by Kylie Parker
“Do what?”
“She’s in love with you. How did you get her to fall in love with you so fast?” Julia wondered.
“I don’t know.” Bruce shrugged his shoulders. “Everything happened really fast.”
“Anyway, thanks again. I should get going.” She said.
“Please don’t go just yet.” He requested. “You said you guys grew up together. I’d like to hear a story. Any story would do.”
“Well, here’s one reason why she fell in love with you.” A big smile spread across her face. “You’re a good talker. Maybe some other time, though. Jeffrey’s on his way over. He’ll be in the parking lot, in case you need anything. Go get some sleep. Goodnight.”
As much as Bruce wanted to hear a story from Melissa’s childhood, he would not press Julia any further. She seemed tired; exhausted even. The adrenaline rush had faded; he could hardly keep his eyes open. Joe Sanders’ plan to rob the three armored trucks the following night flashed through his mind. But not even that was enough to keep him awake. Bruce lay in the couch, as Julia shut the door behind her. With Melissa’s image on his mind, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
Chapter Eighteen
Matt’s loud snoring woke Bruce from his deep sleep. His friend’s image on the couch across from him slowly came into view, as he opened his blurry eyes. He glanced at the clock above the couch. It was 1:25am. All of a sudden, he recalled Matt’s words.
“We need that guy back.”
A split second after that, he remembered what Julia had said to him earlier:
“You should go get her. She’s not happy.”
“Do we? Should I?” He asked himself, putting his hands on his face. A look around him added to the emptiness that he felt in his heart.
“A song says ‘So close, no matter how far.” Damn, that lyric’s so true. I feel so cold without you, Melissa. That’s what you get for being nice, Bruce. Ok, you had her for a few days. Now what? You’re going to wait for Howard to just… hand her over to you? That’s never going to happen. I’m starting to think that Matt was right. We do need that guy back. He used to take what was his. He wouldn’t take shit from anybody. Julia was right, too. Melissa deserves to be happy. I don’t care if I have to go up against an army. I don’t give a shit if I get killed trying to get her out of there. No more ‘Mr. Nice Guy’ motherfuckers. I’m coming for you.”
The mere thought of going back to Las Vegas was enough to awaken his senses. Bruce literally jumped up and sprinted across the living room. Burning with determination to get Melissa back, he stormed out of the suite. Whatever inhibitions he had about this were gone. He would stop at nothing. In his mind, they were meant to be together.
He reached the underground parking lot in seconds. Jeffrey was standing next to a yellow, Chevrolet Camaro, parked in the upper right corner. Bruce was surprised; he was expecting to see his mangled SUV.
“Hey!” Jeffrey yelled, waving from a distance, as Bruce approached him at a fast pace. “What are you doing here so late?”
“I just needed some fresh air.” Bruce claimed.
“You did well tonight. Julia’s going to pay for the damage. I was on my way to get a cup of coffee. Do you want some?” Jeffrey inquired, as Bruce stopped in front him.
“Change of plans.” Bruce spoke in his stentorian voice, clenching his fists. Quickly throwing his arm, he rotated it mid-way and laid a tremendous jab to the jaw of the unsuspected Jeffrey, sending him ten feet across the lot and to the left. He landed hard on his right side, moaning in pain. His gun fell out of the holster, as his body hit the ground. It scraped along the floor, finally stopping a few feet to Bruce’s left.
“Sorry.” Bruce muttered, as he picked up the weapon.
“You crazy bastard!” Jeffrey cried, holding his jaw. “Why did you do that?”
Bruce chose to ignore his question. He had no time to waste. He started the powerful engine of the Camaro and put it in gear. The rear tires squeaked as he drove off. Adrenaline shot through him, as he reached the road. In a few seconds, people and traffic had become blurry images of things he was trying to avoid, exactly like when rode his Harley. However, the last thing on his mind was the rush that he would get from driving a fast car. Bruce had a date with destiny. He would either bring Melissa back with him or die in the process. At that point, nothing else mattered. Before long though, his cell phone rang. It was Julia and she did not sound happy at all.
“Yeah.”
“You stole my car?!” She yelled so loudly that Bruce had to pull his phone away from his ear. “What the hell were you thinking?!”
“I just decided to take your advice. I’m going back to Vegas.”
Silence followed his last statement. Bruce held the phone to his ear, anticipating response, but he got none. For a moment, he believed that the line had been cut off.
“Hello?”
“I’m here.” Julia lowered her tone. “Look, just be careful, ok? Go get our girl.”
“I’ll try. I need her address. I know it’s on Franklin. I just don’t know the number.”
“Thirty four. It’s the biggest house in the neighborhood. You can’t miss it. Good luck.”
“Thanks.”
“Bye.”
“Alright, this is it.” He said to himself, as he got onto Malibu Canyon Road.
“I have the element of surprise. It’s late; traffic won’t be an issue. It’s 1:30, I need 4.5, maybe five hours to get there, tops. I just hope I don’t run into Howard’s goons. But even if I do, I’m going to run those pricks over if I have to.”
Helped by the powerful engine of the Camaro, it took Bruce only four hours and twenty minutes to cover the distance. It was still dark when he entered the city of lights on that moony, late-September night. There was barely any traffic on the road. And it was then that he grasped the importance and the dangers of what he was about to do. Blinded by passion, he had not been thinking. Bruce realized that there was a chance that he might never see Matt or his sister again. Nevertheless, he did not regret his decision. Now, there was no turning back.
Bruce slowed down and almost brought the Camaro to a full stop, before turning off the lights, a few yards before the neighborhood entrance. His heart was racing, but unlike earlier that night, he was not sweating at all. Gripping the steering wheel hard, he took a deep, cleansing breath. A large, brown Bentley drove past him, as he stepped on the gas pedal and slowly applied pressure. He turned his head to the left. The wall address plaque on the third house read “6”.
“Let’s risk some more gas.” He thought to himself, applying some more pressure to the accelerator. As he drove by one expensive mansion after another, a very familiar sight came into view: Melissa’s Harley, parked on the driveway, close to her front door. Just inside the edge of the driveway stood a tall, muscular man, with his arms crossed over his stomach. Thirty yards before Melissa’s house, Bruce put his foot hard down on the gas pedal and turned on the lights at the same time. The sound of the powerful engine rocked the quiet neighborhood. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel and swerved left. Melissa’s guard had no time to react. The Camaro struck him on the knees, very hard. His body was thrown more than fifteen feet across the lawn. He landed hard and flat on his back. Screaming in pain, he brought his knees to his chest. Bruce stepped on the brakes. The car was brought to a full stop, inches away from the stranger.
He got out of the car, fuming with rage, as he recognized the identity of Melissa’s guard. It was the same man who had taken Bruce to the basement of the restaurant on Wednesday night, holding a gun to his head. He ran towards him, casting his shadow over him. By putting his hands on either ankle, he pulled his legs and then pressed them down onto the lawn, forcing an even louder cry of pain out of him. He took one big step forward and sat on his stomach.
“You’re not so tough without your gun, are you?” Bruce snarled, clenching his right fist. A powerful punch rocked the man’s head back. He was about to hit him again, when
his ears picked up a thumping sound, coming from inside the house. It sounded as if a table or a large chair had been flipped over. Bruce bounced back up and flipped around. He rushed towards the front door to the right, filled with worry about her. Just when he reached it though, someone opened it. It was Melissa. Her keys slipped through her fingers, as she looked up at him.
“Oh, my God.” She whispered. Bruce could not speak. He reached out, put his big arms around her and held her close to him. Melissa wrapped her arms around his waist, putting her head on his chest. However, their reunion had to be cut short. The commotion had woken up a few of her neighbors. Some of them had even gotten out of their houses and were asking each other about what had transpired.
“I’m sorry, baby.” He croaked, pushing her back. “We don’t have time for this. Come on, let’s go.”
Melissa nodded and followed him. Anxious to leave as quickly as possible, Bruce did not bother to ask what had happened inside the house. Instead, he got back in the car and put it in reverse. She sat in the passenger’s seat and put her head in her hands, as the Camaro returned on the road. In a matter of seconds, the two reunited lovers were on their way out of Melissa’s neighborhood, leaving several bystanders in disbelief…
Chapter Nineteen
The red, orange and pink colors of the sunrise were in the clear sky of Las Vegas, as they left the big city behind them. A sense of pride had overwhelmed Bruce. He had taken Melissa with him and he could not stop smiling. Still, her prolonged silence, even fifteen minutes after they crossed the city limits worried him. More than that, she would not face him. On the contrary, she had folded her arms across her chest and kept gazing into the void. That was not the reaction he had been waiting for.
Frustrated, Bruce took his eyes off the road ahead and fixed his gaze on her, in an attempt to force her to finally look at him. Melissa took her yellow purse in her hands, unzipped it and put her hand into it. Five seconds later, she took her hand out of it and pulled the zipper down. When she did face him, her sight broke his heart. Tears were streaming down her face. Bruce knew that something terrible had occurred, but a moving car was not ideal for a conversation. The things that she might have to say to him could upset him and he was desperate to hear her voice again. So, he pulled over at a small, empty patch of land on the left side of the road. He got out of the car and leaned his back against it, folding his arms across his chest. Seconds later, Melissa exited the Camaro and joined him, as he gazed into the horizon.
“I thought you’d be happy to see me.” He complained, turning his head to the left to face her.
“I am.” She whispered. “It’s just that w…”
“What, Melissa?” He raised his tone, interrupting her. “It’s just that what?”
“Why did you come back, Bruce?” Melissa wondered in a thick voice.
“Don’t you know?” Bruce whispered, taking her right hand into his palms. He caressed her smooth skin, bending his head towards her, as a bitter smile spread across her face.
“Part of me wanted you to come back. God…” Her voice broke, as she squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head sideways. “I was dying to see you again. I’ve missed you so much.”
“I missed you too, baby.” Another soft whisper left his lips, as he buried his face in her hair, gently running his thumb across her wrist.
“But what are we going to do now? Hide?” She asked, as tears welled up in her eyes.
“I had to get you out of that place.” He said in his deep, manly tone. “What happened in there? I heard noise.”
“Well…” Melissa snorted. “I was planning on catching an early flight to L.A. I just bumped a vase on my way out.”
“Poor vase.” Bruce laughed. “You were coming to see me?”
“Yeah, just for the weekend. Which reminds me: I forgot my suitcase.” She said, smiling embarrassingly.
“Don’t worry about clothes. I’ll buy you some.” He grinned.
“Still…” Melissa sighed. “You could have gotten killed today. What you did was pretty reckless.”
“Look, I don’t need a lecture, ok?” Bruce grumbled. “I did what I had to do. And I’d do it all over again.”
“I’m sorry, but…”
“I know.” He interjected. “You don’t want me to get hurt. But, I don’t care. I don’t want to live alone anymore. I just want to be with the woman that…” He faltered. “Blew my mind. You, Melissa. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“You’re so sweet.” She whispered. “No one’s ever risked his life for me.”
A strong gust of wind blew from the north, tossing Melissa’s hair about. Bruce kept his mouth shut, looking deep into her eyes, as more powerful rushes blew clouds of sands in the air, whipping her hair back and forth. Sensing the chilly wind on his skin, he let go of her hand and wrapped his arms around her back. She put her hands on his chest, tilting her mouth upward to meet his. Their lips locked in a long, tender kiss. The warmth of her mouth filled his heart with joy. Ecstatic to have Melissa back in his arms, he savored the moment, as her hair tickled his neck. Her short sighs raised every hair on his body. She gently squeezed his hard muscles, as he laid one last kiss on her upper lip.
“What now, Mr. Biker?” She said, her voice low and filled with emotion.
“Have you ever been to Santa Monica?” He answered her question with a question.
“Yeah, why?”
“Then you’ve seen the pier.” Bruce concluded. “It’s beautiful; and if we hurry, it’ll be pretty quiet.”
“Take me away from here.” Melissa requested, giving him a broad, blissful smile.
“Santa Monica it is. The sun will be up by the time we get there. But I can’t imagine a more ideal place for the things I want to say to you, Melissa. You know a few of the reasons why I left the MC. Now, it’s time you knew the last one.”
Chapter Twenty
Walking on a picturesque boardwalk south of the Santa Monica pier, with the ocean breeze blowing in their faces, Bruce and Melissa walked alongside each other, holding hands. He was right; it was 10:40 when they arrived and the heat of the day had prevented people from visiting it. The usually bustling boardwalk was almost completely empty. For the first time since the early morning, Melissa seemed to be relaxed and in high spirits, as they sauntered towards the bench on the far side.
“It’s so pretty out here.” She commented. “It’s a little hot, but it’s still amazing.”
“It sure is.” He murmured. “I’ve been to Santa Monica like a thousand times. This…” He took a deep breath. “This I’ve never done.”
“What, you’ve never been here?” Melissa’s voice got high-pitched.
“Nope.” Bruce replied, shaking his head sideways. “It’s no place for bikers. Families and couples come here.”
“Whoa, wait a minute.” She said, as they sat on the bench. “Are you telling me that none of you or your crew had girlfriends on those trips?
“Actually, most of us did.” He admitted. “We just never did anything…” He faltered. “Romantic with them.”
“Well, that’s just sad.” Melissa remarked. “I’ll bet those girls didn’t stick around much. Did they?”
“No, they didn’t.” Bruce responded. “There was an unwritten rule in the club. ‘Don’t get too attached to women.’ Vince believed that falling in love makes you softer. Everyone else just liked to party.”
“Including you?” She teased him.
“Yeah, at first.” He confessed. “When you’re nineteen, you think of the world as one huge playground. But nine years in the club can change your mind about a lot of things.”
“Keep talking.” Melissa urged.
“Well…” Bruce said with a sigh. “When I left the MC, I made a promise to myself. To treat women differently. Not all of them, obviously. I mean, let’s face it: Not every woman is worth a man’s attention. The same goes for men. I wanted to open up; I just needed to find someone. And I have.”
“I don’t think so, seeing as I ruined her lawn this morning.” Bruce teased her back.
“Who cares about the lawn?” Melissa laughed. “You came back for me. Here’s a question: How’s Boston this time of year?”
“Nothing like Vegas, that’s for sure.” He laughed. “It’s starting to get cold and it’s very wet. There’s a lot of greenery in the city. Why?”
“Because I want to go there with you.” She confessed, leaning towards him. Bruce’s heart leapt for joy within him. Her sharp reply had stunned him. Her words had given him the world. His heart was beating so fast that he thought that it was going to burst out of his chest. Realizing that she would give up everything, just to be with him, he could not force another word out of his throat. Melissa reached out her right arm and put her hand on the left side of his chest.
“I just love how true you are.” She whispered. “I’ve been waiting for a man like you all my life.”
“I really don’t know what to say.” Bruce’s voice was barely audible.
“You don’t have to say anything.” Melissa assured. “Just take me with you. I love my hometown, but no one’s going to tell me how to live my life anymore.”
Overwhelmed with emotion, Bruce circled his right arm around her neck and held her close. Her green eyes were shining under the blazing sun. Melissa’s peaceful face made his heart flutter.
“You’re not going to regret this. Ever.” He whispered, his voice riddled with emotion. She spoke no more. Instead, Melissa angled her lips, sliding her hand up his chest. The world fell away as he kissed her. It felt comforting, much like her words. His hand rested below her cheekbone, as their breaths mingled. She ran her hand up the side of his neck, caressing his skin as he stroked her cheek.