Page 30 of Bennett

His gut clenched. “Annie, I’m supposed to be working security and investigating. Not—”

“Exactly. Security,” she said, cutting him off. “And what better way to keep things secure than to have you actually there?”

Bennett opened his mouth, then shut it again. The woman was making a twisted sort of sense, and he didn’t like it one bit.

“I don’t have time to babysit her,” he argued. “I’ve got work to do.”

“Which you can do from there,” Annie said, shrugging like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “And if Laurel knows you’re around, maybe she’ll be less likely to go charging headfirst into trouble.”

He snorted. “Somehow, I doubt that.”

“Maybe not. But it’s worth a shot.”

Bennett stared at her, a hundred objections piling up in his mind. But the more he thought about it, the more Annie’s suggestion started making sense. Laurel was going to do whatever the hell she wanted, whether he liked it or not.

Better he was there to keep her safe than leave her to fend for herself.

“Fine,” he gritted out. “I’ll stay there.”

Annie’s grin widened. “I knew you’d come around. Now, want some coffee to go? You’re gonna need it.”

He had a feeling no amount of coffee was going to prepare him for the mess he’d just agreed to.

Chapter Six

Later that evening, after a long phone conversation with Brandi and a quick check in with her aunt at the diner, Laurel lugged her duffel bag into the building, huffing as the worn strap dug into her shoulder. The keys to the place that her aunt had handed her earlier were tucked safely in her purse for future use, since the guys were still here, and the back door was unlocked.

She let her eyes adjust to the dim lighting, the faint glow barely cutting through the shadows. Everything was quiet except for her footsteps echoing off bare walls and unfinished spaces. The emptiness felt vast and a little eerie, but she knew that in a few short months, the place would be buzzing with life.

Brandi had been more than happy to chat about the plans, her enthusiasm making Laurel’s own nerves feel a little less frazzled. They’d agreed to meet up the following day to review the project’s progress in detail.

Still, standing here now with the dull scent of paint and sawdust hanging in the air, the reality of what she’d just committed to felt enormous.

But it was also exciting.

As she made her way up the stairs to the second floor, the voices of the guys working on her apartment drifted down, along with the occasional clank of tools.

Round two.

Her pulse kicked up at the thought of continuing her word sparring with the most stubborn of the bunch.

Idiot.She exhaled to dispel the stupid thought, then straightened her shoulders.

When she pushed the door open to her unit, Carter, Matthew, and the sheriff’s brother, Tyler, were all gathered around a mess of wires in the living room. Disappointment rippled through her chest. Laurel ignored it, telling herself she was glad Bennett wasn’t around.

“Well, well, if it isn’t our brave little tenant.” Carter grinned, wiping his hands on his jeans.

“Here to inspect our work?” Matthew asked, his expression full of lazy amusement.

“More like here to make sure you haven’t blown the place up yet,” Laurel replied, walking toward the kitchen, where she dropped her duffel onto the counter, now cleared of broken glass. “From the looks of things, I’m not entirely reassured.”

Carter raised a brow. “Hey, everything’s perfectly under control. We’ve been working on the door alarms and wiring the motion sensors. But your apartment’s still a work in progress.”

“That’s okay. I’m just teasing.” Her gaze swept over the half-installed devices, the piles of cables coiled like sleeping snakes on the floor. “Looks like you’re making, uh…progress.”

Tyler glanced up from a cluster of wires, his smile friendly and reassuring. “Should have most of the basics done tomorrow.”

“That reminds me. I left the sleeping bag and pillow in the master bedroom, as promised.” Carter jerked his chin toward the hallway. “Hope that’s where you wanted it since, you know, this place is furniture-free.”