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.