Page 91 of Her Devils

Marceau confirms it. “Yeah, and Hawaii isn’t even the end goal. We hope if that goes well, and there’s enough interest, that other teams will be put together, and we’re planning a BASE jumping world circuit culminating with a tour jumping from high and low altitudes from the Earth’s seven summits.”

Fuck.

Excitement courses through my veins.

Being a part of something like that would be beyond cool. This is how legends are born.

“And you want us to be a part of your team?” I ask.

JeanLuc’s smirk tells me that I jumped the gun on his proposal.

“I do, but it isn’t that simple. I’m going to be the team captain, of course, as the head of this entire project. Three of my skydiving teammates are coming with me, we’ve been BASE jumping together for years. You should watch our YouTube channel, they are real beasts. We need four more divers for a team of eight. I’m here to invite you to come to Paris for the first official Wild Horse Eiffel Tower Invitational. There are a few other athletes who have been invited from Europe, Asia, and South America. We’re going to BASE jump from the top of the Eiffel Tower. It’s a two-day event, and what we’re looking for at this stage is form and precision landing. We’ll make the official selection for the team based on what we observe in Paris. The event is next week.”

***

Lenley

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IDON’T KNOW WHAT TOthink about JeanLuc’s project.

I mean, it’s awesome, and I understand the excitement that’s suddenly buzzing around the room.

Papàwould have been the first to join. I’m actually sure JeanLuc would have invited him to captain the team.

It’s just that BASE jumping is dangerous. I mean, not that skydiving is the safest sport on Earth, but tremendous progress has been made over the years to ensure the athletes’ safety. They have two parachutes in their pack for crying out loud.

BASE jumping? One freaking parachute. One.

If that doesn’t open—like what happened toPapà—you’re shit out of luck.

“Guys. Guys!”

Mom raises her voice to be heard over the excited chatter that has effectively interrupted the meeting.

She looks at JeanLuc, and it would be impossible not to spot the concern in her entire demeanor. “Provided one or more of the Cove Angels are selected for this new team, we need a few reassurances. Skydiving is still the Cove Angels’ official sport, and our athletes will still be required to devote their energy to state, national, and world competitions. I also expect to receive proof that the team will adhere to the strictest safety standards on a continuous basis.”

JeanLuc opens his mouth to say something, but Mom stops him, lifting her hand to indicate that she isn’t done. “JeanLuc, I’m serious. I agree with Kyle about how corners are constantly cut when it comes to safety in BASE jumping. You know better than me how much our family has lost and—”

Her voice breaks, and I feel my own tears welling in my eyes. I remember what Mom told me a couple of months ago about how she had been hoping I wouldn’t fall for a skydiver.

We were talking about my lifelong crush on Darrius back then, and she admitted that she didn’t want me to live with the same constant fear that plagued her whenPapàwas alive.

Maybe I should have heeded her advice. Instead, I went and fell in love with three skydivers, and I’m still confused about my feelings for Darrius.

“Gina.” JeanLuc wraps his arm around Mom’s shoulders, pulling her close. “You have my word that we’ll be as safe as humanly possible. And of course skydiving is still my main gig too. I’ve been working on this project for over two years now. The reason why it took me so long to even get to the recruiting stage is because I’m keeping safety front and center of this operation. You have to believe me, Wild Horse never would have agreed to sponsor me otherwise.”

Mom is partially appeased by his words. “Good. They are one of our main sponsors too, and I’m a personal friend of their CEO. I’m sorry to say this to you, but I’ll be a constant pain in your butt about safety. You have to understand that I’ve known you and Darrius since you were newborns, and in the short time Peyton has been my stepson, I’ve become extremely fond of him and his Devils.”

JeanLuc nods. “I know that. I’ll tell you what, why don’t you really look after the team’s safety by officially overseeing it? Not all of the divers in this room will make the team, but they are the best of the best—after me and my own teammates of course—and I’m confident that a few of them will be offered a spot after the invitational in Paris. Working with us should give you peace of mind not only about safety, but also about our schedule not being in conflict with the Angels’ calendar.”

Mom considers it for a brief moment. “I guess we could talk about it. Kyle is our safety officer, so would the offer be extended to him?”

“Absolutment!” He nods.

“Well then...” Mom sighs. “I guess we’ll be heading to Paris next week. We better tell Rachel to start looking for flights and accommodation. Len, you could start putting together something for our social media. We could use the invitational as a buildup to the announcement of the merger.”

JeanLuc chuckles. “There’s no need to do any of that. I’m going to be around for a couple more days before I fly over. As my personal guests, I’d love it if you joined me on my private aircraft, and of course you can all stay with me.MamanandPapàkeep complaining that you don’t visit enough, Gina, and they miss Lenley after seeing her every day for the past year.”

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