Minus

I was thankful to find the hotel gym was open twenty-four hours a day. It was just after three a.m. and I was still wired from the meeting with Viper. Having a gun pulled on you tends to cause a bit of an adrenaline spike. I was going to need to work off some of this energy if I was going to get any sleep at all. I put my earbuds in, turned the treadmill speed up, and tried to clear my head of all things club related. The treadmill faced a glass wall, overlooking the Portland city scape. I was the only hotel guest in the gym, so I’d left all the room lights off, and ran in only the soft glow of the city lights.

In truth, the only physical activity I wanted to be doing involved Cricket. As a matter of fact, I wanted to do just about every physical activity possible with her. Time had not lessened my desire for her. I’d been able to stow my feelings away while I was gone, but they’d never died. It’s not like I sat around pining for her or anything, but living a somewhat isolated life kept me from ever having anything close to a relationship, and I’d certainly never met anyone like her while in Savannah.

As my pace matched the rhythm of the music, my thoughts began to drift, and focused solely on Cricket.

“You sure, Cricket?” I asked, her soft body pressed against mine in my room at the compound.

“Are you?” she challenged, cupping my dick over my jeans. “You’re the one who seems all squirrelly about it.”

“Fuck,” I rasped.

She ran her tongue over my pulse as she slid her hand under the waistband of my jeans and down my already rock-hard cock. “I want all of this.”

I nodded, kissing her and sliding my tongue deep in her mouth. This was our third time sleeping together, and she’d begged me to go ungloved. I’d never fucked anyone without a condom, but Cricket wasn’t just anyone and I wanted it more than I was willing to admit out loud.

“Your brother’ll fuckin’ kill me.”

“My brother isn’t going to know anything about it,” she countered, meeting my eyes. “I love you, Jase. You said you loved me back. Were you lying?”

“No fuckin’ way.”

She smiled, the dimple on her right cheek sinking in and I couldn’t stop myself from running my thumb over it.

“I’ve been on the pill for three months,” she said. “You got tested. Why are you being such a pussy about it?”

I chuckled. Goddamn, I loved this woman. We might not be much more than kids, but I knew how I felt.

“You callin’ me a pussy?”

She tapped my chin with her finger. “Only if you don’t get your face in mine pretty damn quick-like.”

“Strip,” I demanded, and she did. Immediately.

I did the same and we fell in a heap of naked body parts on the bed. She grabbed my face and studied me. “I’m really looking forward to you eating me out, Jase, but if you could make it quick, I’d appreciate it, because I’d really, really, super-duper, like your dick inside of me.”

I grinned, kissing her as I thumbed her clit. “I can make that happen.”

Rolling her onto her back, I rolled her nipple between my fingers and kissed my way down her belly and between her legs. I alternated between sucking her clit and running my tongue between her slick folds as her hips arched up with every pass I took.

Her body began to shake as an orgasm flooded over her and I kissed her belly again, then settled the tip of my cock at her entrance.

“Jase,” she whispered, and I plunged in.

No condom, her tight heat constricting around me, I moved in and out through her climax, feeling every contraction of her orgasm. I didn’t think I could get harder, but then she wrapped her legs around my hips and arched to meet my thrusts, and I lost it.

Growling, I slammed into her over and over again until I knew I couldn’t prolong the inevitable.

“Now, baby,” she begged, and I exploded.

She wasn’t far behind and I rolled us so we were chest-to-chest on our sides.

“Goddamn, I—”

A shock of fluorescent light flooded my eyes, snapping me back to reality. I pulled an earbud out, and turned to see a surprised janitor pushing a utility cart.

“Oh, sorry sir, I didn’t realize anyone was in here in the dark.”

“That’s okay,” I replied. “I think I’m done here anyway.” I stepped off the treadmill and grabbed a towel. “Take it easy,” I said, as I passed him.

“You too, sir. Thank you for staying with us and enjoy your stay.”

I nodded while his words rang through my head.

Enjoy your stay.

My stay? Was I staying? What the fuck was I doing here? How had I let Cutter and Cricket, two people I’d spent the last six years purging from my soul, back in so quickly, and deeply? Even though I’d been sent to Savannah against my will, I’d built a life there. I got along with my crew well enough, and my work with Duke at the ranch was important to me. Not to mention, he and Pearl weren’t getting any younger, and depended on my help more and more.

I toweled off and headed back to my room, no less relaxed or clear-headed than I’d started. Perhaps by some miracle I could squeeze a few hours of sleep in before my meeting with Cutter. I wasn’t looking forward to delivering Viper’s message, and was hoping my evening meeting with Cricket would be better. Maybe she’d snap me back to reality and remind me of just how crazy Cutter’s idea was.

* * *

Cricket

How the hell was I supposed to concentrate on work today? I had a proposal due to Jeremy Marville (the new owner of the company) no later than two, and I’d been staring at a blank computer screen for the past hour.

When Maisie had sold her multi-million-dollar sex toy company, she’d made some provisions for me. Firstly, she’d promoted me from her assistant to Marketing Director, then elicited a promise from Jeremy that I’d have one year to prove myself. If I wasn’t able to make him unable to live without me by then, I was on my own.

But, here I was, my third year in, and all was well; unchallenging, boring, and predictable, but well. I mean, who wouldn’t want the chance to test out every new sex toy coming on the market and figure out which demographic to sell it to? Not me, that’s for damn sure. And considering I hadn’t dated anyone seriously in almost the same amount of time I’d been working for the company, I needed anything new that could ease my pain, so to speak.

“Christina?” My assistant, Melody knocked and peeked her head into my office. “Jeremy’s wondering if you have that proposal ready yet?”

I smiled. “No. I still have three hours. But you can tell him, nice try.”

She chuckled. “Um, no, I don’t think I will be telling the CEO of the company I work for anything other than, ‘yes, sir,’ or ‘how high’?”

“Would you mind grabbing lunch? I don’t think I’m going to be able to get out today.”

“Of course. What do you want?”

“Surprise me,” I said, digging thirty dollars out of my purse. “Grab yourself something too, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want you to take your break.”

She grinned and took the money from me. “I know the drill.”

I’d hired Melody two years ago and I adored her. Mostly because she was awesome, but also partly because she loved her job. She didn’t want to be anything other than an executive assistant, which meant, I would never lose her. Well, unless someone fabulous stole her from me, but that had already been tried and I won. Stupid big five tax company. I had more money at my disposal, so they could suck it.

I bit back a yawn and focused on my screen again. I had gotten next to no sleep last night because every time I closed my eyes, visions of Jase going down on me danced in my head. No sugar plums for me. Nope, just his tongue on my clit. Although, I’m pretty sure he could figure out something creative to do with sugar plums.

Damn it, I needed to be writing this proposal, not fantasizing about Jase sugaring my plums.

Forcing my focus back to the job at hand, I picked up the jar of Uncle Milton’s Elbow Lube and tried not to laugh... or groan. I couldn’t figure out which one was more appropriate. I could have pawned this off to one of my staff, but it was a source of pride to be able to put together a successful campaign for the most challenging products.

Jeremy and I had met with Uncle Milton (yes, his name was really Milton, and he was in fact someone’s uncle), and tried to get him to change the name of the product, but he wouldn’t budge.

I originally advised Jeremy to pass on Milton’s lube, but the truth was, it was a great seller, even if people more than likely bought it for a novelty gift. If Uncle Milton was aware of this, he certainly never let on, he was just happy cashing the checks.

Sitting before me was the new “Spring Meadows” scent and I cringed at what this stuff could possibly be used for or why it needed to smell like fabric softener, but tried my best to focus on coming up with a marketing plan that would get it into the hands (or onto the elbows) of every dry pervert in the tri-state area.

* * *

Minus

The Sanctuary was a ghost town, compared to how I’d seen it lately, and Cutter’s office was quiet.

“So, Viper’s an even sneakier snake than we’d thought?” Cutter asked, before taking a pull from a portable oxygen tank.

“It would appear so. How do you want to play this?” I asked.

“It’s your money, it’s your show,” he replied.

“My money? What do you mean?” I asked. “You’re the one that secretly called in every outstanding debt to the club.”

“It’s yours, because with this cash, you and Cricket are going to lead the Burning Saints into a new era. Think of the club as a new tech startup, and this is your seed money.”

“I figured this money was for cancer treatment, or for your retirement, as it very well fuckin’ should be.”

“Kid, I’ve been living my retirement out for the last 40 fuckin’ years. I’ve been doing what I want to do, and going where I want to go, for most of my life. What am I gonna do now? Take up fly fishing? As for treatment; I’m not gonna spend the few days I have left on this planet tied to a poison drip, and I don’t wanna hear another goddamned word about it.”

I nodded.

“Aren’t you forgetting something else?” I asked. “Cricket hasn’t agreed to go along with any of this. Hell, I haven’t even talked to her yet.”

“Listen, Minus, she’s smart. You explain it to her in business terms, just like I did to you, and she’ll understand just fine.”

“Then why don’t you talk to her? You’re the man with the plan. Why do I have to be the one to give her the pitch of the century?”

“Because she likes you, dumbass. Besides, I tried the other night and she walked out.”

“Because of me!” I shouted. “She walked out because of me. What makes you think she’ll listen to a damned word I say?”

“She agreed to meet with you, didn’t she? That’s gotta mean something, right?”

“Agreed? No. She demanded,” I corrected. “She called me before I even had a chance to call her.”

“That’s even better. See, I told you she’s crazy about you. I could see it from a mile away, and from the dopey look on your face, and considering how twisted up you are about this meeting tonight, you’re clearly still hung up on her.”

“Alright, enough about Cricket,” I said. “I’ll figure out what to say to her later. Right now, we need to focus on this meeting with Los Psychos and how we’re gonna play it.”

“We know for sure that Viper’s got the money?” Cutter asked.

“He says he does, and that he’ll give it all back if you’ll simply agree to meet with him,” I replied.

“Alone?” He asked.

“Those were his terms, but as you can imagine, your Sergeant at Arms wasn’t about to sign off on sending you alone into a potential ambush, and as much as I hate to agree with Clutch...”

Cutter smiled. “Alright, then what?”

“We agreed on a sit down in a public place, with a plus one for both parties.”

“Clutch is gonna want to be the one who’s there with me,” Cutter said.

“I know that, but I want it to be me. I’ll talk to Clutch,” I said.

“Have you thought about what it’ll be like with him once you’re the club president?”

“If I agree to become president,” I corrected. “But why would I have issues with Clutch? He’s my best friend.”

“Well, he’s been here, working close with me for the past six years, and he’s already an officer. There’s a chance he may feel passed over. There’re also a chance that he’ll have trouble taking orders from someone who’s been his equal for so long.”

“The last person in the world I’m worried about is Clutch. In fact, the only two people I’m concerned about right now are you and Viper, so let’s get back to planning this meeting.”

Cutter and I worked out the details over the next half hour, and I texted Viper with the time and place of the meeting, to which he agreed. We were to meet the following day, at the Portland Saturday market. Viper would bring the money in exchange for five minutes of Cutter’s time. My plan was to have Clutch waiting nearby in a van, just in case Los Psychos had anything up their sleeve. Grover volunteered to ride along, which made it feel like the old days. I was confident Viper would have hidden backup too, so I wanted to be ready in case anything popped off. Truth be told, I didn’t feel good about any of it though, and I told Cutter so.

“What are you so worried about?” Cutter asked, smiling. “The whole thing sounds like a simple sit down to me. We’re doing it at a public place of our choosing, so we know it’s not an ambush.”

“If it’s simply a sit down, then why steal the cash to draw you out? Why not just ask for a meeting with you? And what the fuck was up with all the tough guy bullshit last night at his fucking wannabe nightclub?”

“I don’t know Minus, but this guy sounds like a punk to me,” Cutter said.

“The problem is, we still don’t know much about him at all. Clutch was able to find out a little, but there are big gaps in the details.

“What do we know?” Cutter asked.

“He’s from Jalisco, and from what we can tell, he was a low-level guy who hooked up with Los Psychos while doing a six month stretch in a Mexican prison.”

“Makes sense,” Cutter said. “Los Psychos started out as a group of guys from Jalisco that met while in the Oregon state pen in the early 2000s. The prison system seems to be how they vet potential members. They’re a straight up street gang, who happen to ride from time-to-time. Nothing like our breed of biker.

“From what Clutch told me, they’re a small club, but they’re gaining in numbers, both here and back in Mexico. We need to be careful. Viper is still making his bones here state side, and he’s got a lot to prove. This meeting is likely some sort of big play for him.”

“Well, that’s enough to know he’s dangerous, so you keep your eyes open, and try your best not to get us both killed,” Cutter said.