Be my good girl.The ghost of a voice I couldn’t quite remember echoed in my mind. All I knew was that one of my foster fathers loved that phrase.
I wanted to snap, to tell him to fuck off. But he had me by the nuts, and he knew it.
With that, he stormed off without another word and disappeared into his tent.
I’d stayed single all through college because he became unhinged every time I so much as smiled at another man. Did he really think I didn’t see through him? That all his ‘kindness’ had strings that would require me to pay up sooner, rather than later. I was surprised he hadn’t demanded payment yet.
I let out a shaky breath, and I hated how he’d gotten under my skin. Sometimes he was so good at hiding his true colors, that I forgot what he was. I swallowed the rage threatening to boil over. I’d worked hard to get where I was. I’d be damned if that fucker ruined it right at the finish line.
I tapped my foot, trying to get myself under control. Instead, thoughts of slapping Gale’s pretentious smirk right off his face filled my mind and bubbling anger burned in my chest.
I hated how everyone controlled me.
My nails dug into my legs through the fabric of my pants and my knuckles ached from the tension.
Would I ever be free from people who were entitled to me?
When would I finally be in a position to stop it?
When I got my doctorate? Or would it always be another thumb I was trapped under?
No. I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.
A frown pulled at Shannon’s perfect lips. Suspicion filled her eyes, but instead of saying anything, she hit play. “This is where you dropped.”
Something about Shannon’s voice anchored me back to myself. It calmed me in a way it shouldn’t, but I guess Shannon had become a sense of normalcy for me over the years.
Even if she was a bitch.
I rewatched the horror of sliding through the water, preferring to watch that than think about Gale’s insinuations. Each turn I found myself jumping as if I was back in that tunnel again. I was lucky I survived.
I found myself excited with the notion that the creature would be revealed. I’d been so panicked earlier I hadn’t studied the specimen like I should have. This would give me a chance to study without a looming threat.
When the footage showed the basin, I pointed to the screen. “It’s a natural basin designed to prevent flooding out of the other exit.”
“It’s not natural. It’s too smooth. It’s been carved out,” she disagreed.
“There’s no way.”
“I’m willing to bet my extra blanket you’re wrong.” She smirked at me, but gasped when the nest came on the screen. I knew she would appreciate it as much as I did.
“It’s protecting that.”
A roar echoing far in the distance made goosebumps cover my skin. Was that him?
“Holy shit. It’s beautiful.” Her voice filled with wonder. She smiled and pointed to the various plants I’d overlooked. “Lookat the herbs. They all have mood-boosting properties. Like someone putting themselves in a good mood.”
“Or the male.” I eyed the water nearby, waiting for something to signal he’d found me. “Some species of birds actually use it as a courting display.”
Curiosity brightened her face, making her even more gorgeous than normal. “To say look at how well I could provide for you?”
“Exactly.” I pointed to the protective wall around the nest. “The side wall is made with materials I’ve never seen used before.”
“What kind of bone is it?” She paused the video.
“Mostly alligators.”
“That’s the only true apex predator native to these swamps, right?” Her eyes grew wide.
