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The sense of betrayal was so sharp, so hurtful, that she whirled away from him and lashed out with all the pulsating torment of her lacerated feelings. 'The trouble with you, Mr Justin St John, is that you've had your own way for far too long! You don't know what it's like to have to struggle in order to succeed.' She shook her fist at him, so overwrought that she barely knew what she was doing or saying. 'Well, I do! And I've worked hard at it. And I'm not going to let you take it away from me.'
'Kelly, please…
She saw his strained face through a blur as the idea formed, took hold. However reckless it was didn't matter. 'You've had your say. Now I'm having mine! If you're going to shoot Rasputin, then you're going to have to shoot me as well. I'm taking him away from you.'
And, before he could reach out a hand to stop her, she turned and ran.
'Kelly, please- ' He lunged after her but she was too quick for him. 'Stop, Kelly! Come back…'
The front door was opened and slammed shut, punctuating her headstrong defiance.
Justin tried to ignore the pain in his leg, but he knew he couldn't make it to the stables without the support of the walking-stick. He almost fell in his haste to scoop it up from the floor. Cursing with the frustration of his disability, he made it to the front door as fast as he could and hobbled down the steps to the driveway.
She had abandoned her car. He just caught a glimpse of her running figure before she disappeared behind the hedge that lined the right-hand fork of the driveway. Justin had no doubt about her destination. It didn't occur to him to call out for assistance. He wouldn't allow any other man to touch her. Kelly was his responsibility.
That big black rogue of a horse was just like the one Noni had ridden to her death. How Henry Lloyd had ever allowed Kelly to have him, Justin couldn't comprehend. Blind indulgence! Madness! He had to stop her.
He should have sold the damned stallion the moment he had started giving the stable-hand trouble. Then Kelly could never have got near him again.
But he hadn't known it was her!
His hip was on fire with agony, but he pushed himself on, frantic to prevent the child… no, the girl-the woman… from endangering her life with such foolhardy recklessness. He couldn't let her do it to herself!
She had left the gate to the stable-yard open.
Justin quickened his pace, uncaring of what damage he was doing to his leg. A sense of triumph gripped him as he clutche
d the top railing, dragged the gate shut, and shot the bolt home.
He heard the clatter of hooves on the cement floor of the stable-block, but Kelly was too late now. He leaned against the gate, exhausted, but able to relax, knowing she couldn't go on with this madness.
Pain swamped over him. But that didn't matter. He had stopped her. She couldn't get out of the yard.
He heaved himself around to face her, and experienced another wave of shock. She sat on the big black stallion bareback. No saddle. No stirrups for control. Only a halter and the thin strap of reins to hold a horse that measured nearly seventeen hands. The huge, lethal power of the animal was heart-jokingly evident as it pranced with excitable impatience. Sheer horror drained the blood from Justin's face.
Kelly called out to him before he could recover himself. 'You shouldn't have followed me. That hip is going to need working on. Come and see me tomorrow.' 'Get off that horse!' he shouted with all the force he could gather. 'Be sensible, Kelly! You can't get away now.'
'Tomorrow. In my office,' she yelled back.
The horse reared slightly as she gathered in the reins. Justin couldn't bring himself to believe she'd do it. But she was setting the horse for the jump.
'No!' he screamed at her. 'Kelly, no!'
But the black stallion was already in stride, heading straight for the gate, picking up speed, urged on by a woman who had lost touch with all reality. She wasn't even wearing a riding-helmet!
Justin's heart was in his mouth as the horse lifted, but the mighty stallion cleared the gate with space to spare. He landed smoothly, and without the slightest hesitation in his stride raced on down the road, imbued with the heady spirit of freedom.
Its bareback rider never looked back, never shifted in her seat.
However grudging the feeling was, Justin couldn't help but admire the way Kelly Hanrahan could ride.
CHAPTER SIX
Kelly worried about Justin St John as she galloped off on Rasputin. His face had looked so white and strained. But she did not slacken the great stallion's pace. She had to get the horse away and safe as quickly as she could. She didn't draw rein until she was over the knoll and out of sight.
'Now for cross-country, Rasputin,' she said, and patted his shoulder encouragingly before wheeling him to face the fence. The small time advantage she had before Justin St John could organise a pursuit had to be optimised. The only way of ensuring she would not be caught was to get off the road and stay off it.
'This will be something of an endurance test, my beauty,' she crooned to the horse, whose ears pricked appreciatively. 'But you can do it, can't you?'
