Golden Trail (73 page)

Enough?

Her hand came up to his jaw, her lips at his
ear, Rocky whispered urgently, “Jasper.”

* * * * *

Layne’s eyes opened and he saw dark.

His cell phone on Rocky’s nightstand was
ringing but Rocky didn’t move. She was out, it was the dead of
night.

Layne’s neck twisted and he reached for his
cell as his eyes took in Rocky’s alarm clock. It was one oh seven
in the morning.

Fuck.

He looked at the display on his phone and
quickly flipped it open while Rocky stirred at his side.

“Everything okay, Bud?” Layne asked
Jasper.

“Dad,” Jasper replied and the tone of that
one word made Layne squeeze Rocky then swiftly slide out from under
her.

“Talk to me,” Layne ordered, coming to his
feet at the side of the bed.

“It’s Keira,” Jasper whispered, sounding
freaked out.

Fuck!

“What’s Keira?” Layne asked, he was moving
through the dark room to get clothes. In between the office and
Rocky’s, he’d gone home and packed a bag. He found it and started
pawing through it as he heard Rocky moving in the bed.

“I don’t know, she’s out, she’s in my car
and she’s out, Dad. Passed out. I’ve been drivin’ around, tryin’ to
get her to wake up, talk to me. I can’t take her back to Mr. and
Mrs. Callahan like this. They’ll freak
.
But it’s way passed
her curfew and they’re gonna freak anyway
.
I don’t know what
to do.”

“Break it down for me, Bud,” Layne demanded,
his phone between ear and shoulder, he tugged up his jeans, the
light came on, Rocky was out of bed.

“We went to a party. Dad… shit, okay…
shit,
” Jas hissed and stopped speaking.

“Jasper, listen to me, boy, you need to give
me information right now. Do not worry about getting in trouble.
Focus.”

There was a pause then, “Okay, well, there
was beer and we had some.”

Layne pulled a tee out of his bag and yanked
it on, keeping his phone to his ear as best he could as Rocky
disappeared into the walk-in closet.

“Right,” he prompted when Jasper said no
more.

“It wasn’t that much, Dad, swear.
Swear.
I had one or two because I was drivin’. Keira didn’t
have much more. I swear, Dad. No way she should be passed out, not
like this.”

“Keep talking,” Layne had grabbed his boots
and Rocky was out of the closet wearing unzipped jeans and carrying
a sweater.

“She was fine one second, not drunk or
anything, and then the next she started stumbling around, acting
funny, totally out of it. It didn’t take long, minutes, just
minutes, Dad, and she passed out. I carried her to the car and
started drivin’ around. I didn’t know what else to do.”

“Has she been sick?”

“No, no way. She wasn’t that drunk.”

“She breathin’ okay?”

“Yeah, totally fine. Sometimes she mumbles,
moves around. She’s just passed out.”

“How long ago was this?”

“We were gettin’ ready to leave. Her curfew
is midnight. So, an hour and a half at most.”

Layne was sitting on the bed, his socks on,
he was pulling on his boots.

“She ever out of your sight?” he asked.

“What?”

“Keira, at the party, was she ever out of
your sight?”

“Yes,” Jasper answered. “Once. She went to
the bathroom right before she started acting funny.”

“The beer, was it bottles, cans, keg?”

“Keg,” Jasper replied.

“You get her beers or did someone else?”

“Uh… me, mostly, I think. I don’t know.”

“It’s important, Bud, did anyone give her a
drink?”

Jasper was silent. Then he bit out,
“
Shit!
”

“Someone got her a drink?” Layne pushed.

“No, I don’t know, maybe. Some people were
doin’ shots, Dad, but Keirry and me weren’t, at least she wasn’t
when she was with me. But now I get it, she’s not passed out,
someone gave her a drink and they slipped her something.”

“That’s what I’m thinkin’,” Layne said, he
was up and moving toward the door, Rocky right with him. “Where are
you?”

“In the parking lot of Shanghai Salon, in
the back.”

“Roc and me’ll be there in ten. Hang tight
and do not leave her.”

“Gotcha,” Jasper muttered and
disconnected.

Layne flipped his phone shut as he moved
down the stairs.

“Keira’s been slipped something?” Rocky
asked his back.

He made it to the bottom and went to his
coat on the armchair, nabbing it, he shrugged it on.

“Yeah, they were at a party, drinkin’ beer,”
Layne answered as he turned to see she was at the bar, grabbing the
coat she’d thrown on a stool in front of it. “He says she’s totally
out.”

Rocky’s eyes came to him, she was pulling on
her coat. “Vi and Cal are gonna freak,” she noted softly.

Vi and Cal had been through enough. They
were gonna freak, absolutely.

Layne walked to the bar and tagged his keys.
“On your phone, sweetcheeks, they’re probably worried. Tell them
Keira’s safe, she was slipped something at a party, Jasper’s been
takin’ care of her and we’ll get her home within half an hour.”

Rocky nodded, grabbed her purse and dug for
her cell as they walked out, Layne locked up and they both hoofed
it to the Suburban.

Rocky called Vi and Cal in the car and,
listening to her, he knew she got Cal and further he knew she got
an unhappy Cal. Layne drove to Shanghai Salon then around it,
finding the Charger parked in the dimly lit back. He parked close
and got out as Jasper and Rocky got out, Rocky going directly to
the passenger seat of the Charger, Layne leaving her to it and
going to his boy.

“We’re gonna take her home,” Layne said to
his son without preamble. “You’re drivin’ Keira, I got your back.
You own up to the beer and take what Cal dishes out.” Jasper nodded
and Layne asked, “You know who would do this to her?” Jasper shook
his head. “You know anyone who does this shit?” Jasper shook his
head again. “Anyone at the party actin’ funny, watchful?”

“Nope,” Jasper replied then went on
honestly. “But I wouldn’t really know, Dad. We were havin’ fun. I
wasn’t payin’ much attention.”

Layne nodded. “She got admirers?”

“Yeah,” Jasper answered. “She’s hot.”

“Any one of those give you a bad vibe?”
Layne asked.

“All of ‘em, Dad, she’s my babe. Not big on
her havin’ admirers.”

Jesus, uncanny, Jasper was so fucking like
him.

“All right, you think about that shit on
your way to Violet and Cal because Cal’s gonna be askin’ these same
questions and it’s gonna go better for you, you have answers.”

Jasper nodded and Rocky walked up to
them.

“In the car, Bud, let’s go,” Layne ordered
and was about to move away but stopped when he saw Rocky’s hand
reach out, she grabbed Jasper’s and gave it a visible squeeze.
Jasper looked to her, his son’s face a mixture of extremely pissed
off and seriously anxious and her squeeze did nothing to alleviate
this. Raquel saw that but still, she gave him a sweet,
understanding smile, another hand squeeze with a shake then she let
his hand go and walked silently to the passenger seat of the
Suburban.

* * * * *

The buzzing started, it was loud, and it
didn’t stop.

Layne’s eyes opened as Rocky came up to an
elbow at his side.

“Jesus, fuck, what the fuck is that?” Layne
mumbled, moving his head on the pillow to look at her.

“Someone’s at the gate,” Rocky mumbled back.
“You can get them on the phone.”

Layne turned to the nightstand, saw it was
six forty-three and he felt his jaw get tight.

He nabbed the phone and put it to his ear,
“Yeah?”

“Figured you’d be there,” Gabby snapped
back. “Let me in.”

Fuck.

“Gabby, it’s early. We’re not doin’ this,”
Layne told her.

“Let… me… in or I swear to God, swear to
God
, Tanner, I’ll sit out here all
fucking
day and I
won’t do it quiet,” Gabby bit out.

She’d do that. Gabrielle in a snit, she’d do
anything.

Layne’s eyes went to Rocky and he asked,
“It’s Gabby. How do I let her in?”

He watched Rocky’s eyes get big then she
answered, “Hit three.”

Layne hit three, put the phone down then
rolled from bed.

“What’s she doing here?” Rocky asked as he
heard her rolling out behind him.

Layne grabbed his jeans off the floor and
turned to her. She’d confiscated his t-shirt last night after they
got home from talking Cal down from kicking the shit out of Jasper.
He’d pulled the shirt off and barely got it over his head when she
yanked it out of his hand, pulled it on and collapsed into bed.

“Stay up here, sweetcheeks, I’ll deal with
her,” Layne ordered instead of answering her question and Rocky
locked eyes with him.

“Why’d you let her in?”

“Because she wanted in, she was diggin’ in,
she’s a bitch and, she doesn’t get what she wants, she’s more of a
bitch so I’ve learned to let her blow it out, get it over with and
then move on.”

Rocky nodded then she clipped, “Fine, but
this is my house and I’m not staying up here.”

“Roc,” Layne started, buttoning his jeans,
“seriously, honey, trust me on this. Stay up here.”

“No,” Rocky returned, standing at the side
of the bed not moving and not getting dressed.

Fuck. Now Rocky was digging in.

He loved her, he was happy as all hell to
have her back but in that moment, with his ex-wife heading to the
apartment and Rocky dug in in front of him, Layne allowed himself
half a second to reflect on what life would be like with an adult
Giselle-type woman, shy, quiet and sweet, a woman who got worried
when he got pissed.

Then he realized that would probably bore
him stiff.

Then he gave in.

“Right, then give me my tee,” Layne
ordered.

“No,” Rocky repeated and Layne stared at
her.

“Sweetcheeks, give me my tee.”

“No, Layne, it’s not even seven o’clock,
it’s Sunday and for weeks you’ve been busting your ass for her and
half of the ‘burg. Vera told me about her so I know what this is.
She doesn’t get to come here and throw a tantrum when you’ve been
putting your ass on the line for half the ‘burg and, I’ll repeat,
for her
. But, since she’s come here to throw a tantrum,
obviously she’s got a point to make so I’ve got a point to make too
and that point will be made by her walking into
my
house,
early
on a
Sunday
morning
, pulling
my
man
from
my bed
and she’ll see me
wearing his
tee.
”

Shit, she was staking her claim, staking it
with Gabby, of all fucking people.

He’d forgotten this about her. Soft, sweet,
cute, funny, loving, touchy, hot in bed but she was also a Merrick.
You didn’t cross a Merrick.

Layne moved close and put his hands to her
neck. “Baby, listen to me, she is no threat,” he said softly.

“I know that and now she’s going to know it
too,” Rocky returned.

Her eyes were bright and hard, flashing, she
was pissed.

Seeing that, Layne instantly thought this
whole thing was funny instead of a pain in the ass. He thought this
mainly because Rocky was cute pissed but also because Gabby could
be a bitch but he reckoned she was about to meet her match and, he
had to admit, his ex had busted his balls for so long, he was
looking forward to the show.

He swallowed his laughter, successfully
fought back a smile, let her go and turned from her to pick up the
dirty t-shirt he wore yesterday.

He was straightening when the doorbell went
and the tee was yanked from his hand.

His eyes went to Roc. “Sweetcheeks –”

“Nope,” she snapped, turned on her foot and
marched out of the room still carrying his tee.

Apparently her point would be made further
by Gabby being confronted with a bare-chested Layne.

Layne followed her, eyes to his feet,
allowing himself a smile until he hit the stairs and he wiped his
expression blank.

He hit the bottom step as Rocky, no longer
carrying his tee, which had mysteriously disappeared because Layne
couldn’t see it anywhere, opened the door.

Gabby didn’t hesitate even a second before
she fired the opening shot. “You didn’t have time to put on
clothes?” she snapped, cottoning right on to Rocky’s play.

“It’s Sunday,” Rocky shot back, stepping
aside for Gabby to enter. “After you leave, Layne and I are going
straight back to bed. I’m not wasting my time getting dressed only
for Layne to undress me again.”

Jesus. Below the belt straight off the bat.
He knew it but this knowledge was fortified by Gabby’s face getting
red at the same time it twisted.

“Well, don’t let me put you out, you can go
right back to bed,” Gabby returned, not moving into the apartment.
“Anyway, I’d rather you not be here while Tanner and I talk about
our sons.
”

Direct hit and Rocky’s eyes narrowed when it
connected.

“I’m afraid you can’t tell me what to do in
my house. You want a private conversation, you act like a normal
human being, call Layne at a decent hour, set up a time to meet
over coffee and talk like civil people. You want a drama, right
here and right now, you’re going to have to act it out with an
audience.”

“Suit yourself,” Gabby muttered and her eyes
went to Layne who was standing, watching and keeping his mouth
shut.

“Get in the apartment,” Rocky demanded when
Gabby opened her mouth to address Layne and Gabby’s eyes sliced
back to her.

“Don’t tell me what to do,” Gabby
snapped.

“You are not going to throw your tantrum
outside my apartment. Come inside,” Rocky returned.

“I’m not stepping foot in your house,” Gabby
retorted.

“You have two seconds to come inside, you
don’t, you’ll find the door shut in your face, I’ll call security
and they’ll remove you from the premises,” Rocky warned.