“I’m going to grab a couple of snacks, babe, and grab some clothes for you. Go ahead and take care of your hair.” Melanie saw the sad look in his eyes at having to change her appearance. She knew he loved the way she looked, but Melanie couldn’t care less at the moment.
“Okay, I’ll meet you at the restroom.” They nodded and parted ways, which made Melanie feel slightly nervous. She felt much safer with Andy by her side. It didn’t matter that they were in the middle of nowhere; she still had a bad feeling that the Colombians could find them anywhere.
She grabbed a bottle of golden blonde hair color and checked out quickly, trying not to look conspicuous. But her nerves were against her. As soon as she purchased it, she dashed off to the bathroom to start applying the color; making sure to lock the door behind her.
She took a deep breath and looked in the mirror at her black locks one last time before applying the color. It smelled horrible and made her feel like her nose hairs were burning off. With all the bleach that was in the cheap hair color, that thought was probably accurate.
She heard a knock on the door and jumped out of her skin as the hair color set. “It’s me.” She heard Andy’s voice coming through the door and felt a wave of relief come over her. He must have had the clothes for her. The hair color seemed to be taking forever, and she knew they needed to get out of there.
Melanie opened the door and peeked around the corner to make sure no one was watching before pulling him in the restroom with her and locking the door. There was no point in making him wait out there. She saw his nose wrinkle up as he dipped down for a kiss. He was clearly feeling his nose hairs burning as well. Then, she spotted the folded clothing in his hand; a long sleeve shirt that looked way too big and a pair of the ugliest mom jeans she’d ever seen. He even brought a leather belt.
“Well, let’s at least make the most of this,” she suggested, raising her arms in the air as a signal for him to undress her. She half expected him to turn her down, but he didn’t hesitate. She found herself down to her bra and panties in ten seconds flat with lust practically dripping from his eyes and mouth. She couldn’t help but want him too. It would have been such a comfort to have him right there in the middle of all the mess.
She closed the difference between them and made him let go of his cane before unzipping his pants. She easily found his partially hard shaft while backing him up against the filthy bathroom wall. She started rubbing him, shooting him a sly smile before she watched him close his eyes in pleasure. She needed him so much at that moment.
He reached his hand down her panties and began rubbing her sensitive flesh as she spread her legs a little for him. She let soft moans escape her mouth as she felt his callused finger make perfect circles, rubbing her until she was soaked. She wished he could take her right there, shove his cock into her like they weren’t running from anyone and in some bathroom at a small supermarket in the middle of the desert.
Like reading her mind, he pushed her up against the opposite wall, pinning her around and bending her over. He thrust his hard cock into her to the rhythm of the dinging cash registers just outside the door. But that’s when they both heard it and stopped dead in their tracks; an accent that didn’t belong.
They both tugged their clothes on fast as lightning, and Melanie started rinsing her hair. Hopefully the color had been in just long enough to work. It looked pretty light colored; definitely not black anymore. It would have to do. “Oh, one more thing,” Andy said, putting some reading glasses on her. She looked about ten to fifteen years older. It was a good thing, since they’d never get out of there alive looking like themselves.
They ducked out of the bathroom and towards the dock area, hearing the man with the accent talking to the cashier. “Have you seen a man with curly reddish hair and a motorcycle jacket come through here?”
Melanie tried not to panic as they ran through the back entrance where trucks came to drop off shipments; the employees yelling at them the whole way. They ran around the side of the building until they reached the parking lot and slowed down; trying to look natural and at the same time get to the truck quickly. They could see two men looking through cars in the parking lot for signs of them. “Shit,” Melanie heard Andy breath as they came within a few feet of the truck.
They climbed in as calmly as possible and took off, Melanie practically shaking in her seat as they passed one of the men. She couldn’t help but notice him make eyes contact with her and squint as if he were trying to place her. A chill ran down her spine.
“Do you think they’ll follow us, Andy?” she asked as they left the parking lot. He gave her a nervous look that did not make her feel any better.
“Hopefully our new looks are enough to throw them off, but just in case I’ll take a non-traditional route for a bit, okay? We’ll only be an hour or so later than we expected. Go ahead and eat something. I’ll eat when we get there.” She could tell he was trying to smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. It was just beginning to feel real.
***
“Oh my gosh!” Melanie screamed as they saw the state of the apartment where they were supposed to be meeting a man for their identification. The door was hanging open, furniture was turned over, and papers lay strewn all over the place. It had been torn apart, possibly robbed. “Please tell me El Paso has a high crime rate,” Melanie blubbered out, knowing full well what must have happened.
“I’m afraid not, but I’m sure it’s gone up with the Colombians in town.” Andy let out a long, sad sigh. How could he be so calm?
“What do we do, Andy?” she gasped out as he began to look through the papers. She watched him pull something out of a small pile next to the desk against the far wall. He handed it to her, and she saw that it was her new ID. The name on it was Gene Landers. It fit well with her mom look for sure, but the picture still had her black hair. Oh well, people changed their hair all the time.
“Just find yours, and let’s get out of here, Andy.”
He looked up at her, and she felt her stomach churn. Something wasn’t right about the whole thing. “Babe, my ID won’t be here. They would have taken it and destroyed it or used it. I don’t know, but even if it’s here, they know who I am. I don’t think they’re that concerned about you. They just want me. At least that’s a relief. You’re only a way to get to me.”
Melanie felt like she couldn’t breathe at all. What did it all mean?
CHAPTER EIGHT
Melanie sat in the truck staring at her ID while she waited on Andy to formulate a new plan. Everything had gone out the window the minute they realized the Colombians were two steps ahead of them. As soon as they had left El Paso, he’d headed straight for a truck stop where they could eat and relax while he thought of something. She had stayed in the truck after using the restroom while he cleared his head. As frightened as she was, she couldn’t imagine how hard the whole thing was for him. He’d lost his family because while he had slipped off the wagon his best friend was betraying him and everyone else for that matter. Frank should have changed his name to Judas.
Melanie’s life in the long run wasn’t going to change as much as Andy’s already had. She was just a normal girl with friends and a mother who needed constant care, but Andy had a unique identity that he had to throw out the window. His motorcycle was gone, his clothes were gone, and his whole image was gone. He was a shell of the man he once was, and it made Melanie want to cry for him. If they ever felt safe again in their lives, the first thing she would do is buy him a new bike.
The driver’s door flew open to the truck as Andy climbed inside. It was freezing outside, and she had just begun to realize she was shivering. It was ridiculous how the desert could be hot as hell all day and so cold at night.
Andy didn’t look too fazed by the weather, though he did look incredibly stressed. “Did you eat?” she asked, quietly, not wanting to make him even more upset. He just nodded and ran his fingers through his practically nonexistent hair by habit.
“We
need to talk, Melanie. We need to get moving. You aren’t going to like this,” he breathed, sounding emotionally exhausted. Melanie was certain that he was telling the truth about the last part. Drastic measures were going to be necessary to escape the Colombians which were obviously on their trail. “We’re going to have to separate.”
“What!” she squawked, almost choking on her own saliva. How in the world would she make it without him? How would she know he was coming back?
“It’s the best chance we have, Melanie. I’ll lead them in the wrong direction. It’s me they want after all. Even if they find you, if they’re somehow tracking that new ID of yours, they’ll find out quickly I’m no longer with you and leave you alone. I think they made it pretty clear that they’re only concerned about me. They probably figured out that you have nothing to do with the club or the drugs. We need to make it look to them as if you decided you didn’t want to do this anymore. You wanted to go home to your mother and your friends, and we had a fight. You let me go and deal with my own problems. It’s the only way.”
“How can I leave you, Andy? I don’t know how to live this life without you, and I don’t think I could defend myself if it came down to it. And what if something happens to you? I’ll never see you again, and I’ll have no idea what really went down.” She felt her forehead bending down in a frown and her chest rising quickly in a panic. Even if he was right, it was the worst plan ever.
“I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure that’s not the case, but I can’t focus if you’re not safe. This is the best way to keep you safe.” He squeezed her hand and kissed her on the cheek. That wasn’t going to do for a possible last kiss. She leaned over and brushed across his face with her thumb before diving into his mouth with hers, tasting his tongue. She filed all the sensations and flavors away just in case it was the last time she got that with him.
“That was nice, but I don’t want you acting like this is goodbye. You need to hang onto hope, okay. Now, you’re going to take the truck. All the papers are in the glove compartment if you need them, but hopefully you won’t. I will hitchhike my way back into town and pick up something, alright? So, don’t worry about me. Dump as much of our stuff as you can. Only take what is necessary. Eat what food you can and get rid of the rest. I want you to act like you’re going home. You can stop and get directions somewhere if you need them. That will solidify to anyone following you where you’re going. As soon as you make it into L.A. leave the truck somewhere and get to the bus stop. You’re going to take a bus for me somewhere. Do not tell me or anyone else where. If you can, take two or three different routes to arrive there in case someone tries to follow you. This whole time your phone should be off so it can’t be traced. In a few days when you reach wherever you have chosen, turn on your cell phone, and I will use the GPS tracking on your phone to find you. Do not turn it on until then. Do you understand the plan?”
Unfortunately, she did understand. She was going to be on her own for the next several days and she would have no contact with Andy. She was going to have to pretend that they broke up; that she left him to his own devices. It was not an idea she was too happy about, but she didn’t let him in on that knowledge. He needed to focus to survive, so she would do what he said. She had promised she would trust him.
“I’ll trust you, Andy. I love you.”
“I love you too, Melanie, my sexy woman, and don’t you ever forget it.” He exited the truck, slamming the door behind him. They needed to make it look real.
“Fine, I’ll find my way all on my own. Take that piece of shit home with you. See if I care. I don’t need no woman on my back, anyway.”
“Don’t come crawling back when you figure out how wrong you are!” she called to him as he made his way up to a truck that he thought might offer to take him somewhere. She cringed at their fake fight and hopped into the driver’s seat and started up the truck. She didn’t give him another look, knowing if she did she couldn’t leave him there.
Instead, she sped off towards the next light to hop on the highway. She would have to drive until the next major town where she could get clear directions back to California, the place she never thought she’d be returning to.
***
Melanie handed two duffel bags to the attended who threw them in a compartment underneath the bus. Both of them contained hers and Andy’s clothing. In her hand she held a small bag with her phone which was now switched off, her ID, and the little bit of food she thought would keep for the trip. She also had a little cash Andy had left in the glove compartment.
The bus station had a stench that reminded her of piss and rat feces, which probably wasn’t too far off from the truth considering it was Albuquerque. She had been holding the image of Andy in her mind for over 48 hours already, getting herself through it. She didn’t really have much of a plan at all. It was just the first place she thought of to take a bus to, but now she was headed north to Cheyenne. Maybe when he eventually found her they could leave the country entirely and head up to Canada. She just wanted to be as far away from the Colombians as possible. Heck, she’d go to Asia if she could, but the couple hundred dollars she had in cash wasn’t going to get her there.
Melanie climbed up the steps of the bus trying not to trip. She looked around for a seat, but the bus was relatively full already. She tried to find a friendly face, but there weren’t many of those either. Then, she heard a little voice coming from her left at the middle of the bus. “You can sit with me.”
There was a young girl with a slightly dirty face sitting in the aisle. She scooted to the window seat to make room for Melanie. The girl was maybe fifteen or sixteen but seemed to be alone. No one around looked interested in her or like her, so Melanie took the offer and sat down just as the driver started the bus.
“So, where are you headed?” the girl asked Melanie, and she found herself unsure if she should answer. The whole incident had made her suspicious of everything and everyone, but then she looked the girl over. She looked like she hadn’t been able to bathe in a while or wash her clothes, and she could see a bump protruding from her shirt. Was she pregnant and homeless?
The girl looked down and then back up at Melanie. “Yeah, that’s what you think it is. My parents kicked me out when they found out. I’ve been kind of drifting wherever the wind or the money takes me for the past month. I had been staying with the father’s family for a bit, but it got awkward with his new girlfriend there as well. I guess girls like me are a dime a dozen.” The girl gave a wry smile and Melanie felt instantly bad for her. It made her think of how lucky she was to have Andy. Even if they were younger, there was no way he would be like that. Of course, her mother wouldn’t have kicked her out, either.
“I’m headed to Cheyenne, Wyoming,” Melanie decided to answer. “How about you?”
“There’s this place in Salt Lake I’m hoping to find help at. It’s run by a church, a place for unwed mothers to start over, confess their sins, all that crap. I have a friend that got sent there by her parents last year. I just really need somewhere safe to have this baby. I’m so afraid it’s just going to pop out any minute, you know?”
Melanie wanted to ask her if she ate well and took prenatal vitamins and went to her doctor appointments, but then she thought better of it. This poor girl had no help and probably less money than what was in Melanie’s purse right then. She couldn’t help but think about her own past as well, a past she thought she’d left behind. But the mom jeans were really getting to her. She so badly wanted to be a mom, and here was this young girl who just accidentally ended up with a baby. If she was in another position in life she’d offer to help this girl in a heartbeat.
“Well, I’m sorry this happened to you, but I really hope it all works out. That baby can be a real blessing for you, even if it doesn’t seem that way.”
“No, I believe you. It has certainly shown me who my true friends are, and it has made me much more responsible. I’ve quit drinking and smoking weed. Now, I
look at the people I used to hang out with and my ex and see how their life is so going nowhere if they don’t get straight. My life is already going somewhere. I’m going to be a mother. It’s like I’ve been handed life on a platter. I just hope I’m able to provide for him somehow.”
Melanie smiled at the girl. Her red curls reminded her of Andy almost, but her personality was almost like her own when she was a teenager. “I’m sure one day your parents will be proud of you. They’re just scared right now. If you were my daughter, I would be proud of how you’re handling this.”
“Thanks, lady, you’re real sweet. Hey, I’m getting pretty tired. This little guy really takes it out of me.”
“Alright, you rest. But if you need food when you wake up I’ve got some with me.”
“Really?” The girl’s eyes went wide like no one had ever offered her anything before. “Okay, I may take you up on that,” she said before closing her eyes and leaning up against the side of the bus.
Recovery (Satan's Cubs Motorcycle Club Book 3) Page 5