Page 111 of My Queendom for a Horse

His mouth drops open. “No?”

I shrug. “And I won’t ever have to.” It’s my turn to smile. “I think that’s what I love most about you, Aleksandr Volkonsky. You may be old, and you may be pushy, and you may sometimes act like a horse’s rear end, but when it matters, I know you’ll literally bury people alive to keep me safe, and that’s a very good feeling.”

This time, he does not release me for any reason.

24

Aleks really wasn’t kidding when he said he came to make sure I felt as safe as I possibly could. Apparently that includes bribing officials to allow us to change our farm’s entry from Five Times Fast. . .to Obsidian Devil.

“But I sold him.” I’m still staring at the slip that says I’m riding Obsidian Devil in the Grand National tomorrow. “I mean, I have papers that say I did.”

He shrugs. “I guess you bought him back.”

“Sean will know something’s up,” I say.

Aleks lifts one eyebrow. “Is that going to be a problem?”

I shrug. “Probably not. I mean, I suppose he could also believe I bought you back again.”

“Is he here?”

“No idea,” I say. “I haven’t talked to him since we broke up—I mean, we weren’t officially together, but you know.”

“Actually, breakups and whatnot are pretty modern,” he says. “In my time, your parents kind of pointed and said, ‘you’re marrying her,’ and you just did it.”

I have trouble believing that. “Are you serious?”

“I mean, they’d point and they’d say that. The ‘just did it’ part might have been a stretch, even then.”

“Did they ever tell you to marry someone?”

“My parents died when I was eleven,” he says. “So, no.”

How did I not know that? “I have a lot of things to learn about you, old man.”

He scowls at me. “Keep calling me that, and we’ll see how much I share.”

“I guess we will see,” I say, “because I have no intention of giving up my favorite nickname. No one else in the world knows how old you really are.”

“True enough,” he says.

“I hope you’ve stayed in decent shape—have you spent any time as a horse lately? We’re running the biggest race in the entire circuit tomorrow, so you’d better be ready.”

“I spent some time as a horse,” he says. “I’m sure we’ll do fine.”

“Assuming you don’t trip and fall and ruin everything again,” I tease.

“Yes, assuming that.” He reaches his hand into his pocket. “But even if you don’t win the purse, trust me when I say, you can buy and do anything you want from here on out.” He pulls his hand out, and he’s clearly holding something. He shakes his hand a little, clearly telling me to hold mine out, too.

“What?” I extend my hand and flip my palm over.

“Here.”

He drops an entire handful of gemstones onto my palm. Deep red, a gorgeous, cerulean blue, a rich, vibrant green, and several enormous diamonds. I can barely believe I’m staring at them.

“I couldn’t have your nicest gemstone be a gift from that guy.”

“Oh, please. My nicest—”

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