Warning-This chapter includes violence and violence of a sexual nature. (This chap will be the most uncomfortable.)

"You will never go to those thugs again when they call and you will never lie to me again. Tonight you're going to learn a hard lesson, Cupcake. This is ALL your fault!" He grabbed her by her pony tail and began pulling her toward the stairs. She looked up them. This time with real foreboding.

Chapter 3

"Joe, please don't hurt me. Joe...?" She began to try to struggle and fight and he roared and punched her in the face and she fell backwards on to the wood floor in his bedroom. His eyes were terrifying and black as obsidian. He picked her up by the shirt and hit her in the ribs and ripped it off of her. Then he put his hand around her throat and pushed her toward the bed and slapped her again grabbing her bra and ripping it as he launched her at it. He punched her in the ribs again as she was grasping at bedding and trying to scramble away from the hands that were punishing her.

This all had happened so fast that she was barely able to catch her breath between the blows and awful pain. She was almost shocked silent to this point except for her cry at the first strike. She had terror in her eyes and now she was in so much pain that she was gasping for breath. Joe unbuckled his belt and pulled it out of the loops and slapped her with it when she she was trying to roll away. He struck her again before she stopped.

He reached out and grabbed her pants and jerked them down and then ripped away her panties. He dropped the belt before unzipping his own pants and dropping them and his boxer briefs and then he leaned over her, caging her with his arms and plowed into her to the hilt in one stroke. This is when she screamed again. His eyes were wild as he pumped her and then thankfully, he shortly grunted his release.

She was crying as he pulled out of her. When she saw that he was still hard and his face was red, he was breathing hard and growling like an animal; a new wave a fear hit her. This wasn't over yet. He roughly turned her over and parted her. She was in so much pain and shock that she could barely speak and her lip was bleeding. "Ple..please Joe,..not..this", she begged.

He grabbed something out of the nightstand drawer. "I bet Manoso never had you this way, but I will whenever I want from now on. Now you do butt stuff Stephanie Plum and you're going to like it. All of you belongs to me now!" Then he pushed into her backside hard and she screamed again. Pain seared her as he plowed her fast and violently. Then, suddenly he pulled out and she felt the warmth of his ejaculate over her back. She thought she heard his pants zip and him stomping out of the room.

Before he even left, she was already headed to that safe place in Ranger's arms. She couldn't move and just closed her eyes and all went black to escape the excruciating pain and humiliation.

Gentle hands held her. "Babe, I'm so sorry I'm not here when you need me. Please hold on a bit longer for me."

She whispered, "Ranger, I'm really tired now. I just want to be with you."

"No. You trust me and you be strong for me. You never disappoint me. Don't do it now."

"But, where you are has to be a better place. It hurts so bad here."

She closed her eyes and passed out again.

She opened her eyes as Joe was carrying her to the bathtub. He had liquor on his breath. He placed her in and washed the blood and filth off of her. He was silent for most of the bath with unshed tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry I hurt you, Cupcake. You can't keep pushing me like that. I love you. You lied to me and I asked you to stay away from those thugs. Just do what I ask you to do and don't defy me and I won't be upset."

He picked her up and dried her and placed her in his bed. Then he gave her a pill with a bottle of water. "Take this." She took the pill and rolled over holding her sides. He got in and moved close to her.

The next morning, Joe helped her to the bathroom and gave her another pill and left for work. She remembered hearing voices in the room later. "Bomber? Mother fuck! Pack her stuff, Hal. Lester, go get Rex and grab her messenger bag and call Bobby and tell him to meet us at the hospital." Big strong hands gently dressed her like she was a child. He picked her up and hugged her close to him.

"This is over now and you're going to be safe in a little while." He carried her to the SUV and got in the back holding her in his big arms. He gently rocked her and spoke softly to her all the way to the hospital. Tank barked at the nurses at the ER desk and Steph was taken back immediately. A doctor checked her from head to toe and then she was taken to x-ray. Bobby arrived and was given orders for her care and her cracked rib and given prescriptions to be filled. Then the men took her home to Rangeman and safety.

In the elevator, she finally spoke through her swollen mouth. "No, not seven, please."

"Ella is waiting for you there."

"Please, I can't, with him not there. Please no. A couch, anything, just not there."

Lester said, "She can stay in my apartment. I'll sleep on seven."

Lester opened his apartment and led the way to his bedroom.

Tank gently put her down.

"Thank you, guys."

"Bomber, I'm calling Eddie, Carl and Big Dog. They need to see this and you need to file charges. It'll be worse if you don't. He might try to come at you again."

"I don't want him trying to come at you or Rangeman, Tank."

"Like I said before, I ain't scared of that sorry piece of shit, Bomber! If he fucks with us now, he better be ready to disappear." She winced and nodded.

Bobby came in and sat down on the bed. "I'm going to wait until you speak to Eddie and the report is filed to give you a pain pill. Can you eat something? Ella has some soup for you."

"I'll try."

She ate a few spoons of soup before Eddie, Big Dog and Carl arrived. Eddie looked at her. He did this to you?" She nodded.

"Why did he do it?"

"I came to see Tank yesterday and he found out. I lied to him about the reason I was here. I told him I came to get my check but I didn't have the check or the deposit slip to show him. He got mad."

"But, you work here."

"No, he made me quit. He's been different since Ranger…"

"I don't fucking understand this from him all the sudden, but I think you need to press charges and we need to place a restraining order against him."

Carl began writing his report. "Tell me everything that happened. When she got finished talking they all just stared at her.

Bobby said, "Tell them the rest, Steph."

"What?"

"What else he did to you. It needs to be in the report."

"No!"

"Then I will because it needs to be in the report. He brutally sodomized her. She has both trauma and damage from his attack on her. She has bruises and fucking handprints all over her. Old ones too from before this."

Bobby looked at her with sad eyes and said, "I'm so sorry. They needed to know all of it."

She couldn't look at them and rolled away toward the wall.

"Can I just be alone now, please. I appreciate everything. I just can't talk any more right now." Then she turned back and looked at everyone in the room. "Please...I'm begging you. If you are my friends, don't say a word about this outside this room. Eddie, Carl and Big Dog, please try to keep this quiet at the station. Better for you too. Joe has friends in high places now." They all looked at each other and nodded.

"Here, take this and get some rest." Bobby handed her a pill and a water bottle. The door closed and the room was quiet at last and she closed her eyes.

She felt warmth and smelled Bvlgari. "I always loved your smell. The first time I snuck into your apartment while you were away that time I used your shower. I lathered myself in your body wash and then I touched myself thinking about you and being in your shower. It felt so intimate even without you there."

"Tell me more, Babe."

"Well, then the nosey girl took over and I had to know if you were boxers or briefs."

"What did you find?"

"That one pair of black silk boxers. But I already knew what the real answer was. I wasn't too awfully nosey. I just mainly wanted to touch things that made me feel close to you. Oh, and I always loved the feel of your sheets."

"Thanks for sharing that with me, Babe."

"I miss you so much."

"I know."

There was a knock on the door and Ella and Bobby entered. Bobby said, "We thought maybe you would like to eat a little and then I can give you another pain pill."

"Okay."

She ate a couple bites of the cheesy casserole and a bite of the chocolate cake to please Ella. She wasn't really hungry though. Ella said, "Stephanie, I wish you would eat a little more."

"Thank you for cooking this nice meal, but I really can't eat much now, Ella."

Ella gently touched her face, "I'm very sorry, dear. You deserve so much better than to be hurt and abused. You're such a good, kind person. You're safe with my boys now." She hugged the sweet woman that cared about her so much. Bobby gave her another pain pill and she rolled over and went back to sleep.

When she woke up again, Lester was laying on top of the blanket next to her asleep. He was dressed with his hands behind his head and legs crossed. He was so handsome. He was Ranger's cousin and reminded her so much of him when she looked closely at him. Their personalities were total opposite. Where Ranger had been quiet and serious and intense, Lester was outgoing and silly. Just then he opened one eye and looked at her.

"Good morning, beautiful."

"Morning, Les. Did you miss your bed?"

"No, I just came to check on you and this side of the bed was free. You're staring at me with a sad look on your face. Most women have smiles on their faces when they stare at me. You're going to give me a serious complex here, gorgeous. What can I do to put the smile back on your face?" Then he gave her the two eyebrow waggle.

"I was thinking how you remind me of Ranger in some ways. You're handsome like he was."

His eyes changed to sad and dark and he gently touched her bruised face. "Right back at ya', beautiful. I miss him too. We all do. Let's change the subject. How about I regale you with my latest conquests or you tell me about your numero uno sex fantasy and I'll tell you about mine."

She rolled her eyes at him. "You're such a licentious lech, Lester."

"Don't you go using those big words on me, woman. Sounds pretty good, though. I could be the big triple LLL. Like the triple threat. Lure em', Love em' and Leave em'."

She smacked him. "That is just rotten, Santos. Look at me. You're better than Joe. Don't you hurt any women emotionally or otherwise and I mean it." Then she started to cry.

"I'm so sorry. I don't do that. I was just kidding. I would never abuse a woman."

"I know. I'm just so damn emotional right now."

"Come on. I'll help bathe and dress and you'll feel better. You need help to the bathroom? I promise I won't look." He was trying to hide the little grin poking out the side of his mouth.

She sighed with resignation. "You know, Les, I don't even care. There is nothing sexy about me right now. Let's go."

He helped her to the toilet and ran her bath. He then helped her get undressed and into the tub and washed her hair for her. She soaked and he sat down and held her hand and told her stories about some of the funny situations they had gotten into while they were all deployed together in other parts of the world.

One of the best was the time they were on hiatus in Paris staying at an old swanky hotel and Tank pulled a long cord next to the toilet when he finished taking a crap thinking it was to flush. The butler on the floor arrived in the bathroom with a soapy sponge on a long stick and motioned for Tank to bend over. Turns out he was the hotel's equivalent of a bidet and he was there to wash Tank's ass. Lester laughed and said the look on Tank's face alone was priceless when Ranger spoke to the butler in French and then explained to our Pierre the service that was about to be bestowed on him. She almost drowned in the tub she was laughing so hard.

"Stop making me laugh, Lester. It hurts!"

When she was almost ready to get out, there was a knock on the door. Lester went out then came back in the bathroom. "It's Ella and Bob. Breakfast and your pain pill. You want me to look in your bag and get you something or I can get you some of my stuff to wear."

"You know boxers and a t-shirt would be really comfortable."

"I got this, then. Be right back."

He came back in and lifted her out and helped her to dry. She put on his boxers and big comfy soft t-shirt and he helped her into the next room. "Good Morning", Ella and Bobby chimed.

"Lester, could you dig in my bag and get my brush and hair products. I gotta' try to tame this beast a little before I become the scary poodle head phantom of Rangeman." They all grinned at her. Just a hint of her sense of humor was a good sign.

TBC-

My grandma used to whack my grandpa with the iron skillet when he came in drunk and mean and then called the sheriff. However, most of us don't live in an extension of Mayberry.

One guest sister again brought up the statistics for abuse and it is in fact staggering. Some hinted that you may be directly affected by abuse.

I had a friend who was a victim of abuse. One abuser actually stuffed her behind the fridge naked and had beaten her to a pulp and I rescued her. I wanted to be angry with her for taking it, but then I realized that she had been in this pattern for a long time. It had started with her Dad. He had abused them and left their mother. The really sick part was his occupation. He was a respected gynecologist that resented and disrespected women. Guess what, I was his patient at 17 years old. I had a mature boyfriend that wanted me on birth control and I went to this guy because he was close to my home. He degraded me and humiliated me and then a couple years later, I met his daughter in college. He had in the meantime died of a heart attack and we both said, "Good riddance and burn." My friend never broke the cycle. She kept choosing the same men and going back again after I rescued her. It was sad because she was a gorgeous girl. I got my cars keyed and threatened for the help. So many will never break the cycle or escape. It's like an addiction to some and professional help and counseling is needed for all victims of abuse.

When I met my husband, the first thing I told him was that I had a good iron skillet and wasn't afraid to use it. LOL For some reason he still married me.