Page 7 of Ruthless God

“No. It’s my turn to speak. You and Lili are my family, and no one fucks with my family. You’re going to let me do this and you’re going to take the money. Understand?”

He’s silent for a moment before standing. “I’m late for class.”

“Harvey—”

He walks away, saying nothing. My throat is tight with unshed emotion. I don’t want to fight with him. So I’m not going to. I’m going to do this and save him. And when this is over, we’ll both hug and make up.

We always do.

The next few days blur together in a relentless cycle. School. Work. The club. Rinse and repeat. By the time I crawl into bed each night, exhaustion clings to me like a second skin. But I love it.

I love the constant movement, the rush of always having somewhere to be. I love the thick stacks of cash piling up in my hidden stash, proof that my hard work is paying off. And, if I’m being honest, I love the attention I get at the club. The way eyes linger on me, the way I command a room, the way I matter in a way that I don’t anywhere else.

But what I don’t love?

Harvey is avoiding me.

It’s not subtle, either. It’s not just missed conversations or conveniently timed errands. It’s deliberate. It’s calculated. Most of all, it’s hurtful.

Like tonight.

The second I step through the apartment door, bag slung over my shoulder, Harvey bolts. No words. No eye contact. Just the sharp turn of his back and the resounding slam of his bedroom door. The sound echoes through the apartment, rattling through my chest like an accusation.

I stand frozen in the entryway, fingers tightening around my bag strap, my pulse flickering with frustration.

Ouch.

I know Lili is here because I saw her old car parked out front, so I go to her room, tapping on the door. She’s standing at the crib looking down at Raquel.

“Everything okay?”

She turns. “No. Are you free, or do you have to go to work?”

My sweet friend has been so busy with her own shit that she hasn’t noticed that I’ve been working weird hours.

I say, “I’ve got some time. Let’s sit and talk.”

She follows me to the living room, sitting next to me on the couch. This couch has been through it all. Tears. Deaths. Babies. New jobs. New boyfriends. Ex-boyfriends. Life, really. Which is why I’m worried about her. She mentioned last night that her ex wanted to meet up for lunch. I never liked him much and I sure as hell don’t like his father, aka Raquel’s father.

“Well, what did the ex want?”

I purposely don’t say his name. Fuck him and fuck his father.

“He told me his dad needs a live-in nanny for the summer.”

“Did you tell him to get fucked?”

Her cheeks are bright pink. “No.”

“Lili, please tell me you didn’t call that prick?” When she says nothing, I sigh. “Okay, so you called. What did Dimitri-the-dick have to say?”

“Not much. Just that he needs a nanny and that he wants to meet at seven tonight to discuss the position.”

I’m still silent as I process what she’s saying. If she goes to work for him, she won’t be able to take Raquel with her. With Harvey not able to work, he can watch Raquel. Of course, I’ll help when I’m off. And since my school term is almost over, I can drop the summer classes I planned to take so I can watch Raquel during the day.

Finally, I say, “I can watch Raquel while you go.”

“What?”

---