Avenging Laura (Special Forces: Operation Alpha)

Chapter 22

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Highlander saw red. That bitch! He was going to enjoy watching the life drain from her fucking eyes.

While he knew violence wasn’t the answer, these last two weeks had shown him sometimes it was. They dared to touch his wife and harmed her not only physically but mentally and emotionally.

“Lass, look at me.”

When she didn’t look at him, he counted to three and repeated his request. When she failed to look at him again, he reached out with a finger and turned her face toward him.

“Laura, I love ye. I don’t care what they said or did. One, they will pay for laying a finger on ye and hurting ye. I promise ye that. Two, there is nothing in this world that will make me consider ye ruined or tainted. Ye did not ask them to rape ye, beat ye, or anything else that they have done to ye. Ye are my wife. My heart and soul, lass.”

“I’m damaged goods!” Laura cried loudly, staring him in the eyes.

“Did ye willingly have sex? Did ye tell him to stick his cock in ye?” Highlander yelled, meeting her voice level.

“ No !” Laura yelled at him.

“Then ye are not damaged goods, Laura. Ye had your choices taken from ye. He raped ye because he was ordered to by a woman who is jealous of ye. Ye will always be more of a woman that that bitch ever will be. Ye have family, friends, people who will fight the world to find ye, protect ye, and defend ye. She has no one. She will be cast out to the enemy the minute her usefulness runs out. She is expendable. Ye are priceless.”

Highlander knew it would take time for her to accept his words. She would fight him every step of the way because they hurt her deeply. He knew he would have to be patient and take his time with his wife.

He would do what needed to be done to make her see that he wasn’t going anywhere. He was in it for the long haul. He loved his wife.

“M-my dad said something that didn’t make sense.” Laura sniffled as she looked up at him.

“What’s that, love?”

“He claims he’s not my biological father. That mom had an affair.” Laura looked at him in confusion.

Highlander wanted to punch the fucker in the face even more now. He was going to make that man suffer the most painful death he could think of.

“Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how ye want to look at it, he was correct. Ye mother had an affair after an argument with David. Ye mum went to a local bar and wound up picking up a man who was in town for a training session with another unit as part of a program the military has. We still do it from time to time. She had the affair for a couple of weeks while he was in town. Gave him a fake name. He didn’t even know she was married.”

“Who’s my father?” Laura deflated, suddenly numb.

“I am.”

Highlander watched as she slowly turned her head toward the voice that was standing in the doorway of her private room. He looked familiar but she couldn’t place him.

“Who are you?” Laura studied the man.

Highlander had to applaud his wife. She kept her voice even and soft at the same time she reached for his hand. He didn’t think she realized she had done that.

“I am General Travis McCoy. I am a general in the Army. I am over the CAG unit out of Fort Cavazos in Kileen, Texas. Turns out I was your brother’s commanding officer when he was with Delta.”

“That’s why you look familiar.”

“He’s also Ghost and Mike’s boss, too.” Highlander chuckled as he winked down at Laura.

“Ah, so now when Hammer pisses me off, I can call daddio and tell him that big brother is being an asshat and he needs to be punished. I’m digging it.” Laura smirked as she looked at General McCoy up and down.

“Ah, lass, ye are devious as hell. That’s why I love ye.” Highlander chuckled as he nodded to a seat for the general to take.

“Why now?” Laura watched McCoy as he took the seat that Highlander suggested to him.

“Why now what?”

“Why come forward now?” Laura tried to hide the sadness she had about everything.

“I didn’t know about you until a couple of days ago. As soon as I found out about you, I came here. If you will allow me to, I would love to get to know you and your family. Those you consider family.”

“Are you married, other children?”

Highlander could hear the almost childlike fear she had in her voice when she asked the question. He knew she was afraid that if he had another family, after what happened to her, his family would hate her. Not on his watch.

“I am. I have been married for twenty-five years. I have five children. Three boys and two girls. Don’t worry, I promise my wife and other children will love you.”

“You can’t know that. My own mother didn’t love me,” Laura softly said, looking down at the blankets on her bed.

“Your mother wasn’t a real mother. Yes, I had an affair with her. I was young and stupid back then. But I do not regret having you. I regret not knowing about you and the horror you lived through at their hands,” General McCoy admitted to Laura as he stared into her eyes.

“Had you known about me?”

“I would have moved heaven and earth to be a part of your life. If I had known what they were doing to you, then I would have taken custody. You would have known the love of a parent,” General McCoy said strongly.

Highlander watched as Laura studied the general for a few moments before looking over at him. He watched her as she studied him for a few minutes before turning back to the general.

“I think everything that’s happened, happened for a reason. As much as I hate how I was raised, if I had gone to you, Dominick wouldn’t be the man he is today. I wouldn’t have met my husband or my children. I don’t understand why, but I think I’m where I’m supposed to be for a reason. You do know about me now. Now, you have a chance to be a part of my life. I’m not going to jump into your arms or ask for piggyback rides or anything like that. At least not yet. We now have a chance to get to know one another.”

“I’m game for that piggyback ride any time you are. Just give me a heads-up so this old man can be prepared for that jump.”