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“I know it seems odd,” he added. “To stay quiet, calm. By not reacting, overreacting, setting off alarms, and by not changing our routine, we’re actually giving the fire-starter room for making mistakes and rope with which to hang themselves.”
As soon as Declan finished saying this, it was hard not to wonder if the notes anonymously left for Taryn and the act of someone setting his grapes on fire were somehow connected.
He tried to remember the content of each of the notes. Maybe there was a link between the notes and the fire?
But as much as he racked his brain, he couldn’t see anything obvious. There was nothing.
Some quiet reflection might help. Come back to the notes later when you’ve calmed.
Declan left to connect with his beta and examine the vineyard damage.
Hanna’s report had been correct. Declan walked up one side of the burned quadrant of the vineyard and down the other side. Declan and his second-in-command made a number of laps around the charred section. At first, they just stared at the charred mess, and then with each subsequent lap, they sensed, measured, smelled, and examined the terrain for impressions.
“I know what you’re measuring,” Declan said.
“Sure as shit, this is going to be a big dent in this season’s inventory. A real dent, we’ll feel it in profits and production. The positive side, they could’ve gotten the whole crop.”
“You’re right. They could’ve but didn’t. They did enough to dent the inventory and distract me.”
His beta didn’t say anything but stopped in his tracks and looked questioningly at Declan.
“I don’t know who is behind this,” Declan said. “And I am not sure what they are trying to distract me from. Maybe the idea is if they can get me wound up enough, I won’t think straight.”
“These grapes are your babies. Any rival vineyards currently upset with us?” the beta asked.
Declan’s phone vibrated, and he pulled it out of his pocket.
I love you. Stay safe,read the text from Taryn.
He briefly replied that he was at the vineyard.
The fire is out. I’m not alone, and we’re making progress.He responded quickly and then put his phone away.
He knew his answer to her was vague, but it was better than nothing.
“The only rivals we have actually appreciate our competition,” Declan replied. “Our quality and our pricing have forced them to do better.”
“Then, if it’s not a business rival or a vineyard rival, what about a love rival?”
“What exactly do you mean?” Declan asked. He wanted the other shifter to say it out loud to confirm his suspicions.
“A rival that wants what you have, and if they can’t have what you have, they will ruin what you have so no one can have it,” the beta answered.
“If what you just suggested is even remotely true, that is some disturbed thinking,” Declan answered.
Once again, Declan’s phone vibrated. He pulled his phone out and read the message that came from an unknown number.
You cannot protect her 24/7.
TEN
TARYN
Taryn worried while taking a shower. She worried while dressing and tending to her hair. She worried about leaving the palace and the whole journey to the apothecary, even though she was quite sure she could see more than one enforcer following her and ensuring her safe passage.
Her mind churned with worry, and she wasn’t quite sure how to handle it. She had received only one text from Declan so far, and that text didn’t say much. It was still early in his investigation of the torched section of the vineyard.
When Taryn arrived at the apothecary, the shop’s lights were already on, and the open sign had been put up. She wasn’t surprised that Hanna had gotten there first, unlocked the door, examined the place, and ensured it was safe enough for Taryn to work in.
