Page 3 of Hunted (Desert Island Duet #2)

Chapter three

Darla

“ I just can’t get over it,” Bower’s voice breaks into my mind as I begin to stir. “What are the chances that we end up stranded on the exact same island as your ex-girlfriend?”

“Not ex,” Reece growls out as I try to figure out where I am. I feel the soft mattress underneath me and realize we must be in the hut. Did Bower carry me up here while I was sleeping? I must have been exhausted.

“Where did those mercenaries come from, anyway? Which of us were they here for?” Weston asks.

“I—” Reece seems to cut himself off before starting again. “I have no idea who they were or what they were doing here. Why would any of you have hired killers after you?”

“Hired killers?” I ask, unable to stay silent at the thought of trained assassins coming after my men. I open my eyes and Kingsley, who’s sitting beside me, helps me move into a seated position as I look around the hut.

It’s getting a bit tight in here. Bower sits in the hammock and Weston is in the chair, while Reece leans against the open doorway. I can see it’s getting dark out, so it must be close to nighttime now .

“I think it’s time we all have a conversation about how we ended up here,” Kingsley says, looking around at each of us, waiting for nods of approval.

“Zee… Uh, Darla, why don’t you go first, since you were the first to arrive? You don’t have to talk about the crash, just what led up to it?”

I nod as I try to recall what I’d told them before and what Reece would have known about me and my dad going to Perth.

“Well, our trip was rather last minute, if you remember?” I ask, looking up at Reece, who nods solemnly.

“I barely had time to say goodbye to you before we left. On the way to the airport, my dad said we were flying to Kenya, where the charity division of The Danver’s Group was located.” I look at Kingsley as I explain, “That’s my family's company.”

I glance around at the others before I continue.

“When we got to Kenya, he made me stay at the hotel while he went somewhere. I don’t know where he went or what he saw, but when he came back to get me, he looked like he’d seen a ghost. He dragged me back to the airport, saying we needed to go see my grandfather in Australia. ”

Thinking back, there was so much I didn’t know, and I wish my dad had explained it to me.

“My dad met with my grandfather, Edward, and the man who oversees the charity division of the Danvers Group for him, Frank Hayes. When the three of them spoke, I wasn’t allowed to be in the room with them, but my dad looked really upset afterwards and said we needed to immediately head back to Kenya again.

I remember being confused, and I kept asking what was going on, but he refused to tell me. He said he’d explain it later. ”

I try to remember back to that day, the day we left Perth, but after all this time, it’s rather foggy.

“Frank helped us get a private plane. I thought he was coming with us, since it was literally his job to oversee the charity, but he and my dad got into an argument, and we left without him. There were only three of us on the plane. The pilot, my dad, and I.”

I squeeze my eyes shut, not wanting to think about the next part, but knowing I need to tell Reece.

“Something happened. A few hours into the flight. The plane was shaking and the pilot said nothing was working. The controls were completely silent, like the plane had lost power. After that, I’m not sure if we hit something or if it was an explosion, but the plane went down, and the pilot didn’t survive. ”

“Fuck, I’m sorry, Darla,” Reece says, looking pained. He doesn’t even know the half of it.

Averting my gaze, I continue. “Afterwards, my dad told me the crash wasn’t an accident, that someone wanted him dead. Unfortunately, he never got a chance to tell me why, but I have a feeling it has to be something to do with what he saw in Kenya.”

“You think it was Frank?” Bower asks, but when I look at him, I realize he’s asking Reece, not me. I frown in confusion.

“What did you guys find out when you spoke to him?” Reece asks Bower.

“Wait—What are you talking about? You guys know Frank? Frank Hayes?” I ask, sitting up straighter as I try to piece it together.

Reece nods, looking at me with pity as he replies, “Yeah, we all know him. My dad has been running your family’s business, the Danver’s Group, for the past ten years. ”

I frown at him in confusion. “I don’t understand. Why would Richard be running it? Why isn’t my grandfather Edward running it anymore?”

Reece sighs, running a hand through his hair. “Darla, I’m sorry to tell you this, but your grandfather passed away almost ten years ago.”

“Oh.” That’s the only response that I can think of. I didn’t know him very well. I’d met him twice and the last time I’d only spent about an hour with him. I hadn’t really thought about him much while I was out here. He hadn’t seemed very well when I last saw him, so I’m not exactly surprised.

“When that happened, the business should have gone to your dad, but since he was missing, it went to mine as he was listed next on his will.” He turns his eyes to Weston as he explains.

“My dad was her dad and grandfather’s attorney.

They were really close. Frank continued to run the charity division for us from Australia.

When I was old enough, my dad brought me into the business more, but he never really shared much about the charity division.

I reviewed the Danver’s Group annual reports every year, but this year, I noticed something strange.

Some of the numbers didn’t add up.” He glances at me for a moment before continuing.

“Everything pointed to the charity group and Frank. Although I wasn’t exactly sure what he was doing, I knew it was likely embezzling, but I couldn’t prove it.

I couldn’t find any more details and didn’t want my dad to know I was looking into it since he trusted Frank and would probably deny his involvement out of loyalty to him. ”

“That’s where we come in,” Kingsley says, gaining my attention. “Reece couldn’t fly, so Bower and I said we’d go talk to Frank for him. We aren’t part of The Danver’s Group, but, as you know, Reece is our best friend, and we own Titan Tech together. We were happy to help.”

I nod along, trying to fit the pieces together from their stories of Reece and the boy I once knew.

“Frank was sketchy as hell and denied everything. We couldn’t figure out what he was doing, so we decided to go check out the facility in Kenya ourselves,” Bower adds.

“But part way there, there was a small explosion, almost like an EMP pulse, from the cockpit,” Weston explains to Reece. “These two yahoos threw the only parachute on me and shoved me from the plane. Luckily, we all survived and met up here.”

“With Darla,” Reece says with a nod.

“Well… eventually…” Bower says, causing Reece to frown at him.

“What do you mean? I thought she had been here the whole time?”

“She had, but she didn't exactly make herself known at first,” Kingsley says, looking at me warily, like he’s unsure how much he should tell Reece.

“Were you hiding from them?” I nod and a look of frustration covers his face.

“Darla, how the hell did you expect to be rescued if you were hiding from people? What if someone else came on the island? Someone with a boat? Did you not want to get rescued?” he asks, his voice raising in anger.

“How many planes have you seen over the years? Did you hide from those, too?”

“Reece!” Weston barks, making Reece’s angry glare turn to him. “Stop yelling at her.”

Kingsley places his hand on mine, causing me to jump in surprise. I realize my whole body is trembling, and I can feel myself close to tears .

“I’m not yelling!” Reece yells back, as he steps closer to Weston, who in return, rises to his feet so they are practically chest to chest. “I’m frustrated. She could have been found years ago if she had at least tried!”

A strangled whimper leaves my throat, and I jump to my feet, running out the door faster than anyone can grab me. I hear them yelling my name, but I don’t stop. I just need a minute to myself to calm down.

I run around the side of the hut and jump up to grab a branch, hoisting myself up as I start to quickly climb the tree.

“Darla! What the fuck are you doing? Get down here before you fall!” Reece yells from below, but I keep going, needing to be away from him right now.

“Stop yelling at her!” Weston growls. I can hear them arguing, but I just keep climbing until I find a good place to move to another tree. I jump and swing my way away from them, determined to get some space and silence.

The sun is starting to set now, so I don’t have much daylight left. Finally, I find a good place to stop, near the waterfall, high in a tree in a spot where several large branches cross, providing me with a deep, wide seat.

Leaning back, I wrap my arms around myself and close my eyes as Reece’s accusations fly around my head.

Had I missed opportunities to be rescued?

I hadn’t seen any planes, other than Weston’s.

But I also wasn’t sitting on the beach every day waiting for them.

It was too depressing, sitting there day after day and seeing nothing.

I didn't have it in me. I was also terrified of more men arriving, like the ones who… killed my father and attacked me. I’d rather hide for the rest of my life than go through that again.

“Eep!”

My eyes fly open as Mo-Mo comes swinging down into my lap. “Eep!” He trills again and I wrap my arms around him, hugging him to me as tears form in my eyes.

“I’m so happy to see you, little buddy.” He holds out his hand and I give him a fist bump, the action bringing a smile to my lips.

“Eep?” He tilts his head in question, and I smile again.

“Yeah, I’m okay. I just needed a minute alone. But I’m glad you’re here.” He snuggles down in my lap like he intends to sleep. I gently stroke the soft fur along his back with one hand, while my other grips my necklace like a lifeline. I lean my head against the tree and close my eyes again.

Kingsley was right. Reece isn’t the same gentle, kindhearted boy I remember. But I’m not the same girl he remembers either. After what I’ve lived through, plus fifteen years of isolation, I’m not sure I can live up to his memory of me. Clearly, he already finds me lacking.

At least I had the others. But if Bower and Kingsley are as close with him as they say they are, I’m going to have to figure out a way to coexist with Reece. That thought alone makes my stomach clench with unease.

I never wanted to just coexist with him before. He was my best friend. He was the reason I went to bed with a smile every night, the reason I laughed every day. Losing him had been almost as devastating as what happened to me on this island.

But facing him again after all this time and having him yell at me, telling me that I didn’t try hard enough to get back to him… It's too hard to bear.