Kid

by Korry Smith

  “Come on, come on, already. Fuck.”

  When she got to the door and unlocked the metal gate, Alex seized that opportunity to charge her. He released his firm hold of my hand, but I kept a tight grip on the back of the shirt, and together we bum-rushed her within less than a second. She never saw us coming. The one time she was aware of anything was when Alex pressed the Colt to her temple, but it was too late for her to scream out for help.

  Thump, thump, thump.

  My heart pounded loudly in my ears.

  “Good afternoon, ma’am,” Alex said, leaning down, and getting his face close to hers. “Can the wife and I come in?”

  Wife?

  It threw me, and I shot my head up to look up at him only to find his beautiful, unfathomably blue eyes staring back. I couldn’t read his expression, but there was an unmistakable wink.

  I blushed and grinned like a lovesick fool, blessedly cloaked by this wool barrier.

  “Oh, my Lord,” the lady gasped, her hands flying to her chest. “You’re here to rob me, aren’t you?”

  “We need a few minutes of your time,” Alex said, signaling me over with a wave of his hand. “Kid, take her keys and open the door.”

  The lady’s light brown eyes met mine as I approached her, and she handed me the keys willingly. She wasn’t scared like I’d expected her to be, but she did seem delighted.

  The shock of our pleasant hostage had frozen me stiff, and it took Alex’s urgent voice to bring me back to myself.

  “You might want to speed this up.”

  “I got it!” I said, springing into action, and unlocked the rest of the gate.

  Pushing the heavy metal door aside, Alex walked the lady forward and into the store. The lights were on a motion sensor and turned on automatically. It illuminated the small room, and the rainbow swirled carpet of red, greens, and blues. It reminded me of a tacky casino instead of a classy jewelry store.

  Staying behind to relock everything back up and securing the closed sign on the door, I looked out one last time for any oncoming customers, but it was a ghost town. The only sign of life were the cars zooming by on the freeway.

  Taking a deep breath to ease the tensions, I pulled out the stopwatch from my sweater’s pouch and pushed start.

  We had exactly two minutes.

  “Okay, we’re in the clear,” I said.

  Turning back around, the scene that unfolded before my eyes brought me up short. Alex’s body was rigid and the lady—our fucking hostage—was chattering off like a parakeet on crack.

  “Oh, my goodness, I can’t believe that you-all is robbing me. I’ve been watching the news, and Judy Grace says you two are the next Bonnie and Clyde. My friends are going just to die when I tell them.”

  Well, so much for anonymity.

  This lady was excited about criminals robbing her because we were well-known. The power of the media and how they made people like us, fucking low lives, famous was unreal. We weren’t good people. We were money-grubbing thieves.

  Beep. Beep. Beep.

  That was our time running out. I stuffed my gun into my waistband and ran over to the glass cases. There was a camera in one of the corners, and the red light was blinking, showing that it was recording Alex Ryan and Madison Perez, the gun-toting duo, holding up Goodman’s Jewelry Store.

  We were going to be on the news tonight.

  The selection was overwhelming, and I glanced up at Alex, seeking his help, but he had his hands full with our hostage. Even with the Colt pointed at her head, the lady showed no fear as she went on and on about us, or how her family was going to freak out when she told them tonight. Didn’t she realize we were a threat?

  “Say, what sort of diamonds are you two kids looking for?”

  “Ma’am, I appreciate all the fanfare, but you’ve got the wrong people. We’re not them.” There was irritation laced in Alex’s voice.

  The lady turned her head, shocking the hell out of me with her boldness, and gazed up at him.

  “You were here the other day, weren’t you?”

  “No,” he snapped.

  “I would recognize those pretty blue eyes anywhere.” She turned to me and gasped. “Are you here to get your wife a ring? How about the one I was showing you yesterday? I think it would be perfect.”

  “We were ring shopping here yesterday, were we?” I teased.

  “You got one fucking minute.”

  I know, I know!

  I tried to suppress my giggles and refocus my attention on the cases filled with sparkly jewels, but it was hard. This lady was so much fun to listen to, and the excitement in her voice of having people stick a gun in her face and rob her blind was shit you see in a comedy, not real life.

  I just couldn’t handle it.

  “You know,” the lady continued to talk Alex’s poor ear off as I browsed the beautiful rings, looking for the most expensive one. “They did this whole in-depth piece on your life last week, and I want to tell you that I think they got you all wrong. You aren’t bad. You’re just kids.”

  “Only one of us is,” Alex said.

  I rolled my eyes and tried to ignore that fucking comment. The stopwatch was counting down, and I had twenty seconds to make up my mind.

  “Fuck it,” I said, lifting my gun up and slamming the handle of it on the top of the case, breaking the glass away.

  It shattered, falling, and covering the jewelry. I reached in and carefully scooped up a big rock. It was a massive solitary stone that sparkled and reflected the light.

  “You got it?” Alex asked.

  “Almost,” I replied, grabbing up a diamond-covered band for me and a plain white gold one for Alex. “I’m all set.”

  “Thank fuck,” he said, pushing the lady to a chair, and sitting her down. “Give me your cell phone.”

  “I don’t have one,” she said. “Besides, I’m not going to call the cops right away. I’ll give you a head start.”

  Alex bent down and got face to face with her. “I appreciate that, and even if I could believe you, helping us would only bring you trouble. You’d be an accomplice. I hope you understand that what I’m about to do is to protect you.”

  “Are you going to tie me up?” she asked, tilting her head to the side.

  He stood up and shrugged. “I’ve got no rope.”

  The stopwatch beeped loudly. Our time was up.

  “Close your eyes,” he said, and she did, oddly trusting him just because she had seen him on TV.

  Then, like many times before, he raised the handle of his gun and brought it down, knocking her out cold.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “I need to call Peter,” Alex said, pulling the broken-down Nissan, we bought a week ago, into a gas station.

  We weren’t too far from the state line, our rendezvous point, and I was growing anxious. The last person I wanted to be in the tight confines with was Miguel.

  “I wish there was a car we could steal,” I said, glancing down at my ring.

  Which brought me back to the lady we left on the floor, bleeding and unconscious. Alex tried to pretend that pistol whipping that woman didn’t bother him, but he was the one who called the police two minutes after we left the store.

  He acted nonchalantly about it and said that he didn’t want to have a murder charge looming over our heads. It would make the cops deadlier and more determined to arrest us.

  “Our family doesn’t need that kind of heat.”

  He would never admit it, but he didn’t want that lady to die.

  “I know what you mean,” Alex said, shifting the car into park, and running his hands through his hair. “I’d kill the fucker, but we still need his worthless ass.”

  “Remind me again, why do we need him? I mean, can’t we just steal his drugs? A dead man can’t fight, babe.”

  He laughed. “This is true, and if that were the case, I would’ve fucking blown his head off at the hotel, but we need him alive. He can get us into the senator’s mansion.”

&nb
sp; “How?”

  “He knows someone who works there. That’s all I know, and it’s the only fucking reason why he’s still breathing.”

  It disappointed me that we would have to put up with him for a little while longer, but even so, I dreaded the car ride. It made me nauseated.

  “We gotta do something else. I don’t care what. I just can’t ride with Miguel,” I said, wincing in pain as the cramps in my stomach intensified.

  He chewed on his lip ring and looked around the busy gas station, searching for a solution.

  Then it hit him; I watched with fascination as he smiled, glancing back over at me. “I got an idea.”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  Taking out his phone, he dialed a number and pressed the receiver to his ear. “Peter, there is a change in plans. Yeah, it seems like my girl and I decided to find our own ride to Kansas City.” He paused and listened, and I could faintly hear Peter’s disapproval. “I know, but Madison can’t be around him, and I’m fighting against the urge to kill him. It’s just not a good idea.” Alex looked over at me and smiled. “I’ll do fucking anything when it comes to her.” He scoffed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Yeah, that’s what I hear. Thanks, man. I owe you half of Miguel’s share. Be safe Peter, all right? Okay, I’ll call you the moment we get into Kansas City. Goodbye.”

  “So, he’s okay? They’re not mad at us, are they?” I asked, nervously chewing on my nails again.

  Alex shook his head and yanked my hand away from my mouth. “You gotta stop fucking doing that.”

  I sighed. “I know.”

  Intertwining his fingers with mine, he kept my hand firmly in his lap. “They’re not mad...well, not really. Peter understood, but he’s not happy about having to chauffeur Miguel around.”

  “I bet he wants to kill him too.”

  “Peter’s a pacifist.”

  “What? How...but he carries a gun.”

  “Peter might be a tree hugger, but he’s not fucking stupid. If he’s pushed far enough, he won’t hesitate to use it.” Alex opened the car door and got out. He shouted. “Hey, kid! You want a car?”

  There was a guy around my age standing over at the chip stand. He was with a group of friends, and they all came running over to us, curiosity piqued.

  “Are you selling it?” the boy asked.

  “Nope,” Alex said, tossing him the keys. “It’s all yours.”

  The boy bent down and looked through the window, smiling widely at me. “Does the girl come with it?”

  Alex scoffed. “Yeah, right, dream on, you little prick. That’s mine.”

  The group of boys taunted their friend, all of them leaning down and checking me out.

  Fuck, it was uncomfortable.

  Alex poked his head in the car. “You can get out now.”

  As I turned to get out, I saw the boys crowded around my door. It was crazy for anyone to show me this much attention. They weren’t that much younger, and we would have probably gone to school together.

  That’s what made it weird.

  I couldn’t remember a boy my age fawning over me in the past.

  They all reached in to help me out of the car but thought better of it when Alex came around and pushed them all aside. He gripped my hand, and we crossed a two-lane highway towards a Tavern.

  The boys on the other side of the road revved the engine and squealed the tires, speeding out of the gas station. They were hooting and hollering as they drove past, celebrating their sudden good fortune.

  “I would love to be there when they get pulled over by the cops.”

  I covered my mouth to stifle my laugh. “You set them up on purpose?”

  “You’re damn right I did. Those horny little shits were eye-fucking my girl the moment we pulled in.”

  I shook my head, biting the inside of my cheek. “Are we a tad bit possessive?”

  Well, couldn’t say I blamed him. How many homicidal ideations did I have about Tanya before I knew she was his fucking car? Even afterward, I still wanted to roll her off a cliff.

  “Fuck yeah, I am! I don’t deny that shit,” he said, gripping my hips and yanked me to him. “You’re mine.”

  I wrapped my arms around his waist. “I’m yours.”

  We stood there for a moment; I had my eyes closed and listened to his breathing. It was peaceful, and I was happy.

  “Madison?” Alex murmured, tightening his hold, and resting his chin on my head.

  “Yeah?”

  “Have you ever ridden on a Harley before?”

  I pulled away from his chest, gazing up at him. “No... why?”

  He grinned and glanced over at the line of endless motorcycles to our right. “Because you’re about to.”

  On the outside, things were calm and serene, the weather was beautiful, and a slight breeze cooled my heated skin. The music pounded and thumped from inside the bar, muffled by the brick walls, but still easily distinguishable to my attentive ears.

  Whitesnake’s ‘Here I Go Again’ played loudly in the background as I kept my eyes locked on the door of Jakes-O-Mine Saloon and Tattoo Parlor.

  I was the lookout, and anxiously waiting for shit to hit the fan. At any moment, a large and burly biker could come stumbling out of the bar, drunk and armed. He would find Alex and me trying to steal his prized possession, and like a reflex, he would shoot to kill.

  My left hand stayed hidden behind my back and wrapped firmly around the handle of the Glock. I kept it tucked in the waistband of my jeans, but it was still accessible to pull out and flick off the safety in one swift, continuous motion. That was assuming my fingers were able to comply without fumbling.

  Aim between the eyes, baby, and squeeze that fucking trigger. Never be afraid to kill someone.

  My man was always filled with such excellent advice.

  “Hey.” A hand reached out and gripped my ankle.

  I shot down a startled look. “What’s wrong?”

  Squatting down in front of this black Harley with purple and blue flames, Alex was trying to hotwire its engine. He kicked out the headlight, and shards of glass were surrounding the tire. There were several black and red wires dangling out, and he was stripping off the outer sheath with a pocket knife.

  “How are things looking up there?”

  I flashed my gaze back up to the giant wooden and swinging style doors. They were still. “We’re okay. How much longer?”

  “Were about there…” His brows furrowed, staring intently at the exposed metallic strands. “There’s just one thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  He slipped the knife into his back pocket. “I need you to trade me places.”

  It surprised me, and I tilted my head to the side, trying to gauge the expression on his face. “You want me to hotwire this thing?”

  He shrugged.

  “Oh, I see,” I said, placing my hand on the seat, fluffing my collar. “You need my expertise to finish the job? I understand. I am brilliant.”

  “Not exactly,” Alex said, shaking his head. “I need to be up there when the engine starts...” he paused, smirking up at me, “unless, of course, you want to expand that expertise of yours and drive it.”

  I snorted; the idea of me driving a Harley was laughable. “Yeah, I don’t think we want to die today.”

  “A blaze of glory, baby.” He stood up from his squat, taking a large step towards me, and closing that superficial distance between us. “You and me.”

  The heat that radiated off his body gave me chills.

  “As romantic as that is...” I slowly trailed off as he brushed the hair away from my shoulder, exposing my throat.

  “Uh huh,” he hummed as he grabbed my neck, his fingers splayed, forceful and dominant.

  The simple touch set off several chain reactions. It was overwhelming, confusing, and immediate. It permeated through my body and straight down to my core.

  “Maybe...” I started again, forcing out a sentence.

  “Maybe…” he echoed wit
h a whisper, hot breath wafted over me, with his mouth just inches away from my right ear.

  Damn him!

  I couldn’t breathe, let alone think. Alex was aware of the effect he had on me but pretended as though he hadn’t noticed the way my knees buckled or how my body slacked in his hold.

  The only thing that brought me out of my Alex intoxication was the crow that cawed overhead, reminding me of where we were and what danger waited for us if we didn’t get this fucking Harley started.

  “Maybe…” I said again, snapping my eyes open. “You should stop trying to distract me.”

  Alex jerked away from the crook of my neck but was mindful to keep his hands securely wrapped around my throat. He glared at me, and those ordinarily baby blue irises were now dark and threatening. “I’m distracting?”

  I gulped back my attraction and nodded firmly; pulling away from his all too consuming grasp and creating some needed distance.

  “Huh,” he said, genuinely surprised as he stepped aside. “My bad.”

  “Behave,” I warned.

  There was an open path to the front of the bike, but he stayed close enough that our bodies would brush each other when I passed. It was the one piece of sanity he was offering me. I took it, knowing full well that the slightest touch would stir that passion from within, throwing me into another tailspin.

  “Look, kid,” he said, grabbing my arm. I smiled. He couldn’t help himself. “When you’re hotwiring a...”

  I groaned, rolling my eyes, and wanting to dispute his patronizing statement, but he already expected my smartass comment and pinched my lips closed with his finger and thumb.

  “Yeah, yeah. I know. You fucking know everything about jacking and shit, but this is different than hot-wiring a car, Mad.”

  My response mumbled and intelligible.

  He laughed, releasing my lips. “What was that?”

  “How is it different?”

  “It is…trust me.” He focused intently on my mouth, and lazily rolled his thumb over them, leaving a fiery sensation in its wake.

  It was tender and erotic, and once again, discombobulated my thoughts. I was weak under Alex’s control as he slowly bent down to kiss me.

  I closed my eyes, forgetting about everything else, and leaned into him.