The Bombshell Bounty Hunter Takes Control! Finally!
Post EOT- all from Steph's POV unless otherwise noted.
What can I say about me that hasn't already been written in a newspaper or a men's toilet? I am Stephanie Plum, the Bombshell Bounty Hunter. And about 48 hours ago I was locked in a cupboard about to be murdered by Constantine Stiva, yet another of my psychopaths. And more annoying than that is yet again having to be rescued by the man in black, aka Ranger, aka Ricardo Carlos Manoso.
Its not that I don't appreciate his help, I do. But I am sick of needing it. I am sick of depending on other people. So fortified by my mom's chocolate cake, the leftovers of which I got to take home last night, I have come to a decision. I am going to get good at this job. Well, that was my intention last night, but this morning at the ungodly hour of 6am when I attempted to get up to go running, my body rebelled.
When I finally did crawl out of bed at noon, I realized this was going to require more help than I thought. I thought about asking Ranger, but then thinking about Ranger quickly turned my knees to jelly and made me crave a donut (the hormones had to go somewhere didn't they?). So that probably wasn't going to work. If I was going to stop myself from jumping him, not necessarily saying he would object, I probably shouldn't train with him.
To be honest, I probably shouldn't anyway. He confuses me. He says one thing and does another. When he kisses me, it just feels right, but then the Morelli guilt comes. Damn Hungarian hormones! I just can't be near the man without thinking about getting more, shall we say . . . intimate.
So ruling out Ranger, what are my other options?
And then possibly the most brilliant idea ever came to me. I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner! When I was in college I spent my summers in Italy with my dad's family. But the one person I came to be really close to there was my Aunt Celia. She's not really my aunt actually. She was my dad's first girlfriend, a sort of fling when he spent summers there. They didn't work out but have remained friends, a fact which my mother tries very hard to ignore. I personally think Celia makes my mom iron more than I do!
Celia was younger than my dad, and probably only about 15 years older than me, therefore in her mid-40s. She was big business. She married deep into one of the big Italian families and since her husband got put away about 10 years ago, she runs the family business alongside her two not quite grown up sons. She lives in this amazing villa outside Venice and is possibly the best cook in the history of the world!
Celia and I got on great, and I bet that she would be just the right person to help me out. And even better, I get to get away from Trenton for a while, maybe then I could sort out the whole Ranger dilemma.
I guess I should be grateful at least that I know where I stand with Joe. I just have to tell him now. I love him, but I'm not in love with him. I suspect he feels the same way but we need to have "the talk" all the same.
But back to Celia, it should be about 8am there now, so I should definitely call.
"Buon giorno"
"Hello, Aunt Celia, its Stephanie."
"Stephanie, dear, how are you? Its been too long."
"Yeah it has. Thing is . . . I know this may seem sudden but I was wondering if I could come visit for a while. I need some . . . . well, training."
"The cupboard thing with Stiva really got to you didn't it dear?"
"How did you know about that?" how the hell did she find out already?
"Your father always calls to tell me about your latest adventures. Although usually he waits until your mother is not home. She was ironing the living daylight out of something in the background, I could hear the steaming material!"
"You're kidding!"
"Certainly not! And of course you are welcome here for as long as you like. Shall I book you a flight?"
"That would be great, I need about 2 days to get everything sorted here but anything on Friday should be fine."
"I should warn you bella, it is much easier to get in with the family than to get out. Are you truly prepared for what you may be getting yourself into?"
"I know, and I'm sure. I need to do this, I can't be in Trenton anymore. Not for a while anyway, there is a lot I need to sort out."
"As long as your sure bella, then I will call when I have made the arrangements! Oh, Nico will be so excited to see you!" I sighed at that. Nico was Celia's younger brother whom she was always trying to set me up with. Don't get me wrong, he is HOT but he was also dumb as a brick, sometimes I can't believe he has survived in the family this long.
"Ok, thanks. Bye"
"Ciao cara!"
So at least that was taken care of. Now comes the hard part. Mary Lou and my parents were surprisingly easy. My dad even got out of his chair and turned down the TV long enough to say goodbye. I practically fainted from the shock!
So that left Joe and Ranger and the girls at work.
I started by calling Joe. At least there I had some idea what I had to say.
"Hey Joe."
"Hey Cupcake, how are you feeling?"
"I'm ok. Joe, you want to stop by here tonight? We need to talk."
"Everything ok?"
"Yeah."
"Should I bring Pino's?"
"Of course."
"Ok, see you about 8 then?"
"Great Joe, Bye."
Ok, it was 4pm now so that left 4 hours of packing time. I had already talked to Dillon, my super about sub-letting my apartment for 3 month slots, he had a friend that was due to move in next week. It was actually a great arrangement 'cause I got to leave all my furniture and stuff. I was only taking one bag to Italy and the rest was being stored at my parents. The question was deciding what stayed and what went with me.
Four hours later, there was little progress and my apartment looked like a tornado had hit. I was debating what shoes to take when I heard a knock at the door. It was Joe standing with what smelled remarkably like an extra cheese pizza from Pino's. God I was going to miss that place.
I opened the door and Joe walked in, giving me a chaste peck on the cheek. Yup, we were definitely on the same page.
"What's going on here Cupcake?" he looked around the disaster area as if the answer would magically appear to him.
"Joe, I need to say something and I need you to hear me out ok?"
"Ok" he said warily putting down the pizza and coming to stand in front of me.
"Joe in the last few weeks I have been doing a lot of thinking, and a lot more since the whole Stiva incident. I think we both know this has been coming for a while. Joe I love you, but I'm not in love with you. And I don't think deep down you're in love with me either." There I said it, that wasn't so bad, right?
Joe blew out a breath and then cracked a cheeky grin. "I think you're right Steph. I want you to be happy, but I also want you to change and that's not fair."
"So we can still be friends right?"
"Of course, I wouldn't have it any other way!" Relief flooded through me and I knew I was smiling like an idiot.
He smiled and went to hug me but tripped or something cause he went down on one knee and cried out as it hit the floor.
"Joe, oh my God are you ok?"
"Yeah my leg just a little weak since the cast came off this week. I been walking too much today."
"You sure?"
"Yeah"
He smiled up at me and it occurred to me that this looks an awful lot like he was proposing. So I stifled a laugh, not entirely successfully and pulled him up into a hug. He leaned in and gave me a soft lingering kiss. It was a goodbye kiss, I could feel it. We sat down on the couch and spent a truly platonic evening together, eating pizza and I told him all about my plans but asked him not to spread it around. I didn't need anyone knowing about any potential relationship with the family I had or would have by the time this was over. I needed to learn to be more careful, and this was step one.
Outside Steph's apartment building-
Ranger's POV
I had parked the truck in the lot and was about to head up to see Steph when I noticed Morelli's Ducati leaning against the entrance. I looked up, Steph was only on the second floor, and I had a damn good view into her living room.
I saw her and Morelli standing together, smiling, laughing, then, the bastard, I saw him go down on one knee and got a horrible ball in the pit of my stomach. I saw her smile and pull him up and I saw that kiss, so light, so perfect. And her smile, it was brilliant. She looked so happy.
Damn Morelli! I couldn't believe he had actually proposed or that she had said yes! I had finally started to think that maybe they would split up permanently, what with all their fights over the Slayers and Stiva.
And there goes that nagging voice in the back of my head, which sound an awful lot like Tank, telling me that its my own fault for not telling her how I feel, and for sending her back to Morelli. But what I told her was true, my life doesn't lend itself to relationships, however much I may want it to sometimes.
Forgetting why I came in the first place, not that there is usually a reason, I just want to see her, I revved the engine and pulled out. No need to torture myself sitting around watching their cozy evening together. I could get all the answers I needed from her at work next week. I had given her this week off, cause of the whole almost dying thing. I thought she could use a break. How pathetic.
At the Bonds Office
Steph's POV-
"Damn girl, you look good. Real relaxed or something. You get laid?" Lula was ever the subtle woman. Today she was relatively discreetly clad in a skin tight neon pink bodysuit, and had her blond hair curled like Annie around her face. For Lula it was quite a conservative get up.
"Nope, no sex, unfortunately, but I have made some big decisions. I'll tell you all about it in a minute, but first is the weasel in?"
Let be honest, my cousin Vinnie was a disgusting little pervert. Sometimes I have trouble believing we are related. But at least I don't have to feel guilty about taking off. Its not like this job was supposed to be permanent anyway.
"Yeah, he's in there. Joyce was here earlier, you should have heard the quacking, it was terrifying." Connie said as she painted her nails and very deep blood red.
I shuddered at the mental image, I hated Joyce with every fiber of my being, and frankly, the whole duck thing with Vinnie was just freaky.
"Knock, knock, anybody home? I'm coming in Vinnie." I called, then gave him a couple of seconds to get himself in order. I didn't want to have to see anything scarring.
Opening the door I found Vinnie seated behind his desk, his faced flushed (I really don't want to know why), and a pile of animal porn sitting on his desk.
"Whatta ya want coz?"
"Look I'm just letting you know, I'm going away for a while. I don't know how long so you're going to need another bounty hunter. When, no, if I come back, I'll give you a call. K?"
"What the hell am I supposed to do? Whose gonna get the low end skips?"
"Your precious Joyce could try doing some work, or maybe Lula will want them?"
"Fine, leave, run away."
Suddenly angry I marched towards Vinnie. I wanted to throttle him. How dare he! He had no idea what he was talking about! I was NOT running away!
I settled for screaming "Fuck off Vinnie!" And I stormed out of his office and sat down with Connie and Lula to tell them the good news.
"Right girls, this is the plan. I'm leaving Trenton for a while. Not permanently, at least I don't think it will be permanent. But I need to get a handle on things and I can't do that here. I can't tell you where I'm going or really any details about it but . . ." and here I starting to get emotional. I really was going to miss them.
Seeing the tears building, Lula prompted handed me a boston crème from the box on the table. "Its ok girl, we understand. You going to be ok though? What about Supercop and Batman?"
"Joe and I split up, he knows everything and is fine with it. Ranger, I haven't told him yet." I said sheepishly.
We spent the next few minutes, alright probably more like the next hour gossiping. God I was going to miss them. Abruptly, in the middle of the story about Lula' latest man, she and Connie went all silent. The hairs on the back of my next stood up. That only meant one thing, Ranger.
A warm hand settled on the base on my neck, making my insides flush and I felt a distinct tingle between my thighs. "Babe."
"Hi Ranger" I said taking a step back. "Could I talk to you outside for a minute?"
"Sure."
Ranger's POV-
I didn't really expect to see at the bond's office this morning. I was upset about last night, but I couldn't seem to stop myself from putting my hand on her back. I just love her scent, her warmth. That dissipated rapidly and I got a distinct feeling of dread when she asked to talk to me outside. She seemed nervous. This is when she would tell me about Joe, the proposal, this is when my world would come crashing down.
Not that I would show anything on the outside of course. I knew from past experience that my face would give nothing away. That didn't change the fact that I was dying on the inside. I followed her out of the office and into the little alley which separates Vinnie's office from the local businesses.
I leaned back against my car. She stood a few feet away and stared at her shoes. This was really unlike her.
"Ranger I'm leaving."
"Explain." What! With Morelli? Forever?
"I need to leave, and I can't tell you any details. But I need you to promise me something."
"What babe?"
"I need you to swear that you wont follow me or look for me. All the GPS stuff has to go. No more visits, no phone calls, no nothing. You can go back to your life, pretend I don't exist."
God if only I could, I had tried but somewhere in the last few years Steph had taken up residence in my head, she couldn't be dismissed or ignored. Believe me I tried.
"When do you leave?"
"Tomorrow." Whats the rush? Was she in trouble or something?
"How long? Are you in trouble?"
"I don't know and no I'm not in trouble, so do you promise?" She moved closer and looked me strait in the eye.
"Sure babe, I promise." I didn't like this situation. But I figured that she was probably going off with Morelli somewhere and I shouldn't interfere. See that was the problem. I know I have joked about it, but the truth is I love her, every little bit of her. But I also know that if she ever got hurt on my account I could never forgive myself. I couldn't do a relationship. But I love her and want her to be happy, even if that means she is with Morelli.
"Thanks Ranger."
Just then the breeze shifted and I caught the scent of her. It possessed me, and I realized that this might be the last time I see her. I had to touch her, I had to taste her. I leaned in and pulled her to me.
Steph's POV-
Ranger's lips landed on mine in a searing, absolutely breathtaking kiss. His tongue flicked against mine, as we melted into one another.
Abruptly he froze and I realized that my cell phone was ringing. We pulled away, and tried to catch our breath. Surprisingly, he seemed as affected by the kiss as I did.
"Hello" my voice still breathy.
"Hello cara, I didn't interrupt anything I hope?" Damn, how could she tell. Celia must have ESP too. Sometimes I think I'm the only one that doesn't.
"No, the reservations all sorted then?"
"Yes, you are flying out tomorrow morning from Trenton to Stockholm, then on to Venice. You're flight is 3325 at 10:30am."
"Thank you."
"No problem dear, arrivederci!"
"Bye."
Ranger watched me warily during this exchange.
"Plans settled then?"
"Yes all settled. I should probably get going." Ask me to stay, come on, ask me.
"Bye babe." And he pulled me in again for the lightest of kisses, and then he was gone. And I was standing in an alley wondering why I was leaving the country again?
I took several deep calming breaths, and headed back into the office.
"How'd it go?" They asked in unison.
"Fine. He's being really weird though."
"Batman's always like that, especially with you."
Dismissing that comment, I didn't want to think to hard about Ranger right now, especially after that kiss. I handed Connie a slip of paper with an international cell phone number on it.
"This is for emergencies only. If anything serious happens call and leave a message on the voicemail. If it's a major emergency and I need to come back just say chocolate cake. Ok?"
"Yeah Steph but whats with all the mystery?"
"I can't tell you guys now. Not til I get back anyway."
"When you leavin girl?"
"Tomorrow morning. I have to go finish packing so I should probably get going."
"Bye girl" And with that and a round of hugs, I left. I was free. I was leaving. I was going to Italy! Look out world, the Bombshell Bounty Hunter is going international!