Page 5 of Bennett (HC Heroes #15)

B ennett was still thinking about the damn trivia exchange long after Laurel had walked away.

Which was a problem.

He wasn’t the kind of guy who let things or people take up space in his head. His job was to assess, process, and move on. That was how he’d operated for years, and it had served him well.

But something about Laurel Sinclair had him off balance.

Not just because she was sharp or because she delivered her sarcasm with the kind of effortless confidence that made it impossible not to engage. It wasn’t even the way she’d smirked at him when he got her trivia right, only to immediately try to stump him again.

No, it was because for the first time in a long time, he’d actually enjoyed himself.

And that was unfamiliar territory.

“You two need to check out the site on the way back,” Mac said, setting down his coffee, gaining Bennett’s attention. “Carter might need help with those new security feeds. I want eyes on the vandals.”

Bennett nodded, pushing aside thoughts of Laurel and her too-damn-intriguing smirk. “Roger that.”

Gabe, who had been quietly stirring his coffee like he wasn’t paying attention, finally looked up. “Need me there?”

Mac shook his head. “Not yet. We’re still in the property damage stage, nothing serious enough to warrant an official report. If that changes, you’ll be the first to know.”

The sheriff nodded, then gave Bennett a pointed look. “That waitress giving you a hard time, Vaughn?”

Before he could answer, the radio on the sheriff’s shoulder crackled.

Gabe said something into the device, then stood, amusement gone. “Got to go. Let me know if things change,” he said, dropping money on the table before rushing out the door.

“At least he got to finish his breakfast today,” Matthew said, then turned an amused gaze on him. “Doesn’t mean you get out of answering his question, though.”

Cooper snorted into his coffee. “Yeah. Laurel had you squirming.”

Bennett shot him a look. “Not how I remember it.”

“No?” Matthew’s grin widened. “You sure about that? Because from where I was sitting, she had you two seconds away from admitting defeat.”

“I don’t lose,” he said, quietly, knowing better than to show emotion.

Cooper leaned back, crossing his arms. “And yet, she wiped the floor with you.”

Mac, amused but clearly done with the topic, tossed a few bills onto the table and stood. “All right, ladies, let’s move before you start making bets on who can out-snark who.”

Cooper set money near his empty dishes and smirked. “Oh, that bet’s already made.”

“Yeah, and my money’s on you, Vaughn, so don’t let me down,” Matthew said, leaving cash by his cup.

Bennett ignored him, adding his money to the table before heading for the door. Annie was refilling the pastry display with her good hand, watching him like she had something to say.

He wasn’t sure why, but he felt it would be rude to just leave without conversing.

Stepping closer, he gave her a nod. “Food was good.”

Straightening, she smirked. “I know.” Then she leaned slightly on the counter, fixing him with the kind of look that felt a little too knowing. “Bennett,” she said casually, “I appreciate you boys keeping an eye on things around the remodeling site and all.”

He nodded. “Just doing the job.”

Mischief twinkled in her eyes. “Mmhmm. And if keeping an eye on things happens to include my niece, well…I ain’t about to stop you.”

His heart stopped for an infinitesimal moment, the only sign he’d registered what she said.

Slowly, he shifted his gaze to the back of the diner, where Laurel was busy clearing off their table, completely unaware of their conversation. The ponytail she’d thrown her hair into had loosened, a few strands escaping to brush against her cheek as she stacked plates.

She was all ease and efficiency, moving through the task like she’d been doing it forever, despite only being here a short time.

And that should have been the end of it.

Except Bennett caught himself watching a second too long.

Damn it.

He turned back to Annie, keeping his expression unreadable. “I think your niece can handle herself just fine.”

Annie chuckled. “Oh, of that I have no doubt.” She winked. “You have a good day now, Bennett.”

With a nod, he headed for the door, forcing himself not to glance back.

Because he already knew if he did, Annie would notice.

And that was the last thing he needed.

Damn woman.

He wasn’t supposed to be interested.

But something told him that avoiding Laurel was going to be a lot harder than he planned.

Bennett stepped outside, the warm breeze carrying the scent of salt and fried bacon as the door swung shut behind him. A few steps ahead, Matthew was waiting near the sidewalk at the edge of the parking lot, hands in his pockets, wearing the kind of smirk that meant trouble.

“Have a nice chat with Annie?” Matthew asked, falling into step beside him as they started toward the renovation site.

Bennett kept his gaze forward. “You got a problem with small talk?”

Matthew snorted. “Not when it’s me doing it. But when it’s you? Yeah, I take notice.”

Bennett didn’t bite. He kept his strides even as they crossed the lot toward the construction site. “Mac and Cooper already head out?”

“Yep,” Matthew replied. “Straight back to ESI to gear up. Said to check in when we’re done.” He cast him a sidelong glance. “Unless you’d rather go back inside and ask Laurel for another round of trivia first?”

“Let it go, Walker,” he said without breaking his stride.

The guy chuckled, clearly enjoying himself. “Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, man.”

Right. He knew instinctively this wasn’t the last he’d hear about it, but kept his mouth shut and concentrated on the property they approached.

At this angle, it looked like your average renovation project—messy, slow-moving, and full of potential.

But up close, Bennett saw the details that didn’t belong.

A section of fencing was bent outward, just enough for someone to squeeze through. A few electrical wires had been yanked loose, leaving exposed ends hanging uselessly from a busted board, now only half covering a back window.

And the kicker? Someone had dislodged part of the back door’s lock.

Bennett exchanged a look with Matthew, who crouched to examine the door. “Definitely the entry point.”

Matthew grunted. “Yep. And they’re not even trying that hard to cover it up.”

Bennett rolled his shoulders, scanning the area. “What about the cameras back here?”

“Good question,” Matthew said, rising to his feet before stepping back. “Carter just started installing some yesterday. According to Brandi, the vandalism’s been happening at night, so hopefully, if the culprits show up tonight, we’ll capture it on video and then them.”

He nodded but knew from experience that things rarely went as planned.

Just then, the door to the building opened, and Carter stepped out, wiping his hands on his jeans.

“Gentlemen,” he greeted, grinning. “Did you bring me some breakfast?”

Matthew shook his head. “Sorry, no.”

“Then what brings you to my little slice of construction hell?” Carter asked.

Bennett tipped his chin toward the building and the dangling wire. “Needed to check things out.”

Carter followed his gaze, grimacing. “Yeah, it’s been a real fun time. Whoever’s messing with this place isn’t subtle.”

“Making any headway on the security feeds?” Bennett asked.

“Yes. Slowly,” the guy replied. “But I did have a camera set up back here last night.”

Surprise lifted Bennett’s brow. “Did you catch anything?”

Carter shook his head. “Nothing solid. I’ve got a couple of blurry figures on the night footage, but they’re good at staying in the shadows. It’s like they knew the camera was there.”

Matthew narrowed his eyes. “Probably did.”

“That’s why I’m working on adding more and tweaking the angles, but in the meantime, I’ve got to get the rest of this system fully up and running after I make repairs.” Carter sighed.

“Need our help?” he asked, although tech wasn’t exactly his or Matthew’s specialty.

The guy’s gaze brightened. “Yeah, that’d be great, at least until Tyler shows up. He’s coming in after he makes a delivery run.”

Tyler Bryson was one of Gabe’s brothers and the former Navy pilot now worked for ESI when he wasn’t transporting animals in his plane to and from the local animal rescue. Bennett hadn’t met him yet, but was told the guy was a wiz at tech and gadgets like Carter.

“Yeah.” Matthew nodded. “I heard he was bringing in a mama Great Dane and four of her puppies to Shadow Rock Shelter from a hoarding situation in Dallas.”

Bennett filed that information away before shifting his attention back to the exposed wiring. “Those wires yours or Brandi’s?”

Carter wiped his hands on his jeans again, glancing toward the damaged section with a sigh. “Brandi’s. And I noticed some more inside.”

He scanned the site, noting the calculated damage—not just random destruction, but deliberate sabotage aimed at slowing down progress. Whoever was doing this wasn’t careless.

“You think they’ll come back tonight?” Matthew asked.

Carter blew out a breath. “Wouldn’t surprise me. But once I finish with this system, they’ll have a harder time slipping by.”

Matthew gestured to the bundle of wires looped around Carter’s wrist like a tech-based lasso. “You should’ve gone into electrical work.”

Carter grinned. “You’re just jealous because I have skills beyond breaking things and looking intimidating.”

Matthew smirked. “Only skill I need.”

Bennett tuned out their banter, scanning the area again.

Something about this felt off. The break-ins were too frequent, too calculated. This wasn’t just a couple of teenagers screwing around.

Whoever was doing this wanted to slow down construction.

Or worse—they wanted to stop it completely.

“Come on and check things out,” Carter said, moving back to the door. “I’ll show you the new damage I found downstairs.”