They walked into Pino's and the entire restaurant went silent. Stephanie was used to causing more talk not less. She glanced at Buffy and saw the downward turn of her mouth. Oh, shit. I hope this doesn't get ugly. I love this place. Where would I go for pizza and meatball subs?
All at once, the cops started clapping. Stephanie and Lula looked at each other in confusion. Eddie Gazarra walked up and put his hand out to Buffy. She took it cautiously at first then smiled when he did.
"We want to thank you for watching out for Steph. Plus, when we got Scarpoochie to the station, we heard about you taking down Manny. You are all right in our book, kid. You ever need any help, you just let me or any of us guys know."
Buffy smiled at Eddie, for real now. A huge blindingly white smile lit up her whole face causing her eyes to twinkle. Eddie stood there with his mouth hanging part-way open.
Morelli walked up and closed it for him. "I think your cousin may be dangerous in more ways than one, cupcake. Three guys have already asked me for her number just walking up here." He led them to a booth in the back.
Buffy ate her fourth piece of pizza when she felt him. "Is this a habit with you?" The others looked up to see Ranger standing beside Buffy.
"Shit girl, you are more like Batman than Batman," Lula said admiringly.
Ranger grabbed a chair, turning it around to sit at the end of the table. "I could use you on a job. You interested?"
"I don't know. What time and where?" Stephanie answered automatically. Joe nudged her and she blushed when she realized Ranger was speaking to Buffy.
"Same questions plus another one, why? Why me and why would I want to help you?" Buffy snagged another piece of pizza then took a drink of Dr. Pepper. She glanced up into dark chocolate eyes that grew even darker as he stared at her. "What's wrong? Do I have pizza on my face?"
Buffy's tongue slid out to lick her lips and Ranger fought not to groan. His hand moved to her cheek to wipe off an imaginary stain. His fingers lingered on the fine texture of her skin. It felt like satin to him. Morelli cleared his throat and Ranger reluctantly drew his hand back.
"I need someone who can handle themselves but won't make people suspicious of them."
"In other words, you need me to go find someone because you would scare them away. But me, a woman, wouldn't." Her eyebrow rose daring him to deny her accusation.
"Pretty much, we know where the guy hangs out and hope to catch him there. Problem is we need to get him outside to do it so no one gets hurt. You, he would follow willingly. Me, I don't think he swings that way." He gave her a sexy grin that worked on the female population of Trenton and Miami.
"Are you saying that if he did, you would do cozy up to this guy right? It wouldn't matter whatever was needed for the job, right?" Buffy's voice was honey sweet.
The other occupants at their table and the ones surrounding them listened to the verbal match taking place.
"Yes, I would do whatever was needed to get what I needed," his words hung in the air.
Lula's soft, "Shit!" could be heard to Buffy's left.
"I will have to make sure and test you on that. Wouldn't want you to miss out on what it feels like to be on the other side. When and where? I don't have a car so I'll have to take a cab."
"Tonight at 8. I'll pick you up. Where do you live?" His eyes lingered on her face drinking in her golden face.
"With Stephanie at Joe's for right now. Do I need to wear anything special?"
"Stephanie can tell you what you need to wear. I'll see you at eight." He stood for a minute like he wanted to say something then left.
Looking through Buffy's large closet, Stephanie eyed several outfits she wished would fit her. She couldn't find exactly what Buffy need until she spied a tiny black leather skirt. An emerald satin halter hung beside it. A silver choker held it at the neck and it fell in tiny pleats to a point in the front. Stephanie grabbed them then started looking for shoes.
"Here these will do great." She handed them behind her to Buffy while she continued to dig through the shoe collection.
Lula lounged on the bed like the Queen of Sheba. Stephanie rattled through the boxes but didn't find what she was looking for. "We need to go to the mall. You need FMPs to go with this outfit. Buffy, why didn't you give Ranger your address?"
"First what are FMPs and I didn't want him to know. He's just too sure of himself and it bugs me."
"You mean you don't want to jump his bones?" Lula couldn't imagine a woman not wanting to get down with Batman.
"He's gorgeous but there were lots of gorgeous men in California. My first real boyfriend was all mysterious, dark good looks, you know the drill, but he thought he knew what was best for me. The last guy I was with had midnight blue eyes, washboard abs, high cheekbones and the yummiest accent. Looks aren't everything, I learned that the hard way. Let's go shopping. I saw some shoes I really wanted while I was in Cleveland but they didn't have my size. Now what are FMPs?"
"Fuck Me Pumps, of course. What do you call them in California?" Stephanie answered and asked.
Several hours, not to mention several hundred dollars later, Buffy put the finishing touches on her makeup. Her eyes were smokey making the green look even darker. She walked down the stairs of Joe's house to see what her critiques thought. Buffy didn't believe in big hair, so she curled hers into long soft curls. On her feet were FMPs to die for, they were black 4-inch stilettos that crisscrossed over her foot then around her ankle. A silver bar dissected the back of the heel.
A wolf whistle sounded and Bob went to pounce at Buffy. Morelli tried to grab him but it was too late and Stephanie screamed. Joe ran then both of their jaws dropped open.
"Stop!" Bob skidded to stop mere inches from Buffy's feet. He looked up at her and made a pitiful whine. She patted his head then scratched behind his ears. "Good boy. You wouldn't want to mess up my outfit would you. No, you are a good boy." Buffy crooned softly.
Joe turned to his girlfriend in wonder and hid his smile. Stephanie's mouth opened and shut like a fish. Buffy moved further into the room but Bob didn't move from his spot.
"What's your dog's name?"
"Bob. How did you make him do that? No one ever made him do that before."
"I, uh, worked with a lot of young people and learned it's all in the tone of your voice." Buffy knew she couldn't explain that animals responded to the Slayer in her. They recognized it as a dominate or alpha animal. "Bob, come here boy." Buffy snapped her fingers and the large dog padded over to sit beside her feet once more.
"Can we hire you to train him while you are here?" "Can you teach me that voice?" They said at the same time.
"I'm not sure if it can be taught and I can try to train him, but he seems pretty well mannered to me."
Joe and Stephanie cracked up laughing. "That is because you haven't seen him eat anything and everything. It doesn't even have to be unwrapped."
They heard the doorbell and Joe went to answer it. Stephanie walked over to Buffy. She eyed her outfit critically then had to admit she was right about her hair. It looked beautiful, soft and sexy. Stephanie couldn't wait to see Ranger's reaction. She admitted that at first she felt a pang of jealousy seeing his interest in Buffy. Now, she enjoyed watching him work so hard to catch her cousin's eye. She waited to watch the show.
Ranger's eyes swept the room noticing Stephanie then stopped on Buffy. Damn, she looks good. To bad it's all for a job. I'll just have to see what I can do about changing that.
Buffy's fingers moved slightly and Bob bounded over to greet Ranger. Taken off guard, he barely caught himself from falling. Slobber showered his face. Ranger grabbed Bob's collar and pulled him away. Morelli went for the dog, Stephanie rushed to get a towel and Buffy gave them all an innocent smile.
Ranger wiped his face and tried to get what he could off his shirt. "Babe, your dog is a menace." He hadn't realized he used his nickname for Stephanie but Buffy did.
"Maybe, he just doesn't like you." She patted Bob then headed for the door. "Smart dog if you ask me. If we are doing this, let's go, Ricky."
Stephanie had to bite her cheek at Ranger's response to Buffy's remarks and calling him 'Ricky.' She thought men had probably died for less.
"Morelli, Stephanie, we shouldn't be too late, hopefully. I'll make sure she doesn't get hurt."
"Don't need you to make sure of anything, Ricky except to catch the guy when he comes out. Bye Steph, Joe and Bob, you be a good boy and I'll take you for a run." As if he understood, his tail thumped the floor.
"You can't run in the middle of the night in Trenton, gorgeous." Ranger put his hand to the small of her back.
"Oh, really. Who is going to stop me? I run at night all the time. Trenton is nothing compared to where I used to live, not that it is any of your business."
Buffy and Ranger rode in stilted quiet until they pulled up beside another black explorer. A large man, built like a football player, got out and slid into the backseat.
"Buffy, this is Tank. Tank, Buffy."
She turned in her seat to look into pale blue eyes and smiled. She like him immediately. "Hi Tank. It's nice to meet you."
Ranger glanced over quickly at the sweet hello his friend received. "Is the target inside?" His voice was a little rougher than normal.
Buffy didn't seem to notice but Tank did. "Yeah, boss. Bartender said he showed up about fifteen minutes ago. Carlos is watching the back. No one has exited. We should catch him no problem. I need to put the mike on Buffy." "What mike? No one said anything about a microphone."
"It's so we can make sure you don't have any problems, gorgeous."
"Where do I wear it?" Buffy had a feeling she already knew.
His eyes glanced at her breasts then up to her face. He gave her a sexy grin.
"Hand it to me, tell me how to put it on and get out." She ordered in a no nonsense tone. Buffy knew she shouldn't have agreed to this. She had a bad feeling about this already.
Tank handed her a small round disk. "Peel the tape from the back and put it on your skin where it won't show." He opened the door and stepped out turning his back to give her some privacy.
"You sure you don't want some help, gorgeous?"
Buffy's eyebrow rose and she stared at him. Ranger got out of the car. She had a feeling he wouldn't turn his back like Tank. She tried to apply the microphone without exposing herself. Buffy wiggled in the seat after releasing her seat belt.
Several moments later, she rolled down her window to let Tank know she was ready. She heard him and Ranger speaking in Spanish then Ranger opened the door climbing back into the car. Reaching into the backseat, his head brushed arm and the side of her breast causing her nipple to pebble. Buffy crossed her arms and waited. Turning on a low light in the dash, he handed her a folder.
"Here is our target. His name is John Morton. His wrap sheet is inside. You can read it if you want but mostly it says he is wanted in several states for trafficking. He likes to sweep into Trenton every few weeks and visit his mom. While he's here, this is where he goes to pick up women and throw money around. He's been known to get a little rough at times. That's why I needed someone who could handle themselves."
"I have a few questions." Buffy looked at the picture to be sure she could find who she was looking for. "Does he carry a gun? I know stupid question. It seems like everyone here does. Where does he carry his gun, I should ask and do you know of any other weapons?"
"He carries a 9mm in a shoulder holster if he's wearing a jacket. Otherwise, he'll have one in his boot. As far as other weapons go, none have been reported. That doesn't mean he won't have anything else. We just need you to get him outside. Don't try to take him on yourself. You're good but there are a lot of people in there and you may not be as lucky as you were today." He knew he said the wrong thing the minute the words were out of his mouth.
"Listen, Rambo, I will do this my way. If you don't like it - buy yourself a dress." Buffy wrenched open the door hopping out before he could say another word.
"Damn it." He quickly got out to follow her but Tank stopped him.
"I don't know what you said but I'd let her cool off. Especially, if you plan on ever being a father again. What did you say anyway?"
"Something stupid." Ranger pulled off his SWAT cap and raked his fingers through his hair. He put a headset on and waited.
They both listened in on their headsets as Buffy finally quit cussing about piecewise male chauvinists. "Lucky," she would show him lucky. She spotted John Morton at the bar and casually walked by giving him a slight smile. Buffy walked out on the dance floor and Morton followed like a puppy. He wasn't bad looking kind of reminded Buffy of Owen.
She started swaying to the music and Morton stepped in front of her. He tried to get her attention but Buffy closed her eyes. Her lips held a soft smile as she moved to the music. Morton wasn't the only one to notice the sexy blonde on the dance floor.
Carlos glanced in the backdoor to check out how it was going and cussed under his breath. "Boss man, your decoy has the whole club hot and bothered. I'm not sure she's going to be able to leave with the FTA without causing a riot."
"What the hell is going on in there?" Ranger barked over the radio.
"You have to see it to believe it. Damn, that is one fine ass looking woman and she sure can dance."
Ranger took off in a run. All of Stephanie's near escapes ran through his mind, what was he thinking using someone he didn't even know. Problem was he wanted an excuse to know her. He moved into the club trying not to be recognized. He stopped dead in his tracks and gulped.
"SHIT." He didn't even realize he spoke out loud. There on the dance floor was Buffy. Surrounding the edge of the floor, practically every male in the club watched her sway to the music. She twisted and turned, sensuously. Her eyes were closed, her head thrown back and a siren's smile was on her lips.
Ranger felt his pants grow uncomfortable just watching. Each time someone tried to approach the floor the others pulled him back. Small shoving matches were starting to break out, Ranger started to move forward when Buffy stopped dancing.
She shook her finger at the men fighting then strolled past Morton giving him a small smile. Buffy continued to the bar wiggling her way onto a stool and waited. Morton didn't disappoint, he was beside her in seconds taking pats on the back along the way. His chest puffed out as he asked to buy her a drink. Buffy nodded and they talked for almost an hour.
"I have an early morning tomorrow. Will you walk me to my car?"
"Sure thing, beautiful. Maybe I could help make sure you don't oversleep."
Buffy lowered her lashes. As if. She couldn't wait to take a shower to wash off his touch from her arm. They walked out the inner doors and were about to step through to the outside when it happened. A small man entered the door they were trying to exit. Morton bumped into him causing the other man to fall backward.
"Watch it, asshole," Morton growled.
"You watch it, asshole. You bumped into me."
"It was just an accident. Come on, I really need to get to my car." Buffy tried to diffuse the situation.
"No, the munchkin here is going to apologize."
"I'm not - you overgrown son-of-a-bitch."
John's face turned red and he grabbed the much smaller man up by his shirt. "What did you call me?"
"What you aren't only rude, you are stupid too?"
John started shaking the small man and Buffy had seen enough. "That is enough. Put him down right now."
"Don't tell me what to do, blondie. I'm going to teach this little shit a lesson. If you're not careful, I'll teach you one too."
"I warned you." Buffy brought her foot down on John's foot causing him to yelp and drop the other man.
He turned on Buffy with fire in his eye. "You bitch. I guess you wanted that lesson after all."
"If you think you're man enough to give it to me, come on." Buffy already had her shoes off and waved at him in her best Bruce Lee impression.
Morton strode over to her, expecting her to throw her shoes at him, with a smile on his face.
"Hey, mister, would you hold my shoes. This will only take a sec." Buffy smiled brightly and tossed her shoes.
Morton wasn't sure how to take her self-assured attitude but figured it was a bluff. She would be crying any minute, they always cried. He swung at her but she caught his fist in her hand. His eyes bulged when she started applying pressure, not too much, just enough to hurt like hell. The other fist came around and it received the same treatment. He started going to his knees as the pain increased.
"Let go! Ddamn it - that hurts, bitch." Morton was sweating.
"My, what a sweet talker, you are."
"What are you going to do now, bitch? Your hands are tied, too. You let go and I'll beat your ass."
"Then I guess I'll do this." Buffy butted him with her head breaking his nose. She released his hands. "Hey, can you get the door for me?"
The small man scrambled to open the door with a large smile spread across his face. Buffy stepped back and kicked Morton in the stomach shooting him out the open door. Ranger ran up at the same time as Carlos and Tank.
Buffy walked out the club door and spotted them. "He's all yours boys. I think I'll stay and have a drink with my new friend here." She turned without another word and walked back inside.
Ranger cussed under his breath in several languages.
"Damn, boss, what did you need us for, back up?" Carlos asked looking down at Morton's crumpled body.
"Rick, wasn't that Randy Briggs with Buffy?"
Ranger stopped dead in his tracks then looked back at the club. "Shit, Tank, you and Carlos take Morton in. I'm going after Buffy. There is no telling what Briggs is into these days." He walked towards the club, his mind on getting Buffy away from Briggs.
Carlos and Tank grinned at each other. "I think Boss Man has met his match. That little chica is more of a handful than Stephanie ever was and she can do the job."
"I have a feeling you are right, Carlos. Buffy doesn't seem to like anyone telling her what to do, and Rick isn't used to doing anything else. Stephanie would try to listen, but trouble just followed her. I don't think Buffy even tries to listen and she can kick trouble's ass. Yep, ought to be interesting to watch the fireworks." They picked up Morton's body and loaded him into Tank's explorer.
Ranger looked through the club, finally spotting Buffy and Briggs at a side table. He watched her for a moment noticing the way the lights played off her blonde hair. She laughed at something Briggs, then stopped to look directly at him. For the first time, he knew how he made Stephanie feel when he did the same thing to her, damned uncomfortable. Buffy went back to her conversation with Briggs. Ranger never had a woman dismiss him so easily and he didn't like it.
"I thought Stephanie would be here. She normally works with Ranger on things like this," Randy told Buffy.
"She is living with Joe, now; maybe he thought Joe wouldn't appreciate it."
"Nah, Ranger never gives a shit what people think about anything," Randy shrugged his tiny shoulders. He liked Buffy. He wasn't sure what to expect when she asked him to have a drink with her, but it was a genuine offer. He liked that she talked to him, not at him. Not many people ever did that. Stephanie did eventually, but not at first, and not without being forced to by their situation.
"That's not true Briggs. I just never gave a shit what you thought about me." Ranger pulled up a chair to join them.
"This is a private conversation which I don't remember inviting you to join. 'Lucky' for me I'm through with you for the night and 'lucky' me has the rest of it free. So, go away Ricky." Buffy's chin went up and her eyes were hard matching her tone.
"That wasn't what I meant, gorgeous. I only meant that you were lucky you didn't get shot. I wouldn't want you to get hurt." Ranger gave her a slow smile.
"Look, I've been there done that and bought the T-shirt. I can take care of myself and have been doing it for a long time. How would you like it if people told you the only reason you were able to do something was from luck, not skill? Nope, didn't think so. I don't know what your background is but you don't know mine either. Don't lump me in with other people you know because I'm not like anyone else. If you are going to judge me then do it from what you know not what you assume. I'm having a nice conversation with somebody who at least is willing to know me before he forms an opinion."
Randy's large blue eyes grew even bigger swallowing his whole face. She just told off Ranger and chose to stay and talk with me.
"I brought you. I promised that I would make sure you got home safe."
"Fine, go away and you can call and get me a cab when I'm ready to go." Buffy couldn't help it; he pissed her off. He expected her to melt from a sexy smile and follow him like a puppy. Her puppy days ended a long time ago; she was a full-blown bitch now. She took a sip of her drink to keep from laughing at her thoughts.
Ranger realized he was only making her angrier. He got up and moved to the bar to stare at them, for over an hour.
Randy explained to Buffy that he needed her help and why. She thought over everything he said and told him, she would see what she could do.
"Do you have somewhere safe to stay? If this guy is as dangerous as you say then you need to," Buffy smiled letting him know she wasn't picking on him, "lay low."
"I know someplace. Plus, with my computer not too many people can figure out if it's me unless they see me," he smiled.
"I guess, I don't understand why the FBI doesn't help you, since you are helping them out?"
"One of their guys in on the take. I think I know who but I don't have all the proof I need, yet. Too much of the info I find suddenly disappears before they can get a warrant. Now someone is after me. That is too much of a coincidence for me." Randy didn't want the person he suspected to be the one behind the break in to his house and almost running him off the road.
"You're right. I don't know any of these people but it doesn't sound right to me. How do I get in touch with you?" Buffy really liked Randy. There was something about him that reminded her of the way Willow used to be, before she went all Wicca Wonder Woman. Her eyes used to light up when she talked about her computer. Plus, Randy was sarcastic, witty and just plain funny. "Here is my number and address." She wrote the information on a napkin.
He looked at the address then back up at her with a question in his eyes. "I thought you were staying with Stephanie and Morelli."
Buffy's eyes twinkled and a huge grin spread across her face. "No, just didn't think certain people should know my business. They seem to think they know everything." She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Take care and I'm glad we met. If I decide to stay in Trenton, hopefully, I've made one good friend. Bye, Randy." Buffy walked off.
Randy's little hand went to his cheek. "Well I'll be damned. People from California must really be different."
Ranger watched her walk towards him. Every man she passed turned to stare when she went by. He felt like growling and didn't know why. She stopped in front of him and looked up with large hazel eyes. This woman was more of an enigma than he was and that was saying something. She looked harmless but could take out a man more than twice her size armed or not. What was her story? Ranger planned on finding out. He was in for a surprise. He wasn't the only one who could hide in plain sight.
"I'm ready to go, could you call a cab for me?" Buffy watched him and could almost hear his thoughts. He had the same look on his face she'd seen on other opponents. The difference was Ranger probably wouldn't try to kill her. Buffy figured that since Steph was off the market and she was new in town, she was the newest challenge. Buffy wasn't about to be the next notch on Ranger's bedpost, especially not as a replacement for her cousin. Randy told her a lot about Stephanie, Joe and Ranger, not to mention the inner workings of the Burg before he asked for her help.
She knew Ranger kept his background private, even his address was a secret. Buffy smiled to herself, she bet he didn't have a powerful witch as a friend. A witch who was also a bad ass hacker. Willow's parting gift before leaving, with Giles for England, was to remove all traces of Buffy and Faith's former lives. She said to let her know what they wanted put where and she would see to it. Buffy now had a sparkling new social security number and driver's license. There was no trace of her. She had decided to bury her past along with Sunnydale and start over fresh. She couldn't wait for Ranger to try and figure her out. In the mean time, she just might make a little call to her friend and do some digging of her own. She could just do it the old-fashioned way and follow him, which come to think of it would be way more fun.
Ranger watched her eyes grow feral and felt a shiver run down his spine. "I'll drive you, no need to take a cab." He waited for her to argue but she just turned and started walking towards the exit. He admired the view then went to catch up. Ranger placed his hand on the small of her back. He felt her stiffen then relax.
"If you want to keep that hand, Ricky, I'd move it." Her voice was soft and husky. She could have been promising him a night of pleasure instead of threatening imminent pain.
He didn't move his hand; instead, he spread his fingers out. His thumb made circles on the smooth silky skin. They were outside now, moving across the parking lot. Tank thoughtfully moved Ranger's SUV closer to the door. As they approached it, Buffy turned to look Ranger in the eye.
"You don't listen to well do you, Ricky?"
His arm circled her waist pulling her body flush to his. "I listen to what's important."
"Oh, and that would be?" Buffy's eyebrow rose.
"This." His mouth descended on hers. Ranger angled their bodies against the SUV, so he could press against her softness. She refused to open her mouth to him but challenges were his specialty. His arms tightened around her waist at the same time that be bit her bottom lips.
Buffy gasped and he swept into her mouth. She admitted he kissed like a dream and her body wanted to respond to his heat. Truth be told, if he were a vamp, he would smell her response. She pulled on her wellaway concentration and willed her body back under control. Her fight against the First and Willow's spell had some lasting affects on Buffy.
Giles said she finally came into maturity as a Slayer, whatever that meant. Buffy knew that she could control her body. As a test, Giles asked her to slow her heart rate to almost a stop. The results surprised them both. Her healing was way off the charts. The wound she received during the final battle healed almost as soon as the sword was removed. Her wandering thoughts gave her what she needed and she pulled away from Ranger.
"I think I'd rather take a cab, thanks." She pushed him away roughly and headed back towards the club.
"Buffy." Ranger called out. She stopped and waited, not bothering to turn around. "I'll take you home; I'll keep my hands to myself. I won't even open the door for you."
Without saying a word, Buffy turned around but waited until he got behind the wheel. She got in and put on her seat belt then looked straight ahead, not saying another word the entire drive to Morelli's.
Ranger pulled up in front of the townhouse. He saw lights go out and knew that they had an audience. "You did good tonight, gorgeous. I'd like to work with you again if you're willing." He tried to keep the conversation casual and not set her off.
"I'll think about it. Only next time, I do things my way. That includes the way I dress and knowing up front the complete story. I don't like surprises and I'm not Stephanie. Don't treat me the same way. The more I know the better I can decide how to handle a situation. Trenton has a different type of bad guy than I'm used to, but that doesn't mean I need a baby sitter. If you can handle that then we 'might' be able to work together again. Goodnight Ricky thanks for the ride." Buffy hopped out of the SUV before he could say a word.
He watched her ring the doorbell then Stephanie opening the door. Ranger sat in his car for several minutes before driving away from undoubtedly one of the strangest nights of his life.