Page 27 of Blood and Magic
“Get yourself together, girl,” I murmured, shaking my head as I finished eating. “He’s just a man, just a stupid, stupid man.”
Annoyed with the whole thing, I grabbed my phone to call Guin. She didn’t answer, so I left her a voicemail.
“What the hell is this about Mill staying in the house with me?” I said. “Just because you and Sol have made nice with the local motorcycle gang doesn’t mean I want him sleeping six feet away. Call me back.”
I knew my sister. If she deigned to return the call, the argument likely wouldn’t go in my favor. She’d inherited our father’s stubborn, bullheaded attitude, and the rest of us had to live with the consequences.
But when I met him in the stables, I had difficulty reminding myself of that. He stood next to Molly, scratching her favorite spot behind her ears while she whinnied and chuffed in pure bliss.
No, I would not be jealous of my horse…even if I did want him to itch some of my most desperate scratches.
Enough.
He wore his Royal Bastards MC cut and a pair of denim jeans that rivaled the ones I’d seen him in while breaking the stallion. He had on a black flannel underneath with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, exposing his muscular forearms and hands.
Such masculine arms—veiny and long and... I cleared my throat to stop that train of thought.
“Don’t let it go to your head,” I said. “She’s an attention whore.”
Vermillion turned to face me and smirked. “Like her favorite human?”
I put my hands on my hips and pretended to be offended. “How dare you? I’m an attention slut. There’s an obvious difference.”
He laughed and went to the stable next to Molly’s, retrieving a gelding named Rusty, who had been rescued from a horrible human who left him alone to starve. My father may not have had many admirable qualities, but he did have a soft spot for animals, especially if he thought he could rehabilitate them and eventually make a profit. Fortunately for Rusty, my father had died before he could be sold, and now, the horse was a permanent fixture on Vanderbilt Ranch.
I hooked a foot in the stirrup and climbed into the saddle, adjusting my hips to sit the way I preferred.
“Hey, girl,” I cooed to my horse, rubbing the same spot. “Don’t go getting attached. He’s a Bastard, and we only tolerate them, okay? We don’t actively like them.”
“Hmm,” Vermillion said when he strolled out, already on top of Rusty. “After you.”
I led Molly ahead of him, raising an eyebrow as I passed. I usually enjoyed taking these rides alone. It gave me time to think and enjoy the quiet. There was nothing like being under the big open sky with miles of land in front of me. Now, I had an escort…which was just a nice way of saying babysitter. Once we got into the back territory, I opened it up and let Molly stretch her legs. She loved to run, and I loved to go fast. Together, we were formidable. In another life, perhaps I’d been an equestrian, and we could have done tournaments. We both would have loved it.
Vermillion kept up with me, and it felt great to see Rusty in his element. No longer the starved, abused animal we’d adopted, he had the strength to match any other horse his size and stature. After twenty minutes, I slowed Molly down to let her catch her breath. Vermillion pulled up beside me with his lips split into a huge grin.
For half a heartbeat, he reminded me of the guy I’d used to know, the one with an easy smile and a quick joke for everyone he saw.
“You ride well,” he said.
“Yeah, some guy I used to know taught me.” I recalled the days when he would pick me up and prop me in a saddle, teaching me how to hold the reins and guide the animal with gentle cues.
“He must have known what he was doing.” Vermillion smirked and looked away, avoiding my gaze. Even if he used to be (or still kind of was) my enemy, he looked really good.
“Sure,” I said. “Until he disappeared and abandoned our family for a new one.”
Vermillion glanced back at me. “There were things I had to take care of…things you don’t understand.”
“Uh-huh.” I let the sardonic noise hang between us. “Whatever. It doesn’t matter, anyway.” He’d gone off to join the Bastards, and I’d gone to boarding school, and none of it had made a difference. My heart had stopped for five whole minutes, and none of that mattered, either.
“Why do you say it like that?” he asked, his tone surly and gruff, like the thought of it not mattering irritated him. “Like my leaving had anything to do with your life? You had your precious silver spoon and an abundance of caregivers. I’m sure twenty other people were waiting in line to teach you how to ride a horse.”
“What do you know about it?” I spat. “You got your paycheck and left, and on life went.”
He furrowed his brows, his mouth hanging open like I’d genuinely shocked him. “Why did my leaving make you so mad?”
I didn’t know. I didn’t understand where this reaction was coming from. My head ached, and my stomach rolled like my breakfast might project itself across the pasture. The little girl inside of me raged at having woken up one day to find a person she relied on had left. He’d been twenty-one at the time, barely a man himself.
“I had little siblings of my own to look after,” he said. “And I don’t know if you noticed, but our families have been enemies for decades. Working here pissed a lot of people off, my family and pac—” He cleared his throat as if he’d said something he didn’t mean to. “My family and brothers included. The money was good, but eventually, my siblings needed me home. My parents were dead, and no one was looking after them.”
