Page 80 of Bennett

Gabe’s expression sobered. “Yeah. Damn drunk driver nearly took them both out when they were sixteen.”

“Jenna was behind the wheel,” Tyler added. “Blamed herself for years. We all tried to reassure her, especially Josh. But I’m betting she still carries that guilt.”

Silence fell again, heavier this time. Every one of them knew what it meant to carry guilt.

Mac finally looked toward Bennett with a welcomed change of subject. “Carter said you and Tyler finished the final walkthrough on the building security. You satisfied?”

“Yes,” Bennett replied, dragging himself mentally back to business. “Everything’s live now—cameras, sensors, reinforced door locks on every unit. The construction crews wrapped up framing on the last apartment yesterday. Carter’s already making plans to upgrade the storefront entries as soon as Brandi gives the green light.”

“Good,” Gabe said, reaching for a sugar packet. “Because whoever tossed that mortar wanted to rattle Laurel and probably Annie, too.”

Bennett nodded. “So far, it appears they’re targeting the building, not the people. But Laurel’s there, so that could make it personal.”

Tyler sat back in his chair and glanced at his brother. “Any update on the white pickup guy?”

Gabe gave a tight nod. “Annie’s ex-server’s boyfriend. Yeah. The guy’s got a short fuse and a minor record. Nothing serious, but enough for us to keep an eye on him. Still, he doesn’t fit the profile for the rest of this.”

“So not our main vandal,” Matthew stated with a sigh.

“Nope,” Gabe confirmed. “But thanks to your alley cam and the flash drive Carter dropped off, we have a new lead. Traffic cams picked it up, circling the block the night of the window incident. It’s the same dark SUV, dark windows. We’re pulling footage from nearby businesses to try to catch another angle.”

Bennett's jaw clenched. “No plates? Means it’s organized. Whoever’s behind this knows how to move without leaving much of a trace.”

Mac frowned. “And that means whoever hired them has deep pockets.”

“Which brings us back to Duke Carver,” Tyler said, not bothering to hide his distaste.

“He’s got motive, money, and history with the property,” Gabe agreed. “But no direct link yet.”

“We’ll find one,” Bennett stated, determination straightening his spine. “He’s too polished for this to be personal. My guess? He’s protecting a bigger investment.”

His gut agreed.

Mac nodded slowly. “And if that’s true, we’re not just dealing with sabotage, we’re dealing with a long-term plan that Laurel’s presence is now threatening.”

Carter leaned back, arms crossed. “Well, tough. She’s not going anywhere.”

“No,” Bennett agreed. “She’s not.”

Not on his watch.

His chest tightened. Laurel had planted roots here without even meaning to. The beauty was woven into the heart of this town, into the center of his damn focus. She’d shown up to help her aunt and somehow became part of everything worth protecting. Her smile. Her stubbornness. The way she didn’t back down even after someone threw concrete through her window.

She belonged here now. But the very thing that grounded her—the project, the future Annie was building—was what made her a target. And that burned his gut hotter than he expected.

It wasn’t just a mission anymore. It hadn’t been for a while.

Hell, had it ever been?

The soft swish of swinging doors reached them, followed by the distinct clink of a ceramic coffee pot against the prep counter. Bennett looked up, already knowing who it was before he saw her.

Laurel rounded the corner, ponytail bouncing, apron in place, and a carafe of coffee in her hand. Her cheeks were slightly flushed from the kitchen heat, but her smile was bright, and it hit Bennett in the chest like warming rays of sunlight through a crack in the armor.

“Okay, gentlemen,” she said, sweeping the table with a genuine smile. “I’ve been told y’all require adult supervision.”

“That’s debatable,” Carter quipped. “But if supervision comes with hash browns, I’m not complaining.”

“More coffee first?” Laurel asked, raising the pot in her hand.

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