Chapter 18 #2
From where she stood, Brianna watched the exchange with something warm blooming in her chest. There was an ease between them already.
Her dad’s subtle nod, Hayden’s steady gaze – it stirred something in her she hadn’t expected.
She felt a strange, unexpected hope rise, watching two of the most important men in her life find their footing with each other so quickly.
Maybe, just maybe, this messy storm of secrets and shadows might lead to something good after all.
Molly, hovering nearby, broke the sudden silence. ‘Can I fix you some breakfast, Logan?’
Logan waved her off gently. ‘Thanks, but just a coffee for now. Let’s get to the heart of this first.’
They sat down at the dining table. Brianna handed him the flash drive, the two threatening notes, Jack’s letter to Molly and the photographs.
She, Molly and Hayden took turns explaining what they’d found, what they’d been threatened with, what they suspected, and what they’d seen out at the cane fields.
Hayden filled in the gaps about the map, the stash they’d uncovered, the suspicions around Trev and Joe, and the increasing signs of organised involvement.
Logan listened with quiet intensity, his arms crossed, gaze unwavering, asking sharp, efficient questions.
When the story was done, Logan leant back and rubbed his jaw. ‘You did the right thing by staying quiet, for now. If Dunlop’s as crooked as you say, we keep this between us. At least for now. Let me handle this from my end.’
‘What do we do in the meantime?’ Molly asked gently.
‘Stay alert. Watch everything. Document anything odd. Don’t engage unless you have to. Let’s catch them off guard, not the other way around.’ Logan turned to Hayden, his gaze thoughtful. ‘Thank you for staying with them. For helping keep them safe. I don’t take that lightly.’
Hayden gave a short nod. ‘Of course. I care about both of them.’
Logan studied him a beat longer, then nodded. ‘Do you think we could do some of this covert digging together?’
‘I’d like that,’ Hayden said. ‘Gavin’s keeping things running at Sweetwater Acres for now. Frees me up.’
‘Good, that’s settled then.’ Logan looked at Brianna. ‘And you, Miss Steele, no more lone night trips to the bin, all right?’
Brianna managed a small smile. ‘You got it, Dad.’
Logan blew a measured breath. ‘This thing’s messy. But we’ll untangle it. One thread at a time. I can promise you all that much.’
* * *
Crouching, Hayden tightened the laces on his boots.
Even though it was shy of nine-thirty, the morning heat was already starting to bite as he stepped outside the cottage beside Logan.
They’d agreed to head out as soon as possible, before too many eyes were on them.
The plan was simple. Keep Logan’s presence quiet, let it look like a casual visit to his daughter.
But for Hayden, the tension running beneath the surface made every moment feel like borrowed time.
Logan had made it clear over breakfast. Len had been in the photos, but Roy hadn’t.
That fact alone made his instincts twitch.
Logan wanted to meet both men, suss them out quietly, without raising any red flags.
Hayden agreed it was worth a shot. Logan walked a step behind him, his stride easy, but every glance, every pause, was calculated.
The man moved like someone used to watching for angles, threats, the shift of shadows. Hayden respected that. Greatly.
‘You think they’ll have checked in on the stash you found yesterday?’ Logan asked as they reached Hayden’s LandCruiser.
Hayden shrugged. ‘Maybe. But the tarp was undisturbed last night. If they don’t suspect we’ve found it, they might hold off doing anything else for now.’
Logan opened the passenger door and looked back at the cottage briefly before getting in. ‘My girl’s tougher than she looks. Always has been. But I hate that she’s caught up in this.’
Hayden’s hands paused on the steering wheel, heart tightening. ‘She’s strong. Smarter than most people I know. And braver than she gives herself credit for.’
‘Damn right she is,’ Logan said in determined agreement.
Revving the engine to life, Hayden backed away from the cottage.
Molly was determined to open the café that day, and as for Brianna, she had animals to tend to, and he was glad of the fact.
It meant they were out among people, and hopefully safer that way.
He and Logan rode in silence for a beat, the road stretching ahead, sun glinting off the tall cane grass that whispered on either side.
Logan tapped his fingers against his thigh, eyes scanning everything they passed.
‘How well do you know the mechanic?’ he asked suddenly.
‘Roy?’ Hayden replied. ‘Well enough. His dad, Len, keeps to himself mostly, bit gruff, bit old school. I wouldn’t have pegged him for anything unless we had reason, before seeing him in the photos Jack left. But now, well, I get the feeling his son, Roy, knows more than he’s comfortable with.’
Logan nodded slowly. ‘Might need to poke around there too. Quietly.’
Hayden turned off the main road and took the gravel path towards the cane fields.
As the tyres bit into the earth, he felt that same twist in his gut.
A knowing akin to fear. Like stepping back into a space that had already told him it didn’t want him there.
They parked where he and Gavin had the day before, and they climbed out, taking the last little bit on foot.
When they reached the spot near the decrepit cattle yards, the disturbed soil was still covered, just as he and Gavin had left it.
‘You said you found vet supplies, too, with the guns?’ Logan asked, crouching low.
‘Yeah. Sedatives. The kind used to rig racehorses. That hit a nerve.’
Logan raised a brow, his tone more reflective. ‘Brianna told me you work with horses. This must land close to home.’