Chapter 13
Zelda was nervous. Her hands, as she gripped the steering wheel, were starting to sweat and her mind was starting to inflict her with self-doubt. It was five days later, and Johnnie and his gang were planning on robbing an American Bank and Trust Company in Racine, Wisconsin. Because of her superior driving skills, as Johnnie had put it, she would be their getaway guy. Yes, Zelda knew that she should have said no, knew that if anything happened, she could possibly get injured or harmed or arrested. But the way she saw it, Zelda would be there if one of the boys needed help. Instead of pacing up and down the length of her bedroom, she would be right where the action would be. Granted, Zelda wouldn't actually be robbing a bank, but she would be there to offer assistance.
It was Johnnie who had asked, and she knew she could never say no to him.
None of the boys questioned Johnnie, even though a couple of them, especially Harry, didn't exactly believe the hype that surrounded Zelda's driving. However, he couldn't deny the fact that Johnnie was being chased by the police and thanks to Zelda, they had managed to avoid them without leading them back to the house.
Stephanie was proud of Zelda, but now she'd be worried more than ever, while Dolores didn't seem to have an opinion one way or the other.
Currently, Zelda was dressed in tight slacks and a nice shirt, her hair down in order to reveal her sex. Johnnie had figured that if a woman was with them, police officers would be less suspicious because they might believe a woman would never associate with bank robbers. They obviously didn't know Zelda.
The car she was driving was a 1934 black Buick. Johnnie was sitting next to her in the passenger seat while Harry, Charles, Russell, John, and Homer were piled up in the back. The air was easygoing and laidback despite the tommy guns in their hands and the impending mission they were about to undertake. How could they be so calm when they were heading for their death? Her knuckles turned white as she tried to banish her thoughts, but all she could see was Johnnie being arrested in Mary Todd's apartment. She didn't want to have to deal with that again.
Johnnie must have noticed how tense his companion was because he reached out and placed a hand on her knee, squeezing it with reassurance. He didn't even have to say anything, and yet Zelda felt her whole body relax underneath his touch. She shook her head subtly, reminding herself that she needed to have faith in them, she needed to think positively.
It wasn't long before she pulled onto the street where the bank in question was located, and Zelda slowed down. As requested, she dropped them off on the corner rather than directly in front.
Before Johnnie left the car, he quickly turned his head and pecked Zelda on the lips. "For luck," he told her softly before disappearing with his friends.
The weapons they were taking with them were skillfully hidden in their long trench coats, and they were dressed so sharply that nobody would assume that they were truly bank robbers. Once they disappeared from sight, Zelda slowly inched the car up until she finally found herself directly in front of the bank. By now, everyone was firmly inside, save for Russell Clark, who was the lookout and prevented anyone from going in or out. Zelda avoided eye contact with him, hoping that nobody would assume that she knew him in any way.
Instead, she tried to relax and quickly came up with a story if somebody questioned her. She had dropped off her brother, who was going to make a deposit, and was waiting for him to come back out.
And then the sirens went off. Zelda felt herself jump, and the surrounding pedestrians froze, realizing that the bank was currently being robbed. Some gathered, some ran, but it wasn't long before the police themselves showed up. Zelda knew she should disappear, get out of this mess before people started to suspect her, but the boys would be out at any moment, and she wouldn't leave them.
"Excuse me," a voice said from Zelda's window. She glanced over and saw a portly police officer looking at her with curious blue eyes. "But I'm going to need you to move your vehicle, ma'am. I'm not sure if you're aware, but the bank is being robbed and you could be in an area where you end up hurt."
Zelda felt her body naturally react to the officer's words as if she really was just another woman. Her face paled and her eyes widened, but she remained firm in her conviction. "Really?" she asked, still unsure. "My brother is in there, officer. I can't move. What if he comes out and doesn't see me? There's no way I can leave!" She started to get hysterical only because she knew that men couldn't handle hysterical women.
The officer became wary of the woman he was speaking to, but even so, his resolve wouldn't weaken. "I'm going to be honest with you, ma'am," he told her. "That really wasn't a request. You're going to have to move."
At that moment, the bank door burst open and there were the criminals; three of them had two hostages while two carried bags filled with cash and bonds. Every one of them had a weapon drawn, prepared to shoot it if threatened. The officer that had been talking to Zelda backed up from her car, reaching down and grabbing his own weapon as Zelda quickly started the car.
Only the men with the bags of cash jumped in the car while the other gangsters, along with their hostages stood on the floor boards, using their hostages as human shields so the police wouldn't take the risk by shooting and accidentally harming an innocent victim. When it came to driving, Zelda didn't disappoint. She sped off quickly, enough to lose the police, but made sure her turns weren't sharp enough to cause those hanging on outside to fall. Every mile, they would drop off a hostage so it would take a while for said hostage to head back until every gangster was back in the car, as well as the bank president, and a young bank teller.
Johnnie was next to the bank teller behind Zelda, while it was Harry who was up front, along with the money. As Zelda continued to drive, the bank president continued to mumble to himself, very obviously displeased that his bank had been robbed, and even more than that, that he was being used as a hostage to aid the bank robbers and their getaway. He furrowed his brow as he tried to look at Zelda, unsure if Zelda was a bank robber herself, or a hostage he hadn't known before.
It wasn't until Harry had said something did he get his answer.
"See," Harry said, making it a point to not use Zelda's name. "Nothin' to worry about, darlin'. We came back just like ol' Johnnie promised."
"See," Johnnie put in, a grin on his face. "It probably had to do with the luck."
Zelda blushed at the remembrance of the kiss, but couldn't stop the smile if she tried. However, at their jest, she felt her shoulders relax and her eyes began to sparkle. The police were nowhere to be found, and Zelda truly felt as though they had gotten away with the crime. She hated to admit it, but upon realization of such a thing, she felt absolutely exhilarated.
"Wait a minute," the bank president said, his clear, blue eyes widening. "You're with them? You haven't been forced into driving these criminals away. Rather, you're one of them? How in the hell could you do something like that?"
Johnnie frowned at his language and didn't hesitate to smack the president in the back of the head. "That's no way to talk to her," Johnnie said in a warning tone, his smoky grey eyes narrowing at the man. "She's a lady."
The bank president balked at such a thing, shaking his head in disagreement. "No," he said firmly. "A woman, a lady, would do no such thing. She is not a lady, but a despicable flit that got" - Before the man could finish his sentence, Johnnie reached out and socked the man in the face, causing the young bank teller to scream and Homer to chuckle. Without another thought, Johnnie reached over and opened the door before pushing the bank teller out. Since they hadn't been driving that fast, he would only sustain bruises and cuts, but that was fine by Johnnie. He had made his point.
A mile later, they left their last hostage into an isolated meadow. It was getting cold, and Johnnie allowed her to have his coat before heading back in the car, along with everyone else. From there, Zelda drove. And for the moment, they were still safe.
Chapter 14
December had always been brutal
in the Midwest when it came to the weather, so when Johnnie suggest they go somewhere warm for Christmas, he wasn't denied. They looked at different places – Zelda had always wanted to go to California while Harry and Stephanie were leaning more to Arizona, but Dolores had been longing to celebrate Christmas in Daytona Beach, Florida, so that was where they vacationed to.
They stayed at a hotel close to the race track and practically on top of the beach. Because Zelda was single, she was allowed to have her own room, paid, of course, by Johnnie himself despite Zelda's protests, while he shared a room with Dolores, Harry shared a room with Stephanie, and the remaining men paired up and bunked together. The rooms they rented were suites and had a magnificent view of the beach, and though Zelda should have been unpacking, she couldn't help but be transfixed by the setting sun touching the water.
Her heart clenched together. She had always heard that sunsets were more beautiful when they were shared by someone one loved, and even though Johnnie was in the next room, he really wasn't sharing this moment with her.
Ever since Zelda had met Dolores back in October, she had been trying desperately to get a hold of her emotions, to somehow get over her feelings for Johnnie. But she always seemed to be met with opposition, the strongest being her heart. Her heart, for whatever reason, refused to give up. She was helpless in her state, always the best friend and not the lover of the man she loved more than anything. The woman he was with didn't deserve him. Nobody did, not even her. But sometimes – most of the time – life didn't play out the way she wanted. She would just have to learn to live with that.
The next day, Zelda met everyone downstairs in the lobby of the hotel, dressed to her best abilities due to the fact that they would all be going to watch the horse races. Zelda had never been before in her entire life, but she had always wanted to see it for herself. Not only would she be going, but apparently they would be getting seats close to the track, which only excited her further.
She was dressed sharply, in a red dress made with firm material. A belt was wrapped around her waist, highlighting the slim feature while also enhancing the curve of her breasts and hips. Her hair was left down, despite the fashion, and she was wearing a hat that would block the sun from touching her delicate facial features. Though she didn't wear much makeup, she made an exception for today. On her feet were small heels that matched her dress. She was truly a woman in red.
Russell Clark was the first to notice her, and he stared at her with such an intensity that Zelda couldn't help but blush slightly while Homer Van Meter whistled at her presence. Dolores glanced up – she was wearing a fashionable white dress – and Stephanie grinned – she was wearing a sky blue dress – but it was Johnnie's reaction that interested Zelda, and surprisingly enough, she wasn't disappointed. He stared her for the longest time, but his expression was enigmatic, and as a result, she couldn't decipher what he was thinking when he looked at her.
"We can leave now," Dolores said, turning her head upwards in order to get Johnnie's attention. "Zelda is finally here, so we can go."
Johnnie still said nothing, but he pried his eyes away from Zelda in order to look at Dolores and nodded. They began to head out of the hotel, and Zelda latched onto Homer's arm because no matter what happened, he was quite skillful at making her smile. And she always enjoyed herself when she was with him.
They got to the horse tracks twenty minutes later, and once they were seated, Johnnie turned to look at Zelda while Dolores began touching up her lipstick. "Now darling," he began, "I know you have never seen something like this before, but do you understand the gist of how this works?"
"The horse that runs the track the fastest wins," Zelda said flatly, her lips curling up into a teasing grin.
Johnnie couldn't stop his own smile from slipping onto his face as he regarded her. God, she was beautiful and she probably didn't even know it. It was more than just her body, her looks, her physical attributes. Her sweet personality shone through, causing her to be even more gorgeous than she really was, and there were times, much like this one, where Johnnie couldn't quite wrap his head around it. How could he, when she looked like that, smiled like that?
Before he could say anything, Homer came back over. "Hey Zelda," he said. "Wanna get closer?"
Zelda's eyes opened in excitement. "Can we?" she asked, her voice laced with enthusiasm.
Homer nodded and quickly offered Zelda his arm. She took it and made her way to the fence that blocked spectators from wandering in the track.
Johnnie leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly as he watched the interaction between Zelda and Homer. He couldn't really blame his friend for wanting to be close to her, and why shouldn't he? Homer was single, Zelda was single; if there was something there between them, then why shouldn't they explore the option?
And yet, just the thought of Homer – of any man – being intimate with Zelda was enough to make his blood boil. As he watched, he felt himself subconsciously clench his jaw. He saw Homer introduce Zelda to two other men, and they were incredibly blatant with their gazes. Johnnie knew that Zelda was beautiful, but it did not sit well with him, the way these men were staring at her. If Zelda even gave the hint that she was uncomfortable, he wouldn't hesitate to go over there and crack skulls if needed. She seemed to be enjoying their presence, which also did not sit well with him either.
Jealousy was an unfamiliar emotion to Johnnie, and as he continued to watch Zelda instead of the races, he knew that that was what he was currently experiencing, however illogical it might be. He knew that he had chosen Dolores as his partner, his lover, his girlfriend. For whatever reason, he could not take his eyes off of Zelda, nor could he really blame the other men who were looking at her from doing the same. He knew exactly what those men were after when they stared at her like that, and he was having none of it.
Johnnie also knew he had no claim to her. Whether or not he called her his girl, whether or not she agreed, she still wasn't his, and she wouldn't be. Realizing that, he felt his heart ache, and though he knew he was disappointed at the prospect, he couldn't put his finger on just why he was disappointed. He should be happy with what he had; he should be happy with Dolores, and yet... he honestly felt there was something lacking.
Zelda’s laughter filled his senses at that moment. God, he loved her laughter, but when he opened his eyes to just see what it was that was making her laugh, he frowned. One of those men had made her laugh.
There was that goddamn jealousy. He hated being jealous.
Without fully comprehending what he was doing, Johnnie stood from his seat, ignoring Dolores's question of where he was going (though, in Johnnie's defense, he really hadn't heard her). His feet only stopped when he was behind Zelda, and in order to garner her attention, he gently placed a hand on the small of her back before leaning his head over her shoulder. Though Johnnie would never admit it, he knew that the position he had placed her in was quite intimate and on some sort of level, told them men that Zelda belonged to him.
When Zelda felt Johnnie behind her, her face naturally turned a light shade of pink and she couldn't help smiling in the slightest.
"How're you doing, doll?" he asked her in a soft voice, his breath invading and knocking down the barrier before taking over her senses and giving her goosebumps.
"I'm fine," she told him, hoping her voice didn't come out as shaky as she thought it did.
"The last is race is coming up," he told her. "Any feeling on who it is that'll win?"
"What are their names?" Zelda asked him after a moment.
"Their names?" Johnnie asked with an arched brow.
"How am I supposed to choose a winner without knowing their names?" Zelda asked as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Johnnie chuckled and grabbed his folded program. It took him a moment before he found the race he was looking for and then he began to read off the names. "Sonic Blaze, Prince, Fire Runner, Lonestar, Freckles, and Alpha," he said, picking his
grey eyes up and looking at Zelda.
Zelda thought about for a moment, but she already knew her pick. "Lonestar," she told him with a mysterious smile. "Lonestar will win."
Interestingly enough, Lonestar did.
Chapter 15
Christmas Day was always a special occasion in her family when Zelda was young. Christmas trees, Santa, warm chocolate chip cookies, and presents were definitely a requirement, and that was the least of them. But ever since she had left them to start her own journey, Christmas was just another day. Depending on where she was, Christmas would be sunny or snowy, warm or cool, happy or depressing. She always had a familiar ache in her heart, missing her family the most at times like these, but she had always sent them some sort of card, telling them as much. Even being on the run with an infamous bank robber and his band of criminals, Zelda still found time to write home. Though she was a lot more careful with what she said.
Currently, she and Stephanie were in Zelda's room, sipping on hot chocolate. It was early afternoon, and everyone was spending time with their significant other (and the single men were spending their time at the bar downstairs, hoping to run into a single woman to share Christmas with), and when night fell, they were all going to gather in Johnnie's room and hand out presents, celebrating together.
Harry, surprisingly enough, was still sleeping, and Stephanie didn't see any reason to wake him up early, especially when he didn't sleep well anyway. Instead, because she knew Zelda was an early riser, Stephanie decided to visit her friend and gossip over some hot chocolate. However, before either of them could open their mouth and say anything, they heard shouts coming from Johnnie's room. Both women froze, their ears peeled, but it didn't sound as though the police had caught him.
If anything, it sounded as though Johnnie and Dolores were fighting yet again.
She was married. Dolores Bernier, the woman he had so spontaneously decided to take on his adventure with crime, was married. And she didn't think to tell him until just this moment, on Christmas Day, after having a few drinks. He was currently standing near the door to his room while she was across from him, bottle of beer in her hand. Her legs weren't stable; in fact, if she wasn't leaning against the wall behind her, she probably would have fallen.
Come Away with Me Page 7