Free Jade (Rare Gems Series) by Kathi S. Barton Page B

wasn’t enough room in this hospital room for her to move like she felt she needed to.
    “He’s pissed off.” Sapphire nodded as if she already knew it. “I don’t want him to hit me in front of everyone. It would piss Blair off, and he might hurt him.”
    “Who might hit you? Quentin?” Jade nodded at her sister’s question. “You don’t seriously think he’d hit you, do you? Christ, Jade, the man is nearly rabid for you. You should have seen him at the school. I thought he was going to tear Blair up when he didn’t let him in to see you. And when he found out you’d been hurt again, he nearly tore a cop’s head off.”
    Jade wanted to believe her , but she was too nervous. Men that she dated liked to hit. She wasn’t sure what she’d do if he didn’t. Smiling, she thought of Quentin tearing into the cop. Sapphire was saying something but Jade didn’t pay any attention until she said Debra’s name.
    “What do you mean she said she’s in love with him?” Sapphire took a step back , and Jade realized her wolf was surfacing. “I’m sorry, but do you think he loves her?”
    “No, I do not. The man is your mate. And besides, I think she’s mated to Roger, Quentin’s brother. Did you know that?” Jade nodded but still wasn’t entirely sure. “Jade, what is really the matter? It’s not just Quentin being upset with you.”
    “He has a lot of money.” Sapphire nodded. “And I don’t. Plus, and I know you know about them, there are all those bills that Kent took out for me. He’ll not want to be straddled with all those. I suppose you told him about them, too.”
    “I didn’t have to. He said you mentioned Kent’s name and he took it from there. He told us when we gave him what we had that he was going to take care of it.” Jade wandered around the room again. It was time to go, and she knew it. “Jade?”
    “I don’t want to start this thing out, whatever it might be , on the wrong foot. I have to tell him everything, and I don’t think he’s going to be very happy about it.” Sapphire sat down in the chair but said nothing. “He’s going to think I’m stupid.”
    “Who’s stupid?” Jade turned to the door when Quentin spoke. “Who’s stupid? If you think that guy is, you’re right, but I have a feeling that’s not who you were talking about, is it?”
    Sapphire kissed her on the cheek and left them. Quentin looked like he was upset , but not mad like she’d thought he would be. Instead of demanding she tell him anything, he sat down in the chair and waited. Jade wanted to go with her sister but knew this needed to be said.
    “I’m in debt. A lot of it. This guy I knew before you, before moving here, found my personal information and used it to get sixteen credit cards and—”
    “Nineteen. He got nineteen credit cards with your information. As well as two bank accounts. The second one he applied for was denied. Thankfully you’d contacted a lawyer by then and he was nearly arrested.” Jade sat down on the bed as he continued. “Of the nineteen credit cards, only twelve of them are still active. But I’m having that taken care of right now.”
    “You’ve been looking into this?” He nodded. “I don’t understand, you know about this and you’re still here?”
    “What he did isn’t anything you could have stop ped. He was slick. As a matter of fact, you’re not the first woman he’d done this to, and you weren’t the last. There’s a woman in Jasper, Nevada, that is currently going through the same thing.” Quentin got up and moved toward her slowly. “I’m willing to give you a freebie on the money and cards because I can see how embarrassing it might have been for you. But then there’s today with the teacher. You should have waited until we were able to go in and arrest him. But you didn’t. You could have been killed.”
    “ A freebie? What the hell is that supposed to…? You know, I don’t care. I was worried that he’d hurt one of the other