Chapter 29
Chapter
Twenty-Nine
GORAN
The road out of California felt too smooth and easy for what we had just done.
Kaylani drove the truck like she had been born with her hands on the wheel, keeping the lights low until we hit the main highway. I followed in the SUV, close enough that if anyone tried to pull her over, they would have to go through me first.
It was almost five in the morning, and the sun was kissing the horizon with its deep golden glow. For the first time, daylight felt far more dangerous than night.
Between midnight and four was the holy time for criminals. The world was asleep, and you could pretend you weren’t about to set it on fire. But the moment the clock crept past five, the world started to come alive. Everything shifted, and it became a whole new ballgame.
My phone sat on the console, face down like it was ashamed of the inevitable. I ignored every call and text.
I had done plenty of jobs for the Mikhailov family, but I had never done one that ended with Kaylani committing a felony.
Kaylani believed she had taken her life back. But Dimitri Mikhailov didn’t lose, not in cards, business, women, and especially not when it came to his family.
The SUV’s headlights washed over the back of the trailer ahead. No sway. No panic. Atlas stood steady, as he always did.
I drove with one hand on the wheel, my thumb rubbing over the ring on my finger, turning it again and again until it warmed against my skin.
My wife was a fugitive, and I was her accomplice. It was wrong and yet part of me thought what she did was hot as hell. And it had always been a turn on that she could drive the big truck and trailer. She was smart, determined, tough as nails and all mine.
My only worry was Dimitri. I’d seen him make one phone call and turn a man’s life into a cautionary tale. He didn’t need to get violent when he had the kind of reach he commanded.
We crossed the Arizona state line, and the large welcome sign felt like a sick joke.
Kaylani didn’t stop until we were three hours from the stable and on a stretch of highway that was empty enough to feel private.
She slowed and pulled into a small gas station with a flickering sign, rolling to a stop at the diesel pump. I decided it was as good a time as any to fill up as well.
We didn’t speak at first. We just stared at one another, as if trying to decide if this was real.
“I’ll go in and pay. How much do you need?” I called out to her.
“Eighty at least.”
The inside was in roughly the same shape as the outside. But there was a single pot of coffee brewing that didn’t smell burned. I poured two cups, grabbed some snacks, and enough water bottles to fill a bucket for Atlas, then walked up to the old man behind the counter.
“I’ll take these, and I need thirty on pump four and a hundred on the diesel.”
He nodded without saying a word.
I paid cash, not wanting to risk using my cards, and walked out. Atlas’s window was open, and Kaylani was checking the rig over like a seasoned trucker.
“I got him water,” I said, setting the bags down and handing her the coffee.
“Thanks. Can you fill the bucket?”
She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and started pumping the fuel.
“You okay?”
“I’m fine.” Her voice was tired but steady.
I leaned against the side of the trailer.
“You’re not fine. You’re running on adrenaline and spite.”
Her gaze lifted to mine.
“Spite is what keeps me focused on what I need to do so we can live without my father looming over us.”
I couldn’t argue with that, but I also couldn’t let her live like this forever.
“Where are we headed?”
Cracking a bottle open, I grabbed Atlas’s water bucket.
“We’re going to Dylan’s.”
Just hearing his name made my jaw lock.
“I know you don’t like him, but his family has a barn. My father would never think to look there. Atlas can be unloaded, breathe, drink, and settle in.”
“I don’t trust him. There is a difference.”
Kaylani smirked at me.
“Okay, fine. I don’t like him. But Dylan isn’t the type to do favors out of the goodness of his heart.”
“He’s not. This arrangement is purely monetary.”
I clipped the water bucket to the hook outside Atlas’s window so he could drink. My gaze flicked to her.
“Are you sure that’s all he wants?” I failed at keeping the edge of jealousy out of my voice.
Her eyes flashed with a hint of irritation.
“I’m not in the mood to fight with you about this, Goran.”
“Then don’t. Just hear me. He’s not your friend. He needs to be reminded of that, or he will push for more.”
Kaylani stared at me for a beat, then nodded.
“Fine. I’ll make sure Dylan is reminded.”
I didn’t believe her. Not because she was soft. Because she needed Dylan right now and wouldn’t want to start a fight, and that asshole would absolutely love that about her.
The pump clicked off, and she put the hose aside. It had taken ninety, but I decided the old guy needed the ten dollars in change more than I did.
I grabbed the bag of snacks, pulled out a chocolate bar, and a bag of barbecue chips.
“You can take the rest. How much further,” I asked, taking down the water bucket and placing it in the tack area before grabbing the carrots Kaylani had stashed there.
Even when committing a crime, she still thought of her horse’s needs first.
“About forty minutes. I’ll send you the address.”
I handed her Atlas’s treats and nodded.
“Hey, handsome,” she murmured, holding them out one at a time for him to eat.
Kaylani exhaled, the sound itself seemed to ease something inside her.
I watched her face while she talked quietly to Atlas. It was like they were in their own universe. Seeing them together made it impossible to deny how real their bond was.
Dimitri didn’t understand it. He understood deals, assets, and leverage. He didn’t understand loving something that couldn’t be bought once it was gone.
Once she was done, she locked the window again and closed the feed door.
“He’s okay,” she said, turning to face me. But it sounded like she was reassuring herself.
“It’s going to be difficult keeping him that way when your father finds out he’s gone.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Say things like that.” She stepped closer until she was right in my space, looking up at me with that stubborn fire that had ruined my life in the best way possible. “We did it. We got him. He’s safe. That’s all that matters.”
My hand slid around to the back of her neck.
“Lani. He’s safer than he was. That’s not the same as safe.”
Her throat worked as she swallowed. Then she nodded slowly.
“Okay,” she whispered.
“I’ll call Nathaniel and let him know where we are.”
Her eyes flicked up to mine.
“Are you sure he’s okay with us?”
“I am.”
“Okay.” She lifted her hand to shield her eyes from the brightening sun. “We’d better get going.”
Drawing her close, I kissed her quickly. It was soft. A reassurance that we were both here and that I had her back.
Back on the road, the sun climbed higher. The world woke up, the traffic increased, and with it, the chance of someone recognizing her truck, plate, or trailer.
I tapped Nathaniel’s name on my phone.
He answered on the second ring. “Talk to me.”
“She has Atlas.”
There was a pause. It was brief, but carried weight.
“Jesus. How?”
“She roped me into helping her steal him. Oh, and she also took the truck and trailer. We’re headed to a temporary barn. A friend of hers from the circuit.”
“Name?”
“Dylan Winterton.”
“I know that name. Why?”
“You know Winterton Sr., his father, from the beachfront condo deal you made last year. You called him an ignorant prick. The son is the same.”
Nathaniel’s silence said enough.
“Why did she choose there?”
“She thinks your father wouldn’t suspect his farm.”
“Okay, fine. Send me the address.”
I quickly typed it out. “Sent.”
“Goran, listen to me.” His voice had shifted. “Dimitri is going to move fast. He will be looking for her already.”
“I know.” My grip tightened on the wheel.
Nathaniel continued. “He’s going to treat this like a declaration, not a tantrum. You understand?”
“I understand.”
“Good. I’m coming out there. I’ll take the jet. There’s a private airfield not far from that farm.”
It was a relief to have Nathaniel on our side. It meant more than I could put into words.
“Oh, and Goran, do not let her make any more decisions until I get there. I have an idea.”
I almost laughed.
“Trying to stop your sister from doing anything is like trying to hold back the tide.”
Nathaniel laughed.
“Try.”
He hung up, and I swore under my breath.
We drove a little over forty-five minutes before the land changed. The red and tan rock stretched for miles beneath a backdrop of blue sky. It looked like something from an old western movie.
Kaylani slowed and turned onto a narrow lane lined with fencing, trees, and a mailbox that looked expensive for no reason other than to look expensive.
Dylan’s place was exactly what I expected. Manicured. Clean. Built to impress. The kind of barn that made people post photos and pretend they worked harder than they did. Barns like this existed everywhere in the sport. Money disguised as discipline.
Kaylani pulled into the gravel lot and cut the engine. I did the same, and we got out together.
The main barn doors stood open. People moved through the space, leading horses to paddocks, riding in the large outdoor ring, and pushing wheelbarrows.
Kaylani didn’t hesitate. She walked straight toward the front entrance with me at her side.
Dylan stepped out before we reached the doors. He wore beige breeches, knee-high boots, and a crisp shirt. His hair was messy in a way that looked intentional, and his smile was too wide. He looked past us to the trailer.
His mouth curved up, and my muscles tensed.
“So, you made it.” He stepped in close, giving her the two air kisses that he always did when he saw her.
“I did. Did you doubt that I’d come?”
“I would never doubt such a thing.”
I didn’t know if Kaylani had picked up on the lewd comment, but I did.
“Do you have the stall ready?”
Dylan’s gaze flicked over her, like he was taking inventory.
“I do. Do you have the cash?”
She crossed her arms. “Yes. I wouldn’t stiff you.”
Dylan’s lips parted like he was about to make another crude joke, but then his eyes shifted to me.
“I see you brought your bodyguard. You really don’t need him here.”
My hands stayed relaxed at my sides, my expression bored.
“I’m not leaving her. So if you’ve got a problem with me…”
Kaylani grabbed my arm as I stepped forward. Her eyes silently begged me not to start a fight.
Fuck.
Dylan smirked and stepped back.
“No problem at all. I was just stating that this is a safe place.” I doubted that. “Bring Atlas around to the far aisle. Stall five is empty. My girls will take care of him.”
“No need. I like to do it myself.”
Kaylani was already moving before he could reply, her face the picture of focus.
I gave Dylan a slow once-over, then followed my very determined wife.
Kaylani’s hands shook as she unlatched the divider, but the moment Atlas stepped down and snorted into the barn air, her shoulders eased.
Atlas looked around, ears tipped forward, nostrils flaring. New space. New smells. Other horses. He let out a loud bellow, as if announcing his presence to the entire barn.
I grabbed the tack trunk on wheels and followed behind her as she led him into stall five. I set the trunk down, opened it, and handed her a brush. I knew that she would want to brush out the sweat marks from the long drive.
The second she slipped the halter off and set Atlas up, she pressed her forehead to his neck.
“Hi.” Her voice broke. “I’m sorry about all of this, but I promise that I’ll make sure nothing happens to you. He’s not going to sell you to some asshole as long as I’m still breathing.”
Atlas shoved his muzzle into her hair like he didn’t care about apologies, just her. I stood at the stall door and watched her breathe him in like oxygen.
Dylan leaned on the wall across the aisle, arms crossed, gazing at her like she was entertainment.
I stepped into his line of sight.
His eyes flicked to mine.
“You seem to have a problem with me, and yet I’m the one doing you a favor.”
“No. You made a business deal.”
He scoffed. “Same thing.”
“It’s not.”
Dylan’s smile faded.
“Are you always this serious?”
I didn’t answer.
“Kaylani, dinner will be served at 6:30. My parents are excited to meet you,” Dylan announced.
“Oh, I don’t think—” Kaylani started, but Dylan cut her off.
“Nope. It’s nonnegotiable. Just come into the house. Don’t worry about knocking.”
With that, he turned and walked away.
I really didn’t like that guy.
“Want to take him for a ride to stretch his legs,” I asked, and Kaylani smiled. “Thought so. I’ll grab everything else from the trailer and park it. You look after him.”
Kaylani grabbed my hand before I left and pulled me inside the stall, out of the view of the aisle. With a soft smile, she cupped my cheeks, and I lowered my lips to hers. This kiss was deep, and emotions that there were no words for passed between us.
“I love you,” she whispered against my lips.
“I love you too, Lani. Now and always.”
I gave her a wink and stepped out of the stall, but my heart stayed behind. With each stride toward the trailer, one thought circled through my mind.
What would Dimitri do next?
No matter what it was, I would protect Kaylani with my life.
I could survive anything. Even losing her, because I had never been meant to have her.
But I didn’t know how I would survive watching her lose herself.