Chapter 26

Angst warning...

Steph POV:

I sighed and smiled as the cab dropped me off in front of the building. I rolled my bag behind me, and I walked into the building. I waved to the guys behind the desk and rode the elevator up.

It was two in the morning, and I knew Carlos would already be asleep. The elevator opened to our condo, and I walked off, setting the bag next to the elevator. I started to walk towards the bedroom but caught sight of Carlos on the couch, asleep. Mag laid on the other half of the sectional, he cracked open his eyes and looked at me.

His tail thumped against the couch, and I motioned for him to stay. I sat next to Carlos, and he shifted and sighed. I ran my hand over his face, and he opened his eyes.

"Babe."

I grinned.

"What're you doing here?" he asked, his voice husky from sleep as he sat up.

"Well, if you want, I can leave..." I smiled. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me down to him.

"I missed you, Babe," he said, as he placed kisses on my jaw line.

"Hmm," I purred, stretching against him. "Why are you sleeping on the couch?"

"Couldn't sleep in the bed, it was empty without you."

I sighed. "Let's go to bed," I said, pressing a kiss to his lips. He smiled. Picking me up, he whistled, Magnum followed us. Carlos laid in the bed as I stripped off my clothes and he handed me the shirt he was wearing. I crawled into bed and snuggled into him. My head tucked into his neck, his arms holding me tight to him, my leg slung over his waist.

Carlos sighed and pressed a kiss into the top of my head. "I missed you so much, Babe."

"I missed you, too," I said, kissing his chest. His hand stroked the small of my back.

I woke up to my phone ringing, Carlos groaned and rearranged his head into my chest. I smiled, letting my fingers scrape over his scalp as I picked up the phone.

"Yeah?" I answered with a yawn.

"Mrs. Manoso, it's Michael from the Security Desk. There's a man here to serve court papers to you and Mr. Manoso. Would you like for us to escort him up or would you like to come down?"

"Escort him up," I said sitting up and throwing the covers back. Carlos groaned. "Bring an extra man if you can. I would like the two of you to station yourself in the elevator."

"Yes ma'am." He said, before I hung up.

"Carlos, got up. There's someone here to serve us papers," I said, shoving at his shoulder.

"Papers?" he asked, sliding from the bed. I knew he was still half asleep, and he wasn't understanding what I was saying.

"Court papers."

He frowned again but followed me into the closet. I slipped on a bra and a pair of joggers. Carlos found a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. We made our way downstairs as the elevator doors opened.

A man stepped out. He had red hair and brown eyes, and stood at about five foot eight. His suit was rumpled and off the rack. His eyes darted around. I motioned for him to step farther into the apartment as Michael and Paul stood at either side of the elevator.

"Mr. and Mrs. Manoso?" he said, sounding slightly unsure.

"That's us." I said crossing my arms, surveying him. He handed a set of documents to Carlos.

"You've been served." His voice was wavering. I glanced at Carlos, who was radiating anger.

"She's taking us to court for more money and custody!" Carlos growled.

"Thank you," I told the man. He scurried towards the elevator, and I nodded to Michael and Paul, who stepped back onto the elevator. Carlos handed me the papers as he pulled out his phone.

I read over the papers, shaking my head.

"Get me Lawson!" Carlos growled. He sat on one of the stools at the counter. I squeezed his shoulder.

As he was placed on hold, he looked at me; the look of a broken man. "I've given her everything she fucking asked for, everything she needed. All I wanted to do was take care of my daughter and I let her walk over me." His voice cracked. I wrapped my arms around him as I slid into his lap.

He held me to him, his face in my neck, breathing me in. I wanted to kill her, but I knew I couldn't. Instead, I was going to make sure she never hurt the man I loved again, or the baby that was caught in the middle.

XXXXXX

Carlos and I sat in the conference room with Lawson. He laid it out for us; there was very little chance that we would lose the case. He put it together for us, presenting us what we had already had and what he had gathered. The case was going to be grueling.

"What I'm about to tell you will probably set you off," Lawson told us. Carlos nodded for him to proceed as his grip tightened on my hand. "We have statements from the neighbors…Rachel has been leaving Julie alone by herself in the condo. Sometimes asking the neighbor down the hall to check in on her, but she refuses to allow her to stay with one of them. As you know, she's been going out and clubbing, but she's also using drugs. Per your orders, we had a private investigator following her. We have pictures of her buying and using, plus statements from the neighbor who was charged to take care of Julie while she was gone."

"And the neighbor just allowed her to sit in the condo alone?" I growled, interrupting him before Carlos could.

"No, the neighbor had a key and would stay in the condo with Julie waiting for Rachel to get back. Since Ric had cameras installed in the foyer and outside the door of the condo before she moved in, we have proof of her statements," he assured me. I felt a weight lift off my chest.

"I need to step outside," I said softly before standing. Carlos nodded and kissed the back of my hand.

"Do you want us to wait on you?"

"No. You'll tell me whatever I need to know," I told him. He nodded.

I stepped outside the conference room and took the elevator down, stepping out of the lobby and onto the street.I was itching for something, a cigarette (an old habit I had dropped years ago), a beer, a fight, something to take the edge off.

Just then I heard a voice that grated on me every time I heard it.

"Ricky leave you here on the street?" she asked. "He finally figured out he doesn't have to stay with trash?"

"Burrows, I'm not in the fucking mood for you!" I said, turning to glare at her. She smirked and looked around. It dawned on her that we were standing outside a lawyer's office.

"He is leaving you, isn't he? Looks like he finally came to his senses." She grinned. "Means he'll be up for grabs again."

"Even if he was, he wouldn't want anything to do with you. Not when you've been used up by half the men in Miami!" I shot back, full-on rhino mode coming.

She rolled her eyes and pushed up her breast. "Don't be upset because he's tossing you away like yesterday's garbage. He won't ever need a bed warmer again since he'll be coming back to me."

"To you and your plastic surgery enhanced assets?" I laughed.

She glared at me, stepping forward to get in my face.

"They're all natural!" She yelled at me.

I laughed before pretending to sniff around.

"Not often I get to talk to trash." I smiled. I saw the hit coming, and I let it. Her first hit my jaw. As soon as she made contact, I sent my boot into her stomach, causing her to stumble back.

"Want to fight? I'm game." I grinned. She locked eyes with me and charged me, trying to hit me again. I stepped out of the way but tripped her.

"This isn't very fun," I said, "Not much of a challenge."

She glared at me before pulling the gun from her ankle holster. I caught the motion as she did, moving forward, pulling the baby Glock from the small of my back and pressing it in under her chin. I was glad that I had listened to my Spidey-sense, as I had taken to calling it. I didn't like my gun, but Carlos insisted that I get my concealed carry after we got married.

"Pull the trigger," I whispered in her ear. "Do it, or are you scared?"

"You won't pull yours either," she said.

I grinned wickedly, pulling back to look at her."Won't I? You drugged my husband; he now has a child because of your actions. A child that's been put in a horrible situation with a mother that doesn't give a shit about her other than the money that she gets each month. Not to mention, the little stunt you just pulled gives me the right to, and I won't even be charged for it." I grinned.

She looked rattled at that.

"By the sounds of those sirens, you've got about thirty seconds to decide." I grinned at her.

She lowered the gun from my ribs and dropped it as I put mine back in the holster at my back. Two cop cars slid to a stop as Carlos and Lawson exited the building.

"Hands up!" the officers yelled.

I raised an eyebrow but did as I was told. "Lawson, do you mind pulling that footage?" I asked.

He nodded. "I'll meet you at the station."

I was put in a pair of handcuffs and Carlos ran a hand through his hair. "Babe."

"She started it," I told him.

He chuckled and shook his head."We'll follow you to the station."

XXXXXX

A few hours later I was released without any charges. Carlos looked at me and shook his head again. "Really Steph?"

"She started it." I shrugged. "Hit me first and pulled her gun first."

"We already have a lot of shit going on, and now this."

We walked out of the police station towards the car. I shot him a glare. "You know one way or another she needs to be taken care of. I'm tired of being walked on by her and Rachel. Two women from your past keep fucking interfering in our marriage. I've supported you in your decisions but I'm done allowing them to do whatever the hell they want."

"Are you saying this is my fault?" he asked as we stopped at the car.

"Did I say it was?" I snapped at him. "How would you feel if one of my ex's interfered with our relationship?"

"Babe, I didn't mean for this to happen," he said.

"I know, Carlos." I sighed. I slid into the car, and he sat in the driver's seat.

"We'll take care of Jeanne Ellen after we finish with Rachel," Carlos said. "I promise, Babe."

I nodded and turned back to look out the window. He reached over and took my hand, squeezing it. I squeezed it back.

A few minutes later the valet was parking the car and Carlos and I were in the elevator. "What did Lawson have to say?"

"About our court date or your incident with Jeanne Ellen?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Either. Both," I said with a small smile. I wrapped my arms around his bicep and leaned my head against his shoulder. Carlos smiled.

"Well, he said not to worry about charges because she started it." He paused. "We'll be in court about two weeks from now."

"Right in the middle of my next trip," I said. "I'll make calls to reschedule."

"You don't have to," he said. As we stepped off the elevator into the penthouse, Mag greeted us with a wagging tail and excited bark.

"I will not let you do this on your own," I told him. He leaned down to kiss me softly.

"Thank you, Babe."

"Now, let's get some food. I'm starving after that shit with Jeanne Ellen and being locked in a cell. Why don't you call the guys over so we can plot?"

He chuckled but nodded. "I'll call them, Babe."

"Carlos." I stopped him. He raised an eyebrow. "Will we be able to see Julie until the court date?"

He sighed. "No."

I braced my hand against the counter to steady myself and nodded. "Two weeks," I told myself. Carlos watched me. I smiled weakly at him, "I can't wait to see her again."

He walked over and pulled me into his chest. "I know, Babe. You haven't seen her in a long time. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," I said softly. "Get the guys over here. I'll order pizza so we can catch up and talk about our predicament with Jeanne Ellen."

Don't worry they're both going to get what they deserve.