Chapter 35

Chapter 35 SummaryTony’s flight from St. Louis to Austin was quiet, giving him time to process what had happened to Steven. The more he thought about the details, the less it seemed like a random robbery. The brutality, with both wrists and ankles broken, pointed to something deliberate, personal, and meant to send a message. Tony decided not to alarm Steven’s parents until he could see his employee himself and gather facts from the Austin Police. Whatever this was, it involved intent, and that unsettled him more than he wanted to admit.Back in St. Louis, Jennifer’s unexpected extra night gave her a chance to fulfill a promise. Remembering she owed FBI Agent Javon Morris dinner, she called him, half expecting he’d be too busy or uninterested. Javon hesitated, torn between duty and the growing, unfamiliar pull he felt toward her. Finally, he agreed, deciding one dinner wouldn’t compromise his objectivity. Still, as he hung up, he reminded himself to stay detached. Emotion was a liability in his line of work, and Jennifer Bennett, he suspected, could be more dangerous to his focus than any case file.Elsewhere, Bravo arrived at St. Louis Airport on a flight from Houston. Efficient and methodical, he checked into the Hyatt Regency, coincidentally the same hotel where Jennifer was staying. During the cab ride, he endured the driver’s eager chatter about sports and motivational speakers, masking his irritation behind a thin smile. When he tipped the young man generously, it was more out of habit than kindness; a clean exit left no loose ends. Yet even as he dismissed the conversation, something about the driver’s open optimism stirred an echo of what Bravo had long buried. As he entered the Hyatt’s bright lobby, that momentary flicker faded. Business awaited, and Bravo’s kind of motivation was about to take a much darker form.