Golden Trail (The 'Burg #3)(159)

It was a statement.

She didn’t respond except to curl deeper into him which was her response. She liked it.

“I dream of you,” he told her and that caused a response. Her head came up and she looked at him through the dark.

“What?” she asked.

“After you came to visit me in the hospital, I started dreaming of you. Every night. Even when I was in the hospital, I dreamed of you. I still do.”

“Really?” she whispered.

“Yep,” he replied.

“Wow,” she breathed and his hand moved to find her face, cupping her jaw he pulled her up as his neck bent. Then he touched his lips to hers.

After, he said softly, “Yeah, wow. More than wow, sweetcheeks, in my dreams, we’re almost always f**king.”

Her head moved back an inch and her hand slid up his chest to curl her fingers where his shoulder met his neck.

“Really?” she repeated.

“Oh yeah,” he whispered.

“Is it good?” she asked.

“Yeah, it’s good. As good as what we just did, not by a long shot but it’s good. I haven’t dreamed of us ha**ng s*x since you came back but I still dream of you. You talk to me.”

Her body got tight and she asked, “Talk to you?”

“Yeah.”

“What do I say?”

“You wake me up. Tell me you need to get to work. The two times I was at your place, you told me to get home to my boys.”

“That’s it?”

“Yep.”

She relaxed then asked, “Why?”

“What?”

“Why?” Rocky repeated. “Why are you dreaming of me?”

“No clue,” Layne answered. “But I like havin’ you here and there.” He pulled her face to his until their lips were touching. “Best of both worlds.”

He felt her smile then he kissed her lightly, released her jaw and she moved down to rest against his chest again.

“So, you going to tell me what you learned with your search?” she prompted.

After he’d kissed her at her place, he’d rendez voused with Ryker who was waiting by Layne’s truck. Ryker had told Layne he’d scoped out unit K, apartment three and assured him he was “on the job” then took off on his Harley. Layne went to the office, ran his searches, ran more because of the results and got home in time for his mother to lecture him on punctuality and courtesy and since dinner was ready, Keira was there again and Devin was home and visibly salivating to tuck into beef tenderloin, Layne hadn’t had a chance to brief Rocky.

He did get the chance to watch her eat an ice cream cone and therefore they went to bed early.

“Both cars are registered to a woman,” Layne told her. “Victoria Aubry.”

“Victoria Aubry,” Rocky whispered.

“You heard that name?” Layne asked and she shook her head against his chest so he went on. “She rents the apartment too. She’s also married to a man named Baxter Aubry.”

Her head came up and he felt her eyes on him through the dark. “Who’s that?”

“Driver’s license picture in the system shows he’s TJ Gaines.”

“Oh my,” she breathed.

“Yep,” he replied.

“What else?” she prompted.

“Nothin’,” Layne said and Rocky was silent.

Then she said, “Nothing?”

“Not one f**kin’ thing. Both of them came into existence about nine months ago. I’ve run every check there is, couldn’t find anything. They got credit cards, bank accounts, own their cars outright, pay their insurance, rent, utilities on time, except they do it with cash. Only thing they pay with check is the credit cards which, even though they live high, are cleared every month.”

“What does this tell you?” she asked.

“Well, seein’ as I dug deeper and found Victoria Aubry died of a stroke at age eight-two six years ago and her husband Baxter Aubry died a year and a half later of emphysema, it tells me the least those two are guilty of is identity theft.”

“Shit,” she whispered.

“Other than that, not much else,” Layne finished.

“What’s next?”

“What’s next is, we need a f**kin’ print. For both of ‘em.”

“Right,” she said softly.

“Baby,” he called and her arm squeezed him in response. “Goes without sayin’ it won’t be you gettin’ those prints.”

Rocky’s body tensed and her voice was terse when she said, “Of course.”

Layne slid down into the bed, taking her with him and rolling them both to their sides so they were face to face but his hand didn’t leave her ass and he gripped it when he murmured, “Just makin’ sure you stay my good girl.”

He felt her body give a small jerk before she relaxed into him and kissed his throat.

“I’m still your good girl,” she whispered there.

“Good,” he whispered back.

Her face came out of his throat and her head settled on the pillow. “Isn’t that enough?” she asked. “Identity theft is bad, even if people are dead. Can’t you hand it over to Merry now, get him away from those girls?”