“Crawl into the driver’s seat once I get out. Whatever happens, do not leave the truck. If this goes badly, drive to your brother’s apartment, and call the police.”
Finn stepped out and slammed the door behind him, headed straight for where the two men stood, smirking, having stopped their approach about ten feet away. Activating the door locks, Jaime crawled over to the driver’s side and prayed he wouldn’t need to follow through on Finn’s orders.
He wouldn’t leave him. He couldn’t.
But he also wasn’t stupid enough to believe that he’d be able to do much if they were somehow able to overpower Finn. Watching as he stopped halfway between the truck and the two men, feet planted and arms crossed, Jaime found Silas’s number saved in Finn’s favorites and called him.
“Finny! You guys get back from Silver Rapids ok?”
“Silas? It’s Jaime. Lamont. You’ve got to get over here, people are here. Finn said to call you. He’s outside talking to them now.”
“Fuck, ok. I’m on my way. Where are you?”
“My house. We just pulled into the drive. I’m inside the truck. He told me not to get out.”
“Good. Do not get out of the truck, Jaime. Be ready to leave if you need to. How many of them are there? Is it the media, or someone else?”
“There’s two of them, and I don’t know. They were behind the house when we got here; Finn saw them walking up to the truck when we pulled in. They don’t look like the media, but I can’t hear what they are saying.”
Please, don’t let them hurt Finn.
He had to remind himself this was why Finn was here. He was good at this. Finn did this for a living. He was a professional, capable of handling two trespassers.
“I’m ten minutes away. Sheppard will be there in fifteen. Do not get out of the truck, Jaime. Leave, if you need to. Finn will be fine.”
“I won’t leave him.” Jaime was shocked by his own conviction.
“Ten minutes, Jaime. It will be fine.” Then Silas hung up.
Distantly, he thought Silas must have been on his way over already if he was only ten minutes away. Finn and the two strangers were still standing there, and seemed to be having some kind of conversation. Not wanting to risk Silas or Sheppard arriving too late, Jaime pulled out his own phone and called the first person who came to mind.
Sam didn’t pick up.
He tried several more times—no answer.
Furious at himself for reaching out again, and getting ignoredagain, Jaime gave up and dialed Detective Sutton’s number.
She picked up on the second ring, and he explained the situation a little more steadily than he had with Silas. The detective said she was on her way, and she’d inform DA Rivera. Jaime briefly thought about calling Dana Chase, but decided that could wait. He wanted to know what they were saying to each other.
He hit the button to roll down the window just a crack, both so he could hear what they were saying to Finn and so he could get a bit of fresh air to calm his nerves.
“…want to know what he knows, that’s all,” said the stranger on the right.
Finn rumbled, “You were ordered here to fucking threaten him, dog. Let’s all stop pretending otherwise. Tell Jeffrey to back the fuck off—he’s under our protection, now.”
Jeffrey? Jeffrey Dugan, Vera Novikova-Dugan’s husband? How does Finn know him?
The stranger sneered. “For now, maybe. But if he tells his cop friend to back off Second Dugan, then maybe we can come to an agreement.”
Suddenly, Silas strode out from the tree line, shirtless and sweaty. Had he run all the way here? Where the hell was his car?In a few long strides he was shoulder to shoulder with Finn, both of them now standing between the intruders and Jaime.
“Hello, Silas. It’s been awhile, how’ve you been?” the one on the left asked.
Silas only growled.Growled.
What the actual fuck is going on?
How did he end up with bodyguards who seemed to know Vera’s husband? And why was he the one that was apparently threatening Jaime? Unless…
