“Go!” I yelled at the gate man, and then it was eight seconds to fly or fall.

Hurricane burst out of the chutes, twisting to the left. I leaned into the movement, trying not to get sucked into the well. But Daddy bred his bulls well, and the strain on my arm was insane as I struggled to get my seat. I knew in another two rotations, Hurricane would stop and try and throw me forward. But Hurricane decided to fucking adlib today, rapidly changing direction and throwing me off the side.

I hit the ground with a thud, the wind getting knocked out of me even as hooves flew around my head. I scrambled to my feet, but Hurricane decided he was being ornery and had me in his sights. He ran after me, ignoring the bullfighters and charging after me. His giant head caught me in the ass and he flipped me like a rag doll. I knew how to fall, but I would never forget the faces of the crowd as I shot six feet in the air over the back of an enraged bull. I even saw Beau and Branch’s faces on the way down, the horrified expressions would have been comical if I wasn’t about to be severely injured.

Leaving my body loose, I still felt a pain in my shoulder as I landed hard on it in the sand. The clowns corralled Hurricane back through the gate, and then Branch and Beau were over the fence, running toward me.

I just laid there, staring at the sky. I’d done it. I’d fucking done it.

When the faces of Beau and Branch crowded out the sky, I tuned back into the roar of the crowd and their voices.

“Fucking hell, Nugget. Are you okay?” Beau yelled over the sound. Branch grabbed my helmet and pulled it off.

When he saw my huge shit eating grin, his face morphed from concern to anger. “Are you fucking insane, Tessa May? You could have died,” he roared, and I had no problem hearing him over the crowd.

I sat up, still grinning. “Yep, so could you. How long did I stick it for?”

Beau’s lips twitched. He wasn’t as big of an asshole as Branch. “Five-three. It was a good ride.”

Branch slapped him on the back of the head then stood, reaching down to haul me to my feet. He frogmarched me out of the ring and I hoped none of the crowd could see I was a girl. I didn’t want it to detract from my ride. I’d stuck it for five seconds.

The rodeo medic was there when I walked out of the arena, and his face as he recognized me was hilarious. I’d known the doc since I was an infant. “Tessa May, what are you doing?” he gasped, and I knew that in exactly two minutes, word would get back to Daddy.