Page 5 of Protecting Lainey (Broterhood Alliance #7)

Finn packed up his tools for the day and waved goodbye to Jimmy, a young kid he was mentoring who was just trying to get ahead.

Back in the day, he’d been Jimmy—young, broke, and looking for something to do. He still thanked God every day that he had found a contractor who had taken a chance on him.

He stepped back and looked at what they’d accomplished so far. All the permits had been pulled, inspections scheduled, and site walk-throughs with the owner were done.

Today was demo day. He and his crew spent the day ripping out old cabinets, cutting away damaged drywall and tagging outdated, unsafe wiring. A lot of work remained before they could go to the next step of reinforcing rotted sections and sagging supports.

Pulling a rag from his pocket, Finn wiped the sweat from his brow.

Construction in Florida in the late summer, beginning of fall was no joke.

It could be brutal—hot, humid, and unrelenting.

They started early, clocked out at three, and drank gallons of water.

Pissed half of it out by noon. Good times.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. Chase Maddox!

“Yeah?”

“Hello to you too,” Chase said dryly. “Listen, everyone else is out on a job. Can you stop by tonight? I have a time-sensitive job for you.”

Damn. Finn groaned. Not the best timing, but that’s what he signed up for. Contracting paid the bills. The Brotherhood work fed the soul. Jimmy and the crew could handle the demo tomorrow. They didn’t need him.

“What time?”

“Within the hour.”

“I’ll be there.” He hung up and shoved the phone back in his pocket, made a last-minute walk around, double-checking that all the doors and windows were locked, picked up his tools, and walked to his truck.

He climbed into the cab and cranked up the AC. Sat there for a minute, letting the cold air spill over his sweat-drenched shirt. His body ached, but it wasn’t unfamiliar. It actually felt good to use those muscles again. Reminded him that he was still standing. Still here.

Then he shifted into drive and turned his truck toward Hatcher Avenue, toward the ranch house he shared with Dexter “Digger” Drum.

Dex was a buddy he’d met during a joint op overseas and a brother in every way that counted when Finn was still an active-duty SEAL.

At the time, Dex was running point with the Army Rangers.

Different branches. Same mindset. They hit it off fast. It was Dex who turned him on to the Brotherhood. Best decision he ever made.

He pulled into the cracked driveway and parked just as Dani Ward-Barlow got out of her car and waved to him. She unbuckled the baby from the back seat. Jack and another boy yelled hi and then ran around to the backyard.

Dani and Jack used to live in this house before she hooked up with Ryker Barlow, another Brotherhood member, and now they were married with two kids with a life that looked settled. Happy.

Dex’s truck wasn’t there, which was fine by Finn. He wasn’t in the mood for conversation. All he wanted was to take a cold shower, change, have a quick beer and then drive to the Brotherhood Alliance to find out what Chase was throwing his way.

It took him no time to strip out of his dirty clothes and wash the dust and filth from his body. Then he changed into clean jeans and a fresh tee.

He popped the top off his beer and stepped out onto the back patio. It wasn’t much, but the yard was fenced, and Dani had left her patio furniture. And it was almost quiet. Just the laughter from the little boys next door.

He tipped his head back and let himself enjoy a moment of stillness.

Finally, he finished the last of his beer in one long gulp and stepped into the kitchen. He threw the empty bottle into the recycling bin, grabbed his keys, and headed out.

The Brotherhood Alliance was located in the Paws for Caring building off Ironwood Drive, not far from downtown or his house.

He turned down the dirt driveway, passing the small house that Liam McBride and Joy Maddox shared. Joy was Chase’s sister and had donated the land to establish a place where foster dogs could train to be companions. After Chase took over as director, he established the Brotherhood Alliance.

A few cars were parked in front. He climbed out and stepped inside. It was quiet today. Sometimes Melissa Doherty, the director of Paws for Caring, had classes running and there’d be lots of dogs barking.

He peeked into the kitchen. Melissa was in the corner talking to Zachary “Buck” Rodgers.

Everyone knew the two were sweet on each other, but Zach was too shy to ask her out.

Finn thought he suffered from PTSD, which was why Zach was living in one of the on-site cabins the Brotherhood provided to help vets find their footing.

There were two other ex-military guys living there as well. He didn’t know Caleb Jennings or Nate Kinney, who was starting soon.

He walked down the hall to the library. The sliding bookcase was open.

When the Brotherhood took on covert jobs, the bookcase was closed, but since they’d been taking on more opportunities that were less under the radar, it stayed open most days. Besides, the once-hidden room wasn’t a secret anymore.

Finn stepped through the threshold.

Chase sat at the long conference table looking at his computer. He stood when Finn walked in, and they man-hugged.

“Sit and I’ll catch you up.”

Finn pulled out a chair. The room was brightly lit. The table seemed empty with just the two of them. He looked out the window—well, the mural painted like a window—then at Chase.

“What’s up?”

Chase leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath. “Another abuse case.”

“Damn.”

“I got a call earlier from Elena Morales over at Willow Haven Shelter.” Chase stopped and closed his eyes. When he opened them, Finn could see the pain and frustration in them.

“One of the women left with a kid. Snuck out in the middle of the night. The story is the boyfriend sweet-talked her into leaving, promising he was a changed man. Said he was going straight. He loved her. Yada yada yada.” Chase shook his head and shut the laptop with more force than necessary.

Finn clenched his fists. Men who hurt women for whatever reason were the scum of the earth, and those who hurt the mama of his child—they were the lowest of the low.

“Let me guess,” Finn said grimly. “She found out the bastard was lying.”

“Yup,” said Chase. He reached for a piece of paper. “Here’s the address. It’s not far. Shouldn’t take you too long to get her and the kid back to safety.”

Finn stood and reached for the paper. “Gonna be dark soon. I better get going.”

“Take a weapon with you, just in case. This jackass just got out of prison, so there’s no telling what he’ll do.”

“Not a problem.” Finn patted his side.

“Let me know how it goes,” said Chase.

Finn nodded.

Thirty minutes later he pulled up to a run-down, three-story apartment building in an area that was slowly re-gentrifying. Too slowly, Finn thought.

The streets were practically empty except around a small bodega. A few women walked out carrying bags, a couple of kids played on the sidewalk, and several men lingered around outside, some watching him. Parked on each side of the road were cars and trucks, most of them having seen better days.

He parked his truck in front. Finn glanced up at the building, which looked like it had never been renovated. He hadn’t been in a place like this for years.

He pulled open the front door, not surprised there was no security. The scent of fried food, mildew, hopelessness, and something metallic hit him.

The cracked tile in the lobby was sticky underfoot. A sagging bulletin board with faded flyers was on one wall, and the mailboxes were stuffed with mail.

There was no elevator, but he expected that.

Finn took the stairs two at a time, listening as he approached each floor. On the third floor, he found apartment 3B. He stopped outside the door and listened. Silence.

He knocked and waited.

Silence.

He knocked again. After a moment, the door cracked open. A woman’s face peered out, thin, tired, wary. Her left eye was black and blue and closing, her lip split. A small boy, maybe six or seven, peeked from behind her. His eyes were huge with fear and something else.

Hope.

“Elena sent me,” his voice low. “Name’s Finn Ryder.”

The woman hesitated but finally opened the door wide, stepping aside.

The room was a dump and barely furnished. There was a mattress on the floor, a few scattered toys, cans of food on the countertop, a small table with two chairs and a TV on a crate. A trash bag packed with belongings sat by the door.

“Thanks for coming,” she said quietly. “I wasn’t sure Elena would take me back.”

“You safe?”

She gave a small nod, lips trembling. “For now. I should have known better. He was lying to me as usual. I’m such a fool.”

“You don’t owe me an explanation,” Finn replied. His gaze shifted to the boy, now sitting cross-legged on the mattress. His shirt was too small. He looked too weary and old for his age.

“You ready?”

The woman bit her lip. “I want to go. But he said he’d find me. Take Joshie away.”

Finn’s jaw tightened. “He won’t.”

A thud echoed down the hall.

Then another. Heavy footsteps stopped outside the door.

The woman froze. The boy flinched but got up to stand near his mother, silent, shaking.

Ford moved toward the door just as a fist slammed against it.

“Back up,” Finn said quietly.

“The bitch isn’t going anywhere,” a voice snarled. The man kicked the door open. “Who the hell are you?”

“No one you want to mess with,” Finn replied, standing in the doorway.

The guy was scrawny, mid-thirties, strung out, his irises blown. “What are you going to do about it, pretty boy?”

The guy had to be out of it. No way could he ever mistake Finn for a pretty boy or someone who couldn’t easily take him on.

Finn stood there, just stared.

The man stepped closer.

Finn didn’t move except to reach behind his back. He kept his hand there, although he didn’t need a gun to take this guy down.

The stare-down lasted longer than Finn hoped, but finally the guy dropped his gaze. He peered around Finn. “Bitch, I’ll find you. The next time, I won’t go easy on you.”

“Get the hell out of here,” Finn growled.

The man spat on the ground, turned, muttering curses to himself down the stairwell.

Finn waited until he couldn’t hear him anymore and turned to the woman and kid. The boy was still watching him. His little hands were in fists to protect his mother.

“You okay, little man?”

The boy nodded slowly.

“Good. You’re brave to protect your mom.”

He looked at the woman. “Ready?”

She stepped over to the corner and picked up a small suitcase and the trash bag. “Yes.”

“Here’s what we’re going to do,” Finn said. “I go first. You follow. If I sense any danger, run back up here and lock the door. I’ll come and get you. Okay?”

The woman nodded.

The threesome made it down the stairs. Finn hoped the asswipe would decide to do something so he could end it and the little family wouldn’t have to be afraid. But the guy was gone. He got them to his truck, put their sparse belongings in the back seat, and made sure they had their seat belts on.

No one said a word on the way back. Finn kept one eye on the rearview mirror, watching the boy drift off to sleep against the window while his mother wrung her hands in her lap.

He arrived in Haywood Lake just as the sun dipped low across the rooftops.

Willow Haven was located just on the edge of Haywood Lake’s historic district. It was a three-story Victorian-era home with faded trim on a street surrounded by newish townhomes and buildings waiting to be revived.

Finn had never been here before. But he liked the look of the shelter—steady, grounded, exactly what the mom and boy needed.

He parked the truck in the driveway and helped the little family out. They passed a narrow side garden blooming with bursts of color. The stairs creaked under their weight. He pressed the doorbell and waited.

A minute later, he heard footsteps, and the door opened.

A woman in her fifties stood there, with shoulder-length dark hair streaked with silver that was pulled into a twist. She wore a colorful blouse and slacks. Her eyes flicked to Finn and then to the woman behind him.

Her face softened.

“Oh sweetie,” she whispered and pulled the woman and boy into her arms. “You’re back. Thank God.”

The woman clung to her, sobbing lightly for a minute before pulling away. The boy didn’t say a word. The mother and child were ushered down the hall by another staff member.

Elena turned back to Finn. “Come in.”

He followed her through a foyer into a large room filled with light and plants and the clean scent of wood polish. A large mural of a willow tree stretched across one wall.

Elena turned back to him. “Thank you for getting them. Any trouble?”

He shook his head. “Nothing I couldn’t handle.”

“We’ll be keeping an eye out for him. Some of these men just don’t understand no.”

She took a deep breath. “That little boy…” her voice trailed off. “He deserves better.”

“True.”

“You know the Brotherhood Alliance donates not only time but money to our organization, and we are forever grateful for the help.”

That surprised Finn. He knew about the protection they provided to abused women and men but hadn’t realized the Brotherhood had also given money to fund it.

Elena looked at him for a beat longer. “You okay?”

Finn hesitated. “Yeah.”

Elena put her arm on his. “It’s hard to understand why people hurt the ones they’re supposed to love. But she’ll get all the care she needs here. We have classes to help women get ahead. The kids are tutored. They’ll be safe.”

He nodded, said goodbye and walked back to his truck. He climbed in and sat there for a long moment. His childhood was filled with love and laughter, good food, and safety. He’d taken it for granted.

He couldn’t imagine what it would’ve been like to grow up afraid. To tiptoe around. To flinch at every raised voice.

But it was not unfamiliar. He’d seen that look overseas, in villages torn apart by war. He didn’t expect to see it here in Florida, in a run-down apartment, a town over.

Finn blew out his breath and backed out of the driveway. Night had fallen. The road ahead looked still, peaceful even, but that was just on the surface. Beneath it, people were struggling and slipping through the cracks no one wanted to admit were there.

He’d be talking to Chase soon.

There had to be more the Brotherhood could do, especially for the women and kids who’d had their lives turned upside down through no fault of their own. Not just show up when things get bad. Not just rescues. But something real.

Something lasting.

Something that gave people their lives back and hope.