Page 6 of Bennett (HC Heroes #15)

Bennett and Matthew followed, stepping through the back entrance of the large building. The scent of fresh lumber, sawdust, and drying paint hung thick in the air, a sign that work was moving along despite the setbacks.

“What about upstairs?” he asked.

“I haven’t been up there yet today, so I don’t know,” Carter replied. “I’m not sure what we’ll find.”

The bottom floor was already taking shape, framing marking the boundaries of four separate storefronts.

Bennett could picture what it would look like once it was finished—big display windows, polished floors, maybe even a fresh coat of paint on the old brick exterior to tie everything together.

Right now, it was exposed beams, stacks of materials, and a few half-assembled shelving units that hinted at the plans to come.

In the center of the back wall sat a large freight elevator that was no doubt used to carry furniture upstairs either for storage or display. It would definitely come in handy on future move-in days for the apartments. So would the existing stairs next to it on the right.

They moved deeper inside, ducking under a temporary plastic partition separating the more completed section from the areas still under heavy construction.

Bennett’s gaze shifted to one of the storefronts on the far right—the one that looked the closest to being finished.

The walls were up, electrical work done, flooring installed.

It wouldn’t take much more to make it move-in ready.

Except for the damage.

Matthew let out a low whistle, shaking his head at a splintered doorframe where someone had taken a crowbar to the wood. “That wasn’t an accident.”

Bennett crouched near a few broken pieces of drywall scattered across the floor. “Neither was this.” His eyes tracked along the base of the far wall, where someone had ripped out part of the newly installed electrical wiring, leaving frayed ends dangling.

Matthew exhaled through his nose. “They’re not just trying to slow things down. They want to make it unworkable.”

Bennett pushed to his feet, scanning the area again. Whoever was doing this wasn’t careless. They weren’t smashing windows or leaving obvious signs of forced entry. They were targeting specific things—things that would cost money and time to fix.

Matthew tipped his chin toward the back of the building. “Let’s check the apartments.”

“Yeah, and hope nothing was touched.” Carter grimaced.

Bennett was doubtful as he followed them out of the storefront and up the old staircase, his boots thudding against the solid steps.

At the top, he stepped into the second-floor hallway, taking in the foyer layout.

It was roomy but not overly large, with four apartment units branching off the central entrance area.

Three of them were still in various stages of framing, wooden beams and exposed drywall giving the place a skeletal, unfinished feel.

The fourth apartment stood out with actual walls and a closed door hinting at progress, the most complete unit in the building.

Both outer apartments were larger than the middle two, each running the full length of the building and flanking the foyer. The layout suggested those apartments were meant to be the premium units, with more space and better views.

But what drew his attention were the exposed wires hanging haphazardly from the open units, some of them clearly monkeyed with.

More frayed edges and twisted cables told him the damage wasn’t accidental.

Someone had gone out of their way to tamper with the wiring, adding to the time and cost of repairs.

A damn good way to stall the progress. And a damn good way to piss him off.

“So much for no damage.” Carter sighed as they approached the door to the apartment on their right.

Matthew exhaled. “Not good.”

Bennett scowled at the busted lock, hanging deadbolt, and the metal frame warped where it had been forced. Whoever had done this hadn’t just tampered with the wiring, they’d made damn sure to break their way into the one place that looked remotely livable.

“Damn it,” he muttered, still eyeing the splintered wood. “Someone went at this with more than just a crowbar. This was deliberate.”

“Yeah,” Matthew agreed. “Almost afraid to look inside.”

Carter nodded. “I know. No telling what else they messed with.”

Bennett carefully pushed the door open, the hinges creaking in protest. Stepping inside, he was surprised to find the place further along than he’d expected.

The walls were painted, the floors laid, and most of the kitchen cabinetry installed.

The bones of the apartment were solid. But whoever was behind the sabotage had made sure to leave their mark.

The glass doors on two kitchen cabinets were shattered, shards of glass glinting across the counter. The flooring near the hallway entrance was scratched up, deep grooves marring the polished wood. But it was the wiring that caught his attention the most.

Cables were yanked free from their housings and left dangling uselessly from the wall. Some walls had been slashed clean through, the exposed copper a clear indication of just how much work it was going to take to fix.

“Damn,” Bennett muttered. “Someone’s making a statement.”

“No kidding.” Carter exhaled, his gaze moving over the destruction with the kind of casual frustration of a man who’d already seen too much of it. “And the fact they broke the lock to get in here? That’s new. Usually, they focus on the open units.”

Matthew ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. “Means they’re escalating.”

Bennett quickly explored the rest of the apartment, finding more exposed wiring. “And if they’re that desperate to make their point, they’re not going to stop here.”

“Which is why I need to get this place wired up, fast,” Carter said. “And I’ll get cameras set up in the hallway, too.”

“Add more sensors.” Bennett shifted his focus to finding solutions. “If they think they can keep getting away with this, we need to prove them wrong.”

“My cameras and infrared sensors should do the trick,” Carter said, a hint of eagerness slipping into his voice. “But I need to get started on it right now.”

“Do it. I want this place covered from every angle. And make sure the footage is being backed up in real time. Last thing we need is someone wiping the evidence before we can get our hands on it.”

Snorting, Carter snapped his fingers as he made a circular motion with his hand. “Dude, don’t you know who you’re talking to? Of course, I back my shit up.”

Matthew laughed while Bennett rolled his eyes.

“Good.” He glanced back at the destroyed lock, his jaw clenching. “And make sure the damn locks are replaced, too.”

Whoever was doing this wasn’t just trying to scare Annie off. They were trying to bleed her dry before she even got the place up and running.

Bennett’s jaw tightened. Not if he had anything to say about it.

“Mac had asked Brandi and her crew not to come in today so we could get it outfitted.” Carter frowned as he looked around again. “I’m glad. She’s going to be gutted seeing her handiwork damaged.”

Bennett agreed. From what he could see, the designer had done great work, until, as Carter had put it, someone messed it up.

Matthew let out a low breath. “Yeah. Someone really doesn’t want this place opening.”

“Think it’s time to get the sheriff involved,” he said.

Matthew nodded.

“Already did,” Carter informed. “I called Mac just before you got here, trying to catch him before he left on assignment. Bossman told me to call Gabe, which I did. He’s on another call and will stop here when he’s done. But I hadn’t even seen this mess yet, so he doesn’t know.”

Bennett scratched his temple. “What about Brandi? And Annie?”

Carter exhaled heavily, running a hand over the back of his neck. “Haven’t told them yet. I was about to when I ran into you guys.”

“Annie’s gonna be pissed,” Matthew muttered. “You think this was meant to send a message?”

Bennett frowned, stepping deeper into the apartment. “Could be. Whoever’s behind this is doing just enough to set things back, but not enough to cause a full shutdown.”

Carter huffed a humorless laugh. “Yeah, well, they’re walking a fine damn line. Another couple of hits like this, and the whole project’s gonna stall anyway.”

He crouched near the gouged doorframe and frowned. It wasn’t just careless vandalism. This was intentional. Deliberate. And it made him wonder what the hell the endgame was.

His gaze shifted toward the kitchen cabinets, where glass shards littered the countertop below the two shattered door panels. This wasn’t the result of a dropped tool or clumsy accident. Someone had done this up close and with intent.

Bennett pushed to his feet, his mind already running through the possibilities. “Whatever this is, it’s more than just someone screwing around. Maybe Annie or Brandi might have an idea of who it could be.”

“Seems hard to believe either of those sweet women would have an enemy with a grudge,” Carter said with a shake of his head. “But you never know.”

Matthew nodded. “And the sooner we figure out who’s behind it, the better.”

Carter blew out a breath. “Guess that means I should go ahead and brace myself for a pissed-off designer and an even more pissed-off owner.”

Bennett didn’t bother sugarcoating it. “Yeah. Probably.”

“Great.” The guy groaned. “Just what I needed.” He muttered something under his breath, then shot Bennett a look. “You wanna be the one to tell Annie?”

He lifted a brow. “Not a chance.”

Matthew snorted. “Smart man.”

“Fine.” Carter sighed. “But if I get smacked with a dish towel, I’m blaming you two.

” With another sigh, he shoved a hand through his hair before pulling out his phone.

“Guess I’ll call them now. Better to rip the bandage off.

Plus, I’m hopeful Gabe will be here soon should one or both get here and decide to kill the messenger. ”

“Don’t worry,” Matthew said. “We’ve got your back.”

True, but both women would naturally and with good reason be upset. Still, Bennett didn’t think they’d be violent. He hadn’t met the designer, so he couldn’t exactly vouch for her, but he definitely didn’t peg Annie as the type to get physical, especially with her recent surgery.

Carter was just being dramatic again.

Stepping away from the broken glass, he walked to the far side of the area, scanning the open layout, taking in the details that mattered.

What he saw was sabotage.

The damage to the doorframes? Structural enough to require repairs but not enough to make the place unlivable.

The shattered door panels? A mess, sure, but an expensive inconvenience rather than a full-stop crisis.

This culprit wasn’t reckless, they were careful.

Controlled. They wanted to slow things down, not completely destroy them.

Which meant they were planning to keep coming back.

Matthew cocked his head, arms crossed. “You don’t think this is just some random idiot vandal, either, do you?”

Bennett shook his head. “No. This is too calculated.”

Carter, still on his phone, held up a hand as the other line picked up. “Hey, Brandi,” he said, sighing again. “Yeah…listen, we’ve got a situation over here.”

Bennett turned toward Matthew. “If they were just screwing around, we’d see a lot more chaos. Spray paint, broken doors, holes in all the walls. This?” He gestured around the room. “This is sabotage. They want to delay things, not get caught.”

“Agreed.” Matthew nodded slowly. “And that means they have a reason to want this place shut down.”

Bennett’s jaw ticked. “Yeah. The question is—who? And why?”

Carter muttered something low under his breath, pulling the phone away from his ear as Brandi apparently reacted with the exact level of rage they expected. “Yeah, yeah, I get it. No, I don’t know who yet, but we’re looking into it. And the sheriff’s on his way. Okay. We’ll be here.”

Matthew winced and scratched his temple. “That went as well as can be expected. Annie next?”

Carter groaned, rubbing a hand down his face. “Let me survive Brandi first. Brace yourself. She’s on her way too.”

“Much better to tell her than to let her find out from someone else,” he said.

Carter shot him a look. “Man, I like living. I’ll tell her.”

Bennett gave a slight nod, turning back toward the damage. He could already picture how Annie would take the news—not with fear, but with the kind of stubborn fury that made him glad he wasn’t on the receiving end of it.

And Laurel?

She’d be pissed.

For some reason, that thought stuck with him longer than it should have.