Page 54 of The Enforcer

My shock wearing off, I hug him back. “Hey. Zeke dragged me here,” I joke, glancing over at Zeke and winking at him.

“Did not,” Zeke shoots back as he gives Rax a hug, slapping him on the back.

Rax walks over, bringing me in for a long hug. “Didn’t think I’d see you again.” He pulls me back at arm’s length. “You look good, Shane.”

“You too.” Over the eight years I spent as Rax’s lawyer, we got closer, becoming friends. I hate that he has to live so far away from his brothers, but he has Finn and they look as if they’re enjoying being in their own bubble.

We climb into the back of a vintage pink Cadillac, settling in for the ride.

“Nice car,” I mention distractedly looking around at the interior. It looks like it has minimal upgrades from this century, everything factory from when it was made probably in the early nineteen fifties.

“I know, right?” Finn gushes. “The car scene here is insane! All these vintage cars here are amazing. You’ll see as we get into town. I get to work on some of them and I’m in fucking heaven.” He’s practically vibrating in his seat as he turns the car out of the airstrip.

It slipped my mind for a moment that Finn is a mechanic. Looking at him—his slim body, short stature, blonde hair that’s pulled back into a low, but stylish ponytail—you’d think he was the boyfriend of a mechanic. If stereotypes are to be followed, Rax more closely resembles what a mechanic would look like. Tall—well over six feet—long brown hair, a beard, tattoos that cover most of his body and his constant don’t fuck with me expression, you’d think he was a mechanic as well as a biker.

Finn drives for about fifteen minutes, pointing things out to me as we drive. It’s fucking gorgeous here. While there seems to be a large population, it doesn’t seem like people live on top of each other. We drive past a beach and I look longingly at the water. Zeke was right—the water is clear and the white sands are calling to me. A fair amount of people are clustered on the beach, but it’s not overrun. I can’t wait to visit.

Zeke and I plan to stay for at least a week, and I’m so ready for this vacation. When I think about it, I haven’t been on vacation in almost six years. I’ve been working myself into the ground, not appreciating life around me. Now, I can do what I want, when I want. Even when I open my own practice, I’ll make time for myself.

We pull into the driveway of a really nice house. I saw pictures of it before they moved down here, as Prez and Zeke picked it out themselves, but the pictures don’t do it justice. The white Mediterranean style house is gorgeous, palm trees dotting the lawn.

Zeke hops out, pulling me with him. He laces our fingers together and we follow Rax and Finn as they step inside their home. It’s gorgeous. There’s a table off the side of the door with flowers in a vase, emitting a pleasant fragrance in the foyer. Stepping into the living room, I take in the sparse but fitting decorations. The couches and coffee table don’t take up much space, but it gives the room a cozy, lived-in feel. The large area rug that’s situated in the middle of the floor is thick, like it would be really comfortable to relax on and watch the television that’s mounted on the wall. A watercolor painting hangs on the opposite wall from the TV, adding a splash of color.

“This place is amazing,” I tell Finn and Rax truthfully.

“Thank you,” Finn says with pride, making me chuckle. “I love it so much. Much better than the bullshit condo I wanted to live in if I moved to St. Louis. This is the dream.”

I grin, because that’s how I feel about Zeke’s house. It’s so homey and comfortable, exactly what a home should feel like.

“Come on,” Finn says, grasping my hand. “I’ll give you the tour, then we can go check out the sights. These two have to work.”

Zeke gives me a quick kiss before I’m swept up by the whirlwind that is Finn. “I’ll be back in a few hours. Then we can hang out the rest of the time we’re here.”

“I’m going to hold you to that,” I manage to say before I’m pulled down the hallway and up some stairs.

After giving me a short tour of their house, including the nice backyard, Finn pulls me outside. “We can walk to my favorite restaurant. It’s only about ten minutes away.” Since Zeke is gone and I have nothing else to do, I agree, following Finn.

He keeps up a running commentary the whole time we’re walking, pointing out landmarks and telling me facts he’s learned about them since moving to Cuba. He talks with so much love in his voice, you can tell he considers Cuba his home now.

We step into a small, dimly lit restaurant with about five tables scattered around. When the elderly woman behind the counter sees Finn, her face lights up. “Ay! Finnegan!” She starts speaking to him in Spanish though not very fast, so Finn can keep up, I presume. Finn nods and answers back in what I think sounds like good Spanish. He says something and points to me, and the woman smiles at me too.

“Shane,” I say when she holds her hand out to me.

“I’m Clara. Please. Sit anywhere.” I follow behind Finn, who sits at a table closer to the kitchen.

“Your Spanish is good,” I say to make conversation.

“Hardly,” he replies with a laugh. “Diego, Prez’s cousin, is teaching me. It is not easy learning a new language as an adult, but I’m trying.” I nod in agreement. “So …” he draws the word out as he leans on his elbows that are planted on the table. “You and Zeke finally got together, huh?”

I look down, sure my face is bright red, but I nod, nonetheless. “Yeah. Finally, right?”

“If you let the guys from the MC tell it, yeah.”

Before I can say anything, Clara comes to take our orders. Finn orders for me and I trust whatever it is will be delicious.

Once she takes her leave, I say, “It’s not all on Zeke. I’ve had feelings for him for years and didn’t say anything. We wasted those years dancing around each other.”

“Well, you two are together now. He looks happy. The past few times he’s come to visit, he looked like he had something heavy on his mind. You know Zeke. He jokes and laughs a lot, but under that, it seemed like he was … lonely. That’s not the case anymore. Just looking at him, you can tell he feels complete.” Finn looks at me intensely, eyes bouncing around my face. He chuckles nervously, rubbing his hands up and down his biceps. “I’m surprised you don’t hate me.”

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