Page 9 of Minus

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Cricket

I don’t know what shocked me the most, seeing Jase, my first love and source of my first heartbreak after all these years, my notoriously grumpy uncle greeting me with a smile and a hug, or that his office smelled like Snoop Dog’s tour bus. All of it was way too much for me to process.

“Hi, Uncle Cutter, it’s nice to see you, too,” I said into his barreled chest as he held me tight. I was mere inches away from Minus, who had also been entrapped in this surprise bear hug. My uncle’s beard and long hair reeked of pot smoke. He finally let go and I stepped back, smoothing my hands over my hips and glancing to Minus who looked as stunned as I was.

Gorgeous, yes. Sexier than ever, yes. But definitely stunned.

He’d gotten a lot bigger... wider really, since I’d last seen him. Savannah appeared to have agreed with him. He’d grown an epic beard, and I itched to run my fingers through it. His face had the same chiseled features and he had the same longish, dark blond hair that he’d pulled back into a band. His eyes, though, God, those blue eyes still brought me to my knees.

“Look at you two!” my uncle exclaimed. “I always thought you two made such a beautiful couple.”

“Okay, what the fuck is going on here?” Minus growled out in obvious disbelief.

Uncle Cutter simply smiled even wider and said, “Come in, come in,” as he ushered us into his office.

“Please sit down. Don’t mind Warthog there, he’s kind of like my personal assistant, but he’s mostly here for the weed,” Cutter said laughing. “He keeps me flush with the good shit and I’m always happy to share. Plus, I’ve never believed that it’s good for a man to drink, or smoke, alone. Isn’t that right, Warthog?”

Through the haze of smoke, I could barely make out the rather furry man seated at the end of a large leather sofa.

Warthog, who I thought looked a bit like Cheech,or was it Chong,simply smiled through his bushy black and grey beard. Causing his eyes to disappear behind his wire-rimmed glasses.

“We’re not sitting, because we’re not staying,” Minus said, clearly pissed. “Actually, she can sit all she wants.” He motioned to me. “What the fuck do I care, but I’m outta here,” he said, turning to leave.

“Sit the fuck down, Minus,” my uncle’s voice boomed, his welcoming smile now completely gone.

Minus turned around slowly, but did as his president asked, sitting on the opposite end of the sofa. This of course left only the middle spot between him and Warthog open, which I reluctantly took.

“Don’t be rude to my beautiful niece.” Cutter turned to me and took my face in his leathery hands. “It’s so wonderful to see you, my dear. Thank you so much for coming. It’scertainly no surprise to see what a beautiful woman you’ve grown up to be. More importantly, I understand you’re doing quite well at Mann Industries.” His eyes were soft, and his words tender. This was not the man I remembered, or the one I expected to see, not that I quite knew what to expect. I was also shocked that he knew anything about me or my work.

I smiled. “Thank you.”

“Good, we’re all settled in,” my uncle continued, his grin having returned. “Either of you wanna hit this?” He presented to us a large black glass bong, adorned with the Burning Saints’ club logo. “Warthog here had this made special for me as a gift. Isn’t it beautiful?”

“Oh, boy, Cutter, I tell ya, I’d normally join you, but I just polished off a spliff in the parking lot before coming in. How ’bout you, Cricket? It’s 4:20 somewhere, right?” Minus mocked.

“I’m good, thanks,” I shot back through clenched teeth.

“Alright, Minus, you don’t have to be an asshole, she didn’t ask you to be here, I did,” Uncle Cutter said.

“And why exactly is that, Cutter?” Minus snapped.

“Hey, shithead! I may be high, but that don’t make me some peace-lovin’ hippie. You’d better stow that fucking attitude before I start rethinking you coming back here.”

“Coming back? What the fuck are you talking about? Who said anything about coming back? In fact, who said I wanted to be here at all?” Minus stood up.

“Who said you had a fucking choice in the matter?” Cutter asked, also rising to his feet. The two men were now standing toe-to-toe, mere inches away from each other. They both stood well above six feet and were menacing in their own ways. Uncle Cutter was as ‘old school’ as they came and had a commanding presence. Shocks of white streaked through his jet-black hair and beard, giving him a severe, yet regal look. His arms were sleeved in blurry, aged tattoos, and rings adorned his gnarled fingers. He was clearly the kind of man who knew when to bark and when to bite. No doubt, years of leading the unleadable had gained him that skill.

Minus, on the other hand, was more like a dormantvolcano that was waking up after a long sleep. He seemed calm on the outside, but I could sense a lake of molten anger bubbling deep inside him. Some of that anger began to flow out as Minus challenged my uncle and seeing the look on his face brought back a flood of memories. His beautiful features, forming into a Viking-like scowl. His fists, balled up at his sides, caused his biceps to swell. As hurt and confused as I was, I could not stop myself from feeling an instant, and overwhelming attraction to him. I had to force myself to look away.

“So, it’s more of this shit again? You tellin’ me where to go, where to live, who I can and can’t see. Is that why you brought me here, Cutter? So that you can show me you can still fuck with my life? And why the hell isshehere? I thought I was asked here on club business,” Minus shouted.

I wanted to be pissed at the way he said “she,” but at this point, I had some of the same thoughts. Why was I here? Why had my uncle asked Minus and me to be here at the same time, when he’d done everything in his power to separate us and keep us apart eight years ago?

My uncle said nothing for several seconds, but quietly motioned for Minus to re-take his seat, before finally breaking the silence. “I’m dying.”

“What the fuck?” The tone in Minus’s voice immediately shifted from anger to concern. I gasped, my hand reflexively covering my mouth.

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