Chapter 9
Shannon
“Hey, girl.”
Shannon patted Trixie’s neck, letting the horse nuzzle her jacket and pinch the fabric between its large lips.
“Looks like I got here before that shithead took you out.”
Footsteps thudded up behind her. “Where the hell have you been?”
Without turning to face the accusatory voice, she continued stroking Trixie’s rounded cheekbone.
“You’re slacking off, Shan?” Niall crowded her from behind. “The farrier finished half an hour ago, and the stables still need fresh bedding. The other hands are actually doing their job and exercising the horses.”
Shannon turned to meet his furious glare. “Back up, Niall. I can hear you without needing to be this close.”
He’d tucked his white polo into pale jeans, and tawny hair flopped over his forehead. The guy had a sporty physique, one earned from years of working in the yard, though these days, he rarely lifted a finger.
Niall’s cold grey eyes drilled into hers, his lips twitching when he backed up.
“You’re paid to work, not to show up when the mood suits you.”
“Yeah, I get paid to work here and at the Coffee Kicks,” she shot back. “Do you get paid to be a dick?”
“Fuck you, Shannon,” he bit out. “Get your share of the stables sorted. I’m taking Trix into the paddock now.”
A shadow of malice darkened his features.
Rage burned up her neck, spreading across her cheeks.
“I’m riding her. You can ride Merlot. They haven’t exercised him in a few days,” Shannon gritted, struggling to keep her cool.
Niall stepped closer, his nostrils flaring. “I’ll ride whatever fucking horse I want, Shannon. My staff don’t call the shots. Got it?”
Before she could respond, a familiar voice called from across the yard.
“Hey, Shan! Bucky’s gonna help with the other horses, so you can get Trixie back in the paddock. Carlos is on his way to give you another grid lesson. He’ll be here in half an hour.”
“Thanks, Harry. I’ll skip out her stable first and get her tacked up.”
She smirked at Niall for a second before waving over at Harry with a two-finger salute.
“Oh, sorry, mate. Looks like your dad just asked me to ride Trixie. You’re out of luck this time.”
She tilted her head, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Looks like Merlot gets the pleasure of your ass bouncing on his back like a sack of spuds. Go easy on him, yeah? It’s not his fault you’re a shit rider.”
In one confident stride, he crowded her, his pine scent filling her nostrils. His body pressed against hers as he leaned in, his breath at her ear, fingers gripping her arm.
She froze, her muscles tense with dread. Her heart pounded, but she held her ground, the words ‘just get through it’ echoing in her mind.
Shannon wouldn’t allow him to break her again.
“You think you’re so fucking clever, don’t you? Keep talking to me like that and you’ll see what happens.”
Shannon gritted her teeth, holding her ground.
When he didn’t get a response, he let go with a shove.
“Whatever.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I might compete on Trixie in the comps this weekend.”
Not rising to his bullshit, Shannon turned her back and strode across the yard toward the wheelbarrows.
Niall wouldn’t survive the first fence, let alone make it through the show-jumping course.
Shannon had worked at Meadow Dawn since she was sixteen, after her parents secured her a summer job.
They thought the hard work would put her off; instead, it fed her love for horses.
Harry had taken Shannon under his wing, allowing her to stay on after the summer .
Then, one day, Venatrix was born. That day, as vivid as the first time she felt a horse’s breath on her palm, would forever remain etched in her memory.
Harry’s prized show jumper had been on lockdown, ready to birth a foal.
She’d been half-drifting in the barn when the cutest, gangly-legged foal entered the world.
That night, Harry patted her shoulder like a proud father, telling her that Trixie would take her career to the next level.
Five years later, their bond ran deep, a silent understanding that spoke louder than words ever could.
When she saddled up, it was like shedding all the weight from her shoulders. The rest of the world, especially Niall, just faded into the background.
As she scooped up the damp wood shavings, Shannon’s thoughts drifted back to lunch with Jamie, and his maddening pull.
His tailored suit and gold watch hinted at wealth, but his down-to-earth attitude made him seem different from the entitled, arrogant rich guys she couldn’t stand.
If it weren’t for the finals at the weekend, she might have considered his offer. But Trixie and the competition were all that mattered.
The last of the afternoon sun filtered into the stable, casting a warm glow over the fresh bedding she was fluffing until an uneasiness crept up her spine.
Shannon sensed his presence before she even saw him. Niall’s shadow stretched across the stable, and the hairs on her neck prickled .
She knew his gaze drilled into her back, even before his boots shuffled behind her.
Shannon kept her gaze low, muscles tense as she swallowed the bitterness rising in her throat.
She pressed her lips into a tight line, exhaled, and glanced over her shoulder to find him leaning against the doorframe.
His ankle crossed lazily over the other, arms folded, his posture relaxed but somehow menacing.
“You make a damn fine slave,” he said, his eyes narrowing in appraisal.
“Go away, Niall.” Shannon shoved the pitchfork into the fresh bedding.
“Nah, I’m good here. I like watching you work. You get so hot and bothered... It’s sexy.”
Shannon’s grip tightened on the pitchfork’s handle as she shot another glance over her shoulder, keeping her voice cool. “What do you want, Niall?”
A huff of air shot from his nostrils, his chin lifting in that smug way he always did. “Is that an invitation?”
“No,” she snapped before he could even flash his usual smirk.
His lips curved into a sly grin, and his arms folded tighter across his chest, unfazed.
“I don’t need an invitation. We both know that, Shannon.”
Shannon held her tongue, fighting the urge to call for help because she didn’t want to run to Harry or anyone else .
She was used to handling things on her own, even if it meant swallowing her anger and fear.
Asking for help would mean admitting she couldn’t handle things herself, and that wasn’t something Shannon could stomach.
“Stay the fuck away from me, or I’ll tell Harry you’re harassing his staff.”
Niall scoffed, pushing off the doorframe and strolling into the stable.
“Like that would do any good,” he sneered, his tone dripping with arrogance. “I want to bend you over right now, like I used to. Remember?”
Shannon raised the pitchfork, the jagged prongs aimed at his dick.
“That was in the past. Leave me alone, or I’ll scream.”
Her heart hammered in her chest, and she clenched the pitchfork harder, refusing to give in.
She’d endured Niall for so long now, it had become a horrible mix of wanting to push him away yet knowing that standing up to him would cost her everything.
“Aww, Shannon, you’re such a spoilsport.” Niall chuckled darkly. “We both know a pitchfork wouldn’t stop me if I really wanted to get close, but I’ve got better things to do than fuck you. You know you’re replaceable here, yeah? I could make you disappear, and no one would care.”
He snapped his fingers. “Just like that.”
The way he winked made her skin prickle, and a wave of nausea rolled in her stomach.
Niall had always been arrogant, but over the past year he’d crossed into darker territory, like a bully who’d learned how to smile while he threw punches.
Shannon forced herself to breathe, the heat of her anger building.
“For fuck’s sake, Niall… Go away.”
He stepped forward, backing her into the corner of the stable, blocking her exit.
“You want to keep pretending like you have control?” His voice was low, almost a whisper. “You think you can be a bitch without consequences?”
Shannon swallowed hard, her knuckles white from gripping the pitchfork tighter.
“Back the fuck off, Niall. I’m trying to get this done before Carlos shows up.”
He tilted his head, his smile almost sympathetic. “Don’t get so upset. It’s just a joke, Shannon. You really need to lighten up.”
Shannon was so used to hearing his bullshit that a part of her almost believed he was joking.
“Haven’t you got somewhere else to be?” she asked.
He chuckled. “You know, Shannon, the last thing I want to do is make your life harder. But if you keep the attitude, it won’t be me who suffers.”
His words were calm, but his eyes drilled into her, daring her to challenge him.
She loved this yard. Meadow Dawn was her heart and soul––her home. The place that had shaped her, where she’d grown from a shy girl into a woman capable of any challenge.
Despite that, if she confronted Niall, she’d lose her job and her home, too, so she continued to keep her mouth shut.
“See you around, Shannon.” His grin deepened, a menacing flash in his eyes. “Watch your back.”