and that’s no surprise. Your idea of a balanced diet is having a candy bar in each hand.”
“Enough,” Vinnie bit out. “You know, I had hopes that the arguments would cease now that you’re both older, but those hopes are starting to die.”
Elle hmphed. “As will we all when he unleashes his evil—”
“Oh my God,” Damian burst out.
Elle snorted. “He ain’t gonna help you, oh bringer of darkness.”
Tate couldn’t help but smile. His family was crazy. It was part of why he loved them.
Watching from the corner of the rec center’s café as a male shifter loudly kicked up a fuss about the hot coffee that had been spilled all over his lap, Havana flicked a look at Bailey. “You realize that Corbin isn’t going to buy that you ‘accidentally’ knocked over Randy’s drink in passing, right?”
The mamba only shrugged, clearly enjoying the spectacle. “If the asshole hadn’t acted like a total cock toward Aspen again, I wouldn’t have felt the need to scald his dick. I hope he gets blisters. Big ones.”
Aspen’s grin was a little feral. “Bitch-slapping him earlier was fun but, yeah, this is way better.”
Havana might have felt a little sympathy for Randy if he hadn’t confronted Aspen for a second time, verbally blasting her for “fucking up” his relationship with Camden and calling her everything from a whore to a slut. Why Randy was surprised that Camden dumped him for fronting Aspen a few days back, Havana didn’t know. It wasn’t exactly a secret that the tiger never tolerated anyone even trying to upset Aspen. “Has Camden heard that Randy got all up in your shit again?”
“Not that I’m aware of,” said Aspen.
“Maybe if you personally told Camden about this second stunt, the cranky tiger would stop sulking that you didn’t tell him about the first,” said Bailey.
Aspen frowned. “I’m no tattle-tale.”
Hearing her cell ring, Havana pulled it out of her pocket. Tate. Just like that, her stomach fluttered. She answered, “Hey.”
“Hey, baby,” he said, his voice warm and deep and rumbly. “My family wants us all to get together at my place tonight to celebrate you and I finding each other. Ingrid was planning on cooking something special, but I know how much you love Chinese food, so I said we could all order a takeout if you’re up for it?”
“Like I’d ever turn down Chinese food.” And it warmed her that he’d pick that over a home-cooked meal.
“Invite your girls. Camden, too, if you’d like. I want both our families there.”
She smiled, liking that he understood how important Aspen and Bailey were to her. Even Camden, despite his insistence on holding himself apart, mattered to her. “They’ll be there.” Mostly because they were too nosy to miss it.
“Good. Everyone is planning to turn up at seven.”
That gave her a couple of hours to do laundry and stuff. “Seven works.”
“I’m on my way to the center to pick you up. I shouldn’t be more than ten minutes. And before you tell me you’re quite capable of driving yourself home, I’m aware of that. I’m not doing this out of overprotectiveness. I’m doing it because I’ve been jonesing to see you all day.”
She felt one side of her mouth hitch up. “All right. See you soon.”
“Soon,” he agreed. Then she had dead air.
“I’m guessing that was Tate,” said Aspen. “Your face only goes all soft like that when you’re talking to him.”
Havana felt her brow furrow. “My face does not go soft. And yes, it was Tate. He wants me to invite you two and Camden to his house tonight. His family wants to celebrate that he and I found each other. We’re doing that with Chinese takeout, because my man knows me well.”
“Well I’ll be there,” said Bailey.
Aspen pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Me, too. I’ll text Camden and check if he’s up for it.”
“Okay, good. Also, Tate’s on his way to pick me up from work just because.”
Bailey’s eyes lit up. “That means I can drive home the car he gave you, right?”
“Loaned, he loaned it to me.”
Bailey snorted. “If you don’t think he’ll try pushing you to keep it, you’re dumb. Tate is an Alpha, Havana. That means his level of protectiveness toward you will be off the charts. He’ll need to know that you’re as safe as you can possibly be. You know that.”
Aspen nodded. “My advice? Just roll with it, Vana. You’re both natural-born alphas, which means you’ll clash over certain stuff. Choose your battles wisely rather than