OUTLAW KING(51)

“I can’t do this,” I said. “I can’t let you get me a job.” I shut the folder. “No way.”

Aunt Jane stood up. She had that Mom look on her face. Her eyes slightly squinted. She approached me.

“I wouldn’t offer this to you if you couldn’t handle it. This is a real position here. A chance for you to be stable and grow. Plus, if you suck, it’ll make me look bad.”

Aunt Jane opened the folder and pointed to the papers.

I stood up and threw my arms around her, hugging her.

“Don’t thank me,” she said. “You earned this opportunity.”

I looked at her. “And you think you’re not a good mother.”

“I prefer aunt,” she said. “Makes me sound edgier. Cooler.”

“Soon you’ll be grandma.”

“I’m not going down that road again,” Aunt Jane said. “Just sign these damn papers so you can quit that job and be happy. You can go apartment hunting. Or maybe even house hunting. Get a small house for your family. I’m sure King will be excited.”

“You have to stop talking about King,” I said. “He’s in a…”

There was a pounding at the kitchen door.

“Now who the hell is that?” Aunt Jane asked.

“Maybe one of your boy toys,” I teased.

She opened the door and took a step back. “Hello there…” She turned her head to look at me. “I think this boy toy is for you.”

I watched the figure step into the kitchen and froze for a second.

It was Knoxville. Knox. That’s what they all called him.

“Knox,” I said.

“Lindsey,” he said.

“I’m Jane,” Aunt Jane said. She touched his bulky arm. “Can I get you anything?”

“Where’s King?” I asked, ignoring my dear aunt’s raging hormones.

“That’s why I’m here.”

“Is he in jail again?”

“No. Not this time.”

“Okay. Good.” I flickered a quick smile.

But Knox just shook his head.

“We should get going right now,” Knox said.

“Get going?” I asked. “Where? Why? What happened?”

Knox walked toward me and reached for me. I swatted his big hand away and showed him my small fist. I knew if I dared to hit him it would hurt me worse than him. The guys in the Reap weren’t human to me. They were all built out of steel muscle, sex, and violence.

“Okay, fine,” Knox said. “I don’t want to scare you, but I f*cking will.”

“What do you mean scare her?” Aunt Jane asked. “She’s pregnant for Christ’s sake. You can’t stress her out.”

“I’m f*cking trying not to,” Knox growled. He looked me dead in the eyes. “I’m sorry, Lindsey. Okay?”

“What are you sorry for?” I asked.

“King was shot… twice…”





40


(King) *A LITTLE BIT AGO*

ANDERSON POPPED up out of nowhere like a goddamn Jack-in-the-box. He did so with a gun in his hand and his eyes wide. I could see the satisfaction spread across his face when he saw Uncle Jakey. And that was mixed with a shit ton of hate.

“Don’t you f*ckers move,” Anderson said. “At all.”

“What the hell is this?” Uncle Jakey asked.

“This is your nightmare,” Anderson said. “Years of bullshit leading to this.”

Anderson rushed forward.

I took a step back, trying to make it seem like I was going to run.

“Don’t f*cking move, Kingston!” Anderson yelled. “I’ll pump you full of bullets.”

I froze. I showed my hands.

“First things first,” Anderson said. “All weapons on the floor. Right now.”

“Fuck yourself,” Uncle Jakey said.

“I can press one button and have a team here,” Anderson said.

“Then do it,” Uncle Jakey said.

“You don’t want that,” Anderson said. “This is you and me. This is your club coming to its final end. This is your own member selling your ass out.”

I felt my blood run cold.

Uncle Jakey looked at me. He played it all off. “You motherf*cker. You talked to him? Is this how you got out?”

“Signed all the papers,” Anderson said. “Think about that, Jakey. You piece of shit.”

“Holy f*ck,” I said.

“Weapons! Now!” Anderson yelled, his voice booming through the building.

We all had to listen to him.

I put my gun down. Uncle Jakey was packing two. Even the man in the suit had a gun on him. My head was spinning and my heart was racing.

“So here’s what we do,” Anderson said. “I’m taking Jakey in personally. The rest of you can burn in hell when my team shows up.”

“You’re not even supposed to be here,” Uncle Jakey said. “You think I don’t keep tabs on you?”

“Your own guy sold you out,” Anderson said. “What do you think of that?”

“He told me everything,” Uncle Jakey growled. “You piece of shit.”