Chapter 1

SPOV

As I sat on the front step I thought about what had been happening over the last week. No not the whole catching the bad guys, though I was pleased that we'd at last got to the bottom of it and had found everyone safe. I was focused on how I was feeling and to be honest it wasn't happy thoughts that were going through my head. I felt like I was being treated like a something not a person, being passed back and forth between two men. All right I could see their point of view, that they felt I was in danger and needed protecting but the whole experience lacked any emotions and that probably included me. I had spent the nights with Morelli but had got to the point where I really didn't want to be there. I'd bitten my tongue and kept the peace when I felt like screaming at him, arguing with him, just like I'd done in the past. I'd even feigned being on my period to stop him from touching me at night; Morelli really didn't like the idea of a woman menstruating, so he'd kept his distance just as I wanted him to. The idea of ever being married to him was fast disappearing as I tried to fit in with his idea of living together, no way was I going to be the little lady keeping house for an untidy slob. How I'd even managed to stay at his house before this baffled me. But then Ranger had been really, I don't know, he'd stayed with me during the day and he'd helped out with the work at the deli, hell he'd even held my hand when we'd been walking the streets, but that was it. He'd just driven me over to Morelli's house and passed me over and then collected me at the start of the day. Okay he'd left me with the offer of his shower or bed any time I wanted and a kiss that took my breath away but then he just walked away, again.

My name is Stephanie Plum, a Bounty Hunter, probably because at this moment in time that was the only job I seemed to be reasonable at. I'd already been home once and taken some of my belongings and Rex but had asked my Dad to help move the rest of my stuff, he didn't say anything about what I was doing, he was going to go sort my car out then come back for me. My POS car had been stood for over a week without being used so he guessed it would be due to a flat battery.

A horn beeped and I looked up to see my Dad at the curb in his taxi, so here I was with the rest of my possessions in several bags ready to go home. I loaded my stuff in the back seat and got in the front with a sigh, yeah I was still thinking things through.

"Your Grandmother called to say she's on her way home, shame really I thought we might have had a bit peace and quiet for awhile"

"I know but she might have got into more trouble"

I wasn't really looking at where we were going; just assuming Dad would take me straight home so was surprised when we parked in the car park of a little diner.

"Come on, we need a coffee"

I followed him into the café and we both ordered coffee and a piece of carrot cake. As we sat looking into our cups I was surprised when he started to talk, kind of like he was embarrassed.

"Pumpkin I know I don't say much to you or pass an opinion. You're a grown woman so I've never interfered with the choices you've made but I want to say my peace, and once said I'll back off. Okay?"

"Sure"

"You're like a roller coaster ride going round in circles and back to the beginning to do it all again. This thing with Morelli, it can't be right if all you do is make up and break up. If you love someone then you can't stay away from them, you crave for their presence and think about them all the time. Are you in love with him?"

Not the conversation I was expecting from my Dad, but really he was saying out loud all the things I'd been thinking.

"No, I don't think I am"

"Thank god for that because I hate to see the way he treats you and I could kill him for what he's done to you in the past"

"Why didn't you say anything before?"

"You're an adult, though I'm sorry I never did anything to support you in the past when you were just a child. Your mother kept me in the dark; I didn't know anything had happened. She's been so happy this week with you staying at Morelli's so I did some asking around. Pumpkin I am so sorry I wasn't there for you"

A tear slid down my cheek at how sincere he sounded, but why did it take so long for him to find out the truth?

"Did you ask Mum what had happened?"

"Yeah, she didn't like me asking, said it was in the past, over and done with"

"So how did you find out?"

"Gerry at the garage knew it all from his sister's daughter who went to school with you, remember they used to live down the street from us?"

"Yeah I remember her, what did she say?"

"Well that when you were just little you got into a fight with Joe Morelli in his garage and that you'd been punished you for it. Then when you were fifteen she said you had a crush on Morelli and had thrown yourself at him, and that's why your mother grounded you"

So that was what my mother had told people, I suppose it kept the neighbors at bay, but why say anything at all?

"Pumpkin what do you want to do to get off this roller coaster ride?"

"I think I need a bit of time to think things through"

"How about I take you to Point Pleasant like we used to do, I can snooze in the chair and you can walk along the beach, the weather's good and Gerry has a little cottage he said I could use. What do you think to that?"

"Sounds good to me. So no Mum?"

"No, just you and me"

"Okay"

"Good, I'll pick you up from your apartment at 5 tomorrow and we'll spend as long as you like there"

"Thanks Dad"

"Not needed, I really want to be there for you now"

We'd finished our coffee and cake and Dad had dropped me off at the apartment, hell it felt so good to be back even if it was such a drab place to live, it was mine and I felt relaxed as I took the lift up. I used my key to open the door and immediately noticed how stale the air smelt, seeing Rex settled on the counter I wondered if he noticed it as well. I fed him some dried hamster food as that was all I had in the kitchen that he could eat and then I opened the windows to air the place out. The one good thing about Morelli's house was it had a washer and drier so all I needed to do was put my clothes into the closet. As I did this this I took a good look at the contents, was the way I dressed part of my problem, a lot of things looked tired and old, maybe I'd need to add that to my thinking list. I switched off both my mobile and land line phone because I really didn't want to talk to anyone tonight. A long hot soak in the bath eased away my thoughts so once dry I crawled into bed and with a contented sigh fell into a deep sleep.