Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is mine.

Chapter 2: What Joe Knows

Joe Morelli's POV:

I raced my POS cop car in the direction I wanted to go. I knew who was behind this shit and I was determined to get it stopped now! When I pulled into The Pit, I screeched to a stop and got out of the car and slammed the door before stalking inside. When the bouncer came up and stood in my face I gave him a right to the jaw which landed him on his ass and I kept walking. When I reached the office I slammed the door open without waiting for anyone to politely invite me in. I walked right up to the desk where the old man was sitting and leaned over onto the desk with my fists resting on the desk. I narrowed my eyes to a glare and said, "I know you are the one behind the car bombs and I want it to stop now!"

The old man behind the desk smiled and leaned back into his chair, "You ain't got no proof boy. If you did, I'd be in jail right now."

I sneered, "I don't need proof anymore. I'm just going to do what I should have done the first time I met you."

He tensed slightly, "You don't have it in you. You want the good life. The wife and kids, the respectable job…that is why you told my little girl you couldn't have a life with her isn't it?"

"Terry was right there with me making that decision. We both made the decision not to pursue a relationship. She got married after all."

"But she never loved him. It was always you. That's why the marriage fell apart."

"That had nothing to do with Stephanie Plum."

"True. But you can't deny the main reason you and Terry were still apart is because you can't give up on the idea of you and the Plum girl getting back together."

"It's not going to happen. She's with Manoso now."

I saw fear enter the old man's eyes at the mention of Ranger's name. I watched silently as the wheels turned and he tried to decide the best way to handle everything. Finally, he said, "So what do you expect me to do?"

"End this! Stephanie Plum is nothing more than a friend. There can never be anything more. She's not responsible for Terry's death."

There was hate in the old man's eyes. The hate was evident in his voice as well, "No…you're the one who's responsible for her death, just as surely as if you pulled the trigger. You took the love of my life and you'll pay with the love of yours. It's how its done."

"Ranger knows."

"You're a cop. You wouldn't have pointed him in my direction without having proof. That's something you'll never get."

I smiled. "I already have it old man. You're under arrest for attempted murder."

Rage filled his eyes as madness claimed him. He lifted the barrel of the gun and pulled the trigger.