Page 33 of Hunted

Staying quiet and alert, my eyes scan our surroundings as I run towards him, but don’t see the threat. He must hear the sound of my feet in the sand because he turns his head towards me in panic. “Darla! Get out of here!”

That’s when the man steps out of the jungle and onto the sand to my right. He has one arm in a sling and the other is aiming a handgun at Reece.

The man is dressed in black, just like the two mercenaries were. Is this a third one? I remember Bower mentioning seeing some blood by the waterfall and now I wonder if it wasn’t from an animal, as I had thought, but from this man's injured arm instead. Has he been on this island stalking us this whole time? Perhaps waiting until his arm was healed enough for him to make a move?

I don't stop to ask as I barrel towards Reece.

“Darla, get down!” he yells when I’m only a few steps away.

Seeing the mercenary cock his gun, I skip my last step and leap towards Reece, knocking him to his back as the sound of the gun goes off.

The impact of hitting Reece has me dazed and confused for a moment. Suddenly, a barrage of sound hits me all at once. I hear a grunt, someone yells my name while someone else swears.

Another gunshot goes off, and my eyes fly open in alarm. I hadn’t even realized they were closed.

“Darla!” Reece exclaims. I realize he’s sitting in the sand, cradling my upper body against him. “Darling, it’s going to be okay.”

I blink a few times, letting his face come into focus, wondering what he’s talking about. Then I remember the gunshot and try to sit up, but pain flares in my side and I hiss as Reece holds me to him. “No, don’t move, you need to stay still.”

“Who got shot? I heard the gun! West! King? Bower!” I try to yell their names, but the action causes my side to hurt more. I must have landedpoorly against Reece for this to hurt so much. Maybe I landed on his knee or something.

“Darla, they’re fine. You’re the only one who got shot,” he says, sounding angry.

Wait—What?

“I got shot?” I ask in confusion, looking back up at him. His face softens for a moment as he presses his lips together in a thin line and gives me a curt nod.

“You’re going to be okay.” I feel like he’s trying to convince himself as much as me. I glance down and for the first time realize that he’s not just holding me to him, he’s holding his shirt against my side, and it’s covered in blood.Myblood.

Only now do I realize he’s shirtless, but before I can take the time to admire his chest from such a close distance, Bower yells my name.

“Zee!” He drops to his knees in the sand beside me, his hands hovering over me as he stares at the blood. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, what are we gonna do?” His voice is panicked as he looks up at Reece.

Reece presses his lips even tighter together before looking back down at my side, not giving Bower or me an answer.

“It’s bad, isn’t it?” I ask him. “Tell me the truth, Reece.”

He looks at me, his eyes filled with fear and frustration. “If we were back home, your chances would be good. But out here…”

“Fuck!”

“Shit!”

I turn my head and see the other two standing behind Bower. Kingsley turns away, running his hands through his hair as Weston works his jaw back and forth, his eyes glued to mine. He wears the same expression as Reece, and that scares me more than anything.

But I always knew I’d die on this island. I take a deep, ragged breath as I let that thought consume me. I always knew it was inevitable. Of course, I thought it’d be from sepsis or injuring myself, then starving to death.

All things considered, this is a much more pleasant way to go, surrounded by the men I love. Hopefully, it doesn’t drag out too long. I’m not really a fan of pain, which is why I always feared the ways death would take me here, when I was alone.

I reach my hand up towards Weston, who takes it as he drops to his knees beside Bower, placing my palm against his heart.

“It’s going to be okay. You four will get rescued and you’ll go back to the real world and live your lives.”

“Zee—”

“No, it’s okay. Really. I always knew I’d die here. I’m glad I have you four with me in the end. I love you all so much.”

A tear rolls down his cheek and I reach up to swipe it away, only to feel one slide down my own face.