The Ranch Ch. 10

Silently admiring her, Cory noticed her breathing was still uneven from crying, but also something else. Her green eyes, typically deep pools of cloudy emerald, were clear and bright, her pupils darkly dilated against the vibrant colour. She gazed up at him expectantly, as though she wanted him to kiss her.

Cory hesitated, and slowly lowered his mouth to hers, ready to pull back if she objected.

"Can I kiss you? Is that ok?" he whispered, his mouth a bare inch away. His heart lifted when her eyes warmed, and next thing her soft mouth closed the gap between them.

The silence in the room was disrupted by the rustling of clothes and heated breathing as they passionately kissed. Katie felt one of Cory's large hands hesitantly inch back from around her waist and pause below her breasts.

Without breaking the kiss, Katie abruptly slid her hand over his and pushed it up over her chest, so her breast was encased in his hand. Being intimate with Cory was a delicious, blissful distraction, taking her mind to their first time together.

Back then, she was afraid and reluctant to start, but somehow the experience was incredible, and wiped all imminent problems from her mind. The memory of them entwined, naked and thrusting, surfaced with surprising clarity and she ached to recreate it. Katie didn't care about whether she was ready, she wanted that feeling again.

Cory moaned and suddenly worried he went too far. His cock strained against his pants, throbbing, alerted by Katie's proximity. Katie kissed him desperately, urgently pulling at his clothes, and Cory knew it was wrong.

"Katie," he panted, gently retreating from her eager mouth. She tried to move closer and he caught both her hands and brought them firmly together in her lap. "Katie, listen to me."

Meeting his serious eyes, she knew he had nothing amorous to say, and she looked away irritably.

"Escapism won't help," Cory said softly, not entirely without regret. He hated rejecting her, but if there was one thing he was determined to achieve, it was never having another reason to apologise for his conduct.

"You asked to kiss me," Katie countered bitterly, running a frustrated hand through her tousled hair.

"Yes, and I want to," he said soothingly, catching one of her hands in his. "Just take it easy, ok?"

Katie sniffed and rolled her eyes as though he was being stupid.

"Hey," Cory said quietly, gently turning her face toward him. "You know I want you. But this is important."

"Fine. I get it," she sighed impatiently. "Will you hold me?"

Katie didn't need to ask twice, and within seconds she was gathered into Cory's arms. Slowly the tension left her body as her muscles relaxed in his warmth. He dropped a kiss to her temple and her eyelids grew heavy with tiredness.

Outside in the hall, Mark blew out a nervous breath and lightly rapped on Katie's door. After a short moment, Cory called for him to enter.

Katie was somewhat tangled in Cory's embrace. When Mark entered, they slowly broke apart, and Katie awkwardly shifted out of Cory's arms.

"You ok?" Mark murmured, drawing a chair up beside the bed.

"I told her about Marco," Cory quietly explained.

Cheeks flushed, Katie drew her knees to her chest and stared down at the bed as though fascinated, aware her eyes filled with tears again.

Mark cast Cory an exasperated look before turning his attention back to Katie.

"I'm sorry, Katie. We weren't planning to tell you right away." Again, he shot Cory a piercing stare.

Katie shook her head, her dark tresses shielding her face from their view. "I would have wanted to know," she said, her sweet voice slightly watery. "It's just such a terrible thing after everything he..."

Cory and Mark waited eagerly for her to continue. Unwilling to prompt her for information, they were both very curious about her discussion with Marco.

"Knock, knock," Gerard opened the door a tab. "May I come in?" Without waiting for an answer, he pushed the door wide and entered with a small briefcase.

"Katie, how are you?" he asked kindly, placing a hand on her shoulder and giving it a light squeeze. With tear-filled eyes, she smiled weakly in response, and Gerard looked to Mark and Cory. "Out, please. Both of you."

They slowly made their way out, a little surprised by Gerard's abrupt dismissal. When the door closed behind them, Gerard sat in the chair Mark vacated.

"Katie, Mark mentioned on the phone that you need a morning after pill?" he asked gently.

Katie nodded, her eyes seeming larger than normal.

"Are you able to tell me about it?" Gerard asked tentatively, and Katie shook her head, suddenly looking nauseous as a number of unpleasant emotions bubbled up within her.

"Not a problem." Gerard opened his case and scanned the neat arrangement of items. He picked out a small packet and placed it on the bedside, then glanced around.

"Ah," he smiled, his eyes lighting on the water jug. He went to pour her a glass, and placed it beside the little packet on the bedside. "When you're ready. But the sooner, the better," he advised, tapping his watch.

When she didn't respond, he continued. "Katie, I know you have been through a dreadful trial, but it is almost over. With your permission, if you are comfortable, I would like to check you for injuries."

Katie nodded and quietly undressed. It wasn't the first time Gerard had examined her after an assault.

Gerard was efficient, gentle and made the experience as seamless for Katie as possible. There was nothing inappropriate about his perusal or the questions he asked. Though the examination was invasive at times, it was necessary, and completed with professional neutrality. With great relief Gerard discovered there was no tearing, and no stitches required.

"Well then," he beamed, discarding his gloves and discreetly organising the contents of his case while Katie redressed. "Just a little balm, apply anywhere sore, as often as required. I recommend targeting that bitemark, before it forms a proper bruise." Without looking up, he placed a small, yellow bottle on the bedside near the glass of water. Gerard hesitated.

"And...well. If you feel..." Gerard seemed momentarily lost for words. But he was determined to cover all bases with Katie. "Not that you'd want it, but please, until you are fully better..." He briskly placed a small, blue bottle of lubricant beside the yellow one.

Katie averted her eyes from it.

"Now, you look like you should rest, Katie. It would lift a great weight from my mind if you could take that pill now, and get back into bed," he said in a fatherly tone, and patiently waited while she slowly broke open the packet and took the pill, then again nestled beneath the covers.

"Do you need something to help you sleep?" he asked gently.

Katie shook her head and curled up, staring glumly at the white sheet by her face as Gerard clicked his case closed.

"I will return in a few weeks to take blood samples. Just a precaution." He paused thoughtfully.

Katie knew that if Dom had slept with anyone else, he would have declared it in a rage as though it were her fault. She sensed George was very careful with his health, and vaguely recalled the fuzzy image of a blood-filled needle withdrawing from her arm before she passed out again. If anyone gave her cause for worry, it was Greg. Then again, the women he played with often turned up dead. In his own interests of self-preservation and DNA avoidance, he was very meticulous. Gerard's voice broke through her speculative thoughts.

"Katie, there is something I would like to say, though it is not really my business," he murmured, turning slightly to see her solemn gaze fixed on him expectantly.

"You are tired, traumatised, and unsavoury drugs linger in your system. I hope you will wait before making any firm decisions about your future." He hesitated.

"From my experience, girls who have been through an extreme trauma are more likely to engage in reckless behaviours, whether to bury memories, or as a way of defiance to show they don't care about what happened. Perhaps to feel in control again, I'm not sure. I do not suggest you are in this boat, Katie, but..." he paused again.

"Of course, I refer to Cory and Mark's interest in you. I suspect they will be quite a temptation, and..." His brow furrowed as he tried to articulate his thoughts. He had great respect for Katie, and didn't want to patronise her by seeming presumptuous.

"Well...There is nothing wrong with being unsure. But I believe is a mistake to make decisions when you are unsure, I hope that makes sense. And if you ever need help, or a safe place to stay, I hope you will call me."

With a last kindly smile, Gerard stood to leave.

"Doctor?" Katie called him back in a small voice.

"Call me, Gerard," he smiled, returning to the seat by her side. "What is it, Katie?"

Katie hesitated. "Will you... Can you stay until I'm asleep?" she whispered, and tears spilled rapidly down her cheeks.

"Of course," Gerard promptly replied, searching for her hand under the blanket's edge, he pressed it reassuringly.

Reaching forward with his other hand, he smoothed the hair from her brow in an affectionate, paternal way. He felt so overwhelmed with sympathy, and so admiring of her strength after all she had been through, he could have burst into tears himself. Instead, he patiently waited until she stopped crying, and watched her beautiful eyes grow heavy with exhaustion until they closed in a peaceful sleep.

Gerard stayed a long while after, before gently releasing her hand and drawing the blanket over her. With some sadness he recognised that whilst she would find comfort in her protectors, he was probably the only male presence who wouldn't desire anything of her body. With only Katie's best interests at heart, Gerard had no demands on her, and he wondered if Katie ever had a nurturing father figure in her life.

He sighed heavily, and brushed a hand across his eyes.

Watching Katie sleep soundly, he lamented the tragic reality that the world had destructive tendencies to abuse rather than cherish precious beings. He was tired of the repetitive cycle of the vulnerable being terrorised; the constant battle to shield innocence from evil. It was an evolutionary truth he couldn't change, it would happen again and again, as people are born, and die.

Katie triggered a memory for him, the memory of a story he had read long into the night to an abused child who was afraid to sleep. In part of the tale, a beautiful, distressed unicorn was presented for sale. They were exceptionally rare and valuable. But to keep one in captivity was a terrible sin against nature. A young noble traded all of his fortune to purchase the unicorn. In the shocked faces of all onlookers, particularly the merchant, he set the unicorn free knowing it would never again fall for the same trap that almost cost its freedom.

Recalling the tale, Gerard wished he could free Katie of all the unwanted attention and abuse that her appearance inevitably attracted. Gerard wished she could just live her life in peace.

**********

Leaning against opposite sides of the corridor while they waited for Gerard to finish, Mark gave Cory an exasperated look.

"Really? You led with that? She wasn't ready."

"I didn't mean to bring it up!" Cory said defensively. "It just happened. I wanted to know why she opened up to Marco, and not us."

"And?" Mark probed. Truth be told, he was determined to ask Katie the same thing.

"He must have been running from something, because she mentioned putting him in danger. That's when it got to the crux of the matter."

"Ok."

There was a tense pause. Cory realised Mark wasn't going to ask about other aspects of their conversation. Normally, Cory would have kept it to himself, but he felt that given it involved Mark directly, he had a right to know.

"So, she has feelings for both of us."

Mark didn't respond, but looked at him with amused disbelief.

"I'm not joking, she said that. And now she doesn't want either of us."

"That turned on its head rather quickly."

"Please, Mark, be serious," Cory snapped. "When this is over, she wants to leave."

There was a long silence.

"Well... it's her choice, isn't it?" Mark said slowly, his blue eyes troubled. "If that's what she wants-"

"What if one of those bastards get her again and-" Cory began, raking a hand through his short hair.

"We're not her parents," Mark bluntly interrupted, but the thought of Katie leaving forever filled his chest with a burning ache. The idea that she could fall back into the hands of one of their nemeses made him feel sick.

They stood in uneasy silence until they heard the door to Katie's room finally open.

"Boys," Gerard approached them. He gave them the same stern look a principal would give two trouble makers loitering in the school hall. "She's asleep now. Leave her be." He checked his watch. "A quick word with Rosa, then I'll be on my way. I'll return in the morning to speak with you both in some depth. This time, I deserve answers."

"Why don't you stay?" Cory asked, frowning. "There's no point with all that driving."

"I have another appointment, and I'm already late," Gerard sighed, making a helpless gesture. "I will come back tomorrow for Rosa. Her mother will be relieved she is safe. And I will be glad to know Katie is safe." After giving both young men a firm, hard stare to warn they had better conduct themselves with propriety, he went on in search of Rosa.

**********

A while later, Katie bleakly opened her eyes and immediately recalled the terrible news of Marco's death. Wishing it was all a bad dream, she gazed blankly at the ceiling for a long time, trying to focus on all the miracles she should be grateful for. She was free, and not being terrorised by George or Dom or Greg, or anyone else they might have fed her to. Mark and Cory were unharmed. It was everything she had prayed for.

'But you didn't pray for Marco, did you?' said an ugly voice in her head. 'You forgot all about him, once he served his purpose.'

Fresh tears dripped down her cheeks, and she pressed a hand to her mouth to stop her sobbing. Angry with herself, she briskly sat up in bed and with some shock, realised someone was watching her. The bedroom door was slightly ajar, and the young Latina girl with long, black hair fading to blonde tips peered through it.

"Can I come in?" the girl asked, edging the door slightly wider. Katie couldn't remember her name, or if they were even introduced. She was so exhausted and distressed when they first arrived that Cory insisted she go straight to bed, and she was glad to.

Katie nodded, and the girl hesitantly stepped in, closing the door behind her. Still trying to find her voice, Katie gestured for her to sit beside the bed.

For a while there was silence. Katie was fiercely trying to control her crying so she could speak properly, and the girl's dark eyes fixed on her intensely, boring into her.

"I thought I would hate you," the girl unexpectedly announced, tossing her head a little haughtily. "But I don't."

Katie was speechless.

"I felt...jealous about Cory," the girl continued her candid confession. "And angry about my dad. But Cory spoke to me last night about what happened. Luckily, before I did something foolish."

"I'm glad," Katie croaked, hoping the girl wasn't some manic distant relation to the Castillos. "Y-your father...he wasn't...his name wasn't-?"

"We are not all the same," the girl coldly interrupted, and Katie flushed shamefully. "My father was Marco." Her eyes softened as Katie swallowed convulsively.

"Why do you cry for him?"

"Because he was a good man, who just wanted to help," Katie managed to speak with a huge effort. Noting her distress, the girl lost most of her hostility.

"I cried for him too," she said softly. "But I am not weak, like my mum."

"Your mother-" Katie began, but hesitated.

"My mother, what?" the girl's dark eyes flashed challengingly, ready to debate a stranger's ignorant assessment of her family.

"I... I hope she knows you are alight," Katie finished lamely.

The girl glared at her very critically.

"There are things about your family that Marco shared with me, that you may not know," Katie explained in an attempt to appease her.

"How could that be?"

Katie shook her head tiredly. She wasn't a parent. She didn't have the strength to argue, and maybe the girl had a right to know.

"Fine. I will tell you. But first, what is your name?" Katie asked.

"Rosa," the girl replied a little warily.

"Rosa, the reason why your father wanted to help me, is because I was in the same position as your mother, when they first met."

"My parents met on a hike, when they were young," Rosa scoffed with narrowed eyes.

"Yes, he was a tour guide," Katie continued. "But your mother wasn't part of the group. She burst out of nowhere, injured, running from something terrible."

Rosa looked slightly stricken, but still shook her head stubbornly. "If that was true, why is it a secret?"

"Because the danger still exists," Katie answered. "Rosa, isn't it true that you, and your sisters, have never been allowed to the city?"

"Because my parents thought the culture would corrupt us," Rosa snapped, rolling her eyes as she remembered the screaming rows they had. Her posture stiffened as she recalled one terrible fight when all her classmates went on an excursion, but they wouldn't give their permission.

"But you have travelled elsewhere? You watch tv? Have a phone?" Katie gently reasoned.

Rosa didn't answer, but she turned pale and looked quite ill.

"Is that what killed him?" she whispered. "Cory said-"

"No," Katie said bitterly with downcast eyes. "He died helping me. But Rosa, when he met your mother, she was running from someone very powerful, with corrupting links to authority. Just like me."

Glancing up from the bedsheet, Katie realised the girl was crying. Somehow it was more comforting than awkward, two women sitting apart, quietly crying together.

"I had to pose as a slave!" Rosa suddenly wailed, startling Katie with this random piece of information. Completely losing her icy composure, Rosa burst into tears and covered her face with her hands.

After being around strange men for so long, Rosa's vulnerable need to confide in another female exploded through her cool exterior. She especially missed her mother, sisters and friends. She was tired of pretending to be a tough adult, worthy of the perilous adventure.

"It was horrible. I was so angry. I was angry I had to do it, because of you. But after..." she choked and took a shuddering breath, clawing her hands through her hair. "After that, I realised it was nothing to what you went through."

"And I knew you might never get out of it. And I didn't know," she sobbed, her face reddening as she cried harder. "I didn't know... those things... So many girls, like me-" Rosa broke off and buried her face in her hands. Finally, when she could breathe evenly enough to speak, Rosa lifted her head.

"My dad used to say," she sniffled wringing her hands with angst. "That one of t-the greatest sins in our lives, was to judge... to blame the victim. It was... he would say a person like that, is cursed with ignorance, and has no heart."

Katie was flabbergasted and didn't know what to say.

"And for so long, I blamed you. I felt like this was all your fault. I didn't mean to. And you are so, so beautiful," Rosa continued, mournfully looking at her as though it was a tragedy. "And I was so afraid that you would be, because I hoped Cory could be mine. I can see why he wants you."

The emotional release felt good, though it didn't help that she complained to the wrong person. But Rosa, determined and stubborn as she made out to be, was a fairly sheltered girl, and struggled to cope with certain harsh realities since running away from home.