Anna

My fingers slipped through Java’s thick, silky brown mane. She was lying on the ground, her legs crossed, moaning, even though the vet had given her some powerful painkillers. I’d never understood about a heart breaking until now. It was like someone had a fist around my heart and was squeezing tight enough to crush it.

Java raised her head, a black glossy eye on me. She nudged her face against mine, setting off the tears again.

I gently held her neck, hugging her as I cried.

“Anna, there’s someone here to see you.” My mother’s voice flowed softly through the air.

I looked back over my shoulder as I brushed tears from my face. My vision was blurred by tears, but could it really be him? Here?

“Hi.” Adam’s hands were at his sides as if he was trying to keep his cool and remain casual before my mom. He looked out of place in this barn, even though he was wearing jeans and a navy T-shirt. Although I had told him not to come, all I wanted to do was run to him and tuck myself inside his arms.

I pushed off my knees and up to my feet, worried that my legs would buckle and I’d collapse. “You came.”

“I wanted to be here for you.” He took a small step forward and hesitated, looking for a cue on how he should act around my mother.

I crossed the stable to meet him near the arched entrance, and I did the only thing that made sense. I pulled myself against him. A hiss escaped his lips as his arms went to my back and held me tight. His hand cupped my head, his fingers slipping through my hair as I cried into his chest.

I was crying for Java, of course. But I think I was also crying for myself—for the tears I had never shed in front of my mother, for the truth I had kept bottled inside me. Only Java had known. She had been my only confidant.

“Anna?”

I stepped back from Adam, and his arms fell to his sides. My mother’s green eyes studied me, a mask of confusion swirling in the faint lines on her face. “What’s going on? This man said he knows you from Dublin?”

“Um.” I dragged my palms down my face and tried to catch my breath. My chest vibrated as the emotions continued to swell inside me.

My father was walking down the hill toward the stables.

My tall, strong, silver-haired father still thought of me as a six-year-old with pigtails. When I’d told him about my sudden decision to go to Ireland, he’d about lost his mind.

“And you might be?” My father crossed his arms, standing rigidly next to my mom. He must not have been in the house when Adam arrived.

“I actually work at the company Anna interns for.” Adam approached my dad and extended his arm.

My dad’s gray brows came together suspiciously as he eyed Adam’s arm.

I breathed a sigh of relief when their palms clasped.

“Adam actually does a little more than that.” My voice was raw from all my crying. “Adam owns the company. He’s Adam McGregor, as in McGregor Enterprises,” I said with pride in my voice.

“Since when do billionaires cross an ocean to visit an intern because her horse is dying?” My dad’s eyes were sharp on Adam, trying to stare him down, but Adam remained standing tall. His sexy Irish voice would have probably had my mom swooning if she weren’t mourning Java and worrying about me. “Anna’s special, as I am sure you are fully aware.” Adam tucked his hands in his pockets.

His response had my heart flipping in my chest.

“Hm. Well, I came down here to tell you the doc is in the house. I told him to give you a few more minutes before he comes down,” my father said in a low voice—completely shattering me.

* * *

The stable felt empty.

It wasn’t, of course. We had several other thoroughbred horses inside, but without Java, it wasn’t right. Even the other horses were in mourning. All were lying down with their heads tucked to their chests. They knew she was gone.

I wasn’t sure if I ever wanted to come back here again.

I shut my eyes, and my mind drifted to memories of my time with Java. I remembered her power and strength—her beautiful soul. I could see it whenever she had looked me in the eyes. There were those who would say an animal doesn’t have a soul—well, I disagreed.

I looked out the window of the stable. The cool air on my arms was barely noticeable. I felt so numb.

Adam was stuck inside the house with my parents, but I knew he could handle my father. The man went toe-to-toe with business people all over the world and thugs in the ring.

But I needed to be alone.

The sun had set, the sky was dark, and there were no stars in sight. My world was tilted off its axis.

Something didn’t feel right, and it wasn’t only because of my loss.

I wasn’t “Kentucky Anna” anymore. I’d been in Dublin for five weeks now, and whether it was Dublin—or Adam—I had changed.

“Hey there.”

I cringed and sucked in a lungful of air, not wanting to turn around.

Jax’s deep voice, now noticeably Southern to me after I’d been hearing the Irish brogue for weeks, sounded so foreign.

“Why are you here?” I turned to face him.

He was casually standing near the first stable, leaning his shoulder against the wall. “Your mother called me.”

“Go,” I forced the word out through my teeth.

“I’m sorry about Java.” He stalked toward me, and I stood frozen. He wouldn’t hurt me here, would he?

The smell of beer on his breath when he closed the gap between us had me clenching my hands in fear.

“Please, leave.”

“God, you’re so beautiful, Anna.” His hand on my cheek had me closing my eyes, my body trembling, worried. “I’ve missed you so much.”

His hand dropped to my shoulder, squeezing it. I flashed my eyes open, trying to remember the meager self-defense techniques I had learned after he’d hurt me.

“Let go of me.”

“You left me. You crossed a damn ocean to get away from me. What is wrong with you?” He tightened his grip as his face came within an inch of mine.

I swallowed as my body became stiff.

“You best let her the fuck go!”

Jax stepped back as he faced Adam. “And who the hell are you?” He tipped up his cowboy hat, and I came up next to Jax, fearing the worst.

“I’m her boyfriend.”

Adam’s words had my attention slipping for a minute, but when I looked down at the veins in his forearms—they were popping as he balled his hands tight at his sides—I knew things were about to get horribly ugly.

“Is this true, Anna? You let this piece of shit—this Mick—go near you?”

“Leave,” Adam warned. He angled his head down, training his eyes on Jax like he would a target.

Jax came around in front of me as if he were trying to protect me, which was absurd. “You’re the one who needs to do the leaving.” He cocked his head, slamming his fist against the palm of his other hand.

I started to come around from behind Jax, but he launched his arm back as I moved. Although he didn’t hit me, I flinched and lost my footing, stumbling back. My butt smacked hard against the ground.

Puffs of dirt floated up as Jax and Adam scuffled in front of me. Jax’s punches never landed, but Adam . . . well, every time he swung there was the hideous sound of flesh and bone.

When Jax’s large body thudded loud against the ground, I scooted back with a wordless cry. Adam kneeled next to him, driving blows to his face. Jax’s head jerked from side to side with each hit. His eyes were shut, and blood was everywhere.

Even on me.

The horses were neighing as horror rose within me. This couldn’t be real. If it could just be a movie, and then I would hit pause . . .

“Stop!” I finally shouted, hoping it wasn’t too late.

Jax might die if he wasn’t already dead.

Adam’s fist stopped shy of Jax’s face, although he still gripped tight the material of Jax’s shirt. He was panting as he looked over at me.

Adam was unrecognizable as the man I knew.

Blood splattered over his face. His eyes were dark.

He released his grip on Jax and stood up. He rubbed a hand over his face and took a step toward me, but I leaned back, terrified.

Adam’s brows drew together, and he rubbed a bloody hand to the back of his neck.

I looked away from him and at Jax. I hated Jax, but I didn’t want him dead, and I didn’t want more guilt crowding Adam’s conscience.

I scrambled over on my hands and knees and was relieved to see Jax’s chest rising and falling.

Thank God. He was breathing.

But his face looked like a canvas painted in red blood.

“Shit, I—” Adam covered a hand over his mouth. He appeared unscathed. As strong as Jax was, Adam was a professional.

“Oh my God!” My mother came flying toward us. “Call an ambulance, Anna!”

I didn’t move.

“Did you hear me, Anna?” she shouted.

Jax was moving a little, and I think his eyes were opening.

I couldn’t seem to respond to my mother. The shock was too much. And I almost didn’t want to call for help.

“Anna!” My mother was in front of me now, gripping my shoulders, practically shaking me.

And then I heard a horrible sound.

The clicking of the chamber—a bullet loaded into my father’s shotgun.

“You do this?” My dad had to be asking Adam, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at anyone. I kept my eyes on the ground as my mother continued to shake me.

“Yes, sir,” I heard Adam answer.

“Tell me why I shouldn’t shoot you right now?”

This had my attention. “No, Dad!” I rushed over, and my father lowered his gun. Adam’s head was hung low, and he stared down at Jax, the veins in his throat strained, the muscles in his jaw tight.

He was still angry, wasn’t he? God, he’d wanted to kill Jax.

“You should leave, Adam,” I said softly.

Adam’s eyes greeted mine. Gone was the anger. There was only pain. Or maybe it was disappointment.

“You ever going to tell them the truth?” Adam stepped in front of me, wiping blood from his lip.

I kept my mouth closed as I placed a hand to my midsection.

Adam shook his head. “That’s what I thought.”

“We’re letting him leave?” My mom was at my side, grabbing hold of my arm, forcing me to look at her, even though I didn’t want to lose sight of Adam as he walked back up the hill and out of sight.

My dad was on the phone with 911, and I sank to the ground. “Mom. Dad. There’s something I have to tell you.”