who went fishing for compliments.
“You talked to Martin after I walked away didn’t you?” she asked, already knowing the answer.
“I’m done talking about your ex,” Mac replied, which told her all she needed to know. “Are you going to work on those flowers tonight? I can go pack more in if you need me to.”
Jenna smiled. “You want to help put together wedding arrangements? I knew you had a soft side.”
Mac grumbled. “I’m just offering to do some grunt work. Don’t read too much into it.”
Jenna needed a breather and she had to get these arrangements made. “Fine. Go bring me the rest of the lilacs and half of the greenery.”
With a mock bow, Mac gave her a wink. “Consider it done.”
Even when he was being a sarcastic goof, he made her heart flutter. She couldn’t afford the flutter, the bundle of nerves or the tingles from his kisses.
At dinner, Martin hadn’t come over to speak, so perhaps they were making headway. Maybe seeing her with Mac over and over would get through to him—or maybe Mac’s fist helped. As much as she wasn’t a fan of violence, she also knew Mac was effective when he wanted to be.
She recalled a time he’d been more than forceful at a party when a guy had hit on her and she’d politely turned down his advances. Unfortunately that guy hadn’t taken no for an answer and Mac intervened. A slam against the wall and a threat she hadn’t been able to overhear sent that guy packing in the other direction.
Mac was definitely a man she wanted in her corner...too bad she couldn’t risk having him in her bed.
* * *
Mac’s cell vibrated in his pocket just as he hit the entrance to the lobby of the resort. Glancing at the screen, he darted to the side of the building and slid his finger to answer the call.
“Ryker. What do you have?”
“Nothing yet on the scrolls, but we have a problem.”
Not what Mac wanted to hear. He was having enough problems trying to remain on the strictly friend level with Jenna. Throwing in a dose of family issues wasn’t going to help his mood.
“It’s Shane,” Ryker went on.
Shane, Braden’s nemesis and all-round world-class ass. He’d tried to ruin their family years ago when a business deal had gone sour. He’d attempted to sic the authorities on Patrick, who’d still been running the show. Only Shane hadn’t been smart enough to realize the commissioner, the police chief and the FBI director were in the O’Sheas’ back pocket. Poor Shane, rookie mistake.
“What the hell is he doing now?”
“I have no clue who is feeding him information, but he’s been following me for two days.”
Mac glanced around to make sure nobody could hear him. “What the hell does he want?”
“No idea,” Ryker stated. “He’s trying to be sneaky, but I spotted him when I got to my hotel. I had Laney check into his travel arrangements, and he has an open-ended airline ticket. He’s also staying in my hotel. Laney made things a bit difficult for him by hacking into his bank account and moving his funds around.”
Mac ran a hand over his face. His sister, the computer hacker. She’d be dangerous if they gave her too much leeway.
“Did you call Braden?”
The cell rustled on the other end before Ryker’s reply came through, his tone hushed as if he were worried about being overheard. “He texted me yesterday and said not to bother him unless I found the scrolls. Claimed something about a personal problem with Zara. I didn’t ask any more.”
Mac frowned. He’d gotten a text from Braden telling him there was a slight issue at home, but it was nothing for Mac to worry about. What was going on?
“That’s not all,” Ryker went on. “Laney received a threat from Shane through her email. He tried to encrypt it, but she was able to trace it back to him.”
Mac gripped the phone. Nobody threatened his family and lived to follow through. “What did the message say?”
“She wouldn’t tell me, but I could tell she was shaken up.”
“It’s not like her to be caught off guard,” Mac stated. They’d never known any other way of life, so the contents of the email must have been pretty harsh.
“There’s more,” Ryker stated. “Someone tried to grab her as she went into a coffee shop two days ago. Luckily an off-duty cop was there and was able to stop it.”
Mac’s blood boiled. “Why the hell am I just now hearing about this?”
“Because I just heard about it,” Ryker retorted. “Laney is smart. She’s keeping low and staying home with her security alarm on, but she finally told me when I called her to check on another matter.”
Braden may want this family to go legit, but there were times that extreme measures were called for.
“Shane has been a thorn in our side for years,” Ryker went on. “Now he’s literally threatening one of our own. I know that was him who tried to grab her because she said the guy had a mask on, but it slipped. She saw the tattoo on his neck. I don’t care that he’s following me. I can handle him, but Laney is another matter. When are we going to end this once and for all?”
Mac rubbed a hand down his face and blew out a breath. Damn it, he hated making this call. Braden had been adamant about moving this family in a new direction since their father had passed. No more killings. That was Braden’s main stance, but Shane had crossed the line by threatening Laney. “Wait,” Mac stated. “Braden really wants O’Shea’s to make a new start and I can’t say as I blame him. He’s got a fiancée to think of now and he’s in charge. Let’s try to get ahold of him again and see what he thinks. If we can’t contact him, I’ll make a decision.”
Ryker sighed. “Fine. But if Shane gets in my way or tries to thwart my plans regarding the scrolls, I’m not backing down. And if I even think he’s contacted Laney again, I won’t ask for permission to proceed.”
Mac gripped his phone tighter. “Make sure you call or text me before you do anything.”
Ryker grunted and hung up. As Mac slid his phone back into his pocket, he thought back to all Shane had done. Braden had practiced serious restraint a few months ago when Shane had been harassing Zara. Apparently Zara and Shane had gone out a few times, and once Zara had showed interest in Braden, Shane took that as a personal slap in the face. His pathetic attempt at making their lives hell backfired, but Shane was lucky he was still on this side of the grave.
Mac tried Braden’s cell, but got no answer. What on earth could be so dire at home that Braden had checked out? That wasn’t like him, especially as the new head of the family. He took that role seriously. Worry slid through Mac as he shot off a quick text asking if everything was all right. Once he knew what Braden’s status was, he’d delve into the mess with Shane because Laney’s very life could be on the line.
Pulling in a breath and trying
