And J.D. spun around with death in his eyes. "That," he snarled in a way that made my skin shiver in fear, "is mysister."
"Oh." And Austin turned, hurried up the stairs, and quickly lost himself in the cluster behind the chutes.
Chapter 60
I was goingto kill him. I didn't even care who saw, because it would be worth it. That motherfucker had put his hands on Cody again, and I would make sure he paid for it. I would make sure she was safe! I would...
"Tanner!" Jorge snapped, grabbing my arm to spin me around so I had to face him. "You good?"
"He fucking -"
"I know," Isaac said as he moved to my side, cutting me off. "We were right there with you. We saw it too."
"But he did it!" I yelled, slashing out with my hand to vent the rage taking over.
Jorge caught my shoulder and shifted closer. That made it impossible for me to lash out again, unless I wanted to hit him. I didn't, so I had to calm the fuck down.
"Breathe," Jorge said. "We got this. They got this. Cody's not alone anymore, and if shit goes down, we will climb the fucking chutes and help, ok?"
I nodded. "Do I have to keep the bull off him?"
"No," Isaac said before Jorge could answer. "You don't, but everyone's watching you right now. Do you want to be bitter, get revenge, or make him look like a petty piece of shit?"
I dropped my head and pushed out a tense, pissed-off breath. "You were supposed to tell me to be the better man."
"You already are," Isaac pointed out. "The problem isn't being better. It's giving the PBR a reason to fuck us over again."
"And we just got back," Jorge reminded me. "Never mind the sweet deal."
"Yeah," I said, but their logic was making my rage recede.
Pulling off my hat, I scrubbed at my face, then put it on again. "Ok. Let's do this."
So Jorge whistled. That made Cletus look over. Jorge gestured, then Cletus said something into the mic he always wore, but it wasn't broadcast to the fans. This had to be to the staff. A moment later, the next bull rider climbed back into his chute to strap in for the second time.
"And that was a little bull rider bravado," the announcer said.
And Cletus broke in. "Naw. That was a girl beating the boys. Makes some of 'em get crazy!" And he spun his finger around his ear, playing the over-the-top fool he was supposed to be.
I chuckled, relieved to hear Cletus was calling out the bullshit for what it was. That made it easier to get back into the groove. Together, we turned, sorted, and saved a few men from the next handful of bulls.
For a moment, I let myself stop worrying about the bullshit going on behind the chutes. All that mattered was right here, taking the risks, and making sure I shot the gap when the bull needed extra incentive. And maybe I was going a little overboard, but for the most part, it felt good. It felt exhilarating, like I was on top of the world, with the power to control a one-ton animal.
Then the next chute opened. I recognized the red-and-yellow gear quickly, but the bull came out spinning. The three of us backed up, trying to give it space to get away from the wall so it didn't foul itself - or kill the rider.
But that was Eli. I knew he was one of Austin's cronies. He'd been shit to Cody, but I couldn't fuck over my team. I had to make it clear I wasnecessary. The PBR needed us, because without us their problems got worse, and to do that, I needed to stop caring about who was riding.
The bull finally evened out and surged forward. That kept Eli clear of the walls, but this animal was playing dirty. Its bucks were flat. The spins didn't last long enough to earn points. Instead this bull was just giving its rider a shake-down.
And somehow, Eli managed to stay on right up until the clock was spiraling out the last second. That was when the bull jumped and twisted. For a moment, I was sure it was going to land on its side, yet it caught itself at the last moment. Eli didn't.
His chest flopped forward, crashing down on the bull's neck. His feet came up until he was basically lying across the animal's back - yet he kept his free hand out and his other was gripping the rope for all he was worth. For a moment, he bounced there, then jiggled, but just before he slid off the side, the buzzer sounded.
And then Eli slammed down onto the dirt with an audible grunt. The bull knew, though. That beast spun, clearly intending to charge, and Eli didn't have enough room to get up. There was just no way he could make it to his feet before he got hit.
So I had to turn the bull.
My purple shoes dug into the sand as I ran hard. One step. Two, and the bull was closing in on Eli. Isaac couldn't turn him. He was on the wrong side, so this was all up to me now.
