Biker (20 page)

After they were both spent and had cleaned themselves up, Blaze took her into the kitchen, where Derek surprised her with his culinary skills, and made an outstanding spaghetti and meatballs dinner for her and a few of the guys.

Blaze caught her staring at him and he winked before licking his lips. Noelle wondered if she would get any sleep tonight. She had a feeling that Blaze had every intention of keeping her flat on her back all night, and that was perfectly fine by her.

She focused back on James, who seemed to be taking a leadership position with the plans. This time only four of them would be involved in the actual hold up, and the rest of the guys would be acting as protection. The Wynn was known to have much more security than the other resorts, so the guys in charge of protection would be monitoring that, as well as ensuring the safety of the four “players.”

Noelle, Blaze, Derek and James would be the players, since they had all been involved before and knew what to expect. Blaze didn’t want anyone going in who hadn’t already done it before.

Benny was organizing the protection aspects of the heist.

Noelle listened intently as Blaze reviewed the plan. Noelle was going to have to start off on her own this time, and while she was both thrilled and terrified at the thought, she knew she could handle it.

She wrestled with her internal demons, which told her that this was a terrible idea, and that she wasn’t meant to be a criminal.

But Blaze had her so out of her mind, how could she say no to him?

“Are you sure you’re alright with this?” Blaze asked her, his bright blue eyes troubled.

“Yes. I’m fine,” she said, her voice stronger than she actually felt. Ten pairs of eyes looked back at her. She wasn’t going to freak out now, not in front of all these gang members.

James cleared his throat. “Alright. Then I suppose we’re finished for now.” He looked around the room. “Does anyone have any questions?”

Everyone shook their heads and James nodded. “Good.”

The group broke up, and Blaze pulled Noelle to him. “Are you sure you’re alright with the plan?” he asked.

“Yes. Really, I’m fine.”

Blaze gave her a doubtful look.

“I agreed to do it, didn’t I?”

“Yes.” They walked down the hall to Blaze’s room. Once inside, Blaze went to a drawer and rummaged around in it before pulling something out. He held the object out for Noelle to see.

It was a non-descript key.

“Know what this is?”

Noelle shook her head.

“It’s the key to the fancy bathroom.”

Noelle perked up. Last time she was here, she had discovered the off-limits spa bathroom that belonged to Blaze’s drug-addicted mother. Noelle had been worried that someone would come in and catch them since there had been no way to lock the door.

“So... it locks the door?” she asked slowly.

Blaze gave her a wicked grin and nodded.

Noelle’s eyes lit up. “How did you get it? Did you have to ask your mom for it?”

Blaze laughed. “Of course not. She would never give it to me. Especially since she knows that I’ve been spending all my time with you.” He frowned. “Sorry, that sounded harsh.”

Noelle waved him off. She knew what most of the members of the Widowmakers thought of her. They viewed her as an outsider, one who seemed like she was too good for the gang because she appeared more sophisticated. From the very beginning, most of the gang members made it clear that they didn’t like outsiders.

“I found it in one of her drawers. Like I said before, she never goes in there, and she’s never going to realize it’s gone.” He smiled salaciously. “We can spend as much time in there as we want, fucking as much as want, and no one will be able to find us or walk in on us.”

Noelle felt heat course through her body and she couldn’t get out of Blaze’s room fast enough. “What are we still doing here?” she asked, grabbing his hand, “Let’s go!”  They made their way to the secret spa-like room, and once safely inside, Blaze locked the door before tossing key onto the marble counter. He turned and moved slowly, deliberately, toward Noelle, and, heart pounding, she gave herself to him with complete abandon.

* * *

“T
his is the last time that I’m going to ask. Are you absolutely sure that you’re comfortable with the plans?” Blaze questioned Noelle.

She nodded, biting her lip. She was as comfortable as she could be and there was no turning back at this point.

Blaze gave her a final look and then turned back to his reflection, adjusting the collar of his tailored suit. He no longer looked like the bad boy that Noelle had become accustomed to seeing. He’d gotten a shorter haircut, giving him a more wholesome appearance, and the expensive three-piece suit he was wearing covered all of his tattoos. And while Noelle loved the way he looked in torn jeans, with his tattoos peeking through his t-shirt, she also loved the way he looked dressed in a well-cut suit.

Noelle was relieved to be dressed in a much classier fashion than last time. In fact, she was wearing something more glamorous and expensive than any of the dresses she actually owned. She had been given a form-hugging red halter dress, with black beading and details. The dress accented her curves, and displayed her ample cleavage without looking trashy.

Noelle had curled her hair into loose waves, and then pinned it up on top of her head, to reveal the beautifully beaded straps of the dress. She let a few tendrils fall around her ears, and Blaze had come over to her more than once to push the tendrils aside and kiss the tender skin of her exposed neck.

Noelle turned back to the mirror and looked at her and Blaze’s reflection. They looked like a beautiful, glamorous couple, perfectly suited for each other, and fear tugged at Noelle’s heart when she realized that she was soon going to have to make a life-changing decision. Would she pursue a future with Blaze, or would she leave this all behind her?

“Alright, let’s go,” Blaze said, his face turning hard and determined. He put his hand on the small of Noelle’s back and guided her out of the room. The clubhouse was beginning to fill up and Noelle knew that the bikers, their wives, and their girlfriends would begin partying soon, drinking heavily and consuming drugs. By the time they arrived back from the heist, nearly everyone would be drunk or high, or both, and the room would be rowdy and in high spirits.

Derek and James were waiting by the entrance, each of them very handsomely and expensively dressed. The members working the protection side of the heist had already infiltrated the casino. James got behind the wheel of the car, and the ride into Vegas was quiet. Several times Blaze and James exchanged a few words, but they were terse.

Everyone was nervous, and the tension was palpable

Noelle wondered if James and Derek were thinking, as she was, about the security guard who got shot last time.

James pulled the car into the elegant entrance of the Paris, and they all stepped out. It was safer to park the car at a different casino, and then head over to the Wynn; it would make things harder to trace.

They all nodded briefly at one another, and then split up as they entered the lobby.

Derek went directly to the exit, where Noelle knew he would catch a cab and head over to the Wynn.

James walked toward the casinos, while Blaze circled the lobby and then exited, where he would spend time checking out the Eiffel Tower replica outside. Noelle, on the other hand, headed toward the shopping area, which she remembered well from her visit with Quinn and Liz.

She wandered along the meandering paths that were meant to look like Parisian streets. She stopped into a few stores without purchasing anything, and then window-shopped intently. She knew she needed to spend roughly an hour and a half at the hotel before heading over to the Wynn. According to the plan, all of their arrivals at the Wynn were staggered, and Noelle would be the last to leave the Paris.

She saw a cute French coffee and pastry shop, and she decided to waste time by ordering a cappuccino and having chocolate bread. Noelle settled at a small table in a courtyard and looked around as she sipped her drink and picked at her pastry. It was amazing how the hotels were able to make an inside area look so much like a rustic outdoor place.

If Noelle concentrated hard enough, she could almost believe that she was in Paris, or some other European country. She had never been to Paris, or anywhere in Europe, so she couldn’t really appreciate how authentically the casino emulated the actual city.

After tonight, Noelle thought, she would have eight hundred thousand dollars. She could do things she had never dreamed of doing before.

She could travel the world.

She could see the
real
Paris.

Why would anything stop her?

On the flip side, Noelle knew she could do all of those things with or without Blaze. And as she sat by herself, sipping her cappuccino and nibbling on the pain au chocolate, she felt a pang of loneliness. Everything was more interesting with Blaze around. Everything felt brighter, felt more alive.

She tried to imagine going to Paris alone, and then she imagined going with Blaze.

It was painfully obvious which choice appealed to her more.

Noelle finished her snack and stood up. She still had a bit more time to waste, so she meandered some more, and tried to sense her gut feelings. Sometimes she felt it was better to just go with her initial instincts, and not overthink things.

Gathering her courage, she left the hotel and caught a taxi to the Wynn. The Wynn was just as impressive and beautiful as she had remembered from her visit with Quinn and Liz. As she walked into the lobby, she couldn’t help but look up in awe at the amazing flower arrangements that were suspended from the ceiling.

Taking a deep breath, she moved toward the casino and prepared herself for what was to come.

Walking into the Wynn’s casino felt like entering another world. Everything was done in gold, and the room was so opulent that she almost felt underdressed. Of course, there were people milling around in jeans, but it was the kind of casino that silently encouraged its players to dress well.

Noelle did as she had been instructed, and milled about. She saw a few of the guys from the clubhouse stationed around the casino, and she knew that the rest would be in one of the high roller rooms. She began playing slots, and out of the corner of her eye she saw a familiar figure rise and walk away. Derek. He was probably heading to the high roller room. Time was getting tight.

After Noelle finished feeding the slot machine, she wandered around a bit more, looking for a blackjack table that had a few empty seats. She found one in the corner of the room, and took a seat before placing her money down.

She still wasn’t a very good player, but she could get by. After a few rounds, she felt an intimidating presence behind her.

Sure enough, Blaze sat down.

He began playing too, and not surprisingly, began to win. Blaze flirted with Noelle and she enjoyed flirting with him as well. It felt new, yet familiar and it reminded her of meeting him on her very first night in Vegas.

A commotion nearby caught the attention of everyone at her table, and Blaze and Noelle both looked over to see James getting into an argument with another man at a nearby table. Everything seemed to be going just as planned.

“This is bullshit!” James exclaimed. “I’m finished here!” The dealer began to cash him out. “Where is the high roller room?” he demanded, clearly disgusted. The dealer quietly pointed him in the right direction.

Blaze looked at the dealer at their table. “Where
is
the high roller room?” he asked curiously.

“Down that hall and to the right. It’s the black door with the gold door knob,” the dealer said in a bored tone. She barely lifted her eyes to look at Blaze. “But,” she said, perking up just a bit, “If you want a
real
high roller experience, than you should check out the Sky Casino in the Encore.”

Blaze snickered and Noelle tried not to laugh. That was just what they needed. A casino situated at the very top of a hotel. What kind of get-away scene would that require?

Blaze played another hand, and then looked at the dealer. “I think I’m finished,” he said.

The dealer shrugged and gave him his winnings.

“Care to join me in the high roller room?” he asked Noelle.

She tried to look cool and indifferent. “Maybe later.”

Blaze smiled cockily at her and then left. No one at the table seemed to be at all interested in Blaze and Noelle’s little exchange. After a few minutes, Noelle wrapped up herself and began to make her way to the high roller room. Her nerves were shot and she decided to swing by the bar and order herself a drink.

She ordered her old favorite – vodka and cranberry. She wished she could stay at the sleek-looking bar all night, just nursing her drink and people-watching. But she knew that she had a part to play, and she downed her drink quickly before moving on.

The bartender had been generous with the vodka and Noelle could feel the warmth of the liquor spreading through her body. That slight amount of liquid courage seemed to be just what she needed.

Just as Noelle was nearing the high roller room, she felt a strong hand circle around her wrist and yank her.

She tried to shriek, but a hand quickly clapped over her mouth and dragged her into a restroom.

The hand released her, and she whirled around, her heart pounding. Just one second before actually screaming, she saw that the hand belonged to Blaze.

“What the
hell
?” she hissed, shaking with fear. “What are you doing?”

“You just look so damned sexy,” he explained, his voice raspy with desire. He pushed her up against the wall, kissing her neck just above the strap of the halter dress. “I just couldn’t let you walk past me.”

Noelle stifled a moan as she felt Blaze’s warm lips brush against her skin, but she tried to fight the physical urges that always flooded her body when he was near.

“Blaze, stop!” She tried to push him away. “You’re supposed to be in the high roller room already!”