Ask Me If I Care (SWAT Generation 2.0 #4) - Lani Lynn Vale Page 0,3

I supposed to know that? Jesus Christ. I was just making sure it was the same guy. But hells bells, the way Ryan described it, he was gone for a long, long time. They assumed he was dead. They even had a funeral for him.”

My dad winced.

“Hayes has PTSD. He’s on the SWAT team. He functions… but I don’t think that he’s over what happened. He was a prisoner of war for a long time. Just… be gentle with him, Ares. He’s not like me or your brother,” he said.

I instantly felt bad.

My father was right.

He wasn’t like my dad or my brother. Two of the most outgoing and peoplely persons out there.

Me? I wasn’t a people person. I put on a good act, almost had to when I was at work seeing as I was the counselor, but the moment I got home I practically folded into myself.

In fact, right here and now, having to deal with all of these stuck-up people—and Ryan who was most definitely not the same Ryan when I had dated him—was making my head hurt.

I knew that I’d have a headache by the time we got our first course brought out.

“Sorry, sorry,” I apologized. “I didn’t mean to offend him.”

My dad would’ve replied but just as he opened his mouth to do that, my brother came up and scared the absolute crap out of me.

I screeched in surprise, my entire body jolting, and barely managed to catch my dress before the whole damn thing slid right the fuck off.

“Jesus Christ, Lock.” I punched him. Hard. “You almost made me flash everyone in the whole fucking room!”

Lock laughed but held his arm where I punched him. “That hurt!”

I bared my teeth. “It was supposed to, fucker.”

“Let’s go find our seats,” Saylor ordered. “I hear they have chocolate at the table.”

I couldn’t argue with that.

“We’re in the back right corner,” I said. “That’s what my ticket stub says anyway.”

Saylor headed that way with me right behind her.

My dad and Lock got sidetracked by a group of men that wanted to talk shop, and when we arrived at our table, I nearly came to a sudden, bone-jarring halt to find not only Ryan and his date there, but also Hayes. The man I just offended to the point where he closed up like a virgin’s legs.

Jesus Christ.

This should prove fun.

I took the seat that was farthest away from Ryan, but also not in his line of sight as long as I didn’t lean forward. Unfortunately, the seating arrangement also put me directly across from Hayes, who watched me move.

I swallowed hard and took my seat, urging Saylor down next to me.

“Talk to me,” I hissed. “Make it better.”

She frowned. “Make what better?”

“Who’s your friend?”

I gritted my teeth and spared Ryan a glance. He was leaning backward so far that he was threatening the integrity of the chair legs.

“This is my brother’s wife, Saylor,” I answered him, going for polite but coming out more ‘constipated.’

“Who is that?” Saylor whispered.

“That’s my ex,” I explained in just as low of a tone.

“And who is the man that’s staring at you like you’re his lunch?” she pushed, her eyes flicking to Hayes and back.

I chanced a glance in his direction to see his eyes on me.

Luckily, before I could answer, a waiter came by and asked what everyone wanted to drink.

When the man got to Hayes, Hayes said one word. “Whiskey.”

I swallowed hard, chancing another look to find his eyes still on me.

“And you, Miss?” the waiter asked me.

I licked my lips. “Ummm, whiskey sounds great!”

Whiskey sounded awful. I hated whiskey. Why did I just say that?

“Excellent choice,” the waiter sounded surprised by my order.

Don’t worry buddy, I was, too.

“When did your brother get married?” Ryan asked, looking confused.

I ignored him, my eyes scanning the room.

Since when did he care about my brother?

In fact, my brother and he did not get along. I was fairly sure he really didn’t care that my brother was now a married man.

“Ares?”

I gritted my teeth and turned to stare at Ryan.

“Yes?” I asked through gritted teeth when he waited for me to acknowledge him.

“I’d like you to meet my fiancée, Brooke.” He gestured to the woman next