Page 34 of Owning the Prez’s Ol' Lady

“Some reinforcements,” he said cryptically, just as his phone pinged with a reply.

“Well, while you fuckers figure all this shit out, I’m going for a goddamn ride.”

“Yeah, you need to cool off,” Ranger agreed. “Go take a ride, and clear your head.”

In an angry huff, I stomped from the room, pissed off that my club was so eager to follow a man that was quick to abandon us all. He left us for a girl? Who the fuck does that to their own brothers? He didn’t deserve that patch on his chest, and the way everyone kept backing him was maddening.

For twenty minutes, I found myself lost on the open road, doing my best to keep my head even though I was on the verge of losing it all.

My tank needed a splash, so I pulled into a gas station parking lot to fill up, and maybe grab something to eat.

The man behind the counter greeted me when I entered, but his eyes were trained on the head of a small boy who was awkwardly staring at the candy bars in the candy section.

I grabbed a drink and a bag of chips, then rounded the corner to get aSnickersbar when I saw the kid grab a bag ofSkittlesand shove it into his pants. He then grabbed a granola bar and did the same, stuffing at least seven things of food in his shirt and pants before eyeing the door.

The guy behind the counter and I shared a look, both of us knowing he was about to run.

He couldn’t have been more than five or six, and was seriously about to rob the store of all its sweets. Where were his parents? Why was he alone?

“Hey, kid, you gonna pay for all that?” I asked.

He jumped at the sound of my voice, cowering just a tad when his small eyes rounded and his gaze traveled my long legs up to my face.

A bag of chips plopped out of his shirt, and tears instantly formed in his eyes. You could tell that this was probably the first and only time he’d ever tried to steal something.

“Hey, don’t cry. Where’s your mom?”

The kid sniffed. “Around the corner behind the big dumpster.”

I fell to a knee, meeting the kid at eye level. “Does she know you’re here?”

He shook his head. “My mommy doesn’t sleep much anymore, so I didn’t want to wake her up because I was hungry.” He frowned. “I’m sorry, Mister. I wanted to pay, but I’m so hungry and have no money.”

“I’ll tell you what, Kid. How about I pay for all this food, and maybe even something for your mom? That way, the man behind the counter stays happy, and you don’t get into trouble,does that sound okay?”

“Okay.” He rubbed at his nose. It was red and dripping snot. He looked malnourished and a bit sickly, like he hadn't eaten in weeks.

After paying for the kid’s pocketed food, I followed him out of the store, holding a cup of coffee for his mom and a banana muffin, which he said was her favorite.

We came to a stop by a big dumpster that was propped up behind an old building. There was a large cardboard box back there and a set of feet hanging out of it, covered by a tattered and ripped blanket.

“Mommy, I got us food!” the little boy shouted.

The feet began to stir, then the box started to move as a woman backed out, her mouth dropping when she saw me standing there with her son.

“Alex, what did you do?”

“Nothing, Mommy. I was hungry and this nice man bought us food. He got you coffee and your favorite muffin, and I got some Skittles!”

The woman stared up at me with curious eyes, but it was hard to see her underneath all the dirt and grime all over her face. Her hair was matted and dirty, and she seemed frightened, cold, and standoffish.

“Hi,” I said, handing her the coffee.

She eyed my cut, then grimaced, but she took the coffee from me without hesitation.

“Thank you, but you really didn’t have to do that.”

“Actually, I did. Your son was about to shoplift if I didn’t step in.”

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