Chapter 5

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Chapter 5

Ethan

This is getting more and more disturbing. Brynn at least trusts us. If we didn't have her trust, we would lose her, thanks to Lindsey and her neurotic game she's playing.

She told Brynn I was married to her. It's a good thing Brynn didn't believe her. I don't want to think what could have happened if she had. I've made progress over the last year with Brynn. I hope I have, at least.

We talk as long as it's about anything other than us. We can socialize with each other without any jealousy. We can be alone in the same room now and it's not awkward. That's progress. But not nearly enough to win her back.

Proving to Brynn that I'm a better person, that I won't repeat the same mistakes I've made is harder than I thought it would be. The woman's heart is a locked safe. And I don't know the combination anymore.

We were called to a "family meeting " at Georgia's house. She had the good sense to have security ready for us and relieved Cole at the hospital so he could be here. Thanks to Georgia, Brynn will be safe so we can figure out a plan. .

The investigator stuck around and passed the photo and information he found to everyone. Georgia was right. Lindsey's mom does look a lot like Brynn. That's what scares me. If Lindsey sees what we do, if she sees the similarities, what is she willing to do to Brynn? Will she suffer the same fate as Melinda did?

When Cole finally showed up, my temper had had plenty of time to brew. I know he was trying to keep work moving along. I know there were things only Cole could handle. I'm still pissed. The moment he walked in, I went off on him.

"I should kick your ass!" Pushing Cole across the room, my temper gets the best of me.

A squeak sounds from the doorway then a quick inhale. All of us turn and see Mia standing there, eyes comically wide staring at us. I would have laughed if I wasn't so pissed off.

"I knew I shouldn't have left her!" Grumbling, I pushed Cole back and stalked to the window. "I'm not gonna kill him, Mia. Take a damn breath before you pass out!"

"Ethan, you need to calm down." Aubrey tries to reason with me as she soothes Mia but I'm too angry at the moment to listen.

"Calm down?" Not willing to listen or see that I'm scaring the shit out of Mia, I continue my rant. "Lindsey has already gone after you, and she kidnapped Hope! She almost succeeded in killing Brynn! Fuck, Aubrey, she's your best friend!"

"I'm aware of that! But beating Cole up isn't going to help us!" Aubrey gets into my face as best she can with her belly in the way.

"He should have stayed by her side!" The hard thump against my stomach unnerved me. Stepping back, it occurred to me that the thump was the baby kicking. Standing so close, her belly against mine, made me nervous. She needs to stay out of this. I don't want to be the reason she goes into labor early.

"I was right outside the door!" Cole argues, but his guilt gets the best of him. Combing his fingers through his hair, Cole kicks a chair over and growls. "Fucking just do it! She got in! It's my fault! Just punch me and get it over with!"

Voice rose in the room. Aubrey and Quinn taking Cole's side, while Leo and I stood our ground. My brother always has my back. I can't understand anything that's being said because we're all talking at once.

"Excuse me?" Mia stood, scared as a little bunny looking at a hungry wolf. Her hand raised as if she's in school. All of us look at her confused as to why she's even here.

"Mia, Georgia is in the kitchen. You can go on back." Quinn gives her an easy smile, although there's an angry tone in her voice.

"I know that. She said to join you. What I was going to say was maybe this is exactly what Lindsey wanted to happen." Her eyes land on mine and quickly look away. "She wants you to know how easily she can get to one of you." Her word's getting our attention.

"How do you mean, Mia?" Aubrey is the calmest of the group.

Nervously Mia looks around the room. Her eyes dart away from Cole quickly as if he scares her. "Well, she's smart and she's sly. I've never been on the receiving end of her games but I've seen what she's done to manipulate people. What if she is doing just that? Manipulating you to turn you against each other?"

"That's exactly what I was thinking." Georgia steps into the room with a tray of drinks and Italian butter cookies. My favorite. "If we are fighting amongst ourselves, we aren't focused on her. Mia, dear, would you pour the tea, please?"

"Of course." Scurrying over, Mia took over serving the snacks.

"Mia is right. We're playing right into Lindsey's hand. We can't fight each other and fight her." Quinn agrees, taking Leo's hand. "But pitting us against each other we lose our trust in each other. Our solidarity, our strength weakens."

I hate to admit it but they're right.

"Okay, so what do we do?" I'm angry at the situation, not Cole, he's a brother to me in every way but blood. I can't blame him for Lindsey's actions.

Georgia pats my back and guides me to the chair as Cole picks up the one he knocked over. "We've already started working on that. And I'll tell you, Mia has given me an idea."

Georgia explained her plan. One I hadn't thought of. She has the right of it. And if Lindsey thinks she's out maneuvered us, she will make a mistake. She'll slip up and we will have the upper hand.

We didn't waste any more time arguing over what we should do. Security was of the utmost importance. I'm in full agreement with Georgia there. Although the plan she has put in place isn't thrilling me. Lindsey's boldness could be used to our advantage. But it also puts Brynn in further danger.

I don't like it. I don't want to participate in this plan but if I want Brynn to be safe, I don't see a choice. That pisses me off more. I don't like not having options.

We agreed, none of the women should be alone at any time. For the moment Quinn and Aubrey are safe in Georgia's home or at the Inn. Both we are learning, Georgia has made into her fortresses. The woman knows how to keep her family safe. I'll give her that.

There's guards at the gate road that heads up the hill to her home. There's guards on the front and back doors. She has security cameras, motion detectors, and alarms. The same holds true for the Inn. She arranged it all as soon as she found out about Brynn.

Mia has been helping her with arrangements all morning. I guess she accepted Georgia's offer. I've yet to meet someone who has actually refused the woman.

Charlie is with Brynn now. He's got his deputy with him. Charlie swears he will protect Brynn with his life. And Georgia made sure no one would be getting in that room again by placing her own guards on duty. Freeing Beckett up to help with this new strategy.

Within hours we had a plan in place. Not trusting humans to keep everyone safe, Beckett brought in his own team. Thanks to Aubrey, Georgia now has two dogs in her home. The best security any home could have, according to Beckett. After seeing the way Lump guards Aubrey, I can't argue with him.

It didn't take much to convince Georgia to accept the new residents in her home. Beckett brought over three dogs plus their own two this afternoon. One for Quinn and Leo, one for Georgia and one for Brynn.

Knowing how much Lump dislikes Lindsey I can't say his idea is the wrong one. I've seen that dog bare his teeth at Lindsey several times. Not that Lump is a mean dog. Not in the least, he's protective, that's all and Lindsey is scared to death of him. That's exactly what Brynn needs.

Georgia has such a fondness for Lump and Max, convincing her to take Runt was easy. The two year old Rottweiler had Georgia in the palm of her paw. As soon as the mutt strolled in and she leaned lovingly against Georgia's legs, nearly toppling her over, it was love at first sight.

For Quinn and Leo they got Wrigley, a German Shepherd/Ridgeback mix. A very mild mannered four year old, who is great with children. Hope squealed, clapping her hands when she met him and the dog went straight to her and rolled, belly up, for Hope to snuggle her. Any questions Quinn might have had about the dog vanished instantly.

Aubrey introduced me to a beautiful Irish Setter named Lady.  Brynn will love her. And once she gets home from the hospital, I'll feel better knowing that Brynn is well protected.

Aubrey has the right idea. Humans have flaws. We get distracted, we have jobs, families, lives. Dogs love us unconditionally. Their job is to love their owners. They have better instincts, better hearing and can intimidate even the strongest person. They become family members, and like family they will protect us with their lives.

Beckett decided to come back to the hospital with me. He wants to talk to Charlie about enforcing the restraining orders against Lindsey. He is determined that cutting her off, giving her no one to help hide her, is the way to bring her out and end this. At some point Lindsey will mess up.

"Did you notice how scared Mia was? Is she always like that?" Beckett wonders as we get into the elevator.

"She's weird." Muttering under my breath, I cut off our conversation. A woman joins us with a cart full of flowers in the small metal box and squeezes between us.

"Three please." She asks in a heavy southern accent.

Without paying her any attention, I push the button and take a step back from the cart. The overly sweet smell of all the flowers annoys me. I don't like sweet smells unless it's Brynn's cinnamon rolls.

"Georgia likes her. I guess she's a conscientious worker." Beckett continues talking.

"She knows her flowers." I admit. I've been in a few times to order flowers since she took over the store. She knows how to direct her customers to the right items.

"She helped me out when I was getting some for Aubrey. Quiet, a little spooked, but nice enough." He looks at the flowers on the cart and touches one of the blooms.

"Mia likes Cole." I tried to help them out once. Mia was hoping Cole was going to show up for an art and wine thing. He didn't, Brynn did and with one of Georgia's guys, Tyler. Thanks to Blake I learned he is now happily involved with someone.

Beckett folds his arms over his chest. "I bet Georgia is going to play matchmaker again."

"You think?" I raised my eyebrows, wondering why she hadn't helped me out with Brynn.

"Don't worry, she'll get to you too. Georgia loves to set up those of us who she thinks needs love in our life." Beckett complains.

"She fixed you up with Aubrey?" I thought that happened all by itself.

"We were getting there without her. She just gave me a nudge that sped things along. Then Lindsey happened on Halloween and..." Beckett mimics his head blowing up. "That was the best thing to happen to me."

"Well, I guess Lindsey has done something good in her life." I don't think she meant to but it worked out.

Beckett shakes his head as the brunette mumbles something about a good for nothing loser. Taking a look at her face, I know I've seen her before. The short, dark hair isn't familiar, neither is chubby cheeks or the pointed chin but something about her eyes. I know those eyes...

"Don't think I'm going to thank Lindsey for her push. I owe that woman nothing for what she has done. She better hope I'm not the one who finds her." I don't doubt that Beckett wouldn't be level headed enough to take her in the right way. He would make sure Lindsey pays for what she's done first.

I don't blame him. First it was Aubrey then Quinn, two of the most important women in his life she went after and after kidnapping Hope, he went as ballistic as Leo. I would have done the same thing. I don't even want to think about what the Bradford family would do if Lindsey got a hair up her ass to take on Georgia.

"Hmm, hmm, hmm. Hmm, hmm, hmm." The faint tune was whispered close enough to me I turned once again, looking at the flower lady. I can't put my finger on it but she is familiar...

She simply smiled politely and looked away. What is with her? She gives me the creeps. Ignoring her, I continue our conversation. "That chick is batshit crazy."

"You'll get no argument from me on that." Beckett agrees.

"I still don't understand how she managed to get in here without being noticed." I grumble to Beck.

"Cole said she was in some sort of disguise. She has to change her look to stay around town. There's too many people who know her. It's not like everyone isn't looking for her." Beckett responds. "Of all people, Mia is the one to get us to see what's happening right in front of our eyes."

The elevator stops on the third floor and the doors open. The woman pushes her cart off the elevator and stops just outside the door to look at her card. She must be trying to find her next delivery. As the doors close, I watch her look over her shoulder with the door inches from closing and I see her. I know why she looks familiar!

Those crazy eyes look into mine and she smiles. It's a terrifying moment. She's still here. She's in the hospital! Damn it! Reaching out, I try to stop the doors from closing but almost get my hand stuck in them as they close shut.

"Fuck! It's her!" Damn it! Of course she was right under our noses. "Beckett, that was Lindsey!"

Frantically, I push the buttons to stop the car. Beckett tries to pry the doors to open again. The elevator begins to move to the next floor. Clawing at the doors, Beck and I desperately work to get back to the floor she got off on.

Lindsey has upped her game!

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