Page 91 of Made For Ruin

I scrub a hand over my face, feeling the scratch of my beard against my palm.

“I don’t know how to fix this at all, Reign. You know how I am with emotional stuff.”

“Do you love her?”

The question catches me off guard.

Although Reign and I have been brothers in arms for over two decades, we've never been the type to have heart-to-heartsabout our love lives. We're both lone wolves, married to the job and our own independence. I can count on one hand the number of times Reign's even mentioned a woman to me, and vice versa.

So hearing him ask me point-blank if I love Lainey throws me for a loop.

I take a long pull from my beer, buying myself a moment to gather my thoughts.

"Yeah," I finally say, meeting Reign's gaze head-on. "I do love her. More than I ever thought possible at this stage in my life. She's everything to me."

"Then fight for her. Don't let this shit with Axel ruin the best thing that's happened to you in years. Talk to your son, try to make him understand. But don't give up on Lainey because things are getting messy."

Now, it’s my turn to chuckle.

“Trust me, giving her up was never part of the plan. She's mine. No matter what happens with Axel. And since when did you get so wise about relationships?”

Reign smirks.

“I’m not. I just know you, you stubborn bastard. Now get off your ass and go fix this before you lose them both.”

I’m about to respond when my phone buzzes in my pocket. Pulling it out, I see Axel’s name on the screen.

“Shit,” I mutter, staring at the phone.

Reign raises an eyebrow. “Axel?”

I nod, debating whether to let it go to voicemail. But something tells me I need to answer.

“Dad, you’ve gotta come quick!” Axel’s voice comes through breathless and panicked. “I’m at the diner. There’s smoke coming from the back of the building.”

The beer bottle slips from my hand, shattering on the deck.

“Is Lainey there?”

“I think she might be. Her car is outside. The fire trucks just got here, but I’m worried about her.”

“I’ll be there in 15.”

I jump to my feet as I hang up.

Reign’s watching me, tension radiating off him. “What’s wrong?”

“Fire at the diner. Lainey might be inside.” The words come out strangled. “We gotta go. Now.”

He’s up in an instant. “I’ll drive.”

The two of us sprint through the backyard and around the side of the house to Reign’s truck. I barely have the door closed before he’s peeling out of the driveway.

My mind’s racing faster than the truck, imagining every worst-case scenario. Lainey trapped, scared, alone. Smoke filling her lungs. Flames closing in.

“She’ll be okay,” Reign says, as if reading my thoughts. “Lainey’s tough. You’ve said so yourself a million times.”

He’s right. I force myself to breathe. To think. But my mind keeps circling back to all the ways this could go wrong.

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