“What in the world?” I breathed, as I pulled into my driveway. Lan said it would be small. Lan told me only a few people would come.

This wasn’t a few people.

There were at least twenty different vehicles. As I stopped my car, I glanced down at the extra ice bags Lan had asked me to go out and get before anyone showed while he got the barbeque cleaned and ready for our guests.

Nerves fluttered in my stomach. I wasn’t ready to meet this many people in Lan’s life. A couple of cars full, yes, bring it on. About twenty, hell to the no.

My hands already shook.

Maybe I could hide out in the car. No one would notice. Except maybe my boyfriend who was a detective. Oh, and my best friend who dropped down from the last step off my front porch and walked towards my car with a big smile on his face. He would know and be loving how I was all but shitting myself over the situation.

Lan and I had only officially been together for a few weeks. I shouldn’t have to meet this many people after a few weeks. Yet, it was happening, and I couldn’t think of a way out of it. I couldn’t even fake work since it was mine and Oliver’s weekend off.

I jumped and may have yipped when my door was thrown open. Oliver poked his head in, and said, “You can’t hide. He knows you’re out here because one of the women shouted your arrival.”

Slowly, I turned to him, and asked, “Kill me?”

He laughed. Reaching in, still laughing, he undid my seat belt and had a hand in getting me out of the car. Oliver then shifted me out of the way and grabbed the three bags of ice before hipping the door closed and nudging me with his foot to my butt.

“How many?” I asked, making my approach slow.

“Ah… yeah, I won’t lie. You see the vehicles, so you’ve already guessed there’s a lot. By a lot, I mean over fifty.”

“What?” I screeched and turned back around ready to make a run for it.

Oliver cackled. “Relax, a lot of them are kids, and I may be overexaggerating.” He held up the ice bags. “These’ll start melting soon. Suck in the fear and be brave. They’ll love you. Some you’ve already met anyway.”

“Is Parker here?” Since Lan had decided to take more time off work until he’d completely recovered, we hadn’t seen much of Parker. After I’d started back at work, Lan went back to a semi-normal routine. That meant gym workouts at a gym the Hawks MC had recently bought out, not his usual one, one he’d gone with Parker to. When Lan had called Parker asking him to switch with him, Parker declined. Said he’d just paid for a new membership so he’d use that up and then rethink it. Of course, Lan mentioned he could probably get a refund. Parker’s reply was how it’d be too much of a hassle, and besides, it was closer to his apartment.

When I asked Lan how he felt about Parker’s actions, even how he’d declined dinner with us, Lan said it didn’t bother him. Still, I could tell it did. There’d be times when we’d be sitting around or eating, and he’d drift off into his own thoughts with a frown on his face. It wasn’t hard to work out it would be over Parker. They’d been close, and I couldn’t help but think Parker didn’t want anything to do with him over the things that had happened between us all.

I knew I was upset by it, but for Lan, it would be gutting.

“Yep, he’s here.” The way he said it sounded like he was upset.

“What’s with that tone?”

“What tone?”

“The disapproving one.” He went to open the front door and ignored my question, until I grabbed his hand on the doorknob to stop him. “Ollie.”

He sighed. “He’s a dick.”

“I’ve told you he could be.”

Leaning in, he whispered, “He brought a woman with him. He’s been standing in a corner with her clutched to his side, glaring at everyone.”

I snorted. “Sounds about normal for Parker.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes.” I laughed. Dropping my hand, I nodded to the door. “If I make a fool out of myself in any way, I expect you to make a bigger fool by saying or doing something so I don’t look bad.”

“Of course I will. Ready?”

“No. Yes. But—” Too late, he’d swung the door wide and stepped in. I had to follow him since he moved to the side, as if someone else waited to enter. But I really didn’t want to. I still felt the urge to flee. Thinning my lips, I sucked in my fear, or at least I tried, and stepped through the door. I didn’t do it for myself. I did it for Lan. He was introducing me to all of his friends because we were a couple. He made the effort to be open, caring, and darn wonderful, so I had to try and do the same without crapping my pants.

After I stepped through, the room full of people—adults and kids—grew quiet. I stiffened and was about ready to turn around when the sliding glass door off the dining area came open, and Lan stepped through. He spotted me and smiled. It seemed to me that no one else existed for him, except me. He made his way towards me through the crowd and leaned in and touched his mouth to mine. I heard a sigh from beside me and knew it was Oliver.

“You’re back.” Lan grinned.

“I am.” I nodded.

“You look ready to bolt,” he whispered.

“I’m still considering it. Lan, there’s a lot of people here.”

Lan chuckled. “I know. Blame the women. They always go overboard.” I went to look around at them, but Lan cupped my cheek and brought my gaze back to his. “You gonna be good?”

I licked my lips. “Um….”

“I can get everyone to leave.”

There was another sigh. Oliver.

I gripped his wrist. “No. I’ll be okay.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes. I want to meet all your friends.”

His smile was outstanding. “Good.” He leaned in again and brushed his mouth against mine.

“Come on,” a female voice called; it sounded from behind Lan. “Enough monopolising his time. You can have him later.”

Lan rolled his eyes and muttered, “If they’re too much, tell me.”

I chuckled. “I’ll be fine.”

“All right.” He nodded before he turned to stand beside me. “Everyone, this is Easton. Easton, everyone… who I’m sure will introduce themselves. Don’t scare him off. I want him to stay long-term.”

“OMG, that is the cutest thing to say ever,” Julian cooed. I remembered him from the day Lan confessed about us in the past.

Lan took the ice from Oliver and asked if I’d be okay on my own for a bit. Oliver said he’d stick by my side to help. Lan nodded, and with a final kiss, he went out the back again.

“Hey.” A woman in her thirties maybe, with long dark wavy hair, came up with a friendly smile. “I know you won’t remember all of our names, but I’d like to try and introduce you to those around here.”

I nodded. “I’d like that.”

“Great.” She pointed to herself. “I’m Zara. Talon is outside with all the guys. He’s the president to all Hawks chapters. I’ll introduce you to him later. My tribe consists of Cody, who’s outside with the men, Maya, Drake, and Ruby.” She pointed to some of the kids. “Next to me is Deanna. Her two are Swan and Nicholas. That’s Ivy, who’s a couple of months pregnant. Same as Mally, who I’ve been told you already know.” I nodded and waved at the already smiling and waving Mally, Lan’s cousin’s wife. Zara went on, “Clary, with her bundle of joy playing on the floor, Logan. My mum, Nancy.”

The older woman stepped up, and I noticed Zara sigh and roll her eyes, before Nancy said, “You’re damn handsome, young man. Are you sure you bat for the other team?”

I snorted out a laugh and managed a nod. “Yes.”

“I don’t,” was called out. Everyone turned to look at Gamer, where he leaned against the hallway doorframe.

Nancy looked puzzled. “Don’t what?”

“Bat for the other team.” He winked. “Just thought you should know.”

I caught Zara’s eyes widen as she watched her mother blush. The room was utterly silent. Nancy then glared over at Gamer. “I’m old enough to be your mother. It’s okay for me to mess about, but it’s another story for young men to play people.”

Gamer smirked, shook his head, and straightened. “Darlin’, I ain’t messin’, and age is just a number.” With that, he walked out of the room.

“Nancy, I think he was just coming onto you,” Julian pointed out.

Nancy scoffed, glaring in Gamer’s direction as he made his way outside, and then said, “Don’t be stupid, Julian.”

“He’s not, Nance,” Deanna said.

Nancy shook her head. “It doesn’t matter if he was or wasn’t. Richard was the love of my life, and no one could replace him.”

“Doesn’t mean you can’t be happy,” Zara said quietly.

Nancy studied her daughter with soft eyes. “I am happy, baby. Besides, I have the super-powered vibrator Julian got me.”

“You got my mother a vibrator?” another man bellowed. He was holding a little girl in his arms. She looked up at him and giggled, slapping him on the cheek.

“Now, poppet,” Julian cooed. “I love you, but our mumma bear has got to have some—”

“Julian! Mattie!” Nancy cried. She threw her hands in the air when men from outside looked in. “Great,” she snapped. “Let’s share that with everyone in the world, my sons.”

Mattie held his free hand to his stomach. “This is why I stay outside.” He handed the little girl off to Julian and stomped his way out the back.

“Mum, what’s a vibrator?” Maya, Zara’s older daughter, asked. Her lips twitched, so I had an idea she already knew, but she enjoyed playing with her mother and, from the way Nancy scowled at Julian, with her nana too.

“Yeah, Low. I want to know too,” a little girl asked. When the black woman with a head of dark, wavy curls stepped back and looked to the door for an exit, I knew she must have been Low.

She straightened, and said, “Romania, come back to me when you’re eighteen and ask again. Then I’ll answer.”

The little girl thought it over and then nodded with a smile. “Okay.” She went back to building Lego with Swan, Drake, and Ruby.

Oliver leaned into me. “I think I’m in love with these people.”

Grinning, I turned my head his way, and whispered, “So am I.” I meant it. They were amazing. Right then, Zara and Julian, along with Deanna and Ivy, were huddled with Nancy, talking. Mally, her daughter, Nary, and Low took it upon themselves to introduce me to the others in the room. Oliver had already had time to meet the group while I’d been collecting the ice. Vi, Zara’s sister-in-law, Mena, Dive’s woman. Koda, their boy. Pregnant Della who was with Handle, and finally, Melissa, her man was named Dallas. The one I missed that day was Josie, but she was away with her men Pick and Billy, as in plural, lucky girl, who’d I’d already met.

What I did notice was that the woman, who was apparently with Parker, hadn’t been in the room, which meant she was out with the men and not really a part of the group. I was happy she wasn’t a part of this big, loving family and friends, but I kind of felt peeved she was out there, no doubt all over Parker.

Lan would see it, and I knew he wouldn’t like it.

It was time to head out and meet the guys while seeing how Lan was reacting with Parker, and vice versa.