Mando’s POV—Monday

I’m staring out of the window, contemplating a quick jog, when Chase walks in.

“Sir?”

1100. Never mind. Time for my standing meeting with Chase. I motion for him to come in.

“Thanks for covering me this morning.”

“No problem. How was Miami?”

“Good. Atlanta?”

He grins. “I’m so glad my cousin does not schedule health checks between Thanksgiving and Christmas.”

I laugh. “Same here.”

Chase is a good strategist, an excellent one really, but he’s not Diego. He’s too … nice. No, that’s not the right word. Proper? Chase is by-the-book to the core and I’m used to having a pitbull at my back. Two of them, really.

I miss Thomas and Diggy more than I ever thought I would. I rarely had to think an order with those two around. I miss that silent, perfect communication with my leadership team. Thomas and Diggy? My boys, my brothers, godfathers to my girls.

Chase and I are too much alike, which is why it took us some time to mesh. Rod too. We’re all too … nice.

I’ve tried to look for the advantages to that. The biggest one is that there’s zero confusion at this branch about who is in charge. I am and every man knows it. Chase and Rod are clear about their duties and responsibilities, so I’m clear about mine. The men rely on me for direction, but I trust my leadership team to disseminate the info.

My life has improved 1000% for that. I can breeze through work without the constant interruptions. My concentration has improved significantly and the headaches are gone. I actually have the time I need to assist Diego with Miami, not that he needs much assistance at this point. He got the ‘official’ XO training manual two weeks ago and the first thing he did was call me.

“Yo!”

“Sup?”

“How much did you contribute to this manual?”

“Why?”

He laughed. “The documentation on how to do stuff? I can hear your voice in my head. Hold on, I’m sending you the link in RangeWorld.”

I looked. “Mark and Danny used my info exactly as I submitted it, with formatting changes.”

“It’s good stuff. Congrats. You made the official XO training manual.”

I printed off a few pages to take home and show Mari. She was thrilled and proud of me.

“Did they give you credit for it?” she asked.

I nodded. “Every XO is credited for his sections. I submitted mine the fastest because I had everything scanned already.”

“Hurricane prep?”

“You bet.”

She kissed me. “Proud of you. You’re training the next generation of leaders.”

Well, put that way, it was nice. I felt the honor deeper.

Still, working with borrowed leadership is rough and only lately am I starting to see who I’m really working with. Chase’s proper exterior hides a Doberman when it comes to business. We’re bringing this branch up much faster than anyone expected because Chase’s method for handling business is to exploit every advantage, just like Diego. In the streets, he sounds gangsta, even though I know he’s a former cop. He knows all the slang and lingo because, once we had an office, he made contact with the local authorities here and got us all the contracts, informants, and contacts a new office needs. Listening to him on the phone, he sounds like a native.

In business settings, he has perfect diction and superb table manners, so much so that I’ve had to brush up. He confessed that his aunt, Bobby’s mom, made him attend all the etiquette, language, and dance classes she put her kids through. Chase went to Bobby’s alma mater and was being groomed to follow his father and uncle to law school when he decided to go to the police academy. We broke into the high-dollar crowd here in town in record time because Chase called his aunt and asked for her contacts. His dad and uncle also supplied theirs. A few parties, balls and lunches later, we had industry leaders signing contracts.

Local firms were stunned. RangeMan seemed to come out of nowhere and snag all the open contracts that were out there and some that no one even knew were up for bid! My client services guys are on it! I expect the November numbers to move us back ahead of Miami and Boston. Every XO is waiting to see who is going to land on top at the end of the year. The numbers are due in one week.

Personally, my money is on Javi and I hope he wins. It’ll be poetic justice for him. Last to first in one year. Congrats, bro.

But still, Chase can’t hide the fact that he misses Atlanta. I’ll catch him on the phone with Adam, gossiping about what’s going on there, giving his men orders and reading through the Atlanta reports with an eagle eye. I always know what the Atlanta numbers look like well in advance. That’s who I’m aiming for right now.

I usually know what Boston’s numbers look like too. Rod is a former PR guy, one of the few ‘outside’ careers in RangeMan. Working under Mark, I expected him to be good, but he’s better than good. He’s superb. I’m trying to think of how to suggest to Thomas that he and Rod should spend some time together. Rod and Chase get together and prepare my reports and official communications and they’re perfect.

RangeMan’s name in Charlotte is growing because both of these guys really know how to position the branch. Plus, Rod had no qualms about getting on the phone and working the street contacts Chase managed to snag. “I grew up in Roxbury. There’s nothing these southern boys can say that’ll impress me,” he says, rolling his eyes. So our intel network is growing fast.

Rod’s separation from his family means he spends a lot of time at RangeMan with the men, trying to get this branch ready faster, because he’s desperate to go home. He and Chase bonded and started hanging out at the local Boys and Girls Club. Chase is serious about volunteerism and giving back, something he says runs in their family. “Plenty of people will tell you what’s wrong with the world,” he said one evening, as we were leaving. “Few will tell you what’s right and even fewer will tell you how they’re getting off their ass to change it.”

Rod agreed. “I might be dead now if not for the people at the B&G that gave a damn. Everyone talks about how horrible kids are these days, but who the fuck raised ’em?” I grinned. Rod looked irritated. “You get what you raise. Everyone wants the village to raise the child as long as it’s someone else’s child. Leave mine alone. Ten years later, your kid is the one shooting up schools and having kids left, right, and center.”

I raised a brow. Rod exhaled. “I had–have,–good parents, but it took the people at the B&G to tell them that I was getting in trouble all the time. I was good at lying my way out of it. In my case, the village helped raise me and pointed out that I was getting in trouble and if I kept going the way I was, I’d end up dead. The village helped me turn my life around, so I don’t have problems with people coming up to me and telling me my kids are up to something. Other people will tell you the truth you don’t want to believe.”

No disagreement there. That’s why my son’s middle name will be Esteban, after the woman who told my friend to get his head out of his ass and told me to quit lying to myself.

They looked at me. I shrugged. “Agreed. It’s the hardest part of being here in Charlotte.” I exhaled. “My family isn’t perfect, but we could at least count on them to babysit on occasion. I could count on Diggy and Thomas to watch the girls. Thomas was with Mari when she went into labor with Elena and kept her calm until the ambulance arrived. He stayed right by her side, ignoring the doctors, until I got there.” I swallowed hard. “I miss my village.”

Rod threw his arm over my shoulder. “Then you and I, muchacho, need to spend a lot more time together because I miss my kids. If you and Mari need a babysitter, call me.”

I told Mari. Mari immediately tested Rod’s commitment there and found he put his money where his mouth was, so that gave us something to bond over. Rod and Chase are frequent visitors to our house and the girls are getting to know them. I’m talking shit to Mark about keeping his liaison.

Mark’s not amused.

So the Boys & Girls Club of Charlotte has become RangeMan’s ‘unofficial’ volunteer spot. Some of the guys here have their own thing that they’re into, but most of the men have started hanging out there. It’s making a difference to the men here and I put a line item in the budget, under Miscellaneous, for volunteer activities, to fund ice cream parties and basketball games.

Miami’s work with the battered women’s shelters sobered every man there, especially since Candy tied it back to how sexism impacts their lives. For the men transferred away from the branch, it was made a mandatory part of their assignment at their new branch. For some, it was just another annoying duty, but for most of the men, it dredged up painful memories. A mother, a sister, an aunt, a friend, someone in their lives had been abused. I suggested to Steph that each branch pick something they’re passionate about and volunteer.

“You think we should make this a company-wide initiative?” Steph asked during the XO call a few weeks ago.

Everyone tried to talk at once, a first.

“I think so,” Javi said. “I mean, here in NYC, it’s all about kids. Levi and Doobie got together and convinced the men to go volunteer for a kids’ sports league. Mack and I got involved and it just kinda blew up. Meanwhile, Tater’s pushing help for the homeless. He was homeless for a few months as a kid and he’s never forgotten what that felt like.”

“I agree, Sis,” Hal said. “Here in Trenton, you know it’s gun safety and vets’ rights.”

“And if I didn’t, Ram would remind me.”

“Constantly.”

We laughed and every XO started talking. Hector created a poll in RangeWorld for the men to vote on and we’ll have one company-wide initiative and one branch-wide one. Participation is voluntary, but encouraged, and we’re going to work on ways to ensure the men have time to volunteer if they choose to.

My new branch is growing. My men are on it. My leadership team is behind me. Still, I never thought I’d say this but …

I miss my village. I miss Miami.

—oOo—

“Anything else?” I ask Chase. The meeting’s over and the branch is growing. Now, to figure out how to climb out of fourth place!

“No, sir. I think that covers everything.” He shakes his head. “I can’t believe we’re still fourth. Not as fast as this office is growing.”

“Every office is growing. We’re just the newest one. Not even six months. We’re doing fine, better than fine, really.”

Chase opens his mouth to speak just as Rod bursts into my office and shuts the door. He looks wild.

“Everything OK?” I ask, standing, pulling my gun.

He waves. “Fine. Fine.” He glances at Chase. “Need to speak to you. Private.”

“About?”

Another glance at Chase. “I just got a call from Boston.”

“And? They need help?”

“No.”

I frown. “I don’t like secrets within my leadership team, Rod. What is it?”

Rod fidgets, refusing to speak. Chase is staring at Rod coolly, assessing. “Does this have anything to do with the CCO?”

We both stare at him. He shrugs. “I’m aware of his location. I coordinated one of the first stings. Took place here in Charlotte.”

Rod visibly relaxes. “Oh. OK.” He walks over and takes a seat. “I just got a call from Pat. Guess who’s on the move?”

I raise a brow. “Are you sure? He does his downtime after ops in Miami.”

He nods. “He’s with the CO. They drove to Boston. Interviewed the men there. He did assessments of our Boston locations and talked to Mike, Pat and Susan. I think he’s doing a review.”

Chase raises one finger, pulls out his phone and dials.

“Yo.”

“Yo. Wouldn’t ask this if I didn’t need to confirm something I just heard.”

“Go on.”

“CCO and CO? On the move?”

There’s silence. “Where did you hear that, Chase?”

“You’re a smart man, cuz.”

Another extended silence. “Make sure your shit is tight. He has RangeWorld access too and he’s digging.” Click.

Chase and I glance at each other. The ESP to my leadership team has finally kicked in.

“I’ll start a review of the contracts,” Chase says, looking slightly panicked.

“I’ll start a review of the internal processes,” Rod says, standing.

“I’ve got the men.” We all nod and they leave quickly. I pull my roster and start checking files and paperwork.

I know I’m being judged by my subordinate and he knows I know. Made it hard to really trust him at first but I do now. I trust Chase and he makes it easy for me to forget he’s reporting on me by never acting as if he’s judging me. He simply follows my orders and supports me.

I hope when he’s called on to give his report, I pass.

—oOo—

Steph’s POV

“Branch first or —”

“I prefer to get business out of the way.”

I frown. “This trip is supposed to be for us.”

Ranger makes a note on the papers he’s looking at. “You convinced me to do this by pointing out that I’d get a chance to snoop in Charlotte.”

Right. I did. I flop back on the bed and turn on the TV. We made great time here from Baltimore, but Ranger spent all his time, while I was driving, digging through RangeWorld.

I wanted to get mad, but I thought about the possibility of a repeat ‘Dickie’ question and decided to let him do his thing.

Ranger closes his laptop lid and slides onto the bed with me, muting the TV. We lie there for a few minutes, enjoying the moment of quiet. He kisses my forehead and I smile, turning to him and snuggling closer.

“You know why I want to snoop around in Charlotte?” I shake my head. “Because this branch exists because of you, Babe,” he says softly. “You built this branch. This wasn’t in our plans, but you took this on. I’m proud of you and everything I see in RangeWorld right now says you made the right call.”

I bite my lip to prevent the tears from falling. There’s nothing like ‘Proud of you, Babe’ to make me feel like less of a klutz and disaster. “Thanks, Ranger.”

“And you called me out with Mando,” he says, less enthusiastically. I look at him; he looks a little disgruntled and embarrassed.

“Because I told you Mando did—”

“—the same thing in Miami I did in Trenton,” he finishes. “Yes, and the more I’ve thought about it, the more I realize that’s true. I should have handled Miami much sooner. I should have fired Tony and put Mando on probation much sooner. I should have paid more attention to what was going on there. The fact that you had to clean up my home branch is embarrassing.”

I sigh. “You can’t be responsible for everything—”

“That was my home branch.”

“You can’t be responsible for everything.” I shift until I’m able to pull Ranger’s face closer to mine. His eyes are closed. “Not everything is your fault. You were in and out of there all the time. You were in Trenton, probably saving my ass, all the time or getting ready for an op or just coming back from an op.

That’s why you had an XO in charge. He didn’t communicate with you. You didn’t communicate with him. Change that. That’s what I think you’re responsible for. Bad communication with your XO. It’s his job to run the branch. If you have to run the branch for him, what is he there for?”

Ranger is quiet. “Ultimate responsibility still falls on me, Babe.”

I sigh, amused. “You’re responsible for Mando. Everything else falls on him. Not everything is your fault, Ranger.”

He barks a laugh, but says no more. We continue to lie there, listening to each other breathe in and out, and relax.

“You could go grocery shopping,” Ranger says. I stare at him. “We’ll be here for two days. We can pick up a few simple meals.”

“Good point.” I start a short mental list. We need to stock up on snacks too. I see why Ranger’s frustrated with my Miata; no storage anywhere! Then again, my car isn’t meant to haul more than me and the occasional guest.

Why did Bobby put us in my car for this road-trip? The Cayenne would have been a better option.

“OK, I’m going shopping.” I roll off the bed and write the list. Ranger adds a few items while I get dressed. I return an hour later with three bags. Ranger’s at the window with a pair of binoculars.

“You packed binoculars?”

“Yes.” He takes two of the bags from me and starts unpacking them.

“Why?”

“I always pack binoculars. Part of my ready pack.”

I pack shoes, Ranger packs binoculars. Our lives are definitely interesting. I’ve learned that Ranger plans everything. Even bathroom breaks. He’s trained his body to ‘eliminate‘ on a schedule. I laughed until he pointed out that within five minutes of waking up I run to the bathroom unless ‘distracted’.

Damn logic.

Ranger spends the afternoon in RangeWorld. I take a nap. I wake at 2000, refreshed and ready to do something.

“Now what?”

He finally looks up. “Babe?”

“I was in a car for six hours today. I went grocery shopping, I had a nap, you can’t be seen in public with me, and you want to dig into the branch.” I have a thought. “Do they have a stakeout tonight?”

Ranger stares at me as I roll off the bed and grab his laptop. I sit in his lap and surf into RangeWorld.

“Ha! They have a stakeout planned. Wanna go stake them out?”

“I thought you were sick of the car.”

I grin. “We’re doing this stakeout my way.”

—oOo—

“Babe.”

I smile and finish off my fifth hot wing. These are delicious. Ranger is doing his normal stakeout thing in the driver’s seat. “We’re not looking for a skip, Ranger. You can’t get out of the car and I’m not chasing anyone today. We’re watching the Charlotte men. Come on, have a wing.”

He still doesn’t move.

“You know why I never move during stakeouts?”

“Nope.”

“Because people notice movement in a car. If you sit still, they wonder if someone’s there, then decide their eyes are playing tricks on them and keep going about their day.”

Yadda-yadda-yadda. The wings are getting cold. “We’re doing this my way. We don’t have to be here. If the subject shows, we can leave. We’re watching the men, not the subject.”

I try to make ‘the subject’ sound ominous and scary every time I say it. Ranger’s lips twitch. Stakeout meaning? Amused.

“We could spook the subject into not showing if he wonders who we are. We don’t want to ruin this for the men. I want to see them in action.”

“We’re a block away. I doubt anyone’s looking at us.”

Ranger looks over, sighs, and grabs the carrots. I finish another wing and slurp on my soda. Ranger finally pulls out his wings and starts eating. We have eyes on the RangeMan SUV. It’s obvious in this neighborhood.

Our men are sitting in the vehicle, stiff, waiting for the subject to show. This is surveillance only. The Charlotte RangeMan Office doesn’t have a permanent XO yet, so they don’t have a license to apprehend yet. North Carolina law is similar to Florida law in that aspect, so whoever runs it will also have to run a bonds shop. If Mando stays, he’s perfect for this role. He has the experience.

“Should have used one of the decoy vehicles,” Ranger mutters, annoyed.

“Yup. You plan to discuss that with Armando?”

“And Chase. This is ridiculous.”

“Chase is a former cop, a detective. You really think he didn’t tell them not to do this?”

Ranger considers that. “Hand me a wet-wipe.”

He wipes his hand, starts my car, and we cruise the block.

We spot the true stakeout car the second time around. It looks like something I would buy, a complete POS. Fender held on with duct tape, rusted in several places, and a partially shattered windshield.

It’s so bad I’m proud. Ranger’s nodding approvingly. “Much better.”

We finally pull over again down the street from the POS with both cars in our line of sight. Ranger kicks back and watches. My phone beeps.

“Yo.”

“Your Miata is conspicuous in this neighborhood, Ms. Plum.”

I laugh. “Hi, Chase! What are you talking about?”

“I’m in the piece of shit with a pair of binoculars.” Ranger grins. I groan. “Thank you both for joining in. This one is particularly sneaky.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Click.

Ranger laughs. “OK. Underestimated my men.”

“That’s not like you.”

His lips twitch. “No, it’s not, but of all the strategists, I know the least about Chase.”

Same here. “Why?”

He stares at POS for a moment. “Chase was Bobby’s call. His cousin.” I nod encouragingly. “We bought Atlanta and spent the first six months retooling the place. Bobby lived in the restaurants and on the golf courses chasing business. He knows Atlanta. His father is a federal judge and his mother is a … socialite, for lack of a better word.”

Wow. Ranger said Bobby was rich but I don’t think I’ve ever asked anything about Bobby. “So?”

“So after six months, Bobby was losing his mind. He felt he was turning into his mother, always throwing parties or catering lunches, only for Bobby it was schmoozing on golf courses and picking up the tab for lunch or dinner. He realized we needed a real client relations department in Atlanta, but we also needed someone in Atlanta who had the contacts he did. That’s when his mother suggested his cousin. Chase had been blocked from two promotions in APD for political reasons and was looking to switch industries. We agreed to try him out and Chase brought eight of APD’s finest with him. Adam, Marcus, Lance, those guys left with him.”

“Wow …” I slouch and get comfortable.

“Yeah. Filled in some gaps because they brought their street contacts and experience. APD was pissed with us for a while. We took the best of their Vice department then made them sign contracts to get their experience back.” I laugh.

“Les spent some time with Chase and said he’d take him on. Chase wasn’t necessarily Les’s favorite call because none of us could get a read on him. Les and I were trusting Bobby’s assessment of his cousin, which was positive of course, and Les trusts his RB, but for him not to be able to get a read on a man was frustrating. We had to wait for Tank to get back from a mission and size him up.

Tank stared at Chase for at least ten minutes before passing judgment, the longest it had ever taken for Tank to size someone up.” I lean closer, waiting. Ranger glances over and notes my curious look. “His pronouncement? Chameleon. Bobby was relieved. Les and I looked at him again. We agreed with the assessment but it’s not like that helped!”

“So? Why leave him in place?”

“Because Chase is a chameleon. That’s why Les was uncomfortable with him. Chase can conform to whatever you’re looking for without thinking about it. He did undercover, vice, for years. It’s his defense mechanism and he’s brilliant at it, but accusations clung to him about how close he got to subjects in order to get the info. That’s a large part of why he was blocked at APD, because he had a perfect service record.”

“I see. Les finally met his match.” I do. Les and Ranger are the guys who are best at that in RangeMan and I’m sure that not being able to get a read on the real Chase drove them insane.

I need to spend some time with Chase. If he frustrates Les, he must be good at it.

“To some extent, yes. Chase is good at hiding who he really is from people.” Ranger’s lips quirk. “It kept him alive. Think of how long he’d last on the streets, trying to investigate gangs, if you knew his true background. Son of a lawyer and a nurse, uncle’s on the federal bench, Morehouse grad, admitted to Emory Law … Chase does not have a ‘hood’ background, but he buried it deep to work Vice.”

Wow … “But Bobby doesn’t hide his background that much.”

He snorts. “Think again. There are Bloods up and down the West Coast who truly believe Bobby is one of them.”

I sit back and consider that. All the guys are used to hiding who they are under layers of … fake identities. “How do you keep track of your identities?”

Ranger is quiet for a long time. “Each one is attached to some part of my life. I have to remember. I don’t have a choice.”

“Doesn’t that get exhausting?”

“It has to be done.”

Still, how well can you live your life if you have to remember the details of a bunch of other lives? That sounds frustrating. It sounds like a recipe for a disaster. “I could never do that.”

He smirks. “Every time you run a distraction in a club, you create a new identity just for that skip. You don’t keep track of them?”

I look over at him in horror. “I’ve used hundreds of names!”

“And we have each name and any details to go with it categorized. Just in case, Lisa Lightweight.”

“What?”

He smiles a ‘Ranger smile’. “Jordan Andrews, AKA Martin from Brooklyn.”

I stare at Ranger, thinking. “The skip I caught when the guys came back to clear me on the standards?” He nods. “Crap! You remember that?”

“Those tapes were the best the guys could do to make me feel like I was there with you.”

I turn and stare at the POS, eager to get off this topic before I ask how many identities I have. The guys in the SUV haven’t moved. I wonder if they’re asleep. “I remember thinking southern gentleman when I first met Chase. He kissed my hand and blushed.”

“Never did it again, did he?”

I think. “No … he didn’t!”

“He’d sized you up at that point. You were straight forward, no bullshit. He didn’t need to try to charm you and you weren’t expecting him to. He could be about business. I still don’t really feel I know Chase, but I have accepted that. He and Les will always be at odds.”

“Why?”

“Because Les is trying to dig under the surface with him and Chase is hesitant to let that go. It would be similar to giving up part of his training. Bobby knows how to dig under the surface with Chase just like I do with Les, but do most people understand Les?” I shake my head. “Same for Chase. When Les finds the right lever, he’ll finally start getting to know the real Chase Jackson.” He nods. “There’s the subject.”

Our guys are taking pictures of him in the SUV, and he notices and runs around the block, right toward the POS, and hides. We can’t see him but, minutes later, a car pulls up and he gets in and takes off. Ranger sits up and starts the car. My phone beeps.

“Yo.”

“Ms. Plum, could you act as Car B?”

Ranger nods at me. “Sure, Chase. Need anything else?”

“If you can get a picture of the driver, that would be great.” Click.

Ranger grins. “Thanks for suggesting this, Babe.”

I groan. “Your idea of fun is to join in running a three-car tail on a cheating husband! You need hobbies. I’m buying you an Xbox.”

“PlayStation, Babe. Better games.”

—oOo—

This is like staking out Dickie for me. The driver of the getaway vehicle quickly ‘lost’ the RangeMan SUV, but the POS and Ranger are still with him. They’ve parked in a secluded area, under a canopy of trees, and they’re going at it in the backseat.

I took pictures but I don’t know if they’re going to be any good. I called Chase and he confirmed he has a camera with a night lens and zoom, so if we could take video, that would be even better.

“This is just depressing,” I mutter, watching the car rock. “This guy fell in love and got married and now he’s cheating on his wife? I mean, this investigation wasn’t even called by his wife either! Someone on his corporate board called for it!”

Ranger snorts. “Fucking his way out of a job.”

“Really.” I shake my head, disgusted. “Hello, Dickie.”

Ranger smiles and squeezes my hand. “Dickie sour you on marriage that much?”

I wonder if it would be really obvious if I turn the radio on. “No.”

“You really hate him.”

I’m tempted to chance it but I sigh and decide to trust Ranger. “I hate him but I hate me too. Like you said, I didn’t have to marry him. I didn’t love him. I never loved him. I married Dickie for all the wrong reasons. At least you had one good reason to marry Rachel.” I turn to him. “How did being married affect your attitude to marriage?”

Ranger grunts. “I wasn’t married long enough for Rachel to affect my thinking on marriage. My attitude to marriage was shaped by my fellow Rangers and watching so many of them end up divorced. Plus, I was propositioned by quite a few wives. Your husband is overseas under constant threat of danger and you’re in the officers’ bar stroking my dick and asking for a ride?” He rolls his eyes. “I was in a few consolation groups too, to go speak to the widows?” He raises a brow; I nod. “There’s nothing more sobering than telling a woman that the man she loved will never come home to her. Grief will clear your romantic notions of happily ever after in a moment.”

“They loved their husbands so much it was like losing a part of themselves, Ranger,” I reply softly.

“Intellectually, I understand that. Emotionally?” He sighs. “Being that dependent on anyone was an unwelcome thought.”

“You’re cynical.”

“I was. Very.”

“You’ve never fallen in love.”

“True.” I’m hurt; he smiles. “Love at first sight is one of the greatest labor-saving devices the world has ever seen. The words ‘And they lived happily ever after’ are the biggest lie ever sold.” I frown; he’s really cynical. “I think the idea of falling in love is silly. It’s defeating. It suggests that everything is over once this one thing happens, but what happens after you fall in love?”

Ranger raises a brow. “Love to me is a journey, not a destination, an action, not an answer. Love is packing two blankets to go star gazing just in case my woman wants to wrap herself up separate from me.” I laugh. “Love is packing your snacks in the trunk and being told to pack them at my feet the next day.” He twists my curl around his finger. “Love is keeping track of the important things in your apartment and having duplicates in my home. That’s love.”

Nice save, Ranger. “That’s preparation, not love. Anybody could do that.”

“And what would make me do that except a need to ensure that you have everything you need, because I love you?” His eyes are warm and amused, looking at me tenderly. “I’m a man who isn’t great with words, but good with actions and planning. Love? Your car has seat warmers, non-shred tires, and armor cladding, just in case a crazy spots you in winter.”

“Here’s hoping I never have to use them.”

“Agreed.”

The car finally stops rocking. “Think they’re taking a break?”

Ranger motions for the camera, stops the recording feature and zooms in. “Yeah. Tossing the condom, a little petting, hmm … they’ll start again in a few minutes.” He puts it back on record.

“I hope she’s good enough for him to lose his job.”

Ranger stares at me. “I’ll bet she is.”

—oOo—

Ranger’s POV

Am I really that cynical? As I explained how I felt about marriage, I was surprised at how bitter I sounded. Watching the men around me get divorced had taken a toll, I suppose. Keeping mistresses for years took a toll. Watching Steph go back and forth with Morelli took a toll.

Who’d believe in love after watching that shit? Love seemed like a sucker’s answer for shit actions. We were in love. We fell out of love. This isn’t about love.

Love had a lot to answer for.

Watching this guy screw this woman in the back of a rented car? It has to be love. If not, she’s got the best pussy this side of the Mason-Dixon Line, because he’s screwing himself out of a multi-million dollar job and into a multi-million dollar divorce.

Love?

No thanks. Give me sex any day.

And yet … I believe in love. I’ve seen it; I’ve seen it work out. My parents are a testimony to love and the power of love. My tia and tio, Les’s parents, my sisters and my brother, each is happily married with children. My Abuela and Abuelo in Miami still court each other and mi abuela in Newark continues to mourn my grandfather. Luis and Ella continue to have their date nights and private jokes.

I’m jealous of Tank and Lula. My brother found the one for him and, watching the two of them in Louisiana, I couldn’t help but wonder if Steph and I would ever get to that point. Realizing Lula and Tank had developed their own ESP? That was the first time it really struck me that I was #2 from now on.

I love Steph. I believe, in my heart, that she’s the one for me. But God knows I’m gonna have to work for it because she’s gonna drive me insane. But I never wanted a woman like me. I wanted someone to complement me, not match me. I don’t need another me.

I’ve seen love. I’ve seen it perform miracles. I’ve seen it save the day. I’ve seen it keep a dead man alive and give a man with no hope the will to go on.

I’ve seen strong, patient, faithful love. I don’t want anything less.

—oOo—

It’s after 2230 when we get back to the hotel. The Beast is talking shit to me. I don’t understand him. He had nearly twenty hot wings!

“Babe.”

“That was a light snack. I slept through lunch, remember? We need dinner.”

One thing I love about Steph: she’ll never pretend she’s not hungry to impress me. We get started on a light meal while waiting for Chase to arrive. I told Steph to text him our location; I plan to scope out the city in full tomorrow.

Chase arrives around 2300 and Steph lets him in. He looks tired but he nods and waves the aluminum foil Steph requested.

“Jackson.” I pull the steaks from the broiler and set them on the countertop. He hands me the foil to tent them then and shakes my hand. He still looks like Bobby like Les looks like me: enough that you know they’re related, but you have to pause for a moment.

He’s smiling at Steph. I can tell she’s captivated by his dimples. “Sir. Steph. How are you?”

“I’m fine. Tired,” Steph answers. “You want something to drink?”

“Water is fine.” Chase sits in the armchair and stretches his legs. I offer part of my steak and he declines. “Thanks for your help tonight, sir.”

“You’re welcome.” I sit. “You don’t seem surprised to see us.”

“Boston warned Rod.”

Steph rolls her eyes. “I can’t even get mad! It wasn’t gossip.”

“I can.” I turn an icy smile on Chase. “My location is not supposed to be gossiped about.”

“Correct, sir, but Rod is Boston and you did an assessment of his location. I’m sure he was contacted to be brought up to date. He’s still in their leadership, sir.”

Chase looks slightly frightened of me. I’ll accept that answer. “And he told the two of you because?”

“He only meant to tell Armando. I was in the room with Mando when he arrived. The panic on his face led me to guess that you were involved somehow.”

Steph waves a hand. “Let’s debate about whether or not Rod should have said anything later. Right now, I want the scoop.”

Chase nods and accepts the water. “Positive? Mando is a good XO. Negative? He’ll always need someone strong behind him.”

Not surprising. He’s always had someone stronger behind him. As long as Mando has support, he’s terrific. Again, not an indictment of the man. Everyone needs someone supporting them, someone behind them ready to hold their back.

That’s what’s worried me about Mark for the longest. He hasn’t had someone behind him and it took me a while to see that. I think Brenna breaking the engagement broke part of him. I hope Nikki recognizes she’s getting a man with some cracks.

“Why?”

Chase yawns, then waves. “Sorry. Well, from what I can gather of the man’s history, that’s his life. Even now, his wife is a pistol. If faced with the two of them in a dark alley, I would be afraid of Mariela.”

I snicker mentally. So would I and I like Mari.

Steph turns to me. “Is that a good quality for an XO?” she asks worriedly. I motion to Chase, for his thoughts. He nods.

“Depends on who you put behind him. Having me and Rod here was a change for him. Rod and I are trained to respond to two vastly different XOs. Mando seemed to have a hard time adjusting at first. It was almost as if he’d hesitate, thinking we were going to jump in. We aren’t going to jump in between him and the men like Diego and Thomas probably did. We’re going to let him handle it because we would expect Mark and Danny to handle it.

Once he truly understood that, he took over with an iron fist. Now that he’s accustomed to us and knows how we will respond, he knows how to direct us. I’ve seen it more lately. I wouldn’t dare try to jump in for him now. He’s running things and it’s good.”

I’m nodding mentally. So he’s regaining his backbone. Good. Steph looks less pleased. “What if I did put two incredibly strong people behind him?”

Chase raises a brow. “Such as?”

“Mack and Thomas?”

“Are you moving him back to Miami?”

“Let’s just say I did.”

He thinks for a while. “It might work. Mack’s accustomed to backing Javi, but I also understood that he held Javi down while Javi was developing some mat skills. Mando has mat skills, so that’s not an issue.” He shrugs. “I can see it working out as long as Mando has the balls to be very clear with Mack from jump that he’s the XO.”

“Thomas?”

Chase snickers. “Those two will fall back into bad habits quickly because they’re more than boss-subordinate. They’re friends and brothers. Diego and Thomas were the brothers he wished he had as a kid. They’re the family Mando wishes he’d had and, again, from what little I know, I don’t blame him.”

I’m thinking and I think Chase underestimates Mack. I don’t know Mack, not really, but Les is gung-ho on this man, which means I’ll probably like him.

“Mack is Thomas’s cousin, right?” Steph and Chase nod. “Those two will partner. I remember Thomas and Mando at the beginning. Mando had that line until Tony joined the branch. That’s when he started relying on Diego and Thomas more. Plus, Mando’s partner was Diego. His partner was in the leadership and was the man who served under him in the military.”

Steph smiles. “So Mando needs a partner not in the leadership.” I nod. “Makes sense. Hal’s partner is Junior. Danny’s is Marcus, Mark’s is Vic, Javi’s is Mack. Mando is the only person doing something different.”

“Good point,” Chase says, frowning. “I hadn’t considered that. Mando is isolated and alone up here and he doesn’t have a partner he can rely on.” He sits back, thinking. “If you moved Danny, Marcus would move with him—”

“And Hal’s gonna scream if I don’t stop teasing him about moving Junior.”

We’re all quiet. I can’t think of a single man in the company strong enough to hold Mando’s back while ensuring no one ever thinks he’s trying to take over. I wonder if Mari is interested in joining RangeMan …

Suddenly, I think of one. It’s a left field possibility, not worth mentioning, and likely years away … but it’s a possibility.

Steph is the first to nod, a ‘yeah, he’s right there’ look on her face. “You’re right, Ranger. Mack won’t allow it. He’s been backing Javi, another XO with a rep for being spineless but he knows that’s not the truth. Last thing he’ll want is to move to Miami and have to back a spineless XO. He’ll demand that Mando pull himself together and show who’s the boss and that Thomas stay back and let him do that.”

I smile at her. Thanks, Babe.

Chase smiles. “I think you’re right. I think you’re exactly right. Mack gets on the strategist calls and we’re impressed by his loyalty. He’ll make Mando step it up. He’s coming from the number two branch with a strong XO to the number six branch. If he has to rebuild Miami, he’ll want an XO he can count on, not one he has to prop up.”

I nod. Just as I thought.

“And if I leave Mando here in Charlotte?”

Chase shrugs. “I sometimes think Mando misses Miami, but Mariela loves it here. If they go back to Miami, it’ll be because Mari wants to.”