"But they can't ignore how they tried to get rid of him because of me," I countered. "They also won't be able to do it as easily next time."
"Ok..." She gave me a confused look just as we turned into the warm-up area.
And something hit me hard from the side, shoving her off. I staggered. Cody slipped on her spur, knocked sideways instead of back, and fell on her ass - but my rookie didn't stay down long. Hell, I didn't either. I was moving to the threat even as my eyes tried to figure out what the fuck had just happened.
A nearly empty vest. Brown chaps. I didn't recognize any of the gear, but when I reached this idiot's face, the only thing I saw was red.
"Get your fool hands off me, Austin," I growled.
"Fucking faggot!" Austin shot back.
And Cody hit him from the side.
Chapter 56
I managedto catch Cody's arm before she slammed into Austin. A yank swung her back behind me, and then I surged forward. Both hands hit his shoulders, making some space between us, but the other riders were already moving.
"I saw you fuckingkisshim out there!" Austin was screaming. "You fucking queer boy! We don't need your sick shit in the PBR!"
"I've been in the goddamn PBR longer than you!" I shot back. "I fuckingmadethe PBR what it is. Not once did I ask if you like it. I don't need your fuckin' approval, you dumb shit!"
That was when Ty grabbed Austin on one side. Jake got the other. I saw Cody's little fanboy, Jackson, behind him, pulling Austin away from us. Wes was over there, and Kaleb pushed in the middle, edging me and Cody back. Renato, Dado, and Gustavo were lending some muscle and mass, along with others I couldn't make out.
Because the space in front of me had become little more than a cluster of cowboy hats and men yelling. Mostly, they were yelling at Austin, and I knew Cody was still behind me. Reaching back, I caught her hand and retreated a bit, always keepingmyself between her and the fucker who'd already gone after her once.
Then Jake slung Austin around and stepped up into his face. "Get your ass back in that locker room," he ordered. "Do not come out until you're heading up to ride. Do not talk to anyone, touch anyone, or try thisfucking shitagain!"
"We're watching you," Renato warned.
"And no one fucks with my friends," Ty added.
"You're ok with that?" Austin insisted. "He fucking kissed him! I told you Tanner was a queer. I'm the one who tried to warn everyone, but you didn't listen, and now they're out there kissing like it's not fucking disgusting!"
"Why, you jealous he isn't kissing you?" Jackson taunted.
Austin turned to the kid, the look on his face like he was going to kill him, but Jake grabbed his arm and slung Austin toward the locker room again.
"Get the fuck out of here!" he snapped. Surprisingly, Austin actually went that way, likely because he was definitely outnumbered. Then Jake turned to the rest of us. "Ok, show's over. Get your shit, get ready, because we're riding today!"
There were murmurs that sounded pleased. Some sounded a little confused, but likely because none of us had expected Austin to go full dipshit like that. But just as I was starting to relax, I looked over and found Jaxon, one of my longtime supporters, staring at me.
"It's a lie, right?" he asked the moment he noticed me looking.
"What?"
"You," he clarified. "He said you kissed Tanner. He said you're gay! That's fucking sick!"
"Shit," I drawled as Cody tugged at my arm. "Least I'm fuckin' getting some."
And I let her tow me away. Oh, I knew where we were going: back to our gear. I also noticed when she slipped her arm around my waist, but I was workin' real hard not to look back.
Jaxon. He and Kaleb had been my friends for a while. They'd had my back, and I'd shared some knowledge with them. Enough to keep them in the money. Hell, people had called them my minions for a bit, but they were just kids trying to figure out how to ride their way into a future they could be proud of.
But I'd liked them. I'd trusted them. No, him. Kaleb had been all in with that mess, but Jaxon? The disgust on his face? The way he'd sneered at me?
It fucking hurt.
"J.D.?" Cody asked, and clearly not for the first time.
