Page 20 of Protecting Lainey (Broterhood Alliance #7)
Lainey finished her sandwich and tossed the crumpled wrapper into the trash. Mondays were always slow to start but today dragged on. The spreadsheet on her screen didn’t help. Not with all the red in the wrong places.
Still, she was glad she’d gone to the fundraiser Saturday night and made a mental note to see how much it made. It had been fun. More than fun, actually. It reminded her of who she used to be. Before things got complicated. Before she was juggling payroll, permits and vandalism.
Sunday had been a gift. Her mom had taken Luke to the zoo so Lainey could have a full day to herself.
Great excuse to pamper. She took a long, indulgent bath with candles, music playing softly in the background, and the soap Isabelle gave her. Looking for Love. The name made her laugh, but the coconut soap was luxurious. And a little bit flirty, just like Isabelle promised.
Kind of like the old Lainey. The one who took long baths just because. The one who enjoyed life and laughed.
Where had that girl gone?
Right then, with soft skin and a quiet house, she felt like her old self.
For shits and giggles, she had snapped a picture of the bath bubbles, candles, the bar of soap and sent it to her new friends.
Isabelle texted back immediately. “Knew you would love it. You’re welcome.”
Then Naomi texted. “Use with caution around exes who look like Finn Ryder.”
She stared at the screen and laughed. Finn was slowly worming his way into her life and now into the group chat, too.
Looking for love, huh?
Was she?
Lainey took a long sip of her now-cold coffee and groaned. No more thinking about life or Finn Ryder. He left a while ago to check in with Caleb on his own project and said he’d be back. That was over an hour ago.
She stretched and rubbed her eyes.
The spreadsheet wasn’t looking any better. In fact, it was bleeding red. Something good had to happen soon. She couldn’t keep financing the project if it didn’t.
She was neck-deep in numbers when a siren went off in the distance. Wailed once, then cut off.
Lainey paid it no mind. Until she heard shouting.
She shot to her feet and rushed to the window.
Finn was sprinting across the lot toward the back gate.
Her stomach dropped. What the hell? She bolted for the door.
The smoke hit her first, acrid and sharp, burning the back of her throat. Heat clung in the air.
Then she saw the blackened skeleton of the temporary supply shed, still burning. The metal roof had collapsed inward. Charred wood and a plume of smoke hissed from inside.
Lainey skidded to a stop. Sirens in the distance came closer until two fire trucks rolled up, lights flashing red against the buildings.
Firefighters in full turnout gear jumped out, already pulling hoses. One took command, shouting to the others. Another walked the perimeter, checking for hotspots.
Lainey could only focus on the shed. The plywood, paint cans and tools. Gone.
The crew members gathered nearby, talking amongst themselves and casting worried glances her way. Of course, they were worried. She would be too.
“This can’t be happening,” she whispered. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping the burning building wouldn’t be there when she opened them.
But it was.
Finn appeared beside her, jaw tight, eyes stormy. “No one was hurt,” he said. “We lost some supplies. Mostly plywood.”
She nodded once. “Doesn’t matter,” she said quietly. “This is just another setback, another way to get the crew to walk. How the hell did this happen? We have cameras everywhere.”
“Don’t know, but I’ll find out,” he said. “I’m going to check the cameras and call Chase, see what happened.” He walked back into the building.
Lainey remained rooted by the shed.
The firefighters finished and started packing up. One of them stopped by to let her know that the fire marshal would file an incident report within forty-eight hours. “Looks like it burned hot and fast. Accelerants possible,” he said, handing her a card.
She nodded and thanked him.
At some point, she knew she had to deal with the crew. Eventually.
She wasn’t sure how long she stood there until Finn came back holding a phone to his ear.
“There was a blind spot. The shed blocked portions of the camera. It must have been knocked out of position after the last delivery. No one noticed.”
Lainey blinked at him. “This happened because of a camera angle?”
“No.” His voice hardened. “It happened because someone knew about the angle. Lainey, this was planned.”
She swallowed hard. “So someone was sending a message.”
Finn didn’t answer right away.
Her voice broke. “Like I didn’t get it the previous times. They’re going to keep increasing the pressure, aren’t they?”
Finn’s jaw tensed. “We’re still investigating. I’ll have more later. Keep the faith, Lainey. We will catch whoever did this.”
She certainly hoped so. Because the crew was going to expect answers that she didn’t have.
And the city council?
They were definitely going to come calling.
The next morning, the air was thick with humidity and tension. Smoke still hung in the air.
Her heart hadn’t stopped racing since Finn and Gus stopped in.
“It’s the camera on the side entrance,” Finn said. “I told you it hadn’t been re-angled. Turns out, the cameras were down for exactly thirteen minutes. Long enough to get in, light the fire and disappear. I talked to the fire captain off the record. They’ll have a formal report later.”
“Please tell me it was an accident or something we missed.”
He shook his head. “Nope, someone started it on purpose.”
“Damn.” Gus sighed. “How?”
“They found traces of the chemical permanganate. Those purple crystals you mix with glycerin and walk away. It can take hours before it ignites.”
Gus frowned. “That’s the stuff they use to treat water.”
“Yup,” Finn said. “It’s also in survival kits, labs, fire starters. Arson.”
Lainey felt sick. “Oh God, they were on site while we were sleeping. Set it up and let the chemicals do the rest. This could have gone off later when everyone was here. People could’ve been hurt, died.”
“They weren’t, thank God,” Finn replied. “But you’re right. It’s too close.”
“What now?” Lainey’s throat tightened. “Tell the council I’m pulling the plug and shutting down?”
Finn shook his head. “No. We’re increasing coverage. And someone will be checking in throughout the night every night until this is resolved.”
She let out a slow breath. “Finn, I can’t afford this. As it is, I’m offering the crew more money for a while. I’ve already had two men quit.”
His voice softened, and he placed his hand on her shoulder. “We’ll fix this, Lainey. I promise.”
She looked at him, her lips pressed into a straight line. “I know you mean it, but don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
“Oh, believe me. This one I’m keeping.”
Gus left when she asked him to gather the crew together.
Finn opened her office door. “Come on, Gus is waiting with the guys. I’ll be right by your side.”
Lainey walked out feeling like she was going to the guillotine and the crowd was shouting “Off with her head.”
Crap. She had to get herself together. She hadn’t gone through hell just to return.
Lainey stepped in front of the crew, took a deep breath and scanned the group. Couldn’t miss the tired eyes, the slouched shoulders, and the anxious murmurs.
“Thank you for coming,” she said, keeping her voice steady. “I know this is upsetting and you’re scared. I am too. We all are. But I won’t let whoever’s behind this win. And if you’re still with me, I’ll fight for your safety and the safety of this project.”
She swallowed hard. “I’m also offering hazard pay until this is resolved. But if you need to walk away? No hard feelings. I understand.”
A long pause passed as the crew took it in. Then Travis shifted his weight and muttered loud enough for everyone to hear. “Guess that’s what happens when you piss off the wrong people.”
The crew heard it. Hell, she heard it. No one said a word. A few of the guys looked away. No one defended her.
Lainey started to speak, but Finn asked if he could answer. She nodded.
Finn raised a brow and stared at Travis. “That sounds an awful lot like insider knowledge.” He didn’t smile. “Anything you want to share?”
Travis didn’t answer. Just stared at the ground like it might save him.
Finn let the silence stretch for a long minute before continuing.
“We’re installing more cameras. Improving the lighting. And starting today, there’s going to be a locked entry gate that stays shut until morning. Also, we’re increasing patrols until this is finished.”
He swept his gaze across the crew. “We’re protecting our own.”
Several murmurs were heard.
As Lainey looked out at the crew, something steadied in her gut. Travis’s comment still goaded her, but she didn’t let it show. Maybe he wasn’t wrong. Maybe someone was gunning for her.
But she could promise to do all that she could to make sure the crew and site were safe and that she wasn’t giving up.
Not again. Not ever.