Golden Trail (45 page)

He prowled by her and felt her hot on his
heels as he took the stairs two at a time and she ran up them. He
went directly to his room but stopped at the door, his hand on it,
and when she cleared it, he slammed it behind her.

She turned to him, he saw her anger was
gone, at that point she was all about controlling his and he knew
this because she said immediately, “Breathe, Layne.”

“I’m breathin’,” he bit out.

“No, sweetheart, you’re spitting fire.” She
walked up to him and placed her hands on his chest.
“
Breathe
, baby.”

Layne stared down at her and sucked in
breath. The fire inside died down but didn’t go out.

“I see I should have warned you,” she
whispered.

Shit yeah, she should have warned him.

“Talk to me,” he ordered.

“This isn’t the first time, for her or, last
night, for Seth.”

“No shit?” Layne asked with biting sarcasm,
he knew what kind of man Cosgrove was, and he watched Rocky flinch
and take a step back, her hands falling away from his chest. “Not
pissed at you, Rocky,” he told her.

“I know,” she said quietly and watched him
closely.

“What’s she doin’ here?”

“Her family’s from Valparaiso. She’s got
friends but she doesn’t want…” Rocky trailed off and then said, “I
think she thinks you’ll make her and Seth safe.”

“She give you a reason she didn’t go to the
cops?” he asked.

“She did, she called last night after he
left. I called Merry after she told her story. Merry says they’re
looking for him but, until they find him, there’s nothing they can
do.”

That was what sucked about being a cop and
it was precisely the reason Layne wasn’t one anymore. He could play
by the rules but he wasn’t a big fan of doing it with his hands
tied. There were too many times when good people were in trouble,
you wanted to help and you could but most the time you couldn’t do
all you needed to do because you didn’t have the resources.

“Layne,” Rocky called and he focused on her.
“She said it was worse last night than normal.”

“Yeah,” Layne returned. “You know how you
know that, baby?” he asked and she shook her head, he knew by the
expression on her face she didn’t want to know but she was going to
listen all the same. “Man like Cosgrove doesn’t make his marks
seen. He’s got a place in this community and that’d fuck with his
cred, people knowin’ he’s a fuckin’ asshole rather than just
suspecting it and talkin’ behind his back. So he does it invisible.
Last night, he lost control, made it visible. That’s how you know
it was worse.”

“Okay, Layne,” she whispered then her head
tipped to the side. “Are you going to help?”

“What do you think?” he asked and he saw her
mouth twitch.

“I think you’re going to help,” she
answered.

“Fuck,” he muttered, turned, opened the
door, walked out of the room and down the stairs, Rocky again right
at his heels.

“Phone,” he growled at Devin who threw his
cell to him immediately, Layne caught it and flipped it open as he
avoided the eyes on him.

“Your boy’s on his way home,” Devin informed
him.

Layne nodded as he scrolled down, found the
number and hit go.

He put a hand on his hip, his eyes to his
boots, his phone to his ear and he listened to it ring.

Cal answered on the third ring. “Yo.”

“You sell your house yet?” Layne asked.

“Nope,” Cal answered, his voice no longer
casual but alert.

“It furnished?” Layne went on.

“Nope,” Cal repeated.

“Utilities on? Security system
installed?”

“Yeah and yeah. What’s up?”

“Paige and Seth Cosgrove need a place to
stay.”

Silence then a mumbled, “Fuck.”

“Right,” Layne confirmed what he knew Cal
knew. “Feel like new neighbors?” he asked.

“Send ‘em over,” Cal replied
immediately.

“Need you to keep an eye –” Layne
started.

“Done,” Cal stated before Layne could
finish.

“Brief Colt,” Layne told him.

“Done,” Cal repeated.

“Activate Vi, Feb and their posse. They need
beds and shit until they get sorted.”

“Got it.”

“Cosgrove’s got a warrant out on him,” Layne
explained.

“She went to the cops?” Cal asked.

“Yep.”

“Good,” Cal muttered then asked, “her or her
boy?”

“Her, last night, both otherwise.”

“Fuckin’ dick,” Cal clipped.

“I’ll wait until Seth gets here and then I’m
bringing them over myself.”

“We’re home,” Cal returned.

“Thanks, man,” Layne murmured.

“You didn’t provoke this, Tanner, you know
that, yeah? Dick just has it in him.” Cal stated.

“I know it,” Layne replied.

“Get them over here,” Cal finished.

“Later,” Layne said.

“Later.”

Layne flipped his phone closed and looked
into the room to see he was right, all eyes were on him.

He looked at Paige. “Until we know you and
Seth are safe, you’re movin’ in next door to Joe Callahan.”

She nodded.

“Cal and Colt’ll keep an eye on you,” Layne
continued.

She kept nodding.

“You see Cosgrove, you call the cops first,
me second,” Layne went on.

Paige was still nodding.

“Has Doc seen you?” he asked.

“Paramedics checked me out last night.”

This time, Layne nodded before he kept
going. “Seth see you like that?”

Paige looked away.

“Eyes on me, Paige,” Layne ordered gently
and her eyes slowly moved back to him. “This time, has he seen you
this time?”

“No,” she whispered.

“I’ll talk to him before he walks in here,”
Layne told her.

Tears filled her eyes and started falling
down her cheeks before she whispered, “Thank you, Tanner.”

Vera moved in on one side, sliding an arm
around her waist and Rocky moved in on Paige’s other side, wrapping
both arms around her shoulders. The women’s heads bent to her and
Paige pressed her cheek against Rocky’s breastbone as Vera clucked
softly in Paige’s ear and Paige kept silently crying.

Layne’s eyes went to Devin who was looking
at the women, his mouth tight, his eyes hard and glittering. He
felt Layne’s eyes on him; Layne jerked his head to the door and
then moved to it, Devin following. He waited until they were both
in the garage, the garage door still open, before he spoke.

“You feel like multitasking?” Layne
asked.

“You want a busted lip for askin’ a stupid
question?” Dev answered.

Layne smiled. Devin would get the goods on
Coach Adrian Cosgrove. Even if Paige pressed charges, if he did any
time at all, it wouldn’t be much. She needed leverage and Devin
would get it for her.

Layne got close and his voice got quiet.
“Even if you have to make shit up.”

Devin grinned. “I like playin’ dirty.”

It was then they heard the grumbling roar of
the Charger and they turned to watch Jasper pull into the garage.
Then they watched the boys pile out of the car. Layne kept his eyes
on Seth and Seth didn’t peel his from Layne. He knew what was
happening. Layne didn’t have to say a word to Seth Cosgrove about
what he’d find inside Layne’s house.

But he had to warn his boys.

“What’s up, Dad?” Tripp asked as they got
close and Layne tore his eyes from Seth and looked at his youngest
son then at his oldest then back to Tripp.

“You’re gonna walk into the kitchen and see
shit and hear shit and everything you see and hear stays in that
house. You don’t talk to friends about it, you don’t pray to God
about it, you keep your mouth shut. Get me, Pal?”

Tripp stared at him and nodded.

Layne kept talking. “It’s not gonna be
pretty but you play it cool when you get in there. Be smart and be
yourself, except, like I said, cool.” He smiled at his son to take
the bite out of his words and Tripp smiled back, it was small, it
didn’t reach his eyes but he smiled.

Layne’s eyes went to Seth. “You know?”

Seth nodded, face pale, jaw tight then he
hissed, “
Fuck!
I shoulda gone home.”

“Put it away, son,” Devin said firmly.
“Ain’t no goin’ back, only movin’ forward. You learn that, you
learn it fast and you learn it now. What’s done is done. Now you go
in there and see to your mother.”

Seth had no idea who Devin was but he still
nodded to him before he looked at the door to the utility room and
closed his eyes. Layne hoped he’d beat it back but he knew the kid
was struggling. He was nearly a man but this shit wore you down.
Layne wouldn’t be surprised at tears and he hoped his sons would
get it that their friend wasn’t weak, he was just powerless.

But Seth beat it back, opened his eyes and
walked straight to and through the door.

Jasper moved to follow but Layne put a hand
on his chest and looked to Tripp.

“Get your Grandma to make everyone lunch,”
he ordered, Tripp nodded and then hurried after Seth.

Devin gave Layne and Jasper a look before he
followed Tripp.

Layne took his hand out of Jasper’s chest
and said, “We gotta be quick and you gotta get down everything I
say.” Jasper nodded and Layne laid it out for him, what happened
with Stew, what the gig was with Gabby and what his role was with
Seth. “You get that?” he asked when he was done.

“Got it,” Jasper answered.

“You think you need to bag on Youth Group?”
Layne asked.

“Naw, we gotta keep on that too,” Jasper
replied.

Shit, Jasper was a good kid. But he’d told
him that once today and once was enough so Layne just nodded.

“Check in with her regular,” he
repeated.

“I said I got it,” Jasper returned.

“Rocky and me’ll take Paige. You follow with
Seth in the Charger. We go to their house first, help them get
their shit then we go to Cal’s.”

Jasper nodded.

“Control Keira,” Layne ordered. “The woman
in our house is humiliated enough. We don’t need Keira sayin’
anything or doin’ anything nutty.”

Jasper’s chest expanded. “She’ll be
cool.”

Layne lifted his chin. “I reckon she will.”
Jasper relaxed, Layne turned and moved to the door, muttering,
“Let’s get lunch and get this done.”

He had a hand on the handle when he heard
Jasper call, “Dad?”

He looked to his boy. “Yeah?”

Jasper stared at him, expression hidden
except a muscle ticking in his cheek.

Finally, he spoke and the words seemed
forced out of him. “I’m glad you’re proud of me.” Layne jerked his
chin up and started to turn the handle on the door when Jasper
finished. “’Cause I’m proud of you too.”

A new burn ignited, just in his chest, so
hot, he was finding it hard to breathe.

His voice was hoarse and low when he said,
“Good to have you back, Bud.”

He saw Jasper’s chest was moving like Layne
knew his was moving and he knew his son had the same burn inside
him so he left him alone to beat it back, turned the handle and
walked into the house.

* * * * *

Layne hit the button on the remote and the
TV flicked off then he looked down at Rocky’s head resting heavily
in the middle of his chest.

Vera was upstairs in Tripp’s bed. Tripp was
on an air mattress in Jasper’s room, Jasper in his bed. Gabby had
called in to Jas and she was safe at Brandy’s. Stew was wherever
Stew was but none of his shit was at Gabby’s. Paige and Seth were
at Cal’s old house.

Devin was out, whereabouts unknown, but he
was either at J&J’s getting hammered or he was talking a bookie
into doing him a favor and laying a fake trail of Coach Cosgrove
betting on high school football games as well as giving insider
information on when he’d be throwing them. Layne thought this
because that was what Layne would do and Devin had taught him
everything he hadn’t learned in the field so if Dev felt like
playing dirty, Layne reckoned that was how he’d play it.

And Layne was on his back on the couch with
a sleeping Raquel, her body half on his, half tucked into the seat
of the couch at the back. Her knee was cocked, thigh resting over
both of his, her pelvis snug in his hip, her arm was slung along
his waist and she’d been out for the last hour.

He moved and her head instantly came up.

“Time for bed, baby,” he whispered and her
eyes came to his.

He watched her blink, look around the room
and he started to curl up, his arm around her back tensing to take
her with him when she pressed into him and her gaze came back to
his. Then he settled back when she moved her body so it was mostly
on his, only partly in the couch and she crossed her arms on his
chest and put her chin on her hands. He’d pulled the clip out of
her hair hours ago so it was down, falling around her shoulders and
on his chest.

Now she was studying him, sleep still in her
eyes, something he couldn’t read with it.

“You know,” she started softly, “I promised
I’d live it real.”

“Yeah?” Layne asked when she said no
more.

“Well, I’m thinking about going back on that
promise,” she told him and his arm around her squeezed.

“Roc –”

One side of her mouth she couldn’t control
twitched up and she said, “Layne, if this is your real, I think we
should live it fake for Sunday. I’ll wear an apron and make a pot
roast and you can put on loafers and we can pretend to be Ozzie and
Harriet without seeing disgusting pornographic pictures starring
Stew ‘
Ick’
Baranski, shaking anyone down, setting up safe
houses for victims of domestic violence or sending teenaged kids on
undercover assignments at Church Youth Groups.”

He used his arm around her to pull her up
his chest, her chin came off her hands, her face came level with
his and he gathered her hair in his other hand as he fought back a
smile and told her, “Don’t own loafers, sweetcheeks.”

“We’ll go to the mall,” she offered. “I
don’t own an apron either, we’ll pick one of those up too.”