That was Casey, and his ride was going bad fast. Between one buck and the next, he went from getting a re-ride for the bull fouling itself to the sort of wreck everyone dreaded. The bull was moving, getting out of sight quickly, but the big screen across from me was playing it out in one hell of a closeup.
"Fuck," Gustavo breathed, pausing beside me. "He's hung."
"Hand and spur," Jake said, moving in from the other side to stop and stare.
I nodded, but couldn't look away from the screen. Casey tilted. He went under the bull. I could see hooves landing all around him, but I knew that position often looked worse than it really was - except he didn't have the same help I'd gotten. I couldn't see feet running around the bull. I didn't see fuckingbullfighters!
Worse, Casey wasn't struggling anymore. I'd watched enough men get knocked out to know those ragdoll movements thebody made. It flopped instead of ducking, which was how Casey looked now - and my guts were clenching hard.
Around me, all the other riders had stopped in their tracks. Everyone was looking either out onto the dirt or up at the big screen giving us a closeup. And while the crowd was moaning and groaning at the big wreck, it felt like every single rider held his breath.
This was bad. This wassobad, but the crowd was loving it. Those people also had no clue how dangerous this sport really was. No, they saw the medics and the saves. That was enough for them to believe there would always be a happy ending. There wasn't.
Yet just when I was sure it could only get worse, Tanner jumped the railing and ran right at the bull. I stood straighter, knowing he shouldn't be out there. I wanted to scream for him to stop, but knew better. And while I couldn't hear him over everything else, I could imagine he was yelling orders. He had to be, because the bullfighters suddenly figured their shit out.
The bull turned, Tanner jumped on its side, doing something, and Casey dropped. That should've been a good thing, but the man didn't move - and the bull did. Ducking its head, the beast wanted to get its pound of flesh, so turned to trample the fool who'd dared to crawl on this animal's back.
Collectively, the crowd groaned as feet hammered a man who wasn't even trying to dodge. But Tanner? He slapped the edge of the bull's ear and got its attention. The guy in green hurried to Casey's side, but the one in blue was now moving to give Tanner support. White stopped, shifting from side to side like he couldn't decide which direction to go, but it didn't matter. Tanner had this, and he wasn't giving up.
A tap to the bull's head was the last thing the beast needed. Tanner had become the threat it had to deal with first. The bull turned, leaving the unconscious rider behind, and Tanner ranfor the gate. The outrider was moving in, swinging a rope to give the bull extra incentive. Within a few seconds, it was all done. The bull gate clanged closed, my boyfriend was out of sight again, and medical professionals were swarming into the arena.
But Casey still wasn't moving.
For a little too long, the world around me hung as I looked for some movement from him.Anymovement! Even his chest rising and falling would be enough, but I couldn't make it out, and from the stillness around me, I had a feeling I wasn't the only one worried.
In the years I'd been riding bulls, I'd seen some bad wrecks, but this? It felt different. Worse, I was pretty sure. The reactions - or lack of - from the men around me all but proved it. Combined with Tanner jumping into the arena, my entire body was locked in place as my mind spun, trying to figure out how I was supposed to fix any of this!
"Cody."
I couldn't change anything that had just happened. I knew that, but damned if I didn't want to. Somehow, I had to protect Tanner. That was how we'd gotten together, after all, but I couldn't even think of what would erase him jumping the rail - never mind that Caseystillwasn't moving.
Instead, Sports Medicine personnel hurried over from the gate at the side. Arena staff were dragging out blue panels I'd never seen before. Everyone was moving, and a hush had fallen over the entire stadium except for one soft, deep voice that came again.
"Cody!" This time, Ty's hissing made my head snap over. "Tanner's down there. Make sure he gets back to his seat before someone can fire him for good." And he gave me a nudge toward the stairs that led back to where we warmed up.
"Go," Jake said, proving Ty wasn't wrong this time.
I left Ty, Gustavo, and Jake all clustered together. Weaving through dozens of cowboys locked in place, I watched the horror playing out on the dirt. Having a mission should've made me feel better. I had something to do now, but it only made my anxiety skyrocket. Trying to both hurry and not run, I finally made it down into the alley that led back there, and all of my panic went straight to my feet.
I jogged, heading for where the bull gate split off to the cattle area on one side and the warm-up spot we liked to use. My timing was perfect, because just as I reached that line of livestock panels, Tanner slipped through a gate. The man closing it behind him slapped Tanner's arm in a friendly way, then my boyfriend turned - almost into my chest.
"Cody!" he gasped in surprise.
"Are you ok?" I begged, needing someone to be.
He gave me a weak little smile, but it looked more relieved than happy. "Yeah," he finally said. "Cody, I'm fine..."
I had to swallow before asking the next question. "And Casey?"
His body stilled. "That was Casey Davis?"
I nodded slowly. Casey had been giving me shit since I'd joined this insanity called the PBR. Austin was the worst, and Derek had helped him beat the shit out of me in Cheyenne, but Casey and Eli had joined in with the taunting and trash-talking. I was pretty sure one or both had greased my rope a few times. In other words, that man wasnotmy friend.
"Shit," Tanner breathed. "Yeah, I didn't get the chance to see who, and I'd been talking to J.D., then things went bad and the alternates weren't doing shit."
"Tanner, they're the main team now," I reminded him.
"That's my point!" he snapped, but his anger wasn't at me. It was clearly just his frustration leaking out.
