Marrying My Best Friend's Sister: A Billionaire Enemies to Lovers MC Romance (Secret Love)

by Nikki Bloom

  “That’s it. I’m done with the party life. It’s bed by nine for me from now on,” I muttered to myself as I hunkered down between the bikes, trying to use their bulk to hide. My heart was going so fast and my hands shook. I could barely string a single thought together.

  “Fuck,” I whispered to myself trying to regulate my breathing. I could hear shouting from inside the club, and I wondered what was going on. At least it didn’t sound like they were fighting because Dom and Morgan would be extremely outnumbered.

  I dug out my phone, wondering if I should call the cops.

  What would Morgan do?

  I blinked, thinking back to all the time Eugene had used his baseball bat across Morgan’s back. There was that one time I’d been hiding under the stairs and heard a bone crack. I shot out of there, running to Morgan and he’d ordered me to stay back. Eugene still had his bat poised, ready to bring it smashing down on God knew what body part. I could see Morgan’s arm, bent at the entirely wrong angle, a bit of bone sticking out.

  I screamed, terrified that he was dying. I was afraid to touch him in case I hurt him more. He calmed me down, stepping between me and Eugene just in case the bastard decided to turn on me. So I ran out instead, still screaming for help. Begging someone, anyone, to help us.

  One of the neighbors had called the cops.

  When they came, Morgan backed Eugene up when he told them that Morgan broke his hand falling out of a tree. The police did make sure to take Morgan to the hospital at least, but he’d never said a word to them.

  I sighed, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that no one at this club wanted the police called.

  Should I call them anyway?

  I stared at my phone, torn, not knowing what to do for the best. Suddenly, both Morgan and Domenic appeared at the door, backing out of the club, their bodies alert and tense. I straightened up, staring, waiting to see if it was fight or flight.

  They both climbed on their bikes with disturbing synchronicity as a group of bikers watched by the door.

  “Get on,” Morgan told me tersely, handing me a helmet. I quickly climbed atop the bike, wrapping my arms around his waist as we followed Domenic out of the club compound. I tried to calm my breathing, not bothering to try to talk. They were both riding fast as if they wanted to get as far away from Queens as possible, as fast as possible.

  We didn’t stop until they drew up outside my apartment. My legs were a bit shaky as I got off the bike and I may have clung to Morgan just a bit. He alighted from his bike and looked to Domenic. “I’m gonna stay here tonight.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him because he didn’t even ask me first. He just assumed… who am I kidding? I wouldn’t have been able to sleep if he didn’t come with me. Domenic nodded once and took off. It was only when he was a red dot in the distance that I remembered that I didn’t even thank him. Especially since he had no obligation to rescue me as he did.

  I sighed, following Morgan upstairs, and not even objecting when he insisted on checking the apartment before letting me in. Chaz opened his door a tiny bit and raised an eyebrow at me. It might have been a simple commentary on my outfit or maybe he wanted the tea on why I was home so late. Either way, I did not have the energy to deal with him, so I just shook my head slowly.

  “It’s safe, come in,” Morgan said.

  Giving Chaz a small wave, I entered my apartment and closed the world out.

  7

  Domenic

  Adrenalin was still pumping in my veins as I rode off from Nico’s Brooklyn apartment. She hadn’t even looked at me, let alone said a word of gratitude to me for saving her ass. Not that I did it for the acclaim, but it would have been nice to get an acknowledgment that I’d helped her out.

  This marriage idea was looking worse and worse by the minute. I arrived home still buzzing with too much energy. So I dashed to my apartment, changed my clothes, and went down to the 24-hour gym. Nobody was there at 2 a.m., so I had the place to myself. The angry rap music in my ear was just what I needed as I pounded on the treadmill without bothering to warm up.

  I’d had to invoke the Lost Boys –my New Orleans club– to get us out of there in one piece and it was seriously pissing me off. Hell, everything was making me mad tonight. I went out to say goodbye to singlehood and ended up having to rescue my alleged bride-to-be from a biker.

  It was irony worthy of Alanis Morissette.

  I picked up my speed, wanting to go fast enough that I could not think.

  It was disconcerting to think about how scared I’d been when I saw that man dragging her across the bar. He obviously had no regard for her feelings and her eyes were wide, terrified and searching for someone to help her. I could still see the relief in them when she caught sight of me and Morgan in the doorway. I didn’t even think, just barreled in there all half-cocked.

  Thankfully, Sunny McDermott –president of the aptly named Satanists– was a known entity to the Lost Boys. He’d been running guns along the East Coast for a long time, going on twenty years. Morgan and I had actually done a run with him once when Tank had sent us to purchase some weapons from him. It had been a test, nerve-wracking as hell, and the catalyst to both of us deciding to get out of the club before it was too late for us. Morgan had wanted to be in a position to adopt his sister, and I just wanted more. But here we were, back to invoking club respect to get out of a jam. Sunny didn’t recognize us at first because well, we’ve grown a bit since. I knew he would call Tank to verify that we were who we said we were. Tank would back us up…and then call in the chip.

  And that’s what was making me so mad.

  To be beholden to Tank after crawling out from under him was not something I ever anticipated happening. As it was, he kept close tabs on my mother, just waiting for any opportunity to sow seeds of trouble between us. I couldn’t even really blame him for that. My mother loved to court trouble like it was her latest beau.

  It was her fault I even got involved in the clubs. She had options; there was no need for her to stay with my dad. But apparently, she ‘loved’ him and understood that he didn’t mean all the douchebaggery. It was just because the government wouldn’t let him find a job.

  My mother’s excuses for him were endless.

  However, since my dad couldn’t work or some shit, I had to. I started out at Sunrise Auto Repair at thirteen years old. My first job was cleaner, sweeper, general messenger, pass-me-the-wrencher. The shop focused on bike repair and I learned everything I could about the ins and outs of motorbikes. By the time I was sixteen I was the most sought-after mechanic among the Lost Boys. It wasn’t long before they invited me to hang out at the clubhouse.

  I thought it was the height of cool.

  It wasn’t hard to get sucked in. I suppose the Lost Boys gave me the structure I was lacking at home. Ironically, my grades improved. The Boys saw my potential. They wanted me to learn about mechanics and business and use that knowledge on their behalf.

  I was down to do it too. The Lost Boys were my family.

  That was until I found a young man out in the back of the machine shop one day, next to the dumpster, curled in on himself, tears rolling down his dirty cheeks.

  “Hey, you, what are you doing?” I asked, like the moron I was. Immediately, he tried to run. If he wasn’t half-starved and worn down, I never would have caught him. I forced the story of his life out of him and then took him to the diner down the road and fed him.

  “From now on, you’re with me,” I declared as if I was a mafia don. The kid –Morgan– just nodded once, and that was that. Having someone to look out for made me more cognizant of the dangers of club life. I was happy to throw my life away for the Boys; I wasn’t ready for Morgan to throw away his.

  That’s when I started looking for out-of-state scholarships and really applying myself in school. I made Morgan work hard too. He lived in my parents’ house with me for two years and they barely noticed.

  It was still a shock when I got an acceptance letter from Yale in th
e mail. A full ride too. It was more than I was hoping for.

  “You did it!” Morgan looked up at me with shining eyes as if I was somebody of worth. It made me stand straighter even though I felt like a fraud.

  “Hey, once I settle in and get a place to live, I’ll send for you, alright?”

  He shook his head. “No, Dom, you done enough for me. I’ll get out too, but I’m not as smart as you…so I enlisted.”

  My heart dropped to my shoes. “You did what now?”

  He shrugged as if he hadn’t just signed up to get killed by another type of club. “It’s my way out. And if I’m in the army, the courts can’t refuse to give me my sister.”

  I snorted derisively. “You’re still a minor.”

  “For two more years. Then I’m eighteen.”

  I sighed because I knew how determined he was. I knew I couldn’t dissuade him. “Hey, man just…do not get killed.”

  He gave that cocky grin he’d learned from me. “Okay, dad, I won’t.”

  I got off the treadmill and wiped down before making my way back to my penthouse apartment. My legs ached from the brutal pace I’d set, but I also felt calmer. A warm shower and a cup of chamomile tea later –What? It’s good for relaxation– and I was out for the count.

  I was woken way too early by the insistent ringing of my phone. Muttering curses to myself, I felt blindly for it and put it to my ear. “’lo?”

  “Dom! Rise and shine. It’s a new day and I have news.”

  I sighed, turning to the side and covering my head with a pillow. If Leyland was calling this early, it could only mean bad news. “What’s up?”

  “Tech Dyne is what’s up. I managed to speak to one of the directors last night. Just happened to run into him at the Polo Lounge.” I could practically hear the grin in his voice.

  “Anyway, they’re impressed with your portfolio. Very impressed. But they feel that Alexander is the more stable candidate since he’s a family man.”

  My mouth twisted in disgust. “Really?”

  “Yeah. So if you have any significant others to pull out of your ass, this is the time.”

  I sighed. My shoulders slumped as I gave in. “Actually, Leyland, I do.”

  “You do?” His voice both perked up and sounded extremely surprised.

  “Yeah, I do. She’s a scientist. Works for the FDA.”

  “And…” The skepticism was thick in the air. “What? Does she need money? Why’s she doing this?”

  “Hey!” I shot upright. “Maybe she likes me; did that ever occur to you?”

  Leyland snorted derisively. “No. Come on, Dom, I’m your lawyer. I’m on your side. What’s the deal?”

  I sighed in defeat. “Well, the deal is, it’s a deal. I get a wife; she gets a last name with influence.”

  “I…see.” As expected, he didn’t sound shocked at all. “You have a prenup in place yet?”

  “Nah, waiting on her lawyer.”

  “And when were you planning to tell me?”

  “When I had the document from her lawyer.”

  He sighed loudly and long. “We don’t have time for that. Ask her to have him send it to my office by tomorrow. I’m gonna get back to my guy on the board and notify him that we have a wife to be! Good job, Dom. This is the kind of initiative that will take you far.”

  “Fuck you, Leyland. Can I go back to bed now?”

  “After you tell her. Time’s a-wasting.”

  “Yes, boss.” I threw my phone across the bed and closed my eyes again. I tried to go back to sleep but my lawyer had gotten my head buzzing with ifs, buts, and maybes.

  I should have asked him to wait before making an announcement.

  My heart sank as I thought about the potential fallout. Now that Leyland knew, there were balls that would be set in motion making it difficult to back out. I was pretty sure that Nico wasn’t in a state of mind to think about prenups or marriage agreements. Hell, she probably didn’t want to think about me at all. With a sigh, I shuffled out of bed and padded to the shower. The least I could do was go and see her so that we could discuss all this in person. If she wanted to back out, I would respect that.

  And then what? You look like a liar in front of the Tech Dyne board?

  I pushed that question away, deeply regretting now that I hadn’t contracted with some stranger I didn’t give a fuck about.

  “You see? This is why I don’t do relationships!” I growled loudly to myself as the water beat down on me. I stood there, wondering if I could just save everyone the trouble by drowning myself.

  Shaking my head at my own melodrama, I exited the shower and crossed over to my bed. I was surprised by the knock on my closed bedroom door and even more so when Morgan poked his head in.

  I quirked an eyebrow as I picked up my t-shirt. “Back already? I thought you’d at least follow Nico around all day.”

  Morgan walked into my room and dropped down on the pouf. He was still wearing last night’s clothes. “Yeah, no. She kicked me out. Insisted on going to work.”

  “Why would she do that?”

  “Cause she’s a workaholic and in denial about the danger?”

  “Mmm.” My reply was non-committal because I knew that Morgan would totally be a helicopter brother if Nico let him. She was constantly fighting for her own space.

  “So what’s up with you? I heard you talking to yourself in the shower. You only do that if you feel backed in a corner.”

  I gave him a side-eye, wondering how he’d heard that.

  “Oh, I was in here earlier looking for you. Went to put on the coffee,” he said without me having to ask out loud.

  “Huh. Okay.”

  “So what’s up?”

  “Nothing…just…”

  “What?”

  “Leyland knows about my deal with Nico. He’s done that thing where he takes over everything, and I’m not even sure Nico wants to go ahead with this. Especially after last night.”

  Morgan just sighed indifferently. “You should talk to her.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Take her a nice lunch at work or something. Hash things out.”

  “You think?”

  Morgan pursed his lips. “Yeah, I think it’ll work.”

  I blinked at him a few times, trying to figure out what he wasn’t saying. Morgan was a hundred percent loyal to me. But if one person could beat me hands down for first priority, it would be Nicolette. So I didn’t know if he was telling me this for me, or for Nico.

  I guess I would see in time.

  8

  Nicolette

  I didn’t get much sleep last night. Thank heavens for my big ass, L-shaped purple and yellow couch. It enabled Morgan and I to at least lie down for the night, our heads touching like conjoined twins as we each took a side.

  “Why’d you do that, Nico? Go with that guy? You know better than that.”

  Everything always went back to Eugene. I felt shame burn in my chest at the blame I felt my brother was putting on me. I should have known better than to go with the big guy because my stepfather was abusive. So I’m not allowed to be stupid and emotional anymore.

  I knew that wasn’t what he was saying, I did. But my own feelings of recrimination colored his question with blame. I hunched in on myself, panting a little, maybe in a bit of a panic. There was no real reason for me to go with Rooster except that I was ashamed and acting out. I couldn’t say that to Morgan though.

  “I got some bad news today…or yesterday… what time is it?” I looked towards the clock on my wall but couldn’t quite make out the time. “Anyway, I was upset.”

  Morgan was silent for a while, probably absorbing my lame ass reason and trying to make the connection between being upset and putting myself in danger. He’s always been extremely practical, my brother. All this excess emotion was probably wigging him out.

  “Bad news?” he said at last.

  “Yeah. My supervisor told me that the board is most likely going to go with Danna’s project even th
ough mine is clearly better.”

  He raised himself on one elbow before twisting around to look at me. “Why? Is it because of that name thing you were saying? She’s a name?”

  “She’s the name.”

  “But aren’t you like…going to fix that by marrying Dom?”

  I sighed because I couldn’t help it. “Might be too late.”

  “Hey, don’t give up. It ain’t over till the fat lady sings and she most definitely has not done that.” He lay back down and we both turned on our backs, staring at the ceiling. When we were kids, I would sneak into his room and lie next to him and we’d both stare at the ceiling in much the same way.

  “Okay, I won’t… do you…umm.”

  “What?” He sounded mildly exasperated. “Spit it out.”

  “Do you think Dom will still want to marry me after all this?”

  He snorted. “He called you his fiancée in front of the president of a motorcycle club. I think he’s obligated.”

  “Yeah, but do you think he wants to?”

  Morgan was quiet for an awfully long time.

  “I’ve known that man for almost twenty years, Nico. One thing I can tell you for sure; if he doesn’t want to do something, ain’t no force on this earth or heaven that could move him.”

  “Nice. A stubborn man. Just what I need.” Despite my sarcastic words, I was relieved. We managed to doze off just as the sun was beginning to lighten the horizon, which meant that when my alarm went off at 7 a.m., I was grumpy as fuck. So I threw Morgan out with a blown kiss and went to get ready for work. Morgan wanted me to take the day off, but I’m not that precious.

  Besides, work was safe. It’s not as if the bikers would come looking for me there.

  I wasn’t even expecting them to look for a random girl like me; I was nobody special.

  I shuffled more than walked as I dragged my sorry ass into the office. Jacinda, saint that she was, already had coffee percolating merrily. She’d also brought snacks!