No name... Yellowstone fanfiction

chapter 4 "tequila sunrise"

We stood around a fire. I watched the fire crackle and burn as Rip stuck a metal rod into the fire. I looked up at him as he did so.
"We want you here. We want you here for the longest we can have you. You belong here. You belong to this ranch. This is a new opportunity of life for you, I want you to realize that. This isn't personal. This has to be done. This is your last chance. Do you stay? Or so you go?"
I looked at the fire then back at him. "I... I believe I stay?"

"Great"

I was held down my my arms as my shirt was opened. I looked up at them in confusion. "What ..what are we doing?"

"A brand pink. You belong here" he replied. I watched him pull out the steaming glowing red brand out of the fire. I moved back in hesitation. They held me still. Rip placed the brand into my skin. I bit down on a stick that was placed in my mouth. I groaned squeezing my eyes shut. I think I'd rather be shot in the leg 3 more times then do this. He pulled it away after 30 seconds. I spit the stick out placing my hand over the wound. "Jesus fuck!!" I yell.
They laugh at the response.
"We all got one" Lloyd responded
"So...no one can leave?"

"You can. Just one way out"
I nodded. I knew what that meant. I was okay with that. I had food, water and shelter. The best part is no one can touch me from here.

.....

I stared at myself in mirror. I stared at my cuts and wounds and bruises. I never thought I'd find myself this way again. I stepped away from the mirror to get the full view of my body. The bruises, the cuts, the scars, my ribs and my hip bones. It all made me upset. How did I end up this way? I stepped my way into the hot shower. I hissed in pain as the dirt and blood poured off my wounds. I noticed some wounds were infected. I shut my eyes and drowned myself in the water. That until I heard the men shouting and laughing with their voices. I jumped up making sure the curtains were closed all the way.

"Now that little girl man. She's somthin" Ryan says as he rubbed his face with water form the sink.

"Did you see her wrangle that damn stud? Jesus. That thing could've killed her in one punt" Colby buds in.

"Yeah but that ass on that tiny girl. Wooo damn. Liked to see that thang again" Ryan Snickers.
"Man I thought she was like 15. Now that I'm seeing she's not, wow" jimmy says as he straps off his boots.
"The ass makes up for the no tits" Colby replied.
I frowned heavily a I listened.
"How many round of boos you think it takes to get her shit faced?"

"Four! Easy!!"

"What the hell are you boys talking about?" Lloyds voice stepped in.

"The little lady"

"Don't talk about her like that. She ain't done nothin wrong. Do you have any idea where she is?"
They looked at each other then shrugged. Lloyd put his hands on his hips shaking his head.
I wrapped a towel around myself as I opened the shower curtain and stepped out. I looked at them. "Hi" I say as I walk past them. They all watched in silence as they were embarrassed. I turned back around to face them. "I can out drink all of you by the way" I shut the door to the toilet behind me.

"You guys are fuckin morons!" Lloyd said Before leaving the room. they scoffed in laughter as they continued getting ready for their night. I slipped on sweat pants and a basic white tank top that was found for me. I step out of the toilet. They refused to look at me.
"We're sorry pink. We didn't mean anything by it" Ryan comes out to say. I shook my head. "I've heard worse" i rubbed my hair with the towel while I left the bathroom. "Lloyd? Am I allowed to sit outside?"

"You're one of us baby. You can do what you'd like." He says as he pours liquor in a glass. "Want some?" He handed me a cup. I took the cup. "Thank you" I say as I toss a flannel over my shoulders and stepped outside. I looked around at the dark night. I wandered to the white horse that after hours of being caught, was still running in circles. I sat on the fence watching and sipping my whiskey.

"Hey" a voice says behind me. I turned and looked over at rip. "Sorry. Lloyd said I was allowed outside"

"You ain't in no trouble. I got you this" he says as he held up a small container. "What's that?"

"Here" he opens up the container and gently pulls down my shirt where my burn was located. He gently placed the medication along the wound. I hissed in pain as he did so.
"Small bit of that everyday, it'll be healed in a couple weeks" he says as he tightened the container whipping the rest of the medication off on his jeans.
"You alright?"
I nodded watching him. He was real handsome. His beard, his hands, his eyes. Whoever had that man was a lucky woman. "Thank you" I say softly.

"No need honey. Just doin my job" he started to walk away. "Don't dink too much of that stuff, it'll hurt in the mornin"

"I'm used to it" I replied. He gave me a smile then began to leave. I looked back at the horse as I noticed him getting tired. He began to come closer in the circle he was running. He was noticing his surroundings. I stepped into the pen stepping near the horse. The horse was frightened and aggravated such as I was days ago. He stood still for me. I held my hand out. He hesitated but allowed me to pet his face.

"He likes you huh?" Rip said still watching. I smiled softly as I stepped back away from him "maybe a little bit" I say as I look at rip. Rip smiled. "Maybe you should train him"

"Me? No"

"Why not? We need more horses. Better to train them than buy them"

"Well...I guess I could.."

"I'm sure you could even sell if he comes out to be a well trained horse, make thousands. Maybe even millions"

"I used to do that. I Never got the money for it, but I trained them"

"Where did the money go?"

"To the man that made me train them. I'd train them for prizes. Like sandwiches"

"Prizes? That ain't a prize. that's food. Prize is money. Earnings in money not food"

"It was different for me. I only had so much"

"What about your parents? Are they alive?"

"My father murdered my mother. I found her when I was young"

"How young?"

"Real young. I had to escape from my father. I was next on his list. I stabbed him in his palm. I ran out the door. I never saw him since. That was years ago though. I've been on my own. Hopping from job to job"

"How hard is it to keep a job that you constantly killed for money?"

"Well...I..I can't read... I can't write... I can't even count" he looked up at me in shock. "at all?"
I shook my head. "So i always did dangerous work. The work where i didn't need to count or read. For some reason it always ended badly for me. Everyone always tried to take advantage of me. All Because I'm small and...weak? I guess"

"Well you ain't gotta deal with that anymore. You're protected now. We'll take care of you"

"How about you?"

"What about me?"

"What about your parents? Your past?"

"Welp" he leaned back on the fence looking out at the open. "My old man murdered my ma and brother. So I did the best thing I could. I killed him. Then I ran away. Never looked back. Ended up here, Dutton took me in. That was it."
I looked up at him. "You and I aren't much different"

He cracked a smile "no I guess not"
"Well. You can read cant you?"
He laughed aloud "yeah honey I can read"

"Is there anything you cant do?"

"Hmmm" he rubbed his face. "I can't sing"

"Then you read for me and I'll sing for you" I smirked up at him. He smiled wide. "Alright. Deal baby. Deal" he patted my knee as he stood up straight. "Think you gotta get to bed sugar"

"I'm alright. I'm gonna stay up a bit"

.......