Epilogue
Doc ended up giving me something for pain.
Anthony called in the cops once everyone else was gone.
He's also convinced me to file a report, because if I really was the victim, it was a lot less suspicious if I acted like one.
The pair of them had put my story in their notes, making it part of my medical records, and thus a written account while it was still fresh in my mind.
But none of it changed that I was done. Merrill had suspended me. Oddly, I wasn't as sad about that as I should've been. However, I dreaded calling my dad. He'd probably end up making me cry. He might fly out here to check on me - and that would make me cry. Right now, I just needed to be strong.
So Tanner handled it for me.
Then I rested. After that, I ate. When that was done, J.D. got me stoned. My big plan was to put off all the serious stuff until tomorrow, but the riders had other ideas.
It was ten o'clock at night when someone rapped on my door. J.D answered it, pulling open the door to reveal Jake and another guy who looked a hell of a lot like him. That guy was also holding flowers.
"Cody?" Jake said. "This is Clay, my brother."
"Ma'am," he said, ducking his head.
Where Jake was all country, Clay was more professional-looking. He wore a polo shirt with the Pbr logo on it and khakis. His shoes were sneakers, and a little too white to have ever touched dirt. He also wasn't as cute, but I wouldn't tell him that.
"These are from the guys in the production booth," he said, offering the flowers across the gap between us.
"She don't bite and she aint' gettin' up," J.D. told him.
"Yeah..." Clay said, making his way over to pass them to me. "You're also a bit of an icon up there. The way you broke into the scene and then just flew to the top of the rankings?"
"Thirteenth," I reminded him.
But he grinned. "Eleventh now, after this weekend."
"And suspended."
"Yeah," he muttered, realizing his mistake.
"And Ty's coming," Jake said. "I knew you'd still be up - or J.D. would tell us to go fuck off, so there's a chance a few will stop by. We want to make sure you're ok."
"I'm pissed," I told him, gesturing for them to sit.
Clay did, but Jake came closer, reaching out his hand in an offer for me to take it. "But how are you feeling, Cody?"
"She hurts," Tanner told him. "Aches and bumps, but nothing worse. Her voice is also mostly good now."
Jake just shook his head. "The other feeling, Cody."
"Pissed," I said. "Scared. Trying not to think about it, because flipping between the two sucks." And I shrugged.
"So, are you just giving up?"
"She ain't seen the video of the closing yet," J.D. told him. "Was gonna show her tomorrow."
"I wanna know how you're doing, Jake," Tanner said. "Still have a job?"
Clay chuckled. "He does. The production booth made it clear we would all join the strike unless he was given a mere fine."
"Twenty-five grand," Jake bragged.
"For?" Cody asked.
"Taking over the closing ceremony," Clay said smugly. "My brother..." And he paused. "That's still crazy to say. But my brother took all the hard work you riders did today, and turned it against our father."
"And?" Jake said, clearly reminding him he'd left something out.
"And?" Clay asked, not following along.
Jake grunted. "Clay told his father that if he came after me, Clay would tell his mother. It's a real threat."
"I'm going to tell her anyway," Clay said, his words for Jake. "I want her to be ready, but I can't now."
I waved a finger between the two of them. "Just take a picture and show her your new friend. I think she'll figure it out."
Which was when someone else knocked at the door.
"Sit," Tanner told J.D. "I got this."
But it wasn't just Ty on the other side. Renato was with him, and the pair had one of those looks on their faces. The kind that was both determined, like they were about to start shit, and also like they had news to share.
"Good news?" I asked as I passed the flowers over to J.D. for him to set aside, pretty sure I couldn't take more of the bad kind.
"We," Renato said, "are filing an official protest over this."
"He means all the riders," Ty clarified. "And Brazil did that. Except for you three - er, two - and the assholes who started this, it looks like everyone else is willing to file one."
"Nice!" I said, actually starting to hope.
"Yeah," Renato said as his phone buzzed loudly. "Sorry. That's Hannah." And he pulled it out, checking on her.
"He postponed his flight," Ty explained. "Hannah said she's fine, but she could have that baby any minute now."
"Do you know what it is?" I asked.
"Yep," Renato said. "I'm also not telling, but I do know."
"And he's going to name him Ty, right?"
"No." But Renato's brow furrowed. He paused to type, and then slowly looked up just as his phone rang.
"It's for you, Cody," he said, passing it over unanswered.
I swiped, since the thing was unlocked. "This is Cody?"
"Hey!" said a familiar voice on the other end. "It's Hannah! So, Reni said they fucked you over, huh?"
"Suspended," I told her.
"Yeah. Well, I read through the Pbr rulebook. You can request a hearing, Cody. Do that. Also, you're allowed to have an attorney assist with that. It'll be at the next venue, which means Anaheim - which happens to be in California."
"Ok?" I wasn't following along. "Hannah, I don't have an attorney - or know any there."
"But I do," she said. "My foster sister. Now, I'm texting Reni a number. I need you to call that - and you can use your own phone. It'll be fine. But this next part is going to sound completely insane. I just need you to trust me, ok?"
"Sure," I decided. "What am I doing?"
"Call that number," she told me, "and when Cess answers, say 'Chartreuse, Indigo sent me.' She'll have questions after that, and just be honest."
"Colors?" I asked.
"Yeah, it's a foster thing," she explained. "Think of it like code names, but she'll understand. It kinda lets her know how important I think this is. Spoiler: very. Oh, and she's good. Like, real good."
"I guess it's worth a shot, right?"
"Good!" she said, sounding relieved. "Ok, I'm letting you go and texting Reni the number. Call her now, Cody. Not tomorrow. Now, because I don't want to get yelled at for wasted time. Promise?"
"Promise," I said, then ended the call and passed the phone back to Renato. "I'm going to need my phone now."
"Got it," J.D. said, going to take it off the charger in the bedroom.
"And I have the number," Renato told me.
The moment I had my phone in my hand, he read it to me. I typed it in, and with everyone here listening in, I pressed the button to call. It was answered quickly.
"Cessily Blackburn," the woman said.
"Chartreuse, Indigo told me to call," I said, hoping I had the phrase right.
There was a pause that lasted just a moment too long. Then, "Ok, and what's your name?"
"Cody Jennings, ma'am. Hannah said you're an attorney?"
"Oh, I am," she purred. "What sort of trouble are you in?"
"I was just suspended from the Pbr."
"The what?"
"Professional Bull Riding," I clarified. "I'm the first woman to qualify, the president isn't happy I did, and the judging hasn't exactly been fair. There were multiple attempts to run me out - "
"Miss Jennings," she broke in, "is it possible you might be biased about this?"
"Maybe," I agreed, "but I haven't gotten to the good part. See, I was attacked tonight by another rider. One of the guys who isn't happy about a woman doing this. I ended up stabbing him to keep him from strangling me to death in the women's restroom. I'm the one who got suspended."
"And now," she said, "you have my complete attention."
"Well," I went on, "Hannah says I get a hearing at the next venue. That's in Anaheim, California."
"Which is close to where I live," she agreed.
"And I'm allowed to have legal representation," I finished. "Ma'am, I can pay."
"But you can't afford me," she assured me. "But that's ok. My sister thinks this is a cause worth dropping everything for, so consider me all-in. Now, I'm going to need you to tell me everything, because we're going to fuck these people up."
And those feelings I'd been trying to figure out? I finally had a name for it. I'd felt defeated, right up until this woman said that, in the tone she'd used.
Now? I was ready to burn it all down. After all, I had nothing left to lose, everything to gain, and more people on my side than I'd realized. No matter what, I would ride on.