Blane looked up at me and gave me a wicked grin, as if I was fresh meat. Instantly, I put up my guard. I didn't trust this guy one bit. He reeked of trouble.

With a swagger that was unfortunately sexy, he walked over to us, while eyeing me up and down, sizing me up. Once in front of me, he stuck his hand out and offered his name.

"Blane, nice to meet you, Goldie."

I gripped his hand in mine and was frightened to feel such a tight grasp when he shook.

"Nice to meet you," I lied, as I pulled my hand away. "How do you know Rex?"

"Rex and I go way back, isn't that right, buddy?" Blane said, while clapping Rex on the back.

"It is."

The way Rex smiled had me wondering what the hell their history was. Whatever it was, it wasn't good. Right about now, I wanted to run back to Jett and bury my head in his shoulder. Things were getting a little too intense for me, and I was for sure in over my head.

"Why don't we let Blane show us what he does up on stage?"

Rex led me off the stage and back into my chair. He kept his hand on my thigh while we watched Blane prepare for his "show." I wanted to flick Rex's hand off of me, but reminded myself to keep the illusion, to make it look like I was here for Rex, not for Jett.

The way Blane spoke softly into the girl's ear reassured me that what I had seen Rex do wasn't close to what Blane was going to do, and I was right. Instead of pain, I saw pleasure cross the girl's features. Blane wasn't cruel or hard on her. No, he was gentle, yet commanding, he sort of reminded me of Jett.

Lord help me...

5.

"Unfaithful"

Jett "I didn't expect to find you in here, boss man," Babs said, as she walked into the gym wearing her Jett Girl gym attire. "Working off some pent up frustration?"

I huffed at her, wiped my face with my towel, and turned up the speed on the treadmill I was working on. I usually worked out with Kace, but he was out recruiting this morning, so I was on my own, which I was enjoying until Babs walked in, breaking my concentration.

"Not talking today? Alright, then I'll talk," Babs continued. "She loves you, you know that? Maybe if you showed one ounce of love for her, she would have stayed."

"It's not like that," I gruffed out, as I continued to run on the treadmill, increasing my speed to a sprinting pace.

"But, isn't it? You've always been a prideful man, an emotionless man, and then Goldie comes along and turns your world upside down, shows you what it's like to have someone truly care for you, truly want you not for your body or your money, but for your mind and your kind heart. But what do you do? You go and fuck it up."

"Enough," I said, while slamming my hand on the treadmill and stopping the conveyor belt. "I suggest before you start slamming your boss, you get the facts right first, Barbara," I seethed, using Babs' God-given name.

Flustered from my tone of voice, Babs started backtracking. "What do you mean? Is there something I don't know?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, you don't know everything that is going on in this club like you think you do."

I walked over to the little fridge in the gym and pulled out a water for myself. Without chancing Babs a glance, I opened the cap and started draining the liquid. The workout that I was hoping would give me a little escape from the torment running through my head did nothing but irritate me more.

"What's going on?" Babs asked, with her hands on her hips, gaining confidence in her defiance once again.

Babs was my first ever Jett Girl. I found her one day, offering up her services, saying she could blow me for only ten dollars, and it would be the best blow job I ever received. At that moment, I knew she needed help; she needed someone to take care of her, so I took her in. It took me a while to tame her, to dominate her, since she was dead set on pleasing me constantly for the "fancy digs" I was putting her up in, but I told her she didn't have to pay me back, but just to work hard on her Jett Girl skills and education.

Now that she was months away from graduating and launching her makeup line, she had gone back to her old self, not throwing herself at me, but defying me every chance she got. She was just as mouthy as Goldie, but where Goldie spoke randomly about things that popped up in her head, Babs was more forthcoming with putting me in place. Ever since Goldie arrived at the Lafayette Club, Babs had made it her mission to butt into my business and make sure I wasn't screwing up my chance with Goldie.

"This doesn't concern you, Babs. So drop it."

I tried to walk past her, but she placed her hand on my chest and said, "Oh, no you don't. Everything about this club concerns me, Jett. I helped make this club the way it is today. You, Kace, and I built this club together, so when one of my girls goes missing, I get to know why."

The unsaid mother hen of the group spoke; she was right. Without her and Kace, I would never have been able to start the Lafayette Club and make it the success it was today, a success for the women involved.

Running my hands over my face, I said, "Goldie left me. She returned her collar. There, you happy?"

"No," she answered honestly. "Why did she do it?"

This was the part I didn't like talking about. What did I say? She left me for another man? Once again, I'd failed? I would rather just tell people she left me because I was a bastard, because the thought of telling people she was out doing who knew what, trying to protect me, drove me insane, it made me feel inferior.

She was trying to protect me, me! Fuck, I did the protecting; I was the one who took care of the ones in my life. I wasn't the one who had to be protected. It gutted me knowing I wasn't able to do my job, and my Little One was forced to go out into the world on her own to take matters into her own hands.

It gutted me that her "protecting" led her to Rex.

Fury started to run through my veins once again, as I thought about Rex's text. Last night I had tried to figure out why Goldie would run to Rex, what could she possibly do with him? Yes, she knew about Lot 17 and my dad, but how the hell could she make things better by being with him? All she was doing was ripping us apart.

"Well..." Babs encouraged me to continue.

"Jesus, you're frustrating."

"I'm persistent, so don't test me," she replied.

Rolling my eyes, I grabbed one of the workout balls and sat on it as Babs did the same.

"To make a long story short. My dad is after Lot 17 and found out I was putting in for the same property. He knew I had something over him, so he took it upon himself to break up me and Goldie by threatening her life. Goldie got sick of the distance between us, and not being able to live our lives together, so she gave me back my collar and said she was going to protect me. She said to have faith, but honestly, Babs, I have absolutely zero faith in the matter." I took a deep breath and said, "She went back to Rex Titan."

"What? Are you sure?" Babs asked, growing concerned.

"I have no clue. What I do know is Rex sent me a text last night saying she was with him. I tried contacting her friend Lyla, her old roommate, to see if Goldie possibly asked for her room back, but Lyla hadn't heard from Goldie in a while. No one has, which leads me to believe that she truly is with Rex."

"She hasn't contacted you?"

"No, and her phone is turned off. I couldn't even track it if I wanted to."

"Ah, yes, stalker Jett wouldn't let me down by missing out on that key factor."

"I'm not a stalker," I defended. "Just efficient in my tracking capabilities."

"Clearly, not efficient enough. Do you want me and the girls to get involved?"

"No," I said rather harshly. "I don't want any of you involved. I want you to stay out of this. Kace is out recruiting a new girl as we speak. I will need you and the other three to welcome her with open arms."

"Where are you going to put her?" Babs asked, slightly confused. "The only room that's open is Goldie's."

"Yes, and it's currently being cleaned out."

"Jett, you can't be serious."

"I am," I said, while getting up and heading toward the door. "She returned her collar, Babs. It's over."

"It is not," Babs said, while pushing my shoulder, throwing me off a bit. "She's trying to make it better. She's not leaving you, Jett."

"With Rex? How is that better? How is her running off with another man making it better? No, we're done," I answered, while I headed for my office.

My phone rang, and without checking the caller ID, I answered.

"Jett Colby."

"I found your new girl," Kace spoke into the phone.

"Perfect, bring her in. Her room is being set up right now."

"Jett, do you really want to do this?"

"Yes, now don't question me," I said, right before hanging up the phone.

Truthfully, the last thing I wanted to do was bring in a new Jett Girl. I was happy with the group we had. I was pleased with the dynamic of the girls, and bringing in someone new was always a risk, because most of the time, personalities clashed. Given the fact that I was bringing in a new girl because one of their own left, it wouldn't be easy on the new girl. I actually felt bad for her, because she had huge shoes to fill.

The house was much quieter, much more subdued, like all the girls were in mourning. Kace was always a moody bastard, but now that Goldie was gone, he almost seemed like a piece of him had left. I could tell he was mad at me...mad at me for inviting a new Jett Girl to come on board, but what choice did I really have?

In the off-chance that maybe, just maybe, Goldie actually didn't leave me to be with Rex, then I needed to carry on, show my dad that, in fact, I didn't mind that Goldie was gone, even though my heart was ripping out of my chest with each passing moment she wasn't in my arms.

The third floor didn't have its appeal anymore and, if anything, I wanted to change out my room for Goldie's. I wanted to stay in her room, where it was bright and cheery. I wanted to sift through her closest, smell her, feel her...

"Jett," a male voice rang from my office.

Quickly looking up, I saw George, my lawyer, standing in the doorway of my office. Who the hell let him in?

"George, how did you get up here?"

Clearing his throat, he looked at the ground and said, "One of the girls let me in and led me upstairs."

"Was she wearing a mask?" I asked, starting to grow angry once again.

"Yes," George said quickly. "I have no clue who it was."

Patting my face with my towel, I nodded, and led us both into my office. Since it was still morning and I just got done working out, I left my bourbon alone and offered George a water bottle instead, which he declined.

It was very rare that I allowed anyone to see me in anything but a suit and tie, especially when it came to my business, but George was an exception; I've known him my whole life.

Sitting down in my chair, I looked over my desk and asked, "To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you today?"

"Lot 17," George said, while pulling out a folder from his briefcase.

"Did we get it?" I asked, leaning forward to look at the file.

"No." My eyes shot up to his, while devastation enveloped me. "No one got it just yet," George finished. "Since there has been great interest in the lot, they are going to interview some of the candidates. Luckily, we are one of them."

"What do you mean, luckily?" I fumed. "We should have been granted the property in the first place. What more do they want?"

"They want to know your plans for the property; they want a presentation with visuals. They want you to show them that your plans will benefit the city."

"Who else is in the running?" I asked, as I sat back in my chair, trying not to take my anger out on George. He was just the messenger.

"There are only three interviews being conducted. You, of course, Zane Black, a real estate developer in New York City, and Rex Titan and your dad."

My teeth ground together as I puffed out a frustrated breath. Of course my dad and Rex were in the running. Why wouldn't they be? They'd bribed practically everyone in the city.

"Do you know who has the upper hand? Who the city is looking more strongly at?"

"Not at this time, but I can do some digging for you."

"Yes, I need to know what my chances are, what kind of ideas I need to throw together."

"Stick with your original proposal, Jett. Don't change it now; it would look like you're nervous, that you're original proposal wasn't good enough. If it wasn't good enough, it never would have been considered."

Even though I didn't want to admit it, because I was a stubborn man, George was right.

If I changed things now, it would look bad for my character. If I changed my plans, it would be showing weakness, and that was one thing I never did; I never showed my weakness.

Besides Goldie, but that was an emotion I couldn't control. Goldie swept me up with her sassy mouth and crippled me, she was the one and only thing that could bring me to my knees, that could tear me open for the world to see.

"You're right," I concurred with George. "When are the interviews?"

"Two weeks. You have some time to pull together some graphics and put together a presentation, which needs to be short and concise, because you only have twenty minutes altogether for your presentation and questions at the end."

"Not a problem," I said with confidence. This wouldn't be my first interview for a property. I wasn't nervous about the presentation; I was worried about what my dad had up his sleeve. The man would do anything to win Lot 17, even sinking to the level of locking me in my own damn house so I didn't make it to my interview. The man would stop at nothing.

"I will draw up the official plans once again for you to hand out at the interview. Do you want me to get in touch with Jeremy, your assistant, so he can start on the graphics?"

"No, I can handle that," I answered. "I will be in touch with Jeremy. Thank you for coming over here to tell me, George. I appreciate it."

"Anytime," George said, as he handed me the folder he'd pulled out of his briefcase earlier. "Please call if you need anything; if not, I will be in touch if I hear anything else, and when I hear about the time of your interview."

"Thank you."

I dismissed George and opened up my computer to look through my emails, hoping maybe there would be some kind of contact from Goldie. I would take just about anything from her right now, for her to confirm that, in fact, she still thought about me...that she wasn't with Rex.

When I searched through my emails, scanning for one email address only, I didn't find anything from her. So, I sat back in my chair and ran my hand through my hair, trying to tamp down my frustration. There was business I needed to tend to, plans for different properties around the city that needed to be discussed, but all I could think about was the little honey-haired girl who took over my heart.