“All good,” I answered and continued to rub my stinging eyes.
Finally, the burn faded, and I looked down at the bottle in my hand. The bottle that was not my normal body wash. No, I was holding something called Penis Cleaner. What in the actual fuck? I put that shit back and finished my shower with my regular body wash.
Once dressed, I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and stepped out into the hall to make a call, leaving a confused looking Keegan sitting on my bed.
“It’s a little early, brother,” Carbon grumbled down the line.
I pulled the phone from my ear and glanced at the time. “Sorry, man, didn’t even think about that.”
“What’s up?” he asked through a yawn.
“I saw Harper cleaning the bathrooms earlier this week. Ask her if she’s the one who put Penis Cleaner in my shower.”
I heard Carbon suck in a breath and maybe stifle a laugh. “You’re on speaker. Ask her yourself.”
“Two words, Harper. Penis. Cleaner,” I said.
“Oh,” she said cheerfully. “Do you like it?”
So, it was her. I cleared my throat. “Uh, Carbon, brother, you want to take this one?”
The fucker laughed. “Nope, it’s all you, bro.”
“What are you two talking about?” Harper asked innocently.
I groaned. “What do you think Penis Cleaner is, Harper?”
She giggled, “Penis cleaner.”
“Okay, yes, but it’s not soap. It’s a spray, that can be used without water. Like on-the-go. Now, why would a man need to use something like that?” I asked, hoping she was understanding what I wasn’t saying.
It took all of five seconds. She gasped, and I heard a distinct slap, followed by a grunt from Carbon. “You’re telling me I bought a case of dirty dick spray for the clubhouse?” she screeched.
“Why’d you hit me? I didn’t have anything to do with this,” Carbon said defensively.
“Because you’re the only man around right now,” Harper huffed.
“Hold up. You bought a case of this shit?” I asked.
“Yeah, I put one in each of the bathrooms,” she said, sounding embarrassed. “I thought it was like special soap for guys. You know, like girls have for their lady bits to help with shaving and stuff.”
I couldn’t help it. I laughed until I was doubled over in the hall gasping for breath. Finally, I got myself under control and wiped the tears from my eyes. That’s when I realized she’d hung up on me. Still chuckling to myself, I headed for the common room only to crack up again when Reese ran by me with her phone pressed to her ear and three bottles of Penis Cleaner in her arms as she darted into one of the rooms.
I got some breakfast and sat at a table by myself in the common room hoping to resolve some of my inner turmoil. I liked Keegan, a lot, but the thought of being in a relationship with any woman made my skin crawl. Okay, so maybe the thought of being in a relationship with Keegan didn’t make my skin crawl, but it should, and it greatly troubled me that it didn’t.
Keegan also had her own shit to deal with. Her stepfather and the Hensleys were up to something and weren’t beyond using physical violence to achieve it. I suspected there would be some backlash from the incident last night. Keegan had wanted to do the right thing and let the police handle Preston. I didn’t understand why she bothered. Lawrence would pull some strings, call in some favors, and Preston’s charges would magically disappear.
To put a stop to her problems, we needed to find out what Lawrence’s plans were. Then, we could figure out how to stop them. That would take some time, and she would be left vulnerable in the interim. I felt an overwhelming need to protect her and much to my chagrin, I had only come up with one way to immediately ensure her safety and thwart the senator’s plans.
“May I join you?” Keegan’s soft voice interrupted my thoughts.
I looked up to see her standing beside the table holding a plate of food. I nodded and kicked a chair out with my foot. She sat and began eating her meal in silence. Neither of us spoke. I was too consumed with the ridiculousness of what I was about to suggest.
When we were both finished, she asked, “Can I go home today?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’m sure your stepfather, as well as the Hensleys, are going to be pissed when they find out what happened to Preston last night.” I leaned forward, placing my folded arms on the table, “Why was Preston at your house in the first place?”
She sighed and slumped in her chair. “As you know, Lawrence has arranged for me and Preston to be married soon. Preston somehow found out that I have ties to the Blackwings and said if I was fucking a bunch of bikers, I could fuck him, too.”
I growled low in my chest. “Who are you fucking?”
She rolled her eyes and scoffed, “No one, unless my vibrator counts.”
I peered at her and licked my lips. “That doesn’t count.”
She met my gaze and held it, “Don’t I know it.”
She was killing me. Death by blue balls would be listed as the cause on my death certificate. My mind was screaming “no,” and my dick was screaming “yes, please.” I blatantly adjusted my cock and groaned, “You have to stop.”
The little vixen winked, “Whatever do you mean?”
“Focus, Keegan. What are you going to do about Lawrence? He’s not going to give up. Are you actually planning on marrying Preston?”
“No, I’m not planning on marrying him! I haven’t had time to find a way out of this,” she stated.
“Do you know why he wants you married?” I asked. There was a reason behind this marriage. I all but heard as much in the men’s room at the masquerade ball.
“No. The only thing he told me was that he was tired of my behavior, and it would be my husband’s responsibility to deal with it if I were married,” she shrugged.
“What behavior?”
She shrugged again, “Your guess is as good as mine. The only thing I’ve missed was a late brunch the day you found me on the side of the road. Other than that, I’ve not failed to meet any of his demands.”
I took in a deep breath and went for it. “Listen, this is going to sound crazy, because it is, but I know how we can put a stop to this.” I paused and locked eyes with her. “We should get married,” I blurted.
She blinked, and her expression remained unchanged. She didn’t give me any kind of reaction. “Did you hear me?”
“I’m sorry,” she said slowly. “I think I just had a mini-stroke. You were saying?”
“Keegan, I’m serious. Lawrence can’t force you to marry Preston if you’re already married. I’m not suggesting we get married for real, just on paper.”
“Getting married on paper is for real,” she deadpanned.
“Yes, it is, but we don’t have to stay married. As long as we don’t consummate the marriage, we can get it annulled after we’ve figured out what Lawrence is up to. It will buy us the time to do that and keep you safe. As my wife, you’d have the club's protection,” I explained.
“You’re serious?”
I nodded, “I don’t see any other way to make him back off.”
Her eyes started to fill with tears, and her lower lip trembled, “He won’t let me see Gabriella if I marry you.”
“I’ll be honest with you. You might not be able to see each other for a few months or however long it takes to put an end to this. I know Lawrence made a deal with the Hensleys which included your marriage to Preston. We need to find out what the rest of that agreement was and why they made it in the first place. I have a feeling you can use that information as leverage to see your sister,” I explained.
She sniffled and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Okay, I’ll do it.”
Chapter Eleven
Keegan
Shaker didn’t think we should waste any time. After a quick internet search, we found a location, made a reservation, and purchased a wedding package online. He had his clothes and toiletries at the clubhouse, but
I needed to stop by my house to get a few things. I packed a small backpack with my necessities and climbed onto the back of his bike to go get married.
We headed to a popular tourist town about an hour and a half from Croftridge. It was a cute little town packed full of attractions, as well as wedding chapels. They even had a courthouse open on Saturdays to issue marriage licenses. We were in and out of the courthouse with the necessary paperwork in less than 10 minutes.
“We have almost two hours before our reservation. Are you hungry?” Shaker asked.
I wasn’t hungry. I was scared and nervous and too worked up to even think about food. “Not really, but if you’re hungry, you should eat.”
Shaker nodded and drove to a pancake house. He caught me eyeing him and shrugged, “You can’t come to this town and not stop for pancakes.”
Shaker insisted that I order something and try to eat even though I assured him I was fine. We sat in silence while I picked at my food, and he didn’t hesitate to inhale his order. When he finished, he wiped his mouth with a napkin and leaned forward on his elbows, “What’s wrong? You have cold feet or something?”
Cold? My feet were fucking frozen. “I guess I’m a little nervous,” I admitted. “What if this doesn’t work?”
“How can it not? You can’t marry Preston if you’re married to me. Besides, the senator might be thrilled to hear his stepdaughter married into the Marks family. I am quite a catch, you know,” he said, flashing me a toothy smile.
“What will your mother say?” I whispered. Our elopement would definitely upset Jacquelyn.
“Would you feel better if we told her the truth?” he asked.
“Yes. A lot better. She’ll keep it to herself?”
He chuckled, “She will. In case you haven’t noticed, my mother is not a fan of Senator Hastings.” He glanced at his phone. “It’s about that time. You ready?”
I laughed nervously, “Not in the slightest.”
The wedding chapel we chose offered an all-inclusive package for spur of the moment elopers. Basically, all we had to do was show up with a marriage license. They took care of everything else, including a dress for the bride and a tuxedo for the groom. Initially, I assumed we would have a courthouse wedding, but Shaker thought the story would be more believable if we had photographic evidence of our extremely private ceremony when we made the announcement. I hadn’t even thought of making a formal announcement. As Shaker pointed out, it was what would be expected of us unless we wanted everyone to think I was pregnant. Enough. Said.
An older woman introduced herself as Rose, my wedding attendant, and escorted me to the bridal suite. She showed me their large selection of wedding dresses and left me alone to choose one. When she returned to find me staring at the row of dresses with tears running down my face, she pulled me in for a hug and asked, “How long ago did you lose her?”
I couldn’t hide my shock. “Five years. How did you know?”
She smiled softly, “I’ve been in the wedding business for a long time, dear. I know the look of a bride missing her mother. Don’t you worry about a thing, sweetheart. I know just the dress for you.”
Rose knew what she was doing, and she could do it all—dress, hair, makeup, nails. By the time she finished with me, I looked like I stepped off the page of a bridal magazine. I couldn’t thank her enough. She managed to comfort me and turn me into a princess in less than an hour.
She led me to a set of closed doors and told me it was go time when the doors opened. I could feel the panic rising within. Before it could take hold, the doors swung open, and there was Shaker, standing by the altar waiting for me. In a tuxedo. Looking like the illegitimate child of sex and sin.
I don’t remember walking down the aisle. One second, I was staring at the closed doors contemplating running away, and the next, I was beside Shaker. Then, I was facing him, staring into his obsidian eyes. I was transfixed by the sheer presence of him, my gaze never leaving his, until one sentence broke the spell.
“May I have the rings, please.”
The rings. We didn’t have rings. We had to have rings. How could wedding rings have slipped my mind? Oh, because you don’t think about things like that when you’re planning a fake wedding in less than thirty minutes.
Shaker winked and reached into his pocket. He opened his closed fist and dropped something in the minister’s hand. Then, the minister was handing something to me—a ring—and instructing me to repeat after him. He did the same with Shaker. I gasped when Shaker slid not one, but two rings onto my finger—an engagement ring and a band. Correction, a humongous, breathtakingly gorgeous engagement ring and a diamond wedding band. I looked from the rings to Shaker and back again. He gave me a subtle shake of his head as the minister prattled on. Then, another sentence caught my attention.
“You may now kiss the bride.”
I had to kiss Shaker. We’d kissed before, but that was different. He was wearing a mask the first time, and it was in total darkness the next time. And I didn’t know it was Shaker. We should have discussed the kissing part beforehand.
Shaker stepped forward, cupped my cheeks with his hands, and softly pressed his lips to mine. He deepened the kiss, coaxing my mouth open and sliding his tongue inside. His hands held me in place while he kissed me with the same passion I received from Jacob, but never expected from Shaker. When he finally pulled away, I would have crumpled to the floor had he not been holding me. He winked and smiled slyly, “Come on, wifey, it’s time for the honeymoon.”
Surely, he was joking, right?
Chapter Twelve
Shaker
The look of shock on Keegan’s face was comical. Being the asshole that I was, I didn’t tell her I was kidding. Actually, I didn’t say anything else to her until we arrived at the clubhouse. She seemed to be just as lost in her thoughts as I was.
I took her in through the back door since there was no doubt a party was going on in the common room. Once in my room, I said, “I’m going to call my mother and fill her in on our nuptials. As far as the club goes, I don’t want to lie to my brothers, but we can’t have too many people knowing the truth. We’re going to have to act like husband and wife, which means we’ll have to live together. So, your house or mine?”
“Is my house safe? If you’re not there?” she asked.
“If you want us to live in your house, I’ll have a prospect keep watch whenever you’re home alone.”
“Okay. I want to live in my house,” she said. “Thank you for doing this for me. And for remembering the rings. I’ll make sure to take good care of them until I give them back to you.”
I shrugged, “You don’t have to give them back. You can keep them.” I didn’t want the rings back. I didn’t want to see them on Keegan’s finger either. She was wearing the rings I bought for Beth before I found out she was a gold-digging, cheating, whore. It seemed fitting to use them for a fake marriage.
“I’m going to go ahead and call Mom,” I stated, pulling out my phone and effectively stopping any protest from her.
My mother took the news better than I expected. Surprisingly, she thought it was a great idea and offered to help in any way she could. I expected to be chastised for tarnishing the sanctity of marriage and intentionally deceiving virtually everyone we knew. Instead, she commended me on my clever thinking and told me how proud of me she was for trying to keep Keegan safe. Then, she insisted on hosting a wedding reception and demanded I send her a wedding photo to use for the announcements. With a promise to do just that, I ended the call.
“We have to send her a photo for the announcements, and she is going to host a wedding reception in the near future. Now, we need to tell Phoenix,” I said.
“The truth?” she asked.
“Yes. I don’t like lying to my brothers, but I will not lie to Prez. He may want to share the truth with the other officers. I’m okay with them knowing, but there’s no reason for the entire club to know,” I replied.
We slipped into the
common room unnoticed. I spotted Phoenix immediately and asked if I could have a word with him in private. He grumbled under his breath and started walking toward his office. Keegan and I followed him inside.
“Why is it there’s usually trouble whenever you two are together?” he asked.
“Sorry, Prez, I don’t think this time is going to be any different,” I offered. I told him everything, only leaving out the few times we had kissed. “The only other person who knows the truth is my mother, and she will keep it to herself. I don’t like keeping things from the other brothers, but for this to work, people have to think we are really married. I have no doubt the senator could manage to get the marriage annulled if he were to find out the truth.”
Phoenix nodded, “I understand, and I appreciate you telling me. I would have stripped you of your title and maybe even your cut if you’d kept this from me. I think the other officers should be made aware. I’m sure Keegan’s stepfather and the supposed fiancé won’t be happy to hear your news. It’ll be good to have a few more people keeping an eye out for suspicious activity. You gonna claim her as your Old Lady?”
“I wasn’t sure if I would be disrespecting the club if I did,” I uttered. It would be odd if a brother married a woman and didn’t claim her as his Old Lady. It wasn’t unheard of, but it would raise some questions.
“It would have been if you hadn’t come to me. If you think you should claim her, I’ll allow it,” Phoenix said.
“Then, yes, I want to claim her as my Old Lady,” I stated firmly.
“No time like the present. Most everybody is here tonight,” Phoenix said, standing and gesturing toward the door.
Fuck! I was hoping for a few days before I had to make any kind of announcement or declaration to the club. I reached for Keegan’s hand and tugged her along with me. “Smile, wifey. It’s show time.”
We entered the common room, and Phoenix shut off the loud music to get everyone’s attention. I cleared my throat, “This is going to come as a shock to many of you.” I raised our clasped hands in the air and shouted, “Keegan and I got married today. She’s now my wife and Old Lady.”
Shaker (Blackwings MC Book 5) Page 7
