She pulls a barstool up across from me and sits down. “Look, Titan can help you.”
I shake my head. “No, he won’t.”
“He can. Ever heard of Glass?”
“No.” I’ve been gone for a little over two years. Things come and go a lot in this town.
She picks up her phone. “I have a friend who can help you.”
I reach out, slapping her hand and phone to the bar top. “I don’t want a lot of people knowing my situation. And I’m sure the Kings don’t want anyone knowing theirs.”
Her green eyes soften, and she places her free hand on top of ours. “Trust me, E. I’m going to help you. And no one will know.”
_______________
Twenty minutes later, she’s driving me down the Strip. “Please tell me we’re not going to Kingdom.” I can’t deal with any more Kings today.
“Nope.”
She turns on her blinker and pulls into a parking lot. I lean my head back to look out the window to see the sign that sits above a two-story brick building. Glass written in white letters.
The front and side parking areas are full, so she pulls around the back. Finding a spot, she backs into it, facing the building.
“What are we doing here?” I ask. “And what is this place?”
“A strip club.”
“What?” I shriek. “I can’t strip …”
“We’re not here for work. We’re here to get help.”
Her phone dings in the cupholder, and she picks it up. “She has ten minutes to spare for us.”
“Who?” I ask.
“A friend.” She continues to stay vague.
She goes to open her door but throws an arm out and slams her hand into my chest. “Get down.” she whispers harshly, yanking on my shirt.
“Jasmine, what the—?”
“It’s Bones,” she interrupts me.
I look over at where she’s gawking and see Bones step out of a black door on the second floor. He makes his way down the metal stairs and to a blacked-out Lamborghini Reventon that’s hidden back here with hers. I hadn’t seen it before. He didn’t have that car back when we … fucked.
“What’s he doing here?” she wonders.
I snort. “Really? You have to ask that question?” His headlights come on, and the car’s engine roars to life. He drives out of his spot before pulling out onto the Strip.
I look at the dash. “He wasn’t here very long. I was just at Kingdom an hour ago in his office.”
“Come on.” She gets out, and we walk inside. There’s a hallway that curves to the left and the right. Both end up at a desk where a guy sits on a barstool. “ID’s?” he asks, and we both pull ours out. He looks them over. “Work or play?”
“Play.” Jasmine bats her eyelashes at him.
I roll mine. How can this help me? I’m not going to crawl onto this stage. No matter how many drinks I buy.
“Enjoy, ladies.”
She grabs my hand and pulls me through another set of double doors. The blinding lights and pounding music instantly give me a headache.
Jasmine seems to know what we’re doing because she walks us up three stairs and past the bar toward the back of the room.
There’s a round black leather booth that’s empty. She falls into it and scoots over to allow me to sit beside her. I’m about to ask her what in the hell this is when a girl climbs off the stage next to us and slides into our booth. She has bleach-blond hair that cascades down her back. Her plump lips are painted blood red, and she has purple contacts in. She also wears nothing but a G-string. I can’t help but look at her perfect tits. Honestly, I can’t tell if they’re real or fake.
“Jasmine.” She smiles and pulls her in for a hug.
“Shana.” Jasmine kisses her cheek before pulling away. “Thank you for meeting with us.”
“Anything for you. What do you need?”
“I’m in a bind. And I need cash. Fast.” Jasmine makes it sound like we’re here for her. And I’m thankful for that.
The woman’s eyes slide to mine, then back to Jasmine. “You know I can’t …”
“Please?” Jasmine begs. “I know you can help me. I swear I won’t tell anyone. Totally confidential.”
I want to ask so many questions but keep my mouth shut for the moment.
Shana looks from her to me a couple of times. “I’m guessing this is for the both of you?”
Jasmine looks at me too, and I swallow nervously. I have to make a decision here. Jasmine can’t speak for me. But I do trust her. So far, she’s the only one willing to help me. “Yes, please.”
She nods and slides out of the booth and walks toward the other side of the club. She disappears into a door by the main stage.
I look at Jasmine. “What did I just sign up for?”
“I’ll explain it the moment we leave. We’ll go back to my house and fill it out.”