Chapter Twelve #3
“Is your dad okay?” I asked.
“He’s getting there,” Lucy said. And smiled. “More determined than ever to protect his business and find out if the people responsible run deeper than the one random man who was caught and refuses to talk.” She shrugged. “You know what Dad’s like; he’s a bulldog with a bone now.”
Spencer looked behind us and said, “It doesn’t help that vipers like Alexis Hobbs are circling.
” Alexis was now draped over Colin Ross, a competitor from Scotland.
He looked about as happy to have her touch him as everyone else was.
Spencer turned back to me. “The minute she saw us yesterday at the stables she asked us how our yard was recovering.” Spencer snarled.
“But it was the way she asked it. Like she would have rejoiced if the loss of our stallion semen sales had buried us.”
Lucy nodded. “She told us to remind our father of her offer. And that our family had done enough for the industry and deserved to retire.” Lucy’s face frosted over.
“Bitch.” I huffed a laugh at the venom in her voice.
Lucy smiled too. “I can’t help it, Jas. I like to think of myself as a nice person, but around her I become violent. ”
“It’s not just you, Luce,” I said, and she smiled in relief.
“I can’t prove it, but she’s up to something,” Spencer said.
“I know she’s been bold with business since she took over from her old man, but she’s gone from level five to ten the past couple of years.
She seems to want every yard in Britain.
” He shook his head in annoyance. “Like an English Rockefeller.”
I cast my eyes around us and made sure no one was listening in.
Turning back to Spencer and Lucy, I said, “Our state-of-the-art electric stabling system was hacked recently.” Spencer and Lucy stilled.
“Dahlia got out and got stuck in a fence. I didn’t think she would make it out alive.
Luckily, she did. But someone knew Dahlia was there.
I can only surmise that they wanted to cause maximum damage. ”
“Genny . . .” Lucy said, gripping my arm.
“Is she okay? She never told me last time we talked.” Lucy and Genny were close friends.
I knew Genny hadn’t told anyone. We hadn’t wanted it leaving the yard so agreed to keep it to ourselves.
The NDAs of our staff forbade them from talking outside our walls too.
“More foul play,” Spencer said, then looked to Alexis again. “I bloody hope I’m wrong, but I’m starting to think all these refused sales of stud farms and then the sudden attacks may not be a coincidence.”
I took a deep breath and stopped myself from losing my shit about Alexis in public, but I was thinking exactly the same thing. Instead, I just nodded at my friend, silently telling him I agreed.
“I’ll warn Dad to keep a closer eye on her and any business that’s done. I might not have proof of anything, but my gut is telling me to be suspicious,” Spencer said.
“Agreed,” I said. I squeezed Spencer’s arm. “Thankfully you both compete on mares, and they weren’t targeted with the drugs.”
“Thank God,” Lucy said. “That would have really tipped Dad over the edge. He’s a veritable Inspector Clouseau at the minute, Jas. His office looks like a police wall with all the suspects he’s putting together.”
That made me chuckle. But Tim was a good man. He was tenacious and driven, a good person to have on the scent for whoever was targeting other studs, including my own.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” Spencer said, turning the conversation to something happier.
He pointed over at the table where Hallie and Sage were sat.
The feisty cowgirl still hadn’t seen me.
“We’ve been speaking to Hallie and Sage.
” Spencer smiled. “They’re excellent riders. They seem like great people too.”
“True, but I’m kind of scared to go up against them,” Lucy admitted, and I laughed.
Lucy was thirty-five, and Spencer was my age.
They were seasoned jumping professionals and regular winners in the Grand Prix circuits, but any rider would be lying if they said they didn’t fear a new, younger—better—rider joining the tour.
The fact was, the Grand Prix prize money made rivals out of everyone.
One could become very wealthy in one season if they were talented enough.
“They’re brilliant,” I said, referring to Hallie and Sage, and stared across the dance floor at Hallie.
As if she could feel my stare, she tore her attention away from Sage and searched the crowd.
Her glass of champagne stilled en route to her mouth as her eyes met mine.
Just like earlier, my body immediately heated, and all I could hear was her moaning my name in the shower.
Hallie’s eyes widened and she swallowed deeply. Sage followed the trail of whatever had garnered her best friend’s attention, and a cocky smirk pulled on her mouth when she saw me stood here like a fucking stalker.
That smirk reminded me so much of Atticus’s, and I wondered why those two weren’t as thick as thieves instead of being mortal enemies. Together, they’d be a fucked-up, impossible-to-deal-with team.
“Jas?” I tore my attention from Hallie and turned to Lucy again. “Make sure you keep them from the vultures, yes?” Lucy said. She nudged her head at Alexis again, along with some of the cronies that trailed along in her wake. “You know what they can be like with new blood.”
“I hear you,” I said, the reminder to keep my distance slapping me around the face.
“Let’s have dinner while you’re out here,” Spencer said. “I’ve missed your ugly mug. It’s not the same on the tour without you. There’s no one here who makes me look more of a novice than you. I’m looking positively professional now.” He shook his head. “It doesn’t feel right.”
I placed my hand on Spencer’s shoulder and said, “You ride just fine. But definitely, we’ll set up that meal.
It’ll be good to catch up.” I saw the flicker of more questions in Spencer’s gaze.
But he was a good friend and would never push me to open up if I didn’t want to.
I shared the most with him, Tim, and Lucy out of everyone here.
Many of the other riders were acquaintances at best. Some, I didn’t know at all but for a passing hello.
“I don’t believe it!” Leon came to stand beside me, slapping me on the back good-naturedly, then shook hands with Spencer.
Spencer winked at me. “I promise, in your absence I haven’t been offering Leon an extortionate amount of money to leave Golden Oaks and come up north to work for me instead,” he said.
I laughed, but I also knew there wasn’t a horse owner or stud farm in this room who wouldn’t murder me to get a chance at having Leon in their employ.
“He’s family,” I said about Leon. “You don’t fuck with family. Especially mine,” I said, jokingly, but rose my voice a little when I said those words, just in case whoever was taking it upon themselves to try to hurt us was nearby.
“On that note,” Spencer said, but leaned in and hugged me. “Don’t be a stranger, Jas. I’m sick of talking to your voicemail.” That made me suddenly feel like shit, and I made a promise to myself to be better with those who genuinely cared for me.
“I promise,” I said, and my friends walked away.
Atticus’s attention was suddenly swayed by a woman in blue, and he stepped away from me and Leon. I turned toward my friend to try to ward off any unwanted guests. Leon leaned in close. “I’m proud of you. Putting yourself back out there like this.” He frowned. “Is that a weird thing for me to say?”
Huffing a laugh, I said, “Maybe? No? I don’t know.” I sighed. I played with the tie around my throat. Had I always found these things so stifling?
“You need this,” Leon continued. “Even if you’re not riding competitively anymore, you are Golden Oaks and you are Knighton Equestrian. You should have a place at this table after all you’ve done for the community.”
I smiled at Leon. “I’m starting to think I need to add ‘hype man’ to your job description.”
Leon laughed. “Nah, that’s a freebie.” It was true, though—whenever I lost faith in myself, it was Leon and Forrest who built me back up. Both quieter in personality, but tenacious and protective to a fault.
“Be honest,” I said. “How many job offers have you gotten tonight?”
Leon winced. “I’ve lost count, Jas. But I think about twelve so far?” Leon stepped closer. “Including one to join Team USA.”
“Fuck off,” I said and shook my head. “The nerve.”
Leon smirked and put his hand over his heart. “Don’t worry, my everlasting loyalty is still to Golden Oaks.” Heat rose a little on his cheeks. “It’s home, you know?” Leon was about as good at expressing his feelings as I was. So his declaration was practically a signed contract for life.
“We’d be lost without you,” I said, putting my hand on his shoulder, “and not just as our trainer. You’re family.”
Leon nudged my arm and flicked his chin toward the bar.
“Right, enough with that mushy shit; let’s get a drink.
” I cast my eyes to Hallie again. She was already watching me, and I fought the need to march right over there and slam my lips to hers to show every horny fucker in this room that she was taken. Even if she technically wasn’t.
“A drink would be good,” I said to Leon, and joined him at the bar.