Chapter 4
Duke
I snicker as Cooper coughs, and I grab the joint from him before he drops it in the ice bath. He groans, leaning his head over the edge of the metal tub.
“It never feels any better. I hate this every time.”
I raise an eyebrow at his complaining, but take a drag instead of replying. It’s been a minute since we had a stretch of free time to do this, most of us too afraid of getting caught by Maverick with his insistent nagging to stay sober. Blah, blah, blah. The man needs to get laid or something.
Blowing out some of the smoke, I chuckle under my breath after. “You say that, but then beg for it after each ride.” Especially when he gets thrown off and hits the harder than usual ground because of the upcoming winter.
Cooper glares at me, shivering a little before squeezing his eyes shut. “God, I’m getting too old for this.”
That makes me laugh louder. “Twenty-five is old? Don’t tell my mom, she’ll have a fit.”
He smiles, then it fades, and he blows out a long breath. “My mom probably doesn’t even remember what day it is.”
I snap my fingers before wagging one at him with a warning. “Nope, no parental trauma dumping tonight. We’re relaxing because we gotta put in the work for the next week.”
“Maybe this is how I relax? Maybe I need to talk out all my feelings?” Cooper's barely concealed grin makes me roll my eyes.
“Bullshit. Most days we can’t even get normal conversations with you,” I chastise him.
He sighs. “Because most days, I feel people are only trying to get information from me so they can sell it. Better to keep my mouth shut.”
I hum under my breath. I don’t disagree with his assessment, but I hate that every year, especially during the NFR qualifiers, I swear I see my best friend slipping away piece by piece.
“You know I’d listen.” When we all started this, we had no idea the type of celebrity status riders could get. It’s been an adjustment for us all.
Cooper laughs. “You already risk your life getting in the arena with me.”
The last few years I’ve gotten more and more comfortable being a bullfighter to keep the riders safe, though most of the time we swap out after Cooper rides.
I tried to be a barrelman once, and I don’t know how those clowns do it, because it scared me shitless.
“And you risk your life for that eight-second ride. Win-win.”
He rolls his head to look over at me. “It’s kind of crazy, right? I know I’m an outlier. Most don’t make the money I do, but I don’t think I’m anything different.”
“I don’t think any of us do,” I tell him. But honestly, I can see why. The way he dedicates so much time to this versus others. His determination to stay fit while making it entertaining for the crowd. Hell, if I were into men, I might have a crush on him.
“Gimme some of that.”
I startle and scramble to my feet at the deep voice coming up from behind me. Maverick snatches the joint from me, and my eyes widen as he takes a drag before returning it as he coughs.
“Fuck, it’s been a long time,” he growls out, handing it back to me.
I glance at Cooper, who is watching just as stunned, and clear my throat. “Rough night?”
Maverick grunts. “Something like that.”
“I thought you were going to the bar with Colt and all of them?” Cooper asks.
Our boss turns to look at him, and then he snorts when he sees the ice cubes floating around the tub. “And I thought I was getting old.”
Cooper’s mouth drops open, and then he gives me an incredulous look. “I fucking told you.”
I stifle a laugh and take another drag before offering it back to Maverick.
He sighs, taking it from me.
“We’re not gonna get randomly drug tested, are we?” I ask.
He scowls at me. “I’d have to include myself. Plus, you guys are only preparing for the circuit the next few days, right?”
I nod. “Not sure who all is going, but Coop is still nursing the bruise on his hip.”
“I’m fine,” the man rebukes, standing up from the tub. I throw him the towel as he climbs out, and then turn back to Maverick.
“So, you bailed on the bar? I’d say you talked your ass off about being the boss, but yet here you are smoking with us.”
Maverick rubs a hand down his face. “I almost made it there. Apparently there are two omegas in town, and I think I met one. She’s… She’s—I can’t explain it.”
Cooper and I exchange a look. I contemplate whether I should tease him or ask him for more details.
But more details may be a selfish ask on my part, because if she’s got his attention, then she must be really something.
Maverick has always been more reserved around the crew, but I can tell it’s got him rattled if he’s out here smoking with us.
I opt not to push his tolerance for the night.
Alphas can be territorial, and I ain’t looking to get into a tussle.
“Ahh, so you tucked your tail and ran to us for pointers?” I tease.
Cooper snorts beside me and takes the robe he’d hung up and wraps himself up in it.
Maverick scowls, but it falls short when he sighs again.
“It’s hard to explain, something just immediately drew me to her.”
“Kismet,” Cooper says, leaning against the porch railing on my other side.
We both look at him confused.
“Bless you?” Maverick says questioningly, and I burst out laughing.
I think it’s the first time I’ve heard the man tell a joke.
Even Cooper’s mouth twitches. “No, kismet. Fate. They say if you meet your scent match, it feels like an unknown force pulling you toward her.”
“I couldn’t get a scent off her, so I doubt she’s my match.”
Cooper shrugs. “Maybe your body knows before you do.”
“You still believe in all that? You think we have matches out there? Mates that are perfect for us?” I ask, genuinely curious.
Cooper looks up at the glowing moon. “Marley told me something a few years ago that stuck with me. Who determines what is perfect? Someone perfect for us doesn’t necessarily mean they’re a perfect person.
And since then, I realized that maybe mates are just people we’ve determined we’re willing to work through everything for. ”
“I didn’t think your sister could be so optimistic. I thought she had a permanent thundercloud over her,” I joke, breaking up the tension. Maverick looks lost in his thoughts.
Cooper pushes at my shoulder. “She’s not that bad. People just don’t understand her.”
I laugh. “So they all say.”
Even Maverick grunts in amusement. He doesn’t stay out with us much longer, choosing to head up toward the main house. I can see the questions in Cooper’s eyes, and I have some of my own lingering inside me, but we leave it for another day.