Free B0161NEC9Y (F) by K.F. Breene Page B

within their stalls expectantly. Or at least that was the way it seemed. Shanti didn’t need to know horses to recognize the breeding in these. She’d seen it up close.
    “Graygual stock,” Sanders said under his breath as he passed in front of Shanti and Cayan, his scowl ever-present. “Hiding the good stuff, huh…?”
    “Gustov, sir. The name’s Gustov. And no, sir. No, no. These are expensive animals, though. Too much for the common man.”
    A loud thump sounded at the end of the row, followed by a whinny.
    “Good thing we aren’t the common man,” Sanders said as he slowed his walk to a sort of stroll, his scowl still firmly in place. He eyed each horse in turn, completely ignoring the sales tactics of the stable man. When he approached the end, he stopped with a jerk and stared. His head turned slowly until he was looking at Shanti.
    “What?” she asked.
    “You won’t believe it.”
    Brow screwed up in confusion, Shanti stalked to the end, Cayan in tow. As they drew near, Shanti sucked in a breath.
    There, in the very last stall, was her bloody bastard of a horse. Shining like a star, sleek and obviously of excellent breeding even compared to the others, he huffed and neighed, shaking his head with all the ire and temper he was known for.
    “That one—bad attitude, that one. He’s a horse for breeding.” Gustov shook his head.
    “He’d bite the mare.” Sanders spat before pointing at the black stallion Cayan was standing near. “That one’s ready to bite, too. I’ll bet half these horses won’t take a rider.”
    As if on cue, the black stallion stepped closer to the gate. He pawed the ground. His nose went forward, but he didn’t bite. He nudged his previous owner.
    Cayan had found his horse, and Shanti bet he didn’t plan to pay more than stable fees to get it back.
    She smirked before noticing Rohnan’s horse was here, too, standing placidly as it watched what was going on. Someone had rounded them up after the battle, along with any other horse they could capture, and locked them up.
    “I wonder what happened to Burson’s,” she said quietly.
    The Bloody Bastard kicked the wall in a fit of temper. He blew out breath and stomped the ground.
    “My, my.” Shanti stepped up to the fence. “They let you get away with this temper, huh?”
    “I don’t advise that, lady. That horse is wild!” The stable master reached out to pull her back.
    The horse kicked, thrashing the wall, adding a hoof imprint to the plethora of others. It shook its head, scaring the man enough that he jogged backward again.
    “How’d you even get him in there?” Sanders asked, eyeing the animal.
    “We captured the others first, and then—” Gustov cut off when he realized what he’d said.
    Sanders’ eyes sparkled. Graygual didn’t subscribe to the rule of “finders-keepers,” and everyone who dealt with them knew it. Poor Gustov had just handed Sanders a giant bartering chip.
    “Can you still back that one down, mesasha ?” Cayan jerked his head at her horse. “He’d be great to have, but there’s no point if he’ll be too wild. This is about haste…”
    “Open the cell,” Shanti instructed.
    “It’s a stall, ”Sanders said with an eye roll.
    “They’re prisoners. Cell fits. Open it.”
    Sanders looked at the stable master and shrugged. “It’s her funeral.”
    “No, no. I don’t—”
    “You can close me in,” Shanti said. “C’mon. Let’s get this done. I’m stinky and I want a bath.”
    Gustov undid the latch slowly. As Shanti stepped up, he swung the door open and reached out to push her in. Before his hand could make contact, Cayan reacted, hard and fast. He snatched Gustov’s hand out of the air and leaned forward, dominating the stable master with his size. “You don’t touch her.”
    Gustov’s eyes rounded. Horse forgotten, he nodded adamantly. “S-sorry, sir. I didn’t mean—”
    “Who’s wilder, the horse or the man?” Shanti laughed.
    “This poor bugger is