Category: Change in the Wind

The Full Story, with all Side Stories and the Housekeepers’ War series integrated in.

Deleted Scene: The Return of Maria

This is the way I originally wrote Maria’s return. This would have been in Chapter 83: The Power of a Woman, after this section:

So the league of assholes (much easier than trying to keep count of the quickly dwindling number) is silent for two days, watching her, assessing her, before they ask again. They get the same answer. Finally Nacho comes to me as the representative of their ‘concerns’.

It takes everything I have not to say ‘windows’.

“Diego, we don’t know what’s up with Maria, but she’s not cooking like she used to. It’s almost like having Ella here. Can you find out what’s wrong?”

So I called a meeting and allowed Maria to tell the men of RangeMan Miami her needs. No man was prepared for what he heard. Continue reading →

Chapter 83: The Power of a Woman

A/N: This chapter starts the Friday Steph leaves for her weekend with Carlos.
I know this chapter, timeline wise, is all over the place. Sorry I can’t give you a more linear flow in this chapter but there’s a lot going on behind the scenes! So if you’re confused, don’t worry. The next chapter explains everything!

Diego’s POV—Friday Morning

Stephanie’s been walking around with an evil smile on her face for the past 18 hours.

Hal is terrified. Thomas, Pat and I are confused. Mack’s amused. He can’t wait to see what she comes up with.

“Diego, I’m telling you, that smile is trouble!” Hal hissed as we left the CO’s office at 0800. “That smile contains all the evil and mischief she can come up with.” He stopped dead in the middle of the hall and shuddered. “That smile was the last thing I saw before I was stunned.”

I froze. Whatever the CO had come up with, it was guaranteed to be the work of an evil genius.

I need to go light a candle. Continue reading →

Chapter 82: Alone with you

Ranger’s POV

The distraction was simple. I bought Babe a ticket from Miami to Newark to leave at 1300 on Friday. By 1100, Diego had her at the airport and walked with her to security. He ensured she made it through security with her bag before leaving. I idled in the cell phone parking lot until my phone beeped, then swung back out to the arrivals area and retrieved Babe, who had changed clothes, shoes, and hairstyle in the airport bathroom.

“Hey, Carlos.”

She’s gotta stop doing that. I can’t stop smiling. “Hey, Babe. Enjoy your bit of Mission: Impossible there?”

“Yes!” She kisses me then snaps her seatbelt. I’m staring, dumbfounded, at her. “Ranger?” She waves her hand in front of my face. “Carlos? Tampa. Let’s go.” Continue reading →

Chapter 81.5 We Woo, Part III

Diego’s POV—Wednesday

Plum worship is in effect in Miami.

Miami leadership loves her. Thomas and I haven’t had to buy flowers for the CO yet. Mario came in on Saturday with a special bouquet. He said it was just in case she was still traumatized from her kidnapping but he blushed slightly. That’s Mario’s tell. I asked what they were really for. He admitted he’s talked to the rest of the men around the company. He found out she loves flowers, doughnuts, dancing, and naps. Since dancing was a bust, he brought flowers.

Deuce brought in half a dozen doughnuts. He and Mario talked to Marcus and found out that she had been converted to Krispy Kreme. He stalked a KK for 45 minutes that morning, waiting to get her a hot, fresh half dozen, but since he had no intentions of getting his ass beat by Hal, he gave those to Maria to give to the CO as appropriate. I went back to my office and laughed my ass off.

That explains the glaze in the corners of Steph’s mouth and her obvious happiness during what I expected to be a tense and unhappy meeting. Continue reading →

I Live in His Glow

“. . . but I never have and I do not now. I live in his glow.”

Lester’s POV

We’re tied down under heavy gunfire. Ram is doing his best to pick them off, but he can’t move much without giving away his position. Ric will never allow Ram to take fire. We allow Ram to do his thing because he’s a fucking genius with a rifle, and Ric’s adamant about ensuring Ram’s protected.

We need a plan.

We’ve been successful in the objective, which was to completely eliminate an insurgent cell, hiding place and all, but we’re in urban fire now, exactly what we didn’t want. I think about where everyone is and I realize that if we don’t move soon, Ram will take fire. This is where he set up in order to cover us while we took out the cell, and now they’re closing in on him. They’ll stumble on his ass and our best sniper will die. Teigs was enough. Bobby and Ric love Ram. I can’t allow Ram to take fire. Continue reading →

Chapter 81: You lead, I’ll Follow

Steph’s POV—Wednesday

I wake up bright and early the next morning and go to the gym. My presence causes every man to stop and stare. I merely wave and hit the treadmill. After an hour, I’m dripping nasty sweat and exhausted. Thomas has arrived and is smiling at me.

“Mats?”

I roll my eyes. “Right. Wait until I’m good and tired to issue a challenge.”

He laughs. “Mack keeps telling me about your pointy elbows.”

I frown and look at my elbows. They look like normal elbows. “OK, but if Mack warned you, I’m promising nothing.” Continue reading →

Chapter 80: You need to get a new idea

A/N: The entire chapter is Mack’s POV. You know what his language is like. There’s a slang dictionary at the end.
 
UPDATE: This chapter was written before the clearance. As another reviewer pointed out, Mack’s seen Hal before. Chapter has been updated slightly. 🙂 Whoops!

Mack’s POV—Monday

I insisted on protecting the CO. She’s major and she needs serious firepower and a no-shit attitude at her back. I’m not saying Linden ain’t shit; I’m saying I’m not afraid to do time again. He needs to stay clean. I’m ride or die.

She saved NYC. Men in this branch are serious about her. The moment Thomas told me what went down, I swung my balls and called Tank Saturday morning. First time I ever called him ’bout something but I’m serious. The CO will have protection. Continue reading →

Chapter 79.5 Information from the strangest places

A/N: This was a one-shot request, but I’d planned for this in the story also. So, thank you to Roscommon for the prompt! It made writing this chapter much easier.

Ram’s POV—Monday Afternoon

Another day, another schedule. I wonder if Hector has a program to do this automatically. Again, staffing is tight. Hal planned to hire an entire class of RangeMan recruits today, but Junior and I will do it later this week.

This op has to end soon. As soon as we get our men back, they leave again. I understand Hal’s frustration now. We have the crown. We have to keep the crown and not having our leadership here is killing us. Continue reading →

Chapter 79: Orders and Reprieves

Steph’s POV

Diego’s jaw is tight. He keeps swallowing hard and he hasn’t taken his eyes off the road.

“Diego?” I speak softly. I recognize this face. This is the ‘I fucked up beyond all comprehension’ face. “Diego?” He looks over at me and I smile. “This is not your fault. This is not Maria’s fault. This is my crap luck coming back to bite us all.”

He gives me a tight smile and we pull into the garage. Maria’s there, in tears.

“Stephanie!” she rushes forward and hugs me tight. “Oh, Stephanie! I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry.” She’s sobbing and hugging me so tightly I can’t breathe. I pat her back awkwardly. Continue reading →

I Live in His Shadow

A/N: Because Les has gotten so little love from me, his one-shot will have two parts!
All conversations among the family are in Spanish.

“Being his real brother I could feel I live in his shadows . . . “

Les’s POV—Age 6

“It’s easy, Ric. I’ll sneak in and put the forks in the fridge. Then I’ll grab the flan from the countertop and come back here. You go grab Kool-Aid for both of us and get the forks from the fridge and come back.”

Ric is looking at me in confusion. “And this will work because?”

“Because Papa comes home every day at 5 :00. Mamí and Abuela will be more interested in talking to him than paying attention to us . The flan will be ours. All they’ll remember is that we both got something from the fridge.”

“Dinner’s at 6 :00,” Ric points out. “We could just wait until then.” Continue reading →