Page 26 of Bennett

“Good. Because I get the feeling this isn’t going to end anytime soon.”

She frowned. “So, you’re saying we’re going to have to catch them in the act?”

Surprise flashed through him at how she voiced his recent words to Gabe.

He nodded. “Exactly.”

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The air between them was thick with tension—some of it from the situation, most of it from her. The woman had a fire in her that was hard to ignore.

And part of him didn’t want to ignore it.

That was not only stupid, but it was also dangerous. And he wasn’t a proponent of either.

“So, what’s the plan, then?” she asked.

“Carter’s adding cameras, working his magic,” he replied. “If we’re lucky, we’ll catch something useful.”

“And if you’re not lucky?”

“Then we figure out another way.”

“Can I help?”

The question caught him off guard. “Help how?”

“I don’t know yet.” Her expression softened, but only slightly. “But I’ll think of something.”

That sounded like trouble waiting to happen. The woman was like a damn tornado, all fire and determination, but zero patience.

“Let’s wait and see what Gabe finds,” Bennett said, his voice a little rougher than intended. “Then we’ll go from there.”

Her gaze held his for a beat longer, something unreadable flickering behind those amber eyes. “Fair enough. But I’m not just sitting around waiting for someone to fix this. If there’s anything I can do, I’m doing it.”

He wasn’t sure if that made him respect her more or want to strangle her.

Both.

Definitely both.

An hour later, after several deputies had joined the sheriff inside, the door to the building swung open, and Gabe and his men stepped out. One of the deputies was a former SEAL, and Bennett felt better knowing there were two of them on the force working this case. He wasn’t knocking the other deputies, but he knew the intense work ethic of a SEAL. They were like him and his Delta buddies. Relentless, incessant, exactly what Annie and Brandi deserved.

As the deputies nodded and headed for their vehicles, Gabe walked toward them, his expression grim as his gaze landed on Laurel.

Bennett stiffened. Things were about to get even more complicated.

“All right,” Gabe said, holding up his phone. “Brandi will be here within the hour, but since you’re still here, you can see it. But try not to touch anything. I want Brandi to see everything and let me know if there’s anything missing. Understood?”

Laurel nodded. “Understood.”

Bennett motioned for her to precede him. “After you.”

Laurel glanced sideways at him as she swept past and into the building, but if the scent of sawdust and exposed wiring gave her pause, she didn’t let it show.

He lagged behind, watching her wander silently downstairs with the sheriff, checking out what would eventually be the storefronts, lingering in the corner one for several minutes. Her silence was both a shock and concern. He had no idea what she was thinking, and he didn’t like it. Still quiet, she turned and headed up the stairs, and he followed on her six, bracing himself for her eventual outburst.

Remaining a few steps behind her, he fixed his gaze on her every move, because while she might act like nothing rattled her, he could see the tension coiled in her shoulders and the way her fingers tightened against her arms.

When she saw the broken glass, shattered cabinet door, and gouged doorframe, the stiffness in her posture only got worse.