Avenging Laura (Special Forces: Operation Alpha)

Chapter 33

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Highlander drove Laura home from the restaurant they had gone to for dinner. They never made it to the other things that they had considered doing after dinner. They spent hours at the restaurant laughing and talking.

“Let me walk ye to the door, lass.”

“You really don’t have to.” Laura smiled over at him.

“Aye, but I do. That’s how a proper date is supposed to end. My mum and da would have my arse if I just left a beautiful lass on the sidewalk and hauled arse elsewhere.”

Laura just laughed as she started to get out of the car. When Highlander growled from behind her, she put her hands up and let him come around to the other side to open her door. They held hands as he walked her to the door, only to stop once they reached the porch.

“Ye have ye weapon on ye?” Highlander’s voice went cold.

“What’s wrong?” Laura handed him her backup weapon as she drew hers.

“The front door is ajar. Call for back up to be safe.”

Laura pulled out her phone and dialed 9-1-1. “This is Detective Laura Pratt, badge number two-three-six-two. I’m calling in a possible break in to my home. My address is two- two-five Palm Almonds Drive. I will be entering the location with my weapon drawn. Please send backup.”

Laura hung up the phone and patted Highlander’s back to let him know she was ready. She followed Highlander into each room, both of them checking each room together. He checked high while she checked low.

“Clear,” Laura said softly as she looked back at Highlander who nodded his response.

That was the response from each room when they worked as one to clear the house. When Laura would get behind Highlander after clearing a room, she would tap his shoulder to let him know she was ready to move forward.

If she went in the opposite direction, she would tap that side of his shoulder letting him know which way she was going so he knew to go the other way. They worked in tandem, quietly and quickly. They had just cleared the last room of the house when her team and other law enforcement officers arrived on scene.

“Everyone ok?” Captain Irby asked as she entered the home checking them over.

“Aye. I brought Laura home after dinner and found the door ajar. I know I shut and locked it when I picked her up for dinner,” Highlander informed the captain as he came out of the bedroom.

“Diesel, get Chaos in here. Have her sniff around to make sure whomever it was didn’t leave our detective any surprises. York, have Zeus sniff around outside doing the same thing. I don’t buy them just breaking in and playing lookie-loo around the house. They had to have left something.”

Laura walked into the kitchen to get a drink of water and noticed the large manila envelope on the dining room table. Walking over to pick it up, she looked at the group standing around in the living room.

Opening the envelope, she pulled out the photos and nearly fell to the ground at the one that was on top. She had to have made a sound because the next thing she knew Highlander, Captain Irby, and Diesel were in the kitchen with her, along with Raso and York.

“What the hell?” Diesel and Highlander said at the same time.

There were several photos in the envelope of Highlander with a blonde. Highlander was sitting in a chair watching the scantily clad woman dancing in front of him. She was topless and bent over, placing her tits in Highlander’s face.

Laura turned to walk away when Highlander grabbed her arm and stared into her eyes. She was warring with herself on what to believe.

“Red, look at me,” Diesel ordered her, standing beside Highlander.

When Laura looked over at Diesel, she could see the anger that was evident in Highlander’s eyes showing in Diesel’s eyes. What did they have to be angry about other than him being caught. Was she such a damn fool?

“Highlander was with me and Viper at the clubhouse. One of the guys, not Viper’s but one of the old club members brought this chick in. Joe never encouraged her, never touched her and never spoke to her other than to tell her to get the fuck away from him.”

Laura took two deep breaths and searched within herself. She realized then and there she had fallen back into old habits with ease looking at those photos.

“I know he didn’t cheat on me. He wouldn’t have wanted this to work if he had. The one thing I know about my husband is he isn’t the type to cheat on someone. I’m good. Yes. I admit I thought the worst when I first looked at that top photo. But I know you, Joe. I know that’s not who you are. I can tell, when I really study that photo, you’re bored. That chick doesn’t interest you. I am good. I promise.”

“Then where were ye going, lass?” Highlander stepped into Laura’s full line of sight, ignoring the others behind him.

Laura looked at her husband in the eyes. “To check the house for new cameras. I know you have yours, but I want to make sure there’s no new ones in this house. This house has been watched on the outside, but they still got inside. How did they know we were gone? My car was in the driveway. Lights were on in the house.”

“Shite, she’s right. How did they know she wasn’t here?” Highlander turned to look at Laura’s teammates in alarm.

Laura and Highlander watched as York and Diesel left the house for a few moments before they came back with a device that would check the area, they searched for both listening devices and cameras. Highlander moved Laura in front of him, his arms holding her back against him. He was letting her know he was with her, one hundred percent.