Hunted (27 page)

“Thank you, thank you,” he whispered. He felt the bizarre urge to cry but he would not give into it. Why should he? He still had her.

“It wasn’t your fault, they made you do it,” she said, cradling his face, pressing her forehead to his. “I’m so glad you told me, we’ll share the burden together.”

“It doesn’t disgust you knowing what I’ve swallowed?”

“Not at all. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Nothing will stop me wanting you.”

She held him as he hung onto her, his body going weak with relief. Orion and Actaeon hadn’t destroyed his life. They’d go to prison and he’d move on, with Rachel.

“I’m hoping they were bullshitting me and they made me eat deer or badger or something,” he said.

“Maybe they were. Probably in fact. This is their twisted mess, not yours. Shall we go home and see the kids?”

He managed to raise a smile. “That would be incredible.”

She took his hand and led him to the door. She was taking him home, finally.

CHAPTER 28

“Dad,” cried Leah the second he stepped through the door. She threw herself at him and refused to let go, Ethan and Aaron dancing around him, trying to get a look in too. He picked the boys up, one in each arm, and kissed them both on the cheek. When they started to wriggle he put them down and picked up Leah.

“Don’t tell me you’re too old for a big hug?” he gently teased.

“No Dad, I’m not,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder, just like she used to when she was a little girl.

Rachel watched them together, an overload of emotion tightening her chest. Gill and Rick greeted him next, Gill dabbing at her eyes with a tissue after giving him a hug.

“Alright sweetheart?” said Rick, sliding his arm around Rachel’s shoulder.

“Yeah Dad, fine,” she rasped, choked with emotion.

“You did good love. I knew you could do it.”

“I had a lot of help.”

“You brought him home safe. That’s all that matters.”

“Yeah,” she said, smiling through her tears.

“I’ll get you a drink, I think we could all use one.”

The three children all fell asleep an hour after Ryan’s return, worn out with worry and stress. Leah remained clamped to her dad, arms locked around his neck, refusing to let go. Rachel and Rick carried the boys upstairs and when Ashley eventually turned up, pale and tired, Rachel roused Leah and insisted she go to bed. Seeing Ashley she understood why they wanted her out of the way and quietly acquiesced, to Rachel’s eternal gratitude.

Gill, not ready to hear it yet either, went to bed too on the pretext of keeping an ear out for the children but Rick and Rachel remained with Ryan, sitting either side of him as he explained his story. When he got to the part about being forced to eat the meat Rachel grasped his hand while Rick turned white, feeling sick to his stomach.

“We found the meat in the fridge at the hide and more in a chest freezer at Crossly’s home,” said Ashley. “We’re having it analysed. We’ll soon know its origins.”

Ryan nodded. “It was probably an animal and they were having me on. They’re sadists, it was just another psychological torment.”

“Probably,” replied Ashley with an encouraging smile that seemed a bit weak to Ryan. Had one of their experts already taken a look and declared it was human? He was too exhausted and fearful to ask. That could wait until he was feeling a little stronger.

“How’s Actaeon, I mean Brian?” said Ryan.

“Not good. Critical condition actually. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer man,” said Ashley sarcastically, running a hand through his hair. “What happened to his eye?”

Ryan glanced at Rick, who nodded. “Tell the man,” he said. “Whatever it was he deserved it.”

“I gouged it out,” said Ryan.

The room went silent as they all digested this which, Ryan thought, Actaeon was doing at that very moment. He wanted to laugh out loud again. Maybe a gallows humour was the only way to get through this?

“Where did it go? We couldn’t find it?”

“I shoved it into his mouth then broke his jaw so he couldn’t spit it out. I was angry because he’d made me eat fried John Owen. I never eat fried food.” He wanted to laugh again then thought that would be too much. Ashley was already eyeing him with unease. “Sorry,” added Ryan. “That was tasteless.”
Like Actaeon’s eye no doubt. No, don’t laugh
. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me, it’s no joking matter.”

“You’ve been through a huge ordeal, it’s only natural you’ll be out of sorts for a while,” said Ashley kindly. “People react to trauma in lots of different ways. Go with whatever works for you.”

This actually made him feel better. “I will. Thank you Ashley.”

When it was Rachel’s turn to make her statement she looked to her dad. “It’s alright, you can go to bed now.”

“You’re not getting rid of me that easily young lady.” He studied her suspiciously. “What did you do that I won’t like?”

“That’s what I’d like to know too,” said Ryan.

“Plenty,” she sighed.

Both men tutted disapprovingly as she explained how she and Jules had gone against Riley’s orders and chased after the figure through the woods.

“That was Orion, he was armed with a hunting rifle,” said Ryan, fighting the urge to shout. He didn’t want to disturb the children.

“What were you thinking Rachel? You could have been shot,” said Rick, purple with anger.

“But I wasn’t. We were both fine and we got Ryan back.”

When she looked to Ashley for support he shook his head. “Don’t look at me, I told you not to go in there, didn’t I?”

“If we hadn’t then Ryan wouldn’t be sitting here now,” she countered.

This shut them all up and Ashley looked at the floor, ashamed they had succeeded where he’d failed.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean…,” she began.

“It’s okay Rachel. Besides, you’re right.” Ashley snapped his notebook shut and got to his feet. “I’ve got all I need for now but I will need to speak to you both again.”

“You know where to find us,” said Rachel.

When he’d gone Rachel found herself sitting between her husband and her father, both of whom were looking at her disapprovingly.

“Please don’t start, either of you. Ryan’s home and that’s all I care about. Now I’m going to bed, I’m knackered.” She looked to Ryan. “You coming?”

“Certainly,” he replied, trying not to sound too eager. He couldn’t wait to curl up with her. “By the way, only us three and Ashley know about me eating the meat. I’d appreciate it if it could stay that way for as long as possible.”

“We won’t breathe a word, will we Dad?”

“No way. I don’t even want to think about it.”

“Are you going to bed too?” Rachel asked her dad.

Rick shook his head. “I don’t think I’ll sleep.” After listening to Ryan’s tale he knew he’d have some pretty horrific stuff churning around in his brain for a while. He watched them both head upstairs and felt an enormous pride at their strength and courage, physical as well as mental. Was there nothing they couldn’t take on? He was pleased to see that Rachel looked more her old self now Ryan was back home. It was true, they needed each other to complete themselves.

“Are you okay?” Rachel said sleepily. Ryan had wrapped himself around her, his grip desperate and even though she was too hot and smothered by his chest it felt wonderful.

Before coming to bed he’d indulged in a hot shower to wash away the last of the hide then brushed his teeth for almost ten minutes. He still didn’t feel clean. “Fine.”

She lifted her head from the pillow, which was a huge effort, she was so exhausted. The stress was leaving her body, turning every part of her to lead. However he was gazing up at the ceiling, wide awake.

“You’re not,” she said, pushing herself up on her elbows.

He relaxed his hold on her and turned on his side to face her. “I’ve just never been that helpless before. I hated it. Those pathetic excuses for men made me completely powerless.”

“I wouldn’t say that. You half-killed one of them.”

“That was very satisfying,” he said with a morbid smile. “I’ll never live the humiliation down, allowing myself to be abducted by turnips like that.” He took a shaky breath before continuing. “They murdered those other men, cut bits out of them, cooked them and ate them. They were proud of themselves. What are those men’s families going to think when they find out? What will John Owen’s family think of me when they find out I ate some of him too?” He raked a hand down his face. “Sorry,” he said, appalled to realise he was on the verge of crying.

“It’s alright, let it out,” she said gently, pulling her to him.

He buried his face in her lap but he refused to cry. He would not let Orion and Actaeon do that to him.

Jules, Riley and Beth had met up with Mikey and Jez at the hotel suite Rachel had arranged for them and they were sat around together in silence. Battler and Bruiser had gone home to rest. All of them were exhausted but still too wired to sleep.

Riley kept casting surreptitious glances at Jules. He couldn’t understand how quickly he’d gone from hate to respect in such a short space of time. Maybe because deep down he didn’t really blame her for what had happened to Zoe and Maisie. The past had finally released its grip on him and he felt freer than he had in years. He glanced at Beth curled up beside him on the couch, knees tucked under her, and smiled. The future was right beside him. When he put his arm around her she nestled into him and he kissed her golden hair. She smelled of strawberries. Yummy. He was eager to take her into the bedroom and repeat what they’d done in the castle at Scotland, only this time they’d get the whole night together, but somehow it didn’t seem right, not after what they’d gone through tonight, as though to have fun would be disrespectful to Ryan. God only knew how he was feeling.

“Do you think we should go to Ryan and Rachel’s in the morning?” he asked the room. “Or do you think they’d like a bit of space?”

“We go round there,” said Jez. “Times like this we all stick together. It’s what they’d expect.”

Riley was relieved. He needed to see his brother, needed to know he was okay.

“Can you believe Bruiser’s going to be a dad?” said Jez.

“I know, hard to believe,” said Mikey. “He’s head over heels with Daina.”

“She’s a nice girl, bubbly,” said Beth. “They’re talking about a spring wedding next year. She wants me to be a bridesmaid.”

“I think we could all do with something nice to celebrate after recent events,” said Mikey.

“Let’s hope things settle down now, I don’t know how much more I can take,” said Beth. She pushed herself upright, stretched and yawned. “I’m sorry, I can’t stay awake any longer. I’m off to bed.”

She looked meaningfully at Riley, who blinked back at her. Was she saying what he hoped she was saying? He was conscious of the others’ eyes on him and was unsure how to reply.

“You coming?” she said when he failed to respond.

“You want me to?”

“Yes,” she replied through tight lips, clearly embarrassed about having to explain herself in front of everyone.

“Oh right, then yeah,” he said, beaming like a Cheshire cat before hastily wiping the smile off his face, not thinking it appropriate in the circumstances.

“Night all,” he called as Beth took his hand and led him in the direction of the bedrooms, admiring her neat little backside as she walked slightly ahead of him. Sod it, what did it matter if it was inappropriate? No one would know.

“I think I’ll have a hot bath then turn in too,” said Jez, standing and stretching. “My back’s aching from going arse over tit in the woods. Bastard tree branch.”

Mikey raised a weak smile at the memory. “That was fucking funny. It took you ages to fall, like a cartoon.”

“That’s why I like the city. There’s only pissheads and potholes to trip over.” He looked from Jules to Mikey, feeling like a spare part. “See you in the morning,” he said, throwing Mikey a look on his way out that said
don’t you dare shag my sister.

Mikey didn’t notice because he was too busy looking at Jules, who was looking everywhere but at him.

“I need a ciggie before I go to bed or I’ll never sleep,” she muttered, getting up and stepping out onto the balcony.

Mikey hesitated before following her outside, closing the balcony doors behind him. A stream of smoke snaked out of Jules’s mouth, evaporating in the cool night air.

“There’s Orion’s belt,” she said, staring up at the night sky. “I wonder if that fat prick got his name from it. There was a Greek hunter named Orion, he was killed by a scorpion.”

“It frightens me how much you know,” he replied, standing beside her, following her gaze up to the stars.

“I used to be fascinated by astronomy. Leighton was too, he taught me a lot about it.”

“Jules, I…”

“I used to want to be an astronomer,” she hurriedly went on. “But I bumped it in favour of being an archaeologist. I used to dream of being the female version of Indiana Jones, visiting exotic new places, fighting bad guys, finding hidden treasures.”

“I bet the whip was appealing too.”

Her smile was tense, her eyes still on the stars. “True.” She dropped the cigarette to the floor and ground it angrily underfoot. “Did you ever want to be what you are now?”

“No. I used to dream of being a racing car driver.”

“I’ve been in a car with you. You achieved that one.”

“Funny. Nothing ever turns out the way you expect, does it?”

“No. We make plans then something happens to fuck them all up.”

“Getting rid of Leighton was the right thing to do.”

She released a long sigh, shoved another cigarette in her mouth and lit it. Mikey noticed her hands trembling.

“I know,” she eventually said.

“I hope one day you’ll get over it.”

Jules took a deep drag on the cigarette. “Me too.”

“So, are we okay?”

She shrugged. “I suppose.”