by Kylie Parker
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
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.
“Guess what.” Her eyes sparkled with excitement, as she pulled out a set of keys. “My aunt and my father are in New York. No one is going to bother us tonight.”
“Are they?” Bruce was skeptical. “That’s what you said yesterday.”
“Yeah, but she was in L.A. and she didn’t tell me that she’d fly back last night. I thought she’d drive back this morning. I drove them to the airport myself this morning. They called me a few hours ago. She said she w
as sorry and –quote- ‘The house is all yours for tonight. Have fun.’” Melissa’s voice was getting lower and even sexier, sending shivers down his spine.
“What do you have in mind?” He whispered in his manly, raspy voice.
“Lots of things.” She replied. “First of all, I’m not a lawyer tonight. You’re my boss and I’m your secretary. Your naughty secretary.”
Intrigued and aroused by her idea, Bruce circled his arm around her neck and pulled her close. Their mouths joined in a long, sensual kiss. Sensing her soft hand traveling down his stomach, he realized that they could not stay outside the supermarket anymore. But Melissa would not stop. Her hand reached his crotch.
“Baby.” He whispered in her mouth. “Stop. We can’t. Not here.”
“Oh, I would stop.” She said in her husky voice. “I just wanted to turn you on.”
Much to his relief, Melissa pulled back and lay back in her seat. The cunning smile on her face seemed very promising indeed. She scanned his body from top to bottom. Eventually, she stopped her gaze on the bulge in his crotch. Still dizzy by her kiss and blurry-eyed, Bruce started then engine of his car and drove off, at the same time dreaming of what they would do that night.
“I’m her boss and she’s my secretary, huh? I didn’t know you were into role playing, but I can’t wait to see what you got in mind. Last night was great; let’s make this night even better.”
Chapter Nine
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 sup
posed 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 Ten
Melissa kept her mouth shut throughout the five-mile drive to her aunt’s mansion. She kept gazing at him with that same smile, while Bruce was too busy fantasizing. When they arrived at the estate, she got out of the car and went to the brown, wooden front door, with the keys in her hands. The words that came out of her mouth made it clear to him that she wanted to play that game right from the start.
“Good evening, sir.” She chirped, unlocking the door. “How was your day?”
“Uneventful.” He groaned. “What about you?”
“Oh, you know.” Melissa grinned. “Work, work, work. You’ll find everything you need in your office. I’ll be with you in a minute.”
For a moment, Bruce thought about asking her exactly where his office was. However, he rejected that thought, believing that it would probably ruin everything. He stepped into the luxurious house. The living room was the first room that he came across, but he did not stay there. The only thing on his mind was to find the office that Melissa had told him about. Bruce walked down the large hall and entered a wide corridor. Glancing to the left, he noticed a big study. There was a grey desk, a black, leather, executive chair, with two guest chairs on each side. Across from it was a massive, matching couch, with a small table in front of it. Bruce chose to sit on the couch, but just as he did, he heard Melissa’s voice echoing in the corridor.
“Oh, my God, oh, my God, oh my God!” She cried, entering the study in a hurry, heading towards the desk. Much to his liking, Melissa had changed clothes. She wore a black, tight skirt, a black, short-sleeved top and matching high heels. “I’m so sorry, sir!” She added, turning around to face him. “I forgot to cancel that order!”