Chapter One
Harlow
The emergency service didn’t use an ambulance, instead sent the Life Flight helicopter. Once he got off the phone with them, Dad started issuing instructions. “Thomas, hold pressure on that wound. Jacinta, I need you to take the fastest horse and ride home. Bring back one of the trucks so we can load up the tack and get us all home.” The frantic fear that was pricking the air disappears once Dad takes control. It’s like we all needed some instruction to get ourselves together, and now that we have a goal to focus on, we can push back everything else. For now, anyway.
“Delilah is fast,” I tell her as she looks around. “Take her and go.” She nods her thanks, tears staining her face but determination in her eyes. With a shout, Jacinta whirls Delilah around, kicking her into movement, and she doesn't disappoint, throwing herself into a gallop to propel Jacinta home as fast as she can.
Dad continues once he’s sure she’s on her way. “Everyone else, I need you to strip the horses of their tack and give them a slap. I don't want them here when the helicopter arrives; we have bigger concerns than risking them spooking and injuring themselves or someone else. They should all head home and be safe out of the way.”
He turns to me, looking like he’s aged in minutes. There are already stress lines telling the story of the torment he’s experiencing right now, the possibility that he’ll be a father who has to bury his own child, but he stays focused. “The whole property is fenced, so even if Chuck’s don't follow ours back to the stables, the boys can round them up after.” His voice is grim as he starts to pull the saddle and bridle off of his mount, and we hurry to do the same. Once I take care of Sampson and shoo him off, I rush over to Holden’s mount, quickly checking him over for injuries before doing the same thing. Kai takes care of Tom’s first and then Oliver’s. They all get a sharp slap on the rump, and I watch the remaining horses run for home.
My heart is thundering with worry for Holden, but also for the animals that Chuck has entrusted into my care. I hope that whoever shot Holden doesn't take a shot at any of them. My gaze does a sweep of the area, looking for some sign of the shooter before automatically returning back to Holden on the ground. Thomas has his hands over the wound, but I can see blood pooling on the ground around him. Shit, that’s not good to be losing that much blood.
“Don't worry, Harlow.” I look up to find Dad has his phone in his hand again. “Josh and Luke are aware that the horses are on their way and will take care of them at the other end.”
He shoves his phone in the pocket of his breeches and hurries back over to Holden and Tom, the latter now using his shirt to slow the flow. Oliver is kneeling on Holden’s other side, his face pale as he watches on with teary eyes. He has Holden’s hand in his, gripping it so tightly I worry for the state of Holden’s fingers, but it makes that niggling thought about there being more between the two of them grow even stronger. It seems insensitive to be worrying about that at a time like this, but I think my brain is sort of desperate to cling to whatever it can to distract itself from the rest of this moment.
“I didn't want to poke around, but it looks like it went straight through. Small caliber round and minimal amount of damage, but it keeps bleeding,” Tom reports to Dad as he crouches down next to him. “He’s breathing fine but still no signs of consciousness.”
Dad bites his lip with worry and looks up into the sky as if he can make the helicopter appear faster.
“Declan, get over here and keep pressure on the wound so I can chase after whoever did this,” Tom orders. Declan’s barely started to move toward him before Dad holds up his hand.
“No, you’re not armed, and they clearly are. It’s not safe.” Tom starts to argue, but Dad is adamant. He has a look of determination on his face I haven't seen as of yet, not even after the whole billboard incident. “No, I know you’d likely be fine, Tom, but I already have one child with a gunshot wound. Let's not make it two.” Tom gives in to Dad and stays where he is while keeping an eye on our surroundings for any danger. His body is tight with tension like a coiled spring, ready to leap if needed, his eyes focused and determined. What has he been through to make him like this?
I stand out of the way, threading my hands in each other, twisting and turning, as guilt and worry almost suffocate me.This is all my fault.Who else but my stalker would be taking a shot at Holden? Maybe they saw us together at the club the other night, but how could that be? If they were there at the same time as us, how did they have time to create that macabre scene in the stables?
Unable to give myself any comforting answers, my mind goes back to the still and pale Holden. His skin tone has slowly started to gray as we stand there, waiting. Jaxon, Kai, and Declan have slowly made their way closer to me, forming some kind of protective barrier between me and whatever might come next. I can feel them all around me, each of them having more than enough presence that makes them impossible to ignore. Now that my adrenaline is gone, I’m starting to realize just how cold my soaked clothes are. Each drop that slides to the ground leaves a cool trail that has me shivering. As much as they’re eyeing our surroundings, they must be keeping an eye on me as well since they all shuffle even closer, their warmth offering a small amount of comfort. That hits me with a startling moment of clarity. Who would’ve thought that I’d ever find their presence comforting? I mean, Kai, sure, but the others? Now’s not really the time to contemplate my relationship or lack thereof with the Summers men, but it’s more pleasant to think about than how closely Holden is tiptoeing alongside death.
Everyone seems lost in thought as we wait for the helicopter, and it’s not much longer before the telltale thump of the blades can be heard. The noise grows louder and louder as it gets closer, and the four of us move out of the way, giving the helicopter plenty of room to land in the field. My hair whips around my face as it descends, and Kai wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his body to shield me from the flying debris the rotors are kicking up.
We watch in silence, knowing there’s no use in trying to yell above the noise as the door opens. Two paramedics jump out, one carrying a stretcher and the other a bag of supplies, their faces set in carefully neutral expressions despite the obvious emergency. Ducking their heads, they hurry toward the group surrounding Holden. With the sound echoing through my ears, I can’t hear what they say, but Oliver, Thomas, and Dad move away, allowing them room to check him out. They make quick work of taking his vitals and bandaging the wound. From where I stand, it looks like the blood may have slowed, which is a good sign that it didn’t hit anything vital.
Before I know it, they’ve maneuvered him onto the stretcher. Once they have him settled and secured, they say something else to Dad, and after a quick nod, the paramedics efficiently get Holden squared away in the helicopter. Dad turns to Oliver and Thomas, his mouth moving quickly and hands gesturing toward the rest of us. Oliver doesn't seem to be listening at all, his eyes focused on where Holden has been taken, but Thomas is alert enough for the both of them, returning Dad’s hug then waving him off. Without a glance at the rest of us, Dad rushes to the helicopter, the pilot taking off as soon as the door is fully closed. Hiding my face in Kai’s shirt, I don’t turn back until it sounds like it’s moving away.
Thomas starts to move toward us, turning back when he realizes that Oliver is still staring after the helicopter even though it’s become no more than a speck on the horizon. He walks back to him, swings an arm around his shoulders, and guides him to the rest of us.
“Right, they're headed to the Cedars, and Dad told us to meet them there. Let’s start walking back. Jacinta should have made it home by now, so it’s only a matter of time before she gets to us. We’ll send Josh back with the tack after we’re all home.”
“What did the paramedics say?” Declan demands.
“His vitals were strong, and they said they’ll probably do a CT scan on his head when he gets there as the gunshot alone isn’t enough for him to stay unconscious. He must have hit his head fairly hard when he came down on the jump. They’re optimistic though, said we did the right thing by trying to slow the bleeding and getting him out of the water as quickly as we could.”
Turning back to look at the five of them trailing after me, Tom still has his arm around a very pale-looking Oliver, his hands covered in Holden’s blood. It’s only now I notice that apart from me and Kai, none of the others are wearing helmets. Anger flows through my body, overruling the guilt that I feel, and I rush back toward them. They stop at my sudden movement, and I use the moment to my advantage. Pushing my hands against Declan’s chest, I shove him, trying to channel all of my whirling negative energy into the motion. Shoving Declan has very little success, which honestly sparks that anger even higher. “Why the fuck are none of you wearing helmets?” I shout, and they all jolt in surprise. Growling, I move to shove him again, but he grabs at my hands, his mouth tipped down in a scowl.
“Like, what the fuck? Do you think that all the money you have will save you from something like this?I’m a big man, and I’m rich and hot and sexy, so I don't need to cover my head because I won’t fall off of my horse!” Lost in my rant, I barely notice that I’ve deepened my voice in what has to be aterribleimpression of a man’s voice. Even though they should be cowering right now, and they would be if they could feel the actual force of my rage, smirks start to twist their lips. Even Oliver looks less upset, and his eyes are gaining back some of their usual sparkle at my outburst.
“What?” I scream at them. “What the fuck are you all laughing at?” I try to escape Declan’s hold, but he quickly twists me around so that my back is to his chest, my arms pinned to my sides.
“So which one of us do you think is hot and sexy?” he whispers not so quietly in my ear, and I hear the others chuckle. Stilling suddenly, I think back to what I just said and internally facepalm. Fuck my life.
I stamp on Declan’s foot and pull myself out of his arms, stalking away. “None of you, you’re all assholes.” Stalking back along the fence line of the paddock, I find a fire break and assume Jacinta will bring the vehicle back this way. I walk like I have a firecracker up my ass, not wanting to address the question Declan asked. I don’t want to lie to them, but I’mdefinitelynot willing to admit that I find them all fucking sexy, bad attitudes excluded, especially as they seem to be going out of their way to be nicer.
“Oh, Harlow, don't be like that,” Jaxon shouts, and even more chuckles follow behind me. A little smile crosses my mouth, thankful that I’m able to distract them from their worry for just a moment even though it’s at my own expense, but silence quickly falls.
We walk on without further conversation, in a moment of respite that’s just that—a moment. All of the guys have caught up with me, and Oliver is walking on his own now. Those little thoughts I’ve had recently are popping back into my mind. There’s 100% something more here than grieving the potential loss of a sibling, but I don’t know who’s a safe bet to ask what I really want to know. Normally, I would just go directly to the source, but I don't want to upset him more than he is.
Thomas and Declan have fallen behind us as we’ve trudged along for the last ten minutes, the two of them having a quiet conversation. They seem to be arguing about something, and the way they continually increase the distance between us just a little too purposefully makes me think they’re trying to keep it private. Finally, they stop arguing, and I hear the shuffle of them catching up to the rest of us before they settle next to me, the remaining tension speaking much louder than their silence.
