Chapter Sixty-One

Ghost

I set the helo down on the southeast corner of the property behind a thick covering of sand pines. I may not be visible, but if Christensen's Marine was worth a damn, he would've heard me coming and he'd be waiting.

Shutting down the bird and taking off my headset, I scanned the rolling hills and tree line before grabbing a new burner.

Quickly checking sat imagery, not seeing anything new since my preflight check, I pocketed the cell and opened the door of the Sikorsky.

Arms loose, stance ready, the project manager was ten paces out. "Interesting choice for an LZ."

Interesting would've been on top of his position. "Where is she?"

His jaw ticked. "Inside."

Minus how I'd found her, there was no keeping my petite blonde anywhere she didn't want to be, and inside was never her first choice. Since this fuck had heard me and was standing here pissed off, something more than a situation was up.

Bypassing clarification on an exact location, I asked the pertinent question. "Did you restrain her?"

The Marine's expression cut to a hard glare. "No. Do you restrain her?"

He had balls, I'd give him that.

Walking past the fuck, I aimed for the most likely place. "Stables?"

"I called November, not you."

The response coming from my six, I stopped and pivoted. "Two things. If I find her injured, fucked, crying, or inconsolable, you're dead."

Zero tells, the prick didn't blink or hesitate. "And the second?"

"Working for Christensen doesn't buy my favor." Leniency wasn't in my vocabulary, especially not for assholes who fucked with women.

"I neither need nor want your favor."

We'd see about that. Aiming for the stables, I didn't fucking reply.

But the prick did. "Just so we're clear, leaving her out here didn't earn you any points with me."

Before I could follow through on my threat, I heard her.

A sob came from the stables, and I double-timed it. "Baby girl, I'm here." Striding in, scanning the first few stalls, I took note of the Marine that'd positioned himself at the open front doors. "Come on out."

The sob turned to a sniffle, then I got her voice, quiet and petulant. "No."

"Not a request, baby girl." I checked two more stalls.

"You don't get to call me that anymore."

"I'll always call you that." Just like she'd always respond to it. "Come out now."

Half a second later, hair a mess, head down, wearing a man's pair of mucking boots, she tentatively stepped out from the last stall where a large, black halter Quarter Horse complained loudly as it tried to follow her.

Glancing up at me as she blindly reached back to a beast that could take her hand off in one bite, she held open her palm. "I'm not leaving him." The horse gave a short snort, then leaned into her hand and nickered.

Fuck me .

"Baby girl." A goddamn horse?

"You're mad."

"No, I'm not." Not at her. "Come here." I held my arms out.

Her chest hitched with a single sob, but then she came at me like she always had. Full tilt.

I caught her in my arms as she wrapped hers around my neck and let loose.

Her crying carried through the stables, the Quarter Horse screamed, another kicked, and a chorus of snorts and protests came from every damn animal in the place.

"Shh, shh, baby girl. You're upsetting the horses."

The black one kicked at his stall again.

Still holding my petite blonde, I looked over her head toward the Marine standing in the open stable doors like a single man could stop a fucking stampede. "Is that Christensen's personal horse?" Leave it to Neil to have the biggest damn animal in the place.

"No." The prick didn't elaborate.

I raised an eyebrow.

His jaw clenched as his gaze cut from the blonde to the horse to me. "He's mine."

My number eighteen tightened her hold on me as she whisper-cried in my ear. "Shadow doesn't even like him, and he's never once ridden him."

"Understood," I quietly answered before addressing the Marine. "He's green?"

The prick said, "Yes," the same time my blonde said, "No."

I glanced down at her, but she was already throwing the asshole an accusing glare. "That's not true. I ride Shadow all the time. I don't even need a saddle. He's trained perfectly well. You just don't like him or me or anyone ."

I fucking exhaled before I spoke, but the asshole Marine beat me to the punch.

"You ride Shadow?" His voice grew in decibels and anger. "Without a saddle?"

"Watch your tone with her," I warned before setting my blonde on her feet and taking her face in my hands. "Baby girl. We didn't come this far for you to be reckless now. Bareback isn't safe." The double entendre wasn't lost on me.

A fat tear slid down her cheek. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Don't be sorry. You don't owe me any apologies. Just don't do it again."

She bit her lip.

I mentally inhaled for patience. "That's not a confirmation."

Her whisper held, but hurt infused into her tone. "Please don't be mad at me. I didn't know he would call you. I just… I just…." Tears started free-falling.

I pulled her into my arms. "Come on, now. No need for tears."

"I can't leave him." Her whole body shuddered. "Please don't make me. You don't understand, but I can show you." She pulled back. "Just let me, okay? Please? I promise, you'll see."

For a fraction of a second, I hesitated. She'd never asked me for anything.

Instantly reading me, she begged in rapid succession. "Please, please, please." Her hands clasped as if in prayer. "I'll show you. Then you'll see, okay?" Hope filled her eyes.

As if knowing what her next move was going to be, or just itching to break free, the damn horse put up a racket.

"I'm coming, Shadow!" she called over her shoulder as she started carefully backing away from me in her borrowed boots.

"Baby girl," I warned, but she was already at the beast's stall.

The Marine yelled past me. "Don't take him out when he's agitated!"

That fucking prick.

Her hand on the latch, my petite blonde looked to me for permission.

To make her happy, to spite the fucking Marine, I tipped my chin.

In the next second, she was Oscar Tango Mike.

If I wasn't watching it unfold in front of me, I wouldn't have believed it.

Nuzzling her hair, the horse settled the second she got near him. But when she let him out of his stall, he fucking kneeled.

Kneeled .

"Good, good boy." Grabbing his mane, my blonde swung a leg over him, then gripped him around the neck the same damn way she'd held onto me. "Okay, Shadow. I'm good. You can get up now. Up ."

The beast stood.

Pride spread across her face, and my blonde smiled at me. "See?" She patted the beast's head like a dog. "He loves me. He won't hurt me." She kissed the horse. "Come on, Shadow." Clearly having had zero equestrian training, she half scooted forward, half rocked on the horse as she gave her own version of a command. "Go, go, Shadow. But not too fast." She leaned to the right. "Show them the circle trick. Come on, Shadow, all the way around." Gripping him tight, she leaned more.

The horse snorted.

Then he fucking turned in a circle.

My petite blonde sat up straight and smiled wide. "See?" She petted the beast again. "Good boy, Shadow!"

" Sunny ," the Marine ground out. "Get down."

I raised an eyebrow at the teen that'd tamed a Quarter Horse. "Sunny?"

Her face flushed. "Well, I had to give Mr. Emersen something to call me by." She dropped her gaze as she stroked the beast's mane. "And I like it. Sunny and Shadow. It fits." She shrugged to hide the fact that she not only cared—she cared a hell of a lot—but that she'd been let down by every damn thing in life that'd mattered, and she wasn't going to set herself up for more disappointment.

Looking back up, her gaze met mine with both the innocence of her age and the toll of the hard existence she'd already lived. "Please don't make me leave him." Her voice quieted. Then she sealed the horse's fate. "He gives me the wind."