Chapter 14
Our two weeks in Hawaii were magical. Being married to Diesel was unlike my experience with Dickie. Diesel was attentive and made sure I enjoyed myself. I never thought I could love someone this much or unconditionally. My life couldn't be better.
"I can't wait," Diesel said as he wrapped his arms around me from behind.
"Neither can I," I reciprocated. I placed my hands on his and entwined our fingers.
He pulled me tight against his chest. "You've made me happier than I thought possible. I love you, Sunshine."
"I love you too," I replied.
We boarded our flight home and relaxed in our seats. Diesel knows I hate flying. He lifted the armrest between our spots and held me as the flight took off. "Are you good?" Diesel asked when the plane levelled off.
"Great, thank you," I replied. I've been feeling a little tired during the last couple of days. Diesel and I haven't slept much during our honeymoon. "I may need a vacation."
"When do you work?" he asked.
"Tomorrow," I answered as I yawned. "Morning shift."
"I'll let you sleep tonight," Diesel promised.
"When do you leave for your next mission?" I asked.
"I need to check with my handler," he replied. I didn't want him to leave anytime soon, but he has important work to do. While he's not on a mission, he runs a software company with his friend. My husband is a wealthy man. Neither of us needed to work.
If I didn't have a job, I'd go crazy. I'm not the type to sit idly at home. "Did you hear from Vince?" I asked.
"Yes. The furniture arrived on schedule, and the rooms were ready. Ella ordered the linens and made the beds," Diesel replied.
"Which room did Vince move into?" I wondered.
Diesel laughed before answering, "The one closest to the back door." I wasn't surprised that my cousin moved in.
Manny and Hal probably moved into the other two rooms. The three men frequently stayed at my house while Diesel was on his last mission. I could always count on them to have my back. We were training on the obstacle course soon.
Lester met us at the airport. He was waiting by baggage claim for our luggage to roll down the belt. "Hey, Les," I said as I approached him.
"You're looking tired, Beautiful. Didn't your husband let you sleep?" Lester replied as he wiggled his eyebrows. If his mind didn't automatically jump into the gutter, I would think something was wrong with him.
"I slept," I replied. Diesel and I had a lot of sex during our honeymoon. I'm surprised I could even walk today. Lester laughed. "Out loud?"
"Yes, Beautiful, you said that out loud," Lester confirmed. Diesel looked proud of himself.
"It's worse when I'm tired," I complained. "Who is running the obstacle course tomorrow?"
"Manny, Bobby and I are running the course with you," Lester stated.
"I knew Manny was going, but I thought it would be Hal and Vince joining us," I stated.
"Nope. They're keeping an eye on your favourite detective's family," Lester stated. "He's been causing issues and demanding a retrial. His brother has been searching for people to say you bought the witnesses for your trial."
"I didn't even know those women or cross paths with them," I said as I noticed Diesel and Lester exchange a look. I waited until we were in the security of Lester's car before asking, "Did you find the witnesses, Diesel?"
"Yes. I found the witnesses but did not compensate them for testifying. Most of the women got threatened with arrest by detective Morelli. If they pressed charges for rape or assault, he would charge them with prostitution. Some of them have young children and readily complied," Diesel answered.
"Thank you. I appreciate your help. Morelli needed to pay for his crimes," I stated.
"Anything for you, Sunshine. I didn't break any laws," Diesel added.
"It seems Morelli's having problems in lockup. The other convicts keep beating him up. He's been in protective custody for a few days," Lester informed us.
"Morelli's a cockroach. Who wouldn't want to step on one of those?" I asked. "It's a matter of time before he runs into the family member of a woman he assaulted." I felt he was going to suffer a worse fate. It was a feeling I couldn't shake, but I was powerless to do anything. Morelli made his bed. He gets to lay with the fish. Wait a second. Did I imply Joe was going to die at the hands of the mob?
A few days later, one of Terry Gilman's cousins went FTA. Rangeman got hired by Sebring Bail bonds to capture Antonio Grizzoli. We found him hiding in an empty high school portable. Antonio was a flight risk. Since Grizzoli wasn't supposed to go near the schools, the judge sent him to prison.
Later that evening, we heard Morelli died in his sleep. There was no indication of foul play, but his family insisted on an autopsy.
It took another week for us to learn Morelli died from a heart attack. The toxicology report showed there were no chemical substances found. Since there was no indication of heart disease or a blockage, the coroner ruled he was injected with air, causing an embolism. She found a puncture wound in his neck.
Unfortunately, too many people had access to syringes. The prison warden was unable to determine which man stationed in the infirmary snatched the needle. Each man questioned denied touching them. The CCTV got temporarily blocked during the time the syringe went missing. There was no way to determine who took it.
Many of the men serving lifetime sentences claimed credit for killing the corrupt cop. I suspected Grizzoli murdered Morelli for letting Terry take the fall for his part of her crimes. It was a matter of time before everyone learned just how corrupt Detective Joseph Morelli was. Having Joseph Morelli permanently removed from my life was a relief. He couldn't hurt me anymore.
More witnesses crawled out of the woodwork with evidence proving Joe's criminal activities. They were no longer afraid of Morelli's empty threats. A dead man can cause them no pain. His family was embarrassed and wanted to leave Trenton. None of them had the financial means to move, so they were stuck living with constant ridicule. Bella threatened to put the eye on many people, but they laughed at her. She lost her ability to cause fear within the Burg.
I trained hard on the obstacle course, and I was determined to complete it. We've been practicing for a month before I passed out after crossing the finish line for the first time. "Beautiful, wake up," Lester said as he gently tapped my face.
"M'kay," I mumbled. "Just feeling a little tired."
"You've been tired for a while, Steph," Bobby added. Manny and Vince were standing behind him, looking worried.
"I know, and I don't know why," I weakly stated.
"I'll take some blood to check your iron levels. Maybe you're suffering from anemia," Bobby suggested. Lester lifted me into his arms and carried me to the SUV.
He sat with me in the back seat. Bobby sat on my other side. Vince drove, and Manny took the shotgun position. It didn't take long to return to Rangeman. Vince must have hit every green light.
Ranger and Hector were waiting for us in the garage. Lester passed me to Ranger, who carried me to Bobby's medical suite. He held me as Bobby took a blood sample. Bobby handed the vials to Hector and told him to rush.
"You're dehydrated," Bobby stated as he hooked me up to an IV drip.
"Seriously, Bobby?" I asked. "Is this necessary?"
All the men answered, "Yes."
I rolled my eyes and laid back on the bed. Exhaustion overtook me as I fell asleep. The scent of cinnamon and Christmas cookies filled my nostrils. "Hey, Sunshine," my husband said as I opened my eyes.
"How long have I been sleeping?" I asked.
"A few hours. Bobby disconnected the IV," Diesel replied.
"Thank goodness. Did Bobby figure out what's wrong?" I asked.
"Hector rushed your blood to the lab for testing. He waited until the technician ran the tests," Diesel answered. "I bet he scared the poor woman."
"Probably," I agreed. "What were the results?" I asked. Diesel leaned over to whisper in my ear. "Are you sure?"
"Positive," he replied.
"Okay. I think I can handle it. Can you?" I asked.
"Absolutely."
"Does everyone know the results?" I wondered.
"Only you, me and Hector," he replied. "Hector refuses to tell anyone. I was the only person he wanted to tell."
"Can we go home?" I asked.
"Yes. Ranger said to take a few days off. I'll need to leave in a few days," Diesel stated.
"You finally got the call. How long will you be gone?" I wondered.
"No more than two months. Manny, Vince, Hal and Hector will take turns staying with you. Let's get you home," Diesel said. He wrapped his arms around me and popped us into our bedroom.
I giggled. "You know Ranger hates when you do that. Where's my bra?"
"Does it matter?" he countered.
"Nope." Diesel kissed me until my feet started smoking. He lifted me into his arms and laid me on the bed. We made love until I fell asleep in his arms.
When I woke up, Diesel was watching me. "Did you get enough sleep?"
"I did. Thank you. I'm hungry," I said as my stomach rumbled.
I took my time getting out of bed. Diesel patiently waited for me to sit up and pull on his shirt. He passed me clean panties to wear. "Thank you, my love," I said as I pulled my panties up my legs. A clean pair of yoga pants got tossed at me as I stood up. After I dressed, I went to use the ensuite washroom.
"I'll be in the kitchen when you're ready," Diesel said through the closed door. I splashed cold water on my face before joining Diesel downstairs.
"What are you cooking? It smells delicious," I asked while wrapping my arms around him.
"Grilled chicken, roasted vegetables and rice," he replied. "I seasoned using salt, pepper and lemon."
My stomach grumbled as Diesel opened the oven to turn the chicken. "Man, I'm starving. How much longer?" I asked.
"Another fifteen minutes," he answered. He passed me a piece of toast to eat. I took my time eating to make the time pass quicker.
When the timer chimed, I clapped my hands in excitement. "Yay, dinner time," I squealed. Diesel laughed as he dished up our food. I was starving, so we sat at the counter to eat. "This is so good," I moaned.
"I'm glad you're enjoying dinner. There's enough leftover for lunch tomorrow," Diesel stated.
"What if I don't feel like eating it tomorrow for lunch?" I asked.
"We can use the grilled chicken for a Caesar salad. If you don't feel like eating the salad, then I'll make you something else to eat," he promised.
"You are the perfect man. Thank you for loving me," I said as a tear streamed down my cheek.
"Sunshine, are you okay?" Diesel asked, concerned.
"My emotions seem to be running a little closer to the surface. I don't know what's wrong with me," I replied.
"It's perfectly normal. You'll be back to your usual self soon enough," he reminded me.
We cuddled together on the couch to watch a movie. Diesel selected the movie Mean Girls for us to view. It was such a silly movie about popular girls. I knew a few girls like Regina George. Unlike in the film, Trenton's version of Regina George never redeemed herself.
I felt tired after watching the movie. Diesel carried me to bed. When he placed me into the centre of the bed, I caught my second wind. We made love again.
Diesel tucked my back against his chest, spooning me. His hand trailed down my arm as he kissed my shoulder. "I love you, Stephanie."
"I love you too, Diesel," I reciprocated. Some days I'm overwhelmed by how much I love this man. I felt Diesel move his hand over my hip and down my abs before it settled near my belly button.
He whispered in my ear as I started to fall asleep, "We need to tell them soon." I gave a weak nod as I drifted off to sleep.