Page 6 of Never Going to Care

CHAPTER 3

HALE

I love my family, but I still take a moment when I’m standing in front of the house I grew up in. I know what’s going to greet me. It’ll be loud, it’ll be messy, it’ll be…perfect in an odd way. I prefer the quiet, but my family and this house has always been the exception to my preference.

I don’t need to knock, and I know my mom will tut in annoyance when she answers the door, but she raised me to have manners and I don’t live here anymore. Why when I think about having manners does Celeste flash in my mind? Fucking hell, that woman.

When she left SP headquarters the other day, Piper was quick to track me down. I could see the disappointment and the recriminations before she even opened her mouth. I couldn’t help myself when I looked up from the dreaded files on my desk, the ones I was annoyed about not spreading out on the conference room table because I found lace and frilly crap there instead.

Oh, and the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen as well. The same one with fire in her eyes that I’m pretty sure I can still feel licking my skin days later. Her brown eyes sparkled with mirth and annoyance, the vision of them seared into my skin, into my soul and into my fucking heart.

Piper slammed her hands on her hips, her voice calm which I knew, having three sisters, was not necessarily a good thing. “What was that in the conference room, Hale?”

I shrugged one shoulder, not giving an inch and not backing down. I’m not the one whipped by Piper even if I do consider her another sister. “I wanted to use the conference room,” my voice was just as calm, just as even.

She huffed, “You didn’t need to be rude to my friend, especially since she’s helping me with the wedding.”

I arched an eyebrow in challenge and let it seep into my voice, “The wedding which you’re having to marry my brother and the love of your life? The wedding where that’s the only thing that matters?”

Piper’s lips pursed in the cutest fucking way, and I could tell she was trying not to get all up in arms about my response. “Yes,” she sassed me, “that’s the one.”

I shook my head as if she was the one being ridiculous, and I didn’t barge in there acting like an ass. Secretly, I was glad my mom hadn’t seen my performance. She probably would have grabbed hold of my ear, even though I tower over her by more than a foot, just to bring me down to her level to tell me about women and respect.

Thankfully she didn’t tell Piper about that trick because I would have fallen like a house of cards so damn fast. Instead, I found myself amused as fuck at riling up Piper. It would have been better if I was vexing her friend, but I didn’t let myself dwell on the thought too long.

Piper’s friend was too damn easy to get a rise out of. I saw the fire, the annoyance, the frustration. I wanted to stoke the flames instead of dousing them. It didn’t escape my attention how I couldn’t stop thinking about the raven-haired spitfire.

“Who is your friend, anyway?”

Piper arched an eyebrow at my question but didn’t press as to why I wanted to know. If she was assuming it had something to do with always needing intel, then I was more than willing to go along with that line. Even if it was bullshit. There was just something about the woman which captivated me.

Which annoyed me even fucking more than not being able to take over my conference room table when I wanted to.

“Celeste is one of my oldest friends,” Piper revealed casually.

Celeste. Celeste. Her name wormed its way into my head and wouldn’t let go. Her name suited her perfectly; too perfectly. She was heavenly.

“Why do I know that name?” I murmured the question right before it clicked for me, and my eyes snapped up to lock with Piper’s. “She’s Ezra Payne’s sister?”

The smirk on Piper’s lips was victorious as fuck and I was a little bit afraid that I had given myself away far too quickly. I slid my mask of disgruntled neutrality in place and didn’t let it slip again. Nope. Not going to happen.

“She is,” she nodded slowly as she stared at me as if I was going to crack in front of a pint-sized woman even after being given some of the best training the US military has to offer. She tilted her head to the side as she continued to study me. “How do you know that?”

I deadpanned, “The article which led Ezra’s stalker to you.”

“Oh,” Piper flushed and wrung her fingers together. Her voice went soft, “I really am indebted to you and the rest of the team, Hale.” She took a deep breath and then let it out slowly, “If you all hadn’t been on top of things, if you hadn’t come for me,” she trailed off when I held up a hand to stop her.

“Piper,” I barked softly, my voice a rasp of emotion and pain. “You do not owe me gratitude or anything else. We’re a family here and I would do it again and again. I would risk everything for my family, consequences be damned.” I smirked at her. “And anyway, Landon would have gone on a killing spree if we hadn’t gotten to you and saved your perky ass.”

Of course, because my timing was shit, Landon walked in just in time, his eyes liquid firelight and barely contained rage. He seethed, “What the fuck are you doing talking about my woman’s ass?”

Piper practically jumped out of her skin because, while Landon might be a big guy just like me, he’s silent as fog rolling in on an overcast morning. Yeah, that training never goes away. She clutches her chest as she turned toward Landon, my boss and brother, her eyes wide.

“You shouldn’t sneak up on people,” her voice was shrill, bordering on a shriek.

He growled, “Apparently I should if he is talking about your ass.”

I rolled my eyes and flipped him off. “You know she has a perky ass. I’ve seen you spank it. Maybe if you don’t want me to mention it now and again, you shouldn’t do that shit.”

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