All familiar characters belong to Janet. The mistakes are solely mine.

"Care to explain the look that's currently on your face, Babe?" Ranger asked, letting himself back into the apartment without me hearing him.

We barely finished breakfast before he was asked to go down to five for something he must've agreed was important.

"I was wondering what I did to get bumped up to 'text buddy'," I told him. "Lester just texted me to say he's buying me dinner tonight."

"He's worse than a kid on Christmas morning. I told him I wanted to talk to you before he starts celebrating."

I'm not sure what my face is now doing, but I'm pretty sure it's arranged in some form of a 'What's going on?' expression. "What happened?"

"Why don't you sit down, and I'll explain."

"This is why you were called down to five, isn't it?"

I already know the answer. I don't know why I bothered to ask.

"It is," Ranger told me.

Apparently, I was taking too long to do as he suggested, so he sat on the couch and pulled me onto his lap a millisecond later.

Once his arms were wrapped securely and comfortingly around me, I continued. "I know nothing's wrong in our world if Lester's in party-mode, but I'm sensing something major going on."

"I'd qualify it more as 'long overdue' more than major. The Trenton Police Department has begun taking disciplinary action against Detective Morelli."

He paused to let that news sink in.

"Oooo-kay," I breathed out. "Clearly Hector's really good at his job. Who did Morelli contact to spring the trap so to speak?"

"Mary Lou. Hector is the best, but his skills weren't necessarily needed this time. Your friend was trying to protect you without worrying you. As soon as Morelli tried to contact her, Mary Lou went straight to Eddie. Fortunately, Hector's program was already in place so everything we collected on the detective was forwarded even before Gazarra was notified."

The gravity of the situation just hit me. I wanted Joe to back off. But feeling every inch of the 'bleeding heart' he accused me of being, I was questioning whether I overreacted.

"You did the right thing, Steph," Ranger said into my curls. "Do not feel bad for him. He's the one who caused this, who was social media-stalking you and your family. He's the one who chose to commit the crimes we've documented."

He always knows what to say to switch off my guilt and my fear. "And those crimes would be? I know being a pain in the ass isn't even a misdemeanor in Jersey, though it should be."

I've never asked because part of me didn't want to know how horrible someone I thought I knew really is.

"On the less severe end, the detective used the city's time and resources to try to dig up dirt on private citizens."

"Me? Or did he go after you in an attempt to hurt me more?" I asked.

"A little of both. He was contacting my clients hoping to come up with a solid allegation to pursue against me or my men."

"That son of a bitch!"

Ranger pressed an amused kiss to my head. "My company is unassailable. I don't conduct business with people who could be coerced into lying about me for personal gain."

Of course, Ranger would be prepared for anything, even asshole exes who don't like being called out on being an asshole.

I hugged as much of him as I could get my arms around. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this."

"I'm not sorry at all. I'm glad to have the opportunity to take away all access he has to you."

"By getting him fired or making him dead?" I had to ask.

"I know you aren't comfortable hearing this, Babe, but I'd feel zero remorse for putting a bullet in every one of his vital organs. But I know I can protect you, so I'm willing to wait to see how this plays out in the system, or how the dick detective plays it."

"Meaning?"

"With the right pressure, the Chief could prosecute him on top of just firing him. Harassing you and my business associates aren't the only citizens he's targeted. Within the department, it'd been decided that he wouldn't be allowed to respond to a call or a case solo, especially the ones involving women under thirty. That's the kind of black eye the station wants to avoid at all costs. Morelli could resign thinking that'll keep the accusations from ever seeing the light of day."

My stomach rolled in disgust. Morelli's been more than inappropriate with me over the years, but I can't stand the thought of someone else suffering because of what he's done to them. I got used to being hurt by people like him, nobody else should have to know how that feels.

"But everything will be made public regardless, right?" I asked.

"Yes. He started this and now I'm going to finish it."