Disclaimer: All things familiar belong to Ms. Evanovich. I make no money.

Chapter 7

Morelli's POV

Shit. I'm up. I don't want to do this to Terry. I feel as though I should give her a chance to explain. She isn't going to give it up easily. Unlike Lula and Sofia, she is always armed and knows how to use her weapons. I know where she keeps her weapons, but even when we are intimate, she's always the one to remove them. If I attempt to disarm her, she'll know something is up. I can't believe that Terry would be involved in human trafficking. It is against her way of thinking, her moral code, or at least I thought it was. I know that when Stephanie first died, Terry tried hard to make us more, to be the wife I want. But Terry isn't who I want, at least not the adult Joseph Morelli. When we were teenagers, she was everything I wanted. But then, after her cousin, Vito's son died in that car accident, she changed, becoming involved in her Uncle's business. Once I settled on a career in law enforcement, I knew that Terry could never be more than a mistress or an occasional fling. She could never be my wife.

I've worked hard to become a detective in TPD. I hoped to get called into the FBI, but my arrest and subsequent FTA status after the whole Carmen incident took that away from me. Now, I hope to make Chief someday. I got slapped for accepting that blow job that Steph found out about, but it was a moment of weakness. Steph and I were fighting, again. Even before the fight, we weren't intimate. First, I was sick and had no desire to have sex. Then, when I was better, Stephanie had her period. Once that was over, I had to work a lot of hours on a case. By the time our schedules allowed us to spend the night together, we were fighting. So, after almost a month of no release, I was horny. I figured it couldn't hurt. I mean, it was only a blow job. It's not like I had sex with her. But, of course, with my luck, Steph found me with my dick in the prostitute's mouth, and that was the end of us. I knew that I could never win her back, but I didn't expect Manoso to swoop in so quickly.

I know I need to talk to Vito at some point, to explain everything to him. As much as Manoso is going to want to punish Terry, I need to get it sanctioned, or I'll be swimming with the fishes in the Delaware River. Vito won't touch Manoso or Rangeman; he knows that if he did, every ABC organization would be down on him and his Family will suffer. If only I had the backing of some of those big wigs in Washington. I decide to put on the dark wash blue jeans that I always wear to family birthdays with a white t-shirt and open button-down striped shirt, left untucked. Therefore, I can hide my gun, which I normally wear openly, but around the kids, I try to hide it. I have my clutch piece at my ankle and a stiletto at my waist. I pray I won't need them. Once the word gets out that I brought down Theresa Gilman, my mother will be on my phone, yelling 'why me' and Grandma Bella will be putting the eye on me. I think she and Vito are distant cousins, something like his grandmother and her grandmother's sister were in-laws. There is no blood relationship between Terry and me. I made sure of that.

I fix my hair, taking a deep breath — the things I do for Stephanie. I should have listened to my mother when she told me to stay away from Stephanie Plum, that she was dangerous, that she wasn't Burg. I didn't listen. Instead, I pursued her. I loved her spirit, but I thought that it was a phase. Maybe, if Manoso hadn't come along, it would have been, but thanks to him and his support, it became her way of life. Sorry, Mom, you were right. Terry agreed to meet me at my house, as I'm closer to the fictional relative's home. I hear her car pull up. I know I have Manoso's men backing me up, but with Terry, there is no room for error. Showtime.

"Hey, Terry, thanks for agreeing to come with me. My mother is still on the warpath, trying to marry me off to every available skirt in Trenton. She doesn't realize that I don't want them." I tell her.

"I know, lover. I get it. My Uncle Vito keeps telling me to settle down. I told him I'm waiting for you. You know, he'll give you a good position in the Family business. You wouldn't have to work the crazy hours you do now; we will live a good life. You don't need to wade through those gruesome murder scenes for pennies anymore."

"I know, Terry, but I can't do that. I've spent my adult life trying to fight crime; I can't suddenly start to condone it. I turn a blind eye to much of your business, out of respect for your Uncle and you, but I couldn't in good conscience, be a part of it."

"I understand. How much time do we have before your family starts calling?"

I glance at my watching, understanding that she wants a quickie. "About forty minutes. It'll take about ten minutes to get there. So we have a half hour."

"That's more than enough time for round one," Terry says as we start to kiss. I lead her up to my bedroom, knowing I have my cuffs there. Terry is willing to do almost anything, so maybe I can get her this way.

We make it to my bedroom, and I push her on my bed. I start to kiss her, unbuttoning the silk shirt she's wearing. I lift her hands above her head, holding them there. I ask her if she trusts me and she says she does. I take my cuffs and place them through the bed rail, cuffing her hands above her head. Once she's secure, I call in the reinforcements.

"Vince, Manny, we're ready for you," I call my back up as I button Terry's shirt. Giving Terry that dignity will give me a couple of points in Vito's book.

"Nice work, Morelli. Did you disarm her?" Manny asks.

"No, I was waiting for you. I want extra eyes on Terry. She has tricks up her sleeve." I first take her mini-Glock from her shoulder harness, then the two knives from her belt before getting her S & W from her thigh holster. I find it ironic that she uses the same guns that Stephanie does. I check her ankles and continue to frisk her, finding no more weapons.

"Check her hair for bobby pins and her clothing for other items. She knows how to pick locks." I inform them.

Instead, they take out their flexicuffs and put them on her along with their handcuffs. Once in their SUV, they shackle her ankles. Two other Rangemen are waiting, ready to sit in the back with her on the ride to Haywood. Damn, how are they always prepared for everything?

As they leave, I get in my car, heading for Vito's home. I need to make this visit to Vito by myself. I know that there is a good possibility that I'll never leave his home. I hope Stephanie takes Bob; I'd hate to see him in the pound. With one last glance at my house, I drive towards Vito's estate on the outskirts of Trenton.

Ranger's POV

We arrive up in our penthouse and Steph immediately goes to our son. Julie is waiting to hear what happened today. We sit in the living room as Stephanie nurses Miguel, filling Julie in on the details. Julie reports that Miguel has been an angel all day. After a quick dinner courtesy of Ella, I escort my two children to Ella's apartment for the night. As much as I love Julie and Miguel, I need a night along with my Babe after a year without her. Julie, who is wise beyond her years, understands and is fine with being shuffled to Tia Ella for the night. When I arrive back up on seven, Steph is standing in the bathroom, with tears in her eyes.

"Babe, what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry, Carlos, it's embarrassing to be standing here, removing my bra and the pads that I keep in them to catch the milk that leaks out. It isn't sexy to be a human cow."

I find the way her mind works to be funny, but I know now is not the time for me to smile. "Babe, you are providing the food and nourishment for our son, and this is the sexiest thing you can do. Without you, he wouldn't have anything to eat. You are his lifeline. Dios, watching you nurse Miguel is a huge turn-on for me. I'm not disgusted by you being a mother. Your body has changed, and I love the changes. Your hips are wider, your breasts fuller, your waist smaller than before you were pregnant. Your tummy has a little pouch, where our son grew. I want to spend the rest of my life worshipping you, Stephanie. You are the sexiest, most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on, Querida."

I begin to nibble on her neck, and with my right hand, I hold her against my body while my left grazes her sensitive nipples. I take in her scent, a mixture of strawberry and coconut along with the essence of Stephanie, a scent that has me hard instantly.

I gently lift her bridal style, carrying her into our bedroom, laying her in the center of our bed. I strip off her remaining clothes along with mine, and worship her body from her head down to her toes and back to her center. My head and mouth are lined up with her glistening folds, and I look her in the eye. "Dios, Babe, I missed you, so much in my heart. I missed your taste, your sweet juices, I prayed every night to the opportunity to see you once again, to be able to touch you once more, even if it was only in a dream. Part of me thinks this is a dream, for everything is too perfect. But I know that you are here, where you belong, in our bed, in our home. I love you, Stephanie Michelle Plum, forever."

Once I finish speaking, I dive into her fold. Steph is already wet; her juices are even sweeter than I remember. Last night, we made love, but I didn't feast on her. Julie was in the other room, and we wanted to be less obvious, but tonight, I get to have what I want, and that is four courses of Stephanie. I allow my tongue to enter into her center, to prime her for me as I play with her breasts and her clit. I feel her hips bucking, wanting more. I gently push her down, stilling her for a few moments.

"Patience, querida," I tell her before going back to my feast. I feel her muscles clenching, and I know that she's close to cuming. With a gentle pinch on her clit, I have her shaking through her first orgasm. I gently let her down before playing with her lower curls with my fingers, getting ready to enter her once more. I bring my mouth to her breast, sucking on her nipple. I taste some of her breast milk and lap it up. It tastes even better than her juices. No wonder Miguel is anxious to eat. I have two fingers inside her and feel her body building to another high. I move my kisses to her neck, marking her as mine. I want to make sure Sofia knows that Stephanie is mine when we see her tomorrow. I hope that Stephanie will mark me as well.

Once again, as I feel her getting close to her release, I insert a third finger while allowing my thumb to rub her sensitive nub, bringer her to another orgasm. Without giving her a chance to come down, I impale her with my cock. It feels so good to be sliding home inside my Babe. I take my time, torturing her with slow, deliberate movements, looking to prolong her enjoyment as much as possible. I lean down, kissing her, sticking my tongue in her mouth as far as I can, tasting every nook and cranny. I attack her neck, as she attacks mine, I feel her marking me, not once, not twice, but three times. With the third, we both go over that cliff of contentment, our souls joining together. The last few days have been emotional, and I'm exhausted, as is Stephanie. I gently pull out of her, immediately feeling alone as I lose that closeness to my Babe. I roll on my side, as does Stephanie, and I pull her against my body, covering us with the blanket.

"Sleep, querida, get some rest. I promise we'll have more fun later. I love you, Babe."

"I love you too, Carlos," she responds sleepily.

We wake up several times throughout the night to make love, sometimes slowly and passionately, other times wild and reckless, but we take what we need of each other. She wakes to pump when she needs to, then we engage in more aerobic lovemaking, before falling back to sleep again. When my alarm wakes us up at 0600, I'm sore in places that I haven't been sore in since Stephanie left me. After another round of morning lovemaking in the shower, we dress for the day, ready to confront Lula, Terry, and Sofia.

At 0730, Julie comes up to the apartment with Miguel and Steph nurses him once again. I glance at her, and I see her face flush as she thinks back to how I was doing the same thing to her last night. Thankfully, Julie was in her room getting dressed, so the awkward moment went unnoticed. At 0755, we leave Julie with Miguel to head down to five for our morning meeting.

Vito Grizoli's POV

Don Vito, il detective Morelli è qui per vederti, qualcosa riguardo a un problema con tua nipote, Theresa." Angelo informs me. (Don Vito, Detective Morelli is here to see you, something about a problem with your niece, Theresa.)

"Lascialo entrare, parlerò con lui," I reply. (Let him in, I'll talk to him.) I wait a few moments for Detective Morelli to appear at my office door. Angelo shows him into my study, then leaves us alone. I wonder if Theresa got herself into another mess. I told Theresa that if she causes the Family one more problem, I will ship her off to Italy and force her to marry Nunzio. He's a good man and will make a good homemaker and mother out of her. I know she'd prefer Joseph Morelli, but he's a cop. He chose law and order over my niece and her Family. I don't blame the man. The life we live is not an easy one. I'm not sure, had I had the opportunity to choose my fate, that I would choose my life. While I have not wanted for anything materially, I don't have the safety and security that I would prefer for my family. Joseph looks upset, lost, and angry. Not a good combination for a Morelli man. "Giuseppe, son, what can I do for you today?" "Sir, Theresa is in trouble. There is a lot of evidence linking her to some illegal activity that I do not see you sanctioning. I know that you either don't approve or don't know, because she teamed up with Homer Ramos in this little endeavor." Joseph starts. "What endeavor is my niece involved in that would require her to seek help from Ramos?" "Mr. Grizoli, Theresa is helping to find and capture girls and young women to sell in the human trafficking rings around the world. She was behind the kidnapping of Stephanie Plum last year." I stare at Detective Morelli sitting in front of me. I look at his eyes, his body language, to see if he is trying to con me. But all I see is disappointment, fear, and truth. "Is there more, Detective?" I ask. "She is also behind black market adoptions. When we found Stephanie, she had a five-month-old infant with her, her son, that Theresa told her would be sold soon." "And where is Ms. Plum now? I assume that the boy you are talking about is your son, is he not?" "His name is Carlos Miguel Manoso; he is not my son," Joseph replies to me, obviously bitter.

"The rumors that Ms. Plum broke up with you and was dating Manoso were true, then?"

"Yes, Don Vito. I'm sorry that I misled you, Theresa, and the rest of the Burg." He paused, before deciding to continue. "I feel strongly for Theresa, but there is no way that I could ever marry her. I know that our relationship is not what you want for your niece, but we are two consenting adults. I love my job, my career. I enjoy being a cop, having the opportunity to help others. I've managed to put away my share of wife-beaters, and when I do, I feel like I'm finally standing up for my mother. Theresa and I can never be more than friends, and now, even friendship is out the window."

"I told my Theresa that you would never choose her over your career, but she didn't want to believe me. I know that she pursued your relationship as much as you did. You are right; you are both consenting adults, which is the only reason why you are still alive today. However, I am extremely disappointed with my niece. If everything you told me is true, then she is no family of mine. I understand that Ms. Plum will want justice, American style, but I would prefer to be able to handle my niece as I deem appropriate. After all, she did go behind my back and disobey a direct order. She is my responsibility."

"I can call Stephanie and have you speak to her. Or I can set up a meeting with Stephanie and Ranger. Theresa, along with her co-conspirators, are at Rangeman now in their holding cells. In the raid that rescued Stephanie and her son, we found four other women dead and three toddlers who were fine, thank God." Joseph informs me.

"I will contact Manoso myself. Thank you for coming to me, Joseph. I know this wasn't easy for you. I know you will never cash in, but know, that as long as I'm alive, if you ever need my help, I'm a phone call away."

Joseph recognized that our conversation was over. He stood, shook my hand and waited for his escort to his car. When Angelo came back, he asked the question, "What are we going to do to Mr. Morelli, Don Vito?"

"Niente. Joseph did nothing wrong. Inform all our men that they are to assist Detective Morelli if he ever needs their assistance. Hedging or refusing to provide him with information will be punished." I tell Angelo. (nothing)

"Va bene," Angelo replies. (Okay.)

Ranger's POV

Stephanie and I are in our small conference room with the Core Team plus Agent Bicard and Morelli. We are planning our course of action with the three women. I know that Stephanie wants to confront Sofia and Lula. She doesn't understand why they wanted to hurt her. The big question is what to do about Terry. We already received word from Alexander Ramos that Homer is out of the picture, permanently. We know that even if Vito Grizoli disowns Terry, there are still plenty left in the family who are still loyal to her. Agent Bicard is well aware of that situation. As much as Stephanie wonders why Terry got involved in human trafficking and black-market adoptions, she doesn't need to talk to her. She knows that her motivation was jealousy over Morelli picking Stephanie over Terry.

As we are discussing the exchange into FBI custody, my private line rings. I pick it up, surprised at the person on the other end. I give Morelli a look, and I watch him slouch in his seat. I listen as the man on the line talks, and I agree with his decision. The problem is getting the feds to agree, or at least to pretend to look the other way. I let the caller know that I'll call him back as soon as I have an answer for him.

"Morelli, is there something you forgot to tell us?" I ask the cop.

He sighs, "last night after we got Terry, I went to speak with Vito Grizoli. I know him well, especially since Terry and I have been friends or more since high school. He needed to hear what she's been doing from me, not from someone else. As I suspected, he did not know about her venture into her side business. He is disappointed in her and would like to be the person to punish Terry. In some ways, you and Terry are very much alike, Stephanie. Terry does not want to be the Burg wife and mother. She never did. That is one of the reasons her marriage failed. We didn't work because, well, she's involved in the mob and I'm a cop."

"Mr. Grizoli wants us to turn Terry over to him. He wants us to act as though we couldn't find her. He's planning on sending her to Sicily, to marry a family friend, where her husband will demand that she takes the role of wife and mother. That will be a greater punishment for Terry than anything our legal system can do for her. I know that this would require you to lie to your superiors, and could lead to a dismissal, Agent Bicard, but in the end, I'll leave the decision up to you." I tell everyone.

I watch Agent Bicard contemplate what I said. I see that he is thinking about the various scenarios that could play out if Terry winds up in prison. Finally, he speaks, "Ranger, do what you must. Officially, we were only able to apprehend Sofia Caballo and Lula Knight. Homer Ramos and Theresa Gilman were not at their homes, their offices, or anywhere in Trenton. We will continue to look for them, of course, in case they return one day."

Agent Bicard is a good man. "Agent, if you decide that you want to retire from the FBI, you are welcomed to join Rangeman."

"Thank you for the offer, Manoso. I may take you up on that offer one day."

"I need to be the one to talk to Lula, alone. She'll tell me why she hurt me when she sees that her plan didn't work. The ring on my finger will be enough to drive her insanely jealous. As for Sofia, we need to go in together, Carlos, flaunting our relationship, being overly attentive and physical. It will aggravate her, causing her to confess. Once I speak to both, you can take them, Agent Bicard." Stephanie finally says, bringing us back on task.

"I think that's a great idea, Babe. Do you want to go down now?" I ask her.

"No, I need to check the closet upstairs. Carlos, did Ella buy me any designer clothes?"

"I'm sure she did, Babe. Why?"

"When I see Sofia and Lula, I need to be dressed in as much bling as possible. Wearing designer clothes, shoes, jewelry, and looking wealthy will further infuriate them. The more infuriated they get, the more they will talk." She replies.

Stephanie glances at the clock, noticing that it's almost ten. "I'll meet you downstairs at 10:15. Give me thirty minutes with Lula, and forty-five with Sofia, no more. If they haven't spilled everything in that time frame, then they aren't going to spill. Miguel's next meal is at 11:30."

"Go get ready, Babe," I tell her, kissing her gently on the forehead before she leaves.