Page 41 of Her Devils

I heave a sigh of relief when the locker room empties.

“What the fuck happened? You guys were doing so well.” Ken glares at his son as we release his arms. “We’ll talk about it later. Get out there and try to focus on what matters. You guys have a few events to win.”

From that moment on, I get in the zone.

I usually meditate my way into the calm state of mind I need to perform at my best, but this time, I have one single thought right before I jump—Lenley.

Those green eyes, those pink lips, and the way she always calls me ‘Jameson,’ never shortening my name to J like everyone else does.

The thought of getting closer to Lenley helps sharpen my focus on something other than the natural instinct to open my parachute. The later I open it, the higher my score, and thinking about her gives me something to occupy my mind with until the very last minute.

I know I performed well the second I land right on the designated spot, showing surgical precision.

The day of events is long, and I have many jumps to perform to the best of my abilities.

I’m absolutely pumped about this year’s season, and I’m going to work relentlessly to take myself and my team to worlds.

***

Lenley

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THERE’S A STRANGE VIBEin our midst tonight.

I can still feel it the moment I exit one of the shuttles that took the teams to the huge venue Wild Horse hired for the final party.

I don’t know how to feel about today’s results.

In theory, I should be gutted because the Cove Angels gave one of the worst performances of the decade.

Especially Darrius.

He came in eighth in wingsuit performance, whereas Peyton and Jameson battled it out and got first and second respectively in the category. Peyton had no rivals in the maximum distance and speed jumps that are part of the event, but Jameson killed it in time of flight, opening his parachute so late that it gave me a heart attack.

The Angels didn’t do any better in any of the other disciplines, while the Cove Devils totally obliterated the competition.

Darrius received tenth place individually at the end of the day, and Uncle Kyle’s disappointment was plain for everyone to see. He didn’t say a word when he left the venue even before the last event of the day ended, leaving Mom and me to deal with the press.

Mom looked as conflicted as I feel. She was disappointed by our team’s mediocre performance but proud of her husband’s team for dominating every event they participated in today.

My eyes keep flitting to Darrius, where he sits in the last row on the shuttle.

The tension radiating from his body is like a physical entity with its own pulse. It fills the small vehicle with its heavy presence, palpable in Darrius’s rigid shoulders as he ignores Kiara’s chatter.

Our gazes meet for a second, and his scowl deepens, his brown eyes dark and stormy.

Normally his mood would affect me, and I’d try to soothe him, offering him a shoulder to cry on, but not this time. He and Kiara seem to have made up after their very public fight earlier, and it’s his girlfriend’s job to be by his side.

“I wish she’d shut the fuck up,” Sarah hisses in my ear, following my gaze all the way to the couple in the back row. “Darrius is obviously in a bad mood, and I don’t think her constant talking is helping the situation.”

I shrug. “Yeah, but unless he tells her to shut up, she’ll keep talking.”

My best friend sighs. “Yeah, I know. Kiara has never been able to read a room.”

“That’s true, and Darrius isn’t the only one who doesn’t look happy,” I say, nodding toward Trent and Niko.

The other two members of the Cove Angels are occupying the two seats across the aisle from us, and they look as gloomy as their captain.

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