?" asked Bobby, who quit trying to hid his amusement.

Stephanie had a faraway look in her eyes, like she was trying to picture something in her mind. "A black eye," she muttered to herself, but loud enough that the others heard. She focused her eyes on Joe and blinked a couple of times. "A black eye. She gave you a black eye! You told everyone Mikey Chancelor gave it to you. Mikey never denied it because he was proud of the rumor." Steph blinked a couple of more times. Joe looked about ready to throw up.

"Hey, she was ten. I was eight!" Joe spat out in his defense. This only sparked another round of uncontrollable laughter. "Besides she's a girl. I'd never hit a girl," Joe said softly. Stephanie was the only one who heard and put her hand up to his face.

"I know, Joe," she chuckled softly and then leaned over to give him a kiss. "I know." Pulling back, Joe gave her a weak smile, and then looked at Mel.

"Next week, you and me," mouthed Mel as she winked.

 

 

Settling back into the booth, Mel smiled. After the story of Joe's "treatment", things became more relaxed in the group. Lester and Valerie spent a lot of time together on and off the dance floor. Various pairings would wander off to dance, get a drink or talk. Everyone was having a good time. Mel didn’t dance and Tank had tried his hardest to goad her into getting out there with him. She wouldn’t rise to the bait. Stephanie, however, was an easier target. It seemed to Mel that all the men with them that night knew what buttons to push to get Stephanie to do something they wanted. The mental games ranged from daring her to reverse psychology. And in true burg girl fashion, Stephanie never backed down. As in true youngest sibling fashion, Stephanie always felt like she had to prove herself.

Glancing at her watch, Mel was surprised to see how much time had passed. Ranger had stuck to her side the entire night. He had asked her to dance a few times, but, as with Tank, she declined. He seemed to give up after just a few attempts. So they sat and talked quietly with whoever was seated at the table. Right now, it just happened to be Connie.

"Melanie," Connie said loudly over the blaring music. "I didn’t know you had any kids. What did you say about your son earlier?"

Damn. Mel was hoping that would be forgotten in the aftermath of Vinnie’s. She immediately felt Ranger tense and become more attentive to the conversation.

It had taken some time, but Ranger had regained some of the control he let slip when he watched Mel down that shot. Now he was content to just stay by her side the whole evening. Hearing Connie ask about Mel’s son, only piqued his interest and added to the many unanswered questions.

"Stanley. He’s going to Princeton in the fall. It’s one of the reasons I’m out here. He’s supposed to be meeting me in a couple weeks. He’ll be out here to stay, but I haven’t decided about that yet."

Valerie, Lester and Bobby chose the perfect moment to come back to the table. Connie was about to ask another question that Mel probably wouldn’t want to answer. Valerie provided an even better escape by pulling Mel off to the bathroom.

Mel looked on as Valerie reapplied her lipstick in the mirror.

"Lester seems real nice," said Mel. Valerie’s hand dropped from her face and her face took on a sad look. "What?"

"He is nice," started Valerie, "but…"

"But what?"

Valerie let out a big sigh. "Let’s face it Mel. I’m a loser. No man is going to want me. My husband left me for the babysitter, I have two children, no money and I live with my parents!" Her voice had risen steadily until she ended in a screech, tears leaking from her eyes.

"Valerie!" Mel scolded. "Stop it! I won’t have that, I won’t!" She grabbed Valerie by the shoulders and spun her around so they were face to face. "Did you see the reaction you got from those guys when you downed that shot? Have you noticed that Lester hasn’t left you out of his sight, much less his reach, the entire night? He’s probably waiting outside that door right now. Has it also escaped your attention that heads turn as you walk by and that Lester discourages every one of those looks with an evil glare?" Mel spun Valerie to face the mirror again. "You are beautiful, inside and out. Every man who didn’t come up to you tonight is a fool. Lester has been one lucky son-of-a-bitch."

Valerie met her sister’s eyes in the mirror, lips quivering as she tried to hold back the tears. Valerie lowered her head and whispered, "Why would anyone want me?"

Mel sighed. It always comes down to self-worth. Placing a finger under Valerie’s chin, Mel lifted her sister’s face to look in the mirror. "Because you’re worth it." They stood there quietly, looking into the mirror, as Valerie’s tears slowed and then stopped.

"Ranger seems nice too," Valerie said while wiping her eyes. Each woman had moved back to their own sink and mirror to start the job of reapplying their make-up.

"Yeah, seems like it."

"You should take your own advice," Val suggested as she turned to face her older sister, leaning to the side with one hip against the sink.

"Valerie, my situation is different. I can’t get involved because it’s dangerous."

"You said that part of your life was over. You didn’t worry about it any more," questioned Val.

"What I said was that I put that life behind me. That doesn’t mean that in the future it can’t come back to get me."

"Then why did you come back? Five years ago you said it was safe and that’s why you came back." Val was sounding irritated. "Did you lie to us?"

"No Val. I didn’t lie." Mel sighed again. "It’s complicated…"

Valerie cut her off. "It’s complicated because you want it to be."

"Valerie, what happened to me was a little more serious than my husband running off with the babysitter!" The minute the words fell from her lips, Mel wanted them back. Why had she said such a stupid, stupid thing? "Oh god, Val I’m…"

"Don’t." Val said curtly. "I know what you meant and you’re right. I also know that you didn’t mean to belittle my situation, so I’m not offended." Val straightened and moved two steps closer to her sister.

"I also know that you’re no more sure of yourself than I am when it comes to men. Oh sure, you’re all tough and can beat up every man in the place. But…" Val paused and narrowed her eyes, "strip it all away and you’re asking yourself the same question I just did. You’re just better at coving it up with ‘complications’ so you don’t have to face it. Heck, you’re even worse because you’ve been using it to keep men away ever since Manny died. Am I right?" Val stood her ground and met her sister’s eyes stare for stare, making sure Melanie understood what Val had just said. After a few seconds of silence, Val backed up, checked herself in the mirror and headed toward the door. Val looked back over her shoulder, her face had softened. "And, dear sister, I’m going to give you the same answer…because you’re worth it." With that parting shot, Val exited the bathroom.

Mel stood frozen, still stunned. How had Valerie managed to boil Mel’s complicated, twisted life down to one heart-piercing observation? No, it was complicated. Mel didn’t just make it that way. Then why did Valerie’s words ring so true and sting so much? Mel’s shoulders slumped. She needed to go home.

Coming out of the bathroom, Mel stood very still as she watched Lester corner Valerie at the end of the dark hallway. Lester seemed like a nice guy, but if he hurt Val, he’d be sorry. Melanie couldn’t leave without making sure Val was ok.

"Hey," she said cheerily as she approached, "Val, I’m headed home. You ok?"

Lester understood the meaning of the question and backed away from Val. Maybe he was getting a little too aggressive for the recently-single mother of two.

Val smiled and nodded her head, blushing full force. Mel smiled back but then threw a sobering look at Lester. It only took one step to crowd Lester’s space and Mel could feel the immediate buildup of tension as she spoke. "Make sure she stays that way." She didn’t think she needed to add the "or else."

Lester’s blank face slid into place. He knew a threat when he felt one. The intentional crowding was clearly a threatening measure to back up the seriousness of the statement. He got the point and nodded his head once.

Mel withdrew and flashed what she hoped was a stunning smile. "Make sure they all get home ok." Then she turned and walked away.

"Geez, she always like that?" Lester asked.

"Afraid so. She means it, too." Val didn’t feel the need to explain why. She was more interested in getting back to where they were before Mel came along.

Lester must have been thinking the same thing because he leaned back into Val, this time even closer, and brushed his lips against hers. "So where were we?"

They both jerked when a deep voice surprised them from behind and asked, "Where’s Melanie?"

Chapter 9

 

“Ranger, man. What the hell?” Lester asked.

 

Ranger had to chuckle.  It had been a long time since any woman had distracted Lester enough so that he wasn’t aware of his surroundings.   He could point that out to his friend, but Lester had probably thought the same thing already.  Besides, there were enough of them there to watch each others’ backs.

 

Ranger repeated the question. “Where’s Melanie?”

 

“She left.  A few minutes ago.  That way.  Now get lost.”  This from Lester.  Ranger didn’t move.

 

“Melanie went home,” said Valerie.  Now Ranger looked confused and—hurt?

 

Valerie saw this as an opportunity…to meddle.  Mel’s been pushing men away for seven years, she thought; it was time her big sister started to open that steel cage she called a heart.

 

“Lester, will you excuse us please?”  Lester’s shoulders sagged and the disappointment on his face looked like he was just told to put away his favorite toy and go to his room.  “I’ll only be a minute, then I’ll come find you,” cooed Valerie.

 

Ranger put his arm around Lester’s shoulder. “Tell ya what my friend, I’ll bring her right back to you.  Maybe not in the same condition as you left her,” he glanced at Valerie and she blushed, “but I’m sure you’ll figure out what to do about that.”

 

Lester stole a quick kiss while Valerie was busy blushing, and then turned to Ranger.  In a very serious tone he said, “ Five minutes,” then walked away.

 

“Does Melanie ever blush?”

 

Valerie was surprised by the question and didn’t really know how to answer. “What do you mean?”

 

“You and Stephanie turn red pretty easily. Does Melanie do the same thing?”

 

Valerie didn’t really understand where Ranger was going with this, but answered him anyway. “No, she doesn’t.”  Ranger just nodded. 

 

“What do you want with Melanie?” Might as well jump right in.

 

Now it was Ranger’s turn to look shocked. He didn’t expect such a direct question from her.  “What do you mean?” he shot back.

 

“Look, I don’t know what’s going on between you and Mel, or what that comment was from Joe about her knowing you, but be careful with her.  Under that tough exterior is a much more fragile Melanie than she lets on.”

 

“Want to tell me why she has such a tough exterior?” He had to try.

 

“No, I don’t.  But I've recently gained some insight into my big sister's mind, so I will tell you this… she went to spend the night in her condo here in Manhattan. I’ll even give you the address, but it’s up to you to get in.” Ranger raised an eyebrow in question and Valerie ignored it.  He’d find out soon enough what she meant.  “Just keep in mind what I said.  Be careful and don’t hurt her.  I may not be as tough as Mel, but I’ve got Stephanie and Grandma on my side.”

 

Both Ranger’s eyebrows went up, but then he smiled.  “Understood. Now, about that address…”

 

 

Mel felt relieved to walk through her front door.  She bought the place about a year ago when Stanley started talking about Princeton.  It was a long hard fight to get approval from the other tenants, but after jumping through all their hoops, they found she fit right in.  The place hadn't seen that much use, but there were a few times when she unexpectedly found herself in town.  If she decided to move back here it could become her permanent place.  It was a great space, she felt comfortable and safe, plenty of extra rooms, a great master bedroom and bath, and one hell of a view.

 

She moved into the kitchen to make some tea. Mel filled the teakettle while thinking about the things Valerie had said to her at the club.  Could it really be true? Had she purposely been keeping any interested man at arm’s length? Letting out a big sigh, she busied herself with finding a mug and getting the tealeaves ready, but her mind still wandered.

 

And what about Ranger?  Yes, he did seem nice, but he was a man with a past.  She could spot them a mile away.  Maybe that means he could relate to hers, understand where she's coming from. He could be someone to share it all with. She rolled her eyes.  Geez, a few hours with Val and happy positive thoughts invade my brain, she thought.  Although from what she witnessed tonight, her sister might be struggling to find those happy thoughts that kept her going for years.

 

Her thoughts drifted to Lester and she had to smile.  He certainly seemed taken with Valerie.  Mel could only hope that he was a good guy. Her instincts told her he was, but she still needed to check.  Probably wouldn't hurt to do a rundown on Ranger, either.

 

Back to Ranger.  She found her mind had done that quite a bit in the last two days… somehow found its way back to thinking about Ranger.  And good lord, when she woke up with him this morning….  She shook her head to clear those thoughts.   Her hormones hadn't had control in many years, and they weren't going to start now.

 

He obviously wanted to know about her, so why didn't she just tell him?    There was plenty she could tell without revealing the ugly parts.  But the ugly parts had made her the way she is today. No, there was no easy way around it, so it was best to just avoid it. It was best to forget about Ranger too; he was too close to a world she had left far behind.  She didn't want to get sucked back in.

 

She jumped when the teapot whistled and the security phone buzzed at the same time.  Moving the kettle, she turned off the burner and then picked up the phone.

 

"Andy? What's up?"

 

"You have a visitor, Ms. Plum."

 

 

 

Ranger stood in the lobby of what looked like, at first glance, an ordinary apartment building.  It hadn't taken him long, once he walked in the door, to identify some of the security measures.  There were plenty of cameras and, although there was only one man behind the security desk, he looked formidable, someone Ranger would consider hiring.  The security guard had certainly given Ranger the once-over with a trained eye.

 

There was only one doorway that led from the lobby back to the elevators.  No furniture cluttered the lobby floor and the next room looked just as bare.  Ranger guessed that visitors stood until they gained entrance into the main part of the building, which is what he was doing right now. Standing and waiting.

 

"Mr. Manoso, Ms. Plum has approved you for entrance.  In 60 seconds the security measures on that door will be released. I will let you know when to go through.  You have 15 seconds to clear the door before it is once again secured.  In the next room you will see 14 elevators, please proceed to the one marked number twelve.  It will be open and waiting for you.  In the event it is not, please pick up the phone that will be to your right and you will be instructed as to what to do."

 

"What happens if I don't clear the door in time?"  Ranger chuckled slightly.

 

"Then I call an ambulance, Sir."

 

"What do I have to do to get out of the building?" Ranger was no longer being funny.

 

"Ms. Plum will instruct you on how to leave the building safely.  You may proceed through the door now, Mr. Manoso."

Chapter 10

 

When the elevator opened on the twelfth floor, Ranger stepped into a long hallway that led to a single door.   The door was opened half way and he could hear the sound of Mel's voice drift out towards him.

 

"Mr. Manoso," a voice from the console inside the elevator said. "Ms. Plum's apartment is at the end of the hall.  You have 15 seconds to exit the elevator."

 

"What happens if I don't?"

 

"I call an…"

 

Ranger cut him off. "An ambulance…I know, I know."

 

As he walked down the hallway, Ranger felt very exposed.  But he had a feeling that was exactly how it was supposed to make you feel.  He tapped on the door and it swung open a bit further.  Melanie appeared to his left and waved him in while she talked on the phone.

 

"Ok Freddie…I know…Yes, I will…I promise…Ok, let me know what you find…Sure thing…love you too, bye." Mel hung up and surveyed the man standing in her doorway.  Damn, he was sexy.  "What brings you by, Ranger?"  She tried to sound casual.

 

Who was Freddie?  I love you too?  Ranger felt a small knot in the bottom of his stomach.  This was a mistake. He should not have come here.

 

"You left without saying goodbye," he offered.

 

"So you felt the need to come say hello?" Mel countered.

 

Yep, a definite mistake. The knot in Ranger’s stomach started to grow. Jesus, why does he even care? He’s here to get information, not to worry about if she’s glad that he stopped by.

 

“I just wanted to make sure you arrived home all right.”

 

Mel cocked her head to one side and studied him for a second.  "Hmmm…would you like some tea?"  When she turned and walked back into the kitchen, she could feel Ranger was right behind her.  Her pulse quickened.

 

"Please, sit," she said as she motioned to one of the bar stools by the island.

 

Mel brought over two cups of tea and sat on the stool opposite him.  He just couldn’t get over how beautiful she was.  Every time she looked at him with those piercing eyes he’d feel a tug at his heart and a pull in his groin.  Crap. This had to be left over from Stephanie. It had to be.  This woman had a past and could complicate his life. He didn’t need the hassle.  Information…that’s why he’s here, he has to make sure Steph isn’t in any danger and needs to know what Melanie is up to.

 

“So you are married? And have a son?”  Start somewhere safe, he thought. She talked about it earlier.

 

She nodded after taking a sip of tea. “MmmmHmmm…Stan will be starting Princeton in the fall. My husband passed away 8 years ago.”

 

“I’m sorry about your husband.  You must be very proud of your son,” Ranger offered.

 

A proud smile appeared on her face. “I am.  He’s actually starting a year early.  He’ll just be turning 17 in August.”

 

Ranger drank some of his tea. “Does he miss his father?”

 

Shit, Mel thought.  This is exactly where she didn’t want to go, but she didn’t really have much of a choice. 

 

“Stanley is my son through adoption.  Seven years ago his mother asked me to take care of him.  She passed away.” There, that was the truth and she even told it in the right order. Bully for her.

 

“You were single when you adopted him. That’s a huge responsibility,” Ranger observed.

 

“Yes, it is, and one I took on gladly.  Stanley is a good boy,” she paused to give a small laugh. “He’s a good man.  His mother did most of the hard work before I got him.”  Standing, she picked up her mug and walked it over to the sink. “What about you?  Any children?”

“Yes, a daughter,” was all he said.

 

Melanie gave him a soft smile and before he knew what he was doing, he was standing in front of her.  Without his approval, his hand reached up and cupped the side of her face. He stood mesmerized as she closed her eyes and rested her cheek against his palm.  His other hand, also lacking his consent, slid around her waist and pulled her to him.  When she put her head down on his shoulder and nuzzled into his neck, his heart felt like it would pound out of his chest.

 

Mel couldn’t understand what she was doing.  How could she be taking comfort from this man, she thought as she laid her head on his shoulder.  He made her feel so at ease.  She snuggled her head close to his neck and placed her hands around his waist.  They stood like that for several minutes, at least that’s what she thought.  She might have dozed off for a second or two.

 

Taking one last breath to drink in his scent, Mel pushed back to free herself and stepped away. “Well Ranger, it’s getting late.  You’re welcome to stay.”

 

Ranger nodded once and said, “Thanks.  I’m almost afraid to try and leave.”  Melanie looked at him in surprise and her heart did another flip. Could he mean…?

 

 “This is quite a secure building,” he said.

 

 She relaxed a little but felt…disappointed?  Nah couldn’t be. 

 

“Yes, it is. You wouldn’t believe what I had to go through to get this place,” she said over her shoulder and then led Ranger around the apartment for a quick tour, finally guiding him back to the bedrooms.

 

“Here,” she said opening a door, “you can stay in this room.  There are clothes in the dresser and closet that will probably fit you.  All of it’s new and will mostly likely still have the tags.  Freddie likes to have clothes here just in case.”

 

Ranger raised an eyebrow at the mention of Freddie, but she wasn’t offering any further information.

 

“Please make yourself at home.  My room is number five on the intercom if you need anything and I’ll leave the alarms off in the apartment in case you feel the need to wander.  G’night.”

 

Melanie turned to head off to her room.  She couldn’t stay with him much longer or she’d…she’d…

 

“Melanie?” 

 

She stopped and closed her eyes at the sound of her name. His voice sounded to her ears, like silk felt on her skin, soft and sensual.

 

“Where’s your room?”  She was surprised to feel his warm breath on her neck.  When had he moved so close?  That’s it.  This man was not going to fluster her like she was 16 years old. She hadn’t taken or needed comfort from anyone since Manny. She spun around to look him directly in the eye.

 

“My room is across from yours.  If you need anything, just let me know.”  They held that gaze, unblinking, until she moved away and retreated into her own room.

Chapter 11

It had been two hours since Melanie left him standing in the hallway and Ranger still felt let down. Did he really expect her to invite him into her bedroom? Yeah, he did. She had done it at Steph's, but then there was no other bed available. But she could have kicked him out too. Damn it. He turned over again, punching his pillow in the process, to try and find a comfortable position.

Melanie lay in bed flipping channels on the TV, the same thing she had been doing for the past two hours. She was hoping to find something to take her mind off the exchange out in the hall. She had been two seconds away from telling him he could come into her room to sleep, but then he had to go and say her name in that tone of voice. That tone and him being so close made it seems like it was expected. Well, Melanie Plum does what she wants, not always what's expected. Melanie pushed at the remote a little more forcefully, but nothing could take her mind off what it felt like to be in his arms and feel safe. No one had ever made her feel truly safe, not her parents and not her husband. She only had herself.

This is crazy, Ranger thought as he threw back the covers and sat on the edge of the bed. There was always snooping, but he doubted he'd find anything. When she gave him the tour, it was obvious there weren't any personal items. It was highly unlikely anything of importance would be found. He stood and pulled on a pair of drawstring sweats he found in one of the drawers. Ranger had doubted he would find anything that would fit him, but whoever Freddie was, he had plenty of clothes in Ranger's size.

He padded out to the kitchen in bare feet hoping to find…what? Something to eat? That made him snicker. He didn’t do midnight snacks. Then what? Tea, maybe more tea would help him sleep…right, or maybe running into Melanie would do the trick. Shit. What happened to the cocky self assured attitude? Using a little more force then he intended, Ranger put down the mug he had found, sighed, turned, and headed back towards the bedrooms.

Melanie finally gave up and left the TV on QVC. If TV alone couldn't help, then TV and shopping might be what she needs. Just as she was about to reach for the phone to buy whatever was currently being peddled, there was a very soft knock on her door. She almost thought she hadn't really heard anything, but then it happened again. Reaching for her nightstand, Melanie mentally rolled her eyes at herself. Why was she going for her gun? She knew it was Ranger.

Her heart started to race. What should she do? Crap. If she keeps waiting, he's going to walk away. Isn't that what she wants? Yes. No. Shit.

The pop of her door being released from its hold in the frame brought her Sybil moment to an end. Frozen in place, she watched as a beautifully brown hand, attached to a beautifully brown muscular arm, very slowly opened the door. Just thinking about the body that arm was attached to had her checking for drool. Damn grandma’s hormones.

"Everything ok?" she asked when the entire man stood in her doorway.

He nodded once. "Couldn't sleep. Heard your TV. Thought maybe you could use some company."

"Sure, pull up a chair." Mel motioned to one of the big overstuffed ones in the corner. She could have sworn that he looked a little disappointed. "I was just going to start randomly ordering things from QVC." Ranger raised an eyebrow at her.

"You know, call in and just make up a number…see what you get." Mel shrugged. "You’d be surprised at how it helps pass the time." She wondered why she felt the need to defend her midnight shopping habits to this man.

He pulled the chair up to the empty side of the bed, and then stood with his hand out. Mel rolled her eyes at him and handed him the remote. "What is it with men and the freakin’ remote," she let out under her breath.

He sat in the chair, propped his bare feet up on the bed and began the task of finding something to watch. After a few minutes he settled on an old black and white film. Ranger had positioned the chair so that when we looked at the TV he could see Mel too.

After about 30 minutes his feet got cold so he burrowed them under the covers. Mel just looked at him and he smiled back. "My feet are cold."

"Hmmmm," was her only response as she went back to watching the movie.

Another 30 minutes and she was fast asleep. Ranger was feeling tired himself and since she allowed his feet under the covers….

 

Mel woke slowly to the peace and quiet of her room. She was a bit surprised her alarm hadn’t gone off but then she hadn't remembered setting it. It had been ages since she just woke on her own. She felt warm and cuddly and the minute she tried to move she knew why. Ranger was spooning her with one large arm wrapped around her waist. Melanie didn't move and tried to keep her breathing steady, she didn't want to wake him. She lay quietly thinking back to how she used to wake up in Manny's arms like this, although this felt different. Sure, this was a different man, but these past two morning she's woke up feeling rested and…

Stop it. Why was she doing this to herself? Ranger's not going to want anything to do with her once he finds out about her past. And even if he does, and that's a very big if, she made a deal that she can't go back on. From what she knew of Ranger's life, it skirted the edges of what was acceptable to that deal. There are those who might take exception and decide that Mel broke the deal. No. She's worked too hard to gain back everything that she lost, only to have it taken from her again. Helping Steph with that skip was going to be risky enough.

Mel unintentionally let out a sigh, which had Ranger stirring behind her. He tried to pull her closer and entangled their feet, but settled back into rhythmic breathing. She knew this had to stop. Yes, she'd admit, there was obviously something between them, even if it was just a great night's sleep, but this had to stop. Mel needed to put an end to it.

But since this was the last time she'd wake up next to Ranger, she decided to let this morning play out. She could use a little more sleep. Closing her eyes, Melanie let her mind drift and sleep soon took over.

 

Ranger woke with a start. He lay still, listening. There was nothing except the sound of Melanie breathing. That thought had him relaxing from the little bit he tensed. He couldn't believe how well he slept while in bed with this woman. Ranger hadn't woken up once after climbing in bed with Mel. That's a very unusual. A sound uninterrupted sleep was not something he knew very much about. He'd be more than willing to learn if it involved Melanie. Although, sleeping in bed was not the only thing he'd like to do with her. Ending up in bed with her needed to happen more often.

God, she smelled wonderful. Taking a large breath, he figured it was some flower and fruit combination. Whatever it was, he loved it. Right now he really wanted her to roll over and face him, but he wasn't sure how to get her to do that without waking her. Rising up slightly, he began to nuzzle her neck, bringing his lips close to her ear.

"Melanie," he whispered ever so softly.

"Mel." Nuzzle. Nothing.

"Gorgeous," said slower, deeper. Nuzzle. Nothing.

"Gorgeous." Finally, Melanie stirred, trying to cuddle in more, and let out a soft sleepy moan. Certain parts of his body responded and the tightening in his lower abdomen was just one of them.

"Gorgeous, roll over," he softly suggested.

"Mmmm?" was all she managed from her sleep-induced haze.

"Roll over," said in barely a whisper.

"Mmmm Mmmm." she moaned again as she shifted first to her back, then her other side. The warmth that had been behind her was now in front. Being drawn to it, like a moth to a flame, she tried to burrow in deeper, and noticed the warmth came with a wonderfully masculine scent. Melanie sighed deeply as it moved in and seemed to cover her entire body.

 

"Gorgeous, can I ask you a question?" Ranger quietly asked.

"Mmmm."

"What brings you to Trenton?"

"Hmmm?"

"Why did you come home, Beautiful?" Ranger placed a small kiss on her head and started to stroke her hair.

"Mom, Dad’s anniversary…Stan…school," she mumbled.

He gave another small kiss, this time on her forehead. "Why else?"

"Hmmm?"

He smiled at her sleepiness and contentment. "Why else, Gorgeous? What else brought you home?"

"Valerie." He had stopped with her hair and had started to run a hand tenderly up and down her back. Ranger held Melanie quietly for a few minutes before deciding to ask another question.

"What about Valerie?" No response. He brought his hand up to her face and started to caress her cheek with his thumb. "Gorgeous."

She gasped slightly in surprise at the feel of his hand on her face, but her eyes remained closed. "Wha?"

"You said you were here for Valerie. What about Valerie?" Again, he kissed her on the forehead, but this time he didn’t pull back, instead he rested his cheek on her head.

Coherent thought finally started to return to Melanie’s brain as the fog lifted. Ranger was asking questions and she wasn’t sure how she was answering.

"What?" she said in a more alert tone.

"Why are you here for Valerie?"

Melanie pulled back a bit and opened her eyes. She felt a little stunned and it took her a minute to take in the situation. Once it finally registered, she tried to back away but Ranger held tight.

"Relax, I don’t bite." At least not yet, he thought.

Melanie stopped wiggling, but remained tense. She was unsure of what was going on and didn’t know what she had said to Ranger when she was half asleep.

"Gorgeous, please," pleaded Ranger. He wasn’t ready to let go yet.

 Chapter 12

"What’s your hurry? Just relax," Ranger coaxed. He still held on to her tight. She was still, but he knew she’d bolt at the first opportunity.

"I need to get up," Mel said flatly.

"Why?"

"What?"

"Why do you need to get up?" He could try and call her bluff.

"I need to pee," she said.

"Hold it."

"What!" A total look of disgust crossed her face. "Hold it?" Melanie met his eyes and once she noted the seriousness in them, she started to laugh. "You know, that I know, that you know, I’m just trying to get out of this bed." It just struck her as funny. "Here we are," she started to laugh harder, "trying to out do one another and you come up with…hold it!" She roared with laughter. "Priceless!"

He had to admit, when he looked at it like that, it was kind of funny. Really, he had expected her to get angry. But if humor worked in his favor by keeping her in his arms, that was fine with him.

Ranger watched as Mel started to come down off her laughing fit, when all of a sudden thoughts of Stephanie popped into his head. Sure, both women looked very much alike, but it was odd, once he got to know the differences in their personalities, they started to look less alike. Right now though, the way Mel’s eyes held her smile and her nose wrinkled while laughing, he was reminded of Steph. Maybe all those feeling he was having really were just reminiscent of Stephanie. Ranger’s heart sank just a bit at that thought.

"What’s wrong?" Mel asked. She had sensed a change in mood and it was confirmed when she look into his eyes.

"Nothing," he replied as he let go of his grip on her.

Melanie didn’t move for a few seconds and wrinkled her brow in question. When she didn’t receive any reply to her silent plea, she flopped over on her back and closed her eyes. Great, she thought, she was right all along. He doesn’t really want anything to do with her. She probably said something damaging while she was out of it. Melanie’s heart was pained at that thought.

 

She rolled back onto her side and propped her head up on her hand. "What’s the problem?" The direct approach was best, she believed. She had nothing to lose here. She hadn’t given away any part of herself. "Then why did it hurt?" asked the stupid little voice from deep down that always seemed to be in the way.

It was Ranger’s turn to roll over on his back and close his eyes. Melanie didn’t think she was going to get a response, so she was surprised when he answered.

"You tell me why you’re in town, and I’ll tell you what I was thinking about."

"I told you why I was here." She hadn’t been really sure of that, but what she woke up to were questions of Valerie and he had to have started somewhere. "Mom and Dad’s anniversary party and my son is…"

"Why are you here for Valerie?"

Melanie studied the handsome man for a minute. "So this is what it’s come down to?" She narrowed her eyes as he rolled over and mirrored her pose, but didn’t say anything.

"I’ll be back," she said as she started off the bed. Her movement was halted when Ranger grabbed her wrist. "I really have to pee, Ranger. I’ll be back."

Mel calmly walked over to the bathroom and quietly shut the door. She needed a minute out from under his gaze to decide how she was going to handle this. Should she tell him? What if she told him and he tried to stop her? Ha, that’s unlikely. What if she told him and he wants to help? Now, that could be interesting.

Finishing up her business, she came out of the bathroom and found Ranger flat on his back again with the sheet pushed down to his waist. Every hormone she had stood up and took notice.

As casually as she could, she flopped back on the bed, resuming her previous position but on top the covers. "Ok, you have a deal. And, as a show of good faith, I’ll even go first."

Ranger was surprised she had agreed. Now all he had to figure out is if he was going to tell her the truth. He rolled over to face her and bunched up a pillow to support his head.

"I’m here to help Valerie." She waited to make sure he was paying attention. His nod of recognition reassured her. "I’m going to find Steve and make him give her the money back." Melanie waited for a reaction, when none came, she told him the last part. "I’m debating on whether to have him do it in person or not."

Ranger raised an eyebrow as if to say, oh? Mel kept quiet. The deal was for why, not how.

"You think you can do that?"

Mel snorted and rolled her eyes. Little did he know. "Uh huh. I told you why, now you tell me what," she demanded with a smile.

"I was thinking about Stephanie." Out of all the things that could have been said, she wasn’t expecting that.

"What happened between you two?"

"You should probably ask her that."

"What makes you think I haven’t? And…I’m asking you."

Ranger shook his head. "It didn’t work out. You tell me how and I’ll tell you why."

Melanie laughed at that. "This is kind of fun. Ok, deal." She found her pillow for support and tried to get more comfortable. "I know some people who can help me trace Steve, or should I say, trace the money. When I find him, I will go to him and convince him to give Valerie back their money."

"How will you convince him?"

Melanie took a quick breath and let it out slowly. She was afraid he might want details and she really should have thought of that before she started this game.

Her face became very serious. "I will tell Steve that the money is going back. He can either live and give it back himself, or die and it will be put back for him."

"Will he believe you?"

"Ranger, people generally take my suggestions seriously. I follow through."

He had no doubt about that at all. From what little he had learned, and seen for himself, the woman in front of him didn’t say something unless she meant it.

Ranger nodded and then asked, "Connections?"

"Through my husband’s family. Now, you."

"Stephanie and I came to realize that we just wouldn’t work out. Our lives, our outlook, our attitudes, are too different. She’s a good friend and I never want her out of my life."

"She realized she loved Joe, didn’t she?"

Ranger’s eyes became big for a brief second before sadness took over. Melanie smiled at him, that same soft smile she gave him last night in the kitchen. The one that said she understood and that had him aching to touch her.

"Did you love her?"

Again she surprised him with her insightful, yet uncomfortably pointed, questions. And for some reason, he wanted to answer her.

"Not in the way that she deserves and that she needs."

"Hmmm," was all she said as she broke eye contact.

After lying there quietly for a few minutes, Ranger needed to hold her again…had to hold her again.

"Come here," he said, surprising himself with the words. When Mel’s eyes flicked up to meet Ranger’s, he found himself repeating the request. "Come here, please."

Mel’s heart melted on the spot. It was that same pleading tone he used earlier when he was trying to get her to stay in his arms.

No, she thought, as she got back under the covers, scooted over closer to him, and rested her head on his chest while draping an arm around his waist.

Well ok, just this one last time. Ranger moved to tangle their legs and feet, while starting to soothingly run his hand up and down her back. Melanie closed her eyes and felt herself starting to drift. How could she possibly fall asleep again? For heaven’s sake, what was so comforting and calming about his man?

"Gorgeous?"

"Hmmm," came her very relaxed reply.

"Who is Freddie?"

 Chapter 13

Ranger woke for the second time that day. However, two things were different. First, he was alone, and second, there was the best smell coming from the kitchen.

He had tried to get Melanie to tell him about Freddie, but she was asleep and there was no nudging her awake again. At some point he must have drifted off, too. Rolling over, he found the clock on the nightstand. It glowed 11:38 a.m. He had no idea what time they had woken up earlier, but he was glad the entire day hadn’t gotten away.

Ranger inhaled deeply. Melanie was baking something and it smelled delicious. Throwing back the covers, he climbed out of bed, and made his way to the kitchen.

Entering the kitchen, he took his seat on the same stool he occupied the night before. Melanie was busy washing something in the sink and hadn’t heard him over the sound of the running water. Ranger just sat and watched. She was still wearing her t-shirt, flannel boxers and heavy socks. Her hair looked brushed but was still pulled back into one long ponytail. He took another sweeping look, but stopped to concentrate on her legs. Feeling her legs with his was one thing, but he bet they would be as soft as they looked under the touch of his hands.

Melanie turned off the water, and without turning around, said, "Good morning…again." If he thought someone could sneak up on her in her own home, he was mistaken. She heard the deep rumble of his laughter come from behind her and it made her smile.

"Good morning," came his throaty reply. He hadn’t meant to do that on purpose, but he noticed a slight hesitation in her movement when he had spoken. Maybe he was having an effect, and it wasn’t just the ability to put her to sleep. "Something smells really good."

She turned to face him, flashed a bright smile and almost fainted. Ranger was sitting there in nothing but his boxers. His warm golden skin looked absolutely edible. It was one thing to be cuddled up to him, and that was great, but it was the first time she had a good look, and to take it all in at once like that…damn. Somehow she managed to tell him about breakfast. "Muffins, and there’s grapefruit," she said as she pointed to the refrigerator. "I’d offer you coffee, but I don’t have any. There’s tea?"

Ranger nodded and went to grab a grapefruit. "So, who’s Freddie?" He noticed a change in Mel’s demeanor. She had tensed and become rigid.

"Are we still playing the game?" If they were, she wanted to know.

"I don’t know, are we?" He could tell she was up to something.

"I’ll tell you who, if you tell me why," she offered.

"Why? I don’t remember having anything left to explain."

"I’ll tell you who, if you tell me why," she repeated.

Oh, he got it. She had yet to ask the question for him to answer.

Ranger studied the beautiful woman before him. It didn’t take long to decide. He’d let her ask the question, whatever it was. He nodded in agreement.

Melanie smiled again. "Good, but I went first last time. You go first this time." She didn’t give him time to object. "Why do you want to know?"

He had a feeling that was going to be her question. Now, how does he answer it when he’s not really sure himself?

"I guess out of curiosity. I want to learn more about you." That’s all he was going to offer right now. She looked at him with an "and?" look on her face, but he kept quiet and shook his head.

Sighing, Mel walked over and placed the muffins on the table. She sat down and started to pick at one, while Ranger stared at her and ate his fruit.

"Fred is a long time friend. He…he helps me run my life. And he’s my accountant," she confessed while looking at her muffin.

"Long time?" Ranger had a feeling he wasn't getting the whole story.

"Yes," she looked up to meet Ranger’s stare, "we met right after my husband and I moved to Florida."

"Florida? Where?" He hadn’t been able to find any of this information, even a record of her marriage, and her living in Florida surprised him.

"Longboat Key, Gulf side." What the hell was she doing? She might as well be giving him a map! Here you go, "x" marks the spot! Just because he said he wanted to know more about her, doesn’t mean she had to go and tell him. God, she was being stupid.

"Nice area."

"Yeah." That’s better. She was going to stick to one-word answers. How much trouble could that lead to?

Ranger could tell she had just shut down. If he had to take his time he would. Besides, it would just give him reason to be around her more often, and he had plans about their sleeping arrangements.

"What are you up to today?" he asked cautiously.

Mel relaxed a bit. It seemed like he was letting the discussion about her life drop. "I’m headed back to Trenton. Steph and I need to find that skip so I can make Vinnie pay." She stood and took her plate to the sink. "You know," she started as she turned to face Ranger and leaned back against the counter, frowning, "that weasel has got something planned for this takedown. I just can’t figure out what it is. I swear, if he set her up to fail…"

"Want me to try and find out?"

Mel shook her head. "No, I can handle it."

Ranger nodded once. "I’ll be around for backup if you need it."

Melanie’s concentrated frown turned into the wonderfully soft smile that Ranger had come to…love? Where did he get that? He wasn’t sure, but the urge to touch her was very strong.

Mel could sense a change in Ranger and she figured she had better get out of there fast. After all, she was putting an end to this nonsense. She was fine…she needed no one.

Pushing off the counter, she made it to the doorway of the kitchen just as Ranger was getting off the stool.

"Well, I’m going to get ready to leave. We’ll have to leave at the same time since you’re not cleared for this building. You need a ride?" When Ranger shook his head, her heart sank. "Ok then, ready in 30? Help yourself to any of the clothes in the room," she said over her shoulder as she made her way down the hall. She didn’t really want to wait for a response.

 Chapter 14

"How do I get clearance for this building?" Ranger asked as they rode down in the elevator.

Melanie turned to him in surprise. "You have to apply and have a sponsor. Then the other tenants have to approve you. Why?"

"How do I apply?"

"You can get the paperwork at the front desk. Why?" She really wanted to know what he thought he could accomplish by getting clearance.

"I thought it would be easier on our sleeping arrangements."

Now Melanie was really surprised, and she was sure her faced showed it. "Sleeping arrangements?"

Ranger turned to face Melanie and took a few steps closer to her. He didn’t know quite what to do when she didn’t move. Stephanie would have backed up the minute he turned; Melanie stood her ground and only moved her head to meet his eyes. Her look told him she thought he was crazy. Well, she was probably right.

"Yes, sleeping arrangements. Gorgeous, for the first time in 15 years I’ve had two great nights of sleep. You’re the only common denominator. I figure as long as you’re around, we sleep together."

Melanie swung around to face Ranger, but still didn’t give up any ground. Now she had an "oh really" look on her face. So, she was tougher than Stephanie, but no more taken with the fact that she was being told what to do.

Just as Melanie was about to set the record straight, a voice come out of the speaker on the elevator wall.

"Mr. Manoso, please step back until your back is against the wall. You have 5 seconds." Ranger was shocked, but did as he was told. He wanted to ask what would happen if he didn’t move back. Somehow he knew what the answer would be.

"Eric," Melanie cut in, "it’s ok. Everything is fine."

"Ms. Plum, the situation looked threatening. If you could both please keep your current positions until the elevator doors open in 7 seconds."

"They take security very seriously," Ranger stated.

"Yes, they do. It’s one of the reasons I wanted in this building."

"Who else lives here?"

Melanie just smiled as the elevator doors opened. Stepping out, she noticed the guard waiting for them. Without a signal from her, nothing would happen. She smiled warmly at him and waited for Ranger to exit the elevator.

Together they walked over to the lone door that Ranger had entered the night before. Melanie placed her right hand on a red colored glass panel to the right of the door. It scanned her hand and turned green.

"Go on through," she instructed.

Once on the other side, Melanie strode up to the front desk. "Thanks Eric. Everything was ok."

The large man smiled slightly and nodded, then gave Ranger the once-over. Again, another man at the desk with training, Ranger noted. He was also aware the man didn’t apologize, but then Ranger wouldn’t have either. The man was just doing his job.

"Melanie, can I get the paperwork?" Ranger asked outright.

Another moment of decision for her: should she, or shouldn’t she? If she said yes, then she was basically agreeing to his idea about their sleeping together. No, she couldn’t do that. She was putting an end to this, once and for all.

"Eric, Mr. Manoso would like to apply for clearance." What! Did she say that? Melanie was going to have to have a long talk with her Grandma about where all these overactive hormones came from …and how they could make her say things she didn’t want to say…and what to do about them. No, she knew better than to ask that last question. Her Grandma would tell her exactly what to do with them. Doing a mental eye roll, Melanie handed the papers over to Ranger.

"You still have to find a sponsor," she said with an evil grin. " And, all it takes is for one tenant to say no and you’re SOL." Melanie made her way to the front door.

"Are you going to sponsor me, Gorgeous?" Melanie turned, evil grin still in place, and shrugged her shoulders, then walked outside.

 

 

Melanie walked the six blocks it took to get to Mr. Chin’s. She was anxious for her workout and training. It had been over a week since she had her last one, right before she left California. About three storefronts shy of where she needed to be, she detoured into a small coffee shop and ordered a coffee to go.

"Do you have a back door that I could leave through?" she asked the older woman behind the counter. "Please?" Mel tried to put on her best innocent face.

The old woman snorted. "Don’t bring me no trouble, Lady."

"I promise you, no trouble," Mel said as she slipped a $20 across the counter.

 

Once in the alley, Mel turned and walked back the direction she had just come from on the street side. She made her way around the corner towards the street and was back at the beginning of the block. Just as she thought.

She dumped her coffee in the corner trashcan and made her way back up the street. When she came up next to the black Mercedes, she rapped on the passenger side window twice. After hearing the electric locks release, she opened the door and climbed in.

"You know, if you wanted to come with me today, all you had to do was say so," Mel chided.

"You would have let me?" asked Ranger.

Mel shrugged her shoulders again. "Since you’re here now, you want to come with?"

Ranger nodded only once.

 

Ranger spent the next hour in awe. He watched as Melanie, and a small Asian man, worked through 40 minutes of Kung Fu exercises, 15 minutes of what looked to him like all out combat, and now a cool down. It was the 15 minutes of combat that really took his breath away. Mr. Chin held nothing back, and neither did Mel. They had put on a little extra padding before beginning, but even so, Ranger was sure each of them were going to have, at least, some sore if not bruised, bones and muscle.

She eventually came out of the locker room with wet hair and a flush to her skin that made her look absolutely breathtaking. Ranger froze at the sight of her as he felt the all too familiar tightening of his lower region. She was gorgeous and he was lost.

 

*******************

"Tomorrow you’re going to take me to buy a car," Mel said insistently. She was sitting in the front passenger side of Big Blue.

"I thought you had one?" asked Stephanie.

"I do, but it’s at the condo. I’ll buy one to leave here. I’ll leave it with you." This plan of attack might just work. She’s been trying to get Stephanie to let her buy her a car, but Steph wouldn’t hear of it.

Stephanie narrowed her eyes at her older sibling. "I know what you’re trying to do and it won’t work. Big blue is fine. Nothing ever happens to the Buick."

"Well, you’re still taking me tomorrow and I’m still leaving it with you."

"Whatever. Now, what I want to know is, what happened between you and Ranger last night?"

Mel glanced over at her sister with eyes wide. "What?"

"Oh, don’t give me that," Steph said with the wave of her hand. "Val told me she gave Ranger your address AND he was the one who dropped you off at my place. What’s going on between you two?"

Melanie slumped further down in the front seat and watched the two-story brick building across the street. Mario Hernandez was the skip they were after and this was where he lived. Mel didn’t think he’d show, but it was a place for them to start. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

Stephanie rolled her eyes. "Please Mel, give me some credit. I know what it’s like to be sucked in by the charm of Ricardo Carlos Manoso. Come on…this is the second night you’ve spent with him."

"I am not being sucked in by anyone’s charm!" Mel screeched.

"Yeah, uh huh, sure," replied Steph. "Look, if it’s me you’re worried about, don’t be. You know I’m with Joe."

"Stephanie, nothing is going on!"

"Well, for a whole lot of nothing, I’m getting a whole lot of reaction." Stephanie knew her sister was interested in Ranger, she could tell. She could also tell Ranger was very interested in Melanie. There was something going on and she was going to find out what it was.

Melanie shoulders sagged. "We fell asleep."

"What?"

"We slept, you know, caught some Z’s. For two nights we’ve ended up in the same bed and fallen asleep."

Stephanie stared wide-eyed and shook her head. "You what? Maybe I need to get my hearing checked because I would swear you just said you were in bed with one of the hottest men around and you fell asleep."

‘Yes, that’s what I’m telling you." Melanie let out a big sigh. "And it’s been the best, most restful two nights of sleep I’ve had since I was 18 and living with Mom and Dad."

"Wait, you bedded Batman but fell asleep?" Steph still couldn’t believe her ears.

"I didn’t bed anyone!! Batman? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Never mind. Look Mel, even if you did fall asleep while in the same bed, there is obviously something between you two. You should explore it, see where it takes you."

"Steph, it would only lead back to my past." Melanie was talking so softly, Steph almost couldn’t hear her. "To explore something would mean I’d have to share…information…about my life." She started to shake her head. "I can’t do that."

"Melanie, look at me," Stephanie said calmly. She waited until her sister’s eyes looked back at hers. "If there’s anyone on the face of this planet that would be able to understand what you went through, what your life was about, it’s Ranger. Trust me on this."

"Steph, there are things you don’t know, things that happened that you wouldn’t understand…"

"But Ranger would," Stephanie cut in.

"That’s just it. I can’t get involved with someone who is so close to that type of life."

"But he’s not Melanie. Ranger doesn’t run drugs…guns, maybe…well, probably not…"

"Then that’s all the more reason, don’t you see. Even Ranger has a moral code that I couldn’t live up to. He would never understand why I did what I did. And," Mel held up a hand to stop Stephanie, "even if he did understand it, his life style is still to close to what I promised to never come near again. I can’t break those promises. Really bad things could happen if I do."

"I don’t get it. What promises?" Steph was confused. Melanie got out of that terrible life, and there had been a cost, she knew that. But Stephanie was just starting to realize now, how big the cost might have been. "What did you have to promise?"

Mel took a deep breath. "Steph, I can’t go into any detail, ok? I’m sorry." She shifted around in her seat. "Let’s get out of here. I don’t think this guy is going to show."

Stephanie sighed. The conversation was over and there was no use in trying to continue. But if she couldn’t work it from this end, there was always the other.

Chapter 15

Melanie and Stephanie sat on a bench in Pikes Park, across from Sunny’s Sundae Shoppe, eating their ice cream. It wasn’t too late and there were a few couples and families milling around the park. Most were enjoying their sugary treat as well. A few boys were over at the lighted baseball diamond, playing ball. Off to their left were two little girls running around after lightning bugs.

"What are we going to do about Mario?" Steph asked through a mouthful of hot fudge.

"Dunno," came Mel’s mumbled reply. Swallowing her ice cream, she could finally talk. "I think tomorrow, let’s get down to Stark Street and start asking some questions. I know a guy…"

"Of course you do," Steph kidded as she rolled her eyes.

"Ha ha. If that doesn’t pan out, we can ask Ranger if he knows anyone," suggested Melanie.

Stephanie nodded her head in agreement. "Sounds like a plan." She paused to debate if she should bring up the subject again. Why not? Mel wouldn’t hurt her too bad.

"I think you should tell Ranger about yourself," Stephanie said quickly.

"Stephanie," Mel scolded in a warning tone.

"Fine, then get together for some fun…even if it's just for the sex."

Mel was astounded at what Stephanie just suggested. "I can’t use anyone like that!" Mel figured out she must have been louder than what she thought, because the old couple on the next bench turned to look at her.

She grabbed Stephanie by the shoulder and pulled her over to whisper in her ear. "I can’t do that. I know what it’s like to be used. I won’t do that to anyone else."

Steph sat back up and looked at her sister in disbelief. "What? That was totally different. You can’t tell me he wouldn’t be consenting…you’d both want it. Am I right?" Stephanie took the now-empty ice cream cups and threw them in the trashcan next to the bench.

It was Melanie’s turn to roll her eyes. "Forget it. I’ve already decided he’s not getting in bed with me again."

"Are you nuts? A sexy man wants to climb in bed with you, even if it is just to sleep, and you’re going to turn him away?" Stephanie shook her head. "This is worse that what we expected."

"Expected? We?" Mel cringed at the thought of her sex life being conversation fodder for the masses.

"Me and Val. We decided you need a man." Melanie started to rub her temples.

Finally, she dropped her hands in her lap. "Well, decide to work on someone else. I don’t need the help. I’ve told you, it’s not going to happen again." Honestly she didn’t know that for sure. She wasn’t going to let him apply for access to her apartment, but then she gave him the papers. Melanie still didn’t know what that was about. "Focus on Val. She and Lester sure seemed to be hitting it off."

Stephanie watched as her sister’s blank face slid into place. Melanie was protecting herself, but why? "What happened? You’re not telling me something."

Mel dropped her head into her hands. "He wants to apply for access to my apartment." She lifted her face to look at Stephanie. "I wasn’t going to let him do it, but then…somehow…Christ, I gave him the papers," she whined and her head ended up back in her hands.

"That’s very interesting information, Mel." Seems the old Mazur hormones strike again, thought Stephanie. "I think you should tell Ranger everything."

"Yes, I’m aware of your take on the matter," said Mel dryly.

"Tell Ranger what?" came the deep rumble from the man himself.

Shit. How did Melanie miss that? She’d been able to sense his presence since their first meeting. Damn it, she was so busy trying to deny any feeling for him at all, she blocked out the ones she needed so she knew when he was around.

"Ranger! Stop sneaking up on me like that! How many times do I have to tell you? And if you say I need to be more aware of my surroundings, I’m going to shoot you!" Stephanie still had one hand clamped over her heart.

Ranger moved himself in between the two women and sat down with both arms stretched out on the back of the bench. "Evening, Ladies." He flashed them both all 200 watts.

"How did you know we were here?" Mel asked the self-assured man sitting next to her.

"I was driving by…"

Stephanie seemed to accept it. Melanie didn’t buy it. She chose this bench because it couldn’t be easily seen from the street. You had to come around on the park path in order to see them.

"Oh really?" Melanie challenged. Ranger just nodded and kept on smiling, but Mel noticed something in his eyes change.

Mel dug around in her purse for the item she needed, she pulled it from her bag and stood up.

"Stephanie, can you stand up please?"

Stephanie looked confused but did as she was asked. Ranger looked wary. Good, thought Mel, he is about 10 seconds away from suffering the wrath of Stephanie.

Stephanie watched her sister with a questioning look. Melanie was holding what looked to be a tampon holder. It was a long, slender, tube-like container, about big enough for 3 tampons. When Mel opened it, Stephanie was surprised to find an electronic wand-looking thing. Melanie pushed a button on the base where she held it and it beeped twice, then a small green light came on near her thumb. The next thing she knew, Stephanie was holding her arms out to her side while Mel swept the little device up and down her body. It was very similar to what they do at airport when you walk through the security check and set off the machine.

Melanie was stumped that nothing was showing up when she swept Stephanie. Just before she was about to give up, Mel crouched down and swept the bottom of Stephanie’s jeans and her shoes. Melanie knew it wasn’t her; she swept herself before they left to stake out Mario. The minute she got near the Doc Martens, the sniffer went off.

"What happened?" Stephanie had a look that said she kind of knew what was going on, but wasn’t sure. "Why did it beep and turn red? What is that thing?"

Melanie straightened and was about to put the sniffer away when she had a thought. She reached over and did a quick sweep of Stephanie’s purse. Sure enough, it went off again.

She noticed that Stephanie’s eyes went big.

"Tell me," demanded Stephanie.

"Hon, this is a sniffer. It’s used to detect tracking devices," Mel calmly explained as she put the device back in its holder. She snatched her purse off the bench just as the light was dawning for Stephanie. She gave Ranger about two seconds before it hit. When she looked at Ranger, his face was frozen, but she couldn’t tell if it was fear or bewilderment. Maybe it was a combination of both. All she knew is that it was time for her to get out of there.

"Well, I’m leaving. See you all later." And she strode off down the path Ranger had just used to find them. She could walk to Stephanie’s, not a problem. Giving a quick glance over her shoulder, Melanie laughed at the scene she left behind. Stephanie had turned to face Ranger, feet spread and hands fisted on her hips. Melanie knew that stance well. She also knew to avoid it. Ranger was watching Melanie retreat and she couldn’t help but think he looked like a deer caught in headlights.

 

Melanie tossed and turned in Stephanie’s bed. She couldn’t sleep, but this was nothing new. She just didn’t want to admit that the two good nights of sleep she’d had, had anything to do with Ranger. That wasn’t it and she’d be damned before she would admit it.

Then she felt it, or should she say, him. The click of the lock being picked confirmed it. Mel closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep.

"Nice try, but I know you’re not sleeping," he said from the doorway.

Damn.

She heard him move into the room. There was some shuffling of fabric and then the distinct sound of a zipper. Crap. A few seconds later, the other side of the bed dipped from his weight, but she continued to lay still.

"What you did wasn’t very nice," he said as he scooted over and brought his front up against her back. He brought his one arm up under her pillow and the other went around her waist. "Not very nice at all."

 

Chapter 16

Melanie walked up the steps and knocked on the front door. A minute passed. Just as she was about to knock again, the door swung open. Joe stood there shirtless, jeans not buttoned, hair disheveled and bare feet. She would bet that he didn't have any undies on either. All in all, not a bad picture… pretty damn fine as a matter of fact.

"You've got to be kidding if you think she's up," said Joe sleepily. "Come on in." He pushed the door open all the way for Mel to pass.

Mel went in and Joe motioned her into the kitchen. He put on some coffee and eventually brought two full mugs to the table. "The coffee smell might help," Joe offered. They looked up the stairs for a few seconds, then turned to each other and said, "Nah," while shaking their heads and chuckling.

"Want me to go get her?"

"No, that's ok. This will give us some time to talk," Mel said, smiling over her coffee mug. "Besides, if you go up, I'll probably have to wait another hour."

"What makes you think I'd only take an hour?" Joe teased while wiggling his eyebrows.

"I never said you'd take an hour. It would take 45 minutes just to wake her up, the last 15, well…" Mel trailed off, sporting a wicked grin.

"Very funny, Gorgeous. But don't ever doubt my control and ability to go slow."

Melanie gave Joe a dramatic eye roll. "Whatever, Romeo."

They both gave a slight laugh and then Mel turned serious. "Don't hurt her, Joe."

"What makes you think I would?"

"Because you have before." Joe's face turned dark. Melanie sighed. "Look, I love her, and Val… and I'm back. Hurting my family is no longer an option. At least not one without consequences."

"Did you have this little talk with Steve and Dickie, or am I just special?"

"No, I didn’t, and look what happened. Steve will be dealt with; Dickie already has. But that doesn't matter. You're here now and we are having this talk."

"You wouldn't threaten a cop, would you Gorgeous?" Joe's cop face was firmly in place by now.

Melanie didn't answer.

"What if it doesn't work out?" He honestly wanted to know what she thought she could do to him. He knew what she was capable of, but wasn't sure anymore how her actions could match her words.

"Not working out is one thing. Malicious intent is another," Mel said flatly. She sipped some coffee from her cup and gazed out the back door. "Try and see it from my perspective, ok? Let's not forget your father had a bit of a reputation. Don't ever hurt my sister, Joe."

"I am not my father," he said curtly.

"Good to know. Keep it that way and we won't have any problems. Unless of course you run off with the babysitter, a secretary, a uniformed officer, any other female or decide hitting is better than talking. Got it?"

Joe sat and thought about what Mel had just said. "I could take you in," he suggested as his eyes slid over to look at Melanie.

"Ok, let's go." If that were the best he could do, she'd have no problem. He'd have to go a hell of lot further to even begin to get her scared.

Joe wasn't too surprised they were having this discussion. He should take her in, just to prove a point, but it would be a waste of time and probably piss off Stephanie, too.

"You're baiting me, aren't you?"

Melanie cocked her head to one side. "A test? I guess…sort of. Just wanting to see what you'd do when pushed. But I wasn't kidding about not hurting her."

He started to nod. "I don't plan on it, Gorgeous." He paused for a second to chuckle slightly before continuing. "You know, the nickname still fits."

Mel rolled her eyes. "Are all male Morellis horn dogs?" Joe just flashed her his most dazzling smile. Jesus, she thought as she tried not to choke on her coffee. He took her breath away with that smile.

"You've got nothing to prove to anyone." He watched as her eyes went big and surprise covered her face at his statement.

"What?"

"You don't have to come back and be a big bad ass, Mel. The whole family is glad you're back. That's enough."

Mel sat in her chair stunned. "What is it with everyone?" she asked in general. "I didn't know Trenton had become the amateur shrink capital of the United States. If you start in with any psychobabble, Joseph, I’ll shoot you where you stand."

Joe returned to drinking his coffee. "Want to tell me what happened?"

She looked at Joe and shook her head. "It's over and done with. I want to keep it that way." Joe nodded in understanding.

"Does Steph know anything?"

Mel let out another big sigh. "Some, but not all. I talked with both Steph and Val a couple of years ago, when I knew everything…everyone was safe."

Mel stood. "Well, where is she? I might as well try to get her to wake up."

Joe snorted. "Up the stairs at the end of the hall. Good luck."

Mel got to the stairs and stopped before taking the first step. "Joe, I meant what I said."

Without turning around Joe replied, "I know you did, Gorgeous. I know you did."

Mel entered the bedroom and walked over to the side of the bed. There was no easy way to do this so she just started in. She grabbed Steph’s shoulder and started to shake.

"Wake up, Steph," Mel said loudly.

"Wha? Huh?" Stephanie started to flail her arms in hopes of getting rid of the distraction. "Leave me alone!"

"Wake up!" Mel yelled back.

Stephanie stopped moving and opened one eye. "Oh, it’s you."

"Yep," Mel said smiling, and then catapulted herself over Steph to the other side of bed, landing in a bounce. She rolled to her side and propped her head up with her hand.

"Christ, what makes you Mary Sunshine this morning," Steph moaned. "Oh wait!" Stephanie opened both eyes now and rolled over to face her sister. "I think I might know. Did you, uh, have a visitor at my place last night?"

Melanie narrowed her eyes. "Don’t make me wipe that stinkin’ grin off your face, Stephanie."

"I’ll take that as a yes. So what happened?"

Mel groaned and flopped onto her back, throwing her arms out and effectively hitting Steph in the face with one.

"Oh, cut the dramatics," Steph said as she took Mel’s limp arm and threw it back. "Just spill it."

"He came in, I pretended to be asleep, which he saw right through, he climbed in bed with me, and fell asleep."

"That’s it?"

"That’s it."

"Where is he now?"

"I don’t know. I woke before he did and left." Mel smiled inwardly at that one. That’s two mornings she’d been able to leave the bed without him knowing. She was not exactly sure why, but it felt like an accomplishment.

"I don’t get you, Mel. Why?" Stephanie quickly looked towards the bedroom door and then back at her sister. Whispering, she said, "I can tell you from personal experience, he’s an excellent kisser."

Melanie sighed and rolled to a sitting position off the side of the bed, her back now facing Stephanie. "I wouldn’t know about that." Taking a deep breath, she stood. "It doesn’t matter, it’s not going to happen again." Stephanie had doubts about that.

"You want to know what he said after you left the park?"

"No. If you noticed, I didn’t ask. I didn’t ask, because I don’t care."

Stephanie flipped on her back and closed her eyes. Mel was right. When it came to any of that kind of stuff, Melanie didn't care. Her sister would never join in on any gossip sessions. Melanie always said that gossip a) didn't matter and b) is usually wrong anyway. Yet she always seemed to know things. Steph never could figure that out.

Stephanie wanted to tell her that Ranger hadn’t been angry. He ended up laughing at Stephanie in the end, but she got him to promise to never bug her again. Once the deal had been made, he tried to pry information out of her about Melanie. Steph knew better than to budge on that topic. She was not going to talk about the life her sister led after her marriage to Manuel Rodriguez at the age of 18. Let him pry it from Mel…if he could.

*************************

After a difficult morning of car shopping, Melanie and Stephanie sat in a booth at Pino’s waiting for their lunch to arrive.

"You are not leaving that car with me," Steph said in a tone that meant it was final.

"Yes, I am."

"You don’t understand. I’m death on cars."

"Whatever. You break it, we’ll get it fixed," Mel countered.

"I don’t break cars, Melanie. I kill cars. There’s a difference." Stephanie was not going to take responsibility for the SUV in the parking lot. It was bad enough she stood transfixed as her sister bought a brand new black Lexus LX 470 SUV with cash… well, after a quick call to Freddie. She was not going to be the one to send it to car heaven. No way, no how.

"Then I’ll buy a new one."

"Now you sound like Ranger," said Stephanie.

The waitress brought their lunch and Melanie waited for her to leave before speaking.

"There’s one big difference." Stephanie looked at her like she was stupid. "Ok, two big differences. The one I’m talking about does not have to do with gender but with the fact that I’m your sister. It’s ok for me to buy you things."

That just might be the kind of difference Stephanie could live with. "We’ll see," is all she’d commit to.

Just as Mel was about to say something, she saw Lester walk in. She held her breath, waiting to see if he was with anyone. Mel silently thanked the gods when she realized that Ranger wasn’t with him. She waved Lester over as soon as he saw her.

When Melanie waved him over, Lester couldn’t believe his luck. He wanted to find out if they thought it was ok to call Valerie for a date, but he didn’t know how to approach them. And, damn if he wasn’t the luckiest SOB, to have Mel and Steph right there in Pino’s, and then to have Mel invite him over…hot damn.

"Ladies," he said as slid in next to Steph.

"Hey Lester, what’s up?" Mel smiled at him.

"Not much. Hey," Lester said looking at Melanie, "what did you do to Ranger? He was not in a good mood this morning."

"What do you mean, what did I do? What makes you think I did anything?" Mel had a feeling she wasn’t going to like his answer.

"Oh please. We know he spent the night at Stephanie’s with you. He’s been in such a good mood the last couple of days. Said he’s sleeping better." Lester raised both his brows in question.

Melanie gave Lester the old burg eye roll. "I didn’t do anything."

"That’s the truth," Stephanie chimed in.

"Well, you should know, we like him happy," Lester offered.

"That’s not my responsibility."

Lester shrugged. "Hey, I was looking for you two, or at least one of you, anyway." Lester lowered his eyes and started talking to the table. "You think it would be all right if I called Valerie, you know, for a date?" He mentally crossed his fingers.

Steph and Mel looked at Lester, then looked at each other, and then looked at Lester again.

"Yes." They said in unison.

Chapter 17

Melanie sat on her parent’s front steps with Valerie. She needed to discuss Steve, but her mind was still racing about the information she and Stephanie dug up on Mario Hernandez. They got a line on where he might be tonight and planned on checking it out. But first, she had to deal with Valerie.

"Do you know where he is?"

Valerie looked down at her hands but didn’t speak.

"I’ll find him Val and I’ll get your money back. Do you know where he is?" Mel asked again. Val nodded her head slowly.

"I think so," she said to her feet. Melanie waited, now was the time to patient. Val raised her head and took a deep breath. "The Cayman’s," Valerie said in a forced chipper tone. "The money’s been transferred to the Cayman Islands over the past 6 months." Valerie put her head down and rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands. Mel couldn’t tell if she was crying.

Putting a hand on Val’s back for comfort, Mel asked one last question, "What’s the name of the woman he’s with?"

Valerie snorted. "Woman? Hu…" She shook her head. "She’s a barely legal little slut."

Well, Valerie sure was a bag of mixed emotions this evening, Mel thought. Trying to be chipper one moment and then venomous the nest. "What’s the slut’s name?"

"Chastity Beltomo"

Melanie blinked twice and didn’t know quite what to say. Hell, if she had that name she’d ..she’d…damn, who knows. How do you deal with something like that? Doing a mental shrug, Mel pulled out her phone and hit a speed dial number.

"Hey Fred. Steve is in the Cayman’s. The woma… The slut he’s with is Chastity Beltomo...Yes, really…18…I don’t know. Maybe they were crazy…throw myself off a bridge probably…yeah…I’m fine. How are you…Good…As soon as you can…Thanks, you’re a pal. I’ll call you later."

Melanie reached over and put her arm around Val and gave a squeeze. "I'll take care of it." Val pulled back to look at her sister.

"You've always done that, haven't you? Always taken care of things. Even as kids, if someone messed with me or Steph, you took care of it."

Melanie sat quietly. It was true, what could she say?

Valerie sighed and looked out at the street. "It's not the money that's important. It's the love and trust he stole from me and the girls."

"I can't get that back for you. The money, I can." Melanie paused to think for a second, then decided to give Val an option. "All you have to do is tell me to back off and I will."

Still staring forward, Valerie thought about that. "What will you do to him?"

Mel cringed inwardly. "Don't worry about how I get it done. Just tell me if you want it done." Several minutes passes and Melanie was afraid that Val wasn't going to answer at all. "Val, I have money…"

"No! I've told you before, I don't want that money!" gasped Valerie.

"I've told you before that I have a legitimate job and make very good money. Not all my money comes from my past, Valerie."

"Girls," Helen broke in, from behind the screen door, "supper is almost on the table."

Valerie popped up and faced her mother with a huge grin. "Thanks, Mom." Helen nodded and walked away. Val turned back to look down at Melanie, and in an instant her face became ominous. "Get the money." She turned sharply and headed for the front door.

"Oh, Val? By the way, Lester will be calling you."

Val froze in mid step. "O..oh…ok," she stuttered, then continued into the house.

Melanie sat on the stairs with her own huge grin.

 

 

******************************************

The smell was awful. If something didn't happen soon, she was going to be sick. Mel always hated this part of any job, the hiding in dark, cramped and, like now, sometimes smelly places. Stephanie was at the front of the house and was supposed to be apprehending Mario Hernandez. She told Mel to go around and cover the back. That was 3 minutes ago. It left Melanie feeling a little nervous about letting Steph approach from the front, but she told herself that Steph has been doing this without her help for almost 2 years. Mel would simply grab anyone who came out the back door, unfortunately the best place to hide in the back, was next to the garbage dumpster.

Suddenly all the lights at the back of the house went out. Mel pulled her gun out and started toward the back yard. She ran up and pressed herself flat against the house, left of the door. Something was going on inside but no voices, only sounds of movement. From her vantage point, Mel had no idea how many people were inside. She'd have to take them as they came.

In a explosion of noise, the back door was flung open and someone started out the door. Melanie just simply put her foot out and the person tripped, making them fall flat on their face and scattering whatever they were holding, all over the back yard.

"Hold it right there," she hissed. "Stay on the ground and put your hands out to your side."

"What the fuc.."

"Shut up and do what I told you," Mel said angrily. Just then she noticed movement by the door out of the corner of her eye. She took several quick steps back along the house and brought her gun up from the man on the ground and aimed it at the door.

Standing in front of her was a man in the same pose she was. Arms straight out in front and hands holding a gun, only he was slightly shaking and his gun was pointed at her.

"Drop it, Bitch," he ordered.

Mel wasn't completely sure, but she thought the guy with the gun was their skip. She took a couple of very quick steps out to the side in order to try and cover both men.

"Don't move!" he ordered again, but his shaking was more prominent.

"Give it up Mario. We're just going to take you in to reschedule your court date."

"You're with the other one?" he sounded surprised. "Aww, shit."

"Hey man, what the hell is going on?" The man she tripped was now standing and staring at the man with the gun. When he turned his attention from the one man to her, Mel had a very bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. This guy was familiar, but she couldn't place him. But somehow she knew that him being there was not good.

"Just put the gun down Mario and everything will be ok," she managed to get out as she swallowed back the bile that was rising in her throat. The second man was making her very nervous. She got the feeling she shouldn't let him get a good look at her.

"Shut up!" Mario screamed and started shaking even more. He was going shoot very shoon.

It was now or never, she thought. As fast as she could, Mel dropped and rolled herself behind a large dog house just as Mario fired off a round. She stayed crouched for a second and then popped up from behind the doghouse, gun aimed and ready. All she saw was the back of Mario as he ran from the back yard towards the front.

Damn it…now she was going to have to run. There was no sign of the other man. She assumed he was in front of Mario.

Melanie took off after them, but when she rounded the front of the house, they were nowhere to be seen, neither was Steph. She started to go slowly along the low bushes next to the house, looking to see if they had decided to hide. That's when she heard a slight rustling from the other side of the house in the bushes that divided the front yards.

She dropped back against the house and made her way over to the other side. As she got closer, she could see someone's feet through the bushes. Right as she was about to round the bushes, she heard the wail of police sirens. This spooked the person attached to the feet and they came flying out from the other side. Melanie brought her arms in, tucked her head and led with her shoulder. She heard a loud "umph" as she solidly connected with Mario's midsection. They both hit the ground, but Mel rolled herself until she was up on her knees, gun still in hand and pointed at Mario. He was sprawled on the grass not moving and his gun had skidded away from him towards the street.

"Stay down Mario, or I'll shoot you in the ass." The only response she could hear was Mario trying to suck air back into his lungs. Melanie got to her feet , pulled a pair of cuffs from her back pocket and dropped on one knee right in the middle of Mario's back. He stared to cough when what little air he had recovered was forced back out.

"Good boy," she soothed as she cuffed his hands behind his back and then rolled him over.

A black and white and an unmarked cop car screeched to a halt in front of Melanie. Joe jumped out of the unmarked and head towards her.

"Steph, inside!" Melanie barked. She hadn't seen or heard from Stephanie since they split up. Joe didn't even hesitate, but switched direction and ran into the house.

Two uniforms exited the black and white. It took her a minute, but she recognized them both.

"Eddie? Carl?" She flashed a grin. "How the hell are you?" Mel stood and brushed herself off.

"Going into business with your sister Mel?" Eddie teased.

Before she could answer with a smart remark, Carl chimed in. "Whatcha got there, Gorgeous?" She had to smile at the use of her old nickname. Geez, did these guys forget anything?

"Mario Hernandez. Steph has his papers. Shit! Steph." Melanie took off towards the house and started to draw her gun from where she had tucked it in the back of her jeans. She got as far as the front stoop when Joe came out with an arm around Stephanie, who was rubbing the side of her head.

"You ok?" Mel tried hard not to sound too concerned even though she was.

"Yeah. He pushed me and my head hit the table when I fell. I wasn't out that long, I don't think."

"I'm taking you to the hospital to get checked out, Cupcake."

"Hey Steph, if you don't blow something up, I'm going to lose the bet," yelled Carl from his squad car.

"Shut up, Carl. The nights not over and your squad car is still in range," Steph rebuffed while being guided to sit down by Joe.

By this time another squad car had pulled up, along with a black Bronco. Mel's stomach did a flip at the sight of the black SUV. She hadn't seen Ranger since that morning when she left Steph's apartment. He had still been sleeping.

She breathed a sigh of relief when Tank and Bobby climbed out and made their way over, but she also felt strangely disappointed.

"Hey Bombshell, you ok?" Tank sounded concerned.

"Yeah Tank, I'm ok."

"You're going to the hospital, Cupcake."

"Doesn't look like you blew anything up, Steph." Bobby mentioned while looking around.

Stephanie narrowed her eye and was about to get angry but had a sudden thought. "How did you two know to come here?" She stood quickly and clenched her fists. "Did Ranger bug me again? I'll kill him!"

"Whoa! Calm down, Bombshell. We heard the call over the police radio. Bobby had a feeling it was you." Steph glanced at Bobby who was grinning ear to ear. "And as far as Ranger bugging you, I wasn't aware of it. After spending the night with Gorgeous here," Tank watched as Melanie's eyes went wide at the mention of her name, "he came come this morning and said he had to leave for awhile."

Melanie stood there stunned. She felt like someone had just punched her in the gut…or maybe that was just from tackling Mario. Yeah, that's it.

"He's gone?" asked Steph. At least she had enough sense about her to speak, and she has a bump on her head. Mel didn't think she could form a sentence. "When's he coming back?"

"Yes and, we don't know," Bobby added.

Mel tore her eyes from the two big dark and handsome men to watch a uniformed office come from around the house. In his hands he was holding an evidence bag. Mel blinked several times and then her blood ran cold. It couldn’t be. It just couldn't.

She walked up to the officer and grabbed at the bag. "Can I see this?"

"Hey! Don't touch that!" yelled the officer. Mel was just about to argue when Joe walked up.

"What is it, Gorgeous?"

"Joe, can I see that bag. I won't take it out." Joe nodded to the officer and he handed the bag to Mel.

She clutched at it and brought it close to her face for a good look. "Thanks," she mumbled as she handed the bag back to the officer. Mel felt like she was going to get sick. The paper in that bag just increased the odds of her life going down the toilet. Realization slammed into her like a tidal wave. She even had to take a step back to steady herself.

Melanie now knew why the 2nd man in the back yard looked familiar and made her nervous. He was connected to the life she left behind. Maybe he didn't recognize her? Maybe she had time to fix this?

Seeing the paper in that bag with the monogram ERJ, in all it's intricate scroll work that was so detailed you might not even notice they were initials, may have just saved her life… or sealed her fate.

Manny's family was not going to take her again. This time Melanie had a head start.

Chapter 18

 

 

 

Mel headed back over to Stephanie.  Before she could leave, she had to make sure Steph was going to be taken care of.

 

"Steph, you going to be ok?  Go with Joe, all right?"  She knelt next to Stephanie.

 

Stephanie noticed a change in Melanie.  Something was wrong; she could feel it.   She may not have ESP, but there were a couple people in this world that she knew well enough to read.

 

"What's wrong, Mel?  You look spooked."

 

"Nothing," Mel offered gently. "Just worried about you and your hard head," Mel said while standing, giving the best smile she could.  "Well, I've got to head back into the city…"

 

Stephanie cut her off. "I thought you were staying at my place tonight?  Tomorrow we're supposed to meet with Mom and Grandma for the…" Steph hesitated as she looked around the group and then whispered, "for the surprise at their anniversary party.  Are you coming back tomorrow?"

 

Melanie shook her head.  "You guys go on without me.  I have to be in the city for a couple days, and then I’m headed out of town for a few more.  You can get started. Don't worry, I'll be back in plenty of time to catch up."  She tried another smile, this time going for reassuring.

 

"Out of town?" This question came from Tank.

 

"Yes, just for a few days.  I have to run a," Mel glanced at Steph, hoping she'd get the meaning, "family errand."

 

Stephanie was confused momentarily, but then realized Mel must be talking about tracking down Steve. Steph gave her older sister a slight nod.

 

Tank watched, as Mel and Steph seemed to have some silent communication.  Ranger was not going to be pleased if Mel was gone when he got back.  Ranger told Tank he was going to Florida, but not why.  He had a feeling it had something to do with Melanie—as a matter of fact, he'd bet on it.

 

"Where are you off to, Mel?"  Bobby asked.  Tank had to smile.  Bobby must have been thinking the same thing, to get as much information as possible before she leaves.

 

"I have to go collect something for Valerie.  I won't be gone long."  Mel turned to Steph. "I'll call you when I get back.  Sorry, I can't leave the SUV since you're in no condition to drive me."

 

"I could drive you," offered Tank.  Of course he could, thought Mel.

 

"No, that's ok. I'll be fine."

 

"Really, I don't mind," he said.  "Where's the truck?"

 

Shit, now what does she do?  Melanie knew Steph liked the SUV more than she was willing to admit and would be disappointed not to have it. 

 

"Ok, that would be great, Tank. Thanks."

 

**************

 

The ride had been a quiet one.  Tank had tried to make some conversation, but Mel knew enough about how to get information out of people that she was careful to answer just the bare minimum.  Eventually, it seemed, he just gave up and that was fine with her. It’s when he insisted she needed an escort into her building that she was really starting to get annoyed.

 

“Tank, I can make it across the sidewalk into my building just fine.  You just drive Steph’s car back.  Thanks for bringing me in.”

 

“Steph’s car?”


“Well, yeah.  Don’t tell her I said that, ok?  It’s mine and I’m just leaving it with her.”

Tank let out a deep chuckle. “She’ll blow it up, Gorgeous.”

 

Melanie smiled.  “Yeah, I know.  I’ve got an arrangement with the dealership.” Tank raised an eyebrow in question. “Anytime he hears the Bombshell Bounty Hunter blows up a car, he’s to replace it.”

 

“She won’t take it.”

 

Mel really smiled now. “Yes she will.  She’ll think she’s blown up my car. She’ll take the replacement to cover her ass.”   Mel got out of the Lexus, but leaned in before closing the door. “Thanks for the ride, Tank.”

 

Once inside the lobby, Mel smiled at Joshua, the guard on duty.  “Ms. Plum, before you go upstairs I have papers for you to sign.”  Curious, Mel went over and took the clipboard the guard was holding out. 

 

“Gorgeous?” Mel spun around with a surprised looked on her face. She watched as the large man let out a heavy sigh and slumped his shoulders in defeat. “I’m supposed to keep and eye on you until Ranger gets back.”

 

“What?”  She was sure she didn’t just hear what she thought she just heard.  It would have been ridiculous and she really didn’t have time to deal with this.  Mel needed to get upstairs and call Fred, find and go get Steve, and now there was the whole Rodriguez Family mess she might have started by helping Steph with her skip.  Her list of things to do was growing, and adding a six foot, five inch, 250 pound babysitter to the list was not an option. 

 

She started to move toward Tank when Josh stopped her. “ Ms. Plum, I can’t let you leave with the papers.”  Melanie looked at him like he had two heads, and then remembered the clipboard in her hands.

 

“Oh, yes…sorry.”  She looked over the papers without really seeing them and found the line at the bottom with the “x” next to it, signed, and gave everything back to the guard. “Thanks, Josh,” she said absent-mindedly.

 

“Everything ok, Ma’am?” Josh questioned while eyeing the large black man in the door.

 

Melanie smiled sweetly. “Yes, it’s fine, really. Thank you.”

 

Marching up to Tank, she gave him a very unhappy look. “Tank, I have tons of things I need to get done.  I don’t need a babysitter.  You are not going upstairs with me.”  Tank looked hurt.  Oh, for crying out loud. “Geez, it’s not because I don’t trust you or anything,” Mel tried to sooth Tank’s ego, “I really do have lots to do and trust me, I’ll be fine. Nothing is going to happen to me.”

 

“Can you at least tell me where you’re going?”

 

Melanie sighed.  “It’s personal, family business. I’m sorry.”  She put one hand on his chest. “Now go and take Stephanie her car, ok?”  

 

Tank nodded and Mel gave him a peck on the cheek. “Thanks,” she said as she smiled up at him.

 

“Anytime, Gorgeous.”  With that, Tank turned and left.

 

***********************

Once back in the Lexus, Tank flipped open his phone.

 

“Talk.”

 

“She’s back at the condo but she said she will have to leave,” Tank reported.

“Where is she going?”

 

“I don’t know. She won’t tell me.  I think Bombshell knows, and probably Valerie. Mel mentioned collecting something for Valerie.”

 

“Ok. Thanks.”

 

“When you coming back, man?”  Tank wanted to know how long he was going to have to worry about Mel skipping town.

 

“I’ll be back tonight.” 

 

****************************

The minute Mel got inside the condo, she picked up the phone.

 

“Freddie, it’s me. Look, I think there’s a problem.”

 

“Hello to you too, Precious.” Fred always teased her about how short she was on the phone.  “What kind of problem?”  She didn’t sound good. “You need me to fly out?”

“No, no.  It’s best you stay in LA.  I think I ran into someone tonight from The Family.”  There was silence on the other end of the line.

 

Finally, Fred found his voice. “What do you mean ‘think’?”

 

Fred did not sound happy.  Melanie really hated when Fred sounded like that.  He became very difficult to deal with and right now she had about all the difficult she could take.

 

“I was helping Steph bring in a skip…”

 

“You were what?”

 

“She needed my help.  I thought Vinnie was setting her up for something.  I offered to help her.  Look, that doesn’t matter. What matters is there was another guy who was carrying some goods wrapped in The Family paper.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

She let out a breath. “Yes,” she said quietly, “I’m sure.  I saw it up close and personal…as if I could ever forget what it looks like.”

 

“I’m coming out.”

“No, why?  You need to stay there.  Make sure Rosa, Roberto and Stan stay safe.  That’s what I need you to do. I can take care of myself.”

 

“Did the guy recognize you?”

 

“I don’t know.  I thought he looked familiar, but I couldn’t place him.  I don’t think he got a good look at me, but I can’t be positive.”

 

Neither of them said anything for several beats.  Melanie knew that wouldn’t last for long and she was right.

 

“God damn it, Melanie.” Fred let out in one long breath.  “You made a deal to stay away from trafficking remember?  You life depends on it.  Fuck, our lives depend on it.”

 

“I wasn’t trafficking Freddie, I was helping Steph.”

 

“Do you think that’s going to matter to Uncle? He said ‘nowhere near his world.’ Taking down one of his dealers, even a very small one, does not qualify as ‘nowhere near.’ Sure, he may have meant ‘don’t get near the money-making end of the business,’ but blowing one of his deals isn’t going to please him either.” Fred was stating the obvious, he knew, but this turn of events was not good.

 

Melanie knew she had done a stupid, stupid thing, but she couldn’t change any of it now. “Fred, he may not have even recognized me. I only vaguely remembered him. It was dark and shots were fired.”

 

“Yeah, maybe…I hope to hell that’s the case. I’m going to make some calls and do some quiet asking around.”  She heard him let out a long breath again. “Jesus, Mel.”

 

“I know. I’ll fix it.”

 

“Only if it needs it. Let me find out first.  You should have helped Steph if she needed it.  That was the right thing to do.”

 

“Thanks, Freddie.  What about Steve?”

 

They spent the next few minutes talking about what information Fred had collected on Steve and Chastity. It wasn’t much, but enough for him to be found.  Mel finally said her goodbyes and hung up the phone.  It was decided that Mel would leave for the Caymans the day after tomorrow.  She was to stay in the condo for a day just to be out of sight. Fred would see what he could dig up about her takedown.  They both hoped it was nothing.

 

********************************

 

Ranger boarded the 2 am flight to Trenton tired and hungry.  He thought he was going to have more time in Long Boat Key before he had to go back.  He talked with Tank several more times after he initially called to say that Mel was going to leave, but the more he heard about Mel’s reaction at Steph’s takedown, the more he started to understand.

 

His fact-finding mission turned out to be more successful than he had hoped.  He certainly didn’t have all the pieces to the puzzle, but he had a few more than yesterday.  Once he arrived in Florida, Ranger called a contact in Miami who set up a meeting for him with someone who might be able to help.

 

Ranger met the man, who claimed to know nothing about a Melanie Plum, but the minute Ranger mentioned Manny Rodriguez, the informant’s eyes went wide.   He learned that Manuel Rodriguez was part of the Rodriguez Family. They held the largest slice of the drug trafficking pie in the United States.  The man said Manny worked from the security end, but was killed several years ago during a bad drug drop.  As far as the he knew Manny was married to a woman called Annie Rodriguez.  It was rumored she and Manny worked together for the Family, but she was more well-known for her nightclub singing. After Manny’s death, she disappeared. The rumor was she was dead as well.

 

Ranger shifted in his first class seat, trying to find a comfortable position so he could fall asleep.  The bits and pieces he had learned kept floating around in his head. As hard as he tried, he just couldn't fit them all together. Too many were still missing. He was headed back to the one person who could provide them. The question was, if she would.  Ranger had quit trying to fool himself about why he even cared the minute he woke up alone that morning.  Melanie had left him to the wrath of Stephanie, and although it wasn’t nice, it was funny and, he’d admit, clever.  Stephanie let him know that Mel was at her apartment and that she was headed to Joe’s, but wouldn’t budge when he started to ask personal questions about Melanie. 

 

The minute he climbed in bed with Mel and was holding her, he knew it was right and it didn’t have anything to do with left over feelings for Stephanie.  There was something about Melanie that he related to, a mutual, unspoken understanding.  They were on the same page in life and he’d just bet she felt it too.  When he woke up and she wasn’t there, he felt empty.  He was determined to never feel like that again.

 

 

 

******************************

 

 

Melanie had just climbed into bed when the soft buzzer on the security panel went off.  It was 5:30 in the morning!  What could anyone have to tell her?  She waited for the voice that she knew would inevitably boom from the speaker.

 

“Mr. Manoso is on his way up, Ma’am.”

 

Shit.  Something had been gnawing at the back of her brain all night, but she just couldn’t bring it forward.  Now she remembered.  Mel was going to call security and ask exactly what papers she had signed. At the time she had an idea, but all that flew out the window when Tank had walked back in and proclaimed himself her protector.  She was going to follow up later with a phone call, but got caught up in making travel arrangements.

 

Giving him level one security clearance allowed him to come and go as he pleased but only to the twelfth floor, and his arrivals and departures were always announced to whomever was in the condo. If Mel wanted to check to see who was actually in her elevator, all she had to do was push the button next to the small screen on the security panel, but she believed it was Ranger, even in light of recent events.  Newly approved security clearances were always given quite a bit of attention at first.

 

Now she had to decide on whether to stay in bed or go meet him at the door.  She threw back the covers and headed for the front door.  If she met him at the door she had a better chance at keeping him out of her bed.

 

Mel wasn’t sure, but she thought that stupid little voice, deep down inside, was laughing at her.

 

Chapter 19

 

Standing in the short hallway, Mel waited for the pop of the locks after Ranger scanned his hand.  Within seconds, the man himself stood at the other end of the hall.

 

Ranger felt drained and didn’t know if he was going to make into the condo before he fell asleep, but as soon as he opened the door and saw Melanie waiting for him, he couldn’t help but smile.

 

Mel could tell Ranger was tired.  She wanted to ask him where he’d been and if he had come back because she was going to leave, but had a feeling she wouldn’t get any answers tonight.  Even as tired as he looked, when Ranger smiled at her, her insides melted.  Melanie gave a mental sigh and then motioned to the other hallway with her head, while sporting a small smirk.

 

Turning on her heels, she made her way down to her bedroom with Ranger close behind.  Neither of them said a word as she climbed into bed and Ranger went into the bathroom.  Melanie squirmed until she was comfortable on her side, and then she turned out the lights.  Moments later, the bathroom door opened and light spilled into the darkened room.  She could sense Ranger's hesitation, but she didn't know if it was because he didn't know the room well enough to navigate in the dark, or because he had second thoughts about getting in bed with her.

 

Melanie was just about to roll over and ask him what was wrong, when the lights went out and she heard him move toward the bed.  Just like the previous night, the opposite side of the bed dipped when Ranger climbed in.  Again, he scooted up close to spoon her, one arm under her pillow and the other around her waist.  She could physically feel the tension drain from his body the minute they connected, and he ended with a large sigh that she could feel against the back of her head. Some how, instinctively she guessed, her arm maneuvered the one he had around her waist, until their finger were entwined.

 

She had felt his head move off the pillow, so she wasn’t too surprised when his warm breath met her ear and his deeply rich, sexy voice sounded from behind.

 

“Good night, Melanie,” was all he said before he placed one open mouthed kiss on her neck and then settled in for the night.  Melanie tried to calm her racing heart as she closed her eyes and fell into a fitful sleep.

 

***************************************

 

Mel opened her eyes to find soft sunlight filtering into the bedroom through sheer curtains.  She was feeling as warm and cozy as her room looked. Snuggling into the hard, muscular male body in bed with her felt like the right thing to do, so she did.  They were in the same position they had been in the first time they shared a bed.  Her head was on his shoulder, legs and arms tangled together.

 

Like the previous mornings, she was awake first.  She took some time to lie there and enjoy the feel of waking up next to someone.  And as usual after about five minutes, she couldn’t lie still any longer.  Melanie slowly separated their legs and went to move the arm she had wrapped around Ranger’s waist.  She pulled slightly and realized something was preventing her movement and whatever it was, was tied around her wrist. Pulling again, but this time a little harder, she realized the something wasn’t tied, but cuffed.

 

Lifting her head ever so slightly, she was able to see that her right hand was handcuffed to Ranger’s right hand.  She put her head back down to gather her thoughts.  Many things floated through her mind about his motivation and what her reaction should be, but in the end she knew he was just tired of waking up alone.  This was his way of keeping her there.  When had he cuffed her? She couldn’t remember. But it was awfully tricky, very clever, and kind of cute.

 

She was smart enough not to fight it, so she put their legs back the way they were and smiled into his chest.  The more she lay there thinking about it, the bigger her smile became, until finally, she was softly laughing.  Trying to keep quiet only made it worse and it ended up that her whole body shook with laughter.

 

“What’s so funny?” came a deep, sleep-filled voice.  Oh god, the sound of his voice spread over her like smooth, creamy melted chocolate, all soft and warm.

 

Melanie lifted her right hand, bringing his with, dangling it below.  Still laughing, she asked, “What the hell is this?”

 

“That?”  The fact that he was playing dumb only made her laugh harder.

 

“Yeah, that.  We don’t know each other well enough to be this kinky yet.”  She let their arms fall to his chest with a soft thud and brought her head back to try and look up at his face.  The minute their eyes met, Mel’s laughing subsided and she felt herself being pulled into their depths.

 

“Yet,” Ranger had whispered, but Melanie noticed his gaze moved to her mouth.  When she saw that Ranger was moving his face closer to hers, she sat up quickly and held the cuffed arm out.  

 

Looking down at Ranger, she eyed the surprised expression on his face.  What else could she do? This whole thing was getting out of hand. “Can you uncuff me please?” she asked nicely while smiling.

 

“What if I say no?”

 

“Then I guess we have an interesting day ahead of us,” she chuckled.  “Besides, I need to use the bathroom, so either uncuff me or get your ass moving.”  Ranger narrowed his eyes in disbelief and Mel rolled hers. “Hey, I really am a gotta-pee-first-thing-outa-bed-in-the-morning kind of girl. Can’t be helped.”

 

Ranger grunted some skeptical kind of noise but went to reach for the nightstand…with his right hand.  This effectively pulled Melanie directly down on top of his chest and she made an “umph” noise when she landed.

 

He lay completely still when he realized he had her stretched out across his chest.  Quickly working his left hand under her butt, all he gave was one partial lift and shove, and she was lying directly on top of him, head to toe.

 

“Uncuff me, Ranger.”  Mel was surprised at how husky that sounded. Maybe it only sounded that way to her.  The sexy man’s response was to grab her right hand with his and bring them up to his face.  Never breaking eye contact, he turned her wrist and started to place light, feathery kisses on the inside.  Melanie closed her eyes as his soft lips moved up into her palm.   When she felt his tongue dart out, her eyes flew open and met his again.  Once he had her attention, he started to move downward with the kisses, licking when got to the wrist again, but didn’t stay too long before continuing the trek on the inside of her forearm.

 

He had to let go of her hand, but when he did, he let the cuffs do the rest.  Ranger stretched his arm upward, and lowered his head until he could reach the inside of her elbow.  Pausing, he hovered above the sensitive flesh and just breathed on it.

 

Melanie watched in almost trembling anticipation as his lips slowly lowered and burned into her skin.    Again she closed her eyes as he worked the spot with kisses, licks and nips.  After one especially long tongue-licking, she moaned when he changed to scraping and nipping with his teeth.

 

Good lord, how could she be responding like this to some randomly placed kisses? It was random. It had to be. There was no way he could possibly know how much she loved to have the inside of her wrist and arm tickled and scratched.  The fact he did it with his teeth just about melted her into a puddle.  But he didn’t know that, right?

 

“Ranger,” she had to stop and clear her throat.  “Ranger, please unlock the cuffs.”  She thought her voice might have sounded scratchy that time, but again, it was probably just her ears.

 

Ranger laid his head back, let out a sigh, and finally unlocked the cuffs.  Melanie slid off him and then rolled over to the side of the bed.

“Next time just tell me you don’t want to wake up alone,” she said with a smile in her voice.

 

Ranger turned quickly and looked at her. She was sitting facing away from him so she didn’t see the look of shock that he knew must have been on his face.  How could she know that?  She was right, but only partially.  He didn’t want to wake up alone, but more than that, he didn’t want her to leave the bed, the condo or even the state, at least not without him.

 

Melanie rose from the bed and went into the bathroom.  Shutting the door, she went about her business and when finally done, walked back into the bedroom.  Ranger hadn’t moved an inch.

 

“I’m going to make something to eat. I’m starved.  You want something?”

 

Ranger just nodded his head, since he was still afraid to speak due to the shock from her insightful comment. 

 

Giving Ranger a slightly quizzical and concerned look, Mel nodded back and headed to the kitchen.  She was going to ask if he was ok, but was afraid of what the answer might be.  Mel learned a long time ago that if you don’t want to know the answer, then don’t ask the question.  Ignorance wasn’t bliss, but sometimes it kept your ass out of a sling.

 

 

With her back to the doorway, Mel could only sense when Ranger had finally come into the kitchen.  She spun around and almost lost her balance when she saw that he was still only wearing his boxers. Sure, she had been sleeping next to him for the past four nights, but she’d never really had a good look at everything all at once. Boy, had she been missing out.

 

“Hi.”  Good god, did she just squeak? “You, umm, want some eggs?” 

 

Here she was, a woman who prided herself on her skill and concentration, and she couldn’t find an ounce of will power to help her tear her eyes away from this man’s body.  To top it off, she sounded like an idiot.

 

Ranger had noticed Melanie was having a hard time concentrating on what she was doing.  She couldn’t seem to take her eyes off him. Good.  He was having the effect he wanted.  He was aware of what he looked like, but he rarely purposefully used it to his advantage.  If his looks got him better tables at restaurants or faster service, that wasn’t his fault.  But once in a great while, and only for jobs, he would work it.  He was a bit astounded that he had to use it.  Jesus, he was arrogant.  Ranger laughed inwardly.  Arrogance was not something Melanie tolerated, so he had resorted to pulling out all the stops. Jesus, he was arrogant.

 

“Sure, need some help?”

 

Once he spoke, Melanie’s trance was broken.  Her eyes flicked up to meet his.  She smiled and shook her head.

 

When Ranger saw that soft, sexy smile he loved, something in him snapped. Moving before Melanie could react, he took the three long strides needed to reach her.  Without hesitation he slipped one arm around her waist and the other up to the back of her head.  In one jolting move, he pulled her body in close and then greedily put his lips to hers. Her lips had slightly parted from the surprise of being manhandled and Ranger took full advantage.  His tongue swept in and hungrily sought hers out.

 

It was several long seconds before he felt her start to respond.  He heard something, somewhere, fall to the floor right before he felt her hands on his back.  Their tongues slid slickly over and around each other, battling for control. She ran her nails up and down his back, causing him to shiver.  Fisting his hand in her hair, he kept changing the angle of his head to try and deepen the kiss.

 

They were startled apart when a male voice sounded from the doorway.

 

“Looks like I’m interrupting something.”

 

 

 

Chapter 20

"Stanley?" Melanie exclaimed as she freed herself from Ranger’s embrace and took a step forward.

Stan walked over, picked up the spatula she had dropped earlier, threw it in the sink, gave her a peck on the cheek, and grinned from ear to ear. "Hi, Mom."

Melanie narrowed her eyes. "Don’t ‘hi Mom’ me. Why aren’t you in California? I told Fred to have you stay in LA."

Stanley’s eyes grew large with surprise. "I haven’t talked with Freddie since the day before yesterday. I was with the guys all day yesterday and crashed at Stu’s house last night so they could take me to the airport to catch an ungodly early flight." He narrowed his eyes too, and the grin disappeared as he became suspicious. "Why, exactly, shouldn’t I be here? I was due to be here today." His gaze flipped over to Ranger and the grin instantly reappeared on his lips and in his eyes. "Or maybe I know why," he said teasingly as he rocked back on his heels. Ranger grinned back.

Ranger studied the young Hispanic man standing before him. Stan was tall, about 6’1", and had some muscle on him. He wasn’t bulky, but it was obvious he was in shape, and strong. In a few years, with hard work, he could bulk up to a nice size, Ranger thought.

Melanie was shocked to see Stanley. She thought Fred was going to keep him in LA until some of the recent troubling questions were answered. As usual, Stan had his own agenda that he followed.

"Oh, come here," Mel coaxed, as she grabbed him for a hug.

Finally releasing him, she made introductions, "Stan, this is Ricardo Manoso. He’s…ah…"

"Obviously friendly," chided Stan. The young man held out his hand to Ranger. "I’m Stan, nice to meet you," he offered with a large smile. "Are you at the stage where I call you Uncle Ric? I think I might be too old for that…"

"Let’s go with Ranger," Ranger said, smiling as he took the offered hand. He noticed Stan had a firm handshake and was impressed.

Mel rolled her eyes at her son, although what she really felt was pride. He was a smart young man who could handle himself in any situation.

"All right, cut it out Stanley," Mel lightly scolded.

"Oh Mom, you never let me have any fun."

"And quit calling me Mom! You’re creeping me out." Stan only ever called Mel "Mom" when he was teasing her, wanted something he knew she wouldn’t approve of, or was scared. Thank god he hadn’t been that scared in a very, very long time.

Stanley laughed at out loud at Melanie. "Oh, fine Mel," he said with his tone normal and more serious, but a smile still played on his lips. "I’m going to go take my stuff to my room. This place have any food?" He watched as Mel nodded. "Cool. I’ll be back in a little bit," was all he said as he turned to grab his bags. When he straightened, he noticed the two adults just standing there staring at him. "Well, don’t let me stop ya. Carry on," was his parting shot as he headed down the hallway.

Ranger liked that idea, so again, before Mel could react, he captured her in his arms, placed his mouth on hers and started another assault on her senses.

 

***************************

Stan stood in the kitchen, freshly showered and shaved, making a sandwich. He hated long flights and the direct one from LA to New York he hated the most. Even in first class, which he managed to finagle out of Fred this time, he felt crowded and cramped. The food was horrible and he was always really hungry by the time he landed. He hated to be hungry.

"Mel never mentioned meeting you," Stan said when he felt Ranger enter the kitchen. He turned and leaned back against the counter. "You met recently?"

Ranger’s eyebrow went up. He knew what the kid was doing, but was still a little taken aback. "We met through Stephanie." At the mention of Stephanie’s name, Stan got a soft goofy look to his face. Ranger tried to suppress a laugh, but it didn’t work too well. Stephanie had that effect on men, young and old alike.

Stan looked slightly embarrassed at being caught with that expression, and turned back to making his sandwich. Ranger walked up behind him and slapped him on the shoulder. "Don’t worry man, Steph has a way about her." Stan’s shoulder’s slumped slightly and he tried to change the topic of conversation.

"You want a sandwich?"

Ranger looked over Stan’s shoulder and saw a sandwich that had to be about 8 inches tall, made with what looked like one of everything from the refrigerator. "How about just a turkey and cheese?" Ranger suggested. Stan nodded and got to work.

They sat quietly at the kitchen table as they ate. Ranger finished first and decided that it was time to ask some questions.

"Mel tells me she adopted you when you were 12."

Stopping in mid-chew, Stan eyed the stranger sitting across from him. He didn’t know what to say, because he didn’t know how much Ranger knew. His finished chewing the food he had in his mouth and swallowed before speaking.

"Tell me what you know."

"What?" asked Ranger.

"Look," Stan said as he put down his sandwich, "I don’t know how much you know about Mel or us. You tell me what you know, then I’ll decide if I want to, or should, answer your questions."

Ranger gave a small snort. "As smart and clever as your mother," he said under his breath.

Stan looked at him very seriously. "We’ve had to be." Ranger hadn’t thought he was heard, but only gave Stan a nod in reply.

Just like flipping a switch, Stan’s features softened as he picked up his food and prepared to take another bite. "So, tell me what you know."

Ranger liked the kid and felt he was finally dealing with someone who would give him straight answers, well, if he answered at all. He took a few seconds to debate whether he should tell Stan about his trip to Long Boat Key. Ranger decided to take the risk, but save it for last. When he was done telling the teenager what he knew, he sat back and waited for Stan’s reaction.

Stan had finished eating while listening to Ranger’s story. Now he was sitting there amazed. Ranger had gone to Florida and not told Melanie he was digging around. That was not a smart move, but then Ranger didn’t know that because Melanie hadn’t told him about herself. How more fucked could this situation get? Little did he know he was about to find out.

Having noticed that every time Ranger talked of Melanie, or even just said her name, his tone took on a soft quality. Stan came to the conclusion that Ranger must be very interested in her. He wasn’t one of the scummy, up and comers in LA, who only put the moves on her in hopes of furthering their careers. Ranger reminded him of Fred, who was a man he loved and respected. Stan also got the feeling that Melanie was fighting against whatever was going on between them. Why should that surprise him? It didn’t, and Stan’s gut was telling him that Ranger was someone he could trust…and someone who could be good for Mel.

Leaning in with both forearms flat on the table, Stan spoke, "I’ll tell you my story, if you’re interested. It might help you fill in some of the blanks. But take a word of advice, you had better tell Mel you were snooping around in Long Boat. She needs to know that." Stan eyed the man across from him and made a decision. "Not just for our safety, but for trust. You lose her trust, you lose her."

Stan waited for a reaction, but Ranger’s face stayed blank. Realizing he wasn’t going to get one, he started his story. "My mother and Mel were friends when we lived down in Florida. Mom was a …well, she had an…" Stan threw himself back in his chair and played with the napkin on the table, frown firmly in place. " My mom was a mistress to Manny’s cousin, Julio. Julio was Uncle Eduardo’s oldest son. Anyway, there was another of Manny’s cousins, Julio’s sister Angelina, who was a few years older than me. I’d say she was about 15. We all lived in the same 10 block area and Angelina and I used to hang out together sometimes."

Stan smiled as he remembered, but continued to stare at and play with the napkin. "It was about a year after Manny had died. I was just starting to get interested in girls. I had my first…" he paused as his eyes flicked to meet Ranger’s. "I had a dream about her. Anyway, we were hanging out by her pool house one afternoon and Julio came home drunk. We decided it was probably best to go into the pool house since we were going to get something anyway, but it also meant we were out of Julio’s line of fire.

"About 15 minutes later, Julio found us in the pool house. He started yelling about how I was just the son of his whore and Angelina shouldn’t be in there with me. Then for some reason, he started to accuse Angelina and me of having sex, and backhanded me across the room. He took Angie and ripped her clothes off, saying he’d make her a whore if she really wanted to be one."

Stan met Ranger’s eyes again. "I tried to stop him," Stan said and then broke eye contact. "He kicked me so hard in the stomach that I couldn’t move afterwards."

Stan had gone quiet and Ranger wasn’t sure if he needed a break or was done talking. He had opened his mouth to say something when Stan started again.

"I got to watch as he raped his sister," Stan whispered. There was nothing for Ranger to say, so he didn’t say anything. He sat and waited, figuring it was his best course of action.

"During the middle of all this, Melanie came into the pool house looking for us. The minute she figured out what was going on she drew a gun on Julio and told him to stop. He tossed Angie aside and started after Mel. I don’t know what he was thinking, because she had her gun pointed at him. He really thought that nothing, nobody, could ever hurt him. Mel kept telling him to stop and he kept calling her names and coming at her."

Stan stopped and looked up at Ranger again. "She fired three times, hit his heart, head and groin, all dead on…in that order." He waited to make sure what he said had sunk in. Stan had a feeling that Ranger would know the first hit to the heart had killed Julio instantly, he just wanted to give the man enough time to realize it.

"After that, everything is kind of a blur. Mel has told me what happened and I don’t think she left anything out. Anyway, I had been in the hospital for a couple days when my mother came in and said I was going to be going away with Melanie for a while. She said it was the best thing considering the circumstances. To this day I don’t know what she meant by that." He paused as if his brain still struggled to make sense of it. "About a year after Mel and I were in California, we got word that mom had died...been killed actually."

Leaning back into the table as before, Stan gave a weak smile. "Melanie adopted me and the rest, as they say, is history."

Both men sat quietly, lost in their own thoughts.

The sound of Melanie’s voice broke their reverie. "Telling the family story, Stan?"

Chapter 21

Stan stood quickly and cleared the table of their dirty dishes. He knew Mel wasn’t mad because they had the agreement that he wanted to tell his story, he could, just as Mel could tell hers. It was understood that on some level the stories were intertwined, but telling the other person's detailed story would only be done with their consent.

Melanie had sat down at the table in the chair that Stan had vacated. She looked at Ranger but didn’t say a word. Their eyes locked, and he felt like she was trying to figure something out, to decide something, and was reaching inside of him to do it. Ranger was taken by complete surprise when Melanie ignored the conversation she had interrupted.

"I’m leaving tomorrow," this said to Ranger. "Stan," she turned to look at the lean young man putting dishes in the dishwasher, "I have to leave tomorrow for a few days and I really don’t want you here by yourself."

Stan turned and looked at Mel with a concerned face. "Mel, what’s going on? Earlier you weren’t too happy I had showed up."

She stood and went over to him. "You know that it’s not because I don’t want you here."

With his face still pinched with worry, Stan nodded slowly. "I know that. So why can’t I be here alone? Where are you going? We’ve had this planned."

Melanie knew she couldn’t get anything by this kid. He was too damn sharp for his own good sometimes, and she really didn’t want to get into it with Ranger sitting there.

"There’s been…a development. I’m afraid that there might be some people that we haven’t heard from in a long time, trying to contact us…me, and I’d rather you weren’t in the picture."

Ranger noticed Stan tense immediately. Whatever hidden message Mel was trying to convey, it had been received. Ranger would bet it had something to do with Eduardo Rodriguez.

With his fists clenched at his side, Stan tried to quell the anger and fear that was building within him. "What happened?" he asked, clipping his words short. "You’ve been here alone for four days."

Before Melanie could control herself, she gave a quick glance and sly smile at Ranger.

A light bulb went on over Stan’s head as he finally realized that she didn’t want to talk in front of Ranger, and that she hadn’t been alone.

Ranger caught Mel’s look and had to try and keep himself from kicking the kid out and taking her right there in the kitchen. It was hard enough to keep control during that second kiss, but Mel took care of that by breaking it off with excuses about getting ready for the day. Looking at Stan, he watched as the kid’s demeanor went from angry young man to annoyed teenager.

Stan rolled his eyes at Mel and Ranger chuckled when he saw it.

"Sabes que? Necesitan realizar que uds. no están todo del mundo," (You know what? You two need to get over yourselves) Stan said.

He switched to Spanish figuring that if Ranger didn’t know it, too bad for him, and if he did, too bad for Mel.

"Necesitan hablarse. Se doy una hora, luego regresen y me digan que pasó y porque no me quieres estar aquí solo. Si no," he paused for emphasis, "empieco a hablar." (Both of you need to talk. I’ll give you an hour, then come and tell me what happened and why you don’t want me to stay here by myself. If you don’t, he paused for emphasis, then I start talking)

Mel’s eyes narrowed, but Stan wasn’t to be intimidated at the moment. "Sí mama, deciré su cuento." (Yes, mommy dearest, I’ll tell your story)

He looked at Ranger, "Y deciré su secreto." (And I’ll tell your secret)

He turned to leave the room. Over his shoulder he added, in a tone that dripped with teenage disgust, "Quit circling already and just land. Damn."

"Necesito una bebida fuerte." said Mel. (I need a strong drink, said Mel)

************************************

Stan closed the door to his room. He couldn't believe how stupid Ranger and Mel were being, the attraction between them was so strong even he felt it. Although, walking in on their kiss and seeing Mel uncharacteristically flustered for a brief second was fun. He snickered to himself. He knew Melanie hadn't had any serious relationship since Manuel. Hell, he couldn't remember her ever going on a date. This thing with Ranger could be interesting.

His thoughts turned serious when he started to think about what Mel had said in the kitchen. Why would Eduardo seek them out now? Mel and Eduardo had a deal, but if she's worried about the family coming back for them, something must have happened to spark it.

Picking up the phone, Stan punched out a number and waited while it rang.

"Hello?"

"Steph?"

"Stan?"

"Yeah. Hi, Aunt Stephanie."

"Stan, cut the Aunt crap. You know I hate it." Stan could picture her rolling her eyes and he laughed into the phone. He knew it bugged Stephanie, the same way it bugged Mel when he called her Mom. That's why he did it.

"Ok, ok. Look, I'm calling for some info. Hoping you have some to share," Stan said.

"Depends on the info," replied Steph.

"What's up with Mel and Ranger? And, has anything happened since Mel arrived?"

"Ahhh…so you're looking for gossip and information. This could be good. You're on the inside for the gossip part." Stan had to laugh again. Stephanie was always up for a good scheme, and if it meant he got to help her, he was in. She was hot, and Stan would jump at the chance to spend time with her. "But nothing has really happened since Mel has arrived. She helped me take down a skip yesterday, that's it."

Stan listened intently to Steph talk about Mel and Ranger. He asked a few questions about Ranger and she confirmed his initial feeling of trust for the man. When she started to talk about the take down, the hair on the back of Stan's neck stood on end. Everything made more sense. The guy they were after dealt drugs. That meant the possibility of Rodriguez Family involvement. Whatever was in the evidence bag must have lead back to them…back to Eduardo. Shit.

************************************************

Ranger followed Mel into the living room. He had the wine and she had the glasses. His hope was that she would have had a lot of wine before he told her about his going to Florida.

Melanie set the glasses on the coffee table and started to head towards one of the over-stuffed chairs that faced the couch. Ranger had other ideas. He wanted a few more kisses, and maybe more, before they began talking, because he had a feeling that once their stories were out, things wouldn't be the same. Grabbing Mel by the wrist, he tugged at her until she gave in and moved to sit on the couch.

Watching Ranger pour the wine from her perch on the couch, Mel started to have doubts about telling Ranger everything. Would Stanley really spill all the beans if she didn't? She wasn't sure, but was more interested in knowing what Ranger's secret was. In order to get, she was going to have to give…at least something.

Ranger approached Melanie, but without the wine. Quickly placing one hand on the armrest, and the other on the back of the couch, he boxed Melanie in, and lowered his lips to hers. He learned fast that being very, very, quick with her was the only way to get the upper hand.

As with the kiss before, it took a few seconds for her to respond to Ranger's probing tongue. Once she let him in, his arms embraced her and started to turn her body so that it ended up lengthwise on the couch. When he was through, he was effectively straddling her with his knees braced on either side of her hips.

As he deepened the kiss, Ranger brought one hand up to the side of her face and gently stoked her cheek with his thumb a few times, before moving on to the back of her neck. His hand started to gently massage the tense muscles he felt there.

Never breaking the kiss, he turned his head to the left and pressed harder against the soft warm lips that were beneath his. When Mel moaned into his mouth, Ranger found himself on the verge of being frantic with need.

Leaving his kneeling position behind, Ranger stretched the length of his body out against hers. He finally settled himself with one of his legs between hers. Breaking the kiss, he started to place small, wet kisses down the side of her jaw until he reached her ear. He lightly blew against it and heard a small gasp escape from her. When his tongue started to trace around the outer edge, and then gently probe inward, he felt her shiver and arch her back. He moaned as he started to work the spot right below her ear, alternating between lips, tongue and hot breath.

Satisfied that he had paid that spot enough attention, his lips moved downward to where her shoulder and neck join. He nipped lightly and she arched her back into him again, moaning. Ranger remembered the response she gave that morning when he kissed up and down her arm, and thought that might be worth another go.

Just as he went to reach for her arm, he felt Mel tense. Before his very turned-on brain could register anything, Mel gave him enough of a shove to throw off his precariously balanced position. Ranger hit the floor with a thud. In the instant it took him to recover to a kneeling position, Mel was already up off the couch, standing and facing away from him.

Ranger hadn't realized Stan was there until he heard his voice. It was not the happy, carefree tone the boy had used earlier.

"Why did you do it? Why did you have to go and fuck it up?" demanded Stan

Mel stood, slightly stunned, as she stared into the obviously angry and upset face of the 17-year-old. Standing there, she was reminded of the scared and angry boy who was torn between being happy about getting out from under the torture of the Rodriguez Family, and the intense pain of being torn from his mother.

 Chapter 22

"Stan?" Melanie said it slowly, her voice controlled.

"Why did you do it?" Stan started to pace. "You've gone and messed everything up!"

Stan was fuming, but when Mel didn't respond to his angry questioning, he finally stopped and looked at her, and realized she was giving him a look that said "Explain yourself."

"Llamé a Steph!" (I called Steph) Mel slowly closed her eyes and let out a long breath at that declaration. Now he was making sense.

Still speaking slowly, she quietly ordered, "sentarse abajo." (Sit down)

Stan stopped suddenly at the tone Melanie had used. They never really fought or became angry with each other. It wasn't in the nature of their relationship. She had never tried to replace his mother, and he never really tried to be her son, but somehow over the years, that's how it evolved. However unorthodox the origins, Mel was his mom and he was her son.

There was only one other time Mel had used that tone with him. It was when he was 14, his first year of high school. He had gotten in trouble at school. When Mel came down to pick him up, she met with the principal and found Stan had been running with some of the less upstanding students. His stunt of starting a fire in one of the bathrooms earned him a two-day suspension.

When they arrived home, Stan had gone straight to his room. He didn't emerge until dinnertime. Dinner was eaten in silence and afterward he went to watch some TV. After about 15 minutes, Mel entered the room, leaned in very close to Stan's face, and whispered her instructions.

"You never hang out with those boys again and you'll reimburse the school for the damage done, even it if takes until you’re 30." Mel paused and grabbed a fistful of his shirt. "I pulled you out of that kind of life once, and I'll do whatever it takes to keep you from being pulled back in." She stopped until she had been sure he was paying attention. Her next words were spoken deliberately and with calm force. "Whatever. It. Takes."

That's all it took.

Stan knew she had the money and means to do exactly what she said. His short detour down a crooked road was quickly righted, and he was back on the straight and narrow.

This time, though, he wasn't 14, and he was more frightened of a threat from Eduardo Rodriguez than a threat from Mel.

Making a snap decision, Stan blurted out his plans. "No. Nos estamos yendo. Iremos a la estación de la unión y conseguiremos nuestros kits y desapareceremos." (No. We're leaving. We'll go to Union Station and get our kits and disappear)

He started for his bedroom, although he wasn't sure why. If they left like he wanted, then they just walked out, leaving everything behind.

"Stanley!"

He stopped mid-step. Mel never raised her voice to him…never. But it wasn't just the volume that had stopped him, it was the panic he heard in her voice. He jumped when he felt a hand land on his shoulder.

"Déjeme explicar, aceptable?" (Let me explain, ok?) Mel whispered. "Entonces si usted le decide necesidad de irse, usted puede ir" (Then if you decide you need to leave, you can go)

Stan spun around with a shocked and confused look on his face.

Mel backed away. "Stan, you're old enough to make that decision for yourself now. The kits are there for a very real and valid reason. You're mature enough to rely on your own judgement about when to use them." Inwardly, Mel cringed. Did she really believe what she just told him? It didn't matter. If he wanted to leave, to disappear, he could, and there wasn't a damn thing Mel could do to stop him. That thought ripped her heart in two. "Please sit."

Letting out a breath to release some of the tension his body had been holding, Stan went over and flopped into one of the chairs. He was a bit startled to see Ranger sitting on the couch facing him. Stan had forgotten he was there.

"All right," Mel started, "let's try and do this all at once, ok?" Both men nodded their agreement. "Fine."

Turning, she directed her next words at Stan. "I'll start with you first, fill in for Ranger, then come back and fill you both in." She paused to gather herself. "I helped Steph take down a skip yesterday. We got him, but had a problem in the process. There were two men, when we had been informed there would only be one. The second man got away, but not before dropping some of the load he had been carrying." Now came the hard part. "The second man seemed familiar, but I couldn't place him and tried to make sure he didn't get a good look at me. When it was all said and done, I noticed a cop with an evidence bag. Inside there was some paper…family paper."

Stan's eyes took on a look of surprise and fear. It was the fear that was breaking her heart. "Are you sure?" he asked. Mel nodded.

Turning to Ranger, she started with a history lesson. "I married Manuel Rodriguez when I was 18. We weren't even married a year before the darker side of Manuel's family started to pull us in. I wanted to walk away, but was told that if I didn't come with Manny, they'd kill him and my family. So, I went."

Ranger noticed Mel started to get a faraway look in her eyes, as if she was seeing the past come alive before her.

"Manny would never tell me what threat they used on him. He just always said he made the best decision he could." She shook her head slightly as if to force herself back on track. "For almost nine years Manny and I lived within the Family, doing all the security work. Manny was killed and I was left by myself and was expected to continue my job. You know what happened that day with Stan." She waited for Ranger to nod before continuing.

"I had killed the oldest son, Julio, and was about five seconds from being killed myself by Uncle Eduardo when Auntie Maria came into the room with Angelina. Eduardo didn't believe what I had been telling him until he saw his youngest child. Angelina had been an answer to their prayers. They had three boys, Julio, Juan and Jose. and Maria desperately wanted a girl. It took many years, but they finally conceived and had Angelina. Maria almost died giving birth.

"Eduardo broke down in tears and Juan, who had been in the room with us, continued to glare at me. Maria told Eduardo to leave me alone. I told him I wanted out. He agreed and we worked out a deal. Knowing I was good at what I did, he said that I could never be involved in trafficking, or anything underground again, in any way, shape or form. In return I could leave, no strings. Basically, he was letting me live. I told him that wasn't good enough. I could leave, but was taking people with me, and I wanted money. Maria told him to give me whatever I wanted because I had saved their "Angel." Stan, Fred and myself, along with Rosa and Roberto, who worked for me at my house, were allowed to leave." Mel stopped to run her hands through her hair and gather her thoughts.

"I haggled and won. For seven years, my actions have been the only thing that protected us from Eduardo, Juan and Jose. I honestly don't think that they would want me back in the business, but only to bring me back and kill me. The murder of the oldest son has gone unavenged. While I think Eduardo would put it behind him, I have my doubts about Juan and Jose. They were very unhappy I was allowed to leave."

"That's because…" Stan started, but stopped immediately when Mel threw him a look to be quiet.

Melanie stood and started to pace. "I thought helping Steph would be a piece of cake. Sure, the skip was more than she has handled, but it wouldn't be hard for me. Something was telling me that Vinnie was setting her up. I can't figure out how or why. He couldn't possibly have known that I would volunteer to help her…to start this whole chain of events." She stopped and turned to Stan. "Stephanie needed my help. I had to help her. What were the odds he'd be connected to Eduardo?"

With most of it on the table, Mel collapsed on the couch. "There's a good chance that the man who got away didn't even know who I was. That he wouldn't know enough to go back and report up the chain. I think we should be extra careful, but function as if that were the situation."

She leaned forward as she appealed to Stan. "Go back to LA. They don't want you. They won't bother you if you're out there. I'm afraid if you're here and they really are looking for me, they won't hesitate to take you too."

"Why are you leaving tomorrow?" Stan wasn't sure if she was going to run or not.

Melanie looked confused for a second, but then started to laugh. She had actually forgotten her trip to the Caymans. "Oh, that. I'm going to the Caymans to confront Steve and get Valerie's money back. Totally unrelated," she assured him.

The young man smirked at the woman in front of him. He had made his decision. If she wasn't running, neither was he.

"No."

"No, what?" Mel countered.

"I'm not going to LA. If you're staying, so am I."

"Stan…"

"No, Mom." Mel realized right away Stan was not teasing her. "No ‘Stan’ anything. If, and it sounds like it's a big if…they are coming after you, then I won't let you stand alone. I'm not spending the rest of my life looking over my shoulder. If they want a confrontation, then they confront both of us." He got up from his chair and went to kneel in front of her. "You did the right thing by helping Steph. I would have been disappointed in you if you hadn't," he said, and gave a weak smile.

For the first time in 30 minutes, Ranger spoke. "I can help."

Mother and son turned their heads in unison to stare at the relative stranger in their midst.

"No, you can't. Don't you see? You're too close to that world. You couldn't help."

Ranger narrowed his eyes and let a small amount of anger show through. "You think I traffic drugs?"

Mel let out a big sigh. "No, I don't. But let's face it. You're closer to that world then say…a …a …farmer from Boise."

When Stanley laughed, Mel swung her head to face him. "Oh please, Mel. You don't know any farmers from Boise and even if you did, you wouldn't be happy with one." Mel blinked at the straightforwardness of his remark. Ok, so it was true, but Ranger didn't have to know that.

She was just about to voice her rebuttal when the sharp ring of the phone broke in.

"Hello?"

"Mel."

"Hey, Fred."

"Eduardo is dead. Juan is running the show."

"Fuck."

**************************************************

Juan Rodriguez hung up the phone in a daze. He couldn't believe what he had just been told was true. She wouldn't be that stupid, would she? Maybe after all these years, she had become sloppy. A cocky smile graced his face as he picked the phone back up and punched a number.

"Get the plane ready."

Silence as he listened to the obvious question.

"Jersey."

 Chapter 23

 

 

“It’s settled then,” Stan said with finality to his tone.

 

“No, it’s not settled,” Mel said.

 

Stan let out a huge sigh and turned to Ranger for support. “You talk to her,” he said, as he got up from the chair and went into the kitchen.

 

“Gorgeous, that boy isn’t leaving this state, no matter what you say.  He sees the two of you as a team, and he’s not going anywhere without you.”  Melanie shook her head.

 

“Let me take Stan back to my place. He gets to stay here and do whatever he has plans to do; yet he won’t be alone. The guys will be around to keep an eye on him.  It’s a good solution for both of you.”

 

“That’s supposed to make me feel better? And where are you going to be?”

 

Ranger said a silent prayer of thanks that Stan had picked that exact moment to come back into the room.  Ranger was going with Mel, but he didn’t need to tell her that yet. She’d probably figure it out when he showed up at the airport.

 

“So, when are we leaving?” Stan asked between bites of an apple.

 

“Five minutes ago,” replied Ranger as he stood. 

 

Stan pointed a finger at him and said, “Gotcha.”  Then turned and sauntered off to his room, not seeming to be in any particular hurry any more.

 

Melanie threw her hands up in the air and let them drop back down in her lap. “Great.  I’m glad you two have it all figured out.”  Ranger just flashed her his 200-watt grin and nodded his head.  She left the room without saying another word.

 

************************************

 

The two men stood side by side in the elevator, shoulder to shoulder, facing forward.

 

“Thanks for letting me stay at your place,” said the younger man.

 

“You’re welcome,” the other responded.

 

Silence followed for several beats.

 

“She’s not stupid, you know.”  It was a statement, not a question, so Ranger didn’t respond.

 

“She’ll change her plans and try to leave tonight.”  Ranger had to smile.  Her son knew her well, and Ranger was getting better at it everyday.

 

“I know. That’s why Tank will be picking you out up front and dropping off a suitcase for me.”

 

Still facing forward, Stan let the easy grin spread slowly across his face. “Good.”

 

Not another word was spoken until Ranger introduced Stan to Tank.

 

**************************

 

Melanie had been sitting at the airport terminal for what seemed like hours.  Finally they called her flight and she was able to get herself settled.  The plane was mostly empty and there was only one other person in first class with her.  She was digging around in her purse when her senses started to tingle. Oh no, she thought, he wouldn’t dare.  Just then someone sat in the seat next to her. 

 

Mel closed her eyes and counted to ten.  She knew who it was.  Her suspicions were confirmed when she opened her eyes and met the liquid chocolate ones staring back.

 

“What are you doing here?”  She had to keep calm.  Getting angry now wouldn’t accomplish anything.

 

“Going with you.”

 

“Why?”

 

“I told you, Gorgeous, I plan on being in the same bed with you every night.”

 

God, he is so smug, she thought. “No, what you said, at least out loud to me, was that you had plans for our sleeping arrangements when I was around.”

 

“Well, now you know the plans.”

 

“But technically, I’m getting on a plane to leave, so I’m not really ‘around’ for those plans to hold true.”

 

“I altered my plans,” Ranger said matter of factly, as he tried to settle his large frame comfortably into the seat.

 

“Oh?  To what, and when were you going to tell me?”

 

Ranger stopped his slight squirming to turn and put his face only inches from the beautiful woman next to him.

 

“To, in the same bed every night, and I’m telling you now.”  Knowing she didn’t have any place she could go, Ranger took his time lowering his lips to hers.  To his surprise and delight, she didn’t even try to dodge his efforts.  He let out a small sigh as his lips gently touched hers.  Just giving soft caresses, mixed with light nips and licks on her lower lip.   This time was soft, sensual, and slow.  His tongue finally licked across the seam of her mouth, seeking entrance.  Parting her lips to allow him inside, she moaned into his mouth when their tongues touched.  There was no battling for ownership this time around. It was more of an exploration, and he was savoring every nuance, every moment.

 

Ranger reluctantly pulled back when someone behind him cleared their throat as a way of politely interrupting.  He didn’t care how polite they were trying to be, he was annoyed with the interruption.

 

“Yes?” he said, not bothering to turn around, but instead staying focused on Mel.

 

“Sir, Ma’am, we’ll be having a light snack on our flight tonight and I’ll need to know your preference.”

With eyes still locked on Mel, Ranger raised his eyebrow in question. Mel simply shook her head. 

 

Ranger finally broke eye contact and leaned back in his seat, flashing his knockout smile at the flight attendant. “We aren’t interested in the snack, but thank you.”

 

Melanie noticed the minute Ranger oozed his charm at the poor flight attendant she lost her ability to speak.  Nodding quickly a couple of times, she backed away and made a beeline for the galley.

 

Putting his head back on the seat, Ranger rolled it to the side to look at Mel again. “I take it you found out some information about Steve.”

 

“Boy, you’re quick,” she said sarcastically. “Yes, and now, I’m going to talk to him and help him see the error of his ways.”

 

“How long do you think it will take?”

 

“When is your return flight?”

 

“Open ended ticket,” he said.

 

“Well hell, it was going to take one day longer than you could stay.”

 

“Could be a long time then,” he said, smiling suggestively at her.

 

“Hmmmm,” was her only response.

 

**************************

 

Getting out of the taxi and sizing up the beach house in front of her, Mel hoped that being here with Ranger was something she could handle.  Valerie was right, Mel was just as unsure about men as she was.  It really did come down to self-worth.  And no matter how Mel tried to twist it in her brain, she wasn’t worthy of the man standing next to her.

 

“Nice house,” Ranger observed.

 

“Yeah,” Mel said as she grabbed her bag, “Freddie knows what I like.”  Had she stopped to look at Ranger, Mel would have noticed the slight twinge of jealousy that skittered across his face.  Instead, she headed inside, thinking only of getting some sleep before the sun came up.

If I titled chapters, this one would be called "Girls Rock".

  

 

Chapter 24

The plane skidded to a stop and as he disembarked, he noticed the other men waiting for him as he requested.

"Dónde está?" (Where is she?) Juan asked the shortest of the three men.

"Señor" (Well Sir,) the short man was nervous, '"ella salió"(she is gone).

Juan stopped and looked at the man. He was very unhappy with the news. "?Sabes adonde fue?" (Do you know where she went?).

"Sí. Voló a las islas Cayman. Su vuelo para regresar es en tres días. En sabado hay una fiesta grande para el aniversario de sus padres." (Yes, she flew to the Cayman Islands. Her return flight is in three days. There is a large party planned on Saturday for her parents’ anniversary.)

"Bueno. Envia alguíen allí para mirarla. Tendremos mucho tiempo para hacer nuestros planes." (Very good. Send someone down to watch her. We'll have plenty of time to make plans.)

 

****************************************************************

It was the middle of the night and Mel was hungry. She couldn't remember eating anything all day. There had been too many interruptions, and a quick change of plans, to fit in any food. She had finished putting the last of her clothes away in the bedroom, when Ranger had come in and started his unpacking. She didn't want to deal with that now, she wanted food.

Melanie was in the middle of eating some cereal when Ranger entered the kitchen, taking the chair opposite her. He raised an eyebrow, as if asking where the food came from.

Mel chewed, swallowed and then answered. "Fred." This time Mel was looking at him and noticed the slight clenching of his jaw. She furrowed her brow with her own silent question.

"Who is Fred?" Ranger asked softly, but with obvious tension.

"I told you. He is my accountant. We covered that."

"No, I mean…who is Fred to you. You mentioned his name as one of the people you bargained for."

She knew what he was really asking and debated about giving him the answer he was really fishing for.

"Fred and Manny were best friends. Fred was young like we were. He didn't know that the firm he hired on at was connected. He was too dirty by the time he figured it out." She shrugged. "So, we were all stuck." Ranger remained tense since he hadn't received the answer he wanted. Melanie sighed. "Fred and I are friends, have been for a long time, but that's all."

Ranger visibly relaxed, but Mel sensed he wasn't convinced by her answer. Oh well, she thought, that's not her problem. She stood and took her dirty dish over to the sink. When she turned around, Ranger was right behind her. Trying to side step him didn't work. He just placed his hands back on the counter on either side of her.

"Ranger, don't…"

"Who is Annie Rodriguez?"

Melanie immediately froze. Cautiously she spoke, "Where did you hear that name?"

Ranger's face remained blank. He knew that once he answered her question, things wouldn't be the same. "In Florida, Long Boat Key," he said flatly.

He saw the fire and rage in her eyes instantly. Her words came out clipped. "Don't tell me you went down there snooping." When he didn't answer, Mel exploded.

Quickly putting her hands on his shoulders, she brought her knee up forcefully between his legs then landed her heel painfully on his foot. She shoved the now off-balance man backward, and made her escape out the back door, headed for the beach.

 

******************************************

Stan was hungry again. Melanie always teased that he could eat an entire grocery store and still be hungry. He couldn't help it—he was a growing boy. He wondered if it would be ok to raid Ranger's refrigerator. Tank had shown him around the house and grounds and told Stan to make himself at home.

Showing Stan to his room, Tank mentioned that he would be in the guestroom across the hall while Ranger was away. He also told Stan that he needed to be up and ready at 7 a.m. That's when the guys work out, and he needed to be there. Stan was part of the club now.

Hoisting his lanky frame from the bed, he made his way across the large guestroom and tentatively stepped out into the hall. Once in the kitchen, he turned the light on over the stove so he could see. When he opened the fridge, he wasn't too surprised. Ranger kept about the same kind of food they did at his house, so he knew he'd find something.

He was quietly sitting on one of the kitchen island stools eating his sandwich, when all of a sudden he was pushed from behind and went flying toward the floor. As soon as he hit, there was someone on top of him pinning him to the cold ceramic, with one knee in his back, the other on one of his hands, and pushing his face painfully into the tile.

"Who are you?" yelled a female voice.

"Mm Stamuf," came the muffled reply.

"Who?" This time the voice was confused. But she must have realized he couldn't talk while he kissed the floor, and he felt her relieve some of the pressure on his head.

"I'm Stan."

"I don't know any Stan. What are you doing in my house?"

"Ranger said I could stay here. Will you let me up, please?"

"When did he tell you that? This is the first I've heard anything about it."

"Tonight, we were at my Mom's."

He groaned as she dug her knee into his back a little more. "Who is your Mom?"

"Mel. Melanie Plum."

"Who?"

"Em, what are you doing?" Tank asked calmly from the kitchen doorway.

"Tank!" she exclaimed. "I found him in our house…eating our food!"

"Em, get off the nice young man."

"But Tank…"

"Em, let him up," Tank finally ordered. He was trying hard to hold back his laughter, but more than that, he wanted to show his pride. His best friend's daughter could take care of herself.

Grudgingly, Emily Manoso lifted off and went over to stand by her "Uncle," backing up to him and refusing to take her eyes off the stranger in her home.

Tank placed a large hand on her shoulder for comfort, before he made the introductions, and noticed how tense the young girl was. "Emily Manoso, meet Stan…ah…" Tank trailed off realizing he didn't know the young man's last name. "Plum?"

Stan stood and shook his head while rubbing the hand Em had been kneeling on. "No, Mel said I didn't have to take her last name when she adopted me. I kept my last name, Empaleo."

"Emily Manoso, meet Stanley Empaleo. Stephanie is Stan's aunt. Melanie Plum is Steph's sister." Emily nodded, but Tank noted she was still tense. He spun her around to face him. "Sweetheart, I'm sorry. I should have told you Stan was going to be staying here. It was late and I didn't want to wake you and I thought we'd be up before you were. Sorry, honey."

She finally relaxed a little, nodding her head again. Em turned back around looked at the young stranger.

"Hey," she said as a greeting.

Stan got a good look at her for the first time. Her coloring was the same as Ranger's and her hair was black, but her eyes were hazel, and almond-shaped, with long dark lashes. She wasn't as old as he was—he guessed about 14, and obviously strong.

"Hey," he offered back.

"Sorry."

"It's ok. I understand." He would bet he'd have a bruise on his back, and if the feeling ever returned to his hand, he'd be happy. Picking up the toppled stool, he righted it and sat back down. With his good hand he started to eat again.

"Later," said Em.

"Later," mumbled Stan with a mouth full of food.

Tank eyed the teenaged exchange and watched as Em left the kitchen to head upstairs, silently chuckling to himself. He was feeling really good about his "little Emmy" immobilizing Stan and didn’t think there would be any trouble with both them in the house.

All that was suddenly cut short. Had he not been watching, he would have missed it completely. Right as Em made it to the bottom stair, she paused, gave a quick, two beat glance back at Stan, then turned and ran up the stairs.

Tank closed his eyes, threw his head back, groaned, and hoped that Ranger and Mel would be back soon.

 Chapter 25

Melanie lay in her bed listening to the rain pitter patter on the roof. About 40 minutes into her "cooling off" walk on the beach, it had started to rain. Ranger hadn't followed her, which was a good thing, because for the first 30, she wanted to kick his ass. Had he come after her, she didn't think she would have been able to control her anger.

When it had started to rain, she decided to head back to the house. She was not in the mood to get soaked through. It had been dark when they arrived, seeing as how it was in the wee hours of the morning, and they had turned on all the lights. But when she returned to the house, the only light on was in the living room. It was just enough to light the stairs. Ranger was nowhere to be seen.

Entering her bedroom, the first thing she noticed were that all his things were gone. Before closing her door, she took a look at the door across the hall. It was closed and no sounds came from inside. She figured Ranger was in that other bedroom, but she wasn't about to knock and find out.

Now it was three in the morning and she couldn't sleep and that really bothered her. Actually, it wasn't the fact that she couldn't sleep that really bothered her, but the fact that she knew someone who could help her sleep and he was across the hall and unobtainable. Letting out a big sigh, she rolled from her side onto her back.

Just then, there was a noise in the hallway and Mel was immediately out of bed next to her door, with her gun in hand. Ever so slowly, she opened her door just a crack.

"It's just me," came Ranger's deep rumble.

Melanie put the safety back on and lowered her gun. She opened the door further and took note of the handsome man before her, barely illuminated by only the fraction of light in the hallway.

Neither one of them said anything, but just stood there, staring at each other. Ranger was dressed in a pair of running shorts and Mel had on her T-shirt and panties. Seconds ticked by like hours until finally Ranger broke the spell.

"I was debating about knocking on your door."

Mel slowly closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Gathering all the determination she could find, she waved him into her room. It was time to have this conversation once and for all.

Quickly moving into the room, Mel went and sat on the edge of the bed. Ranger took up position just inside the door, looking unsure of himself.

"You can come in and sit down. I'm not going to hurt you," Mel said dryly. Ranger didn't say anything and stood where he was.

"About earlier…" she started, but Ranger interrupted.

"I should have told you what I did once I got back to Trenton. I never meant to put you or anyone else in danger."

"I know." Mel looked down at the floor, unable to meet Ranger's eyes. "There's a chance nothing came of it." Ranger took two steps closer.

"There's a chance something did—or will. That's my fault."

Melanie's head shot up. "None of this is your fault. It's all my fault, based on a decision I made 17 years ago." She started to shake her head as she lowered it again. "It's not your doing, Ranger. You're another innocent by-stander that got caught up in my screwy life."

"Is that true?"

"What?" She didn't understand.

"Am I in your life?" Her shoulders slumped when she realized what he meant.

"No, not anymore." Guess it was time for the nitty-gritty, she thought.

When Ranger spoke, the words were so soft, and laced with pain, that she almost didn't hear them over the sound of her own heart breaking. "Why not?"

"Because it's better for you if you're not."

Ranger took another two steps. "What about what's better for you?"

Mel gave a sad laugh, "Ranger, I haven't thought about what's good for me since the day I met Manuel Rodriguez." From the moonlight drifting in the window, she could see the confusion on his face. "Don't get me wrong, I loved him." She saw him nod once. "But that doesn't change the fact that I gave up the things I wanted a long time ago. There's no getting any of it back."

"I don't believe that," he said with a tone that showed he meant it.

"What you do or don't believe is not my concern. I'm telling you like it is."

"And how is it?"

Taking another deep breath to gather herself, Mel pushed on to explain. "How it is, is you leaving here and going back to Trenton and the life you had before you knew I existed."

"And if I don't?"

"Then I leave here, tonight, and go back to LA or wherever. You won't see me again."

"What about Stan?"

"Stan is fine as long as I keep making the correct choices. He can go to Princeton or anywhere he wants. All of them will be fine as long as I don't screw up."

"What if I'm not fine?"

"Ranger, please. Don't make this harder than it already is."

"So you admit it's difficult to tell me to go away. Why is it difficult Melanie? Why?"

"Because in the last week, you've…you've…" she trailed off, not able to finish the thought, much less the sentence.

In a blur of motion, Ranger took that last remaining steps needed to reach her. Grabbing her shoulders, he hauled Mel to her feet. "I've what?" When she didn't answer he asked again with more force to his words. "I've what?" The fear and sadness he saw in her eyes made him want to kill every member of the Rodriguez family with his bare hands.

With little effort, Melanie was able to get out of Ranger's grip. She took several steps away from him, toward the other side of the room, facing away and looking out the window.

"It doesn't matter. I can't change anything now, I can't change who or what I am. I just have to keep moving forward and that means leaving you behind."

"What do you think you are, Melanie?"

Melanie vigorously shook her head. "No, it doesn't matter. I just need to move forward…"

"What do you think you are, Melanie?" This time Ranger has raised his voice. "Tell me," he demanded.

Violently she spun around, the rage and disgust clearly outlined on her face. "It's not what I think I am. It's what I know am!" She shouted back. "I'm a drug dealer, Ranger. Oh sure, maybe I didn't stand on the street corners myself, but I was part of the process that made sure the stuff got there." Mel started to pace. " I'm a whore, who learned very soon after Manny died, that I was nothing but a commodity, to be passed around and used as the brothers saw fit."

Ranger stood there, with the anger building up inside him the more she spoke, clenching and unclenching his fists.

"And most of all, and the part I hate about myself the most, is that I'm a coward. A coward for letting myself be pulled into that life, and coward for taking so long to get out. Hell, if I hadn't caught Julio molesting Angelina, I still might be there! Why? Because I never had the balls to put my life on the line and say 'I'm leaving, damn the consequences. Kill me if you want'!" She stopped and turned to Ranger. "Because I never had the courage to turn my back on them and walk away." She had run out of steam. "I'm a criminal, a whore and a coward, that's what I am," she said in defeat.

Melanie sat down at the foot of the bed, staring at the floor. All those years she thought those things, but had never said them out loud to anyone, not until now, not until this man.

Several minutes passed while she had been lost in her own thoughts. The room was dead silent and she could feel that she was alone. When she finally looked over to where Ranger had been standing, he was gone

Suddenly she was very tired. Steeling herself against the pain of another loss at her own hands, she stood and went to close the bedroom door. Then went back to bed and fell into a sleep full of nightmares and loneliness.

**************************

Melanie slowly woke to the calming sound of water lapping on the beach and sun filtering in through the windows. Still in that place between sleep and consciousness, she just lay and listened. A feeling of warmth and contentment surrounded and enveloped her. Little by little, as her brain started to function again, she became aware of the warm body she had curled up against. As her senses started to hum, she let out a big sigh. Memories of the night before flooded back in as well.

"I thought you left."

" I needed to let off some steam. We'll have to reimburse the rental company for a couple of Adirondack chairs."

Mel tried to lift herself off him, but he only held on tighter. She sighed…again. "Why? Where did they go?"

"They are in pieces…in the ocean."

"Let me go, Ranger," she said quietly, meaning more than just physically.

"No."

"You don't need this. You hardly know me…" she stopped because Ranger had quickly put her flat on her back and hovered closely above, his strong body pinning her to the bed.

"No," he growled and she could see the fire in his eyes. "You had your say. Now I get mine." For several long minutes he just stared, eyes burning into hers.

"You are anything but a criminal, whore and coward, Melanie Plum. The criminal life you lived was forced on you. You made the best decision you could for the most people involved. You thought of everyone but yourself. Your family and your husband came before your own safety. That's a pretty selfless act. Most true criminals I meet are anything but selfless."

"But the drugs…"

"No, listen." He was still only inches from her face. " You gave up your life so that people you cared about could live theirs. As far as the job you did, well, you're right about one thing…you need to move past it. You also need to forgive yourself for it. No one else can do that. As much as you'd like to, you can't blame yourself for every drug-addicted person in the world. And, I might add, you did get out at the first chance. You are a survivor, not a coward. When you had the chance to save your life, you bargained for others, another selfless act. You could have left and never looked back, but when you had the chance to get out, you made sure you didn't go alone. I would also bet you wished you could have taken Stan's mother with you."

The minute he said it, it felt like a knife pierced her heart and she closed her eyes at the pain.

"Look at me," he softly commanded. She opened her eyes for a split second before snapping them shut again. She couldn't look at him, at all the emotion she saw, all the acceptance. If she looked, she'd crumble and let him in. That couldn't happen, she didn't deserve it.

"Look at me," this time she felt his warm breath on her face. "Please, Gorgeous," he begged as he placed a light kiss on her cheek. "Please," even softer, quieter.

This only made her squeeze her eyes tighter and shake her head. Ranger shifted and brought all his body weight down on her, pushing her into the mattress. He braced himself on his forearms on either side of her head and captured it to hold it still. Then he started to place tender, soft, warm kisses on her face, covering her cheeks, the end of her nose, forehead and finally her eyelids. By the time he had finished, Melanie had relaxed some underneath him.

"Ranger, don’t do this."

"Look at me, Gorgeous, open your eyes." Reluctantly, she did as he requested. If she hadn’t believed that the eyes were the portal to the soul before, she did now. It was as if he was looking into her…no, reaching into her, willing her to let him in. The longer they stayed that way, the more of her resolve washed away.

"Ranger, you don’t understand," she said, sounding desperate now. He had to understand, she had to make him understand. "They used me. After Manny died, they…" she hesitated when she noticed anger flash in his eyes, "hurt me."

"Gorgeous, I’d kill every one of them if they were in this room right now." He forced himself to soften his look, and started to stroke her hair as he soothingly brushed his lips against hers.

"No, you don’t…"

"Shhh," was his only response as he repeated the brush of their lips.

Pulling back to gaze into her eyes was all it took. She was gone. Ranger understood and knew about her…and still wanted her. Even if it was for a brief encounter, she was going to let herself feel this, to revel in it, because it had been too damn long.

When his lips met hers for a forceful kiss, she didn’t resist. Bringing her hands up to his shoulders, she started to caress his smooth skin, up and down his arm. When he fisted his hand in her hair, she moaned into his mouth. He broke the kiss and started a trail of wet kisses down her neck, nipping and licking along the way.

She arched her neck to give him better access and lightly scratched her nails down his back. He shivered at the sensation, or maybe she did. They were still tightly pressed together and it was hard for her to know, but then she didn’t really care. While he worked on her neck, she started flicking her tongue across his shoulder, biting down when she came to the juncture where his shoulder and neck met. There was another shiver, but this time she knew it originated with him.

Ranger lifted his head to look into her eyes again, before sliding off to her left side. His right hand started to caress up and down her arm, along her collarbone, finally down her side and then up onto her stomach. They never broke eye contact as he went to put his hand under her shirt.

Then, two things happened at the same time. Melanie got a panicked look on her face as Ranger’s hand came to a standstill on her lower abdomen.

Karen requested it, so here it is. The latest trashy novel I bought at the store the other day inspired me. Hope you like my "spin".

Chapter 26

"How did you get this?" he asked while tracing his fingers over the long scar that ran diagonally and interrupted the smooth skin of Melanie’s stomach. Melanie just shook her head and closed her eyes. She wasn’t ashamed of it, but she didn’t think she could get the explanation out.

Ranger rolled over to cover her partially, bringing his face only inches from hers. She could feel his warm breath on her face, the light brush of his lips. "You said they hurt you."

Letting out a resigned sigh, Mel slowly opened her eyes. "Yes, they did."

"Is this," he moved his hand over the scar, "how?" She nodded only once and it was Ranger’s turn to close his eyes. Watching as he tried to remain controlled, she couldn’t help but think this was probably the thing that would send him packing.

"Tell me, please?" He hadn’t demanded it, but said it so quietly and with so much pain in his voice that she couldn’t refuse, but she needed distance…physical distance. Nodding her head again, she scooted up and away from him so that she was sitting against the headboard on the other side of the bed.

Taking a deep breath, she said, "Julio was a cruel man. His brother Juan isn’t much better." She looked at him knowing this isn’t exactly what he wanted to know. "Julio cut me, was going to leave me to die I guess, but Jose, the youngest brother, found me and took me to the hospital." There was more, lots more, but she wasn’t going to share it. "Jose was not like his brothers. I think if I hadn’t killed Julio, Jose would have when he found out about Angelina." Pausing, she debated about whether to tell his the rest.

Ranger sat and watched as Mel had an internal argument. He had the feeling he wasn’t getting the entire story and could tell there was something else she wanted to say, but couldn’t decide, so he waited patiently.

"I can’t have children," she said softly. "He made sure of that when he cut me." Mel tried to put on a small smile. "I wasn’t sure I wanted them anyway, but making that decision, and having it taken away from you, are two different things. But, I have Stan." Her smile became slightly bigger but faded into something sad and filled with regret.

He noticed the look right away. She was going to try and push him away again. Moving quickly, Ranger got in front of her on all fours, blocking her movement. All she could do was scoot down, and that’s exactly what he wanted. Melanie, of course, never followed his plans. He had to laugh to himself; he had found another family trait of the Plum women.

Melanie opened her mouth to say something but Ranger didn’t give her the chance.

"No."

Her look became confused. "No what?"

"No."

She studied him, trying to understand what he was saying. Then it dawned on her, he knew she was going to tell him to leave. Shaking her head slightly, she couldn’t help but smile and finally, let out a small laugh.

"Am I that predictable?"

"Hardly," was all he said before he leaned and pressed his mouth against hers.

The soft touch of his lips had her relaxing again, letting go of all the built-up tension. When his tongue flicked against her lips, she opened her mouth willingly. Not breaking the kiss, Ranger moved his hips up under him, so he could take his weight off his hands. He wanted to touch her, to feel her smooth skin and soft hair.

Putting one hand behind her head, in her hair, and the other around her back, he lifted her away from the headboard as he started to straighten. Moving his hand from her hair to under her butt, he lifted her completely off the bed. She gasped in surprise, amazed at his strength. He moved her downward so that she was lying flat on the bed. As before he stretched his body over hers, sinking her into the mattress.

Ranger broke the kiss and buried his head in her neck while her arms came up and around his back, softly caressing him. God, just to lie here with her like this, knowing she trusted him enough to let him in--if he never accomplished another thing in his life, he could die a happy man because of this moment.

As much as he wanted to stay like that forever, eventually Melanie nudged him with her shoulder, a silent request for him to move. But when he rolled over to his side, he took her with him. Melanie snuggled in, her head against his chest, simply listening to the beat of his heart and drinking in his warmth.

His hands started to roam her back, at times tracing small circles and at others, with long, slow strokes.

"Roll over on your stomach," he requested, whispering in her ear, "Your neck and shoulders are tight. Let me loosen them up."

Without a second thought, she did as he asked. Mel knew that right now, she would do just about anything he asked of her. As she flipped to her stomach, she felt him lift off the bed.

"Where…"

"I’ll be right back."

Within a minute he had re-entered the room, placing a bottle on the nightstand. Walking over to the window, he opened it wide, then went to the other two and did the same thing. The room was instantly filled with a warm ocean breeze.

Ranger got back on the bed and straddled her legs. He’d work on top of her shirt... for now. He gently rubbed the back of her neck with his thumbs, working downward to her shoulders. Switching to the heel of his hands, he started to press down her back on either side of her spine. About halfway down, he heard a pop.

"You ok?" Shit, all he needed to do was hurt her.

She laughed, "Yeah." He could hear the smile in her voice. "I can still move my toes." He felt the back of her legs work as she moved her toes around.

"Good," he said, laughing with her, and continued down until he came to her ass. The overwhelming need he felt to roughly grab and squeeze that fine backside did not win out. Slowly, he thought.

"Can we take your shirt off?" He waited for the answer and almost missed it. After asking the question he closed his eyes. Thank god he had opened them in time to see her nod.

With her shirt removed, Melanie heard him rub his hands together quickly, she assumed to warm them up. As soon as he touched her again, she knew she was correct. His hands were warm and seemed to greedily attack her back as they worked. She was feeling more and more relaxed as time passed, almost not noticing when he stopped. Just as she was going to thank him for doing such a wonderful job, he put his hands back on her, but this time there was a warm liquid he was spreading all over. The more he rubbed the warmer her back became and the light scent of almonds drifted to her nose.

"Hmmm, that feels wonderful." The only response she received was from his hands. They started to work on her sides and when his fingers brushed the side of her breast, she felt herself start to throb between her legs. Being so relaxed, the feeling caught her by surprise, and now it was all she could concentrate on…well that, and where his hands were working.

His hands slid around her rib cage, just under her breasts, thumbs working on her back. Eventually his thumbs came down to the side of her breasts and his hands started to gently squeeze. As the throbbing and wetness in between her legs increased, she let a small moan escape.

Giving one last rub and squeeze to her sides, Ranger moved his hands to her back, giving long, palm flat strokes, up and down her back. When he stopped, Melanie felt him shift further down her legs and when his hands went to remove her panties, she didn’t try and stop him. He backed up until she felt him get off the bed, as he completely removed her only undergarment.

He caught her by complete surprise when he slid an arm under her stomach, and placed a small pillow underneath her. The bed dipped by her legs, and he spread her legs wide enough to get in between them. Her eyes flew open as she realized exactly what kind of view he had just given himself.

"Ranger…" The feel of his warm slick hands massaging the back of her upper thighs, cut her off. She was going to tell him something, but damn if she could remember what it was when those very strong thumbs started on the inside.

"Yes?" he asked, knowing full well he had distracted her.

"Hmmm?" Good lord, she was absolutely pulsating now and started to feel a dull ache at her core wanting release.

"You said my name, Gorgeous." Not being able to hold back any longer, he put his hands on her ass and started a deep massage. The warm feeling in his gut was starting to burn. He had been hard since taking off her shirt, but now he felt a strong need. His hands grabbed hungrily at her, going back down to the inside of her thighs and purposefully brushing against her wet curls.

Feeling his fingers brush so close to her clit had her gasping. She didn’t want to move but she had to. The need for release was getting too great. When she heard him groan at the sight and feel of her hips moving, more of her inner juices flooded out, which seemed to increase the pressure of his fingers.

"Oh god," she moaned and that snapped the last of his control. One hand moved to massage her mound briefly before his fingers gently parted her folds and plunged into her warmth to stroke. She cried out softly when he entered her with first one finger, then a second, all the while stroking her hard bud of arousal.

Melanie moved her hips to meet the thrust of his hands. She pushed all of her walls down and let herself feel all the sensations Ranger was creating. It had been such a long time…such a long time. Moaning, she clutched the pillow under her head and felt the heat in her abdomen start to slowly burn.

"Please," she begged in barely a whisper.

"Please what?" came his husky rumble. He changed the rhythm of his stroking to keep her off balance, finally ending with deliberately slow circles.

"Oh…Oh…please," was all she could get out. She felt the telltale sign of a flush on her face and neck. She was so close.

When Ranger started to quickly flick a finger over her core, she came undone. Her release washed over her in waves, prolonged by the continued attention to her clit. She stopped breathing and became completely still as the feeling enveloped her, riding on that wave until she had to gasp for air. Barely having time to gain any semblance of thought, she felt a second orgasm rip through her, sending her back up. All the while, Ranger rode it out with her, thrusting his fingers in and out and stroking that hard pebble.

When she finally had come back down, Ranger slowed his movements until finally stopping and withdrawing. Her breathing was labored so he tried to reel himself in. What little control he had left couldn’t take much more. He moved out from inside her legs and placed his hands on her hips to roll her on her back.

Being able to look in his eyes shocked her. All the desire and tenderness she saw there was not what she was expecting.

He broke their gaze as his eyes trailed lazily down her body. Reaching out, he latched on to one breast and brought his lips down to brush against her straining nipple. His tongue flicked out for a quick lick and she gasped…he smiled.

Melanie involuntarily arched her back when his mouth took to suckling. Still tingling and limp from his prior efforts, she let herself enjoy the feel of his mouth on her skin and brought a hand up to stroke the back of his hair as he sucked, licked and nipped.

Ranger couldn’t hold on any longer. He brought his mouth up from her breast and took one last look in her eyes to make sure she was ok. Seeing her openness to him, her desire, was all the encouragement he needed. Positioning himself above her, between her legs, he brought his mouth crashing down on hers for a mind-melting kiss. He didn’t ask for permission this time. His tongue invaded, devoured and savored.

Melanie knew she was done for; she had let him in… completely. Throwing her arms around his shoulders, she also brought her knees up and spread her legs wide. His erection brushed her entrance. They stopped the kiss and stared at each other as he slowly pushed himself inside her. Her eyes drifted closed at the wonderful feel of him filling and stretching her. They stilled completely except for the heaving of their chests, and Melanie concentrated on this moment to burn it into her brain.

Ranger started to move, withdrawing slowly and then sliding back in, each time a little more forcefully than the last. Her hips met his thrust for thrust, the coil in her stomach started to tighten and the heat at her core was burning again. Opening her eyes she could tell he was close too, the strain of control written on his face.

With eyes locked, she put one hand down to where they were joined and started to rub herself. That extra little push was all she needed and her orgasm came crashing down on her. It was as if time was suspended and the only ones in the universe were the two of them. Faintly, in the distance, she heard him groan and felt his body stiffen.

As soon as that perfect moment had come, it was gone. They were two sweaty, heaving bodies, still joined, but spent. Once he rolled off of her, she was once again aware of the soft breeze coming in from the windows. She was grateful for the cool, soothing air against her sweaty skin.

"Gorgeous?" Her attention was snapped back to the man in bed with her. Rolling her head so she could look at him, she smiled a soft smile that he returned. She moved onto her side and curled up in the crook of his arm, putting a hand on his chest and one leg over his.

"I need to go find Steve," she offered with no urgency to her voice.

"Mmmm…love makin’ and ass kickin’ all in one day. Gorgeous, you’re everything I’ve ever dreamed of."

 Chapter 27

Melanie went to open the car door when Ranger's hand on her knee stopped her. She looked at him, cocking her head to one side and furrowing her brow in a silent question. His face was blank, and with his mirrored sunglasses on, she couldn't see his eyes, so she waited.

"You need backup?" Melanie's face softened, and she turned her head to look out the car window at the beach house in front of her. Studying it, she made her decision.

"No," she smiled big, "I can handle Steve and his girlfriend by myself." Pausing to finish a silent debate she was having, she added, "Thanks for asking." Mel flashed him her best smile and just about melted when he returned it with one of his own.

"Go get 'em, Slick. I'll be right here."

She rolled her eyes, but doubted he caught it since she was behind her own set of mirrored shades. Pulling the door handle, she opened the car door and stepped out.

Standing outside the car, she studied the front of the house quickly. Her plan was to come by last night to scope the place out, but she had been sidetracked. Oh yeah, what a way to be sidetracked, she thought as a smile broke out on her face, again. She couldn't stop that from happening every time she thought about what she had shared with Ranger that morning. Mel hadn't felt this way since…since…she was 18 and had fallen in love with Manny.

Melanie shook her head to clear her thoughts. That was not the thing to think about when going into a confrontational situation. Better to focus on the task at hand. She'd deal with her feelings for Ranger later.

Moving up the front walk, she opened the gate on the white picket fence that graced the front yard and had to snort in disgust. Isn't this cozy, she thought as she went on through to the front porch.

She gave two deliberately hard knocks, then backed up two large steps and waited. The door finally opened and a fresh-faced teenager looked out at her. Good god.

"Can I help you?" she asked with surprise in her voice.

"I hope so," Mel said, smiling as brightly as she could without vomiting. "Is Steve around? I'm a friend of his."

"Well…sure. Just a second," she sputtered, then turned and yelled for Steve. Steve rounded the corner and came into view. He was tan, and still well built, casually dressed in shorts and t-shirt. He froze the minute he saw Melanie at the door. Mel could see the flight or fight debate rage on inside him, so she thought she'd help him decide.

"Stay calm and everything will be fine," she said evenly.

"Steve, what's going on? Who is this?" The teenager hadn't a clue, but that was going to change very soon.

"Melanie," Steve said through gritted teeth.

"We need to talk." Mel didn't leave any room for argument.

Steve stomped to the front door and opened his mouth to say something, but stopped and focused on something over Melanie's shoulder. A very slow, evil smile spread across her lips. She knew exactly what he was looking at.

"Since when do you need muscle?" he asked with what seemed like genuine curiosity, the anger that threatened just a minute ago suddenly gone. Steve gave a small laugh and shook his head, finally focusing back on Melanie.

"What do you want Mel? Just go away." She had to give him credit for trying.

"I don't think so, Steve. Can I come in?"

"Steve," screeched the young woman now standing directly behind him, "who is this?"

He ignored the question and asked, "Why should I let you in?"

Melanie's smile got bigger; this is what she had been waiting for. "Because I'm going to tell you why that little lady behind you is going back home and how, if you cooperate, you can avoid jail."

"What!?!" came another high pitched squeal from behind Steve.

Steve narrowed his eyes. "You don't have a thing."

"Aw, come on, Steve. You know me better than that. Would I be here if I didn't?" When Mel noticed his shoulders slightly slump, she knew she had won. Without saying a word, Steve walked away from the door, with the teenager following right behind him. Mel took this as her cue to go on in.

Right before she went into the house, she turned around. Just as she thought, there stood Ranger next to the car, arms folded and dripping with bad ass attitude. She lowered her sunglasses on her nose and looked over the top, taking one long, lingering look. A slow, seductive smile played on his lips. He knew she was checking him out. Mel let out a sigh as she tore her eyes away and entered the house, shutting the door behind her.

Ranger had wondered if Melanie would be mad at him for getting out the car and putting on a show of strength, but from the way she just looked at him, he guessed not. When she looked at him over the top of her sunglasses, he immediately became aroused. So he spent his time planning what they would do when they got back to their beach house.

Fifteen minutes had passed when a taxi pulled up across the street. A man and a woman got out and Ranger overheard the man tell the cabbie to wait. Then the couple went up the front walk toward the house, but not before giving several curious and worried glances in his direction. When they reached the front door, he watched as Melanie opened the door and invited them in.

Waiting until the door was closed again, Ranger finally let his amusement show. What had she gone and done?

Another five minutes had ticked by when the front door flew open again. This time a very unhappy young woman descended the walk, headed to the cab. The couple that arrived earlier was right on her heels and the man now carried a suitcase. Ranger watched as they all climbed into the cab and drove away. Looking back at the house, he noticed Melanie on the porch watching the cab go down the street and once it was out of sight, she made her way back into the house, never giving him a second glance. Truth be told, he was a little hurt by the snub, but he also knew that she was in the middle of a job and had other things to concentrate on.

 

 

Stepping onto the sidewalk, Melanie gave a sigh of relief as the warm sun hit her face. She looked at the sexy man waiting for her by the car and smiled big. It had taken another ten minutes, after Ms. Chastity Beltomo left, escorted by her parents, to get Steve to sign the necessary papers. Seems he was more willing to give up his teenaged lover than his money, but in the end Mel got what she wanted. She always did.

Sauntering up to Ranger, she put her hands on his chest and leaned in to give him a quick kiss. Oh yes, she thought, this trip was turning out more satisfying than she had dreamed.

"All done, Gorgeous?" Melanie nodded as Ranger held open the car door.

"Yep, for the most part," she said calmly.

Ranger gave her a questioning look, but closed her door and got himself settled in the car. "How did you get rid of the girl? Her parents couldn't have been the only reason she left."

"No, they weren't. Steve told her to go. See, Miss Chastity Beltomo," Mel watched Ranger's eyes get big. "Yeah, I know," was all she said as she rolled her eyes. "Anyway, seems Miss Chastity was not 18 when Mr. Steve decided to take her away."

"Did he know?"

"Nope."

Ranger let out a loud laugh as he pointed the car back to their place. "She lied to him?"

"Sort of. She didn't really know. Mr. and Mrs. Beltomo had told some fibs when it was time for their darling Chastity to start school. I guess waiting another year to start wasn't acceptable, so they forged some papers and moved her birthday."

"Oh, this is priceless!" Ranger barked with laughter. Mel thought they might have to pull over. "How did you find out?" he wanted to know.

"I have my ways, and you'd be surprised how easily the parents confessed to their lies and produced the real documentation when I told them my plans. They'd do anything to get their little Chastity out of the clutches of that evil man." Now Melanie couldn't help herself. She busted out laughing too. "Anyway, it took some additional coercion, but I got Steve to sign the papers to give Val back half their money."

"She'll be pleased."

"Yeah, I think so." There was enough of a mischievous tone to her voice that Ranger raised one eyebrow.

"I have a plan," she said coyly.

By the time they arrived back at their house, Melanie had finished telling Ranger her plan and he was about doubled over in hysterics. Finally getting out of the car, Ranger made his way around to her side and engulfed her in a big hug as she exited.

"Gorgeous, you're something else," he said smiling down into her sparkling eyes. "Do I get an invitation to this anniversary party?"

She smiled back and nodded. "Sure. The more the merrier."

"I have no doubt this will be one merry event. Now, I have some plans for our own merry evening."

"Oh?" she teased.

The only response he gave was the now-familiar wolf grin. Her stomach skittered in anticipation at what that signaled. Oh, yes, she thought, as he grabbed her hand and led her into the house.

Chapter 28

 

The short man hurried into his employer's office. He wanted to deliver the information and then leave as quickly as possible. Whatever the man's reaction might be at the news, he didn't want to stick around to witness it.

"Señor," (Sir) he said gently.

Juan turned his attention from the phone to the short man in front of his desk. Nodding his head, he indicated for the short man to continue.

"Tenemos un reporte de su locación." (We have a report on her location) Another nod from the man in charge encouraged him on. "Ella está regrasando a Trenton. Mira lo que ella fue en los Caymans con un hombre que se llama Ricardo Manoso." (She's on her way back to Trenton. It looks like she was in the Caymans with a man named Ricardo Manoso.)

"Tenemos información para él?" (Do we have information on him?)

"Estamos colectando la informacó ahora, señor." (We're gathering it now sir.)

"?A que hora está regrasando?" (When is she due back?)

"Hoy, señor. Su avión atarriza en media hora." (Today, sir. Her plane lands in 30 minutes.)

"?Y solo está ahora que me dices?" (And I'm just being told now?) Juan said with obvious irritation in his voice. One thing was for sure, since Mel and Manny stopped being in charge of security, including recon, things had gone downhill. "Bueno. Quiero que colócala un máquina trazadora y síguela." (Very well. I want her tagged and followed.)

The short man didn't move. Tagging her with a tracking device was going to be impossible. The only reason they knew she was on a plane right now was because their person in the Caymans happened to see her at the airport. Their contact was just lucky she hadn't moved around much on the island either. This allowed him enough distance not to be spotted.

?Qué?" (What?)

"Señor, será..." (Sir, it will be…) the short man faltered.

"No quiero sus excusas Mario. Quiero hacerte este," (I don't want excuses Mario. I want it done,) Juan snapped.

"Sí, señor." (Yes, sir.)

"?los planos son lista por sabado?" (Are the plans ready for Saturday?)

"Sí, señor." (Yes, sir.)

Letting out a big sigh, Juan waved the short man away. He had no patience for being told his orders couldn't be carried out. The information about her being with a man was interesting and he had a feeling he knew of Ricardo Manoso, but couldn't place him.

Turning his attention back to the phone, he realized it didn't really matter. He'd have the information soon enough.

**************************************

Melanie's life was flying by in a blur since getting back from the Caymans. She and Ranger had spent an extra 24 hours getting to know each other a little better. He told her all about his daughter and his time in the military. She shared her stories about life growing up as the oldest Plum sister.

But now, back in Trenton, things became furiously busy. She had meetings in New York with performers and agents, plus there was the anniversary party tonight. Letting out a tired sigh, Mel stared out the window of her condo wondering how she was going to tell Ranger of her decision. The time in the Caymans was nice, but that's where it had to end. She had given herself a little freedom. Now it was time to get back to the way things were before.

Once they returned, Ranger had been called out on a job. She hadn't seen him in the past four days. He's called a few times, but he was working so she didn't expect too much. Telling him over the phone wasn't an option, anyway. Still, she missed him. And it wasn't good that she found herself hoping it was him calling each time her phone rang.

Melanie sighed…not a good at all.

"What's not good?"

Melanie jerked around in surprise. "Stan?" Had she been talking out loud? Damn, even thinking about that man had her doing things she didn't usually do, like talking to herself.

"Hey, Mel. You beckoned?" he asked as he flopped down in one of the chairs across from her.

She smiled. "Yes I did." The smile faded as she started to tell Stan her reason for asking him to come to see her at the condo. "Stan, I think you should gather your things and move back in here tonight after the party. Ranger has been more than generous, but I'm back now and you wouldn't be here alone."

"It's ok, Mel. He said I could stay as long as I wanted." Sure, until she tells Ranger to go away.

"I want you to come back to the condo, Stanley."

"What happened?" Stan wasn't fooled. Something was going on besides the fear of an overstayed welcome.

"Nothing."

"Mel, don't start lying to me now," he scolded. Narrowing his eyes, he asked a question he was sure he knew the answer to. "Did he hurt you?"

Melanie looked into the caring eyes of the young man in front of her, no signs of the lost little boy. "No," she whispered as she shook her head. He nodded once in return once she confirmed what he already knew.

"Then what happened?" he asked, this time softer. "I thought you two were… getting along," he said teasingly, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

"We are. It's just not a good idea that's all. He's too close."

"Bullshit, Mel," he offered casually as he stood and stretched. "But I won't push you on it. I'll go get my stuff and be back tonight." He turned to leave but stopped. "You know, this is the first time I can't figure out what's going on in that stubborn head of yours." Turning back, he came up directly in front of her, leaned over, put his hands on either side of her chair, and got in her face.

"I told you before, I'd stand up with you in any fight the family wanted to bring on, for any reason. Personally, I think Ranger is one pretty damn good reason. I think you'd be surprised how quickly the others would join us, too. It's time that we stopped looking over our shoulders. It's time you start thinking of yourself, Gorgeous." Mel blinked at the use of her high school nickname. "None of us would deny you that." She blinked in surprise again. After quickly placing a kiss on her cheek, Stan stood and walked out of the room without saying another word, leaving a very stunned Melanie in his wake.

The sharp, high-pitched ringing of her phone brought her out of the stupor she was in.

"Hello?"

"Yo, Gorgeous."

"Hi," she breathed, as her voice involuntarily lowered. Damn.

"I just wanted to tell you I'll be back tonight. I'll meet you at the party." Melanie's stomach tightened at the hope of seeing him again. Should that happen if she wanted him to back off? Shouldn't she feel relieved if she was making the right decision?

"Ok. I'll see you tonight."

There was silence on the other end of the phone for several beats and Melanie's stomach felt like it dropped six feet. Somehow she knew he was fighting with what to say next. She felt her heart rate increase twofold when the possibilities of what he might say raced through her mind.

"Mel?"

"Yeah?" Another two beats of silence passed.

"Everything ok?"

"Yes, everything is fine. I just need to talk to you tonight, after the party."

"We're talking now."

Melanie let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Ranger…" she started. Now it was Ranger's turn to let out a breath.

"No," was all he said.

"What?"

"No."

She closed her eyes slowly and tightened her hold on the phone. He knew what she was thinking…again, just like when they were in the Caymans.

"Ranger, I'll see you tonight," Mel managed to get out, then hung up the phone.

**************************

Stan didn't get it. Mel and Ranger seemed like they had connected in the Caymans. At least that was the impression he got from her, well the impression before today. Stan hadn't seen Ranger to know, but guessed even if he had, he wouldn't get much from the stoic man. The chirp of his phone interrupted his thoughts.

"Yeah."

"Stan, it's Ranger."

Stan came to an abrupt stop in the middle of the busy Manhattan street. Well, well, he thought, isn't this interesting. "Oh hey. What's up?"

"Have you seen Melanie today?"

"Yeah, just came from the condo. Was heading back to your place. Thanks for the use of the Bronco, by the way."

"Not a problem." He could hear the smile in the other man's voice, but that vanished quickly with his next words. "Was she ok? Did something happen?"

"She asked me to move back into the condo tonight after the party." There was silence for quite some time and Stan was beginning to think that Ranger had hung up.

"Ranger?"

"Could you wait a day?" Stanley shrugged.

"Yeah, probably. Why?"

"I have a plan."

Stan had to laugh, "And?"

"That she'll be coming to my place to be with us."

"That's an ambitious plan."

"I'm an ambitious man." The smile was back in Ranger's voice and then the line was dead. Ranger hung up before Stan could tell him there was someone else that might be able to help sway Melanie.

One thing was for sure, Stan was glad Ranger wasn't giving up. Mel might have actually met her match.

 

Chapter 29

Ranger walked into the PNA Hall anxious to see and talk to Mel. Hell, he really just wanted to touch her. Not only because he wanted to have his hands all over her, but also because if he had a hold of her, she couldn't disappear.

Stepping just inside the room where the Plum anniversary party was taking place, Ranger noticed Bobby to the right of the door, back against the wall. Ranger went over to join him so he could scope the room before making his way over to the Plums. The room was full of people, some standing and others sitting at the various tables. A band was playing and a group of older men was gathered at the bar.

"Yo. How's everything?" Ranger inquired.

Bobby knew what he was really asking. "Everything is quiet. Tank and Lester are around keeping an eye on the other exits and stage. There's been no activity at all, even while you were gone."

Ranger just nodded. He didn't know what he expected Bobby to say, but something was nagging at him…something not good, and he couldn't shake the feeling.

"Where's Mel?"

"Over there," Bobby said, smiling as he pointed to a table up by the dance floor. Steph, Joe, Em, Stan and Mel were all gathered around it. The band started its rendition of The Beatles’ "Twist and Shout," which had Stan on his feet pulling Melanie to the dance floor. He smiled as he watched Joe drag Stephanie out there too, while Valerie's girls danced haphazardly with each other. Em, he noticed, was sitting quietly watching Mel and Stan. After what Tank had told him, he had a feeling she was watching more of Stan, than Mel. He was not ready for that stage of Emily's growing up yet.

Just as he was about to give his congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Plum, then drag Mel behind the stage to give her a proper hello, he noticed a large man come out from behind the stage curtain. He was as tall as Ranger, dark skin, Latino features, and very muscular…and headed straight towards Mel.

Ranger noticed that neither Lester, Tank, nor Bobby had any reaction to the large man's presence. The stranger grabbed Melanie from behind and spun her around to face him. She didn't react out of fear and Stan stood there laughing as the man dipped Melanie backward to kiss her. Ranger stood in the shadows, blood boiling and fists clenching at his side.

As luck would have it, Mrs. Mazur chose that moment to spot him and waved him over to the table she was sitting at with Mr. and Mrs. Plum. Ranger made it over to the table and talked with the Plums, even managing to keep a safe distance from Mrs. Mazur's wandering hands.

He excused himself from the table and headed back to where Bobby was still stationed when he felt Melanie's presence behind him. Jesus, she didn't even need to say anything and his radar could pick her up. Turning, he met her soft smile, but when he looked in her eyes, he could tell she had pulled herself back again. This was worse than he thought. He needed to take some action…and soon. Then he noticed the stranger directly behind her.

"Ranger. When did you get here?" Mel asked. She knew the minute he entered the building, her senses started to tingle, but it was the polite thing to ask.

"Just a minute ago," was his only reply. She didn't need to know that he stood watching her from the corner, his heart pounding, other places throbbing with need, for a good five minutes. The guy behind her didn't need to know it either.

Her smiled brightened as she started to speak. "Good." She nodded and then turned slightly to the man behind her.

"Ranger, I'd like you to meet Fredrico Juarez. Freddie," she gestured toward Ranger, "this is Ricardo Manoso, Ranger." Relief flooded Ranger. Why hadn’t he figured out that was Fred?

"Hello," Fred said as he extended his hand. "How nice to finally meet you."

"Same here," Ranger offered.

"Mel," Stan said as he came up next to Melanie, "Mary Alice just asked the band to play Full Nelson. They want to know if they can."

"Limp Bizkit?" Mel questioned, and looked like she couldn't decide whether to laugh or be disgusted. "Tell them no. On second thought, I'll tell them. You tell Mary Alice that this party is for Grandma and Grandpa and it's doubtful they would appreciate that song. Although, I have a feeling my Grandma would be the first to start the mosh pit," she laughed as she rolled her eyes. Stan's eyes, on the other hand, brightened and Melanie just shook her head. "Don't even think about it."

"Fine," he said, smiling, with a twinkle in his eyes.

"I mean it Stanley. You give that old lady any ideas and I'll kick your ass." That made Fred and Stan roar with laughter, and Mel had to work hard at suppressing her own amusement. Still laughing, Stanley went to go find Mary Alice and that's when Ranger noticed Em.

"Hi, Honey," he said as he held his arms out to her.

"Hi, Dad," she said as she hugged his waist. "Mr. Juarez," she said pulling away from Ranger turning to Fred, "one of the stage guys said he needed to talk to you."

"Thank you, Em," he smiled sweetly at the young girl. "You've got a great daughter, Ranger." Ranger smiled and nodded as Em rolled her eyes. "Don't underestimate yourself, Emily. There aren't too many people who can sneak up on Stan and pin him to the ground. When my little Natalie gets to be your age, I hope she can take such good care of herself." Fred winked at the blushing Emily, and then walked away. Ranger held back a chuckle. Tank had told him about Em and Stan's first meeting. It filled Ranger's heart with pride, but he'd tell Em that later. Right now he needed to catch the woman who just turned and started to walk toward the band.

Ranger caught up with Mel and stood behind her as she explained what type of music the band should stick to. When she was finished, he grabbed her by the arm and started to tug her toward back stage.

Mel really didn't want to get dragged backstage by Ranger, but short of making a scene, she didn't have a choice, and he knew it. Pulling her through the heavy black curtain, he backed her up against the nearest wall.

"You wanted to talk?" She met his eyes, which was a dangerous thing for her to do, but he had to know she meant business.

"I said after the party. In private," she hissed. Ranger moved his left hand up, palm flat, on the wall next to her head. He went to move his right hand on the other side, to block her in, but when he did, his right hand went further back than his left. Moving the curtain that covered the wall to the side, he discovered a door. A quick check and it was found to be unlocked. Throwing the door open, Ranger latched on to Mel's shoulders and hustled her backwards into the darkened room.

Once inside, he shut the door and put Mel's back against it. There was only one frosted window in the small room, but enough filtered light coming in from the street that Ranger recognized the place as a prop room.

"Private," he said as he finished blocking her in against the door. He knew he needed to be careful because if she really didn't want to be manhandled, she wouldn't allow it or at the very least, she'd put up a good fight. Mentally he winced as he remember the kneeing she gave him at the beach house…yes, careful…very careful.

"Fine," she conceded, "we have privacy." Her eyes seemed to have a mind of their own as they started to look everywhere but at him. Damn it, she scolded herself, be strong.

"I've been thinking…"

That's as far as she got before Ranger quieted her by putting his lips gently against hers. A small moan escaped from the back of her throat which caused Ranger to press against her a little more, his teeth capturing her bottom lip as his tongue swept back and forth over it.

Mel thought her legs were going to give out when he finally released her from the kiss and backed away, barely. He was still only an inch from her face, his warm breath coming fast, matching the accelerated speed of her own.

"I think we should say hello before we talk." Ranger dipped his head again for another kiss. This one with just a fraction more force and a whole lot more feeling.

Melanie felt the resolve she had gathered start to melt away. Her hands came up to rest on his chest with the intent to push him away, but like her eyes, they had a mind all their own. Sliding around to his back, her hands roamed freely, stroking lazily up and down. She felt herself shudder when his lips left her mouth and started to attack her neck, his body responding by pressing tightly up against hers.

"Oh…Ranger…please," she gasped.

"Please what?"

"Stop…please." It came out breathy, but she found a sliver of that resolve. Her hands came back to his chest and this time they did push him back, his body giving in easily to her slight nudge.

Ranger took one step back, but left his hands on either side of her head against the door. Nothing was said for several minutes as they locked eyes. Ranger was trying to battle his way back inside, and she was doing her best to keep him out.

"No," he growled so that it came out low, deep and full of frustration. After he said it, he noticed a change in her eyes, almost a shadow of panic in them.

"No," he growled again but with less frustration. This time not only did her eyes change, but they softened, and she pulled her bottom lip in to run her teeth across it.

"No," this time in a more normal tone as he lowered his head closer to hers, never losing eye contact. "No," he finally whispered before placing his lips back on hers. That's when he saw it. The beautiful hazel and green eyes said it all; he was back in. This time his kiss wasn't so gentle. He went after her like a lost man in the desert would go after water: wanting, needing and taking all he could get.

Ranger could feel the rumble of a moan low in Mel's chest. It continued to get louder and louder until it burst forth from her mouth into his, only it wasn't a moan, it was a scream. About the same time he figured that out, he felt her put one of her legs around behind one of his and her hands came back to his chest. Before he could react, she gave one big push, tripping him up as he fell backwards. He landed, with one big muffled thump, on top of a pile of fabric.

"AHHHHH!" she screamed and she stepped over him and started to pace the small room, only able to take two steps before having to turn around. "What the hell is it about you? Huh? If anyone else ever told me no like you just did, I’d seriously consider taking them out! Do you realize that? I’m not around you for more than five minutes and my insides are doing flips. Christ! I can’t even get to sleep if you’re not in bed with me. I used to at least be able to sleep for a few uninterrupted hours, but no, not anymore." She took a pause in her tirade only long enough to point and accusing finger. "And you! You’re not any help," she screeched and resumed her pacing. "Looking…like… like you look!!"

The whole time Melanie was ranting, Ranger sat there and became more confident in his belief that she had let him back in, and this time it was to stay. Why else would she get so upset? He watched her body move back and forth, arms flailing wide. Ranger wondered if that was the Italian in her coming out, talking with her hands like that. He’d never seen her lose control before so he wasn’t sure. Watching and waiting, Ranger was hoping for the perfect moment to be able to hop up and grab her.

Fred was about to go back out to the front of the room when he heard Melanie yelling. Looking to his right, all he saw was a wall of black curtain. He stepped over, moved the curtain and saw the door. Putting his ear against the door, he confirmed that it was in fact, Mel yelling. Can't sleep unless you're in bed with me? This is interesting, he thought as he tried to press closer to the door.

"And what’s with Stan telling me I need to think of myself for a change? Myself? Myself? HA! And saying the others wouldn’t deny me that?" She stopped putting her hands on her hips in a defiant gesture. The change was abrupt, as if turning off a water faucet. "That's it. I'm out of here."

Fred chose that moment to act. He had a pretty good idea who she was about to walk out on, and he wasn't going to let that happen. Opening the door, he took one step inside and shut it behind him, greeted by the shocked faces of Ranger and Melanie. Fred was a bit surprised himself when he saw that Ranger was on the floor.

"No, Sweetheart, you aren't going anywhere."

 

Chapter 30

She said ‘I don't know if I've ever

been good enough

I'm a little bit rusty’

and ‘I think

my head is caving in’

and ‘I don't know if I've ever been

really loved

by a hand that's touched me’

and ‘I feel like

something’s gonna give

and I'm a little bit angry’

           

well, this ain’t over

no, not here

not while I still need you around

You don't owe me

we might change it

yeah, we just might feel good

Push - Matchbox Twenty

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Melanie was really off-kilter, but it only lasted a second. Fighting with Fred was not something she wanted to do, but if he left her no choice…

Putting her mask in place, and bringing up her walls, Melanie spoke calmly. "Fred, this doesn't concern you. I need to go get ready for Valerie's surprise. Now, if you'll excuse me."

"No," Fred stated as he held a hand down to Ranger, signaling more than just an offer to help him to his feet. Ranger smiled up at the large man, and hopped to his feet.

"If one more man says the word ‘no’ to me, I'm going to shoot him," Mel threatened through clenched teeth.

All three of their heads turned when they heard the sound of the door opening, watching as Stan popped his head in.

"Ranger?" Opening the door a little more, he noticed Fred. "Fred?" Finally stepping all the way in and closing the door, he saw Mel, and a shit-eatin' grin appeared on his face. "Hi, Mom."

Before Melanie could tell him to cut the crap, the door opened again and Stephanie appeared, followed by Valerie. In an "I give up" gesture, Mel threw her hands up in the air, letting them fall and slap against her legs. She turned her back to everyone and made her way over to an old chair that was in the corner. Sitting, she put her head in her hands and started to slowly shake her head.

Stephanie took in the scene and had a feeling that Mel was outnumbered, and she had an idea what the topic of discussion was, too. She glanced at Val, who threw her back a knowing look. Giving each other a slight nod, they muscled past the men, turned to face them, and crossed their arms.

"Get out," Stephanie ordered in a calm tone. The three men exchanged sideways glances, obvious at a loss as to what to do, and none of them wanting to take the lead…not now. They knew they were outmatched.

Ranger decided to be the first to try. "Steph…" he started, but trailed off when all she did was raise her eyebrows and start to tap her foot on the floor.

Fred moved to stand between Ranger and Stan. Slapping Stan on the back, he said, "Stan, this is a perfect example of knowing when to make a hasty retreat." Making the same move on Ranger's shoulder, he turned and said, "Sorry man, she brought in the big guns." Swiveling his head back and forth to look at each man, he tried to keep the laughter out of his voice. "Gentlemen, it's time we left the ladies alone." With his hands on the men's shoulders, he guided them, speechless, from the room.

Melanie started to speak before lifting her head, "Thanks guys, I didn't…." It turned out to be a mistake when she saw the glaring looks from her sisters. "What?"

"Stan told us you want him to move back into the condo," Valerie accused.

"Yes, I asked him this morning. Ranger has been kind, but I'm back now," Mel defended.

"Back now and able to take care of your own," Steph chimed in.

"Yes," Mel said, jumping to her feet. "And what's wrong with that?"

"Melanie," Stephanie said while taking a step closer to her older, and angry, sister. "Did it ever occur to you that you keep all those people close, not for protection, but out of a need to control?"

"What!" Melanie felt like she was just slapped.

"Mel, every one of the people you say you protect by keeping yourself… your heart, locked away are adults. Yes, you got them out of a bad situation but I don't believe they stay around out of gratitude, or even protection for that matter. They stay with you because they care about you. They want you to be happy. They want you to be able to have a life, just like they've been able to have. If you decide there is something, or someone, you want in your life, even if it's risky, I think you'll find they'll support it." All Mel could do was stare dumbfounded at Valerie.

"Val," Mel said after finding her voice. "This is not like deciding whether or not to get a puppy. This is life and death stuff here."

"You don't think they know that? How do you think it makes them feel when they see you closing yourself off to every man who comes near, knowing it’s for the good of the group? Have you ever asked them if it was ok for them to take on some of the risk? Have Rosa, Fred, Roberto or even Stan, ever come to you and said 'I'm afraid for my life, don't take that risk'? Any of them? Ever?"

Stephanie waited until Val was done, then took the two steps necessary to get in Mel's face. "And I bet, dear sister, that the exact opposite has been happening. I bet, for years, they've been trying to tell you to live your life for yourself, and not for them."

Melanie carefully stepped around Steph and started to pace. Her head was spinning. She hasn't felt this out of control since,…since,…hell, she can't even remember. "I've got responsibilities. Responsibilities that are bigger then just what I want. Fred has Maria and the baby. I can't endanger that and Stan…"

"Melanie!" snapped Val. "If I were to bring Fred in here, and tell him what you just said, he'd kick your ass from here to China!"

Taking a deep breath, Val lowered her voice and approached a very stunned Melanie. Gently putting a hand on her arm and softening her tone. "When does it stop Mel? Are you going to be 65 and taking responsibility for Fred's grandchildren? His great-grandchildren? When does it stop?" She paused to let her questions sink in. "They are all autonomous adults. They didn't have to come with you in the first place." Mel's eyes couldn't get any wider with surprise. "That's right. You offered them a way out, they took it, and they didn't have to. Let them go, just a little."

Valerie turned away from her sisters, grasping at straws. "B..b..but what about you guys and Mom and Dad, Stan didn't have a choice, I can't just…"

"The same goes for us. We're all grown up now too. Yes, Stan was young back then and decisions were made for him. He's older now. Move on," Val stated.

Melanie gave one last ditch effort to hold on to her world as she knew it… as she created it. "If anything ever happened to any of you, I'd…"

"You'd what dear? You're not God. There isn't a person in our family who holds you responsible, Melanie Elizabeth." The three sisters spun around to see their mother and grandmother standing in the doorway.

"Mom…"

"Girls, you've come close to the true problem, but haven't really hit it head on yet," lectured Helen. Melanie closed her eyes slowly and wished someone would let her finish a sentence.

"The real issue is guilt." Helen turned to her oldest, the one who always carried the world on her shoulders. "Dear, you won't be able to open your heart until you let go of all the people you think you need to protect. You won’t be able to let go of anyone until you let go of your guilt. And," Helen said as she moved to Melanie and placed one hand on her cheek, "you won't be able to let go of your guilt, until you forgive yourself."

"Melanie, the role of martyr belongs to your mother," said Grandma. "If you take that away from her, what will she do?"

"Mother!" exclaimed Helen.

"Hmph, you're not the only one with insight into her daughter's motivations." Turning on her heels, Grandma Mazur stomped out the door. The four women left in the room all sighed and shook their heads, slight smiles playing on their lips.

Helen turned back to face Melanie. "It’s going to take some time Melanie, but I have a feeling you could be truly happy if you’d just let it happen." She didn’t clarify what exactly "it" was that Mel was supposed to let happen. Picking up on her daughter’s confusion, Helen said, "All of it, dear."

Turning to her other two daughters, Helen got down to business. "Girls, let’s go. Valerie, Mary Lou and Lenny are going to be taking the girls back to their house now. Stephanie, Joseph is probably looking for you."

"Wait a minute," Stephanie whined as she was herded toward the door. "Why does she get the ‘It’s going to take some time’ speech and all I ever hear is why am I not already at the altar?"

"You’re different, dear."

"Different? What…"

Mel had to chuckle as Steph’s voice faded from earshot. She went back over and plopped down in the softly cushioned chair, once again putting her head in her hands. Within 20 minutes she had managed to get told off by almost everyone she knew.

"Hey, you ok?" came a voice from the door.

"Yeah, just peachy, Fred." He had the nerve to laugh.

"Good, cause the girls are gone so we’ll be ready for you guys in about 15."

"Ok, ok," she said with irritation, waving her hand in an effort to make him go away. "Oh, Fred," she mumbled as she rubbed her temples. "You might want to check with Ranger about Em. I don’t know if he’d want her to stay during our performance."

"He already did that, Gorgeous." Mel was startled by the sound of Ranger’s voice. When she looked up, she noticed he had also closed the door again. She was really beginning to hate this stupid little room. It was like a personal little torture chamber.

"Back for round two?" she questioned, keeping her head down and not meeting his eyes. She was startled again when his hands started to rub the back of her neck from behind.

"No. I just wanted to make sure you were ok."

Mel stopped his hands, and sat back in the chair, keeping her eyes closed.

"Good, because I don’t think I’m up for it." She was more relaxed and didn’t jump when Ranger started to rub her temples.

"Headache?"

"Mmm, yeah."

Quietly, Ranger rubbed and kneaded the tension out of Mel’s shoulders, upper back and arms. After just a few minutes he could tell she was relaxing some. Finally moving around to stand in front of her, he stood there until she opened her eyes. He held out a hand to her, and when she took it, pulled her up. Quickly switching their positions, so his back was to the chair, he half expected a fight when he pulled her down across his lap. His heart swelled when she curled up and put her head on his shoulder.

"Mel?"

"Hmmm?"

"You ok?"

"Yeah."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Just asking. You were ready to shoot me 20 minutes ago. Wondering why the sudden change."

"Letting it happen," she mumbled into his neck.

"Oh."

"My mother said I should let it happen…so I am." Made perfect sense to her and god help her, she was going to give this a try.

"Sounds like a good plan to me," he said as he lowered his lips to her neck and started to nibble, but soon that wasn’t enough. Capturing her head in his hand, he brought her face up directly in front of his. Their eyes locked only for a second before his mouth came down on hers.

There was no fight this time, no struggle. As a matter of fact, he was getting as good as he gave. Slick tongues battled for possession. His hand started to travel up and down her thigh, each time getting a little higher, pushing her skirt up. Her hands went around his neck and hands fisted in his hair.

Mel let out a moan deep from within when Ranger’s hand finally made up to her ass and started to knead and rub. She could feel his arousal against her other thigh. Her hand wandered down his chest to play with his nipple through his t-shirt, and then lower still to feel the hard muscles of his six pack. Melanie was amazed how quickly he could stimulate every hormone she had.

A sharp knock on the door had them stopping the kiss. Fred’s muffled voice came through the door. "Mel, 10 minutes."

They sat there, staring at each other, chests rising and falling in unison, until Mel stood.

"We don’t have much time," she declared.

Ranger watched, stunned, as she hiked up her skirt and hooked her thumbs in her panties and started to pull them down. Once she had stepped out of them, she knelt in front of the chair and started to work on getting his pants undone.

"Mel…"

"Shut up and let it happen," she ordered. How could he not obey a command like that?

Freeing his impressive package, she saw it was already weeping in anticipation. One small drop of his liquid glistened on the tip. Mel just had to have a taste. Ranger shifted his hips slightly forward, giving her better access. Not breaking eye contact until the very last minute, Mel put one hand around the base of his throbbing cock and lowered her head until her lips just hovered above him. She had to smile when he groaned with expectation.

Finally looking down, she started to lick wet circles around his velvety tip. Her grip around him tightened as she took him into her mouth and started to suck, moving him slowly in and out of her mouth. She thought he tasted wonderful and the throbbing between her legs increased when his hips started to move to her rhythm. She increased the pressure from her hand, sucked harder and moved faster until she felt him grab a handful of her hair.

"Mel." He sounded like he was strung tight. "Not… like…this," he managed to say while panting.

Giving one last, long suck and a flick with her tongue, Mel released him and quickly repositioned herself back on the chair, a knee on either side of his hips. His hands immediately grabbed at her hips and started to guide her down. Ranger threw his head back, closed his eyes and let out a low growl as she took him into her warm, slick opening.

Ranger tried to start to move her but she wouldn’t let him. Bringing his head up, he met her stare and that’s when she slowly started to lift off him, letting him slide almost completely out. Hovering there just long enough to make sure she had his attention, she waited another two beats, then in one quick, hard motion, moved down and brought him back inside. Then let her upper body fall forward and catching herself with her hands on the back of the chair.

Holding completely still, she could feel the muscles in his legs twitching as he fought for control. She lowered her face until their lips were softly brushing, and breathed the word "Mine." Just when she thought the look in his eyes couldn’t become any more passionate, he proved her wrong. His eyes dilated and darkened to two black liquid pools. All the longing, passion and understanding she ever wanted could be found right there.

His hands tightened on her hips in an almost painful grip. He was going to start to move her even if she didn’t want to. Good thing she wanted to. She lifted and slammed back down on him several more times, altering the amount of time she’d hover, just to keep him off balance, but eventually ended up falling into a steady rhythm.

She met each of his thrusts, all the while locking her eyes on his. Watching as the features on his face started to slip from tight control to pure pleasure. Feeling herself starting to slip over the edge, she muffled a cry when his thumb found her clit, giving her the final push she needed. Her orgasm washed over her as she felt Ranger stiffen. He said her name over and over as his hot liquid spilled inside her.

She collapsed forward, burying her face in his neck and they sat quietly, still joined, trying to catch their breath.

Another knock on the door made her jump and Ranger’s arms reflexively came up around her shoulders to hold her still.

"Mel, they’re ready."

 

Chapter 31

Ranger stood in the shadows at the back of the PNA Hall. Valerie was seated, alone, in the middle of the dance floor, facing the stage, while all the other guests were seated at the surrounding tables. Once again, Ranger noticed that Em was seated in a position to watch Stanley.

He had to chuckle to himself when it dawned on him that his little girl was staking out the goods, and the goods happened to be Stan. Maybe he had taught her too well. He’d be sure to make a point of having a talk with Mr. Stanley Jay Empaleo in the near future.

The lights in the room dimmed and a spotlight hit center stage. Melanie came sauntering out in a short beaded dress. Light danced off her as she moved, hips swaying, across the stage to stand in the spotlight.

Grabbing the microphone, Melanie started to speak. "Val—Mom, Grandma, Stephanie and I have put together a little surprise for you. Hope you like it."

As the music started to play, Ranger’s eyes were glued to Melanie as she began to sing. His thoughts flashed back to the informant in Florida. "… Manny was married to a woman called Annie Rodriguez. It was rumored she and Manny worked together for the Family, but she was more well known for her nightclub singing. After Manny’s death, she disappeared." The last piece of the puzzle fell into place.

At first I was afraid, I was petrified

Kept thinkin' I could never live without you by my side;

But then I spent so many nights

Thinkin' how you did me wrong

And I grew strong

I learned how to get along

And so you're back ….

Just then the tempo and beat of the music picked up. Ranger about lost it when Helen, Grandma Mazur and Stephanie all trotted on stage wearing the same dress as Melanie, each carrying a larger-than-life size cutout of Steve. The picture was of him standing with feet spread, hands on his hips and a big cheesy grin on his face, wearing only a Speedo. The kicker was where, or how, they were holding the cardboard posters. Right where the family jewels would be found, a wooden peg had been attached. And each of the three women had a firm hold of it.

…from outer space

I just walked in to find you here with that sad look upon your face

I should have changed that stupid lock

I should have made you leave your key

If I'd have known for just one second you'd be back to bother me

As Melanie sang the lyrics, and visibly struggled to keep from laughing, Helen, Stephanie and Grandma Mazur danced around in unison with the cardboard cutout pictures of Steve. They’d go around in a circle, dragging the posters along by their precariously-placed wooden pegs, sometimes wagging the index finger of their free hand in "Steve’s" face while bouncing their hips to the rhythm of the music. Ranger was almost in tears when Mrs. Mazur turned the wrong way at one point and started wandering around the stage. It seemed that every time she’d start to catch up, she'd just turn the wrong way again.

Go on now go, walk out the door

Just turn around now

('cause) you're not welcome anymore

Weren't you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye

Did I crumble

Did you think I'd lay down and die?

Oh no, not.I. I will survive

Oh as long as I know how to love I know I'll stay alive;

I've got all my life to live,

I've got all my love to give and I'll survive,

I will survive. Hey hey.

Surveying the hysterical crowd, Ranger noticed that while the men were laughing, it wasn’t with as much gusto as the women. Probably the exact effect Melanie wanted, he thought.

 

It took all the strength I had not to fall apart

Kept tryin' hard to mend the pieces of my broken heart,

And I spent oh so many nights

Just feeling sorry for myself. I used to cry

But now I hold my head up high

And you see me somebody new

I'm not that chained up little person still in love with you,

And so you feel like droppin' in

And just expect me to be free,

Now I'm savin' all my lovin' for someone who's lovin' me…

Ranger’s attention was drawn back to the stage when there was a sharp peak in the laughter. He looked up in time to see that Mrs. Mazur had dropped her cardboard prop flat on the stage floor. It took her several tries, but she was finally able to pick it up and get a hold of the wooden peg.

Go on now go, walk out the door

Just turn around now

('cause) you're not welcome anymore

Weren't you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye

Did I crumble

Did you think I'd lay down and die?

Oh no, not.I. I will survive

Oh as long as I know how to love I know I'll stay alive…

As the song finished up, there was a loud cracking noise followed by a tearing sound. The life-size prop that Mrs. Mazur was holding fell flat to the floor with a slap. Only this time, Mrs. Mazur was left holding the wooden peg.

"Oh look, I broke off his little wanger," she said, loud enough for the microphones to pick up.

Melanie and Stephanie broke down at that point. Mel had stopped singing completely and wiped at her face

"Oh Mother!" Helen responded, which threw the crowd into another fit of laughter.

Ranger had been unable to see Val’s reaction to the whole event, but now she looked to be leaning over in her chair, holding her stomach while her shoulders shook.

It took several long minutes for the crowd to calm down, and Mel waited until she had everyone’s attention again to speak.

"Valerie, we have one surprise left for you."

Melanie motioned over to the side of the stage. After several loud gasps, everyone in the room went silent. Dozens of stunned faces followed Fred across the room as he delivered a very scared and embarrassed Steve to Valerie, who had jumped to her feet the minute she saw him.

Ranger couldn’t hear from the back of the room, but he could tell words were exchanged and Steve handed something over to his ex-wife. Valerie studied the paper he had given her and gasped while bringing a hand up to cover her mouth. She looked from the paper to Steve, back to the paper.

Then she raised her small hand in the air and slapped Steve right across the face. Steve seemed to start to lean in, but Fred placed a restraining hand on his shoulder and Lester was on his feet and in between Valerie and Steve before Ranger could blink.

Fred pulled Steve back as Lester went and stood by Val, placing his arm around her waist. Ranger would bet the best part of the evening just took place for Valerie—the look on Steve's face when he saw Lester holding her. It was a look that was tough to sum up with words. There was shock and disbelief, lots of it, but also pain and regret.

Once Fred and Steve disappeared backstage again, the entire room erupted with applause. Lester swept Valerie up in his arms for a very public display of affection.

Ranger's eyes strayed around the room out of habit, until finally landing on Melanie. She was still on stage but looking directly at him. He doubted she could see him since there were bright spotlights aimed directly at her, but it gave him a little thrill to know she could sense where he was standing.

The women came down from the stage, each giving Valerie a hug as Ranger made his way to the front of the room. The dress Mel was wearing had given him some very specific ideas for the evening and he wanted to make sure she kept it on.

Walking up next to Melanie, Ranger slipped his hand around her waist and leaned down to her ear. "Keep that dress on for later," he whispered. He felt her shiver so he was pretty sure she had heard him, but Em approached and he didn't get the chance to see Mel's face.

"Dad, can I stay and help clean up?"

Ranger was a little disappointed by his daughter's request. He was hoping to spend time with her since he had been out of town, but when he looked over at the stage and noticed that Stan was helping the band tear down their equipment, he understood.

With a mental sigh, Ranger turned to Em and said, "Sure, baby. I'll stay so you can help."

"I'll take her back to the house," Stan's voice came from behind Ranger. "You and Mel won't have to wait. Besides," a lecherous grin appeared on the young man's face, "I thought you two would be going back to the condo tonight."

"Stan, I thought you were going back to the condo tonight with all your stuff?" Mel asked.

"Well, umm…" Stan trailed off and looked to Ranger for some help.

"Gorgeous, I asked him to wait one more day," he explained flatly

"Why?" He could see the beginnings of that stubborn look in her eyes.

"Because I thought I could talk you into getting your stuff from the condo and coming back to my house." He noticed something flare up in her eyes, but she shut them before he could identify it. Ranger looked nervously at Em. He hadn't had a chance to talk to her about it. All his doubts were erased when she stood with a huge grin, nodding her head up and down.

Everyone stood there not really knowing what to do. Mel had been standing with her eyes closed for several minutes with her lips moving ever so slightly. Ranger finally leaned in closer and heard what she was saying. "Let it happen," she was repeating over and over. Before he could stop himself, Ranger let a small laugh escape.

Upon hearing it, Mel elbowed him in the stomach, then opened her eyes and smiled. "That sounds fine to me." She turned to Ranger. "We'll go to the condo tonight to get my stuff, then we'll come back to your place tomorrow."

"Great, we'll see you tomorrow. Come on kiddo," Stan motioned to Em, "I'll show what you can do." He sauntered off with Em trailing behind.

"Don't worry guys," Bobby said, coming up next to the couple, "I had planned on riding back with the kids anyway. I think Lester has other plans." Mel and Ranger scanned the room to find it mostly empty, but Lester had Val backed up against a wall toward the back of the room. He had one hand up against the wall by her face, speaking quietly into her ear. Val had her head down, staring at her hands that were still clutching the paper from Steve. Melanie noticed that she also was experiencing a full-blown blush and had a slight smile on her face.

"Ready to go?" Ranger asked. Mel looked up into his face, his warm, inviting eyes staring back down at her.

"Yes."

As they reached the front door, Stephanie caught up with them. All three walked out into the night. The parking lot had a few cars scattered here and there, the Broncos all lined up close to the front.

"Steph, where's Joe?" Melanie wondered.

"He left. Dad wouldn't take Grandma home since she is three sheets to the wind. So," she motioned down toward the Lexus SUV where her grandmother was sitting in the passenger seat, "I'm taking her home." They followed Stephanie's gaze and all started to laugh when it obvious the old woman was singing along with the radio. "Then I'm meeting Joe at his house."

Melanie felt a sudden change in Ranger; he was tense.

"What's wrong?" she asked as something started to blip on her radar also. Mel was cussing herself for not having her gun. Something was telling her she should have it right now.

"I don't know. You two get back inside. I'll go get your granny," he ordered, berating himself silently for not having Tank call in extra men for tonight.

"Give me a weapon," Mel barked at Ranger. She knew he had to have more than one on him.

"That won't be necessary," said a heavily accented voice.

Melanie froze and didn't dare turn around, knowing her worst nightmare had just come true. She knew that voice. Her eyes quickly flicked between Ranger and Steph.

Ranger made a very small move to try for his gun, but stopped when the barrel of someone else's was pressed against his temple.

"I would advise against that Mr. Manoso. Alec, please relieve Ms. Plum of her handbag."

Another man came into Melanie's view and took Stephanie's purse from her. In a last ditch effort, Melanie looked down at the Lexus, hoping that her grandmother was hiding. Her heart stopped in her chest when she saw her grandmother still singing to the music… and a man standing at the back of the vehicle, gun in hand.

Slowly, Melanie turned around and faced the man who was the cause of her current terror. "Juan, it’s been a while."

 Chapter 32

 

Satan, you know where I lie

      Gently I go into that good night

      All our lives get complicated

      Search for pleasures overrated

      Never armed our souls

      For what the future would hold

      When we were innocent

 

      Angels lend me your might

      Forfeit all my lives to get just one right

      All those colors long since faded

      All our smiles all confiscated

      Never were we told

      We'd be bought and sold

      When we were innocent

 

      This prayer is for me tonight

      This far down that line and still ain't got it right

      And while confessions not yet stated

      Our next sin is contemplated

      Never did we know

      What the future would hold

      Or that we'd be bought and sold

      We were innocent

 

Fuel - Innocent

 

Mel watched the world rush by as she sat in the back seat of the black Cadillac.  Juan had separated the three of them, each in their own car.  Now the convoy was pulling into an airplane hangar that looked to house just one private jet. 

 

The car ride had been quiet. Juan sat in the front passenger seat of Melanie’s car, while two large goons were on either side of her in the back.  They hadn’t bothered to tie her hands because Juan knew he had enough force with him to keep everyone in line.  The car came to a stop and Mel exited when told.

 

The minute she stepped from the car she looked for Ranger and Steph. They were also getting out of the cars. Steph looked scared and Ranger was doing the same thing as Mel, scoping the place to find exits, hiding places, etc.

 

“Don’t bother, Annie.  As you can see, I have six more men in the hangar, three with sniper rifles,” Juan said casually.  “You can’t run.”

 

Shit. He was right.  Mel felt the knot that had formed in her stomach tighten.  Maybe she could still talk her way out of this.

 

“My name is Melanie.  Annie no longer exists.”  Ok, maybe that wasn’t the best way to start, but she wasn’t going to give up complete control…not yet.

 

Ranger and Steph were brought to stand next to Melanie, but far enough apart so that they couldn’t touch without taking several steps.  Directly behind both Ranger and Stephanie stood one of Juan’s men.  The guy behind Steph had a gun aimed at her head.  The guy behind Ranger had the gun up against his head.   There were just too many of his men, all armed to the teeth.  Melanie, for the most part, if you didn’t count the men scattered throughout the hangar, went unguarded.

 

Juan approached Mel and brought his lips to her ear. “Melanie, Annie, I don’t really care what you call yourself,” he whispered.  Melanie physically fought the urge to shiver.  He laughed softly and backed away.  “You broke your deal,” he said as he walked away from her.

 

Melanie said nothing. She wanted to see exactly what he had to say before she spoke, not wanting to give anything away.

 

“You broke your deal,” he repeated as he turned around to look at her. “You’re coming back with me.”  At least Juan got straight to the point. Had this been Julio, he would have tortured them all before getting to what he wanted.

 

Melanie took several steps toward Juan, acutely aware of several gun sights following her movement. “No, Juan, I’m not.”

 

“Yes, my lovely, you are.”  God she hated when he called her that. It made her skin crawl.

 

“No, I’m not.”  Mel’s face stayed completely calm, completely blank.  “Not alive anyway.”

 

“My lovely, you’re coming and you’ll be alive. We knew, even when you were 18 that threatening your life wouldn’t work. We could see the loyalty you had to your family.  They were your weakness, not you. So you see, I’ll make sure you’re alive and well, by using those around you.”

 

“That’s an old threat. It’s not going to work anymore,” Stephanie said through clenched teeth. “You can’t get to all of us at once and what good would it do if we’re all willing to die?”

 

Juan had turned to Stephanie when she started to speak, and now just stood and stared at her like he just noticed she was in the hangar.   Then the look in his eyes changed and that had Mel suddenly very nervous.   Walking slowly over to Stephanie, he stood before her and slowly ran a finger down her cheek. When she went to raise her hand, the man behind her put his gun directly against her head; she stopped her movement short.

 

“Maybe I should take both of you.”

 

That’s all it took for Ranger to try something, but the minute the idea came to him, he felt the gun against his head move slightly and he knew the shooter had taken the play out of the trigger.  The guy’s shot was right on the edge.

 

“Leave her alone, Juan,” Melanie ordered in a low menacing voice. “She’s not going anywhere and neither am I.  You don’t want me to come with you.”

 

Juan chuckled at that declaration. “Oh? And why is that, chica?” he asked as he stepped away from Stephanie

 

Melanie took another step closer to him. “Because I’ll kill you the first chance I get.”

 

“My lovely, are you under the impression you’re coming back with the same terms?” He started to shake his head. “Oh no, no.   While you will be entertaining Jose and me again, your movements will be restricted and closely watched. See, I understand that after several years of freedom, the people we threatened you with before, would rather die than be taken back or…let you be taken back.  That’s all part of human nature, the bonding, the maturity, the freedom and standing up for it.  I knew you would be more defiant.  That’s why I have something else to bargain with this time, something new to help keep you in line.”

 

As if on cue, Juan’s phone rang. “Qué?…Sí…ahorita…bueno.”  (What…yes…right now…good.)

 

Another car rolled in from the same door they had entered earlier.  Melanie started to get a very, very bad feeling about this.  All eyes were glued to the car as it came to a stop. 

Finally one large man got out of the car and pulled Em out after him.

 

Melanie heard Ranger emit a low growling sound and by the time she could look over at him, he had three men piled on top of him trying to beat him into submission.

 

“Dad!” Em yelled when one particularly large goon landed a kidney punch and Ranger cried out.   Em, like all the other women in Ranger’s life, was not one to be trifled with.  Taking one step away from her captor, she raised a leg, bent it, then kicked backward, hitting the man behind her in the knee.  When he went down, he lost his grip on her. 

 

Em started to run toward Ranger, but when Mel saw that several of the other men made a move for her, she stepped out and quickly grabbed Em as the young girl passed by.

 

“Stop!” Mel yelled as loud as she could.  Everyone was frozen in place. She stood still as her heart broke in two.  What could she do now?  Where was Stan?  Oh god, what happened to everyone back at that hall? She had only one option.

 

“I’ll go.”

 

Turning to Juan, but still holding Em, she repeated herself, “I’ll go, but this is over. No one gets held over my head.  I’ll go, free and clear with no problems but you leave everyone alone… forever.  This is the last bargain for lives.  I’ll go and I’ll stay.”

 

“You won’t try to leave…to escape?” Juan was skeptical.

 

“If I leave, it will be in a coffin.”

“But not by your own hand.”

 

Melanie closed her eyes for a second.  He had just guessed the last card she was holding.  Her only escape was just cut off.

 

She opened her eyes and let go of Em, who ran directly to Ranger, still lying on the floor.  Mel spoke slowly. "Not by my own hand."

 

“Melanie!” Stephanie yelled, the desperation coming through loud and clear.

 

Putting her arm out behind her in a stop motion, Melanie tried to quiet Steph.  Still facing Juan, she made her last request.  “I want to say goodbye.  Pull your men back.”   Juan eyed her suspiciously. “I want some privacy.  Nothing will happen. You have my word,” she swept her arms wide, “and all the guns.”

 

Juan nodded to his men and they all backed off. “I’ll give you ten minutes,” he said before turning and heading toward the jet.

 

Stephanie immediately ran and embraced her sister. “Mel you can’t do this.  We’ll get you out.  We’ll figure something out…”

 

“No, Steph.  This is it.  No more.  This time, the good of the many outweigh the good of the one.”  Mel paused and a grin crept onto her face. “Shit, I sound like an old Star Trek movie,” she chuckled.  When she looked at Steph, her attempt to lighten the mood didn’t work.  There was nothing but pure pain on Stephanie’s face, tears falling down her cheeks.  Melanie closed her eyes and took a large breath, letting it out in a rush.

 

Turning, she opened her eyes to focus on Ranger and Em.  He was on his knees, Em at his side, and staring back.  Quickly, she walked over and knelt in front of him. Their eyes locked for several long seconds, until Mel switched her gaze to Em.

 

Reaching out and pushing some hair behind the girl’s ear, she said, “I’m sorry Em.  Did they hurt you?”  Em shook her head.  “Good.  I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.  I’m going to make it right,” Mel said as she gave a weak smile.  Em’s eyebrows scrunched in confusion, the pain obvious on her face as well.

 

Looking back at Ranger, Mel met his blank face, but the more she looked into his eyes, the more she could see the hurt.  He had several cuts on his face and Mel ran a finger over them.  She was startled when his hands grasped her face and pulled her forward for a soft kiss.

 

“Mel, I…” he started, but Mel cut him off.

 

“There’s no choice. The minute Em stepped out of the car, there was no choice, not for you, not for me.”    They touched foreheads and he closed his eyes, hands still cupping her face.

 

“I’ll…” he tried to speak, but again, she wouldn’t let him.

 

“No, you won’t.”  His eyes flew open to meet hers, this time emotion clearly showing.  The warm liquid pools she lost herself in early, were now filled with immeasurable pain. “Promise me you won’t.” Ranger didn’t move, didn’t say a word. “Promise me,” she said a little more forcefully, hoping he didn’t hear the quiver in her voice. Closing his eyes again, Ranger slowly nodded his head, their foreheads brushing.

 

When he opened his eyes again and she looked into them, Mel felt the last pieces of her heart disintegrate.  There was nothing left, she was empty.  The progress she had made over the past few years, the past few days, the last few hours, had disappeared. The nothingness was back. Bringing her hands up behind Ranger’s head, she pulled him in for one last, deep kiss.

 

She broke it off suddenly and met his eyes one last time.  Pushing him back, then grabbing his wrists and pulling them away from her face, she let go, and his hands dropped to his sides. 

 

Standing, she turned and went to Stephanie, who had Em wrapped around her waist.  Pausing, she brought a hand up to Steph’s face.

 

“And then there were two,” was all she whispered before she walked away and boarded the plane.

 

Epilogue

 

Five years later

 

Stan fidgeted in his seat, trying to get comfortable, but it wasn’t so much his physical discomfort that had him restless.  His mind wouldn’t let go of the events of the past few days and what brought him to where he was right now.

 

“Steph, I think we need to do this,” he was almost pleading, sitting there at Stephanie’s kitchen table.

 

“Stan, no.  It’s not…”

 

“Not what?” he yelled.  “It’s been too long already. I’m not waiting any longer and it’s a good idea. I told everyone I would wait until I was done with school and now I’m done. I don’t see that I have any choice left. Hell, I even waited an extra year!”

 

Stan watched as Stephanie sighed and studied him.  He was not a child any longer and she knew that. She also knew he was capable and smart.  But like the others, she was afraid to try.

 

“Have you talked to Ranger or Fred?” This was her last ditch effort at getting him to listen.  With Fred on the west coast, Ranger had taken over as fatherly role model, not that Stan needed much of that.  But there were times, over the past five years, where some guidance was necessary. Stan would stay with Ranger on school breaks and occasional weekends, if he didn’t fly back to LA.  

 

Lowering his head to look at the table, he said, “Ranger refused to talk about it. Fred said to leave it alone, it’s too soon.”  His head came up quickly, “But it’s not too soon. It’s been too long.”  He stood, “I’m not waiting any longer.  If you don’t help me, I have a few others to ask. But even if they say no, I’m still doing it.  I’ll do it by myself.”

 

He had left after that, leaving Stephanie with a pained look.  Stan sighed and looked out the window.  At least Stephanie had taken him seriously.

 

Lazily, he rolled his head and looked at the beautiful woman sitting next to him.  He knew she would agree to come along; it was the repercussions of her actions that worried him.

 

“Please put your tray tables and seat backs in an upright position. We’ll be landing in Long Boat Key in just a few minutes,” announced the flight attendant.

 

The beauty next to him turned and smiled softly.  He held out his hand and she took it.

“Well, Em, looks like we’re here.”

 

 

 

 

A heartfelt thanks to Laurie for performing the tedious job of cleaning up after my mistakes and making me look good; to Traci and Ginger for being my sounding boards; and to everyone else who read and enjoyed the story.