Page 4 of Ruthless God

“Oh, yes. When I told boss-man that you were coming back, he insisted that all his gems be reunited. Pearl, Opal, and Sapphire are around here somewhere.”

“Emerald?”

Jade’s smile fades. “She’s back in rehab.”

“No! I thought she was doing better.”

“She was, but then that asshole started coming around, and you know she can’t say no to Bart.”

I shake my head. “That’s so sad. I was really rooting for her.”

“Me, too. Boss-man said she can’t come back, either.”

“Oh, shit. Does that mean the cops were involved?”

Because that’s the only reason I can think of that would get a girl banned here.

Jade says, “Yeah. She OD’d in the VIP room. Still had the needle in her arm when the medics showed up. Looked wild under the black-light. Boss-man had to pay off some people to make this problem go away.”

“Ah.”

“Enough of that. First, welcome back. Second, what in the hell happened?”

I snort. “I knew you wouldn’t beat around the bush to ask.”

“So?”

“Harvey’s sick.”

“Oh, honey.” She reaches out, taking my hand. “How bad?”

“Bad, which is why I’m back here. He needs a lot of money, and fast.”

“Won’t his insurance cover the treatment or surgery?”

I sigh. “He doesn’t have insurance. His folks dropped him without telling him.”

I don’t mention how quickly they discarded him, how the love they claimed was unconditional came with fine print. How the moment they found out their all-American, football-playing son was with another man, everything changed. How their pride couldn’t handle the truth, so they rewrote the story instead into one where he no longer existed. To them, his love was a betrayal. He wasn’t their son anymore. And just like that, they cut him off, erased him from their lives, like he was nothing.

But they were wrong. Because he iseverything.And it’s their loss!

“No!”

I nod. “Yeah.”

“And he’s good with you getting back on the pole for him?”

“How do you do it?”

“What?”

“How do you always know what to ask?” I wait a beat. “No, he’s not okay with it, but he doesn’t have a say in this.”

“Well, alrighty then. As for your question, my grandmother always said I was touched or some shit like that.”

I laugh. “I’m sure she appreciates that.”

“She died a long time ago, and I think she’d get a chuckle out of it, especially since she was right.” Jade waves her hand. “Enough of that. What did you bring to wear tonight?”

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