I study him closer. My pulse beats so hard, it makes me dizzy. I can't help but ask, "What did you get for it?"
Wyatt clenches his jaw, and it twitches. He finally meets my eye. "A thousand dollars."
My eyes widen in shock.
"Yep. I thought you were going to feel that way," he says, then focuses once more on the road, slowing down to take a curve.
"That belt has to be worth at least $20,000 on a bad day," I remind him, stunned he'd sell his World Championship belt.
Wyatt's nostrils flare. He tightens his fist around the wheel and then glances at me. Self-loathing coats his words as he declares, "Now you know the big secret about why Jax McCoy hates me. And the truth about how far I've fallen."
16
Wyatt
"What did Jax want?" Jagger asks when I walk into the barn.
"You don't want to know," I mumble, still pissed and contemplating whether I'm going to go through with it or not.
Jagger puts a saddle away and then asks, "Well, go on. Don't keep me waiting."
I grumble, "He claims he's going to coach me again."
Jagger's eyes widen. "Really?"
I nod. "Yeah, except I'm not allowed to join a team. Jax wants to go independent."
Jagger whistles. "That kind of sucks, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, it does," I state, my hand curling into a fist. It's been a long time since I competed without the backing of a team. Now, I'm going to have to fight for every penny I make.
"You're going to do it, right?"
I shrug. "I don't know. It's putting your sister in a bad situation too."
Jagger's eyes narrow. "What do you mean?"
"Did you know she owed Jax a favor?" I question, unhappy Willow owes anyone anything, especially him.
Jagger steps closer. "No. What for?"
"Some rider he helped her secure."
"Oh. That sounds like Willow."
"She shouldn't be making those kinds of deals," I seethe.
"What's the big deal? You know how this industry works. She has to fight for her riders just like every other agent."
I cross my arms, insisting, "It's not smart for her to owe men anything."
Jagger chuckles. "She's not doing anything out of the ordinary. You're just upset she owes Jax."
I try to get fresh oxygen into my lungs, but my anger is too stifling. I repeat, "She shouldn't do that."
"Good luck stopping her," Jagger taunts.
I stare at Butterscotch, a beautiful golden Palomino with a white tail. Jacob gave her to Ruby for her birthday a year before I left.
