Page 75 of Hunt Me

‘Never have what?’Her brows furrow as I look her way, and she cocks her head.‘Yeh, I was shocked, I’ll admit. It’s not exactly the family reunion I was expecting, and maybe I could have been a bit better about it, but Ru has always wound me up. And of course, the first time I see the prick, he’s just got to be fucking my best friend.’

What family reunion? What the hell is she talking about?

Isla must see that the penny drops the second it does.

‘He’s not the father?’I ask.

Disgust twists her features.‘Eww, what the fuck.’She shakes her head, then body as if expelling a bad thought.‘Ru is my brother! As in the one I haven’t seen since the fire.’

Oh.

My bad.

I laugh, laugh hysterically as relief washes my anxiety away. Isla looks at me like I’m having some sort of nervous breakdown. With how puffy my entire face feels mixed with the wetness from all my tears and snot, it’s probably a fair assumption that I’m not doing all that well.

‘He’s your brother,’I clarify sucking in a heavy breath.

‘Yes,’she answers, drawing it out.‘That’s what that was? You seriously thought he was,’she frantically motions to her stomach.‘Ew fuck no. Just Ergh.’

Isla shudders, disgusted by the thought, but I can’t do anything but smile. Smile so fucking brightly because thank fucking fuck that was not a thing.

I sigh, smiling up at the moon. Maybe she hasn’t abandoned me completely.

‘So how the hell did that happen? You and him? And not to mention a big fat I told you so.’Isla alters her voice, a pitch higher to try and mimic our earlier conversation.‘No, nothing’s wrong. I just found a nice warm shower. Oh, actually, silly me, I forgot to mention that I found a Skull, who happens to be your brother.’

I wince. The emphasis on the brother now sinking in.

‘I didn’t know he was your brother—’

She waves me off.‘Don’t worry. Yeh, I would have preferred not to have seen you two…’ Isla shudders again, and I wince,‘you know. But don’t worry about that.’

‘I owe you one.’

‘We always owe each other,’she snorts, approaching the entrance.‘Let’s go. I practically had to restrain him. He’s put on some weight since I last saw him. Used to be a skinny bam but the big idiot was going ballistic when I left him to come up. The poor guys whipped alr—’

A thump cuts Isla off, and I whip around, finding a dark figure running towards me. I see it too late. They are too quick. All I catch is an object glinting in the moonlight and heading directly towards my line of sight.

Chapter Thirty

??

Ruaridh

Fauna’s cracked apology rings in my ears as I stand rooted to my spot. Unable to process what has just happened in time to follow her.

I found my deer, but that’s not all.

I found my sister.

The sister I watched burn to death in a fire years ago, or so I thought.

A palm smacks across my face, forcing my attention on the raging woman in front of me.

‘What the fuck,’I roar in Isla’s face.

We haven’t seen each other for years, and this is how she welcomes me. I thought she was dead, and judging by the disbelief in her eyes, she thought I was too. Or maybe she hoped I was.

‘What the fuck,’she mimics, pitching her voice higher as she purses her lips in disgust.‘What the actualfuckare you doinghere, Ruaridh? Hmm, and with—’ she goes to slap me again, but I dodge this time.‘My best friend!’