Reckless Rogue 12 by Wizzy

Reckless Rogue
Part 12

by Wizzy

DISCLAIMERS: See Part 1

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Part 12

Michelle woke to the pounding on her door. She stumbled to the door and opened it letting Taylor sneak into the room next door, “Lock it behind you Taylor.” She mumbled as she crawled back into bed.

Taylor set her suitcase down. She couldn’t see much in the dark room but she knew Terri was sleeping hard. She took off her clothes and slid in next to her. She pulled her into her arms and let sleep take over her.

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Terri reached out to turn off her alarm. Sitting straight up in bed she realized she was not alone. The small body lying next to her had her worried it might be a replay of last time someone ended up in bed with her? Yanking back the covers she saw Taylor sound asleep next to her. She shut the alarm off and lowered herself until she was lying against Taylor.

Taylor knew she shouldn’t start something she couldn’t finish as she would need every bit of strength to ride tonight. The sexy body laying next to her made her want to take her to the plane of excitement and feelings they had before she left on this tour.

Terri could feel Taylor’s body respond to her touch. Even in a deep sleep, Taylor moaned and moved her hips to meet Terri’s moving hands. Taylor moaned louder waking up and reaching over to pull Terri down on top of her. She caught Terri’s leg between hers and captured Terri’s lips with her own.

“Good morning sweetheart.” Taylor tightened her hold on Terri, “I’ve missed you.”

“I…mi…ssed…you…t…too. We…hav…have to stop.” She pulled away from Taylor. “When…d…did…you get h…here?”

“Late last night. Michelle let me in through her room. I hope you’re not mad that I’m here. I just had to see you.”

“No not at all, I’m…hap…happy you’re here. Let’s g…get ready, I’ll b…buy…you breakfast…b…be…before I …huh…ride this after…noon.”

After a quick shower they met Michelle for breakfast in one of the cafés close to the arena. After finishing their breakfast Taylor left to find her seat. Tamara would be there by now. She had taken an earlier flight, bringing Terri’s riggings, ropes and riding clothes. She dropped them off with Michelle that morning.

“Hey Taylor, how was your flight? I ran into Martina this morning by the way. She thinks I like her, so we are having dinner together.”

“Terri is not going to like that Tamara.” Taylor said as she took her seat.

They sat next to the chutes. Taylor strained her eyes looking for a second time trying to locate Terri. She picked out the black Stetson. It stood out from the sea of hats behind the chutes. The hat Terri wore had a different shape to it. It curved low to cover her eyes; the back was tilted down to match the curve in the front. The wide leather band had a single stripe of bright blazing pink intertwined to make a rope braid.

“Taylor are you listening to me?” Tamara shook her arm, drawing her attention away from Terri.

“What? I…ah…yes I’m listening.” Taylor grinned at her friend seated next to her.

“No, you’re not!”

“Ok, so I wasn’t, I had something better pulling my attention. You were saying?”

“We are not going to tell Terri that I’m having dinner with her. Not till I get the truth from her. I don’t want Michelle to know either. I’m picking her up after the shows over tonight. We’ll go to the far side of town where no one knows we’re there.”

“Do you honestly think she’ll tell you anything? She knows Terri works for you.”

“Yes I do as she has been after me for quite sometime and I plan on using it to my advantage.” Tamara smiled and worked out a plan to find out just what was going on with in the rodeo circuit.

They sat in the crowed stands discussing the plans as they watched the bronco riding events. Taylor kept one watchful eye out for Terri.

“Did you notice Terri seems to not stutter as much when she just lets go and doesn’t think about it?” Taylor asked more to herself than to Tamara as her eyes caught the site of Terri’s black Stetson.

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Terri made her rounds stopping and talking to some old friends as well as some newer ones she had met after she had returned to the world she had once loved. She knew this would be her last ride; the promotional tours would be a thing of the past. She wanted nothing more now then to settle down and have a real life, one that included Taylor.

‘Where the hell did THAT come from?’ Terri shook her head to clear the thoughts from her head ‘I need to have a clear mind if I am to make it through the weekend rides!’ Mentally kicking herself Terri scanned the crowds looking for the emerald green eyes she had come to love. Locking into the depths of those eyes Terri tipped her black Stetson and Taylor smiled and nodded back. Making her way behind the chutes Terri climbed the steel rails for her first ride of the day.

Taylor felt a shiver run up and down her spine as she met Terri’s eyes and the raw passion radiated from the depths of those deep blue sea colored eyes.

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Climbing inside corral Terri straddled the enraged bull wrapping her hand in-between the raw hide rope. It would be the only thing holding her on the broad back of the bull. The rope cut deep into her gloved hand as she flexed her nimble fingers to get a tighter grip on the rope. Once again she realized she did not have her mouth piece and cursed softly and settled the black Stetson down tighter on her head and nodded to the gate keeper to turn them loose.

The black bull spun into a hard right handed turn; Terri leaned into the turn and gouged the bull with her dull Spanish roweled spurs. Her knee strained and pulled with each kick of her booted heel.

Blocking the pain from her mind she slid closer to her hand trying to easy the grip she had on the bull’s sides with her legs. She was not concentrating on the bulls movements and it caused her to be nearly flipped off as he turned and spun to the left.

The switch in direction was a close call but sheer determination kept Terri upright on the bull’s wide back. She managed to upright herself just in time for the bull to once more fling his head and turn back to the right. Red dirt flew from under the split hooves of the bull, sweat stung in Terri’s eyes as she stayed right with him ridding him down the large arena.

Paying closer attention now she watched his head to detect any change in his direction. With one final burst of energy the bull spun into the turn as Terri rode him to the final seconds before the buzzer blew its final blast.

Quickly letting go of the raw hide rope holding her on his back Terri let him buck out from underneath her. Landing hard on her knees she quickly ducked and rolled into a ball as the bull turned on her. The large head of the bull narrowly missed her exposed back as he tried to spear her with his long twisted horns as she continued to roll away from him.

The clowns were on the bull in seconds distracting him and pulling him away from Terri. Jumping up, she staggered across the soft dirt to escape the bull’s wrath that he would unleash upon her if given the chance. Leaping up on the railings above the cement wall she turned and smiled at the crowd whose lap she was almost sitting in.

All in all it was a good ride, not one of her better ones but the score showed on the billboard high above the arena showed it to be 90 points, posting her in first place and that’s what mattered in this game they called Rodeo!

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Terri sat in the medical tent with ice wrapped tightly around her aching knee. Waiting for the next ride was not something Terri would ever get used to. She had dozed on and off for over two hours killing time until she was to take her last ride for the night. She had been told Michelle had not made the 8 second buzzer on her second ride of the day. She would have to have a clean go-round on her last ride to make the final draft for the next day’s ride.

Fifteen minutes before her next ride Terri had the doctor shoot her knee full of cortisone numbing it from the pain of her old injuries. She limped out to watch Michelle make a good solid clean ride and score a 98 putting her in second place. Terri waved her hat in the air whistling along with the crowd.

The final bull waited for her in the chute. Stopping in front of the steel bars she adjusted the knee brace the doctor had given her and began to climb up the bars to mount the bull.

Looking up to the heavens above Terri said a silent prayer and swung down on top of the bull. He flung his head side to side spraying everyone in his path with the foamy spittle. The whites of his eyes showed as he bellowed in rage at the added weight on his back. This is what these bulls had been bred for.

As she settled down on his back as he let her know he was not happy about the added weight by slamming her knees against the steel rails holding him tight. Clamping her mouth down tight on the mouth piece she had retrieved from her bag, she tried to block the shooting pains in her knees each time he slammed her against the bars. Through clenched teeth she yelled “out” to the gate-keeper and waited for the explosion of well over 1900 pounds beneath her to charge from the gate. This would be a long 8 seconds!

The bull came out of the chute bucking and kicking his way to the middle of the arena trying to skewer the first clown he spotted with his long horns. The clown was there for a reason, to keep the bull bucking and spinning but to also help the rider down after the 8 second buzzer went off.

All the competitors in this game were thankful for the clowns as their lives depended upon the swift foot work of the colorfully dressed men. They could save the life of a rider who was being mauled to death by a bull, putting their lives in danger as well. Watching the bulls head close with each jarring buck, Terri felt him once again pull hard to the left even as she adjusted her weight to go with the movement of the bulls stride.

Her knees clenched tight against his side as he spun only allowed her to spur him from the inside of the turn with her good leg until he changed back to the right sided twisting and spinning. The dirt flew from under his hooves as he screamed in pure rage at the clown. Terri raked him hard with her spurs getting his attention back on her. As he spun around his long horns ripped into the barrel the clown had just disappeared into. He knocked it over, sending it rolling underneath his large body. As the bull became unbalanced he took a tumble, bringing them all down into a single pile.

Terri’s right leg was pinned beneath the bull and the barrels as they toppled to the ground. She was pinned flat, face first into the dirt. Her face hit hard against the dirt floor, crushing her nose. With pure determination she clung to the rope in her hand waiting for the bull to find his footing and right them as it thrashed and kicked. Once he recovered his footing Terri rode him up and adjusted her weight to bring her body back into her hand increasing the tight grip on the rope. He hesitated as he got his bearings. Terri didn’t wait for him too long as she dug her spurs into his sides hard sending the bull into a dazed rage, looking to rip apart anything in his path with his long dangerous horns.

She heard one of the clowns yelling at her. She had missed the 8 second buzzer as she rode him into a hard tight spin. Reaching down she let the rope loosen and flung herself to the outside of the bull’s spin, hoping to break her fall and not damage her bad knee anymore then it was. She failed to land on her feet as her body crashed to the ground again sending her face first into the blood red dirt, knocking the wind out of her body. She stood back up and staggered to the railing as she gasped for breath. The audience went crazy shouting her name. She felt a warm touch on her arm.

“Sweetheart, you’re going to need this. Your face is bloody and your nose is crooked.” The red head smiled at Terri as she took the bandanna from her.

Terri tried to smile back but pain shot through her face and all she could do was nod her head at the woman. Signaling the pick up rider Terri waited for the horse to pull close to the rail then she slid down across the withers and said another silent prayer. She had made the final draft of the night in the number one slot.

“The medic’s tent Terri?” the pick-up rider asked in a slow southern drawl.

“Uh, please.” Terri sputtered through bloody lips. She had lost her mouth piece as well as her hat. Looking around she watched as the clown picked up the hat and mouth piece as he headed for the end of the arena.

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Taylor was on her feet the second the bull went crashing to the ground. She couldn’t recall later if she had screamed or not and she had never felt as helpless as she watched her lover being crushed by the bull. She could feel the pain Terri was suffering at the hands of a wild animal then watched in horror as he scrambled to his feet taking Terri right up with him. Why didn’t she just let go? What was she trying to prove? Taylor’s temper raged a war in her mind as she watched the scene play out before her.

As Terri dismounted the bull Taylor wished she could be there to catch her. She grabbed the railing preparing to jump down into the arena. Tamara’s gentle hand stopped her from going to the aid of the one who had taken her heart. She knew she would try and stop Terri from taking anymore rides as she made her way towards the medical tent.

As Terri slid from the horses back, Taylor was there beside her, helping her to the tent.

“Not one word Taylor, not now... just help me to the tent.” Terri growled not only in pain but not wanting to argue with her lover.

Helping her inside the flaps of the tent Taylor quickly grabbed some towels and began wiping of Terri’s face.

“This is insane Terri. You can’t keep doing this and not pay the reaper.” Taylor pleaded with her to call it quits.

“Stop it Taylor. Do you honestly think I can quit now? Do you?” Her blue eyes dark with heated anger at what Taylor was asking of her. “I can’t stop now... nor do I want too. Granted I am glad you’re here Taylor but if you cant stand to watch then stay in the hotel.”

“Damn you Terri.” Taylor ran a frustrated hand through her hair. “Do you think I could leave now? Is that how little you think of me? I love you dammit but I do not want to watch them carry your fricking dead body out on a stretcher for God’s sakes! I want to take you home in one piece. Now, I’m going to go get Tamara and we’ll get you back to our room.”

“Fricking? Did you just say fricking?” Terri asked with a slight smile in her eyes.

“Yes, that is what I said.” Taylor hissed in anger.

“What does that mean?” Terri asked playing with Taylor as she was one who hardly ever swore but made up words in place of the real ones.

“Maybe you will understand this then... I do not want to watch them haul your fucking dead body out of here. IS THAT CLEAR enough for you?” Taylor leaned in close, bringing their faces within inches of each other.

Terri swallowed the laugh that had been building and ran her hand across the angry face in front of her.

“Yes sweetheart. It is very clear. I will just have to ride carefully and make sure that doesn’t happen.” Terri whispered in Taylor’s ear.

“Like I said, I do not want to see your dead body hauled out of here, so you just lay there and think about it.” Taylor removed the distracting touch and walked out of the tent, not looking back.

Terri was examined by the doctor on call at the medic tent and he recommended going to the hospital for x-rays on her nose but she flatly refused. She asked him to treat it as if it was broken and that she would have it looked at after the rodeo was over. She figured in her own stubborn mind there wasn’t much they could do for a broken nose anyway. She shrugged it off as temporary set back.

Armed with pain pills she gingerly stood up and went in search of Taylor and Tamara. They picked up her riding gear as all three went silently back to their hotel. Terri unlocked the door and collapsed on the bed as her pain pills were beginning to wash away the day’s events.

Taylor removed the dirty boots and jeans from Terri’s body. She reached out to take off her bloody shirt.

“Terri, honey, I need you to help me here. Come on honey and sit up for just a second.” She gently shook Terri trying to wake her up enough to help remove the stained shirt. Once the unsalvageable shirt was removed, Terri sank down onto the soft pillows. Taylor went to fill the ice bucket to have some on hand when the ice melted in the pack she had resting on Terri’s knee as well as the one for her face.

Taylor ordered room service as she sat watching the TV thinking of the day’s events and wondered how she could convince Terri to stop this hellish ride she was on. Terri was as stubborn as the Rogue bulls she rode.

Conclusion

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