Page 8 of Liberating Mallory
“My husband was on that beach with Opie when he got that call. He saw the fear and the panic in his eyes when he realized why her mother was asking if she was home. That man lived for her phone calls twice a day. He wouldn’t do anything with his friends until he got that call and knew she was ok until the next call. Opie would give his life for her. To him, she’s his entire world. That girl wants for nothing. He may not come across with a dominate vibe like those two standing behind you, ready to save you, but that man worships the fucking air she breathes.” Raso ground out, interrupting Pratt’s anger.
Raso stormed out of the room having her say, causing everyone to remain quiet as they glanced at each other in shock. Pratt continued to glare at Knight waiting for the next comment out of his mouth.
“Okay…I’m scared now. Carter, you scared?” Brody asked as he watched Raso storm out of the room.
“Why would double-oh-seven be scared?” Knight asked in confusion, sitting down with a heavy sigh.
“Red on the head, I get why she’s angry. She’s pregnant and hungry. But Ice, there were no cracks, no bodily harm threats, no comedy central from either woman, it’s not like them.” Brody answered Knight as he looked around at the rest of Alpha Squad for answers.
Having pity on the men in the room, Cortez stood up. “You not only have Pratt pregnant, but you also have Raso pregnant with MacLeod spawns. Those men are as overly protective as you two and Ian. It all boils down to everyone worried about, not only Mallory, but Opie as well. Opie is family to the MacLeod’s, which makes him family to us also. He’s on Marcus’s Raider team. After the hell that man went through several years ago, if he lost Mallory, it would be like the preggos losing their husbands on a mission, or, you boys losing your wives.”
“Fuck!” Brody, Carter and Knight said in Union.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know…” Knight repeated, defeated after that blow.
“Save it Knight. You were doing your job. We get it, Mallory is important to you like Opie is to us. Right now, we are all running on fumes, and worry. Plus, Red and I have the added joy of pregnancy hormones. Once we eat, put our heads together and look at things from both sides, I’m sure we’ll be besties.” Raso quipped walking back into the room with a file she had left in her room as she sat down in the chair she vacated earlier, propping her feet up on the bed nearby.
“Again, I’m sorry. Mallory didn’t really go into details…” Knight stammered again, rubbing his face with his hands.
“She told Ian a little about him. Told Ian not to look into him because she trusted him. Stated he treated her like a queen and yet annoyed her with how he always made sure she wanted for nothing. That was good enough for Ian. She did say that she knew you guys, so Ian stated he felt confident if anything happened to her while she was there, you’d make sure the body was never found.” Brody informed Knight and the women.
“Ian said she didn’t tell him the full story of what happened to him in the past, just that he had lost his mother and a brother he wasn’t close to.” Carter added to Brody’s line.
Pratt sighed, moving around the room as she rubbed her back slightly and wincing when the baby kicked hard into her ribs. “Long story short, Opie’s father killed their mother, and a brother Opie wasn’t close to. He tried to pin it on Opie during an argument, the father was blaming Opie for the loss of half his team members…”
“Ah hell!” Abbott, Brody, Carter, Jordyn and Knight all said at the same time.
“Opie, already blaming himself for not catching the signs of the incoming ambush soon enough, snapped. During the struggle with his father, the mother tried to intervene, the father stabbed her and blamed it on Opie. The father, it turned out was part of a human trafficking ring and was tying up loose ends by killing the wife and oldest son who had been running his yap about what was coming.” Rameriez finished the information telling, rubbing the back of her neck.
“He nearly lost everything because of that bullshit. Mallory is the best thing that’s happened to that boy! He’s finally smiling again, joining the team in activities outside of missions and is actually laughing. His sisters and his brother-in-law, who’s a Marine Recon were afraid that Opie would meet it on a mission because he was so closed off after that. I know the MacLeod brothers were just as worried, which is why Marcus had Opie moved to his team, with help from their team leader.” Cheryl Diesel told the Trident Security guys, watching Knight’s reaction.
“Holy shit! I remember that!” Abbott announced, looking shocked. “I remember that being talked about. Everyone that knew Adamson was literally in shock when they were informed what he was being accused of. I didn’t know the guy, but I remembered the reactions everyone had when word was going around. “
Knight sighed deeply before standing up and walking over to where Pratt and Raso were sitting. “I’m sorry ladies. I didn’t know anything about him and wasn’t sure if he could have…”
“We get it. I’m sorry for my reaction to your question. I’m too close to the situation due to Opie. If it was anyone else, I would have asked the same question, so no reason to apologize.” Pratt said before taking a bite of her sandwich. “We’re good. Now, we need to eat, cuz we can’t allow Carter, the superspy guy, to starve while we use his brain power to brainstorm.”
6
Seeing that York and Diesel had arrived behind Raso, more introductions were done as the food was passed out for everyone. They were glad that they had ordered more than normal with the arrival of the Trident group.
“What did you think of Greenly?” Abbott asked Diesel and York.
York coughed, after having just taken a bite of food. “I thought dealing with dick with ears back in California was bad. This guy has being an asshole down to an art. I have a new hate for men.” Diesel griped, shaking her head.
“Diesel is right. Greenly is a character, that’s for damn sure. He definitely has immense hate for Mallory. Blames her for the death of his family.” York advised her teammates before taking another bite of her sandwich.
“Hates women as a whole?” Raso asked, shifting in her seat to put a pillow behind her back.
“Hate is putting it nicely. In that fool’s world, women are ‘only good for fucking and cooking his food.’” Diesel sneered as she used air quotes, replaying Greenly’s statement.
“Hate isn’t even the word I’d use when Mallory’s name is mentioned either. I think that asshat actually got a woody when asked what he had ordered done to Mallory.” York gagged as she shivered, remembering the look in Greenly’s eyes at that time.
“What did you find out on the visitation logs?” Pratt asked, trying to reach her foot to rub it, yet failing, thanks to her watermelon sized baby bump.
“Here.” Brody said to Pratt, sitting across from her, taking her socked foot into his hands, helping her massage her foot.
Groaning in pleasure, Pratt closed her eyes. “Thanks. This is one of the reasons I hate when Highlander deploys. No foot or back rubs when everything starts cramping.”