Aurora swallows. “Is this because of the meeting?”
Ryder’s gaze shifts to her, softening just slightly. “It’s because someone wants leverage.”
“And this is leverage,” Finn says bitterly. “This is giving them the ‘danger’ they talked about. Danger we’re bringing to the town.”
I look at the brick again, imagining the office on the other side, the files stacked neatly in drawers, the binders labeled in Ryder’s precise handwriting.
“They didn’t go for the liquor,” I say slowly. “They didn’t go for the stage. They went for paperwork.”
Leo nods once. “They aimed where it would hurt long term.”
“Reputation,” Karl adds.
“Licenses,” Jesse says.
“Stability,” Ryder finishes.
Aurora’s hand finds Finn’s sleeve, fingers curling into the fabric—she needs something solid. My chest tightens at that, notbecause she looks fragile, but because someone thought it was acceptable to put her in this position.
“They knew we’d wake up,” I say, the thought forming as I speak it. “The smell alone would drag anyone out of bed.”
“Which means they didn’t want it to spread,” Leo replies. “They wanted you to see it.”
My mind circles the same question over and over.
Was someone standing in the dark watching us rush out here?
Did they wait for the sirens?
Did they leave something else we haven’t seen yet?
Finn glances at the rooftop across the alley. “You think they stuck around?”
“Maybe,” Ryder answers. “Maybe not. But they knew response time would be quick. That wasn’t a gamble.”
Leo studies Ryder for a long second. “You got enemies we don’t know about?”
Ryder holds his gaze without flinching. “Nothing that’s supposed to be here.”
“That’s not the same thing,” Karl says quietly.
No one argues with him.
“You’ll want to file this,” Jesse says. “That way, if there’s another incident, it’s documented.”
Finn shifts his weight, jaw tight. “You think there will be?”
Leo doesn’t sugarcoat it. “When someone tests a boundary and doesn’t get the reaction they expected, they usually adjust.”
“And if this was the adjustment?” Aurora asks quietly.
No one answers her right away.
Because we’re all thinking the same thing… if this was a warning, the next step might not be so controlled.
Ryder finally breaks the silence. “We appreciate the quick response,” he says to the firefighters. “We’ll tighten security.”
Leo nods. “We’ll swing by again later, just to double check for hot spots.”
