Biker (14 page)

“Really? What happened?”

Derek’s face clouded over. “They made sure that we stopped seeing each other.”

Noelle was horrified. “What do you mean?”

“Exactly that. They frightened her, threatened her – made her fearful. Told her things that were untrue. We didn’t stand a chance.” He shook his head. “She went running and wouldn’t listen to a thing I said.”

“I’m so sorry.”

Derek stared straight ahead and nodded.

“Couldn’t you have left the gang?” Noelle asked, unsure of how things worked.

“And do what? I’ve been a part of this group since I was fifteen. Where would I go? What would I do for a living? I have no skills.”

“Oh, I really doubt that.”

Derek shrugged. “They're the only family I have.”

Noelle wanted to ask if Derek was dating someone from the “inside” but she didn’t know him well enough to probe any further.

They parked at Mandalay Bay, Derek held his hand out for Noelle, and they made their way into the lobby of the hotel. They then walked out of the lobby and into a waiting queue for taxis. Once inside a taxi, Derek directed the driver to the Bellagio.

Noelle’s stomach jumped as they approached the targeted casino, and she fleetingly thought of what her friends would say if they had any idea what she was doing. That she was willingly participating in a major heist with complete strangers.

They would be stunned.

She and Derek exited the taxi and made their way into the Bellagio. Noelle followed Derek’s lead as they walked around the hotel, checking out the casino and restaurants.

“Shall we eat?” Derek asked politely and Noelle nodded. They were able to get a table at the Jasmine restaurant, and Noelle couldn’t help but have two glasses of wine.

It helped her relax.

“So did you really meet Blaze just from being in the casino last week?” Derek asked quietly.

Noelle nodded.

They were supposed to be a couple, so she knew that they couldn’t just sit and eat in silence. She was already wishing that the heist was over.

“He’s a nice guy you know.”

“I’m learning that.”

“He took me under his wing when I came into the gang. I could see that he was fighting a lot of what the gang stood for, and he saw that I needed a friend. Especially after what his brother did.”

Noelle had only heard Blaze mention his brother once or twice. She didn’t even know his name, and something about Derek’s tone piqued her interest.

“What do you mean? What did his brother do?”

Derek shook his head, remembering the incident. “Blaze’s brother, Axel-’’

“Axel?” Noelle interrupted.

Derek gave her a small smile. “Nice names, huh? Their parents did a real number. Anyway, Axel and I went to school together. We had a lot of the same classes. I had been going through a really tough time with my dad – things were real bad. Axel acted like he was my friend – helping me out, talking to me – stuff like that. Well it turned out it was all a prank, because then he invited me to a party with all the “cool” kids, only to humiliate me.” Derek stopped talking and Noelle knew he wasn’t going to elaborate any further.

Derek continued, glossing over the rest. “That’s how I met Blaze, because I had been hanging around Axel. I started feeling like I was part of a family there. Blaze made sure that I stayed and made sure that Axel never messed with me again. After a while though, I felt equipped to handle Axel on my own.”

“So I guess you two still don’t get along?”

“You could say that. I tolerate the prick, but that’s about it. It’s all in the past, but only a shitty person acts that way. He never did try to apologize, even when we were adults. I know kids do stupid things, but you would think he would acknowledge it once we got older.” Derek shrugged. “Whatever. It’s in the past. The gang has some really fucked up rules, but they’ve been good to me in a lot of ways.”

Their food arrived, and their conversation moved towards lighter topics such as how Vegas had been built up over the years, and the endless construction that seemed to take place on the strip. Noelle did more listening than talking, and she found that Derek was a wealth of knowledge on Vegas and all of its attractions.

They wrapped up their meal, and Noelle knew that they were about to start gambling in the casino. They would probably cross paths with Benny first, and then James. Blaze would go directly to the high roller room.

Noelle linked her arm with Derek’s, just as Blaze had instructed her, and they circled the casino before playing some slots. Noelle actually won fifty dollars, and she cheered when she won, making sure that she cheered a bit too loud.

“Good,” Derek whispered after making a big deal of telling her to lay off the booze.

Next they moved onto a few table games. Noelle played poorly, which wasn’t a stretch, since she really didn’t know how to gamble at anything other than blackjack.

Finally, they settled at a blackjack table just next to where Benny was playing. Derek won some good money and Noelle cheered him on, rubbing his back and sipping her one drink. She wanted to make sure she stayed sober enough to focus on the tasks at hand.

As Derek continued to play, Noelle stole glances at Benny. She finally noticed him get up with a large pile of chips, and then he disappeared around a corner. Noelle knew that he was headed to the high roller room. James was also playing somewhere in the casino, and he would be heading there shortly. If everything was going according to the plan, then Blaze would be heading directly to the high roller room in a bit.

“Alright sweetheart, let’s take a break,” Derek said, pulling Noelle into him and nuzzling her neck. Noelle allowed him to do so, even though it felt strange to be touched by another man.

Derek took his chips with him, and they headed over to one of the bars on the fringe of the casino.

“You’re doing good so far,” Derek whispered softly after they had ordered two drinks. Noelle felt entirely sober, and figured that one drink wouldn’t hurt her now.

“Thanks. I just want this to be over with,” she admitted, “I wasn’t nervous last time because I had no idea what the hell was going on. This time it’s so much worse.”

Derek gave her an apologetic look.

“Do you guys do stuff like this all the time?” Noelle asked after her drink had arrived.

Derek shook his head. “No. We had always talked about it, but we didn’t think we could ever pull it off. Then last weekend Blaze had the idea to find a random woman in the casino.”

Noelle cringed when she heard herself being referred to as a random woman.

Derek continued. “Blaze was certain that he would be able to find a beautiful woman who would follow him to the high roller room. The whole point was to use a woman who wasn’t in on the plan, so the reaction would be real and genuine.”

Noelle frowned. Was she just some
idiot
woman who followed Blaze around a casino – a simple pawn in his game?

“Well if the whole key was to have someone unsuspecting, how are we benefiting now?” Her nerves were getting the best of her. If the whole point of last week’s hold up was to use a woman who did not know the men, and who was not in on the plan, then weren’t they setting themselves up to fail tonight?

Derek laughed quietly. “You are one good girl, aren’t you?” It wasn’t a mean comment, but it stung Noelle just a bit.

“You think I’m a goody-goody?”

Derek nodded emphatically. “Yes. But there’s nothing wrong with that. It makes you that much sexier. I can see why Blaze is crazy about you.”

“Huh?”

“Oh, come on. Blaze is nuts for you. It’s obvious.”

Noelle shook her head. “That’s very flattering of you to say, but Blaze is definitely not “nuts” for me. I’m only here because I’m helping you pull off this heist. And...” she hesitated. “I think he just likes having sex with me.”

Derek laughed loudly this time. “Of course he likes having sex with you! Can you blame him? I would like it too if I were him!”

Noelle ducked her head in embarrassment.

“I don’t think you see yourself clearly,” Derek assessed. “There are a lot of men out there who wish they could be in Blaze’s shoes.”

Noelle looked up at Derek, but she didn’t see any trace of insincerity.

Was it possible?

Was she not looking at herself realistically?

Had she been so comfortable with Todd, so warped by their relationship that she lost track of who she was? She was really just a kid when she and Todd started dating. She was fresh out of college and still felt so much like a child.

Derek glanced at his watch. “We better get going. We need to go play another table before we make our way to the high roller room.” He downed the rest of his drink and Noelle followed him to a table.

She couldn’t stop thinking about what Derek had said about Blaze’s feelings for her. Could it be? She knew she was developing feelings for Blaze, and she also knew that it was crazy for a number of reasons.

For starters, she was completely rash and irresponsible for coming out here at all. Not to mention that Blaze was a typical bad boy, and Derek had just solidified that Noelle was a goody two-shoes. Although she was beginning to doubt that, given her recent behavior. And did she even need to think about the fact that she and Blaze lived on opposite coasts? Finally, she was a nurse and Blaze was part of a biker gang. Not exactly a match made in heaven.

“Alright, Noelle, I need you to focus.”

Derek’s words brought her out of her daydream. He was starting to sit down at another table. Noelle nodded and moved behind him. In less than two hours everything would be over. She would be back on a plane tomorrow, headed east.

That thought brought her both relief and sadness.

Derek began putting down huge chunks of money. They didn’t want to draw attention to themselves now, so Noelle quietly cheered him on, running her hands up and down his back and in his hair.

“What do you say we really play big tonight?” he asked, turning to Noelle.

“What?”

“I’m finished here.” Derek took his winnings and left, Noelle following right behind. Derek led the way to the high roller room, which was set up as an elaborate and exclusive lounge.

Noelle looked around as they entered the lavish room, which was done in a contrast of dark woods, silver and metals.

“Wow.”

Derek nodded in agreement. They found the blackjack area, and sure enough, Benny and James were seated at one table playing, and Blaze was seated at another table.

Noelle’s heart leapt when she saw him, though she knew she needed to act like she didn’t know him.

Blaze looked as handsome as ever, and gone were the traces of his wild background. He was shaven and clean cut, wearing a pricey, tailored black sports coat over a steely gray shirt. Their eyes met only briefly, and Noelle was shocked anew by the brilliance of his blue eyes.

As she and Derek took their seats at Blaze’s table, Noelle felt eyes on her. She had almost forgotten that she had been wearing a flimsy tissue of a dress. Thank goodness Blaze had said that the dress had been cleaned, because Noelle figured whoever owned such a dress might be prone to certain infections.

The dress was made of a dark metallic material, and cut wide open down her middle, just barely covering her nipples, leaving the sides of her breasts exposed. It plunged open to her navel, and was held together with three skinny bands that stretched across her torso. The dress stopped just below her privates, exposing her upper thighs. The back of the dress dipped into a deep V.

It left very little to the imagination.

“Everyone is looking at this damn dress,” she hissed at Derek as he took a seat next to Blaze.

“As well they should,” Derek whispered back. He put his money down, and he and Blaze struck up a cordial conversation, commenting on the game and participating in a little competitive dialogue.

“Your girlfriend here looks very beautiful tonight,” Blaze said, his eyes moving to Noelle.

“Thank you,” Derek said stiffly, making sure to seem bothered by the fact that Blaze was checking Noelle out.

Noelle grinned back at Blaze, which wasn’t hard to do. If anyone was going to drool over her and her awful dress, then she wanted it to be Blaze.

Blaze lost his next few hands. “Well it seems like your girlfriend there is your lucky charm,” he said wistfully.

Derek only nodded curtly.

“I’m Alex, by the way,” Blaze said cordially, holding his hand out to Noelle.

“Christina,” she said, shaking his hand.

“I’m sorry your boyfriend here didn’t introduce us. He must have forgotten his manners.” This time the friendliness was gone from Blaze’s voice.

Derek shook his head, trying to control his temper. “My manners are just fine,” he growled.

Blaze smiled seductively at Noelle. “Pleasure to meet you, Christina.”

Derek shot Noelle a warning look, and she quickly lowered her eyes and focused on Derek’s game.

Inside, Noelle was a wreck, hoping that she was doing everything right.

Blaze began to win again, and he smiled broadly, flirting with the dealer. “Looks like Christina here is my lucky charm too.”

Derek said nothing, focusing only on his game.

“Oh come on,” Blaze said jovially. “I’m only joking.”

“Well keep your jokes to yourself. I don’t find them funny, and I don’t think my girlfriend appreciates them either.”

“Do you ever let her speak for herself?” Blaze asked. “Am I offending you?” he asked 'Christina,' turning towards her.

Before Noelle could speak, Derek cut in. “Back off, man.”

“Okay, okay,” Blaze laughed good-naturedly, holding his hands up. “I’ll leave you and her alone.” He turned back to his game. “But I’d keep an eye on her if I were you, especially with that dress.”

Derek jumped up like a shot, his intention to punch Blaze clear to everyone, and the dealer called out for security...

This was it!

“Nobody move!” Blaze cried, pulling out a gun from the back of his jacket.

Several people screamed, and Derek acted as if he were protecting Noelle, lunging in front of her.

Blaze motioned with his gun to James and Benny who jumped up and started robbing the players. In the next split second, Blaze grabbed Noelle from behind Derek and pulled her to him tightly, butting his pistol up against her temple.