Page 21 of Softer Than Stone
“Good. Anything actionable yet, Kent?”
She swivelled back to the monitors, pulling up a blueprint of the workshop on the main screen. “I’ve mapped potential weak points for entry, in case Chris wants to play King of the Jungle again. Just tell me you’re not planning to shred another set of gear. I’m not the quartermaster.”
“Noted,” I said, ignoring Callen’s amused snort.
“I think the workshop is a dead end, though. All it’s confirmed is a connection between stalkerboy and Kole. What we need to know is why he infiltrated Waru’s restaurant and why he took off with Waru when Chris arrived at the scene.”
“Perfect,” Callen said, his tone light but his gaze sharp as a blade. He clapped his hands once. “Kent, keep eyes on the feeds. Chris, stick with Waru and stay alert. I’ll take the lead in the interrogation.”
Waru’s eyes darted between us, his brow furrowed, clearly trying to make sense of the whirlwind of activity and Callen’s almost-casual confidence.
“Relax, chef,” Callen said with a crooked grin. “This is how we get things done—looks like chaos, but it works. Promise.”
“Looks like chaos because itischaos,” Kent muttered, never glancing away from her screens. “And it works because I’m here to stop it from imploding.”
Callen gave a mock-offended scoff, but his grin only widened. “What can I say? I thrive under pressure.” He turned to me. “And apparently, my ability to sweet-talk answers out of people has earned me the job tonight. You’ll see why. Or maybe you won’t, since most of it’s classified.”
Waru blinked, and I had to bite back a smirk at the mix of curiosity and exasperation on his face. Callen thrived on this energy—the confidence, the mystery, the control. It was why he had the job despite his tendency to colour outside the lines.
8
WARU
My gut hollowedout as I edged further into Kurranba.
By some miracle, there wasn’t anything out of place. No bullet holes decorated the walls, and the furniture wasn’t smashed to smithereens. Beyond the broken latch on the one window, everything looked exactly as it should: set up for the following day’s opening. I suspected Tan had something to do with how immaculate the place was since we’d been ushered out mid-service just yesterday.
Fuck, was that really just yesterday? So much had happened in such a short space of time, it was no wonder I struggled to process.
But all those thoughts did was offer me the tiniest distraction from the real reason I was surrounded by SICB agents while stepping into the restaurant I’d purchased just seven years ago.
I just hadn’t realised at the time I’d purchased it from Brax’s uncle.
“Over here.” I attempted to step away from Chris, only for him to clamp his hand on my waist, tugging me to his side.
“Where? You tell us, and Michaels and Shaw will check it out.”
I worked hard not to sigh into Chris, unused to feeling taken care of. It was a heady feeling being doted on like this. Protected. I was so used to calling the shots in the kitchen and running every single minute I was in the restaurant with well-oiled precision, to hand the reins over was different. Liberating.
Something I could get used to.
“Yeah, okay.” I pointed to the small cupboard door not visible from where we stood. “Below the counter is a small hatch. You need to push against it, and it’ll pop open. There you’ll find the key.”
Michaels moved to gather the key, holding it out when he’d found it. “This it?”
“Yeah.” I indicated towards the small corridor. “In my office, you’ll find a bookcase. There’s a button underneath the third shelf on the right. It’ll unlatch the bookcase and reveal the door.”
Chris didn’t let go of me, his arm firm yet careful around my waist as if he knew I might bolt. It wasn’t fear that made my legs feel unsteady—it was something heavier, more unsettling. Betrayal, maybe. By a building. A place I’d poured so much of myself into, only to learn it had harboured secrets that could’ve gotten me killed.
I forced myself to stay still, watching Michaels and Shaw move towards the office with quick, deliberate steps. The ease with which they worked together, the unspoken coordination, reminded me that they weren’t just any security team—they were professionals in a league far beyond anything I’d ever seen.
Not that I had much to go on beyond what I’d seen in the movies.
“Hey.” Chris’s voice broke through my haze. “You okay?”
I shook my head, not trusting myself to speak for a moment. Then I gestured around the space I’d worked so hard to make my own. “I bought this place because it felt right. Like I could turn itinto something amazing. And now… now I find out it was just a dumping ground for Brax’s mess.”
Chris frowned, his golden eyes sharp and unwavering. “None of this is on you. You didn’t know.”
