“Most everything is good because of the rebuild, but we can check with Charlie. Also, Bram and Levy have other projects on their property, so I’m sure there’ll be plenty to do this week.”
“Of course. I want to give back to these people who have put our family back together.”
Ant sets down his mug and comes in for a long hug. “I’m going to have to get used to this,” he says into my chest.
“I bet.”
“When Charlie and Erik first rescued me, I stayed at Mama and Papa Bash’s house. Charlie said they would adopt me.”
“Adopt you? Weren’t you already an adult?”
He nods. “I was about to turn twenty. I told him I didn’t want to be adopted. That’s a particularly gross kink some of my clients had.”
I curl my hands into fists. I understand why he uses words likeclient. Calling them what they are—sex traffickers, enslavers, and rapists—would probably be harder for him. Shoving down my revulsion—at them, never him—I neutralize my expression so he feels he can talk. I don’t care how awful it is. I want him to be able to say things to me. I’ll ask Levy about his therapist after this if I have to.
“What did he say to that?”
“Charlie explained it was a figure of speech. That we were afoundfamily. I thought he meant like trash on the side of the road, but he explained my value had nothing to do with how people treated me.”
“Did you believe him?”
“He said it so sincerely that I had no choice,” he says with a small smile.
“I doubt anyone here is going to feel very safe with you going back into Mexico, given the circumstances. I don’t think you would feel very good about that either right now. Unless I’m wrong.”
He shakes his head. “You’re not wrong. I don’t…I didn’t imagine I’d ever have to face where I came from? Plus, I’m already working on so many other things that…”
I squeeze him hard. “Priorities. Absolutely. I don’t know if this helps, but you were sold from your grandfather’s house in San Miguel de Allende. Our family land is not in the same place you were taken from. It is about an hour away. I know your father’s family mostly kept you away, but I think you’d recognize it if you saw it again. I think it would feel safe. Eventually.”
Ant nods. “Okay. I’ll think about it. By the way, if you want to believe in people again, you should see Levy work with the horses.”
“Yeah?”
“I swear he’s communicating with them. If a horse gets upset, he runs a hand down their neck, and they immediately chill out.”
Hm. That explains why I feel so peaceful around him.
Ant checks his watch. “Sparrow’s picked up a rescue horse but doesn’t have room for it, so we’re going to take it. He should be here any minute. Want to watch them work with the horse?”
“That sounds amazing. Of course.”
“Sweet. Let’s grab some breakfast and walk over there.”
9
LEVY
Javier had fallen asleep against me so quickly that I didn’t have a chance to escape last night.Darn.
Luxuriating in his warmth, I’d hoped to sleep in since Ant wouldn’t be getting up early for work. It was all going to plan until Sparrow texted Charlie and me before seven, the buzzy notification against Javier’s side table enough to wake me. He’s coming by with a rescue horse, and even through text there’s an urgency to his tone.
Sparrow used to be the foreman over at Rebel Sky but then pivoted and is now training horses full-time. We get our horses from Rebel Sky, Sparrow takes them for the first round of training, and then Charlie and I work together for the advanced search-and-rescue and therapy training.
Sparrow’s super sensitive regarding the treatment of animals, yet he’ll go into the worst horse auctions to save who he can. He once admitted he finds them traumatizing and will only go if he’s had a dream. I’m guessing he didn’t sleep well last night.
Sliding out from Javier’s grip is the last thing I want to do, but a top-tier dicking is not a good enough excuse to shirk my responsibilities. I quietly shower and put on my Slaughter band T-shirt, blue-jean overalls, and black Kickers—all perfectly worn-in—then send a quick text to Ant to join Charlie and me at the quarantine paddock when he gets up.
It’s a gorgeous day as I jog over to the barn to pick up some apples, carrots, and sugar cubes. I won’t call them magic, but they’re pretty potent tools for neutralizing a horse’s anger and fear response.
