Chapter 61

SPOV

I thought through what Ranger had told me and was starting to understand what he was saying. I suppose that I had fallen into a habit of just doing something because I'd been so used to someone telling me how stupid the idea was. If I didn't tell them then they couldn't say that to me. I realized that the person who had done that the most often was my mother. I'd have an idea, like when I wanted to ride my bike without stabilizers. She said I was stupid to think I could do it, but I went ahead and did it when I knew she couldn't see me. I managed to master it and felt proud of myself.

Then the time she told me I was stupid for wanting to climb a tree to save a cat, was the same. I soon learned to ignore her and I suppose I just developed the notion not to ask her or tell her anything, and just to do what I was thinking. If she had explained that it was the idea that was stupid, not me, and talked through with me why the idea might not work then maybe I wouldn't be so impulsive. The problem was that I never had anyone that I could talk through my ideas with. Even Joe would scoff at me and say I was stupid or thoughtless.

I'd have to make a real effort to talk things through with Ranger because I was sure now that he would listen to me and then together, we could work out whether or not what I wanted to do was sensible and safe. I suppose what I'd said was true, we needed to trust each other.

"I think I do impulsive things because my ideas or opinion was never important to other people and they would just say I was stupid"

I hadn't intended to say that out loud, I was trying to summarize my behavior to myself.

I looked at Ranger, knowing that he had heard me.

"Sorry, I was just trying to work out why I do things the way I do"

"Babe, I understand what you're saying. Your ideas and opinions are very important to me, I would never say that you were stupid"

I actually felt pleased with how I'd handled things with Mr Edelson today but would ensure that I discussed things in the future. It was getting dark as we drove through the streets of Trenton and I was keen to get back inside the building, though I couldn't pin point exactly why. Maybe it was because I'd rarely been outside without anything happening.

I noticed that the SUV in front of us pulled up to the side of the street, allowing Ranger to drive the Porsche into the garage first. He timed it just right as the gates were opening but didn't drive to the furthest part of the garage where he normally parked. Instead he slammed on the brakes and started to get out of the car, shouting back at me, making me wonder what the hell had happened.

"Stay in the car"

Stopped me from opening the door but I released my seat belt and turned around to see where he had gone. He hadn't gone far, and in fact he was stood just behind the Porsche and it looked as though Hector was stood next to him. Toward the gate it looked as though one of the SUVs that had been following us had stopped just inside, with the lights showing from another vehicle behind it. I spotted Les and Ram get out of their car and stand in front of but it I had no idea what the hell was going on and was about to open the door to find out when I saw the shadow of a person emerge from beside the SUV and walk in front of it.

There only seemed to be one person though and I was sure that if there was anybody else then they would soon be apprehended. I couldn't work out why everyone stayed where they were. It was hard to tell who it was as the lights from the SUV were too bright behind them but as the person started to walk forward toward Ranger their shape and clothing became apparent. My heart sank as I started to recognize who it was, a woman in flat shoes and a long jacket walked forward until she was a few yards in front of Ranger.

No way was I going to let Ranger fight this battle. I climbed out of the car and walked around, standing just ahead and to the side of Ranger. I was fuming. How dare she come here and basically sneak into the garage when the gate opened, what the hell did my mother think she was doing.

"What do you want?"

I watched as her eyes moved from staring at Ranger to me and knew straight away that she was slightly drunk.

"You need to be at the hospital looking after your fiancé"

I raised my eyebrows at that suggestion and was quick to give her my answer.

"I don't think so. If that's all you came to tell me then you can leave the way you came"

Oh, she didn't like being told that but to be honest, seeing her stood in front of me, any idea that I'd ever hoped for of her being a true mother to me dissolved.

"You should be with Joseph, not this thug that beat him up. You need to stop being so stupid Stephanie. Joseph is the man you need to marry; he's willing to forgive you. You just have to forget these abhorrent men and that stupid job that you have"

There it was again, that word stupid being used on me. Once upon a time it would have reduced me into submission, but not now.

"I've told you mother, that will not happen. I am not stupid, I'm here because I want to be"

I saw her eyes try to stare daggers at me and slowly watched as she withdrew her hand from her pocket. As she raised her arm my hand went out to Ranger as I saw him move as though to draw his gun.

"Trust me"

I whispered to him as we watched the gun in her hand point toward Ranger.

"I'll shoot him and say it was to protect you, that you were being held here against your will"

"With Grandma's gun?"

"I told you to get rid of it, but no, you always do exactly what you want. Well that was stupid of you because now I have it"

Holding the gun with both hands she raised it as though to fire it. I stepped in front of Ranger, my hand resting gently on his arm to stop him from moving, my eyes never leaving her face, waiting to see what she would do.

"Get out of the way Stephanie"

"No"

The thing that I was frightened of was that the men surrounding her would open fire and kill her. I looked beyond my mother to look at Les and Ram, both had their guns aimed at her, and shook my head making sure that they saw me. I saw a confused expression cross Les's face, but he did lower his gun, pointing it down toward the floor.

We all heard the click of the trigger being pulled and then as she continued to pull the trigger and look at it. I was close to laughing seeing the confusion on her face.

"I wasn't stupid mother. I knew if Grandma couldn't find her gun then she'd just go out and buy a new one, so I removed the firing pin to make sure that she couldn't hurt anyone"

I think we all watched as she looked down at the gun, though I knew it wouldn't look any different from a glance.

I have to say that I'd been so focused on her and keeping her away from Ranger that I never noticed that there were other people now in the garage watching her. They stepped forward, and I watched as Big Dog took the gun from her hands and as Eddie walked behind my mother to pull her arms behind her back. Of course, she was defiant, trying to stop him by waiving her arms around and when Eddie finally managed to cuff her she stared back at me.

"They can't do this to me. Let me go now. Stephanie, do something"

No way was I going to anything to help her so smiling sweetly at Eddie I spoke loud enough for everyone to hear me.

"Trespassing, threatening to kill Ranger and having a firearm. Is that enough to have her arrested Eddie?"

"Sure is, I'll even throw in resisting arrest if you want"

"Yeah you do that Eddie"

The result was exactly what I wanted, my mother's eyes staring at me with shock. I walked up to her and leant forward hoping that what I said to her would only be heard by her.

"I am no longer your daughter. You don't deserve anything from me. I never want to see you or hear from you again"

I turned from her shouts and walked past everyone toward the elevator. I wasn't sure what I felt, anger, hate and maybe sorrow, disbelief and even acceptance. By the time I reached the apartment I was bouncing, unable to really think straight as I replayed what had taken place down in that garage.

I couldn't even consider sitting down or even taking a shower, somehow, I wanted to vent out my frustrations. Going into the bedroom I dragged the dress over my head and pulled off my underwear to replace them with gym wear. Yeah, I was going to head down to the gym and lose myself and those damn thoughts and feelings. I took the elevator down to level three and with purpose walked to the gym doors, slamming them open to see some men suddenly stop what they were doing and look at me. I didn't want an audience, I wanted to be here on my own.

"Everyone out"

Was shouted at them as I walked purposefully over to the corner of the mats. I started doing my stretching exercises, but it did nothing to help the mood I was in. In fact, it did the opposite and had my head filling up with thoughts.

Looking around, my eyes landed on the perfect piece of equipment. I quickly got to my feet and went to the shelving and boxes next to it and started to wrap my hands just as Bobby had taught me and then stood in front of the bag that was hanging down motionless.

It didn't stay that way for long as I took up my stance and started to punch it.

RPOV

My emotions were all over the place after the whole incident that took place in the garage. Seeing someone duck in through the open gates had me annoyed, hell, we were a security company supposedly, so that was not supposed to happen.

Knowing that someone had entered the garage then had me worried as to what they were planning to do, making me tell Steph to remain in the car. I needed for her to be safe as I confronted who it was. As I stood between my car and the SUV that was part way through the gate, I was aware that Les and Ram had exited their car and were stood looking around with guns out at the ready. I was so surprised at the sight of what definitely looked to be a woman walking toward me and it took me a few seconds to recognize who it was.

As Mrs. Plum came to a stop in front of me, I was aware that Steph had opened the car door. My eyes never left Mrs. Plum as Steph came and stood slightly in front of me. I watched the stance that Steph took as she stared at her mother and the tone of her voice as she spoke to her.

"What do you want?"

I watched as Mrs. Plum's eyes moved from staring at me to looking at Steph and suspected from the slight tremble in her voice that she was drunk.

"You need you to be at the hospital looking after your fiancé"

I wasn't too sure why Steph's mother would want her to be at the hospital, and did she say with her fiancé? My attention went back to Mrs. Plum after she had said that. Then it occurred to me that she was probably talking about Morelli.

"I don't think so. If that's all you came to tell me then you can leave the way you came"

Mrs. Plum grimaced, and her mouth set in a line as her face showed her annoyance at what Steph had said. I had to say though that the way that Steph was standing up for herself against her mother made me feel very proud of her.

"You should be with Joseph, not this thug that beat him up. You need to stop being so stupid Stephanie. Joseph is the man you need to marry; he's willing to forgive you. You just have to forget these criminals and that stupid job that you have"

There it was, that word that Steph hated so much. No wonder she felt so intimidated when anyone said that to her, and I could better understand why she reacted as she did.

"I've told you mother, that will not happen. I am not stupid, I'm here because I want to be"

I went into high alert as I noticed Mrs. Plum's hand move out of her pocket and my hand was already at my back reaching for my gun. The touch of Steph's hand on my arm had me looking to her and hearing her whisper to me.

"Trust me"

Went against every instinct that I had. My eyes were locked on Steph as she continued her conversation, the words around me barely being heard by me.

It was only when Steph stood in front of me that I realized that the gun that had been pointing toward me was now being pointed at Steph. Steph's words kept going through my mind, to trust her, so did she know something that I didn't or was she trying to stop her mother from shooting me?

I watched Steph shake her head as she looked past her mother to Les, who was stood at the other end of the garage and supported her message by using a hand message to him to stand down.

My eyes were glued to the gun as she started to pull the trigger and as the hammer came back I was on the verge of throwing myself at Steph to get her out of the way. That's when I noticed that there was something different about the gun. As the hammer pulled back there was no firing pin on the end, somehow it was flat.

We all heard the click of the trigger being pulled and then as she continued to pull the trigger and look at it.

"I wasn't stupid mother. I knew if Grandma couldn't find her gun then she'd just go out and buy a new one, so I removed the firing pin to make sure that she couldn't hurt anyone"

I couldn't help it, I was smiling at how ingenious Steph had been in order to protect her Grandmother and that what her mother saw as being stupid was an absolutely genius move. I didn't move as Eddie approached her and her gun was taken from her, shaking my head at the way that Mrs. Plum was shouting and daring to ask Steph to do something about it.

"Trespassing, threatening to kill Ranger and having a firearm. Is that enough to have her arrested Eddie?"

"Sure is, I'll even throw in resisting arrest if you want"

"Yeah you do that Eddie"

Brought my attention back to the proceedings and I watched as Steph stepped close to her mother and whispered something. Mrs. Plum obviously didn't like what she heard, evidenced from her shouting and screaming as she was dragged from the garage. I heard the engine of my car start up and watched as it was driven into it's parking bay and as the other two SUVs drove into the garage. I caught up with Eddie outside after Mrs. Plum was put into the back of a cruiser.

"Eddie, do you need witness statements?"

"Nah. Your man Hector has given me copies of every video in that garage"

I was pleased that Hector had been so fast to do that, no doubt he wanted to be sure that Steph's mother would be charged for everything that was possible. I knew that even though the firing pin had been disabled she would be still charged with carrying a firearm.

"Eddie, make sure the paperwork is tight"

"I will, but I'll be doing it for Steph"

I raised an eyebrow as I heard that and knew that Eddie would do his best for Steph rather than me. Turning I swore as I realized that the garage door was now closed so made my way through the entrance into the reception area. As I entered the stairwell, I could hear the voices of the men as they were coming up the stairs, so waited for them.

"Shit Ranger, I nearly had a heart attack when the old witch brought out a gun"

I knew the feeling all too well, which had me wondering where Steph had gone.

"Beautiful sure has some brilliant ideas, though I just wish that we were privy to that to start with"

I suppose I might have agreed if it weren't for the fact that she wouldn't see a need for us to know. It did highlight to me though that there were probably a lot of things that she did that no one knew about.

I suppose it was habit, but I found myself on five and was part way down the hallway when I knew that I needed to see how Steph was coping. As I was heading back to the stairwell, I noticed a few of the men gathered around the screens and was curious what they were watching. Of course, someone must have seen me coming because all of a sudden, the screen went dark and the men started to move away.

"Slick"

"Sir?"

"Pull up the view from that screen"

If he seemed to hesitate, I didn't care as long as he followed my orders. I found myself looking at a view of the gym, which confused me as to why the men had been so interested in watching it. Then I saw why, because there at the back of the gym beating the shit out of a punching bag was Steph.

"Call Bobby"

Was shouted at Slick as I dashed from the control room and headed for the stairwell. I was worried on two counts, first that she might aggravate her chest injury and secondly that she was in an emotional state that might spiral her into having a breakdown. The full impact of what her mother had done might be enough to just tip her over the edge.

As I approached the gym, I knew that I didn't want to barge in and possibly frighten her, so I slowed down and slowly opened the door, walking quietly toward her. It gave me an opportunity to try and gage her mood, which to be honest seemed to be controlled. Her moves were fluid, her stance and position were spot on and the sound coming from the bag showed that she was hitting it effectively.

I walked to the back of the bag and stepped forward to hold it firmly while she continued to punch. I knew that she saw me, that she was aware that I was there and as she completed a double punch, she stepped forward holding the bag with her hands and rested her head against the bag.

"Babe?"

I could see that she was hot and sweaty from her efforts and then watched her as she turned and smiled at me.

"I just needed a way to clear my head"

"Is it clear now?"

Knowing how a workout could help me I was hoping that it might be the same for her.

"I feel better. I just imagined the bag was the faces of different people. Well mainly my mother and Joe's face"

I smiled as she said that and releasing the bag offered her my hand. As she took it I started to unwind the wrapping from it and then lifted her other hand to do the same. It was as I was dropping the wrappings into the bin that we both turned at the door slamming open and watched as Bobby ran over to us.

"Are you hurt Steph?"

"Err, no. I wrapped my hands like you showed me"

"No chest pains?"

"No. Why are you here Bobby?"

I stepped forward and placed my arm around her waist, I wasn't going to let Bobby take the blame.

"I asked him to come down. When I saw you punching the bag, I got worried"

All I got was her raising her eyebrows at me before she started to move toward the door.

Once back in the apartment on seven I messaged Ella to bring us dinner while Steph went for a shower. The arrival of dinner coincided with Steph coming into the room, so I was stopped from talking to her. It was as we were sat eating that I decided to broach the subject of how she was honestly feeling.

"Did you feel better after beating the shit out of that bag?"

"Yeah. It wasn't that I felt bad, it was just there were so many emotions running through me"

"Emotions?"

"I felt so hyped up. Angry, hateful and maybe sad, then disbelief at what had happened"

"And now?"

"I suppose acceptance at how it turned out and I know this sounds crazy, but relief. I told her that I was no longer her daughter and she didn't deserve anything from me. That I never want to see her or hear from her again"

I suppose with everything that had happened and the history with her mother then I could understand her feeling of relief, of cutting all ties with her mother. I needed to lighten the mood though before she started to dwell on it.

"You asked me to trust you"

"I knew the gun wouldn't fire but there was no time to tell you"

"That was an ingenious way of controlling your grandmother with that gun"

I watched as she smiled to herself as though remembering something.

"I remember the argument my mother and I had, with her telling me just to take it out of Grandma's bag. There was no way Grandma was going to stop carrying a gun in her bag. I tried to explain the best way to resolve it to my mother, but she wouldn't listen to me, as usual she called me stupid for not doing as she'd asked, saying it would be my fault if Grandma killed someone and got put in jail"

"It was a brilliant idea Babe and I'm sure was the best way to help your Grandma. I understand better what you tried to explain to me today"

"Thank you for trusting me"

"Always"

Was my response as I leant forward and kissed her gently on her lips.

The subject was never spoken about again, though I could tell that she was distracted probably from thinking about it. I was happy to take her mind off what had happened with her mother so picking her up I carried her through to the bedroom removing her clothes until she was laid out before me. I worshipped her body with my hands and mouth until she was shouting my name, because the night was all about her.

But now I so needed to be inside her. I removed my cargos and knelt between her legs and pulled her up to my chest, attacking her mouth once more. Her arms encircled me as she straddled my thighs, she was so beautiful, so receptive to me, she was my other half; she made me feel complete.

I felt her grasp my hard erection, her hands making me harder than I thought possible. I lifted her and allowed my erection to slowly sink into the depths of her folds; the feeling of her around me was euphoric, sending shivers of pleasure throughout my whole body. Her lips found my neck and as she sucked at my skin, I plunged into her, she felt so tight and welcoming. I slowly rocked, needing to slow down the pace; even this motion did nothing to dampen my desire. Her moans and sighs were my undoing, I pushed her back so that her shoulders were resting on the bed and began to increase my movement, each thrust going deeper, and eliciting sheer delight inside me.

My hands tweaked at her breasts and massaged her stomach, until I felt her pelvis push forward and knew she was so close. I took my two final thrusts feeling an orgasm so strong and so new to me. Her walls clamping around me drawing me in and extending the climax I was feeling as my seed rushed out.

I shouted out her name at the same time as she did. Then as the after shudders continued, I pulled her up to me and kissed her one more time, before carefully laying on my back with her laid over my chest. My breathing began to slow as well as my heart rate and I watched as her eyes closed and she fell asleep.