“Shut it, Tate,” Kentucky smirked across the table at the man seated opposite Caleb. “Your turn will come, and we,” he gestured to Caleb, and then himself, “will make sure to remind you of the stupid shit which comes out of your mouth.”
“Never gonna happen.”
Someone had sealed their fate. Never tempt that bitch, because she’ll bite you in the ass every single time.
“Now he’s done it,” Becky quipped. “We’re gonna need a bigger table like Alpha team to accommodate Tate’s future wife.”
Rose giggled as the rest of them laughed and teased Tate. She should have been eating—she was hungry, but she was fascinated by the dynamics of the room. She’d expected for it to be mostly men, and it was; however, the number of women also at the tables surprised her. “Are all the women wives, girlfriends, or…?” she whispered to Becky.
“Some, not all.” Becky reached for a bottle of wine in the center of the table, but Kentucky beat her to it and topped up her glass.
“Would you like some wine, Rose?”
She shook her head and smiled. “No, thank you.” How come she hadn’t met men like these before? Ones who'd obviously taken a Susan Stoker Alpha Hero and Manners class. Men across the country should be lining up for that class, or at least to read Susan’s books to get an idea of how a woman should be treated and looked after. There would be far fewer assholes like Janek if A Susan Stoker Special became a standard class for boys and men everywhere. “I appreciate the offer, though.”
“You’re welcome.” Kentucky settled back in his seat next to Becky, clearly content to let her chatter and do her thing.
“Aria is our sniper.” Becky pointed out a woman seated at a table alongside Dalton’s wife, Lina. Becky lowered her voice and whispered, “She’s as badass as Lina but a bit prickly. If she’s a bitch to you, bite back, and soon you’ll be besties.”
Umm, not sure about that. I’ll just stay away from her and see what happens.
She hated confrontation and tried to avoid it at all costs.
“Are you okay?” Caleb whispered in her ear, and she shivered for a different reason. “Do you want to leave? Because we can bring our food back to my place. Kace will give us a go-box.”
“No, no.” She turned toward him and paused. She hadn’t expected his mouth to be right there. She licked her suddenly dry lips and raised her eyes to meet his. “I’m okay,” she whispered. “I promise. Becky is fun. She’s just telling me who’s who, and it’s a lot.”
“Okay.” The corners of his eyes crinkled. “If it’s too much, tell me, and we’ll leave.”
She nodded and turned back to her new friend. “Sorry…”
“Girl, I’m never gonna bitch about you having a moment with your man?—”
“He’s not?—”
“Maybe not yet.” Becky winked, mischief all over her face. “But he will be. Because I’d hit that.” Kentucky growled, and Becky patted his cheek. “Shh, I’m fishing.”
“You mean you’d hit it with a skillet? Or maybe a bus?” The snark she’d buried for way too long decided now would be an awesome time to be reborn, and the quip escaped through her lips before she even had time to think the words in her head. “Do bullets count as ‘hitting that,’ too?”
“I’m offended.” Humor laced throughout Caleb’s voice was the only thing that kept her from covering her face with her hands or sliding under the table to hide. “Should I be offended?” he asked nobody in particular.
“I would be, man,” the fourth man at the table told him seriously. “Maybe your lady would prefer to stay at my house instead.”
“Eww, no. Not a chance.”
Shit.
I said that.
Out freaking loud.
Oh my God.
She could never come here for food again. Caleb would have to hit up his brother to organize a delivery system. They were all laughing at her.
“I knew it.” Becky chortled. “I freaking like you.” She nudged her with her elbow. “While the boys are ribbing each other, let me fill you in on the others here. You met Lina at the wedding, right? Dalton’s wife?”
“Yes.”
