A/N: Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews from the last chapter. I'm glad you're still enjoying this story. I long debated whether or not to make Morelli a bad guy in this one. I'm no Cupcake, but I don't hate the man...however, he will be quite the villain in this one since there is no Lydia to run off with. That being said, towards the end of the chapter it does get a bit graphic! So if that is not your cup of tea, please skip over it. I have decided to change the rating to M. Let me know what you think! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own none of the JE characters nor those of Pride & Prejudice. I just enjoy playing with them.

Plum & Prejudice

Chapter 14:

"Do not give way to useless alarm; though it is right to be prepared for the worst, there is no occasion to look on it as certain."

I whip my car into a parking spot at Pino's. I'm running late to meet Val after a restless night of sleep. I check my reflection in the mirror and grimace at the bags under my eyes that makeup did little to cover. I wink at myself as a mood booster. After dinner last night at Jen and Joe's and the confrontation with Ranger, I'm feeling off-kilter. It was so...so... unexpected. I feel a bit embarrassed by it as well. I was not very nice. I brush a stray hair out of my eye as I grab my handbag and open the car door. I need to be put together for Valerie right now. No need to tell her about my man troubles. Or lack thereof. Ugh. I don't even know what to call it at this point since I turned down two eligible bachelors who made their interest in me very clear. As long as Mom doesn't find out, I should be safe.

It's just past seven o'clock on Sunday, so Pino's is relatively empty. They close at nine tonight. The after-church crowds have come and gone. I see Val immediately in a booth towards the back. I wave to Mr. Pino behind the counter, and he grins when he sees me. Mr. Pino is a middle-aged Italian man who fits the stereotype. Valerie, of course, looks rather put together for someone dealing with heartbreak. She's wearing a pink sweater tank top, and jeans. Her hair is pulled back at the nape of her neck in a low pony. She gives me a watery smile. I slide into the booth.

"How ya holding up, sis?" I question as I reach over and grab her hand for a quick squeeze. I see my comment makes more tears fill her eyes, and she uses the napkin to dab at the tears.

"I seem to have damn water spouts in my eyes today," she comments, trying to brush it off.

"Let me go put in our order with Mr. Pino," I tell her, planning on an extra greasy pizza to share and a pitcher of beer. I sidle up to the window.

"Ahh, Estefania, how happy I am to see you!" Mr. Pino greets, "no one quite enjoys my food like you, eh. What can I get you tonight?"

"Well, Valerie is a bit down. Can we get a large meat lover and a pitcher of beer? I'm trying to cheer her up," I explain delicately, knowing he will understand. He nods his head.

"I will throw in some cheesy breadsticks for free. I hate to see either of you beautiful girls sad," he says with a wink. I grin.

"Thank you!" He gives me a little number for our table even though I'm sure he won't need it. I head back to Valerie.

"Well, if anything, Mr. Pino loves you," I say, hoping for a smile. She rolls her eyes but can't stop the small smile from spreading.

"He threw in free cheesy breadsticks," I inform her as I pour a glass of beer. I hand it off to Val, and she chugs a few gulps. I pour my own and lift in a toast.

"To kickass single sisters, we don't need no men!" We clink the glasses together before taking a drink. Val goes ahead and finishes off her glass and is ready for another one. I don't think I've ever seen her drink beer so quickly. I take my time with mine as I am not feeling quite the same rush. I'm still in a daze remembering what Ranger said. After all of our interactions, I can't believe that he'd want to take me on a date. Of course, he totally stuck his foot in his mouth when asking. I can feel my cheeks heat up at the thought. He was so rude, as usual, even when trying to do something nice.

"So distract me," Val commands, "how was dinner at Uncle Joe's and Aunt Jen's?" I swallow the beer in my mouth wrong and end up spluttering at her question. She hands me a napkin but doesn't say anything. I get my coughing under control and mop up the spewage.

"Sorry," I say, "went down the wrong pipe. Jen and Joe's was good! I think he has a lot of support." She smiles.

"I hear Ranger and Lester were there," Val murmurs as she pours herself her third beer. I give her a look. I'd raise one eyebrow if I could, but I'd end up looking shocked because both eyebrows move in unison.

"What? It's a holiday tomorrow, so I don't need to worry about how much I drink," Val says defensively, "besides, I took a cab here." I roll my eyes but stay silent.

"Yep, Ranger and Lester were at the dinner. I was lucky enough to get sandwiched between them," I respond, happy to see Mr. Pino bringing over the basket of cheesy bread. He gives us a big grin.

"Enjoy these cheesy breadsticks! They heal all wounds of the heart," he says with a wink, "and I'll get Rosie to get you another pitcher of beer."

"Thank you, Mr. Pino, we really appreciate it," Valerie tells him with a smile. He nods and walks off.

The scent of the cheesy breadsticks starts my mouth watering. They are cooked to perfection with the right amount of garlic and cheese. We each go for one quickly and dunk it in the cup of marinara sauce. The sticks are still warm, and a little grease rolls down my fingers as I take a bite. I close my eyes as the flavors hit my tongue. Food will always be my first love, especially greasy food that involves bread and cheese made by Mr. Pino.

"Damn, Mr. Pino always knows just how to make breadsticks," Val comments as she polishes off her first breadstick and licks her finger clean. I nod in agreement as I take slow bites to savor mine.

"I start at Coco de Mer the first of February!" I tell Valerie excitedly as I go ahead and reach for another warm breadstick.

"Why are you staying so long at E.E. Martin?" Val asks as she finishes her fourth beer and pours another. I take a look at my sad half done glass of my own. My sister is cooking me on the drinking tonight.

"Well, it turns out E.E. Martin never made me sign a nondisclosure agreement," I inform her, dropping my voice to a little above a whisper, "I'm going to see what all is going on around here before the end of the month-that is if E.E. Martin stays in business- and then I'll report it to Coco de Mer." Val's baby blue eyes grow wide like saucers as she takes in what I'm saying. She pauses with the breadstick halfway to her mouth; it's almost comical.

"Steph!" she exclaims, "you're basically a spy! That's so exciting!" I look around quickly to see if anyone has heard my sister's outburst. Pino's is even more deserted than when we started. Only one man sits across the restaurant in a small booth with his back to us.

"You can't just go around saying that, Valerie," I reprimand though I'm not too mad, "E.E. Martin could be working with the mob!" I say the last part in a hushed voice. I keep hearing rumblings, although nothing has been proven yet. If anything, the FBI raid just makes it that much more likely. I shiver.

"Steph," Val says, her mouth slightly agape like she can't process what I've said, "that's dangerous." I give a half shrug.

"Only if it's true," I reply just as I see Mr. Pino personally heading our way with a nice big pizza. I go ahead and finish the rest of my second beer as Mr. Pino places the beautiful meat lover's pizza in the center of our table.

"You lovely ladies enjoy this masterpiece," Mr. Pino says, closing his one hand together so his fingers all touch; he brings the fingers to his lips, kisses them, and then the hand explodes like it's raining kisses. A typical Italian gesture used with food is also known as the Chef's Kiss. Being half Italian and growing up in the Burg, everybody knows that gesture. My mouth is watering at this point as I smell the oregano, sausage, and pepperoni wafting from the pizza.

"I can't wait to taste it!" I tell him with a smile. I see him motion to Rosie, and she brings another pitcher of beer. I look over to see Valerie had somehow finished the rest. Rosie refreshes our glasses and leaves the pitcher at the table. Val and I dig in. I grab two slices off the bat and put them onto my plate. The pizza is steaming, so I have to wait a moment. I inhale the delicious aroma. The meat lover has no veggies, just an assortment of different meats. It's a dangerously delicious and artery-clogging pizza.

Val and I are quiet as we eat. Good pizza does that to people. The grease is rolling down my hands again, and I have to stop every few bites, so it doesn't get to my elbow. After I finish off my two slices, I clean my hands and sit back. I'm incredibly full and content. I am also excited to have two pieces as leftovers for tomorrow's lunch. Val is almost finished with her two slices when I excuse myself to the restroom. I want to get this grease off entirely in a way that a dry napkin just doesn't do.

I'm back to the table quickly to find Val finished, and half the new pitcher is gone. She nudges the beer towards me.

"The rest of it is all you Stephy-poo," she half sings with a giggle. I roll my eyes.

"Valerie Ramona Plum, I do believe you are drunk!" I exclaim heartily. My sister doesn't usually act like this. She points her pointer finger at me and narrows her eyes.

"I am tipsy," she corrects, "exactly how I planned this night to go!" I put my hands up in surrender.

"Alright, your majesty, you are tipsy," I say, enunciating each word. Val sets off giggling again. I finish off the beer as Valerie decides to be smart and drink some water. Thankfully, the carbs from the pizza are counteracting my beer consumption; otherwise, I might be tipsy right there with Valerie. I usually feel it more if I have an empty stomach. Also, it could be she had five glasses to my three. Rosie comes by to give us boxes and the check. I take it and pay. We're standing by the front door when Val leans her head on my shoulder.

"I don't know what I'd do without you, Steph," she sighs, "I thought this time would really be the one for Steve and me." I wrap an arm around her to give her a squeeze. The anger I felt towards Ranger surged, but really I'm annoyed with Steve. If he truly loved her, why would he listen to Ranger?

"I'm so sorry, Val," I say uselessly, "I'm always here for you. You deserve someone who sees how wonderful you are and runs to be with you. You will find that person; I know it." I see a lone tear slip down her cheek.

"I hope so." I squeeze her again.

"Otherwise, we can be the two single sisters traveling the world together," I reply, giving her a little hip bump. This movement does the trick, and she's smiling again. A honk signals from outside. Val perks up.

"That should be my cab," she states, and I give her a look as we walk outside.

"You know I would have driven you home!" I say, annoyed by her for a moment. She smiles, knowing I'm peeved.

"I know you would, little sis, but it's out of your way, and I'm a big girl," she states before sticking her tongue out at me. I roll my eyes.

"Fine, be safe. Text me when you get home," I say with a smile. Val gives me a cheeky salute. I narrow my eyes. Somehow our roles reversed tonight.

"Thanks for dinner. You text me when you get home safely," Valerie replies as she opens the cab door and slides in. I'm still rolling my eyes as I walk to my car. She must have called a cab while I was in the bathroom. Yes, she's closer to our parent's side of town, and I live in Newark, but it's not that much out of the way. I shake my head as I'm rummaging in my purse for the keys. It's gotten dark out, and I realize I'm one of only three cars in the Pino's lot. A look towards the building shows that it's now closed. I look over to my car and see that the street light I parked under is out, making it extra dark over there. I feel awkward maneuvering my leftovers and my purse. I'd rather do it under the light than fumble over in the darkness. I finally find my car keys and resituate my bag on my shoulder.

My spidey-sense tingles uneasily as I approach the car. I don't know why. I'm in a familiar place. Yes, it's a bit dark, and there seems to be no one around...and yet. I grip my car keys into position like instructors taught me in school. I have the metal key part poking out of my knuckles as I make a fist. Maybe I'm just freaking myself out. Yes, that's probably it. All the talk about the mob and E.E. Martin has me on edge. I walk quickly towards my car. I reach it and feel a sense of relief, but the tingle is still there. I look around but see no one. It's eerily quiet, although I can distantly hear cars on the main road three blocks over. I place the pizza box on the top of my car. I fumble with my keys, my heart beating wildly in my chest. The keys fall to the ground. I take a deep breath. Calm down, Steph, this is ridiculous.

As I take a few cleansing breaths, I do feel better. I bend down to scoop up my keys.

"Well, well, hi Cupcake," his voice says from behind me, causing me to jerk upright quickly and turn around. I can feel something in my neck protest. I gulp.

"Oh, hi Joe," I say nervously, "what are you doing here? You startled me." I now see that he was somewhere off behind the dead street light. It's so dark I couldn't see him among the shadows.

"I heard you were in town. I wanted to see you in person," he replies, stepping closer to me. I take a step back, and my butt bumps into my car. I swallow hard.

"Oh?" I voice, my brain scrambling to make sense of this and maybe find a way out of this situation. He places a hand on the car, right beside my head. He's so close I'll have difficulty getting out of this.

"Yes, we have some unfinished business," Joe says, and his voice sounds different than I remember. More menacing. He smells, and I realize he's been drinking. Stubble lines his jaw. His shirt is disheveled and untucked.

"Can you step back a little?" I ask tentatively, "I don't feel very comfortable." He chuckles lowly and leans closer. I shrink back as much as I can. This is not the man I went on a few dates with. He brushes his unshaved cheek against mine, and I hear him take a big inhale.

"Mmm, you smell so sweet," he murmurs, "I bet you're good to eat." Fear shoots through me.

"Joe, back up," I reply, "please." He laughs outright this time and straightens up. He raises an eyebrow at me.

"Or what?" he questions mockingly. I swallow hard again. I feel like dry heaving.

"I'll scream," I reply evenly, hoping he can't hear the fear in my voice. He smiles now, and it's not a charming smile. He looks unnatural. Goosebumps appear on my skin.

"Go ahead, no one will hear you," he says, leaning in again, "Mr. Pino and Rosie have their music blasting. Everything else on this street has been closed for the night." I gulp. He's right. My eyes dart around, trying to find anything that could help me. I realize I still have my keys. I try to move them into position without him noticing. He leans in again, his cheek touching my cheek. He bends down, inhales, and licks my neck.

I shriek, and instinct takes over. My knee comes up swiftly and hits him right in the gonads. He curls over, and I flip around quickly. I just manage to slide the key into the door when he pulls my hair backward. I let go of the key as I flail around. I'm yelling as I hit the pavement hard. The wind is knocked out of me. I start to roll over so I can try to get up and away from this monster.

"Now, now Cupcake, that's no way to treat me," he sneers, "I don't want you trying that again." With that, he kicks me right in the stomach. The shriek dies in my throat as all of the air is knocked from my lungs again. I'm curled up, clutching my stomach. I feel a tear drip down my eyes. He reaches down and curls his fingers around my bicep.

"Follow me, Cupcake," he says, yanking me to my feet roughly, "scream again, and I'll have to occupy that mouth of yours." I'm disoriented and hurting. My brain is working overtime to figure out how to get out of this situation. I realize he's taken us to the alley. It's even darker here than the parking lot and more secluded. No one would hear me now. I'm stumbling, and Joe just yanks harder. I let out a howl of pain. He moves quickly and strikes me across the face with the back of his hand. By now, tears are coming out of my eyes, blurring my vision.

"Please, Joe, don't do this. Let me go. I won't say a word, I swear," I babble, "I swear, I swear." He glares at me before shoving me roughly against the brick wall. He forces a thigh between my legs. With one hand, he pins both of my hands above my head. I'm well and truly trapped.

"Did you know that the night I left for the Navy, I stopped by the Tasty Pastry at closing to see you?" he asks as his free hand begins roaming. He finds the hem of my shirt and goes underneath.

"Stop, Joe! Stop!" I scream as his warm, rough hand makes its way to my bra. I'm trying to move away, but my back is digging into the unforgiving brick, and his leg pushes harder between mine. I can feel his hardness against my pelvis. I feel like throwing up.

"I wanted to take you then," he breathes, nose touching the skin on my neck as his fingers find the underwire to my bra. Tears are streaming down my face, hot and heavy now.

"Imagine my surprise to find the owner. He said you asked for the night off to study for a test," Joe says, toying with the underwire, torturing me, "I learned your schedule. I knew you would be there. But you weren't. So, now I'm taking what should have been mine." With those final words, he shoves his hand under my bra and roughly grabs my breast. I cry out painfully, and then it's muffled as he slants his hot mouth down on mine. He gropes my breast and presses harder into me as his mouth assaults mine.

I can barely breathe, and my head hits the bricks hard as he pulls back before quickly ducking back in, plundering his tongue into my mouth. I can taste my salty tears as they continue running down my face and into my mouth. I try moving my hands, but he only tightens his grip and shoves them back into the brick. I feel it biting into my exposed skin. His hand deftly winds its way behind my back, and he lets just enough space to undo my bra. I cry harder. I can't move my legs, my hands are trapped, and my head is throbbing. With my bra undone, he can now access my breasts more freely. I feel so exposed, so violated, and yet my clothes are still on.

"Mmm, you taste so sweet, Cupcake," he whispers roughly against my neck as his fingers tweak my nipple so hard, I cry out in pain, "oh, you like that, huh? I had a feeling you'd like it rough." He's panting, breathing unevenly now, and he gyrates his erection over my pelvis. I sob, and a huge snotball runs out of my nose. Joe makes a face of disgust and quickly wipes away the mess with the sleeve of his shirt. He then ducks in and shoves his tongue back into my mouth. I say a prayer and then bite down on his tongue hard. I feel the squirt of the blood. He jerks back roughly, although his tongue is still in between my teeth. I release, and he stumbles back, his hand moving towards his mouth. He's readying himself to strike me, and I dart back towards the opening of the alley.

"Help!" I cry out as loud as I can, hoping somebody, anybody, is passing by, "help me!" My foot catches on something as I'm almost out of the alley, and I fall hard. I'm barely able to break my fall. My knees and palms hit the pavement roughly, but thankfully my head doesn't hit. It's still throbbing from hitting the brick wall. I hear Joe closing in behind me.

"You bitch, you're gonna get what you deserve," Joe snarls as I scramble crawl towards the opening. I turn back to see him almost on top of me. I kick out my legs and get a lucky strike right on his knee. He crumples down to one knee. I hastily pick myself up, the adrenaline overriding the pain. I make it out of the alley and turn the corner only to run into a warm, solid wall that has arms that wrap around me. I'm still crying, my nose still snotting. I can tell I'm a mess. Panic sweeps through me again. Joe has someone to help him, but when I look up, I see Ranger. I feel the tingle on my neck. I feel so much relief that a fresh flood of tears comes to my eyes. I'm not even embarrassed to see him now. His eyes are hard, his mouth set in what passes for a frown for him. I can still hear Joe shuffling in the alley. I'm trembling.

"Babe, what's going on?" Ranger asks quietly, "who's over there?" I clutch the front of Ranger's black shirt with my hands. I should let go, but I'm still shaken up. Still fearful.

"J...j...Joe," I say, my teeth starting to chatter, "he attacked me." More tears. He rubs circles on my back.

"Let me put you in my car," he tells me, guiding me over to a Porsche Cayenne. He opens the passenger side door, one arm still wrapped around my shoulders. He moves his hands to mine. My knuckles are white from gripping his shirt so tightly. More tears spill down my lashes and onto my cheeks. My bra is dangling limply under my shirt, causing weird bulges. My cheeks flush at the thought, and it causes me to sob. He gently pries my hands off of his shirt and guides me to sit down.

"It's going to be okay. I have you," Ranger murmurs, and he presses a gentle kiss to my forehead, "I'm going to lock the car while I go take care of that bastard. Stay here. I'll be right back." I nod. He shuts the door, and I hear the chirp indicating it's locked.

I sit, shaking uncontrollably and crying. I can't seem to stop. My mind is a jumble. I watch as well as I can through the window, but the tears continue clogging my vision as I await for Ranger to return.