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I just shrugged. "I really don't give a shit about anything but my own rides, guys. Doing my best to make sure I stay out of the drama."
"Then stay far the fuck away from her," Austin said, stepping closer to lower his voice in a menacing growl. "Because she's gonna get hurt. One way or another, that girl is going to become the biggest wreck the PBR has ever seen, and that's going to be theonlyhistory she makes." He met my eyes, glaring like I was supposed to be the one stepping back. "I'm gonna make damned sure of it."
"Have fun with that," I said. "Just know the PBR cares a hell of a lot more about their reputation than yours. If you get caught, they will kick your ass out."
"Like fuck," Austin said.
I stepped back and lifted my hands. "Toughest sport on dirt, right? The board of directors wants to walk that line between tough and assholes. If we cross it - and they never tell us where it is - we become a liability. That's all I'm saying."
"Then stay the fuck out of my way," Austin snapped.
"More than happy to," I said, turning around and heading back for the elevator.
Cody was out of sight. They'd been delayed. I'd done my good deed for the day. Unfortunately, I now knew too much, and I wasn't real sure what to do about it. I also couldn't ignore it.
Someone needed to know those assholes were gunning for her. Someone needed to watch that girl's back. Tanner was the logical choice, since he was her boyfriend - but then there was J.D.
I had no idea what that crazy fucker was doing with Cody, but he sure as shit wasn'tjusther friend. He was her guard dog at best, and some kinky shit was going on behind closed doors at worst. It also wasn't any of my business.
Now, all I needed to do was make sure I bumped into one of them in the elevator, halls, or somewhere else. Preferably before Cody made it to the arena tomorrow. I might not want to get involved in the drama these guys were so happy to make, but that didn't mean I'd ignore it either.
Cody was good. That girl was going to make her mark - if and only if she could survive long enough to do it. Getting trashed by a bull was one thing, although dating one of the bullfighters was a damned good way to make sure that didn't happen. But getting trashed by another rider? A group of riders?
I was not ok with that.
To my way of thinking, it didn't matter who was riding who. I didn't care if they were gay, straight, male, female, or anything in between. I was here to do my job, get a check, and rub a little shame in my old man's face. I was going to prove I could do this, and that had nothing to do with anyone else.
I figured Cody deserved the exact same respect. Sadly, she couldn't snap off some half-hearted insult or spout the expected bullshit and go unnoticed. Nope. Those pink chaps of hers and all that long blonde hair? It set her apart, whether she liked it or not.
So when the elevator doors opened, I stepped in and hit the button for the floor the bullfighters were on. Someone needed to know. I had to be the one to tell them. Maybe this broke my whole stance of neutrality in PBR bullshit, but there was a big difference between staying neutral and turning a blind eye.
I knew shit was about to go down. I knew Cody could get hurt - if not killed - because of it. If I didn't man up and do something about it, then I was just as bad as the rest. In other words, whether I liked it or not, I'd just picked a side in this whole "women in the PBR" debate.
In truth, I'd picked back in Tulsa. Like everyone else, I'd seen her ride Disco Breakout and then get dragged through the arena afterwards. I also knew a pro when I saw one, and that girl was good enough to go all the way, so paint me team Cody.
Chapter11
Cody left early.Tanner woke up slowly. Me? Naw, I hurt too much for that shit most days. So once I got my jeans on, I told Tanner I had to go take care of something real fast. He gave me a confused look, but didn't try to stop me. Funny enough, that made me like the guy more.
First, I headed down to the front desk. There, I lifted up a fifty, making it clear I'd trade it for a room number. The woman on the other side of the counter gave me a confused look, but she was more than willing to look up what room Ty McBride was in. Yeah, she also took the money.
I turned to head back up, but paused when I saw Jake Cunningham talking to Austin and Eli. Now that wasn't a trio I'd expected to see. Then again, Jake didn't look so glad to be there. He had that tension like he'd much prefer to just walk away, so I wouldn't beat the shit out of him yet.
Not until he screwed up, then all bets were off - for anyone.
But I was a man on a mission. Cody's meeting with her reps would take a bit. Couple hours, easily. This? I really had no clue. Still, my girl had said "maybe" when I asked her if I should talk to Ty. Well, she'd also said yes and no, but I knew she'd been thinking the maybe the loudest. She wanted to know why he'd done what he did, so I was gonna get some answers.
When I reached the right door, I didn't try to knock all nice and shit. Nah, I pounded on the door with my fist. If that asshole was sleeping, well, he wouldn't be anymore. Sure enough, the sound of the lock clanking on the other side proved my knocking worked real good.
The moment the door was open, I hit it with the flat of my hand, pushing it against the wall, and sauntered in. "Morning, Ty," I greeted him.
Letting out a heavy sigh, he closed the door behind me. Considering the man was dressed, I hadn't woken him up. Well, that was one thing in his favor. Still, we were gonna do this, and I didn't believe in fuckin' around.
"Why'd you fuck over Cody?" I asked.
Ty sighed again and made his way across the room. "Didn't mean to."
"Still did," I countered.
