Page 132 of Reckless Skye

He started walking down the alley, his heart pounding with fear.

The front of the saddle, held in place by the breast collar, seemed to be holding. But the seat had shifted enough that Skye felt it.

TJ held his breath as she leaned back hard in the saddle and pulled back on the reins, trying to stop Kai before the saddle slipped to the horse’s front and took them both down.

Although he didn’t realize it, TJ started running towards them.

The announcer’s voice, filled with worry, said, ‘Looks like they’re having some saddle trouble, folks,’ right as Kai, eager to do his job, fought through Skye’s grip and took the turn anyway.

The saddle slipped off Kai’s back, taking Skye with it. But it didn’t detach from the breast collar. As the saddle slipped around the horse’s front, Skye’s foot still in the stirrup, the weight threw Kai’s already off-centred balance further.

The horse fell over – and landed on Skye.

A collective gasp rang through the crowd.

The music stopped.

Everything stilled.

Chapter 40

TJ didn’t think.

He ran, his back screaming in pain as his booted feet churned the thick arena dirt.

His heart raced so loudly that he could hear it in his ears. Even as he focused on Skye, the flashes of memory came.

He remembered dismounting the bull and screaming, ‘Come on!’ as the crowd roared. He remembered feeling like a God and wanting to see Skye’s face, but instead of being greeted with her smile, he’d seen her fear. He remembered, felt, the bull hit him like a freight train from the side.

The thought had him moving faster, even as his limp became more noticeable.

Up ahead, Kai, in his panic, pushed to a stand, his hooves coming dangerously close to Skye’s body beneath him.

The horse, panicked and in shock, started to move off, unaware that Skye’s right foot was still in the stirrup.

TJ couldn’t get there fast enough. He watched in horror as Skye was dragged, unconscious, over the red dirt.

The horse made it four feet before Matthew Savage jumped the arena fence and landed right in front of him. Kai spooked, but Matthew managed to reach out and grab the reins, stopping him from dragging Skye any further.

TJ was right behind. He grabbed Skye’s ankle and released her foot from the stirrup, before dropping onto his knees by her side. Her eyes were closed, her body listless, her face pale. There was a long gash down her right cheek, one that bled profusely. He felt for her pulse, picked up the strong thread instantly.

A broken sob of relief tore up his throat.

Around him, the stadium was eerily quiet.

‘Hey, baby.’ He tapped her face gently, being careful not to articulate her neck or back in case she’d broken anything.

Skye moaned. Her eyelashes fluttered.

TJ held her face still using both hands. His eyes were dry, but his face was bloodless. When he said, ‘Come on. Give me those blue eyes,’ his voice was deep and hoarse.

Skye opened her eyes slowly. She blinked in confusion, said, ‘TJ?’

He laughed. ‘Yeah. Yeah, baby.’ And when she tried to sit up, he pinned her down. ‘Don’t move. We don’t—’

TJ’s back spasmed. The pain paralyzed him.

That seemed to clear Skye’s mind instantly. She broke his weakened hold and shot into a seated position. Her hat was gone, her hair covered in red dirt. Blood and sand sloughed down her face. And, still, she had the fucking gall to shout, ‘If you’ve flared up your back after everything we’ve done the past two months, there’s gonna be hell to pay!’