Page 140 of Kings & Corruption

“Wow,” I said as we inched closer to the counter.

There was only one person in front of us now — a guy about my age with a faded blue backpack — and I could see Cassie bustling behind the counter, her copper hair shining in the morning sun that streamed in through the cafe’s big windows.

Two guys worked the line, ringing up orders and making coffees, while Cassie straightened and refilled metal cans labeled with different kinds of coffee.

When it was finally our turn, I ordered a latte and a chocolate croissant, then waited while Rock ordered for himself and Oscar. I’d make Rock promise we could sit and enjoy our coffee at Cassie’s, so Oscar wouldn’t get his eclair until later, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.

Cassie turned when she heard Rock’s voice and her face broke into a smile. “Surprised to see you here,” she said warmly. She was somehow both adorable and gorgeous with freckles dancing across her small nose, sparkling hazel eyes, and perfect skin. “Neo have a break between fights?”

Right. Neo didn’t eat junk when he was preparing for a fight.

“Nothing for Neo today,” Rock said. “Our girl here needed some caffeine and sugar.”

Our girl. It had a nice ring to it.

If Cassie thought the choice of words was surprising, there was no indication of it in her expression when she looked at me with a smile.

“Good morning, Willa. Nice to see you again. The Kings taking care of you out there?” It was an innocent question without a hint of innuendo, like it was perfectly normal for a woman to live with three men she wanted to bang who weren’t at all opposed to the idea.

“Good morning,” I said. “They’re feeding me chocolate and sugar on a Sunday morning so I can’t complain.” The guy who’d taken our order set our pastries down and turned away to make our coffees. Perks of being a friend of Cassie’s, I guess. No waiting with the other customers at the end of the counter. “These look amazing, by the way,” I said, eyeing the pastries.

“Thank you,” she said. “It’s a labor of love. I hope you enjoy them.”

“I’m sure I will.” I liked her and hoped I’d get to know her better while I was at Blackwell Falls.

The barista returned with our coffees and we said our goodbyes before moving out of line.

“She’s so nice,” I said.

I made my way to an empty table by the window, then felt Rock’s arms on my elbow guiding me to one in the back. “Yeah, but we can’t say the same about your stalker, so no window for you.”

Right. My stalker. I’d seen the gun under Rock’s jacket — something I now realized the Kings always carried off campus, except at the Orpheum where it wasn’t allowed — but that didn’t mean I wanted to make it easy for some creep to take pictures of me enjoying a coffee at Cassie’s.

“Fine,” I said as we settled into a table at the back of the restaurant. I wasn’t going to complain. The cafe was full of light, even in the back, and at least I was out of the house for a couple of hours.

I’d just taken a blissful sip of one of the best lattes I'd ever had when Claire appeared next to Rock. I knew right away something was wrong. Her eyes weren't lit with playfulness, and her mouth was drawn into a frown.

“Hey!” I got up to give her a hug. “What are you doing here?”

"I was just making a coffee run, but I'm glad you're here." She glanced nervously at Rock, then back at me. "Can I talk to you for a minute?”

Rock stood, obviously getting the message. "I'll be right there," he said, gesturing to an empty table next to the window.”

Claire took his seat, and my stomach knotted with nervousness. I knew what this was about.

"You talked to Nikki, didn't you?" she asked. There was no accusation in her voice, just a calm certainty I didn't have the heart to refute.

"I did. I'm sorry. I just couldn't…" I looked down at my latte, the weeping willow that had been drawn in foam by the barista fading into a blob. "It's killing me not knowing what happened. I can't just walk away.”

As I said it, I knew it was true. Whatever options I'd been entertaining since Nikki's murder, I couldn't leave Aventine without knowing what had happened to Emma. My internal debate had raged only because I knew staying was stupid and dangerous.

But that didn't mean I could leave.

"I get it,” Claire said. “I don't love it, because I think you see now what I meant about Emma and why you shouldn't talk about her. And I know I don't have to tell you, especially now, that continuing to talk about her or ask what happened to her puts you in a lot of danger. But if something happened to one of my brothers or sisters, I wouldn't stop asking questions until I had answers.”

I exhaled the tension I'd been holding while I’d been waiting for Claire to denounce me as a liar. "Thanks. I’ll be okay. The Kings are looking out for me." I didn't really know what that meant, and I still wasn't 100% sure I could trust them, but I couldn't lie about the fact that I felt safe with them.

It didn't make sense. None of this did, but there it was.

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