Page 28 of The Prez

Shane catches the blush on my face. “Did something … happen?”

I rub my hands over my curls, trying to figure out just what I should tell him. Shane and I aren’t friends. He’s with Zeke, who’s in the motorcycle club. He has more loyalty to Big Raf than he does to me. But fuck, I just need to talk to someone. My heart clenches because the first person I wanted to call to sort things out was Kit.

Deciding to go for it, I say, “I think so.” I run through exactly what happened that night, from Big Raf coming into the kitchen and scaring the shit out of me, to how his large, hard dick poked me in the belly when he told me he thought I looked good.

Shane smiles. “He’s not wrong, you know?” I raise an eyebrow. “You’re hot, Omari.” I scoff but feel my face heat at the compliment. “Prez isn’t a liar. If he said it, he meant it.I’ve known him for almost ten years and this is the first time I’ve heard him do anything like this.”

“Like what?”

“Have interest in a man. Or anyone for that matter. Prez is a really private person. He lets people in, but not easily. I didn’t think he would drop his guard enough to be with someone in such a personal way.”

“Is that bad?” I ask, unsure of what I’m getting into here. Nothing really happened between the two of us, but I’d like it to. I need to know what to expect.

Shane shrugs. “I’m not sure. I hope not. I like you and so does Little Raf,” he says, indicating the baby that’s dozing off on my shoulder.

I look down at him and kiss his forehead. I like Little Raf a lot. And Big Raf. I like them both. I don’t know what’s going on with me and Big Raf, but I’d like to find out. He said he isn’t a liar and Shane agrees. He proved it today when he said he’d try and actually held Little Raf. Maybe I should believe it.

“Is he a good guy?” I chance asking. I’m not sure what Shane can tell me, but I want to know more about Big Raf. Maybe I can get some insight from someone that’s known him for almost a decade.

“He’s loyal to his club and his brothers,” Shane says carefully. “He’s not a bad guy. But he’s not innocent. That’s all I can say.”

A grin crosses my face. “Aren’t you a lawyer?”

He barks a laugh. “I am, but I’m not innocent either.” He winks at me.

At that moment, the door opens and Zeke walks in, smiling when his eyes land on Shane. He walks over and kisses him soundly. Almost too soundly, his tongue gliding into Shane’s mouth and they both moan.

Smiling, I clear my throat obnoxiously. Zeke pulls awayfrom Shane, chuckling against his lips. “Omari. Great to see you again.”

“You too, Zeke.”

“You really call Prez Big Raf? To his face?” Zeke asks, his perfect teeth flashing as he smiles down at me. “And you’re still alive?” I give him a dry look, but nod. “Holy fuck, Prez likes you.”

“Likes me?” I squeak.

Zeke smirks, sitting on the arm of the couch beside Shane. Zeus trots over and rests his head on Zeke’s leg. Zeke pets him absentmindedly. “Yeah. I mean, we call him Prez because we respect him and it’s his position. But if someone doesn’t know him in that capacity, he makes them call him Rafael.”

My heart leaps. Does he like me? Maybe not how I’m thinking, but I’ll take it any way I can get it. “It’s because of the baby,” I say lamely. “Because he’s Little Raf.”

“Nah, it’s not that. He still would have told you to call him Rafael.” Zeke chuckles and stands, stretching his hand over his head. Zeus gives one of his hands a lick, then comes back over to me and Little Raf, sitting by my feet and leaning heavily against my leg. “Let me find out Prez likes dick now.”

Shane slaps Zeke against his leg. “Don’t go teasing Prez or he’ll put you on your ass.”

I’m not quite sure. Prez is in great shape, but Zeke is massive. I’m not sure who would win in a fight between the two.

I stay for a little while longer, talking and getting to know Zeke and Shane. I nearly swooned when they told me they were best friends for eight years before they confessed their feelings. I’m not sure what they were like before, but their feelings for each other are palpable. If they felt like this before they started dating, there’s no way no one else suspected they were head over heels in love.

Before we leave—Raf having taken a nap, woken up and had dinner during our visit—I ask Shane about Kit’s situation. I don’t know the full extent of it, but I know it’s nothing good. “I think my best friend’s partner may be abusing him. Well, he’s not my best friend anymore, I don’t think.” I have to clear my throat so I don’t break down. It still hurts that Kit took Brock’s word over mine, but there’s nothing I can do about it now. “What are his options?”

Shane blows out a long breath. “He can report his attacker and get a restraining order. Or he could leave and enter a domestic violence shelter. Or?—”

“Or the brothers can go kick his door in and find the piece of shit that’s hurting him,” Zeke says on a rumble, his face set in a hard mask. “Any of those options work.”

I sigh. I thought about asking someone like Zeke to do just that, but I’m afraid Kit will go back to Brock and Brock will take that out on him. “Legal options only,” I say, though I wish I could do something more … immediate and maybe permanent to Brock.

“That’s about it,” Shane answers sadly. “Domestic violence situations are the worst. Leaving is the hardest part and some don’t make it far before they’re attacked again, even killed.”

“If your friend wants out,” Zeke says, rubbing under Zeus’s neck as the dog’s tail beats frantically against the floor, “let me know. I’ll talk to Prez and we’ll make sure he’s safe. No one fucks with Devil’s Mayhem.”

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