Patrick Ch 09

Kevyn kept walking, her vision blurred by tears.

"How could I have fallen in love with him?" she murmured, "he's a rapist!"

She thought about Lonnie, he was a lot of things including lazy and a cheater but he never hurt anyone and then there was Patrick who worked even though he didn't have to and treated her in a way that no man ever had and he was a rapist.

She knew that he was following her but she couldn't talk to him, she didn't know what she would say to him even if she had wanted to talk to him. What did one say to someone who confessed doing something as horrible as rape?

Kevyn stopped walking. He confessed, he didn't have to tell her but he did, the question was why. She realized that it didn't change the fact that it happened but it did pique her curiosity as to why he didn't keep it to himself. As angry as she was, her curiosity mounted.

She turned around to face Patrick; she could tell that he wanted to touch her but after what he had just told her she didn't want him touching her.

"Why did you tell me?" she asked.

*******

George and Carl continued their conversation with only George being aware of how long the women Maryanne and Linda had been gone. At first he worried that Maryanne would physically harm Linda she had been that angry when she found out about Melissa. That anger grew when she found out about Linda.

"The bitch!" she hissed, "its bad enough that she sells herself to men for money but it is an entirely different thing when a child is involved and I don't mean just her daughter!"

George remained silent, he knew better than to interrupt.

"And she's got her hooks in a good friend of ours to boot!" she added.

George wondered if he should either go into the bathroom or send in Katrina but then decided to wait a little longer.

*******

Linda stared at Maryanne eyes wide with fright as she sensed that Maryanne was more than capable of physically harming her and there was the matter of how she had beaten her to the bathroom and locked the door without touching it.

"I think you must have me confused with someone else." Linda said borrowing a line that she heard in movies.

"No I'm very certain that I don't Linda Hunter mother of Melissa Hunter, married four times with the current husband being a very dear friend of my family." Maryanne replied giving Linda a look cold enough to freeze fire.

Linda shuddered and took a step backwards.

"How do you know me?" she asked as she tried to figure out where she would have run across a Sinclaire because she attended very few of the social events.

"As I said, I don't know you personally but I know of you and if you will excuse my French, you've chosen the wrong family to fuck with." Maryanne replied.

"I don't know....."

"Don't bother with the innocent act." Maryanne interrupted, "it will serve no purpose but to make me even angrier than I already am."

"Let me out of here." Linda said her voice shaking.

"Not until our business is concluded and how it concludes depends entirely on you." Maryanne replied.

*******

Patrick stopped several feet away from Kevyn and waited. He forced himself to look at her face bracing himself for the look of anger and revulsion that he expected to be there. There was anger and confusion but no revulsion and something else, she loved him and she was angered by it because she didn't understand it.

"Why did you tell me?" she asked again, "I would have never known."

"But I would have." Patrick replied, "I had to tell you, I don't want our relationship to start with a lie."

"What relationship?" Kevyn asked, "We went out and we talked, that doesn't mean that we're in a relationship."

"We did those things and we kissed and don't you tell me that it didn't mean anything." Patrick said. "Not more than ten minutes ago you told me that you loved me."

"Tell me something, do I have the word idiot tattooed across my forehead?" Kevyn asked, "Because it seems like I attract men who aren't good."

"Kevyn listen to me, I swear to you that until Melissa I haven't touched a woman in twenty-five years...."

Patrick stopped; he was supposed to be in his thirties in human years making it impossible for him to have not touched a woman. He hoped that Kevyn misunderstood him; they weren't anywhere near ready to deal with the non human part of their relationship.

"Kevyn, you're not an idiot......"

"Then what? Is there something about me that says that I'm easy to fool?"

"Kev...."

"Before I took your class my life was pretty straight forward, I went to work, I went home and I sure as hell didn't want to be involved with anyone. All I wanted was to go to school get my nursing degree, save money and buy a little condo on the beach and then here you come! I didn't want to fall in live with you or anyone else!"

"This isn't your fault." Patrick said, "And Kevyn, I wasn't expecting to find you in my class and I never set out to deceive you. I am the man that you see before you, I didn't use to be this man, I was someone that even now when I think about him I feel ill."

"What about the women that you raped? Do you even think about them?"

"There isn't a day that I don't remember who and what I am and was." Patrick replied, "Just because I only recently remembered their faces doesn't mean that I don't feel remorse because I do and it's something that I will always pay the consequences for."

"Consequences? What consequences?" Kevyn demanded. "You haven't served one day of prison for what you've done! You're out living your life but what about the women that you raped? What about there lives? If you ask me they're the ones who are living with the consequences."

Patrick gave his reply a few moment's thought.

"You're right, I haven't spent any time in prison at least not prison in the way that you're thinking of but I have been imprisoned in that I have never been free of this and I will never be. The consequences are that I had to tell you what I did and I had to watch the anger, confusion and disappointment on your face, the consequences will never, ever go away. If we work through this and we have children, I will have to tell them about me....."

"I don't know if I can get past this." Kevyn said crying again, "I need for you to take me home and I need for you not to call me."

"Kevyn...."

"Patrick, I know that this was hard for you to do and I can appreciate that but look at it from my point of view, what would you do? So please just take me home and leave me alone."

*********

"What do you want from me?" Linda asked.

"For starters an explanation." Maryanne said, "I want to know what kind of woman teaches her daughter that it's acceptable to use her body to lure men into her bed and marriage for money."

Linda got angry, "It's none of your business!"

Maryanne's eyes flashed angrily.

"It became my business when your daughter decided to target my son and then this family for financial gain. It became my business when I found out who Carl was married to and that you were stealing from him, it became my business when you taught your daughter that she was nothing more than a way to make money to help you support your life of ease and you didn't teach her to respect herself, her body and others, it became my business when you decided to take advantage of my family."

Maryanne had moved just a few feet in front of Linda without Linda being aware of it. "So tell me again that it isn't my business!"

*******

Ethan looked around the room for Maryanne but spotted George who was still talking with Carl whose wife was also missing.

"Shit!" he cursed as he had an idea of what could be happening.

He looked around for Katrina and spotted her talking to one of the biggest contributors to her charity. He moved toward her nodding at those who acknowledged him but not stopping to talk. When he reached Katrina, he politely asked if he could speak to her privately.

"Ethan what's wrong?" she asked.

"Mother and Linda are missing."

Picking up on his sense of urgency, Katrina looked around to confirm that neither woman was in the room.

"I thought that you said that she didn't know about Patrick and Melissa." Katrina said as she looked around the room again.

"No sweetheart I said that I didn't tell her that doesn't mean that someone else didn't." Ethan said rescanning the room. "Let's find George, he'll know what's going on."

********

Linda didn't have the sense to curb her tongue or the tone of her voice.

"Listen to you! You never had to work a fucking day in your life! You don't know what it's like to have to live from week to week never knowing what's going to happen!"

"And that's your excuse for prostituting your daughter and yourself?" Maryanne asked, "What about good old fashioned work? Millions do it everyday and millions live from week to week and don't sell their bodies but here is my issue, you didn't marry into money once, you did it four times after taking money from your husbands....."

Linda pushed at Maryanne and got ready to slap her.

"Go ahead." Maryanne taunted, "It would give me just cause to beat your ass not only for your daughter but my family and the men that you took from."

Something in Maryanne's voice gave Linda pause and she lowered her hand.

"Now let's talk about my son and this family...."

"I don't have to talk with you about anything...."

"Silence!" Maryanne hissed her patience at an end, "I am tired of hearing your mouth so you will listen to me! You are a sorry excuse for a woman and a mother! You have taken what was a gift and perverted it and it ends tonight!"

Linda tried to speak but couldn't. Maryanne was furious and wanted to do nothing more than rid the world of Linda but there would be consequences. As she contemplated Linda's fate, someone tapped on the bathroom door.

"Mother let us in." Ethan said.

*******

Patrick wanted to stay until they worked through their issues but Kevyn had taken all that she could handle. She had a valid point, what would he do if the situation was reversed?

"Alright sweetheart, let's go."

As hard as telling Kevyn about the past had been and as hard as it was to see her hurt Patrick felt a sense of freedom. He had been right not to take her up on the offer not to tell her, it would have eaten at him until he told her anyway.

Kevyn didn't speak or look at him as they walked back to the car and Patrick didn't push it. He opened the car door for her without touching her in any way although he was dying to kiss her. Martin sat in the back seat and put a hand on Patrick's shoulder but didn't speak; they would talk after they took Kevyn home.

The drive back seemed to be twice as long as the drive to Caesar's and much to Patrick's relief Kevyn while quiet wasn't squished against the door as if she was afraid of him; in fact, she hadn't acted afraid of him at all. Patrick tucked the observation away for when they talked again; he also noticed that she didn't say that she never wanted to see him again.

As soon as the car stopped in front of her building Kevyn jumped out without saying a word and ran into the building. Patrick watched her go and made no effort to stop her, as difficult as it was going to be, he wouldn't call her either, he would wait for her to call him.

********

"Mother open the door." Ethan said again his tone firm.

When the door didn't open Katrina tried.

"Maryanne please open the door, we can deal with Linda together."

Several minutes passed before the door unlocked. Ethan and Katrina walked into the bathroom, shut the door and it immediately locked again.

Linda looked at them and then back at Maryanne. The urge to run had returned with a vengeance and she would have tried if Ethan and Katrina hadn't been standing in front of the door.

"Remove the compulsion." Ethan said.

As soon as it was removed Linda started to talk.

"She wouldn't let me out of here! She wants to hurt me!"

"If she had wanted to hurt you she would have by now." Ethan said coolly.

"Where's Carl? He must be looking for me by now." Linda said.

"Actually he isn't." Ethan said, "He and George are busy talking about a joint business venture."

"What do you people want from me?" Linda asked.

"Personally I would like to beat you to within an inch of your life." Maryanne said.

"There's been enough violence." Katrina said speaking for the first time.

Katrina looked at Linda for a long time before speaking.

"Do you have any idea of what almost happened to your daughter because of what you taught her?"

"What are you talking about?" Linda asked,

"Don't play innocent!" Katrina snapped, "You knew that she was targeting a member of this family for money by using sex and you encouraged it."

"Oh you must mean Dr. Sinclaire; I warned her that she should leave him alone." Linda said.

"Well she didn't, she showed up at school with next to nothing on in the hopes of seducing Patrick." Ethan said, "She was almost raped."

"Raped? By who?" Linda asked for the first time showing concern.

"We interrupted before the rape actually occurred." Ethan said.

"Oh well then, maybe she'll learn her lesson." Linda replied the concern gone.

Katrina could hardly believe what she was hearing. Forgetting what she said about violence, she slapped Linda as hard as she could and then got into her face shaking with anger.

"You stupid, stupid woman! We just told you that your daughter was almost raped and that's your response? Have you ever been raped? Do you have any idea of how it feels to be violated like that?"

Linda stepped back and rubbed her face.

"I'm calling the police and having you arrested for assault!"

Katrina took a step back, she really hadn't meant to slap Linda but her cavalier attitude about the almost rape of her daughter was more than she could take. Without taking her eyes from Linda, Katrina looked at Maryanne.

"Is it possible to show her what it's like to be violated?"

"Yes it is." Maryanne replied.

"You are going to see what it's like to be hurt, afterwards you won't remember us being here but you will have a better understanding of what almost happened to your daughter." Maryanne said.

"What are you going to do to me?" Linda said backing away, "I'll scream! I'll....."

"Silence!" Maryanne said.

Katrina turned to Ethan and asked him to leave the bathroom, this was something that she didn't need or want him to see. When he was gone she turned back to Linda.

"I don't want to do this but you don't seem to understand what you've done. I could have Maryanne compel you to be a better mother but that ship has already sailed so instead I'm going to ask her to reawaken your conscience if you still have any and to show you what almost happened to your daughter." Katrina said as she took one of Linda's hands in hers.

Linda's eyes were wide with terror and tears ran down her cheeks streaking her make up.

"I am going to do one more thing." Maryanne said, "You will forget about finding men with money, you will spend the rest of your life being a good wife to Carl and if you should ever see your daughter again, you will tell her how wrong you were."

Linda tried to run; she didn't want to be married to Carl or anyone else for that matter. She tried to scream when Maryanne touched her, she screamed in her mind as she saw herself lying on a desk with her legs wide open in a dark office, the negligee that she had on might as well had not been there.

Linda watched as the office door opened and a man that she didn't know walked in, she felt terror as the man advanced and spoke to her in a voice filled with rage, hatred and lust as he unfastened hid jeans freeing his cock as they fell over his hips. In her mind she begged the man not to hurt her and felt his cock as he began to enter her, she felt pain on her thighs where the man held her open with a viselike grip. She felt relief as two men came in and stopped the man from raping her and then sent her home.

"That is what your daughter experienced because of what you taught her." Maryanne said softly, "That teaching almost destroyed a man who hadn't done such a thing in almost twenty-five years, that teaching almost cost your daughter a great deal of pain and possibly her life. You will remember this every time you think of her and from this moment forth, you will forget about trying to steal from us or anyone else and that includes your husband. From this moment forth you will be a good wife to Carl and if by some chance you manage to break this compulsion, you will live to regret it. Do you understand me?" Maryanne asked her tone cold.

"Speak." she commanded, "Do you understand all that I have shown and told you?"

"Yes." Linda replied even though part of her was rebelling.

"Good, now fix your face and rejoin your husband and know that you will be watched."

Maryanne released Linda's hand while Katrina released the other so that she could fix her make up. Linda walked to the sink and dried her eyes, when she looked in the mirror both Katrina and Maryanne were gone. For just a second she thought that she had somehow imagined the whole thing, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise and knew that she hadn't.

********

Katrina and Maryanne watched as Linda walked out of the bathroom and looked for Carl.

"I didn't want to do that." Katrina whispered.

"I know you didn't." Maryanne said hugging her, "But now Patrick can concentrate on his mate and not have to worry about that bitch."

********

George breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Linda walk out of the bathroom; he was beginning to get nervous especially when he saw Ethan without Katrina. He was dying to know what happened and regretted not being able to watch as he had hoped but Maryanne would tell him everything when they got home.

*******

Linda spotted Carl and made her way over to him, when she reached him she tugged on his sleeve to get his attention, when she had it she stood on her tiptoes and to his surprise, she kissed him on the cheek. He put an arm around her and hugged her close wondering what got into her and really not caring. The only thing he hoped was that whatever it was, that it would last.

*******

Kevyn ran into her efficiency, stripped and took a hot shower crying the whole time. She wanted to turn her phone off but didn't dare because if someone called from home she wanted to hear the phone. She put on her pajamas, turned on the television but couldn't concentrate which meant that trying to study was out of the question.

As she stared at the television she wondered how someone like Patrick could rape, she also wondered why none of his victims reported it but then figured that they were all paid off. She replayed the confession over and over in her mind. "Twenty-five years he's been celibate, twenty-five......"

Kevyn sat up, "Twenty-five years?" she said aloud, "He can't be much older than I am so ....."

Thinking that she must have either misunderstood him or he was quite a bit older than he looked, she let it go. She asked herself same question over and over, "Why did he tell me when he didn't have to?" As she calmed down she had to admit that she knew that he wasn't lying to her but things just weren't adding up. The more she thought about it the more she was sure that he said twenty-five years and the more certain she was that he wasn't much older than she was.

Even so she wasn't ready to talk to him and she didn't know when she would be. She lay down and closed her eyes and tried not to think about Patrick.

******

"How are you holding up?" Martin asked.

"She doesn't want to hear from me."

"That's understandable, she just needs time to process things." Martin replied.

"She.... She told me that she loved me."

"That's something and she didn't say that she never wanted to see you again did she?"