It's Only Acting_A Secret Billionaire Romance

by Jackson Kane

  “You give good advice for someone who doesn’t take any of it.” I was glad for all Molly’s help, but that wasn’t why I came. What happened at that dinner was my fault. I needed to be the one to make it right.

  “Please don’t…” Sadness crept into Molly’s face. I didn’t want to hurt her, but there were things that had to be said.

  “Dad’s will, the competition, I know how bad all of it sounds,” I snatched up a metal apple paperweight off the desk and passed it back and forth between my hands. “I’ve come to realize there’s more to it than a dying man’s fever dream. It’s not about getting a woman pregnant. That is a big part of it, but that’s not the spirit of what Dad was trying to do.”

  “Honestly?” Molly suddenly looked tired. “I don’t care what the spirit of the agreement was. I just can’t do it any more. I’ve spent half my life waiting for Luke to do the right thing. I’m done waiting.”

  My teeth clenched and unclenched as I debated breaking an old promise. It was an important secret to keep at the time, but that time had past. There was something Molly needed to know.

  “No one knows this…” I put the apple down where I found it. This wasn’t news you could deliver while idly holding something. “Lucas paid for all the school’s renovations. I think it cost him everything he made off his albums. The only request he had was that they name the school after Matt.”

  Molly furrowed her eyes and walked to the window. She watched the last of the buses pull away to drop off their precious cargo. For a long time she didn’t say anything.

  “Whenever I asked about the donor I was told that it was ‘a friend of the Bakers.' I wanted to thank them, but no one seemed to know any more.”

  “Lucas wanted it to be anonymous so it wouldn’t take anything away from your brother. I’m only telling you because I think it’s important you know how much he cares for you. Lucas loves you, Molly. He loves you more than I’ve ever seen one person love another.”

  The dull roar of a motorcycle pulled into the semicircle driveway the buses had left from. Lucas, I thought. He’ll never give that damn bike up. It’s as much a part of him as his guitar.

  Then I heard several more bikes pull in.

  “It’s not about love…” Molly said distantly.

  I walked to the middle of the room and saw what she was looking at. Four men put their kickstands down in a no parking area. They all wore black leather vests with patches on them. They were some kind of biker gang.

  “What are they doing at an elementary school?”

  “They’re here for me?” Molly said. There was something in her voice. It wasn’t fear, it was resignation. It had an air of inevitability to it.

  “Like hell they are.” Molly was like the sister I never had, there was no way I was going to let anything bad happen to her while I was around.

  “That right there.” Molly flashed a small grin at my protectiveness. “Find a way to show that to Gloria and she’ll love you till the end of time.”

  “Molly—”

  “It’s OK.” Her smile faded as she grabbed her purse. “The one in the middle with the beard is my husband. I called him.”

  “Husband?” My eyes opened wide enough to fall out of my head. I didn’t know she was married. That didn’t make any sense; Molly was never the cheating type. “Does Lucas know?”

  “Yeah, they actually met briefly.” There was a twinkle in her eyes when she said that. Something must have happened and I was willing to bet it wasn’t good. “Jason and I are separated. It’s complicated.”

  “You weren’t seeing him while you were with Lucas, were you?”

  “No! Of course not. I’m not even seeing him now. We’re just going to talk. Jason wants to make amends for…everything that happened.”

  I had such a bad feeling about all of this. Molly was going to ride off with a biker gang? It felt like I was trying to row up a waterfall. Everything was falling apart. I was hoping that if I could at least help Molly and Lucas get back together maybe all of this hardship would be worth something.

  “I don’t know that guy, Molly.” I stepped between her and the doors leading out of the library. “But I promise no one will ever love you like Lucas does.”

  “And I’ll always love Luke more than anything,” Molly smiled wistfully. “But I can’t trust him to be there when I need him. I feel awful about saying all this, especially after everything with your dad…”

  Molly took a moment out of respect before continuing. “Jason made mistakes, some worse than others, but he was always there. I might not be in love, but at the end of the day I know I won’t wind up alone with a broken heart.

  “Better the devil you know…”

  “That is the stupidest damn thing I’ve ever heard.” I couldn’t hide my frustration. “Jason might be the devil you know, but that still makes him a devil.”

  Molly smiled at me knowing I wouldn’t understand, then crushed me in a great, big hug. “Goodbye, Richard.”

  Chapter 23

  Lucas

  Not him.

  With white knuckles I twisted the throttle on my bike and sped toward the fringe of town. I dangerously weaved in and out of traffic. On the best of days, the speed I was riding was borderline suicidal.

  The sun had just dipped below the mountains, but most people didn’t have their headlights on yet. There was enough light for me to ride, but not enough for me to be seen easily. It was the worst time for a biker to be on the road.

  That’s fine. One way or another, I wasn’t planning to be on the road for long.

  I had a woman to claim.

  Not him.

  It was a miracle no cops saw me. Even if they had I doubted I’d have pulled over. I didn’t give a shit about the speed limit. Not now. Not when Molly was back at that MC clubhouse with that scumbag.

  Richard had just arrived when I pulled into the clubhouse parking lot. He must have already been on the road when he called to let me know that his talk with Molly hadn’t gone well.

  He tried to talk me out of doing anything rash while on the phone, but the second he uttered Jason’s name I lost it. I hung up and raced over as fast as I could. There was only one thing on my mind.

  Not him.

  It was one thing to for her to leave me. If she needed time and space to heal and get her life back together I could respect that. I would wait for her as long as I had to, but I refused to let her go back to a piece of shit who hit her.

  I parked my bike a ways down the sidewalk and hoofed it up to the front entrance, which was lined with nearly thirty bikes. Full house tonight.

  Whatever. Bring them on.

  I didn’t care about anything else, but finding Molly and kicking the shit out of Jason.

  “Wait a damn minute!” Richard shouted from the other side of the road as he got out of his Jaguar. He really hadn’t had time to plan for this or else he’d have switched to a different car before coming over to this side of the tracks.

  “I can’t,” I said, not slowing down. “I’m done waiting.”

  “God damn it, Lucas. Use your head!” Richard stood in front of me, trying to block my way. “If you walk in there and start a war, you’re not coming back out in anything but a stretcher. Just wait until tomorrow and talk to her when she’s not surrounded by angry bikers.”

  I stopped, but not because I had any intention of leaving.

  Richard wore his dark three-piece suit and vest. He was clean shaven, his hair freshly cut and styled. He was a large guy, a little taller than me, and had a wall of gym-made muscles.

  For as big as he was it was obvious he didn’t belong here.

  This was a world of bar fights, knives, and gangs. It was rough, unforgiving and occasionally life altering. This was a place for guys who looked like me; long hair, beards, jeans, t-shirts and tattoos.

  I might’ve been a rock start back in the day, but not any more.

  This was my world now.

  “He hit her, Richard. Nothing’s goi
ng to stop me from walking in there.”

  Richard pulled out his cell phone. “Let me at least call the police.”

  “For what?” I put a hand over it, blocking the call. Molly didn’t report the assault when it happened. She didn’t even have a bruise any more. “They haven’t broken the law yet, and you said she went of her own free will.

  “Lucas…”

  “I appreciate the concern, I do, but I have to do this.” I clasped a hand on Richard’s shoulder, then I stepped past him toward the door. “Go home, big brother. I don’t want you getting hurt too.”

  I shoved the door open roughly, announcing to everyone inside I was here and I wasn’t hiding. I didn’t know what was going to happen next, but I did know she was about to see what kind of man Jason really was.

  The bar looked no different than a hundred other dive bars I’d been to. There were tables and chairs strewn about, but most people hung out at the bar or played pool. The room was smoky with dark windows and had flags, posters and other biker memorabilia all over the walls. It wasn’t just filled with bikers either, there were hang-a-rounds, ol’ ladies and friends of the club that didn’t wear the uniformed black patched vest.

  I’d been in enough biker bars across the country to know this was on the tamer side. Granted that was like saying it was a friendlier wolves den. There might not have been one-percenter outlaws, but it was still a room full of larger angry men who I knew for a fact were armed.

  And it was still very clear I wasn’t welcome.

  The classic rock music droned on but the conversations in the room started dying out one by one as all eyes eventually turned to me.

  I scanned the sea of leather and denim for Molly. She sat in the back of the room drinking a beer; there was a look of disheartened resignation on her face. It told the world this was the best she was likely to do, and that she had accepted her sad fate.

  I could only imagine what he said to convince her that this was where she belonged; down in the mud with him.

  It made me furious and sad.

  “Listen, Pal—” A younger member who hadn’t got his full patch yet walked up to me, and crossed his arms to look tough.

  “Fuck off, prospect. I’m not here for you.” I brushed past the kid and started walking toward Molly.

  This is the time, I thought. Molly needs me. It’s time to fight for the woman I love and God help whoever gets in my way.

  “Hey!” The prospect shouted after me, before his attention was pulled back to the opening door.

  “I’m with him,” My brother said, pushing his way past the leather-clad human speed bump.

  Hearing Richard’s voice made me smile and bolstered my resolve. Having him by my side definitely helped keep me focused when all the bikers in the room got off their stools or chairs and surrounded us.

  “Who the fuck do you think you are walking in here like this?” Jason stood up from his shot at the pool table, but instead of putting the stick down, he gripped it tighter.

  Jason was only a little older than me and already had salt and pepper in his short-cropped hair and long beard. He was easily a little taller than Richard and about as wide as I was; the man was a freight train that decided to stand up one day.

  “We met once in the parking lot.” I flashed my teeth. It wasn’t a smile, more like when a wolf peels back its lips before it attacks. “You might not remember me all that well on account of you being knocked the fuck out.”

  “You’re that little bitch that sucker punched me!” Jason said, looking me over. He was sizing me up to see if he could take me in a fight. He had a few inches of height on me, but that was it. If this came to blows it would get real messy and come down to who wanted the win more.

  “And you’re the weak prick that hits women,” I countered. In a fair fight I’d beat him, especially if I was fighting for Molly.

  Thing was, there was no fair in a street fight.

  There was a silence that fell into the room. Most MC clubhouses I’d been to had strict bylaws against that kind of behavior. There was a muttering of disapproval or even disbelief that made its way through the crowd. It would take more than an outsider making accusations to sway a brotherhood.

  “You stepping in here was the biggest fucking mistake of your life, asshole.”

  “No,” I said, ignoring the man. I looked only at Molly. “The biggest mistake I ever made was not moving heaven and earth to get you back sooner, Molly.”

  Molly looked surprised, and had lost some of that resignation that bogged her down.

  Good, I thought. I never want to see that look on your face ever again.

  “Hey!” Jason stepped up in my face. “I’m talking to you.”

  “Good for you.” I stepped around him and walked to Molly’s table. To my surprise, the bikers separated enough to let me pass. I guess more of them believed I was telling the truth than I thought.

  I could feel Richard’s tension growing as the bikers filled in behind us, blocking the exit. We weren’t safe, not by a long shot. There was no backing out now. We were both in it until the end, however that may go…

  “You shouldn’t be here, Luke,” Molly finally spoke up, adjusting her glasses.

  “I shouldn’t do a lot of things, Moll. But I can’t just leave you again. I can’t.” I reached for her, but Jason grabbed my wrist.

  “You should listen to my wife.” He wrenched me back to face him again. “Walk out of here right now. I don’t want Molly seeing what I’m going to do to you.”

  “You can do so much better than this guy.” I was in a locked stare with Jason, but was still talking to Molly.

  “And what, she deserves you? You’re the piece of shit that abandoned her. I was there for her when her brother died.” Jason shoved a finger into my chest. “Where the fuck were you?”

  I grabbed his finger and bent it back painfully, teaching him not to touch me. I eventually let him go, then turned my attention back to Molly.

  “Molly, I don’t deserve you either. You are a beautiful, amazing person that deserves the perfect man; someone that will cherish you and never let you down.

  “I’ve made mistakes but I promise you I’m never going anywhere ever again. Even if it takes the rest of my life, I will learn to be that man.”

  “That’s a nice vest you have there. American made?” Richard asked Jason, stepping between us to give me some room to talk to Molly.

  “I’m so sorry for not telling you about the competition, but I will never keep anything from you again.

  “Molly I love you, now and forever. And if I have to fight a whole room full of bikers to prove it, I will.” I reached out for her again, and this time Molly reached back.

  Molly’s eyes turned up and shined. She was starting to really see it. She was finally starting to understand that I meant every word that I was willing to put my life on the line to declare my love for her.

  And more importantly she was starting to see that I would never leave her again.

  “Oh Luke…” Molly smiled. “I—”

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” Jason interrupted her and shoved the nearest biker in a rallying gesture. “This is my ol’ lady, my wife he’s talking to. I thought you guys were my brothers!” The grumbling in the room got louder. Technically everything he said was true, but for all the wrong reasons. “Are you going to allow this in our house?”

  “Jason!” Molly screamed to stop her ex husband attacking me while my back was turned.

  I was too focused on Molly to see Jason slip past Richard. It wasn’t my brother’s fault; he was trying to keep an eye on dozens of people at the same time. Jason broke the pool stick across my back, which staggered me to one knee.

  Molly called out again, but no one was listening to her or to anything anymore. The mob had been riled up. There were two men in their bar who weren’t in their club causing trouble.

  This place was about to erupt.

  “Sorry about all this,” I told Richard, standing back u
p. Back to back, we moved over into the middle of the room so that Molly wouldn’t get hurt by accident. “I didn’t mean to drag you into this.”

  “You did what you had to do. I can respect that.” Richard turned his head to the side so I’d hear him over the room full of yelling. “But next time try calling her first.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” I smiled, lining up my route that would bring me directly to Jason. “I’m going for Cannonball, you got my back?”

  “Sure,” he said hesitantly, raising his fists in a boxer’s stance. “You take Jason. I’ll take the other twenty…”

  Chapter 24

  Richard

  A gnarly-looking older biker swung a bottle at my face. I dodged back and shoved him with so much force he left the ground and crashed against two of his friends.

  I’ll admit when I agreed to help Lucas, I hadn’t considered I’d be literally fighting his battles for him.

  This was crazy.

  We were outnumbered ten to one. Lucas and I were both big guys, but there was no way we were going to win this. Molly was yelling, trying to stop this madness, but her voice was lost in the drunk adrenaline-fueled shouting.

  Unfortunately for us, Jason sure knew how to get a crowd going.

  Lucas and Jason were landing and blocking blow after heavy blow. I did what I could to keep people from blindsiding Lucas with a few kicks and punches, but I had my own small army to deal with.

  I ducked a wooden chair as it broke apart against the wall behind me; the balding man who threw it looked familiar. Stepping back, I took a moment to survey the mob. I found that the balding man wasn’t the only one that looked familiar.

  Not everyone was lining up to fight us either. A few bikers near the bar were trying to ignore the whole thing. This group didn’t strike me as having pacifists in their ranks so why not jump in and overwhelm us?

  Then I figured it out.

  “Pete Tully; iron worker!” I shouted, pointing at one of the men at the bar, then I pointed at another. “Joey Mills; dayshift manager at King Hotel.”