Page 67 of Explosive Prejudice

Blowing some air out, I rubbed my nape. “I’m sorry, okay? If it helps, I truly am sorry for everything I did to you and your friends.”

Diesel said nothing as he walked around the room, his arms crossed over his chest until he stopped. “So Kai caught you there? Why didn’t he say anything?”

“I just told him some lie about me and Andrei being fuck buddies, and he bought it.” I shrugged, giving Diesel a slight smile. It wasn’t my fault I was a great liar.

Diesel’s eyes widened as his jaw twitched. “And did you? Fuck Andrei?”

“Hell no,” I snapped back, shaking my head. “Eww. Just the thought of it makes me sick. Bet he has some funky-looking dick.” And despite trying to lighten up the mood with a joke, Diesel wasn’t amused. If anything, he looked jealous.

I knew the look of a jealous man. It often held rage and danger, but mostly, it held vulnerability, one that caused you to doubt. And once there was doubt, it pushed you into action. I knew Nero was jealous for Llorón, but finding out Diesel was jealous for me, too, was hot.

“Are you jealous?”

“Shut up.”

“You are.” I smirked.

“Why couldn’t you come up with a better lie?” Ignoring me, he continued to push on the subject.

“Well.” I scratched my chin. “I didn’t want Kai to find Jordan, so I just came up with the first lie I could think of.”

“Jordan?”

Ah, shit. I forgot I hadn’t mentioned Jordan thus far.

“Yeah, just some guy from the football team who followed my lead.” Even though Jordan was the furthest thing from some nobody, I tried to shrug it off like he was. “Anyway, I smell like vomit and booze, so I’ll go and take a shower.” As I walked by, Diesel grabbed my arm.

“He’s the guy you’re talking about in the recording, the one who got beat up by those twins.”

The mention of those horrid twins and what they did to Jordan was like digging into open wounds. Mixed with my guilt, I felt sick to my stomach and wanted to go, to run away, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t because Diesel was still holding me close.

Swallowing hard, I turned my head to look at him, our faces inches apart. “Yes, it’s the same guy.”

“What is he to you?” he asked, his eyes searching mine for the truth.

“It doesn’t matter.”

He pulled me a little bit closer. “Don’t lie to me.”

“I’m not lying.” I freed myself from his hold. “It really doesn’t matter anymore. He’s not here.”

A moment of silence, which felt like an eternity, lingered between us until Diesel looked away. “Take a shower. I’ll get you some clothes to sleep in.”

“Where am I going to sleep?” I asked, looking around the apartment.

“You’ll take the guest room.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll sleep on the couch.”

Diesel

What the hell was wrong with me? Instead of getting angry with Shay-Lee for breaking into our house, I got jealous. Why? Because even though he was a piece of shit, the idea of him being with another man drove me nuts. Mierda. Just the thought of Kai believing Shay-Lee and Andrei had fucked boiled my blood. I knew it was a lie, but Kai didn’t, meaning he walked around the world thinking my Shay-Lee was screwing Andrei.

My Shay-Lee?

What in God’s name was wrong with me?

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