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.

“Yep,” Layne replied.

“This is not funny,” Gabby’s voice was rising, indicating she was going to lose what little hold she had on her control and that was never pretty.

This meant Layne was done enjoying the show. “Why are you here?”

“My son got home after two o’clock in the morning,” Gabby answered without hesitation. “I dragged his ass out of bed an hour ago and he told me what happened last night. He did not call and tell me he was going to miss his curfew. He did not call me when he was in trouble. He came home and went to bed like he lives in a fucking hotel and his mother isn’t tossing and turning waiting up for him and worried out of her brain.”

“You’re tellin’ me this because…” Layne prompted.

“I’m tellin’ you this because you should have told me what was happening and if you didn’t, since you were with Jas last night, you should have advised him to share the minute he got home,” Gabrielle returned.

“We had it covered,” Layne replied.

“I’m his mother!” Gabby shouted.

“Jesus, Gabby, keep it down,” Layne ordered.

“Fuck you,” she shot back.

Layne uncrossed his arms and put his hands to his hips. “All right, woman, you’re his mother and he fucked up last night, he had a couple of beers. He let his girl have a couple of beers. He’s seventeen, that shit is gonna happen. I did it, you did it, everyone does it. It wasn’t right but he was bein’ smart, he didn’t get drunk because he was drivin’. But his girl got slipped a mickey and it freaked him out. He cares about her. He didn’t know what to do. So, if I didn’t advise him and he didn’t decide to let you in on that shit, it’s his call. He had enough to deal with considering his girl got drugged against her will on his watch and her stepdad was pretty fuckin’ displeased. If he didn’t feel like puttin’ up with your shit after that, I don’t fuckin’ blame him.”

“He doesn’t get to decide if he gets to put up with my shit, Tanner,” Gabby returned. “I’m his mother, he’s seventeen. You treat him like he’s thirty-five.”

“He’s a smart kid,” Layne replied.

“Yeah, he is, he’s smart but he’s still seventeen. He’s still a kid.” She threw her arms out and her eyes shot fire. “You let them curse, both of them and Tripp’s only fourteen. You think that shit doesn’t leak to my house? Tripp told me straight out you let them cuss!”

Shit, but Tripp sometimes had a big mouth.

Gabby carried on. “And this business with the Youth Group, I don’t know what’s happening with that, all I know is, neither of my sons have found Jesus. It’s not like I haven’t heard people talking about that so it makes me think I should know what they’re doing there because my guess is you’re involved somehow, it’s dangerous and no seventeen and fourteen year old boy should be involved in one of your operations.”

He skirted right around Youth Group, a topic which would make Gabby’s head explode, and he had to admit, rightfully so, and he focused on something that might not. “Gabrielle, they cuss at school, they cuss with their friends, who gives a fuck if they cuss?”

“I do!” she yelled.