Page 19 of Saving Helena

"I know, prez. I'll dig deeper into it and see if I can track down where the money was going.” He nodded earnestly, his expression grim. “Don’t worry; I’m your man. I’ll get it figured out.”

I leaned back in my chair, frustration coursing through me.Our last treasurer wasn’t a manI trusted, soit had been an easy decision to replace him.Club politics sometimes got a little sticky at the best of times, especially once you got into the ranks. The last thing we needed was any financial trouble, especially with potential agreements coming to fruition with the Cobras. The deal was supposed to bring stability and protection, not more complications, but that was exactly what was on the horizon. Not that Pike would want to go over our books, but if there were some issues with money being “borrowed” or some shit – well, that needed to be solved ASAP. The last thing I needed right now was more complications.

The deal with Pike was going to be clutch, that was for sure, with the trouble withHelena. Iwouldneed him and his MC if the Bratva came knocking at the door.

"Sorry, prez," Rabbit mumbled, scratching his head nervously. He was a wiry guy, always on edge, and dealing with numbers that didn’t make sense seemed to make him even more anxious than usual. It made me doubt again whether I’d made the right choice in picking him to be treasurer. He seemed more than a little on edge, which didn’t inspire confidence.

I heaved a sigh, trying to suppress my frustration. "Just walk me through it. What's going on here?"

Rabbit adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat before pointing at the column. "It's these expenses, see? They're way higher than they should be for this quarter. And I've gone over the receipts, but some haven’t added up. It's like money's disappeared somewhere, and I can't figure out where."

I narrowed my eyes, scanning the numbers on the page. "How much are we talking about here?"

Rabbit hesitated before answering, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's a significant amount, prez. Enough to cause some serious problems if it keeps going unchecked."

I clenched my jaw, my mind racing with possibilities. Could someone within the club be stealing from us? Or was there amore straightforwardexplanation? An accident of inputting costs or income? God knew that I wasn’t great at numbers.Either way, it needed to be dealt with swiftly and discreetly.If someone wasstealing,it was going tobe ugly.A thief wouldn’t be tolerated in the Brotherhood.

"Keep digging, Rabbit. I want a detailed report on every transaction andevery receipt. Bring it to me personally whenyou're done," I ground out.

Rabbit should have been named weasel.Helooked a bit like one withhisgreasy shirt and pale face. I couldn’t say I liked him very much, especially with the subject matter orhowhe conducted himself. Honestly, I wasn’t sure I trusted him either.

He bobbed his head, his expression serious. "Yes, Maddox. I'll get on it right away."

As Rabbit left the room, I leaned back in my chair, my mind swirling with worries. Between Helena's unexpected return, the tension with Dimitri, and now this bullshit, a lot was going on. I rubbed mytemplesand tried to relax a little. I tried to remember that everything was manageable … one bite at a time, Roscoeused to say.

I reached for my pack of cigarettes, lighting one up. The smoke curled around me, the bitter taste filling my lungs as I considered this problem with Makarovich.

A knock sounded on the door. “Come in,” I called out. Helena entered, that ponytail swinging, brushing her shoulders as she bounced in, even though her expression was wary. I wasn’t sure what she needed, but the memory of her against the wall lightened my mood instantly.

“Hey,princess, you’re a sight for sore eyes this morning. Did you bring me that flash drive?” She looked delicious in those tiny shorts and those silly little red earrings. “Come closer to me, baby.”

She held up the drive, her fingernails winking red. God, she was funny. Today, they were red instead of yesterday’s green for ‘go.’She was a riot and a half.

“You need something?” she taunted,puttingone hand on her hip ponytailbouncing.

“Yeah, I needa little taste to get me through the day. Come give me some of your sunshine.” She flounced over, laughing at me, but I darted my hands forward and caught at her hips to pull her forward as soon as she was close enough.

Complying neatly, she straddled me. “Like this Maddox? You wanted me this close? I like this new version of you,” she admitted. Leaningforward,she pressed her lips to mine.

“What version?” I asked, but I knew what she meant.

“The one that touches me,” she murmured.

“Oh, I’m going to touch you alright later,” I promised.

I kissed her hungrily as if I hadn’t just had the opportunity to have her in my arms an hour ago.It still felt as if she’d return to being an imageI saw on my screen at a distance.I wanted to capture her and hold onto her, swallow her whole. She tasted sweet; maplesyrup ghosted her lips from the pancakes she had for breakfast.

"Is everything okay?" she asked, concern lacing her voice.

"Sure, everything is fine.” It was automatic, andshe immediately frowned at me.

Capitulating, Isaid, “Well, we’ve got some issues with the finances, and I’ve got a meeting with the Cobras later today. It’s good timing.” My eyes slid to hers as my fingers massaged the soft and exposed bare skin of her legs. She was silk and satin, whileI was steel and leather. I couldn’t look away from the expanse of exposed peachy skin. “They’ll be decent allies and extra muscle.”

Helena's gaze flickered with concern. "Problems with the finances? Is there anything I can do to help with that?" Her brow furrowed, andthose little stop signs swung. “I could help with that.”

I considered her offer for a moment, weighing the risks. "You helped on the club books before, right?” I remembered her dad boasting about her helping out before.The club had a complicated set of double books,making them difficultto navigate.Butif I were honest, I’d feel way better about having a competent accountant looking for a thief than Rabbit.

“Yeah, I helped with the books for my dad.I’m trainedin that sort ofstuff,you know.” She gave me a saucy wink and leaned down again for another kiss. “I’d like to help.”

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