Golden Trail by Kristen Ashley Read Free Book Online Page B

dirty cop. She knew that her father
knew it. She knew that her father was working at proving it and he
got close. And she knew because she’d heard the break in, she’d
heard her mother’s shouts, the partner’s replies, she’d called 911
then she’d heard the shots and she only stayed alive because she
was smart enough to hide and the partner had to get out before he
could find her because the sirens were approaching. Before the cops
could stop her, she saw her mother’s dead, bloody body in the front
entry of this same fucking house. And she knew her father had been
hit the same night and left for dead but, by a miracle, he’d
survived. Dave hadn’t made his wife’s funeral because he was in a
hospital room with a tube down his throat. Merry and Rocky had gone
with their grandparents. He also knew she’d testified at the
hearing.
    And Layne knew this because she’d told him,
in the dark of night, in their bed, her body pressed to his, hers
trembling like she was freezing to death.
    And Layne knew one last thing.
    Raquel Merrick Astley would do anything to
take down a dirty cop.
    “I can’t talk her out of it, man,” Merry was
still whispering.
    “You should have never told her, Merry, Jesus! ” he exploded. “What was in your fuckin’ head?”
    “She… Tanner… fuck, ” Merry hissed.
“When you got shot… fuck… let’s just say, Roc was not good. She
kept at me, wanted to know what you were workin’. And, big man, you
know, you know , when Rocky keeps at you, you got no choice
but to talk. Fuck, more than once in my career I wished I had her
in an interrogation room with me. She’s the master.”
    He knew this. She wanted to know something,
she was a dog with a bone, and not just any dog, a vicious pit
bull. She never let anything go. Hell, their first Christmas
together, she knew every last present he gave her before she opened
them. He’d learned to go shopping last minute on Christmas Eve or
the day before her birthday and then come home and keep her
occupied in a multitude of ways where she couldn’t use her mouth to
speak and he’d had to do it for as long as he could so she’d be
exhausted or she’d always know what gifts he’d bought her.
    He’d thought it was kind of cute and he
definitely liked the exhausting her part.
    Now he did not find it cute.
    Merry interrupted his thoughts.
    “Did you hear me, Tanner? She was not good
when you –”
    Layne cut him off, his mind on other things,
namely keeping Raquel Merrick Astley alive until her next
birthday.
    “I’ll talk to her,” he declared.
    “Oh boy,” Merry muttered, rocking back on
his heels and looking to the heavens.
    Layne ignored him. “She start this gig?”
    “Not yet,” Merry answered.
    “What’s her plan?”
    “You’re not gonna get it outta her head,”
Merry warned.
    “What’s her plan, Merry?”
    Merry pulled in a breath then blew it out.
Then he said, “She’s gonna reel him in.”
    “Come again?”
    “She’s gonna get on his radar, hopin’ he’ll
be interested, which I know he will, then she’s gonna get him to
ask her out and get close.”
    Layne felt the leg of lamb, cooked with
rosemary and garlic and served with roasted potatoes, homemade
tzatziki sauce and fresh, still hot from the oven, homemade pita
bread followed with homemade baklava smothered in a sugary honey
roil in his stomach.
    “She intends to sleep with him?” he
whispered.
    Merry gave him an unhappy look.
    Then he said, “We’re talkin’ Rocky here,
brother. My sister goes the distance.”
    “Fuck,” Layne was still whispering.
“ Fuck! ” he repeated, not in a whisper.
    “You talk to her, she’s gonna be pissed… at me, ” Merry informed him.
    “I’ll take that chance,” Layne snarled.
    “Fuck, now you’re pissed at me,”
Merry muttered, studying him.
    “Believe it, brother,” Layne clipped. “You
should have nipped this in the bud.”
    Merry threw his arms out. “This is Rocky!”
He took a step closer