Page 29 of Hunted
King glances at me, a smile on his lips, which makes one pull at mine, too. As we round the corner, I can see all three of them at camp. Bower is trying to swing on a vine and Darla is bent over, giggling as she clutches her stomach. West stands close, his arms crossed over his chest with an amused look on his face as he watches her.
“What’s going on?” I ask as we enter the clearing, trying to soften my voice for her. I’m not used to speaking like this. I’m normally brisk,demanding, and stern, even with my brothers. But I don’t want her to see me like that. I don’t want her to hate the man I’ve become.
Bower lets go of the vine, dropping to his feet as they all turn to us.
“You’re back!” she says excitedly as she runs towards us. King is closer, and she doesn’t hesitate to run straight up to him, throwing her arms around his waist in a hug. He seems shocked as his eyes meet mine and I give him anI told you solook.
He looks down as he hugs her back, kissing the top of her head.
“I was worried about you. Weston said I had to stay here.”
His eyes soften at her confession, and he rubs her back, staying silent. Eventually, they pull apart and she turns to me.
“You weren’t there when I woke up.”
“I—”
“You made me promise to not leave while you were asleep, so you have to do the same,” she demands, as she comes to stand a few feet in front of me, crossing her arms over her chest with an adorable frown on her face.
I try not to let my amusement show but my lips twitch in protest before I finally cave in. “Alright, Darla. I promise not to leave while you’re sleeping.”
“Good.” She nods her head, then steps forward and hugs me gently. I return the hug, and all too soon, she pulls back and glances behind us. “No rescue yet, huh?”
I shake my head and frown. No sign of rescue, which is concerning. They’ll be here today, I’m sure of it.
“No, but Reece has something you might like even more.” King smirks, nodding to me.
I reach into my bag and pull out her rock, holding it out to her with both hands. I watch as her eyes turn from confusion to shock, then they fill with tears as she grabs it and clutches it to her chest like it’s the most valuable thing in the world.
“Steve!” she exclaims, holding it tight. Then she steps towards me again, using one arm to hug me. “Thank you, Reece.”
I stay silent, hugging her back as she sniffles against me.
“You have no idea how much this means to me.”
Deciding to use this opportunity to try and get to know more about her, I pull back, gripping the sides of her arms gently in my hands as I look down at her. “You’re right, I don’t. Will you tell me?”
A sliver of fear crosses her face before she looks down at her rock. Not wanting her to be upset, I try to put her at ease. “You don’t have to, of course.”
“No, I… um… I think I can tell you.” She turns to look at each of the other three, a look of nervousness on her face as she bites her lips. “I think I’m ready to tell you guys the full story now.”
My brows pinch in confusion. I assumed they knew everything about her past. What else was she keeping from them?
King gestures to the rocks around the campfire area. “Why don’t we all sit down?”
We all take a seat around the firepit as she watches us carefully.
“Baby, why don’t you sit here?” West says, patting the spot beside him.
She shakes her head and starts pacing in front of us, Steve still clutched to her chest. “No, I think I need to do this standing. I might break down if one of you tries to comfort me before I get it all out.”
“Whenever you’re ready, Tink.” Bower nods to her and we all sit, anxiously waiting for whatever it is she’s about to say. I literally have noidea what she’s about to reveal to us, but I have a feeling it isn’t good. The guys keep indicating she’s had a rough time, as if being stranded alone for fifteen fucking years isn’t nightmare enough.
“When my dad and I first arrived here, we were completely alone. He taught me how to hunt boar and prep them for eating. He showed me how to hunt rabbits. We worked on the first hut together, deciding it needed to be in the trees so no boars would wander in while we were sleeping or damage our stuff.
“It was hard, being stranded here, but my dad was awesome.” She looks at me with a small smile. “You remember what he was like? He was always so calm and controlled. He always made me feel safe and secure, even out here.”
I nod my head, remembering him like that. Where my dad would lose his temper and often treat me like a disappointment, her dad was calm and always spoke to both of us with words of encouragement and appreciation.
