Page 24 of Protecting Lainey (Broterhood Alliance #7)

The sun had dipped low by the time Finn rolled into the Brotherhood’s parking lot.

It was quiet. Staff had already gone home. Dex’s truck was out front, and Chase mentioned he’d stop by in a little while.

Finn headed inside, his boots echoing faintly down the hall. He found Dex in the war room, hunched over the computer.

Dex looked up. “Chase said you needed some information.”

Finn dropped into the chair next to him. “Hartwell Redevelopment Group. A Bryce Keller showed up in Lainey’s office. Slick as hell.”

“She tell you?”

Crap. He didn’t want to get into this with Dex. “Caught it on the feed.”

“Shit,” Dex muttered.

“I’m sure this isn’t small-time intimidation. It’s something bigger,” Finn said. “She’s scared but won’t say it or ask for help.”

“Good thing she doesn’t have to.” Dex’s fingers flew across the screen. “Okay. Hartwell’s not a new company. They’ve been involved in several redevelopment projects.”

He scanned the screen, then frowned. “Looks clean, legit. But the filings all have different LLCs, all tied to the same legal group. There’s no transparency. No ownership trails. You don’t do that unless you’re hiding something.”

Dex searched for a few minutes, then shook his head. “I can’t dig any deeper. This is a project for Tex.”

He hated to bother Tex. He was up in Pennsylvania with his wife and two daughters, enjoying life. But not only was Lainey’s project on the line, now she was being threatened by some slick douchebag.

He pulled out his phone and dialed.

“’Sup, Scorpion?”

Finn snorted. Scorpion! He hadn’t heard that nickname since he left the teams.

The Brotherhood wasn’t much on keeping nicknames, especially since so many of them had women who had no idea what the significance was.

“Hey. How are Melody and the girls?”

Tex paused. “You gonna ask me about the weather next?”

“Fuck you,” Finn said, grinning. Typical Tex. He wasted no time getting down to business. “I have our IT guy, Dex, looking into Hartwell Redevelopment Group,” Finn continued. “But they’re dug in deep. I need more information on them.”

Tex didn’t answer right away. “This doesn’t have anything to do with a woman, does it?”

“Why?”

“Oh, no reason. It’s just that the guys in the Brotherhood are falling in love like flies.”

“Not in love,” Finn muttered. “Lainey’s just an old friend that I’m worried about.”

“Old friend. That’s priceless. That’s what they all say.” Tex laughed and then got serious. “Let me look into this and call you back.”

“Appreciate it.”

Click.

If Finn didn’t know better, he’d think Tex didn’t like him. But that was how the man rolled. Short, to the point, and dead serious when it counted. Still, he hoped he’d get some information quickly.

Lainey didn’t just need protection.

She—they needed the truth. And fast.

Lainey kicked off her shoes at the door and dropped her bag on the kitchen counter. The house was quiet. Luke was spending the night with her mom, trying to get in all the summer fun he could before school began in a week.

She stared out at the lake. The sun was just dipping below the horizon.

What a horrible day.

When Finn barged into her office, she was surprised. She’d never seen him that angry, and it rattled her. But what she told him was true. She didn’t have much faith in systems because they had failed her.

It was time for a glass of wine. She opened the fridge, took out the white wine and poured herself a generous glass. Now what?

She didn’t mind drinking alone, but tonight she wanted company. On impulse, she pulled out her phone and shot a text to Autumn and the girls. Maybe one or some of them were around. She just needed someone to talk to.

“Rough day at work. Luke’s at Moms. Anyone available to drink a little wine and remind me I’m not completely losing it?”

She hit send before she could overthink it.

It was dinnertime. Everyone had lives. Kids. She didn’t expect much.

Taking a long sip of wine, Lainey headed out to the back porch. At least she could enjoy the sunset and vibrant colors, plus the air was still warm. Maybe a couple of ducks could entertain her while she wallowed in pity.

Then her phone buzzed. It was Autumn telling her she was on her way with wine and tacos. Just because.

Lainey blinked at the screen, then laughed. Tacos?

She shrugged. Why not?

The phone buzzed again.

Naomi and Joy were on their way over with wine and something sinful from the Queen of Tarts.

Lainey had heard about the bakery and how wonderful it was. Even Emelia, baker extraordinaire, had sung its praises.

She leaned back in her chair, feeling a little lighter. Maybe she wasn’t losing it after all.

The doorbell rang before she could get too deep into troubling thoughts. Lainey walked back into the condo and opened the door.

Autumn stood there holding a jug of wine in one hand and a big bag in the other. “Wine and tacos to the rescue.”

Lainey chuckled and stepped back to let her in. “You’re officially my favorite person.”

“Obviously,” Autumn huffed. She breezed toward the kitchen, setting the food and drink on the table and grabbing plates.

A few minutes later, Naomi and Joy arrived carrying a chilled bottle of sparkling wine and a small pastry box with a gold bow.

“Chocolate tartlets and truffles,” said Joy, pressing the box into Lainey’s hands. “Chocolate solves all the world’s problems.”

“You girls are the best,” said Lainey. “Let’s grab the wine, tacos and chocolate and sit outside.”

They brought everything out to the patio. After the wine was poured, Joy held up her glass and looked at Lainey. “So, what are we toasting?”

Right. What could they toast? “How about”—she held her glass up—“to questionable life choices, good friends and … chocolate.”

“Hear, hear!” They clinked glasses and settled in.

Naomi gave Lainey a once-over and tilted her head. “Tell us what happened.”

Lainey poured herself another splash of wine and placed a taco on her plate, trying to give herself time to answer. “Some guy showed up in my office today representing Hartwell Redevelopment Group, real slick, tried to intimidate me.”

The room went still.

Joy frowned. “Never heard of them.”

“Neither had I,” Lainey replied. “But I’ve dealt with the type before. Developers who swoop in with backroom deals so they can take a project over. Smile while they’re doing it, like they’re your best friend. Until you find out they’re slime buckets and you’re screwed.”

“Ouch,” exclaimed Naomi. “Was Finn there?”

Lainey let out a breath. “Not physically. He saw it on the feed. Boy, was he pissed when he walked into the room.”

Autumn exchanged knowing glances with Joy and Naomi. “You do realize that the man’s got it bad for you.”

“No, he doesn’t.” Lainey shook her head in disbelief. “He’s just doing his job.”

“Oh, please,” Joy said, pulling a truffle from the box. The rich smell of cocoa drifted between them. “He’s not only doing his job but also hovering like a man who doesn’t want anyone near you.”

Autumn smiled. “I wouldn’t mind a Finn Ryder hovering over me.”

Lainey blinked, caught off guard. She shifted in her seat. Was it possible she missed the signs? Lord knew he’d turned into a fine specimen of a man. He was loyal to a fault. Dependable and kind.

And … no. Nope, not going there tonight. Not to the place where he was the father of her son.

Oh God. She couldn’t deal with that tonight. She took a long sip of wine. The bubbles tickled her throat.

“Well,” she said, voice low, “at this point in my life, I don’t trust anyone to keep me safe. I know the Brotherhood has done so much with the cameras and extra security, but can they really keep me safe? Keep my family safe?”

Naomi leaned forward with a serious expression. “Yes, they can.”

Lainey looked at her. “How can you be so certain?”

“I’ve seen what they’re capable of,” Naomi replied softly. “I’ve lived it. These are all ex-military guys, trained in protection, surveillance, threat response. More than that, they don’t give up and they don’t walk away. They stay. They fight.”

Lainey sat back in her chair, letting the words sink in. She wanted to believe Naomi. She really did. But hope was a dangerous thing when you were barely holding on with your fingernails.

She rubbed the back of her neck.

The past year had taken its toll on her mind and body, and she was tired. Tired of everything. Tired of watching her back. Tired of going it alone. It would be nice to believe someone else could carry the weight for a little while.

She looked out over the lake. The sun had sunk beyond the horizon, the sky a riot of salmon, gray and pale yellow.

“I’m tired,” she admitted. “Tired of pretending I’m fine when I’m not. I’m tired of watching my back. And I don’t know how much more I can take.”

Joy reached over, giving her knee a squeeze. Her touch was warm and comforting. “That’s why we’re here.”

“And that’s why you have Finn and the Brotherhood. You’re not alone anymore,” Naomi said as she raised her glass. “Here’s to friends who pick you up when you’re feeling down.”

Lainey clinked glasses with them, the soft chime a quiet reminder that she wasn’t alone. Not anymore.

These women, her friends, had shown up on a minute’s notice with wine, tacos, and chocolate.

Maybe whatever was going on with Finn wouldn’t go anywhere. But she had friends she could count on.

It didn’t fix everything.

But for the first time in a long time, she let herself hope.

Finn carried in bags of food. It was the least he could do since Dex was giving up his down time to look into Hartwell Redevelopment Group. He set them on the table.

“Any luck?”

Dex shook his head. “Nada.”

“Damn.” They ate quickly, and Dex got back to work. An hour later, Finn’s phone buzzed. Pennsylvania area code.

He swiped to answer. “Yeah?”

“You were right to call me.”

Finn straightened. “How bad?”

“Bad. Hartwell isn’t just a shell company.

It’s a goddamn maze. Multiple layers, foreign investors, real owners buried behind dummy LLCs.

They’ve been hitting historic zones all over the Southeast—Gainesville, Charleston, Wilmington.

Always the same pattern. An offer to buy out, use pressure if people say no.

No paper trail. Rumor is that it’s tied to two construction firms flagged by the feds for money laundering. ”

“They’re using real estate projects as cover?” Finn asked.

“Yup. And Haywood Lake’s Historic District? Prime target. It’s sitting in the middle of a corridor already in play.”

Finn muttered a curse. “Why now? It doesn’t make any sense. They could have tried to get the project before Lainey took over.”

“Don’t know yet,” Tex replied. “You might want to ask your girl. Maybe she knows.”

“If she knows, she’s not saying.”

Tex didn’t reply right away. “She might not know how dangerous this is. Or she’s keeping quiet to protect herself. Or someone else.”

Finn’s stomach lurched. “She’s got a kid,” he said before he could stop himself. “Lives with her.”

A pause. “Then this just became a much more dangerous ball game.”

“Do you have any information on Cummings?”

“Still checking. I’ll get you the rest by morning.”

“Thanks, man.”

Tex hesitated. “Watch your six, Scorpion. These guys play for real. They don’t leave witnesses.”

The line went dead.

Finn scrubbed his face with his hands. What he originally thought was just simple protection detail was turning into something much bigger and more serious. And Lainey was caught in the middle of it.