She swallowed and made the conscious decision not to lie. He deserved the truth no matter what it could mean for her in the future. “I smoked marijuana with them sometimes. I had also bought some MJ from Morris so Bobbi and I could spark one up when we were in the mood.”
“Tell me about the first trip to Dallas. And I don’t mean the one you told the guys about in interrogation.”
“So, you were there,” she whispered as she glanced down at the table.
“Answer the question,” he chopped out.
“The first trip . . . I told you a partial truth at that time. Bobbi was hating being in Texas, and she did get lonely. However, she invited me there to take advantage of a trip her boss-slash-Daddy was taking her on. He had said she could bring a friend.” Margo had spilled the beans about Bobbi’s affair with her boss. She wasn’t sure if the guy was going to get in trouble at work about it, but if his wife learned about it, he definitely would be in trouble.
“What kind of trip?”
“Bobbi’s boss was friends with a guy who is wealthy. I mean really wealthy. He had a mega yacht. He was hosting a party for the weekend in Monte Carlo. I had always dreamed about going, and Bobbi knew that. It was the perfect way for me to visit without spending a boat load of money.”
“Did you have a good time?” he spat out sarcastically.
“Yes,” she replied simply.
A hateful look of annoyance grew on his face. “And since we are speaking about Bobbi. Were you ever going to tell me she was a fucking man?” he asked through gritted teeth.
“She’s not a man,” Margo said defensively. “Bobbi had told me that she had always felt like a woman. That she was born a woman in a man’s body.”
“All right, fine. Then why didn’t you tell me that she had spent her wonder years using the little boy’s room?”
Margo shrugged innocently. “I figured it wasn’t that big of a deal. She had all the lady parts by then, so technically, she’s a woman.”
Bruce hopped out of his chair. Then he paced – all bluster. “Yeah, she did, but most men don’t like being fooled like that — for your future reference.”
“Noted.”
“So, you were planning the . . . Federal Reserve Heist while we were dating.”
“Yes. I was trying to create the virus to spread throughout all the locations to lay dormant until New Year’s Eve.”
“That’s why you couldn’t go on the cruise.”
“Correct.”
He stopped pacing and looked at her. “So you decided that robbing the Federal Reserve was more important than you and me.”
“I had already agreed to the heist before we started dating.”
“You could have gotten out of it.”
“No, I couldn’t.”
Bruce placed his palms on the table and leaned into her personal space. “Yes, you could have. They weren’t threatening you. You didn’t have a sick child or parent who you had to pay the medical bills for. Matter of fact, you had a house and a car that was paid off with plenty of cash to spare for a country club membership, designer clothes and accessories, and jewelry. You agreed to it because you’re greedy.”
“Greedy is a strong word,” she said with heat. She was getting angry now.
“If the shoe fits.”
“I grew up poorer than most kids, Bruce,” she said as her face flushed. “I had to walk past drug dealers, hookers, and pimps every day on my way to and back from school to a roach-filled apartment. And I had to live with a mother who was a drug addict who had a problem staying clean. I spent my youth scraping by and shopping at the Salvation Army and rag bins. I’d be damned if I was going to spend my adult years like that.”
He stood straight and took his hands off the table. “Which lead us to your marriages,” he stated without emotion. “Tell me about your first husband. How did you meet him? How did you ended up marrying Barry Leamen?”
Her eyebrows arched. “You have done your homework. I don’t remember telling you my first husband’s name.”
Bruce folded his arms and stared at her, expecting her to explain.
“I had met Barry my senior year in college. He was brought in as an inspirational speaker for the business majors. A friend of mine who was a business major was going to see him, and I tagged along because I didn’t have anything else better to do. Barry was very charismatic. He had told the story of how he grew up dirt poor in West Virginia. Then he had explained how he developed a novelty item in his dad’s backyard and sold it to the locals. He developed more novelty products for special occasions and birthdays and put them online to sell. Barry had moved to multi-millionaire status. I found him attractive despite that fact that he was twenty years older than me. After the speech, I waited in line to speak to him. I told him that I found his story moving and riveting, and I gave him a quick synopsis on how I grew up. That was our common denominator. Two weeks later, I get a call from him. I had asked him how he got my home number. That’s when he told me that a person with money can find out all sorts of things. He asked me to meet him at a restaurant. I did. Barry and I dated for the rest of the year. When I graduated, he took me to the Four Seasons in New York on his private jet. And there, he proposed to me. I happily accepted.”
“Were you in love with him?”
“I loved him, but not enough to marry him I discovered after the wedding. The first six months went well, but then . . . we grew apart. When he asked me for a divorce, he had met someone he had more in common with and closer to his age. Barry said if I let him have a divorce without trouble, he would give me a settlement of a million dollars and pay me monthly alimony of ten thousand dollars for ten years or until I got remarried, whichever came first. I agreed and asked for it in writing. In the end, the parting was amicable. After the divorce, I was tired of LA and moved to Boulder, Colorado, for a change of scenery.”
“What happened there?” he asked as he walked back to the chair at the other end of the table.
“Winter came,” she replied, turning the side of her lip up to her nose. “I moved there in May. By February, I had enough. I broke my lease on the condo I was renting and moved to Miami in March.”
“Then what?” he asked as he leaned back in the chair.
“I decided to put my degree to use and got a part-time job in the IT department at the local hospital. While working there, I realized that I should plan for the future – like retirement age. Since I was just a part-time employee, I was not eligible for benefits like that, so I started searching for a financial advisor. I ended up at Marks & Blaine Financial Firm. That’s how I met Frank. He was my financial advisor. Two weeks had gone by before he had contacted me about a venture. It was risky, but I could afford it at the time. When it paid off, I offered to take him out to dinner. Frank accepted. We hit it off pretty well on that date.”
Bruce’s eyes squinted. “How well?”
She straightened her shoulders. “I went back to his place, and we had sex. Then we started dating. After a year, we got married.”
He was quiet for a moment. “When and why did Frank decide to steal from his clients?”
“When I . . . got pregnant.”
Bruce’s eyes went cross for a moment. “What?”
“It was . . . an unplanned pregnancy, but pregnant I was. When I got into my fourth month, I started having problems. I was sick all the time. At first, I just thought it was my morning sickness getting worse. But then I started having pains. The doctor said I had a high-risk pregnancy and I should stay off my feet as much as possible. So, I quit my part-time job and stayed home.” Margo shook her head. “It wasn’t enough. I went into premature labor in my eighth month. It was . . . hard on my body. The doctor said that I couldn’t have any more children. Laura’s organs weren’t developed when she was born. She couldn’t survive outside of the incubator. Even if I was able to carry her to full-term, she still would have been born with health problems according to the doctor. Laura’s lungs were small, and her ki
dneys were . . . they weren’t any good. But she was still holding on at that time. Frank and I believed she could survive if we got her a specialist. But specialists aren’t cheap, and neither are hospital stays. We had depleted at least half the money that I got from my first marriage. Frank tried to get new clients, and he did, but it wasn’t enough. So, he . . .”
“I get the picture,” he mumbled.
“Laura held on for five months, but she wasn’t gaining weight the way she should, and her organs just wouldn’t . . .” Margo swallowed. There was a reason why she never spoke about this. “Despite all the medical care we struggled to get her, she died. We never even got to take her home from the hospital,” she whispered. “But just because she died didn’t mean the bills stopped coming. We also had to pay the funeral home and buy the plot where she is now in Miami. So, Frank kept robbing his clients along with a partner he had. Frank was only going to do it long enough to get us out of the hole. But then his partner got caught with a hooker in his car. He didn’t want his wife to find out, so he struck a deal with the police. The ADA dropped the charges when he snitched on Frank.”
Bruce scratched his head. “Did you stay married to Frank after he went to prison because you felt some sort of loyalty to him?”
“Partially. The other part is that I still loved him. I stayed married to him because I wanted to. I wasn’t going to abandon him.”
“But you divorced him eventually.”
“Not by choice. He practically forced me to do it. He said if I didn’t, he would tell the guards to put me on the non-visitors list. Can you imagine? Refusing to see your own wife? I’d rather be his ex than be his wife and not see him at all, so I did.”
“Why did he want you to divorce him?”
“He had gotten ten years. He didn’t think it was fair to keep me waiting that long. He insisted that I live a full life . . . unattached.”
“So . . . you complied with his wishes and . . . moved to Tampa.”
“Yes. And Frank encouraged me to do so. We both agreed that I needed a fresh start. Frank had hidden extra cash for emergencies. He told me where it was. I moved here and picked up odd jobs for small businesses, setting up their computer systems and whatnot. But business had been slow and . . . well, here I am.”
“And you still visit Frank. You still love him.” It was more of a statement than a question.
“A part of me will always love Frank. We had a wonderful relationship, and . . . he’s the father to the only child I’ll ever have.” Margo was not ashamed of loving Frank. He had been good to her, and they had loved each other very much. Circumstances and choices Frank made split them up.
Bruce looked down at the table. His facial expression wasn’t as stern as it was earlier. “But you said you . . . loved me.”
“My love for Frank is different than the love I have for you. I told you that the last time we saw each other. I had told you that I loved Frank, but I was in love with you.”
“If that is true, then why didn’t you . . . tell me about Frank earlier?”
“I was afraid you wouldn’t understand.”
“Margo, if you truly loved me, then why didn’t you stop . . . stealing? Why didn’t you come to me and tell me about the robbery you were planning? If you had, it probably wouldn’t have come to this.”
“I couldn’t do that. I didn’t know if . . . you would turn on me. And at that time, I couldn’t turn on the team. And . . .” She hesitated to say what was in her mind because she wasn’t sure if Bruce could handle it.
“And?” he urged.
“And . . . deep down I wanted to rob the reserve. I wanted . . . and needed to see if I could pull it off. You see, Bruce, there’s a rush that goes through you when you do something that you’re not supposed to do. The challenge of it can be exhilarating. You’ve felt the same type of adrenaline when you’re chasing a woman, I’m sure.” Margo didn’t mean to say the last sentence out loud, but it was how she felt.
His head snapped up. “It’s not the same thing. I wasn’t breaking the law.”
“No, but you . . . made promises to women that you had no intention of keeping. It might not be illegal, but you still hurt people just the same. You can’t tell me that Bobbi was the only woman who felt like a used rag after you were through with her.”
“This isn’t about me,” he said as he slowly stood. “And I’ve never treated you . . . like that.”
“Lucky me,” she mumbled.
“Okay, I’m a womanizer, a dog, or whatever the new term for men who like women too much these days. But I never drugged a woman so I could sneak out in the middle of the night to rob a damn bank!”
Margo’s eyes widened. She had hoped that he would have shrugged off that morning hangover to drinking too much the night before. Shame washed over her.
“Did it even occur to you that you could have killed me with whatever the hell you drugged me with?” he shouted. “Did you even care?”
“Of course I did,” she answered with emotion. “I even called Anthony before I left the house to make sure your reaction was . . . normal to the Rohypnol.”
His eyes narrowed. “You gave me the damn date rape drug? Really? You know, I may be a male whore, but you are a lying, thieving, sneaky . . . unbelievable bitch!” he yelled. He stalked out of the kitchen like he couldn’t stand to breathe the same air as her.
Margo’s eyes watered as she exhaled.
Chapter 49
During Alec and Bruce’s stay, Bruce sat in the car. He couldn’t even stay in the same house as Margo. Even Alec barely talked to her. There was no reason to linger downstairs, so Margo went back to her bedroom. In hindsight, she should have gotten out of the crew at the very least. Perhaps Bruce was right. She had gotten greedy – and full of herself. Bruce wasn’t perfect, but it had appeared he had changed – for her, to be with her. Margo should have taken a chance and told him everything about her past and BAAM. In the end, it wasn’t worth keeping the secret because BAAM had broken up in the worse way possible, she was broke, and worst of all, she had hurt Bruce, a man she loved more than anything.
Margo fell back on the bed as tears started streaming down her face. “Oh, God,” she whimpered. She would take it all back if she could. If she had made different choices, she and Bruce would be together and happy right now. Turning her face, she sobbed into the pillow, crying herself to sleep.
When she woke, Brenda and George had returned. They didn’t mention Alec or Bruce, and Margo didn’t either. George cooked mashed potatoes, fried chicken, and creamed corn. She took a few bites and pushed the plate aside. She thanked them for the meal, but she didn’t have much of an appetite. She spent the next several hours watching TV, but she wasn’t really watching it. Her mind was on Bruce. He hated her now, and she didn’t blame him. She hated herself for what she had done to him.
It was about ten o’clock when she went back upstairs. She showered, brushed her teeth, and slipped into a red satin nightgown with straps. Getting comfortable under the covers, she tried to distract her mind by reading one of the magazines Brenda had brought back with her. After fifteen minutes of reading, Margo’s eyes got droopy.
****
The last thing she remembered was falling asleep. Margo could feel someone sitting on the edge of the bed. She opened her eyes to see Bruce looking down at her. He looked – determined. He reached over to the nightstand and cut off the lamp, casting the room into darkness.
She could feel Bruce fidgeting. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness. From what she could make out, he was taking off his clothes. In fear that she would scare him away, she remained silent and still.
He wrapped his arms around her body. Picking her up an inch off the mattress, he laid her down flat. She felt the nakedness of him. Bruce’s hand trailed down her form over the satin. He continued to caress her body, squeezing parts of her every so often. He didn’t stop until she was breathing heavily and wiggling with want. The, he placed his hands on the side of her knees, pushing
the fabric up her body, letting his palms graze her skin as he did. Bruce bunched the fabric above her breasts. He climbed on the bed, balancing himself on his knees. Raising her legs high, he spread them out as far as they would go. He shoved two fingers inside, making her gasp. After wiggling them in her wetness, he pulled them out and tasted them. Taking himself in hand, he began to rapidly beat his meat against her womanhood. Margo moaned and whined as she shifted her hips from side to side desperately. But her demand was not met. Bruce wasn’t going to stick it in until he was ready to.
When he decided to end her torture, he grabbed her hips, lifting them slightly to match his pelvis. Bruce rammed into her like a truck hitting a wall. Margo cried out at her emptiness being filled. He squeezed her thighs as he administered solid and deep thrusts, driving them to the point of no return. Margo’s body trembled and warmed as she experienced a long, slow climax. Bruce let out a long groan, then for the first time, he pulled out of her and spilled his seed on her tummy. Margo automatically rubbed the warm, sticky solution into her skin as she cooed with satisfaction. She could feel him watching her as she did. He released her and got off the bed. She could hear him fumbling around in the dark. Before she could ask what he was doing, the door opened, letting light into the room. She watched him walk out with his clothes and shoes in his hands. Her mouth dropped open as he closed the door behind him.
Margo laid there for a few moments dumbfounded and confused. As she got off the bed, she felt like she was moving in wet mud. That’s when she realized that Bruce had done something else that he had never done before. He had made love to her without kissing her once. Pulling her gown down to cover herself, she walked to the door and opened it. The hallway light blurred her eyes for a moment. She walked to the staircase and started to descend. She got halfway down and looked out over the living room. Vic was lounging on the sofa as he snored away. The sound of a car starting outside grabbed her attention. She jogged down the steps and whipped the front door open. The porch light was on.
Love, Money, and Lies Page 24
