Little Hood and Her Wolf (The Big Bad Wolf Trilogy Book 2) Read online

  Little Hood and Her Wolf

  Janie Marie

  Contents

  1. Big Bad Wolf

  2. Knight House

  3. Betrayal

  4. Consequences

  5. Faith

  6. Baby Doll

  7. Forever

  8. Love is Cruel

  9. When You Trust

  10. Dad

  11. Dark Path

  12. You Don’t Glow

  13. The Grimm Legacy

  14. Man-Boy

  15. Prettiest of them All

  16. Not My Blood

  17. Always Two

  18. Wake

  19. Something Is Everything

  20. Happy Birthday, Hood

  21. Dirty & Beautiful

  22. The Cruel Voice

  23. Truth

  24. Logan Grimm

  25. Kylie Hood

  THE BIG BAD WOLF TRILOGY FINALE

  Also by Janie Marie

  Coming Soon

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  First published in March 2019 as Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? by Janie Marie

  This edition published in December 2020 by Janie Marie

  Copyright © 2020 by Janie Marie

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

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Cover design & Illustration by Thander Lin

  ©2020 Thander Lin

  Editing by Emily Vaughan

  First edition edit by Emily A. Lawrence, www.lawrenceediting.com

  Created with Vellum

  For The Girl I Was

  You could’ve caved and given readers what they wanted—a cliché story with no soul.

  You could’ve changed our name to please those who despised naming Janie after us and ruin the whole purpose of what you were creating.

  You could’ve betrayed yourself.

  You didn’t.

  You roared, darling girl.

  Now, because I’m writing this today, I’ll always remember that should they try to put out our light again we are Janie Marie, a goddess.

  We fucking glow brightest in the dark.

  Epigraph

  “You know, she reminds me of a violin. She’s sad but beautiful. Powerful and fragile—all at once. No matter how dark, sad or light, she will always enchant us. So lovely.”

  -Janie Marie, The Light Bringer, Gods & Monsters Book 3

  One

  Big Bad Wolf

  “Mr. Grimm,” Luc Godson let his name hang in the stale air of the mostly emptied gym. Only the cleaning crew remained. The others knew to flee as Luc strolled through the training room.

  Logan sighed, sliding a metal chair across the floor. “I didn’t know you were coming by.”

  Luc unbuttoned his white suit jacket, then sat in the chair Logan offered. “And pass up on the chance to remind my brother who she belongs to?” He tugged at his sleeve, hiding the inked designs painting his pale skin. “I was surprised to see it was another you guarded so carefully.”

  Logan’s jaw tightened, but he kept his composure. Kylie couldn’t come under Luc’s radar. “I want everything that should be mine,” Logan said, glancing at Luc’s right-hand man, Damon King. His darker complexion and black, slicked-backed hair didn’t lessen the darkness in his eyes. His face was neutral, but Logan knew he was about to get himself in deep shit. “I’ll pay whatever price you ask.”

  The elder Godson’s smile sent a cold chill down Logan’s spine. “Does my little brother know what you are asking of me?”

  “It’s not his business.” Logan kept his hands relaxed, but he was just as unnerved to be in Luc’s presence as he had been when he was only a broken eighteen-year-old boy. It didn’t matter Luc was only a few years older than him; he had the ability to ruin any person he wished.

  “Of course it is.” Something sparked in Luc’s gray eyes, like a flash of silver. Logan held his breath. “His business is why I was called, was it not? Crying wolf . . . invites trouble you are not prepared to face.”

  Violent urges to fight surged forward. Luc never said anything directly—in public, at least. Every word was intentionally vague, but Logan knew what he’d done and what threat Luc was issuing him because of it. “I didn’t cry wolf. She needed your help.”

  Luc hummed. “Does your little blond friend know why you are so protective of your ex? She is the reason for such betrayal, yes?”

  “She’s no one,” Logan said quickly. He was fucking up. He hadn’t expected Luc to catch him with Kylie. “She won’t know.”

  “She looked familiar, didn’t she, King?” Luc glanced at Damon.

  Damon smiled darkly. “I do believe I’ve seen her some place before. Though I am surprised you recognized her.”

  Logan’s blood chilled, and he struggled to focus as his heart pounded faster to push out the ice. “She’s Kevin Blackwood’s stepdaughter. You’ve probably seen her with him.”

  “Hm.” Luc chuckled. “I do think it is from somewhere else that I encountered her.”

  Damon chuckled as well. “The circumstances are ironic.”

  Logan had no idea what they were getting at, but he knew it was to manipulate him. “She’s just a project. Can we get back to what I’m asking for?”

  Luc scrutinized him. “A project, you say?”

  Nodding, Logan kept his composure. “She’s no one. But it benefits me to keep her close.”

  “You are a terrible liar,” Luc said with another chuckle. “Though I am curious about what you hope to achieve.”

  He felt like shit for smiling like an asshole, but he needed to say what Luc wanted to hear and still keep Kylie safe. “Maybe I’m looking to make her jealous. Afraid of some competition?”

  A hellish smile spread over Luc’s face. “I have already won the game, Mr. Grimm. After all, you know what world we live in.”

  Logan’s smile fell, but he became more resolute in his request. “Then you won’t object to giving me what I want.”

  “She will protect you.” Luc didn’t hide his anticipation for such a thing.

  His stomach turned, but he smiled. “Isn’t that what you’ve wanted all this time?”

  “You realize this does not affect the arrangement I have with her?” Luc stood, buttoning his jacket.

  Logan’s self-hatred rose to new heights. “I want it anyway.”

  “How disappointing.” Luc turned and walked toward the exit. “Consider it done.”

  Logan glanced at Damon, swallowing at the dark glare he was given. “Thank you,” Logan said, his hands shaking.

  “Farewell, Big Bad Wolf,” Luc threw over his shoulder, nearly knocking Logan to his knees as the door shut.

  “What the fuck have I done?”

  Two

  Knight House

  “Dammit, woman,” Ryder said, throwing dirty clothes in a hamper. “You don’t even live here, and this place is a mess.”

  Janie carried the bag she had packed and sat it on her bed as they watched Ryder stomp around the room, picking up the various pieces of clothing and empty Dr Pepper bottles cluttering her bedside tab
le. It wasn’t that bad, but compared to Ryder’s room, where they had just been to gather stuff for Janie and her, it was a pigsty. His room—his whole giant mansion—was immaculate. She had thought that was Janie’s doing. Clearly, she was mistaken.

  “Babe, is it so hard to take these to the trash?” He started throwing everything in a wastebasket he had picked up from beside the desk.

  “I had a headache,” Janie said, frowning.

  Kylie stood there awkwardly as Janie plopped down on her oversized King bed and watched Ryder clean her room. Logan had been right—the place was amazing.

  It wasn’t as insane as Ryder’s place, which was a mix between a fortress and fairytale castle. Really, she’d never seen anything like it. But the Knight mansion was more simple-beautiful. It didn’t appear that a woman had done anything to soften the place up. It was formal and expensive, but not in-your-face gaudy.

  “So you knocked back six Dr Peppers and took off a week’s worth of clothes?” Ryder asked, pointing at Kylie. “I’ll clean her mess, but if you trash this place, you better get your ass up and clean.”

  “Ryder,” said Janie.

  He held up a hand. “Shut up, my love. I’m barely fucking dealing with this shit.”

  Kylie bit her lip, watching him huff out his anger. He had blown up several times, yelling after finding a note taped to the garage door at his home earlier. It was addressed to ‘My Queen.’ Janie took it and put it in her pocket, which made Ryder’s anger skyrocket.

  After that, Kylie considered calling Logan, but Savaş had come along and invited her to the game room. It sounded fun until she realized Monica, his girlfriend, was there. It hadn’t been a positive experience with Monica before, and it was a disaster this time. Kylie had let herself get sucked in by the girl’s prying into her and Logan’s sex life, and she’d ended up blurting out Logan’s dick tasted better than chocolate.

  If that wasn’t humiliating enough, it got a million times worse when she turned to leave, only to realize the other three Godson brothers were there, and they’d heard everything. So had Janie.

  “Babe, I can do that,” Janie said.

  Kylie snapped out of her musings and looked over to see a sad expression on Janie’s face as she watched Ryder clean.

  “I can do it. I’m not mad at you.” He walked over and kissed her. “Let me do this for you.”

  Janie nodded, pressing her hand over his heart. God, they’re so dramatic.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked, giving her hand a little squeeze before he went back to picking up stuff.

  “I’m fine.” Janie sprawled out on her bed, rubbing her head. “Ow.”

  “When did you eat last?” Ryder stopped what he was doing and narrowed his eyes on his girlfriend.

  Janie shrugged.

  “Dammit, you know you get sick.” Ryder looked around, stopping at her as if he had forgotten she was there. “I’ll go get you both food.”

  Janie beamed at Ryder before looking toward her. “What do you want, Kylie?”

  Ryder shook his head as he leaned down and kissed Janie. “She’s eating whatever I get you. I’m not going to take down her order.”

  “Babe.”

  “She’ll eat what I get or she won’t eat,” he said, pecking Janie’s frowning lips before he strolled out of the room.

  “I’m sorry, Kylie.” Janie pushed herself into a sitting position. “He’s just stressed.”

  Kylie gave her best fake smile and took a seat on the bed. It was hard to pretend all was well without Logan at her side. Nor was it comfortable to be in the same room as Janie after her declaration in the car that her supposed rapists were dead.

  “Yeah, I noticed,” she said, trying to remain calm. By Ryder’s reaction in the car, she’d finally theorized what was so wrong with the situation: Ryder had killed the guys Janie accused. Her stomach ached because Logan might be involved. She needed information. “You really don’t have to put me up. I can call Logan.”

  “I bet he would like that.” Janie grinned like nothing was wrong, like she wasn’t sleeping with a killer. “But no, it’s fine. It’s better for me to have you here right now anyway. I like the company.”

  Kylie gulped, wondering how she could escape but too intrigued to find out the extent of Janie’s crime with Ryder. “Because of that Luc guy being at his house, or I guess your house?” That had been a shock; Janie lived with Ryder. This whole thing at her stepdad’s home was only because she needed a place to stay.

  Janie nodded and stood up to grab her backpack. “Luc wants me to go with him now. I’ve agreed to join his business later, but he wants me to now.”

  “For what?” she asked, knowing that was the real issue.

  “Nothing you need to know about,” Janie replied softly.

  Kylie started pulling out her own homework and blurted out the question she had been fighting to keep to herself. “Why do you live with Ryder?”

  Ever so slowly, Janie turned to look at her. “I guess it’s weird. But I told you he got mad at my stepdad and moved me in with him.”

  “You’ve lived with him since you were, like, fifteen?” She couldn’t believe a parent would allow such a thing. What kind of man was her stepdad? “I thought that was just for a few days.”

  “I was sixteen by then.” She smiled. “But no, not a few days. We’re like a little married couple.”

  “What about his parents?” All of Kylie’s worry about the danger Janie posed because of Ryder slipped to the back of her mind; she was utterly enthralled with the idea of living with a boyfriend at such a young age, especially a Godson.

  “Oh.” She giggled. “The boys don’t know their mother. And their dad doesn’t mind. He said I’m supposed to be there.”

  “That’s weird.” Kylie frowned because Janie was being evasive with her answers. “I didn’t see anyone besides the boys.”

  “Yeah, you won’t see their dad.” Janie blushed. “It’s kinda too much to see him.”

  “I don’t understand. Is he like a good-looking older guy or something?”

  “You really shouldn’t try to picture him.” Janie opened her backpack.

  Kylie let it go. Maybe the idea of a super-hot Mr. Godson was too much. “What about your stepdad? Does he really not mind you living there?”

  Janie sighed, digging through her bag. “Well, I went back and forth until I got pregnant.”

  “You’re pregnant?” Kylie’s eyes dropped to Janie’s stomach. It looked flat, but she guessed it could be really early. Maybe that was why Ryder was kissing it in the locker room before his and Logan’s spar.

  “Oh, not now,” Janie said quietly. “I, um, miscarried.”

  “Oh.” Kylie watched her. She felt dumb because she remembered the rumors about how Ryder had knocked Janie up, and that was part of the reason for her breakup with Logan.

  “Yeah.” Janie rubbed her stomach. “Arthur was really mad. I think he just felt guilty for not being around, and because I had hidden everything so well. It’s just hard for him.” Janie was rubbing it as though a baby was still there.

  “Wow.” Kylie frowned as she tried to think of what to say. “Well, I guess it’s for the best, right?”

  Janie snapped her head up. “What?”

  Wasn’t this obvious? “Well,” she said, watching Janie’s eyes become glassy like shining crystal, “for Logan to go through your breakup and you having Ryder’s baby—that would have hurt him even more. Plus, you were so young.”

  “Yeah, I guess so.” Janie’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

  Kylie looked away as she pulled her homework out and sat at the desk. Maybe she should’ve stayed quiet.

  “Your phone beeped,” Janie said, turning on her bed to stare out at the moon.

  Kylie pulled her phone out, smiling because it was a text from Logan.

  “I’ll be back.” Janie got up. “I’m gonna go see Gawain for a little bit. Maybe we can play games some other time. I’m not feeling that well.”

/>   “Oh, okay.”

  Janie pointed at a door. “The bathroom is in there. Make yourself at home. I’ll get a room ready for you when I get back, but I might be a while.”

  “Okay, thanks.”

  The girl hurried to the door but paused, adding, “Your clothes are in the bag, too. Ryder should be back with food soon.” Janie started to open her mouth but closed it and rushed out.

  Kylie stared after her, wondering why she felt the urge to apologize. She hadn’t done anything wrong, but she felt almost sick to her stomach. “Shit,” she said, jumping as her phone vibrated. She’d completely forgotten Logan had texted her, but she smiled, the uneasy feelings gone.

  Logan Stolemypanties Grimm: Is this my punishment

  She chuckled, replying: What?

  Logan Stolemypanties Grimm: You didn’t text me.

  Needy.

  Logan Stolemypanties Grimm: Horny.

  Really?

  Logan Stolemypanties Grimm: You really need me to answer that?

  Logan Stolemypanties Grimm: The answer is yes, btw

  She held her hand over her hot cheek before she replied: Pervert. And yes it’s part of your punishment

  Logan Stolemypanties Grimm: Imagining you wearing a sexy dominatrix costume now. Can we buy one?

  No.

  Logan Stolemypanties Grimm: How do I get out of trouble then?

  Figure it out.

  Logan Stolemypanties Grimm: I think I like having to work for your love.