Disclaimer: Anything familiar belongs to JE, unfortunately.

Warning: Adult Language, Adult situations, Smut

Chapter 7: Trouble in Paradise

Daniela's POV

Life is wonderful since Joe, and I started to date. He is truly a gentleman. We have many of the same hopes and dreams. Our one difference is in raising our family. In Joe's opinion, once we marry and have children, I should stay home to take care of the house and family. I told him that I have no problem staying at home while our children are little, but once they are all in school, I'm going back to work. My mother worked while we were growing up, and my sisters do now. All the kids are fine. He needs to open his eyes to the 21st century and understand we are equals in this relationship.

Joe's work is putting him under a lot of stress. He was involved in a top-secret investigation, which went down the other night. He was arrested last week but assured me that the judge would drop the charges. I think he's been working undercover. I've managed to hold off on having sex with Joe, but it's getting increasingly difficult. He is a handsome man. It's been about three years since I was last with a man, and that was my husband, God rest his soul. I'm scared to be with Joe, scared I won't measure up. Joe has more experience than me in the bedroom, but I can't let that stop me from taking the next step.

This afternoon Joe is picking me up, so we can spend the night in Point Pleasant. He promised to tell me all about the circumstances that led to his arrest. I purchased a fuchsia lace bustier with a matching thong. I also bought thigh high stockings and four-inch FMPs to match. If I make myself feel sexy, I'll be more likely to go the distance with Joe. On Sunday, my Abuela turns 80. The family is having a party for her in Newark. Everyone will be there, including my brothers, cousin Miguel, and his brother. I can't wait to see my Principe, to introduce him to Joe. I hope he approves of Joe because I think he's the one.

I packed my bag, with my lingerie, a sundress for tomorrow, and my bikini. I figure I should be good. I hear Joe's car pull into the driveway of the house I share with Miguel. I grab my overnight bag and my purse, walking out the door to meet Joe outside. He takes my overnight from me right after kissing me hello. We walk to his car, settle in, and drive to the shore.

We spend a few hours walking on the boardwalk, enjoying some food from the various vendors. Nothing special, but typical beach food. At about three in the afternoon, we sit on the beach, where Joe finally decides to fill me in on his secret.

"Daniela," Joe begins, "I've been working undercover for the last few months, cozying up to some dirty cops in order to catch them. They were running drugs from Colombia into New Jersey through Florida. When the FBI and DEA raided the warehouse when the shipment was received, I was arrested with the dirty cops. The Federal agents knew that I was their plant, but they had to take me, going through the motions. Once the rest of the guys involved were transferred to Federal custody, the charges were dropped against me. On Monday, Chief Maxwell told the rest of the department about my role in the bust, but instead of congratulating me on a job well done, my friends and brothers have turned against me. Now I am getting the cold shoulder, because they see me as a rat. It's even harder because the investigation wasn't led by TPD, but by a group contracted out through the federal government. The other cops feel as though I turned on them, putting the feds over my colleagues. They are afraid that I will turn on them. I'm not sure what my future holds, but I may be turning in my badge, taking a job at a security firm here in Trenton. I have tentatively spoken with the owner, but nothing has been finalized yet. Daniela, I'm sorry if my plans negatively impact our future. I didn't think things would be this bad when I agreed to go undercover."

"Joe, I understand. It's fine. Whatever you choose to do, I will support you. I feel bad that your friends have abandoned you. Maybe things will get better in a few weeks." Part of me wants to tell him about my brother's company, but I know he is a proud man. If he thinks that he is getting a job out of sympathy for me, he'll be resentful. Oh well, que sera, sera.

We continue to sit on the beach, talking about everything and nothing at all. Finally, at five, we check into our hotel. We have a room facing the ocean, with a large king-sized bed in the center of the room. The bathroom is large, with a roomy shower and a tub. There's a small sitting area off to the side by the windows with a couch and an armchair, both in leather. We plan to get freshened up before going to dinner.

I am wearing shorts, but I put on a black dress over my lingerie for tonight. I have a feeling I won't have time to set the stage, so I need it set before I leave for dinner. When I exit the bathroom, I see Joe look at me appraisingly.

"Daniela, Cara Mia, you look beautiful." Says Joe.

"Thank you; you look pretty handsome yourself," I reply as I look him over. He's wearing tan dockers, a blue button-down shirt, and brown dress shoes. The top two buttons of his shirt are open. He looks delicious.

He takes my hand, leading me out of the room to dinner at a restaurant a few storefronts away. After dinner, we return to our room. The moment the door closes, his mouth is on mine, our tongues are dancing, and our hands are groping. Joe unzipped my dress, letting it fall to the floor before he realizes what I was wearing underneath. I swear, his jaw dropped to the floor like one of those cartoon dogs who tongues roll out of their mouth.

"Cara Mia, to what do I owe this precious gift?" Joe inquires.

"Celebrating the end of your case. I know it wore you down, physically and emotionally, so I decided to give you a treat."

I watch as his eyes move appraisingly down my body, taking in every curve. He finally locks his eyes on mine, and I see his eyes turn to dark chocolate with lust. I place my hands around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss. From there, he takes over, kissing down my body. He pauses at my breasts, kissing them and gently sucking them, before moving down to my center. He spends some time licking and sucking, getting me hot and bothered before he removes his shirt, pants, and boxers, then removing my lingerie. He pulls a condom out of the pocket of his pants, opens the packet and rolls it on. Then, he centers himself over me.

"Are you sure, Cara Mia?" He asks.

"Yes, Joe, I'm sure." He enters me in one swoop. He, like my husband, is fairly well-endowed, not as large as my Juan, but more than adequate. He also knew how to use it. Within minutes I was calling out his name while writhing beneath him. Right after I fell over the edge, he followed me. Moments later he rolled on his back, next to me, pulling me against him.

"That was amazing, Daniela."

"It's been a long time for me; I'm sorry if I didn't last long enough for you."

"It was perfect, plus, we aren't leaving until Sunday morning. What time do we have to be at your family's on Sunday?" Joe asks.

"Two. I don't suggest we're late. I haven't been around my family often since my husband passed away, so the sooner I arrive, the sooner they'll stop fussing over me. Besides, if I get there before my brother, once he arrives all the focus will be on him. He goes to family events even more infrequently than me."

"Is this the brother you call 'Principe?"

"Yes, it means 'Prince.' He calls me 'Princesa,' or 'Princess.'" I answer.

"There must be an interesting story behind these nicknames."

"Well, I told you how I was bullied, right?" Joe nods his head, so I continue, "my brother would defend me, beat up the other kids, often getting in trouble for fighting himself. He was, in my mind, a prince who was honoring the virtue of the fair maiden, the princess. My father always called me Princesa, so it fits that he would be a prince."

"That's sweet. I'm looking forward to meeting your brother on Sunday."

"I'm excited to introduce you to him. His approval means a lot to me. He's never been wrong about a man yet, so I trust his opinion implicitly." I say.

I could tell that Joe was getting nervous at having to pass the inspection of my older brother, but I know he'll pass with flying colors.

Lester's POV

Things have been relative calm since the whole joint operation went down. Hector was released about an hour after Joe, returning home to Rangeman. When the charges were dropped against Joe on Monday, Vinnie returned the million dollars to Rangeman. Tank and the Boston team cleaned house in Colombia, making the operation a rousing success. Rangeman also made a shitload of money. Got to love the government.

The few times I've had to drop off a skip at TPD since the take down, I've noticed that many of the cops' attitudes have changed towards Morelli. They seem to be ignoring him, passing snide remarks about him, or being outright rude. I don't understand why the are treating him like that. It took a lot of cajones for him to gather the evidence to bring down a bunch of dirty cops. One would think that the other cops would be applauding him.

When I spoke to Stephanie about it, she grimly nodded her head, stating, "That's the Burg for you." When I asked her what she meant, she explained that to go against your own, in this case cops born and raised in the Burg, was worse then killing someone. You are supposed to protect those from the Burg. When I questioned her on their treatment of her, she stated simply that in the Burg, they felt they were helping her to see the errors of her ways. I don't think I'll ever get the Burg. Thankful, I don't have to understand to work here in Trenton.

Right after leaving Colombia, Ranger sent Tank on a two week vacation. After Tank, Bobby will go, then me, and finally, Ranger. I'm not sure where I'll be heading, but it will be someplace warm where there are beautiful women.

Speaking of Ranger, he's been acting weird this week. Very distracted and edgy. Things are great between him and Beautiful, so I'm not really sure what is causing this change in his behavior. All I know is that he and Beautiful will be off-line starting Friday afternoon, leaving me in charge. Hopefully, I have a quiet weekend.

Ranger's POV

I am nervous. I, Ricardo Carlos Manoso, aka Ranger, who has stared down the barrel of a gun more times than I'd like to admit, am a nervous wreck. This weekend has been in the works for over a month. I had to get everything right. The hotel, the restaurant, the dress, everything. I went over the plan in my head a thousand times, double checking my mental list like a strange mantra. I felt my pocket subtly for the fifth time since we sat down for dinner. I'm surprised my Babe hasn't noticed my nerves. She's usually so in tune with my moods and my emotions.

Finally, dinner is cleared away. Gracias a Dios that Stephanie is talkative. She's hasn't stopped since we sat down. She told me about the conversation she had with Celia last week about what to get the kids for their birthdays next month. Then she spoke of the conversation she had with Valerie yesterday. It seems that Valerie realizes how much happier Stephanie is since she and Morelli official broke up for good. She now understands that I'm good for Stephanie. She apologized and told her she wants to get to know me better. If only her bitch of a mother would come around and see how happy her youngest daughter is with me, Steph's world would be perfect.

I see the waiter approaching with dessert, show time. He places the chocolate lava cake in front of her, so she can read the raspberry flavored syrup, which says, "Marry me, Babe." Before she can finish reading the three words, I'm kneeling beside her chair, and I grab her left hand.

"Stephanie, Babe, the last three months have been the best three months of my life. I love seeing you when I wake up every morning and before I close my eyes each night. You bring a smile to my face every day. You are the light to my darkness, truly my better half. Please make me whole, giving me the honor of being called your husband. Will you marry me, Babe?" I say to her.

She has tears streaming down her beautiful face. She takes a deep breath before saying the word that I want to hear. "Yes, Carlos, I will marry you. Yes, a million times over. Yes!"

I open the box that I removed from my pocket, showing her the four-carat heart-shaped diamond solitaire set in platinum. I place the ring on her left-hand ring finger, officially marking her as mine. I stand, bend over enough to kiss her. She stands, throwing her arms around me while we kiss again. The smile on her face could light up Times Square. I'm glad I proposed here, in NYC, and not Trenton. Now we have time to celebrate before the Burg busybodies find out. I have all intentions on keeping her naked in my arms from the moment we arrive back to our room until we need to leave for Newark on Sunday for Abuela Rosa's birthday. I can give my Abuela the best gift, presenting her with my lovely fiancé. Abuela Rosa was the one who convinced me to go after Stephanie, to claim her. She's the one who told me that we were already in a relationship and that if I loved Stephanie, truly loved her, then she would be worth the risk. She told me that the biggest regret I could ever have would be losing her to another man and never having her love. If Stephanie were to reject me, then she wasn't meant for me, but with the way I changed, allowing Carlos to appear more often than Ranger, my Abuela knew Stephanie was mine, and mine alone.

Maria Manoso's POV

Today we are celebrating my mother-in-law's eightieth birthday. What makes today even more special is that both Carlos and Daniela will be here. I can't remember the last time all six of my children were together. Carlos started to withdraw after we sent him down to Miami to live with Rosa when he was fourteen. We didn't want to send him away, but we were afraid that he would get sucked into the gang lifestyle and we'd lose him to drugs, a drive-by, or prison. In Miami, he found his way, became good friends with his cousin Lester, and found a purpose to his life. When he joined the Army, I'd wake up everyday petrified that I would get a phone call or visit from someone in uniform telling me that my son was returning in a pine box. Gracias Dios that never happened, but the Army caused Carlos to withdraw from us even more.

At the same time, we began to lose Daniela. She was the baby of the family, the second of the twins born. We never realized how badly the neighborhood kids bullied her until Carlos left. It was then that Javier told us everything Carlos did to protect his Princesa. She suffered from a deep bout of depression during her teen years, but always got better when she would speak to Carlos. Those two have a deep connection, so when he started to stay away, so did she. When she got married, I hoped that would mean that she'd be with us more often, settling down. But instead, she moved to Boston with her husband. Juan died from a gunshot to the head while Carlos was searching for his novia, she blamed Carlos for not being there to back up Juan. She eventually forgave Carlos when he told her how some crazy undertaker kidnapped his novia. I know they talk two to three times a week and that out of all my children they are still the closest. I know that they are both in serious relationships. Carlos is seeing his Babe, as he calls her, and Daniela with some mystery man. I know Stephanie is coming today, I only hope that Daniela brings her man so we can meet him.

Three of my children are already here. I'm only waiting for Juliana, Carlos, and Daniela. I hear a car pull up. I look out my window and see Carlos holding his novia in a tight embrace, kissing her. It makes my heart soar to see Carlos happy. His woman has made him a man again after he was a robot for so long. I move away from the window, not wanting Carlos to know I saw him kissing his Stephanie. After about five minutes, I hear the door open, and Carlos calls out "Mama."

I walk towards the front door, with a huge smile on my face when I see my nephew Lester is standing with him. "Carlos, mi hijo, I'm glad you've arrived. We're waiting for Daniela and Juliana. Thank you for allowing Lester to come as well."

"Mama, I couldn't stop him if I wanted to, after all, Abeula Rosa is his Abuela as well." He said as he hugged me. I moved to hug Stephanie. When I grabbed her left hand, I felt a ring. I stopped in my tracks and looked down at her hand, spying the diamond ring on her hand.

I look into her eyes, seeing tears forming. "Carlos finally asked you, mi hija? Felicidades y bienvenidos a la familia!" I tell her before hugging both her and Carlos. (my daughter. Congratulations and welcome to the family!)

"Thank you, Mama. He asked me Friday night. We haven't told anyone yet." Stephanie responds.

"Mama, please don't announce anything yet. I want to tell Abuela first, since it's my, I mean our, birthday gift to her." Carlos asks.

"I won't, mi hijo, but you better tell her fast. Your sisters are too observant for their own good when it comes to jewelry."

I greet Lester then we all walk into the yard. Carlos is holding Stephanie's left hand, hiding the ring from prying eyes. He walks directly to his Abuela, who understands him so much better than I.

"Abuela Rosa, Feliz Cumpleaños. Tengo algo que decirte. El Viernes, le pedí a Estefanía que fuera mi esposa y ella me dijo que sí. Gracias por empujarme y alentarme a abrirme ante ella. Sin ti, ella no sería mía." Carlos tells Rosa. (Abuela Rosa, Happy Birthday. I have something to tell you. On Friday, I asked Estefania to be my wife, and she said yes. Thank you for pushing me and encouraging me to open up to her. Without you, she wouldn't be mine.)

"Mi nieto, hiciste muy feliz a tu abuela. Deseo que usted y Estefanía tengan muchos, muchos años felices juntos, que tengan hijos juntos, y que siempre se amen hasta el día en que mueran a una edad avanzada. Felicidades." (My grandson, you made your old grandmother very happy. I wish you and Estefania many, many happy years together, that you have children together, and that you always love each other until the day you die at an old age. Congratulations.)

Once my son told my mother-in-law, he announced to the rest of the family his engagement. Everyone flocked to Carlos and Stephanie, to congratulate them and to welcome Stephanie into the family. While Carlos, Stephanie, Lester, Javier, and Celia were talking, Daniela arrived. She told me she was bringing her new novio. I was looking forward to meeting him but didn't see him with her. I wonder where he is if he's still coming. Daniela looks around the yard, seeing Carlos, and runs to her big brother. Those two share a special connection that I'm glad to see is still strong all these years later.

Daniela POV

I arrive at my parent's home with Joe next to me. We drove here straight from the beach, so Joe needed to stop in the powder room before joining me outside. I decided to go outside to greet my family. I walk into the yard, searching for Principe Carlos, seeing him with my other brother and sister. Cousin Lester was also with him, as was his Stephanie. We lock eyes, and I immediately run over to him. He picks me up in his arms, giving me a huge bear hug while kissing my cheeks.

"Mi Princesa, how are you? You look wonderful, happy." Carlos tells me.

"I am, Carlos. I've been dating the most wonderful man for the last three months. I think he's 'the one.' I hope you, Javier, and Papa approve." I respond.

"Daniela, I'm glad you're here today, so I can finally introduce you to my fiancé, the woman you're probably tired of hearing about, Stephanie Plum."

Fiancé? Did he say, fiancé? "You're engaged? Since when? Let me see the ring." I yell.

Stephanie holds out her left hand so I can see her ring. It's exquisite, not that I expected anything less from Carlos. I hug my new sister. "Stephanie, I've heard a lot about you for many years. I'm glad you dumped your loser of an ex-boyfriend and finally settled with Carlos. He's been a better man since you've entered his life, more like he was before he got in trouble."

Stephanie hugs me back, then suddenly stares at me. "You are the hostess at Rosa's. Carlos, how come you didn't introduce us when we went there after the test?"

"Babe, my men don't know my family. Only the Core Team had met them. If I introduced you then, everyone else would know as well." Carlos responded.

"Oh, okay. It's great to meet you too, Daniela." Steph responds to me with a genuine smile on her face.

Suddenly, I saw Lester tense, followed by Javier than Stephanie. When Carlos saw their reaction, he turned to look where they were staring. Standing on the porch, looking over at us, was my Joe, but he looked like he was going to be sick. What the hell is going on? Carlos tenses, looks at me and asks, "What's he doing here, Princesa?"

Stephanie wrapped her arms around Carlos' waist from behind while Lester shifted to stand between Joe and Carlos. I look at Carlos, confused. "Principe, that's my boyfriend, Joe. He's a detective for Trenton PD."

"Carlos, stay calm. Don't go punching him in the face just yet." Stephanie told him.

"Why would you want to hurt him? What did he ever do to you?" I ask. I see that my brother is tightly coiled, like a snake ready to attack. I'm confused as to why, though.

"Dani, Carina, Joe is the cop, Stephanie's loser of an ex-boyfriend," Lester said trying not to laugh at the situation while keeping Carlos calm.

I start to laugh. Truly Lester has to be joking with me. But I look at Stephanie, and from her body language and the look in her eyes, I know it's true. Joe is the man who was sleeping around on Stephanie, who treated her like shit, who wanted her to be barefoot and pregnant in his house. While he never expressed those ideas to me, it got me thinking if he was truthful and faithful to me.

"No, you have got to be kidding me. Joe can't be Stephanie's Joe." I say, trying to hold back my tears.

By this point, Joe decided to bite the bullet and walk towards us. I can see the nerves and apprehension in his face, and by his body language, I know he was ready to defend himself if necessary.

"Daniela, Cara Mia, how do you know them?" Joe asks me.

"Joe, this is my sister Celia, and these are my brothers, Javier and my Principe, Carlos. Lester Santos is my cousin and Miguel's brother. Stephanie is Carlos' fiancé. How do you know them?" I asked, angry and hurt.

Joe sighs, then state, "Stephanie is my ex-girlfriend, the one who dumped me the day I met you. I guess it's ironic that she dumped me for your brother. You kept your married name, Garcia?"

"Yes, that's my married name. I never changed my name after my husband died, but my maiden name is Manoso. When Juan died, Carlos was busy searching for Stephanie after some crazy undertaker took her. He was scared that he lost her forever. When he found out about Juan, he blamed himself for not keeping him safe. He was supposed to back up Juan but didn't go to Boston because he was trying to save the love of his life." I pause before continuing, "now I discover that you are the asshole who was sleeping around on Stephanie, who beat up my brother because he made a move on Stephanie while you were busy with your whores. How many have you been sleeping with since we've started dating?"

"Daniela, no one. I've been faithful to you. Daniela, I love you."

At that admission, Stephanie chuckled. We looked at her. "Come on, Joe, you told me that line loads of times, yet I found out that you were spending a few hours almost every day in a cheap motel fucking some random chick and you expect me to buy that you love Daniela? She has every right to doubt you, especially since it seems that thanks to Carlos and Lester she knows all about our sordid relationship."

"I've changed, Steph. I'm not the same man I was when we were dating. As you said, we weren't right for each other."

"Whatever Joe, but it's not me you need to convince."

I felt the tears forming in my eyes. I didn't want to break down in front of Joe, this man who I gave my heart to completely and totally. I started to walk towards the house. Carlos follows me all the way to my bedroom. When I try to lock him out, he says, "you know I can pick that lock in about two seconds, Princesa."

"Carlos, what should I do? I love Joe, at least I think I do. He's been nothing but kind, supportive, and caring towards me. I mean, we didn't even have sex until this weekend. I know you don't want to hear about my love life, but what man waits three months? Was the last three months nothing but a lie?"

"I can't tell you that, Princesa, but if you love him, you need to give him a chance to prove himself. If you want me to dig into his life for the last three months, I will, but he has changed. Stephanie will have a hard time seeing the changes because of their relationship and the years of lies and mistrust. He was working with Javier and I on an important investigation as a mole in TPD. He did a great job. He has mentioned the possibility of leaving TPD, and I am willing to hire him, but only if Stephanie is okay with it. Know that if Stephanie approves, he may not stay in Trenton, he may work in Boston."

"You trust him enough to work for your company?"

"Yes, but I don't trust him with you yet. Permit me to track him, to follow his movements. I can look back at his credit card transactions in the last three months; I can talk to him, make him understand that he is not to hurt you, ever. If things don't work out and you split, that's fine, but it can't be because of infidelity or abuse on his part. Do you know about his father?"

"Yes, he told me his father was abusive and an alcoholic," I respond.

"Good. If you want to continue seeing Joe, you have my blessing, but I swear, if Joe cheats on you or hurts you, I will kill him. I want to beat him to a bloody pulp for what he did to Stephanie, but if he did those things to you, he's a fucking dead man."

"I understand. Do what you must. You have my permission. I love you, Principe. Thank you for always looking out for me."

"Princesa, you are the only one who ever truly understood me. You're the only one I can confide in, aside from Stephanie."

"I'm glad you're engaged. Stephanie's good for you. I hope you have at least one child together. You deserve a chance to be a father, a real father."

"Are you ready to face the Cuban Inquisition?"

"I guess. Will you be by my side?" I ask Carlos.

"If you want me there."

With that, we walk out of my childhood bedroom, but before we can head to the yard, I see Stephanie and Joe hugging each other out front. I feel Carlos tense next to me. It's obvious there is still a lot of animosity and anger between Carlos and Joe where Stephanie is concerned.

Lester's POV

I love my family. I love spending time with them. It's one of the few times that I see Ranger fully relax, leaving Ranger at the door and letting Carlos come out and play. I've seen more of Carlos since Beautiful declared her love for him. They are good for each other. I'm thrilled that Carlos finally pulled his head out of his ass and proposed to Beautiful. She deserves him, and he deserves her.

I see Dani on the porch, glad that she decided to come to Abuela's birthday. She and Carlos are very similar. They both keep the majority of their feelings to themselves, and they both stay away from their family. Dani has had a strained relationship with her family since her parents sent Carlos to Miami. Her protector, her prince, as she calls him, was sent away from her, punished for doing what he needed to protect her. No one but Dani, Carlos, and I know that the reason he joined the gang was to keep the leader away from Dani. He saw her and wanted her for his younger brother. She has always been beautiful, the prettiest of the Manoso sisters. The leader's brother, Ernesto, was in Dani's class. He liked her because she was quiet and beautiful. When Carlos found out that Ernesto had his sights set on Dani, he went to the leader, Jorge, and told him that Dani was off limits. Jorge, who was Celia's age, had dated Celia the previous year, then dumped her when she refused to have sex with him. He didn't want the same thing to happen to Dani. So, to remove the threat to Dani, he had to pledge. Carlos had earned his way and moved up in the ranks quickly. He was fifth in line when he was busted. When Tio Ric and Tia Maria sent Carlos to Miami, he had enough street cred to keep his sisters safe from the gangs.

While Dani was greeting her big brother, I saw Morelli step out on the porch. I immediately tensed up, as did Javier and Stephanie. When Carlos saw him, his reaction was instantaneous. Stephanie put her arms around Carlos, keeping him grounded. I think we all realized at the same moment that he was Daniela's new man. If Morelli pulls even half the crap he pulled with Stephanie on Dani, we will kill him, no questions asked.

I don't know how it happened, but Carlos and Dani walked into the house calmly. I could see that Dani was visibly upset after finding out that Joe and 'the cop' were the same. She was questioning if their relationship was ever sacred or if it was a lie. Once Carlos went inside, Tia Maria came over.

"Lester, would you introduce us?"

"Tia, this is Joe Morelli, Dani's new boyfriend, and Stephanie's ex-boyfriend," I responded. I could see that she immediately made the connection. Her normally accepting demeanor changed into the Mama Bear that she was inside.

"Well, Detective Morelli, I hope you are treating mi hija with more respect than you treated my Stephanie. I'm glad you screwed up with Stephanie, because now my Carlos is happy, but if you do to Dani what you did to her, you'll wish you were dead."

With that, she walked away. Javier looked uncertain and uncomfortable. Stephanie took over.

"Joe let's go for a walk." She took his hand, leading him to the front of the house. I started to follow, but she turned, with fire in her eyes, and said, "Lester, Javier, stay here. Do not follow us, do not listen. I will be fine."

Javier and I looked at each other and shrugged our shoulders. Maybe she could smooth things over a bit before Carlos returns with Dani.

Stephanie's POV

You have got to be fucking kidding me! Joe and Daniela? I hope, for Joe's sake, that he's telling the truth about being faithful to Daniela. If he cheats on her, Carlos, Lester, and Javier will kill him, no questions asked. Especially after everything he did to me over the years, there will be no feelings of loyalty. Once Mama walks away, I decide I need to try and diffuse the situation.

"Joe, let's go for a walk. Lester, Javier, stay here. Do not follow us, do not listen. I will be fine." I tell them. I take Joe's hand walk him out the gate to the front lawn.

"Joe, you better not be fucking lying about being faithful to Daniela. We are all finding it hard to believe, especially since your admission about all those motel charges while we were dating, years worth of charges, mind you."

Joe sighs, looking me in the eye. "Stephanie, I'm sorry I hurt you and that I cheated on you. It was wrong. Since we broke up, I've done a lot of soul-searching. I realized a few things about our relationship. First, since Scrog, I've known that you were in love with Ranger. I think you were in love with me too, at the time, but I knew then that he was serious competition. I knew then that if he offered you his heart, not that I can believe he has one, that you'd be his. Second, I was jealous that another man made you feel safe, that you ran to another man's apartment when the Slayers were after you. Then, when Orin targeted you because of Ranger, I realized that the world saw you both as a couple, not you and me, but you and Ranger. Thirdly, I wanted to marry you, I did. I saw us with a future, with a family, living the Burg life. I wanted that with you. I thought you wanted that too, like every other Burg woman. The more you resisted me, the more I thought it was because of Ranger. I never even considered that your feelings had nothing to do with Ranger, but with your need to live life to the fullest. I know that me cheating on you with Terry was wrong. I know that it broke whatever trust we had between each other, but in my mind, I justified it because I said you were fucking Manoso. If you were fucking him, I could fuck Terry and whoever else I wanted. But, deep down, in my heart of hearts, I knew that you were faithful to me. I vowed to be a better man once I realized that. Then when I was working with Rangeman on the Rizzo case, I saw a different side of Manoso and his men. I saw the trained military men, the leaders, organizing a precise mission, gathering intel, and making smart decisions. I concluded that the image they portrayed was just that, an image. They needed to appear to be complete bad-asses to gain the reputation they have for the security side to be a success. I saw the men interacting with you, with this beautiful woman with no military training and a heart of gold. They smiled around you; they jumped up to help you at a moment's notice. They all treated you with the utmost respect, bordering on reverence. When I saw how they all were angry and offended by what Ace said to you, when he disrespected you; I knew, at that moment, that your place was with them, with Rangeman, and with Ranger.

"Stephanie, I didn't know that Daniela was Manoso's sister. I didn't even know she was a Manoso. I think if I would have known that on day one, I never would have asked her out on a date. But I did. Steph, we go out on dates, to restaurants, movies, clubs, all over. We only spent one weekend inside, that was this past weekend. I'd like to think I matured and learned from my mistakes with you. Stephanie, I love Daniela. I will honor her and respect her, always. I will never cheat on her. I know Manoso's going to want to run a search on me since Daniela and I got together. Let him, and in fact, I want you to do it. Let him track me, follow me, do whatever he needs to do to believe that I love his sister, completely and totally." Joe finished.

I have too many emotions coursing through my body right now, pain because Joe never thought me worthy of a date; hurt, because he didn't love me enough to be true to me. I feel angry that Joe didn't trust me to be faithful; pride because he's trying to be the man I always knew he could be. Finally, sadness and hurt because it is apparent, that despite everything that was said to the contrary, Joe never loved me, and was only looking at me as a prize to be won.

"Joe, I want to believe you, but I'm finding it difficult at this time. You do know that you never, in all the years we dated, took me out on a true date? That you never wanted to 'show me off' like you do Daniela. Do you have any idea how much it hurts to realize that I was only some conquest to you, a way of saying 'I have a bigger dick than Manoso?'" I pause, thinking to myself that my fiancé's dick is much bigger than Joe's, but I digress. "You better treat Daniela right. If you ever feel the need to step out on her, you'd best break it off with her. Carlos told me how Juan's death devastated Daniela. Don't hurt her as you hurt me. Don't destroy her confidence like you destroyed mine. Don't make her feel worthless." By this point, I was crying. Joe wrapped his arms around me, hugging me and comforting me like old times.

"Morelli, what the fuck are you doing with my fiancé?" I hear Ranger ask. I look at him, and he sees the tears falling. I see the anger that's close to the edge come to the surface before he pushes it down to envelop me in his arms. "Querida, mi amor, what's wrong? Please don't cry, Babe."