Page 22 of Made For Ruin

Her chin lifts slightly. “I’d rather stand.”

“It wasn’t a request.”

Lainey sinks onto the couch, but that spark remains in her eyes. Good. I don’t want to break her spirit—just her resistance to what’s building between us.

I lean against the mantle, putting the massive fireplace at my back.

“Now talk. What were you doing at The Summit with my son?”

Her eyes pop wide. “How did you know I was with Axel?”

“That’s not important. What were the two of you doing there?”

Lainey sighs. “It’s complicated.”

“Uncomplicate it.”

I know I’m being a dick right now. But I can’t help it. I need answers. Not just because I need to keep her safe—though that’s part of it—but because I need to know if she’s back with him.

If she’s still his.

Lainey swallows hard. “I was doing a favor for my brother, Derrick.”

“What kind of favor?”

I don’t know much Derrick Daniels, but what I do know, I don’t like. The guy’s doing a seven-year stretch up at Blackwater for armed robbery and who knows what else.

From what I’ve heard, he’s bad news. And he sure as hell doesn’t take care of Lainey. If anything, it’s the other way around. I can only imagine what kind of “favor” he’s asking ofher now. My jaw tightens as I wait for her to answer, my mind racing with possibilities, none of them good.

“He owed Enzo Castellano some money,” Lainey explains. “He asked me to make the last payment for him.

I take a slow breath, trying to keep my temper in check. “How much?”

“Five thousand dollars.”

Five thousand. It’s not exactly chump change, but for a guy like Enzo Castellano, it’s not a make-or-break amount either. Still, I know he’s not the type to let debts slide, no matter how small. If Derrick owed him money, Enzo would’ve made damn sure he collected every penny. One way or another.

I study Lainey’s face, taking in the dark circles under her eyes and the way her bottom lip trembles slightly. She looks exhausted. Drained. Like she’s carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.

“Is that why you were crying earlier?” I ask. “Because of the money?”

“No!” Lainey’s head snaps up, her blue eyes flashing with exasperation. “I was crying because I’m overwhelmed, Marcus. Between the diner and Derrick and Axel, I feel like I’m drowning. I don’t know how to keep everything together anymore.”

The mention of my son’s name makes my blood run cold.

“How is Axel involved?”

“I asked him to come with me,” she says quietly. “I didn’t want to go alone.”

A harsh laugh escapes me. Part of me wants to be proud that he tried to step up and protect her. It shows he’s got some of my instincts after all.

But the other part of me, the part that’s been simmering with rage and jealousy, wants to knock him on his ass for even thinking he could handle this.

For thinking he could be the one she turns to.

“My son is not equipped to protect you,” I snarl. “Axel has no idea what men like Enzo Castellano are capable of.”

“Axel knows more about Enzo than you think,” she snaps. “We got into an argument about it at The Summit. He didn’t want me to give Enzo the money. He said I needed it to repair the oven at the diner instead.”

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