Her voice cracks.
Rage flashes through me, hot and immediate. I glance up at Mason and Jake and see they’re thinking the same thing—Garrett didn’t protect Harper. He put a target on her back by showing Turner exactly where to aim.
Harper points to the folder. "That’s everything I could photograph from the evidence room. Twelve properties over five years. Every single one follows the same pattern—harassment, accidents, foreclosures. And every time, Clearwater Holdings buys the land."
Jake takes the folder and opens it. Mason moves to look over his shoulder.
"Jesus," Mason mutters. "Systematic."
"Circle H is the last piece," Harper says.
Jaw tight, Jake nods. "Turner's been building a corridor. Emma's ranch completes it."
"Your father signed off on all of these?" Mason asks.
"Every single one." Harper's voice is hollow.
Jake glances at me. He's thinking the same thing I am. Sheriff Garrett isn't just complicit—he's essential to Turner's operation.
"I'll investigate Clearwater Holdings," Jake says finally, closing the folder. "See who's really behind it and how deep this goes."
“You'll send a copy to Hendricks too?” I ask. “He'll want to see it."
Stiffening, Harper frowns. "Who's Hendricks?"
"The guy who helped with the van aftermath," I explain. "The one who got Jenna off the grid. He's connected everywhere—federal contacts, intelligence networks, people who can move without leaving trails."
"He's also the one who's been helping us track Turner's operation," Mason adds. "If anyone can trace Clearwater Holdings back to Turner, it's him."
"I'll get this scanned and sent to Hendricks tonight. We'll have answers by morning." Jake looks at Harper, and his expression softens. "You did the right thing bringing this to us."
"Doesn't feel right," Harper says, huddling into me. "Feels like I just destroyed my entire life."
"You didn't destroy it," Mason says. "Your father did. You're just the one who found out."
Harper's eyes fill with tears again, but she blinks them back.
I tighten my arm around her shoulders. "Come on. Let's get you inside."
Mason goes back to his cottage behind the stables, and Jake leads us back into the house. He nods at me, silently telling me he’ll lock up, as I guide Harper back past the kitchen to my suite at the back of the house.
She doesn't resist. Just walks beside me, her body pressed against mine like she needs the contact to stay upright. I guide her into my apartment, lock the door, and turn to her.
"I quit," she says quietly, watching me with her sad eyes. "My job. I told my dad I'm going on leave until he can process the paperwork."
Christ—that’d devastate her. I take her in my arms and kiss the side of her head. “I’m sorry, Harper.”
She looks up at me, and there's something fierce in her expression despite the devastation. "I can't be a deputy sheriff anymore. Not after this. Not knowing what I know."
"We'll figure it out," I promise, rubbing my hands up and down her back.
"How?" Her voice cracks. "I just walked away from my career, my father, everything I've built here. I don't have a plan, Luke. I don't have anything except?—"
"Except us," I interrupt. I frame her face with my hands, forcing her to meet my eyes. "You have us. You have Blackthorn. And you have me. We'll figure out the rest."
She stares at me for a long moment, searching my face for something—reassurance, certainty, proof that I mean what I'm saying. I let her look. Let her see exactly how serious I am.
"Okay.” She nods, and when she speaks again, she sounds stronger. “Okay, Luke.”