Page 99 of Made For Ruin

I slide a backup pistol into my ankle holster, double-checking the straps on my vest.

Reign guns the engine as we hit the mountain roads, taking the curves faster than any local would dare. The SUV’s specialized suspension absorbs each turn like it was built for this. Because it was.

The afternoon sun filters through dense forest as we climb higher into Cooper’s Ridge. My mind drifts to Lainey, to the steel hidden beneath her soft exterior.

She’s so much stronger than anyone gives her credit for. I’ve watched her run that diner single-handedly, watched her handle crisis after crisis without breaking.

My girl’s got fire in her soul. Even now, scared and alone, she won’t give up. Won’t break. Part of me hates that she has to be strong right now. I want to shelter her from everything, to be the wall between her and any threat.

But I know she’s fighting. Know she’s holding on, waiting for me to find her.

“What’s Castellano’s angle here?” Reign’s voice breaks through the engine’s growl. “Why take her in broad daylight?”

I stare at the winding road ahead, connecting threads I should have seen sooner. “The diner. It’s always been about the diner.”

“The diner?”

“That land’s worth millions. Prime spot between Cooper Heights and the mountain communities. Forty acres backing up to national parkland.” The reality of it hits me harder with each word. “Developers have been circling that property for years.”

“And Derrick’s gambling debts aren’t exactly a secret.” Reign’s jaw tightens.

"Enzo probably thinks that Derrick double-crossed him," I say, my mind racing through the implications.

Reign glances over, his brow furrowed. "How so?"

"Derrick's been talking about selling the diner to another developer instead of Enzo. Says he found someone offering a better price, enough to pay off his gambling debts and then some. He even took Lainey to a lunch meeting with the guy a few weeks ago."

Reign's jaw tightens. "And Enzo got wind of it."

"Must have. Derrick's not exactly known for his discretion." I shake my head, anger simmering beneath my skin. "The idiot probably thought he could play both sides, get a bidding war going."

"But Enzo doesn't want the money." Reign's voice is grim. "He wants the land."

“Exactly.”

Rage burns cold in my chest. Enzo Castellano badly miscalculated. He thinks this is about real estate, about forcing a signature from a small-town girl. He has no idea what he’s stepped into. Because no one is taking anything from Lainey.

Not while I’m breathing.

Reign steers the SUV onto an unmarked dirt road, branches scraping against the sides. The lake access runs behind the main property, hidden from view of the house. Perfect for what we need.

“We’ve got movement on the property.” Reign’s voice sharpens. “Hunt’s drone picked up two vehicles near the house.”

“Any thermals?”

“Five heat signatures inside. Looks like Lainey might be in the back room.”

I nod, mentally mapping the approach.

“Kill the engine here. We’ll move in on foot.”

Reign guides the SUV behind a thick cluster of pines, letting it coast to a silent stop. The lake gleams through the trees ahead, the afternoon sun painting the water gold.

“Two minutes to get in position.” Reign checks his comm link. “Hunt’s got eyes on all access points. No one leaves without us knowing.”

I pull my rifle close, double-checking the sight.

Years of training take over as we move through the underbrush, each step silent and measured. The house comes into view through the trees - weathered wood and wide windows, exactly as Lainey described it. A black sedan sits in the curved driveway.

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