Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 259: The Silent Witness

"I've gotta get back to the station for my shift. You…" Simon started, but a grey blur cut him off.

Star, the wolfdog, trotted in and nudged Nancy’s leg. Barry was right behind him, dropping a thermal bag on the desk. "Eat."

He looked at Nancy with a blunt, tired concern. "If you drop dead from exhaustion, who’s going to help me land those high-end clients?"

Barry took another container from Jorgan and held it out to Simon. "You’ve had a long day too."

Simon didn't touch it. He met Barry’s stare with a flat, level look. "I’m good. The station has a canteen, and so does the zoo. But thanks for the backup today. The zoo needed it."

Barry arched a brow at the cold response.

Then Simon’s face shifted, his eyes hardening. "But let’s be clear. Stay away from my sister. If there’s thanking to be done, I’ll handle it."

The two men locked eyes for a long, heavy second. Neither moved. Finally, Simon gave Barry a hard look and walked out.

Jorgan handed the rest of the meals to Elsa and Autumn.

"Wow! Thanks, Mr. Barry! Thanks, Jorgan!"

The two women grabbed their boxes and, sensing the air in the room, bolted for the breakroom to give them some space.

As Nancy started eating, she realized she was starving. Barry sat beside her, quietly flipping through files, barely touching his own food.

She suddenly stopped, setting her fork down with a look of genuine regret. "Oh, man. I promised to make you a special meal today. I completely blanked on it."

She looked at him sheepishly. "I’ve dragged you all over the place today, too."

She thought about it for a second, looking like she was making a massive life decision. "How about this... I’ll give you a special slot to invest in the zoo? I’ll give you a cut of the profits. I promise, this place is going to be huge."

Barry let out a low, dry laugh. He reached over and tapped her forehead with the back of his fork.

"And here I thought you were going to cut me a check," he said, a rare glint of amusement in his eyes. "Instead, you’re trying to find a way to reach back into my wallet? You’re getting smart." He tilted his head. "Did Master Crow teach you that?"

Nancy swatted his hand away. "I’m serious!"

"I’m not bragging, and I’m not trying to hustle you. This zoo is going to thrive. It’s a guaranteed return on your money!"

"I believe you."

Barry pushed his open meal toward her, signaling for her to keep eating. "Stop trying to find ways to thank me. I did what any doctor would do today."

He paused, his tone turning unusually serious. "Keep the shares of this zoo in your own hands. That’s the only way you’ll stay free to do whatever the hell you want."

His gaze, usually cold and detached, held a flicker of real sincerity. He looked at her like he was giving her the only advice that mattered. "Don't be stupid enough to give pieces of it away to anyone. Got it?"

"I'm not that dumb," Nancy shot back.

Star chimed in immediately, his tongue hanging out as his tail thudded against the floor. "Human! Nancy isn't dumb, she just trusts you!"

Nancy froze, her cheeks turning a deep red.

Barry saw Star wagging his tail like a maniac and figured the dog was just blindly taking Nancy’s side again. He reached down and gave one of Star’s ears a playful tug.

"Whose side are you on? You’re always pulling for the outsider."

Star let out a wounded whimper, his dark eyes full of innocence. "That's not fair! I'm pulling for the home team this time!"

When he saw Nancy was too embarrassed to translate, Star huffed and started scratching at the floor in frustration.

…

The next morning at seven, Nancy was in her office drafting a care plan for the kestrel when Autumn came running in.

"Ms. Nancy, he’s awake!"

Nancy’s heart leaped. She took off toward the medical center at a sprint.

The kestrel was still hooked up to an IV, his voice weak but clear. "Human... did you save me? I thought I was dead."

Nancy didn't start with questions. She checked his vitals first, making sure he had the strength to talk. Seeing the once-mighty predator looking so fragile made her eyes sting.

"Was it a human with a steel ball?" she asked softly.

The kestrel’s beak twitched. "Yeah... I was just curious why he was flying a white kite only to cut the string. But when he saw me... he looked terrified."