Page 14 of Incoming Layne Shift

Deciding she had enough of listening to all the political grandstanding, she walked around the sea of people until she squeezed by enough to get into the main entrance of the precinct.

Once inside, she went through the mundane and drawn-out process of trying to get information from the clerk sitting at the front desk. After having to repeat Liam’s name nearly three times, present her identification twice, and be given the stink eye, she was finally escorted back to the holding area.

Despite Layne having triple-checked she had removed anything that could be construed as a weapon from her body before arriving, a small pang of paranoia nagged at her after she went through the metal detector. Fortunately, the machine remained silent and the officer guided her to a cell that held several men, one of whom was her disheveled-looking brother.

From the state of his hair, he must have been tugging at it and leaving it sticking out in every direction. He was in a pair of jeans and a loose-fitted tee, all of which had seen better days. Clearly displayed across his face was the stress of his situation.

“You have five minutes,” the officer warned her, but when she looked at the man’s hands, he subtly flashed his five fingers twice indicating she had ten minutes. Corrupt cops were one of her favorite assets during times like these. Layne nodded in acknowledgment before stepping up to the bars keeping Liam from being a free man.

The second he saw her, he stood up from the small bench and quickly approached. His hands each wrapped around a bar as he looked relieved to see her. “Layne, finally, you made it.”

She stared at him, and while her face may have appeared emotionless, she was anything but. Layne wanted to tear him a new asshole for the stupidity of getting himself locked up.

Beginning to pitch his story, he blurted out the start of his excuse. “This is all a big fuckin’ mistake.”

Layne shook her head in disappointment. “Shut up, Liam. I don’t want to hear another word from you until I’m done saying what I came down here to say.”

Liam’s hands tightened up on the bars in front of him while his lips were tightly pressed together in a strained effort to keep his words to himself.

“You know what some of the charges they have pending against you are? Assault of a police officer, driving under the influence, possession of a deadly weapon, resisting arrest. Oh, and the real cherry on fucking top? Bribery. Were you just trying to see what they could throw at you?” The second he opened his mouth, she lifted a finger to indicate she wasn’t done speaking yet.

“Since you’re unlikely to get out of here on a Desk Appearance Ticket, let me put this clearly for you so there is no mistaking what I will and won’t be doing. I will not be posting bail for you. You can go to your arraignment and pray that the judge forgot his anti-senile pills that day. I will make sure that you don’t have the dumbest fucking attorney show up to represent you.” She stared at him without any hint of jest in her expression.

He gave a shake of the bars in his grasp before hitting one with the side of his fist. “Fuck you, Layne! You know damn well that Dad would have already gotten me the hell out of here.”

Her eyes widened in disbelief before she scoffed. “Oh, really? What good would that do you, hm? You’d just turn around and do it all over again. Dad knew he fucked up with you. That’s why things are the way they are right now, with me once again cleaning up your fuck ups. Only this time, you’re not getting back the chance to sabotage it all again.” Sometimes the best truth was the harsh truth.

The anger in his voice rose as he glared at her from within his cage. “You need to bail me out! It’s my damn money, too.” He clenched his teeth so hard she hoped his face got stuck like that or he cracked a tooth, preferably both.

Remaining the calmest she felt in years in dealing with her brother’s bullshit, she shook her head again at him. “No, it’s not. You spent every last dime on pieces of ass and who knows what else. We nearly lost everything! Everything, Liam. As far as I’m concerned, you don’t have a penny to your name until I say you have earned it. If this is the lesson you need to learn to get your ass to that point, so be it.”

Her feet brought her a step back from the cell, maintaining eye contact with Liam as he seethed at her with a deep-seated sense of loathing and hatred at that moment. She didn’t care if he never spoke to her again after this, she was tired of his messes and inability to take responsibility for himself.

“I will let Walt Elkins know you will need representation at your hearing. It’s the best you’re going to get from me.” Walt was the latest addition to Layne’s growing team of assets. He was an expensive lawyer to keep on retainer, but his track record was noteworthy. Enough so that she felt confident that Liam wouldn’t get raked over the coals, even if he did deserve it.

She let out a tired sigh. “When you do get out, come find me. If you want any part of this business, this bullshit has to stop.”

Layne turned on her heel and walked back down towards the end of the hall where an officer opened up a door that led out of the holding area. The echoes of her brother’s voice reverberated off the walls and into her ears.

Liam yanked on the unyielding bars again, this time with explosive frustration. “Bitch! I hope you fucking get eaten alive out there! You won’t make it a month in this business without me! The others will never give you any more respect than they would a damn whore!”

When he noticed that his outburst wasn’t capturing Layne’s attention, he unleashed a raw yell. “Fine! Go! Go fuck that freak but he’s only with you for the money and power! He will be nothing but a goddamn cum stain on our name, just wait and see!”

She paused at the doorway, her back to Liam as he hurled those last vile words. Layne gave a hard swallow trying her best to deflect the pain of the verbal attacks. One would have thought she had learned to ignore her brother’s wielding of words as weapons by now.

In a perfect world, she had always hoped that with enough time, maturity, and healing, he would find his way to being a better person. She didn’t expect anyone who worked in the realm of underground violence and crime to be a saint, but she did expect more from someone she shared a bloodline with. Maybe it was a lot to hope for, but a small piece of her had tried to hold onto that optimism for as long as she could.

With every bit of self-control she had left, she locked her jaw shut to prevent spewing forth her thoughts which were not meant for public ears. Especially not when she found herself in the middle of a police station.

She glanced over at the officer waiting for her to leave through the open door. Steadying her voice to hide how shaken she felt inside, she nodded at the man, “Thanks.”

Layne left the holding area, left her brother, and had to tell herself that this all would pay off in the long run. A girl could dream, right?

CHAPTER EIGHT

Her boot-clad foot slammed into the stomach of the poor sap lying on the cement floor in front of her. “Then, he says I’m not going to make it a month!” It wasn’t clear if she was recounting the visit with Liam to the victim on the receiving end of her brutal kicks or to the watchful man at her back.

She huffed as she felt suffocated by the black mask stretched over her face. The heat of her breath trapped behind the fabric created a sheen of sweat across her face. Layne couldn’t imagine how Joey made a habit of wearing his for long periods of time. The rest of her donned all dark clothing from the slim-fitted pants with enough stretch to allow for movement and a black tee underneath a jacket.

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