Tank’s POV

Lula’s quiet. That’s always nerve-racking.

“Tankie?”

“Hmm?”

“You wouldn’t lie to me, would you?”

Depends on what I have to lie about, but yeah, I’d lie to you in a heartbeat. Or, more correctly, I’d redirect you. “What do you want to know, Lula Bear?”

“Steph had beard burn all over her face.”

“I noticed.”

She’s quiet. “I know what I want to think but I need to know if I’m right.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t wanna be wrong.”

“Will it change how you think of her if you are?”

“No, but . . . ” Lula exhales. “She and Batman been avoiding each other forever. I guess I was hoping they got it together. I don’t wanna think she’s getting the nookie from someone else.”

“Is that possible?”

“Where’s Morelli?”

I snort mentally. Hopefully, his ass is still snowed in and falling for ‘Sharon’ in Boston. “California.” And there it is. I’ve lied.

“You sure?”

“That’s where he’s supposed to be.” Redirection to avoid a second lie. I direct her to the elevator and we hit the third floor. I use my key to enter Ranger’s room.

“Whose room is this? I thought we put everyone on the first floor.” She turns around with a smile on her face. “Is the Sgt. in need?”

I smile. “Later.” I sit on the couch and open my arms to her. “Right now, I just want a minute of peace with you.”

“Sounds good.” Lula sits in my lap and gets comfortable. The Sgt. wakes up and wonders if he’s being called to duty. Thankfully, I hear the key in the door. Lula looks over to the door and her jaw drops.

“Good to see you too, Lula,” Ranger says, smiling.

“Holy hell,” Lula whispers. “Turn off the brights, Batman.” I snort mentally while Ranger adopts a modified blank face. His lips are twitching, the equivalent of a laugh.

I’m punched. “What?”

“You lied.”

“No, I didn’t.” Lie two.

Lula glares at me. “Yes, you did.”

“When did I lie?”

She thinks. “Oh. I guess you didn’t lie.”

That you know of. Ranger is still standing, watching us with an amused look on his face. Lula stands. “Well, welcome home, Ranger.”

Ranger pulls her into a hug and Lula moves, too stunned to stop him. “Congratulations, Lula,” he murmurs, kissing her temple. “I was thrilled you managed to get him to propose and remember it this time.”

Lula’s still too stunned by the hug and kiss to respond. Her mouth is gaping. I’m laughing my ass off mentally. “Baby steps, RB.”

“Yeah, I see.” Ranger lets go and stares at me. I stare back.

RB or not, brother or not, partner or not, that’s my woman. My wife. Hurt her and I’ll break you.

Ranger gives me a tiny nod. Message received. I leave.

---

Lula’s POV

Batman touched me! Batman hugged me! Shit . . . I love Tank, but I can finally cross that off my list. I was touched, full body contact, by Ranger! And kissed! Damn! That’s nearly my entire bucket list!

Ranger goes to the fridge and gets two bottles of water. He sits and looks at me, a half smile on his face.

“I do mean it, Lula. Congratulations. I’m thrilled that you and Tank are getting married and I’m happy for you both.”

That tight feeling is back. “But you want to talk about me and the guns, right?”

“Nope.” He passes me a water. “I heard about that this afternoon. You met Jason Deuce?” I nod. “Then I know that we don’t need to discuss that. Do we?”

“Nope.” Well hell, I was prepared for that. “Is this gonna be about Steph?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because you and Steph are both responsible for your own safety. You take yours seriously now. She takes hers seriously. Do we need to rehash the past?”

“Nope.” I’m relieved. The tight feeling is easing up. “Then what’s this about?”

“Two things. One, I’ve been Tank’s partner for”—he stops to think—”nearly thirteen years. That’s almost half my life, Lula. I’ve been with him through the best and the worst but the day you two marry, I become the second most important person in his life. I wanted to say to you, right now, that I’m happy to step back and acknowledge that you’re number one now.”

For some reason, Batman saying that means a lot. “Thanks, Ranger.”

“I don’t want us to resent each other and I want to say, here and now, that if you ever thought I didn’t like you or I resented you, I don’t.”

“Your beef was that I didn’t take Steph’s safety seriously.”

“Right.” His eyes harden. “I’ll never forget the Slayers thing, but I’m trying to let it go. You, Steph, and Connie were all wrong in that, but that was ages ago. I’m trying to forgive and forget, live and learn.”

“Right.”

“Her life will always come first for me. Since I know you’ve spoken to Jason, I know you understand the importance of thinking before you act.”

“Right. I do. I get it now. Tank has my gun. I don’t need it. And Steph’s life is important to me too.” I sigh. “I know you don’t think that, but she never had the gun and when she did, it never had bullets. I was afraid for her. I was trying to keep her safe.”

He nods. “Understood.” I get a tiny smile. “I hear you’re nearly a sharpshooter in the range now.”

I grin. “Smaller gun. Easier to control. Forget scaring someone. If I pull that sucker, I’m putting multiple holes in ’em.”

He chuckles. I see what Steph sees in him. When he’s relaxed, he’s still dangerous but sexy. Like my Tankie.

“You’ve met his family?” I nod. “You know about his past?” I nod again. “Is there anything about him you want to ask me?”

I think about it. “Nah. Anything I need to know, I’ll ask him to tell me.”

Ranger nods. “Good woman.”

“I trust my man. I don’t need to know everything, just what I need to know.”

“That brings me to issue two.” Ranger opens his water and takes a long sip. “Your . . . curiosity.”

“Aw hell.” I groan. I need a cheesecake for this conversation.

I get a small smile from Ranger. “There’s a slice in the fridge.”

I look at him. “Huh?”

“Cake, right?”

“Yeah. How did you know?”

Ranger merely smiles. I go check the fridge. Chocolate cheesecake. “Tank tell you this was my favorite?”

“Nope.”

“I thought you didn’t eat sweets.”

“I don’t. Well, not many. I like to keep my blood sugar constant.”

“You diabetic?” I’m more than willing to help you help yourself. I start looking for a fork and I find one.

“No. But I don’t like sugar crashes.”

I take a bite and savor the creamy goodness. Man . . . this is good. I don’t think I’ve had any real, fattening dessert in a while. Ranger doesn’t say anything but I sense a flash. I look over at him. “What are you doing?”

He’s typing on his phone. “Asking Tank if you make that face with him.”

“What face?”

Ranger turns the phone so I can look. I look . . . way too fucking happy with a slice of cheesecake. His message? ‘Competition?’

“I wanna know his response.” Ranger nods and sends the message. “Anyway, your curiosity.”

“Wait! Quick question. Why did you have this?”

“Steph. Just in case. Emergency dessert.”

I look down at the empty container. “I ate Steph’s dessert?”

“No. You ate your dessert.” Ranger gives me a tiny smile. “I can get more cake. I’ve just learned to keep a dessert on hand for her, just in case there’s a need.”

“Oh.” Well, I don’t feel so bad now. Like ‘cake under glass’. He offered it for my emergency. Nice. I smile at him. “Anyway, my curiosity. You’re a private man. I get that. Both Tank and Steph told me.” I put the dessert down and sigh. “My curiosity about you ain’t really about you.” Ranger raises an eyebrow. “OK, some of it is about you but it was mostly about Steph. I thought y’all should be together and I couldn’t figure out what you were playin’ at. I know that was none of my business, but still . . .” I shrug. “She’s my girl. I’m concerned. I want her to be happy more than anything else in this world.”

The corner of Ranger’s mouth tips up. “We agree there.” His phone beeps. Ranger barks a laugh and turns the phone to me.

Tank. ‘My chocolate’s better.’

“Damn skippy. I can eat that—”

“Let’s stop right there,” Ranger says, grinning. I’m caught in the gorgeousness of his smile again before I roll my eyes. “More than I want to know.”

I laugh. Batman’s got a sense of humor!

“Anyway, Steph’s my best friend. I’d bust your head open if you ever did her wrong.” Both of Ranger’s eyebrows rise and he has a disbelieving look on his face. “Don’t underestimate me. I mean that. I ain’t never had a friend like her. You mean to tell me you wouldn’t bust heads for Tank?”

His mouth twitches. “Nope, I would. In a heartbeat.”

“OK then. So don’t act like I won’t. I might not be as smart as you, or strong as you, or even sneaky as you, but I don’t give up.”

I get a tiny nod. “I know.”

We stare at each other before we both start laughing. “OK, so I might wanna ask a million questions about that beard burn on her face or that hickey you left behind her knee, but Imma guess on that.”

“Good idea.”

“I’ll stay out of your closets, cabinets, and drawers.”

“Same here.”

I grin. “Am I allowed to visit?”

“Yes. I look forward to seeing your apartment.”

We smile at each other. I don’t know what else to say.

“No pink.”

I laugh. “Not you too.”

“No pink, no red, no pastels . . . crap, baby blue, right?”

“Right.”

“I can manage that.”

“Good to know. I’m not changing colors now.”

Ranger nods. “Open bar?”

“You met his people.”

Ranger grins. “I’m bringing double the normal amount of condoms.”

“That’s probably a good idea.”

Steph better claim her man at this wedding. Otherwise, them heifers in Louisiana will try to steal him away.

–oOo–

Me and Batman talk about the wedding. He seems amused about everything but he doesn’t offer any suggestions. I tell him I want to surprise Tank at the wedding with something but I don’t know what yet. I just want my man to know I love him.

Ranger shrugs. “You’re marrying him. Believe me, for him that’s enough.”

“Well, it’s not enough for me.” I sigh. “Tank is gonna be supporting me for years to come. He’s paying for everything and –”

“You never struck me as the kind of woman who cared about money, Lula.” I frown and he gives me a tiny smile. “I can pick out a gold-digger, believe me. You aren’t. You care about my brother as a man. That’s what he wants. He knows you don’t love him for his money.”

“I know. I just wish there was a way to give him something to show that.”

There’s a knock at the door. We hear a key in the lock and Hector walks in with a box. Ranger rolls his eyes.

“Is there a lock you can’t crack?” he asks.

“Don’t know yet,” Hector replies.

My mouth is hanging. “What the hell! You speak English?” I search for the right words. “Habla ingles?”

Hector grins. “Sí, hablo ingles.”

“Yeah yeah, words in Spanish have sex. Got it.” Ranger and Hector are both grinning. I’m still stuck on the fact that he speaks English! “You speak English! How long have you been speaking English? When did you learn? What—”

“Sit down, Lula,” Ranger says, amused.

I’m standing, advancing on Hector, and his eyebrows are nearing his forehead. Hector places the box on the coffee table, takes a seat next to Ranger and smiles at me.

“I expect that you will never tell anyone that I speak English. Understood?”

I nod, still stunned. “Wait, I told Steph and the girls all kinds of stuff about me and you understood every word?”

Hector is still smiling. “If you sit back and calm down, I’ll explain.”

I sit on the couch and get comfortable. This had better be a damn good explanation. I said all kinds of shit around him I never wanted to admit! How much did he tell Tank?

“I’m an American, born and raised in New Jersey. I’ve always spoken English but I prefer to speak in Spanish.” He sobers. “Lula, you cannot tell people that I speak English.”

“So why are you telling me?”

“Because we need to talk.”

I sigh. “Is this the talk Batman was supposed to have with me?”

Ranger raises an eyebrow and I blush. Hector shrugs. “Don’t know. This is the talk I intended to have with you.”

“I need cake for this.”

“In the box.”

I open the box. Red Velvet. My second favorite. “Well, I gotta admit you guys are coming through on the cakes.” I get up and get a fork. They’re smiling. I offer each a fork and they decline with a wave. Well, more cake for me. “OK, I got cake and I’m comfortable. Hit me.”

Hector snorts. “Well, the discussion I need to have with you is about the Stop and Shop.”

I sigh. Damn. Avoided it with Batman only to have to talk about it with Robin. Or is Les Robin? Nah, Les is The Joker.

“Hello? Lula? Earth to Lula?” I look over. Ranger looks like he’s damn near ready to laugh. Hector is waving his hand in front of my face. “Robin?” His eyebrow rises and Ranger falls over laughing. He’s belly laughing and I’m so shocked that I stop eating to watch.

“I didn’t say Robin. I said Ranger. Yeah, I said Ranger. After all, you brought me cake so you and me are best friends right now. I wouldn’t call you Robin no how. You’re too damn scary for that. Umm hmm. I can’t see you in no tight green tights.” I eat a bite of cake and watch Hector grin. “You need to get your ears checked.”

“I guess so,” he says, grinning. Ranger’s wiping his eyes. “In the meantime, you’ve picked up Steph’s habit of talking your thoughts. Just a warning.”

“Right. Imma keep that in mind.”

“Anyway, Tank tells us you’ve chosen to not carry for a while,” Hector says. “You intend to get trained in self-defense?” I nod. “I’m pleased to hear that.”

“Good. I told Ranger and now I’m telling you, I get it. I do. I talked to Jason Deuce and I get how what I did was wrong but I understood even before that.” I put the cake down and take a deep breath.

“When Steph told me that new guy in charge at TPD wanted to charge me, that he didn’t want to drop it, that’s when I understood. I mean, TPD always left me alone after I got off the streets. I guess . . .” My throat closes and Ranger nods.

“We know. Keep going.”

I smile at him but it’s shaky. “Right. So, I mean, I was waiting to find out if they were gonna charge me and that scared me. All I could think about was whether or not Tank would give up on me. If he’d stop loving me—”

My throat closes again. Hector moves to sit next to me on the couch and hands me a handkerchief. I smile at him.

“So when Steph told me that they weren’t gonna charge me I was relieved but then she took my gun from me. That pissed me off cuz I’ve never done some shit like that to her. I’ve never said, hey you need to learn how to shoot. You need to learn how to do that stuff like Jeanne Ellen or Ranger”—I nod at Ranger—”cuz she’s not Jeanne Ellen—”

“Thank god,” Hector mutters.

“And she’s not you, Ranger. But she took my gun like she had a right to. That pissed me off but that’s my best friend and I said, well, maybe she’s trying to make sure that if the cops come snooping around here I don’t have it.”

“Right,” Hector says quietly.

“But then Tank showed up and he wouldn’t give me my gun back and I got pissed with him. We talked and we’re OK but”—I turn to Hector—”I had a gun in New Jersey because I didn’t want anyone to think I was still working the streets. I didn’t want anyone to think that if they threatened me they could get what they wanted. I’d put holes in ’em for trying. I was out. I wasn’t going back.”

Hector snorts. “Believe me, Lula, I understand that better than you know.”

I smile at him and wipe my face. He motions to the cake and I eat a bite. It’s calm in this room. Ranger gets up and pours me a glass of water and I smile my thanks.

“The other reason I had a gun was because of Steph.” I swallow hard. “I mean, Steph was the first person to look at me and not see just a ‘ho. She saw a person. She was real.”

Hector pats my hand and smiles. “I know. She sees me and sees more than a scary ex-banger.”

And that’s a miracle. Just proves how good a person she is because Hector scares me shitless. “Right! And I didn’t want anyone to mess with her. I didn’t want anyone to kill her. I didn’t want her to be somewhere without some protection and Steph never had her gun. If she had it, there weren’t any bullets in it.”

Ranger snorts. I think that’s the same as him saying “I know. God knows I know.”

I smile but it’s shaky. “What happened at the Stop and Shop? OK, I was wrong to fire but all I could think was ‘Protect my partner’. I didn’t know she had a gun. I didn’t know she was a good shot now. I just knew that it was just like old times. Someone was firing at us, she was running and he wasn’t letting up. I wanted her to get away and I was firing and she was trying to drag me with her.”

Hector looks at Ranger. “Well, that puts a different spin on it.”

“You mean you couldn’t see it?”

“The Stop and Shop cameras caught what happened in the parking lot beautifully. That’s how you were cleared. It was clear he fired first, three times, before you fired back. Once Steph pulled you back inside, the cameras didn’t have you in view but it was clear he was still firing and your shots were going wide.”

My shoulders slump. Finally! An answer to that question.

“Yeah! I wasn’t trying to kill him. I just wanted him to back off. Leave us alone. Stop shooting.” They nod. “Anyway, Tank told me the life I had in Jersey, that’s not gonna be my life anymore. He’s right. No one knows me here. I can be anyone and I don’t need a gun. No one’s gonna threaten me just because they know I used to turn tricks.

I’m in school. I wanna make Tank proud of me and I wanna finally get my degree. I wanna be a social worker and his sister thinks I should become a therapist and really help people. I like that idea. I wanna help RangeMan. I’m kinda the secretary for the office. Les gives me projects and I get ’em done. I help Candy with her RangeWoman support group. I help Maria with the men. I help the men with whatever. It gives me lots of stuff to do all day and I stay busy.”

Hector is smiling. “I’m glad to hear that, Lula. Stephanie is my partner, so her life comes first for me, but I see that I was wrong not to see the same commitment in you. I apologize to you for that.”

I shake my head. “No apology needed. She’s my girl and she’s your girl too. We both think she’s important.”

“Right. My concern was your attitude to guns and I see that that’s changed. What I need to know now is this: If someone starts firing at you here in Texas, what’s your response?”

“How fast can I haul ass and call Tankie?”

Ranger and Hector start laughing. They each laugh till they turn red in the face.

“Tankie?” Ranger asks, lifting a brow.

“Don’t tell him I said that,” I reply.

“Oh, of course not,” Hector says, grinning. “And if it’s you and Steph all over again?”

“I hope she’s got her gun loaded. Me? I’m pressing my panic button and hauling ass.”

They smile. “Good. Now, new question for you.” He pulls out his iPad and turns to a tracking program. “What color do you want to be?”

I stare at him. “What?”

“Tank told me you chose to get chipped. Right?”

“Right.”

“Quick question, Lula.” Ranger leans forward. “Why? Why did you choose to get chipped?”

“I never wanna be kidnapped again. I mean, Tank told me this office is dangerous for us.” Ranger nods, blank face in place. “I’ve been kidnapped. I’ve been raped.” I shudder and Hector rubs my back. “I never want that shit to happen again and when the fake FBI agent threatened me all I could think about was . . .”

My throat closes. Imma need my throat to get on the same page with me. I don’t want this discussion to take all day.

Ranger nods. “Ramirez.”

“Right. If this will make my life easier and I don’t have to have that constant guard Steph does, Tank can chip me from head to toe.”

Ranger and Hector stare at each other silently. I guess Steph refused.

“I wanna be purple.”

Hector shakes his head. “I’m purple.”

I peer at his screen. “What color is Tank?”

“Brown.”

I scrunch my nose. “Brown? You couldn’t come up with a better color?”

“He chose it.”

“Oh.” Sounds like him. My big chocolate teddy bear. “Well, I like color but looking at your screen, all the best colors are chosen.” I keep looking. “OK, light brown. Imma match my man.”

Hector changes the color on my dot and zooms in. You can see my dot in a room with a purple dot next to me and a black dot across from me.

“OK. You’re updated in my tracking program.”

“Where’s Tank?”

Hector zooms out and I can see him on the first floor. There’s a green dot with him. “Looks like he’s in the lobby with Les,” Hector says. I nod and he puts the iPad down. “OK. Well, I’m glad to hear you want to be a social worker. Tell me more.”

I smile big and start telling Hector about my plans, what I want to do and how long it’s going to take. He and Ranger look interested and they nod a lot. Our talk is good now that we aren’t talking about me and that damn Stop and Shop thing.

I look over at Ranger when I’m talked out. “We good?”

He nods so I look at Hector. “We good?”

“Yup.” He pops the ‘p’ and I grin. He’s spent too much time around Steph. “I’ve never been to a black wedding before. What’s that like?”

I grin and look at Ranger. “Double up on condoms.”

Hector snorts. “I’m gay, Lula.”

I stare at him. “Double up on condoms.”

---

Les’s POV

I wondered which one I’d get. I should have known.

Tank.

Fuck. The wise old man’s come to speak to me. I put on my mental shields against a possible mind-bender from Tank.

“So . . .”

“So . . .” We stare at each other. “What’s happening now?”

“Care and feeding instructions from my partner and Steph’s to Lula.”

“Ah. You’re OK with that?”

“He knows to tread carefully.”

“And Hec?”

Tank snorts. “I’m praying for the best.”

I grin. “Uncontrollable.”

“Agreed. Completely. Are we still going to make him a partner?”

“You trust anyone more?”

“Nope.”

We sit in silence in front of the fireplace. The hotel lobby is empty and quiet. We’re the only ones down here. Tank’s phone beeps and he laughs. I peer at the picture.

“You’re losing ground to cheesecake.”

He’s typing a response. “Momentary substitution.” He finishes typing and turns to me. “You need a vacation?”

I snort. “Is that it? You think little Les needs a mental health break?”

“I’m not interested in your dick’s needs, although I’m of the opinion Little Les needs to find his party hats and go make some new friends.” I fall back against the chair cushion and laugh. Tank grins. “Yeah, don’t give a damn about him. You handle him. Lessie? He and I need to talk.”

“Fuck.”

“No. Again, not interested.”

“Your sly charms and quick wit are not fooling me.”

We’re both grinning like idiots. “Good. I never took you for an idiot. Do we need to dance around this or are you going to tell me what this morning was about.”

“Ric’s life.”

“That’s all?”

I shrug. “It’s a mashup of a lot of things in my head, but it comes back to the fact that I’m afraid a relationship between them might actually be a bad idea.”

“Because?”

“Because he’ll put her life before his and lose it.”

Tank snorts. “That’s love, Les. Tell me, would you do the same for him?”

“That’s different.”

“No, it’s exactly the same. If you had a chance to save his life, you would and you would do it without a single regret.”

“But I wouldn’t put him in a position to put his life at risk to save mine.”

“How soon we forget the Army.”

I groan. “Not the same.”

“Exactly the same.” He leans forward. “You have difficulty with change, Les. You’re good with change when you’re the one orchestrating and controlling it. Your mind games? Your brilliance at tactics and planning as a Ranger? Unparalleled.

That’s why you scare everyone. Your ability to adapt on the fly makes you a military genius. That’s why Ric always followed your plan. We trusted you to get us in, get us out, and adapt the plan on the fly if needed. Somehow, you manage to calculate and determine the best odds for survival in any situation.

That’s why you’re the strategist for the company. Ric thinks up the product lines he wants to go after and leads the way, you calculate the odds of making it a success and plot the path forward, Bobby and I pick the best men and you and Ric lay the ground work. Army Rangers all over again. Everyone has his duty, everyone has his job. Hector is our special jobs man. He’s the one that makes shit happen.”

I smile. Thanks, Tank.

“Actually, I take it back. You’re good with change. You’re bad with change when Ric’s involved.”

Yeah, I know.

“When I came on the scene, you resented me for taking your spot in Ric’s life. It was always the two of you against the world. Now I was the man he turned to first.”

I wince. I held Tank at arm’s length for a while because I was hurt . . . and jealous.

“Once you had your own partner, once you met and befriended Bobby, you understood.” I nod. Yeah, I did. “Tell me, if you had to choose between Ric and Bobby, who would you save first?”

I’m paralyzed with fear. I . . . I . . . I couldn’t . . . I swallow hard. “Bobby.”

“Why?”

“Because you would be right there to save Ric.”

Tank nods. “Exactly. Bobby comes first for you now because he’s the man who understands you best. You two are true partners and that’s something to be admired. Coming second to me is acceptable to you because you know I am willing to protect my life to protect his. Coming third to Steph and me is not because you see her as reckless with everyone’s life, which she was, but the entire point of your psyop was to curb that thinking in her.

You accused us of thinking of you as reckless. You aren’t reckless but you have your reckless moments. 125?” He stares at me. “Take the car to a track if you want to open her up.”

I wince mentally. Yes, sir.

“You’re accustomed to being the man Ric has to save from himself. Now that’s Steph. Steph has her shit luck. You have that occasional bout of recklessness. You and Steph are too much alike, which, personally, is one reason I think Ric was so intrigued by her at first. She’s a female you.”

I’m horrified by that thought. I’m not that reckless!

He snorts. “Jealous?”

“No.”

“You’re sure?”

“That’s not it at all, Tank,” I reply. “I love Steph. I do.”

“I know.” Tank’s eyes say he knows the nature and depth of my love. No need to say more.

I nod. “OK. So I love her and I love Ric. The two people in this world I love the most and they’re finally getting together. No one, no one, is happier than me. Hell, if they decide to throw a wedding to put you and Lula to shame, I’d pay for it just to see the smiles on their faces!”

Tank grimaces. “I’m estimating $50,000 for this right now.”

I grin. “Being cheap?”

“Please. I grew up dirt poor. Numbers larger than three digits make me nervous.”

“Which is why we put you in charge of the money,” I reply, grinning. “You’ll pinch a penny until Lincoln cries.”

He flips me off but we laugh. We shift in the uncomfortable hotel chairs and relax.

“You know Steph. It takes her forever to learn a lesson. Four years of bounty hunting, two men she’s killed. Every member of her family harmed in some way to keep her alive except her father and nieces.” I shift. “Have you forgotten how angry Lula was when Clyde Cone hung her from the ceiling fan in that warehouse?”

Tank’s eyes flash with rage. He and Lula were just starting to flirt with each other. She was on that all-meat diet and Tank laughed his ass off every night telling us about it. Hearing that she’d been tied up and duck taped to a ceiling fan ignited a flame of rage and protectiveness in Tank that I knew was the beginning of the end of his bachelorhood.

“When we started this psyop, I was caught up in the excitement of finally getting to help her get trained. I was angry it took her breaking her leg for her to agree. Remember? It took me a full day to get to the level of anger and frustration you and Bobby had already hit.” He nods. “OK, so I finally got over the anger and I was proud, proud, of everything she was doing. Wheelchair racing? Hand to hand with Binkie and Woody? Her work on the treadmill? All of that was wonderful to see. I loved getting those videos. She was getting stronger physically.

But at the same time, Hector was shot. That’s what it took for her to start taking the range time seriously. That’s what it took for her to start making sure she had a loaded gun on her. Hector’s near death. Why?”

I swallow hard.

“She was kidnapped in Miami. That didn’t faze her but Mijo‘s near kidnapping is what it took for her to realize that the men we were going after were serious. The near kidnapping of an innocent child is what finally helped her understand that this wasn’t her usual enemy.”

Tank stands and leaves. I watch him walk over to the in-house snack area, grab two waters and put them on Ranger’s room. He walks back over and hands one to me.

“Thanks.”

He nods. “Go on.”

I pop the top, drink, and think. “Juana was shot. Near fatally. Contracted a nasty illness. Sepsis?” Tank shudders slightly. There’s not a soldier alive that doesn’t know the word sepsis. “Yeah. Juana’s shooting? She finally understands Ric’s compulsion to put her in safe houses when the threat is high.

I turn to him. “All of these things happened within a few months of each other, yet none of it pierced the bubble Steph lives her life in. None of it helped. What did? The grisly death of her FTA. That did it and you know what I don’t understand?”

“What?” Tank asks softly.

“Why? Why his death? Why not any one of the other incidents that has happened since Ric left? That’s what I don’t understand. And what’s worse for me?” Tank raises an eyebrow. “Ric was tempted to do something less than wise to accommodate her! It’s his decision. I understand that. He has complete discretion to make the calls about how he’s going to proceed, but when he said he needed to bring it to a close because he didn’t want her running around on her on?”

Tank’s eyes have widened.

“Exactly! You could have knocked me over with a breath. I’ve never known Ric to put personal considerations ahead of getting the job done and yet that’s exactly what nearly happened! I had to open myself up to a concussion to get him to reconsider. No, actually I take that back. It’s not the first time he’s done it.”

“Abruzzi?”

“Yes.” I take another sip of water. “He was running that surveillance job for the government, remember?” Tank nods. “But every time Steph called, he went running. Nearly jeopardized that job to make sure she was OK and I get that he was willing to toss the job to make sure she lived, but”—I wipe my eyes—”doesn’t she have a responsibility to ensure that she makes his sacrifices worthwhile? Doesn’t she have a duty to take it seriously?”

“She didn’t know he was running a surveillance op until he told her, Les. All she knew was that when she needed him, he was there.” Tank sighs. “You forget that, until this year, Ric kept everything to himself, especially when it involved her. You had to ESP him to get anything. Now he’s talking, sharing, opening up. We’ve all recognized that Ric put Steph before him, but you forget that until we confronted her she had no idea. Ric’s left her in the dark about how her decisions have affected him and how they affected business.”

Tank sighs. “OK, now I get it. You’re worried this is a bad trend for the two of them.” I nod. “Stop. Again, you have to blank slate her. First, they weren’t in a relationship before now. She had no idea how her decisions, good and bad, led him to make less than great decisions on occasion. She’s about to see that her superhero is not perfect and Ric’s about to learn about the importance of talking.”

He takes a sip of water. “I’ve talked so much in the past seven months that my mouth hurts. My jaw is tired. My brain is exhausted at making the effort.”

I laugh at Tank’s joke. He flips me off, digs two Tylenol out of his pocket and knocks them back. I cover my face and laugh silently.

“Second, it’s none of your business.” I look over sharply but Tank nods. “It’s not. Ric’s no angel and neither is Steph, but their relationship is just that. Theirs. You intend to stick your nose into my relationship with Lula?”

I shake my head and stare at the floor.

“Good, because I won’t have it.” I look up. Tank looks amused. “You spoke to Lula. You told her how important my life is to you. You devised a plan to help her get trained and you’ve kept your nose out of it ever since. You need to talk to Steph?”

“No. I don’t want to talk about this with her. There’s nothing, nothing, I could say that would come out right. I said I would stay out of their relationship and if I talk to her, I’ll threaten her life. That’s not staying out of it. That’s putting a relationship between them at risk and I don’t want that. I want them both to be happy, preferably together.”

“Glad you see that. Now, if you expect that relationship to proceed down some ‘happily ever after, yellow brick road’ you’re fooling yourself. Those two haven’t begun to fight out their relationship.” Tank snorts then chuckles. “I fully expect Steph to make some personal decisions after this trip that will piss Ric off and vice versa. I see it coming.

She’s not done testing him and I’ll guarantee you he’s not ready. Hec and I are agreed: he’s basking in winning the dick-measuring contest right now. He’s happy Joe’s out of the way. He hasn’t really considered what it will be like to live with her.” Tank grins. “I can’t wait for him to realize he’s not going to get his way on everything.”

“What are you guessing?” I’ll bet she’s redecorated his apartment.

Tank grins. “I’m not saying yet but I have a pretty good idea what her first shot over the bow will be. Now, when his personal decisions start affecting business, our new decision is to vote him down. We all decided that, correct?” I nod. “OK. We’ve allowed Ric to dictate business decisions because he was the manager, but we’ve all agreed that’s over, right? All four of us have to step up and take responsibility for the company’s management. His personal decisions cannot bleed over into business and come before the good of the company.”

“Right,” I reply softly.

“So that takes care of the company. I’ve told her Ric’s life is important. Hector’s threatened to drop her as a partner. She gets it now. She doesn’t need to be lectured endlessly about it. I know you want to, I know you think you should, but I’ve delivered your threat for you. Let it lie.”

“You did what?” What on earth did Tank say?

Tank smirks. “I didn’t realize it at the time, but I’ve covered your end of the talk. I told her about Tomas.”

I sit back. Internally I’m cheering. Yeah, Tank delivered the warning. I don’t need to talk to her. I’m satisfied.

“That’s why she’s scared to talk to you. Twenty years of fucking with Tomas for betraying Ric? And you’ll keep it up because of Hec? Yeah, she gets it.” He sobers. “But Steph and Lula are the first tests of our brotherhood and what they really represent is the end of our ‘my partner first’ brotherhood.” I frown. “You and Bobby have it easier right now. You’re both single. You’re not in our places, but Ric and I have had that discussion.”

“Discussion?”

“ESP.”

Thought so.

“Lula comes first for me. Steph comes first for him. We understand each other there. Do I think he’d put his life on the line to protect Lula? Yes. I’d do the same for Steph. Why? ‘Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.'”

“Ugh. I hope you know I slept through Bible study,” I moan. “Genesis?”

“Yup. The minister marrying me and Lula is doing our pre-marital counseling on the weekends we travel to see Momma. Anyway, I acknowledge that in marrying Lula, she becomes a part of me. She and I are one flesh. Ric and I don’t need to debate this endlessly for him to understand that protecting her is the same as protecting me. Why?”

“Because you would be devastated if she died,” I mutter. “And Ric would be a shell if Steph dies.”

“Exactly.” He leans forward. “Right now, you are the biggest threat to their relationship.” I stare at him, eyes wide. “You’re the threat because you cannot let your anger at her go. Your anger at her is anger at him. They are one flesh, no matter how much they deny it. She knows when he’s nearby just as he knows when she’s in danger. What else would have prompted him to ask Hector about her location when she went to the mall?”

I nod. Her ability to sense his presence is uncanny and Ric was on the plane, headed back to Trenton, before we called him to tell him Steph was missing when Stiva abducted her. He just knew.

“You love them both. Good. Now let them be happy together. Don’t interfere. Become her biggest cheerleader again. She needs another one. She needs as many as she can get and when Ric moves to Syria, she needs the brotherhood firmly behind her, supporting her, keeping her strong.

And as Bobby said this morning, Steph’s resiliency has kept her sane all these years. The talk we had yesterday? It was good. She opened up to me about her life, about how she’s been treated and talked about and demeaned.”

I sit forward, interested to hear this, but Tank shakes his head.

“You talk to her. Get her to tell you the story of her life and her childhood. You talk about the bubble she lives in? She lives in there for a reason. It takes multiple incidents to pierce through for a reason. I understand it now and it makes some of the things I never understood about her perfectly clear. I’ll give you a hint.” I nod, listening. “Tell me why Ric is distant from your family.”

Because they spend all their time trying to dictate to him how to live his life . . . oh fuck . . . I bark a laugh and put my head between my knees. So fucking obvious. How did I miss that?

“Exactly,” Tank says softly. “Hit me like a ton of bricks when she was talking. Now I understand. I see now why Hec and Ric are so gentle with her. You forgot that. I forgot that. It’s been months since we were in her apartment, rubbing her back and mopping her tears and assuring her that she was not incompetent, but we were three people against the years and thousands.”

Right. A lesser woman would have run screaming from Trenton by now. A lesser woman would have run screaming from Ric by now. She’s not weak and she never was. That bubble has kept her out of the loony bin. She’s been beaten down and now she’s standing up.

I sit back up and nod at Tank. Damn. I completely forgot about that morning in her apartment. I forgot the week we spent trying to get her to accept our help without breaking her pride.

“I’m proud of my Little Girl because she reminded me that it’s hard as hell to change a lifetimes’ worth of thinking overnight. She’s strong and getting stronger every day. She wants to stand by his side but he needs to make it easier for her to do that and it starts with talking to her.”

He sits back and smiles. “You’ve always been the one of us, even more than Ric, to admire her skills and talents. You saw a fellow anarchist in the making.” I grin. “You saw that in her because you saw you in her. Raw talent, untrained abilities. Think of the mind games she could run on Ric with some training. On all of us.”

I’m contemplating that thought. Scary.

“Yeah. I’m never going to suggest she get some training.” Tank shudders and I laugh. “Anyway, get on the phone with her again like you were doing. Call her weekly and become her friend again.”

“Right.” She’s part of Ric. They’re going to make a go of it. I don’t need to be the reason they break up.

Besides, I miss talking shit with her. Steph’s viewpoint required a healthy appreciation of the insane. I need some laughter and fun back in my life that doesn’t involve screwing with someone’s head.

Time to get my other best friend back.

---

Damian’s POV

After I met with Lester, I sat and really plotted my next moves.

I gave Sonia $2 million in cash and told her to go back to LA. That much cash in hand scared her but I told her I’m coming. I just want to make sure she’s OK before I join her. She’s still scared. I’ve never handed her that much. $100,000, yes. $2 million?

She and the girls left two days later. I made plans. Diego has power within the organization and within the government. This shit has to go right.

I sent copies of the recordings to Mexico and LA. My moves have been sanctioned but they still want to ‘talk’ to me. Diego’s arrest wasn’t that big a deal until tapes of his other activities were released to the media.

The shit hit the fan then.

The news media is calling for his head, screaming that he needs to be arrested and put under the jail. The chatter in our networks is exactly the opposite: Please don’t charge him with anything that would revoke bail. We need to ‘speak’ to him.

It’s now clear: I was working with a traitor. RangeMan wasn’t the problem like everyone thought, but that won’t save me unless I can manage some slick shit. What’s saving me is the fact that everyone thought he was clean. I was told, ordered to trust him. He was my cover. No one can blame it on me totally but I’ll pay for it if I’m not quick.

Time to make major moves. And fast. Demonstrate my brilliance.

My men on the streets hesitate to follow my orders now, wondering if they’ll end up in lock up. So I ordered the Sureños to go to Charlotte four or five at a time when I got word of his buddy’s arrest. No one was to tell Diego and no one was to speak of it on the phone.

I’m paranoid now that I know how easily I could be recorded. Phones are not my friends now.

“RangeMan.”

“I want to speak to Lester.”

“Name?”

“Tell him my ally is not my ally.”

“One moment.”

I was placed on hold. El Tigre doesn’t use that shit hold music. Good.

“Yo.”

“I accept your information as true.”

“What information?”

I smiled. “Exactly. Where can I find him?”

“I have no idea. I’m headed home.”Click.

Thanks, Lester.

-oOo-

Diego calls me when he’s released on bail. He needs to speak to me. He’s not a traitor and he needs help hiding out.

The news media is camped outside his house. His boss is ignoring his calls. He’s been thrown under the bus. His lawyer suggested he remain in lockup until he discovered how many of our men are there. They’re ready to shank him. He can’t stay on his own without help and I’m his last source of help. His only source of help, really. His family is flying in to help, but he needs cover.

I tell him to meet me at a warehouse in Newark near the airport. The symbolism of this shit will strike whoever has to investigate.

I’m seated at a card table, one bare light bulb overhead, when he walks in. I motion for him to take the seat opposite me. There’s a bulletproof vest on the seat and he immediately slips it on.

“Thanks.”

“No problem. You OK?”

He swallows hard and sits. “Hell no. Shit, I can’t piss without news cameras in my windows, screaming questions.” He leans forward. “Look, let me come right to the point: I’m not a traitor. I’m not the one behind this.”

I nod. “Tricky.”

“Yeah.” He slumps in the seat, looking exhausted and defeated. Damn. At least have some pride, Diego.

“I find myself with a problem.” His eyebrow rises. “El Tigre is overseas. It’s been confirmed.”

“Impossible,” he says, eyes wide. “I followed his men—”

“Did you? Or did your boy do it for you?”

“Well, he did it, but I told him who to follow. He got that information from RangeMen.”

“Where are they?”

He swallows hard. “I’m not sure.”

“Surprise. You followed traitors. They’ll say anything.” I smile coldly. “I know that for a fact. Our men spotted El Tigre in native dress in Pakistan. They learned he was embedded to take out an insurgent cell. They’re keeping our men on the base to avoid having el Tigre’s cover blown.”

I have no fucking idea if this is true but Lester said it was. I’ll go with it. I no longer give a fuck. I want off the East Coast. I’m measuring my life in days and weeks now, not years. I have a huge fucking problem in front of me.

Diego sits back. “I’ve heard nothing about this,” he says finally. “That’s a problem. I was certain, absolutely certain, that he was behind this. Are they absolutely certain?”

“Yes. Apparently, he has a very nice beard.”

Diego sinks in the seat. “No way. No fucking way! There’s no one else that could have been behind this. We checked all possibilities.” He looks at me hard. “All. His men said he wasn’t here so we checked for up and comers. None. It has to be him. If it’s not him, it’s someone in his organization.”

“Fine.” I shrug one shoulder. “But answer me this.” I lean forward. “Why did your girl need to be killed?”

“I told you. She found out my identity.”

“But you said your identity was known. Registered alias, right? So who gives a fuck if she finds out?”

Diego looks astonished. “Registered aliases are supposed to be kept a secret!”

“So she finds out your alias and dumps you? That doesn’t make sense, Diego. Who the fuck was she gonna tell? And if she did tell someone, couldn’t you just get her ass fired? Why did she need to die?”

“What are you trying to say?”

I snort. “You see, I’m trying to figure out why you got fixated on RangeMan and the only thing I can think of is that your girl was fucking one. Was that it? She dumped your ass for some dick from the other side?”

“Fuck you! RangeMan is behind the sting. Mañoso is behind the sting.”

“Mañoso is overseas. I believe that shit. I reached out in the networks. So all I got is that you got pissed cuz she dumped you and started fuckin’ someone else.” I lean forward. “I believed you. You had no reason to lie. So now I’m wondering who’s really running this sting and you know what I think?” I shift in the chair. “I think you’re involved.”

“Bullshit,” he says, enraged. “Don’t let the media fool you. This is an elaborate attempt to frame me for some shit I’m not involved in. I’ve been down for 20. I’m not the traitor.”

Alberto’s just stepped quietly through the door and found my machete. I’ve sharpened it to a fine sharp edge. Nothing worse than a dull blade. I hit the play button on my remote and the recorded conversation between Diego and the Attorney General plays. It bounces off the walls in this room and masks the sounds of Alberto’s approach.

All blood drains from Diego’s face.

“I’ve been playing for dominance in a region that’s locked down tight. I don’t need this. I need to consolidate what I have. You’ve cost me my life.” I lean forward. “The Cártel de Juárez is not happy that I failed in the objectives. There’s a price on my head. How much is it?” I ask mockingly.

Diego swallows hard and refuses to answer until I place my blade on the table. “$5 million,” he finally says.

“And you knew!” I clap mockingly. “You knew I had a price on my head and said nothing.” My smile drops. “I’ve been betrayed by a traitor, wasted time and effort in an area that will gain me nothing, and acquired a price on my head. What would you do?”

Diego’s quiet but I can see his hands start shaking. I stand and motion for him to stay.

“I have a plane to catch. After all, I need to start begging for my life.” I smile. “You? You have bigger problems.”

His eyes widen, his mouth opens, and Alberto swings the machete.