Page 28 of The Hunt

“I hate how accurate that is,” Sloane muttered. “It’s so fucking unfair.”

“Yeah. I understood where she was coming from. So I promised not to say anything.” I hesitated and twisted my fingers nervously on my lap. “I still feel so guilty about that. Like… I should have done more to convince her to come forward.”

“Don’t do that to yourself,” Bree said, shaking her head. “Like Sloane said, it’s a really tough spot to be in.”

I let out another sigh and went on. “They did a blood test at the hospital to confirm that she’d been drugged. They wanted to examine her for signs of sexual assault, but she refused. Told them nothing happened. I just stood there and stayed silent, as much as I didn’t want to,” I said. “After that, the doctors wanted to keep her there for observation, just for a few more hours. While they were doing that, I went back to the house to grab my suitcase. I figured Jake would’ve lawyered up already and called his parents to come home from wherever they were. But he was alone.”

“Still in the bathroom?”

“No, he was out of there by then. When he saw me walk in, he had the audacity to come over and try to hug me.” My upper lip curled with disgust. “He was still crying and panicking. Begging me to forgive him and not tell anyone what I saw. I told him the maid was okay, and that he was lucky she wasn’t pressing charges. Then I said I was leaving and never wanted to see himagain. But he blocked the door. Told me I had to listen to his explanation before he’d let me leave.”

“As if there’sanythinghe could say that could possibly make it okay,” Bree said, nostrils flaring.

“No shit,” I muttered. “But I was still in shock. I just couldn’t believe this stuff was happening. And I was scared, too. So I agreed to hear whatever he had to say.”

“What was his excuse?”

“He… he said he has a sexual fetish.” I pinched the bridge of my nose and shook my head. “I really can’t say it. You’ll think I’ve lost my mind.”

“Everly. We believe you.” Bree leaned forward again. “Just tell us.”

“Okay.” I took another deep breath, revulsion churning in my stomach. “He said he’s always fantasized about sex with… a dead body.”

“What thefuck?” Sloane instantly looked sick with horror. “He wants to fuckcorpses?”

“He said he’d never actually do it, but he thought about it all the time. So then he thought it might work if he did something close to it instead.”

“Like… with an unconscious woman,” Bree said in a low voice. “Without any consent, I might add.”

“Yes. He said he only did it that one time, but I have no way of knowing if that’s true. And once is terrible enough anyway.”

Bree’s lips thinned. “No shit.”

“He would’ve had to plan it all in advance,” Sloane muttered, shaking her head. “Like buying the knockout drugs. Waiting until he and Julia were alone together. And then…”

She trailed off, and I nodded woodenly. “I honestly couldn’t believe it. I’ve known him since we were kids, and he was always the sweetest guy. Always considerate. Always asking for consentfrom me. I had no idea he was such a monster underneath it all. I just… I wassoshocked.”

“I don’t blame you,” she replied. “I think I’d straight-up faint if someone admitted that stuff to me.”

“Oh my god!” Bree briefly clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes widening. “I just remembered something. I saw him hooking up with a girl at the bonfire party. What if he did something to her?”

“I doubt it,” I said in a hollow voice. “Because, unbelievably, the story gets even worse.”

Her brows puckered. “What do you mean?”

“Well, when he was admitting everything about the fantasy, I asked him if he’d ever done it to me,” I said. “He told me he hadn’t, and that he would never consider it, because he sees me as being from the same league as him. Like, socially speaking. But he doesn’t see Julia the same way. I guess she’s not even a real person to him.”

Sloane looked sick again. “That’s so fucked up.”

“Yeah. Even though I don’t come from a rich background like him, I was still his girlfriend, and our families know each other too, so I guess he’s always viewed me as good enough to be on his level because of that,” I said, putting the words ‘good enough’ in air quotes. “But other people, like the house staff—he sees them as below him. Sub-humans who exist to be used and abused.”

“So he’s an elitist about who he chooses to drug and rape.” Bree slowly shook her head. “That’s a whole new layer of twisted assholery.”

“Do you really believe me about this stuff?” I glanced anxiously between her and Sloane. “I know how crazy it all sounds.”

Bree patted my hand and nodded. “This shit is too wild to make up,” she said. “I believe you. I promise.”

“Me too.” Sloane’s eyes filled with sympathy. “And now I totally get why he’s running a smear campaign. He wants to turn everyone against you because he’s scared you’re going to tell everyone the truth about him.”

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