Chapter Ten
Jasper
Golden Oaks
Two weeks later
My hands shook as I held the letter in my hand. I had read it, and read it again.
How is Dahlia?
If you take measures to protect things I want to destroy, I will always find a way around them.
I rubbed my hand over my face. The state-of-the-art electric barn we’d had built for Dahlia had been hacked. Dahlia escaped and almost broke her legs because this prick was pissed off that we’d managed to keep her in a secure place and he couldn’t get to her.
But how did he know? Only the close members of staff knew, and we’d questioned them all.
They had worked with us for years and were trusted.
It wasn’t them, something inside of me just felt it.
The company providing the state-of-the-art electric stables had never been hacked before and were now changing their security to make it bulletproof.
Who the fuck was this person?
The tour begins soon, and I will be watching.
Your father made sure to destroy my life, so I will destroy yours in return.
You worshipped your father but didn’t know the secrets he took to the grave.
He wasn’t the man you thought, and now the son shall pay for the sins of the father.
I slammed the letter down and gripped my hair. I took a deep breath and replayed all the measures I had to keep everyone safe on the tour—the horses, the staff, the riders . . . Hallie.
I had contacts all over the world in this industry, friends in all the high places, and I was using every one of them to ensure there was no drama, no issues for my team this year.
But still, I felt helpless, knowing they were going to be traveling around the world, while I was here, having to trust that I’d done enough.
You worshipped your father but didn’t know the secrets he took to the grave. He wasn’t the man you thought, and now the son shall pay for the sins of the father . . .
The threats in the letters were nothing new, but the letters of late seemed to be getting more personal, like I could feel the anger toward my father growing stronger, more unhinged.
I looked up at my father’s picture. My stomach rolled. He was a good man, I knew . . . wasn’t he?
“Tell me you were, Dad,” I whispered to the man I held up on a pedestal.
“You were the man I thought, right?” Eyes the carbon copy of mine stared back at me.
I shook my head. He was. I knew it. These letters were just a way to unnerve me.
I didn’t believe my father was a morally corrupt man.
And some unhinged stalker wouldn’t make me begin to doubt that now.
I placed the letter in the file with all the others and put them in my drawer. I had barely powered up my computer to work on some Knighton Equestrian contracts when there was a knock on the door and Leon poked his head through.
He held a to-go mug of tea in his hands and said, “I come bearing gifts.”
“You’re a lifesaver,” I said. I accepted the tea from him and took a sip, letting the scalding, milky brew relax my tight throat. Leon dropped into the seat opposite me.
“The horses have landed and have been taken to the venue’s stable yard,” Leon said as he made himself comfortable. “The grooms and staff are all there and set up in the hotel.”
I nodded, but my leg bounced under the table.
That letter had left more than a bad taste in my mouth.
“Security are there too and have cleared the stables, hotel, and venue,” I said, which gave me some peace.
“I’ve spoken to the owner of the arena. They’ve told me no one will go near our horses, and they are in the most secure section with both our men and the arena’s added security. ”
Atticus, Sage, and Hallie, as well as our other riders, were flying out to Doha, Qatar, tomorrow for the opening of the Sandings Grand Prix and the start of the season. Everything they had been working for began in a few days’ time.
Forrest and Felix were still in training here at Golden Oaks. Genny was concentrating on her recovery, and I would be staying here, of course.
Leon shook his head, smirking. “How does it feel to still be king of the circuit even after over a year away?” I rolled my eyes at my friend.
He held up his hands in surrender. “Hey, you being worshipped makes it so the rest of us get the best treatment and the best facilities. I’m not complaining! ”
A knock sounded on my door. Atticus stuck his head through.
Leon got to his feet when he saw my younger cousin.
“I registered Lord Henry, remember,” he said, and I exhaled an exaggerated sigh.
Leon put his hands up again. “Just saying, there’s still space for the returning world champion to join us.
Your rankings still stand from previous years. ”
I held out my hand for Leon to shake, ignoring his offer, as tempting as it might be. He shook my hand back, and I said, “Keep safe out there, okay? Keep me informed of everything.”
“I will, Jas.” Leon cocked his head to the side.
“Come see us sometime, yeah? It’s not the same being out there without you.
” A pang of homesickness hit me. Because that circuit was my home.
Leon had trained me for years. I felt terrible not going this year.
But the letter that had come this morning had me all in my head and told me I was doing the right thing.
I swayed between whether my presence on the tour would bring danger or security.
But I hadn’t shown my face on the circuit for an age, so in the end I felt it best to stay put.
Leon waved and left. Atticus strutted over to the chair Leon had just vacated and sat down. He threw his feet up on the desk, his arms behind his head. “Make yourself at home, Cousin,” I said dryly.
“Always do,” Atticus said, then threw a mint imperial in his mouth from the bowl Geraldine always put out on my desk. Atticus sucked on the mint and said, “You wanted to see me. What’s up?”
“Look after them all, okay?” I said, straight to the point, causing Atticus to still and narrow his eyes on me. “If you feel anything is amiss, you contact me. Immediately.”
“What’s happened?” he asked, all playfulness forgotten. Atticus was a clown most of the time, but he was loyal to the nth degree and would protect anyone he cared about with a fierce determination. “Have we been threatened again?”
“I’m just being vigilant,” I said, evading the question.
He was about to go and compete; he didn’t need to worry about anything else but the team doing well.
Atticus hung on my every word. “Security is already over there, but I want you to be my eyes and ears on the tour.” Atticus tipped his head to the side, assessing.
“This doesn’t have anything to do with our resident cowgirl-come-show-jumper, does it?
” I glared at my cousin, but as usual, it did nothing to intimidate him.
He leaned forward and put his elbows on my desk.
“You know,” he said, his voice slipping into a singsong tone, “you could just, I don’t know, come.
” He shrugged. “That way, you wouldn’t need me to be your eyes and ears,” he said, air-quoting my words.
“You wouldn’t have to parade yourself around.
You could keep to yourself. But at least you’d be there to keep watch over us all and put your mind at ease .
. .” He smirked. “And make sure a certain blue-eyed hottie was fully intact.”
“I have to stay here,” I said, annoyance slipping into every word. “I must look after things here in England. And Knighton Equestrian is busier than ever.”
Atticus rolled his eyes. “Forrest’s season doesn’t begin for a while yet, and if possible, he has a bigger pole shoved up his arse than you, so I call bullshit on that. And you have a laptop. Knighton Equestrian can be managed remotely. That’s how you’ve always done it in years past.”
“Genny is here too—”
“Again, so are Felix and Forrest,” Atticus cut in. “She also has Geraldine, and by the looks of it, you’ve hired the SAS to protect Golden Oaks and our team abroad, so I’m not sure what you think you could do to protect them all more than trained specialists could.”
Sometimes my younger family members were the blight of my life. And more than annoying when they ripped your reasons for not going somewhere wide open. I’d spent days convincing myself I was better off here. And in walks Atticus, smashing all my excuses to smithereens.
Atticus got to his feet. “I need to pack. The private jet is tires up at ten tomorrow morning. I hope to see you there.” He walked to the door.
“You won’t,” I said sternly.
“Okay. Then see you when I get back,” he said, and left the office with his usual dramatic flair.
When he was gone, I locked the door behind him, then moved back to my desk. I replayed the last line of today’s letter in my head.
I am watching you.
I ran my hand over my forehead and stared out the window. The place was a rush of activity. Everyone had either already left for Doha or were prepping to go.
I hadn’t seen Hallie since the night in the vet barn. My pulse fucking raced as I recalled how she looked in her cowgirl getup, that long, raven hair wild around her. Her stunning turquoise eyes as they fell on me behind her.
I’d fought going. I’d fought the apology I gave her.
It was better that she disliked me. It was better that we didn’t get too close.
But after what she had done for Dahlia, there was no way I wasn’t going to thank her in person.
By saving Dahlia that day, she had saved my sister.
I didn’t want to even imagine what would have happened if Dahlia had had to be destroyed.
Genny would have been destroyed too.
Hallie didn’t understand the gravity of her help that day.