9 "bruises speak the truth"

I exhaled really hard as I inhaled extremely aggressively. Multiple times in a row with a nozzle at my lips. "She's clean" an officer spoke as I was handcuffed to a desk in the middle of a booking area in a police office. "Y'all must feel really dumb"

"Not really. Tell me Willie. Who was driving your car"

"I have no idea. If I knew I would've told you along time ago."

"Where did you get all those bruises?"

"A bar fight"

"How am I supposed to believe there is a bar fight when no cops were called?"

"Because some people aren't pussies and can handle their own fight without needing back up." I slowly blinked at the sheriff as he was trying so hard to make me guilty of a crime that I did not commit. The officer paces the floor as he pondered for a moment. "Fine. Let her go" I held up my wrists as far as I could from the desk I was seated at. As they unhooked my hands I rubbed my wrists. "so I can leave now? Is my name cleared?"

"Yeah yeah yeah"

Annoyed I stood up. I walked out of the police station with nothing to my name. Luckily, not even a criminal record. With disappointment in his eyes rip stood with his arms crossed outside of his vehicle. "Why Willie. Why"

"I didn't do anything rip"

"You're lucky I talked Donnie out of calling your father. He would've lost his shit Willie"

"I get it rip. Thanks"

"Get in. I'm taking you home" I shrugged my shoulders as I sat in the front seat. Tiredly I leaned my head on the window. I watched every object we passed on the way home. Including the road to get back home. "hey. Where are we going?" I questioned. "You're gonna learn a thing or two tonight will" I squinted my eyes as I watched him closely. He didn't look happy. He didn't sound happy either. His posture was stiff and determined, as his eyes were cold and hard. "What's going on?" I questioned as he pulled up to an old trailer in the middle of nowhere. From the outside it looked trashed. Garbage on every inch of the front yard, almost as if a raccoon got into a garbage can. The music from inside the house was blasting so loud, the entire house shook to the beat of the music. The windows were all shattered or boarded up. This place was extremely ghetto. Rip looked back at me with a very serious tone "you do as I say. Understand me?" He spoke quietly. I watched him in confusion "okay" I agreed. Rips fist pounded on the door. No answer. He knocked again. This time more powerful. Suddenly the door opened a tiny bit. The dead bolt blocked the young man's faces. "Yo! I'm cooking up another batch. Come back next week" the voice slammed the door shut. Rip growled as he banged again. "Didn't you hear me dog? Next week"

"I need to speak to Jimmy" rip grumbled

"Who are you?"

"Not what I ask" suddenly rip kicked down the door, breaking the dead bolt in the mean time. I watched in curiosity as he terrified the boy. "Willie! Get in here!" I followed him in. As I stepped along the broken door, I observed the tiny meth lab. Everywhere were either crack pipes and roaches or ripped out playboy magazine pages, along with Stolen catalytic converters and tire rims. "Get the fuck out man!! What do you want!"

"John dutton asked for you"

"The ranch dude? The fuck does he want from me!?"

"He wants you. Didn't I just fucking say that?" Rip laid a steel rod on a lit fire that was bubbling water from the meth lab...At least I think it was water. Jimmy laid on the floor, watching rip and I in horror. "Is that a stripper? What's going on?"

I scoffed. "Willie come take this from me" rip spoke as he stepped over to Jimmy. He yanked Jimmy's shirt wide open. "Willie? Your name is Willie? I thought you were a chick!?" He jumped as rip grabbed at him. "Keep talking bud. She's gonna kick your ass if you piss her off enough"

"What...what are you doing!? What's going on!?"

"I'm gonna give you two options. Either you come work for John dutton and turn your god damn life around...or I turn you into the police right fucking now. They'll charge you with running a meth lab, stealing car parts...and! A hit and run accident"

My eyes widened at his blackmail. Jimmy whimpered nervously as he was sweating out his options. "You pick" rip spoke up again. I stayed quiet as I watched the brand begin to glow under the fire. "...fine.... Just get it over with" Rip cocked his fingers at me to come closer with the brand. Removing the brand from the fire I was shoved to the front of the poor junkies Veiw. "Right on the chest Willie. You got it"

"W...what? Why...why me?" I asked nervously. "She's never done this before!?" Jimmy cried out. "Do it! It's getting cold will!" I hesitated as the burning of skin made me cringe. Rip quickly shoved me causing me to press his skin into a scaring Yellowstone shape. He clenched his entire body as the pain was agonizing. I yanked the brand away to stare at the mark I had imprinted on a man for the rest of his life "I'm sorry" I said innocently. rip grabbed me by my callar, then quickly shoved me out the door. He spoke a few last words to Jimmy before guiding me to his truck in the middle of the dark. "What was that!? Why did you make me do that!?"

"You need to learn how things work around here. You need to learn the things that could happen to you, if you keep living the way you are "

"You act like I killed someone! I ain't never done anything rip! Why did I brand him huh?"

"He's a criminal Willie. Everyone with a brand is a criminal" he helped me into his truck one last time. I looked down at my hands that had char on them. "Why do you have a brand rip? Are you a criminal?" Rip didn't reply right away. He sat still as he pulled out of the area. He glanced back at me as I waited for an answer. "I've hurt alot of people Willie. It all starts with one mistake. That's all it takes. You remember that. One mistake and your life is over. I don't want you being suck here like the rest of us. You have potential" he spoke softly. I watched him closely. "what did you do?" I asked with curiosity. He looked at me then looked back at the road. "Id have to brand you if I told you that" "Did you kill someone" he shook his head. I realized he wasn't going to tell me. He wasn't even going to attempt to tell me. I understood that. "Why is Jimmy so important?"

"Your father is doing a favor... getting jimmy clean and off the streets is a favor done for Jimmy's grandfather. It's the only thing hes ever wanted was his grandson to become something" I Never new my father to be the type of man to care about others. Only himself. Only his business. Oh and his kids. Not me though. I didn't get to feel that warmth.

Once arriving home rip spoke "I'll need you in the mornin. Long day awaits" I watched rip enter back to the bunkhouse with his own business to attend to. Alone at last I released a very revealing sigh before becoming mad. Fred. Where the fuck is Fred. I followed rips lead to the bunkhouse. There behind the door sat Fred. He had a bruise on his face, a long with a couple wounds on his hands. From the corner of his eyes he looked at me. His smirk on his lips extended as he stepped outside. "The fuck did you do to my truck! I almost went to jail for you you know!"

"You wouldn't have gone for me. You would've gone for yourself! As long as our little secret was hidden. You alive ain't ya!?"

"Screw you!"

"When and where baby? I came to a realization that you ain't shit Willie. You don't even put out!"

"Why would I wanna do anything like that with you? You're a nasty-" His hands gripped my shirt as he tossed me against the fence like a rag doll. "Do you have any idea how small you are? How over powered I am? You can keep yapping baby. I'll smack that smart ass attitude right out of you"

"Real men walk away. You're a coward!" His open palm slammed into my skull full force. I could feel my head pounding and my brain spinning. His huge hands were the size of my face. You could only imagine his force. "Remember who the fuck you are Willie!" Once more he shoved me. His ego grew Everytime he pushed me around. I could see his cocky confidence growing every time he used me like a doll. I allowed it too. I allowed the pain he put me through. I didn't know better. I promised my self I would leave many many times. Each time I cave in. I gave into him once again...and again...and this time...again..