Page 31 of Tuck & Roll

Jackson and Dagger switched places, allowing their treasurer and money man to take a look.

“Does any of this look familiar?” Race asked.

Jackson leaned closer, studying the two different records. “BOOKS are the records I’ve been seeing. BIKES says we’re making a lot more money than we thought. That motherfucker is skimming.”

“Forget about the fact that this guy is with the Phantom Furies. How did we not know this guy was a lowlife creeper and that he was stealing our money?” Dagger asked. “Did any of the girls at Bottoms Up get the same vibe and if so, why didn’t they bring it to our attention?”

“He was hired before Kylie was and our background check would have been minimal at best,” Tuck frowned and shook his head at what he was seeing on the computer screen. “As for why the girls didn’t say anything? Maybe he threatened them, saying they’d lose their jobs or something?”

“He also puts on a good front when any of the brothers are around. If Kylie hadn’t stumbled onto his scheme or gotten a bad vibe from him, how much longer would his thieving have continued?” Trick asked.

“Where’s the money going?” Jed asked. “Is it going into a personal account?”

“I was able to trace the money to a bank in Boulder. I printed off some records that were lost in the fire, so I’m going to have to retrace my steps.” Her shoulders drooped and her head tipped back like she was looking to heaven. “Damn it. I’ve got to buy a new computer and find somewhere I can work. After finding out someone was or is still trying to kill me, I don’t want to bring this around my sister and her family. That’s where I was going to stay for now.”

“We’ll get you an office set up here and you can go pick out whatever computer you want. Anything you need, we’ll take care of it,” Race told her.

“What?” She craned her neck to look at Race standing behind her. “I can’t have you pay for my computer.”

“Yes, you can. The fire at your house more than likely leads back to us. Like it or not, you’re a part of the Sons family and we take care of our own.” She opened her mouth to argue and Race held up a hand to shut her down. “Don’t argue, sweetness. That’s just the way it is.”

“Fine.” She rubbed her forehead and leaned back in the chair.

“You have a headache, Kylie Jo?” Tuck’s use of her first and middle name usually set her teeth on edge. He knew it made her mad and only did it to get a rise out of her. Right now, it didn’t feel like teasing as much as it seemed more like concern.

“Yes.”

Race reached into one of his side drawers and pulled out a bottle of acetaminophen. She accepted the bottle and shook out two. A bottle of water materialized before her eyes and she gladly accepted it.

“Thank you.” She popped the pills and washed them down. She didn’t get much sleep between the time she woke up to the fire and this morning when Tuck showed up on her sister’s doorstep to see how she was doing.

“Did Chet see what you were looking into on the computer? Would he have any way to know you’d found out about the two different sets of books?” Jackson asked.

“I don’t think he knows what I was looking at, but he did see me stuffing the bank information into my backpack when he came back to his office. I told him they were reports I was giving to you stating the computer was all clear.” She bit into her bottom lip, then lifted her eyes to Race. “I got nervous after I found the two sets of books and knowing he was still somewhere in the building, I forgot to install the new software. Can one of you go with me the next time? Chet really creeps me out.”

“Sure, Kylie. Not a problem,” Race assured her, squeezing her shoulder.

“What the fuck is Chet up to?” Dagger wondered out loud. “Never did like that bastard.”

“Anything else about your time at Bottoms Up that you can remember? Anything at all?” Race asked.

Thinking back to when she’d first entered, she played through her time there like she was fast forwarding a movie. “When I got there, the bartender pointed me toward the hall leading to Chet’s office. It was opened a little and I could hear him talking to someone. The way he would talk with pauses in the conversation, I’m guessing he was on the phone with someone, plus, no one was in there when he told me to come in. He said something like the person on the other end of the phone needed to turn up the heat on the Sons because that was what they were getting paid for and if they couldn’t do it, they’d find someone else.” She didn’t miss the look exchanged amongst the men in the room. She could feel the mood change like a drop in temperature right before a storm.

“Chet said they’d find someone else?” Trick wanted to clarify.

“Yes.”

“Sounds like not only is Chet skimming from us, but he’s working with someone to fuck with us.” Jed stated what they were all thinking.

“Okay, say Chet suspected Kylie saw more than what she should have on the computer. Would he be the one to break into her house and start a fire or do you think he would pass that job onto whoever was on the other end of the phone?” Trick questioned the depth of the man’s involvement.

“Someone call and check to see if Chet was there all night.” Race tugged at his ear.

“On it.” Jed stepped away to make the call.

“Kylie, when was the last time you ate anything?” Tuck had always been able to tell when she’d forgotten to eat. She chewed her bottom lip while she thought about it.

“If you have to think about it, it’s been too long,” he said. “Why don’t I take you to get something to eat, then we’ll run by whatever store you want and pick you up some clothes?”

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