Page 90 of Liars

Like his father, Donovan.

“You could stand there gawking,” Raine mused, “or you could sit down and have coffee with me.” He reached for the pot. “We seem to be the only ones awake. Besides my father, who left an hour ago. And Kreed.”

Kreed was awake?

I chewed my lip, debating whether this was a horrible idea. But caffeine won out over self-preservation. “Why the hell not.”I just really wanted the caffeine in my system. I stepped into the kitchen, watching as he grabbed another mug and poured. Without a word, he slid the cup across the counter toward me. I caught it just before it spilled, muttering a quiet “Thanks.”

He didn’t respond. Just watched as I wrapped my hands around the mug. I focused on the warmth seeping into my fingers rather than the fierce glint in his gaze. It made me wish Amelia was around.

“So.” He took a slow sip of coffee. “You and Kreed… I didn’t see that coming.”

I nearly choked. Heat flooded my face as I avoided his gaze, opting to stare at the swirling black liquid in my cup. “Yeah, uh…not my finest moment.”

Raine chuckled. “No, I’d say it was quite the moment.”

I winced. “Please. Let’s just pretend it didn’t happen. I’m sure Kreed’s already forgotten.”

“I highly doubt that.” The certainty in his tone made my stomach tighten. He tilted his head slightly, watching me like he was piecing something together. “Is that what you really want? I got the feeling you were into Kreed, but if that’s not the case…”

I frowned, finally glancing up. Was he flirting? I couldn’t tell. And that alone made me uneasy. Or maybe my mind found the possibility unfathomable. “What do you mean?”

He smirked, taking another sip before setting his mug down on the counter. “Doesn’t matter.”

It did matter. The way he said it, like he knew something I didn’t, unsettled me. I cleared my throat. “Where’s Kreed?”

Raine lifted a brow.

“You said everyone else was still asleep except for your father and Kreed,” I explained at the question in his eyes. “Where did he go?”

“For a run.”

I took a sip, letting the warmth calm me. “You didn’t go with him?”

“Running’s not my thing.” His smirk deepened. “I’ll never understand how he wakes up before the crack of dawn just to jog through the streets.”

“Me neither. Why waste the time when it could be used for something actually useful? Like sleep.”

Humor twinkled in his light green eyes. “Exactly.”

A stretch of silence settled between us, but Raine didn’t seem in any hurry to fill it. He leaned back against the counter, still watching me, like I was a puzzle he was figuring out piece by piece. Finally, he pushed away, grabbing his mug. “You should be careful, Kaylor.”

The offhanded way he said it sent a ripple of tension through me. I frowned. “Careful of what?”

Raine smirked again, but this time, there was no amusement in it. “Of getting too close to things you don’t understand.”

He walked out of the kitchen, leaving me alone with my thoughts and a coffee that suddenly tasted bitter.

I had a mind to chase after him and demand he expand on this idea of being cautious. Did it have anything to do with the guy who tried to kidnap at the club? At least I’d come to the conclusion the creep was there to take me, not kill me, because if he wanted me dead, why hadn’t he just shot me in the bathroom? He had the time and opportunity. So, the only thing that made sense was that he wanted me alive for some other purpose.

For something else.

Something worse.

Terrifying.

Having Raine in the house changed the dynamic in a good way. Maddox was less of an ass. Mason, well, he was still the non-serious one. Even Kreed and Donovan appeared less serious and harsh.

But it only lasted for the weekend. Come Monday morning, Kreed returned to ordering me around. We hadn’t discussed what happened Saturday night, which was fine. I didn’t want to have a discussion about what a mistake it had been or how he regretted his momentary lapse in judgment.

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