Page 27 of Harley
“Well, I’m guessing that if we separate before twenty-five, you might be at risk again. Let’s say after your birthday.” Now I was getting my own way, I felt strangely pleased. I was quite prepared to bend to convince Oakley to obey my wishes.
“That would make sense. But getting married? Harley, I ran away from a wedding, which led me here. I’m not exactly in a rush to walk down the aisle,” Oakley demurred.
“Trust me, neither am I. And when Mom finds out… she’s going to expect a love story. Mom and Dad hammered that into our heads. Don’t get married apart from love. But you’ll be my wife, not my old lady. The Michaelson surname will protect you and let you do as you need. We can head to the courthouse. Ican get us a licence tomorrow, and it won’t matter if we use your identification, because you will be safe.”
“Ummm,” Oakley muttered.
“Your fear was marrying Bronson. You’re prepared to run to avoid Bronson. Being hitched to me means you can settle down and not run and do what you need to do,” I suggested.
Oakley was wavering, and I could see it.
“We can get married tomorrow?” Oakley asked.
“Yup. Even if the courthouse hasn’t got a slot, Axel is qualified to perform legal marriages. He’s wedded nearly all of Rage now,” I replied.
“And you’re certain it can be done?”
“Yes. One hundred per cent.”
“This will be just an arranged marriage? And you’ll tell your parents that too? And the rest of your friends? I don’t want any nastiness,” Oakley murmured.
“There won’t be.”
“Okay, you’ve got a deal!” Oakley grinned.
“Good. Now, I’m getting you out of here,” I said as Oakley paled and looked scared. “And we’ll stay at the clubhouse. I’ll carry your cases over and come back for you.”
“I won’t have to face your parents?” Oakley asked.
“Not tonight. Tomorrow is a different story. I’ll call Jodie and Fanatic. Jodie is my eldest sister; she’s two years older than me.”
“Fanatic’s your brother, that’s correct, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, his name is Micah, but his club name is Fanatic. It’s funny because Mom is a sister in Hellfire MC, our brother’s club. When they’re at Hellfire or on Rage, Mom calls him Fanatic, but at home, he’s Micah. The same with Tye, whose name is Ice, and Carmine, who is called Shutout.”
Oakley frowned. “That’s strange.”
“No. Shutout is a baseball player, and he pitched a perfect game.”
“Carmine Michaelson, is your brother? Of course he is! The Michaelson should give it away. Damn, that was a good game,” Oakley exclaimed.
“Yeah, Carmine’s my bro. The club’s been calling Carmine a load of names, but none seemed to stick. Shutout will.”
“What’s yours?” Oakley asked, and I liked her interest.
“They tried Smithy, then Sword and Dagger. None stuck. I think I’m going to be Harley, which is fine. Ezra and Lex have their real names,” I replied.
“I like Harley,” Oakley replied shyly.
“It’s certainly a biker name. I’m gonna take these over and will come back,” I said, picking up the two cases I’d packed.
“Okay, I’ll do the toiletries. And housekeeping returned all the clothes I sent to be washed, so there’s nothing down there,” Oakley replied.
I nodded and headed out. The hotel was a ten-minute walk to the clubhouse, so I didn’t bother with calling a ride. As I approached, I saw Cody’s Fat Boy and Jared’s Breakout parked up. I winced when I noticed Dad’s Lowrider alongside Ace, Apache, and Texas’s bikes. Klutz, Gunner, and Rock were also present.
Great.
At the gate, Jared eyed my two suitcases with suspicion. “What the fuck, bro? You’re not leaving home? Mum will freak the fuck out.”
