No kidding. The back door shudders slightly under another hit. Not forceful enough to break it. Yet. But testing. Always testing. And then?—
A sound from the front of the café. Glass. A sharp crack. My head snaps toward it. Delilah curses.
“They’re circling.”
Brooke pulls me back a step.
“Inside perimeter now,” she says.
I don’t argue this time. Because this is no longer hypothetical. This is happening. Right now.
The front of the café goes quiet. That’s the worst part. Silence means planning. Silence means coordination. Silence means?—
“They’re inside,” I whisper.
Delilah nods once.
“Or trying to be.”
Another sound. This time from the roof. Movement. Light. Fast. My heart slams hard in my chest.
“Okay,” I say quietly. “That’s definitely new.”
Brooke glances at me. “You’re taking this really calmly.”
“I’m not calm,” I say. “I’m just out of panic bandwidth.”
Delilah almost smiles. Almost. Then the back door handle twists again. Harder this time.
Deliberate pressure. Brooke shifts closer.
“Hold,” Delilah says sharply.
We wait. Seconds stretch. Then?—
The door stops. A beat. Two. Then footsteps retreat. Not leaving. Repositioning. My stomach drops again.
“They’re not breaking in,” I say slowly. “They’re mapping responses.”
Delilah nods. “Yes.”
Brooke swears again. “They’re learning how we react.”
“And adjusting,” I add.
That lands heavy. Because it means this isn’t a random attack. It’s data collection. From inside town. On us. Right now.
Then the front door opens. Hard. Fast. And I don’t even have time to react before Archer is there. In the doorway. Eyes scanning instantly. Body tense like he’s already mid-shift if needed. The moment he sees me?—
Everything in him changes. Not relief. Not calm. Fury. Controlled. Immediate.
“Tessa,” he says sharply.
“I’m fine,” I start.
“You were followed,” he says.
Not a question. A fact. I hesitate.
