Tanner snatched the rope connected to the horse.
“This isn’t your horse to train,” he said.
Thankfully, I could hear him, since he was speaking loudly enough for the audience he was obviously too pissed off to realize he had. This was it. I had been waiting for their tension to come to a head. I knew the rest of the family had as well.
Duke’s stance was casual, but I didn’t miss the tightness in his body, so starkly different to the way it had been moments before with the horse.
“I wasn’t aware that I was banned from touching horses,” he replied.
Tanner leaned forward, the scowl not suiting his features. “You’re not banned from shit. But we both know you’re here for a fuckin’ holiday with your woman. Show her some country, give her the opportunity to fall in love, and then you’ll go back to your life in Hollywood. We won’t see you for another five years. So no, I don’t want you thinkin’ you can get horses used to you.”
Tanner wasn’t yelling. He didn’t need to. He was getting his fury across rather well.
“You think you know shit about my life, about Anastasia’s life?” Duke asked quietly, but still loud enough to hear the danger in his voice.
Although it wasn’t my place to interfere, my body worked on its own. I was climbing the wooden fence without consciously making the decision to do it.
Tanner was ready to explode. “I know enough to be certain you’re gonna break Mom’s heart all over again when you leave. And you’re gonna break Anastasia’s heart too, ’cause you ain’t got it in you to treat anyone decent.”
Oh fuck. Tanner was going to bat for me, which would’ve been sweet if things were real. On Duke’s side at least. I was plenty prepared for my heart to be broken. I was also a big girl, able to fight my own battles and I sure as shit didn’t need two brothers fighting over me.
“And what the fuck do you know about treating someone decent, Tanner?” Duke asked this even quieter, but since I was getting closer I could hear him. “I know you’re well versed at breaking women’s hearts.”
Tanner stepped forward. “You watch yourself, brother.”
Duke stepped forward too. “No, I don’t think I should. You started this shit. How about you finish it? Be a man. For once.”
“Hey,” I said, trying to step forward in between them—right about the same time that Tanner tried to land a punch on Duke’s face.
“Fuck!” Tanner yelled.
Or maybe Duke. I wasn’t sure. Of course, at the best of times I would’ve been able to pick up Duke’s voice immediately, but my ears were ringing, black spots danced in front of my vision, and the pain radiated all the way to my toes. Because, yes, I’d walked right into Tanner’s punch.
“Anastasia,” Duke said. Voice urgent but soft. A hand cupped my face. I blinked away the spots, or tried to. Tanner had not been holding back with that punch and those muscles were not for show. I had been punched before, but I’d forgotten just how much it hurt.
“Fuck, Sia, I’m so fucking sorry.” Tanner, this time. He did sound sorry. In fact, he sounded like he was in a considerable amount of distress. Tanner was not a man to hit a woman, on purpose or not. He might’ve tried to comfort me somehow but I was jostled ever so slightly in Duke’s arms, as he pulled me away.
“Don’t you fucking touch her,” Duke hissed with more fury injected into his words than I’d ever heard. “You’re lucky that my main concern right now is my woman or your fucking teeth would be embedded in my knuckles.”
A pause.
My hair moved.
I realized I’d been squeezing my eyes shut, which was why I’d only been able to hear what was going on. I blinked rapidly, trying to make the world come back into focus, so then I could tell Duke I was okay and that he should not be killing his brother, because he sure as hell sounded like he was going to. It hurt, blinking. But I was persistent and Duke’s face came into view. Furious. Concerned.
“Baby, I’m gonna stand now,” he said, gentle, almost a whisper.
I didn’t say anything because I was too busy trying to get my bearings, think through the pain.
Duke’s brows furrowed, more concerned now. “Anastasia, I need you to talk to me.”
I swallowed, tried to move my thoughts past the pain and say something to stop Duke looking so fricking panicked. “You have good eyebrows.”
Something moved in his face, maybe a glimmer of amusement. But it disappeared when he focused on my cheek, that already felt like it had a pulse and the skin was stretching.
Duke’s head snapped up toward where I guessed Tanner was hovering. “You need to make yourself disappear.” Not gentle now. Deadly.