***Hi- this is your friendly neighborhood author with a warning that this chapter describes some horrible domestic violence.***
"Jesus Christ Les, you still look half dead. Why are you not eating?" Stephanie Plum walked in with a baby on her hip, a huge diaper bag over her other shoulder. "I thought Ric looked bad when he came back but you look like absolute hell." Bones had let Stephanie sneak in with Mateo to see Les, which was against regulations but in the best interests of his patient.
"Beautiful, don't feel the need to sugar coat anything."
Stephanie smiled as tears brimmed in her eyes, "I want to introduce you to this little guy. Mateo Francisco Plum, this is your daddy, Lester Mateo Santos." And at that Mateo reached out to his father who took him up in his arms.
Lester Santos was instantly, completely infatuated with his son.
He gazed down at the miracle he was holding in his arms. "And we have a baby. He is so little and perfect." Les counted tiny fingers and toes. He had a son.
Stephanie nodded as she couldn't find her voice.
"And my mom met him?"
"She and your dad stayed for a week when they found out about Mateo. Abuela Rosa told them and they were on the next plane- just closed the restaurant in Newark and left. Oh Les, it was just wonderful. They held him and rocked him and spoiled him rotten. And can I say your mother bought his so much clothing I would need to change him five times a day to have them worn before he grows out of them." She then took the boy placed Mateo in his carrier and moved the table with the lunch tray over so Les could eat.
Lester laughed. "It is her first grandson." And he started on his hospital plate as Stephanie filled him in on his parents' visit to Florida.
"Your dad is already talking about college plans. He thinks he has the potential to be a great doctor."
"They are pretty excited about Mateo." Lester smiled, remembering his mother's enthusiastic phone call. Of course, she also pushed to know what his plans were for marrying Stephanie… But one thing at a time.
"They took so many pictures, it will cost a month's salary to develop them all." Stephanie dug in her giant diaper bag and handed over a packet of pictures. "And your siblings plan to invade as soon as arrangements can be made after your release, to see both of you."
"Of course they are. We are all really close."
"And they all shared young Lester stories. You cannot imagine how much ammunition they gave me."
Stephanie filled him in on all the tales and how each of his family members welcomed her in the family as Les finished everything on his tray.
Finally, Les pushed the tray back and asked about the elephant in the room.
"Is Val doing okay?"
"She and her husband are having a baby. She is due in early October."
It was the truth but wasn't the whole truth. The rest of that sad tale was Val's story to share. And Stephanie couldn't see that happening.
Lester closed his eyes and a tear slipped out and then Stephanie had him in her arms as they both cried.
"She left us both…"
"She thought you were dead…"
"She abandoned our son…"
"She was so afraid my folks would cast her out… and she wasn't wrong."
Les pulled back, "Your parents… what did they… did they…"
Stephanie answered the questions Les couldn't ask. "When my mother found out there was going to be a baby, she told me I was a stupid slut because I had sex with someone who wouldn't marry me. She banned me from visiting her or my grandparents, after being told the baby's father was Cuban. She told me there was no place for me in Val's wedding, regardless of the fact I am her only sister. She is ashamed of me and Mateo."
"What about your dad?"
"He sends me a small check every month, all his tip money, so I can put a little bit by for Mateo. But he won't go against mom and disturb the peace in his home."
"Steph, I am so sorry."
"I came to Florida in disgrace, Les, so really, this is just a continuation of that. And I am stronger than I look. I used to want to be Wonder Woman when I grew up."
Les barked a laugh, "I can see it."
"Lester, I understand you are being medically discharged from the Army. When do you get released? A couple of weeks?" Les confirmed he would be officially discharged at the end of the month.
"Why don't you come and recover in the house Mateo and I share with Lula. You can heal and spend time with your son and decide what comes next for you."
"You wouldn't mind?"
"Les, it's the thing that makes the most sense, don't you think?"
"We are considering renting an office in Miami to start building RangeMan…"
"Lula and I would be happy to help."
A knock came at the door.
"Our time is up. And while we would love to stay, Mateo and I need to head back to Miami. Please say you will come stay with us?"
Les kissed the top of his son's head. "I will be there as soon as possible."
Tank and Lula brought Lester and all his stuff on the first of July. After dropping Mateo off with Abuela Rosa, the men put together the large bed in what had been Val's room. After unpacking for another hour, Lula and Tank offered to go do a food run, as Lester's siblings were expected to arrive en mass in the next couple of days.
"They do eat like a horde of locusts."
"That is not kind Les."
"But it is true."
Once they had gone, Les agreed to lie down and rest. "Just let me know when the gun safe is delivered."
Yes, I, Stephanie Plum am going to live in a house with a gun safe. How life could change!
Stephanie was heating soup when the bell rang. The safe had arrived. Except when she opened the door. Joseph Morelli stood there. Her mouth opened and no words came out. Not "WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU HERE". No "YOU MOTHERFUCKER". Nada. She felt cold as she looked at his face and then recognition dawned. He was a cop now. Mary Lou told her that. And he was here. In person. With a cop face on. And his eyes were sad. She felt fear race through her
"Oh my god, Joe, is it my folks?" He reached out to steady her and led her to the couch, pushing her head between her legs. "It's Valarie."
Her scream brought Les on a run.
"Who the fuck are you?" Les demanded, a gun draw on Morelli, his eyes like steel.
"I am a cop from Trenton. Val, Stephanie's sister…"
The gun dropped to Lester's side at Val's name.
"What happened to Val?" Les came to Stephanie's other side and holstered the gun at his back.
"She is in a hospital in Philly. I took her there and had her admitted as a Jane Doe so she could be anonymous for a couple of days. Her husband beat her, Steph." Morelli's hand was warm around her own and Les was rubbing circles on her back.
"I will fucking kill him." Les whispered. Probably not smart to say in front of a cop but…
"Steve is already dead."
Stephanie aimed her gaze at Joe, "Did Val kill him?" Joe thought she sounded almost hopeful.
"No. He was killed by Brian Gilman, when Brian walked in on Steve with Terry. The scene was bad. He was in a dog collar, there was a ball gag, Terry was whipping him as he was cuffed. When Brian came in, Steve couldn't escape."
"Oh my god!"
"Terry said he killed him slowly. Tortured him over hours. Made Terry watch."
"Oh, Joe."
"Yeah, so I was assigned to do the notification. Tell his loving pregnant wife not only was he stepping out with a Mafia princess, but her hit man wise guy husband tortured him to death for it. Then I saw what he had done to Val, and I thought the torture was too good for him."
Lester asked Joe the next questions. What were the injuries? How was her mental state? Where in God's name were her parents?
Joe responded, his voice steady, even as his words brought sobs from Stephanie.
The Plums were at a convention in Vegas, but were not found at their hotel- they had gone on some two-day jaunt and had not yet been located. Vegas PD was working on it.
Valarie asked Joe to stay with her while she was interviewed at the hospital. She was sporting a couple of black eyes, which were not at the same stage of healing, a broken jaw on the right side of her face and a broken tib/fib. She had several cracked ribs in various stages of healing, and there was evidence of violent sexual assault. Her husband had bound her and forced himself on her, leaving her tied to the bed in her own filth all day while he went to work. This happened regularly over the last two weeks. Somehow, Steve found out that Val had a child before they married and wanted to punish her.
Stephanie raced to the bathroom and emptied her stomach, Les kneeling on the floor beside her, holding back her hair.
Joe waited while Stephanie, held tight to Lester's chest, tried to calm herself. When he spoke again, she could tell Joe had done his best for her sister.
"The story of the torture and murder will be sensational enough with the mob involvement. But if the news of what he did to Val and why gets out, it will make her recovery harder. I spoke to my supervisor and told him I did the notification and the widow left town to stay with relatives. Eddie Gazarra and I sanitized Val's apartment and took Val to the hospital in Philly. She will be released tomorrow if she is stable. Eddie and I won't breathe a word about what we saw and heard. Val is a friend to both of us and no woman… no woman…" Morelli stopped. "Stephanie, I know I was a real asshole to you… I know I have a lot to answer for… but what he did… I would have killed him with my bare hands if I had found him after seeing what he did to Valarie."
Lester spoke next. "I will call my sister and have her accompany Valarie here by plane. She was coming tomorrow anyway. Val can stay here and we will help her recover."
Stephanie finally spoke, asking Joe, "Will she need to be interviewed? Val? About everything?
Joe shook his head. "Terry had a video recorder going in her bedroom, everything is on the tape, so the investigation will be focused on the principles."
"Officer Morelli, do you have any idea how Steve found out about Val's child."
"Oh, I almost forgot. He got a letter. Here it is. I didn't see the need to leave it for the detectives to find, since it adds nothing to the case." The letter had a postmark from Miami, Florida. And Lester recognized the handwriting.
Lester's sister was pushing Val's wheelchair toward them and Lester walked to greet them. When he got to them, he fell to his knees, his head in Val's lap and there were tears and pain, but joy was there as well. Each had been through hell since last they met, but they had survived.
Sonia walked over to Stephanie and took Mateo in her arms. "Now I understand why he was reluctant to marry you. Abuela Rosa confessed to the deception after Les asked us to bring Val to you."
"I am sorry we didn't tell your folks from the beginning."
"When do you think he will marry your sister."
"Well, there is a three-day waiting period here in Florida."