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TJ caught her elbow in one hand, his grip gentle but uncompromising. ‘From now until we figure out how to end this, you don’t go anywhere alone.’

Her pride was the only thing that had her smirking. ‘He’s not going to be hiding around a corner, TJ.’

TJ didn’t reply. He made a warning sound in the back of his throat and fell into step beside her.

Skye sighed, but there was a gentle ripple of sweet relief spreading over her wild anxiety too. She and TJ might have had a lot of unresolved issues between them, but it helped, to have someone along. ‘You may as well move your shit into the trailer. That way, I don’t have to follow you every time you need to source a shower or some food.’

‘I want us to sit down and go over everything today. Before Colorado. I need all the facts.’

‘Fine.’

‘And we need to start thinking of a way to get your mom out.’ When Skye stopped walking, TJ looked over his shoulder at her. ‘What?’

She wasn’t sure what to say.

Perhaps thinking she was gearing up to argue, TJ held up one hand. ‘Look, this only ends one of two ways: either Holden wins, or you do. But if you don’t start fighting back, he’s going to creep up on you. But if we’re proactive, if we get your mom out, get her help, then we can go to the police and settle all of this. She’s the breaking point. We focus on that.’

Skye hated that he was right. Worse, she hated that she wasn’t so sure whose side her mom would choose if forced.

She didn’t say any of that to TJ, just, ‘Okay, I can work with that.’ She shrugged. ‘It’s better than my plan anyway.’

‘What was your plan?’ he asked.

‘Well, I figured I’d donate all the money the moment I become trustee. That way, I could send Holden a picture of me passing off one of those jumbo cheques – you know, maybe a hundred million to the Dallas Women’s Shelter, the other hundred to a horse rescue.’

TJ actually laughed. The sound, the rusty pleasure in it, filled the pit of her stomach, coating over some of the sick nausea that speaking to her father had left there.

‘That would be objectively awesome.’

‘Yeah.’ Skye had seriously thought about it. There was only one problem. ‘But the only person left to deal with all that rage would be my mom.’

Next to her, TJ’s limp had her slowing her stride, despite how much taller he was.

‘We get her out,’ he reiterated. ‘It’s the only way this ends.’

Chapter 29

Denver, Colorado – January 15, 2027

On the ten-hour drive to Colorado, TJ made friendly conversation when the mood struck and brooded in silence when it didn’t. Skye alternated between replying to his polite questions and pretending to doze when the space between them became too overwhelming to navigate.

They arrived at the Denver Coliseum and hauled the trailer to the contestant’s parking area, where Skye signed her release of liability and picked up her number for the race. Although he wouldn’t be allowed in the arena, TJ got a helper pass for access behind the scenes. Skye didn’t object, knowing that any argument would have proved futile anyway.

‘What did you draw?’ he asked when Skye ambled back to the trailer, her number in her hand.

She held up the number, showing him the big, bold 5 printed on it. ‘Eighty contestants and I have to run fifth,’ she whined.

‘At least you’re not first?’ TJ offered.

‘Yeah, but they only drag the arena after every five, which means I’m going to be running an unfamiliar horse for the first time on churned-up dirt.’

‘They hand rake after every run here,’ TJ told her.

‘Really?’

‘Yup.’

Skye perked up at that, but she eyed TJ as they moved to the back of the trailer. ‘How do you know so much about barrel racing anyway?’