Dice (A Righteous Outlaws Novel #3) (11 page)

“Are you watching me sleep?” She looked up at me with heavy eyes, her lips still swollen from earlier.

“I was just wondering how something as small as you can snore so loud.”

She smacked my chest with a gasp. “I do not snore.”

“Then there must have been someone weed whacking outside.”

Her fingers grabbed my skin and pinched, hard. “You’re a jerk.” She propped herself up on her elbows. “A cute jerk, but nonetheless a jerk.”

I leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her head. “You think I’m cute.” I pulled back and wiggled my eyebrows which she met with a tweak to my nipples. “That’s it.” I grabbed her sides and flipped her beneath me, pinning her arms above her head.

Laughter poured out of her as she squirmed beneath my hold. I stared down at her, in complete awe that someone like her would even give me a chance, and her laughing ceased. Her eyes caught mine. Neither of us spoke, but a million things were said in that silent gaze.

A bomb could have gone off, and I wouldn’t have looked away. All I cared about was her and everything else didn’t matter. I ran my thumb across her cheek and she turned into my touch. The hard exterior I spent years building slowly started to break down, stripping me bare.

A look of contentment settled on her face before she pushed up and captured my lips with hers. Heat radiated off of her, mixing with my own and lighting a fire within me. I sucked her tongue into my mouth, and slipped my hand between her legs.

“Nice and wet. The way I like you,” I said against her mouth and, before she could respond, I pushed my finger inside of her.

Any words got lost to a series of satisfied moans. I kissed across her jaw and down her neck, dipping my head and taking her nipple between my teeth.

Her body arched, offering herself to me. I dragged my tongue to the other side, nipping, biting and sucking her soft skin as I went.

Soaking wet and ready for me, I sunk my cock inside of her and any fear I had of losing her, of shit getting fucked up, disappeared.

M
onday
, after an amazing weekend with Allison, I dragged my ass to work. The shop was full of cars and any hope of an easy day was gone. Cash and Kade stood on the far side of the shop talking, and I gave a nod of my head as I approached.

“Have a good weekend?” Kade asked, with a knowing smirk.

“Fuck you,” I joked. “Any word on Stumpy?”

Cash took a sip of his coffee before answering. “He’s fine. Like we said, just a flesh wound.”

“What about Martha?”

“Sunshine calmed her down with a few drinks.”

“Any clue as to who it was?” There was nothing worse than one of our own being targeted, except for not having a lead. We believed in justice, and whoever did this would have to pay.

“I checked the security tapes,” Kade said. “It was a drive by. No bikes. So, I’m assuming it wasn’t Montamos. And that only leaves…”

“Gordita’s Army,” I finished. I shook my head at the news. “I thought we were done with those fucks.”

“Me too,” Kade admitted.

“I knew it was only a matter of time before they regrouped. They’re out for blood now. I’m assuming this will be the first of many attacks.”

Normally, I’d be thrilled. There was nothing I loved more than a good fight to the death. But, now with Allison in the picture, things were different. “We didn’t even kill the bitch. Though, to be honest, I wish we did. So, why are they coming after us?”

Cash rubbed at his forehead, and I could see the stress weighing on him. I wasn’t the only one who had someone else to worry about. He and Kade were in the same boat as me. “I’m trying to figure that out. We’ll be meeting later to discuss everything. I’m going to take a ride up to Stanson this afternoon. See if he’s heard anything. For now, let’s get to work. There’s a shitload to get done today.”

I looked at the clock above Phil’s desk: 9:15. We were already fifteen minutes behind. I glanced around the shop. “Where the fuck is Miles?”

Cash shrugged. “Haven’t seen him since early Friday.”

“Anyone check his room?” I asked, and both Cash and Kade shook their heads. “I’ll go find him.”

I headed toward the clubhouse, feeling guilty for not at least texting him once this weekend. He was working through some shit, though, and past experiences with this assured me he was better off doing it on his own. Somehow, he always managed to jump back like he never went on a drug-fueled bender. Though, it was always just a matter of time before he slipped up again.

I pushed through the doors, surprised not to find a fucking disaster. I was expecting empty bottles and naked chicks everywhere. Instead, everything was in order, exactly how it should be.

Heavy metal blasted from the back, and I followed it to Miles’ room. I didn’t bother knocking. After fucking a girl at the same time, there wasn’t much of Miles I hadn’t seen. I flung the door open, and the bastard was sitting on his bed, pulling a boot on.

“Morning,” he said, with a big fucking smile, before pulling out his comb and running it through his hair.

My eyebrow arched and I stared at him, waiting to see the signs that he was still using. But his black hair was wet and curly from the shower. His eyes were clear, and even his goatee was cleaned up.

“You straight?” I asked.

He got up from the bed, and gave my shoulder a nudge with his fist. “I’m straight.”

I stared at him for a moment, searching his face for any hint of a lie, but there was nothing there. Still, I didn’t believe him. Something in my gut told me he was full of shit. I’d known him since I was eighteen years old, and he’d always been like an older brother to me. I knew him better than anyone, and I didn’t want to think he was capable of lying to me so easily and so well.

I wanted to believe him. I just didn’t know if I could. He was so far gone that night I picked his crazy ass up… I couldn’t imagine that he just stopped. But maybe he did. Maybe he was telling the truth. Maybe that night things went too far and it was a wake-up call.

The easy thing to do was just believe him. Accept his words at face value and leave the mess behind us. But he was my brother, my best friend, and if he was lying…

He grabbed my shoulders and looked into my eyes. “I’m straight. I swear.”

I waited for a break in his façade, but he didn’t crack. So, I took a deep breath and ignored the feeling gnawing at my gut.

I patted his shoulder. “Good because we have a shit ton of work today.”

We headed out of the clubhouse and to the shop. Miles smacked my chest with the back of his hand. “So, what’s going on with you and the nanny? Fuck her yet?”

“None of your damn business.”

“Oh, fuck. Not you too?”

I glanced over at him with curiosity.

He shook his head and looked at me with pity. “First Cash, then Kade. Now you. You all stopped chasing pussy and turned into them.”

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.”

* * *

“
M
iles
, 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.”