Chapter 2

"Sweetcakes, Sunshine, Stephanie," Diesel said, interrupting my thoughts. "When was the last time you saw Joseph Morelli?"

"Earlier tonight when I caught him screwing Mob Barbie on his pool table. Why?"

"Mob Barbie, as you called her, was looking to hire someone to permanently removing you from Morelli's life. Last week, she hired a former Ranger for the job. He should arrive in Trenton tomorrow morning."

"Crap!" I yelled. "Honestly, what was the point? She got her wish the second I caught them screwing. Not to mention they have been screwing off and on for the last few years. I believed him when he said he was working during the evenings. He completely lost my trust. It's something he'll never get back, despite how much he grovels. What did I do to deserve having men constantly cheat on me? I'm such an idiot." I started off yelling, but my last sentence was nearly whispered. With Diesel's acute hearing, I knew he heard every word I said.

"When I found out last week, I contacted Ranger. He's reaching out to his contacts to find a name. Your other Merry Men are doing the same. They will find this man and neutralize the threat to you."

After driving for a few hours, we arrived at a private airfield. Diesel grabbed my luggage along with a small duffle bag. We quickly boarded the plane as the pilot began his checks. My luggage was secured into a closet beside the washroom.

I buckled into my seat and grabbed the armrest. As the plane taxied to the runway, I dug my nails into the vinyl, preparing for that frightening take-off. I really need to stop watching the TV show called Mayday.

Diesel carefully pried my right hand from the armrest to entwine his fingers with mine. He gently stroked his thumb over my hand, effectively relaxing me. In a calm voice, he told me the plan. "We're meeting Viper at his private villa in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. This plane is part of his personal fleet. The flight will take around 4 hours, and he'll meet us at the airfield. Any questions so far?"

"Does anyone know where I'm going? Do they know how long I'll be gone? Why would Viper care about my safety? Do I know him?" I had more questions, but I decided to show some restraint.

"Yes, your father, Tank, and Lester know. They are under strict orders to keep your location a secret. Ranger will know you're gone, but he'll never be able to locate you. It all depends on how long you need to stay at the villa. Viper is a person you know, but he hasn't seen you for many years. When you meet him, you'll know exactly why he cares," he cryptically said.

I really don't like the evasive speech from people. It makes me feel as though I'm missing the obvious. However, if Viper really said he misses his piccolo zucca, then I likely know exactly who we're visiting. My excitement grew as time passed.

"I've been watching how your relationship with Morelli and Ranger have progressed over the last few years. From what I have seen and heard, Morelli has never been faithful to you. The only times he hooked up with Terry Gilman, Mob Barbie as you called her, was when he was actively in a relationship with you. Joe was also using you to help solve his cases. He wouldn't have been able to find a lead without your help. I noticed Ranger only tended to 'poach' during your on-again time with Morelli. Terry and Joe never attempted an intimate relationship while you and Joe were apart. Ranger, keeping in line with their actions, never pursued a relationship with you either. After a night of post-Morelli breakup sex, while you were still vulnerable, Ranger would begin distancing himself from you. You were only 'safe' if you were either dating Morelli or recently ended your relationship. He didn't want to give you false hope of having a romantic relationship with him." Diesel obviously decided to share his observations.

Was I honestly that obtuse? I already knew Ranger only poached while I dated Morelli. Diesel's observations regarding Ranger didn't surprise me at all. He was only interested in me while I dated Joe and disappeared if I remained single for too long. How did I not see Morelli was cheating on me all along? I guess I've spent way too much time living in Denial Land. My emotional and mental well-being is too important for me to keep escaping there. No more hiding from my emotions. I need to make some honest changes in my life. Both my physical and mental health truly needs an overhaul.

"If you agree," Diesel continued, "I would like to teach you self defence, tai chi, Krav Maga and kickboxing. Viper's maid Marianna has a daughter with a psychology degree. If you need someone to talk to, she'll be available. Ronisha Walsh is 32. She prefers to be called Ronnie. Viper will personally handle any weapons training."

"Was I talking out loud again? It's like you took my last thought and provided me with a viable solution for the changes I want."

"You didn't say anything. I'm just extremely talented in reading people's expressions, especially yours," he whispered as he gently stroked my face. "I truly care about you, Steph. You are very important to me."

His touch was stirring feelings deep inside me. If I wasn't careful, I would jump into a relationship with him before I was emotionally ready. We have chemistry in spades, but it was way too soon. "I'm not ready to start a new relationship Diesel. I need to fix myself first. Please understand," I whispered.

"I know, and I understand. When you are ready, I'll be here waiting." He gently brushed his lips across mine. I felt sparks as his lips barely touched mine. If I lean into him, I could kiss him more thoroughly.

I stopped myself from leaning in and said, "I need you as my friend right now. If it won't be too awkward, I would love to have you teach me how to defend and protect myself. Can you teach me boxing too? I've always been tempted to hit something when I'm angry, but I was too afraid of breaking my hand." I was getting excited to start learning essential skills for my job and self improvement. The Merry Men would always offer to help, but would slip into their 'drill sergeant' mode when they actually did help. I found their training too restrictive and emotionally draining. I'm not military. Yelling instructions at me will never elicit positive results or guarantee my cooperation.

"Viper would be a better instructor. If you ask, I'm sure he'll be honoured to help." We talked more about each discipline he will teach me. Normally I would just tune out this type of conversation, but the way Diesel talked had me completely intrigued. Besides, his voice was too sexy to ignore.

The pilot asked us to fasten our seatbelts to prepare for landing. Diesel raised the armrest between us and wrapped his arm across my shoulders. I leaned into him, placing my head on his shoulder. "The villa backs onto a private, fenced-in beach. There's a locked gate on the left, separating the private and public beaches. It has an in-ground pool, a large patio, a hammock hanging between 2 trees, a large gazebo with lounger chairs and a fire pit surrounded by comfortable chairs." He effectively distracted me from focusing on the plane crashing and us dying a fiery death.

"It sounds like heaven. What if I don't want to leave after my training?" I asked.

"Nobody will force you to leave. We're here." I felt the plane touch down. It was a very smooth landing for such a small plane. We waited until the pilot announced it was safe to disembark. Diesel grabbed my luggage from the closet.

I walked down the stairs to the tarmac and full-out ran to the man waiting by the Cadillac. "Nonno," I yelled. He caught me as I launched myself into his arms.

"Piccolo Zucca, I missed you so much."

"I missed you too, Nonno. Where have you been?" I asked to distract myself from noticing how muscular and spry he was for an 80-year-old man.

He laughed, "I see you still haven't broken the habit of speaking your thoughts. Let's get some dinner. I imagine you must be hungry." My stomach growled to accentuate his comment. "Some things never change. We need to feed the beast before it consumes us."

I sat in the back beside Grandpa Plum while Diesel sat in the front. "Nice to see you again, Viper," Diesel greeted.

"Have you been keeping yourself out of trouble, son?"

"Mostly, but I wasn't always successful. Stephanie agreed to our plan."

"Did you, little pumpkin?" he asked me.

"Yes. I already decided I needed a change. Diesel happened to be at the right place at the right time. He tricked me into thinking he needed my help. If I really think about it, he does need my help... to train me," I joked. Grandpa laughed and pulled me into his arms. It seemed like minutes when we arrived at his villa.

A kind woman in her mid-60s brought us dinner. After a quick introduction, we sat at the dining room table to eat. I couldn't stop the moans as I ate the excellent meal Marianna prepared. We moved into the living room and talked about my life since I was in high school. I got the impression he knew already, but I couldn't stop from sharing the events. "I'm really sorry about Grandma."

"It wasn't your fault, piccolo zucca. She didn't have the spidey sense you, your father and I have."

"But she borrowed my car." I attempted to apologize again. Grandma Plum visited me a few years ago. She was living with my aunt Nancy, Dad's sister, in California. I was devastated when she borrowed my car and was the victim of the car bomb intended for me. "If I knew the car was going to explode, I would never have let her borrow it."

"Were you with her when she borrowed your car?" he gently asked.

"No. She asked Mom if I would mind. Mom gave her the keys and said I'd be okay with her borrowing it. Maybe if she called me, it would've set off my spidey sense, and she'd still be here today."

"It was her time. Would Pedro Martinez have been neutralized if your car didn't explode?" he asked.

"Not likely. I didn't know he was even after me until he discovered I was still alive. It breaks my heart that Grandma paid the ultimate price with her life," I sadly said. I got lost in my thoughts, remembering how he was caught.

Pedro saw me in a club with the Merry Men, Lula and Connie. He was a bit creepy so I refused to dance with him. My spidey sense was humming, indicating I needed to keep my distance. Connie was my designated driver. We didn't notice Pedro following us home that night. It was a few months later when my car exploded, killing Grandma Plum. When he discovered I was still alive, he broke into my apartment. Fortunately, Ranger was visiting me at the time. Ranger just returned from a mission and he was sitting in the chair beside my bed. Pedro walked into my bedroom as I slept. The second Pedro released the safety on his gun, Ranger shot his hand, causing him to drop the weapon. I woke up startled from the gun shot. Pedro suddenly dropped to the floor to pick up his weapon with his left hand.

Ranger still had his weapon focused on him. "I'm not as good shooting with my left hand, but I can still kill her," Pedro claimed. Unknown to me, Ranger had activated his watch tracker and panic button. Rangeman control was recording everything Pedro said. It didn't take long for Pedro to explain why he came after me. "I only wanted to dance with her. She was wearing a very indecent red, tight and short dress. I watched as she danced with all those men. When it was my turn, she stepped away from me to dance with a short man with a teardrop tattoo. I figured if she'd dance with him, then she should dance with me."

"Did you touch her?" Ranger growled out.

"I grabbed her arm, but that tattoo bearing gangster forced me to let her go. He escorted me to the parking lot and waited until I left. I drove around the block and watched him enter the club. It was only 30 minutes later when she left with a busty, dark haired woman and drove away in a silver Camry. They didn't even notice me following them here." I heard Ranger growl when he confessed to stalking me. "I've been following her around for a few months. I thought she died when I bombed her car. Imagine my surprise when I learned it was her grandmother driving her car that day."

"You made a huge mistake coming here," Ranger angrily stated. I watched in horror as I realized what was happening. Ranger fired again the second Pedro lifted his weapon in my direction. Pedro fell to the floor with a clean bullet shot through his forehead. Cal and Tank arrived with Eddie Gazarra and Robin Russell. Joe never called to check up on me. We were in an on-again phase at the time, but he was supposedly 'out of town' working a case. After we gave our statements, Eddie determined no charges would be pressed since Ranger was obviously defending me. Ranger promised to send an audio copy of our encounter to TPD.

"Stephanie, it wasn't your fault," Grandpa reiterated, breaking me from the painful memory.

"I know, but I'll still feel guilty." He wrapped me in his arms and kissed my temple. I felt myself drifting into sleep.

It seemed like hours when I felt myself floating. Strong, warm arms were carrying me. Judging from the smell of cinnamon and Christmas cookies, I knew the arms belonged to Diesel. I couldn't stop myself from nuzzling into his neck. He chuckled as he lay me on my bed. "Goodnight, Sunshine," he whispered. I thought I heard him say, "I love you," before closing the door to my room.