LPOV

When we finally rolled up to the house we ran up to the front door that was wide open. We were hollering for Kat. I put my hand up when I thought I heard something.

"Lessstter?" Her voice sounded so small. I couldn't believe what I saw. The entire room was trashed. Kat's shirt and pants were ripped and torn in various places, and she had a busted lip and her cheek was starting bruise and swell. I ran right over to her, scooped her up into my arms, and put her across my lap.

"What happened sweetheart?" She looked up at me with tears in her eyes.

"JJJJaaake tttried ttto rrrape mmmmme." She started to sob again. I looked at Tank.

"Gather up her things and take them back to my apartment. I'm taking her home with me." I got no argument from anyone, so I guessed no one had a problem with it. I carried Kat out to the SUV and got in back with her. Ranger drove and Bobby got in back with us to look Kat over.

"Sweetheart, can you tell me where he is?" She shook her head.

"He took off when I told him I pressed the panic button that Ranger had given me. I'm so sorry to be so much trouble." I put my index finger under her chin and lifted her head.

"Look at me. You are never any trouble, do you hear me? I told you, we all love you. Nothing that has happened is your fault. Do you understand me." She looked at me and nodded. Bobby continued to tend to her lip, and gave her an ice pack for her cheek. By the time we got back to Rangeman, she was asleep in my arms.

"Ranger, can you call Steph and/or Ella to get her changed into different clothes. Can you also make sure Ram is distracted? I don't want him coming out of his apartment as I'm bringing her into mine. I want to talk to him first." Ranger nodded and made the calls. He got out to go up to Ram's apartment to keep him occupied while I got Kat up there. I would text him when everything was taken care of. After a few minutes, I got out of the car with Kat in my arms and headed up to my apartment. When I got there, Steph and Ella were already waiting for me.

"What happened Les?" I looked at Steph.

"Her fucking manager tried to rape her." Ella gasped as she opened the door for me. I walked in and layed her on the bed. Ella put her hand on my arm.

"Don't worry. We'll take care of her." I nodded to the both of them. I walked out and Tank was just arriving with Kat's things.

"Just put them over in the hall Tank." He nodded, and I walked out of my apartment. I texted Ranger to meet me in his office.

I had only been waiting a few minutes when Ranger, Bobby, and Tank all filed into the room.

"We have two, well three issues. First, where the fuck is Jake? Second, do we tell Ram about what happened? Third, do we tell Ram that Kat is here?" Ranger was his eloquent self.

"First, we find out where. Second, we need to. Third, we have to." All I could think was, this is going to be a clusterfuck.

Ram POV

I was sitting in my apartment thinking about how weird it was to have Ranger just come up and talk to me like that. My phone beeped with a text. It was Ranger needing me to come down to his office for a briefing. I put my uniform on and headed up to his office. I knocked, and walked in when he told me to come in. I looked around and saw the whole core team. I knew something had happened.

"What's going on? Is Kat ok?" I kept looking from one man to the other. Ranger spoke.

"Sit down Ram." I sat next to Lester on the couch. "I'm telling you as your boss, that you need to keep control of yourself." I nodded. "About two hourse ago the alarm went off for Kat's panic button." I instantly tensed, but Ranger put his hand up. "We arrived at her manager's house and found her alone there. She has a busted lip, bruised cheek bone, and her clothes were ripped and torn up. He had tried to rape her." I began to stand up, but Les and Tank both put their hands on my shoulders to keep me seated. "He had run off before we got there, so we need to find him. We are going to need all the help we can get, that's why I told you. Can you hold it together to help us look for him?" I felt the rage boiling inside me, but I nodded my head. "Believe me Ram, you know that I know how this feels. The important thing is finding him before he tries to hurt her." I looked up.

"Where is she now? Is she ok? Can I see her?" I noticed Ranger look at Lester, and he was the one to answer me.

"Physically, she'll be fine. I'll ask her if she wants to see you." He looked away for a second, then back at me. "She's staying here, in my apartment." I jumped up off the couch.

"The hell she is! My woman is NOT staying in your apartment with you." I heard Tank's booming voice.

"SIT YOUR ASS DOWN RAMSEY!" I sat down and looked at Tank. "I'm sorry to bring this up, but she isn't your woman anymore." I ran my hand through my hair. I knew he was right. I had lost her. "She wants to stay at Lester's place, and you're going to live with it, because she's been through a lot and that's what she wants and needs right now. You know Santos isn't going to make a play for her." I wasn't so sure, but it looked like I didn't have a choice. It felt like everything was falling apart. If I hadn't of been so stupid a few months ago, she would've been here with me, instead of at that fucker's house. This never should've happened to her. Lester put his hand on my shoulder.

"This isn't your fault Ram. And Tank is right. I'd never make a play for your woman. I'll talk to her when she wakes up and see if she'll talk to you, ok?" I nodded.

"I just want to tell her that the baby doesn't change how I feel about her. I love Kat not Karen. I don't have to be with Karen to be involved with my child." Lester nodded to me. Ranger spoke up again.

"Steph ran a search on the manager before. I've got Woody and Cal checking a place out now. If they find him I'll let you guys know. Dismissed." I got up and didn't know if I should threaten Santos, or plead with him not to touch her. Until I found out if we could work things out, I guess I'd just have to plead with him.

"Les, can I talk to you for a minute?" He followed me into the emptry breakroom.

"What's up Ram?" He folded his arms. God this was hell.

"Les, Kat is the love of my life. I can't even imagine my life without her. I'm pleading with you, please don't move in on her. I want to see if there is a chance in hell we can work this out." The fucker smirked at me, but then looked me in the eyes.

"Ram, I told you, I'm not going to try anything with her. She is so in love with you, it kills me to see her so sad. I want you two to work things out. I was going to talk to her later about giving you a shot. Don't worry bro, I got your back." He smiled at me and headed toward the stairs. I guess I underestimate him sometimes. I think a lot of people do.

I had been in my apartment for a few hours when there was a knock on the door. I opened it to find Lester standing there.

"I'm going down to the gym for an hour. Kat agreed to hear you out. Don't fuck it up. It took a lot just to get her to talk." I nodded, thanked him, and headed across the hall to his apartment. I knocked, then turned the knob to find it open. I went towards the bedroom where I saw the light on. When I walked in and saw her lip and cheek, I wanted to kill Jake. That son of a bitch was going to pay. She looked at me.

"You wanted to talk to me?" I nodded and motioned to the side of the bed.

"May I sit?" She shrugged and nodded. I could see tears welling up in her eyes, and she looked away. "Please don't shut me out. Just listen to what I have to say." She looked at me again. The pain and sadness in her eyes made me feel like I couldn't breathe. "Yes, Karen is going to have my child, but that doesn't change how I feel about you. Karen and I had been broken up for over a month before I even met you. I never ever wanted to hurt you. I love you." She closed her eyes and the teardrops fell. I used my thumb to wipe them away. "Kitten," She opened her eyes and looked at me. "She may be the mother of my first child," I paused, then looked her in the eyes, "but I want you to be the mother of the rest of them." Her eyes got wide and she launched herself into my arms. God it felt good to hold her again. She looked at me.

"Will you take me home now?" I looked at her puzzled. "To your place...Collin." I grinned and picked her up and carried her to my bedroom...where she belonged.

I woke up the next morning relieved to see that Kat was still with me. Then I suddenly remembered that Karen was supposed to be coming here this afternoon. Kat was starting to wake up, and I needed to tell her.

"Morning Kitten, how are you feeling?" She started to stretch, then hissed.

"I'm a little sore, but I'm ok."

"Are you sure? I can call Bobby." She looked me in the eye.

"I'm alright. Stop worrying."

"I can't stop. I love you too much to stop." She smiled at me. "I need to tell you something. Karen is going to be coming to the building to talk." I felt her tense. "I called her and set this up before I talked to you. I wanted to talk to her about how things were going to work, because even if you didn't take me back, I was never going to be with her." Kat looked at me with eyebrows raised.

"Why not?" I smiled at her.

"I told you, this baby doesn't change the fact hat YOU are the only woman that I love." She smiled at me.

"I love you too Collin." Good God I loved hearing my name on her lips.
We got up and got ready for the day. She was going to see Steph while I spoke to Karen. After Kat left, I waited for Karen to be escorted up here.