Chapter 15
Shiloh
Wandering into the barn with Tyler, she knocks my hip. “Okay, spill, bitch.”
I throw my head back, groaning as we approach Riot’s stall, grabbing his halter, wondering why she called me bitch, but I go with it before I say over my shoulder, “Your plan worked, okay?”
She rubs her hands together with a smirk on her face, and she leans on the stall, crossing her arms before she says, “And? I need details. Did anything happen?”
I shrug. “We kissed a few times. I let him sleep in the bed instead of on the floor.” I tell her, pulling Riot out and walking with her to her stall to get her horse, Venom.
“Come on, we kissed, that's all I get?” She giggles, grabbing her halter and putting Venom’s nose in it, pulling him out of his stall.
“That’s all that happened.” I counter, biting my lip.
“Uh huh.” She says, arching a brow at me.
No one knows I’m a virgin, and I don’t know if we are quite close enough to give up that information. I haven’t even told Verge, and I honestly don’t know how.
I shove her, saying, “Okay, well, what about you and Cross? Y’all seem smitten.”
She laughs. “I quite like your best friend.” She says again in a British accent, and I can’t help but laugh.
“Are y'all together?” I ask.
She shrugs. “Are you and the bull rider together?”
“His name is Verge, but yeah, he pretty much made me admit I wanted him last night, considering I can’t keep my mouth off his.” I laugh, and she nudges me again with her hip as we walk with our horses.
“See, I knew there was more.” She says.
“Okay, well, what about you two?” I ask again.
She ties her horse to her trailer, and I turn around with Riot, letting him graze as we chat.
“Yeah, you could say that. You sure it’s okay if I follow y'all back?” she asks as she grabs a brush out of her tack room.
“Yeah, for sure. At this point, I’d worry about you being alone on the road.” I tell her.
She smirks slightly, brushing her horse, her silly attitude dissipating a little before she says, “I’ve been on my own since I was 18, Shiloh. You don’t have to worry about me, I'm used to it. But it is nice having a crew that I feel like enjoys my company.”
“Why?” I ask before I can stop myself.
She looks at me, then leans over Venom’s back before she says, “My parents kicked me out when I married a, let's just say, not so good guy. They warned me about him, but I didn't want to listen. You know, 18, in love, I knew better than they did.” She swings up on Venom’s back, adjusting herself to look at me before she says, “Well, they were right. He was an asshole who beat the shit out of me more than once.” Her eyes go behind me, and I see Pierce, and my eyes grow wide before I look back to her.
“No fucking way.” I mutter so he doesn’t hear me. Now putting two and two together, considering her last name is Drake.
She shrugs, looking back at me, “I know, but, I was 18. He was handsome and had money. He was charming at first, but the second he lost his temper, that was it. I filed for divorce and have been on the road ever since.”
“Damn, I’m sorry. Are you officially divorced?” I ask because I need to know. That is not something I’m willing to hide from Cross.
“Hell yeah, the only thing I asked for in the divorce was the trailer, truck, and my horses.” She replies, hopping off Venom, rubbing his chest.
“Does Cross know?” I ask.
“Yeah, I told him last night.” She says, and it makes me feel really good about her that she doesn’t seem like the type to keep secrets from people she deems worthy.
“I’m glad the bull rider, I mean, Verge, stepped in last night. Trust me when I tell you, you do not want to get in the way of that man's temper.” She pauses, pointing to her forehead, where there is a slight scar, before she says, “I would know.”
I nod, stunned, speechless at all of this, my mind spinning. Just as I’m about to say something, Cross comes walking up on Havoc, hopping off and tying her to Tyler’s trailer beside Venom.
“Want me to walk with you to grab your mare?” he asks, kissing her on the cheek, and she lights up again.
“Sure,” she says, looking at me. “See you out there?”
I nod and go to turn with Riot, heading to our trailer, and I see Verge posted up against the fender, smoking and smiling at me.
As I walk to the trailer to tie Riot up, his smile morphs into raised brows and fear.
I hear hoof beats behind me. Riot rears up, and I lose my grip, tripping and falling to the ground.
I look up, and Verge lands on the ground with me, shifting us to the side, rolling over, and shields me with his body.
His legs shoot under the path where horses run by and trample his ankle, and he winces but keeps me shielded as the two loose horses run by.
Thank God Riot took off before he landed on the ground with me, or we both would be toast.
Riot is running toward the barn, and Cash steps in front of him just in time to grab his lead rope before yelling, “Shiloh? Verge? Y'all okay?”
Verge sits up, grabbing my face, and I look over his shoulder to see Pierce's horses being caught by Hunt, a smirk playing on his lips as he walks off.
“Shi, are you hurt?” He asks, wincing again. I know his ankle is shot.
“No, but I know you are. We need to get that ankle looked at.” I insist.
“I’m fine.” He says, standing as best he can with his bum ankle.
I look behind me to see Pierce wink at me, and I go to take off, and Verge catches me from behind, and I scream, “You motherfucker, you did that shit on purpose.”
All he does is tilt his hat and walk off, and Verge hauls me back to the trailer, limping and putting me down by the tack room, and I look over to him.
He's trying to hide it, but I can tell he’s hurting.
I try to shift my rage to concern. “Verge, you need to pull out of today’s ride. We need to get your ankle looked at.”
“No, not a chance.” He says, leaning up against the trailer, pinching the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath.
I look at Cash and Beau. “We’re really gonna let that fucker get away with that?” I yell.
“Can’t prove it was on purpose, Shiloh.” Cash says, pursing his lips.
“He fucking winked at me, and Hunt grabbed his horses. He was trying to get me fucking trampled.” I yell again, and Verge puts his hand on my shoulder. “All that matters right now is he didn’t succeed, and trust me when I say he will fucking pay, okay?”
Cross and Tyler walk up, looking between all four of us with her mare in hand, and Cross asks, “Did we miss something? Why does everyone look fucking pissed? And Verge, no offence, man, but you don’t look so good.”
“Pierce just tried to have me trampled by his two fucking horses. Verge got to me just in time.” I tell them, and Tyler's eyes grow wide before she turns, and Cross grabs her by the hip.
“Oh, no you don't. We will take care of this, okay.” Cross says. Cross rarely is anything but happy-go-lucky, but his tone suggests he’s about to fucking throw down.
She nods, her face red; she’s fucking pissed.
She’s not the only one. I knew he was a motherfucker, but trying to get me trampled all because he is pissed off, what the actual fuck is wrong with him.
Verge takes his boot off, wincing again, and pulls his pant leg up.
His ankle is not as bad as I thought it would be.
It’s a tad swollen and red with a bleeding cut, but I assumed it would be black and blue by now.
“See, not that bad. The hoof clipped me, but thankfully it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.
I’ll wrap it.” He says, looking up at me.
“You need to sit this ride out." I insist.
He purses his lips, limping a little bit, and pushes me gently to the side to get in the tack room, grabbing his cigarettes before he says, “You let me decide when I need to sit a ride out, babe.”
Fury courses through my veins, and I'm sure my face shows it, and Cross says, “Welp, this is awkward. Meet me at the steers in 10, Shiloh.”
Him and Tyler walk off, and Beau and Cash both look between us. Cash ties Riot to the trailer and comes over to me, hugging me, and says, “We will take care of it, Shiloh. Don't go looking for trouble.”
I look up to him. “Me? Look for trouble?”
“Dad always said trouble was your middle name.” He smirks, kissing my head and walking off.
I look back to Verge, who is again leaning on the trailer. He looks over to me, then to Riot. “You should warm up. Team ropin’ is soon.”
“Verge, don't do something stupid, okay? You’re already hurt.” I insist because I know he’s plotting Pierce’s death at the moment.
I mean, shit, I get it, but as much of a pussy Pierce is, his dad can pull strings that none of us can, and as much as I hate to admit it, we have no witnesses and can’t prove it was on purpose.
It’s unfortunately our word against his.
“Shi, I’m not going to tell you again, I’m fine.” He says, his tone harsh and raw, and frankly, it pisses me off.
I turn on my heel, ignoring him at this point because, well, shit, I don’t know what else to say.
I grab my brush and start brushing Riot and saddle him up.
As I am tightening my cinch, I turn to see him sitting in the tack room, boot off, trying to wrap his ankle.
He makes a seething sound as he rubs the cut with an alcohol pad, and I walk over to him. “Let me help, at least.”
He nods, handing me the wrap, and I bend down and wrap his ankle, and I hear him say, “He’s finished.”
I snap my head to him. “Like I said, don’t do anything stupid, Verge.”
“If he had hurt you, I would have already killed him.” He seethes as he winces and jerks his leg a little as I tighten the wrap.
“But he didn’t, okay. Thanks for rolling me out of the way, by the way. My knight in shining armor.” I tease, trying like hell to get his mind off of it. I know it’s a feeble attempt, but I can’t have him going to prison either.
He smirks, and he leans down, kissing me. “Don’t underestimate how far I’ll go to keep what is mine safe, Shi.” He says as he pulls back from me, his jaw flexing.
My stomach twists, and I purse my lips together, thinking, Pierce better count his fucking days.