Ranger sees the light

After the unexpected death of his mother, Ranger rushes to Newark to help his father cope with his grief. In turn, the elder Manoso unwittingly shows his son what is truly important in life. Once Ranger returns to Trenton, he struggles with his father's words and with what he thinks could eventually make him happy, when he suddenly becomes sidetracked. A nemesis asks him to help a loved one in need of protection. Ranger ultimately comes to the hard realization that what he thought he wanted out of life is not what he really desires at all. Will Ranger ever go after the light at the end of the elusive tunnel or will he let it burn out?

Chapter 1

"Ranger. Please. I care for you. You know I do but I have to do this. Let me give Joe one more chance? If it doesn't work out …"

I did not take notice of the rest of her statement. I had heard it before. Stephanie Michelle Plum, the woman I had lusted after for far too long, had blown up another car, through no fault of her own, of course. I had come to her rescue yet again and then taken her home. I hoped I would be rewarded for my efforts, but alas, it was not to be.

My palms were planted on the wall, one on each side of her head, teasing her to spin my world. My lips were so close to hers that I could feel her breath cooling mine. I wanted her so badly at that moment that I would have said and done anything to convince her to let me take her to the moon and never come back. As usual, Stephanie had other ideas.

"Babe. You're killing me."

"I know and I'm sorry but I have to do this for me." She raised her delicate hand then pointed to herself. "Please. Stay away. No calls. No texts. No tracking me. Nothing."

Pushing away from the wall, I raised my hands in defeat.

"You win."

And there it was. I had not only lost the battle but the war as well, though I knew in my soul that I had fought the good fight. Would this instance be permanent? She had thrown that stone in the past but at that moment, it felt different, like my heart was truly broken and torn to shreds. Would I survive? I had been rejected by other women in the past and moved on. I could do it again. A fifth of some good scotch would probably do the trick. Pulling out my phone, ignoring several missed calls and texts, I tapped in some data then announced, "Your trackers are all disabled as requested. When you discover one, return it to Hector at the office. They're expensive." I tapped some more. "You can no longer enter the building without an escort. Your fob to my apartment is also disabled."

"Come on Ranger. Is that really necessary? Please don't be angry." She was sly, crafty and aggravating as hell.

"Your choice, Babe, not mine," I thought to myself. Apparently, I was angrier than I had imagined because I said. "Rangemen, its employees and its resources are no longer at your beck and call. If you need anything, any assistance you receive from them will be on their own time and at their own expense."

I had backed away and headed for the door.

"Ranger. Please, can you ever forgive me?"

I was no better at forgiving than forgetting.

"Goodbye, Stephanie. Good Luck."

My mind was clouded and my eyes burned with rage. After everything I had done for her, that is what I got? Fuck her. Pulling from my parking space, I barely missed a vehicle with squealing tires as it honked its horn and swerved to avoid me. I took a cleansing and calming breath then pulled back into traffic and headed home. My phone continued to buzz in my pocket but I ignored it thinking it was Stephanie changing her mind, yet again. I was not in the mood for her bullshit.

Once I had pulled into my parking space, I inhaled a few more calming breaths then took my pulse. Normal. Good. That was until I noticed the sign that I had commissioned with Stephanie's name on it so she would know that there was always a place for her there at Rangemen.

Not anymore!

Removing the crowbar from my trunk, I ripped the sign from the wall, taking a few chunks of concrete with it. I dropped the sign in the trash barrel beside the elevator, wiped the dust from my hands, and then hopped up the stairs to my fifth-floor office to offset my racing heartbeat. I unlocked my office door, slammed it shut then entered my private space. Leaning my palms on the edge of my desk, I forced more air in through my nose then out through my mouth as my office phone rang, my cell buzzed and Tank rapped at my door. I took my seat, ignoring them all. As I was lighting up my computer, Tank sauntered in.

"What do you want?" I snarled.

"What's got your panties in a bunch this morning?"

My business partner and best friend, an impressive building of a man of color, dropped into the chair across from my desk, crossed his ankle over his knee then leaned back comfortably, settling in for his morning chat. He tapped his pen, annoyingly, against his bottom teeth.

"Nothing!" I snapped back as I continued to slam my drawers needlessly. The message light on my desk phone was blinking madly and my cell buzzed again.

"Am I the only person working for this fucking outfit?" I yelled so everyone in the hallway and adjoining offices could hear. "I could make that happen."

Tank removed the pen from his mouth, let his foot drop to the floor, and leaned forward.

"Dude. What the hell?" His eyebrows rose. He knew I was not one to raise my voice or show my anger as I just had. I was the king of self-control.

"Shit," I said as I leaned back in my chair and ran my fingers through my hair. I was about to tell Tank what had happened knowing I would get an 'I told you so' when my cousin Les peaked his head through the small space he had created when he opened my door.

"Talk to your bro yet today, primo?" He asked.

"No. Why would I?" I asked.

My brother, my big brother, and I had been close at one time, but we had grown apart over the years. He lived near my parent's home in Newark and was called upon more often than he felt he should be to help with chores and errands, as were my sisters. Despite the fact that I lived over an hour away and paid for all of my parent's expenses, apparently, it was also my responsibility to share the minor duties such as taking out the trash, unclogging a drain, mowing the lawn or shoveling snow in the winter. The fact that I had purchased the machinery and tools to maintain their home, then paid for a service to come and do the work, and most other necessities was not a factor in their books.

"Call him." He said as my phones began to ring again.

Ignoring Les, I tapped a few words onto my laptop and brought up a standard email that I would forward to all of my staff when an employee was terminated. I inserted Stephanie Plum to the heading, hit send, and then turned my laptop so Tank could see what I had done.

"You're kidding, right?"

"Not this time. I got my final walking papers this morning."

He released a rush of air then said, "No wonder you've got a major hair across your ass this morning. What happened?"

My lips had begun to part when Les returned. He entered my office and shut the door.

"Llame a su hermano. ¡Ahora!" Call your brother. Now! He said in a tone that I felt was disrespectful.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and counted to ten. I did not need to hear his whining after the morning I had had.

"Rick!" His voice and tone meant business, plus he used my given name. The name that was only permitted from family and close friends. "Now!"

My glare did not deter him.

"Seriously? Call him." He pointed to my phone. "It's Tia. Your mom." As he looked up at the ceiling, I thought I saw tears in his eyes. Angry, he turned and headed for the door. "It's bad, Rick. Man up."

Tank followed Les out into the hallway, where Les relayed the message I was about to hear. I dialed my brother.

"It's about fucking time you answer your goddamn phone."

"What's going on?"

He left me no time to cop an attitude.

"You need to come home. NOW!" He insisted.

"Why?"

"It's Mami. She's had an … episode. It's not good, Rick."

"Episode?"

"Her heart. Rick, please!" He begged. "Papi is calling for you. You need to be here for him. For all of us."

I was standing, checking my pockets for my keys, wallet and cell phone.

"I'm on my way."

My mind was racing. What the hell had happened? I had just spoken to my parents a few days earlier. I knew my mother had high blood pressure. Hell, I paid for the meds, but a heart condition? That was new to me. Apparently, the illnesses ran hand in hand.

Ella, my housekeeper, was exiting the elevator as I approached. Always one step ahead of me, she handed me a small black duffel then hugged me.

"I will pray for her," She said then covered her mouth to hide her sobs. She and my mother had been friends for many years when they both cleaned our elite neighbor's homes for extra cash.

As I entered the elevator car, I called out to Tank but he brushed me aside.

"Go. Your family needs you. We'll take care of things here. Go!" He said making shooing motions at me.