Golden Trail (The 'Burg #3)(125)
“Gotcha,” he returned quietly and sat back.
Layne sat back too then glanced at Rocky and saw she was smiling.
* * * * *
After the sermon, Layne walked back into the vestibule holding Rocky’s hand and they stopped when one of his mother’s friends called her name and Vera broke off to greet her.
Five seconds later, Layne felt Rocky’s hand squeeze his tightly, he looked down at her to see her eyes directed across the vestibule and his eyes followed hers.
Gaines was again tending his flock but the very pretty, very young redhead was close to him and had a hand resting on his chest. She couldn’t be more than fourteen but she rested her hand on his chest the way Rocky would rest hers on Layne’s.
Layne’s stomach roiled.
This wasn’t about God, Jesus and religion. It also wasn’t about drugs. This was what he’d suspected it was, but hoped it wasn’t. It was about something else, something far worse than drugs.
But what Layne didn’t get was that the guy wasn’t hiding it. It was like he had carte blanche to cultivate his underage harem right in the vestibule of the church. And, if he was into young girls, how could he also be so blatantly into Rocky?
Layne scanned the crowd and he saw some adults had their eyes on the group, their manner watchful and uncomfortable. Parents who had concerns but who were not stepping in.
Layne looked back at Gaines whose hand was dropping from doing something around the redhead’s ear.
Dedication.
Those girls were devoted not to their faith in Jesus but to their worship of TJ Gaines. These parents had had words and the girls had gone teenaged girl berserk. The parents were either lazy and didn’t want the headache of dealing with pissed off teenaged girls in the throes of a very sick crush or they had nothing to go on but speculation they really hoped wasn’t accurate.
In the ‘burg, it was undoubtedly the latter.
Layne looked at his sons. “Jas, Tripp, shut that shit down,” he growled and both his boys nodded and wove through the crowd.
“Layne?” Rocky called on a whisper and Layne looked down at her.
“New plan, sweetcheeks,” he replied.
“That would be?” she prompted.
“Steppin’ it up,” Layne returned.
“Stepping it up?” she asked and he bent to her.
“That man needs competition,” he whispered.
“I thought you said he wouldn’t like anyone, even high school boys, cutting into his action.”
“He won’t,” Layne stated.
“So?”
“So, I’m hopin’ that he’ll act to defend his territory and f**k up or he’ll realize he’s blown and get outta town.”
“I thought you wanted to take him down,” Rocky noted.
“I did. Don’t like the idea of him movin’ on to other prey but, right now, seein’ that shit with my own eyes, I don’t like that his prey are my people. We can’t take him down, I want him outta the ‘burg.”
She stared up at him a second before she gave him the dimple and moved closer.
When she got close, she tipped her head way back and whispered, “You probably shouldn’t say the f-word in a church, Layne.”
“Think God’s got bigger concerns in his house than me droppin’ the f-bomb, sweetcheeks.”
The dimple depressed deeper, her hand lifted to curl her fingers around his neck and she got up on her toes to touch her mouth to his.
“Uh…” they heard Josie mumble from close and both of them turned their heads to her, “you wanna let me in on what you two are whispering about?”
“Not really,” Layne replied and Rocky giggled.
“We’re just discussing what we’re going to have for dinner,” Rocky lied.
“Right,” Josie returned, her eyes sharp and intelligent. “You two have been on Code Red Alert since you entered the sanctuary.” Her eyes locked on Layne. “What gives?”
Before he could answer, or in this case not answer, Rocky suddenly called, “Harry!” Then her head swung to Josie and she said, “I’ll call you later, honey, okay?” And before Josie could answer or Layne could get his eyes on what had her attention, she moved away from him and toward Harrison Rutledge.
Layne’s body locked as he watched Rocky greet Rutledge by putting her hand on his shoulder and kissing his cheek.
Considering Layne spent a fair amount of time following Rutledge, he knew that Rutledge rarely missed Sunday church. He’d never understood why a man who wasn’t smart enough to hide he was on the take went to church but he suspected it was precisely that, an effort to hide he was on the take.
He’d forgotten about Rutledge but Rocky hadn’t.
She knew he’d be there.
Shit, she’d orchestrated one helluva a play. Two birds with one stone.
“Excuse me,” Layne muttered to Josie and followed Rocky.
“You’d so do me a favor if you could help out,” he heard Rocky saying as he got close and Rutledge’s eyes moved to him and went wary.
“Rutledge,” Layne greeted as he hit them and he slid an arm around Rocky’s waist, pulling her away from Rutledge and tucking her into his side.
“Tanner,” Rutledge greeted back.
Rocky looked up at Layne. “I’ve asked him to go up for auction. He’d be perfect!” She looked back at Rutledge and lied, “The women will be at each other’s throats for you.”