CRYPTO: Infidelity (Book 1)

CHAPTER 44: TUSSLE

"Does anyone know where a phone charger is?" I asked just before going to bed.

"Yeah, but you can't use it," Rockie said. "My phone is low battery."

"I think there's one in my bag," Uncle Blade said as he brushed his teeth.

I unzipped his bag and looked through it. I pulled out a small book, curious what it was about. It said New Testament on the cover.

"What is this?" I asked, showing my uncle the book.

"A bible," he said.

"I know, but why do you have one in your bag?"

He shrugged. "I just keep it around for good luck. Your dad gave it to me years ago."

I opened the back door and went onto the balcony.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Uncle Blade asked.

I hurled the bible as if I was pitching in a professional baseball team and went back inside.

"What did you do that for?!" my uncle exclaimed.

Rockie laughed, thoroughly entertained.

"There's no such thing as good luck," I said.

"So? That was a gift!"

"Life is a gift but you took that from my dad."

"Ooh," Rockie said.

"Go get it back," Uncle Blade ordered me.

"No," I said.

"Fine." Uncle Blade went into the bathroom and spit the toothpaste foam into the sink. "I'll get it myself." He took his phone and a hotel room key and left.

"What kind of an animal takes a bible on a trip like this?" I asked Rockie.

He shrugged. "The superstitious kind?"

When Uncle Blade came back, he had the bible with him.

"Have you even read that book before?" I asked.

"A little," he said.

"Oh yeah? What part did you read?"

"I don't remember. It's been a while."

"If you don't read it, then why do you keep it around? And don't give me any of that good luck bull****."

"I told you. It was a gift. That makes it irreplaceable."

"No. Don't pretend like you actually cared about my father."

"He was my brother."

"Then how come you never visited him?"

"He didn't want me to visit."

"Didn't that make you mad, or bitter?"

"No. I think it was reasonable. He knew I was involved with dangerous people. He didn't want me to put his family at risk."

"It's ironic then that you ended up killing him and his wife."

"Will you stop bringing that up? Do you really think that doesn't haunt me every day? You act like I wanted to do it. I didn't know your parents were in that building. I'm sorry."

"You're not sorry. You would've done it even if you knew my parents were going to die because of it!"

"Can you guys argue somewhere else?" Rockie asked. "I'm trying to sleep."

"We should get some sleep as well," Uncle Blade said.

As he passed me, I snatched the book in his paw. He held on tight.

"Stop," he growled.

I yanked and a bunch of pages ripped out.

"Dude," Rockie said. "Don't you know it's bad luck to destroy a bible? Are you trying to rain down curses on us?"

"Don't tell me you actually believe in that stuff," I said.

"I don't believe in all the good luck, pot of gold, leprechaun stuff, but bad luck and witchcraft? Oh yeah! I heard that a friend of a friend's-"

"What the h*ll is wrong with you?!" Uncle Blade yelled at me.

"Hey. You didn't let me finish my story," Rockie said.

"Nobody cares about your stupid story, Rockie!" Uncle Blade said. "This book doesn't belong to you, Crypto. You have no right to destroy my property."

He reached for the papers in my paw, but I stepped back and ripped the pages in half.

"That's it!" Uncle Blade threw the book onto the floor and tackled me onto the bed. I bit his shoulder and used my legs to throw him over me. He bounced off the edge of the bed and rolled onto the floor with a thud.

I got up only to be tackled again, but this time my uncle threw me onto the floor and I hit my head against the wall on the way down, reminding me that I was still injured.

"Sorry! Are you okay?" my uncle asked as he quickly backed away from me.

I snarled and lunged at his face with my teeth. He grabbed my neck in his jaws and swung me around.

"Watch the tv!" Rockie exclaimed.

I dug my back legs into the carpet and shifted my weight, shoving my uncle off balance. He slammed right into the tv stand. Uncle Blade turned to catch the tv in case it fell, but I wasn't done with him. I bit his hind leg and tried to pull him off his feet, but he chomped on my tail. I let go and spun around to bite his face or neck, but ended up off balance as my uncle pulled my rear up and slammed me onto my side. He pinned me down and held me there until I stopped struggling.

"You are so arrogant!" Uncle Blade said. "It's like you want an apology from the whole world, but you know what? I don't think that would be enough for you. Nothing is good enough for you. Did your parents spoil you? Hm? Only child. I bet that's why you're so mad they're not here. Your life was so much easier with them around, wasn't it?"

"Don't talk about my parents!" I snarled.

"Maybe you shouldn't bring them up so often then," he said. "It's time to move on. They're not coming back."

"They're gone because of you! I will never forgive you for that!"

"I'm not asking for your forgiveness, but I do deserve your respect. I'm older than you, stronger than you, I took you in, allowed you to stay in my home, saved your life, and I could kill you right now or any time if I really wanted to."

"I prefer that you don't," Rockie told him.

"You're completely insane if you think you deserve any respect from me or anyone else," I told my uncle.

"Then you can find your own place to live," he said.

"Not a problem. I'll have plenty of money when we get back."

"Good." Uncle Blade finally let me up.

"Glad you two could come to an agreement," Rockie said. "Can I get some sleep now?"

"No one's stopping you," I said.

Uncle Blade went to his bag. "Here's the charger you asked for." He tossed it to me.

"I don't want your stupid charger."

"Don't be petty."

"Yeah, Crypto," Rockie said. "We're colleagues. We are required to get along."

"Fine," I said. I grabbed the charger and charged my phone.