by Janie Marie
“That’s nice.” What an asshole, she thought, standing too. “I just don’t understand why you’re playing me.”
“How am I playing you?” He chuckled, and it wasn’t that sweet sound that sent shivers down her body. It was like burning knives being stuck into her skin “I told you I cared about what happens to you, and that’s the truth. You want to be with Trevor, Hood. Is that a lie?”
Her eyes went wide. There was no way she could tell him the truth—any of it. He’d walk away.
“Whatever.” He held out his hand for her to take. “Let’s go. I’m starving, and you need to eat.”
They walked hand in hand down the hall, but she had never felt more alone.
Logan held the door open for her, and he surprised her by putting his arm over her shoulder. “Hey, I’m sorry for lying.”
She sighed, melting against him. “It’s okay.”
He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “You look really pretty with your hood down. I’m proud of you.”
How could he do that? How could he make her forget he was breaking her heart? Maybe there was hope, and he’d get over this thing with Janie and leave her in the past like real people did. She wouldn’t be able to bear it if she was only a tool for Logan to get Janie back, but damn, it made sense. He was telling her she could use him for Trevor. Oh, God . . .
“Logan, do you want her back?”
“Don’t do that—don’t pick a fight with me over her.” His body was tense as he led her past vehicles. “Our breakup sucked. I loved her. I wanted a future with her—we were planning our future together. But shit got fucked up, and she’s with Ryder now.”
“What if he breaks up with her?” She peeked up at him. “What if she comes running to you—will you take her back? I don’t see how you could want her back after she left you for him anyway, but would you?”
“Just stop.” He dragged a hand down his face, frustrated. “The only people who know what went on with her, Ryder, and me are the three of us, so don’t talk about her like you know anything. She’s a part of my life no matter who comes along for me. That’s not going to change, and that’s my choice.”
Well, this wasn’t working out. “Fine, I won’t ask about her.”
“Thanks.” He let out a deep breath. “What did you think of the Godsons? Have you met them before today?”
The change of subject was good. She could even see if he cared about her around other guys. “They were moved into my class last week, but today’s the first time I’ve ever spoken to them. I always thought they were interesting, but I think I prefer the distance I had before.”
He laughed, tightening his hold on her. “Distance is probably best when it comes to them.”
“Do you know them very well?”
His head bobbed. “My family is involved with theirs for . . . work. Same thing with Janie’s family.”
She didn’t want to hear about Janie’s family. “So do you and Ryder fight all the time?”
“Not all the time.” He smirked. “Worried about me?”
She shook her head. “You’re the professional.”
“Yeah, but that’s a drawback in real fights. He’s the only guy I know who can beat my ass.” He waved toward the gym. “Mark wants me to befriend him so he’ll come here to train. He did when we trained Janie after some shit happened, but he hasn’t been back.”
She saw the pain and guilt he was trying to hide. “I heard she said she was attacked or something.”
“Raped,” he said as he came to a stop. “She was raped.”
Kylie swallowed as she watched his eyes darken. “I’m sorry. That must’ve been awful for you.”
He frowned as he stepped up next to a black motorcycle. “Let’s get you on.”
“Where’s your car?” She stared wide-eyed at the sexy but scary machine he was pulling a helmet from.
“At my apartment. I prefer my bike. Do you like it?”
She did, but she never thought she’d be riding one. “It’s nice.”
He grinned, holding up the helmet. “You need to wear this. I’ll drive safe, but you still need to wear it.”
“What about you?” she asked as he moved closer.
“I’ll have to do without until I get you your own.”
Her own? Kylie’s cheeks hurt from smiling.
He smirked, pushing her hair away from her face. “Blushing, Hood?”
“It’s just hot out here.” She tried to control her expression as he leaned forward.
“It’s seventy degrees.” He gave her a quick kiss. It felt like fire, and she wanted to burn in an inferno instead of just the quick spark of a match.
“No more fighting today,” he murmured, cupping her cheek. “We’ll focus on you from now on, okay? We need to figure out how to get you through the rest of the year, and come up with a plan to get you healthy and in shape.”
She knew she had a dumb dreamy smile on her face, but instead of saying something sexy, she teased him. “Are you calling me fat?”
Logan chuckled as he slid his hands down to her waist. “I was talking about your stamina. You don’t look like you can keep up with me yet.”
“Keep up with you?” She was surprised she’d managed to keep her voice steady. His hands were so firm. Strong. And they were tenderly sliding along her hips.
“In bed, Hood.” He winked, swinging something around her back. “You’re not ready for me yet, but I’ll get you there. Carrying my backpack is your first workout.”
“That’s not a workout.” She hoisted it onto her shoulders as she tried to hide her excitement over him still thinking about her in bed.
He watched her for a moment. “Is it too heavy for you? It doesn’t hurt, does it?”
“No.” She grinned as he lifted the helmet over her head. “I’m strong.”
Those brown eyes paralyzed her. “I know you are. Never forget it’s okay to be fragile though. Everyone can use someone to lean on from time to time. Lean on me, baby.”
“Look at you, trying to be all sweet now.”
He swung a leg over his bike and pulled it into position as he started it. “I don’t have to try. If I want to be sweet—I’ll be sweet. And for you, I want to be sweet . Now get on.”
Kylie focused on adjusting the straps on both the helmet and backpack before climbing on behind him.
“Hang on, okay?” He shivered a bit, making her grin as her hands settled against his stomach.
“Just don’t go too fast,” she said, squeezing her legs.
He patted her hands, laughing quietly. “Just relax and enjoy the ride.”
She did. After the initial takeoff and the many turns it took for them to reach the highway, she found herself smiling and resting her body against his. She especially enjoyed the moment when he grabbed one of her hands from his stomach to hold in his as he rested them on his thigh. She’d passed Ryder and his brothers as they rode their motorcycles on her way to school once, and Ryder was doing that with Janie. It had been on her bucket list ever since. Now Logan was checking off everything she’d always wanted.
The longer they drove, the more she thought over her situation with Logan. Maybe it was unfair to hold his lie against him—he just hadn’t wanted to reveal that his first love broke his heart. After all, he believed she was only using him for protection and to get Trevor. It was such a stupid plan. Yeah, it had been his idea, but she was the one who kept feeding the lie because she didn’t want to get hurt.
There were only two options: go along with the plan and eventually see him leave her heartbroken while he went off with another girl, or she could tell him the truth about her feelings for him.
After all, she was a clean slate for him. She just had to show him she was nothing like Janie, and how that was a good thing.
“Chinese sound good?”
Kylie jumped a little, getting a squeeze before he lifted her hand back to his stomach.
“Yeah,” she said, her voice muffled under the helmet.
Logan took the exit they needed, and she realized he had taken them to an outlet mall in the town over.
“I normally don’t eat out, but I’m starving,” he said, parking and cutting the engine. “Here.” He held out his hand for her so she could steady herself as she climbed off.
Her legs felt fuzzy and weak.
Logan grinned as he walked closer to her. “Did you like it?”
She nodded after he helped pull the helmet off, and she smiled like an idiot when he fixed her hair, then threw his arm over her shoulder and walked them to the entrance.
“Good. I like having you wrapped around me. Gets me excited for the day I get to be in you.”
“Logan.” She laughed.
“Baby, I know you like feeling me up. And don’t deny you can’t wait for us to fuck.”
That hurt a bit to hear, but he was thinking about being with her, so she loved it. “You’re so full of yourself.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll be full of me too.” He chuckled and moved out of her range when she swung at him. “Easy,” he said, grabbing her hand. “You’re just too much fun to rile up.”
She rolled her eyes at his smiling face as they entered the restaurant. An old woman greeted them before leading them to a table in the corner.
“This reminds me of when I was little,” she said, grinning at the paper menus that showed the different Chinese years. “My mom used to take me to a restaurant like this, and I would get the tea and Egg Drop Soup. I felt fancy because my tea was hot. I would pretend to be a princess.”
Logan watched her looking at the different animals as he ordered them waters and a tea. “You felt fancy?”
“Yes.” She stuck her tongue out. “I had a little tea set at home, but no one would play with me.”
Logan frowned, but she ignored it and continued her story.
“Daddy and my mom were always working. They were both doctors, so it was rare to see them, but I remember this. I think she was always visiting a friend. I can’t remember all the details—but we would go quite a bit, and I would sit by myself while my mom sat at another table with whoever she was seeing. The waiters were always nice to me.” She frowned, wondering why she never thought about how strange her memories of her mom were.
“She wouldn’t even eat with you?” Logan reached over to hold her fingers when she began tapping them.
“Yeah, I guess that’s a little weird. I was just realizing that.”
Logan squeezed her fingers. “Is there anything else you remember?”
“Not really. Maybe there was more, but I was only seven when she died. Sometimes I think I dream of her, but I usually forget it after waking up. I’m glad I forget because sometimes I dream of Lorelei in my mom’s place, and she’s nothing like my mom. She married my dad right after my mom died.”
He nodded and looked over the menu. “My mom died when I was eighteen. Cervical cancer. My dad went to prison when I was sixteen.”
“Oh.” She wanted to know what his dad was in prison for, but she didn’t ask. “I’m sorry you had to go through all that.”
“Thanks, Hood.” He squeezed her hand again. “I wish you had the chance to know your mom more before she died. And your dad.”
Their waiter came to take their order, and they went quiet after he left.
Logan looked up, frowning. “Listen, I know I said we’d focus on you, but I want to talk about one thing Janie said.”
She bristled at the name but tried to keep calm. “I didn’t really talk to her—what did she say that you want to talk about?”
“Well, it was what Maura did.” He eyed her. “The knife she pulled on her.”
“Oh.” She shrugged, thankful this wasn’t really about Janie. “She’s never pulled one on anyone before. That I know of, at least.”
“You’re sure?”
“Well, yeah. She’s never done anything like that to me. She normally uses bats, but she’ll hit me with anything as long as it will hurt.”
Logan’s nostrils flared and his hands began to shake. “She hits you with a bat?”
“Yeah,” she said, her hand shaking in his. “Lorelei stopped her the one time she punched me, but she just went back to hitting me with a bat. I think she just didn’t want Maura hurting herself.” Her head throbbed, but she smiled at his enraged glare. “It’s kind of hard to fight back against a bat.”
“You’re not going back there.” It was such an abrupt, no-nonsense statement.
Kylie sighed and looked away. “I have to.”
“She’ll kill you, Kylie. I’m not going to let some crazy bitch beat the shit out of you until you’re not able to wake up. What the fuck is wrong with her?”
“She won’t kill me.” Kylie’s heart pounded. “Janie just pushed her too far.”
He scoffed. “Yeah, she told me Maura is obsessed with Ryder.”
“Obsessed is a bit of a strong word. Everyone stares at him.”
He leaned back in his seat. “Including you?”
“No.” That was a lie. A big fat lie.
“Yeah right.” He sighed, tapping the table.
“I don’t.” God, she couldn’t tell him Ryder had been her favorite fantasy after Trevor. He’d leave for sure. “I think he’s a complete jerk. And as far as Maura goes, I think she just wanted to humiliate me today. I found out she likes Trevor.” That wasn’t true. She’d always known Maura liked Trevor. It was how she first noticed him. The fact Trevor seemed oblivious to Maura had been one of his best traits. “I think it just made her mad that I’m dating you and he talked to me. If I have any attention, she flips out.” She rubbed her throbbing head.
“Do you have a headache?” He reached for his backpack. “I have pain meds. Just over-the-counter stuff.”
She sighed, holding out her hand for the pills. “Thanks. It must be allergies or something. I keep getting them lately.”
He felt her forehead. “You don’t feel like you have a fever. We can talk to Evander if they keep bothering you.”
“I’ll be fine.” She swallowed the pills, closing her eyes. “I think they just come and go with the seasons.”
“All right.” He sighed, taking her hand. “But we can go to the hospital if you need. You never know, maybe she hit your head too hard and something is wrong. Plus, it might help if you talked to the police.”
She snapped her eyes open. “My head is fine, and I don’t want the police involved. I’ll be fine with Maura. I think she just wants me to go back to being a nobody. Anyway, she won’t hurt me with you around.”
“She won’t,” he said fiercely. “And you’re not hiding anymore.”
“I know. I’m just saying I think it was to bully me, scare me. I really don’t think she’ll hurt me anymore.”
Their waiter appeared with their order, and after asking if they needed anything else, he left them alone again.
They ate in silence, but then he looked up and said, “You’re getting more than a phone if you’re going home. But I still think we should go to the police—it won’t be too hard to at least get you out of the house. I can make a few calls.”
“They won’t believe me, Logan,” she said, slightly panicked. “They never have.”
He sighed, eating again. “Then I’ll get you protection. I’m not letting you take the chance of being defenseless.”
Kylie stared at him, her mouth hanging open before she spoke. “Logan, I can’t have a weapon.”
“We’ll get you self-defense stuff.” He grabbed her hand again. “Janie said the girl is completely mental, and I’m not going to ignore her opinion. We’ll get you simple stuff you can carry all the time, but you’re also going to learn how to fight.”
“Logan, I can’t fight.”
“You can learn to protect yourself. I’m sure if she didn’t use a bat on you, you could take her.” He glanced off to the side. “I was going to ask how you’d feel about Janie helping me train you.”
Her smile dropped. “No.”
His gaze softened. “She’s not going to hurt you, Hood. She’s just going to help because she’s trained to do all sorts of combat.”
She’d seen Janie fight before, and she always looked crazy—not like a fighter. “Why would she be trained in combat?”
He sighed, balling his fist. “After she was raped, we decided to train her. That’s all she did every day for a year with us. She doesn’t practice much now, but she knows different styles and weapons.”
“I get training her after whatever she went through,” she said, frowning, “but I really don’t see how me getting beat up by her would help. I’ve had enough of a mean girl beating me up.”
He rubbed her hand. “Hey, she’s not going to beat you up. I’d like it if you had someone at school looking out for you, and she would be a great person to have on your side. If you start training with her, it’ll be easier for you to be around them.”
“I don’t want to be around her. Or any of them,” she added, hoping she didn’t come off jealous. “They’re bad kids.”
“They’re not bad.” He chuckled, squeezing her hand. “Just think about it, okay? It’ll make me feel better.”
She huffed. He wasn’t going to let this go. “How do you know she even wants to do this? She threatened to kill me.”
“When?” He looked at her like she was insane.
“See!” She darted her eyes between his. “You don’t even believe me. She threatened that if I hurt you, she’d kill me.”
He laughed instead of getting angry. “Baby, she’s my best friend. That’s just what people say sometimes. Haven’t you heard a best friend say that?”
“I’ve never had one,” she spat bitterly. “And I’ve only seen that in movies. I doubt you said that to Ryder and his brothers.”
“I did,” he said, straight-faced.
“You threatened to kill them if they hurt her?” She couldn’t believe he’d threaten to kill anyone for Janie.
“Yes.” He laughed. “It’s what you say to make sure they don’t hurt your friend. I don’t mean it. And Ryder won’t hurt her anyway.”
She sighed as she played with her hair. “It’s so hard to picture you with her—even like friends. I won’t be friends with her. She’s just too—I don’t know.”
