Chapter Eighteen
Jasper
Cannes, France
Two months later
“Yes!” I said under my breath and clenched my hand into a fist as I watched Hallie deliver another clear round.
Today was the team event for the Knighton Cavaliers, and her clear had just catapulted them to the top.
They were fucking doing it. For the past few months, our team had dominated most of the Grand Prix on the circuit—Madrid, Shanghai, Prague.
And now Cannes. Yesterday saw Sage with the winning round.
We were sweeping both the individual and team events with ease.
Even after Alexis, McGowen, and Camille had tried to rattle Hallie in Spain, we had stayed strong and kept dominating. The gossip mill had moved on when no more evidence of my and Hallie’s relationship surfaced—and there was always another scandal waiting for the spotlight.
After a small hiccup, life was . . . hell, it was good. I never thought I’d be able to say that again.
I rushed from the stands and headed to the stalls to meet Hallie. Jean Pierre, the owner of one of the biggest studs in France and a close friend of mine from the circuit, met me en route.
“You fucker!” he said, but he was smiling. I laughed as he hugged me. “Can you leave some room at the podium for the rest of us?” Jean Pierre backed away, but said, “I’ll be up front with you, Jasper. I’m planning on poaching Sage and Hallie from you next season.”
“You can try,” I said, but there wasn’t even a flicker of doubt in me that it would be possible.
I couldn’t fucking believe it, but week by week, month by month, my life had gotten lighter.
I’d mainly stayed on the circuit, doing most of my business on the road.
I’d flown home several times for important meetings, to check on Henry, and to see my sister, but mostly I was here, with my woman and my team, and although I wasn’t riding, I still felt it.
That comradery, that buzz you got from this nomadic life.
But most all, I’d felt peace. Months of being with Hallie every night, seeing my team ride . . . just peace. I knew the threatening letters hadn’t stopped, but Forrest had shielded me from most of the drivel they spun.
Our security was solid, and for the first time in a very long time, I felt like I could breathe.
And dare I say . . . I felt happy. The reason for that appeared at the far end of the yard, riding back to our stables on Huxley, fresh from her victory gallop for the Knighton Cavaliers, with Sage and Atticus following behind.
A sudden crash came from the opposite end of the yard, and I turned to see what it was.
I heard things being thrown around and frustrated snarls.
As at all the venues, I’d organized for our stables to be separate and off limits but to those in our employ.
The rest of the competitors were kept beyond a bolted gate.
Curiosity won out, and I moved to the gate and looked through.
Just as I was about to turn away, Jake McGowen came from a tack room, face flushed and yanking opening the button of his collar. He was muttering expletives under his breath, and he slumped down on a bale of hay that was outside of an empty stable and put his head in his hands.
“Throwing a strop, McGowen?” I said, curtly. I fucking hated this guy. Years of him being a dickhead on the circuit could never redeem him in my eyes. And the fact that he hadn’t stopped Alexis and Camille from piling on Hallie and Sage made him a complete outcast in my opinion.
His head snapped up at the sound of my voice. “Oh, fuck off, Knighton,” he said, venom in his tone.
I shook my head. He was pathetic. I turned to walk away when he said, “Bet you’re smug as shit, huh? Lapping up the prize money with your shiny new riders and your arsehole of a cousin.” My blood turned red hot.
“Watch how you fucking talk about my riders,” I said, my voice ice cold. I stepped close to the gate, having to keep my hands at my sides so I didn’t throw open the lock and punch this fucker in his face.
He laughed, but there was fuck all humor in it.
“Piss off, Jasper. I don’t have the energy for you today.
” His eyes were narrowed and threatening as he looked back to me and said, “Just get back to your perfect life and your perfect fucking business and count your billions.” He laughed again, and I swore to myself that if he did it one more time, I’d end the bastard.
“You wouldn’t know hardship if it hit you in the mouth.
Fuck off back to your easy life and get out of my face. ”
Was this prick serious? Easy life?
No, I told myself. Let him sulk. He wasn’t bloody worth it.
I should have ignored him, but I couldn’t help but say, “You might want to watch yourself, Jake. This community is small. And people have seen you sneaking into hotels and meeting unsavory characters on almost every stop of the tour.” I’d had it on good authority from Phillip’s men that he’d met with Danny McGuire numerous times, not to mention his continued association with Alexis and Camille.
The blood drained from his face. I had no idea what that group was up to, but it was stealthily doing something, I was sure of it.
Once I found out what that was, I’d be going straight to the FEI and the authorities.
If I could get them all banned, the industry would be a better bloody place.
“Wh-what? I don’t know what you’re talking about!” he snapped and jumped to his feet. Nice to see I had him on the ropes.
I stepped up to the gate again. “If I find out you’re up to anything below board, or anything remotely like the shit your dad was doing, I’ll fucking bury you so far beneath the ground you’ll never step foot in this industry again.”
With that, I walked away and back toward my team. Atticus, Sage, Leon, and Hallie were with their horses, having just dismounted. They waved when they saw me coming, then my phone began to vibrate in my pocket.
When Forrest’s name came on the screen, I answered and said, “Another fucking double win, can you believe it?”
Forrest’s usual celebratory response didn’t come. Instead, he was silent, which caused me to stop in my tracks. “Forrest?” I pushed.
“You’re going to need to come home, Jas. There’s been an attack on the stud.”
My heart crashed to the ground, and when I looked up, Hallie came rushing toward me, concern on her face. Atticus was next. “What?” he pushed. “What’s happened? Who’s that? Forrest? Felix?”
“Forrest,” I said, and then said to Forrest, “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Give me a few hours.”
I hung up, and now Leon and Sage were with me. I glanced around me, making sure it was clear, but quietly said, “There’s been an incident at the stud.”
“No!” Hallie cried, “Fuck!” Atticus hissed, “Oh my gosh,” Sage whispered, and Leon’s and Atticus’s faces filled with rage—I imagined I looked the same. Atticus and Leon knew of the attacks. Sage might have assumed, but she didn’t know details.
“What’s happened?” Leon said. “Is anyone hurt? The horses?”
“I don’t know,” I said, then began to head to the exit.
“I must go. Forrest is going to sort things until I’m there.
I . . .” It all came crashing down then—the fear, the fury, and the fucking stark truth that things hadn’t settled and gone away at all.
The threats were still real. The happiness I’d just been finding it impossible to have felt of late . . . It all turned to dust.
Some fucker was truly coming for me.
“I need to go,” I said.
“We’ll come,” Atticus said.
“No!” I said. “Go to Paris. Don’t give any indication to anyone outside of this team that something’s wrong.” I was breathing quickly, my head racing with a million thoughts.
“Jasper,” Hallie said, tears filling her big turquoise eyes.
It fucking destroyed me. Taking her arm, I checked the coast was clear and pulled her into a private tack room.
I shut the door and crushed my mouth to hers.
When I pulled back, I said, “Stay here. Carry on to Paris. I’m going to double security.
” I cupped her face, smoothing my thumbs down her cheeks.
“I’m going to make sure you’re safe, that you’re protected. I promise—”
“Jasper—”
“I’ll fix things, I promise, Angel—”
“Jasper—”
“You don’t need to worry, you—”
“Jasper!” Hallie’s raised voice cut me off. I stared down at the girl who had completely taken hold of my damaged soul and knew I didn’t deserve her.
Hallie held my hand and kissed my fingers. “I’m not worried about me,” she said, her accent thickening. “I’m asking about you. Are you okay, baby?”
I stared at Hallie, the woman I was pretty fucking sure I loved, and said, “No, but I have to go anyway.”
“What did Forrest say?”
“He didn’t elaborate,” I said. “Which makes me think it’s really bad.” Nothing had hit the news yet, so I was glad for small mercies.
Hallie kissed me again. I wanted to go to a hotel room with her, lock the door, and bury myself in her all night and forget about what I might face back home. But . . . “I have to go, Angel.”
“Call me,” she said. “When you can. Or if you need me. Any time of the day or night.”
A glimmer of warmth broke through the tension coiling inside of me. “I’ll always need you.” I kissed her again, then said, “Kick arse in Paris. Don’t let this spoil your focus. You’re doing too well. And I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”
“Okay,” she said, and I burst from the tack room and headed for the car that was waiting for me at the entrance of the stables.
“Jasper.” Atticus caught up with me. “Keep me informed, yeah?”
“I will,” I said, then gripping my youngest cousin’s arm, said, “Keep them safe. Please.” My throat thickened, and I said, “I can’t fucking believe it’s happening again.”