Page 46 of Brother In Arms

“I’m sorry, what?”

Shelly laughed, “Takes some getting used to, doesn’t it? These big and burly, badass bikers going all Stay Puft Marshmallow Man around the kids.”

“Yeah,” Bailey admitted.

Ghost decided that was the time to come out the back door and say, “Babe, I’m back from the store, you want I should fire up the grill now?”

“No, you didn’t answer your phone, I want you should go back to the store and grab more. Dragon and Data are coming, maybe a couple other of the guys.”

Ghost hung his head and I laughed, “Want me to go with you, man?”

“Naw, naw, I got it. You must be Bailey.”

“Yes, hi, I am indeed Bailey.”

“Ghost.” They shook hands and Shelly smiled at her man. I’d wanted for a long time for a woman to look at me the way she looked at him. If anything, it was my deepest desire in life. I still wasn’t sure about doing the whole family thing. I could see it, if it were the right woman, maybe.

The table they had out here on the deck was a six-seater, heavy iron and glass with matching chairs. Shelly had setup her laptop at one end and I pulled out one of the chairs, sitting with Harmony on my lap. She was a little fussy, rubbing her eyes and tired. She was coming up on a year already. Damn time flies. It definitely reminded me I wasn’t getting any younger, not that I was old mind you, just about to turn thirty-seven.

I rocked Harmony and watched as Bailey and Ghost said goodbye for the moment. Finally, she and Shelly returned to the table. Shelly sat down where she’d been working and Bailey took the seat across from mine.

“So, I’m told that you need an accountant you can trust.”

Bailey nodded. “That’s the understatement of the year.”

“You bring me anything?” she asked.

Bailey shook her head, “It’s all online, on my phone. I can print off what I have by the way of numbers for the farm but there’s no telling what Caleb’s numbers look like.”

“Gimme what you’ve got,” Shelly said, turning her laptop in Bailey’s direction. Bailey took a deep breath and let it out. She looked at me and her gaze clearly read I’m trusting you. I smiled, and gave her a careful nod. I trusted Shelly, I trusted Ghost and Dragon, and Dray, and Reaver and all of my club brothers and sisters. Bailey needed to learn who she could trust and clearly, the people she was supposed to trust, had fucked her one too many times for her to do it easy, but she was willing to give it a shot here. That was pretty hot as far as I was concerned.

She pulled up her books and passed the laptop back to Shelly who looked over all of them, her clear blue eyes intent; her head faintly bobbing along the columns of numbers. She looked up at Bailey and nodded.

“It’s a start, now I just need something to compare it to.”

“I should have those financials for you tomorrow,” Bailey said. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect, because right then Data slid open the sliding door and stepped out onto the deck.

“Actually,” I said, “You’ll have ‘em tonight and will be able to tell tomorrow morning, once and for all, if Caleb is a friend or an enemy.”

“Figured you were going to have me doing something more than slightly illegal when you asked me to bring my laptop,” Data said.

“Oh, I don’t know about doing anything illegal…” Bailey said and Data beat me to it.

“Pfft, like anyone’s actually going to find out or know. Look, I can get you the info, it’s just not going necessarily be admissible in court, not unless I get real fuckin’ creative.”

“That’s my job anyways,” Shelly said. “I have a degree in accounting and a certificate in forensic accounting. I used that time I figured out where Darlene was funneling money out of Open Road Garage as my main project. Aced that shit like it was nothing.”

“Shelly does all the accounting for all of the club’s businesses now,” I explained.

“Yep, Open Road Garage, Open Road Ink, Soul Fuel and once they open, Evy’s Sacred Grounds coffee stands. I also do the books for Ghost’s towing company and Hayden’s interior design company. It only gets hairy around tax time. It’s getting to be the point I might need to hire some help.”

“Wow, I’m impressed,” Bailey said.

Harmony had completely knocked out in my arms, just like my oldest nephew, Noah, had a habit of doing. Hell if I knew why.

“Toddler whisperer strikes again,” Dragon said, coming through the slider.

“Yeah.”

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