Page 38 of The Kings of Kearny

“We’ll look into it,” he said. “What the hell did you do to that guard?”

“Who? Defenseless old me?” I asked, dropping an entire cup of honey into my voice.

“Cut the shit,” he said. “I already apologized.”

Ugh. He was right. I was keyed-up and taking it out on him. “You did. Sorry. I kicked him very hard several times and then kneed him in the face.”

“He didn’t get a hit off first?”

“No.”

“Good,” he said.

Heaven help me, he sounded proud.

A second later, there was a knock on the door. I glanced through the peephole to double-check that it was Jakob before pulling it open. We stood there, facing each other for an awkward moment. I wasnotgoing to hug him.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I said.

“Hello again, Jakob,” Gran said, coming up behind me. “Oh, you brought friends.”

I swung the door wide, revealing the small, leather-clad army behind him. Men and women crowded together in the hallway. Several were open carrying military-grade weapons. No wonder the Jokers had taken off.

“Ready to go?” Jakob asked.

I nodded. “Gran’s going to come stay with me.”

“You can’t go back to your place,” he said.

I sighed. I should have seen this coming. If the Jokers had Dr. Perez or if she was working with them, they’d know by now that I was the reason the Kings were busting up their little operation. I’d heard through the grapevine that the Kings had safe houses they used for situations like this, and if the intractable look on Jakob’s face was anything to go by, I was about to spend some time inside one.

“Fine,” I said.

I went to grab Gran’s bag, but Rob stepped in and hefted it up.

“I got it,” he said with a wink. He had one of those deep, purring baritones that rolled right through you when he spoke.

Gran perked up when she heard it. “Ooh, isn’t that a voice.”

He tipped his head toward her. “Ma’am.”

“Thank you for such chivalry,” she said, extending her hand. “I’m Izzy.”

My grandmother, the flirtatious prom queen.

“Can we please get going now?” I asked after they shook. “The cops have to be on their way.”

Miraculously, we made it out of there before any flashing lights arrived.

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