Chapter 96: This is a Trick, Right?
Hector’s POV
The day after Drew Stefanic died
This is the first year I’m taking Mijo trick or treating. Nikki says he’s excited. Getting to dress up, visit people and eat candy? He’s thrilled.
I know. That’s all he asks me about when we talk, whether or not I’m going to take him trick or treating. I keep telling him that I will and I’ll dress up as a ninja. So now he wants to dress up as a ninja. Nikki’s amused. She planned to dress him up as something cute, like a bum or a nerd.
Or a Pokémon.
He was excited to dress up as a Pokémon and I ask him if he still wants to be a Pokémon. Well, yes, but I’m going as a ninja so he wants to be a ninja.
He wants to be just like me.
I smile. I want him to be much better than me. I want him to never know the ugly side of life I know. So I consider this and do some research. I tell Nikki to buy him a Pokémon costume.
We’re going trick or treating as Pikachu and Ash Ketchum.
A week earlier
Mark’s POV
Steph called and said she wanted me and Diego to accompany her to San Antonio for their review.
Stunned did not capture how I felt about that.
“Me? Review the Leadership’s work? Why?” I know she’s not trying to set me up. I’m pretty certain about that.
“You have a branch to rebuild. They’re building a branch. When was the last time you saw that live?”
Good point.
She asked me if I wanted to be in charge of flying there. I jumped on it. Anything to get more airtime. So she left me in charge of chartering a plane, something to fit seven people, but up to ten. I contacted Tank, told him what I wanted to rent.
Tank was silent for a long time, then he changed the parameters. It was a lot of money, but he cleared it. Meanwhile, Danny called.
“Yo!”
“Yo.” I was mentally congratulating myself on the Learjet and trying to get a flight manifest together. “What’s up?”
“Bring a Halloween costume.”
“No can do. I never trick or treat.” Not a fucking chance.
“CO’s favorite holiday. Plus we’re taking Alejandro trick or treating for the first time.”
I consider this. I have to get Hal to stop hating me. I think Danny’s finally on my side or at least neutral. Javi and I talk occasionally. Mando and I are definitely repairing our friendship. We talk at least three times a week. It’s good to hear from him.
Hal and I don’t speak outside of XO calls or calls about the training program. I’m sure Manny’s feeding him info about me so I don’t expect to really get a call from Hal until Manny thinks I’m less of a shit.
Manny’s still looking at me as if he’d like to catch me alone in a stairwell.
I sigh. “Any ideas?”
“Flight suit.”
“So the CO can make Top Gun jokes all night?”
“Can’t hurt.”
Danny knows I’m trying to get Hal on my side. Maybe this will help. I’m willing to be the butt of jokes if it helps demonstrate that I don’t still have my head up my ass. I send a mental finger to him anyway. “Fine.” Click.
I wonder where I packed it away. Thanks to RangeMan standards, I know I’ll still fit in it.
I chartered a Learjet and flew from Boston to Trenton, grabbed Stephanie, then flew to Atlanta. Lots of flying time. I didn’t mind having the cockpit to myself. It was peaceful.
Tomorrow night is Halloween and we’re trick or treating at RangeMan then we’re taking Danny’s boys, Mando’s girls, and Hector Manuel trick or treating in Danny’s neighborhood in Mableton.
The next night, Les has a strike planned in Miami. The chartered plane I chose will come in handy.
My arrival in Atlanta is quiet. The men are clear they’re ready to kill me. I thought Trenton was loyal to Steph. Atlanta is just as loyal and they are clear about it. They’re thrilled to see her. I’m on the lookout for loose blades.
Sigh. I earned it. I have to live with it.
“Mark!” I look up. Danny and he has a grin on his face. We embrace and he claps my back. “Steph is staying with Nikki and Hector at Nikki’s townhouse and Mando and his family are staying with me. Where do you want to go?”
Where there’s the least chance of death. Steph’s a plus, Hector’s a huge minus. “I’ll stay with you if you have room. Thanks.”
He nods. “Great. I told Cindy you’d probably stay with us. Come on, let’s put your suitcase in my truck.”
We hit the garage and I stash my suitcase in Danny’s huge truck. I grin. “Good ole boy truck?”
Danny chokes out a laugh. “My father-in-law wishes. I drink wine, I quote those ‘Damn liberals’, and I have no allegiance to UGA.” I laugh. “The only way I could be more disappointing is if I cheered for Tech. Or Auburn.” He shudders. “Or Florida.”
“What was that?” I turn and Mando’s standing in the doorway to the garage, laughing.
“Telling Mark that I could only disappoint Cindy’s dad more if I cheered for Florida,” Danny says, laughing.
“And what’s wrong with Florida?” Mando asks, grinning.
“Aside from the fact that it’s a swampy shit?” I reply. Mando laughs. This has been my standard reply to him ever since we met.
He steps over to me and I get a half hug. I’m glad he’s stopped being mad at me. Mando was the closest man I had to a friend in this company and being there for him six weeks ago was the opener for our friendship to repair. I open my eyes to see the camera turned to us. I can almost imagine Danny’s men looking on in shock.
Now, if I could just make some headway with Hal. I’m trying but Hal’s still not thawing. I have to have Hal on my side, or at least not hating me, before Ranger comes back.
We talk and laugh and head back inside. The men are watching me, but with less hostility on their faces. Once in Danny’s office I turn to him. “Why?”
He grins. “Otherwise, they’ll wait until my back is turned and stab you in a stairwell.”
“Hello! Hello! Hello!”
I turn. Mijo. I crouch down. “Hello. Are you Manny?”
He nods and I hear “Manny!” I look up and I see a Hispanic woman, early twenties, wide-eyed and panicky. “Manny! Quit running!”
He grins and sets off but my legs are longer. I quickly pluck him up, mid-stride, and turn him back toward his mother. His little legs are still moving even though I’m holding him in mid-air.
I smile at her. “Nikki, right?” Hot. That’s all my brain is saying. HOT. HOT HOT HOT HOT. Why in the hell doesn’t she live in Boston? Then I remember: Hector. My dick deflates on the thought.
She nods, a hand at her chest and eyeing her son. “Thank you for catching him . . .”
I sigh mentally and wait for the disdain. “Mark. From Boston.”
She smiles. “Mark.” No hint of disdain. First time in months. She smiles at me. “I don’t think I’ve ever met you . . .” She rolls her eyes. “Right. Boston man. Not Atlanta.” She grins. “Sorry. Mommy brain. Anyway, what brings you here?”
I’m still holding Manny and I’m amused. His legs still haven’t stopped moving although they’re finally slowing. “I’m headed to San Antonio with Steph.”
“Ah.” She nods and reaches for Manny.
“Down!”
“Nope.” She puts him on her hip but he wiggles. Hector walks around the corner, watches for a minute and scowls.
“Stop,” Hector commands. Mijo immediately stills. Hector takes him from Nikki, places him on the ground and crouches in front of him. “Good little boys do as their Mamís tell them. They obey. Are you my good little boy?” He nods energetically. “Then you’ll mind your Mamí, right?”
“Yes, Tío,” Manny answers. He looks at me again. “Who are you?”
“Mark.”
“Mark.” He says my name as if savoring it, testing it out, associating me and the word. I’m fascinated. He’s the first toddler I’ve been near, well, besides Rodney’s kids. He grins. “Hi, Mark! Mamí’s dwessing me as Pikachu and tío’s gonna be Ash and Mommy is gonna be a witch and Angita’s gonna be runny woman. What are you gonna be? Maybe a ninja? Could you be a ninja? Tío was gonna be a ninja but then he was gonna be a Pokemon like me.”
Manny’s taken my hand and we’re walking to the break room. I pick him up to alleviate the stress on my back. I look back and I’m both excited and scared.
Nikki is smiling and checking me out.
Hector is scowling.
I spend the day with Manny. I’m amazed by the amount of energy a three-year-old has, but I’m also amazed at how quickly a three-year-old will go to sleep when absolutely tired. It’s almost as if he has a clock for naptime. At three, he goes down without a fight and so do I.
I’m on the floor, leaning against the wall with my eyes closed. I have no idea what Danny had planned for me to do today but that plan was shot by the three-year-old.
“Cute.”
I crack one eye open and Nikki’s leaning in the doorway with a smile on her face. “Cute?”
She walks in. “Yeah. Most men get exhausted by the questions and run like hell. You put up with it.”
I shrug and look at him. He’s cute. “I didn’t put up with it. I enjoyed it. I forgot what it’s like to be young and curious about everything. He reminded me. Besides, he had good questions.”
Even if I couldn’t answer half of them without looking them up. Lesson learned: Three-year-olds consider the phone theirs. I just pried it from his fingers. I’m glad I managed to turn the cell signal off.
She laughs. “I see you got your phone back.”
I look down at it. Tiny fingerprints everywhere. I chuckle. “Yeah. Apparently, that’s his toy.”
She throws her head back and laughs. Throaty laugh. Curly dark brown hair tumbling over her shoulders. Cherry red lips. Bright brown eyes. Hot body. Gorgeous woman. HOTHOTHOTHOTHOT.
Then I remember she’s Hector’s cousin and the mother of his ‘son’. My dick decides it’s safer to stay hidden. Damn.
“So, what are you dressing up as?”
Man who wants to live. “Hadn’t planned on it.”
Her eyes widen. “What? You have to! Hec’s going as Ash Ketchum, I’m a witch, Steph’s Wonder Woman, Danny and Cindy are Will Sparrow and Elizabeth Swann, and Mando and Mari are going to be Gomez and Morticia Addams. You have to dress up.”
I was wondering what ‘runny woman’ was. Can’t wait to see Danny as Will Sparrow. That should be hilarious. Mando and Mari are always Gomez and Morticia. I’m thinking about it. She looks at me critically and smiles. “I’ve got an idea. Come on. We have to get you outfitted.”
“I did bring my old Air Force flight suit.”
“Really?” She looks intrigued. “I want to see that.”
“It’s in Danny’s truck in my suitcase.”
“Let’s grab it. Otherwise, I have an idea.”
Why I’m doing this, I don’t know, but I get up then pick up Manny. She holds her arms out for him but I shake my head. I know she can carry him, but I’ve got him. He’s a heavy little thing. He twists in my arms and goes back to sleep. Warm baby breath hits my neck, drool seeps under my T-shirt and I wonder, yet again, what I’m doing.
Hector’s POV
I take a break from server upgrades and decide to find Mijo. Naptime should be over.I’m looking for my son and not finding him. I’m not worried, because I know he’s in this building and the Atlanta men would not have allowed him to leave. But still . . . On a whim, I check my tracking program.
My son is on I-75. So is his mother.
“Hello?”
“Where are you?”
“We just picked up my costume. And Steph’s.”
“We who?”
“Me, Mark and Manny?”
“Boston Mark?”
“Yeah. You said I had to have a RangeMan escort. I have a RangeMan escort.”
I scowl at the phone. I’m not stupid. Mark has the hots for her. “I nearly panicked.”
“Sorry. You have tracking on him. If you don’t see him, look him up.”
“A note would be nice. You know I’m concerned.”
“I know you worry like hell. We’re fine. He’s armed, I’m armed, Mijo’s asleep. We’ll make this quick.” Click.
And Ranger wonders how I have so much patience with Angelita. I have Nikki in my life. Patience is a requirement. She’s mommy. She calls the shots. I have to remember that.
They return 20 minutes later and Nikki is laughing. “I can’t wait to see you in a real flight suit, Lieutenant Phillips. You looked pretty good in the fake one in the store.”
He scrunches his nose in disgust. “You kidding me? That was an insult to any man who ever climbed in a cockpit. I still can’t believe you managed to convince me to try that on.”
Nikki laughs. “Powers of persuasion. So, you’re going to wear the real deal tonight, right?”
“We’ll see. I might dress in the other costume. If I put on my flight suit, Steph will make Top Gun jokes all night.”
They both laugh. He’s smitten but he’s not stupid. The very thought of me is slowing his advance. I can see the fear in his eyes. Good. Still, he likes her. That’s a disaster. I can feel my stomach turning.
Mark as daddy to my son? Yechhhh. Perhaps I should have given Nikki more parameters on her suitor selection. ‘Not an asshole’ should have ranked higher. I haven’t seen her so interested in a man since Mauricio.
Then again . . . Nah. Ranger likes Mark for some unknown reason. If I kill him, Ranger will be hurt. I’ll refrain.
For now.
Mijo runs at me. “Tío! Tio, guess what? Tio, Mark’s gonna be Lord Vet . . . Lord Vet . . .” His little face scrunches and I groan internally.
Not Lord Vetinari. Please! Not Lord Vetinari! Not the Head of the League of Assassins! He’s my personal fucking hero!
‘He didn’t administer a reign of terror, just the occasional light shower’. How could you not love a man like that? If the Asesino had a slogan, that would be it!
Lord Vetinari, the original bad-ass. And she’s dressing Mark as him?
“Lord Vetinari, Manny,” Nikki tells him, smiling. She looks at me and I know that she did that on purpose. I glare at Mark, who swallows hard.
“Flight suit, Mark,” I hiss. He pales and Nikki glares at me.
“You can’t tell him what to wear. I think he’d make a great Lord Vetinari.”
I’m rethinking the plan to dress as Ash. Perhaps ninja is the way to go. With real blades.
Accidents happen.
Halloween
Steph’s POV
I’m taking a thousand pictures of Manny. He looks adorable as a little Pikachu.
Hector, on the other hand, has been surly and irritable all day. He looks cool as Ash Ketchum but he hasn’t smiled yet. He keeps muttering fucking Mark and Lord Vetinari.
I smile at Nikki. “Wanna clue me in?”
Nikki smiles and pulls me into her bedroom. “I met Mark.”
“OK.”
Nikki flops back on her bed. “I mean, from the moment I spotted him holding Manny I wanted to jump him. He’s fucking gorgeous! Sexy, handsome, smart, polite, funny,”—I’m trying not to grin as she swoons over Mark—”good with Manny, just all around wonderful. I mean, he spent the day with Manny yesterday and I got a chance to see how he is with kids and he’s patient and—” Nikki sighs loudly and I start laughing. Nikki has a major crush on Mark.
She sits up and looks at me. “OK, honestly, Steph. Tell me about him because it’s taking all I have not to jump him! I’m thinking of stripping him and making him talk dirty to me!” I bite my lip to keep from laughing. Nikki’s fanning herself. “Tell me everything, good and bad, because Hec’s been pissed ever since I found a way to dress him as one of Hec’s favorite characters.”
I’m laughing. Yeah, he is sexy. Just an asshole personality that seems to have done a 180 lately. If the person I’m talking to on the phone now is the man Ranger named XO, I see how he got his job. Smart, good ideas, quick thinker, outlines pros and cons even faster than Danny. Sigh. I really wish I’d had his expertise from the beginning, but oh well. I have it now and I’m using it.
“He’s a bit old for you, don’t you think?”
“How old is he?”
“30.”
“I’m 23. If he’d been more than a decade older then yeah, I might have said maybe not. Eight years isn’t bad. Hell, he’s Hector’s age !”
Good point. “Lord Vetinari?”
She nods. “Yeah. Discworld. Head of the guild of Thieves, master assassin. Benevolent dictator.” I’m laughing into the pillow. No wonder Hec loves him! “Hec loves him. Anyway, Mark?”
I wipe my eyes and sit on the edge of her bed. “Mark is the XO for Boston. Until recently he’s been one of the most hated men in the company.” Nikki’s smile disappears and I rush to explain. “No, he’s a good guy. I really believe that, but if you ask the Atlanta men, they’ll tell you he’s an asshole. Just be prepared for that if you decide to ask them.” Nikki nods and climbs on the bed with me, getting comfortable. “Anyway, it was a case of hero worship gone wrong.”
I get comfortable against the pillows. “Mark was the man left in charge of RangeMan when the guys needed someone to take charge. He did a good job each time but he spied on everyone. He was serious about making sure the company ran like it should. He also believed he was owed a promotion. Ranger never said anything to him to correct his ideas and the guys–Tank, Les, and Bobby–were irritated by him but they left him to Ranger.”
Nikki’s face softens. “In other words, no one had the balls to just tell him ‘Hey, get a grip’?” I nod and she rolls her eyes. “Men! I swear! Obvious things fly right over their heads! Anyway, does he have a girlfriend?”
“Not that I know of. He was once engaged, but she broke up with him because she hated his devotion to RangeMan.”
She snorts. “Well I don’t. I like a man serious about his job. Makes a refreshing change, I’ll tell you. And it’s a legal job. You have no idea how much I like that.” Nikki rolls her eyes and I smile. “The fact that he’s a RangeMan means he’s trained to carry and fight and can protect me and Manny. Hec can’t argue with my choice there. He knows Manny would be protected. I like that too. And Manny liked him. That’s huge for me.”
I grin. “Well, if you want a good man, I recommend any of my XOs. I will tell you, if you’re interested in Mark or Diego, you’ll have to make it clear. You’ll have to come on to them. They won’t touch you unless they’re certain because of Hector. Did you meet Diego?”
“No, but I’ve seen a picture. He doesn’t do anything for me. Mark? I wanted to put him in a flight suit for the express purpose of getting him out of it but he said you’d make Top Gun jokes.”
I laugh. “Come on, doesn’t he remind you of Ice Man?”
“Eight years between us, Steph,” Nikki says, smiling. “I’ve seen bits and pieces of Top Gun, but not the entire thing.”
I look at her in horror. “You have to watch! Tomorrow. And Ghostbusters.”
“Good plan,” she says, smile dropping. “We’ll need something to keep our minds off Miami.”
I sober. Yeah.
Be safe, Ranger. Be safe, Hector. Be safe, Les.
We hit RangeMan first. My arrival gets wolf whistles, as does Nikki’s as a sexy witch. Manny and Hec both scowl.
“MY MOMMY! MY ANGITA!” Manny says fiercely, coming around to stand in front of both of us with a little frown on his face. Everyone cheers.
“That’s right, Manny! Protect Mommy! Protect . . . Angita?” Jase says, laughing.
“Angelita,” I tell him.
“Ah.” He nod and grins at Manny. Manny high fives him and we start trick or treating.
The Atlanta guys did it up. They have lots of candy, but they also have healthy snacks and fun games and puzzles for Manny to play. He’s genuinely excited and Hector looks proud to be with him.
“Did you treat or trick as a kid?” I ask, using my phone.
He shakes his head. “We were poor,” he replies with his phone. “Plus I didn’t eat a lot of candy as a kid.”
Manny sticks his hand inside a pumpkin and giggles loudly, pulling his hand out. It’s bright red and Hector immediately moves to check him, but I grab his arm and shake my head. I nod at him to watch Manny. Manny’s just fine. Nothing wrong. The guys had fake blood inside the pumpkin and he had to dig through to get the candy. I clap and Hector exhales and smiles.
Danny arrives with his sons, Devon and David, and they join Manny playing games and having fun. Alyssa and Elena arrive with Mando and the five children are entertained by the Atlanta RangeMen. Cindy and Mari stayed at Cindy’s to decorate their house for Halloween. They throw a party every year and Cindy needs to set up. I was tempted to go there but Manny won’t allow me out of his sight.
Every Atlanta man was allowed to bring his kids for trick or treating from cubicle to cubicle, floor to floor, and the sounds of childish laughter and fun are echoing all over the building. Ms. Rose has fun snacks and healthy food on the 4th floor for the kids to enjoy and the men are having fun playing with the kids on 3.
Meanwhile, management disappeared to Bobby’s apartment to relax. I called Bobby and he said it was fine. His apartment serves as a flop house most of the time and he’s not as insanely private and determined to keep people out as Ranger is. So we retreated to the 10th floor to drink wine, avoid the noise, and plan the trick or treat party at Danny’s.
Mark finally appears and both Nikki and I are speechless.
Mark’s in his flight suit, complete with the aviators. He’s ‘Iceman’ come to life. My mouth is dry and I’m wishing Ranger was here. Mark’s looking good. Nikki? Nikki’s drooling. I poke her and she wipes her mouth discreetly.
Danny and Mando shake their heads and grin. Mark raises his sunglasses and smiles at her. “OK, so this or Lord Vet . . .” He looks confused.
“That,” Nikki answers, breathless. I nod my head in mute agreement.
Mark smiles and puts the aviators back into place.
“How did he make olive drab look so good?” Nikki whispers.
I decide to leave the Top Gun jokes alone. Mark makes the suit look good. Nikki is flirting with him and he’s flirting back. Danny, Mando and I are all silently laughing. They’re oblivious to anyone else in the room.
Danny snaps a picture. “Hal and Candy, 2.0.”
“Which one is the wingman, I wonder,” Mando whispers. Danny and I have to turn to hide our laughter.
“Listen, can I ask you a personal question?” Nikki asks Mark.
He hesitates. “That depends.”
“Are you a good pilot?”
Danny, Mando and I are all pretending we’re not listening, but this question makes each of us cough to hide our laughs. Mark looks over at us, rolls his eyes and stares. I’m sure I’m red. “Did Steph ask you to ask that question?”
Nikki is confused. “No. Why?”
I’m grinning. “Come on, Mark. You know the next line.”
Mark sighs, turns back to Nikki and smiles. “I can hold my own.”
Danny, Mando and I start laughing. Nikki turns to me. “OK, I meant my question. What’s so funny?”
“Those lines are directly from Top Gun, Nikki,” Danny says.
“And for someone who doesn’t like to be teased about it, Mark seems to have an encyclopedic knowledge of the movie’s dialogue,” I finish, moving to refill my drink. Mark’s gone bright red at that.
Cindy calls and tells Danny it’s nearly time to start trick or treating in their neighborhood, so the guys go downstairs to collect all the kids while I wait with Mark and Nikki. Nikki retreated to the bathroom to check her makeup and dragged Mark with her.
When they reappear, Nikki’s lipstick is smudged.
Mark’s wearing part of it.
“Nikki, see if you can catch Manny and Hector,” I tell her. She looks confused but I’ve already rushed over and grabbed Mark by the arm to pull him back into the bathroom.
“What?”
I’m giggling quietly. “Check your face.”
He looks and blanches. “Hector will kill me.”
I pass him a wet washcloth and he starts scrubbing at the makeup. “Mark, look at me.” He turns, still scrubbing his lips. It’s stubborn makeup. “Do you want to date Nikki? At least once? To see if there’s any chance?”
He stares at the mirror. “Yeah, but—”
“Then you’ll need to put Hec in his place. You aren’t an asshole. You’re his co-worker, at the same level as him. You’re a good man, she wants a good man, and you like Manny. Remind him of that. If it doesn’t work out, then no harm done, but if it does Nikki will have someone who loves her and her son, right?”
He nods thoughtfully.
“OK. So have at it.” I smile. “And use soap to get the makeup off.”
Mark’s POV
Put Hector in his place? Hector?! Ranger can’t even do that!
I knew I should have dressed as ‘Man who wants to live’.
I scrub my lips as Steph watches, laughing quietly. Nikki sticks her head in. “Everything OK?”
Nope. I’m gonna die. I’ll never see the new branch. I won’t see tomorrow at this rate. Then I look at her in the mirror. Even with green face paint and a horrible wig, she’s still stunning.
I look in the mirror. Is she worth fighting Hector?
Hector?
Danny calls Nikki’s name so she leaves. Steph looks at me.
“You can either locate and reattach your balls and go out there and tell Hector to back off or you and Nikki can flirt with each other for four years.” She cringes then smiles at me. “I’ll tell you, from experience, finding your balls is easier. Not more fun or without some pain but in the long run, it’s easier.”
Yeah. But it’s Hector. The man whose nickname is Asesino.
Pain might happen.
After allowing Manny and the kids to trick or treat from cubicle to cubicle, we pack the kids into trucks and cars and head to Danny’s house. He and Cindy are throwing a Halloween party while we take the kids out trick or treating. We arrive and I’m stunned.
You can’t get a house like this in Boston without paying a million, easy. I look at Danny, who grins. “Five bedrooms, three baths, 2600 sq. ft.—”
“Price.”
“You’d hate me.”
“Anything under $300K and I’ll hate you.” Danny’s grin gets bigger. My mouth drops. “$250K.” His grin grows. “Please tell me you paid more than $200K at least.”
“$215K.”
“That is unreal,” Steph mutters. I’m thinking more along the lines of obscene.
Danny laughs. “Welcome to Atlanta.”
We get out and the kids immediately surround us.
“Mark! Mark! Mark!”
I look down, smiling. “Hi, Manny. Ready to go?”
He nods and takes my hand. “Yup. Tio’s coming and we’re gonna twick or tweat then he’s gonna check all my candy for bad things then I can eat my candy and Imma hide my candy from my mommy so I can eat it all the time.”
He’s jumping up and down while saying this and I smile. He’s cute. Nikki joins us and I wipe all expression off my face because Hector’s with her. He scowls at me, nods, then turns to Manny.
“Ready to go?” he says, bending down to adjust Manny’s suit. It’s like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
“Yes!” So we go.
Danny lives in a great area. It’s well-lit, all the kids are out with parents and all the houses are well lit. Each parent admires the costumes, gives the kids candy, and smiles pleasantly at us.
Within ten houses, I have five numbers. I’m stunned. The women thank me for my military service (some seriously, some laughingly) and ask if I’m available for ‘combat duty’ on a more regular basis. I’m flabbergasted and missing my ‘fan club’ at the moment. None of them are sure if my flight suit is real, but it doesn’t matter. They slip me the numbers anyway.
“You ever get a ‘Desperate Housewives’ vibe from your neighbors?” I whisper to Danny, stuffing the latest number in my pocket.
He grins. “I’m not allowed to fix anyone’s anything,” he replies. “No checking oil and lube, no checking plumbing, and if we run out of sugar, I’m dispatched to the store.”
I crack up. “Do you know your neighbors’ names?”
“Only the husbands. Otherwise, I refer to them by house number. Cindy knows the names.”
Mando heard that part and we’re cracking up. Hector turns around in confusion and we try to straighten up but it’s impossible. Mando and Danny quickly whisper the conversation to him and Hector grins.
Nikki’s stopped smiling at me. She’s looking at me, concerned, but Manny occasionally takes my hand and tells me about his character. I’m learning all about Pikachu.
We trick or treat for an hour. Danny’s neighborhood is pretty big and by the end, Hector is carrying Manny. I’m carrying David, Danny’s youngest. Nikki’s definitely not talking to me. I have 14 numbers in my pocket. I slide closer to her.
“What?”
She shakes her head. “Nothing.”
Even I know that means I screwed up. I sigh. “If it’s the numbers, I’d planned to dump them once I got back to Danny’s. I hate litter.”
She stares at me. “Oh.”
I smile but say nothing else. We return to Danny’s and put the kids to bed in the upstairs playroom. I grab Nikki and pull her off to the side. I pull the numbers from my pocket.
“OK, so you saw me toss them, right?” I toss the numbers in the toilet and flush them. When I look back at Nikki, she smiles and takes my face in her hands.
“Nice. A man with honor, too.” She kisses me and all I can think is soft. Everything everywhere is soft. I wrap my arms around her and my hands find their way to her back. She presses closer to me and the kiss deepens.
I lose track of time, location, everything. Nothing is more important than the feel of her lips on me, her body pressed against mine, my hands in her hair. That’s the excuse I’m using. Otherwise, Hector never would have snuck up on me like that.
The door slams behind Nikki and I have my gun in hand, pointing it at him and trying to push Nikki behind me, before I consciously recognize who it is.
Hector is scowling. “Really? You’d already be dead if I wanted you dead. Now’s a piss poor time to try to protect her.”
I eye Hector. “Leave, please,” I murmur to Nikki. She looks at the two of us and walks out, although I’m pretty sure she glares at Hector. Once she leaves, I put away the gun and take a deep breath.
“I’m not trying to screw with your cousin. I like her. She’s beautiful, she’s smart, and she’s tough. To put up with you, she has to be.” Hector’s scowl deepens. “I’m not going to ask your permission to see her. I will tell you that I will treat her with the utmost honor, not because she’s your cousin but because she deserves that treatment. She’s interested in me. I’m interested in her. I’d prefer for us not to be at each other’s throats like junkyard dogs.”
Hector stares at me. It’s as unnerving as Ranger staring at me.
“Nothing means more to me than my son,” Hector says. “Because of that, no one can enter Nikki’s life that I cannot trust with his life.” I nod. “You are an asshole most of the time but that’s RangeMan. I’ve heard nothing about how you conduct your personal life. I will refrain from killing you for now but if you step wrong with her, no one will find your body.”
Get in line, Hector. Get in line.
Hector’s POV
Mark leaves and I gag.
Mark? I’m making a list of approved qualities I want my son’s Daddy to have. ‘Not an asshole’ is going at the very top.
I need advice.
Yeah?
Mark? Personal life.
I can see Ranger staring at his phone. ???
Interested in Nikki. I feel sick even typing that.
LMAO! That response came quick.
NOT FUNNY.
Very funny. Good choice. Encourage that.
Why?
Honorable. Been disappointed a lot.
Explain.
Good parents but psychs. Treated him like lab exp. 4 theories on child devel. Fiancée hated his devotion to RM. Vic & Mando R his BFFs.
No life outside work.
What’s new there?
So Ranger thinks he and Nikki would be a good choice. I wonder what Angelita thinks. I leave the bathroom and go in search of her.
She’s partying in the basement. As usual, she’s the center of attention. The costume helps, but it’s like watching her do a distraction. She’s eye-catching and everyone wants to be near her. I slide through the crowd and catch her. We start dancing in the middle of the floor and all eyes are on us. I’m also scouting for Nikki and Mark.
Yechh.
I find them at the side of the crowd, dancing with Mijo in a little circle. Nikki is laughing, Mijo is laughing and Mark is smiling at her. Women are damn near throwing themselves at him and he’s polite but he doesn’t encourage them. He introduces Nikki each time. Finally, after the sixth interruption I actually see, he picks up Mijo and dances with Nikki while holding Mijo.
Not bad.
“Stop glaring. You’re a handsome man when you don’t look angry,” Angelita whispers, a half smile on her face. She drags me off the dance floor and into the laundry room.
“You want me to smile when Mark’s making a play to be my son’s daddy,” I grouse.
Angelita sighs. “It’s not as if they’re going to go out tomorrow and get married. They’re getting to know each other. Besides, Mark lives in Boston. Nikki’s down here. If it gets serious, one of them will have to move, which means we’ll know about it in plenty of time.” She smiles at me. “Besides, you wanted her to find a good man. Well, Mark’s a lot of things—”
“Nosy, disrespectful, irritating, a pain in the ass—”
“Has he been lately?”
I’m thinking. No. Whatever Angelita did at the beach to him worked. He and Mando seem to have relocated their balls. Well, Mando found his. She shrunk Mark’s.
Both Angelita and Ranger are telling me to allow this. Well, not allow it but accept Nikki’s choice. Fine. He is a RangeMan. He will protect my son if they get serious.
And he’ll always fear me.
I cheer up.
He’ll always fear fucking up because he’ll always fear me.
Mark’s POV
I’m trying to keep an eye out for Hector while keeping my attention on Nikki. Hector took Manny and they’re having fun on the dance floor now. She’s telling me about her job and, for the first time, I’m actually interested in tech stuff.
“So, you tell the programmer you want him to write in Ruby and he decides to write in C++?” I have no fucking idea what any of that means.
“Yeah.” She sips her drink (Cindy came up with some incredibly weird, but delicious, stuff) and smiles. “Trying to wrangle all the arrogant men at my job is a nightmare.”
“Why?”
She laughs. “You have time for the stories? Oh god! I’m a woman so of course I don’t know how to program. I don’t know how to write code. I don’t know how to take a client’s vision and turn it into reality. I need to sit down, take notes, and try not to say too much.”
“Assholes,” I murmur.
“Exactly.” She looks out onto the dance floor in the center of Danny’s finished basement. Manny’s dancing with Steph now and they look cute. “I spend half of my day at work trying to convince grown men I know how to do my job and I don’t need them to check behind me. I don’t need their help and I damn sure don’t need them to tell me what to do.”
Cringe. I hope I haven’t turned red. No dice. She turns to me, looks at me critically and sighs. “You’re one of those types, huh?”
“Let’s just say I gave Steph a hard time her first few months in charge.”
She hangs her head and laughs. “Amazing. I asked her to tell me about you and she didn’t mention it.”
A tiny tendril of hope awakens in me. “Really?”
“Yeah.”
So maybe Vic was right. Maybe she doesn’t hate me anymore. “So you discussed me?” I grin and she laughs.
“Well, I could either ask her, Danny or Hector. Where was I likely to get the best review?”
I grimace. “Thanks for asking her.”
Suddenly we hear a loud scream from the dance floor. We look over and Manny’s running to us, crying, holding his finger.
“Mommy, Mommy I bwokeded my finger!”
Nikki immediately picks him up and I clear a path for us to get upstairs to the kitchen. Mariela, Cindy, Hector, Danny, and Steph immediately follow us. Nikki sits in a chair, Manny in her lap and we look at his finger.
It’s definitely red and swelling, but I don’t see blood under the nail or his bones appearing, so I gently take his hand in mine and look at his finger, probing gently. My very touch causes him to scream louder but I don’t feel any breaks or anything wrong. I think he’s just scared and his finger is bruised.
“You know what you’re doing?” Hector growls next to me.
I’m concentrating on Manny’s finger but I nod. “SERE Training. We get a course on survival medicine.” I smile at Manny. “What were you doing to hurt your finger like this?”
Everything appears to be fine. I glance at Mando, who nods and moves away. I hear some pounding behind me, so I know he’s on it.
“I sawed a door,” he says, sniffling. I see Danny head back downstairs from the corner of my eye.
“A door?”
“Uh huh.” He’s calming down now since I’m calm. I glance at Nikki and smile. She gives me a trembling smile. “I wanted to know where it goed.”
“And where did it go?”
“I don’t know. It was heavy and the door tried to eat my finger.” He’s sucking on his other thumb now. It’s cute.
“Bad door,” I tell him, smiling calmly. “The door has to go into time out.”
He smiles. “Mommy? Can we put the door in time out?”
Nikki laughs, a few tears escaping. The black mascara looks funny running down her green face. Mando reappears with a dishtowel and a sandwich baggie full of ice. I wrap the ice in the dishtowel and smile.
“We’ll discuss punishment for the naughty door later. Right now, let’s make your finger feel better. Now, this is going to be really cold, but if you put your hand in there, it will stop hurting, OK?”
“OK, Mark.” Manny sticks his hand right in.
I grin at him and go “Num num num,” like I’m trying to eat his hand. He laughs and everyone relaxes. “OK, so we’re going to keep an eye on you. You’ll keep your hand in there for five minutes, take it out so your finger don’t get too cold, then put it back in. That’ll make it stop hurting and it won’t get as big.”
“OK.” He pulls his hand out to look. Yeah, he just smashed it. It should be OK.
“Make sure you put your finger on the cold. Put your finger on the ice.” Manny nods and puts his finger back in the towel. He and Nikki start discussing punishment for the naughty door.
“Good job,” I hear Hector mutter behind me. I nod and Hector pulls Manny off Nikki’s lap.
“Hector!” Hector kisses the top of Mijo’s head and reminds him to keep his finger on the ice so it feels better.
“Face,” Hector replies. “Your makeup ran.”
“Oh.” Nikki runs her fingers through Manny’s hair and smiles.
“Mark, why don’t you help Nikki?” Steph whispers. “You’re Mr. Fix-it tonight. She needs help too.”
I feel my face heat up and I see Mando, who was standing close enough to hear that, hide a grin.
I turn to Nikki. “Need help?”
“Well, someone has to hold my hat,” she replies. I shrug and follow her.
Now, if I could just ignore the outburst of laughter behind me, I’d be just fine.
