Ask Me If I Care Read online

  Text copyright ©2020 Lani Lynn Vale

  All Rights Reserved

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Dedication

  To the person that has their shit together today. Go you.

  Acknowledgments

  Golden Czermak - Photographer

  My Brother’s Editor & Ink It Out Editing- My editors

  Cover Me Darling - Cover Artist

  My mom - Thank you for reading this book eight million two hundred times.

  Kendra, Lisa, Laura, Kathy, Mindy, Barbara & Amanda—I don’t know what I would do without y’all. Thank you, my lovely betas, for loving my books as much as I do.

  Table of Contents

  Blurb

  Prologue

  Prologue II

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Epilogue

  What’s Next?

  Other titles by Lani Lynn Vale:

  The Freebirds

  Boomtown

  Highway Don’t Care

  Another One Bites the Dust

  Last Day of My Life

  Texas Tornado

  I Don’t Dance

  The Heroes of The Dixie Wardens MC

  Lights To My Siren

  Halligan To My Axe

  Kevlar To My Vest

  Keys To My Cuffs

  Life To My Flight

  Charge To My Line

  Counter To My Intelligence

  Right To My Wrong

  Code 11- KPD SWAT

  Center Mass

  Double Tap

  Bang Switch

  Execution Style

  Charlie Foxtrot

  Kill Shot

  Coup De Grace

  The Uncertain Saints

  Whiskey Neat

  Jack & Coke

  Vodka On The Rocks

  Bad Apple

  Dirty Mother

  Rusty Nail

  The Kilgore Fire Series

  Shock Advised

  Flash Point

  Oxygen Deprived

  Controlled Burn

  Put Out

  I Like Big Dragons Series

  I Like Big Dragons and I Cannot Lie

  Dragons Need Love, Too

  Oh, My Dragon

  The Dixie Warden Rejects

  Beard Mode

  Fear the Beard

  Son of a Beard

  I’m Only Here for the Beard

  The Beard Made Me Do It

  Beard Up

  For the Love of Beard

  Law & Beard

  There’s No Crying in Baseball

  Pitch Please

  Quit Your Pitchin’

  Listen, Pitch

  The Hail Raisers

  Hail No

  Go to Hail

  Burn in Hail

  What the Hail

  The Hail You Say

  Hail Mary

  The Simple Man Series

  Kinda Don’t Care

  Maybe Don’t Wanna

  Get You Some

  Ain’t Doin’ It

  Too Bad So Sad

  Bear Bottom Guardians MC

  Mess Me Up

  Talkin’ Trash

  How About No

  My Bad

  One Chance, Fancy

  It Happens

  Castiel and Turner

  Snitches Get Stitches

  F-Bomb

  KPD Motorcycle Patrol

  Hide Your Crazy

  It Wasn’t Me

  I’d Rather Not

  Make Me

  Sinners are Winners

  If You Say So

  SWAT 2.0

  Just Kidding

  Fries Before Guys

  Maybe Swearing Will Help

  Ask Me If I Care

  May Contain Wine (5-12-20)

  Jokes on You (6-9-20)

  Join the Club (7-14-20)

  Any Day Now (8-11-20)

  Say it Ain’t So (9-8-20)

  Officially Over It (10-13-20)

  Nobody Knows (11-3-20)

  Depends Who’s Asking (12-8-20)

  Valentine Boys

  Herd That

  Crazy Heifer

  Chute Yeah

  Get Bucked (4-21-20)

  Blurb

  Ares saw him for the first time at a Kilgore Police Department benefit dinner. She’d gone with her dad as his plus one. Hayes Romine had gone by himself and brooded silently across the same table as her, drinking whiskey and not saying a word.

  It only took that one time for her to become interested.

  The next time she saw him, he was doing another benefit—but this one requiring a whole lot fewer clothes. And that was when she knew. She wanted him. Badly. But the morose Hayes was too busy thinking about his sins to see what was right in front of his face—Ares.

  ***

  Hayes Romine knew the moment that he saw the feisty Ares Downy again that he should’ve stayed away. Maybe if he hadn’t done the stupid calendar, he wouldn’t be questioning every single woman’s intentions.

  Maybe if he’d listened to that niggling feeling telling him to stay away, he would’ve been able to do his job a little better. But seeing her with a knife to her throat, in the middle of a building set to blow, made his usually well-wired brain start to malfunction.

  Because nobody was allowed to touch her like that—only him. Nobody was allowed to scare her, either. Not and live to tell the tale.

  Prologue

  I have seen things. Awful things. Empty coffee cup things.

  -Coffee Cup

  Ares

  Six months ago

  “Are you sure you want to go out looking like that?”

  My dad’s words had me stopping short.

  I looked down at myself, then up at him.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked, worried now.

  “There’s nothing wrong.” My mother slapped my father across the chest. “Downy, be nice to her. You know how sensitive she is.”

  My father rubbed at his chest as if my mother’s slap had actually harmed him instead of just startled him.

  “This is a police function,” my father started. “There’s going to be quite a few people there. People that I work with on a daily basis. I don’t want them all looking at my daughter half clothed.”

  I rolled my eyes then.

  “Dad, I’m dressed. I’m going with you. Oh, and you’re welcome.” I poked him in the chest with one manicured finger. “I even got my nails done for you!”

  My dad grimaced and looked at his watch.

  “There’s still time for you to get dressed, Memphis,” Dad said to my mom.

  My mother, who was on the couch in sweatpants, shook her head.
r />   “If I go, I might very well throw up all over everyone.” She paused. “Unless that’s what you’re trying to accomplish?”

  My father grimaced.

  This morning, my mother had called me to ask me if I’d be willing to go to a police banquet with my father. One that she usually attended with him every year.

  Only, she couldn’t attend thanks to what she assumed was the flu taking her down.

  Honestly, I should’ve just said no.

  I’d had a long ass day at work as a guidance counselor at Kilgore High School. I’d had to break up a fight that had left me sore as hell and stiff in places people shouldn’t be stiff. Oh, and to put the cherry on top, my ex-boyfriend had called and asked if we could meet up for dinner.

  Thankfully, my mother had already called at that point and asked if I’d be willing to go with my dad, otherwise I would’ve had to tell Ryan yes. Because sadly, I could never lie well when it came to Ryan McMillan. The pitcher for the Devil Rays, and the man that broke my heart the moment he got drafted.

  I honestly wasn’t sure why I said yes every time he came into town.

  I really should be saying no.

  I should be strong and ignore the call. Block him. Anything but tell him yes, I was free.

  But Ryan was my high school sweetheart. The first man I loved. The man that took my virginity. The man that I still found quite attractive even after all of his escapades.

  “Are you even listening to me?”

  I looked up to see my father staring down at me.

  “No.” I didn’t see the point in lying. “What?”

  Sadly, I always told the truth.

  Even when it hurt.

  I was blunt and to the point, and honestly it was a good trait to have even if some people didn’t seem to think so.

  “I asked if you were ready to go,” Dad repeated.

  I nodded my head and held up one finger. “Let me go pee real quick. That way mom can make sure I still look good when I’m done.”

  Dad frowned and made a ‘hurry up’ gesture with his finger, causing me to grin and take off at a sprint down the hallway.

  Once done, I looked at myself in the mirror, checking out my makeup.

  I’d gotten it done professionally. My hairdresser had a woman at her salon that did makeup, and since she was free, I all but begged her to do it.

  Usually, I was one of those people that tried to go makeup free.

  I honestly couldn’t stand the way the gunk felt on my face.

  The most adventurous that I got was putting eye shadow and mascara on when I went to work. And, upon occasion, I covered a pimple with foundation.

  So looking at myself with smoky eyes and painted lips made me feel like I was looking at a stranger in the mirror.

  My light blue eyes seemed to almost pop thanks to the black eyeliner she’d used to rim my eyes. My lips looked plumper as well, reminding me of the ten minutes that it’d taken the makeup chick to make them perfect.

  “Hurry up already!”

  I rolled my eyes and swung my red hair back over my shoulder, checking out my dress one more time.

  It was a black strapless number that covered me from armpit to toes, dancing into a fluff of tulle and lace at my feet.

  My feet were encased in high heels so high that I teetered on them even when I was standing perfectly still.

  “Let’s go!”

  I rolled my eyes and opened the door, heading to my impatient dad who looked as if he’d rather sit down on the couch next to my mom rather than go to dinner with me.

  “You could at least act like you’re excited to take me somewhere fancy,” I teased my father.

  He gave me an exasperated look.

  “You know how I feel about these things,” he mumbled, scratching his head with annoyance.

  I rolled my eyes and waved to my mother, who looked miserable on the couch.

  She flicked up two fingers in a pitiful excuse of a wave and closed her eyes.

  I grinned and followed my father out the door.

  “You’re going to get whatever she has,” I pointed out.

  He shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. I’m hoping not.”

  “You just kissed her on the lips,” I told him. “You’re totally getting it.”

  He grinned. “I’ll never leave without getting a kiss. I’ve been doing it for your entire life and won’t stop just because she has a cold. That’s the whole point of the ‘in sickness and in health’ thing that I signed up for the day we got married.”

  I got into the passenger side of the truck and pulled out my phone, snapping a picture of myself and sending it.

  “Who was that to?” he asked.

  “Saylor,” I answered. “She told me to send her a picture.”

  “Why?” he asked. “You’re going to be seeing her in ten minutes.”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. She asked. So I sent it to her.”

  I giggled when I got a picture back.

  Lock did not look happy to be getting a photo taken. Nor did he look amused by my sister-in-law’s attempt to take a picture.

  “How much money are they trying to raise this year?” I asked as I put my phone into my bag.

  Every year for the police banquet, they sold tickets to it and then donated the proceeds to whatever department most needed it. Tickets were two hundred dollars a pop, and I honestly wasn’t sure why so many cops were forced to go—cops like my father.

  Luckily, the cops didn’t have to pay for their spots and plates, because otherwise they would’ve had some very unhappy people on their hands.

  “No idea,” Dad admitted. “I think I missed that particular meeting.”

  My lips twitched as we made our way down the long length of our driveway that led to the main road.

  Dad didn’t seem in the best mood, so I chose to use the time that we had for the drive to catch up on a book I’d been really interested in reading, but hadn’t had time for.

  By the time that we got to the banquet, I realized what a mistake it had been.

  The book was good, and I’d rather curl up in my comfiest pajamas than go mingle with the area’s wealthiest people.

  Alas, I knew how the banquet benefitted the Kilgore Police Department, so I chose to not be a total loser and pasted a smile on my face.

  “Ready?” Dad asked as he held his hand out for me.

  I nodded and took his hand, thankful that he’d stopped to help me across the uneven parking lot.

  “I hate heels,” I admitted as we walked up the stairs.

  Dad took them easily, waiting for me at the top as I took them much slower than him.

  When I got to the top, Dad looked over my shoulder and nodded at someone.

  I frowned and turned my head and nearly fell right down the stairs.

  Because behind me was the hottest man I’d ever seen in my life.

  The tall blonde man was looking debonair in a black suit. The only pop of color in his entire ensemble was his bowtie, which was hot pink.

  His eyes looked black in the nearly dark night, and they were aimed directly at me.

  I managed a smile, but only barely.

  “Hello,” I said softly.

  “Hi,” he replied, stopping two steps down.

  Dad’s arm curled around my elbow as he helped me move out of the way.

  “How’s life treating you, Hayes?” Dad asked the man at my back.

  “Well,” Hayes replied. “Though, it’d be better if I wasn’t being forced to attend this.”

  A shiver ran down the length of my spine.

  His words sounded like everything I never knew that I needed.

  Dark, sultry nights in a bed with the most unimaginable pleasure. A cooling breeze in the middle of a Texas summer. Dark velvet and chocolate.

  Jesus, I was getting poetic over a man’s voice!

  But holy shit, there was something very sexy about it.
/>   I’d never heard a rasp quite like that before.

  And the sexy drawl he had to it made me want to crawl into him and dissect the Southern accent.

  I wanted to blurt out ‘where are you from?’ But barely refrained from making a fool of myself.

  Instead, I smoothed my tongue over the front of my teeth and started walking, praying that I wouldn’t fall flat on my face in front of the sexiest man I’d ever seen.

  That hope blew up and died the moment that I smiled at the man holding the door.

  Ryan.

  Son of a bitch.

  My momentary inattention to the uneven ground had me nearly tripping and smacking my head on the concrete steps that led into the building that was hosting the event.

  My father’s arm caught me before I could so much as fall a foot, and the man behind me, who had enormous hands, helped steady me.

  “T-thank you,” I stuttered, looking at the man.

  His eyes weren’t on me, though. They were on Ryan.

  And he was glaring.

  “Ryan,” Hayes said darkly. “You’re in the way of the door.”

  Ryan smiled his charming smile, the one that he only pulled out when he was annoyed and felt like smiling would get him somewhere.

  “Sorry, I’m waiting for my date.” He grinned.

  “Well, wait outside of the fucking doorway,” Hayes muttered. “We can’t get through.”

  I would’ve laughed had I not sensed the tension that was boiling at the surface.

  If I laughed, I wasn’t sure if it would bring Hayes’ irritation my way or not. And there was no way that I wanted that man’s irritation.

  Now, his desire? Yeah, I’d take that.

  But he looked downright scary when he glared at Ryan.

  Ryan, who was beginning to look uncomfortable.

  “Ryan,” Dad said. “Good to see you.”

  My dad could lie with the best of them.

  My dad wasn’t pleased to see Ryan.

  And neither was I.

  I wanted to ask him why he’d bothered calling to see if I was free tonight when he obviously had plans and a date.

  But I chose to keep my mouth shut.

  Honestly, that was the best way to keep my cool when it came to Ryan McMillan.

  Ryan finally moved out of the doorway just as I heard a click-clack of heels, and I crossed through the door and looked over my shoulder to see Ryan’s date make her way up to him.

  “You know him?”

  The growled question was directed at me, and I shivered.