Page 51 of Tell Me Lies

Some fathers would tell their daughters not to worry, that they could still change their mind. Of course, Breaker had agreed to this arrangement because it suited him.

If Cassie and Rage tied the knot, then Breaker could rely on his right-hand man to keep an eye on Cassie all the time. When Cassie put on her wedding dress three hours earlier, she stared at her reflection in the mirror and saw a stranger.

No one was forcing her to do this. In fact, she could’ve walked out of the clubhouse that morning, but she didn’t. It was a little crazy, how easily Rage convinced her they were meant for each other. Certainly, there was explosive chemistry between them. They were madly in lust, not love. Would that be enough in the long run? Cassie realized she didn’t mind finding out the answer.

She spent every waking moment with Rage the last seven days. One-hundred-sixty-eight hours was enough to convince her that every day with her former enemy would be exciting. Challenging. Cassie sorely needed that right now. Sure, that another MC president was gunning for her was a factor, but it wasn’t the only reason she agreed to marry Rage.

She spent half her life running from her father and the MC, dreaming of the day she could leave Hanging Cove to start a new life in the city. In the end, that new life turned out to be one tired grind after the other. Cassie worked her ass off for a large company that really didn’t give two shits about her. She’d look forward to partying on Friday nights and weekends only to dread the upcoming workweek. Cassie hadn’t really formed any true connections in the city either.

The friendships she did manage to form were all shallow. None of the girls she usually hung out with bothered texting or calling to see if she was all right. That stung but at the same time, it made her realize that family was important. Breaker was an awful father but he did care if she lived or died. The MC, for all its faults, had always been her family.

Then there was Rage … he wanted her in ways she didn’t understand.

“He might not look it, but Rage is a good man underneath,” Breaker was saying. He’d been telling her a few things but her mind had drifted. She focused on him.

“Rage could also be a jerk most of the time but could also be unexpectedly protective and caring,” Cassie acknowledged.

Her father peered at her a little too closely for her liking, as if Breaker was trying to read her mind. Then he laughed and that only pissed her off. Weren’t typical fathers supposed to be encouraging and helpful?

“What?” she asked, irritated.

“Nothing. That’s the look your mother used to wear on her face whenever she saw me.” Breaker’s face had turned uncharacteristically soft and it made Cassie uncomfortable.

She’d never known her mother, because she passed away from cancer after Cassie turned two.

“Anyway,” Breaker said, suddenly clearing his throat. “We should get this party started. The men are getting restless.”

Cassie snorted. The rest of the MC would use any excuse to party.

Half an hour later, the entire area was packed with noisy and rude bikers. Some brought their girlfriends, others their old ladies. Cassie found herself holding a bouquet in her hands, and about to walk down the aisle.

She ignored all the rowdy bikers and focused on Rage, waiting at the end of the aisle with the priest.

Under his leather cut, Rage wore a clean button-down shirt and even a bow. He looked ridiculously good. No one ought to look that gorgeous. Rage also wore a triumphant smirk on his face as she walked toward him.

He looked at her hungrily, like he couldn’t wait for the ceremony to be over, so he could toss her over his shoulder and run away with her. Cassie’s heart hammered in excitement. Her pulse raced. Marrying Rage had been a reckless decision but there was no point second-guessing it now. Cassie had made her choice. She’d thrown in her lot with Rage, her father, and the Death Seekers MC. There was no going back. She didn’t think she’d regret her decision.

The moment she was a few inches from him, Rage grasped her hand and jerked her close for a kiss. The priest mumbled something under his breath.

Rage didn’t pay him any attention. He kissed her like a man in a desert thirsting for water. Then he pulled away and this time, he waited for the priest to finish. Cassie whispered her vows. Rage did the same.

“I do,” she said when the priest asked if she would take Rage as her husband.

“Yeah, ditto,” Rage said when it was his turn.

Then he kissed her again, taking all the time in the world and not caring that everyone in the MC was watching. Cassie fervently kissed him back.

That was when she heard the rumble of motorcycle engines and gunshots fired in the air.

Chapter Seven

The distant rumble of motorcycle engines grew louder and closer. Rage unthinkingly planted himself in front of his new bride, his eyes narrowed.

The sound of gunshots pierced the air, followed by screams. A group of bikers crashed the party. Rage could make out the Devil’s Kings MC patches on their leather jackets and vest. Breaker yelled at some of the men to run back inside and get guns.

There must be six of them, and all of them came armed with shotguns and baseball bats. Mayhem erupted. Most of Rage’s MC brothers managed to duck, but some inevitably got caught in the hail of bullets.

Cassie gripped his arm and when Rage snuck a look at her, he saw her face was completely white with terror. From the corner of his eye, he spotted a rival biker, astride his bike, pointing a shotgun at them. Rage yanked Cassie to the ground for safety. The biker missed their heads by an inch. That was too close for comfort. Protecting her was his number one priority but he was divided between getting her to safety or joining the fight.

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