Chapter Three: Beautiful Lies

Jackson's motorcycle roared into the clubhouse parking lot at exactly noon.

I watched from my window as he swung off the bike, all leather and muscle and controlled power. He moved like a predator—smooth, confident, dangerous. Men twice his size stepped out of his way.

Ruby helped me zip up the black dress my father had thrown at me that morning. It was too tight, too short, and showed too much. Exactly what he wanted. A reminder that I was property being transferred from one owner to another.

"You look beautiful," Ruby said quietly.

I looked like a sacrifice.

"If you do not hear from me by tonight—" I started.

"Do not talk like that." Ruby grabbed my hands. "You will be fine. Jackson said he would not hurt you."

"And you believe him?"

She hesitated. That was answer enough.

I walked downstairs with my heart hammering against my ribs. Every step felt like walking toward my execution. My father waited by the door with his arms crossed.

"Remember what I said. Be respectful. Be obedient. Make me proud." His eyes were hard. "And if you try to run, I will find you. And I will break both your legs."

I believed him.

Jackson was waiting by his bike. He wore dark jeans, a black t-shirt under his leather cut, and sunglasses that hid those cold gray eyes. He looked me over slowly, his expression unreadable.

"Get on."

"I have never been on a motorcycle before."

"Then today you learn." He handed me a helmet. "Put this on."

My hands shook as I fastened the helmet. Jackson swung onto the bike and looked back at me expectantly. I climbed on behind him awkwardly, not sure where to put my hands.

"Hold on to me."

I hesitated.

"Lisa. Hold on or fall off. Your choice."

I wrapped my arms around his waist, pressed against his back. He was solid muscle and heat. The bike roared to life beneath us, vibrating through my entire body.

Then we were moving.

Fast.

I gasped and tightened my grip. Jackson handled the bike like it was part of him, weaving through traffic with terrifying skill. Wind whipped past us. My heart raced. I was terrified and exhilarated and completely out of control.

Just like my entire life.

The lawyer's office was downtown in a tall glass building that screamed money. Jackson parked the bike and helped me off. My legs were shaking.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I am fine."

"You are lying."

He was right. I was not fine. I would never be fine again.

Inside, a receptionist led us to a conference room where an elegant woman in a gray suit waited. She was Asian, maybe early forties, with sharp eyes that missed nothing.

"Jackson." She stood and shook his hand. "Good to see you."

"Sarah. This is Lisa Wood."

Sarah Chen turned to me, and her expression softened. "Hello, Lisa. Please, sit down. Would you like water? Coffee?"

"Water. Please."

We sat at a large table covered in papers. Sarah poured water from a pitcher and slid a glass toward me. Her eyes lingered on my face, on the makeup covering bruises.

"Let me explain what we are doing today," Sarah said. "This prenuptial agreement protects both of you. Jackson has requested several clauses specifically for your benefit, Lisa."

I looked at Jackson. He leaned back in his chair, watching me.

"What kind of clauses?"

Sarah opened a folder. "First, you will have your own bank account with fifty thousand dollars deposited immediately upon marriage. Jackson cannot access it. Your father cannot access it. It is yours alone."

Fifty thousand dollars. I had never had money of my own. Ever.

"Second, you retain all rights to any businesses you currently own or operate. Jackson has no claim to them."

"I do not own any businesses. My father does."

"Actually," Sarah pulled out more papers, "according to state records, three LLCs are registered in your name. A storage facility, a mechanic shop, and a bar. All generate significant income."

My mouth fell open. "That is impossible. My father runs those businesses."

"He runs them. But you own them. Legally." Sarah looked between us. "Did you not know?"

"No." My voice came out strangled. "He never told me."

Jackson's jaw tightened. "Marcus used her name to hide assets from the Feds. If they seize the businesses, Lisa takes the fall. Not him."

The room spun. My father had been using me. Setting me up to take the blame if everything collapsed. All these years, I thought I was just helping with accounting. But I was his scapegoat.

"That bastard," I whispered.

"The prenup protects you," Sarah continued. "If anything happens, Jackson's lawyers will prove you had no knowledge of illegal activities. You cannot be held responsible."

I looked at Jackson. "Why would you do this?"

"Because your father is a coward who throws his own daughter under the bus." His voice was cold. "And because when you become my wife, you come under my protection. That means protecting you from everyone. Including your own family."

I did not know what to say. This man—this killer, this enforcer, this monster—was protecting me more than my own father ever had.

Sarah walked me through the rest of the agreement. I would keep my own money. My own assets. I had the right to leave the marriage after one year if I wanted. Jackson would not control my finances or my businesses.

It was more freedom than I had ever had in my life.

"Why?" I asked Jackson when Sarah stepped out to make copies. "Why give me all this?"

He was quiet for a long moment. "Because I remember what it is like to have nothing. No money. No power. No choices." He met my eyes. "I will own you in many ways, Lisa. But I will not steal your future."

"I do not understand you."

"You will. Eventually." He stood and walked to the window, hands in his pockets. "Sign the papers. Take the money. And when we are married, I have one rule."

"What rule?"

He turned to face me. "You do not lie to me. Ever. About anything. Not about where you are going. Not about what you are feeling. Not about who hurt you." His eyes locked on mine. "You lie to me, and there will be consequences. Do you understand?"

"What kind of consequences?"

"The kind you will not enjoy." He walked closer. "But you will learn from."

A chill ran down my spine. There it was. The threat underneath the protection. The monster underneath the man.

Sarah returned with the papers. I signed where she pointed, my hand shaking. Jackson signed next to me. Just like that, our future was sealed in ink and legal jargon.

"Congratulations," Sarah said. "You are officially engaged."

She made it sound like a celebration. It felt like a funeral.

Outside, Jackson put his sunglasses back on. "I am taking you somewhere."

"Where?"

"You will see."

We got back on the bike. This time when I held on to him, it felt different. Less like fear and more like something else I could not name.

He drove for twenty minutes, leaving the city behind. Finally, he pulled up to a small house on a quiet street. Trees. A yard. Normal.

"Where are we?"

"Your new home." He got off the bike and helped me down. "After the wedding, you move in here. With me."

I stared at the house. It was pretty. Peaceful. Nothing like the clubhouse.

"Come inside."

He unlocked the door and led me through. The house was simple but clean. Furniture that looked comfortable. A kitchen that smelled like coffee. A living room with big windows.

"Upstairs," he said.

I followed him up to a bedroom. Large bed. Soft carpet. And an adjoining door.

Jackson opened it. "This is your room. Your space. You can lock the door from your side. I will not come in unless you invite me."

I stared at the second bedroom. My own space. My own door. My own lock.

"I do not understand."

"We are married in name. For the clubs. For the alliance." He leaned against the doorframe. "But I will not force you into my bed, Lisa. When you come to me, it will be because you choose to. Not because you are afraid."

"And if I never choose?"

Something dark flashed in his eyes. "Then I will wait. And I will make you want me so badly you beg for it."

My breath caught.

He stepped closer, backing me against the wall. His hand came up to cup my face, thumb brushing over my bottom lip. "I am a patient man. And I always get what I want."

Then he stepped back, leaving me breathless and confused.

"I will pick you up in three days. We need to meet both clubs together. Show them we are united." He headed for the stairs, then paused. "And Lisa? Your father does not know about this house. This is ours. Our secret. Do not tell him."

"Why would you keep secrets from him? You are allies now."

Jackson smiled, and it was the most terrifying thing I had ever seen. "Because I do not trust him. And neither should you."

He left me standing in that bedroom, my mind racing.

Jackson Kane was not what I expected. He was dangerous, yes. Controlling, absolutely. But he was also protecting me in ways I did not understand.

And that scared me more than anything.

Because monsters do not protect.

They consume.

So what was Jackson Kane really planning?