Holiday Baby Scandal

He offered her a smile. “I’m just letting your brother know of my plans for the evening.”

Rolling her eyes, she moved toward them. “Braden, I think I found something. If you can stop being a bully for two seconds and come look?”

She’d barely gotten the words out before Braden and Ryker were in motion. Once in the office, Laney settled back into the seat, and Braden took one side of her chair while Ryker took the other.

“I found an encrypted email. I had to dig, and the person tried to delete it, but here it is.”

“Open it.”

Laney shook her head. “I can’t. That’s the problem. But the subject is damning and it’s from the general computer at the main office.”

She pointed to the bold header: BACKLOG

“And look at the time and date.” She pointed to the screen—it was as soon as the new system was in place. Hours after it had been implemented, in fact. Then they had clearly sent the email and quickly covered their tracks.

The mole was good, but Laney was better. This was the break they’d needed.

“Bastards.” Braden slammed his hand on the desk, making Laney jump.

“It’s a start,” she said, attempting to console him, but there was no calming him. This meant war for whoever did this. “The email wasn’t from our internal system, and the account is fake. I just have to dig to find who set it up.”

“You can do it.” Ryker placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “We all know you can. We’re just frustrated and need to get this sorted out before the Feds find something incriminating.”

Braden threw up his arms. “They have our sales records. If they search through each and every item, they’re going to find questionable pieces.”

Feeling a surge of loyalty and protectiveness, Laney glanced up at her brother. “If they searched each piece, they would have speculation at best. I have nothing in the program that indicates where the pieces came fro

m. All of that is stored at my house, in a safe that even you two couldn’t crack.”

“I’d shoot it.” Ryker straightened. “So, you’re going to work on this, and I’m going to go back to Zara’s tonight. Are you staying with her, Braden?”

Laney leaned back in her seat, looking up at the two men who seemed to be having some sort of staring showdown. She crossed her arms and waited for the testosterone to come down a notch.

“I’m not leaving her alone in her state,” Braden replied. “You go. I’ll make sure she’s fine.”

“With all this going on, I think it’s safest if she’s with one of us at all times.”

Braden nodded. “That we can agree on.”

Laney jerked to her feet, sending her chair flying back and crashing into the wall. “She is right here. And she can take care of herself.”

They both stared at her as if she’d lost her mind. “I’m serious,” she went on. “I don’t need a babysitter, and nobody has threatened us with physical harm.”

“You’re pregnant,” Braden growled. “You’re automatically vulnerable.”

Laney turned to face her brother fully. “You know I’m capable of taking care of myself. Stay all you want, but when I leave, I won’t be needing a shadow.”

Braden glanced over her shoulder toward Ryker. “Will you tell her? Maybe she’ll listen to you.”

“She won’t listen to me. I ignore her wishes when it comes to things like this anyway.”

Yeah, which was how he’d ended up tearing her dress off in a Miami hotel room. He’d been worried for her safety...and then she’d been plastered against the wall, panting his name.

Ryker took her arm, urging her to look at him. Laney shifted her attention. “What?”

“Just listen. For once. I’ll be back later. Go to my place. I’ll meet you there.”

Braden practically growled behind Laney. “Can you two not talk like this?”