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“Just a quick chat, but let’s go over to that thicket where we can have some privacy.”

“Why? What’s this about?”

“If you want to find out you’ll have to join me, and when you hear what I have to say you’ll understand.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just what I said.”

Before she could answer he marched across to the trees, and just as he suspected she would, she followed.

“Okay, I’m here,” she said tersely as she caught up.

“A little further,” he muttered, continuing further and slipping his hand in his pocket. “This should do it. No-one to listen or watch us.”

“Just tell me what this is about. I’m busy.”

In spite of her bravado he could see the fear in her eyes, and he knew she was worried Heather had told him what she’d witnessed.

“Tell me, Courtney, why are you always so angry?”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Is that why you brought me out here?”

“No, but I am curious,” he said, lowering his voice and walking towards her.

“Just tell me what this is about.”

“Sure, I’d be happy to.”

Suddenly snatching the crop from her hand he landed it across the center of her backside.

“WHAT THE FUCK? HOW DARE YOU?”

“Do I have your attention?” he demanded as her hands flew behind her.

“You bastard!”

“Is that a yes, or do I need to whack you again?”

“Yes, yes, just fucking tell me.”

“You injected your horse, and since you did it in your trailer I have to assume it was a banned substance. Then you assaulted Heather and threatened to harm Apollo. Don’t try to deny it. I saw her just a minute or so later and she was in a terrible state,” he added, abruptly grabbing Courtney’s arm and raising the crop. “Admit it, Courtney, you drugged King Henry?”

“Okay, okay, I did. But it was just to calm him down. He was being wild.”

“And you assaulted and threatened Heather.”

“Yes, but she shouldn’t have been snooping.”

“She wasn’t snoopin’, she just happened to walk by, but that’s beside the point. You shouldn’t have been injectin’ your horse, and you sure as hell shouldn’t have attacked her.”

“Fine, so what are you going to do about it? Nothing, that’s what. I can have Henry taken home, and you’ll have no proof any of this happened.”

“Actually,” he said, releasing her and lifting his phone from his pocket, “I just recorded our conversation…and now it’s on its way to my personal email account.”

“Fuck!”

“If anything, and I mean,anything,happens to Apollo or Heather, I’ll come lookin’ for you and I’ll bring the law with me. Got it?”