by Janie Marie
“Oh.” She giggled. Actually freaking giggled. “No. They’re all scared shitless of Ryder and Luc. And Lance.”
Gareth’s smile stretched wide. “Yeah, those guys are mean, but they have a good thing with the center.” He rested his chin on his arms as he hung onto the side of the pool. “How are you, though?”
“Good.” She glanced around at the laughing men. She was aware they were all killers, but they were like one big family here. And they were more like vigilantes than bad guys.
“I’m glad.” His smile faded. “How are you doing seeing Logan again?”
She lowered her gaze to the water. “As good as any teenage girl seeing her ex after he dumped her.”
He cringed, pushing his hair back. “I guess that was a stupid question. I’m just saying you have people besides Gabriel and your family to confide in. We may have completely failed at taking care of our sister during her breakup with Logan, but we’ve learned from it.” He waved his hand toward a man sitting alone. “Arthur regrets every single day that he kept us from stepping in. We regret not stepping in. So I guess you have the chance to get us as improved brotherly figures.”
“Brotherly figures?” She could barely breathe.
“Well, yeah.” He shrugged. “You don’t want the Godsons filling that role with you girls.”
She laughed sadly. “No, I guess not.”
Gareth glanced over his shoulder. “I hope things work out for you. If Logan stays a part of your life, or you guys get back together, I hope you find happiness. That’s what this is all about.”
“What?”
His eyes were on Janie as she threw her head back, laughing at something Lykos said. “Nothing.”
Kylie watched Logan lean over and whisper in Janie’s ear while his brother still held her. It almost looked like they were going to kiss when she turned her face toward him, but she merely whispered something to him. Then they both attacked Lykos, shoving him under the water. Janie went under with Lykos, and that resulted in a massive water fight.
“It’s good to see those three together again,” Gareth said, watching the melee. “They’ve been so busy training and fretting over her. They needed this.”
Logan lifted Janie out of the water, so she could hoist herself onto a unicorn inflatable, then he jumped into the fight again as Janie must’ve had a stash of balls, which she was using to attack various members of the fight. Until Ryder joined the brawl. He tossed everyone around like they were ragdolls.
Gareth laughed and grabbed a football that floated toward him. He launched it at the same time someone shoved the unicorn Janie was on. The ball hit her right in the center of her chest.
“Shit!” Gareth quickly climbed out of the pool when Janie came up, sputtering water.
Ryder grabbed her, and he looked murderous.
“Sorry, Sissy.” Gareth jumped to his feet. “Don’t let him kill me. I love you.”
As soon as he turned to run, a loud sound filled the room, and he went flying back into the water.
Luc walked to the edge of the pool, mere feet from Kylie and Maura, his eyes on Janie. “My queen?”
Janie waved him off as Ryder kissed the welted red spot on her chest.
Gareth surfaced from the water, rubbing his jaw. “Fuck, Luc.”
“Be grateful it was me and not him.” Luc watched Janie for a moment longer before walking to his chair again.
“Are you okay?” Kylie asked Gareth as he waded closer.
“Yeah.” He winced. “No. That bastard is stronger than he looks.”
Kylie turned her head. Luc still watched Janie, but he was speaking with Than and Damon and not seeming at all like he’d just punched the hell out of Gareth. Apparently they weren’t lying when they said Luc was ruthless.
“Hi, Kylie. Hi, Maura.” Janie clung to Ryder as he carried her through the water.
“Hi.” Kylie swallowed, overwhelmed with the urge to blurt out she was sorry and thank you for letting them come here, but also a stupid urge to get her to please stop being so close to Logan. “Um, thank you for letting us come here. For everything.” Her hands shook. “And it doesn’t make it better, but I’m sorry.”
Janie simply nodded as Ryder whispered something to her.
Kylie didn’t expect Janie to forgive her, but she hoped this was a start in her eyes.
Ryder kissed Janie’s cheek, but he glared at Gareth.
“Babe,” Janie cooed, giving him all her attention now, “he didn’t mean it.”
“But I’ll mean it when my fist smashes his face.” Ryder acted like he was about to backhand Gareth, but he suddenly smiled and took a kiss from Janie before carrying her to the far side of the pool, away from the rumble still taking place. Maybe that was Ryder’s way of not letting either of them get too emotional, or maybe he didn’t think she was worthy of forgiveness.
“Whew.” Gareth climbed out, dripping water on the floor beside her. “Sometimes I love that my sissy has them, but damn, they hit hard.”
“You left a big mark on her,” Kylie told him, her thundering heartbeat finally slowing. She hadn’t even realized how stressed out she was. Thankfully, it seemed Gareth wasn’t set on making a big deal about her apology either.
Maura gasped as Ryder kissed Janie before pulling them both under the water, their lips still locked. “Holy crap,” Maura whispered, “that was romantic as hell.”
Gareth must’ve been completely oblivious to his sister and Ryder, because he was replying to Kylie’s comment, “Yeah, but she’s tough. She grew up getting balls to the face.”
Kylie laughed loudly. “Gareth.”
He stood up. “Grimm finally spotted you. I’m gonna leave before I get hit again.”
“Bye.” She watched him go as Logan came into her peripheral vision.
“Hey.” He stopped several feet from her. “Glad you both came down.”
Maura kept her eyes on Janie and Ryder, and didn’t pay attention to Logan.
“I guess we should’ve packed you something.” His eyes fell to Kylie’s legs.
Her pulse began humming in her ears. “Oh, we’re wearing Janie’s—Ryder made us.”
“Really?” He shifted his gaze to her chest. “So you’re coming in?”
“I barely fit in it, so no.” She held a hand over her cheek, ignoring his sexy laugh as she chanced checking the others out. No one was looking at them. They were play fighting or drinking beers. And Ryder was still making out with Janie at the far end of the pool like nobody else could see them.
Logan waded closer and grabbed her ankle. “Don’t worry about the guys; they won’t stare. Just get in and have some fun.”
Her heart hammered away at his touch, and memories of them ran rampant—of him caressing her skin, kissing it as he told her she was beautiful. “Logan, I don’t feel comfortable.”
His hand dropped away, and she nearly begged for him to touch her again. This wasn’t good. She needed to get over him—he was over her.
“Sorry.” He stepped away. “I can go.”
Maura finally turned to him. “Yeah, you should. She’s not ready.”
Kylie lowered her eyes, her frustration consuming her as the laughter from the others spun around her. Gabriel had talked to her and Maura about getting overwhelmed, and he’d suggested since they were so close now, they support the other when it was clear they weren’t ready to handle something on their own.
Logan nodded, backing away. “I’ll see you tomorrow then—when you train and learn how the routine will work.”
“Okay.” Kylie barely gave him a weak smile, though it cracked when she realized Janie was watching with a heartbroken look. Did Janie want Logan talking to her?
Janie glanced toward Kylie, but she nodded to something Ryder said and let him carry her out of the pool.
“Thank you,” Kylie whispered, hugging Maura. “I guess I’m a big chicken.”
Maura pulled her hood up, trying to look brave, though her eyes were wide with worry and fea
r. “I don’t think telling him no is chicken of you. Letting him drag you off when you’re not ready would be weak.”
This was one of the great things she was learning about Maura. She had an innocent way of viewing things, yet they made perfect sense.
“He’s leaving,” Maura whispered.
Sure enough, when Kylie turned her head, Logan was drying off and walking out. She expected to see Janie rushing off after him, but it was his brother who got out and followed. Janie watched from where she was next to Luc, but she stayed put.
“Maybe he’s not over you, Kylie.” Maura stood up, holding out her hand. “Let’s go to the room. This was enough.”
“Yeah, okay.” Kylie let Maura help her up, and Ryder was suddenly there. Well, his muscled, tattooed chest was in her face.
“Eyes up, Blondie.” At least he didn’t speak in his usual mocking tone as she took in the words ‘Sweet Jane’ written beautifully on his tanned skin. “Janie wants you to get some cake and ice cream she had made for you.”
“She made a cake?” Kylie followed him, holding Maura at her side.
“Oh, baby girl can’t cook to save her life.” He chuckled, pushing open the door. “But she jumps at the chance to get our chef to bake.”
“Way to make us feel special,” Kylie muttered.
He laughed, leading them through a series of halls. “You’re the ones who stayed up in the room and declined our invite to have dinner.”
Well, he had her there. “Tell her thank you for us.”
Ryder didn’t comment on her request, but he asked, “What did you tell Grimm to get him all frustrated?”
Maura jumped at the chance to talk to Ryder. “She wasn’t ready to be around him. I told him he should leave.”
“Really?” Ryder’s lips tugged up, amused. “That’s probably for the best. He was bound to do something stupid. At least let me get some of your basic training in before you waste my time because you’re thinking about his dumb ass.”
“You’re training us?” Kylie spluttered.
“Do you think Grimm can work with you without getting a hard-on?” He entered a huge restaurant-style kitchen. One a cute redhead occupied. The woman was blushing madly as Damon King spoke to her.
Ryder shook his head at them and pointed at the woman. “This is Emily, my cook. Emily, this is Kylie and Maura—get them some dessert to take to their room. Damon, make yourself useful and help Emily instead of distracting her—she’s supposed to be getting shit ready for tomorrow.”
Ryder’s comments didn’t seem to faze Damon, but the chef became all flustered.
“Apologies, Mr. Godson.” She had an Australian accent. “He was just asking about dinner.” Her eyes widened. “Not with me—I mean, he was asking about my recipe. I—”
“Quiet.” Ryder walked to the refrigerator. “I don’t care if you’re fucking around with King—as long as you do your job and let him do his.”
“It’s not like that, Mr. Godson,” she blurted.
Ryder ignored her and dug through the refrigerator. “Do we still have chocolate syrup?”
“Yes.” Emily disappeared into a pantry. She brought out a bottle and gave it to Ryder. “Anything else?”
He waved her off as he gathered a can of whipped cream and a jar of cherries. The mischievous smile he tossed Damon was the stuff you read about of bad boys in books. “Don’t want to tempt you—I knew you were watching Janie shopping too closely. Next time ask her to get doubles—this is ours.”
Maura’s wide eyes darted between the two men. Kylie worried her stepsister was heartbroken that Ryder was basically saying he was going to make a chocolate sundae out of Janie, but she realized Maura was just shocked to be around Ryder like this.
He turned to leave, his smile wide like a little boy about to go get a treat. “Be ready to suffer tomorrow. I’m going to kill you.” He dropped his eyes to Maura. “Not really, but you’ll wish I did.”
Kylie rolled her eyes as he chuckled, leaving them with Emily who was busy pulling out fancy plates to cut the prettiest cake. “Oh, we can just use paper plates.”
Emily stared at Kylie, as if trying to figure out what to say. “Mr. Godson doesn’t allow single-use items. Unless it’s for Miss Mortaime’s drinks.”
“Go figure Ryder’s an environmentalist, and Janie’s an enemy of the Earth.” Kylie chuckled, quieting when Damon caught her eye.
“Careful what you say,” he said, holding out something for Emily. “You witnessed them relaxing, but it’s been stressful for all here these past six months. They can snap over the most insignificant things.”
“Yeah, okay.” Kylie peeked behind her to make sure no one was there, breathing a little easier when it was clear.
“It’s a really pretty cake,” Maura pointed out. It was. It was chocolate drizzled with more chocolate and strawberries.
Emily’s face reddened. “Thank you. It’s rare she asks me to make something pretty. The boys only care about taste, so Miss Mortaime doesn’t want me to fuss. But she was happy to request this for you.”
Maura sent Kylie a guilty look. “Should we go back?”
Damon spoke up as he gathered forks. “She’s giving you space. There’s no need to rush. Her feelings are not hurt.”
Something occurred to Kylie—the Godson boys were not around, and neither were their girlfriends. “Where are the brothers?”
“They’ll be here tomorrow,” Damon said, obviously not willing to give more information.
“I was wondering if their girlfriends are being guarded, too?” She wasn’t looking forward to Monica’s bluntness. There was no telling what they had said to anyone about Kylie, but she hoped they were okay.
“The boys broke up with the girls after Janie’s attack.” He leaned against the counter. “It’s always been best they not settle down. The danger to loved ones is too great. It’s not in their nature anyway to get attached.”
“But Ryder has Janie,” Maura said. “He’s definitely attached to her.”
Kylie noticed Emily frowning, and she realized there were no women at the pool. “It’s forbidden, isn’t it? To have a girlfriend or wife.”
“Yes,” he said without showing if it bothered him, even if Emily looked heartbroken now. “It’s too dangerous, but Janie and Ryder are an exception. Leave it at that.”
“It was nice meeting you,” Emily said, sliding them each a plate before handing one to Damon. “For their mom.”
He took it from her, the teasing, lustful smile he’d worn when they first entered completely absent from his face. “Don’t stay up too late. The Wolves won’t die of starvation—no matter what Ryder tells you.”
It hit Kylie that even if her tiny hope that things with Logan were still there, he wouldn’t be allowed to have anything with her. Just like Damon, he’d distance himself. Maybe he was already being conditioned like the others.
She watched Maura sneak a bite of her strawberry and smiled. Maybe it was worth it, though. To have a real family.
Sixteen
LITTLE HOODS
Kylie peered over her shoulder, spotting Lorelei sitting with Lance, Luc, and Mr. Prince. They were discussing the return to school tomorrow. She’d already had the rundown with Ryder. He was staying with Janie throughout the day, and Archer, Savaş, and Tercero were going to take turns with Maura and her. The goal was to be discreet, but also make it clear to the school population that they were with the Godsons.
Apparently, Ryder had had enough with the shit from the ‘breakup’ after his and Janie’s return to school, and he was close to losing it with every snide remark floating around the student body.
That was fine with Kylie. She’d been dreading the whole situation.
“He’s like the best boyfriend ever,” Maura whispered, plopping down on the mat by Kylie.
She hid her grin as Ryder smiled down at Janie. He was running his fingers through her hair as she looked up at him, her arms around his waist. Logan was talking to him, not bot
hered by the affection between the two. Maybe he really was getting over Janie.
“You know, it’s weird to not hate her,” Maura added. “I’ve always hated her guts because she had everything I wanted. But she was nice at the hospital. She told me things about herself, about Trevor hurting her and the rapes. She’s just like us. It helped.”
“Yeah.” Kylie knew Maura had worked hard to get over things with Janie before coming here. It hadn’t been in their plans, but Maura had become fixated on Ryder, and she begged Gabriel for help. It also had been hard to realize how similar her desires were to Maura’s. They were both foolish girls about bad boys.
“Logan doesn’t seem to have any interest in her,” Maura added.
“I’m sure he does.” Kylie dropped her attention from them when Ryder leaned down to give Janie a kiss.
“No, I don’t think he does.” Maura put her hand over Kylie’s. “He’s peeking at you every chance he gets.”
“He is not.” Kylie refused to look up, though her heart and soul leapt at the information. “I can’t let myself think of him like that. Even if something happened, you heard Damon. They don’t get in relationships. Logan had been leaving all this—now he’s one of them.”
“What if they’re making us one of them, too?”
That wasn’t really something Kylie was interested in becoming. She was here to keep her family safe—so they could get on with their lives.
“Logan’s coming this way,” Maura rushed. “I’ll go so you can talk to him.”
“No, stay.”
“No, you need to talk to him alone.” Maura gave her hand a squeeze before standing, then comically spun in circles as she tried to figure out where to escape to.
Tercero came out of nowhere, putting an arm around her shoulder. “Come with me, Maura. The boys want you comfortable around us.”
Maura was star struck as she dumbly nodded, letting him guide her off. Kylie hadn’t even seen them arrive, but they were all present in the massive gym now.
“Hey.” Logan came to a stop where her feet were resting. “You’re still doing this?”
