• Seventeen •

If she had any idea just how well I knew her, she’d be frightened.

Thatcher

Irritated, I looked down at my phone. King was texting me. I’d been enjoying myself, watching Capri eat her baked lobster mac and cheese. Possibly a little too much. A distraction was most likely a good thing.

Did you threaten Evander Brodi?

I picked up my drink and tossed the rest of the bourbon back before replying.

Yes.

Had the pussy ass called King? Why did people think King could handle me? King was aware he had no control over me. There were times I didn’t have control over me.

Because he wanted to hire Capri to ride for Brodi Stables?

I read it, then glanced up at Capri. She’d get more requests from other owners. She’d been incredible out there. Any other jockey would have been riding for more than one stable today. I’d made sure that didn’t happen. The idea of someone else working with her sparked shit in my soul that no one needed to ignite.

Yes.

She wouldn’t be riding for anyone other than me. It was selfish, but there was no other way around it.

It’s her career! You’re gonna fuck it up by scaring off everyone else from hiring her? That’s fucked up, Thatch. You have to see how that isn’t okay.

I didn’t need King to tell me how to handle Capri’s life.

She placed her fork down beside her plate and sighed contentedly. No other owner was gonna make sure she was treated properly after a race. I did that. This was what she deserved. I’d allowed her to ride for Tom until I couldn’t handle it any longer. She was at Shephard Ranch now, and she was going to ride for us exclusively.

I’ll worry about her career. Not your business.

I set the phone down and decided to ignore anything more he had to say. Shephard Ranch was superior to Brodi Stables. Riding our horses would make her elite. And if she only rode for us, then I could protect her. I didn’t trust other fucking dicks around her.

“I don’t know how you pulled it off, but that was amazing. Thank you,” she said as her eyes lifted to meet mine.

The pink flush on her cheeks could be her reaction to being around me, which she did often. Or it could be the lemon drop martinis. She’d had three glasses because I’d kept filling her glass.

“You earned it,” I replied before pushing my chair back and standing. I needed another drink.

“I didn’t realize jockeys who rode for big stables were treated so well,” she said.

I smirked as I reached for the bottle. She was fishing. The way her voice got high and that little quiver in it gave her away. If she had any idea just how well I knew her, she’d be frightened.

“Why wouldn’t they be?” I asked, pouring my glass halfway full before turning back to her.

She was fidgeting with her hands in her lap. I liked seeing her this way, but only with me. If another man made her nervous, anxious, uncertain, I’d have to hurt him.

She shrugged. “I mean, yes, you need jockeys to win races, but we win money too. All this extra … I guess I didn’t know it was a thing.”

It wasn’t. I had never spent more than five minutes in any jockey’s presence we’d hired. If we ever conversed with the jockeys that we hired, it was Sebastian or King who dealt with them. Miller was the trainer, and it was his place to truly form any relationship with the jockeys. Capri didn’t need to know that though. The more she knew about … things, it could become difficult.

When another text from King didn’t come, I picked up my phone and slipped it in my pocket. She needed rest. Today had been a long one for her, and after making sure she was fed well, I knew she would sleep comfortably.

“We will head to the airport at nine in the morning,” I informed her.

Staying in here with her any longer wasn’t wise.

“Okay,” she replied.

The sound of her moving her chair back across the floor told me she was getting up. I looked back at her. The desire to fill the tub with salts and bubbles, then put her in it and bathe her was getting stronger by the minute. That was a line neither of us needed me to cross.

Without another word, I walked back toward the master bedroom. I’d allowed myself to indulge in her company long enough. When my thoughts went to images of her naked, I knew I was edging too close to dangerous territory.