But Terribull chose that moment to turn, likely following my weight. Immediately, Jorge was right there, shoving at his shoulder. Tanner moved in behind him to spin me around. A little push got me moving toward the bullpen, and then they took over.
Jorge spun, reversing his direction. Tanner darted across the bull's nose. Isaac came in from the other side, confusing the poor thing. Terribull simply stopped and snorted.
"Let's go," Tanner said, flapping his arms at his sides.
Terribull went. I was waiting, close enough to the bullpen that I could jump up there with Cletus if I had to, but my bull was a gentleman. As the gate closed behind him, I decided I liked this one.
But since I was right by the judges, I also couldn't help myself. I popped off my helmet and leaned down to look throughthe protective bars. "That," I told them, "was a good ride, but we both know you're going to fuck me on it, right?"
None of the men in there bothered to even look at me. Sure, they were wearing headsets, but I knew they could still hear me. They had no problem hearing anyone else in the arena, after all.
"Cody!" Tanner called, jogging over with my rope. "That was amazing!"
"I know!" I squealed, heading over to hug him. "Fuck the score. I did good and Iknowit. Tonight, that is all that matters."
"Good, now get out of my arena," he said. "Derek may not wait for you to get clear."
He wasn't wrong, but I still leaned in to steal a kiss on his cheek. That got a reaction from the crowd, and then I jogged over to the gate. I was just about to step through it when the big screens changed. As the attendant opened the steel panel for me, I looked up, checking my score.
84.25!
Ok, that wasn't right for the ride I'd just had, and it might be the lowest of the weekend, but it wasn't bad. It also proved my theory. The better I rode, the lower the score. But was there any way to use that against them?
I made it to the top of the stairs just as Derek came out of his chute. A few feet over, J.D. and the guys were all hovering over the one I'd come out of, so I headed that way, but the color of that bull caught my eye.
"Shit," I breathed. "He's on Speed Bump?"
"Yeah," Ty grumbled.
"Fuck!" I hissed.
Because riding the best bull of the series? Yeah, that meant he was going to win. Everything these guys had done this weekend wouldn't matter. Austin would take this as proof his little plan was working and end up doubling down. Mr. Merrill would say it should teach us a lesson. We were so fucked!
And then Speed Bump proved why he was the number two bull in the Tough Enough Unleash the Beast series. His first bucks had been tests. The next one? That charcoal-and-rust-colored animal put some real effort into them.
Derek slung forward with the force of Speed Bump's kick. Then the bull reared up, knocking him back. Derek's shoulders were slung, but before he could catch himself, Speed Bump kicked again, slamming into him.
Derek immediately crashed into the bull's head. The clatter of his helmet against horns was loud, ringing out into the arena. It also stunned the rider. One moment, Derek had been on top of the world, and now he was on top of the bull - the wrong way. His legs flew up. His body spun around like a pinwheel going sideways, and Speed Bump chose that moment to go into his spins.
Before Derek could even realize he was falling, Speed Bump headbutted him, slamming the man down into the dirt hard. Still bucking, the bull kicked right over his head, then came around to shove him back into the ground with his horns again.
Tanner and the guys were yelling, trying to get the bull to move. Thankfully, it wasn't one of the pissed-off bulls, but Speed Bump wasn't done yet. He turned, tracking the men he could see, and hopped forward. I was sure he was about to leave, but then this bull pulled his trademark move.
As he crossed over Derek for one final time, the bull kicked out, popping Derek right in the center of his chest. The padding took it, but Derek still flipped and rolled, propelled by the power of that animal. Isaac rushed over to check him. Tanner and Jorge made sure the bull left, but around me, the guys were all cheering.
Then Jackson hugged me from behind. "You did it, Cody! You won!"
Wait,what?
Looking up at the scoreboard, it finally hit me. Derek had been bucked off. He wasn't getting a score. That put me in first place. Not just for the night, but for the entire weekend.
I'd just won Nashville. Wow. Fuck. Yeah, teamwork wasdefinitelyoverpowered, but tonight I wasn't going to complain at all.
Chapter 83
"We did it!"I yelled as I made it back to the warm-up area. "I won!"
"Yeah," Wes said as he tossed his glove and helmet at his gear bag. "And that'll show the judges, but don't take this wrong, Cody. It also means that being gay isworsethan being a woman."
