Without A Trace

Nineteen.

Walking to the stables I pull the cigarette from my lips and meet with Grace outside of the stall.

"What is this? Your own shitty version of The Peaky Blinders?" She says with a slight laugh.

I share a smile blowing the smoke into her face, "We're not the Peaky Blinders unless we're all together. Thomas has his team, I have mine. Family business you know," I say walking over to the horse, scratching its snout. "What a pretty girl you are."

"Anna, Ivy, this is Grace," I say motioning towards her, "Thomas's ex-wife."

Anna and Ivy dont say a word besides look at her, sizing her up.

Grace hands me the papers and I take them from her hands flipping through the pages, "As you can see she comes from a long line of champions. Purebread as well," she says crossing her arms.

I nod my head before folding the pages and handing them to Anna who sticks them in her inside jacket pocket, "Thomas will be pleased with that." I say before putting the saddle on the horse. "Whats her name?" I ask grace as I clip the lead to her bridle.

"Patience," Grace says pulling the door open.

I cant help but laugh and shake my head, "Of fuckin course it is."

Grace walks with me to the arena where Anna and Ivy stand on either side of the gate door leaning against it.

I hook my foot in the stirrup before hoisting myself onto her, "Alright girl, lets see what you got." I say before giving her a swift kick as she starts to trot across the dirt.

Thomas leans against the door up top next to Lewis, watching me in the arena with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

I slow my breathing and pat her neck before giving her another nudge, making her start to gallop. I completely block everything out around me, getting lost in the feeling of riding. I cant help the smile that creeps up on my face at the feeling of the wind in my face. Thomas smiles to himself slightly watching his wife ride around the arena. Knowing she would indulge in the feeling of riding once more.

"What does he see in her?" Grace asks watching me ride around.

"His world," Ivy says taking a drag of her cigarette. "Even if they fight all the time, their hearts beat for each other. No matter how much they want to fuckin kill each other."

"They'd kill themselves for each other if it came down to it," Anna chimes in noticing Thomas up top, beaming at his wife as she rides Patience around.

I nudge her again slightly until we get to full speed. "Come on girl LETS GO!" I say whipping around the corners, dirt flying behind her hooves and the smell filling my nose.

"She's everything he didn't get out of you," Michael says sneaking up behind them, wrapping his arm around Ivys waist pulling her in. "A partner. Someone just as bull headed as him. Someone who doesn't take his shit unlike you did. You just sat there and let him do whatever he wanted and in turn you turned our family into a shit heap. You let him run the family into the ground while he built up the business. Cora on the other hand, she level heads him while giving it right back to him. When you got pregnant Grace," he pauses and shakes his head. "My brother was gone. He was just a fuckin monster."

Grace sits there clenching her jaw watching me ride around.

"Shes fast eh Lewis?" Tommy asks watching Patience fly around the massive arena.

"Thats a winner down there if I've ever seen one brother," Lewis says with a brother grabbing Toms shoulder and giving it a shake causing Thomas to smile with a chuckle.

"We're gonna win Tom. We're gonna win the whole fuckin derby," Lewis says confidently with a smile patting his brother on the back.

"You know if it wasnt for Cora, you wouldn't be getting that extra money in your account anymore?" Michael asks as Ivy lights him a cigarette before looking over at Grace. "Thomas wanted to cut you from everything. He told me to cancel your account. But Cora went behind his back and kept it open for your son."

Grace balls her fists, "Thats enough Michael," she demands.

"He quit riding horses. Wouldn't even look at a fuckin horse. The first time he went riding with Cora, after she fuckin dragged him out to go, he came back home with the biggest fuckin smile on his face. We hadn't seen that man smile for fuckin MONTHS GRACE," Michael says getting angry and upset. Ivy grips his arm and rubs it softly.

"You didn't just break that man. You fuckin shattered that man. So much so that Cora worked through blood and fuckin tears to put him back together," he says letting go of Ivy and walking up to her.

"My brother lost his temper and hit her and you know what she did? Unlike you?" He asks looking down at her, his anger radiating from him. "Answer me Grace," he grits through his teeth.

"What," she says in a hushed tone, a tear falls down her face.

"She hit him back. And let me tell you, hes never fuckin done it again," Michael says. "So before you try and weasel your way in here and try to turn Cora against him like you fuckin did the other night, remember all of that," he says turning away from her back to Ivy.

"If I catch you doing anything like you did the other day," Ivy says looking over at her before tossing something to her, causing Grace to catch it. She turns it over to find her name, etched on that bullet, "I will fuckin kill you."

I slow Patience down back to a stop before getting off and pulling her back towards Grace. "She's beautiful, and she rides beautifully. Just like a true champion," I say before lighting my cigarette and looking up at her, "Keep up the good work with her and tell me immediately if something happens. Myself or one of the girls will be down here to assist you with anything you may need," I say handing her the rope.

She slowly takes it before I motion for the girls and Michael to follow me as I head towards the door.

"Cora," Grace calls out to me causing me to turn around and look at her. She pauses for a moment, "Thank you."

I smile slightly and tip my head towards her before turning back around and walking away.

"Lets go home, we have to be ready for tomorrow," I say puffing my cigarette.

"Yeah not to mention you smell like a fuckin sweaty barn," Michael says nudging me.

"Fuck off Michael," I say throwing a rock at him.