Run, Wild Horses, Run

Chapter 4.

There are approximately 470,000 words in the English language ;  47,156 are obsolete words but nothing could describe the way Katie felt. It is bigger than loss, worse than sadness and pain, it is more than heartbreak. It's not describable.

Katie lies in her bed surrounded by empty whisky bottles, photo albums, and rotting food. She's in agonizing pain and discomfort. She's murderous, bloodthirsty, ready to fight whoever walks through the door. The fire in her eyes and lightening in her touch disappeared long ago when Lee took his last breath. The rosiness in her cheeks and her warm sun kissed skin ran pale. No one knows whether it was from the alcohol, lack of sunlight and nutrition or if it was because her soul left her body that night.

Rip tried to check in but was greeted with whisky bottles and curse words every time the door creeped open. After a month he's tired of it. Tired of watching her drink her life away. That changes today.

"Katie Nicole Dutton!" Rip yells barging in the room. She sits up drinking from one bottle while throwing an empty one his way. His eyes look over all the blood, empty bottles and vomit before they lay on Katie as her eyes are getting heavier. "Kat," Rip races over and puts her face in his hand while trying to take the bottle

"No! Damn it leave me alone!" She begs pulling against it weakly.

"You're going to fucking drink yourself to death!" Rip snaps yanking the bottle away.

Her lip trembles as she shrugs, "I don't care. If it's my time to go, it's my time. Maybe I'll see Lee-"

Rip cuts her off, "Do you think this is what he would want?! Do you really think he wants you to drink yourself to death?!"

She pushes Rip away and stands out of her chair, "Guess what Rip? I don't fucking care what he wants. You know why? Because he's dead! Lee is fucking dead and there's nothing we can fucking do about it!" She yells kicking the knocked over table.

"It's not the right thing to do, Kat."

"I don't give a damn if it is! It helps me! I cannot do this anymore! I can't! Every time I do the right thing someone ends up hurt or dead!" Katie yells pushing Rip out of the way to get to her minibar.

"You know what?.." Rip groans before throwing the small blonde over his shoulder.

"What the fuck?! Put me down!" She screams hitting his back as Rip walks through the house and out the door.

A small crowd turns their attention to the screaming back and forth before watching Rip drop Katie into a water trough.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" She snaps as Rip keeps her held down and splashes water on her.

"You're disgusting! You need a bath. Colby give me that Mane N Tail!" Rip yells over his shoulder.

Without hesitation Colby races over and holds out his hand.

"Well damn it boy put some on her head," Rip groans as he fights Katie.

The two quickly get her cleaned up before Rip backs up, "Done."

Katie just looks up and shakes her head, a small smirk pulls at her lips. Rips heart crashes to his stomach relieved to see her smile.

"You're an asshole," She says standing up and stepping out of the trough.

"And you don't smell like a dead goat in the Texas heat," Rip comments wrapping his jacket around her shoulders. "Cmon bug. Let's go get you a real shower and fixed up."

Katie nods and follows Rip inside. They walk past her father who only nods with sympathy in his eyes. He knew that Lee was Katie's hero and best friend. He knew that loss was the worst thing to happen to her. Not whatever happened overseas but what happened that night on their own land.