Page 11 of The Thief

He put his hands on his hips. Tak was an intimidating man. Not because of his size or facial tattoo but the way he carried himself. The stern look he was giving was only an act—his eyes always revealed his mood, and right now he looked suspicious.

“I found a wad of cash in my bedroom,” he began. “Now, I’m a magnificent lover, but my mate has never offered me money. I’m assuming it was from you?”

“That was my earnings for today. Do you want me to carve my share out ahead of time, or would you rather open separate accounts with a banker and do it yourself?”

He slid the doors shut behind him. “Once we find a banker I trust, everyone will have their own account.”

“Why bother? You could save more without one.”

Tak crossed his thick arms and stared pensively at the floor. With his long hair always pulled back in a braid, it allowed me to see every arch of his brow, curve of his lip, and flare of his nostrils. “My tribe doesn’t use bankers, but this is what everyone else does. Hope and Melody use a private banker in Austin, but whenever they need money, they have to drive all that way or have a courier run it over.”

“It might be different for them since they run their business out of town. But with a pack, all you need is someone to manage their money. Someone to keep a record of everyone’s accounts—separate from the pack account—and handle deposits and withdrawals, monitor available funds, and make sure no one borrows against the pack. All bankers do is earn a fee to handle your assets and give financial advice. Do the Breed businesses around here have customer accounts you can add money to?”

He nodded. “Some do.”

“That’s even better. Not everyone wants to deal with human financial institutions and credit cards set up under an alias. If there are places you visit regularly, customer accounts help them as much as they do us. Then you’ll have fewer transactions since the expenses draw from the account. Why pay a banker to manage your finances when someone in the pack can do it free or cheaper?”

His eyebrows furrowed. “And what do you suggest?”

“All you need is a big safe with a code. Keep it in a locked room, and don’t let anyone but you and the person who does your finances know the code. Obviously it has to be someone you trust with your life.”

Scratching behind his shoulder, Tak ambled farther in. “Your new boss called me a few minutes ago. He’s afraid you’ll sully his reputation with all your big ideas. I gave him my word that if you run his business into the ground, I’ll guarantee your services for free until he’s recouped his losses. And that could be months, depending on how much he loses. He agreed to give you a three-month trial period before making any decision regarding financial loss or gain. That seems like a fair agreement, but if you drain his account, you’re the one who’ll be working for free, so make sure you want this job.”

“I do.”

Tak drew closer. “You don’t have to work for that prickly man. If he mistreats you?—”

“Calvin is all bark with a little bite, but he’s a good man. I wouldn’t work for him if I had a bad feeling about him.”

He put his hands on his hips. “Calvin told me your salary, and you gave me more than that. Where did all that money come from?”

“Tips.”

Tak’s expression of surprise raised his brow. “In one day?”

I rocked on my heels. “Maybe those boys were being extra nice since it was my first day, but if we bring in more customers, that’ll be good money. And when I got home, I still had plenty of energy to do work around the house. Calvin and I agreed on a schedule that won’t interfere with my pack duties.” I picked up a rag from the floor and folded it. “I met some nice people today.”

Tak threw back his head and laughed. “I bet you did. I’ve seen the fools who go to that bar. ‘Nice’ is not what I’d call them.”

“That’s because you didn’t get to know them. One nice fella has an uncle who works for a Shifter brewery, and he might be able to help Calvin. I met an artist who designs stained glass windows. Oh, you know what I was thinking? How about a commissioned window for the living room? Something with trees and a river. Imagine how amazing it would look with all the colors catching the morning sunlight. It would be a real conversation piece.”

Tak rubbed his chin while pacing toward the archway, which led to the back hall. “I like the idea of helping local artists.”

“If we recommend their business to others, they might recommend Hope and Melody’s shop in return.”

He turned a sharp eye toward me. “You never mentioned you were business savvy.”

“I’m just winging it.”

He lingered in the archway. “How big should the safe be?”

“It depends on how much money you have. You might need more than one, or maybe a safe room with a steel door and lock. If you have enough, you could convert that paper money into gold as your long-term savings that won’t ever lose value or burn in a fire.”

Tak shook with laughter. To me he was a giant, towering at around six foot seven. Between him and Bear, I felt like a garden gnome, especially when they wore boots.

“Tell you what,” he said, bracing his hand on the wall. “We’ve been so focused on building this home that I haven’t asked what everyone’s skills are. It’s time I learn what people can bring to my pack.” Tak entered the sitting area outside the archway and jerked his head to the left. “Come outside and meet my horse.”

I followed him out the back door and crossed the deck. Everyone was gathered in the shade, some relaxing in chairs and others sprawled out on the grass. Watching the sunset in our west-facing yard had become our favorite pastime at the end of a long day. The distant hills, dotted with trees and wildflowers, were gilded in a veil of sunlight that changed color with every passing second.

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