Chapter 36
Chapter
Thirty-Six
GORAN
The air was excessively hot and dry, carrying the scent of dirt, horses, polished leather, and desperation.
It was the last day of the show, and everyone was leaving everything they had in the arena.
I felt Kaylani’s tension. It simmered in her eyes as she waited for the jump-off.
Eight horse-and-rider combinations had made it through the first round clear and without a time fault.
That was rare. Normally, only three or four made it.
Ehren walked beside Kaylani, pointing out the changes they had made to the course and what he wanted her to do.
I couldn’t hear him, but after all the competitions I had attended, I knew their routine.
Corey lingered by the in-gate, towel in one hand, Atlas in the other, and excitement written all over her face.
Kaylani walked out of the ring and Ehren threw her up into the saddle. She moved Atlas away from Ehren with a nod, proceeding to warm him up again. She didn’t look like a single nervous bone existed in her body.
I stood at the rail, watching silently, loving how the world revolved around her. A shadow fell over me, and I turned to see who had invaded my peace.
Dylan was on his horse, acting like he owned the view, as if he hadn’t spent the past week circling Kaylani like a vulture.
“So, you’re here again, ever the faithful lap dog.”
“Call it whatever you want, I don’t leave Ms. Mikhailov alone.” I locked eyes with him. “Not for a single moment.”
“Do you really think she needs protecting in the competition ring?”
“She does when you’re around.”
It was a step too far, but Dylan pushed every button I had.
His jaw clenched, and he shifted in the saddle. The leather creaked, making his horse restless beneath him. He rode tense and impatient, as if the world and his horse owed him something.
“I really wanted to like you, Goran. But you make that impossible.”
The corner of my mouth twitched.
“I could say the same about you.”
I shifted over just enough to watch Kaylani again.
Dylan followed my gaze.
“She’s under a lot of pressure to win. I can see it. She’s far more tense than usual. It would be a shame if something threw her off completely and she failed to finish.”
“Planning another sabotage? Should I be checking her girth or reins for a slice?”
My voice was calm, but the weight behind it made my meaning clear. I didn’t need proof to know it had been him who punctured our tire.
“That’s a mighty big claim there, Goran. Maybe I should sue you for slander.”
“Try it.”
I didn’t raise my voice. But my eyes promised that I would come for him. And I wouldn’t let civility stop me from teaching him a lesson.
He laughed softly.
“You think you scare me?”
I don’t fucking care what you think. What I know is that I’ll end you.
Kaylani didn’t need a scene before her biggest class, so I kept those thoughts to myself.
“I think you’re not sure if you should be,” I said with a smirk and walked away, not looking back.
Kaylani’s number was called, and I watched her enter the ring, determination etched into her features. I made it over to Corey and Ehren just as the judge rang the bell for her to start. The three of us stood frozen, holding our breath.
This course was unforgiving, and the heat of the day made it even harder. The layout was shorter, but all the hardest obstacles remained. Tall verticals. Wide oxers. Tight turns.
Be fast, jump hard, and don’t screw up, or a rail is coming down.
The triple combination sat in the center like a trap. My hand clenched as she rode. Atlas’s ears pricked forward, his eyes locked on the target.
Kaylani and Atlas were born for this. No hesitation, no fear. Atlas met the first element clean, landed, and covered the single stride before arcing through the air. On the third, she yelled “Up,” and the growl gave him the extra oomph they needed. They cleared the jump with inches to spare.
Applause filled the arena. She made a hard turn, shaving time off the clock as they raced for the final jump. It was a long gallop. Atlas stretched his stride, eating the ground beneath them. My heart pounded in time with his his hooves.
“Good. Now rein him in,” Ehren whispered.
Kaylani did exactly that and sat Atlas back on his powerful hindquarters.
“Good, don’t bury him too close to the jump,” Ehren mumbled under his breath. I didn’t know who was more anxious, him or me.
They reached the sweet spot and she released her hold on the powerful stallion. They soared, landed clean, and she yipped and hollered as they crossed the finish line, stopping the clock.
The crowd cheered with excitement, and Kaylani gave Atlas his neck, patting him as she beamed and waved at three girls shouting her name. It was a clear round and so far, the fastest time.
She trotted out of that ring glowing. For a moment, the world felt simple.
Ehren laughed, proud, as Kaylani replayed the jumps.
“I’m going to watch the rest of the riders,” he said, leaving us to our celebrating.
“That was awesome,” Corey said, patting Atlas as she fed him a sugar cube.
“It felt awesome. He’s getting so much stronger, but in a good way. Not like he’s trying to drag me around the course, just able to sustain the pressure of these long shows better.”
“I’ll walk him around to cool out,” Corey offered, and Kaylani slid from the saddle.
I smirked as she loosened her girth and watched Corey lead Atlas away. As her gaze turned to me, my heart skipped a beat. The love and happiness shining in her captivating blue eyes was otherworldly, and I didn’t feel deserving of such a look.
She threw her arms around my neck and hugged me tight. I held her, forgetting for just a moment that we shouldn’t touch like this.
“You saw that?”
She let go and practically bounced in place, her energy addictive.
“Of course I saw. It was incredible. You were incredible.”
“I’m shaking, I’m so amped up.” She held out her hand to show me.
We stepped out of the warm-up area to give the last few riders space.
“You have a real shot at first,” I said, squeezing her shoulder.
“God, I can’t even imagine what competing on a team will be like if this is what it feels like trying to qualify.”
“Does it make you nervous?”
Kaylani laughed, and I knew the answer.
“Not a chance. Bring it on. Then it will be on to Worlds and then the Olympics. I want this so bad I can taste it.”
Our happy moment was cut short when a streak of red and blue caught my eye. Three cruisers drove up the lane used for the water truck and tractor. They stopped as close as possible, lights flashing.
Fuck.
“Goran? Do you know what’s going on?”
I didn’t answer as uniforms spilled from the vehicles.
“Don’t fight them, Lani.”
She turned to me.
“Fight them? Why? Are they here for me?”
Realization changed her features. She went from confused to furious in a blink.
“My father! He called the cops on me?”
I stayed quiet, watching her piece it together.
“And you knew?” Her glare cut through me. “You knew!”
There was no fear in her eyes of what was coming. The only thing I saw was betrayal. And she wasn’t wrong.
I had known this was coming and had chosen to let her have this one moment of peace before the fallout.
But I hadn’t warned her.
That hit harder than any punch I was about to take.
“Yes.”
Her fury melted into something far worse…terror.
“How could you?”
Her quiet agony tore through me, and I wished that she had yelled.
“Kaylani Mikhailov?”
She stilled beside me.
“Yes?”
“You’re under arrest for grand theft.”
The words were passive, but their hands were not. They grabbed Lani’s arms like she was resisting and forced her to her knees.
“You have the right to remain silent.”
“Ow! You’re hurting me.”
I tried to stay still and not make it worse.
But when Kaylani winced and her face twisted in pain, something inside of me snapped.
“Get off of her, you’re hurting her.”
I moved before thinking, yanking the one officer away from her and punching him square in the face before swinging at the second. All I saw was red.
The officer called my name, but the rest was nothing but background noise. Fists flew, and someone slammed into me from behind. I kept fighting.
“He has a gun,” one of the officers yelled, removing it from the back of my jeans.
That was when things went sideways. If I hadn’t cared about whether I killed them, they wouldn’t have stood a chance, but fists kept coming, and more men joined. I was outmatched, with only my rage keeping me going.
“Don’t touch him. This isn’t his fault. He’s my bodyguard,” Kaylani screamed, trying to pull away and get to me.
She crumpled forward as the officer pushed her to her stomach on the ground, arms behind her back.
“Don’t touch her like that,” I roared as I tried to lunge. But I was fighting five armed and trained men.
A knee drove into my spine. My cheek slammed into the dirt. Zip ties slid around my wrists.
Kaylani screamed.
“Leave him alone. He’s my bodyguard. This is a mistake. You have this all wrong—”
They didn’t care and dragged her away.
I lifted my head long enough to see her shoved toward the cruiser and then inside. She stared at me, eyes wide, as if I could make them stop. I wished I could.
They hauled me up and read me my rights as they manhandled me toward another car.
It was only then that I realized we had drawn a crowd. Phones were out, recording the entire humiliating event. I didn’t give a fuck about me.
But what would this do to Kaylani’s reputation and her chances of making the team?
Rage filled me again. Fucking Dimitri. He had gone too far.
That was when I saw him. Dylan. He leaned against the fence as if he had bought a front-row seat to the action.
He looked satisfied. Our eyes met, and he smiled. A small, controlled confession without words.
I didn’t react but cataloged it for later. The angle of his jaw. The curl of his fingers around the rail. The smugness in his eyes.
The door slammed behind me.
Kaylani was in the opposite cruiser, still fighting. She was yelling at the officers, her face a mask of wild fury. Good. She needed all that anger to face Dimitri.
Our eyes locked. I love you, I mouthed.
As my car pulled away, I leaned back against the seat and let the rage settle into something far more dangerous.
Dylan thought he had won today. That he had proven how clever he was, he hadn’t. He’d overplayed his hand.
And it didn’t matter how long it took for me to get free. I would find him and make him pay for betraying Kaylani.