Page 26 of Biker Bride (Hell on Heelz MC)

The staff bustled around the mansion, preparing for the big day. Vivian was at the helm, barking orders and ensuring every detail was perfect. I had no say in any of it, and I told myself I didn’t care. It wasn’t real, after all. Just a means to an end.

But as I watched the decorations go up and the preparations unfold, something inside me twisted. The magnitude of the farce we were about to perform hit me hard. Everyone would be there, believing in this fairy tale. Maybe a small part of me wanted it to be real.

When the last of the staff left the room, I couldn’t take anymore pretending. I grabbed a vase from the table and hurled it at the large mirror, the sound of shattering glass echoing through the room. The cracks spread across the mirror, distorting my reflection. Maybe I did care more than I wanted to admit.

Vince and I were supposed to get our marriage license. I went to find him, and as I neared his father’s study, I overheard a conversation.

“Harold can’t trust Vince to take the lead,” Vince’s cousin said to his sister, Claire. “Marco had secured the biggest club in the state to do our bidding, the bikers in Miami, and I was Marco's right-hand guy. Vince knows their plan was to run the other motorcycle clubs out of the state, all the one percenters, and he brings a biker bitch home to marry. When those bitches killed Marco. It’s a slap in Harold’s face. A fucking challenge to us all. Vince has gone crazy. If Grandpa had his wits, he’d strike Vince’s name off his will.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Vince’s sister and his cousin were talking about my club, about our territory. Theywere planning to control the bikers in Florida, and Vince was supposed to be in on it. Was that why he chose me? To use me as part of their scheme?

I found Vince in our room, his back turned to me. I stormed in, fury coursing through me. "We have to go get our marriage license," I snapped.

Vince turned to look at me, surprise flickering in his eyes at my tone. “Alright, let’s go.”

We got into the car, and the silence between us was so thick I wanted to cut it. Cut someone. I felt for my knife but of course I didn’t have it. Vince had convinced me I was safe with him. And of course, I’d been loving what he did with my knife.

Fuck, I’d been so stupid.

As we drove towards the courthouse, I couldn’t hold it in any longer. “Why did you bring me here, Vince?” I demanded, my voice raising with anger. “Was it just to use me? To make a fool out of me and my club?”

Vince glanced over at me, looking confused. “What are you talking about?”

“I heard your cousin, Rob,” I hissed. “Talking about how you’re supposed to take the lead, how Marco had secured the biggest biker club in the state to do your dirty work. You brought me here as part of some plan, didn’t you? To control the bikers in Florida?”

Vince’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t say anything. The silence spoke volumes.

“Answer me!” I screamed, my hands balled up. “Is that why you chose me? To include me in some scheme?"

Vince finally spoke, his voice low and strained. “It’s not like that, Sybil.”

“Then what is it like?” I demanded. “Tell me the truth, Vince. Because right now, it feels like I’ve been played one too many times.”

He hit the wheel. "I was unaware of Marco's plans until recently. I swear. I’m out of the loop. Why do you think everyone in my family is against me taking over? Do you think I would’ve brought my cousin’s murderer here if I’d have known?”

“The Heelz didn’t kill Marco,” I said, unsure if that was entirely true or not.

Vince brushed that part off. “Sybil, I brought you here because I needed someone strong, someone who could handle this life. I recognized you when I saw you, yes. But that was all chance. I was looking for a biker chick, not some wilting flower. That’s why I went to the auction to begin with. But I chose you because I recognized something in you that I understood I needed.”

His words sounded so genuine, but I wasn’t ready to forgive just yet. “Then why didn’t you tell me right away? Why did you keep me in the dark?”

“I didn’t know how to,” he admitted. “I was afraid you’d run off.”

“Why because I’m crazy?”

“No.”

“When did you find out?” I asked something that had been weighing on me for a while.

“After the auction, I googled you. I asked around town.”

The anger in me simmered, but I couldn’t ignore the hurt and betrayal I felt. “You knew all along, who I was and how I am.” I stared out the window, watching the scenery blur past, my mind racing. I realized that in the thrill of everything, I hadn’t asked enough questions. Something about all of this felt off, and I needed answers yesterday.

“Why are we going to the courthouse if the marriage is fake?” I started with the obvious.

Vince looked put out. “Because the marriage isn’t fake, Sybil. It’s real.”

I blinked, stunned. “What do you mean it’s real? This is a fake marriage.”

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