Page 34 of Pretty Threats

“Fine. What’s her favorite movie?”

I run down all the movies she’s given thumbs-up to in the order of how many times she’s watched them. Then, I list all the movies she’s watched multiple times for research for her film degree. Then, I start to list her favorite television series based on favorited episodes, and he stops me.

“Fuck me.” He leans back with raised eyebrows. “When War said you’ve been stalking her, he didn’t give you nearly enough credit. MI6 knows less about confirmed terrorists.” He shakes his head and shrugs. “All right, mate. It’s on. We can put together a playbook with this. But whatever you do, if she asks why you’ve decided to take her to a late night showing of her favorite movie, do not tell her it’s because she’s watched it eighteen times and you thought she’d like to make it nineteen. Girls would consider that some effed up shit. No offense.”

I don’t take offense at that. But it rubs me the wrong way that he thinks he knows how Raine will react to something better than I do. “Just email me your ideas. I’ll decide what I want to do.”

“Sure.” He stands, looking somewhat annoyed. “Killian, you know how you compare the three of us on our skills?”

“Sure.”

“You said you’ve fucked what, a dozen women? And have had zero girlfriends? I’ve fucked about fifty and have had a dozen girlfriends. Not one of those girls ended things. I did. So, for this, I’m ranked first. No question.”

“Yeah, but Raine’s different from other girls.”

“Is she?” He sounds skeptical again, which causes me to roll my eyes. “Just remember everything is riding on this. The fate of all three of us. So, if you start to fucking flounder, you better call out so I can throw you an oar.”

“Not gonna happen, but yeah.”

“And, Killian, you’re welcome.” As he stalks to the stairs, he mutters, “Ungrateful fuck.”

For some reason, that makes me laugh.

RAINE

When I wake in the middle of the night, Killian’s in the room, sitting in a chair in the corner, wearing earbuds as he works on his computer.

I roll onto my side to glare at him. “What are you doing?” I point toward the door and the general direction of the living room where he promised to sleep. “Go to bed.”

“Couldn’t sleep.”

“Because you weren’t comfortable? Do you want your bed back?” My tone is annoyed because I’m tired.

“No, not uncomfortable. Just couldn’t sleep.”

I sigh. “You’re not keeping watch, are you? Because you’re worried one of the other guys will come in?”

“No. They won’t.” He closes his laptop screen and stands. “You know when I slept really well? Yesterday, when you and I were in the same bed.”

“That always leads to things… and I don’t want to.” It’s a lie. Or partially true, but only because I’m sleepy. It’s actually surprising he stayed in the chair. In the past, he just climbed in bed without permission.

“There doesn’t have to be sex. Let me sleep with you, and I’ll prove it.” He approaches the foot of the bed. “Move over.”

Being relentless is one of his defining characteristics, and I’m too exhausted to fight. “Promise we’ll just sleep?”

“Yes.” He pulls off his shirt, and I frown.

“Why do you have to take your shirt off?”

“If you bump into me, I want to feel it on my skin.”

“You’re really…” I shake my head.

When he starts to climb into the space near the wall, I hold out a hand and move that way myself.

“Can you sleep on the outside, so I can be by the wall?”

“Yeah. Why?”

---