Dust and Obey by Christy Barritt Read Free Book Online

the ground holding her ankle. Her face scrunched with pain—narrowed eyes, rounded lips, veins bulging at her neck. In fact, her expression was almost comical. Or maybe I had a twisted sense of humor.
    “I stepped on something, and my ankle twisted.” She rocked back and forth.
    “Dr. Turner asked everyone to stay inside.” Blaine’s voice was short and clipped. In other words, annoyed.
    “But I just needed some fresh air. You know how it is. I feel suffocated—in more ways than one.” The woman had a way of speaking that indicated she was perhaps from the country. Her teeth were also a mess—stained, crooked, and partially missing.
    She couldn’t possibly be a guest here.
    “Ms. Daniels, we need to get you inside,” Blaine continued. “We can take a look at your ankle there.”
    Ms. Daniels? I remembered what Brad had said about her. She was one-half of the redneck couple.
    “You must be the new lab rats,” Ms. Daniels said instead, looking us up and down. “You look about like the rest of them.”
    “Like the rest of them?” I asked, the words spilling out. I pictured myself with pointy ears, piercing eyes, and whiskers.
    “The rest of the clients here. Hoity-toity. I keep hoping for someone normal like us beneath all that fancy exterior. That’s not going to happen, is it?”
    Score! I looked like I fit in. That was a near miracle. And I didn’t look like a rat. Double score.
    “Ms. Daniels, please. Mr. and Mrs. St. Thomas just got here. There’s no need to greet them like this.” Blaine shifted awkwardly as she glared down at Ms. Daniels, who still grasped her ankle and rocked back and forth.
    The woman waved one hand, chipped red nail polish blurring through the air. “Oh, I didn’t mean it like that. You know me. I speak my mind. That’s one of the reasons my husband, Bo, and I are here. Apparently, I can’t keep my trap shut.” She cackled.
    Note to self: Don’t cackle at your own jokes. It sounds weird.
    “Anyway, can someone help me get all two hundred pounds of me off this ground?” she continued. “It’s harder than it used to be.”
    Riley crouched toward her. “Do you think you can put any weight on your ankle?”
    “Probably not. But if I had a big, strapping man to help me, I’m sure I could make it to Blackbird Hall.” She fluttered her eyelashes at Riley.
    Was she really flirting with Riley when he was supposedly my husband? That was about as classless as a Sunday school dropout.
    “I don’t know if I fit the strapping part of that equation, but I’ll do what I can to help.” He reached under her shoulders and gently pulled her to her feet.
    She winced as she stood. Her arms went around Riley, and I saw a gleam appear in her eyes.
    Without wanting to, I scowled.
    “Angelina,” Blaine warned, glancing at Angelina’s fingers sprawled across Riley’s midsection. She’d dropped using the woman’s proper name, so she must be getting upset. “How about if I go get your husband for you?”
    “That big old lug? No, thank you. This gentleman is helping just fine.” She patted Riley’s chest and grinned.
    You had to be kidding me. Who did stuff like this? My claws were starting to come out. It didn’t matter that Riley wasn’t really my husband. She didn’t know that.
    “I can help support your weight on the other side,” I finally said, my teeth clenched.
    Angelina Daniels shook her head and nudged closer to Riley. “Oh no. I think he’s doing a fine job by himself. But, Blaine, you should have this path checked out. It’s a lawsuit waiting to happen.”
    My fumes only increased. Was this woman looking for a reason to file a personal injury claim? Was she that kind of person?
    As she stepped away, I looked down.
    I gasped at what I saw on the path where Angelina had fallen.
    It was a bony hand reaching from the grave.
    Desperate for my help.
     
    ***
     
    “This place is cursed. I knew it!” Angelina shrieked.
    I ignored her and instead bent down for a