by Kylie Parker
“Why would I want to do that?” She squinted at him.
“Use your head, councilor. You’re the only chick in town who’s riding a Harley. Your dad’s friends know that, don’t they?” Bruce asked.
“Yeah, they do.” Melissa said with a nod.
“Then do as I say and let’s go to my hotel. Come on.” Bruce winked at her. She did not speak; instead, she grinned at him.
Bruce made sure to keep a distance from her, as they made their way back to Las Vegas. When they arrived at her neighborhood, he realized that she had lied to him about her place as well. It was nowhere near small. In fact, Melissa lived in a rather expensive neighborhood, one that resembled her aunt’s. Bruce did not follow her all the way to her house. He stopped at the far end of her neighborhood and waited for her. Melissa kept looking around her, as she returned to him with a change of clothes in a small, plastic bag, fearing that someone could see them together, even though it was quite late.
His heart fluttered, when she lay in bed on her right hand side, next to him. Still, that night did not end with one more, passionate encounter. Melissa could hardly keep her eyes open. She fell asleep in seconds. Despite his disappointment, Bruce would not complain. Relaxed and calm, she was a beautiful sight to see, the complete opposite of the terrified woman who was desperate to run from her own father. He pushed her hair away from her face, feeling his eyes getting heavier.
“You’ve been lying your ass off, darling. But I’ve not been honest with you, either. I’m glad that we had that talk tonight. I’m even gladder that you didn’t run when I said I was a thief. Most girls would run, but you staid. I don’t know if this turns into anything serious. That’s a long shot, anyway. But it’s starting out great, I’ll say that much.”
Chapter Seven
A soft, tender sensation on his lips woke Bruce up the next morning. A gentle caress on the side of his neck overwhelmed his senses. He opened his blurry eyes and looked to his left. There she was, smiling down at him, dressed up and ready to go.
“Good morning.” He croaked. “What time is it?”
“It’s too early for a tourist.” She joked. “Go back to sleep.”
“No. Why do you have to leave?” Bruce complained.
“I have to go to work.” Melissa laughed, as she leaned towards him again. “Have a nice day, Mr. Gang banger.” She said, her voice low and husky, kissing him on the cheek this time. Bruce reached for his cell phone on his nightstand on the left. He checked the time, as Melissa closed the door behind her: It was 6:47am. However, there was something else on the nightstand as well: A letter from her.
“Good morning,
Just so you know, I woke up at 6 o’clock today. It’s not that I didn’t need some more sleep. It’s just that I had to leave early. You never know who I might run into and I can’t take any chances. By the way, I’m sorry I crashed like that last night. I really wanted to stay up, but I was just too tired.
This morning felt different, in a good way. You should have seen the smile on my face, when I saw you lying next to me. It’s like I’m discovering a whole new world. Maybe I shouldn’t get carried away. Sooner or later, you are going to leave. But you know something? I want to take a chance with you, Bruce. I don’t care if you were a thief. Believe me, if I did, I would ditch you last night. I guess I’m not that kind of girl. What you did before we met is really none of my business. I really liked it that you told me all about you and that MC.
You can say anything you want about last night. Yeah, I did a few things right, but you did exactly what I wanted you to do. You took my breath away. I’d better stop thinking about it. I’m still in your room and I don’t know if I can keep my hands off you.
I’ll be waiting for you tonight. Same place, same time. Don’t stand me up.
Melissa”
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to.” He said to himself. At that moment, his attention was drawn by loud voices, echoing in the corridor outside his room. They belonged to a man and a woman. Bruce quickly recognized Matt’s voice. Curious as to why they were fighting and so early in the morning as well, he hopped out of bed and went to his door. He caught a glimpse of Jenny, as she hurried past.
“Oh, shit!” Matt said, stopping in front of him. “Sorry man, did we wake you?”
“Nah.” Bruce waved his hand in front of his face. “Melissa did. It felt pretty good. Much better than your ugly voice. What happened? Why were you guys fighting?”
“I tried to…” Matt faltered. “Touch her, while she was asleep. She woke up. She said she was too tired, she wanted a little more sleep. I insisted. Then, she started screaming at me.”
“That crazy bitch!” Bruce teased him. “Hasn’t anybody told her that sleep’s overrated?”
“Don’t start with me, man.” Matt grumbled, stepping into Bruce’s room. “I just wanted to blow off some steam, ok?”
“Didn’t you blow any steam last night?” Bruce got curious.
“Yeah, four times.” Matt stated.
“Four?!” Bruce exclaimed. “You dog! And you still wanted more?”
“I could have gone all night, brother.” Matt said. “I needed to take my mind off things. We ran into Joe Sanders last night.”
“So?” Bruce shrugged his shoulders.
“He said he wanted to see us.” Matt said in a shaky voice.
“Will you stop being so scared?” Frustration was lingering in Bruce’s voice. “I mean, what the hell, man? Joe’s a friend. I was going to visit him, anyway.”
“This is not good.” Matt insisted. “He didn’t look so friendly. I think he knows about the money.”
“Alright, that’s impossible.” Bruce spoke his mind. “By the way, Melissa knows.”
“What?!” Matt opened his puffy eyes wide.
“Yeah.” Bruce nodded. “She lied to me about her last name. Her father is Frank Howard. She told me last night. I had to come clean, too.”
“What if she tells him?” Matt’s voice got high-pitched.
“She won’t.” Bruce assured.
“How can you be so sure?” Matt insisted.
“Because she doesn’t care! He’s making her life miserable!” Bruce cried, annoyed by his friend’s panicky reaction. “He doesn’t even allow her to date!”
“I hope you know what you’re doing, Bruce.” Matt said.
“What did Sanders say?” Bruce interjected a question. “Why do you think he knows?”
“It’s just the way he talked.” Matt mumbled. “We didn’t hug, like we used to do.”
“You think he knows because he didn’t hug you?” Bruce was so upset that he was about to start yelling at him again. “MC members hug each other. We’re not. Remember?” He got sarcastic.
“It’s just a hunch!” Matt exclaimed. “He’ll be waiting for us at his workshop in Boulder at 10am.”
“Jesus Matt, how can you be so stupid?” Bruce wondered. “Do you really think he’d kill us in broad daylight? In his own clubhouse? What’s the matter with you? Look, forget about the business expansion, ok? Just throw away the goddamn money.”
“I can’t.” Matt murmured.
“Then stop acting crazy, will you?” Bruce requested, lowering his tone as he patted him on the back. “Keep calm. Let me do all the talking today.”
For a moment, Bruce was in a dilemma. Matt was sweating and way too tense. The mere mention of the stolen money would upset him so much that he would not have to admit that they had taken it. His body language would give him away, should Sanders bring up that matter. Matt could not be there when they discussed it.
“I can’t just leave you here, brother. Sanders could start asking questions. You’re coming with me. I just need to find something for you to do, while I’m talking to Joe.”
Chapter Eight
The two friends entered Boulder City, a few minutes before 10am on that hot, late-September morning. It barely resembled Las Vegas. There was little traffic on the road and the neighborhoods were much
smaller than the ones in the big city. Bruce had heard about the relocation of the charter, but he had never had the chance to ask Joe Sanders why they had decided to move from Henderson.
The workshop that Matt had been referring to stood tall between a busy market place and a shopping mall. It was well-equipped to say the least. The hangar was massive and there were more than fifteen people working on six motorcycles, as Bruce and Matt arrived. The 42-year old, 6ft tall Joe Sanders emerged from a door in the middle of the hangar. He glanced at Bruce first and then glanced at his watch. A smile appeared on his face, as he returned his gaze to Bruce.
“Always punctual.” He remarked, walking up to him and Matt.
“How are you doing, Joe?” Bruce asked, starting towards him. He was about to offer his hand for a handshake, but, much to his surprise, Joe opened his arms and hugged him. Bruce had no choice but to do the same.
“Welcome. Can’t complain.” Joe said with a grin, pushing him back. “It’s been a good year so far. I just got an Iron 883. It’s in the back yard. You want to see it?”
“Matt, go check it out.” Bruce urged, finding the distraction that he so much needed. “Me and Joe need to talk.”
“Hell, yeah.” Matt muttered.
“Come in. There’s fresh coffee.” Joe winked at Bruce, as Matt left them. The two men stepped into the narrow corridor that led to a large dining room. Bruce couldn’t help but marvel at the luxury of the place. It featured hardwood floors, three, large, black couches and two, big chandeliers were hanging on the high ceiling. There was even a bar on the right, just after the corridor exit.
“You really are doing well.” Bruce remarked, as they reached his office down the hall.
“Yeah, business is great lately.” Joe spoke in his harsh voice. “How are the two lost lambs? How’s life outside the MC? I wanted to ask Matt last night, but he had that blonde on his face.”
“It’s good.” Bruce laughed. “We struggled at first, but we’re good now.”
“Come on, Harris.” Joe smirked. “Don’t tell me you don’t miss the life. Money, free pussy anytime you like. How the hell could you say ‘no’ to that?”
“I do miss it, sometimes.” Bruce admitted. “But only when I get a call from an angry customer. You said you wanted to see us.”
“Yeah.” Joe sucked in a deep breath. “Thanks a lot for getting rid of your buddy. He’s a good kid, but he’s a little stupid. The boys in Boston miss you. Vince asked me to talk to you, see if you wanted back in.”
“They know we’re here?” Bruce squinted at Joe. “How?”
“I called Vince last night. I told him.” Joe replied. “So, what’s it going to be?”
“The answer is ‘no’, Joe. Like I said, I miss the life sometimes, but not enough to go down that road again.” Bruce grumbled. “I’m done with the MC.”
“I had a feeling you’d say that.” Joe’s smirk reappeared. “Let me sweeten the deal. I’m offering you fifty thousand dollars to join my charter. Fuck Boston.”
“I got a business in Boston, Joe.” Bruce groaned. “A legitimate business.”
“So is my workshop.” Joe shrugged his shoulders. “Come on, kid. Fifty grand is a lot of money. We’ll make a hundred times that by the end of the year if you join my crew.” He continued, leaning towards Bruce.
“How? Running guns?” Bruce scoffed. “Not interested.”
“I need muscle.” Joe confessed. “The guys you saw outside are just mechanics.”
“That’s not my problem.” Bruce was not convinced. “Look, I got something good back home. Why would I want to give it up?”
“You can do better here, Bruce.” Joe claimed. “Sell your share to Matt and join us. Think about it.”
Bruce would not admit it, but he was tempted. Not by the idea of rejoining the “Blazing Sons”, but by the idea of moving to Boulder City. It was 26 miles away from Las Vegas, much closer than Boston. However, the ugly memories that had been haunting his mind for years could not be forgotten or disregarded.
“I don’t need to think about it.” He said. “The answer is still ‘no’.”
“Your loss, son.” Joe croaked.
“Why did you move from Henderson?” Bruce inquired.
“Look around you, Harris.” Joe smiled. “It’s as quiet as a church. Henderson’s just too goddamn big. We have an understanding with the locals. We protect the city. They stay out of our business.”
“What about the cops?” Bruce had yet another question.
“They look the other way. The sheriff’s on my payroll.” Joe’s grin grew even wider.
“You’re confusing me, Joe.” Bruce complained. “You seem to have things organized. What do you need me for?”
“I didn’t, until two days ago.” Joe got serious. “I got a tip from a friend at Citibank. He said they’re moving money out of Vegas on Friday afternoon. We’re talking about three armored trucks here. According to him, there could be more than fifteen million in those trucks.”
“Robbing armored trucks means…”
“Killing the security clerks, for starters.” Joe finished Bruce’s sentence. “I have the guns, but none of my crew has ever done something like this before. Vince said you have.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t kill anyone.” Bruce said. “I just stole the truck and drove it to the docks.”
“Think of it this way, kid.” Joe urged. “If you do this, you’ll never have to worry about money again. Ever. You got three days.”
Bruce was even more tempted. The idea of robbing a few armored trucks sounded very promising indeed. Part of him wanted to say “yes” right away. But, he would not speak. Deep down, Bruce knew that Joe was right. The money from a heist like that would be more than enough to last him for a lifetime. However, he also knew that such a crime would be thoroughly investigated by pretty much every law enforcement agency in the country. Whatever plan he devised had to be executed to perfection. Even if he did agree to join Joe’s crew, three days was not enough time to come up with a good plan to rob those trucks.
“Three days? I must have been dreaming.” He thought to himself. “It takes weeks to prepare this kind of stuff. Not to mention that me returning to ‘Blazing Sons’ doesn’t sound like a good idea at all. Let’s say I do. Then what? I don’t like that and I’m positive that Melissa’s not going to like it, either. What am I supposed to tell her? ‘Hey, I missed the life, I’m rejoining the MC’?”And for what? Rob an armored truck? I need to see you, Melissa. And I hope you can help me choose.”
Chapter Nine
Bruce was unable to get Joe’s proposal out of his mind. That night, he did not even use his motorcycle to ride to Bonanza Road. He rented a small, blue Chevrolet, as if he wanted to get rid of everything that would remind him the life as an outlaw. Melissa used a cab to get there, but Bruce was prepared for that. Apparently, she remembered his suggestion and left her Harley parked in her garage. The fact that he waited for her in the car seemed to trouble her. As much as he had missed her that day, he did not even glance at her when she got in.
“Ok, I’m not going to ask about my kiss, but not even a ‘hi, how was your day?’ Really?” Melissa protested.
“Hi.” Bruce hummed. “Where are we going?”
“Well, nowhere until you tell me what’s wrong.” She grumbled. A faint smile quickly spread across his face.
“This is so weird.” He said, staring at the steering wheel. “I mean, we barely know each other and yet here you are, worrying about me.”
“What if I am?” She wondered, putting her hand on his shoulder.
“Thank you.” Bruce whispered, turning to her. “I’m in a tough spot. The president of the local charter wants me to join his crew.”
“Oh.” Melissa gave a gasp of surprise. “What are you going to do?”
“I have no idea.” He responded. “If I say ‘yes’, I’ll stay here. I’ll be living in Boulder City. But returning to the MC means a whole lot more than that. Ok, we’ll be able
to see each other a lot, but do you really want to date an outlaw?”
“That’s one tough question.” She commented. “It’s your life, Bruce. You’ll be risking a lot if you stay here. It’s not just my father. Vegas is full of all sorts of criminals. Trust me, I’ve represented a few of them. I’d love it if you staid, I really would. But is it really worth it?”
“So far, the only thing worth staying here for is you.” Bruce admitted.
“Thanks, that’s really sweet of you.” Melissa smiled, as her cheeks flushed.
“There.” He said, raising his tone. “I’ve finally found someone who blushes when I pay her a compliment.”
“Alright, let’s focus on the problem. Please?” She chirped.
“I’ve been racking my brain about this.” He sighed. “I really can’t decide. There’s something else, too.”
“What’s that?”
“They want to rob some armored trucks on Friday.” Bruce murmured. “They want me to plan the whole thing and even drive one of them. It’s dangerous, but I could make a lot of money.”
“Oh, no.” Melissa said, her voice turning into a desperate whisper. “Please don’t tell me you’re considering this.”
“That’s what I’ll be doing if I stay here!” He cried. “Stealing, shooting people! That’s the life!”
“I guess I didn’t want to see it.” She confessed. “Don’t do it. Please, don’t do it.” Melissa went on, leaning towards him.
“I won’t.” He assured. “I just needed your opinion on this.”
As soon as Bruce finished his sentence, Melissa reached out her arms, found his shoulders and put them around him. A soft kiss on his lips served as his reward.
“Thank you.” She whispered.
“Thank me?” He snorted. “For what? Not wanting to get arrested?”
“No.” Melissa said with a happy smile on her face. “For trusting me.” At that point, Melissa removed her right arm from his shoulder and put it in her pocket.
