Page 69 of Secrets in Calusa Cove

The python hunters would have their own challenges with wind ripping across the Everglades. While protected by islands that created a barrier between land and ocean, it would still cause them issues.

Not to mention the torrential downpour that was expected to begin in a few hours and last well into the evening. Between high winds, the rain, and poor visibility, those hunting for snakes should’ve stayed at home. The smart ones did.

He glanced at his watch. They had left fifteen minutes before their scheduled departure. He shouldn’t have been surprised when he swung his legs to the side of the bed before his alarm went off that she, too, was already awake.

Audra was perfect.

Everything about her was everything that excited him about a woman, right down to her fiery personality. That included her stubbornness. He loved a lady who dug her heels in when she knew what she wanted. That meant she had conviction. He admired that. Respected it. He didn’t want a partner who would roll over and do whatever he expected.

He’d thought Liz was that woman until she’d gone and done the one thing Dawson couldn’t stand.

She’d lied. Worse than lied. She’d betrayed his trust. His love. And, in turn, had crushed his soul.

He slowed the boat as they approached Loon River. Legend had it that those who dared to follow the river at night met with Edgar Watson’s men—or worse, the Skunk Ape—and they either died or came back a changed person. Crazy as a loon.

Everyone in Calusa Cove perpetuated this silly ghost story. It was literally the first thing Dawson had been told the second he’d rolled into town a couple of months before the rest of his team. When he and the boys had started up their Everglades Overwatch tour boat business, they’d been told not to go back there—or give tours in the area, but not because of the tides and the fact they could get stuck—another tall tale because most airboats could handle a tide that low.

But because of Captain Edgar Watson.

The ten-year-old kid inside him had been utterly terrified.

The Navy SEAL thought it was the dumbest thing he’d ever heard.

The chief of police making the port turn into Loon River wasn’t sure of anything.

He took off his ear protection and set them on the center console. He looped his arm around Audra. “It could be a nasty ride back between the wind and rain.” He pointed to another flash of lightning that blew up the sky over the ocean. In the distance, it was a beautiful sight. He loved to watch storms roll across the sea—as long as they stayed miles offshore.

“Did you know you can get back here on foot from the island with no name?” she asked.

“Yeah, but only at low tide, and it’s a three-mile walk. I wouldn’t want to do that between the snakes, gators, Skunk Ape, and I’ve also heard about the Stigini or the Owl Witches.” He grinned.

Audra chuckled. “Some people in this town still believe I’m a Stigini or somehow related to them.” She turned, catching his gaze. “That I practice some old form of witchcraft, which allows me to turn myself into an owl.”

“I’ve heard a lot of weird shit in this town, but that’s one of the stranger ones.” He eased the boat up to Coonts Island. “Makes them look like the nutty ones, not you.”

“It’s not that they actually believe I can turn into an owl.” Audra laughed. “It’s that they believe when I was a little girl, I’d come back here and practice witchcraft with the Stigini. That’s why I was always barefoot, with ratty clothes, and my hair was always a mess. They never considered that for six years my mother was dying. That after one full round of chemo and radiation, she was done. She didn’t want to do it again and tried a holistic approach, but it failed, and my father, while a loving man, struggled to care for both me and my mom, all while trying to run a business and keep the bills paid. It didn’t help that his brain wasn’t firing on all cylinders.”

Dawson didn’t know what was worse. To lose your parents suddenly or to watch them slowly die. He palmed her cheek. “I’m so sorry.”

She leaned into his hand, curling her fingers around his wrist. “I honestly had a happy childhood with my parents. I knew I was different—that they were different—and I didn’t care. My folks wrapped me in a big blanket of love. But it couldn’t protect me from the cruelties of the world. Not after my mother died. Once she was gone, it was as if the bubble burst, and the bad parts of this town wormed their way in.” She stared into the distance. “What sucks is that Calusa Cove is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been.”

Dawson’s chest tightened as he ran his thumb across her cheek. “We can’t change the past, but we can change our relationship with it.”

“Can I ask you a question about Ken?” she asked.

“I suppose.”

“How did he die?”

Dawson stared at her for a moment and contemplated his answer. Telling her the truth meant he’d have to disclose Top Secret information about a mission. And worse, he’d have to admit his failure. The latter he’d come to terms with. The former, well, what difference did it make now? He trusted Audra like he trusted his brothers-in-arms. “The official story is we took on enemy fire during a mission that went sideways. He was injured, as we all were, and died because of a gunshot wound to his chest.”

“And the reality?”

“Ken was the first of us not to re-enlist. That was supposed to be his last mission. He had forty-two days left. The problem was the minute I got those orders, I knew we were screwed. I knew we’d be making some hard decisions on the ground and doing it blind.” He held up his hand when she opened her mouth. He couldn’t be sure of her question, but no matter, he wasn’t answering anything. If he was telling this story, he was doing it his way. “We learned our target had not only moved positions but had gained gunpower. We decided—based on intel—to come in from a different direction. We did question that information, but we only had a small window of time. It was ultimately my call. Fletcher plays it like he pushed me since he was my communications officer. But at the end of the day, I sent Ken out as point man. Eight minutes later, we were all captured.”

“Oh no,” she whispered.

Mindlessly, he rubbed the scars created by electric currents bolting through his muscles. “For three days, we were all tortured.”

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