Free Burnt: A Bad Boy Romance: Courage MC by Kara Hart Page A

and he squeezed it hard, staring directly into my eyes. It felt like he was looking into my soul. My heart swelled up at the thought.
    “Let’s do it.” I said. “Let’s rob ‘em blind!”
    Bruce started laughing. “That’s the spirit, kid! But eat my damn chili first, will ya?” He scooped a big portion out for each of us, sloshing it into our bowls and yelled, “Dinner is served!”
    I grabbed my bowl and ran to the table. Truth was, I was starving. I’d been surviving off of Red Vines and hot dogs the past two days. And before that I hadn’t eaten at all. Being on the run was tough on the stomach, so I couldn’t help but stuff my face. Once the smell of that chili entered my nose, there was no stopping me.
    “Hey, settle down now.” Bruce said, tapping my hand. I looked up at him like an angry wolf. “We haven’t said grace yet!”
    “Grace?” I said, my mouth full of food. My hands were still in the scooping position.
    He held out his hand for me to grab. “Yes, grace. Just because we’re hardened men, don’t mean we don’t pray for forgiveness. Where would we be without the lord anyway?” He winked. He coughed and cleared his throat. “Dear lord, thank you for this wonderful world we live in. Thank you for the excess of money, food, and people we can rob. Thank you for the beer, although you could have given me more of it tonight. Thank you for your son’s sacrifice. Thanks even more for all my friends’ sacrifices…”
    Adam looked up, angrily. “Dad…that’s blasphemous.”
    “…and most of all, thank you for my son and new daughter in law. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.”
    “Amen.” We all repeated back. I blushed at the words “daughter in law.”
    “Who said we were getting married?” I asked him, taking another bite of chili.
    “You’ll get married soon enough. I can sense these things. It’s a father’s sixth sense.” His beard lifted upward as he grinned.
    “Well, I did promise her.” Adam said, smiling.
    I couldn’t help but smile back.
    “He did?!” His father exclaimed. “Well god damn! That’s a blessing if I ever heard of one! I think a congratulations is in order!”
    He ran over to the fridge and threw over a few more cans of beer. Bruce popped one open and gulped it down hurriedly. Adam didn’t bother to open it.
    “What’s wrong son? Is one beer too much for ya?” He laughed and turned his head to wink at me.
    “We celebrate after we finish the heist.” He said, staring out into space again. He was always so contemplative. I guess I was grateful for that.

15
    W e spent the whole night arguing over the plan, while Bruce kept drinking. He was getting drunker and drunker, and drunker and drunker. And as hours passed, he was stumbling over himself, yelling loudly throughout the house.
    “YOU CAN’T JUST WALK INTO A BANK AND EXPECT EVERYTHING TO BE ALL HUNKY DORY, ADAM! YOU JUST CAN’T…NOW, NOW…LEMME TELL YOU WHAT, BOY…” He wasn’t making any sense and I could tell Adam was getting fed up with the discussion.
    Eventually, I had to interject. “Hey, Adam. Why don’t we go outside for a second…” I whispered.
    “OH, YEAH. GO OUTSIDE WITH YERR DARLING LITTLE WIFE!” He practically screamed at us.
    Adam turned to him and gave him a direct stare. “If you weren’t my father, I would knock you on your ass.” He said. Then he spit on the wood floor and cursed, “ Boy.”
    Bruce simply turned around and stumbled back to the dinner table, where there were half eaten bowls of chili, crumbs of bread, and dirty silverware scattered. He was mumbling to himself something like, “I’ll show you father…” And other things that didn’t quite add up. I could see why Adam wanted to get straight.
    When we walked outside Adam turned to me and put his hand on my shoulder. “Look, here’s the plan. I’ve got a guy in security that works the bank. You know the guy I mentioned earlier?”
    “Daryl?” I asked.
    “Exactly. He’ll switch the