“Talk to us, please,” Alvarez pleaded with York.
York walked out of the room towards the balcony in the guest room. Once everyone was on the balcony, York looked down towards the SUV where Pratt and Cortez were sitting inside.
“How much do you know about her first marriage?” York looked over at Gene and Highlander.
“I know he cheated on her with her sister and a stripper. Supposedly smacked her down a flight of stairs when she joined the force.” Highlander looked down towards the SUV where his wife was, worried about her.
“He did what?” Carter’s voice went low and deadly, something that made the others look at him for a minute.
“That’s the only thing she admits to. Things were actually worse.” York took a deep breath as she leaned onto the railing and looked up at the sky.
“When he was screwing her sister, Maria, he would constantly yell at Pratt in public. Telling her in front of others how lousy she was in the sack. If she didn’t move fast enough, he would lock her in a room after removing the light bulb, try to force her to eat dog food, tie her face down to the bed and force her to have sex, call her other women’s name during sex, telling her that they were tighter than she was, and so much other shit. He tried to force her to sign a slave contract shortly after she started the department in a bid to force her to quit.
Gene, Highlander, Ian and Carter all let out a string of curses. Alvarez gripped the railing tightly to the point of her knuckles going white.
“Her fear of the dark, and that box has to do with Jon, her ex-husband, tying her to a chair and putting a metal box over her head for hours at a time to get her to comply with his demands.”
York looked at Highlander for a moment and then looked down towards the SUV where Cortez had Pratt sitting on the curb drinking a bottle of water.
“The twins are her third pregnancy, not her second.” York shocked Gene and Highlander. “She was pregnant a year after having Cody. It’s the real reason Dominick left the Army and came home.
Gene and Highlander looked at each other before looking over at Larry, then all three men looked at York.
“What happened to the wee bairn, lass?”
York looked over at Highlander, staring him straight in the eyes. “Her father and ex-husband beat the living shit out of her, nearly killing her, when she refused to quit the department.”
“Why the fuck are they still free?” Alvarez angrily turned around looking outside into the parking lot.
“The Senator.” York walked away, headings out of the apartment and out to the parking lot with her other two teammates.
Alvarez looked at Highlander for a moment. “I know she’s your wife, but in the short time I’ve talked to these women and gotten to know them, I’ve grown to like them. Once we are done with this case, I’m taking those fuckers out.” Alvarez walked out, following York out of the apartment and to the parking lot.
“You didn’t know?” Carter assumed the answer before asking Highlander.
“Nae. I knew he caused issues with Cody. But I only knew of him hurting her one time. She always played it off.”
“Her father really that much of an ass?” Ian glanced over to Highlander, Gene and Larry.
“Aye.”
“Yes.”
“Unfuckingfortunately.” All three men answered at the same time.
“When I first met the lass, her parents marched into her place of work, yelling at her, demanding she remove herself from our case. Her mother and sister even showed up at her house, putting her down in front of a complete stranger.”
“You mean Maria didn’t try to jump your bones in front of Laura?” Larry mocked, clearly hating the woman.
“Aye, the barracuda tried, but my lass was the only one I had eyes for.”
“York said the Senator was the reason they weren’t arrested?” Ian glanced at Larry and Gene for an answer.
“That’s probably true. Jon’s father is a Senator for the state of California. The father is just as sorry as he is. Dominick can confirm, but I believe Laura’s father and the Senator served in the Corps together. Her father made a career out of the military, but the Senator got out, going into politics after doing his four years.” Larry walked over to the railing, looking out into the parking lot, watching Pratt.
“I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, it’s amazing that Dominick and Laura turned out the way that they did. They are good, kind and putting others before themselves. The kind of parents they had, it’s truly a miracle.” Gene shook his head, leaning back onto the wall behind him.
“Lord knows the hell my lass went through growing up. The fact she’s proven that she can do her job with her disabilities and do it just as good as we can. My team, and every SEAL she’s come into contact with, are all amazed with her and her team…”
