Chapter 2 - Bleeding Love – Pt. 2

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or the songs used in this story. Song used is Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis. Cupcakes beware very unkind to Morelli.

Steph's POV

I woke as I feel the bed shift. Carlos started lightly brushing his lips over mine.

"Babe, I'm sorry to wake you, but I'm getting ready to head out to Boston. I wanted to tell you bye before I left. I love you, Steph."

His lips came back to mine and I felt his tongue touch my lips, seeking entrance. I opened my mouth to him and our tongues fought for dominance. He broke the kiss and looked at me with lust filled eyes.

"Carlos, if you don't leave now I won't let you go."

Carlos chuckled and placed one last small kiss on my lips, then rolled off the bed. He stopped at the bedroom door. "Ella will be up with your breakfast later, Babe. Be safe and don't go crazy. I'll call you later tonight."

"Don't get shot," I said back

I lay back down on the heavenly bed and snuggled up with Carlos' pillow. I slowly awoke some time later and could smell the scent of coffee coming from the kitchen. I heard Ella moving around in the apartment, so I decided to get up and see what she brought for breakfast. I stretched my arms over my head in an effort to come fully awake, and then I went into the closet and pulled on a pair of Carlos' sweats before heading out to the kitchen.

Ella looked up at me as I padded out of the bedroom. "Good morning, dear" she greeted pleasantly.

"Good morning, Ella."

"Stephanie, I brought up your breakfast. I made your favorite … chocolate chip pancakes."

"Ella, will you adopt me?" I asked as I dug into my chocolaty goodness.

She chuckled and said that she'd be happy to call me her daughter. Ella headed to the door and looked back at me, telling me to leave the dishes and that she'd be back up to get them later. She also told me to let her know what time I'd like my dinner.

After eating the breakfast Ella left me and taking a quick shower, I headed down to see Tank on five.

"Come in, Bombshell," Tank said with a grin as I rapped on his door frame.

"Good morning, Big Guy. What do you need me to help you with today?"

He motioned to the stacks of paperwork on his desk. There was a stack of searches and a stack of proposals piled a mile high.

"Ok, I guess I can take a hint. But sometime today I need to run by the office to pick up any new files they might have for me."

"Take someone with you, please. Would you mind picking up the files for Rangeman while you're there?"

"Sure, I'll get them. Do you think Lester would be available to ride with me this afternoon?"

Tank pulled out his phone and a minute later Lester walked into the room. "Hey Beautiful, I hear you need an escort this afternoon."

"I sure do Lester. Do you mind?"

"Spending the afternoon in the company of a beautiful woman or watch monitors? Hmm … I'd pick you hands down." He lightly pinched my cheek and gave me a wink.

We made plans to meet down in the garage at 4:00 to head to the bonds office.

I spent the day hanging out with Tank in his office, trying to help him with the paperwork. By 3:45 we had most of the files complete. I looked up to find Tank watching me.

"Why didn't he offer you this job a long time ago? It would've taken me two days to accomplish what you've done in a few hours. I'll see you in the morning Bombshell. Thanks for the help."

I told Tank that I'd see him tomorrow as I head down to the garage to meet Lester. He was already in the SUV waiting for me. We stopped by Tasty Pastry on the way to the office. Hey, it's never too late for doughnut. At the bonds office, Lester and I spent an hour talking to the girls before heading out. As we walked out to the SUV I noticed Joe Morelli getting out of his POS cop car. He started walking our way with a livid expression on his face.

"Cupcake, we need to talk. What's this I hear about you dating Ranger?"

"Who'd you hear that from?" I asked innocently.

"Everyone. They say you two are joined at the hip these days."

I looked at Joe and saw a man who never really loved me for me. I really didn't want to have this conversation with him. Not that I really cared what he thought anymore, but I just had a feeling that confirming his accusation wasn't going to go down well, and I really didn't want Joe to try to start something that would cause Lester to have to intervene.

I glanced over at Lester and he gave me a small smirk.

"Yes, Joe, I'm dating Ranger," I said

Joe stepped closer to me and Lester followed suit. Joe started screaming at me then.

"How can you be so stupid, Steph? He'll never love you. He just wants a fuck buddy. The only thing that will come from this will be him getting you killed."

Trying hard not to hear
But they talk so loud
Their piercing sounds fill my ears
Try to fill me with doubt
Yet I know that the goal
Is to keep me from falling

"It's my decision to make, Joe. Ranger lets me fly; while you want to turn me into a robot version of my mother. I don't want to be a housewife. I'd rather be his fuck buddy, than your wife," I yelled, my temper flaring.

Fury filled Joe's eyes. "You're so clueless, Steph. Don't expect me to let you come crawling back. I've done everything for you and this is the thanks I get. You're such a bitch. You'll see that I'm right, he will leave you! Then you'll be getting what you deserve, someone to treat you like the whore you are."

Before I could speak, Joe hit me across the face with enough force to knock me to the ground. He leaned down towards me, trying to get his hands on me again. The next thing I know, Lester kicked Morelli in the face, forcing Joe's body up and away from me. Lester connected a punch to the side of Joe's face, knocking him to the ground where he stepped over Joe and continued to pound on him relentlessly.

"You stupid, Fuck. How dare you lay a hand on her!" Lester screamed at Joe.

I yelled at Lester, "Lester stop, he's not worth it," trying to get Lester's attention from Joe before he killed him. I was about to reach out to try to grab Lester when I turned to see a black SUV screeching to a stop at the curb. Tank, Bobby, and Hal jumped from the vehicle in a run, headed our way. Lester continued to yell at Joe as his fists proceeded with their brutal assault. Joe was helpless against Lester's attack. Tank came up and hauled Lester off of Joe. As big as Tank is it was all he could do to restrain Lester. I've never seen Lester so furious and I got the feeling that when he told the other Merry Men the whole story, I'd be dealing with four very pissed off mercenaries. Who'd like nothing more than to get their hands around Joe's neck.

We had gathered a small crowd in front of the bonds office, and Connie and Lula were sending Joe death glares. We all looked up at the sounds of sirens in the distance. It looked like one of the observers called the cop shop for help.

"Just great," I mumbled to myself. I would be receiving a call from my mother in less than five minutes.

Tank was still wrestling with Lester as Carl and Big Dog arrived on the scene. They stepped towards Joe and asked for his side of the story. Joe glared at Lester and me, then said he wanted Lester arrested for assaulting an officer.

"That's bullshit and you know it," Lester screamed at Joe as he tried to break free from Tank.

Carl and Big Dog turned to listen to Lester's side of the story. When he got to the part where Joe punched me, there were sharp intakes of breath from both the cops and the Merry Men.

Tank quickly released Lester and lunged for Joe, managing to grab him by his shirt and shoving him up against the bonds office. Fury was evident in his eyes as he growled at Joe.

"You got a death wish, Morelli? I guarantee that's what'll happen if you ever lay another hand on Bombshell."

"You threatening me, Tank?" Joe asked with a sneer.

"No, I'm promising you."

Big Dog grabbed Joe and started shoving him towards the parking lot. Big Dog was cussing at Joe, telling him that he can't believe he hit me and that he was an idiot because Ranger's shit list is not the place anyone would want to be. That'd get you killed for sure especially if you were on it for hurting Steph.

Carl walked up to me and looked at my face, then asked me if I wanted to press charges. I rolled my eyes, saying no and that it was a misunderstanding. Me being me, I was choosing to take up residence once again in denial land. Carl told me he was sorry for how Joe acted and told us we were free to go.

I turned towards the SUV, figuring that we'd head back to Rangeman. My progress was stopped by Bobby who insisted on looking at my face before we left, saying we might need to go get an x-ray. I looked at him like he'd lost his mind. He knew how much I hated hospitals. My face hurt, but wasn't a big deal. I told him that all I needed was some Tylenol and an ice pack, and that I'd be fine. After a few minutes of Bobby poking and prodding my tender face, he cleared me to go back to Rangeman.

I was up on seven, watching a movie with an ice pack on my cheek to control the swelling when my cell phone rang, playing the Batman theme song. My heart fluttered knowing that I was going to get to talk to Carlos.

"Hello, Batman." I didn't even try to hide the smile from my voice.

"Babe."

"Did you have a good trip?"

"Yeah, we just got out of the planning meeting for the take down tonight. I should be back the day after tomorrow. Now, what the hell happened with Morelli?"

"Joe heard that we're dating and didn't take the news too well."

"Tank said he hit you. Are you okay? I'm going to kill him for laying a hand on you. Do I need to come home?"

I'd never heard Carlos talk so much or so fast. He was asking questions quicker than I could answer them.

"Yes, he hit me, but it's not bad. I'm fine. No, you can't kill him. No, you don't need to come home. I can handle this."

Carlos sighed. "I know you can handle anything, but that doesn't mean that I won't come home if you need me." I heard one of the Boston guys yelling for Carlos in the background. "Look, Babe, I'll call you later tonight after the take down. We'll talk about how we're going to handle Morelli. He won't ever hurt you again. I promise. I wish I was there holding you right now."

But nothing's greater
Than the rush that comes with your embrace
And in this world of loneliness
I see your face
Yet everyone around me
Thinks that I'm going crazy, maybe, maybe

"Carlos, I wish you were here too, but you'll be back in two days. I love you. I'll talk to you later."

"Love ya, Babe."

The line went dead, and I looked down at it, sighing and thinking to myself that I needed to teach that man some phone manners. I was startled from my thoughts by the phone ringing again. It was none other than my mother. I rolled my eyes as I answered the phone.

"Hello, Mom."

"Stephanie, what happened? The phone has been ringing off the hook. I'm going to have to disconnect it to get a moment of peace. They're saying that you got into a fight in the parking lot of the bonds office with Joseph. That one of Ranger's men beat Joseph up. What are you thinking running around with those thugs?"

"Mom, Joe got what he deserved. Lester hit him because he punched me in the face. I have bruises on my face to prove it. Ranger and his men are not thugs. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"I'm sure that Joseph didn't mean to hit you. I bet it was an accident. You need to call him and work this out. You two belong together. You'll have a good life with Joseph."

"You never listen to me Mom. I'm not going back to Joe. Today should have proven to you that he's not right for me. He hit me. There was no accident or excuse for his actions."

But I don't care what they say
I'm in love with you
They try to pull me away
But they don't know the truth
My heart's crippled by the vein
That I keep on closing
You cut me open and I

But I don't care what they say
I'm in love with you
They try to pull me away
But they don't know the truth
My heart's crippled by the vein
That I keep on closing
You cut me open and I

"Mom, please listen to me. I love Ranger, and he loves me. He doesn't want to make me change, and he keeps me safe. Can't you just be glad that I've found someone that makes me happy?"

"You need to grow up, Steph. Joseph isn't going to wait around forever. He's going to get tired of waiting around for you, and you're going to end up alone."

"Mom, I'm staying with Ranger, if he asks me to I'll marry him. I'll never be with another man, ever. He's who I choose regardless of what you say. You'll either learn to accept it or not. I don't really care anymore. I'm tired of you always trying to cut me down, to force me to do what you want."

Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
I keep bleeding
I keep, keep bleeding love
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
You cut me open

And it's draining all of me
Oh they find it hard to believe
I'll be wearing these scars
For everyone to see

"How dare you speak to me that way young lady? I expect Joseph and you at dinner tonight at six sharp."

I growled at her "That won't be happening … ever. Joe will never accompany me anywhere, anymore. I love you Mom, but I refuse to come to dinner until you accept Carlos as a permanent fixture in my life. That means you have to accept that Joe will never be anything more than a friend. Bye, Mom."

"Stephanie, Stephanie Michelle Pl…" I heard as I hung up on my mother.

I don't care what they say
I'm in love with you
They try to pull me away
But they don't know the truth
My heart's crippled by the vein
That I keep on closing
You cut me open and I

Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
I keep bleeding
I keep, keep bleeding love
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
You cut me open and I

After the emotionally draining day I had, I curled up on the couch and fell asleep watching the movie I started earlier….

Tanks POV

Sometime later that night …

As I headed down to my apartment on the fourth floor, I began to think about the day's events. I couldn't believe that asshole Morelli hit Bombshell; I could've killed him right then and there with my bare hands. I'd have my work cut out for me to keep Ranger from killing Joe when he gets back.

I wonder what Ranger's reaction will be when he see's just how good Bombshell is with the business aspects of Rangeman. Ranger should have hired her permanently years ago. It sure would've made our lives easier.

I was opening up my apartment door when my cell phone rang. I looked down and saw that it was Thor, from the Boston office. Odd, I think to myself, for them to be calling me when Ranger was there in Boston. I answered my phone and heard shouting and sirens.

"Yo, what the hell is going on?"

"Tank, the boss has been shot. It's bad, man. You need to get Steph and get up here now."

"Where'd he take the shot? How did this happen?"

"He took three shots. The skip knew we were coming. He took Ranger down as soon as we opened the door. Ranger had on his vest but the bullets penetrated it. The skip shot him with cop-killers."

"Shit! I'm going to go get Steph and we'll be there as soon as we can. Tell him she's on her way."

It was like Scrog all over again. I couldn't believe it was happening. How was I going to tell Steph this? She wasn't going to take it well, I thought as I made my way to the apartment on seven.

Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
I keep bleeding
I keep, keep bleeding love
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
You cut me open and I
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love

Steph's POV

I woke up and looked over to see that it was 10:00 pm. Man, I couldn't believe I slept that long. Carlos would be calling soon. I opened up my phone to make sure that I didn't miss his call and saw that I hadn't.

I glanced around the room and a picture frame that I hadn't noticed before caught my eye. It was a picture of Carlos and me. We were hugging in the alley by the bonds office. I could tell by our faces that we had just been kissing. I could see the heat in our eyes. I wondered who took this picture and gave it to Carlos.

I was pulled from my thoughts by a knock on the door. I figured that it was Tank coming to check on me before he called it a night. I went to the door with the picture still in my hand….

TBC

A/N: Ok, guys don't kill me yet … This story was supposed to be a one shot. But so many people asked me to continue it that my muse exploded with ideas. Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. I've already started chapter 4 so it shouldn't take as long as this one did. I hope to have chapter 4 up in a week.