She snorted. “Little too late for that.”
He moved closer, arms crossed. “Look, I get it. You don’t trust me.” He gestured toward the windows. “But the attacks are escalating.”
“No kidding,” she snapped, then turned her attention back to her invoices. “Thanks for the update. Did you find anything useful, or are you just here for shits and giggles?”
God, she hated how she sounded. She knew she was acting like a brat. But seeing Finn again threw her for a loop. Having him assigned to her project was making her feel inadequate, a failure. She didn’t want his protection, but she wasn’t foolish enough to reject it.
All in all, his presence wasn’t comforting. It made her feel like she was losing control. Again.
And she was angry. At him. At herself. At this whole situation. And how little control she really had right now.
Finn didn’t fight back. Just stood there staring at her.
“Lainey,” he said softly. “Gus mentioned you’re paying for repairs out of pocket. The crew’s nervous, wondering what’s going on. People are whispering. You’re bleeding money. How long before the city pulls the plug?”
Her stomach dropped.
How could he have found all that out in one afternoon?
His words hurt mostly because that was what she was thinking and worrying about.
“It’s under control,” she replied stiffly.
“Is it?”
Their eyes locked. The air grew thick with tension.
He shook his head and added, “You don’t have to do this alone.”
“Humph.” Her throat tightened. “I’ve been doing this alone for a long time. And guess what? I’m still standing.” Lainey turned to her paperwork. “I’ve got work to do.”
“So do I.”
Lainey busied herself shuffling papers around her desk. Her receipt books were neatly stacked. The plans for the buildings were rolled with elastic bands. The checkbook sat open, mocking her.
And then, front and center, Luke’s drawing. A crayon sketch of a tall building with two stick figures out front. One with curly hair, the other shorter with dark hair.
Beneath it in crooked blocky letters were the wordsMommy and Luke.
She followed Finn’s gaze as he looked around her desk and landed at the picture. Her stomach dropped.Please don’t ask. Please don’t ask.
He didn’t, not right away. But something shifted in his eyes. A flicker of realization. A question forming.
A beat passed.
“Lainey,” he said carefully, “who’s Luke?”
BOOM.
A loud crash echoed from outside.
Lainey jumped. So did Finn. His body tensed, eyes narrowing. In three strides, he was at the door, holding up a hand.
“Stay here.”
Like she wouldn’t? Lainey nodded, her pulse thundering as she listened to his boots fade down the hall.
It felt like an eternity before he returned, looking annoyed.
