“You get my answers?” Layne asked and Devin nodded.

“First, the woman is gettin’ impatient. She’s got clients all lined up, a party, big money, they need those girls but can’t get a lock on ‘em because of Giselle. The girls have made it clear they move as a unit and Giselle’s doesn’t feel like movin’. Towers is unhappy as in un… hap… pee,” Devin answered then grinned at Layne. “This is not only ‘cause Giselle doesn’t want shit to do with them but also because Giselle found herself a boyfriend and they couldn’t find any time with her away from Tripp.”

At that, Layne grinned back. It was a small grin but it was a grin because Tripp had done good and because his son would be pleased he did his part to keep Giselle safe.

Devin continued. “Now she’s runnin’ outta excuses for her clients who are chompin’ at the bit after seein’ the girls’ photos. The two other girls are good to go, his words, words, I’ll add, that made your boy Ryker go a bit scary, Tanner, and when I say that, I mean he scared me, he got so fuckin’ scary.”

“He cares about Alexis,” Layne muttered.

“Well, that’s plain to see,” Devin muttered back then kept talking. “Anyway, Giselle was muckin’ up the works. Towers was puttin’ on the pressure and he was gettin’ desperate, started followin’ her and acted on his own. He found his opportunity, Giselle alone without Tripp at her side, and he took it. When she bolted, he freaked, told Rutledge. According to Gaines, Rutledge is nearly as scared of this bitch as Gaines is. Told him he’d take care of it and keep it quiet. The woman doesn’t know shit. Gaines, bein’ what I know now of Gaines, shrugged his shoulders. Once he handed off to Rutledge, he went his merry way and his way is paved with all things merry. Apparently, when he isn’t spreading the word of God while workin’ at settin’ up teenagers to get gang raped, he’s been bangin’ this Tina person for months, amongst others.”

Layne nodded, thinking briefly of Tina Blackstone. Tina would open her legs for anyone but she’d make a world record of it if that someone was good-looking. And she didn’t care who they were or what they did. He seriously doubted Tina would blink if she learned she was getting hit by a guy who was recruiting for a child prostitution racket. To be fair, she might shiver a bit but then she’d shake it off and move on.

Devin got out of his way and Layne set aside thoughts of Tina and walked into his office. Dev followed him and Layne saw TJ Gaines or, as Layne knew him now from the phone call he’d made getting his identity from his prints, Jeremy Goulding, tied to one of his office chairs and looking about ready to piss his pants.

“You,” he whispered when he looked from Ryker sitting in Layne’s desk chair and cleaning his fingernails with his huge, freaking knife to Layne.

“How’s it goin’, Jeremy?” Layne asked, walking to his desk and leaning on it.

Jeremy’s head jerked.

“Yeah,” Layne said softly. “I know who you are. Got solid evidence you’re guilty in the State of Indiana of identity theft and know you got a warrant out on you in Tennessee too.”

Jeremy’s eyes slid beyond Layne to Ryker then to the side to take in Devin then they shot back to Layne.

“Big step up,” Layne remarked, “Movin’ from small time cons, all women, to child prostitution.”

Jeremy’s pale face turned gray. “That isn’t part of my deal.”

Layne’s brows went up. “No?”

Jeremy shook his head.

“Saw you kiss Tiffany Emmerson’s neck. Saw Alexis McGraw put her hand on you. Heard you shared gum with Alexis, mouth to mouth, after it had been chewed,” Layne noted and he felt the sudden wall of rage coming off Ryker slam into his back, just as he’d intended.

Jeremy felt it too and he bucked his body, scooting his chair back, his eyes locked on Ryker.

“Sit still, Jeremy,” Layne said quietly as Dev moved in behind Jeremy.

Jeremy’s eyes didn’t move from Ryker but he did as he was told.

“I didn’t... I didn’t,” he stammered, “I didn’t do that.”

“You callin’ Alexis a liar?” Layne asked.

Jeremy’s eyes darted to Layne. “No!” he cried.

“So you did share gum with her,” Layne pressed.

“I… no, she shared gum with me,” Jeremy amended.

“Okay,” Layne said then lied, “I see the difference.”

“It’s just a job,” Jeremy explained quickly as Layne heard and felt Ryker move behind him. “I didn’t like it, I’m not into girls, I’m into women, you know, like your lady.” Layne’s back straightened and his face changed and Jeremy’s body bucked again. “No! No! I mean, she’s pretty. I’m complimenting her. I’m just saying I’m not into girls. But that was my part of the job. And Nic said she’d take care of the girls, she said she always takes care of the girls.”

“Takes care of them how?” Layne asked.

“Every way. Money, clothes, attention. Girls love that shit and Nic loves them. She’s good with them. It isn’t as creepy as you think,” Jeremy explained and Layne had trouble controlling his sneer and the urge to open up the flesh of Jeremy’s face with his fist.

“You’re wrong,” Layne whispered. “You are way wrong. It’s as creepy as I think. Fuck, Jeremy, it’s creepier.”

“They’re not as young as you think either,” Jeremy quickly went on.

“Sorry, man, but you’re wrong about that too. Giselle’s datin’ my son and she’s fourteen, she’s exactly as young as I think,” Layne told him.

“Yes, I mean with Giselle, yes, she’s… she, I’m sorry about her, okay? She wasn’t the right one. Nic told me who to pick and I knew Giselle wasn’t the right one but I had to do what Nic said. But the other two, they’re fourteen and sixteen goin’ on thirty,” Jeremy replied.

Ryker moved again, Layne knew he’d been standing, now he was making his way around the desk.

“Ryker, stand down, brother, he can’t talk if he’s got a broken jaw,” Layne said quietly not taking his eyes off Jeremy who was staring, eyes-wide, body inert, at Ryker.

“That’s my girl,” Ryker growled.

“I… I know, but you gotta know what she’s like,” Jeremy replied, proving just how stupid he was because that wave of rage burst out of Ryker again and Layne stood.

Layne turned to Ryker and whispered, “Focus, brother. This guy is not our end game.”

Ryker’s eyes didn’t move from Jeremy and Ryker’s body also didn’t move. He held it taut. He was struggling. And Devin was right, Ryker pissed was pretty, fucking scary.

Finally, his gaze slid to Layne and Layne watched as Ryker forced his body to relax.

Time to move on.

Layne turned back to Jeremy.

“You’re goin’ down,” he informed him and Jeremy’s eyes cut swiftly to Layne. “Now, though, now you gotta decide how far down you’re goin’.”

“I –” Jeremy started but Layne cut him off.

“I’m not done talkin’.” Jeremy snapped his mouth shut and nodded. “We’re workin’ with the cops on this and now you’re workin’ with them too.” Layne watched Jeremy gulp and he kept at him. “You’re gonna leave this office and you’re gonna convince Towers and Rutledge that everything is just fine. You’re gonna tell them you’re close, Giselle is breaking, they gotta give you some time. A week, they don’t go for that, a few days. In the meantime, you gotta know, you’re blown. Pastor Knox is changin’ the locks on the church as we speak. The Speakmon and Emmerson families know what you did and they’ve both agreed to hold fire and wait for Towers and Rutledge to go down. You’re blown but you convince your partners you’re not even though you don’t get near any of those girls, any kids from Youth Group or anyone under the age of eighteen in this town or out of it. You work with us, you don’t go down all on your own and trust me, man, Towers and Rutledge get a whiff that their scheme is goin’ south, they’ll bolt and they’ll leave you to swing.”

“What… what do you want me to do?” Jeremy asked.

“You get me what she’s got on Rutledge and in about fifteen minutes, you and Ryker are gonna take a ride. At the end of that ride, there’s gonna be a cop. You’re gonna tell him everything you know about Rutledge and Towers. Then, we’re gonna let you go. You get them talking in the apartment about what you’re doin’, where you’re doin’ it and when it’s gonna go down.”

“I… they’re… she’s not stupid. She’s –”

“I don’t give a fuck what she is. You’re not a good actor now, you got an hour to learn to be one and you stay in character all the time. When you get up, when you go to bed, when you eat, when you take a shit, when you’re fuckin’ sleepin’. All the time. Towers gets tweaked, we’ll take it out on you.”

Jeremy didn’t move, didn’t nod, didn’t blink. He just stared at Layne.

Layne continued. “What you gotta know is, we let you go, you try to disappear, we’ll find you. We find you, we’re not cops, we don’t have rules and when we find you, we’ll do you a favor. We’ll make it so you won’t be so attractive, and we’ll make that permanent, so when you do time you won’t be instantly made into somebody’s bitch.”

“I –” Jeremy started, that one syllable a squeak but he stopped when Layne bent over him, getting in his face.

“You’re good, we’ll talk to the cops, see what we can do since you cooperated. You’re not, Towers and Rutledge disappear, this gets fucked in any way, our sole focus, our only reason for living, is to find you and fuck you over so bad, Jeremy, swear to God, you’ll regret bein’ born. You get me?”

Jeremy didn’t answer, he just stared into Layne’s eyes, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

“You played with girls, young girls, you fucked with their heads, you freaked them out, you betrayed their trust, you took advantage and you did it through a church,” Layne whispered. “Young girls who should be worried about a pop quiz of if some boy is into them not worried about bein’ caught up in the shitty, creepy, fucked up games you’ve been playin’. That’s some fucked up shit, you asshole, and you’re gonna pay for that. But I’m givin’ you a break, a break you don’t deserve, and you get to decide how much you’re gonna pay. Now, I asked you, do you get me?”