Chapter 33
Blair
Isquint.
It takes a second to find it, but my eyes snag on the target I made from spare pallet wood.
Climbing that tree was a feat in itself, but carrying the target, nails, and a hammer had me breaking into a sweat even though it’s in the low fifties today.
I purposely nestled the target between some thicker branches so it wasn’t too easy to spot, and given how dark it’s getting and the slight wind, it’ll make for a nice challenge to try to hit it.
Without taking my eyes from it, I reach over and grab the tripod I’ve lugged up to the roof of the cabin. I adjust the three legs, then slide down onto my stomach. Reaching for the rifle I grabbed from Ledger’s stash of weapons in the basement, I set it up on the tripod.
As I peer into the scope, the aluminum ladder rattles behind me. I ignore the intrusion as I focus on my task.
“Hey,” Santi greets as he joins me on the roof. “What are you up to?”
I’m not surprised by his presence. He said he would come find me after the meeting Ledger had called with managers and assistant managers for the last twenty minutes of work today.
I don’t look away from the scope when I answer, “Practicing my shot.”
The ladder rattles again, letting me know we’re about to have more company.
“Where’s the target?” Santi asks.
“North a hundred yards out, then…” I adjust the scope to sharpen my focus. “About thirty-five or thirty-six degrees east.”
“Um, which way is north?”
I point in the general direction. Then, I take my index finger and slowly guide it right so that it matches up to the barrel of the gun. “My target is in the tree, three next to the one that looks like it was struck by lightning a few years ago.”
“You can hit that?”
It’s not Santi who asks this. I suppress a flinch of surprise when I realize Rhett’s joined us. Three days have passed since that emotionally charged night when I dragged him from the quarry’s edge. Since then, we’ve been skirting around one another—not that we really hung out to begin with.
“Um, I used to be able to,” I reply without looking up. “I’m hoping I still can.”
I hear the flick of his lighter and a few seconds later, I’m hit with smoke from his cigarette. Neither of them say anything as I make a few more adjustments to the scope and tripod. When I’m done, my body goes still as I prepare to take the shot.
Before I do, I warn them, “Cover your ears.”
I don’t wait to see if they listen. The trigger gives under my finger, and the rifle kicks. I’m ready for it and I don’t flinch at the bullet’s discharge. I hold steady, my eye still pressed against the scope.
Wood explodes and the red circle I painted is marred with a bullet hole. Bullseye.
A victorious grin stretches across my face.
“Well, shit,” Santi whispers in awe. “That was incredible!”
With a huff, I sit up and look over at the guys. “Is there something I can help you two with?”
“Is this something you can put down for a bit?” Santi asks, his voice laced with hope as he jerks his head away from the trees to look at me. His eyes grow large and pleading as he asks, “We wanted to see if you wanted to join us on The Hunt tonight.”
Us? As in, they’ll both be there?
I haven’t really hung out with just the two of them. The only time the three of us are in close proximity to one another is when Ledger and Wes are with us too. Given Rhett’s aversion to me, I’m not sure this is wise.
I look from Santi to Rhett—expecting him to be glowering at me from behind his friend, probably hoping I’ll decline.
Instead, he looks over at me and cocks the brow with the ring in it up.
With his cigarette between his lips, he waits expectantly for my answer.
I don’t see or sense any hostility from him…
“Alright,” I agree, my voice low and hesitant. “If you’re sure?”
Santi’s face breaks into the brightest grin I’ve ever seen him wear. “We’re absolutely sure.”
Rhett doesn’t necessarily smile but he doesn’t glare, roll his eyes, or make a snide remark under his breath, so I guess he’s ecstatic as well.
“When do you want to leave?” I ask.
“Now?” Santi replies. His puppy dog eyes are back again as he implores me to drop everything to play with him.
I glance back at the target. It’ll be there tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. I’ll practice another time. Smiling, I look back at him.
“Okay.” I grab the gun, discharge the clip, and empty the barrel.
Santi whoops with excitement. “I’ll grab the throwing axes!”
The woods are quieter than normal tonight.
I’m not sure if that makes them eerie or peaceful.
Soon they’ll be full of screams. There’s soft sounds of conversation coming from the side of the building where Santi and Rhett are gathering the things they’ll need tonight from the back of the truck.
I let them be, not wanting to step on toes and still not sure how to be around the both of them.
Santi’s so handsy I’m afraid he’ll reach out to touch me and it’ll piss Rhett off.
He seems like he’s in a decent mood tonight, not quite chatty but more verbose than normal and he’s cut back his glaring by at least half.
If this is what’s considered a good mood for him, I don’t want to ruin it by being in his way.
So, here I am in the dark, waiting for the sign that I can feel involved.
This is so uncomfortable. How do normal people navigate a situation like this?
I’ve always struggled connecting with others.
But this situation, where Rhett and I are sharing the same person, feels so overwhelmingly out of my know-how that it feels impossible to navigate.
Emotions well up, as they had the other night, and I can feel my heart starting to race. God, why does this feel so much like college again? I’m floundering and can’t find my footing around my peers. I wish Wes was here. He’s just so steady and he gets me.
Does it make me weak to want to continue to lean on him?
My face heats as embarrassment washes over me. This is why I don’t get close to people. I feel like an idiot who—
“Carino!” Santi calls out, his voice carrying in the woods around the small cabin.
“Here!” I reply hastily as I lower myself onto the ground.
If he catches me just standing here waffling pathetically, I’ll be eaten up by humiliation. Quickly, I open the small shoe box I’d brought with me tonight and start pulling out the objects inside.
“Are you ready to have some—” he stops talking as he comes to a halt beside me. “What’s all this?”
I grab a small lighter from the box and begin to light the three white tea candles. My palms grow sweaty as Rhett strolls over just as I finish lighting the last one. I’ve set the candles on a white doily, and I’ve sprinkled dried yellow petals around the lights.
Shoving the lighter in my pocket, I look up at both guys from where I’m crouching and swallow.
“Um, well, before we begin, I thought we could, ah…” The words fade away as I realize that maybe this was a bad idea.
Well, I’ve already committed, so… “Rhett, told me the other night that he didn’t get to say goodbye to Abby and I’ve been thinking about how to fix that and this—” I wave my hand at the small memorial “—was what I came up with. I wasn’t sure when to bring it up, but since we’re playing The Hunt, which was partially created because of Abby, I figured that before we begin, we can pay homage to her.
Wes said he thinks her passing was about fifteen years ago, so there’s one candle for every five years since she’s been gone giving us a candle each to hold. ”
Now that I say it out loud, it sounds dumb, and maybe out of line.
I should’ve run this by Santi first. I can tell by the way he’s struggling to smile encouragingly at me but also shooting nervous glances at Rhett as I talk.
Rhett doesn’t say anything. He stares down at the lit candles with his mouth pressed into a tight line.
His body is rigid, and I don’t think he’s breathing.
Yup, this is definitely a bad idea.
Reaching for a candle, I quickly attempt to fix the mistake. “Okay, yeah. No, this was stupid. I’m sorry. Let’s just forget—”
Rhett crouches down with me, snatching my wrist before I can bring the candle to my lips to blow out.
“No, it’s not stupid,” he says on a shaky sigh. He lets go of me as if I’ve burned him, but he remains at my eye level and stares at the set up.
“It’s very thoughtful!” Santi agrees with a bright, relieved, smile. He crouches down with us and reaches out to grab my shoulder and squeeze it. “What should we say?”
I frown as I consider this. After a moment, I bring the tea light up and smile.
“To the girl whose laughter brought smiles to everyone’s faces, and whose love remains with us despite her physical absence.” I shoot Rhett a nervous half-smile. “Would you like to say something?”
His throat convulses as he swallows. I wait but Rhett says nothing. It kind of looks like he’s choking on a lemon. His face twists in pain and his jaw clenches hard. Santi looks between us before quickly picking up a candle himself.
“To the girl whose love inspired the eradication of monsters,” he declares with a grin.
Rhett bows his head, his dark hair becoming a curtain to hide his face from whatever he doesn’t want us to see. There’s a long pause. I’m pretty sure I catch sight of a tremor that rushes through him but I say nothing about it. When Rhett finally looks up, he reaches down and grabs the last candle.
“To the best little sister a brother could ask for. I will avenge you, Abby,” Rhett promises, his voice rough and deep. “I won’t stop until every fucking sicko in this world is gone. Or, at the very least, until my dying breath.”
Our eyes meet. His dark ones mirror the flickering light from the candle in his hand. That flame adds a warmth to them that makes him look almost human despite the terrifyingly grim expression on his face.
I nod and lift my candle a little higher. “To Abby.”
“Too Abby,” both guys repeat.
With that, I blow out the candle. The others copy me and then place the candles back on the doily. There’s a short pause as I gather up the items and put them back into the shoe box. Suddenly, Rhett stands.
“I forgot to grab the axes,” he announces, before turning and stomping off.
Before I can turn to watch him leave, Santi’s there, pouncing on me and tackling us both to the ground.
“Ooph!”
He climbs on top of me like he’s king of the mountain and then proceeds to pepper my face with kisses. I laugh at his antics while also trying to bat him away.
“We’re going to have to take you to puppy training. This jumping on people is just not it!” I tell him, trying—and failing—to sound pissed.
He laughs between kisses. In Spanish he whispers, “He loved that. You know that right? I’m pretty sure I thought he was going to burst with joy. God, you’re incredible. Thank you for doing that for him.”
I don’t know if “burst with joy” is the right sentiment, but I guess Santi knows him better than me.
I capture his face before he can kiss my cheek and turn it so that his lips land on mine.
The anxiety that had crept in, bringing with it self-doubt and insecurities, melts as his tongue dives between my lips and he kisses me with the fervor of a wild animal.
Santi’s hips grind against mine as he lowers himself onto his forearms on either side of my face and I shiver at the anticipation of later.
This game is fun. But the last time we were out here, it’s what came after that really turned the night into something grand.
“There are only two masks so you two can wear them,” Rhett says, startling us both. “I’ll just wear my bandana.”
I immediately jerk my head away from Santi’s mouth but Santi simply chuckles and leans down to kiss along my jawline.
“Santi,” I hiss in warning.
With a sigh, he sits up to straddle me then twists to give Rhett his complete attention. I place my hands on his chest and try to push him off, but Santi doesn’t budge.
“Okay and there are six throwing axes, right? That’s two for each of us, plus our normal axes,” Santi says as if it’s completely normal to be sitting on someone.
Rhett doesn’t appear annoyed by our current setup. He stares down at us, his expression void of any emotion whatsoever.
“Yeah, well, you can have the ones meant for me,” he tells Santi. “I haven’t practiced with them, so I don’t want to waste time figuring them out tonight.”
I nod. “You can have mine too, Santi. I wasn’t very good with them.”
Santi scoffs. “You two are going to make this game too easy.”
“Santi,” I groan as I push at him. “Up!”
Rhett offers Santi his hand and Santi takes it. Just as I get to my feet, headlights flood the darkness. Santi giggles with delight but slaps a hand over his mouth when Rhett and I shush him in unison.
“Let the best man win!” Santi says as he hurries around to the side of the house.
“Let the best woman win,” I taunt as I take the axe Rhett offers to me. As I walk away, Rhett huffs a laugh.
Holy shit, I just made Rhett laugh.
That, in itself, feels like a victory.