Fractured Sky (Tattered & Torn #5)(22)

Shiloh shook her head. “I’m good. Thanks for bringing Sky.”

Hadley started to move as if she might hug Shiloh but then stopped herself, clasping her hands in front of her instead. “Anytime. Call me if you need me.”

Pain flashed across Shiloh’s expression as Hadley had started to move. “Thanks.”

I tried to put the pieces together of what that could be about—the awkward dance between two women who obviously cared about each other.

Hadley cleared her throat. “I’m gonna head home.”

I nodded. “The gate will open automatically when you leave.”

We followed Hadley outside and watched as she climbed into her SUV and headed back down the drive.

Shiloh’s fingers tapped a rapid beat against her thighs. “We didn’t talk about rent. How much did you want a month?”

“I don’t need your money.”

Heat flared in Shiloh’s eyes. “I’m paying you rent.”

Hell. “I don’t need money, but I could use some help.” If Aidan worked out, and Shiloh stuck around, I might be able to bring in more horses. Right now, I was stretched to the limit, even with Lor helping out here and there.

Shiloh shifted as Kai leaned into her side. “I can do that. What do you need?”

“Help with the stalls and feeding. Exercising some of the horses. We might be able to move you into some training, eventually. What do you say to ten hours a week for rent? If you work more on top of that, I’ll pay you.”

Excitement lit Shiloh’s eyes. It was an emotion I only saw when it came to horses. As if they were the only creatures who truly made her come alive. “I’d love to do that. But twenty hours a week for rent. That’s closer to fair.”

My jaw tightened, but I nodded. “You can start tomorrow.”

“I can start today.”

“Stubborn,” I muttered.

She smiled, and the movement lit up her entire face in a way where I couldn’t help but stare.

The sound of tires crunching gravel had my head snapping up. It was too fast. Too close. The older truck screeched to a stop in front of us, sending dirt and gravel flying. Kai let out a low growl.

Kenny Chambers jumped out of the truck and charged towards us, his face as red as a tomato. “You piece of shit! I know it was you. You got my goddamned horses taken away.”





9





SHILOH





The urge to bolt was so strong my muscles began to twitch. Anger came off the man in waves—hot rushes of energy pulsing in the air. I knew that kind of rage. I’d done everything I could to avoid it since I was ten years old.

The answer had always been the same: Run. Any time voices rose, or arguments began—even between those I loved—I took off. I hid in the barn or took Sky out on the trails. Anything to get away from that feeling.

The one that burned my skin and made my mouth go dry. Transporting me back to that place. The one where my tongue had cracked because I hadn’t drunk in too long. Where I huddled in the corner with only the rough blanket to shield me from whatever came. It hadn’t been enough.

Ramsey stepped forward, his jaw going hard like granite. “How’d you get onto my property?”

The man sneered. “Just had to wait until someone left. Your gate gives plenty of time to get through.”

A muscle fluttered beneath Ramsey’s eye. “Leave.”

“The hell, I will. I came for payment. For my damn horses. Where are they?”

“Not here.” Ramsey gestured to the pasture. “All the horses here are too well fed to be yours.”

The man’s nostrils flared. “You don’t know a damn thing. You’re the one who called the cops. I know it.”

“I’ve never once dialed a cop, so I’m afraid you’re barking up the wrong tree.”

There was a bite to Ramsey’s tone, an acidity when he spat the word cop. It hit my stomach and sat there like a lead weight.

The other man’s hands fisted at his sides, his knuckles losing their color. “It’s no coincidence you came sniffing around, and the sheriff’s department shows up and seizes all my damn animals three days later.”

Ramsey shrugged as if he didn’t have a care in the world. “If you’d taken proper care of them, you wouldn’t have had a problem.”

The man lunged, but Kai stepped forward and bared his teeth in a growl. The man stumbled back a step. “What the hell is that thing?”

“My dog. He’s not overly fond of strangers. You might want to make your way back to your truck.”

I couldn’t help the smile that curved my lips. I’d give Kai an extra treat for that.

The man’s gaze shot to me. “What the hell are you laughing at?”

I wasn’t laughing, but any traces of humor fled at the snap of his words.

Ramsey stepped between us, cutting off the man’s line of sight. “Get in your vehicle and go before I sic my dog on you.”

The man’s lip curled. “It’s not fun when someone threatens what’s important to you, is it?”

The muscles in Ramsey’s shoulders pulled tight, visibly straining against his flannel shirt. “You come on my property again, and you’ll meet my rifle instead of my dog.”