Dice (A Righteous Outlaws Novel #3)

by Savannah Rylan

“That’s part of it. But, also, you two need to leave before people start showing up for interviews. I had one poor girl here yesterday, and Kade made her cry.”

  I looked over at Kade and he smirked. “If she can’t handle a few questions, then she can’t handle taking care of my son.”

  “Sorry, S, I have to agree with Kade on this one.”

  “Out!”

  “Don’t forget a shirt,” I said to Kade. He disappeared down the hallway, and came back a few seconds later with both a shirt and his cut on.

  I tried to get DC to give me high-five, but it was something we were still working on, so I assisted him with it. “See you later, little man.”

  Kade snaked his arm around Sienna’s waist, pulling his family to him.

  “I’ll wait for you outside.”

  It was nice to see Sienna finally happy. She resisted it for so long and, in the process, made herself miserable. After Nick died, I was scared for her. More scared than I had ever been. Her father was her life. She did everything for him and, then, one day he was just gone. I didn’t think she’d ever be able to move on, but after Gordita, the head of the Gordita army, was murdered, Sienna bounced back.

  The murder was still under investigation. A lot of speculation as to who slit the bitch’s throat, but for me, it didn’t matter. I could care less about who actually killed her. She was dead, and that’s all I fucking cared about.

  I opened the door to head out and stopped at the sight of beautiful red head, hand hovering in a fist like she was just about to knock. She blinked wide cobalt eyes up at me, and her pink lips parted.

  Freckles dusted her nose and, while she looked sweet and innocent, there was a sexiness to her that had my cock twitching. Her patchwork dress dipped low, revealing sun kissed skin and two perfect tits. Just about a handful each. She was a bohemian goddess that I wanted to worship.

  I smiled and held out my hand. “I’m Dice, and I must have just walked into heaven.”

  She laughed, and the gorgeous sound shot right to my dick.

  “Allison,” she said, taking my hand in hers.

  Her skin was so fucking soft, and her hand so small within mine. I took her knuckles to my lips and pressed a kiss.

  “It’s a pleasure.”

  Pain radiated through my head, and I turned to find Sienna smiling in victory. She kept her promise to get me later. “This is not the clubhouse,” she said.

  She didn’t have to tell me. Girls that looked and dressed like Allison didn’t hang around the clubhouse.

  Sienna pushed me out of the way. “You must be here for an interview. I’m Sienna. You’re early, but that’s okay I’m ready for you.”

  “I don’t have an interview.”

  “You must have seen the ad. I like a girl who takes charge and shows up ready to go. Don’t worry about it. I can squeeze you in. I’ll run the background checks after. Come on in.”

  Allison went to talk, and then stopped when Kade came into the doorway.

  “This is Kade, but you don’t need to speak with him yet. I’m in charge of finding the nanny, not him.”

  Sienna kissed Kade on the cheek, and shoved him out the door. “Love you, baby.” She took Allison’s hand in hers, and pulled her inside, shutting the door in Kade’s and my faces.

  “I like her,” I said, nodding toward the door.

  Kade laughed. “Your dick likes her, but that’s not enough to convince me my son is safe with her. Now, let’s go.”

  We headed toward our bikes, but my mind was still on the doorstep.

  3

  Allison

  Sienna pulled me into the house before I could say anything else, and shut the door in the face of one gorgeous man who stared at me with heat in his eyes. And, also, in the face of another man who I’d been searching for high and low since my mother died.

  A man that had no idea he was staring into the eyes of his sister.

  I had gone over the conversation in my head a thousand times. What I would say and how I would say it. How he would react. Sometimes, in my mind, he scooped me up in his arms, so overcome with emotion to know that I existed. Other times he dismissed me and wanted nothing to do with the woman who shared the same father as him. However, I never imagined what just transpired.

  Inside, a woman’s touch was evident by the decorative pillows on the couch and the custom framed family photographs that hung on the walls. Sienna, baby and Kade made a beautiful family.

  My gaze lingered on Kade as I searched for similarities. We only shared a father, a man whom I had never met, but I could see a bit of me in Kade’s smile and in the shape of his eyes.

  Above the couch was a beautiful black and white portrait of an older gentleman with a long beard and a face hardened by age. He wore a leather vest similar to the two men who just left, and, from his place on the wall, it was as if he was watching over the entire room.

  “That’s a gorgeous photo,” I said to Sienna as she placed the baby on the floor and handed him a big red building block. He waved his chubby little arms with excitement.

  “Thank you. It’s my father. He was a good man.” Tears built in her eyes, but she blinked and they were gone.

  “Was it recent?” I asked.

  She let out a rush of air and turned away from the picture. “A little over a year ago. I was four months pregnant.”

  I understood her grief and, even though she seemed to be a pro at keeping the emotions beneath the surface, it was obvious she still hurt. “I’m so sorry. My mother just recently passed, too. Losing a parent is like losing a part of you.”

  “I lost my mother when I was eight. You’d think, going through it a second time, I’d be prepared.”

  I rested my hand on her shoulder and she glanced down at it. “You can never be prepared for something like that.”

  She smiled and stepped out of my touch. “So, the position.”

  I had no idea what she was talking about. Honestly, I was just there to find my brother. But, now that I was in his house, I couldn’t seem to find the words. This was a mistake. I never should’ve come here.

  “What does the position entail exactly?” I asked. I could go through the motions then leave. I got to see Kade. I knew he existed. I could see that he’s happy, and I didn’t want to throw a monkey wrench into that happiness.

  “Please sit,” Sienna said, motioning to the couch. Just as Sienna sat down, the phone rang. “Oh, for Christ sake.” She stood back up. “Excuse me for a minute.”

  She hurried out of the room, blonde hair trailing behind her. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. Maybe it was best if I just took off now. Slip out the door and pretend like I never found that box of my father’s things. Never found the note from my mother, telling me that even though she was gone, I wasn’t alone in the world.

  Tears came to my eyes, as the words popped into my mind. I read that letter a hundred times. At first I cried my eyes out since it was the last words Mom would ever to say to me. Then, I got angry. For twenty-five years, she knew that I had a brother, yet she never cared to tell me. How could she keep something like that to herself? How could she look me in the eyes every day and never once bring it up? She was more than my mom. She was my very best friend, and she lied to me.

  A cry snapped me out of my musings, and I looked down to see a crying baby at my legs. He tugged at my dress, and I reached down to take him into my arms. “Hey there, buddy. What’s the matter?” I stood up, and bounced him in my arms. It seemed to do the trick because the tears stopped flowing.

  I sat on the floor with him on my lap, and held up his blocks. “What should we make?”

  He let out a loud squeal that made me laugh. This adorable little boy was my nephew, and he may never know me. It broke my heart to think that. Moving around a lot, I never really made any friends. When Mom died, I accepted that I’d have nowhere to go on holidays and no one to call in an emergency. Would Kade and Sienna accept me into their family? I had enough disappointment in my life, and I didn�
�t know if I could handle any more.

  “He likes you,” Sienna said, returning to the living room.

  “He’s a pretty cool kid. What’s his name?”

  “Dominic Cash. He was named after my father and Kade’s best friend. We call him DC.”

  “Well, DC, you are the cutest little boy.”

  He let out another adorable squeal.

  “He’s a real ladies man,” Sienna said.

  “I can see that.”

  “So, as I was saying before I was interrupted, the nanny position would be full-time. I prefer you stay at the house with DC unless you are taking him to the park or to run errands. I would need help with laundry and grocery shopping and, on occasion, cooking. I usually do it all myself, but, when my father passed, I inherited his business and it’s taking up a lot of time.”

  “I understand.”

  “I’d prefer if you lived close by, and were available for last minute emergencies. Kade gets called away a lot for business, and he has no real schedule. Do you live close by?”

  I pressed my lips together, trying to figure out how to answer that. “I’m in between homes at the moment. After my mom died, I didn’t want to stay in California, so I hopped in my car and started driving. I have a room at the hotel a few towns over right now. Kind of just playing it as I go.”

  “If I run your record, would it be clean? And don’t lie to me. I’m friends with the local sheriff. I can find out anything I want.” Her tone went serious, almost threatening, but I couldn’t blame her. Looking down at DC, I could see why she was so protective.

  “Other than a few parking tickets, I’m as clean as they come.”

  “Do you have any experience with kids?”

  “I lived in an apartment complex for a couple years and babysat for every family there. The kids ranged from six months old to twelve.”

  “Good.” Her phone rang again and she rolled her eyes. “It’s my bank again. I have to take this. I’ll be right back.”

  She got up and walked into the kitchen. I watched as she balanced the phone with her shoulder, and grabbed a baby bottle from the cabinet. She smacked her hand on the counter, and mumbled something into the phone.

  I stood up with DC on my hip and went to help. I took the bottle from her hand and mouthed, “I got this.”

  She sighed in relief, and mouthed a thank you before disappearing down the hall.

  I finished getting DC’s bottle together. Thankful for all those times I babysat as a teenager when I needed extra cash.

  He took the bottle from my hand, and put it right into his mouth. “Look at you, Mr. Independence.”

  I brought him back to the couch, and held him while he sucked down the bottle. Sienna returned with an annoyed smile on her face.

  “Rough day?”

  “Lately, they all seem to be rough. You’re good with him and I like you. I don’t really like anybody.”

  I laughed. “Thank you?”

  “Trust me, it’s definitely a compliment. If your background check comes back clean, I’d love to hire you. I don’t even care about the other people I have coming today. I wasn’t thrilled with their resumes to begin with.”

  “I would have to find a more permanent place to live,” I said, not believing the words coming out of my mouth. Was I out of my damn mind? How could I possibly take this job, knowing what I do? What if they ever found out? I would look so deceitful. But maybe they would grow to like me and it would be a pleasant surprise. Maybe they never needed to know at all.

  I didn’t need the job. My online store of my crafts was doing well, and, as long as I had a post office, a craft supply store and a place to plug in my laptop, I could make my living.

  “Dice, the man who was rudely flirting with you, is actually in the process of renting out his apartment. I could talk to him for you if you’d like.”

  A million reasons of why I should say no ran through my head, but that’s not what came out of my mouth. “That would be great.”

  I’ve officially lost my mind.

  4

  Dice

  After a long morning of oil changes and replacing brakes, I was ready for a cigarette. Kade’s head was in the hood of an old beat up Dodge Dakota, so I knew I wouldn’t be interrupting anything by going to Sienna’s office.

  Miles pulled into the lot, as I made my way across it. He’d been missing all fucking day. He was supposed to tape up a car today, and get it ready for painting. “Where the fuck have you been?”

  “Something came up,” he said.

  “You better come up with something better than that. Sienna was seething this morning when she had to call the customer and tell them we were behind schedule.” Kade and I had flipped a coin to see who would break the news to her. Luckily for me, I called heads and his sorry ass didn’t. Though when he came back from her office, zipping his pants, it was obvious he made it up to her.

  “Shit,” Miles muttered. “I had the Nissan today, didn’t I?”

  I nodded. “You did. And you know how much of a pain in the ass that kid’s been.”

  “I’ll start on it now.”

  “I think that’s a good idea. You should also stay clear of Sienna for the rest of the day. I’m going to talk to her now. I’ll let her know you’re here and working.”

  He patted my shoulder. “Thanks, brother.”

  It wasn’t uncommon for Miles to disappear for days at a time, but Sienna wasn’t as forgiving as her father. Nick always cut Miles a break, but Sienna refused to give him an inch.

  Unaware of what mood she’d be in, I slowly tapped on her door, before stepping in. “Taking a cigarette break. Want to join me?”

  She looked up from a pile of invoices, her blonde hair a damn mess that looked like she was yanking on it instead of hitting someone.

  “What’s going on, S?”

  “Remember last year when the numbers weren’t matching up?”

  “Yeah you said it wasn’t that big of a deal. You mentioned something again the other day.”

  “They’re not matching up again, but this time it’s a big deal. Here and there, they look like little things, but then you add them up… It’s thousands and thousands of unaccounted money.”

  “What does that even mean? Do you think someone’s stealing from the company?”

  She leaned back in her chair, and her body slumped in defeat. “It’s definitely a possibility.”

  “Fuck. What does Kade say about this?” It wasn’t a question if he knew or not. Ever since Sienna finally opened her heart to Kade, she didn’t keep anything from him. Besides, he would know if something was off with her. Other than me, he knew her better than anybody.

  “He told me to keep it quiet for now. See if I can find any links to anyone. If not, I’m going to have to question each employee one at a time. See if I can sense something off with them. Kade is going to keep an eye and an ear on everyone.”

  I stared at her in disbelief. Almost all the employees were brothers. They wouldn’t steal from family.

  “I don’t want to believe it any more than you do,” she said. “I’d rather believe it’s someone hacking into our system. God knows we have plenty of enemies, but, from what I’ve found already, it seems like an inside job.”

  The information overloaded my mind. “Get away from that desk for a little bit. Let’s go outside.”

  She pushed up from her chair and followed me out. We took our places in our usual spot against the building and I lit up a cigarette. I looked across the lot to the garage. If it was an inside job, that meant one of my brothers betrayed us. But who?

  My first thought was the prospects Stumpy and Byrd. They had only been around for a short time, compared to the rest of the guys. But they were so desperate to get patched in, I couldn’t imagine them doing anything to jeopardize their chances. Then there were the full-patched members: Cash, Phil, Kade, Miles, Hudson, Beast, and Braxton.

  “It has to be an outside job,” I said. I refused to accept any oth
er answer.

  Sienna rested her hand on my arm. “I hope you’re right.”

  I took another drag of my cigarette, letting it do its job of calming me down. A Toyota Prius pulled into the parking lot, and Allison stepped out. Today’s dress was cut off at her knees, revealing shapely legs.

  I hadn’t seen her since I opened the door on her mid-knock. She was just as beautiful as I remembered. Her long hair hung in waves just above her shoulders, and I wondered if those waves were natural compared to the straight smooth hair she wore the other day.

  “I meant to ask you,” Sienna said, smacking me in the chest. “Allison’s background check came back clear, so I offered her the job. She doesn’t have a place to stay. So, I was hoping you could rent her your place since you moved into the house.”

  “A girl who looks like that could move into the house with me for all I cared.”

  Sienna hit me in the head. “She is DC’s nanny. You will not sleep with her.”

  I held my hands up. “Who said anything about sleeping with her?”

  “Oh, please. I wasn’t fucking born yesterday. I’ve known you since you were a horny fifteen-year-old and not much has changed. I can see that look in your eyes. And I’m telling you right now, stay away. Her mom just died. She’s vulnerable, and doesn’t need your shit.”

  “You speak so highly of me, sis.”

  She looked me straight in the eye. All joking brushed aside. “Our lifestyle isn’t for the weak and it definitely isn’t for someone as sweet and innocent as Allison.”

  “Then, how do you explain Aubree?” Cash’s old lady was about as innocent as they came. Born into a life of privilege and never worked a day in her life, yet she became one of us almost overnight.

  “Aubs is different. Her situation was different.” Watching your dad get arrested and hauled off to jail to serve a twenty-five-year sentence could change anybody. “I’m just asking you to keep your dick in your pants.”

  Allison walked toward us, holding DC in her arms. His face lit up as they came closer, and he reached for Sienna.