“This isn’t over,” the man said, straightening his jacket. “You know that as well as I do.”
Grayson didn’t respond. He simply watched as the man turned and disappeared into the growing evening shadows.
Cora exhaled shakily, and her heart pounded as she turned to Grayson. “He’s working for Theodore?”
“And he just confirmed what we already suspected. Voss and his operation are closing in.”
Cora swallowed hard. “What do we do now?”
“We prepare. And we don’t let him take anything else from us.”
His words were meant to be reassuring, but they only deepened the pit of dread in Cora’s stomach. She nodded, and her hands still trembled as she followed him back inside the bakery.
As they stepped into the warmth of the shop, Cora realized something that shook her more than the encounter itself. She had called for Grayson. She had reached out to himand trusted him to protect her, even after all their arguments and misunderstandings.
The thought left her breathless. She hated feeling vulnerable and relying on anyone but herself. But with Grayson, it felt…different. Safe, even.
And that terrified her more than anything else.
Chapter 20 - Grayson
Ryder’s message had been brief:We’ve got someone. Get here now. That was enough to get him to the community center in record time. Someone—likely one of Theodore’s men—had slipped through their perimeter, and the team had managed to capture him alive.
The memory of his last encounter with one of Theodore’s scouts was still fresh in his mind. He’d had the chance to take the man down then, to demand answers, but the timing had been all wrong. They’d been on a public street, with Cora at his side and too many potential witnesses. A fight would’ve drawn attention—attention they couldn’t afford with Theodore’s network already sniffing around Bellefleur.
Letting the scout go had been a calculated decision, one that still didn’t sit right with him. But this time, there were no such complications. No risks to balance. They had their man, and Grayson wasn’t walking away without answers.
The moment Grayson stepped into what the guys had transformed into an interrogation room, his eyes landed on the man bound to the chair in the center of the room. He was wiry, and his face was pale and drawn despite the smirk he was trying to hold. Ryder stood off to the side while. Zach leaned against the wall, but the tightness around his mouth betrayed his unease.
“About time you showed up,” Ryder grumbled, glancing at Grayson. “We’ve been waiting.”
Grayson ignored him and focused on the man in the chair. “Who is he?”
“Scout,” Zach supplied. “Found him lurking near the east perimeter. Had a map and some…interesting notes.”
Grayson took one long step closer to the captive. The man’s smirk faltered when their eyes met. “What were you doing on our land?” Grayson asked.
The man’s smirk returned, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Just passing through. No harm done.”
“No harm?” Ryder echoed. “You’re carrying maps of our patrol routes and notes on our defenses. Seems like more than harmless wandering.”
The man shrugged, though his hands strained against the ropes that held him. “I like to stay informed.”
Grayson leaned down, bringing his face level with the scouts. “Informed about what? Let me guess—you’re working for Theodore.”
The man’s smirk disappeared, and his silence was confirmation enough.
“Thought so. So here’s how this works: tell us everything you know, and we’ll consider letting you leave. Lie, and you’ll wish you hadn’t.”
“Empty threats,” the man spit. “You need me alive. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have brought me here.”
Zach let out a low laugh from his spot by the wall. “That’s adorable. He thinks we won’t hurt him.”
“People like you are a dime a dozen to Theodore,” Ryder added. “You’re expendable. He won’t come looking for you. So you're mistaken if you think we won’t do whatever it takes to get answers.”
The man swallowed hard. “Look, I don’t know much. I’m just supposed to watch and report back. That’s it.”
“Report back about what?” Grayson pressed.
