“Target,” he corrects.
There it is. Out in the open. No softening. No sugarcoating. Good. I prefer it that way.
“I figured as much,” I say.
“Good,” he replies. “Because they won’t hesitate. If they think taking you gives them an advantage, they’ll try.”
A chill runs down my spine. Not fear. Awareness.
“They already have, haven’t they?” I ask.
Delilah and Brooke exchange a glance. Conrad nods once.
“Yes.”
That explains the reinforced locks. The hovering. The tension.
“Alright,” I say, straightening. “Then we stop reacting and start planning.”
That gets his attention.
“How?” he asks.
I gesture around the shop.
“This place gets foot traffic,” I say. “Locals. Tourists. People passing through. If they’re watching the town, they’re not just doing it from the woods—they’re blending in.”
Brooke’s expression shifts.
“You think they’re already inside town.”
“I think it would be stupid if they weren’t,” I reply.
Conrad studies me. Then?—
Slowly—
He nods.
“That’s a fair assessment.”
I exhale, pacing once behind the counter as ideas start to form.
“Then we treat this like what it is,” I continue. “Not just a territory problem—a visibility problem.”
Delilah tilts her head slightly. “Explain.”
“We start paying attention,” I say. “Who comes in. Who lingers. Who doesn’t quite fit.”
Brooke leans forward. “You want to track them?”
“I want to notice them,” I correct. “Patterns. Behaviors. Anything that stands out.”
Conrad’s expression shifts again. Not just approval this time. Recognition.
“You’re thinking like us,” he says.
I shrug slightly.