Page 77 of Savage Reins
The shed explodes into chaos. Alexei draws his weapon, aims it at me. Lev shouts something in rapid Russian but keeps his gun pressed against Mira's head.
"You don't know what you're doing…." Vadim's voice is deadly quiet.
"You're letting them terrorize an innocent woman." My finger finds the trigger. "Tell them to back off."
"She's not innocent. She's a cheater and a liar."
"She's the woman I love." The words leave my mouth before I can stop them. "And I won't let you hurt her."
For a heartbeat, nobody moves. Then Vadim laughs.
"Love? You think this is about love? She used you, Renat. Made you think with your cock instead of your brain."
"Her horse did what she said it would."
"But made fools of us all." Dima's voice is venom. "That requires payment."
"The payment was the race. The horse won. The debt is settled."
"The horse won," lev's voice cuts through my argument, "under false pretenses. The debt stands."
I keep my gun trained on Lev while addressing Mira. "Tell me this is the truth."
She nods, even with Dima's weapon against her skull. "The fire at the barn was planned. My father helped me. We needed a distraction while I switched the saddle cloths."
My heart drops. "The fire was intentional?"
"We had to create confusion. Had to make sure nobody was watching when I pinned my number to Thunder's Shadow and gave Rusalka his."
"You burned the barn?" The sweet, innocent woman I thought she was dissolves in front of me and I see her for the truth she's been hiding. Mira is fierce, and I never gave her credit for it.
"A small section. Controlled. We knew the fire department would come, that everyone would be focused on the flames instead of the horses."
Vadim's smile widens. "Arson and fraud. This gets better and better."
"It gets desperate," Mira corrects. "I was so afraid Rusalka would fail. So afraid she wasn't ready for this level of competition. But I knew if I could give her the chance, if people expected her to win instead of lose, she'd prove herself."
"By cheating," Alexei growls.
"By leveling the playing field. Thunder's Shadow was the favorite because of his bloodline, his reputation. Not because he was faster or stronger. Rusalka had to run twice as hard to get half the respect."
"So you stole the respect instead." Dima's free hand draws back. "Time to pay for that theft."
His palm connects with her cheek hard enough to snap her head sideways. The sound echoes off the shed walls. Blood trickles from the corner of her mouth.
"Stop!" I swing my gun toward Dima, but Alexei already has his weapon aimed at my head.
"Don't move," Alexei warns. "Or I'll drop you where you stand."
Vadim chuckles. "See how quickly your loyalty shifts? One pretty face and you forget everything the family taught you."
"The family taught me to honor my word. The horse won. The debt should be paid."
"The horse cheated. The debt stands." Lev's voice is final. "And the girl pays for her deception."
Dima grabs Mira's chin, forces her to look at him. "Last chance. Admit you cheated us, and maybe we make this quick."
Mira spits blood at his feet. "I won't apologize for giving my horse the chance she deserved."
