Page 134 of The Hunt

“Uh-huh,” the woman was saying now. “Yes, I’m sure he’s fine. But I’ll let you know if I hear from him. And thanks again for sorting out the room switch for me, sir. I know how busy you are right now, so I really appreciate it.”

There was a faint tap as the woman ended the call, followed by a heavy sigh. “Fucking asshole,” she muttered. “Youandyour piece of shit son.”

Something about her voice made my stomach drop. It wasn’t just familiar—it wasimpossible.

I kept staring at the woman’s shoes, my mind scrambling to process the information buzzing in my brain. No, it couldn’t be...

Nother. No way.

My pulse roared in my ears as her voice came again. “Why is it so dark in this goddamned place?” she muttered.

That voice, the cadence, the way she spat out her words… it was Nikki.

Nikki, who I thought wasdead.

My breath hitched, and I pressed a hand over my mouth to keep silent. The knife trembled in my grip, but my mind was reeling too fast to care. How could it beher? How was she still alive?

I bit down hard on my lip, trying to steady myself as her footsteps moved to the other side of the room. A rustling sound let me know she was opening the curtains, which meant she was facing the window.

I took the opportunity to slide out from the other side of the bed, brandishing the knife as I moved to block the door with my back. “Put your hands in the air or I’ll kill you, Nikki,” I said, trying my best to keep my voice steady. “If that’s even your real name.”

She whirled around. “Oh my god. Everly!” she said, eyes bulging. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“What the hell areyoudoing here?” I shot back. She took a slight step forward, and I waved the knife in her direction. “Stay the fuck back! I really will kill you, you lying bitch!”

She lifted her palms, eyes flickering between the knife and my face. “Everly… please. I don’t want to hurt you. Let’s just talk, okay?”

Emotion welled in my throat, thickening my voice. “I really thought you were dead. I even cried for you,” I bit out. “But this whole time, you were one ofthem.”

“I’m not one of them.” Nikki kept her hands up. Her whole body was trembling. Even her bottom lip was wobbling, like she was about to cry. “I swear… I’m not.”

“Bullshit!” I waved the knife again. “You were the mole, weren’t you? You lied to everyone from the very start!”

A tear rolled down her cheek, but she didn’t wipe it away. Just kept her hands in the air. “Please listen to me. I promise I don’t want to hurt you,” she said in a ragged voice. “I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

“It’s a little late for me to believe that now,” I snarled.

“I know what it looks like, but I’m really not one of them.I swear.”

“Then why the hell are you here?” I asked, eyes narrowing. “Why are you still alive? And why were you just on the phone to Peter Jennings, calling him ‘sir’ like he’s your boss? Thatiswho you were talking to, isn’t it?”

She gulped. “It’s because I was in the Hunt.”

“I know you were in the fucking Hunt!” I hissed. “I was in it too, in case you forgot! I still am!”

“No, I mean…” Nikki trailed off, swallowing thickly. “I was in it before.”

I blinked, mind whirling. “What?”

“I was in the Hunt before,” she said, finally taking one step forward. “I’m last year’s winner.”

31

Everly

The world tiltedon its axis, a dizzying lurch that sent my stomach plummeting. “What?”

“I was the only survivor after the last Hunt. That’s why I’m still alive,” Nikki said. “As for the rest… it’s a long story.”

---