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“I’ll come with you,” Marshall said. “Maybe I’ll check out the hotties hanging around the mechanical bull. There’s a special contest going on tonight.”
Both Gage and I laughed. There were always cowgirls who used the bull as a way of grabbing some cowboy’s attention.
“I’m afraid to ask,” I huffed as I stood.
“Let’s just say the highest bidder takes all.”
What in the hell?
He moved through the crowd first, heading toward the other side while I headed for the bar. Still, my eyes were drawn to the ridiculous ride given the volume of noise. The joint was rowdy as hell even after being cleaned up a couple of years before. After ordering another round, I turned toward the stage, studying the entertainment for the evening. What did it say about a place when you had to hide the band behind chicken wire? I had to laugh. If only I could relax and get into the music. The only thing that took away the edge was fighting fires. It had become my drug, a need that furrowed deep inside of me. I might have become the killer Wren had feared if it hadn’t been for being selected.
After tossing back a shot, I shoved the glass onto an empty table, the roar of the crowd surrounding the bull drawing my attention again. I couldn’t help walking closer as the electronic wood and leather creature bounced and gyrated, spinning back and forth in an effort to toss off the rider. No wonder Gage loved coming here. He could practice to his heart’s desire. I couldn’t help but grin as I walked closer.
What the hell were they bidding on? To see if the rider fell off? An ugly feeling pooled in my stomach.
Then I heard a lilting female voice yee-hawing over the country music blaring on the speakers.
When the rider was tossed a few seconds later, the crowd started to cheer.
“More. More. More.”
“Woohoo. She’s mine,” some dude screeched. Good for him for winning.
As I started to turn away, unable to keep from laughing, I heard the rider’s voice clear as day and a combination of anger and frustration rolled through me like a firestorm.
“Get your hands off me.”
There wasn’t a chance in hell that I was right. No way.
“Come on, sweetheart. You know you want it. In fact, you’ve been asking for it all night,” a man snarled. “Besides, I bid on you and won fair and square.”
She was playing the damn game? Instantly, rage tore at my system, and I pushed my way through the crowd, determined to knock the asshole’s head off. No other man would ever dare touch my woman. “What the hell is this?’ I snarled as I tried to figure out what was going on.
“They have it every Thursday. They pick the hottest girls to ride the bull then get the customers to bid on them. Highest bid gets a nice little date while the girl gets the money. Everybody wins.”
Oh, Jesus fucking Christ. That wasn’t going to happen. She was mine. All mine. Fuming, I shook my head, trying to figure out what to do. When I noticed both Marshall and Gage were standing off to the side, I motioned for them, my attention immediately drawn back to the mess in front of me. My little bird had gotten in over her head.
“I swear to God, if you don’t take your hands off me, I’m going to find a way to cut them off,” she bellowed.
My anger only increased.What the hell are you doing?
I found my way front and center, clenching my fist, no longer shocked by the bad choices she made.
“Hey, Bart. Get your fucking hands off the lady,” I snapped.
“What’s it to you?” Bart hissed. “She’s coming with me. I bought her for the night and she’s gonna do exactly what I say.”
“Like hell she is,” I hissed, narrowing my eyes. The damn crowd was still cheering, closing in on her. I doubted she had any clue I was the only man who could rescue her from bad-ass boys who frequented the joint far too often.
“You didn’t buy me, you son of a bitch,” she yelled, acting as if she was prepared to take them on one by one.
I had to shake my head. What in God’s name had she gotten herself in the middle of? Whatever she’d done to gain Bart’s attention had worked. The little lady obviously needed a lesson in choosing her friends wisely.
“Get away or you’ll be sorry,” Bart snarled in my direction as his two buddies gathered around him.
Exhaling, I pushed up my sleeves as I advanced. It was apparent the boys needed to learn a lesson that they couldn’t touch my lady.
Mine. Uh-huh. I was one possessive, dominating man who protected his own. It didn’t help a hint of jealousy had slithered into my system either. The crowd stepped in front of her, making it impossible for me to grab her attention. Not that the feisty woman would listen to me.
