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"Fuck," I breathed, realizing I was a goddamned fool. Turning for the doors, I called back, "Because Cody's getting her official PBR photos done today. I gotta go."
I didn't wait to hear his reply. If Austin was looking to fuck with Cody, well, this would be the perfect time, and I was the one who'd left her alone. Deep in my belly I could feel that ice starting to grow. The one that came when shit went bad. The feeling that only adrenaline could push away, and right now, I didn't have any bulls to play tag with.
Chapter54
Tanner dropped me off,and I passed a security guard sitting in a folding chair beside the exit. He sat up for a split second, then saw the chaps draped over my shoulder. Offering me a weak smile, the man nodded, granting me entrance.
Max said the room I was supposed to meet him at was in the middle of this conglomeration of buildings. I had a simple map that I'd found online which showed me the halls I needed to take. In theory, it was a pretty simple path. Long, but simple.
But the crowds were gone. The PBR's staff were all in the arena, tearing down the panels. I could hear the clank of metal and the voices of men calling orders, but it wasn't close. Around me, the lights were in that half asleep mode that stores liked to use to get the customers to hurry up and leave. It made the place feel a bit eerie.
And quiet. I could hear my spurs clink as I walked, and these were not the wild west type I had on. My chaps rustled against my back. The impact of my boots on the concrete floor echoed against the concrete walls.
I tracked my progress by how far I'd passed the sounds outside. A cross-hall let in the scent of stale manure. Damp straw and used shavings added a sickly-sweet smell to the bitterness of cattle. Combined with the stale sweat of however many men had been through here this weekend, it reminded me of a high school gym, and not in a good way.
I was early, which was good. The last thing I wanted to do was keep Max waiting. That man had to be a saint. He'd been so good to me all weekend, and J.D. said he didn't always show up to the events. That meant he was doing all of this just for me, so I certainly didn't want to be late.
But official PBR photos? That would be something my dad could show off to his friends. It would make me searchable online, and prove that the girl with a boy's name was not a man. Mostly, I wanted to make sure Cole knew, though. That would rub just a little salt in his wounded pride, and after my big-name friends had kicked his and his buddies' asses? Yeah, that would be perfect.
Eventually, the sound of the fence crew faded. My steps got louder. When I heard someone coming the other way, I almost got excited. I figured that meant I hadn't missed a turn. The photo area should be just a few more halls up, then over a bit.
Then Austin rounded the corner. Derek was beside him. The pair had their heads together, intent on something, but two steps was all it took for them to realize they weren't alone. Sadly, I was.
Gustavo had warned me about this. Jake had said something too. Of all the people to stumble into in the middle of a building, these two werenotthe ones I wanted to see. Their threats ranged from beating my ass to raping me, so I did the only thing any sensible woman would do.
I spun on my heel, stretched my legs, and headed in the opposite direction. Reaching into my back pocket, I pulled out my phone, thinking I could just send Tanner a text and get a little backup. I had this. There was no reason for my pulse to be pounding this hard. I was ok, and it wasn't like I was some delicate little damsel in distress. I'd already proven that.
Then the steps behind me moved faster. My hat was pulled from my head. Before my mind could even catch up, I spun to face these assholes.
"Dick move!" I snapped, forgetting all about my untyped text.
Which was when Austin shoved. Not back. Not into my face. The man grabbed my arm and slung me sideways, making me stagger. My chaps and vest slid off my shoulder, splattering on the floor in the hall like they should've been liquid. My spur hit the concrete, the phone flew out of my hands, and my balance vanished. My ankle twisted just a bit, and before I knew it, I was going down.
My ass hit the floor on the left cheek. My teeth clanked together hard, but that wasn't the problem. It was the doorway on either side of me and the men moving closer! I did not want to be trapped in one of those locker room type areas with these two!
Rape. That was the word that kept spinning through my mind. Austin had threatened to rape me, and I couldn't imagine a better place than this. Too bad for him, I would not make it easy. So, scrambling to my feet as fast as I could, I began to yell at the top of my lungs.
"What the fuck do you want from me?" I demanded.
"Oh, is the little girl pissed?" Austin taunted, moving in to block my only route of escape.
"If you touch me, I will fuck you up so bad!"
Which made Derek smile. "I do like it when they fight back."
And they kept getting closer. Every instinct in my body told me to back up, but I didn't want to retreat from them. I wanted to gothroughthem. I waited. I watched. When they turned to share a look, I rushed forward, but they were faster - and still in my way.
Both of them caught me, tossing me back much too easily. I'd tried to tell Ty I wasn't physically strong enough to pick a fight with one man, let alone two. Now I had no other choice, so I clenched my hands hard and braced for the worst.
"Let me make this clear," Austin said. "If you want to make it out of this in one piece, you'll pack your shit and go home."
"Or?" I asked. My heart was beating so hard I could hear it in my ears.
"Or we show you what happens to little girls who think they're tough," Derek promised. "We are going to smash your face until not even Tanner will be desperate enough to want you."
"Give up bull riding," Austin demanded. "Go home, marry some guy. Pop out a few fucking kids like a wife's supposed to. Leave the men to handle this shit."
The thrumming in my head vanished. The tingling of fear racing across my skin faded. The sounds, smells, and thoughts of anything outside this room disappeared. I could almost hear J.D.'s voice reminding me to just worry about this bull. Just this ride. Just this fight, because I would fight for my life if either of them tried to touch me.
