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“I’m sure we could find a prisoner or two at the federal pen that would enjoy him,” grinned Cruz. They all nodded with a grin, then sobered. Torro finally broke the silence.
“We find him. We destroy the gang. We kill him.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“Londyn, how are you feeling?” asked Eric.
“I honestly can’t believe how good I’m feeling,” she said, shaking her head. She wore a long green maxi dress, the thin straps showing her beautifully sun-kissed shoulders. On her feet were a pair of brown leather sandals. Her hair hung down her back, the big green eyes stared at the room.
“Well, we’re glad you’re finally on the mend,” said Luke. “I know this might be difficult, Londyn, but can you tell us everything you know about Perez?”
“Of course,” she nodded, swallowing. She didn’t expect to feel emotional, but tears filled her eyes, and she looked at Bone seated in the front row. He stood, sitting beside her and holding her hand.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think I’d be so emotional,” she said, shaking her head.
“If this is too soon, too much, we can wait,” said Eric.
“No. No, it’s alright. I’m okay now. I’ve known Cisco Perez since I was a child. He was four or five years older than me, but he was always a bully, always abusive to the other kids. At first, he was able to get kids to follow him because they feared his father. Later on, they learned to fear him.
“If you were missing an animal, a dog or cat, you’d probably find it suffering at his hands. He’d cage the animals and torture them slowly.” Truck let out a low rumble, and Londyn smiled, patting his head. “Not you, boy. I never knew about the arrangement between my father and his. Not until my Quinceañera. He wanted to dance with me, and I refused. I despised him. I’d heard about what he did to women, and I didn’t want any part of it. Then he said sooner or later I’d have to come to him because I was going to be his wife. I couldn’t believe it. I just laughed.”
“What did your father say?” asked Bone.
“When I confronted him, he said that it had been agreed upon years before. I ran from the room and ripped my dress off. I didn’t want the party in the first place, but he had insisted. My friend, Maria, she came in and told me what I should have known. My father was a criminal, just like Perez. I was stupid enough to believe he was an honest businessman.”
“There was no reason for you to suspect otherwise,” said Luke. “You were a teenage girl, and I’m sure you had other interests.”
“My only interests were leaving Houston,” she said, staring at the other man. “I finished high school early and went to the University of Indiana for my undergraduate work. When my father called and said I had to come home, I refused. I’d been accepted to three different dental schools, and I was going to make my dream come true.
“It was only a few weeks later that Maria called to tell me he’d been killed by Perez and that Perez was dead as well. She told me not to return to Houston because Cisco was looking for me. I should have changed my name,” she said, shaking her head. “I finished dental school and came here because I knew I could live cheaply and pay off my student loans.”
“I know this is going to be hard, Londyn,” said Eric, “but did he say anything when he attacked you in the apartment?” She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath, thinking back to that moment.
“The room was dark, just like I left it. I went to turn on a light, and he grabbed me from behind, covering my mouth. I tried to scream, and that’s when they shoved me to the floor. He and his men were punching me everywhere. Honestly, I thought if they killed me, it would be better than him touching me. I wasn’t that lucky.
“He raped me first, then told his men to take me. I was in so much pain. Everything hurt me. Everything. He said he was going to drag me back to Houston and make me his wife. Then he said that I would have to watch as he took other women in front of me. I just kept shaking my head, and he told me he would beat me into submission.
“It felt like hours, but then I realized it had only been a short time when Parker knocked on the door. They stilled, then grinned, thinking they were going to kill Parker. I heard someone kick in the door, and suddenly, the men were off of me. I heard gunfire and cursing, then nothing.
“I do remember Parker lifting me in his arms, apologizing over and over again. I just kept thinking, what does he have to apologize for? He saved me.” She smiled at him, and he shook his head. “That’s all I remember.”
“That’s more than enough,” said Eric. “Did you ever meet any of your father’s business associates? Anyone that might have been from Mexico?”
“I met his cousin, Teo Chavez, once. He was very nice to meet. Very kind. I know that my father had a lot of late-night meetings, and he went down to McAllen and Brownsville a lot for meetings. Knowing what I know now, I’d suspect those were with criminals from Mexico.”
“Is your friend, Maria, still living in the area?” asked Luke.
“I don’t think so,” she said, shaking her head. “I never heard from her after she told me to stay away. Since my father was gone, there was no one there for me to contact. I just tried to stay hidden. The thing is, Perez doesn’t really want me. He wants to own me, possess me, but he doesn’t want me as a wife. He wants to show the world, or at least his world, what happens when you disobey him. I am the only person, the only thing to ever escape him, and he sees that as a failure.”
“Anything else you can think of?” asked Cam.
“No, nothing right now. I’m sorry I didn’t come to you all sooner and say something. I didn’t fully understand who you were. I should have told Parker to bring someone with him. I should have let him look inside the apartment. I should have done a lot of things.
“But I can promise you this. I won’t be leaving this property at any time in the near future. I’m happy to start seeing patients again since the clinic is secure, but I won’t be going anywhere after that.”
“We’re glad to hear that,” smirked Luke, “and I think someone else is glad to hear that. If you think of anything else, just let Bone know.”
“Thank you. Thank you all for what you’ve done for me and for what you’re doing for me. Most of all, thank you, Parker. You saved my life, and I will forever be grateful for that.” He nodded, giving a half-smile, but she sensed that he was still feeling guilt.
