A/N: Thank you all for your patience! RL has been especially challenging this year and the world seems to have gone mad in the meantime. It is certainly taking me much longer than anticipated, but our story will be completed eventually. In the meantime, SMUT warning for this chapter!

Standard disclaimer, anything recognizable is not mine.

Chapter 27

I didn't want to be alone with Joe, but the parking lot wasn't the place for a lengthy conversation. If I were being honest with myself, I would admit there was a part of me that wanted to tell him to go screw himself and solve his own problems. But then, my natural curiosity won out and I had to know why he would be suspected in the death of the three women down on Stark Street. I suggested that we go to the 24 hour diner on Hamilton Avenue so we could talk. The hour was late enough that the casual diners would be gone, but early enough that the bar crowds wouldn't be rolling in.

I told Joe I'd follow him over and found a parking spot near the front. We walked in together and snagged a booth against the back wall. The waitress came over and we both ordered coffee and a piece of pie. We sat in silence, not wanting to be interrupted when the waitress returned with our order. It was only minutes before two generous slices of lemon meringue pie were set on the table and the waitress told us to give a shout if we needed anything else.

I picked up my fork and looked across the table at Joe. "So why would anyone think you are involved with the murder of three women on Stark Street?" I asked.

"You know how I've been working with vice for a while?" I nodded in reply as I took a bite of my pie. "I've been spending time on Stark trying to find some information on trafficking victims. I can't go into the details, but it ties into the undercover operation I was on and the Chagall's. I met with each of the women on the night they were killed. It's all circumstantial, but I've got credibility issues thanks to Manoso. Plus, I have no solid alibi."

"You don't expect me to give you an alibi, do you?" I asked incredulously.

He shook his head. "I know better than to ask you to lie for me, Cupcake." I glared at the nickname as he continued. "What I need for you to do is go down to Stark Street and see if anyone knows anything. No one is talking to the cops, but you have a way of getting people to talk to you."

I set my fork down on my pie plate with a clatter. I had suddenly lost my appetite for dessert. "And what are they going to say, Joe? Because there is something you definitely aren't telling me." I stared at him across the table waiting to see if he was going to answer me. Joe was wearing his cop face as he stared back across the table at me. Suddenly, the light bulb went off above my head and I asked, "Will the cops find physical evidence of you on those women, Joe? Is that what you're afraid of?"

Joe's eyes dropped to his untouched pie and he mumbled softly, "I don't know."

"What do you mean, you don't know, Joe? Did you use a condom or not?" I whispered harshly.

Joe looked up and the cop face was gone, replaced by an agonized expression. "I don't know if I had sex with them, Steph. I have no memory of what happened after I met with each of the three victims."

"How can you know you met with them, but have no memory of what happened?" I wondered if Joe was trying to establish some kind of defense and was testing it out on me. God knows I was having a hard time believing him, who knows what a jury might think.

"I don't know. It only happened on the nights the women were killed. I've met with others and nothing happened. There are no other missing hours. But each time I've blacked out, a woman has turned up dead."

"You must remember something from each of those nights," I insisted. "Tell me what you do remember."

"I met Alicia Hernandez behind the liquor store on Stark Street. I asked her what she knew about any new girls showing up on the street. We talked for a few minutes and I left. The next thing I knew, I woke up in my car parked in front of my house and several hours had passed." As Joe was relaying his memories of that night, I watched his face. My spidey sense was going crazy, and I was trying to figure out what had set it off.

"Do you remember walking back to your car?" I asked.

"No." he said with a small shake of his head.

I remembered something Lula said when she was talking about her friend who was murdered. "Joe, did you get any drugs from Alicia?"

Joe's cop face dropped into place and he replied, "Why the hell would you ask that?"

That response answered my question. Pushing my half-eaten piece of pie aside, I leaned forward and said quietly, "No more half-truths or lies if you want my help. You have to tell me everything you can remember and if I find out you've been anything less than completely forthcoming, I'm done. Do you understand me?"

Joe nodded in agreement. Our waitress came over to ask if we wanted a warm-up on our coffee. We both shook our heads no and she walked away.

"Tell me about Alicia, Joe. What did you get from her."

"Steph, it isn't like I went looking for dope. But sometimes I have to go along with whatever to maintain my credibility. She offered it to me and I took it. It's no big deal. It's not like I'm an addict or something."

"Did it ever occur to you that this drug might be the reason you don't remember anything, Joe?" I was getting fed up with his bullshit, and I practically growled out the question.

"Of course it did, Cupcake. I'm not stupid." I was tempted to reply to the contrary, but I decided I didn't want to sit in the diner arguing with Joe all night.

"Tell me about the other two. Did you do drugs with either of them?" I asked.

"No, I was freaked out about what happened with Alicia, so I didn't take anything from Shonda Williams. I remember leaving the alley and getting back to my car that night, but then nothing. I woke up parked in front of my house around dawn with a dull headache and no memory of how I got home. Almost the exact same thing with Dericia Johnson. She didn't offer me drugs, though."

"Alright Joe, I'll ask around and see if I can find out anything. But if I find out you had anything to do with these murders, even if you don't remember, I'm not going to protect you." I signaled for the waitress for the check.

I walked out into the night air as Joe went to the register to pay the bill. Joe pushed open the glass door and walked over. "Thanks for your help on this, Steph."

"I'm not doing this for you, Joe. I'm doing this to help find justice for those murdered women." I left Joe standing in the diner parking lot as I got in my car and headed back home.

It was late by the time I got to bed, but I couldn't sleep. My mind was churning, trying to process and make sense of everything Joe had told me. Having experienced the amnesia like effects of a drug like GHB, if what Joe was saying was true, it might mean he had somehow ingested a similar drug. But how? And why would someone be drugging him? As these questions continued to rattle around in my brain, I finally drifted off to sleep.

Far too soon, the alarm beside my bed was going off. I gave it a half-hearted swat to shut it up and buried my head back in my pillow. I started to get comfortable again then bolted up as I remembered that today I was closing on my new home. I crawled out of bed with more enthusiasm than I generally display first thing in the morning. I set up the coffee maker to do its thing while I headed to the shower to do mine. The closing was set for 10:00 am and I had about an hour and a half to get ready and get to the lawyer's office.

Hector was going to meet me at the townhouse at 11:00 so I could let him in to start upgrading the security. He could have just let himself in, but I appreciated the fact that he wasn't going to just break in to my new home. I had tried to tell Ranger, Lester and Hector that the current security set-up was more than adequate. In fact, it was far superior to my current system of stacking kitchenware in front of the door. However, my words fell on deaf ears as I tried to make my case. I finally decided it wasn't a hill worth dying on and it would be easier just to let them do their thing.

I had packed up everything I was taking with me and Eddie, Lester and Cal were going to be at my apartment at noon to start moving boxes for me. Most of my furniture was second or third hand, and was going to be tossed or donated to a local charity. The new dining room table, living room set and bedroom suite I had picked out last week would be delivered to my new home this afternoon and the guys had offered to stick around to help me get everything set up.

Ranger had been called away to the Boston office at the last minute and wouldn't be back in town until this evening. He was going to bring dinner when he got back so we could celebrate my new home. Although we had spent almost every night since my attack sleeping in the same bed, out of deference to my injuries we had yet to resume the sexual side of our relationship. I intended to change that tonight. I didn't know what Ranger had in mind, but my idea of 'celebrate' sent a flush of warmth south and brought to mind an image of him celebrating with me on my new granite counter top. And on my new bed. And in my new shower.

I gave my head a shake and told myself to focus. As I went through my morning routine, I realized this was the last time I'd be getting ready in my ugly bathroom. As hideous as it was, I was a little sad. This apartment had been my home for a long time. Sure, there had been some bad times like finding a dead man on my couch, and a man being blown up in my foyer, and Ranger being shot...I forgot where I had been heading with this train of thought, but I was no longer sad to be leaving.

I quickly finished up with my hair and make-up routine and went back into my bedroom to get dressed. I had packed up most of my clothes for the move, but left out a pair of wide leg black pants and a periwinkle blue wrap shirt to wear to the lawyer's office this morning. A small duffel bag by the door contained the t-shirt, jeans and sneakers I would need to change into after the closing.

Shortly before 10:00, I was shown into the office of Ranger's attorney. It didn't take long to sign the stack of papers that goes along with buying a home, and by 10:30 I shook his hand, thanked him for his help, and was walking out of the door with more debt than I had ever had in my life and a set of keys to show for it. I left the office and drove to my new home. I wanted the chance to spend a few minutes alone and walk through the house before Hector arrived.

The rest of my day was a whirlwind of moving. Hector and Manny had most of the security in place by the time Eddie, Lester, Cal and I arrived with everything from my apartment. I had made sure I labeled the boxes and was able to direct the guys on where to put them as they were brought in. While I was mostly recovered from my run-in with Marcel, I still had to be careful not to overdo the heavy stuff.

The furniture store delivery truck arrived just as we finished unloading the boxes and had everything set up and placed in no time at all. As much as I hated the moving process, having all the muscle and manpower had made it so much easier. I offered to order pizzas for everyone, but Lester and Cal had a surveillance shift they needed to get back for and Eddie had promised Shirley he would watch the kids so she could go to a purse party. Hector and Manny had finished up before the furniture delivery and had left an hour ago. So after several hours of hustle and bustle, I was now standing in my new home surrounded by near silence and a lot of boxes.

I went into the kitchen and smiled at Rex's cage proudly placed on my granite counter top. I decided to start unpacking the kitchen since we would need dishes to eat on when Ranger came by later. Given my lack of culinary skill, it didn't take long to unpack all of my kitchenware, dishes and utensils. The pantry was next, and unpacking my food stores required even less time than unpacking my kitchenware.

Next up was the bedroom. The guys had set the bed up so all I had to do was make it. I had splurged and bought a set of Egyptian cotton sheets that were nicer than anything I had ever slept in outside of Haywood. They weren't 1000 thread count, but they were still going to feel amazing.

Ranger had said he'd be here at 7:00 and I didn't want to meet him at the door covered in dirt and sweat from moving. With the bed squared away, I grabbed the Victoria's Secret bag that I had tucked into my duffel bag and headed to the bathroom to try out my new shower.

The box labeled bathroom was sitting on the floor near the linen closet and it didn't take long to find everything I needed. After I was showered, shaved and buffed, I slathered on a light moisturizer to make my skin silky soft. I spent a few minutes drying my hair before slipping on the sapphire blue satin camisole set I had bought especially for tonight. A dab of Dolce Vita on my pulse points completed my preparations just as the doorbell chimed. I gave myself one last look in the vanity mirror before heading back downstairs.

I remembered to check the peephole before opening the door. With my luck I'd open the door in my lingerie to the neighborhood welcome wagon. Spying Ranger, I slid the lock bar back and opened the door. I made sure to stay slightly back and out of sight from the street, just in case someone was passing by.

Ranger had taken the time to change from his standard uniform into a pair of dark wash denim jeans and red button down shirt. The jeans hugged his body in all the right places and the buttons on the shirt were just begging for my fingers to release them. I had planned to act the seductress when he walked through the door, but he had me so hot and bothered all I could do is stand there and stare.

Ranger's eyes widened ever so slightly as they started at my face and traveled slowly down and then back up my body. His almost smile broadened into a full blown grin as I felt myself warm from the heat of his gaze.

He held up a picnic basket with a big ivory colored bow on the handle that I hadn't noticed before. "Ella sent dinner and a housewarming gift, but I suddenly find myself hungry for something besides food."

Ranger stepped over the threshold, set down the basket and shut and locked the door, never once taking his eyes off me. He moved to stand directly in front of me and his hands remained at his side as he held my gaze. "It looks to me like you may have had something in mind as an appetizer," he said in a low, sexy voice.

My hands moved of their own volition. I laid my palms flat against his rock hard abdomen and slid them slowly up the silk of his shirt across his pectorals to the top button. One by one, the buttons were released until I reached the bottom where his shirt was tucked into his waistband. I tugged the bottom free and undid the final button. My hands repeated their original path, this time trailing across warm skin. I scraped my fingernails lightly across his nipples and his eyes darkened.

Pushing the edges of his shirt back slightly, I finally broke eye contact and stepped close enough to feather kisses along his jawline. The scent of Bvlgari was intoxicating as I slowly nipped, kissed and licked my way down his neck. I used my nails to lightly pinch his puckered nipple and was rewarded by a faint moan. I continued my delicious assault on his bared chest, savoring the taste and texture of taut skin over rippling muscles.

He stood patiently, hands still by his side, while I took my time to luxuriate in the glory that is Ranger. I kissed my way back up his neck and back across his jawline. My hands went under his shirt and around his back as my mouth claimed his. He finally brought his hands up and pulled me carefully against him as our kisses grew more urgent. All I could think about was getting this man naked and inside me. I pushed his shirt off his shoulders and he let go of me long enough to finish peeling it off. While he was taking care of the shirt, I went to work on the waistband of his jeans.

My lust fogged brain made my fingers clumsy and I struggled with the lone button on his pants. Ranger reached to help and I playfully slapped his hands away. "You are my housewarming gift to myself and I'm going to enjoy unwrapping you all by myself," I told him before giving his nipple a light bite.

This got a sexy little chuckle. "I'm all yours, Babe."

Finally, I had his jeans open and pushed down his hip far enough to continue with my appetizer course. I lightly stroked his length as I once again began kissing and nibbling on his neck. I ran my thumb across the tip of his erection and felt a bead of pre-cum already leaking out. My mouth started making the journey south until I found what I had been craving. I used my tongue and lips to tease him before taking into my mouth and to the back of my throat in one swift movement.

Ranger groaned and buried his fingers into my hair as I moved him slowly in and out of my mouth. He had told me once that he had the muscle but I had the power, and hearing his moans of pleasure was a pure power trip. As much as I enjoyed teasing him with my mouth, I was getting so turned on by the noises he was making, I was ready to self-combust.

Ranger pulled back and the hands that had been in my hair were now gently lifting me up from the floor. Being careful of my ribs, Ranger carried me into the kitchen and set me on the breakfast bar. My camisole flew off and Ranger's mouth and hands were on my breasts, nipping, suckling and tweaking my nipples. My head fell back and a soft moan escaped. Ranger continued to kiss and nip at me as he moved back up to my neck.

"Lean back, Babe," he whispered, nipping at my earlobe. I leaned back on my elbows and lifted my hips at his urging. Quickly, the shorts from my camisole set disappeared. I heard Ranger whisper to himself "So beautiful" as he gently lifted my legs up over his shoulders. I laid back completely, gasping at the cool granite on my bare back but was soon distracted by Ranger's warm mouth.

Ranger slowly licked up the length of my folds, lapping up the evidence of how turned on it made me to tease him earlier. His hands were entwined with mine on the counter, so he had only his lips and tongue with which to torment me. He alternated licking and sucking on my already engorged nub, taking his time to build my pleasure higher and higher. This is something I realized the first time we had slept together after the DeChooch deal - for Ranger, the journey is just as important as the destination.

Before long, I was begging for release and Ranger happily obliged. As my orgasm exploded through me, I used his hands to pull myself hard against his mouth, prolonging the intense pleasure he knew how to deliver. I lay on the breakfast bar gasping for a moment before looking down my body to see a very smug looking grin on his face.

"What do you say we take this upstairs, Babe. It's your show, but that granite must be getting a little hard on the backbone." I thought that sounded like a brilliant idea.