Page 89 of Burned & Bound

“You got it, boss.” He smiled in that easy way that was just him. I liked Peter. I liked having someone who understood a little bit of what I was feeling—someone who helped me make it make a little more sense.

“Thanks, Peter. I mean that.”

I didn’t go home and shower. Instead, I made a pot of coffee and sat down at my laptop. I bypassed all my work emails and bullshit to do some research on sexual assault survivors, PTSD, and every little thing I could think of in between.

I was so fucking lost as to how to help West. I hated watching him struggle, but I wasn’t sure what the hell I could even do to help.

CHAPTER 60

west

Ididn’t have afucking clue what time it was when I finally came to. I was numb from head to toe and it had nothing to do with sleeping on the stable floor. Sitting there with my eyes shut, I tried my best to bury memories of last night—of falling apart after having sex with Jackson.Fuck, I had sex with Jackson.

I had sex.

My brain struggled to wrap around those words. Around that concept.

That familiar tightness built in my chest as I struggled to push away the memories. I should’ve said something… should’ve stopped… should’ve done something.

Except I did do something.

I kept doing what I thought Jackson wanted me to do at my own expense.

I groaned, dragging the hood of his sweatshirt down over my face and letting my head thud off the stable wall.How fucking pathetic was I?I was fucking lucky if Jackson wanted anything to do with me afterthis. He had to see there were better people to date out there—normal fucking people who could do things like have sex without panicking.

A grumpy-sounding neigh ripped me from my own thoughts. I frowned as I leaned forward, turning my head to listen closely.

“Shush now, sassy thing.”Peter?What the fuck was Peter doing in my goddamn stables? “Hey, don’t you dare. I like my fingers where they are! Shush! Oh, come on now. Don’t do that. No, no. Uh-uh. Come here, sassy thing.”

Jesus fuck, he was trying to move Betty.Only one horse in my stable was stubborn enough to make a man beg.

The kid was going to get himself bit while trying to manhandle her.

I stumbled to my feet, shoved off my hood, and hurried out of the stall to rescue him. Peter stood arguing with Betty while she pulled back from him slowly. I clicked my tongue twice and her ears perked right up. Her head jerked hard to pull away from him.

“Easy, girl,” I rasped, my voice rough and my throat uncomfortably dry. I smoothed a hand over her back. She stilled, her head swinging in my direction. “No one’s taking you anywhere.”

“I just figured—”

“They’re my responsibility,” I told him gruffly. “My horses.”

“Okay.” Peter nodded slowly. He took a few steps back to give us space. It wasn’t his fault that I was grumpy. Hell, the kid was just trying to help. I didn’t have a clue what fucking time it was, but if Betty was getting cared for, I’d missed all my fucking duties for the morning.

“I…” I faltered as I ran a hand through my hair. “Thanks for taking care of them.”

“My pleasure,” he replied with a smile that was all too easy.

“Have you seen Jackson?” I called after him as he went to leave.

“I told him to take the day off,” he said.He what?No one told Jackson to do jack shit, especially one of his employees. “Figured he could use it after I found him saddling the horses wearing his slippers this morning.”

His fucking what?

Fuck. He covered for my stupid ass being passed out.

Jackson had been asleep in his truck when I finally came back in. I should’ve woken him up. That would’ve been the right thing to do. Because of me, his whole day was fucked up.

All of this was my fault.