Page 77 of King

Bud’s expression shifted from feigned sympathy to something colder. “Amara, I’m here for you and Joey.”

“Bullshit.” Joey hissed, glaring at Bud. “My dad hated you, dude. Kicked your ass good, and now you think since he’s gone, you’re going to come back around. Yeah, not happening, asshole.”

Amara saw Bud’s eyes narrow angrily at Joey’s words, but he covered it quickly, turning his attention back to her.

“I wanted to call, but you’ve changed your number. You haven’t been home.” His fingers wrapped around her wrist again, squeezing.

“Get the hell out of here, man,” Joey sneered in disgust.

“You need to leave, Bud.” Amara really just wanted him to leave.

Bud ignored Joey and her warning to leave. Instead, he leaned closer to her. “Now that Lee is gone, we can pick up where we left off.” He then whispered. “I knew if I waited long enough, he’d be out of the picture one way or another.”

“Is there a problem?” King’s voice barely penetrated the rage that swept through her body.

“Yeah, there is,” Joey said, glaring at Bud. “King, meet Bernie. Bernie meet King.”

Bud opened his mouth to respond, but Amara was already moving. Fury, white-hot and all-consuming, surged through her, drowning out everything else. Her free hand curled into a fist, and before she could stop herself, she swung. Her knuckles cracked against Bud’s jaw with a satisfying thud. His head snapped back, a stunned expression crossing his face as he staggered.

“How dare you come here and disrespect my brother, you son of a bitch!” Amara seethed, her entire body trembling with rage.

The room fell into stunned silence. Bud clutched his jaw, his eyes blazing with something dark and furious. Before Bud could speak, King stepped in front of Amara, separating them.

“Get him the fuck outside and wait for me,” King ordered as Jared and Sid grabbed Bud, ushering him out.

Amara blinked, the world tilting slightly as the weight of what she had just done sank in. The room had gone deathly silent, all eyes locked on her in stunned disbelief. Her chest tightened. Oh, God. What have I done?

She glanced at Joey, guilt hitting her like a punch to the gut. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, her voice barely holding together as tears stung her eyes.

But Joey just snorted, shaking his head. “Don’t be.” His lips curled into a smirk. “I heard what that asshole said. If you hadn’t hit him, I would have.”

Before she could respond, King’s voice rumbled beside her. “She’ll be right back.” His tone left no room for argument.

Then, before she could process what was happening, King led her out of the room, his grip firm but careful. Away from the gawking guests. Away from the whispers. Away from the chaos of it all.

The moment they were alone, he turned her to face him, his eyes sharp and assessing. “What did he say to you?”

Amara bit her lip, her arms wrapping around her stomach as the rush of emotions crashed down on her. “I shouldn’t have hit him.” Her voice wavered as shame curled around her. Not here. Not at Lee’s funeral.

King made a low sound in his throat, something deep and dangerous. “You’re right,” he said, his voice rough. Her stomach dropped. She looked up at him, expecting disappointment, but instead, his lips curled into something dark and promising. “You should have let me hit him. Though that is still likely to happen.”

Despite herself, a slight, shaky grin tugged at her lips, but it quickly crumbled as tears spilled over. She wiped at them furiously. “He said that we can pick up where we left off now that Lee is gone. That Lee was why we broke up, which is a lie.” Her voice cracked with rage. “Then he said that he knew if hewaited long enough, Lee would be out of the picture one way or another.”

A low growl rumbled in King’s chest, his entire body tensing. His golden eyes turned black instantly. “I’ll take care of it, Amara,” he said, his voice eerily calm, but she could feel the storm raging beneath.

She shook her head, heart pounding. “King?—”

“Go back out there with Joey,” he interrupted, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Amara barely had time to process King’s departure before she found herself standing next to Joey and Steve. The tension in the room shifted as murmurs swept through the remaining guests. King moved through the funeral home with quiet determination, heading toward the back, where Sid and Jared had dragged Bud.

“Get my other crutch,” Joey muttered, his gaze locked on the same direction King had gone.

Steve didn’t hesitate, grabbing the crutch and handing it to him.

Amara frowned. “Where are you going?”

Joey looked at her as if she had just asked the dumbest question imaginable. “You think I’m gonna miss this?” He grunted, adjusting his stance before hobbling past her. “Everyone’s going outside anyway.”

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