“Lyla, I love you, I really do, but you have to let me go. I’ll be fine. I’ve been through hell and back; this is just a minor speed bump in the shitty life I’ve had.”

The lies that were pouring out of my mouth were convincing enough for Lyla, but did nothing to affect my mood. I wanted to believe that leaving this house was a good move…that I would be happy, but I knew I wouldn’t. Jett owned me; he owned every piece of me, and getting over him would be the hardest thing I ever did, harder than saying goodbye to my parents, and harder than selling my body to make it in the world. Jett Colby was someone you just didn’t get over; Jett Colby was a staple in my life, an unyielding presence that will forever be a part of my heart.

With a sad smile, I turned away and headed down the stairs, secretly praying Jett would come after me. That he would come flying down the stairs and stop me from leaving, beg for my forgiveness, but he never came. He never showed up; he never begged.

***

“He will be right out, ma’am. You can have a seat if you would like.”

“Thank you,” I replied, as I took a seat on one of the worn out blue chairs.

My mind was still reeling from the emotional trauma I was just put through. I was cut in half by Jett not trusting me, but the icing on top of the cake was Kace not believing me. We’ve always had a love hate relationship, but we’ve always been honest with each other, so the fact that he automatically thought I would turn my back so quickly against Jett hurt.

A buzz rang out in the sterile room I was sitting in and a door opened. Wearing a borrowed shirt and the same pants he’d been wearing earlier was Blane, but instead of the normal mischievous look on his face, he was more somber, concerned.

“Hey,” I said, as I stood up.

Blane stopped in his tracks when he saw me, shocked at my being the one in the waiting room.

“Goldie, what are you doing here?”

Twisting my hands together, I answered honestly. “I couldn’t leave you behind. I feel like we were in this together, and we have to finish it together.”

“Wow, I don’t know what to say,” he replied, while pulling on the back of his neck. “Did you post my bail?”

“I did.” It was the first purchase I made with my Jett Girl money, and I was damn proud of the decision. Everyone deserves a second chance, and it was Blane’s turn to make a new life for himself, a life without constraints.

Smiling at me, he walked toward me and wrapped me in his arms. “Thank you,” he whispered near my ear, sending goosebumps down my skin.

“You’re welcome,” I replied, while hugging him.

I didn’t know Blane that well, but what I did know, I liked. He was a good guy who’d made some bad decisions. Not everyone is perfect.

Blane wrapped his hand around my shoulder and we walked out of the Police Department together. We were greeted by the muggy night, which only New Orleans could offer. The night was just beginning for many, but for me, I was ready to call it, to bury my head in a pillow and end this horrible day.

“How did you get out?” Blane asked, as we started walking toward the French Quarter.

“Jett, he posted bail.”

“So, why aren’t you with him right now then?”

Cringing, I said, “That’s not going to happen.”

“Why not?” Blane pressed.

“Classic Rex, the scumbag, sent Jett a picture of him and Mercy together. The picture could have easily been me, since we look so similar. Clearly, Jett thought I was with Rex, and wanted nothing to do with me. We said some pretty bad things to each other, and I left, for good. He didn’t come after me.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes,” I nodded. “I’m done with the Lafayette Club, I’m done with being a Jett Girl, and I’m done with Jett Colby. I feel like he’s caused me nothing but heartache.”

That wasn’t true; the man had caused me a lot more than heartache. He taught me how to live again, how to enjoy life and live it to its fullest. He taught me that people are allowed to have second chances and can actually climb out of the pit of despair they might have fallen into. Jett changed everything about my life; he showed me what it was like to hand my heart over to someone. He was everything to me.

“Seems like you still care about him,” Blane pointed out, as we walked down Canal Street.

“Of course I do,” I sighed. “It’s hard not to when you love someone so deeply. It’s hard to just clean them out of your life. It’s going to take some time.”

“I can believe that. Was he the one who busted Rex?”

“I’m pretty sure. He didn’t come out and say it, but it’s kind of obvious. He knew everything that happened.” I thought about our fight and sighed again. “I also kind of messed up.”

“How so?”

“Jett is a man who needs to have control over every aspect of his life, and by me leaving, I took that away from him.”

“I’m going to stop you right there,” Blane interrupted me. “You left to help protect him, to find a solution. By no means should he be mad at that.”

“You don’t get it,” I argued. “You’re a dom; you need control…”

“In the bedroom.”

“Not in real life?”

“Well, I guess in some ways,” he admitted.

“Jett needs it in all ways. By me taking charge, in his head it looks like I didn’t trust him to protect me, to take care of things.”

“Is that how you felt?”

“No,” I said softly. “I just…ugh, I just wanted everything to be normal. I’m so beyond impatient. It seemed like things were never going to end, and I wasn’t sure how much more of the hiding I could take. I thought that if I went out there, tried to find a solution, I might be able to make things better. Instead, everything just blew up in my face.”

“Seems like we should be walking in the opposite direction, toward the Garden District.”

I shook my head no. “No, as much as my heart is begging for me to go back to him, my brain is winning out. I need to figure out what I want outside of Jett Colby, what I want to do with my life, because stripping down for men and offering them lap dances is not going to pay the bills forever.”

“I can respect that. So, where to now?”

We stopped in front of our destination and Blane gave me a quizzical look. With two knocks on the door, I waited for it to be opened.

I could hear someone running down the stairs to open the door. Locks clicked open and light spilled through the entrance. Standing in only a pair of sweats, looking fine, as usual, was Diego.

“Goldie, what are you doing here?” he asked, as he rubbed the top of his head and held onto the door frame.

“We need jobs and a place to stay. Can you help us out?”

Diego sized up Blane and smiled.

“I think we can arrange something.”

19

“Say You Love Me”

Jett

“Are you nervous?” Kace asked me.

“No, have I ever been nervous?”

“When you went to ask out Christina in high school you were. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you sweat so much.”

I gave him a pointed look. “I was fifteen and she was a senior with a rack that had every guy in school sweating. Pretty sure I have an excuse for that.”

“Still, you were nervous,” Kace said with a smirk.

I shrugged and looked out the window. For some reason, New Orleans looked less exciting than normal. I used to enjoy the sights and sounds only true natives of the town could appreciate, but right now, everything seemed so bland. I tried to ignore the reason, why I’d been walking around the club for the past week like a ghost, as if my soul was sucked right out of me, but I knew the reason.

I threw away the best thing that ever happened to me.

It wasn’t hard to see. I destroyed the trust we’d built, I let my stubbornness get in the way, and I was blinded by pride. I deserved the loss of Goldie.