CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER FIVE

Afew hours later, Tate jabbed the “up” button on the elevator. He threw his brother a sideways scowl. “Stop smirking.”

“It’s hard not to when I can see how much you’re struggling to keep your distance from Havana,” said Luke.

“I’m not struggling.”

“Then why are we at her building?”

“I need to give her an update.”

“And it had to be done in person?”

Well no, but … “It’s a good excuse to subtly check on her. I’m not just worried about her physical safety. It has to be a mind fuck to know that someone intended to sell you at a goddamn auction like you’re an antique dresser.”

“True. She seemed okay earlier, though.”

“That could have been a simple case of shock. Now that she’s had time for everything to sink in, she might be freaking the hell out.” Havana generally wasn’t the type to freak out, but Tate wanted to be utterly sure she was fine.

A ping proceeded the opening of the elevator doors. After he and his brother stepped inside, Tate pressed the button for her floor. And, that quickly, his body began to hum with anticipation—it was an automatic physiological reflex after months of coming here to see her. As if his system had come to associate the short upward journey to her floor with a dark carnal pleasure that he just couldn’t imagine ever experiencing with someone else.

It was like she’d made some sort of mark on him. One he couldn’t see but could feel. One that kept pulling him back to her again and again.

The elevator soon came to a smooth stop. As he and Luke walked along the corridor, Tate noticed Havana stood in the doorway of her apartment up ahead, chatting with one of the other tenants.

The older woman gave him a deferential nod before sighing. “Oh, this business with the auction is just horrible, isn’t it?”

“It is,” replied Tate. “But it’ll be dealt with. In the meantime, be careful.”

“Oh, I will. Trust me.” She gave Havana a pointed look. “You take care now.”

“You, too,” said Havana.

With a little wave, the woman walked away.

Havana’s eyes met his, and Tate felt the electric snap of attraction in his blood. Those bluish-gray eyes flared, telling him she’d felt it too, but she blanked her expression fast.

To his consternation, the drive to brand her hadn’t yet dimmed. It was still like a live wire inside him, and he had no idea how to shut it off. He just knew he had no intention of answering that drive. He wouldn’t force a mark on her just to make some kind of point, no matter how much his system pushed at him to do so.

“I’m hoping you came because you have amazing news to deliver,” she said, stepping back to allow him to enter. “Like that one of your contacts knows where Gideon is.”

Tate took three steps into the apartment before he admitted, “Unfortunately, I don’t yet have that info. Most of them believe he’s dead, but not all. They’re still looking into the situation with the auctions and—” He cut off as a mamba launched its entire body at the adorable bearcat sitting on the rug. The bearcat let out a yowl, and then the two were wrestling and rolling around on the living room floor. Lounging on the sofa, Camden only sighed.

Havana crossed to the animals. “For God’s sake,” she snapped. “Are you really not bored of this at all?”

The animals easily broke apart, so it was clearly a play-fight. The bearcat sat up, cute as a button, and scratched at her ear. The snake raised her head and flicked out her tongue.

“We’re supposed to be watching a movie, so could you please go shift and put on some clothes?” Havana asked them.

The animals cast Tate and Luke a brief look before each heading to a pile of clothes. But then the bearcat’s long, ringed tail lashed out and whipped the mamba. The snake hissed and coiled to strike.

“No, I’m done with this,” Havana declared. “Go. Shift. Now.”

Tate’s body tightened at the dominant, no-nonsense way she took control. He’d seen her do it with her friends more than once. Watching her own her strength and step into her unofficial Alpha role was always a turn-on.

The animals both shot her a put-out “you’re no fun” look. It was as the bearcat turned that Tate noticed two puncture wounds on her back.

“Looks like the snake bit her,” he warned.

Havana waved that away. “She’ll be fine. Bearcat shifters have a peptide that can neutralize any snake venom.”

He blinked. “Really?”

“Yep. And don’t think Bailey’s mamba doesn’t take full advantage of that and bite the bearcat whenever she feels like it.” Havana walked into the kitchen.

Signaling for his brother to remain in the living area, Tate trailed after her. He found her standing at the counter, where bags of various snacks had been laid out. “Farrell told me that Sinclair wasn’t at his apartment.”

Her nose wrinkled. “He was long gone by the time Aspen, Camden, and your Head Enforcer arrived. Apparently, it was too much to hope that there’d be something at Sinclair’s place that would give us any clues as to where he might have gone or who hired him.”

“Farrell couldn’t find any photos there, so we don’t have a clue what Sinclair looks like.” Tate propped his hip against the counter. “My allies and contacts have been debriefed about everything. Only a few had heard a rumor about the auctions, but they weren’t convinced it was true until now. Unfortunately, none had info on Sinclair. There’s no record of him anywhere, so he either destroyed his paper trail or he isn’t using his real name. Many loners don’t.” He tilted his head. “Do you?”

She smiled. “Don’t start asking personal questions unless you want some tossed your way.”

He edged closer and persisted, “Is Havana Ramos your real name?”

“Is it true that you have no interest in ever mating?”

He frowned. “Where did you hear that?”

“You have a lot of gossipers in your pride. Some believe that little nugget of speculation is true; some don’t.”

Tate stared at her for a long moment, saying nothing. He really didn’t want to get into all that shit about Ashlynn’s betrayal and his mother’s death, so he did what he often did when someone asked him a question that he wasn’t comfortable answering. He didn’t lie, he just changed the subject. “Luke spoke to Dawn on the phone about the names of the loners Rupert gave you.”

Havana shot him a little smile but didn’t call him on his failure to answer her. “Yes, she did.”

“Luke also said Dawn claims one of the loners once stayed at her shelter.”

Havana sighed, her face falling. “Yeah. Keziah Crompton. She’s only fifteen. Dawn last saw her two weeks ago. She thought the girl just decided to leave—not all residents choose to stay long. I just hope she’s alive and we can somehow find her.”

Havana was surprised her hands didn’t shake as she tore open a bag of chips and poured them into a bowl. Having Tate so close—inhaling his scent with her every breath, feeling his body heat radiate against her, listening to that sensual voice that could talk a girl to orgasm—was hard on her senses. It was tougher still when she could feel his eyes boring into her, watching her too closely.

She cast him a sharp look. “Enough with the staring.”

“Stop being so beautiful, and I’ll stop staring. Maybe. Probably not. I like looking at you. And since I just got a tiny peek of your neon pink bra strap, I’m wondering if you’re wearing the matching panties. I recall peeling them off you on more than one occasion.”

She was not touching that comment. “Anyway, I spread the word throughout the building that it’s possible loners are being targeted. Corbin did the same at the rec center. Dawn is making the residents of the shelter aware of the situation.”

“My pride mates will inform the loners who work for our pride to be careful.”

“Aspen posted a warning on an online forum for lone shifters, asking them to pass it on. The news went viral pretty quickly.”

“Good.”

Once she’d poured all the snacks into bowls, she gathered the empty packets. “I found out today that a bear shifter once auctioned off some of his clan members after they shunned him.”

Tate’s brow furrowed. “Who told you that?”

“Someone I met at the rec center years ago,” she replied vaguely, tossing the bags in the trash. “Anyway, the story goes that the bear took bids from people online.”

Once she’d finished relaying the incident, Tate shook his head in disgust. “It’s sickening to know there are people out there, human or shifter, who’d actually buy or sell others.” He narrowed his eyes, his gaze speculative. “You handled the interrogation well.”

She didn’t let her expression alter. “Why, thank you.”

“Why do I get the feeling it wasn’t your first?”

“You’d have to ask yourself that—I can’t answer it for you, Garfield.”

His lips thinned. “Didn’t we agree that you wouldn’t call me that anymore?”

“No, you asked me not to. I didn’t say I wouldn’t.” And it seemed a good way to divert him from his line of questioning.

He moved closer, boldly entering her space. Then he frowned. “Why is your devil so pissed at me?” he asked softly. “My cat senses it, he hates it. What did I do that upset her so much?” His gaze sharpened. “It wouldn’t happen to be the very thing that made you decide to walk away, would it?”

She exhaled heavily. “God, Tate, you’re like a goddamn bulldog.” On the one hand, it was impossible to not admire that level of relentlessness. On the other hand, it was damn irritating.

“Just tell me what I did. I can’t apologize or fix it if I don’t know what I did.”

She softened. It wasn’t his fault that she’d been unable to keep her feelings out of their fling. He’d been nothing but honest with her from day one. “You didn’t do anything. Really.”

“Then why is she so mad at me?”

“She’s a devil. She spends seventy percent of her day mad. Don’t take it personally.”

“Movie’s ready!” Bailey shouted from the living area. “Where’re the munchies?”

“On their way,” Havana loudly replied, grabbing two bowls.

“I’ll carry the others.” Tate followed her into the living area and, like her, positioned the bowls on the coffee table. “What are we watching?”

Havana felt her stomach flip. “You want to stay for the movie?”

He shrugged. “Got nothing else to do.”

“I’m up for it,” said Luke.

Hell. The whole point of watching a movie with her girls was to relax and wind down. She couldn’t do that so easily if Tate was here—her body was too aware of him, too attuned to his, too braced for his touch for her to settle and feel at ease.

It might not have been so bad if she could have sprawled in her favorite armchair, but Luke had already claimed it. And since Bailey was lounging in the other chair, that only left the sofa. Aspen and Camden had taken up one side of it, which meant Havana and Tate would have to squeeze on the other end. There’d be no keeping a reasonable distance from him.

She’d be lying if she said she actually wanted him to go, though. She’d missed him. Watching a movie with him wouldn’t hurt. It wasn’t like they were alone or anything.

“Just don’t touch my popcorn,” Aspen said to both Tate and his brother.

Luke held up his hands. “I already know that bearcats don’t share food for shit.”

Sinking into the sofa, Havana reminded him, “Pallas cats aren’t much better.”

“You’re not wrong,” said Tate, taking the spot beside her. He placed his phone and keys on the coffee table, as if to mark his territory in some way—it was an Alpha male thing, from what she’d observed. He then leaned back, the side of his body pressed against hers, and draped one arm on the back of the sofa behind her head.

“We’re in the mood for a comedy, so we chose this,” said Bailey, gesturing at the movie she’d selected on the streaming service.

Luke frowned. “You call Halloween a comedy?”

Bailey looked genuinely perplexed. “You don’t find it funny?”

The Beta shook his head. “Can’t say I do.”

“Huh. Weird.”

Sure enough, the three females laughed several times throughout the movie. Tate could honestly say he didn’t know what they found so funny, but he was glad that Havana had relaxed beside him. Well, she wasn’t completely relaxed. There was an undercurrent of restlessness radiating from her, just as there was from him—the chemistry between them was always running in the background, always keeping their systems on edge.

He didn’t push his luck and give into the urge to play with her hair. Mostly because he didn’t want to anger her devil any further—she wasn’t going to welcome casual touches while so irritated with him. He had no clue what he’d done to upset her so much, and he couldn’t understand why Havana wouldn’t be upfront with him about it.

Once the movie was finally over and the table was cleared, Aspen and Camden said their goodnights and left. Bailey then traipsed off to her bedroom, looking sleepy.

As Havana walked Tate and Luke to the door, Tate signaled for his brother to wait outside the apartment and then turned to her, intending to again ask what her devil’s problem with him was. But he hesitated when he saw that her face was all soft with fatigue. He didn’t want to poke at her for answers when she’d finally relaxed. He wanted her to get some sleep so that her instincts remained sharp.

He pinned her gaze with his. “You’ll be careful? Gideon probably won’t seek to acquire you again—not now that you’re on your guard. But it’s best to be safe than sorry.”

“I’ll be careful. Always am.” She rubbed at her brow, clearly exhausted.

Seeing her so tired made him want to nuzzle her, cosset her, tuck her in bed. But she wouldn’t allow it. “Good,” he said. “If something or someone doesn’t seem right to you, if you feel like you’re being watched or followed, you call me.”

She pursed those lips he loved. “Sure.”

That was a placatory answer if ever Tate had heard one. “This is serious, Havana.”

“Oh, I’m well aware of that. And if I find myself in a situation that I’m not positive I can handle alone, I will reach out for help.”

“But you won’t reach out to me,” he sensed.

She lifted her shoulders. “We’re not together anymore. We never really were.”

“You’re still under—”

“Your protection, I know. Look, I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time. Believe it or not, I’m actually pretty good at it. No one who comes at me will find me an easy target.”

“I can believe that. It’s just …” He closed the short space between them. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

The soft admission touched Havana in places it had no business touching. A pang of longing hit her hard, making her chest squeeze. It was bad enough that her body pined for his. It made it ten times more difficult that her heart was equally involved. Her pulse jumped when he gently rested his hands on the sides of her head, spearing her with a look so intense her stomach fluttered. “Tate—”

“Ssh,” he soothed, dropping his forehead to hers. He inhaled deeply, as if breathing her in.

Her devil rumbled a put-out sound and turned away from him, but Havana didn’t move, letting herself have this small moment.

He lifted his head and pressed a kiss to her forehead. And then to her temple. And then to her cheek. His mouth grazed her ear as he gently squeezed the side of her neck. “Missed you,” he gruffly whispered. And then he walked out.

The tension left Havana’s body in a rush, and all she could do was lean against the door as she closed it. Jesus, the guy knew what buttons to push—buttons he’d just practically stomped on.

Missed you.

She wasn’t going to let those words give her hope. No, she was done holding out for people. Done letting her dreams and fantasies play havoc with her good sense.

Hearing footfalls, Havana pushed away from the door and turned to see Bailey.

“You know, you could consider having one last night with him,” said the mamba.

Havana frowned, sure she’d heard her wrong. “Say what?”

“Sometimes it can help to have one more night with an ex just to burn out old feelings. It’s kind of like tying up loose ends, I guess. It gives me a sense of closure.” Bailey shrugged. “It’s just something for you to think about.”

Havana scrubbed a hand down her face. The idea held too much appeal for all the wrong reasons. “I don’t think it would give me closure. I think it would make it harder for me to move on.”

“Going cold turkey doesn’t always work out so well. Sometimes it’s better to wean yourself off something.”

“Maybe. I’ll think about it. But not right now. I’m too tired, I need sleep.” But with the terms “one last night,” “burning out old feelings,” and “sense of closure” floating around her head, it was a while before Havana finally drifted off.

Watching two little girls moving in sync on the dance pads, Havana smiled. The rec center’s video arcade was pretty popular among the kids and teens. The walls were lined with various machines. There was everything from whack-a-mole and claw cranes to air hockey tables and zombie-killing games.

Glowing screens and neon lights cut through the dimly lit area. The smells of popcorn and other concession foods laced the air. So many sounds filled the large space—dings, bleeps, chimes, shouts, revving engines.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stick close to home for a few weeks?” asked Madisyn, holding the stuffed toys her daughters had won before they’d headed for the dance pads. The pallas kits, Yasmin and Regan, were utterly adorable. They were always singing and laughing with each other. A fight often broke out between them at some point, though, and those fights were never pretty.

Havana replied, “If you think my going to the shelter would draw trouble to it or make the people there uneasy, I can skip going until they feel better about it.” Madisyn worked at the homeless shelter for loners and had once been a loner herself before mating into the Mercury Pack, which was closely allied to the Olympus Pride. “But if not, I’d rather keep teaching the self-defense classes. The residents may need the techniques now more than ever.”

“No one has expressed a problem with you being there,” Makenna cut in. The she-wolf was Madisyn’s co-worker and part of the Phoenix Pack. Tate’s cousin, Mila, had mated a Phoenix wolf years ago, so the pride considered them allies, too. “The people who take your classes are worried for you, and they think it’s awesome that you overpowered your attacker—it gives them confidence that the moves you teach can actually work.”

“Then I’ll keep teaching the classes,” said Havana.

Madisyn gave her a grateful smile. “We appreciate it. Just so you know, I passed on the cougar’s confession to my pack mates—they’re going to see if they can locate Sinclair and Gideon. We want to find Keziah, like, yesterday. She’s such a nice kid. Dawn feels bad that it never occurred to her that Keziah had been taken. But we’d all just assumed she didn’t want to stay at the shelter.”

“We keep telling Dawn she has no need to feel guilty,” said Makenna. “But she’s not hearing us. My pack intends to help, too—they’re utterly pissed about this. I guess the reason Gideon is targeting loners is that it’s unlikely any flocks or clans or whatever will go look for them or wish to retaliate.”

“He’s obviously comfortable in that belief, because otherwise he would have checked that I wasn’t under anyone’s protection,” said Havana.

“I was thinking the same thing,” said Aspen. “There’s no way he’d have chosen to add you to his collection of loners if he’d known he’d be tangling with the Olympus Pride. I mean, I know he didn’t give Rupert or Sinclair any info that could expose him, but Gideon had to know there was a chance they could have discovered something.”

Havana nodded. “He’s been careful so far, which is why he’s managed to stay largely under the radar and convince a lot of people of his death. I can’t envision such a careful person doing something as stupid as to, in a roundabout way, challenge a pride of pallas cats.”

“Word about the auction is spreading far and wide,” said Aspen. “So Gideon probably knows by now that either Rupert or Sinclair told you about it. He’ll be on pins, wondering just how much you know.”

Havana sure hoped so, because she liked the idea of him sweating and fretting. The bastard was going down, and whoever helped him with his auctions would go down with him. And soon. She’d make sure of it.

Corbin sidled up to her with a sigh. “We may have a problem. Nothing major, just a minor complication.”

Havana frowned. “What’s that?”

“Ginny’s here,” he replied.

Havana felt her nose wrinkle. “Yeah, I noticed.” The female in question was slowly heading their way, and her devil thought it an excellent idea to vent her frustrations on the sly little bitch. If only there weren’t so many kids around …

“The issue is that Bailey noticed her, too.” He tipped his chin at a nearby door marked “Staff” and added, “She disappeared in there. She hasn’t come back out yet.”

Aspen lifted her shoulders. “Maybe she’s staying out of the way so that she won’t be tempted to lunge and attack. It’s mature, really.”

“Our dear Bailey’s not anyone’s definition of mature,” he said. “And I say that with affection.”

Aspen gave him a look of disappointment. “You could try having a little more faith in her, you know.”

He glanced away. “Maybe.”

Havana and Aspen exchanged an amused look. He had every reason to be wary. Bailey never let shit go. Purely because she didn’t want to.

Havana pasted an impersonal smile on her face as Ginny and her little crowd approached them.

“Hey, guys,” said Ginny, her smile bright. “Oh, Havana, I heard about what happened the other night. I’m glad you’re okay.”

Although she looked the height of concern, Havana wasn’t buying it. Still, she said, “Thanks.”

Ginny let out a dramatic sigh. “It’s just so awful. Do you think they’ll come for more people who go to the center? Could they, like, have a problem with it or something?”

“I really don’t know. But it would be stupid of them to come back here when we’re all on the lookout for trouble.”

Ginny absently scratched her left palm. “I guess so.”

“Ooh, you’re going to lose money,” Makenna interjected.

Ginny blinked. “I’m, what?”

“An itchy left hand means you’re going to lose money,” Makenna patiently explained. “It’s pretty common knowledge, sweetie.”

Havana stifled a smile. The she-wolf was incredibly superstitious, bless her. Havana believed in signs, but that a simple act such as spilling salt could cause destruction? No.

Ginny shook her head and turned back to Havana. “Anyway, Corbin wasn’t all that clear on how you managed to stop the kidnappers from taking you.” It was more of a question than a comment.

“They were expecting an easy target,” said Havana. “It’s hard to take me off-guard.”

“Same here. I’m very alert. But still—” Ginny stumbled back with a little squeal as Havana’s arm shot out and she caught a mamba midair that had leapt from the top of a machine.

“It’s unlikely that anyone else will be sent to take me or another loner from the center, Ginny—it’s simply too risky,” said Havana. Without even looking at the snake wriggling in her grip, she walked over to the staff room as she added, “Nonetheless, I’d advise you to be careful. Loners always should be, considering the dangers out there.” Havana pulled open the door, tossed the hissing snake inside the room, and then shut the door. “And don’t forget to let Corbin know if you see anything or anyone suspicious.”

“I won’t.” Ginny straightened her tee and swallowed. “Um, yeah, we’re going to go now.” She quickly walked off, bumping into her friend whose drink consequently tipped up and spilled all over her. Then Ginny’s handbag slid off her arm and crashed to the floor, scattering its contents—and there was a lot of them—all over the thin, dark carpet. She and her friends quickly scrambled to pick everything up.

“Where’s my purse?” Ginny demanded. “Where is it? Where did it go?”

“I don’t know,” said the girl whose drink had spilled. “It might be under one of the machines or something.”

Makenna shrugged at Ginny. “Told you you’d lose money.”

Her lips thinning, Ginny continued to help her friends search for her purse.

Madisyn turned back to Havana. “Wow, you really are hard to take off-guard—I didn’t even sense that the mamba was close by, and my instincts are super sharp.”

Corbin sighed at Aspen. “And you said I should have more faith in Bailey. You knew she’d likely gone into that room to remove her clothes and shift, didn’t you? Her snake probably used the air vent to get out.”

“I’m guessing Bailey doesn’t like that girl,” said Makenna, her eyes on a whining Ginny, who was looking under the machines.

Aspen did a long, languid stretch. “Bailey’s ex cheated on her with Ginny.”

Madisyn winced. “Wronging a mamba seems … well, suicidal, really. Admittedly, my kind aren’t very tolerant creatures. Still, I’d say pallas cats are a little less dramatic in the way we seek vengeance.”

A nearby girly scream pierced the air.

“Why. Won’t. You. Die?”yelled Regan, slamming her sister’s head on a machine.

Yasmin swiped her claws at Regan. “I’m going to rip off your face!”

Makenna smiled at Madisyn. “A little less dramatic, Mads? Really?”

“That doesn’t count,” said Madisyn, her cheeks heating. “It’s only because they’re siblings who are close in age.” She rushed over to her daughters and separated them.

Makenna chuckled. “I love those girls. Hey, Corbin, you still taking Dawn to the movies tonight?”

The grizzly frowned. “Why?”

Aspen laughed. “You always get so self-conscious and weird whenever anyone asks about you and Dawn. Don’t worry, we’ve all agreed to pretend that we don’t know how much you like her.”

He only grunted.

Right then, Bailey casually walked out of the staff room and approached their group. “I’ll swear you live to spoil my fun, Havana.” She shot a haughty look at Ginny, who stalked off with her friends—Havana couldn’t tell whether the girl had found her purse or simply given up searching for it.

Corbin put a hand on the mamba’s shoulder. “Look, I know Jackson’s betrayal stung, and I know it stung worse that he cheated on you with someone you so strongly dislike. But, considering you’ve punished her in several ways over the past month, could you not just let it go?”

Bailey flicked something off her tee. “Forgiveness is for losers.”

“Neither Jackson nor Ginny are worth the emotional energy you’re giving them right now,” Corbin insisted. “You’ve made your point to both of them, and I’m pretty sure they regret crossing you. Take pity on them.”

“Pity is for losers,” said Bailey.

“Just leave it be, Corbin,” Havana advised.

Madisyn returned and puffed out a breath. “Sorry about that. The girls are going to behave themselves now. Oh, hi, Camden.” She smiled at the approaching male.

He merely nodded before passing Aspen a takeout cup. “Got you that vanilla shit you like.”

Aspen’s mouth curved as she took the latte. “Aw, thanks.”

“Didn’t you get us anything?” Bailey asked him.

“Thought about it,” he said. “That was as far as I got.”

Bailey shook her head. “Tigers are just rude.”

He gently tapped Aspen’s earlobe. “I’ll see you at six.”

The bearcat’s brow furrowed. “You will?”

“We agreed we’d have dinner at the steakhouse tonight.” He sighed, looking away. “How quickly she forgets me.”

“I remembered,” Aspen claimed. “I was just testing you.”

He snorted. “Yeah, right.”

“Die, Thing, die!”shouted Yasmin, throttling her sister.

Madisyn cursed. “This is not cool, kids! Not cool at all.”