by Janie Marie
She shook her head. “No, please.”
“You get it now?” He walked toward the door. “This is what it feels like to fear for someone you care about. You do anything to keep them safe. Don’t fuck my baby over again. You have no idea how badly she’s hurting from everything you said to her yesterday, from his betrayal. She still tried to protect you, and first chance you got, you posted those damn pictures. They’ll never go away.”
“I’m hurting, too,” she cried. “I did what any girl would do.”
His words were like a slap to the face. “Oh, grow the fuck up. The difference is she hurt you to save both of you. You hurt her to see her burn. After this shit settles, I’ll convince her to walk away from any fucking threat hanging over your head. I’m done, and I won’t let her hurt herself to keep either of you safe.”
She stared at the floor, her mind stuck on his words. Hurt her to save her? “I’m sorry.”
“I don’t give a damn about how sorry you feel,” he said, his tone so furious she actually feared he’d hit her. “Just do your part. Luc seems to be buying this shit, and soon that detective will close her investigation on Logan. The longer it takes her, the longer we have to put on this show. And we still need to find out who sent the cops the audio of Logan and that girl. For all we know, there’s a girl who has been raped out there.”
She nodded. “I’ll do my part.”
“You better.” He opened the door.
“Ryder?”
He glanced over his shoulder. “What?”
“The detective said Janie’s locker was being investigated. Was it about this? Or just marked up like mine was?”
He glared at her. “Why do you care? If I told you what they did, you’d probably celebrate. Just check your phone.”
She figured it was best to not to push him. “Thank you, Ryder. For everything.”
“I didn’t do any of this for you.” With that, he walked out.
Kylie had looked at the new phone.
Fucker: Meet me in the woods by your house.
“We just have to stick to their plan,” Logan said, rubbing his hands up and down her arms.
Kylie nodded, pushing away the memory and coming back to the present. She’d convinced Kevin to let her take a few minutes out in the woods when they got home, and now she was in Logan’s arms, praying to wake up and have this all be a bad dream.
He kissed her forehead. “It got messed up because Janie didn’t know about Ryder fixing most of the shit with Chris and the team, but it’s working. And like she said, it fixes Luc’s interest in you. Ryder’s plan really didn’t cover that. There’s no way he’ll believe you’re important to me after those photos went out.”
“I don’t want to be broken up though,” she said, hugging him tightly. “I still can’t believe you were with her like that. God, it looked like you were really having sex.”
“I hoped you wouldn’t see them, but they needed to be sent. It’s only for a few days,” Logan murmured. “Sooner, if Than can arrest Lorelei and Maura. How are you doing with that information? I feel so terrible, Hood. She only got more details today.”
“Miss Hood,” Than had said, brushing a piece of lint off his jacket. “It wasn’t my intention to have you learn this news about your parents just yet. The investigation will take time, but if evidence continues unfolding the way it has been, we will have proof your mother hired someone to kill your father, only she wound up murdered beforehand.”
“My mother wouldn’t do that.” She took frantic breaths. “I don’t understand. Are you saying the person she hired killed her?”
“We don’t know yet.” He gave her an uncaring smile. “This is why I didn’t want to tell you anything. We’re watching Lorelei carefully, but she’s very good at covering her tracks.”
“It had to be her.” She rubbed her eyes. “She must’ve killed my mother to marry my dad, then killed him when she got tired of him.”
“We’re still investigating, Kylie. Like I said, I wouldn’t have brought this up, especially now, but Janie wanted you informed as much as possible. She doesn’t want you falling for anything Luc might present you with.”
“Why did she even know?” Kylie clutched her head. This was too much.
“Because Ryder knows. He found documents that belonged to Luc with Lorelei’s and your father’s names. When you came into the picture, he put two and two together, called me, and I told him I was already working on a tip.”
“I don’t understand how Luc had anything to do with my parents’ deaths.”
Than studied her. “Luc didn’t have anything to do with it. He just stumbled across something he was curious about because it was linked to your stepmother. She’s married to the ‘founding family’ of this town, and Luc wants Blackwoods. He was curious to find out more, and he left something about a hit out. That’s what Ryder found.”
“Luc deals with hitmen?”
He chuckled. “I won’t tell you what Luc deals in. You don’t even understand the world you live in.”
She disregarded his last comment. “What if Luc killed my parents?”
Than shook his head. “Luc was only sixteen and had only just begun to fall out with his father and the family when your mother died. This likely involves his predecessor. All of this only adds to the danger of Luc’s interest in you. He’ll use anything to gain your trust, which is why I’m telling you this now. Just follow their plan. It’s not just you who winds up protected. It may be because of Ryder’s orders that I’m helping, but it’s because of her that you’re both being protected from the big bad men.”
Wind blew through the trees, scattering the leaves and her thoughts as she hugged Logan tightly. “I don’t really know what to think about my mom hiring a hitman. I don’t believe it, but I can definitely see Lorelei doing something like this.”
“Than will get justice for you,” Logan said.
She didn’t want to think about her parents’ deaths. “I’m sure that comes with a price. Maybe he should stop looking.”
“No.” He hugged her. “Than is complicated, but he delivers justice to those who have it coming.”
Kylie’s heart felt like it was ready to explode. “I just wish everything would stop. I didn’t want any of this.”
“I know.” He swayed with her. “It’ll work out.”
She closed her eyes. The image of Janie kissing Logan surfaced, along with every other photo. “You were touching her.”
He tensed up. “I swear it was just for show.”
“She couldn’t come up with a different plan?” She glared at the moon as it floated in the dimming purple sky. “Even Ryder said it was a shit plan.”
“Hood”—he sighed—“we could’ve been less dramatic, but Luc was having us watched. Everything we did in public was being recorded. And we felt this would stop you from being a target. Whoever sent the audio to the police intended to hurt you just as much as me.”
“How do you know it wasn’t Janie?”
“Why would it be her?” He held her back. “Baby, she wouldn’t do that.”
Kylie closed her eyes, breathing out as she tried to find some sort of inner peace. “I’m sorry. I know she’s trying to help. It would just be nice if it didn’t involve me staring at photos of you and her naked in your bed.”
He kissed the top of her head. “I know. I’m so sorry.”
“What about the secrets about you? The reason why Luc wants you?”
He tightened his arms around her. “Can I tell you tomorrow? I don’t think you can stay out here much longer. Kevin will come looking for you, and I need more time to explain.”
“Maybe you can tell me over the phone?”
He held her at arm’s length. “Okay. If you can find a way to get away from everyone, call me, and I’ll tell you as much as I can.”
“Okay.” She tried to smile, but her heart was breaking. They were broken up, and she was about to walk away from him so he could go back to pretending he was with
Janie.
“Do you have all the contacts you need on the new phone?” he asked. “Mine was programmed.”
She handed him the phone Ryder had given her. Everyone had ridiculous names to protect their identities. Apparently, everyone involved had personal phones and these private ones.
“That piece of shit,” Logan muttered, snatching her new phone. “Fucker? I’m changing his to ‘Piece of Shit’.”
Kylie chuckled as she watched him angrily change her contact for Ryder.
“What am I listed under in yours?” she asked him, startled when he kept her from pulling his phone out of his pocket. “Logan?” She frowned when he handed hers back.
“I’m trying to decide what to change it to,” he said. “Ryder’s an asshole.”
“He’s helping though. Let me see. I won’t have my feelings hurt. Everyone has ridiculous names.”
Logan sighed and pulled out his phone. “I’ll change it to something nice.”
She rolled her eyes and opened it up. At the top of his contacts, she recognized the names Ryder had given himself and Janie.
Your Death. She had figured out already that was Ryder’s number since he practically threatened everyone with death daily. The next contact was Janie’s: His Angel. Kylie searched on. There were others she hadn’t figured out yet: War, Pestilence, Famine, Demon King, Reaper, and Who holds your balls, Fucker.
“I hold your balls?” She laughed at his scowl.
“How did you know that was yours?” He snatched his phone back.
She kept laughing. “Because you’re Fucker in mine.”
Logan’s lip twitched as he fought a smile. “What are you changing mine to?”
“Who said I’m changing it? I kinda like this idea of holding your balls.”
He laughed and pulled her back to him. “Hood, you had me by the balls long before Ryder ever noticed.” His eyes slowly scanned her face as he kept her against him. “You have no idea, do you?”
“No idea about what?”
Logan lowered his lips and moved them over hers in the teasing caress he often did, then he smiled against her lips. “That I’m in love with you.”
Kylie froze.
“Don’t say anything back,” Logan said, looking into her stunned eyes. There wasn’t nervousness or signs that he was upset or regretted saying it—he was completely at ease as he stood there staring down at her. “I just wanted to tell you.”
Kylie blinked a few times to try to hide her surprised expression, but it wasn’t working. Her heart kept exploding over and over, but her happiness couldn’t be translated into words at the moment.
Logan smiled and pecked her lips. “Don’t look so shocked, Hood.” He reached up and smoothed her hair back. “I’m sorry we’re splitting up for show just as I admit this, and I especially never planned on the shit you had to deal with today, but it’s true.”
The ability to speak finally came to her. “Logan”—her heart sped up and stuttered a bit when he kissed her nose, never letting his lips move too far from her skin—“if I loved you before any of this happened, I don’t know what to call what I’m feeling now.” She really didn’t. She knew her feelings had developed quickly and that she must have loved him, but this new feeling was inexpressible.
He moved his head back and studied her face before smirking. “I knew you were in love with me, Hood. How could you not be?”
“Logan,” she said, glaring, only to laugh when he lifted her up, guiding her legs around his waist and kissing her everywhere his lips could reach.
“Tell me you love me,” he said, his grinning lips making her smile so widely it hurt her face. The sensation matched the amazing feeling in her heart—so great she might die if it grew any stronger. But she couldn’t care how many deaths she suffered or how terrible they were—just as long as she continued to feel what he created for them. “I love you, Logan.”
Kissing, nibbling, and sucking, he met her lips with his, giving her a breath-stealing kiss that took her away from everything around them. “I love you too, Hood. I’m so sorry I’m telling you this after everything, but I mean it. I love you.”
If it was possible for his kiss to be any better than it already was, she was experiencing it now. He tasted better—his hold felt tighter—stronger. They felt stronger, and it warmed her entire soul. Nothing was going to break them. Not Janie, not Luc, not the police or Kevin. Not Lorelei.
Between every brush of their lips, stupid grins stayed on their faces.
Logan stopped giving her soft kisses, and he took over with a more dominant—more Logan Grimm—kiss. “I want to kiss and do all sorts of shit that involves you naked, under me, on top of me, bent over—“
She tugged his hair, making him snicker, and then give her a quick kiss.
“Sorry, you’re getting me excited.”
She wanted to be furious he’d be joking right now, but she couldn’t. He was kissing her the way she wanted him to. She wanted all of him, but she sighed, pushing him away. Bottom line, he had just been in his bed, naked with Janie. He’d touched her. And the whole world thought they were back together. None of this wonderful moment would ever be heard about.
He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”
“I know.” She touched his face. God, how was she ever going to stop seeing those images?
“You know what I was thinking about before Than showed up? After I got done talking to you about your locker?”
She stayed quiet, afraid to say something that would make them fight.
“It’s completely random,” he said. “And I think it was because I was trying to figure out what you taste like.”
“Really?” She smiled, happy if this was just about them.
“It made me think of a game I want to play with you so I can figure it out. I’m calling it Kylie’s Candy Land.”
“Logan,” she yelled, laughing.
“Damn, baby, at least wait for me, okay? I don’t like to use my Gumdrop Pass to reach Kylie Land Castle. I like the scenic route, when I travel through Lollipop Woods and explore your Gumdrop Mountains, you know?”
She tried and failed to hide her smile at his smirk.
“You love me so much.” He kissed her quickly.
“I don’t have to, Grimm.”
He grinned wider when she still tried to compose her face.
“I mean it. I can totally take it back.”
“You won’t though.”
“Whatever,” she muttered, smiling when he kissed her. “I can’t believe you know Candy Land.”
He grinned and pecked her. “I always won, too.”
She laughed at his smug look, then frowned at his next question.
“Do you remember what you’re supposed to tell your family?”
She nodded and kissed his shoulder before laying her head there. It crushed her that they had to have such an amazing moment for them ruined because someone was trying to hurt all of them. She just wanted to be happy with him. Maybe the best loves came at a price. They loved each other, now she had to fight to keep it. “I remember,” she murmured, relaxing as he started to run his free hand down her back. His fingers through her hair calmed her even more.
“It won’t be for too long,” he said. “And we’ll still talk and text each other.”
“I know.”
He was quiet for a moment before he whispered, “We can always run away together.”
She smiled and kept enjoying the feeling of being wrapped around him. The way he held her firmly under her butt made her squeezing her legs to keep from falling almost pointless—but she squeezed them anyway to feel him closer.
Logan spoke again. “We can, if you want to. I’d leave all of this behind for you.”
Letting out a sigh, she told him the opposite of what she really wanted. “No, we have to stay. If I run from my fears now, I’ll never stop.”
“You’re growing up, baby.” He kissed her hair. “Hey, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner about your par
ents. It just never felt like the right time.”
She didn’t want to think about the fact he kept that from her. And more than anything, she wanted to run away with him, but she couldn’t. “It had to be Lorelei. There’s no one else it could be.”
Logan sighed. “Yeah, I think you’re right. Than thinks she’ll slip up. She might even rub it in your face with the breakup.”
Fire ignited in her heart. “I hate her. I wish she was dead. I want to kill her.”
Logan lowered her so she could stand and grabbed her shoulders. “Hood, you can’t talk like that. Or even think like that.”
She stared at him in shock. How could she not want her parents’ murderer dead?
He gripped her tighter. “Baby, I know it’s hard to think of anything other than vengeance right now, but it’s not the way.”
“You of all people know how horrible it is for someone to get away with something like this! Is Janie the only one who can get justice?”
He let go of her shoulders to cradle her face between his hands. “Listen to me. I know what you’re feeling. Well, not exactly—but you can’t be like us. Like her.”
“I thought that’s all you wanted.”
He smoothed her hair back. “Take a deep breath and listen to me. You’re angry and hurt right now. Remember how bad things went for me. I almost got myself killed because I was so blinded by hate and my thirst for blood. I almost got Ryder killed because I refused to be the mature person.”
“I don’t think you can consider Ryder’s involvement your fault,” she said, then received a glare from him. “You said he arranged it.”
“Yes, but I’m older than him. Even though he has more power than you should know about, I’m older. I should have tried to make us go about things in a different way—a way that didn’t involve us murdering two rapists, or having the girl we were trying to avenge become a murderer instead. I don’t want you living with the shit she has to.”