Needing to know, I said, "I'd only just uncovered that skull when the rain started. I thought at first it might be another Banjo."
"Banjo?" Mitch frowned.
Relief washed through me. Banjo was the most well-known dinosaur find in this area. If he didn't know about that discovery, then I was confident he hadn't been at my pit to poach any ancient bones. Doug's paranoid accusations were ridiculous.
I nodded. "Banjo is the nickname for Australovenator Wintonensis. It was a carnivorous dinosaur discovered near Winton in 2006." A spark ignited within me as I talked about my work. "Banjo is the most complete theropod skeleton ever found in Australia." I met his eyes. "Millions of years ago, that dinosaur was the apex predator around here."
Mitch tilted his head, and his expression shifted. He wasn't just being polite, he was actually listening. "But you think that skull you found was from something bigger?"
"Oh, I know it was bigger," I said, picturing the sheer size of that skull. It wasn't just larger than Banjo, it dwarfed it. And the jawline was too thick and too broad to be a theropod. "That skull belonged to an apex predator that could've hunted Banjo."
Doug let out a sharp scoff. "Listen to yourself, making wild assumptions, as usual."
My stomach dipped. "Excuse me?"
"You barely uncovered that skull." His tone was full of condescension. "You got a glimpse at best, and now you're rewriting paleontology?"
"Hell yes, I am," I snapped. "I spent more time with that skull than you, and you were still asleep in the bus when I found it."
Doug's lip curled. "And I suppose you think you're some kind of expert?"
"I've got two degrees and a hundred grand of student debt that says I am. And unlike you, I wasn't napping, I was digging and working damn hard." I clenched my fists. "That's why this discovery is mine."
Doug chuckled, a sound so smug it made my skin crawl. "That's not how this works, Charlie. You're my assistant." He flicked his gaze to Mitch, maybe expecting backup.
Assistant! I just about swallowed my tongue. "Doesn't matter. I found it. You slept through it."
He gave me a sideways glance and shook his head like he was scolding a child. "No, I wasn't." He puffed out a breath. "Your lies just get bigger and bigger."
I gasped. "That's bullshit." My voice cracked. "You're the same as every other guy who thinks a woman in the field is lucky to be allowed to hold a shovel."
Doug snorted from the other side of the cave. "Finally, something we agree on."
My jaw dropped. What an asshole.
Mitch crossed his arms, his posture deceptively casual. "You just said that Charlie had barely uncovered that skull," he said, his voice calm but edged with steel. "So, by your own admission, she discovered the skull."
Doug spun toward Mitch, his boots scraping against stone. "Back off, cowboy."
The cave fell quiet, except for the pounding rain outside. It was like the air was holding its breath.
Mitch didn't back off. He raised his gaze to Doug, unflinching. "Seems to me, Charlie did find that giant skull."
My heart swelled. He was defending me. No man had ever defended me. His actions hit somewhere I hadn't realized was still vulnerable.
Doug's nostrils flared, and his face flushed to an ugly red. "You've known her for five minutes. You don't know a thing about her."
Mitch stood, unfolding to his full, imposing height. "I know she nearly died trying to protect those bones, and I know she's the only archeologist in this cave acting like a professional."
Doug's hand slid to the rifle strap across his shoulder.
Ice flooded my veins.
I scrambled to my feet beside Mitch. As Doug's grip tightened around the strap, every cell in my body froze. The gesture was deliberate. Threatening. "Mitch…" I whispered, clutching his arm.
But Mitch eased his arm away from my grip. His eyes never left Doug. "You thinking of raising that weapon, mate?" His tone was so damn calm it was terrifying. "I'd think real carefully before you try."
Doug's fingers twitched on the rifle.