ARIELLE
I didn't have time to think—Mark pulled the trigger without hesitation, and my body moved on pure instinct. Coiling every muscle, I yanked at the reins with all my strength, twisting the horse around just in time to avoid the bullet.
A deafening shot tore through the air, close enough to make my ears ring, a sharp, piercing sound that sent my head spinning.
The horse screamed, a high, panicked cry that sliced through my thoughts, and without warning, she bolted forward, her hooves pounding the earth with a speed that no sane rider could control.
My heart thumped in rhythm with each crash of hooves, my fingers clawing at the reins, knuckles white. My mind refused to cooperate—fear had taken full command of my body.
I had always been a skilled rider, but no training could tame the raw terror of a panicked horse. Whether the bullet had grazed me or struck the animal instead, I didn't care. All that mattered was that we were alive—and yet hurtling straight toward disaster.
