Shaker (Blackwings MC Book 5)

by Teagan Brooks

  “I do care about her as a friend, but there can never be anything else between us, for many reasons,” I explained.

  “Such as?” he asked, with a raised brow.

  “For one thing, we agreed not to consummate the marriage so we could get it annulled after we take care of Lawrence,” I told him. He nodded and gestured for me to keep going. “You said it yourself, I have never expressed an interest in having a serious relationship, and she’s not the type of girl to fuck and forget.”

  “You ever been in a relationship before?” he asked.

  “Once,” I mumbled.

  “Ah, the bitch must have burned you good. Did you love her?” he asked.

  I shrugged, “I thought I did at the time, but now I’m not sure. If what I had with her was love, I don’t ever want to be in love again.”

  “Shaker, if it was love, you would have known it, without question. What happened between you and the girl?” he asked gently.

  “We were together for about a year when she told me she was pregnant. We planned to get married after the baby was born. I was by her side through the entire pregnancy. When the baby was born, I knew it wasn’t mine. I left and never looked back,” I said quietly.

  “Anything else?” he asked.

  “Uh, yeah, but you already know that story,” I said and shifted uncomfortably in my seat. “The club whore that claimed she was pregnant and then said she had an abortion a few days later. Turned out she was lying about both. Anyway, I might have been able to move past the first one if the second one didn’t happen. But it did, and, after that, I was done with bitches. No more repeats. Then, I stupidly let Hilarie become a repeat. You know how that story ended,” I said.

  “Have you ever shared those stories with anyone?” he asked. I shook my head, unable to meet his eyes. “Shaker, I’m not going to pretend to know what’s best for you, but I think it would be good for you to talk to Keegan. Tell her what happened to you and see how she reacts. She has shared a lot of her personal business with you. Talk to her about your past and talk to her about the kidnapping. You said you care about her as a friend, let her be your friend. Couples who were friends first have some of the strongest and happiest relationships.”

  “But we’re not in a relationship, not really.”

  Phoenix sighed. “So you’ve said. I think you’re missing my point. Let her be your friend. She’s kind and loyal, and she would probably love to be able to do something for you in return for everything you’re doing for her.”

  “Thanks, Prez. I’ll think about it.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Keegan

  I hadn’t seen Shaker in almost two weeks. I knew he came home every night as his bike was in the driveway when I left for work in the mornings. I don’t know what I expected our fake marriage to be like, but this wasn’t it. I couldn’t say for sure, but I had a distinct feeling he was avoiding me, and I had no idea why. I didn’t have time to worry about it too much. I had been extremely busy at work, learning everything I could from Duke and preparing to get started on the horse farm expansion.

  It was time to leave and drive to his mother’s house to get ready for the wedding reception, and he wasn’t home. I called his cell phone several times and not once did he answer. I wasn’t type A about things by any means, but some form of a plan would have been nice. If I waited any longer, I was going to risk being late to my own reception, regardless of where my supposed groom was.

  Sighing, I grabbed my bag and climbed into my car. I put the car in reverse and heard the roar of pipes behind me. Shaker signaled for me to wait and ran inside the house. Moments later he emerged with a duffle bag and walked to the driver’s side of the car. “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “Driving. Slide over,” he grumbled. I should have told him to shove it, but I never cared much for driving. Without a word, I slid into the passenger seat and closed my eyes. It wasn’t a long drive to his mother’s house, but maybe I could get a short nap in.

  “You okay?” Shaker asked once we were on the highway.

  “I’m fine,” I answered curtly. He hadn’t been interested in how I was doing for the last two weeks, so why worry about it now?

  He cleared his throat, “I haven’t had a chance to tell you. The guy following you and Harper at the mall was a private investigator hired by Lawrence. We convinced him to plant a bug in Lawrence’s office and coached him on what to report back to Lawrence. Don’t be surprised if Lawrence’s behavior is out of character tonight. We’re trying to make him believe that I am completely captivated by you. I have no doubt he will try to get close to us in hopes of getting his greedy hands on some of my family’s fortune.”

  “Okay, thanks for the heads up,” I replied flatly.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

  I shifted to my side, facing away from him, “Nothing. I’m just tired. I’m going to try to catch a nap before we get there.”

  He didn’t argue with me and blessedly drove the remainder of the trip in silence. I, however, did not find sleep. Instead, my mind was in overdrive. I was already nervous about the reception. I never cared for being the center of attention and tonight I would be, while I was pretending to be newly married to Jacob Kingsley Marks. As if that wasn’t enough, now I knew Lawrence would be there and would likely try to socialize with me. I shuddered when I wondered if the Hensleys would be there, too. This soirée had the makings of a gargantuan disaster.

  A hand on my shoulder was gently rocking me. “Keegan, baby, wake up.” I blinked my eyes open to find Shaker hovering over me. “We’re here,” he announced. I guess I did fall asleep after all.

  Jacquelyn was waiting for us inside the front door. She threw her arms open wide and pulled us both into a hug. “My son and daughter-in-law! I’m so happy to see you!” She held us in her embrace for several beats before releasing us. “Jacob, you know where everything is. Keegan, come, let me show you where you can get ready for the party this evening.”

  Jacquelyn led me into a room that looked very much like a small salon. She grinned when she noticed me looking around the room. “This is what I like to call my styling room. With as many events as I attend, it seemed more convenient to have the necessities in my home and have everyone come to me. I have a makeup artist, manicurist, and hairstylist who should be arriving any moment now. You are welcome to use their services. Through the door on the far side of the room is a small area I use for dressing. We can hang your gown in there.”

  “Yoo-hoo,” a new voice called.

  “Oh, my girls are here! Come in, dears,” Jacquelyn said. “Girls, this is my beautiful daughter-in-law, Keegan. Keegan, this is Bianca, Deanna, and Nadine. They have been helping me prepare for events for years. They are by far the best in the business,” she said with a smile.

  The girls set up their equipment and set to work. Jacquelyn had some champagne sent up, and soon it felt more like a spa day with friends. Jacquelyn was right; the girls were very talented. Deanna curled my hair and swept it off my shoulders into an elegant updo. Bianca accentuated my eyes by applying a heavy smoky eye paired with a nude lip color. Nadine opted for a French manicure with a light coat of sparkle polish over the white tips for my fingernails and a sheer nude for my toes. When they were finished and turned me to face the mirror, I wanted to cry. I looked and felt beautiful, which wasn’t something a girl who spent most of her time in a barn experienced often.

  “Don’t cry, dear, you will mess up my hard work,” Bianca said playfully.

  “That’s right,” Jacquelyn chimed in. “No time for tears. We have just enough time to get dressed before we need to leave.”

  I was suddenly embarrassed about the dress I purchased for the reception. At the time, I wanted something to catch Shaker’s attention, to make him want me. Instead, he would see me as immature and desperate.

  “Keegan, are you all right, my dear?” Jacquelyn asked.

  I swallowed thickly, “I’m sorry, I didn�
��t mean to worry you. I’m fine; I was just suddenly wondering if I chose the right dress. I guess I’m a little nervous.”

  “I’m sure it’s lovely. Let’s have a look,” she smiled kindly.

  I slipped into my dress and prayed she didn’t think I looked like a hussy, because I certainly felt like one — a shameless, desperate hussy. Taking a deep breath, I braced myself for Jacquelyn’s disapproval and slowly opened the door with my eyes closed.

  She gasped, “Oh, Keegan, it’s perfect!”

  “Really?” I asked, surprised by her reaction. “It’s not too…” I trailed off, unable to think of the right word.

  “It’s perfect, my dear. Go on downstairs while I get changed into my gown,” she said, closing the door behind her.

  I took one last look at myself in the mirror, picked up my clutch, and slowly descended the grand staircase. Shaker was standing at the bottom; his back turned to me. My heels tapping on the marble floor must have caught his attention. He turned around and took a step back at the sight of me approaching. “Keegan,” he whispered.

  I froze, unsure of his reaction. His dark eyes slowly took me in from head to toe and back up. “I have no words; none exist that would do you justice.” He smiled shyly and extended his hand to help me down the remainder of the stairs.

  “Thank you,” I said softly.

  We waited in silence for Jacquelyn to come down. I tried not to fidget, but my nerves were starting to get the better of me. Shaker placed his hand on the small of my back and leaned in closer, “Relax, everything will be fine.”

  I turned my head toward him and, in a moment of weakness, pleaded, “Please don’t leave me.”

  His face was so close to mine. I could feel his soft breaths on my cheek. “I won’t. I promise,” he murmured before gently pressing his lips to mine in a soft kiss.

  I started to turn into his body when a throat clearing caught my attention. We both turned to see Jacquelyn smiling brightly, looking like the essence of sophisticated grace. “Shall we?”

  The hour drive to the reception venue did nothing to quell my anxiety. I don’t think anything short of an elephant tranquilizer could have at that point. As we were pulling up to the venue, Jacquelyn instructed her driver to take us to a back entrance. We were to wait in a private room while the guests arrived. Then, we would enter the ballroom when we were formally announced as Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Kingsley Marks.

  Jacob. I had to remember to call him Jacob instead of Shaker tonight. How was I going to remember that? In my mind, Jacob was my mysterious dance partner from the masquerade ball. The man I shared a few kisses with in the dark. Shaker was the man who repeatedly came to my rescue. The man I married. My friend. My friend who I was wildly attracted to. The man I had spent many nights fantasizing about.

  “Keegan?” Shaker called from outside the limo, his hand extended toward me.

  “Sorry,” I mumbled, placing my hand in his.

  We were ushered through the backdoor to a small room to wait until it was time for the reception to begin. I carefully sat and immediately began to worry my hands in my lap. I felt Shaker sit beside me, but I didn’t raise my eyes to look at him. “Out with it. What has you so worried?”

  “I’ve never liked being the center of attention. I prefer to blend in with the crowd and watch rather than be watched on any given day. Knowing all eyes will be on me while I’m pretending to be your wife, pretending to have a civil relationship with Lawrence, and potentially having to face Preston and/or his parents is almost more than I can handle,” I confessed.

  He put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me to his chest. “First of all, you are not pretending to be my wife; you are my wife. As far as Lawrence goes, yes, you have to be civil. If you feel like you are about to lash out at him, squeeze my hand or arm twice, and I will redirect the conversation or steal you away for a few minutes.” He paused and used his free hand to tilt my face to his, “Preston will not be here tonight. His parents likely will be, but I can promise you he will not.”

  “What did you do?” I whispered.

  Shaker grinned, “I didn’t do anything. I heard he ran into some trouble with a ‘biker gang’ and would be tied up all evening.”

  I pulled back and playfully swatted his chest, “You didn’t?”

  “Again, I didn’t,” he laughed.

  “Thank you,” I said softly.

  He nodded his head once and softly pressed his lips to mine in a chaste kiss. For the second time that evening, a throat clearing garnered our attention.

  “It’s time,” Jacquelyn beamed.

  We entered the ballroom to cheers and shouts from our guests. I glanced around the room, in awe of the sheer opulence of the room. Jacquelyn had chosen well and clearly spared no expense on the reception. The room had an old-world look, decorated in creams and golds, lit by magnificent crystal chandeliers. If I hadn’t known better, I would have sworn I was standing in the grand ballroom of a palace. “This place is unbelievable,” I whispered to Shaker.

  Music began to play, and I was led to the dance floor for my first dance with my husband. I felt like I was in a whirlwind, every twist and turn revealing a new surprise. Jacquelyn had planned everything, even the music. I chuckled softly as Shaker began to lead me around the dance floor to Beauty and the Beast. “Your mother has quite the sense of humor,” I said with a smile.

  He smirked, “I picked the song.”

  I couldn’t contain the giggle that escaped me, “Good choice.”

  When the song ended, I was forced to stand beside a stiff Lawrence while Shaker danced with Jacquelyn. I didn’t have any desire to speak to him, much less any clue what to say, but I felt like I should say something. People were watching after all. “I hope our impromptu reception didn’t cause much trouble with your schedule. I apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused,” I said sweetly.

  “Of course not, my child. I was more than happy to clear my evening to celebrate your marriage to the Marks boy,” he replied, sounding surprisingly genuine, though I knew he was anything but. He extended his bent elbow to me, “Our turn.”

  The father-daughter dance had completely slipped my mind. I wanted to find the person responsible for coming up with these wedding traditions and strangle them. Instead, I plastered a fake smile on my face and stiffly allowed Lawrence to lead me in a waltz. Blessedly, Jacquelyn had chosen a short song, and the awkward dance was over quickly.

  Since we didn’t have a wedding party, Shaker and I were seated together for dinner with Jacquelyn at his side and Lawrence at mine. Once again, I had the privilege of witnessing Jacquelyn passively put Lawrence in his place when he attempted to scold me for eloping. “Oh, Senator Hastings, don’t let your disappointment of missing their nuptials put a damper on celebrating the love and happiness so obviously shared between these two young souls,” she said with a broad smile. I shoved a forkful of food into my mouth to keep from outright laughing at the look on Lawrence’s face.

  After dinner, we had to suffer through far too many hugs and handshakes, most of which were accompanied by superficial congratulations and conversations. I was on the verge of excusing myself to the bathroom when Shaker suddenly pulled me onto the dance floor and wrapped me in his arms. “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “Dancing with my beautiful wife,” he replied. Then, he leaned in close as if to nuzzle my ear and whispered, “The Hensleys were headed in our direction, and they didn’t seem to be happy.”

  Great. What were they going to do? Make a scene at the wedding reception of the girl who didn’t want to marry their abusive son? Preston and I weren’t engaged. Hell, we weren’t even dating. They had no right to be angry with me. If anyone, they should be upset with Lawrence for promising my hand in marriage without my explicit permission.

  Finally, the party started to wind down. We had danced, socialized, and cut the cake. Before I thrust myself back into the throng of guests, many of which were becoming increasingly inebriated, I slipped
away to use the restroom. As I was exiting, I heard heated male voices, both I recognized instantly. Quietly, I took a few steps back and partially closed the door.

  “I had no idea she fucking knew him! I couldn’t possibly have known she was planning to marry him!” Lawrence said harshly.

  “It doesn’t matter if you knew or not. What are we going to do now? We only have 30 days!” Mr. Hensley said.

  “No need to worry. I have something in the works as we speak,” Lawrence replied.

  “Something in the works? Something in the works isn’t good enough. We need a solid plan or—” Mr. Hensley was cut off.

  “We had one! Your son is the one who fucked that up. Maybe instead of complaining and whining, you could help me come up with a solution,” Lawrence argued.

  “It happened on one of your days, not mine,” Mr. Hensley retorted sounding farther away.

  I heard Lawrence quietly curse followed by footsteps moving away from me. I waited for a few beats before exiting the restroom and making a beeline for Shaker. I found him chatting with Jacquelyn and a small group of guests. I forced my face into a smile and walked right to his side. Raising to my toes, I pressed a kiss on his cheek and whispered, “We need to talk.”

  He waited for a break in the conversation, “If you will excuse me, I want to dance with my lovely bride.”

  On the dance floor, he held my body tightly to his, allowing us the opportunity to talk without being seen or heard. I told him everything I overheard in the hallway between Mr. Hensley and Lawrence. “What do you think they were talking about?”

  “I’m not sure, but I think it would be wise to discuss it later, yeah?” he said.