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I roll my eyes.

“Admit it,” she says. “Something has healed in you since you met him. You’re happy.”

I shake my head. “I’m normal.”

“In the twenty-six years we’ve been alive, I’m not sure I recall ever seeing you happy, you know? That’s really, really sad.”

Now that I think about it, she’s right. “We never had much to be happy about,” I say. “That’s not our fault.”

“I’m not sure that’s true,” Mirdza says. “But no one ever taught us to focus on the good things, that’s for sure.”

“Why are you here?”

“The guys are kind of obsessed,” she says. “They’re working on something—but while they’re busy, they’re sending me and Kris to check on you and look some stuff up.”

“But Kris can’t leave the property without one of them.”

Mirdza nods. “They’re right to require that. There’s a reason Leonid wants her, and it’s not a good one.”

I can’t argue with that.

“I’m fine, though,” I say. “I’m with Alexei, remember?” Saying that out loud sends a tiny shiver through me.

“Are you worried?”

“Nah. I’m not the one who has to traipse around on my own after the race,” I say. “Is Kristiana nervous?”

Mirdza looks a little worried herself. “She’s not, and that feels wrong to me.”

By general consensus, I’m not allowed to leave Alexei’s side without one of the other guys around to escort me. At least Mirdza brought me a sleeping bag and bedroll, but let me tell you. Sleeping in a stall with a horse isn’t exactly romantic.

Giant poops.

Enormous pee.

It’s definitely a little different when you know the horse is a human who’s aware. Stallions are always neat, but this… He won’t dirty his stall until I step out, and I’m stuck cleaning it up when I come back in, and. . .it’s weird.

There are good things too, though. When I’m crouched over his neck, and we’re flying around the track, entirely in sync, I can whisper thoughts and he follows them. . .I’ve never experienced anything like that connection with a regular horse. And when I wake up in the middle of the night, and I’m sleeping against his huge, warm body, my head cradled next to his massive, soft shoulder, I’ve never felt more safe.

It’s weird.

All of it is really strange, but it’s also beautiful in a way I never expected to find. To be honest, I didn’t think something like this would ever exist, not with a man or a beast.

Because I trust him.

When we’re on the track and when we’re not. I believe he’ll keep me safe. I believe he wants to take care of me, and he listens, too.

Between training and last-minute details, even with our friends on guard, the next four days fly by. Surprisingly, Mr. Rimkus doesn’t come by again. Maybe he’s afraid of demonic hoses. Maybe he’s just not as excited to come threaten me, now that my last memory of him was of him stumbling away, water dripping from every part of his body. Even thinking about it makes me laugh.

Either way, I take the win.

But the day of the race, he shows up, just like I knew he would. I’m dressed and ready, about to take Quicksilver out for a little warm up when I hear him.

“Miss Strelkova. I heard your Russian friend went home. I’m delighted to find you here. Alone again.” His smile’s filthy.

“I wish I could say the same,” I say. “But I’m ready for the race. So is Quicksilver.” I slide the stall door open a hair, not that Alexei would need to physically block him. His hose trick shows that he can find other ways.

“I just wanted to make sure you remember the terms of our bargain.”