Page 73 of King

By the time the credits rolled, Joey and Amara were quoting lines while King shook his head, clearly entertained but pretending not to be.

What impressed her even more was when King picked upCall of Dutyand quickly mastered it despite never having played before. Joey was ecstatic, and Amara found herself watchingKing more than the screen, mesmerized by how effortlessly he adapted to things.

They had ordered pizza, and now they were sprawled around the living room, eating and talking.

“So, are you guys a thing now?” Joey asked, waving a slice of pizza dramatically before taking a huge bite. His eyes darted between them, full of mischief.

Amara nearly choked on her drink, her cheeks burning. She didn’t say a word, curious about how King would respond.

King leaned back against the couch, his expression unreadable. “Would it be a problem if the answer was yes?”

Joey paused, sipping his soda as if seriously contemplating it. Finally, he shrugged. “Nah. As long as you treat her good, I think it’s pretty cool.”

Amara’s heart squeezed, and she smiled at her nephew.

King nodded, glancing at her before turning back to Joey. “Yes, we are a... thing.”

“Sweet!” Joey grinned, tossing his pizza crust onto his plate. “She has pretty crappy taste in guys. You are definitely an upgrade.”

Amara groaned. “Joey.”

“What?” He ignored her glare. “It’s true. That last guy?—”

King cut him off, his gaze sharpening. “Last guy?” His tone was too calm. “How many guys has there been?”

Joey smirked, nodding toward Amara. “Look at her. How many do you think?”

“Oh my God.” Amara groaned, dragging a hand down her face. “Seriously? I’ve had twosemi-seriousrelationships.”

Joey snickered. “True, but you dated losers in between. Jimmy was the first guy, and he was okay. But Bud was... well, he was weird.”

“You dated a guy namedBud?” King deadpanned, looking at her as if she had personally offended him.

Amara rolled her eyes. “It was a nickname. His real name was Bern—why are we even talking about this?” She grabbed her drink, taking a long sip as if that would drown out the conversation.

Joey snorted. “Bern? As inBernie?” He cackled, shaking his head. “Damn, I thought his real name was Bud.”

“I see why he went with Bud,” King muttered, smirking. “So, what was wrong with Bernie?”

“It just wasn’t working out,” Amara said quickly, waving a hand. “Can wenotdo this? How about another movie?”

“She broke up with him, and then he started stalking her.” Joey blurted, looking at her unapologetically when she shot him a glare. “What? He did. Dad had to kick his ass because he wouldn’t leave you alone.”

King went utterly still. “What’s his last name?” His voice was pure steel.

Amara pointed at Joey. “Hush.” Then she turned to King. “I haven’t seen him in over a year. He’s probably married with a kid by now.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “And since we’re discussingmypast relationships, let’s talk aboutyourdating history.”

“Oh, this should be good.” Joey grinned, settling back like he was waiting for storytime.

King shrugged. “I don’t date.”

Joey scoffed. “Bullshit. I mean,lookat you, Mr. Witcher.”

“What?” Amara and King said in unison, looking at Joey.

Joey gestured at King. “He looks like that dude fromThe Witcher. Harry Cardil or whatever his name is.”

Amara blinked. “Henry Cavill.”

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