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ChapterTwo
THALIA
I wake with a start, to find Theo gone and my parents now in my room. My father is looking at his cell like it personally offends him and my mama is flicking through a book. I shuffle into a seated position, wincing when pain shoots through my knee.
Noticing I’m awake, my father drops his phone, pushes out of his seat, and closes the distance between us. “How are you feeling, sweetheart?”
I sigh. “Okay. Sore.” Taking a breath, I blurt out what I’m really worried about. “Did you manage to speak to the doctors about therapy on my knee? It can’t wait, daddy. I need this to be a priority. Before the fall, the chef d’equipe spoke with Theo about me competing on the Nations cup teams in Madrid in July. I can’t have too much time off. I need to recover as quickly as possible.”
Mama joins my father’s side, smiling softly at me but I know whatever she says I won’t like. “Bambina, getting better is the (or your) priority right now. There will be other chances to make the teams, I’m sure.”
I shake my head frantically. “No mama. The time is now.” I turn my gaze to my fathers. “Please, daddy. You promised you would do this for me. You said you would find the best therapists and help me get better.” I know I’m being a brat; my health should be the priority, but I just want to get my knee right and get back in the saddle.
He sighs, dropping a kiss on my forehead. “And I will, princess, but you must promise me that you won’t push yourself before you are ready. Yes, it could’ve been worse, but you still have damage and that needs time to heal.”
“I promise.”
My words seem to appease them both, thankfully. I will keep my promise, but I’ll also be doing everything in my power to speed up recovery. There’s no way I’m missing out on the chance to compete in Madrid.
“We spoke with Theo,” my father starts making my heart pound in my chest. I swallow, nodding for him to continue.
“He informed us about what happened, about...” he trails off, clearing his throat. Just hearing my horses name, and him no longer being here, pulls a sob out of me. I squeeze my eyes closed trying to hold in the tears, but I know it’s no use. I feel arms wrap around me and am pulled into the comforting warmth of my fathers’ chest. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I know how much your animals mean to you.” A hand rubs my back. My mama. She used to do this when I was a child and upset. “There is something else you need to know.” I pull out of my dad’s embrace and pull back to look at him. My eyes bounce between them both and I see the concern in their own.
“What?”
“The veterinarian took some blood samples from Zeus, the results showed he tested positive for a high dose of Acepromazine. Theo assures us that neither he, nor any of his staff administered it. With this information Theo took the initiative to test your other horses along with some of his own and the other trainees. They were all negative apart from yours. It looks like someone targeted you. We don’t know who or why, but I have people investigating it.”
My whole-body trembles with this new information. Someone drugged my horses with the sole purpose of hurting them and me. There’s only one person that hates me enough to do that.
Melody.
Not that I can tell my parents that. I know she hates me, but this is too far. I could have died.
Zeusdiddie.
And then there is the assault on Theo. I still can’t believe that she would go to those lengths, but I believe what Theo told me. She is disgusting and deserves everything that will come to her.
I will seek retribution for Zeus and Theo. I won’t stop until she is found guilty of the crimes she has committed. I don’t know how I’ll prove that it was her, but I will.
If it’s the last thing I do.
* * *
Two days later, I’m allowed to leave the hospital with a splint on my knee—to keep it in place—and crutches to help me walk. I’m thankful I wasn’t made to stay any longer. I was going stir crazy in that damn room. Theo had been in contact via my cell—that I had gotten back thanks to Greg—but I hadn’t seen him since he told me about what really happened with him and Mel or that Zeus had to be euthanized.
I’m itching to get back to the barn, not that I can ride, but just to be around them. In one of Theo’s messages, he informed me that he made the necessary arrangements for Zeus to be cremated so I could keep his ashes and a part of him close. That made me cry hysterically. Because Zeus being gone was real. Because Theo anticipated what I would want. Then he went ahead and made the preparations, so I didn’t have to. It made me fall even more in love with him.
Back in my apartment, my mama is running around after me, making me food, making sure I am comfortable. My father went back to the house in Miami for a conference call he was supposed to have on the day of my accident. I love being able to relax like this but am anxious to start my rehabilitation so I can get back to riding.
A knock on the door has me looking away from whatever is playing on the TV and looking at my mother in question. She smiles knowingly before making her way to the door and pulling it open. I gasp.
Theo stands there as gorgeous as ever with the biggest bouquet of flowers I’ve ever seen. I want to get up and run to him, but unfortunately my knee won’t allow it. He says something to my mama, making her smile, then makes his way towards me.
I frown. Does Theo know that my mother knows about us?
“Piccola,” he breathes as he crouches and presses a kiss to my lips. I pull back in horror, glancing at my mom. She smiles with a chuckle.
“It’s okay, bambina. Theo is aware that I know. Your father will be a couple of hours so you can spend some time together. I’m going out to get some groceries.” She winks, picks up her purse, and walks out the door. I look at Theo who is smiling at me with adoration.
