Ranger’s POV

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

“Hey, Carlos.”

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

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

I turn back to the road and hit I-95.

She kissed me. Without me having to blackmail her, tease her, or push her up against a wall. I’m hard and ready for her now and I decide not to wait.

“Call Hec. Tell him to disable your tracking.” He should have done it already. She calls and her tracking has already been disabled. Good.

I head directly to my house, running a few cleaning sweeps on the way. We pull into the driveway and Babe looks around in confusion.

“I thought we were going to Tampa.”

“We are.” I shut off the car, open the house, and disable the alarm. “Right after I take care of something.”

“What?”

I strip my t-shirt and reach for my waistband. Babe’s eyes are wide. I pull her to me, strip her shirt and kiss her hard. “Stop me now, Stephanie. Because after this, I’m not stopping until you pass out.”

“Huh?” She looks dazed and happy. That’s all I need to see. Well, until I look down.

“Babe . . . ” Holy hell. I think I just got harder. I stare at the bra she’s wearing. This is not from Victoria’s Secret. I watch as Steph slowly strips her pants and smiles at me, pulling me to her by the waistband of my pants. I move easily. I’m too shocked to do anything else. I want to strip her undies from her body with my teeth but I also want to keep those intact. She has to wear those for me again.

These are the undies she needs to wear every day for the rest of our lives.

“Carlos?” I drag my eyes up to her face. She looks amused. “I assume you like Agent Provocateur?” She slips her hands inside my pants and strokes my already straining cock. Like? I’m buying everything they have in stock once she goes to sleep. Provocateur is right.

I strip my pants and carry her to the bedroom, where I carefully slide my new favorite panties from her body and lay her back on my bed, our bed. It’s been . . . months. The last time we were both in Point Pleasant. That’s the last time I made love to her and this bed only has happy memories of her in it.

She’s smiling at me. “You stopped.”

“Memorizing every inch,” I whisper, molding my hands against her hips and kissing her neck. “I’ve missed you.”

“I missed you too.” Those long legs are wrapped around my waist and I can feel she’s already wet, but I intend to have her writhing and screaming when I take her.

I start kissing her lips, her neck, long dragging kisses against her collarbone and jawline. My fingers find her sweet entrance and I insert one, then two fingers inside, slowly pumping in and out. I’m kissing her body slowly and within minutes I’ve already accomplished my mission: Babe is writhing under me, begging, pleading for me to do anything, but I have time and patience on my side.

I roll my tongue around her nipple and watch her back arch. Her hands slip down my body but I capture them and kiss her lips. Babe is trying her best to roll me onto my back and I chuckle.

“What’s so funny?”

“You’re wrestling with me. Want me to pin you?”

“No. I want on top.”

I look at her. She’s serious, so I roll. Steph unpins her hair, letting it fall in curly disarray around her face, and starts kissing me, my neck, my collarbone, licking and tweaking my nipples. Her hair is ticklish against my skin and I’m at full salute. I’m desperate to take control again but I lie back and enjoy the sight of my Babe, legs spread on either side of my hips, the nectar of her body dampening those sweet curls at the top of her thighs, fingers trailing all over me. Every nerve and muscle in my body is on edge as she trails hot wet kisses down my body.

I close my eyes and grip the headboard. Steph’s sliding her fingers between my balls while her other hand grips my cock tightly. I’m waiting for the moment her lips . . . her tongue slides around the head, moistening the tip, causing the cold air to stiffen me harder than I already was. Her tongue makes another swipe across the head before her mouth envelopes me, a slow bob up and down. She slides down the bed and settles in and I tense in anticipation.

I lose track of time. Time is non-existent, a non-entity, a non-concern as Babe brings me to frenzy. I might have the muscle, but she has all the power and never more than when I’m naked and at her mercy. I’m breaking, broken, moaning and whispering promises of love, fidelity, trust, whatever she wants, whatever she needs as I shatter beneath her. She slides back up my body and captures my lips, my voice, with her lips and slowly grinds her way to her orgasm. She holds my hands above my head and leaves herself open to my tongue and teeth on her skin, worrying her nipples, suckling her breasts, driving her closer and closer to the point of insanity.

I feel her orgasm. It’s close. It’s there and, for once, I don’t roll her over. I allow her to control it and regret I don’t do it more often. Watching her come apart on top of me, the blush that travels up her body, the wild cry that seems ripped from her throat, the way her eyes dilate to a pure sapphire blue as she stares at me in stunned rapture and exhilaration . . .

I want to see that more often. I want her on top more often. I want her to take total control more often.

---

I roll over. 1500. I laugh. We might make Tampa by 2000. I look over at her and smile. Babe’s curled against me, eyes closed, a smile on her face. I’m not interested in moving anywhere that might take me from her side but, since I screwed the plan, I need to know what she wants to do. I eye the bra tossed haphazardly into the chair. Yeah, she needs another one. I ended up ripping that one.

“Tampa?”

“Not necessary.”

I grin mentally and settle back against the pillows, pulling her closer to me. “I know you don’t want to stay indoors all weekend Babe.”

“Actually, I do.” I look at her. She’s biting her thumb. “I mean, being followed at the mall? That means that no matter where we go, someone’s going to be looking for me or you. This is your life? This is what I have to get used to, right?”

She looks small and sad saying it and I immediately slam my blank face into place. “Yes. This is the reality of life with me.”

She sighs and rolls onto her back. I slide next to her and stroke beneath her breasts. “Is this just because you’re running a domestic op or is this how it might always be?”

I consider how to answer that. “Right now, it’s heightened because I’m running this op, but this is my reality. There will always be a threat. There will always be the possibility that someone is after you. You can never let your guard down. You can never assume that random people walking up to you mean no harm.”

I look over and she’s staring at the ceiling. “Is this always how it will be, Ranger? Always in hiding? Always with a gun and a partner? When are you ever alone? When would we ever be alone?”

Her voice, the raw pain and frustration, is tearing my heart apart. This is why I always assumed I’d be alone. What woman, in her right mind, wants this life? The constant monitoring? The tracking? Constant vigilance?

Steph is sweet and innocent and trusting most of the time. Naïve. Hector calls her a kitten on occasion and I’ve chuckled over that because it’s right, although I tend to think of her as my own personal angel. She keeps me from growing too jaded and cold. I’d nearly given up on love before I met her. Hell, I’d nearly given up on people, aside from my brothers, before I met her. She reminds me to live, laugh and love, and find some joy in life. I can remain on my guard, but I should allow some fun and laughter into my life. Time with her reminds me that not everything is life or death and I should stop assuming everyone is a threat.

Dangerous behavior, given our combined enemies list, but oh so tempting whenever I’m with her.

I lie back with a sigh. “Is this always how it will be? No. I would hope that our life together is more like our life in New Jersey. You have to remember, Babe, I’m running a dangerous case. Right now, men are desperate to find you to get more information about me. That’s always been your reality but this is the first time it’s been a present possibility.”

“This hasn’t always been the case,” she says, looking at me.

“Yes, it has. Like I said before, wrapping you in my name was a double-edged sword. It kept you safe in Trenton from low-level hoods and thugs, but it opened you up to my enemies. They knew what was important to me. You were always at risk.” Steph’s gotten paler through this explanation and I sigh.

“The risk was somewhat mitigated because you did your on-off thing with Morelli, but if someone wanted to find me and break me, they would go for you. Scrog did. That’s exactly what they’re doing now. Morelli isn’t around to be your shield and they need leverage against me. Our relationship isn’t public but they came after you.”

Steph is white. I open my mouth to continue, but she raises a hand.

“And if I’d chosen Joe?”

I’d be little more than a shell, a raw pulsing vein of hurt. I’d bury it deep though. I made the choice. I’d live with it. “I’d always be around, watching silently. But it would not have stopped those who wanted leverage against me.”

“What about your family? Julie . . . ” She trails off. “They live under the controls you have in place for them,” she says in a small, unhappy voice.

“Right.”

“I don’t.”

“Right.”

“And I don’t take orders.”

“To my everlasting regret.” I get poked for that, but it gets the first giggle out of Babe since this conversation started.

She’s quiet. I’m waiting. I assume there are more questions, so I’m surprised to feel Babe slide back on top of me and sit up. My favorite view. I immediately slide my hand up her body and stroke the side of her breast.

“I don’t want to think about it anymore today. I want to forget everything.”

Orders received. I make it my mission to fulfill them.

---

2000. Babe is asleep and I make the decision to move to Sarasota. Miami is too hot, both temperature and interest. I bundle Babe into the car and set off. Three and a half hours later, we pull into Sarasota and I check into the Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota, FL. Smaller city, artsy, and plenty of things for Babe to do. Plus, there are two great botanical gardens here and the hotel has a spa on site.

This will be a perfect romantic weekend for the two of us. Hopefully. If it doesn’t end in a fight like last time. I say a quick prayer that no one gets shot this time.

I wake Steph gently and let her lean against me as we check in. She looks around sleepily.

“I’ll be impressed by all of this tomorrow, won’t I?”

The staff at the front desk smiles. “We certainly hope so, Mrs. Diaz.” He gives me the keys to the suite I’ve booked and I wave the bellboy off and grab our bags. I guide Babe to the elevator and we head to our room.

Steph smiles at me. “Another one?” I nod. “Me too?” I nod. “How many?” I flash five fingers, pleased she’s speaking in code. She gives a short laugh and shakes her head. I open the door and allow her to proceed me in.

Steph walks in and looks around. “Carlos . . . ” she says breathlessly. I really need to tell her how much I love it when she says my name. I walk up behind her and smile at her face. The moon is up over Sarasota Bay and the sugar-white sand and crystal clear water is on full display.

“Tomorrow,” I whisper. “You can go enjoy the beach. There’s a spa in the hotel and two botanical gardens nearby. Anything else you want to do?” She turns and hugs me, shaking her head against my shoulder. “Then we’ll play it by ear.”

“Who do I have this weekend?” she asks.

“Carlos. You have Carlos this entire weekend.”

---

Steph’s POV

This masseur is fabulous and he’s just part of the package. I woke and Carlos said he’d made an appointment for me to have a massage at 1000 today. I agreed if he agreed to go with me. He looked at me in confusion but I hugged him around the waist.

“Defeats the purpose of a couples’ weekend if you’re not with me. Come have a massage with me.”

I’m moaning through this massage and every time I open my eyes, Carlos is staring at me.

“Babe.”

“Yes?”

He closes his eyes, a half smile on his face. “Torture.”

“Worse than dinner at my parents?”

“Much worse.”

I flip over at the masseur’s tap. He’s good.

“Babe.”

“Yes?”

The masseur looks up. “I’m gay, sir, if that helps.”

“It doesn’t.”

I laugh.

Forty blissful minutes later, we travel, hand in hand, to get our manicures and pedicures. The technician get started on me right away, but Carlos’s phone rings just as the technician gets started on him.

“Yo!” His face quickly blanks. “OK.” Click.

“Everything OK?” I ask quietly.

He nods. “I don’t have to leave,” he says. I look at him carefully but his blank face is firmly in place. I nod and try to concentrate on my pedicure. I look over and he’s smiling at me.

“Six minutes. Not bad, Babe.”

“Thanks,” I mutter sarcastically.

“New info. That’s all.”

I relax. I thought he was going to need to leave. “OK.”

We enjoy our facials and champagne (Ranger eyed the vintage. I knocked it back then drained his.) before returning to our room. We lie on the bed and stare at the ceiling.

“Need to think?”

How did he know? I curl up next to him and think hard.

---

Ranger’s POV

Dios, please don’t let this weekend end in an argument. This has been great so far. Morelli called at the beginning of the manicure to tell me he’s following a new lead in South Carolina. Fine. I trust him. He’s a damn good detective and, since I’ve saved his life, he’s less tempted to question me all the time and he’s even quicker to pass news I need to know.

I’ve started giving thought to my relationship with Steph, to the changes I’ll make to make this work. I’m ready for this. Hector tells me constantly that Babe’s made changes (although he won’t tell me what they are. I think he’s enjoying screwing with me), but I see them on occasion. I see how she’s changing to fit into my life but she’s still Steph. Even after being kidnapped and held, she still went shopping. A threat will never keep her down, will never force her to stop doing what she wants to. But she took guards this time, three of them. She had Hal call Hector to watch her trackers once she was aware she was being followed.

Behavior that, a year ago, I would have been flabbergasted by, but now she’s doing it. The threat is real. It’s connected to me. Before it was just weird, random things that happened to her, but now she sees how my life operates, the unrelenting pressure, the non-stop demands on my time. She sees that her safety matters.

I need to tell her, to make sure, absolutely sure, she understands what it means to me to know that she’s taking her safety seriously. It allows me to work with a sense of peace, knowing that she’s protected and cared for when I’m not there to do it myself.

So, I’m learning to be flexible on the guards and trust Babe’s decisions. I realize that now that she understands the danger in my life, she’s not making the same insane decisions that used to drive me crazy. Example? She had her Glock 26 on her yesterday, in her holster, in the small of her back. I realize that she had it on during the trip from Miami to Sarasota and part of me wishes I’d known. She had the gun print in her back when we went to bed. But I was stunned to see it. I was stunned to see it when I stripped her at my house. Stunned and thrilled.

I think I’ll definitely tell her that seeing her wearing the holster gets me hot.

And just like in Miami and Point Pleasant, there were no arguments about exercise or meals this morning. I decide to relax on the meals this weekend. Yoder’s, the Amish restaurant, is a local landmark and she’ll love it. I can see her moaning her way through the peanut butter cream pie now. I shift and make a mental note to wear the loose cargoes there tonight.

I’ve been giving our relationship serious thought and I’m starting to make new plans. My birthday just passed and, with another year, I’m starting to accept that I’m getting older and the missions are getting old. I love them and I believe in the ones I choose, but doing them constantly is wearing on me.

I’ve started thinking of pulling back, maybe taking short-term assignments, perhaps truly expanding the black-ops side of the business with other men. Our black ops business is really limited to me and Les. Blackwater (now ‘Academi’. I snort. Can’t outrun the name, guys) truly fucked that up for everyone with their ham-handed actions in the Middle East, but smaller ‘security’ outfits like mine still fly under the radar. We can grab more of the contracts that Blackwater, burdened by their name, have to leave behind.

If I do that, I can concentrate on getting the rest of the corporate plan finished. Tank’s words, when he and Lula were working out their prenup, stuck in my head. I never planned to marry, never really foresaw any of us getting married because all of us had absolutely no intentions to. That’s changed. Bobby and Tank are the oldest, at 35, and it’s become a reality for Tank. As much as I like Lula, and I do like her, there’s no way on earth she could ever have an interest in RangeMan.

Oh hell no.

So it’s time to pay attention to the business, devote some true time and attention to taking it to C status and really getting things settled for my men. I hate paperwork and meetings, but they deserve my attention. There are product lines I haven’t been able to open yet that I’d like to follow up on.

Things held up because my Babe was bleeding me dry. That’s not the situation anymore. She’s working for me, building my company in my absence, my other half and equal, doing what I need to when I can’t. My Babe is revealing the woman I always knew was there and I owe her a lot more than an apology for idiotic words. She has my love and affection. She has my trust and, so far, I know that she wants words from me.

A simple request. And the hardest fucking one. I’m trying. I’m determined to give her words this weekend, to put myself out there and give her what she needs.

I wonder how Tank’s managing it. He speaks less than I do. I’m betting he’s out of Tylenol. Lula’s gotta be tired.

I’ve taken Hector’s words to heart. I’m thinking of how to romance my woman when I can. I decided to pop up this weekend because I assumed the constant security was driving her crazy. The targets are hunkered in, planning. I have Knox and White under constant surveillance. I had to use the terrorism courts for the warrants, but they’re legal. So I have time and space to spend with Steph and I’m taking it.

I look at her, asleep on my chest, and fragments of a Pablo Neruda poem from college drift into my head.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way because I do not know any other way of loving but this, in which there is no I or you, so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand, so intimate that when I fall asleep your eyes close.

I smile and pick up a curl. Her hand is upon my chest and, even though it rarely happens midday, I’m tempted to close my eyes.

I decide not to fight the feeling.

---

She’s staring at me. I know it.

“Babe.” I open my eyes and yes, she was staring at me.

“How did you know?”

“I could feel it.” I check the clock. 1500. “Botanical garden is open until 1700. You want to see this one, Babe.”

“That good?”

“Devoted to bromeliads.” Confusion on her face and I smile. “6,000 orchids, hibiscus, bamboo, and a koi pond, among other attractions.” Babe is throwing on her shorts and a T-shirt. I smile and point to her camera. “Take that, Babe. You’ll want it.”

I call down to the valet to pull the car around and we head down. “By the way . . .” I look at Steph, who is staring at the lobby. I tug her and she looks at me. “We’re having Amish for dinner. Tell the Beast to calm himself.”

“Amish?”

“This place is renowned for its peanut butter cream pie.”

Babe stops fully in her tracks. “I love you,” she says, completely serious.

Other couples nearby laugh quietly, but I walk back over to Steph and kiss her passionately. “I love you, too,” I whisper.

I take her hand and walk her to the rental. Once inside, she looks at me. “I meant that.”

I kiss her wrist. “I know.”

---

I bought two peanut butter cream pies. Babe ate her slice at the restaurant with such enthusiasm that I realized my cargoes weren’t loose enough. I merely smiled and used my thumb to remove cream from the corner of her mouth. Steph asked the housekeeping staff to store them and she’d retrieve them when she checked out the next day.

Time for her surprise.

“Where are we going?”

I merely smile and nudge the rental into a parking space. I nod at the captain.

“Mr. and Mrs. Diaz?” I nod. “Welcome aboard the Dolce Vita. If you’ll follow me.”

I slide my arm around Steph’s waist. She still looks confused.

“Happy Birthday.”

She blushes and looks at me. “My birthday isn’t for another month.”

I nod. “And I have no idea where I’ll be then but I don’t want to let it pass without us doing something. So, I booked us a sunset cruise. Two hours, on the water, just me and you watching the sun go down.”

Steph looks shocked and I tug her behind me and find our seats. We’re settled in and the boat is pulling away when she finally speaks.

“Your birthday passed and I wasn’t able to say Happy Birthday.”

“I got a present.”

“You did? What?”

I grin. “Nice Louboutins.”

She gasps. I smile and kiss her temple. “Ella sent me two short videos. One of you wearing them with RangeMan Trenton clothes and the other in what I hope to God was a distraction outfit?” I raise an eyebrow and she starts laughing.

“Ella?”

“Well, Ella sent it to Hector, who sent it to me. That’s all I needed, to know you’d gotten them.”

I suddenly have a lap full of my Babe and she’s kissing me with complete abandon. The captain comes around to say something, notices us, and tips away.

“I still didn’t get you anything.”

“Then let’s celebrate our birthdays together right now.”

Steph falls asleep halfway through the trip, her head on my shoulder, happy tears drying on her cheeks. I lean back and sigh.

Romance my woman? I think I will.

---

When we return to the room, Steph gasps and I smile.

The housekeeping staff followed directions perfectly. Rose petals on the bed, a good champagne chilling in the ice bucket, and candles everywhere. Steph looks shocked. I connect my iPod to the bedside radio and the sound of Spanish guitar music fills the room.

Steph turns to me. “Why?” she whispers.

“Because,” I reply, kissing her.

It’s the last word spoken for hours.

---

0100. Shower sex, sex in the bed, complete exhaustion in the bed.

“Carlos?”

“I love when you call me that,” I remark, turning to her.

“Really?”

“Mmm …” The curls are wild. “What do you need, Babe?”

“Help.” I look down at her. She’s chewing her thumb again. I rescue her poor thumb and smile.

“What kind of help?”

“Miami.”

“The city or the branch?”

“The branch.”

“OK. What’s the problem?”

“Your men. They’re the most sexist, difficult bunch of assholes I’ve ever met. I was condescended to all last week and made to feel like a pet. I see why Armando lost it. I’m ready to. Mack’s pulling his shanks all the time, Hal’s ready to break all of them, and Diego and Thomas have gone from handing out mat time to slamming them the moment they say something stupid. Diego and Armando have fired seven so far but I had to rehire them until this op is over. The leadership there is sick of it. It’s insane.”

I roll onto my back and let out a breath. Too good to be true. Damn. I’m stymied. This has the potential to be a raging argument and I desperately want to avoid it. Not because I don’t think her points are good but because, just once, I’d like us to have a romantic weekend away without a fight.

“Babe, I really want to talk about Miami. I do. I’m not trying to avoid your questions. But we don’t get a lot of time together. I don’t want to fight with you and this ‘discussion’ has the potential to go south on us. So, I’m giving you the choice. We only have tonight and tomorrow left, 24 hours at most.

We can make the rest of this time together a working weekend where we discuss company business and hash out plans or we can make this a romantic weekend where we make love, talk about us, and enjoy ourselves. Your choice.”

“We can’t do both?”

“Do you see us avoiding a fight if we do both?”

Her shoulders slump and she’s chewing her lip. “How about we spend three hours on company business? I’ll catch you up, give you my initial assessment of Miami, and you help me with a game plan. After that, we stop. Whatever’s unfinished after three hours remains unfinished and we don’t touch it anymore this weekend.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Any arguments and fights over Miami solutions are abandoned? No hard feelings on either side? No regrets?” She nods. “OK. When do you want to talk about Miami?”

“Tomorrow morning? Before we go back?”

“OK.” I kiss her and smile. The majority of the weekend devoted to us.

Avoided a minefield there.

---

0700. I’m looking at the numbers in shock.

“15%?” I whisper. I lift my head and look at Babe, who looks amused and satisfied. “How?”

“NYC mostly. The numbers are really starting to count and Les is crowing. Took me a while to see you were doing accrual accounting.”

I nod. “We switched from cash basis when Ryan came on board.” I frown. “Why?”

“Because when it came to the profitability numbers, it just seemed like you were still using cash basis to calculate them. So when we went live in RangeWorld, I wanted to see how the numbers would change. They stayed the same, so Ryan had to give me a primer on how the numbers are counted around the company.”

I smile. “Yeah. IRS requires the use of accrual when sales and/or revenue gets above $5 million.” I chuckle. “I hated accounting. My weak point. Ryan had a fit when he took over the books but he had it straight in two months.”

I’m still scrolling through the numbers. Trenton’s leading, barely, with NYC and Atlanta hot on their heels. The branch profitability rankings have completely flipped. This is hilarious. How in the hell did Boston end up in the toilet? I can’t wait to hear Mark’s explanation for that.

I love this RangeWorld thing Babe’s created. Shit, Hector must have had a field day. This was on his original corporate tech plan so to get this up and running had to thrill him. His partner made his biggest tech initiative come true, with help from Manny. I wonder how much time Tank spends in here. I’m sure Les and Bobby live in here.

I wonder what I can bribe Hector with to get access for 24 hours. I look at Steph and smile mentally. I wonder what I can bribe the boss with to get access for 24 hours.

I slide the laptop away, even though I’m desperate to dive in. We don’t have much time and Babe needs a game plan for my home branch.

Fuck. My home branch is so insane she can’t go there and be respected. I should’ve cleaned this up sooner, but between my ops, her injuries, my inability to leave her, and the never-ending list of things that seemed to keep happening to her in Trenton, I could never fucking leave. Now it’s come to a head and Babe’s being forced to deal with it.

“OK, give me the assessment.”

Babe starts reviewing her week in Miami and by the end I’m tempted to call Hal and tell him to fuck everyone up. He and Mack are clear to show no mercy. Babe’s red and angry and I’m ready to kill. I pull her into my arms and rub her back as she sniffs. I know she hates to cry and if even one tear falls, I may tell her to just close the fucking branch.

“So, let me recap. The branch is well-run. Good contracts and good profitability but three big problems. 1. Leadership is a problem and that’s Mando and Tony?” She nods. “2. Men are sexist assholes.” She nods. “3. The gossip about us in Miami is that the men are sexist assholes and that’s the problem?” She nods. “There’s no mole?”

“No mole, Ranger. Women in the city, former clients, are pissed with the men in the bodyguard department. They hate Antonio but they love Mando. It’s having a trickle-down effect. Women get together and talk about RangeMan and the ones who hate bodyguard services completely spoil our near perfect satisfaction ratings in everything else. I haven’t even begun interviewing yet. I’ve just hung out in the gossip spots and dropped RangeMan’s name. Women couldn’t wait to talk to me.”

I’m pissed. “And Mando and Tony couldn’t catch this because? Diego? Thomas?”

Babe sighs and curls up next to me. “Because they’re men. A pissed off woman isn’t going to tell another man that the men she had as bodyguards were mean or rude to her. It’ll look like she’s whining or she’ll curse. It takes a lot to write a good letter detailing what happened in a way that doesn’t make it seem—”

“Like you’re being over sensitive,” I finish. Steph nods. “Easier to just fire us than fight.”

“Exactly. That’s why they were willing to talk to me. I’m a woman. I’ll take that complaint seriously because I know what it’s like.”

I’m silent. I honestly have no fucking idea what to say here. I decide to move on to helping her fix this. We’re running out of time. “OK. Here are my ideas, Babe. Ready?”

She reaches for a small notebook. “Shoot.”

“If the problems originate in bodyguard services, fire Antonio. There’s a standing order for him to be fired anyway. Meet with our former clients and individuals whose contracts we lost to find out why. Conduct a survey of current clients. He says they’re satisfied. I’d be surprised.” And that pisses me off. If it turns out he’s part of the problem, I’m breaking him and Armando. That’s my reputation in the toilet in Miami. “Fire Armando too.”

“I’ve got all that scheduled for next week. Diego’s already meeting with the latest clients we lost. He and Armando had done it before but I gave him a new set of questions to ask. And I’m not firing Armando. I’ve put him on probation.”

“Steph, that’s my reputation in Miami in the toilet.”

“It’s in the toilet for a lot of reasons, some due to Antonio, some due to Armando, and some due to you.” My eyes are wide. Steph nods. “I’m not firing him.”

“He made business personal, Steph, and it ruined that branch—”

“So did you.”

I’m silent. “Explain.”

“Trenton.”

“What?”

Steph stares at me hard and I’m surprised to see that I can’t read this face. “You put the entire branch on the line to save my life time and time again instead of being honest with me. By the way, we’re going to talk about that when this op is over. Anyway, you put me before Trenton. Mando put his sanity before Miami.”

I lean back against the pillows. She’s right. I made business personal in Trenton and Trenton couldn’t keep the bottom line. Hypocritical. Fine. She put Armando on probation? We’ll see how he performs.

I’m suddenly not looking forward to a conversation I know we need to have.

“Fine. Next, you have a director of HR. Put all of them on performance plans.”

“I thought RangeMan didn’t do that?”

“Normally we don’t, but it’s in the SOPs. It’s a possibility, rarely exercised. So exercise it. Put them all on improvement plans, specific goals to reach. You’ll have to be creative but as a woman, I’m sure you’ll come up with better assessments than I could. You and Candace get together on that. Pull Ella and the housekeepers in. They ran a successful psyop on the men.” I smile. “Call a women’s brain trust to determine how to modify their behavior. Anyone who doesn’t make the cut, fire them.”

“OK.”

“Call Les. This calls for his creativity too.”

She makes a note. “Maria’s going to San Antonio. She told me when I arrived. She enjoyed her time there and she and Lula get along great. She’s Lula’s ‘Ella’.”

“Fuck.” But that might be good. It’ll be hard for me to look at Maria and not think of how I failed her and how much she frustrated me. She was incapable of seeing how she brought that on herself, but the woman was in grief and I didn’t support her. If she loves San Antonio and she, Tank, and Lula get along, it’s a good move. No bad memories. “Rafe?”

“I think he has the hots for Maria.”

“He does.” I’ve always known that.

Babe laughs. “If she leaves, he will. I haven’t spoken to him about yet, but I’m pretty sure of it.”

“Encourage it.” She looks at me and I nod. “Maybe if the Miami men do the work for a while, they’ll get the point.” At that, Babe flops back on the bed and laughs. The way she looks at me lets me know that’s happened. “Rafe went with Maria to San Antonio?”

“And the men had to do all their duties.” I grin. “They hated it but they’re still screwed. Rafe’s back to work but Armando wanted to press the point home. Maria’s working under the standard contract at the moment. She won’t start cooking again until Monday and 18 men in the branch are on macrobiotic diets.”

I chuckle. “Bobby?” She nods and I laugh mentally. His punishment diet. “Where is Armando?” I just realized that she hasn’t mentioned him much even though she’s just saved his ass with me.

“I sent him to Charlotte. He’s building the new branch.” I stare at Babe. “You did know there’s a new branch, right?”

“I knew we had an office in Charlotte. You’re building a full branch?” I was right. I won’t recognize the RangeMan I return to.

“Nope. Armando is building a full branch. His probation and my chance to assess him.” She sobers. “I think I got to the root of Mando’s problem.”

“Which is?”

“Did you know his father died?”

I nod. “Yes. It was a trifecta. Father died, his mother moved into his house, his wife had a baby . . .” I keep thinking. “I think Mario, bonds enforcement, moved in for a short time when his apartment flooded. I gave him time off but he refused to take it. Wanted to stay busy. He took paternity leave but that was it.” This reminds me, I need to call Manny and check on him and Juana.

“Yeah. You think, in all that, he ever had time to grieve his father’s death?”

I sit back and consider that. Fuck. No. I should have mandated the time off but I understood. When I’m pissed or upset, I keep moving. I gave him the choice. He said he wanted to keep moving and I respected that.

“I listened to him at the beach,” Babe says quietly. “I called Lucia for more information about him. Thomas and Diego, they were desperate and begging me and Les to help him. Lucia begged me to help him and the info I got from her helped me understand what happened.” She threads her fingers with mine and crawls on top of me, sitting on my legs facing me.

“Armando and I, we’re the same. Critical mother, although Lucia made his mother sound cruel, ‘perfect’ cousin for him, not a lot of open support. When his father died, that just left his wife and she was trying, but he had his mother and family beating him down all the time and it got worse when his mother moved in. I could see it at the beach. He was ready to go postal. I moved him to Charlotte to give him a chance to find himself again and possibly save his marriage. I’m betting his wife was ready to break.”

I’m quiet, listening to Babe. Fuck. I close my eyes and lean my head back. The similarities between Armando and Babe are uncanny. I finally realized, a few months ago, that that was the beauty of Les’s psyop. He pulled her out of the Burg so she didn’t have to listen to their opinions of her life and choices, and it gave her space to make her own decisions.

I ordered Les’s Aston Martin because his psyop brought me what I most hoped for and never dreamed I’d ever receive: her love. She chose me. She finally chose me.

Yeah, she’d feel for Armando and it sounds like she did the same thing for him.

“Tank was there with him for a while. He said that the Armando he saw in Charlotte was different from the Armando he usually saw in Miami. So I think I may have called it right. Tank said he told his entire family where to get off and moved his wife to Charlotte with him. They’ve recommitted to their marriage. They’re preparing for their third baby. I think Mando needs some time and he’ll be OK. He just needed to be away from Miami for a while.”

I kiss her curls and I feel her smile. “Thanks, Babe.”

“For what?”

“Helping him.” I sigh. “I truly believe Armando is the right XO for Miami but I can’t wait to hear what you think. And Consuela Cortes is a piece of work, believe me. I’ve met her. I’m sure Lucia downplayed her to you.” I open my eyes and look at her. “Combine your mother’s single mindedness with the mental and emotional stability of Abruzzi.”

Steph shakes violently. “Shit. Lucia did downplay it.” I pull her close to me and rub her back.

“Yeah.” We’re quiet again, considering Armando growing up with that kind of mother. I’m surprised he retains any sanity.

“Yeah. I think I agree with you about Mando being right for Miami. At first, at the beach, I was ready to fire him but I decided to move him instead. I think he’ll be OK once he’s had some time away from both his family and the men, but I intend to give him a choice. Charlotte or Miami. Tank thinks he should stay in Charlotte. Diego’s fired seven so far. He’s thrilled to have a chance to clean the branch up, but I had to rehire them.” I stare at her and she smiles at me. “Until you’re done with this. You can fire them again if you want but they had to be contained, according to Les.”

I laugh. “It’s the only reason I had not made Diego an XO. He’ll be quick to fire without assessing the situation fully. No patience in assessing a situation fully.” Babe sits up, looking chagrined, but I shake my head. “No, allow him to remain the XO.”

“You sure?”

“I think this time in Miami will teach him patience and Tank will finish the training if you approve him for San Antonio.”

We’re both quiet. I’m not sure what Babe is thinking about, but I’m thinking about how much I like talking about the company with her. 15%?

“Carlos?”

“Hmmm?”

“The number’s still making you hot, huh?”

I look at Babe. She smiling and unzipping my cargoes. My erection springs into her hand, a happy hello to the woman who made it possible. I grin.

“We don’t have to check out until 1100.”

“Good. Has it been three hours?”

I check the time. “You have thirty minutes left. You have anything else you want to talk about?”

“No.”

Dios, I’m glad. She has the condoms out and she’s slipping one on. I lie back and smile.

Back to the romantic side of the weekend.

---

We checked out at 1100, just barely making it. Babe retrieved her pies and we settled into the rental to go back. I hit the highway and we’re back at my home by 1600. We walk in and Steph looks around and sighs.

“It was over so fast.”

I kiss her temple and lean against her, eyes closed. Yeah. Over already. Barely seems we had any time together but we had an entire weekend together without a single fight and, knock wood, no one got shot, died, or was arrested. Damn, this has been a great weekend. I’ve been able to touch and kiss her all I want and she’s not pushing me away with lame excuses involving Morelli. Small miracles. That’s all I ask for.

I slip my hand around her waist and find the gun. “Love the baby Glock, Babe.” I get kicked in the shins. “What?”

“I’m carrying.”

“I know. I’m proud. Makes me very happy to know you’re armed and that the gun has bullets, Babe.” I kiss her forehead and look into her eyes. “You really don’t know how happy that makes me,” I tell her quietly. “Knowing that you’re carrying, that you’re armed, that your gun has more than one bullet in it relieves my mind of worry, Babe. I can concentrate on wrapping this op up faster and coming home rather than worrying about whether or not you’re being attacked.”

Steph sighs and sways against me. “Really?”

“Really. I’m doing everything I can to wrap this one up faster.”

“Everyone’s had a comment about the gun.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Silence. “Mostly that they’re surprised I’m carrying.”

I nod. “Ram help you find the gun?”

“Yeah. He thought this was right as a personal piece.”

“I agree.” I look at her. She looks annoyed. “We have two RangeMan standard issues because of Ram. He can shoot with anything, but the Beretta M9 is Army standard issue. He calls it the ‘shittiest gun ever manufactured’, but adoption was mandated by Congress.” Steph laughs and I grin. “Don’t get him started.”

“I’ve heard. I’ve sat through a few of his gripes. He’s not really a fan of Congress, is he?”

I snort. “As long as they keep cutting the defense budget and shortchanging the VA, no soldier is. Anyway, the Beretta only won because it was cheaper than the Sig Sauer P226—”

“Is this something that I’d learn from Guns and Ammo?” Steph asks, looking amused again.

I grin. “Long story short, Ram decided that since we’re a private company and we aren’t as cheap as our government, we could get the guns the government should have purchased. I trust my best sniper. I went with his recommendation.”

“Miami is a weapons playground.”

I grin. “You’d be surprised at the stuff you can get on the streets.”

“Not really. Lula got a rocket launcher at a yard sale, remember?”

I lean back, laughing silently. “I’ll never forget. Tank was speechless. Literally speechless. Ram was speechless.” Babe’s laughing into my chest but I’ll never forget the look of dumbfounded confusion on their faces when Tank returned to RangeMan with it.

I look at the clock. 1700. Time is slipping away from us. I look down to see Steph doing the same thing. She sighs. “Weekend’s over?”

“Almost, Babe.”

“Oh!” she says suddenly. “I did get you something, but …” She shrugs. “I wasn’t thinking birthday when I bought it.”

I raise an eyebrow. Babe tries. I smile. She gives me an exaggerated sigh. “OK, not quite.”

I’m trying not to laugh. “Babe.” I sit on the couch, trying to think of what she could have gotten me. Les and Tank both say I’m hard to buy for. Bobby and I share the same taste, so our gifts to each other are usually the same.

She rolls her eyes and disappears into our bedroom. She returns with a watch.

A Corum Admiral’s Cup AC-One 45 watch. I’ve been waiting for this watch to be released.

“Carlos?”

I’m still dumbfounded. “How?”

“Huh?”

“How did you know I was waiting for this watch to be released?”

Steph smiles, looking relieved. “I didn’t. I’d never heard of the place and Hal wanted to go in. He had sticker shock but I saw that watch and thought of you.” She shrugs. “It just seemed like your style.”

I take her face gently in my hands and kiss her. “Thank you,” I whisper. “I really wanted this watch.”

She curls up next to me. “Why this one?”

I smile. “You really want me to bore you with the technical specs on this watch?”

She frowns. “Nope.” I laugh. “I thought it was pretty.” I groan.

“Pretty? This is water-resistant to 300 meters—”

“Right. I think it’s pretty. It gets you hot. I’m competing with a watch.”

I throw my head back and laugh. Steph straddles my lap and glares at me. “Really, Ranger?” I stop laughing and glare at her. She laughs. “Carlos.”

“The watch doesn’t compare to you.” That gets me kissed before she sighs.

“What’s the plan to get me back into the building?”

“Aventura Mall. You’re meeting Thomas and Mack at Macy’s. I’ll be watching the entire time. Once you’re in the car, I’ll leave and scoot back to North Carolina.

“OK.” She’s hugging me tighter and I know the feeling. I don’t want to let go either but eventually we part. I grab her bags, she grabs her pies, and we head to the mall.

---

It was a smooth hand off. Babe entered the women’s fashions side of Macy’s and met Thomas. She beeped me when he had her in sight. They climbed into the car and drove off and I was beeped when she was safely back at RangeMan. I returned the rental to the airport, checked in, and got comfortable in the first class seat.

I miss you too, Babe.