Chapter 81
I watched Tanner 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, it did work.
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?"
"Hoo!" Cletus said. "Cover the kids' ears! There's some temper down here!"
But Austin didn't care about that. Realizing Tanner had just made him look like a fool, he did the only thing his tiny little brain could manage. He shoved Tanner as hard as he could.
"You let me get hit!" he roared, still audible. "You think this is funny?" He shoved again, but stayed close, right up there in Tanner's face as if he couldn't figure out that was how he was being overheard. "I will make you pay for this, Tanner! I will fuck you up, you hear me?"
Which was when Jorge thrust Austin's rope between them, shifting his body after it to force some space. "Rope!" Jorge said, his voice carrying as well as Austin's. "He took a hit for you. He got that bull off you, so take your rope, take your pride, and go lick your wounds behind the chutes."
"We didn't ask for a - "
Tanner's mic went dead and a chicken's clucks played like it was some kind of bleeps for the profanity. Down there on the dirt, Austin flapped his hand like he was done with this and finally left.
"Well, some of these boys got a real temper," Cletus said. "They also need to get their mouths washed out with soap. But don't you think bad of our Deviant Rescue Squad. They know exactly how to handle a little country tongue-lashing!"
Tanner turned, giving Cletus a double take. I could see Jorge and Isaac laughing hard, but Cletus just shrugged like the idiot he played, acting like he didn't get what else that could mean.
But the fans? They were all yelling. Oddly, most of them sounded like they were on Tanner's side. Granted, I coulda been wrong about that shit, since it was real hard to tell when a couple thousand people had a shit fit. But it did sorta feel like that.
Soon enough, the next rider came out. Beside me, Cody pushed out a heavy breath. "You think Tanner meant to do that?" she asked.
It was Jake who answered, shifting over to join the conversation. "I think Tanner's done with being ashamed of his sexuality. He's also smart enough to know Austin's sponsors won't like any of that."
"And," I said, "he came off looking like the hero there, Cody. He made the save. He took a hit, and where Jaxon thanked him, Austin ripped him a new one and called him a fag?"
"Fucking asshole," Ty said, moving in as well. "J.D., that's why you can't have any more concussions. It'll turn you stupid."
"Hell, then I'm gonna wear my helmet all the time," I joked.
Cody rolled her eyes. "Makes a few things hard. Especially with that mouth guard."
"Naw, I'm good with leaning back and takin' it." And I winked.
But Ty nudged Jake. "Hey, you rodeoing this up today?"
"Riding unwrapped?" Jake asked. "I mean, makes it easier to get out."
"Then I'll make you a bet," Ty said. "Winner is the one with the highest time, but still under eight. Hitting eight is immediate loss. The loser?" Ty shifted his weight back and crossed his arms smugly. "He pays for gas for one of these lower ranked-riders."
"Oh, I'm in on that," Jake agreed, offering his hand.
The pair shook, but Cody just grunted. "Or you could both pay gas," she said. "I mean, J.D. and I will be splitting our prize money among them."
"Among the ones who ain't rich," I clarified.
"I'll get a list of who needs it," Jake said. "And Cody? This makes it more fun. Winning also doesn't mean we get out of helping. Just gives us something to brag about."
"Then let's do this," Ty said.
"Wait!" Wes called over, realizing we were up to something. "What are we doing?"
"Not you," Ty told him. "We're betting to pay gas for someone who needs it."
"Yeah, I'm out," Wes said. "I am rodeoing this up."
"Got someone to impress?" Ty teased. "Where is Wyatt? Also, this is a safe space."
Wes sighed heavily. "My husband," he said, sounding a bit annoyed, "is over there. White hat, green shirt."
"Wait." I shook my head, sure I'd heard him wrong. "Say what?"
"It seems," Ty said, sure sounding like he was bragging, "that Wes here really has been saving himself for marriage. At least for the partner he left back home." He slapped Wes's back playfully. "And the guy's cute, J.D. Probably not your type, Cody, but he's perfect for Wes."
"Where?" Cody asked Wes.
He pointed. "There. Standing on the railing by the first set of stairs."
"Oh, he is cute," she said. "I mean, a little dainty for me."
"Damn," I said, shifting over. "How long ya been married?"
"Almost two years," Wes said.
"Bi or gay?" I asked next.
"Gay," he admitted.
I nodded. "Well, we got your back. Ain't no need to hide that shit no more. Seems these guys? All the ones here who ain't riding? Yeah, you and I shoulda trusted 'em more. They're good ones."
"Starting to realize that," Wes agreed. "And no offense, but I'm still glad it was you testing the waters first. I'm not that brave."
"Naw, I got ya," I assured him. "Now go ride, bro." And I held up my fist.
He bumped his against it, but our bulls were making their way in. Wes's set was starting to go out. I hadn't been real sure about this whole riding thing, since no one else was. It hadn't felt real fair to me, but that? Yeah, it kinda changed things.
Because today, my only job was to represent, and now I wasn't just representing myself.
But before they could walk away, I caught Ty's eye. "Thanks," I told him. "I mean, you shouldn't be outtin' no one like that, but yeah."
"Figured you needed to know you're not alone," he said, clasping my shoulder. "J.D.? I get you. Friends, right? I meant it then, and I fucking well mean it now."