Lost of love- Completed

Chapter 16

Her breath was burning up her chest with its fiery heat. Scalding her insides even as her inflamed temper fried her brain. Lucy gasped trying to draw some air into her oxygen starved lungs. She was lucky, she was the Sporty Little. Emily would have caved in after that first slope. Why had she ridden that far? Why had she been that stupid?

There was a reason why the peasants were unwilling to tangle with Royalty and that had more to do with their being a royal pain in the ass than anything else. It was because they were all bat shit crazy thinking they owned the world and everything in it. How stupid was that?

Lucy vented along with each step she took. Regretting not wearing a hat. Regretting not wearing her sunnies. Already she felt faint. Soaked in sweat and weary. Drained from a late night with little rest and endless puking. But several things became as glaringly clear as the sun in her impromptu romp through the grasslands and that was her future.

Her future would be devoid of men.

Her future would see her graduating as a lawyer.

Her future would see her hunting down the villains who had taken her brother and returning him to the bosom of family.

But most importantly, her future would see her saving Cat's stupid ass from the clutches of freaking royalty. In no way is the Sadist ever getting his talons on her again. Never. If she had to draw her last breath to make it happen then so be it. Lucy ran on sheer stubbornness alone. Her temper tossing reason to the wind and having her wallow in retribution of all things.

It was well past a couple of hours, but the ranch was finally in sight. She was closing in. Lucy panted hard, stopping to dash off the hay and grass stains that coated her from her many falls and stumbles along the way. With grass that tall, Lucy had made it a point to stumble over every unseen rock and dip in the landscape along the way. It was a wonder her ankles were still whole. And in a way, she was even thankful some of those stumbles worked in her favour tossing her down slopes in a more efficient, if somewhat dangerous, way.

Seeing the ranch hands working the fields nearby, Lucy hobbled over towards them bent on asking for help. Spotting her ungainly decent down the side slope, a rider rode up to her, hollering, "What the hell are you doing out here without so much as a hat? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" The ranchman looked down at her as if she were crazy, no doubt thinking all sheila's were naturally a bit off, but that the city sleekers were the worst of the lot.

Lucy shook her head mutely and lifted her arms to indicate she wanted a lift back. Her throat felt dry and she doubted she could string two words together without collapsing into dust. Thankfully, he did not hesitate. He rode up closer to Lucy and in a rodeo like maneuver he had her perched on the horse behind him.

"Hang on tight, little sheila."

Then he took off in a gallop for the main house. Lucy clung hard to the sculpted abs before her and held on for dear life.

He rounded the front entryway and headed out back to stop by the entrance to the kitchens. She gratefully got down the horse and with muttered thanks, hobbled her way in only to stop for jug of water that she proceeded to glug down like beer. Her thirst quenched, Lucy moved on to pass by the hateful library on the way to her room. The sound of conversation drew her attention. She could distinctly hear Celine and was that...?

Lucy moved over to peek inside and saw Sadiq seated on a chaise beside Celine sipping tea.

Was it tea time already? She'd missed lunch. Lucy was suddenly very hungry. Wait! Sadiq was there.