Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 128313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
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.