Page 15 of Protecting Lainey (Broterhood Alliance #7)

Lainey dressed and helped get Luke ready for the babysitter. School was just a couple of weeks away, and she was more than ready. And yet, it saddened her that Luke was growing up so fast.

They ate breakfast together, and Lainey smiled as he chattered away about all the adventures he and Zara were planning for the day.

“Ah, to be a kid again,” she murmured. No worries. No responsibility. Just fun.

“That’s wonderful, sweetheart,” she said as the doorbell rang. Zara.

“You be a good boy for Zara,” she said as the little boy jumped down from his seat and ran off to open the door.

Lainey followed, greeted Zara and returned to the kitchen to fill her to-go mug with coffee. She picked up her clipboard, purse, and car keys and then headed out to the site into a humid Florida morning.

The sky was gray, thick with clouds that promised an afternoon shower. She hoped it held off so the guys could get inside and work. Summers in Florida were unpredictable. One moment it was sunny; the next, a torrential downpour.

She turned the radio on, letting the music fill the car. She sang along to a couple of songs she knew.

Thoughts of the previous night drifted in, making her smile. The women had been so warm and welcoming. The evening was filled with laughter, shared stories, and an unexpected connection.

What exactly was this Brotherhood, she wondered.

Lainey knew they provided security. She’d met Finn and Ryker and suspected Caleb might work for them as well.

He had the look Finn and Ryker had. They’d been soldiers.

She could see it in the way they moved, eyes that didn’t miss a thing.

So did that mean everyone who came over last night was connected to them? Hmmm.

Regardless, she had new friends!

Feeling more optimistic than she had in a while, Lainey parked in her usual spot by the site, gathered everything, and walked toward her temporary office space. The building was still rough. Eventually, the building would be turned into offices, but right now she was the only one in it.

She pulled the door open to the building and walked down the short hallway. Her office was the second door on the right overlooking the project.

She came to a stop.

Something was odd.

Lainey’s pulse started racing.

Her door, which was usually—always—locked, was slightly ajar. Why?

A shiver ran down her spine. She was the only one who had a key, and she knew she had locked it.

Her hand trembled as she pushed it open and stepped inside. At first glance, everything looked the same. Her desk was undisturbed. There were no files on her desk. The filing cabinets were still locked.

Weird.

She set her purse and clipboard down and moved toward the desk, trying to shake off the creeping unease. Pencils were in the cup holder. Her desk calendar was open to the right week. Blueprints rolled and stacked just as she left them.

Then she saw it.

Her breath caught.

The picture Luke drew of the two of them, once proudly displayed in a simple wooden frame beside her monitor, was defaced. A thick black slash cut through both of their faces.

Her heart dropped.

This wasn’t a prank. This wasn’t an accident.

Someone had been here. Someone who wanted to hurt her on a personal level.

She picked up the picture with shaking hands, and a tear slid down her cheek.

Who would do this?

If they wanted to rattle her, they succeeded.

She gently placed the picture in a drawer. If she didn’t finish this project, her life and Luke’s would be ruined. There’d be no money for anything and no job prospects.

Lainey settled down and was reviewing the morning checklist when Finn appeared.

He held a plastic bag in his hand. “Found this,” he said, holding up a bag with a cigarette butt in it. “Second one this week.”

Her stomach dropped.

“Are we sure it isn’t someone on the crew?” she asked.

Finn shook his head. “Already asked. No one admits to smoking.”

Just then, voices echoed down the hall. A couple of crew members appeared and stood awkwardly in the doorway.

“Ma’am,” the older of the two said, clearing his throat.

Lainey’s stomach dropped. “George. How are you?”

He shifted his weight and avoided her eyes. “Not so good,” he said quietly. “I’m giving you my notice.”

The words hit her hard.

George scratched the back of his neck, then glanced down at his boots. “Too many weird things happening here, and I’ve got a family I need to protect.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” she replied, trying to keep her voice steady. “Your paycheck will be mailed today.”

George gave a short nod and turned.

Lainey looked at the younger man still standing there. “Are you quitting too?”

“No, ma’am.” He shifted his weight. “Just wanted to let you know the crew is spooked. People are talking.”

“What kind of talk?”

He hesitated. “Just rumors. Sabotage, maybe. Sometimes things like this happen on-site. Sometimes it’s worse. Tools gone missing. Tires punctured. That busted window.” He looked at Finn, then at her. “Doesn’t feel random.”

She forced herself to nod. “Thank you. Tell the others I’m taking precautions. No one has to be afraid.”

He looked as if he wanted to believe her.

But he didn’t.

“I hope that’s true,” he said. “This is a good job. We’re getting decent wages, but no one wants to get hurt.”

“I understand,” she said softly. “Thank you for coming to me.”

The man turned and followed George out.

She walked back to her desk and put her head in her hands and sighed. Then she looked at Finn. His expression was darker than before.

“What?” As if she didn’t know. But what the hell was she supposed to do? Now she’d have to spend the day going over the books, seeing where she could spare the money for cameras, coming up with extra for the security and still making payroll.

She was so screwed.

Travis leaned against the side of the building, sipping burnt coffee from a travel mug, watching the door to Lainey’s office click shut.

George didn’t say much as he passed, just gave a quick nod and headed toward his truck. The kid behind him looked rattled. Good. It wasn’t much but just enough to stick.

He hadn’t told anyone to quit. Didn’t have to. All it took was the right questions and a few facts casually framed.

“Hope they’ve got insurance. This window has been busted once.”

“More tools gone missing?”

“Get that slashed tire fixed?”

“You don’t think it’s kids, do you?”

He didn’t lie. Just made subtle hints.

People saw and heard what they wanted to see or believe. He just helped them focus.

And now, Lainey Harper was down a crew member, facing growing rumors and surrounded by threats she couldn’t trace.

He took another sip and thought about Finn.

There was something about that guy. Travis knew he was in construction. He’d seen Finn working at a site down the street, but there was something else about him. Something familiar. There was a stillness about him. A weight. He moved like someone who didn’t need to prove anything.

The kind of presence Travis had only seen in one place.

It was the kind of look soldiers wore when they’d seen too much, doing things they couldn’t come back from. He’d worn it too. Before they kicked him out for crossing a line, they said shouldn’t be crossed.

He didn’t know Finn’s history yet. But he’d bet money the guy was an ex-something. SEAL, Ranger. One of those specialty soldiers trained to disappear into a mission.

If that was true, Finn wasn’t just in the way. He was a threat. The kind of man who could ruin everything.

Travis made a mental note to dig deeper but keep his distance.

He didn’t know what the end game here was, didn’t care. Only that he was paid extremely well to make things happen. It was a skill set not many had or were willing to use.

Travis walked off toward the bakery, casual, unnoticed.

Exactly how he liked it.

Finn didn’t say anything. He wanted to. Oh, hell yeah, he did.

He wanted to ask about Richard. Ask what happened in Charleston. But he didn’t.

Not yet.

She wasn’t ready, and pushing would only make her shut down.

Still, the facts didn’t sit right. Richard had skipped town. Why? That was the kind of thing only a guilty or scared person would do.

And now this. Cigarette butts? Graffiti? Crew quitting? Her hands shook when she thought he wasn’t looking.

Telling her he knew about Richard wouldn’t fix the fear in her eyes and sure as hell wouldn’t earn her trust.

So he said nothing. Yet.

“The cameras are already ordered. They’ll be installed by the end of the week.”

She blinked. “What?”

“The additional security costs are also covered.”

“What do you mean, covered? I can’t afford it.”

Finn didn’t flinch. “It’s handled, Lainey.”

Lainey pushed out of her chair. “You can’t just come in here and do that. You don’t even work for me.”

“You’re right,” he said, staying calm when all he wanted to do was hold her in his arms. “I don’t work for you. I work for the Brotherhood, and we’re not letting you do this alone.”

“I didn’t ask for help.”

He crossed his arms. “Maybe you should have.”

“Low blow, Finn.” Her lips pursed. “This is my project.”

“I know,” he said. “And you’re doing a hell of a job keeping it afloat. But you’re one person. And this…” He motioned toward the hallway. “This isn’t normal jobsite drama. Something darker is going on, and I’m not going to stand by and watch you get hurt.”

She swallowed hard. “I can’t afford cameras.”

“You don’t need to.” He stepped in closer. “The Brotherhood has a line item in the budget for keeping our people safe.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I’m not your people.”

Not yet, Lainey . But Finn knew he’d do whatever was necessary to convince her she was.

“Maybe not officially,” he said softly. “But you are now. Whether you like it or not.”

Lainey turned but not before he saw a tear slip down her cheek. “Thank you,” she whispered, then louder, like she needed to reestablish her footing, “This is still my project.”

Finn bit back a smile.

Feisty as ever.

This was the Lainey he knew.

And still loved.