Red Eyes MC: Books 1 - 3

by Grey, Blair

  Except that if Ray called on me to help the MC, I would have no choice but to help out. I may have paid off my debt to him by bailing out the club with my inheritance money, but I couldn’t help thinking that I would always owe Ray a debt, especially now that he had been so great when I’d admitted I was dating his daughter.

  But it turned out Belle didn’t want to talk about MC business. “Nothing’s wrong,” she said slowly. “Just, when you mention the inheritance… we still haven’t gotten that divorce.”

  We’d both been dancing around that topic for the last three months now, ever since she had moved in with me. To be honest, I hadn’t seen what the big deal was. There was no reason to get divorced if we were going to stay together anyway. Not that there was any reason to stay married, either; it just seemed like a lot of extra work to get divorced only to turn back around and get married again.

  And the longer I was with her, the surer I was that we would end up getting married again eventually. I didn’t know how long it might take. I knew we were both sure that we loved one another, and I knew that we were compatible. Ray had even remarked on it a couple of times, telling me that he could never have picked someone who so perfectly suited his daughter. I took that as a huge compliment, especially since I knew just how protective he was of her.

  But we were good together. I didn’t know how, but we seemed to always be on the same page. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. And I was starting to realize that she felt the same.

  “Speaking of that divorce,” I said, nudging the box closer to Belle’s side of the counter.

  “Uh-oh,” Belle said, looking suddenly nervous. “Is this all the paperwork?”

  I laughed. “Of course not,” I said. I paused, taking both of her hands in mine for a moment and looking seriously into her eyes. “Belle, things between us have been going really good these past few months,” I said. “I really feel like you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I only hope that I can make you feel half as special as you’ve made me feel. You make me feel like I have a future. One that I hope to spend with you.”

  Belle smiled at me, but I could tell she was still curious about the box. I laughed and let go of her hands, nodding toward the slim white package. “Go on, open it,” I said.

  Belle reached out slowly and lifted the lid. Then, she gasped. “Oh Will,” she said, staring down at the intricately beaded silk.

  “It was your mother’s,” I told her. “Since you already have the ring, your Dad gave me this to give to you when I was ready to propose to you for real. I got it all tailored, so it should fit you. Nicole helped me with that part.”

  Belle whipped around, her eyes finding Nicole, who was at the other end of the counter watching us, a smile on her face. “You knew?” she shrieked. Nicole just laughed.

  Belle turned back to me, shaking her head. Slowly, she trailed her fingers over the dress. “Are you sure?” she asked. “You really want to get married? Again?”

  “For real this time,” I confirmed, nodding at her. “And not only am I sure, but I’ve already got everything set up. I’ve talked to Ray and the other MC members. I’ve told them everything. I’ve talked to Nicole, and she’s invited everyone that you’d want to have at your wedding. We’re going to get married.”

  “When?” Belle asked, still sounding amazed by all of this.

  I grinned at her. “Tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow?” she asked stupidly.

  I nodded. “I’m not letting you get away from me. And I know it’s soon, but I want to make sure you know that I’m 100 percent serious about this.” I laughed, my eyes twinkling. “And anyway, what’s the worst that can happen?” I quipped. “We might get divorced?”

  Belle laughed, leaning over the counter to grab the collar of my shirt, pulling me toward her. She kissed me until we were both breathless. Then, she pulled away, shaking her head. “We are never getting divorced," she said fiercely. "I told you that you were never going to lose me, and I meant that."

  “Good,” I said. “In that case, Belle Thompson, would you do me the honor of marrying me again?”

  “I do,” Belle said quietly, her eyes shining with promise.

  Epilogue

  Belle

  The Next Day

  Nicole helped me slip into my dress the next day. “God, it’s beautiful,” she said, shaking her head. “I can’t believe it fits so well.”

  “I can’t either!” I said. The dress fit like a glove, moving perfectly with my body. “How did you manage to pull this off?” I asked. “You and Will, I can’t believe you. I might be marrying him, but you’re the best friend that a girl could ever have."

  Nicole giggled. “I just hope everything comes together perfectly,” she said. “You deserve it.” She winked at me. “And I’m super glad you found your Mr. Right. Finally.”

  I laughed. “I found him a long time ago,” I pointed out. “It’s just that I finally get to be with him.”

  Nicole kissed me on the cheek and then hurried to do some last-minute checks on everything else. I smoothed my hands over my dress, waiting for my cue.

  This was still so hard to believe. I could never have imagined a couple of months ago that this was where we would end up. But I was happy. I was so incredibly happy. Will was still such a gentleman to me, surprising me sometimes with flowers or breakfast in bed, but there was so much more to it than that. I’d really seen him grow since he started taking classes at the local college. I could see his confidence in himself start to shine.

  And somehow, he channeled all of that into tenderness toward me.

  I peeked out toward the wedding chapel. Most of the guests were in their seats already. Everyone we knew, everyone we loved. They were all there, this time, to celebrate our special day.

  I grinned to myself, remembering the first wedding we’d had. Just Will and me and Marcus and the officiant at the courthouse. It had been nothing like this. This was nothing short of extravagant. Every detail was perfect, from the dress to the bouquet to the aisle runners. I could never have imagined Will would pull off anything like this.

  There was one more surprise, I realized, as I looked out toward the front of the room. Will was standing there already, beneath an ornately carved arch, one that I had seen him working on pieces of, around the apartment. He had carved it just for us. I felt incredibly touched at all the care and detail he had put into this. Somehow, I had found myself the perfect man.

  The wedding march started, and Dad appeared next to me. “Ready?” he asked me.

  I nodded, feeling suddenly nervous. This wasn’t the fake marriage that we’d had before. I really was pledging the rest of my life to Will. But I was more worried that I would trip walking up the aisle than that I was making a mistake in marrying Will for real. No, I knew that that wasn’t a mistake at all.

  “I think you’re going to have a wonderful future ahead of you,” Dad said quietly. Then, he walked me up the aisle and handed me off to Will.

  The ceremony passed in a blur. It was the same thing as last time, the same wording and everything, but this time, I couldn’t help feeling moved by all of it. All of our friends, there with us, as I married the man of my dreams. I just couldn’t get over it.

  Will reached up and gently brushed away a tear that had escaped down my cheek, and I laughed as I turned away from him in embarrassment. He smiled gently at me, though, his fingers cupping my cheek for a moment before he returned to holding my hands.

  This time when he kissed me, it wasn’t awkward at all. It felt so perfectly natural, his lips pressing against mine. There was no tongue—this was a church, after all—and I knew that Dad still didn’t approve of public displays of affection, at least not where I was concerned. But Will gave me a little dip to make up for that, only setting me back on my feet as everyone cheered.

  I leaned against Will as we walked back down the aisle, my feet feeling like they were floating. It was almost as though I needed him to anchor me ther
e, or else I might float away.

  “I’ve tried to give you the world, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy before,” Dad commented at the reception, giving me a big hug. He shook Will’s hand gravely. “But don’t you dare think that just because you’re married for real now, you can slack on your husbandly duties,” he said. “If I hear that you’ve done anything to upset her, I will come after you.”

  Will laughed, draping an arm around my shoulders. “Duly noted,” he said. “But trust me, if I have my way, I’m never going to upset her. Not even over the little things like forgetting to take out the trash.” He winked at me, and I had to giggle.

  “How are things going with the MC anyway?” I asked as Dad headed off to talk to someone else. “Sorry, I know I haven’t asked in a while. I just assumed you didn’t want to talk about it, but I’m curious.”

  Will shrugged. “Things are good, I guess,” he said. “I’ve got that one math class right at the time when they hold their weekly meetings, so I haven’t been too involved lately. Your dad’s not super happy about that, but he owes me one.” He paused. “Apparently we’re doing better now than we were before the clubhouse got ransacked, so that’s a good thing.”

  “What about that other MC?” I asked. “The Unseen, or whatever they were called. “What ended up happening with them?”

  “The Unknowns,” Will corrected. He was watching Ray talk to Marcus, his brow furrowed. Then, he shrugged again, looking down at me. “Never heard anything else from them, not after the whole thing with the clubhouse. Marcus kept trying to prove that they were the ones behind the incident, but it was like all his leads dried up right afterward.”

  “That’s weird, though, isn’t it?” I asked. “And Dad and everyone, they’re just going to let them get away with it?”

  “There’s not much they can do,” Will pointed out. “What I’m guessing is they were just after money to begin with. They don’t care about the territory; they were just looking to make a quick buck. Once they did that, they used part of the money to cover their tracks. Now, for all we know, they could have already moved on to the next place, the next group.”

  “Huh,” I said, frowning as I thought about it.

  “But come on, we don’t want to talk about shit like that today,” Will said, giving me a little shake. “No shop talk. It’s our wedding day.”

  “Round two,” I reminded him, but I grinned as I said it. I couldn’t help feeling like things were really looking up for us.

  We danced for a little while. “I guess we should start making the rounds and thanking everyone for coming,” I finally sighed. I didn’t want this night to end, but there were plenty of nights like that where Will and I were concerned. Besides, heading home wouldn’t be the end of this. I assumed Will had plans for that night, just like he had had plans for the day. I had some plans of my own, even.

  Suddenly, Dad caught my elbow. “You two need to get home. Now,” he said, his eyes flashing.

  I felt cold dread settle in the pit of my stomach. “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “Just take her home and make sure she’s safe,” Dad said to Will.

  “Of course,” Will said, leading me toward the back door and out into the night. We went home the back way, and I couldn’t help feeling robbed of something.

  When we got home, I wanted to tumble into bed with Will. But he was still on high alert, sitting stiffly on the edge of the couch and waiting for further instructions from my father. Again, a flicker of displeasure settled inside of me. This was supposed to be my night. What the hell was going on?

  Dad finally showed up, knocking on the front door before letting himself in. “It’s the Unknowns,” he told Will grimly in a low voice, glancing over at me as he spoke. “They threw a gutted fish outside the reception hall. Marcus said it was Lex, their leader. He was outside keeping watch when it happened.”

  Will’s hands balled up into fists. “What did he want?”

  “I don’t know,” Dad said, “but they seemed to know exactly where to find us. We’re not going to let them catch us off guard, and we’re not going to let them stay here on our territory. We’re going after them this time.”

  Will nodded. “Just let me know what you need from me,” he said.

  Not Warranted

  NOT WARRANTED

  By Blair Grey

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2018 Blair Grey

  1

  Marcus

  Monday

  I wasn’t surprised when Ray called me into his office following the club meeting on the Monday after Belle and Will’s wedding. But I was surprised that he still didn’t want to make a solid plan.

  “Why a fish, though?” Cameron asked, frowning from behind his steepled fingers. “Is that something to do with Red Eyes’ past?”

  Red Eyes was one of the most powerful motorcycle clubs in New Mexico, but even though the fish that had landed outside the reception hall had red eyes, there was no obvious connection between our club and the fish.

  Ray shook his head. “It’s not a reference to the club,” he said, his tone grave. “It’s a reference to what they’ll do to us if they get their hands on us.”

  Cameron snorted. “We’re in New Mexico,” he said. “It’s a bit of a drive to the nearest lake, let alone the ocean. Seems like there’d be a better way to dispose of us than to send us swimming with the fishes.”

  “That’s not it,” I said slowly, glancing at Ray. “They mean they’re going to gut us.”

  A look of dawning comprehension spread across Cameron’s face. Ray shook his head, though. “I think it’s directed at me personally,” he said. “They knew I would be there; it was my daughter’s wedding. And they chose that place, rather than our headquarters or here at the house, to send us a message. It was directed at me. Where my daughter could see.”

  He growled the last part. Everyone knew he didn’t want Belle to have anything to do with Red Eyes business. He hadn’t even wanted her married to Will, one of Red Eyes’ best enforcers, or at least, not at first. I was still surprised he had agreed to the wedding, but then again, maybe he thought Will would be able to protect her. She was growing past the age where Ray could protect her forever.

  Still, I knew he had to be pissed. The assholes who had threatened him had ruined his daughter’s wedding day, pretty much killing the celebration. What was meant to be the perfect day for her had ended in fear and confusion.

  I leaned forward, using that as my angle. “We have to go after them,” I said fiercely. “You know you can’t let them get away with this. Next thing you know, they’ll grow even more brazen. Maybe they’ll even go after Belle in an attempt to get to you.”

  Ray silenced me with a look. “We don’t know who ‘they’ are still,” he said.

  “Bullshit,” I said, unable to hide my temper even though I knew I didn’t want to cross Ray. At least it was just Cameron and me in there with him, not the whole club. Ray was a lot more lenient when my insubordination happened in the semi-privacy of his home or office.

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “It’s the Unknowns. Just like it was when they ransacked our clubhouse, something that we still haven’t answered even though that happened months ago now. They’re trying to move in on our territory; we know that.”

  “Sure, we know that they’re trying to move in on our territory,” Ray agreed, sounding aggravated. “But we have no proof they were the ones behind the mess here at the clubhouse.”

  Although today the place looked pretty much like it always had, it had taken some time to put it back to rights after it had been plundered, glass shattered all over the floors, and all the furniture stolen. What’s more, whoever had broken into the place—and I was su
re it was the Unknowns—had stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars from the safe that had once been here, in Ray’s office.

  It was clear what their motives had been: cause a scene and convince the local businesses that we were losing our hold on the area. If we couldn’t protect ourselves, how could we hope to protect them?

  Anyway, we’d managed a good cover-up, thanks to Will getting his hands on a hefty inheritance at just the right time and lending the money to the club. But all the same, we should have taken action then, not waited for the Unknowns to make their next move. Ray didn’t agree, though. He didn’t want to risk members of the club by starting some sort of violent showdown.

  Ray spread his arms in an expansive shrug. “Look, I’m not too worried about this,” he said. “It’s not the first threat on my life I’ve ever received. And yet, here I am. Still kicking.” He paused. “If it was the Unknowns who threw the fish, well, I have to figure that if they had the manpower to attack us, then they would have done so. They continue to just posture and stay out of our way. That means they’re still scared of us.”

  “We should give them something to really be scared of,” I declared. “Something to get them off our territory once and for all. You don’t have to worry about putting me in harm’s way; I volunteer to go.”

  Ray shook his head. “We’ll make a move when the time is right,” he said. “I still want more information about them before we dive in headfirst, fists swinging.”

  “Especially because the new sheriff won’t take kindly to an outbreak of violence,” Cameron murmured.

  I tried to hide my surprise. “What have you heard?” I asked.