Again, many apologies for the long delay. I know I lost of few of you along the way so for the ones who have stuck around, here is the end. There is an epilogue I was going to post separately but since you've waited so long I included it at the end of the chapter. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading each and every comment that you have so kindly taken the time to leave and I appreciate everyone. I hope everyone has a great holiday season and I hope you enjoy the end to this little tale.

JE owns the rights to anything recognizable - all the mistakes are mine

#####

I twisted my torso and landed another shot to the red punching bag hanging from a thick chain attached to the ceiling of the gym. I was dripping with sweat and completely exhausted but I couldn't make myself stop.

I didn't know how much time had passed but I'd been vaguely aware of other people coming and going from the gym. I hadn't acknowledged any of them and they all knew me well enough to give me a wide berth when I got this way.

All but two, apparently. Tank grabbed the bag and pulled it away from me like it didn't weigh anything and Happy stood in front of the other one when I shifted my stance, ready to pummel the second bag.

For a second I thought about hitting him, but I knew he could take me out with one punch in my weakened state. He held out a bottle of lime Gatorade and I noticed my knuckles were bleeding when I took it from him. The tape I'd applied split long ago and now my hands were pretty raw.

I drank half the bottle while they stood watching me. "Is this an intervention?" I asked as I screwed the cap back on the top.

Tank's lips twitched with the hint of a smile. "The control room has been taking bets for the last half hour on when you'd drop. I figured if I wanted them to actually get any work done I'd better get you out of here."

"Was there an over-under?"

"Yeah. Lester was going to win that one. It's why I came down now."

"Good. He's doesn't need to make money off me." I was feeling a little light-headed so I took off the lid and finished the Gatorade.

"You good?" Tank asked as I tossed the bottle into the recycler in the corner.

"Yeah. Just got a little carried away."

His gazed dropped to my bloodied knuckles. "Bit of an understatement. I gotta make sure those assholes get back to work. Better have Bobby take a look at your hands."

He left me and Happy in the gym and I grabbed a towel off the rack on the wall and ran it over my sweaty head. He hadn't said a word, that wasn't unusual for Happy, but when I looked up at him, he was working the muscle in his jaw, making the spider on his face crawl.

"Is she okay?" I asked when he continued to stare and not speak.

"Yeah, she's okay. She asked me to remind you that she's watching her sister's kids tonight and won't be home."

Shit. I'd completely forgotten. Valerie and Albert were on an overnight trip to Maryland to attend a wedding. I was supposed to stay at their house with Steph tonight. From Happy's statement, I was guessing I would be staying home alone instead.

I nodded and dropped my towel into the hamper tucked into the corner near the boxing ring. I grabbed another one and held it to the middle knuckle on my right hand. That one was the worst and it looked like it might need a stitch or some glue to hold it together.

Happy was still standing there, arms crossed over his chest, not talking to me.

"Something on your mind, Hap?"

He nodded back at me. "Yep. But it's none of my business."

I sighed and added the bloody towel to the hamper. "Walk with me to Bobby's office."

He fell in step beside me as we headed out of the gym. "She tell you why she's mad?"

"Do you mean besides the fact you tried to choke her ex to death?"

I shot him a wry grin. "Yeah, besides that."

"Nope. All she said is that you keep too many secrets."

I thought about that as we climbed the stairs to the third floor infirmary. "I do keep secrets. But I don't do it to hurt her. It's. ….the way I'm wired."

"That's what I told her," Happy said and pulled open the stairwell door.

"How'd that go over?"

He shrugged his massive shoulders. "About as well as you'd think."

"Yeah," I said with a shake of my head. "I appreciate you looking after her."

"I know you do. But I don't do it for you."

"I know that too." We arrived at Bobby's office and I reached for the door.

"If there is one person you should be able to share your secrets with, it's her." Happy imparted that wisdom, clapped me on the shoulder and left me to get my hands patched up.

He was right of course.

"What the fuck did you do?" Bobby demanded as I entered his office and settled into a chair in front of his desk.

"Got in a fight with a punching bag."

"I think the bag won. C'mon," he said, pushing out of his chair and moving to the cabinets lined up against the back wall that held all the medical supplies.

He cut away the tape and cleaned off all the blood so he could see the damage. "How's Cleona?" I asked as he worked, just for something to say. I hadn't seen much of him lately and I knew she was the reason.

"Good." He spread some antibacterial cream over the smaller cuts and then as I'd suspected, added some skin glue to the split knuckle of my right hand. "I'm gonna ask her to marry me."

I wasn't surprised; it was clear to anyone who knew him that he was crazy about her. "That's great. Steph will be excited. She's been telling me for weeks that she thought you were going to propose."

Bobby grinned and added some glue to a smaller cut near my left pinky. "Steph has great instincts. And speaking of your lovely lady – what's up with the two of you?"

I lifted an eyebrow as he finished with my hands and he let out a small laugh. "This is only the third time I've seen you pulverize a punching bag and since you haven't been on a mission in the past few days I drew the next logical conclusion."

"Mmm," was my comment and he spent a few seconds putting things away.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not even a little," I said.

"Maybe you should talk to Stephanie."

"Everyone is just full of advice today. I'm pretty sure I can handle my own shit." That was a little defensive but I really didn't need anyone poking their nose where it didn't belong, even if they were right.

"I don't doubt it," Bobby said, trying to hide a grin. "You should be good to go then – but please try not to hit anything for a few days."

"Funny. I'll do my best," I said, turning to leave. "And thanks, for patching me up."

"Mmm," Bobby echoed my earlier grunt and I managed to leave without rolling my eyes.

I headed up to seven to shower and eat and pondered whether or not I should try and see Steph tonight. She probably wasn't ready to see my face yet. I fucked up, on that point I was clear and I needed to admit that and grovel my ass off, but I also knew that sometimes she needed her space and if she wasn't ready, it would just make things worse.

I got clean and then picked at the poached salmon Ella left for me before I decided to go to bed. It was early but I was tired and the sooner I went to sleep the sooner this day would be over.

I crawled into bed and turned out the light but after a half an hour I was still awake, staring at the ceiling and missing Stephanie like crazy. The bed was just too damn big without her in it.

I tried watching TV but ending up pacing around the empty apartment instead. I needed to see her or I would wear a hole in my floor. I got dressed, grabbed my keys out of the tray on the sideboard and headed to the Cloughn residence.

I made a quick stop at the Circle K on Hamilton and arrived twenty minutes later. I figured there would be a better chance of being let in if I brought a gift.

Valerie and Albert lived in a tiny house on north Quincy Avenue, just at the edge of the Burg. I'd only been there one other time but I drove right to it. I saw a light burning behind the closed drapes of the front window as I parked in the driveway next to Steph's Explorer. I grabbed the brown bag before exiting and securing my car and I checked my watch as I made my way up the sidewalk to the house. It was just past ten so she should still be awake. I knocked softly on the front door, not wanting to wake the kids, and waited. I could pick the lock of course, but that probably wouldn't help my cause.

She opened the door and fixed those wide blue eyes on mine. As soon as I saw her I couldn't think of anything except holding her so I pulled her against my body and I took it as a good sign when she let me hug her without protest.

I pressed a kiss to her temple when I finally let her go. "Is it okay that I'm here?"

She leaned against the door frame and let out a little sigh. "If I tell you I'm not ready to talk and that you should go home you'll just stay in your car all night watching the house, won't you?"

"There's more than a good chance, yeah."

She took a step back and swung the door open wide to let me in. I handed over the brown paper bag after she locked the dead bolt behind me. "What happened to your hands?"

I'd already put it out of mind so I looked down at them to figure out what she meant. "It looks worse than it is."

"Was it a person or the bags?" She asked knowingly.

"Bags."

She shook her head in mild exasperation and peered into the sack. There was a small smile on her face when she looked up. "Trying to butter me up?"

"Maybe. Is it working?"

She dumped the two packages of butterscotch TastyKakes out and set them on the coffee table along with the now empty bag. "Thank you," she said and sat down on the worn but comfortable indigo sofa. I settled in beside her, leaving some space between us.

Pulling her legs up under her, she crossed her arms over her chest and fixed me with an expectant gaze. As far as body language goes, that wasn't looking promising. Her hair was pulled back into a pony tail but a curl had escaped and was clinging to her cheek. I reached out and tucked it behind her ear, letting my thumb graze across her jaw along the way. Her eyes closed briefly at the contact but she didn't touch me back like I was hoping so I let my hand drop back to my lap.

"I'm so sorry, Steph," I said softly, studying her face carefully for any indication forgiveness might be on the horizon.

"For which part?" She queried with an arched brow. Her tone wasn't angry so I took that as a hopeful sign. I exhaled slowly before responding.

"For all of it. The marriage rumor, making you an employee without telling you, the bank account, Jeanne Ellen, Joe…" I trailed off hoping I hadn't forgotten anything. Saying it all out loud made me feel even worse. I can't believe I kept all that from her. What an asshole.

I tipped my head back and closed my eyes, not wanting to see the disappointment I knew had to be in her eyes. My head came up a second later when her fingers laced through mine, being careful of my bruised knuckles.

"Cleona told me she was responsible for the marriage thing and frankly I don't care if the entire universe thinks we're married, I just think you should have been the one to tell me."

I nodded my agreement. I certainly should have been.

"The rest of it made me seriously want to throttle you."

I nodded again. I was surprised she hadn't. Actually I was surprised she wasn't trying to throttle me right now. "I don't purposely do it. Not that it's an excuse, but it's the way I'm wired. I'll try to get better about it…especially with you."

"I know," she said. "And I bet you're shocked I'm not screaming at you right now, aren't you?"

"Honestly? Yes. There is usually yelling, many choice Italian hand gestures, punches to the arm. This calm and rational Stephanie has me a little out of sorts."

Her lips turned up at the corners and she leaned against my side. I extracted my hand from hers and wrapped my arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer.

"I've learned a lot about myself since you saved me from making what would have been the worst mistake of my life." We shared a brief look, remembering the day I'd cornered her in her wedding gown and forced us both to face what we'd been running from for far too long.

"A lesser man wouldn't have been as patient as you've been in the aftermath of all that. I know how lucky I am that you've been willing to wait for me to figure out my life."

"Steph," I tried to interrupt to let her know that I would wait forever for her. No matter how long it took I would be there, but she had other things to say. She dug her nails into my thigh, cutting off my voice.

"I wasn't finished," she said.

I grinned at her and kissed her cheek. "Please continue."

"It's taken me a while, but I've finally figured out that none of the things I was worried about - none of the things I let plague me and keep me from being with you completely - matter at all. I don't care anymore. I don't care what anyone thinks. I don't care what anyone says. The only thing that matters to me is you. I want to be with you, forever, and to hell with the rest of the world – My Mother and especially Joe included."

"I couldn't have said it better myself, Babe."

"I wasn't finished," she said again, giving me a pointed look.

"Sorry. Go on."

She gave me an eye roll, but it was a small one and started again. "There is a certain price I have to pay for being with you – and please don't get me wrong, I pay it gladly – but I know there are things about you that you will always keep close to the vest and there will be things about what you do and where you go that you'll never be able tell me and I'm okay with that, it's part of that price, but if it has to do with me directly I don't want any more secrets between us, Ranger."

I so do not deserve this woman. I turned my head and buried my face in her hair, inhaling the gentle scent of her floral shampoo. "Deal," I said and she twisted her neck so she could press her lips to mine.

As always with Stephanie, the kiss quickly escalated into a nearly blinding lust but when I reached for her with my other hand she pulled away from me and I groaned at the loss.

"My nieces are notoriously light sleepers," she said, "and you have a tendency to get loud."

"Me? I'll have to record you sometime, Babe. We're lucky the apartment is soundproofed."

She let out a little breathy laugh and my heart turned over in my chest. I love that laugh. "Be that as it may, we're not doing it with the kids in the house and besides, we're not done talking."

"We're not?"

"Nope. I want to know about Jeanne Ellen."

"No you don't. I don't even want to know."

"Did you really break her finger?"

I winced and ran my hand through my hair. That was not one of my finer moments. "Yes. I broke her finger."

"Where did she touch you?"

I cut my gaze to Stephanie's and saw a hint a jealous rage flash behind her eyes.

"Babe."

"Tell me, Ranger."

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. "She licked my neck and squeezed my thigh – twice." Steph didn't say anything so I chanced a glance. Her mouth was clamped shut and she was working her jaw muscle just like Happy. Under different circumstances, it would have made me laugh.

"I hate her," she finally said.

"Me too."

"Why didn't you break her whole hand?"

That time I did l laugh. "I threatened to; if she ever comes near me again I probably will."

"Good. Because if you don't I will."

"I probably wouldn't stop you, but you should know if I ever see Morelli touch you again, I'll break more than his hands."

"I guess that's fair. But you won't have to worry about Joe anymore."

I raised an eyebrow in question.

"We had a talk earlier. He won't be pressing charges and he said he's sorry."

I didn't believe that for a second. "Bullshit, Steph."

She let out a small laugh. "Okay, he didn't say sorry. But he is moving to New York. Took a job with the NYPD. I think that little game with Jeanne Ellen was a last ditch effort on his part to give you some shit before he leaves. He knows there is no chance of reconciliation between us, Ranger."

I thought he knew that when he showed up at my building unannounced a few weeks ago, but leave it to Morelli to try one more time to get under my skin. Asshole.

"I wish I could say that I'll miss him but all I can think is good riddance."

"Yeah, I wouldn't expect anything less," she said. "And now we have one more thing to discuss. In the spirit of our newly formed deal, I have a secret to share with you."

"Good or bad?" I asked, suddenly wary.

"That depends on who you ask. Vinnie, for example, would probably say bad. In fact, you'll probably be getting a call tomorrow."

"Steph?" I questioned, barely daring to hope.

"I quit my job today," she confirmed. "I figured I better start earning that very generous paycheck that's getting deposited into the bank account I didn't know I had every other week."

"Are you serious?" I reached for her and pulled her into my arms.

"Yep. But I have one condition – and it's non-negotiable."

I would give her anything she asked for at this point but I said, "What would that be?"

"I want Happy as a partner. Permanently."

"Done. And Babe?"

"Yes?"

"We're about to practice being very, very quiet."

I peeled her out of her clothes, stripped out of my own and made love to her right there on her sister's couch. It was soft and gentle and mostly silent.

My vibrating phone woke us a few hours later and I reached for my discarded pants while trying to keep Stephanie from falling off my body. I liked her there, bare breasts pressed against my chest and only an emergency was going to get me to move her.

Unfortunately, that happened to be the case. I listened to Tank explain the situation and told him I was on my way before I hung up.

"What time is it?" she asked in a sleepy voice.

I lifted her up and slid out from beneath her, settling her back onto the couch cushions before pulling the blanket we'd snatched off the back of a chair up over her naked form. "A little after three."

"What's wrong?"

"I have to go to Boston."

She lifted her head, eyes suddenly alert. "Now?"

"Yes." I yanked on my pants and pulled my shirt over my head. I looked around for my boots and found them near the fireplace in the corner.

"Can you tell me why?" she asked, propping up on an elbow and resting her chin in her hand.

"One of my men was shot in a takedown tonight. They aren't sure he's going to make it."

"Oh shit," she said, sitting up fully and wrapping the blanket around her. "Is there anything I can do?"

Nope, I didn't deserve her. I finished lacing my shoes and crossed back to the couch. I leaned down and kissed her. "No, Babe, but I appreciate you asking."

I grabbed my phone off the coffee table, tucked my gun into the small of my back and pulled my keys out of my pocket.

"I don't know when I'll be back and Tank is coming with me so Bobby is running the show. He'll get you started with some work tomorrow but it might just be running searches for now. I have other plans for you but it will have to wait." I kissed her one more time and she fisted her hand in my shirt before I could pull away.

"Be careful," she said. "And I love you."

Stephanie didn't say those words often or lightly so every time sent a little jolt right through my heart. "Always, and I love you too. I'll call you when I can."

I left her curled up in the blanket on the couch and headed out to pick up Tank.

####

I spent a week in Boston shuttling Bull's family back and forth between their home and the hospital. He had a very pregnant wife and five year old twin boys so it was the least I could do. Luckily he managed to pull through and was being moved out of intensive care and into a regular room today. Tank was going to stay for a few more days to make sure they had everything they needed but I was going home to Stephanie.

He dropped me off at the airport and I called her while I waited to board.

"Yo," she said when the call connected and that never failed to make me smile.

"Hey, Babe."

"How's Bull?"

"Better. They're moving him out of intensive care today. He should be able to go home soon."

"That's great!" She said with obvious relief. "Will you be able to come home soon?"

"I'm at the airport now."

"Good. Because I have plans."

"Do they include you being naked and at my mercy?"

I could actually hear her smiling when she said, "I'll see you soon, Ranger." She disconnected and I spent the rest of my time at the airport imaging various different scenarios that might play out upon my arrival.

Lester picked me up in Newark and gave me a lecherous grin when I pointed out the hickey on his neck.

"Please tell me that's not from whom I think it's from."

"Jeanne Ellen has a magical mouth," Lester said as he maneuvered the SUV out of the passenger pick up lane.

"Perhaps, but that doesn't make her any less of a psycho."

"Yeah," Lester nodded. "I don't even think they've named the levels her crazy can reach."

"Apparently that didn't stop you from fucking her."

"True. But not much can hinder my dick when it's determined." He grinned at me and I tried not to gag.

"Well, I hope you double bagged that little soldier because I don't think there's a line Jeanne Ellen hasn't crossed."

"Little?" Lester questioned with undisguised offense. Of course that's the only thing he would latch onto in that whole sentence. Not wanting to get into an unfortunate discussion about the size of Lester's penis, I quickly changed the subject.

"Did you get into the building?"

I think that insulted him more that than the little soldier comment. Of course he got into the building; I'd trained him, after all.

He turned down Hamilton, still glaring at me and I had to smile. "Report," I demanded and he rolled his eyes.

"The En Llamas should not be art thieves, that much is clear. They have manpower, I'll give them that, but most of them are idiots."

"How many?"

"Seven outside the building at all times, but they rotate shifts at the same time every night, there is no one on the roof and when I went in, two of them were asleep!"

Ridiculous. That would end in immediate termination under my command. "And inside?"

"Twelve. Six never leave the building and the others deliver food and women."

"They're bringing whores there?"

"Oh yeah. Half of them were fucking the night I went in. I spent a good minute watching a particularly energetic session and neither one of them had a clue I was there."

"I take you to got eyes on the painting?"

"Of course I did. Jesus. What do you take me for?"

I grinned at his indignation. "How many men do you need?"

"Four, plus Jeanne Ellen. We can easily incapacitate the outside guards and with all the extracurricular activities going on inside the building we can get it and get out before anyone even blows their wad."

"Classy," I said and he wagged his eyebrows as we pulled up to the Rangeman gate. "Get it done," I added.

"Already on the schedule. I just need you to clear Hector, Manny, Julio and Binky for tomorrow night." He pulled into and empty parking space and cut the engine.

"I'll make it happen," I promised as I hefted my duffle bag out of the back seat and we headed for the stairs. I gave Lester a look when he broke off in the direction of the elevator.

"Jeanne Ellen takes all my energy, man." He said with a grin as the doors opened. He hopped onboard and I carried my bag up the seven flights to the penthouse.

I let myself in and dropped my bag next to the small sideboard in the entryway after depositing my keys in the waiting silver tray. "Steph?" I called absently while I stood there and sifted through a weeks worth of mail.

I knew she was home, I could feel her energy in the apartment but when I got to the bottom of the pile, she hadn't answered so I set the mail down and when I looked up she was leaning against the wall in the rounded archway that separates the entry from the kitchen.

My throat went dry and I temporarily lost the capacity of speech at the sight of her.

She was wearing one of my black button-down dress shirts, a pair of black lace boy short panties and nothing else. The shirt hung open, barely covering her breasts from my greedy eyes. Her hair was down and loose around her shoulders and her pink, gloss covered lips were quirked up at the corners with the tiniest hint of a smile.

I couldn't decide what part of her I wanted to touch first so I stayed frozen, my lust filled gaze raking over every inch.

"Wow. Did I actually rob Batman of the ability to speak?"

I met her twinkling blue eyes and arched a brow. "No. I just shouldn't share the particular thoughts dominating my brain right now. You might get your gun and hide in the bathroom if you knew what I was thinking."

"Is that right? Why don't we test your theory?" She flashed me a grin and shifted her stance making the shirt slide across her chest, exposing a nipple. My cock turned to granite behind my zipper and galvanized me into action.

I took the two steps separating us and slowly slid my hands inside the shirt, cupping her breasts as I bent my head to her exposed neck. I licked and kissed a path up to her ear and then whispered exactly what I'd been thinking.

Her only response was a soft gasp before her hands were under my shirt and lifting it off my body. I tried very hard to make it to the bedroom but I was naked and inside her before we made it out of the kitchen.

"That will hold me for a minute," I said as I came down from the first of what I hoped would be multiple orgasms. I slid her off the counter, staying inside and carried her to the bedroom with her legs wrapped tightly around my middle and her arms around my neck.

We dropped onto the bed and she surprised me by quickly rolling us so she was straddling over me and looking down through her thick, dark lashes.

She leaned over and opened the top drawer of the nightstand. A second later she was brushing the end of a red, silky robe sash across my chest. "We're going to need this," she said softly and both my eyebrows shot up.

"You know I was just kidding, right?" I said, latching my palms around her wrists.

"No you weren't," she said with a smile and leaned down to kiss me.

That was true. I'd meant every word I whispered earlier and Steph spent the next hour thoroughly exploring each thing I'd said. I was in a very reciprocating mood after that and spent a great deal of time with my face buried between her luscious thighs.

When I finally lifted my head her throat was arched, her eyes were closed and her hands were fisted into the sheets at her sides. "You okay?" I asked.

She partially opened her eyes and tilted her head to look at me. "Mmmm. You're really good at that."

"That's not all I'm good at," I said, scooting up into position. I nudged her gently but didn't penetrate.

Her eyes came open fully and I gave her a wicked grin.

"Show me." She gave me her own smile.

"Gladly," I said and sank inside her as deep as I could possibly go.

It was nearly dawn when she found me in my office. I'd been awake for a while but wanted to let her sleep so I'd left her to get some work done.

"Hey," she whispered and I turned in my chair at her voice. She was rubbing her eyes and leaning in the doorway. She'd slipped into my shirt, but left it hanging open. We would never leave the apartment again if she kept wearing that.

I held out my hand and she crossed the room and took it in hers. I pulled her into my lap and nuzzled her neck. "You look sexy as hell in my shirt, Babe. But if you keep wearing it I'll be forced to keep you prisoner in the apartment and make love to you all day, every day."

"That doesn't sound like much of hardship," she said and pressed her lips to mine.

"Not at first, but eventually the lack of doughnuts would get to you and you'd begin to plot your escape."

"Wise ass," she said and gave my nipple a little twist. "Come back to bed, it's lonely in there without you."

"I just have to finish the schedule for tomorrow – and speaking of, do you want to know your assignment?"

"Oh – I forgot to tell you. I asked Bobby for tomorrow off." She kissed me again, long and deep and when she finally pulled away I nearly forgot what I'd been doing.

"Trying to distract me, I see. What are your plans that require an entire day off?"

She grinned and shifted on my lap so her butt was completely covering my quickly hardening dick. "I think it's working," she said.

"It doesn't take much where you're concerned, Steph. Does your partner need the day off too or can I assign him to someone else?"

"I need Happy with me," she said. "Is that okay?"

"You're not going to tell me?"

"Not yet, but I will."

"Good enough. You and Hap have been spending a lot of time together. "

"Jealous?" She teased.

"If it were anyone other than Happy, yes, but he's been different since you've been around. Better. The constant weight he carries is lighter and I know it's because of you so I don't have a problem with it. Plus I get the added bonus of knowing someone is always watching your back when you're not in my sight."

She was quiet for a minute, thinking about that. "He finally told me about his sister. All of it."

I nodded. I knew she'd get the whole story out of him eventually. "Some bad shit went down."

She nodded back at me and worried her bottom lip with her teeth. She did that when she was nervous or when she had something to say that she knew I wouldn't like. "What is it Steph?"

"It was you, wasn't it?"

That could cover a wide range of possibilities so I gave her a questioning look.

"Happy said a friend helped him find the men responsible. That was you."

I should have known she would come to that conclusion. Stephanie was bright and intuitive, but I still didn't want her to have to know all the dark and ugly parts of my past.

"Yeah, it was me."

She shifted on my lap and ran her hand up my arm, squeezing my bicep on the way to my shoulder.

"Happy wouldn't say, but they raped her, didn't they? Before they murdered her?"

She was nearly unrecognizable when someone finally found her body and yes she'd been raped, repeatedly. I wish could say I was sorry for what we did to them when we found them, but I'm not. They deserved everything we gave them and more.

I nodded but looked away, not wanting her to see that thought on my heart. Stephanie was getting better at reading me. She used her finger to bring my face back to hers, cupped my cheeks in her palms and stared right into my soul. No words were spoken but she told me she loved me. Every single dark and dirty part.

She placed a gentle kiss on my lips and whispered, "Take me back to bed, Ranger."

I picked her up and carried her to our room, divesting her of my dress shirt along the way. As I laid her down on the mattress, I thought about how lucky I was to have her, how it took us a while to figure out that we made each other better but in the end, we found our way to what worked. As unconventional as our relationship may be to other people, it was just what we both needed.

I covered her body with mine and also thought how great it was going to be taking her to bed every night for the rest of our lives.

####

EPILOGUE

Six months later

I rubbed the the titanium band on my ring finger with my thumb and when Stephanie still hadn't appeared, I began turning it with the fingers of my other hand. I did that a lot when I was waiting for her to get ready or when I was deep in thought or when I just needed the subtle reassurance of its significance.

Stephanie said she chose it because titanium is indestructible. "Just like you," she'd said with that little smirk that drives me crazy. I keep trying to tell her I'm a normal man and can break as easily as anyone else, but she just laughs and says I'm anything but normal.

As I did often after a few twists, I slid it off so I could see the words inscribed inside the metal circle.

I read them softly to myself. A Ma Vie De Coer Entier

I'd gone to my sister for the translation when I discovered the inscription several days after Steph and I were married. Celia had taken French in high school and college and even spent a semester studying in France during her junior year.

Her eyes filled with tears when she read the words and I had to wait through a few sniffles before she could tell me what it meant.

"This is old school French and it's not exactly accurate but it roughly translates to: You have my whole heart for my whole life. God. It's so romantic!"

It was romantic and I was a little surprised. Neither Steph or I would ever be described as romantic, it just wasn't our style, but every once in awhile we brought it out in each other. I was immediately lost in thought, coming up with something to show her how much the inscription meant to me.

Celia punched me on the arm, bringing me out of my romantic musings. It didn't hurt, but I rubbed at the spot anyway. "What was that for?"

"You better hold onto her, Carlos," my sister said. "She loves your stupid ass so much."

That I knew and I told my sister I never had any intention of letting her go.

"Good," she said. "You're happy," she added at my grin.

"More than you know."

She leaned back in her chair and assessed me with her knowing dark eyes, so similar to mine. "It's about fucking time."

"Nice. You kiss Mom with that mouth?"

She rolled those big brown eyes and pushed back from the table. "Thanks for lunch, big brother. I'll see you at Aunt Rosa's on Sunday. Bring your wife," she added as she walked away, leaving me with the check.

I didn't do as instructed. A giant family gathering wasn't the best way to introduce Steph to my many and boisterous relatives; I eased her into that slowly. She's met most of them now but I'd spread it out over a few months. The Manoso clan was so different from her family I didn't want to give her too much culture shock, but I should have known better. My wife took it all in stride.

My wife. After her first marriage, and the way we got together when she was engaged to someone else, I honestly didn't think I'd ever be describing her that way. And it didn't matter to me, married or not as long as she was mine, but now we had the official piece of paper. The ceremony happened on a Friday at the court house three days after she presented me with the ring she had gone to another state to purchase. That's why she and Happy had needed that day off. She said she wanted it to be a surprise and knew if she bought it anywhere in the vicinity of Trenton, I would've known within five minutes.

We didn't tell anyone for a couple of days, with the exception of Happy, who'd been our witness but none of the guys were really surprised at the news. Lester's only complaint was missing out on the free booze at a reception and after that comment, I was glad we hadn't had a party. We did it exactly the way we wanted to and didn't give a shit what anyone else thought and we wouldn't have had it any other way. It was short and sweet and perfect and for the rest of my life I'll remember the look on her face when I slipped her matching ring onto her finger.

"Steph!" I called, glancing at my watch. "We're going to be late."

"I know, I know," she said as she hurried out of our bedroom. "I couldn't find my heels. How do I look?" She asked spinning on the obviously found shoes. The midnight blue halter dress matched the color of my tie and the filmy skirt lifted and twirled around her freshly shaved and lotioned legs. She looked amazing and I suddenly didn't care if we were late.

"Stunning," I said reaching for her. "But I think I was wrong. I'm pretty sure we have a few minutes to spare."

"Oh no we don't," she said darting just out of my grasp. Her eyes roamed the room and lit up when she spotted her handbag on the couch. "I'll be so glad when we finally move. I can't find anything in this mess!"

She crossed over to the couch to retrieve her bag and I surveyed the piles of boxes filling up the apartment. She was right about the mess, but after next week it wouldn't be a problem. Rangeman headquarters was moving to our newly acquired building on West Fifth and that included a penthouse apartment on the twelfth floor. It was three times the size of this one and even had a spare bedroom. That would come in handy when Julie came to visit next summer. It also had more closet space, which Steph was really looking forward to since she informed me that I had a shopping addiction worse than hers. I couldn't help it. Every time I saw something I thought would look good on her, I bought it.

"You couldn't find anything when it wasn't a mess," I reminded her and grabbed my phone off the counter. When I turned back around, I lifted an eyebrow and said, "What do you think is going to go down at Bobby's wedding that we'll need handcuffs?" She was slipping them into her handbag and looked up at me with a serious expression.

"I promised Cleona I would keep Lester away from the bridesmaids. You know how he gets – I have my stun gun in here too."

Under normal circumstances I would have thought she was crazy but with Lester, it was actually right on the mark. "Way to think ahead, Babe. But you should add the pepper spray."

"Really?"

"It is Lester we're talking about."

"True. We need to find him a steady woman and then these measures wouldn't have to be taken. Do you think he'll ever settle on one person?" She deposited the pepper spray into her bag and headed for the door.

"Sure. He dated those twins for six whole months. That's a personal record for him." I pulled our coats out of the closet in the entryway and held hers out for her.

"Which part, the six months or the two at once?" She slid her arms inside and I lifted it onto her shoulders.

"Both. I think. Actually, I can't remember. He might have done the twin thing before." I donned my own coat and opened the door onto the lobby. Stephanie wrapped her arms around my waist and pulled me tightly to her as we stood waiting for the elevator.

"You know you make me deliriously happy, don't you?" she asked as the door opened.

Deliriously happy. Yeah, that was an apt description. And of course I knew. I'd never been happier in my life. "Right back at you, Babe," I said and kissed her lips. "Let's go to this wedding so we can come back here and I can show you just how happy we can get."

Her breathy laughter echoed in the elevator as we descended to the garage.