*Riding South spoilers below*
Trapped inside Tenney House and at the mercy of his father, Camilla and South are forced to face their greatest fears in order to bring down the Gentleman's Network--an organization that trades in secrets.
But in order...
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The stars and city lights kept switching places as South and I somersaulted through the night air. Weightless, but feeling every pound of gravity as we continued to fall faster towards land. I managed to lift my hands and bend my knees in order to stop spinning so I could reorient myself.
The shock of what had happened and the intense pressure of the wind became less concerning when I realized something was wrong with South.
I called out his name, but he didn't answer. His head simply lolled to one side, which immediately concerned me.
My thoughts bounced between the worst possible scenario and the best. I didn't know what caused him to lose his grip on the bar besides turbulence.
This man, who stitched me together and supported me at every turn, was lying helpless on top of me as we fell through the air. I was reminded of that terrible night I found him handcuffed on the floor in front of his father in the basement of the Yacht Club.
And just like that night, I didn't know how to fix this situation and make everything okay. South was in charge of pulling the rip cord, not me. If he didn't wake up, we'd both keep falling until...
I swallowed hard, not wanting to give voice to my fears.
No, a little voice inside me said. You're not going to die. Not here. Not today. I had to be strong enough to save us both. I had to be the lioness he believed I was.
I just needed some help.
Then an idea came.
"Bellamy!" I screamed into the headset, waiting for an answer as the streetlights below grew closer. "Bellamy! Answer me!"
"Camilla?" the gritty older SEAL's voice was staticky and chopped as it came through my helmet, but he was there. "What's wrong?"
I forced calm into my voice. "South was knocked out, and I need to know what cord to pull for the parachute to open."
I struggled to hear Bellamy's reply over the static, but it was nearly impossible. The plane was far away now, and I was only catching every other word. "No later." Static. "2,500." Static. Then nothing. He was gone. The plane was too far away.
I cursed again, loudly. Screaming my frustrations into the air.
This situation was so beyond fucked. But, as I watched the ground get closer and closer, I knew it was time to be the woman I knew I could be.
I could do this. I could save us. I didn't need Connor or Jack or South to help me.
Or even Lydie.
South was wearing a skydiving watch, and I saw that we were at 3,000 feet, which meant I needed to find the rip cord right now if we were going to live.
I had to twist my head around to a better view of his harness, the wind pelting against the side of my face, but I managed to see a bright yellow cord attached to his parachute pack.
