In Your Clutches

Part 31: No One's Fault

AMELIA

I went through the motions of getting changed, then met Aunt Rufina, Serena and Gideon outside the barn. Gideon, who was apparently the stable—man and who'd learned to ride like his two older brothers from infancy, led Hamilton the horse out of his stall by his bridle, patting his brown coat with a smile.

"He's the sweetest out of the bunch. Always been my favourite."

"Dang, Gideon. That's the prettiest thing I've ever seen." I gasped.

Gideon led Hamilton out of the stables and cantered with him. He explained to us the basic anatomy of the horse, the signals, and what they indicated. He then brought out the most beautiful mare, Ragna. He didn't bring out Maximus after the last incident I'd had with him.

We bumped into Marco on our way out of the stable to the trail. The track wrapped around the smokey mountain like a ribbon. The man strode into the stables just as we got out.

"You're riding, too?" Marco asked me. I ignored his existence as I breezed past him.

"Asher won't like this, Amelia." He reasoned, grabbing my arm.

"I don't care." I snapped by, pulling my arm out of his grasp.

"I'm gonna be assisting you. You always seem to get in trouble."

"Seems to happen a lot when you're around. Maybe you should leave." I smiled up at him. He just huffed and followed behind me.

"Gideon, can you help Serena get on a horse? I'll do Amelia." Marco said.

"I don't need any help," Serena protested.

"I like your fire, Ser." Gideon jerked his thumb towards her.

"Great," she chirped, "because you're about to get third-degree burns if you keep objectifying me."

"He's not objectifying you." Marco shook his head. "He's trying to keep you alive. Your ass has never ridden before."

"Can you just leave?" I squatted down, adjusting my riding boots.

Ignoring my words, Marco picked me up from the ground like I was a milk crate, carrying me to Ragna. He untied the reins on the mare, put my boot in the stirrups, and helped me swing onto the saddle, holding my waist.

"Gideon is good and a professional, but I still don't trust him. If I bring you back with as much as a scratch, your husband will make me bleed from places that aren't even on my body."

"He is right," Aunt Rufina smiled apologetically, "about Asher."

"Asher ignores my existence."

"You're still his," Marco cemented, business-like.

"I don't need to be physically present in my car in order not to want someone to scratch it." Gideon intervened.

"Tell me he did not just say what I think he said." Marco pointed at Gideon, scowling.

Gideon stood tall, nonchalant as ever. "So dramatic, Mr. Silvestro."