Page 92 of Reckless
He stops long enough to let me shove the hat over my hair and fumble to pull on my socks before the accompanying shoes. “So you’ve told me. Many times.”
Dull sunlight squeezes through the slits of wood the barn wears. The day is young, still scaring the shadows away. My boots find the ground with a thud that lifts a cloud of dust. Horses peer around the corners of their stalls, perking curious ears at the strangers staring back at them.
“This way,” Kai whispers, leading me to the back of the barn. He nods to the animals lining the walls. “These horses are conditioned for long journeys. And we have enough food and water in your pack for four days.”
“Yes, thanks to me,” I murmur.
“Yes,” Kai nods. “Thanks to you and your thievery.”
“I prefer the wordskills, but—”
A horse brays to my left, making me jump. “Damn these beasts,” I breathe, heart pounding.
Kai chuckles. “Thesebeastsare the gentlest ones you’ll find.”
He unlatches a stall and quietly pushes it open. The horse inside is a deep brown, his coat dull with dust. Kai absentmindedly runs a hand down his snout before grabbing a saddle from where it’s thrown atop the wall.
“Come introduce yourself,” Kai says softly, nodding toward the horse he’s now saddling.
“I’m fine, thanks.”
The bastard yanks the chain, causing me to nearly stumble into the beast breathing down on me. “Asshole,” I hiss at him, straightening to find myself staring up at the horse.
“Oh, come on, Silver Savior,” he mocks. “He won’t bite… probably.”
I roll my eyes at the prince before hesitantly raising a palm to the horse’s snout. His nose is soft and warm as he gently nuzzles against my hand. I muster a small smile, swallowing my fear for such a formidable creature. Because something so strong is never truly tamed.
“Your bravery is inspiring,” Kai says dully. “Now open the door so I can walk him out before the stable hands get here.”
Annoyingly enough, I obey and step aside as he leads the horse out into the center aisle. Hooves clop against the packed dirt as we head for the barn door and final stretch of the city beyond. We are nearly outside when a shadow slips into the barn before the figure follows.
The man stumbles to a stop, taking in the horse and the two strangers stealing it.
“What the hell?” he stutters, eyes skimming over us.
Kai’s gaze never strays from the giant man. “Get on the horse, Gray.”
“But the chain—”
“Then put your foot in the stirrup and hang on.”
I don’t even have the chance to argue before the man is stepping toward us, gripping something that glints in his hand. Kai pushes me behind him before ducking under a punch the man throws at his jaw.
The fight is a blur I can barely see from behind Kai’s back. The man grunts when he takes a hit to the temple but manages to have the Enforcer doubling over after sinking a fist into his stomach.
“Yeah, take your time with that saddle!” Kai calls behind him, narrowly avoiding another hit.
His sarcasm shakes me out of my stupor to struggle with the stirrup. When I watch him fight, it’s hard to look away. It’s a practiced precision. An alluring sort of chaos.
The toe of my boot teases the stirrup as I attempt to balance onone foot. I hear the scuffle and scraping of boots before Kai’s back is ramming into me, knocking the wind from my chest and the feet from beneath me. I hit the ground with a thud but force myself up before I’ve even chocked down air for my burning lungs.
I look up to find the man clutching his bloody nose and stumbling back from a hit. Kai doesn’t waste a moment before turning to wrap a hand around my thigh and shove my boot into the stirrup. Then his hand is on my back, pushing me upward as I begin swinging my other leg over the saddle.
When the chain tightens, Kai grips the saddle and hoists himself up to sit behind me, stretching the chain between us. I glance at the man beneath us, now stumbling forward to grab my leg. I kick violently, trying to free myself from the clammy hands clamped around my calf. When he doesn’t budge, I bend to grip his hair before driving his broken nose into my kneecap.
He howls, blood streaming down his face as he staggers back. I’m suddenly thrown against Kai’s chest when he digs his heels into the horse’s sides, spurring it into a run. It’s only when we’ve flown out the barn door and into the streets that Kai slows our pace. Barely.
I’m gripping the horn of the saddle, squeezing my eyes shut with every turn. Kai’s hands are resting on my thighs, his chin hovering over my shoulder as he grips the reins. This far from the main market, there are few people brave enough to live so close to the Sanctuary. But those who do find themselves jumping out of our path to avoid being trampled.
