The End of Grief

A/N: Prompt from shirleygirl2013. This takes place in Miami before Steph arrives.

“Every widow wakes one morning, perhaps after years of pure and unwavering grieving, to realize she slept a good night’s sleep, and will be able to eat breakfast, and doesn’t hear her husband’s ghost all the time, but only some of the time.” ~ Jonathan Safran Foer

“Sneaking away?”

The voice is rough, sleep edged and amused. Maria stills, her clothes in hand. She’d meant to leave Rafe’s room before he woke, but he must be a light sleeper. She feels caught, like a naughty child.

“Umm . . . ” This is awkward. She’s unsure. How do young women do this? How do they get up and walk away after a night of passion without feeling awkward and guilty? Continue reading →

Chapter 84: You have no loyalty

This will be the ONLY time I write from either of these POVs. Now, excuse me. I need to go disinfect.

Antonio’s POV—Monday morning

I can’t believe Ranger put a bitch in charge of a black ops company but hey, that just means my next step, to XO, should be much easier. Women are much easier to manipulate than men and, if it’s true she has all this power, I can follow her orders long enough to capture the prize. Fuck Diggy. I intend to take over as XO of Miami, and I’m sure everyone has told her everything they believe to be true about me. Time for her to learn the truth.

The fact that her ass was kidnapped from right under Diggy’s nose means he’s dead in the water. Fucked up his shot to be an XO in 24 hours. I can’t wait to laugh at him. A muscle in my jaw twitches and I try not to wince in pain. Fuckin’ Mack. That asshole has been a pain in my ass since he arrived, dissin’ me ever since he said hello. I’m going to get his ass back for the concussion.

I’m next to the CO’s office, waiting for her to come back. I can’t believe I’m about to do this shit, but hey. Whatever. Her little quote on Friday was cute. The Miami men don’t have a problem with their masculinity. We simply know what a woman’s place is and we have no problems reminding them. That feminism shit’s gone too far and we know why Ranger put her in charge. Continue reading →

Chapter 83.5: 72 Hours with the Equal Rights Warrior

“Time and trouble will tame an advanced young woman,
but an advanced old woman is uncontrollable by any earthly force.” ~ Dorothy Sayers

Edna’s POV

Hot Damn! An all-expenses paid vacation to Miami!

I hang up the phone and start packing. Stephie said the flight would leave Newark at noon tomorrow and one of her RangeMen would pick me up at 10 a.m. and escort me to the airport. I’m thrilled.

Stephie said that she needed help teaching a bunch of sexists to fear the power of a woman. Not a problem. I marched in the 70s for the ERA and I still regret it didn’t pass. I spent years as a housewife only to get screwed in the end. I now live with my propriety-obsessed daughter and her quietly compliant husband.

That house is hell. Continue reading →

Deleted Scene: The Return of Maria

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

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

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

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

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

Chapter 83: The Power of a Woman

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

Diego’s POV—Friday Morning

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

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

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

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

I need to go light a candle. Continue reading →

Chapter 82: Alone with you

Ranger’s POV

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

“Hey, Carlos.”

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

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

Chapter 81.5 We Woo, Part III

Diego’s POV—Wednesday

Plum worship is in effect in Miami.

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

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

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

I Live in His Glow

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

Lester’s POV

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

We need a plan.

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

Chapter 81: You lead, I’ll Follow

Steph’s POV—Wednesday

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

“Mats?”

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

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

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

Chapter 80: You need to get a new idea

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

Mack’s POV—Monday

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

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