I laughed. “I will never stop chasing pussy. I’m just content chasing one.”
He let out a loud exaggerated sigh. “And so it begins.”
“So, what begins?” Kade asked as we maneuvered around a Honda he was working on.
“Miles here thinks you and Cash turned into pussies and I’m following.”
“Well, then, welcome to the club,” Kade said with a laugh.
“You’re all hopeless,” Miles said, going over to his toolbox to set up for the day.
The day went by in a blur with car after car rolling in and out. At about two, I finally found a minute to head over to Sienna’s office. She sat behind her desk, her eyes glued on a stack of papers. Her hair was thrown up in a ponytail, which meant only one thing.
“Busy?” I said, coming to a rest on the doorframe. I crossed my arms and waited for her to look up.
“Busy is the understatement of the year,” she mumbled before putting the papers down. “Come in. Shut the door. I want to talk to you about something anyway.”
“Door shut? Must be important.” I moved out of the doorway, and pulled the door closed behind me. The chair I dragged in here years ago after getting sick of standing, still sat in the corner. I plopped into it. “What’s up?”
“I’ve been spending hours and days on end trying to find out where all that money went to.”
She leaned back in her chair, and glanced out the window in a daze. I knew that look. She knew something, but she didn’t know how to tell me. Which only meant that it was far more serious than she had anticipated. “So, what’d you find out?” There was no point in pussy footing around the subject. If she had answers, she needed to tell me so we could put an end to this.
Her eyes met mine, and I didn’t like the seriousness in her gaze, and the way she folded her hands on the desk. “All the transactions that have gone unaccounted for all lead back to Miles.”
“That’s impossible. He wouldn’t steal from the shop, the club, or any of us.”
“I thought the same thing which is why I haven’t said anything. I have gone over the numbers a thousand times with a fine toothed comb, and I keep coming back to the same fucking conclusion. Miles is stealing from us. I don’t know why, and I don’t know how, but every missing link manages to loop back to him. I can show you if you don’t believe me.”
I leaned back in the chair, resting my hands on my knees and rocking slightly back and forth. My soul wanted to jump out of my skin and prove that this was all a misunderstanding, but that same feeling in my gut from earlier told me this was no mistake. “No. I believe you. But, what do we do? Have you told Kade?”
“No!” Sienna exclaimed. “I haven’t told anyone. I don’t want the club to go after him if this is something we can handle ourselves. Like you said, he wouldn’t steal from us, so there must be a reason.”
“He’s using again,” I admitted.
“Fuck,” Sienna said, pushing away from the desk. “Since when?”
“I don’t know. He called me the other night completely fucked. I had to go pick him up in Montamos territory. I’ve seen him fucked up a million times, but this was by far the fucking worst. He was a goddamned paranoid mess who thought he was being tailed. But, today he looks like himself and he told me he was straight. He looks like he is.”
“Even if he is, it’s only a matter of time before he falls back into it. Let’s talk to him after hours. Find out if it’s the drugs that had him doing this. If so, we give him the option: rehab or club decision.”
The club, whether they wanted to or not, would strip him of his cut, and turn him away from the Outlaws. Years ago, he went on a bender and Nick told him he got one free pass. Nick might not be here anymore, but that deal would stick. Cash would have no choice but to honor that oath.
“We’ll talk to him. If I have to tie him up and drag him to rehab myself, I’ll do it.”
“Okay. Kade and Cash will be on a run Thursday after work. Let’s do it then. The less people that are around, the better.”
I nodded. “I hope he has a good explanation.”
“You and me both.”
“Miles, you got a minute?” I asked, as the day wound down and the other guys headed out.
“What’s up?” he asked, placing his tools back in his box. He turned to find Sienna standing beside me. If he was guilty of anything, he didn’t let on. He cracked a smile and gave her a friendly nod. He leaned against the big red tool chest and crossed his arms. “What can I do for you two?”
Sienna wasn’t one to beat around the bush. She was a straight shooter, and said exactly what she was thinking at all times. But, this was different. She was about to accuse someone, who she’d known a great deal of her life, of stealing. Stealing from her, the company that had employed him for years, and from his brothers. The sergeant of arms to the club her father started. Nick gave Miles that position because he trusted him completely. I imagined him rolling over in his grave right now.
Sienna swallowed and set her shoulders in defiance. Even if this was breaking her apart inside, she would never let that show. Emotions were a weakness and one Sienna did not believe in. She held her head high. “I’m just going to give it to you straight. There’s money missing from the company, and all signs lead to you.”
Miles smirked then pushed off of the tool chest. “And, what? You think I fucking took it?”
Sienna kept her head high and looked him square in his eyes.. “It’s the only reasonable explanation.”
“Well, fuck you,” he spat. “I didn’t take the goddamned money. How dare you accuse me of stealing from you, my brothers, my fucking livelihood?!” He stepped toward Sienna, but she stood her ground. “Your father would be so disappointed in you right now.”
Shock and disbelief marked Sienna’s features. There was one thing you didn’t do, and that was throw Nick in her face. He might have died over a year ago, but that wound was still opened and raw. Miles might as well have thrown salt on it.
I told S she could do all the talking, but I couldn’t stand here now that he said that. “Miles,” I said, holding my hand up, but he shoved it away. “And fuck you, too. You’re supposed to be my best friend. Did you even try to defend me? Or was it just, ‘He’s a fuck up I’m sure it was him.’”
I stepped toward him, my chest puffing out in annoyance. “You know damn well that’s not fucking true.”
“And how do we know it wasn’t you?” Miles said, staring down at me with rage in his eyes. “You have access to Sienna’s office. You could go in there and steal shit, fudge numbers, make things look like it was me.”
“Are you really fucking turning the tables on me and trying to accuse me?”
“Why not? You’re accusing me, aren’t you?”
“We’re not trying to accuse you or anyone,” Sienna said. “I’m just trying to figure out what the fuck is going on. Money is missing, and it started out over a year ago, but it was never too much to notice. Now, it’s adding up. If you can stand there, look me in the eye and tell me you have nothing to do with it, then we’ll walk away and pretend this never happened. I’ll believe you.”
Miles sidestepped me and went right up to Sienna. He glared down at her with pure aggravation and anger. Her eyes met his with the same amount of intensity. “I didn’t take the fucking money.”
“That’s all I needed to know,” she said, and then broke their staring contest.
I stood there with my jaw practically hitting the ground. I wasn’t expecting her to give in so easily. To take his word without doing a thorough series of twenty fucking questions. She was so adamant before we came out here that it was him. For her to let this go just like that and walk away without even showing him the proof that she had was beyond me.
“Have a good night, boys.” She started to walk away, but then pivoted on her boot, turning back to Miles. “I’m trusting you because of our history. Because you have always been like an older brother to me. But, I swear to God, if I find out
that you’re lying to me, there will be hell to pay.”
Without another word, she was off.
“Want to get a beer?” I asked Miles because, no matter what happened, we always moved on seconds later. We didn’t hold grudges against each other. We could say the most horrible things to one another, but it always ended with a shared drink.
The muscle in his jaw jumped as his eyes, filled with disgust, landed on me, and this time it felt different. “Go fuck yourself.”
His words were like a swift punch to the gut. “You can’t be serious?”
“Oh, I’m fucking serious alright. Next time you think about accusing me of some bullshit, do me a favor and be man enough to show me the knife before you stab it into my back.”
Maybe I should have spoken to him first before Sienna. We basically tag-teamed him and already marked him as the one to blame. We went in with accusations, instead of just talking.
He stormed past me, and straight to the clubhouse without as much as a glance back. I shouldn’t have felt guilty, but I did. It spread through me like a fucking storm, battering my mind and soul and leaving me full of regret.
14
Allison
After a long day of diaper changes, cleaning up drool, and picking the remains of DC’s lunch out of my hair, I couldn’t wait to get home to my shower and a nice glass of wine. The last thing I expected when I pulled up was to see Eugene smoking a cigarette and leaning against my door. It had started raining as I drove home and wasn’t letting up.
Rain drops rolled down Eugene’s leather vest, despite the small overhang above my door. The slight smile he always seemed to have on his face was nonexistent as he took another drag off of his cigarette.
Mr. Rollins was perched in front of his window, holding back his curtain with an evil glare. I got out of my car and gave him a wave. He yanked the curtain shut with a look of disdain, and I laughed.
“You causing trouble?” I asked Eugene, as I made my way up the sidewalk.
His smile finally appeared, but it didn’t reach its full potential. “Me? Never.”
He put his cigarette out in the makeshift ashtray I made for him and took me into his arms. His grip tightened, as he buried his head into my hair.
“Hey, what’s going on?” I asked, taking his face in my hands. The brightness in his eyes was dull, and he attempted another smile, but this time it barely even appeared.
“I never did fix that sink of yours.”
“True, but that’s not why you’re here.”
“I just wanted to see you.” He dipped his head and captured my lips, thrusting his tongue in my mouth without any hesitation. His hands fisted my dress just above my ass and, if I didn’t pull away Mr. Rollins would have gotten one hell of a show.
Heat radiated between us as I attempted to catch my breath. His forehead rested against mine, and he cupped my cheek with his hand. “I need you.”
It would be so easy to give into temptation and desire, but there was a reason he showed up on my doorstep, and I wasn’t going to let him use me to forget about whatever was bothering him.
“Why?” I asked.
“Do I really need a reason?”
“Yes. Especially when you show up out of the blue looking like someone just kicked your puppy. What’s going on, Eugene? And don’t tell me nothing. I don’t know what this is between us, but what I do know is we have to be open with each other.” As soon as the words poured out of my mouth, I was reminded of the lying coward I was. I was asking him to be honest with me, yet I was hiding the biggest secret of all.
I wasn’t sure why I hadn’t told him. It had nothing to do with fear of him telling Kade or Sienna, because I trusted him completely. Then, suddenly, like clouds parting on a rainy day, it became clear. The reason I hadn’t told him was simple.
I was afraid of losing him.
The fear was stronger every time he walked out of my door, and went off to do so called club business. What if something went wrong, and he didn’t come back? What if I never saw him again?
I hadn’t dealt with much loss in my life, but losing my mother opened my eyes to the pain and heartache that came with it, and I never wanted to experience that again. At least not any time soon.
To think that the secret I harbored could just as easily take him from me froze my insides. The longer I kept it from him, the worst it would be. I had to tell him. Soon. Right now, though, he needed me and that’s all that mattered.
“Come inside, and I’ll make you something to eat.”
“The only thing I want to eat is you.”
I wondered if he’d feel the same once he knew what I was hiding from him. Would he still look at me the same? Or would his entire view change?
I opened the door and turned back to him, wrapping my arms around his neck. For now, I would relish in every second we had together. “How about you can have me for dessert?”
“Mmm.” He grabbed my waist and hoisted me up onto his hips, spinning me around and pinning me to the now closed door. I locked my legs behind his back. “Only if I can skip dinner.”
I reached up, running my fingers through his dark hair. “You know why dessert is the best part of the meal, right? Because you have to wait for it. Earn it.”
He swiped his tongue across my earlobe. His fingers toying with my nipple through the thin fabric of my dress. Desire erupted inside of me, but I held my ground.
“Everyone knows dessert is the best because it’s indulgent and tastes so fucking good.” As the words left his mouth, he nipped at the sensitive skin at the crook of my neck.
If I didn’t put distance between us, then we’d be naked within seconds, and my mind would be mush. There’d be no talking and I didn’t want that. I wanted him to know he could talk to me about anything. So, I unhooked my legs and slid down the front of him until my feet were planted on the ground.
I pressed my hand into his chest and backed him up. “Did you ever hear that it’s worth the wait?”
“Have never really been fond of that saying.”
I touched my lips to his, soft, sweet and seductive. “Trust me. I’ll make it worth it.”
I spun from him, and he smacked my ass, as I took off to the kitchen. Yesterday, I picked up a few things from the grocery store and was planning on cooking a steak for dinner. I rarely ate red meat, but, every now and again, I had a craving. The piece was too big just for me, a reminder that my mother was gone, so I was happy I’d have someone to share it with.
“How about steak and mashed potatoes?”
He eyed me curiously. “No green shit tonight?”
“That green shit is good for you,” I said, placing the steak on the counter, and then grabbing a beer and a bottle of wine.
“That green shit could be used as a form of torture.”
I glared up at him, but, as soon as my eyes locked with his, I laughed. Half the time he didn’t even need to say anything to bring the joy out of me. Just had to look at me with that crooked grin, and I was a giggling school girl.
“I’m making my man steak because he seems lost tonight.”
“Your man, huh?” He snaked his hand around my waist, and brought me close to him. I could feel his erection pressing against his jeans and begging to be released.
“I don’t know why I said that.”
“No, I like being yours.” He tucked my hair behind my ear, eliciting a shiver to trail down my spine. “But what I like more is you being mine.”
“I like that, too.”
He pressed his lips to mine, and I moaned at the tenderness. Heat and moisture pooled between my legs. His tongue swiped at my bottom lip before he took it between his teeth, nipping and sucking before he pulled back, not giving me nearly enough, and leaving me wanting more, so much more.
“A wise person once told me it’s worth the wait.” He winked and I swatted his chest.
“Using my own words against me… that’s cruel.”
“Not so fun when you’re on the other sid
e, now is it?”
I pouted and he laughed. “Come on make me my steak, woman.”
“Talk to me like that again, and you won’t be getting dinner or dessert.”
“You drive a hard bargain.”
“And you love that about me,” I said, and momentarily froze. Love. Why would I say that? Where did that even come from? I imagined guys like Eugene didn’t like to hear that word tossed around so freely.
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, and then spread to its fullest potential. “I do. Now, are you going to tell me why your hair smells like applesauce?”
Thrilled that he didn’t harp on my word vomit, I happily answered him. “That would be your godson. Apparently, he’d rather fling his applesauce at me than eat it.”
Eugene got up with a laugh and grabbed the wine cork. He opened the bottle, pouring me a generous glass.
“He’s a pisser, that kid. He’s going to drive his mother nuts when he’s older and I can’t wait.”
“If he’s anything like his father or godfather, he’ll definitely be a handful.” He handed me the glass and I took a nice big sip. “Your turn. What happened today?”
He took a swig of his beer and stared out to the living room. “Have you ever thought you made the wrong choice, but when you finally realize it, it’s too late and the damage has already been done?”
I stopped peeling potatoes and rested a hand on his, lacing our fingers together. “Of course. It’s a part of being human. It’s okay to make mistakes we all do.”
“Even when you accuse one of your best friends of stealing thousands of dollars.”
I looked into his eyes and could see the distress and regret. Whatever happened weighed on him heavily and I wished I could lift the burden off of him. I couldn’t do that unless I knew the whole truth. The whole story. “Why don’t you start from the beginning?”
“Miles has a good twenty years on me, but he doesn’t act like it. He loves to have fun, and so do I. From the minute I joined the club, we became close. While Nick was the father figure I never had, Miles was the older brother I never had. He took me along on club business, and showed me the ropes. Helped me get patched in. He has his demons like we all do, but his are in the form of drugs. He had a relapse recently. That night I left you was because he needed me. Anyway, money has been missing from work which is why Sienna has been working so hard. She’s been trying to figure shit out.”
Dice (A Righteous Outlaws Novel #3) Page 10