Page 34 of Reckless Hearts

“Hey, you’re up next,” a bullfighter hollers at me, voice annoyed enough it’s probably not the first time.

Damn it.

I run my palm down my face and bust my ass to the staging area behind the pens.

I’d been daydreaming so hard I nearly missed my own ride.

Whatever the hell Colt’s doing to my head, it’s gotta stop. And it’s gotta stop now.

Two familiar men wait at the top of the chute, one leg braced on the rail and the other safely on the deck in case they need to bail fast.

“How’s it looking?” I ask, cracking my neck as I prep to mount.

The bullfighter smirks. “You’ve got yourself a live one. He’s ready to kill.”

As if to prove the point, the bull rears in the pen, nearly crushing Colt. He only just manages to dodge it.

The other one lets out a low whistle. “Gonna be a pretty ride.”

These two have helped countless riders, and they make it easy.

Within minutes, the gate opens, and the clock starts ticking.

Muscles flex between my thighs as the devil beneath me bucks, hungry to kick me off and take a piece of me.

He’s wild, but I’ve ridden him before.

I release the tension in my body and move with him on instinct.

Forward when his feet go up. Backward when he rears.

Leaning into his turns instead of away.

Seconds counting down.

I make a rookie mistake and look at the clock.

Just like that, the bull slams his skull into my face.

The bone-shattering crack reverberates through my head.

Thank God the whistle blows, and I manage to dismount with help from the bullfighters.

Blood pours over my mouth, down my chin, soaking through my shirt.

I don’t waste time waving at the crowd instead head straight for the medics.

The medic area’s tucked away behind the building.

Most riders consider it bad luck to even glance at it, like getting hurt is contagious.

It’s set up to handle common injuries. Get you stitched up, pop in a separated shoulder… realign your broken nose…

And no bull rider steps foot in a hospital unless absolutely necessary.

I’ve seen guys with sideways ankles swear they just need to walk it off.

That’s where the medical team steps in and forces them.

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