Red Eyes MC: Books 1 - 3

by Grey, Blair

  “Do that,” Marcus said, nodding his head. He grinned. “These two lovebirds are eager to disappear on their honeymoon.”

  “Right, of course,” the officiant said briskly, and I could tell he was thinking back to the money that Marcus had paid him earlier.

  I didn’t care if we had to bribe him, though. I just wanted everything to be official so that Belle and I could be on our way. She seemed to have the same thought in her head, as she leaned into me, leading me out of the courthouse.

  “So what’s the plan now?” she asked.

  “I think you should probably go back to your dad’s place for tonight,” I said, even though I would much rather she come back with me. “You’ll need to pack, and we don’t want him to start thinking that this was about something more than the money.”

  “Right,” Belle said, and I could tell she was disappointed. I wanted to kiss away the slight pout that formed on her lips, but Marcus was right there behind us.

  I forced myself to let go of her. “We’ll leave for Texas tomorrow, as long as they can push through our marriage certificate today.”

  “They will,” Marcus assured me.

  “Okay,” Belle said, nodding. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, then. Husband.”

  I grinned at her. “See you tomorrow, dearest,” I told her, liking the way the pet name rolled off my tongue.

  Marcus rolled his eyes at both of us, but he simply said goodbye and walked off down the street. I couldn’t resist giving Belle one last, quick kiss on the lips before following after him.

  28

  Belle

  I practically skipped home after the wedding. Oh, it hadn’t really been a wedding. But all the words had been spoken for real, and we were going to have our hands on the wedding certificate in the next day or so. As far as the law was concerned, it had been a real marriage.

  I was married to Will. I was the new Mrs. Kamp.

  I couldn’t stop grinning stupidly.

  When I got home, I found Dad out in the garage, music blaring as he worked on one of his project bikes. “Looking good,” I said, leaning against his truck as I watched him.

  Dad grinned and turned down his music so that we wouldn’t have to shout. “Hey, sweetheart,” he said, giving me a quick one-armed hug. “How was it?”

  I shrugged. “You know. A lot of legal words were spoken. They said they’ll have the marriage certificate for us as soon as possible.”

  “Good,” Dad said, but he was looking searchingly into my eyes. “But how was it?”

  I laughed. “It was fine. It was no big deal; you know that. It’s not like I was getting married for real, other than in a legal sense.”

  “Otherwise, I would have been there,” Dad said, nodding. He wiped his hands on a rag. “But I hope you know that even if this wedding was strictly from a legal standpoint, and even though Will is like a son to me, if he does anything to harm you in any way, I’ll make sure he pays.”

  I shook my head, grinning. “I know, Daddy,” I said. “But Will’s a good guy. You wouldn’t have let me marry him if you didn’t think so.”

  “I trust him,” Dad agreed.

  I paused. “I had to kiss him. For the wedding,” I said slowly. But to my surprise, Dad wasn’t mad. Instead, he laughed.

  “Of course you did,” he said jovially. “And how was it?”

  “Awkward and weird,” I admitted. And it had been. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it had been almost as though Will hadn’t wanted to kiss me. I wished I knew what he was thinking about this whole thing, but he was maddeningly neutral and reserved about all of it. I hadn’t had a chance to really talk to him, not since he had come into the diner and we had first talked about the marriage.

  I was starting to wonder if he was regretting things. From the way he had kissed me, like he didn’t really want to, to the way he had sent me off home alone for the night, it just seemed like maybe he didn’t want me around. Like maybe this really was just about convenience. Like there was nothing else between us.

  I tried not to be upset by that. It was probably just typical guy stuff. He was probably commitment-shy, and now he was forced into this marriage with me. He probably thought I was going to start getting attached to him, that I wouldn’t want to get divorced when all this was over, and that he was really stuck with me. He was trying to make sure that didn’t happen.

  Just because I understood it, though, it didn’t make me feel any better about it. I couldn’t help feeling somehow cheated. I wanted a real kiss from him, up there at the altar. Maybe it was too soon for us to be married, but we were married now, legally. I wanted to act like it. Even if it was just so that he could get his hands on his inheritance.

  I shook those thoughts out of my head, though, and smiled at Dad.

  “So where is your beau now?” he asked.

  “Back home, I guess,” I said, shrugging. “He told me to come home and pack. He wants to leave for Texas tomorrow.”

  “Good,” Dad said, nodding approvingly. He paused. “I would have thought you would take this opportunity to spend a little time away from the house, though.”

  I laughed. “Come on; we’re only married so that Will can get his money. You know that.” I wondered if he could hear how hollow my words sounded.

  Dad raised an eyebrow at me. “You know, if there was one man in this world that I would maybe consider you being with, it would be Will.”

  “Really?” I asked in surprise. “I would have thought that because he’s in Red Eyes, you wouldn’t want me anywhere near him.”

  “I said I would maybe consider you being with him.”

  “Right, right. No one’s good enough for me, are they?” I asked with a grin on my face. But I was still tossing his words around in my mind. Did he already know? Was that why he was so okay with this whole thing? But no, he would have said something.

  “So, off to Texas tomorrow, is it?” Dad asked. “You behave yourself with that man. I trust Will, but he is a man. And men have certain desires.”

  I rolled my eyes, even though I could feel my heart start to beat a little faster. Off to Texas, all alone. Just the two of us. Will could have his way with me every night if he wanted to. And I wouldn’t have to worry about getting home to Dad afterward; we could pass out together, cuddling, and in the morning, we’d wake up twisted together beneath the sheets.

  Dad raised an eyebrow at me, and I could tell he knew exactly what I was thinking, or at least had some idea of it. But he didn’t know that it wouldn’t be the first time that Will and I had had sex with one another. “Be careful,” he said, his voice gravelly with some emotion I couldn’t identify.

  For the first time, though, I started to wonder if maybe I could tell him about Will and me. Maybe he wouldn’t kill us both after all. I filed that thought away to consider further. But for now, I gave Dad another quick hug, leaning up to press a soft kiss to his cheek. “Thanks for always being there for me, Dad,” I said.

  “I’m sorry I had to get you involved in this mess.”

  “I don’t mind. Really.” If only he knew how much I didn’t mind. “Why don’t I make us some lunch?”

  “That sounds great, sweetheart,” Dad said. “And don’t you worry about this trip to Texas. You know I’m only a phone call away, no matter where you go. If you need me, I’ll be there.”

  “Thanks, Dad,” I said, even though the last thing I wanted was to have to call him in the middle of the trip to come rescue me. I appreciated that he would always be there for me, though.

  I headed inside, but my thoughts were far from what kind of sandwiches to prepare. I stared down at the ring on my finger. I’d actually been surprised when Will had pulled it out earlier. Silly me, I hadn’t even thought about all the logistics of the wedding. This was just so that we could get that piece of paper; surely, we didn’t need to exchange rings and everything, did we?

  But of course, it would look like it was just a sham if we didn’t act like we were married. And t
here had been something really nice about watching Will slip this simple band with its three tiny diamonds onto my finger.

  I knew we weren’t really married, not in any way beyond the legal one, but that didn’t stop me from feeling happy about the whole thing. It felt good being the wife of a man that I truly had feelings for. I knew I should feel like it was too soon, that things were moving too fast between us. A few weeks ago, we had still been dancing around each other, the sexual tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Somehow, we’d gone from that to sleeping with one another to married, all in the span of weeks.

  It was a whirlwind, an absolute whirlwind. But there was something about it I had to appreciate. Even if things didn’t work out between us in the end, I liked that Will was my first in so many things now: my first lover, my first husband.

  I smiled to myself, lightly tracing my finger over the diamonds, and then set about making lunch.

  29

  Will

  On Thursday morning, I headed over to Belle’s house, feeling as though my body was practically thrumming with energy. When I knocked on the door to the mother-in-law house, no one answered, so I headed to the main house instead. Ray answered the door.

  “Hey, man,” I said, feeling suddenly nervous. How was he taking all of this? “I’m here to pick up my wife.” I stumbled a little over the last word, still trying to get used to the idea that Belle and I were married now.

  Ray grinned at me and clapped me on the shoulder. “Congratulations on that, by the way,” he said, smirking at me.

  I snorted. “You know it’s just for show.”

  “Still,” Ray said. He eyed me seriously for a long moment, still making no move to let me in. “I want you to be careful,” he said quietly. “Take good care of my daughter, as though she really were your wife. Don’t let anything happen to her.”

  “Of course.”

  “I’m serious,” Ray continued. “If you were any other man, there’s no way I would have let Belle get involved in any of this. I’m trusting you with her.”

  I nodded, not sure what to say in response. There was still part of me that wanted to tell him that he had no reason to trust me, not ever again. That I had wanted her before this whole marriage thing had ever come up. That I was the asshole she was staying out late with.

  But I held my tongue.

  A moment later, Belle came down the stairs behind her father. “Oh, Will!” she said, sounding surprised to see me there.

  Ray finally stepped back to let me in, with one last, meaningful look at me. Then, he turned his attention to his daughter. “Did you find it?” he asked.

  “Yeah,” Belle said, holding up a dark leather jacket.

  I swallowed hard, picturing her in that, her arms around my waist, her hair blowing in the wind. Shit, I was getting hard already. She was too sexy for her own good.

  “Are you hungry?” Belle asked. “I could make you some breakfast.”

  “Already ate,” I said, kind of regretting that I had. The last thing I really wanted was to sit down with Belle and Ray right now, together. I was afraid I might say something wrong, something that hinted at the deeper relationship that Belle and I had. But at the same time, it would have been nice. A picture of domestic bliss, something I didn’t usually have in my life.

  “Okay,” Belle said, looking a little disappointed, too. “So it’s time to hit the road?”

  “Yeah, if you’re ready,” I said.

  “I am,” Belle said, nodding. She gave her dad a big hug. “I’ll see you soon, Dad.”

  “See you soon,” he agreed. To my surprise, Ray turned to me and gave me a hug as well, clapping me on the back. “Be good to her,” he murmured.

  “I will,” I said, my heart in my throat as I watched Belle slip on the leather jacket. I shook my head and led the way out to my bike.

  I drove a little slower with Belle on the back of the bike than I normally did when I was out on my own, but we still made good time. Especially since our appointment with Greg wasn’t until the following day anyway. We wandered around town a little when we arrived, before finally settling on a burger joint for dinner.

  “Can you believe that this has all worked out?” Belle asked as we sat there across from each other.

  I laughed and shook my head, tracing my thumb across her knuckles. Her wedding ring glittered beneath the fluorescent lighting. “Honestly, I’m surprised at how cool Ray was about all of it.”

  “Me too!” Belle said. She shook her head. “I guess he really must have felt like he didn’t have any other choice, but still.” She paused. “So what do you think you’re going to study in college?”

  “It’s a little too soon for figuring that out, I guess,” I said, shrugging. “All the money I’m getting right now is going toward the motorcycle club.”

  “Does it have to, though?” Belle asked, cocking her head to the side. “I mean, I know you’re going to have to pay for the damages to the clubhouse and have enough funds for operational expenses, but I really don’t think it would be a problem for you to keep part of the fortune for yourself. Do you?”

  I stared at her for a long moment. Then, I shook my head. “Probably not,” I admitted.

  “I just figure, the sooner you get started with all of that, the sooner you can start the next chapter of your life,” Belle said shyly. “The next chapter of our lives.”

  I was surprised to hear her say that. “I figured as soon as we met with the lawyers and got our hands on the money, you’d be getting ready to get a divorce,” I said, grinning crookedly at her.

  “Why would you say that?” Belle asked.

  I shrugged. “I know the sex is good between us, but I just figured this probably wasn’t the way you pictured your life going,” I said. “I guess I just pictured you with someone different in the long run. And I know all of this has come up pretty fast.”

  “It has,” Belle agreed. She was starting to blush, and she stared down at the table. “But I don’t know; being married to you isn’t so bad.” She flashed me a quick grin. “Besides, I was already thinking that maybe you could help me out with something when we get back. I’ve been trying to get my own place for a while now, but every time I bring it up, Dad freaks out. If I moved in with you…”

  She trailed off, looking embarrassed. “I know it’s all too soon. That we don’t know each other well enough. And I know that you probably like your privacy, and you don’t want me to be around all the time. I’m sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking.”

  “Hey,” I said, my voice soft but firm. Belle finally looked up at me. “If I can help you out, whatever you need, I’ll do it. I owe you one, after all. Besides, I don’t think it would be that bad, having you around.” I grinned. “If I really got sick of you, I have a guest bedroom.”

  Belle laughed. “Okay,” she said. She shrugged. “We don’t have to figure it all out now; I just wanted you to know that I’m not so unhappy about all of this.”

  “Good to know,” I said.

  “You’re going to be great in college, whatever you decide to study,” Belle said, picking up her earlier line of conversation.

  “How do you know that?” I asked, unable to keep the amusement from my voice.

  “You’re smart,” Belle said frankly. “And what’s more, I know that you really want to change your life. You’ll put in the effort. Get the work done. You’re going to be great.”

  “Thanks,” I said, feeling a warmth spread through my chest. “I’m a little nervous about it.”

  “Why?” Belle asked curiously.

  I shrugged. “I’m just probably going to be older than a lot of the people in my classes. And I didn’t graduate high school. I’ve got my GED, but it’s not the same. Plus, I have to face your father and tell him that I want out of Red Eyes.”

  “Maybe you should take things one step at a time,” Belle suggested. “Tell him that you’re temporarily not going to be around the MC very much, because you’re going back to school. Conv
eniently schedule one of your classes for Mondays so that he can’t guilt you into going to the club meetings. And then when you finally get your degree, tell him that you want to get a real job and settle down. Something like that.”

  I laughed, shaking my head. “That’s a pretty good plan,” I admitted.

  “Years of dealing with my father,” Belle said breezily. She smiled at me.

  Eventually, we headed back to the hotel room. Belle flopped on the bed, stretching widely. For a moment, I just had to stare at her. The wind had blown some of her hair free of its braid that afternoon, and her cheeks were a little flushed as well. Her shirt had ridden up a little when she flopped down, displaying a thin, pale stretch of skin just above her hips. I felt my mouth go dry. I wanted nothing more than to crawl on top of her, to cover her body with mine and kiss my way along her skin.

  Belle raised an eyebrow at me, and I realized that that was what she wanted as well. I remembered what she had said before, about how she didn’t exactly mind being married to me. About how maybe she might want to keep up this charade even once we were back in Las Cruces.

  I slowly tugged off my shirt, letting it fall to the floor. “I guess since we’re married now, maybe it’s time to consecrate our marriage,” I said as I came over to the bed.

  Belle shivered, watching me with dark eyes as I climbed onto the bed and pulled her against me. Her fingers were gentle, tracing the tattoos that ran across my chest. For a moment, we just laid there like that. Even though this was just a wedding born out of the need to get my inheritance money, I couldn’t help but feel that there was something special about this time. I wanted to remember every detail of it, the look in her eyes, the way she licked those soft pink lips of hers.

  I leaned in to kiss her, tender but with an underlying note of need to it. Belle opened her mouth to me almost immediately, deepening the kiss as her fingers continued to rove over my body. I couldn’t help but grin.