Page 21 of King

As Amara took a small bite of her sandwich, King leaned back in his chair, his eyes fixed on her. Even with her red, swollen eyes and puffy, tear-streaked face, she was breathtaking. He caught himself staring and quickly cleared his throat.

“How did you and Joey meet?” Amara asked, placing the sandwich back on the plate and leaning slightly forward.

King pointed at the sandwich. “You need more than that,” he said, his tone firm but gentle.

Amara gave him a small, weary smile. “I will. I promise.”

King raised an eyebrow at her. “If Joey told you about me, then I know for a fact you already know the story of how we met. The kid never shuts up.”

Amara chuckled softly. “He did,” she admitted with a shrug. “But I want to hear it from you.”

King sighed and nodded, leaning forward slightly. “Fine. I was working with Jake, who had the hots for Jessie.”

Amara raised an eyebrow, amusement flickering in her tired eyes. “The hots?”

“Yeah, you know. A crush, lovestruck...the hots,” King said with a grin, enjoying the brief spark of humor between them. “Anyway, something was going on. I won’t bore you with the details, but Jake had me keep an eye on Jessie when he couldn’t be there. That’s how I ended up at one of her recitals or whatever in the hell they’re called. I bitched and moaned about it all day.”

“A recital,” Amara informed with a faint smirk, taking another small bite of her sandwich.

“Yeah, that,” King said with a playful smirk of his own. “But once that curtain went up, I couldn’t take my eyes off the dancers. It was incredible. And then Joey came out with some girl, and damn—he blew me away. I’d never seen anything like it.”

“He is very talented.” Amara’s eyes softened as she grinned at him. “Joey told me you were standing and yelling so loud that the rest of the audience joined in.”

King chuckled, nodding. “Truth. Every performance deserved that and more. I’ve got one hell of a whistle, too.”

Amara’s smile widened, her face lighting up despite the exhaustion etched into it. “He said he’d never had an audience applaud like that before. He also said you bought tickets for all the Warriors to come and support him.”

“I did,” King admitted, chuckling at the memory. “And no matter what they claim, they all loved it. Maybe not as much as me, but they did.”

Amara slowly put down the sandwich and stared at him, her expression softening into something more serious. “You’ll never know what that meant to him. I had never missed one of his recitals until all this happened,” she said quietly, her gaze locking with his. “He was bullied so much because of his love of dance. Even by Lee, but... something changed with Lee. He began talking more about Joey’s dancing and started showing more interest and...pride.”

King looked away, his jaw tightening. He knew exactly why that change had happened. “That’s good,” he murmured.

Amara leaned in slightly, her voice dropping to a whisper. “It was because of you, wasn’t it?”

King hesitated. “A father should always stand behind their child, no matter what. Joey’s a damn good kid, and he deserved the best from his father.” He paused, glancing at her. “I may have had a little talk with Lee.”

Amara reached across the table and rested her hand on his. Her touch was warm and grounding. “Joey is very lucky to have you as a friend,” she said softly.

King looked down at her hand before meeting her eyes again. “I’m the lucky one,” he replied, his voice steady but laced with an unspoken truth. Something about Amara drew him to her like nothing else ever had.

She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, her gaze lingering on his. “Thank you for being there for him, King,” she whispered.

King slipped his hand over and grasped hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Don’t mention it.” He was man enough to admit that his feelings for her were strong. In time, she would know that truth as soon as he figured it out himself.

CHAPTER 11

Amara had to admit she felt better after eating. The food had settled her nerves, but her exhaustion was almost overwhelming. What she really needed now was a shower and a change of clothes, but those luxuries would have to wait. Her first responsibility was to identify Lee’s body, a task that made her stomach churn but one she was determined to face out of respect for her brother.

The walk back to Joey’s room was silent, the only sound coming from their footsteps echoing in the now-quiet hospital halls. King walked beside her, his movements purposeful as his eyes scanned their surroundings. His presence made her feel safe, something she hadn’t felt in a long time.

When they reached Joey’s room, Jill and Slade were sitting by his bedside, speaking in hushed tones. They both looked up as Amara and King entered.

“How’s he doing?” King asked, his voice low but firm.

Slade glanced at Joey, who appeared to be sleeping soundly. “He’ll be out pretty much the rest of the night,” he said. “I’ve got him on pain medication to keep him comfortable.”

Amara approached the bed, her gaze softening as she took in Joey’s peaceful expression. “What time is his surgery?” she asked, her voice tinged with worry.

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