“No one…”
Cal’s jaw flexed. “You shared them with the investigator?”
She nodded. “Well, yes.”
Cal’s jaw ticked. “That changes things.”
Wyatt’s voice dropped. “She’s not working alone.”
Cal looked between them. “That’s not up to you.”
“It is if this worsens.”
Cal didn’t argue; he took a breath and added, “We don’t have confirmation yet.”
Wyatt met his eyes. “And if we’re right?”
Cal exhaled. “Then we adjust tactics.”
Letty folded her arms, steady but pale beneath the marina lights. The investigator passed again, still speaking to the local fire command, still unconvinced.
Wyatt watched him.If the man was wrong, fine. If we’re mistaken, I’ll live with it, but if we’re right…He looked atLetty.Then whoever set that boat on fire would know she saw something. And that means she is no longer just a disaster specialist documenting training. She is an asset in danger.Wyatt rolled his shoulders once, feeling the familiar pull along the scar that ran across his ribs, the same tightening he felt whenever a situation shifted from rescue to protection. “Cal,” he said, never taking his eyes off the dark water. “We need to move her.”
Cal didn’t argue this time. Behind them, the burned hull of the Palmetto Royale creaked as it settled deeper into the tide. Wyatt knew one thing with the same certainty he’d known when he dove for that kid.This isn’t over. It’s just starting.
LETTY
An hour later, Letty knew she was being managed. She also knew she didn’t care. A mess of charts, photos, and handwritten notes spread across the long table in the marina office Cal had grudgingly given her.
“This isn’t accidental,” she muttered, tapping her pen against the table. “Accelerant patterns don’t lie. These burn gradients don’t match the official narrative. That investigator ignored what I showed him.” She turned to face Wyatt.He’s not listening either.
Wyatt leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching her like she was a shoreline he was mapping for hazards. “You’re in danger,” he said. “Cal says you’re staying in Tidehaven.” He stared at her. “And I’m staying with you.”
Letty blinked. “Excuse me?”
“Protection detail,” he said. “Temporary.”
She scoffed. “I don’t need a bodyguard.”
Wyatt pushed off the frame, crossing the room until he stood too close. Not looming. Just…there. “Maybe.” He growled. “But you’ve got one.”
She studied him for a long moment, then sighed. “Fine. But I don’t do silent intimidation.”
“Good,” he replied. “I’m bad at silent.”
Letty cracked her neck. “I need to sleep. I can’t make sense of this when I’m tired.”
Wyatt extended his hand. “Your carriage awaits.”
She smirked.Lame lines and an arrogant protector. I might as well be reading a protector romance.
WYATT
The guest cottage sat at the edge of the marsh, weathered but solid, with a screened porch facing a stretch of water that reflected sunlight like a beacon. It was too open for his liking, too many angles. He gently nudged Letty, sleeping in the passenger seat.
“What?” Letty’s eyes sprang open.
“We’re here.”
