Page 56 of Twice the Rivalry

“Where the fuck are they?” Hazard screamed.

Slip gave him a cool glare. “I told you, they’ve gone off the grid. I haven’t been able to track them down yet. What the hell did you think was going to happen when you tugged off your damn masks and told them we were coming after them?” he spat, equally furious. Both at Hazard for questioning him, but also because they had eluded him. Not one search he had done was producing results. It was maddening.

“Cowards,” Maggot vented, cracking his knuckles. “I say we go back there and burn the fucking place to the ground. That’ll bring them out.”

“I’m fine with that,” Crisp said, with an edge of excitement and anticipation in his voice.

“Idiots,” Spook huffed. “We don’t have time for all this fighting shit. I say it’s about time to stop hiding out and just go track them down ourselves.”

“We’d get picked up on cameras and have to worry about the damn cops coming after us,” Slip reminded him impatiently.

“Then we figure out a way to make sure they don’t,” Spook replied.

“What, you want us to dress up in some kind of disguise or somethin’?” Crisp asked, frowning in confusion.

“I ain’t dressing up like an idiot,” Maggot added fiercely.

Spook glared at them both. “No, you morons. I’m talking we get Slip set up so we don’t even show up on the cameras. We steal a fucking van and get him hooked up in there so we can get on the move. I’m sick and fucking tired of doing nothing.”

“Me too,” Hazard agreed. He looked at Slip. “You can make that happen?” It was phrased a question, but Slip knew it was more of a statement. Hazard fully expected that he would be able to get it done.

Slip bit back a nasty retort. None of his teammates understood what all of that would involve, but it looked like he didn’t have much of a choice. Instead, he said, “Fine. Someone find me a van that won’t catch too much attention.”

“Done,” Hazard said, pulling out his phone. “We’re going to find these assholes one way or another. I don’t care if we have to comb through the entire country. They’re as good as dead.” Then he turned and walked away, phone going to his ear.

“I want to get my hands on that bitch, Xena,” Maggot proclaimed in anticipation. “She and I have some unfinished business.”

“Then I get the other bitch,” Crisp announced.

“No,” Slip said darkly. Both men looked at him in surprise. “Eliza is mine. It’s been a long time coming, and no one is touching her until after I’m done with her. Fair warning, there probably won’t be much left.”

“Fine,” Crisp pouted. “Then I want a piece of Xena. You’re not leaving me out of the fun.”

Maggot and Crisp walked away, arguing over who would get their turn first, but Spook remained behind. Slip arched a brow at him in question. Spook smirked at him. “Never seen you so pissed off over a woman, man. You sure you ain’t letting her get to you?”

Slip glared at him. “You questioning me, Spook?” he asked acidly.

Spook held up his hands in a peacemaking gesture. “Nah, man, just curious is all. You know I want to find them just as much as you. Just remember that before we can let you have your turn at her, we need to take down the rest of them.” Then he gave him a quick clap on the shoulder and walked away.

Slip stared after him for a moment before turning back to his monitor and scowling at it. He looked at the image of Eliza that he had put on the corner of the screen. It was her military personnel photo, where she stared straight into the camera, unsmiling, with her dark hair pulled back into a regulation bun, not a single strand out of place. Her blue eyes seemed to glare at him, and that familiar anger simmered a little higher in his stomach.

I’m coming for you, Eliza. I’ll find you, and you’ll never be able to hide away from me again, he thought to himself with a cruel smile pulling at his lips.Soon. Very soon.

CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE

CODE

He couldn’t stop the smug smile that pulled his lips as he watched the Church room shut behind Tom as he stepped out. Just past him was a furious Glitch, who glared at him with promises of retribution in her eyes. Oh yeah, she wasnothappy that she wasn’t being included in Church. He was perfectly fine with it. It was about damn time they had a meeting without any of the women present. It also meant that Karissa wasn’t in the room, though she had been standing beside Glitch, also pissed off at being excluded.

He was going to enjoy rubbing that in Glitch’s face once they were done.

After their late night work, his animosity toward her had cooled slightly, but that didn’t mean he was any happier with her. It just proved they could work together when push came to shove, but otherwise, he was happy to be far away from her.

Yeah right,his mind mocked.That’s why you woke up hard as a fucking rock and reaching for her.

He pushed that thought away immediately. That had been nothing, and he could have been reaching for anyone, not necessarily a smart-mouthed pink-haired former mercenary, he reminded himself.

He turned his attention back to Savage, who leaned forward and called the meeting to order. “Alright, let’s get down to business,” he said briskly. “I don’t want to be away from Royal too long. She’s having some false contractions, but the doctor said that could change quickly enough.”

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