Page 37 of Pretty Threats

“J,” War says in a warning tone before tearing off a piece of cinnamon roll with his grizzly bear teeth. Daylight does nothing to make him look less terrifying.

“Right,” Jamie says slowly, his tone carrying an edge worthy of a blade. “What would you like to drink, Raine?”

“Water’s good.”

Killian pours me some from a glass pitcher that’s in the center of the island.

When I sit, I realize there are fresh strawberries and blueberries in a serving bowl next to the tray of rolls. Everything is colorful and perfect, like a photo on a cooking blog. Surreal to the point of creepy.

I dig in. The cheesy bacon and egg casserole full of herbs is so tasty I can’t comprehend how I’m having it for breakfast as a broke student. Considering the surroundings and now the food, this probably ranks as the swankiest kidnapping in history.

“Really good,” I say and then lick my lips. “Whoever made this deserves their own restaurant.”

Killian sits next to me. From then on, we eat in relative silence until I touch Killian’s forearm with my fingertip to get his attention. His dark blue eyes shift.

“Do I have time to shoot some footage for my vlog? It’s normal for me to post every week. If I don’t drop a new video, some of my followers will wonder what’s up.”

With no change in expression, Killian says, “You have time to do whatever you want.”

That’s surprisingly generous of him.

“Great. I’ll shoot upstairs in front of the windows, if that’s cool? It’s pretty there.”

Killian nods.

When I grab my ring light tripod, phone, and camera from the bedroom, he strides over and takes them from me to carry them upstairs. Once there, he sits on the couch to watch.

After setting up, I do a quick intro then turn back and forth to show the outfit from different angles. I’m done in two minutes.

Killian runs a hand through his damp hair, pushing it into place so it’s not standing too tall. “That all? You can make a longer recording if you want.”

“No, that’s perfect. I just needed a clip. Before I record too much, I have to think about the theme of my next video. I’ll do that tonight and film more tomorrow.”

Without comment, he rises and grabs the equipment. Now, he’s my personal assistant? Seriously, is this an alternate universe?

Killian carries the tripod and camera but leaves me my phone, which I guess is a show of good faith. I head downstairs with him.

“Okay.” After I grab my messenger bag, I glance at him. “Ready to go when you are.”

He walks to the door and opens it for me. Yeah, welcome to another timeline where Killian is thoughtful and polite. All I can think is he wants things to go smoothly because his bosses are getting reports from the housemates.

When he leads me to his Corvette, it hits me again that he’s young to have a car like this. When I first heard he’d gotten it, I wondered if his brother Liam, who seems to be extremely wealthy, bought it for him. Maybe as a gift for getting into GU. But now that I’ve gotten a glimpse at his new life, I’m pretty sure his illegal work pays well enough for him to afford it. That must make him happy. Killian loves to drive fast, and this car makes that easy.

It’s my first time riding in the Corvette. The leather seats are as delicious as butter. Although I’d never buy such an expensive ride, I understand its appeal.

Killian doesn’t take the quickest way to campus. Instead, he stops at Espresso Yourself, which causes me to raise my brows. Is he not worried about spilling coffee in his beautiful car? I’d never risk it.

Oblivious to risk as always, he heads inside with purpose. When he comes back, he holds a to-go cup out to me, and nothing for himself. What the hell?

Pulling the plastic tab open enough to smell it, I inhale the lovely scent. “Is this an oat milk matcha latte?”

“Yes,” he says as he puts the car in gear.

How could he know that’s my favorite thing to get from here? He hasn’t been around. This coffee shop is the most expensive one near campus, and it’s not part of the meal plan, so I only splurge on Espresso Yourself coffee or tea when I come here with friends to study for exams.

Nodding at him, I narrow my eyes. “How did you know?”

He glances over at the cup, which I’m carefully holding with both hands. The heat soaking into my palms feels good and gives me such a fall vibe… chilly weather, hot beverage, it’s seasonal in the best way. I can almost forget my troubles for a minute.

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