Life As I Know It Chapter 2: Batman to the Rescue, a janet evanovich fanfic

Chapter 2--Batman to the Rescue

I braced myself preparing myself for the impact of another slap when Joe was yanked away from me and thrown across the room. I opened my eyes and saw Ranger pushing Joe back away from me. Before I knew it Ranger had punched Joe, spurting blood out of his nose. Joe stumbled back against the wall and threw a punch at Ranger catching him in the jaw. Ranger didn't even blink as he picked Joe up by the front of his shirt and pinned him against the wall.

"Babe, finish packing your stuff up and go down to the car," Ranger said never taking his eyes away from Joe.

"Ranger…" I started to plead with him to just let Joe go and forget it. I couldn't risk getting Ranger in trouble for hitting a police officer.

Ranger interrupted me, "Please." That was all it took, one word and I knew I couldn't say no. I finished packing my things and slung the bag over my shoulder. "Turbo is at the curb Babe," he said releasing one hand from Joe to hand her the keys.

I walked to the door and stopped. Turning around I looked at Joe, who was completely immobile in Ranger's grasp. "Goodbye Joe," I said walking down the stairs. On my way out I turned and gave Bob a nice pat. I would miss him, he was a good dog, but no more of the cupcake Bob misses you stories would ever work on me again, never would any story that came out of Joe's mouth work on me.

I should have felt bad as I walked towards the Turbo, I should have told Ranger not to do anything stupid, not to hurt him. But the truth was, I didn't care anymore. I had lost the respect I had for Joe the minute he raised his hand to me. I knew it was the alcohol, but it was still the principle that he hit me. I turned to look at the house one more time, realizing that a chapter of my life had finished, but yet I couldn't feel sad. I felt relived. I could finally live, finally be able to not worry about what argument would await for me when I returned home from work. Beeping the car unlocked, I sat down in the leather seats of the Porsche, I moaned and got comfortable. Man did I love this car. Hmm..it smelled like Ranger and Bulgari with a masculine tint to it. God, how I loved the smell of him, hmm..God how I loved him….wait….I…loved…Ranger...no there is not way I meant that…I just meant I love the smell of him and his cars. That's it. But as I tried to convince myself otherwise I had just come to the realization as to why its him I always call, why its him I trust will be the one to save me whenever I've been kidnapped. Why I look forward to our kisses in the alley…it was because I loved him.

Ranger's POV

I drove like there was no tomorrow towards Morelli's house. I had no idea what was going on but I did know what Stephanie had had another bad day at work, and now she was at Joe's house crying. If he hurt I swear to God….

I pulled up to Morelli's house and dashed up to the front door. Normally I would wait for Stephanie at the curb but I just had a bad feeling about this time. Something was not right. The minute that I opened the door I knew what was wrong. Steph and Morelli were fighting. Again, and this time it sounded bad. I ran up the stairs and into Morelli's bedroom to find Joe pinning

Stephanie against the wall and raising his hand. I grabbed the back of his shirt and threw him backwards, punching him in the face. His nose started bleeding and he threw a sissy punch at me, hitting me in the jaw. It didn't even phase me as I pinned him against the wall and held him firmly there. He was squirming, but couldn't move very well with the way I had him held.

"Babe, finish packing your stuff up and go down to the car," I said my eyes never leaving Morelli. By the look in his eyes he knew that if Stephanie left, I wouldn't hold anything back.

"Ranger.." Stephanie started, I knew without looking at her she was worried about what I might do to Morelli and worried that I might get arrested.

"Please." Every time I said that she did whatever I had asked of her. I was playing dirty by using it, but I had to get her out of here.

I could see Stephanie packing her bag out of the corner of my eye. When she slung the bag over her shoulder, I released one of my hands on Morelli, giving him a look that warned him if he moved, he would not like the results. "Turbo is at the curb Babe," I said, handing her the car keys.

I heard her walk to the door, where she must have stopped. I heard softly, but with a tone of finality, "Goodbye Joe." And with that she was gone.

"Cupcake…"

"Don't you even continue that sentence, you have lost the privilege to call her cupcake or any other affectionate name." I growled into his ear. I was fuming, and on the verge of losing control. It had almost snapped when I entered the house to Stephanie sobbing and Joe yelling. When I saw him raising his hand I didn't even think, I just grabbed him and punched, hoping I would break something. By what I heard, I was guessing I had gotten his nose pretty good.

Morelli was struggling to escape my grasp, trying desperately to go at me again. I would let him go eventually, let him take the first swing. I wasn't going to go to jail for assaulting a police officer. "Shut the fuck up Manoso! You have been screwing all along haven't you? I see the way you look at her, the same way I used to look at her. I saw you two once you know, in the alley. We were in an off-again stage so I never said anything but damnit Manoso I know you two have been screwing around!" Morelli said screaming.

At his last statement I laughed, and that was when I decided that I need some fun, that I hadn't had any in a really long time. I got really close to Morelli's ear, whispering in a deadly voice that showed I meant business, "Does it upset you Morelli, that she enjoys our little rendezvous in the alley and in my car before a job? Does it bother you that she licks her lips when she sees me in a business suit or when she sees me in anything for that matter? Does it bother you that she let me do things to her that she would never in a million years let you do to her? Does it bother you that every time she needs help it's me who she calls?" I was pushing him, probably a little too far, but I would be a liar if I said I wasn't enjoying it.

she would never be the same with any other men," I smirked as I got another violent reaction out of him, "Want me to tell you details of that night Morelli? Do you? I can. I can tell you what she said, and the expressions on her face. I can tell you the way she moved and the look in her eyes as she was sent over the edge. Do you want those details Morelli? Do you? Or are you afraid to know how much better I am. Answer me Morelli, do you want to know?"

With that last question I let him go, and he came at me swinging his fist at my head. I chuckled thinking how predictable he was, and I easily ducked his punch catching him in the gut with my first. As he double over I got close to his ear again and growled, "You come anywhere near Stephanie, you touch her, you even look at her in any threatening way, I'll come back Morelli, and I won't come alone. That's a promise, got it?"

"Fuck off Manoso!" Morelli shouted, pushing me away and swinging again. I caught his fist and punched him in the temple sending him spiraling onto the bed unconscious. I checked his pulse and laughed thinking about how badly he would hurt in the morning with the combination of hangover and the results of his beating.

I walked down the stairs and stood looking out the front window, smiling at what I knew was going in the car. Stephanie was probably sitting with her head back smiling and moaning, just as she did every other time she sat in one of my cars. I would have offered to buy her one, but I knew she would say no. She said no every time I offered her something, even when it was protection. I smiled thinking of the way she would give me that sheepish grin whenever something go blown up or she got rolled in garbage. I loved the sheepish grin, I loved her. I stopped with my hand on the doorknob realizing what I had just thought, and how for once I didn't add qualifiers. I smiled to myself knowing that the qualifier had just been to protect me from getting hurt. I didn't need a qualifier. I loved Stephanie.

Joe's POV

I don't know what I was thinking hitting Stephanie like that. I was just so angry. Angry that she had called Manoso, angry that she was leaving me, angry that she didn't love me enough to quit her job and settle down with me. I had her pinned against the wall and was raising my hand to hit her again when I was pulled away from her and punched in the nose. I knew it was broken by the pain that shot up my face and by the blood. I realized that it was Manoso who had hit me and I punched back, catching him in the jaw. It had no effect on him however cause the next thing I knew I was pinned up against the wall, looking into Ranger's eyes, black as night, and full of hatred and anger.

"Babe, finish packing your stuff up and go down to the car," Manoso said, looking at me with his killer eyes. I knew that once Stephanie was gone, Ranger would have no problem killing me. I wasn't afraid though, he wouldn't risk killing me. He wasn't stupid. I heard Stephanie begin to protest, but Manoso said please and she stopped. Why the hell was she never this complacent with me? He must have been able to read my mind because he glared at me in warning. I knew better than to try to make a move when he released one hand to give Stephanie the keys.

I watched Stephanie walk toward the door and turn around. I looked in her eyes as she said "Goodbye Joe" and left. She walked out just like that.

"Cupcake…" I wanted to stop her, apologize but Manoso stopped me with a growl in my ear. "Don't you even continue that sentence, you have lost the privilege to call her cupcake or any other affectionate name." Since when did this bastard get to tell me what to do and what to call my girlfriend. I started to fight him but he just tightened his grip and seemed to be mocking me with his eyes.

"Shut the fuck up Manoso! You have been screwing all along haven't you? I see the way you look at her, the same way I used to look at her. I saw you two once you know, in the alley. We were in an off-again stage so I never said anything but damnit Manoso I know you two have been screwing around!" I was angry, angrier than I have ever been in my life. They had to be sleeping together, there was no other explanation. He was a mercenary for crying out loud! He wouldn't want Stephanie, all he wanted was a quick fuck.

He pressed me harder into the wall, and from the look in his eyes I knew he was about to taunt me within an inch of his life. I could feel his breath, and his words in a deadly whisper. "Does it upset you Morelli, that she enjoys our little rendezvous in the alley and in my car before a job? Does it bother you that she licks her lips when she sees me in a business suit or when she sees me in anything for that matter? Does it bother you that she let me do things to her that she would never in a million years let you do to her? Does it bother you that every time she needs help it's me who she calls?" By his last questions was fuming. I began to struggle harder now, determined to kill him for what he was saying. Of course it bothered him, Stephanie was his and Manoso was taking her.

"You are only somewhat wrong Morelli. Stephanie hasn't been cheating on you, she would never do that. I made love to Stephanie when you guys weren't together. I bet you can guess what off-again stage that was. Bet you knew when you slept with her and realized that after me she would never be the same with any other men," I began to struggle more violently now. For what he was saying, and for what I knew to be true. After Abruzzi's "suicide" she had changed. I knew from that moment on that something had happened with her and Manoso.

I figured he was done taunting me, I knew he wanted to fight me, but no he continued, "Want me to tell you details of that night Morelli? Do you? I can. I can tell you what she said, and the expressions on her face. I can tell you the way she moved and the look in her eyes as she was sent over the edge. Do you want those details Morelli? Do you? Or are you afraid to know how much better I am. Answer me Morelli, do you want to know?"

Suddenly I was free and I took a swing at Manoso's head, hoping I could break it open and kill him. He easily dodged my punch, pissing me off even more, and caught me in the gut, doubling me over in pain. I felt him lean closer and whisper in my ear, "You come anywhere near Stephanie, you touch her, you even look at her in any threatening way, I'll come back Morelli, and I won't come alone. That's a promise, got it?"

"Fuck off Manoso!" I screamed, angry because he was telling me what to do and pissed because he was winning this battle. I pushed him away and took another swing. The next thing I knew, Ranger's fist was in my face, and the world was black.