Things with Slade remained steady for a while. Baby had an endless supply of coke and pills. He was all too happy to furnish whatever she needed to make it through the day. Things were a little better at the club. Mickey was too scared of Slade to mistreat her. He wouldn’t dare put the moves on her when she belonged to Slade. He needed the girls, but he needed Slade more. He could never afford to keep Jewella in supply on his own, but dancers were a dime a dozen in this town.

Nonetheless, a sick feeling took root in the pit of Baby’s stomach. When she was alone with nothing but her thoughts, she couldn’t deny the fact that she was whoring herself out. She justified it by telling herself it was worth it to keep her mother from ending up in another shithole. She was at a standstill.

There was no way in hell Baby would be able to pay for her mother’s stay at Pecan Grove on her own and still be able to cover her own bills. Something had to give. She never grew to like the fast lane. Baby quit eating and working out. Her performances became shoddy, and most nights she couldn’t remember how she made it home or who the poor soul was lying beside her when she woke up. Slade was infamous for wanting to share his good fortune with his friends.

The last couple of years had taken a toll. Baby Jade knew if she didn’t put a stop to it, she would end up dead.

Baby Jade resolved to get clean. She quit doing drugs and vowed never to let herself be passed around anymore like a piece of meat. Of course, getting out was easier said than done. When she finally refused to go with Slade when he came to pick her up for date night, he knocked her around pretty bad. He made sure to let her know, if he wanted her, he could have her anytime he damn well pleased. There was no point in arguing. It wouldn’t be the first time he took without asking. It took her a few days to heal.

Mickey was pretty pissed as well, and he quit paying for Rozalie’s room at Pecan Grove. Baby could not stand the thought of her mom anywhere else. She used her savings from the dating game to pay for a full year in advance. It left her back to the old days and living on tips, and worse, at Mickey’s beckon call. After the year was up, they might both end up out on the streets.

She had no choice but to let go of her furnished loft apartment across town. She slept on the couch in the dressing room for a while until Mickey suggested she take over one of the leases in his apartment building. Feeling as if she was out of options, Baby jumped at the chance. For the most part, he left her alone as long as she kept her rent paid up on the bug-infested shithole.

She looked over her shoulder and then grabbed her keys out of her canvas bag. In this neighborhood, you never let your guard down.

A creaking window caught her attention.

“Hey, der suga’! Glad to see you home safe.”

“Hey, Ma’Linn. It was a long day. I think I’m gonna curl up with a good book and a glass of wine.”

“Mmmhmmm, right after you kill yo’self on dat deat’ trap.”

Baby Jade laughed. The old woman knew her well. Ma’Linn was the only person in the world she cared about, aside from her mother. She had been Baby’s babysitter as far back as she could remember, helping take care of her when her own mother couldn’t. Ma’Linn made a home for her when the state tried to put her in foster care after one of Rozalie’s major breakdowns. Baby took off when she was fifteen because Ma’Linn had her own problems to deal with, but it never stopped the old woman from being there for her over the years.

“Yes, ma’am. I’m a creature of habit. I’ll be on the treadmill for at least an hour burning off all that delicious food you leave on my doorstep.”

“Girl, you goin’ to waste way to not’ing. Let me bring you some dis here gumbo I made for Phillipe.” Phillipe was Ma’Linn’s son, a drug addict living on the streets. No matter how painful it was or how much he begged, she could not allow him to live at home. He stole anything of value, but Ma’Linn made sure there was a warm plate always waiting for him, and anyone else who might pass by her window.

“That’s sweet, but I’ll have to pass. Besides, I’ve got my usual.” Baby Jade held up the bag of tomatoes. She was happy that her friend lived next door. Of course that meant she owed Mickey for another favor.

When Ma’Linn’s husband died, she should have been financially set, but not with Phillipe around. He cleaned her out. He emptied the savings account right after the life insurance check hit the bank. The bank foreclosed and kicked her out of her home. She lost everything. Baby Jade had to beg Mickey to rent the apartment next door to Ma’Linn. It took some real coaxing on her part, the kind of coaxing that made her want to slit her wrist.

Baby spent every free dime she had to get the woman’s apartment livable. She painted the walls, cleaned the carpets, and made some minor repairs. Wanting Ma’Linn to feel more at home, she paid to have some other things taken care of. It was devastating to think about her being tossed out onto the street. Her husband was taken from her in a split second, and then her own son wiped out the rest of her life. It broke Baby’s heart. If anyone in the world deserved better, it was Ma’Linn.

“Don’t know how you tiny hips hold up dat lil’ o’ strap you call underwear.” Ma’Linn gave a hearty belly laugh. It was another example of why she loved her. Ma’Linn never judged Baby Jade for her lifestyle, always saying “judgin’ don’t git no one nowhere. Da heart, now dat’s where it be at.” Baby never forgot those words, but she hated that her own heart had become tired and bitter.

“Ma’Linn. You know the secret’s not in the hips. It’s all in the ass. And I’m never gonna be lacking in that department!” Baby Jade smiled, giving her behind a good slap.

“You got dat right, baby girl. Well, if you git hungry, you holler.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Baby Jade said before Ma’Linn closed and locked the window, bolting it in place.

Once inside, Baby Jade locked all three bolts on her own door. She flipped on the lights and got down her favorite purple wine glass from the bar cabinet. She poured herself a generous glass of Moscato and double-checked the windows to make sure they were locked up tight. After all this time, it was a mindless action. Automatic.

Baby pulled back the shades and glanced out the window. Her body stiffened at the sight of the parked car across the street. The tricked-out black Jeep Rubicon stood out like a sore thumb in this area, but she knew it well since she had been inside this particular one. This one belonged to Slade. At first glance, she couldn’t make out if anyone was inside the car, but gave a sigh of relief when a dark shadow moved around in the driver’s seat. At least the son of a bitch wasn’t lurking outside her apartment. It had been weeks since she’d seen Slade’s car parked across the street. It made her stomach churn to think about what he wanted.

She drew the shades and turned out the lights opting to spend the evening hiding out in the bedroom. That meant she would have to use the stationary bike rather than the treadmill, but it was better than thinking about Slade watching her silhouette, keeping up with her every move. The thought made bile bob in her throat.

Safely in the bathroom, Baby Jade stripped away her t-shirt and threw on a sports bra. She loved to work out in her bare feet. It was a nice change from working in five-inch heels all day.

She snapped her iPod into the port and pressed play on her exercise playlist. Baby turned the volume all the way up, letting the music sink in. It shut out the thoughts and allowed her brain some much-needed downtime. Nine Inch Nails blared through the speaker and Baby pounded away at the pedals.

The adrenaline rush from the exercise was what she needed. She closed her eyes, pushing herself to finish the full hour. Being in a smoke filled toxic pit every day was enough to get to anyone. It was important for her to detox, to cleanse the junk. She took pride in her appearance and worked hard at taking care of her skin and her body. It was her mind that received the brunt of the damage.