“You know what? Keep the goddamned bullet. There’s more where that came from.”
In a flash, Angel came at him. He caught Rocco’s arm and twisted it up behind him as he slammed him against the wall. “Are you suicidal?”
Rocco thought about that. Was he? Suicidal people just wanted out, an end to life as it was. He didn’t want to go—he had to go. He had to be with his baby in heaven. There was a difference. He quit resisting. Releasing a long breath, he leaned his head against the wall.
Angel shook him and shouted in his ear, “Are you fucking suicidal?”
“No.” Rocco bucked against Angel’s grip, gaining his release. He rolled his arm around, easing the pain in his shoulder. “What the hell would you have done if I’d said yes, anyway?”
Angel’s black eyes held his. “I’d come into that dark hell you’re living in and carry your ass out.” He put his face in Rocco’s. “No one gets left behind on this team.”
Rocco blinked. No one got left behind…except his little baby, the most fragile person of all.
Angel frowned, then hit his shoulder. “Shake it off, Rocco. You want to spar?”
Rocco nodded. The pain usually helped, though this little convo had cemented what he needed to do.
*
Mandy was cleaning out stalls when she looked over to see Rocco standing near Kitano’s pen. Rocco was about ten feet from the long corral. Kitano noticed and turned to keep an eye on him.
When they’d first come to Ty’s place, Rocco had made it a point to visit the broken horse every day. When had he stopped doing that, Mandy wondered? The team’s work over the past few months had been intense. She was glad to see him taking a few minutes for himself and for Kitano. It was much, much better that he was here rather than hiding in her old, crumbling barn.
Mandy stayed in the shadows and watched him. Kitano had come to tolerate her quite well, but was still leery of just about anyone else. Rocco approached the fence. Kitano shook his head, his focus sharp. Rocco turned left and slowly walked to the end of the long corral. Kitano kept pace with him, staying on the far side of his corral. Rocco walked back the other way. Kitano did, too.
Rocco climbed the six-foot fence and dropped inside the corral. Kitano didn’t like that. He tossed his head, snorted, then stamped the dirt with his front hoof. Rocco spread his arms and took a couple of steps into the corral. Before Mandy could react, Kitano charged forward. She swallowed a shout and hurried out of the stall, then realized she needed a halter and lead. She grabbed them, but paused long enough to check her panic—that level of energy would only worsen what was happening.
She watched, seeing Rocco step out of Kitano’s forward rush seconds before being trampled. Kitano turned just as he reached the fence, sandwiching himself sideways between it and Rocco.
“Whoa…whoa…whoa,” Rocco said, the sounds coming out almost as a single word from deep inside his chest. He was calmer than Kitano, which caused the Paint to pause and reassess the situation. His nostrils were sucking and blowing air as he scented Rocco.
Mandy held still, worried her rapid appearance would upset the tense balance Rocco had achieved. He was close to Kitano. He didn’t even have to stretch his arm out all the way to touch him. Kitano turned his head. Lifting his lips, he bared his teeth and went in to nip Rocco.
Mandy had had enough. A horse like Kitano could pick a man up by his neck and toss him about like a rag doll. But again, she paused as she saw that Rocco had the situation under control. As soon as Kitano laid his ears back and tried to nip, Rocco popped his mouth and barked, “Knock it off!”
Stunned, Kitano looked forward again and shook his mane. Rocco reached out and patted his shoulder. “Atta boy. See? We’re all good, you and me. See? Easy, now, easy.” Rocco’s warm, calm voice sent shivers through Mandy. With the work the team was doing, she sometimes forgot that Rocco grew up around horses on a working ranch.
“I wish I could set you free, boy. Mandy will take care of you. You’ll be in good hands with her.”
Mandy pulled back, staying deep inside the shadows of the barn as she tried to puzzle out the meaning of his words—words that sounded too much like a goodbye.
Chapter Five
“Wynn, would it upset your plans for the day very much if I took Zavi for a little while?” Mandy asked his new teacher. The garden was all finished—she was dying to show it to someone, but honestly was a little afraid to bring Rocco over. Since she’d also planned it as a place for Zavi to visit with his mom, it made sense that he be the one to help her start up the fountain.
“Oh, I think he’d love that. We can take a break from our lessons.”