Jaxon pointed at me. "This guy? This is Tanner Burns. He is the best bullfighter in the world. And just so I make sure none of y'all missed it, that save? Yeah, it's theonlyreason I'm alive right now. That is how riders die. Y'all may know we had a real big strike, right?"
A few people stood, plenty clapped, and more cheered than I expected.
Jaxon pointed at them, nodding. "Well, that's why. These guys? They keep us in one piece, and y'all just got to see it happen. Tanner here? He didn't care none that I was a - "
"Language!" Cletus snapped, interrupting.
"Jerk," Jaxon said. "I was a real big jerk to him this weekend, but he didn't hesitate at all. So you go watch that replay. I may look like a real big idiot, but these three men? So far as I care, there ain't a single thing they can do wrong."
Then he stepped back, making it clear he was done talking, and offered me his hand. "I owe you an apology too, Tanner. I might not understand, and I'm sure I'll say something stupid, but don't let me get away with it, ok? I respect the hell out of you and J.D. The rest? Well, saving my life kinda makes me realize it don't matter at all."
"Thank you," I breathed. "And Jaxon? That was adamnedgood ride."
"J.D. always says to ride like you fuck." Then he grinned. "I'm just wondering who does the fucking."
But he turned, walking away before I could respond, making it clear he didn't expect me to answer that. More so, it proved he had pulled his head out of his ass. That guy? There was hope for him yet.
Chapter 81
I watchedTanner make that save with my balls all sucked up. Beside me, Cody had been tense. Worried. In the end, it all worked out, thank fuck. The same wasn't true for a couple of these guys. Tim Moore was tossed into the chute by his bull, but he climbed out, so I could only assume he was ok. Djalu got trampled, the bull running over him a few times before the bullfighters could get it off him.
But in the end, they all walked out on their own. A few limped more than walked, but I figured it still counted. Considering the way these guys had decided to make sure they couldn't ride to eight? Trying to cowboy up the way they were? Yeah, that there weren't more accidents was honestly impressive.
It also showed how much we needed the Deviant Rescue Squad, so it was a good thing I was willin' to share my man.
But the new microphones surprised all of us. Somehow Tanner had become the front man for the bullfighters, which made a few of the guys back here cheer. Jorge was technically the most veteran of those guys. That should've made him the leader, but they didn't really work like that. They also made sure their way? Well, itdidwork.
Eventually, Austin rode. I stood there, watching, waiting to see something go wrong. Shit, if I was honest, there may have been a prayer in there for it, so when he came out sloppy, I decided there was a chance God didn't hate me as much as I'd thought.
The guy's vest only had like three patches left on it. His chaps were boring brown leather ones this week, but that wasn't all that had changed. His riding had too. The fucker hadn't ever been that great, but lately? It was almost like he'd knocked a screw loose in one of his wrecks.
He couldn't keep his chin down. He was rocking all over his ass, and that hand in the air? It was doing more flopping than stabilizing. He didn't use it as a counterbalance like us good riders. Nope, he was simply hanging on, trusting his arm strength to make this work for him.
It wasn't.
The clock had barely hit two before he was popped up, air visible between his ass and the bull's back. That got his feet out in front of him, and he was already looking up at the lights. The bull landed hard, slamming him back down, then spun out of Austin's hand. At that point, it was all over except for the crying.
He tilted, then tilted some more. When he was leaning too far to recover, the guy did the dumbest thing in the world. He grabbed for something to help him back up. When the clock stopped at 6.4, I was smiling, because the thing he'd grabbed? Yeah, that was the bull's horn, and that fucker slung him hard.
It was entirely possible I had to choke back a laugh.
Because that shit served him fuckin' right. Austin was willing to fuck us all to get ahead, and he still rode like a limp dick. In other words, useless. The only thing that shocked me was how fast Tanner reacted. He, Jorge, and Isaac moved like they shared their damned minds. Then again, that was why we called 'em the wolf pack.
But that bull weren't real happy right now. It dropped its head and gave Austin a good roll. Then it spun to thrash him around a bit, ping-ponging him between its horns.
Tanner grabbed an ear, trying to get its attention. Jorge shoved the hip. Isaac shot the gap as well as he could, and finally the bull lifted its head. Just one real big problem with that: it was lookin' right at my man.
One single step was all it took for that animal to get its horns on Tanner. A flick of its neck, and he flew. Beside me, Cody yelped, but Tanner had this. Damn, and that man was sexy as fuck as he thrust out his arms, landed mostly on his feet, and never missed a fuckin' step.
The bull charged. Tanner zigged some and zagged a bit more. Isaac traded off, getting Tanner out of there, and Jorge managed to turn the fucker to the gate. Wham, bam, and thank you ma'am, and it was all over.
Which was when Austin rolled to his knees. He stayed there a moment, clearly catching his breath, then slapped the dirt and shoved himself to his feet. Without slowing, looking, or carin' none, that dumbass stormed over and shoved right up in Tanner's face, clearly yellin' real loud.
"Asshole," Cody grumbled.
But Tanner? Oh, my man weren't a dumb one. He simply reached down to his hip - and then Austin's voice came across the loudspeakers all around the arena.
"...Fucking faggots are useless! Spend more time sucking dick, because we don't want you here. We don't need you, and if you let me get hit again..." The man paused, realizing his words were echoing back to him. "What the fuck, Tanner?"
