His frown deepened. “No, it wasn’t.”
Bailey lifted her shoulders. “How else would we have gotten inside?”
Probably with the skills they’d learned when working for the Movement. Which his cat respected, despite the feline not being too keen on people turning up to his lair uninvited.
God, it was too early in the morning to deal with this. Tate sighed. “I need coffee.”
“There’s some in the pot,” said Bailey.
With a grunt, he headed for the kitchen. Havana descended the stairs mere moments later. She briefly spoke with her girls in the living room, but their voices were too muffled for him to make out the words.
Entering the kitchen, Havana took the mug of coffee he held out. “Thanks.”
Leaning against the counter with a cup in hand, he gently drew her closer so that she stood between his legs. And just like that, his irritation at her friends slipped away. “You’re welcome.” He sipped at his coffee. “Do you want to tell me why Aspen and Bailey are here?”
“Apparently, Dieter turned up at my apartment this morning looking for me.”
Tate felt his face harden. His cat bared a fang. “Is that so?”
“They said he looked like a kicked puppy, so I’m guessing he intended to apologize for how he acted last time he was there.”
“Maybe, but I still don’t like it.” Tate suspected the man still wanted her, which was why he’d told her guards to contact him if Dieter approached her. “You say he’s your friend, but I don’t think he’s much of one. And yeah, I also don’t like that this guy you once cared for is still in your life—I’ll own that. But I’d set it aside if he was a good friend to you.”
Havana leaned into him. Some women got off on displays of jealousy from their men, but she wasn’t one of them. “I get it. I don’t like that Ashlynn’s around. It also isn’t easy for me to know that you’ve had flings with some of your pride mates, but none of them have tried poaching and—unlike Ashlynn—they’ve all been perfectly civil, so I don’t let it get to me. You don’t need to feel threatened by Dieter’s presence any more than I need to feel threatened by theirs or Ashlynn’s. They’re all just parts of our past. That’s it.”
“In the cases of Dieter and Ashlynn, they’re parts that are trying to intrude on our present. He doesn’t like that you now have me. And I don’t like that he doesn’t like it, because it implies that he might want you for himself.”
“He has a girlfriend. He’s serious about her.”
Tate grunted. “Not serious enough that he could be happy for you when he learned you’d found your mate.”
“Well, the girls seem to think he intended to apologize for how he behaved before.”
“Maybe he does, and maybe he’ll prove me wrong. But I don’t think so.”
She sighed. “Even if he did want me for himself, he wouldn’t do anything about it, given that I now have you.” It would be plain pointless.
“Don’t be so sure of that. There have been many cases where a shifter has found their true mate but chose to forsake them. Koby’s a perfect example. So is Bree, for that matter. Okay, so hers was a psychopath, but it still counts.”
Havana fisted his tee and pinned his gaze with her own. “I wouldn’t forsake you for Dieter or anyone else,” she assured him.
“I know that, babe. Just as you know that you and you alone will always be my choice. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to be fine that you have someone in your life who might wish they could come between us.” Just then, Tate’s phone chimed to signal an incoming text message. He whipped out his phone and read it. “Luke says there’s no jaguar by the name of Lola in the local jaguar prides.”
“It doesn’t necessarily mean she’s Gideon’s kin, though, does it? Or even that she’s a loner. I mean, her family could have mated into a wolf pack or bear clan or something. It doesn’t seem likely that she herself had mated into one, considering she was—and may even still be—involved with Enrique.”
“True.” Tate took a sip of his drink. “Hopefully River can find her address. That would help.”
She blew out a breath. “I have to get to work soon. Call or text me if and when you hear from River.”
He kissed her. “Will do, babe.” He smoothed the stray strands of her hair away from her face. “I’ll miss you.”
She smiled. “Of course you will. I’m fucking brilliant.”
He chuckled. “You’re supposed to say you’ll miss me, too.”
“You already know I will.” She chugged back the rest of her coffee. “Now I need to chomp down some cereal so I’m not late for work.”
“Give me one last kiss.”
With a roll of her eyes, she did so.
He hummed and then patted her ass. “Let’s get you fed.”
Stepping out of the deli after lunch, Tate heard his cell ring. He dug it out of his pocket. The muscles in his shoulders bunched. “It’s River,” he told his brother. Tate then answered, “Tell me you have good news.”
“Wish I could,” River grumbled. “I looked into Lola. She was fired from the casino not too long ago. She was also evicted from her apartment a week after being fired. I so far haven’t been able to locate her.”
Tate pinched his lips shut as disappointment flooded him. “Fuck.”
“I doubt she’s now living on shifter territory, considering she recently resided in a crummy apartment in a very shady area. My guess? She’s either a loner or part of Gideon’s weird family.”
“It would seem so,” said Tate, rolling back his shoulders. “Thanks, River. Let me know if you manage to find her.”
Ending the call, Tate sighed.
“I take it River didn’t have anything good to say,” hedged Luke.
“No, he didn’t.” Tate relayed the short conversation to his brother. “I was hoping Gideon would show up at Taggart’s address.” But according to the enforcers watching the house, plenty of cars had driven down the road, but none had stopped. “If Gideon or one of his minions did go looking for Taggart and Clementine, they might have decided not to bother searching the house after seeing that the Charger is gone.”
“Maybe.” Tate exhaled heavily. “I’d like to do another search of the house. I’m not optimistic that we’ll find anything that might point toward Gideon’s location, but it’s worth a shot.”
“Then let’s do it.”
Keeping his promise to Havana that he’d relay any intel he received, Tate sent her a message: Just spoke to River. No good news to report as yet. Tate gave her a brief summary of what the cat told him.
Her reply came quickly: Bummer. Was hoping I could pull out the pom poms later. Like you’ve said lots of times, Gideon can’t hide from us forever. We’re getting closer, so don’t brood. Later.
Tate snorted. Later, babe. And I don’t brood.
She sent him a message with several emojis of a face with a long nose.
Shaking his head, Tate pocketed his phone and took a swig from the soda he’d bought at the deli. He was just about to pass the bakery when the door opened, and five familiar shifters stepped out. Spotting Tate and Luke, the Phoenix Pack wolves turned to face them.