“They’ll eventually –” she started and Layne’s eyes sliced to her.
“I told you over the phone the shit I gotta talk to you about is important. But it’s shit you do not want them to hear. Get them to go.”
“We’ll get in your truck,” she suggested.
“Woman, your ass is not in my truck,” Layne returned, “ever.”
Her head tilted to the side and she smiled at him. Flirting. Fuck.
It didn’t take much to make her want to wander off her chosen path.
“Why?” she asked.
“Do not play with me,” he whispered his warning. “I am not a man who likes to be played. Get… them… to… go.”
She stared at him, she read him then she nodded and turned to her girls, “See you guys later!” she shouted.
The women went from curious to confused as Marissa didn’t get in his truck, didn’t touch Layne, Layne didn’t touch her and she hinted that they should take off. All of them were used to a lot more attention, the kind they wanted and getting it exactly when they wanted it. This confusion turned to concern and they didn’t move.
“Marissa,” Layne growled.
“It’s cool!” she shouted instantly. “This is my cousin’s boyfriend. I’m watching his dog while they go on vacation!”
The women looked at him then at each other then one shouted, “Right, Riss! See you!”
“See you!” Marissa shouted back, there were some waves, more yells and the women headed to their cars.
When the last one slammed her door, Layne turned to Marissa and he didn’t fuck around.
“I need information from your former life,” he announced and he watched her body get tight so he continued. “I would not ask you if it wasn’t important.”
Her face had changed. Today’s flirty gone. Yesterday’s attempt at friendly a memory. She was pissed.
“I see. You find out I sucked dick for the cameras, you got that on me, now I got no choice but to be your rat,” she snapped.
“That’s not the way it is,” Layne told her.
“Looks it to me, asshole,” she shot back.
Layne kept his position, back to the truck and kept his eyes locked to hers. “You read me yesterday, you read me right. Listen to your gut, woman. Like I said, this is important.”
“Yeah, and in a couple weeks, it’ll be important again and then a month later it’ll be important again and I’ll live that shit over and over because you bought yourself a sneak. Well, I’m not a rat and that isn’t my life anymore so you can go fuck yourself.”
She turned to leave and Layne spoke.
“My guess is, there’s a racket in the ‘burg, fourteen, fifteen year old girls, modeling or filming.” She stopped and turned back to him. “It’s either happening now or it’s gonna happen. One thing I know for certain is they’re recruitin’ through the church.”
Marissa stared at him.
“You know anyone into that shit?” Layne asked.
Marissa didn’t speak.
Layne pushed away from the truck but didn’t move toward her.
His voice got soft when he said, “Marissa, I haven’t seen your work, don’t want to, but Dev says you were underage. Who do you know that’s into that shit?”
She looked away but she still didn’t speak.
“A woman,” Layne prompted, “a woman who runs the show.”
Marissa’s eyes snapped back to him, her face had bleached entirely of color and Layne took a step toward her to get into her space.
“They’re recruitin’ from a Youth Group, Marissa. You got anything, you gotta give it to me.”
“I can’t,” she whispered.
“You can, you don’t want girls travellin’ down that road you were forced to take,” he replied.
“She’s,” Marissa swallowed and leaned into him, “she’s a nasty piece of work, Tanner. Listen to me, do not go there.”
“Let those girls swing?” Layne growled, glaring at her.
“No.” She shook her head and did it hard. “She’ll have a front, a guy, probably not too smart, definitely hot. He lines ‘em up, pulls ‘em in. You take him down, she’ll move on.”
“Not too far considerin’ you know her,” Layne noted. “Means she’s worked Indy at least, what? Ten years?”
“You want your reunion with your sweetheart to last more than a coupla weeks, you steer clear and let the next place she hits deal with her.”
“What do you know about her?” Layne pressed.
“She’s a nasty piece of work,” Marissa repeated.
“What do you know?” Layne pushed it.
“I know you do not want to go there.” She wasn’t giving him anything.
“God damn it, Marissa, what do you know?” Layne bit out.
“I know she’s got two markets but only one she takes real good care of. That one, the girls are fresh and young. Fresh and young. She didn’t want me for that, she wanted me for somethin’ else. I did not like it but I did not do shit about it because I learned early how to stay in one piece. Another girl with me who was in her stable, she wasn’t so smart. This bitch cut that girl up, Tanner, cut her up on the inside. Cut her up so bad, nothin’ll feel good down there. Ever. Not in her life. She did it herself. She didn’t get one of her boys to do it. She did it herself. The girl was thirteen and even after she sliced her, she pimped her.”
“Jesus,” Layne whispered.
“You do not want to go there,” Marissa reiterated.