Page 59 of Rough Stock
His whisper was more like a growl. “You broke into his trailer? Why the hell would you do that?”
“I was looking for something, anything, that would tie him to Cobra’s death.”
“And did you find anything on your little private detective excursion?” he asked, his voice snarky.
“Actually, I did. He came back.”
“HeWHAT?” Jensen roared. “Shy! You can’t?”
“Stop! Listen to me! He didn’t know I’d ever been there. I hid in the horse stalls in the trailer and listened to him talking to somebody on the phone. He outright admitted he killed Cobra to whoever was on the phone and he said there’d be no trace because, get this… He’s staying in a motel in town. And he’s bringing something back and forth. I don’t know what, but it’s something folks are paying for, so I’d say it sounds like he’s bringing drugs in and selling them during the rodeo.”
She watched the blood drain from Jensen’s face. “You’re kidding me. Seriously? He’s dealing shit while we’re all supposed to be there working?”
“Wait.” Something tickled Shyanna’s brain. “There was this contract. Something about pharmaceuticals. It was on his table, and it had something to do with the rodeo association. And I just realized… It was gone when I left.”
Jensen’s jaw dropped. Sitting back down on the sofa with athud, he stared at the floor. “Oh my god. This is huge. And it’s dangerous. Shy, you can’t ride in the rough stock events, not until we figure all this out.”
She could feel the furrows on her brow before she answered, “Oh, no. I absolutely amnotgoing to hang back because of this asshole. That’s exactly what he wants.”
“And for right now, you should give it to him,” Jensen ordered.
“No. I’m not doing that. He wants me out, he’ll have to kill me,” she announced.
Her heart almost froze when he said, “Hey, don’t put it past him. That’s probably what he’s got in mind anyway. He could’ve very easily killed me last night. I got lucky. If Cobra had fallen right on top of me, I doubt I would’ve survived.”
“Don’t care. I’m not backing down. And I’ve got another idea. I’m going to sic the girls on him.”
Jensen’s expression turned to full-fledged alarm. “No! Don’t get them involved in this! Shy, please?”
“It’s okay. They won’t be doing anything but following him at a distance and telling me which motel he’s staying in. I need to know.”
“What’re you gonna do, break into that room too?” Jensen asked, folding those muscular arms across his chest.
“Yes. That’s exactly what I’m going to do,” she said, turning to leave, but Jensen grabbed her arm and spun her back to look at him. “What?”
“Shy, don’t do this.”
“I have to. For both of us. And for Cobra. You staying or you coming?” she asked as she wrenched her arm free and darted for the door.
“Damn, woman, if Max doesn’t kill me, trying to keep you safe will,” he muttered, but she never turned around so he could see her face. The smile she was wearing… if he saw that, he’d be more than pissed. He’d be furious.
Bareback bronc was up next,and Shyanna and Jensen were waiting, rigging in hand. Jensen was third out, Shyanna eighth, so he’d be in the first three loaded. She’d have to stand around for the second group, and she hated that. It would only make her more nervous to have to wait. The first rider was out and the second prepping in the chute when the chute boss yelled, “Strader!”
“Good luck, babe,” she called out to Jensen as he walked toward the chutes, the rowels on his spurs clanking. He just turned, walked backward about five steps, and winked at her, a huge smile on his face. She looked on as the handlers took his rigging and got everything ready while he stood and watched carefully, pulling on his glove and tying it on with a strip of latigo as they worked. From his perch on the tubular steel chute walls, he looked down at the horse, put his hand on its neck, and stroked it. The horse calmed momentarily until he lowered himself into the chute, and then the commotion began. It rattled around inside its confines, tossing its head as much as it could in the ropes binding it and trying to bounce on its front hooves, while Jensen situated his hand just as he wanted it in the handle on the surcingle. His vest was buckled, his hat cocked just right, his mouth guard in place, and the neck roll for his vest secured when she saw them tighten the flank strap. Shyanna knew she was holding her breath, but she couldn’t help it. Watching him prepare himself was terrifying to her, but it was exciting as hell.
He leaned back to check his rigging, wiggled just a little like he was looking for the perfect seat, and before she could blink, he nodded. Ropes that had secured the horse’s neck to the chutegate fell, the gate itself popped open, and the horse named Lucifer shot out of the chute. Even if she wanted to, she couldn’t help but critique his ride, and everything about it was perfect. The horse was crazy wild, twisting and turning, and Jensen was meeting its every move, his spurs falling and raking perfectly, that free hand up in the air, rising and dropping with every buck. When the buzzer sounded, the pickup riders moved into place, and Jensen grabbed the rigging with his free hand, released his hold on the surcingle’s handle, and let the pickup rider pull him off the horse to safety just as the second rider loosened the flanking strap. Lucifer thundered into the holding area and disappeared.
The cheering was almost deafening, and then the announcer came over the speaker system: “Ladies and gentlemen, that was JensenStrader with a score of ninety-one, pushing him into first place tonight.” Over to one side of the arena and in the lower stands, a group of girls in hats, low-cut blouses, and blinged-out belts shrieked and screamed, and people were cheering and pointing. Jensen simply walked toward the exit and when he reached it, turned and waved to the crowd.
In that tiny slice of time, Shyanna didn’t want to ride bareback that evening. She didn’t want to compete against him. Oh, she was pretty damn sure she couldn’t beat him, but if she happened to, she’d never forgive herself. His ride had been amazing, one of the most amazing things she’d ever seen, and she wanted that picture to remain in her memory forever. As soon as he stepped into the warm-up area, she ran to him and he grabbed her, lifted her off the ground, spun her around, and kissed her.
Shyanna didn’t give a damn who saw them, or who liked it or didn’t. None of that mattered. When he broke the kiss, she grinned up at him. “JensenDirk Strader, that was the most amazing thing I think I’ve ever seen in my life.”
“You know what that means, right?” he asked, breathless.
“No.”
“It means I’m going to bomb in the bull riding event,” he said, laughing.
