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“Rose uses it, so I thought it was what you wanted.”
“We’ll let it stand for now. If I give you some extra cash, will you pick me out some furniture and shit for my new space?”
“Don’t you want to do that yourself?” she asked, surprised. “I don’t want to overstep any boundaries with you.”
Darkness scrubbed a hand over his head. “Hell, I wouldn’t know where to start. Everything’s happening so fast. I could use some help with the stuff I really suck at doing. Just pick nice things that will make our space like a real home. I don’t want her to grow up in a shithole like I did.”
“I’d be happy to pick you out a few things,” she agreed. “If you don’t like my selections, you can always exchange them.”
His eyes lit up, making him appear more approachable and engaged than she could ever remember. “Thanks, Tiff. Ryder hit the jackpot with you, darlin’.” Edging off the bed, he returned to his safe, took out a ten-grand bundle of cash and tossed it to her. “Be sure to buy yourself something nice for your trouble.”
“That’s really not necessary.”
“Yeah, it’s absolutely necessary. I heard what you did for Ace. You and Ryder really gave him a second chance, and that’s a debt I’ll happily repay one day.”
“Are you really going to pay them a quarter of a million dollars?” she asked, curious.
Dropping down into the recliner, he sighed. “I’ve been running this club for coming up on five years. We’ve done some pretty big jobs. Club officers always get a larger cut, and I socked almost all my cash away.”
“But you must have expenses.”
“I’m a fairly simple man. I ride, run this club, and spend my free time working on vehicles in the garage out front. I pay my dues, buy food for the kitchen out of my share, and order clothing once a year online,” he listed off. “Hell, I can’t remember the last time I walked into a store and bought something.”
“So, it’s like that, is it?”
“Sweetness, I’m probably the wealthiest dirty biker you’re likely to run across anywhere in the Dakotas. I know that I probably ought to find a woman and settle down, but the one and only time I ever even tried to open myself to a woman, she screwed me royally and ended up trying to kill me.”
Tiffany didn’t have to ask to guess that he was talking about Abby. “I checked on her shoulder wound yesterday. She didn’t even ask about the baby, but she’s all kinds of pissed off to still be in that cell.”
“Too damn bad,” Darkness growled. “I ain’t having her make mischief on my watch.”
“Everything about her worries me,” Tiffany admitted.
“You’re preaching to the choir on that one,” he agreed. “I can’t wait for the lawyers to hash out this divorce and custody thing. We’ll all be rid of her soon enough.”
“It can’t be soon enough to suit me,” Ryder added from the doorway. “That woman is not to be trusted.” Strolling in, he sat beside Tiffany on the bed. “Rose says the two of you are going shopping. Need any cash?”
Holding up the thick packet of unmarked twenties and fifties, Tiffany shook her head and gave him a rueful smile. “Darkness has it covered. He’s renovating the upper floor and wants furniture.”
“You sure did a nice job sprucing up my place, so I’d say you’re just the lady for the job.”
Tiffany smiled to cover the fact that her anxiety was kicking up. “Do you have any favorite colors or preferences?”
Darkness stared at his little one. “I like black or dark furniture and vintage auto and motorcycle decor. Other than that, I got nothing for you.”
“That’s a good start, I suppose. Do you mind leather furniture? It wipes off spills easily, and now that you have a little one…”
“That’s good thinkin’, Tiff. Leather will be just fine.”
Within an hour, they were on the road. Tiffany sat up front with Cork, and Peb sat in the back with Rose. The two of them gabbed about the baby, school, and computers. Cork was still prospecting, so he was mister “yes, ma’am” and “no, ma’am.”
Tiffany took out her cell phone and began making lists of basic furniture items. The idea of buying him a gun safe popped into her mind. It was more for safety than anything because if he had something like that, he could lock up everything dangerous. He’d need a sofa, love seat, chair, coffee table, end tables, dining table and chairs, new bed, dresser, chest, nursery furniture. He’d also need bed and bath linens and kitchen stuff.
Suddenly, ten grand wasn’t looking like such an exorbitant amount. She’d have to shop smart and make good decisions. She also made notes about his preferences.
Half an hour later, they reached a large mall and tumbled out of the car. Tiffany had been there before. It was situated between several smaller towns since it simply wasn’t feasible for such small townships to support large shopping centers.
The two men shadowed them, keeping their distance. Rose went directly to a children’s clothing shop and went wild. She bought a couple of really cute party dresses for no apparent reason, a dozen T-shirts and sleepers, a warm, zip-up, fuzzy snowsuit, gloves, shoes, tiny socks, little jeans, and several shirts with words printed on them. Tiffany added some bibs, baby washcloths, a grooming kit, and an extra set of bottles. They also got receptacle covers and grooming products.
