Page 140 of The Hunt

Another three knocks came, heavy and measured, and I almost jumped right out of my skin.Oh god, oh god, oh god…

Rhett’s deep voice finally carried through the door a few seconds later. “It’s just me, baby,” he said. “You’re safe. Can you open up?”

Breathing a heavy sigh of relief, I stepped over and unlocked the door, keeping an eye on Nikki the whole time. Rhett strode in, and his eyes instantly widened when he caught sight of her.

“What the fuck?” he said, stepping in front of me with one arm extended, as if to protect me from her. With his free hand, he reached into his jacket, whipped out a black pistol, and aimed it right at her face. “What the hell areyoudoing in here?”

“Rhett, it’s okay,” I said. “At least… sort of.”

“No, it’snotokay.” He looked over at me, eyes flashing with a mix of shock and anger. “I know you thought she was your friend out here, but she’s a society plant. She wasn’t really—”

Nikki cut him off. “She knows, okay? I told her everything.”

“It’s true,” I said, gently touching Rhett’s free arm. “She told me all about her job.”

“So?” He didn’t lower the gun. “That doesn’t mean she’s on your side.”

Nikki sighed defeatedly and threw her hands up. “Whatever. Go ahead and shoot me, then. It’s better than getting stabbed,” she muttered, looking at my knife.

“Wait.” I reached for Rhett’s arm again. “Don’t kill her. Please.”

His jaw clenched. “I’ll be fucking damned if I let anyone stand in the way of me getting you off this island,” he bit out. “So, give me one good reason why we shouldn’t get rid of her right now.”

“Because I think—”

“Maybe I could help you,” Nikki blurted out before I could finish my sentence. “I mean, you obviously want to get Everly out of here in one piece, but she told me you don’t have a plan yet. And three heads are better than one, right?”

“She has a point, Rhett,” I said. “We want to take the whole society down, and having someone like her on our side could really help.”

He snorted, still staring right at Nikki. “Why should we believe that you suddenly want to help us?” he asked her. “You’re one ofthem.”

“So are you, in case you forgot,” she said coolly. “And no offense, but you’ve actually killed people, so I think that makes you worse than me. I’ve never killed anyone.”

“That’s fair,” Rhett said stiffly. “But you didn’t answer my question. Why should we believe you want to help us take the society down?”

“Because I fucking hate them, clearly.”

“See, there’s the issue. It’s not clear at all.” Rhett’s eyes narrowed. “You’ve worked for The Wild Hunt for… how long?”

“About a year.”

“Right. A whole year, where you’ve said and done jack-shit. But now, when it’s suddenly convenient to you, you claim you want to take it all down?”

“I’ve thought about doing it every single day,” Nikki said, voice rising an octave. “But I’m a nobody. What the fuck could I possibly do that would actually work?Nothing.So of course I’ve never said or done anything against the society. It’s too risky. But it’s different if I have you on my side.”

“Why?”

Nikki threw up her hands. “Um, duh? You don’t just work for the Wilders like me. Youarea Wilder. And you’re also one of the best hunters they have. Plus, your father is one of the Patriarchs. So, not to blow too much smoke up your ass, but a guy like you is probably the best hope I have at ending the absolute hell my life has turned into over the last year.”

I brushed Rhett’s arm again. “You should really hear her whole story before you make any decisions,” I said. I glanced at Nikki. “If you’re okay sharing it, that is.”

“Sure, as long as he stops waving that gun in my face.”

“Fine.” Rhett’s upper lip curled with derision, but he lowered the gun. “I’m listening.”

Slowly and haltingly, Nikki filled him on everything she’d told me—how she was forced to work for The Wild Hunt, what JJ had done to her, and what some of the other Wilders had done too.

Rhett’s hand stayed tense on his gun, even though he’d lowered it. His eyes stayed locked on Nikki as she spoke, cold and calculating, but as her story unraveled, I noticed the smallest crack in his armor—a slight quickening of his breath, along with a subtle tick of his jaw.

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