“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.

“Good,” Gabby hissed, leaning forward. “I’ll tell Jas and Tripp that you had me removed by security and they might not like Saint Rocky so goddamned much anymore.”

“They might not, then again, they might wonder why you’re on my doorstep before seven o’clock forcing a confrontation,” Rocky shot back and Layne’s mouth twitched because his boys loved their mother but they also knew her, Gabby knew that therefore Rocky had Gabby there.

“You think this is funny?” Gabby squealed, taking five quick steps into the house and Rocky closed the door behind her. He’d been looking at Roc, he missed Gabrielle’s eyes coming to him.