Page 105 of Twice the Rivalry

“Then I think we’re done for now,” Savage said, banging the gavel, again incurring curses and complaints from those in the room. “I’m going home to my woman and kids.”

“You need help with the babies, let me know,” Taz offered. “Kids love me.”

Savage eyed him for a moment. “I don’t know that I want you giving them ideas,” he returned. “Especially not someone who collects sex toys.”

Taz grinned wickedly. “I’ll be on my best behavior,” he promised. “I’m Uncle Taz, remember?”

“Yeah, only because Daddy Bear and Viking Daddy were already taken,” Karissa snickered wickedly. Both Ursa and Vulture glared at her, while Rogue’s face darkened into a deep scowl.

“Savage, with your permission, I’d like to use your Church for our team to go over a few things,” Simba announced. “I’ll need Razor and Code too.”

Savage frowned. “That’s fine,” he said finally. “But if you’re trying to poach our men…” He let that trail off.

“Nah,” Simba said with a smirk. “But it does involve their women. Figured it would only be respectful to include them.”

“If that means you’re taking said women off my hands for a while, you won’t get any argument from me.” Then he dismissed Church, and everyone except the women, Code, Razor, and the Predators left.

“I’m going to put a rat under his pillow,” Glitch sniffed. “He acts like I’m a pain in his ass.”

“Probably because you are,” Razor grinned wickedly, ignoring her when she flipped him off. “You held a gun to his head. He’s not about to just let that go.”

“So? Royal, Esme, and Karissa all did and he let that go,” Glitch pointed out.

“He let it go with Royal and Esme because they’re not likely to do it again,” Code corrected her. “You and Karissa, kitten, you’re a whole other story.”

Karissa and Glitch shared matching grins. Yeah, they were fine with that. Code and Razor shared a look. If Glitch was going to be around, they were going to have to figure out some ways to keep Savage from losing his shit or taking it out on the two of them. It would be interesting.

“Alright, let’s get our shit sorted,” Simba said briskly, interrupting any further commentary. He looked at Karissa and Glitch with assessing eyes. “You good?” There was a wealth of depth to that question, considering they had been beaten and each killed people just the night before.

Guilt filled him over that, and he instinctively moved his hand from her hip to her arm where one of her larger bruises was forming. Glitch didn’t even look at him as she moved her hand to cover his and gave it a reassuring squeeze, making him settle just a little. She was fine, and that was all that mattered. “I’m good,” she promised Simba.

“Me too,” Karissa said with a nod. She glanced at Razor and saw him watching her with concern. “I promise, I’m good,” she told him sincerely. He nodded, but Code could tell his worry remained. And if he was honest with himself, his worry for Glitch lingered, too. She seemed so calm, so collected.

Simba nodded, clearly accepting that as it was. “Alright. We need to talk about what happens now.” He looked at Code, those dark eyes pinning him in place. Code felt Glitch stiffen, but she didn’t say anything. He squeezed her arm reassuringly, holding Simba’s gaze and refusing to back down. “What are your intentions with our girl?”

“Now hold on—”

Simba cut her off with a hard look. “Stay out of it,” he ordered her. Surprisingly, she quieted, but her body was vibrating with tension. “Glitch is not just a woman, and she will not sit back and let you run off to do whatever the hell you want with your club,” Simba said simply. “And neither will Xena, for that matter, but she’s been out of the game a little longer, and it stands to reason she’s adjusted a bit better. Though if that ever changes, you know you’re always welcome with us,” he told Karissa, who nodded gratefully. He turned his attention back to Code. “Glitch is different. Glitch is very much a part of our team, and that will always be the case. Not only because of her skills, but because she’s family.”

“I understand that,” Code returned evenly. “I don’t want her to change who she is. I like her this way, even when I want to strangle her.”

“The feeling is mutual,” Glitch muttered, but quieted when Simba skewered her with a look.

“We have a lot to figure out, and it might mean some visits up your way, or she comes down here for a time until we make a permanent decision,” Code continued.

“And if she said she wanted to stay with us full time?” Simba asked. “Would you give up your club for her?”

Well that was direct, he thought. But did he really expect anything less? Glitch stiffened, then turned to look at him. He looked into her eyes and saw the caution harbored there. She fully expected him to realize what being with her meant, and then decide that she wasn’t worth it. He looked away from her, back at Simba and the rest of her team. “I hope it won’t come to that, but if it’s the only way for the two of us to have a real shot, I’d leave to be with her,” he told them.

No one said anything, Simba’s eyes assessing him. Then he looked over at Razor, who was glaring daggers. “Something to say?” Simba asked.

“I think it’s a dick move to ask him something like that,” Razor said stiffly. “Our clubs are different, sure, but we’re a family here too. If one of us needs to do something to be happy, we support that. We make it work. Any club worth their patch wouldn’t make it all or nothing.”

“We’re not a typical MC,” Jag reminded him, voice calm considering the tension in the room.

“Maybe instead of focusing on what Code would do, you should ask the other person in this equation?” Karissa suggested rigidly.

All eyes turned to Glitch, who was listening and remaining surprisingly quiet. Finally, she said, “We both know the only reason you’re asking is because you want to test his loyalty to me,” she said snippily. “And it’s bullshit. We agreed to be together just before this whole shit show went down. We haven’t had time to make any plans of our own, let alone figure out our places in our clubs. And you’re aware of that, so now you’re just being a dick. For all we know, we crash and burn and it won’t matter anyway, but if Code doesn’t want to leave his club and we need to make some hard decisions, we’ll make them. I see no point in this stupid pissing contest.”

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