Chapter 22
JAX
Church was crowded with so many people, but Jax tried to pay attention to what was being said and not the woman in his lap. Saylor hadn’t fought him when he pulled her there the moment he sat down, so he hoped that whatever happened outside calmed her down. Or at least convinced her to give him the shot he wanted. No, needed.
“Alright,” Savage called out, silencing everyone. “Here’s what we got. Our third man, Felix, showed up at the gate demanding to talk to Saylor. He wants that book. It seems that he and his boss know all about Leon was blackmailing the counterfeiting ring for the template. Apparently, he wasn’t quiet about what he was doing, and it got back to Frank. Now, Frank wants the book, the template, and Jared Long. But to add to that, we have the issue that Frank has made everyone connected to the ring aware that he will be taking over. What that means, I don’t know, nor do I care.”
“So, what, he’s threatening to tell whoever this client is and have them cause problems if we don’t comply?” Fury asked.
Savage nodded. “That’s what it sounds like to me. Told him to give us two hours to decide what we’re going to do.”
“What about Saylor?” Ink asked.
Saylor stiffened, but Jax pressed his hand against her thigh to reassure her. “They don’t want Saylor,” Jax answered. “Or at least, this Felix guy has a thing about hurting women, so even if they did, he doesn’t seem the type to let it happen. He said she was free to continue on as normal.”
“That doesn’t mean they won’t come back for her to tie up loose ends,” Rogue said bluntly. Saylor winced, and Jax glared angrily at Rogue. Rogue merely continued, “It’s a valid possibility we need to consider. Just handing this shit back doesn’t mean that Frank or this mysterious client won’t want to make absolutely sure that the secret can never get out.”
“He’s right,” Saylor said, patting Jax on his chest. Jax wasn’t soothed, and gave Rogue a hard look that let him know he was unhappy.
“Why don’t we make it clear that if they return for her, we’ll be ready to take them on and win?” Razor suggested. “We did the same with Esme’s cartel family, and so far, no problems.”
“These people don’t give a damn about that shit,” Ursa warned. “People who deal with this kind of thing, they have uses for that money, and they don’t want anyone in the way. So, the question is, has Saylor been mentioned to these people? Because if she has, there needs to be a plan in place to keep her safe for the rest of her life.” He gave Saylor a pointed look. “That would mean that you would either be on the run for the rest of your life, or we’d need to make you disappear. New life, new identity, everything, if shit goes that route.”
Saylor was silent for a moment before she said, “I’ve been running this long, so if I have to, I’ll keep doing it. If I have to change my name and my looks to stay alive, then I will.”
“You’ll be safe here without doing all that,” Jax assured her, fighting the panic at the idea of her leaving. Saylor didn’t say anything; just stared off into space, lost in thought.
“I think we’re getting ahead of ourselves,” Simba interjected. “Not to mention, we have a hacker here that could tell us pretty quickly if Saylor’s name has been shared with anyone.” He looked at Glitch pointedly.
“Might take me an hour, but yes, I can,” she agreed. She glanced at Code. “And if you help, we might be able to cut that down.”
“Then do that,” Savage ordered. Glitch’s face hardened, as did Karissa’s, and Jax fought back a sigh. Clearly, the ordeal between them and Savage wouldn’t be solved easily.
Glitch pointedly looked at Simba. “Prez?” she asked simply. And if that wasn’t a statement of where her loyalties lay in this moment, Jax wasn’t sure what else could be.
Simba held her gaze for a long moment, a silent conversation between them. Finally, Simba nodded. “Run it,” he ordered. Glitch nodded, stood, and headed for the door. Code followed, looking resigned. Jax glanced at Savage, who was scowling darkly. Simba held his stare, unbending and unmoving.
Jax could practically hear his teeth grinding, but Savage forced out, “What’s the consensus on what we should do?”
“I say we give them the bastard in the basement and everything else, but make it clear that Saylor is to be left alone. And if not, then we bring down hell on whoever they decide to send our way,” Jax stated. There was a loud chorus of agreement from most of the rest of the table.
“I think we need to do one better,” Ice added. “I think we need to make a copy of that template and keep it here as leverage. They back off, or we send it to the Feds.”
“That’s going to put a definite target on our backs,” Fury argued.
“I agree that a copy would be a good idea,” Simba interjected. “But you don’t need to mention anything about it. It can be secret leverage. As far as they’re concerned, you gave them the original, so that’s that. But if they come back, you can use that as your ace in the hole to keep everyone here safe.”
“I want to know who we’re going up against,” Rogue grumbled. “This unknown entity could decide our course of action.”
“Who are the major players in counterfeiting money?” Ink asked.
“A lot of South American countries, but every continent has someone that deals with it,” Ursa replied. “If we’re talking close proximity, then I’d say Southern American. They get fakes over the border into Mexico and then keep going on down.”
“So it could be someone that knows of the story of us and the Cartel?” Razor asked. “Wouldn’t that make us seem formidable, like someone they shouldn’t bother?”
“Depends on who it is,” Fury pointed out. “Cartels don’t get along, which means if it’s an ally of Esme’s family, and these assholes approach them, they could see it as a way to get revenge and come in to take us all out.”
“Fuck, this is messy,” Steel groaned.
Jax glanced at Saylor, taking in her pinched expression. This was exactly why he didn’t want her in here. This kind of discussion wasn’t one that she needed to know about. He could also see the guilt and the trickles of panic in her gaze. “Baby, you’re safe,” he murmured in her ear. “I promise.” Saylor didn’t answer. She continued to stare straight ahead.
“At this point, I think we’re borrowing trouble where we don’t need to be,” Savage announced. “I agree that we make a copy of the template to have as insurance, and then we wait and see what happens. Not to mention, we have multiple allies who will help us if shit goes south, and there’s no guarantee that it will.”
“I agree,” Rogue chimed in. “And with Code and Glitch, we would probably have time to prepare and get our allies here to help.”
“Alright, we put it to a vote,” Savage agreed. “Everyone in agreement?” All the Dragons MC members agreed. Savage looked at Simba. “Problem?”
Simba arched a brow. “We’re merely here in an observatory capacity. Shit heads south, we know what we might be up against.”
Savage nodded, accepting that. Then he looked at Saylor. “What are you going to do?” he asked her.
Jax stiffened. “Prez,” he said in warning. He wasn’t about to let him put her on the spot. They had shit to talk about.
“I haven’t decided yet,” Saylor answered. “Either way, I can’t get out of here until the end of the week, so I’ll take a few days to decide where I’m going next.” Jax gritted his teeth to keep from snapping at her that she wasn’t going anywhere.
Suddenly the door opened and in strode Glitch and Code. Code had a laptop in hand and he quickly hooked it up. “Go ahead, kitten,” he told Glitch once they were seated again.
Glitch narrowed her eyes at him briefly, then continued, “There is no record of Saylor being mentioned to anyone outside of the States. Our man Felix sent a message back to Frank to let him know you’d been tracked down and that he should have the book and an extra surprise shortly. Frank made no calls to anyone that we can find. It looks like you’re in the clear,” she told Saylor with a smile.
Saylor exhaled a relieved breath. “Good,” she said with a smile of her own.
“Alright, then we have our plan,” Savage agreed. “When this Felix bastard gets back, we’ll hand over Jared Long, the book, and the template, but we’ll make a copy to keep as insurance.”
“If you’ll trust me, I’ll handle copying it,” Ursa offered. “I’ve dealt with this before, so I have some tricks.”
Savage nodded. “Good. Anything else?”
“I have something else,” Simba said. “I think it’s important that we get this out of the way now, so we know how the next few hours are going to go.” Savage arched a brow. “Namely, the treatment of our fellow members by this club.” Savage’s expression darkened and his eyes went hard. Simba held his gaze, and Jax glanced back at Karissa and Glitch, who looked a bit surprised, but remained silent. Simba continued, “Now, I know that we’re not a typical MC, and included among our members are those that you may see as someone who shouldn’t be. Xena and Glitch are members of our club, and will be until we’re all dead and in the ground. We’ve been respectful of their request to not receive cuts, but I’ve come to believe we were mistaken in that, because there is no way for anyone to differentiate them when we’re here, or when they’re with us. And it’s clear that this club can’t differentiate them either. So, we need to sort this shit out before we leave this room, or I’ll be asking both of them to leave with us when we go.”
“What the fuck?” Razor barked, his head whipping towards Karissa.
“No,” Code snarled angrily.
“Then we better get this shit sorted out fast,” Simba returned tightly. He looked at Savage, who appeared ready to lose his shit. Jax glanced at Saylor, who was watching the whole exchange with interest.
“When they are on these grounds, they are Old Ladies, end of story,” Savage returned tightly. “They are not members of your MC, which means they stay out of this room and its business. Women can’t be part of an MC anyway, so the point is moot.”
“They may not be able to be members of your MC in an official capacity,” Jag corrected. “But we do not have that same mandate. In fact, I believe there are several all-female MCs around this country. Now, as far as I see it, Karissa and Glitch are right, they have been keeping up their end of the bargain. Actually, they’ve gone above and beyond that. Before this, in the months since Glitch and Code got together, have they involved themselves in club business?”
Savage was silent, refusing to respond.
“The answer is no,” Karissa said calmly and quietly. Savage shot her a glare, but she held it.
“But you’ve been taking advantage of them being a part of ours, right?” Jag continued, staring at Savage. “You ask Glitch to assist you with your security and help out when Code is occupied with something else. When you need someone to guard your women and children, you ask Karissa. And at those times, do you tell either of them why you need help? Or do you expect them to obey and comply without so much as a thank you?”
“Let’s also not forget that with one word from me, that all stops,” Simba added pointedly. “Whether you like it or not, they are full-fledged members of the Predators MC, and they should be shown the same respect that your men get, with or without their cuts. They wear yours because they have accepted you as their new reality and have fallen for two of your own. But we are their family. We have been with them far longer than any of you, and we will not sit back and watch our family disrespected. End of story.”
“So what do you want?” Savage demanded furiously.
“I think the better question is what do Karissa and Glitch want,” Saylor pointed out. She didn’t cower under the furious glare Savage aimed at her.
“And this is why we don’t let women in this fucking room and into club business,” Ink huffed. “It’s a fucking mess. We have a rule about this shit.”
“Alright, that’s enough,” Glitch snapped, standing. “I’m done with going around this over and over again.” She turned to Savage. “This is what we want. First, we want an apology for treating us like we are nothing more than an easy convenience for you and your club. For wanting to use our skills but not giving us any acknowledgement in return. Second, when Karissa and I are on these grounds, we are Razor and Code’s Old Ladies. We will continue to operate under that title and stay out of this room and whatever happens in it. We will not stick our noses in or give our opinions. We will follow your direction. But the moment we leave these grounds, or our MC is on them, we are no longer Old Ladies. We are then patched members of the Predators MC.”
“And that means,” Karissa continued, standing as well, “that when the Predators MC are on these grounds and are invited into this room, we are included. Because again, in that moment, we are not Old Ladies. And to avoid any confusion, Code and Razor will sit at one end of the table, and we will be at the other. We will wear our Predators MC cuts, not our Property cuts. If you really don’t want us in this room, you don’t invite the Predators MC inside. Simple as that. And if you come to the Predators MC clubhouse, you will also respect our positions there.”
“And just so we’re clear,” Glitch added. “We will never leave any of the women or kids alone or unprotected. We do that of our own free will because they are our family and our friends.”
“If I don’t agree?” Savage asked.
Karissa and Glitch shared a look before they replied, “Then we leave, and we permanently reside at the Predators MC clubhouse. We will only be back to assist when you call on our MC as an ally. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“The ball is in your court, Savage,” Simba said as he stood, as did the rest of his team. Then he and the rest of the Predators, including Karissa and Glitch, walked out of the room. Saylor followed them, shutting the door behind her, her stance on the issue obvious.
The room was silent, the tension high.
“You know they’re right,” Jax said quietly, his gaze moving around the room. “Karissa and Glitch are a part of their club, and we knew that from the minute the Predators showed up here. They are also right that they have stayed out of shit. Up until today, I can’t think of another time when they’ve ever tried to get into this room or asked about club business. And they don’t ask the other women either.”
“I’m just going to be very clear,” Razor added darkly. “If my woman leaves these grounds, I’m going with her. I’ll go nomad if it causes a problem, but I won’t be apart from her, and I won’t have her thinking I don’t respect her.”
“Me too,” Code agreed firmly. “Glitch is right. We expect her and Karissa to use their skills to help us all the time, and they do it without complaint. Hell, we asked Glitch to bail us out with that issue with our suppliers a few weeks ago. We gave her no information on why we needed her help, but she used her skills to do it, and she fixed our problem. She didn’t get one thank you, and even then, she didn’t try to stick her nose into why we needed the info. She did it, and then she went about her day. You say they shouldn’t be involved in club business, but yet they are.”
“You would really leave the club over this?” Savage asked Razor and Code. Both men nodded, not even hesitating. Savage let out an aggravated sigh and then scrubbed a hand over his face. “Any other opinions?” he asked, looking around the room.
“I think we need to acknowledge that those two women have done an awful lot for our club,” Fury said after a moment. “I’m all for the women staying out, but when it comes to these two, it’s not a normal situation. Karissa helped save Esme and Gabe. She fought off that asshole Slicer when he was after the girls. Then when it came time to deal with the Ghost team, they were the ones that took them out, not us. It’s a blow to the ego, sure, knowing that those two women, who are half our size, are able to protect themselves without us, but at the same time, I know that if Karissa leaves, Esme will never forgive me. So, I say we make some clear rules, and we stick to them.”
“Namely?” Rogue asked.
“Just like they said,” Fury continued. “They stay out of club business, and we don’t ask them to assist in any way unless we’re ready for them to be fully involved. No more asking Glitch for help with anything tech related. Code, that is your job, and it should only be you doing it. Karissa continues to manage the bar as she has been. If we need them to help with protecting the women, then we ask them, we don’t order them. Though, from what they’ve said, they don’t need to be asked or ordered, but we make sure that they understand that this is us respecting their position with the Predators.”
“And when their MC is here, they need to wear their Predators cuts,” Jax agreed. “Because they’re right, when they’re here, they are not just Old Ladies, and we need to see that distinction. It’s not like the Predators are here a lot, so they won’t be in this room with them often. When the Predators or any other MC are in here, they are only here to observe, not necessarily participate. Even still, they wouldn’t necessarily be saying anything. But we need to at least acknowledge that’s who they are.”
“And we need to apologize for not respecting their position earlier,” Razor added firmly. “They had every right to be pissed. If we left out members of another MC because we didn’t respect or like them or some shit, it would be seen as a declaration of war.”
That hung heavy in the air. Because Jax knew that if shit went down that road, there was no way they would win against the Predators.
Savage gave a heavy sigh. “Tell them to come back in here,” he told Ice, who was closest to the door. He opened the door and called out, then stood aside as the Predators, including Karissa and Glitch, walked back in and filed to the end of the table. None sat down, but stood silently waiting. That’s when Jax noted that Karissa and Glitch were wearing Predators MC cuts, their names proudly embossed on the front. Savage stood silent for a moment, and then looked directly at Karissa and Glitch. “I’m going to start with an apology for the disrespect of not including you in our meeting earlier. And I’m going to continue with an acknowledgement that you are both members of another club, and any other time that would be grounds for our alliance to be broken and even to declare war. So, I’m sorry, and you have my word that it won’t happen again.”
“Thank you,” Karissa said softly. Glitch echoed that as well, but neither of them moved.
“And finally, it’s been agreed that we should take your suggestion. When you are on these grounds, you are Old Ladies, you will wear your Dragons MC cuts, and you will not involve yourselves in any club business. In return, we will not involve you. Glitch, for you specifically, we will not ask you to handle any security or information for our club. You’ve helped in the past, and we’re grateful, but that ends now. Code will handle that all from now on. We will also agree when you are away from our club, or if the Predators MC is on the grounds, you will be respected and treated as one of their members. You will wear their colors, and you will be invited into this room alongside them. As you suggested, when you are here as their member, you will sit with them, away from your men to avoid any confusion. And you will be present in an observatory capacity, the same as the rest of them. If the Predators are here helping, then it will be your choice at that time to assist if you like. However, if the issue is not resolved and the Predators leave, your involvement will cease. You will not be invited back in, and you will return to Old Lady status. Is that acceptable?”
Karissa and Glitch looked at each other and then at each of their members. Finally, they turned, and both of them nodded. “That’s acceptable,” they said.
“And just so we’re clear,” Glitch added, “we’re not trying to cause a divide. This is all we wanted, and we’ll keep our end of the bargain.” Karissa nodded her agreement.
“Good,” Savage said. Then he moved around the table and held out his hand to them. Both of them shook his hand, and Jax smiled. He never thought he would witness this kind of moment, especially from Savage, but there was a first time for everything. Savage then looked to Simba. “I apologize to you as their President for any disrespect and hope that it won’t affect our alliance for the future.”
Simba nodded. “Accepted, and our alliance is secure.”
The tension in the room evaporated. Of course, that couldn’t be the end of it. Taz piped up, “Thank God. I was worried I was going to have to put up with these two demons again. They’re awful mean to me, and I just don’t think I could take any more of their abuse.”
The room filled with snorts and laughter. “I’m still trying to decide if I want to leave your ass behind when we go home,” Simba joked.
“No thanks,” Savage drawled. “I already deal with enough crazy shit around here.” Taz pouted, feigning affront. “Alright, we’ll call this done and over. Let’s get everything ready to get rid of our guest and get back to fucking normal.” A cheer of agreement went around the room.
Jax was up and moving, heading for the door. He needed to find Saylor, and they needed to talk.