Chapter 32
Chapter
Thirty-Two
GORAN
Kaylani on horseback was the epitome of freedom.
Sunlight caught in her hair as Atlas cantered beneath her. It always amazed me that such a powerful animal could move with that much control. Dust lifted behind them in clouds while she took a line toward the oxer.
She held him back until the perfect distance from the jump, then gave him his head, and they soared. Every time, I half expected him to grow wings and the two of them to disappear into the sky.
For a moment, she was simply a rider again. Not a daughter at war with her father. Not a mafia princess. Not a woman who was as forbidden as an angel. Just the woman I loved doing what she loved.
Applause drifted from the rail. I glanced at the handful of people watching. Of course, Dylan stood there, looking as smug as ever.
My jaw clenched tight. I tore my gaze away from the prick when my phone vibrated in my palm.
Dimitri.
The name glowed on the screen, and the device suddenly seemed like a loaded weapon.
I let it ring twice.
Ignoring him was dangerous. Answering him felt worse.
Stepping away from the ring, my boots crunched over gravel until the sounds of hooves and chatter faded behind me.
“Yes,” I said, answering the ticking time bomb. I kept walking until I reached the end of the driveway and was out of view.
Silence greeted me first.
“Yes? Is that how you answer the phone?”
“Sorry, sir. I’m working. How can I help you?” I kept my voice controlled. I didn’t want to antagonize him.
“What are you doing?” Dimitri’s tone was even. Almost bored. But I knew better.
“As I said, I’m working.”
“Are you now?” He continued without raising his voice.
In this situation, it was best to keep quiet and let Dimitri do all the talking.
“My daughter has gone rogue. You haven’t been foolish enough to follow her, have you?”
“I’m not with Kaylani.” I turned my back on the ring. It wasn’t a complete lie.
“That doesn’t really answer my question, does it?”
“I don’t have information for you. If you have an issue with that, take it up with Nathaniel.”
“My son is developing a nasty habit of interfering in my affairs.”
I didn’t point out that Dimitri was the one who had started it by ordering me to escort Kaylani to lunch, spy, and hunt people down. There was no point.
Silence stretched between us like two vehicles playing chicken, waiting to see who would swerve first.
“If you hear from my disobedient daughter, tell her she has left me no choice.”
I took a steadying breath and turned to look at Kaylani once more.
“What decision have you made?”
“A drastic one.” He sounded calm, but there was a threatening undertone. “She’ll find out soon enough if she doesn’t return to my property and start behaving.”
Property. Behaving. I shook my head.
“I’ll pass the message along if I see her.”
Another pause.
“You’ve always been loyal, Goran.” He let the praise hang there like bait. “I would hate to discover that your loyalty has shifted.”
Across the arena, Kaylani took another combination.
“My loyalty has never been the problem. And I’m not a babysitter.” Anger threaded through my voice.
The conversation shifted, as if the cold air on the other end of the line had seeped through.
“I see. If I find out you’re lying to me, I will not be as understanding as I am with my family.”
He said it casually, but I didn’t care what he threatened to do to me. I would never turn Kaylani over to him.
Dimitri ended the call.
Across the arena, Kaylani laughed as she dismounted and led Atlas into the barn. I’d taken only one step when my phone buzzed again.
Ivan this time.
I opened the text.
I: He’s off his rocker and escalating.
Fuck.
G: What did he do?
I: He’s threatening to get the cops involved. Saying he should press charges against Kaylani and anyone who helped her “steal” Atlas.
Son of a bitch.
G: Does Nathaniel know?
I: Yes. I’ve never seen him so angry. He’s on his way to speak to Dimitri now. Hopefully, he can talk him down.
Great, just great.
The world narrowed, and I pinched the bridge of my nose as a headache formed behind my eyes.
G: Thanks. I’ll call Nathaniel later for an update.
Dimitri was going too far. Kaylani would never forgive him for pushing the self-destruct button on their relationship.
It was time to figure out my next move.
She had a show this weekend in Nevada, but I couldn’t tell her what her father had said. Not yet. It would throw her off her game.
I glanced toward the barn where my wife had disappeared with her so-called stolen horse and her bright, reckless hope. Somewhere along the line, I had stopped playing a role and started wanting this to be real. But the walls were closing in on us.
This was no longer just a family battle, quietly waged inside the walls of the Mikhailov home. Now it was a full-scale hunt.
Fucking Dimitri.
KAYLANI
Steam rose into the air despite the wash stall’s warmth. Water ran down Atlas’s legs in clear streams. The act of bathing my horse calmed me. There was something rhythmical about the hose, scrub, rinse routine.
The outdoor ring buzzed in the distance, but this section of the barn remained quiet. Private. Four wash stalls and nothing else.
I worked the sponge over his shoulder, feeling along his muscles to make sure there were no sore spots. My forehead dropped to his neck, and I closed my eyes. Our connection and the sound of running water felt better than any therapy session.
“We did well today,” I murmured.
Boots echoed down the concrete hallway. It wasn’t Goran, and no one else would bother me other than—
Dylan.
I didn’t turn.
“I’m almost done.” I opened my eyes as my peaceful moment came to an end.
He stepped into the wash stall anyway, close enough that his cologne wrapped around me. I glanced over my shoulder.
Dylan leaned against the wall no more than three feet away, arms folded, watching me like I was his entertainment for the day.
“You ride like you’re trying to prove something.”
“I am,” I replied evenly.
He pushed off the frame and stepped closer. The stall wasn’t large, and with him inside, it felt claustrophobic.
Atlas sensed the energy shift and pawed at the concrete. His hooves were loud and striking like a sharp warning.
“Did you want something?”
“I’ve been making calls. You’ve been…busy.”
I shut off the hose.
“I’m always busy. What’s your point?”
He stepped closer, and I resisted the urge to retreat.
“You know how small this world is. Especially at the top.” His gaze lingered on my face. “People talk.”
“And?”
“And I don’t like surprises on my property.”
“I’m not here to cause problems.”
He reached up and caught a loose strand of my hair between his fingers. I went still.
Atlas reacted instantly, his ears snapping forward.
“One call,” Dylan continued, voice low, like he was trying to seduce me. “You’d have backing. Sponsorships. Access to the best. Doors closed for most riders would be open for you.”
“I don’t need doors opened for me. I’m forging my own path on my own merit.”
His mouth curved up.
“Such a sweet and unrealistic notion. Don’t be stubborn, Kaylani. Everyone needs something.”
His hand went to my waist, and I shoved him back hard enough to force distance between us.
“Don’t,” I said, lifting my chin.
I was sick and tired of entitled men thinking they had the right to touch me, to order me around, and to use me for their own gain.
The air shifted, and despite the bright sun, it felt darker. He examined me differently now, calculating.
“You’re asking me to take a risk. Housing you. Letting you train here while your father is making a lot of noise.”
My stomach tightened. So, Dylan knew.
“I didn’t ask you to do anything. You are being paid, handsomely, I might add.”
His eyes hardened. “This isn’t just about money. I have plenty of that.”
He stepped closer, boxing me in with his arm against the wall, but he didn’t touch me.
“You need allies, Kaylani. Real ones.”
“I have allies.”
His gaze flicked toward the aisle.
“Do you? Your brother and one guard. You’ve either ordered him to stay with you…or he stays for another reason.”
My nostrils flared, and my hand tightened on the hose, itching to strike.
“You don’t want to be alone in this, and I already know that your father will approve of a more permanent merger.”
His hand moved to touch me again, and I smacked it away.
“Touch me again, and you’ll regret it.”
He held my gaze for a beat, then smirked.
“Fine. I look forward to seeing how long you last without help.”
He stepped out of the stall.
And just like that, the air felt breathable again.
I stood there, hating that Goran had been right about Dylan. I’d thought it was harmless flirtation, but there was something dark about him.
Atlas shifted behind me, turning his head, sensing my tension.
“I’m fine,” I whispered to him, though my pulse was unsteady.
Dylan wouldn’t get the satisfaction of seeing me run to Goran. Goran would kill him. But then what? No, I needed a better plan.
I dried Atlas, then stepped outside and pulled out my phone.
Nathaniel answered on the first ring.
“Hey.”
“Do you know of any stables out of Father’s reach?”
“What happened?”
I swallowed at the hard edge in my brother’s voice. Nathaniel was dangerous on a good day, but when he was angry…he was lethal.
“Nothing,” I lied. “I just…don’t feel safe here. I keep thinking about dinner last night. This place makes me nervous.”
His tone changed immediately.
“And you don’t know anyone else?”
“No. No one who would defy Father.”
“Okay, I’ll look into it and get back to you tonight.”
Relief loosened the tightness in my chest.
“Thank you.”
“Oh, and Kaylani…don’t leave the property.”
He hung up.
Nathaniel was averse to goodbyes, like they were bad omens, but that warning was weirder than usual.
I looked out the window and spotted Goran standing in the driveway, his eyes fixed on his phone as if it had delivered a death sentence.
For a moment, I wondered if he regretted going along with this.
Regretted me.
The thought hurt. I hated my father for denying me the right to choose my life. And yet I was no better. Worse, even. I had stolen Goran’s choice, then expected him to still support me through all of this.
His life was literally on the line. My father would kill him if he found out.
I had married him to save my soul, but what if all I did was condemn his?
Turning away from the window, I clipped the lead onto Atlas’s halter, then undid the cross ties.
“What do you think? Did I save or condemn us all?”
He nudged my stomach, leaving a damp nose print behind.
“I was clean. Thanks for that. I’m going to count your vote in the save column.”
God, I hoped he was right. Because if anything happened to Goran because of me, I wouldn’t ever be able to breathe again.