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We kept looking. Thunder rumbled somewhere nearby.
My heart flipped in my stomach. Even if there was no mechanism to keep us trapped, there was no guarantee we’d all be able to get out if this pit filled with water.
“Over here,” I called out after a while, my voice echoing against the pit’s walls. The others rushed over. I pointed to an almost imperceptible seam in the rock face. “This doesn’t look natural.”
“Good eye,” Sofia commended, her gaze flicking to my arm.
“Ah, yeah.” I followed her line of sight to the gnarly scars snaking up my forearm—a souvenir from my last tango with the Everglades Viper. “He’s got a nasty bite, but he’s alsopredictable. After what happened with Miranda, we know the man is a drama queen.”
“Always has been,” Sofia said, her brow furrowed in concentration. “What did you find?”
I pointed at the wall.
“Can you get it open?” Grayson asked, peering at the seam with interest.
“Yeah,” I said, grabbing my knife from its holster. “I can.”
I set to work, carefully tracing the outline of the hidden door.
“Watch it,” Teo warned as a stone shifted under my prying. “Wouldn’t want you to lose another piece of yourself.”
“Appreciate the concern,” I replied dryly, though my heart hammered against my ribs. “But I’ve got nine lives, remember?”
“Pretty sure you’ve used one of those already,” Teo replied dryly.
I smiled. “Got it,” I finally announced as a section of the wall gave way, revealing darkness beyond. A rush of musty air hit us, and I couldn’t help feeling a twisted sense of triumph before the scent of decay filled my nostrils. “Fuck, what is that?”
“Nice work, Victor,” Sofia praised, her hand briefly squeezing my shoulder before she shone her phone’s light into the newly uncovered passageway.
“Let’s see where this rabbit hole leads,” I said, stepping forward, with the others close on my heels. The pit behind us seemedlike a distant memory already, but ahead lay the unknown—and whatever traps the Everglades Viper had in store.
It was a good thing that Sofia was shining her light because the night had turned pitch black, broken only by roaring lightning somewhere in the distance.
“Looks like we’re about to get some nasty weather,” I muttered, glancing upward. “We should move.”
“Agreed,” Sofia said, her gaze also locked on the swirling mass above us.
As we pushed deeper into the shadows of the passageway, my thoughts turned inward. Oliver’s plaintive meows echoed in my mind, his little fake peeking out from below Brady Thompson’s pile of dirty laundry.
Right then, Sofia’s safety was what clawed at my conscience now. She was tough, sure, but the Everglades Viper wasn’t the kind of enemy you faced with bravado alone. Particularly when the Viper was her father.
“Hey, Sofia,” I called out softly, slowing my pace so she could catch up. “When we make it back—“
Teo and Grayson were ahead of us, but I could tell that they were listening.
“When,” I emphasized. “I want to show you some moves. Combat techniques. Can’t hurt to have more tricks up your sleeve.”
“Planning on turning me into a warrior?” she asked, arching an eyebrow.
“Something like that,” I admitted. “I’ve seen what you can do, but... there’s always room for improvement.” My chest tightened as I spoke, a strange cocktail of pride and protectiveness bubbling up within me.
“What can I do? File a FOIA?” she asked, a twinkle in her eye despite the situation.
“I heard you took Jace down,” I said, winking at her.
Her smile turned into a grin. “Thanks, Victor. That means a lot, coming from you.” Her hand brushed mine—a fleeting touch, but enough to send a surge of warmth through my veins. I knew better than to flirt with her right behind Teo, but it took all of my self control to keep it to just a smile.
“Can we focus on the ‘getting out’ part first?” Grayson’s voice broke through our moment, tinged with impatience.
