Page 9 of Bennett (HC Heroes #15)

B ennett stepped into the half-finished apartment, his gaze moving over the familiar mess as he forced himself to focus on the destruction and not on the irritated blonde currently pacing outside the building like she was planning to storm the place herself.

“Damn shame,” Gabe muttered, inspecting the damage with a scowl. “They’re not wrecking the place, just making sure it never gets done.”

“Agreed,” Bennett replied. “It’s all about dragging things out, making Annie bleed money until she gives up.”

“Whoever’s doing this is smart about it,” Carter said, his focus on the exposed wires dangling from the wall. “It’s like they’re waiting for progress, then they swoop in to undo it all.”

“And staying off camera while they’re at it,” Matthew added.

He nodded. “They’re careful. And if they’re this good, they’ll keep coming until they get what they want.”

Gabe’s jaw tightened. “I’ll put in a report and see what I can do to get more eyes on this place. But if these assholes are that determined, we’re going to have to catch them in the act.”

“That’s the plan,” Carter said, his voice tight with frustration. “I’ll keep working on the cameras and motion sensors. Maybe tweak the angles a bit more. Hell, I’ll install twenty if I have to.”

Bennett walked to the back bedroom and glanced out the window to find Laurel pacing just outside the building, her arms crossed and jaw tight.

His chest tightened, an uncomfortable mix of admiration and dread twisting through him.

She’d been told to stay put, but the restless energy radiating off her suggested she was seconds away from barging in anyway.

“Oh, no, sweetheart . I’m here because Aunt Annie put me in charge and asked me to take a look. So, yeah, I am doing a job.”

The woman was relentless and loyal, that much was clear. This wasn’t just a renovation project for her, it was her family’s legacy. And she was ready to go to war to protect it.

An unwelcome thread of admiration twisted through him. At least Laurel stood up for the people she cared about. Unlike his own damn cousin...

Bennett shoved that thought aside and headed back to the others, concentrating instead on the problem at hand.

“Anything else I should know?” Gabe asked, his sharp gaze locking on Bennett.

“Just that whoever’s doing this isn’t planning to stop,” he replied. “If we’re going to catch them, it has to be on their next attempt.”

“Agreed.” Gabe’s gaze was flinty. “I’m calling two of my deputies in to go over the place and collect all the evidence.”

The moment Gabe had what he needed from him, Bennett turned and headed downstairs. The conversation about rerouting cameras and reinforcing entry points continued behind him, but his focus was already locked on the woman outside.

He pushed the back door open and stepped out, his gaze zeroing in on Laurel. The challenge in her expression was hard to miss.

And the idea of telling her to back off again?

Yeah. That was about as appealing as stepping on a landmine.

He hoped it wouldn’t come to it.

She stopped mid stride, arms still folded tightly over her chest, eyes narrowed with more irritation than a rattlesnake with a hangover.

“Well?” she demanded, before he could even get a word out. “Am I allowed in my aunt’s building yet?”

A shaft of warmth dispelled the chill from his chest. He fought back a smile. Damn, the woman was feisty. “Not yet. Sorry.”

Her chin lifted, the stubborn gleam in her eyes refusing to dim. “If you think stalling me will make me leave, you’re out of your mind.”

“Wouldn’t expect you to leave.”

That seemed to surprise her. The irritation in her expression shifted into something closer to curiosity. “So, you’re not going to tell me to go back to the diner and stay out of everyone’s way?”

He shook his head. “I’m here to make sure you don’t do something reckless.”

“Reckless?” Her eyebrows shot up. “I’m not the one vandalizing remodeling sites. I just want to see what’s going on.”

“And you will,” he said evenly. “Just not until Gabe gives the all-clear. And since you look about two seconds away from barreling in there with both fists swinging, I figured I’d do my part to keep that from happening.”

A small smile tugged at her lips. “So, what? You’re my babysitter now?”

“If that’s what it takes to keep you from making my job harder, then yeah.”

She rolled her eyes, but he could tell her temper had cooled by at least a few degrees. “You really are something, you know that?”

“Good or bad?” he asked, genuinely curious.

Mischief sparkled in her eyes, and his pulse increased in response. “Depends.”

He lifted a brow. “On what?”

Another barely-there smile twitched her pretty lips. “On how stubborn you’re planning to be.”

“Stubbornness is one of my better qualities.”

“Of course, it is.” Her gaze flicked over his shoulder toward the building. “So, did you find out anything new?”

He hesitated. Technically, he shouldn’t be telling her anything until Gabe finished his assessment. But he also knew keeping her in the dark was only going to make her more determined to bulldoze her way into the place.

“More of the same,” he admitted. “Whoever’s doing this is targeting anything that’s time-consuming and expensive to fix.”

She blew out a frustrated breath. “Why? What do they gain from wrecking things like that? It’s not like Aunt Annie’s competing with anyone.”

“Maybe someone’s trying to send a message,” he said, eyeing her carefully. “Or maybe they’re just trying to bleed her dry before the place even opens.”

The line of her mouth tightened. “It’s not going to work.”

“That so?”

“Damn straight.” Her voice was like iron wrapped in silk. “Annie’s already put too much into this. She’s not going to let some coward with a wrecking fetish scare her off.”

“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.

“Damn,” she whispered.

“Yeah.” Matthew’s voice sounded resigned. “Sorry, Laurel.”

She moved slowly around the space, arms folded tightly over her chest like she was holding herself together by sheer willpower. Bennett couldn’t blame her. The damage was one thing, but the intent behind it? That was what made his blood run cold.

This wasn’t just about tearing up some old building. It was about sending a message. And whoever was sending it wasn’t planning to stop until Annie gave up or got hurt trying to fight back.

“Well, they can break whatever they want,” Laurel said, her voice strong despite the tremor beneath it. “It’s not going to change anything. This place is getting finished, and it’s going to be amazing.”