28. Romy
28
romy
L ying beneath the shade of a large pine with the river’s cool breeze wafting over me was my kind of peace. I knew Reed would be nearly two hours, so I covered my face with my hat and settled in for a nap while Winnie snuffled grass nearby.
Nearing the hour mark, I was drifting off to sleep when I heard the crunch and shuffle of hiking boots treading down the trail. I sat up, resituating the hat back on my head. The hiker’s head was lowered beneath his cap, watching his feet as he chose his steps carefully. Dusting off the butt of my jeans, I pulled Winnie toward me to make sure she was off the trail to allow the hiker to pass.
I stayed to the side, a smile ready for the hiker when he passed. The hiker seemed familiar, but most people seemed familiar in the place I grew up.
Winnie brayed, causing the hiker to look up.
My stomach plummeted.
The hiker’s face broke out in a sneer beneath the shadow of his bill.
Junior.
My smile faded into a glare.
“I thought I might run into you here this week,” he said. His voice was a lot calmer than it had been at the Rooster, his face more serene. It was far more unsettling than him cursing at me. A purple-and-yellow bruise still marred his jaw where Jude hit him.
“What do you want?” I demanded. I wasn’t about to put up with this guy’s bullshit again. And it wasn’t lost on me that we were both alone on this trail.
Reed was probably just heading back my way. It was going to be another hour out here.
“Hazel’s hearing is coming up,” he commented.
“Yeah, and?”
“It’s in your best interest not to testify.”
His light-gray eyes were unnervingly pale, and his pupils were blown out, making them appear beady. Winnie shifted her weight beside me, sensing my unease. I stretched out a hand to rest on her shoulder, hoping to steady her.
I wasn’t planning on testifying, but that letter was still saved on the computer. I hadn’t decided whether I was going to send it or not.
“We’ll see,” is all I said, before something snapped in him and he moved off the trail to get in my face.
Winnie winced, nervous by his sudden movements, and stepped back on the trail.
Junior towered over me, his chest rising and falling. He stopped inches from me. I backed away, but with the trees behind me, there was no room to retreat. I could step to the side, but there was nothing but ankle-twisting rock.
“Your fucking bitch of a sister needs to spend the rest of her days in jail, and I swear to God, I’ll make sure that happens.” He glared down at me.
“What do you care what happens to her? The DA is already trying her for murder.” I repeated what the lawyer told me.
“She’s claiming self-defense, that she’s the victim here. But she stole from my brother, then killed him. She deserves to be in there for life. I intend to make sure that happens.”
My eyes narrowed. She stole from him? Was that Jesse’s money I found? Junior didn’t know about the note or the box of money. I needed to make sure he—or anyone—couldn’t find it.
“Fuck you,” I fumed.
And that was the wrong thing to say because before I realized what was happening, Junior kicked out his leg, wrapping it around one of mine. I lost my balance, and my hat fell off my head. Putting my hands out to catch myself, I toppled, hitting my hip on the rocky ground. He gripped my arm, wrenching it behind me until I could do nothing but flip onto my stomach to keep him from breaking my arm. My cheek hit a jutting rock. Hard. Stinging pain shooting through my skull.
I ground my teeth in pain as he wrenched harder on my arm, twisting my shoulder behind me. His knee landed on my back, pinning me down.
“Motherfucker! Get off me!” I bucked my hips and kicked my legs, hoping to connect with some bodily limb of his.
“Shut the fuck up,” he growled in my ear. He was closer than I thought. I could feel his hot, moist breath against my neck, and cold, clammy fear washed over me.
I screamed again, hoping someone on the trail would hear. I kicked my legs as hard as I could, but it only made Junior’s grip tighten and my arm twist more. My scream changed from anger and fear to pain. He lifted my shoulders off the ground, only to slam me down, my head bouncing off that rock again, and this time I felt something wet run down my cheek.
“Listen! I know who your boyfriend is. I’ve been wanting to talk to you before I go to the cops and press charges for assault. That would ruin his career and could land him time. So we’re going to talk. Well, you’re just going to listen, but we’re going to come to an agreement.”
Oh God, Jude. I couldn’t let that happen to him. He loved the sport. It made him whole. It fed his soul. Without MMA, he’d crumble. He’d just confided in me about his depression since he couldn’t fight while he recovered from knee surgery. This would break him. I couldn’t let Junior do that to him.
“Are you going to listen?”
I nodded into the dirt.
“Good. Now you’re going to refuse to testify at the hearing. In fact, maybe even consider not attending. Let the justice system handle this for what it is—murder—and I’ll leave you and Jude ‘The big bad Bull’ Larsen alone,” he said in a mocking tone. “If I hear otherwise, I’m going right to the cops to press charges. Agreed?”
I nodded again.
“Say it.”
“Okay. Agreed,” I spat.
Junior released my arm, hoisting himself off my back, which only dug me into the ground once more while he stepped away. Relief and pain radiated through my shoulder. I cradled it against my stomach.
“Shit,” he said, looking down at me. “If anyone asks, you fell off your horse. Understand? I don’t want to have to make another visit.”
I sat up, gingerly touching my cheek. My fingertips came away slippery with blood.
“Understand?”
“I understand.” I didn’t want another visit by him, either.
“Good.” He chuckled to himself as if he’d just thought of some deranged joke. “See you around, Romy Miller.”
I glared a fare-fucking-well to him.
I saw him before he saw me. And it wasn’t Reed coming down the trail on the other side of the creek—it was Jude.
“Shit,” I whispered, rolling my shoulder one more time.
Jude was going to freak out.
I did my best to wipe the blood off my cheek with the hem of my shirt, but now my shirt was stained and I probably looked worse than I thought. My shoulder was sore. I couldn’t lift it more than ninety degrees, but it would heal.
“I was expecting Reed!” I called over the water.
Jude looked up from the water where he was fording, spotting me on the trail with Winnie.
“Fucking Reed,” Jude said. Just like Lina.
My short laugh ended in a hiss, grabbing my shoulder to keep it still.
“What happened?” Concern laced his voice as he neared. He zeroed in on where I held my arm. When he saw my face, his eyes grew wide. “Fuck, Romy! What happened?”
He dug his heels into the horse as it splashed through the creek, trying to urge it on to get to me. Splashing up the bank, the horse trotted a few feet to the trail. He barely stopped the horse before hopping down and rushing to me.
“I’m all right. I just fell.”
I had never fallen from a horse in my life. Pretty sure Jude knew that, too. I averted my eyes, not wanting to see Jude’s worry or reveal the lie.
“You fell off Winnie? Reed said you were fine when he?—”
“It was after he left,” I interrupted.
“What the hell, Romy? You know you shouldn’t ride if she threw a shoe.”
Yes, I did know that, but he couldn’t know I had a visitor while I waited. He didn’t need to know that Junior touched me and threatened me, threatened him. Knowing what Jude did while sober in a crowded bar, I worried what he would do away from it. I wasn’t about to visit two people in jail.
“It was stupid. Let’s just get her booted and get back to the ranch.” I grabbed Winnie’s rein, still avoiding direct eye contact.
“Okay. Let’s get this done so we can get you home and clean up that cut.”
He reached out to lend a comforting touch to my arm, but it caused me to flinch and hiss in pain.
“Shit, Romy. Is your arm that bad?”
“Just sore. It’s not broken.” The ligaments in my shoulder may be strained, but I knew Junior hadn’t gone so far as breaking it.
“Maybe we should take you to urgent care.”
“No.” I shrugged with my good shoulder. “I’ll just ice it when we get back.”
I looked up at him then.
His brow furrowed in concern, his eyes searching mine, scanning my face, every inch of me, to try and detect other injuries. I cupped his jaw with my right hand and gave him what I hoped was a reassuring smile.
“Come on, let’s take care of Winnie so we can get out of here.”
Jude nodded before turning to the saddlebag to pull out the farrier kit and boot. It was then that I noticed he rode Hazel’s horse.
“You brought Bronte?”
“I figured if we get out of here late, Bronte may know the trails better than either of us.” He gave me a tender smile.
My chest warmed. Tears pricked at the back of my eyes, stinging my nose. I took a shuddering breath to tamp down the emotions. He’d thought to bring Bronte, not knowing what state we would be in but wanting to ensure we returned safely. No one had ever considered my safety before. For some reason, bringing my sister’s horse made me feel … loved. Bronte was not my horse, but it made me feel like I did as a child when my mom would bring me my bear. Any tears or hurts would quickly be soothed away by snuggling Bear.
So I gripped Bronte’s reins, stroking his shoulder, soothing my hurts, while Jude got out the tools and boot. And I kept petting him while I watched Jude work on Winnie’s hoof, removing the nail heads and filing. Petting until I felt centered and calm.
He couldn’t know what happened today. It would hurt him. I wasn’t about to let anything hurt him.
Once booted, I added a leadrope to Winnie’s bridle, tying her to Bronte’s saddle.
“We’ll have to ride in the saddle together.” I fluttered my eyelashes at him. Teasing him also helped settle the lump in my throat. “The one-horse trope is my favorite romance trope.”
“Oh, is it?” Jude gave me his lopsided grin.
I stepped in his space, my boots bumping into his. “Hmm-hmm,” I hummed. “My arm is hurt, so you may need to help me up into the saddle.” I peered at him with my most demure expression.
He stepped toward me, his voice darkening. “I think I can manage that, my lady.” Jude grabbed my hips and sent a thrill through me.
With my good hand gripping the saddle horn and Jude’s strong grasp, I was able to hoist myself into the saddle. I sat forward, allowing room for Jude to mount behind the cantle and reach for the reins.
“Tight fit,” he remarked while holding in a breath.
His thighs bracketed mine, and his buckle dug into my lower back.
“That’s what she said,” I joked. Anything to brush the emotions under the rug … to disperse the residual fear.
Jude scoffed. “You better be good, or we might never get out of here.” He pinched my side, making me release a shortened squeal before taking up the reins.
With one hand spread across my belly and the other holding the reins, he clicked his tongue and flicked the reins. Bronte started with a lurch before fording the creek. Settling into the saddle, I relaxed against his chest. Even when a jostle sent a twinge through my shoulder, I didn’t complain because I was safe, but my thoughts about Hazel’s situation were bothering me more now than ever.