Page 22 of Buck This (Battle of the Bulls #6)
“I know where he is.”
Torrey had said that when Quickdraw called in a panic.
It had hit her while she and Raven had been deep in her research on Buck and what had really happened. He wouldn’t have left his RV. He wouldn’t have left the territory.
He wouldn’t have left her. Not like this.
“I know where he is.”
She’d said it with the conviction she felt in her heart.
They’d asked to come with her, but she’d said no. If they wanted a chance at Buck This Storme fulfilling his destiny, it had to be her, and only her to bring him around.
He would be like that traumatized bull that night, facing off with police while he was bleeding out. She understood him more now, after seeing that footage. The pictures. A fraction of the horror he had endured that night in the months that followed, because she knew the real story. She’d found it.
Fuck. Cobalt.
What he’d done held no honor.
She dodged a plant that had overgrown the path behind Skip’s Barbecue, and there he was, sitting on the edge of the wishing fountain.
Buck’s head was in his hands, and every muscle in his body was tense.
It broke her heart to see him like this. He was alone. Oh, he would feel alone, but he wasn’t.
She was right here, if he would just let her in.
Buck looked up suddenly, and his blazing eyes landed directly on her.
He froze, and Torrey cocked her head, and forced a small smile.
She clutched the two pennies she’d brought tighter in her fist and walked slowly toward him.
“Don’t,” he gritted out in a voice she didn’t recognize. She bet if she was shifter, all she could smell right now was fur.
He was shaking.
“I saw,” she said softly.
“Congratulations. Everyone has seen.”
She shook her head and took a few steps closer. “No, I mean, I saw.”
He held out his hand, asking her to stop there, ten feet away from him. He angled his face to the side, hiding his eyes from her.
“I know,” she whispered.
“Everybody fucking knows!” he barked.
“Buck,” she whispered, eyes burning with tears. God, he was so hurt. “I know you weren’t driving that night.”
He hung his head, and she could see it—the drop of water that fell from his eyes and to the gravel at his feet.
“You didn’t kill him—”
“I did kill him! I did. He was driving but his blood is on my fucking hands. He was drinking that night. I didn’t drink back then.
It wasn’t my thing. I was sober, but he had this thing about not letting anyone drive his truck.
I should’ve stopped it. I should’ve driven us home.
I should’ve gotten us there safe, and I didn’t!
The media might have gotten the details wrong, but they’re right about the most important part—I did kill Teague.
My brother is dead and it’s my fault, and now I have to walk this earth pretending I didn’t die right along with him that night.
” The wind left his lungs like someone had punched him and he stood, and walked away, stopped ten yards away and hooked his hands on his hips, staring off into the woods.
She startled when he yelled as loudly as he could into the air.
Tears streamed down her face at the sound of agony in his voice. She bet he hadn’t talked about any of this. Not ever. And now it was being played out like theater in the media. Like it was a movie, but it wasn’t. It was a tragedy that had demolished a family, and left Buck reeling.
“I can’t fix that,” she whispered raggedly, “but I fixed tonight.”
His shoulders heaved with his breath, and he just stood there, staring at the woods until his breathing steadied out. “What does that mean?”
“You have a spot to buck tonight. They reversed the decision to kick you out.”
There was a three-second pause before he turned to look at her. “What are you talking about. I’m not bucking tonight.”
“Yes, you are.”
“Torrey—”
“You had your time to speak, and now I’m asking for the same respect. Please.”
His eyes had that same look as in his mugshot, and she couldn’t even imagine how bad the flashbacks had been for him today.
Slowly, he approached the fountain and sat down on the ledge, keeping distance between them. “I want you to leave, Torrey.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s what is best.”
“For who?”
He didn’t answer.
“Are you trying to set me free, Buck?”
He gritted his teeth and looked away.
“Won’t work.”
“I’m not interested in you—”
“Won’t work.”
“Last night was fun, but it was just—”
“Bullshit,” she said softly. “Save your bullshit. I’m not here asking you for anything. I’m here telling you, you aren’t alone. No matter what we are, no matter that we will never see each other again after tonight, I’m not leaving until you do the damn thing. I’m here to see this through.”
“What are you talking about.”
“In an hour, the bull riders will be drawing their bulls right before the event starts, on television, and your name is in that hat.”
He shook his head. “There’s no way.”
“I found one.”
“There’s no way,” he repeated, standing. He paced away and back, like he was uncomfortable in his skin. “I can’t do it.”
“You can and you will.”
“You aren’t listening, Torrey. The world knows what I’ve tried so fucking hard to keep to myself—”
“Good!” she barked, standing.
“Good?”
“Yeah, good. You don’t need that fuckin’ secret poisoning your life. I never had the honor of meeting Teague, but I don’t think he would want you dragging him around like this. Now the world knows.”
“The world knows the fucked-up story Cobalt told them.”
“No.” She handed over her phone, with the screen on the video that would change the course of tonight for him.
“Now they know the real stuff.” The tears were streaming, and her bottom lip was trembling, and she couldn’t stop them, but she didn’t care.
She was heartbroken for him, but he was not done with life yet. It had to go on.
He watched the first few seconds of the video, and wide-eyed, he looked up at her. She smiled through her tears.
“You…” He swallowed hard, eyes back on the video. “You…”
“I told you. I fixed it for tonight.” She let him finish the video before she closed the distance and held her hand out. The two pennies were sitting on her palm, both on heads for luck. “Don’t fuck it up this time.”
He huffed a breath, and she could feel some of the tension leave him. “I can’t do it,” he whispered.
“You can and you will, do you know why?” she asked.
Eyes softening, he shook his head.
“Because your brother deserves for you to do all the things in life he wanted for you. I saw the videos of him training you. You will go out there tonight, you will look Cobalt dead in the eyes, and you will get whatever is meant for you. Too much has already been taken, Buck. Too much. Everyone knows now, it’s out there, it’s time to hold your head high and be the man Teague would’ve wanted you to be. ”
He ran his hand down his facial scruff. “You were supposed to run.”
“It’s not going to happen. You gave me boots,” she teased, straightening out her leg.
“I already have a cute outfit on for tonight. I brushed my hair. I got in front of cameras for you. Running won’t happen.
I will, however, be right behind you when you buck the shit out of whatever rider draws you. ”
“Torrey—”
“Plus, I want my half of the money,” she joked. “I now have a new boot addiction I need to finance. Your fault.”
He huffed a laugh and hung his head, held there for a few seconds, then looked back up at her. “Who has seen this?” he asked, holding up her phone.
“It’s everywhere. Quickdraw and his herd are on it.”
“Quickdraw isn’t pissed?”
“I mean, he’ll probably skin you alive for turning your phone off, but no. He’s worried.”
“About me being kicked out of the event?”
“No,” she said softly. “He’s just worried about you.”
He nodded and swallowed hard. Nodded some more and then grabbed a penny from her palm. He turned and inhaled deep, closed his eyes, then tossed it over his shoulder.
She didn’t know what he’d wished for, and she wouldn’t ask. She wanted his wishes to come true.
She turned and did the same and made the same wish she’d made yesterday… I hope he wins tonight.
When she opened her eyes, he was watching her, his too-bright eyes sparking with intensity. “Will you stay close to me tonight?”
She nodded. “Head up, chest out, Buck This. You’re going to buck as a tribute for your brother tonight. You’re going to show the world what it means to be a Storme.”