Page 56 of Buck This
“Blood Lust just got ridden,” Quickdraw announced from around the corner. “The rider scored eighty-four. Not enough.”
“Not enough for what?”
“Finals. Justin Thorton rode Too Much Baggage for an eighty-eight and his scores were higher for the rest of the event too. So far, it’s Justin for finals.”
His unspoken words were loud though. Cobalt hadn’t ridden yet. That was who he wanted.
“Bucked off,” Quickdraw announced.
“Bucked off who?” Buck This asked.
“Death To All.”
Buck sat up and his face went serious. Oh, he must’ve been a contender.
Quickdraw was quiet.
“Quickdraw?”
“Judges are taking their time,” Quickdraw said. “Hey, he isn’t taking interviews. You can’t go in there. What? I don’t care. Fuck off.” There was another few seconds of silence and then, “Eighty! He was missing the height and bucked in the same direction almost the whole time. Eighty isn’t enough. You are still in first.”
Buck This clapped once and eased her off his lap, paced the small room. “Who’s up?” he asked.
“You know who.”
Cobalt’s turn on Iron Will.
“Come on,” Torrey muttered under her breath. “Ride him.”
She knew Buck needed this. He had a vendetta. What Cobalt had done had left a gash on Buck’s soul, and the only cure was vengeance.
He squatted down as the seconds of silence ticked by. Torrey stared at the old school clock on the wall and tried to imagine what was happening as the crowd outside cheered. The stadium went up in an uproar, and Quickdraw burst into the room.
“What?” Buck demanded, standing.
Quickdraw was staring at his phone, wide-eyed. “Hang on.”
“Did he ride him?” Buck asked.
“Hang on.”
“Did he ride him or not?” Buck asked, trying to see the phone.
Quickdraw showed him.
“Oh, fuck, he did it. He rode him out.”
Buck’s hands went to his hair as he watched the phone, and Torrey just had this feeling…she had a feeling she needed to capture whatever was happening.
She lifted her phone and put the video on, and just in time.
A slow, wicked smile spread across Buck’s lips and he and Quickdraw locked eyes and nodded. He backed up a few steps and rested his shoulders against the wall, eyes on Quickdraw.
“He gets it,” Quickdraw said, swinging his attention to Torrey. “He’s going to get his match-up, and that cheering,” he said, jamming his finger out toward the arena. “It’s not for Cobalt. It’s for the matchup the crowd wants. They’re hyping it up on the big TV now.” Quickdraw arched his dark eyebrows. “That cheer is for Buck This Storme.”
Buck was looking at the corner of the room, the smile still faint on his lips. Torrey looked, but there was nothing there.
Buck nodded once at the corner, and chills rippled up Torrey’s spine.
