Page 120 of Hunted

Darla

“Ow,” I groan as I try to roll to my side, but it feels like an anvil is sitting on top of me. Keeping my eyes shut tight, I reach up and try to feel what’s restricting me, but there is nothing there. And when my fingers touch my upper abdomen, I groan in pain.

Someone grabs my hand and lifts it up, away from my body. Then warm lips touch my fingers.

“Baby, are you awake?”

“Weston?” I mumble, turning my head in the direction of his voice as I slowly blink my eyes open. Why do I feel like crap? Did I drink again?

“Yeah, I’m here. Let me see those beautiful green eyes, baby.” I manage to pry my eyes open to see his worried hazel ones looking down at me.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, immediately going on alert as my eyes scan my surroundings. But I quickly realize this isn’t our house. I try to sit up quickly but end up hissing at the pain in my chest as I flop back down.

“Stay still, you’re gonna be a bit sore for a while. Luckily, you’re just bruised, nothing’s broken,” Kingsley says. I turn to see him and Bower on the other side of what is obviously a hospital bed.

“What happened?” I ask, trying to think what the last thing I remember was.

Kingsley’s eyes bounce up to the other side of the room, but none of them say anything. I lift my head to see what he’s looking at and see Reece sitting in the corner, his elbows leaning on his knees and his head dropped forward, his hair looking messier than I’ve ever seen it.

I instantly go on alert. Something really bad must have happened for him to look that upset.

“Reece?” I ask, and he lifts his head, his glossy eyes meeting mine. “What happened? Why are you so upset?”

He doesn’t say anything, and my hands start to shake. All four of them are here, and they look okay, but that doesn’t mean someone else didn't get hurt.

“Reece?” I press again.

“Get your ass over here, you’re freaking her out!” Bower yells, standing and moving to Reece as if he means to physically drag him over to me himself. But Reece quickly stands, moving to my side as Weston makes room for him.

He stares down at me with worry in his eyes, so I pat the bed beside me. “Sit,” I tell him, and he does. When he doesn't speak, I ask, “Did someone get hurt?”

He nods slowly and I ask, “Who?”

“You did, Darla.” His eyes move down to the middle of my torso, where the pain seems to be coming from.

“But I’ll be okay, won’t I?” Bower said it was just a bruise, didn’t he? My eyes dart to Weston over Reece’s shoulder, and he gives me a small smile and nod, easing some of my tension.

“Yes, you’re going to be fine,” Reece finally answers.

“Reece, you’re killing me here, spit it out. Why are you so much more upset than the others?”

“Because it’s my fault.” I frown at him in confusion.

“Uh… Reece? I might not remember what happened, but I know you would never hurt me,” I say with confidence, grabbing his hand and squeezing it tight.

When Reece doesn’t respond, Weston lets out an annoyed breath. “He was arguing with his dad when you walked in, and Richard shot you.”

My eyebrows raise in surprise. “Yourdadshot me?”

He nods. “Turns out, he was behind everything. He hired Frank and the mercenaries. He even single-handedly has sold off all the legitimate parts of The Danver’s Group and turned it into a front for human trafficking.”

A gasp escapes me, unable to be held back at that startling revelation. “My family's company? It’s… gone?”

“I’m so sorry, I should have been paying more attention.”

“Didn’t you say you read the company reports?” I ask in confusion.

“I did. They were all fake.”