Chapter 18

I wanted Michael to accompany me, but we decided against it. We were trying to draw out Scrogg, not scare him away. Maybe I'll run into Carmen while I'm there.

My car for the day is an old green Ford Escape. The seats were worn and I could see the back seat has a large rip. I parked the car in front of the bonds office. A beautiful woman approached me. She has dark hair and eyes. Her skin tone was slightly lighter than Ranger's colour. I could picture her as Ranger's perfect partner. At least I thought that until she opened her mouth.

"Where's my husband, you home-wrecker?" she shouted. "I keep calling him, but he won't answer."

"I don't know where your husband is," I answered honestly. "Why do you think I know?" I wondered.

"He said he was filing for divorce. That he was leaving me to be with the love of his life, Stephanie Plum," she snapped.

How did Scrogg know my birth name? I grabbed my phone to call Ranger. When it immediately went to voicemail, I said, "Ranger, call me. Your wife knows I'm Stephanie Plum." Carmen screeched before stomping off towards her car.

I was hoping Ranger and the team would research how Scrogg managed to uncover this information. Only the men at Rangeman and the Burg residents knew my birth name. Scrogg must have gathered intel in Trenton before finding Julie in Miami.

"Hi," I greeted the receptionist when I entered the office. "I'm here to see Vinnie."

"Stephanie Plum?" the receptionist asked. "I'm Connie Rosolli. You went to school with my sister Tina." I remember Tina Rosolli very well. If she didn't leave her shift early, I wouldn't have been raped by Morelli.

"Yes, I'm Stephanie and I remember Tina," I politely replied.

"Did you bring Morelli's child with you?" she asked.

"I do not have a Morelli spawn," I answered. "The circulating rumour is not true. So, is he in?"

Noises filtered from behind the door next to Connie's desk. "They're at it again," Connie mumbled.

"Who," I started to ask when I heard a familiar voice. "Never mind. I would recognize Joyce's voice anywhere. Anyways, I need to talk to my cousin."

"Vinnie!" Connie shouted. "You have company."

I heard a loud moan followed by a growl. After I gave a full-body shudder, the door opened. My cousin was pulling up his zipper. Joyce exited the office and said, "Hi, Stephanie. Long time no see."

"Not long enough," I said with a smile. I heard Joyce call me a cunt from behind my back. Without thinking, I turned around and punched her in the face as Connie pressed the taser to Joyce's leg.

"I'll tell her she fell on her face when she passed out. She's been having problems from low blood sugar," Connie said with a wink.

Vinnie shook his head and motioned for me to follow him into his office. "I don't think so, cousin. We can talk out here," I said while pointing to the Naugahyde couch.

"Not much cleaner," Connie stated.

"I'll take my chances out here. I already know what I'd find in there," I motioned to Vinnie's office.

Vinnie and I talked about Ranger, the kidnapping and Carmen. "She thinks he'll show up if she waits," Vinnie stated.

"I think she's wasting her time. Ranger will never show up here," I observed.

"Do you think he did it?" Vinnie asked.

"I know he didn't, but I can't tell you how I know," I confessed.

"Let me know if you need any help," he offered.

"Thanks. Just keep an eye on Carmen. I can sense something's going to happen to her."

"Your intuition has always been accurate. I'll keep you updated," he said as I turned towards the door.

"I appreciate it, Vinnie. See you around," I said with a wave. I thought I heard him ask if aunt Helen knew I was in town. Helen's the last person on my mind right now. I'm here to find Julie Martine, Carlos' 12-year-old daughter.

Michael was the only occupant in my apartment when I arrived. "They're following a lead," he said as he hugged me.

"Okay. I need to talk to Ranger. Scrogg's looking for me," I told him.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Absolutely. His wife called me a homewrecker. Why is he infatuated with me?" I wondered.

"You are a very beautiful woman. Those photos display Ranger's interest in you. Scrogg may think you and Ranger are in a romantic relationship," Michael explained.

We were in Trenton for two weeks before I encountered Helen. I was purchasing supplies from the local grocery store. She was with grandma Mazur. It's been too long since I've seen my grandma. I laughed when I heard Helen admonishing her misbehaviour. Thank you, grandma, I thought to myself.

"Baby granddaughter?" grandma asked when she saw me.

"Hi Edna," I greeted while completely ignoring Helen.

"I'm still 'grandma' to you, child." Grandma wrapped her bony arms around me, pulling me into a remarkably tight embrace.

"I missed you," I whispered into her hair.

"I missed you too," she admitted.

"Mother, enough! What would the neighbours think if they see you talking to this piece of trash," Helen snapped.

Helen was starting to draw attention to us. I could see people looking in our direction, wanting to see who Helen called a piece of trash. She's as horrible as I remembered. "I'll see you later, grandma," I said before turning around to continue shopping.

It didn't take me long to find everything on my list. As I reached the cashier, a familiar voice caused my entire body to shiver. "Cupcake."

"Joe," I said as I turned around. I felt familiar arms wrap around me from behind as I stared at Morelli.

"I've got you, Anie," Michael whispered.

Joe's face turned a deep shade of red before he barked, "What are you doing? She's mine! I had her first!"

"I'm not doing this here, Joe," I politely stated. I turned towards the cashier to ask, "How much do I owe?" She gave me the amount as I gave her the Rangeman credit card. After I paid, Michael and I gathered the groceries to carry to the car.

I took one step towards my car when I froze in my spot. Grabbing Michael's bicep, I pulled him to the ground and covered him with my body. Hot metal hit my back after I heard the explosion.

Michael helped me to my feet and checked to see if I was alright. He pulled out his phone to place a call. It was unnecessary since our Rangeman friends quickly arrived on the scene. Lester grabbed the groceries and loaded them into his car.

Bobby pulled me towards another SUV and pulled my lightweight jacket off. He used scissors to remove my shirt. Thankfully, I was wearing a sports bra instead of a sexy one. Michael grimaced as Bobby started removing the shrapnel from my back and arm. I felt the antiseptic sting and the pull of stitches.

He didn't bother numbing the area. It was already desensitized from the hot metal. "Don't scare us like that again," he said as he touched his forehead against mine. "I love you too much to lose you."

"Oh, Bobby, I love you too," I said as I stroked his cheek. These men are my family and I love them. My Merry Men were often misunderstood in various communities. When Rangeman started hiring women, they relaxed and became more personable. They attribute it to me, but I think it's been inside them all along. My men just needed a gentle push, a lot of love and understanding.

"Is he bugging you?" Bobby motioned towards Morelli.

"A little. He went all 'caveman like' on Michael," I told him. "I need a new car. Why did my car explode?"

"Someone threw a Molotov cocktail into the back," he stated. He showed me the CCTV footage from the store.

"Is that Carmen?" I asked, pointing at the female in the video.

"Same vehicle and plates," he answered.

"I have a feeling she's going to pay for that error in judgement," I sadly stated. Scrogg is mentally unbalanced. There's no telling what he'll do to his wife. "She's in danger, we need to keep a close eye on her."

"Agreed. The men are driving past the office to keep an eye on her. We're hoping to catch Scrogg," he admitted.

"Why can't we find him? It's like he's hiding in plain sight," I observed.

"A disguise?" Michael asked.

"It's the only logical explanation," I replied. "Maybe he'll make contact soon."

"One could only hope." We made love before changing the sheets and climbing into bed. I was wearing Michael's shirt and boy shorts. Michael was wearing his boxers.

I felt someone climb into bed behind me. Ranger's Bulgari shower gel assaulted my senses. He kissed the bandages on my back before making himself comfortable.

Michael was watching my face as I rolled my eyes. I carefully rolled over, pressing my back and ass into my husband's body. Facing Ranger, I asked, "Are you okay?"

"I should be asking you, Babe."

"I'm fine, Ranger. Bobby patched me up," I said.

"Babe, I was scared," he admitted.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Carmen bombed my car," I told him.

"I know. We need to find Scrogg," he barked.

"We'll get him," I said yawning. I listened to Michael and Ranger talking as I fell asleep.

The following morning, I woke up laying on top of Michael. Ranger was pressed against us, his arm wrapped over my waist. "What the fuck?" Michael whispered.

"Shhh, he needs the sleep," I said as I turned to face Ranger. For the first time in weeks, he looked at peace. "I don't think he's been sleeping."

"This better not become a habit," Michael whispered.

"It won't," Ranger's sleepy voice stated. He climbed from the bed and pulled on his shirt. Michael and I watched him leave the bedroom. I heard him in the kitchen, cooking breakfast and making coffee.

Michael gave me a panty-melting kiss before dragging me into the shower. We took a very sexy shower. I was a little loud, so I knew Ranger could hear us.

"Breakfast," Ranger called from the other side of the door. I could sense his smile in the single word. My body shook from the building orgasm. Michael captured my mouth with his, muffling my scream as he followed me over.

My face was red when we sat at the table to eat the omelettes Ranger prepared. I moaned my way through breakfast. "It's so good," I moaned.

Ranger quirked an eyebrow. I could see his lip slightly turned up. Michael told Ranger our theory regarding Scrogg. He agreed the man was wearing a disguise.

"I'll be visiting the bonds office this morning. I want to check on Carmen," I told them.

"Is there something wrong with Carmen?" Ranger asked.

"Not completely wrong. I think she's in danger," I confessed.

Ranger gave me a panic button. "Press this when you need help."

"Thanks. I have the one from home," I said as I pulled the fob from my pocket.

"This one is directly linked to Ram and Tank," he stated. "They have your six."

"Okay. Do I have a car?" I asked. He dropped a set of keys into my hand. It was for his black Porsche 911 turbo. "Are you sure? You do know what happened to my last car."

"Babe," he said while shaking his head. "It's just a car."

Michael laughed before saying, "I hope you have an excellent insurance plan." Ranger shook his head before leaving the apartment.

"Where does he go?" I wondered.

"Around," Michael answered. "He's wearing street clothes. Ranger is very good at hiding among the locals."

I drove Ranger's sexy car to the bonds office. Carmen's car was in the same position as the surveillance photos from the guys. A sense of dread rocked through my body. I exited the 911 and locked the doors. With the panic button in my hand, I approached the SUV.

Carmen wasn't sitting in the driver's seat; her gun was in the passenger seat. An ominous feeling passed over me. I knew before opening the back hatch that Carmen was dead. Black plastic lined the trunk area. Carmen had a bullet hole between her eyes. Without looking, I knew the back of her head had a large hole from the exit wound.

Pressing the panic button, I sat on the ground at the back of the SUV. I was careful not to disturb the crime scene. My phone felt heavy in my pocket. I removed it to call Eddie.

"Hey, Steph. How can I help?" he asked.

"Carmen's dead. I found her in the back of her SUV with a bullet hole in her head. He killed her and it's all my fault," I said as I felt a tear drip off my chin.

"I doubt it's your fault, Steph. If Scrogg is as devolved as you say, then he's completely unhinged now. Stay where you are. I'm on my way with Robin," he said before hanging up.

Just as Eddie hung up, Michael and Tank appeared. Michael pulled me into his arms and held me tight. "It's all my fault. He killed her because she bombed my car," I cried.

"Anie, it isn't your fault. You didn't pull the trigger," he whispered.

"What are you doing here Cupcake?" Joe asked.

"Just great," I groaned. Could this day possibly get any worse?

I shouldn't have opened my mouth. "Stephanie Michelle Plum, you are under arrest for the murder of Carmen Marie Manoso," Joe stated as he pulled my arms behind my back and cuffed me.

"Check her for gunshot residue," Eddie stated.

"She probably washed her hands already," Joe grunted.

The medical examiner called out, "She's only been dead for thirty minutes to an hour. If Stephanie killed her, she would have gunshot residue on her clothes."

I was removed from the crime scene in cuffs. At the Trenton Police Department, I was asked to strip and wear the oversized track pants and shirt. Everything I wore today was placed into the evidence bag. "I'm sorry, Steph," Robin whispered.

"Whose clothes are these?" I asked, plucking at the shirt.

Robin frowned before replying, "Morelli's."