Page 102 of Shattered

“I suppose,” Holly said.

“In fact, you were the head of PBH. What a prestigious title. I mean, you were forced to care for your niece, ‘run’ for your life for years before happening to drive through and break down in the town where all of the Raferty’s resided. Then for ten years, you had to pretend to be Mackenzie’s mate, because he struck a deal with you. To finally be the head of the company your sister and your brother stole from you and be in the limelight, well...”

“I believe you have the Paranormal Bounty Hunters all wrong,” Holly said. “We help those who are abused escape.”

“Really?” Charles opened the notebook. “Did you have medical staff for those who were injured?”

“Yes,” Holly answered.

“And you never did any type of testing to those in your care?”

“No,” she replied.

“Mikey Raferty or as you best know him, Subject 08005, has permanent vocal cord damage sustained in your custody while he’d been poked and prodded to find his ability.”

“Incorrect,” she said. “The boy is a shifter. His vocal cords are normal for his type. He’s a phoenix.”

Mackenzie blinked. Who the fuck was she trying to fool? Mikey had no ounce of shifter in him. All of them would have smelled it, and the boy wouldn’t have been sick when he’d been brought to the hospital.

“Your Honor,” Charles began, “I’d like to submit to the courts the intake form and the diagnosis results from Mikey Raferty’s examination at the children’s hospital when he was first released and then subsequent follow ups with Danielle Raferty and an independent doctor’s evaluation from Dr. Clemmons. Each person notes there has been significant injury to the boy’s vocal cords due to whatever torture was inflicted upon him. Mrs. Raferty said she can fix it, however, his father and mother have decided to allow the boy to determine if he’d like Danielle to do the procedure.”

“I’ll allow it,” the judge answered, taking the forms from Charles.

“Did you know seven of the women in your care were pregnant and later another three were found to also be pregnant?”

“Dear God, no,” Holly said, pressing her hand to her chest in what Mackenzie believed was feigned shock.

“Your Honor, these are the reports from the hospital at the time of rescue. Each of the seven women were between three and six months pregnant.” He held up another stack of forms. “The other three found out later they, too, were pregnant. Each have gone on to have healthy babies, but each one of the mothers left their babies at the orphanage due to the trauma each of them experienced.”

Holly didn’t say a word. Her lips were compressed in a thin line, and her hazel eyes were narrowed in rage.

“Thank you, District Attorney Charles. You may proceed,” Judge Wright stated, taking the new information from Charles.

“Let’s go back to the first time Hayden was kidnapped. Do you know who did it?” Charles asked.

Holly shook her head, schooling her features. “No. I’d been frantic. I had no idea who would have wanted my niece. Then Logan and a crew of search and rescue set out to track Hayden. That’s when they found her in the lab. I’d been so relieved.” Fat crocodile tears rolled down Holly’s cheeks.

“But, you do know the lab,” Charles said. “You’d been there before. It’s where you’d taken Hayden from. It’s where your brother and sister enjoyed torturing shifters and humans. Don’t you find it a little coincidental the one place you’d escaped from, was the one place your niece would be found?”

“Objection, Your Honor,” Mr. Walker said. “Calls to speculation.”

“Overruled. Answer the question, Miss Geithner.”

“No. I never thought she’d be brought back there. I thought we escaped that. I thought we were free,” Holly said.

“Except, they implanted the IUD,” Charles said. “Tell me, Miss Geithner, did you have Hayden examined by medical staff after the kidnapping?”

“No, I went on the run,” she answered.

“From your family?”

“Yes,” she replied.

“Would it surprise you to know we have thousands of emails from Mr. Worthington along with preserved text messages from Hazel and Simon, that included you?”

An audible gasp was ripped from the crowd. Not even Mackenzie had known the depth of the investigation and if the look on Hayden’s face was any indication, neither did she. The judged banged his gavel several times, hushing the audience. Some of the people in the gallery were removed while others continued to murmur amongst themselves.

“Order in the court!” Judge Wright yelled. “Mr. Franks, do you have this evidence with you at this time?”

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