“Who’s going first?” Micah asks before he looks over his shoulder. “Luca, want to test it out?”
His brother doesn’t answer him.
A few of the others whisper, debating on who’s going, but no one gets closer to the edge.
Until Micah does. “Fine, I’ll go first. At least I won’t have much competition since you pussies will all be up here crying.”
When he picks up a harness, another comes tethered to it. “For the ally, I’m assuming.” He pulls on his own before untethering the second one.
Brooke takes a step down the path we just walked up. “I don’t want to play. Mercy is stupid and not worth it.”
Micah holds the gear up to me. “How about you, Ivy? Want to jump with me? I could use a worthy ally. Or are you too scared?”
So, he’s as crazy as his brother. “I just don’t see the point in it.”
“To fly and not give a fuck about anything.” Micah spreads his arms like he’s soaring through the air before he tells me, “Come on. I’ll protect you.”
When I glance over, Luca is eyeing us intently; his nastiness looks like he’s about to boil over. And maybe there’s part of me that wants to piss him off a little more.
“Sure.”
“No,” Luca states as he steps closer. “She’s going with me.”
I gape at him, unsure who’s supplied him with such audacity, but it’s on overload. “Who the fuck says?”
He bluntly replies, “I do. You go with me. Or you don’t at all.”
“You’re insane. Besides, it’s not your choice.” As soon as I take a step closer to Micah, Luca’s rigid, motionless stance vanishes. Swiftly, his hand darts out around Brooke’s neck, and I watch as he leads her closer to the ledge. His hard stare on me. “It’s your choice. You go with me, or Brooke falls first.”
“Luca,” Micah seethes, slowly moving closer to where Luca is. But there’s no way he can get to him in time if Luca is serious.
Brooke clings to his arm and pleads, “Don’t. Please. Luca, please stop.”
The fear I see in her tells me she doesn’t believe he’s bluffing.
“Let her go,” I demand.
His response is firm and clear, “Make your choice.”
The closer I get to him, the more Brooke’s panic rises as she begs, “Please, Ivy. I’ll go with Micah. You go with Luca. Okay?”
“Fine,” I reply. “Remove your hand now.”
The tension doesn’t subside as he slowly releases her, directing her closer to Micah. She sucks in a deep breath, her hands on her throat where his were. “You’re a fucking asshole, Luca.”
He doesn’t even look at her when he responds, “Yeah. I know.”
Luca does however turn his attention to his brother, watching intently as Brooke pulls on a harness and we do the same.
Once I have the gear on, Luca tethers his to mine then reaches over to the cable and attaches the carabiner on his harness directly to the trolley hanging from a steel cable that’s so thin it doesn’t give me much faith that it’ll hold both of us. Inching closer to the drop off, I look down but can’t see the ground. There’s nothing but a vast, dark abyss.
“Having second thoughts?” Luca asks, almost a teasing nature in his voice. “You’ll regret it if you don’t do this.”
I turn my complete animosity on him. “Knowing you is the only thing I regret.”
My response only brings him more amusement, if his half-smile tells me anything. His hands grip my ass as he lifts me, and out of sheer instinct, my arms automatically wrap around his neck as my legs hook around his waist. He whispers, “Liar,” then steps off the platform.
The hot air hits my face as we roughly sail along the cable, sparks flying where the old metal trolley grinds against the cable.Darkness is growing around us, enveloping us as we fall. His arms keep a secure grip on me, getting tighter as we sink lower.
