Minus

by Jack Davenport

  “That’s a nice way of saying potential all-out war,” he replied.

  “Why would there be a war?”

  “Because Cutter and I want to turn the Burning Saints into a clean club.”

  I had to admit, of all the hairbrained schemes I’d expected to hear, this came as a complete surprise. “Jase, you can’t be serious—”

  “Minus. Trust me, Jase isn’t the man for this job, but with your help, Minus can be.” His eyes, and his words were soft as he spoke. “I’m starting to understand why Cutter wants you by my side for this. I’m still not sure I’m the right man to be president, but I think if you were there with me, I could do it.”

  “This is crazy talk. I have a life, a job, career aspirations. Am I supposed to just throw all that away to run off, and be a publicist for a biker gang?”

  “Of course not. You’d be the Vice President of Marketing,” he said smugly.

  “Of what, Minus? Have the Burning Saints developed a new product that you need to launch at the next biker convention? Do you have something that will revolutionize the beat down industry?”

  “It’s exactly the opposite of that,” he said taking my hands. “We want out of the protection business. As a matter of fact, we want to redirect all focus and resources on running and growing our legitimate businesses. More importantly, we wish to liquidate and/or cease all non-legal enterprises, including our security firm, and bookmaking business.”

  “Jesus, you weren’t kidding when you said there’d be a war,” I said, squeezing his hands tighter.

  As confused as I was by this entire situation, his touch made me feel safe. He’d always had that effect on me. In all my life only two men had ever made me feel safe, Jase and my brother, and at this moment they were both inside my head, pulling me in two opposite directions. I couldn’t believe I was even entertaining this conversation, or in bed naked with Jase, but most of all, I couldn’t believe how much I wanted him to fuck me again. I had to refocus and end this absurdity.

  “What you want to do is highly dangerous, if not impossible,” I said. “The kind of rapid shift in the club’s business model that you are proposing would create a power vacuum in Portland. Other clubs or gangs would kill each other competing to control or shake down everyone that used to be under the Saint’s protection. Not to mention, the blood that would spill over all the other revenue sources the club must have its hand in. Given how long the Saints have been in the area, I’d say you’ve likely got a hand in just about every shady deal that goes down in this town.”

  “See, Cutter was right.”

  “What was he right about?”

  “You understand club culture and how the economy of the street works. Your brother’s club may be clean, but the Dogs of Fire still roll on the same dirty streets as everyone else. You understand how men like me think. It’s in your blood. With your knowledge of club life, instincts about people, and head for business, you could run the Burning Saints by yourself, but I think it’s safe to say that the world of outlaw bikers may not be quite that progressive yet, so perhaps a partnership isn’t the old man’s craziest idea.”

  “It is crazy, and so are you if you think I’m going to be your biker bitch business partner.”

  “I know you said that like it was a bad thing, but that would look great on your business card.” He smiled wide and my stomach dropped.

  “Get serious,” I said, trying to push my feelings for Jase aside, and get back to something a little closer to reality. I’d worked through my heartbreak for years in therapy, and thought I was in a good place before he walked back into my world. Having him so close made me realize I hadn’t worked through anything. “Does Cutter actually think waving a fantasy check for a million dollars in front of my face is the way to get me to agree to all this nonsense?”

  “The money’s as real as the job offer, Cricket. Cutter wants you to use it to start your own business once the club has been re-established and stabilized. Once your work with us is done, you can walk away.”

  “This is insane, Jase. My head is going to explode. I can’t think about this anymore.”

  I should have been heading for the hills by now, but instead, I placed my hands on his bare chest and forced him onto his back. I straddled him, kissing his face and chest, pausing in between my greedy attacks. “I need you to stop talking about a fantasy future together that’s never going to happen,” I said. “I need you to help us both forget about a past we can’t change. Tonight, I need Jase to go away, and for you to introduce me to Minus.” I paused, kissing him deeper still, my hand moving to his rock-hard cock. “Then, I want him to fuck me.”

  “Fast or slow?”

  “Fast,” I said immediately, and he flipped me onto my back, rolled on a condom, and thrust into me. All my breath left my body with an, “Ahhh.”

  His mouth claimed mine as he continued to surge into me, his hand cupping my breast before sliding down to finger my clit. I cried out as my orgasm hit, but didn’t have time to enjoy it, as I was flipped onto my stomach. “Cheek to the mattress, Cricket.”

  My heart raced as I did as he directed. He lifted my hips higher and slid into me from behind and I lost my breath. Ohmigod, I’d forgotten how good this felt.

  “Make it last, Cricket.”

  “I... Minus,” I hissed. He slapped my butt and I nearly came.

  “Cricket,” he warned in a whisper. “Don’t come or you won’t get more.”

  “Don’t you dare stop,” I growled.

  He chuckled, sliding partially out and then back in. “Control yourself.”

  I let out a frustrated groan and Minus gave me another three quick smacks on my bottom, making me come so hard I lost my breath for a few seconds.

  “Fuck me, baby,” he breathed out, sinking deeper. “You’re perfect.”

  I closed my eyes and nodded as Minus continued to move slowly, his hands settling on my hips, and slamming deeper and deeper, building another orgasm. He shifted slightly, sliding his hand to my belly. “Spread baby.”

  I spread, and he lifted me, keeping his cock firmly inside of me, so I was straddling him backwards. I dropped my head back, onto his shoulder and sighed.

  “You okay?”

  “Definitely. Yes,” I panted.

  With one arm anchoring me against him, he rolled a nipple between his fingers while his other hand slid between my legs. I rose slightly, then lowered, slowing down when I feared another orgasm would hit. I wanted this one to last.

  “That’s right, baby,” he whispered, and I raised up again, mewling as I slid back down. “Fuck,” he rasped, and his finger found home.

  He tapped my clit, then gently slapped at my pussy and the sting broke any control I had. “Oh, God,” I groaned.

  “All fours, Cricket,” he demanded, lowering me again, and I pressed my pussy harder against his body.

  He slid his finger around my opening, then ran it over my very, very private place, and I was both excited (and a little nervous) as to what he planned to do. But I had asked for Minus, and so far, Minus was delivering the goods, so to speak, so I went with it.

  “You ready for this, Christina?” he whispered.

  Shit, he called me Christina. Now I was a little more on the nervous side. “Yes,” I rasped.

  He pressed his finger into me slightly, stopping so I could get used to it. “Are you sure?”

  I swallowed. “Yes.”

  That’s when he moved again... and I lost my mind.

  Slamming into my pussy with his cock, his finger moved in and out of me, matching the rhythm of his dick. I was sure I’d pass out from the overwhelming pleasure of it all, and I screamed his name as my body exploded around him. Unable to hold myself up on my arms made of Jell-o, I fell to the mattress and dragged in deep breaths as I tried not to hyperventilate.

  Minus removed his finger, gripping my hips so he could grind into me slowly until I felt his cock pulse between my walls, and he kept our connection as he rolled us onto our sides
in spoon fashion.

  “God damn, baby, that was amazing.”

  I nodded, still trying to catch my breath. “I approve of Minus. Maybe Jase just needs to retire.”

  He chuckled, kissing my shoulder. “That can be arranged.”

  * * *

  Minus

  Waking up next to Cricket this morning was at the top of my list of life’s great moments. Unfortunately, the feeling was short lived as a sense of dread crept over me. We hadn’t exactly finished our conversation last night. Far from it, actually. I still had one key detail to fill her in on, and I knew she wasn’t going to be happy about it.

  I stared at her, studying every detail of her face while she slept. She looked peaceful and momentarily unaffected by the world; protected and safe behind the wall of sleep. I felt stabs of guilt over the idea of dragging her further into my world, but I reminded myself that Cricket was a grown woman, and could make her own decisions based on the information she’s given. She was strong, independent, and a hell of lot smarter than me, so if she wanted to walk away, she’d have no problem doing so, and by my calculations, her exit would not be long from now.

  There was a gentle rapping on the hotel room door, and I gently rolled out of bed, careful not to wake Cricket. I’d ordered breakfast via the hotel’s room service app, which had now arrived. I figured if Cricket was about to storm out of my life forever, the least I could do was make sure she didn’t have to do it on an empty stomach.

  “Good morning, sir. I have breakfast for two.”

  I raised my index finger to my lips, the porter smiled understandingly, and quietly wheeled his cart into the room. I signed for the bill, and he made his exit just as Cricket began to stir.

  “Good morning, sunshine,” I said. “There’s some breakfast here for you. We’ve got eggs, bacon—”

  “Coffee,” she rasped.

  “We do have coffee. We also have fruit, toast—”

  “Coffee. Black.”

  “I’m sensing a need for coffee,” I teased.

  “Coffee. Now, biker boy.”

  I poured her a cup and brought it to her in bed. She was laying on her side with one leg hiked over the covers, which were gathered in between her thighs. Her ample ass was on display like the perfect apple hanging from a tree, and I could not resist the urge to take a bite.

  “Hey, mister, don’t even think about it. Not before I’ve had my coffee,” she warned.

  “How about a kiss?” I asked.

  “That, I can do.”

  I set the cup on the nightstand, leaned down, and kissed her slowly and sweetly. My lips made my way down to her neck, and I felt Cricket shudder. She whimpered, slightly arching her back, before pushing me off.

  “I’m serious. Do not get me started. You promised me coffee.”

  “Fair enough,” I said smiling, handing her the cup as she sat up in bed. Her tits were glorious, and she made no attempt to cover herself, nor did she seemed fazed at all exposing herself to me in the light of the day.

  Cricket had always possessed a confidence that attracted me to her more than anything else. She was still vulnerable and sweet, but never seemed overly bothered about her appearance, or body image, not that she had a damned thing to worry about. She was perfect. Still, I knew plenty of women who were drop dead gorgeous and still hated everything about themselves... Cricket wasn’t one of them. I tried not to stare, but who the fuck was I kidding?

  We spent most of the next hour catching up, grazing through the bounty of our breakfast buffet, and generally avoiding any serious conversation, which I knew we couldn’t do forever. We eventually got dressed, much to my dismay, and I began preparing myself mentally for bringing the flow of such beautiful morning to a grinding halt.

  “Look, we never got to finish our conversation last night,” I said.

  “I guess I kind of derailed us there at the end, didn’t I?” Cricket smiled.

  “I’m not complaining by any means, it’s just that I promised I wouldn’t keep anything from you, and there’s a very important detail that we didn’t get to cover last night.”

  “What detail?” Cricket asked.

  “An important one that involves the three million dollars we talked about.”

  “Oh, that? I’d just about forgotten all about that,” she said playfully. “What about it?”

  “Well... we don’t exactly have it,” I replied.

  “Come again?” Cricket asked, no longer smiling.

  “We have it, but it’s not currently in our possession.”

  “So, then you don’t have it?”

  “No, we do. It’s just that someone else currently has ownership of the money, and later today, I’m going to reacquire it from him.”

  “And who is this person who has taken ownership of your money?”

  “Viper. The president of Los Psychos, a rival Mexican club.”

  In her defense, upon hearing this information, Cricket did not freak out or head for the door. However, what she did do, may have been more disconcerting. She got quiet; really quiet. After a few tense moments, I tried unsuccessfully to soften the blow. “I know this sounds bad, but—”

  Cricket cut me off. “Please allow me to get this straight. Viper, the Los Psychos president, has stolen your three million dollars. So, you’re going to retrieve said money and use it for a rebranding campaign, which you want me to run. Then, with the remaining funds, you plan on greasing the gears of the criminal machine that you then wish to slip out of?” she asked in a controlled tone.

  “That’s about it in a nutshell,” I replied, bracing myself for Cricket’s exodus.

  “Pour me some more coffee, and tell me everything.”

  Minus

  “You wanna hear more?” I asked in disbelief.

  She raised an eyebrow. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

  “Flyin’ baby Jesus, Cricket. I can’t for the life of me figure out why?”

  “Would you make up your mind please, Minus,” Cricket ground out. “Do you want me to be a part of this, or not?”

  “Actually... I don’t know,” I admitted.

  “That’s not an answer!” she snapped.

  “What do you want me to say here? To be honest, no I don’t want you involved in my club, because I don’t want you to get hurt. I’d burn the world down if anything ever happened to you, and I’d burn myself with it if it was because I dragged you into this. I don’t want you involved with guys like Viper, or guys like me, for that matter, but I think Cutter may be right. I think together we could save this club from extinction, and turn it into something good.”

  “Then, trust me enough to let me all the way in and tell me everything. I can decide how far down the rabbit hole I go,” she said.

  “This isn’t Alice in Bikerland. This is real life.”

  “You just let me be the judge of what I can and cannot handle, and spill the beans.”

  I filled her in on everything we knew about Los Psychos, Viper, and today’s meeting. I also went into further detail about my conversation with Cutter, and his new vision for the club. She sat quietly, absorbing every word I said, taking notes on hotel stationary.

  “Why Cutter’s change of heart about the club?” she asked. “Is it because he’s dying?”

  “I think the diagnosis gave him the final push to act, but it sounds like he’s been thinking about this move since before he sent me to Savannah. In fact, him sending me there was apparently all part of his masterplan.”

  “You’re joking, right?”

  “Dead serious. He told me himself that sending me to Savannah served two purposes. It got me out of your brother’s hair, and that was good for our relationship with the Dogs of Fire. Cutter wants us to partner with the Dogs and learn what we can from them. His vision of the Saint’s future looks a lot like the Dog’s present.”

  “Okay, but why the Dogs? Trust me, it’s not like that club is perfect. Believe me, they have plenty of their own internal issues,” she replied.


  “Sure, but as far as clean clubs go, you have to admit they’ve done well in most respects,” I countered.

  “Maybe, but let’s not put them up on a pedestal. I mean, honestly, what fucking idiot gave Cutter the hairbrained idea to use the Dogs of Fire as some sort of ideal template on how to build a club?”

  I cleared my throat. “I did. Six years ago.”

  “What?” Cricket’s eyes were like saucers.

  “It’s kind of what sealed my fate, and led me here right now.”

  “What are you talking about?” Cricket asked.

  “Shortly after Clutch and I’d been patched in, I challenged Cutter publicly at Church. It was only my third or fourth meeting, and I overstepped my bounds, big time. The topic of the day, per usual, was how the old revenue streams were drying up one-by-one. Everyone was bitching about it week after week. It was all these old guys fucking talked about, day in and day out, but no one ever offered up any good solutions. Their ways of doing business were as stuck in the past as a stegosaurus in the La Brea tar pits.”

  “So, what did he say should be done?” Cricket asked.

  “Nothing! He seemed as clueless as everyone else, as far as I could see. He’d mostly just sit in silence as his officers bitched about how tight the streets had become over the years. He’d nod and stroke his beard, and then the meeting would eventually be ended, and everyone would scatter back to the wind. It was fucking chaos, and to me the solution to surviving the game was simple.”

  “How’s that?” Cricket asked.

  “Stop playing it. Get the fuck out while we still could. As far as I could see, we had no choice. The game had become unwinnable; if it ever was in the first place. In fact, we weren’t even playing the same game as everyone else on the streets anymore. The criminal world had moved into the twenty-first century, and we were still dragging our knuckles. Either way, by continuing to follow the same old rules, we’d all end up in prison or dead.”

  “So, your solution to him was, what? Disband the Burning Saints?”

  “No, but that’s how he took it when I told him what I thought our club should look like in the future.”