I'm sorry I know I said a couple of days and it's been longer but this should make up for the delay.

By the way when I wrote the last chapter I hadn't thought of Ranger as being a caveman or Tarzan type. In my mind he was trying to get the upper hand on a slippery slope. After rereading the chapter I was able to see where the idea came from. I guess that's the magic of story telling words can mean so many things to different people.

I've read over this but it's not been edited. If you catch a mistake message me and let me know nicely and I'll fix it. Thanks for reading.

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I dropped Stephanie in the passenger seat of my Porsche 911 Turbo and slammed the door. I waited a beat to make sure the child locks were working then rushed to get in myself. Stephanie was frantic banging on the door and window trying to escape. I ignored her efforts slamming the car in drive and laying a mile of rubber on the Pino's parking lot. We fish tailed when I pulled into traffic and she went completely still. I counted to three and waited for her next move.

"What the fuck are you doing, Ranger?" She asked looking over her shoulder as the restaurant faded from sight. "Have you lost your mind?"

We passed a patrol car as we merged on to the freeway and he immediately pulled out behind us with his blue lights flashing. I looked in the rear view mirror and gave the car more gas. We weren't stopping.

I've been asking myself that for a year. "So it would seem," I replied.

Two more police cars joined the chase followed closely by Morelli's unmarked car. Stephanie's posture was stiff and I noticed she was clinging tightly to the door handle. She was on edge nervously glancing back every few seconds.

"You're going to end up in jail. They think you've kidnapped me. What were you thinking carrying me out of Pino's like that?"

I shrugged one shoulder and swerved into the right lane. The pack of cars chasing us, which had grown to six, switched lanes too. Stephanie watched over her shoulder her eyes growing wide as we all exited the expressway back onto the streets of Trenton.

I made a couple of quick right hand turns and lead the pack toward the Delaware River. I noticed on the last turn two more Trenton patrol units had joined the group. Stephanie started pushing buttons on the dashboard and eventually connected the phone option. She used the voice command to try to call 911. I rolled down the window pitching out my phone.

"Well, you can add littering to your list of charges," she said cutting her eyes at me.

"It's just a fine. I'm not too worried about it."

"Yeah I guess after kidnapping and evading arrest it's a small thing," she muttered to herself.

We rode in silence for a few minutes Stephanie occasionally looking over her shoulder at the pack of police cars still tailing us. I know that she was most likely trying to plan an escape but I hoped she was thinking about what I'd said to her the night before in the parking lot of Tryst.

"Babe."

I couldn't tear my eyes off her. It'd been a year since we'd seen each other. A year since I'd spoken to her. A year since that night I let my dick create this fucked up mess. A year since she sent me that damn text asking to meet me. A year since she cut me out of her life and then moved halfway across the country to avoid me. A year. A fucking year.

"Do you want something Ranger? Or did you just want to ruin my night?"

"No."

"No?" She repeated.

"Can we go somewhere more private? Maybe we could get a cup of coffee?"

"Lester is my ride," she said nodding over my shoulder where the bastard still stood.

"I'm sure Les won't mind if I give you a ride to your parents house."

Stephanie looked over my shoulder to Lester and bit the corner of her lip. I silently begged her to say yes. If she would give me this small chance maybe there was hope. I watched as she seemed to struggle with the decision then met my eyes resolutely.

"Im sorry Ranger my answer is no. When I told you I needed to be free of you I meant it. You made your choice and I'm making mine."

"Babe, I was wrong. You know I love you. I even told you I've thought about marrying you. I still think about it."

"You can't deny fucking me and leaving, again. Only this time you didn't even wait until the sun came up."

Lester muttered behind me obviously finding out for the first time what caused his friend to leave town. A minute ago he might have helped me now I was sure I was completely on my own.

"Do me a favor Ranger," she said stepping past me toward Lester. "Find someone else to fuck with. I'm not interested..."

"Is that a helicopter?" Stephanie asked pulling back into the now. "It is a helicopter."

Stephanie reached up and slid the cover of the sunroof back to get a better look. I quickly closed it. When she looked at me confused I just said cameras. She didn't ask anymore questions. For that I was grateful.

"Babe do me a favor?" I asked shooting her a quick glance.

She eyed me skeptically the nodded her consent. Behind your seat is an emergency cell phone. Can you get it for me?"

She reached around the back, of seat but couldn't find it. Stephanie unbuckled her seatbelt and spun around in her seat leaning over her ass in the air looking for the phone.

"I got it," she said handing it to me before she righted herself and buckled her seatbelt.

I made a call to Tank issuing orders in rapid fire Spanish and closed the phone tucking it away from Stephanie's reach.

"Look why don't you just let me out of the car and I'll tell them everything is fine. That this whole thing is a big misunderstanding. You have a good working relationship with the police department. They'll probably drop the charges. Well, except the littering; I mean you did that in front of like ten cops."

"I'm willing to take my chances. If I have to go to jail to prove I'm serious about my feelings then I will. It's not a step I look forward to but I'll do what's necessary," I said keeping my eyes forward..

Stephanie turned her head to the passenger window and began muttering to her herself. It was a habit she didn't seem to be able to control. The fact that she'd not learned to control it even after a year away was a blessing I hadn't expected but for which I would be eternally grateful.

I listened as she muttered to the window she complained about being kidnapped, about how I wouldn't listen to her, about how I'd treated her in the past, about that night I'd run away from her, how she didn't want to be on the news again.

Then she said something I will never forget. Words that gave me hope we could work everything out between us. She said she didn't want to wait on me again.

Hearing her say she didn't want to wait on me gave me hope that she wanted to be with me. That maybe I hadn't screwed up everything between us up so badly they couldn't be repaired. I knew that this was my chance to talk to her. Hell, it was maybe my last chance.

"Babe. Stephanie. I'm sor-"

"Manoso. Ranger Manoso pull over to the shoulder," buzzed a disembodied voice from one of the squad cars behind us. "Pull over and keep your hands on the steering wheel."

The speed in which her head snapped to me and then out the back glass and then to me again was unprecedented for her. In all the years that I have known Stephanie she never moved at that speed. I chanced a glance in her direction and noted her eyes widening as she turned to look though the rear window again.

"You'd better pull over," she said. "I'll tell them it was a misunderstanding, I swear. Just pull over before this gets completely out of control."

"Don't worry Babe," I said playing it completely cool. When she glared at me I slid down in the seat a little and punched down on the gas. Taking us back on the freeway.

Stephanie's eyes darted to the back window again. She seemed fixated on the squad cars following us. I briefly wondered if she was planning to jump from the car but I let that thought go. We were doing 95 miles per hour on the New Jersey Turnpike. She was bold but not crazy. Plus I had the child locks secured she couldn't open her door.

"Hey Ranger," she said reaching out to touch my arm. "I think the Calvary is coming."

I glanced in the rear view mirror just in time to see a black Range Rover weave between two TPD cruisers. Fucking Lester. Now she's expecting him to rescue her. Not going to happen.

I placed my hand over her's where it rested on my bicep and gave a little squeeze. "Relax I got this."

"Got what?" She asked narrowing her eyes at me. "What's going on here Ranger?"

"Stephanie we need to talk. Actually I need to talk and you need to listen."

Stephanie stopped shifting her attention steadily between me and the crowd of flashing lights following us and suddenly went still. For the first time since I'd walked into Pino's I had her undivided attention.

"Will you give me chance to talk with you?" I asked.

Once again I waited while she processed my words.

"I don't know," she replied. "Haven't we said it all already?"

"No." I replied.

I whipped the car down an exit ramp into downtown Trenton. The pack of cars behind us scrambled to make the exit too. I stifled a grin when I saw one of the cars fishtail and slam into Les' Range Rover. He'd just got that car a week ago. He deserved it for keeping her from me last night.

"Where are we going Ranger? Do you really think you can hide from them?" she asked me glancing out the window again.

"I'll figure something out," I said shrugging one shoulder.

"He'll figure something out," Stephanie muttered. "He's kidnapped me and they are going to arrest him, and he says he'll figure out something."

We rode in silence for a couple of minutes. The silence was uncomfortable. I was positive she was up to something and I was watching her every move. With Stephanie you could never be too careful.

"Ranger?" she asked.

"Babe,"

"Why are you doing this?"

This was it time to lay it all on the line. Time to be honest with her and with myself. I looked at her across the console. She was waiting for my response. I looked in the rearview mirror at the cars chasing us. I took a right and then a left and another then the gate of Rangeman came into view and I took her hand in mine.

"I did this because I wanted to talk to you and you wouldn't listen. I'm a desperate man."

The gate opened when we were about a half a block away and I punched the gas going down the ramp and sliding into my parking spot. I watched as the gate slid closed keeping the police from following us into the garage's safety.

Stephanie looked over her shoulder at the closed gate and then at me.

"Are you holding me hostage?" she asked.

"No. You're free to go anytime. I am risking my freedom to talk to you so I'd appreciate it if you'd go inside and talk to me for a few minutes. Then I promise if you want to leave I'll get Tank to take you anywhere you want to go."

Stephanie looked over her shoulder again and took in the scene of the cars with their lights flashing. Outside the gate several police officers were arguing with Tank no doubt about gaining access to the building.

They were all doing such a good job at pretending to chase us and then arrest me I decided to double my donation to the TPD Family Support Fund. After all it was a good cause, and those guys just might have helped me get my woman.

"I'll give you ten minutes," she said crossing her arms across her chest.

I'd hoped for more than ten minutes but like I'd told her I was desperate. I'd take what she'd give me. I opened her door and she exited the car. I had ten minutes to make her stay. Forever.

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The doors opened to my penthouse and for a moment I wondered if I'd made a mistake choosing this floor. But Stephanie took a deep breath and stepped into the lobby area. I unlocked the door and hoped she'd take that next step inside.

Stephanie was standing in the foyer looking around as I dropped my keys into the tray with a loud thunk drawing her attention to me. Once she was looking at me I held her eyes with mine while I took off the earrings and the handcuffs. I put them both on the tray and reached my hand out to her.

"I'm going to step into the bedroom for a minute. Do you remember where the kitchen is?"

Stephanie nodded and I wondered if her lack of voice was because she was nervous or confused.

"Help yourself to anything you want. I'll only be a minute."

I changed clothes in mere seconds. I slid into a black polo style shirt and a pair of black jeans taking away the remains of the street thug and becoming the man I wanted her to see. I ran back across the bedroom and let a sigh of relief when I saw her sitting in the club chair in the living room.

"You asked me why I did this," I said stepping out of the doorway of the bedroom. "I did this because a year ago you left me and like a fool I let you go."

I watched her take in my appearance and then I watched as she fiddled with the lid of the bottle of water she was drinking. She didn't say anything so I continued as I sat down on the coffee table in front of her.

"I didn't want you to go to San Antonio. I hated it when you told me you were leaving and that you didn't want my help. That you wanted to be on your own. At first I was confused because you'd never refused my help before. Then after a couple of days I realized I'd never given you a reason to stay."

"Ran-"

"Let me finish I only have a few minutes left. The thing was I didn't think I had anything to offer you. I didn't have a life outside my work. I didn't have time for a relationship. I certainly didn't have the capacity to love someone. So I stayed here in Trenton and tried convince myself that you were better off without me."

Stephanie narrowed her eyes at me and I knew I needed to talk faster or she would be looking for Tank to take her home. Not that he'd do it without my permission but Lester was a wild card when it came to her. He might just take her back to Texas if she asked him.

"Only I'm not better off without you. Without you all I have is my work and empty time on my hands. I love you. I've loved you for a long time. For some reason I wouldn't admit it to you or even myself. But the plain hard truth is I'm in love with you."

The silence in the room was deafening. Even stranger was how still Stephanie was. I held my breath waiting for her to move, for her to stand up and walk out, for her to slap me. That's what I expected her to do. Only she sat still as a stone staring at me.

"Babe please, please say something."

"You let me go."

"Yes, I did. It was the second biggest mistake of my life."

"What was the first?" she whispered.

"That night I crawled out of your bed like a coward."

Stephanie let out a small grunt of agreement.

"I've been ashamed of that moment for a long time. I owe you an apology. I was shaken up by how it felt to be with you and I decided to leave rather than face my feelings. For that I am sorry."

Stephanie leaned forward and set the bottle she'd been holding on the table next to my leg. Then she locked eyes with me. I watched as her blue eyes filled with tears. With each tear my chest tightened. This is it I thought. She's leaving again.

Instead she reached out her hand and rested it on my cheek brushing her thumb across my skin.

"You're forgiven," she said. "I know how hard it is to be afraid of your feelings."

"Babe," I choked out. "Thank you."

She nodded and dropped her eyes from mine. I knew I was out of time. This time I was certain she was leaving. She had heard me. She'd done everything I asked. I wasn't surprised when she stood up from the chair and took a step towards the door. I knew it was coming.

I pushed up from my seat on the table and grabbed her elbow spinning her body into mine and pushing my lips against hers. I kissed her liked I'd never kissed anyone before. I held the passion in check and kissed her with love and tenderness. I kissed her with the feelings in my soul. I kissed her to show her I loved her.

When the kiss ended I dropped to my knees in front of her prepared to the one thing I'd never done for anyone not even for my captors in Colombia. I was prepared to beg. Only before I could open my mouth to say a word she was on her knees in front of me.

"I love you," she said. "San Antonio is nice but I missed you so much. I wanted you to come get me and bring me home."

"You are home now. Will you stay?"

"Yes."

"You're staying in Trenton?" I asked.

"Of course you're here and this is my home."

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Well, that's it folks. I hope you enjoyed it. I'll try to get back to writing another chapter of From The Inside Looking Out pretty soon. I haven't worked on it since October because there's just so much going on with my family. I'm determined to finish it or give it up to someone to finish it for me.

Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this little adventure leave me a review I enjoy hearing your points of view. Thanks!