Page 35 of Buck This
“That’s what we needed,” Tuff Enough said as his dad and Dead of Winter exchanged a smirk.
“What does that mean?” Torrey asked Raven softly.
“He’s good. Real good. He’s an up-and-coming star and has been killing it this year. If Buck This would’ve drawn a shitty rider who didn’t stand a chance at riding him, he couldn’t put on a show. He needed a good draw tonight.”
“He got it!” the cowboy chirped as he passed them by. “Good luck not getting someone killed tonight.”
Quickdraw was already at the back of the trailer, preparing to unfasten the door. A huge boom echoed, and Torrey startled hard. Buck This had just kicked the shit out of the trailer, and there was a huge dent protruding from the side of it. A bellow sounded from inside.
“If you want to be useful, reinforce any weak panels,” Quickdraw called to the handlers that were dispersing. “Dead, Two, grab a couple of Hot-Shots.”
“You’re going to piss him off,” Dead pointed out.
“Good,” Quickdraw said without hesitation.
“What are Hot-Shots?” Torrey asked, worried.
“Cattle prods with an electric pulse at the end. It’ll shock the hell out of whatever they press it to.”
“Will it hurt him?” Torrey asked, wringing her hands.
“Girl, that bull ain’t feelin’ anything but adrenaline right now. Trust Quickdraw.”
Torrey nodded but gave another worried look at the trailer as Buck This Storme slammed his hoof against the inside of it again. There were two outward facing dents in it now.
“Let’s unload him before he destroys this trailer,” Tuff enough said.
“Can I do anything?” Torrey asked.
“Just be near him but out of the way,” Quickdraw said. “You’re doing just fine.”
Quickdraw’s mate, Annabelle called out to the handlers as she typed away on her phone, “The insurance waivers are sent!”
Torrey had just met Quickdraw’s mate when they’d loaded Buck This Storme at the old arena, and Torrey already liked her. She was a woman who just commanded control and knew exactly what to do, and when to do it.
The more time she spent with these people, the more she remained in awe of them.
“You have five minutes,” the old cowboy called. “They’re loading the next line up now. He’ll be in chute ten.”
“Plenty of time,” Quickdraw assured the man who was now saying something into a walkie talkie.
“Yeah right,” Two Shots Down muttered as he passed them with a long red pole in his hand. “It’ll be a miracle if we can keep him from jumping the panels.”
“He’ll be fine,” Torrey said, crossing her arms. God, she wished she felt as confident as she sounded. “You’re going to do this. Do you hear me, Buck This Storme?” she yelled as Raven pulled her by the hand toward the arena. “You’re going to do this! It’s your time!”
The answering bellow that followed them filled the entire loading area.
“This way,” Raven said, kicking up their pace to a jog. “Move!” she said, shooing people out of their way.
“She needs to get to the panels now,” Annabelle said from where she was trotting behind them.
“We can get there through here,” Raven assured her.
Raven’s grip tightened on Torrey’s hand as she shoved her through a door and into a busy walkway that was hidden from the general public.
There was chaos and yelling outside in the direction Buck This had been.
“Shhit. Can you hear that?” Annabelle said frantically.
