Page 81 of Deserving Cora
“Oh my God, what’d he do to you?” Cora whispered when she noticed Lara’s body for the first time. She was wearing a spaghetti-strap nightgown that Cora had never seen before. It looked odd on her friend, because Lara hated anything with lace. Found it too scratchy. She always slept in an oversized T-shirt. This nightgown had lace around the entire neckline, which was so low her boobs were on clear display.
But it was the bruises that had most of Cora’s attention.
They were everywhere. Around her neck. On her upper arms. What she could see of her chest was covered in bruises. Whatever had happened, it had beenbad.
But the worst part was that the bruises were all different colors, obviously in various stages of healing. She hadn’t been abused once, but many times. Over and over again.
Cora’s heart shattered. She wanted to scream. Wanted to kill Ridge for doing this to her friend.
And just like that, the tears stopped. Sorrow disappeared, and anger took its place. Cora had never been so angry in her life. Not when she was a kid and had faced rejection after rejection. Not when she was bullied. Not when she was fired unfairly because she’d rebuffed her boss’s advances.
Lara didn’t deserve what had happened to her. No one did, but especially not Lara. She was the kind of woman who always gave people the benefit of the doubt. She gave her trust willingly. She had the kindest soul Cora had ever met. She was untainted.
Cora knew without a doubt that whatever had happened here would change her friend forever. And it filled her with absolute rage.
“Cora?”
She wiped her cheeks with her shoulder before turning to see Pipe standing next to her. Owl was sitting up, obviously trying to get his bearings.
“Are you all right?” Pipe asked.
Cora shook her head, but said, “Yeah.” She couldn’t deal with the concern and sorrow she saw in his eyes. “Something’s wrong with her,” she said, looking back at her friend.
It was Owl who said, “Scoot back, let me look at her.”
Without a thought to ask him if he had any medical training, Cora stood and stepped away from the bed, not taking her gaze from Lara. She felt Pipe’s arm go around her waist, but she suddenly felt oddly detached, as if she was floating, watching what was happening from above.
Owl leaned down and held his fingers at Lara’s throat, taking her pulse. Her eyes had closed, and he lifted each eyelid one at a time to check her pupils. He gently palpated her hands, arms, then eased the blanket down so he could get to her stomach.
Her nightgown had been rucked up, and they all saw she was completely naked beneath the flimsy garment. Owl moved quickly, pulling the nightgown down, preserving her modesty as best he could—but not before they’d all seen the bruises on her belly and inner thighs.
Not to mention the dry, crusted…stuff…on her body.
Cora’s fists clenched. Anger swept over her again so fast and hard, it was all she could do to keep breathing.
“Easy, love,” Pipe murmured.
Needing to strike out, to try to dispel the fury coursing through her veins, Cora turned on him. “Easy?” she practically shrieked. “Did you see that?” she asked, flinging an arm back to where Lara lay on the bed.
“Yes,” Pipe said, sounding too calm.
“She wasviolated! Someone jacked off on her! Theyhurther! Those are finger marks on her thighs. On her throat! Someone beat my friend. She doesn’t deserve this!” She was yelling now, shoving Pipe in the chest to punctuate her words.
He wrapped his hands around her wrists and pulled her against him roughly.
Cora let out anumphas she landed on his chest. Pipe wrapped his arms around her so tightly, she could hardly breathe. But it worked. As suddenly as her anger had welled up, it disappeared. She was left feeling hollow. She buried her face in his chest as the tears flowed again. “He hurt her.Lara. She’s the kindest, gentlest person I know…and he hurt her!”
“I know. And he’s gonna pay for that. I give you my word.”
Cora pushed the tears back. She didn’t have time to cry. Not now. Later, maybe…probably…but for now, she needed to keep herself together.
“She doesn’t have any broken bones,” Owl said. Cora turned in Pipe’s embrace to face the other man. “From the way her pupils are dilated, and given she’s so out of it, I’d say she’s been drugged.”
“Will she be okay?” It was a stupid question. Owl wasn’t a doctor, even if he did seem to have some medical training.
But he answered without hesitation. “Yes.”
The word was firm and determined, and hearing it made Cora feel a hundred pounds lighter. “Okay, can I…can I clean her?” she asked.
