Thanks to Susan who proofed this chapter, all remaining mistakes are mine. :)

Chapter 3

Well here she was in her new Mercedes four seat convertible sports car, who would have thought she would return to Trenton in such a car. Her appearance was different too; she had straightened and highlighted her hair because her curls would never behave. When she let it hang lose, it reached her waist and she thought it was one of her better assets. She wore it mostly in a lose bun, braided it, or had it lose in a high ponytail. Because she had worked in the office at LHR, as a representative for them, she mostly wore dresses, skirts and business suits when she was working. She was a little naughty there though; her skirts were short but not too short. She liked to look like a classy lady, but not conservative. Her clothing were tailored and her heels high. She had confidence in what she did, and who she was and showed it. She was not easily intimidated and she loved to get things her way. She had had a crash course in the workings of the Bonds world, then redecorated Vinnie's filthy office and she thought she was going to like working there very much.

She parked her car in front of the office and went in smiling. "Hi Connie, how are you today?"

"Fine Steph, your first day, are you excited?" Connie said smiling from ear to ear.

"Yeah, my first day working on my own, well with you and Lula I mean, but I'm responsible now which as scary and exciting in one. Lula not in yet?"

"She will hate it she's late, she just called to tell me her car won't start, she has called Tank to help her and he is on his way over to her."

"Oh is that her boyfriend? His name though... his mother must have hated him to give him such a name." She said laughing.

"I wouldn't dare telling him that, he is built like a Tank and I guess it's a nick name. He's as big as Hawk. And no, he's not her boyfriend; he helps her, and tries to teach her to be a BEA. He works for RangeMan who handle the high bond skips. He is second in command there, haven't you met him or the owner, Carlos Mañoso AKA Ranger?"

"No, pity though, I would have liked to meet them but Hawk and Luca have done all the meetings with them. I was busy making the house our home. I think with the next contract negotiations, I will be the one to have deal with that. I'll get a cup of coffee and get to work. There is so much to read through and learn for me. Give me a call if there is something I need to know or do okay?"

Having to work with them, she had to be acquainted with the men in charge of RangeMan, after Hawk and she had dealt with the courthouse and police, she reminded herself.

"Okay." Connie said.

In her office, she called RangeMan and made an appointment for the day after, now she had other things to do. A half an hour later, she heard someone screeching in the office about a car parked outside. So she went to have a look, she was not really curious; she just liked to know all that goes around.

"Do you see that Mercedes Connie, isn't it a beauty? I would want such a ride, I think I won't need a man anymore, I get an orgasm just looking at it." Steph had to smile at that, it was the same thing she felt riding a beast of a car. Lula looked unexplainably great in red spandex; she guessed it was three sizes too small for her full body, to use an understatement, but then again she looked great in it.

"It's my car and if you are a good girl Lula, I will take you and Connie to Pino's for lunch, to celebrate my first day."

Lula was almost hyperventilating to get the chance to ride in it. "Well I'm always a good girl." She giggled. "And food is my passion, so I know that will work out. What time are we leaving?"

"We're leaving when you have your skips for the morning in custody okay?"

"Hell yeah." She almost skipped to the desk grabbed her files and skipped out of the door. Connie and she stared after her with our mouths hanging open. Did you ever see a fully-grown, full-bodied black, or for that matter, white woman, in too tight red spandex clothing and high heels, skip? No? We tell you, if you did, you will be standing open mouthed just like us. It was quite the sight to behold, endearing, shocking and funny.

When they were seated in Pino's, she saw she had forgotten it was a cop's hangout, the place was packed with them, but she did not recognize anybody. Against a wall on the other side though was a table with men all in black. The men in black were imposing like LHR men, looked like they were wearing urban combat gear. These guys were just her type. That was amusing, looking like she did. She looked like an upper class bitch, she knew she did, and she did it on purpose. However, she was attracted to men like Ricardo, Hawk and his guys. A few of them sitting there, even had tattoos on their faces, still no problem for her to admire the incredible bodies, oh especially those t-shirts they wore, they looked like they were painted on their muscular torso's. She secretly checked them out and noticed them ogle her just as covertly, and dismiss her as unapproachable.

"So ladies what shall it be?" She asked Connie and Lula when the server approached their table. "I know what I want, it's been too long since I had one."

They ordered and she had a meatball sub, Pino makes the best in the country. They talked, laughed and were enjoying, a nice lunch together until she came back from the rest room. She would have sworn she had all but forgotten about that man. When she walked back to their table, a tall, movie star handsome looking Italian guy spoke to her, while looking her over like she was his lunch.

"Well hello beautiful, I haven't seen you around here before. What about diner sometime, just you and me?" He said that in what he must think a seductive, which it wasn't, and too loud a voice. Next, she became aware of his 'she assumed fellow cops' when they stopped talking, and observed them with interest.

She looked him over just as he had done her, and then realized it was Joe Morelli. What the fuck, he's a cop? How is it possible he ended up a cop?

She did not let him know she recognized him, and said smooth voiced and a bit too loud like he had done. "I don't think so. First off I'm married, I don't suppose that would be a problem for the likes of you, but it is to me. In addition, I have a standard to uphold, so even if I wasn't married, I wouldn't even think about it. Good day to you."

She deftly moved back to the table they were sitting at, and had to pass the table with all the men in black. She nodded at them and smiled her brightest smile, while she kept walking, she said loud enough for Morelli to hear. "Good afternoon gentlemen."

It seems now she had not only stupefied Morelli, but also the men in black looked quite shocked too. She turned to the girls, "So are we done here?" at which they nodded silently. "Come on let's go then." They gathered their stuff in the now silent establishment; she gave the men in black another bright smile, ignored Morelli and sashayed out of Pino's on her four inched power pumps. God she felt good, she totally humiliated that godforsaken motherfucker on his own turf, just as he had done to her years ago.

Lula was the first to regain her speech. "White girl that was the most entertaining thing I have seen in quite a while. Do you know you humiliated the Italian stallion; he is the king of this hood girl. All the women are after him and you..." she couldn't speak any more as she fell into the car laughing so hard she cried and informed us she almost peed herself. Which was way too much information for her, but still it was fun to get that bastard back. Connie was still dumbfounded; until she squeezed out, "The men in black are men working for RangeMan, Steph."

"Oh I'm glad I haven't alienated them then." Was all she said when she drove back to the office, thinking about Morelli, the nerve of him, fucker.

When they got there, Hawk stood in the door opening looking at her with a wide smile on his face. He greeted her with, "did you have a nice lunch sweetheart?" He was looking mighty fine in his jeans, black button down shirt and combat boots. He might be older but his presence was powerful, he had the 'don't fuck with me attitude' even when smiling at her.

"Oh Hawk, I had a delightful lunch." Then snickered wickedly. "The girls are still recovering," she said looking at them.

"Was it that bad?" Hawk responded with a grin, knowing her it had to be something humorous, or mildly disastrous, it could swing both ways with ease.

Connie said. "Your wife has humiliated the local stud. The man was crushed. It's never been so silent in Pino's while the joint was open for business."

"Really Steph what happened?" Hawk asked, grinning wider.

"I'll tell you later, now we have to get to the courthouse and police station to introduce me and get my permit to handle bonds. I am sure you will enjoy the story. We might even bump into the local stud, he's a cop."

She handed him her car keys and they went on their way. She told Hawk whom the local stud was and that the man had not recognized her, when he so eloquently asked her out to dinner. Hawk was furious, of course, he knew all about why she was thrown out of her parents' house, and what Morelli had done. She told him to leave it, as she would handle the thug herself when the time came that he recognized her. Hawk did not want to, but conceded. Their business in the courthouse was done rapidly, and now they had to get the same done at the police station. When they arrived there and headed to the front desk, she saw Eddie Gazzara who married her cousin Shirley, so she had heard. She had not seen him in twelve years but he recognized her immediately.

"Stephanie." He hollered enthusiastically, smiling widely. "Jeez Steph, you look goooood, you turned out a Lady. How are you? So good to see you again, we're family now, did you know I married Shirley?" He was so sincere in his welcome and that felt so good, she almost cried.

They hugged, "Yes I know, I heard from my grandmother she still keeps tabs here. I'm proud to have you in my family Eddie, you look good to," and he did, "but I am not in touch with the family in the 'Burg'. I'd appreciate it if you would not mention me to them or them to me. Okay?" He nodded happily. "Eddie this is my husband Hawk Taylor. Hawk this is Eddie Gazzara." They shook hands and made pleasantries as they were taught by their mammas. They talked for a while; achieved what they had come for and walked out of the police station without attracting too much attention to themselves.

/

They were on time to get Rick from school; collected Hawk's car by the office and headed home separately. Later they ate Ana's dinner and spent a pleasurable evening together. Hawk left the following morning early, and she brought Rick to school before she went to the office. When she was almost there, an unmarked police car stopped her. She knew for sure she had not driven above the speed limit. When she saw Morelli coming out of his police car she waited patiently for him to come to her as she opened her window.

"Stephanie Plum, you were speeding, I have to write you a ticket." He looked so smug, as if he really enjoyed himself, idiot. "Your driver's license and car papers please."

She handed him what he asked for, and waited unwearyingly.

"Mrs. Taylor it is now, eh. You snatched yourself a sugar daddy?" He said with the obvious intension to get a rise out of her, looking her car over with a scornful expression on his face.

She looked up at him all innocent, determined not to react to the insult. "Excuse me? I know I am Mrs. Taylor... but who are you? Should I know you?"

His face became white then red and he had trouble trying to keep things together that was clear. The poor fucker even started to stutter. "I ... I'm Joe Morelli." If looks could kill, she would be dead on the spot.

Sugary sweet she replied. "Oh excuse me, I didn't recognize you; it's so long ago since I have seen you last. In addition, I wasn't driving too fast. And if you don't believe me, I can have my husband read out my GPS that registers all this car does. It even records our little conversation as we speak. Is that necessary?"

He looked at her in stunned disbelieve. "No." He handed her back her papers without saying anything further and walked back to his car stiff legged, body rigid, 'as Ricky was wont to do when he was angry with her'. Two for her, none for Morelli. YES!

/

She hoped to have seen the last of him, but doubted it; his ego was so big she was sure he could not handle rejection too easily. Happily, she resumed her way to the office. Lula and Connie were both in and she was handed a cup of coffee, before they inquired if she had encountered Morelli that morning, as they clearly expected. So she told them what happened and they looked at her in disbelieve. "You did what?" Connie all but screamed, "And he just walked away?"

"Yep." She said proudly. "I have to go to RangeMan to introduce myself, can't have them think me to high and mighty to come to them."

"You know Joe Morelli isn't gone leave this alone don't you." Lula said a little upset.

"Yes I know. I'm going to RangeMan now, we work with them and I don't know them yet, I'm about to correct that. Call me if you need me, see you later." She replied not wanting to elaborate further on Morelli, hastily removing herself from the office. She did wonder if Connie remembered the reason she had left home all those years ago, as she did not comment on it. Hopefully she does not.

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